Dear Students, Parents & Staff,

The end of the academic year is approaching and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you, our Community, for all of your support towards Coombe Dean School.

With the fast pace of school life, it is important to me to be able to take this opportunity to reflect on some of the success that we have achieved this year and look to the future as we prepare for the new year ahead:

We have kept the school open even when many other academic establishments have been forced to close entirely or reduce their provision for specific year groups due to Covid19. This is testament to the sensible behaviour of students, parents, staff and the methods of control that we have put in place to prevent the spread of the virus. This heightened awareness and caution will continue to be part of our lives but will not prevent us from flourishing and providing opportunities for our students both in and outside of the classroom. To highlight this commitment our Enrichment Week, Year 10 and 12 Work Experience Placements (both virtual and face to face) and our World Challenge trip to Borneo are all going ahead over the next two weeks.  

We were visited by OFSTED in March and they have recognised the “Good” work that happens every day within the school, particularly regarding the Quality of Education that we are providing for our young people. The school continues commit to “delivering on a curriculum that excites young people and helps them to see the world in new ways, beyond the sometimes limiting confines of their own experience”.  OFSTED’s visit also recognised our commitment to pastoral care including Special Educational Needs provision and praised the behaviour of our students both in and outside of the classroom.

Throughout the school year we have enjoyed performances from our Music and Drama departments who have held concerts and shows in front of live audiences for the first time in two years. This has given students opportunities to showcase their talent and courage, which have been valued by students and staff. The Physical Education department has enabled students to compete in a broad range of sports with a great deal of success and have also run trips to premiership Football, Cricket and International Rugby. This same level of commitment and opportunities are provided by many departments and their dedicated staff throughout the year.

The school held its inaugural Community Walk last week, with over 800 students and staff walking 8 miles to Wembury Park and back. All of the money raised on the walk will be used by the student senate to fund student led projects, buy prizes and improve opportunities for young people within the school.

As we look forward to the new year 7 cohort arriving, we say goodbye to our year 11 and 13 students who have each had the opportunity to celebrate their time at Coombe Dean school. We wish them all the very best of luck in their future endeavours and look forward to seeing many of them on results days in August.

Finally, I would like to thank you once again for your support of the school and our wider community. 

Enjoy the summer and time with your loved ones.

Yours sincerely,

Kevin Dyke

Headteacher