Over the summer we had our GCSE results day, earlier than usual, but a wonderful celebration nonetheless of outstanding academic achievement. We had a bumper crop of grade 9s across all subjects. Whilst these grades were teacher assessed, our students got the grades they deserved - grades which they worked hard for, throughout their time at Kingsway. Students such as:

• Nayl A, Sam W and Emma R who all achieved nine grade 9s - what an outstanding achievement.
• Joe B achieved eight grade 9s and one grade 8
• Emma Y and Emma P both achieved six grade 9s and three grade 8s
• Roccio M achieved ten GCSE grades: seven 9s, two 8s and one grade 7

There were many, many more delighted students on results day who are moving onto the next stage of their education thanks to their determination and the hard work and support of their teachers and staff.

Results day wouldn’t be possible without the fabulous work of our exams officer Mrs Page who supports our year 11 students throughout their important final year.

We are also delighted to hear from our local colleges about the success of former students. Every year, despite the competition, ex Kingsway students succeed in securing places at Oxford or Cambridge University. This summer was no different with at least two ex-students excellent at Loreto sixth form college. Huge congratulations to:

• William W who has been offered a place at Robinson College, University of Cambridge to read Mathematics, and
• Faizan Ali N who has been offered a place at Queen’s college, University of Cambridge to read Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion.

The letter from the Principal at Loreto says “Our work builds on the excellent teaching and support that (these students) enjoyed at The Kingsway School”.

We wish both boys, and all Kingsway alumni, every success in their futures.

More academic success was also celebrated six thousand miles away in our sister school, Kolweny Kingsway in Kenya. Sadly, our Sponsored Walk has been postponed due to the pandemic. However, our previous fundraising efforts supported two students in their educational journey: Jackline and John Odoongo. They both did really well in their KCSE exams and like our local alumni, John plans to go to University where he can continue his love of learning in Maths, Agriculture and Physics. Once restrictions allow, we will be resurrecting our charity to work to support more Kolweny students progress to further education or employment.

Summer School 

Over the summer we were delighted to welcome nearly 180 of our Year 7s to the 7-Up Summer School. During this week students undertook a variety of subjects such as Science, Food Technology, Maths, English, Sports, Art, Performing Arts and even Forest School. The students quickly formed many bonds and found their way around the school. Great fun was had on the Sports Afternoon where even the staff got competitive, and there may have been the odd water balloon over staff heads! The week culminated in a spectacular showcase from Hairspray with many parents and family members in attendance. We loved meeting everyone and hope that it gave them some great memories to the start of their Kingsway Journey.

COVID-19 Controls and Home testing arrangements

New guidelines are in place this term for the control of COVID-19. The main control remains the need not to attend school if a child has COVID-19, or any symptoms of COVID-19. The increased levels of cleaning and ventilation have been maintained to reduce the spread of the virus. All cases of COVID-19 must be reported to school because we have to inform Public Health. 

All students should have their own hand sanitiser which they use regularly during the day, and we would recommend that they wear a face mask.

Another major control is the use of Lateral Flow tests to detect asymptomatic cases. We have completed nearly 2000 tests since the start of term. Students have now been issued with home testing kits, which allow students to test for the next 3 weeks. These home test kits are the same as we used last term. It is worth noting that they are different to the ones we used in the school test centre. There are instructions in the packs. It is expected that home testing will continue throughout this term. 

Under the new arrangements it is even more important that students test at home twice weekly, tests should be completed 3 days apart, and we would suggest Sunday and Wednesday evenings. Report all results on the NHS app, and all positive results to school using our email: covid@kingsway.stockport.sch.uk. Any positive results will need to be confirmed by a PCR test.

This term students identified as close contacts do not need to self-isolate, which will reduce the amount of disruption caused. Instead they will be informed by NHS Test and Trace and then they will need to have a PCR test.

Through our own testing we detected 9 cases of COVID-19, and currently have a further 25 students who have tested positive out of school. Our control measures may change at any moment if we feel cases are linked or the Public Health Authorities believe local rates require more action in school. This would mean the previous measures could be introduced, such as the need to wear face masks or the use of bubbles. To try and ensure that this does not happen we would urge you to follow our guidelines closely and participate in home testing.

