Welcome to the first edition of Rough Notes for the new academic year. Thank you for taking the time to read our monthly publication.
For the first time since 2019 the summer exam series was able to run in full. The last three years have seen education disrupted for all students but, this has been felt most keenly by those taking their exams. We are immensely proud of our students, and we wish them the very best for the future, whether staying on into our Sixth Form or following pastures new at the end of their courses.
Woodroffe has a long track record of academic excellence and this year, despite the challenges, is no different. Our students have achieved strongly across the full range of qualifications on offer and will continue to do so in the future.
We are delighted with the resilience and perseverance shown by our students, however, we also recognise the additional anxiety caused by the events of the past three years and thank our parents and carers for their continued support.
Our staff worked incredibly hard to ensure that our students have been cared for and have continued to receive the best education possible. We have ensured that students have been given every chance to succeed and pursue their chosen next steps.
Miss Webb – Head of Year 11 said:
“This is an outstanding set of results, and every single student should be immensely proud of their achievements. I couldn’t be more impressed with their maturity and resilience, particularly during the examination period when they worked so well, remaining focused, driven, and supporting each other - it was wonderful to see. These results are a testament to their efforts, and I wish everyone the very best in their future endeavours. Congratulations Year 11, you made it!”
Miss Keaney – Head of 6th Form said:
“I am delighted with the success of our sixth form students this year. They worked incredibly hard to achieve an excellent set of results. I am always impressed by the resilience of our students, and their drive to succeed. I wish them the very best for the future.”
Last year had many highs and I think these were wonderfully encapsulated in our July ‘greatest hits’ edition. If you have not yet looked, I wholeheartedly recommend you do so, it’s full of fantastic articles about our wonderful school and the activities of our students and staff.
We have had a very positive start to school this September. The phased return enabled us to support students more effectively whilst ensuring that they got the time they needed to be able to hit the ground running.
There have been many smiles on the student return. For those who found the transition a little more challenging, our ‘Safeguarding and Wellbeing’ team have worked hard to support them, ensuring that they are able to return to learning confidently in school as quickly as possible.
The positive return has been boosted by the return of some fantastic activities provided through our extra-curricular programme. Year 8 students spent time at Carey Outdoor Education Centre where they participated in lots of fun teambuilding activities and personal challenges, creating some great memories along the way. I enjoyed my visit and had a good time joining the students for some of their activities.
Our wonderfully supportive PTFA provided over 210 bags of preloved uniform this summer, supporting the local community in preparation for the student return. Thank you for what you have done, it is hugely appreciated. If you need any uniform support, please visit:
At the start of term, we welcomed students from Ukraine across all year groups. Our students have been fantastic at welcoming all newcomers this term, helping them to feel part of our community. I would like to extend our warmest welcome to the families and host families as we start our educational partnership.
На початку каденції ми вітали студентів з України в усіх групах року. Наші студенти чудово вітали всіх новачків цим терміном, допомагаючи їм відчути себе частиною нашої спільноти. Я хотів би висловити наш найтепліший прийом сім’ям та приймаючим сім’ям, коли ми починаємо наше освітнє партнерство.
On the 8th of September, Her Majesty the Queen died peacefully at Balmoral aged 96. She was the UK’s longest serving monarch. We extended our deepest sympathies to her family whilst we welcomed King Charles III, understanding that it must have been a challenging time for him following the loss of his mother.
Former student Andy Calame was chosen as a pallbearer for the Queen’s coffin at the State Funeral, a real honour. Andy was in his RAF uniform for the funeral as the Queen’s Equerry pallbearer and is also a member of The King’s Bodyguard.
We will again be participating in the national ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ event taking place on 21st of October, this year is the 25th anniversary. Look out for further details coming soon.
Our Open Day was a huge success and was enjoyed by 204 families and 500 guests on the day. It was great to see the school alive with so many visitors after several years of restricted access. A huge thanks to our 6th Form students who did a fantastic job as guides during the day.
On Friday the 23rd of September, we all enjoyed coming together for the school photo. A real community event held in the final throws of the fabulous summer weather. I am sure the photo will look amazing and I can’t wait to see it.
I hope you enjoy our latest edition of ‘Rough Notes’. Should you wish to find out more about our school, news or events, please visit the school website, which I am sure you will find useful. In addition, for regular updates, why not look at our social media outlets:
The Woodroffe School Headteacher can be found on Twitter - @HeadteacherTws
The Woodroffe School can be found on Twitter - @WoodroffeSchool
The Woodroffe School on Instagram – woodroffeschooldorset
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and encouragement.
Best wishes,
Dan Watts
Headteacher