I start this week’s blog by saying how pleasing it is to
have all of the students back. Over the
course of last week we welcomed back year groups one-by-one, and by the time
Thursday came we had everyone back. The students
were fantastic, and so I wish to thank them for appreciating the situation we
were in. They had to sit in the hall and
wait for their Covid-19 test as well as waiting for the result – some were in
there for a while. Spirits were high,
and it was so good hearing their conversation again. By the end of the week we were able to begin
the process of testing the students again for a second and subsequent third
time; which will be continued during the rest of this week. By Friday, those who have consented will have
had three Covid-19 tests, and then the process of distributing tests to
students to complete at home will begin.
Last Tuesday will be a day that I remember for a long time. With Year 13 back in school we were able to hold the inaugural inter-house football tournament on the all-weather pitch. Despite the pitch being for all weathers (!) the weather last Tuesday was glorious. After a year of disruption, it was so good watching nearly 80 Year 13 students run around together and, despite being young adults, were allowed to be children again. It’s been a long time coming. Congratulations to Barton House who won both the A and B competitions.
At the weekend Ellie Breeze and Liam Turner competed in the national finals of the Oxford Union Debating Competition. We can be so proud of them, as out of 128 teams, they came 30th. They did so well that they qualified for the novice final, and along the way they beat a number of prestigious private schools and colleges. Well done Ellie and Liam.
Congratulations to Nicholas Cutbill of Year 7 who recently won the 3rd place cash prize in the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) ‘Paint Our Way To Peace' competition in the age 8-12 category. The contest was open to anybody currently resident in the UK. Well done to Nicholas.
This week Year 10 complete their long-awaited Year 10 exams. These exams were supposed to take place back in January and form an important part of their GCSE studies. Good luck to them all. Next week it is the turn of Year 11 to sit their second set of mock exams, followed by Year 13 who will sit their mock exams after Easter. Good luck to Year 10.
