It has been another positive week in school. Overwhelmingly the students have continued to respond positively as we raise our expectations further and as a consequence there is a really positive learning environment evident as you walk around the school. We will be working hard to ensure that remains the case, keeping our expectations high and doing all we can to ensure every student can be their best.

On Thursday we had a planned Fire Drill. It is extremely important that all students know what is required should, God forbid, we ever have to deal with a real evacuation situation. The students’ conduct throughout was exemplary. That meant the drill ran incredibly smoothly with the building evacuated in under 3 minutes and all 1500 + students and staff lined up and accounted for within 10 ½ minutes. That was truly impressive.

Next Thursday sees our Open Evening for students looking to join the school in September 2023 take place. The evening will run from 6.00 – 8.00pm.  We are proud of our school and look forward to showing off what we offer to prospective parents and students. The stars of Open Evening every year are our students. Last year we had nearly 300 students helping out on the evening and I know a similar number will supporting the event next Thursday. I know that their energy and enthusiasm for the school will have a real impact on all of the visitors. Thank you in advance for your support in ensuring the students can attend next Thursday.

We know students need a quiet space to complete homework and revision. That is why we offer Getting Ready and Get It Done. These are supported study sessions 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. Please do encourage your child to take advantage of this excellent opportunity.

This week saw the SVS careers department launch "work experience week" to our Year 10s. One of the benefits of work experience is its potential to provide opportunities for students to learn more about their own abilities. It helps them explore their strengths and weaknesses and enables them try out a specific job to see if it is something they might want to do in the future. Ideally a work placement should be aligned to a future career interest however any work experience is better than no work experience and so please can I encourage all parents and carers to help their Year 10 child secure a work placement for July. Any questions regarding SVS's work experience week can be directed to Virginia Martin, Careers Leader, vmartin@severnvaleschool.com 

Some import dates for your diary:

• Our Year 10/11 Helping Your Child Achieve evenings will take place on Thursday 29^th September. The Year 10 session will run from 6.00 – 7.00pm and the Year 11 session from 7.15 – 8.15pm. These sessions will provide you with some great advice on how to help your child navigate the GCSE years. In addition, there will be information on work experience for Year 10s and Post 16 Choices for Year 11. Feedback form parents on the information has always been really positive. I hope you can join us on 29^th September.
• Year 7 Tutor-Parent Evening will take place on Tuesday 4^th October between 4.00 – 7.00pm. Information on how to make bookings will be sent separately.

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.

Finally, a reminder that there will be a Bank Holiday on Monday to mark the State Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This means that school will be closed next Monday, 19 September. School will reopen on Tuesday 20 September.

Kind regards

Richard Johnson
Headteacher