Home school agreement/behaviour policy 

The core values of Opportunity, Achievement and Respect are central to our school ethos. We promote these values in partnership with our students and their parents/carers. At the start of every year, in order to strengthen the tripartite partnership between school, student and parents/carers we ask that all 3 parties sign our KOAR agreement. This agreement is in your child’s planner. We ask that you and your child read this carefully and sign the relevant sections.

In addition to our KOAR agreement there is a link to a Parent version of the School’s Behaviour Policy.

Open Evening 

At the time of writing we are looking forward to hosting a face to face Open Evening on Thursday 7th October. Whilst this will be a slightly different format to ensure safety for everyone we would be delighted to welcome prospective parents to the evening. Full details will be on the website. Just a reminder that should the live Open Evening go ahead, students will finish school at lunch time so that staff can set up. School is closed the following day in lieu of the Jubilee Bank Holiday which falls in May half term.

Blended Learning

The term ‘Blended learning’ has risen to prominence over the last 18 months and refers to the idea that the classroom is not the only place that students learn. It is widely acknowledged that secondary students that also learn effectively outside of the classroom are more likely to thrive academically. The increased prominence of digital learning and online learning platforms have made learning outside of the classroom easier than ever. At The Kingsway School, our main platform for digital learning continues to be Google Classroom. ALL students will have access to an online classroom for each subject on their timetable, which they can access remotely when they wish to study outside of the classroom.  

More information about Blended Learning can be found on our website.

Dates for your diary

This time last year, I naively hoped that we would be starting the next academic year with COVID cases behind us. Unfortunately, that was not the case - with a difficult Autumn term, particularly for our year 11 students.

We started 2021 in another lockdown and were relieved to return to school in March with some semblance of routine and rhythm to our days. Our year 11 cohort reached the end of their secondary school education, just as news of a new Delta variant was in the media.

Unfortunately, it seems that we will end this academic year managing reported positive cases of COVID under the existing government regulations. Since July, we have had around 20 reported cases which have had a significant impact on the numbers of students and staff required to self-isolate due to being identified close contacts. Last week was particularly challenging with around 50% of Years 7, 8 and 10 isolating. We therefore made the difficult decision to teach all of year 7 & 8 remotely on Thursday and Friday with a view to break the transmission of the new variant and to provide a quality remote learning experience to both year groups and have now implemented a new plan for Years 9 and 10 for remote learning for the rest of this academic year.  Whilst this is an unplanned and sad end to the year, it is the right decision to ensure everyone’s safety and our ability to maintain a high standard of education.

Please be reassured, that we continue to insist on mask wearing in school. Please make sure your child brings a mask to school every day, the numbers we have had to give to students each day is eye-watering. We are also maintaining bubbles in the canteen and at breaks. We continue to provide testing kits for staff and students, though our records show that the number of students testing is much less than the number of kits provided. Please supervise your child when they are testing to ensure it is carried out and properly recorded. We are also in regular contact with the local authority and Public health team to keep them informed of patterns of reported cases. The feedback we have received confirms that as a school we are doing everything we can, appropriately following the guidance and safeguarding our school and community.

A plea to all our families is to help us to keep our school and community safe from any further cases of COVID in this final stretch. 

You will be aware that Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, has given schools guidance on what we may need to do to safely start next academic year. This involves all students being tested in school prior to their return, with a second test in school 3-5 days later. We await further updates during the summer, and will keep our website updated. Based on the recent guidance, our current plans are as follows: 

Wednesday 1st September 2021

• Staff INSET Day
• Year 11 students come into school for their first COVID test (form groups will be given a specific time to attend)

Thursday 2nd September 2021

• Staff INSET Day
• Year 7 and Year 10 students come into school for their first COVID test (form groups will be given a specific time to attend)

