Like everybody else, I am glad to see the return of longer, lighter days and even the possibility that Spring is finally here with what seems to be warmer weather at last! I always find this a particularly optimistic time of year when the focus is very definitely on anticipation and looking forward with renewed energy as we enter one of the most exciting but crucial phases of our school year. There is definitely a sense of excitement as new opportunities become available to our students and, like anxious parents, we watch with pride as they progress successfully to the next stage of their educational and vocational careers.

The Summer Term obviously marks the beginning of the exam season and we are aware that students are focussing seriously on revision and targets. As always, members of staff are constantly on hand to provide support, guidance and encouragement. Nerves and anxiety are an inevitable element of the lead up to final exams, but we really try to ensure that students see these effects positively and as a spur to the effort and commitment that produces outstanding results. Obviously, we wish everyone the very best of luck and look forward to their continued outstanding achievement this summer!

Whilst the last term was short, it was as intense and exciting as ever with high-profile events and activities during every busy week! However, the production of Little Shop of Horrors was clearly a resounding success. The students performed to the public with gusto, surprising many of us with the considerable range of talent. Not only were the students singing, acting and dancing but also playing in the band and supporting the cast backstage. Comments were made that this was the best ever Coombe performance - a definite challenge for next year’s potential performers!

I would like to thank parents, students and staff for supporting the Sixth Form during this year’s fantastic Rag Week. Sixth Formers raised money by washing cars, running interhouse competitions, a sponsored cycle ride and a bake sale, to name but a few of the many activities on offer. Over £2,000 was raised over the 2 Sixth Form Campuses and this will be paid to the Rag Week charity Momentum. Well done to all involved!

As the new term begins, it is clear that exam-success is not the only thing on the agenda! As ever, there is a breathtaking range of activities and events to pack in during this half term – all of which will be posted on the website in the usual way!

Lastly, I would like to bring your attention to an important feature of our work this term - our newly refreshed vision statement. We have revised this to help everyone to fine-tune and focus their thinking about key features of life and success at Coombe.

Coombe prepares each student for their World of Opportunity by enabling individuals to flourish through:
• innovative teaching that is inspirational, compelling and fun. It engages every learner in their journeys of self-discovery, fulfilment and academic excellence;
• a community in which empathy, tolerance, integrity and shared purpose promote exemplary behaviour and outstanding relationships between all;
• developing confident learners who are happy, resilient and committed to shaping their world. They are proud of their abilities, highly ambitious and excited about their potential. 
 
We hope you enjoyed the Easter break and look forward to another successful term.

Welcome to readers of my first blog in 2013 and I would like to wish all students and parents a very happy and outstandingly successful new year !

Eagle-eared listeners in my assemblies at the start of term will recall my key theme – using time profitably because it passes incredibly quickly and we never know what new opportunities will present themselves ! ‘Carpe Diem’ – or ‘seize the moment’ is a motto of mine and a belief that I’d like all of my students to hold close to their hearts!

Well, barely had I finished my assemblies than I received a call on Tuesday morning informing me that Michael Gove, MP, the Secretary of State for Education would be visiting Coombe at the end of the week ! I was told that he would also be attending with a host of dignitaries, including the MP for Richmond and North Kingston, Zac Goldsmith and Cllr Andrea Craig.

Many of you will be well aware that Michael Gove is the most senior politician in government with responsibility for policy that impacts every single school in this country. As a school, we were immediately clear that this was both an enormous privilege and a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the outstandingly positive, happy and unique learning environment that is Coombe Girls !

Whilst the visit was only planned to be an hour long, we were determined to pack in as much as we possibly could to ensure that Mr Gove met as many staff and students and visited as many classrooms as we could manage. On reflection, I feel that we certainly achieved that and he had a hectic hour with us last Friday ! If you would like to know about one of the key events, please read Year 12 student Alex Mackie’s write-up of Mr Gove’s answers to our student question panel which was absolutely fascinating. Mr Gove seemed relaxed, frank and open as he answered a myriad of questions about his life, education and journalistic and political career.

