Dear all,

After the excitement of Year 7 residential last week, I'm pleased to say that this week has been a little quieter - but still with plenty going on.

Big congratulations go to the 26 Year 10 students who completed their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh's expedition over the weekend. They had to contend with a two day expedition, carrying all of their equipment, food, and camping gear - all while navigating themselves around the Gloucestershire countryside. I'm delighted to say that they all passed. 

We also took a large number of students over to Gloucester Academy for a huge careers fair - a joint venture between HP, GA, and Richard Graham MP. It was wonderful to see so many students engaged in meaningful conversations with employers. We also saw a return to our fixtures schedule, with a number of girls netball matches, and some boys warm up rugby matches. Fixtures will be in full swing next week and I'm very excited to spend some time on the field cheering on our students.

Otherwise, it's been a week for focusing on the classroom. We're in the middle of application season, and with around 200 families booked in for tours, it's been a great opportunity to show families round the school. As a reminder, these are open to existing parents too - you can come at any time on any day by booking here. 

Finally, I can also share two updates on building work:

• The Year 7 food pod has now reopened, which has relieved the pressure on queues around the building.

• The Sports Centre changing rooms are once again fully accessible, which should make changing for PE much easier. We look forward to the Sports Centre opening in full in a fortnight's time.

I'd like to thank parents for their patience with both of the above.

With best wishes for the weekend,

Mr Farmbrough

Headteacher