Posted Nov 15 - 2024Headteacher's Newsletter
what's happening at Chesham Grammar
Posted on: January 17th 2020
Head's Blog
Dear Parent,
The first of our Parents' Evenings of the term took place last night. I know from talking to many parents who attended that you valued this opportunity to meet with individual subject teachers and to reflect on mock performance and to discuss what needs to be done in the final few months of GCSE courses. Next week, it is the turn of those with a child in Year 9 to come to Parents' Evening and for this year group, GCSE choices will obviously be one of the main topics of conversation. If you do have any queries or questions about anything, at any point, please let us know.
During the week, Mrs Neagle led a visit for those doing A level or GCSE Drama to see a contemporary production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Criterion Theatre in London and I know this was enjoyed by all, as was the Year 11 Textiles visit. Next week, Year 12 A level Politics students will be visiting the Houses of Parliament while those in Years 7 and 10 will take part in the National Enterprise Challenge on Tuesday. This is the school round and at the end of the day, teams will be chosen to go on to represent CGS at the National Finals later in the year. As you will know, one of our Year 10 teams, Girls Get Goals, won the national final last year so we are hoping for great things from the students once again. This is an event the students really enjoy and they always get a good deal out of the day, during which they work together in teams to develop an idea based on a particular brief, which they have to pitch towards the end of the event. Miss Thoday oversees this event. This will be the last one she organises as she is stepping back from her Enterprise role. Miss Thoday has been at CGS for over forty years and has been involved in Careers or Enterprise Education for much of that time and I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to her. I know that amongst our parent body we have numerous alumni who remember Miss Thoday from their own school days at CGS. She has made a massive contribution to the school but feels it is time for someone else to take over this role. She will of course continue to teach chemistry and to run our Equestrian Club.
Earlier in the week it was the UCAS deadline for applications to UK universities and I would like to thank all those staff who have worked so hard to help the Year 13 students prepare their application and who have written references for them. We have processed just under 200 applications and that of course means that almost 200 references have been carefully constructed by tutors who, in our vertical tutoring system, know their students very well. Every tutor writes several UCAS references and these are then checked by Mr Wescomb. Having held the post of Head of Sixth Form when I first arrived at CGS, I know how time consuming this process is and the Sixth Form team always breathes a sigh of relief when the 15th January deadline passes! Many of the students who applied last term have already received their offers and it is always a pleasure to see the excitement this generates. My thanks to all those staff involved.
This week, I met those Year 7s who celebrated their 12th birthday over the last few weeks. Happy birthday to: Eleanor, Imogen, Charlotte, Maria, Keeya, Suri, Olivia, Finlay, Ruby, Jake, Lola, Jessica, Millie and Kiana. We are very proud of Ben in Year 11, with whom I met this week. Ben took part in a diving competition recently and won silver medals and he was also awarded the Jane Simpkin's Award by Dacorum Diving Club for his individual contribution to the club. Well done also to Soraya in Year 7 who passed her guitar exam with distinction and to Daniel, also in Year 7 who recently passed his grade 5 guitar exam. Also passing a music exam, in his case in the piano, was Luke in Year 8. Congratulations to them all.
With best wishes for a relaxing weekend,
Annmarie McNaney
Headteacher
