The final week of term before the Christmas holidays is always a busy and exciting one for pupils. It is fair to say that everyone is tired after what is the longest school term of the year, and our priority is to keep pupils safe and in one piece until we break up for a well-deserved rest. Please can I ask you to reinforce the message your children are given at school about road safety both as pedestrians and cyclists. It is crucial for their safety that they exercise due care and common sense when exiting the school gates crossing roads, as we continue to have an alarming number of reported 'near misses' because of boys running out in front of cars. In addition, if your child cycles to and from school, please can I urge you to check that they have working lights and high visibility gear to make their journeys on dark mornings and evenings as safe as possible.

Thinking ahead to next year, if any parents have a few hours to spare and would like to help the School by joining our team of Invigilators, they should contact Mrs Kellaway for more information at [email protected]. We are in need of a few extra Invigilators to help with the large number of examinations scheduled for next year. Full training is given, so no experience is required.

On a lighter note, audiences were treated to an outstanding school production at the end of November. The American play, 'You Can't Take it With You' was a delightful mix of slapstick, romance, subtle humour and perhaps more enduring moral messages about the right way to live life. The cast was a true ensemble, with every member giving an impressive and, at time, hilarious performance. I am most grateful to the whole team which made this production possible by contributing their expertise and hard work, and especially so to our Head of Drama, Mrs Sarah Jones, who had such an interesting vision for the production: it really was a triumph.

As I write, the school Choir and Chamber Choir are rehearsing for the final Service of Nine Lessons and Carols which take places on Thursday at Holy Trinity, Longlevens – please do come if you can. I enjoyed the service at St Catharine's last night and I am mindful of the weeks of preparation which will have made this possible. My heartfelt thanks go to all pupils who so willingly give of their time and to Mrs Pauline Jones, our dedicated Head of Music. Continuing on the Christmas note, can I remind parents who have ordered a Parents' Association Christmas pudding that they should be coming home in the next few days. Please do prompt your children to collect them from Reception.

At the end of a few months which have seen so much achieved in school, and so many extraordinary events in the wider world, I wish you all a peaceful Christmas. I hope it will be a time of rest and happiness, where we can take stock of the term which has passed and prepare ourselves properly for the new year and all its challenges.

Matthew Morgan,
Headmaster