Headteacher's Weekly Update 6 - Friday 9th October 2026

Dear Parents and Carers

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

It has been another typically busy and rewarding week at Kelmscott, with plenty to celebrate and some wonderful examples of our young people making the most of the opportunities available to them.

I am pleased to share that Kelmscott has been awarded the Music Mark of Recognition for Ambition & Quality by Waltham Forest Music Service.  This recognises the value we place on music and our commitment to providing high-quality musical opportunities for our students.  Congratulations to our Music department and all the students who contribute so enthusiastically to musical life at Kelmscott.

On Wednesday, Hakeem Ali Ahmed 10K, represented Kelmscott at the Waltham Forest Headteachers' Conference, speaking to an audience of approximately 100 headteachers and Waltham Forest leaders about his involvement in developing the borough's Education Strategy. Hakeem and other Kelmscott students contributed to this important work last term, and it was wonderful to see him speak with such confidence and authority.  An impressive achievement and a reminder of how important it is that young people have a genuine voice in shaping their education.

Our new Peer-to-Peer Maths programme has also launched this week, with Year 11 students supporting younger students in Year 8. It has been wonderful to see our older students demonstrating such confidence, patience and expertise.  There is a great deal to be gained on both sides: younger students benefit from additional guidance and encouragement, while our Year 11s develop their own understanding, communication and leadership skills.  I particularly like seeing students working across year groups rather than simply alongside their peers.  This is what a strong school community should look like.

We also launched our new Year 11 self-study space on Thursday, with an encouraging response from students.  I want to reinforce an important message to Year 11, and indeed to every student: this is your school.  Take ownership of it.  Make full use of the facilities, resources and, most importantly, the expertise and generosity of the staff around you.  We want students to be ambitious, independent and proactive in seeking out the support that will help them succeed.

On Wednesday evening, we welcomed families to our Multilingual Learners Evening.  Thank you to everyone who attended.  It was a pleasure to meet with families and celebrate the remarkable linguistic skills within our community.  Many of our students speak two or more languages fluently, something that should be recognised as a tremendous strength.  These skills will serve them exceptionally well in their education, careers and wider lives.  

Today, our Year 11 GCSE Economics students visited the Bank of England Museum, following their recent studies of how monetary policy supports economic growth and stability.  Visits such as these bring classroom learning to life, giving students valuable insight into how economic decisions affect individuals, businesses and the country as a whole.  It also helped them strengthen their understanding ahead of their examinations while inspiring them to consider future careers in finance, business and government policy. 

On Wednesday, our Year 9 netball team competed in a rally, recording one win, one draw and one defeat.  Well done to everyone involved for representing the school so positively.  Special congratulations to Myah Farrugia and Rosa Ahuja-Hopkins for scoring multiple goals, and to Ellie Nickson for leading the team throughout the games with encouragement and guidance.  A strong start to the season. 

Our extensive extracurricular programme continues, with more than 60 clubs and activities available to students.  I would encourage every parent and carer to have a conversation with their child this weekend: what are they trying for the first time this year?  School should be about discovering new interests, developing confidence and finding things we did not know we could enjoy.  Equally, if there is an activity your child would love to see offered that is not currently available, please encourage them to let us know.

As I shared in last week’s letter, we are delighted that our popular French and Spanish theatre performances will be returning later this term.  These lively, interactive productions give students in Years 8–11 a wonderful opportunity to experience their chosen language beyond the classroom through humour, storytelling and audience participation.  Action! will be performed in French on Thursday 26th November, followed by the Spanish production ¿Cuándo, Cómo y Quién? on Tuesday 1st December.

This is a reminder that both performances begin at 9.00am and cost £5 per student.  Places can be booked through ParentMail and are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.  We have sold approximately 60% of tickets.  Bookings close at midnight on 18th October, or sooner if all places are filled.  Please do consider securing a place before tickets sell out.

