I am writing to thank you for your extraordinary support for the school over the last four months. In my second summer as a Head Teacher in 2009, having started the Easter before, my school in Birmingham was closed for a week by the Health Protection Agency, as a consequence of the Swine Flu (H1N1) pandemic. I don’t think any of us, at that time or since, ever envisaged a global health crisis of the scale we have experienced this year. This summer term marks the start of my thirteenth year as a ‘Head’, and the end of my strangest and most challenging year in teaching. The students, staff, governors and Bewdley community have risen magnificently to this challenge. I thank you all for this, and for your continued support.
Looking ahead to the new school year, we have scenario plans for normal timetable, year group bubbles (which we plan to open with) and ‘split day/half classes’, should the need arise. We will continue to work with you all to ensure that education continues, in an environment that is safe and secure for students and staff. We know that the future is uncertain. On the one hand Imperial College are warning of a second wave of infection, whilst on the other hand the Oxford team appear to be making strong progress with a vaccine. The only thing that we can be sure of is that we will continue to work together, and in doing so and meeting these challenges face on as a community, that we will become collectively stronger.
In the background school improvement continues. We have a team onsite refurbishing our Sixth Form block, to create, amongst other things, much larger study spaces and an eighty seat lecture theatre. Whilst we have yet to sign ‘on the dotted line’, we are also moving closer to agreeing a 25 year lease on Bewdley Youth Centre in collaboration with our charitable partners, The William Mills Foundation. The intention is to reopen the centre to cater for ‘student support needs’ during the day and to reopen it as a Youth Facility during the evenings. More on this to follow.
I also attach within my message a letter from Mrs McDougall regarding equipment required for September (Click Here)
In the meantime, have a relaxed, restful and safe summer break, and we look forward to working with our wonderful families again in September.
With all best wishes
Dave Hadley-Pryce
Head Teacher