It has been a big week of exams for both our KS3 students and our Year 11s. I have been incredibly impressed with the attitude and the conduct of the students throughout. They have shown admirable resilience and determination. The Year 11s have had a particularly challenging week with 6 Core Mocks across the 5 days. I could not be more proud of the commitment they have shown. They are definitely laying the foundations for a really successful year.

Another foundation for success is attendance, and I am pleased that we have had another fabulous week across all year groups. Great attendance is a habit and it is brilliant to see so many of our students meeting our expectations regarding high levels of attendance. Please do remember that we have an excellent attendance team in place who can offer a wide range of support to those students struggling with their attendance. Please do contact the school if that is the case.

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of accompanying a group of our students to the annual Remembrance Service at St James’ Church. The students in attendance were drawn from the various uniformed cadet groups, and they represented the school superbly. In school, the students observed a minutes silence impeccably. It is important we ensure that we pay our respects as a school community and ensure that our students understand the sacrifice made by others on their behalf.

Our Year 11 Food Preparation and Nutrition GCSE students recently enjoyed a fantastic opportunity to visit The View Restaurant at Gloucestershire College. This visit provided the students a real insight into the world of professional catering and hospitality, as they experienced a beautifully presented three-course meal produced and served by the college’s talented catering students. The event provided an inspiring look at high-quality food presentation, flavour combinations, and professional service — all within a real restaurant environment. The students were able to see first-hand how careful attention to detail, creativity, and teamwork contribute to a successful dining experience. All of this will help them prepare for their second GCSE practical later this academic year.

I also want to say a huge thank you to the Friends of Severn Vale (our PTA) for funding the purchase of 100 brand new aprons for the Art, Design & Technology department. The previous aprons had been in use for an incredible 14 years, so this generous contribution has provided a much-needed refresh. The new aprons will be used by all KS3 pupils during their DT lessons and by some KS4 students as well. This support helps ensure our students can continue to learn and create in a safe, professional environment — we’re very grateful for the Friends of Severn Vale’s ongoing commitment to improving resources across the school.

Fixtures this week included:

• Year 7 Netball – our Year 7 netballers enjoyed a brilliant first fixture against Barnwood Park this week. Both teams played two games each, with the blue team winning theirs 5-1 and 9-1 and the red team losing 3-1 and drawing 1-1. Player for the blue team was Lilly, and for the red team was Sophia, a tricky decision as so many of the girls played well. A great first set of games for the girls who have been so committed and so enthusiastic since starting Severn Vale.
  
  The girls followed this up with a second great fixture, this time against St Peter’s. The A team won 9-4, with Lily getting player and the B team won 6-1, with Sophia getting player. 

• Year 8 Netball – our Year 8 netballers also faced St Peter’s this week. The A team played an incredibly strong St Peter’s team, losing 18-1. Immy and Bish were brilliant in defence, making a lot of good interceptions. Player of the match went to Liv at centre. Our B team went from 4-0 down to finishing 6-2, so made good progress throughout the game. Player of the match went to Eevie.

• Our Y8 basketball team travelled to Oxstalls this week to play their first game of the season against Newent. This was the first ever basketball game for a lot of the team, but they managed to come away with a really dominant win! Well done to both Aaron and Kacper who were the players of the match due to their excellent rebounding and shooting.

• Year 9 Rugby – our Year 9s hosted Marling in the quarter final of the EDF Bowl. Unfortunately, the boys lost a really close tie 10-7. It was a game that could have gone either way which included two disallowed tries! Special mention to Eli, Koby and Oskar who led the rest of team all the way through the game.

• U14 Football - our U14 girls played Kings in the County Cup competition and drew 0-0. The girls really deserved a win with so many near misses and great attacking play. Player of the match went to Brooke

I include my weekly reminder about Free School Meals eligibility. If your financial circumstances have changed, your child may be eligible for Free School Meals. If you click on this link you will find guidance on the eligibility criteria and the application process. It's a quick process and we are notified of all FSM entitlements by Gloucestershire County Council each Monday. I would urge you to have a look if you think you may benefit from financial assistance.  

A reminder that next Thursday (20 November) sees our Year 10 parents evening. Full details have been circulated. This is a great opportunity to discuss the start your child has made to their GCSE courses. I look forward to seeing you in school.

I do hope you have a great weekend.

Regards 

Richard Johnson  
Headteacher