This week has been a very smooth return to school after the Half Term break. Year 8 returned ready to face their Mock exams. These exams help prepare the children for their final assessments next term, by which they proceed to their senior schools. It is our aim that, by Year 8, St Christopher’s pupils have no fear of formal assessments, having begun them in Middle School and honed their skills in Year 7. As well as effective revision skills, the children have been reminded of the importance of good eating and sleeping habits in exam week, skills that will stand them in good stead in future. As a final preparation, Monday morning saw another session with Becca Kilvington of Cloud Seven Meditation, talking about breathing and visualisation for those moments of brain freeze.
For the vast majority, the Summer Term exams in Year 8 are the means by which the children “gain entry” to their senior school, with the results being used to place them in sets in Year 9 appropriate to their abilities. Some will be awarded Academic Scholarships for exceptional performance, but these are very competitive! Of course, not all awards to senior school are academic. I am delighted to announce that three Co-curricular awards were made to St Christopher’s pupils over Half Term. As is our tradition, each award will see the school flag fly in their honour for a day over forthcoming Thursdays.
You may have noticed that the building work next door has gained considerable momentum in the last two weeks. I met with Marc Sugarman this week to discuss the opening of the Brighton and Hove Jewish Community (BNJC). This project has been over seven years in the making and was well underway when I joined the school a year and a half ago. As you may know, once the building is finished, St Christopher’s will have access to two additional classrooms and a large area that will be suitable for assemblies, performances and other activities. We expect to begin taking possession of the classrooms in the Summer Term in preparation for use in September 2023. Marc and I also discussed benefits for the whole St Christopher’s community including: a discounted gym membership, discounts in the cafe, and priority booking and discounted ticket prices for events hosted by BNJC. You will receive more information on these shortly.
Finally, I am very pleased to be able to share the outcome of the school’s inspection report with you. St Christopher’s achieved the highest judgement of ‘excellent’ in all areas of the Educational Quality Inspection. Inspectors were able to see for themselves the inspiring learning environment at St Christopher’s and experience the supportive, family feel of the school, both of which positively contribute to our pupils’ high levels of achievement. I am extremely proud of our school.
Ms Elizabeth Lyle, Head