Dear Parent or Guardian,
It's strange to think that this time last year, the country was in lockdown and we were teaching our students remotely. It was only after Easter in 2021 that students tentatively came back to school, with Year 11 and 13 working hard to create the evidence needed to support the teacher's assessed grades. We are all very relieved to be in a situation where normality has largely returned to school life, fixtures have restarted, clubs have restarted, students are eating in the dining hall together, lessons are back to normal and adjusted exams are expected for the summer term.
That said, things aren't yet normal. Staff and student absence fluctuates dramatically, with staff absence having a significant impact on the running of the school. I thought it might help to know what we do when teachers are absent? Firstly, we turn to our Cover Supervisors we have as part of our full-time staff. If we run out of those colleagues, we contact agencies to source supply teachers. These are qualified teachers who do this very hard job for a living. We have had to use them more than we would normally, but at least we have not needed to teach any year groups remotely as has happened in many other schools. All of this, as you can imagine, is done before 8am in the morning by a member of the leadership team, but teachers in school have also pitched in to cover lessons and pick up duties, many using their non-contact time to help students experience school in as ‘normal’ a way as possible. I would like to publicly thank them and you for the support in keeping things going.
Whilst the school is very pleased with the Ofsted report, the mention of needing to have more clubs felt a little harsh, not only because the pandemic was still a real concern in November, but also because we actually have kept quite a number of clubs going despite this. However, it occurred to us that this may be our fault, as you may simply not know what we currently offer. I have therefore included a growing list of clubs in this newsletter, and please do encourage your child to take part.
On a more mundane note, please can I remind parents, to remind students, about some of our more basic rules. Whilst we do allow students to wear coats, the rule on not being permitted to wear a non school jumper or a “hoodie” under blazers has never changed. Students are required to keep a uniform card (that has rules on the reverse side) that will be signed where they are wearing incorrect uniform, and this includes to and from school. We have also recently had some concerns raised regarding student behaviour at Sainsburys, having had a long period of positive feedback. Please remind your child that they represent the school when travelling to and from home and should be on their best behaviour. Energy drinks, chewing gum and vapes (obviously) are banned items in school, whilst mobile phones will be confiscated if not used in social spaces at social times. I’m sorry if this seems like I am stating the obvious, but it has been a while since I have reminded parents, and I am fully aware that teenagers can be very persuasive that “they never knew” when they are sanctioned for such things. Thank you for your support in helping to get our young people into school on time. Students should be in school by 8.40 for an 8.45 start and there has certainly been a reduction in lateness this year.
So what next? Well, with a successful Ofsted and the recently agreed multi million pound new build to support our school expansion, there is plenty to feel positive about at Borden. That said, it is shocking to think that we are preparing students for A level exams that took their last formal exam in Year 6. Managing this process, amidst staff and student absence, remains a challenge. We have already expanded our mental health provision, but realise that this continues to be an ever growing problem for schools and society in general. So please keep in touch, talk to teachers, tutors, heads of year or senior staff if you are worried. As well, we will continue to try and offer a consistent experience and approach, whilst expanding our offer of the “extra stuff” that makes school a place in which students can feel happy. I wish you all a very safe and restful half term.
Kind regards
Ashley Tomlin
Headteacher
Congratulations to the Year 7 and 8 students that achieved their Autumn Term Accelerated Reader Targets. Certificates and prizes were given out when we returned after the Christmas break, and it was really good to see so many boys reach and exceed their targets. Well Done! Good luck with your Easter Targets everyone.
To celebrate World Book Day on Thursday 3rd March, we are arranging a number of activities throughout the day. In the past we have had teachers dressing up as their favourite book characters, but this year we would also like to open this up to our Year 7, 8 & 9 students (please note: school uniform must be worn if you are not taking part). Prizes will be awarded for Best Staff Book Character Costume, as voted for by students and there will be prizes for Student Book Character Costumes as well.
This is the 17th year of Borden Chess Club run by Mr Chittenden. During the lockdown of 2020 the school Chess Club was exiled to online at Chess.com but has now returned for real-life matches in S12 after school on Tuesdays.
Jungle' in S4. We have started propagating succulents to grow on for the future and will be starting to grow from seed indoors in the coming weeks, ready for our garden to thrive in the spring/summer. 
The first sign of our bulbs have sprouted in the garden itself (ready for some spring colour) and we look forward to seeing signs that our trees have rooted well, with some growth in the warmer months. With the imminent arrival of our Morrisons 'good to grow' scheme success (thanks to all that donated your points), we are really looking forward to adding some colour and height to our garden over the rest of the year.
