Dear HP families,

I am delighted to share some exciting highlights from this past week at HP, which has been filled with positivity, hard work, and community spirit.

Firstly, I want to celebrate the success of HP Charity Week, which has taken place over the last five days. Every day at lunchtime, our Sixth Form House Captains have organised a variety of engaging events in the Sports Hall. It was wonderful to see so many students and staff participating, and I am proud to announce that all monies raised will be going towards each House’s chosen charity. Events this week have included a ‘Guess Who’ competition, a Round Robin Badminton competition, a Just Danceathon, a staff raffle, and a cake sale, which saw an incredible 55 HP families contributing entries. I would like to extend a special thank you to Mrs Kingston for her dedication and effort in coordinating the week’s activities. Thanks to her organisation and the enthusiasm of our House Captains, HP Charity Week has been a tremendous success, and we are excited to see the positive impact of the funds raised.

I am also thrilled to announce the launch of our Holmleigh Park Fixtures and Team Sheets Website. This new platform is designed to keep parents, students, and staff up to date with all school sports fixtures and team sheets. The site will make it easier than ever to stay informed about upcoming matches and team selections. Over the coming days, you will receive emails with further details on how to activate your parent account and start accessing all the latest information. We hope this resource will make it simpler for you to support your child’s sporting journey and ensure that no fixture or team announcement is missed.

Another topic I’d like to address is the increasing concern around teenage social media use. More research is showing a connection between rising social media use and worsening mental health among young people. I believe it is important for us as educators, parents, and carers to be aware of the minimum age requirements for using social media platforms. Teenagers must be 13 years old to use apps such as WhatsApp, SnapChat, Facebook, and Instagram. This week, Josh MacAlister MP led the debate on the Safer Phones Bill in Parliament, which aims to make smartphones less addictive for children and empower families and teachers to reduce screen time. For those looking to learn more, the NSPCC website offers some helpful guidance on managing social media usage and its impact on young people.

Finally, a quick update on attendance, which continues to be our number one priority this year at HP. We expect all students to maintain an attendance rate of 95% or higher, as we know this is a strong predictor of success and happiness in school. We will be holding the inaugural induction of the HP Hero Club during the week of Monday 21st October. Students with an attendance of 95% or higher will receive a commemorative badge and will be eligible for rewards in Term 2. Additionally, we will be launching the HP Hero Club ‘buy back’ scheme for students who were not initially inducted. Please check your child’s attendance regularly on MCAS and contact their Head of Year if you have any concerns.

I wish you all a lovely weekend,

Mr Hudson
Headteacher