Weekly Information - Friday 9th February 2024
- National Apprenticeship Week: Norton Rose Fulbright Law Firm
- National Apprenticeship Week: BBC Newsbeat Journalists
- Sports Leaders & Young Sporting Ambassadors
- Students take part in UK Linguistics Olympiad
- John Taylor success at the Country Cross Country Championships
- John Taylor High School Wellbeing Week
- One Community Reflection Room
- Year 11 Supporting Success Evening
- World Book Day 2024
- Year 7 Residential Trip
- School Production - School of Rock
- Geog To Success Videos Y11
- Safer Internet Day
- Apprenticeship: Parent Information Pack
- Careers - Rolls Royce Female Apprenticeship Information
- Air Cadet recruitment poster
- Careers - Should I become a Doctor?
- Y12 & Y13 - 16-19 Discretionary Bursary Fund
National Apprenticeship Week: Norton Rose Fulbright Law Firm
As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Hannah Ahmed, Solicitor Apprentice at Norton Rose Fulbright Law Firm and former student at John Taylor High School, who gave our Year 11 & 13 students an insight into life as an apprentice and why she chose this route to become qualified, rather than going straight to University.
Hannah said, “Looking back ‘Year 13 me’ would be shocked to find out at the age of 19 I work in a global law firm as a solicitor apprentice. This experience was truly a full circle moment as I could remember the last time I sat in that hall as a Year 13 where I had truly no idea where I would end up after A-Levels. Being able to present not just my degree apprenticeship route to students but the degree apprenticeship route in general, is something that would have been extremely useful for me as I was originally very set on the idea of university. I was able to discuss why I chose to pursue a degree apprenticeship, my experience with the application process and my experience so far; both with work and general life as an apprentice. At the end, it was great to be able to give some advice to the students who may be thinking of doing an apprenticeship. It was important for me to ensure the students leave with an open mind about choosing an apprenticeship, rather than taking the traditional University route. I feel passionate about shifting the narrative that an apprenticeship is an ‘easy route’ and to make apprenticeships commonly spoken about. I want to make the resources more accessible and grow students’ knowledge when they are deciding what to do after school. I would truly also encourage parents to take a look at the route with their children and hopefully by doing this we will shift any misconceptions about apprenticeships and create positive discussions.”
It was fantastic to see our students so engaged in Hannah’s presentation. A Year 13 pupil said ‘it gave me a thorough insight into the real life of a degree apprenticeship which seems a very welcoming environment after leaving school. Hannah was great at explaining the benefits and lessened the myths and negatives of an apprenticeship. It definitely opened my eyes to the different options available for after school.’
To find out more about Apprenticeships, please visit the links below.
Website:
Home - National Apprenticeship Week 2024, 5th - 11th February 2024 (appawards.co.uk)
Podcasts:
National Apprenticeship Week 2024 | What's on offer on Bitesize Careers? - BBC Bitesize
Social Media: #NSW2024
National Apprenticeship Week: BBC Newsbeat Journalists
On Tuesday 6th February, Year 12&13 had the awesome opportunity to hear from Rebecca Swash & Jared Evitts, BBC Newsbeat Reporters and former John Taylor High School students, as part of National Apprenticeship Week 2024.
The initiative behind the week-long celebration is to ‘bring together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider community.’
As the hall filled with students, the excitement was building for the presentation to begin. Rebecca & Jared began by telling the students that they were former pupils at JTHS and what life was like for them after a-levels. It was great to hear the different paths they took; Rebecca chose University & Jared did an Apprenticeship, which both led to their dream careers as Journalists at BBC’s Newsbeat.
The presentation included information on news bulletins, reporting, creative writing, searching for stories, audience demographics and the chance to listen to a short clip of both Rebecca & Jared on the radio. The key message the duo wanted to highlight to the students is how valuable work experience and volunteering is, whatever career path the students decide to take. Jared told the students that when he was in their position as a student, he never thought he’d land a role with the BBC. But by aiming high, having a strong work ethic and showing tenacity, anything is possible.
At the end of the presentation, some students who felt encouraged and inspired asked Rebecca & Jared more questions. Oliver (Y13) said ‘it was great to hear that Jared had done the BBC Apprenticeship, as I have applied for this too. Typically, you think apprenticeships are within ‘trade’ style jobs and university is the typical route into journalism, however I’ve learnt that this isn’t the case!’ We also spoke to Olivia (Y13) who said ‘it was so inspiring to hear from the journalists. I have applied to do a university course in multi-media journalism and the presentation has convinced me even more that this is the path I’d like to follow’.
