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Strike Action – Thursday 27th April and Tuesday 2nd May 2023
Dear Families of The Wren,
Thank you for your understanding whilst we have been working on our response to the scheduled National Education Union (NEU) strike action later this week and next week. The next dates for strike action are scheduled for Thursday 27th April and Tuesday 2nd May.
We have continued to review our practice following previous days of strike action, and I have again updated and completed our comprehensive risk assessment. Based on this and the numbers of staff who we expect to be taking action I have no option but to again close the school to the majority of students for both next Thursday and Tuesday.
However, we intend to remain open for some students in some year groups which have exams on these days or soon after.
Year 7, 8 and 9 students – Remain at home and complete independent study work.
Year 10 students – Exams will continue as planned. Students should arrive at school via the Southcote Road entrance for registration at the later time of 09.30. Gates will open at 09.25. All other entrances will be closed. Students will go home directly after their final examination.
Year 11 students – Should attend school as usual
Year 12 and 13 students – Should arrive for Lesson 1 at 9.00am. Registration period on these days are cancelled.
There is the possibility that this plan may need to change or be adapted before the given strike dates or during these dates. We will be monitoring the situation carefully and I will communicate any changes to you as soon as possible.
I appreciate and understand that these decisions are difficult and that some families have been frustrated by our actions and had challenges with children not being able to come to school. My priority continues to be the safety of students and I must ensure the school site remains safe.
We will continue to also be able to accommodate our most vulnerable students and those families who received a previous invitation for their child will be asked to reconfirm by email ([email protected]), their attendance by 4pm on Tuesday 25th April.
For students eligible for free school meals, we will again be offering a packed lunch. To order please click here. These will be available to be collected from the main school reception on Wednesday 26th April or on the morning of Tuesday 2nd May. Please complete this form if you would like to receive a packed lunch by 4pm on Tuesday 25th April 2023.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and your continued support.
Kind regards,
Mr J Salberg
Principal
We are currently seeking to appoint a SEND Administrator, closing at Monday 23rd January 2023, 9am.
For further information please go to the Vacancies page under the School Information tab.
We look forward to all students returning to The Wren on Wednesday 4th January 2023 at the slightly later time of 9.30am.
We are pleased to invite families and students to join us for our Sixth Form Open Evening on Tuesday 8th November 2022, 5-7pm.
Come and tour our facilities, meet our staff and students and get a glimpse into life at The Wren. Our Open Evening is being held from 5-7pm, with tours of the school beginning from 5pm, and a presentation with the Principal and Director of Sixth Form at 6pm.
To learn more, please contact Mr Hollands, Director of Sixth Form [email protected]
Due to the huge success of our Open Mornings we have added two extra dates:
- Tuesday 13th September @ 9.15am – unfortunately this date has been cancelled due to the 10-days mourning of the Queen
- Tuesday 20th September @ 9.15am – FULLY BOOKED
- Tuesday 4th October @ 9.15am – FULLY BOOKED
- Tuesday 11th October @ 9.15am – FULLY BOOKED
- NEW DATE: Monday 17th October @ 9.15am
- NEW DATE: Wednesday 19th October @ 9.15am
To book a place, please call the call the school on 0118 2143888.
We look forward to welcoming you to our school.
We are pleased to invite families and primary school students to join us at one of our open events. Come and tour our facilities, meet our staff and students and get a glimpse into life at The Wren.
Our Open Day is being held on Thursday 29th September 2022 from 4 – 7pm with the Principal presentation at 4.30pm, 5.30pm and 6.30pm.
Open Mornings will be held on the dates below. To book a place, please call the call the school on 0118 2143888 stating which Tuesday you would like to attend.
- Tuesday 13th September @ 9.15am – unfortunately this date has been cancelled due to the 10-days mourning of the Queen
- Tuesday 20th September @ 9.15am
- Tuesday 4th October @ 9.15am
- Tuesday 11th October @ 9.15am
We look forward to welcoming you to our school.
Congratulations to every single one of our Year 11’s on making it through these incredibly challenging and tough years. We are delighted with the performances of our students in the first set of external exams since 2019, and look forward to celebrating with these exceptional young people today.
Our students have shown an extraordinary level of resilience and determination throughout the terrible disruptions to their education that began when they were in Year 9. They have demonstrated a fantastic attitude and worked so hard, alongside our phenomenal staff who have helped them throughout this journey.
We are so proud of each and every one of our students. The students who have achieved despite the circumstances they faced. The students who strived to learn at home with limited access to the internet, or with a house full of siblings. The students who lost family members and had to deal with both their loss and not being able to say goodbye. The students who were badly affected by the illness itself, and those who are still impacted by the side effects.
