Letter from the Head - 10th February 2023
In this issue: HP receives Character Quality Mark and Richard Graham MP visits
Dear all,
We have had another busy week, but I wanted to focus my letter this week on two exciting events this term.
The first is that I’m delighted to reveal that Holmleigh Park has been awarded the highly prestigious School of Character Quality Mark by the Association for Character Education.
The Quality Mark acknowledges schools whose commitment is not just to achieving academic excellence, but to providing a well-rounded education. The assessors spent the day interviewing students and were particularly impressed by how well they articulated the school’s three values, the range of activities they took part in, and the school’s approach to teaching positive wellbeing through our Stoicism lessons.
I'd like to extend my thanks to all of the staff who've contributed to this - particularly those who give up so much of their time to run such incredible clubs and trips (indeed, even as I write this our Ten Tors Team is gearing up for a training weekend on Dartmoor!).
The second is that we recently welcomed back Richard Graham MP for a visit, and I wanted to share his reflections:
Revisited Holmleigh Park High School to see the Head, teachers and Q&A with Politics pupils.
School looking good, great open q’s and best of all look at the 2022 results - Holmleigh Park the 10th most improved GCSE results in the country: just ahead in 11th place of…Gloucester Academy. Say that again - the 10th and 11th most improved results ‘in the country’. Whatever hats or beanies you might be wearing in the cold please lift them off to the Greenshaw Learning, their teachers, their pupils at HP, GA and Henley Bank - they all absolutely deserve it.
To those - like a former Head of one predecessor school who said to me ”you can’t expect much of these lads” I say, “you can: we should; and they will respond to leadership, rise to that challenge.” And they have.
This is true for Gloucester as a whole. These schools, these pupils, show exactly what can be done...
I hope you have a lovely weekend.
Best wishes,
Mr Farmbrough
Headteacher