As a Headteacher, I am intensely interested in the politics of education and as you may imagine, there were questions that I would have loved to have had time to raise. However, time was extremely tight and it was abundantly clear that Mr Gove was determined to spend the maximum amount of time talking to our students and finding out exactly what they felt about their school !

From the comments that I received both during and after the visit I think that I can say that impression that he received was very clear ! Coombe students are happy, extremely focussed and an enormous credit to their school and themselves.

Strangely, we had no real idea why we were visited by such illustrious company until Mr Goldsmith explained that he had wanted to ‘showcase an outstanding local school’ in his area. Mr Gove was also clearly particularly interested in the highly successful federation arrangements that link the boys’ and girls’ schools. If you’d like to know more about the visit, please see the Surrey Comet website, or look out for us in the paper next week.

However, as I mentioned at the outset, time does not stand still and we have an enormously busy and exciting term to look forward to ! A huge number of our students are currently sitting January modules for the last time that these will happen and our Year 11s have just received their Mock Exam results. They are now about to begin the crucial final four months of preparation for their GCSEs.

Meanwhile, we are looking forward with excitement toward our Sixth Form RAG week, the Spring Concert, the school production and a host of other activities! Excitingly, we are also resurrecting outstanding events from the school’s past including the Isle of Wight Sixth Form team- building trip and our famous New York and Washington USA visit ! We are also launching a whole new programme of study to ensure that Coombe students have the best possible chance of success at the very best universities both in the UK and abroad.

All in all, Mr Gove’s visit has marked a great start to a new year at Coombe and it is clear that 2013 is well under way !

As the year progresses, we are always of aware of the many changes looming on the horizon, and in particular preparing for the many changes predicted for education. Many of you will already be aware of the Government’s proposal to replace GCSE courses with the EBacc which proposes a focus on Maths, English, Science, MFL and Humanities and to discontinue AS and A2 January modules from 2013. We will endeavour to keep you informed of proposals and updates and ask that you continue to support your daughter’s education in the usual way. Also, we cannot forget the Ofqual report recommending a change to the ‘retake’ culture so prevalent over recent years. Here at Coombe we have seen many changes and are confident that the changes will not have an adverse affect on the students. Indeed, we envisage a smooth transition.

Change is inevitable and it seems that the time is quickly approaching for our current year 11s to move on in their educational journey. Over the last few weeks, we have been interviewing our current students hoping to gain a place onto a course in the Coombe 6th form. The high calibre of the students never ceases to please me and, this year, I have been particularly impressed with how prepared the students are and how assured they are about what they want to do in the future. It is reassuring to see that our careers advice is encouraging the students to be aspirational and excited about the opportunities available. We look forward to continuing in the same vein with our careers programme in active tutorials, assemblies, PSHCE and IAG days.

Finally, I must mention the selfless and mature support shown by our students for Remembrance Day. Poppy sales over the last few weeks were impressive and we were very proud that some of our students went to the New Malden memorial service on Sunday. As well as this, on Friday and Monday, assemblies were dedicated to the many people who have fought, died and lost loved ones for their patriotic duty. The Senior Performance Group showed remarkable empathy in their dramatized dedication and all students involved were able to reflect on the actions of others.

It is a testament to the Coombe students that they represent the Coombe Learner Profile so effortlessly. We look forward to supporting them further in their hard work in the upcoming Gym and Dance Display on 20th and 21st November and Carols by Candlelight on 12th December.

The Coombe Girls' School prospective parents’ evening takes place on Wednesday 3rd October and we look forward to welcoming year 6 parents who face one of the most important decisions they may ever have to make for their daughter. We are sure that visiting parents will find us welcoming and happy to answer any questions they may have. Don't forget that we are also open for visitors of prospective pupils on the morning of the 4th from 9.30 until 12.30, so feel free to come along and watch our working day.

You will see that there are many exciting opportunities here at Coombe and, as well as welcoming prospective new parents, we look forward to applications arriving for next year's 6th form.

