“Every Student Thriving”
Embedded Files
Headteacher's Welcome
Headteacher's Welcome
It may well have been the warmest start to the academic year that I have ever experienced. Not just in terms of the weather but also some of the comments we have received from visitors and parent/carers who attended all of our sold-out open evening/day sessions. Positive comments are always welcome as, on balance, people have a tendency to dwell on the negative. A positive outlook can have a great impact on well-being but it can also be a challenge in a world that is intent on the use of 'click-bait' to appeal to our sense of fear encouraging us to go down rabbit holes of negativity; in many cases for the financial gain of those creating negative headlines. Finding the positive in our everydayness helps to combat this. Our recent Year 11 Exam Support Parent Evening was a great example of a positive experience where the focus was on what can be done to prepare for success. Feedback on the evening was so positive and strong that we are now going to establish this evening as a regular part of our Year 11 examination preparation programme. Hopefully as winter draws in the spirit of human positivity will continue to keep us warm and upbeat.
Uniform, Jewellery and Phone Pouches
Uniform, Jewellery and Phone Pouches
Uniform infringements are recorded as a C1 on Arbor. 3 x C1s will automatically mean that a C3 is issued.
A reminder of uniform expectations; Skirts should not be rolled up. Shirts should be tucked in. Blazers should be worn in lessons and to and from lessons. Regulation jumpers can be worn under blazers, but not instead of. Ties must be worn. Trainers are prohibited except on PE days. Regulation PE kit can be worn only on PE days. The full uniform policy can be found here.
Jewellery (except a watch) is not permitted; One small, single stud in each ear is permitted; the stud must be worn in the lower part of the earlobe and should be removed for PE; students wearing studs in their ears other than in their lobes will be expected to remove them. Other visible body piercings are not permitted and students are expected to remove them. A small clear retainer can be worn for nose piercings. Jewellery is the responsibility of the owner and is worn at the owner’s own risk. Jewellery (and other non regulation items) will be confiscated, an email sent home and will need to be collected from the school office by a parent, guardian or another adult on your behalf.
If there are religious or cultural reasons for wearing an item of jewellery then permission must be sought from the Head of Year.
Please note that any jewellery that is not collected will be disposed of at the end of the school year.
Phone Pouches Students are required to bring their phone pouch to school every day. If they forget their pouch they should hand their phone in to the front office and collect it at the end of the day. They will receive a C1 sanction and if they accumulate 3 x C1's an C3 after school detention will be issued automatically. If your child has lost their phone pouch a replacement can be purchased by Parentmail.
Attendance
Attendance
It's Good to be Green!
This year, we have introduced attendance bandings so you and your child can understand more clearly how their attendance is impacting their learning in school. We know that children achieve best when they attend every day, and although we understand there may be some days when your child may too ill for school, we expect students to be attending most of the time, so please encourage them to aim for attendance of 97% and above. This is our 'Green Zone' and gives students the best chance of success. We will be running incentives and rewarding attendance in this zone, so look out for the posters in school! This week we have our Halloween themed raffle and all students who are in the Green Zone on Thursday are in with a chance of winning a prize!
Where attendance is between 90% and 96.9%, students will miss up to 14 days of school and fall in to our 'Amber Zone'. At this level, we often see students falling behind with their work and feeling disconnected from school life and their peers, and it is no wonder when they have missed 70 lesssons, 14 form times, 14 break times and 14 lunch times! They also miss the opportunity to attend clubs and take part in other activities which can also lead to them feeling disengaged.
Attendance below 90% (our 'Red Zone') has an even more profound impact with students missing 4 weeks of school across the year - that's 95 lessons or more alongside those all important form and social times. We also know at this level of attendance, students will drop a whole grade at GCSE across all their subjects just because of their low attendance, and this can easily be avoided.
You and your child are able to keep a close eye on their attendance using the Arbor app, and we would encourage you to discuss this with them regularly. We will keep in contact with you if your child is absent, and welcome the opportunity to discuss any barriers to school so we can offer support. We know some children find school difficult, and we are here to help. Setting a clear, consistent routine will also help with regular attendance including -
Reminding your child to pack their bag the night before to ensure they have everything they need
Turning phones off and setting bedtime routines to ensure they sleep well
Creating a morning routine which allows enough time to get ready and arrive at school on time. Build in a buffer for the unpredictable traffic too!
Setting the expectation that every day is a school day
Not booking holidays, family events and celebrations during term time.
Sending your child in to school even if they are worried about a lesson, or have friendship issues. Please contact their teacher, form tutor of head of year to let them know of any concerns and we will be able to offer support. Keeping them at home may feel kind, but it can often make situations more difficult and harder for the student to return to school.
