The second week of the term is complete. We have seen some (slightly) improved weather and with this dryer spell, we have been able to begin the process of opening the school field at break and lunch. We have been clear to the students that they need to use the field both sensibly and respectfully. Getting that extra space for the students is always helpful and is a great sign that summer can’t be far off!

Year 11 students began their ADT exams this week. This involves a 10 hour practical element that the students will complete over two days. The students have made a great start. I am confident they can complete some superb pieces next week. Our GCSE PE students completed their moderation exercise on Wednesday. The students performed fantastically and I know the PE department were really proud of all who took part.

On Tuesday we held our first Managing Anxious Thoughts Evening. Speakers included an Educational Psychologist and practitioners from our own wellbeing team, as well as input from Early Help. The purpose of the evening was to help understand how to identify and manage anxious thoughts. It also explained what mental health provision we are able to provide at Severn Vale and how it is accessed, as well as showing parents the role that Early Help can play. Due to the success of this evening, we hope to be running a similar KS3 event in Term 6.

We held our latest Parents Evening for Year 10 students on Thursday. It was a very well attended event. The logistics seemed to run smoothly and the feedback from parents and teachers remains that this in-person style is far more preferable to the previous online version.

Today our Year 9 rugby team set off on their annual tour to South Wales. They will be playing two fixtures over the three days as well as taking part in a range of other activities, including a river gorge walk. I am looking forward to watching them on Sunday as they take on a team from Morriston RFC.

Next week sees both our Boys and Girls Under 16 football teams playing in the quarter-final of the County Cup. The boys return to Meadow Park on Monday to play Chosen Hill on Monday. On Tuesday the Girls play KLB. Good luck to both teams ahead of these fixtures.

On the wider sporting front, congratulations go to

• Maddison T in Year 7. She recently represented Severn Vale at the British Schools Judo Championships at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. The British Schools Championship is a unique event where the Judoka (competitors) represent their school and compete in academic years. Maddison had four contests, winning three with one narrow defeat.

• Congratulations also go to Parker B in Year 9. He has recently been selected for trials for the England Gymnastics team. If successful, he will represent England in the British championships later in the summer. 

• Ben S in Year 11. He has been accepted onto the Gloucester Rugby development programme which will start when he leaves Severn Vale. On Saturday he will be playing for Gloucester U16s versus Bristol Bears at Kingsholm.

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. 

I hope you have a great weekend.

Kind regards,

Richard Johnson
Headteacher