News & Headteacher Blogs

After the half term break, students are firmly back in the routines of school life, with this week dominated by House Matches. Our Year 7, 9 10 and 11 students have been playing football and rugby matches across the week, luckily the weather has been kind. There have been some great examples of sportsmanship on display, alongside fierce rivalries between the Houses; we look forward to announcing the results once our Year 8s have completed their matches on 24 November.  On a personal level, I thoroughly enjoyed refereeing the Yr10 girls’ football and was so impressed with the skill, enthusiasm and determination that they showed.

Our Year 12 Geography students visited Oxford this week as part of their Changes Place topic.  The purpose of the visit was to explore how different places can create a sense of identity, belonging and well-being, and how these can change over time.  The students collected a huge amount of data in poor conditions, but remained in high spirits all day.  Our Year 10 and 11 GCSE Music students attended a music conference at a neighbouring secondary school led by an examiner from Edexcel, who was also the Musical Director for Mary Poppins in the West End; he advised pupils on exam technique and how to think outside of the box.

On Tuesday, the whole school took part in PDP (Personal Development Programme) Day. PDP is part of our balanced curriculum and supports our students in becoming successful learners and confident individuals who make a positive contribution to society. Students undertook a variety of activities across the day in their year groups, including Year 9 creating an online safety campaign which they presented to their peers. Year 10 completed a study skills and careers day, including a presentation from visiting company Unilever. Unilever then met with our Year 11 students to talk about their apprenticeship and industrial placement opportunities and provided tips on helping students ensure that their CVs stand out from the competition. There was a real buzz around the school as these activities were taking place; it was very impressive to see how students worked effectively both in group situations and on independent tasks.

Looking ahead to next week we have Year 7 settling in reports coming home to parents and our non-uniform day for Children in Need. Don’t forget that our pottery painting takes place on Sunday, November 21. Visit the ‘letters home’ page of our website to book your place on what looks set to be a fun afternoon.

Finally, on Thursday, November 25 we will be hosting our Sixth Form Open Evening. This year’s event will take place in school, but to ensure everyone’s safety we will be limiting the number of people on site at any one time. Letters will be coming home shortly to our Year 11 parents with further details, and we look forward to welcoming you on the evening.

With best wishes for a relaxing weekend.

Mr Prosser
Headteacher