Headteacher's Weekly Update 9 - Friday 6th November 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 good to welcome students back to Kelmscott following the extended half-term break. Although a short week, students have settled back into their routines well, and there has been a purposeful atmosphere around the school. I hope everyone enjoyed the opportunity to rest and recharge.
I wanted to clarify the arrangements for PE kit, following my letter before half term. I was perhaps not sufficiently clear about our expectations. On days when they have PE, students must:
Arrive at school wearing their full, correct Kelmscott PE kit and their lanyard
Remain in their PE kit for the rest of the day, including when leaving school
Bring their full school uniform packed neatly in their school bag, folded inside a plastic bag
Students will only change into their school uniform, at the end of the lesson, if their PE kit becomes wet.
This routine will help maximise learning time by allowing practical PE lessons to begin promptly, without students needing to change beforehand. It is important that everyone follows the same arrangements, as even a small number of students arriving in uniform would slow the start of lessons. Thank you for your support as we establish this new routine and help students follow these arrangements consistently.
With the weather becoming colder, a reminder that coats and hats must be plain navy blue or black, in keeping with our uniform expectations. Please ensure that students are appropriately dressed for the colder months while maintaining our usual standards of presentation.
Our attendance this week was 93%, and we continue to work towards our target of 98%. The latest DfE attendance comparison places Kelmscott 11th out of 21 similarly profiled schools, which is a reasonable position, although I believe we can do better. One particular area for improvement is Friday attendance, which has consistently been our weakest day of the week. I would ask families to make a particular effort to ensure students attend every Friday, just as they would on any other school day. Learning continues throughout the week, and missing Fridays regularly can result in significant gaps over time. We know that genuine illness and exceptional circumstances will sometimes prevent attendance, but establishing consistent routines across all five days is important.
Our Year 11 students have made an excellent start to their mock examinations. I have been particularly impressed by their preparation, maturity and conduct throughout the examination period so far. Students have approached the experience seriously, and this bodes well for the months ahead. The mocks provide an important opportunity to demonstrate what they know, identify areas requiring further work and develop the examination habits that will serve them well next summer. Thank you also to the staff who have worked hard to prepare and support students.
Looking ahead, Thursday 12th November is our Tutor–Parent Day for students in Years 7–10. This is an important opportunity for families to meet with their child's form tutor and review how the year is progressing. Conversations will consider rewards and consequence points, attendance, punctuality, engagement with our co-curricular programme and wider attitudes to school life. Equally, we welcome the opportunity for families to raise any questions or concerns they may have. Students will complete a short preparatory task ahead of the meeting to encourage them to reflect on their own progress and identify areas for development. I would strongly encourage all families to make the most of this opportunity. The relationship between home, student and form tutor is an important part of ensuring that every child is known, challenged and supported.
Has your child lost something at school? We have a large amount of lost property. Please take a moment to visit the school hall before or after your scheduled appointment on Tutor–Parent Day to see if you can find it.
Year 11 students will not have Tutor–Parent meetings on Thursday, as their mock examinations will continue. They will only be expected to attend school for examinations they are scheduled to sit that day. These are currently expected to include English Language Paper 1, the Business vocational examination at 11.00am and French and Spanish examinations at 1.30pm. Further details have been shared separately with Year 11 families, confirming individual examination arrangements, arrival times, entry gates and expectations for students sitting one or more examinations. Please ensure that students follow the specific instructions provided.
You may recall that, in my update to families on Friday 16th October, I invited you to share your views on the barriers students may face to feeling included and participating fully in school.
Ensuring every student feels they belong, can participate fully and has the opportunity to succeed is central to our work at Kelmscott. As we develop our Inclusion Strategy, we want to draw on families’ experiences and views to help shape our priorities. If you have not already done so, please take a moment to answer one question about the barriers students may experience. Your feedback will help inform our priorities and next steps.
Beezee offers free healthy lifestyle support for adults and families. Beezee Adults supports adults above a healthy weight with healthy eating, moving more and building habits that last. Beezee Families help families with children above their ideal weight enjoy healthier eating and more activity together. Programmes include 10 weeks of online group sessions, two check-in calls and self-paced learning through the Academy; family support is also available in person. Please click on the links for more information.
Finally, our weekly rewards. Congratulations to Lakhbir Bansal in 11T, who tops the rewards chart this week with an impressive 50 points. It is good to see Year 11 continuing to lead by example, particularly alongside their examination commitments. Well done to all other students who have earned rewards this week through their effort, conduct and positive contributions to school life.
Year 7: Janet Adeyemo-Adeoye (7T) – 47 rewards
Year 8: Mouhamad Sow (8L) – 26 rewards
Year 9: Reuben Allon (9L) – 24 rewards
Year 10: Hakeem Ali Ahmed (10K) – 42 rewards
Year 11: Lakhbir Bansal (11T) – 50 rewards
As always, thank you for your continued support. I hope you and your families have a restful and enjoyable weekend. To everyone in our community celebrating Diwali this weekend, we wish you and your families a joyful and peaceful festival.
Mr Sam Jones
Headteacher
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