Welcome to the updates for this week.
Our Year 11 Food and Nutrition students have made excellent progress in their GCSE practical exams again this week. The quality of the dishes they are creating and presenting has been exceptional. Congratulations to all students for their hard work and dedication.
Today marked the beginning of our Year 11 trial exams. We strongly encourage parents and carers to support their children in preparing for these assessments. These trial exams are an important indicator of any knowledge gaps, providing valuable insights as students approach their final GCSE exams. Furthermore, they offer essential practice in working under exam conditions. If you or your child have any concerns regarding the exams, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Mrs McDowall or their tutor. Our dedicated staff are here to support students in all aspects of their school life at Carisbrooke, including exam-related challenges.
Thank you to the parents and carers of Year 9 students who attended our Year 9 Options Evening on Thursday. The event was a resounding success, offering invaluable information to both students and parents/carers as they navigate the process of selecting GCSE subjects for Key Stage 4. Option selection forms were distributed during the evening. Please complete and return them as soon as possible, as we will need them to finalise class arrangements. The deadline for submission is Friday 14 March. If you require any assistance, please contact Mrs Smith in the first instance.
On Friday, we were pleased to welcome STEM Consultant Cristina Astin, who spoke to our Year 8 and Year 9 girls about potential careers in STEM fields. Our students were inspired and engaged by the session, which was expertly organised by Mrs Gove. This opportunity provided a valuable insight into the exciting possibilities that STEM careers can offer.
Thank you to all the parents and carers who took the time to complete our recent student/carer survey. We are currently analysing the results and will share a detailed breakdown of our findings with you in a separate communication. At Carisbrooke, we highly value the feedback and ideas from both students and their families. Should you have any further comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@carisbrooke.iow.sch.uk.
With regard to the opinions and feedback from our wider community, we are holding a SEND Voice: Parent/Carer Forum on Wednesday 26 March at 3.30 pm in school. If you are the parent or carer of a child with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), we would be delighted if you could join us for a discussion on the Isle of Wight SEND Peer Challenge Report and its implications for Carisbrooke.
Finally, I am please to announce that we have appointed a new SEND Leader to join our team. Zoe Divers joins us from St Georges and will start with us on 1 May. St Georges is a secondary provision for students with a wide range of complex needs and Zoe is highly experienced. We very much look forward to her joining us.
I am also pleased to announce that Tim Westby has been given a funded place on the NPQ for SENCOs and we are expecting him to commence training this April, building capacity for the future.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend ahead.
Natalie Sheppard
Executive Headteacher
