The Big Idea Workshop

On Wednesday, Year 9 students on our Excellence Pathway (along with other selected Year 9 students) took part in 'The Big Idea Workshop' offered by The Talent Foundry, in Association with Dell Technologies. It was an interactive workshop which saw students develop their employability skills by taking on the role of a new social enterprise company for the day. During the workshop, students were encouraged to develop their knowledge of social issues in the community and come up with creative and innovative ways that technology could be used to solve problems for the greater good. It was very assuring to see our students working collaboratively to present their ideas and in such a confident manner. Their ideas were inspiring, showing how compassionate our young people are, designing solutions to tackle social issues such as poverty and hunger. We were very proud of them.

Assemblies

This week’s assemblies were delivered by Heads of House, reminding students of their values, achievements and upcoming charity projects. We look forward to rewarding the winning house at the end of this term.

Catering

So that students and parents can be better informed, we are placing our canteen menu prices on our website here from Monday. We have tried to keep prices as fair as possible and in line with other schools. Following feedback, we will also be displaying prices more clearly within the canteen.

Deputy Headteacher appointment

We are very pleased to announce that after a rigorous process, including many external applicants, Ms Ongley has been appointed our substantive Deputy Headteacher.

Anti-bullying Week

Next week we will be taking part in Anti-bullying week activities. On Tuesday 12th November, we invite all members of our school community to wear odd socks for the day to show our support and recognise our commitment to ensuring Orchard Park High is a bullying-free school.

Next week, Year 11 begin their Pre Public Exams, starting with art and photography and French and Spanish speaking. They are a terrific year group: we wish them the best of luck. Ms Coupland has communicated details of the PPE arrangements directly to Year 11 families.

Teaching Assistant

We are currently seeking to recruit a Teaching Assistant to provide in-class support following the retirement of Ms Wood. If you or someone you know may be interested in this role, further details can be found on our website.

Ms C Moran, Headteacher