Weekly Information - Friday 5th July 2024

The following students celebrated their achievements with Mrs Cochrane this week, congratulations to them all!

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)

On 3^rd & 4^th 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!

On 26^th June, Miss Quirk’s A-level Economics students and Mrs Nurses A-Level Law students joined forces and made their way on the train for a day of discovery in London.

It was an early start for the group as they arrived at Lichfield Trent Valley Station at 6.45am. Despite this, the students spirits were high as they looked forward to the day ahead.

As the group arrived in London, the Law and Economics students said their goodbyes as they went their separate ways to tick off everything on their jam-packed schedule for the day. The plan was to then meet up later at the Palace of Westminster.

Mrs Nurse, said ‘the Law students went on the underground to look round the Inns of Court.  The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. There are four Inns of Court: Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple. All barristers must belong to one of them.  We also visited Temple Church.  Consecrated in 1185, Temple Church was originally built as the English headquarters of the Knights Templar. It was constructed at a point, that was then, just West of the city, outside the walls.  Established in 1118, the Knights Templar were a crusading order of knights who took monastic vows and aimed to protect pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land. They were given headquarters on Temple Mount by the King of Jerusalem.  From the late 14th century much of the Temple area was then leased to lawyers. The Inner Temple was located on the consecrated ground around the church and the Middle Temple on the unconsecrated land. The lawyers were allowed to stay as long as they maintained the church, which they still do to this day.

Following this visit we went on a guided tour of the Royal Courts of Justice.  The High Court of justice is, together with the Court of Appeal, one of the senior courts of England & Wales. It has three main divisions (The Queen’s Bench Division, The Chancery Division and The Family Division) and hears appeals from the High Court and the Crown Court. It used to be the court of last resort and highest appellate court in the UK, until the Supreme Court (another stunning London Court) was established in 2009.  Students were given a guided tour of this magnificent building and the opportunity to go into a number of the court rooms to hear live cases.

From here we headed to the Supreme Court where students were given the opportunity to visit the exhibition in the Supreme Court and go into one of the Supreme Court rooms.  The Supreme Court is the final court of appeal in the UK for civil cases, and for criminal cases from England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Supreme Court hears cases of the greatest public or constitutional importance affecting the whole population.’

Meanwhile the Economics students began their day with a visit to the Bank of England. Miss Quirk, said, ‘at our first stop we learnt about the different monetary policies set by The Bank of England and the implications of these. The students loved being able to hold the bars of gold and were surprised to find out that they weighed 12.4 kg! The students also found out that Bank of England was nationalised in 1946 and separated from the government in 1997 which they found interesting. We then visited The Garden at 120 to see the different externalities across the City of London. The skyline was incredible and it was brilliant to hear what the students thought all the buildings purposes were and how they contributed to the economy.’

In the afternoon, both the Law and Economics students met up again and went on a guided tour of the Palace of Westminster. Students were able to walk on the 'floor' of the house and the voting lobbies in the House of Commons. The students saw first-hand the detailed preparations that are underway to welcome new MPs into the House of Commons and for the State Opening of Parliament by King Charles III. They also got the opportunity to stand in the room above where Guy Fawkes hid the gun powder and learnt that it is protocol to cover the tapestries in the main walkway when French politicians come, as they depict wars in which the British defeated the French! At the end of the tour, the students attended a workshop run by the Parliamentary Education Unit looking at the importance of democracy and protest in the UK.

Students and Staff then enjoyed dinner at a local burger restaurant before travelling back to Lichfield. Thank you to everyone who made the trip so enjoyable. It was a pleasure to watch the students engage and come back home feeling full of knowledge.

Mrs Findon, Curriculum Area Leader Of Geography, took 6 classes from Year 10 to Carding Mill Valley in the heart of the Long Mynd in Shropshire this week.

The trip was part of their paper 3 topic where they collected river fieldwork data. The pupils are currently investigating how the river Sherbrooke changes from the source to the mouth, for example does the river get wider and deeper? The pupils behaviour during the visit was exceptional and this showed in their findings and investigaton. The highlight of the trip for student Georgia was having an 'ice cream and being outside in the countryside with our friends'.

Well done and thank you to all those involved. Mrs Findon would also like to extend the thank you to the non-geography staff who came and were a brilliant help! 

Earlier this month, 34 BTEC and A-Level students made their way to Yorkshire Wildlife Park to learn more about the operations of the business.

