I have had the privilege of being Head of Year 11 for the last two academic years and have had first-hand experience of seeing the level of excellence and growth we have come to expect in CHSG. My hope is that, with the right guidance, support and considerations for wellbeing, our Year group will excel to greater heights and achieve like none before them.

I have heard (and seen) wonderful things about Year 7 as a cohort; particularly their focus in lesson, willingness to try, perseverance and of course exceptional behaviour. Ms Stanley and the tutor team have given me an excellent picture of all the students in the year group and we have worked together to make sure the transition for our students has been as smooth as possible. As part of this transition, we will need to make sure the collaborative approach to our students’ education is of paramount importance and I look forward to partnering with you over the next four years to achieve the best outcomes for our students.

For the remainder of this academic year, Mrs Watkins will continue to work with our Year group providing the support needed to make sure that progress, both academically and socially, is still being made. In addition to this I am joined by Mrs Warren, who will be our Pastoral Support Officer in a similar role to Mrs Watkins and in the short term, Miss Ishola (Assistant Head of Year 11). The aim of our team will be to make sure that the students reach their full potential and provide the support required for every individual student. To aid with this process, if there are any issue you believe that we are not already aware of, or an area of your child’s development you feel some additional support could help with, then please drop me a line at jimstockwell@carshaltongirls.org.uk.

As we start this half-term, we prepare to undertake the final exams of this academic year. You will have had confirmation of the content of these and further information about targeted revision and dates will follow whilst the students are in lessons. If your child is unaware of the specific dates, please ask them to talk to their respective teachers. Whilst it is important for our students to start to revise and prepare for their examinations, it is also important that there is a healthy balance between work and rest. We would recommend sitting with your child and devising a revision plan/timetable with allocated space for rest and relaxation.

In other news, 30 Year 7 students were tasked to create welcome post-cards for our future flock of students currently in Year 6. The messages were aimed at both encouraging students and calming students about the impending advancement into high school. The feed-back from these has been astonishing with Year 6 students, primary schools, and parents all praising the efforts of our students. I would like to say a big thank you and well done to the 30 students. In addition, if parents and guardians are aware of any other successes that should be celebrated, please do inform me so we can celebrate as a year group. 

Once again, it is with great excitement that I join this cohort and get to work with you all to continue to wonderful work and support that Year 7 have been receiving. Please feel free to contact me at any time if there is anything issue you would like to discuss

Mr J Stockwell, Head of Year 7