Headteacher's Weekly Update 3 - Friday 18th September 2026

Dear Parents and Carers

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

Another busy and positive week at Kelmscott. Students continue to settle extremely well into the routines of the new academic year and there is a lovely sense of purpose around the school.  Thank you, as always, for your continued support at home.

Whole-school attendance last week was 92.4%, a slight improvement on the previous week but still some way from where we want it to be.

We continue to work through a number of students who moved out of the area during the summer but cannot formally be removed from our roll until we have confirmation of their new school.  This is having some impact on our early figures, although there is clearly work for us to do beyond this.

A huge well done to Year 7, who are leading the school with a superb 98% attendance – exactly our school target.  An excellent start; the challenge now is to keep it up.

Congratulations to this week's Reward Points winners:

Year 7: Hela Yawar (7T) – 26 points

Year 8: Roisin Khan (8M) and Claire Berberi (8L) – 18 points each

Year 9: Elma Ovemerutho (9L) – 18 points

Year 10: Abdul Raheem Hussain (10K) and Amina Yusaf (10L) – 30 points each

Year 11: Zikrea Turkmani (11E) – 56 points 

A particular congratulations to Zikrea Turkmani in 11E, who achieved an extremely impressive 56 Reward Points last week.  I challenged Year 11 at the beginning of term to set the standard for our younger students and show them how we do things around here.  They continue to rise to that challenge.

As a reminder, the totals published in my Friday letter relate to the preceding week.

Today we held our Freshers'-style Clubs Fair, giving students an opportunity to explore the enormous range of activities available beyond the classroom.  Our staff have volunteered to run an extraordinary 56 different clubs across the school, with 39 available to Year 7 students alone.  Sport, music, creative activities, academic interests and much more are represented.  It is a remarkable offer and I am extremely grateful to the colleagues giving their time to make it possible.

My message to students remains the same: get involved. Some of the most memorable experiences, friendships and achievements in school happen beyond lessons.

We held two very successful family events this week.

Wednesday's KS3 Teaching and Learning Evening gave families an opportunity to explore what learning looks like in a Kelmscott classroom.  We had an excellent turnout and received some extremely useful feedback, which we were able to share with teaching staff yesterday evening.

Our Year 11 (KS4) Exam Revision Techniques Evening was equally well attended.  Families explored the model of learning which underpins our work with staff and discussed practical strategies that can help knowledge move into long-term memory and, importantly, be retrieved when students need it.   Our approach is informed by Teaching WalkThrus, the professional learning programme we use with our teachers, which draws on evidence from cognitive science about how students learn.

Thank you to everyone who attended both evenings.  School works best when students, families and staff understand the learning process and work together.

Next week we look forward to opening our doors to prospective Year 7 families for our Open Evening.  It is always one of my favourite evenings of the year: an opportunity for families to see lessons and activities, explore our facilities, meet staff and, most importantly, speak to our students about their experience of Kelmscott.  We are incredibly proud of our school and look forward to welcoming prospective families.

I want to repeat an important message from last week's letter because the eligibility rules for Free School Meals have changed significantly.  From September 2026, all students in households receiving Universal Credit are eligible for Free School Meals, regardless of household income.   This means that your child may qualify even if they have not previously been eligible.  We strongly encourage every family receiving Universal Credit to check their eligibility and register. 

If you have any difficulties with the process, please contact us.  We will be very happy to help.

The Department for Education announced proposed new School Food Standards this week, due to take effect from September 2027 subject to Parliamentary approval.  The direction is very welcome: more fresh fruit and vegetables, more fibre-rich foods and fewer foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt.  This very much reinforces the message I shared before the summer.  We want our students to eat well because good nutrition supports health, concentration and learning.  Our canteen provides balanced meals and we encourage families sending packed lunches to adopt the same principle.

A reminder therefore, that large bags of crisps, large quantities of sweets, multipacks of doughnuts and similar items should not be brought into school.  Where students bring these items in, they will be confiscated.  This is not about banning the occasional treat.  It is about helping young people establish healthy habits and ensuring that what they eat during the school day gives them the energy they need to learn.

On Friday 2nd October, Year 7 students are invited to take part in a special National Poetry Day celebration centred around this year's theme: Wonder.  Students will explore poetry through creative and interactive activities, including a Wonder Hunt, experimenting with language, creating their own poetry and developing speaking and performance skills.

We are also delighted to welcome guest poet Ollie O'Neill, who will lead a special session and give students an opportunity to experience poetry beyond the classroom.  Places are limited to 60 students and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.  Students wishing to participate should sign up with Miss Muzamil in W106 during break or lunchtime on Monday 21st September.  It promises to be a wonderful celebration of creativity, curiosity and student voice.

Waltham Forest is inviting families to contribute to its SEND ‘Experts at Hand’ survey.  The views and experiences of families are extremely important in shaping SEND provision locally, so I would encourage parents and carers with relevant experience to take the opportunity to contribute.

We currently have two vacancies for Parent Governors and would love to hear from parents and carers interested in playing a strategic role in the continued improvement of our school.  We particularly want our governing body to reflect the wonderfully diverse community we serve in Walthamstow and therefore welcome applications from all sections of our school community.

Governors do not manage the day-to-day running of the school.  Their role is strategic: providing support and challenge, scrutinising our work and helping ensure that the school continues to improve.  Much of the detailed work takes place through our Learning Committee and Finance Committee. The commitment is approximately two meetings per half-term on a Tuesday from 6.30–8.30pm. 

You do not need to have worked in education or possess any specialist knowledge.  What matters most is a genuine interest in our school, a willingness to ask thoughtful questions and a commitment to helping us provide the very best education for our young people.   If you would like further information or an informal conversation before deciding whether to put yourself forward, please contact my PA, Mrs Adams, who will be very happy to help.

Following meningitis cases nationally and locally in recent years, it is worth reminding families to remain alert to the symptoms.  Meningitis can develop quickly.  Symptoms can include fever, severe headache, vomiting, a stiff neck, dislike of bright lights, drowsiness or difficulty waking, confusion, seizures and sometimes a rash that does not fade when a glass is pressed against it.   Not everyone develops every symptom and they can appear in any order.  Do not wait for a rash if you are concerned that your child is seriously unwell.  Seek urgent medical advice.

Please also ensure that your child's routine vaccinations are up to date.

Thank you again for your continued support.   have packed an enormous amount into the first few weeks of term and it has been particularly pleasing to see our students embracing the opportunities available to them.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mr Sam Jones 

Headteacher