Principal's Communications
You can find updates from the Principal below:
Principal's Update 1st December 2024
Dear all
As we approach the festive season, I hope this newsletter finds you well. There’s been a lot happening at KSA this week, and I’m delighted to share some of the highlights and updates with you.
Post-16 Open Evening and Year 11 Assembly
This week, Year 11 students attended an assembly delivered by Julie Thompson, our external careers advisor, ahead of the Post-16 Open Evening. Julie’s session highlighted the importance of thinking about next steps, not just focusing on academic qualifications but also the critical role of attitude, punctuality, and conduct in shaping future references.
The Post-16 Open Evening itself was a great success, with many of our Year 11 students and prospective students from other schools in attendance. Next steps will be communicated to Year 11 students and parents shortly.
To support your child further, I’d like to encourage you both to attend our KS4/5 Raising Achievement Evening on Thursday 12th December 2024. This event is designed to help parents and students work together through this important and often stressful time. We’ll share practical revision strategies and signpost key resources to help your child feel confident and supported.
Annual Book Fair
Our Annual Book Fair has been running this week and will continue until Tuesday, 3rd December. This event is always a highlight and helps encourage a love of reading while also benefiting our school.
For every book sold, Scholastic Books donates free books to our school, helping us grow our library and classroom resources. Last year, we raised an impressive £1,187, and we’re hoping to surpass that total this year! If you haven’t already, please visit the Book Fair—it’s a great opportunity to pick up a Christmas gift or two while supporting our school.
Celebrating Spirited Arts Entries
We are incredibly proud of the creative and thoughtful projects submitted by our students for this year’s national Spirited Arts competition. While no one from KSA won, the following students deserve recognition for their efforts:
Imogen Bell, Luxmey Nanthakumaran, Archie Hogan, Jodie Lee, Sanjeda Ahmed, Tiarna Gazeley and Alivia Foster, Scarlet McGeorge, Nisa Khan, and Demi McIvor.
We’ve included examples of work from Imogen and Luxmey in this newsletter and are excited to share that all entries will feature in a new student showcase publication being put together by Miss Westbury. A big thank you to Mr Gray for inspiring such creativity and supporting our students throughout this competition.
Cadet Success
Congratulations to 12 of our new cadets who passed their air rifle weapon handling test this week during regular training. This reflects their dedication and the key skills they’ve developed, including discipline, focus, and responsibility.
A big thank you to RSMI Barrett for leading this session, and good luck to those being tested at the next event!
Assemblies and Student Support
This week, KS4 assemblies focused on the risks associated with social media usage. We’re also developing sessions on issues such as vaping and drug use. While the school maintains a zero-tolerance approach to these behaviours, we are committed to educating and supporting students through PSHE lessons, tutor time activities, external speakers, and partnerships with agencies.
SLT Drop-In Session
We’re holding our first SLT Drop-In Session this Thursday, 5th December, from 3:00–5:30 pm. There’s no need to book—just pop in if you’d like to raise any concerns, ask questions, or simply have a chat to learn more about what we’re doing.
To accommodate different schedules, we’ll vary the times of these sessions throughout the year.
Key Dates
- Non-Uniform Day & Early Finish: Term ends at 12:30 pm on Friday, 20th December. This will also be a non-uniform day to reward students for their hard work this half-term.
- Festive Events: A list of our upcoming festive activities is attached to this newsletter.
Thank you for your continued support. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Mrs Giovanelli
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26th October 24 - Principal's Weekly Update - Click here to view
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04th October 24 - Principal's Weekly Update - Click here to view
29th September 24 - Principal's Weekly Update - Click here to view
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6th September 24 - Principal's Weekly Update - Click here to view