Dear Parents/Carers

I hope you are well. It has been an incredibly busy yet highly productive week, and it is hard to believe that this is the final Head’s Herald of the term, as we break up next week on Maundy Thursday for the Easter holiday.

At the heart of our school is the Boteler family—a community that is truly unique and special. We work tirelessly to nurture a genuine sense of belonging for every student and family. While we may not always get everything right, our intentions are always rooted in care, support, and doing what is best for our young people. As we approach Easter, it is an important time to reflect on what we do well and to continue prioritising positivity. When challenges arise, we are committed to addressing them openly and constructively, working together rather than allowing concerns to grow without resolution.

Easter also represents a time of fresh starts and new beginnings. As it is written: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This message of renewal and hope is particularly significant for our Year 11 students, who are now approaching their GCSE examinations. They have worked incredibly hard, and I know you will join me in keeping them in our thoughts and supporting them through this important period. We are reminded too of the hope at the heart of Easter: “He is not here; he has risen!” (Luke 24:6), a powerful symbol of perseverance, faith, and new beginnings.

As we reflect, we also look ahead with great excitement. We are approaching a truly remarkable milestone—our 500th anniversary. There are very few schools in the country with such a rich and longstanding history, and we are proud to be one of them. We have a range of events planned and are very much looking forward to celebrating this significant occasion together as a community. Our Boteler 500 Service of Commemoration takes place on the 23rd April at 18:00 at St Elphin’s Church. You will have received an Arbor message about this, along with an RSVP form to complete. This event is by RSVP only, so if you would like to attend, please complete the form by clicking here. 

Finally, I would like to thank you sincerely for your continued support and commitment to our vision and values. It makes a real difference to the strength of our school community.

I wish you and your families a peaceful, joyful, and restorative Easter break.

Beverley Scott-Herron

Headteacher

 

As we approach the Easter break, we would like to take a moment to thank our families for their continued support in maintaining the high standards that define our Boteler community. These shared expectations play a vital role in ensuring a calm, focused and purposeful environment where all students can thrive.

The holiday provides a helpful opportunity to check that all students are fully prepared for the summer term. This includes ensuring that uniform is complete and in line with expectations, footwear is appropriate and that students are equipped with the essential items they need for learning each day.

We would also like to remind families that students should not have new piercings. The Easter break does not provide sufficient time for healing and students will be expected to meet our standards on their return.

By addressing these small but important details now, we can ensure a smooth and positive start to the final term for all students.

We wish all of our families a restful and enjoyable Easter break, and we look forward to welcoming students back for what promises to be a rewarding and exciting summer term.

 

Holiday Activity & Food – Warrington

 

Year 8 Immunisations – HPV

Please click on the following link to view a letter and consent form from the Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral School Age Immunisation Service, regarding the upcoming Year 8 Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations. These vaccinations will take place in school on Tuesday 19/05/26.

Parent/Carer letter for HPV vaccines 

If you have any questions, please contact the Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral School Age Immunisation Service.

 

Year 9 Immunisations – Catch up Clinics

If your child is in Year 9 and they did not receive their Year 9 immunisations in school this week, please click on the link for details of available catch-up clinics.

https://tinyurl.com/5ebdw4ss 

Copies of this form can also be collected from the school reception.

 

Visit from Sarah Hall, MP

On Friday 20^th of March students who regularly attend their councils including: eco, international, school, LGBTQ+, wellbeing , ethos and TCAT parliament, had the opportunity to meet Sarah Hall, MP for Warrington South and a former student of our school who works in the council. After a mesmerizing performance from Sara Drissi, students asked a range of brilliant questions on a wide range of topics such as social housing, the cost of living crisis, litter and mental health support for young people. Thank you to our visitors and our students who asked questions with confidence, eloquence and maturity. 

Careers Learning Journey

Year 9 students took part in a Modern Work Experience day with the Careers Hub on the theme of Socials and Communications in industry recently, and this week they received their amazing feedback from the company on the work they completed. 

Student Voice

Students have taken part in Student voice for Warrington this week, they spent time with Cheshire and Warrington Pledge discussing post 16 pathways and future careers.

 

Year 10 Work Experience

Next week Year 10 are taking part in their work experience. Some students are out on placements and some are completing modern work experience in school. We would like to thank all the employers who have a student on placement and wish all are students good luck. Parents and carers please support your child with their working week and make sure they get there on time in the morning.

 

House Assemblies

It was House assemblies this week led by the Head of House and the student House leaders. Currently we have the following results:

Leading House for attendance – Mollitiam

Leading House for Lesson Monitor – Virtus

Leading House for Pop Up Challenges – Arbitrium and Viribus

Overall ranking for half term 4:

 

Veritas saw Miss Guttridge’s final assembly this week after 4 years of leading her house. We wish her well in her new career pathway.

 

Boteler Wider Curriculum 

The wider curriculum programme can be found here: Wider Curriculum – Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School

Please look through it with your child and encourage them to attend the activities.

 

Lost Property

If your child has lost their coat, we have about 20 in lost property. Please see Mrs Mawby next week.

 

Warrington Youth Zone

 

Working Together to Support Student Success

At Sir Thomas Boteler, we recognise that strong partnerships between school and home are key to student success. Research from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) highlights that effective parental engagement can lead to significant improvements in student progress and wellbeing.

As we continue through the term, we would like to share some simple but impactful ways parents and carers can support their child’s learning at home.

