To download a copy of this letter, click here.
- July 9, 2026
Please note:
FAO: Parents of Year 7 students who start in September 2026:
Details on how to create parent accounts or link students to existing Satchel One parent accounts will be issued once your child starts at FLHS in September.
Details for creating WisePay accounts (payment portal for school meals and trips) have been sent out to parents and carers of incoming Year 7 students via email on the date of the Year 6 Transition evening event (2/07/2026). If you have not received this information, please email our finance department: finance@flhs.wigan.sch.uk stating your child’s full name when contacting.
Dear Parents and Carers,
I write to you at the end of what has been a very positive year for the school. I know this letter is quite lengthy but please take the time to read it carefully. It contains key updates and useful information as well as the arrangements for the start of next term.
End of term arrangements
The penultimate day of term, Thursday 16th July, will be a very special day in school. For reasons of inclusivity and the current cost-of-living pressures facing many families, we have made the decision not to run traditional end-of-year trips this year. We are keen to ensure that every child can take part in our end-of-year celebrations without any barriers or additional financial burden. Instead, we will be hosting Freddie’s Fest – a special event that celebrates everything that makes our school such a wonderful place to learn and grow. The festival will provide a range of exciting activities, incorporating Sports Day, performances and opportunities for children to come together, have fun and create lasting memories with their friends. We hope Freddie’s Fest will engage all our students and provide a truly inclusive celebration of the achievements, talents and spirit of our school community. Students have been assigned a Team for the day. We ask that they wear an item of clothing such as a T Shirt that corresponds with their team colour which will be either Red, Blue, Black, Green or Yellow.
During Freddie’s Fest, there will be lots of festival style street food on offer, which students can purchase at our regular catering outlets and pop-up service points. Purchases can be made via the usual WisePay method, but cash will also be accepted.
The summer term ends on Friday 17th July at 12:15pm. The final day of term will be a non-uniform day. To support local charities, we would ask students on the last day for a voluntary donation of £1:00. To donate, please send your child into school with £1 cash to give to their form tutor or alternatively, payment can be made online using the following SumUp link:
Please could all students and parents be aware that our expectations regarding personal appearance and make-up/jewellery are the same as any ‘normal’ day.
Free School Meals updates
Earlier this term we wrote to all parents to advise about the changes being made to Free School Meals provision for the start of the next academic year 2026-27. If you have not yet checked your eligibility, here is reminder about the changes and what you will need to do should this apply to your circumstances.
From the start of the 2026/2027 academic year, the DfE is expanding FSM eligibility to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit regardless of household earnings.
There are now two different types of eligibility for FSM – Targeted and Expanded FSM:
- Targeted FSM
Children from households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less.
- Expanded FSM
Children from households in receipt of Universal Credit, with annual household earnings exceeding £7,400 will be entitled to expanded FSM.
Free school meals are available to students in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits
- Universal Credit
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
Households may also be entitled to a meal if they:
- Are in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Receive the guarantee element of Pension Credit.
If you have not done so already, it is imperative that you check whether or not your household can still receive this entitlement. The Free School Meals application process is managed by Wigan Council, and the form in the link below must be used to apply.
Apply for free school meals | Instructions – Wigan Council
Please note that if an application is not submitted, your child will not be able to receive a Free School Meal from the start of the new academic year.
Parent Contact Details
It is vitally important that we have the correct contact details for you on our system in case we need to contact you about your child. Please inform us of any changes. To ensure that you are receiving all information from school we need an up-to-date email address and your mobile phone number.
Recycling Uniform
If you have old items of uniform or school shoes which are in good condition, please could you consider donating this to school so that we can help other families. Please contact your child’s Head of Year if you are able to assist with this or alternatively bring it in and leave it with our reception staff..
Start of the New School Year, September 2026
These are the arrangements for the start of the new term in September 2026.
Year 7 only attend school. Year 7 need to arrive at school for 8:30am.
All other years return to school. Please note the staggered start times on the 3rd September.
- Years 7, 10 and 11 ONLY need to arrive at school for 8:30am
- Years 8 and 9 ONLY need to arrive at school for 9:15am
Students in Years 8, 9, 10 and 11 will need to bring their YONDR pouches to school.
When the new Academic Year begins, here’s a reminder on how your child can be best prepared for success:
- Students arrive at school for 8:30am for a prompt arrival into the Line Ups. Students are marked late for school if they arrive to the Line Up after the second bell has rung at 8:35.
