Headteacher's Weekly Update 16 - Friday 9th January 2026

Dear Parents and Carers

I hope this letter finds you and your families well, and that you had a restful and enjoyable holiday break.  Happy New Year to you all.  As we return to school, we do so with renewed energy and a shared readiness for the challenges and opportunities of the new term ahead.

The start of a new calendar year always brings with it a powerful sense of possibility.  It is another opportunity for a fresh start — for students to reflect, reset and work towards becoming the young people they want to be.  Success at school is built on simple but vital foundations: strong attendance, consistent hard work and determination.  These are attainable for all of our students, and we will continue to champion and support them in this.

Attendance in the final week of last term sat at ninety-one per cent. It is worth noting that attendance nationally dipped by around zero point seven per cent compared to the same period last academic year, with cold, flu and sickness bugs taking a significant toll across the country. That said, we know how crucial attendance is to learning and progress, so I would ask for your continued support in prioritising attendance, wherever possible, as we begin this new term.  Let’s make a real collective push.

I am very pleased to share an update on our recent charity fundraising, with all proceeds going to UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the school hardship fund.  As a community, families, students and staff came together in a generous spirit, raising a total of £2,053.  This is a fantastic achievement and money that will make a real and meaningful difference. Thank you for your continued generosity and support.

With the very cold weather this week, I would like to clarify expectations around additional layers. We absolutely understand the need for students to keep warm, and (I hope) common sense always prevails at Kelmscott.  Students are allowed to wear additional base layers such as vests, thermal tops or long johns.  Our only request is that, much like underwear, these layers are not visible.  They should be worn under a long-sleeved shirt and never be seen; with short-sleeved shirts they can sometimes become visible, which we ask families to avoid.  The school jumper provides an additional warm layer, and students may wear a plain black or navy coat outdoors. Woolly hats, gloves and scarves are also appropriate for travelling to and from school as well as break and lunchtimes.

For PE lessons, the department makes careful decisions based on weather conditions, health and safety considerations and the nature of the activity, and will adapt plans where necessary.

Sports now and our Year 10 basketballers were back in action this week, taking on Buxton in an exciting return to competitive play, after the festive break.  The team put in a strong performance, securing a 38–17 victory with some excellent teamwork and energy on both ends of the court.

A special mention goes to Zahed Obaidi (10M), who was named Player of the Match for his brilliant offence, driving the team forward and helping create key scoring opportunities.  Well done to all the players for their commitment and effort and to the students on the scoring table,  a fantastic start to the term.

Please see here for details of the wide range of opportunities available to our students beyond the classroom.  I look forward to sharing further events and opportunities as they arise over the coming weeks.

At the start of every calendar year, I also take the opportunity to remind families about our position on safety.  If a student is found in possession of a weapon in school, or on the way to or from school, the likely consequence will be permanent exclusion.  Please be particularly mindful of items such as multi-tools or ice skate blades, which students may legitimately have at weekends but could be construed as weapons if brought into school.  Similarly, possession of drugs in school or on the journey to and from school is also likely to lead to permanent exclusion. These expectations are clear and are in place to keep our community safe; always my number one priority.

Sometime before the holidays, I shared an update regarding the new Ofsted framework and what it means for schools and families.  The Director of Education at the local authority, Mary Jarrett, has since provided a helpful letter that reinforces and clarifies these points. 

Some local community opportunities that I would like to highlight now:

Waltham Forest offers free programmes for parents and carers to help with communication, behaviour and family life, both online and in person.   Please see here to access the January 2026 Parent and Carer Support Programme guide, to explore sessions and book your place.

This year, as part of their Space4All youth offer, Waltham Forest is offering activities designed for all ages, from juniors (8–12 years) to young adults (up to 25) which include sports, dance, skateboarding, creative workshops, music production and VR gaming.  Many venues also provide hot meals and snacks, creating a welcoming space for young people to learn, be creative and stay active.

Winter Wellness: Stay healthy this winter - please see here the Waltham Forest website page where you will find useful information on keeping warm, getting support with winter fuel payments and boosting your immunity this winter. During winter weather, such as the freezing temperatures we have seen this week, small acts of care can make a big difference for the most vulnerable members of our community.  

Finally, a huge well done to all of our rewards points winners for the week of 15th–19th December 2025, with special congratulations to Loran Osmani in 10M for an outstanding 85 points, the highest in the entire school.  Your effort, attitude and commitment have not gone unnoticed,  keep up the excellent work, everyone:

➪ Year 7, Cosmo Mastrangelo in 7T with 48 points

➪ Year 8, Jake White in 8L with 61 points

➪ Year 9, Tabitha Mastrangelo in 9C and Eliana Ugwunna in 9T with 37 points

➪ Year 10, Loran Osmani in 10M with 85 points

➪ Year 11, Yan Lin Weng in 11O with 64 points

Thank you, as always, for your continued support.  

With every good wish for a happy, healthy and successful 2026.

Mr Sam Jones 

Headteacher