Dear Parents, Carers, Students and Staff

Thank you for your hard work and support this week.

There are a couple of key messages to convey:

1. Toilets
These have been better this week, so thank you students. Please remember to report any problems immediately and also to inform senior leaders or Heads of Year if you know if someone has been messing around. Parents – likewise, please contact us if you need to.

2. Uniform
Again – this is much improved with fewer hoodies. Thank you again. When we return after half term, I expect all students to be in 100% correct uniform, including black socks and black leather shoes with no hoodies. I appreciate some students have new pairs of shoes on order, but these do need to be in place by our return.

Students have asked if they can wear the new embroidered sweatshirt as an alternative to the v neck. I will survey parents views on this as part of the newsletter next week and we will come to a final decision as soon as possible.

3. Assemblies this week
These focused on commending students for their work over the last 6 weeks and encouraging them to see out the first half term with a real focus on learning and progress. We also talked about walking, not running onsite – please do remind your child about this.

4. Year 11
Students have been invited to take part in after school intervention sessions. These will run until Fri 11th December to support revision for the mocks, but also beyond that so we have a programme in place to address the time lost in lockdown. We had 70+ students on the first Core Wednesday – a fantastic effort.

Next week, we will do a “Slice of Revision” with pizza for those able to attend both sessions. Going forward, we will also do a range of rewards prize draws to encourage attendance

5. Year 7
Have been incredible in responding to a challenge I set them to help keep the site litter free! I have been overwhelmed by their positive attitude, so much so I have ordered another 15 litter pickers and 20 bibs for our sustainability group.

Thank you to everyone who took part – please continue next week and organise your daily teams!

6. Year 9
I am looking forward to launching the Options Process with year 9 after half term. This is always an exciting time of secondary school for young people. Parents and carers, please talk with your children about their thinking – everyone will study a Humanity, and we would recommend as many as possible continue with a language. We also are diversifying our vocational curriculum and are exploring GCSE Dance and a BTEC in Travel and Tourism.

There is one slightly less positive point for year 9 and that is the issue of graffiti in the Science labs. This must stop, please, and I would be grateful for parents and carers discussing this with children.

7. School Cloud – Parents Evening System
With covid 19 here for the foreseeable future, it is not possible to have parents evenings on site, so we have invested in a new online video conferencing system to help us run these. There is information online on our website and a formal letter will follow next week.

8. Principal’s Breakfast
We are looking for additional ways to reward students, so next week, we will have a Principal’s Breakfast on Friday 23rd October period 1 to commend those students who have strong attendance and achievement points. Students will be notified by Thursday at the latest and they will be able to have a bacon roll or croissant with juice as a “well done” for their efforts.

Finally, I do hope that you are able to enjoy a rest this weekend. I think that student and staff have all done really well to make the return to school so positive, and I am looking forward to having a fantastic next week (rounded off by our fundraising non uniform day!) to see the half term in.

Thank you and God bless you all at this time

John Cornish, Principal