“Every Student Thriving”
“Every Student Thriving”
It's been an extremely positive first term of this academic year. We have moved towards a much more explicit and public recognition of student achievements this year and this was epitomised by our reward assemblies week when over 1000 awards were given out. Our new information management system ARBOR has also allowed us to log and track achievements much more closely and I have been pleased to receive a thumbs up from parents at how this system has improved communication and organisation. As Christmas approaches I would encourage students and carers to take that spirit of positivity into their local communities. One small act of kindness can transform anyone's day. This can be very tangible such as saying thank you, holding open a door for someone or simply listening to a stressed friend - it can also be that tiny contribution that is made when paying for a present when you maybe asked to round up your payment to donate to a specific charity. This is an act of kindness that you may not see the result of but will help the relevant charity whilst giving you a little xmas feel good factor - have a Joyeux Noël !!
Students of John Colet Equity and Diversity council have been bringing awareness to Black History Month 2025. With the theme of 'Standing firm in Power and Pride', the council group decided to create murals to celebrate Black excellence and acknowledge how Black British individuals are shaping the future. Black History Month is an important reminder to continue to push back against racism, 'Because history was never changed by those who stayed quiet when the noise died down.' - Aliesha Omeike 2025
You may have seen in the news recently that schools are being given AI generated targets as part of a drive to improve attendance nationwide by the DfE. Schools will be grouped together to aid shared practice, and we are delighted that we have been identified as a Higher Performing School within our group. We hope to work with other schools to share learning, and aim to make improvements to our own attendance through this network too.
We know that good school attendance has a huge impact on students in terms of their school experience and outcomes at GCSE's, and we want the very best for each and every one of our students. Parents/carers, you can greatly support with this by sending your children in to school every day, letting us know of any issues that your child is facing in school and working with us to provide a clear and consistent message that school attendance is important.
We regularly see students who are absent when they should be in school, with the following being areas where parents/carers can make the biggest impact to attendance -
Illness relating to family members and pets - whilst we are sympathetic to difficult situations at home, keeping your child at home when a family member or pet is unwell is not necessary, and we ask that you make arrangements for your child to be brought in to school if you are unable to do so. Please make us aware of any issues at home and we will offer help and support but ask that you send your children in to school to allow us to do this.
Term time holiday - almost without exception, children who take term time holiday go on to be persistently absent with attendance below 90%. We know that attendance at this level can harm a child's chance of success, with students dropping a whole grade across the board at GCSE. We are unable to authorise term time holiday in line with DfE statutory guidance and ask that you make arrangements for trips during the school holidays.
Birthdays and other family celebrations - please do not make arrangements to take your child out on their birthday, or arrange to see family and friends. These types of celebrations should be held in the evening, at weekends and in the school holidays
Appointments that last all day - medical appointments should be made out of school hours, and any essential and unavoidable appointments should be taken with as little disruption to the day as possible. We often see students attending routine GP, optician and dentist appointments and miss a whole day of learning which is entirely unnecessary
The weather - children should be in school when it is sleeting, raining and windy, and this is no reason to be absent
The traffic - we appreciate the traffic is challenging at the moment due to roadworks, and ask that you leave home earlier and check alternative routes to ensure your child arrives in school on time. The school bus times have now changed to ensure the school buses also arrive in school on time.
We have been taking a positive approach to attendance this term, and were delighted to be able to recognise those children who have achieved 100% attendance, and those who have done their very best to attend as often as possible at the recent celebration assemblies. It was fantastic to see so many children recognised - well done to them all!
We would like to see as many students as possible in school for the last week of term. We are running an attendance raffle for all students who are in school for 100% of their timetable next week - we look forward to seeing everyone in school and wish them good luck in the prize draw!
We hope everyone has a restful Christmas break, and returns in January ready and refreshed for the new term!
With kind regards
Di and Natalie
The Attendance Team
On Friday 14th November, we held a non-uniform day which raised funds for two charities. One of the charities was Gambling with Lives, a charity close to Mrs Reynolds and Ms Simpson. They asked everyone to wear something yellow as this is the charity's colour theme. The charity supports people bereaved by gambling-related suicide and to improve mental health and save lives by raising awareness of gambling harm and its causes. An incredible £418 was raised for the charity and it was great to see lots of people getting involved!
I have been supporting the Movember challenge because they are tackling some of the most significant health issues faced by men. Your donations will help them stop men dying too young.
Mr Brand managed to raise over £258.06 to meet his Movember challenge target.
If you would like to support further you can Donate here or by using the QR code below.
