Dear Parents/Carers
I hope you are well
Huge congratulations to our Year 11 students who are navigating their GCSE examinations brilliantly. We are incredibly proud of the maturity, resilience, and determination they have shown throughout this demanding period.
It has been an intense half term, but also one filled with many successes and achievements across the school community which we regularly share with you through our Social Media pages. Please make sure you follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
You should have received the following survey link from TCAT. Please could I ask you to complete this survey if you have not already done so – https://eu.surveymonkey.com/r/TCATparentandguardiansurvey2026 . TCAT really do value your feedback, which will help inform decision making and actions going forward.
Alongside the busy examination season, we have also been focused on recruitment, as this is very much the “transfer window” in education. I would like to keep you updated on several staffing changes for next academic year. We have had record numbers of applications for the positions we have available, the PE role for example attracted 80 applicants. The school now has such a good reputation both in Warrington and further afield that people really do want to come and work here to make a difference to a young person’s life and be a part of our Boteler Family. I am always very humbled regarding the praise we get for our vision, values ethos and culture.
In terms of the staffing I thought the following updates might be helpful.
Mr McDonald will be relocating to Yorkshire when the Year 11 History students complete their exams. We thank him for his contribution to the History department and wish him every success in his new chapter. I am pleased to share that Mrs Woulfe will be joining us as our new Head of History, starting in July.
Mrs Guttridge from the Art department has decided to pursue a career outside of teaching and she left us at Easter. She will be replaced by Miss Bradshaw, who will begin in June.
Miss Byrne from the Science department is moving closer to home, and we are delighted to welcome Miss Noone, who will be joining the team as her replacement from September.
We are also delighted to share that Mrs Fox has secured a well-deserved promotion. As a result, our very own Mrs Graham will take on the role of Lead Teacher in the Designated Provision. In addition, following Mr Large’s successful appointment to the SENDCo role, we are pleased to announce that Mrs Pearson has been appointed as Assistant SENDCo this week and will also start in September.
Mrs Rowlands will begin her maternity leave at the end of the summer term, and her replacement will be Mrs Kerfoot.
Mr Burbidge has secured an exciting promotion in the Middle East, and we are proud to announce that our very own Mr Johnson has been appointed Director of Sport and Community Engagement. To replace Mr Johnson, we have appointed Mr Chadwick, who will join us in September.
We are also pleased to share that Mr Vallender and Mr Allen will be joining the Extended Leadership Team as Associate Assistant Headteachers. Alongside continuing to lead English and Maths respectively, they will also take on a wider strategic whole-school remit.
Every interview process, both internal and external, is rigorous to ensure we secure the very best people for our young people. What is particularly rewarding, however, is the strength of our continued success in developing staff. We are incredibly proud of what colleagues achieve while working with us and of the opportunities this creates for them to progress in their careers. At the same time, we have secured some outstanding new appointments and look forward with great excitement to this next chapter for our school community.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support throughout a very busy and successful half term. We wish all of our students and families a restful and enjoyable break. The weather promises to be wonderful… however, we know how quickly that can change. Please take care and stay safe.
Beverley Scott-Herron
Headteacher
Year 10 Mock Exam Timetable
Your child’s mock examinations start on Thursday 11th June and end on Wednesday 1st July 2026. Click here for exam timetable. A personalised timetable showing the room and seat number will be sent out nearer the time.
The JCQ Information for Candidates Written Exams outline the rules for students taking exams and these are very important. To access these please click on this link https://www.boteler.org.uk/exam-policies/
Morning Exams: start at 9am. Students must arrive at school at 8.30am and go to form as usual. They will then be sent to the canteen at 8.40am for a briefing before being escorted to their exam venue.
Afternoon Exams: start at 1pm. Students must wait in the canteen at the end of lunch, where they will be briefed before being escorted to the exam venue.
Please note it will be an early lunch for the mock exams (12.15pm – 13.00pm).
All exams will be conducted under national exam style conditions and will be supervised by external invigilators. This is to give them the best preparation in readiness for the actual exams in summer 2027.
