The end of an exceptional year for Ousedale School!
It has been my first year as Headteacher, a year that has been incredibly challenging and rewarding. We are in the process of converting to become an Academy ready for the start of the new academic year, this will give us greater control over the school, its curriculum and its finances.
At our recent staff party you will be pleased to know we raised £500. I have sent cheques to Willen Hospice and Breakthrough Cancer which supports women with breast cancer. The £100 given to Rotary will be used to support international events - they are putting it towards the purchase of a shelter box.
This year has been characterised by outstanding student success, contribution, enjoyment and learning; celebrating that success is an important part of my headship. The two recent Awards Evenings at the Olney and Newport Pagnell campuses were a huge success. It was lovely that so many students were rewarded for commitment and contribution as well as outstanding ability and academic progress.
Our final Shine Day of the year was a tremendous hive of activity with staff and students alike involved in school based and off-site activities:
- Year 7 had the choice of visiting Warwick Castle, Natural History Museum or Spy Missions. Those opting for Spy Missions spent some time in school working on a variety of code breaking activities before putting their skills into practice in a real life mission.
- Year 8 were offered a range of exciting, sporting activities including tobogganing, Airkix and bowling at Snozone, water sports and climbing at Caldecotte and a trip to Skirmish for paintballing.
- Year 9 remained on site and spent the day exploring what causes crime and its impact. Working with PCSOs and members of the police force, organised by Dave Huckle, students looked at the roles of Victim Support and Young Offenders as well as being given an introduction to forensic techniques from members of the Science department.
- Our Year 10 students had a day out to either Duxford or the London Eye and the Tate Modern. Approximately 60 students remained on site to take part in Motor Sport day. During the day students explored the different careers in this area and there were a selection of cars in school for them to look at, including a single seater from Silverstone and a BMW saloon car.
Finally, two members of staff are leaving Ousedale after years of exceptional dedication and service. Wendy Page and Brian George will be greatly missed by the staff of the school, but I think most notably they will be missed by past and present generations of Ousedale students. Wendy’s contribution to the Special Needs department has been outstanding and hundreds of students have succeeded at school and beyond, thanks to her tireless exertions and those of the department she led and managed so effectively. Brian has been a stalwart of the Geography department, but Ousedale is nationally and internationally known thanks to Brian’s work with Save the Children and in gaining the International School Award through our long-standing and successful India exchange programme that he manages. I would like to thank them for their service and wish them well for the future.
I hope you have a restful, safe and enjoyable summer break. I look forward to some good summer examination results and the new year ahead.
Sue Carbert
Headteacher
