2023 has been an eventful year! It has brought challenges and changes: we have joined a multi-academy trust, weathered industrial action and inspection, seen a new monarch crowned, one school year end and another begin, and changes to the way we manage behaviour; but the success of our students, and our values of kindness, curiosity and determination have stayed consistent throughout.

At the start of 2023, the Headteacher’s Blog covered the importance of making informed choices, the power of music to change lives, and the importance of language and why our words matter. In the spring came the challenge of industrial action and inspection, and the first of our major changes as we became part of the Lighthouse Schools Partnership multi-academy trust.

This transition into the trust has been an exciting part of our development, and the partnership working between schools is already benefitting the education of our students. This collaboration has been woven into our new three-year strategic plan, which has been guiding our work since September as we move our Academy forward. The trust has also supported the acquisition of the Churchill Sports Centre building which will be a great resource for our students and the community from 2024 onwards.

Also in the spring, we had the fantastic “to Lancaster and back” indoor rowing challenge, as well as the incredible performance in the Dance Live national finals. Before too long, we were bidding farewell to the class of 2023 and welcoming our new incoming year 7 students.

Summer arrived, and with it Activities Week 2023 – back and better than ever after the pandemic! – Sports Day and the award of the House Cup to Lancaster, before a much-needed summer break.

Almost before we knew it, we were back at school with some new systems and approaches, a new set of House Captains, and our open evening for main school and for the Sixth Form. It has been heartening and encouraging to see the positive improvements in student behaviour, and the powerful impact this is having on learning and progress in the classroom.

I have also used the Headteacher’s Blog this year to capture some of the assemblies I have given or seen. Assemblies have included how our words matter, marginal gains, our values and the British values, as well as a vital message for anti-bullying week. With everything else that has been going on, there hasn’t been room on the blog for the assemblies on safeguarding, mental health, remembrance and all the countless celebrations that have taken place!

And so, we we reach the end of 2023, we can look back on a year that has been testing and difficult at some times, rewarding and exciting at others – but the constant throughout has been the positivity and the kindness, curiosity and determination of our Academy community – staff, families, and, above all, our students.