Dear Parents, Guardians and Friends
Well haven’t we had an interesting week of weather? From the snow flurry last Tuesday to the anticipation of what Storm Goretti might bring last Thursday and into Friday……to the rather warmer temperatures of this week! For many schools, particularly in the Midlands and the North, the snow fall led to the inevitable school closures. We are so lucky in our region that the climate is more temperate, and snow rarely causes us to close, but in the event that we need to close because of snow, a message will be on our website by 7.15 am and followed up by an email to parents and students with more information. So, no message…… the school is open!
We are fortunate to have our dedicated site team who are out very early with the gritters clearing our paths and making them safe for students and staff. In the end, for us, Storm Goretti luckily didn’t touch us, rendering it for us, merely a great opportunity for students to learn about “weather bombs” and multi- hazardous events!
The escape from Storm Goretti enabled our Year 11 students to continue their PPEs without disruption. The students have been excellent and are nearly at the end of this round of exams. I would like to congratulate the Year 10s as well as they tackled their PoR PPE so well too. We look forward to working closely with Year 10 and 11 over the coming weeks as teachers provide detailed feedback and targeted support in readiness for the summer exams.
However, before that, they will have a treat on Friday afternoon as The Globe Theatre Company are coming into school to perform for them their stage version of Macbeth. A relaxing way to also revise for their English Literature GCSE.
On the subject of GCSEs, our Year 12 students were presented with their certificates in a lovely presentation assembly. It was a pleasure to welcome back Julia Golding, a former student who returned to present the awards. Hearing about her journey since leaving school was incredibly inspiring for our current students and a powerful reminder of the lasting impact of hard work, ambition and resilience. Julia is currently in her final year of a degree apprenticeship at Berkeley Homes. Her pathway of an apprenticeship was very insightful to our students and something to consider. Having former students like Julia back, reinforces the strength of our school community and the importance of maintaining connections beyond the school gates.
In a similar spirit, it was lovely to welcome back our Year 13 leavers, who returned this term to collect their A level certificates after completing the first term of their next steps; whether at university, in apprenticeships or in employment. Seeing them return, confident and enthusiastic about their futures, was a real highlight and a reminder of the role we play in preparing young people not just for exams, but for life beyond school.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support. Schools thrive when families and staff work in partnership, and events like the ones above demonstrate just how strong that partnership is. I look forward to sharing more of our students’ successes with you as the term continues.
Katie Pearce
Co-Headteacher