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Dear Parent/Carer
Welcome to our bumper Christmas edition of the KSHS newsletter. We have been busy with lots of opportunities in and outside the classroom for students to enjoy learning new things and to enjoy doing that with their friends. I hope you have seen the separate parents' letter detailing all the end of term and Christmas events in school. We are really looking forward to sharing some great High School traditions which our Year 7 students will experience for the first time.
My thanks go to Mrs Samworth and Mrs Pankhurst as well as the student membership of our Interact Club who put on a fantastic party for our local Senior Citizens this week. It was genuinely touching to see the care and compassion our students showed, and to hear all the lovely compliments from the guests. Our thanks too to the anonymous member of the public who, hearing of the party, paid for some of the school’s ingredient shopping in a local supermarket. In what sometimes seems an angry post-pandemic world, touches of kindness shine a powerful light.
And finally, a chance to do what doesn’t come that naturally…to blow our own trumpet! Last weekend saw the publication of the Times Parents Power Guide, an annual guide for parents on the top secondary schools in the UK. We are extremely proud to celebrate our position as the top 4th secondary state school in the East Midlands based on the performance of our GCSE and A Level students last year. The position is a testament to the students’ hard work last year and to the teamwork of all our staff who supported them in their success. I am particularly looking forward to celebrating with them on 18th December at our annual Senior prizegiving. For more information do have a look at Parent Power 2023: Best UK schools guide and league table (thetimes.co.uk) though you may need a subscription to access.
Mrs J Smith
Headteacher
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‘’What can you SPOT for Children in Need”
For our ‘Children in Need’ project this year we took the meaning of ‘spot’ to another level! Students from Year 7 to Year 13 joined in for a whole-school scavenger hunt over the course of the week leading up to Friday 17 November. Hunts included ‘find the most impressive moustache’ ‘find something that is both quiet and noisy’ and ‘find a dog that looks like its owner’. Students participated in usual excellent KSHS spirit and got creative in their form groups to produce their ‘spotted’ evidence posters. Well done to everyone who took part; look out for the announcement of the winning poster, which will award that tutor group valuable house points!’
The winners of the Spotted poster competition were 10W and 7L - Well Done!
Miss A Natley
Subject Leader – Personal Development
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Kellsey in Year 7, has been working extremely hard creating her own beautiful handmade jewellery to raise money for the Children’s Bereavement Centre.
Kellsey has had several fundraising events during the Halloween season and in the run-up to Christmas.
As a result, Kellsey has raised £290 to date, with still more events to come before Christmas! Well done Kellsey and good luck with your upcoming fundraising events!
Miss J Nutt
Head of Year 7
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Charity Fundraising – Teenage Cancer Trust
We always love hearing about what our ex-students are up to, so getting an update from Rhianna, who left last year to study Linguistics with German at Newcastle university, was a great pleasure.
She has recently signed up to take part in a charity trek in Peru along the Salkantay Trail in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust next summer and is currently aiming to fundraise £3,990 by June 2024.
Every day, seven young people aged 13-24 hear the words ‘you have cancer’. Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to providing young people with cancer the specialised support they need – the nurses and youth workers support young people from diagnosis through every step of their treatment, and for up to two years afterwards, helping them to recover and live life to the full. It is an incredible charity and deserves as much support as possible. https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/
If you feel you could support this amazing charity, please consider donating to Rhianna’s Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rhianna-tomlinson?utm_source=copyLink&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=rhianna-tomlinson&utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_term=b63e0c8450544ba483485078cf01838a
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Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) Policy consultation
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Please consider taking some time to have a look at our Relationships and Sex Education policy. We are keen to engage with parents/carers on this topic and welcome any comments which you would like the governors to consider. The policy is reviewed annually. We follow PSHE association guidance and use many of their materials in lessons. You can read more about them here https://pshe-association.org.uk/
The policy can be read here Relationships and Sex Education Policy Please email any comments you would like the Governors to consider, before Friday 12 January 2024, to our Governance Professional Debbie.Scott@robertcarretrust.uk. Whilst they may not change policy they will certainly inform it.
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We have been delighted to receive a new addition to the classroom in the last few weeks: the AV1 Robot.
One of our students is due to undertake significant medical treatment at a hospital in London, which will then entail several months of recovery, both in hospital and at home. In order to support them in their studies, the hospital school have loaned us the robot, which acts as the eyes and ears of the student, who can then be connected via a tablet in the hospital or at home. It allows the student a 360 degree view of the classroom, and they can interact with the teacher or peers, to take part in lessons and continue their learning. This is invaluable in terms of maintaining progress and contact, so we are very privileged to be able to make use of this new technology.
Miss S Chant
Head of Sixth Form
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Careers Education at KSHS
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I’d like to introduce myself as the new Careers Lead in school.
