Dear Parents & Carers,
We have had a very calm and focused start back to school. Our Year 7 students are settling in well. Standards of behaviour and uniform have been very please. Just a very small number of students need to make some adjustments.
Year Group Information Evenings
Thank you to the Y11 parents / carers who attended school last week. Over the next two weeks, we will be hosting Year Group Information Evenings for parents and carers in Years 7-10. A reminder of the dates are below. It is an opportunity to learn more about the curriculum and pastoral care in your child’s year group and have all the relevant information for the year ahead.
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Year Group |
Date |
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Y10 |
Wed 17th Sept 2025 |
|
Y8 |
Thurs 18th Sept 2025 |
|
Y9 |
Tues 23rd Sept 2025 |
|
Y7 |
Wed 24th Sept 2025 |
Attendance
Congratulations to the 635 students who had 100% attendance last week. Our school target is 97%. Please ensure that your child attends school every day so they have the best chance of achieving to their potential. The Department of Education issued the following information on their website a couple of weeks ago regarding average earnings in the future for students with attendance below 90%.
Please contact school if you need support in helping your child to attend school every day. Persistent absence is the term used for students whose attendance is below 90%.
Students who have started September 2025 with term-time holidays are at a distinct disadvantage both socially and academically. They have already missed out on a lot of curriculum work, behaviour routines and extra-curricular clubs. Unless they catch up quickly on return, this will cause stress and anxiety and leave them with gaps in learning that will impact on their progress.
Student Wellbeing Award
Thank you to parents / carers who have already completed the survey on Student Wellbeing. Please could I encourage as many parents / carers as possible to do this. Your voice is important to us and helps us make improvements. There are many reasons why we want to invest time in this. Below are reasons why we are making this a priority:
1. Improved Learning Outcomes
- Students who feel safe, supported, and valued are more engaged in lessons and motivated to learn.
- Research shows that wellbeing is directly linked to higher academic performance and better attendance.
2. Positive School Culture
- Committing to a wellbeing framework fosters respect, empathy, and inclusivity.
- A happier environment creates stronger relationships between staff, students, and parents.
3. Reduced Behavioural Issues
- Students who feel understood and supported are less likely to engage in disruptive or harmful behaviour.
- Staff who are well-supported are better equipped to manage classroom challenges calmly and effectively.
4. Structured Approach to Wellbeing
- An award provides a clear framework and measurable goals, ensuring initiatives are consistent and impactful.
- It helps the school embed wellbeing into policies, teaching, and daily routines.
5. Future-Ready Skills for Students
- Prioritising wellbeing equips students with resilience, emotional regulation, and coping strategies they can carry into adulthood.
- This aligns with preparing young people for both further education and the workplace.
6. Long-Term Sustainability
- Embedding wellbeing into school practice creates lasting benefits, not just short-term gains.
- A healthier school community supports continuous improvement across academic and pastoral areas.
Feedback on the Parental Communication Survey
Thank you to those who responded to the survey on communication which took place in July 2025. We had a total of 74 responses from parents / carers with many very helpful suggestions. Below are the common threads that emerged.
|
Parental wish |
School Response |
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I want to know more about what my child is learning. |
Please click on the link: https://www.olqp.org.uk/curriculum/curriculum-overviews The website has been fully updated with the Curriculum Overviews for all subjects and all year groups with effect from 1st Sept 2025. |
|
I want to know more about my child’s progress. |
We have two formal Data Checks per year with reports sent home to parents. Each year group also has one Parents’ Evening. The dates are listed at the end of this newsletter. If you would like specific information about progress in a particular subject, then please contact school and ask to speak to your child’s subject teacher. |
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I would like more information about rewards. |
Please look at the positive points on ClassCharts. At the end of every term we have Celebration Assemblies. This term we also have a programme of positive calls home. |
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I would like to know more about the extra-curricular activities. |
Please take a look at the extra curricular programme on the school website https://www.olqp.org.uk/personal-development/extra-curricular |
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I would like to know who the current staff are. |
The names of staff and their subject specialisms as well as the pastoral teams are on the school website. These are accurate from 1st Sept 2025. https://www.olqp.org.uk/general-information/staff
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I would like information about the exam boards. |
Please click on the website https://www.olqp.org.uk/curriculum/exams All documents relating to exams are at the bottom of the page.
