Headteacher's Weekly Update
Dear Families,
I can’t quite believe that we are already in October. The first few weeks of the academic year seem to have flown by, and it has been another lovely week in school. There is a real sense that everyone has settled into the rhythm of the new year, and it has been wonderful to see our classrooms full of purposeful learning, enthusiasm and hard work.
Our staff have continued to focus carefully on the quality of teaching and learning across the school. This year, we have launched a new approach to professional development, designed to give our teachers regular opportunities to reflect on and further develop their classroom practice. One of the real privileges of my role as Headteacher is spending time in lessons, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conducting lesson development meetings and observations with colleagues. These give me valuable insight into learning across the school and, most importantly, provide opportunities for thoughtful professional conversations about how we can continue to make teaching even better for our students. I have been incredibly proud of the commitment our staff show to continually developing their practice.
This week also saw many of our staff refresh their first aid training. While perhaps not the most visible aspect of school life, this is an enormously important part of ensuring that our school is a safe and well-prepared environment. I am very grateful to colleagues for undertaking this training and for the many different ways in which our staff contribute to the care and wellbeing of our young people each day.
Beyond the classroom, our students have also enjoyed some excellent opportunities this week. Ms King accompanied a group of students on a careers visit to Milton Park. We are fortunate to have such a significant centre of employment and innovation right on our doorstep, and visits such as this help our students to make valuable connections between their education now and the possibilities available to them in the future. Experiencing local workplaces and exploring different career pathways can really help young people to broaden their horizons and begin to imagine where their own interests and passions might take them.
Finally, our Year 7 students took part in Restart a Heart Day. Opportunities such as this are a valuable part of preparing young people for life beyond the classroom, helping them to understand how important it is to know what to do when someone needs help. It was lovely to see our youngest students engaging with such an important area of learning and considering the part each of us can play in looking after others.
Wishing our students, families and staff a restful and enjoyable weekend.
Ms Kirsty Rogers
Headteacher
Term dates up to 2028 can be found on our school website.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Early School Closure 1:05pm | 08/10/26 |
| Open Evening 4:30pm - 7:30pm (No need to book, just come along on the day) | 08/10/26 |
| Deadline for ordering Year 7 photos | 10/10/26 |
| Open Morning | 12/09/26 |
| Open Morning | 13/09/26 |
| Ada Lovelace Trip Year 8 & Year 9 | 13/09/26 |
| Open Morning | 14/09/26 |
| Meet the Coach - All year Groups | 15/10/26 |
| GLF INSET Day - School Closed | 16/10/26 |
| Beauty & The Beast production rehearsal | 17/09/26 |
| Beauty & The Beast production rehearsal | 18/09/26 |
| INSET Day - School Closed | 22/10/26 |
| INSET Day - School Closed - End of Term | 23/10/26 |
| Whole school return | 02/11/26 |
Current Personal Development Time Clubs
| Clubs | Year Groups | Teacher | Day and Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast Club | All Years | Miss Ellaway - Canteen | Weekdays 08:00 |
| Homework Club | All Years | Miss Street - Library | Weekdays after school |
| DT Club | All Years | Mr Butler - NG01 | Monday 13:00 |
| Contemporary Dance Club | Year 7 - 9 | Ms King - Dance Studio | Monday 13:00 |
| Indoor Football | Year 7 | Mr Hayden - Sports Hall | Monday 13:00 |
| Crochet Club | All Years | Miss Morgado - E203 | Monday 13:00 |
| Girls' Gym Club | All Years | Mr Shorter - Gym | Monday after school |
| DT Club | All Years | Mr Butler - NG01 | Tuesday 13:00 |
| Lunchtime Geek Club - Starting 22.09.26 | All Years | Miss Green - N204 | Tuesday 13:00 |
| Indoor Football | Year 8 | Mr Haydon - Sports Hall | Tuesday 13:00 |
| Dance Club | Year 9 | Ms King - Dance Studio | Tuesday 13:00 |
| Boys' Gym Club | All Years | Mr Shorter - Gym | Tuesday after school |
| Girls Football Club | All Years | Mr Hayden - Sports Hall | Tuesday after school |
| Dodgeball | Y7 - 9 | Mr Hayden - Sports Hall | Tuesday after school |
| After School Geek Club - Starting 22.09.26 | Year 7- 10 | Miss Green - N204 | Tuesday after school |
| Magic the Gathering | All Years | Mr Baker - E209 | Tuesday after school |
| Beauty and the Beast rehearsals | Cast Only | Ms King | Tuesday after school |
| Dance Ballet Technique | Years 7 - 11 | Ms King - Dance Studio | Wednesday 13:00 |
| Homework and Coding Club | All years | Mrs Green - N204 | Wednesday 13:00 |
| Netball | All Years | Mr Hayden - Sports Hall | Wednesday 13:00 |
| Silver DofE Support | Year 10 | Mr Hayden - Sports Hall | Wednesday 13:00 |
| Debate Club | All Years | Miss Nicholls - S102 | Wednesday after school |
| Beauty and the Beast rehearsals | Cast Only | Ms King - Dance Studio | Wednesday after school |
| Running Club/Cross Country | All Years | Mr Hayden - Sports Hall | Wednesday after school |
| Badminton | All Years | Mr Hayden - Sports Hall | Wednesday after school |
| Science Club | Year 7 - 8 | Mrs Poulton - E204 | Wednesday after school |
| GCSE Dance Rehearsals | Years 9 - 11 | Ms King - Dance Studio | Thursday 13:00 |
| Indoor Football | Year 9 | Mr Hayden - Sports Hall | Thursday 13:00 |
| DofE Mapping Support Session | Year 9 - 10 | Mr Hayden - Sports Hall | Thursday 13:00 |
| Drama Club | All Years | Ms Zeelie - Drama Studio | Thursday after school |
| Football Fridays Football Podcast | All Years | Mr Allison - N104 | Friday 13:00 |
| Indoor Football | Year 10 - 11 | Mr Hayden - Sports Hall | Friday 13:00 |
| Jazz Dance Club | Years 7 - 9 | Ms King - Dance studio | Friday 13:00 |
| Coach to 5K - starting 25.09.26 | All Years | Mr Shorter - Gym | Friday after school |
Current House Competitions
In response to families asking to see things students can get involved in, please see below the current house competitions:
| Faculty | Competition | When |
|---|---|---|
| English | Halloween Poetry Competition - Spooky Stanzas, Horrifying Haikus & Viscious Verses | 07/10/26 |
| PE | The Plank Challenge - Yr7 - Beat the Burn 1:05pm in the Hall | 05/10/26 |
| PE | The Plank Challenge - Yr8 - Beat the Burn 1:05pm in the Hall | 06/10/26 |
| PE | The Plank Challenge - Y9 - Beat the Burn 1:05pm in the Hall | 07/10/26 |
| PE | The Plank Challenge - Y10 & Y11 - Beat the Burn 1:05pm in the Hall | 08/10/26 |
| PE | The Plank Challeneg - Beat the Burn 1:05pm in the Hall FINALS | 09/10/26 |
