Principal’s Weekly Post – Week 15

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we reach the end of the first term, I want to take a moment to express a massive thank you to our entire school community. This has been a truly special year for York High School. Our collective success is a testament to the dedication of our students, the unwavering commitment of our staff, and the incredible support from our parents and carers.

We understand that the holidays can sometimes bring extra pressure to families and I would like to remind all families about our Community Cupboard. This resource is open to anyone within our school community who may need a little extra support with food or household essentials. To make a confidential request, please reach out to us at: reception@yorkhigh.elt.org.uk.

I hope that all of our families have a peaceful and restful break. I encourage everyone to take this time to switch off, recharge, and enjoy quality time with loved ones.

Please do have a look at the seasonal video below from Excel Learning Trust’s staff and students – you may recognise a few people!

Warmly,

Gavin Kumar
Principal

Welcome to the December edition of ‘Snowsations’ – Excel Learning Trust’s newsletter

Festive Showcase

Last Thursday we staged our third Festive Showcase. It celebrated talent within our school with ensembles such as the Singing Group, the YHS Dancers and Swing Dance group alongside soloists from across the year groups and a preview of our next musical ‘Annie’.

As ever, we finished in style with the staff panto which saw Mr Kiernan, Miss Linsey, Mrs Fletcher, Miss Clements and Mrs Lancaster take on ‘Aladdin’. Of course, our staff panto wouldn’t be complete without the return of Assistant Principal Mr Hardy as the Fairy Godfather. His costumes get more elaborate each year!

Festive Showcase raffle

Thank you to everyone that took part in the raffle at the Festive Showcase – your support helps us provide more opportunities in the Arts for our students.

Mrs Lancaster and Miss Linsey oversaw the draw, and contacted the winners this week. Congratulations to everyone that won a prize!

A fond farewell from Miss Burns (and Tilly!)

Ebor Nursing Home

On Monday, 13 of our Singing Group went to Ebor Nursing Home to sing our Festive Showcase repertoire and spread some festive cheer. Two of our students volunteer at the nursing home as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award and helped to arrange the visit.

The residents really appreciated the afternoon entertainment and enjoyed talking to our students before and after the performance.

Year 11 visit to York Minster and Bradford Grand Mosque

This week, Year 11 enjoyed an immersive day visiting both York Minster and Bradford Grand Mosque, which helped them to see the ways in which religions are lived by their faith adherents. It was great to have a tour, learn about the religious places of worship and speak with the people that use them in their lives, and will help broaden students’ understanding as they prepare for their GCSE exam in the summer.

University of York Music Technology visit

Last Tuesday, the Year 10 GCSE Music class visited the Physics, Engineering and Technology Department at the University of York for a day of workshops on Music Technology. We looked at binaural sound, creating our own synthesised instruments, coding music using MATLAB and looking at acoustics.

Year 7 book gift

Year 8 parent meeting for the Liverpool trip

We would like to invite all parents of Year 8 students attending the Liverpool Trips in the Spring Term to a parent meeting on Wednesday 7 January 2026 at 6pm. This will confirm the itinerary and answer any questions you may have.

🎅 Excellence Every Day 🎅

We have a bumper celebration for our Excellence Every Day Awards as we get ready for the Festive Break. Our students have been busy producing some amazing work over the last few weeks, with some picking up multiple awards!

Mr Kumar & Mr Hardy have really enjoyed speaking to students about their achievements.

Congratulations to Gracie, Izzy, Myles, Isla C, Hannah, Josh, Evie, Scarlett, Nybol, George, Lewis, Maisie, Sophie B, Zara, Ava, Jan, Billy, Annie, Ben, Isla M, Daniel, Joe, Lily, Jules, Ella F, Rowan, Bella, Ursula, Lucy, Sophie G, Ella G, Emmie and Tiana.

A fantastic achievement for all of them!

Careers Fair – 12 January 2026

We are still looking for local businesses, employers, educators, and others to attend our whole-school careers fair on 12 January 2026.

For more information, please contact Vicky Bettney on v.bettney@yorkhigh.elt.org.uk

Mock Interviews – 23 January 2026

If you would be interested in supporting mock interviews for Year 11 pupils on Friday 23 January, we would love to welcome you into school. Please contact Vicky Bettney on v.bettney@yorkhigh.elt.org.uk

Enrichment

We have confirmed to parents and carers the enrichment activities their child has signed up for, starting in January 2026. For anyone who had not yet signed up before the deadline, we have created a new opportunity on this form. 

SEN and Safeguarding news from Excel Learning Trust

Apprenticeship vacancies

York College is currently advertising a number of apprenticeship vacancies which can be seen on the attached pdf. Each vacancy has a hyperlink to the Apprenticeship Service website, where you will find full job details and where you can submit your application.

A note on closing dates: vacancies often close earlier than the stated date, so if you are interested, please make sure you apply as soon as you can.

You can also read the attached guidance on how to write a strong application to ensure the best chance of success.

Community Cupboard

Our school is committed to helping those in need through our community cupboard, ensuring that every student and family has access to essential food/household items. Donations are always welcome and greatly appreciated, as they help us continue to support the local community.

If you or someone you know needs any support, please contact Aimee a.stewart@yorkhigh.elt.org.uk or Emma e.masterman@yorkhigh.elt.org.uk, or pop into main reception.

All requests will be handled with care and confidentiality.