A message from Mrs Rothenburg
We’ve had a great week once again here at Millthorpe. On Tuesday we held our Careers Fair for students in Years 7-10. We’re hugely grateful to the representatives from the post-16 providers, businesses and organisations who spent the day with us talking to students about a whole host of opportunities and career paths. We received lots of wonderful feedback from our visitors, with many commenting on how confident, articulate and interested our students were. You can read more below.
To ensure our Year 9 students receive the best guidance and make well-informed decisions, we have introduced two additional initiatives this year to support them as they choose their options. Each day this week we have held Year 9 options assemblies, during which students have learned more about the subjects available to them at Key Stage 4. In addition, half of Year 9 have had a 1-to-1 meeting this week with a member of SLT or the Year 9 Progress Leader, Mrs Pennington, with the remainder due to have their meetings on Monday. Year 9s have told us how useful both strategies have been and as ever, we would love to hear parent/carer feedback on these initiatives. Next week, we are looking forward to welcoming Year 9 students and their families into school for Options Evening which takes place on Wednesday 22 January. Full information about this event can be found here.
Earlier this week, Year 11 students looked to the future as they attended Taster Days across a number of post-16 providers where they enjoyed finding out more about their options after they leave school. Year 11s have also completed their last Walking Talking Mock this week in English Literature in preparation for the PPEs next week.
Our Student Leadership programme has operated over a number of years, and we’re delighted that more than 30 students have taken up the Student Leader role this year. This is our highest ever number of Student Leaders and we’re really proud of the start they have made. Next week they will undertake some training which will further support them in their role.
It was lovely to meet with those students who were nominated by their faculty to enjoy a hot chocolate with me this morning at Principal’s Breakfast, including: Ellen, Maya, Lexi, Elena, Florence and Josie. Well done to you all.
I hope you have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone back in school on Monday for a ‘B’ Week.
With best wishes,
Kavina Rothenburg
Acting Principal
What is my child learning at the moment?
Please see below to find out what your child has been learning this week in order to have productive discussions about their education:
Year 7 – Faculty: Maths
Conversation starters
Look around you and find ten different shapes for which you know the mathematical name. For which of these shapes can you find the perimeter or area?
Year 8 – Faculty: Science
Conversation starters
Classes are studying a variety of topics in Block 2: Ecosystem Processes, The Periodic Table and Light. Students who are studying Ecosystem Processes – you can ask them the word equation for photosynthesis and what does anaerobic mean? Students studying The Periodic Table, you could ask about the reactivity of elements in Group 1 and what is Group 7 called? Students who are studying Light can be asked to describe the bending of light.
All Year 8 Science Lessons in Block 2 are available in the Year 8 Science Google Classroom.
All Year 8 Science Homework is set on Sparx Science and is due every Thursday at 9.00am.
Year 9 – Faculty: Global
Conversation starters
- Computing: We are reviewing Python Basics including variables, inputs and outputs, concatenation, data types and operators.
- German: We are studying music in German and talking about being in a band. What is your favourite musical instrument and can you talk about it in German?
- French: We are studying healthy lifestyles in French. Can you talk about what you eat and what exercise you do to stay healthy, in French?
Year 10 – Faculty: Humanities
Conversation starters
- History: How was the Holocaust allowed to happen? How did the Nazi persecution of the Jews and other minority groups intensify between 1933 and 1945? What is the difference between a Concentration Camp and an Extermination Camp? As we approach Holocaust Memorial Day later in January, all students will attend an assembly on the Holocaust, and their Culture Curriculum will also focus on other genocides so that we build “For a Better Future” (the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2025).
- RE: We have come to the end of our learning on Islam beliefs and teachings and we are moving forward to completing the end of unit test on this and Islam Practices. Please make sure you are doing some revision for Islam beliefs and teachings, focus on topics you are not confident on and learning key words as this will be a great place to start. Remember – any revision resources you create now, you can keep for Year 11!
- Geography: What are the human and physical causes of climate change? What is urban sprawl? What is urbanisation?
