I am pleased to inform you that we have had another successful academic year at Prestatyn High School. Throughout the year, we have focused on ensuring that all our pupils make good progress, achieve positive outcomes and receive the support they need to thrive academically and personally.

As the academic year draws to a close, please be advised that the school will be closing early at 12.20 pm on Thursday, July 18th. This day will also be a non-uniform day. Pupils wearing their own clothes are encouraged to make a £1 donation which will be donated to a local food bank to support the Prestatyn community.

Pupils are expected to attend school and lessons as normal. The school has made all the necessary arrangements for school buses/taxis to be at school early to transport pupils’ home.

In the last few weeks, we have allowed pupils to not wear their blazers due to the very hot weather. Please remind your son / daughter that we expect all pupils in full uniform when they return in September.

School re-opens for new term:

I would also like to remind you that the school will reopen for pupils on Wednesday 4th September. The 2nd (Monday) and 3rd (Tuesday) of September are staff training days.

I look forward to seeing our Years 13, 12 and 11 during the summer holidays as they collect their examination results; more information will be available on our website.

With the summer holidays approaching, I urge you to remind your child / children about the importance of staying safe during this time. Encouraging them to follow safety guidelines, practice good manners, and make responsible choices will help ensure a joyful and secure break for all. Should you have any queries during the summer break, please do not hesitate in contacting the school office via email at info@prestatynhighschool.co.uk

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation throughout the year. We look forward to welcoming your child back to school in September.

Yours faithfully,

Mr. G. Turner

Deputy Headteacher

I do hope this letter finds you well. The key term dates and INSET days have now been planned out for the next academic year and are summarised below.

You will also find the academic year calendar attached. Letter re term dates for 2024 2025

The dates of the holidays and INSET days are the same for the whole Prestatyn cluster.

Autumn term 1
INSET days (1&2) - Monday 2nd and Tuesday 3rd September 2024
Pupils return to school - Wednesday 4th September to Friday 25th October 2024

Half term – 28th October to 1st November 2024

Autumn term 2
INSET day (3) – Monday 4th November 2024
Pupils return to school - Tuesday 5th November to Friday 20th December 2024

Christmas Holiday – 23rd December to 3rd January 2025

Spring term 1

INSET day (4) – Monday 6th January 2025
Pupils return to school - Tuesday 7th January to Friday 21st February 2025

Half term – 24th February to 28th February 2025

Spring Term 2
Pupils return to school – Monday 3rd March to 11th April 2025

Easter Holiday – 14th April to 25th April 2025
*INSET day (5) – Friday 28th March 2025

Summer term 1
Pupils return to school – Monday 28th April to 23rd May 2025

Mayday bank holiday – Monday 5th May 2025

Half term – 26th May to 30th May 2025

Summer term 2
Monday 2nd June to Friday 18th July 2025
INSET day (6) – Monday 21st July 2025

End of the academic year.

Please note that the calendar of events for the year will be published in September 2024. Please contact the school if you have
any questions about the dates provided.

As pupils return to school after the Easter holidays, we would like your support to deliver a number of key messages to parents, pupils and staff, including guidance and advice on the best way to protect pupils, staff and families and being alert for symptoms.

Please see the letter and guidance issued by NHS Wales

08042024 Measles letter Directors of Education ENG | 08042024 Measles letter Directors of Education CYM

• Measles is currently spreading in the UK with large outbreaks in areas such as the West Midlands and other parts of England. A significant number (1 in 5) of unvaccinated children who have contracted measles have required hospital treatment
• Measles can spread very quickly among children and adults who are not vaccinated and can cause some people to become seriously unwell and in rare circumstances die
• Measles is spread by the respiratory route. It spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. A person with measles is infectious (can spread the disease to other people) from four days before the typical rash appears
• The best way to protect your family is for you and your children to have had the scheduled two doses of the MMR, a safe and effective vaccine that protects against Measles, Mumps and Rubella
• If you or your children are not up-to-date with your vaccines contact your GP and they will arrange for you to receive the MMR
• For more information about MMR, speak to your GP or Nurse or visit this link to access a briefing document for schools https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/immunisation-and-vaccines/vaccine-resources-for-health-and-social-care-professionals/measles-and-mmr-vaccination-programme-briefing-document-2024-pdf/
We are asking parents to be alert for symptoms of measles and to not send their children to school if they are unvaccinated and have any of the symptoms below:

Congratulations to our jubilant 53 award winners from Y7-Y10. A fantastic night in Neuadd Mathew Williams.

