Dear Parents and Carers
I hope you are all well.
As we approach the final week of what has been another incredibly busy half term, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your continued support and to reflect on a few things that matter enormously to us as a school community.
At the heart of everything we do is a very simple ambition: we want every young person to succeed. That means celebrating their achievements and supporting them when things are difficult, but it also means holding consistently high expectations around attendance, punctuality, conduct and respect.
Attendance and punctuality
You will have seen our continued focus on attendance and punctuality, and this will remain an important priority. I have been out and about in Latchford in the mornings, and I must say a huge thank you to everyone who waves, stops to say hello or has a quick chat. It really does make for a lovely start to the day.
However, I am still seeing too many students who choose to procrastinate on their journey to school, whether that is stopping at Lidl, the bakery, the Co-op or the garage. I have absolutely no issue with students visiting these places, but they must do so in sufficient time to arrive at school before the first bell.
Being punctual is not simply about following a school rule. Being on time means being ready to learn. Persistent lateness results in lost learning, disrupted routines and, ultimately, can affect a young person’s progress.
I would therefore really appreciate your support in reinforcing this message at home. Please remind your child that attendance and punctuality are also important considerations when determining eligibility for rewards, trips and, where applicable, events such as the Prom.
I appreciate that maintaining high expectations does not always make me the most popular person! However, our young people deserve the very best opportunities, both academically and personally, and developing excellent habits now will serve them well long after they leave us. Thank you for working in partnership with us on this.
Respectful communication
I have also recently communicated with families regarding the importance of respectful communication with members of staff. We genuinely value the relationships we have with our parents and carers. Strong partnerships between home and school make an enormous difference, particularly when challenges arise.
Our staff will always do everything they reasonably can to listen, support and help. In return, I simply ask that all communication with colleagues remains polite, professional and respectful, even when there may be frustrations or differences of opinion. We may not always agree, but we can always communicate with kindness and mutual respect.
Strictly St Rocco’s
On a much more personal note, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you for the incredible support I have received for my Strictly St Rocco’s campaign. I am now getting closer to my £5,000 fundraising target, and the generosity, encouragement and messages from our school community have honestly been overwhelming. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has donated, shared the campaign or simply helped to raise the profile of this wonderful local charity and the important work it does within our community. If you would like to donate, please follow this link: https://stroccoshospice.enthuse.com/pf/beverley-scott-herron
Click here to see my most recent video update: Strictly Bev October 2026
Rehearsals are continuing and I can confirm that I am working very hard! I will be performing the Jive, which I have discovered is extremely fast and leaves very little room for error! My ambition is therefore threefold: remember the dance, remain upright until the end and to raise as much money as possible.
The event will be live-streamed on 13 December, so I very much hope many of you will be able to tune in, support and, hopefully, vote for me. Thank you again. Your support genuinely means a great deal.
Keeping connected
Finally, please continue to check our social media channels: facebook.com/thomasboteler and instagram.com/thomasboteler and school website for details of upcoming events and opportunities. We also have a variety of Parent Forums throughout this half term and more to come. These are always valuable opportunities for us to listen to your views, respond to issues that matter to families and continue improving the experience we provide for our young people. They are usually very well attended, and I am extremely grateful to everyone who gives their time to participate. If there are further topics you would like us to explore through future Parent Forums, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Your voice matters, and we do listen.
Thank you, as always, for standing alongside us. The partnership between school and home is incredibly important, and I am genuinely grateful for the trust and support you continue to show us.
We will continue to be ambitious for our young people, continue to hold high standards and, most importantly, continue to care deeply about their success. High expectations and strong relationships are not competing priorities. Our young people deserve both.
I hope you and your families have a positive final week of the half term.
Beverley Scott-Herron
Headteacher
Representing Our School with Pride
Our students in the local community
We are extremely proud that the vast majority of our students are wonderful ambassadors for the school. Each day, they demonstrate courtesy, maturity and respect as they travel to and from school and spend time in our local community. Their conduct reflects positively on themselves, their families and our school, and we are grateful for the high standards they consistently uphold.
Maintaining high standards beyond the school gates
There are, however, a small number of occasions where the conduct of individual students can bring the school’s name into disrepute. We have also received a small number of reports regarding behaviour on public buses. Although these incidents are not representative of the overwhelming majority of our students, we take any concerns about conduct in the community seriously.
We ask all parents and carers to reiterate the importance of appropriate behaviour whenever students are identifiable as members of our school community, including on public transport, at bus stops and when travelling through the local area.
A shared message to our young people
Please remind your child that the standards we expect in school also apply when they are travelling to and from school. We want every student to represent their family and our school with pride: showing respect to members of the public, behaving responsibly, following the expectations of transport providers and being considerate of other passengers.
