Headteacher's Weekly Update 5 - Friday 3rd October 2025

Dear Parents and Carers

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

We were deeply saddened to hear of the incident at a synagogue in Manchester yesterday.  At moments like this, it is more important than ever that we come together as a community, standing shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with our Jewish neighbours and friends.  Our school is proud of its rich diversity and we know that strength lies in mutual understanding, respect and the friendships we forge across faiths and cultures.  Acts that seek to divide us must instead inspire us to draw closer together, united in compassion and hope.

As we reflect on this, we are reminded of the beautiful artwork on Hoe Street in Walthamstow that simply depicts the word “Hope”.  It serves as a powerful symbol of what binds us: the belief that a better, kinder, more understanding future is always possible, when we work and stand together.  Let us continue to build a community where every faith, every culture and every individual is valued and safe. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the Jewish community in Manchester, and with all those affected.

October is Black History Month and, as ever, we have a rich and ambitious programme of events taking place across the school.  From our annual art competition, to weekly poetry discussions, dominoes and games sessions, film screenings and special workshops, there is something for every student to engage with. Highlights include a cookery workshop exploring flavours of the diaspora, the Smiling Boys Project with Year 10 and a special non-uniform day supporting the charity Crowned with Care, which helps Black and Mixed-Race children in foster care access culturally appropriate hair care.  A full summary of our BHM offer is available here for families to view.

Our Eco-committee are also embarking on an exciting opportunity this term, working with the Family Hub to take on one of the allotments just behind our school, parallel to Markhouse Road.  We hope this project will give our students the chance to grow their own produce, learn new skills, and strengthen links with our community.  If families have any gardening equipment they would be prepared to donate – such as gardening gloves, trowels, spades, kneeling mats or dibbers – we would gladly receive them.

This week also saw the launch of the Smiling Boys Project with our Year 10 students, a photography and storytelling project that works with young Black boys to challenge stereotypes and celebrate identity.  The charity has recently launched a Smiling Girls strand too, which we are excited to bring to Kelmscott later this year.  You can read more about their inspiring work here.

In addition, we are delighted to be supporting The Roots Programme at Queens Road Family Hub.  This innovative project brings young people and communities together through dialogue and shared experiences, and will provide more opportunities for our students and families to connect.  More information can be found here.  

Sports now and on Tuesday, our Year 10 netball team played against Holy Family.  The team showed real maturity on the court with some excellent passing throughout the game.  Well done to Alisha Mahmood, who scored and to Lina Boultouak, who was awarded Player of the Match.

Also on Tuesday, the Year 7 football team faced a strong Leytonstone side and were narrowly defeated 3–2. Congratulations to Brayan Piczak, who was named Player of the Match.

The Year 9 football team celebrated their first win of the season with a resounding 9–1 victory over South Chingford on Tuesday evening.

On Thursday night, Mr Sang travelled with the Year 8 football team to Peter May to play Heathcote.  A dramatic last-minute 25-yard free kick from Osama Medjbour secured a 1–1 draw, keeping the Year 8’s unbeaten this season.  Congratulations to all our athletes.

We are thrilled to welcome the Onatti Theatre company who will be performing two interactive plays at Kelmscott, giving students the chance to watch and participate in live theatre in French and Spanish.

French Play: RSVP (Répondez s’il vous plaît), Léa and Théo plan a party with no venue, no outfits, and no invites — chaos ensues!  Audience members help shape the story, adding to the fun and French cultural experience.  Date: Tuesday 18th November 2025, Cost: £5 per student (places are limited).

Spanish Play: Un ensayo desastroso. In a small-town Spanish theatre, auditions for Romeo y Julieta spiral into chaos!  Students from the audience join in to play roles, deliver lines and save the rehearsal from disaster.   Date: Thursday 20th November 2025, Cost: £5 per student (places are limited)

Tickets are currently on sale for students in years 8 to 11 via ParentMail Payments which can be accessed via the Links icon in the EduLink One  app. 

As we reach the end of the first month of the 25/26 academic year, attendance remains a key focus. Attendance data has now been printed for tutors to have “traffic light” conversations with students. Those on 97% and above will receive praise (green), 94–97% will be marked amber with room for improvement, and below 93% is red and a cause for concern.  Please ask your child what colour they are and work with us to ensure their attendance is as high as possible.  Last week whole school attendance dipped slightly to 94.5% – we must all work together please to raise this towards our 98% target.

As the evenings begin to draw in and it becomes darker much earlier, we would like to kindly remind parents and carers to speak with their children about the importance of going straight home once the school day finishes.  It is our strong expectation that students do not linger in the community after school.

This not only helps to ensure their safety but also promotes good routines and supports a positive end to the school day.  We really appreciate your partnership in reinforcing this important message with our students.

Finally, congratulations to our top reward points winners for the week Monday 22nd - Friday 26th September.  The following students achieved the highest totals for the week.   A special well done to our overall winner, Abigail Michale in 7O who has demonstrated exceptional effort and commitment.

➪ Year 7, Abigail Michale in 7O with 48 points.

➪ Year 8, Felitia Abenou in 8O with 18 points.

➪ Year 9, Norbert Dorbrovat in 9S with 22 points.

➪ Year 10, Ana-Maria Iordan in 10E with 37 points.

➪ Year 11, Hillary Herrera in 11K and Jasmine Mahmood in 11S both with 24 points.

Wishing you all a restful weekend.

Mr Sam Jones 

Headteacher