It has been wonderful to welcome learners back to school this week. We have been delighted to see the vast majority return with enthusiasm and a clear focus on their learning. Attitude to Learning grades have remained consistently strong and are comparable to those recorded at the start of the academic year, which has been fantastic to see.

It was also a pleasure to welcome Year 10 back into school following their week of work experience. Many have shared their experiences with staff, and it is clear that they have gained a valuable insight into the world of work. A number of learners have spoken about how the experience has helped them reflect on future career aspirations and develop a deeper understanding of professional environments.

Since our return, Kier have begun work on site as part of the project to build our new school. As a result, parking on site is now more limited, and the school field is currently unavailable. We have made alternative arrangements for lunchtime activities to ensure learners can continue to take part in a range of sporting opportunities. These arrangements will be reviewed over the coming weeks, and adjustments will be made if needed. We are capturing the build using a time-lapse camera and look forward to sharing updates with you periodically so you can follow the progress.

On Thursday this week we held our annual Careers Fair. It was a fantastic event filled with a variety of organisations covering next steps training to specific industries. There were representatives from local training providers such as TTE and Scottish Power, universities including LJMU, the University of Leeds and Cardiff University, as well as organisations such as IPSEN, Ardagh packaging, Sellafield and local solicitors among the 32 different stalls. Learners spoke well to the different stallholders and engaged with the interactive activities on offer, whether this was with the robotic dog or the electronic DJ mixing table to name but a few.  Learners across years 7 to13 were in attendance throughout the day and we hope that they found their visit to the event valuable and that it helped to inform them of what future careers and routes are available. 

Further on in this week's bulletin you will see information about our fundraising for Children in Need, with a non-uniform day and also the new timetable for the Engage@Upton programme.  Please do take the time to have a look at this information.

With very best wishes.

Mr L Cummins