NEWSLETTER 16th October 2015
LETTER FROM THE HEAD Dear Parents As we reach the end of the first half term of the academic year, I look back with satisfaction when I consider all the activity around the school over the last seven weeks. The school has been characterised by an energy and purpose both in and out of the classroom, and the girls are all deserving of their two week holiday so they can recharge before the seven weeks of school that take us to Christmas; a half term that is packed full of activity! This week a group of pupils from Years 10 to 12 were accompanied by Mrs Forshaw and Mr Vickery to Oxford University for a day. This was an opportunity for them to get a brief taste of life at the university and to meet some of its students. Three of our rd nd st old girls; Emma Lipczynski, Katie Tomsett and Amanda Pearce (who are in their 3 , 2 and 1 years respectively) were able to give the group an excellent picture of life at Oxford and, no doubt, much food for thought. With a large number of our current Year 13 applying to Oxford and Cambridge this year, it was good to see a real sense of enthusiasm amongst this group of younger pupils. Whilst talking about Year 13 I have been delighted to see offers from Russell Group universities such as Bristol and Warwick beginning to come in - this augurs very well for the rest of the applications which are being submitted as they are completed by the girls. Parents of Year 12 and 13 girls will be able to access their Interim Reports via the SIMS Learning Gateway later today. These short reports will provide a really valuable progress check after just over 6 weeks of teaching. In some cases these reports will highlight the need for the girls to redouble their efforts as they adjust to the more independent nature of study at A Level, and I trust that advice given and targets set at this stage will lead to sustained and impressive progress over the rest of the term. Parents of Year 7 pupils will receive the targets for their daughters which have been generated with the help of the MidYIS th baseline tests taken by the girls a few weeks ago. An information meeting will be held on Tuesday 10 November where Mr Pickering, my Assistant Head, will explain the assessment, tracking and reporting system. Yesterday afternoon I hosted the termly Governors meeting where we discussed in detail our strategic plan to take the school forward to 2018. A lot of work has been done over the last five years to develop the school both in terms of curriculum and physical environment, and we look forward to continuing this work in the years to come. As a school with solid financial foundations we can look forward to continued substantial investment to enable exciting new projects to enhance the learning experience for our girls. This half term holiday presents an opportunity for a trips and excursions to happen before the weather turns for the winter and we have two groups abroad as I write this letter; one group is studying the fabulous art and architecture that can be found in Florence and another is honing its Spanish speaking skills in Cordoba. In addition, the Gold Duke of Edinburgh group is heading off to the Peak District for their expedition - we wish them luck as they undertake what is a very challenging walking and camping experience! I will be in school for the first week of the holiday having meetings with a variety of contractors who will be working on the pavilion project which we hope to start during November. th
During the first week back after half term will be hosting our Sixth Form Open Evening on Wednesday 4 November. This event will allow us to showcase the very special nature of the education on offer in Years 12 and 13 - the unique combination of quality teaching and pastoral care which gives our girls such an advantage in the university admissions process and beyond in the world of work. We have a Sixth Form here that I am very proud of and I am looking forward to discussing the variety of options which we can offer to girls, both from our own Year 11, and those who will be attending from other schools. You will have received a letter from Mr Pickering last week inviting applications for scholarships and I would encourage you to consider the variety of scholarship opportunities available (Academic, Art, Drama, Music or Sport). At my meeting with the PTA this week, the committee agreed to make a series of purchases of premium items for the school to enhance the girls’ experience, and plans were made to continue to develop the fund raising work of the PTA, including planning for the Winter Fair at the beginning of December. The PTA is now in need of a Treasurer. It is not a particularly onerous task just requiring the keeping of a log of income and expenditure and the presentation of a termly financial summary. If any parent feels that they can fulfil this role please do contact either myself of the Chair of the PTA, Lesley Lipczynski.