Weekly Information - Friday 2nd February 2024

Hot Chocolate with the Head

Friday 2^nd February 2024

It has been another fantastic week and great to hear what our nominated students have achieved as they enjoyed a hot chocolate together. Despite it being a smaller group this week, the room was still full of enthusiasm and smiling faces.

First to tell the group about their achievement was Noah (Y7). Noah has become our 4^th Accelerated Reader Double Word Millionaire which he is very proud of. Noah told the group about his current read, a Michael Morpurgo novel which he has found really gripping. It was great to see Noah’s passion for reading and we wish him success for the future.

Harry (Y7) was next to tell the group about his achievement; becoming our 16^th Accelerated Reader Word Millionaire. Harry explained to the group that he is currently reading Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Despite only starting it at Christmas he is now well into Chapter 5 and really enjoying it. Well done Harry, you are an inspiration to peers and pupils who love reading like you!

It was then Bethan’s (Y7) turn to share her achievements with the group. Bethan has also excelled with her reading and is our 17^th Accelerated Reader Word Millionaire. Bethan explained how she is re-visiting one of her favourite books from the Storm Keeper series. The group were in all in agreement that reading is such a valuable activity and how it will help them as they go through school and beyond. Well done Bethan!

Finally, it was a pleasure to hear from Abbigail (Y9) who has been nominated for her time given to volunteering. Linked with her D of E, Abbigail explained how she has helped with Christmas gifts, met people who are facing challenging times, facilitated collections and took part in assemblies to raise the awareness of Burton HOPE Foodbank. We are proud of Abigail’s valuable contribution within the local community and how she has demonstrated our core value of kindness.

The group finished by having a chat about what they loved most about John Taylor which included the practical’s in Science, the DT facilities and of course our delicious offering in the canteen at lunch. We’re proud of the skills our students have demonstrated and hope they have a much-deserved rest over half-term at the end of next week. However, by the sounds of it, they have plenty of activities lined up such as rugby games, indoors skiing, visits to family in Ireland and of course lots of reading!

If you’d like to nominate a student who has demonstrated one of our core values or has gone above and beyond at home or in school, please contact [email protected].

The following students celebrated their achievements with Mrs Cochrane this week, congratulations to them all! 

Here at JTHS, we are always looking for ways to celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion. Therefore we are pleased to announce the opening of our "One Community Reflection Room" on Wednesday 21^st February.

The room, T5, will be a safe, warm and staffed space for our students who wish to spend some of their lunch break praying, meditating and/or reflecting. It is open to ALL students and will run from 1.25 - 1.45pm every lunch time. Thank you very much to those staff who have volunteered their time to supervise and observe our students who have asked for this space to be made available. There is a clear code of conduct for students to follow which will be shared during tutor time.

In line with our JTHS vision and values as 'One Community' that shows kindness, respect, perseverance and integrity towards each other, we look forward to welcoming our students to this quiet, reflective space.

On Friday 26^th January, Mr McFarlane, Mrs Gill, Mr Williams and Mrs Starbuck made the journey to Geneva with twenty-nine Year 12 & 13 Physics students.

There was no time to lose, as soon as the group arrived, they enjoyed a quick lunch before heading to the Musée d'histoire des sciences (Science History Museum) in Geneva. Set in an historic building overlooking the lake, students had the opportunity to explore the museum and the vast array of historical pieces they had on show. These included microscopes, time measuring equipment, and early electrical pieces, some of which dated back to the 1700s. There was also an exhibition focused on the force of gravity and the scientific phenomena that impacts our lives on a daily basis. 

The day finished with a traditional fondu overlooking Lake Geneva – what a view!

It was an early start on Saturday for the group of Physicists. After a delicious breakfast they headed off for an action-packed day at CERN. The students were really excited and spirits were high.

As the group arrived at the new Science Gateway at CERN, it was clear the students and staff were very impressed. The centre has an incredible offering and is devoted to raising the profile of CERNs work and educating students, teachers and researchers alike.

The group had a quick visit of the gift shop before the tour began at 9am. Each of the tour guides were scientists currently working on one of the projects at CERN, and students were taken to see ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment), one of the sensors used on the Large Hadron Collider, as well as visiting the CERN Control Centre. The focus on CERNs wider impact on society such as the invention of the World Wide Web and advancing data processing were highlighted to students, as well as how the future of scientific discoveries is now dependent on the next generation of young scientists like our students. 

In the afternoon students took part in a workshop in the state of the art education labs at the CERN Science Gateway. We were so impressed with the students as they built their own cloud chamber to investigate and observe particle tracks. It was a great hands-on experience and a great learning opportunity too.

Many students said how the experience confirmed to them that a career in science, and for some particle physics, is something that they wish to pursue in the future. 

