Newsletters

Spring Term - 23rd May 2025

Welcome to this week's newsletter, marking the end of the first phase of exams for GCSE and A Level students, information about our outdoor education programme and learning in Art and Science. It has been a short but active and productive half term since Easter!

All students return to school on Monday 2nd June at 8:30am. Year 9 students will be starting their Key Stage 4 curriculum and will have some new subjects, teachers and exercise books. For other students, there may be some small changes to the timetable to accommodate this. Please check the SatchelOne or MyChildAtSchool apps which will show the up-to-date timetable for the day that we return.

Year 11 Exams

Congratulations to the Year 11 students for their excellent effort in their GCSE exams to date. Students will have some rest with plenty of revision over the half term break and return to the second round of exams in June.

Today marked the end of lessons for the year 11 students. After half term, they are only expected to attend school for their exams, our NRA celebration on 25th June and the LaSWAP taster day on 27th June. More details will follow in separate communications.

Staff and students enjoyed the traditional shirt-signing in the playground after completing the English Language paper. We know that students have worked incredibly hard on their revision and exam preparation in recent weeks and months - a real demonstration of resourcefulness, resilience and constant reflection for which they should be congratulated.

We hope the students get some rest over half term along with productive revision. I look forward to seeing all Year 11 after half term.

Outdoor Education: Year 9 and Year 8 camps

As I write, Year 9 are just returning from a brilliant week at The Mill, where all students successfully completed their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh qualifying expedition. This camp marks the end of their time in Key Stage 3. There were some excellent demonstrations of maturity and our five Rs.

• Resourcefulness: independent navigation, using a map and a compass in an unfamiliar place
• Resilience: walking 20 kilometres in two days, with all their equipment
• Reflection: each day, learning from their new experiences and how they could apply that in other parts of their life
• Respect: a whole week with staff, their classmates and each other, learning to work together and resolve disagreements constructively
• Responsibility: cooking dinner independently in their groups on a campsite

There will be a fuller write up next week, but we hope that Year 8 students have as much fun - they will all be going to The Mill in the first two weeks in July. For parents who haven't yet returned forms or paid on ParentPay, please do so as soon as you can or contact us if you have questions or difficulties.

Ski Trip to St Anton am Alberg in Austria

Servus liebe Leserinnen und Leser!

Wir waren wieder in Österreich...*

*Hello, Dear Readers! We've been back to Austria...

...and we all enjoyed it, immensely! The sun shone, the snow glistened, and the boys skied!

We skied, swam, hiked, climbed, quizzed and bowled our way through the week at the start of the Easter break.

For some of our boys in Year 11, this may be their last trip and I must just give them a special mention. They have been outstanding, responsible students who have nurtured and supported the younger boys on every trip. This year they had an additional challenge to the one on the mountains; how to find the time to revise! I was so impressed with their commitment, they even found time to revise Romeo and Juliet on the slopes!

As I have said many a time before, in many a newsletter, the ski trip is a fantastic opportunity for all boys in every year group, be they beginners, intermediates or advanced, to enjoy what is, quite frankly, the most exhilarating of all sports.

I look forward to next year’s trip…

Tom in 8F writes:

The WES ski strip is an experience that brings pleasure and bonding to all that go on it. When I was there, we skied every day and did activities along with them. These activities were rock climbing, bowling, swimming, quiz and explored the local area.

We were in the St Anton resort in the Alps, Austria. The snow was the best I have ever skied on, and the experience is one I will never forget. We had a great instructor who made us do various activities to help improve our skiing and I feel like I am a better skier because of it. I have been skiing many times and this is definitely the most I have felt myself improve in one trip. One of my favourite activities to do up the mountain was the ‘Fun Slope’, which had jumps and tight turns to make the skiing experience that little bit better. Along with these entertaining slopes we were also getting down black runs to improve the quality of our skiing. These, while difficult, are another way skiing is a great experience to help challenge yourself and bring joy to your experience. For food, we would prepare our own sandwiches with local bread, salami and/or cheese. We would also grab a piece of fruit and an oat bar and off we’d go!

Some of the beginners, San, Harry and Ossian, making excellent progress.

