Term 5 draws to a close today.

For our Year 11s, another big week of exams is complete and with next week’s half-term break, they can look forward to the opportunity for a bit of R&R before getting back into their revision in preparation for the final two weeks of exams.

Last weekend also saw our DofE group complete their qualifying expedition. In stark contrast to the warm sunny days of the March practice expedition, the May qualifying expedition was a wintery affair with cold, wet weather. This did not put off our groups, with around 60 students completing either their Bronze or Silver expedition section. The students walked between 10 - 15km each day over the course of 2–3 days and, on the whole, navigated well around the beautiful hills on the outskirts of Cheltenham. They also managed to be fully self-sufficient, setting up camp and cooking for themselves over the course of the expedition. It is incredible seeing students step up and thrive in a different environment to what is normal for many of them. What makes this even better is, despite the rain, most of them still did this with smiles on their faces. 

A real highlight of the year saw our SV Flow Table Cricket team travel to London to compete in the national finals at Lord’s Cricket Ground. The team: Archie C, Ariella K, Kayden H, Lillie S, Logan W, Lucas S, and Ranell H-T arrived at school at 5:45am full of excitement and ready for the challenge ahead. Upon arrival at Lord’s, the students were welcomed into a truly professional environment, and it was immediately clear that the standard of competition would be extremely high. Over 1000 schools entered this competition and to reach the finals and to finish 5th was a tremendous achievement. It was also a fantastic opportunity and an unforgettable experience for the students. We are extremely proud of them all.

In other sporting news, I was delighted to hear about the success enjoyed by three of our Year 7 footballers, Caia Cook, Poppy Bennett, and Freya Williams. They all took part in a football tournament, hosted by Kidderminster Harriers. The girls’ team secured a place in the final via a penalty shoot-out, which they won 2-0. Well done girls!

As always, I end with my weekly reminder about Free School Meals eligibility. If your financial circumstances have changed, your child may be eligible for Free School Meals. If you click on this link you will find guidance on the eligibility criteria and the application process. It's a quick process and we are notified of all FSM entitlements by Gloucestershire County Council each Monday. I would urge you to take a look if you think you may benefit from financial assistance.   

After a week or more of dreadful weather, summer finally seems to have arrived and we look set for some fabulous weather for the Bank Holiday weekend and the half-term.

I do hope you and your family enjoy the time together. We will see the students again on Monday 1 June. It will be a Week B.

Regards

Richard Johnson 
Headteacher