Dear Parents and Carers, 

I hope you are well.

Best wishes to all our wonderful Year 11 students who are currently embarking on their GSCE examinations. Their attitude and resilience have been astonishing and we were so very proud of them. All my Year 11 students should be receiving an individual letter from me in the post wishing them well as it is important they know how valued they are and that we have the upmost confidence in them to succeed. Please ensure you engage with the Revision timetable and schedule that has been sent out, as this has been designed to ensure every child has as much support as possible in the run up to each individual exam. Please check that your child knows and understands where they need to be and if there are any problems then please contact Mr Koltan – Deputy Headteacher, and he will support you  [email protected].

The cast list has gone live for our production of The Addams Family which has caused no end of excitement between both students and staff.  I am desperately trying to secure a cameo role as Cousin IT (he was my favourite in the series years ago – I know I am showing my age), however, I am not sure whether this will come to fruition. Rehearsals are now in full swing and I keep humming the theme tune and clicking my fingers at every opportunity.

Our DofE students leave on their expedition today. Huge thanks to all the staff involved who volunteer to do this programme and lead and guide our amazing young people. The weather looks to be kind, so we hope and pray it stays that way for them all.

I attended the funeral this week of our beloved Governor and friend Jane Griffiths, who passed away a couple of weeks ago. It was a wonderful tribute to her and I felt privileged to be a part of the celebration that was her life. Jane was a Governor here for 11 years and she worked tirelessly on supporting the school and helping it improve. She had amazing faith and knew that all our children were children of God and that we would love and care for them all above all else and help improve their outcomes and ultimately their life chances. She leaves behind an amazing legacy, as she taught us how to live and serve both as educators and as people and her spirit lives on. We had a memorial service for Jane today, led by our wonderful Chaplain Mike Wildsmith, which again enabled us to share with the wider staff just what an inspiration she was to our Boteler Family.

I am so sorry I do not have any further updates on school skirts at present, but I am chasing this and I am really conscious of time.

Please have a wonderful weekend and if there is anything at all I can help or support with then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Beverley Scott-Herron
Headteacher

 

Remembering VE Day at Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School

As we remember the anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, we take a moment to reflect on a pivotal time in history—the end of World War II in Europe in 1945. This day marked not only the conclusion of a devastating conflict but also the beginning of a new chapter of peace and rebuilding for millions across the continent.

Here at Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School students are learning about the historical importance of VE Day and remembering the sacrifices made in their History lessons. We believe it’s important for our students to understand the significance of VE Day, not only as a historical milestone but as a reminder of the resilience, courage, and sacrifice shown by previous generations. While the world has changed dramatically since 1945, the values that we hold dear: hope, compassion and endurance remain as relevant as ever.

We encourage families to talk with their children about the meaning of VE Day—perhaps sharing stories from family history, watching documentaries, or discussing the importance of peace and in today’s world. These conversations help students connect classroom learning to the real lives and experiences of people who lived through extraordinary times, some of whom may be family members.

Together, let’s honour the legacy of those who served and ensure that the lessons of the past continue to shape a more thoughtful and compassionate future.

 

Click here to view the Exam Revision timetable.

 

Coping with Exam Pressure

Ofqual has published a student guide: “Coping with exam pressure”. It has been developed with Professor Dave Putwain, who is an expert in managing and understanding exam pressure.

Professor Putwain says if you are worrying about your exams, try replacing your negative beliefs with positive ones. For instance, if your negative belief is ‘I am bad at maths’ – a positive, realistic alternative could be: ‘Even if I will never be the best at maths, I will do better if I have a revision plan and stick to it’.

We hope our students find this guide useful.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coping-with-exam-pressure-a-guide-for-students/coping-with-exam-pressure-a-guide-for-students

 

Stay Informed – Check the Parent Arbor App Regularly

As we enter the busy summer term at Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School, it’s important that parents and carers stay up to date with key messages and updates.

We strongly encourage you to check the Parent Arbor App regularly so you don’t miss vital information about:

• Upcoming events and opportunities
• Attendance updates
• Student achievement and progress
• Important dates and changes to the school calendar

By staying informed, you’ll be better placed to talk with your child about what’s happening in school and support their learning and involvement. Parental engagement makes a huge difference — let’s work together to ensure every student finishes the year strong, confident, and well-prepared.

 

Thank You for Rewards Trip Responses

Thank you to all the parents and carers who responded to declare their child’s interest in the end-of-year rewards trip — your replies really do help us with the planning process.

However, we were surprised at the relatively low number of responses, with only 203 returns submitted. If you haven’t yet responded, please click on the following link (Years 7 – 10 only) https://forms.office.com/e/62rCrDi0vy 

Please do keep an eye out for further communication, as we are now moving ahead with booking transport and confirming arrangements for the trips. Further details, including payment information, will be shared shortly.

Please note: All payments must be made via iPay.

If you are not yet signed up, we kindly ask that you do so as soon as possible — iPay will be the only method of payment accepted.

 

Date for the Diary – Annual Awards Evening

We are delighted to announce that our Annual Awards Evening will take place on Wednesday 16th July 2025 at Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School.

This special evening is one of the highlights of our school calendar, as we come together to celebrate the many achievements of our students over the course of the academic year. Awards will be presented to overall winners across a wide range of categories and subjects.

Invitations will be sent out nearer the time, so please keep an eye out — we look forward to celebrating with you!

 

Attendance Reminder – Let’s Make Every Day Count

We’re aware that there have been a number of illnesses recently, but we’d like to take this opportunity to remind families of the importance of good school attendance.

