Principal's update - 9 October 2026

Dear families

What an exciting week it's been! Year 10 have enjoyed a trip to Dixons Cottingley, where they watched a touring production of Shakespeare's Julius Ceaser, performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Those students who participated in the music video we filmed a few weeks ago got to go and see it screened in the cinema. And today Year 11 headed off for an action-packed revision weekend, filled with focused workshops and fun outdoor activities.

Year 11 students continue to work incredibly hard, and their attitude to learning is something we are all very proud of. A reminder to all Year 11 parents that mock examinations begin immediately after the October half-term break, starting on Monday 2 November. Please encourage your child to keep on top of their revision over the break. We continue to remind students that "little and often" is the most effective approach.

To support students with their preparation, we have already hosted two excellent online evening revision sessions in English and Business Studies. The feedback from students has been extremely positive. Further sessions will take place on Tuesday 13 October for Mathematics and Thursday 15 October for History. Please encourage your child to attend. They both start at 7pm and students have already been sent the link to join. In addition, during the October holidays there will be two sessions in school from 9am -12pm on the first Tuesday and Thursday of the holidays. Students will learn in small groups in short, focused lessons. All GCSE subjects will be covered.

Next week is our final week before half term, and I would like to remind everyone about our attendance initiative. Every student, regardless of their current attendance, who achieves 100% attendance during next week and up to and including the final day of term will be entered into a prize draw to win a £50 voucher. We currently have 504 students who have maintained 100% attendance since the start of the academic year, which is close to 60% of the school, so there is no reason why everyone cannot achieve this for one week! This is a superb achievement and reflects the commitment and dedication of both our students and families. There will be one winner from each year group, but you've got to be in it to win it! Let's finish the term strongly and maintain our excellent attendance. Every lesson matters, and every day in school makes a difference to students' learning, achievement and future success. Thank you for your continued support in ensuring students attend school every day and are ready to learn.

We will also have our Flamingo Land trip, which is a reward for those students who had great attendance last year. I'm sure everyone will have a wonderful time. We will also have the Bayeaux Tapestry livestream, which is a great chance for our students to get a closer look at this rich part of our history. In addition, we will also be conducting reading tests with all of our Year 7 students. These tests are a vital chance for us to discover your child's current reading ability, which will inform what sort of support they need.

A reminder regarding the message shared last week about coats. As the weather becomes colder, students will be permitted to wear coats outdoors on school grounds, including in the Piazza and MUGA areas. This change will come into effect following the October half-term break. To ensure lessons begin promptly and positively, students must remove their coats before entering the building, including during line-up, so that they are ready to learn as soon as they arrive in class. This approach allows students to stay warm outdoors while maintaining a calm, purposeful start to every lesson.  Can I please take this opportunity to remind you of our policy relating to school trousers. Trousers should not be flared or have pockets on them, as shared in our uniform update at the end of the last Academic Year. May I also remind families that piercings are not permitted, this includes plastic retainers. If students are seen in incorrect uniform then we would challenge this. For more information regarding our uniform policy please visit our website here. 

Finally, do remember that our final day on Friday 16 October will be both a non-uniform day and a half day. Students will leave school at 12.30pm, with students on Free School Meals able to collect a lunch bag before leaving. 

Mr J Inman