Dear parents, carers and students,
Welcome to this week’s blog. By the time this blog reaches you, our wonderful Year 7 students in the background will have experienced their first Parents’ Evening. Miss Bowers and all the other teachers would have provided plenty of valuable feedback and we hope you found the event insightful, gaining a strong understanding of the fantastic progress Year 7 has made.
As always, we will be discussing three key themes this week. I will cover two of them, Miss Bowers, our Curriculum Lead for Geography, will talk about the third—exciting updates regarding the geography curriculum and upcoming opportunities in that subject.
Ofsted Update
Firstly, I would like to provide a little more information following last week’s update about Ofsted. By now, I hope you have had the chance to read my letter as well as the fantastic Ofsted report. If anyone has any questions regarding the report and what it means for our school, please do not hesitate to get in touch—either by attending my surgery or sending an email to the school.
In addition, we are sharing a link alongside this blog to an important video you may have seen in the news this week. Ofsted have been discussing potential reforms for the next academic year and are seeking feedback from parents. The video explains these proposed changes (please see link at the end of the blog post), and we encourage you to watch it and share your views through the consultation document. As I mentioned in my letter, I want Ofsted to be a force for positive change, supporting parents and recognising the incredible work that schools do while working collaboratively to drive continuous improvement.
Promoting Respect in Our School and Community
Another focus this week is one of our core values: respect. We work actively, both in school and beyond, to promote respect through deliberate initiatives that encourage students to embody this value. Recently, we have spoken to students about their civic responsibility—both within the school environment and in the wider community.
Within school, we encourage students to take pride in being part of our community, which includes respecting the environment and taking responsibility for keeping it clean and well-maintained. Outside of school, civic responsibility includes being considerate and safe on The Greenway, respecting other pedestrians, following road safety rules, and being mindful at bus stops. We also encourage students to use alternative, less congested bus stops when possible. Your support in reinforcing these messages at home would be incredibly helpful, whether that is leading by example on The Greenway or discussing ways to ensure safe and considerate travel for your children.
Learning from History: The Power of Respect
Last week, I mentioned our special visit from the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. This was a powerful way for our students to learn about respecting people with diverse identities. One of the most profound things she said was: “We have the whole world in this room.” Looking at our Year 7 students behind me, it is clear that we are a diverse and vibrant school community, where many young people hold multiple overlapping identities.
Rather than simply tolerating differences, we strive to actively respect and understand one another. We do a great deal of work in school to highlight the histories of marginalised communities and encourage positive activism. Through this, we hope to empower the next generation to build a more respectful society; one that goes beyond what previous generations have achieved.
This message is particularly relevant as we recognise LGBTQ+ History Month in February. Just like Black History Month and International Women’s Day, it is an opportunity to reflect on the past, acknowledge challenges, and take action towards a more inclusive future. Our goal is to help all students feel empowered to be their true selves and to foster a school culture built on mutual respect and understanding. Parents, we hope you support this message and continue these conversations at home.
A message from Miss Bowers: Geography and Opportunities Ahead
Hello everyone, I’m Miss Bowers, the Curriculum Lead for Geography here at Uxbridge High School. It is an exciting time in the department, with fantastic lessons happening across all year groups. Our Year 7s are currently learning about Kenya, which aligns with our school’s vision of global citizenship and broadening students' perspectives.
We also have some brilliant trips and extracurricular opportunities coming up, including:
Each week, we will continue to highlight these wonderful opportunities so that parents are kept informed about the amazing things happening at our school. If your child has not mentioned any of these yet, hopefully, this update gives you a chance to ask them about it!
Wishing you all a fantastic weekend and we will see you again next week!
Best regards,
Ms Seymour
New report cards - Ofsted's Chief Inspector explains our proposals