We must remind you how important these mock exams are and they should complete as much revision as possible. The purpose of these mocks is to enable the school to have a set of data showing their current ‘working at’ grade as they finish in Year 10. This grade in each subject will then enable us to make any adjustments to class sets and/ or provide any suitable interventions to improve attainment and progress as soon as they start in Year 11 in September.
They MUST bring all the necessary equipment required (including a scientific calculator) for each subject. Full uniform must be worn for the exams.
KS3 WA2 Internal Assessments: 8th June – 19th June 2026
Students will be sitting their final Working At (WA) assessment of this academic year in all of their subjects during assessment fortnight (Monday 8th June – Friday 19th June 2026). This may take the form of a test or an assessed piece of writing/practical piece of work.
Students will be provided with revision lists giving details of the topics and content that will be tested. We are also encouraging students to take their workbooks home to revise. It is important that students look after their workbooks and check they have the correct books that are needed for the following day when packing their bags for school each evening. The expectation is that students spend time each evening preparing for the assessments. Constant revision and practice is the surest way to fully embed skills and knowledge required to secure excellent achievement at KS4.
All tests will be classroom based and undertaken under exam conditions. It is important that students are used to working in this environment, so they are fully prepared for their examinations in Year 11. Students are expected to be fully prepared for all assessments with the correct equipment which includes:
• Pen
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Eraser
• Pencil sharpener
• Pencil case
• Scientific calculator
Assessment Timetable
We ask parents and carers to spend time reviewing the attached assessment timetable with their child. This year, the timetable shows the exact day and lesson period for each assessment for all subjects, helping students to plan their preparation more effectively. Please note that Design and Technology will not appear on the timetable, as students follow a carousel model and complete their assessments at the end of each term. PE is also not included because students are assessed more frequently—twice each half term. Students will receive a hard copy of their personalised timetable during morning registration, where they will be given time to highlight when each assessment takes place, supported by their form tutors. It is important that students know exactly when each assessment is scheduled so they can prepare appropriately and feel confident in the weeks ahead.
Timetables can be accessed vis the links below.
YEAR 9 TIMETABLE KS3 Assessments JUNE 2026 PDF.pdf
YEAR 8 TIMETABLE KS3 Assessments JUNE 2026 PDF.pdf
YEAR 7 TIMETABLE KS3 Assessments JUNE 2026 PDF.pdf
Students’ assessment scores and progress judgements will be included in the WA Assessment Report, which will be emailed to all parents on Friday 10th July.
If you have any concerns or questions about any matters related to how your child’s progress is tracked and reported, please don’t hesitate to contact me on jkoltan@boteler.org.uk or your child’s Class Teacher.
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.
Half Term: A Chance to Recharge and Refocus
As we reach the end of this half term, students now have the opportunity to recharge their batteries and prepare themselves for the final push towards the summer break. This is an important stage of the academic year and we are looking forward to welcoming students back refreshed, motivated and ready to continue their hard work.
We would like to remind all families that our high standards remain in place throughout the final half term. The break provides an ideal opportunity to address any equipment or uniform issues so that students can return fully prepared and with no barriers to learning.
In particular, we ask parents and carers to check that all students have the correct school uniform and suitable footwear. For those students who may need to replace their school shoes, the half term break offers a timely opportunity to resolve this before returning to school.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support in helping us maintain high expectations and ensuring that every student is ready to succeed. We wish all of our families a restful and enjoyable half term break.
Prayer Space
Throughout the exam period, Mike (School Chaplain) and Kim (Youth for Christ) will be running a quiet prayer and reflection space on Tuesday and Thursday lunchtimes in Room 19.
This is welcome to all but specifically aimed at Year 11s during their exams.
Careers
The following site is great to help your child think about their future and what they might like to do when they leave school. There are quizzes and information about post 16 options as well as lots of information about each industry sector.
