26th June 2014
UPDATE ON THE ‘EXPANSION’ PLANS It was good not only to see parents attend the public exhibitions held just over two weeks ago but that we have received comments and feedback. We continue to meet with architects and experts in various fields (including education) so that the plans can be submitted for planning consent over the summer. We shall know if we have been successful by the end of that month. As we continue along this journey, I am more and more convinced educationally of the fantastic opportunities and benefits of the AllThrough model, which is becoming increasingly popular in many areas of the country and indeed worldwide. ‘TRANSITION’ NEWS It has been a great privilege this year not only visiting some of the children personally but also welcoming large numbers of parents and new Simon Balle students to out transition learning evenings. By now, all students will have been visited in their ‘home’ schools by a number of staff. Hannah Ahmet, whom many of you know as an excellent teacher, will be Head of Year 7. With over 800 Year 6 parents expressing a preference for the school, it was inevitable that we would fill all places and we have now 168 Year 6 students arriving. By the time you read this newsletter, we will have ‘run’ three out of our four transition learning evenings, with over sixty families attending each one. I am very grateful to my ‘busy’ staff who have organised a host of activities. Parents and students have loved them—Google maps in Geography, ‘Macbeth’ (drama), cakes and scones (food), music and even louder music, science experiments, beautiful aboriginal designs (art), IT (how we use it at Simon Balle) and more and more. The aims of the programme are for students to get an ‘exciting taste’ prior to coming and for parents to understand that they too are our partners in learning. Judging by what I have seen, highly successful on both accounts! Alison Saunders
THIS ISSUE: SCHOOL EXPANSION EXAM NEWS NON UNIFORM DAY
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: 27th June
Annual Art Exhibition
4th July
Staff Training School Closed
8th July
Summer Concert
9th July
Year 6 Parent Evening
10th July
Transition Day
15th July
Careers Fair Year 10 & 12
17/18th July Shakespeare Evenings 23rd July
End of Term (finishing times to follow)
2nd Sept
Start of Autumn Term