Dear Parents, Guardians, and Friends
I hope that you all enjoyed the first of our three Bank Holidays this month. It was certainly nice to have some sunshine at last.
It is at this time of year that we are reminded how lucky we are to have so many flowerbeds, trees, shrubs and green space around the site. It is lovely to watch the spring flowers bloom and the trees gradually sprout greenery. The school environment was a key focus of the Climate Change Task Force and last spring we planted 50 trees (very, very small ones), they struggled with the summer drought conditions but it is pleasing to see that at least 8 are still going strong, hopefully they will continue to thrive.
Our site team have recently planted 15 much larger trees in the woodland areas by Gate 1, along with a row of hedges. These are part of the new bike shed area – which is almost complete; the bike sheds themselves will be eco-friendly with grass on the roof. Another area of change is the site of the now demolished bungalow, this has been an amazing transformation, we now have several new car parking spaces as well as an additional green space, which we understand PE are keen to claim! It certainly opens up that area of the school.
In order to support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the school council requested ‘Meat Free’ Mondays, I am delighted to say that the new Holt Café menu has included this and now Mondays offer meat free alternatives – see below for an example.
Mrs Fairhead, our sustainability lead and her team have been planting wildflower seeds, as well as reminding us all to switch off lights. The Environment Club is hoping to recruit more members later in the term.
Exam season is very nearly upon us, in fact it has started in MFL where the GCSE Oral examinations are nearly complete. GCSE and A level Art examinations happen next week, and study leave starts for Year 11 and Year 13 students. Currently lessons are those all-important revision lessons as students prepare for their public exams. Year 10 PPEs are already underway culminating in their PoR GCSE examination on 15th May.
KS3 students are beginning to think about their own assessment fortnight which happens immediately after half term. Mrs Connor and Miss Harris shared some useful information about this at the KS3 Parents Information Evening last week. They suggested a variety of revision techniques and top tips including how to beat procrastination! They were supported by our school councillor Faith Joanne who explained how teenagers develop and how parents can create the best environment for their children’s development.
Let’s hope the weather is good for our next Bank Holiday weekend!
Yvonne Smith
Assistant Headteacher