Message From The Headmaster
It has been incredibly uplifting for us to start to get more pupils back into school this week. The Year 10 and Lower Sixth have had a really good first week back and many thanks to all parents for your support, not least with transporting your children to and from school in the absence of the buses.
Following my letter to parents last week, I have been delighted to receive feedback and speak to parents and pupils about diversity, inclusion and equality at the College. Many thanks indeed to all those who have given their time to share their ideas and thoughts on this with me. We have completed initial curriculum and pastoral audits and will be sharing our plans in this area fully with parents and pupils at the start of next term.
Today would normally have seen the end of the GCSE and A-level examination period; it was a rather surreal experience sending our forecasts to the examination boards last week and we very much hope the pupils achieve the grades they deserve. However, it was a real treat to watch the Virtual Summer Art, Photography and Design Show yesterday with the stunning exam pieces from our students. As I write, we are really looking forward to our “live” Year 11 Thanksgiving Service tonight for pupils and parents and the Upper Sixth Leavers’ Service next week.
A reminder that all lessons (either in school or at home) will finish at breaktime on Friday 3 July. Pupils will then have an extended tutor period followed by a “live” whole school on-line assembly at 11.30am to which we will also invite parents. The Trinity term ends after the assembly around noon.
As we approach the end of term (and dare I say the summer holidays?), thoughts are now turning to the start of the new academic year in September. We started our planning for this some time ago; Covid-19 will not be gone by then, but we are all hoping and expecting that the government guidelines for schools will be much more flexible than at present. We are planning our timetable based around a variety of social distancing requirements and have a number of projects planned on the campus to ensure we can maximise the number of pupils who can be on site at any one time. We are also going to build on the opportunities that greater IT usage and skills, developed during home learning, will provide for teaching and learning when we are back in school. We will, of course, keep you updated on this over the weeks ahead.
Looking ahead to the start of the Michaelmas Term. We were considering bringing the exam years back slightly earlier, but given the great progress that current Year 10 and Lower Sixth have made this term and the amount of work we will need to do to get the school ready for fully re-opening in September, we have now decided against this.
Key dates in August are as follows:
- Thursday 13 August - A-level Results Day
- Tuesday 18 August - Date reserved for Sixth Form Leavers’ Ball at Warwick House*
- Thursday 20 August - GCSE Results Day
- Monday 24 August - Date reserved for the Year 11 Prom at Coombe Abbey*
- Tuesday 25 August - New Staff Induction
- Wednesday 26 August - Staff Training Day
- Thursday 27 August - Staff Training Day
- Friday 28 August - Year 7 and Lower Sixth Induction Day, plus staff training
- Monday 31 August - Bank Holiday
- Tuesday 1 September - Beginning of Michaelmas Term for all year groups.
* Please note that both the Year 11 Prom and Sixth Form Leavers’ Ball will depend upon current government restrictions being lifted, but please save the date.
With all best wishes to you and your families.
Ed Hester