17 July 2015

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope that this letter finds you well and enjoying the summer weather.
As in all schools, much has happened this academic year and time has passed so quickly. I
hope that the Christs Chronicles goes some way to keeping you up to date with those many
activities and events.
On 10 July the sun shone on our annual Sports Day. All the students took part in a very
successful day at St Marys University. Thank you to Mr Smith and his team for organising
this, thus allowing our students to sample a professional athletics stadium where local top
athletes and sports people normally train and use the facilities. The overall event was won by
Attenborough House.
We also held our Year 11 Liturgy on the same day. It was a very special time for our
students, their families and teaching staff. After months of preparation and hard work for
their GCSEs it was a time to reflect and share special memories of their time at Christs. We
wish them every success especially on August 20 when they will be able to collect their
results between 9am and 10.30am. In the evening the celebrations continued at the
Richmond Hill Hotel for their Prom where a good time was had by a very smartly dressed
Year 11.
This was also the first year our Year 12 students sat their AS exams. We wish them every
success on August 13 when they are able to collect their results from 9am onwards. We
hope that all their hard work has come to fruition and that they receive the results they were
expecting and deserve.
Last week Years 10, 9, 8 and 7 were able to take part in three days of diverse extra-curricular
activities. Again we were lucky with the weather and I believe that all students had an
enjoyable time due to the hard work of our staff.
We also witnessed three performances of our school production We need to talk about Alice
and enjoyed a wealth of talent from a large group of our pupils, who provided an entertaining
evening for parents and friends. Congratulations to all those who took part and to Mr Miller
and his team for directing and producing a wonderful and different performance.
On July 4th at the church of St. Matthias on Richmond Hill, the school hosted another exciting
event featuring the work of the Welshman Karl Jenkins, American John Williams, and the
British choral arranger Bob Chilcott who arranged a song by Billy Joel, as well as a number
of concerto performances featuring the most gifted of Christs musicians.
Christs music department offered its best musicians the chance to perform with an orchestra
which included professional players alongside our own local young musicians. Our school
and community choir is around 60-strong, and includes parents and friends of the school, as

well as Christs own students. Thank you to Mr Wilson and Mr Leung for organising such a
wonderful event and to all those who took part.
We are very lucky at Christs that we have a very small staff turnover every year. As this
academic year comes to a close we do say goodbye to a few staff who are leaving for a
variety of reasons.
It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Mr Greenwood who has been an incredible
servant to Christs School for forty two years. I am sure that you join me in thanking him for
his dedication, hard work and contribution to the education of hundreds of young people who
have passed through our gates in that time. We wish him well for a very long and happy
retirement.
We are also sorry to be losing Mrs. Morris who is relocating abroad, Mr. Simpson and Mr.
Spicer who are moving away from the area, Miss Noble who has come to the end of her
contract, Mr. Griffiths who is starting a teacher training course and Ms.Gleisner who will be
spending time on a variety of projects. We wish them well for the future and thank them for
their contribution to Christs School.
Due to our continued expansion in Year 7 and our recruitment for Year 13, a number of new
staff will join us in September:
Mr Arnold
Ms Harries
Mr Andrews
Miss Wynn-Davies
Ms Petrovics
Ms Smee
Ms Chadwick
Ms Powell
Ms MacNaughton
Ms Vashisht
Ms Collins
Mrs Knowles
Ms Yin

Head of Geography
Head of Drama
RE Teacher
PE Teacher
Humanities Teacher
Citizenship Teacher
Maths Teacher
Maths Teacher
Art Teacher
Business Studies Teacher
Geography Teacher
Science Teacher
Science Teacher

I am sure that you will join me in welcoming them to Christ's and wishing them well as they
join our Christs community.
We have some staff who are changing role in September. Ms. Bromly has been appointed to
the senior team as Raising Standards Leader Key Stage 3 and Mr. Butler is also joining the
senior team as Raising Standards Leader KS4. Ms Bell is now Head of Chemistry, Ms.
Mbanefo, Head of Biology, Ms. Moran, Deputy Head of Sixth Form, Ms. Oddy, Head of Year 8
and Mr. Sedour Head of Year 7. Mrs Harris will be Head of History whilst Mrs Hoyle is on
maternity leave. I am sure you will join me in congratulating Mrs Hoyle and her family on the
birth of a healthy daughter Lucy Elizabeth.