We’d like to thank both Rebecca & Jared for taking the time to speak our students. We’re so proud that John Taylor was a spring-board for both of your fantastic careers. Your insight and advice was invaluable – what an inspiring way to start the day! We’re looking forward to hear from another former student later this week, Hannah Ahmed from Norton Rose Fulbright law firm, who will be sharing her apprenticeship journey too.
If you would like more information on National Apprenticeship Week please follow the links below. We have a variety of activities & sessions across the school this week for students during assembly and in form groups.
Website:
Home - National Apprenticeship Week 2024, 5th - 11th February 2024 (appawards.co.uk)
Podcasts:
National Apprenticeship Week 2024 | What's on offer on Bitesize Careers? - BBC Bitesize
Social Media: #NSW2024
Student Leadership opportunities are an important aspect of our offering which we encourage our young people to embrace at all stages of their time with us. Such opportunities equip our young people with the knowledge, skills and personal attributes to become successful individuals, through working within the school and wider community. Student Leadership at John Taylor High School takes various forms, with the aim to provide Leadership roles appropriate to many interests.
Our Sports Leaders and Young Sporting Ambassadors lead a range of different activities across the school with the aim of incorporating the local community; residents, primary schools and local businesses. For our Sports Leaders, this then contributes to their AS Levels.
To become a Young Sporting Ambassador, our students from Year 8 upwards, have to apply by writing a letter to Mrs Berry including why they believe they have the skill-set to take on this role around school. Once they have been successful, they are quickly put to work getting involved in a number of exciting activities across the school.
Activities include Community Afternoon Teas, Dance Workshops, Athletics Festivals, Delivering Christmas presents within the community, helping at sporting events and much more.
The latest event was the Athletics Festival which saw another thirty primary pupils embark on an evening of sporting fun in the Sports Hall. Led by our Sports Leaders, as part of their AS-Levels, they help set activities up, refereed races, organised the heats and cheered on the pupils as they took on the assault courses. The energy amongst the students was incredible. Despite the competitive nature of the event, the teamwork and communication between each other and the other schools was admirable. We hope the children had a fantastic time and got a taster into PE at John Taylor.
This half term the Young Sporting Ambassadors have been involved in writing letters to our elderly residents to take away with them after the Afternoon Tea which will take place in March. Our YSA’s wrote beautifully and included information about themselves and what they liked doing – the purpose of the letter was to put a smile on the residents’ face when they get back home and open the letter, often when the residents suffer most with loneliness.
The next event that the YSA’s volunteered at was our Dance Club Workshop. Thirty local primary pupils were invited to join us in the Gym to learn a dance routine choreographed by our dance club ambassadors.
As the primary school pupils watched the YSAs show them the routines, it was clear to see that the children were keen to get involved and learn the moves themselves. It was amazing to see how quickly they picked the routines up and how much enthusiasm and energy they all had. Not only were our YSAs teaching the routines, but they talked to the primary pupils about the importance of their formation and their spatial awareness which the children listened and adapted to perfectly. The primary pupils were so proud to receive their certificates, which the YSAs had handwritten. Well done everyone.
Thank you to our Sports Leaders and Young Sporting Ambassadors who have gone above and beyond to make these events a success. We will be opening the applications in May/June to Year 8 onwards to become a Young Sporting Ambassador for the start of September. Please speak to Mrs Berry for more information.
Lots of John Taylor athletes were selected to represent East Staffordshire after qualifying at the Burton District Schools competition. Our students who completed were:
Year 7
Amelie C, Jacob H, Ollie S
Year 8
Ameline H, Megan C, Freddie H, Oskar A
Year 9
Sian G, Oli Z
Year 10
Orla L, Issy H, Daniel S
Year 11
Tom S
A big well done to Oskar who finished 2nd in his Junior Boys Race (yr8/9) and Issy who finished 8th in her Inter Girls Race (yr10/11). Both athletes have been selected as part of the Staffordshire Schools Cross Country Team and will race in the English Schools National Cross-Country Championships at the end of March.
Please be reminded that our new 'One Community Reflection Room' will be open for all students from Weds 21st February.
Details below
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.
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 21st February. Please arrive from 5:45pm for a 6pm start. The evening will close at 7:30pm.
Upper School Team
From Monday 4th March until Thursday 7th March (World Book Day), we are excited to be holding a variety of activities for staff and students to get involved in collaboratively. The purpose of ‘World Book Day’ is to ‘change lives through a love of books and reading’ which also aligns with the values of our Learning Resource Centre.
