12 January 2024

12 January 2024

Dear Parents

Happy new year! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break. We have enjoyed welcoming back all our pupils for the start of what promises to be an exciting and busy Spring Term. There is much to look forward to in the school calendar, including the Rock and Pop Concert later this month, GCSE and A Level Music Concert, plenty of sports fixtures, curriculum related trips and towards the end of term, the treat that is the Year 3 & 4 show!

Pre-School and Reception

Pre-School children started term with a splash! They impressed Mrs Graham in a spectacular first swimming lesson of the year, jumping right in and showing how well they could swim on their backs. We are really enjoying seeing their increasing confidence as they take to the water, and we are really proud they appear to be developing what we hope will be a life-long enjoyment of swimming!

In line with the plummeting temperature, Reception children are embracing their topic, ‘Winter Wonderland’. They are busy learning about winter and the polar regions and all the animals that live there. The Reception classroom is fit for an expedition to the North or South pole, complete with base camp and we have some very adventurous explorers embarking on exciting exploits. Reception children have also enjoyed reading the Gruffalo’s Child and drawn pictures of creatures they might meet on a snowy walk through the woods!

Year 11 and Year 13

Further up the school, Year 11 and Year 13 are in the throes of their GCSE and A level mock exams. They have all been working diligently to this point and their approach to the examination period is to be applauded. As well as highlighting strengths, the mock examinations are a brilliant measure that enable teachers to feed a carefully scaffolded plan to ensure that each student fully reaches his or her potential in the summer examinations later this year. Our teaching staff are privileged to be able to give this level of care and attention to our pupils and look forward to discussing this further with parents at the Year 11 and 13 Parents’ Evening on 25 January.

Meanwhile, we are delighted with the number of University offers that are coming in by the day for our Year 13 students, and equally delighted to report we have our first confirmed Oxbridge entry. Well done to Grace!

New School Office Sign in System

We wanted to let you know that we have a new way of signing in visitors in operation from this term. This will apply to all parents when you are coming in for a meeting with a member of staff and will replace the old sign in book. In the main office, there is an iPad located at the side of the main reception desk. For any pre-arranged appointment, you will be able to check in by searching for your name on the iPad. The system will take your photo, then generate a printed name badge that will be given to you by the office staff in a lanyard. When you leave school, you will just need to use the system to sign out, before returning your name badge.The office team will be on hand to help you when you first need to use the system. We look forward to welcoming you soon.

With best wishes,

Dr James Raymond

Headmaster