News
Welcome to our final Celebration Newsletter, JT NEWS!
Our Hall has been a hive of activity this morning as we welcomed over 30 local & national exhibitors for our annual Careers Fair. There was a great variety of businesses, education institutions and training providers which gave our students a fantastic opportunity to interact with potential employers and discover different career pathways across an incredible range of sectors.
Before the event began, the pupils were given a handbook to guide them through the fair. For many, this is the first time they’ve attended something of this scale so it was important for them to know what to expect. In the handbook there were a selection of key questions the students could ask to help prompt and encourage engagement. These included; How long is the training, what are the benefits of doing an apprenticeship, what would my working hours be, what are the benefits of studying at university, do you offer bursaries, how much can you earn whilst learning a trade, what are you looking for in an applicant, what life experience do you need, what roles are available within the company.
During the fair, everyone was given a postcard which employers could stamp when the students had visited their stand. At the end of the event, if the students have a completed card, they will be placed into a draw for a prize!
Miss Spurrier, Work-Related Learning Co-ordinator, facilitated the day and said ‘it has been a wonderful experience for all our Year 7-10 students. There have been some great questions and interactions between our students and employers, and I hope it was beneficial for all those who attended. We have had great feedback from the employers who were impressed with the quality of questions and engagement. Thank you to all our exhibitors for supporting our young people and well done to all our students for representing the school so brilliantly’.
We asked our exhibitors to nominate any students who stood out to them during the careers fair. Here's what they said:
'Anna has some clear career goals & wanted to know how to get there. She asked lots of progression questions & seemed interested & engaged.'
'Jeff, it was lovely chatting with you today about Science related courses, Whilst we saw there were loads of options, you have plenty of time to work out which kind of exciting science degree/careers will suit you best! Have fun!'
'Nancy, it was lovely speaking with you earlier. Keep researching those medical courses and put the work in to your studies! Best Wishes!'
'George asked lots of questions about opportunities in property and was highly engaged about apprenticeship routes with us.'
'Ameline has been to Pick Everard to do work experience twice and helped us prepare today's fair! Thank you Ameline.'
'As well as asking the required questions, Hamish dug deeper and challenged us on project control and budgets in the built environment.'
'Verity asked us lots of questions about Architecture and opportunities for work experince within the profession.'
A special thanks goes to those in attendance; Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Navy, B&B tractors, British Army, Burton Albion Community Trust, Cardiff University, Chameleon School of Construction, Tara Group, Deloitte LLP, Derby University, Falmouth University, Keele University, Luminate, Maintech Recruitment, Aberystwyth University, Nestle, Oxford Brookes University, Pick Everard, Achievement Training & Skills, Russell Roof Tiles, Sciensus, Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service, Staffordshire Police, Whitemoor Lakes, Manchester Metropolitan University, Derby College, Lichfield Garrick, Rolls Roya, RAF, The Mercian Regiment, Burton and South Derbyshire College.
For more information about student’s career pathways at John Taylor High School, please speak to Miss Spurrier [email protected] or visit our website: Students - John Taylor High School (jths.co.uk)
On Friday 5th July a group of nearly 150 Year 8 students waved goodbye to parents/carers as they began their much-anticipated adventure on their PGL trip to Boreatton Park.
The students were so excited to be taking part in activities such as canoeing, abseiling, laser tag, jacob’s ladder and trapeze, as well as taking part in survival skills workshops. Throughout the weekend the students were constantly pushing their boundaries and demonstrated perseverance in everything they did. It was wonderful to see so much encouragement amongst the pupils who supported eachother every step of the way.
We are so proud of how our Year 8 pupils behaved and represented the school. As each day ended there was a real sense of achievement between the students as they reminisced at dinner.
We are delighted to hear that all the students had a fantastic time. Take a read through at what some of our Year 8’s had to say about their trip!
On Wednesday 10th & Thursday 11th July a group of Year 12 law students got the opportunity to spend 2 days completing virtual Work Experience with the Crown Prosecution Service.
