Weekly Newsletters

However, time is precious and wishing time away means at some point it catches up with you and whatever was planned to be done may be at risk of not being followed through. This is the message that all students should take on board and particularly Year 11 and Post16 students, as we journey to the last stages of preparation for their final examinations.

At the end of the school day we are asking students with bicycles and scooters to dismount and walk through the Werrington Centre and respectfully observe members of the public and drivers when they enter onto the public highway.  Equally, we would ask that if you are a parent and you collect your child in Fox Covert Way, that you respect that residents are increasingly frustrated about cars blocking their drive entrance and not being able to get in or out of their driveways. I urge you to show respect for the residents in this area.

PSHE Collapsed day

Please be aware that on February 1st Year 10 students will have a PSHE collapsed day to deliver a wide range of personal, social, moral and health topics.

Public consultation - school new build proposal for autumn 2019

A reminder that the Public Consultation on the design proposals to develop a brand new extension to the school will be on Wednesday 7th February from 3 - 7pm, not Tuesday 23rd January as previously advised. It will be held in the Assembly Hall. It brings some very exciting opportunities and as a parent/local resident you may have questions about the development. A team of architects, local authority representatives, myself and Governors will be on hand to share these exciting designs and answer any questions that may be raised on the evening.

Parents’ Forum

I wish to thank Miss Walker and Miss Berry for their comprehensive presentations on what students learn in Geography and History at Ken Stimpson School. Attached are their presentations (PowerPoint format) to help you understand the curriculum offering in Geography and History.

Back to the 80s

Finally, I do urge you to attend the Performing Arts show. Tickets are still available for next week’s performances. It is going to be a wonderful production and showcase the talent we have inside the school.

Best wishes

Bryan Erwin
Principal

We were privileged to welcome representatives from the following organisations who attended Ken Stimpson to talk to the students about opportunities in their sectors along with discussing the various skills required in all aspects of work and further education:

Addison Lee

Travelex

3AAA Apprenticeships

Vivacity

Take Your Place

The pupils were very impressed with the session and lots of positive feedback was received. The students were appreciative of the expert advice and voices of experience offered to them throughout the sessions. We would like to thank staff at The Skills Service for their continued support of our school and organising this event for our students.

Mrs Patman
Pupil Premium Administrator

Using the countdown alongside Hegarty and other revision resources will really make the difference to closing the gap on areas students still have issues with. Please find attached week 4 of the extra questions students can do at home with the support of parents, as mark schemes and examiners’ reports are also attached. I will continue to attach five topics that regularly appear on examinations, there is also a Personal Learning Checklist so students can track what they feel they have mastered and what they need more help on. This can be used alongside Hegarty maths which has video tutorials to help students understand topics.

Revision guides are also available in school at cost price saving you more than 50% on the RRP. There are 3 books at £2.50 each and an answer book for £1. Please see your class teacher, Mr Hussain or Mr Donnelly if you wish to purchase these. Alternatively you could pay on the school parent pay system.

The final PPE exams will be straight after half term, so only 20 teaching days away!

Mr Donnelly
Second in Mathematics

The journey started at 2pm Thursday, and we first encountered issues when several of the boys couldn’t work out which Krispy Kreme doughnuts to buy at the service station. After arrival, and tea of Chicken Fajitas, where Ellyssia showed Mr Hughes how to make them, the students were given the chance to experience Labyrinth, the underground maze. 

After what can only be described as a late night, or early morning in some people’s opinion, they encountered their first sport - climbing. Here the students at various times needed to show correct tying of knots, correct application of belaying techniques, as well as a number of actual climbing techniques. The students were then given the chance to put these skills to the test against graded climbs. In the evening they were treated to low level bouldering. For assessment, the main part was the completion of the speed climb, of which they were given two opportunities.

The second sport they experienced was Road Cycling were students were briefed in health and safety, correct riding techniques and more importantly the art of tactics in a race. They experienced numerous hill climbs and descents, and all this was assessed in a finale of a 10mile track race. Believe me there were a few sore bottoms!

When the guys were not performing, they had opportunities for their own down time, however on Saturday night they were treated to the Mr Hughes and Miss Sothmann show, where in teams they had to perform numerous challenges. I was particularly impressed with the speed that Harrison Skinner could eat an after eight mint on his head!

During the climbing the students were resilient and worked together. Kyle Lockwood had to overcome his initial fear, with wonderful support from Jade Roberts. The three remaining girls, Hannah Smith, Ellyssia Crutchfield and Tamzin Millard, worked superbly as a group to push each other. From the boys it appears to have been a healthy competition between the likes of Oliver Smith, Bailey Wright, Ben Burke Sewell and Peter James.

During the cycling, people like Callum Applegate had a chance to shine as well as the likes of Seb Britton, who was involved in a pulsating sprint finish with Peter James after 9 1/2 miles of cycling!

To see these students out of a school context just further supports how impressed we were with their attitude and resilience. It was cold, it was wet, we did have grumbles, but they all stuck to their task and for each individual student, it was worth them attending. The following was a statement made by Miss Sothmann "I am personally impressed by the sheer resilience and determination of the students, especially when faced with adverse conditions.  Not once did any of the students complain or give up. They just simply....did!"

Pictures can be found on Facebook.

Mr Hughes & Miss Sothman
Teachers of PE

This important event will be held in the Assembly Hall and is directed at parents/carers of Year 9 students. Students are encouraged to attend. Information about the Key Stage 4 curriculum and process will be shared and discussed. Various members of staff as well as the school’s Leadership Team will be present to answer questions on the wide range of courses on offer at Key Stage 4.

The aim of the Pathways process is to ensure that students are enrolled on to the most appropriate courses in the next stage of their school career, and is vital in securing their academic success.

We look forward to seeing you at this event.

Mrs Boughton
Assistant Principal

Tickets are still available online where you can book, and reserve, your choice of seat. The system can be accessed at www.ticketsource.co.uk/kscs. Tickets will also be available on the door; however they are going fast so we would recommend booking in advance if at all possible.

We look forward to seeing you all next week.

Mr Norman
Head of Performing Arts Faculty

Aspire hang on to first place this week. However we have had a drop in attendance for all Houses, due to the high number of illnesses. We understand that sometimes this can't be helped. The following guidelines from our policy are there to aid you when trying to decide whether to send the student to school: For sickness, students may return 24 hours after the last sickness. For flu, please return when the student’s temperature is normal. If absent for more than 2 days we will need a document from a medical professional. We can hold medication at school, with the appropriate form from Admin. We strive to ensure that every lesson counts.