Today provided a fantastic showcase of the focused, high-quality interactions happening across our school. During session 5, myself and a visiting colleague from Meridian Trust conducted a walkthrough and were impressed to see such a great start to students’ work across all the classrooms we visited.

It was a privilege to step into E33 Explorer with Miss Johnson, E32 Explorer with Miss Barton, E31 Explorer with Miss Buckley, and E31 Pioneer with Miss Wilkinson. We also had the opportunity to spend time with the E30 Ethics group and the E29 Science groups. Across the board, students demonstrated a genuinely great attitude to learning.

One of the most impressive takeaways from the walkthrough was the confident academic language on display. Students are consistently using and applying tier 3 subject-specific vocabulary, confidently using complex terms into their contributions during lessons and in their books.

While the standard was high everywhere, there were a few particular highlights from the session. In E33 Explorer, students were deeply and enthusiastically engaged with Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Meanwhile, our Y11 students were seen rising to the occasion, responding brilliantly to high challenge and direct questioning specifically tailored to hone their exam technique.

To help us maintain this excellent momentum, we ask parents and carers to support us with our daily equipment checks. Please ensure your child arrives at school with their iPad and a suitable reading book. Having these essential items ready every day ensures their access to learning is fully supported and allows them to make the most of every lesson.