‘Kingshill is a beautiful community woven between tapestries of
friendships and achievements…’
...the words from a Y10 student leader application form – how true this is. The student leader interviews are always a highlight, but they are also a humble reflection on the compassion and support our students share for one another, alongside a determination to shape a greater future for the whole school community. Mr Morland and I are still bursting with pride and admiration for the students involved – a huge thank you to all who applied; the quality of discussion around our school community was both insightful and thought-provoking. We are confident that these wonderful students will create a long-lasting legacy for our school.
Farewell to Mr Pritchard
We bid a farewell to Mr Pritchard, Deputy Headteacher at the end of last week as he leaves us for an exciting new opportunity. He extends his thanks to the support the students, staff and parents have given over the last 5 years and in return we want to thank him for all he has done during his time at our school.
In the interim, Mrs Christopher is now our acting Deputy Headteacher and we will share more regarding our staffing for September in term 6.
Assemblies this week
The assembly this week focused on the Pride STEP. We discussed each element: ‘I am proud of myself and our school. I take pride in learning and I celebrate success.’ To feel pride requires self-respect and self-respect comes with self-discipline – we do not lower our standards for anything or anyone. It was a beautiful opportunity for each of the Year Leaders to celebrate the successes of their students and all year groups sat and listened knowing that they really are part of something special at Kingshill.
We shared how we are ambassadors of our school both within the walls and beyond when stepping out into the community. I shared with the students the amended uniform policy that we will follow in term 6, asking students to show self-discipline in following the rules of the uniform, knowing that in doing so, it will lead to a deep sense of pride for ourselves, our school and as the Y5s and Y6s join us in term 6 for taster days and transition days, they will have brilliant aspirational role models to follow.
Substack
We hope you are enjoying our new newsletter format, which no longer requires you to open a PDF document. This change was a part of our ongoing efforts to improve communication with parents and the local community. Another method we will be using is to increase the school's social media presence to showcase the amazing work, events, and contributions of our CKS students. To support this initiative, we would like to offer parents the opportunity to update their photo permissions. If you wish to withdraw your consent, please send an email tooffice@cirencesterkingshill.gloucs.sch.uk to request the change. If you are happy for us to continue celebrating the successes of your child more publicly, you won’t need to take any action.
Y9 Imperial War Museum Trip
On Friday 10th May, 60 Year 9 students headed to the Imperial War Museum in London as part of their studies in History on the 20th Century. The key focus was learning more about the Holocaust, the key events and why it is still important today. The day was made up of 3 sessions; a classroom lesson on what they already knew, a visit to the Holocaust Galleries, and finally a debrief on what they had just seen. Each student was then able to write down their feelings on why they thought the Holocaust should never be forgotten. Our students were amazing. They participated with empathy and sensitivity and the guides said they were one of the best groups they had ever taught. Well done Year 9.
UK Junior Maths Challenge
On Thursday 25th April, approximately 120 of our Y7 & Y8 students took part in the Junior Mathematics Challenge. The challenge is held across schools from the whole of the UK, with approximately the top 8% of students receiving a Gold certificate, the next 17% receiving a Silver & the next 25% receiving a Bronze.
The students completed this year’s challenge online and did exceptionally well, achieving 3 Gold, 15 Silver and 34 Bronze certificates. A particular well done goes to Ryan in Y7, who achieved Best in Year & Miles in Y8, who was not only top in Y8 but also did well enough to qualify for the Kangaroo round. Well done to everyone that took part.
Here are some sample questions from this year’s Junior Mathematics Challenge.
Ans: C & E
The photos show some of our successful Y8 students.
Y11 Exams
A huge congratulations to all of the Y11 Textiles students who completed their 10 hour practical exams over the last few weeks. There were so many amazing outcomes and I am so proud of ALL of you!
Y10 Hoodie Project
A huge well done to the Y10 GCSE Textiles students for the amazing hoodies which they have created. Students were given the task of designing and making a hoodie inspired the work of the artist Morag Myerscough. They had to bring their ideas to life by making their own patterns before making their hoodies. The outcomes this year are fantastic.
Y11 Food Preparation & Nutrition
Just a few photos showcasing some of the fantastic dishes that the students cooked during their 3 hour exam back in February. Every mouthful was delicious. Well done Year 11s!
Award Winning Author Visit
Thursday was such an exciting day for Years 7 and 8 this week because we were incredibly lucky to have the hugely talented and award-winning author Tọlá Okogwu in school for the day. Tọlá spoke to the students about her journey as a writer which included an insight into her Nigerian roots, her family, her various jobs and passions, and her influences. She really brought her characters to life for the students with such passion that I hope she's inspired our students to read her books, but also to create their own worlds and lives through creative writing.
Tọlá also spoke to a small and specially selected group of Year 7s, answering so many brilliant questions and sharing even more tips and wisdom.
I cannot thank the students from those year groups enough for their enthusiasm and interaction throughout the day, a true reflection of the CKS spirit with their ambition and pride.
I also want to thank the student helpers; the day wouldn't have run as wonderfully without them!
Y7 Art Project
Year 7 have been producing pinch pot fish in their 3D art lesson. They have all shown such pride in their work, constructing their pinch pots correctly, applying the details and finally decorating them beautifully.
Sports Update
Our Rounders teams headed off to Thomas Keble on Wednesday with wins for both Year 9 (12-9) and Year 10 (15-8 ½ ). The following girls were awarded Player of the Match by the opposing team:
o Year 7: Freya
o Year 8: Poppy
o Year 9: Molly and Lara
o Year 10: Charlotte
Thursday evening was the culmination of an exciting campaign by our Year 9 football team to try and become County Cup Champions. The final took place at Cirencester Town Football Club and was strongly supported by staff, parents and students.
Playing against a strong team from St. Bede’s in Bristol, the boys showed excellent grit and determination throughout the match. After conceding two goals in the first half, they fought back but unfortunately, the result did not go our way and the final score was 2-1. The team should be incredibly proud of themselves for the ambitious and resilient fight back in the second half...next year we go again for GOLD!
Closing Remarks
I spent P6 on Wednesday afternoon amongst Y10 drama students conducting their mock performances of ‘An Inspector Calls.’ During the performances and in the follow-up reflection activity, I was reminded of how exceptional our students are. They were able to celebrate the successes of their peers’ performances through a wide range of technical vocabulary; they were never critical, only self-reflective and the self-learning from the exercise left me speechless. A reminder about our Learning Hurdles represented in our Active Minds ‘we are comfortable in making errors and completing work again – we often learn more from the mistakes we make than from always getting it right’. I’m already looking forward to seeing the students return on Monday to see what our final week of term will bring.
