Dear parents,
It has been an excellent start to the term, and I could not be more pleased with the way pupils have settled back into school life. Smiles, energy and enthusiasm have been the hallmarks of these first couple of weeks, and it already feels as though the community is in full swing.
Traffic
Traffic problems at the start and end of the school day caused by the nearby road closures are proving a challenge for us all, and we have communicated our concerns to the council. Your patience and support here is much appreciated, and we would encourage you to walk or cycle if you are able.
Events
Highlights for me this week have included Monday’s Lower Fifth (Year 9) induction – complete with inflatable assault courses in the sports hall and our Lower Sixth (Year 12) enjoyed a great social evening with pizza and bowling on Wednesday. My sincere thanks to all the staff who helped make these events such a success.
It was a pleasure, too, to meet so many parents at our informal “Meet the Head” events – thank you for coming along and for your warm conversations.
Sport
It was inspiring to see hundreds of pupils involved in sport at our festival of rugby last weekend alongside busy hockey and netball fixtures for the girls. Particular congratulations go to the U16A hockey team for their superb National Cup win. Wednesday’s clubs and societies fair was another highlight – you can view pictures here. The sheer range of opportunities available is remarkable, and I do hope that every pupil has signed up for something that excites them. Thank you once again to colleagues for their hard work in running so many of these activities, and especially to our wonderful grounds team, whose efforts make the site such a beautiful place to be each day.
Trips
Beyond the classroom, the cultural life of the school is thriving. This week saw trips for our GCSE and A level dramatists to the theatre, and a small number of Lower Fifth (Year 9) took part in the Spoken Word! at Budleigh Literary Festival. Casting for Grease is now complete, and I am already looking forward to what promises to be a fantastic production.
Uniform and phones
Uniform has generally been looking very smart; thank you again for your support with this. And this week we have also been reminding pupils in Third Form to Upper Fifth (Years 7–11) that their phones must be kept in lockers during the school day, so that everyone can enjoy a distraction-free environment for learning.
Upcoming events
Looking ahead, this weekend brings our first block fixture of the season, as well as residential trips: Third Form (Year 7) to Heatree and our Middle Fifth (Year 10) artists to St Ives. We are hoping for kind weather – with just enough dramatic skies to inspire some wonderful compositions. On Thursday, from 5.30 pm, I am looking forward to welcoming our Upper Fifth (Year 11) pupils and their families to the sixth form centre for drinks, nibbles, and an informative talk from Mr Chu. It’s an ideal opportunity to begin to get to know our excellent sixth form facilities, and pupils will be pleased to hear there will even be bacon butties! Please let us know if you can attend using the form on MSP.
A reminder that our open morning takes place on Saturday 27 September. For this, we are expecting all pupils in sixth form, Fourth Form (Year 8) and Lower Fifth (Year 9) to attend to help out, with pupils in other year groups very welcome to join us too. To support activities in the junior school, pupils in Lower Two (Year 5) and Upper Two (Year 6) will be involved.
All in all, it has been a happy, purposeful and positive few weeks. Thank you, as always, for your support in helping to make our community such a vibrant place for young people to grow and thrive.
