What impressed Mr James Wragg, our in-house DofE lead even more, is that the candidates are already plotting their Silver expedition.  Now we have some strong paddling skills being developed by our canooists, Mr Wragg can already see our cunning plans for water based navigation work to develop at the next level.

For the other major summer sports of rowing and cricket, we wish the scullers every success at the National Schools Rowing champs, where we are definitely tipped by the national commentators to medal, and to the Year 8 cricketers who recommence our ‘Red ball’ touring down to North Devon over half-term after a 2 year break. Given that immediately after half-term on Wednesday 8 June*, Claires Court hosts the ISA regional athletics Championships at the Thames Valley stadium, with 40 schools taking part, and the winners there travelling up to Manchester on Monday 13 June for the National Athletics finals, it’s fair to say we have a full sporting season reaching its most competitive level.

Thank you to all of our Year 10 parents who made their way into schools for academic mentoring with their sons and form teachers on Tuesday and Wednesday. So much is achieved by including all parties in the collective coaching that enterprise causes, and with their first formal series of examinations taking place later after half-term, commencing 27 June, calming down any jitters is a key part of the prep!

Apologies once more to our loyal Year 9 parents who pitched up on Monday evening for our virtual webinar on the Higher Project Qualification, only to find (as we teachers did) that we were all in our own Virtual space alone. Mr Richard's webinar presentation (all on his own) was recorded and can be requested via the school office. 

And finally, as Year 9 roll over into the start of their GCSEs after half-term, and other roll-overs happen elsewhere in the school in the space created by Year 11 and 13 now fully engaged in their public exams, we make small changes to some teaching allocations to make ‘roll-over’ work, and parents with children in any groups affected have received a separate note from school.

Enjoy the half-term one and all, and I join perhaps with so many others in wishing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the best of health for the 4 days of festivities to come. The grounds team has been working hard to tame the grass growing around our amazing Queen’s Jubilee canopy planted this winter, and we look forward to showing it off in all its glory to you on the occasion of our Summer fete on Saturday 25 June. We will of course be inviting HM EII along, but I suspect her schedule is a little busy already to squeeze this in - but please do make a date in your diary, because most of the secondary year groups have some kind of plan for engagement that day.

Mr Wilding