Headteacher’s Update & Looking Ahead
Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope you have all had a wonderful start to the new academic year. It has been an absolute pleasure welcoming our students back over the past week or two, and I have been so impressed by how quickly and smoothly everyone has settled back into the rhythm of school life. After a couple of initial hiccups as we all got used to the new routine, I am delighted to say that our new "PE kit on PE days" initiative it is working brilliantly. The students are looking exceptionally smart in their PE uniforms, and speaking to many of them around the site, they certainly seem to appreciate the convenience of not having to change during the school day.
Looking ahead to next week, we are very much looking forward to our inaugural "Personal Planning and Reflection" event on Wednesday. This is an ambitious new initiative that sits right at the heart of our school vision: ensuring that every single student is seen, known, and supported in the best possible way across all of their lessons.
Attendance at these appointments is vital for every student, and it will be truly lovely to see as many of you joining them as possible. A few quick housekeeping notes to help the day run smoothly:
If you anticipate any issues with your child going home at 12.30pm and returning to school for their slot, please reach out to us in advance—we will do whatever we can to help.
The school site will be very busy throughout the afternoon with a higher volume of traffic than usual in the car park. Please take this into account when planning your journey.
As a reminder, the meeting itself is a guided discussion centred around four key questions: What I want my teachers to know about me, What I’m good at, What I find hard, and What helps me. We will record these insights and share them directly with all of your child's teachers. Supporting a young person in class involves many moving parts; this information forms one crucial piece of a much bigger picture. Please encourage your child to view this as a meaningful part of that overall jigsaw, rather than a specific menu of choices – as with so much in life, nothing exists in isolation!
Before or after your appointment, please do pop into the RIC for a drink and a catch-up. I would love to hear your thoughts on a couple of key topics we are developing, including potential options around the length of the school day and a broader conversation regarding our school uniform.
In other news, our annual Open Evening for prospective students and families will take place on Wednesday 23rd September. It is always a fantastic evening and a wonderful showcase for everything that makes Crofton so special. Many of our current students offer to help out on the night; please keep an eye out for the permission request coming your way shortly, if your child is interested, and respond as soon as you can.
Finally, in assemblies this week, I have been asking students to take a moment to reflect on why we come to school in the first place—that ongoing journey that lays the groundwork for all future prospects. Every year group is at a slightly different stage of that journey, but no matter where they are, the importance of making good choices remains a constant truth.
I shared a favourite quote of mine from Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights (from the His Dark Materials trilogy): "You cannot change who you are, only what you do." When our students make positive, thoughtful choices, they unlock new paths and create more opportunities for their futures. That focus on opening doors and building bright futures is what we are all about here at Crofton.
Thank you, as always, for your continued partnership and support. I look forward to seeing many of you on Wednesday.
Kind regards
Mark Palmer
Headteacher
