Dear Parents, Carers and Students
As you know, I will be retiring at Christmas, and I wanted to update you on the Head Teacher recruitment process. Interviews will be held at school tomorrow, 18/11/24 – candidates (chosen from a large pool of applicants) will be given a tour of the school, followed by questions from students, and then an interview with a panel, containing senior Education Managers and two members of our Parent Council. Successful candidates will be invited to a second interview at the City Chambers on 3rd December and a new Head Teacher will be appointed thereafter.
The school will be left in very capable hands with a great senior leadership team in place to keep everything moving forward, as we await the arrival of the new Head Teacher in the New Year. Pauline Walker, Head Teacher at the Royal High School, will also support the school through this period. Mrs Walker brings a wealth of knowledge and experience which will help make the transition as smooth as possible.
Although some people might find change a bit unsettling, I hope that everyone can pull together and continue to contribute to the improvement the school has made over the last few years. Forrester has a brilliant staff team who are working incredibly hard to implement a new curriculum and provide exciting opportunities for our students. Time and time again, our students prove that they are as good as any in the city, and beyond. Not only is this the case when they represent the school through the many wider achievement opportunities they engage in, but also now in terms of the qualifications they achieve. In assemblies this week, I will be asking all students to work positively with staff and engage with learning so that they can share in the continuation of this success.
In these next few weeks, I hope that everyone will work hard and continue to make progress so that, when the new Head Teacher arrives, they will know, as I did, that they have made the right decision.
Finally, the school will be busy tomorrow with many visitors, and I would expect everyone to be at their very best.
Thanks and best wishes
Stephen Rafferty
Head Teacher