Mrs Nurse who facilitated the session, linked the group into the online workshop where one of the Senior Leaders of the Magistrate Court Unit began the introduction. It was really interesting for the group to hear from Linda about the different pathways to becoming qualified whether that is through University or an Apprenticeship. Linda began her law career as a temporary administrator, then moved to become a paralegal, then a prosecutor, then all the way to the top as Senior Manager.
Mrs Nurse said ‘it’s fantastic to hear from industry experts who can inspire our students to achieve their career goals. Law can be challenging and involves a lot of hard work, but it makes all the difference to listen to employees who feel passionate and love what they do. When it comes pursuing a career in law, it is important for our students to figure out what matters to them when deciding their pathway, whether that be university or an apprenticeship. Factors to consider include; job satisfaction, salary expectations and work/life balance. It’s been great for our students to have this opportunity and the beauty of it being online is that we are able to have many more students involved.'
Over the 2 days the students got the chance to look at case studies, participate in workshops and debate real-life cases. Throughout the work experience the students learnt the process of a criminal case, what’s involved in an investigation, presenting evidence at a trial and how to manage the relationship with the victims and witnesses. It became very clear to the group that striving for justice is at the heart of what the CPS do and the most important aspect of working within the law industry.
Laura Brian from the Crown Prosecution Service said ‘CPS West Midlands is committed to supporting and developing young people in the West Midlands and we are excited to be offering this Work Experience opportunity. We hope everyone enjoyed and benefited from the programme.’
We’d like to wish all our Year 12 students the best of luck as they start looking into their post-16 options. If any parents or pupils have any questions, please contact Mrs Ball, Subject Leader CEIAG (careers education, information, advice and guidance) [email protected]
On the 6th – 7th July, 64 Year 9 students successfully completed their Bronze DofE Assessment expedition. The groups walked from Bakewell town centre through Lathkill Dale towards Mandale campsite. Many students shared stories about their experience walking through the Peak District: the countless stiles, encounters with cattle and plenty of rain puddles! The weather wasn’t always on our side, but it was lovely to see students cheering each other on and supporting each other when the miles started to feel tough. A huge ‘well done’ to our Bronze cohort!
On 3rd & 4th July, John Taylor High School were delighted to host the annual JTMAT Forensic Science Challenge Day, which saw local primary & secondary school teams arrive to take part in ‘Operation Engage’ and ‘Operation Diplomat’.
The purpose of the events were to introduce and encourage the pupils to develop and use scientific skills in a staged environment using real materials and props to collate evidence and draw conclusions.
Operation Engage – Primary School Challenge:
The primary pupils were welcomed and started their day with an introductory video that set the scene. The storyline was that there had been an air accident and there was parts, smoke, fire & explosions all around and it was their job to investigate what had happened using a number of methods. The pupils changed into scene suits, gloves, masks, hairnets and shoes covers to get a real understanding of what a real forensic scientist would be required to wear to carry out an investigation of this nature.
At the scene they used drone footage to find evidence, carry-out fingertip searches and investigate passenger items. Each team were taken to different scenes to participate in further activities and come to conclusions about fingerprints, footwear marks, fibres and hairs.
It was fantastic to see the pupils so enthusiastic and engaged throughout the day. To finish, the pupils were then invited to collate their evidence, draw conclusions as to what happened, to whom and in what order and present this to their peers and teachers. Despite some of the pupils feeling nervous during the presentation, their rationale and workings were outstanding. Mrs Clarke was so impressed with all their efforts!
Congratulations to the pupils at The Mosely Academy who took the Primary School winners title and were presented with their trophy. We hope all the pupils had a wonderful day, it was a pleasure for our Science Faculty to spend the day with you all.
