Dear Parents, Guardians and Friends
As May rolls into June, so we begin the final half term of our school year. It’s going to be a busy one, and I’m sure it will fly by – “summer’s lease hath all too short a date”. For our students in Year 11 and 13, I imagine many of them can’t wait for the next few weeks to be over. We wish them continued success throughout the rest of the exam period and beyond. I will use this blog entry to look both backward a little, and forward to the next six or so weeks.
Looking over the past two weeks, we are delighted to be celebrating a triumphant performance in the Wokingham District Sports competition at Bracknell Athletics Stadium on 22nd May. Mrs Bolton, Miss Stanborough, and Miss Goldschmidt took a team of 40 students from Years 7, 8, 9 & 10 to test themselves against fourteen other local schools. Our girls won each of the three youngest age groups, and The Holt came out as comfortable overall winners. Well done to our students and staff for this great achievement!
Over the half term break, Mrs Thomas, Mrs Hornblow, and Mrs Salamut-Ward gave up their holiday to take a group of Year 12 students to PGL Osmington Bay for three days of fun, team building and physical challenges. Everyone survived, thrived, and got suitably wet. Mrs Thomas writes,
“Year 12 had a fantastic time on the recent PGL residential trip. It was packed with exciting activities including Jacob’s Ladder, zip wire, raft building, shooting, axe throwing, and rock climbing, all of which challenged students to step out of their comfort zones. Evening events like the quiz night and silent disco added to the fun, with a surprise bonus in the form of an impromptu crash course in 90s music! Throughout the trip, students showed incredible resilience, teamwork, and communication skills, making memories and building bonds that will last long beyond the week.”
Students in KS3 have returned to school to begin their assessment fortnight. We hope that they have been able to find a balance between some revision and the rest of their busy lives over the last month or so. These assessments certainly shouldn’t be about last-minute cramming or spending every waking hour studying. The process is a chance to look back over a year’s hard work and to explore different methods of revision that might work well for each individual in the future. We wish them well in their endeavours.
Some of our Year 10 students have had a hectic week already. Our GCSE artists visited Kew Gardens on Tuesday to be inspired at the start of their project on natural forms. We managed to pick a rainy day for this venture, so I understand that they spent a lot of the day in the glasshouses observing, photographing and sketching fascinating tropical plant species. Each year we have the privilege of seeing students develop their work from this starting point to create stunning works of art. Thank you to Ms Cartmell-Webb and the rest of the art department for organising the visit.
Year 10 PE students have been completing mock practical assessments this week. Forty percent of their final mark will come from such assessments at the end of Year 11. As with KS3 assessment fortnight, we think it is really useful for the girls to experience the process in a lower pressure setting with time for feedback and reflection. It has been encouraging to see the students approach this in a cheerful but focused manner.
Looking ahead, there is much still to come before the curtain falls on another school year: our Sports Personality Awards evening, a Y12 geography field trip, open evening for Year 5 students, SportsFest and colour run, Holt Young Musician competition, and much more.
Two big items for which I have responsibility are Year 10 work experience and KS3 activities week which both take place at the end of term.
Many of you will know, or have heard of, Sharon Hart who led on careers education, information, advice and guidance at The Holt for many years. She left us at the end of April, and we are delighted to have promoted Denise Johnson to take on the role of Careers Lead. She brings a wealth of experience of helping young people into work and will be a great support for our students. We still have some work experience placements to find for Year 10 students for the week beginning 14th July. If you think this is something that you or your employer might be able to help with, please email d.johnson@holt.wokingham.sch.uk.
While Year 10 students are learning about the world of work, the younger years will also be off-timetable and gaining different kinds of experience. In addition to the Year 8 PGL residential and the many day trips that are taking place, we are finalising the programme for students who will be in school each day. Activities will include a music concert and film-making, while Year 9 students will also spend some time exploring a GCSE subject they have chosen for next year. Letters with full details of all the events will be with parents and students in due course.
I would like to thank all parents, guardians and friends for the support that you give to your children and to the school. Through all the busyness of life in school our success really does come from us all pulling in the same direction.
Here’s to a lovely, temperate summer!
Ben Adams
Assistant Headteacher