Principal's Weekly Update

Dear parents, carers, and students,

As we approach the half-term break, it is incredible to see how quickly time has flown! This term has been packed with fantastic activities, achievements, and important developments in our school community. Here is what is happening this week:

 

Year 7 Parents’ Evening – A Warm Welcome Continues

A reminder to all Year 7 parents that our Parents’ Evening will take place next week. As your children are still relatively new to the school, this is a great opportunity to build on the warm welcome from the start of the year and hear about their progress. Year 7 have been brilliant so far, and we are looking forward to celebrating their achievements with you.

If you have any questions regarding booking appointments, please contact the school office. We aim for 100% attendance from parents to ensure that every student’s progress is recognised and discussed.

 

Ofsted Report – A Moment of Pride

By the time you receive this newsletter, you should have had the chance to read our latest Ofsted report. I have already written to highlight the key successes, and I am incredibly proud of our entire school community. Your support as parents is invaluable, and this report is a testament to the dedication of students, staff, and families alike. If you have any questions about the report, please do get in touch.

 

Equity and Inclusion – Learning from the Past, Building for the Future

This week we marked the 80th memorial of Auschwitz with an important visit from the Holocaust Education Trust. Rather than a survivor, this year we had the privilege of welcoming the daughter of a survivor, who shared her family’s story with our students.

She later wrote to us, praising our students for their engagement and respectful behaviour, saying:

“Thank you very much for having me yesterday. Miss Latunji Jones, who organised the morning, did a wonderful job. Your pupils are a great example of how to behave and a testament to your leadership. The conversation around the table while I enjoyed a delicious lunch was, I hope, useful to the Sixth Form students—they were fully engaged.

Thank you for your opening and closing remarks. This was the first time I had spoken at a Greater London school with such a real mix of ethnicities. With the 80th commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz and, in the same news bulletin, Palestinians walking along the beach back home, the message remains as important as ever to deliver.”

This serves as a reminder of the power of education in fostering understanding and change. As a diverse school community, we recognise the importance of remembering history and supporting those affected by ongoing conflicts worldwide.

Continuing on the theme of equity and inclusion, I also want to address the concerns some parents have raised regarding support for neurodiverse students. We are fully committed to making our school environment as inclusive as possible. Research shows that consistency, clear routines, and distraction-free learning spaces benefit all students, particularly those with neurodiverse needs. We are actively working on improving these aspects, and your feedback is always welcome.

 

Communication & Systems – Making Life Easier for Parents

We are constantly striving to improve our communication with parents. You may already be aware that we have transitioned to a new system, Arbor, which will now be used for all payments, including school meals and trips.

A detailed letter has been sent out explaining the change, and we encourage all parents to review it. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

 

Student Leadership Updates

A message from our Head Boy and Head Girl, Veron and Amilie:

Veron: "Being Head Boy has allowed me to develop many skills, particularly communication. I’ve had the opportunity to work with students across different age groups, as well as teachers and parents. One of the things we are most proud of as a Student Leadership Team is the extra support we’ve provided for Year 11s through intervention sessions, ensuring they are fully prepared for their mocks and GCSEs."

"Looking ahead, we want to amplify student voice to make sure everyone has the best possible experience at our school. To achieve this, we’re introducing golden ties for our prefects and form representatives, making them easily identifiable so students can share their ideas and concerns with us."

Amilie: "One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt in this role is how to communicate effectively with different groups of people—whether that’s parents, teachers, or fellow students. Getting to know everyone and building those connections has been an incredible experience."

"I’m especially proud of the charity events we’ve organised over the past year. Thanks to the amazing support from students, we’ve raised significant funds for important causes. Moving forward, we want to hear your ideas for future charity events—whether it’s a football match, rugby game, or athletics competition. Let us know what you’d love to see, and we’ll work to make it happen!"

 

The team is also looking for new ideas for charity events – whether it’s a football match, rugby match, or something entirely different, let them know what you’d like to see!

As always, if you have any questions about the topics discussed in this newsletter, please reach out to me, a member of the leadership team, or any staff member.

Wishing you all a fantastic weekend and we will see you again next week!

Best regards,

Ms Seymour