Headteachers message to families - Summer 2 / Friday 24^th July 2026

Summer has arrived:

What a fantastic summer term it has been at Fountaindale! As another successful academic year comes to a close, I have been reflecting on the many achievements and memorable experiences we have shared as a school community.

This term has been packed with highlights, including Outdoor Learning Week, Arts Week, Pride celebrations, Sports Day, our Summer Fayre, and the Nexus 10 Year Anniversary celebrations.

As I complete my first term as Headteacher, I would like to thank you all for the warm welcome and support you have shown me. It has been a privilege to become part of such a special community and to get to know our wonderful pupils, staff and families.

Every day, I am inspired by our pupils and grateful for the dedication of our staff team, who work tirelessly to provide exceptional opportunities and experiences for every child.

Thank you for your continued support and for helping to make this another memorable year at Fountaindale. I wish all our pupils, families and staff a wonderful summer break. We look forward to welcoming pupils back on Thursday 3rd September.

Supporting The Lily Foundation in Memory of Phoebe:

Many of our school community will be aware of the heartbreaking loss of Phoebe Vella, who sadly passed away on 23rd June after living with mitochondrial disease for most of her life. Throughout her journey, Phoebe showed extraordinary courage, resilience and determination, inspiring everyone who knew her.

Phoebe's family have asked us to share a fundraising page in her memory to support The Lily Foundation, a charity that provided invaluable support to them and continues to fund vital research into mitochondrial disease. If you would like to make a donation, please visit:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/phoebevella

We know that any support would be greatly appreciated by Phoebe's family and will help The Lily Foundation continue its incredible work supporting families affected by mitochondrial disease.

Fountaindale Festival of Colour:

This week, we celebrated our Fountaindale Festival of Colour and what a fantastic day it was! Pupils, staff and families came together to enjoy an afternoon full of colour, laughter and fun, creating some wonderful memories along the way. It was fantastic to see so many parents and carers joining in the celebrations and sharing in the excitement.

A huge thank you to Fountaindale Family Fundraising Group and everyone who attended and helped make the event such a success. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did - and that your washing machines coped with the colourful challenge when everyone got home

Post-16 Prom:

On Thursday, we celebrated our wonderful Year 13 leavers with a special Prom Day to mark the end of their time at Fountaindale. The day was packed with activities, including red carpet arrivals, a games morning, a party picnic lunch and, of course, a disco to round off the celebrations. It was a fantastic opportunity to reflect on their achievements, create lasting memories and celebrate the incredible journeys they have been on with us. This afternoon, we will come together once more for our Leavers’ Assembly, providing a fitting end to the school year as we wish our Year 13 pupils every success and happiness for the future.

Some Goodbyes to Staff Too...

As we reach the end of the school year, we also say farewell to some valued members of the Fountaindale team. Today, we say goodbye to Majella, Gary, Lorraine and Cherrie, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their dedication, hard work and the positive impact they have had on our pupils, families and staff during their time with us.

Each of them has played an important role in the Fountaindale community. We are incredibly grateful for everything they have contributed and for the many memories they leave behind.

On behalf of everyone at Fountaindale, we wish Majella, Gary, Lorraine and Cherrie every success and happiness for the future.

Leavers Assembly:

This afternoon, we will be coming together to celebrate the end of another fantastic year at Fountaindale. Our celebrations will include our Leavers’ Assembly, Star of the Year Awards, and a pupil-requested karaoke party, giving everyone the chance to reflect on and celebrate the many achievements of the year. We will also be sharing our amazing end-of-year video, inspired by the film Zootopia.

We look forward to sharing the video link with parents and carers so that you can enjoy this wonderful showcase of everything that makes Fountaindale such a special place to be!

Weekly Safeguarding Update - Emergency Safeguarding Contact During the Summer Holidays:

The safety and wellbeing of our pupils remains our highest priority. Should you have any safeguarding concerns during the summer break, during the holiday period, please use the school safeguarding mobile: 07512 301996.

Our safeguarding contacts are:

Rob Mulvey - Designated Safeguarding Lead

📞 01623 792671 | ✉️ RMulvey1@nexusmat.org

Gayle Bowmer - Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

📞 01623 792671 | ✉️ gbowmer@nexusmat.org

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you need support or have concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child.

Have a fantastic summer break!

Ben Norman

Headteacher

bnorman@nexusmat.org