Friday 18th November 2022


Today the school community is supporting Children in Need and we would ask you kindly to make your contributions online via Gateway. These monies will be gratefully received by the charity, although we can probably all agree that the best case scenario would be that this charity did not need to exist! However, we are truly grateful for the great work undertaken by our friends in Children in Need and the support that they provide to countless young people across our country.

Let’s start today by saying a massive congratulations to all students involved and Miss Lauren Robinson for their participation and great success in winning the Young Chamber Award, sponsored by the Russell Taylor Group. The award is given for the creative and effective demonstration of entrepreneurship and the formation of positive links to businesses. In particular our school was recognised and highly commended for our commitment to the continued provision of career events for our students during the covid period. Over this trying time we hosted virtual guest speakers in Year 11 PHSE lessons who provided guidance careers pathways. We also conducted mock interviews for Year 13 Business and Vocational Pathway students and provided Christmas bags for the homeless, supported Breast Cancer Awareness and maintained our commitment to the wonderful work of Save the Children. Miss Robinson accepted the Young Chamber Award on behalf of the school from the broadcaster, Sian Lloyd, at a high profile event with over 350 guests at Chester Racecourse last week. Brilliant job everyone, we are a very proud school!

On Thursday we held a Year 11 assembly to launch the mock examination season, and the gradual lead up to external assessments in summer. We are pleased to have been able to provide all Year 11 students with a resource pack which should support them in their revision. These students will now access study skill sessions during registration time and also an increasing number of subject-based revision sessions, many of which will run after school. We also intend to hold a mock results day on Friday 3rd February, for all Year 11 students in order to give them some appreciation of both the practical and personal aspects experienced annually by their peers on results day in August.

We have received confirmation from Network Rail that there will be a temporary south-bound platform closure at Hope for improvements to be made to safety. They need to close the passenger crossing between platforms and create a fully accessible route from one platform to the other. To enable this to happen Network Rail are creating a new entrance to the station from Llwyn Alun. From Tuesday 22nd November to Friday 16th December, the south-bound platform at Hope station (for trains towards Wrexham), will be temporarily closed. This means that trains travelling between Bidston and Wrexham won’t be able to stop at Hope station. However, a replacement bus service will be put in place, beginning on Tuesday 22nd November, and this bus will collect our students from our own bus park and then continue en-route to collect members of the public on the way to dropping off at Caergwrle station so that students can then catch the train again. Students will be released in sufficient time to catch the bus from the rear of school on each school day, around 3pm. Trains travelling north-bound will continue to call at Hope station as normal. If you require any further information please visit www.networkrail.co.uk/contactus.

Despite tricky conditions in recent days our Year 10 Rugby boys impressed with their determination and commitment in the Flintshire Schools’ Playnight this week, as did our Year 9 Girls netballers, who won 2 games, drew 1 and lost 1. In a really impressive showing of talent congratulations to our Year 7 Netball team who actually won every single one of their matches at playnight which was hosted by Connahs Quay High School.

As a nation we are thrilled that our football team has qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years. Our students and staff are justifiably proud of the nation’s success and the majority seem to express an eager desire to be able to watch the games. This would be very much in keeping with the spirit of the New Curriculum for Wales which has already been informally launched to students in Year 7 and will roll through to older students over the coming years. Welsh Education and Flintshire Local Authority have supported this sentiment and agreed its validity for all schools, and we feel that students should be granted this opportunity, should they so desire, when a match falls in school time. To the best of our knowledge, this only applies to one game, the match between Wales and Iran on Friday 25th November at 10am. Although plans are currently being finalized, our intention is to provide an opportunity for all students to watch this game for the 90 minutes, but also to ensure that those who do not wish to do so have a supervised room in which to continue with their studies.

As an advance notice all parents/carers of Year 7 students should now have received an email inviting them to meet their child’s Group Tutor virtually on either Monday 28th or Tuesday 29th November. All appointments should be booked online and we have found that these sessions provide a really valuable opportunity to discuss progress and other related issues during a Year 7 student’s first term with us at Castell Alun.

There is now just one more week to go until the CAFA Fashion Show, taking place on Friday 25th November. Tickets are still available at a cost of £5 for 2. Please follow the link to purchase your tickets for what will be a spectacular show and an opportunity to maybe pick up some early gifts for Christmas! https://castell-alun-friends-association.sumupstore.com/product/tickets-for-fashion-show-25th-november-2022

Another way in which CAFA raises money is through the Castell Alun Lottery. Draws are weekly and as well as a local draw, there is also a national draw where there is a chance to win £25,000. Anyone can join and for every ticket sold, CAFA makes money which is then put back into supporting students at Castell Alun. Please click on the link if you would like to take part. https://www.yourschoollottery.co.uk/lottery/school/castell-alun-high-school

In the run up to Christmas we will hold a Year 12 face-to-face Parents’ Evening on Thursday 1st December, starting at 4pm and all Sixth Form students will sit their mock examinations during the two week period beginning Monday 5th December. Our school Christmas Concert is scheduled for Thursday 15th December – please book it in – more information to follow!

Perhaps one final extremely advanced notice, will Parents/Carers of students in Year 11 please be aware that we have now managed to confirm the date for the Leavers’ Prom, which is Thursday 29th June, 2023 at St. David’s Hotel, Ewloe.

Mwynhewch y penwythnos / enjoy the weekend