HEADTEACHER'S MESSAGE

MATT HILLIER

Dear Parents, Carers, Staff, Governors and Students

Welcome to our Spring term Stringer Press. I very much hope that you will enjoy reading this publication over the Easter break. It pulls together the busy aspects of both work and enjoyment that occur on a daily basis here at Stringer. The last three months since Christmas have passed rapidly with students engaging in a huge amount of learning and a plethora of extra-curricular activities as well.

One of the most pleasing aspects of this term has been seeing parents and carers back in school for Options and parents’ evenings, as well as our Quiz night, held in support of our fundraising efforts for the school. In these underfunded times, it’s crucial that we look to maximise any additional income that can be used to support our students in the wider curriculum. The Quiz night was a joyous affair, ending with an edge-of-the-seat tie-break, and the evening led to almost £2,000 being raised towards a muchneeded new school minibus. We use our minibuses on a daily basis to ferry students to fixtures as well as for fieldwork and trips, so we really need to ensure their future use. Your support with our fundraising is much appreciated, and there is further information about our fundraising on our website: https://dorothy-stringer.co.uk/fundraising/. You can volunteer to be part of our parent fundraising team by emailing communications@dorothy-stringer.co.uk.

Last term we were really pleased to receive a donation organised by a parent through their work with a large multinational organisation. This donation was very much tied in with supporting STEM work and I’m pleased to see the DT department have used this to purchase a 3d printer. The students in Year 11 could really see their work coming to life and I know future engineers will be fully supported over the coming years with this new equipment.

Spring is often about new beginnings and for one of our staff, this Easter brings fresh opportunities as they retire after thirty years at Dorothy Stringer. Mr Furini has been a mainstay of both the English department, the pastoral team and of course, the senior leadership team over the course of his tenure. He leaves a lasting legacy of not only supporting thousands of young people through the school, but the legendary Italy trip, which I know so many have enjoyed over the years. We wish him well for his retirement and thank him for his dedication and service to Stringer.

I wish you all a safe and happy Easter break. I do hope those on the ski trip have a fantastic time and come back with memories to cherish for a lifetime, and that Year 11 students will have some time to relax with family and friends as well as preparing for their upcoming formal examinations. We look forward to welcoming all students back into school on Monday 17 April for tutor time at 8.40am.

Kind regards

Matt Hillier Headteacher