The final countdown

The final countdown

I’ve spent the last five blogs focussing on the Marple Hall Spirit and what it means to be a part of our school. Naturally, this has means that our attention has been on those students who will be with us in September and beyond, as we look to strengthen our school ethos for the years ahead. In some ways therefore Year 11 have not been a part of this work, as their time is steadily coming to an end.

Therefore I wanted to dedicate this blog to the class of 2022, who as of now are on the doorstep of the exam season, the first exam season we’ve run in school since way back in 2019. There were times when it looked like the exams might not happen again, but thankfully here we are and the students have a chance to prove what they can do. I think I’ve already mentioned in recent weeks that this cohort of students have broken all records for engaging with our weekly Wednesday ‘Pomodoro’ revision nights, a sign that as a whole they are determined to do well. Students have also completed controlled assessments in many subjects – or are working to deadlines now – and the languages students are in the thick of their speaking tests which so far are going really well. Yesterday we had the PE moderation day, and Mr Stretton reported exceptional levels of commitment and determination from all those involved. That department is aiming to be in the top 1% of schools nationally and it is days like yesterday than can make ambitious goals a reality.

The main block of formal exams starts in just 11 days, and around 50 days from now it will all be over. This particular year group has faced so many challenges from lockdown in Years 9 and 10, bubbles bursting all over the place and restrictions on teaching styles, and yet they are absolutely flying at the moment. We are all so proud of them and I’m looking forward to watching them tackle the formal exams together with confidence.

Have a great long weekend,

Joe Barker

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