Dear Parents/Carers
I hope this letter finds you and your families well; a Friday update for you as always.
Another busy week for us in school, in terms of opportunities that students have been taking advantage of.
On Wednesday the Computing Department again took students from a mixture of year groups to the Sky Guild Gaming Academy. The day involved a tour of the London Headquarters whilst exploring sponsorships, current gaming players, and career opportunities in the Esports gaming industry. Additionally, students had a session with a pro-player psychologist, exploring the range of emotions experienced when gaming and strategies on how to manage them; this linked closely to our STORM characteristics involving self-control, tolerance, resilience, and motivation. The day culminated in a gaming tournament and a racing car simulation experience which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Sky Guild Academy are also offering a free online safety session at their office (E1 6JT) in Shoreditch this Sunday 26th November 2023 between 10am-2pm. Parents can learn how to game (on Fortnite) with their child and learn about how to keep their children safe when gaming. Booking is required which can be found here.
The Kelmscott Chess Championships began this week too, and will continue over the next few weeks. Best of luck to everyone involved; the top players will be selected to represent Kelmscott at the Borough championships in the new year. I look forward to hearing how it progresses.
On Thursday we were proud to host The Big Climate Conversation in our school hall. Hundreds of young people from across the local authority came together, to discuss some crucial issues for our planet. I will include more details about this is next week’s update.
Our basketball teams were in action this week with some positive results and performances to report. Year 7 boys and girls teams had their first game. Year 7 boys lost 18 - 10 to Buxton and the Year 7 girls narrowly missed out to Lammas losing just 10 - 8. Our Year 10/11 boys team and Year 8 boys team both played Norlington with Year 10/11 winning 71 - 27 and year 8 winning 22 - 18. Everyone played well.
Girls football continues to be extremely popular with 35+ girls attending training this week; it is great to see such enthusiasm for the sport. Our Year 7s team represented Kelmscott this week playing two games, both resulting in clean sheet results of 0-0. Fantastic goalkeeping from Hayley and some skillful defending and attacking, with near misses from Ruxandra and Rebecca. I’m very excited to follow the progress of our fabulous sportswomen.
Next week we are looking forward to a group of Year 9,10 and 11 students beginning an exciting one-year programme with The Old Vic After Schools Club. Kelmscott School is one of 40 state secondary schools across London to participate in workshops and theatre visits encouraging and inspiring the next generation of theatre-makers. Students will be introduced to a broad range of non-performing roles, all of which support the Drama GCSE Curriculum. The first workshop, led by an industry professional on the use of stage lighting will be followed by a trip to The Old Vic Theatre to see a seasonal favourite 'A Christmas Carol' starring Christopher Eccleston. I look forward to sharing how this went with families next week.
The Kelmscott Youth Health Champions saw me this week, to ask if I could push the following in this week’s letter. This active student group would like to focus on the mental health of their peers, an important topic. They have asked me to signpost Kooth, a free service that strives to, “lighten our minds”. More information and details can be found here; Kooth
Our Year 11s have been directed to some more insightful career events this week, I will of course share with families any further opportunities as and when they become available:
Insight into TFL (Transport for London) Virtual Event - Tuesday 28th November 5.00pm-6.30pm. Targeted at students looking to get into Engineering, Business and Technology. The application link can be found here.
AICPA CIMA Virtual Insight Event - Wednesday 29th November 2023, 5.00pm - 6.30pm. Targeted to students looking to get into Accounting, Finance & Investment Management, and Business. The application link can be found here.
A reminder to our Year 9 families that next Thursday 30th November is our Progress Evening. This is a crucial evening for our Year 9s, as feedback will be given on progress in each of their subjects by their subject teachers. We will also talk through the data shared on their reports, as they have now moved to the 9-1 GCSE grading. We look forward to seeing you there.
Finally, well done to Yan Lin Weng in 9O who amassed the most rewards points last week with twenty-five, keep up the good work.
Mr Sam Jones
Headteacher