LEARNing today for a brighter tomorrow

It’s my great pleasure to welcome you to our school – whether you have a long family association with us or whether you’re discovering us for the first time, I’m confident that you will find a happy, safe and purposeful environment where LEARNing is at the heart of every day’s activities. Hopefully, this prospectus will be just the starting point for a long and fruitful association.

Westhoughton High School has served its community for over 80 years and, just as the town has grown and changed with the times, the school has also expanded and developed to ensure it can provide a first class learning environment and an education relevant to, and inspiring for, 21st Century learners. As a mixed, 11-16 community comprehensive school, we welcome learners of all abilities and backgrounds and believe that young people succeed where they are both challenged and supported. We have tremendous commitment from our Governors, parents and staff to ensure that our young people have a wealth of opportunity available to them and I am proud of the excellent reputation our students have in the local community and further afield.

I am confident about this school’s future and its capacity to help its students and families to achieve their highest aspirations; education opens doors and a warm welcome awaits you through ours.

Mr P J Hart Headteacher

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Students come to school to learn – obvious, isn’t it? But at Westhoughton High School, they also come to LEARN and the ethos of our school is incorporated in this acronym. Never stop learning and Aim High are particular focus areas for our curriculum. Students have access to the full national curriculum including opportunities to learn a new language, to develop their sporting, musical dramatic and artistic talents (or discover them for the first time!) and to enhance their literacy and numeracy skills, including digital literacy. Academic achievement is highly valued and we are ambitious for all our students to make good or better progress and achieve their full potential. Progress is carefully monitored, timely interventions ensure students remain on track and regular reports to parents ensure you are well-informed about their attainment and can work with us to remove any barriers to good learning.

We are committed to providing a variety of careers based learning from Year 7 onwards which includes both subject links with employers, visits to workplaces, conventions and local colleges and developing the skills required in the workplace, alongside the qualifications needed for progression.

Learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom of course; students can represent the school in a variety of different sports or improve their own fitness by joining a sports club; they can learn a musical instrument or take on a role in our regular productions; they can compete against other schools in events such as the Siemens Roller Coaster Challenge, Make It Challenge, Young Enterprise, Youth Speaks or World Class maths tests; they can participate in visits to other places, cities and countries We only ask that they Never Stop Learning!

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“Helpful, friendly staff as always, thank you.”

“Fab advice and will help my daughter make good decisions.”

“A good evening for both of our children. Especially enjoyed the Market Place.”

“Great school, lovely teachers who really put a lot into the children!”

Brilliant school in all areas. Masses of progress achieved.”

“Booking system is brilliant. Appointments on time and feedback very useful.”

“Amazing school! Teachers excellent! Thanks.”

“Staff have a good understanding of my child’s needs and are supporting him with them.”

“A very informative evening. Thrilled with Westhoughton so far!”

“Great teachers, we are very happy.”

“Very positive and lovely experience meeting teachers andhelpful pupils. Wonderful school.”

“Super Parents’ Evening, you’re all doing a super job!”

We believe that working in partnership with our parents, carers and families is the best way to get the best out of, and for, our students. We solicit parental views frequently in the year and follow up, where possible, with ‘we asked…you said…we did’ reports in our newsletters. Communication between home and school happens online through School Synergy, where important notices, homework and parents’ evening appointments are posted, as well as by letter, planner, telephone and face to face. Parents can pay for school dinners and trips through ParentPay and check up on what their child has bought so you know they have made good choices! We have achieved the Leading Parent Partnership Award and our IWO works closely with local families and support groups. We expect our parents to attend Parents’ Evenings and other year based events such as Flightpath Evenings and to support their child in every way, from ensuring uniform is correct, to achieving full attendance, to encouraging their ambitions and progress. Research tells us that children do best when they are well supported at home and there is a positive relationship between home and school and our experience confirms this.

So, what do our parents and carers have to say about school?

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Jake has been talking about his “epic”trip non-stop since he got home!! He’s had a fantastic time by the sounds of it!Thank you so much to Miss Price-Jones for coordinating this trip, and to all of the staff who gave up their half term to supervise it....I’m so thankful that WHS are able to provide opportunities and experiences such as this for my son! Memories have definitely been made this week! Thank you! X

Always great contact when I need to ask a question and she is progressing well. We are pleased with how she is achieving .

Great honest feedback to support a great report. It was lovely that school felt aswarm, safe and inviting as it did on Open Evening.

Westhoughton High School is committed to Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of all of its students. Each student’s welfare is of paramount importance. We recognise that some children may be especially vulnerable to abuse. We recognise that children who are abused or neglected may find it difficult to develop a sense of self-worth and to view the world in a positive way. Whilst at school, their behaviour may be challenging. We recognise that some children who have experienced abuse may harm others. We will always take a considered and sensitive approach in order that we can support all of our students, making referral to outside agencies as necessary. The link below will take you to our safeguarding policy on the school’s website:http://bit.ly/westhoughtonhigh-safeguarding

Our students are the heartbeat of our school and we are proud of their resilience, determination and character; every day brings new opportunities at WHS and our staff work exceptionally hard to ensure all our students are safe, happy and making good progress. If things go wrong, whether in school, between friends or at home – and let’s face it, the teenage years are difficult for so many different reasons - our wrap-around support enables students to develop the resilience to cope with life’s challenges, learn from them and move on. We believe in developing strong links between home and school and we have high expectations of our parents, carers and families that they will support their child and their school in finding resolutions to any issues.

