Withernsea High School

Accompanying club leader Sarah Harris on the 5k course along Withernsea seafront were Year 9 students Charles G and Jack J, and Year 7 student Sam S.

Ms Harris said: “The running club members were excited to hear about the recently launched Withernsea Promenade Parkrun and thought it would be something nice to complete together.

“Despite heavy rain, Charles, Jack and Sam turned up to run alongside myself and Naomi Zwaenepoel, a friend of the school from Belgium. Everyone ran really well and were motivated by the encouragement of the spectators, run marshals and other volunteers.

“We are delighted that Charles even managed to finish fifteenth overall, which is a fantastic achievement for his first Parkrun.

“We hope to make collectively joining in with the promenade Parkrun a termly event for the members of our running club, but there is nothing stopping them, or indeed any other students, taking part as often as they like with their friends and family.”  

Although Parkrun is not a race, it is operated as a timed event so that participants can set their own goals. It’s free to enter and is promoted as a ‘fun and friendly weekly 5k community event’ that encourages walking, jogging or running.

There are currently 1,288 weekly Parkrun events around the country, with Withernsea joining the list in July this year. Now approaching its thirteenth event, scheduled for Saturday 26^th October, the promenade run continues to grow in popularity - attracting runners and Parkrun enthusiasts from across the county.

The route consists of three laps of the promenade to the south of Withernsea, running on flat paths past the RNLI station before reaching a loop around on a grassed area between Seacroft Road and Louville Avenue. The start and finish point are both adjacent to High Brighton Street.   

The event takes place at 9.00am every Saturday, with first-time participants needing to register online to obtain a scannable barcode which must be presented to the marshals before the event.

Register online for Withernsea Promenade Parkrun here: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/register/?eventName=withernseapromenade

As Parkruns are entirely operated by volunteers, organisers are always on the lookout for additional support. For more information about the event, or volunteering opportunities, please email: withernseapromenade@parkrun.com

Further information about Withernsea’s Parkrun, including event updates and post-run statistics, can be found on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/withernseapromenadeparkrun

Meanwhile, the school’s running club recently celebrated its second anniversary and continues to attract a core group of around dozen runners each week. As part of the school’s provision of enrichment activities, the running club is timetabled to meet after school every Thursday.

Any students interested in joining the club should see Mr Richmond or Ms Harris for further information or to collect a consent form. Those attending the running club will need to wear their school PE kit and suitable footwear.

If parents/carers would like further information about the club, please email Nick Richmond at richmondn@wscampus.net

ABOVE: Students Charles, Jack and Sam with Ms Harris at a very wet Parkrun in Withernsea on Saturday 19th October. 

ABOVE: Year 9 student Charles finished fifteenth overall in his first Parkrun. [Photo Credit: Withernsea Promenade Parkrun]

ABOVE: Year 9 student Jack smiles for the camera during the event. [Photo Credit: Withernsea Promenade Parkrun]

ABOVE: Ms Harris, co-leader of the school's running club, joined students for the Parkrun event. [Photo Credit: Withernsea Promenade Parkrun]

