Dear Parent/Carer
I hope this email finds you well and you are looking forward to the summer break? As we come to the end of the term and school year, I wanted to celebrate what has been a fantastic year at South Craven School and pass on some key information for the start of next term.
Enrichment Week
Enrichment week has been a real success. Once again, our students have engaged in so many exciting experiences and events. Highlights of the week included, Year 12 Work Experience, Rewards’ days for all students, PE Days for students in Years 7-9, a Murder Mystery Science Day for Year 8 students, Careers Day for Year 9 students and a Sixth Form Experience Day for students in Year 10.
There were also celebration trips to High Adventure in Cowling and bowling and cinema visits for students in Years 7 and 8. We had a visit to Mission Out and Blackpool Pleasure Beach for students in Year 9, Alton Towers for Year 10 students and the annual Show In A Week, where our students worked alongside performance industry professionals and created a musical show that all our students got to watch before term ended.
RED Award
We are delighted to announce that South Craven School has been awarded the prestigious Red Kite Alliance RED Award in recognition of our commitment to creating an inclusive, respectful and welcoming school community.
The RED Award celebrates schools that successfully embed a culture of mutual respect, champion equality and actively celebrate diversity across all aspects of school life. Achieving this award reflects the dedication of our staff, students and wider school community in fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.
We are incredibly proud to receive the RED Award and will continue to build on this success as we strive to create a school culture where everyone belongs and can reach their full potential.
We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this accomplishment and helped make South Craven School a place where respect, equality and diversity are at the heart of everything we do.
Student Leadership
Congratulations to the 42 students who have completed the South Craven Student Leadership Award this year.
Through their work in our five leadership groups Reading, Charity, Enrichment & Events, Mental Health & Safe Agenda, and Anti-Bullying. They have developed valuable skills in communication, teamwork, organisation, problem-solving and leadership. Their contributions have included supporting World Book Day, fundraising for charities, assisting at Open Evenings and leading a range of initiatives across the school. Most importantly, they have played an active role in strengthening student voice, ensuring that students' ideas, experiences and perspectives help shape and improve our school community.
Gold School Games Mark
We are really pleased to announce that we have been awarded the Gold School Games mark.
This national award recognises commitment to providing high-quality PE, competitive sport and opportunities for every child to be active and develop a lifelong love of physical activity.
Thank you to all staff, students and parents who have supported us this academic year and made it possible for us to offer so many opportunities within PE.
Results’ Days
Year 11 and 13 parents and students will receive full details about summer results’ days in separate emails, but just to confirm, we will be open from 8am on Thursday 13 August for Year 13 results and our staff will be available to support students and parents on both Thursday 13 and Friday 14 August.
Year 11 results’ day is Thursday 20 August and we will be open from 8am for collection. Again, school will be open on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 August to offer support and advice to students and parents. Results will also be emailed to students during the mornings
Of course, we will offer lots of support to students with their progression and enrolment for new courses. Full details of the support we offer will be published on the exams and certificates page on our school website.
Attendance
Our school attendance figures were slightly below our usual high standard this academic year and we actually dropped below national average for the first time in many years. Over the summer term, we have worked hard on some of our attendances practices to ensure that we can increase school attendance during next year. We want to keep removing any barriers causing students to miss school and ensure all students and parents understand how important it is to come to school on time every day. Please watch out for details of our new procedures as we move towards September.
Free School Meals
The eligibility criteria for Free School Meals has changed. If you receive Universal Credit, your child may now be eligible for Free School Meals, even if you have not qualified previously. We encourage all parents and carers who receive Universal Credit to apply, as this can provide valuable support for your family and additional funding for the school.
To check your eligibility and submit an application, please visit https://apply.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/sims
Uniform
We would like to remind you of the uniform letter sent on 2 July 2026, outlining our expectations for student uniform from September 2026.
During the summer holidays, please take the opportunity to check that your child’s uniform complies with our policy, paying particular attention to trousers, make-up, nails and piercings. From September, students who do not meet our uniform expectations may be required to change into school-provided uniforms.
Thank you for your continued support in helping us maintain high standards and ensure that all students are ready to learn.
