Dear Parents, Guardians and Friends,
Welcome back! We’ve hit the ground running this half term, especially for our Year 13 and Year 11 students who are straight into their PPEs. Good luck to all of them! It’s a marathon, not a sprint, between now and the summer exams, so we’re encouraging everyone to pace themselves to work hard, rest well, move their bodies, and keep everything in balance. The PPEs are a great chance to build confidence and strengthen that all-important long-term memory.
At staff briefing this morning, Mr Gray (Head of Music) invited everyone to join the staff choir at lunchtime as rehearsals begin for our Christmas Concert at St Paul’s Church on Thursday 11 December. The music department is buzzing right now, preparing orchestras, choirs and ensembles. If you’re able to join us, please pop the date in your diary — it’s always a wonderfully festive feel-good evening.
Just before half term, 170 enthusiastic Year 7s filled the Hall for their first big concert — and what a performance it was! They sang Rhythm of Life, A Million Dreams, This Is Me and Hakuna Matata, with each piece introduced by a student’s own creative interpretation. Ten brave soloists played beautifully on piano, clarinet, violin and drums, and the band (with students from across the school) supported the choir brilliantly.
Events like this really showcase what school should be about: opportunity, teamwork and finding your confidence. A huge thank you to Mr Gray and Mrs Crozier for giving so much of their time and energy, and to the 260 parents who came along to cheer. We hope the experience inspires many Year 7s to join Holt Singers on Wednesdays — we can’t wait to see them at the Christmas Concert!
Miss Johnson, our Careers Lead, breathed a well-earned sigh of relief as the half term began — the Careers Fair she has spent a whole year planning was a fantastic success! Here’s what she shared with us:
“It was amazing to see students engaging so enthusiastically with employers and universities. Their confidence was brilliant — and one student even secured a work experience placement with Kier Property on the day!”
The event took over the Sports Hall, with 27 organisations including 10 universities (Bath, Exeter, Birmingham, Nottingham and more), plus colleges and specialist training providers. Engineering firms such as AWE, Siemens, Volker Highways and Balfour Beatty were on hand, alongside representatives from British Airways, the NHS, Oxfam, Wokingham Borough Council, NSG Environmental, Mars UK, Kier, the Army, and others.
All year groups had time to explore, ask questions and practise their networking skills. Our visitors were impressed by how confidently students approached them — a credit to the prep work done in PSHE and the Careers Fair booklet students completed. Several students secured work experience, and even Year 8s were asking thoughtful questions about GCSE choices and future pathways. Exactly what we love to see!
Huge thanks to Miss Johnson for her organisation and to all the companies and universities who gave their time. These conversations truly make a difference — and sometimes they spark a future career.
Wishing you all a lovely weekend.
Best wishes,
Anne Kennedy