This week we received feedback from Ofsted following their recent visit to the school. I was very pleased that the inspection team agreed with our own assessment that the school has taken effective action to maintain standards since the last inspection.

There were many elements that they highlighted that I was pleased to read: “Severn Vale School has high expectations for its pupils”; that “Our pupils achieve well across the curriculum.” Most pleasing was the comment that “Warm relationships between pupils and staff make pupils feel happy and safe.” Ofsted have identified areas for us to do further work on. These had already been identified by the school and work is already underway to deliver on these priorities.   

Another area Ofsted praised was the ever-growing range of extracurricular provision offered by the school. Just in the last two weeks, two further clubs have been added, an Aviation Club and a History Club, both of which have been oversubscribed. Our popular DofE programme was launched to our Year 8 students in an assembly on Tuesday. This is a great programme and one that I would highly recommend. It was great to see lots of students show an interest in participating.

Every morning, students have the opportunity to get free toast on their arrival at school. On Tuesday, this provision was expanded with Mr Ball overseeing a Severn Vale Shrove Tuesday special with pancakes on the menu. This was certainly a popular move with plenty of students taking advantage of the offer. Next Friday is Pi Day; apparently Mr Ball is planning a pie special already!

On Wednesday, we held our annual collection for a local foodbank. This year the recipient was the Quedgeley Community Pantry. As always, the event was organised by our Year 11 Student Leadership Team, who handled all the logistics, from contacting the charity and organising collection, through to promoting the event and, of course, helping pack crates. They showed outstanding independence and their proactive efforts paid off with an excellent response from staff and students alike. We are extremely proud of everyone who helped make a difference to the lives of people they’ll never meet. Thank you for your support in making the collection a great success.

Also on Wednesday, we welcomed Esalo and Filip from The Music Works, who spent four lessons with our Year 7 Big Sing Group working on Song Writing techniques. The initial basis for the group was the Year 7 Pledges, and it was fascinating to hear the creative ideas from the group as they worked against the clock to create lyrics, melody and record their work. In addition to the obvious musical learning, it was great to see the students broadening their social skills, developing new friendships, stepping out of their creative comfort zones, and presenting ideas to a group. We are very much looking forward to the next phase of the Big Sing project, which sees the group visiting The Music Works Recording Studios. More to follow as it happens, but safe to say that it is exciting!

On Thursday, 10 students from Year 8 and 9 were invited to the Kings School for the first Festival of Sport of 2025. The SV team demonstrated excellent sportsmanship, enthusiasm and determination. They completed a range of different events, including curling, boccia and target games. They were a credit to the school. Well done to all who participated. 

Our Year 11 football team have had a brilliant week. It started with a fantastic game against St Peters on Tuesday night, which they won 3-1. All 11 players worked hard for each other right from the first whistle and played with superb team spirit. There were too many outstanding performances to award a man of the match on this occasion, but Joe A and Jaiden B had the game of their lives. The boys continued their winning streak by beating firm favourites Churchdown 3-1 on Thursday. This was the first time they have beaten Churchdown so it was an excellent way to finish off their footballing times at Severn Vale. Player of the Match was Kaelen V who bossed the midfield and created chances with every touch he had. Every single player played their part in the last 2 matches and can hold their heads up high!

A reminder that on 14 March, our annual Severn Vale School Charity 5K run will take place. This year we are inviting students in all years to run, walk or jog the 5k to raise money for our chosen charity. This year’s charity was chosen by the Year 7 Student Ambassadors. They selected Sunflowers, which supports local families who have been bereaved by suicide. Student and staff runners will be asked to donate £1 to run and are encouraged to gain other sponsorship. Thank you in advance for all your support with this event.

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.   

Kind regards,  

Richard Johnson 
Headteacher