In this, our second edition of the Pastoral Newsletter, we continue to focus on ensuring that your daughter is happy and nurtured in school, and that she is being well prepared to take her place in the world with purpose, enthusiasm and strength of character. Our pastoral staff continue to go the extra mile and help every student to succeed and be the best they can be.

One of the ways we can support students is via the online web app, the ‘Wellbeing Hub’. This platform has been designed to support the mental health and wellbeing of all students and is accessible to parents, as well all our students and staff. Much research has been done in this area and it is ‘home and school’ working collaboratively and taking steps to promote positive mental health and wellbeing which will really support our young people. If you don’t yet have a log in for the Wellbeing Hub, please click on the following link which will take you to the sign-up page where you create a password:

https://club.teentips.co.uk/register/parents/?ca=dd1085857396ca46c83f755a319b0bd4

Mrs S Howell,

Headteacher

My name is Mrs Maill and I am the Attendance & Admissions Manager at Sacred Heart High School.

When a young person attends school every day, they are increasing their chances of developing the tools needed to flourish in their educational, social, and personal development. School provides the foundation for future success, fosters social skills, and promotes overall well-being. Plus, it ensures equal opportunities for all children, regardless of their background. By encouraging regular attendance, parents set a positive example and reinforce the value of education, setting their children up for a bright future.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ):

What should I do if my daughter is ill and can’t attend school?

Parents can use the absence telephone line, email enquiries@shhs.org.uk or their INSIGHT account to inform school your daughter will be absent for that day.

How can I check that my daughter is in school?

I am responsible for contacting parents when students are absent without contact from home and investigate reasons for absence. Parents can also contact school and ask to speak to me and I will check your daughter is in school.

My daughter has an appointment in the middle of the school day, what do I need to do?

Ring or email ahead to let us know that your daughter has the appointment, send in a copy of the appointment letter/card if possible.  Also write a note in your daughter’s planner so she knows what time she is being collected. She should go to the Student Office at that time to sign out and wait for you.

I am worried about my daughter’s attendance, but I can’t get her into school, what should I do?

First and foremost, ensure you make school aware of your concerns, this will be shared with the Head of Year and a plan will be made to support your daughter coming back into school. The pastoral team work closely with parents and students to figure out the cause of the issue and find solutions.

Are students awarded for excellent attendance?

Students are rewarded for 100% attendance through praise assemblies where certificates and prizes are awarded.

My name is Paul Coulson and I have worked with Sacred Heart High School as attendance lead since 2014. 

I also work with Clennell Education Solutions, who support schools across the region with safeguarding, attendance and other aspects of education. I work alongside school attendance teams, supporting colleagues with school attendance and sharing best practice. 

My role in Sacred Heart is to support children and families to access their education and help remove any barriers that prevent students from coming into school every day. I work with the attendance manager and the pastoral team to ensure a positive outcome and sometimes use other outside agencies to help with this work. I am based in school but can also work with students at home, where I can also support parents and carers. 

Home visits can sometimes be arranged in advance, when working with a support plan. Occasionally, my job requires me to complete unannounced home visits which are sometimes necessary to check on the welfare of a child or family. 

I'm Grace! I am a part time counsellor at Sacred Heart High School.

My work within school mainly consists of one to one counselling sessions with students, across all ages, which may involve work around, but is not limited to, the following: 

• Anxiety

• Low mood

• Bereavement and loss

• Relationship challenges with peers or home

• Traumatic experiences

   

I also offer a lunch time drop-in for a more informal approach to support, that some students may find a more accessible option for them.

I like to adapt my approach to working, to the best of my ability, to each young person’s needs - whether that is bringing an element of creative expression through drawing, painting or using small objects to represent ourself or others; to students using a variety of sensory toys whilst talking to aid their own sense of relaxation; or taking a walk around our lovely school grounds with students who need movement or to connect with nature to feel grounded.

I love my work with young people and feel honoured to be a part of their journey. I am a strong believer in early intervention and the importance of connection to enable change. If you are unsure of how best to support your child, here are some things that may help with that healing process:

• Spending enjoyable, quality time together and having positive, loving conversations

• Listening to their feelings and worries and acknowledging them as being normal – feelings are not right or wrong, they just are!

• Validating their feelings and experiences, whilst also gently showing your continued belief in their ability to manage

• Being patient and consistent - it takes time and practice to learn new coping skills and different ways of doing things!

You may also want to check out the following websites for support and amazing resources for both young people and parents:

• The Wellbeing Hub

• Young Minds

• Coping Skills for Kids

Hello everyone, I’m Mrs Swan, the SENDCo (Special Educational Needs & Disability Coordinator) here at Sacred Heart Catholic High School. I am responsible for developing the school’s overall approach to special educational needs.

