Well, would you believe that the current Year 7 students have already been at Harrow Way for four weeks? They are now fully fledged members of the school community and have settled into the routines of secondary school life really well.
The students are now able to find their way around the school without getting lost, and seem to have managed this far quicker than other year groups in the past. This of course would not have been made so easy if our senior prefects had not acted as such good guides for the first week as has been the custom for many years.
I also believe that there have been many positive benefits to all of the transition work that we do with students before they arrive at Harrow Way. Gone are the days when students arrived in fear of secondary school but rather they arrive confident and ready to start the next phase of their school careers because they are so familiar with their surroundings and teaching staff.
I have been impressed at the way the year group has conducted itself in school and have received many positive comments from the teaching staff at how hard-working they are. (Long may it continue)
We have just completed our first review of Year 7 students and you will be able to hear how your child has settled in at the Parents’ Evening on Tuesday 7th October. Please try to attend this as it is not only the time to monitor your child’s academic progress, but also to meet the form tutor once again and discuss any matters that you consider relevant to your child. Individual targets are also set for the students to aspire to during the year.
Throughout October we will also be reviewing the teaching groups and it may be the case that some students will change groups if it is considered that they need to be in a higher or lower group. These moves will only take place based on students’ academic ability and performance.
The Year 7 boys’ football team has played its first County Cup match and managed a fine win beating Bishop Challenor from Basingstoke – 9 goals to 1. Wade Crisp took on the role as Captain and led his team with great responsibility. I look forward to hearing of their continued success in the future. (For a full match report please follow this link). It was also lovely to see so many parents watching the game from the sideline cheering the boys on. We do encourage parents to come along and watch if they can as the students do like their parents to support them and see them achieve.
The Year 7 Girls’ netball team started its campaign in the District Netball League with a fixture against Testbourne. Again, another victory for Harrow Way – 11 goals to 7. Chloe Lister took on the role of Captain with great maturity. Well done girls. ( For a full report follow this link)
May I also draw your attention to the Iron Man Challenge and invite Year 7 students and their parents to this great initiative. Students, parents and teachers can attend fitness sessions two mornings a week before school (Wednesdays and Fridays – 7.45 to 8.15) in order to improve their personal fitness or simply just join in the fun. It is a short burst of activity for half an hour, but it is amazing what can be achieved in such a short period of time. This activity has increased in popularity over the two years that it has been running and we now have over 50 people attending regularly. Some people have also lost over a stone in weight; now that must be a bonus! Come along and enjoy the fun, no particular baseline of fitness is required.
I hope that you have been as impressed with your child’s first weeks at Harrow Way as we have. Please feel free to come along to speak to me at the Year 7 Parents’ Evenings or contact me by telephone at any time.
I look forward to a long and successful partnership.
Elaine Escritt – Transition Learning Manager / Head of Year 7