The additional services we provide for our students include:• Student Support Leaders (SSLs, non-teaching) for each year group who support any

pastoral or behavioural needs• An Integrated Working Officer who works closely with family liaison • Student Progress Leaders (SPLs) who track, monitor and intervene to ensure academic

progress• Independent careers advice and guidance• School nurse drop-ins• Nurture groups, for students who need a little more support• Peer mentoring and Ask Anti (anti-bullying) led by students, for students • Learning Support Centre• Enrichment programmes

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Of course, as parents you will want to know that your child is safe, happy and making good progress – and who better to tell you than our students themselves!

“We don’t know why we chose to come to Westhoughton High School -we could say that the formidable reputation and excellent results encouraged us, but it wasn’t until after we arrived in year 7 that we realised how amazing the school really is! The opportunities you have are endless: extra-curricular activities from PE department or trips in this country or abroad such as history departments trips to Poland and Italy; visits to colleges and from colleges; participating in events such as Youth Speak - these are just some of the things we’ve done and loved. Academically, our achievements are celebrated in lots of ways including at Presentation Evening or the Sports Person’s Dinner but school isn’t just about results. Personally, we believe that the best thing about Westhoughton High School is its student-teacher relationships; the teachers at this school go out of their way to make sure you have the best possible opportunity to learn in the five years you are here. The students and teachers strive for perfection in their work and we always push our own boundaries to reach the higher grades. Teachers and support staff are also there for you when you’re feeling down or if you need someone to talk to because they are aware of students’ feelings and how this could affect their education. However, it is not just the teachers who help the pupils; the schools prefects and peer mentors are considerate and open, available to talk to whenever someone needs them; working together to make the school a better place. So what of the future? We believe we can achieve great results if we try our hardest. We would both like to continue our education at a reputable college and university and school works closely with good quality providers. We know that the ‘LEARN’ ethos has helped us to develop the skills, confidence and determination we need to be successful. If we had to sum up our experience at Westhoughton High School and what the school is, we think ‘Dedication, Motivation and Ambition’ says it all.”

Libby and Livia

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We are a community comprehensive school and we believe that our students should develop a keen appreciation of their heritage, and pride in their town and country. We have strong links with our local primary schools who are regular visitors to the school for drama, music and sporting events; local businesses and the Rotary Club regularly support careers events such as mock interviews and our annual careers convention; our students participate in community events such as Bolton 2030, youth MPs and Mayor for the day; Bolton Lads and Girls Club visit the school frequently to encourage participation in National Citizenship activities and we support them with fund raising; our charity work supports local and national charities; twice a year, senior citizens are welcomed to a tea party followed by matinee performances of our musicals. Our students have led a brilliant campaign to ensure students are trained in First Aid including emergency resuscitation (The Heart Beats 2020 campaign) and our ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ scheme has had real impact on the lives of both younger and older people.

It is also important that students develop a sense of wider community and they have opportunities to work with or compete against other schools in events such as Youth Speaks, World Class Maths tests, the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, Children’s University and joint visits to Oxford and Cambridge universities. Students also develop independence and a sense of their heritage through day and residential trips at home and abroad; just a few examples are a weekend in the Lakes for outdoor pursuits, theatre trip to London, skiing in Austria and France, History/Geography trip to Belgium, France, Italy or Prague and a visit to the Christmas markets.

Community means recognising the value everyone contributes to society, giving a helping hand where it’s needed and being positive role models through participation. You’ll find plenty of community spirit at Westhoughton High!

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The school has been redeveloped, refurbished and redesigned to meet the changing needs of education and the students from our community. Specialist subject areas have bespoke classrooms available to them: large, airy art rooms and computing suites; eight science laboratories; dedicated design technology workshops and kitchens; we have a well-stocked library available at lunchtime and after school as well as during lessons; and there is a rolling programme of updating and refurbishment. For those interested in performing, we have a drama studio and large Arts Theatre with retractable seating alongside two music classrooms, dedicated computer suite and practice rooms; as we are attached to the Westhoughton Leisure Centre, we have access to a large Sports Hall, dance studio, squash courts, gym and swimming pools as well as a multi-use, floodlit, 3G pitch.

We have responded to student concerns and upgraded the outside social areas, dining facilities and toilets. Students can buy food and drinks before school, at break and lunchtime through our cashless catering system that ensures a speedier service. There are canopied social areas outside as well as seating. We also have a Business Hub on site which can also be hired out by local groups and businesses (contact westhoughtonhub.communitybookings.co.uk)

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We are confident that our school continues to provide an excellent educational experience for all students, whatever their abilities, interests and aptitudes. We know that students leave us with the qualifications they need to progress to outstanding post 16 providers and beyond, and the qualities they need to be happy, successful individuals within their community.

We are very proud to continue to serve this town and we know the demand for places has grown rapidly as the school’s reputation has reached further afield. We hope to welcome you to our school in the near future and that it will be the start of an eventful, exciting and enriching relationship.

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Bolton Road,Westhoughton, Bolton.BL5 3DNTel: 01942 814122 Email: whsoffice@westhoughton-high.org

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Website: www.westhoughton-high.org