Dear Parents/Carers
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks for your continued support and for the strong working partnership we share. It is something I value deeply, and I am truly grateful for the role you play in supporting both the school and your children.
A huge thank you for all your support around the Boteler 500 celebrations. The interactions and conversations throughout this time have been truly incredible. It has been such a privilege to be part of this important moment in our history, and you, as parents and carers, are integral to our current success.
Thank you also for taking the time to watch and share our wonderful documentary video with your families. Sir Thomas Boteler is such an important part of Warrington’s heritage, and it is fantastic to see this being celebrated so widely.
I am also very grateful for the many lovely emails and messages regarding our recent Ofsted report. It means a great deal that you take the time to get in touch – this truly matters to both myself and the staff team. We are incredibly proud of our achievement and remain committed to continuous improvement, but it is always uplifting to receive such positive feedback.
Thank you, too, for your support with uniform. Since my recent correspondence, standards have been excellent this week, and I genuinely appreciate your support in maintaining these high expectations. When we work together, it ensures the very best for our students, and that unity of expectation makes a real difference. I do value your opinions, and I am very proud of how smart our young people look. When I speak to them, they also express pride in representing the school so well.
As we approach an important time for our Year 11 students, I would like to wish them every success as they begin their GCSE examinations next week. Their dedication and commitment have been truly impressive. We recognise the many pressures young people face today, and it is our role to ensure they feel supported, prepared, and calm. I am incredibly proud of each and every one of them—whatever the outcome—as long as they have tried their very best. I have had some wonderful conversations with students this week about their next steps, and it is exciting to see them so focused on securing college places, apprenticeships, and work opportunities. It is particularly pleasing to see that each young person has carefully considered the pathway that is right for them.
Please also join me in wishing our Duke of Edinburgh students the very best as we head into expedition season. My sincere thanks go to the staff who generously give their time to support these valuable experiences for our young people.
Thank you once again for all your continued support. I hope you have a wonderful Bank Holiday weekend, and we look forward to welcoming your children back to school on Tuesday 5th May.
Beverley Scott-Herron
Headteacher
GCSE Exam and Revision Timetable
As we approach the start of the GCSE exams, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support and collaboration. As you will be aware, the GCSE exams begin on Tuesday 5th May and last for six weeks. I have met with the Year 11 students on Monday 20th April, to talk them through what will be happening in terms of lessons and exams over the coming weeks. Form Tutors are further reinforcing this information during registration.
Normal timetabled lessons will continue to run until all exams in a subject have been completed. Where possible, students will have a one-hour revision session either the day before, or the morning before sitting a GCSE exam. These revision sessions are compulsory and are highly beneficial to how your child performs in their exams. Students must attend all revision sessions in full school uniform and bring the correct equipment.
Where students have sat the final exam in a subject, they will still attend the lesson for supervised study where they can revise for their other subjects. Students must be prepared and bring revision materials with them to these sessions. Appropriate materials may be revision cards, past exam papers, mark schemes, model answers and note paper or subject exercise books. Students need to be active in these sessions and not simply reading notes. As I have said to Year 11, time now should be spent on practicing answering questions several times. This will help them in recognising what a question requires, initiating their response with a correct answer that gains the marks available on the exam.
I have included a copy of the Exam and Revision Timetable to inform you when key revision sessions are taking place. Please familiarise yourself with the timetable. Form Tutors will be displaying the timetable for the week ahead during registration each morning. Period 6 sessions will also be continuing for subjects that are still to be examined. Click here for the Exam and Revision Timetable.
Many thanks for the role you are playing in encouraging your child to revise and succeed. Your child’s engagement with revision should have increased significantly over recent weeks with their revision continuing each evening through the exam period. As a guide, students should be spending two hours each evening preparing and revising for their exams. One of the best forms of revision is answering past examination papers and creating and reviewing summary notes/cue cards/knowledge organisers. Please ensure that your child is active in their revision and revising several subjects each evening to ensure their revision is balanced. We appreciate that this can sometimes be overwhelming, and it is important to chunk the revision and build in appropriate breaks. We are always here and happy to support in whatever capacity is needed.
I hope that results day on Thursday 20st August 2026 will be a rewarding day for your child. I wish them well in the weeks ahead and thank you for your support once again.
We would like to thank all parents and carers for your continued support as we implement the improvements outlined in our previous article on system updates and raising standards.
The recent change to the school entrance—moving away from Reception—is working very well. Students have quickly adapted to the new routine and the start of the day is now smoother and more organised.
