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.
So 7FSM were the highest scoring form in last week’s quiz. As promised here is the answer to the question I posed….It has the highest average height of all the continents – The new high-precision map shows that Antarctica has many mountains, hills and raised land hidden beneath thick ice, which makes it higher on average than any other continent. Understanding this hidden landscape helps scientists predict how ice may move and melt as the climate warms. You learn something new every day!
This week the Year 8s enjoyed the ‘Smeds and Smoos’ scheme of learning, based on Julia Donaldson’s book about acceptance of differences. They got very creative as they spent time designing make up and costumes for the play.
On Monday 9th February the whole year group has been invited to the Rose Theatre to watch ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class’ we hope that everyone will be able to attend so please make sure you have paid on parent-pay and returned the permission forms. Any problems please let us know.
We are well and truly back into the swing of things as the festive break feels like quite the distant memory. This week I have been visiting Year 9 students in some of their lessons. It is always so lovely to see the students enjoying their subjects and the standard of work produced is very impressive. I was particularly impressed to see the wonderful healthy muesli breakfast muffins being made by year 9 in their DT practical lessons. It was great to hear the students giving feedback on their own and others very tasty looking baking.
This week Year 9 visited Richmond Synagogue where they were given an insightful talk by a child of a survivor of the Holocaust who will shared personal insights of lived experiences during the war years. They also took part in workshops where they were given the opportunity to understand the progression of oppression through the Nuremberg laws and to consider this year’s theme of bridging generations.
2026 is the National Year of Reading and next week is National Storytelling Week. It’s a great opportunity to remember the wellbeing benefits of reading for pleasure. Children who are the most engaged with reading and writing (i.e. those who enjoy it, do it daily and have positive attitudes towards it) are three times more likely to have higher levels of mental wellbeing than children who don’t.
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.
