Newsletter 23.01.2026

Headteacher’s Update

Dear Families

These past weeks have been incredible and full of exciting opportunities for our students.

Our recent ski trip has been a tremendous success, offering students the opportunity to build confidence and resilience. These experiences outside the classroom are crucial in developing well-rounded individuals who can challenge themselves and grow in many different ways including self-confidence and resilience.

We also welcomed Zoolab to school, bringing an extraordinary array of creatures that captivated our students. Imagine the excitement as groups encountered tarantulas, cockroaches, and snakes! Some of our students were braver than me, and were able to handle these, demonstrating real curiosity and, once again, resilience.

For our Year 11 students, we’ve introduced a targeted support programme with Maximise Your Potential. They were in school again this week to equip Year 11 with essential revision skills and to boost their confidence as they approach their second round of Pre-Public Examinations (PPEs). We’ll be following this up during tutor times in the coming weeks, supporting them as they enter this critical final stretch of their academic journey.  There is a lot for students to manage right now, and we support them in school with this.

I also want to address an important matter regarding mobile phones. You will have seen from the national press that the Government has recently updated guidance, emphasising that schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default. Mobile phones are distracting for students, and they create a wealth of problems for schools, hence the Government amending their guidance on January 19^th. The guidance is clear on what is expected by our Government “All schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default; anything other than this should be by exception only.” We will be carefully reviewing this guidance over the coming weeks. In the meantime, our current policy remains clear: mobile phones must be switched off and stored in bags.  It is the fact that some students do not seem able to do this that is leading to this revised guidance on a national level that I have a responsibility to implement at school level.  Therefore I ask for your support in talking to your child about being responsible and sensible. We have also noticed an increase in mobile phone confiscations recently and kindly request parental support with this.  Again Government guidance is really explicit with this, “Parents should also be encouraged to reinforce and discuss the policy at home as appropriate, including the risks associated with mobile phone use and the benefits of a mobile phone-free environment. Where parents need to contact their child during the school day, they should be directed to the school office, where staff should be aware of the school’s policy on relaying messages and facilitating contact.”

If urgent communication is necessary, please contact the school office, where staff will handle message relay appropriately, contacting directly undermines our school policy and blurs the lines for the young people.   Our behaviour policy will be enacted as a result of any mobile phone use in school, regardless of who is being contacted/making contact.

We appreciate your continued partnership in maintaining a focused learning environment where your child can flourish.