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Headteacher’s Letter 2 December 2019

Dear Parents and Carers

This week I wish to draw your attention to the forthcoming Celebration Assemblies but would like to begin with some great news regarding generous support from a local company.  Owen Mumford Ltd

In 2014, CNS received £10,000 from Owen Mumford Ltd to provide a laser cutter so that students were able to use the latest technology as part of their work in Years 7 to 13.
Owen Mumford Ltd researches, develops and manufactures medical products from its bases in Chipping Norton and Marlborough. For many years they have worked very closely with Mr Parker, our Careers & Enterprise Lead, to support the Human Library, work experience and site visits. A former student recently completed a Higher Level Engineering Apprenticeship with Owen Mumford Ltd and is now a highly successful post-graduate working just down the road. Many parents, carers and relatives of CNS students also work at one of their sites.

The machine that Owen Mumford Ltd funded has barely been switched off in all of that time. Your children will be able to tell you how central it has become to the design and manufacturing processes they learn about in class. Their generosity was extended again this week when we were handed another cheque to fund brand new sports kits for our school teams and I cannot thank them enough for these acts of genuine encouragement and very generous support for our school.

New Style Celebration Assemblies

Starting in the final week of term, we shall be launching our new-style Celebration Assemblies. Student voice in recent times has encouraged us to do something different and find new ways to recognise and celebrate all forms of student success and achievement.

Our celebrations will be based on the new Personal Scorecard and also a series of awards from teachers, tutors, Heads of Year and PSAs that celebrate our students’ character, in particular where they have shown compassion, courage, curiosity and creativity.

All prize winners will receive a certificate and a Christmas themed mini-gift as a thank you from us all.

Personal Scorecards

Across Years 7 to 10, all students will also receive the first of three Personal Scorecards this year: Christmas, Easter and summer.

This Scorecard is best seen rather than described here, but each student will get a score out of 50 based on how good their attitudes to learning, attendance, punctuality and uniform is – plus the number of House Points they have collected. The Scorecard is completely unrelated to a student’s ability and so we have aimed to devise something that celebrates commitment and effort, but also adds a new layer of reporting to parents and carers.

We shall be sensitive to weak attendance resulting from illness or personal circumstances beyond a child’s control, but also acknowledge the effort so many children show every day to be in school, on time, ready to learn, dressed to impress and putting their heart and soul into their education. We hope the Scorecard goes further in recognising those students who can so easily feel unnoticed.

Celebration Assemblies: When, where, how…

All of our Celebration Assemblies will take place between 8:40am and 9:20am on consecutive mornings (see below). All parents and carers are very welcome and should wait outside the Old Reception at 8:40am, whereupon they will be escorted to their seats in the Main Hall.

Year 7 Celebration Assembly: Friday 13th December
Year 8 Celebration Assembly: Monday 16th December
Year 9 Celebration Assembly: Tuesday 17th December
Year 10 Celebration Assembly: Wednesday 18th December

All parents and carers of Years 7 to 10 students will receive a letter from the respective Head of Year and PSA next week. This letter will summarise the prize winners for everyone to see in advance of the Celebration Assembly. However, all parents and carers are welcome to attend irrespective of whether or not their son or daughter will be presented with an award.

And Years 11 to 13?

Year 11 will be served a breakfast at the Mock Results Day next week and we have a special treat lined up for them on the very last day that rewards them for their hard work and attitude across school and especially during their recent mocks. As for the Sixth Formers, they will be enjoying a Winter Ball on the evening of the very last day of term – Thursday 19th December 2019 at The Cotswolds Hotel.

Yours sincerely,
Barry Doherty, Headteacher

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