Message from Mr Spalding
What a week that was!
As I write this bulletin we have just got through the hottest days on record in the UK. It seems like nothing can ever be simple. If it’s not a pandemic it’s a heatwave. We had been looking forward to activities week and work experience for so long, after a two year hiatus and were worried the savage heat might derail our plans. We are hoping to avoid a flood or a plague of locusts so we don’t collect the full set.
All I can say is that our students and our staff have been absolutely magnificent and have ensured that we have had an incredibly successful activities week and work experience week in spite of the record temperatures. Our activity leaders put contingency plans in place, stocked-up on water and sun cream, and found shade wherever they could. Our students have shown incredible spirit and have thrown themselves into their activities with great gusto. I would like to thank all of my colleagues who have taken day trips and visits out and about around Norfolk. A particular thank you to those colleagues who have given up the comfort of their own beds to go on residential trips both at home and abroad this week. Without their immense generosity with their time these visits just wouldn’t happen. I would also like to publicly thank Mrs Wiseman, Mrs Sawyer-Stone, and Mr Keats for coordinating the whole week. A massive thank you also to our finance and medical needs teams for supporting our trip leaders and our families.
We have received some incredible feedback on our work experience students who are enjoying working with a huge range of employers in Norfolk and beyond. Every year we have students who absolutely confound our expectations and show us a whole new side to themselves. This year is no exception. I would like to thank all of our colleagues who have done work experience visits. Our students love to be able to share their experiences with my colleagues. A huge well done also to Mrs Durand for supporting our students so brilliantly in securing a placement and in liaising with employers.
What a year it’s been!
As well as an incredibly busy last week we have had an extraordinarily busy year at AHS. Our students have worked incredibly hard and those with GCSE examinations this year gave it their absolute best. We hope that they achieve the grades they hope for in the summer. After two years without external examinations it was great to get back into the swing of things. Our teachers have taught their socks off and given everything they can to every year group. We are very lucky to have such strong and knowledgeable specialists across the curriculum.
We also saw our enrichment curriculum really get back into full swing. I have already mentioned activities week and work experience, but this year also saw the return of so many clubs, fixtures, events and trips. We had 3 hugely successful theatre productions, more sports fixtures than you can possibly imagine, inter-house competitions, DofE expeditions, and really powerful PSHE days and work. Once again it is thanks to our incredible colleagues that this has all been possible. We are very lucky to have so many wonderful teachers and support staff who are prepared to go above and beyond.
A great culture and a great community
We have worked very hard as a team of staff and students to create a really strong culture across the school. The huge majority of our students have conducted themselves magnificently over the past year and have shown a wonderful attitude to their learning and to their peers. Our student leaders have been brilliant and our new cohort promise to be equally committed and focused.
When challenges arise with behaviour, conduct, relationships, and well-being we are so lucky to have such incredible teams supporting our students. Our behaviour support team, pastoral team, and our SEMH team have all done extraordinary work helping students and families through problems and difficulties. We have received some wonderful feedback from families about the work these teams do. We firmly believe that they are second to none. We know that if we are going to help children thrive then we need to make their social and emotional well-being as important as their academic success.
We will be re-sharing our Essential Guide to Parents this summer and would urge you to read it and reaffirm expectations with your children. It is our collective and shared understanding and adherence to our rules and expectations of our school that helps to create such a calm, friendly, welcoming, and purposeful learning community.
A few goodbyes
This summer we say goodbye to four colleagues from our teaching staff. Mr Kent is retiring as a teacher of art after 39 years at the school having also been a pupil here. Mr Whiting-Smith is moving to the UTCN to teach engineering. Mrs Connor is leaving teaching to explore other areas of interest. Dr Connor is going to Sir Issac Newton to teach A level biology. Mr Goodman is going to be head of science at North Walsham High School. We wish them all well and thank them for their dedication to the AHS.
Happy holidays!
It just remains for me to wish you a very happy summer break. Everyone has earned a rest after a fabulously busy year. I hope that everyone is able to rest and recharge over the summer so that we can go again refreshed in September.
Leading AHS remains the very best job in the world because we are blessed with such amazingly caring staff and such lovely enthusiastic students. Here’s to another great year in 2022-2023.
Love and best wishes
Duncan Spalding
Executive Headteacher
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