We hope all of our students, parents and carers, and staff have had an enjoyable summer holiday. We now look forward to welcoming our students, and staff, back for the new term and school year, which starts in September, the details of which are below.

Monday 2nd September – Teacher Training Day

Tuesday 3rd September – Year 7 and Year 11 students return to school

Wednesday 4th September – All students return to school

On their return, following the six week holiday, we hope to see all of our students looking smart in their school uniform and fully equipped so they are ready to learn. Full guidance on uniform and a list of the required equipment can be found here.

Students will receive their new timetable on their first day back to school. 

During the evening on Thursday 4th July, The Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College held its annual awards evening which celebrated the success, and hard work, of well over 100 high achieving students.   

During the well-attended event, the school’s highest achieving students were presented with an award recognising their hard work, commitment and academic success. Each of the school’s faculties and subject areas nominated two students from each year group to receive a subject award. The subject areas also selected one students, from any year group, to receive the overall subject award.

In addition, one high achieving student from each of the school’s Houses was selected by their Achievement Leader for an award. The outstanding students of the year were Shreya Rana – Apollo, Aisha Bacon – Fortune, Natalia Wojcik – Garrick and Maisie Lloyd– Phoenix. Year 10, Garrick House, student Sam Newberry was selected by the school’s headteacher for a special award.

The students sat in front of proud parents, carers and family members, were presented with a medal by TEDx speaker coach Minnie von Mallinckrodt-Grant, and received a certificate from the school’s headteacher Alison Davies.

This year’s guest speaker, Minnie von Mallinckrodt-Grant, is a TEDx speaker coach who has helped both novice and experienced speakers turn their big idea into a concise, punchy, TED-worthy talks which are delivered to large audiences with authentic confidence.

Achievement Leader Carole Labreize, who organised the awards evening’ said, “It is always a pleasure to organise the school’s awards evening and to see our hard working, high achieving, students receive their medals and certificates. They have all worked hard throughout the year and it is nice to celebrate their success.”

Alison Davies, Headteacher commented “It was wonderful to welcome so many parents and carers to our school. Our students benefit greatly from the support they receive from their teacher and their parents which enables them to achieve and to enjoy success. I am also very grateful to Minnie who spoke to the students about breaking down barriers and having the right attitude for success.”

Guest speaker, Minnie, said “It was an honour to be invited to speak and present awards at The Avon Valley School’s awards evening. The students who received their awards and those who performed were a real credit to the school and their families. While at the school I heard all about the range of performing arts opportunities given to the students; from my own experience I know how much these can benefit young people and enhance their confidence.”

Students at The Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College recently took part in a non-uniform day, and packaged food, to support a locally based charity.

Last term Elaine and Andy Stock, two former school employees who retired in July 2018, visited the school to tell the students about a visit they made to Kenya while volunteering with Hinckley based charity ‘Feed the Hungry UK’.

After hearing about the conditions in the shanty town of Kibera, Kenya, the school vowed to help the charity in giving support to some of the world’s most vulnerable people. On Friday 5 July the school raised over £800 by holding a non-uniform day with the proceeds going to the charity. The money was then used to purchase food and the school then enabled students to create over 5000 food packets for the charity.

During geography lessons, students from Year 7, 8 and 10 worked with the charity’s staff and formed their own production line in order to create food packs which included soya, lentils, rice and enough nutrients provide a meal for 6 people. Throughout the day the school’s students made 5176 food packets which will be sent to Burkina Faso and should arrive there within the month.

Achievement Leader, Lisa Owen, said “In geography students learn about the conditions found in less developed countries and they understand their need for support. Young people rarely get the opportunity to have a direct impact upon the lives of people thousands of miles away. However, the efforts of students involved in making the food packs will have an impact and will help to feed people who have very little.”

Headteacher, Alison Davies, said “Our students, and their families, are always generous and never shy away from supporting local, national and international charities.  I am very pleased that we’ve had chance to support Feed the Hungry, and the work done by two much-loved former employees.”

Ardèche Trip, July 2020

The main highlight of this trip will be a 19-mile 2 day descent of the Ardèche river. We will canoe for 2 days and camp overnight under the stars, in a bivouac. Other activities will include a visit to a local town and market, climbing, kayaking, high ropes, raft building and archery. During the week in France, we will be based at “Camping la Savane”, in a private tented village nestled among the trees on the banks of 2 rivers near the traditional town of Ruoms. 

The trip is open to all current students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 and will cost £685, which has been broken down into 7 instalments.   The deposit can be paid on the School Gateway from Friday 14th June. Please note spaces are limited, 

Full information can be found here. 

Aptitude for Performing Arts Admissions

The Avon Valley School is designated as a having a specialism in the Performing Arts. Therefore, up to 10% (approximately 22 places) of each new cohort will be available to children who demonstrate aptitude, or potential, in the performing arts.

To qualify for one of the 22 places, children must achieve a minimum standard in the selection process.

• Should fewer than 22 children apply for these places, or achieve the minimum standard, the unfilled places will be allocated in accordance with the standard admissions criteria.
• In the event of equal ranking, places will be allocated in accordance with the distance criterion
• If a child is not allocated one of the 22 specialist places, the application will still be considered in accordance with the school’s admission criteria.
• An applicant for a place under The Avon Valley School’s Performing Arts Aptitude Selection Process will be required to attend the selection process at the school. The results of this selection process will determine the offer of places under criterion 3 of the over subscription criteria.

Further details relating to our Performing Arts admissions, including FAQs and an application form can be found by clicking here. 

NB: Parents who apply for their child to sit the aptitude test are still required to make an application for the school using the Warwickshire preference form.

A dancer from The Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College has recently qualified for a national dance competition’s finals after enjoying success in the regional stages.

Year 8 student, Megan Gyles impressed the adjudicators with her performance and claimed third place in the West of England Regional Final, which covers a large area from Shropshire to Cornwall and includes Wales. Megan who dances five times per week with Christine Anderson Theatre School in Rugby qualified with honours for her solo performance inspired by Gertrude McFuzz from ‘Seussical the Musical’.

Megan, along with three others from her dance school, will now progress to the ‘All England Dance’ national finals, which take place in High Wycombe during July.

Megan, who has danced since she was aged three, said “I love dancing because I can forget everything and just focus on the dance. Learning the routines is hard work, but I really enjoy it.”

When asked about her inspiration Megan added: “I am inspired by all the teachers at the Christine Anderson Theatre School who help me improve as a dancer, and my mum who is always a massive support.”

Megan, who has chosen dance and drama as two of her GCSE options, recently performed on stage with former X-Factor winner Sam Bailey in a production of ‘42^nd Street’ performed at Coventry’s Albany Theatre and she will soon take part in her theatre school’s annual dance show.

Headteacher, Alison Davies, said “Megan is a wonderful student who fully embraces our performing arts ethos and it is great to hear about her success in the recent dance competition. I wish her the very best of luck in the finals.”