Dear Parents and Carers

Stakeholder Voices

Thank you to those amongst you who have already completed the annual survey. For those that have not, please follow this link to the survey – it is a really valuable school improvement resource and will only take a few moments of your time to complete. If you wish, there is a short introductory video from Mr Paul James, CEO of the River Learning Trust that can be found via this link. Please forgive or ignore reminders we shall send out next week to try and ensure we have a very high engagement rate amongst parents and carers. The survey closes at 6pm on Tuesday 26 March.

By now, most of the students have completed the survey and those who were away this week can catch up during tutor time at the start of next week. Similarly, we want maximum engagement in this activity so that we can be confident about any changes or improvements we prioritise in the years ahead.

Interested In Joining a Working Party?

Linked to this is a call to anyone who may be interested in joining an online working party to help us revisit and refine some of our policies and procedures. By following this link, you can sign-up to join one of five groups. In taking part you would receive more detailed information from one of my leadership team colleagues and be asked to submit your views and ideas. This will help shape any changes that we will then share with all parents and carers in term 5 or 6.

There will be five working parties and it would be great to have a dozen or more parents in each of those groups. These include: attendance; behaviour and attitudes; homework; reporting to parents and carers; and uniform and appearance. Please follow the link to support – everything will be via email (unless you wish to have a phone call instead) and the commitment will not be onerous at all.

Attendance Matters

We choose to put our emphasis on streaks of great attendance and encouraging students to avoid being deflated by very occasional absences they cannot avoid and start afresh when they feel better. That mindset is at the heart of our end of term raffles and prizes that is inevitably known as the ‘Attendance Eggstravaganza Prize Draw’ in the spring term! There are just a few days to go and one of your children will be going home with an X Box X next week. Every day counts.

Compared to last year we are doing slightly better with regards to attendance and therefore there is some room for feeling encouraged, but not quite excited at this stage. I can tell you that attendance is one of the main topics of conversation when headteachers get together and whilst we recognise it is a national challenge, it is one we are trying to improve in each of our schools.

Behaviour Matters

You will be aware that it is some time since I have chosen to refer to student behaviour and attitudes in my letter to parents and carers. This was because we have enjoyed a long-term improvement around all aspects of behaviour, much of which has been transformative and explains why so many choose to work and stay at CNS – and why so many students have done so well in their GCSEs and A levels in recent years.

However, we have noticed an unwelcome increase in the number of incidents that have led to a suspension from school and whilst this is comparatively very low, we believe that suspensions ought to be very rare at CNS – we want to continue to be the lowest around.  Furthermore, we have seen an increase in inconsiderate behaviours at break and lunchtime that irritates and affects the vast majority of students and this is entirely avoidable.

At the start of next term, I shall be leading my normal start of term assemblies and spending a little more time than usual on recapping our expectations and explain they are in place for everyone’s benefit. In my first letter to you after Easter, I will return to this and outline some of the key messages and how parents and carers can help as well.

We cannot make a child behave, nor should the fear of a sanction be the driver of an improvement. Instead, it is about maturity, developing empathy and helping young people learn from their poor choices – and then form better habits and routines because they choose to behave, not because they have to behave.

Celebration Assemblies

The first of our end of term celebration assemblies took place today and will continue through to the end of term. Whilst it can be a challenge to draw attention to those students who deserve to be praised and rewarded without causing too much embarrassment, it is important that we do pause and celebrate those virtues we value most: courage and compassion, curiosity and creativity. Gold Scorecard winners, tutor nominations and subject nominations will all be included with a range of prizes and raffles as well.

House Matches

Starting on Monday, our termly house matches will also be played in both football and hockey. Please ask your child about their involvement and encourage their participation in something that is designed to foster healthy competition and team spirit within our four houses. Year 7s will play on Monday, years 8 and 10 on Tuesday, year 11s on Wednesday and year 9 on Thursday – the final day of term.

Talking of which, the spring term will end at the normal time of 3:15pm next Thursday 28 April. The summer term will then begin on Monday 15 April 2024.

Have a lovely weekend.

Yours faithfully
Barry Doherty
Headteacher