Alongside teaching Geography, I have been Head of Sixth Form at KSHS for a number of years, and so this new role in school allows me to expand the existing work I was already doing in order to prepare students for their next best steps.
Our careers education, information and guidance programme is designed to meet the needs of each and every student at the school, and is adapted to ensure progression through activities that are appropriate to our students’ stages of career learning, planning and development.
In particular we aim to:
- Develop and maintain a culture of high aspirations through a fully embedded careers education, advice, information and guidance programme.
- Raise and track students’ engagement within the careers programme during their journey through KSHS and evaluate to ensure that students are supported in raising or reaching their aspirations whilst being mindful of the ever-changing and competitive world around them.
- Build a continuously increasing and relevant network of partners and providers who can engage students in developing their career pathways. These partners will work in partnership with subject areas/key stages to develop collaborations enabling opportunities for students to see clear links between their subject learning and the world of work.
Students are allocated specific Careers lessons as part of the PSHE programme in Year 7-10, where they are encouraged to explore their own interests and skills to see how they can fit to an ever-changing career landscape. Some lessons a specifically tailored to supporting them in making their decisions at key transition points (for example in Year 9, students complete a lesson on how to choose GCSE options and what other options are available to them at age 14), while other lessons offer practical tips on preparing for the world of work (for example writing a covering letter and interview skills in Year 10).
In Years 11-13 students have a wide variety of talks, opportunities to visit Careers Fairs, drop-down days, work experience, visits to universities, visiting speakers from universities, colleges and apprenticeship providers, as well as 1:1 independent guidance meetings.
Careers information is also delivered through subjects, with teachers highlighting where the curriculum is particularly relevant for careers, or future opportunities they can take within that subject area. For example, Year 9 is due to have a session on ‘Where can German take me?’ in the next few weeks. Many of our extracurricular trips and STEM activities also allow students insights into a variety of workplaces and contacts with employers (for example, a recent Year 8 trip to the Space Centre, and a Year 7 trip to Bletchley Park). During the year, we also have a series of assemblies and activities linked to Careers and Apprenticeships.
In terms of resources in school, we have our Careers Library, within the main school library, where students can browse a wide variety of books and college/university prospectuses. We also have 2 Teams Channels for Careers aimed at Key Stage 4 and 5 students, where we post a wide variety of career-related opportunities that they can sign up for, such as webinars or work experience. Do encourage your child to have a look at this regularly.
If you would like more detailed information about our Careers Education, please do look at the school website under the Parents tab: Kesteven & Sleaford High School - Careers (kshs.uk) where you can also find further useful links. You may also find this website helpful in starting conversations with your child about their future career ideas: A parents' toolkit for career conversations (talkingfutures.org.uk)
I am always looking for ways to widen our engagement with employers and workplaces. If you feel you could potentially offer a work experience placement, conduct a mock interview, or contribute anything in terms of talking to students, perhaps in small groups, as part of a drop-down day or in a 10-minute assembly, then I would love to hear from you to add to our contact list. Please email me at school outlining what you could offer: sarah.chant@kshs.uk.
Miss S Chant
Careers Lead
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Library and Literacy News
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Throughout November, the Learning Resource Centre highlighted the importance of reading non-fiction. Our non-fiction section makes up a large part of the school library collection, and reading books full of facts is a fantastic and rewarding alternative to reading fiction, either in developing literacy skills, curriculum studies, or as part of a student’s own independent reading.
It is all too easy to simply type into a search engine when we are seeking out facts, but books continue to play a vital role in supplying reliably sourced, edited and reputably published information. Spending time reading from a book rather than looking at a screen is also of benefit, and young people who regularly access non-fiction books, according to a recent study by The National Literacy Trust were motivated to read for educational purposes, to satisfy curiosities, foster social connections and support their mental wellbeing.
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Introducing the eBook
The school subscribes to an eBook collection: eplatform by Wheelers Books is a safe and secure online resource providing free remote access to a library of eBooks, selected by the provider, specifically for secondary age students. Thousands of titles, both fiction and non-fiction, can be borrowed and read on a mobile device or home PC. Year 7 students are introduced to the ebook resource in their library lessons and provided with their individual log-in details. In some instances, students will be unable to borrow resources if an age restriction is in place; these are usually placed in line with a recommended reading age suggested by the publisher that considers content, language, and context. Books are not subjected by law to any age classification. Therefore, parents should be aware that they are responsible for their child’s ebook loans using personal electronic devices. Any student requiring a reminder of their details and how to use the platform can call into the library or email Mrs Gibson. Students who are on the dyslexic spectrum may particularly benefit from reading in this format as the App provides individual and customised settings for font sizes and background colours. A link to this free resource is in the Learning Resource Centre section of the school website. Students can either download the APP or access the site via the Web.
