Headteacher's Weekly Update 27 - Friday 17th April 2026

Dear Parents and Carers

I hope this letter finds you and your family well and that you had a restful and enjoyable Easter break.

Attendance for the final week of last term was 92%. While this is a slight improvement, it is not yet at the level we expect. Every day in school truly does count. 

Next week, form tutors will hold “traffic light” conversations with students, identifying whether they are currently Green, Amber or Red for attendance. These conversations are being conducted in a measured and supportive way, with a clear focus on helping every student either maintain a strong position or improve by moving up a category. I spent time this week looking through the attendance traffic light data. I must say it is very impressive to see how many students still have a 99-100% attendance record. I also note a number of individual cases where students have overcome the odds to sustain a good attendance record. Many thanks for your efforts, they do not go unnoticed.  The link between attendance and academic success is very strong, and we will continue to work closely with families to ensure every student is in school, every day, ready to learn.

Attendance Year group attendance:

• Year 7 93.57%

• Year 8 93.24%

• Year 9 90.49%

• Year 10 93.69%

• Year 11 87.03%

  
  

You will have received my message earlier today informing families that a road traffic accident took place on the corner of Markhouse Road and Queens Road this morning just after 8.30am. Thankfully no Kelmscott students or staff were involved or harmed. We understand that both drivers were able to walk away from the incident. Such incidents emphasise the importance of being present in the moment on students' journeys to and from school. Mobile phones in pockets and eyes and ears well and truly open. A conversation and reminder to pick up this weekend with your child this weekend perhaps.

We are aware of issues relating to a recent ParentMail update. This was not a planned update by the school and is, unfortunately, outside of our control.  We are working to resolve any issues you may be experiencing with ParentMail. In the meantime, we encourage you to follow the troubleshooting guidance provided by Ms Scotchmer which can also be accessed here.  If the issue persists after completing the troubleshooting steps, please reply to Ms Scotchmer’s original email with the requested information so that we can investigate further.  We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you, as always, for your patience and understanding.

Our Year 11 students have now begun their examinations in practical subjects. This marks the start of the final and most important phase of their GCSE journey. It is vital that students are working hard every evening, whilst also ensuring they maintain some balance and downtime. I often speak to students about three groups: those who work hard in and out of lessons and achieve highly; those who work hard in lessons but not beyond and do reasonably well; and those who do not apply themselves consistently and fall short of their potential. The message is clear, sacrifice now will reap dividends later. We are encouraging all Year 11 students to commit fully in these final weeks.

Year 10 students have approached their exams this week with real maturity and focus. These assessments are a crucial checkpoint in their GCSE courses, and I have been impressed with the serious and respectful manner in which they have conducted themselves. This bodes very well for their future success.

I am pleased highlight the range of enriching opportunities our students continue to enjoy;

Our Year 8 students visited Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre  on Wednesday, enjoying a valuable cultural and educational experience. Miss Hussain shared that the trip was a great success, with students fully engaged throughout the tour. They asked thoughtful questions and showed genuine interest in the theatre’s history and design. Many were particularly intrigued by seeing the stage being set up and appreciated the opportunity to glimpse behind the scenes.  A highlight of the visit was a practical workshop based on Macbeth, where students worked collaboratively to rehearse and perform a short extract, guided by a professional actor. There was plenty of laughter as they stepped outside their comfort zones, all students embraced the challenge and represented the school brilliantly.  It was fantastic to see such enthusiasm and participation from everyone, making the day both enjoyable and memorable. A special mention goes to Natalie Kreisz, Mason Lowe, Ciara Galloway, Matthew Zakharkov and Nassim Zebboudji for their excellent effort throughout the day.

Mr Carceres led a group of Year 10 students on a trip to The Houses of Parliament today, I will look forward to sharing more details with you in my update to families next week.    

Looking ahead, we are excited to celebrate Sustainability Day on Wednesday 22nd April. This coincides with Earth Day,  a global event which highlights the importance of protecting our environment.  

