Headteacher's Letters

Headteacher's Letter 22

Dear Parents & Carers,

As this letter reaches you, our students will be enjoying the Summer Extravaganza—whether they are out on trips or taking part in a range of exciting activities here in school, I hope all our students have a memorable and enjoyable day.

The purpose of this final newsletter is to share a key date for uniform orders and to provide some staffing updates ahead of Sept 2025.

Uniform Orders

The uniform supplier has contacted us to say that uniforms orders need to be placed by Wed 13th August 2025, in order for stock to be delivered before the start of term.

Pastoral Structure (Sept 2025)

From September 2025, we will no longer be using the terminology ‘Learning Manager’ or ‘Pastoral Support Assistant’ (PSA). We are moving over to a new pastoral structure with Heads of Year and Assistant Heads of Year. Below is a list of the Heads of Year and Assistant Heads of Year for each subject:

Form groups

Your child will be allocated to a form group on the first day back in September 2025. Their form tutor will be the first point of contact for parents and carers regarding day-to-day matters and general wellbeing. Where necessary, internal referrals will be made to the Head of Year or Assistant Head of Year to ensure appropriate support is in place. We look forward to working in partnership with you to support your child’s success at Our Lady Queen of Peace.

Staff Departures

As we approach the end of the academic year, we would like to take a moment to acknowledge the retirement of several long-serving members of staff. Their dedication, commitment, and many years of service to Our Lady Queen of Peace have been deeply valued, and their presence will be greatly missed. These include Mrs Poskitt (35 years’ service), Mr McMullen (31 years’ service), Mrs Quane (25 years’ service) and Mrs Blunsum (20 years’ service). We extend our heartfelt thanks to each of them and wish them a long, happy, and fulfilling retirement.

We also say farewell and offer our best wishes to Mr Parry, Mr Jones and Mrs Atherton, who are moving on to new opportunities at other schools. We thank them for their contributions to our community and wish them continued success in their careers.

New Staff and Returning Colleagues

We are pleased to welcome back Mrs C. Boardman and Mrs L. Walsh to the Science Department following their maternity leave.

We also warmly welcome the following new staff members:

• Ms J. Little, Subject Leader of Art
• Ms S. Calvignac, Teacher of Modern Foreign Languages
• Ms M. Tovey, Student Support Assistant, ASPIRE
• Miss S. Eckersley, Teaching Assistant
• Mrs L. Connor, Attendance Officer

In addition, Mrs Dunphy will be moving from student services and will be taking on a new role as Behaviour Mentor.

We are pleased to be in the fortunate position of having a full teaching staff in place for September 2025. We look forward to the year ahead with optimism and continued commitment to providing a high-quality education.

A Prayer for Our School Community During the Summer Holidays

Loving God,
As we enter this time of rest and renewal,
we thank You for the blessings of the past school year—
for the learning, the friendships, and the growth we have shared.

Watch over our pupils, staff, and families during the summer break.
Grant them peace, safety, and joy in all they do.
May this time be filled with laughter, reflection, and refreshment.

We pray for those who are moving on to new beginnings,
that You guide their steps and fill them with hope and confidence.
And for those returning, prepare our hearts for the year ahead—
that we may come back renewed in spirit, ready to learn, serve, and grow together.

Keep our school community united in Your love,
and may Your presence be with us wherever we go.

Amen.

Dates for your diary

22^nd July 2025                     School closes at 12.30pm

3^rd Sept 2025                      School re-opens at 8am

Thank you for your continued support throughout the year. Wishing you and your family a restful and enjoyable summer break. We look forward to welcoming your child back on Wednesday 3^rd Sept 2025,  8am onwards.

Kind regards

Mrs M. Henshaw

Headteacher