Monday 9 March 2020

Dear Parents and Carers

Coronavirus Update 4
There are no substantial updates to provide families with today. Please be assured that we are watching the situation with great care and have contingencies in place that would be actioned in the event of any changes in the advice given to schools.

Please do not forget the telephone helpline I referred to last week (0800 046 8687) or the email that may be used by adults and students: [email protected]. The Government’s key website for all other information and updates on the virus remains: www.gov.uk/coronavirus.

Parents and Carers Forum
Our last remaining forum will take place on Tuesday 10 March at 6pm. Please email my PA, Morag, on [email protected] if you wish to attend.

Student Leadership in Action

Last Friday morning I felt privileged to attend a special assembly at Kingham Primary School. This was an unusual occasion for two reasons. Firstly, because all of their children were dressed up as characters from literature as part of the World Book Day celebrations. Secondly, because five of our Year 9 boys were taking the assembly!

Those boys had responded to Mr Parker’s £50 Challenge and come up with a plan to raise funds for the Aspire charity. They approached local primary schools and agreed a plan whereby the students who dressed up would voluntarily contribute to the charity. The five boys were midway through a grand tour of those four primary schools to judge the winners and distribute chocolate prizes.  To hear them talk confidently and passionately about a local charity and demonstrate what it means to lead and be a role model was a great moment to observe. Very proud of them!

New Sixth Form Centre Now Open
We are pleased to inform you that our new centre is now up and running. Year 12 and 13 students are enjoying additional spaces to learn (and socialise) including their own library, study rooms, common room, kitchen facilities and washrooms.  This enables us to make more extensive and imaginative use of our spaces at school.

By September, we also hope to have completed some additional projects to improve not only the school site itself further but also the students’ access to first class facilities in particular.

Year 8 STEM Day
When I returned from Kingham Primary I went straight into a range of activities that were being run as part of the Year 8 STEM Day (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Again organised by Mr Parker, our students were extremely busy and immersed in a range of activities based on a tomato transport system!

There will be a bigger splash about this on the next CNS Newsletter but for now, one image will help capture the range of thinking and collaboration that formed a major part of the day.

Yours sincerely
Barry Doherty
Headteacher