Another busy week in school started off on Monday with the Year 7s taking part in a Shakespeare Day. It was certainly a hectic day with the students being involved with workshops and performance in recognition of the 400th anniversary of the death of the Bard. It was great to see the staff and students throwing themselves into the activities and it was tremendous way to celebrate the impact that Shakespeare has had on the English Language and literature as a whole. I would very much like to thank Miss Bates for working so hard to organise such a superb event but also all of the English teachers who helped make the day such a success. It was also great to see our Sixth Formers taking part in their Life Support Training this week. Being in Year 12 isn't just about studying hard for AS Levels, there are lots of opportunities to gain experience in a range of activities. We are well aware that many of our Sixth Formers will be applying for universities in the autumn and it is crucial that they are able to show a breadth of interests and experiences in their personal statements. I would like to say a big well done to all of those that took part and thank the Fire Service for coming in and making the day so positive. Roding Valley is a safer place for us all thanks to their efforts. In this column over the last few months I have mentioned our Year 7 boys rugby team on several occasions as they have had an impressive year. With this in mind I would like to congratulate the Bancrofts RFC Under 12s who reached the final of the Essex County Cup for the third year on the trot. The reason I'm including this is that nine of the team hail from Roding Valley High School so it's fantastic to see them doing so well in a such a tough competition. They beat strong sides from Southend, Billericay, Chingford and Chelmsford in the pool and then edged past Rochford in the semi final. It was all down to the final and unfortunately they came up against a very strong Old Brentwood side who had pipped them in previous finals. Very well done to all the boys concerned and I hope that this group can go on to represent the school with distinction on the rugby field for years to come. I very much hope that you all enjoy the long Bank Holiday weekend but do spare a thought for our Year 11s who will sit their first GCSE examination proper on the Tuesday we return to school. Very best of luck to them all. They certainly deserve to do well as a reflection of all of their hard work. James Luck Headteacher
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