Just a short note to wish everyone at Eastbrook the most fantastic summer break.

It has been quite a year for everyone but with fingers crossed it looks like we can start to be cautiously optimistic about the future. With that said, I think we can all see that Covid hasn’t gone away so I want to encourage everyone to exercise appropriate caution during the holiday.

I would like to start by taking this opportunity to sincerely thank all of our parents and Carers for their ongoing support. During the February inspection many of you went to the trouble of completing the Ofsted questionnaire and the results were incredibly positive. It is very pleasing to know that our parents are so supportive of the work we are doing and that we are working in such close partnership with you all for the benefit of our students.  You will all be aware that we have had 3 visits from Ofsted this year. Each one has been a huge success and has recognised the hard work that everyone at the school is putting in to make sure that we continue on our rapid journey of improvement. I look forward to sharing the letter from the most recent inspection with the school community in the very near future.

Our students deserve a particularly special mention. After such a difficult, ‘stop start’ 18 months, it might seem reasonable for some of them to become despondent and demotivated. However, nothing could be further from the truth. They have returned to school from all of the lockdowns and isolation periods with ceaseless enthusiasm and determination and I can’t credit them enough for the energy and inspiration they bring to our community … they really are awesome.

I am sure both parents and students would want to join me in thanking all of the staff. The teachers and support staff continue to work very hard each day to make learning engaging and fun, and their response to the challenges of lockdown and remote learning were exceptional. I know the teachers are really looking forward to being able to return to more creative, innovative teaching methods now that we are getting back to a greater sense of normality.

I want to wish all of the staff and students who are leaving us this year all the very best for their futures. I hope the students will be proud of what they have achieved with us, and consider themselves thoroughly prepared for whatever challenges their futures hold. Similarly, I am sure the staff who are moving on will look back on their time at Eastbrook with great fondness and feel it has prepared them for the next stage of their career.

Finally, I am sure our new year 7 cohort are very excited to be coming to us next year. Many have visited over the last few weeks and familiarised themselves with the school and the staff, and we will ensure that they are safe and happy with us and get the very best from the moment they arrive.

So to finish, once again I want to wish everyone a safe and restful break over the summer and I look forward to seeing you all in September.

Have a great holiday !

Mr Frith