Weekly email – 7 March 2025

A message from Mrs Rothenburg

Next week, we’re looking forward to welcoming Year 11 students and their families into school for their Progress Evening on Wednesday 12 March. Information has been sent to parents/carers, but if you have any queries, please contact us.

Finally, thank you once again to everyone who took the time to feed into the consultation regarding the school day timings. Your feedback was incredibly useful and constructive. The outcomes of the consultation were circulated earlier this week, a summary of which can be found on our website.

I hope you have a great weekend – enjoy the spring sunshine! We’re back in school on Monday as usual 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: English
Conversation starters
World Book Day fell this week which was exciting news for Year 7! Linking to their class study of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, the children enjoyed lessons based on this text in periods 1, 2 and 3 on Thursday, taught by colleagues from all around the school. Ask your child how they were able to use their language skills to persuade their teacher that Narnia – a land under the harsh rule of the White WItch, where it is always winter and never Christmas – is actually THE perfect holiday destination!

Year 8 – Faculty: Maths
Conversation starters
What is the same and what is different about these pairs of inequalities?
x > 4 and x > 4
x > 4 and x < 4
How would you represent them on a number line?

Year 9 – Faculty: Science
Conversation starters
Year 9 have started their GCSE studies this week. Students are learning about Cells, Atomic Structure & Energy. Can students name the parts of an animal and plant cell? Can students draw and label the parts of an atom? Can students name eight energy stores?

All Year 9 students have weekly Science homework to complete on Sparx Science – this is due every Thursday at 9.00am. The next Sparx Science Homework is due on Thursday 13 March.

We are really excited to launch GCSE Sparx Science to support the students with their learning. All Year 9 Science lessons for both Triple and Combined Science are uploaded to the respective Google classrooms.

Year 10 – Faculty: Global
Conversation starters

• Computing: We are looking at different network topologies, star, mesh and bus. We will then look at the hardware and software that make up embedded systems and how this relates to the Internet of things, the way in which many more ‘smart’ devices are connected to a network.
• French: Students will complete a SAP which will prepare them for extended writing at GCSE. They will be writing 130-150 words on the topic of school. Can they tell you what to include in a piece of writing to make it the top level? Afterwards, they will continue the topic of ‘Lifestyle’.
• German: Students will complete a SAP which will prepare them for extended writing at GCSE. They will be writing 130-150 words. Can they tell you what to include in a piece of writing to make it the top level? Afterwards, they will continue the topic of ‘Lifestyle’.

Year 11 – Faculty: Humanities
Conversation starters

• RE: We are coming to the end of the third theme students need to learn about, exploring ideas about Crime and Punishment. How is UK law different to law in Islamic countries? What are the three aims of punishment? How do Muslims treat criminals? What are their responses to the death penalty? What does Islam teach about forgiveness? We are also focusing on our exam technique and exploring how we answer 4, 5 and 12-mark questions successfully as a reflection from their mock PPE.
• History: What trouble did Elizabeth I face at home and abroad? You could ask your child: How did Elizabeth deal with the threats from Catholics and Puritans? How did she handle Mary Queen of Scots? Did Elizabeth want Mary Queen of Scots executed, given that whilst she signed her death warrant, she did not seal it? Why did the Spanish Armada’s attack in 1588 ultimately fail? Was leadership, tactics, the crew of the ships, the weapons or the weather the most important factor in the defeat of the Armada?
• Geography: What are the six features of a post-industrial economy? What is the N/S divide? What is one strategy other than infrastructure improvements used to reduce the N/S divide?

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.

Restorative Peer Mentors

We have been really fortunate to have nine of our Year 8 students successfully apply and interview to become Restorative Peer Mentors. They are Amelia, Reuben, Chloe, Rosie, Elena, Henry, Charlotte, Samuel and Ava.

For the past two weeks, they have received training from Dave Pascoe, Service Delivery Manager for North Yorkshire Restorative Solutions, who has delivered workshops on Restorative Justice, what this is and how this approach fits within schools. The students have developed their understanding on the topic, come up with ideas of how they can use their training to implement support for students and resolve difficulties in a restorative manner. They have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the role plays, and we are so proud of them for not only volunteering their time, but also for the hard work and effort they have put into learning the theory behind this and putting it into practice.

We are very proud to say that we are the first secondary school in North Yorkshire to have delivered the training and implemented a team of Restorative Peer Mentors. We are at the beginning of what is going to be a very exciting journey!

Watch this space for further details on the roles of our mentors.

Culture Day

We are excited to share that our first Culture Day will take place on Thursday 27 March. Students and staff will be invited to wear traditional dress to celebrate their culture (more details to follow); learn about the 21 different languages that make up our school community; sample food from around the world in the canteen; and take part in activities at lunchtime which celebrate the different cultures at Millthorpe.

Staff and students have already made suggestions about the type of sessions that they would like to offer on the day. This will be launched with students in next week’s assembly.

Tom Palmer Author Visit

On Thursday 20 March we are lucky to be hosting a visit from author Tom Palmer. Tom has written a wide range of books from sport stories to war stories, with topics such as spies, ghosts, planes, rugby, football and running. Many of his books are accessible reads and very popular with many students in school.