Made and directed by Belgian filmmaker Naomi Zwaenepoel, and starring staff and students from Withernsea High School, ‘The Sea, The Sea’ incorporates striking images of the crumbling coastline, alongside personal stories from those affected, to highlight the natural processes that are combining to accelerate erosion. Last Thursday, October 17, the film received its British premiere in front of the students and community members who had contributed to its creation. This was preceded by its world premiere at the 51st Film Fest Ghent in Belgium where it was nominated for a short film award in the Competition for Belgian Student Shorts category – an exclusive grouping for students from accredited film schools in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels. Representing Withernsea High School at the international premiere was Head of Humanities, Sarah Harris-Smith, who had journeyed out to Belgium to accompany Naomi Zwaenepoel on the red carpet. Although ultimately losing out on an award, the film garnered widespread attention from those in attendance.    Reflecting on the experience, Sarah, who also has a starring role in the film, said: “Walking the red carpet in Ghent was amazing and it was a pleasure to accompany Naomi at the world premiere. Afterwards, countless people came up to me who just wanted to talk about Withernsea and our eroding coastline. They were really fascinated by the landscape and captivated by the film which they said showed a real love for the area from those involved and captured a love for the school and the community from the students. It was very special.”     “The students themselves have a very prominent role in the film, being seen both at school and at play on their coastline. I was deeply impressed by the way they spoke about what they have learned in geography and their own experiences of the coast. I think we can often take for granted how much they do actually know about the coastal processes and impacts of erosion – it’s just part of their daily lives. They came across really well, demonstrating that they can talk naturally and confidently about their experiences. I am very proud of them.”  For the film’s creator, the premiere was the culmination of months of research, planning and hard work - with the finished film being the final component of her master’s degree at the LUCA School of Arts in Brussels. “It was a school project, so it was definitely very stressful to make because you know you will get judged by it”, said Naomi. “It took just over a year and involved lots of research; visiting Withernsea to film and getting to know Sarah and the students, and then editing everything together. It was a very long but beautiful process and I am very happy with the finished film. “I was very nervous for the premiere in Ghent, but it was so much fun with Sarah there. The judges were really intrigued and moved by the storylines involved and the responses from people interested in the film asking ‘who are these kids?’, ‘what kinds of lessons do they get and what are their experiences?’ opened up conversations about what this place in England is and that was really wonderful.” The film follows year 8 and 9 geography students to the beach where they learn first-hand about clay cliffs, sea defences and longshore drift. It also visits the clifftop farm of one student to capture daily life on the edge of land that is gradually being lost to the sea. Elsewhere, the film documents the changing landscape of the area by following a woman who is looking for a piece of land owned by her great-grandmother in Tunstall, accompanied by a narration of her relative’s diary entries from 1964 which describe the surroundings of her time. After making a film last year based on her own experiences of growing up on the coast in Belgium, Naomi was prompted to visit England to make a second one. “I grew up at the coast and I’ve always been drawn to coastal communities. My father works for a dredging company, and to see how land moves and develops really interested me. I started reading about erosion and saw different places in the world that were struggling with the effects of it. The east coast of England really stood out and I was intrigued to meet the people here. I came here and fell in love with it. Seeing the Withernsea coast really inspired me. How places evolve, studying the history of them and looking at their futures; the temporariness of things - never staying the same as they move and change was the main message I wanted to capture in the film.” After her initial visit to the area, Naomi contacted Sarah Harris-Smith with a view of collaborating with Withernsea High School on the project. Explaining the process that followed, Sarah said: “Naomi got in touch after watching ‘Insecure’, a film that we created in partnership with the University of Hull, that used the voices of our students to highlight the impact of coastal erosion in our area. We quickly arranged a series of online meetings and were delighted to welcome Naomi to the school in February this year where she met the students and began collecting stories for the project. “Her visit sparked a lot of interest, not only from our students but also from members of the wider community who had volunteered their time and input to help – resulting in people sharing their own stories about their relationship with the sea. From that moment, I knew this project was going to be something special as there was so much interest and involvement from people both in and out of school.” Naomi added: “For me it was really wonderful meeting Sarah and the students for the first time. For a school to be so open to what I was trying to do was amazing. I felt very welcome – it was almost like being part of a small family. We did a workshop where the children shared pictures, family stories and talked about what Withernsea means to them. It was a really interesting way to work together and it really helped me to prepare for the filming. All the students responded well and it was clear how much they appreciate where they live.” With her research complete, Naomi returned to Withernsea in April - this time with a small film crew accompanying her. During their visit, the crew were joined by Sarah and the students for filming in various locations including Tunstall, Easington, Withernsea and at the school itself. “The week we came to film was amazing. The weather was lovely and we had a wonderful time on a fieldtrip with the students. I am so jealous of the students here, for the kind of lessons they get and the opportunities that are created for them out in the open in a very practical way – it was just amazing to see. I learned a lot myself on the fieldtrip, especially from the experiments that were conducted to show how the tide flows.”  After spending four days filming in Holderness, Naomi and her team returned to Belgium where she began the process of editing the film and completing her degree. Maaike Neuville, a well-known Belgian actress, was recruited to act as the film’s narrator – a casting that impressed the audience at Ghent and was secured after Naomi emailed her about the project. By chance, Maaike, herself a director, was researching the coastline of Scotland for work on a similar project of her own and was only too happy to be involved. Following the film’s international release, work began on organising a local premiere – with Sarah and Naomi both keen to include the families and friends of the students involved in the project, plus members of the community who had also contributed. Inspired by her experience in Ghent, Sarah worked with the students to organise their own red carpet event. Around 60 people attended the subsequent premiere, including members of the school’s senior leadership team and governing body, who joined community guests to watch the film for the first time. Reflecting on the success of the evening and the response received, Sarah said: “The Ghent premiere was amazing, but the community premiere was really very special and quite emotional. I’m beyond proud of our students and I think they have grown in confidence and grown as people as a result of their involvement in this project. This was echoed by some of the parents/carers I spoke to who couldn’t believe what the students had achieved. The students took control of the event, standing up and asking questions as part of a Q&A session and leading the discussion afterwards. They were an absolute credit to themselves and to the school.” Meanwhile, Naomi, who had travelled to join the students at the premiere, added: “I was more nervous to show the film here in Withernsea. I was thinking ‘how are the students going to react?’ because, when you’re growing up, it’s still something very special to see yourself on a big screen. I was also nervous to share it with the parents and everyone else who had been invited. “I was very emotional. Seeing all the wonderful people I’ve met in this very short period of time was so lovely and a bit strange. I’m just a girl from Belgium with an interest in erosion! It was amazing how I was welcomed and how well the film was received. It was really nice to share it in the community where it was filmed and I really felt like the students were rooting for each other and thinking: ‘Yes! We did this together!’.” Student Charles Graham, whose family’s farm featured prominently in the film, said: “It was really good to see how all the hard work paid off. I was a bit nervous watching the film because I didn’t know what it was going to be like – especially when you haven’t seen it already and you’re watching it in front of loads of people, but it was really good. It was rather unusual having the film crew at the farm – it’s a workplace and you just usually get on with the work there, so to have a film crew making a film there was different but good.” Fellow student Macauley Kitcher added: “I was surprised and pleased to see how the film turned out. It was really entertaining to watch and everybody played a good part in it. My friends and family found it amazing that students helped to make a film together and that someone from Belgium came all the way to meet us. Having the film shown abroad might mean that we get more people coming to visit our area.”   Among those in attendance at the premiere were Withernsea-based folk band, Morning Dew, who had been invited to perform two Holderness coast-inspired songs at the event. After moving to Kilnsea in 1996, band member and songwriter, Andrew Wells, began taking inspiration from his surroundings for his songwriting. Reflecting on this inspiration, Andrew said: “Soon after arriving, I became fascinated with the area. Although I had written a few songs before moving there, I wrote a lot more in those first few years down at Kilnsea – mainly about the area and the people I met along the way.” “It was a great pleasure and a privilege to be at the British premiere of ‘The Sea, The Sea’. We are inclined to forget what an unusual little corner of England we live in, and almost take for granted the ways that it differs from practically anywhere else in the British Isles. This delightful film was a timely reminder of what a special place our part of the Holderness coast is, and having a film maker from mainland Europe with a different perspective of our area, produced an ‘outsider’s’ positive view of the quirkiness of South Holderness. I think I may have once seen the area as Naomi did - an outsider who has stumbled on somewhere very special indeed. “It was very obvious that the students were willing participants in the filmmaking process - from a scene with the tide rolling oranges on the beach, to them jumping around on the rock armour. The concluding scene, with Charlie feeding his sheep and then turning them out on the cliff top field, was both amusing and thought-provoking. “I think the experience of being involved in the filmmaking process, and speaking at the premiere, will benefit the students greatly in the future. It is a valuable talent to be able to speak in public with confidence and clarity, which they did.” Mark Crofts, Headteacher of Withernsea High School, said: “It was an incredible evening and all who were there were clearly enthralled by what they saw. It was not only a fantastic example of the creativity of the young people involved, but also the strength of partnership working, led by a very enthusiastic member of staff, who has got a vision for what education in this area can be – engaging students practically with opportunities to broaden their horizons.  “I thought the film itself was beautiful, very moving and wonderfully and carefully crafted. Our students fitted into it perfectly and they should be really proud. It tells an incredible story in a way in which I don’t think has been captured before. Seeing those young people at the beginning of their lives, in this landscape and carving something out for themselves, was quite remarkable. It’s a really impressive piece of work. “I personally took a massive amount away from it. I found it deeply affecting because I love the sea and spend a lot of time on the beach. The film captured the humanity as well as the geography and the ongoing movement of time – you could feel the weight of geological time while watching it. “Parents shared with me how engaged their children had been in the project and how impressed they were with the finished result. Naomi, the film’s creator, was startled by just how creative teaching is in the UK and it was not at all what she expected. “I would like to thank Naomi and Sarah, and of course all the students and their families, who contributed to making this film. It perfectly demonstrates the potential that we have here in this community, and the potential that exists in every small community, to act locally and think globally with ambition.”   PHOTOS International praise 01 and 02: Stills from the film. During filming in April, students took part in a fieldtrip to explore coastal processes on Withernsea beach. [Stills taken from The Sea, The Sea] International praise 03: (left to right) Cameraman Quinten Wyns, Head of Humanities Sarah Harris-Smith, the film’s director Naomi Zwaenepoel and sound technician Achiel Van den Abeele on the red carpet at Film Fest Ghent for the film’s international premiere. [Photo Credit: Sarah Harris-Smith] International praise 04: (left to right) Head of Humanities Sarah Harris-Smith with sound technician Achiel Van den Abeele, Cameraman Quinten Wyns, Belgian actress Maaike Neuville who starred in and narrated the film, director Naomi Zwaenepoel and WHS faculty volunteer Abigail Wilbraham. [Photo Credit: Sarah Harris-Smith] International praise 05 and 06: Year 9 student Charles Graham was featured prominently in the film. He is pictured working on a farm, tending to livestock. Image 06 shows the proximity of the farm to the edge of the eroding cliffs – a striking image from the finished film. [Stills taken from The Sea, The Sea] International praise 07: Some of the students involved in the project with (left) faculty volunteer Abigail Wilbraham, (front left) the film’s creator Naomi Zwaenepoel, (front right) cameraman Quinten Wyns, (back right) sound technician Achiel Van den Abeele and Head of Humanities, Sarah Harris-Smith. [Photo Credit: Withernsea High School]  International praise 08: Mark Crofts, Headteacher of Withernsea High School, congratulates students for their starring role in the film during its British premiere at the school. [Photo Credit: Tim Nuttall] International praise 09: Folk band, Morning Dew, performed two Holderness coast-inspired songs at the premiere. Left to right are band members Rachel Beastall, Paul MacGilvray, Gordon Beastall, Andrew Wells and Eric Godfrey. [Photo Credit: Tim Nuttall]    Article by Tim Nuttall October 2024  

