Freddie's Focus
For Parents & Carers
- Issue 167
- June 26, 2026
Freddie's Focus
For Parents & Carers
- Issue 167
- June 26, 2026
Message from the Headteacher
Dear Parents & Carers,
This week in school, we have begun preparing students for their Student-Led Conferences, which will take place on Monday 6th July.
A letter with full details has been sent home this week. We strongly encourage all parents and carers to book an appointment for their child’s conference. These meetings are a valuable opportunity for you to hear directly from your child about their progress this year. During the conference, your child will share their achievements, reflect on their strengths, and identify areas for development and future targets.
While students will still take part, the experience is significantly more meaningful when parents are present to listen, support and celebrate their child’s efforts. Your attendance really does make a difference to how confidently and positively your child engages with the process.
These conferences are always a very enjoyable and rewarding occasion, and we very much look forward to welcoming you into school to share in your child’s success.
Parent Feedback from previous Student-Led Conferences
"It was a delight to see my daughter speak independently about her learning, topics she enjoyed and areas she felt needs to develop. To see her grow in confidence, from previous anxieties around public speaking to develop and produce an outstanding presentation, was heartfelt to watch and hear, as well as how she has become an amazing student at Freddie’s. What a difference time makes."
"The teacher was warm and inviting and got the most out of my child being like this and it was a very positive meeting."
"This was a valuable addition to the parent/teacher evening, encouraging greater student involvement and developing oracy skills. It pushed my child out of his comfort zone but a valuable experience. Thank you."
"I found today's visit very worthwhile. I’m very pleased with the progress my daughter is making at this school."
"Very impressed with the pastoral care at Freddie's. I like the way the conferences keep students accountable for their attendance and progress throughout the year. Great idea."
"I think these conferences are so valuable in allowing the students to take ownership of their learning and development. It also allows them to develop confidence in presenting information about themselves and feeling a little out of their comfort zone."
"I enjoyed the session. It was good to hear my child discuss how they feel this academic year has gone. Detailing the things they have enjoyed and the areas they feel they can improve on."
"It was really nice having the opportunity to come into school and listen to my son talk about school. He is very quiet - I hope he will become more confident as he moves through school and therefore gets more out of future conferences. Thanks for arranging the conferences."
"I was very pleased with the way the conference was led with both the student and teacher, I saw a great improvement in the confidence my daughter has gained since last year and enjoyed seeing some of her work and hearing what she is proud of and how she would improve areas she has been less successful with this year."
"This was a great opportunity to hear some of the areas that my daughter has improved on this year and as discussed confidently what she is proud of. It was good to hear what her plans are for next year with her options and how she can improve with her attendance and also her homework. Tonight, I got to see and hear how I can support my daughter also. Thank you."
"Really nice to catch up with the form teacher and chat about learning. Great to get the students involved in their own learning rather than it being stated to them."
"The conference is positive as it helps young people reflect on their year and develop their confidence. I enjoy attending them as they are informative, and it allows me to show how very proud I am of my children."
"The Student-Led Conference is a very good initiative which I will encourage the school to continue to sustain. It has helped me as a parent to get a better clarification about the activities that my child is doing in school. Thank you."
"This gave a great insight to where our daughter is currently at with her learning journey. Wonderful to hear her working her way through various situations. Thank you."
"Good idea to get pupils to take ownership of the learning."
"Great idea - enjoyed meeting the form tutor. Great to see my son in his own environment. I can see how much he has grown in confidence, and he is really proud to be part of Freddies!"
"Important to encourage the children to talk about themselves, strengths and weaknesses, as they will need to do this in an interview situation."
Thank-you for your continued support.
Mr Davies.
Message from the Headteacher
Dear Parents & Carers,
This week in school, we have begun preparing students for their Student-Led Conferences, which will take place on Monday 6th July.
A letter with full details has been sent home this week. We strongly encourage all parents and carers to book an appointment for their child’s conference. These meetings are a valuable opportunity for you to hear directly from your child about their progress this year. During the conference, your child will share their achievements, reflect on their strengths, and identify areas for development and future targets.
While students will still take part, the experience is significantly more meaningful when parents are present to listen, support and celebrate their child’s efforts. Your attendance really does make a difference to how confidently and positively your child engages with the process.
These conferences are always a very enjoyable and rewarding occasion, and we very much look forward to welcoming you into school to share in your child’s success.
Parent Feedback from previous Student-Led Conferences
"It was a delight to see my daughter speak independently about her learning, topics she enjoyed and areas she felt needs to develop. To see her grow in confidence, from previous anxieties around public speaking to develop and produce an outstanding presentation, was heartfelt to watch and hear, as well as how she has become an amazing student at Freddie’s. What a difference time makes."
