10^th to 14^th March 2025 Week B

17^th to 21^st March 2025 Week A

A Message from Mr Whiteley

Huge congratulations to our Debate Mate team: Oliver Kilty, Blake King, Jack Atherton and Jaxson Clark who won both their debates in this week's round in Liverpool. Well done boys!

Over the next two weeks, over 150 students will be off on exciting trips to Austria and New York. We wish them safe travels and amazing adventures. Also, over the next two weeks, Y10 boys will be on work experience, and we hope they have an enjoyable and informative couple of weeks. 

Tomorrow is the last day of Y11 core mock examinations. The normal timetable for Y11 resumes on Monday, when there will be catch-up sessions for any exams missed this week. I am so proud of the way the boys have responded to the challenge of these exams, and I look forward to seeing some great results both in these mocks, and in the real exams in the summer.

*On a more serious note, in school last week, a student sustained nasty injuries due to a TikTok trend called "Tap Out". I urge you to read the flier attached to this newsletter about this very dangerous trend. We will be discussing it in school during assemblies, and we will not tolerate any boys taking part in this trend in school. It can have very serious consequences which students and parents should be aware of.

* We wish to make clear that the injured student was in no way a willing participant in this activity.  We apologise for any misunderstanding the original wording may have caused.

If you have not yet had a look at the plans for our new school, I urge you to click on the link below.

Click here

We have been aware of work on the field this week undertaken by the local authority who are re-routing the cycle path.

Attendance Support Meetings

Please refer to the attached copy of an important attendance letter, which was sent out at the end of last academic year and the beginning of this academic year.  It can also be seen on our website. Parents will be invited in for a support meeting when their son has been absent for 10 sessions (ie 5 days), regardless of whether they have rung the school to explain the absence.  We would also like to remind you that absences should be supported by medical evidence in order for them to be authorised.  Please see our website for details. You can see information regarding authorised and unauthorised absence under school information/attendance.

Careers

Creating Careers Pathways is designed to give parents and carers the information they need to help their young person find their best next step.

Each session looks at pathways into careers in some of the Liverpool City Region’s largest sectors and allows audiences to ask employers questions. Each episode comes with a downloadable information sheet containing key links to further advice and guidance.  

View each episode here: 

• Apprenticeship and Technical Education Overview

https://lcrcareershub.co.uk/episode/apprenticeships-and-technical-education-an-overview/?dm_i=7PKX,DJAV,1X26Q5,1EHVL,1

• Digital & Creative

https://lcrcareershub.co.uk/episode/digital-and-creative-industries/ dm_i=7PKX,F5QA,1X26Q5,1I6WD,1

• Energy & Net Zero

https://lcrcareershub.co.uk/episode/parents-carers-sessions-energy-and-net-zero/?dm_i=7PKX,F5QA,1X26Q5,1I6WD,1

• Advanced Manufacturing

https://lcrcareershub.co.uk/episode/parents-carers-sessions-advanced-manufacturing/?dm_i=7PKX,F5QA,1X26Q5,1I6WD,1

Work Experience - Y10

From 10^th - 21^st March our Y10 will be out on work experience. We wish them the best of luck and hope they enjoy this amazing opportunity.

Absences should be reported in the usual way to school, but employers should also be informed.

Any issues during the 2 weeks should be directed to house offices in the first instance.

Year 8 Employability Sessions

On Tuesday 28^th Feb, 4^th and 11^th March, groups of Y8 are receiving employability workshops with The Talent Foundry. They are finding out why developing employability skills is so important with a range of business-based activities.

On 1^st April they will be taken to The University of Chester as their careers journey continues.

Please see our Careers Learning Journey here:

https://www.mosslands.co.uk/page/?title=The+Mosslands+School+Careers+Learning+Journey&pid=840

Y11 Exam Readiness Sessions

Please find attached the timetable for the next two weeks. English staff are now running literature sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday lunchtimes in AX block.

Science Fair

What a fantastic way to kick off British Science Week!  On Saturday, we hosted our Ogden Trust Science Fair, supported by ENTHUSE Partnership, which brought the community together to celebrate science in a fun and interactive way.

It was amazing to see so many students and staff from not just our own but other local schools giving up their Saturday to help out; whether as super scientists running activities or as cadets guiding visitors and serving refreshments.

We received loads of positive feedback about how brilliant they were!

There were exciting stalls from Xplore!, Eureka, and Chester University, plus special guests; Ian Russell, with his hilarious 'How to Annoy Grown-Ups' show, John the Owl Man, whose owls stole the show and, of course, many visitors enjoyed a tasty ice cream from Mr Shuey!