Please don't hesitate to contact us if we can help in any way. We are very keen to work with you to give your child the best chance of success, and always welcome the opportunity to do this in partnership with our parents.
With kind regards
Di Bull and Natalie Preece, The Attendance Team
Mobile Phone Policy
Mobile Phone Policy
During school hours, should you need to contact your child please telephone the School Office and we will get a message to them. Alternatively if a student needs to contact their parent/carer they should go to the Student Support office or School Office to ask them to contact home on the students behalf.
Please remind your child to power off their phone completely before placing it in its pouch. Devices that emit alarms or alerts while inside the pouch are subject to confiscation.
Homework Club
Homework Club
Reminder that Homework club which runs everyday after school until 3:50pm, unless there is staff training.
Forgotten items
Forgotten items
The school will no longer be calling home to ask that forgotten school equipment such as their PE kit, Chromebook, homework etc be dropped into school. Students who contact home without permission will receive a consequence. Sanctions will be given for forgotten items. Please pass this information on to your child/children. Certain exceptions will be made.
Rewards and Consequences
Rewards and Consequences
Year 7
Year 7
Year 7 have made an excellent start to their journey with us here at John Colet School. Well done to the following pupils for having earned the most R points this half term:
At point of writing
Leon D - 91
Arabella-Mae - 81
Isobel F - 78
Jack N - 78
Lewis O - 75
The form standings are as follows:
7T - 2122
7G - 1765
7J - 1755
7A - 1423
7C - 1344
7Z - 1293
Will anyone catch 7T?
Year 8
Well done to Chloe G, Erin B, Henry P, Mattia B and Seb D who have the highest amount of R points in the year group so far.
Year 8
Well done to Chloe G, Erin B, Henry P, Mattia B and Seb D who have the highest amount of R points in the year group so far.
8G - 1760
8Z - 1618
8T - 1578
8C - 1465
8A - 1393
8J - 1306
Well done to 8G who have achieved the most as a form group. I look forward to seeing what the standings look like next term!
Year 8 have had a fantastic return to school and I have seen some amazing shows of character in the weeks we have been back. I am so proud of you all as a year group.
Year 9
Year 9 have made a roaring start to their GCSE studies this year, and now the options change window is firmly closed, everybody seems happy and raring to go.
It is heartening to see a huge number of R-Points coming in for Year 9 - here are the standings so far:
9Z - 1772
9T - 1418
9A - 1410
9C - 1402
9G - 1396
9J - 1387
Well done to all of 9Z, Miss Bradford & Mrs Strachan-Harvey!
Also a huge well done to those who have achieved the top number of R-Points in the year so far: Daniel T, Jake B, Wahab G, Lena F and Oliver C. Great work.
Looking to attendance - I can count 72 students in Y9 (at the time of writing) that are still at 100%. Keep it up!
It was brilliant to see all Year 9 students involved in ‘restart the heart’ . The students were a credit to John Colet school whilst developing some crucial life saving skills.
Year 10
Welcome to Year 10! This marks a pivotal milestone in our students' educational journey. As they settle into GCSE programs, expectations are higher, but so are the opportunities for personal growth and success.
Year 10
Welcome to Year 10! This marks a pivotal milestone in our students' educational journey. As they settle into GCSE programs, expectations are higher, but so are the opportunities for personal growth and success.
This term has presented a challenging start for some of our students, particularly around navigating changing friendship dynamics and meeting our higher standards of classroom and corridor behaviour. We want to remind all students of our school’s core values, the 3 Rs:
Ready – Arriving prepared, equipped, and in the right mindset to learn every day
Respectful – Demonstrating consideration for themselves, their peers, and staff
Responsible – Taking ownership of their actions, learning, and choices
Crucially, we encourage everyone to lead with kindness. Small acts of consideration and empathy make a tremendous difference in fostering a positive, supportive community where every student can thrive.
Form Group Recognition Points
Form Group Recognition Points
A big congratulations to all students who have consistently demonstrated excellent effort and attitude this term! Here is the current leader board for form recognition points:
10C 1,897
10G 1,501
10A 1,494
10Z 1,420
10T 1,373
10J 1,329
A special shoutout to 10C and Mr Hunt for taking the lead this term! Let’s keep up the hard work across all form groups as the term progresses.
Thank you for your continued support as we work together to make Year 10 a successful and rewarding year.
