Headteacher's Weekly Update 7 - Friday 17th October 2025

Dear Parents and Carers

I hope this letter finds you and your families well; a Friday update for you as always.  It’s been another busy and inspiring week here at Kelmscott, with lots happening both in and beyond the classroom, as we have come to expect.

On Wednesday, our Year 7 students had the chance to experience the Astrodome, a mobile planetarium organised by the Science Department. This immersive dome transported them through the night sky, exploring planets, constellations and galaxies, sparking awe and curiosity about our universe.  Experiences like this help bring Science vividly to life and may well inspire some of our students toward future careers in astronomy, astrophysics or aerospace engineering.  It was a brilliant example of learning that captures the imagination.

Today, our Year 10 Photography students visited Kew Gardens as part of their project on natural forms.  With its stunning plant life, architectural glasshouses and unique textures and patterns, Kew offers endless photographic inspiration.  The visit will hopefully enrich their coursework and deepen their appreciation for how the natural world influences art and design.  This visit will be pivotal in shaping the creative direction of their coursework, giving students the opportunity to gather inspiration and develop their visual ideas in a rich, natural environment. 

As mentioned in my update to families on 3rd October, we will be holding a special non-uniform day next Thursday 23rd October, in support of the charity Crowned with Care. 50% of the proceeds will go to the charity, with the other 50% supporting our own Kelmscott Hardship Fund.  Crowned with Care is a brilliant charity co-founded by hairdresser Emiola Lanlehin, which helps Black and Mixed-Race children in foster care access culturally appropriate hair care.  The organisation offers free hairstyling, barbering and specialist support for looked-after young people who often struggle to find the care they need.  It also provides valuable education and resources to foster carers.  A wonderful cause that we are proud to be supporting.  The cost is £2, payable via ParentMail – please note that we will not be accepting cash on the day.

Turning to sports now and well done to our KS3/4 girls football team, who secured their first win of the season on Monday with a brilliant 2–1 victory over Willowfield.  Player of the Match was Lina Laichour.   The Year 8 boys faced a challenging game against Willowfield sadly falling to a 4–0 defeat.  Despite the result, there was real determination on display.  Player of the Match was Kaelan Kwateng (8O) for giving 100% from start to finish.  The team now looks ahead to their next fixture against Leytonstone on Monday.

In the Boys' Table Tennis Borough tournament, Kelmscott entered three teams, one from Years 7 & 8 and two from Years 9 to 11, competing against over 100 students from nine secondary schools.  The Year 7 & 8 team won two of their four matches, narrowly missing out on a place in the knockout rounds.  All teams faced tough competition, showing excellent sportsmanship and resilience throughout.  It was a great experience for all the students, with some entering their first tournament.  

Year 9 girls’ played two netball matches this week. On Monday they secured a strong 8–3 win against Holy Family, with standout performances from Ziyadah Shobande, Kirsten Singh, Chloe Bird and Yasmine Betka. In their second game against WSFG, the team narrowly lost 6–4, despite being a player down.  Ines Boumehira stepped up in Goal Defence and was named Player of the Match for her excellent performance.  A great week of sport all round, well done to all our athletes.

A quick reminder that there are just a few spaces remaining for the Modern Foreign Languages performances presented by the Onatti Theatre Company.

French Play – RSVP (Répondez s’il vous plaît) 📅 Date: Tuesday 18th November 2025 🎟️ Cost: £5 per student payable via ParentMail 📝 Léa and Théo try to throw a party without a venue, outfits, or invitations! Expect laughter, language, and lots of audience participation.

Spanish Play – Un ensayo desastroso 📅 Date: Thursday 20th November 2025 🎟️ Cost: £5 per student payable via ParentMail 📝 A rehearsal for Romeo y Julieta descends into chaos and it’s up to the audience to step in and save the show.

These interactive productions are always a fun and memorable way for students to engage with language learning.  If you would like your child to be involved, please respond as soon as possible once the final places are gone, that’s it I’m afraid.  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. 

A local community group has been in touch, keen to gather our community’s views on road safety along Queens Road.  It would be great for our Kelmscott families to have their voices heard on this important local matter.  Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts using this link.

Waltham Forest are conducting their 2025 Childcare Sufficiency Assessment (CSA) and need residents feedback to help understand local childcare needs.  Whether your child uses childcare or not, your views are vital in shaping the future childcare provision services in the borough.  Complete the school age children Childcare survey here.   Complete the Early Years survey here.

On Tuesday next week, 21st October, our Year 9 and Year 11 students will attend the College Roadshow, a great opportunity to hear from a range of post-16 providers.  It’s always a well received event, helping students start to think about their next steps and the varied and exciting options available to them.

Year 11 Progress Evening takes place on Thursday 23rd October between 4.30 and 7.00pm.  This is a vital evening for all Year 11 students and their parents or carers.  It is an important opportunity to meet with subject teachers, hear how your child is progressing and discuss next steps ahead of the first set of mock exams, which take place just after the half term break.  We look forward to seeing you there.

I would also like to share an opportunity from Linklaters, one of the world’s leading international law firms. The firm offers valuable career information for young people interested in law, problem-solving and global affairs.  This is a virtual event that will be held on Tuesday 21st October 2025, 5.00 - 6:30pm.  For more information please see here.

Remarkably, the end of our first half term is now just a week away.  School will finish at the usual time of 3.10pm next Friday, 24th October. 

Our whole school attendance dipped slightly last week to 94.09%.  While this remains a solid figure, we want to take this opportunity to stress just how vital good attendance is for student progress and wellbeing.  We truly appreciate your continued support.  By working together, we can move closer to our whole-school target of 98%.  Every day in school really does make a difference.

Finally, a big well done to all students topping the reward points charts for their respective year groups, for the week Monday 6th - Friday 10th October 2025.   A special congratulations to Lily Adamo (8E), who topped the school leader board with an impressive 27 points.  Keep up the good work.

➪ Year 7, Abigail Michale in 7O with 20 points

➪ Year 8, Lily Adamo in 8E with 27 points

➪ Year 9, a hat trick for Neli Perciuleac in 9C and David Nucsoreanu and Kit Rigby in 9K with 23 points each

➪ Year 10, Sameer Omar and Zakariya Kamran in 10C with 20 points each

➪ Year 11, Zain Asghar in 11O with 22 points.

Wishing you all a restful weekend.

Mr Sam Jones 

Headteacher