We want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who made it such a great day!"

Upcoming Visits

Monday 10^th March, 6^th formers are visiting Chester University.

Tuesday 11th - All About Futures, Experience of the Workplace at Hope University Year 11. Students will explore innovation in the Liverpool City Region through a series of engaging workshops with a range of local businesses and employers. Students will have the opportunity to enhance their employability skills and knowledge, preparing them for the world of work.    Businesses will represent three exciting sectors: advanced manufacturing, life sciences and Freeport.  In attendance will be Peel Ports, Pharmaron and LJMU Biological and Environmental Sciences Dept, a workshop covering apprenticeships (with help from a live apprentice from Vinci) and applications and interview techniques from Shaping Futures.

Wednesday 12^th - Physics Masterclass at Liverpool University 6th Form.

Thursday 13^th - Science team in the final of the Unilever Inspire Competition at Port Sunlight.

Tuesday 18^th - Year 11 visit to Lady Lever Art Gallery.

MFL Restaurant Trip

On Monday 3^rd March, MFL took 20 pupils to a French restaurant called Côte as a reward for their excellent attitude and behaviour in French lessons. It was a great opportunity to try some authentic French food. All pupils had a two-course meal including a classic steak-frites and also a crêpe to finish!

On Monday of next week, another group are going to Lunya. The trip is still available on ParentPay for boys to book their places.

As we celebrate the joy of reading, we are excited to introduce a special Reading Guide for Parents and Tutors. Lots of you have said you'd like to support your son's reading at home, but don't know where to begin. Our guide is filled with valuable strategies to help children enhance their reading comprehension skills with some examples for you to try together. We want to continue to inspire a love for reading by emphasising the importance of daily reading and the pure delight found within the pages of a good book. We hope this guide helps. Happy World Book Day 2025! 

Library

World Book Day took place today and this year's theme is "Read your Way" which is designed to promote and celebrate a love of reading in all its forms such as book, audiobook and e-book. As a school, we joined in these celebrations by also championing the idea that pupils "Read their Way" based on what they like to read! - e.g. a Sky Sports article read electronically, a play enjoyed as an audiobook or a book exploring the circumstances around important historic events.  With reading being so closely linked to future success and wellbeing, this year's message is an important one in encouraging boys to adopt good reading habits.

As always, our dedicated staff dressed up as book characters and made an outstanding effort. A number of departments ran World Book Day based lessons throughout the day that were thoroughly engaging for our boys. In addition, some dastardly staff members stole a book from another subject and during break and lunchtime, our students ran around school finding these despicable teachers so that Mrs Barton can get the book back to its rightful place. Prizes were given to those who took part and got a correctly completed scavenger hunt sheet back to Mrs Barton in the quickest time!

World Book Day tokens were handed out to all Y7 and 8 students during their English lessons before half-term.  These tokens can be used to buy a £1 World Book Day book or to get £1 off a book.  Book tokens can be used in most supermarkets and all bookshops until 23^rd March. Students in years 9 - 13 can pop to Mrs Barton for their book token at any time.

In honour of British Science Week, our next Book of the Week is Secret Science: The Amazing World Beyond Your Eyes by Dara O'Briain.  In this fantastic fact filled book, Dara O’Briain takes you on a journey from the comfort of your favourite chair to the incredible science behind your everyday life and on into the future! 

For book events, reading recommendations and more, follow us on Instagram @library_mosslands

PE

Fixtures

Y7 futsal - Monday 10^th March v St. Mary's. 

Y8 & 9 basketball - Wednesday 12^th March v Wirral Grammar School (away).

We are missing a number of Mosslands School football kits. Please can all parents of students that have played in the football team check if they have any at home and bring them in as soon as possible.  

Art Department

You can follow us on Instagram @art_mosslands to see some fabulous examples of the work produced by our students.

Reporting an Absence 

Parents must telephone the school attendance line (0151 638 8131, option 1) on the first day of absence before 8.45am and on each subsequent day of absence. Alternatively, you can email attendance@mosslands.wirral.sch.uk. Please do not use the admin@mosslands email or the contact school option on the My Child at School app as these do not go directly to attendance, and you may still get a truancy call. It is our duty to keep your child safe, so if you do not inform us, you will receive a truancy call. You will receive 6 further calls until you respond.  The number which will display as an incoming call is a Sheffield number, 0114 303 4042.

Medication in School

If you have any questions or concerns regarding medication in school, please contact the SEND Department. Students should not bring medication into school and any medication should be registered at reception. If your child is diagnosed as being asthmatic, following on from medical guidelines, please ensure they have an inhaler on then at all times and that we hold a spare within school. Many thanks.