Mrs D Hughes
I would like to wish the class of Year 11 a thoroughly enjoyable and enriching academic year. Our school is a wonderful environment within which every individual is encouraged to develop their potential and to explore new interests; I urge you all to embrace every available positive opportunity.
As you embark upon this significant stage of your academic journey I would like you all to recognise that you have already been extremely well prepared for the rigours of your GCSE courses in previous years. One of the key factors to success is organisation and this is a focus for our year group; my motto for you all is “Keep Calm and Carry On with Effective Planning and Organisation”. Some of you will sometimes need additional support to deal with the increasing demands and I will be running a lunchtime club once a week in order to address any issues before they become a problem. It is imperative that we all communicate effectively; all the staff in our school are here to ensure that all students are given every opportunity to flourish and you should be confident in the knowledge that you can approach them for support if you do experience any difficulties.
Our school motto is “a healthy mind in a healthy body” and in the spirit of this I urge you all to recognise that we all need a positive work life balance. It is true that you will need to devote more time to your academic studies if you are to achieve your potential but it is also imperative that you still pursue interests which you enjoy. I know that many of you are super sportsmen and women, talented performers and great musicians and often represent our school at many events. Many of you are involved with organisations outside school and make really worthwhile contributions to the life of the wider community. We all need to develop all aspects of our lives if we are to become well rounded individuals so remember balance is the key!
The pastoral team is not just myself working in isolation; your form tutors are an extremely vital part of the team and their role in your lives is pivotal. You can be confident in the knowledge that we all work together to ensure that you are effectively supported throughout your time at Westholme. I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing you all develop during this academic year and I wish you every success in everything you undertake.
As a note to parents if you have any queries or concerns I can be best reached via email hughesd@westholmeschool.com alternatively contact me via the main switchboard.
Mrs Hughes
Head of Year 11
Teacher of Mathematics