Messages from our Heads of Year:
Year 7
Year 7 have had a stellar year settling in at Henley Bank. They have risen to every challenge set to them, embraced new opportunities, and been welcoming and friendly. As a year group, we have been focusing on our virtue of Integrity this term, working on having the Confidence to standing out from the crowd. They have embraced this challenge fully, showing dedication to themselves and their development. Year 7 have become the top Praise Point earning year group in the school, which is a testament to their dedication this year.
This term, Year 7 had the exciting opportunity of a whole-year trip to Porthcawl. The day was superb - we had brilliant sunshine, nice temperatures, and a range of activities on the beach. We had a look at coastal features and uses of the area, linking in with what they learn in Geography. We played some games, and spent some time in the arcades. They were a pleasure to take on this trip. Additionally, our Year 7s had a visit from a guest speaker from Mingalaba, who spoke to them about the use of foreign languages in football. This was followed by some of the students having an opportunity to take part in a practical activity with the group. It was a brilliant experience for them, and it was lovely hearing all of their conversations about it afterwards.
Year 7 has been a truly fantastic year for this year group. I wish you all a lovely summer break, and I look forward to seeing you at the start of Year 8!
Year 8
Year 8 have had a year full of great opportunities and experiences. As a year group, we have been focusing on our value of Confidence, and having the ability to stand out from others, by having our own opinions and following our own morals. It has been good seeing them rise to this challenge and continue to push themselves in their Character growth.
This term, we took a whole-year trip to the Big Bang event in the NEC and the Malvern Hills. It was delightful seeing Year 8 engaging in different aspects of STEM at the Big Bang. Their enthusiasm and determination to try different activities was brilliant. Seeing them explore the Malvern Hills and interact with our environment was superb. A particular highlight of mine was the Respect some of our Year 8s showed in helping clean up the litter from our area, showing the Respect and kindness they felt towards our environment. This is echoed in the number of Year 8s who took part in our Eco Club this year, supporting the development of greener policies within the school.
Year 8 have a big year ahead of them as they transition into Year 9. With their GCSE options and Duke of Edinburgh opportunities coming up, I know they will have a brilliant year. I hope you have a restful and enjoyable summer, and I look forward to seeing them continue to grow.
Year 9
What a year! This year has been an extremely busy one full of opportunity, progression and enjoyment. September brought new challenges and focuses around options and thinking about interests and career paths, a challenge that the entire year group has thrown themselves at. Exploring interests through clubs, volunteering and more, we have positioned ourselves in a fantastic place to start Year 10. Year 9 also saw some rewarding physical challenges through sports fixtures, Ten Tors, Duke of Edinburgh and more, generating positive experiences through resilience and perseverance. Commitment has been a common theme throughout this year through clubs, and involvement in school events involving the Japanese student visit, art exhibition, music festival and the university trip. Finally the year came to a close with a trip to the London Science Museum, a fantastic day of independence, exploring and making great memories, a truly great way to round off the year. Enjoy a well earned summer break, ready to hit the ground running as we start Year 10!
Year 10
Year 10s have had a very busy start to 2024, building on the excellent start they made to Key Stage 4 in the Autumn term. In January, we began the year experiencing Henley Bank's first Careers week with all of our students having the opportunity of hearing from various employers, visiting universities and attending workshops aimed at preparing the students for life post-16. More recently we had a visit and talk from the family of a Holocaust survivor to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. For many, they have had their first taste of formal assessments through their BTEC subjects. Although we won't know the results of these for
several weeks yet, we are very pleased with the way the vast majority applied themselves to their work and will enjoy sharing their successes with them in due course. In addition to focussing on their studies, our Year 10s have continued to be very active in the wider life of the school, practising hard for the school production, taking a wide variety of music lessons, participating in the Duke of Edinburgh programme and preparing to participate in the very demanding 10 Tors event on Dartmoor; as we move into the summer terms, we look forward to their hard work and dedication paying off.
Year 11
Well done Year 11 - you did it! This year has been bigger and better than ever before, and the
biggest part of this has been the successes of our year 11 cohort, as they made their final steps in
their secondary academic journey, and what a journey it has been. The biggest step this term has
been the GCSE exams, which are always an incredibly challenging time for students & staff - but this year group took it all in their stride, and showed determination and ambition in abundance.
Following the completion of the exams, we were lucky enough to celebrate with our Year 11 students, in the shirt signing and BBQ events, leading up to the big finale - Year 11 Prom, which took place at Bowden Hall Hotel on Thursday 4th July - all students that attended the event arrived in style, looked immaculate in their formal wear, and conducted themselves like the wonderful young adults we know them to be, and celebrated the end of era - a hugely successful evening of celebrations.
