Newsletters

HGSS Newsletter - April 2025

Dear Parent / Carer,

Welcome to our end of half term four newsletter.

Year 11 and 13 students are nearing the start of their exam season with practical exams, orals, etc. starting after Easter. If you have a child in one of these year groups, we ask them to utilise this time wisely, as per their revision timetables, but would also ask parents/carers to ensure that they have breaks away from their studies. We wish them all the best of luck.

Off the back of the Year 9 Options Evening we continue to encourage all students to go way beyond just turning up for school, and to add value to our community by supporting it as part of the Student Council, SuSu (Stand Up Speak Up group), Prefects, MIND mentors, Inclusion mentors, and/or take up the opportunities available to broaden their experience base and develop a soft set of skills that will stand them in good stead career wise.  For example, this term students have been to the Ritz for Food Technology; Olympic Park and Hingeistbury Head for Geography; the Bucks Skill Show for Careers; London Excel Centre for UCAS; the Bucks Youth Summit and a range of sporting tournaments. 

We would encourage all students to further their love of reading over the holidays, engrossing themselves in one of the books promoted during tutor time as well as asking those who are more mathematically inclined to complete the weekly Maths Challenge set during term time.

As teenagers continue to grow, I want to draw your attention to the Uniform Code which is on the school website and the equipment list.

Wednesday 23rd April is the first day back for students after the Easter holidays.

I thought it would be nice to begin the weekend and Easter with a poem:

The Man In The Glass

By Peter Dale Wimbrow Sr. 1934

When you get what you want in your struggle for self

And the world makes you king for a day

Just go to the mirror and look at yourself

And see what that man has to say.

For it isn’t your father, or mother, or wife

Whose judgment upon you must pass

The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life

Is the one staring back from the glass.

He’s the fellow to please – never mind all the rest

For he’s with you, clear to the end

And you’ve passed your most difficult, dangerous test

If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years

And get pats on the back as you pass

But your final reward will be heartache and tears

If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter.

Ed Hillyard

Headteacher

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Goodbye and Hello

This term we say Goodbye to:

Mrs Liz Barber, PA to Headteacher who is taking retirement

and

Hello and Welcome to:

Mrs A McKee, PA to Headteacher

Mrs L Foster, Deputy Headteacher

Ms E Reed, Assistant Headteacher

Miss C Bond, Learning Support Assistant

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The D&T department wishes to thank :

Firstly, the PTA who have kindly funded some new equipment across the whole D&T department.  D&T is an expensive and fast-moving subject and this contribution is helping us to keep up-to-date, provide our students with better experiences and enable them to develop a wider range of skills.

Secondly, Mrs Natalka Razzaq and StanleyBlack&Decker who have very kindly donated a huge number of tools to the D&T dept. These have been particularity useful for the Yr10 students studying Construction who have been completing their first assessment for their qualification this term.

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News from the Canteen

Our very own Chef Manager, Erin Ward, competed in the East region Secondary School Chef of the Year competition recently and was runner up!

At the end of April she will find out if she has been put through as a wild card for the national finals to compete for the overall title.  

Good Luck Erin!

 

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EXTRA CURRICULAR CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES

We run a range of additional experiences for our students to participate - as taste of which are listed below.

If you wish to book your child onto one or more of these activities, please do so through the link to SchoolCloud:

Please visit https://holmergreensenior.parentseveningsystem.co.uk to book your extra curricular clubs.  Login with the following information:

Student’s First Name (preferred)

Student’s Surname  

Student’s Date of Birth

There are a broad range of activities on offer including:

Cricket, Athletics, Rounders, Tennis

Choir

Music Band A - if new, speak to Mr Spasevski first to know which band to join

Music Band B - if new, speak to Mr Spasevski first to know which band to join

Interventions for years 10-13

Stem Club

FTC Robot Club

History Society

Girls Football

History Intervention

Microsoft Ambassadors

Stand Up Speak Up

KS3 Languages Club

Library/ Homework Club

Homework Club/SEN

31 Mar 2025
Teacher of Child Development and Health and Social Care (part-time)
Teacher of Child Development and Health and Social Care
Read more

HGSS Trips – Spring 2

This half-term has been very busy with trips, starting with two overseas residential: A Level Geographers went to Sicily and GCSE Spanish students to Seville!  Both trips were extremely successful and all students were a credit to the school.

