As we head into the final week of term, I've found myself reflecting on what makes our school such a special place. Of course, it's the events everyone sees, but more than anything, it's the people – our students, families and staff – who make our community what it is.
A great moment this week
Sports Day for Years 7 and 8 was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the week. It was fantastic to see so many students enjoying it, whether they were competing, encouraging friends or simply challenging themselves to have a go. There were plenty of medals awarded, several school records broken and, perhaps most importantly, countless smiles.
A huge thank-you goes to our PE Department, who organised such a successful event. It was lovely to see them enjoying some well-earned boxes of Isle of Wight biscuits afterwards – a small token of appreciation for the enormous amount of planning and hard work that goes into making days like this so memorable for our young people.
A thought from the Head
One of the most exciting developments I've heard about recently isn't actually about buildings or funding – it's about people.
The Local Authority has shared more information about its plans to strengthen specialist support for children and young people through the new Experts at Hand programme. Over the coming years, the Isle of Wight will see more speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, educational psychologists and specialist teachers working directly alongside schools.
What I particularly like about this approach is that these professionals won't simply work with individual children and move on. Their role will be to coach, mentor and develop the expertise of school staff so that we become even better equipped to support children every day. Ultimately, that's what sustainable improvement looks like – building knowledge and confidence within schools.
There will also be funded opportunities for people who wish to train in these specialist roles, with further details expected during the autumn term. I think this is a really positive step for education on the Island.
Keeping children safe
Parents may hear more over the coming months about new national allergy safety guidance for schools, which comes into effect from September. We'll be reviewing our procedures to ensure they reflect the new expectations, including staff training, emergency medication arrangements and individual healthcare plans where needed. While much of this reflects what we already do, the new guidance provides further reassurance that supporting children with allergies safely and enabling them to participate fully in school life remains a national priority. If your child has a diagnosed allergy, please be reassured that we'll continue to work closely with families to ensure healthcare plans remain up to date ahead of the new academic year.
Looking ahead
Next week is Activities Week and I know there will be plenty of memorable experiences to finish the year on a high.
On Monday, I'd like to wish the very best of luck to the 76 students taking on the Walk the Wight challenge. Walking 27 kilometres is an incredible achievement and I know they'll do themselves and our school proud.
Finally, I'd like to thank every member of staff who has helped organise the many events that have taken place over the past few weeks and will take place next week. Sports Day, Awards Evening, Step Up into Year 11, Golf, Walk the Wight, Splashdown, Paultons Park, Ryde Beach and Bowl, Blackgang Chine and all the events taking place in school. They only happen because of the dedication, enthusiasm and generosity of colleagues who continually go above and beyond for our students.
Have a wonderful weekend, and I look forward to seeing everyone for a fantastic final week of term.
Natalie Sheppard
Headteacher