Alex Tallett, a student at Withernsea High School between 2018 and 2022, has joined the company as an apprentice engineer through their degree apprenticeship programme.

Sharing his career journey, Alex said:

“My journey started on GCSE results day. I opened my letter and was more than happy with what I found inside. It meant I was able to go to my first choice of college - Wyke Sixth Form College. I enrolled at college and decided to take A-Level Maths and Physics as well as a CTEC in Engineering.

“I worked my way through the first year and it passed in a blur. Then it came to the beginning of the second year when everybody’s focus turns to what comes after college and creating applications. I knew that university was not the right path for me, so my options were either an apprenticeship or the forces.

“I was able to attend the Wyke Careers Fair which gave me an idea of what sort of jobs were available within Engineering. I started applying for different jobs through ‘Indeed’ when I came across the Balfour Beatty Degree Apprenticeship. This reminded me of the site visit that I was very lucky to attend at the start of year 11. We toured the A63 site [of major road improvements through Hull] and got a glimpse of the true scale of the works that were being undertaken.

“I immediately sent off my CV and received an interview which was scheduled for April. During my interview one of the questions I was asked was ‘Why did I pick Balfour Beatty?’’. To which I answered: ‘If it was not for the site visit two years prior, it would have never even been on my radar’. But I was very grateful for the opportunity I was given.

“I was walking home from college in May when I received a call from the Balfour Beatty recruitment office offering me the job, which I instantly accepted. My start date was set for September 2nd. So, I completed my A-Levels and enjoyed my last summer before starting work.

“I came in on the first day completely overwhelmed by it all. Once I was inducted, I was able to go on site and start working. My first site visit was surreal, I was working in the place that I had visited three years ago - I couldn’t believe it. Even now, I see school trips pass over the bridge across the work site and think about how that was me not very long ago and how far I have come since then.”

ABOVE: Alex Tallett, as a degree apprentice engineer, on the site of the A63 road improvements in 2024.

BELOW: Alex (second from left) on a school careers trip to the same site in 2021. 

