HEADLINES
By James SaundersOPEN EVENING
Our annual open evening is just two weeks away. Given the current situation we have had to make a few changes but rest assured we will be operating our open evening as normal - albeit some subjects will be in different rooms. If you will be ferrying your children back and forth so that they may act as guides, we are very grateful. Open evening can sometimes be viewed as a bit of a game; trying to showcase the school from a certain perspective. The fact that we have so many learners acting as ambassadors gives me confidence that visitors to our school will be able to have an authentic view of what the school is about from the perspective of those that matter most: the learners.
I would also like to thank our community who have so resolutely promoted the school over the past few weeks. It has been heartening to read comments from parents to prospective new families, reassuring them not to worry about the current RAAC crisis, whilst endorsing the culture of the school and the education we provide.
The planets seem to have aligned for us as we are set to have our busiest open evening yet. Maybe it’s a combination of the positivity surrounding the school at the moment, our wonderful ofsted report and the lovely climate we showcase around school to visitors. Whatever it is, we are pleased that so many people appreciate our small family school. Tickets for the first two headteacher talks have completely sold out, however we have put on an additional third talk that is open to all to drop in - no tickets are needed for this talk at 7:30pm.
We also begin our tours next week - tours are the best way to get a look into the daily culture of the school. Tours are taking place at 9:00am and 10:30 am every day until half term. If those times are difficult then give us a call and we will sort something out for you.
C11 CAREERS EXHIBITION
At the other end of the school the C11 were focusing on their next steps post-Honywood. They attended the C11 careers exhibition this week. Thank you to Mr Ramsay for organising this event. We received a wonderful email from the organisers of the event:
“I just wanted to send a quick email to congratulate Honywood at the Braintree Career Fair today. The school stood out in terms of their smart appearance but also how polite and mature they were when discussing their futures. Myself and other staff noticed this above many other schools.“
Our learners spoke to the providers about career opportunities with real maturity and were a credit to the school. The event itself was very well organised; one of the best I have ever been to. It reminds me of when I used to lead a sixth form. A big part of that job was supporting learners with the next steps as they began to think about their careers. I remember when I used to attend such events I would often find learners from some schools to be very quiet and not as proactive as they could be at being forthcoming when approaching stands. That was not the case this week; our learners were confident, articulate and mature. I hope that it has given learners a great insight into their next steps post-Honywood.
GCSE RESULTS
The first few weeks of term are always really crucial in setting the tone, work ethic and expectations for the year ahead. After the six week holiday our learners and staff have really hit the ground running and we are in a good position to build on our successes of the last year. As I enter into my sixth full year at Honywood and reflect back on the last five I am filled with a great deal of positivity. That positivity comes from the support I have received from the community throughout the many challenges we have faced. After the last few weeks it really does feel like we can take on anything.
We have definitely been able to maintain our improvement journey over the last five years. Whilst nationally, the pandemic had an impact on results, we have still seen strong improvements. You may have recently heard about grade inflation taking place over the last few years as the exam boards have attempted to calibrate examination results. This year we are back to pre pandemic levels, therefore the 2023 results are most comparable to the 2019 data set. For us, it is a vindication that what we are doing is helping to push the school in the right direction. For families, I hope that it is validation that they made the right decision in choosing Honywood through such an exciting stage in its development journey.
I have been delighted to see improvements across the whole school and it was a real highlight of the year to receive such praise from Ofsted. There is so much more to a school than headline figures. We never aim to be an exam factory at any cost, however, I would like to share some headline figures with you to highlight the progress we have made over the last year.
Another key measure that we are judged on is the Progress 8 figure (P8) - this is the one they base league tables on. We don’t receive this figure until later this term, however, our estimates again show that we have continued to improve on this measure above the 2019 figure.
COMMUNITY POLICING
This week we have welcomed PC Andy Holmes into school as part of the local community safety patrols. PC Holmes will be available to talk to any learners who have concerns about things outside of school and will be able to offer support via a drop in service.
Have a lovely weekend.
James SaundersDue to demand, we have added another Headteacher presentation at 7.30. No need to book - please come along!
Honywood School supports the health and wellbeing of its learners and staff through an environment that engages learning and promotes healthy lifestyle choices. The school canteen plays an important role in achieving this.
Mrs Frid, our Catering Manager, and her team aim to offer a service to the school community by:
• Providing a range of homemade, nutritious, hygienically prepared food for the school community at a reasonable price.
• The canteen supports and reinforces the school curriculum regarding health and nutrition.
• The canteen provides a variety of foods including vegetarian and vegan options and gives careful consideration to allergies.
It is very important for all young people to eat a healthy, balanced diet and Honywood School takes this responsibility very seriously.
Dates for the Diary
Mon 25 Sept - 13 Oct C6 tours
Tues 26 Sept New C7 - Meet the LGL for parents/carers - 6pm-8pm
Thurs 5 Oct Open Evening
Fri 6 Oct Non Learner Day - staff only
Thurs 19 Oct - 20 Oct C7 Mersea Island - activity days