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BBC 500 Words Competition
After a hiatus, it is fantastic to celebrate the return of the acclaimed BBC 500 Words competition. Although the upper age category is now 11 years many of our students have previously entered this writing competition and discovered a love of creative writing.
Along with an acclaimed and prestigious judging panel, that includes Malorie Blackman and Charlie Higson, this year World Book Day Ambassador Sir Lenny Henry will also be joining the panel. Preliminary rounds are judged by volunteer teachers, teaching assistants and librarians from across the UK and this year our very own Mrs Gibson has already been busy judging entries submitted in the 8-11 age category. The winners of this year’s competition will be featured in a special 500 Words program with the One Show on World Book Day on 7 March 2024.
At KSHS, as part of our extensive extracurricular offer, we offer Scribes - a weekly lunchtime club run by Ms Natley that focuses on creative writing. Students who are interested in writing prose or poetry or would like to develop their skills further may be interested in this club.
And finally - a reminder that library books are loaned for a two-week period, with the option to renew if required. Students receive regular reminders if they have an overdue book. However, if a book has not been returned 60 days from the due back date, a replacement charge will be issued to parents. All our students are encouraged to borrow books responsibly and if there are any queries or impediments to returning books on time, please contact the LRC Manager, Mrs Gibson, who will be happy to help.
Mrs C Gibson
Learning Resource Centre Manager
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Bletchely Park - not only for World Leaders
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Bletchley Park was super fun and we learnt some really cool stuff such as:
- The Germans used a code that changed every day called the Enigma Code making this extremely hard for the people trying to decipher it.
- Poland was also trying to decipher it and they made a machine to make deciphering a lot easier.
- Alan Turing made the final blow to solving the enigma code, this was a machine called the Bombe.
- A man called Gordan Welchman found a pattern which helped break Enigma which was basically for the weather the code would always start with the few same letters W.E.A.T.H.E.R and at the end of each message it would always say “Heil Hitler”.
- Alan Turing was also a homosexual man.
- All of this information had to be kept secret and when the men and women started working at Bletchley they had to sign a form saying that if they leaked any information they would be simply executed.
And much more
All of this was really amazing and I learnt a lot about wartime codebreaking.
Fleur 7W
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There has been a slight amendment to our assessment calendar. For the latest information please check the calendar on the school website, which can be found at this link: Kesteven & Sleaford High School - School Calendar (kshs.uk)
Mrs G White
Assistant Headteacher - Curriculum
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Languagenut has once again held a world-wide competition to score the most points in a month and High School students again attempted to win the Amazon vouchers awarded to the top 50 students. There was a lot of effort put in, especially by Year 9 students, but it was Molly in 9A who managed to earn a place in the top 50. She was 28th in the world and will soon receive her Amazon voucher from LanguageNut. Huge congratulations Molly!
A big well done to everyone who took part; KSHS came 27th as a school. It’s really challenging to keep up the effort for an entire month but it certainly boosts vocabulary knowledge and language skills.
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Where could a language take you?
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On Tuesday 28 November, all Year 9 students took part in a careers webinar organised by the British Council called ‘Where Can Languages Take Me?’. A variety of speakers talked about what they have done and where they have been with their languages and then answered students’ questions. All the speakers had learnt French and German at school and then continued these languages at university and beyond before learning new languages such as Russian and Arabic. They talked about their travels and the interesting places they had lived and, most importantly, about their careers. One works for the British Council, another in counterterrorism for GCHQ and the third as a diplomat, helping the Prime Minister when dealing with his counterparts in France and other European countries. Nowadays, there is a real shortage of people with the language skills to work in jobs like this, so we are proud that our Year 9 students will all be studying a language and therefore have the potential to go out there and do exciting jobs such as these!
Mrs L Samworth
Subject Leader - MFL
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As always, it has been a busy term for Interact. This term our members organised the Rotary Shoebox Appeal, encouraging all forms to put together shoeboxes full of gifts for those who may be less fortunate than many of us this Christmas time. It was an impressive effort and we are pleased to say that 47 generously filled boxes have been sent off. Thank you to everyone who contributed!
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The Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party also took place this week. There was food, drink, bingo, a raffle, a quiz, music and more. Thank you to the music department, the food club and the kitchen staff who helped to make the event a success.
Mrs L Samworth
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08 Dec 2023
Staff are invited to nominate students who have demonstrated a Growth Mindset in the past few weeks. This might have been in lessons, in clubs, in tutor time or simply around school. Please note we already award bi-annual subject badges and merits for good academic work, effort and improvement...
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07 Dec 2023
On Friday 24 November and following the completion of our two-week-long GCSE mocks, we were given the opportunity to enjoy a relaxed and rewarding day at school attending sessions that included: first aid training, yoga, a session with Lincolnshire Police, revisiting UniFrog, and a motivational spee...
