It was great to see so many of you at the Year 11s Parents' Evening on Thursday. It was a very positive evening with staff providing advice regarding the students' current grades and what they need to be doing in order to hit their targets next summer. There's no time to lose for the students as they need to make every effort to be fully prepared for the rigours of the GCSEs. There are fewer than 100 schools days left before the exams start so I would encourage parents to sit down with their sons and daughters and discuss the best ways that they can support them through this time. It is crucial that they work hard at home to supplement the work that they are doing in school, both during the school day and at revision sessions that run after 3.05pm. Having a place at home where they can work quietly is vital. Whether this is in a bedroom, kitchen or living room it just needs to be a place where they can have all of their books, files and revision notes as well as their revision timetable handy to maximise their time. This evening we are delighted to be hosting the annual Schools' Parliamentary Debate. This is a prestigious event where the schools from the local area come together in competition for the magnificent Epping Forest Schools Parliamentary debating trophy. The reason that we are playing host results from the tremendous performance this time last year when Matthew Tinker and Doncho Atanassov were victorious. This year Roding Valley High School will be represented by Zoe Donnelly and Lorelei Booth, both from Year 11, and I've seen them working hard at lunchtimes and after school to prepare for the evening. It is always a fantastic event and the quality of the debating is always first rate. The evening will, as ever, be presided over by Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Rt Hon Eleanor Laing. I very much look forward to seeing our girls throw down the gauntlet to the opposition and I, along with the rest of the school, wish them every success. Finally I would like to pass on my congratulations to Maitland Sonny Warren (Year 11) and Raajveer Singh (Year 9) who were successful in the school elections last week for the Epping Forest Youth Council. This is a superb achievement for them both and I look forward to hearing about all the excellent work that they will do representing the young people in the area. I would also like to mention that Sam Copeman (Year 10) has also been voted on to the Council as an independent candidate. Have a lovely weekend. James Luck Headteacher
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