Top Parental Engagement Strategies (EEF-Informed)

💬 Talk About Learning Regularly

Regular conversations about what your child is learning, rather than just focusing on grades, can have a powerful impact. Ask questions such as:

• What did you learn today?
• What did you find challenging?
• What are you most proud of this week?

This helps reinforce understanding and builds confidence.

📚 Support Positive Study Routines

Creating consistent routines for homework, revision, and organisation helps students develop independence and good habits.
Simple actions such as setting a regular study time and providing a quiet space can make a big difference.

🎯 Focus on Effort and Progress

EEF research suggests that praising effort rather than ability helps develop resilience. Encouraging your child to keep trying, even when work is challenging, supports long-term success.

🤝 Stay Engaged with School

Attending events such as Parents’ Evenings and Parent Forums helps build a shared understanding of how best to support your child. Working together ensures consistent messages between home and school.

📱 Support Safe and Responsible Technology Use

With increasing use of technology for both learning and leisure, supporting your child to use devices responsibly is key. Setting boundaries and having open conversations about online activity can support both safety and focus.

Looking Ahead

We will continue to offer opportunities for parents and carers to engage with the school through our upcoming Parent Forums, covering topics such as:

• Understanding the Curriculum
• Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Preparing for the Future: Post-16 Pathways and Careers

 

Digital Mental Health Workbooks

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust has developed a range of free digital mental health workbooks designed to support young people, parents and school staff in understanding and managing emotional wellbeing. These resources provide practical strategies for common challenges such as anxiety, low mood and self-esteem, helping students recognise their feelings and develop positive coping skills. The workbooks include interactive activities, reflection exercises and tools to track mood and behaviour, encouraging young people to take an active role in their wellbeing. They are intended as an early support resource that can be used at home or alongside school support, while also signposting to further help if needed. Parents are encouraged to explore these materials with their children to open up conversations about mental health and build confidence in supporting their child’s emotional wellbeing.

Digital mental health workbooks :: Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

 

 

 

 

Macbeth

Last Thursday, 40 Year 11 students enjoyed a fresh, exciting and bold production of Macbeth at Chester Storyhouse. Miss Ward, Mr Vallender, Miss Larkin and Mrs Horton were incredibly proud of how our students conducted themselves with maturity and intrigue. We are sure that this production will have supported our students in preparing for their upcoming English Literature Paper 1, as well as experiencing what the fantastic space at Storyhouse has to offer.

 

Library Competition Time!

 

Hospitality

It is the second year for the Head of Fish – Food Teachers Centre’s competition for Headteachers to cook a dish containing fish. Again – we could be in with a chance of winning £100 of fresh fish to use in practical lessons. Mrs Scott-Herron made Fish Tacos from scratch during a Year 8 class. Thank you Mrs Scott-Herron and good luck!

 

Drama Department News

On 18^th March, Jimmy Fairhurst, Artistic Director of Warrington Theatre Company ‘Not Too Tame’ led a Drama workshop with Students from Year 8 to Year 10.  The workshop focused on scenes from Romeo and Juliet, which will be performed by ‘Not Too Tame’ at  New Vic in Stoke from September.

During the workshop Students helped Jimmy bring to life ideas that he has for his upcoming production.  This included extensive work on the prologue, trying out ideas that will not only be developed by the professional actors in his company but also working on audience participation ideas, as the production will be an immersive experience.

Neriah Lowry said of the experience ‘It encouraged us to unleash our inner artistry’

Izzy Barker said ‘I thought the experience was inclusive as in the dance section we kept swapping partners to create the Ball scene from the play’

Bethany McAleese felt ‘it was a great opportunity to work with an Artistic Director and I learnt more Drama skills’

 

Physical Education

National Rowing Success!

An incredible experience for our Year 8 student, Francesca!

Francesca qualified to represent All Aboard Youth Rowing in the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships down in London last Friday. This event attracts all of the elite rowers and schools from across the country, so Francesca had already succeeded by securing a place in the event.

However, Francesca was determined to do her best and she definitely did just that! In her solo piece, she finished 25^th place out of 198 Year 8 girls. In her team relay, she helped her team secure 7^th place out of 65 teams. Both outstanding achievements!

A big thank you to the coaches at Warrington Rowing Club for making sure Francesca was prepared and trained. Francesca, your school is very proud of you, you should be very proud of yourself!

 

 

New sport fixtures for after Easter!

The start of the Spring term brings new rugby fixtures for all of our students. Please see below for information on year groups and dates of fixtures.

Boys fixtures on a Thursday:

 

Girls fixtures on a Tuesday:

If your child would like to get involved, please speak to Mr Johnson.

There will also be a new extra-curricular timetable coming out after half-term which will involve our Summer sports!

 

Spring Spectacular is Coming Soon!

We are less than a week away from our Spring Spectacular dance show, and excitement is building as everyone involved works incredibly hard to prepare for the big performance. Dancers have been rehearsing during lunch breaks and after school, showing fantastic dedication and energy.

With the show fast approaching, students should make sure they are checking the rehearsal schedule carefully so they know when their time slot is. It’s also important to keep practising on the days they are not scheduled to rehearse so that every performance shines on stage.

We can’t wait to share all the amazing routines with you — it’s going to be a fantastic show you won’t want to miss! 💃✨

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased from reception. Please note that students and children must be accompanied by an adult.

  

 

 

Encounter Youth and Westy Youth are back!

All high-school age young people are welcome. E-mail our school youth worker kwellens@boteler.org.uk if you have any questions, or feel free just to turn up!