Friday 3rd September 2021

• Year 11 students return to school 8:30am
• Year 7 students return to school 8:30am
• Year 8  and Year 9 students come into school for their first COVID test (form groups will be given a specific time to attend)

Monday 6th September 2021

• All students return at 8:30am
• Year 11 and Year 8 students will receive their second test

Tuesday 7th September 2021

• Year 7 and Year 10 students will receive their second test

Wednesday 8th September 2021

• Year 9 students will receive their second test

The latest government announcement has suggested that current restrictions will be relaxed by the time we return to school for the next academic year. The guidance is still subject to change, and should be treated with caution, but currently their guidance indicates that in September we will be able to remove the need for bubbles allowing the curriculum and extracurricular activities to return to normal. People with COVID-19 will need to self-isolate but the identification of close contacts will rest with Public Health services. This is expected to be significantly less disruptive than the current arrangements. Anybody with symptoms will still be expected to remain at home.

Our COVID-19 prevention measures will focus on ensuring people with symptoms do not enter school; cleaning routines, including the use of hand sanitizers and hand washing; and ensuring ventilation in school. Public Health England may direct a school to implement more extensive measures, including wearing face masks. The expectation is that any additional measures will be similar to those previously applied during the year.

However, there are some changes to our school routines that we plan to keep for the benefit of our school community. These include:

• Access to the canteen to be year group specific
• Designated areas for outdoor and indoor play at break times
• One way systems in busy areas of the school

We also plan to move to remote Parents’ Evenings as the feedback from parents was really positive. No more queues, parking issues or other parents listening in on your 1:1 with your child’s teacher. The only downside is the need to talk succinctly and quickly - a challenge for some of our teachers! If you have any comments about this planned change, please let me know: headteacher@kingsway.stockport.sch.uk

Wearing a uniform or following a professional dress code is a requirement for the vast majority of careers. Whether a nurse’s uniform or a mechanic’s overalls, we all follow a professional dress code. This is the same for our students - they are all expected to wear a uniform which supports their learning and proudly identifies them as a member of The Kingsway School.

There are no exceptions to the uniform code that parents sign up to when they apply for a place for their child in our school. Please use the summer holiday to ensure your child is Kingsway ready. All the information you need is on our website (parent section). Here’s a reminder:

Shoes: Plain, formal, black leather shoes only. No sport branded footwear is allowed, including Nike Airforce trainers.

PE kit: In September, all students will get changed for PE in the school changing rooms. Students are to arrive at school in their full school uniform, not in PE kit. This include

Jewellery: No jewellery may be worn, this includes earrings and other piercings. Please do not allow your child to get a piercing over the summer which cannot be removed by September. We do not allow plasters over new piercings – students will be asked to remove all piercings.

Make-up: Nail varnish and false nails (including gels and acrylics) are not permitted, neither are false eyelashes. Please do not allow your child to have false eyelashes fitted over the summer if they cannot be removed by September.

Outerwear: A waterproof outdoor coat is recommended. Hoodies are not allowed and will be removed.

Haircuts: Hair should be kept tidy with a sensible style and length. Extreme haircuts are not permissible, e.g. unnatural hair colour (including red) and shaved heads less than grade 2 or patterned. Please do not allow your child to have an extreme hair cut prior to their return to school in September.

Mobile phones: Mobile devices, including headphones (Air pods) and Smart Watches are not allowed in school.

Over the last 2 weeks a group of year 10 students have been enjoying personal tutoring from a post graduate student at Leeds University via the Brilliant Club. They have been learning about what it was like going to school in early modern England circa 1500 - 1650. All the students then completed a mock dissertation and we're proud to announce all students received a 2:1 which certainly sets them up well for their future studies and aspirations. Due to COVID restrictions there won't be a graduation ceremony as in previous years but we will certainly be celebrating the students' success in school. Well done to Jimmy, Dakota, Poppy, Bayaan, Daisy, Nika, Aneesa, Lucia, Alicia and Jennifer. 

