Dear Parents and Carers,

In spite of all of the gloom that has surrounded this year, our staff and students have been absolute beacons. It is an absolute privilege to work with so many highly committed professionals who beyond excellent classroom practice, give so freely of their time to enrich the experience of our young people. Once again in spite of reducing the size of our catchment area, we have an additional 100 applications for next year’s Year 7 compared with the 800 who applied last year. I am delighted to see so many local educational professionals choosing Poole High as their choice of school for their children.

Please ensure your sons/daughters keep their retrieval skills sharp over Christmas. I am sure they will agree that relaxing and recuperating is only really enjoyable when punctuated with knowledge organisation! At the risk of diluting the Christmas spirit further, I would be grateful if some essential reminders are adhered to before we return in 2021.

Reading is an essential past-time for all young people. It can be a superb tool for enhancing their mental health and sense of well-being. There is a wealth of research which shows the correlation between adult educational and employment success and their childhood vocabulary levels. It is never too late to improve this. Please encourage your son/daughter to read.

On behalf of the governors and staff at Poole High School, I would like to wish you a very happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year.

Heartfelt Thanks to you all for your support in this unique year.

Wishing you and your families the hope and joy of Christmas into the year ahead,

Paul Gray

Headteacher