Operation Diplomat – Secondary School Challenge:
The secondary pupils were briefed with the scenario in which an air accident has led to debris, fire, explosions and a parachute being tangled in a tree. Two dead bodies were also discovered and there were some survivors who had been rescued. Again, the pupils really got into character with suits, gloves, masks, hairnets and shoes covers to get a real understanding of what a real forensic scientist would be required to wear. At the scene the pupils found the parachute and the bodies on the ground. It was their job as forensic scientists to investigate what happened. The analysis included interviewing survivors in a press conference style setting, using the drone flight recorder, looking at DNA and the passenger manifest items. Throughout the day the pupils also attended analysis workshops to complete various tasks in relation to the investigations. The level of work was of an exceptional quality and all the students should be extremely proud of themselves.
As the day came to a close the students collated their evidence, came to conclusions and presented their findings. After much deliberation the Secondary School winners were Chase Terrace Academy.
Mrs Clarke who led and facilitated the days said ‘this event gets better and better each year. I am blown away by the props, the scenes, and how ‘real’ this investigation has been. There is no better way to learn than an immersive hands-on experience, and I hope everyone involved has enjoyed the day and their learning has been enhanced. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the success of the Forensic Day. The students approach to the tasks were outstanding and their evidence and conclusions were commendable. Congratulations to The Mosely Academy and Chase Terrace Acadmey who were the crowned the winners. We now look forward to next year’s event!
EXAM OFFICE WILL BE OPEN FOR POST RESULTS SERVICES AS FOLLOWS:
THURSDAY 15th AUGUST 2024 10:00 – 16:00
FRIDAY 16th AUGUST 2024 9:00 – 12:00
MONDAY 19th AUGUST 2024 9:00 – 14:30
TUESDAY 20th AUGUST 2024 9:00 – 14:30
WEDNESDAY 21st AUGUST 2024 CLOSED
THURSDAY 22nd AUGUST 2024 10:00 – 16:00
FRIDAY 23rd AUGUST 2024 9:00 – 13:00
- Thursday 15th August – Year 13 pupils can collect their provisional statement of results between 8:00 – 12:00 from the main hall.
- Results will also be published on Go4Schools and will be available from 8:00.
- Thursday 22nd August – Year 11 pupils can collect their provisional statement of results between 8:00 – 12:00 from the main hall.
- Results will also be published on Go4School and will be available from 8:00.
- Pupils can nominate someone else to collect their results on their behalf by completing the Statement of Results Third Party Collection Form (link below). Please note the collecting person must have photo ID of themselves.
Due to the JTMAT training day, Mrs Cochrane celebrated this week’s star students for a mid-week hot chocolate. The students had been nominated by Mrs Hickey, Attendance Intervention Manager, for having 100% attendance and no lates to lesson which is a remarkable achievement.
It was fantastic to see how the pupils understood the importance of attendance and how it contributes to the success of their learning. Mrs Cochrane said ‘well done to all of you here today, you are excellent role models for other pupils in the school. Having 100% attendance with no lates to lessons shows integrity and punctuality which are two important life skills that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life, in and out of school.’
Well done to Zachary (Y7), Dylan (Y7), Amelia (Y7), Aurelie (Y7), Noah (Y9), Jacob (Y7), Ellie (Y7), Freddie (Y7), Ethan (Y7), Chinelo (Y8), Cassandra (Y10), Amy (Y7) and Olivia (Y10).
As the students enjoyed their hot chocolates it was lovely to hear them talking about what their favourite thing this year had been. Sports, friends, extra-curricular activities and feeling happy with GSCE options were amongst some of the things mentioned.
To find out more about Attendance at John Taylor High School, click here: Attendance - John Taylor High School (jths.co.uk)
As we get closer to the end of term, it was time for our Year 6 pupils to get a taster of life at John Taylor before they begin in September. It is our aim that all students joining our school community feel confident about the many changes and new routines they will experience as they make the move from primary to secondary school.
All pupils are invited to attend one day of preparation to get to know the school, staff, and their tutor and teaching group which begins with a formal assembly and welcome by Miss Crutchley, Head of Lower School and Mrs Cochrane, Headteacher.
