Weekly Information - Friday 18th October 2024

On Tuesday 15^th October Year 7 students embarked on an unforgettable experience at their Bonding Day, held at the Beaudesert Outdoor Activity Centre.

Joining the pupils on their Bonding Day was Miss Davis, Teacher of English and Year 7 Form Tutor. She said; ‘the day was designed to help students forge friendships and develop their teamwork and communication skills. The day was packed with exciting outdoor challenges and team-building activities; from high ropes to group problem-solving tasks, students had the chance to step out of their comfort zones. The experiences below capture the highlights of the day, showcasing how our Year 7s embraced the spirit of adventure while learning the importance of trust, teamwork, and fun in their new school community.’

‘Bonding Day was brilliant. Both staff and students really enjoyed themselves. The activities were fun, exciting and I was exhausted at the end of the day! We achieved the main objective of the day – we bonded. The roots of our new friendships were made and the day also helped strengthen the bonds we already had from primary school.’ – Lucy

‘Bonding Day was very fun. The activities I did were monkey tree climb, the eliminator and the obstacle course (which we got very muddy in!) It was very enjoyable, and I am so glad I went.’ - Elijah

‘I really enjoyed Bonding Day because I made lots of new friends. I had fun doing lots of enjoyable, amazing activities. I loved getting to meet new people and getting to know them. My favourite part about yesterday was doing caving because it required a lot of teamwork, and we had to really listen to each other.’ – Avin

'My group did climbing, archery and coving, which was my favourite. We had to navigate through a dark tunnel which was full of dirt. I really enjoyed the high ropes too and think that the new year 7s next year will really enjoy it too. - Jem

'The bonding day was a fun and exciting trip. I'd been looking forwatd to it for a while, especially the caving which I knew was going to be lots of fun. It was great to have all the equipment on too. I found my way around tiny gaps and squeezed under a massive pipe. We also played hide and seek which was a great experience. - Jamie

Mr Markwell, Head of Year 7, said ‘I’d like to say thank both our student and pupils for making the day such a success. We know how nerve wracking it can for our pupils to make that leap from primary to secondary school, therefore it is our priority to help our cohort form friendships, promote teamwork and build peer to peer communication. We are ‘One Community’ and want to embed our core values kindness, respect, integrity and perseverance from the very get go. I am very proud and pleased to say that I saw first-hand how our students were demonstrating these.’

If you would like to read more about our Year 6 to Year 7 transition process follow this link: Year 6 Transition - John Taylor High School (schoolzineplus.co.uk). Our transition process goes beyond the first few days in September, it includes activities such as Bonding Day and the Service of Welcome which are key activities for our Year 7s within the school calendar.

Many thanks to Miss Davis and her pupils from 7A for putting the below article together for this week's 'Year 7 Spotlight'

''It’s been just over a month since our year 7 students started their journeys at John Taylor High School. Starting a new school term is always an exciting and nerve-wracking time, but for Year 7 students, it's a particularly significant milestone. As they step into the world of secondary school, they face a whole new environment filled with opportunities, challenges, and new faces. From navigating larger classrooms to adjusting to new subjects and making new friends, the transition from primary to secondary school is an exciting challenge. This article explores the experiences of students from form 7A as they embark on their new academic journey.''

My First Term at JTHS by Ollie

It has been over a month since I first started at John Taylor High School, and I settled in better than expected as I have remembered where my lessons are, got to my lessons on time and have made lots of new friends.

The subject I enjoy the most is Science because I have loved the practicals that I have done, especially using the Bunsen Burners! Yesterday, we investigated how different surfaces affect the speed of a car which was very interesting. My strongest subject is maths. It was also my strongest subject at primary school as well. Overall, I am really enjoying my time at JTHS, and I am excited to see what the rest of the year brings!

Exciting times at JTHS by Matilda

My first term at John Taylor has been very exciting. At first, I felt nervous, but when I saw friends I knew that I would have an amazing time with them. I have met some great new friends as well. I have enjoyed art, English and many more subjects. It is different to primary school as we didn’t get to do cool science practicals or art paintings.

My first term at JTHS by Daisy

I was quite nervous coming into school for my first time because I knew it would be very different to juniors. But I quickly made new friends and started being able to find my way around school. The lessons here are so much more interesting and fun than primary school and I love being able to be more independent.

This week Mrs Ball, Subject Leader CEIAG (Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance) has been filling the diary with some fantastic external speakers who have led sessions to a number of our students in Year 11, 12 & 13 about what life after school could look like for them.

