The first full week of term is complete. I have been extremely pleased by the positive attitude being displayed by so many of our students and the great way they have settled back into their studies.

One of the most pleasing elements has been to see significantly increased levels of attendance. A really high number completed our Strive for Five challenge this week and will be in our prize draw on Monday morning. Our target is for students to achieve 96+% attendance, and it is great to see so many maintaining their 100% level. We know what a huge impact attendance has on attainment. Last year , those with good attendance on average achieved nearly a grade higher than expected in all their subjects. On average, those with below 90% attendance achieved over half a grade lower than expected in all their subjects. Great attendance is about more than just performance. It’s about forming good habits, it’s also about the sense of belonging to our community. Thank you for your support as we aim to ensure great attendance at our school.

This week saw a number of our extracurricular clubs begin. After-school sport is an important element of our provision and a wide range of opportunities are available for the students - full details can be found on the PE department's Twitter / Instagram @SevernValePE. It was great to see so many of our new Year 7 students involved on Monday. I dropped into our Drama Club on Monday to see the students having lots of fun. Every year the group puts on some fabulous performances so I’m looking forward to seeing this year’s productions. Over the next few weeks, other elements of the school’s extracurricular provision will begin. Details will be circulated. 

We know that many of our students will benefit from access to a quiet space to complete homework and revision. It’s why we offer Getting Ready and Get It Done, supported study sessions which take place in an IT room. Getting Ready takes place from 8.00 – 8.45am and Get It Done from 3.15 – 4.30pm. Any student attending in the morning will be able to get some free toast which will be available in DT6. This year we have added a dedicated supervised room called Study Hall for our Year 10 and Year 11 students. Study Hall has prepared resources including past papers and study packs to support students in their GCSE studies. Please do encourage your child to take advantage of these excellent opportunities.    

On Thursday next week (19 September) we will be holding our annual Open Evening for prospective students. The evening will run from 6.00 – 8.00pm.  We are proud of our school and look forward to showing what we offer to prospective parents and students. The standout feature of the event is having so many of our students helping out; normally in excess of 300 students – almost a quarter of the school! The visitors always comment on what a wonderful job they do and I know that will be the case once again this year. The details of how you give consent to your child helping out on the evening have been sent separately. Thank you in advance for your support with this.   

Our Supporting Your Child Though GCSEs evenings will take place later this term as follows:

• Year 11 - Thursday 10th October 17:00 - 19:00
• Year 10 - Thursday 17th October 17:00 - 19:00

These sessions will provide you with some great advice on how to help your child navigate the GCSE years. More details will be sent outlining the evening, but please do add the date to your calendar.

It’s always a delight to report on great achievements by our students. Please pass them on to me, so I can share them with our community. This week I am delighted to say a huge congratulations to Oliver W in Year 10. Last Saturday, he completed the Wye Valley mighty hike, an impressive 26.5 miles in 9.5 hours for MacMillan Cancer. An impressive achievement for a great charity. Well done Oliver!

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 do hope you enjoy a great weekend. 

Regards 

Richard Johnson   
Headteacher