Year 11
Welcome back, Year 11! It has been an incredibly positive start to your final year of GCSE study. You have returned with focus and determination, setting the ideal tone for what will be a defining year. Remember, greatness is not created in a single day, it is built step-by-step through the effort, mindset, and choices you make every single morning.
Year 11
Welcome back, Year 11! It has been an incredibly positive start to your final year of GCSE study. You have returned with focus and determination, setting the ideal tone for what will be a defining year. Remember, greatness is not created in a single day, it is built step-by-step through the effort, mindset, and choices you make every single morning.
The hard work is already paying off, with rewards coming in thick and fast across the year group. A huge congratulations goes to 11T, who are currently racing ahead at the top of the leader board with an amazing 2,280 R points! Fantastic work from 11T and Mrs Ragu for leading by example and setting such a high standard.
A special shout-out goes to our top three individual R point achievers, whose outstanding contributions have helped drive this impressive total:
Ashveen Bhatia
Jessica Gomez Gomez
Jaydan Tucker
As we push forward, now is the time to build strong, consistent revision habits. Revision isn't just about preparing for exams, it is, about turning effort into confidence and potential into reality. Every quiet hour of study you put in now is a down payment on your future success. Keep up the momentum, stay focused, and make every day count!
Year 12 and 13
Year 12 and 13
A fantastic start to the year for both Year 12 and Year 13! Students who receive the top R points each week are recognised with a certificate. Being awarded a certificate comes with rewards at key points in the year; sweets and even extra flexis too!
Year to date the top year 12 students receiving R points are:
Felix L (34)
Yaani K (34)
Johan J (33)
Indigo R (33)
In Year 13 the top students receiving R points YTD are:
Harry B (36)
Amelia B (25)
Millie K (24)
The forms with the highest number of R points are:
13GJ
12GJ
An amazing 2067 R points have been awarded to sixth form students this half term, keep it up!
Jeans for Genes
Jeans for Genes
On the 17th September the school supported Jeans for Genes Day by inviting students to come into school wearing mufti for a minimum £1 donation to this cause. Jeans for Genes is a UK charity that helps provide nursing care to children affected by genetic conditions, fund life changing research into gene therapy and provide grants to hundreds of charities who support children with genetic conditions. Around 1 in 25 children are affected by a genetic condition. Money raised helps provide practical support and hope for families. By wearing jeans and donating we joined thousands across the UK in making a difference.
Our school raised a total of £899.74. Thank you!
Careers Update
Careers Update
We have kicked off the new academic year with a bang, packed full of student trips and an exciting lineup of guest speakers.
Our Sixth Form Computing students, accompanied by Ms Williams recently attended the University of Buckingham Techfest. Highlights of the day included meeting Spot, the famous robotic dog, diving into hands-on ethical hacking activities, and soaring through the air on the "Birdly" VR flight simulator.
A group of Year 11 and Sixth Form students recently visited a motorsport careers fair at Silverstone, gaining valuable insights into the wide range of career pathways across the industry. Beyond exploring job opportunities, students learned firsthand about the power of professional networking and making meaningful connections.
A group of Year 11 and Sixth Form students recently visited a motorsport careers fair at Silverstone, gaining valuable insights into the wide range of career pathways across the industry. Beyond exploring job opportunities, students learned firsthand about the power of professional networking and making meaningful connections.
Congratulations to Mrs Sinacore, who was invited by Unifrog to speak on a panel at their recent World of Work conference for employers and educators. Alongside careers leaders from two other schools, she shared insights into our school's careers and work experience programmes.
Looking ahead to the next half term, we have an exciting lineup of events scheduled, including guest sessions with speakers from the Civil Service and the sports industry. Additionally, a group of our Psychology students will be heading out to explore the subject further at a dedicated psychology festival.
On 6th November we will be running our mock interview event for our year 11 students. If you are interested in taking part and interviewing from 9,30am-12.30pm please email careers@johncolet.co.uk.
We have launched work experience for our year 12 students who will be out on placements from 8th - 12th February. We launch work experience for year 10 students during assembly on 20th November with students going out on 28th June to 2nd July. If you are able to offer a placement we would love to hear from you, please email careers@johncolet.co.uk
PE Department
PE Department
The Year 11 mixed A and GCSE team kicked off their season against AVA. Although the end result was an unfortunate loss, the girls worked extremely hard and encouraged each other every minute. A special shout out to Amelia Lee who was decided as POTM.
Some County Cup action from the Year 11 boys who finished their first game back with a 2-1 win against Chalfonts Community College. A huge well done to the team and a special shout out to the captain Ishak for receiving POTM.