The list of tutors for next year is below:

HOY 13 Mr Morris
Mrs Todorinovic
Mrs Lorenz
HOY 12 Mr Morris
Ms Stewart
Ms Chadwick
Mrs Harris
HOY 11 Mr Williams
Ms Campa
Ms Smee
Mr Arnold
Ms Powell
HOY 10 Ms Taber
Ms Godliman
Mr Bird
Mr Smith
Ms Collins

13CLO
13DTO
12MST
12SCH
12HHA
11JCA
11SME
11RAR
11SPO
10EGO
10TBI
10TSM
10JCO

HOY 9 Ms Randall
Ms Bell
Ms Hickson-Kucikova
Mrs Conteh
Mr Morandi
Ms Petrovics
HOY 8 Miss Oddy
Mr Bailey
Mr Gooding
Mr Horden
Mr Mitchell
Miss McKean
HOY 7 Mr Sedour
Ms McNaughton
Ms Chedda
Ms Harris
Ms Wynn-Davies
Mr Heitzman

9CBE
9MHI
9MCO
9MMR
9GPE
8SBY
8BGO
8THO
8SMI
8FMC
7JMA
7BCH
7SHA
7CWY
7JHE

From September 2015 we will be following a new timetable as shown below. Students are
expected to arrive promptly to school at 8.30am for the start of their first lesson so that
they do not cause disruption to the learning of others. The timetable will run on a
fortnightly basis, Week Blue and Week Gold. When we return to school in September we
will be starting with Week Blue. Please ensure you check your childs diary to support
them in arriving to school with the correct equipment for their lessons.

Period 1
Period 2
Break

8.30 9.30
9.30 10.30
10.30 10.50

Period 3

10.50 11.50

Registration Personal Development

11.50 12.20

Lunch

12.20 1.00

Period 4
Period 5

1.00 2.00
2.00 3.00

Can I also take this opportunity to remind you that we expect all students to be dressed
properly in the normal school uniform at all times; please refer to our website if you are in any
doubt about the correct uniform as this gives details of our expectations including appropriate
trousers and skirts. Please use the holiday period to refresh uniform and equipment
requirements so that students are ready to begin in September without unnecessary and
avoidable confrontation. All students will be expected to revert to the normal school uniform of
shirt and tie. Please remember that canvas footwear is not acceptable; no makeup is allowed
nor nail varnish; over the knee socks are not to be worn; no jewellery is allowed apart from one
pair of stud earrings; hair should be of an appropriate length and cut to a traditional style in a
natural colour there should be no tram lines or other unusual deviations. Students not in full
school uniform will be sent home to rectify this; there should be no excuse after a summer
holiday. Uniform should be worn properly from home to school and from school to home.
I shall be sending a separate letter home following changes to the persistent absence
threshold by the Department for Education. I would be grateful if you would read that letter
carefully as it will contain important information regarding our expectations about every pupils
attendance. By promoting good school attendance and punctuality we are also promoting
good habits and lifelong lessons, whilst ensuring that all pupils are given the best chances in
life through attending school; so your support with attendance is much appreciated.
May God bless you over the summer holidays, particularly if you are travelling. I hope the time
will be used to good effect and that you return refreshed and ready for the new academic year
which begins for the whole school on Thursday 3 September at 8.30am. Years 8 -13 will finish
at 12.20pm and Year 7 and students who are on free school meals and wish to stay will leave
after lunch at 1.00pm. Please be aware that there will be no lunch available for other year
groups. School will return to a normal school day on Friday 4 September.
Yours faithfully

Helen Dixon
Headteacher