Principal’s May 2019 newsletter

This online newsletter aims to provide information on some upcoming events and highlight recent College successes.

Progress Assessments and Final Examinations

A1 students

Progress Assessments will run for all first-year students from Tuesday, 7 May to Friday, 10 May.  The normal timetable will be suspended for the duration of these 90-minute assessments. 

A2 students

Formal written examinations will begin for second-year students on Monday, 13 May. 

All students

Students are requested to read the Examination Guidelines booklet which was given to them in Tutorial and show this to parents and carers.  The Exams ApEx page, on the College’s Moodle, will provide information on the time, date and location of each student’s assessment/exam.  

All students can, of course, continue to rely upon the help and encouragement of their Teachers, Personal Tutor, Safeguarding Team, Study Centre Support and the Senior Staff, should they require any additional support.  We also have a confidential counselling service in College and the following link will take you to some important information, web addresses and phone numbers: https://www.greenhead.ac.uk/college-counselling/251.html

Individual successes

Since my last newsletter in February, the College has seen many examples of individual, team and departmental success.  Highlights from the last half-term include the Music department’s Spring Concert, which was full of brilliant performances, the Real World Chemistry event, which saw an outstanding display of student presentations, and Diversity Week, which showcased a wide range of musical talents.

I would like to highlight three examples of outstanding personal success, which illustrate how an individual’s commitment, aspiration and desire to contribute to the wider community, can make a positive difference.

Charlotte Hollingworth

A1 student Charlotte Hollingworth was recently awarded the ‘Young Volunteer of the Year’ award for her contributions to Barnsley Council.  Charlotte has been volunteering for the Dodworth Ward Alliance for the past 18 months and her role involves organising various events to promote the village and regularly meeting local residents, councillors and business owners. 

Benji Rowlands

A2 student Benji Rowlands will shortly be representing the UK at the International Finals of the Chemistry Olympiad in Paris this July.  In round 1 of the national finals, Benji was placed within the top 28 of all students nationally, qualifying him to enter the extremely demanding second round of the competition which was held at Cambridge University.

Emily Brierley

A1 student Emily Brierley spoke eloquently and movingly to delegates from across the UK and across the world at the ‘Million Minds Matter’ conference in London recently.  I had the great privilege of hearing Emily speak about mindfulness alongside other renowned delegates such as Caroline Lucas MP, Jerome Flynn, Celleach Spellman and Ruby Wax; it was a marvellous, thought-provoking event.

These three examples embody all the very best that Greenhead College students have to offer: a desire to give something back to the community, high academic standards and the resilience to keep going and attain one’s goals. 

Sporting success

Greenhead College sports teams have helped many young people fulfil their sporting potential.  Each Wednesday afternoon, the College comes to life when its regular sporting fixtures take place and students compete against other young people in badminton, basketball, football, hockey, netball, rugby league and tennis.

At the end of April, 48 Greenhead students represented Yorkshire and Humberside in the AoC Sport National Championships, the UK’s biggest sporting event in further education, participating in a variety of sports, including badminton, basketball, cross-country, hockey, netball, table tennis and tennis.  Our students were great ambassadors for the College, representing their region with pride and determination, and winning many medals in the process. 

However, in recent times College funding has fallen significantly, to the extent that replacing the sports kits has become a burden on finances. All the sports kits currently need replacing at a cost of £500 per kit. We really hope that you can donate what you can afford to help young people flourish in their chosen sport.  To make a one-off payment or regular monthly donation, please click on the ‘Donation’ button on https://donatemyschool.com/Greenhead-College.

Term Dates

The last day of lessons for A2 students will be Friday, 17 May.  A1 students will finish lessons on Thursday, 23 May and return to College on Monday, 3 June.  The final day of term for A1 students will be Tuesday, 9 July.     

Best wishes,

Simon Lett

Principal