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    • WEEK 39 - Friday 10 July 2026

      Published 10/07/26, by Amy Harrington

      Dear Parents and carers, 

      Like the rest of the region, it has been very warm at school however our students and staff have done brilliantly. Our main building is impressive to look at and is great to work in, but it is not designed for the high temperatures we have had. Students have been grateful for the decision to wear their PE kit which has really helped, particularly at social time when almost all of them have been outside running around.  

      There has been a huge amount going on this week as we go into the last week of the academic year. We have had geography field trips to Bridlington for year 10 students to study coastal erosion; a topic I loved teaching myself. It is a very practical field trip, and one which is particularly relevant given how close we live to the coast.   

      The 3 days Induction has gone very well indeed. When I spoke to the year 6 students first thing Wednesday, they were completely silent and attentive. Our staff were impressed and said so on numerous occasions through their time with us. A few came up to speak to me, which I enjoyed, some of whom mentioned that they appreciated the students who were acting as guides. That continued over the days where they were enjoying lessons  

      We held our annual “Aspirational” Dinner for Year 10 students on Tuesday evening. I have not attended such an event so I was unsure what it would look like, but it was fantastic. Over 100 students were seated at tables in the decorated hall with guests present from numerous businesses. What particularly impressed me was that as a very large group, and without any prompting from teachers, they all gathered to take a photograph. That moment reflects the culture of our school. 

      You will see regular updates on Instagram of our students, and students from other schools in our Trust, who are in Peru at present. Some of the photos are breathtaking.  

      We held a celebratory lunch for our victorious Year 7 rugby team today. Their achievement was very special, so it was a privilege to sit with them and hear about the games they played in and the resilience they showed to go on and win.   

      Except for Sports day on Wednesday, which is an annual highlight, we will be doing normal lessons next week right up to lunchtime on Friday so please make sure your child attends. Students will also be expected to wear their school uniforms every day, except for on Sports day.     

      There will be some communications next week, mostly in relation to September so please read or save them as September will come around very quickly. All students will be returning to school at 8.30am on Wednesday 09 September 2026. 

      A reminder of our SLT surgery which is available for parents and carers to book a face-to-face meeting with our senior leadership team to discuss any areas of concern which your feel needs further discussion 

      Hessle High School SLT Surgery  – Fill in form 

      Have a great weekend.  

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    • WEEK 38 - Friday 3 July 2026

      Published 03/07/26, by Amy Harrington

      Dear Parents and carers, 

      I cannot say that I am being swept along in the enthusiasm for the World Cup, probably because I am Scottish and my passion is rugby, however, having lived in England for most of my life, I am keen that they do well. You will have received a separate communication regarding Monday, and I am hoping we will be celebrating an England win.  

      On the theme of winning, I am delighted to announce that our Year 7 rugby team won the Yorkshire Shield Final. It was a close game where after finishing normal time 16-16, they played 10 mins extra time and won 28-26. This is quite an achievement on top of their previous success so my congratulations to the team, and my thanks to Mr Compton for his commitment. We will be holding a celebratory event at lunchtime before the end of term. 

      We have received lots of positive feedback with regards to our Careers Week, both the events in school and the work experience students were on. There have also been various trips and visits going on this week too, which alongside Year 11 having left and Year 10 out, has made for a much quieter school.  

      At this time of year, schools get even busier. In addition to all the usual hard work going on, we have the Aspirational Dinner next week, Induction for new September Year 7’s, Reward trips, the finalisation of the school timetable for next year alongside countless other events and planning that is required. We have also been looking at our school values, reviewing different policies including rewards, behaviour and social time.   

      We were lucky with the weather for the Year 11 Prom event; it was perfect. Proms are interesting events where I feel that the start of the event is the highlight, with everyone turning up in different forms of transport. Outside the hotel was extremely busy as a seemingly endless stream of different vehicles arrived. Our students looked awesome and Hessle Swing Band were fantastic. There were a lot of staff present, all lined up to clap them in. A very special evening for a very special year group.   

      I have attached again, the link to request the use of our SLT surgery which is for parents and carers who feel that a complaint or issue already raised has not been dealt with quickly enough. 

      Hessle High School SLT Surgery  – Fill in form 

      Have a great weekend.  

