Newsletters

NEWS AT WES - 24th April 2026

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Summer Term - 24th April 2026

Welcome to our latest news update. From Year 12 Art and Design students hearing inspiring career advice from an alumni advertising legend, to exciting news about our new London Cavaliers Basketball Academy launching right here at school — there's so much to celebrate. Year 10, it's also time to start dreaming big about your next steps beyond GCSEs. Read on for all this and more!

Early close on Wednesday 13th May

Students will be dismissed at 12 Noon on Wednesday 13th May for a staff professional development session that afternoon.

Another early close for staff development is planned for Monday 22nd June. A reminder of this date will be published in newsletters nearer the time.

 

Extra Curricular Clubs and Activities

This term's lunchtime and after-school clubs and activities timetable can be found on this page of the school website. PE activities can be found on the PE Department webpage.

One-to-one Extra-Curricular Music lessons for tuition on a range of instruments is available via Camden Music. Please visit camdenmusic.speedadmin.dk/play/catalogue/courses to sign your son up for lessons!, or contact the Music Department to find out more: williamellismmusic@gmail.com .

Year 9 Assessments & Camp

Year 9 End of Year assessments will take place between Tuesday 4th- Friday 15th May.

The following subjects will have written exams in the hall at the following times.

Practical subjects will complete assessments in lessons time over the two-week period.

For the duration of the assessment period students should attend school at normal times, in full school uniform.

Year 9 Camp follows in the week beginning 18th May. Families have received further details of this trip from Mr Hallam this week. Families who have not yet confirmed their son's attendance at Camp should do so by contacting Mr Hallam - ghallam@williamellis.camden.sch.uk -  or via ParentPay.

Year 10 Next Steps

Approaching the halfway point in your GCSE courses, Year 10 students are encouraged to start thinking about your plans for after your GCSE's.

The 'Next Steps' booklet on the Year 10 page of the school website will outline the education and training options you can consider.

Year 12 Creative Industries Careers Talk

Ms Madsen writes:

On Monday 20th April, Year 12 Art and Design students attended a talk from Michael Moszynski. Michael is a William Ellis Alumnus who left in 1981. He studied at London School of Economics and went on to work at Saatchi and Saatchi - a very famous advertising agency. He worked on some high-profile campaigns including a British Airways campaign. He then set up his own agency, called London Advertising, and has won many awards for his work.  

He talked to students about advertising agencies and how to stand out from other applications when applying to work in creative industries. Edie, a Year 12 graphics student, said her favourite tip was to personalise applications by using a pen to handwrite a letter and to send them via the post to stand out from other applicants. 

He also spoke to students about the contentious topic of AI in creative industry. Oscar from Year 12 Graphics said he had learnt ‘how AI could help him to get an edge over other people in industry’. Students had some challenging questions for Michael as AI is a topic they have concerns around. They asked about how AI could be used ethically, to which Michael gave an example of using AI to make Law more accessible to everyone.  

Students are also concerned about the environmental impact of AI; Michael said that this is a concern, however in some cases, for example by using AI in oil refineries, it could actually reduce the environmental impact of some processes by making them more streamlined to reduce emissions. 

The talk was organised through the alumni network run by the William Ellis Trust. They are working to bring a range of alumni into school to speak with the pupils and students of today about their careers, areas of expertise and their memories of William Ellis and LaSWAP. If you’re interested in the work of the William Ellis Trust please visit their website at www.williamellistrust.org.uk and contact Will Durham, Director, to learn more about alumni talks and other volunteering opportunities.

 

My SEND Space - virtual drop-in sessions for young people aged 16 to 25

Young people aged 16 to 25 can book a private 30-minute one-to-one session with a SENDIASS officer, alone or with their parent / carer. They can join via WhatsApp, Zoom, MS Teams or by phone.
They can receive information and advice about their education, EHCP, next steps - or just talk about any SEN-related concerns.

  • Dates and times. Second Wednesday of the month, until July 2026 - on 13 May, 10 June, 8 July at 4pm, 4.30pm, 5pm and 5.30pm
  • Book a slot. Click here
  • More information. Please email traysi.matthew@camden.gov.uk.

London Cavaliers Basketball Academy Launch

We are excited to be partnering with London Cavaliers as they launch a Full-Time Basketball Academy with LaSWAP, hosted at William Ellis.

This promises to be a high-performance post-16 programme combining elite academic study, daily training, European competition, and a direct pathway into senior National League and Championship basketball — for male and female student-athletes.

Come to the Basketball Academy Open Evening here at school at 5pm on Thursday, 30th April, to learn more about this exciting post-16 opportunity.

Camden's 'Moving on to Secondary School Event', Tuesday 23rd June

Camden Moving On to Secondary School Event

Booking is now open for this event for parents/carers with children in Years 4 and 5.

Timed slots are available from 4pm to 6.30pm. This free in-person event at the London Irish Centre, Camden Square, NW1 9XB, is a great opportunity to:

  • receive advice on how to apply for a Year 7 place for September 2027 from the Camden Admissions Team
  • find out more about what Camden secondary schools have to offer 
  • speak with senior staff and student ambassadors from Camden secondary schools.

Find out more and book here: Camden Moving On to Secondary School Event Tickets, Tuesday, June 23  •  4 PM - 6:30 PM | Eventbrite

In the week before this borough-wide event, our SEND Team will be hosting an Open Morning with a focus on SEND provision on Thursday 18th June at 9am. Families can register for this event here.

