News

As we head into the weekend, please can we encourage parents to be vigilant with what your child is accessing online. Here are some top tips...

• KS3: Developing a positive attitude – exploring how positivity can enhance learning, relationships, and personal growth.
• KS4: Maintaining a positive attitude – emphasising resilience and motivation in work and study settings, preparing students for future challenges.

1. The Power of Positivity: Ask your child how positivity has helped them overcome challenges. Share examples from your own experiences to show how a positive mindset can make a difference.
2. Building Positivity: Discuss strategies for staying positive, such as focusing on strengths, setting small achievable goals, and reframing setbacks as opportunities to learn.
3. Positivity in Action: Talk about how positivity impacts teamwork, communication, and problem-solving – all essential skills for future careers.

Mrs Abbott was delighted to see so many pupils joining Chess Club this week, where they get the chance to play in a social and informal environment during lunchtime. It was fantastic to see our more experienced chess playing pupils helping other pupils (and teachers!) who are just beginners. There was a real community feel in the classroom and some great moves being played.

The Chess Club received a generous donation of boards, score sheets, clocks and magazines from a parent at the start of term which was gratefully received and of a huge benefit for the club. To sign-up to Chess Club, please log into Evolve. It'd be great to continue growing this fantastic club! 

You may remember we recently shared that our Year 7s had taken part in the Geography 'Antarctica Day' competition whereby they were asked to help raise awareness of the threats facing Antarctica by designing a flag. We were really impressed with all the entries, but it was Erin & Scarlett who's designs were chosen and actually flown out to Antarctica with the scientists!

This week we received these fantastic photos from the scientists in Antartica holding both Erin & Scarlett's winning design! 

Our Community Afternoon Tea is back this Spring where we are thrilled to invite our local elderly residents to enjoy an afternoon of delicious cakes and drinks, all served by our Sporting Young Ambassadors.

If you, or someone you know would like to attend our Community Afternoon Tea, please share this invite with them.

We are so excited to announce that tickets are now on sale on ParentPay for our upcoming school show; Back to the 80s. See poster below for more details.

Auditions have taken place and our talented pupils are gearing up for reheasals! Please share this event with family, friends and the local community so we can support our wonderful Creative Arts Faculty.

(Please note, for those who do not have ParentPay, tickets are available at Reception)

Here are some practical tips to ease the transition from the holiday period back to a normal school-day routine.  

Our new & improved 'Employability Skills' programme is well and truly underway and becoming a part of our pupils learning experience. Each half-term our teachers will support our students with a new skill and how to develop it ready for after their GSCE's & A-Levels. 

For Spring 1, the focus skill is: POSITIVITY. This will be taught in Tutor Groups and Personal Development Sessions.

What is meant by this?

• • Having a constructive and optimistic attitude and approach while carrying out tasks in a workplace environment.
  • It involves employees focusing on strengths, opportunities and solutions rather than negative aspects and challenges.

If you have any questions about Careers please email Mrs Ball (CEIAG). [email protected] 

After a fantastic first week back at school, Mr Blanchenot was delighted to be joined for 'Hot Chocolate with the Head' with a much-deserving group of Year 7s; Martha, Jack, James, Huw, Martha, Alfie, Ferdynand and Scarlett.

Firstly, Scarlett had been nominated by Mrs Berry for showing kindness to our local residents at the end of last term. Scarlett impressed Mrs Berry by supporting the Community Afternoon Tea by wrapping gifts and helping with a number of duties as part of her Sporting Young Ambassador role. Well done Scarlett, your valuable contribution was very much appreciated!

The rest of the group had been nominated by Mrs Ball, Subject Leader of CEIAG, for making excellent use of Unifrog to record activities and shown exceptional use of the Employability Skills. The focus for this half-term is 'Positivity' and our pupils were tasked with activities, workshops and keeping a log of how they have demonstrated these particular skills.

Mr Blanchenot said ‘Employability Skills are essential as they equip our pupils with the abilities needed to succeed in their future pathway. Making a log of these skills, even from Year 7, means that when pupils are ready to apply for university or an apprenticeship, they can show evidence that they have demonstrated these skills. We have identified six employability skills that will be delivered through registration sessions, the curriculum and through extracurricular activities’. To read more about our Employability Skill provision at John Taylor, click here: John Taylor High School eNewsletter

Mr Blanchenot was really proud of all these students for engaging with the range of opportunities we offer. We hope you all enjoyed your hot chocolate and goodies this morning, they were very much deserved!

Thank you to everyone who bought a raffle ticket at our Christmas Concert to win the Chocolate Hamper. We raised just over £200 which will be donated to the NSPCC.

The UKMT is an organisation that promotes maths across the country. Amongst other things it runs maths challenges where students are given a series of maths problems to solve. Students at John Taylor have again entered these challenges this term and done extremely well.

Josh and Greg achieved Gold in the Senior maths challenge and went on to do well in the next round.

William, Evelyn, William, Oscar, Isabella, Elijah and Harry all achieved Silver.

Charlie, Nathaniel, Hugo, Jacky, Abdulla, Louise and Harry achieved Bronze.

In the Girls Maths Olympiad, Evelyn achieved a distinction and Lilia achieved a merit.

Well done to all those who took part.

Look out for results in March after we have taken part in the Intermediate maths challenge. There is also a maths challenge club running on Wednesday lunch times in N4. Sign up on evolve clubs in the new year if you are interested.

Well done to our school community for their efforts in the Rudolph Run in aid of St Giles Hospice - we are thrilled to have raised over £800 by selling the antlers and noses. There was additional £25 raised by Sixth Form at their annual quiz! 

Thank you for your generosity and kindness. 

Mrs Berry would like to give a final 'thank you' of the year to the Young Sporting Ambassadors who have helped at a number of events this term. In particular the Community Afternoon Tea. Receiving messages like this from our local residents who attended, make everything worth it. Thank you so much for making a difference.

Thank you to our talented & hardworking canteen team for providing a delicious Christmas Dinner this week! It was enjoyed by everyone! 

Mrs Appleton, Senior Family Support Worker & DDSL would like to share this from The National College - 10 Top Tips for Parents about keeping your child safe on social media.