Summer 2023 End of Term Letter to Parents

Friday 21 July 2023

Dear Parents/Carers

As schools prepare for the holidays, I would like to extend my thanks to you for your support over the last year. We are very proud of the work that our schools do, and this year we have seen all of them make progress in improving standards. This, in spite of the fact that the context in which we work remains challenging.

As a group of schools, we have been working on our strategy for the next three years and in September I am looking forward to being able to share this with you. Thank you to those of you that got involved in helping us to write it. Our three biggest challenges are social mobility, the resilience of our pupils, and the recruitment and retention of our teachers. We continue to work in a context where there is a lack of equity in life chances. We want to help solve this. Attendance remains below where it was after the pandemic. We need your support to help build the resilience of our young people and to ensure that they attend school. Of course, resilience also means us supporting with physical and mental health. Finally, a great teacher can make a huge difference. The government has missed it's targets for teacher training in all but three subjects. We are committed to making sure that we train and retain the best teachers in our schools.

We are excited about our new strategy and look forward to the next phase in the development of our schools. We should all share in feeling proud of the work that our schools do. My thanks to them.

As we head into the Summer holidays, I know that many of you will have exciting things planned and ready for your families. There’s often a pressure to plan ahead. It’s not cheap and it’s not always easy. For those of you staying closer to home, you make take some inspiration here. With three children of my own I remember only too well that pressure. Great fun, but not always easy.

Best summer activities ideas for kids in 2023 - CBBC - BBC

British summer holiday ideas for families | BBC Countryfile Magazine | Countryfile.com

Things To Do In The Summer Holidays | Day Out With The Kids

THE 10 BEST Things to Do in Bromley with Kids (Updated 2023) (tripadvisor.co.uk)

Summer Holiday Events For Young Families (visitkent.co.uk)

Kent | South East | National Trust

Have a wonderful holiday and we look forward to seeing you all back in schools soon.

Yours sincerely,

Simon Garrill

Chief Executive