Mo Bro Trajan Brand
From September 2025 mobiles phones policy update: This is an area of interesting contention. Last year we moved to a ‘gate to gate’ system. The students responded to this incredibly well. Nearly all major issues were reduced. Next year we will go one step further and require that phones are off and in bags as well. Young people need to learn to be disciplined and the vast majority of our students are excellent. I therefore feel that those students who are self-disciplined should be acknowledged and respected as they will follow the rules. It is now about ensuring the very small percentage of students who are left learn to ‘switch off and bag up’.
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.
Unfortunately, at times parents try to contact students directly which causes their phone to go off during lessons - this results in the student having their phone confiscated as per our school policy and it will be a parent/carer that will have to pick the mobile phone up from the School Office. If you are unable to collect the phone please arrange for a family member, or responsible adult to collect it on your behalf. Students will not be able to pick up their phone themselves under any circumstance. A number of students have raised the issue of having to use their phone to pay for transport home. If this is the case the student needs to come and speak to the School Office. We will arrange for a loan which will need to be reimbursed the next day.
Well done to our sixth form prefects for organising and leading on ‘Odd Sock Day’, celebrating everyone’s right to be themselves!
Each form group during each academic year is allocated an assembly slot. They can choose the theme and presentation style of their assembly. Presenting to peers and public speaking are great experiences for our students. 12AC did a great job on a charity close to our hearts in the Sixth Form.
Our first Year 11 parents’ evening of the academic year had a wonderful sixth form presence. Our World Challengers presented a delicious array of refreshments for sale to raise money for their expedition to Cambodia next summer and our sixth form ambassadors spent the evening engaging with year 11s abs their parents, discussing plans for next year.
Sixth form students volunteering alongside members of the Parish Council to help create a safer campus.
Wizeup provide excellent sessions to our sixth form on all aspects of finance and money issues. We have been pleased to welcome Mike in November on the first of 3 visits this year.
As part of CitCom, we discussed issues associated with scams and fraud, gambling and payday loans.
What a brilliant event! Our visiting students were engaged and asked fabulous questions of our teachers and current students. Our sixth formers showed everyone exactly why we are so proud of them!
Christmas is coming, and so Amelia and Abigail decorated our Sixth Form tree and popped some sparkly tinsel up around the room. It’s feeling festive! 🎄 ⭐️
Our Student Medical Officer was honored to have received a Police Commendation Award, though it has taken her some time to share this. The situation reflects what was an incredibly difficult one and despite everyone's best efforts, a life was sadly lost. Ms Shervell's thoughts remain with the family and all those affected by that tragic day. She is grateful for the support of her family, friends and colleagues.
She carries the weight of that day with her and always will. It will just get easier with time.
At the end of last term, we were invited to submit nominations for the Sure Breaking Limits Awards — a national programme celebrating UK students who overcome barriers to movement. Nominations are made by teachers, and the finalists are selected by Paralympic gold medallist Ellie Simmonds.
We immediately knew there was a student we wanted to recognise, and Mr Hunt put forward a nomination that truly captured something special.
Lucas Mutch, now officially named a runner-up in the national awards, has demonstrated extraordinary resilience, passion, and leadership. Despite being unable to take part in competitive football for health reasons, Lucas refused to let this limit his involvement in the sport he loves. Instead, he embraced a different role, becoming assistant manager for our Year 7 boys’ football teams at the start of Year 9.
Over the past two years, Lucas has supported more than 20 matches, attending every fixture without fail. What began with a little shyness has grown into confident leadership: running warmups, delivering pre-match talks, managing substitutions, and offering thoughtful tactical advice. His communication skills, maturity, and self-belief have flourished.
His impact on the teams has been exceptional. This year, one of the squads he helped manage won their first tournament and finished runners-up in their league, narrowly missing out on the title on penalties. In moments of defeat as well as victory, Lucas has been a source of calm, encouragement, and perspective for the players.
Lucas’s dedication has often gone above and beyond including turning up to support the team the very next game after breaking his arm, cast and all. His example has inspired other students who cannot play competitively to get involved too, showing that there are many valuable ways to be part of a team.
The players admire him deeply; they look to him for guidance, celebrate his arrival at matches, and respect him as a true role model. Lucas has taken a personal challenge and turned it into a powerful strength, making a lasting impact on our school community.
We are incredibly proud of his achievement and delighted to celebrate his recognition in the Sure Breaking Limits Awards.
