From The Head - Friday 18 September 2026
Dear Parents,
I distinctly remember, very early in my teaching career, someone saying to me "children won't necessarily remember what you try to teach them, but they will remember what you are." That notion has been prevalent in my mind as I have been around the school this week, seeing the quality and warmth of interactions between the staff and pupils in lessons, at break times and during after-school activities. It shows itself in small ways: a teacher crouching down to a child's eye level to talk something through properly, remembering a detail from a pupil's weekend and asking about it days later, the genuine delight in a "well done" that isn't just said, but clearly meant. It is these small moments that engender in our pupils a sense of belonging and a confidence that no amount of teaching alone could ever instil.
With this in mind, it is fitting that this week we also introduced something new to our Friday celebration assembly: the Spirit of The Ryleys award. These certificates celebrate pupils who truly embody our values; ‘a desire to learn’, ‘a global perspective’, ‘a committed team player’, ‘generosity of spirit', and ‘a quiet confidence', through their character, actions and attitudes. Our values sit at the heart of everything we do here and I look forward to these being regularly recognised and celebrated during our weekly assemblies.
This afternoon we celebrated the grand opening of our new Early Years development. It was a pleasure to welcome back Mrs Langford to cut the ribbon and she was extremely proud of what has been created. This entire project, from ‘blue sky thinking’ through to reality, was the work of Jayne Renshaw, our Head of Early Years. Without her vision, tireless research, planning and implementation, the pupils wouldn’t have the wonderful facilities they now enjoy, to benefit their Early Years education. It's a brilliant example of what creativity, passion and belief in an idea can achieve!
Wishing you all a lovely weekend.
Warm regards,
Giles Puckle, Headteacher