Year 11 – Faculty: Performance
Conversation starters
- Drama: Scripted Drama Texts in Practice NEA preparation – performance of two extracts from ‘Things I Know to be True’ by Andrew Bovell in preparation for the final exam in March.
- PE: Students have all been given their exam rubrics and are working hard revising for their mock exams. Students were tasked to create flash cards and brain dumps as part of their homework over the holidays. In core PE students are working hard in their lessons and are developing their skills and enjoying physical activity in the build up to their mock exams.
- Music: Students are concluding their composition and performance NEA this month and switching their focus back to exam technique.
We hope that you will find this information useful when talking to your child about their learning. Additionally, you might want to take a look at the curriculum section of our website which has lots more information about what your child will be learning over the academic year.
Year 11 access to the Library before morning exams
During the PPEs, the Library will be open for quiet revision from 8am-8.30am each day before the morning exam. We encourage Year 11 students to take the opportunity to come in a little earlier, avoid any stress about being on time, avoid the rush hour and get themselves well prepared for their exam. The room will be supported by Mr Wright and, where possible, a teacher from the subject being examined that morning. Please note that students can only enter via the Nunthorpe Avenue entrance at this time.
Key Stage 3 Assembly – Addressing sexual harassment in school
As part of our personal development programme and in line with national guidance, our safeguarding team will be delivering an assembly to students in Year 7, 8 and 9 on addressing sexual harassment in school. The assembly will focus on what sexual harassment is and what students and staff can do to support and educate each other to call out unacceptable behaviour.
Any students wishing to know more about the content of the assembly should discuss this with their Form Tutor.
KS4 will also receive this assembly at a later date.
Annual Careers Fair connects students with employers
As part of our Careers programme, we are committed to providing students with meaningful encounters with employers from different industries. One way we do this is to host an annual Careers Fair.
This year’s Careers Fair, held on Tuesday, was a great success. Representatives from 30 different companies set up stands in our main hall, ready to inspire and inform students in Years 7-10. Each year group then had the opportunity to chat to the employers about the work they do and discuss all things careers. Students were given a worksheet to help guide their discussions.
Following the event, the employers’ feedback about our students was really positive:
‘We both thought your students did an amazing job of representing the school – they were engaged and chatty and we were really impressed! So, a thank you from us as we had a great day.’
‘We were extremely impressed by the quality of the questions from the students and their interest in our work.’
‘We would like to commend the students on their excellent questions and interest.’
‘Students asked really thoughtful questions that showed they were really thinking carefully about their futures.’
A huge thank you to all employers who gave up their time to come in and support our students in investigating and deciding upon their future careers. Thank you to:
Government Statistical Service (DEFRA), Indigo Greens, Siemens, Police, SYSTRA, Transpennine Route Upgrade, Alstrom Engineering, British Library, Dolce, Aviva, York St John University, Army, Careers Advisor, Benenden Health, GMI Construction, Radfield Home Care York, Charity Sector – Romanian League for the Defence of Animals (ROLDA), Vectorworks, Derwent Training, Hiscox, Amey, Strategic Town Planning – York City Council, National Trust, Hentons, Portakabin, Network Rail, SISK and Middlethorpe Hall.
Sports practices – spring term 2025
The following sports practices are taking place this half-term:
All are welcome to attend (unless the programme asks for a specific year or gender), no experience is necessary! The aim is to have fun and enjoy being active and moving.
Normal PE/games kit is required. For the AGP you will always need the correct footwear. Some football practices may be on grass not on the AGP.
Lunch passes are available and are encouraged. Students should collect them from their teacher.
Please note that this rota may change due to matches after school and usually changes each half term.
If there is a sport you would like to do or you have some ideas for a club please speak to your PE teacher.
Year 8 indoor cricket tournament
If any Year 8 cricketers would like to play in an indoor cricket tournament on Wednesday 5 February, please see Mr Randall as soon as possible.