Once assembly had finished the pupils got straight to work with a busy timetable ahead of them in between their break and lunch periods. This year’s theme was bubbles which ran through each lesson:
In Science they learnt the process of making bubble tea and deciding their puree combination. The students were also tasked with designing an advert to promote their bubble tea which was judged by our Year 12 students.
In Design & Technology the pupils used polymorph to create and mould bubble wands learning about textures, materials and principles of design.
In Art the pupils looked at abstract designs for inspiration to make their own bubble creations out of a combination of materials.
In Maths the pupils enjoyed a game of ‘bubble bingo’ learning all about possible outcomes using multiples from a space diagram.
We are really excited to welcome our new Year 7 cohort in September and hope the transition process has been as smooth as possible to ensure that the students feel safe, welcome, and supported.
The transition process also goes on beyond the start of the new school year, with Year 7 events such as Bonding Day and the Service of Welcome planned within the first half term. Also, parents/carers have the opportunity to meet with form tutors early on in the academic year. All transition and beyond activities are designed to ensure the students, parent/carers feel part of the John Taylor High School community.
To find out more about our Lower School Team click here: Student Support - Lower School - John Taylor High School (jths.co.uk)
This morning, Mrs Cochrane celebrated the success of our pupils who have generously given their time as role models for the Year 7 Buddy Reading Intervention sessions. They all enjoyed a delicious hot chocolate and explained exactly what the Year 7 Buddy Reading Intervention is all about.
The scheme which is overseen by the LRC Manager Mr Weighall, is an initiative that pairs Year 10 and Year 7 students to help support and build their literacy skills and confidence in reading. Mr Weighall said ‘I am really proud of this group of students. The kindness and dedication they have shown to the year 7 pupils has been admirable and this shows in the progress the Year 7 have made.’
Well done to our Year 10 students; Olivia, Tilly, Anah, Evie, Charlotte, Abigail, Darcie, Chloe, Frazer, Maja, Riley, Maserah, Scarlett and Molly.
The Year 10 students said ‘the scheme is brilliant as it helps younger students find their passion for reading. It is also really pleasing to see the progress they have made over the year. We have all formed friendships with our Year 7 buddies and hope they can come to us if they have any worries or questions too.’
It was a pleasure to also have Ethan and Maddox attend the celebration as they were unable to join last week where we celebrated their success in participating in the Careers Logo Competition. To find out what this entailed, read our previous article here: John Taylor High School eNewsletter (jths.co.uk)
Mrs Cochrane enjoyed hearing what the students were enjoying over the weekend too; activities included playing in a band at a fete, preparing for DofE, relaxing after competing in a swimming gala and heading to London for the school trip to Parliament. It was a delight for Mrs Cochrane to find out more about our students hobbies and interests outside of the classroom and great to see they are continuously striving to achieve their personal excellence!
On 27th June the sun was shining as our pupils took to the track to compete in the much-anticipated Sports Day to determine who would be crowned as House Champions.
The morning session kicked off with Shot Putt, Discuss, Long jump, Javelin, 1500m & High Jump for Year’s 7-10. There were some remarkable results and perfect techniques from the pupils! A group of students were also taken to Barton Bowls Club to compete in a friendly environment which they all thoroughly enjoyed. The opportunity to play bowls built their confidence and cemented the fact that sport is inclusive and accessible to everyone. The group got the opportunity to socialise and most importantly have lots of fun together.
Back on field after lunch it was then time for the 300m, 200m, 100m final and relay race. Mr Twynham took to the microphone as the announcer and set the tone for the afternoon events! To say the atmosphere was electric is an understatement. It was admirable to see the team-spirit, determination and sporting talent amongst the pupils as they set their eyes on the finish line. The support from the side-lines was spectacular which only added to the thrilling atmosphere.
The races finished with the traditional teachers relay which was a real spectacle for our pupils who all cheered and chanted for their chosen teachers. A special mention goes to the sixth form team who brilliantly competed in fancy dress!
The day ended on a real high. The scores were counted and the winners presentation commenced. Congratulations to:
- Marchington, who won the Sports Day Shield as overall winners.
- Marchington, who won the House Rose Bowl for having the most house merits.
