Footballers on a frozen pitch.A Happy New Year to all members of the school community. It has been a shortened week with a few bleary eyes on Wednesday morning but everyone soon picked up the pace and is back into the groove of the school routine. Uniform looks smart, lessons are purposeful and behaviour and conduct are excellent.

House activities kick on again at the start of term and the House matches which had to be postponed due to the frozen pitches in December are taking place next week. It is boys’ football and girls’ hockey (with the exception of Year 10 girls who are playing football) and they are on the following days:

Year 7: Thursday 12th, Periods 1 & 2

Year 8: Thursday 12th, Periods 3 & 4

Year 9: Wednesday 11th, Periods 5 & 6

Year 10: Monday 9th, Period 6 and Tuesday 10th, Period 6.

Year 11: Friday 13th, Periods 5 & 6

As ever, we look forward to high levels of participation and a keen sense of competition. The announcement of the current House standings in the whole school assembly on the final day of last term was a great moment but everything is still to play for as we approach the half-way point of the academic year. It’s wet, windy and pretty cold on the field and astroturf but these are some of the moments many of us always remember from school so roll on next week.