The end of term is always a great celebration of the school year. This week has seen a fantastic music concert with the widest range of instruments and pieces we have seen in years, followed by a brilliant dance showcase last night. The art department also held a brilliant exhibition of fine art, 3-D design, graphic art and photography.

Alongside these showcases of creative talent, our Sixth Form students have been focusing on their next career steps. On Wednesday, all of our Year 12 students completed practice interviews and presentations with a range of visiting adult professionals, from a host of different industries and backgrounds.

Sadly, the one thing that made a small dent in our week was the washed out Sports Day for Years 9 and 10. The heavy rain overnight on Monday meant that the grass banks students sit on were waterlogged, and when during the day heavy rain also swept in, it meant that our decision was - sadly - the right one. Mr Feenan, our Head of Year 10 as well as being a passionate PE teacher, is considering ways we can do something additional in Year 11 to fill this gap.

Week two of the ten-day attendance challenge

Congratulations to the hundreds of students who have attended every day this week. At the end of next Friday we will run our prize draw for all students that have attended every day over the fortnight… and then extend it into the two enrichment days on Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd July for a bonus ball draw! Please ensure that your child keeps the great attendance going.

GCSE Pathways shared with pupils next week

Students in Year 8 and 9 have already submitted their preferences for next year’s GCSE subjects. We have now finished writing the 2024-25 timetable and so can confirm those pathways. Students can see which subjects they have been allocated by logging into Frog and clicking 'GCSE Pathways’. In the vast majority of cases, we have been able to deliver students’ first preferences. If you would like to discuss the pathways further, then please contact your child’s year team. While there are limits on what we can do to change subjects, do contact your child’s year teams to let us know if you have any concerns.

Students of the week

Our congratulations go to our stars of the week listed below for maintaining their commitment, focus and sense of drive. Well done to everyone!

Year 7	Year 8	Year 9	Year 10	Year 12
Mathuson	tbc	Jeremiah	Jessica	Zayan / Bartosz

Uniform reminder

As I wrote last week, I am very proud of how smart our students look day to day in school. As you begin to prepare for the next school year, please check our school website page here that outlines our expectations.

I wish all members of Year 12 good luck with their work experience placements. I hope they all gain much from the wide variety of placements they will experience. 

Wishing you all a happy and restful weekend.

Mr N House, Headteacher