11th September 2026
HEADLINES
By James Saunders
“If you accomplish something good with hard work, the labour passes quickly, but the good endures. If you do something shameful in pursuit of pleasure, the pleasure passes quickly but the shame endures.” — Gaius Musonius Rufus WELCOME BACK, HONYWOOD FAMILIES The first couple of weeks of a new school year are always the important ones. The ones that set the tone for everything that follows. I’m pleased to say our learners have returned with real focus, and after welcoming our newest Year 7 cohort last week, the whole school is now back into the rhythm of a full timetable. Summer already seems like a distant memory. This year we’re building everything we do around a simple idea: Making Honywood Unmissable. Not a slogan for the wall, but a genuine test we want every lesson, every trip and every ordinary Tuesday to pass: Purpose, Belonging, Success, Empowerment and Adventure. If a school gets those five things right, a child won’t want to be anywhere else. You’ll see all five threaded through what follows, including two things I’m particularly pleased to share this week. RESPECT CODE & UNIFORM Thank you to our families for such a smart, settled start to the year. Our learners have arrived ready to work, in the right uniform, and it makes a real difference to the tone of the building. If you’re ever unsure about an item of uniform or equipment, our Respect Code is on the school website. Please do get in touch with your child’s Learning Group Leader rather than guessing. ATTENDANCE: SPOTTING THE PATTERNS EARLIER, AND A NEW WAY TO SAY WELL DONE Attendance is one of the biggest single factors in how well a child does at school, and it’s an area we’re investing real energy into this year under the leadership of Mr Scott. Two things are new for 2026/27.
First, we’re moving from looking back at attendance patterns after the fact to spotting them as they develop, so if something in a child’s attendance starts to shift, we can have a supportive conversation with the family much sooner, rather than weeks later once a pattern has set in. The aim is simple: earlier, warmer conversations, not more paperwork. Second, we’re launching a new app that recognises and rewards good and improving attendance in real time, alongside our existing certificates and attendance awards through the year. It’s designed to celebrate the learners who turn things around, not just the learners who were never going to miss a day. If your child’s attendance ever needs support, please don’t wait for us to reach out, get in touch with your Learning Group Leader. We would always rather have that conversation early and supportively. A YEAR OF ADVENTURE Alongside the day-to-day of great teaching, we have planned a year where every cohort has at least one outdoor experience they’ll still be talking about far beyond. A flavour of what’s ahead: Cohort 7 kick off with local history and geography walks, and end the year at the Caythorpe residential (with a brilliant in-school “Roman Week” programme for anyone not travelling). Cohort 8 has a full enrichment week including a day out, and a residential trip to Belgium. Cohort 9 have their own enrichment week, a Duke of Edinburgh expedition, a visit to Walsingham, and a Computer Science Trip . Cohort 10 takes on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition, a Berlin or Paris residential, geography field studies, and their all-important week of work experience.