Off the slopes, we did team bonding activities. My favourite of these were exploring St Anton and the rock climbing. Rock climbing is an activity that I am new to and have never done before. I was encouraged by my teachers and friends to try even though I was a bit frightened at the fact of climbing such a big wall. This brought me and my friends together by creating fun experiences like this and helping us do things that we were initially scared of. Another one of our activities was a trip to a swimming pool. There was a heated pool outside that had many different settings. One of these modes was a whirlpool, which had jets push us in a circle around the pool, making us try to latch on to not get spun in the loop. Swimming was a fun, light-hearted activity that made the trip more enjoyable, by spending time with our friends. 

The scenery of the location we were staying in was brilliant. There were beautiful mountains and delicately crafted buildings and statues, which we saw on our hike on the last day before our journey home. This was great to see and is a stark contrast from the city that we usually live in. The local area also had some of the freshest air I have smelt and breathed and great natural beauty, which was shown in a group of cascading waterfalls with beautifully clear water.

Hiking on the last day

All in all, this is a great trip for all year groups and a great place to start skiing. Although I am an advanced skier, I know that we all enjoyed it, from beginner to advanced, and I know that we all made lots of progress. I am looking forward to next year and to spending more time on the slopes with my friends. This is the most fun I have had on a trip before. From experience I would recommend it to anybody, and it is an opportunity that shouldn’t be passed up.

 ‘We happy few’ All WES boys, with staff and ski instructors

London Cup Track and Field

Last week a group of Year 8 and 10 students were selected to represent the school at the London Cup Track and Field Athletics competition at Mile End. A total of 19 schools from across London took part in various athletics events including throws, jumps and various distances on the track.

The standard was high with many event winners already representing their county and some nationally for their respected age groups. Despite the fierce competition, our boys showed that they were there to compete; and compete they did. Many of our students achieved season's best times and distances in their selected events. Stand out performances on the day came from Tyson in Year 10 finishing 3^rd in his 100m heat, Noah B finishing 3^rd overall in the discus, Robin in Year 8 finishing 2^nd in his 300m heat and 5^th overall, and Ben W finishing 4^th overall in the 800m.

The greatest performance from our boys on the day came in the Year 8 relay where our quartet stormed to victory, leading from the start and executing perfectly timed changeovers. The team included Evan, Ben, Kingsley and Robin. It was the perfect end to what was a memorable day for the boys.

Year 9 Art Collaboration with The October Gallery

Ms Au-Yeung writes:

Over the past few months, a group of Year 9 students have had the exciting opportunity to work closely with the October Gallery, a unique venue in the heart of King’s Cross, London (24 Old Gloucester Street, WC1N 3AL).
The students collaborated with talented local artists Lilo and Esther through a series of engaging workshops and gallery visits. Lilo, known for her expertise in 3D art using materials such as grout and Modroc, guided the students as they created their own pieces of art inspired by the workshops. These artworks will be showcased at the October Gallery in late June 2025.

During their gallery visit, the students explored a range of works by female artists, discussing the materials, techniques, and possible inspirations behind the pieces.
In the workshops, Lilo encouraged the students to explore the connection between music and art, particularly how colour and sound can evoke emotions, drawing inspiration from the work of Wassily Kandinsky. The students also studied René Magritte’s iconic 'The Son of Man', using it as a starting point to develop their own creative interpretations of extraordinary creatures.

The final pieces, made from Modroc, grout, cardboard, and acrylic paint, reflect the students' innovative approaches and unique artistic styles.

Year 10 Science trip to Imperial College

Ms Laattoe writes:

A group of the Year 10 Triple Science cohort recently went on a day trip to Imperial College London, a Russell Group university. They participated in activities and seminars from leading climate scientists, learned about upcoming research and trialled their own experiments in the ReachOut lab.

This allowed them to not only conduct practical work in a real-life laboratory setting, but also to meet academics and current students. This was an opportunity to find out about what it takes to study a science subject at a higher level and to reflect on their own career aspirations. Students were engaged and proactive throughout - well done to all involved.

Year 9 Drama Technical Skills Workshop

Ms Hughes writes:

Year 9 students had a fantastic opportunity to learn about technical theatre skills at the Criterion Theatre on Friday 16th May. They brought a short scene from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to life, with workshops in lighting, sound, stagecraft and directing.

Students worked with professionals in the industry and were able to use theatre equipment to bring their creative ideas to life. A highlight was directing professional actors however the students liked - with hilarious results!

