Leyes Lane, Kenilworth, CV8 2DA

Tel: (01926)859421 • Email: school@ksnadmin.ksn.org.uk Head: Mr H. Abbott, B.A.(Hons.), M.Ed, NLE

Dear All

The national performance tables showing examination results for all schools have been published this week. I am delighted to report that our Progress 8 score of +0.54 confirms that pupils in Kenilworth make excellent progress in relation to their starting points and achieve, on average, at least half a grade better than can be expected compared to other schools. As you may be aware, we have many very able students who start in Year 7 having achieved very high attainments scores or levels on entry from their primary schools. Not only do students achieve exceptionally high attainment at GCSE and A level, but the evidence from the progress score indicates that we still add significant value and help every student to achieve their full potential. Our success is not only dependent on hard work but on our relentless drive to improve the education and chances for our students, combined with the regular support that we provide to individuals, particularly where we feel they are at risk of underachievement. At A level our students do just as well and similarly make above average progress. Congratulations are due to all students and staff and I would like to thank parents for their continued support and partnership with the school.

Following useful feedback from the parents’ questionnaire distributed at parents’ evenings, there is consistency between our self-evaluation and areas of strength/areas for development and these are in line with parents’ views. The area that we are focussing on in the next few weeks is raising the profile of homework as this is an area that has not been rated as highly as other areas, according to the questionnaires.

Some parents have asked for guidance on how much homework we would advise students to do. On average, students should spend between 1½ and 2 hours on their homework and revision in KS4 every night and between 45 minutes and an hour in KS3. If students find that they have less homework on a particular night, they should use the additional time to plan their revision and develop good habits of independent study.

We are continuing the process of interviewing students for places to Sixth Form from September and all interviews with internal candidates have now been completed. By the end of this term, we will be in a position to make offers to Year 11 students for next September. We do encourage students who are borderline and who may not be successful in securing a place in their choice of Sixth Form to seek an appointment with Miss Brennan, our Careers Advisor for further advice and guidance.

As a reminder, the deadline for the KS4 option choices is next Friday. Confirmation of option choices will follow in the first week back after half-term.

This Sunday the male voice choir will be singing at the Ricoh Arena before the match and at half-time when Wasps play Leicester Tigers in the Anglo-Welsh Cup. I am sure they will be good ambassadors for the school and I hope that everyone enjoys the match.

Yours sincerely H.H.S. Abbott Headteacher

2nd February 2018

DIARY DATES February 9th Year 9 deadline

for Options 12th Africa Week 14th & 15th USU Performance 16th Swing Night 19th – 23rd Half Term

OMISSION FROM LAST WEEKS NEWSLETTER

Imogen Beasley ran in the Junior Girls Year 8/9 Cross County race last week and

came 27th. Well done Imogen!

Year 7 Party Lower School Hall

Thursday 8th February

7.00pm to 8.30pm

£3 entry to be paid on the door

Nail Bar

Limbo Competition

Live DJ

Music and Dancing

Consent forms must be returned to tutors by

6th February

Technology – Year 7 Making Draw String Bags

Ciara with the finished product!

Year 11 Science Revision every Wednesday 3.30-4.30pm

DATE (WED)

Biology Topic U32

Chemistry Topic U34

Physics Topic U35

7/2 Osmosis, diffusion and active transport

Sustainability/recycling/ renewable resources

Series and parallel circuits

14/2 Digestion and enzymes Evolution of the atmosphere/climate change/carbon footprints

Mains electricity and electrical calculations

28/2 DNA, genetics, meiosis, mitosis inheritance

Redox reaction Electromagnetic spectrum

7/3 Menstrual cycle, homeostasis, negative feedback and control of glucose

Energy changes Specific and latent heat

14/3 Communicable diseases and immune system

Hydrocarbons and cracking Wave properties and wave equation

21/3 Cloning evolution and speciation

Polymers/allotropes/giant covalent structures/ionic compounds

Series and parallel circuits

28/3 Past paper sessions Past paper sessions Past paper sessions

18/4 Past paper sessions Past paper sessions Past paper sessions

25/4 Past paper sessions Past paper sessions Past paper sessions

2/5 Past paper sessions Past paper sessions Past paper sessions

9/5 Past paper sessions Past paper sessions Past paper sessions

16/5 Past paper sessions Past paper sessions Past paper sessions

INTERESTED IN SKI RACING?