Some of our Media Studies students have just returned from a visit to the Harry Potter Experience and we were pleased to welcome guest speakers last week to our Year 11 progression guidance day. During the day the Y11 cohort were involved in an exciting range of activities and sessions to enable them to develop and focus their thinking about the range of possibilities for their futures after the end of Year 11. The sessions included a range of different areas including an introduction to the UCAS website (University and Colleges Admissions Service), a talk on student life by representatives from Kingston University, guidance discussions on Post-16 study options by members of the sixth form team and current Year 13 students and information on apprenticeship career routes in the local area.

As prospective sixth form students, our Year 11 girls will be able to benefit from our new Study 6 facility and thanks go to our PFA who have opened this new study area for the 6th form in the LRC; there are many new books & resources on offer aimed in particular at the upper school. In addition, the school garden continues to flourish with vegetables sold by the pupil gardeners and, across the school, a range of new literacy classes are on offer to support class and coursework.

We are extremely proud to announce that we have recently been given the Silver Eco-Schools' Award and the Eco Action Group are working hard on their next projects for the prestigious Eco School's Green Flag. We hope that staff, students and parents will participate by making bird boxes and looking out for Spring Watch activities after Christmas.

This time of year is exhilarating as we embark on new projects and welcome new cohorts. The results and enrolment days at Coombe Girls' School have been the most successful to date. We are very happy with the progress made by all of our students and are ready to face new challenges brought by changes to the external examinations in the future. We are very aware that parents and schools alike have been outraged by some of the pressures put on our young people; however, we believe that changes bring challenges. Challenge is something that Coombe has always embraced. We are here to support the students and give them the chance to fulfil their potential and take full advantage of the opportunities available. We will continue do this no matter what form examinations take and how high the standards are raised. We hope that parents will continue to make strong links with us at the school and join our newly launched parent council so that we can work together to give our students the best that the future has to offer. Please do not hesitate to become part of the Coombe team; never has the partnership between schools and their communities been so important.

We have had an excellent first week back at Coombe. It has been such a pleasure to welcome our new students and staff – we hope that they will all quickly settle in and enjoy being a part of our Coombe community. Please do read the pupils’ blog on the homepage, written by some of our new Year 7, for a personal update on the experience of the first week in a new school! We also have blogs on the homepage from some of our 6th form students who talk about their experiences of being back at school after the summer.

I always feel a sense of pride as I watch the progression of students through the school and approach their final examinations. Our new year 11s, 12s and 13s are already embarking on coursework and I’m sure they are prepared for the commitment and hard work that this will entail. Recently, many Coombe leavers were delighted with the results of their own hard work and relieved to find that it pays to be committed from the outset as they were rewarded with their desired course at university.

With all the visitors to London participating in and as spectators of the Olympic and Paralympic games, it was impressive to see our students’ art work on display along the South Bank as part of the Rivers of the World project. Our students’ dedication and the wonderful summer of sport that we have so recently experienced through the Olympic and Paralympic Games should certainly inspire us all to great achievements this year and we look forward to celebrating a new round of Coombe personal bests and academic successes during this term and into 2013.

GCSE results day is one of the busiest days in the school calendar. Not only are our previous year 11 girls anticipating the result of their hard work at Coombe, but they also have the opportunity to enrol in Coombe 6th Form.

The students arrived early, eager to put the months of waiting behind them. Fortunately for the Coombe Girls, these are the best GCSE results we have ever had. Therefore, many students were delighted with their achievements as they are now able to pursue their ambitions. The atmosphere during the day has been electric, veering between anxiety and elation. It has been a pleasure to be with them to celebrate their successes. With such excellent results and with a huge number of the girls continuing into year 12, we believe this new 6th Form cohort is destined for a very bright future. I would like to thank all of the staff who were at the school today for their support and congratulate all of our students.

Another exciting day for Coombe Sixth Formers as they collect their results! 