Mrs Collier, Learning Resource Centre Manager, has put together a schedule of literacy led activities which she communicated to our excited students recently in assembly. These include:
- Flash Fiction - Research has shown that to encourage reading for pleasure, adults reading to students is key, therefore we will be running FLASH FICTION for Year 7-10. This will involve one short story being read out throughout the day (All Summer in a Day for years 7-8 and Three Wishes for 9-10). The aim is to have the short story completed by the end of the school day!
- Form Competition – Book on a door: Each form will choose a book and represent that book in the most creative way by decorating their form room door.
- Dressing Up Competition – Year 7 and Staff: Year 7 students and staff may dress up as their favourite book character, if they wish to do so. We’d love for you to bring in a copy of the book you are dressing up as. Judging will take place in the LRC at 1.30pm.
- Individual Competition – Bake a Book: Calling all bakers or cake decorators. You can either bake a cake to decorate, or if you aren’t the best baker why not simply buy one to decorate. Please bring entries to the LRC on Thursday morning.
- Individual Competition – Book Trails around School: The first trail includes clues from the LRC to see if you can find a book hidden around school which will be yours to keep. The second trail one will be looking out for the teachers “What I’m Reading” posters around school. Collect an entry sheet from the LRC to answer 10 questions relating to those posters. Prize for the most completed entry!
- Individual Competition – Short Story Writing on the theme of ‘Belonging’:All students across JTHS and JTMAT are invited to enter the short story (500 words) writing competition on the theme of ‘belonging’, linking in with our vision of ‘one community’. The best entries will be sent to JTMAT to be judged! Please send entries to the LRC by Thursday morning.
- Author Visit - Bali Rai: Years 7, 8 and 9 will be attending an assembly from visiting local author Bali Rai on Monday 11 March 2024. Selected students will also be taking part in Creative Writing Workshops with Bali in the afternoon. Bali is from Leicester and has written over 40 books for children and young people on a variety of topics. Many of them are available to borrow from the LRC.
Please note: On Monday 11th March Bali Rai will also be doing a book signing in the LRC at lunchtime. The following books will also be available for students to buy:
Students can either bring cash or if they would prefer the item to be put on Parentpay - please email [email protected] with the required book title. Students are under no obligation to buy a book, as they're all in stock in the LRC and can be borrowed from us.
- World Book Day £1 Tokens: Your £1 World Book Day token will be distributed to you in form. It can be used at local bookshops to receive one of these specially produced books, or £1 off a book of your choice. Tokens valid from 15 February to 31 March 2024. You will also be able to exchange your token for one of the WBD books in the LRC on World Book Day.
For more details, please email [email protected]
Year 7 Residential – The Outward Bound Trust, Aberdovey.
There are a small number of places available on the Year 7 Residential from 8-10th March to The Outward Bound Trust, Aberdovey. If your child is interested in attending, then please contact Mr Simmons (m.simmons@jths.co.uk) for more information.
Well done to all the Year 11 Geographers who have been watching the Revision Videos that have been uploaded. So far students have access to videos on
* UK weather Hazards
* Tectonic Processes
* The Effects of Earthquakes.
Please encourage Y11 to watch these videos as part of their revision at home.
More videos will be uploaded after half term.
Please get in touch to [email protected] if students have any trouble accessing.
Thanks for your support
E. Findon (Subject Lead For Geography)
With various activities taking place across the school this week for Safer Internet Day which took place on Tuesday 6th Feb, 'Monkey' App was highlighted as a risk for children. Please can we ask parents to make youself familiar with the details below.
To explore the Apprenticeship pathway further, please read the Apprenticeship parent pack below:
Lincolnshire Training Hub, a part of Health Education England, is holding Should I become a Doctor on the 19th of February.
This presentation, held my medical students, is designed to help Year 9 – 11 students decide whether ‘Medicine’, or becoming a doctor, is for them. It could also be helpful for anyone else seeking information about the Medicine Application Process – including parents and teachers. Please note this course will touch on the basics of Medicine, and more detailed events for Year 12 students around the application follow throughout the year. Please reference our timetable on our website for more information.
It is will be held on the 19th of February 7-8:30pm on Zoom. Please fill in the sign-up form below to receive the log in details: https://forms.gle/srQ2wYveyvu7Fi2A6
The application form will close once all spaces are filled, therefore we encourage signing up ASAP.
The evening will include:
- How do I know medicine is right for me?
- The Application Process
- The Medical Degree / Life as a Medic
- Foundation Years (Post Degree)
The discussion will be led by our Student Ambassadors, who are all in varying stages of their medical degrees. There will be time at the end to ask questions.
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