16 February 2024

As our colleagues and students look forward to a well-deserved half-term break, this newsletter will focus very particularly on those of our students who have shown ‘above and beyond’ performance since the start of the new year, whether this be in terms of academic endeavour and performance or in commitment, engagement and character.

As such, I am delighted to be able to announce the names of 73 students from across our school community who have been nominated by their teachers for a Headteacher Commendation and accompanying Reward Points. You will find their names and the qualities they have been nominated for under Headteacher Commendations further on in this newsletter. I am also pleased to share the news that this half-term 218 students across Years 7 to 11 received a 100% attendance letter and a further 171 students were in receipt of a 'No Behaviour Points' letter.  Such commitment to their school and their own education is quite simply excellent.

It also gives me enormous pleasure to announce the winner of our ‘Name the Canteen’ competition opened to all students in the latter part of January 2024. As we are now officially part of Danes Educational Trust, there will be a refurbishment of the main school canteen over the course of half-term. Students have already benefited from a much broader and healthier range of food and drink items over the course of the past 5 weeks and feedback suggests they are appreciative of this. Below you will see images of the updated frontage (including 3 new hot display units) for the canteen which references both our House Colours and the central image in our school logo - the oak tree, symbol of longevity, stability and strength. 

Having received a number of very varied suggestions for the new name, the winning entry is ‘The Wheel’ and bears reference to the St Catherine’s Wheel, like the oak tree included within our school logo.  

A very specific mention should be made to Mr Starling’s form who, undoubtedly knowing that their Headteacher is also a Teacher of English, offered up the following very literary choices: ‘Lord of the Onion Rings’; ‘Lord of the Fries’ and ‘Gone with the Wings’. Thank you to all students who took part in the competition. You gave Ms Bertolone, Ms Haddock and I much joy with your humour on 6 February when the entries came in!

Finally, I would like to say thank you to all parents and our Year 9,  11 and Year 13 students who attended the Pathways, Options and Parents’ Evening events at the school over the last 4 weeks. We had over 70% attendance from all year groups at each event and it was lovely for our colleagues to hear the positive feedback that was kindly offered by numerous of you. 

Recent data indicates that the Year 11 ‘Prepped for Success’ Programme is yielding the impact we wish for with a 12.2% increase in students who are now on track to achieve their target grades since the start of January 2024. Please continue to encourage your child(ren) to attend the various sessions that are on offer and to use the half-term to plan for and engage with a careful revision / consolidation programme leading up to the main exams that begin at the start of May. Further on in this newsletter, you will find images of the excellent practical work completed by our Year 11 Food Science students over the last 2 weeks as part of their GCSE. Their ongoing commitment to their study in this subject area has been humbling.

Similarly and with regard to Year 13, congratulations go to those students who have applied through UCAS for university places from September 2024. 66% of the cohort (the highest % of applications submitted in the last 10 years) have applied to study a variety of courses at a range of universities with 26 applying to at least one Russell Group university.  84% have applied to at least one high tariff university with the most common courses applied for being Business, Economics, Law / Criminology, Psychology and Architecture.

On this very positive note, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and restful half-term. Thank you, as ever, for your ongoing support as we seek to make The John Warner School the school of choice for Hoddesdon and beyond once more.

Warmest Regards

Rachel Brindley
Interim Headteacher, The John Warner School