It is my pleasure and privilege to be able to introduce myself to you as the new headteacher of Aberdare Community School. This is my 27th year in education, my 6th school, my 2nd headship and I am extremely excited by the opportunity to lead the school into the next stage of its development. I am grateful to Mrs Sue Davies for the excellent foundations laid during her time as headteacher, foundations which I now look forward to building upon with the help of the excellent team of professionals we have working in this fantastic new school.
Of course, I also look forward to working with you as the parents and carers who have chosen to send your children to us to be educated. This is a tremendous expression of trust and faith in us as a school and you can rest assured that we will work our hardest to repay that trust and to give your sons and daughters the best possible learning experiences. Please work with us in partnership, tell us when we are doing things well and let us know when you think we can do things better. We are here to listen and to serve this community.
Most of all, though, I am looking forward to working with the young people of Aberdare. I am from the valleys myself and I have close family connections to Aberdare so I feel that I have a reasonably sound understanding already of the needs of our pupils and students. I have much to learn, though, and will indeed be learning much in the coming weeks. All decisions made by myself will be made in what I understand to be the very best interests of these young people.
I have high expectations of what a school can provide for its pupils and students and I will be explaining these in greater detail as I become more settled into my new job. I also have high expectations of our pupils. I expect them to observe all school rules, to act and speak with respect and courtesy for all members of the school community and to try their hardest at all times. If they do so then I can guarantee that they will have an extremely rewarding educational experience in their time with us, an experience which will give them the best possible chance of success after they leave school. I would be most grateful for your support in helping us achieve this for all of our young people.
Mark Powell
Headteacher