I am Ms Jones and I am Head of Year 7! I am so excited to be working in this role and to be a part of the students’ transition from primary to secondary school. This is such an important time in their lives and we hope that it will be the start of a journey where they gain knowledge, memories and friends that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.  I had the pleasure of visiting the current Year 7 students while they were still in Year 6 in their primary schools to get to know them and to learn what they were looking forward to when they joined Fortismere. I hope that it is living up to their expectations! Aside from being Head of Year 7, I am also a keen member of the maths department. I am always on hand if anyone needs help with their maths or just wants a fun puzzle to solve! 

I know that the new Year 7s are excited to get stuck into the extra-curricular activities that Fortismere has on offer. Whatever your passion, we have something for you. We have an amazing array of sports clubs, drama opportunities, musical ensembles and solo opportunities, art club, chess club, Latin club, Vex robotics, creative writing club, STEAM clubs and so much more. And if it’s not already here but there is something that you want, you should speak to a teacher and it could well be set up!  We also have amazing opportunities for the students to gain leadership experience through becoming a Year 7 Ambassador. This year we will have five different types of ambassadors so students will have an opportunity to speak out and affect change on issues such as safeguarding, teaching and learning, mental health and wellbeing, the environment and charity. In previous years, ambassadors have raised money for some good causes, often locally based and it is great to encourage students to give back to their local community!

We take our students’ safety very seriously and we would always encourage students to speak up and let a parent or a teacher or any member of the school know if they have any concerns. We assure you that we will listen to everything and take every account seriously.  Safety is one of our Fortismere Four rules which all students agree to follow when they become a part of our school community and all members of staff are well-trained in how to respond to any disclosures.

I am so excited to be a part of the Year 7s journey from children to young adults; to watch them grow and transform and form opinions and gain confidence. If I can help with anything at all, I can be contacted by email at ejones@fortismere.org.uk.