A memorable week! It has been brilliant to see Pinner High School come to life so spectacularly. There have been new highlights every day in our week of firsts: first House Event, first Homework Club, first Headteacher's Challenge Clubs.

Ali House triumphed in our first House event, the Tug of War. The sports hall was filled with noise, and every student took part for their House. Whilst Ali take a lead in the House competition, Bannister and Malala are in hot pursuit. The House theme continued into the first Homework Club, with students first researching and then writing to the person their House is named after. They will then have the creative opportunity to build from arts and crafts materials a house that reflects the values of their namesake. I am looking forward to seeing these. The first club afternoon on Thursday was an opportunity for students to hear about each activity, and then decide which two they would like to join. There are 16 options: mindfulness, basketball, gymnastics, drama, karaoke, reading, international food, environment, football, netball, Spanish, choir, creative writing, debate and guitar. Clubs are spread across Mondays and Thursdays.

Next week we have our Welcome Evening for parents, starting at 7.00pm on Thursday 15th September. This will be an opportunity to meet your child's form tutor as well as other parents in your child's form. There will be brief presentations on helping your child in English, Maths and Science, as well as more details of the trip to Hillingdon Outdoor Activity Centre.

Thanks to all families for making drop off and pickup run smoothly. 'Dr. Bike' will be here on 5th October to check any student and staff bikes are safe, to encourage even more cycling to school.

Although the term has only just begun, we have had lots of enquiries about admissions for 2017. Our open day is Monday 3rd October, from 5.00-8.00pm. Students in Year 7 will be involved in a whole school choir- watch this space!

In my assembly on the first day of term I set all students the target of doing something new to challenge and stretch themselves at Pinner High School. My challenge this year is going to be to learn to juggle, physically as well as metaphorically. I borrowed some juggling balls from my daughter to show students that I cannot yet accomplish this, but that 'yet' is the key word. They too will find things that they cannot do- yet. But just as I will learn to juggle, they will meet and surpass their targets. It has been an action packed week, with so much more to come.

Our first induction day was great fun; students followed the trail of Pinner High School balloons to our entrance, where Science experiments, Chinese lessons, PE games and Art activities provided plenty of opportunities for the students to get to know each other and their teachers. The student art work will be on display in reception when the school opens in September. We talked about the Pinner High School Values, and different ways students had shown them during the day, and how they could continue to do so in September.

Students were excited to vote to decide the House names. In the morning assembly they heard about each of the contenders, so they could make an informed decision. The result was announced at the end of the day. From 'Inspiring Local People' Roger Bannister edged out Heath Robinson. 'Inspiring Women' was a victory for Malala Yousufzai, and 'Inspiring Diversity' was a knockout win for Muhammed Ali. The winning colours were red, blue and purple, from a list of six, which one student from each house pulled from a hat to decide which house was attached to which colour.

The day featured in the Harrow Times. Click here to read the article.

A very exciting week, with our new staff induction day, meeting all the parents of the students who will join us in September, more school visits, the first edition of our school magazine, building updates and excellent transport initiatives.

All my colleagues spent the day with me at Pinner High on Thursday. We had a brilliant day, working on our approaches to feedback and assessment, keeping the student centred vision and values of the school at the heart of all our planning. This was followed by an information session for parents, where they were all given our first Parent Guide, and found out a bit more about the Induction Day on 29th June when all our new students will spend the day with us. Students will name the school Houses on Induction Day, from a shortlist nominated by any visitors to the school this year. The Parent Guide is available on the 'Student Admissions' section of the website.

Whitchurch, Roxbourne and Longfield hosted my visits this week, where it was a pleasure to meet the young people who will shortly be joining us. I was able to give copies of the first edition of our school magazine, 'Inspiring Learning', to these schools. The magazine is available below. Many thanks to Andrew Pearce for their generous sponsorship of this publication.

Last week was one filled with interviews; for Finance, Clerk to Governors and Receptionist/student support. All had first class candidates, and I look forward to bringing you news of the successful candidates once the paperwork is completed. More interviews this week, for Teaching Assistants, a Technician and Cover Supervisor. I continue to be overwhelmed with the quality and quantity of applicants; thanks to everyone who has applied. It is frustrating not to have more posts available, given the large number of talented people who will inevitably be disappointed. As a growing school we shall be recruiting for a great deal of positions over the next few years, so please do stay in touch. Of course, being overwhelmed with great applications does mean that those who are appointed are absolutely brilliant, and our community can only benefit from that.

Our refurbishment remains on track, we are making progress with catering arrangements, and starting to order the equipment we will need for September, from paper and pens to tables and chairs and everything in between. I am also making progress with our first school magazine, from which the image above is taken. The Pinner High School Values will underpin all that we do, and everything I expect from students and staff.

My Primary school visits continued last week too, this time to Heathland School to meet the students there who are lucky enough to be coming to Pinner High School in September. They all seemed excited and a little nervous, which is very normal in this situation! I really enjoy meeting my future students rather than being stuck in an office. Roll on September!

A week of old and new: work is underway on the new Design Technology facility, and at the Pinner Old Students annual visit to the school at the weekend, memorabilia on display from the original opening of the school in 1937. I very much enjoyed meeting former students and staff from Pinner County, Pinner Grammar and Pinner Sixth Form at the reception. The link to Pinner High School is a living one, and brings to life the traditional values I often talk about with parents. Taking place the same week as our refurbishment is appropriate, as Pinner High looks to the future; to mandarin teaching, integrating technology into school life, and the excitement of a growing school.

Another group of families came to Pinner High last week following the offer of a place in September. Students seemed as excited as I am, with one commenting that he would like to start straight away. I would like to agree, were there not a great deal of work to be done by then! I had a brilliant response to the Support Staff adverts that closed on Friday. I am enjoying reading high quality applications and look forward to interviews next week. I also enjoyed visiting West Lodge and Cannon Lane primary schools last week, and will visit more over the coming weeks-  continuing the theme of old and new; the oldest students in primaries coming to their new school.

This week good news on a number of fronts: the refurbishment works to create our new Design Technology facility are on schedule to begin on 3rd May. This will bring 4 brand new classrooms to deliver lessons in Food Technology, Graphics, Art and Resistant Materials in September. Design Technology is a fast changing subject, and having state of the art facilities and the latest equipment to teach these subjects will deliver a fabulous learning environment for our trailblazing students- and those that follow. I have been lucky to work with Emma Pacey, our incoming Head of Year 7, who is currently Head of the Technology Faculty at Nower Hill HIgh School on this project. Emma has already designed the excellent facilities they use at Nower Hill, so she brings all that experience to Pinner High. The attention to detail has been highly impressive: I can't wait for the work to start so the students can show off the new facilities when the school opens.

Other good news is the progress our ICT partner, European Electronique, have made in a short time. Althought they were only appointed a couple of weeks ago we have already worked through our equipment requirements, and they have been on site to ensure the cabling is all up to standard. As they already work with the Jubilee Academy, who are using the Pinner High School site until they return to their permanent home on Lowlands Road in July, they are familiar with the accommodation. We have settled on a combination of laptops and ipads as the most flexible devices for students to use in September. We can then see what we will need as the school grows, and the technology develops even further. Being able to add new technology over the years the school develops means that what we buy for our trailblazers once they reach Sixth Form probably hasn't been invented yet!

The final phase of our pre-opening recruitment is now underway. There has been a high level of interest already, and I look forward to reading more applications in the coming weeks.