Today, this is what we are celebrating. Not just the grades and huge progress that our students have achieved, but the remarkable stories and the inspirational individuals that show us how exceptional and talented our students, and those around the country and around the world, are. We couldn’t be prouder of them and they deserve all of our praise.
This is why, along with many other schools locally and nationally, we will not be providing any information to the media about overall grade performance or offering comparisons to local and national figures at this time.
Covid has caused enormous disruption to the education of young people around the world. The impact that this has had varies for individual students, families and communities due to circumstances beyond their control or the control of us as a school. This means that a student’s experiences at our school may differ wildly to other schools, even the school next door. Circumstances such as infection rates and periods of isolation of staff and students, and access to resources and facilities for learning during national lockdowns have differed significantly. For us to the use data to compare our ‘performance’ to other local schools or nationwide without such context is a frankly pointless, inappropriate and a potentially damaging exercise. We are hugely ambitious for our students and our school, adopting a mind-set that ‘Better Never Stops’. We will use today’s outcomes to challenge ourselves and aim even higher as we move on using more appropriate methods other than grade comparison.
Thank you as well to our dedicated and passionate staff who have worked so incredibly hard supporting our students. We know that it is not just our classroom staff who have ensured our students’ success. Every single member of staff inside and outside of the classroom has worked tirelessly to provide out students with the best possible learning experience. We are grateful for the support of the families of the Wren, our Governors, our local community and the Excalibur Academies Trust.
We wish all of our students the very best in their next steps of education, many of them with us in our fantastic Sixth Form, where we know that they will grab hold of the opportunities that come their way. That they will flourish, succeed and thrive.
Well Done!
John Salberg
Principal
Congratulations to every single one of our Year 13’s on making it through two incredibly challenging and tough years. We are delighted to celebrate with them today as they receive these well-deserved results which send them forward onto exciting new destinations and opportunities.
We are proud of each and every one of our students. They have shown huge levels of commitment, resilience and positivity throughout their time in our Sixth Form. It is testament to their attitude, hard work and agility, alongside the tireless dedication of our staff that we are able to stand here together with these exceptional young people.
Our students are rightly proud of their achievements, efforts and successes and deserve all of our praise. These grades mark the end of a journey which has shaped and honed their character through unexpected and challenging times, and sees 85% of our students successfully moving on to their first choice of university or into a high level apprenticeship.
Today is not just about the grades on pieces of paper, today is about recognising the resilience and dedication our students have shown, the journey they have been on and how they have come through it stronger and wiser. They are exceptional, inspiring and talented young adults, and we couldn’t be prouder of them.
Thanks must also go to our dedicated and passionate staff who have worked so incredibly hard supporting our students, and to our families and the whole of The Wren School community for their continued support and encouragement.
Today is also an important day for us as a school as it marks the end of the journey of our first ever cohort of students. The Wren opened its doors 7 years ago to a small groups of keen Year 7 students, stepping foot into their secondary education with us, who now find themselves at the end of their journey. Our Year 13’s have seen huge changes to their school over the years, embracing each one with great positivity, setting the standard for all future students to come. As the school continues to grow our founding students will always hold a special place here at The Wren.
We wish all of our students the very best in their next steps of education, learning and employment, safe in the knowledge that they have nurtured the character and skills needed to excel in wherever their journey takes them. We look forward to hearing about, and following, their next chapters, and wish them all a safe remainder of the summer.
John Salberg
Principal
Response to extreme heat warning – SCHOOL CLOSURE– Online Learning 18th and 19th July 2022
We are aware that the Met Office has issued extreme heat warnings for this area and other areas of England on Monday and Tuesday next week. The nature of our building and school site means that some classrooms typically experience temperatures of 5-10 degrees more than the outside temperature which, in this exceptional heat, would threaten not only successful learning but the health of our students and staff. We know that children ‘cannot control their body temperature as efficiently as adults’ as per the government advice found here.
Like other schools in the area, we have made the difficult decision to move to online learning on Monday and Tuesday of next week and close our school buildings and site. School will re-open for our planned half day on Wednesday as normal, as temperatures are due to return to drop.
On Monday and Tuesday, work will be available to all students via Teams. We ask that all students check Teams each morning to view the learning set. Tutors will be available online during the usual registration period of 08.30 – 09.00.
I do recognise that this change to remote learning will impact students and families and wanted to advise you of our plans as soon as possible. Student safety and wellbeing is always key in our planning and this is not a decision that we have taken without considerable thought.
I thank you for your understanding and support and look forward to seeing students on Wednesday.
John Salberg
Principal
