HEADTEACHER'S MESSAGE

MATT HILLIER

Welcome to our summer term newsletter

We are extremely grateful for your continued support and would like to say a huge thank you to staff who have continued to deliver exceptional lessons and learning opportunities beyond the curriculum as well. We now have the summer break to recharge and prepare for a new academic year When the school closes, the site will be a hive of activity as this is the best time to make changes and improvements where we can and prepare for the return of staff and students in September

The end of an academic year is a time to celebrate the successes of Year 11 and all that has happened over the year Year 11 were absolutely fantastic in the formal examinations, and we look forward to seeing them collect their GCSE results in school on August 24 I have no doubt they are well prepared for college next year Our entire Year 10 cohort were able to attend Varndean Sixth Form College on our city-wide transition day in addition to the many other college open events, so they will be ready to make their college choices early next term. As well as their work experience during enrichment week, the careers provision is very strong here at Stringer and I’m pleased that students get to know about the full range of opportunities on offer

In amongst the academic successes, Stringer continues to provide exceptional opportunities in sport, music, art and drama as well as other areas. Students have been successful for Sussex, England and Wales and we are extremely proud of the participation and team ethic of our PE department. A huge thank you goes out to all the parents who support the clubs and local teams in so many ways, and we must also thank Mr Corrigan and his team for putting in additional hours before and after school Mr Corrigan is moving on to an Assistant Headteacher role in another school in the city next year and his promotion is well deserved; we wish him well. Congratulations to Mr Gill who will be stepping into his shoes here at Stringer, and we know the department will continue to offer great opportunities in inclusive as well as competitive sport I am sure they will be looking forward to inter-school competitions!

In another Head of Department change, we are sad to say goodbye to Suzanne Flint, who has been a mainstay in the music department for over 20 years but is now retiring from teaching and moving on to another career. All those who have been taught by her will know how patient and supportive she has been with all those learning Music, and this year our Spring concert showcased the musical talents of our young people We look forward to seeing Suzanne at the Christmas concert in December, and I have no doubt that the Music department will continue to thrive at Stringer as we welcome our new Head of Music, Mr Reeve, next academic year.

We wish all the best to those staff who are moving on to new pastures and thank them being part of the Stringer community We look forward to staying in touch Huge thanks as well to all staff involved with putting on our wonderful school productions and the host of visits and trips to engage and enthuse students in their creative talents. Our staff are a talented bunch, and we are grateful to all those who are here early or late, or who commit to spending time away from home, to support the students in all these opportunities Trips and extra-curricular clubs and events really do help students build confidence as well as memories, helping them fulfil their potential

I hope you all have an enjoyable and restful summer holiday and I look forward to welcoming you back in September.

Stringer Library has continued its transformation this term! An Instagram account was set up for parents and students to follow, which includes Book of the Week, all new releases, and promotions of popular collections we have available. We also have a new library system which has modernised the way students can access the library. From September, the library webpage will be launched, allowing students to peruse our vast collections online, write reviews and even use our ‘click and collect’ service. New year 7 students will have an induction on how to use the library and the new system, which will be rolled out to all year groups throughout next year.

We celebrated Pride month with a new collection of LGBTQ+ fiction for students to borrow and we updated our very popular graphic novels section, thanks to some generous donations from Stringer parents…keep them coming!

Finally, we launched our first crowdfunding project to raise funds for a cosy book nook in our library. We hope having this calm, tranquil and dedicated reading area will inspire more students to read and promote its importance to mental health and wellbeing. Students will not have to wait long for the completion of the book nook, as the incredible generosity of the Stringer community has meant that we surpassed our target within one week of the project’s launch! Thank you to all those who supported us!

This year's Lower School production was an ensemble performance of Dennis Potter's Blue Remembered Hills.

Set in The Forest of Dean in the middle of WW11, the play centres around a day-in-the-life of a group of seven-year-olds as they play, hunt and fight for acceptance.

Fair John, brutal Peter, sensitive Raymond, playful Willy, manipulative Angela, tough Audrey and poor old Donald Duck teach us that childhood, far from an ideal, happy time, can be fraught with the same challenges and fears as adulthood.

The production was performed over a weekend and two school days to appreciative audiences of parents, carers and the whole of Year 7. Thank you to everyone who came to watch, and to our Drama department for putting together a great performance.

Most importantly, congratulations to the cast on their creative performances and hard work in rehearsal.

We loved the play. It was moving and clever and the standard of acting was really high. It was lovely to watch it in the woods, too. Well done all involved! My son loved being part of it.

I thought the play was wonderful. The setting, the costumes, the music, the inventive staging which allowed all students to get involved, all of it was super successful. The standard of the performances was incredibly high, the students all seemed very engaged and enthusiastic. My daughter had such fun during both the rehearsals and throughout the production.

What a great setting for this play in the school woods. It set the tone perfectly. All the actors were compelling to watch. I loved the way they hid within the trees and foliage and sprung into action on cue to “Run rabbit run“ to act out their particular scene with such conviction. What a talented group of young people who worked so well together.

I was lucky enough to grab the last seat at Saturday morning's performance of Blue Remembered Hills. The Stringer woods provided a magical backdrop for this thought-provoking portrayal of Denis Potter's play. The committed ensemble of young actors took us on a journey through the jubilant and sometimes brutal energies of childhood. Huge congratulations to everyone involved.

Staged in a small glade in the woods at the back of the school on a perfect spring morning to the sound of live birdsong, the setting for year seven and eight’s production of Blue Remembered Hills, perfectly evoked the atmosphere of the English countryside that we all hold in our memories Each scene was performed by a different set of actors playing the same parts. The device of freezing the performers at the end of their section, to have their positions taken by the next set, allowed for a flow for the story to be told seamlessly. The level of energy and enthusiasm that each of the players put into their parts was clear and infectious. They were having a good time and so were we. Each was given their moment in the sun (both literally and metaphorically) and every single one took their opportunity to shine, yet they all were working in harmony with one another, as any ensemble should. It was simply lovely. Thank you.

I was lucky enough to grab the last seat at Saturday morning's performance of Blue Remembered Hills. The Stringer woods provided a magical backdrop for this thought-provoking portrayal of Denis Potter's play. The committed ensemble of young actors took us on a journey through the jubilant and sometimes brutal energies of childhood. Huge congratulations to everyone involved.

One of our favourite things about the Summer term is that we have the opportunity to take our Year 7 students to Dolawen!

We’ve had such a great time with the students this year, and a number of our staff who have been on many Dolawen trips have remarked that this year has been their favourite yet. Not only were the students willing to get involved in everything, challenge themselves and have a great time, but we were also blessed with some beautiful weather. This meant that in addition to the usual climbing, mountain walking, and gorge walking, we also had the opportunity to get some groups to the beach and take advantage of the sunshine. Relationships were strengthened, new bonds formed, comfort zones exceeded, and much fun was had!

Thank you to all the staff who came along on the trips. Getting so many students to Dolawen and back is no mean feat and we couldn’t do it without you.

We were also lucky enough to have a film crew with us on one of the trips - they’re currently busy editing the footage together to create a short video that we’re excited to share with you all next year. In the meantime, take a look at some photos of this year’s trips below!