It was wonderful to welcome the students back into school on Monday. They have returned with renewed energy and enthusiasm to embrace the full life of the school. The week has begun by reflecting on life beyond the Kingshill classroom; we have been seeking to explore the opportunities our students undertake both through our Extend offer, our Personal Development opportunities, alongside the activities and community work beyond the school. It has allowed for rich conversations between tutors and students and there is a huge sense of pride emerging among the activities they are undertaking that are enhancing their character growth. We are aiming for a school community that shows compassion and kindness towards one another through the acts of kindness displayed. In capturing the brilliance of our students, we are able to celebrate this pivotal STEP.
Remembrance Day
This week in our assemblies, we have been reflecting on the significance of Remembrance Day. As the day approaches, our school will hold a special observance to honour those who have served and sacrificed. Together, we will pause for a moment of reflection and respect, with students participating in discussions and activities to deepen their understanding of this important day and the values it embodies. We invite families to speak with their children about Remembrance Day and help us uphold this tradition of gratitude and remembrance.
Next Monday, at 11:00 am on the 11th day of the 11th month, our entire school community will come together for a commemorative silence. We will be joined by Sgt Jamie Taylor from the RAFAC and Mr Chris Brisley, a member of the Royal Marines to play the Lost Post to mark this moment. This observance aligns us with countless others around the world in remembering and honouring the fallen.
Thank you for supporting this significant day.
School Reports
Next Wednesday, school reports will be released. To support students in processing their reports, we will have an extended R&R (Reflect and Respond) tutor time after lunch. During this period, students will fill out the Reflective and Response sections in their journals, taking time to review their progress, celebrate successes, and set new goals.
We encourage parents and carers to discuss the school report with your child, highlighting achievements and pinpointing areas for growth. This R&R session is designed to help students thoughtfully engage with their learning journey and plan for the term ahead.
Thank you for your continued support in nurturing a reflective mindset and encouraging active participation in your young person’s education. Your involvement truly makes a difference!
Children in Need Day – Non Uniform Day
Next Friday, 15th November, we will be doing all we can to support the theme of ‘Make Life Lighter for Young People’ to raise funds for Children in Need. This day will be a non-uniform day with all students and staff asked to donate £1 to support this valuable cause, along with any additional change they can spend during the day to compete in the various fun challenges and events such as a treasure hunt, a ‘Guess the Pudsey’ and cake sales.
Early Christmas Closure
We will be closing school early at 12:20 pm on Friday, 20th December to mark the end of term and celebrate the successes of the past two terms. The day will include special assemblies, lessons, and time with tutors to reflect on students' achievements.
Further details about bus schedules will be shared soon. However, please note that students who usually take the Stagecoach bus service will need to be picked up from school. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to a wonderful end-of-term celebration!
Friends of Kingshill Meeting
At our meeting this morning, we welcomed new members and celebrated the exceptional quality and dedication of our Friends of Kingshill team. We’re thrilled to move forward with exciting plans, including upcoming pre loved uniform sales, online uniform shop, the Year 7 Disco tuck shop and refreshments at both the GCSE and Sport awards nights. Communication is also improving with a new parent WhatsApp group and weekly updates to keep everyone connected. Fundraising efforts are underway for key resources, including a student welfare hut and other enhancements around the school.
With such a passionate group, we’re looking forward to a fantastic year! If you’re interested in joining or lending a hand, we’d love to have you at our next Zoom meeting. Please also take 3 minutes to complete our Parent/Carer Survey below.
Last week a group of year 11 students woke up early Thursday morning and departed on a coach for Heathrow airport. I was lucky enough that, upon landing, the flight attendants allowed me to meet the pilot and even sit in the cockpit!
Upon arrival, we stashed our bags at the youth hostel and took the tube to Marian Platz, where we were given a tour of the important landmarks where Hitler and the Nazi party rose to power. This included the Hofbrauhaus (a German beer house) where he gave his first speeches. The tour was very interesting and seeing these places helped us to visualize the events that would have taken place. We then returned to the hostel to settle down in our rooms and catch up on some much need sleep.
On Friday, we visited Dachau, a Nazi concentration camp. We were escorted by the same tour guide as the previous day who opened our eyes as to the horrors and hardships endured by those on the concentration camp. He also told us the story of one man who had been imprisoned there. The man had continued to live in the town and had a fantastic sense of humour, despite his ordeal. This invaluable experience left us with a new appreciation for the importance of empathy towards all people, regardless of our differences.
