Head’s Blog – February 2024

Friday 02 February 2024 | By System Admin

Pupils have been showing their strengths both in and out of the classroom in recent weeks. Firstly, it has been great to see a number of notable sporting victories for our team. Our U12A Netball team played exceptionally well against Carmel College, coming away with a 28-3 victory. The U12 Mixed Hockey team worked extremely hard against Egglescliffe School to secure a draw. The U11 Hockey team had three games against Yarm 1st, 2nd and 3rd teams, playing tirelessly to achieve two victories and one draw. The U14 girls had a fantastic 4-1 victory in their hockey game against Yarm U13A. Finally, we saw some great individual results at the Red House Invitational Cross Country Competition. It is wonderful to see the amount of competitive sporting opportunities students are receiving and how much effort and dedication they are putting into each game. These opportunities build upon the skills we are endlessly developing and reinforcing in lessons, so it is wonderful to see pupils thriving as they are put to the test against strong competition!

It’s not just on the pitch where pupils have been busy. Our fantastic staff have led many exciting trips in recent weeks. Last Tuesday, Year 11 students visited the Grand Opera House in York to watch Macbeth as part of their preparations for their summer examinations. Tuesday saw GCSE and A-level Drama students travel to Newcastle’s Theatre Royal to watch Willy Russell’s outstanding musical, Blood Brothers. On Wednesday, the ESU Public Speaking competition travelled to the next round of the competition in Leeds. At the bottom end of the school, Nursery and Reception children explored the Land of Make Believe yesterday and tonight a selection of students will watch the Newcastle Eagles Basketball game! These trips and visits both allow our students to apply their understanding and test their knowledge, but also see their aspirations and learning come to life. 

On the topic of trips, our Creative Arts Department has finally been able to share news of their adventure to New York in December 2024. This trip promises to be an amazing experience, giving students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the wonders of New York at Christmas as well as exploring the wealth of creative experiences at Art galleries, Broadway shows and Ellen’s Stardust Diner. This will certainly be another Christmas to remember after the success of our ski trip last year.

In recent days I have been involved in the Year 11 Next Steps Interviews which have followed closely from last week’s Theme of the Week of Careers and Aspirations, and this week’s annual Careers Convention. It was amazing to see so many local businesses and universities contribute to the Convention, now in its 18th year, and we thank all delegates for taking the time to help students explore their future career paths. We look forward to working with the many organisations and businesses in attendance again in the future.

You can read our latest newsletter here.

Mrs K Mackenzie, Head