10 November 2023

Dear Parent / Carer

Today our school held its first Remembrance Service in 5 years.  We bravely took the decision to challenge the recent weather and to include our entire school community in a service within the central quadrangles. The event involved a march by from our Combined Cadet Force, a laying of wreaths, the reading of a poem by members of our 6th form Head Team and, most impressively, a beautiful rendition of The Last Post by Matthew Hill in Year 10 who possesses a Grade 7 Distinction in the playing of the cornet.

The event was preceded by bespoke activity in forms encouraging our students to reflect upon why the ceremony of Remembrance is so important and to consider its particular relevance to very recent events globally. 

I can only say how proud I am of over 1,000 students and colleagues who conducted themselves throughout with appropriate respect, attention and care. I would also like to thank Mr Cove, Assistant Headteacher and Director of Post-16, for his organisation of the event, and the Humanities Faculty for providing the in-form activity that preceded the service. 

It has also been my absolute delight to award a number of students with Headteacher’s Commendations since the new Reward System was introduced at the start of this second Autumn half-term. 

Commendations have been given to the following students from Year 8 for their wonderful waterfall models and cakes made as part of Home Learning in Geography and seen in the pictures below - Natalia, Lydia, Izzie, Ellie, Charlotte, Abigail, Darby and Ella. Of particular note when I met and spoke with the girls was Natalia’s response to the learning involved - ‘I knew wax would work for the water because of the nature of the substance.’.

Equally impressive is the engagement of our Year 9 girls in their first gymnastics lesson last week. Ms Haddock was kind enough to share the following photographs of the girls who wanted to show me the skills they had been working on and which have led to the creation of a resource card for other Year 9 classes to use in their lessons over the next few weeks. Excellent collaborative learning all round. 

Finally, I would like to thank all the Year 11s and their parents who engaged with our Post-16 Open Evening on Tuesday this week when we welcomed over 450 visitors to our school. (Please see the lovely and moving account of her sixth form journey by Lucy Mills, 2023 Alumni, within this newsletter.) I know that Ms Thomas, Assistant Headteacher for KS4, Ms Stephenson, Head of Year, and Mr Fox, Director of Learning, have been very pleased with the behaviour and attitude of the significant majority of the 215 students within our Year 11 cohort. As such, I have chosen to open up The Bridge for them at lunchtime for a trial period. The Bridge provides students with both a cafe service and an opportunity to sit in an open inside space while eating their lunch. 

Warmest Regards

Rachel Brindley
Interim Headteacher, The John Warner School