Oathall appoints a new Headteacher

10th May 2024Joanna Patch

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

24th April 2024Joanna Patch

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:

  • Provides a stakeholder panel for views on new initiatives and developments within the school
  • Provides parents with a voice in the development of the school

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]

Half-term focus: Positivity

15th April 2024Joanna Patch

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.

Oathall Year 11 – you are invited to the Pre-Loved Prom Shop

22nd March 2024Joanna Patch

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.

15th March 2024Joanna Patch

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.

Oathall’s first internal public speaking competition

15th March 2024Joanna Patch

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:

  • Senior Best Team: Peter and Jasmine for their stellar argument on celebrity culture (props for going on even without a chair at the last minute!)
  • Junior Best Team: Abi, Mattie, and Erin for their thought-provoking debate on social media communications
  • Best Proposer: Ella for her controversial debate on private vs. state education
  • Best Opposer: Charlotte, who challenged our perspectives on animal testing
  • Best Chair: Joseph, for keeping the debates running smoothly and adding a touch of humour!

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. 

Parent workshop from Thought-Full – Low Mood

12th March 2024Joanna Patch

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:

  • Thursday, 2 May
  • Thursday, 18 July

 

Please feel free to join us.

Flyer from the Thought-Full team