HEADLINES
By James Saunders
WELCOME BACK
“If you accomplish something good with hard work, the labour passes quickly, but the good endures. If you do something shameful in pursuit of pleasure, the pleasure passes quickly but the shame endures.”
Gaius Musonius Rufus
The first couple of weeks of term are always important ones. After the long summer holiday both learners and staff often find it hard to get back into gear. I am pleased to say that everyone has embraced the first full week of their timetable with focus and enthusiasm, ready to reflect on the prior year’s performance and embrace the challenges ahead required to succeed. After welcoming our newest cohort of year seven learners I have been continuing to welcome the rest over the course of the week.
More so than ever it is crucial that learners balance the ability to endure, with the pursuit of enjoyment. Learning should be hard. It should challenge us to think. It takes discipline to not succumb to the temptations and distractions that surround us. Perfecting the art of listening and being present in the moment is vital within the learning environment - both in school and at home.
At Honywood we continue to place relationships at the heart of learning. Effective relationships lead to psychological safety and security, which in turn ensures the creation of a climate conducive to learning. By understanding our learners as individuals we are able to support them when things get tough so that when they reach the end of the journey and they look back on all they have enjoyed, as well as endured, they are truly happy and successful. Our Core Values (Trust, Respect, Equity and Excellence) and Capitals (Moral, Social, Cultural, Knowledge and Professional) remain at the heart of what we are trying to achieve.
We are all really looking forward to the year ahead. We have entered this term on the back of an improved set of exam results that have validated the improvement work we have been doing over the last five years. We were very pleased with the performance of our outgoing learners in the summer; each one faced their own individual challenges. These results build on the success of the last five years and are a real testament to the hard work of the staff. A real highlight was our improvement in grades 7, 8 and 9. Challenge has been a key focus for us over the last few years so these results are particularly pleasing and validate the work we have done. Improving a school year on year is always a tough task, however, that is what we have all been able to achieve with your support.
I shall leave you this week with some highlights from my assemblies to cohorts 10 and 11. The focus was most definitely on maintaining a positive mindset and, in the words of Sir David Brailsford, marginal gainshis key to olympic cycling success.
My recurring theme was ‘...if not now, when?’ and ‘... if not you, who?’. I talked about the forgetting curve and the need to revisit and review learning regularly. It won’t surprise you that revision featured heavily.
All learning matters but for those at the sharp end of their studies the proximity of their terminal exams brings urgency firmly into sight. Success will ultimately come from learners owning their journey and taking actions now because ‘...if not now, when?’ and ‘...if not them, who?’.
I posed the question, What if….
… you had no time left!
… you were more responsible for your results?
… your behaviour limits your results?
… you could motivate yourself?
… you enjoyed the extra effort?
… you engaged more in class?
… you worked by yourself without prompting.
“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” Mohammad Ali
I wish you well this weekend
RESPECT CODE & UNIFORM
James Saunders
https://hbr.org/2014/07/the-cost-of-continuouslychecking-email
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2005/ apr/22/money.workandcareers
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/mindsbusiness/even-small-distractions-derail-productivity. html
I am sharing this with you so that you are able to support us in maintaining an effective culture of communication and a healthy use of email that supports wellbeing. Whilst we appreciate that both learners and parents may find that the best time to email teachers is the evening or during the weekend, it should be understood that they will not be expected to reply until the following school day. We also feel it is unfair to learners if teachers are emailing them well into the evening - our IS policy also supports this. We thank you in advance for your support with this.
Your can read our communication protocol on the school website here: Honywood Communication Protocol
I would like to thank all our learners and families for such a great start to the term. Uniform and behaviour has been excellent. I would like to thank parents and learners that have embraced these expectations. Learners looked incredibly smart as they arrived for school and teachers have commented to me about there being an atmosphere of purposeful learning in the classroom. I have certainly seen this for myself on my daily walks around the school. Popping into lessons to see the school in action is a real pleasure and I can honestly say every lesson I have been into has been an absolute joy.
BREAKFAST SERVICE
We are currently providing a breakfast service in the morning to support families with the current pressure on the cost of living. This is in the form of cereal, toast and juice and is available free to learners from 8:15am - 8:45am every day in the main hall.
EMAIL ETIQUETTE
Each year I share information with staff around managing email and not letting it take over their life. The following articles are of use to everyonelearners, parents, the community and staff:
Please remember there is NO access to the school site via the bus turning circle if you are walking into school/getting the public bus/getting dropped off by parents/carers. The only pedestrian access point is at the front of the school on Westfield Drive.
C7 families - please make your payment on Parentpay for the Mersea day trip taking place on the 27th September.
C11 Geography learners - please make sure you make your payment for the field studies trip taking place on the 19th September.
Dates for the Diary
Thurs 19 Sept C11 Geography Field Trip
Mon 23 Sept - Fri 4 Oct C6 Tours
Tues 24 Sept
C7 - Meet the LGL - 6pm
Wed 25 Sept C11 Careers Fayre
Fri 27 Sept - Sat 28 Sept Portsmouth Warship Visit
Fri 27 Sept
Tues 1 Oct
Thurs 3 Oct
Fri 4 Oct
C7 Visit to Mersea Outdoors
Thorpe Park Attendance Reward Trip
Open Evening from 5.30pm
Non Learner Day - Staff only in school