Headteacher's Weekly Update 7 - Friday 16th October 2026
Dear Parents and Carers
I hope this letter finds you and your families well; a Friday update for you as always.
As we approach the end of our first half term, it has been another busy week at Kelmscott, with students representing the school in a range of sporting competitions and continuing to contribute positively to school life. Competitive sport provides valuable opportunities to develop teamwork, resilience and confidence, and I am pleased to see so many students taking advantage of these opportunities.
Our students enjoyed success at the annual borough table tennis tournament, where Kelmscott entered teams in both the U13 and U16 competitions. Competing against six schools in the group stages, our U13 team topped their group, while the U16 team finished second. Both progressed through the knockout stage to reach their respective finals. The U13 team defeated Forest School to win the gold medal, while the U16 team narrowly lost to Walthamstow Academy, securing an impressive silver medal. Congratulations to our U13 team: James Hardman-Reid (8S), Edoardo De Simone (8E), Rafael Le Rolland Costa (8L) and Dominik Kopac (7M) and our U16 team: Alex Velicu (11T), Mohamed Habibi (11E), Edward Ungureanu (11E) and Tayyab Mohammad (11E).
Our Year 9 netball teams have also been in action, building on their recent performances with two competitive matches at Holy Family on Thursday 15th October. Captained by Ellie Nickson, the first team secured an exciting 7–6 victory, with Asma Bouhafs scoring once and Kenza scoring six goals. Kenza and Ellie were named Players of the Match. Although the second team were defeated, they showed great determination, with Rosa Ahuja-Hopkins and Alanah Gairey each scoring a goal. This was Alanah’s first goal for the team, while Asma also celebrated her first goal in the earlier match. Alanah and Isla Scott were named Players of the Match. Well done to everyone involved.
Football has also featured prominently this week, with both our Year 7 and Year 8 teams representing the school. The Year 7 team secured an impressive 6–2 victory against a strong Willowfield side in an exciting, end-to-end match. The players demonstrated determination, teamwork and attacking quality throughout, with Theodoros Kola (7E) named Player of the Match. The Year 8 team produced an equally outstanding performance, defeating last year’s champions, Leytonstone, 5–1. After taking a narrow lead into half-time, the team stepped up another level in the second half, dominating through excellent teamwork, attacking play and clinical finishing. Ivo Edwards (8K) was named Player of the Match. Well done to both teams.
We have also had twenty students from Years 7–11 competing in the cross-country event at Jubilee Park. Cross-country running demands considerable determination and perseverance, and everyone involved represented Kelmscott brilliantly across their respective distances. Particular congratulations go to Iris Bogdan (8C) and Theo Burke (7S), who both finished first; Esa Bham (11E), who finished second; and Jonathan Sarawgi (7K), who finished third. All four students have now been invited to represent Waltham Forest in the London Youth Games cross-country team, an exceptional achievement.
Away from the sports field, our Year 11 Maths mentors continue to support younger students through our peer-to-peer programme. I have been particularly impressed by the confidence and maturity with which our older students have approached this responsibility. There are clear benefits for both groups: younger students receive additional support with their learning, while Year 11 mentors consolidate their own understanding and develop valuable leadership and communication skills. This is a good example of students from different year groups supporting one another and contributing to the wider school community.
Ensuring that every student feels that they belong, can participate fully and has the opportunity to succeed is central to our work at Kelmscott. We are developing our school’s Inclusion Strategy, it is essential that the experiences and views of our families help shape our priorities.
We would therefore be very grateful if you could take a moment to answer one question about the barriers you feel students may experience in being fully included in school. Your feedback will help inform our priorities and next steps.
The English Department will be showing Justin Audibert’s National Theatre adaptation of Macbeth on Wednesday 21st October, from 3.15pm to 4.40pm in W104. The screening is open to students in all year groups and offers an excellent opportunity to refresh their existing knowledge or get a head start before studying the play at GCSE. Students who would like to attend should sign up with Ms Ridler in W104. Please see here for details.
This week, Vaccination UK administered more than 500 flu vaccinations to students across the school. This is a very positive response, and I would like to thank families for their support and the staff involved in coordinating the programme. Vaccination helps protect individuals and the wider community, while also reducing the risk of illness-related absence during the winter months.
A practical reminder about PE kits. We continue to accumulate a considerable amount of lost property, including PE clothing. Please ensure that all items are clearly labelled with your child's name and encourage them to take responsibility for their belongings. Named items are much easier to return to their owners, and a quick check before leaving changing rooms can prevent unnecessary expense for families. If your child has misplaced any PE kit, please encourage them to check lost property.
Our attendance last week was 93%, below our school target of 98%. We know that regular attendance is fundamental to students' achievement, wellbeing and sense of belonging, and we will continue to work closely with families to improve this. Equally, we recognise that there are occasions when children are genuinely too unwell to attend school. We ask families to exercise sensible judgement and follow NHS guidance, particularly where a child may have an infectious illness. Please do not send your child into school if they are too unwell to participate in lessons or if medical guidance advises that they should remain at home. Supporting good attendance must always go hand in hand with protecting the health and wellbeing of our whole school community.
As part of our ongoing careers programme, we will be holding a College Roadshow on Tuesday 20th October for students in Years 9 and 11. We are pleased to welcome representatives from sixth forms, colleges and apprenticeship providers, who will be available to speak with students about the different pathways and opportunities they can access after Year 11. This will give students an excellent opportunity to explore their options, ask questions and begin making informed decisions about their future.
A reminder that next Friday, 23 October, is the final day of this half term. School will finish at the normal time of 3.10pm, with no early closure. I hope students will make the most of the final week before a well-earned break.
Finally, our weekly rewards. Congratulations to all students who have earned points for their effort, achievement, kindness and positive contributions to school life. It is important that we recognise those who consistently demonstrate our expectations, both in and beyond the classroom. At last Year 11 have been topped! Well done to Asmaa-Iman Fekir who led the school for most points last week.
Year 7: Khadija Yusaf (7T) – 38 points
Year 8: Asmaa-Iman Fekir (8E) – 40 points
Year 9: Bogdan Popescu (9K) and Mae Milner-Feliho (9K) – 28 points each
Year 10: Patrick Burnside (10K) – 25 points
Year 11: Dominic Zuppa-Flores (11T) – 22 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
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