Headteacher's Weekly Update 34 - Friday 12th June 2026

Dear Parents and Carers

I hope this letter finds you and your family well.  As always, a Friday update from me.

Attendance for the week 1st - 5th June 2026 remained at 91%, broadly in line with attendance trends being seen across schools nationally.  There is a clear link between attendance and student outcomes.  Young people who attend school regularly are better placed to achieve academically, build positive relationships and make the most of the opportunities available to them.  Of course we recognise that there can be occasions when attending school feels challenging, as always we remain committed to working closely with families to provide support wherever it is needed.  Thank you for your ongoing partnership and encouragement at home.  Together, we can help ensure that every student makes the most of the weeks ahead and finishes the academic year positively.

Attendance by Year group:

• Year 7 92.70%

• Year 8 91.30%

• Year 9 91.97%

• Year 10 88.97%

• Year 11 85.33%

  
  

Firstly, thank you to all of the families who attended Tutor Parent Day on Thursday.  These meetings are a valuable opportunity to strengthen the partnership between home and school and to reflect on each young person's progress, achievements and next steps.  We know how busy family life can be and appreciate the time that parents and carers took to engage in these conversations.  I hope that families found the meetings useful and that they provided a positive opportunity to discuss how we can continue to work together to best support your child.

As we move into the warmer months, I wanted to draw attention to Drowning Prevention Week, which begins on 13th June.  Tragically, there have been a number of high-profile incidents involving young people losing their lives in open water across the country in recent weeks.  Whilst these stories are incredibly sad, they serve as an important reminder of the dangers that rivers, lakes, reservoirs and other open water environments can present, particularly during periods of warm weather.

We would encourage families to have age-appropriate conversations with their children about water safety.  Young people should never enter open water unsupervised, should avoid jumping into unknown water, and should always look out for friends and others around them.  A few simple conversations can make a significant difference.

We are thrilled by the exceptional level of interest shown by our Year 9 students in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award launch this year, with an incredible number of applications received.  It is fantastic to see so many young people keen to challenge themselves, develop new skills and take advantage of the opportunities that the Award offers. 

To help families understand the programme and the commitment involved, we would like to invite students and their parents/carers to a Duke of Edinburgh Information Evening on: Thursday 2nd July 2026, starting at 6:00pm – 7:00pm.  During the evening, we will explain the different sections of the Bronze Award, outline the expectations of participants and discuss how parents and carers can best support their child throughout their DofE journey.

Given the significant level of interest this year, we strongly encourage every student to attend with at least one parent or carer.  Mr Lowe and Miss Kelly are looking forward to welcoming you and sharing more about what promises to be an exciting and rewarding experience.

Twenty-five Kelmscott students attended the Big Bang Fair at the NEC in Birmingham on Wednesday, one of the UK's largest celebrations of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).  The event provided students with an exciting opportunity to explore a wide range of STEM careers, engage with industry professionals and participate in hands-on activities designed to develop their curiosity, creativity and problem-solving skills.  Throughout the day, students worked on practical challenges, gaining valuable experience in teamwork, communication and technical thinking.

The visit was both inspiring and informative, helping students to broaden their understanding of the opportunities available within STEM industries.  Feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive, with many reporting increased confidence and a greater interest in pursuing STEM-related subjects and careers in the future.

Also on Wednesday evening, Kelmscott proudly entered two bands into the Waltham Forest Battle of the Bands 2026 competition at Leyton Sixth Form College.   Representing the school were Prunes and Custard, who delivered an energetic performance of Boys Don't Cry by The Cure, and Rule of Sock, who had the audience singing along to Avril Lavigne's Sk8er Boi.  Both bands performed brilliantly and were enthusiastically supported by their families and friends throughout the evening.

Although we did not take home the top prize this year, our musicians represented the school with confidence, talent and enthusiasm.  They thoroughly enjoyed the experience and are already discussing what songs they might perform next year.   Performances can be viewed here: Waltham Forest Music Service Present Battle Of The Bands 2026!  Prunes and Custard – 1:39 and Rule of Sock – 2:17.

Today saw students studying Business Studies visit KPMG as part of their curriculum enrichment programme.  The visit provided valuable insight into how businesses operate in practice and enabled students to see first-hand, many of the concepts they study in the classroom.  Experiences such as these help bring learning to life and support students in understanding the many pathways available to them in the future.

PE now, unfortunately, a number of events were cancelled due to the poor weather; however, there was still another highly successful evening for our Year 7 and Year 8 girls' athletics teams.

Congratulations to Iris Bogan (7C), who finished first in her 100m heat, and Sky Ashworth-Jones (7C), who secured second place in her heat.  Myah Farrugia and Talihya Lottrie continued their impressive form this season, both finishing first in their respective 200m heats.  A special well done also goes to Eleanor Nickson (8C), who achieved an excellent second place in the 800m race. The evening concluded with strong performances from both relay teams.  The Year 7 relay team secured a fantastic third-place finish, while the Year 8 relay team finished an impressive second against strong competition.

Well done to all of our athletes for their determination, resilience and excellent representation of Kelmscott. 

