Published June 18, 2021
The announcement from the Government earlier this week and local news sources informing us that cases are on the rise in Salisbury have been a reminder to us all that we are not out of the woods yet regarding the pandemic. Please do keep taking the twice weekly lateral flow test – they are a big part of helping us to minimise the risk of covid in school.
Whilst these reminders are frustrating and whilst we may all be experiencing a bit of “covid-fatigue”, we must continue to remain cautious as we navigate what is hopefully the last few weeks of restrictions.
Year 10 Mock Exams
Next week is the beginning of the year 10 mock exam window and will provide an invaluable experience for the year group. Not only will they be taking mock GCSE papers, but they will also have their first experience of the exam hall procedures and processes. This will be vital preparation for what is likely to come for them in the future next year.
Good luck Year 10!
Year 7-9 Assessments
As a school, we have taken the decision not to have end of year exams for years 7-9. With the pupils having experienced an enforced lockdown and home learning from January through to March, we felt it best to use the remaining curriculum time this year to continue covering the curriculum rather than spend the time revising and taking exams. The only exception to this is maths. Next year we will revert back to end of year exams at this time of year for all year groups.
Pupils will still be having their normal assessments in lessons, but these will not be ‘end of year exams’. They are the assessments that have been planned into the curriculum and focus on their current areas of study rather than a year’s worth of work.
We are confident this approach will help to consolidate and cement their learning and build on their mastery of the curriculum whilst maximising curriculum time.
Upcoming Dates
Last week we alluded to the idea that things are slowly returning to normal, and I’m delighted to share the following dates with you (separate correspondence will be sent out regarding parents’ evenings and information evenings, but below are some important dates for your calendar (all events will be virtual):
| Monday 12th July | Year 7 parents’ evening |
| Tuesday 13th July | Year 8 Progress Report Preparation, The GCSE Options Process and Parent Information Evening |
| Wednesday 14th July | Year 9 Progress Report Preparation and Parent Information Evening |
| Thursday 15th July | Year 10 Progress Report & GCSE Preparation and Parent Information Evening |
| Friday 16th July | Progress Reports for all year groups sent home |
Early in the next academic year we will also be hosting Aiming for Excellence Evenings for all year groups and also full parents’ evenings for current Year 8s, 9s and 10s prior to the Christmas break.
Other important events that are happening this term:
| 9th July onwards | Head Boy & Girl speeches and elections |
| 13th – 16th July | Cinema Rewards Experiences |
| 20th July | Sports Day |
| 21st & 22nd July | House Competition Day |
| 23rd July | House Quiz Competition, Achievement & Awards Assemblies |
Trips
In light of the recent government and DfE announcements we have made the decision to not run domestic trips until September 2021 and foreign trips until 2022.
This means that we will not be running our annual rewards trip to Thorpe Park this summer. Although theme parks are open, we do not want to put our children at risk mixing with thousands of other individuals from around the country. To reward pupils this year we will be hosting cinema experiences in the hall, and the house competition days promise to full of fun and enjoyment!
We are hopeful that we will be able to return to running our full complement of trips in the coming year and are looking forward to the enrichment opportunities and memories that these trips create. We’ve certainly missed them and are really looking forward to getting them going again!
Uniform
Uniform has been exemplary this week – thank you once again for your support in ensuring that your child is in appropriate attire for school.
Bus Update
Please see the earlier communication today regarding bus transport to and from school – this impacts the following services:
- Service 627 – the 0711 journey between Shaftesbury and Salisbury will no longer run and all passengers should catch the Service 27 journey
- Service 654 – the 0738 from Amesbury to Salisbury will no longer run and all passengers should catch the X4 departing from Amesbury at the same time.
- Service 937 – the 1605 departure from Laverstock Schools will be replaced with a journey on Service 37, which will then depart from Endless Street at the usual time of 1620.
Achievement Points Race
It’s so tight at the top! Teresa are still out in front, but 2nd and 3rd placed Margaret and Vincent are hot on Teresa’s heels!
- 1st: Teresa: 27,667 points
- 2nd: Margaret: 27,638 points
- 3rd: Vincent: 27,594 points
- 4th: Francis: 25,497 points
Have a lovely weekend!
Mr Rooney