WEEKLY BULLETIN
9 March 2024
Welcome from the Headteacher
Dear Parents and Guardians
I am delighted to bring you the latest updates in our school community through this parent bulletin.
First and foremost, I extend heartfelt congratulations to our Year 10 Young Enterprise group for their remarkable achievement in winning the Award for Innovation. Their outstanding pitch at HSBC last Saturday secured them a well-deserved place in the final showcase at UWE on 30 April 2024. We are immensely proud of their hard work and creativity. Moreover, the delicious fundraising efforts for their innovative product have been a source of joy for all.
I also want to express our gratitude for the enthusiastic participation in the mammoth World Book Day celebration this week. The corridors were filled with joy as Book Cover Doors adorned the surroundings, and delightful literary characters brought stories to life. This celebration not only showcased our students' creativity but also provided a wonderful conclusion to the Year 11 PPEs.
We are going through a time of change and have been asked to share the letter below with you from our Chair of Governors, Tracey Killen.
Thank you for your continued support in making our school community vibrant and successful.
Kind regards
Vanetta Spence
Headteacher
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Dear Parents and Guardians
I trust this message finds you well. It is with a sense of duty and gratitude that we communicate with you regarding recent developments at Montpelier High School.
You may already be aware that Venturers Trust and E-Act have made the decision to formally dissolve the Local Governing Boards at both secondary schools, a measure taken in anticipation of the impending merger. This step is aimed at alleviating the workload on Ben, the Headteacher, and the school team as they currently manage two sets of governance. Our final formal meeting occurred on 6 March, though we have been in a "pause" since December of the previous year.
As the Governing Board concludes its tenure, we deem it imperative to express our deep appreciation for the privilege it has been to be a part of Montpelier High School. This institution, with its extraordinary history and culture, has been a source of immense pride for all of us who have had the honour of contributing to its journey. We extend our sincere thanks to those who generously shared their time, expertise, produced documents, educated us and addressed our inquiries.
In conclusion, we wish to convey our heartfelt admiration for the remarkable achievements of the school community. These challenging times in the field of education have been met with intelligence, empathy, stoicism, and an unwavering determination to provide the best for the young minds under your care. In Ben, Montpelier High School is led by an individual committed to building upon the school's extraordinary legacy, and whose personal resilience and energy serve as a true inspiration.
Thank you, one and all. We extend our best wishes for continued success and happiness to each of you and to Montpelier High School as you embark on the next stage of your journey.
Sincerely
Tracey Killen and the Montpelier High School Governing Board
Messages for Parents
DATES TO REMEMBER 13 March - Y12 External Applicant Day 14 March - Maths Department Pi Day 14 March - Y7 Careers Drop Down Day 14 March - Y10 Parents’ Evening 15 March - Red Nose Day 19 March - Y7 French and Spanish Spelling Bee Regional Final 21 March - World Poetry Day 28 March - Term 4 Ends For further calendar dates please click here. TERM DATES FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2024 - 2025 You can find the dates for our next school year here. |
ARRANGEMENTS FOR RAMADAN AT SCHOOL Please kindly read this letter to all parents and guardians with further information regarding the arrival of Ramadan. |
WESTERN TRAINING PROVIDER NETWORK - ONLINE CAREERS EVENT, 12 MARCH |
WORLD BOOK DAY We had some outstanding costumes yesterday, from students and staff alike. The Senior Leadership Team did a group theme of An Inspector Calls. |
PAST MHS STUDENTS PERFORMING IN SIX: TEEN EDITION - SIX QUEENS. SIX STORIES! Minor to Major invites you to watch our powerful production of SIX: Teen Edition supported by Bristol Grammar School. Our production seeks to shine a spotlight on the much beloved Queens of the Tudor time and challenge how history remembers them. Our Queens compete to be the Queen of the castle. Who will win? You decide. For more information and booking, please click here. |
BRISTOL BLUE GLASS TRIPS FOR Y10 GCSE AND Y13 A’LEVEL BUSINESS STUDIES STUDENTS Year 10 GCSE Business and Year 13 A Level Business will be visiting Bristol Blue Glass on Wed 20 March between 11 am and 3pm and on Tues 26 March between 9 am and 1.20 pm in two separate groups. Students have been informed which workshop trip they are attending. Please email Mrs Sims with any queries, amy.sims@montpschool.org. |
