Weekly Information - Friday 2nd May 2025
- Hot Chocolate with the Head
- Hot Chocolate with the Head 02/05/25
- Austria Ski Trip 2025
- Year 13 pupil football success
- Well done to 7O
- Employability Skill: Summer Term 1 - Teamwork
- Year 1 Athletics Festival
- Uniform update W/C 5th May
- Important: Year 11 Pre-Exam Briefings Timetable
- Year 10 Exams and NEAs.
- Bus Update: 805 & 806 now 12A &12B
- Absence Line & Known Absences
- Donations Needed - Burton Hope
- Free School Meal Eligibility Reminder
- Uniform Donations
- John Taylor High School – New 3G Artificial Grass Pitch
- Burton Bursary Award Scheme 2025
- Careers - Transport for London Apprenticeships closing soon!
- Careers - Insight to Lloyds Banking Group Event: Discover How AI Is Shaping Finance
- Next Steps - Burton College Year 10 Open Evening
The following students celebrated their achievements with Mr Blanchenot this week, congratulations to them all!
| Anja | Patel | 12J |
| Evelyn | Piper | 12x |
| Paige | Dyche | 12X |
| Avi | Odedra | 12S |
| Victoria | Tomczuk | 12S |
| Patricia | Patrick | 12H |
| Larla | Higgins | 12J |
| Sydnie | Simpkin | 12J |
| Olivia | Bullyment | 11T |
| Ruby | Davies | 12F |
Due to many of our nominees busy with study leave, they couldn’t join 'Hot Chocolate with the Head' today. However, Mr Blanchenot was delighted to read about how these pupils had set a positive tone for what promises to be a great term ahead.
Paige D, Anja P and Evelyn P were nominated by Miss Platts for their incredible performance at The Lichfield Schools Speaking Competition where they debated alongside eight other local schools. Miss Platts said ‘The standard of competition was extremely high, with all students delivering polished, persuasive speeches. The pupils spoke confidently in front of a distinguished panel of judges. Our students did exceptionally well and overall provided a thought-provoking and inspiring speech. Well done.’
The next nominations were Patricia P, Sydnie S, Iarla H, Avi O, Viktoria T for their contribution at the recent Community Afternoon Tea. The pupils went above and beyond to ensure the local visitors were well looked after by serving cake, refreshments and being a friendly face for a chat. A special mention goes to Avi and Viktoria for their outstanding piano performances. Both pianists created a wonderful atmosphere and many of the visitors were blown away with their skill and talent.
The final pupils to receive recognition were Ruby D and Olivia B for their dedication and enthusiasm which Mrs Berry was delighted to nominate them for.
Well done to everyone!
Whilst many enjoyed warm weather in the UK over the Easter break, a group of Year 9 pupils embarked on an exciting journey to colder climates in Austria for a week of skiing adventure and fun.
Despite the early morning wake-up calls, the excited young skiers showed incredible enthusiasm as they prepared for the day ahead. There were many different skiing abilities within the group but it was fantastic to see every pupil demonstrate perseverance and teamwork whilst out on the slopes. Many were also in awe of the stunning landscape and breath-taking backdrop!
Mr Williams said ‘pupils were a real credit to themselves, their families and the school. We received lots of praise for being respectful in the hotel, local restaurants as well as the maturity shown in the ski groups throughout the days. The travel providers even told us that the coach had been the cleanest they had seen throughout the season whilst travelling to Austria. Students really embraced the accountabilities that were required of them throughout the trip to ensure it ran smoothly with their punctuality and organisational skills. For the coach drivers, hotel and restaurants to invite JTHS back next year is so lovely to hear. Thank you for a great trip.’
The experience wasn't just about skiing, it was also about building lasting friendships and creating unforgettable memories. Pupils had numerous opportunities to bond with peers through various social activities. From enjoying ice cream to competing in friendly pool games, dancing at an evening disco and trying out the pizzeria, there was something for everyone to get involved in.
Well done to everyone and thank you to the dedicated team of teachers who accompanied the pupils. The supportive nature within the group created a great atmosphere between everyone. The trip finished with an award presentation evening which was enjoyed by all!
Well done to Luca in Year 13, who plays for the England U18 Schoolboys squad, for his spectacular goal against Wales. There was plenty of skill on show and quality football played. The game finished on a 2-2 draw. Well done Luca for your dedication and undeniable talent!
Here are the match reports:
Match Report: England v Wales – SAFIB Centenary Shield 2025 – English Schools' Football Association
Staff and residents from Rider House Nursing Home in Burton wanted to give a heartfelt thank you to 7O and Mrs Brooks for their Easter cards. Mrs Brooks said '7O really enjoyed making the cards and spreading a little joy to the residents. I'm really proud of our students' enthusiasm with this project'.
Thank you to Vicki Weller, Managing Director for sending the photos of the residents with their cards.
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KS3: "I can take on a role in a group and help the team to succeed."
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KS4: "I can take on different roles in a group depending on what the team needs, and help the team to succeed."
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What makes someone a good team player?
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Can you describe a time you worked well with others recently?
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What do you find challenging about teamwork, and how do you handle it?
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If someone in your group isn’t contributing, what would you do?