Careerpilot : Plan your future work & study
Essential Skills
This week has been incredible seeing our students use their essential skills to lead tours and interviews. During lessons, council meetings and extra curricular students develop their essential skills to ensure they are ready and prepared for a successful future. Their level of interaction with visitors really is something we are proud of, well done to students who have been involved this week, a particular well done to students who engage with visitors on the corridor when they are on a tour and for showing exceptional manners.
Weekender Music Festival Visit
Music students in Year 8, 9 and 10 had the opportunity for a behind the scenes tour of the neighbourhood weekender music festival this week. They got a chance to gain valuable information on careers in arts events and management.
Final House Assembly
This week we held our final House Assembly for the school Year 25/26. This was delivered by Mr Robinson over zoom to all form groups and the current Year 11 Head of House were with their House Leaders waiting for the final overall rankings announcement .
Well done to all the House Captains and Head of Houses for their hard work over the past year, their commitment and effort to organising pop up house events and helping to deliver House assemblies has been exceptional.
Final Results:
Congratulations to all students in Mollitiam and a special well done to Dersim and Mr Johnson for leading their House.
Myerscough College
Thank a Teacher Day
National Thank A Teacher Day – Thank a Teacher
If you would like to celebrate a particular teacher then please use the link above.
Boteler Wider Curriculum
Please don’t forget to support your child in attending a Boteler Extra Curricular club – days and times of the club can be found here:
Wider Curriculum – Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School
Pride Month 2026
As we approach Pride Month, the LGBTQ+ Council will be hosting their annual Cake Sale for all students. We are raising funds for Stonewall – their mission is for every LGBTQ+ person to live free from discrimination, prejudice and inequality, making our shared future safer, fairer and more prosperous.
The Cake Sale is on Monday 1st June at lunchtime in Room 18. Please note that this is cash only – please can your child bring small change, which is preferred over notes. Thank you!
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.
Final Parent Forum of the Year – Exploring Post-16 Options
We are pleased to invite parents and carers of Year 10 students to our final Parent Forum of the year, which will take place on Tuesday 30th June from 6:00pm–7:30pm in the Main Hall.
This informative session will focus on your child’s post-16 options, and students are more than welcome to attend alongside parents and carers. The evening will provide practical guidance about the next steps students need to take from September when applying for college places, sixth form opportunities and apprenticeships.
We are also delighted to welcome representatives from:
- Priestley College
- Warrington & Vale Royal College
- Cronton and Riverside College
They will provide valuable insights into the courses, qualifications and levels they offer, helping families to make informed decisions about future pathways and opportunities.
Please note that the earlier students apply to college in September, the better their chances of securing a place on their preferred course.
Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided during the evening.
As students begin preparing for these important next steps, parental engagement can make a significant difference. Below are some ways parents and carers can support their child this half term:
- Talk positively about future aspirations and career interests to encourage motivation and confidence.
- Research post-16 pathways together, including college courses, apprenticeships and sixth form opportunities.
- Encourage independence and organisation, particularly around revision, deadlines and attendance.
- Attend open evenings and information events together to help students explore their options fully.
- Support healthy routines at home, including sleep, wellbeing and structured study time.
- Celebrate effort and progress, helping students build resilience and self-belief as they prepare for Year 11.
We look forward to welcoming our Year 10 families to what promises to be a highly informative and supportive evening.
Stay Water Aware: Safety Advice for Summer 2026
Please click on the following link for tips on Water Safety – Stay Water Aware
For the latest Keeping Boteler Safe newsletter, please click here
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh season at Sir Thomas Boteler has well and truly begun! Both Bronze and Silver practice expeditions have taken place over the last few weeks. Bronze students got to grips with map reading and camping in our local area, staying overnight in Grappenhall; and our Silver students spent two nights in Rivington after completing a challenging walk around the reservoir. Our Silver group coped fantastically well with poor weather, showing their resilience in the face of some challenging situations.
We are so proud of all the students who took part and hope they’re looking forward to their Qualifying Expeditions which will be here in the next few weeks.
