This week has been dominated by assessments with students in Year 11 taking their first core mock exams and all KS3 students taking their order A assessments. It has been pleasing to see how the students across all year groups have been giving these assessments the respect they deserve. For our Year 11 students, the mock exams are an important staging post on their journey towards their final exams in the summer. At KS3, the Order Assessments enable our teachers to see if students are making progress in line with expectation. Thank you for the support you have provided your children as they have prepared for these key assessments.

We have been looking to further develop our range of extracurricular provision this academic year. A range of new clubs have started, some initiated by staff and some by students. It was great to see the first meeting of the Rubik’s Cube club this week; I know a Dr Who club is starting later this week. It is a pleasure to see the students helping to develop the school’s offer and sharing their passions with others. Most importantly, it is great to see them feeling happy and comfortable taking part in activities they really enjoy!

On Thursday we held our Awards Evening for the class of 2023. We know that their time at Severn Vale has provided these students with a great foundation for further success, so it was an absolute pleasure to catch up with them and to hear about their progress in their many Sixth Forms, Colleges and Apprenticeships.

Next Thursday sees our annual Flexible Learning Day. This is a day when we suspend the normal timetable to enable us to deliver a range of key cross-curricular activities for the students. Amongst the activities are Sixth Form and College visits for our Year 11 students; a careers and employability day for our Year 10 students and, with concerns regarding well-being so prevalent currently, I am pleased that our Year 9 students will be working with a range of partner organisations on a day addressing this crucial issue.

Sporting fixtures this week have included:

• Year 7 Football – the Year 7 Girls played St Peters in a roller-coaster of a game that ended in 2 – 2. Despite a dominant performance, a penalty conceded in the last couple of minutes and then a last-minute equaliser denied them what would have been a well-deserved victory. Player of the Match was Amber H for an outstanding performance in midfield. 

• Year 7 Rugby - the Year 7 boys travelled to Churchdown to play two 8-a-side games. We lost one game (by one try) and won the other 6 tries to 1. The progress these boys have made has been fantastic. Their commitment each week in training just flows into the games. Special mention to TJ and Alfie B for their constant desire to tackle and run into everything!

• Year 8 Football – the Year 8 girls football team played against Holmleigh Park this week in a game that finished 0 - 0. The girls really enjoyed themselves and created some good chances. Player of the Match went to Daisy H on her debut for the school team.

• Year 9 Rugby – the Year boys hosted Churchdown in a really productive squad performance. The boys played with great structure; offloading brilliantly and tackling strongly, winning 55 - 5. At half-time, 8 changes were made, giving four students their first experience of competitive rugby! Special mention to Dan P-C for his dangerous running and Kieron M for his excellent defence!

• Year 10 Rugby – the boys travelled to Henley Bank for their latest fixture. In a tight, hard fought game, the boys emerged victorious, 19 – 14.

• KS4 Hockey – the girls travelled to Denmark Road for their latest fixture. A fabulous game played in a brilliant spirit fluctuated one way then the other but ended in a 3 – 2 defeat. Player of the Match went to Maddie R.

• Cross Country - our Cross Country team went to Plock Court for the District trials. The conditions were really tough, with students running through ankle-deep water in some stages, but it was a great experience, especially for our younger team members. Special mention to Charlie who came 2nd, Will who came 5^th and Ryan who came 6^th in the Year 10/11 race; a fantastic achievement. All three boys have been invited to the next stage to represent Gloucester against the surrounding Districts.

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 next Friday (24 November) is a staff Inset Day and the school will be closed to students.

Kind regards,

Richard Johnson 
Headteacher