Dear Parents and Carers

We hope that you have some lovely plans for the half term and that those with year 11 and 13 children at home have a great blend of work, rest and play. Most year 11s are now about half way through their examination season with the year 13s well on their way as well.

River Learning Trust – Trustee Vacancies

As you know, Chipping Norton School is a proud member of the River Learning Trust. Right now, they seek to recruit new Board members. Please follow this link to find out more including:

“Trustees are responsible for the strategic oversight and direction of the Trust and all its schools and entities. They set the vision and policies for the Trust, ensure the quality of education, and manage the Trust’s finances and property. They have legal obligations for the proper conduct of the business of the Trust, and accountability to the government.

Our Trustees meet as a full board five times a year and in committees once a term. Once or twice a year they also attend a meeting of the governing body of one of our schools, and we have an annual event for all our governors and Trustees.”

The deadline for applications is Monday 19 June.

Duke of Edinburgh BRONZE Award Update

Seventy-six students in fifteen teams successfully completed their camping and walking practice over the first weekend in May. Despite their exertions there was still time to play football and Frisbee, and enjoy the great outdoors with one another. Their final assessment will take place just after half term in and around the Cotswolds.

Duke of Edinburgh SILVER Award Update

Twenty-six students in five teams took part in their silver expedition practice at the end of last month, camping in Stow-on-the-Wold and then taking part in an arduous circular walk – combined with some first aid training as well. Last weekend the same students then successfully completed their assessed expedition in and around Watlington, Henley.

Miss Richmond (Duke of Edinburgh Leader) reports that all of the students on all of the expeditions have been amazing and shown great resilience -especially on the very wet bronze practice walk. They have all been friendly, supportive of one another, and a credit to our school. At one point, the Silver Award students had to help push an AA van off the field when the mud got too much and did so without being asked.

Our thanks to Miss Miles, Miss Smith, Mr Brown, Mrs Huddleston, Mrs Jones, Mrs Thomas, Mr Jones, Mrs Brocklebank, Mrs Duffy, Miss De Maria, Mr Blundell, Mr Hood, Ms Lane and Mrs Saxby for giving up their time with Miss Richmond to supervise the bronze and silver students. And a special mention for Miss Miles in her first year taking responsibility for the Silver and Gold Awards.

Local Exhibitors

You may recall my recent letter regarding a local exhibition. We were also honoured to be invited to exhibit a selection of artwork for the prestigious Oxfordshire ArtsWeek, with Wise Investments.

A selection of students’ work was chosen from last year’s GCSE and A level final pieces and conveyed a broad spectrum of the artistic talent we have at our school.

Some of the students’ work was bought during the exhibition and two students have been asked by an art gallery to create and exhibit work for them! The private view was well attended and a chance for our students to celebrate their artistic achievements alongside other local artists.

Attendance Matters

Attendance amongst our Year 11s and 13s is very, very good and has been throughout their GCSE and A level courses. Whilst attendance alone does not guarantee examination success, it is of course a major contributory factor to successes and disappointments.

I have referred before to absence causing the momentum or continuity for a student to be lost and each lesson makes it harder and harder for a student to catch up.

With this in mind, the start of a new term is always a great opportunity for each child and family to press a re-set button and aim for 100% attendance in the final seven weeks of term.

Improved attendance remains a high priority at CNS and in every single school across the country. Find out more about the importance of attendance on a devoted webpage.  Did you know you can explore your child’s attendance on the SMHW / Satchel One app?

And finally…

Congratulations to Archie Street in Year 12. On Sunday 14 May, he comfortably cleared the qualifying height for High Jump (1.95m) to represent Oxfordshire at the English Schools Track and Field Championships at the end of June. We are very proud to have such an outstanding athlete in our midst but may need to reconsider our fencing.

Have a lovely half term!
Yours faithfully
Barry Doherty