Physical Education
PE kit and studded boots donations
Parents and carers,
We are kindly asking for donations of any old or unused PE kit that your child no longer requires or does not fit into. We also kindly request any studded boots that are surplus to requirement. This is mainly aimed at Year 11 students due to leaving school, but any donations are very much appreciated.
These items are incredibly valuable to our PE department, as we use them as spare kit for students who may forget their equipment or need additional support to take part in lessons and fixtures. Having spare kit available helps ensure that every student can participate comfortably and confidently in PE. Please see list below of items the PE department would make use of:
- Blue PE tops
- Shorts
- Skorts
- Leggings
- ¼ zip tops
- Studded boots
- Trainers
Please can any donations be handed into the PE department or to any member of our Pastoral team. Thank you for your support.
Academy Sports+ Visit to LJMU
The day started with a sports psychology session with Amelia and Ellie who are currently completing their doctorates degrees. They covered ways that as a sports performer they can use psychology to help improve their overall performance but how important it is throughout their training all season. Students were then given scenarios in their groups to discuss what psychological strategies could be used and if they were the coach how would they deal with these situations.
We then had Ruth Mwandumba, a GB rifle shooter and Frankie Stringer, a professional boxer speak to us about their careers so far and how they deal with the psychological impacts of their sports on themselves.
The afternoon was spent in the sports hall using the laser rifles looking at how they are used in training. Students got to experience a training session using all of the equipment but then got to design their own training session.
This was a fantastic experience for our students to go and see the facilities universities can offer and to work with the lecturers and students.
Boteler Boxes
Boteler Boxes has been a huge success since the start of 2026.
Designed to improve engagement, attendance and readiness to learn, the programme provides students with a structured, supportive environment where they can positively channel their energy before entering the classroom.
Sessions have included boxing-specific fitness circuits, technical boxing skills, footwork drills and pad work focused on developing attacking combinations. Through consistent participation, students have not only developed physical fitness, coordination and discipline, but have also strengthened important personal skills such as resilience, self-control and confidence.
The intervention has had a significant impact on emotional regulation, helping students manage stress, anxiety and frustration in a healthy and constructive way. The focused nature of boxing training encourages concentration, routine and self-discipline, enabling students to arrive to lessons calmer, more settled and ready to engage with learning.
Massive thank you to Josh McGann from Fighting Fit for leading the sessions each week on a Wednesday morning. We look forward to strengthening our partnership next academic year.
KS3 Sports teams rise to the challenge
🏉 Year 7 Boys Rugby
The Year 7 boys showed outstanding team spirit during their recent rugby fixture, coming together in a powerful team huddle that reflected their determination, unity and growing confidence on the pitch. The squad continues to make excellent progress and represent the school with pride.
🏉 Year 7 Girls Rugby
Our Year 7 girls were in superb action during rugby training and fixtures this week. Their enthusiasm, commitment and fearless attitude have been brilliant to see, with players developing their skills and teamwork every session.
⚽ Year 9 Football – Warrington Schools’ Cup vs Culcheth
The Year 9 football team produced a strong performance in their Warrington Schools’ Cup fixture against Culcheth High School. The students showed excellent effort, determination and sportsmanship throughout a highly competitive match and should be proud of their commitment to the team.
⚽ Year 8 Football Team Narrowly Miss the Final
Our Year 8 boys football team were an absolute credit to the school during their Warrington 11-a-side Cup fixture against Birchwood High School. The team battled hard from the very first minute and showed incredible determination throughout the game. Their effort and teamwork saw them take the lead with only a few minutes remaining, only for Birchwood to equalise with the final kick of the match. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, as Birchwood HS edged the game on penalties. The boys should hold their heads high.
🏉 Outstanding Sports Leaders
A huge congratulations to Year 10 students Harry, Joe, Tyler, Taylor and Charlie, who have excelled as Sports Leaders while supporting younger rugby players across the town. Their excellent knowledge of the game, confidence in refereeing and leadership skills have been exceptional, making them fantastic role models for younger students and ambassadors for the school.
Well done to all students involved this week, your effort, attitude and dedication continue to make the PE department proud!
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!
