Headmaster's Letter - October 2008

Dear Parents

We have just been informed that the DCSF is giving us a grant of £2,404,500 to develop and expand boarding. This will provide 42 extra beds which will all be twin bedsitters with an en-suite shower room and are designed for Sixth Formers.

At the same time we are exploring having our own Sixth Form based in School as an alternative to pupils progressing on to Reigate College. We are looking at running courses here which are a natural continuation of some of our GCSE provision, particularly in the areas of ICT, Business Studies, Travel and Tourism, Countryside and Environment and Horse Care. It may just be possible to run some Lower Sixth courses in September 2009, but this will depend on negotiations with the Learning and Skills Council and with Surrey.

It is likely that we shall be conducting another consultation exercise on the desirability of having a Sixth form - though the last Parental Survey indicated that a majority of you would welcome this school having its own Sixth Form.

I will keep you informed as negotiations progress.

Teaching facilities
The contactors (just !) managed to finish the refurbishment work on the two old Science labs before the start of this term and they have also rewired one wing of the School Building as well as renewing the plumbing and the central heating. The extension which will house two extra Science labs, a dance Studio and two general classrooms should come into use at Easter 2009. At the end of last term we were due to move the Secondary Library into the Junior Hut, which already housed the Junior Library. Unfortunately a Surveyor decided that this mobile hut had reached the end of its useful life and so had to be demolished. The downside of this is that all the Secondary Library and a proportion of the Junior Library have had to be put into storage until new premises can be found at Easter 2009. The upside of this temporary inconvenience is that the Junior Playground has been considerably expanded and improved.

Internet Use
Social networking sites on the internet, such as Facebook and Bebo are very popular with pupils.

Our approach to these sites was to "blacklist" the site, meaning the students could not get access to the site. The majority of our students use social networking sites at home, so we felt it would be more beneficial for the pupils to be educated on how to use these sites safely rather than just to ban them.

From the 10th November students will have access to Bebo and Facebook at appropriate times in school. Our security system will be able to log the time each student accessed the site, the location and any inappropriate use will be detected and reported to the ICT Dept and the student will be dealt with in accordance with the ICT Accepted Usage Policy.

In preparation for this, Jon Davies, my Deputy, and Davina Stansfield, Head of ICT, will be meeting each year group to explain the ICT Acceptable Use policy and the sanctions imposed should this policy be breached by a pupil.

During the week commencing 10th November students will be taught in their ICT lesson on how to protect themselves and their information online. I believe that this approach - educating our pupils about how to use these sites appropriately and safely - is better than just banning them.

Traffic on site and the Tower Lodge Road
Please note that this drive is for cars exiting the site and heading towards Reigate Hill only. It must NOT be used by cars entering the site. The private road from Gatton Bottom is narrow, has poor visibility and is also a public bridleway.

With my best wishes

Paul D Spencer Ellis
Headmaster