Dear parents and carers,

We have now reached the final week of a busy half-term. GCSE, A Level and BTEC exams have begun for Year 11 and 6th Form students.

Years 7, 8 & 9 students have their end of year exams this week from Monday to Thursday, so please ensure that your sons prepare for them appropriately by doing some revision and getting plenty of rest. Sports and hobbies ought to take a back seat this week!

We end the half-term on a high on Friday with Sports Day for Years 7-10. Parental spectators are most welcome at The Ridings from lunchtime onwards and refreshments will be available.

Our Chaplain Tom Murray and I attended the global Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders Congress for school leaders in Dublin last week. This was inspirational experience involving headteachers and educators from every continent, as we sought to develop the response of the Edmund Rice global family to the Vatican Global Compact on education. Our engagement with the South American schools and the Scholas Occurentes (Scholars Worldwide) movement championed by Pope Francis has resulted in a student invitation to their Papal audience on Thursday. Deputy Head Boy Dylan Rumsby will be one of the English School student representatives meeting His Holiness.

I wish you and your family an enjoyable weekend.

Yours in Christ,

Simon Duggan

Headmaster