There will be an extra,  sustainability themed non-uniform day on 22nd April, which will raise money for a new bottle water fountain for the school as campaigned for by students. The new fountain will enable students to refill their water bottles during the day and reduce plastic waste.  Students are invited to wear non-uniform in earth colours (greens and blues) and we ask for a £2 online contribution

Our Climate Ambassadors have organised a wide range of activities and talks to mark the day and raise awareness of sustainability across the school, including:

• A talk by Gianluca Rendina from Hugh Broughton Architects, sharing insights into the design of the Halley VI Research Station in Antarctica, as well as other landmark projects such as the Palm House at Kew Gardens.

• A Climate Justice workshop for Year 7, led by Gen Earth, exploring how climate change impacts communities differently and encouraging students to plan their own actions.

• A Year 8 debate workshop led by Gen Earth, considering the question: Is wildlife vital in the fight against climate change?

• The Kelmscott Wildlife Photography Competition, where students will have three weeks to capture images of wildlife in Waltham Forest. The winner will receive a trip to a local ecosystem to learn digital SLR photography, and selected entries will be displayed at the end-of-year GCSE Art and Photography Exhibition.

  
  

Students interested in taking part in any of these, frankly astonishing, events should sign up with Ms Hill in K213 on Monday.

You may recall from my weekly update on 26th March 2026 that our Year 10 Art students took part in a printmaking workshop led by UCL. We are delighted to share that a selection of their work has now been chosen for exhibition as part of a celebration event.  The exhibition will take place at UCL East from 21st April, alongside work from students at neighbouring colleges. Parents of participating students will shortly receive an invitation to the private view, with further information via EduLink.  We would be delighted to see as many students and families there as possible to support and celebrate this fantastic achievement.  Please see here for event details. 

This week, I have had the privilege of leading assemblies focused on the recent Artemis II mission. We explored not only the remarkable achievement of returning humans to the Moon, but also the personal journeys of the astronauts involved, highlighting the resilience, hard work and patience required to reach such extraordinary heights. Students were particularly inspired to learn about the historic nature of the mission, including the first black man and the first woman to travel to the Moon demonstrating how barriers continue to be broken through determination and perseverance.

I am pleased to share an opportunity from our local community. Friend of the school and Walthamstow resident Les Capon will be speaking at All Hallows on Thursday 30th April at 5:30pm. As a supervising archaeologist during the construction of the Queen Mother Centre, he will share fascinating insights into discoveries made and what they reveal about our local history. This promises to be an engaging and enriching evening for those able to attend.

Some more information now about Bee Zee Bodies lifestyle courses, which support families with healthy living and wellbeing. Beezee Families, a FREE healthy lifestyle programme that our nutritionists deliver across Waltham Forest. The 12-week programme supports families to build healthy habits around food and physical activity.  Visit the BeeZee Families Waltham Forest website for more details.

A reminder that the school will move to online learning for session 3 only on Thursday 30th April. Students will be dismissed at 12:40pm, but must complete the work set for their Period 3 lesson via Google Classroom. This work is an essential continuation of their curriculum learning, and failure to complete it will leave students behind when lessons resume. This adjustment allows staff to take part in a Middle Leader Conference, which is key to continuing to drive improvement across the school.

Congratulations to our reward points winners for the week 23rd - 27th March 2026:

• Year 7, Sky Ashworth-Jones in 7C with 54 points

• Year 8, Felitia Abenou in  8O with 35 points

• Year 9, Dylan Ware in 9M with 34 points

• Year 10, Maryiam Mujahid in 10L with 32 points

• Year 11, a hat trick for Amelie Molloy in 11L, Iris Stoian in 11K and Amanullah Hussain in 11K with 24 points each.

Special mention to Sky Ashworth-Jones (7C), who achieved an outstanding 54 points, the most in the entire school. A fantastic effort and thoroughly deserved recognition.  

With every good wish,

Mr Sam Jones 

Headteacher