Dear Parents/Carers
It gives me great pleasure to write and share a number of updates at the end of a very successful and productive half term.
The release of national school performance data from the Department for Education has further highlighted the successes of our 2016 GCSE results., Pleckgate pupils achieved excellent results that were significantly above national averages, resulting in a strong performance for a second successive year in terms of the new accountability measure for schools; Progress 8.
There were numerous academic successes including recognition of strong performance, compared to national progress indicators, in science, languages and humanities subjects. Significantly, our GCSE mathematics results were amongst the best in the country, placing Pleckgate High School in the top 1% of schools nationally.
I am very pleased with how our year 7 pupils have settled into school life at Pleckgate. The number of parents choosing Pleckgate has significantly increased, and it is fantastic to see a full assembly hall each week when we have a chance to celebrate the previous week’s achievements and prepare for future successes.
In December we ran our first Super Learning Day of the year, planned in response to the outcomes of consultation with pupils and staff on issues they would like to explore. The day enabled pupils, from all year groups, to engage in activities including basic first aid training, managing a household budget and a careers fair; introducing pupils to local employers and career pathways.
The exciting Pleckgate re-brand has continued with widespread consultation on a new school uniform. The resulting changes will be shared with you in the New Year, with a view to the new uniform being phased in for year 7 pupils in September. I would encourage you to visit our new website www.pleckgate.com as it is packed full of useful information for both pupils and parents.
As always, I am thankful for your support in continuing to help us by guiding your children to show respect for our school ethos of Aspire & Believe, Act & Succeed. I would also be grateful if you would ensure that your children arrive to school on time, wearing the correct uniform and school shoes, not trainers. We have been re-iterating the importance of regular school attendance and punctuality through assemblies, exploring the strong relationship between regular attendance and excellent results. We would value your support re-enforcing this message with your children in the New Year.
A final reminder that school will close for the Christmas break on 21st December at 12:10pm and we will re-open to pupils on Friday 6th January at 8:25am. I’d like to wish you a restful break and a happy New Year.
Best wishes
Mark Cocker
Headteacher
