It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around the site as the trees have been officially decorated by the Student Council Environment group and classrooms are starting to twinkle. Thursday evening saw our annual Sports Awards, what a pleasure and a privilege to listen to our guest speaker Ben Gallagher and to celebrate and reward our fantastic sporting students. The sporting theme didn’t end there, today we have enjoyed a day in Active Wear raising money for Ben’s charity Mintridge Foundation. A competitive handball match between the staff an d students was fiercely contested. I’m sure it was the staff who won, and Mr Hamblin was right, height may be an advantage, but speed wins the day! A huge thank you to the Friends of Kingshill for their mega popcorn making throughout break and lunch – it went down as a real treat for us all !
Assembly
It was a real delight to celebrate our students’ successes in their recent Active Minds’ reports in our assemblies this week. Active Minds is linked to Respect in the school, students being respectful of their learning and engaging in classroom techniques such as cold calling and silent solos.
Students were awarded certificates for overall performance on these reports and I was proud to present 85% of students in our school with a certificate for being at least Green overall on their Active Minds report and an amazing 228 students with a Platinum report Certificate!
Mr Stillman
Year 11 Parents’ Evening – Monday 16th December
Year 11 parents/carers are invited to make appointments to meet subject teachers in school between 3.45pm and 6.45pm on Monday 16th December. Appointments can be made using the Edulink app and selecting the Parents’ Evening icon. Please click here for a video guide on how to do this. Appointments open from 7am on Friday 6th December 2024 and will close on Friday 13th December 2024 at 6.00pm. We look forward to seeing you there.
Christmas Spirit
Our thanks go out to our Environmental Group, members of our Student Council, who have done a wonderful job putting up our Christmas trees around the school! Their efforts have truly warmed the atmosphere and brought a festive glow to our entrance and dining hall. As we embrace the season of giving, we’d like to remind parents that we are still taking food donations. Your contributions help us support local charities and brighten this time of year for everyone in our community. Thank you for your continued generosity and support!
Parent Forum: Green is Great !
We are so grateful to the parents who give up their time to attend our Parent Forums. We really do value the voice of our parents as we share aspects of the school development plan and reflect on the strategies we have in place. Today we learned more about our reading strategy and the importance Personal Development has within and beyond the classroom.
One key takeaway for me was to share with all of you that when a student is considered ‘Green’ in any aspect of the Unlocking Potential strategy, it is a real cause for celebration. As a headteacher, if I could have a school full of ‘Green’ students, I would leave the building each day knowing that we are secure in our mission of shaping a greater future for our students. Go and celebrate those greens this weekend – as one parent coined for us today ‘Green is Great!’.
Young People’s Voice
Last month, Y11 Rebecca was interviewed by the BBC local news team, where she shared her reasons for getting involved and her thoughts on the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) survey’s impact. The link to her radio interview and the accompanying newspaper coverage (below) are well worth a listen and read! What a great example of ways to get involved in the community. Well done for her contribution to this valuable initiative.
Look at these happy netballers after attending their first District tournament!
Our Year 7 girls have turned up consistently every week to training, keen to compete against other local schools. Sadly, the weather has forced a couple of fixtures to be cancelled this term so it was lovely to attend the tournament at Thomas Keble this week. To recognise the commitment the girls have shown we decided to give them all the opportunity to play, even if it meant reduced court time. They all chose this option without hesitation so a squad of 15 travelled in the school minibus with much chatter and excitement for the games ahead.
We played against Farmor’s, Westonbirt, Deer Park and Thomas Keble. The girls supported each other both on court and from the sideline, cheering the shooters, encouraging the defenders and motivating our mid court players to keep energy and spirits high in all games. Well done to the girls for representing Kingshill and our STEPs values, we are very proud of the enthusiasm and positivity you have shown us this term.
Please continue to come along to Rec. Netball club after Christmas so that you can keep practising your skills.
School County Cross Country Championship Success!
We are thrilled to celebrate the fantastic achievements of our students at the School County Cross Country Championship, held on Sunday, 1st December 2024 at Newent Community College. A huge congratulations to everyone who represented Kingshill with determination and pride.
Year 7 Boys: Caleb S – 19th
Year 8/9 Boys: Joey B – 17th
Year 8/9 Girls: Ruby R – 31st | Hollie D – 33rd
Year 10/11 Boys: Harry B – 11th | Ollie E – 28th
Each of them showcased incredible effort and sportsmanship. Whether it was their personal best or a podium finish, we are immensely proud of your hard work and commitment.
Well done to all participants, and thank you for representing our school so admirably!
GCSE Awards Evening
Another congratulations to all those who received GCSE Awards a couple of weeks ago. Your hard work and achievements are a true reflection of the STEPs and values that Kingshill School stands for. As you continue on your educational journeys, we know you will carry forward all the goodness and pride of our school community. Well done!
NHS Cadets
The NHS Cadet program is a free initiative for students aged 14-18, offering hands-on experience in healthcare, from clinical to non-clinical roles. It helps develop valuable skills, boost confidence, and provides pathways to NHS careers. To learn more and apply, visit NHS Cadets - St John Ambulance.
Staff Wreath Making
This week, staff members had the opportunity to create beautiful holiday wreaths, offering a chance to unwind and get into the festive spirit. We hope everyone who participated enjoyed this experience, and a big thank you to Mrs Pearson and Mrs Waller who organised it all—it’s gestures like these that make our community so wonderful. Happy Holidays to all!
Join as a Trustee – Register your Interest
Looking to make a difference at Kingshill School? We're seeking a General Trustee to help shape our school's future. No experience needed—training provided!
Make a real impact on our school and community. Click here for details on the role.
Closing Remarks
We are all looking forward to a sell-out Christmas concert on Monday evening - a perfect way to start the Christmas countdown. Be reassured that during the last two weeks there will be a clear focus on teaching and learning across all departments – we will save our celebrations for the final assemblies and the last period of the school day on Friday 20th December where we close at 12.30pm. Have a wonderful weekend.
