The 2025-2026 academic year starts on Thursday, 4 September, with our year 7 and year 11 students coming in for their first day back. Year 7 students should go straight to the hall at 8:30am. Year 11 students should arrive at the later time of 9:40am and go straight to their tutor groups . All other year groups will have their first day back on Friday, 5 September, with all students arriving as normal ready for tutor time at 8:40am. Students will start the year on timetable A.
The final half term of this year sees us learn about independence. Students will be encouraged to make their own choices, resolve conflict and follow their dreams. We will then finish the year with our usual assemblies celebrating all of the hard work and achievements that our wonderful students have made this year.
Oathall Community College has appointed Toby Houghton as its new Headteacher following a two day selection process.
Toby Houghton has been appointed by the governors to start in September 2024, where he will succeed Edward Rodriguez who is retiring in August. Toby Houghton has over 30 years of working in education, most recently as Deputy Headteacher at Oathall where for the past 16 years, he has been integral to the leadership of the school and has taught science and computing. Before that he worked as Assistant Headteacher and Head of Science at Glebelands School in Surrey. Mr Houghton is a graduate from Newcastle University where he studied Agricultural and Environmental Science.
Chair of governors, Rowena Chalk said, “It is with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of Toby Houghton as our next Headteacher. He is an experienced and talented senior leader, with high expectations and who shares our vision for Oathall. His appointment will build on the success of Oathall and we look forward to seeing how he shapes the future of the school.”
Mr Houghton said, “ I am delighted to have been appointed as the new Headteacher at Oathall. The school is very important to me and I am proud to be part of this community. I look forward to working with the dedicated team of staff and wonderful students, and leading the school in its continued success.”
Parent Partnership meeting: Thursday, 2 May – 5 pm – Oathall Library
Agenda: Accelerated Reader Discussion
Are you confused about the Accelerated Reader programme? Are you unsure how to help your child with the quizzes at home? What do the results mean?
Come and chat with our librarian, Debra Perrin. She’ll be around to talk about the Accelerated Reader programme and answer any questions you have.
The Parent Partnership was established in March 2018 and meets once every half term to discuss important issues for both parents and the school. It aims to be successful in contributing positively to the development of our School Community. The Partnership has a dual purpose:
The group will meet in the library at Oathall between 5 pm and 6 pm. All parents are welcome to attend; there is no commitment required. Please do come along and offer your voice to the discussions. The agenda for each meeting is sent out to all parents via the school email system the week before the meeting takes place.
For further information please contact Miss Froud, Assistant Headteacher, 01444 414001 or via email on [email protected]
The latest edition of the library newsletter is now available for families to view.
The power of positive thinking is just one of our assembly topics this term as we explore the value of positivity – the student’s favourite value. We will have assemblies on ‘paying it forward’ and ‘seeing challenge as an opportunity’ – particularly appropriate as we embark on the last term of this academic year.
We are pleased to announce that the Oathall Pre-loved Prom Shop will be open on Wednesday, 1 May, from 4:00pm until 6:00pm and we invite our year 11 students to come along.
There is no need to book – just turn up!
There will be changing rooms set up for you to use, and we will have Charlotte from Shine Academy available to book hair and makeup appointments for the prom itself. We will also have some nibbles to help yourself to.
A suggested donation of £10 would be great, but please speak to our organisers when you arrive if this is not feasible.
We look forward to seeing you there.
The Woodland Trust has very generously donated 420 trees to us at Oathall to plant an 80-metre hedgerow on our farm, next to the river. The trees are a variety of native species and will provide a natural habitat for our wildlife as well as providing some stability to the river bank.
Our Thursday farm club students worked really hard to help clear the brambles and plant the trees. The trees are very small at the moment but we will enjoy watching them grow into a beautiful hedgerow in a few years time.
Thank you to all the staff and students who helped with the enormous task, and thank you to The Woodland Trust for your generosity.
Yesterday evening, Oathall hosted its first-ever internal public speaking competition! The students truly impressed us with their confidence, creativity, and passion. Their well-researched arguments and captivating presentations kept the audience engaged throughout the evening.
Congratulations to:
All our participants showcased exceptional critical thinking, communication skills, and stage presence. They perfectly embodied Oathall’s value of confidence this half-term.
Well done to all involved, and thank you to everyone who made this event possible.
On Wednesday, 20 March, in the school library from 5 pm to 6 pm, the Mental Health Team for schools called Thought-Full will be delivering another of their parent workshops. The topic for this session will be ‘Let’s Talk – Low Mood’. These sessions are proving to be a valuable resource, and all parents are welcome to attend.
Dates of future sessions:
Please feel free to join us.