Punctuality remains a priority. Arriving on time ensures students attend form time, start learning promptly and do not miss valuable lessons. We ask for your continued support in helping students develop positive habits and minimise lost learning time. If you need any support, please reach out to the HOY.
We also remind parents and carers to communicate with the school regarding any uniform issues. Maintaining high standards in appearance helps students feel ready for learning and supports the positive environment we are building together.
For families of students in receipt of free school meals, if the assigned £100 voucher has not yet been used, it can be applied to replace items or prepare for the next academic year or for the remainder of the year. Please note that unused funds do not roll over, so we encourage families to make use of them while available.
Finally, we continue to celebrate students who demonstrate positive effort, strong commitment and excellent behaviour. Your support at home in reinforcing expectations around attendance, punctuality, uniform and equipment helps us maintain a calm and purposeful learning environment where all students can thrive.
Thank you once again for your partnership in upholding our shared values of High Expectations, High Aspirations and High Standards.
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.
Copies of this form can also be collected from the school reception.
Year 9 Ambassador Training
The Year 9 Ambassador training will take effect over the next term. Students will receive leadership training and then support the Year 6 transition programme after May half term. This enables students to develop the essential skills needed for their future. Students can sign up with their tutor.
To find out more about Essential skills please go to our website here:
Skills Builder – Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School
The Day is an online new resource for young people. It provides daily appropriate, unbiased, current affairs for our students to develop their awareness.
The Day also boosts literacy, critical thinking, and debating skills.
The Day will be used during lessons and during the form time INSPIRE programme.
Students can access the Day here and keep up-to-date with current affairs:
The Day online news – Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School
Students have supported the school’s interview process this week and shown great leadership skills through our ambassador programme and our Essential skills programme.
Past Students Work Experience
This week we welcome back past students on their Work Experience. They are currently in Year 12 at Sir John Deans College completing their A levels. It has been wonderful speaking with them about their college work and their future pathways and aspirations.
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.
Uniform Donations
We are welcoming donations of the following items of uniform.
-skirts
-bags
-blazers
-ties
-PE Kit items
–barely worn school shoes
If you have any items you can donate, please could they be dropped off in the box outside the main reception. Please can we ask that any donated items be clean.
Parent Forum Reminder & Strengthening Home School Partnerships
As we continue into the summer term, we would like to remind all parents and carers about our upcoming Parent Forum taking place on Thursday 14th May from 18:00 – 19:00
The focus of this session will be Mental Health and Wellbeing, where we will share how the school supports students and explore practical ways you can support your child at home. It is also a valuable opportunity to ask questions, share your views and work in partnership with us.
Refreshments will be provided, including tea, coffee and biscuits. We hope to see as many of you there as possible.
Supporting Your Child This Half Term
Parental engagement plays a vital role in student success. This half term, we encourage families to consider the following simple but effective strategies:
- Create Regular Check-In Time
Set aside a few minutes each day to talk with your child about their day. Focus on listening and encouraging them to share both successes and challenges. - Establish Routines
Consistent routines around homework, sleep and screen time can support both academic progress and wellbeing. - Encourage Balance
Support your child to balance schoolwork with physical activity, hobbies and social time to maintain positive mental health. - Stay Connected with School
Keep up to date with school communications and reach out if you have any concerns or questions—we are here to help. - Promote Independence Encourage your child to take responsibility for organisation, deadlines and preparation, building confidence and resilience.
English Department
A slice of Shakespeare for Year 11
On Friday 8th of May at 15:30, we would like to invite our Year 11s to a recorded stage performance of Macbeth in the Hall. With the real Macbeth GCSE Literature exam taking place three days later on Monday 11th May, this would be a golden opportunity for our students to revise and, more importantly, enjoy the whole play. There will be free pizza and drinks provided. The production will end at 17:30.
For students to attend, they will need to let their English teacher know so we can plan for the correct amount of Pizza and drinks.
Thank you so much for your support.
English support sessions
On Sunday 10th May, there will be a Literature support session for Literature paper 1 at 13:00 – 14:00 (this is a new, later time than previously communicated). The real GCSE Literature paper 1 exam will take place on Monday 11th May AM.
On Sunday 17th May, there will be a Literature support session for Literature paper 2 and a Language support session for Language paper 1 10.30-12.00. The real GCSE Literature paper 2 exam will take place on Tuesday 19th May Am and the real GCSE Language paper 1 exam will take place on Thursday 21st May am.
A fun day in aid of supporting one of our families and being organised and supported by people in the community.
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!
