19 April 2024
19 April 2024
Dear Parents
Welcome to the Summer Term! There is so much to look forward to over the course of the next eleven weeks including sports days, musical and drama performances, sports tournaments, work experience for Year 10, educational trips and residential trips, art exhibitions and proms, to name a few. We are all raring to go after the lovely Easter break and are looking forward to delivering all our pupils an epic term of teaching, learning and enrichment!
Year 10 Geography Trip to Iceland
Mrs Turner and the Geography team headed off on their second adventure to Iceland during the last week of the Easter holidays. They had an amazing time exploring the breathtakingly beautiful natural wonders of the country, including waterfalls, coastal scenery, glaciers, volcanos and geothermal lagoons. To coin Mrs Turner’s phrase, Iceland is ‘Geography paradise’ and Year 10 embraced every minute of this action-packed trip. Please click here for some of the photos.
Y6 France Pre-Departure Meeting
We are so incredibly fortunate to be able to offer so many of our pupils such wonderful residential trips across the course of the academic year, and the Summer Term is packed full of them! We welcomed Year 6 parents into school on Wednesday morning to run through the details of their eagerly anticipated trip to France later in the term. The pupils are so excited and can’t wait to put into practice all they have learned in Monsieur Delvenne’s French lessons. We look forward to updating you with all the details on their return.
Careers Day at RAF Benson
As part of our careers program, a selection of Year 8 and 9 girls had the opportunity to attend a STEM-focused careers day hosted by RAF Benson. The theme was 'If you can see if you can be it'. The day was filled with fun activities and inspiring speakers including: the RAF parachute team; a paralympic athlete; the most decorated RAF pilot and a woman who rowed the Atlantic singlehandedly. The students were made to feel incredibly welcome and were challenged to 'bridge the dream gap', not letting obstacles and self-doubt stop them from achieving their dreams and goals. The whole day was a real joy and the students returned to school buzzing with the possibilities they can consider.
Staff triumph in Staff v Pupils Founders’ Day hockey!
Today we saw the return of the eagerly anticipated staff versus pupils Founders’ Day hockey match! Though the staff claimed an initial lead, the pupils retaliated with remarkable skill, resulting in an electrifying game that really put the staff team through their paces. The entire school community witnessed an exemplary display of expertise from all our pupils on the pitch, in a high-spirited and very competitive match! It was lovely to see the pupils cheering on their peers, as they capably demonstrated sportsmanship and hockey ability that was nothing short of outstanding. Eventually, the staff emerged victorious, with a 5-2 score. They are now looking forward to going home to recuperate over the weekend!
UCAS
On Wednesday, Year 12 students had the opportunity to explore their future prospects at a UCAS Discovery Day held at Winchester University. This event brought together over 100 university representatives and apprenticeship providers, offering a unique chance for students to network and gather valuable information for their post-secondary education journey. Our Year 12 relished engaging with the various providers, discussing course course offerings, campus life, admission requirements, and the various career outcomes associated with different fields of study. It was a really exciting and worthwhile day, as students visualise their future and look forward to next steps.
Meanwhile, Year 13 are working hard in the countdown to the A level examinations that start in just under three weeks, as are Year 11 ahead of their GCSEs. They have all impressed staff with their levels of focus and resilience, and I am sure you will all join me in wishing them the very best of luck.
Have a lovely weekend!
With best wishes
Dr James Raymond
Head