“Every Student Thriving”

Headteacher's Welcome

The heat has certainly been 'on' during the latter end of this term. This has raised many questions and debates about the future management of this extremely weather scenario; a scenario that may increase in its frequency. All of education is looking at this. It is a fine balance between risk, health and safety and the building of resilience and personal heat management strategies. I was extremely impressed with the turn out on the Friday heatwave closure day of our potential new sixth formers. They were keen, well prepared for the heat and determined. All wonderful character traits. During our penultimate week, although the temperatures have not been quite as fierce, our students and staff have continued to attend, manage themselves and their day. There is no getting away from the fact that post lunch has been more challenging to manage; but we have persevered as a community. Thank you for supporting us - Enrichment week continued to be a highly valuable experience with excellent attendance. Thank you to all parents and carers who wrote in thanking staff for their commitment and efforts. We also had a vibrant couple of days with the Year 6 students who will soon become our new Year 7. Their energy and enthusiasm was infectious and bodes well for a year group set to embrace the new opportunities that John Colet offers. Our final week (weather permitting!) is ram packed with events, with our inaugral Sports Awards evening on Thursday, the end of year school concert on Wednesday and our awards evening on Monday. My staff continue to demonstrate incredible commitment to creating 'moments to be remembered' in and out of the classroom. It is beyond impressive and I thank them all - Have a great summer break - Take Care, Be Kind, Have Fun!

School finishes at 12:20 on Friday 17th July.

Uniform and Jewellery

From June 1st we will be trialing not using uniform cards to record uniform infringements. Instead infringements will be 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.

Attendance

As we reach the end of another successful school year, we would like to thank our students and families for making attendance a priority. Every school day provides valuable opportunities for learning, building friendships, and participating in activities that support academic and personal growth.

We are proud of the commitment shown by the vast majority of our students throughout the year. Regular attendance has helped create positive classroom communities and has contributed to student achievement across our school. We have enjoyed celebrating attendance with our themed challenge weeks throughout the year, and also at Mr Brierly's Bash for those students who have maintained 100% attendance through the whole year. Well done to everyone who has received a prize or award!

We also recognise that maintaining good attendance is a team effort. Thank you to our parents and caregivers for ensuring students arrive at school on time and ready to learn. Your partnership plays a vital role in your child's success, and we here to support you. Please do reach out if you have any concerns about attendance, or we can help in any way. Our email is attendance@johncolet.co.uk, or you can call the school on 01296 623348 and choose option 2 to come through to the attendance office.

As we head into the summer break, we hope you have a restful, and enjoyable holiday. We look forward to welcoming our students back in September, ready for another exciting year of learning. Starting the year with strong attendance from the very first day sets the foundation for success and we look forward to seeing all our students then!

Di Bull and Natalie Preece

The Attendance Team

Frisbee Challenge

Last week we held our annual 12 hour frisbee charity match.

The total raised and to be donated to The John King Brain Tumour Foundation is £1607.01.

Thank you to all those who donated.

Annual Science Chick Project

We have had another successful year of our much-loved Science Chick Project! This year, 10 eggs arrived in school, and to everyone’s excitement the first chicks began hatching after just one day. Out of the 10 eggs, 9 chicks successfully hatched, giving us a wonderful brood of 7 boys and 2 girls.

Students were absolutely delighted to witness the hatching process. Over the following two weeks, many pupils gave up their time after school to help care for the chicks and carry out a range of scientific observations. They measured the chicks’ daily mass and height, monitored their growth, ensured they were fed and watered, and recorded their findings like real scientists.

As always, the chicks quickly became firm favourites around the Science Department. Some of the memorable names chosen by students included Creme Egg, Pepper, and Apollo.

At the end of the project, it is always difficult to say goodbye. After their two-week stay at John Colet, the chicks departed for a farm, where they will continue to grow and be well cared for.

A huge thank you to all the students and staff who helped make this year’s Science Chick Project such a success!

Last day for Year 11 and Prom

Dear Parents, Carers, and Students,

As we officially mark the end of an era for our Year 11 cohort, I want to express my immense pride in how our students conducted themselves during our recent graduation celebrations. Our final celebration assembly was a wonderful reflection of the past five years, filled with laughter, nostalgic photos from across the years, and special tutor group celebrations. This warmth carried perfectly into the rest of the morning, where students took part in the traditional shirt-signing, an occasion defined by camaraderie, fond farewells, and mutual respect. The festivities culminated in a spectacular Prom at Waddesdon Manor, where our students looked truly magnificent and celebrated the conclusion of their GCSEs with impeccable manners and joyous spirits. It has been an absolute privilege to guide this year group, and on behalf of all the staff at John Colet School, I wish them the very best of luck with their upcoming results and all their future endeavours

Mrs B Davies

Photos courtesy of Miss Hayyat

@hayyatiphotos

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.