Our head students are meeting with the area manager for catering this week to discuss the in-school provision. In response to feedback we will be introducing a selection of premium sandwiches which we hope will increase the choices available to students. There will still be our meal deal main course on offer and this will be rebranded with new open packaging to add appeal. Dishes include Lebanese street food, home-made curry and the popular roast chicken dinner. We will send out details of the menu for September as soon as possible and we would encourage all of our students to give these a try, although we know that pizza is still ever popular and there are no plans to remove it! The meal deal price will be increased by 4p to £2.18 which still represents great value as it includes a home bake and a bottle of water. 

Finally, we say goodbye this week to staff who are leaving us for new adventures - whether that is a new job or the joys of retirement. We wish them all well for the future and thank them for their commitment to every child’s education at The Kingsway School.

• Miss Wildgoose (Teacher of PE)
• Mme James (Teacher of MFL)
• Mrs Greenwood (Teacher of MFL)
• Mr Whitham (Head of Technology)
• Miss Halligan (Teacher of English)
• Miss Ives (Pastoral Head of Year)
• Mrs Archer (Resource centre Teaching Assistant)
• Miss Forber (Teacher of Art)
• Miss Stendall (Teacher of Art)

We also give our best wishes to Mrs Maxey who has been seconded next year to lead The Pendlebury Centre, a referral unit for pupils who struggle with social, emotional and mental health.

Dates For Your Diary

More wonderful students last week were recognised for achieving the highest number of merits in their House. Sex & Relationships education was the curriculum being taught in their Life Skills lesson when I called in to drop off their certificates and badges. There were a few blushes as I walked into form discussions about relationships. Well done to all our merit winners last month:

Duke of Edinburgh Update 

On Friday 2nd July and Saturday 3rd July, some of our wonderful Year 10 students, accompanied by our staff, completed their Duke of Edinburgh expedition - with a difference. 

The students were fantastic - walking 16km on Friday, including around Lantern Pike and then another 17.5km on Saturday, along canals and into Lyme Park. They were an absolute credit to the school on an expedition which experienced the full spectrum of weather from sunshine and rain! 

On the Friday students also cooked a meal in front of their assessors - pasta and sauce with chorizo was a winner - don't forget George's olive oil to add extra taste! 

Huge shout out to Li C, who suffered significantly with hay fever on the Friday but battled on and completed both days with great resilience and determination!

Transition Update 

Last Thursday should have been one of our annual celebration days, where we get to welcome our wonderful new Year 7s in preparation for September. Unfortunately, to ensure everyone’s safety we decided that we would move this all virtually. Dr Holdsworth and Ms Lavanini visited as many of our primaries as we could fit in. Whilst we know the day was not the same as it would have been face to face we hope that the students and their families will have enjoyed the videos from key Year 7 staff and the activities that our wonderful departments put together for them. This page will remain active throughout the summer. 

However, we are delighted that we have had over 150 Year 6s sign up for our "7-Up Summer School"! This week-long event will be packed with activities such as Forest School, cooking, art attack and even a sports day and performance. All families who have signed up will be receiving a letter by the end of this week outlining the details and programme that will be available. We hope to keep everyone updated with their progress over the summer.

Year 11 Opportunities 

Although Year 11s are not in school they are never far from our thoughts so we were delighted to be able to offer them a brilliant opportunity via the Education Learning Trust. First Aid is a hugely important life skill and one which is great to include on all future applications and CVs. As such we are delighted to have teamed up with the local organisation Millie’s Trust. They will deliver a course, at Gatley Primary School, to any of our Year 11s who sign up. The course will cover CPR, burns and choking. There are two possible time slots available on Wednesday 21st July (9:30-11:30 or 13:00-15:00). If any Year 11 student wish to attend this course and learn valuable life saving skills please send an email (from your personal email address) indicating which time slot is your preferred one to office@gatleyprimary.com

It is likely to be very popular so please sign up sooner rather than later.

Dates for your diary

Mr Cook isn’t the only Kingsway superstar, Mr Mahmood (Head of Business, Computing & IT) was awarded the Queen’s Award in Voluntary Service, which is the highest accolade one can receive in voluntary work and equivalent of an MBE. Mr Mahmood’s charity organisation, Myriad Foundation, were instrumental in supporting the council during the first lockdown, providing hot meals to those most vulnerable and in need. They have also conducted many projects which look to bring different communities together including a national Taste Ramadan initiative. We are very proud of Mr Mahmood.

