They made popular Ukrainian favourites, vareniki; these scrummy bites are similar to Gyoza or Pierogi, a half moon shaped dumpling pocket stuffed with potato and farm cheese. They are a traditional culinary delight in Ukraine where there is even an annual festival in their honour and our students certainly presented a very tempting plate of food. ‘Smachnoho’ or 'I wish your food to taste good for you...'

I have been enjoying my 1:1 sessions with Year 12 students this week, spending time discussing their post 18 options including university and apprenticeship routes. I am immensely proud of those who have clearly invested time and energy on researching courses and apprenticeship providers, and it is such a pleasure to hear about their many and varied aspirations. Some students are already on the second and third drafts of their personal statements and my experienced team of tutors is working with them to ensure they are irresistible to university admissions teams and employers.

Year 13s have been answering my exit questionnaire and including top tips for the Year 12s. These include the wise advice to ‘Ask for help, not just from teachers but from people in your class' and 'Just enjoy being there because the 2 years feels like 2 minutes - it goes so quickly!!!' and, 'Work hard for you!' Also, they suggest, ‘The best thing you can do is to keep practising exam questions and get them marked - read the feedback and re-do them.’ And a really practical suggestion: ‘Use study periods efficiently!' Year 13 students are now in full on exam mode - I am sure you are rooting for them too!

Enjoy the weekend and all the street parties, bunting, scones, cream, jam and fizz next week as we celebrate and honour ‘Sweet Lillibet’.

Mrs Rogers