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On Thursday 9 November, a team of five Year 9 students attended the regional finals of the Raytheon Quadcopter Competition. Teams of students were challenged to design, build, modify, and fly a quadcopter to compete in the UK wide competition run by Raytheon UK. Students had already submitted a presentation to qualify for the tournament, finishing first in their division.
The morning of the finals saw some last-minute repairs to the quadcopter due to failing motors, but this ensured they were able to fly the quadcopter later that day. The team had to deliver a presentation to showcase their design. The team had been tasked with designing a quadcopter to assist the rescue services. They named themselves SFR (Sleaford Fire Response) and designed a quadcopter, equipped with a camera, which would fly into a burning building to be able to assist the firefighters with their rescue efforts but giving them more detailed information on the status of the fire.
The afternoon task was the obstacle course, where our pilot had to navigate their way through slaloms, hoops, and various landing pads. Multiple crashes from all teams involved meant fast repairs were required to stay within the time limit – much like scenes from an F1 pit-stop.
In the end, the team narrowly missed out on first place by just 10 points and finished in second place for the regional tournament. All students should be extremely proud of their efforts, having been outstanding representatives for the school.
Mr S Norris
STEM Leader
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On the 24 November, 14 musicians from our school band attended a concert at St Denys, with music provided by Ensembles of the Band of the Royal Air Force College. It was a wonderful concert and great to hear live music in our local area. I hope the students had a brilliant time and feel inspired. They all said they’d like to go again and there was much conversation on the return walk to school about conducting styles and technique!
We look forward to welcoming you to our next concert here at school on Wednesday 13 December.
Mrs H Kasperczyk
Subject Leader – Music
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The majority of our students wear their uniform with pride and correctly. However, this term we have had to deal with a number of students who have fallen below our expectation that they follow the school regulations. A particular vogue a the moment is the wearing of very long false eyelashes, which are not part of school uniform.
Please can we ask that parents and carers work with the school to promote the clearly set out standard. Wearing excessive makeup, skirts that are rolled up, false eyelashes, nail extensions and false nails de-values the purpose and value of uniform. We are appreciative of your support with the subtle make-up rules we have in school. We respect that some students feel the need to wear concealer to cover teenage skin breakouts and give Year 10 and Year 11 students permission to wear subtle make up (light foundation and a layer of mascara). Please save any treatments for a treat in the school holidays only and help us apply the rules fairly and consistently in school.
Fairness is something the students themselves value highly and rather than tutors spending time in conversations with young people about uniform it would be lovely to free up time for constructive conversations about more important topics.
Here is a link to the uniform policy for the school: -
Kesteven & Sleaford High School - Uniform (kshs.uk)
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Bus route SL07 - timetable change
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SL07 Helpringham - Sleaford - Mon - Fri School Days only
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Route number/Contract No or
Operating days
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SL07
AM
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SL07
PM
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| Helpringham Chapel |
0740 |
1637 |
| Little Hale Bus Stop |
0743 |
1634 |
| Great Hale Bus Stop |
0746 |
1631 |
| Heckington Village Hall |
0749 |
1628 |
| Heckington Burton Road End |
0751 |
1627 |
| Sleaford – Pride Parkway |
0757 |
---- |
| Sleaford Eastgate Alms Houses |
0800 |
---- |
| Sleaford – Tesco Bus Stop |
---- |
1612 |
| Sleaford Southgate Bus Stop |
0803 |
1610 |
ALL TIMETABLE ENQUIRIES PLEASE CALL SLEAFORDIAN COACHES ON
01529 303333
Commencing 11 December 2023
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Results
| Age Group |
Opposition |
Date |
Score/Result |
| Football |
| Year 7 |
Stamford Welland |
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Won 6-3 |
| Cross Country |
| All years |
KSSA zone |
KSSA zone |
11 runners expected to have qualified for the next round |
SSA Cross Country at Belton House
Well done to all who took part in the cross-country competition at Belton House. It was a very muddy and windy course, but all the runners took it in their stride (pun intended!). 11 runners are expected to have qualified for the next round at Stamford in January.
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We know the festive period may be particularly difficult for some young people. This term we have surveyed students on how they are feeling and have asked questions about mobile phones, sleep and breakfast. We will publish more details for you in the next newsletter and hope that you will work with us to help young people in their routines at home to promote better quality sleep and morning routines. As we enter the Christmas break here are some top tips to help you help your child to spread festive cheer online safely.
Mrs D Collett
Assistant Headteacher – Pastoral and Wellbeing
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10 Nov 2023
We are looking to appoint a Science Technician
37 hours per week (Term time only) January 2024 start NJC 5-6 (£23,500-£23,893 per annum) paid pro rata
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08 Nov 2023
We are looking to appoint a Relief Catering Assistant
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05 Sep 2023
We are looking to appoint a Cover Supervisor.
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