editor's comment

A year has passed since the first issue and in that year Orley Farm has been awarded a Silver Status in School Mental Health, please take the time to read the article kindly written by Ms Gentles which talks about the award but more immortally what they as a school are doing to create a positive environment.

One thing Orley seems to be an expert in is instilling confidence in its students and you can see this in abundance on the stage – many of you may have taken part in some wonderful productions and Showcase events. There is a part for everyone – I recall one year my son was a tree – but a very confident tree!

I’ve also enjoyed over the years watching my children play in various sports teams and the roller-coaster of emotions that come with it as a parent. So, it fills me with great pride to see how well the sports teams at Orley have performed this year – I can sense the pride the parents would be feeling! Another comical recollection of a typical maths lesson by Jamie, you can see how the story will unfold but the way it does is something else – you can just imagine sitting in that classroom.

With all the confidence you would forgive a child if they lost themselves but through various activities, they are grounded by what goes on in their local community and how they can make a positive impact and the school enables this.

With all of this, the end of term concerts brought joy – literally performing pieces by Mozart and Beethoven. I now know the main piece for the summer concert and I can’t wait to hear it!

Zoolab - What a wonderful opportunity to connect with creatures who share our planet – greater knowledge might just deepen our appreciation for what we have and how to maintain it! It was lovely watching the faces of children interacting with a host of very different animals Regardless of age, everyone took something from the visit