Thursday afternoon brought excitement and skill to the JTHS Sports Hall as the Young Sporting Ambassadors hosted a memorable Athletics Festival for Year 1 pupils from Thomas Russell Infants School.
The event showcased the leadership abilities from the JTHS Sporting Young Ambassadors as they facilitated the event and took on multiple responsibilities. These included setting up equipment, welcoming pupils, timekeeping and kicking-off the session with an energetic warm-up. The primary school students participated enthusiastically in relay races and other activities, displaying impressive teamwork and support for one another.
Mrs. Berry praised both the primary students' enthusiasm and the exceptional leadership shown by the JTHS pupils. She highlighted how these community events create valuable connections between schools and commended all participants for contributing to the festival's success. Thank you to all those involved!
Following our recent communication about uniform and the hot weather (removal of ties and blazers), we will be reverting back to usual uniform standards from Tuesday 6th May.
Uniform (Y7-Y11 & Sixth Form) - John Taylor High School
This will be reviewed again should we experience warm weather.
Thank you for your support
Miss Crutchley
Please see below the Pre-Exam Briefings Timetable from W/C 5th May.
This can also be found here on the website: Exam Timetables - John Taylor High School
The document includes information about timings, attendance, supervised study & the celebration assembly.
The last two Year 10 Assemblies have been focused on preparing students to their first set of trial exams, starting on Monday 16th June and ensuring that our students are familiar with the expectations for Non-Examined Assessment (NEA). The presentations that were used in each assembly have been included to support parents of Year 10 students with understanding the key messages that have been shared, especially those relating to the use of AI in NEAs. We would appreciate it if you could take the time to read through this information.
Further information on exam procedures can be found on the School Website. We strongly advise all candidates are familiar with these. Exams - John Taylor High School
The 805 & 806 buses are now known as the 12A & 12B services. All parents of children who use a termly pass for this service have been contacted by Staffordshire County Council. Termly passes for the new 12A & 12B are now available on the LA Travel website - www.southstaffscoachhire.com.
For those pupils who used to pay on the old 805 & 806, you will need to purchase a summer term bus pass.
For more information, please contact [email protected]
If you wish to report an absence due to illness, please ring the dedicated absence line on 01283 376751 each day of the absence.
If you wish to inform us of a Planned Absence (less than one day for an appointment), please click the link below and complete the Sixth Form Planned Absence Form.
If you wish to apply for a Leave of Absence (more than one day), please click the link below and complete the Sixth Form Leave of Absence Request Form.
Please upload evidence of ALL appointments.
Sixth Form Attendance - John Taylor High School
Thank you!
The Sixth Form Team
Please be reminded of the criteria for Free School Meals.
Those who are on a ‘protected’ free school meal claim will continue to receive free school meals, regardless of their financial situation, until the end of their current phase of education (at the end of year 6 or year 11) . At that point their eligibility to receive free school meals in year 7 or 12 will be checked. If they are eligible, they will continue to receive free school meals, but their claim will no longer be ‘protected’ and will regularly be rechecked to see if they continue to be eligible. If a pupil is found not to be eligible, their free school meals will end.
Any new free school meals that started after 31 March 2025 will not be protected and will regularly be rechecked to see if they continue to be eligible. If a pupil is found not to be eligible, their free school meals will end and they will be notified in advance of the date that they will end.
Over the coming months as students begin to leave school, please can we kindly ask parents to consider donating any unwanted uniform to school. Please ask your child to leave them at reception. Thank you in advance for your generosity! #OneCommunity
We are delighted to share the news with you that we have recently started a feasibility study to develop a floodlit 3G Artificial Grass Pitch on the school site.
Working with the Football Foundation and Staffordshire Football Association over the next 6 -9 months we will be going through a framework to develop the detailed design for the facility prior to submitting a formal planning application to East Staffordshire Borough Council and a funding application to the Football Foundation. If all goes to plan, the new pitch should be built summer 2026.
This development will not only provide a fantastic new facility for students at the school but will provide a training and match play venue for the local community to use in the evenings, at weekends and during school holidays. We will be undertaking consultation with local clubs, community groups and organisations and sharing this exciting news with them in due course.
We will continue to update you on the plans and share further information as the project develops. We will also be looking at various fund raising and sponsorship opportunities as we move forward over the next few months.
The pictures below provides an example of what the facility will look like once built.
If you have any questions, please contact us via [email protected]
We would like to bring your attention to the 2025 Burton Bursary Award Scheme that the Festival Management Team are responsible for administering.
This scheme was created to enable Arts students to gain Bursaries for future Arts education, as we all know how expensive that can be.
Full details can be found on the link at the bottom of this message along with a link to the entry form. The awards are in relation to any area of the arts be it Fine arts, performance in Music, Drama, Dance or media. Eligible candidates must be aged up to 18 and should be studying at Grade 5 or GCSE level in their particular discipline but they do not have to have passed those particular qualifications to enter.
If you know someone who is eligible, we would strongly recommend that they enter as this is a great opportunity to obtain some financial support towards lessons or resources etc. There are a number of Bursaries are awarded so there are numerous chances of success.
Regards
Festival / Bursary Management Team
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