Newsletters

AHS weekly communication digest - 16.12.22

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Message from Mr Spalding

Dear Parent/Carers,

Thank you all for your tremendous support during another hugely busy and productive half-term.  We continue to have a thriving and bustling school community with so much great work going on both inside and outside of the classroom.

Before celebrating the highlights of the term, I would like to take a moment to say farewell and thank you to a couple of colleagues who will be leaving us at Christmas.  Miss Knights who has been part of our humanities team this term will be heading back to New Zealand after Christmas. We would like to thank her for her brilliant work and for all she has done to support our students and her colleagues.  We wish her week back in the southern hemisphere.  Miss Kirby will be joining our humanities team after Christmas and will be teaching history.

We need to say an extra-special farewell to Mrs Martin who will be leaving AHS after 27 years of outstanding service.  Mrs Martin’s inspirational teaching and passion for theatre has really helped establish AHS as a centre of excellence for performing arts.  We have had so many magnificent shows and plays thanks to Mrs Martin’s vision, skill, and passion as a director.  We will miss her so much but thank her so much for the incredible creative legacy she leaves behind.  We wish her all the best for her retirement and know that she will continue to inspire young people to love and excel in drama.  We have a former AHS student Miss Balfour joining us in January to focus on KS3 drama with Mrs Mitton leading our GCSE work.

We have had a wonderful term of sporting success across a huge range of sports and we have also hosted lots of inter-school sports competitions.  Our netball, football, rugby and hockey teams have all enjoyed incredible success.  It is great also to see basketball enjoying a renaissance thanks to the tremendous support of Hoop Stars who run basketball clubs at Aylsham Sports hub and who have provided excellent CPD for our PE team.

We are very excited about our upcoming production of Elf which will run from Tuesday 20th to Friday 23rd December.  Our students and staff have worked incredibly hard and the show promises to be a wonderful success.  If you haven’t got your tickets do grab one and enjoy a fabulous festive family night out.

This term we had two hugely successful residential trips to the Lakes for English and to Berlin for history.  In the New Year we have students heading skiing in Italy and to Iceland again to support our geography curriculum.  We have also had a tremendous response to the residential trips on offer in activities week 2023.  None of the experiences would take place if it were not for the incredible generosity and dedication of my colleagues who give up their time so selflessly to make such wonderful trips happen.  They help to make magical memories for our young people.

We are really proud of the strong and principled voices of our young people.  Geno Gamble won this year’s Tony Greenfield Memorial Speaking Contest, sponsored by Aylsham Rotary.  He and the other finalists spoke brilliantly on the question of where do I go to find the truth.  Congratulations also go to Harbour Club whose hard work has helped Aylsham high School to become an official School of Sanctuary for refugees.  Their leadership and eloquence have been instrumental in shaping our culture as a school in this area.

I am looking forward to a successful New Year in 2023 and hope that the bugs and illness that have affected attendance nationally begin to subside as we get through the winter months and into the warmer spring weather.  Maintaining the best possible attendance at school is by far and away the best way to help boost academic success and develop strong knowledge and understanding.  I know that our pastoral, attendance and SEMH team are fantastic at supporting children and families with attendance challenges where they can.

I wish everyone a well-earned Christmas break and wish everyone health and happiness in 2023.  I hope that you have a great Christmas with your family and friends.  Look out for each other and take care

Best Wishes

 

 

Duncan Spalding

Executive Headteacher


NEWSLETTER GOVERNOR REPORT CHRISTMAS 2022

As the year of 2022 draws to a close, it seems a good time to reflect on all that has been achieved in The Aylsham Learning Federation.

The students and staff have got back into the post covid learning environment with great intent and purpose, and during a recent governors’ learning walk, which took in all of our schools, it was a real pleasure to see our young people actively engaged in learning in a respectful and disciplined fashion. 

At the High School, we have celebrated success across the year groups with three presentation evenings, where both academic attainment as well as effort are celebrated, as well as the many extra-curricular activities which the students get the opportunity to take part in. On one evening we were treated to a preview solo from the upcoming Elf musical which will be performed just before Christmas, so I hope you have all managed to get tickets.

It is very pleasing that the class of 2022 at the High School achieved the third best results in Ebacc subjects across the county.

At Bure Valley, the staff continue to work hard to uphold standards and bring about further improvements to the teaching and curricular offer. The school enjoys a bright and inviting learning environment that supports a calm and purposeful atmosphere in school and I know that the pupils are very pleased to be back to a normal school day, and have enjoyed having visitors back into school.

