It has been a really wonderful first week back, with both our new pupils and existing pupils, happy to be back in school. We had our first whole Junior School assembly in the Barn, we sang hymns, we had lunch together, playtimes together and the sun even shone for us. Our first forest school session was glorious with the pupils happily playing with their new friends.

On Friday I asked the children what they had enjoyed in their first few days at school after the long summer holiday. The answers were lovely; they were all delighted to see their friends and to be able to play with them in the playground, they are excited about the forthcoming school trips, they have loved singing together, swimming lessons starting again, some were thrilled that deli lunches were no more and that we are sitting with our forms in the dining room and some were even pleased to see the teachers again! There is so much to look forward to in the coming weeks and the children are happy to be normal again.

They missed out on so much last year and it is, hopefully, going to remain as normal as we can make it this term with the Bewerley trip, a trip to Falling Foss, a Christmas play (Miss Vincent-Jones is promising an extravaganza!), Christmas carols at Mrs White’s and all the fabulous traditions of an Autumn Term at Fyling Hall. We truly are so very happy to be back in school!

We look forward to seeing you all very soon.

Amanda Freer, Head of Junior School