Year 10 & 12 WORK EXPERIENCE Students will be at Work Experience from Monday 1 July - Friday 5 July 2024 and it is important that they have a placement for this week. MHS will be using the Unifrog platform which has a work placement feature. This means that all the paperwork associated with work placements will be completed by students and employers using this platform. Staff are currently receiving training, after which Unifrog will be available to students; they can then use the platform to complete the relevant paperwork involved in organising their placement. Placements are advertised on our Careers Padlet, however the deadline has passed for some of those advertised. We are continuing to look for additional placements and these are emailed out to students when they come in. MHS/V6 Sixth Form Careers 2023-24 (padlet.com) |
DUKE OF EDINBURGH BRONZE & SILVER There is a training walk for Duke of Edinburgh Bronze & Silver on Saturday 15 June 2024. We are setting off from Churchill at 9.00 am and plan to be finished by 4.00 pm latest. The meeting point is Churchill Memorial Hall, Ladymead Lane, Churchill, BS25 5NH. What 3 Words ///meatballs.coaching.fail |
Y13 STUDENT FINANCE This week's Y13 assembly was focused on student finance again. We had ‘Into University’ in to remind students how to check what maintenance loan they can get and how to apply. Please note that applications open at the end of March. This is directly through Student Finance England. This week's session focused on bursaries and scholarships (money students don't need to pay back) and they explained that all students should apply for them regardless of background. They can do this by searching on University websites to find specific ones for their institutions and there is also a handy website where students can input their information and it will highlight which ones are applicable to them. Helping you find UK scholarships | The Scholarship Hub I have uploaded the full PowerPoint with all the links and information to our Year 13 teams, please encourage students to go back through this and show you as well. |
ELEVATE EDUCATION, LIVE PARENT WEBINAR: HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT YOUR CHILD THROUGH EXAMS To sign up for our free webinar on 19 March between 6 and 7 pm, please click here. |
YGAM We are an award-winning charity working to prevent children and young people from experiencing harm from gaming and gambling through awareness raising, education and research. Through a portfolio of evidence-based programmes, we develop and deliver training and resources for a range of individuals who have influence over children and young people. |
SCHOOLS OF SANCTUARY NEWSLETTER Schools of Sanctuary works to improve support and outcomes for children seeking safety in our schools. If you would like to find out more, here is a link to the latest Schools of Sanctuary newsletter. Montpelier High School is currently working towards being awarded Sanctuary status. |
WELLSPRING SETTLEMENT - STRENGTHENING FAMILIES, STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES For further information on our free, inclusive course to help parents and carers raise happy, confident children, from babies to teens, please click here. For further information on our free drop in sessions, please click here. |
FIRST BUS SERVICE CHANGES Please be aware there will be some changes to some bus services in the West of England starting from 7 April 2024. For further information please follow this link. |
BRISTOL PARENT CARERS EVENT (Repeat) Come along to our free event, Together for SEND | Family and Practioner Support Wednesday 20 March, 8.45 am – 4.45 pm BAWA Healthcare & Leisure, 589 Southmead Road Filton BS34 7RG (Free to families, £25 for school staff) |
MHS CAREERS
Year 12 went to the ‘What Career Live’ and ‘What Uni Live’ event at the NEC where they found lots of information about their next steps. A great day had by all!
YEAR 7 HOCKEY TOURNAMENT
A huge well done to the Year 7 hockey players who competed in the indoor hockey tournament at Bristol Free School this week. They drew with Redland Green School, and lost to Bristol Free School. They showed excellent determination and resilience.
Online Safety Updates
For online safety updates please visit our website here.
For general enquiries, please email mhs-info@montpschool.org telephone 0117 942 4328
For attendance, please email mhs-attendance@montpschool.org telephone 0117 942 4328 option 1
For safeguarding, please email mhs-safeguarding@montpschool.org or telephone 0117 942 4328
For SEND, please email mhs-senco@montpschool.org or telephone 0117 942 4328
For wellbeing support when school is closed, please email mhs-safeguarding@montpschool.org
If you believe you or someone else is in danger call the Police – 999