They were among the estimated 800 school and college students from across Hull and East Yorkshire who attended this year’s Foundations Live event – a professional business networking and trade event, combined with an interactive careers fair, which aimed to promote career pathways in the construction sector. 

Led by Hull-based construction and maintenance company Hobson & Porter, and hosted by Bishop Burton College, Foundations Live attracted 90 exhibitors who were on-hand promote more than 200 potential career pathways

School careers leader, Viki Foster, said: “Foundations Live was a great interactive way to show our students the different careers involved within the construction industry. The students really enjoyed the practical nature of the event and many said that they may now consider a career within construction.

“It is so important to give students these opportunities to learn more about different sectors and to address some of the stereotypes surrounding them. We would like to thank Hobson & Porter, Bishop Burton College and all of the representatives for organising a fantastic careers event for the Yorkshire and Humber region.”

Foundations Live is the result of the collaborative and ongoing working relationship between Hobson & Porter, Jewson, Jewson Partnership Solutions and Bishop Burton College. They are also partnered by the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board), who provide information about grants and fundraising to support the industry in developing the future workforce, including support for apprenticeships.

The annual live event also promotes Hobson & Porter’s year-long Foundations scheme – a unique initiative that aims to help create a sustainable workforce for the construction industry by educating, developing, and upskilling the workforce of the future across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in response to an ever-present skills shortage.  

Formalised in 2012, the scheme raises awareness of career opportunities in the construction industry through practical engagement to demonstrate the real-life application of curriculum topics. Alignment with the academic calendar also provides employment links for students in secondary, further, and higher education, who are seeking to make informed decisions about their futures or take their first steps into industry. It also assists adult learners, including those seeking to retrain, by helping them to access training and employment opportunities. 

For further information about Hobson & Porter’s Foundations Live event and associated scheme, please visit: www.foundationslive.co.uk 

ABOVE: Foundations Live provides an annual opportunity for school and college students to interact with representatives from the construction sector and explore career opportunities. 

ABOVE: Grainger Wheal was among a group of Year 11 students from Withernsea High School who visited this year’s event.

Throughout the event, held on Wednesday 16^th October, over 160 of the school’s Year 7 students benefitted from the training, which was delivered by volunteers from the His Majesty’s Coastguard and Community First Responders.

Restart a Heart aims to improve the UK’s cardiac arrest survival rate through the teaching of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Since the launch of the campaign in 2013, it is estimated that the Yorkshire Ambulance Service has completed over 1,000 school visits, delivering CPR training to almost 250,000 young people at secondary schools across the county.

Overseeing this year’s session at Withernsea High School was Viki Foster, the school’s Careers Leader, who said: "Our careers programme isn’t just about getting students into college, apprenticeships and work, it’s about equipping them with essential life skills that will benefit them as individuals in all contexts of their lives.

“The British Heart Foundation has conducted research that shows nearly 50% of adults have not learnt to perform CPR and, sadly, fewer than 1 in 10 people who suffer a cardiac arrest out of hospital survive.

“Hopefully the students will never need to use this skill, but we hope that if ever they were faced with a situation where it was needed, they would feel confident in knowing what steps to take to help someone.

"The students were fully engaged in the session, asked lots of questions and demonstrated some great CPR skills. We are very proud of the mature and responsible way Year 7 took on board the importance of learning CPR and we would like to thank the community volunteers for their time and help in supporting our students.”

Jason Carlyon, Community Engagement Manager with Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: “What happens in the first few minutes after someone has suffered a cardiac arrest is vital. If bystanders can call 999 and start CPR while sending someone to retrieve the nearest defibrillator, that person’s chances of survival can triple.

“We know about three students who took part in Restart a Heart Day last year who have since used CPR to help save the lives of parents which is incredible and really emphasises the importance of our campaign and knowing what to do.”