Today was World Mental Health Day's #HelloYellow campaign focus in schools, an opportunity to remind ourselves of the importance of young people's mental health and wellbeing.  While it is right to mark occasions such as these, looking after our own wellbeing and that of others must be something we consider every day.  Small acts of kindness, listening carefully and checking in on one another can make a significant difference.  Families can find further information and resources through YoungMinds' #HelloYellow campaign.

I also wanted to highlight the presence of colleagues from the Safer Routes detached youth support team, who have been working around Markhouse Road and James Street on Monday and Tuesday afternoons.  Their role is to engage positively with young people and help improve safety on school routes at busy times.  We are grateful for this additional community support and the constructive relationships they are building with our students.  We have been impressed with their emotional intelligence and ability to engage with young people.

Our attendance last week was 93.4%, and while we have seen some particularly strong performances from forms 7C, 8T, 9L, 10K and 11S, we still have some way to go towards our school target of 98%. I want to put that target into perspective. Across a typical 190-day school year, 98% attendance means missing no more than approximately four days.  One day absent equates to 99.5% attendance; five days brings this down to 97.4%, ten days to 94.7%, and nineteen days to just 90%.  Every day really does matter. Good attendance is fundamental to learning, relationships, confidence and achievement, and I ask all families to continue supporting us in making attendance a priority.

Our sustained focus on attendance is reaping dividends, I am also pleased to share that Kelmscott has once again received an FFT Attendance Award, recognising our attendance performance as being among the top 25% of similar FFT secondary schools in England for attendance during the 2025/26 academic year. 

Looking ahead, Vaccination UK will be in school on Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th October to administer flu vaccinations in the LRC.  On Monday, Years 8, 9 and 10 are scheduled, followed by Years 7 and 11 on Tuesday, alongside any students from the earlier year groups who missed their session.  Vaccination is an important way of protecting young people and those around them from influenza.  It can also reduce illness-related absence and disruption to learning, particularly as we approach the winter months.  I would encourage families to take up the opportunity where appropriate and ensure that the relevant consent arrangements have been completed.

Bookings are now open for the Waltham Forest October Half Term Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) Programme, running from Monday 26th to Friday 30th October.  The programme provides holiday activities and food for eligible children receiving benefits-related free school meals.  A limited number of places are also available for vulnerable children who do not meet the usual eligibility criteria, through professional referral. Families can find activities and the booking link at www.walthamforest.gov.uk/holidays. Families requiring a referral should contact the school promptly, as referrals close on Tuesday 20th October.  Where eligible children need additional support to participate, families should contact wfholidayactivityprogramme@walthamforest.gov.uk  before booking.

We are also looking further ahead to Monday 8th February 2027, when Kelmscott will host a Motivational Speed Mentoring Workshop.  We are inviting parents and carers from a wide range of professions and backgrounds to share their experiences and inspire our students to recognise their potential, believe in themselves and think ambitiously about their futures.  You do not need to have followed a conventional career path to have something valuable to offer.  If you would be interested in taking part, please email Together@kelmscott.waltham.sch.uk, including your child's name and form group, alongside your profession.  Further information is available in the workshop information document.

Finally, to our weekly rewards.  Congratulations to Zikrea Turkmani in 11E, who topped the rewards points chart for the second time this term with an impressive 32 points.  Year 11 are once again leading the way, something we have rarely seen before.  It is wonderful to see our oldest students setting such a positive example.  The challenge is now firmly with the younger year groups: who is going to usurp them?  Well done to all our other students who have earned rewards this week.  Your effort, kindness, participation and positive contributions do not go unnoticed.

Year 7: Ridwan Yusuf (7K) – 23 points

Year 8: Mercedes Samuh (8T) – 24 points

Year 9: Shafin Rahman (9O) – 20 points

Year 10: Filip Ionescu (10S) – 26 points

Year 11: Zikrea Turkmani (11E) – 33 points.

As always, thank you for your continued support.  I hope you and your families have a restful and enjoyable weekend.

Mr Sam Jones 

Headteacher