Headteacher’s Blog – 8th October 2021

The weeks are flying past and the school is now in full swing as our extra-curricular activities are back up and running and students are making the most of their learning. 

I know that many families are still facing challenges due to Covid-19 and we continue to have absence related to this.  Please can I ask you continue to test regularly as this is helping the spread of the virus.  For students who are having  to self-isolate, work should be available from normal lessons on TEAMs, with lessons uploaded at the end of each day.

I would encourage families to ensure students attend school when well and able as we know good attendance is the most important factor in students achieving their personal best.

Phase 3 Update

Our new Year 11 Student Leadership Team have started mentoring our new Year 7 students as part of our settling into secondary school programme. They have been excited to work with our new intake and keen to help them settle in following a difficult 18 months for everyone. They are now working on fundraising projects for Children in Need and Shelter for Christmas.  More information will follow in due course.

This week also saw the first signs of a return to the normality of GCSE exams next summer. The year 11 students seemed keen to get preparing with well over 100 students attending the sessions run by maths, English and science this week. The sessions are designed to supplement in class learning with a particular emphasis on exam technique and preparation – much needed skills for the coming months. Students were very complementary about the sessions and we look forward to even more people joining in next week. The sessions will run for the next 4 weeks before we embark on our first set of trial exams in November.  Sweets and biscuits are available for all attendees!

Exciting new curriculum launched

Phase 2 have now launched our exciting new vocational qualifications in Gardening and Hospitality in the Guided Learning Centre! These are providing a different sort of qualification to support a small number of students who wish to pursue more hands on careers in the future. Students are keen to create plans for their new garden and are preparing to start planting winter bulbs!  In the Food Technology room our students have been cooking up a storm making pizza, cupcakes and chocolate ‘concrete’.

Exciting extra-curricular opportunities

With just two weeks left of this term we have had 192 students attend enrichment clubs. The club with the most participation is Homework club with 45 followed, by KS3 Art Club with 43!

Art club students produced this fantastic clay relief piece of the school logo which is now on display in the school foyer.

PE after school clubs including Rugby, Badmintor and Trampoline

I hope you have a good weekend.

Ian Smith-Childs

Headteacher