Earlier this week you will be aware that following advice from the joint Chief Medical Officers of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Government announced the roll out of a vaccination programme for 12 – 15 year olds.  All children in this age group will be offered one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid jab. Prof Chris Whitty, the lead CMO for the UK, said it was a "difficult decision" and should not be seen as a "silver bullet” but that vaccination could be an "important and useful tool" in reducing school disruption in the coming months which is something we would all welcome.

Communication regarding the programme will be issued in the coming days so please do look out for the information and the consent forms. It is worth remembering that as with normal school vaccinations, the School Age Immunisation Service (SAIS) will plan the roll-out, administer the jabs and be legally responsible for the delivery. The school will merely provide a venue to enable the vaccination programme to be delivered. If you have any questions regarding the programme please direct them towards the SAIS or NHS England.

Last weekend the weather Gods smiled on the staff and students taking part in the Skern Lodge trip even if the road Gods didn’t (with the weekend starting with a near 6 hour drive!!) It has been a delight this week to speak to the students about their experiences and to hear about the different activities they enjoyed. It was also delightful to get such positive feedback from the staff at Skern Lodge who were fulsome in the praise of both the students and the Severn Vale staff supporting them. Planning has already begun for next year’s visit.

On Thursday evening we had our first large scale in-person event for some time with our Open Evening for Year 6 students taking place. Is was great to see so many potential students and to talk about the school and our educational offer to them and their parents. The stars of the show were our students. We had nearly 300 students helping out in departments and acting as tour guides. I know their energy and enthusiasm for the school made a really positive impression on all of the visitors. I will be thanking them in line-up but wanted to take the opportunity to publicly thank them here also.

This week we also had our first complete read through of the script for We Will Rock You. It was great to hear the whole cast taking turns to read through their lines and beginning to work towards the 'One Vision'. Miss Evans and Mr Khokher now move onto the next stage, working through the script scene-by-scene and song-by-song. While Miss Davies, having made notes regarding costume and scenery requirements, will begin to get creative!   

As always, 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.

Have a great weekend

Richard Johnson
Headteacher