Our Sixth Form students arrived promptly and early yesterday morning to collect their examination results, relieved that the wait was over and quietly excited about their anticipated achievements despite the national media reports on tougher marking and fewer top grades.  The excitement was fully justified; I am very pleased and proud to report that there was a 98% pass rate at A Level and a number of outstanding individual performances which contributed overall to an increase in the number of A/A* or equivalent passes.  An outstanding record was set this year by the Level 3 Advanced Media and Business Studies students who celebrated a 100% pass rate at Distinction.  The majority of our Year 13s have managed to secure their first choice university places and we wish them the very best of luck as they embark on the next stage of their educational career. 

These results show that Coombe students are continuing to meet the AS and A2 level standards and are, in fact, increasingly successful.  We would like to congratulate each and every student for their hard work and dedication and look forward to welcoming our new Year 12 cohort at enrolment following the release of the GCSE results next Thursday.

 

As we approach the end of the academic year, I feel that this is a period of reflection, rejuvenation and celebration. 

While we celebrate the achievements of our current leavers, the year 11s and 13s, we also look forward to the arrival of a new cohort of year 7s.  I am pleased that we are able to recognise the participation of the students who are and who have been a part of the life of our school and wish them the very best for the future at their respective farewell lunches and assemblies.

At the end of last half term we bid a sad goodbye to Ms Hall who has admirably covered Mrs Pellett’s maternity leave this year and Mrs Davies who is taking up the post of Assistant Headteacher at the Beacon School; we wish them well in their future respective posts.  We are very pleased to welcome back Mrs Pellett, Mrs Petkova and Mrs Wong from their maternity leaves. 

The school continues to be a hive of activity and full of life despite the fact that the examination period is now nearly behind us.  Our students have been diligently prepared for their futures by our team of dedicated staff who have been running extra revision classes and guiding the students through this stressful time.   We are confident that they have all been well-prepared and given every opportunity to gain the tools required to achieve their full potential.   Good luck to all examinees and I look forward to celebrating your achievements at the Results Days in August.

We now have the last few weeks to look forward to, which include a number of significant events.  This week the Coombe Olympic Torch will be touring the school lighting the way to our Sports Day on Monday 2nd July and the 6th Form Opportunities evening on Wednesday 27th June will start an important transition phase from the main school to Post 16 education for Year 10 students.   On the 4th July we will welcome our new Year 7 girls for their first taster of Coombe life and similarly their parents on the evening of the 5th July along with the parents of our new Year 12 cohort.

The Sixth Form RAG week has just drawn to a close and has been a real highlight of the term. A great deal of planning and preparation went into this week and students at both school sites demonstrated a real sense of passion and commitment to make it an outstanding success!

RAG week had a new focus this year as students and staff wanted to broaden its appeal and involve as many pupils in the lower school as possible. Judging from the sell-out attendance at the staff versus students football match and the talent and fashion shows, they certainly achieved their goal. These events proved so popular that students are already considering how they can build on this level of interest with additional performances next year!

The week was launched by the Mayor, Councillor Patrick Codd,  and students at both school sites were raising money for the Momentum and Sport Relief charities. Early indications are that fund raising has gone brilliantly! Other activities that took place to raise funds included RAG tee shirt sales, dress-up days, a charity fair and the now-traditional Kingston street collection which this year involved a record number of students.

It has certainly been a very eventful half term with module examinations, a number of trips, day events, plenty of winning sporting events and of course, our successful conversion to Academy status.  It has been a particularly important time for our Year 9 pupils & their parents who have been involved in a number of sessions to help them choose their GCSE options for next year.  

Thankfully the snowfall on Thursday evening was light and had little impact on the last day of this half term.  It certainly didn’t delay the departure of the Ski Trip to Italy and we look forward to reading their daily blog.  

This week we were very sad to say goodbye to Mrs Woodcraft who has taught in the Geography (& Maths) department for the last 4 years.  She is leaving us to relocate with her family, we thank her for all that she has done for Coombe and wish her the very best of luck. 
 
I hope you all have a very enjoyable half term break and we welcome all our students back on Monday 20th February at the normal time.