From the Headmaster…

Dear Parents,

Thank you very much to all those who helped with the Autumn Visit by our governance team.  I found it a brilliant time, and had a good chance to talk through and test ideas with the team. Some of the meetings will stick in my mind for the next few years and you will see (some of) the fruit of those over the coming weeks. The children were massively impressive in their sessions.

I am not at Holmwood today, but the assembly, as it should be this week (Anti-bullying Week) is on anti-bullying. The Year 8 anti-bullying ambassadors are delivering the anti-bullying alliance assembly and I’m gutted to miss them. The theme for this year is one kind word. This is so topical at a time when banter in sport has been so prevalent in the media, and when its negative impact is so apparent.

I enjoyed popping into the Year 4 and 5 boarding theme night on Tuesday where a lot of fun was had by all (particularly the staff dressing up). I have loved the Shakespeare work this week, particularly Year 1 making potions, Year 3 writing to Shakespeare, and Year 4 acting out the fight scenes in Romeo and Juliet.

Abigail will be writing to Year 5 and 6 parents shortly regarding an Information evening on the Holmwood Senior School and our plans to develop the Year 7 and 8 academic and extracurricular offer. As an academic who has led this area of a big senior school I want to keep what is best about the Holmwood Years 7 and 8, but modify certain aspects to make our provision outstanding.

November can be an interesting month in all schools. It is cold, dark and tiring. Behaviour can slip, children can say or do things they shouldn’t. Please keep encouraging early nights! Please can we also just remind you to keep lateral flow testing your primary and secondary aged children, although we have been largely unaffected by Covid as a school since half term, cases are continuing to rise in the Colchester area and we appeal to you to remain vigilant. Decisions about events at the end of term will be risk related and made closer to the events.

Have a great weekend.

Ed Bond