The day ended with a photo with one of the incredibly large dipole magnets before heading for a fun evening of bowling and the chance for everyone to enjoy some social time before the flight back on Sunday.

Although it was a short trip it was one that the students and staff really will remember. Thank you to all those involved. The students were impeccably behaved and it was a pleasure to see them representing the school in such a positive way!

On Tuesday 30th & Wednesday 31st January, our science department embarked on a trip with the Year 7s to The National Space Centre in Leicester, an interactive hands-on experience and home to the UK‘s largest planetarium.

The Year 7 pupils loved exploring everything ‘Space‘ and Miss Davis said ‘the students were in awe and came away feeling inspired‘. Some key highlights were definitely the iconic 42 metre rocket tower, the Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium and their world-class artefact collection that tells the past, present and future stories of space exploration and science.

It was great to have the centre‘s ‘Discovery Team‘ on hand to answer our students fantastic questions, and for them to pass on their knowledge! The Year 7s were a credit to the school, thank you to all those involved.

To Year 11 Parents,

You are invited to attend an evening for parents. This is specifically focused on the core subjects- English, Maths, Science and Religious Studies as well as helping parents to develop an understanding of cognitive science in order to support your child with effective and impactful revision.

We will also be using this evening to share some useful signposting about student wellbeing, we know that the run up to exams can be a stressful time. 

Please use the link below to book your tickets, there are a maximum of 2 per student to ensure that we have capacity in the school hall.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/year-11-parent-information-evening-supporting-success-tickets-793050163387?aff=oddtdtcreator

There is no requirement for students to attend. Students will be having a bespoke series of assemblies during the Spring Term that covers all of the information shared with parents and more.

We look forward to welcoming you into school on Wednesday 21^st February. Please arrive from 5:45pm for a 6pm start. The evening will close at 7:30pm.

Upper School Team

The third revision video will be available for year 11 students to access from Monday 5^th February. It is titled ‘Earthquake case studies’.

Please access this via the link shared on Go4Schools or on this link:  Geography KS4 revision videos

Don’t forget to hand in your previous exam question this week as well.

Should you have any questions regarding the revision videos, please contact your child’s Geography teacher.

Tutor2u have produced student workbooks for each topic area, and they are a fantastic resource to support you with your learning in A Level Sociology.

In addition to the course textbook for Year One of this course, I have placed the details of each workbook linked to your Year 12 topic areas on ParentPay.  They are £5.95 each and can be purchased through the school at any time.  I would highly recommend purchasing these workbooks as they will be very useful for organising your revision notes and give useful tips for answering the different types of exam questions.

Thanks,

Miss Broderick

The 16–19 Discretinary Bursary Fund is a government-provided, means-tested fund available to support students who have difficulty in meeting costs relating to their studies. To qualify, you must be under 19 years of age on 31st August in the academic year in which you start your programme of study, and you will be expected to provide evidence of personal and/or financial hardship. Each case will be assessed individually, however, usually this would be based on a household income of £27,000 or less, plus any benefits you are in receipt of at this point in time.  

For further information, please see the guidance and application form using the following link John Taylor High School (jths.co.uk).

If you have queries please do not hesitate to get in touch [email protected]

Thank you

The Sixth Form Team

Make UK Technology Hub Open Day. 

? What: Apprenticeship Open Day Open Day 

? When: 3rd February 2024, 9:30am - 12:00pm

? Where: Make UK Technology Hub, Aston 

Why should your students consider joining us? 

Hands-On Learning: Your students will have the chance to dive into the fascinating world of engineering and manufacturing through interactive workshops and demonstrations. 

Meet Industry Influencers: Connect with professionals from some of the country's top employers. They'll share valuable insights about apprenticeships and potential career paths in the field. 

Apprenticeship Insights:

• Apprenticeships offer a genuine, earn-as-you-learn experience, providing a steady income while acquiring practical skills.
• The demand for skilled engineers is on the rise, with plenty of room for growth and advancement in the industry. 

Exclusive Peek into the Future: Gain a firsthand look at the latest technologies shaping the industry's future. 

We believe in nurturing the next generation of engineers, and your students play a crucial role in that journey.  

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or if your students are eager to secure their spots.

Apprenticeship Open Evening

Date: 6 February 
Time: 16:30 - 19:00 (Pop in and out whenever suits ​you)
Location: CMS London or CMS Sheffield (whichever suits you best) 

Join us for an open evening at either our CMS London or Sheffield office to hear more about our Apprenticeship offerings and network with our colleagues across the office over drinks and canapes.

We currently offer the following apprenticeships: Solicitor Apprenticeships, Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeships, Paralegal Apprenticeships, Secretarial Apprenticeships and Apprenticeships across Business Services.

Here is a really useful guide to help you check your Facebook settings. We appreciate a lot of young people don't use Facebook as a platform but felt this information would be useful to help parents ensure they are secure online.