It’s lovely to have a full week under our belt again after our students’ return from perhaps a quieter-than-normal Christmas break for many. 

The national picture appears to be changing gradually with regards to the virus and necessary mitigations required, and we will keep you informed as ever of any alterations to our school approach when we are confident that such changes are in the best interests of our entire school family. However, it is still possible that blended (remote) learning may be necessary if further surprises await us and so all students should remain familiar with their Google Classroom codes for each of their subjects. 

Thank you for ensuring that all students are dressed in full school uniform and ready to learn as they arrive in the mornings. This really does set the tone for the day and allows us all to proceed from the same starting point when promoting and maintaining our school values. 

Next week (Thursday 20th January) we will hold a virtual parents’ evening for students in Year 10. Bookings for available slots are being made and we look forward to working together with families to ensure that all students reach their potential in all subjects.  

Our Year 11 mock-examination week begins on Monday 24th January and students are busy with their preparations at present. National indications are still that the Welsh Government and WJEC Exam Board will be running their standard examination procedures in the summer term, albeit with reduced content in some subjects. However, although we always encourage all students to give their best to their mock examinations, it is perhaps prudent once again to remind all families that, should examination protocols change (at short notice), schools will be required to base any judgements on hard evidence. 

Unfortunately, this year our Sixth Form Open Evening will again be virtual, and this ‘event’ will go live in a couple of weeks now. We are incredibly fortunate to attract many students from both our own Year 11 and a number of other schools each year. All of the talks and presentations which would normally occur during a standard Open Evening will be available on our school website, and the application process will be simple. Our Sixth Form Prospectus will be available to all interested parties, both online and in hard copy, and this booklet gives a succinct and informative overview of our offer, and indeed the great breadth of opportunities and experiences in which Castell Alun Sixth Form students readily partake. 

We look forward again to celebrating a number of student successes in the Blog next week. Please be so good as to continue letting us know about things of which your children should be proud. 

 The weekend looks dry if a little chilly. Please take time to enjoy it.