End of Academic Year Message
Posted 16th July 2025
End of Academic Year Message – Summer 2025
As we approach the new academic year, we want to take this opportunity to not only wish you a pleasant summer break but also update you about some developments next year.
This year, 74 trips took place involving 5,165 students. There were 45 regular clubs, and we played 300 sporting fixtures. In performing arts, over 951 students took part in a school play, concert, gig, theatre visit or workshop.162 students took part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and over 412,000 positives have been awarded this year. There were 37 house events, including walk to school and foodbank collections. We ended the year with our whole school end of year trips and sports days – all of which were a great success.
In May, we wished our Year 11 and Year 13 all the very best in their final examinations. This year we delivered over 160 pre-examination technique sessions to support them before they sat examinations for the first time. We were extremely impressed with the participation rates at Easter Revision and Saturday school – we would like to thank the staff who led these sessions. We would also like to acknowledge the excellent conduct of all our students who have taken external exams this year and hope their hard work is rewarded on the results days in the summer.
Results:
AS/A Levels/BTEC Nationals/Cambridge Technicals – Thursday 14 August at 9am in The Forum
GCSE/Cambridge Nationals/functional skills – Thursday 21 August at 9am in The Forum
School Priorities next year
This year we took part in a consultation for the new Ofsted framework for the next academic year. This involved 5 inspectors testing out the new framework and listening to our feedback.
One of our areas of focus from this visit is our new student advocate initiative, supporting students with most need. Colleagues have enjoyed spending more time with individual students, talking with parents, and sharing strategies that work across our whole teaching body. Our aim in this work, as with all our work, is to achieve our core purpose of excellence for all.
Next year we continue our focus on returning attendance to pre-pandemic levels across the school. Whilst our data is above the national average, we know that regular attendance makes such a difference. One thing that does impact our attendance data is term time holidays, particularly around the ski season and in the summer term. We politely ask you to support the school by not taking your child out of school for holidays, unless in exceptional circumstances.
We also have a focus on making home learning more inclusive and new initiatives around reading. The reading age needed for accessing GCSE exam papers is 14, so we are keen to ensure all children read above their chronological reading age and, more importantly, enjoy reading. We will also continue to embed sustainability initiatives and students will see more emphasis on recycling.
In September, we will start the term with key assemblies that welcome students back to school and stress key points about our values, expectations, work ethic for excellence and how/who students should reach out to if they need support in school.
Summer building projects
We have some exciting projects taking place over the summer and next year to enhance the overall school environment:
- Thanks to the PTA and fundraising work of our local community, we have started and will complete the refurbishment of the changing rooms. These are in much need of improvement.
- We have received funding from the Red Kite Learning Trust to pay for the replacement of a significant number of windows in the main school building.
- We intend to replace all the tables and chairs in the Hub, significantly improving the dining area.
We welcome any ideas that you have around fundraising, knowledge about grants, benefactors, or alumni donations to help support further projects. Please do get in touch.
Wider work
On Friday 4 July training day, all the schools in our Trust came together for a Make a Difference Day at Temple Learning Academy in East Leeds. The day focussed on accessibility, inclusion and meeting the needs of vulnerable learners, where Red Kite colleagues shared, along with national experts, their expertise. This commitment to inclusion is a key focus of our work next year.
Next year, HGS continues our regional work as a Maths Hub, supporting partnership working in the development of the teaching of mastery in maths in schools. In addition, through the work of Mr Sykes as Faculty Lead for Science, we are closely involved with the Ogden Trust, offering professional development opportunities for our science teachers and colleagues across our Trust. We have also received funding to continue our work as an Ambassador School and Trust for Flexible Working. This involves working with participant schools in the region to develop flexible working practices for teachers, helping recruitment and retention.
Our Trust work with local schools continues, along with the 50 schools in the Red Kite Alliance. This wider work is important to us as we constantly seek to innovate and bring the best practices into our school.
Catering Costs
Our school hot meal deal has increased in recent years, but we have made the decision to not make any changes this year.
PTA
We would like to thank the PTA for their outstanding contribution to the school over the last academic year. Over the last two years the PTA has funded a new minibus which is an impressive achievement. The regular second-hand uniform sales continue to be a great success, raising £1500 per event, and we really appreciate the difference this work makes.
If you would like to support any aspect of the PTA in the future, please contact the Chair, Rhona Johnston. We are currently looking for a new chair so please do get in touch if you would like to find out more. HGSPTA@hgs.rklt.co.uk
Charity
We would like to thank students for their incredible fund-raising efforts on behalf of MIND. This year, students have raised £9,753.49 with £1000 going to our established charity, ‘Give a child a hope’ in Uganda, and £8,753.49 to Mind. Thank you for your donations and support. If you have not yet had chance to donate for non-uniform day today, donations can still be made via Arbor. We hope that creating the option to make one payment for all non-uniform days has helped parents/carers this year.
Long Service
This year we say goodbye to colleagues who have delivered incredible service to HGS. We thank them for their commitment, recognise the difference that they have made to children and wish them all the very best for their future. The following staff leave after over 10 years of service:
Mrs Winters Teacher of Biology: 34 years • Mr Moore Teacher of Design: 26 years • Mr Shellard Teacher of Science: 16 years, Mrs Ellenthorpe Year Manager: 13 years •
We would also like to thank Dr Tricia Stowell and Mr David Hurcomb for their exceptional service as Governors. They have both made a real difference to the school in this voluntary role, holding leaders to account and supporting the school to deliver excellence for all.
Mrs Zoccolan our Assistant Headteacher, SENCO, leaves HGS this year to a new wider role as inclusion lead in the Red Kite Learning Trust. Ms Hooper has been promoted to Assistant Headteacher, SENCO, and has already been in contact with many families to introduce herself.
Sixth Form
This has been a very busy period in the Sixth Form with our students involved in a range of different activities to support their learning and the transition to employment, training, or university. Click here to read.
Summer Reading
We have put together a useful Summer Reading list, to encourage reading across the school.
Thank you
In the course of the academic year, we see the commitment and efforts of young people to achieve their own excellence. We would like to thank all our students for their efforts and you for your continued support. We really look forward to welcoming students back in September and wish you a very safe and restful holiday.
Mr Renton
