They have all now finished their exams and can begin the endless summer. They have worked so hard to get to this point; most of them have sat over 20 different exams during this period. Please do trust me when I say that these exams are far harder than the GCSEs we sat (and aced) when we were in school. The sheer volume of the content they have to remember and then apply is so impressive that I must take a moment to congratulate them on their efforts. We have organised a great prom for them next week and we look forward to welcoming the parents of Year 11 along to that event too. When I arrived at Claires Court I was very surprised to hear that parents attend the Year 11 prom, albeit only for an hour before they get ushered out. Like a lot of things here it is great and must not be taken for granted. I think this is a symbol of our combined efforts throughout the years and speaks to the family feel of our school. This one hour in the school calendar really is special and long may it continue. 

Our year 7s attended the 3 workshop ‘stop frame animation’ session on Tuesday and the feedback from this event was excellent. Many thanks to Mrs Ruddick who organised this event. I would also like to thank Mr Gravett for his hard work in preparing the Year 10s for their gruelling application process for Head Girl. The selection included a letter of application, a panel interview with the headteacher, shortlisting, a presentation to the whole school, a vote from staff and a vote from the students. It was so impressive seeing the young people really push themselves and speak so highly of the school and themselves. I would like to congratulate Ava Fisher and Anya Howard on their appointments. A special mention must go to Jennifer Voakes who will step into the new position of Inclusion and Diversity Student Lead. We are very proud of all the applicants for putting themselves out there and they have hopefully learned a lot form the process. 

Finally, I look forward to seeing you all at the Summer fete. I know it has been less than a year since Mrs O'Clee started the CCF but they have already become a highlight of the PTA events. The Human Fruit Machine from the fireworks event will be surpassed this Saturday at the fete. Human ‘Whack a Mole’ with laser taggers is perfectly humane (I promise) and I am confident it will be great fun too. See you all there!

Have a great weekend,

Mr Richards