Bulletin october 2015

King Edward VI School

Half Term Bulletin

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21 October, 2015 he new academic year began with some excellent weather, so much so that we might have been better advised to have extended the cricket season rather than playing rugby and hockey.

Examination Certificates Certificates for examinations taken in the summer will be distributed early in November to Fifth Year and Sixth Form students through their Tutor Groups. These certificates are valuable documents and will be required for future university applications and prospective employers throughout your son/ daughter’s working careers.

They cannot be replaced.

The certificates will need to be signed for and must be taken home for safe and secure keeping.

We enjoyed Speech Day with the address by Mandy Hickson being very well received by all in attendance. Our musicians again excelled with the concert at Turner Sims sharing the stage with the Southbank Sinfonia and it was good to see a number of our local Prep School choirs also involved.

We have had a good term so far on the sports field making excellent use of the new hospitality facilities at Wellington which are now fully functioning after the flood.

Staff and Parent Prayer Meeting A prayer meeting will be held on Tuesday 24 November between 1pm and 2pm in the Commemoration Room. All parents welcome.

I wish you a very good break over half term.

AJ Thould Head

SCHOOL LUNCH REMINDER The deadline for changes to school lunch arrangements for the Spring Term is:

4pm on Wednesday 2 December, 2015

King Edward VI School Carol Service

It will not be possible to meet requests that arrive after the deadline.

Please email dinners@kes.hants.sch.uk giving pupil name, tutor group and the change intended.

You are warmly invited to join us on Monday 14 December at 7.30pm

No action is required if arrangements are to continue as at present.

Any request using the dinners@kes email address will be acknowledged

The service will be held at Romsey Abbey Church Lane Romsey SO51 8EP

TEMPORARY BUS PASSES Please note that there has been a change to the procedure for applying for a Temporary Bus Pass.

Pupils wishing to obtain a temporary bus pass to enable them to travel on a different route must arrange this through the Main Office giving at least 48 hours notice. A pass will only be issued to a pupil if an

The service will be followed by mulled wine & mince pies

email from parents giving permission has been received via the enquiries@kes.hants.sch.uk address and if there is spare capacity on the requested route.

PLEASE NOTE Monday 16 November is an INSET Day and Tuesday 17 November will be Monday’s timetable 1

PERMISSION FOR ABSENCE

LOST PROPERTY

If property is found it is sent to our Lost Property Store.

Students are able to claim property back from the store for a small charge of 20p which goes to charity.

It is expected that family holidays will be taken in the School holidays and ideally all appointments should be arranged outside School hours but there may be occasions when you need to request time out of School for your child.

The Store is open at break time, Monday to Friday.

Pupils are informed through their tutor about named property that has been found. Weekly reminders are sent three times to the pupil and when the final reminder is issued, an email is sent to parents. If the item has not been collected two school weeks after the final reminder, it will be disposed of.

Once again this year we are inviting parents and friends of King Edward VI School to join forces with our School choir and orchestra for the carol service at Romsey Abbey on

If this is the case your child’s tutor should be informed, in writing, in advance of any appointments.

Requests for permission for absence for other occasions should be made to the Head of Year, giving plenty of advance notice.

CALLING ALL PARENTS & FRIENDS OF KES

Monday 14 December at 7.30pm If you sing and read a little music we would be pleased to welcome you into our SATB choir. There will be a few evening rehearsals for those who need to learn notes and then one massed rehearsal for pupils and adults. If you are a new parent to the School and would like further details please email Mrs Freemantle on hf@kes.hants.sch.uk Rehearsal dates: 30 Nov, 3 & 7 Dec - 7.30pm in the Music Department and a massed rehearsal on 10 December at 7.30pm in the Main Hall.

KES PTA invite you to their 43rd AGM on Tuesday 10 November, 2015 at 7.30pm in the Music Recital Room The proceedings will start with a presentation about the School’s Digital Leaders Refreshments will be provided If you wish to attend the AGM or are interested in joining one of KES PTA’s sub-committees, please follow the link KES PTA AGM

Hiawatha

Directed by Director in Residence Jeremy James Taylor Thursday 26 & Friday 27 November Dobson Theatre - 7.30pm £5 adults & £3 for pupils/children Tickets are now on sale via KESpay and the School Box Office

Young Enterprise

Other Drama Dates for your diary this term:

Christmas is coming and, to help you with those decorating dilemmas, the team is producing a range of wooden Christmas decorations, including hanging ornaments for the tree and stand-alone pieces. All items will be made and packaged by KES Sixth Formers. Sales will start after half term so watch out for full details coming soon.

Thursday 5 November at 6.30-8pm preview performances of the GCSE Theatre Studies devised examination pieces in the Dobson Theatre. This is open to all year groups, friends and family and especially those interested in GCSE Theatre Studies. It is a non ticketed event.

King Edward VI School & Wellington Sports Ground are NO SMOKING SITES

MEDICAL MATTERS It is very important that the nursing team are kept up to date with any medical changes or health needs relating to your son/ daughter. Please contact them as soon as any changes arise on schoolnurse@kes.hants.sch.uk or by phone on 02380 799213.

Thursday 12 November 8.45am-1.30pm GCSE Devised Performance examination in the Dobson Theatre.

