Welcome to a ‘bumper’ edition of the Parent Bulletin this week. There is so much going on at the school that we are running to 11 pages so please read through carefully as there is lots of important information and dates for your diary. Next Thursday (13th February 2014) is the Year 9 Options Evening and parents should have received a letter informing them of the timings of the meeting. For students in 9Q, 9R, 9S and 9T there is a talk by Mr Davies and myself starting at 6pm. For students in 9U, 9V, 9W and 9X the talk is at 6.45pm. We would ask that you attend the talk at the specified time and please be on time as we will be starting promptly. There is an opportunity for you to talk with subject leaders after each talk if you need to find out subject specific information. I mentioned this in last week’s Parent Bulletin but feel that I need to bring this to parental attention again: We have received reports from another secondary school in the Epping Forest area regarding girls being approached after school by a man in a ‘small white van’. The matter has been reported to the police but I would ask that students from RVHS remain vigilant, travel home in groups of friends and alert us and the police should anything out of the ordinary happen on the way home from school. I would also ask parents to speak to students about their safety at the weekends as well following reports in the local press of a young child being mugged in broad daylight near Loughton Station last Saturday. I do not wish to create undue alarm but would ask that parents raise these issues with children to ensure safety. Tickets are still available for the Key Stage 3 Creative Arts Evening next Tuesday (11th February) and cost £3 (available from reception). The meeting regarding the 6th Form went well and the bid is now in its final stages of consideration. We are about to publish our statutory notice of our intention to increase the age range at the school from 11-16 to 11-18 and, four weeks from publication of this notice, approval of the increase in age range will be formally considered by Essex County Council (these notices will be published in the local paper). Once this has been completed the bid will be ready to be finally considered by the School’s Minister at the Department of Education. It has been a long, drawn out process but the end would appear to be finally in sight! This is not an indication that the bid will be successful but we are confident of the business case surrounding the lack of quality A Level provision in the area. As ever, I will keep you updated when I hear any further developments
I wish you all a good weekend. Paul Banks Headteacher
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