6 May 2025 - Letter to Parents

16th May 2025

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope that you have had a great week. We’ve had a good week at Orchard, with the start of the Year 11 exams having gone really well, and a group of 12 Year 9 students receiving training and coaching to become amazing public speakers as part of a cross-Bristol public speaking competition. We have 3 members of staff with sore feet after competing in the Bristol Half Marathon and one who completed 100km of running over the weekend, demonstrating that we have a fit and healthy staff body! In addition to all of our lunchtime and after school clubs, we are again offering a small range of paid clubs including martial arts, art club and musical theatre. Please have a look here if you interested.

Key Dates

Y10 Mock Exams Parents’ Information Evening – Wednesday 21st May 6-7 pm

Y7 Rewards Film – Friday 23rd May 12.35 – 2.20 pm

Bristol Parents and Carers Coffee Morning – Tuesday 3rd June 9-11 am

Prize Giving Evening - Wednesday 18th June 7-8 pm

Y11 Leavers’ Assembly – Thursday 19th June 9.15 – 10.15 am

GCSE Contingency Dates - Wednesday 11th June and Wednesday 25th June

Y11 Prom – Thursday 26th June 6.30 pm

Y7 Transition Day - Wednesday 2nd July

Y7 Transition Parents’ meeting – Wednesday 2nd July 5.30 – 6.30 pm

Attendance 

From next week, Breakfast Club will be offering basketball and board games before school. Students attending can meet their friends and enjoy some time together before school. All students that attend can opt to receive a free breakfast. If your child wants to attend, they need to be at the student entrance at 7.50am.

Attendance Winners last week:

Year 7 – Wisley

Year 8 – Butterfield

Year 9 – Wisley

Year 10 – Avalon

Year 11 – D2

Attendance and punctuality are the first steps to success

Year 11 – Exams Information

Next week is the last week before half term and is a busy one for exams. Here is the schedule:

GCSE Contingency Dates

Awarding bodies have let us know that the afternoon session of Wednesday 11th June and the morning and afternoon sessions of Wednesday 25th June as contingency sessions for examinations in the event of national or significant local disruption. This means that GCSE exams may take place on those dates.

Please make sure that you note these dates, especially 25th June as you prepare for summer holidays. Students need to be available if exams are being sat on that day.

Safeguarding

With the summer coming right around the corner and the weather being bright and sunny, it is understandable that children wish to be outside playing with their friends, at times in the local parks. In school, we are reminding young people that these spaces are shared community spaces, and everybody is free to use them in a respectful manner. Please ensure your children are reminded of this at home, too.

Community Events

SEND Coffee Morning

Parents and Carers of our SEND students are invited to a SEND Coffee Morning to chat with each other, and our SEND Team, on Tuesday 3rd June 9.00am- 10.30am. It will take place in the school Library; parents and carers are welcome to drop in at any time during the event. We look forward to seeing some of you there!

A reminder that we break up for half term on Friday 23rd May at the usual time and return at the usual time of 8.20am on Monday 2nd June.

For those that like to get ahead, please see the link to our website for our 2025-2026 (next school year’s) term dates. Orchard School - Term Dates & School Day

Have a lovely weekend!

Kind regards,

Mel Sweet, Headteacher