William Ellis School Parent Portal - NEWS AT WES

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Spring Term - 28th March 2025

Welcome to our latest news update, including important information for Year 11 families about revision support over the Easter holidays, arrangements for the end of term on Friday, and highlights of work in Drama. We are also featuring the exceptional achievements of a Year 12 student.

At the end of term, we will be recognising and celebrating the students in each year group with 100%, and 95-99% attendance for this year, and for the term.

As attendance is recognised and celebrated each term, every student can return after Easter and be rewarded for 100% attendance in the Summer Term. Trips and visits, including years 7, 8 and 9 camps and year 10 work experience, all count towards a student's attendance score. These activities are so important for students to build strong friendships and relationships with staff, and their confidence and independence.

Year 11 Easter revision and study support

During the first week of the Easter holidays, we will be running revision and catch-up sessions for Year 11 students.

We expect that students who are working below their target grades or what they need to achieve for their 6th form course choices attend these sessions. They are also provided especially for students who would benefit from structured revision time or do not have a quiet, dedicated space to work from home. However, they will be open to all Year 11 students who would like to attend.

We know that supporting students in the run-up to exams can be difficult for everyone. You might find this guide for parents helpful.

Arrangements for the last day of term

Next Friday, 4th April, will be the last day of term. This will be a Non-Uniform Day supporting Camden Foodbank.

Students wishing to participate in Non-Uniform Day must make a £1 donation via ParentPay or may bring one or more items from the list below as an alternative donation:

There will be normal lessons p1-4 on Friday for all year groups. Students will be dismissed between 1.00-1.15pm on that day.

Sixth Form Student Achievement: Barnet's Inspirational Woman 2025

Ruby Robinson studying NVQ Level 2 Activity leadership in Year 12 and volunteering for Camden Gymnastics Club within the sports education programme at the Talacre campus, won Barnet's inspirational young woman award on the 6^th March 2025. We are delighted for Ruby on winning this achievement and proud to be able to support her continuing studies. This video showcases Ruby's nomination.

Year 9 Drama Climate Change Project

Ms Hughes writes:

Twenty Year 9 students have been involved recently in a project with the Donmar Warehouse. They created an original play about climate change, working with two professional theatre makers.

After weeks of creating and rehearsing, students performed at the Donmar Warehouse last Friday - it was brilliant!

Students created a comedic, thought-provoking play about what could happen if a megalomaniac billionaire was in charge of the climate crisis... to devastating (and strange) effect. The boys did themselves, and our school proud.

LAMDA Acting Lessons

William Ellis offers extra-curricular acting lessons in partnership with LAMDA (the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art). These weekly 30-minute lessons are taken by a professional LAMDA acting teacher, with varying times each week, similar to the way extra-curricular music lessons work in school. These lessons cost £20 per session.

There are some places available for new students in Years 7-10 to start lessons, either individually or in pairs next term, with some subsidies possible for Pupil Premium students.

Please contact Ms Hughes (ahughes@williamellis.camden.sch.uk) to find out more if your son is interested.

Message from our Uniform Supplier

SWI schoolwear are offering FREE delivery on all orders over £30 placed between Monday 14th April and Wednesday 16th April.

Easter Holiday Activities

Holiday Activities and Food programme. Camden’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Easter programme runs from 7 to 21 April and is open for children and young people aged 5 to 16 who live in Camden and are eligible for free school meals. Find out more and book your places.

Play schemes. Find low-cost holiday play schemes for children aged 4 to 12, offering a range of arts, crafts, sports, games and trips, near you.

Sport and physical activities. The Camden sport and physical activity team, and the Council’s leisure contractor Better, offer a range of fun free and low-cost activities over the holiday at locations across the borough, including local leisure centres, Cantelowes Sports Pitch and Kilburn Grange Park. Visit the Council’s website and Better leisure website to find out more and book your places.

Youth clubs. For the latest youth programmes and other activities for children and young people, visit Camden Rise website.

Free community event for families at Castlehaven Road

Camden Council’s Detached Youth Team and local voluntary sector partners have organised a free community event for residents, children and young people of all ages, which is running from 1pm to 4pm on Tuesday 8 April at 23 Castlehaven Road, NW1 8RU. Activities at the 3Ts (Thriving Through Togetherness) event include:

Easter Egg Hunt, 2pm to 3pm
Speak to Camden’s Mobile Health Team
Speak to your local council services
Find out about local services and activities for children and young people, including sports and physical activities
Grab refreshments while they last.

Finally, it's great to see so many of you now following us on social media and seeing highlights of activities in school. If you haven't done so already, you can follow us on Instragram @williamellisschool

Yours faithfully,

Izzy Jones

Headteacher

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This Week's WESPA Round-Up:

Dear families,

Another fun week at WES - new rowing machines coming into the gym, WES bands playing a sold out show at the Jazz Cafe on Sunday and of course a very Happy Mother’s Day to all our WESPA mothers and grandmothers.

Uniform Recycling

We’ve been chatting with We Make Camden about uniform exchanges and how to improve what we can offer in this area to support families and our environment. Currently we have a stock of shirts, trousers and branded school uniform items which are available to all families free and offered at WESPA events. This is popular with new families joining WES and we’d like to make this more available to all families. To do this we need more volunteers to help with running the program. If you’d like to help, please email williamellispa@gmail.com

WESPA Social

Looking ahead to next term, put a pencil in your diary for Friday 25th April 2025 for the next WESPA Social. We will confirm a venue nearer the time.

I look forward to seeing many of you on Sunday. Have a great weekend all and Eid Mubarak to all families who are celebrating.

Chair WESPA