Find out where you can learn CPR: https://restartaheart.yas.nhs.uk/about/where-can-i-learn-cpr/ 

Held last Wednesday, 9th October, at Hull’s Guildhall, the annual Women into Manufacturing and Engineering (WiME) event seeks to inspire women and girls to pursue careers in the traditionally male-dominated industries of manufacturing and engineering by drawing on the knowledge and first-hand experiences of women who are currently employed in a variety of roles across the Humber region to help promote opportunities and inspire the workforce of the future. Accompanying a group of Year 9 students from Withernsea High School was Careers Leader, Viki Foster, who said: “The Women into Manufacturing and Engineering event is one of the highlights of our careers calendar and really showcases the many roles and pathways, including apprenticeship and traineeships, that are available within a variety of sectors. “It is vital that we address gender stereotypes in job roles in order to help young people access careers that they may not have otherwise considered. The event had a huge impact on the students, with over two thirds saying that it had changed their opinion for the better with many now saying that they would consider a role within manufacturing and engineering. “Such events are essential in helping to provide students with access to employers, information about the labour market and progression routes through academic and vocational pathways. The company representatives were excellent role models and advocates for their industries and our students had a great time interacting with them and learning more about their roles and responsibilities. “We would like to thank the organisers and employers for giving up their time to offer this opportunity for our students, who engaged well with the event and made the most of the opportunity afforded to them. We are delighted that representatives from Women into Manufacturing and Engineering are amongst some of the first to confirm their attendance at our own community careers fair which will take place at the school in February 2025.” Daisy Jones, a Year 9 student at the school, said: "I thought the WiME trip was really good as it gave me a different perspective about my future with lots of new choices to think about.” Exclusively open during the daytime to primary school pupils and students from secondary schools and colleges, around 520 young people from 26 educational settings across Hull and East Yorkshire visited this year’s event where they were given a platform to interact with representatives from over 30 of the Humber’s leading employers. Dr. Kirsty Clode, Chairwoman of WiME, said: “We made a conscious effort to invite women from a wide range of companies, which this year included Ideal Heating, KCOM, National Grid, Siemens Gamesa, Smith + Nephew and Centrica Energy Storage, to share what they do and showcase career opportunities. “Our schools’ event was the busiest we've ever had and we were pleased to welcome pupils from right across the region. Many of the teachers and careers advisers that attended commented on the fact that they had met representatives from companies they had never heard of before and both they, and the accompanying students, enjoyed finding out more about them.  “The feedback from pupils has been so positive. One wrote that the event had shown them ‘a range of new fields and opportunities’, while another said ‘what inspires me is the power of women in a generally male-dominated world and I am really fascinated about the possibilities in engineering’. As the daytime event for schools drew to a close, the fair opened its doors to the wider public. Marketed towards female students in Higher Education; women looking to return to work after a career break, or wanting to make a career change, the public event also provided an opportunity for school and college students to explore opportunities alongside their parents and carers. Dr. Clode added: “Our early evening public event was another great success. It was fantastic to see a large number of mature women seeking new opportunities and we also had female students with their parents and carers too. Career opportunities in our region continue to grow and many attendees were hugely impressed with the opportunities that are available on their doorstep. “Since we started WiME in 2016, the events have gone from strength-to-strength - with this year’s becoming the biggest one to date. I would like to thank all the employers, schools and colleges who continue to support us. It's only by working together that we can inspire more women and girls to consider careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) roles.” Among the many company representatives at the event was Charis Kousounia, a Quality Assurance Technician and STEM Ambassador with Smith + Nephew, who said: “We had an incredible day representing Smith + Nephew as part of WiME. This year, we saw impressive female representation - with participants ranging from technical engineers to research and development engineers, laboratory analysts, and operations engineers. The students who visited our stand enjoyed exploring various wound management topics through our demonstrations. Some students were so captivated by what we do that they expressed interest in joining the company in the future. “The public session was also a great success and it was heartening to see parents and carers supporting their children as they take steps in their academic and professional journeys. As professionals, we believe it’s vital to help these students recognise the importance of female representation in the industry and to present them with all the possibilities for pursuing a career in STEM.” There remains a high demand across Hull and East Yorkshire for people with STEM qualifications, which are useful in both the manufacturing and engineering industries. Despite this demand, women still remain under-represented in these areas. This under-representation inspired the launch of WiME as a means to encourage, inspire and help women to discover the many, often hidden, opportunities that are available to them.  At present, manufacturing contributes 17 per cent of employment in the Humber area, compared with 8.7 per cent for England as a whole. Local employment figures are set to grow further in the coming years thanks to continuing investment in renewable energy and STEM-related projects to address climate change. WiME is an initiative by Green Port Hull, supported by North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, East Riding and Hull City Councils, to encourage women to choose a career in manufacturing or engineering. The initiative has grown in strength in recent years, with a network of over 50 local companies helping to engage with over 4,700 women and girls to encourage them to consider STEM subjects and associated career opportunities. Inspirational careers event 01: Withernsea High School Year 9 students Daisy Parker and Daisy Jones were among a group of students from the school who attended this year’s WiME careers fair. [Photo Credit: Viki Foster] Inspirational careers event 02: Fellow student Hermione Moore speaking to a representative from IT and communications provider, KCOM. [Photo Credit: Viki Foster] Inspirational careers event 03: Visitors to the careers fair were given the opportunity to try hands-on activities. Here, WHS student Edith Whittaker gets to grips with virtual reality technology.  [Photo Credit: Viki Foster]