My Brother
The person who either have the best or worst time with
The person who makes me want to bash my brains out the most
or I want to spend all my time with depending on the day
The person who I can scream at and say horrible things I don't mean out of anger
But at the end of the day I love him the most
He's the person I fight over the smallest dumbest thing
But also the person I'd fight for without hesitation
If anyone tried to hurt him
we've seen the worst in each other
The messy angry
Unfiltered sides that most people never get to see
But we've also shared the best inside jokes
The late night talks just the two of us
The memories that no one else could understand
Because they weren't there with us
He's the one person who knows exactly what buttons to press and make me furious but also
The person who can calm me down without even trying
He can make my eyes roll harder than anyone can out of anger
But also make me feel more at peace than anyone
At the end of the day
No matter how much we argue
No matter how many times we swear
We can't stand each other
I know he's my built in best friend
Because siblings aren't just family
They're home
They're history
They're forever
And as much as I tease him as much as we fight
I know deep down I wouldn't be me without him.
A new year of Robotics Club has begun, meaning more robots, more battles, most importantly more fun! This time around we have had new additions, with students from Years 7 to 9 attending (including returning Year 8s), as well as new Year 12 student Harry Blake kindly offering to volunteer, introducing a coding aspect to the club - which the students have found very engaging. This term, Ms Williams has set the challenge to design a robot to carry a cup of tea and a biscuit (no real liquid involved!), and we have already seen some impressive prototypes. I am looking forward to another exciting year of our Robotics Club, and seeing what all of our new students can achieve.
~ Ollie Drysdale, 13A
It might be coming up to the seasonal break, but over in the Design and Technology Department nothing is slowing down yet. In the GCSE Paper and Boards classes a large range of design, model and making projects are underway, promoting students to get stuck in and hands-on with their learning.
In Year 9, our paper and board students have been getting to grips with a range of paper engineering techniques, designing and making their own pop-up card for a client of their choice. From Hannuka to Birthdays, students have been exploring the use of colour, structure, layout and text to promote their message to a loved one.
In Year 10 students have been learning a range of different advanced drawing techniques that will help them "design a better future", in line with the department's slogan. Students have been tackling these advanced drawing styles in preparation for starting their final practice design project after the winter break.
In Year 11 our students have been tackling their coursework and designing a range of amazing solutions and ideas to take a series of tasks set by the exam board. Students have also been looking at practising exam technique and content in the lead up to the examination periods. Mr Brand and Mr Richardson have both been thoroughly impressed with the aspiration our students are showing.
Reminder that Homework club which runs everyday after school until 3:50pm
Following on from Mr Brierly's notification in Parent Briefing on Friday 17th October, students will receive a C1 for not being fully equipped if they require the office to call home for, or for parents to drop off forgotten items to the school office for either in school or after school activities. This includes PE kit, Chromebooks, homework, pencil cases etc. Certain exceptions will be made.
London for a Technical Theatre workshop
Years 9-11 Drama Students
Waterside Theatre to watch The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe - Years 9-11 Drama Students.
This was a great production for the students to watch. As part of the Drama GCSE written exam they are required to evaluate live theatre they’ve watched. This production was an engaging interpretation of the classic story. The lighting, sound, acting, movement and characterisation were memorable and gave the students lots to write about.
This is always a highlight of our entry to the Shakespeare Festival. Diana worked with our students on their chorus and ensemble work as well as helping us refine our stragecraft. The students involved included some who had participated in in the festival previously and some who were doing it for the first time. Our festival entry also has a cast of years 9-11 so I was particularly proud of our year 9 students who are freshly starting their Drama GCSE and taking part in this challenging extra curricular opportunity.
We headed to the Watsersmeet Theatre in Rickmansworth. Our cast and crew completed their technical rehearsal, working with the directors and lighting and sound engineers to get all the cues ready. This year, for the first time, we also had a student lighting and sound operator in our crew. Maisie and Sasha were so responsible and clearly presented their ideas to get their visions onto the stage.
After our rehearsals the students enjoyed getting to know the other students who were performing from other schools and in the evening we watched each others’ performances along with a public audience. Our cast and crew performed an energised Much Ado About Nothing and (I hope) they all had a good time.
Auditions W/C January 12th in the Drama Studio 3pm.
Collect an audition script from the Drama Studio in the last week of term!
This week our Year 7 and Year 8+9 Drama clubs performed their Christmas performances. Year 7 had created their own version of a Cinderella pantomime; a classic theatre genre of the season. And Year 8+9 presented a scripted performance of “The Christmas Play Gone Wrong”. They all demonstrated confident performance skills and some brilliant comedy acting. A big thank you to Mr Devine and Mrs Young for running these weekly clubs and preparing these performances.
