Dear Parents, Guardians and Friends
Success is not always an easy thing to define. What makes a good day, a good year or a good life? What does it profit someone to gain the whole world, but lose their soul? In a school setting, is it all about the best exam results or the best academic reputation? Those things are clearly important, but our school vision is about so much more than that.
Indulge me for a moment. I am a supporter of Arsenal Football Club. I sit here this morning getting accustomed to the idea that the team I have followed since the age of seven have become champions of England for the first time in over two decades. While supporters of most other clubs might be envious of Arsenal’s relative success over the past twenty-two years, it has felt a long time coming.
Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, has divided opinion somewhat on his journey to this title. Over the past six seasons, though, he has built a team (on and off the pitch), led with compelling vision, shown great dedication and focus, made key appointments, paid attention to detail, and brought (most of) the Arsenal community with him. Success has not come overnight; throughout, he has urged everyone to “trust the process”.
There are some obvious parallels with school life, and those students in Years 10-13 currently sitting their public examinations are reaping the benefits of their hard work, intellectual curiosity and good habits – supplemented by input from the school – that they have built up over the years. We continue to wish them the very best for the remainder of this trying time. However, a school’s success can’t be measured simply by where they sit in any league table. Good character, self-confidence, strong relationships and high aspirations matter. Creativity, industry and teamwork count. These don’t come overnight, and there are always ups and downs on the way.
So, stepping away from the exam hall, it is always good to celebrate other aspects of school life. I will start with news that two of our students will have their artwork featured in a special exhibition this summer. Mrs Skeates writes,
“We recently heard the fantastic news that this year, not one, but two of our talented GCSE art students had their work selected by The Royal Academy for their Young Artists’ Summer Show. This is a prestigious exhibition that highlights exceptional talent among young artists. With over 25,000 entries, being selected is a notable achievement, and we are extremely proud of Wing Kiu Wang in Year 11 and Serena Bailey in Year 10. Their work will be on display at the Royal Academy in London this July and August, as well as in their online gallery.
Congratulations to both of them!”
The athletics season is well underway, and Mrs Bolton reports on two recent events:
“The U16 athletics team delivered an outstanding performance over three weeks of competition in the Reading and District Athletics League at Palmer Park, demonstrating determination, teamwork, and consistency throughout the event. Competing against 25 other schools, the team showed exceptional talent across a range of track and field disciplines, earning valuable points in every round. Their hard work and commitment ultimately secured them victory in the final standings, where they finished ahead of their closest rivals Queen Anne’s School.”
“At last Wednesday’s ESAA Track and Field Cup, athletes from years 7-10 produced an excellent set of performances against strong opposition. The Junior Team secured an impressive third place, while the Intermediate Team finished as runners-up, with both teams successfully qualifying for the Regional Finals taking place in June. Well done to all the team, and good luck for the Regional Finals!”
From athletic prowess to something more cerebral (but equally enjoyable, I would contend). Many of our students take part each year in the UK Maths Trust challenges. From the 2026 Junior Challenge, students in Years 7 & 8 garnered 68 bronze certificates, 38 silvers and 11 golds. Particular congratulations to Eshaal and Snigdha who came top in Years 7 & 8 respectively. Along with Sophie and Hei Yee, these students qualify for the next round – the Junior Kangaroo.
Students in Years 9 to 11 competed in the Intermediate Challenge in January, and we now have the results for those students who went on to the respective Kangaroo competitions . Congratulations to everyone including Atta, Bernice and Kelly (joint), and Emmeline who achieved the highest scores in each year group. If this sounds like your kind of challenge, do click on the links to see the level of problems they were tasked with solving.
Surely, one measure of success is the extent to which we impact positively on the lives of others. To this end, we are holding a non-uniform day on Friday to raise money for local grassroots youth organisations who offer enrichment activities to young people beyond the school gates. Our students have been invited to nominate youth groups, uniformed organisations and sports teams that they would like us to support. Many of our young people benefit from such opportunities, and many of our staff, parents and friends volunteer their time to offer them, so this is a cause close to our hearts.
Let’s celebrate everyone who works to make the world a better place.
I wish all of our students and staff a good half term break, and I hope other readers will also enjoy some downtime over the bank holiday weekend or beyond.
Ben Adams
Assistant Headteacher
May 2026