Newsletters

Spring Term - 9th January 2026

 

Welcome to our latest news update, including a pivotal moment in the year as Year 11 students receive their mock exam feedback and we celebrate Sixth Form students achieving strong GCSE resit results. Parents' Evenings for Years 9 and 11 are approaching this month, with new music teaching arrangements now in place for the spring term. We're also excited to share upcoming opportunities, including Year 10 Mock Interviews Day, LaSWAP's original musical production, and free AI and robotics programmes for students in Years 10-13.

Term dates for next academic year, 2026-27, have been published here on the school website.

GCSE mock exams and next steps: 75 days to go!

This week, Year 11 students have been receiving their mock exam papers, with marks and feedback from their teachers and this will continue in their lessons next week. For many of them, this recognises the hard work and preparation through the Autumn term and we would like to congratulate them on that.

At parents' evening (see details below), parents and students will receive:

• A progress grade, reflecting their performance in their mocks and any other recent relevant assessments.
• A predicted grade, reflecting what teachers think they are most likely to get in the summer exams if they continue to improve at their current rate.

These grades will have been moderated and checked before they are issued, though we do understand that students and parents are keen to know what they are as soon as possible.

The next 75 days will require students to be resilient, reflective, resourceful and responsible in their learning, and respectful of the fact that the rest of their year group are also feeling the pressure of exams. All their teachers and tutors will be working alongside to support them, and this will include giving them an increasing amount of revision direction as well as regular homework. To achieve their full potential, all Year 11 students need to:

• Attend school on time, every day, and be in all lessons
• Maintain good habits around sleep and eating, and limit their use of screens especially late at night
• Regularly make use of the revision materials that their teachers have published on Satchel One or given out on paper in class
• Keep their notes and revision materials organised - the paper versions or anything that is digital
• Look carefully at the resources at https://www.williamellis.camden.sch.uk/student-and-family-information/year-11 which detail the exam board they will be entered with for each subject, a guide to revision and resources to deal with anxiety and stress around exams

Year 11 students will continue to be supported with their applications for LaSWAP including one to one interviews in February - more details will be shared in due course.

An update on Music teaching in 2026

A familiar face to many of you, Ms Hughes, previously Head of Drama, is taking up a new role as Acting Head of Music and Drama for the remainder of this academic year. Mr Hansom will be taking on the role of Teacher in charge of Music while Mr Ilo, a specialist Music teacher who is known to many of the students and has worked at the school previously, will be with us as a Music teacher until the end of this academic year. 

Ms Hughes has contacted Year 11 parents separately about arrangements for GCSE teaching between now and the summer examinations. 

It was great to see this team pulling together back at the end of last term for a brilliant Winter Entertainment Evening, and to see so many of you there supporting the students who performed. As always, we are enormously thankful to WESPA for the support they gave to this event.

Part of the strength of our offer in Music is the extracurricular provision of instrumental lessons, which are heavily subsidised for students currently or previously eligible for free school meals. For more information about enrolling in lessons, go to https://www.williamellis.camden.sch.uk/extra-curricular-music

 Parents' Evenings for Year 9 and Year 11

A reminder to parents and carers of students in Years 9 and 11 that Parents' Evenings for these year groups take place this month, with Year 9 next Thursday, 15th January, and Year 11 on Wednesday 28th January. 

Bookings for Parents' Evenings are made via your MCAS account.

Year 9 families who have not yet made their bookings must do this as soon as possible in order to meet their son's teachers to discuss progress.

Year 11 Bookings have opened today, and appointments should be made as soon as possible to secure preferred times with your son's teachers.

Guidance about appointment booking can be found on the Parents’ Evening webpage: www.williamellis.camden.sch.uk/parents-evenings 

If you are having any problems with logging in to MCAS or making bookings, please contact Mr Khan, Information Systems Manager: akhan@williamellis.camden.sch.uk 

Year 10 Careers Event - Volunteers Wanted!

Our annual Mock Interviews Day for Year 10 students will take place on Thursday 9 March.

This event plays a vital role in supporting our Year 10 students as they begin to prepare for their work experience placements later in the academic year. The Mock Interviews provide students with a valuable opportunity to engage with professionals from a wide range of industries and to gain practical insight into how to approach and succeed in an interview setting.

How the event works:
Students will take part in a series of one-to-one mock interviews delivered in a carousel format. During each interview, professionals will introduce themselves and ask a range of interview-style questions, covering students’ academic pathways, interests, extracurricular activities, and any future career aspirations. Students will also have the opportunity to ask questions.

This engaging and rewarding morning helps students develop confidence, understand the interview process, and gather useful tips to support them in future, real-world interviews.

We are seeking volunteers from all sectors to support this event, which will take place at school from 8.45am to 1.00pm on 9th March. If you are able to participate or would like further information, please contact Alexandra Booij at alexandrabooij@yahoo.co.uk.

Thank you for your continued support.

 

Encode London: "Is AI Your Tool, Your Rival, or Your Best Friend?" 

Students in Years 10–13 are invited to register for an engaging 8‑week discussion series at the London AI Campus. The programme is designed to help students explore how artificial intelligence is influencing key aspects of society.

Each session focuses on a different real‑world theme, and students have the options to choose which sessions they come to (they do not need to attend all sessions).

Content includes:

• Democracy: Misinformation, deepfakes, and how public debate is influenced by technology.
• Sustainability: Smart cities, urban planning, and the environmental impact of emerging technologies.
• Future of Work: How automation is changing jobs, skills, and career pathways.
• Society: Technology, wellbeing, and the rise of AI‑powered tools and services.

Spaces are limited. To sign up, please follow this link.

 

Robotics and AI Crash Course - 6-week programme for A Level Maths or Computing students

A free hands-on programme led by UCL students introducing robotics and AI skills is starting 18th February, 4pm-6.30pm, at UCL Computer Science. 

This is pen to students studying A Level Maths or Computer Science who can attend all six sessions. There are only 15 spaces available and the deadline to register is 19th January. Students can apply at: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/engineering/events/2026/feb/robotics-and-ai-crash-course

 

Preparation for Adulthood Event - 30 January

Camden Council’s next Preparation for Adulthood (PfA) event – for young people with SEND aged 14 to 25 - will be on Friday 30 January 2026, from 10am to 3pm, at Labs House, 15 to 19 Bloomsbury Way, WC1A 2TH.

To book, please fill in the online registration form

For any questions, please email LocalOffer@camden.gov.uk

 

Free online course for Camden parents and carers of children experiencing anxiety 

Camden’s Children’s Centres and Family Hubs are offering a free online course for Camden parents and carers to help children aged 6 to 14 manage anxiety. Fear-Less Triple P Online can be completed at your own pace and provides practical strategies to understand anxiety, build emotional resilience and support children to face their fears.

Find out more and sign up at: https://families.camden.gov.uk/parents-and-carers/parenting-classes/
You can also contact 0800 389 5789 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm) or email familyhubs@camden.gov.uk

Yours faithfully,

Izzy Jones

Headteacher