Homework Club

Reminder that Homework club which runs everyday after school until 3:50pm

Enrichment Week

Padel and Ramble

Students who took part in Padel and Ramble appreciated the opportunity to chat with one another and take in the scenery along the 5.42 km route, which took approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete. The relaxed walk encouraged conversation and allowed everyone to enjoy the outdoors together. Once they arrived, the students had great fun playing padel for between 45 and 60 minutes, with everyone taking part. After their games, they enjoyed relaxing in the shade at the clubhouse, making the day a positive balance of physical activity, socialising, and time outdoors.

Rumsey's

Rumsey’s in Wendover took time out of their busy schedule to show our students how chocolate is made and they enjoyed having a go at making fans and rolls. The students had to create a poster, design a newspaper, and deliver a presentation, which allowed them to be creative and develop their communication skills. Learning about the history of the Rumsey’s business gave them a greater understanding of how the company has grown and the values behind its success. Overall, the day was an engaging and enjoyable experience that combined hands-on activities with valuable learning about business, teamwork, and creativity.

Task Master

Students immersed themselves in the Taskmaster day in school, with the Rick Roll QR code challenge and the drawing activities being particular highlights. They enjoyed getting to try out a range of different activities, each encouraging them to think creatively, solve problems, and work together as a team. The QR code task was especially memorable because of the surprise element, creating lots of laughter throughout the day, while the drawing challenges gave students the opportunity to express their creativity. Overall, the variety of activities made the day fun, engaging, and enjoyable for everyone.

Warwick Castle

On the Thursday of enrichment week Year 7 stepped back in time and sieged Warwick Castle! Year 7 climbed the ramparts to dizzying heights of Guy's tower, devolved into the depths of the castle's dungeon and even learned the skills necessary to be a soldier in a medieval army. All the while, they learned about the defenses of the castle and how they would be used to repel attackers.

Whipsnade Zoo

The students thoroughly enjoyed their enrichment day at Whipsnade Zoo, with many saying that seeing all of the animals was the highlight of the trip. The African wild dogs were a particular favourite, and the opportunity to observe such a wide variety of species made the experience both exciting and memorable. Throughout the day, the students also learnt many fascinating facts about the animals. They discovered that elephants cover their backs in mud to protect their skin from the sun, and were especially amused to learn that penguins poo approximately every 20 minutes. The visit was an engaging and enjoyable experience that combined fun with valuable learning.

BMX - Growth and Resilience

The Year 7 students enjoyed an action-packed day full of fun, resilience, and teamwork. We were delighted to welcome Mike, a professional BMX athlete, who led exciting BMX sessions throughout the day, inspiring students to challenge themselves and develop new skills.

In addition, students took part in a variety of engaging activities. Groups enjoyed frisbee golf, a brand-new activity introduced at JCS, while others put their navigation skills to the test by completing orienteering challenges using maps and worksheets to find their way around the school.

The students also demonstrated excellent teamwork and determination during competitive games of dodgeball, working together to overcome their opponents. To finish the day, each group had the opportunity to relax and take part in the "Grow Your Knowledge" quiz, which featured three rounds covering general knowledge, sports riddles and a fun "Who Am I?" challenge.

The Year 7 students were outstanding from start to finish. Their enthusiasm, resilience, teamwork and positive attitudes were evident throughout the day and they should all be incredibly proud of what they achieved.

Festival of Sports - Year 8

Over two days, the Year 8 students worked in teams to enjoy a fantastic programme of sporting activities. The sports included pickleball, NFL Flag, dodgeball and frisbee, giving students the opportunity to experience a range of exciting games.

For many students, at least one of these sports was completely new, making the experience both enjoyable and rewarding as they developed new skills and challenged themselves. At the start of each day, groups took part in team-building activities, helping them get to know one another, build confidence, and develop strong teamwork throughout the event.

The Year 8 students demonstrated excellent effort, resilience, and cooperation from start to finish. Their positive attitudes and willingness to embrace new challenges were evident throughout, and they should all be proud of what they achieved.