Even the odd day off can have a real impact on a student’s learning and progress. That’s why we’re encouraging a collective push to improve attendance across the school as we move through this busy summer term.

Our whole school attendance target is 96%, which is still very achievable for many students. Let’s work together to make every day count and finish the academic year as strongly as possible.

Thank you for your continued support.

 

Year 11 Prom

Year 11 students should all have been given a prom letter during form time with all the details of the event and how to pay for a ticket. If anyone hasn’t had a letter please contact Mrs K Dowling – [email protected].

Please be mindful that all school debts eg lunch passes, school trips etc must be paid before a ticket can be purchased. If there are issues that school can support with please contact Mrs K Dowling. 

Can parents ensure that all dietary requirements are communicated when tickets are purchased.

 

 

Year 10 have had a very busy few weeks developing their essential skills for their future. Work experience week took place before half term and all students completed placements either in school or with an employer. The feedback from employers really was exceptional and we should all be very proud of our young people. Year 10 students also completed their 1:1 mock interview with an employer last week after completing their CV last half term. Students had a 15-minute interview and then the employer completed an evaluation form for our students to develop their interview technique. A large majority of students would have been offered a job if they had been the real interview. This is amazing and shows how prepared our students were for their interview.

Next week Year 10 will select their taster day options for their visit to WVR on July 2^nd as well as receive a talk from Priestley College. On Wednesday we have a talk from 10.10 Games – a Warrington based creative industry and students can sign up for this. On Thursday morning they have  ‘How to revise sessions’ with Higher Horizons and Keel University.

It is really important that Year 10 are thinking about which college they will apply to, and which courses they will pick as come September they will need to complete their applications and the earlier the better. We have a Year 10 Post 16 Information evening on the 10th of June at 6pm and 3 colleges will be joining us. More information to follow.

 

Year 9 High Achiever’s Day at Cronton College:

On Wednesday we took 15 of our most high attaining Year 9 students to Cronton College for an Oxbridge Masterclass! They attended taster sessions for a wide range of subjects, some they’ve already studied such as Maths, History and Science, others they haven’t had an opportunity to study yet such as Economics, Law and Psychology. Our students enjoyed themselves thoroughly and behaved exceptionally. In the Maths taster session, our students were praised for their excellent teamwork with students from other schools and scored the highest of the day in the Maths Relay! They finished the day with a presentation on Russell Group universities and heard from some current and former high attaining Cronton students about their career journeys. Students have had the opportunity to experience college life and set their aspirations high for life after college too. We hope this has helped boost their confidence that these elite universities and apprenticeships are for them!

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Parent Forum – Student Mental Health & Resilience

Thursday 22nd May | 18:00 – 19:00 | Main Hall

A reminder that our fifth Parent Forum of the year will take place on Thursday 22nd May, focusing on Student Mental Health, Building Resilience and Balancing School Life.

This important session will offer practical guidance on how to support your child’s wellbeing, manage the pressures of school life and help them develop the emotional resilience they need to thrive. With rising awareness around young people’s mental health, we encourage all parents and carers to attend.

Your involvement makes a big difference, please join us for an evening of shared learning and support.

Refreshments will be provided.

To confirm your attendance, please click the link below:

https://forms.office.com/e/C6rzJF5rPP

 

 

This week as part of Collective Worship, students are leading our year group worship on compassion.  They are using student feedback to describe how compassion is evident in our actions around school, such as showing kindness to others, leaving no one alone and sharing. This feedback was in response to learning about the school’s Christian Vision and how it is lived out in our daily lives. Our scripture for this week is from 1 Peter 5:7:

“ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”  

This reminds us to live our lives without fear and worry. God will support us because he cares for us so we can show the same care to others. Kindness and compassion are at the heart of everything we do as Christians.

Spiritual Pause: How can we show more compassion? Do we consider the feelings of others, even those we do not know? How can we show kindness and love to our neighbour? Thinking of our reactions to others, do we consider their views or meet them with judgement. This week, let us consider ‘what would Jesus do’ to guide us in our actions.

Baptism and Confirmation: We have the opportunity to partake in these special events if you haven’t already done so. Students who may have missed their confirmation or wish to be baptised are invited to see Mrs Hoey in school as soon as possible to register their interest, with parental consent. If you have any questions please contact Mrs Hoey ([email protected]). 

Please keep up to date with our weekly prayer and scripture via social media.  

 

For the latest KBS Wellbeing newsletter please click here

Next week we our celebrating Mental Health Awareness Week at school. Since 2001, the Mental Health Foundation has been leading Mental Health Awareness week- bringing the UK together to focus on getting good mental health. This year takes place from 12th to 18th May 2025 and the theme is ‘community’.

We want to use this Mental Health Awareness Week to celebrate the power and importance of community.  Being part of a safe, positive community is vital for our mental health and wellbeing. We thrive when we have strong connections with other people and supportive communities that remind us, we are not alone. Community can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and give us a sense of purpose. Community can look different for everyone and you can belong to many at the same time e.g. our school community, sports clubs, book clubs, local community, friendships, family, gamers, gardeners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Addams Family cast announcement was made on Wednesday.  We have very happy members of Boteler StageCraft Theatre Company raring to go ahead with rehearsals.  Our first read through will take place on Wednesday 14^th May in the Drama Studio, at lunchtime and after school, 3.10pm till 4pm.  Can’t wait to have the whole cast together.