SEND Notices:

Camden Parents and carers e-bulletin – join the mailing list

Camden produce a termly e-bulletin for parents and carers whose children have SEND, where they can find news, events and support near them, updates on Camden’s Local Area SEND Strategy, opportunities to meet other parents and carers and more.
Sign up to the mailing list here.

 

Camden SEND Surgeries (drop-in sessions)


SEND Surgeries are open to all Camden parents and carers, regardless of which school their child attends. They offer a chance to ask questions, talk through concerns, and get advice about SEND and inclusion directly from Camden officers and services.
The next session is at 5pm on Tuesday 28 April at Harmood School, 38 Harmood Street, London NW1 8DP. This is a relaxed, drop-in session where families can:

  • speak directly with SEND professionals
  • get advice and guidance
  • find out more about support available locally.

For more information you can email send.engagement@camden.gov.uk. Alternatively, parents and carers can contact their case
officer directly or the SEND team duty line on 020 7974 6500 or by email at sen.enquiries@camden.gov.uk for advice and guidance with education-related queries.

The next session is at 5pm on Tuesday 28 April at Harmood School, 38 Harmood Street, London NW1 8DP. This is a relaxed, drop-in session where families can:

  • speak directly with SEND professionals
  • get advice and guidance
  • find out more about support available locally.

For more information you can email send.engagement@camden.gov.uk. Alternatively, parents and carers can contact their case
officer directly or the SEND team duty line on 020 7974 6500 or by email at sen.enquiries@camden.gov.uk for advice and guidance with education-related queries.

 

Year 10 Phase Transfer Information Session - for SEND parents and carers


Parents and carers of Year 10 pupils with an EHCP have been invited to an information session on preparing for post-16 transition. This takes place from 5pm to 6.30pm on Monday 27 April at Haverstock School, 24 Haverstock Hill, London NW3 2BQ.


The session will cover the phase transfer process, key timelines, and what to expect in Years 10 and 11. Parents and carers will also hear from local providers about SEND support and have the chance to ask questions.

To book a place, parents and carers can fill in this form.

Creative Health Camden Youth Hub


CHC Youth Hub takes place at The Gym, Kentish Town Health Centre, 2 Bartholomew Road, NW5 2BX. Visit their chilled, arty, wellbeing space, which is a quiet social space for 12 to 18 year-olds, bridging the gap between school and weekend. Activities include art workshops, table tennis, beanbags, books and graphic novels, refreshments and old-school board games.

Please see their spring (Feb-May 2026) flyer below, or contact Li for more information: li@creativehealthcamden.com. The next CHC Youth Hub will be on Friday 1 May.

Yours faithfully,

Izzy Jones

Headteacher

This Week's WESPA Round-Up:

Reminder: KS3 Fun Run (supported by WESPA), Friday 8th May

The 3K Fun Run Challenge 2026 for students in Years 7-9 takes place in the afternoon of Friday 8th May on Hampstead Heath. Boys complete a 3km route starting from the school, going around Parliament Hill, and returning to the school for the finish. The run will take place during period 5 of the school day.  The first group will start running at about 2.00pm. Students will be dismissed from school when the event finishes at about 3.15pm.    

This is a fundraising event, with WESPA hoping to raise again £3,000 for the PE Department to purchase 2 rowing machines for the ever-growing indoor rowing club and some second-hand exercise bikes for the gym.

Donations can be made via the Givey website:  

https://www.givey.com/williamellisschoolfunrunmay2026

We are still looking for a few volunteers to help with the KS3 Fun Run. We need an additional 3 to 4 marshals to stay on the Heath and guide the boys in the right direction (and enjoy the sun – let’s hope). QR code to join the WhatsApp group below.

Additionally, please consider sponsoring the KS3 boys. The money raised at this event always makes a huge difference for the PE department and, in recent years, we have been able to help support the purchases of table tennis tables and trampolines. This time, we fundraise for rowing machines and exercise bikes!

https://www.givey.com/williamellisschoolfunrunmay2026

 

WESPA General Meeting - Online - Thursday 30th April 7.00pm

Save the date and join us at our next WESPA General meeting on the 30th of April at 7pm which will be online. This will be an opportunity to update you all on our upcoming Summer Term WESPA events and to discuss and kick start planning for our upcoming international evening, the annual celebration of the wonderful cultures that make up our school community.

Any Parent or Carer not on the parents WhatsApp group and would like to join the meeting or help out with the international cultural celebration evening. Please contact WESPA   via williamellispa@gmail.com

 

International Evening - Wednesday 10th June 

This is the highlight of the year… The time when we all come together to celebrate our diverse community. If you have attended the event before, you will know this should not be missed! Lots of music, dance, poems and lovely food will be shared during this friendly evening, so keep the date in your diary now!

We are looking for volunteers to coordinate with the school and help organise this very busy event. If you are interested in sharing your culture with us, please join our team.

Coming Up...

Key Stage 4 Mock MFL Speaking Exams
All Day
from 27 Apr until 08 May
27
April
Year 7 Careers Trip
All Day
27
April
Nurture Group Trip to The Mill
All Day
from 29 Apr until 01 May
29
April
Year 10 Drama Trip to Central School of Speech & Drama
All Day
30
April
Basketball Academy Open Evening
5:00pm – 6:30pm
30
April
May Day Bank Holiday
All Day
04
May
Year 9 Spanish EU Fair Trip
2:00pm – 4:00pm
05
May
Key Stage 3 Fun Run
2:00pm – 3:00pm
08
May
'Getting to Know You' admission meetings for new Year 7
All Day
09
May
Year 13 Graphics Exam
All Day
from 11 May until 12 May
11
May