Recently a team of our Year 12 students took part in the Bucks Skills Green Schools Challenge. With support from a local business, Shellwin Property Management, the team presented their car sharing app to reduce congestion around the school site. The team did very well, with a great presentation and answering some very tough questions. The team won the award for best social media.
Recently a group of year 8 students got to take part in a gleaning activity. Working with a local food charity Khepera and Copas Farm, Iver. The students harvested 8kg spinach, 150kg beetroot and 75kg pumpkins which were then distributed to local food banks
We were very pleased to welcome Professor Wass, following an introduction by one of our Head students. The professor came in to give a presentation to our sixth form and some year 10 students about Endocrinology. The students and staff found the talk very interesting and engaging with time for lots of questions after. Professor Wass has agreed to come back in the new year to talk to our Year 11 students who missed his first talk due to mock exams.
A group of some of our year 10 and 11 students got the opportunity to visit the Aylesbury campus of Bucks College Group to find out more about college life and the courses on offer. The transition team will be coming into school in January to offer further support to some of our year 11s with the move to the college.
The gardening club has been very busy revamping borders outside the maths block and the SSO offices. The team worked hard weeding, planting winter interest plants and bulbs as well as removing a very stubborn shrub stump from one of the borders. Thank you to Mr Lilley from the site team for his help.
We have our year 10 and 12 students out on work experience from 29th June to 3rd July, if you are able to offer a placement please email wex@johncolet.co.uk
We have activities and guest speakers already arranged for this year but we always like to hear from people outside of our school community. If you would like to come and speak to our students or know someone who would please email tsinacore@johncolet.co.uk. We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who has completed an apprenticeship or can talk about roles in construction, law, plumbing and heating, marketing and finance.
We were really pleased to receive a grant from Hearts of Bucks charity which we will use to develop further pollinator patches and green spaces around the school.
Some of our year 9 and 10 service children got to visit Bucks New University as part of the Study Higher Programme. The students got a tour of the university as well as the opportunity to speak to current university students and employers.
Year 7, what can I say? An impressive first full term here at John Colet School. A total of 21,787 R points have been gained by the group collectively since September with 8,630 of those being since the October half term. 7G remain in the lead with 4159 R points this year, but 7Z coming close second with 4109!
7G are yet to be beaten this year and I look forward to seeing if one of the other form groups can take them on next term.
Mattia, Chloe and Hazel are the top 3 for R points in Year 7 and deserve an extra well done for their hard work and effort this year.
The leaderboard at the end of this term is:
7G - 4159
7Z - 4109
7J - 3634
7C - 3506
7A - 3320
7T - 3059
Keep going Year 7 and keep showing up. Remember that our trophy - Gordon - is watching and loves to see you do so well.
Have a lovely break and I look forward to seeing all the Year 7s back in the New Year.
There have been huge wealths of R-Points received for all sorts of things. The current Y8 league table is below:
8C - 3526
8Z - 3467
8T - 3186
8G - 3025
8A - 2722
8J - 2519
Well done to 8C for retaining the lead, with 8Z coming up close behind.
As we move into the Spring Term, our Year 8 students will be getting ready to choose their option subjects for their GCSEs. It is vital that they give this a good deal of thought, so they can make the right choices for them. My advice? Pick something you enjoy!
I hope you all have a lovely Christmas, and we look forward to welcoming you back in the New Year.
Year 9 Happy Holidays
As we head into the holidays, I would like to wish all Year 9 students and their families a happy, safe, and restful break. You have worked hard this term and should be proud of the positive start you have made. Enjoy the time to recharge, and we look forward to welcoming you back in the new year, refreshed and ready to continue building on this success. Have a wonderful holiday and a very happy New Year!
What an incredible start to the year! Our very first Celebration Assembly was bursting with positivity as we recognised the fantastic achievements of our students. A huge well done to the 42 students who earned awards for 100% attendance—your dedication is inspiring! We were also thrilled to present 52 Bronze Reward Point badges, 8 Silver badges, and an amazing 3 Gold badges to students who consistently go above and beyond in their learning.. There are still plenty of opportunities for students to collect Reward Points, and I look forward to handing out even more badges at our next Celebration Assembly!
The competition is heating up on the Reward Points leaderboard! 10Z has taken an early lead with a brilliant 3087 points, while 10J and 10A are hot on their heels with 2346 and 2306 points. Keep the momentum going, everyone—we can’t wait to see what you achieve next!
