Headteacher's statement

Dear Parents,
We are delighted to take delivery of a brand new school minibus last week.  This will create many more opportunities for students to take part in curricular visits, fieldwork as well as sports and arts events.  From the photograph below you can see that out Year 7s were very please to be part of the handing-over ceremony.

Recent school visits have taken our sixth form students to Disney Resort in Paris and Year 11 art students to the Tate Mordern gallery in London.  Over half term, a new Media Studies visit to Futuroscope in France will take place.

The Spring Term is always very busy as tehre are growing depands on many of our students to produce coursework and prepare for public examinations.  Parents can help by making sure that homework and coursework deadlines are met and that revision time is set aside at home before the exams.  Please see Mr Scott's guidelines on post-mock preparation later on in this newsletter.  It is very important that all students bring their planners every day and that parents see and sign them regularly, and I am grateful for your continued support on this matter.  We are organising an Easter Revision School for Year 9s and Year 11s in order to boost success.

I am concerned by a minority of students who are arriving late to school or who miss school without a proper reason.  We are now running regular morning "sweeps" and are monitoring both attendance and punctuality closely and have been very encouraged by the level of parental support for this initiative.  Mrs Nyangon has written a more detailed explaination in this newsletter.

The school continues to be a popular choice for parents and again we are heavily over-subscribed in Year 7 for September.  The Sixth Form application date has just passed although Mrs Allen will consider late application if there is availability on courses.  Any parent of a Year 11 student who is still unsure should contact the school.

We are delighted to welcome Mike Brearley, the former captain of the England cricket team, to the school in March when he will be delivering The Medway Lecture on the "Art of Leadership".

Lastly, do you have an e-mail address and would prefer newsletters sent home electronically? If so please email me at office@thomasaveling.co.uk and I will arrange for the May newsletter to arrive without having to extract it from your child's bag!

Yours sincerely
Richard Hard
Headteacher