Dear Parents/Carers
I hope this letter finds you and your families well; here is a Friday update as we finish the first week of the new school year.
I am thrilled with how the first week back has gone; it has been a really impressive start for our school community. This week, I led assemblies reflecting on the positive response from our community following the riots around the country, as well as exploring what it takes to become an Olympic or Paralympic champion. The latter topic segued beautifully with our school motto this year: "Excellence is not an act, but a habit," an Aristotle quote. The eagle-eyed Iman Fatima, Year 11 informed me this week that I made a mistake when quoting our motto in my end of summer letter a few weeks back - great that our students are so observant, did anyone else spot it I wonder?
We are demanding excellence from ourselves as staff, as well as from our students, and that is exactly what I have witnessed this week. Year 7 got the week off to a great start with an impressive first day; smart, well-presented, displaying impeccable manners, and showing an excellent attitude toward learning. The other year groups have followed suit, looking exceptionally smart with a similarly strong attitude to learning. Year 10 and 11 have also set a high bar, as expected from our GCSE and eldest year groups. Well done to everyone, long may it continue!
We launched The Kelmscott Way this week with students. This is something I’ve referenced often in recent years - for example, “that is/isn’t the Kelmscott way” - when discussing various topics with students. Over the summer, we took time to capture what we mean by The Kelmscott Way - in essence, "the way we do things around here," reflecting our culture and what it means to be a Kelmscott student. There are no new expectations on the list; it's simply helpful to have them captured in one place so we can refer to them moving forward. I anticipate it will be a working document, reviewed each year, with adjustments as our community evolves. The Kelmscott Way can be found here.
Students also received their new school journals this week, which includes the home-school agreement, and use of ICT and the internet agreement. I would appreciate it if you could locate these agreements on pages 2 and 19 respectively and sign them. Thank you.
As you are aware, we have a robust detention system in place at school for when expectations aren’t fully met. This includes a one-hour after-school detention, a Senior Leadership Team (SLT) detention, on Fridays for an hour and a half, and the Headteacher’s detention on Saturday mornings for two hours. While we hope to avoid students needing these, if your child is placed in one, we would appreciate your support in ensuring they attend. Our focus will continue to be on rewarding the 98% of students who meet expectations every day.
Thank you to all the parents/carers who have already completed the email data collection form for their Edulink login. We aim to begin rolling out the new app by the end of September, so if you haven’t yet completed your form, please do so as soon as possible. You can find the form by tapping the Forms button in MyEd. Please bear in mind that until the live launch in January 2025, Edulink will not be fully functional and we will continue to use MyEd in the meantime. I will provide regular updates as we progress towards the Edulink launch.
Colleagues in school are finalising plans for our co-curricular offer this year—clubs, trips, visits, etc. We hope to confirm the clubs offer in the coming weeks, with a 'Freshers’ Fair’ type event in the school hall to share details. A timetable and calendar will then be shared with families.
I was thrilled to hear news from two Kelmscott swimmers over the summer holidays. Firstly, Ada Yeow in Year 8 who went to the national swimming championship where she competed in the 100m breaststroke, winning her heat. Ada is now ranked 13th out of 28 in the country for breaststroke. Secondly, Laurie Richards in Year 9 received a Jack Petchey award from his swimming club for his commitment to the sport and the progress he has made. Laurie trains four times a week, including some early morning sessions before school. Alexandra Gutoiu in Year 9 trail blazes for female football, representing the Romanian National U15 female team when they played during the summer against North Macedonia with an impressive 5-0 win. A huge well done to all of our athletes, we are exceptionally proud of you. We will continue to follow your journeys with interest and great pride.
I would also like to highlight some excellent opportunities that may be of interest to your child:
Careers Opportunities – Please see the links below for opportunities related to Business and Accounting, careers in STEM, Tech get into law, Finance and Investments.