More County Cup action from the Year 8 team who unfortunately exited the competition with a loss against Dr Challoners. Despite the end results, the team displayed great attitude, teamwork and willingness to comeback. POTM went to Carter for his solid defense, composure on the ball and good communication throughout.
The U15 boys and girls cricket teams travelled to Lord’s Cricket Ground for a day of cricket. The teams enjoyed watching the finals of the brand new Knight/Stokes hardball tournament that they competed with earlier in the season. After some high quality cricket in both finals, the John Colet teams will be eager to book their place at Lord’s again next year but this time with a bat and ball in the middle!
Sports Awards Evening - Winners and Runners Up
Sports Awards Evening - Winners and Runners Up
We celebrated our annual Sports Awards Evening just before the summer holidays, highlighting the incredible talent, effort, and sportsmanship of our students across all year groups. It was a fantastic night dedicated to recognising both team and individual achievements throughout the past year. Please find the full list of winners and runners-up listed below!
Year 7 A Football
Winner - Leo Sergiou
Runners-Up - Reuben Reffold and Sully Howard
Year 7 B Football
Winner - Dennis Woolhead
Runners-Up - Dylan Hobbs and Harry Stott
Year 8 A Football
Winner - Archie Farrell
Runners-Up - Finlay Ruzyczka and Noah Dean
Year 8 B Football
Winner - Leo Harrison
Runners-Up - James Tucker and Tommy Morrison
Year 9 A Football
Winner - Hugo Digby
Runners-Up - Ben Massa and Edward Mitchell
Year 9 B Football
Winner - Adam Bella
Runners-Up - Peter Cheung and Rhys Darko
Year 10 Football
Winner - Dylan Newark
Runners-Up - Alfie Trustram and Freddie Houghton
Year 11 Football
Winner - Aryan Axten
Runners-Up - Dominic Redding and J'Dan Crawford
U12 Girls Football
Winner - Ella King
Runners-Up - Layla Thomson and Megan Toothill
U13 Girls Football
Winner - Bonnie Brockett
Runners-Up - Isla Hickson and Ruby Gordon
U14 Girls Football
Winner - Isabelle Gelly
Runners-Up - Neveah Drysdale and Ruby Barnett
U15 Girls Football
Winner - Ella Eden
Runners-Up - Betsy Lapham and Isobel Watson
U16 Girls Football
Winner - Ellie Harvey
Runners-Up - Ella Eden and Isobel Watson
Year 7 A Netball
Winner - Florence Griffin
Runners-Up - Megan Toothill and Milly Lailey
Year 7 B Netball
Winner - Freya Ablitt
Runners-Up - Florence Hughes and Lucy Warrant
Year 8 A Netball
Winner - Isabelle Hanson
Runners-Up - Eva Savage, Isla Hickson and Scarlet Sharp
Year 8 B Netball
Winner - Leah James
Runners-Up - Bella Rose and Sumaiya Hirei
Year 9 A Netball
Winner - Layla Jackson
Runners-Up - Katie Symons and Lola Gunning
Year 9 B Netball
Winner - Nevaeh Drysdale
Runners-Up - Ellie Gordon and Rosie Highmore
Year 10 Netball
Winner - Amelia Lee
Runners-Up - Lois David and Sophie Beswick
Year 11 Netball
Winner - Emi Massa
Runners-Up - Amelia Lee and Lexi Sergiou
Year 7 Basketball
Winner - Evan Hosegood
Runners-Up - Oscar Maclachlan and Sully Howard
Year 8 Basketball
Winner - Connor Thomson
Runners Up - Alfie Dines and Charlie Tuffin
Year 9 Basketball
Winner - Freddie Green
Runners-Up - Rhys Darko and Zayn Turner
Year 10 Basketball
Winner - Cameron James
Runners-Up - Kolen Kovacs and William Toothill
Year 11 Basketball
Winner - Ethan Legg
Runners-Up - Linden Paddison and Unihang Rai
Year 8 Rugby
Winner - Michael Keevill
Runners-Up - Ben Edley and Charlie Tuffin
Year 9 Rugby
Winner - Freddie Green
Runners-Up - Will Goodman and Zayn Turner
Year 11 Rugby
Winner - Bobby Dormer
Runners-Up - Harry Wilson and Joe Foskett
U13 Badminton Boys
Winner - Seb Davis
Runners-Up - Charlie Tuffin and Jack Brothers
U13 Badminton Girls
Winner - Orla Graveson
Runners-Up - Myrtle Rowley and Sumaiya Hieri
U15 Badminton Boys
Winner - William Proudfoot
Runners-Up - Umair Haque and William Miller
U15 Badminton Girls
Winner - Alysha Sidhu
Runners-Up - Amelia Lee
U16 Badminton Boys
Winner - Ben Tennant
Runners-Up - Benjamin Kirk and Leo Wilkinson
U16 Badminton Girls
Winner - Kerryn Rose
Runners-Up - Lexi Sergiou and Molly Nelson
U12 Cricket
Winner - Reuben Reffold
Runners-Up - Ernie Horner and Larsen Rosenwink
U13 Cricket
Winner - Phoenix Maujean
Runners-Up - Archie White and Scarlet Sharp
U13 Girls Cricket
Winner - Olive Mark
Runners-Up - Isla Hickson and Rosie Britton
U15 Cricket
Winner - Max Byrne