Normandy

During their week in France the staff and students all had so much fun.

The favourite activity was definitely festyland. The accommodation and food was really good with friendly staff.

They were all very sad to leave.

Here are some other photographs of the weeks activities

Box End Park

Chef's Table

Cadburys World

Oxford Museum

PGL

Paris

Science Project

Wellbeing Day

Students relished their wellbeing day in school, with the fruit tasting and the escape room proving to be the most popular activities. They enjoyed trying a variety of different fruits and were enthusiastic about discovering new flavours, while the escape room encouraged them to work together, communicate effectively, and solve problems as a team. The day provided a fun and engaging opportunity to focus on wellbeing, build positive relationships, and develop important teamwork and resilience skills in an enjoyable environment.

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 disseminate to your child/children. Certain exceptions will be made.

Rewards and Consequences

Year 7

We made it! Year 7 have completed their first year at John Colet School and they should be so proud of themselves. They have all changed so much and should be really proud of themselves.

Once again, Top R points are

Hazel K and Ava D

As a year group: 56,416 R points have been achieved.

Leaderboard:

T 8054

J 8869

C 9770

G 10274

Z 10436

Therefore winner of R points for the year are..

A 10480

Year 8
And that’s a wrap! We have reached the end of Year 8, and the end of Key Stage 3.

The figures are in for the final R-Point tally of the year:

8Z - 8966
8C - 8532
8G - 7257
8T - 7170
8A - 7149
8J - 6464

Just when they thought it was all over - having held the top spot for every single Half Term this year, Miss Smith’s 8C give way at the last hurdle to Miss Bradford’s 8Z! Mr Brand will be glad to see that 8G have reclaimed the highly contested 3rd Place spot, leaving 8T and Mr Cattle in 4th. In keeping with the year as a whole, Mrs Henry and Mrs Anns & Dridi bring up the rear with 8A and 8J. Well done all!

Top achievers in terms of R-Points this Half Term are: Beatrix C, Mia M, Hen G, Ahmed A, Jacob S, Bradley W and Jake B. Great work!

Even now, with one week to go, we have nine students from Year 8 who have maintained 100% over the year. What an achievement! They will all be attending ‘Brierly’s Bash’ to celebrate their success: Dominic A, Jake B, Ben B, Charlie H, Max M, Mia M, Isabelle P, Emerae T and Bradley W!! Amazing job.

May I wish all my Year 8s, tutors, parents, carers and all a wonderful and restful break. I look forward to welcoming the students back as Year 9s… after a long summer! All the best.

Year 9

Celebrating an Incredible Year and Looking Ahead!

What an extraordinary journey this academic year has been! As we reach the final days of the summer term, we want to take a moment to reflect on everything you have achieved. Transitioning into your GCSE courses and adjusting to increased academic expectations, is no small feat. We know this has been a challenging and demanding term as you wrap up Year 9, but the resilience, maturity, and grit you have shown have been truly commendable. You should all be incredibly proud of how far you have come.

Enrichment Week Excellence

A massive highlight of this final term was our fantastic Enrichment Week! It was a joy to see Year 9 students fully engaged, stepping outside their comfort zones, and throwing themselves into their activities with enthusiasm. Whether you were mastering new skills, working collaboratively in teams, or exploring new environments, many of you displayed good behaviour and a positive attitude despite some of the challenges. You truly showed what it means to be Ready, Respectful, and Responsible, making it a highly enjoyable and memorable week for everyone involved.

Summer Health & Wellbeing: Stay Hydrated!

As the weather continues to warm up and we transition into the summer break, please remember the importance of looking after your physical wellbeing. With active days and warmer temperatures, staying hydrated is absolutely essential. Please ensure you are drinking plenty of water throughout the day, wearing sunscreen when outdoors, and taking care of yourselves so you can enjoy your summer to the absolute fullest.

The R-Point Leaderboard

Position Tutor Group Total R-Points

🥇 1st Place 9C 10,606

🥈 2nd Place 9A 9,324

🥉 3rd Place 9Z 9,078

4th Place 9T 8,842

5th Place 9G 8,455

6th Place 9J 7,703

A monumental congratulations to 9C for breaking the 10,000-point barrier to finish the year at the very top of the leaderboard! An equally brilliant congratulations to 9A and 9Z for an incredibly close race, and a massive well done to every single student in Year 9 collectively, your efforts have been spectacular.

Have a Wonderful Summer Break!