Thanks and appreciation to parents/carers for their support.

Dear parent/carer,

Please find attached information regarding the increase in the price of school meals from April 1^st 2024. The increase in the price of school meals is not a school decision it is a decision that has been made by the Denbighshire catering services.

High School Price Increase - W 2024
High School price increase April 2024

With regards,

Pam Hill

Assistant Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

I hope that you are keeping well as we approach the Easter holidays.
Once again, Prestatyn High School has been extremely busy with trips, events and academic activities to maximise progression. Hot on the heels of our very successful ski trip, we have had the Maths Department trip to Paris and the very recent Geography trip to Iceland. The photographs look amazing and the pupils seem to have gained so much from the experiences.

Attendance and punctuality
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support over this matter so far this year. We are currently looking at all systems and processes alongside the Local Authority to make sure that we can do what we can to improve our attendance. This year, our whole school attendance rate is still lower than pre-pandemic years and we as a whole community must do what we can to get back to where we were before COVID. The issue of school attendance has gained significant media coverage in recent months and it is a concern for the whole of the UK. Good attendance is so important for the life chances of young people that we will stop at nothing to continue to improve it further. In terms of punctuality, persistently late pupils will continue to be sanctioned and phone calls made home. I appeal to all parents and carers to support your children, support the school, and make sure all pupils are in school on time unless there is a very good reason for absence. The local authority has issued several fines to the parents of our poorest attenders. Poor attendance to school will harm the chances of your children later on in life.
The highlight of this half term has to be our production of the musical ‘Matilda’ by the Creative Arts Department. The matinee performance for our cluster schools and the three evening performances were nothing short of outstanding and, once again, showcased how much talent we have here at PHS. Well done to Miss Southall, Mrs. Bennett, and the whole Creative Arts Department. I can’t wait to see what we have planned next.

As our exam classes in Years 11 and 13 continue to prepare for the summer, we are doing all we can as a school to make sure that they are ready for their forthcoming exams. As always, school will be open throughout the Easter break (excluding bank holidays) so that all pupils who have exams can access our Easter school revision sessions. These exam revision sessions will be focused on what pupils need to learn and what pupils need to do to prepare for their GCSEs and A levels.

During the week beginning the 18th March, students, pupils and children from our cluster of primary schools will be taking part in an annual ‘Festival of Culture’. This is part of our Discrimination: It stops with me campaign and it helps us embed the key messages to all of our community. As always, we are working with local partners and external agencies to support effective delivery and ensure that our young people are receiving the very best in personal and social education at Prestatyn High School. Further information about the campaign can be found on our website. At the end of the festival, on Friday 22nd of March, students are invited to come to school in their own clothes, as it will be a non-school uniform day. Students are encouraged to wear dress that represents their culture or character in a visual celebration of diversity that all of the school community can get involved in. Students are asked to donate £1 for this non-school uniform day. This will help the school to raise money for the local food bank and the Red Cross.

We know that, at times, discrimination and hate are present in our community, Wales and around the world. If we all work together, we can take a stand and drive out discrimination wherever we find it, step by step and lesson by lesson. It stops with us!
I hope you all have a nice Easter break.

Neil Foley – BSc,

Pennaeth/Headteacher

GCSE Geography pupils saw spectacular scenery during their visit to Iceland. We visited The Bridge Between Continents and Thingvellir National Park to observe the rift valley as the Eurasian plate and North American plate move away from each other.

The Raufarhólshellir Lava tunnels were stunning with icicles from recent snow melt as well as the tunnels (which formed from lava flows 5200 years ago during a volcanic eruption). We also visited the Secret Lagoon, Stokkur geysir, the Lava Centre, the beautiful Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls and for most of us the highlight was a hike on the Sólheimajökull glacier where many of us completed 'Viking press-ups' (a press up using an ice axe to drink from a melt water stream) and looked into a crevasse.

We were also treated to the magical aurora borealis. Pupils' behaviour was impeccable, and pupils have enhanced their geographical knowledge ahead of their GCSE examinations as well as seeing beautiful volcanic landscapes.