02 May 2025
Dear parents and families,
We are well into this first half of the summer term and exam season is upon us. We hope you had a restful Easter break and are enjoying this nicer weather we have been experiencing.
In this letter:
· Congratulations to our boys’ football teams
· Update on the site improvement works
· Warm weather reminders
· Invitation to our next Parent Forum, on the subject of mobile phones
· Upcoming events
· Welcome to Mrs Towell
· Good luck to Year 11 and our SPACE year 2 students
Congratulations to our boys’ football teams
We are delighted that three of our boys’ football teams were victorious in their respective District Cup Finals last week. Years 8, 9 and 11 won each of their matches on penalties, to settle very close games against strong teams from Bishop Fox’s (Y8 and Y11) and Castle School (Y9). Congratulations to all our players and their coaches, as well as our thanks to all our parents and staff members that attended the matches at Taunton FC to lend their support.
Update on the site improvement works
Our contractors are now well under way in their renovations of two toilet blocks and one science lab. Further science labs will be refurbished during the summer term, with works in other buildings going on into the summer holiday. We are pleased to find that there has been very little disruption to learning, with our students quickly getting accustomed to the new ways of working and moving around the site. The rented temporary toilets are of a very high standard and well used by students, bringing some capacity to our facilities until the D block toilets are ready to re-open. We are also on-track and expecting the work to convert K block (currently the library) into our new dining facility to begin on the first day of the summer holiday.
Warm weather reminders
As we go into the summer term, we would like to remind parents about our expectations and recommendations for children managing the heat and sun. Students are welcome to wear a short-sleeved white shirt without their school jumper, when the weather is warmer. However, if your child
tends to feel the cold then please do ensure they bring their jumper in their bag, as hoodies and other top layers are not allowed. Students should also wear their house tie at all times. We recommend black, tailored school shorts as the most comfortable way to manage the heat. PE kit is still only for wearing in PE lessons. Please also ensure your child is equipped with a reusable water bottle, and that they have applied sunscreen on very sunny days. Students are also welcome to wear a plain cap or hat (no logos) to keep the sun off their face, if they tend to burn easily. We expect our students to make use of their break and lunchtime to refill their bottles and must still be on time for their lesson. We cannot allow learning to be disrupted by children arriving late because they were disorganised about filling their bottle. We thank you for your continued support in ensuring our children are comfortable in school whilst maintaining high standards of uniform and punctuality.
Invitation to our next Parent Forum
We are keen to start discussions with our students, staff and families regarding the issues of mobile phones in school. We are holding a Parent Forum on this subject, on Thursday 15 May in our school library. You are most welcome to attend. As usual, we plan to send out a survey to all parents in advance of this meeting, as a starting point for our conversations.
Upcoming events
· Wednesday 07 May 2025 is our Performing Arts Showcase, at 7pm
· Wednesday 07 May and Thursday 08 May are performances of ‘The Welkin’ by our SPACE sixth form students (please note, the age advisory for this play is 16+)
· Thursday 08 May 2025 and Fri 16 May are meningitis vaccination day for our Y9 students
· Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 May are performances of a dance show ‘Monument to Childhood’ by our SPACE sixth form students (suitable for all ages)
· Assessments for KS3 students begin from Monday 19 May, and continue into the period after the half term break.
· The last day of term is Friday 23 May, with a finish time of 3.30pm as usual
Welcome to Mrs Towell
We are delighted to welcome Mrs Towell to the Monkton Wood team. She is joining us as Associated Assistant Principal and our designated safeguarding lead (DSL). She is working alongside Mrs Berryman, Mrs Williams and Mrs Barge in our Safe Hub team, and she is also a teacher of Science.
Good luck to our Year 11 students and SPACE year 2 students
Year 11 students have been completing their practical exams in Art, Dance, Drama and PE over the past couple of weeks, with the first of the written papers beginning on Friday 02 May with Travel and Tourism. Mrs Draper will write to Y11 parents with further information about exam arrangements in due course.
Our SPACE sixth form students in Year 2 are coming towards the end of their course and are completing their final components.
We send all our students preparing for assessments our best wishes. They don’t need luck; they have worked hard and are poised for success!
As usual, we thank all our families for your continued support.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs H Jones
Principal
