Dear Parents/Carers

Happy New Year! I hope that you all managed to enjoy the holiday period, spending quality time with family and friends.

I am writing to provide you with several updates to staffing and curriculum. Firstly, I would like to inform you that Mrs Evans has been appointed as Head of Year 7 with effect from today. This means that if your child is in year 7, all concerns or support will now be dealt with by Mrs Evans, with the continued support of the pastoral support assistants. Mrs Broughton will continue to be the Head of Year for years 8 and 9. Please remember that in the first instance, all queries or concerns must be directed to your child’s form tutor.

We have reviewed our pastoral support team, and we have made a few adjustments to how the team operates. From this term, Mrs King and Mrs Jamieson will support student behaviour, Mrs Trille will support student attendance and wellbeing, and Mrs Buckoke will support matters relating to safeguarding. 

Mrs Ogilvie has been promoted to Vice Principal. Mrs Ogilvie will continue to oversee all aspects of safeguarding as the school’s Designated Safeguarding Leader (DSL). In addition to this role, she will oversee the personal development curriculum.

With regards to curriculum, I wanted to share the disappointing news that we were unable to recruit a new Food Technology teacher to start with us this term to replace Mr Brainwood. We are confident that we will make an appointment this term, meaning they will be able to start with us after the Easter break. The impact of this in the meantime is that students in years 7, 8, and 9 will not have food lessons as part of their curriculum this term. As a temporary measure, we are providing students with an additional lesson of Maths/English/Science that will be facilitated in a computer room. Students will be set work that addresses gaps in learning from the recent progress 1 assessments. 

I would like to reassure you that we will continue to do what we can to secure a food technology teacher as soon as possible so that the subject can be put back onto the curriculum after the Easter break. I would like to reassure parents that there is no impact on students in year 10. Mrs Evans will be teaching these groups and students will continue to study both practical elements and theory based elements of the course. 

Yours faithfully

Jonathan Firth