You have officially made it to the end of Year 9! You have laid down fantastic foundations this year, and you are officially ready to step up as key leaders of the school when you return as Year 10 students.

Take this summer to rest, recharge, spend time with loved ones, and reflect on your achievements. Thank you to all of our students and their families for your continued support, dedication, and hard work throughout the year.

Have a safe, happy, and sun-filled summer holiday, Year 9. We look forward to seeing you refreshed and ready for the exciting adventure of Year 10 in September!

Year 10

A huge well done to everyone who took part in work experience. We have received many complimentary reports from employers, highlighting the professionalism, enthusiasm and maturity shown by our students. Some students have even secured employment opportunities as a result of their placements – a fantastic achievement.

For those who found that their placement was not quite what they expected, remember that this is also a valuable outcome. Work experience is about exploring different career paths, and discovering what you do not want to do is just as important as finding what you do. We hope the experience has given you greater clarity about your future aspirations.

Next academic year, look out for sessions with Mrs Sinacore, who will be available to support you in planning your next steps and exploring your future pathways.

Final Form Group Rankings (Recognition Points YTD)

Recognition Points have reflected the hard work, dedication and positive attitude shown throughout the year. It has been wonderful to see so many students recognised for their achievements. Congratulations to all form groups, with a special mention to our final standings:

10T – 10,801 points
10Z – 8,183 points
10A – 7,400 points
10C – 7,045 points
10J – 6,537 points
10G – 5,871 points

Congratulations once again to all of our Year 10 students on a brilliant year. We hope you have a well-deserved, relaxing summer break and return refreshed and ready for the exciting challenges and opportunities that Year 11 will bring.

Year 11

As we reach the end of another fantastic academic year, we'd like to congratulate all of our Year 11 students for the effort, commitment and positive contributions they have made. Recognition Points have reflected the hard work and dedication shown throughout the year, and it's been wonderful to see so many students recognised for their achievements.

Final Form Group Rankings (Recognition Points YTD):

11C – 5,149 points
11G – 4,586 points
11J – 4,290 points
11TB – 4,257 points
11A – 4,106 points
11Z – 3,999 points
11TA – 3,418 points

Top 10 Students for Recognition Points:

Florence J (11C) – 294 points
Alfred PB(11C) – 288 points
Tais dL (11G) – 271 points
Dillon L (11G) – 264 points
Tara (11C) – 261 points
Tamicar C (11TB) – 260 points
Isaac T (11J) – 259 points
Jack G (11J) – 249 points
Sophie H(11C) – 247 points
Amily V (11C) – 243 points

Congratulations to all of our Year 11 students for a brilliant year. We are incredibly proud of everything you have achieved and wish you every success as you move into the next stage of your education. We look forward to seeing many of you feature in next year's Sixth Form Recognition Points rankings, keep up the excellent work!

Year 12 and 13

A fantastic end to the academic year for our sixth formers. What a successful year it has been!

Year 13 have now finished all of their exams and have completed their JCS journey. We wish them every success in their next ventures.

Year 12 have recently completed their work experience where we have received fabulous feedback from employers. Students report enjoying their experiences & gaining good knowledge.

Year to date the forms with the most R points is 12GJ - well done to you on achieving a total of 1845 points, followed by 12TZ with 1668 points and 12AC with 1596 points.

109 R point certificates have been issued this year for those year 12 students who have achieved an impressive number of R points each week - wonderful to see.

The top 5 students for recognition points YTD are:

Ben D 12TZ (212)
Millie K 12TZ (209)
Thomas B 12AC (187)
Darsh W 12AC (175)
Aimee F 12GJ (169)

Well done to you all.

We have an excellent student leadership team in place for 26/27 and are looking forward to welcoming our new cohort of year 12s and returning year 13s in September.

Wishing you all a happy and safe summer break.

Careers Update

This half term has been our busiest yet for careers, highlighted by our Year 10 and Year 12 students stepping out into the professional world for a week of work experience. With nearly 220 students placed with employers locally and further afield, we are incredibly grateful to all the businesses that generously gave their time to host them.

While we are proud of everyone, a special mention goes to four Year 10 students—Holly G, Vinnie H, Dylan N, and Josh P who received exceptionally positive feedback from their employers and were awarded our WEX Star award.

In addition to work placements, our Year 12 students had the fantastic opportunity to visit two universities this half term: the University of Hertfordshire and Homerton College, University of Cambridge. Students toured the campuses, attended lectures, and got a real taste of university life.