The positive reputation of our school is built through the everyday choices made by our students. Small acts of courtesy, such as using appropriate language, respecting other people’s space and property, and responding politely to adults, make a real difference.
Thank you for your support
Thank you for working with us to reinforce these expectations. We are proud of our students and want the excellent conduct shown by the vast majority to remain the standard associated with our school in the wider community.
If you have any concerns about student conduct in the local community or on public transport, please contact us at school so that we can look into the matter appropriately. Mr Leonard, Deputy Headteacher.
Flu Immunisations
iPay
iPay Tips for Parents and Carers
- Check your child’s balance regularly. We also encourage children to check their balance when they arrive at school in the morning, or before they join the queue for lunch.
- Top up in advance. Don’t leave it until 1pm to top up the account. It’s a system at the end of the day, sometimes it happens where the parent has topped up but it has not shown on the account. Topping up the account before 9am gives plenty of time for the system to ensure its up to date.
- Free School Meals (FSM) allowance: The daily allowance is £2.85 and can be used for purchases throughout the day. Please be aware that if your child uses some of their allowance to buy a drink or snack at break time, they may not have enough remaining for a £2.85 meal deal at lunchtime. In this instance, they will be told to go and get a green card.
- If there is not enough money on the account, your child will be asked by the kitchen to collect a green card from Mrs Koltan.
- Green cards are worth £2.85, the same value as an FSM voucher. A green card is a debt to the school, not the canteen. Once a green card has been issued, parents will receive an email with details. The debt can then be paid through iPay → School Shop → Green Card.
- Suggested daily spending limit: We recommend a maximum spend of £5 per day. This is a suggested limit only. If you do not want your child to spend above a particular amount, please discuss this with them in advance or consider only adding the amount you are happy for them to spend each day.
- iPay accounts can no longer go into negative figures. If there is insufficient money available, your child can be issued with a green card instead.
- Check your child’s history. Check through the transactions to make sure you are aware of what is going through, any issues, always contact the school.
- Check prices. The school website has the prices for lunch menus on there.
💳 iPay Tips for Students
Here are some top tips to help you manage your iPay account and make sure you have enough money for your food and drinks throughout the school day!
- ✅ Check your balance every morning! Make checking your iPay balance part of your morning routine so you know how much money you have to spend. Free School Meals will not show in a balance on your account but does get topped up every day automatically to £2.85.
- Water in the machines is free! You don’t have to buy a bottle of water, instead bring one from home and top it up throughout the day.
- 🍎 Make your Free School Meals allowance last! Your daily allowance is £2.85. This covers everything you buy throughout the day. If you spend some of it on a drink or snack at break time, you will not have enough left for a meal deal at lunchtime!
- If you aren’t sure how much something is then just ask! You are better to know how much everything is so you know how much you have left.
- 💰 Keep track of your spending. The suggested maximum spend is £5 per day. Think carefully about what you buy and try to stick to the spending limit agreed with your parents or carers.
- 🟩 What happens if you run out of money? If you don’t have enough money in your account, the kitchen will ask you to collect a green card from Mrs Koltan.
- ⚠️ Remember, green cards are a debt! Each green card is worth £2.85 and must be paid back to the school. Your parent or carer will receive an email to request payment.
- 🚫 You can’t go into minus figures! Your iPay account cannot go below £0. If you run out of money, you may need a green card to cover your purchases.
⭐ Remember!
Check your balance. Think before you spend. Make your money last!
A little planning can help you enjoy your school day without worrying about how you’ll pay for lunch.
E-Bikes
TCAT Challenge Award
This unique award scheme has been designed to challenge, inspire, and recognise the achievements of students across TCAT.
The Challenge Award offers students a chance to push themselves beyond their comfort zones, encouraging them to explore new opportunities. Whether it’s trying out a new sport, completing a community project, working with younger or elderly people, or engaging in volunteering, students will have a wide variety of challenges to choose from.
The award aims to:
- Celebrate and recognise the diverse talents and achievements of TCAT students.
- Bring young people together from across the TCAT community, fostering collaboration and personal growth.
Students will earn points for every task they complete. Upon successfully reaching 15 points, they will be invited to a prestigious awards ceremony in the summer term to celebrate their achievements.
Throughout this initiative, your child will be supported by Mrs Butcher, the Challenge Award Lead for Sir Thomas Boteler and their form teacher.
Using the Arbor Parental App, you can monitor your child’s progress, including how many points they have earned, and support them in their endeavours.
If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. We look forward to seeing all the amazing things our students will achieve through this initiative! Mrs Butcher Head of PSHE.
Year 10
Students interested in attending University are invited on a Keele University trip on the 26th November 2026. Please pick up a letter from your form tutor, Head of Year or Mrs Mawby next week. Forms must be returned to Mrs Mawby.
