Headteacher's Weekly Update

Dear Families,

How lovely it is to see the sunshine again after so many grey clouds and rain in recent weeks. At Aureus, we have had a particularly exciting week with Open Evening, Primary Visits and Tiny Yellow Ducks (read on to hear more). 

We were thrilled to welcome students from Ladygrove Park Primary, Willowcroft Community School, and Harwell Primary School for our Science Masterclasses. The young learners had a fantastic time exploring acids and alkalis, and they gained a valuable insight into lab safety - an essential foundation for their future experiments. Next week, they will be taking the next step by earning their Bunsen burner licences, which I know they are keen to achieve! 

Our Open Evening this week was a resounding success, and I would like to extend a massive thank you to all the staff and students who contribute to making it such a wonderful event. It was heartwarming to read through the feedback this morning, knowing that our message is resonating with prospective families. We are proud to be a small, inclusive and diverse school. One that celebrates differences while striving for academic success for every student. It was lovely to see so many families engaging with the activities set out by the team and leaving with big smiles. 

This week, I have also been involved in the national launch of the Smartphone-free Schools initiative. I am incredibly proud that our school is one of the pioneering schools leading the charge on removing the distractions that mobile phones can bring. It was an honour to share with other school leaders how we have implemented our phone-free policy, the challenges we have faced, and the solutions we’ve found. I would like to thank all the families who continue to support us in reducing digital distractions; together we are creating a better learning environment for our students. 

Finally, the ducks! To raise awareness for Young Minds, a charity with a focus on mental health for young people, we are encouraging everyone to wear something yellow alongside their normal school uniform on Monday 14th October. We will be asking for donations of £1, which will go towards this important cause. In addition, there will be a house competition running throughout the day to find 1000 tiny yellow ducks hidden around the school - some of which were sneakily hidden by our prospective families during the Open Evening! 

Thank you for your ongoing support, we look forward to sharing photos of the event next week. 

Kind regards,

Kirsty Rogers 
Headteacher