Newsletters

NEWS AT WES - 10th January 2025

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Spring Term - 10th January 2025

 

Welcome to our latest news update, including information about upcoming parents' evenings and opportunities for young people available locally. After what may have been a busy Christmas and New Year break, it's been lovely to welcome back all our students and staff for 2025.

Parents' Evenings this month

Year 9 Parents' Evening takes place next Thursday, 16th January from 4.30-7pm. This is an important opportunity for families to discuss their sons' progress with teachers and begin to plan for GCSE option selections later in the school year. As of this morning, just over 60% of Year 9 families had made appointments for next Thursday. If you have not done so already, please follow the instructions that can be found here on the school website, to schedule meetings with your son's teachers.

Parents' Evening for Year 11 follows on Wednesday 29th January. Families have received details today and bookings will open on MCAS on Monday.

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Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond

On Monday 6th January, staff met to consider our school development strategy for 2025-28, and how we make William Ellis the best school it can be for our students. Some of the questions we considered were:

- How can we further strengthen our relationships with everyone in our broad school community?

- What are the best ways to help our students navigate the complexities of boyhood, and celebrate our identity as a school for boys?

- How do we promote active global citizenship and support students to always be learners?

We look forward to sharing more updates with you as this work progresses, and consulting with parents and families on the 2025-28 strategy

Attendance and Behaviour Updates

Congratulations to 7W, who have 100% attendance and punctuality for all students in the form this week! Three quarters of all our students also had 100% attendance - well done to them in particular for a positive and focused return to school.

Term dates for next academic year (2025-26) have now been finalised and can be found on the school website https://www.williamellis.camden.sch.uk/about-us/term-dates

Extra-Curricular Clubs

A reminder that an overview of the extra-curricular clubs on offer at lunchtimes and after school is available to view on our website: www.williamellis.camden.sch.uk/student-and-family-information/extra-curricular

This includes an updated PE extra-curricular timetable for this term.

Here are a selection of photos taken during a recent Cooking Club:

Along with some festive cakes made and decorated by Year 8 students before the break:

 

Brandon Centre's Love & Limits Parenting Support  

 

Free flu vaccine catch-up for school aged children 

School aged children up to and including Year 11 can access free flu vaccinations this January. The flu vaccine is the best defence against severe illness, hospitalisation, and missed work or school. Let’s work together to keep everyone healthy this winter. For most children the vaccine is a nasal spray, not an injection. It is quick and painless. The flu nasal spray contains pork gelatine. If your child needs a vaccine without pork products, you can discuss your options with your nurse or doctor.

When: Saturday 11 January and Saturday 18 January, 9am to 12.30pm.

Where: Harmood Children’s Centre 1 Forge Place, London NW1 8DQ.

Book by calling 020 4603 3495 or emailing camden@v-uk.co.uk - drop-ins may be available but are not guaranteed. Find out more at schoolvaccination.uk/catch-up-clinics.

 

Primary school admissions deadline – 15 January 

A reminder to parents and carers with a child born between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021 (starting school in September 2025) that the deadline to apply for a primary school reception place is 11.59pm on Wednesday 15 January. All Camden’s primary schools have good or outstanding Ofsted outcomes.

Click here to find out more and apply.

 

Free theatre and music places for children and young people with Angel Shed 

 Angel Shed arts charity has free youth theatre places available for ages 10 to 13 and music places for ages 12 to 19 - all welcome, with no experience needed and no auditions. One-to-one support can be provided depending on capacity. You can be a resident in any borough to join. Angel Shed is based at City and Islington College, close to the border with Camden. See map.

 Find out more and sign-up

  • A parent, carer or supporting professional needs to fill in Angel Shed’s simple membership form
  • Find out more - watch Angel Shed's short video (one minute, 33 seconds), where members describe what attending these sessions is like in their own words.

Angel Shed has lots of experience working with children and young people who have physical, learning, behavioural, emotional, social and mental health needs. If anyone has any questions or needs support to join, please text/call us on 07910 822412 or email cora@angelshedtheatre.org.uk. Angel Shed is happy to set up trial sessions / site visits or initial chats before you join.

Yours faithfully,

Izzy Jones

Headteacher


This Week's WESPA Round-Up:

Dear families,

Welcome back and a very happy new year. 

There is much to look forward to this term in the WESPA camp. Look out for the next social and of course the return of the WESPA Quiz! We’ll be publishing dates about these, our next meeting and more in the weekly Round Up so stay tuned!

Y10 Mock Interviews - call for volunteers

Following the success of last year’s event, the WES Careers Department will be running this event again in early February. 

The event consists of mock interviews and role play in the job application process and is a great experience for the students in the build up to work experience later in the year as well as valuable life skills. We need 10-15 parent or local business volunteers to help with the mock interviews. We nearly have a full house so please get in touch if you would like to help.

Have a great weekend.

Best wishes,

Al

Al Mobbs

Chair WESPA

Coming Up...

Year 13 Art mock exam
All Day
From 13 Jan until 14 Jan
13
January
Year 11 Further Education Event
11:15am – 12:15pm
13
January
Year 11 Art & Graphics Mock Exam
All Day
From 16 Jan until 17 Jan
16
January
SEND parents' drop-in session
3:30pm – 4:30pm
16
January
Year 9 Parents' Evening
4:30pm – 7:00pm
16
January
Year 9 Enterprise Day
All Day
20
January
Year 11 Parents' Evening
4:30pm – 7:00pm
29
January