Good afternoon all. Another rainy week where I wonder when the sun is coming but there is much to celebrate in school. It was lovely walking in this morning and being greeted by members of the gardening club, working the beds outside of the maths department. They were bemoaning the lack of sun for their plants, but I did remind them that at least there was no need for watering at the moment!

GCSE and A Levels

It’s exam season again. We find ourselves back with the sports hall set out for exams, ready to start in earnest from Monday. I really hope that our students go well and start their first few papers positively, feeling a sense of success. If the examples of students I see in school preparing are any indication (students in Year 11 attending school before and after lessons, students in Year 13 focused in their study area) then I have every confidence this will be a good year for our young people.

I think you all know my mixed feelings about exams. Where they are a chance to show off skills and knowledge gained over several years, practiced regularly with students developing their confidence exams can be good. Indeed, exams can be a time to show off what students have achieved. However, it is also true that there is a life beyond exams and the world offers a range of ways for us all to be successful. The most important thing over the coming month is that students feel confident and proud of their efforts, and the rest will take care of itself.  

Students of the week 

Congratulations to all those students listed below for maintaining their commitment, focus and sense of drive - well done to all. 

• Year 7 - Bobby
• Year 8 - Puvikganth
• Year 9 - Celine
• Year 10 - Shahnaz
• Year 11 - Demi
• Sixth Form - Dena/Jennifer

The kitchen garden is flourishing

Despite the lack of sun we have started to have our first season of produce from our kitchen gardens. This week our salad bar was stocked with spring onions & radishes from our own gardens, and the lettuces are very near to being picked. There is something very wholesome about these natural processes providing food for our plates in school and I’d like to thank the kitchen staff that have set this up, making a small reduction in the amount of food being delivered in lorries to our school.

Wishing you all lovely weekends, and to those with students studying for exams, urge them to chunk their study time into blocks, alternating with walking outdoors and socialising with family and friends. The next month can be intense but handled well can be highly productive. And before we know it we’ll be into prom season!

Kind regards,

Mr House