It may be the end of January, but I hope it is not too late to wish you all a happy new year!

I am pleased to report that the Years’ 11, 12 and 13 mock examination series that has been held in the last few weeks has been a great success.  There are lots of reasons for running mock examinations, but not least in order to give our students a genuine and authentic experience of what the real examinations series will look like.  From the timing of questions, style of papers, experience of the exam hall, as well as a real measure of performance for students and their teachers, these are all valuable experiences for our young people.  The way the students themselves approached these mocks was exemplary and we have had very positive feedback from the external invigilators regarding not only the students’ positive attitude towards the exams themselves, but also in the polite and courteous way in which they conducted themselves throughout.  Well done to all our students involved in the mocks and I hope this has given you a valuable insight into the process, as well as some targets to aim for between now and the real exams in the summer.

On a somewhat related matter, our Options Evening for pupils in Year 11 who are considering St Cyres 6^th Form runs next week on Thursday 1^st February at 6pm.  We are very proud of our post-16 offer and especially pleased that our results at A Level are excellent and are going from strength to strength.  We hope to see as many of our Year 11 pupils as possible at this important event, and we also welcome prospective Year 11 students from other local schools who are considering St Cyres 6^th Form an option to pursue their A Level studies.  All are most welcome and we look forward to seeing you.