- Kingstone, who won the House Cup for winning the house matches.
As well as the hive of sporting activity, there were other events taking place on the field throughout the day. We had students fundraising for multiple charities by organising games such as hook-a-duck, guess the amount of sweets, what’s in the box, a penalty shoot-out and more! Well done to you all!
We were also joined by our local elderly residents who had been invited to come and watch Sports Day and enjoy some delicious cakes, served by Mrs Berry and her team of Young Sporting Ambassadors. The residents thoroughly enjoyed their afternoon and was lovely for them to see the pupils in action. They were so thankful to have been invited and left with a handwritten letter & bookmark from the Young Sporting Ambassadors.
A huge thank you goes to everyone for making Sports Day 2024 a success. It was a wonderful and memorable day planned to perfection by Mrs Williams and the PE department!
This morning, eight excited pupils set off to spend the morning at the local Wincanton Logistics Depot organised by Mrs Ball, Careers Lead.
Wincanton Logistics are a national supply chain company with an extremely impressive warehouse and haulage fleet meaning our students got the fantastic opportunity to have access to all areas.
Joining the students was the Managing Director, Head of Inclusion, PR Manager and other Wincanton Employees who were keen to give our students a great experience. It was wonderful for our students to get a deeper understanding of the many different career paths within one organisation and see for themselves the variety job roles available to suit different skill-sets.
As part of the visit, the group had a personalised tour, watched machinery in action and got to sit in the driver’s seat of the lorry’s. It was great for the students to have a Wincanton employee on hand to answer the many questions they had. It was clear that all the employees were extremely passionate about the industry they worked in and were great advocates for Wincanton as an employer of choice.
Thank you to all those involved and well done to the students who were a real credit to the school.
Back in May, Mrs Cochrane recognised a group of talented students for their fantastic effort in the ‘Poetry By Heart’ competition, however the students have now received further praise by the ‘Poetry by Heart’ officials.
Mrs Craddock, who facilitated the competition for John Taylor High School was over-joyed to learn that Juppnie, Suhavi, Maisie and Alexander had been awarded a ‘Commendation’, Felicity has been awarded ‘Highly Commended’ and Ella has remarkably been awarded ‘Best in County’.
The ‘Poetry by Heart’ competition is a nationally run poetry recital competition which is open to all year groups, sixth form and staff and the first year anyone from John Taylor High School has entered. However, it was this small group of Year 8 students who have been the real trailblazers for the initiative and set the bar high.
The students had to pick from a specific list and learn poems to recite. The focus was on both their understanding of the poem and their delivery of it. Genres included ‘romantic, friendships, beauty and fantasy.’ Mrs Craddock said ‘ I am so incredibly proud of this group of students, their perseverance and dedication was wonderful to see. They represented the school exceptionally and I am so pleased they have been recognised by the ‘Poetry by Heart’ officials. The students all agreed that they thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity and look forward to entering again next year’.
Well done to all those involved!
Over the last week, all students in years 7 to 10 have had an assembly about our focus areas for behaviour expectations for the rest of the academic year. As always, we try to link this to our school values, and this term we will be focusing on 'Integrity' and 'Kindness'
Integrity
Our school expectation linked to integrity is being 'Punctual and Prepared'. The strong focus is on students being on time to each and every lesson. Students are regularly reminded about the importance of being in their lessons ready to learn for the start of the lesson. This means that they maximise their learning and do not disturb other students. When students are late they have this recorded as a 'late mark' and this includes the amount of minutes they are late. Where possible, the teacher will then keep them after the lesson for this amount of time and to find out why they were late. Students who are persistently late may be placed onto punctuality report.
Kindness
Linked to kindness, we are focusing on 'No Physical Contact'. Some students can sometimes get over exuberant, particularly with their friends. This includes playfighting, headlocks, pushing and pulling too aggressively and is not appropriate. It has been explained to students that this may result in someone getting hurt or upset. In order to support us in this focus, students will receive a reminder if a member of staff needs to speak to them about this. If we have to issue 3 reminders then they will receive an after school detention. The system is designed to be fair and allow students to be reminded of our expectations before there is a sanction.
