Headteacher’s letter 22.3.24
22nd March 2024
Dear families,
With Easter fast approaching and Ramadan well under way for our Muslim community, this is a time for prayers and family gatherings. At school, the second half of the Lent Term has been extremely busy. Our new building housing the science department has opened, the Year 9 options process is underway, Year 11 completed their mock examinations and there have been a number of trips including to see behind the scenes at ABBA Voyage. In addition, as we approach the start of the summer term, our Year 11 and 13 students will soon be taking their examinations. This is a time for focus and hard work to ensure the success that our students so thoroughly deserve.
Examinations – Years 11 + 13
Guiding and supporting students in preparing for their exams is a high priority for us. It is essential that our GCSE and A level students engage in serious revision and preparation for the forthcoming examinations over the holiday period. It is said that good exam results are made in the Easter holidays.
Students must plan to work for seven hours a day most days of the Easter break – they should treat each day as a workday. This may seem a lot, but the students who get the best grades will be working this hard and some exams take place in early May. If you work for 14 days, that will be about 100 hours of revision. For example, in GCSE modern languages you are going to learn vocabulary and grammar. It is best to spend 30-plus minutes on this every day, coming back to the same words again and again. The GCSE speaking exams take place immediately after the Easter break.
We hope that full advantage will be taken over Easter to engage in a full revision programme and to use the various support sessions that are running in school. The key message now is to make the remaining time count and to use time productively.
Revision guidance can be found on the school website HERE together with a blank revision planner which students can download and use HERE.
Please note that exam boards have included contingency sessions on the afternoons of 6th, 13th and all day on 26th June. These days would be used in the unlikely event that exams had to be moved because they could not take place when planned. Please be aware that your child could be required to sit exams on these days.
RACC update
You will be aware that while the 4th floor of the school building remains out of use, we have procured temporary classrooms through the Department for Education (DfE). The temporary classrooms have been handed over to the school and have been in use for all Science lessons from Monday 4th March. Mitigation works are also underway in the library and should be completed by the end of March. Work will then proceed in the ADT workshops.
In the meantime, we have been advised that the school has been selected for inclusion in the ‘Schools Rebuilding Programme’ (SRP). The programme is a government funded project which aims to carry out major rebuilding and refurbishment to schools across England over the next 10 years. Priority is given to those in poor condition and with structural issues such as RAAC. The DfE plans to let all schools know by the end of Summer 2024 which phase they fall in. When this information is released, a timeline will be put in place. We will, of course, keep you informed of all developments.
Parent Guide
We are aware that as a large school parents and carers can find it challenging getting to grips with how the school works day to day or knowing whom to contact. booklet is available for download from the school website outlining the main systems used in the school as well as key contacts such as Heads of Year. The guide can be downloaded HERE. Please pay particular attention to guidance on our school uniform which can also be found HERE.
Uniform
All students are expected to dress in full school uniform at all times on the premises. The uniform associates students with the high standards of work conduct and dress we set them. I would like to remind you that we check the uniform of all students on the gate and at tutor time. Students who come to school dressed incorrectly may, if there is no adequate reason, be sent home to change or parents contacted to bring in the correct items. For full details of the school’s uniform policy, please visit the website HERE.
Turing Scheme
Trips took place earlier this term to Delhi, India and Taipei, Taiwan during which students visited partner schools and were able to learn about these countries. Next term we have two further trips with one to Guernica in northern Spain and in the summer, students will visit Mumbai, India. This projects would not be possible without funding provided to our school from the Turing Scheme and we hope to work with the organisation again to provide further opportunities to our students.
End of Spring Term Arrangements
School will close for the Easter break on Thursday 28th March. Arrangements for the 28th are as follows:
Periods 1 + 2: Normal lessons
11.00am: Students return to their form room for tutorial time
11.15am: From 11.15am onwards the students will be dismissed by their Head of Year
It is anticipated that all students will have left the school premises by 11.45am. Full uniform must be worn as normal.
Students eligible for free school meals are able to order a packed lunch form their form tutor by Monday 25th March. These will be distributed to students during form time at 11.00am on Thursday 28th March.
Please note that students will return to school on Monday 15th April. This will be a week 2.
I would like to wish a blessed Easter to all, and to those fasting during this holy month I wish you Ramadan Kareem.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Woods
Headteacher