Return to School and Winter Weather
Welcome to the first School Blog of 2024! Everyone has returned to school after a well-needed break, and winter is upon us! Although it is noticeably colder than before Christmas, the temperatures could yet drop further over the coming weeks. We will use all our standard forms of communication to keep in touch with you should poor weather alter a standard school day.
BTEC Performing Arts Christmas Showcase
Before the break, 70 BTEC Performing Arts exam students excelled in their Christmas showcase with a range of dance, acting, and musical theatre numbers. Students worked extremely hard in preparation for the evening, and the talent on display was outstanding. Our Performing Arts students have been exceptionally busy since September, with the lower school production of The Last Resort and a selection of talented students also giving an outdoor performance at Chester Zoo. We are hopeful that the new year will bring further exciting opportunities for our creative students as we explore the possibility of in-house productions, support students with their Trinity Guildhall exams, and prepare for participation in the AmaSing show at the William Aston Hall.
Year 10 Christmas Market Success
We are very proud of our Year 10 students, who raised a wonderful £2,800 for Hope House in their Christmas Market just before we broke up. Once again, we would like to thank all students and parents who make these events possible.
Spring Term and Upcoming Examinations
Our Spring Term totals just ten teaching weeks this academic year, and there is a great deal to pack into such a short time! Next week, students in Year 11 will undertake their trial examinations and science practicals. These assessments provide exceptionally useful feedback to students, parents, and teaching staff about progress made and potential yet to be realised. Many Year 11 students have been deep in revision in preparation for this month, and it’s hard to believe that the genuine GCSE examination period begins in just a matter of weeks.
Once again, please may we remind all families that we are here to support students through all aspects of examination preparation. We know this can be a stressful time for many young people, so please keep in close contact with us if you have any concerns or if we can assist your son/daughter further.
Sixth Form Open Evening
On Thursday, 25th January, we will hold our Sixth Form Open Evening, aimed principally at Year 11 students, both here at Castell Alun and in other schools. The event begins at 6.30 pm with a presentation from the Headteacher and our Director of Sixth Form, Miss Sarah Edwards. However, this presentation will be repeated at 7.15 pm for those families who are unable to attend the earlier session.
During the evening, all subject areas will showcase the courses on offer, and specialists will be available throughout the event to answer any questions that students and parents may have. We are very grateful that this event is highly oversubscribed each year, and we thank you in advance for your patience if you are unable to speak to subject staff or attend the presentation as soon as you would wish. Please follow this link to our brand new Sixth Form Prospectus.
See you back here soon for the next School Blog!
