Headteacher's Message
January is almost over and today’s sunshine has provided some very welcome respite from the dismal grey skies and rain. February will bring half term and then mock exams for our Year 11 and 13 students, although we have already had mock exams this week for those studying languages. Teachers have reported how calm and well prepared our pupils were for these, which bodes well for the real exams come the summer.
Tuesday marked Holocaust Memorial Day, when people of all faiths and backgrounds commemorate the Holocaust and other more recent genocides, which is particularly poignant this year with current global events. Our Year 9 pupils have been visiting Richmond Synagogue for a powerful workshop where they spoke to families of Holocaust survivors. They learned about the dangers of prejudiced state policy and the power of intergenerational dialogue, building a bridge between memory and action, between history and hope for the future.
I am very proud to say that on Wednesday this week over 130 pupils took part in the national Intermediate Maths Challenge, an optional test paper from the UK Maths Trust which encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and mathematical fluency.
It was so wonderful to see so many parents attending the Year 9 Parent Consultation Meetings. We are aware some parents may have experienced technical difficulties due to a fault with the appointment platform, we understand how frustrating this must have been and teachers will be in touch with those affected.
Today, we had another fantastic Working Lunch careers talk organised by Ms Lee-Lewis. The talk led by Ms Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC, was well attended by pupils who got the low down on working in the entertainment industry and following your passions.
Finally a reminder that our school is situated in a residential area with many children using Fifth Cross Road to travel to our school and others in the nearby vicinity. If you are driving your child to and from Waldegrave please can I ask you to adhere to the rules of the road, the double yellow lines and zigzags show areas that must be kept clear so that children and other road users can see clearly when crossing the road. To ensure the safety of all road users, including our pupils and staff, please do not park or stop in these areas and be mindful of your speed. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Ms Lee Lewis has been extremely busy organising working lunches for our students. This week’s careers talk was today and featured an insight from Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of BBC Entertainment Commissioning. From Traitors and The Apprentice, to Strictly and everything in-between, Kalpna plays a critical role in entertaining our nation. She is in charge of a multi-million pound budget and oversees 500 hours of television a year across the BBC.
Today, we had another Working Lunch that was organised by Ms Lee-Lewis. The talk was led by Ms Kalpna Patel-Knight, who is the Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC. She is in charge of a multi-million pound budget and oversees 500 hours of television a year across the BBC. During her talk she covered what her role entails – including decision making about the broadcasting of popular programmes like Traitors, the Apprentice and Strictly Come Dancing – and how to get ahead in a career in media. All students from across the school were invited to attend. It was such a brilliant talk!
This afternoon we have the Year 7/8 football league cup final against Richmond Park Academy. Our team has been looking strong all term so we are going into the match confidently and will share the results next week.
