As I reflect on a very busy Spring Term, I do so with a great sense of gratitude to the whole school community for the collective effort that has gone into making this term such a wonderful experience for our pupils. I am especially thankful to the pupils for consistently impressing us with their talents, resilience, and determination to always do their best.
I’m also excited about the developments we have made in school to date with the support of Inspired Learning Group, along with those we have planned for the future.
In January we launched our new fleet of minibuses and fantastic team of dedicated minibus drivers to enable us to more easily transport our pupils to and from trips and fixtures, as well as enabling us to offer an extensive transport service for parents.
Our Careers and Progression Advisor, Mrs Sarah Singlehurst, who joined us last September in a newly created role, has been instrumental in guiding our pupils on their career paths. Last term, Mrs Singlehurst conducted personalised 1-1 sessions with Year 11s, aiding them in making informed decisions post-Year 11 and developing action plans aligned with their long-term aspirations. She also guided Upper Sixth pupils on post-Rookwood pathways. Since Christmas, Mrs Singlehurst has worked with Year 9s, introducing them to the options process, the research they can do, and assisting in the options selection process which included a subject carousel at this term’s Options Evening. Next term, she will support Year 10 and Lower Sixth pupils in their career exploration.
Our catering team, led by Mr Nick Price, who also joined us last September, have been working incredibly hard to deliver tasty and nutritious meals on a three-weekly rota for our pupils, with a current focus on reducing sugar in desserts.
Our ISAMS Parent Portal, launched in September, has proven to be particularly useful for parents. It allows you to view your child’s timetable, teaching groups, and teachers, access their school report, and request leave. The introduction of Wisepay also facilitates booking extra-curricular activities and making payments for chargeable extras, thereby reducing the number of additional items on end-of-term invoices.
Little Rooks Nursery continues to go from strength the strength, with the appointment of Mrs Manda Fisher as Nursery Manager and the creation of a Deputy Manager role. Mrs Fisher has 18 years of experience as a nursery manager and joins us this week from a large nursery in Berkshire where she led a team of 23. She is passionate about outdoor learning and is very excited to support us in developing the facilities, activities and services offered by the nursery. Ms Michelle Phillips, who currently works as an LSA in our Reception class, has extensive nursery management experience and will take on the role of Deputy Manager from this week.
As I write this, we have just received delivery of wooden blocks and furniture for our Bee Room which forms part of an exciting programme of developments for Little Rooks to encourage creativity and independence. More to follow on this soon.
Looking ahead, we are incredibly excited to announce that we will soon be able to offer all-year round swimming in our 25-metre pool. The development will include an update of the changing and toilet facilities.
We will also be opening a baby room in the Autumn Term to meet local demand and enable parents with children from as young as 6 months to benefit from the excellent care we offer in Little Rooks.
Lastly, following feedback from our parents, I am pleased to confirm that we will be changing our term dates for next academic year. We recognise that the Autumn Term is a long one, particularly for our littlest learners and new joiners, so the Autumn Term will finish on Friday 13th December, and we will add the days to the end of Summer Term to help alleviate the pressure of childcare for busy families, finishing on Wednesday 9th July 2025.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful community for your continued support, particularly around our fantastic performances this term, and wish you all a happy and healthy Easter break. We look forward to welcoming back all pupils on Wednesday 17th April.
