Message from the Headmistress
What an odd week we have had with no school on Monday, (and what a super wet Bank Holiday Monday it was!)
I will host a Parents Forum Q&A session over Zoom on Friday 21st May – further details of the time and a link to join will be provided in communications next week. This is a platform for any parent to come along to discuss things of general interest to the school, both Juniors and Seniors.
I would be keen to delve into a few ideas about our Prize Giving Celebrations following my recent survey (if you’ve not already completed the quick questionnaire, please do so here). I will also be able to answer any specific questions from Year 11 parents on Teacher Assessed Grades for GCSEs and how any end of term plans are coming along for these pupils. The promised communication about this is on hold until we have spoken to the senior staff next week.
This week we held what we hope will be our final Virtual Open Day – and we had some very interested parents in attendance. We are busy planning our future events in the hope that these will be able to take place ‘live’. We are also eagerly awaiting the confirmation that mask-wearing in classrooms may go soon…
At the end of next week, further supplies of Lateral Flow Tests will be sent home with pupils. Please ensure these are done every 3-5 days. If nothing else, they act as a reminder of the continued threat of coronavirus to public health and assist in identifying those who may be carrying a high viral load while not experiencing symptoms. We are getting much more confident that the situation is easing, but one look at the news from other parts of the world acts as a stark reminder of where we were and where, if we get complacent, we could return. School is, however, functioning almost normally with the risk mitigations in place and it is odd how these adaptations have become second nature to us now.
Parents who collect pupils from school may have noticed the appearance of a new green bike shed outside Senior School, which has been long promised. This is to encourage those who are old enough and for whom it is safe, to cycle to school. There will be guidance notes for safe cycling published shortly and a requirement for pupils and parents to sign a statement to give permission, but briefly, bikes should be left in the store, with a chain/lock supplied by the pupil to secure it. The responsibility for locking will remain with the pupil and as such property is stored at their risk. Pupils should wear appropriate helmets and have working brakes and lights.
I remind parents that they should not be texting other pupils in the school. If there are any problems with friendships or unkindnesses, please let the school know, so we can investigate and help resolve any issues.
I hope our Duke of Edinburgh’s Award pupils have a good expedition training weekend, and that the sun shines on them.
And I wish you all a happy weekend doing fun things.
Mrs Hutley
Headmistress
Message from the Head of Juniors
Dear Parents,
It was lovely to have the extra day at the weekend and, despite the weather, I hope you enjoyed Bank Holiday Monday.
The week, we have welcomed Mr Goodhead back and said goodbye and thank you to Mrs Atherton. We held another virtual Open Day on Wednesday which was a great success.
Next week, Mrs Wand will be delivering some special assemblies on Internet Safety and these will be followed up with additional lessons in class. This is such an important topic and will consolidate the work we covered earlier in the year.
The week before half term is our annual testing week for Key Stage 2. The week prior to this will be Revision Week and during this time, the children will be very well prepared for these tests, learning valuable revision techniques. More details from Form Teachers will follow.
The week’s Stars of the Week can be viewed here.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Wright
Head of Juniors