      Mr Nixon

      Headteacher

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    • WEEK 38 - Friday 26 June 2026

      Published 26/06/26, by Amy Harrington

      Dear Parents and carers, 

      Students have appreciated the choice between school uniform and PE uniform this week and have been very sensible in their approach which has been really appreciated. We are back to normal school uniform on Monday.  

      On Tuesday and Wednesday, we had our Sixth Form Induction where students got to know each other and took part in lessons. There were also social activities which went down well. I loved seeing some of our year 11 students who are joining us, they were thoroughly enjoying being back at Hessle but in a quite different capacity. On the same theme, the Year 13 Prom at the MKM Stadium (the Circle Restaurant) last night was very well attended and a great success. What was particularly pleasing was how students from both schools mingled so well, reflecting the good teamwork over the past two years.  

      Year 10 exams went well, again the heat did not help but they worked hard and did their very best. They are now used to the process which is very important going forward.  

      One of the many roles Headteachers carry out is to sign off trips and visits. I am a great believer in Enrichment as that is what adults usually remember when they look back on their school days. As we move toward the end of the school year, there are various Reward Trips taking place namely: 

      • Year 10 to Flamingo Land 
      • Year 9 to Allethorpe lakes 
      • Year 8 to Bowling then in school activities 
      • Year 7 to Big Fun Play Zone 

      We are also involved in the Trust trip where 17 students are going to Camps International in Peru, teaming up with a group of students from Holderness. My thanks to those students who have worked so hard to be on all the trips and visits, they have done exceptionally well.  

      Yesterday, a group of students went to Beverley Grammar School to take part in the East Riding (languages) Translatathon final! They had been practising at lunchtimes and at home all year, making it through rounds 1 and 2 as the year progressed. We are proud to announce that the team won the Secondary Spanish competition, and all received certificates and came third overall in the Secondary competition. Their behaviour and attitudes were impeccable the whole time so our congratulations to them all and thank you to the parents for your support. 

      My thanks to all the staff who have spent a considerable amount of their own time in the planning of these events and the supervision of students.  

      Have a great weekend.  

      Mr Nixon

      Headteacher

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    • WEEK 37 - Friday 19 June 2026

      Published 19/06/26, by Amy Harrington

      Dear Parents and carers, 

      It is probably appropriate to start with what, for a number of our students, has come to an end, and that is the Year 11 leavers’ day. We structured it differently this year, deciding to hold the event the day after their exams rather than straight after. They were also invited to come in wearing non-school uniform. The morning (Tuesday) was absolutely fantastic. I have signed many shirts on such days, but this was the first occasion where I saw students having special shirts designed, I loved that and you may have seen some photos on social media. At the end of the assembly, they all gathered together for ice cream and shirt signing. Their behaviour was immaculate, so it was good for the rest of the school to see as they moved to lessons. Our staff have put an immense amount of time and effort into helping them, so we hope it all pays off. There were a lot of thank you cards and presents being handed out, then as they left, they were applauded by staff. It was a very emotional experience though we do still get to see them again at the Prom.  

      On the theme of exams, we have had Year 10 mock exams and some Year 9 ones too. There is little let up but I am pleased to say that both year groups have taken them seriously. Although some of our Year 10s initially thought they had a year until the actual GCSEs, it is in fact 30 school weeks or even less due to events such as work experience.   

      Year 7 and 8 students enjoyed a visit from the National Education STEM Roadshow on Wednesday. The interactive performance, 'Material World: Engineering the Future', inspired students to explore the exciting possibilities of engineering and STEM through engaging demonstrations and audience participation. Sponsored by BAE Systems, the RAF and the Royal Navy, the STEM Roadshow aims to encourage young people to consider careers in engineering by highlighting the skills, pathways and opportunities available within the sector, while also challenging common stereotypes. The performance provided an insight into the role that STEM plays in shaping the world around us and the future workforce! - it was great to hear that not only did the students enjoy the performance, but the staff did too!!  

      We also had visitors in on Wednesday, and one of the comments was how well the younger students were playing together on the field. It is a pleasure to see all the different groups, some playing and some sitting chatting, at social time. The single lunch and break have meant they can be with their friends. 

      Have a great weekend. 