If you have any concerns about your child’s ability to access learning or the school environment, please don’t hesitate to contact me or one of the team.  Early intervention and support are so important to ensure that students’ learning, social and emotional needs are fully met during their time here at Sacred Heart. 

We have a fantastic SEND team of Learning Support Assistants, Higher Learning Teaching Assistants and teaching staff and Deputy SENDCo who work closely with our students. Every student on the SEND register has a keyworker who meets with the young person on a regular basis to help set learning targets and provide emotional and social support.  

Every day we run a range of interventions and lunch time clubs for students who attend the Learning Centre and there is support available after school every evening.

I am Miss Mackay and my role is Deputy SENDCo at SHHS. This means I work with Mrs Swan in the SEND department helping students who need reasonable adjustments and who need extra support to get to lessons and access their learning. I also work closely with the pastoral team as a former deputy head of year. I love being able to work with the most keen and engaged students in the school, who also often end up being the kindest and most grateful for our hard work.

SEND students at SHHS are offered many types of support including use of the Learning Centre as a space for some down time. They also all have a key worker who checks in with them regularly, and they have Teacher Overviews which let every member of staff know what their needs are and how best to support them in class. Parents of SEND students can take the opportunity to have extra contact time with staff at SHHS. We host coffee mornings for lower and upper school and we have a parents' evening (virtually) for parents to discuss their child's SEND with Mrs Swan or myself.

In the Learning Centre we have many exciting opportunities: craft club; film club; culture club; girl talk; interventions taking place; Lexia. All of these activities and interventions are run from the Learning Centre with the help of our amazing team of learning support assistants and all of these activities help SEND students academically and emotionally to be the most well-rounded members of our community.

My name is Mrs Tivnen, and I am Head of Sixth Form.   Our Sixth Form consists of Head of Year 12, Mrs Richardson, and Head of Year 13 Mrs Burgess. 

We have a fabulous Year 12 and Year 13 tutor team who are Sixth Form experts and along with Heads of Year, give daily information, advice and guidance on how to achieve the goal students have set for themselves and support with any pastoral issue they may have.   We are extremely lucky to have two counsellors and our school chaplain based within school to help support our student’s wellbeing. 

Our Sixth Form students have access to the school nurse as well as the school health team who offer support and various pop-up stands in school throughout the year on different topics including vaping, emotional wellbeing and LGBT. 

Our ambitions for every Sixth Form student are extremely high.  We want our students to leave us ready to make the world around them a better place and to quote Janet Erskine Stuart ‘to break new frontiers’ to be ready to take up meaningful jobs, apprenticeships, or quality university places.   

We have a vast range of opportunities available to our Sixth Form students such as being peer supporter for lower school students, reading buddies, volunteer placements, work experience, JPII award, volunteering at in-school events, sports clubs, Sixth Form Pantomime, Culture Week, student-led societies, Goals and Wellbeing ambassadors and this is just to name a few!

Transition from Year 11 in Sixth Form

It is at this time of Year 11 where you and your daughter will start to think about her choices after Year 11.  Sacred Heart is an outstanding Sixth Form with an abundance of facilities including a dedicated Sixth Form building, Madeleine’s, our very own Sixth Form café, Sixth Form-only study areas and a vast number of computer rooms. The transition from GCSE to A level can seem daunting, but please read and take the advice of a group of Year 12 students who have recently made the leap:

My name is Ebokowoicho Dorothy Edache and I am currently studying Politics, Sociology and Applied Law.   At the beginning of my Sixth Form journey, the idea of a changeover from GCSE to A-level was daunting but with the support of my subject teachers I quickly adapted to the expectations. My confidence is boosted by the Teaching and Learning sessions we have had, which are preparing me for the work ethic I need to maintain in school and transfer into my work life when the time comes.

I love Sixth Form because of the community we have built within its walls. Just by attending Sacred Heart Sixth Form I have been able to access so many opportunities such as The Sutton Trust and Unifrog and through our weekly Careers talks. I have been able to take part in volunteering activities with the school’s pastoral care team such as becoming a peer supporter and assistant with whole school liturgies.  My advice to any young people debating on whether Sacred Heart is the right choice, I would say to go for it, because no matter what vision you have for yourself, by coming here, you are going to achieve far beyond it. That is because of the ‘go-getter’ ethos shared amongst us as a community. Can’t wait to see you here!

My name is Katie and I study Physics, Maths, Further Maths and Chemistry. At the beginning of this year, I transferred to Sacred Heart from another school and therefore not only had the transition from GCSE to A Level to contend with, but I also had the worry of being in an entirely new place too.

