Dear Parents/Carers,
I hope that you are keeping well as we approach the Easter holidays.
Once again, Prestatyn High School has been extremely busy with trips, events and academic activities to maximise progression. Hot on the heels of our very successful ski trip, we have had the Maths Department trip to Paris and the very recent Geography trip to Iceland. The photographs look amazing and the pupils seem to have gained so much from the experiences.
Attendance and punctuality
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support over this matter so far this year. We are currently looking at all systems and processes alongside the Local Authority to make sure that we can do what we can to improve our attendance. This year, our whole school attendance rate is still lower than pre-pandemic years and we as a whole community must do what we can to get back to where we were before COVID. The issue of school attendance has gained significant media coverage in recent months and it is a concern for the whole of the UK. Good attendance is so important for the life chances of young people that we will stop at nothing to continue to improve it further. In terms of punctuality, persistently late pupils will continue to be sanctioned and phone calls made home. I appeal to all parents and carers to support your children, support the school, and make sure all pupils are in school on time unless there is a very good reason for absence. The local authority has issued several fines to the parents of our poorest attenders. Poor attendance to school will harm the chances of your children later on in life.
The highlight of this half term has to be our production of the musical ‘Matilda’ by the Creative Arts Department. The matinee performance for our cluster schools and the three evening performances were nothing short of outstanding and, once again, showcased how much talent we have here at PHS. Well done to Miss Southall, Mrs. Bennett, and the whole Creative Arts Department. I can’t wait to see what we have planned next.
As our exam classes in Years 11 and 13 continue to prepare for the summer, we are doing all we can as a school to make sure that they are ready for their forthcoming exams. As always, school will be open throughout the Easter break (excluding bank holidays) so that all pupils who have exams can access our Easter school revision sessions. These exam revision sessions will be focused on what pupils need to learn and what pupils need to do to prepare for their GCSEs and A levels.
During the week beginning the 18th March, students, pupils and children from our cluster of primary schools will be taking part in an annual ‘Festival of Culture’. This is part of our Discrimination: It stops with me campaign and it helps us embed the key messages to all of our community. As always, we are working with local partners and external agencies to support effective delivery and ensure that our young people are receiving the very best in personal and social education at Prestatyn High School. Further information about the campaign can be found on our website. At the end of the festival, on Friday 22nd of March, students are invited to come to school in their own clothes, as it will be a non-school uniform day. Students are encouraged to wear dress that represents their culture or character in a visual celebration of diversity that all of the school community can get involved in. Students are asked to donate £1 for this non-school uniform day. This will help the school to raise money for the local food bank and the Red Cross.