As one of the shortest terms on record, it really does feel like we are packing 6 weeks into 4 ! Alongside our talented GCSE textiles, art, photography, 3D design students completing their practical exams, and the external moderation of our GCSE PE students, some of our Y9s have enjoyed a week in St Ives, other Y9s have experienced the Imperial War museum in London, our Y10 Duke of Edinburgh students have embarked on their practical training and 120 of our Y7 and Y8 students have participated in the Junior Maths Challenge. Thursday evening we hosted the Primary School Mini-Olympics where 12 primary schools came together to showcase their talent, ably supported by our brilliant Sports Leaders and our Extend summer term clubs have begun including rehearsals for ‘We Will Rock You’ of which the songs are already a persistent ear-worm of mine – I cannot wait to see the final productions.
In spite of the welcome warmth this week, our students have settled back into lessons with drive and determination and this morning, they had an extended tutor time reflecting on their most recent Active Minds reports and completing their journals. Do ask at home what their targets are for the summer term and how they intend to achieve these.
This week’s Fast Track Friday went to our year 9s due to the exceptional comments received whilst away in St Ives and the Imperial War Museum and the year 9 girls achieving 97.6% attendance on Thursday.
Assembly
Thank you to all our students this week for responding so positively to the assembly that was delivered on how walking can be a positive impact on aspects of our lives. Walking in the physical sense can be a great tool to manage stress and increase our wellbeing but the students also learnt about walking as a metaphor for trying to have a positive outlook on what lies ahead for us.
In terms 5 & 6 we will be introducing a punctuality measure to the students reporting criteria which will link to Resilienceand will link to the Attendance data point that we track. We therefore encourage and support all students to walk to lessons promptly so that we can make lessons even more productive and ensure we are green and above in our term 6 reports.
Extend Programme – Terms 5 & 6
Our updated Extend Programme for Terms 5 and 6 offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities to help students explore new interests, build on their talents, and grow in confidence. From sports and creative clubs to academic and practical opportunities, there's something for everyone. These activities play an important role in personal development and we encourage all students to get involved.
Parents/carers can support by talking with their child about what’s on offer and encouraging them to try something new. Click here to view the full list of opportunities.
Year 10 Parents’ Evening – Wednesday 14 May
From Monday 5th May you will be able to make appointments for Year 10 parents’ evening in your Edulink app. Letters have been sent home to Year 10 parents this week with further details.
Parent Forum – To Be Rescheduled
Due to the exceptionally short term and much of our focus being on the Y11 exams, we will need to reschedule the upcoming Parent Forum originally planned for Thursday 9th May.
We understand the value of these sessions and want to ensure we can give them the time and attention they deserve. The meeting will be rearranged for next term, and we will share the new date and details in due course.
Water Bottles
As the warmer weather sets in, we want to ensure all students stay hydrated throughout the day. Going forward, we will no longer be providing disposable cups for water at school. To support this change and promote sustainability, we ask that all students come to school each day with a refillable water bottle. Water stations are available throughout the school for students to refill as needed. Thank you for your support in helping us encourage healthy habits and reduce waste.
Y9 Imperial War Museum
On Wednesday 30th April, 30 Year 9 students had the opportunity to visit the Imperial War Museum in London. This gave the students the opportunity to find out more about the Holocaust as part of their Year 9 Historical Studies on the Second World War.
At the Imperial War Museum, the students first had a classroom session to learn about the Holocaust and what happened. They did this by looking at first handwritten accounts of different stages of the war and what impact this had on the Jewish population. They then got to visit the Holocaust galleries. These are a series of rooms which hold many different artefacts. They tell the story of Jewish people lived in the 1920’s to the destruction of their race by the Nazis.
The students were impeccable and respectful in their behaviour and I hope this will help those who go on to study GCSE History.
Abigail Biggs
Head of Year 9
UKMT Junior Mathematics Challenge
Yesterday, 113 of our Y7 & Y8 students took part in the UKMT Junior Mathematics Challenge. This national competition gives students just one hour to tackle a series of challenging maths problems, testing their logic, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. We look forward to finding out how well they have done in a couple of weeks' time.
Y10 Duke of Edinburgh Award Expedition Training
On Tuesday and Friday this week, Year 10 students taking part in the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award completed their training ahead of the expeditions that will be held in a few weeks.
There were sessions on expedition kit, the countryside code, navigation, route planning and first aid. We were able to take advantage of the beautiful weather this week and use the school field to practice setting up tents (which went more smoothly than I might have expected), using gas stoves, taking bearings with a compass and pacing out distances.
The students were enthusiastic and engaged throughout. They took on board the key messages from the day such as respect for the environment through which they will be journeying and the importance of working as a team and taking responsibility. I am really looking forward to being with them during the expeditions and let's hope the weather is as kind as it was this week.
Mr Rowe
Head of Humanities
Y9 St Ives Trip
While our students have been away this week in St Ives, we’ve had feedback sprinkle in from one of the vendors. We are proud of the exemplary manner in which our Y9’s have conducted themselves while on their trip.