The after school detention system is administered by members of our pastoral support team and run by the senior leadership team. They will not know the details of the type of physical contact but just that students have received 3 reminders from members of staff. If your son or daughter does receive an after school detention, you will be informed of this at least 24 hours in advance as with uniform detentions. These pastoral staff will not be able to give you any further details of what each reminder was given for, however, students will have had this explained when they were issued.
We are grateful for the support of our families in all aspects of the school, including behaviour expectations.
The image below was used in these assemblies:
Today at Hot Chocolate with the Head, Mrs Cochrane was joined by students nominated by Mrs Ball for their fantastic entries in the JTHS Careers Logo Competition.
Mrs Cochrane shared with the group the purpose of the competition and that the winning entry would be rolled out across the school to help give the Careers department an identity and embedded within the school brand. Mrs Cochrane said that the students ‘should all be proud of themselves. To be involved in an initiative that will become part of the school is a great achievement and everyone involved should be really proud of this commendation.’ Mrs Cochrane spoke with the group about their career aspirations which was interesting to hear. Jobs such as Zoologist, Medical Professional, Business Person and Architect were a few that were mentioned.
The entries were fantastic and both Mrs Cochrane and Mrs Ball were blown away with the talents of the students and the thought that had gone into producing them. After much deliberation the winner was announced as Ethan Griffiths (Y10). Ethan is a budding graphic designer and not only produced the logo, he created a video and produced a fantastic rationale. Mrs Ball was delighted to present him with some chocolate goodies and gift voucher.
Here is Ethan’s winning logo:
The runners up were:
Isabella (Y8), Maddox (Y7), Jessica (Y7), Rebekah (Y7), Bethan (Y7) and Daisy (Y7).
Well done to all of pupils involved, we are really proud of your hard work and talking the opportunity to get involved.
We’d also like to say congratulations to Emilia (Y8), Cara (Y8) & Ilori (Y8) for also being nominated by Mrs Bostock this week for there participation in the Raspberry Pi Competition, unfortunately they were unable to join for the celebration today.
On Thursday 20th June, we invited our wonderful Year 11 cohort back to school to attend their much-deserved Celebration Assembly with teachers and peers.
Spirits were high as the student’s entered the Sports Hall and collected their leavers hoodies and prom tickets. As they gathered, Mr Thompson Head of Year 11 projected their Year 7 photos onto the big screen, which led to lots of laughter amongst the students. It was great to see how they had all matured over the school years!
Mrs Cochrane opened the assembly and said, ‘it was an absolute delight to have this particular year group within the school community, our Year 11 students have grown into lovely young people who have a bright future in achieving their personal excellence. My highlights include daily canteen chats and teaching them chemistry.’ The sentiment was agreed by Mr Blanchenot who added ‘you are a phenomenal group and are a credit to this school and most importantly yourselves’.
Next to speak to the students was the Year 11 Form Tutors who shared personal messages of thanks, funny stories, highlights and their favourite things about their forms. It was clear to see that the Year 11 Form Tutors had built a wonderful relationship with their form groups and would really miss them!
To finish, Mr Thompson, Head of Year 11 spoke extremely high of his year group leaving the students feeling inspired with his ‘water bottle analogy’ and the importance of each student’s value in the world. Mr Thompson captivated the room with his words of wisdom and advised them to ‘say yes’ to as many opportunities as possible. Being courageous and pushing their comfort zones was a lasting message Mr Thompson wanted to the students to leave with.
At the end of the Celebration Assembly the students were treated to ice-cream and cake and enjoyed some social time. All the students conducted themselves exceptionally and it was a pleasure for our teachers to have the opportunity to catch up with the students since they went on study leave.
The next event our Year 11 students will attend is the prom on Friday 5th July. We wish all our Year 11 students a wonderful summer and look forward to GCSE Results day on Thursday 22nd August.