Get into Business & Accounting - Virtual Webinar | Monday 16th September at 5pm - 7pm. A unique opportunity for aspiring business and accounting professionals to hear directly from industry giants like PwC, KPMG, Amazon Accounting, BDO, and more. Students will gain valuable insights into career paths, work experience, and apprenticeship opportunities. Link to apply.
Careers in STEM - Virtual Webinar | Tuesday 17th September at 5pm - 7pm. Featuring leading companies like National Grid, RAF, Amazon, and Berkeley Group, this event offers a unique chance to learn about various engineering careers, from sustainable energy to tech innovation. Students can hear directly from industry leaders and ask questions, providing valuable insights into their future career paths. Link to apply.
Tech the Future - Virtual Webinar | Tuesday 18th September at 5pm - 7pm. Featuring top tech firms like Amazon, Experian, BDO, and Bloomberg, this event offers insights into AI, Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, and more. It’s a great opportunity for students to learn about tech careers, ask questions, and explore pathways through internships and graduate schemes. Link to apply.
Get into Law - Virtual Webinar | Tuesday 19th September at 5pm - 7pm. With top law firms like Clifford Chance, Linklaters, Bird & Bird, and more, this event offers a unique opportunity to explore career paths in law. Students will gain insights from industry leaders, learn about solicitor apprenticeships, work experience, and graduate opportunities, and engage in panel discussions. It's a fantastic chance to connect with prestigious law firms and get inspired about a future in the legal profession. Link to apply.
Get into Finance and Investments - Virtual Webinar | Friday 20th September at 5pm - 7pm. Featuring top firms like Goldman Sachs, UBS, Bloomberg, Fidelity International, and Legal & General, this event is perfect for those interested in banking, finance, and FinTeh. Students will hear directly from industry leaders and junior professionals, gaining valuable insights into private clients, wealth management, stocks, and more, offering a glimpse into life at leading financial institutions. Link to apply.
Bee Zee Bodies. This fantastic group works tirelessly to support and improve the community's health. They offer many free events, from healthy eating workshops to physical activity programs. More information can be found here and a course timetable here.
Community Day - Sunday 15th September, 12:30 - 5pm at Fellowship Square. E17. There will be a wide range of completely free creative and cultural workshops, activities and performances taking place throughout the day, all aimed at families and young people. More information can be found here.
Educational Psychology Service Free Monthly Parent/Carer Consultation Sessions. Educational Psychologists are qualified specialists in child psychology and child development, with particular expertise in supporting children and young people with special educational needs, learning difficulties, and social, emotional and behaviour difficulties. All LBWF Educational Psychologists are registered with the Health Care Professionals Council. Booking is essential. More information can be found here.
For Year 7 families, I would like to remind you of the Year 7 Evening on Wednesday, 16th October 5.30pm - 7.00pm. This will be an opportunity to meet Mr Yilmaz, Head of Year, and form tutors, to discuss how students have settled in during the first half term.
The Year 11 Preparation for Excellence Evening takes place on Thursday, 19th September 5.30pm - 6.30pm, where vital information will be shared on how you can best support your child in their final year of secondary school. Year 11 parents/carers will have received a form to complete to confirm their attendance. We look forward to seeing you there.
For your information, students will have their photographs taken on Monday next week. These photos will be used on student lanyards. Class and whole-school photographs will be taken later in the year. Please click here to view a letter from Mr Madge, School Business Manager in relation to the school photographs.
Lastly, I would like to offer some advice for families on managing the difficult issue of smartphones with your children. I watched a Panorama programme on this topic with great interest and have had meaningful discussions with many families about it. There is increasing local interest in possibly banning smartphones for young people due to the harm they can cause, particularly in accessing harmful content online and on social media. While implementing such a policy at secondary school would be challenging, I believe it is a vital discussion to explore further. For now, parents should continue, as I have no doubt that you do, to closely monitor all their child’s online activity. I have included here a link to the National Colleges free-to-download guide ‘Using and reviewing parental controls’ which you may find of use.
With every good wish,
Mr Sam Jones
Headteacher
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