"The teacher was warm and inviting and got the most out of my child being like this and it was a very positive meeting."
"This was a valuable addition to the parent/teacher evening, encouraging greater student involvement and developing oracy skills. It pushed my child out of his comfort zone but a valuable experience. Thank you."
"I found today's visit very worthwhile. I’m very pleased with the progress my daughter is making at this school."
"Very impressed with the pastoral care at Freddie's. I like the way the conferences keep students accountable for their attendance and progress throughout the year. Great idea."
"I think these conferences are so valuable in allowing the students to take ownership of their learning and development. It also allows them to develop confidence in presenting information about themselves and feeling a little out of their comfort zone."
"I enjoyed the session. It was good to hear my child discuss how they feel this academic year has gone. Detailing the things they have enjoyed and the areas they feel they can improve on."
"It was really nice having the opportunity to come into school and listen to my son talk about school. He is very quiet - I hope he will become more confident as he moves through school and therefore gets more out of future conferences. Thanks for arranging the conferences."
"I was very pleased with the way the conference was led with both the student and teacher, I saw a great improvement in the confidence my daughter has gained since last year and enjoyed seeing some of her work and hearing what she is proud of and how she would improve areas she has been less successful with this year."
"This was a great opportunity to hear some of the areas that my daughter has improved on this year and as discussed confidently what she is proud of. It was good to hear what her plans are for next year with her options and how she can improve with her attendance and also her homework. Tonight, I got to see and hear how I can support my daughter also. Thank you."
"Really nice to catch up with the form teacher and chat about learning. Great to get the students involved in their own learning rather than it being stated to them."
"The conference is positive as it helps young people reflect on their year and develop their confidence. I enjoy attending them as they are informative, and it allows me to show how very proud I am of my children."
"The Student-Led Conference is a very good initiative which I will encourage the school to continue to sustain. It has helped me as a parent to get a better clarification about the activities that my child is doing in school. Thank you."
"This gave a great insight to where our daughter is currently at with her learning journey. Wonderful to hear her working her way through various situations. Thank you."
"Good idea to get pupils to take ownership of the learning."
"Great idea - enjoyed meeting the form tutor. Great to see my son in his own environment. I can see how much he has grown in confidence, and he is really proud to be part of Freddies!"
"Important to encourage the children to talk about themselves, strengths and weaknesses, as they will need to do this in an interview situation."
Thank-you for your continued support.
Mr Davies.
Things to celebrate
- This week we have hosted out ‘Move up’ days for Year 6 students who will be joining us next year as Year 7. It has been a delight to see how well they have conducted themselves and engaged with us this week.
- On Monday we hosted our Year 11 Art exhibition. This is an incredible show case of all of the superb work produced by our Art students over the past two years.
- Our Year 10 students have attended their Geography field trips this week in Morecambe and Clitheroe. This experience is part of their GCSE Geography course. We have been impressed with all of the students who attended the field trips.
- Our Year 10 students have completed their mock examinations this week. We are proud of the way in which they have conducted themselves during this period.
- Sporting Success this week
Students embraced the experience, quickly learning the rules and developing their understanding of this fast-growing sport. There was a great atmosphere throughout the session, with all students fully engaged and keen to put their skills into practice in matches. It was fantastic to see their enthusiasm, teamwork, and willingness to take on a new challenge.
A thoroughly enjoyable and well-deserved reward for a group who have shown excellent effort all year.
Orienteering is highly accessible for all students and encourages problem-solving, communication, and resilience. A number of control points have been set up around the school site, with carefully designed courses to challenge students at different levels. It has been fantastic to see students actively involved, supporting one another, and enjoying the experience of navigating their way around the course.
A great start to OAA, with plenty of enthusiasm and teamwork on display.
We are always excited to learn of any sporting successes outside of school so we can celebrate the student’s achievements. Please email Mr Gregory with any information so we can share with everyone on Freddie’s Focus – gregoryi@flhs.wigan.sch.uk
Sporting Success this week
Students embraced the experience, quickly learning the rules and developing their understanding of this fast-growing sport. There was a great atmosphere throughout the session, with all students fully engaged and keen to put their skills into practice in matches. It was fantastic to see their enthusiasm, teamwork, and willingness to take on a new challenge.
A thoroughly enjoyable and well-deserved reward for a group who have shown excellent effort all year.
Orienteering is highly accessible for all students and encourages problem-solving, communication, and resilience. A number of control points have been set up around the school site, with carefully designed courses to challenge students at different levels. It has been fantastic to see students actively involved, supporting one another, and enjoying the experience of navigating their way around the course.
A great start to OAA, with plenty of enthusiasm and teamwork on display.
