Whilst our Nursery remains open over the next two weeks, the Half Term draws to a close for the rest of the School. As such, I would like to begin today’s newsletter with some hearty congratulations to many of our pupils in Year 6 who, this week, found out whether they had been successful in achieving an award to the Senior School as well as discovering how they had performed in the 11+ Kent Test. We are pleased to report that 11 SVPS pupils secured 13 scholarships and exhibitions (for Art, Choral, Drama, Music and Sport, with Academic awards yet to come), and 61 per cent of the pupils entered by parents for the Kent Test have achieved ‘Grammar School status’. Whether the children achieved their ambition or have learnt from the process, we are incredibly proud of their efforts and know they have certainly earnt their Half Term break!

This has been a week of parents’ evening consultations for most of the School. One of the ‘COVID-keepers’ was to offer parents the choice about whether to have in-person or remote appointments as your diaries might allow and as you prefer. That said, having anticipated an equal split of demand for in-person and remote appointments, we can now reflect upon greater demand for in-person appointments, especially for younger pupils, and we will take this knowledge into our planning for the terms ahead. Tomorrow morning will also see the School publish its first reports of the academic year, grade cards for Years 3 to 6. As mentioned at the ‘Meet the Head’ events earlier this term, I have encouraged our staff to be candid with their assessments as we view candour as a form of kindness in the end.

The Half Term began with the sad news about the passing of our beloved Queen. Thank you to the children, parents and staff who have written a message in the Book of Condolence, which remains for now in our Reception in School House. It will be removed and placed in the archives together with the book from the Senior School at the end of the week after Half Term, so if you would like to write in it then please do call into School during Half Term or visit during the week commencing Monday 7th November.

One important notice for parents is that Breakfast Club will, both during and after Half Term for all pupils, now take place in the Pre-Prep Hall. Entrance for the Breakfast Club will be via the main entrance to the Underhill building (Nursery and Pre-Prep).

Those of you in the packed Celebration Assembly this morning will also have witnessed the message, ‘in a world where you can be anything, be kind’. ‘Be kind’ is actually the message that we have used throughout this half of term, and we will continue to use, and it appears at the start and end of every Monday assembly.

And finally, thank you for the fabulous participation in today’s Wear Wellies event. Thank you too to the SVPSPA for setting up the fundraising page for Winston’s Wish. It was great to see so many children dressed for puddle splashing today (for which the weather obliged) and I hope our cleaners will forgive me soon!

There will not be a Newsletter for the next two weeks, but I look forward to writing again on Friday 11th November, when we will be marking Remembrance, of course. I would just like to end by thanking everyone in the community for making me feel so welcome in my first Half Term; I am loving the School and the role and am excited about what lies ahead.