Dear Parents and Guardians
Last week Year 11 food and nutrition students took their practical exam. Mrs Nyazika commented
Reflecting on the recent practical exam, I am filled with an immense sense of pride and excitement about how everything unfolded. As a teacher, there’s a unique joy in seeing my students apply what they’ve learned in a real-world setting, and this exam was no exception. From the beginning to the end, everything seemed to align beautifully. What went particularly well was witnessing my students’ confidence and preparedness. I was particularly thrilled to see how they handled unexpected challenges with grace, adapting to situations I knew could be tricky. It was clear that the lessons and guidance we’d worked on together had truly sunk in. There’s no greater reward than seeing my students succeed, and the results of this practical exam were a testament to the hard work and dedication they put in. My students were not only able to apply their knowledge, but they also demonstrated creative problem-solving and resilience skills that are invaluable both inside and outside the classroom. I felt incredibly proud and thrilled as I watched each student rise to the occasion, completing tasks with precision and confidence. The success of this exam reaffirms why I’m passionate about teaching—seeing my students thrive in such a tangible way was nothing short of exhilarating.
Wow – gushing praise – well done to Year 11 and thanks to Mrs Nyazika and Miss Hurry.
In between all this cooking last Thursday, the Town Major, Rob Comber and Deputy Mayor Lousie Timlin joined the staff at breaktime to present Fiona Cross, our Chair of Governors, with a civic award for service to the local community. Fiona was nominated by two fellow governors, Micheal Noak and Alan Fieldsend for her dedication to The Holt School and leadership of the Board of Governors.
Congratulations to Fiona and we are grateful for the time and expertise she brings to the role –she is very much our critical friend!
On Friday afternoon, Year 9 listened to a powerful talk by Paul Hannaford. Mrs Hornblow wrote
Paul delivers this session annually for our Year 9 students and it is becoming a rite of passage that the older students still talk about… even in Year 13! The talk was as powerful and inspiring as ever as Paul discussed his personal experience of his battle with illegal drugs and subsequent involvement in gang crime and knife crime. Paul gave a harrowing account of his struggles, but countered this with a heartfelt explanation of how he has turned his life around since. Students were hooked for the entirety of the performance (you could have heard a pin drop!) and many students stayed behind after school to ask further questions and take some pictures. The session will be followed up this week in registration with a reflection activity, where students will discuss the impact of addiction on individuals and those around them in addition to having the opportunity to ask questions. Further information about Paul and his journey can be found here – Paul Hannaford – Community & School Talks – Paul Hannaford
Last week our Year 8 netballers led a BEE Netball Festival to over 40 primary school students who had not played netball before. They did a fantastic job of leading fun and engaging activities and the feedback from the primary school teachers was excellent. Well done leaders and thanks to Mrs Bolton!
Mrs Bolton also took a group of girls to a Boccia event at Waingels. The team played against boys and girls of various ages and they won the New Age Kurling event! We are so proud that the students are now Wokingham NAK Champions!!
On Tuesday the PE department took 10 girls to the South State Schools Hockey Tournament. The girls played so well as a team and scored some amazing goals throughout the tournament! It was a lovely day with the sun shining throughout.
On Tuesday the PE department also had a brilliant indoor cricket match against The Abbey School! The girls showed some amazing batting skills and bowled out lots of the other team. We are excited to see more of the cricket in the summer term.
Last week was the second round of the Year 7 Wokingham netball league and it was excellent! Great team work all round and even more progress shown within the team. Mrs Ebden said it was exciting to see the students play and develop their tactics and skills each week!
With less than a week to go until the Les Misérables school performance, there are still about 40 tickets across the 3 nights if you are interested in buying one. http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/
The show is nearly a sell-out, with 560 tickets sold so far – thank you to everyone who is supporting the show. Good luck to all involved!
Year 8 have been working on data collection and analysis in maths. A fun fact….silver is the most popular colour amongst teacher cars!
Finally, on Friday, we are inviting students to come to school in non-school uniform in exchange for a voluntary donation of £2. The proceeds from the non-uniform day will be going to local grassroots youth clubs. There have been a few research reports recently highlighting the benefits of young people attending Youth clubs. They are key to giving young people the space, support and confidence to build up their independence, to develop friendships and feel a sense of belonging and they often provide volunteering opportunities. All these things lead to better mental health and well-being for our young people.
We would love to hear from any students who attend a youth club/community-based after school programme which would benefit from a small donation. We have already had emails about scout groups raising money for camping equipment, a youth group raising money for baking equipment and a couple of dance troops raising money to attend competitions. Mrs Pearce and I will meet with the students who have been in touch at breaktime sometime next week to find out more!
Anne Kennedy
Co-Headteacher