If you are a good skier (can do linked parallel turn at speed) and would like to have a go at ski racing, there is an Area Schools Ski Race being held at Ackers Dry Ski Slope on SUNDAY 18TH MARCH. The age categories are U12, U14, U16 & U19 (age as at 31st Dec 2017).

You need to: 1. Email Mr Lockren at i.lockren@ksnadmin.ksn.org.uk with your name & date of birth. 2. Provide your own helmet (skis, boots & poles can be hired at Ackers). 3. Arrive at Ackers by 10am, finish with prize giving at 3:30pm. 4. Arrange own transport or share lifts. Please email Mr Lockren by the 9th February.

Headway Charity Bags

Next Friday 9th we will be handing Headway Charity bags out to our Year 7, 8 and 9s. If you have any items that can be recycled please bring them in first thing Monday 12th February and leave it in the foyer of the Sports Hall. Students please remember to only fill the bag with items that you can carry to school! Thank you

Exciting times!! Next week I am holding a Careers Fair at Kenilworth School and Sixth Form Upper School Hall, Leyes Lane.

The Careers Fair is aimed at Year 11 and upwards. Aiming to inspire and inform young people of the current job market and to highlight some great examples of various areas of Industry ranging from Small to Medium enterprise to Corporate. A chance for pupils to network; to find out if Apprenticeship opportunities are potentially available in the future if this is their aim; to gain advice that they may use to join a variety of industries; to network with employers to gain work experience opportunities. A chance for young people to engage with employers and vice versa.

Just under 50 Delegates will be attending including the BBC, Jaguar Land Rover and National Grid, along with colleges and training providers in order to give all round information.

A thought provoking and inspiring event for our young people.

The Fair will run from 3:30 to 6.00pm.

It will be open to parents from 3:45pm. You are more than welcome to accompany your child/drop by.

I hope the students find it useful. Marie Brennan (Miss) Careers Advisor.

2019 SKI TRIP (open to the current Year 9s)

Many thanks for all the applications for a place on the next school ski trip in January 2019.

The confirmations will be in registers today (Friday) and Monday. So far 95 have applied and there are still places available, so if you want to join in you need to get the forms to Mr Lockren and make the initial ParentPay deposit of £89 by the deadline of the end of next week (Friday 9th February).

Spare letters are available from Lower Office or Mr Lockren.

Bring your Reading Book to School!

Regular reading can improve your vocabulary, spelling and maths scores, and research has shown that reading has more of a positive impact on your overall exam results in secondary school than other influences such as your parents! For this reason, you must bring a reading book to school with you as part of your day-to-day essential equipment.

If you are in Year 7-11, make sure you have your book ready.

Are you aiming for maths GCSE Grade 7 or

above? Do you live in Kenilworth?

If so then check out these Intensive Algebra

Workshops at

www.kenilworthmaths.co.uk/workshops

Please note these workshops are not endorsed or run by Kenilworth School Maths teachers.

Tickets available for students to

buy in Main Reception at

lunchtime

Foreign Languages Spelling Bee 2017-18

Thursday 8th February.

Good luck to all our school finalists!