I continue to be full of pride for all of our students and staff and as such I was delighted to see that on National Thank a Teacher day, The Kingsway School was second in the North West, and fifth nationally, for receipt of thanks from pupils, families and colleagues. The Thank a Teacher Campaign, although it recognises all staff not just teachers, is run by The Teaching Awards Trust which was established in 1998 to celebrate and recognise excellence in education. The charity’s mission is to raise the profile of the teaching profession, highlight the positive impact teachers and school leaders have in our society – with pupils, parents and the wider community, and show teachers how much they are valued.

It has been a tough year for everyone and all our staff have gone above and beyond and it was lovely to see this recognition at a national level.

One of the most pleasurable and yet difficult experiences as Headteacher is selecting our Head students from the senior student team. Along with Mr Wood and Mrs Baker (Governor) we listened to seven inspiring presentations covering topics including teenage menstruation, litter around school, mental health, getting active to get fit, racial harmony, cyber bullying and LGBTQ+. Mr Wood and I agreed that this was the highest standard of applicants we have ever had, which made selection a huge challenge.

Well done to Tanzeela C and Charlie L who were appointed as Head Students for the academic year 2021/22. Congratulations to all the senior student team (Henry M, George H, Ben H, Evie P, Aimee B, Charlie L, Bethan H, Emily F, Nathan M and Khizer S) who will do an amazing job driving forward our school.

Consider yourself at home! Well our feeder Primary schools were certainly making themselves at home last week. Bubbles of Year 6 students came to Kingsway to learn a dance routine and a song (Food, Glorious Food) from Oliver! and learn printing techniques in Art to produce promotional flyers for the Musical production which we hope will be taking place next academic year. We can’t wait to open our doors to our new Year 6 students in September and also to our families who can (fingers crossed) come into school to watch our musical spectacular, Oliver!

Congratulations to Jessica L in Year 9 who has qualified for the final of the English Schools Athletics Championships in Bedford in September. 

Our run of good luck has continued with the announcement of the latest round of CIF (Condition Improvement Fund) funding for The Kingsway School. We are delighted that our request to complete another phase of our replacement roofing, this time for the oldest parts of the school on Broadway, has been approved by the Education and Skills Funding Agency. This project, worth around half a million pounds, will be expected to take place over the next 12 months. Our huge thanks go to Lancaster Maloney, our project managers, who have helped to get this off the ground. 

Open Water Safety Message

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service has asked schools to make students and families aware of the dangers of open water as we approach the summer holidays. The main points have been communicated to students in form time:

• Never swim or jump into open water (if there’s no lifeguard then don’t swim). 
• Cold Water Shock can kill in just 60 seconds
• Let someone know where you are going and when you are coming back
• Take warning or safety signs seriously
• Look out for hazards around water and stick to proper pathways
• Never enter the water to rescue your dog - who will rescue you?

More details can be found on the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service website.

Finally, a COVID-19 update. There were two reported cases of COVID-19 in school this week, resulting in a number of staff and students having to self-isolate. It was pleasing to see a small rise in the number of people submitting Lateral Flow Device test results last week. These are quick and relatively easy tests which we should all be doing twice a week. By taking the tests we are hopefully reducing the amount of disruption to school life by ensuring that asymptomatic students are not in school.  We have had to keep the wearing of masks as compulsory and would urge all parents to ensure that their children have masks for school. Large numbers are still being requested daily by students which is a waste of our resources. 

Please do not send your son or daughter to school if they have any of the following symptoms: cough, sore throat, fatigue, headache, sickness or a temperature.

These measures have helped to keep the spread of COVID-19 low within school.

For anyone who has not yet been vaccinated, there is a vaccination pop up happening at the Sanderling building in Cheadle Heath this week (Thursday and Friday).

Dates for your diary