Parents are also reminded that there are NO DOGS ALLOWED on both sites Exceptions are hearing assistance and guide dogs 2

New JCQ Regulations for Examination Access

MESSAGE TO CURRENT FIFTH YEAR PARENTS FROM THE BURSAR

Parents are advised that the regulations of the Joint Council for Qualifications for special arrangements in public examinations have changed. It is now imperative that parents do not make their own arrangements for getting their child assessed without telling the School. Instead, they should contact Mr Smart, the Head of Curriculum Support, in the first instance if they suspect their child has a specific learning difficulty and may need special arrangements.

This is to ensure that the School can build a ‘picture of need’ within the centre that such an assessment is necessary. Furthermore, if the School feels that an assessment is warranted, parents may only consult a Specialist Assessor with whom the School has an established relationship. A list of such professionals is available to parents on request from the Head of Curriculum Support. Any reports commissioned by parents and conducted by professionals who are not on this list are unlikely to meet JCQ requirements.

Further details can be found in the School’s Curriculum Support Policy.

The deadline for Sixth Form Studentship applications, worth up to 20% fee remission, has been extended to the end of October. For further details please click here.

Videos and photos taken by parents at School events should be for personal use only and may only be uploaded onto social media sites with appropriate privacy settings in place.

It is important that images of other pupils are not made publicly available without their consent.

The School’s e-safety policy may be found on the School website or by clicking here.

Classics Trip to Italy 2017 The Classics Department is organising an exciting educational tour of Rome and the Bay of Naples from 4 to 11 April during the Easter holidays of 2017.

Reminder: Special Arrangements for Students in the Upper School and Sixth Form sitting GCE and GCSE examinations in May 2016 - The deadline by which the School can approve special arrangements for public examinations this summer is coming up soon. If your child has so far been undiagnosed and yet you suspect he or she may have special educational needs and may need special arrangements in examinations, then it is important that you contact Mr Smart as soon as possible and no later than 30 October. Requests after that date may be considered, subject to individual circumstances, but parents must be aware that there will be an additional administrative charge for the service.

We will spend two days in Rome, visiting the Forum, Palatine, Colosseum, Pantheon and other sites. We then travel to Sorrento via Cumae, the seat of the oracle and Apollo. Visits will include Pompeii, Vesuvius, Herculaneum, the Roman villa of Oplontis and Solfatara.

For more information, please contact Mr Halls on jch@kes.hants.sch.uk.

HALF TERM WATERSPORTS ACTIVITIES AT SWAC Please click here to access a programme of watersports activities at SWAC over half term.

Upper School Trip to Paris (Monday 26th - Thursday 29th October) Please remember that this is an extremely early start and the bus will leave at 4.30am! All pupils need to register with the teacher in charge of their group and show their passport and EHIC card before boarding the coach. Please supply sandwiches and snacks for the journey. We should return to KES at 16.30 on Thursday. Pupils will keep parents updated by text and we would appreciate a prompt pick up on arrival.

Sixth Form Trip to Montpellier Photocopies of passports and EHIC cards should be sent to Mrs Jones (jvj@kes.hants.sch.uk) by Tuesday 3 November.

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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Thurs 22 Oct Fri 23 - Fri 30 Oct Wed 11 Nov Fri 13 Nov Mon 16 Nov Thurs 19 Nov Tues 24 Nov Fri 27 Nov Wed 2 Dec Wed 9 Dec Mon 14 Dec

INSET Day Half Term Act of Remembrance Open Evening INSET Day First Year Parents’ Evening Lower Sixth Parents’ Evening Non Uniform Day Fourth Year Parents’ Evening Closing date for 11+ and 13+ applications Carol Service - Romsey Abbey - 7.30pm

SPORTS NEWS

Please note: A more comprehensive calendar, which is updated and reviewed regularly, is available on our website at http:// www.kes.hants.sch.uk/ calendar

KES PTA New Parent Wine Tasting Evening

Hampshire CCC Winter Cricket Get a Head Start for season 2016

Friday 6 November Click here for information and booking details

Hants CCC have once again offered KES students a 10% discount on the price of cricket coaching courses over the winter. The full range of courses can be found on here. Enter voucher code KES10 when booking to access discount.

PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION It is important that the records we hold for your child are as up to date as possible in case of an emergency. Please check your contact details on the Parent Portal and notify us of any changes - http://parents.kes.hants.sch.uk/

Keeping in touch Parents can now keep up to date on the sports news and information by following the new KES sports twitter feed: Sport@KES_Sport

If you have not already signed up to the Portal, please email isams@kes.hants.sch.uk for more information.

A reminder that all fixture details including team selections can be found on the website here.

When accessing this site on smart phone or tablet this link can be added as a shortcut to home screens. A guide for using this site can be found here.

Please be reminded that the School operates a 5mph speed limit on site and that it is critical that all drivers adhere to this limit for the safety of students.

SCHOOL ARRANGEMENTS FOR OPEN EVENING Please be reminded that the school day finishes at 14:50 on Friday 13 November.

Tea will be served to pupils who have volunteered to help members of staff with the evening and a film will be shown in the Main Hall.

KETA BUSES ON FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER All routes will leave KES at 15:05 THERE WILL BE NO LATE BUSES

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