Another busy week has flown by.

For many of our students it was a week that included key assessments. Our Year 11s completed their final core mocks in Maths and Science. This saw them tackle 6 papers across the week; no mean feat. I was incredibly impressed with the attitude, application and resilience the students demonstrated. This experience has provided excellent preparation ahead of the summer exams, both in terms of what they know and where they stand with 2 months to go, but also in terms of preparing for the mental and emotional challenge of facing a lot of exams in a short space of time.

Our KS3 students have been tackling their Order B assessments in Maths and Science. Again, I have been impressed with the students. They have understood the importance of the exams and have conducted themselves superbly. The experience of preparing for, and tackling, Order assessments in such a formal way will really help the students when it comes to their GCSEs in a few years time.

On Thursday we held our Year 9 Options Evening. This is the culmination of a process that began a number of weeks ago. The students have been given a general overview of options, have heard about the many new subjects available to them and have now had the Options Evening to help them make the most informed choices they can. We know that when they make good, informed choices, the students are much more likely to be successful in Key Stage 4. The evening itself was very well attended and, I hope, has helped students and parents finalise those all-important choices.

I make no secret of my concerns about the impact of social media use on our students, and on people in general. That is why I am pleased that the government are taking steps to investigate whether the UK should follow Australia’s lead in implementing a social media ban on the under 16s. As part of this work, they are completing a consultation and a wider “national conversation”. They are looking for the views of those who work with children, parents and young people themselves. If you wish to participate, you can complete the parent survey by clicking here. 

I know that a number of our students participate in a range of uniformed cadets. It is always great to hear of their successes. I was delighted to hear that in the recent St John’s Ambulance Awards held at Gloucester Cathedral, Year 11 student Katie Mandeville was awarded the most improved Cadet in the Quedgeley Cadet group. Well done Katie. Well done also to Mr Higgs. He received recognition for 25 years' work supporting this great organisation.

Fixtures this week have included:

• Year 7 Football – the Year 7 boys travelled to St Peter’s for their first fixture of the week. This was always going to be a tough match and so it proved to be. Both teams started well and played some good football. The St Peter’s boys were more physical than us and soon went ahead with some well-taken goals. We battled well until the end with Aiden P leading brilliantly from the front.
  
  On Thursday, the Year 7s travelled to Archway for a non‑league fixture. Both teams played really well against two well-organised Archway sides. Team Severn drew their first game 0–0 and lost the second 3–1. Team Vale lost their first game 2–1 and the second 3–1. The boys behaved brilliantly and represented the school with pride. A special mention to Aiden and Mason for their excellent commitment in both games — they really led by example throughout the evening.

• Year 7 Football – our Year 7 girls drew 3-3 in their fixture with St Peter's this week. The girls were excellent against a really technically strong side. They went into the lead twice with goals scored by Leigh C and Poppy B. The girls battled really well and played some great football. Player of the match went to Promise for her attacking display.

• Year 7 Netball – a huge well done to the Year 7 Netball team who finished second in their group at the District Netball Tournament at Crypt. The girls played 5 games, winning 3 (13-0, 7-1 and 9-0) and losing 2 against Kings (5-4) and St Peters (5-4) in the last minute! Well done to all the girls involved, it was a long evening of netball, and they played brilliantly in each game.

• Year 8 Netball – our Year 8 teams played a great set of netball fixtures against Churchdown on Tuesday. It was a really tight battle for the A team, who managed a win, 14-13. Player of the match went to Annabelle S. Our B team also played really well and won 11-3, player of the match went to Molly H.

• Year 8 Football – the Year 8 boys played St Peters on Wednesday night. The boys started very slowly and soon found themselves trailing 3-0. The boys started the first half much better and got stuck in from the start. There were some resilient performances from Daniel A and Fin C to ensure we kept the second half goalless.

• Year 9 Football – the Year 9 boys football team hosted Maidenhill this week in what was a well contested match. The boys started slowly and at half-time were 2-0. They battled back well early in the second half to bring it back to 2-2. Maidenhill scored again not long after to make it 3-2 but Theo scored a well taken penalty to rescue a 3-3 draw. There were a lot of standout performances, but player of the match went to Josh for his outstanding saves to keep us in the game.
  
  The boys played their final friendly against Archway at home this week. It was a great game to watch. The boys played some of their best football this year, with some great passages of play and set pieces to earn a 5-1 victory. There were a lot of contenders for player of the match again, but Cam was the most deserving after his battling display and well-taken goal.

• U14 Football – the U14s put on an excellent footballing performance, beating Ribston at home 5-0. The girls were really composed and linked up together really well. There were a variety of goalscorers with Eva, Amber, Liv S, Lily H and Brooke F scoring. Player of the Match went to Brooke F for her speed and attacking display on the wing.

• Year 10 Netball – our Year 10 netballers played a great set of fixtures against Holmleigh Park on Thursday. Our A team linked up so well and won their game 14-9, Evie H was deservedly awarded player of the match. Our B team fought hard and, due to an injury ended up playing with just 6 players, but they showed a lot of resilience. Their game finished 10-7 to HP. Abby J was chosen as player of the match.   

A reminder that next Friday sees our annual charity 5km run take place. This year the charity we are raising money for has been chosen by the Year 7 Student Ambassadors. They have selected the James Hopkins Trust, which supports local families by providing respite care for babies and children up to the age of 6 who have a life-limiting or life-threatening condition. Student and staff runners will be asked to donate £1 to run and students will be encouraged to gain other sponsorship. Run fees can be paid in cash on the day or via parent pay.

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 hope you have a great weekend.

Regards

Richard Johnson 
Headteacher