It has been a hard week in school with the very sad news that one of our Year 13 students has passed away following a long illness. He was a much-loved member of our school with a tight friendship group who have been deeply affected by the news as have the whole of our Year 13 year group and indeed the whole school community. We are supporting all of them and will continue to do so in the days and weeks to come.
As families are aware, this is the second bereavement we have experienced in school in recent months following the very sad passing of one of our Year 10 students in September. We know that this is hard for us all and will continue to be. We are remembering two young people who dealt with illness over a long period of time with courage, optimism and a spirit which none of us will ever forget. We have been determined to be open about what has happened, about how we feel and about how we are affected by very sad news within the context of our own lives.
As a school, we will do significant things to remember and celebrate the lives of two special young people. I said to students on Tuesday that our biannual whole school Sponsored Walk in July will be a big part of that as it was in 2023 when we raised almost £20,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Much more to follow on this but events will be full of energy, vibrancy and colour as they should be.
As Headteacher, I could not be more proud of our school community – staff and students – over the past few testing months. We have pulled together, looked out for each other and will continue to do so; hard times are really difficult but can make us stronger and that strength has come through this week.