The event offered parents, carers and their children a unique opportunity to tour the school and visit its various subject areas – providing prospective pupils with a full flavour of what the school has to offer. From experiments in Science to trying different instruments in the music department, each faculty delivered hands-on activities and displays of student work to a steady stream of visitors throughout the evening.

Commenting on the success of the event, Headteacher Mark Crofts said: “As always, it was an absolute pleasure to welcome parents, carers and young people from years 5 and 6 to our open evening. There was a fantastic buzz around the whole evening, with lots of great conversations with families and young people who are really enthusiastic about joining the Withernsea High School community.  

“This event affords us an invaluable opportunity to showcase the amazing work that takes place at the school, both in terms of classroom-based learning as well as the wide variety of enrichment experiences that we offer alongside timetabled lessons. 

“I was incredibly proud of our students and staff who collectively helped us to celebrate our strengths and showcase the fantastic facilities and experiences that we have to offer. Feedback throughout the evening was overwhelmingly positive, with parents and carers communicating a real confidence about their children joining our school. I would like to thank everyone who joined us for the event.”

Any prospective parents/carers and their children who were unable to attend the open evening are encouraged to contact Zoie Wiseman, Head of Year 7, at wisemanz@wscampus.net or via phone on 01964 613133 to arrange a visit or to obtain further information about the school.

The application deadline for all secondary school places within the East Riding is Thursday, October 31. Parents and carers of current year 6 pupils should, by now, have received detailed information directly from East Riding of Yorkshire Council regarding the high school application process and the steps required to ensure their child secures a place.

Enrolment is not automatic and all high school places must be applied for. Applications can be made online using the ERYC Citizen Portal: https://emsonline.eastriding.gov.uk/CitizenPortal_LIVE/en

General information about the school admissions process is available from the ERYC School Admissions Team by phone on 01482 392100 or via email at schooladmissions@eastriding.gov.uk   The team will begin notifying parents/carers about the outcome of applications from Monday, March 3 2025

For those who are successful in securing a place at Withernsea High School, this outcome will mark the formal start of the transition process which will see primary pupils visiting the high school for a number of events including transition days and a year 6 parents’ evening in July 2025.

 

BELOW: A selection of photos taken at the event. 

For our students, support is available both in and out of school:

