It was wonderful to receive the letter from Ofsted indicating that due to our sustained improvement and excellent results our inspection (which was due last term) has now been deferred until the Summer Term of 2013 at the earliest.

It’s always nice to blow your own trumpet and even better to have someone else do it for you!! Hence our further delight when we were informed that we had been named in the Top Performing Secondary Schools list for the second year running.

We have been recognised for our achievements by the Minister of State of Education, Nick Gibb, who wrote to us congratulating the school on being in the Top 100 most improved schools in the country over the last four years.

This latest accolade also brought considerable press interest with newspaper and radio articles praising the achievements of our young people.

Further highlights from this term are:

• Our choir, Farracappella, won the Sunderland Sings competition at the Empire Theatre.
• Our Year 7 girls’ football team have qualified for the final of the five a side competition on March 24th. If they win they will represent Sunderland Football Club at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in May.
• We have submitted our application form for an Artsmark Award. This is really exciting as the school has a brilliant track record in the Creative & Performing Arts.
• We are coordinating a Sunderland Schools Olympic Torch relay (June 11th – 13th) which will involve 102 schools across the city.
• Emily Piercy, Year 9, won the Academic Achievement award at the prestigious Sunderland Young Achievers Awards (March 8th). Six other Farringdon students won awards: Connor Brown (Year 8), Kris Hayes, Kate Ferguson, Kirsty Barraclough, Sally McDonald, Rachel Hill (Year 10) – congratulations to all of you!
• The building has had a facelift, the new windows and fascias have renovated the tired 1950s exterior. Further improvements have been made to the changing rooms at the pool and some repairs to carpets in several rooms. We are planning lots more improvements to our school and will be involving the students – watch this space!
• Community Day (February 10th) was very successful with students learning about health issues, renewable energies, college placements and Olympic values – never a dull moment!
• We have raised nearly £1000 for charities over the last few weeks and there is still Sports Relief to come!

H. Kemp - Headteacher