Headteacher's Weekly Update 39 - Friday 18th July 2025

Dear Parents/Carers

I hope this letter finds you and your families well. This will be my final update before we break up for the summer holidays.

I am incredibly proud of all that we have achieved together this academic year; there is much to celebrate as a school community.  Kelmscott’s reputation as a destination school continues to grow, and I look ahead with real optimism as we build on this momentum and strive to make our school the very best it can be.

This has been an extraordinary twelve months at Kelmscott.  It is hard to know where to begin;  from pop stars performing in our school hall, to the incredible school production, School of Rock and the opening of our fantastic 4G astroturf pitch. The year has been packed with hundreds of co-curricular opportunities: clubs, trips, workshops, residentials and competitions.

We successfully navigated a rigorous Ofsted inspection, welcomed our brilliant Year 7 cohort (what a journey they have had), celebrated sporting triumphs, crowned chess champions and watched our talented musicians win Battle of the Bands. 

There are far too many highlights to list, apologies for the many wonderful moments I have not mentioned here.

None of this would be possible without the outstanding dedication of our staff, both teaching and support. They give their all to help every young person flourish and I am deeply grateful for all they do. 

I must also thank our students, whose energy, curiosity and pride in their school inspire us daily.  And finally, a heartfelt thank you to you, our parents and carers, for your continued support and partnership. Working together with families is vital to our shared aim of raising happy, well-rounded and successful young people.

As promised in last week’s update, I am delighted to share the latest publication from Comic Club — Alien, a brilliant Year 8 collaboration.

Year 8 have truly impressed me with their creativity and imagination through this exciting comic project. Alien tells the story of two extraterrestrials who arrive on Earth to steal weapons, only to find themselves caught in an unexpected battle.  The comic bursts with humour, suspense, and action, brought to life through colourful, detailed illustrations.

It has been fantastic to see how students used visual storytelling, expressive dialogue, and thoughtful design to create such an engaging piece from start to finish.

A huge thank you to Ms Henry and the Comic Club.  I know Ms Henry was incredibly proud of the effort, teamwork and originality shown throughout the project.

Please do take a moment to enjoy Alien.

This week we had the pleasure of welcoming a Chinese delegation to Kelmscott, who joined us as part of a cultural exchange.  Students from the delegation were shadowed by Kelmscott buddies and together they shared learning experiences, built new friendships and celebrated global citizenship.  It was a joyful and valuable encounter for everyone involved.

Our annual Sports Days and Activities Days took place this week and were a great success.  We introduced a more ambitious, traditional format this year, still inclusive and fun for all, but with even more opportunities for students to showcase their talents. 

The sun shone (from behind the clouds), the competition was fierce and we were all reminded just how much energy and ability our students have.  A huge thank you to Mr Fuschillo and the PE team for their efforts in organising such superb events.

In addition, our inter-form rounders competitions showcased the very best of Kelmscott’s team spirit and sporting values.  Thank you to Ms Shepherd for providing this enthusiastic summary:

"The rounders tournaments were fantastic! 9C were the winners in Year 9, while 10M took the title for Year 10. It was great to see so many students participating and enjoying the team spirit."

This week also saw our Year 10 students visit Waltham Forest College.  This was a valuable opportunity for them to experience a post-16 environment and begin thinking about the range of pathways available to them after GCSEs.  It is so important that students start exploring their options early and we encourage families to continue these conversations over the summer.

I would like to highlight a careers opportunity for Year 11 students:  Lloyds Banking Group, along with their in-house legal team, is offering a two-day virtual law work experience this summer, running from Tuesday 29th to Wednesday 30th July 2025, 10am–2pm each day.  This is a fantastic opportunity for any students interested in pursuing a career in law or finance.  For more information and to register, please see here.

As the year ends, we prepare to say goodbye to several members of staff who are moving on to new adventures.

Mr Eley, our Deputy Headteacher, leaves us to take up a Head of School role in Asia, a remarkable achievement and one we are very proud of.

We also say farewell to Mr Ahmed, Ms Roe, and Ms Saaid from our English department, Ms Ali from Maths and our Student Health Manager, Ms Stoffell, who will be taking up an exciting new role within our community as a Special School and Complex Needs Nurse, where she will continue supporting children and their families.

We are so grateful to each of them for their contributions in the classroom and their care and commitment beyond it.  They will all be greatly missed and we wish them the very best in their next chapters.

Once Kelmscott, always Kelmscott.

For information on activities taking place in Waltham Forest for children and young people over the school holidays, please see here. Waltham Forest has lots of free activities to offer young people, from multisports and basketball to podcasting, crafts, cooking, gaming and music and video production.  Please see here for the Space4All programme. I have also included the Waltham Forest Youth Service directory, which I hope you will find helpful.

• Discover Your Summer – Waltham Forest Free offers a wide directory of free activities during the school holidays, including events, art trails, exhibitions, and outdoor adventures.

• Mission Grove will be running a holiday provision from 28th July to 14th August, offering a range of exciting activities including sport, cooking, performing arts, and arts & crafts. For more information, please see here.

• Salaam Peace Girls’ Football Festival – Saturday 19th July, 9:45am–11:30am.  Families are warmly invited to attend this fantastic community event, which celebrates women’s sport and the Euros.  It is a great opportunity for girls to get active, build confidence and enjoy the fun and excitement of football in a friendly and inclusive environment. For more information please see here.

• Additionally, for families with children aged 5 to 11, I have included details from The Hive, which runs a summer holiday programme that may be of interest to you.

  
  

If you are on certain benefits, including Universal Credit, your child may be able to get free school meals during term time, as well as free support during the school holidays. 

It is worth noting that you may need to re-apply for free school meals every year. A timely reminder to check if your child is entitled to free school meals.  

Key dates - Start of Autumn Term

• Monday 1st September – Staff Inset Day

• Tuesday 2nd September – Year 7 only

• Wednesday 3rd September – Whole school return, 8.40am

  
  

A reminder that school finishes at 12:40pm on Wednesday 23rd July and students will be dismissed from then.

I will write again towards the end of August with important updates ahead of the new academic year. 

Finally, congratulations to our year group winners, your consistent effort and positive attitude are truly commendable.  A special mention goes to Filip Ionescu in 8S, who earned an impressive 39 reward points last week, the highest across the entire school.

• Year 7, Aaron Singh, Ruari Cullinane and Alanah Gairey in 7C with a hat trick of 22 points each

• Year 8, Filip Ionescu in 8S with 39 points

• Year 9, Dima Shehab in 9O with 26 points

• Year 10, Imad Mahmoud in 10M with 17 points 

  
  

Thank you once again for your continued support throughout the year. I hope your summer is filled with rest, fun and lasting family memories.  We look forward to welcoming everyone back in September for another exciting year at Kelmscott.

With every good wish for a fabulous summer,

Mr Sam Jones 

Headteacher