UTC
University Technical Colleges [UTCs] offer a different and exciting way to learn. Alongside local universities and employers, UTCs deliver specialist technical qualifications that provide real life learning experience. Employer projects, work experience and hands-on mentoring from industry professionals are how those experiences are achieved. Students also benefit from the very best facilities and industry-standard equipment used in the UTC’s specialist sector.
British Army
Click here for a newsletter from the British Army Newsletter, with information about free events, resources and much more.
Embroidery Club
We have learnt how to do a back stitch, a French knot and managed to do a rose which is classed as one of the “harder” skills. I am so proud of the progress the students have made so far, they leave embroidery club feeling very proud of themselves and excited to practice more.
Miss Saycell has purchased some Halloween patterns for the club to try to get in the festive spirit!
Halloween Disco
On October 20th we will be holding a Year 7 Halloween Disco in the school hall from 15:00 – 16:30. All Year 7 students are invited and can dress up at the end of the day. Information has been sent out to Year 7 parents and carers via the Arbor app.
Boteler Enrichment Programme
Please find our Boteler Enrichment programme here: Enrichment Programme – Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School
If you are a council member, your meetings are at the following times:
- School Council: Thursday week 2 rm 6 Miss Porteous
- ECO Council: Thursday week 1 rm 30 – Miss Kenny
- Ethos Council: Thursday week 1 and 2 rm 27 Mrs Hoey
- International Council: Monday week 1 rm 4a Mr Leung
- LGBTQ+ Council: Week 1 Friday rm 26 Miss Roberts
- Wellbeing Council: Tuesday week 1 and 2 rm 4a Miss Giebka
- House Meetings – Check the BE Proqramme and with your HOH after the first House assembly
These are all at lunchtime. Ask the staff member if you need a lunch-pass.
Make sure you attend all meetings so you can represent the students of our school.
Hospitality
Fantastic work from our Year 10 BTEC Hospitality and Catering students, who have successfully made their own delicious quiches!
Students demonstrated a range of complex practical skills, including making and handling shortcrust pastry, lining a tin, preparing a savoury filling, producing an egg-based custard, mixture setting and controlling oven temperatures to achieve a golden finish.
A brilliant demonstration of precision, independence and developing culinary skills. Well done, Year 10!
🍣 A Taste of Japan with Takebon! 🇯🇵
Our BTEC Hospitality and Catering students had the fantastic opportunity to take part in a workshop with Takebon, a family-run Japanese café and catering business based in Widnes.
Specialising in freshly prepared Japanese cuisine, Takebon shared their knowledge, skills and passion for food, giving students valuable insight into the hospitality industry.
Ms Fallon commented:
“It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn directly from industry professionals, develop their practical skills and experience a different style of cuisine. Experiences like this really bring classroom learning to life!”
A huge thank you to Takebon for inspiring our future hospitality professionals!
#Takebon #HospitalityAndCatering #BTEC #JapaneseCuisine #PracticalSkills #IndustryExperience
Sport & Performance
Rowing – Weeks 3 and 4
Over the last two weeks, the students have officially taken to the water, and coaches Jen and Gill have been amazed by how quickly and confidently they have progressed!
The students have shown fantastic development, becoming much quicker and more independent when getting the boats out and setting everything up ready to row.
They began by practising the basics of steering, turning and stopping, before learning to row individually. They then gradually built this up until everyone was rowing together, which takes a great deal of teamwork, communication and concentration.
Week 3 also brought an unexpected challenge for me! With one student absent, I had to step in and take on the role of cox. It was certainly a different experience being in the boat with the students, but it gave me a brilliant opportunity to see first-hand just how much they have learnt and how well they work together.
The coaches could not be prouder of how much the students have learnt over the past two weeks and, most importantly, how quickly they are able to put their new skills into practice.
A fantastic two weeks on the water. Well done to everyone involved
Drama Department
Coming Soon, Boteler StageCraft are proud to be rehearsing the next school production which will take place in December. Over 40 Students are involved either as Performers, Set Design and Stage Management. Make a note in your diaries. We will announce when tickets are going on sale. Many Thanks, Ms Armstrong.
Music Department
Boteler is a school that sings. We have three different clubs for young singers, each tailored to the wants and needs of teenage voices during their voice change.
- Boys Singing is for lads in years 7 to 9, and they rehearse on Tuesdays in week A and Mondays in week B during morning registration.
- Girls singing is for girls in years 7-9 and they rehearse on Mondays in week A and Tuesdays in week B.
- Vox One is the school’s elite choir, open to students in year 9, 10, and 11. They rehearse after school on Tuesdays, and lead the school through numerous high-profile events like inauguration, our carol service, and remembrance Sunday. They also regularly steal the show at our biannual ‘TCAT Performs’ concerts.
For more information, or to take part, please visit Mr McCombs in R4b. Students are rewarded with House Points for attending.