During September, over half of the school’s current learners achieved 100 per cent attendance after not missing a single lesson since the start of term. This achievement was acknowledged through the first of the year’s attendance incentives – ‘100% Heroes’. Created to inspire engagement and introduce all students to the benefits of good attendance, five students were subsequently rewarded for their efforts – collectively winning £250 worth of vouchers. Winners were chosen from each of the school’s five year groups, with each student receiving a £50 voucher. Taking the prize for Year 7 was Wyatt Parrington, followed by Layla Kirk (Year 8), Kieva Hunter (Year 9), Oakley O’Hara (Year 10) and Mollie Pateman-Carr (Year 11). Year 7 winner Wyatt Parrington said: “I feel excited and didn’t expect it. I’m planning on putting the money towards either a Fire Max 11 tablet or maybe an Xbox gift card. Attending school is important because you learn more and you don’t forget things because if you’re off school, you miss what’s going on and it’s harder to catch up.” Year 11 winner Mollie Pateman-Carr added: “I was a bit shocked when I found out that I’d won, but really happy. Year 11 is a really important year - attending school so that you can pass your GCSEs and get to where you want to be next year really matters.”   Harriet Elvidge, Withernsea High School’s Attendance Officer, said: “I am really proud of all the students who achieved 100% attendance in September, and especially the ones who have won our first prizes of the year. It's great to have the support of parents/carers, staff and governors, not to mention the students themselves, who all recognise the importance of strong attendance. “There are basic steps that can be taken to improve attendance, such as ensuring any medical appointments for students are made out of school hours, or that students return to school as soon as they feel better after an illness. These small changes can have a big impact. “We remain grateful to have the backing of the school’s governing body to help reward and recognise our students’ attendance achievements and I am really excited to see the launch of other incentives throughout the year which I know will continue to help promote positive attendance.” Headteacher Mark Crofts added: “Good attendance is the bedrock of success in school and 100% attendance is what we encourage all students to aspire to. When students maintain 100% attendance, it is right that we acknowledge and celebrate it because we all know that it requires determination and discipline to achieve. Our September 100% attendance heroes have clearly got that mindset and, like all those others who achieved 100%, realise the importance of this for their education. They also know that you must be present to stand any chance of winning the prize!”. As a priority within the school’s SIP (School Improvement Plan) both the school’s leadership team and governing body are keen to embed a culture of celebrating and rewarding good attendance. As such, the governors have once again allocated funding for the academic year ahead to help promote, recognise and reward strong attendance. Rebecca Pindar, Deputy Headteacher, said: “Improving attendance has always been a strategic priority for the school. We realise that parents and carers play a huge role in this and we work closely with families to ensure the importance of attending school is understood by all. “Regular attendance is not just about academic performance, but the significant impact it has on a child's overall development and lifelong well-being. The best place for a student to learn and develop is in school. Attending regularly helps children feel better about school and themselves and maximises their educational opportunities. “This is why improved attendance, and meeting individual or form group targets, is celebrated across the year. We have an ambitious target of 95% for whole school attendance and are working with students, parents, carers and staff to achieve this goal.” To put the impact of absence into context for students at Withernsea High, an annual attendance rate of 95% would equate to nine school days being lost and 36 lessons missed. While a 90% absence rate would mean 76 lessons were missed over 19 days. In the autumn of the 2023-24 academic year, the overall absence rate at schools in England was 6.7 per cent - a decrease from 7.5 per cent the previous autumn. However, these figures still remain higher than pre-pandemic rates which were consistently below 5 per cent. In the academic year to-date, the national average attendance rate currently sits 93.3%, with schools in the Yorkshire and Humber area falling slightly below at 92.8%. Meanwhile, Withernsea High School’s attendance incentives programme continues this term with the launch of a brand-new reward scheme that will run throughout the year, culminating in an end of year grand prize draw. ‘Door to Draw’ will see students issued with a raffle ticket at the end of every week that they achieve 100% attendance. The more weeks they attend in full, the more entries they will have in the final draw for a chance to win a range of prizes from iPads to AirPods, and vouchers to gaming tech. Door to Draw will work alongside other incentives, including rewards for tutor groups and individuals, to acknowledge short-term and long-term attendance goals in the academic year ahead. ABOVE: School Attendance Officer Harriet Elvidge with Year 7 winner Wyatt Parrington, followed by Layla Kirk (Year 8), Kieva Hunter (Year 9), Oakley O’Hara (Year 10) and Mollie Pateman-Carr (Year 11).  

The club, which takes place off-site every Thursday after school, is open to students of all ages and abilities.

Launched in response to student demand, the club has grown in popularity since the first run took place on 30^th September 2022. Since then, overall membership has peaked at around fifty, with a core group of a dozen runners taking part each week.   

Inspired by the success of the club, and their passion for running, club members helped to launch the school’s now annual ‘Santa Run’ – a whole school activity which sees students invited to run or walk a two-mile course of the school’s field every December to help raise money for Dove House Hospice.

In response to a number of staff signing up to complete last June’s Hull 10k as 'Team Withernsea', running club members were prompted to run their own sponsored 10k around Withernsea in aid of Macmillan Cancer support. In doing so, the students collectively helped to raise over £1,000 for the charity.

Leading the running club are Ms Harris and Mr Richmond who said: “Since its launch in September 2022, our running club has gone from strength-to-strength and we are proud of all those who participate either on a regular, or on an ad-hoc basis. It’s great to take exercise out of school and into the community.”

Any students interested in joining the club should see Mr Richmond or Ms Harris for further information or to collect a consent form.

Students attending the running club will need to wear their school PE kit and suitable footwear.

If parents/carers would like further information about the club, please email Nick Richmond at richmondn@wscampus.net

 

ABOVE: Club members with Ms Harris and Mr Richmond in September 2024. 

ABOVE AND BELOW: The group enjoyed a run along Withernsea's seafront.