We would also like to remind families about our Preloved Uniform Store, which will be open on Wednesday 5 August 2026 from 9:30am to 1:30pm in the Sixth Form Centre.
Equipped to Learn
As we move into September, we will be placing a renewed focus on presentation skills across the school. High standards of presentation are an important part of students taking pride in their work, and your support will be invaluable in helping us achieve this.
We would appreciate your support in ensuring that all students come to school equipped and ready to learn each day.
Please ensure that your child brings a physical pencil case containing:
- Blue or black pen
- Green pen (optional)
- Pencil
- Rubber
- Ruler
- Protractor
- Compass
- Scientific Calculator
A well-stocked pencil case helps students engage fully in lessons and develop positive learning habits.
To make it easier for you, Maths packs (Years 7-9) and Exam packs (Years 10-11) are available to purchase through ParentPay for £2.
Each pack contains a black pen, pencil, ruler, compass, protractor, and rubber. Please note that scientific calculators are not included and will need to be purchased separately (also available via ParentPay).
The Student Support Hub and your child's Head of Year are available if you need support with school equipment.
Rewards Data
We would like to congratulate all of our students for their continued hard work, commitment and positive attitude towards learning throughout the year. Collectively, our students have achieved an incredible 599,606 merits!
Please ensure that you have signed up to the ClassCharts parent app to see your child’s merits and behaviour record as well as picking up important information about fixtures, in-house events, and to give consent for trips. The ClassCharts Parent app can be downloaded from the app store on Apple or Android, or you can login online at https://www.classcharts.com/parent/login. For login/password/registration problems, please contact ITSupport@southcraven.org with your name, your child’s name and your child’s Date of Birth.
These merits have been awarded not only for consistently demonstrating our South Craven Learner Traits, but also for their positive engagement in the wider life of the school, including extra-curricular clubs, educational visits, trips and other enrichment opportunities.
We are immensely proud of all that our students have accomplished and thank them for the enthusiasm, resilience and determination they bring to our school community every day.
Apex Collaborative Trust
We have continued to work closely and develop relationships with our partner schools in the Trust and are now preparing the calendar for next year’s collaboration opportunities. There will be events for both staff and students to get involved in and subject leaders will begin collaborating next year, working together to share best practice.
Next Term
School reopens to students in Years 7, 11 and 12 on Tuesday 8 September and on Wednesday 9 September to all other students.
And Finally...
It has been a great final term in school with some fantastic end of year events taking place, which have really summed up the brilliant relationships we have in school and how our staff and students embrace our school ethos of “valuing all successes”.
Students have embraced a range of opportunities beyond the classroom. Performers represented the school at our annual Dance Xplosion, while students enjoyed a workshop led by West End professional Chloé Pole. We celebrated sporting success at our Sports Presentation Evening and were proud to host the Harrogate and Craven Athletics Competition, welcoming over 400 young athletes.
Many students have been exploring future pathways. Sixth Form students visited Leeds Beckett University, while Year 10 students visited Leeds University to learn more about Higher Education. Year 8 students took part in workshops exploring STEM careers and artificial intelligence. Year 10 students also completed their work experience placements, gaining insight into the world of work.
Personal development has remained a key focus. The Mayor of York spoke to students about the importance of voting, while Theatre in Education company Sound Proof Box delivered sessions on healthy relationships. Our Wellbeing Club spread positivity through random acts of kindness, and students and staff came together for a Pride Picnic to celebrate Pride Month.
Year 7 students won the Biology Prize at the Inter-Alliance STEM Competition, raised funds for Airedale Hospital and visited the local library to discover the resources available within their community.
We celebrated a successful Open Evening, welcoming over 500 Year 5 students and their families to learn more about life at South Craven.
This term also brought important milestones. We celebrated the achievements of our Year 11 and 13 students as they completed exams, graduated and enjoyed their proms.
As I always say, I am very proud to lead a school where so many staff give up their time to offer amazing opportunities to students and where parents are so supportive of our students and school. I want to thank you all for the strong support you offer us. Your children make me and all the staff feel proud everyday and are a real pleasure to have in school.
I hope you enjoy your summer and have the chance to relax and enjoy quality family time. I look forward to welcoming everyone back in September.
All the best,
Martyn Hill
Headteacher
