Newsletters

NEWS AT WES - 28th February 2025

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Spring Term - 28th February 2025

 

Welcome to our latest news update, including information about our Year 9 Options and Pathways Event and World Book Day, both on Thursday 6th March, our Chinese Cookery Competition and opportunities for students outside school. There is also a WESPA round-up, with an invitation to the quiz on Tuesday 4th March.

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We are delighted to invite all Year 9 students and families to our Year 9 GCSE Options and Pathways event on Thursday 6th March at 4:30pm. This important event will help everyone make informed decisions about his GCSE subject choices. All students are expected to attend, with their families. Those observing Ramadan will be able to attend and leave before sunset.

During the evening, you will have:

  • The opportunity to meet subject leaders and specialist teachers who will explain what each GCSE course involves, the skills developed, and assessment methods.
  • Time to speak with staff who know your son well, to discuss which courses would best suit his abilities and interests, and how different GCSE subjects can complement each other.
  • NEW FOR 2025: Access to dedicated guidance about pathways beyond GCSEs, including A Levels, university applications and apprenticeships
  • Paper copies of our comprehensive options booklet for you to take home.
  • The chance to ask any questions about completing the options form correctly.

Prior to the event, you can find a digital copy of the options booklet here, which explains the course structure for each subject. We've also prepared a video presentation here that walks you through how our options process works. This is also new for 2025 - it will give more time for us to speak individually to students and families during the evening.

Immediately after the event on Thursday, we will share with students and families the options form, which will need to be completed online by 20th March. There is no need for it to be rushed - it is not "first come, first served" in allocating subjects!

We understand that choosing GCSE subjects is an exciting but significant decision in your son's educational journey. Our aim is to ensure you have all the information needed to support him in making choices that reflect his strengths and aspirations.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Ramadan begins this weekend, with many Muslim members of our school community fasting (i.e. abstaining from food and drink) throughout the school day  and daylight hours for the following month.

Students are expected to continue with their education, attending school every day and arriving on time throughout Ramadan.

The changes in daily routine (eating time and additional prayer) can impact students’ energy levels throughout the day.  Nonetheless, students are encouraged to participate in their lessons as they usually do, with an appreciation of the importance of learning and of following the behaviour policy; usual warnings and sanctions will be issued for unacceptable and disruptive behaviour when necessary.

In physical subjects like PE, we provide students with the option to complete less physically strenuous activities. However, students are still expected to take part. 

Full participation in music lessons is expected, although students may wish not to perform publicly. Students cannot leave the classroom and be elsewhere for their music lesson. Music is an important part of the school curriculum and the instruments and songs that are played are not unpleasant or vulgar.

During this period of heightened spiritual focus for Muslim students, Citizenship and PSHE lessons will refrain from teaching sex education. This will only apply to Year 9 students and above. The focus on puberty in PSHE lessons is not a cause for concern. 

Please remind your child that there is no need to leave their lessons to pray because they will be able to perform the afternoon prayer during their lunch break. Also, that there will be sufficient time to complete the later afternoon prayer once school has finished.

Please also remind students that, when performing Ablution (Wudu) before they pray, they should not wash their feet in the toilets for Health and Safety reasons. It is permissible to wipe the feet over the socks.

We wish a happy and meaningful Ramadan to all members of our school community who are observing this month.

World Book Day, Thursday 6th March 

A reminder that Thursday is the annual World Book Day and at William Ellis we are celebrating with all our favourite characters, book quizzes, competitions and a day packed with fun activities and prizes!

KS3 students are invited to come to school on 6th March in fancy dress as a well-known book character. There will be a prize for the best costume in Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 and every student who takes part will also receive an entry prize.

We will be holding several competitions, from wordsearches to staff character bingo, which all students are encouraged to enter with the chance of winning a prize.

We'd love to see every student come to the library to borrow a book or to spend some time there browsing the wide range of books on offer and quietly reading for pleasure.

National Careers Week 2025

We’re thrilled to share The Parents’ Guide to National Careers Week, created in partnership with National Careers Week: a free guide outlining vocational options after GCSE and sixth form.

NCW2025 gives parents a chance to learn more about different careers paths their teens can take. Find out what’s available, what will suit your teen best, and where each option could lead. 

Chinese New Year Cookery Competition

Ms Shi writes:

On the 12th February, 5 Mandarin study students - Elias from Year 7, Donnie and Ibrahim from Year 8 and Cyrus and Oscar from sixth form - had a Chinese New Year of the Snake celebration cooking competition in the school food department.

