Although a shorter week in school, it has been a busy one. Amongst other things, on Monday all of Year 7 were trained through the Restart a Heart programme on how to resuscitate and use a defibrillator. We have had STEM visits to the Williams Formula 1 team base in Grove. We have had plenty of fixtures against other schools, with some good wins. And we have had House assemblies, reflecting on the start of the year and harnessing the spirit of participation which runs through our House system.  We also look forward to the visit to Sorrento over half term which promises to be a great experience for everyone involved.

All in all, this reflects the vibrant life of our school. It is this which I have described to prospective families who might be considering joining our school during tours and open evenings over recent weeks. We have walked around our school in which young people thrive – great teaching and learning, excellent behaviour, strong relationships and mutual support and an overall spirit and atmosphere which is a pleasure to be a part of. Our teachers will spend Thursday and Friday reflecting on teaching and learning, further developing their practice, listening and learning and considering innovation and improvements. These are important days and form the bedrock on which our excellent results are based. For students it is time for a well-deserved break after a busy start to the year and we look forward to seeing them after the half-term holiday and embracing the new term ahead.