We are always excited to learn of any sporting successes outside of school so we can celebrate the student’s achievements. Please email Mr Gregory with any information so we can share with everyone on Freddie’s Focus – gregoryi@flhs.wigan.sch.uk
Information for parents of SEND students
We’d like to signpost to parents a new PADLET that has been created by Wigan LA to make parents aware of specific services that are available to support neuro-diverse students.
https://padlet.com/Thrive_in_Wigan/neurodevelopmental-support-n944neepu5gjvosy
This is additional to the other Wigan PADLET which serves as a useful gateway to all the services that support children in the Wigan area. Both PADLETS are regularly updated so it is worthwhile frequently checking-in for current information and updates.
https://padlet.com/WiganCAMHS/wigan-mhst-info-board-nu69chp8ifamla8q
Embrace also offer a range of on-line courses to support parents. Details of these can be found here:
https://www.embracewiganandleigh.org.uk/behaviour-support-workshops/?cn-reloaded=1
The following link provides a useful gateway to all services that support children in the Wigan area. This page is regularly updated so it is worthwhile frequently checking-in for current information and updates.
https://padlet.com/WiganCAMHS/wigan-mhst-info-board-nu69chp8ifamla8q
We can also recommend this website as a source of useful information for the parents of neurodiverse children and teens.
What we do at Freddie's and why we do it
Encouraging our students to take ownership of their learning and celebrate their successes through Student-Led Conference
At the end of every academic year, we hold our Student-Led Conferences. This is where the students talk to their parents, carers and Form Tutors about their learning journey through the year, celebrating success and reflecting on their areas for improvement as they approach the new academic year. At various points in the year, students have completed self-evaluation weeks during form time where they have reflected upon their strengths and areas for improvement. They have set themselves targets so that they are clear about the next steps and how to get there.
On their Student-Led Conference Day, they have an allocated time to share their reflections and some pieces of work that they are incredibly proud of. Students are asked to bring their work along so that they can talk about why they are proud of this particular piece(s) and the challenges that they faced along the way in getting there. Parents, carers and the students gain a lot from this opportunity, and we receive positive feedback about the event every year from some very proud parents and carers.
We look forward to welcoming you into school for this event on Monday 6th July.
Year 7 to Year 10
100 HoY Mug/Earphones/Water Bottle/Skip the queue pass
175 MTA Power Bank/Skip the queue pass/Calculator/£5 Amazon voucher
250 MTA £10 Amazon voucher/Skip the queue pass
350 PDA £15 Amazon voucher/Skip the queue pass
Year 11
100 HoY £5 Amazon voucher/£5 off Prom
150 MTA £10 Amazon voucher/£10 off Prom
200 PDA £15 Amazon voucher/£15 off Prom
Homework and Independent Learning
At Freddie’s we set six specific types of homework to broaden, consolidate and enhance learning. Below are the types of homework that your child can expect:
We strongly encourage all of our KS4 students to access the self-directed study hub.
Applications that we use for learning
The following applications are used by our students during their time at FLHS to aid their learning. You can learn more about them below.
Microsoft Office
Did you know that your child can access Microsoft Office at home for free? As a student at Fred Longworth High School, your child is allowed to download a fully working free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use on their computer, smartphone and tablet whilst they are a student at our school. Click on the button below to learn more.
Satchel:One
Satchel:One is the school online learning platform for students and is the parental portal for all information related to your child’s overall progress within school. You can keep track of your child’s homework using Satchel:One. It is advisable to remind your child to get into the habit of checking their homework on Satchel:One regularly. Relying upon notifications is not the right approach and we advise students to turn off notifications so that they are not disturbed by them.
GCSEPod
GCSEPod is an online study platform and is the perfect resource to help your child learn, retain and recall all the information they need to achieve their GCSE goals. GCSEPod provides 3-5 minute bursts of audio-visual, teacher written learning which can help to reinforce and consolidate key GCSE topics covered in lessons. Experts read and explain everything clearly including all the right facts, quotes, keywords, dates and diagrams on screen. GCSEPod is only available to students in Year 10 and Year 11.
Homework Club
Please remind your child that homework club is available to all students Monday to Thursday where they can complete work in a quiet environment with staff on hand to support them, and computers for online quizzes and research.
Attendance
We want to do all we can to support your child to be in school every day and ask that you support this important message from home, encouraging your child to avoid missing curriculum content through absence. Here is a breakdown of the absences for the following attendance percentages:
Thank you for your continued support with attendance.
Please encourage your child to be in school every day.
Can we please remind all our parents and carers to use the correct channels of communication should they wish to raise a concern or question. Your continued support is invaluable to us.
Belonging, Engaging, Succeeding Together.
Can we please remind all our parents and carers to use the correct channels of communication should they wish to raise a concern or question. Your continued support is invaluable to us.