The A-Level Business students learnt about marketing campaigns, branding & strategies the park has in place to attract new customers and encourage repeat business. The students also found out about the organisational structure of the park and how it is set up to accommodate the variety of departments and employees they have across the organisation; from animal specialists to zero hours restaurant workers. This gave the students not only the chance to apply it to an actual business scenario but also lots of information about different types of careers and employability skills.

The BTEC Business students enjoyed their session on customer service within the park, linked to a unit which they are studying. They learnt about the importance of service within a customer facing business, different ways to conduct customer service - before, during and after their visit and how the park responds to feedback via trip advisor. The students also got the chance to hear about the varied roles and careers at the Wildlife Park.

Overall the day was a great success. The insight was invaluable for enhancing our students knowledge within Business. Well done to everyone for representing the school so brilliantly!

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)

It's been a delight for our Sixth Form team to welcome both new and familiar faces to our Year 11 Bridging Days this week, as they prepare for moving into Year 12 in September. After registration and a welcome assembly, the students spent the day in a number of lessons to give them a taster of the different topics they will be doing as a Year 12 student.

We wish all our Year 11s the best of luck for results day and look forward to welcoming them to John Taylor Sixth Form in September. To find out more about Sixth Form click here: Welcome to Sixth Form - John Taylor High School (jths.co.uk)

Mrs Berry wanted to show her appreciation to the Young Sporting Ambassadors for their fantastic volunteering efforts and help at a number of events this year. 

Events Include:

- Community Afternoon Tea

- Christmas & Easter Gift Deliveries

- Assisting with Primary School Sporting Events 

- Writing letters to people in the community

...and much more!

Together they enjoyed pizza & refreshments in a realxed social environment. We look forward to welcoming our new Young Sporting Ambassadors from September who will have the opportunity to get involved in a number of school & community activities.

When it comes to your students' medical application, navigating the UCAT exam efficiently can make all the difference. Scheduling UCAT tests strategically, along with targeted preparations for the exam, can significantly impact their success. As UCAT exam bookings open on 18th June, I recommend that they secure an end of August/early September test date. The test dates range from 8th July to 26th September, so selecting an end of August/early September date provides ample time for summer preparation and revision, without getting in the way of their studies in the new academic year.

To assist preparations for your students applying for the upcoming UCAT and UCAS medical application, we've developed a comprehensive Get Into Medicine E-learning course where we delve into the UCAT exam and the UCAS application process.

Yr 12/S5 and Yr 13/S6 reapplication students and parents can register for the Get Into Medicine E-Learning for FREE with code ‘getinto24’ here:
https://airtable.com/appgXnyzN5ZD9Iwk6/shrVqEUmlcJtucBEt

This FREE Get Into Medicine E-Learning provides a comprehensive overview of the application process, including the latest UCAT, Personal Statement and reapplication updates for the 2025 entry. Dr. Kennedy and I will delve into each step of the medical application journey, covering areas like:

- Entrance Exams: UCAT and UCATSEN
- Exam techniques and sample questions from each UCAT section
- UCAT shortcuts and timeline
- Best UCAT preparation techniques
- Tactically choosing universities
- Reapplications into Medical School
- Medical school interview skills
- Medical Leadership Programmes
- Medical Awards Programmes
- Extracurricular activities
- Work experience
- Building a medical CV
- Applying for scholarships to study medicine

Tailored for flexibility, this e-learning allows students to learn at their own convenience, fitting seamlessly into their busy schedules. It alleviates the stress of the medical application process, offering invaluable guidance for crafting an outstanding application to medical school.

While E-Learning offers flexibility to suit your students schedule, we understand they may still have questions or seek insights directly from a Chief Mentor. That's why we're excited to offer one-hour drop-in sessions with a Chief Mentor every Wednesday from 8-9pm. Simply check our events calendar for upcoming dates and access the link:
https://medicmentor.org/events/

The Get Into Medicine E-Learning is only available until the 30th June, so use the coupon code ‘getinto24’ and make sure to take advantage of this opportunity to get ahead of your medical school application journey!

Students in years 12/S5/NI13 or year 13/S6/NI14 re-application students can register for the FREE Get Into Medicine E-Learning with the coupon code ‘getinto24’ here:
https://airtable.com/appgXnyzN5ZD9Iwk6/shrVqEUmlcJtucBEt

We encourage parents to also watch the E-Learning so they are aware of the important aspects of the medical application process, but this is not a requirement.