Firstly, Fran from Burton & South Derbyshire College delivered an inspiring presentation all about the vocational courses on offer for Post-16. The topics in the presentation included, entry requirements, apprenticeships, course and the impressive facilities on site. Over the past year the college has invested millions of pounds into upgrading industry leading facilities and latest technology and equipment to provide real life working environments. Some of the new facilities include, a mechatronics and cyber security lab, a new games development suite, a health simulation studio, a makeshift nursing home for health & social care, an immersive learning suite and much more.

Burton & South Derbyshire College are now an Outstanding provision in the courses they offer. Please note there is an Open Day on Saturday 19^th October for those students interested. Visit their website for more information: Home | Burton and South Derbyshire College (bsdc.ac.uk)

Next, our Year 12&13 students had the pleasure of listening to an informative presentation led by the University of Staffordshire about their gaming courses on offer. They also learnt about the industry, what careers were available and what entry requirements were needed. The feedback from the students was great and they said they had learnt a lot from the talk. They didn’t realise how many courses were available, these included; Games Design, Programming, Development, Art Concepts, Animation, Business. For more information about The University of Staffordshire visit their website: Home - University of Staffordshire (staffs.ac.uk)

Lastly, our Year 12&13s were joined by Lancaster University in assembly where they got a real insight to what life at University could mean for them. The talk included academic standards, the facilities and departments, the courses available, life on campus, student wellbeing, the community and much more. Our students were all highly engaged throughout the session and found the content of the presentation really interesting. It is such a fantastic opportunity to have these reputable institutions like Lancaster University come and speak to our students first-hand and leave them feeling inspired and much more knowledgeable. To find out more about Lancaster University and the Open Days  visit: Home - Lancaster University

Many thanks to Mrs Ball for organising these sessions for our young people. The thought of life after school can often be an overwhelming experience when navigating exams, course choices, locations, and career options. By giving our pupils these opportunities, they are further equipped and knowledgeable when making these decisions. For more information about the Careers provision at JTHS, please visit: Students - John Taylor High School (jths.co.uk)

A huge well done goes to Andrew our Head Student for organising the first ever Sixth Form Games for the Year 12 & 13 cohort. Read more below about what Andrew had to say about not only the event, but all the planning & preparation that was needed to make it such a success. 

• What are the Sixth Form Games?

The Sixth Form Games are a series of events that I have organised to give Sixth Formers the chance to come together through sport, as well as promoting and earning points for their Houses within the House System. Both Year 12’s and Year 13’s have the opportunity to compete against one another, in a sport that was chosen by Sixth Formers collectively. The events take place at the end of every half term - this Half Term’s event was Football, which will be followed by Dodgeball next half term!

• Why did you decide to organise them?

Lower down in the school, the PE department organise what’s known as “House Matches”, available to Year 7’s through to Year 10’s. Sadly though, I recognised a gap that these are not continued for Year 12 and 13’s, which I thought was a great shame. Having spoken to a few members of our Sixth Form community, I found that in fact students would be very keen to have the opportunity to participate in such events. However, what makes them different from House Matches is that XI Formers chose which sports they’d like to be a part of the programme, and the event itself is not mandatory.

• How did you go about planning the event?

Initially, I had to produce Power Points which were sent out to Students and Form Tutors, along with a link to a Microsoft Forms Quiz to gather students' opinions on what sports they would like to be apart of the programme. And after much liaison in meetings with various teachers, solving problems, multiple emails and more Forms Quizzes, a plan could be designed and developed.

• What was the most enjoyable thing about the day?

I think the most enjoyable part of both events for me was how amazing it was to see so many students down at the events, whether that be competing or supporting! Students seemed to really enjoy themselves and are looking forward to our next event so that’s always a bonus!

• Did you come across any challenges along the way?

Of course! There were several obstacles to overcome such as risk assessments, timetabling and logistics on the day, as well as last minute changes with students.

• What part of event/project management do you enjoy the most?

I love the planning and organising of the idea and ensuring that attention to fine details have been considered. It is really satisfying to then see the successful end result!

• Is there anyone in particular who helped with the games?

I also just wanted to take a second to say a huge thank you to all the teachers and students who have been so supportive throughout the process of organising a brand-new event. Special mentions include (but are not limited to) Mrs Bonnett, Miss Spurrier, Mr Reynolds, Mr Legood, The House Leaders and the PE Department for accommodating the games. It wouldn’t have been possible without their support from a safety perspective.