Saturday was our trip to Nuremberg, where many of the Nazi rallies had taken place. We visited the museum which taught us the city's history before taking a walk to more important landmarks. These included the Nazi rally grounds and the Groβe Straβe (great street). We were given the chance to see for ourselves the true scale and grandeur of the architecture.
Following this we were taken to a market and allowed to explore the area. We took the chance to sample many German delicacies such as pretzels, lebkuchen and bratwurst! German students used the opportunity to practice their small talk with shopkeepers, but everyone managed to pick up a little of the language and carry out short conversations.
Sunday consisted of a trip to the German museum in Munich. The museum was incredible and had so much to see. My friends and I explored as many sections as we could, including agriculture, aviation and even music, where I was allowed to play an old organ - with the help of a man working in the expedition.
For the rest of the day, we relaxed by exploring the town centre and playing frisbee in a park.
Eventually, the day ended, and we had to return to England. With only a few minor delays, we were soon back at Kingshill to be collected by our parents.
Overall, the trip to Munich was an amazing experience that I believe we will all look back on fondly in years to come. Thank you so much to the teachers for organising the trip and to everyone on it for making Munich 2024 the once in a lifetime experience that it was!
Helen H
Cyberfirst Gold Award
CyberFirst Schools (CFS) is a program that encourages young people to engage with computer science and the application of cyber security in everyday technology. The program has encouraged collaboration between local schools, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), national and local companies and organisations. Kingshill school is proud to have achieved a Gold award for excellence in cyber security education this year from CyberFirst and the NCSC.
Mr. S. Karunaratne
Head of Computing, ICT and Enterprise
Kingshill Sporting Superstars
Does your child compete in sport at a high level (i.e Regional or National) that is not on the school curriculum?
Perhaps they are a Barefoot Water Ski champion, a National Cheerleading finalist, or an Archery sure shot! Are they a Magnificent Mountain Climber, a Terrific Triathlete, a Fantastic Figure Skater, a Martial Art Master, a Remarkable Rower, a Gifted Golfer, a Gutsy Go Karter, a Skateboarding Superstar…you get the idea! We want to hear about them (photos are also great!)
We want to share your pride in their achievements and celebrate their ambition and resilience.
We are looking forward to hearing and sharing all your wonderful sporting news.
Y11 Lesson Leaders
Fay recently led an impressive Wado-ryu lesson for her Year 11 peers, showcasing calm confidence and earning the respect of her classmates. The lesson was such a hit that her peers even asked her to teach a second one! This initiative is part of our effort to give our Year 11 girls ownership over their single lessons, allowing them to volunteer as lesson leaders. We’re excited to see more student-led sessions and look forward to Molly teaching line dancing in the New Year!
Year 10 Rugby
The Year 10 rugby team played KLB school on Tuesday. Both teams proved worthy opponents to each other and the game was very competitive. At half time only two points separated the two sides. KLB managed to score second half tries that Kingshill couldn’t match despite a very good effort. This first loss of the year proved to be very frustrating, even though it was to a highly competent and confident team. On another day, in a different environment, we could have got a better result against this team. The skills, ambition and pride within our Year 10 group will produce more success in the future, so we look forward to the next opportunity for these players to represent our school once again. The Player of the match for Kingshill was Oliver C, who worked extremely hard in contact and when supporting others. Well done and thank you to everyone involved.
Mr Hamblin
County Cross Country Success
We are proud to announce that eight of our pupils have qualified for the County Cross Country on 1st December 2024 at Newent Community College. Congratulations to Caleb (Y7), Ruby R, Hollie D, Joey B, Joe S (Y8/9), Isabella S, Oliver E and Harry B (Y10/11). This is a testament to their ambition and resilience—well done to all!
Mrs C. See - Athletics Coach/Team Manager for Gloucestershire Schools
Girls Cricket
Girls cricket lunchtime club will start in the second week back after half term in the gym from 1.30-2pm on the following dates: Mon (Nov 11th, 18th, 25th) & (Dec 2nd, 9th, 16th).
Closing Remarks
On this Remembrance weekend, our special thanks go to our Head students and senior leaders who will be representing the school on Sunday in the town’s act of remembrance. On Monday morning we look forward to our own special Remembrance event and welcome all students who are members of uniform organisations outside of school, to attend school wearing their uniforms.
We also wish our Y7 rugby teams the very best in their first rugby festival representing our school on Saturday!