      Mr Nixon

      Headteacher

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    • WEEK 36 - Friday 12 June 2026

      Published 12/06/26, by Amy Harrington

      Dear Parents and carers, 

      The TCAT Annual Staff Awards Evening took place on Thursday and, as always, it was a fantastic event. The awards presented were based around the 4 Trust values of Aspiration, Respect, Integrity, and Responsibility. An outline of each nominee’s achievements was read out and I have to say, it was a real privilege to listen to what is taking place in all our schools, and the level of dedication. I am very proud to inform you that the following colleagues from Hessle received an award: 

      • Mr Compton  (Maths Teacher) 

      • Mr Worrall    (Site Team) 

      • Mr Willson   (Senior Leader) 

      • Mrs Lancaster (Student Services) 

      Our Hessle colleagues were all recognised for going above and beyond the already high expectations that we have.  

      We now have our new student council groups, and a staff working group, so a task for them over the coming weeks is to review our local procedures for behaviour including rewards and sanctions. In addition, I will be discussing with them our school values. At present we have 6 values for the main school, 4 values for the Houses and 3 values for the Sixth Form College. It is too many and quite confusing. The intention is to have one set of values for the main school that incorporates our Sixth Form values of Ambition, Collaboration and Excellence, as a number of our Hessle High students stay on to attend our Sixth Form. I will update you in a few weeks.  

      For the new year 7 intake for September 2026, the school is oversubscribed with over 50 on the waiting list and very recently, there was a full day of appeals. The culture of our school is a strong one and certainly passes the litmus of ‘would I send my own child to this school ‘? as a large number of staff do. Of course, there is still a lot to improve but we have covered a lot of ground since January, which bodes well for the future. 

      During my visits to lessons this week, I have seen some excellent work being produced, especially in some of the lower year groups. We also look at books in our Senior Leadership Team meetings. Interestingly, today in the break time dining hall queue, one student asked me what I thought of his exercise books which I thought was impressive as it shows how much they cared.  

      Again, our students’ approach to exams has been impressive, as has been your support as parents and carers. Monday is the last exam for year 11 and on Tuesday they are having a non-uniform farewell morning where we will be celebrating their time at Hessle. More detailed communication has gone out to the parents and carers of year 11. It doesn’t stop there though, as Year 12 mock exams have been running since this time last week and Year 10 mocks start Monday.  

      I have attached again, the link to request the use of our SLT surgery which is for parents and carers who feel that a complaint or issue already raised has not been dealt with quickly enough. 

      Hessle High School SLT Surgery  – Fill in form 

      Have a great weekend.  

      Mr Nixon

      Headteacher

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    • WEEK 35 - Friday 5 June 2026

      Published 05/06/26, by Amy Harrington

      Dear Parents and carers, 

      The trust arranges regular external safeguarding reviews for all its’ schools and ours took place yesterday. The review involved a wide range of activities including speaking with students at social time. There were a few things that were mentioned that I was particularly pleased to hear including: 

      • That the culture of the school was very positive.  

      • The calm atmosphere in the dining hall, which was very busy due to heavy rain, was highlighted as a strength and how well our students self-regulate. 

      • That students appreciate the care shown by staff and that they were very positive about their school.  

      • That the school premises are well-managed, and that they are safe and secure. 

      On a small but very important example of our school culture happened at lunchtime when a group of year 11 students sang “happy birthday” to one of their friends followed by the cutting of the birthday cake they had made for her. I felt very privileged to be called over to join in on the celebrations.   

      We are also proud to be recognised as a CyberFirst Silver School by the National Cyber Security Centre. This places us among the top 4% of UK secondary schools for cyber education, reflecting our strong commitment to high-quality computing, cyber awareness, and preparing students with essential digital skills. 

      Cassio charitiy day was a success despite the poor weather. My thanks to the team for all the hard work and thinking that went into the activities, especially given it was confined to the main hall. So far, they have raised £348.66

      I realise that the exam season is tiring for students but there are still a few to go. Year 11 have done brilliantly so far and whilst they will no doubt be looking forward to the end of them, with that also comes the end of their era at Hessle High School for a number of them. I am really pleased though that so many have chosen to stay in the Sixth Form. I’ve said before that I have only known them a very short time, but I will really miss them as a year group. Having said that, our current Year 10 are working hard and also have a very positive culture which bodes well for next year. On Tuesday 16 June, the day after the final exam, year 11 are invited to come into school in non-uniform and enjoy a morning of celebrations. 

      Have a great weekend. 

      Mr Nixon

      Headteacher

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