Dear Parents

This is a final note from me to say the staffing jigsaw for 2006/07 has been completed with the appointment of my replacement.

Ken Hall, an experienced Head from County Durham, was last week appointed to the role of Headteacher. He will be joining Priesthorpe in January. In the interim period, September to December, our current Deputy Headteacher, Helen Lane, will be Acting Headteacher. I will leave behind an extremely experienced Senior Leadership Team capable of moving Priesthorpe on to new heights.

We have made massive progress in 2005-06. Year 9 performed magnificently in the recent SATs. 81% of the year gained a Level 5 in Maths, which was well above their target of 75%. This was a brilliant performance, especially as 25% of the cohort got a Level 7 or better. These are our best ever results - well done the Maths department!

We don't get the English results until August but we do have the Science Levels. When you set a target it is based on how the students did at Key Stage 2. The target for Science was that 70% of Year 9 would get a Level 5. The actual percentage of students getting a Level 5 or better was 84%. This result is a remarkable achievement and a credit to the students and the staff.

The Post-16 results and GCSE results arrive in August and hopefully they too will show just how much progress we have made.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my last term. I seem to have a week of celebrations and goodbyes to enjoy. Priesthorpe has been the major part of my life since 1980. We have a brilliant set of students, supportive parents, and staff who really care about getting the most out of our students. I will miss Priesthorpe and I wish everyone the very best for the future.

Yours sincerely,

Clive Pickles
Headteacher