Season’s Greetings from year has been unlike any other and G15 schools have adapted well. G15 – The Secondary Schools More than ever, all members of the school community have of Gloucester City had to demonstrate resilience and resourcefulness in the face of such uncertainty and challenges and this is just as Nothing has been quite the same in schools since March evident in the G15 partnership’s response to not being able 2020! to hold its traditional Celebration of Success event in Gloucester Cathedral this year. School staff, the students and their families have worked hard together to keep schools open for learning against the Aptly named ‘Head High! Heart Strong!’ we invite you to odds – despite periods of self-isolation where students, staff read about this hugely successful and inspiring event in our and sometimes both together have had to polish up their Autumn newsletter. digital skills and work remotely. We send season’s greetings to everyone connected with G15 Schools completely re-organised themselves for re-opening and wish you a Happy, healthy New Year. in September and we have a whole new language: year group bubbles, face mask routines, IT kit sanitising Mrs K. Harrison protocols…. students and staff’s experiences of working this Chair of the G15 Partnership

In March 2020 and with Covid-19 ravaging the country, it became apparent, very quickly, that a G15 Celebration of Success in Gloucester Cathedral, in June 2020 was going to be out of the question.

Such is the commitment of the amazing staff in our G15 institutions, combined with the enormous enthusiasm of our students, that an idea was hatched to enable the show to go on! The event would become virtual! So, in the time honoured tradition, an invitation went out to all 15 institutions to put forward a piece of music or a song to contribute to the event. This year, however, the piece Given that any face to face contact was impossible, we would need to be recorded. decided that we could give greater platform to a song written and performed by many Gloucestershire young Throughout the decade of G15 Celebration of people (including several G15 students), to say ‘thank you’ to Success events, a strong partnership had the NHS frontline workers, which had been coordinated by been forged between G15 and The Music Works, a key The Music Works. The song entitled ‘Every Rainbow Drawn’ partner in Make Music Gloucestershire, the county’s music and backed by a rich and diverse collection of artwork from education hub, that aims to transform young people’s lives across the partnership fitted the bill perfectly; its powerful through music. The Music Works’ Creative Director, Ben and emotive lyrics embracing the brutal impact of Covid-19 O’Sullivan, has become an integral part of the G15 on us all. Celebration of Success; bringing with him his amazing set of songwriting skills and music technology. Ben, working with his colleagues Hamish & Jess, undertook to receive the contributions from the 15 G15 institutions and transform them into the G15 (Virtual) Celebration of Success 2020 which we entitled ‘Head High! Heart Strong!’ This rallying cry was intended to drive up the resourcefulness and resilience demanded of young people at this challenging time. G15 Act 1 - YouTube G15 Act 2 - YouTube

This year’s virtual event also gave us the opportunity to So, the virtual event was complete and launched as two acts include pieces of G15 student art work which punctuated the on two consecutive evenings in July and can be viewed musical performances and created a spectacular visual through the links above. display. It was decided that we would try and uphold the format of the actual event. That there would be a welcome The G15 (Virtual) Celebration of Success 2020 has had a to the virtual event given by Mrs Kirsten Harrison, Head profound affect on the performers and the viewers. Our Teacher of Chosen Hill School and also Chair of the G15 sincere thanks must go to all who played a part in its Partnership and an address by the Chair of the G15 Student construction: Group, Joanna Fajkowska. But how would we emulate the  G15 Head Teachers and Principals for their support for this finale to close the show? venture  The students for their unmistakable enthusiasm for this Frequent guests of the event will know that the G15 project Celebration of Success has been characterised by the finale:  G15 staff (Performing Arts and Art) who worked tirelessly to a huge G15 choir, in their respective uniforms, performing a make this event happen song written by one of the G15 institutions, learnt by  The Music Works for their invaluable creativity and students drawn from across the Partnership, piled on to the technical expertise tiered staging in Gloucester Cathedral, conducted by The  Child Friendly Gloucestershire for their sponsorship Music Works’ Ben O’Sullivan, singing their hearts out!  Make Music Gloucestershire