I normally write this message before the Friday when it is posted but I wanted to delay it a little today until I had seen the whole school coming back into school.

There is a blue gate which is part of the entrance to the school. This gate has been locked since March: even when we have had groups of students back in school we haven’t needed to open it as we have other entrances through which smaller numbers of staff and students can enter the school site. As I drove in to school on Thursday morning the blue gate was open and this was wonderful – we were on the brink of the whole school returning.

On Thursday I stood by the blue gate and greeted our new Year 7 students – all looking smart and bright-eyed - and Year 12 students as they came in to school. Each and everyone said good morning and smiled – it was brilliant. This morning this experience was repeated with larger numbers across the year groups.

Our school is a community and we are together as a community again. The blue gate is open and this is something to celebrate.