If your child would like to attend the session which will take place during Period 4 (12.30-1.30pm) in the library, please ask that they come and see Miss Brooks in the library. There will be the opportunity to buy a book at a discounted price for signing, or students can bring books of Tom’s they already have for signing.

Iceland trip 2025 – rooming preferences

As we prepare for the upcoming Iceland trip, we need students to share their rooming preferences please. While we do not yet have the final room allocations, this information will help us organise rooming arrangements as smoothly as possible. Please complete this form by close of play on Monday 10 March.

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.

New – weekly Mindfulness session

We’re excited to introduce a new Mindfulness Session for students this half term! Held every Wednesday lunchtime from 1.45-2.00pm in the gym, these sessions offer a fantastic opportunity for students to take a break, relax and learn simple techniques to reduce stress. No equipment is needed – students just need to bring themselves and an open mind!

World Book Day 2025

We celebrated World Book Day in style at Millthorpe on Thursday 6 March!

Assemblies all week were led by Mr Cooper, Head of the Creative Faculty, and he explained his journey from a reluctant to an avid reader. He explained the importance and benefits of reading for pleasure, as well as reading to learn.

On Thursday, all Year 7 students enjoyed a bespoke World Book Day experience where they attended three lessons planned by the English Faculty on the theme of Narnia. These lessons were delivered by their usual timetabled teachers and were enjoyed by all.

Year 8 students were invited to attend a “Football and Book” Quiz, which was streamed live across the nation during their first lesson of the day. We did superbly, only dropping one mark across the whole quiz and enjoyed being wished a “Happy World Book Day” by a large number of professional footballers from the men’s and women’s game. The best team name was chosen by George, Matt, Jensen and Ethan who were really creative with their suggestion which met the brief perfectly: it must include a reference to reading and football. They chose “Bookmark-us Rashford!” Such a clever play on words.

Across the whole day, students in Year 8-11 tracked a short story written by Ray Bradbury. They were introduced to the opening section of the short story in their first lesson of the day, and they then had a section read to them in each of the other four lessons, finding out the ending in Period 5.

Staff in school were given the option to dress as a character from a book or wear a badge with a character from a book and these proved to be real conversation starters, as many students were keen to learn why staff had chosen their specific character, or why they were dressed as they were. Teachers spoke to students about their subject reading lists and their current reading poster too.

At lunchtime, Ms Brooks and her amazing Library Student Volunteers all dressed up and ran a competition in the library which was really well attended.

We had a great time celebrating World Book Day and are grateful to all of the wonderful members of staff and students in school who contributed to making it such a success.

Job of the Week – Secretary

Also known as administrators, secretaries provide administrative support to companies and individuals. They are mainly office based with the role including writing letters, answering the phone, photocopying, filing and much more. Good literacy and communication skills are vital for this role, as well as being able to think on your feet and use your initiative to solve problems.

Watch this video for more information about becoming a Secretary.

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.

York Jobs, Apprenticeships and Skills Fair

The York Jobs, Apprenticeships and Skills Fair will be held on Tuesday 11 March from 1.00–6.00pm at York Barbican.

The fair is open to people of all ages from York and North Yorkshire who will have the opportunity to:

• Meet employers, training providers, and career advisors
• Learn about apprenticeship opportunities and job vacancies
• Find out about re-skilling and up-skilling
• Get CV advice
• Get career advice
• Ask questions to employers
• Brush up on interview skills

Further information can be found here.

King’s Calculating Women – residential event for Year 11s

King’s College, Cambridge is offering a free residential event for Year 11 female students from UK-based state schools. The two-day residential is designed to demonstrate the real-world relevance and applications of maths-based skills, and to reveal the diversity of industries and careers to which maths skills and a maths-based degree can underpin.

More information relating to the event, including eligibility criteria and the online booking form can be found here.

#WakeUpWednesday – A guide to considering using technology to boost reading skills

It was World Book Day yesterday, and this is a perfect time to celebrate the joy of reading. It is also a time to consider how technology can support literacy. The way we engage with text has changed dramatically over the years. Whether reading captions on social media, instructions in a video game or an e-book on a digital device, technology plays a major role in modern literacy. In Key Stage 3, students complete homework on Sparx Reader and this has helped some students to develop a love for reading. We are aware that, understandably, a “one size fits all” approach is difficult and we are currently taking student voice on this platform and have a meeting booked with Sparx Reader next week to review our usage of it.

We encourage all students to read for pleasure as often as possible, and we feel that “getting lost in a book” and turning pages is the ultimate goal. However, we have listened to student feedback and know that whilst many enjoy reading physical books, others prefer to read on a screen.

We know that reducing screen time is an ongoing issue for many parents and young people, so we are not advocating moving reading for pleasure to screens. However, The National College’s weekly guide offers a possible way to help to engage struggling or reluctant readers who are willing to read on a screen, but less inclined to pick up a book.

So whilst we want our students to read books, many digital platforms offer tools that enhance readability by making text more accessible and engaging. This week’s guide provides ten top tips to help young readers engage in text and foster a love for reading, and we hope this will, in time, translate to picking up a good book! Please take a look.

Also, remember to visit the school website for further reading support for your child(ren) should it be needed.

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.