Since then, we have had numerous day and evening trips: Arsenal Ladies football match at the Emirate stadium, our FTC Club students attended the Tech Tournament at Chiltern Hills Academy, Year 10 students went to the Bucks Skills Show, GCSE and A Level Drama students saw Birdsong at Alexander Palace, Bucks Youth Summit at Waterside Theatre, Macbeth at the Globe Theatre, GCSE Geography went to both Olympic Park in Stratford, London and Hengistbury Head in Bournemouth for fieldwork studies, Year 12 students went to the UCAS Exhibition at the Excel Centre in London, Food Technology students visited the Ritz, Sixth Form Business, Sociology and Psychology took part in workshops in London, A Level Physics students went to talk at RGS, SEN students had a few local visits and our Year 7,8, and 10 Netball teams took part in regional netball tournament for each year group at Chiltern Hills Academy.

This Saturday, we have two overseas residentials departing the UK shores, with our annual History and English Year 9 trip to Ypres and the Battlefields, and our Ski trip is going to Val di Fiemme in Italy!  We wish them all well and hope both trips are enjoyable and memorable for our students.

Emma Carter

Trips Coordinator

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Traffic and Parking

Can we start by saying thank you to the huge majority of parents who do not drive down Parish Piece.  This has been very helpful in allowing students to exit more safely and to clear more quickly.  We would still encourage more students to walk, cycle, or catch the bus to build their independence. If you really do need to travel by car, please drop your child(ren) away from the school vicinity and allow them to walk. Please park safely, legally and respectfully at all times, particularly further than 10m away from any junction and not blocking the entry or exit to any bus stops. We are very keen to keep our students and other road users safe at all times.

SCHOOL UNIFORM CODE

click here

 

Please can we remind you of our School Uniform requirements. 

All information (including a link for name labels) can be found by following this link below:

School Uniform and Equipment

Attendance

Full attendance at school is really important to all students' progress. However, there are obviously times when a student may be unwell (for example). If your child is unable to attend school?please email attendance@holmer.org.uk or call the Attendance line (01494 719901) and leave a message. 

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PARENTS' ASSOCIATION

Our Parents' Association works hard to raise funds for your children in school and to promote the school in the local community.

Please support them where possible and if you wish to become involved with the team, please contact office@holmer.org.uk

More information is available on the website:

Parents' Association

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD IS ILL OR HAS MEDICAL NEEDS

The school has Medical and Attendance Officers.  They are available during school hours to discuss matters relating to the health of your child.   It is essential that you notify them of any health problems that your child may have (e.g. medical details, particular problems or needs).  We can store spare asthma inhalers, epipens and diabetes monitors.

If your child is taken ill or is involved in an accident during the day, he or she will be looked after in the Medical Room until we can contact a parent or carer.  Students should tell their teacher or report to the Medical Room if they feel unwell and not make direct contact with you by mobile phone.

If your child needs to take medication during the day, it should be clearly labelled with the child’s name and passed to the Medical Officer with a letter from the parent or carer. Students who have a medical or a dental appointment should take the appointment card to the Medical Room first thing in the morning.  These appointments should be arranged outside school hours where possible.  We do not expect a student to take a whole day off for a medical appointment.

LATE ARRIVAL AND ABSENCE

The school gates lock at 8.45am, so students must be on site by this time.  Students should be at line up by 8.50am.   If your child arrives after 8.45am they will be marked as late. They are required to sign in at the Attendance/Medical Room.

In the first instance the student will be warned to be punctual in the future.  If a student is consistently late there will be sanctions.  Persistent poor punctuality or attendance will be referred to the Education Welfare Officer.

Email the Attendance Officer if your child is absent or late

attendance@holmer.org.uk

When you know in advance that your son or daughter will have to miss school for any reason, we ask that you inform us in writing beforehand.

However, we reiterate that it is important for your child to attend all lessons, every day.  If your child needs to attend an appointment, please try to arrange these in the school holidays or after school.

When absence is due to illness, we ask that you contact Attendance as soon as possible on 01494 719901 or email attendance@holmer.org.uk. PLEASE NOTE THAT ABSENCE DUE TO ILLNESS OR MEDICAL REASONS WILL BE RECORDED AS ABSENCE ALTHOUGH IT WILL BE AUTHORISED.

Further information on attendance and medical concerns can be found here: Medical

AUTHORISED AND UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE

Failure to notify the school of an absence will result in your child’s absence being classed as unauthorised which may result in the school referring to the Education Welfare Service.  Only absences perceived by the school to be genuine will be classed as authorised.  Holidays during term time will not be authorised.  We will authorise one day for Eid celebrations.

At Holmer Green Senior School we expect an attendance of 96% or more for all students—Every Day Matters.

 

 

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FREE PORRIDGE AVAILABLE FOR ALL STUDENTS

IN THE DINING HALL EVERY MORNING FROM 8.15AM TO 8.45AM

Parents' Association

Please visit our Parents' Association page on the link below for information on how you can support the school.  Thank you

Parents' Association