Dear Parents/Carers
I hope this letter finds you and your families well; a Friday update for you as we head into the last week of the half term.
Another particularly busy week to report here at Kelmscott with a myriad of opportunities for students to engage with.
On Tuesday 8th October twenty nine Year 8 students went on the Religion, Philosophy and Ethics and Geography departments joint trip to Stoke Newington. Students began by comparing the environments and land uses of the High Street and Church Street, investigating the impacts of gentrification. The group then went to St Mary's Church for a talk by the Rector of the church Dilly Baker, who also answered questions and gave a short tour of the building. The students then went to look at the use of permaculture in the church garden and grounds. Lunch was enjoyed in Clissold Park where it was interesting to consider how the park is used for the local community while caring for the environment. Finally the group looked at the Abney Park cemetery, evaluating the environment and considering the role of the Salvation Army, whose founder is buried there. Students will follow up this work with some wider ranging evaluation questions linking the community, environment and urban redevelopment.
In the Classics Department, Dr. Efi Spentzou held her second workshop on 'Ancient Myths and Modern Takes' with KS3 and KS4 Classics students. This session delved into various perspectives and voices within the myth of King Erysichthon, with a particular focus on the representation of women—especially in ancient texts, where they are often silenced or marginalised. In the second part of the workshop, students had the chance to imagine themselves as Athenian citizens debating in the agora (ancient marketplace). Through these re-imaginings, they highlighted the political and environmental issues linked to the destruction of the natural world.
On Wednesday 9 October, ICEE Ltd International Career & Entrepreneur Events Ltd returned to Kelmscott and were working with Year 10. Councillor Kizzy Gardiner was also in attendance to see the ICEE Ltd Team in action and was suitably impressed by Year 10 students who were fully engaged from the very beginning. Students were completing a number of different workshops such as “What is your why?”, “Growth Mindset” and “Designing Your Life”. The session culminated in a debate “What is more important? Experiences or Wealth”. It was an enjoyable and thought provoking day and we are looking forward to February, when the ICEE team returns.
We are excited that our involvement in the Global Schools Alliance is taking shape and at the weekend, Mr Eley and Ms Ridler will go to Spain to meet leaders in Spanish schools, observe lessons and also visit our link school Agora Lledo Private international school in Castellón, Valencia. This will be the beginning of our partnership with Agora Lledo which will see a multitude of projects culminating with the Spanish school visiting us at Kelmscott and our students having the opportunity to travel to Spain and visit the school in Castellón in 2026. The first project will be a Spanish-English language exchange project where groups of students will prepare topical presentations and deliver them live via zoom to the other school. With this in mind, we are looking for interested Year 9 and 10 students studying Spanish to register their names with Mr Eley or Ms Ridler. We look forward to learning more about the projects and future plans.
Congratulations to all of the thirty five students who took part in the Waltham Forest Borough Cross Country event. They represented the school to an exceptionally high standard in both behaviour and effort levels. A special mention to Toby Long 10O who came 5th in his age group, Ronan Kelly 7K who came 4th and Alfie McCormack who also came 4th. Ada Yeow 8S put in a fantastic performance and came 3rd in the Year 8 and 9 category. Well done Kelmscott cross country team, what a great effort!
This weekend, two of our finest Year 11 students, Zahra and Devon, are taking part in a run to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital. If you would like to donate to their cause and support them in their run, you can make a donation here, no matter how small.
Next Wednesday 16th October is our Year 7 Information Evening, an opportunity for Year 7 families to come into school to meet with form tutors for an informal chance to discuss how the first half term has gone for your child. Families will hear from Mr Yilmaz, the Head of Year, before heading to a classroom to hear from your child’s form tutor(s) to hear how the tutor group has got on. It is normally a very busy evening, so if families have got specific questions that they would like answered, you are most welcome to email Tina Thorp, Assistant Headteacher t.thorp@kelmscott.waltham.sch.uk , we will then try to ensure that these questions are answered by either Mr Yilmaz or form tutors on the night.
From my point of view, Year 7 have made an exceptional start to their five-year journey, they continue to impress in all that they do.
Wednesday is also our EAL Evening. Individual families have been invited in for some important conversations about how best to support your child through their five-year journey. The evening will consist of a presentation followed by a question and answer session giving you the chance to ask about your child's learning as well as further opportunities available to your child here in Kelmscott. We very much look forward to seeing families there.
Ms Riaz, Head of Year 11 wrote to families this week informing them of the upcoming Year 11 mock exams, which take place from 4th November - 13th of November. A copy of the mock exam timetable for Year 11 may be viewed here. Ms Riaz emphasised the importance of these exams, they are a crucial part of a students preparation for their final GCSE exams, offering a valuable opportunity to assess their progress and identify areas where further revision is needed. Some recommendations to help with revision and revision planning include:
A structured revision plan: Encourage your child to create a balanced revision timetable, dedicating time to all subjects. Starting early and revising consistently will help reduce stress as the exams approach.
Practice with past papers: Familiarising themselves with past exam questions will allow your child to better understand the format and improve their exam technique.
Attendance at interventions: We run mandatory after-school and lunchtime intervention sessions for many subjects. Please encourage your child to take advantage of these opportunities.
A copy of the intervention timetable may be viewed here. As always, if you have any questions about the mock exams or would like further advice on how to support your child during this period, please do not hesitate to contact the school. We wish Year 11 well with their mock exams.
We have seen a large accumulation of lost property this half term. I would like to remind families, if your child has lost an item of uniform (including shoes and PE kit) please ask them to check the lost property, located by the main office. Any items of lost property remaining at the end of the day on Friday 25th October will be repurposed or disposed off.
Next Thursday 17th October is a non-uniform day for students. Students must bring £2 in for the privilege of wearing their own clothes.
Finally, congratulations to the following students who have topped the rewards points charts for their respective year groups last week, with a particular mention to Anzal Zubair in 10E who achieved the highest number of rewards points in the entire school – keep up the good work.
Year 7, Lily Adamo in 7E with 22 points
Year 8, Tabitha Mastrangelo in 8C with 26 points
Year 9, Jude Cambridge Brown in 9K with 27 points
Year 10, Anzal Zubair in 10E with 30 points
Year 11, Lu'Ay Parvez in 11E and Petar Stefanov in 11C both with 20 points.
With every good wish,
Mr Sam Jones
Headteacher
Comments