As we reach the end of what has been a busy but productive half term, I know that many of our pupils (and staff!) are ready for a well-deserved break. It’s been a fantastic few weeks of learning and activity, and I hope everyone can take some time over the holiday to rest, recharge, and return ready for the next half term.
Our Year 7 students, in particular, should feel extremely proud of the way they have transitioned from primary to secondary school. There may have been a few bumps along the way, but they have made an impressive start and settled in very well. Across the school, all year groups are now fully into the swing of learning. We have had numerous visitors to school, who have repeatedly commented on the calmness of the school and the exceptional behaviour of our pupils.
Year 11 and Year 13 are deeply immersed in preparation for their GCSEs and A levels. For our Year 13 students, this is also an exciting stage as they begin applying for university places and apprenticeships. We do have an experienced and dedicated team on hand to offer expert support and guidance throughout this process.
A big congratulations to our SPIRIT and subject award winners who attended the presentation evening yesterday. It was lovely to see you all and celebrate your achievements. A special thank you also to Will who was our guest speaker. Will was a former student, and it was lovely to hear about his educational journey and the positive impact that Alsager School and staff have had on him.
You may remember that earlier this term I mentioned the Wellbeing Award for Schools that we will be working towards this year. As part of this process, all staff and students have been asked to complete a questionnaire, which will help us shape our action plan. Very shortly, a link will also be sent to parents and carers so that you can contribute your views. Please do look out for this in your inbox.
We have a number of exciting trips with payments live on ParentPay:
Easter Ski Trip for 2027 travelling to Auron in France; GCSE English trip to Chester to watch a live production of Macbeth, & Poetry Live in Nottingham, GCSE Geography have a fieldtrip in November and our SPIRIT Week London Theatre trip and a residential trip to Paris. If your child does not get a place on a particular trip, please reassure them that there will be many more opportunities in the future. With the exception of trips directly linked to specific courses (such as Geography fieldwork), most trip places are allocated randomly, although behaviour is also considered. I understand that this can sometimes cause disappointment, but it’s helpful if expectations can be managed at home too.
As we approach the break, we have noticed an increasing number of pupils dawdling between lessons, spending time on the yard chatting with friends. After half term, we will be addressing this issue. Any student who arrives more than five minutes late to the start of the lesson (when the majority of the class are present and the teacher has started the lesson) will receive a BfL 5. Pupils have already been made aware of this change. Please do take a moment to speak with your child about the importance of punctuality, not only for their own learning, but also for the impact it has on the rest of the class when lessons are interrupted by late arrivals.
I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has emailed in with kind and positive messages this half term about the work our staff do. Your kind words mean a lot to us. It’s always lovely to see the hard work of our team recognised. We know that it’s often easier to share concerns than compliments, so your thoughtful messages really do make a difference. As I often say, we’re all human and sometimes make mistakes, but please know that we’re always happy to work with you to put things right. If something doesn’t seem quite right, please reach out to us directly so we can discuss it and resolve it together.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support, and whatever your plans have a restful and enjoyable half term break.
“Kind words don’t cost much. Yet they accomplish much.” (Blaise Pascal)