Runners-Up - Ellie Gordon and Freddie Green
U15 Girls Cricket
Winner - Ruby Barnett
Runners-Up - Amelia Lee and Ellie Gordon
All Years Cross Country
Winner - Peter Cheung
Runners-Up - Ben Massa and Minnie White
Year 7 Sports Personality
Winner - Ella King
Year 8 Sports Personality
Winner - Isla Hickson
Year 9 Sports Personality
Winner - Ellie Gordon
Year 10 Sports Personality
Winner - Amelia Lee
Year 11 Sports Personality
Winner - Oli Savage
Team of the Year
Winner - U12 Girls Football
Runners-Up - Year 9 B Netball, U15 Girls Cricket, Year 11 Boys Football
Sportsmanship of the Year
Winner - Lucas Mutch
Sports Leader of the Year
Winner - Francesca Morby
Sixth Form Sports Leader of the Year
Winner - Evie Amos
John Colet Sports Personality of the Year
Winner - Ben Tennant
Sure Breaking Limits Award
Winner - Lucas Mutch
Year 7 Team Building Day
Year 7 Team Building Day
Our Year 7 students recently took part in an engaging Team Building Day designed to help them forge new friendships and foster collaboration. The day was filled with energy, teamwork, and plenty of memorable moments as students worked together to settle into the school community.
School of Rock
School of Rock
School of Rock was an absolute triumph, with massive thanks to all of the cast, crew, and staff involved. Everyone worked tirelessly right down to the wire, managing to pull everything together in time for three performances over the course of two days. There’s no way you can stop the School of Rock!
Restart the Heart
Restart the Heart
On Friday 16th October, I organised an amazing opportunity for our Year 9 students to take part in Restart a Heart Day. Two paramedics, who are both former students of John Colet School, returned to the school to deliver hands-on CPR training.
They taught our students vital life-saving skills, helping them to understand how to perform CPR and giving them the confidence to act in an emergency. It was particularly special to welcome back former students who have gone on to pursue careers in the emergency services and are now sharing their knowledge and experience with the next generation of John Colet students.
It was a fantastic and inspiring opportunity for our Year 9 students to learn potentially life-saving skills and see first-hand how former students are making a real difference in their community.
I look forward to welcoming them back next year.
Matron - Miss Shervell
Crispy Halloumi Tacos with Spicy Slaw
Crispy Halloumi Tacos with Spicy Slaw
Ingredients
Ingredients
Spooky Halloween marshmallow Cheesecake
Spooky Halloween marshmallow Cheesecake
Tooled Up
Tooled Up
If you haven’t signed up to ‘tooled up’ yet I urge you to. We subscribe to a library of resources for parents designed to boost children’s resilience, self-esteem and mental health to help them thrive throughout their educational journey and beyond.
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Once you are logged in, click on the Resources button in the top left corner to discover the vast library of evidence-based support at your fingertips
Early Help
Early Help
In Buckinghamshire, there is a wealth of support available for families within our community for a wide range of needs. Sometimes, it can be tricky knowing where to turn and what is available. The Family Centre Plus has a welcome desk where young people, families and parents can drop in and talk to someone between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday. Families will be supported to know what supports and services are available to help them with their needs as they emerge. The Family Centre is also contactable on 01296 383 293.
Free School Meals
Free School Meals
If your circumstances have changed recently and you think you are eligible for free school meals please get in touch via pupilpremium@johncolet.co.uk and we can complete a simple check for you.
Lost Property
Lost Property
We have accumulated numerous items of unnamed lost property including coats, shoes, trainers, water bottles and school uniform etc. If you are missing any items, please ask your child to visit the school office, before or after school, or during break or lunch. All unclaimed items will be donated to charity at the end of each term.
Please name all items as this ensures that we can get them back to their rightful owner. Thank you.
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