I am delighted to write to you as the new Headteacher of Garstang Community Academy. For those of you who I had the privilege of meeting in October, I outlined that I have spent 17 years serving students within Greater Manchester and I am honoured to now serve a community close to where I was born, raised and educated, as I am from Preston. My intentions are to have high expectations of all within the school community and to ensure high standards of inclusive teaching and in-turn learning are in place, which will lead to academic excellence for our students.

Following my first week in post, I am pleased to report that I have found the students to be welcoming, personable and helpful, especially when navigating me around the building. My impression of the students was further enhanced, through meeting with the Head Boy, Head Girl, Deputy Head Boys and Deputy Head Girls, where they articulately outlined how the school offer could be further developed. I am looking forward to working with the student body to add value to their educational experience. 

In order to support students at the start of the school day, we will open the Fairsnape Dining Room when it is raining from 8:15am. Students will be welcome in this area prior to morning registration.

No doubt, there will be much for us to work on in the coming weeks and months and as a starting point we will be focusing on uniform. Together with my colleagues, we have noticed that there are instances of uniform infringements amongst certain students, i.e. trainers being worn as opposed to black shoes, shirts not being tucked into skirts/trousers, skirts being rolled up, fake eyelashes, earrings, acrylic/gel nails and nail varnish. We will spend this week addressing these infringements and you may receive some further communication relating to uniform on a more personal basis. We would appreciate it, if you could take some time to observe the uniform of your child and challenge them if you see any infringements.

As we move forward through the academic year, we will be seeking your views and opinions through Parent Forums in order to support the future work of the school. 

I would like to conclude by acknowledging and thanking my colleagues for the support they have offered me during my first week as Headteacher.

Many thanks.

Mr Singh, Headteacher