Furnishings, colour schemes and a ceremony

C O L O U R S C H E M E S

This week has been most notable for the choosing and careful selection of the colours for the fabric on all the different sofas and chairs that will go into the common room. These finalised plans will be sent off to the maufacturer's today. My thanks go to Mrs Jeacock who created a template that allowed us to experiment with varying colours; thus proving she has hitherto unknown interior design flair! Her work proved to be invaluable in the final decision making process, and we were thus able to include Mr Baxter's request of, 'a little bit of turquoise somewhere.'

In addition, the colours for the chairs for each of the classrooms has now been agreed so that each of the classrooms will have a colour theme. This was a popular choice for students and I am very gald we were able to accommodate this. The manufacturer's of the furniture are fully briefed for the installation which will be in time for the opening ceremony.

The Opening Ceremony

The plans for this special and historic occasion are being fully developed now and please watch this space for the details and schedule for this. All prospective Year 12 students will be invited to what will be a momentous occasion.

Reply slips for induction

Please note, the deadline for the return of these is TODAY.......

The GCSE examination period is progressing well and my thoughts and best wishes go to all my future sixth formers at this very important time.

Signage and Induction

ROOM SIGNAGE
This week we have begun to consider the signage and naming of each of the rooms in the building. On the face of it this would seem to be quite an easy job but the possibilities are endless. Colours, characters, ordinary numbers or something inspirational & motivational? We will be having a meeting next week to consider these again and also to decide on the location of display boards and equipment / furniture in all the rooms.

INDUCTION
The planning for day one (Wednesday 20th July) of the Induction Programme has now been finalised. This day will ensure all the new students are involved in an exciting team building exercise and should ensure that the expectations of Post 16 studies are embedded. Just think 'The Apprentice.'

ENROLMENT
I have also created the 'Enrolment Pack' for each student which clarifies the procedure for ensuring your place in the Sixth Form. I will explain these in detail during the Induction days and ensure all students will recieve a personalised copy of this in July.

ACCEPTANCE LETTERS
Could I please remind all students that these need to be returned to me by FRIDAY 27th MAY. I have a growing waiting list for places in the Sixth Form and these students are very keen to hear if they have been successful in obtaining a place.

The GCSE examination period has now begun and I hope that all of you

are successful in your endeavours.

Three visits to the build

Visit 1 was for a small group of Year 10 students who have been very interested to see the new Sixth Form. Potentially they will be coming up to the Sixth Form in September 2012 and it was really good to see their amazed / positive reaction to the size of the facilities and also how impressed they were by it. They also asked me about entry requirements and I could see them beginning to raise their sights on their potential future.

Visit 2 was candidates for the Exams Assistant post. Again, they were all very impressed by the facilities and very keen to support the school and the students with their AS / A2 / Diploma examinations. Mrs Baker was offered the post and she is a very welcome addition to the staffing of the the Sixth Form and will become an integral part of the Sixth Form life and examinations.

Visit 3 was for the staff of our Learning Support Department. Again, they were amazed by the size of the rooms, the space of the common room and the magnificence of the cafeteria. Even though I see the build progressing regularly, it never ceases to impress me with the height of the ceilings, the large windows and the quality of learning space it will provide the forthcoming Sixth Form students.

I feel very honoured, and humbled, by the responsibility and also tremendously excited by the prospect of having my Sixth Form next year and being able to share with them such high quality facilities. I genuinely cannot wait for September 2011.

The scaffolding begins to come down

The rear of the building is now free of scaffolding and, quite simply, looks stunning. It brings to mind the Harvard building in America. It has the same sense of space, light and elegance about it. The yellow / blue panels will be replaced very soon and with the new rendering on the front of the building it is starting to look even more finished. Again, I have been assured that is build is still on schedule for a July completion. Mr Baxter, Mr Cook and Mrs Jeacock have also had an opportunity to explore the photo-voltaic cells on the roof and have taken some very impressive futuristic images which will be put on the website.

I also visited the build this morning to see the dado rails up in all the rooms, the trunking in all the rooms and also a 'mist' coat of paint across most of the walls. Again, the sense of 'finishing' springs to mind. The ceilings are beginning to go up in the rooms and that will make a great difference.

The plans and design for the canteen area are also completed. It will be fitted out with cupboards which have white doors and a wooden worktop. This area will also be equipped with 2 vending machines, 2 microwaves, a fridge, sink, basin, dishwasher and hot water boiler. It will be a very stylish, modern and practical area for the students to use.

The designer has also come up with the plans for the colour schemes for the walls and flooring. He will email these to me next week and I shall put these on the website. Red carpets on the stairs is a striking feature of his design!

I have posted details about INDUCTION to all students today and these should be with you early next week.

Only 2 months to go and I know that will fly by!