As we conclude this academic year, we bid farewell to some cherished staff members. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and best wishes to Mrs Savin, Miss Stevens, and Mr  Harris. Their dedication and contributions have been invaluable, and they will be greatly missed by students and colleagues alike. Mr Harris is moving on to Croxley Danes as Headteacher, Mrs Savin is retiring after 33 years of service as Head of Maths, and Miss Stevens is leaving after 20 years of service as Head of Music and the Performing Arts Faculty to take up the position of Director of Music at Aldwickbury Prep School. We are grateful for their significant contributions and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

This year has been marked by significant milestones. Notably, our recent Ofsted inspection was a testament to the hard work and commitment of our entire school community. We were delighted to share with you earlier this term the Outstanding judgement awarded to us, reflecting the high standards of education and care we strive to provide, and it was a pleasure to receive this letter from HMI Chief Inspector Sir Martyn Oliver commending us on this achievement, which would not have been possible without the collective effort of our staff, students, and parents.

On 11th July, we held a successful Transition day for our incoming Year 7 students, followed by an informative evening for their parents. We are excited to welcome these new students and their families to our school community in September. This event plays a crucial role in helping our new students feel comfortable, confident, and excited about their upcoming journey with us whilst emphasising our core values of Success, Character, and Dignity. A special thank you goes to Mr. Sorrell, our Head of Year 7, for his hard work in leading and coordinating both events.

On the evening of 1st July friends and family of the school community gathered to enjoy our annual Summer Concert. The concert was a resounding success, featuring talented musicians and ensembles. A tribute was paid to Miss Stevens as she took the baton one last time. Highlights included a standout performance of ‘Africa,’ featuring the combined efforts of the 1st and 2nd Orchestras along with the junior choir expertly arranged by Mr Butterfield. 

We recently enjoyed our annual Sports Day, led by Mr Birkett and the PE faculty. I am always immensely proud of the dedication and effort our students put into their events. Their attitude, both on and off the track, is exemplary. I was particularly delighted with our Year 12s, who enjoyed their final Sports Day, and our Year 10 pentathletes, who concluded the day with a brilliant 800m race. Special accolades go to our Pentathlon winners, Abi and Will. The Junior Champion Athletes (Year 7) were Hector and Imogen, while the Senior Champion Athletes (Year 10) were Tom and Abi. Congratulations to Exeter House, the overall winning house for 2023/24.

On 17th June, we celebrated a fantastic night at the Three Rivers Watford School Sports Partnership Awards Evening. Several of our students were recognised for their hard work and success over the past year. Special congratulations go to Jack, who won the Key Stage 5 Young Official award, and to the Year 9 and 10 Boys Athletics Team for their outstanding performance. Our athletics teams have truly made us proud this season. The boys' teams excelled, with the U14s finishing 6th in the County League Final despite facing three injuries just before the final. The U16s emerged as League A winners and finished 5th in the final. The girls' athletics teams also had an impressive end to their season at the County Plate Final, with the Junior Girls securing 2nd place. These excellent results are a testament to the dedication and hard work of our students. Whilst England may not have made it past the final hurdle on Sunday, Oscar Barret, Year 9, came first in the 80m hurdles at The National Athletics Championships which is a remarkable achievement.

One of the many standout events this term was our Culture Day held at the end of June. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing students dress in their traditional attire, showcasing the rich diversity within our school community. This event provided an invaluable opportunity for students to share and learn about different cultures, fostering a spirit of inclusivity and understanding. It was heart-warming to witness the enthusiasm and pride with which students presented their heritage.

The past few weeks have been jam-packed with Career led workshops for our students. Our Year 7s attended our Careers Enterprise Day where they had the opportunity to hear from a diverse range of professionals, including representatives from Tesco, NHS England and Herts Police, among others. This event provided great exposure for our younger students to explore various career paths. Some of our Year 10 students have recently completed their work experience placement; students have had the invaluable opportunity to experience the world of work with a variety of different organisations ranging from local primary schools, engineering firms working on the HS2 development, through to Ralph Lauren. The second Danes Educational Trust Medic Day provided Sixth Form students the opportunity to benefit from a series of workshops led by Brighton and Sussex Medical School, NHS Hertfordshire and West Healthcare Academy, whilst all of our Year 12 students participated in Brand You day, with the talks and workshops being led by our alumni. It is always a pleasure to have past students return to share their experiences and expertise that they have learnt since leaving school. A big thank you to Mrs Garwood-Evans for her hard work in organising the various Career workshops over the past few weeks. 

Amongst all of the above our students have enjoyed numerous trips this term, including visits to Whipsnade for our Year 8 students as well as Watersports trip to the Aquadrome. Our Year 9s enjoyed their Scholars Programme Graduation Event, Year 12 Chemistry students went to Imperial College, Year 9 attended the Imperial War Museum, Year 12 students attended the National Theatre to watch Mnemonic, Ms Spencer and Mr Branley accompanied 9 students to the World Scholar’s Cup in Stockholm, Mrs Kirby is currently on a trip to Norway with our Duke of Edinburgh Gold students and Mr Sorrell is with our Year 7 students on their annual trip to Bude and finally, thank you to Mr Conway for his organisation of the USA football exchange.

As you are aware we changed the format of the school day on a Wednesday from the second half of the Autumn Term this year with the purpose of providing staff with dedicated time each week for CPDL; this has allowed us to develop our provision for students, and will remain the same for the upcoming academic year.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our school community for another successful and productive year, and for your continued support. I hope you have a restful summer break with your friends and families, and that your children come back refreshed for the new term.