- All students remember to bring their YONDR pouches every day. All students must ensure that their Mobile phones are switched off, ready to be placed in the pouches at the start of the school day.
- Bring a suitable school bag which allows room for the key items that will be needed during the school day such as books and PE kit.
- Bring the correct basic equipment – black pen, green pen, pencil, ruler, highlighter, calculator and headphones (not Air Pod type headphones)
- Wear school shoes (no trainers).
- Wear full school uniform including trousers, blazer and tie as per policy.
- No make-up and no jewellery as per school policy. False eyelashes and/or false nails to be removed.
- No extreme hairstyles as per policy. Hair bands, bobbles or bows must be plain, black and a sensible size.
Changes to the School Day from September 2026
It is important to remind parents that from September the times of the school day will change slightly. The new times will be as follows:
- Arrive 8:30
- Start of Line Up 8:32. Line Ups close at 8:35.
- Registration and Form Time: 8.35am-9.05am
- Period 1: 9.05-10.05
- Period 2: 10.05-11.05
- BREAK: 11.05-11.30
- Period 3: 11.30-12.30
- Period 4: 12.30-1.30
- LUNCH: 1.30-2.10
- Period 5: 2.10-3.10
On Monday Week B school closes earlier to students at 2:10pm. The school is closed for staff training.
Times in the afternoon on a Monday Week B are adjusted as follows:
- LUNCH: 12.30-1:10
- Period 4: 1.10-2.10 (school closes to students 2.10pm)
Year 11 2027 – Summer Homework
Thank you to our parents of students currently at the end of Year 10 for your ongoing support at this critical time of your child’s education. As a school, we are working tirelessly to support your child with a comprehensive package to help them through their examination year but ultimately, what we see year on year is that the key to success in Year 11 is a student’s attitude to learning, hard work, effort and commitment. To this end, we want to support the Year 10 transition into Year 11 by setting summer homework for the students to complete over the holidays. This is not intended to be onerous, but to help students recall key information and key concepts in each subject area. If you can please encourage your child to engage with this. Details of this work will be explained to each class and will be posted on either Satchel One or within Office 365 platforms. We will be reporting to you in autumn on how effectively your child has engaged with this work. We are talking to students about the important balance between achievement and rest and look forward to welcoming them back energised and ready for their final eight months at FLHS.
Encouraging your child to read
GCSE examinations have an average reading age of 15 years and 7 months. Sadly, we have some students in school with reading ages significantly lower than this. If your child cannot read well, they will struggle to access course content from Year 10 onwards. As parents and carers, one of the key things that you can do to help your child succeed in school is to encourage them to read. If you are struggling with ideas for books, this link takes you to suggested reading lists for students in both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4.
Staying safe over the summer – Dangers of Open Water
We want all our students to have a safe and enjoyable summer. Please remind your children of the dangers of swimming in open water. We are always asked, and rightly so, by the Police to raise awareness of this with parents at this time of year.
Mental Health support over the summer holidays
If you have any urgent concerns around a student’s mental health or risk to themselves, please contact the CAMHS duty worker for advice and to consider whether urgent assessment is indicated on 01942 764473. Out of hours, parents/students should contact Wigan mental health urgent response team – 0800 051 3253 (24/7 mental health crisis line for people of all ages in Wigan).
Support during the summer holidays
For any students eligible for free school meals, information about Wigan Council’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme and vouchers can be found here. This programme supports families by providing healthy meals and enrichment activities for thousands of young people across the borough during the Summer, Christmas and Easter holidays.
We would also like to make parents aware of various offers available from a variety of retailers over the summer holidays. Further information can be found at the Money Saving Central website. A number of companies have promotions where children can eat for free or at a reduced rate.
The Great British Summer Savings scheme is also running from 25 June to 1 September 2026, helping families feel a bit less squeezed this summer. The link takes you to the campaign page with more details of savings to reduce the cost of days out and travel.
Staff Farewells
At the end of this term, we say a fond farewell to Mr Mooney, Head of Humanities, who leaves us to relocate to Cumbria with his family. We also bid farewell to Mr Nicholls, Teacher of History, who has been with us this year covering for Miss Causby’s maternity leave. We bid a temporary farewell to Miss Dallimore, Science Technician, who will be taking maternity leave during the next academic year.
All that remains for me to say is thank you for your continued support. I wish you and your families an enjoyable and safe summer.
Yours sincerely,
Mr P Davies
Headteacher