Dear Parents/Carers,
As we reach the final day of the autumn term, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on what has been a busy and productive few months. Impressively, students have already completed nearly 40% of the academic year!
Our Year 11 students have had an outstanding term. They’ve worked diligently on their BTEC components, which contribute to their final grades, and have shown resilience during the recent mock exams. This week, they participated in a session with Educational Psychologist Dr. Van Der Spoel, who shared valuable strategies for exam preparation and revision. Feedback from the session has been overwhelmingly positive, and we plan to invite Dr. Van Der Spoel back for further sessions in the near future.
As we approach Christmas, we’ve enjoyed a range of festive activities to celebrate students’ hard work. Our Advent Attendance Rewards concluded today, with lucky winners receiving Christmas hampers. On Monday evening, there was a fantastic #TeamRushden effort supporting the Rushden Round Table’s Sleigh Run, raising money for local charities. Additionally, we held Christmas parties throughout the week to recognise excellent attendance and positive behaviour, alongside our half-termly attendance prize draw.
For those students who didn’t win this term, there will be more chances next term to get involved in these celebrations by maintaining strong attendance and demonstrating #TeamRushden values.
This year’s school panto was a resounding success! The performances by staff and students were phenomenal, and it was heartwarming to see so many parents, students, and staff—both past and present—joining us for the event. Thank you for your tremendous support.
We are incredibly proud of our students working towards their Rushden Starr badges and ties. Today, we celebrated their achievements during rewards assemblies, and I look forward to holding a special event next term to celebrate their continued dedication. I look forward to seeing students wearing their badges and ties with pride when we return in January.
A quick reminder: school reopens on Monday, 6th January 2025. As we return, we will reboot our uniform expectations. This is something that we will now continue to do at the start of each half term. Please ensure students return to school wearing the correct uniform. For those needing support, we have a stock of spare uniforms available to assist.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support. It is a privilege to lead such an amazing school with a dedicated team of staff who go above and beyond for our community.
We would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We hope you enjoy quality time with loved ones, and look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2025.
Yours sincerely
Jonathan Firth
Principal
