Headlines By James Saunders 11th June 2021
Excellence as Standard
‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit’ - Aristotle It has been a week of reconnecting and refocusing. We hit the ground with real energy and purpose on Monday as we began the September timetable. Walking around the school I have been impressed with the work ethic on display from all cohorts in every lesson I have been in. Year 8’s have made a real impression. They have had a real change in curriculum diet and have embraced many new subjects for the first time. When we made the decision to roll the timetable early it was with the learners in mind. With so much focus on catch-up we have used this time to inject impetus into the final part of the year and reignite learning so that our learners do not fall into the summer lull. It has been hard work for staff to complete the demands of the C11 grading and assessment process in preparation to begin the next push but I know that each and every learner will benefit from this final leg of the summer term and the academic year. The plan is that everyone will return in September with real purpose and direction. Prior to half term I spoke about the fourth of our core values, excellence. This week I have been meeting with staff to reconnect us with our vision and values and development priorities for the following year ahead of talking to learners. I used the expression ‘excellence as standard’ to underpin what we are aiming to achieve through our priorities. We will continue to live through our values of Trust, Respect, Equity and Excellence. We will continue to use our six capitals (Moral, Social, Cultural, Knowledge, Organisational, Professional) to frame what we think is important about education, and we will continue to develop the following key priorities: 1. Leadership of the curriculum Cascading our Capitals 2. Curriculum Planning Plan for challenge and knowledge 3. Teaching and Learning Providing challenge, modelling excellence and ensuring equity
In a week of refocusing and reconnecting, it has been great to finally get more people together in the hall albeit not quite a full assembly yet. It was a real joy to present the Ambassador ties to the newest role models in school - our C10 Ambassadors. I spoke to them about the idea of making a difference and serving others - being deliberately altruistic. And of course, striving for excellence. Have a great weekend, it looks like a hot one. James Saunders Warm weather ahead Please ensure that learners are prepared for the changing weather. It looks like it will be warming up next week and it is getting hotter in classes. Therefore please ensure that learners are coming in with plenty of water to keep themselves hydrated throughout the day.
Thank a Teacher Day
As we head into the final few weeks of term, make sure you’re prepared for Thank a Teacher Day on 23rd June! To get involved, enter one of the #HowWillYouSayThankYou competitions or send a free thank you card to someone who deserves it http:// thankateacher.co.uk Thanks To: Lead Learners Beth Chapman and Jake Ring for supporting a visit from Great Bradfords Junior School and touring the school with the visiting learners. Congratulations To all of our newly appointed C10 Ambassadors (see next page)