They had only less than one hour to prepare and cook during lunch time, and they did an amazing job and cooked fried noodles, rice and delicious Chinese food. The head of MFL, Ms Rodgers, Food teacher Ms Sinnott, and myself were the judges who tasted the food and gave the students good feedback.

 

Camden SEND Notice

Camden Youth Hub March Events

Free Weekend Drama Workshops 

The Hampstead Players are a well-respected charity and Amateur Dramatics company in the heart of the NW3 community. Commencing on Saturday 29th March they are offering free-of-charge performing arts workshops to young people in Camden.

The workshops will take place at The Parish Church of St John-at-Hampstead and run weekly on Saturday mornings. 

Please scan the QR code above for more information and register via this link.

125th Anniversary of The Old Elysians Club

The Old Elysians Club celebrates its 125th Anniversary in 2025 and will be holding an Anniversary Buffet Lunch here at school on Saturday 24th May; their first general club event in a decade, which will be a ticketed event for former students of the school, along with staff past and present, to attend.

There will be exhibits from the archive to view and some (short) speeches along with tours of the site.

If you are, or know anybody who is, a former student and would be interested in joining the club or registering for tickets to this event, please see The Old Elysians Club website.

Yours faithfully,

Izzy Jones

Headteacher

This Week's WESPA Round-Up:

Dear families,

Welcome back from the half term break!

WESPA Quiz - Tuesday, 4th March Doors at 5.45pm

The eagle eyed families will have noticed the link to tickets in my last missive and it’s not too late to sign up for a chance to win the incredible WESPA Quiz trophy and also to share some wonderful pizza from local fav Rossella with friends. So far we have parents, boys, siblings, grandparents and even an uncle joining - quiz fun for all the community.

The ticket link will remain live over the weekend so don’t delay if you’d like to come.

https://www.ticketebo.co.uk/wespa/wespa-quiz-2025

WESPA General Meeting - Monday March 10th at 7pm

Online meetings are proving more popular at the moment and so our next meeting will also be online. We can save our in-person get-togethers for things like the quiz and socials! Here is the agenda. All parents are members of WESPA and are welcome to attend. If there is anything you would like to discuss please email williamellispa@gmail.com in advance.

 

William Ellis School Parents Association (WESPA)

GENERAL MEETING AGENDA

Monday 10th March 2025, 7pm 

Online: https://meet.google.com/bru-evgc-aqs

 

WESPA welcomes all parents, carers and staff at the school. For any questions, please email: williamellispa@gmail.com

1. Welcome and apologies 

2. Approval of last minutes

3. Matters arising

4. Finance report

5. Events and initiatives

https://sites.google.com/view/williamellispa/calendar

6. Date of Next Meeting

7. AOB

Love Your Climate Event

Y9 parent and Eco Club lead Jane reports:

The Eco Club from William Ellis attended The Love Your Climate event on 14th Feb along with several other schools in the Camden area.

The event was held so Young people that live and study in Camden can generate ideas to inform the next 5-year Camden Climate Action Plan.

The types of questions asked were

  • What do you like about your neighbourhood / neighbourhoods in Camden. What climate action is happening there? 
  • What do you feel is important in terms of addressing climate change?
  • What Citizens Assembly recommendations are the most important to you? 
  • Where do you feel you can have the most impact? 
  • What should Camden include in the Climate Action Plan 2025-30 
  • What ideas do you have? What would encourage you to get (more) involved

Some amazing ideas were put forward including the suggestion of installing solar panels on Camden Council schools and homes with the view of eventually making them net zero, having meat free mondays for school lunch, and having more connected green space across and between boroughs.

It was a very social event and a chance to meet lots of different organisations involved in climate action. As it took place in Samsung KX Granary Square there was also the chance to try out lots of tech! The suggestions put forward will now be analysed with the aim of incorporating some into the climate action plan. A big thank you and well done to all who attended!

Have a great weekend and wishing a peaceful and reflective Ramadan to all those who observe.

Al 

Chair WESPA

Coming Up...

Secondary School Offers Day
All Day
03
March
Year 11 Financial Literacy Session
11:15am – 12:15pm
03
March
WESPA Quiz
5:30pm – 8:00pm
04
March
Synergy Theatre workshops and performance
All Day
05
March
World Book Day
All Day
06
March
Year 11 Geography Trip - Green Futures Event
1:00pm – 3:30pm
06
March
Year 9 Options Evening
4:30pm – 7:00pm
06
March
International Women's' Day
All Day
08
March
Year 13 Mock Exams
All Day
From 10 Mar until 14 Mar
10
March
Year 11 Urban Fieldwork Trip to Kings Cross
11:00am – 3:15pm
10
March