“I had the pleasure of holding my sea shanty workshop for your students last night at The Cohort in St. Ives and they were an absolute delight to work with. I really enjoyed it and the effort they put in and their ability to support each other was outstanding and a real joy to witness...and the teachers were all outstanding too.”
Ms Tessyman
Sea Shanty Workshop St Ives
Norland Nanny Visit
On Thursday 1st May, Kate Morgan who represents the Norland Nanny organisation came to speak to Year 10 about what the role involves. She went through the job description and the experiences they can gain, as well as including firsthand accounts of the role. She then explained how you become a nanny. This is a degree level course based in Bath. This was very useful to our students as they start thinking about their Post 16 education. There are many open days in Bath and online virtual sessions. Should your child want further information.
We start the term with positive news of our very own Sport Leaders for their outstanding contribution to sports leadership. They continue to represent Kingshill at School Games Leadership Events, showcasing the initiative, responsibility, and enthusiasm that make our Sports Leaders programme so impactful.
Even more excitingly, a case study highlighting Sports Leadership, Youth Voice, and the Kingshill Lionesses was submitted by our School Games Organiser, Ms Sadie Herbert, to a national School Games event – and it was Highly Commended! The recognition came from a panel including Sport England, the Youth Sport Trust (YST), and other School Games Organisers across the country.
This case study has now been shared with over 450 SGOs nationwide as a leading example of best practice in student leadership and engagement.
We are incredibly proud of our Sports Leaders, whose hard work and dedication continue to inspire younger students and strengthen our school community and to Ms Herbert for her continued dedication, ambition and proactiveness.
If your child wishes to join our Sports Leadership programme, please have them see Ms Herbert who is always happy for the added help and support.
District Athletics Trials
On Wednesday 30th April 2025, staff members proudly took 20 students to the District Athletics Trials held at Deer Park School. Our students competed with great determination and represented Kingshill with pride.
We are currently awaiting the final results to confirm which students will progress to the County level, but we are delighted to share that at least eight of our athletes have already secured a place — with the possibility of more to come.
Representing Years 8 & 9: Sion J, Joey B, Ruby R, Eliza B, Hollie D, Harry J, Josie E, Poppy W, Ethan P
Representing Years 10 & 11: Josh P, Ollie T, Ollie C, Luziana W, Max B, Max B, Harry B, Molly R, Maya L, Ethan B, Agnius R
Well done to all involved — we look forward to sharing the full results soon!
Kingshill Student Completes Charity Marathon
We are excited to share the incredible achievement by one of our Year 10 students, Joshua M. Joshua recently took part in a charity event organised by his parent’s workplace in support of Magic Breakfast, a charity focused on providing healthy school breakfasts to children in need. Showing true determination and spirit, Joshua set off from Gloucester at 6:30am alongside a group of participants to walk a full marathon — their way.
After 8 hours and 9 minutes, Joshua and the team completed an impressive 27.13 miles, finishing at around 3:30pm. At just 14 years old, completing a marathon distance is an outstanding milestone and a testament to Joshua’s resilience, positivity, and dedication. We are extremely proud of Joshua for taking on this challenge and for representing the Kingshill spirit so proudly outside of school, congratulations, Joshua!
Football Champion
Our year 10, Olly S, has returned from an international football tournament in Poland as a champion, helping his team bring home the trophy! While there, he also visited Auschwitz, gaining a powerful insight into history. Despite a busy schedule, including a Cup Final against Chelsea this week, Olly continues to impress with his dedication. Well done, Olly!
Kingshill’s Got Talent
Just a quick reminder about our upcoming performance event, Kingshill’s Got Talent, taking place on Thursday, 8th May at Bingham Hall in Cirencester, from 7.00pm to 9.00pm.
Over the past few weeks, students have competed in preliminary heats, and we are happy to announce that ten outstanding acts have been selected to perform on the night. Each act will showcase their talents in front of a live audience and our judging panel. After the first round, the top three acts will perform again in a final round to compete for the Kingshill’s Got Talent Trophy.
In addition to the competition, our Musical Production Choir will also perform songs from this year’s school musical, "We Will Rock You".
It promises to be an evening full of entertainment and celebration of our students' talents. We look forward to seeing many of you there to support the performers. For tickets, please use the QR code or click here.
Former Students Achieving High
We are always pleased to share exciting news about our former students. Star A and Alana C are currently studying A Levels at Commonweal Sixth Form while participating in the football programme, playing for the Swindon Town C6 Team. Some of you may remember them from last year when we proudly featured their achievement of winning the Belgium Cup in our newsletter.
Now, Star A. and Alana C. have continued their sporting success by helping their team reach the Community and Educational Alliance National Cup Final! They will face Manchester City at Stoke City’s impressive 30,000-seat stadium on May 13th. Their road to the final has been nothing short of remarkable, having defeated strong sides such as West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa, Stoke City, and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
We always love hearing about the achievements of our former students, and we wish Star A and Alana C the best of luck in the final. We’re incredibly proud of them and look forward to hearing all about the match!
Closing Remarks
A reminder that we will return on Tuesday 6th next week due to the Bank Holiday on Monday – it would be amazing if we can beat last week’s highest ever daily attendance record of 94.1% - an awesome achievement from our students !
