The Local Governing Body meeting on Tuesday evening was a positive one because of our outcomes and all the work we achieved last year, though we all recognise there is still a lot to do. It was the last meeting for one of our Governors, Matt Benson who has stepped down and is now on the Trust Board. I have only known Matt for a short while but during that time, I have been extremely impressed with this knowledge and incisive questioning. My personal thanks to him for his dedication to the school over a number of years. 

The school at the end of the day is extremely busy with buses, cars, and taxis and, whilst it may look like we have plenty of car parking space, it is in fact very limited. There have been electric car charging points installed – this is a Government initiative across schools – but due to limited space, any car can park there, especially at the end of the day. Please do not use the spaces in front of reception unless there is a specific reason that we know about as a school. This is for the safety of all our children who are leaving at the end of the day. Also please do not drop off in the bus area.  

Mark Brown, Executive Director of Education, visited yesterday and following a conversation about where we are as a school, all of which was positive, we dropped into a few Year 11 and Year 7 lessons. There was a real sense of ambition in some of the lessons with students finding the work challenging and a palpable culture of “we can do even better” which was great to see. Presentation in books was good; some quite exceptional. I always appreciate the warm welcome I get when going into lessons, not only from the staff but the students as well.  

Open evening Thursday was a brilliant event. It is one of the most important evenings in the calendar. I thoroughly enjoyed walking round seeing the different areas and watching both staff and students speak so highly about our school. I admit to my bias, but it will come as no surprise that my highlight of the evening was listening to Aiden Standley playing the bagpipes. This was my first ever experience of hearing that sound in school, including 18 years in Scotland. I would also like to publicly thank Ella and Charlie whose speeches were the highlight of the presentation. The hall was absolutely packed for both presentations, so much so that on the second one, parents were having to stand outside the door. This despite us having put out extra seating and numerous parents standing at the front as well. My thanks to you as parents and carers for allowing your child to take part in the evening. They were fantastic. There was a real buzz about the school, and I felt very privileged to be part of it.  

 Have a great weekend.

Mr Nixon

Headteacher

Informal feedback from both staff and students regarding the move to late lunch has been incredibly positive. Comments made have included “the day goes much faster” and “I get more work done due to having two hours after break.” Early indication on behaviour reflects a more positive experience as well so thank you for your support in this. Students I have spoken to say that they love having just one lesson after lunch so my thanks to you as parents for your support in this initiative. 

Year 7 continue to impress me, not only in their politeness but how they are managing their way around the building, remembering the training we have given them (The Hessle Way) regarding lining up and dining hall processes. They look very smart and are polite. Year 12 would appear to have seamlessly become part of the Sixth Form, setting a high standard in all that they do.  

This week and into next, Senior Leaders are holding self-evaluation meetings with middle leaders where we go over our outcomes at Key Stage 4 and the Sixth Form. With the improved results this year, I have been really pleased with the “we want to do even better next year” attitude that has prevailed. What I would like to emphasise is that having days off here and there, especially Fridays, will have a real detrimental effect on grades. And this does not just apply to year 11. Exams are a marathon so every day off results in your child falling a little bit behind and before you know it, they have difficulty catching up. My thanks to the huge majority of you whose children attend well.  

Lizann Lowson, our CEO, called in Monday to have a walk around the school and have a chat. She arrived at break time so witnessed the canteen in action and took the opportunity to chat with students and staff. We walked the corridors as well and had conversations with different colleagues too. I am pleased to say that she enjoyed her time and spoke positively about what she witnessed. Having said that, there is still a lot to do.  

The Rewards Celebration Event on Tuesday was a lovely evening. It was a pleasure to see and chat with so many of the year group including those who are still with us in the Sixth Form. Next year, it will be held in an external venue to encourage more of the wider community to attend.  

Lat night’s Success Event was a real pleasure, especially seeing so many students and parents in attendance.  

Have a great weekend.  

 Mr Nixon

It was great to have students back in school on Wednesday, and to see so many of them come through the gates looking smart and on time. Year 7s have settled in very quickly and got used to our systems; they have come across as a very polite and respectful group of young people.  

We returned on the back of some excellent results for both Year 11 and Year 13. I won’t go into any great detail but to give you a taste, our 5+ in English and maths (called basics) rose from 38% to 51% and our 4+ rose 5% to 68%. The percentage of students who achieved a grade 7 also went up by 5% and a large number of subjects made significant improvement in outcomes too. At A level we achieved record results in A* - B grades and vocational subjects did exceptionally well too. The phrase I have been using is “This is just the start” but it is an excellent base from which we will continue our journey of improvement.  

It has been good to see attendance figures go up from the same time last year. As we get even better, it means your child misses even more education when they are not in school so please continue to send them to every day.  

Finally, there are a number of events coming up in the next few weeks, so I have listed them below. 

11 September 2026 | Key Stage 4/5 Celebration Evening (6:00pm – 7:30pm) 

24 September 2026 | Year 5/6 Open Evening (5:00pm) 

29 September 2026 | Sixth Form Open Evening (5:00pm) 

12 – 16 October 2026 | Year 11 Speaking Exams 

15 October 2026 | Year 7 Meet the Tutor 

16 October 2026 | Year 7 Restart a Heart Day 

19 – 22 October 2026 | Year 11 Mock Exams 

20 October 2026 | Year 10 Parent Information and Work Experience Meeting (6:00pm-7:00pm)  

21 October 2026 | Year 9 Inspiration Day 

22 October 2026 | School Closes for Half Term  

Have a great weekend. 

Mr Nixon 

Headteacher