At John of Gaunt it has been a busy but successful Autumn Term and staff and pupils alike are looking forward to the culmination of the term in the various nativity plays in the last week. The children have all worked extremely hard and are making steady progress with all of their learning. Our reception children have completed the first term at school and are thoroughly enjoying all their new learning opportunities and it is fair to say that John of Gaunt continues to be a happy school where children want to come and learn.

John Bear’s Nursery is proving a popular place to start the educational journey in the Aylsham Learning Federation, and it is pleasing to see that the light and airy building is providing just the right environment for happy children.

As governors we have confidence in all our schools providing a good level of education and we are looking forward to 2023 and what we can offer the children of Aylsham.

It just leaves me to say a massive thank you to all our staff across the federation for all their hard work during 2022, and for helping bring so much success to our young people.

Thank you too, to our parents and carers for all the support which you have given to our students/pupils over the past year, and I would like to wish a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year to everyone connected to the Aylsham Learning Federation.

Jenny Youngs

Chair of Governors, Aylsham Learning Federation

 

Letters and emails sent home this week

  • Free courses and workshops for parents and carers
  •  GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – NEA2 Assessment (Selected students only)

  • Mock exams continuing after Christmas (Selected students only)

  • To view these letters please check your ParentMail or alternatively, please click here

General Reminders and information

  • Please could we politely remind parents when dropping off and picking students up to speak politely to staff.  We do not tolerate any abusive behaviour towards staff, our priority is to keep the students staff in the car park areas, and we appreciate your support with this.  
  • Year 11 Parents/Carers

    Our deadline to apply to colleges and sixth forms is today (16 December). If your child has not yet applied for a place, it is essential that they apply ASAP as some courses will be close to capacity.  Applications can be made via Help You Choose or direct via college websites.


Finance Reminders

Item Payment deadline
Activities Week Deposits are now overdue.  If you haven’t already done so please make your payment today as we have waiting lists for students on some of our trips.
GCSE Art, Graphics, Textiles and DT Contributions are now available to pay for on ParentPay
Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver Registration and expeditions are now available to pay for on ParentPay if you have completed an application form.

Upcoming events next week

Elf The Musical
All Day
From 20 Dec until 23 Dec
20
December
Inset Day
All Day
03
January
Start of term
All Day
04
January

This week's news

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To view previous news articles please click here


Twitter feeds

AHS_PE Follow
Our U13 lost their first two matches in their East Atlantic @jrnba division. We will be looking for our first 'W' after Christmas when we host @aylsham_high_official Go @raptors https://t.co/HyhDc0HkWq
5 hours ago
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AHS_PE Follow
Go @Raptors https://t.co/cpaMMRas13
22 hours ago
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AHS_PE Follow
A fantastic Norfolk Hoopstars Basketball event this afternoon organised by @NorthNorfolkSSP and held at @AHS_PE.Selected Year 7 and 8 @AldermanHigh students completed a number of different skill stations developing their lay-up, shooting, dribbling and passing techniques. https://t.co/ajOKet7Mv8
1 day ago
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AHS_PE Follow
Congratulations to Gemma on a wonderful achievement. She finished 2nd in her class at The Blue Chip Championship Finals. https://t.co/B7H02ZnM6F
4 days ago
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AHS_PE Follow
Our Ben playing for @norwichcityfc this weekend in Ypres, Belgium https://t.co/VxmU8VkmFH
4 days ago
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Aylsham High Follow
Christmas lunch has been a roaring success. Lots of happy little people. https://t.co/da6tR7K9QA
2 hours ago
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Aylsham High Follow
Mince Pie Special steam train rides are running on the Bure Valley Railway after Christmas, which runs between Aylsham and Wroxham in Norfolk. https://t.co/ObaA8No0RT https://t.co/tG9C3ijq6M
2 hours ago
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Aylsham High Follow
Christmas isn't Christmas without a cookie Christmas tree by Beth. What a talent she is! https://t.co/y106wCN1vn
5 hours ago
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Aylsham High Follow
TT Rock Stars and Rock Legends. Making Times Tables cool and fun. Keep practicing. https://t.co/RDvSG5qvAq
5 hours ago
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Aylsham High Follow
A really lovely evening @aylshamchurch an evening of songs & carols thank you for the invite @AylshamClub super proud of @aylshamhigh students fab role models merry Christmas from us all @AHS_Drama #community # songs #church https://t.co/hp6JqWUj4E
18 hours ago
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Job vacancies across Aylsham Learning Federation

Aylsham High School click here

Bure Valley Junior School click here

John of Gaunt Infant and Nursery School click here