Excellence as Standard

We have had, understandably, a rather melancholy start to the new school year, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. However, it is heart-warming to welcome you all to the 2022-23 school year at Glyn. We are excited as we head into the new school year, as it is a perfect opportunity to restart and reflect. Whilst we are, of course, extremely proud of the record GCSE and A Level examination results that our students achieved this summer, we are always focused on ’even better’ for our students.

We are striving this year for excellence as standard - that all students are working to the best they can and have high expectations of themselves in all they do. Our values are not empty strap lines. Yes, there is a strong focus on achievement and excellence but, through working together, students can achieve so much more.

I have had the pleasure of delivering assemblies to all the students this week, focusing on achieving their goals. I asked students what they wanted to achieve this year, and then to reflect on what they need to do to enable this to happen. Students need to be determined, committed and driven in their pursuit of their goal. They need to not use excuses, but to find the passion to continue, even when it seems difficult. Our staff are totally committed to supporting students in achieving their goals but, ultimately, the final responsibility has to come from the students themselves.

This year, Student Personal Development will be at the heart of all we do. We will achieve this by building character to ensure our students are successful members of their community through enhancing their cultural experience. We believe that the celebration of success is critical to empower students to become model global citizens and therefore, through these Newsletters and school assemblies, we look forward to celebrating our students’ wonderful and numerous achievements.

We are pleased that this year we are able, once again, to open up our enrichment provision further and students will have opportunities to go abroad on school trips for the first time in three years. Our vast sporting opportunities begin again this weekend, with rugby fixtures taking place, and school team trials are now getting underway.

I want to encourage our students to take up opportunities and participate in extracurricular activities so that they can build their character and take on new challenges. Yes, we want our students to leave us with an exceptional set of outcomes from their journey through the school, but we also strive to provide them with a wide range of experiences that will develop their character and set them up for their next steps when they leave us.

My colleagues and I are excited about the year ahead and look forward to watching our students flourish.

Jo Garrod, Head of School