March 2021

As we approach the Easter holidays it feels like a good time to reflect on the last term. Times have continued to be challenging for us all in this third national lockdown, but on the 8^th March I found myself with an extra spring in my step as we welcomed back the students. I know I speak for all the staff when I say we were really pleased to see the students back where they belong, in school.

I would like to extend a huge thank you for everyone’s cooperation with the pre-reopening covid testing on the 4^th & 5^th March. I know it was a challenge for some families to get here, but having the reassurance of those negative test results before the students returned to lessons was important.

The students have now started to undertake ‘at home’ covid tests. Thank you to those who have logged the results with our dedicated results email. Please keep doing so - twice a week on a Monday and Thursday (covidtestresult@shs.set.education). The test on Monday 12^th April is especially important before the students return to school and begin to mix again.

I have been really impressed with the student’s engagement in the Three Peaks and Get to Tokyo challenges organised by Mr Taylor in the PE Department. They have really risen to the challenge and it has been good to see the competition between the year groups to top the leader board. There are only a few days left of the Tokyo challenge, so please make sure you keep recording your distance and log it with Mr Taylor.

World Book Day took place just as we returned to being fully open. A huge thanks to Mrs Rowe who organised our ‘Masked Reader’ competition and the ‘make a character from a potato challenge’. I was one of the readers in the masked reader competition, it was tough trying to work out who the other readers were – even I struggled to identify some of them. How did you get on?

Year 9 have been making their GCSE option choices over the last few weeks. Like so many events this could not be completed in the normal way. Just a reminder that the completed options forms are due by Friday 26^th March, the last day of this term.

British Science Week saw Mrs Seeman organise a poster competition with the theme of ‘innovation for the future’. Well done to those who entered. If you didn’t, think about getting involved next time.

I would also like to take this opportunity to share some staffing updates.

Mrs Reed, Head of Science will be retiring at the end of summer term. We thank her for her commitment to the students over the years and wish her well in her retirement. We have recently had a rigorous interview process and are delighted to appoint a new Head of Science, Mrs Nunn, from September. I am also delighted that Mr Axtell will rejoin us as an additional part time science teacher from September.

Also leaving us at the end of summer term will be Mrs Hurren. She is relocating with her family. We are currently in the process of recruiting her replacement. We will greatly miss Mrs Hurren and wish her well with her house move to Yorkshire.

I hope everyone has a good Easter holiday. Hopefully, the weather will be favourable, and we can all get outside for some fresh air but please keep following the national rules so we can all stay safe and get back to ‘normal’ quicker. Students return to school after the Easter break, on Tuesday 13^th April.