Dear Parents and Carers,

I am delighted to write to you as Chipping Norton School’s new Headteacher after having started my career as a newly qualified teacher here twenty years ago this very month.

Much has changed since I began in 2005.  Back then, there was no science block, no Wi-Fi, no smartphones and just one digital whiteboard. However, what made Chipping Norton School special then remains unchanged now: it is a place of belonging and achievement, with a school family that cares deeply for all its members and takes pride in all of their achievements, academic and personal alike. It will be my privilege to ensure that this is what it continues to feel like for everyone who comes to our school.

I would like to say a big thank you to Barry Doherty for leading the school to a position of excellence in all areas of school life. I am grateful on a personal level to him for generously sharing his time and in-depth knowledge of the school during our handover and can assure you that we have worked together to make the transition between headteachers all the more effective and smooth.

I very much look forward to working with you and will arrange a regular in-person opportunity to deepen my understanding of your aspirations for our community. I will confirm details of this regular ‘Headteacher’s Question Time’ slot in my first letter in September.

I am excited to be able to extend an early birthday party invitation to you all to celebrate 100 years of Chipping Norton School in 2028/29! This will be an opportunity to commemorate the lives and achievements of the five generations of ‘Chipping Nortonians’ who have passed through our school and to discuss what school we want to leave in place for our great-great-great grandchildren over the next hundred years. I am very keen to engage in a community arts project to mark this occasion so that everyone in school has the opportunity to contribute towards a tangible legacy and will reach out again in due course with more information.

I look forward with great excitement to taking up my new post in September and to meeting you in the coming months. In the meantime, I wish you all a restful and enjoyable summer break.

Yours faithfully,
Headteacher Designate