• When are the next events taking place?

The next event will be Dodgeball. The Year 12's event will be on Tuesday 3^rd December and the Year 13's event will be on Thursday 12^th December.

 

So, as a final note from me, I would like to say a big thank you to all participators, I really hope you enjoyed the event, and I look forward to the next one!

Andrew, Year 13 Head Student

Our Sixth Form offers a wide range of opportunities outside of lessons to help students fully immerse themselves in the life of the school/wider community and to develop confidence, character and resilience. This academic year an improved enrichment programme has been offered to all Year 12&13 students where they have the opportunity to either complete additional qualifications in Sports Leadership or Extended Project or participate in a range of activities such as Music, Cooking, Sport and Fitness, Finance, Culture and Community on a rotational basis. The initiative behind this programme is to help prepare students for the next steps in their lives.

It was great to catch up with our Sixth Form students to see how the Enrichment Program has benefited them. Here’s what they have been up to:

Cooking

The brief was to prepare a curry which the group of students absolutely met. The smell in the Food Tech classroom was phenomenal and great to see the students using delicious fresh ingredients for their curry. Ms Smith had created a relaxed environment for the students who all thoroughly enjoyed creating their dish. The skills the students learnt ensured they had basic cooking skills which they can practice at home or for if they go to University.

Music

Through the course of each rotation, students have been able to develop their skills in music production. Students have used a step-by-step guide to create a piece of music in GarageBand with a combination of teacher support and independent practice. The pieces of music sounded really impressive and we are proud to have such talented musicians amongst our Sixth Form.

Personal Finance

The personal finance programme included areas such as key financial considerations as students reach the age of 18 including finances to consider when learning to drive and buying a car, what is included in a pay slip, borrowing, managing debt and saving money. All great life skills that we hope are transferrable into their everyday life.

Culture

This program offers an introduction to various modern languages. Multilingual skills are highly valued by employers in tourism, hospitality, international business, and more. Learning these languages opens doors to numerous opportunities and will hopefully set our students apart in the job market. Topics covered included budget guidance, an introduction to basic Spanish, different cultures, and holiday planning including transportation, accommodation, food and activities.

Community

This session gave students an opportunity to explore the different and wider communities they are a part of. They have interacted with the Barton Neighbourhood Volunteer team and looked at action planning events. It also allows them to understand the complexities of budget management for councils, and how communities are affected by external factors. Lastly they have received basic training from the SEND department and aided staff in the delivery of specialist subjects to small groups of students to further enhance their own practise and the importance of aiding others in a community.

Physical Education

The practical sessions gave the students the opportunity to be active and have fun blowing off some steam.  We are delighted that Head Student, Andrew took the initiative to organise the first Sixth Form Games which took place during an Enrichment session.

The event was a great success, here is what Andrew had to say about his event: John Taylor High School eNewsletter (jths.co.uk)

On Tuesday 17th October, Mrs Berry and the JTHS Sporting Young Ambassadors welcomed over 200 local primary school pupils to join Vijay Sachdansaar for a Bhangra Dance workshop.

Vijay from Nachda Sansaar has become a regular at the school and the session is highly-anticipated by everyone involved. Not only does Vijay create a vibrant and lively dance session, but he also teaches the pupils about the culture and the history too.

The pupils also enjoyed listening to information about the festivals which were held to celebrate planting and sowing seeds and cutting the crops. Vijay explained how these actions transferred into a lot of the dance routines that they were learning and were inspired by different farming cultures used in Southern India.

There was real excitement amongst the pupils when Vijay began to beat the large drum, known as the Dohl, a traditional Indian drum and played with cane sticks. The beat of the drum really helped the pupils get into the rhythm of the routines and they were absolutely fantastic at completing the traditional Bhangra dance moves. Mrs Berry organised for each pupil to leave with a certificate which we hope will be a great reminder of an unforgettable Bhangra dance workshop.

During the sessions, the JTHS Sporting Young Ambassadors were on hand to help. For some, this was the first time they’d been involved in an event in their new role as Sporting Young Ambassador. It was great to see them show kindness, respect and integrity towards the primary pupils as they did the meet & greet, directed them to their session, and were on hand to help with the dance routines. Well done to you all, you all showed true leadership qualities throughout the sessions and represented the school wonderfully.

Thank you to The Mosely Academy, Needwood Primary School, All Saints C of E Rangemore, Yoxall St Peter’s, Thomas Russell Infants School, Shobnall Primary School for your participation. 

