I write this end of term message in the knowledge that reports of many of the activities and trips that are taking place at the moment will not make the newsletter deadline and will be missing from these pages. This week alone we have had the choir visit to La Rochelle, the Year 9s visit Paris, the Royal Grammar Schools’ Cricket Festival in High Wycombe and a Year 12 trip to Oxford. The wide variety of activities and trips bring a real sense of joy to this time of the year and I am grateful to the teachers who make these worthwhile and enjoyable experiences possible. This summer’s big event is the 1st XV rugby squad’s tour of South Africa. This will be an exciting cultural experience for the boys as well as a real test of their rugby ability. We will know more of the character of the 1st XV by the end of the tour and we will have a pretty good idea of how they will fare in the domestic season.

On the academic front we were visited earlier this term by Ofsted. It was a specific inspection looking at our provision for e-safety. We were judged to be good, and the ICT team came in for special praise. There is an article below which gives more detail of the inspection.

Ever mindful of the health & safety of our students, we have been following with interest the development of the swine flu outbreak. Advice is changing weekly, and the latest advice is that schools should continue to stay open in the normal course of events. The emphasis appears to have changed from containment to treatment. If individuals develop the symptoms of swine flu they should stay at home until they have recovered. Anyone who has had close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with the virus, should stay at home for seven days and inform us of their situation. We will naturally inform parents of any developments at CRGS and put information on the website and crgsonline. It is helpful having an email contact for all our parents, and if you have not yet sent us your email address, I would urge you to do so by contacting Kate Watson in the school office ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

We say farewell this year to a number of staff. Mr Warren retires after over 30 years at the school. Miss Romero, Mr Rowing, Mr Smy and Mr Buxton move on to pastures new. I would like to thank them all for their contributions to life at the school and wish them well in their new ventures.

As we approach the holidays, we can look back on a very happy and successful year at the school. The vacation is a time to relax and recharge our batteries so that we can all return in September refreshed and ready for the new challenges ahead. I would like to take this opportunity to wish the examination students every success in August and remind parents that we are on hand to help, advise and support, if necessary, once the results are published. You will read in the school magazine published early next term, more details of the events and achievements of this academic year as well as some fascinating reviews. In the meantime may I wish everyone associated with the school a most enjoyable summer holiday.

Yours sincerely

Mr K Jenkinson