Michael Hall Parent Portal - 27th March 2026

Friday Flyer - 27th March 2026

Dear Michael Hall Community,

It has been a hectic half term with so many plays, events and meetings having taken place. The speed of this term always feels quick, and has done in every institution I have worked in. At the top end of the school we have mock exams, followed by a rigorous race towards the finish line and the external summer examinations loom on the horizon. In other sections of the school there are transition points that will see pupils move from one building into another, marking an exciting change of phase in their education. For those pupils who are mid-phase, it will be change of classroom which may have popped up in conversation as the realisation of what’s to come comes to the consciousness.

For parents I appreciate that this can feel huge and there may be a surge of questions that flood the mind. Please be assured that we know this and want to work with you to make each transition smooth, to make each threshold crossed successful, and to make each new start begin with a warm welcome. Please also take confidence in the fact that we have done this many times before, it is our job, it is our responsibility, it is our calling, and it is absolutely our pleasure to be in the position to guide as our pupils grow.

The planning for next academic year is well under way – much like a farmer preparing the land for fresh growth, we start months in advance. As part of the planning, we must consider what we are and have now, and then consider what we want to be in the future along with what we want to have in place.

What I want for next year and beyond starts with simplicity; I want every pupil and parent to experience excellence in everything that we do. Every stitch, every brush stroke, every problem presented (and solved), every note played or heard, every lesson, and every interaction between adult and child I want to be brilliantly inspiring and purposefully professional.

In school and in lessons, myself and Colleagues bear the full responsibility for reaching excellence in all that we do. However, there are areas of school life where we must work as a collective set of adults around the children to show them what wholistic excellence in action looks like, feels like and demands of us. Currently we allow ourselves to be called into question, where we fall short of excellence (by our own standards not by external inspection teams), and where we need to work together to improve; attendance and punctuality.

The national minimum expected level of attendance is 95%, currently as a school we sit at a little over 91% - and sadly it is falling. At 90% attendance, a pupil is missing half a day every week which can add up to 20 days of absence per year. I fully appreciate that illness strikes us all and there are occasions where a child is too ill to come to school, and we have codes for this. However, in our registration data there are too many days where as a school-children are missing school because of holidays during term time, days off after a performance, and days off for non-educational reasons. With the wintry virus season behind us and hope of sunshine and blue skies ahead, please let’s work together to secure excellent attendance and timely arrival to school as this sets the tone.

As Lent reaches a close next Thursday, I wish everyone who is marking this and the ensuing Easter period a very happy Easter. To those who were fasting during Ramadan, I hope that your fast and prayers were received, and that your Eid celebrations were full of warmth. To those in our community celebrating Passover next week, I wish you a meaningful and joyful Pesach with family and friends. To those simply having a break, enjoy whatever you choose to do.

Warm wishes,

Stuart

Stuart McWilliams
Principal