We seem to have been fortunate this week with the weather on Friday morning. Although there was a significant amount of snow along the M11 corridor in the early hours of the morning and across to Chelmsford, the Loughton area seems to have come through unscathed. As such we did not have to use our "Alternative Day" strategy but it is likely that with more inclement weather to come we need to be prepared. I would ask that all parents take note of the "Alternative Day" letter that has gone out and keep an eye on the school's website so that we can keep you updated as required. Hopefully we will not need to close the school as we do not want any interruptions to learning so as to ensure that all students may maximise their rate of progress. The Year 11s embark on their Pre-Public Examinations next week and I know that they have been working hard to prepare themselves. This will provide students with the valuable experience of sitting examinations under the same conditions that will prevail in the summer and they will be able to identify areas that they need to develop before the "real thing". A huge amount of work has gone into ensuring that students are fully aware of their current grade and their target grade in every subject. Regular conversations take place between staff and students to encourage all students to work hard and give themselves every chance of success. It also allows the identification of students that need extra support and this is put in place as a matter of urgency. The overall picture looks good and we are anticipating another year of success for the students and for the school. I hope and expect our GCSE outcomes to improve again on last year's record figures. This has been a week when the newspapers have been full of information about schools slipping backwards in terms of student achievement. I am delighted to say that this has not been the case with Roding Valley and we compare very favourably with our neighbouring schools. The Performance Tables that have been published this week make pleasing reading for the school and I would hope that further progress will be possible in the summer. I would like to thank all parents for their continued support and for helping to drive their sons and daughters to work hard and take their education seriously. All of the data available points to the fact that students who have parents who take a real interest in their child's education and check their progress regularly, achieve significantly higher outcomes than those whose parents do not get involved. I wish you all a very enjoyable weekend. Mr J Luck Headteacher
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