Students will take these skills into their GCSE drama study. Many have asked about doing further work experience or workshops like this…watch this space!

Year 7 and Year 10 Theatre trips

Ms Hughes also writes:

On Thursday 24th April, Year 7 students visited the Hackney Empire theatre for a performance of 'Romeo and Juliet'. The performance included rap, R&B and soul music, as well as Shakespeare's original language. This performance will support students in their study of drama, as we embark on a Shakespeare unit next term. It also links with their work on Hamlet in their English lessons.

Drama students in Year 10 have also experienced a theatre production, visiting the National Theatre on 7th May for a performance of 'Dear England'. This performance focuses on the England football team during Gareth Southgate's time as manager, with a focus on team morale, sports psychology and having the right mentality to succeed. The performance gave the students lots of inspiration for their upcoming practical drama exam, as well as preparing for their written exam in Year 11.

Year 10 Economics Trip to the Bank of England

Ms Mallick writes:

Year 10 Economics students recently visited the Bank of England Museum where they discovered the history of the Bank and saw an exhibition on the future of money and its role in society. This was followed by a walk around London's financial centre, visiting Lombard Street, the original site of stock trading in London, the former houses of famous economists and finally, the London Stock Exchange building.

A-Level Maths Trip to London School of Economics

Ms Neli writes:

The A-Level Mathematics students recently had the exciting opportunity to visit the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)—one of the world’s leading universities for mathematics, economics, and social sciences.

During the visit, students toured the campus, participated in an interactive lecture, and got a taste of what studying at a top-tier institution is like. They also learned about the real-world applications of mathematics in economics, finance, and data science.

Here are some of the comments students made about the trip:
• “It was a nice excursion around the university and conversation with the students was really useful”
• “All round great experience, I enjoyed the speeches”
• “The trip makes me consider studying Maths at university”
• “This trip was very fun - I loved how the professor was very passionate about her expertise”
• “The trip was a lovely eye-opening experience on how university works. It has great facilities for anyone interested in Maths and Economics. It also has a lovely community”
 

Year 10 Food Technology Projects

Ms Sinnott writes:

The plants in the raised beds are growing really well and will soon be ready for market day.

Well done to the Year 10 students for being responsible. The plants are responding to your care!

Year 10's recently visited the Global Generation Story Garden at King's Cross, involving themselves in practical ways of bringing to life curriculum topics including food & health, habitats & biodiversity and the importance of water & climate change.

Pocket PA app for Camden care experienced young people 

The Pocket PA app, which was relaunched at an event on 13 May, is the easy-to-use way for Camden care experienced young people to find information and advice; helpful organisations; education, training and employment opportunities; events and activities; discounts and offers. The Pocket PA app relaunch at Camden Council's offices at 5 Pancras Square was attended by Councillor Marcus Boyland, Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families, professionals from a wide range of Council services and care experienced young people. The event also saw the launch of the Council's Corporate Parenting Strategy 2025-2028, which includes five promises to care experienced young people.

Download the Pocket PA app

• Apple App Store (for iPhones)
• Google Play Store (for Android phones)
• Download a flyer about the Pocket PA app
• View a web-based version of the app

Visit Camden Rise web page for care experienced young people in Camden

May half-term activities for children and young people 

Camden are offering free and low-cost sports and physical activities, arts and crafts, play and youth activities for children and young people of all ages throughout the half term week. These include:

• Sport and physical activities. 
• Arsenal in the Community free football coaching,
• Kids Swim for a Quid 
• Holiday play schemes for ages 4 to 12
• Youth activities for ages 13 to 19 and more
• Creative Health Camden (CHC) Youth Hub - a relaxed wellbeing space for 12 to 18 year-olds, with art, books, and board games. Refreshments and art materials provided. The May half-term session is on Friday 30 May.

Visit the holiday sport and physical activities web page to find out more and sign-up, and/or Check out the full May programme and register using the form on the back of this flyer.

At this time of year, there are often questions about summer uniform and term dates for the following year. Details of uniform expectations can always be found at www.williamellis.camden.sch.uk/uniform and term dates at https://www.williamellis.camden.sch.uk/about-us/term-dates

Yours faithfully,

Izzy Jones

Headteacher