Dear HP families,

Update From The Headteacher, Mr Hudson: We finished September with our highest ever whole school attendance for the month at 92.5%. More students have been in HP every single day, which is testament to the great offer we have in place but also to families and HP working better in partnership together. Thank you for your support with this. It is vital that we now keep building on this progress and continue to maximise attendance throughout the year.

Golden Tickets: In September, we introduced Golden Tickets. At the end of each Year 7 to Year 11 lesson, a Golden Ticket is awarded to a student who has gone above and beyond during the lesson. Students can receive tickets for a range of reasons, such as giving an exceptional answer to the class, producing high quality work or showing exceptional effort. Students have responded incredibly positively and we have really enjoyed seeing them share their successes with us during break and lunchtime. Students should bring their tickets home so that you can celebrate and discuss their success together. You will also see Golden Tickets recorded on MCAS under behaviour.

Year 7 Character Passport: At HP, we believe that developing strong character is just as important as achieving academic success. We want our students to develop the qualities, attitudes and skills that will help them to thrive both in HP and beyond. To allow our Year 7 students to explore and develop the values that matter most to us, they were given a Character Passport as part of their transition to HP. The passport contains a range of challenges for students to complete throughout the year. Some challenges are completed in HP, while others are designed to be completed at home. Students are awarded Bronze, Silver and Gold badges for their hard work and commitment. The first Year 7 Character Passport check in is on Thursday 1st October. We would encourage families to discuss their child’s progress so far and support and encourage them as they work their way through the various challenges.

Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award: Well done to the six HP students who completed their Gold Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition in the Peak District last weekend. Alongside students from Yate Academy and Henley Bank High School, our students faced challenging conditions and showed fantastic resilience, pushing through fatigue, overcoming personal fears and supporting one another throughout the expedition. It was particularly encouraging to see students from across our Trust working so closely together, building new friendships and helping each other through the challenges they faced. A big thank you to the staff who gave up their weekend to support the students and help keep everyone safe, particularly Mr Hipwell and Ms Wright for leading the expedition. With the practice expedition successfully completed, the students can now look ahead to their final Gold expedition in summer 2027.

MCAS Attendance Registers: From Monday, you will only be able to see the AM and PM registers for your child on MCAS. This reflects the lessons from which their overall attendance is generated. Please email t.hogarth@hphigh.co.uk with any questions.

Movement Around HP: We operate a one way system in parts of HP during the five minute period after a bell sounds. When HP was originally built in 1972, there were fewer students than we have now, and moving in one direction actually makes it faster and easier to get from lesson to lesson, particularly for our younger students. We recognise that this can sometimes be frustrating for older students, but we regularly remind students of the reason for the system and it is important that we maintain it. Please email t.ogallagher@hphigh.co.uk with any questions.

Uniform Expectations: Students are always expected to wear their blazer and have their shirt tucked in when they walk into a classroom for a lesson. Students who do not meet these uniform expectations will be set a Prep for after school. Please reinforce this expectation with your child. Please email t.ogallagher@hphigh.co.uk with any questions.

FACE Parent Talks: The following FACE live talks are taking place this month:

• Raising Self Esteem on 5 October at 10am; Supporting Healthy Sleep on 5 October at 7pm;
• Decreasing Depression on 6 October at 10am;
• Introduction to OCD on 6 October at 7pm;
• Improving Family Communication on 12 October at 10am;
• What is ACT? on 12 October at 7pm;
• Understanding Addictive Behaviour on 13 October at 10am;
• Supporting a Child with ADHD on 13 October at 7pm;
• Understanding Anger on 19 October at 10am;
• Understanding the Teenage Brain on 19 October at 7pm;
• Supporting Healthy Screen Use on 20 October at 10am;
• Autism: Improving Communication on 20 October at 7pm;
• ADHD and Homework on 22 October from 7pm to 8pm;
• Facing Defiance on 26 October at 10am;
• Cannabis and Ketamine Awareness on 26 October at 7pm;
• School Anxiety on 27 October at 10am;
• and Anxiety Explained on 27 October at 7pm.

These talks are free for HP families. Visit the Parents Live Talks page of the FACE website at facefamilyadvice.co.uk and use the HP access code HP160626. At the payment stage of booking, continue through the pages until you reach the Add Promo Code box, enter the HP code and the price will reduce from £24 to £0. Please email l.hughes@hphigh.co.uk with any questions.

Space Week: It is Space Week in KS3! To celebrate, we are launching a special mission for all students in Years 7 to 9. If you can bring in one exciting fact about space, you will earn an instant House Point. Whether it is about exploding stars, mysterious black holes or distant planets, we want to hear it. Hand your fact to your teacher when entering the classroom during a lesson next week, from 5 to 9 October, and claim your reward. Please email h.brooker@hphigh.co.uk with any questions.

I wish you all a lovely weekend,

Mr Hudson
Headteacher