This very short term draws to a close today. It has, of course, been dominated by the GCSE season for our Year 11s. They have tackled the demands of the exam season to date really well. I have been impressed with their attitude, application and resilience. Most have completed at least 50% of their exams. The half-term break offers them a great opportunity to recharge their batteries and then get back on with their revision so they can finish their GCSEs strongly.

During this term, the Maths department launched their new homework platform for our Key Stage 3 students, Sparx Maths. This is a platform used by over 1500 schools nationally to deliver effective homework mapped against each school’s maths curriculum. I am really pleased to see how well the students have responded. The completion rate is excellent and places Severn Vale in the top 10% of schools nationally. Thank you for encouraging and supporting your children to engage with this new approach to maths homework.

You will know that I take a very keen interest in the attendance of our students. That is because I know what an impact attendance can have on a student’s chances of achieving success and on their wider well-being. It has been pleasing to see that this term has seen a significant improvement in the school’s attendance. That continues a trend that began in Term 4. There is still a way to go, and further improvements are needed. Thank you for your support in ensuring your child is in school every day they can be.

On Wednesday, the police delivered a session on Internet safety to a group of Year 7 parents. This is an issue I feel passionately about. There is a tendency to over-estimate risks in the “real” world and under-estimate risks in the “virtual” world. This session gave parents clear information about those “virtual” world risks and how best to manage and mitigate them. The pace of change in apps can be bewildering, and often we can feel that we know a lot less than our children. We will continue to look at ways we can provide information to both students and parents to help them safely navigate the online world.

On Thursday, our Year 7s played their second fixture at home versus Newent School. Once again, two games were played simultaneously. The boys lost one game but pulled back a dramatic victory in the last over in the second game.  The students’ bowling is really improving and there were some great shots with the bat. Special mention to Jake and Jack for their all-round performance.

The Year 8 cricket team played their first fixture of the season against Newent. Two games of 8 v 8 were played on the AstroTurf, each consisting of an innings of 40 balls. It was a great opportunity for the boys involved to test themselves against a tough opponent, with many of the Newent cricketers playing for a club outside of school. There was some excellent bowling on display with many well-taken wickets, as well as some great batting in which our boys scored some brilliant boundaries. The game was momentarily paused due to a downpour, but luckily, we managed to resume play after 15 minutes! Players of the day went to Josh D and Ollie H.

The year 9 cricket team travelled to Newent this week and played in a great game of cricket. The game was even throughout and played in a great spirit. The game went down to the wire, but we ended up losing by 3 runs. All the boys played their part, but notable mention must go to Jack W for his bowling and Rhys L for his bowling and huge 6!

As always, I include 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.   

The glorious weather of the past month seems to be breaking just in time for the Bank Holiday weekend. Whatever the weather, I hope you enjoy a great long weekend.

The students return to school on Monday 2 June. It will be a week B.

Kind regards,  

Richard Johnson 
Headteacher