19th October 2017
Dear Parents and Carers Perhaps in school we are aware of the passing of the year more than most. We are fast approaching the half term and October always signals the drawing in of the evenings, the change in weather and the trees changing in the school grounds. The summer seems a long way away now and the routines of the school term are well established. Firstly it is a number of ‘thank you’ messages to staff, students and parents. Our annual fun run, to raise money for our swimming pool (which is so greatly used by the community) achieved the sum of £9000. This sum along with funds raised by our incredible PSA during the coming months will truly help. The latest government academic tables have now been published. Once again Simon Balle has out-performed many local and national schools at GCSE level. The new indicator of ‘Progress 8’ - the measure of the progress the students make from their starting point of key stage 2 results—has also been published for all schools. The results of the children last summer has once again put us in the top 5% of schools nationally. Our ’value added’ in Hertfordshire placed us 6th, with no other schools in East Herts. Well done to staff, students and parents. We continue to love to hear from past students and also anyone who is a teacher looking for work, or wants to train to teach. The recruitment crisis is still acute, but thank you for your help last term and also with regard to solutions for staff sickness.
Alison Saunders