Weekly Newsletters

I wish to thank the vast majority of parents for engaging in the parents meetings during this half term. The Post16 and Year 11 subject evenings have been very well received with the majority of parents and students attending the first of two meetings across the academic year. 

The next subject evening is: Tuesday 5 December Year 9 Subject Evening 4:00-7:00 pm


Celebrating student success is a key part of life at Ken Stimpson.  I have shown many prospective parents around the school and the frequent feedback is overwhelmingly positive in terms of the learning taking place, the clean and purposeful environment and finally, the feedback of our wonderful students. 

It is a pleasure to encounter so many young people with such a rich variety of talents, whether academic, sporting, performing arts, or other abilites.  This week I had the pleasure of meeting with, and acknowledging the talents of, a number of students across all year groups.  They had been identified by their respective Head of House as being worthy for the Principal's Commendation award. 

This award recognises achievement, talent, contributions to school life and positive behaviour over this half term.  I am so proud to announce that this half term's awards go to:

Melody Broomfield 

Kailum O'Sullivan 

Isabel Skinner 

Imraan Shirazi 

Mollie Simpson 

Jade Boyall 

Grace Bradley 

Abi Guerin 

Joel Fuller 

Sophie Cowell 

Harrison Skinner 

Richard Coric 

Muhammed Atif 

Megan Barnes 

Tyler Crowson 

Molly Rickards 

Jemima Waldron 

Connie Baxter 

Emily Knox

If you son/daughter is not on this half term's list then I hope there has been at least one positive phone call home by their tutor this half term.  Thereby, they may be considered by their respective Head of House for a future recognition reward, as part of our school behaviour system.

This week I have addressed Year 11 students, emphasising the importance of the 115 school days left until the examinations start.  I have highlighted the need to be particularly focused about key events, tapping into support and asking for help.

Please do not forget there are revision sessions on over this half term (see week 5) including sessions for Post16 students re-sitting their English exam after half term.

Finally, I wish to thank both you and the staff in supporting us to raise standards across the school.

Best wishes

Bryan Erwin
Principal

Come and join us on Thursdays after school in 3L14 (Miss Berry’s Classroom) from 3:30 to 4:45.  At Warhammer Club you will learn how to build and paint Warhammer miniatures.  You will also get a chance to learn how to play the game!  We have received a free starter kit from Games Workshop’s School Alliance programme and hope to raise money for the group to help build up a club army.  This will enable us to compete in national Warhammer tournaments with other schools from across the country.  If you have your own Warhammer you can also come and play against other members of the club.  Please feel free to visit us in 3L14 on Thursdays after school. 

Ethan Smith
Club Leader and Post 16 Student

So now it’s your son/daughter’s chance to participate in the biggest youth development programme in England!

NCS also gives them the opportunity to boost their CV/UCAS statement whilst making new friends and networking. NCS will be visiting us over the next few months, but here’s a heads up if you wish to book their place early!

What does NCS involve?

The NCS programme is a four-week programme that takes place during the summer holidays (July & August).

Your son/daughter will participate in these engaging phases:

Phase 1 – Adventure: Outward bound activity centre residential week (Monday – Friday). They will participate in fun and engaging activities like climbing, abseiling and water-sports.

Phase 2 – Discovery: Skills development residential week (Monday – Friday). They will continue their adventure at a local venue, typically a university campus, as they complete activities that will enhance their personal skills, including practical workshops and meeting local businesses, charities and organisations.

Phase 3 – Social Action: Social Action Project planning and delivery. In this non-residential phase they will spend their last two weeks (Monday – Thursday each week) based back in their local community. They will plan, develop and deliver a project of their choice which will have a positive impact in their community. During this phase they will commit to complete 60 hours of their time.

Phase 4 – Celebration Event: This is their opportunity to celebrate becoming an NCS Graduate, feel proud of what they’ve achieved and receive a certificate which has been signed by the Prime Minister.

Why take part in NCS?

Participating in NCS will help your son/daughter to…

• Develop their confidence, teamwork, leadership and communication skills
• Boost their CV, UCAS statement and job/apprenticeship applications … NCS is recognised by UK employers, UCAS and leading universities
• Be engaged in a positive activity in their local community
• Become an NCS graduate and receive a certificate which has been signed by the Prime Minister
• Make new friends and gain memories that will last a lifetime

What does NCS cost?

The Government backs NCS which means parents/guardians are never asked to pay more than £50. However, if your son/daughter receives free school meals they are asked to contribute a reduced fee as we are keen to ensure that finances are not a barrier for participation.

What are the programme dates?

Programme 1: Mon 9^th July to Thur 2^nd Aug 2018                     Programme 2: Mon 16^th July to Thur 9^th Aug 2018

Programme 3: Mon 23^rd July to Thur 16^th Aug 2018                 Programme 4: Mon 30^th July to Thur 23^rd Aug 2018

How do I guarantee a place on NCS for my son/daughter?

1. Visit www.learnbydesign.co.uk/ncs-school-link-east-ea1/ to find out more and sign up
2. Sign up over the phone by speaking to a member of the NCS Team on 01827 337237
3. Sign up online by visiting: www.ncsyes.co.uk

If you have any questions, please contact NCS on 01827 337237 or ncs@bydesign-group.co.uk as they’d be happy to help. We very much hope your son/daughter takes this once in a life time opportunity!

At the moment, the students have been taking part in bench ball. The table below shows the current standing’s.

There are still two weeks of the bench ball competition left so there is still plenty to play for. The points will be put forward into the end of year competition to see which the best tutor group in the Aspire House is. Once the bench ball has finished in two weeks, we will be moving on to a different activity. Students should look out on the plasma screens for the next set of fixtures and an updated leader board each week.

Lastly, I would like to thank Mrs Purdy and the team of tutors for supporting this activity.

Thank you

Mr Gray & Mr Neilly
Aspire House

The programme starts with The Scholars programme, where each group of students is provided with a mentor and embarks on a series of in-school tutorials over the coming months. The mentors are PhD students from The University of Cambridge.

Year 8 will be carrying out an ‘Introduction to Literary Theory’. This involves writing a literary analysis of a given extract using a literary theory of their choice and evaluating its usefulness for studying literature.’

Year 9 students will be working on ‘What Happens Now? Experiments in Short Fiction’. This entails exploring to what extent is the short story an ideal genre for writers to experiment with language and form, referring to texts discussed on the course.

Later in the academic year, each of these groups will have the chance to visit Cambridge University and year 8 students will additionally work on a mentor project.

We look forward to seeing the results of their efforts.

Mrs Harvey
Teacher of Maths

Aspire stay in the lead this week, but most Houses have had a decrease in attendance this week.  Can you help your House simply by attending school every day.  Don't forget every day counts!