Thomas Russell Infant School said 'I just wanted to say a huge thank you for the bhangra dancing this afternoon. The children absolutely loved it and that Vijay was fantastic as ever. Thank you so much for hosting the opportunity.'

We are really excited for the Cross Country House Match next week! Here is more information for students and parents.

Please see attached further information about the topics that your child is studying during their Personal Development session.

Subject Leader RHSE

Please see the flyer below for details of the John Taylor MAT Exceptional Achievement Award. The deadline for nominations for this term's awards is Friday 29th November.

Early Closure for Open Evening: Thursday 24^th October - School will close at 12:30pm to all pupils.

We are holding our Open Evening for parents of Year 6 children on Thursday 24^th October – 6.00 pm-9.00 pm.

The school will close at 12.30 pm in order to provide time for staff to prepare rooms, displays and experiments.  Bus companies have been notified and buses will be departing from school shortly after 12.30 pm.

Students travelling on the number 12 to Lichfield will need to catch the bus at 1:28 pm from Barton. We will provide supervision in L1A for these students until 1:15 pm unless parents are happy for their children to wait in the village or are being pick-up.

The canteen will not be open at lunchtime but will have a wider selection at breaktime for the students to purchase food. We will be extending break by 10 minutes to facilitate this on Thursday.

If your son or daughter has volunteered to help out on this evening, please ensure she/he has returned the appropriate permission slip (supplied by the teacher) and attends the evening in full school uniform. They should check with the teacher they are helping what times they are needed for; however, they can be collected from the front car park around 8:30 pm.

During the Open Evening, there will be a variety of charity events taking place where our visitors and students will be able to purchase a small selection of refreshments. These will be cash purchases only.

Friday 25^th October is an INSET day.

The half term break is Monday, 28^th October – Friday, 1^st November

With best wishes

Mr A Reynolds

Deputy Headteacher

Dear Parents,

Please be aware that the telephone number for the Staffs Council School Transport Team has changed to:0300 111 8000 therefore any telephone enquiries about buses will be answered directly by the Contact Centre.

Alternatively if you wish to contact the School Transport Team with enquiries or operational concerns, please use this Customer Contact form: www.staffordshire.gov.uk/schooltransportcontactform

Thank you.

Posted on Friday 11th October 2024

From: School Transport Team

Link to book - Open Day - Saturday 19th October 2024 (bsdc.ac.uk)

Open Events 

Reaseheath College Open Events are the perfect opportunity for students and their families to explore the college, discover their courses, tour the amazing facilities and meet their expert tutors and support staff.   

Upcoming Open Events: 

• Saturday, October 19th 

• Saturday, November 23rd 
   

Students can book their tickets here: Experience Reaseheath | Reaseheath College 

Save the Dates! 

• Lambing Weekends – 1st/2nd and 8th/9th March, 2025 
• Family Festival – 17th May, 2025 

About the Event: This free and unique conference will celebrate the diversity of manufacturing and the huge variety of roles available, with a mix of expert speakers and exceptional young talent. It'll look at opportunities in today’s dynamic work environment, how roles are evolving, the impact of sustainability, digitalisation and AI on the future of the workplace, the demand for skilled workers and the essential qualifications needed in industry.

Who’s it for?: Careers Advisers, Teachers, Parent / Carers and Students (Yr9 – 13)

Date: Wednesday 23^rd October

Venue: The JCB Academy, Mill Street Rocester ST14 5JX

Time: Arrival between 5-5.45pm for refreshments and marketplace / networking. Conference programme begins at 6-8pm. Further optional networking / Q&A until 8.30pm

Why Attend?: 

• Hear from amazing young people who have navigated varied and inspiring training journeys into work.
• Explore the variety of jobs, qualifications and skills needed, from experts who will discuss how roles are set to evolve in the future.
• Connect with large local employers who want to engage with young people and can impact students’ futures.
• Discover how AI, digitalisation, sustainability, and climate change are redefining and enhancing the future of work.
• Take advantage of the opportunity to engage with our expert panel and deepen your knowledge through pre- and post-conference informal networking sessions.

Agenda: https://www.futureofworkuk.com/conferences/staffordshirederbyshire

Ticket URL: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-future-of-work-inspiring-young-people-staffordshire-derbyshire-tickets-939336168767

Please make yourself familiar with our School Calendar which includes key dates of Events, Parents Evenings, Trips, Reports, Exams, Holidays & Inset Days 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE CALENDAR