Following our success at last year’s competition, we were delighted to be invited back to take part in the EKFB Carbon Heroes Challenge. This year, we entered two teams and are absolutely thrilled to have won the Most Innovative Product award for the second year in a row! It was a tough competition against six other teams from local schools and colleges, making our students' achievement all the more impressive.

Members of our school council recently visited the Houses of Parliament to deepen their understanding of the UK political system. The visit provided them with valuable insights into the history of British democracy and how government functions today.

Gardening and Eco Update

Photo of bees on our lavender plants - photo taken by Miss Hayyat

We are pleased to announce that our school has won the prestigious DEFRA Bees’ Needs Champions Award within the Communities and Schools category. This national accolade recognizes the combined efforts of our staff and students to repurpose areas of the school grounds for pollinators and increase local biodiversity.

Mrs Sinacore attended the national presentation to accept the award from the Environment Minister on the school's behalf. We would like to express our gratitude to the Heart of Bucks Charity for the donation that funded our planting initiatives, to Lindengate for their invaluable advice and plant donations, and to the Blue Diamond Garden Centre, Aylesbury for their generous contribution of plants.

We are pleased to announce that our school has been selected by the RHS as one of only 500 schools to participate in their new Plants for Wellbeing programme. Furthermore, we will be partnering with Lindengate on their Seeds of Change initiative, with both projects commencing this September.

In support of these upcoming ventures, members of our School Council Charity Committee recently organised a successful cake sale to raise funds for Lindengate. The committee was also delighted to welcome two representatives from Lindengate into school to discuss the collaboration.

Our students have partnered once again with the Khephra Charity to revitalize a garden space at the Wycombe Arts Centre. The team successfully cleared overgrown beds and replanted them with seasonal flowers and vegetables.

Additionally, students recently visited RHS Wisley, where they participated in an interactive workshop centered on gardening sustainability.

If you are planning a summer makeover for your garden and have a spare parasol and/or base that needs a new home we are looking for parasols to provide some shade for the sixth form area, thank you.

Thank you to the following local organisations who have supported our Work Experience, we really appreciate your support.

Block & Butcher

Bread and Brew

Bucks Goat Centre

Buckinghamshire Council

Chiltern Rangers

Chiltern View Garden Centre

Elm farm barbers

ESRI

Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity

Grazing goat cafe

Halton Tennis Centre

Harpers estate agents

Harringtons hairdressers

No1 Wendover

Numbers Limited

Pegasus Gym

Perry’s Dog Grooming

Rennie Grove Peace Hospice

Rumsey's Handmade Chocolates

Smile Design Denta

Sterling Thermal Technology

Village Retreat

Wendover Computers Ltd

Wendover Motor Spares

Wendover Parish Council

Wendover Youth Centre

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.

PE Department

Cricket

Congratulations to Scarlett S (8J), who was selected as one of only six girls from the county to take part in an intensive cricket training programme at the Utilita Bowl.

This exciting opportunity formed part of Scarlett’s cricket development pathway and gave her valuable insight into how professional women cricketers progress their careers to the highest level of the sport. During the programme, she trained in a professional environment, learned specialist T20 cricket skills, and gained experience from coaches and players involved in the elite game.

The training took place at the home of the Hampshire Women’s team, whose predecessor, the Southern Vipers, are widely recognised as one of the most successful and decorated women’s cricket teams in the country. Learning in an environment associated with such a successful programme was an inspiring experience and provided Scarlett with a valuable opportunity to see first-hand the standards required to succeed in professional cricket.

Being chosen from across the county was a fantastic achievement and reflected Scarlett’s hard work, dedication, and talent in cricket. The experience helped her develop both her skills and understanding of the game while inspiring her future ambitions in the sport.

Everyone at school was incredibly proud of Scarlett and wished her every success as she took this exciting step forward in her cricket journey.

Year 7 and 8 Awards

Year 9, 10 and 12 Awards

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.

Go to www.tooledupeducation.com/register.
Fill in your name, email address and chosen password.
Add your unique school PIN. Our PIN is JCS2206

If you already have an account, simply log in here using your email address and password. If you forget your details, use the reset password function to reset your account.

If you ever need assistance, contact the Tooled Up team, who will be happy to help: support@tooledupeducation.com.

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

Wild salmon with corn and pepper salsa

Ingredients

Blackberry and cream ripple ice pops

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

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

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.

This is a quick and easy way to help with fundraising for
John Colet School.

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