Newsletters

Dear Parents and Carers  

During a year where I felt that communication was vital, I have been writing to you weekly. However, as we go back to some kind of normality, we are planning to send you a newsletter such as this twice each half term. The idea is to offer some key messages, but also to give you a real sense of all things that are going on in the Borden community. This is our first attempt, but we will aim to build on this, providing voices from all parts of our school community. 
 
Safeguarding
Unlike the summer of 2020, we go into this summer holiday having seen our students regularly and without all the issues that the pandemic lockdown gave us all last year. However, for any students who need it, there is a wealth of guidance and support on our safeguarding area of the website. Remember, there is always help available if you need it and contacts have been added below. 

Covid Testing
The DFE has once again required us to Covid test students twice on their return to school in September. In order to do this properly, it will again require a staggered return for students over the first few days of term, but we will contact you again over the summer break to give you more details on this. Whilst we will be sending consent forms for our new students, for most we have already gained consent for this testing. However, please let us know if your wish for consent has changed since March 2021.

Exam Results
A Level examination results will be issued on Tuesday 10th August and GCSE results on Thursday 12th August. Details of how results can be collected have been sent direct to Parents and Students in these Year groups. 

Uniform
I had a conversation with a student this week who seemed to believe that our uniform costs hundreds of pounds. However, as a school we make an effort to keep costs down, so I thought I would check and this is certainly not true, with our compulsory items costing less than £100.  Please see the area below on uniform for a complete breakdown.

Farewell to Borden!
It is always sad to say farewell to staff and the following teachers and support staff are leaving this summer. They are summarised in an order that reflects the years of service given to the school:

• Mr Wain has served Borden extremely well for 16 years, and is entering a well deserved retirement after a total of 41 years in the teaching profession!  Mr Wain has taught English, and outside of the classroom has organised theatre trips for students and staff alike.  He also led for many years the Aim Higher club that was very successful. He will be sadly missed.
• Mrs Newbury has taught Art and DT part-time at Borden for 5 years, and will be leaving the teaching profession to branch out into a new career, we wish her all the best.
• Mrs Gilson has only been at Borden for the last academic year, but is a very valued teacher of Psychology to our Sixth form - she leaves us to undertake a PhD.
• Miss Kent has been a well valued trainee in the Maths Department and is leaving us to take up a Maths teaching position. 
• Finally, we are sad to say goodbye to Mrs Argent, Bursar & Estates Manager, who will be leaving us for a Project Manager post at KCC, we wish her the best of luck.

We also cannot forget to appreciate the contribution of three long term supply teachers, Mrs Ochmann-Lau, Mrs Benson and Mr McGinn who have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into supporting the Science, English and Mathematics department respectively.

Thank you to all our colleagues for their contribution to Borden, we wish you well.

 
Overall, I believe that we have ‘weathered the storm’ extremely well at Borden this year, largely down to the strength of community and the commitment of us all to make things work. I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all of you for your patience, support and kind words and hope that you get the chance to enjoy some quality time over the summer and look forward to seeing you all, hopefully in person, next year.

Ashley Tomlin
Headteacher

Students sum up the school year!

I cannot believe we are almost at the end of Year 7! It’s been a different year but a fun year! We have sports day to look forward to and a form party if we win for best behaviour and achievement. The World is getting better! I remember back in January it was hard with home schooling but the online lessons meant we didn't have to worry about the future. When we came back to school it was amazing because I could see all my friends again. We have just done our summer exams which were hard but I got through it and tried my best. So, on behalf of the current year 7 we wish our new students well as they start their exciting journey at Borden!
                                                                                                       

    Jacob 7JB

Earlier this week, I asked some Year 8 students to give me one word that summed up the school year for them. The responses were fascinating. Many students reflecting on the year gave words that we have become very familiar with such as unprecedented, peculiar, unexpected, changeable, challenging. However, a far greater number of students gave words such as great, amazing, exciting, interesting, cool. I think this demonstrates one of the key strengths that I have seen throughout the year from these students, their resilience. This week I have handed out so many achievement and recognition certificates to students, and it has again shown me how every one of these students is a story of resilience, of overcoming challenges and success this year. If this is what these students are capable of in a global pandemic, I am very excited to see what they can achieve in the coming years.

Miss Phillips Head of Year 8

2020-2021 has been somewhat confusing. Most of it had us stuck in a lockdown, having us rely on devices such as computers. Granted, sometimes those devices let us down but all in all, we persevered. Students always find a way. The Year 10s also had to face their mock exams after weeks of online learning, and the students of Year 10 were at a disadvantage. However, thanks to the help of the teachers that are just as resilient as the kids, they were able to catch up on all of their missing work and take their mock exams. The Year 10s got to assist with deciding the school values: Effort, Creative, Courageous, Kind, Respectful and Resilient. All of Borden Grammar have shown all of these values, but the Year 10s have arguably been the greatest proof of one of them: Resilience. 

Callum 10NS

Some words from our new School Captain 

When I joined Borden back in 2015 the sense of community - blended with tradition - was strong and that was one of the main reasons I chose Borden. The staff were welcoming, and the facilities offered to me were first class. I hope that if you are planning on joining the Borden boy’s community or have already joined, you also feel this strong sense of community and tradition when walking around.

In previous years, the role of Prefects and Senior Prefects has been more blurred than perhaps it should have, but the future is bright for the student body, and I hope to continue its success. We want to be visible, approachable, and understandable. You may already be aware of your form Prefect, and it’s really important that you take great notice in what they have to say as they can provide valuable knowledge and tips on how to be a successful Borden student.

Being that we are a Grammar school there is a strong focus on mainstream academic success, but this must not and will not take anything away from the Arts and extra-curricular activities. Borden will offer you a vast array of Arts and club opportunities for you to take part in and enjoy. Borden is here to cater for your every academic, extra-curricular and sporting needs. In the words of our Headmaster, “Borden is a purposeful school which is entirely focused on striving forward together.”

I have got a splendid team of Vice Captains, Senior Prefects and Prefects who are as important as each other and will help keep the student voice heard amongst the school community. We hope to get the opportunity to speak to lots of you during our time and remember Nitere porro!

Thomas Blackmore 
School Captain of Borden Grammar School

Wellbeing Garden - coming soon...

I am pleased to announce that over the next Academic year, Borden will be introducing a garden for its students.  With the purpose of being both a functional and a wellbeing space in the future, details will follow early next year as to how students in the school can contribute and get involved.

We are working closely with the Old Bordenians Association on getting this project up and running, and have already got involved with what the RHS and The Woodland Trust have to offer to help us in making this a real success.

If there are any other members of our community who feel they could and would want to help, please get in touch with Mr Swaffer Jswaffer@bordengrammar.kent.sch.uk for more details as to how.