On Thursday, 15 of our GCSE Food students travelled to London to sample the delights to be found at the world-famous Borough Market. The students spent the day finding out about foods from around the world, their food provenance and trying lots of new and exciting foods. The exotic fruits were a real hit, with a number bringing home some Dragon Fruit and Snake Fruit! Lots were also very keen to buy doughnuts from the Bread Ahead Bakery. Thanks to Instagram and Mr Rogers for the recommendation!

Earlier in the week 15 of our Year 10 Child Development students were lucky enough to be invited to Oxford Brookes University for a unique experience in child development studies. The day began with a seminar that introduced the students to language, focusing on how babies, especially bilingual ones, learn to communicate. The highlight of the trip was a visit to the Baby Hub, a state-of-the-art facility where ground-breaking research on infant development is conducted. Here, the students had the unique opportunity to observe and even participate in various experiments. They were introduced to advanced equipment used in studies, such as eye-tracking devices and EEG caps, and were shown how these tools help researchers understand the nuances of early language learning. The trip was not only educational but also highly inspiring. It provided the students with a deeper appreciation of the complexities of language development and the role of research in child development, as well as aspirational career options within the field. 

Last Friday, students that have 1:1 singing lessons were given another opportunity to sing in front of a live audience at Hardwicke Primary School’s Summer Fayre. Their performances were a great success and all the parents and teachers of the school said how wonderfully confident and beautifully they sang. They represented Severn Vale superbly and did Holly (their singing teacher) proud. 

Our Drama Club students are busily preparing for their second show of the year - Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. The students are working tirelessly learning lines, lyrics and making sure they come on stage at the right time! Costumes and props are just being fine-tuned and music and sound effects are well underway. The show is in the School Hall next Friday 5th July at 6pm. Tickets are still available on Parent Pay to purchase, so be sure to get your “Golden Ticket”. 

Sporting fixtures this week included:

• Year 7 Cricket – the Year 7 cricket team took part in another mass participation tournament at Crypt on Monday. Both SV teams played 3 short 80 ball games each against Crypt, Holmleigh Park and St Peters. The teams did really well, only losing one game between them. Player of the day went to Josh D for his exceptional bowling (7 wickets!) and leadership. 

• Year 8 Rounders – the Year 8 girls played away to Gloucester Academy on Tuesday, losing 10.5 to 17.5. The girls showed some impressive fielding skills and showing great improvements in their game understanding. Teanna and Lotte both got players of the match for their excellent fielding and batting play.

• Year 9 Rounders - the year 9 girls played a Rounders fixture at home to Gloucester Academy, winning 13 ½ - 1. The girls were excellent, showing really strong team work and fielding skills. The girls have shown massive improvements and this game definitely brought all their experiences together with a real dominant show. Batter went to Katie M and Fielder went to Millie S.

• All Stars Cricket – on Thursday the All Stars travelled over to Holmleigh Park for the return fixture. Our bowling attack was deadly and we skittled through their batting team. Special mention to Toby G who took 3 wickets with his spin bowling. Excellent batting from Rhys L and Josh M saw the boys chase down their total of 49 to claim an excellent victory.

• Athletics – 50 students from across the year groups participated in the District Athletics at the Prince of Wales Stadium in Cheltenham. There were some excellent displays of success across all year groups and some incredible talent on display. Notable mentions from students who competed against the top athletes from all Gloucester schools:

• Grace A (Y9) won the 100m and 200m, breaking the school record for 200m which has stood since 2013.

• Lilly-Ann C (Y9) came 2^nd in javelin.

• Armarni F (Y9) came 1^st in shot put.

• Jacob B (Y10) came 2nd in 100m and 200m

• Hannah M (Y10) came 2^nd in shot put.

• Jamie H (Y10) came 3^rd in 800m.

I conclude 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 enjoy a great weekend. 

Regards,  

Richard Johnson  
Headteacher