Principal’s Weekly Post – Week 36

Dear Parents and Carers,

I’m delighted to share some of the wonderful events and successes from our school community this week.

Our students participated in Excel Learning Trust’s ArtsFest on Wednesday, an incredible event that showcased the diverse and brilliant talents of students from across our trust community. It was truly inspiring to see their creativity shine, whether through music, drama, art, or dance. Events like these highlight the importance of the arts in developing well-rounded individuals, and we are immensely proud of all our students who took part.

Thank you to all the parents and carers who attended our SEND Coffee Morning. It was a highly productive session, providing a valuable opportunity for you to meet with our SEND team and offer feedback on our current SEND provision. Your insights are invaluable as we continually strive to enhance our support for all students. We are committed to working in partnership with you to ensure every child thrives.

On Thursday evening we celebrated our Year 11 Prom, a truly memorable send-off for a superb group of students. It was a wonderful evening filled with laughter, dancing, and heartfelt goodbyes. You can see some photos of the evening below. We are incredibly proud of our Year 11s – their hard work, dedication, and resilience throughout their time with us. We wish them all the very best as they embark on their next exciting chapter and look forward to hearing about their future successes.

Looking ahead to next week – we have a non-uniform day on Monday. Students are encouraged to wear something appropriate for school and multicoloured to support York Pride. We are raising funds for the York Mind charity.

As always, thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Warm regards

Gavin Kumar
Principal

City Athletics Competition – school athletes shine! 

Yesterday evening saw the exciting final of the City Athletics Competition, with over 370 athletes from across the region gathering to compete. We are incredibly proud of our students who represented the school with talent, determination, and great sportsmanship.

Gold medal performances

• Riley Raynor: Took 1st place in the 300m, a challenging event, with an outstanding time of 27 seconds.
• Logan Holmes: Soared to 1st place in the High Jump, clearing an impressive 1.50 metres.

Notable achievements

• Max Gilchrist: Took silver in the Shot Put, delivering a powerful throw of 42 metres. A true powerhouse!
• Lewis Holmes: Finished 4th in the 1500m with a strong time of 5:06.
• Logan Holmes: Also placed 4th in the 100m sprint with a time of 14 seconds.
• Khalil Kwembeya: Earned 6th place in the 200m, finishing in 34 seconds.

A huge well done to all our athletes who took part. Your dedication and effort made the school incredibly proud.

Year 11 Prom

Here are just a few photos from this year’s Prom – a brilliant evening filled with fun, laughter and heartfelt goodbyes!

Portakabin Visit

Enrichment Plans for September!

Students have now had the chance to sign up to our enrichment plans for Weeks 2 to 5 of the Autumn Term. We’ve linked a copy of the clubs here, for you to see the fantastic selection available!

We are really grateful to our staff for the huge selection of opportunities – there’ll be even more coming out in October, so watch this space.

London Trip – Current Y8s

We’re pleased to confirm that letters have gone out today for the London residential, for March 2026. Deposits will be accepted from Monday 30 June until Thursday 10 July.

If you have any questions regarding the trip, please contact v.bettney@yorkhigh.elt.org.uk.

Year 9 Enrichment

Last Friday, whilst our Geographers were at the coast, the rest of Year 9 spent Period 5 engaged in a variety of enrichment activities. This was an excellent opportunity to develop teamwork skills and to engage in some of the fantastic offers which will be available from September in our daily enrichment sessions.

Students played football or dodgeball, coloured, and played board games. There was even a bit of fantastic artwork – see the picture of Mr Davies drawn by a Year 9 student.

Year 9 Graduation

We are really excited that the Year 9 Graduation is less than two weeks away on Wednesday 9 July, with doors opening at 5:30pm.

The event is entirely free, with food available after the ceremony, and childcare for younger siblings available if needed.

Tickets will be sent out next week – we’re looking forward to welcoming parents, carers, and other important figures in your child’s life into school.

Choral Festival

On Tuesday 17 June, 24 students travelled to the University of York to take part in the York Schools Choral Festival. The day included a whole group warm up with the other secondary and primary schools before workshops, rehearsals and an afternoon performance to parents. This year’s workshops were Gamelan (Indonesia) and Taiko drumming (Japan), which were great fun.

The students delivered a stellar performance of a Grease medley showcasing songs and choreography from our recent musical. Well done to all involved!

Year 9 – stalking assembly

On 11 July, Year 9 will have an assembly from the Alice Ruggles Trust, covering the topic of stalking. This links to learning from RAS lessons in the Spring Term.

Piano exams success!

Well done to Lucy S (Grade 2 pass), Maisie N (Grade 1 merit) and Hor Kiu So (Grade 1 distinction) for their recent piano exam success. We, and Ms Lee, are very proud of you!

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.

The YHS Way

Next week’s focus: Routines and Habits – Punctuality