Help us secure Tesco funding for new gym equipment
A reminder that Millthorpe School is in the customer vote for a Tesco Stronger Starts grant!
Stronger Starts is a scheme which gives community projects like ours, grants of up to £1,500, through its blue token scheme which you will have seen in store if you are a Tesco customer.
We applied to the scheme to help us to invest in new gym equipment to help children access sports and fitness activities, including gymnastics, keep fit and yoga, in school and at after-school clubs. Our project now goes forward to a customer vote from mid-January 2025 until the end of March 2025 in the following stores:
- Acomb Wood Tesco Express
- York Tadcaster Tesco Extra
- York Low Ousegate Tesco Express
- Piccadilly York Tesco Express
The customer vote will decide how much funding we get, so please support us next time you shop at Tesco! All you need to do is pop a blue token in the box.
To find out more about the Stronger Starts scheme, please visit https://www.tescoplc.com/strongerstarts
Examinations Officer vacancy
Millthorpe School is seeking to appoint an Examinations Officer to ensure the smooth and efficient organisation and administration of all aspects of the school’s external and internal examinations.
If you are interested in applying and would like further information, please visit the Excel Learning Trust website.
Job of the Week – Life Coach
Life coaches work with people to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses, and then make positive decisions to change their life. Their work is a bit like that of a counsellor, but there is less focus on trauma and emotions. Life coaches tend to be self-employed and as it isn’t an overly regulated profession, qualifications aren’t always necessary. Taking a training course however would be really beneficial.
Watch this video for more information about becoming a life coach.
Free opportunities for students interested in studying medicine
If your child is interested in studying medicine, Medic Mentor is offering free opportunities which will be very useful for personal statements, UCAT and interviews.
Following their attendance at the Free Virtual Get Into Medicine conference, students can speak directly to doctors and medical students, unlocking a wealth of support:
- Gain valuable free medical/dental work experience
- Volunteer with us by helping raise money for the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund or BDA Benevolent Fund
- Access free weekly webinars to boost their wider-reading knowledge on ethics and current affairs
- Access to a free Study Skills and Revision E-learning that they can include for question 2 on personal statements
- Access medical/dental extracurricular activities to stand out
- Explore opportunities to apply for medical/dental school scholarships and awards
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of the application process to become a doctor or dentist
Registration Link for the FREE Medical School conference and medical work experience.
Spaces are limited, so students should register as soon as they can.
Further information is available on our Google Classroom or on the Medic Mentor website.
Parent Carer Forum
To find out more about events and support available from the Parent Carer Forum, please take a look at their latest newsletter here.
#WakeUpWednesday – A guide to the incredibly popular TikTok
With 22% of its billion-strong user base being between the ages of 13 and 17, the popularity of TikTok among the younger generation is indisputable. Providing entertainment in the form of a stream of short-form video content while allowing its users to post videos of their own, the app has skyrocketed to prominence over the last few years, becoming a fixture in young people’s digital lives.
Of course, with a platform as popular and gargantuan as TikTok, it can be intimidating trying to figure out how best to safeguard children and young people using the app. That’s why The National Online College has released their brand-new guide to TikTok, detailing the main online safety concerns and suggesting strategies to reduce these risks for the app’s younger users.
Please take a look and discuss this with your child if they use TikTok.
Online support for students and parents
We wanted to remind you about our online support app called Padlet, which is a directory of support available for students and parents.
Padlet signposts the user to a range of websites and resources, providing support and advice relating to mental health, exam stress, online safety, self care, managing emotions, young carers, family support and more.
You can visit the Padlets by scanning the QR codes or clicking the links below.
Visit the Parent Padlet
Visit the Student Padlet
Safeguarding
If you have significant concerns for the welfare of a child, in addition to being able to contact Mrs Cole, Mrs Cooper or Mr Beever during school hours by emailing safeguarding@millthorpe.southbank.academy, you may wish to make direct contact with the York MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) on T: 01904 551900, option 3. They operate an out-of-hours service so concerns can be raised with them at any time.
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