What really appealed about Sacred Heart was its rich community-centred environment with personal development at its core.  I experienced this first-hand after only my first day.  Students and teachers went out of their way to help and support.

My subject teachers got to know me quickly and were aware of my strengths and the areas I needed to focus on.  This knowledge allowed me to utilise the skills I already had and those I wanted to improve on with the support of the teacher and my tutor.

The promise of Personal Development being at the core of Sixth Form is absolutely true! We are constantly given information about opportunities for work experience, university experiences and apprenticeships to name a few. I have developed my own confidence plus my public speaking skills by taking part in an arts public speaking competition.  This has also helped with my general socialising skills.  I’ve also been given the freedom, with the full support of my Head of Year, to start my own student-led engineering society!  I would say the decision to join Sacred Heart Sixth Form has been a really enriching one, which I am very happy I made.  

My name is Kesia. I joined the Sacred Heart Community when I was in Year 10. Currently, I am studying Applied Law, Business and Textiles. I plan to take a Business or Psychology route in the future.  From the beginning, I have had the complete support of my Sixth Form tutor who talks about my progress with me, as well as my subject teachers who help with my almost endless questions and practice papers!  I know I can go in confidence to my Head of Year for advice on what to do after Sixth Form as well as any pastoral issues. From the start of Year 12, we have had teaching and learning sessions where we are given the tools needed to be a Professional Learner.

I love Sacred Heart Sixth Form because of the endless opportunities I am offered; it’s at least 2 a day! There is a great supportive community, and the facilities are great. A levels are different to GCSEs so make sure you ask for help when you need it. It takes time to get used to A-levels and the different expectations, but you have so many people to help and support you!

My name is Rhiannon and the subjects I study are Maths, Physics, Biology and Further Maths.  I was a little nervous about taking four A level subjects and the difference between GCSEs and A-levels, but I shouldn’t have been, as my Sixth Form tutor really helped with the adjustment by offering advice on how best to navigate the new environment and the independence that comes with the transition. My subject teachers gave guidance about the course and how to prioritise and manage the workload as well as making the transition easier by making links between GCSE and A-level content. Also, my Head of Year and the Sixth Form pastoral team gave great general tips about how to move into Sixth Form as easily as possible, including revision and time management strategies.

I love Sixth Form because I take subjects which I genuinely enjoy which overall improves lessons and the atmosphere. I also love the independence as it gives me the ability to revise and study in ways that best suite me. The cafe and study area are also great parts of Sixth Form. I think students should come to Sixth Form as it allows you to study what you enjoy and to work in ways that you know benefit you. The community here is also so positive.

My name is Evidence Ativie, and I am currently studying Applied Law, Sociology and Philosophy and Ethics. During Year 11 there was a lot of support put in place to help us make our decisions for what to do after GCSEs.  One of these included PSHCE morning sessions where we got to go down to Sixth Form and ask different questions to the Sixth Form students and teachers about what A levels are all about. This was very helpful because I felt like I was not going into Sixth Form making decisions that I did not know the consequences of. The transition week we had during the summer was overall the most helpful to me because I was able to experience Sixth Form for a whole week; I also got to experience how the lessons would be for the subjects I was interested in. Throughout all of this, my Head of Year was always there to answers to my questions. I absolutely love Sixth Form because it feels like we are all part of one community. The support from teachers is exceptional; their doors are always open to students to answer questions and even if it is just for a chat, they are always welcoming. Apart from the teachers being there for moral support, they are also highly informative. You do not go a week without them informing you about one opportunity or another and these opportunities help you with your future prospects. My advice is to take advantage of every opportunity as well as the support that comes your way, Sixth Form is the time to explore your future.

My name is Celia, and I am currently studying Biology, Chemistry and Spanish.  Although adapting to the difference between GCSE and A level was challenging, we have had sessions delivered in assembly and during PSHCE about how to be a ‘Professional Learner’ which has helped me prepare for the advance in both content and style of learning needed for A levels.  My form tutor, along with subject teachers and Head of Year, encouraged me to ask for help if/when I needed it.  I feel confident that I could turn to them or any member of staff for support at any time.  Sixth Form has such a warm and inclusive atmosphere that has made me feel valued from the start, and I feel like the respect students have for each other, and for staff, contributes to this hugely.  I love that there are both social areas like the café and more focused environments like ‘silent study’ to choose which suits me best for the work I need to complete. Sixth Form has its own routines and rewards system but are still very much connected to lower school allowing you to be as equally involved with the wider school. I would say learning to be independent is the best part of Sixth Form.

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