It has been a busy start to life at Wallingford School for our Year 7 students with a huge range of activities to experience and become involved with. It was great to see them experience the new “Freshers’ Fair” last Friday which our Sixth Form student leaders organised so that they could get a feel for all of the clubs and activities which are on offer. What has been even better is seeing them head off to such a variety of clubs and activities each lunchtime and their infectious enthusiasm to participate and give things a go.

Their thirst for new experiences has not ended there. On Wednesday they all experienced the Restart a Heart workshop, which provides them with 30 minutes basic training in CPR techniques. The approach and attitude from every single Year 7 student to acquiring these new life skills were absolutely first-class and this was commented on by the team who were training them – very well done to all. It has been an intense seven weeks for them but they have made a brilliant start to life at secondary school – and will very much deserve the half-term holiday break when they get there!

October is Black History Month and this week and next sees some very thought-provoking and informative assemblies – as ever, I won’t give anything else away about assemblies but please do ask at home.

Finally, as families are aware, on Tuesday our school came together to pay our respects to a much-loved member of our school community who has very sadly passed away following a long illness. The sadness was palpable but the care and emotions shared by all for each other were, and are, deeply felt and will be remembered.