Head’s blog – October

Friday 06 October 2023 | By Megan Connor

We always like to get the week off to a positive start with a vibrant and uplifting assembly – and the Choir raised the roof with their incredible talent. It was a pleasure to have them back in school after a few years’ absence due to Covid. 

Since the last time the newsletter was published, we have welcomed many prospective families into school – the majority at our first Open Day of the new academic year. The school was buzzing with excitement and our student ambassadors shone in their roles. We received some wonderful feedback from our visitors, quite rightly stating our students were a credit to our school. 

This was only made more clear following the arrival of Mr Buckland the very next week – a journalist from the Good Schools Guide. Mr Buckland was visiting to see everything we value so dear at Teesside High, and to write a review for the esteemed publication. Our students met him in lessons, on the corridor, in a Pupil Voice exercise and over lunch, where they answered his questions with great insight. Their pride in the school was humbling, and an honour to hear. I look forward to sharing the review with you in due course! 

My Good Schools Guide grilling was preceded by a visit to Billingham Forum Theatre with our GCSE and A-level Drama students. As part of their course they are expected to evaluate a live performance and we watched The Woman in Black. I hope my persistent screaming at an incredibly life-like production was not too off-putting for our budding drama professionals! 

I’m excited to see the release of the tickets to one of the highlights of the autumn calendar. Our annual THS Family Fireworks Display is always a sell-out event and we are expecting record numbers through the door once again. We recommend that you get your tickets early to avoid disappointment – tickets purchased for Prep pupils via ParentPay will be placed in book/school bags, Senior/ Sixth Form tickets will be made available to collect from Reception within three days of purchase.

Read our most recent newsletter here.

Mrs K Mackenzie, Head