7D Scarlett Olorenshaw and Maya Dudley

7E Roisin Cassidy and Maebh Watson

7F Thomas Staton and Danny Turland

7G Annabelle Humphreys and Andrew O’Reilly

7H Freddie Beckett-Smith

7J Caitlin Bradley

7L Milan Wilkins, Noah Cortlett and George Jones

SPORTS FIXTURES

Feb Year Group Sport Opposition Home Away Approx Start

Finish

Tues 6th Year 10 Netball Campion Away 5.30pm Return

Wed 7th Year 11 Football Tournament Myton 6.15pm Return

Wed 7th Year 9 Netball Tournament North Leam 6pm Return

Sat 10th Year 7 & 10 Rugby Arden Away TBC

Sat 10th Year 8 & 9 Rugby Arden Home TBC

REQUEST FROM PE DEPARTMENT We are looking for second hand football boots, trainers or running spikes that we can use during lessons. If you have any at home you no longer use, we would be happy to receive any donations. Please send them to the PE Office.

Interfaith dialogue at A Level

On Thursday 1st February, Year 13 RS students had the opportunity to take part in scriptural reasoning. This is a movement that started at Cambridge University. It required students to explore religious texts and discuss what it meant to them. Today we explored the concept of neighbours and giving to others from an Islamic, Christian and Jewish perspective. We met with Georgia from the Scriptural Reasoning Movement and Bill Ozanne who works on interfaith dialogue in the Catholic Church. The Scriptural Reasoning Movement has worked all over the world engaging people of different faiths, even at times of conflict. They talked to us about their success working with different faith groups on the Gaza strip!

We now hope to build on this activity in the future and look to invite in members of different faith groups for some discussion.

National Space Centre What an awesome day!

I got to make clouds patterns across the planet on a spinny globe. Checked the weather forecast for 2042 - it is going to be hot! I got to drive the mars rover to look at the geology on mars. I sat in a space rocket cockpit and was blasted into space by a group of Year 10. I went in the simulator and felt what it was like to sit in a rocket and then crash landed a rocket on the moon. I controlled a telescope to get a closer look at the rings on Uranus.

Then to the classroom. I made a paper rocket which I blasted at 48 mph into the air. I changed the size of a marshmallow by changing the air pressure and then made water boil by changing the air pressure. Thank you to Mr Harwood Suther for a really exciting day out.

Stop Press…..

Elephants for Africa will be coming in on the last day of Africa Week to speak to our Year 13 students and our Year 8 students. Award winning conservationist Dr Kate Evans, is driven by her passion to ensure a safe future for the African elephant. Her grit and determination has seen her set up the successful charity and NGO Elephants for Africa, which takes a holistic approach to dealing with Human-Elephant Conflict through applied research and Community education. With over twenty years of experience living and working in the bush, on varied fauna from insects to lions and elephants throughout Southern Africa she has a deep understanding of the practical and theoretical skills required to be an effective field biologist. She has experience training field staff, developing community outreach programmes, public lectures and teaching from primary to tertiary level. Her out going inquisitive nature, thirst for knowledge, love of the bush and desire to change the world is infectious and brings any learning experience to life, drawing on her lifelong experiences of failures and successes whilst researching some of the most iconic African species in the wild.

Dr Kate is a Honorary Research Associate of the University of Bristol, Honorary Research Fellow, University of Exeter and a member of the IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group, the Elephant Specialist Advisory Group, the South African Wildlife Management Association and the Zoological Society of Southern Africa. www.elephantsforafrica.org

Elephants for Africa (EfA) is a UK Charity (1122027) committed to elephant conservation through research and education with a strong record of scientific research and community coexistence capacity building since it was established in 2007. In 2012 EfA relocated from the Okavango Delta, where the foundations of our work started in 2002, to the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park (MPNP). This move was prompted by the need to establish a long-term monitoring programme investigating the impact of the resurgence of the Boteti River on the elephant population. By moving into this area EfA also found itself in a better position to address a long-term conservation issue for the African savannah elephant; recolonization of historic range areas and subsequent conflict with humans. The Boteti region is one of the highest zones for human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Botswana. This encouraged the development of our Community Coexistence Programme, which focuses on enabling local communities to work

towards human-wildlife coexistence and realise benefits from living alongside wildlife. Partnering with schools and farmers, we facilitate the community to mitigate against conflict and engage with their wildlife.