It was a pleasure to welcome the families of the new Year 7 pupils to a pastoral meeting this week. This opportunity to meet key staff, including the Head of Year, members of the tutor team, the ALNCo and members of the Senior Leadership team, ensured that families could come in and chat with the staff that will be supporting their children through what we hope will be a seven year journey with Bishop Vaughan School, checking how these all-important first few weeks have been.
It was also a lovely opportunity for staff to learn more about our newest pupils, to meet their brothers and sisters and to hear from the pupils themselves what they have most enjoyed and whether they have any concerns or questions. This is a particularly fitting month in which to do so, as our October focus for our Rights Respecting Schools work is upon respect for the views of the child.
Our Rights Ambassadors – a team of pupils who lead in overseeing this work – have ensured that every month there is a particular focus upon one of the various articles of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and they have done an outstanding job so far in making sure that the rights and the associated values underpin all decision-making and all areas of school life. A particular thanks is due to Alisha and Jess who last year led in the school attaining its Silver Rights Respecting Schools Award and who are now embarking upon their university studies. We wish them every success and we look forward to the current team leading the school towards attaining the Gold Award!
As we approach the half-term holiday, a tremendous ‘well done’ is due to all pupils for the excellent start that they have made to the new academic year. It has been wonderful to witness their many and varied achievements, be they academic, cultural, sporting or musical. We look forward to recognising these and to enabling further development as part of our Year of Challenge, as mentioned in the first blog of this year! Within this, we hope to support all of our pupils in becoming the best they can be, and in recognition of Christ’s words, placed centrally within our mission statement: “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” We look forward to seeing how many of our pupils will embrace the challenges which cover participation in school life, reading, health and fitness, cultural activities and so much more!We hope this Year of Challenge will provide fun as well as fulfillment and personal growth.
Wishing all of pupils and their families a restful and happy half term break.
Mrs Pole