Last week we welcomed back our students from the Easter break and it was great to see them all get back into the swing of things straight away. It is pleasing to see that the measures that we have brought in over the course of the year have had a positive effect and it is clear that we are heading in the right direction as a school. Behaviour in lessons has improved significantly and the number of Senior Leadership Team call-outs continues to decline. We are insisting that low level disruption is unacceptable at Roding Valley High School and we will continue to take this hard line with the students to ensure that all students have the best chance of making progress. Punctuality in the mornings has also improved dramatically and this means that the day starts on a positive for the vast majority of the students and gets them into good habits in preparing them for the workforce. Attendance remains high and this is a crucial factor in our drive to raise academic standards. There is such a close link between attendance and academic success so thank you all for your ongoing support with this. The site team were busy over the Easter break and the school is looking in excellent shape. The tarmac areas alongside the brook have been resurfaced and new lighting has been fitted throughout the old building. I am delighted with the way the school looks at present and I really want our students to take a pride in their school. As such our ongoing battle over litter will continue as there is no reason why any rubbish is dropped. This will be a focus for the rest of the year and those caught littering will be expected to complete some community oriented work as an effective sanction. Finally I would like to say a very large well done to four of our students who have achieved a remarkable victory. Leyla Ozkan 7Q, Anna Barker 7Q, Olivia Marks-Micheli 8U and Lucy Forsdyke 9X travelled to Pensacola, Florida as part of the Casablanca Cheerleading team. The competition was fierce but the girls ended up beating the Americans in their own back yard and unsurprisingly this has led to a great deal of interest in the team. The girls have been invited on to the One Show and there have been numerous newspaper articles and radio interviews. Very well done to all concerned and the fact that one of the coaches of the team is an ex-Roding Valley student really puts the icing on the cake. J Luck Headteacher Message from the Chair of Governors Following the Personnel and Finance Committee meeting on 15th April 2015, the Full Governing Body was asked to accept the budget for 2015/2016. Having heard the presentation we had no hesitation in giving our approval. In doing so it is clear that the school community is going to have to look to its own resources in future years. It is hoped that, following discussions with The Friends of Roding Valley High School, a letter will be sent to all parents in September 2015 with our views. It is likely to be a momentous year with the launch of the much wanted 6th form and we look forward to meeting the challenges we must face. Paul Wershof, Chair of Governors
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