Principals Weekly Update

Year 11 & Year 13 PPE Results

Year 11 have now completed their PPE exams, as have Year 13, and all of their lessons this week, whether it’s RE, science, English, or their option subjects, are focused on diagnostic feedback.

Young people can sometimes become fixated on the grade or number they think they are going to get. But what really matters at this stage is the question-level analysis taking place in every subject. Teachers are going through each question, each mark, and helping students link their performance to the topics they understand well and the areas they need to strengthen.

Parents, all of this information will be shared with you at the upcoming parents’ evening, and it’s incredibly valuable. The same process is happening in Year 13. The most important part of these exams is not the grade, it’s the meaningful feedback students receive and what they choose to do with it. If they don’t act on that feedback, there will be no improvement between now and the summer.

So please do support your child in completing their independent practice at home, and encourage them to respond positively to their teachers, who are working extremely hard to prepare them for their final exams.

 

Religious Festivals in December

We are filming in RE this week because our assemblies have focused on two important festivals taking place in December, Advent and Hanukkah. In a moment, you will hear from a couple of our students who will be sharing what these festivals mean to them.

This theme also links strongly to safety and feeling safe in school, and I’ll explain why shortly.

 

Safety Events This Week

We have also carried out several safety events over the past few days, which I hope your child has spoken to you about.

On Tuesday, we ran a Shelter-In drill, which is what we would do if an intruder posing a danger were to enter the school site. With around 1,500 people in our community each day, my absolute priority as principal is to ensure everyone is safe. Drills like this help us prepare for situations we hope will never happen but must always be ready for.

The students responded brilliantly. I encourage you to speak with your child about not only what they should do in school during an emergency, but also how they can keep themselves safe outside of school in any situation.

On Wednesday, every student passed through our safety arch, something many long-standing parents will be familiar with. This acts as a deterrent to ensure no items are brought into school that could cause harm. Again, students were excellent, every single one completed the process by 8.45am.

This was followed by an important safety lesson during period one, where I visited several groups. The level of discussion was impressive and showed how well students understand their responsibility in keeping themselves, and others, safe.

Now, these events are quite serious, but safety in school is about much more than drills and procedures. It is also about belonging.

A truly safe school is one where every child feels they can bring their full, authentic self, whether that relates to their religion, culture, gender, identity or beliefs. That’s why assemblies and lessons on festivals, culture and diversity matter so much. When students feel seen, respected and valued, that is when our diverse school community thrives.

And I love learning about the traditions and celebrations that make up our community. When I see young people engaging positively with these themes, it reassures me that our commitment to inclusion is truly alive in the school.

 

Assembly Theme of the Week

Abdul – Year 10 Student
Festivals in December like Hanukkah and Advent are not just about traditions. They show us the importance of faith, kindness and community in action. By learning about these celebrations in RE, we gain a deeper understanding of different cultures and religions, which helps us appreciate the diversity in our school.

Taranjot – Year 10 Student
This week’s assembly is all about festivals in December. In RE we are learning about different religions and the traditions people follow, which helps us understand why these celebrations matter. Learning about festivals like these shows us how diverse our school community is and why it’s important to respect and celebrate each other’s beliefs.

 

Thank you, as always, for reading the blog.

I look forward to seeing you again, same time, same place, next week.