Dear Parents,
It is a great privilege to write to you as the new Headteacher of Wallington County Grammar School. I feel honoured to serve as Headteacher of a school with such talented students and able and dedicated staff.
Although my appointment was confirmed in January, I have now been in post for a little over a year; it seems a fitting point at which to cast an eye over the last twelve months and to look forward to the next two or three years.
You will already be aware of the staff reorganisation which has taken place during this academic year. This has been a slow, and at times painful, process, which has resulted in a number of redundancies for experienced and valued members of our support staff. This reorganisation, forced upon us by financial circumstances, is now complete and, although it has been a difficult year, I am confident that the school finances will be in good health by this time next year.
While the reorganisation has cast a shadow over the year, there have been welcome shafts of light too. The academic life of the school has continued to go from strength to strength and this has been reflected in improving examination results and one of our record years for Oxbridge offers. Music and drama have flourished; this year’s house plays raised the bar higher than ever and the standard of our termly musical concerts continues to rise. The opening of the new Sports Hall will give school sport a huge boost and we have increased the provision for Physical Education for students in Years 9 to 11 next year. Last but not least, the revivification of the house system, which began in 2008, has ensured that opportunities for participation in sport, music and drama are spread as widely as possible.
What of the future? Wallington is already a fine school but we know it can be much better. I would like to build on this past success by continuing to combine the best of the old with the best of the new. Our traditions are important to us but we will be open to any changes that are in the best interests of the school. Simply stated, our aim is to help our students become the best young men or women they can be. In practice this means developing their intellectual faculties, exposing them to new interests, encouraging participation in a wide variety of sporting, musical, dramatic and other cultural activities and, perhaps most important of all, creating an ethos within which our students develop good habits and personal characteristics that will prepare them for life. We want Wallington pupils to be distinguished, not just by their learning, but by their well-rounded perspective, confidence, respect for others, spirit of service and fundamental integrity.
I should like to finish by thanking you for your support over the last twelve months. As parents your role cannot be overstated and a great part of this school’s success is down to you. As ever, I will be happy to hear any suggestions for further improvements to our school that you may have.
Yours sincerely,
Peter Smart
Headteacher