Principal’s Weekly Post – Week 26

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we reach the final day of the Spring Term, I wanted to take a moment to share my immense pride in our school community. This term has been a whirlwind of academic milestones, sporting triumphs, and creative showcases. Seeing our students push their boundaries remains the highlight of my role.

I would also like to signpost our Year 7 parents and carers to the upcoming Parents’ Evening which will take place on Wednesday 22 April from 3.30-6.30pm. Booking for this is now open so please refer to communication that has been sent regarding this vital evening to check your child’s progress since joining York High School.

A number of our Year 9 students are also currently away on a London residential. They have been absolutely phenomenal whilst visiting Wembley Stadium, Westminster and the London Eye. Please look out for the pictures of this wonderful visit in our next weekly update!

Happy Easter to those celebrating and I wish you all a wonderful break.

Warmly,

Gavin Kumar
Principal

Word of the Week!

After Easter, we will be launching our ‘Word of the Week’. We will be launching this in form and assemblies, and rewarding all pupils for using key words during lessons.

Week 1 after Easter – our word is ‘retirement’ – a word that pupils can learn to support their understanding of the world around them.

Excel Staff Recognition Awards – Parent Link

Our Excel Staff Recognition Awards will be held in July 2026, when we will celebrate the exceptional contributions of staff across our Trust. One of the award categories is ‘Excelling Through Parent Recognition’, so we are extending our nomination process for this category to parents and carers. 

Complete the nomination form HERE and help us honour those who go above and beyond! There’s no limit on the number of nominations you can submit – you just need to submit your nominee’s name, the school they work at and the reason for your nomination.

If you have any questions regarding this form or the staff awards, please contact k.dent@elt.org.uk. 

Welcome to the Easter edition of ‘Sensations’ – Excel Learning Trust’s newsletter

As the term draws to a close, we wanted to share some fabulous news items with you to update you on what has been happening across the Trust over the last couple of months and in the lead up to Easter.

You can read the newsletter here.

I hope you and your families have a happy and relaxed Easter break and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Monday 13 April.

Kind regards

Mark Hassack
CEO, Excel Learning Trust

SEND CENTRAL in April

SEND CENTRAL is York’s Family Hub that specialises in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) where families can seek advice and information about what’s available in York when they have children and young people (age from 0 to 25) who have additional needs.

Please take a look at the SEND Central website for details of events and sessions taking place in March/April, including sessions delivered by Think Together (a team of mental health practitioners) and the Parent Carer Forum.

Please note there is a Think Together session on managing exam stress on 15 April, 10.30-11.30am) which could be of particular interest to parents/carers of Year 11 students.

King’s College Cambridge visits York High!

On Monday, we welcomed Ellie and four current students at the University of Cambridge to talk to a group of Year 10s about their experiences at university. This was part of outreach work to raise students’ awareness of what it’s really like at university.

Careers update

We have now moved the focus for Careers appointments to Year 10 pupils, with the intention that all will receive an appointment before the end of the summer term. All will then have a second appointment in Year 11.

If parents/guardians would like to attend these appointments, this can be arranged by contacting v.bettney@yorkhigh.elt.org.uk

There is lots of useful information about supporting pupils of all ages on our website here. This also includes details of our careers plan and targeted activities for each year group.

York College Open Evening

The next York College Open Evening is 5:30 – 7:30pm on 29 April 2026. To register, please visit the York College website.

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.