Some of you may know that Mr Osborne has been unwell for some time; we now know that he will not be returning to the school. I wish him a speedy recovery and would like to thank him for all his hard work and commitment to the school. In the interim, I have been asked by the Governors to lead the school until a new Headteacher is appointed.

We have a real opportunity to move the school forward after half-term with a dual focus on the quality of teaching and the behaviour of our students. I will be asking all staff to make explicit what the learning objectives for each lesson are, and what progress students are making towards their targets. It would be very helpful if you could have discussions with your child and ask them if they are clear about what is expected of them and if they feel that they are making progress. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I am quite clear that behaviour in lessons is generally good, however, we do have a persistent group of students who are late to lessons and disrupt learning. We intend to have a much tighter process for challenging those students who are out of lessons, and we will be giving sanctions. I will be informing students that they must have written permission from a teacher when they are out of lessons. I would appreciate it if you could reinforce this at home at every opportunity.

In this final half-term with a new timetable in place, Year 9's beginning their GCSE courses, and more time for staff to prepare lessons, these last few weeks will be a perfect opportunity to lay a strong foundation for the next academic year.

David Park

Acting Headteacher