We are almost at the mid-point of the academic year and, in school, things always roll on as we keep moving and look towards the future.

Our Year 13 students are taking their mock exams this week and next, and they are working incredibly hard. They are very focused on their futures and it has been a pleasure to read their UCAS applications over the past few months. I have read every personal statement submitted and each is of course unique in its own way but they are similar in the shared sense of aspiration, relentless optimism and passion for the subjects which they wish to study. The offers from universities have rolled in from Oxford and Cambridge, from Aberdeen to Exeter and a whole lot of places in-between. This has been great and we are also working very hard to support those students who are not applying to university with the plans for their futures.

For Year 11 it has been all about Sixth Form and college interviews over the past few weeks, and again the ambitions and aspirations of these young people have been a joy to listen to. Some are very set on what they want to do with their lives, a great many others less sure but that is absolutely fine – what sticks with me is how lucky we are as adults to work with such mature, reflective students as they consider their future pathways.

On Wednesday we held our Key Stage 4 Options Evening for our Year 9 students and it was a real pleasure to see them engaging in presentations and discussions about subjects they would like to study at GCSE and BTEC level. As ever, it is about keeping options open and choosing subjects which you enjoy, and both points were emphasized on the evening.

In other news, it has been great this week to see the photos and hear about our French Exchange visit to Grenoble, including a fascinating visit to the city of Lyon. We were also delighted to welcome The Happy Puzzle Company to school on Wednesday to work with all of our Year 8 students and we are very grateful to the Merchant Taylors’ Company for supporting this opportunity. And House events continue today with the final of one of the most popular events of the year – the now legendary House Remote Control Car Competition.