Headteacher’s Update
Dear Parents
Another week has passed with this week’s assembly theme being around Excellence, the quote “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm” is one that has been used this week in our assemblies. There are very few of us that have managed to progress through life without having knock-backs. However making sure we bounce back and try again is absolutely key to being successful. We encourage students to take risks, try something and if they don’t do well, then to try again.
The great basketballer Michael Jordan once said “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed”. There cannot be a clearer message than this about success.
We gave our Year 7 students iPads last week, and now all students in Year 7-10 have ipads. We also reminded students of some do’s and don’t about their iPad-
Do:
- Charge it when you get home every day
- Connect to your home Wi-Fi (this allows it to update!)
- Keep it in its case at all times
- Store it safely in your bag, away from water bottles
- Clean the screen gently
- Use it on a flat surface, like the desk, especially when writing
- Ensure you bring your charged stylus to school every day
Don’t:
- Leave it on the floor (including in your bag!), where it could be accidentally stood on
- Walk around site with it in your hands, unless you are going to see AIT
- Throw, drop or swing it around
- Have food or drink around your iPad
Store with water bottles in your bag
With best wishes
Mr S Greiff
Welcome Year 7!
Well done on such a positive start to your new school. You have done brilliantly.
Please remember that for next week Year 7 will have a slightly earlier break, slightly earlier lunch and a slightly earlier end to the day. This will help Year 7 continue to adjust to life at a new school.
- Year 7 break time will start at 10:35am (5 minutes earlier than everyone else)
- Year 7 lunchtime will start at 12:30pm (10 minutes earlier than everyone else)
- Year 7 will finish the school day at 3pm (5 minutes earlier than everyone else)
At all point teaching staff will walk out with Year 7 and stay with them until duty staff arrive for break / lunch. At the end of the school day, teaching staff will walk Year 7 to the front of school.
Wet Weather
Please ensure you send your child to school with an appropriate coat when the weather is forecast as wet. On Thursday we had a large number of students arrive to school in rain without coats meaning they were wet for the start of the day.
With this, we will always strive to keep students out at break and lunch time. Students therefore need a coat in the event of rain. We will call a wet break / lunch if rain is heavy but we do aim to keep students outside whenever we can.
Many thanks for your help with this.
Bikes
Please ensure students ride to and from school safely. We advise that students should be wearing a helmet.
Students must not ride across the car park. They should dismount their bikes at the front of school and walk the bikes onto site via the pedestrian gate at the front of school (right side as you look at school). Many thanks for reinforcing this with students.
Year 8 – Take Your Teenager to Work Day
We have emailed all parents / carers about an exciting opportunity called Take Your Teenager to Work day. This will be on Friday 19th September and only involves Year 8. Please see the email that should have come directly to you. We will talk to the students about this next week.
There will be another opportunity for another year group later in the year and we then hope to make this an annual event so all students can benefit from it as they move through the school.
School Production – Matilda the Musical
Rehearsals have started for our School Show 2025 – Matilda the Musical. The full read through on Wednesday was absolutely magical.
The performance dates are Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th December 2025.
Rehearsals are on Wednesdays and Fridays after school. Students wishing to perform need to attend on both days.
Exam Success
A huge well done to the following students who passed exams in the summer term.
Isla – Violin Diploma with Merit
Kirsten – Grade 5 Flute with Merit
Felipe – Grade 2 Piano with Distinction
Zara – Grade 7 Speech and Drama with Distinction
Please do get in touch if your child has recently passed a music or drama performance examination. We love to hear about their successes.
Study Centre
We are pleased to share that the first week back has been very successful. Students have thoroughly enjoyed making use of the Study Centre and are already settling into positive routines.
To help ensure the space remains supportive and productive for everyone, we have shared a set of housekeeping rules and expectations with students. These cover respectful use of the facilities, maintaining a focused learning environment, and taking responsibility for keeping the Study Centre tidy.
We appreciate your support in reinforcing these expectations at home so that students can continue to make the most of this valuable resource.
Art Catch-Up Club
Students are welcome to make improvements and develop their art work this year at Art and Design Catch-Up Club on Thursday’s Lunches in DTA4. Students can eat their lunch and access a range of media and resources to refine their art work.
