What a journey it has been; their last full year in school was Year 8! It was clear they have come so far; finishing their time with us as a strong cohesive group. There was not a dry eye in the house when they all sang ‘Slipping through my fingers’ by ABBA, so ably led by Charlie Mercer. Mr Weispieser put together a fantastic poem to celebrate each and every one of them and there were awards and speeches from the leadership team.

Of the many highlights was the duet of Dido (Mr Gravett) and Eminem (Mr Wespieser) singing their version of Stan. There was such a lovely atmosphere in the hall throughout. I would like to thank all Year 11 parents for coming along but especially Ms Ruddick and Mr Gravett who put together such a fantastic celebration assembly with such a unique Claires Court feel to it; I remain very proud of what we are building here. 

 Year 11 exams have begun and they have been coming out of the hall full of excitement. Our staff have prepared them very well for these examinations and I would like to wish them the best of luck for the rest of the exam season. 

 I would like to give a special mention to our Year 9 students who took part in the DofE assessment weekend. They all passed with flying colours; they benefited from some fantastic weather Friday evening into Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. There were two students who stood out and won special awards from the assessors: Lauren Kruger - For her continuous positive, happy attitude and supporting her teammates and Charlotte Williamson - For her positivity, determination and "getting it done with a smile" attitude. We are so proud of you, well done. 

 Finally, our rowing department has gone from strength to strength recently and it has been a delight to see the sport grow in popularity among our students. They train exceptionally hard, in all weather, all light conditions and at some ungodly times of day. They have reaped the benefits this weekend, winning every race they entered in the Maidenhead Regatta. The next big challenge will be the National Schools event and then the big target is the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in July. 

 A final call for any and all interested in the Summer Ball - please contact Mr. Wilding (jtw@clairescourt.net) for more information and to get yourself on a table; we are all friends in the Claires Court community, so everyone is welcome. 

 Have a good weekend. 

Mr Richards