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I would like the email addresses of teachers and the headteacher. |
There are 3 key emails on the website Mr Diamond – SENDCo Mrs Evans – Designated Safeguarding Lead Admin – mail@olqp.lancs.sch.uk The mail@olqp.lancs.sch.uk email should be used the most of the time. Emails are forwarded to all staff from this link during school hours. Staff are asked to respond to emails within 48 hours whenever possible as per the school’s policy. Please remember staff are in classrooms teaching, doing duties or attending meetings. Emails are escalated to staff internally, as needed. If the matter is urgent, please phone school and say that you need an urgent response. Matters that are urgent usually relate to a child’s wellbeing, allegations of bullying, safeguarding issues. The first point of contact is your child’s form tutor. |
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I would like a quieter Parents’ Evening |
Parents’ evenings are usually quieter towards the end (6-6.30pm)
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Can we contact parents by text / phone for detentions? |
ClassCharts notifies parents and is the system that teachers use in the classroom. Teachers do not have access to the phone or the school’s text system when in class. |
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Staff need to aware of attendance issues caused by mental health |
Staff are aware of this. Most medical practitioners advise students to attend school to give them structure and routines and opportunities for social interaction and support. Gaps in learning can add to a students’ anxiety. |
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Staff do not pass messages on quickly enough to my child when I phone |
Every effort is made to reduce interruptions to learning when teachers are teaching. Staff pass on messages when they can. |
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Parents need more notice about school closures |
It is very difficult to make decisions very early in the morning after snowfall as the weather is so changeable. The school has to assess the hazards on the site, the progress of snow clearance and await the decision from the bus company to confirm that it is safe for the buses to run. The school is grateful for the support of parents / carers on these days. |
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Please communicate with parents / carers about issues with progress or behaviour. Please do not wait until Parents’ Evening |
Staff have been reminded to do this. In most cases this already happens. |
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Please can we have the dates the INSET Days, Parents’ Evenings & holidays |
These are on the school website: https://www.olqp.org.uk/term-dates They will also be on the bottom of each Headteacher Newsletter. |
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Can school run Information Evenings for parents and include guidance on sleep, technology, resilience? |
The school will look into this and contact professionals who will help us to facilitate this. |
Catholic Life and Mission
We have had a very positive start to our programme of assemblies and have introduced hymn singing in Y7-10. We have started with ‘Shine Jesus Shine’ and are growing more confident in singing the words and melody. Our assembly themes follow the Sunday Gospels.
During the first week of term, form groups worked with their form tutors to create School Pledges to mark the Jubilee year as Pilgrims of Hope. Students were asked to answer the question ‘How can we build a better world?’ and put Catholic Social Teaching into practice. Students were asked to think about respect for human dignity, the global family, looking after the environment, prioritising the poor and developing a fair and just society. Here is a copy of the School Pledge.
Our Lady Queen of Peace can now be found on the Jubilee Pledge Map on the CAFOD website: https://cafod.org.uk/jubilee-schools/jubilee-pledge/jubilee-pledge-map. In a week’s time, week commencing Mon 22nd Sept 2025, we will be focusing on materialism and Fair Trade. Students will organise a Bake Sale on Fri 3rd Oct 2025.
Extra-curricular activities & student leadership opportunities
Mrs Knight has published a new list of extra-curricular activities designed to cater for a wide range of student interests. We encourage every student to take part in at least one activity each week. In addition, there are a number of student leadership roles available this term. Students are invited to nominate themselves and play an active role in shaping the wider life of the school. Please support your child in making the most of these opportunities – getting involved helps them to develop new skills, build confidence, and make valuable contributions to our school community.
Dates for your diary
PARENTS’ EVENINGS (Thursdays 4-6.30pm)
6th November 2025 Year 8
20th November 2025 Year 11
22nd January 2026 Year 7
5th February 2026 Year 9
26th February 2026 Year 10
INSET DAYS (School is closed)
INSET 3 - Monday 3rd November 2025
INSET 4 - Friday 28th November 2025
INSET 5 - Monday 20th July 2026
Holiday Dates
|
Term |
School Holidays |
|
Autumn Half term |
Monday 27th October – Friday 31st October 2025 (inclusive) |
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Christmas Holidays |
Monday 22nd December – Friday 2nd January 2026 (inclusive) |
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Spring Half term |
Monday 16th – Friday 20th February 2026 (inclusive) |
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Easter Holidays |
Monday 30th March – Friday 10th April 2026 (inclusive) |
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Summer Half term |
Monday 25th May – Friday 29th May 2026 (inclusive) |
|
Summer Holidays |
Monday 20th July 2026 |
Please find attached Term dates for the next academic year 2026/27. They are also available on our website Term Dates | Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Engineering College
Thank you for your ongoing support at the start of this term.
Kind regards
Mrs M. Henshaw
Headteacher