It has been a pleasure to welcome the students back after the half-term break. They have made a good start to the new term and have settled back into their school routines quickly and effectively.

This week our Year 11 GCSE geography students have been completing the second of their compulsory fieldwork components. This involved travelling to Birmingham to carry out a primary data collection on urban inequality. The fieldwork provided stark examples of the differences in the quality of life for residents in Birmingham and will provide a great foundation for their further studies in this area.  The feedback from the staff who accompanied the students was really positive. They were particularly pleased with the way the students demonstrated a mature attitude towards such a challenging topic. 

Our Year 11 Food students enjoyed the opportunity to visit The View Restaurant at Gloucestershire College’s Cinderford campus. The students were treated to a three-course meal, where they got to experience fine dining! After the meal they were able to explore the kitchen and ask questions to the head chef. This was a fantastic opportunity for the students to gather an insight into the food industry and gain presentation tips to use in their food exam in February. 

At the start of the half-term break, our PE department had the pleasure of taking 30 students on a sporting tour to Malta. The girls played a variety of games of netball and football during the 5 day trip, as well as enjoying a range of cultural experiences on this historic island. The staff all commented on how fantastic the trip had been and how the students participating had all taken advantage of this fabulous opportunity.

Sporting fixtures resumed this week and included:

• Year 8 Rugby – our Year 8 rugby team hosted Barnwood Park in what is always a physical encounter. SV had four students playing their first game, which was brilliant to see. It was great to see the excellent support play and strong running from the SV team, aspects they have worked on in training. The game ended 45 - 5 with some great tries being scored. Special mention Koby D, Josh G, Cam R and Alfie B for their continuous hard work all game, both in attack and defence.

• Year 10 rugby – the Year 10s also had a fixture versus Barnwood Park. In a great game with some big tackles and strong running from both teams, SV won 37 - 10. Special mention to Victor and Alec for their relentless work ethic in attack and defence. MOM Jayden D with an outstanding overall performance.

• U 16 Hockey – our U16 girls played Newent this week. In a battling performance with lots of end to end play, no team were able to find the back of the net, with the game ending 0 – 0. PoM went to Millie S.

Next week sees our first assessment week of the academic year. Our Year 11 students will be completing their first Core Mocks of the academic year. These crucial assessments will enable the students, and their teachers, to see where they are in their learning as they move towards next summer’s GCSE exams. Students in KS3 will be sitting their Order A assessments in Maths and Science in the second week of the new term. Full details of the assessments and the associated revision activities have been posted on Satchel One and sent home to parents.  

A date for your diary: on Thursday 21 November we will be holding our Year 10 parents evening. The booking system will go live this evening. Full details have been sent to parents this week. If you have any questions, please contact Abby Pogue via email.

As ever, I include my 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, I have been notified by the police that they have received reports of poor / anti-social parking in the vicinity of the school at the end of the school day. This will result in increased patrols by their parking enforcement team. If you do pick your child up after school, please ensure that your park in a considerate and, most importantly, a safe manner. Thank you in advance for your support with this. 

I hope you have a great weekend.

Regards 

Richard Johnson   
Headteacher