Dear Parents and Carers, 

Another busy week has flown by at Danebury, and I'm delighted to share some of the wonderful things that have been happening across our community. The attitude to learning in our classrooms has been exceptional, and it's been brilliant to see such a wide range of opportunities available for our pupils beyond the classroom too. 

The school has felt particularly quiet this week without our Year 11 pupils, and I have to say their spirit is truly missed. However, we're very much looking forward to celebrating their epic journey at the Prom this Thursday at Norton Park – it's going to be a fantastic evening, and they absolutely deserve it. As usual, we’ll live stream the arrivals on our social media platforms, magical moments not to be missed if you can’t come along to the venue. In addition, we’ll have a drone taking aerial footage as pupils make their way up the long drive in their mode of transport. 

Our Year 10 pupils had an exciting STEM Day at Silverstone on Tuesday, which was a wonderful opportunity to open their eyes to the endless career possibilities within the STEM world. A huge thank you to Miss Macarthur for organising this fabulous experience – it's these kinds of initiatives that really help our pupils understand the breadth of opportunities available to them. 

Year 8 also had a great 'Futures Day' at Sparsholt College on Thursday. So many of our pupils were genuinely inspired by the wide range of activities on offer, and we're already hearing that some are now considering applying to Sparsholt once they finish their GCSEs. Thank you to Mrs Ablett for organising this excellent career event – it's invaluable for our younger pupils to start thinking about their futures and exploring the pathways available to them. 

I wanted to take a moment to celebrate some of our pupils' achievements this week. We are beyond proud of our Year 9 and Year 10 pupils for their exceptional attitude whilst sitting their end of year exams and mocks. I know this can be a daunting experience, particularly for those sitting exams for the first time, but they absolutely sailed through them. The maturity and focus they've shown has been impressive, and I very much hope this positive attitude is sustained as we move into next week. 

I'd also like to extend a sincere thank you to our parents and carers for your continued support with uniform standards. This week, standards have been consistently high across the school. It's wonderful to see our community embracing the importance of uniform, and I'm pleased to report that we've only had a handful of pupils in trainers due to medical issues, with everyone else following the uniform policy. Your partnership in maintaining these standards really does make a difference. 

On a practical note, I'm sure you're all aware that we're heading into a heatwave next week. We're committed to doing all we can to ensure our community remains as comfortable as possible and that learning isn't disrupted by the heat. We've put a number of adaptations in place to support our pupils during this period. Please ensure you send your child to school; hot weather is not a reason to stay at home for the day. 

• Pupils may wear PE kit if it helps them feel cooler, and we are encouraging them to wear a cap at break times for sun protection.  

• We've ordered two new cold-water dispensers so pupils can fill their bottles up at breaks. Please ensure your child has a refillable bottle each day. 

• We’ll have three gazebos on the school field to provide shade during break times.  

• We've re-roomed classes to ensure that the cooler rooms in the school are being utilised, along with our air-conditioned spaces, and fans have been placed in all rooms.  

• We suggest that those spending breaks outside or having PE lessons bring sun cream with them.  

• I am also looking forward to having the hose out at breaks to cool pupils down with a 'cool mist'! 

Looking ahead to next week, we have several exciting events taking place. We look forward to welcoming our Year 5s for their first Taster morning on Monday – this time without parents and carers.  

Good luck to our Year 10 pupils who head off to Peter Symonds for their Taster Day on Tuesday. And safe travels to our Japan Trip, which leaves on Friday – what an amazing experience you're going to have. 

Finally, a reminder that acrylic nails and jewelry are not in line with our uniform policy, so please ensure pupils are aware of this expectation. We still have a few girls ignoring these rules; they will be placed in afterschool detentions on Tuesday or Thursday if they ignore the policy. It’s not fair on all the other pupils who respect the rules. 

As ever, attendance is key. Our whole school attendance dipped last week, please ensure you send your child in. Holidays in term time cannot be authorized I’m afraid. 

It's been a pleasure to share these updates with you, and I look forward to another positive week ahead. Have a lovely weekend. 

Have a good weekend

Nicky Goodridge 
Head Teacher