Welcome to our school blog! It’s only the second week of term, but we’re already in full swing. Exams are ongoing, and the school is buzzing with activities. From sports and competitions to clubs and music, there’s something exciting happening every day. Stay tuned for highlights, stories, and a look at what’s coming up next in our lively school community!
I don’t know if you can tell but the introduction above was written by Chat GPT! AI and its potential (and pitfalls) have been something we have been investigating as a school this year; it will be really interesting and exciting to see how it influences educational settings in the future. The rest of the blog is written by me.
There have been several activities and competitions taking place this week. The Sixth Form Gliding Competition is a new event and our thanks go to a school Governor, Mike Noak, the Chair of the Finance Committee, for donating the amazing prize of a flight in a glider. Ms Kostaki says –
The 6th form gliding competition took place yesterday lunchtime, at the sixth form centre. Dr Lewis launched the competition before half term and supported the students through the various stages of preparation. Students had to build and decorate their glider and also produce a poster with details on their production log and science behind flying.
Their creativity, dedication and team effort were exceptional, especially from students who don’t study science in A-level. The competition was intense, but everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Finally, after much deliberation, Anouk and Ellie were announced the winners of the competition. Special thanks to Mr Noak, our school governor, for securing a fantastic prize for the winners-gliding tickets!
The Extra Curricular timetable has been updated for this term and shared with students and parents. As usual there is a wide variety which means lots of choice for our students. I visited Chess Club, which is run by Year 10 students Srishti and Meera, Shrestha and Charlotte were joining them in a game. Gardening Club which is led by Miss Bardwell were working hard in the Learning Link garden and also our orchestra who were rehearsing The Adams Family Theme tune.
The PE department are busy as usual with all of their in-school and external, fixtures, clubs and events. Last week they went to District Sports and our students did amazingly well. The overall Team results were as follows –
Year 7- 3rd
Year 8- 1st
Year 9- 1st
Year 10- 2nd
We also have 5 District Champions Lily, Maya, Arabella, Rosy and Mina. In addition to all of this 14 of our students were selected to represent Wokingham at the Berkshire Schools Champions. Congratulations to all of these athletes and everyone who took part.
Yesterday, Year 10 had an opportunity to think about their future by attending our ‘Meet the Subjects’ event. This took place in The Sixth Form Centre and was an opportunity for Year 10 students to talk to teachers about A levels and experience ‘Life in the Sixth Form’ at The Holt (including Costa!). This was the first time the Sixth Form team have run an event in this style and it was extremely successful. There was a real buzz as students talked to Year 12 subject prefects and tried out the various activities.
The new Year 10 prefects have recently been appointed after a challenging recruitment process. Mrs Kennedy and Mrs Pearce reminded them in a special assembly on Monday, of the vision and values of the school and how important the role of a prefect is. They shared the range of events and roles that the prefects will have over the coming year and how they will be able to work as part of a team, participate in assemblies, support younger Year groups in House events, take on new challenges and play a vital role in the Holt Community. One of the first events they will be involved in is our Summer Open Evening, which will take place on 4th July 2025 from 6 – 8pm.
After all of that activity it is important to remember the importance of sleep. Mrs Griffiths our SENDco has shared this flyer with us about an online course to help develop sleep routines.
And so back to AI for the end, written in the style of a geography teacher…
As we conclude this week’s blog, I want to thank all the students for their hard work and enthusiasm. This half term has started off with the vibrant energy of a bustling city. Please encourage your children to stay focused on their exams, just as a compass points true north, and to engage in the diverse activities our school landscape offers. Let’s support them as they navigate this term, exploring new opportunities and charting their paths to success. Until next time, let’s keep the school spirit thriving!
Yvonne Smith
Assistant Headteacher