This week has seen the start of the formal exam season for our Year 11s and we wish them all good luck. We will be running exam warm ups for students at 8.45am and 12.45pm Last night we welcomed Year 10 students, parents and carers as we launched Year 11 for them. They are very aware that the countdown to the exam season 2027 has officially begun. This weekend they finish their Duke of Edinburgh expedition, and we wish them luck in this.

Attendance

Attendance continues to be one of our core priorities. We will be continuing to share with students the key messages about good attendance and outcomes at GCSES. The evidence is unequivocal on this. The higher attendance is above 90% the better student outcomes are.  We continue to share this message with our young people.

What’s going on in school?

 

 

• As part of our outdoor activities programme, we try to help students to appreciate the outdoors, discover the National Park and learn about some of the more unique aspects of the flora and fauna found on our doorstep. Up at Higger Torr, there are a lot of topics to discuss... the Mass Trespass; the balance between landowners, working land, local access, tourism, biodiversity of specific areas and the etiquette around different outdoor sports. Additionally, we like to look for different species of plantlife. Today we spotted a number of different species and learnt a few facts about them. Pixie cups are a type of lichen that grow and make wine glass shape cups for the pixies to drink out of at midnight! Devil's Matchsticks are another species of lichen - maybe the Devil joins the pixies at midnight? We also found billberries, Hare's Tail, Map lichen and an example of weathering erosion on the grit stone. All the weaselling sessions have now finished, and we will move onto outdoor climbing for our summer activities. The students have been brilliant, fun, enthusiastic and willing to have a go! Well done! 

• Year 8 took their turn at Interhouse Basketball this week. Everyone played well, but Mam Tor was the winning team. Well done to all involved.

• Our Key Stage 4 boys football team played their last fixture of the season this week, and for the Year 11’s, this was their last game for HVC. The team reached the finals of the High Peak Trophy for the first time in many years. With a weakened team due to injury, the boys played well against Chapel High School and put up a super fight. Sadly it wasn’t to be and they didn’t get the win this time, but we are incredibly proud of the whole team and would like to thank our Year 11 boys for their fantastic efforts and dedication to our football team while they have been at HVC.

• This week we hosted eight local primary schools with 267 primary student entries for our Primary Orienteering event - and what an event it was! We are very lucky to have highly experienced volunteers from South Yorkshire Orienteers to help organise and run this complex event. Students got the opportunity to complete two different orienteering courses with electronic controls, giving them a digital time at the end of their round, and their split time between controls. Lots of students enjoyed the challenge and freedom to explore the routes, problem solving and improving their navigation skills. Our Sports Leaders were enthusiastic, informative and compassionate - a credit to HVC. Thank you and well done.

Year 10 English

Over the coming weeks, all Year 10 students will plan, write and deliver a spoken language presentation in their English language lessons. Please support your young person by discussing their chosen topic and helping them to practise their speech at home, so that they are well prepared. We recognise that some students find delivering a presentation daunting; however, this assessment is an essential part of developing literacy skills and preparing students for life beyond the classroom. Students will receive a certificate from AQA alongside their examination results, showing a grade of Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail. This endorsement does not affect the GCSE English Language grade, as it is a separate component.

Please be reassured that we work closely with our SEND and Pastoral Teams to ensure individual needs are met during the assessment process. Your young person will only be considered for alternative arrangements if this is an identified need recorded on their learning passport. 

The assessment will be conducted in line with JCQ guidelines and AQA English Language Spoken Language Endorsement guidance. Thank you for your continued support.

Year 8 Subject Evening – Tuesday 19 May

The Year 8 Subject Evening will take place in school on Tuesday 19 May. This is an opportunity to talk to teachers about progress, attainment and attitudes to learning. Details about how to book appointments have been shared with parents and carers. Bookings open at 5pm today.

Open Evening for current Y5 students

Our Open Evening will take place on Thursday 24 September – this is aimed at current Y5 students, who will join us in Year 7 in September 2027. Please share this date with friends and family who may have a young person in Y5. To book a place please use the following link: https://HopeValleyOpenEve2026.eventbrite.co.uk

 

Dates for Your Diary

Tuesday 19 May – Y8 Subject Evening

Friday 22 May – Study leave begins for Y11 students, Break for half term

Monday 1 June – Back to school

Saturday 27 June – Music and Mayhem PTFA event

w/c 13 July – Y10 work experience week / Y8 PGL trip / Y9 DofE practice expedition

Monday 20 July – Sponsored walk

Tuesday 21 July – Sports Day

Wednesday 22 July – Break for summer

 

Thank you for reading our communication. Here are some helpful email addresses, should you need to contact us:

• attendance@hopevalley.chorustrust.org to report a child’s absence
• enquiries@hopevalley.chorustrust.org for general enquiries
• pastoral@hopevalley.chorustrust.org for any issue with a child’s wellbeing
• headteacher@hopevalley.chorustrust.org to contact the Headteacher
• safeguarding@hopevalley.chorustrust.org to report safeguarding concerns. If a child or any young person is in imminent danger, then please report this to the police.
• ptfahv@hopevalley.chorustrust.org to contact the PTFA

Kind regards

Debbie Petts

Headteacher