Seven Kelmscott students proudly represented the school at the Panathlon Challenge on Tuesday, a national charity event that provides inclusive sporting opportunities for young people with disabilities and special educational needs.  Throughout the day, students took part in a variety of activities designed to challenge both physical and cognitive skills, including target-based games, coordination challenges and team events.  Our students approached each activity with enthusiasm, determination and encouragement for one another.  Despite being one of the youngest teams in the competition, competing against older participants aged 14–16, our students rose to the challenge.  Their resilience, teamwork and positive attitude were rewarded with an impressive third-place finish. The Panathlon Challenge provided a wonderful opportunity for students to develop confidence, strengthen teamwork and leadership skills and proudly represent Kelmscott. We are proud of their achievement.

Our Year 8, 9 and 10 Sports Leaders were delighted to support Barn Croft Primary School's Annual Sports Day for the third consecutive year this morning.  The weather was kind, spirits were high and the event was a great success.  Our students led ten activity stations, offering a wide variety of challenges that encouraged participation, teamwork, healthy competition and fun.  Throughout the morning, the Sports Leaders demonstrated maturity, enthusiasm and excellent leadership skills.  It is always an absolute privilege to be invited to support this event, and it is always so lovely to hear such glowing feedback about our students from both staff and families.  We are very proud of the way they represented Kelmscott and the positive role models they continue to be within our local community.

Well done to all students who have represented the school and to the staff who continue to provide such a wide range of sporting opportunities.

Thursday 18th June is Thank a Teacher Day.  Whilst it is always nice to have a dedicated day to recognise the work of teachers and support staff, I hope our students and families do not wait for a designated date to express their appreciation.  Schools are successful because of the extraordinary commitment, care and expertise of the adults who work within them every day.  A kind word, email or simple thank you always goes a very long way.

Following on from last week's update regarding mobile phones and social media, there have been further developments nationally.  The Prime Minister has announced that technology companies have been given three months to strengthen protections designed to prevent children from taking, sharing or viewing nude images on smartphones and tablets.   Companies are being asked to make better use of existing technology to detect and block such content, with the possibility of further legislation if sufficient progress is not made.  It has also been widely reported that the government is considering further restrictions on under-16s accessing harmful social media platforms.   As families know, we continue to monitor developments closely and will always seek to make decisions that support young people's safety, wellbeing and learning.

Our Computing department is always excited to support cutting-edge research that helps shape the future of Computing education.  With this in mind, students in Years 7, 8, 9, and 10 are being invited to participate in a national research project with King’s College London titled "Voices of Tomorrow: Young People's Evolving Perspectives on AI Technologies."

Students will complete a short, 20-minute survey during their regular Computing lessons over the next two weeks to share their views on artificial intelligence.  The survey asks for some basic demographic details (such as gender and ethnicity).  Please be reassured that all data is strictly anonymised and confidential.  Neither individual students nor our school will be identified in any published results.  Participation is voluntary - students or parents can choose to opt out or withdraw consent either before the survey takes place, or up to two weeks afterward.   If you would prefer your child not to take part, please contact Mr Lowe (r.lowe@kelmscott.waltham.sch.uk) by email to inform him.   For more details on the study, please find the full King’s College London Parent Information Document here to read about how this research explores best practices in computing education.

We have been asked to support The Big Future, a national survey being led by the Children's Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza.  The survey seeks to gather the views, experiences and aspirations of children and young people from every community across the country.  The findings will help inform future government policy affecting children and young people.  We would encourage students to take part and ensure that the voices of young people from Kelmscott are represented in this important national conversation.

The Big Future survey - have your say!

We are pleased to share an exciting opportunity for students interested in film, television and the creative industries.  The London Screen Academy is running a series of free "Get Behind the Camera" workshops, providing young people with the chance to explore careers in film production, camera work, editing and storytelling.  The creative industries continue to be one of the fastest-growing sectors of the UK economy and opportunities such as these provide valuable insight into potential future career pathways.  Further information can be found via the Summerversity website.

Finally, to our Year 11 students.  Next Thursday sees the Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2026.  This event marks the culmination of a five-year journey and provides an opportunity for us to celebrate everything that this year group has achieved during their time at Kelmscott.  We are very much looking forward to welcoming families and students for what promises to be a memorable evening.

A reminder of the arrangements:

• Students should arrive promptly at 5.00pm via the main school entrance

• Families should arrive promptly at 6.00pm via the leisure centre entrance

• The ceremony will begin promptly at 6.30pm

• As previously communicated, this is strictly an over-21 event for guests who have signed up

  
  

Year 11 students also have their final GCSE examinations during the first part of next week. The finish line is now firmly in sight.  It has been a long and demanding examination season and I would like to commend students for the resilience, determination and maturity they have shown throughout. We are incredibly proud of them and wish them every success in these final examinations.

Congratulations to our reward points winners from last week.  A special mention goes to Filip Ionescu in 9S, who topped the reward charts for the entire school with an impressive 48 points.

Well done also to all of our year group winners and to the many students who continue to demonstrate our values day in and day out.

• Year 7, Mariyah Sheikh in 7K with 31 points

• Year 8, David Botezatu in 8S with 42 points

• Year 9, Filip Ionescu in 9S with 48 points

• Year 10, Samuel Mitchell in 10M with 17 points

• Year 11, Aleka Williams in 11L

  
  

Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

With every good wish,

Mr Sam Jones 

Headteacher