Headteacher's Weekly Update 28 - Friday 24th April 2026

Dear Parents and Carers

I hope this letter finds you and your family well; a Friday update for you as always.

Attendance for the week  of 13th - 17th April 2026 was 93%, which is a step in the right direction. Thank you for your continued support in this area. We know that attending school is not always straightforward and, for some students, can cause anxiety.  However, regular attendance is so important for both academic progress and overall wellbeing.  We will continue to support students sensitively, but also encourage all families to do everything possible to maintain strong attendance and help us push this figure even higher.

Attendance by Year group:

• Year 7 93.67%

• Year 8 93.42%

• Year 9 90.21%

• Year 10 96.17%

• Year 11 89.04%

  
  

This week, we have marked Sustainability Day, with a particular focus on the impact of plastic waste. Through assemblies and activities, students have explored what happens to plastic when it is not disposed of responsibly.  Plastic pollution is a significant global issue, with the UK producing more plastic waste per person than many other countries.  Much of this waste is exported to countries that do not have the infrastructure to process it safely, leading to it being burned, causing health issues or entering rivers, lakes and oceans, where it can have devastating consequences for ecosystems.  Students collected plastic water bottles to help us calculate the scale of our own waste as a school community.  This will allow us to better understand our environmental impact and consider how we can reduce it.  I look forward with interest to sharing updates from Ms Hill and our climate ambassadors in future updates.

Looking ahead, we are hosting a Careers Fair next Wednesday for our Year 8 and Year 10 students. This is an important opportunity for them to explore future pathways and begin to think about their aspirations. 

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 Session 3 lesson via Google Classroom.  It is essential that this work is completed, as it builds directly on their current learning and ensures they do not fall behind.  If your child does not have a suitable space to work at home, or if both parents are at work, they are welcome to remain in school to complete the lesson.  Please contact your child’s Head of Year if this is required.

You may recall that in last week’s update to families, I mentioned that on Friday 17th April 2026, our Year 10 Kelmscott Economics group made their annual visit to the Houses of Parliament.  Although the House of Commons and the House of Lords were not in session, students took part in a guided tour of both chambers, where they explored their rich history and gained insight into their vital role in the United Kingdom’s democracy.  As part of the visit, students also participated in an engaging workshop focused on the petitions process and how proposals can develop into law. The winning proposal suggested that all salaries should be aligned with inflation, reflecting the cost of living.  While this idea may not be entirely feasible, it was impressive to see our students confidently debate, justify, and advocate for their ideas.

As we approach the end of the academic year, we need to finalise the plans for our year group trips. These trips are an important part of school life, providing opportunities for students to build relationships, celebrate the year, and create lasting memories with their peers.  We strongly encourage all students to attend, even if the destination is not something they would usually choose. The alternative will be remaining in school to complete independent work.  As always, if cost may be a barrier to taking part, please contact Ms Andrews, we will do our best to support where we can. 

Further details for each year group are as follows:

• Year 7:  Adventure Island, Southend-on-Sea, Thursday 9th July 2026

• Year 8:  Nuclear Races, Brentwood, Thursday 9th July 2026 

• Year 9: Nuclear Races, Brentwood, Wednesday 8th July 2026

• Year 10:  Activity day - Wise up - On site, Wednesday 8th July 2026

  
  

We are pleased to be launching the Smile-ing Girls Project, building on the success of our long-standing Smile-ing Boys programme.  Led by Kay Rufai and his fantastic team, this initiative is designed to support students’ wellbeing, confidence and personal development, through a series of structured sessions and mentoring opportunities.

On Thursday 23rd April, our first cohort of Year 10 girls met with facilitators and began a programme of workshops that will culminate in an exhibition of their portraits at the end of June.  The students were fully engaged and shared how valuable it felt to be in a space where others had similar experiences, as well as the opportunity to connect with peers they had not previously socialised with.   I am looking forward to seeing and sharing the outcomes of this powerful and inspiring project.  Further information, including how to access the programme, can be found here.

In the meantime, a display of portraits from the last two Smile-ing Boys cohorts is available in reception.  You are very welcome to visit and view these striking and thoughtful pieces of work.

We have been asked to share information about a community event taking place on Saturday 9th May at Waltham Forest Leisure Centre.  The police will be hosting a Bike Marking Event from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.  This is a great opportunity for families to have bicycles security-marked and receive advice on keeping them safe.

Felix Fresh has asked us to share with families that, unfortunately, the sessions scheduled for this month and next will not be taking place due to a shortage in food supplies.  The next Felix Fresh session will be in June. 

Sports now;  I am pleased  to share that Kaelan Kwateng in Year 8 has been representing the Waltham Forest Under 13 district football team, who have reached both the Essex Cup Final and the ESFA National Champions Cup Plate Final.  This is a remarkable achievement and, to our knowledge, the first time a Waltham Forest side has reached a national cup final since 1968.  Congratulations to Kaelan and his teammates.   A proud moment for all the team - we wish them luck.

Last week, our Year 8 students played their final netball fixtures of the competition.  Team A secured victories in both of their games, while Team B narrowly missed out on a win in one of theirs.  Ms Shepherd comments that it was fantastic to see such strong performances from all players, and it has been a real pleasure to watch both teams develop over the course of the season.  Team A, captained by Ellie Nickson, will now progress to the finals on Monday 27th April at Walthamstow School for Girls. We wish the team the very best of luck.

Athletics has also begun this week for our Year 9 and 10 students.  The competition will run through to mid-June, with a finals day scheduled for July.  We look forward to seeing how our teams progress.

Please note that the INSET day previously shown on Edulink as the first Friday in July has been updated to align with the date published on the school website.  The correct INSET day is Monday 6th July 2026.  We apologise for any confusion this may have caused and thank you for your continued support.

Congratulations to our reward points winners for the week 13th - 17th April 2026:

• Year 7, Flyn Steel in 7C with 20 points

• Year 8, David Botezatu in 8S with 13 points

• Year 9, Leo Webb in 9L and Eissa Akhtar in 9O both with 12 points

• Year 10, a hat trick for Hajra Yasir in 10E and Elizabeth Pater and Alyssa Memon in 10T all with 5 points

• Year 11, Kitty Boniface in 11E with 10 points.

  
  

A special well done to Flyn Steel in 7C, who was the overall top reward points winner across the school last week, earning 20 points.

With every good wish,

Mr Sam Jones 

Headteacher