Headteacher's Blog 24-1-25
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Fixtures against Holmleigh Park for our Netball teams this week saw same great games and great play
This week has obviously been dominated by the visit from Ofsted. This was very much expected given we were last inspected in February 2020. Their report will be available in approximately 5 weeks and I am limited in what I can share with you in the meantime. I can confirm they were incredibly impressed with our students and on the great relationships evident between staff and students, neither of which came as any surprise to us. As soon as the report is available, I look forward to sharing it with you.
For our Year 11 students, the journey to their summer exams continues next week with the first of two weeks of mock assessments in their option subjects. These assessments will be run like the real exams and will give the students a fabulous dry-run ahead of those summer exams. Most importantly, they will tell the students and their teachers where they are with just 3 ½ months left until the start of the exam season proper. Thank you in advance for the support you will be providing and the encouragement you will be giving your child to do their very best.
I speak often of the importance of attendance and am always trying to find ways to support our students to attend school each and every day. That is why I am proud that Severn Vale is now a partner with Menstrual Cycle Support (MCS). MCS will provide our students with access to an evidence-informed framework that includes a 45-minute online course aimed at equipping students with practical tools to manage their menstrual health, reduce stigma, and build confidence. Students can access the course using their school email address at www.menstrualcyclesupport.com. Through this collaboration, we are hoping to ensure that no student’s educational journey is hindered by menstrual health challenges, while promoting overall resilience and self-confidence. For more information about the MCS program, please visit Menstrual Cycle Support or join MCS founder Kate Shepherd Cohen in an online workshop with Q&A on Tuesday 4 February between 7.00 – 8.00pm. Email sss@severnvaleschool.com for further details.
A highlight this week was dropping into one of our music rooms to see 30 of our Year 7 students preparing for a brilliant music project that we are running in partnership with The Music Works. This will see the students get the opportunity to professionally record a song. To see the students perform was a joy. They were so enthusiastic and so obviously enjoying themselves as they sang their hearts out. I look forward to following their progress and to listening and sharing their final track.
This week saw our Netball teams play a series of fixtures against Holmleigh Park:
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The Year 7A team drew, Ruby B scoring all the goals and Bish P getting player of the match. The B team won 3-2, with Beau T-P scoring all their goals, and Amelia H getting player of the match. Well done, girls!
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Both the Year 8A and B teams fought hard, but ultimately came away defeated. Players of the match went to Aviya G and Maddie T.
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The Year 9 team absolutely smashed it, winning 22-5, in an excellent display of netball. Player of the match went to Bianca A, but everyone played very well.
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The Year 10 team, who are missing a lot of players through injury, lost 17-7. Player of the match went to Freya L.
It was another great turnout for Year 7 Football training with 50 students taking part. Football fixtures for the boys begin next week.
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.
I do hope you have a great weekend.
Kind regards,
Richard Johnson
Headteacher