Blwyddyn Newydd Dda bawb/Happy New Year all - I hope that you had a lovely Christmas. My video this week can be viewed here. 

I am delighted to remind you that our wonderful school production of Legally Blonde - The Musical takes place next week. Tickets are selling fast, and several performances are already nearing capacity. To ensure you don’t miss out, please click here for tickets, or see the article below this message.

We will be conducting a routine lockdown practice next week. Much like our regular fire drills, these exercises are a vital part of our safeguarding procedures. While it is impossible to rehearse for every eventuality, these drills ensure that students understand the essential steps to take in the unlikely event of a real emergency.

We will brief students both before and after the exercise to ensure they feel prepared and supported. We will take extra care with our Year 7 students, as this will be their first experience with this procedure at the school. Our students handled last year’s practice with great maturity, and I am confident they will do so again. For further details, please view my latest video update.

Best wishes to you all for the weekend ahead.

Hugo Hutchison
Headteacher.
 

There's still time to purchase your tickets for our amazing upper school production using the QR code or link below.

Wednesday 14 January  -  7pm
Thursday 15 January  -  7pm
Friday 16 January  -  7pm
Saturday 17 January  -  2pm and 7 pm

Please note there are only 11 tickets left for Friday night and 36 tickets left on Saturday night - don't miss out!

Concessions -  £10  (students/children/Seniors)
General Admission - £12

    

Ticketsource - book tickets here

Thursday 22 January, 5-7pm

We are delighted to welcome Year 11 students and parents to our Sixth Form Open Evening to experience the range of learning opportunities we provide at MCS Post-16.  Our twenty-first century learning environment and recent developments in technology support our Sixth Form students with acquiring the skills, knowledge and aptitudes for future learning and life-long success.

Please visit as many areas as you wish on this evening and enquire about courses, approaches to learning and extra-curricular activities.

We hope you will find this a useful and informative evening in planning for your child’s next pathway. We are a school that has the very highest expectations and are determined to do the best we can for every student to achieve their potential.

5.00pm – 5.20pm
Presentation in the School Hall by senior staff and the Head Student Team.

5.00pm – 7.00pm 
Parents and students are invited to visit Faculties, see displays, experiments, view work and talk to staff and students about subjects and courses available.

6.00pm – 6.20pm
A second opportunity to see the presentation in the School Hall.

Wednesday 4 February, 5.45 - 7.30pm

This annual event is designed to support young people and their parents or guardians to find information and make contacts that will help young people make informed choices about their post-16 and post-18 pathways. We have over 100 employers, education institutions, apprenticeship and training providers coming to MCS and this is the biggest event of this type in the region.

The Fair will prove extremely useful to students from a variety of year groups:

Year 9 and 10: Will be considering their Year 10 subject choices and their pathway after GCSEs.  By talking to career professionals, further education and university representatives, Year 9 and 10 students and parents can get subject advice relevant to their future goals.

Year 11: Will soon be deciding whether to stay on at school in the Sixth Form, go to college, undertake training or enter into employment. The Fair will help their research with all of these pathways so they can develop a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C for next year.

Year 12 and 13: Will soon be considering, or in the process of applying for their University or career choices. The Fair will help with both.

We are extremely grateful to the many individuals who have given their time freely, and in many cases travelled long distances, in order to represent their career, college or university. Please do talk to them to find out what they do, how they got where they are and what advice they can offer.

There's still time to send in your audition video - deadline Monday 12th January.

Data Manager

Overview
This session will explore what’s really behind the behaviours you might be seeing at home or in school. Whether it’s daily outbursts, emotional shutdowns or complete school avoidance, we’ll look at the emotional and psychological factors driving these responses, including anxiety, sensory overload and burnout.

Dr Weisberg will offer expert guidance on recognising what your child’s behaviour is communicating and share practical strategies to support co-regulation, manage big feelings and navigate meltdown moments. We’ll also discuss how these challenges can affect school performance and attendance, and outline ways to collaborate with schools and advocate for your child’s needs.

You’ll leave with clear, actionable approaches to reduce conflict and promote emotional connection at home and school, along with guidance on when to consider seeking professional support. There will also be an opportunity to submit questions during sign-up, which will shape the discussion and ensure the webinar addresses the issues that matter most to you.

Discussion points

• Meltdowns vs. tantrums
• Understanding what behaviours are communicating
• Transitions and triggers
• Co-regulation, big feelings and managing meltdown moments
• Anxiety, burnout and sensory overwhelm
• Practical strategies for home and school
• When to seek professional support

Sign up link: Big Feelings and Big Reactions: Making Sense of Your Child’s Behaviour | C A Y P