It has been a very busy week for our Year 11 students as they began the first of two weeks of mock exams. For those studying French, this has included tackling their mock orals. I have been incredibly impressed with the attitude and the application demonstrated by the overwhelming majority of the students. They are certainly taking advantage of this opportunity to ensure they are as well prepared as they can be ahead of the summer exams. Thank you for the support you are providing the students as they tackle this challenging period.

Maths students in Year 7 and Year 8 tackled the UK Maths Trust’s Junior Maths Challenge this week. The UK Maths Trust is the leading British charity that advances the education of young people in mathematics. Their Maths Challenges are annual events which sees students tackling assessments designed to stretch and challenge students’ mathematical thinking. If you want to have a go at some questions, you can see some here. Well done to all who participated.

Last week saw our KS3 Drama Club stage their Winter pantomime, Cinderella. The group only had 7 weeks to put the production together and it was clear from the terrific performances that they have been working incredibly hard. It was great to see “old hands” and new performers amongst the cast. It was a joyful end to the week for me. Well done to all who participated. Thanks also to the staff who supported the students in staging the production.

It has been another busy week of fixtures which have included:

• Year 7 Football – the Year 7 boys team welcomed Gloucester Academy for their first 9 a side fixture this year. It was great to see them playing with such a great team spirit and positivity. We played some excellent football and came away as deserved 4-0 winners. There were some strong performances all round especially from Broady N going forward and Mason P at the back. Well done boys!

• U12 Football – our U12s played Denmark Road this week, winning 2-0. It was an excellent game with the girls dominating possession. If it wasn't for their outstanding goalkeeper, the score could have been much higher! Players of the match went to Freya W and Poppy B.

• Year 8 Football – the Year 8 football team travelled to Gloucester Academy on Monday night. It was great to see quite a few of the boys representing the School for the first time in any sport. The boys started slowly and soon found themselves behind. They bounced back well in the second half and put in a much more spirited performance. They need to take this forward into the next match.

• Year 9 Football – the Year 9 boys also played Gloucester Academy this week. Lots of boys made their SV debuts and gave a brilliant account of themselves. The game ended 5-5, with the boys unlucky not to see out a victory, unluckily conceding an equaliser with the last kick of the game. Player of the match went to Liam C due to his relentless battling in midfield. Special mention to Lucas for his brilliant running in behind which saw him score a well-deserved hat-trick.

• Year 9 Netball – this week saw the first set of netball fixtures for the Year 9s against St Peter's. The A team coming away with a loss against a very strong St Peter's side, the B team also lost. Players of the match for the A team went to Isla W and Myla A, the B team players of the match went to Amelia A and Ruby S.

• Year 10 Football – the Year 10 boys bounced back from a disappointing defeat last week with a 4-1 win against Gloucester Academy. The boys played some excellent football, scoring some well worked goals in the process. Player of the match went to Israel for his well taken hat-trick. 

• KS4 Netball - we took two Key stage 4 netball teams to St Peters this week where both teams played some excellent netball, resulting in two wins! The A team won 11-12 and the B team 3-6. POM went to Emilia J and Kacie S. Well done to all. 

A date for your diary, the Year 9 parents evening will take place on Thursday 12 February. Full details will be circulated to parents on Monday. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs Pogue in the school office.

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.   

I do hope you enjoy a great weekend.  

Kind regards,  

Richard Johnson 
Headteacher