We would also like to extend a very warm welcome to our two new students, Malakai Neto and Nadia Zywica. We’re delighted to have you as part of our school community!
As we head towards the break, I hope all of Year 10 enjoy a restful and well-earned holiday. Take time to relax, recharge, and spend time with loved ones. We look forward to welcoming you all back, refreshed and ready for a fantastic new year ahead!
Year 11 has shown real maturity, commitment, and determination from the very start of this term.
Their mock interviews were a particular highlight, with excellent feedback praising their confidence, enthusiasm, and ambitions. As a year group, they have also earned an impressive 8,754 recognition points, with nine pupils achieving 100 points and receiving their bronze badges in this term's celebration assembly.
Teachers have nominated pupils who have made significant academic progress or shown notable improvements in attitude and those awards were presented in the celebration assembly as well.
Attendance has been another real strength, with many pupils achieving 100% attendance this term.
Year 11 have also attended over 30 after-school revision sessions, showing strong commitment as they prepare for the months ahead. Alongside their academic focus, they have taken part enthusiastically in numerous sporting events, demonstrating teamwork and effort.
Year 11 have thrown themselves into the mock exam experience and their behaviour overall has been exemplary.
We are extremely proud of Year 11’s start to the year and grateful for your continued support.
A fantastic start to the second half of the autumn term for both Year 12 and Year 13.
Year to date form R points are showing as follows:
12GJ - 756
12TZ - 703
12AC - 666
13B-598
13A - 505
13C - 425
Millie K, Year 12, has received the highest number of R points within sixth form (98), closely followed by Ben D, Year 12 (84).
In Year 13, Oliver D received the highest amount (66), followed by Joely B (60).
Both year groups played a big part in the success of the ‘Into the Sixth’ evening with extra R points being issued to student ambassadors who supported the event. The feedback from visitors about their conduct and contributions was excellent and we should feel very proud of them!
The issuing of a certificate to those students who receive the top R points each week is well received by the students as well as the key points in the year when students can expect to receive sweet treats and extra flexis!
The Year 12s faced the staff for a friendly netball match after school. The teachers raced to an early lead, netting goal after goal. Some sharp shooting from Sam seemed to bring the students back in with a chance but the final result ended being 34-13. Well done all!
The U14 girls football team recorded a 5-0 victory against AVA. The team delivered composed and disciplined performance,maintaining control throughout and demonstrating quality in possession. Goals were scored by Gelly (2), Gordon,Lapham,Tunnicliffe. Well done girls!
The Year 11s had another friendly fixture against Cottesloe. The girls played amazingly with some great netball from start to finish. JCS left the match with a 24-10 win. Well done and a special shout out to Emi for being nominated as POTM.
The Year 10 boys basketball team played really well in their first game. Several players made their debuts for playing basketball for the school and were able to hold their own against a more experienced Princess Risborough team. The game remained close until the last quarter where JCS lost 17-30.
The Year 11 basketball team played a game against The Grange. JCWS definitely impressed their performance and inside shooting. Unfortunately, The Grange school were able to drive and with a very fast offence, JCS lost.
The Year 9 boys A team welcomed Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School in a friendly fixture. The team saw 3 players making their first team debuts. Colet defended well, and whilst SHFGS had majority of possession, when Colet had the chance to attack, they did. This finished with a 6-0 win to JCS.
Handball tournament day for the Year 10 boys who took part in the England Handball National Schools Qualifying Round. The whole team improved massively throughout the day and can be extremely pleased with their performances. Top goalscorers went to Josh and Freddie who was voted player of the tournament.
I am running a stall on Market Square in the town centre on 23rd December 2025 from 5pm-7pm handing out Christmas dinners to the homeless and those struggling this year. I will also be handing out blankets and sleeping bags that are kindly being donated.
This is something I have wanted to do for some time and am now in a position to give back kindness that has been shown to me.
I am funding this all myself but have some amazing people that have kindly volunteered to help serve.
I am asking for donations of food to help assist me. My goal is to successfully distribute 200 roast dinners to give those that are alone or without a warm meal a bit of hope this Christmas time.
Donations of the following would be greatly appreciated by 21st December 2025:
Carrots
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Potatoes
Whole chicken
Stuffing
Yorkshire puddings
Stock
Graving granules
Heat trays
Thank you so much
Kind regards
Chloe Lake
07546 712 519
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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.If you would like any further information on Early Help support please do contact Mrs Pearcey- Student Engagement Coordinator on 01296623348.
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.
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.