The calendar seems to be accelerating: the refurbishment programme continues apace, with excellent progress over the last few weeks. Similar progress with IT and catering, and many of the 'behind the scenes' aspects of school life are coming together. More useful and productive meetings with the Harrow High School Heads, and a day at the New Schools Network. I enjoyed meeting more parents last week on a range of tours, some for 2016 entry and some for 2017. To each of them I am able to report our successes, and real excitement as September gets ever closer.

The big milestone next week is the Department for Education 'Readiness for Opening' meeting. This meeting is designed to ensure the school will be able to provide at least a 'Good' level of education from day 1. This is a significant event in establishing a new school, bringing together the Chair of the Harrow Academies Trust with other key members of the pre-opening team, and significant documentation to demonstrate our progress. However, the Department for Education have classified us as 'low risk' -they are right, of course- and  have chosen to hold the meeting over the telephone instead. Our Ofsted inspection is due shortly after that. This will be held in person, and I look forward to sharing more news of this as it emerges.

In other news, I shall shortly be asking local businesses if they would like to sponsor activities and events at Pinner High School. Our first school magazine will be available soon, and welcome events, Head's Challenge and other activities may be attractive to sponsors in the local area. The blog has a weekly readership of around 1,000; if you would like to be involved, do email Mary: mconnolly@pinnerhighschool.org

There are interviews for Support Staff posts on each of the next 6 days, so I look forward to bringing news of the final team who will open Pinner High School with me in September. Perhaps the calendar really is speeding up, or perhaps it is just the effect of the countdown on the school homepage!