Leadership update
We are delighted to share an important update regarding the leadership of Millthorpe School.
Following a thorough selection process, we are pleased to confirm that Mrs Kavina Rothenburg has been appointed as Principal on a permanent basis. Kavina has led the school with overwhelming success since June last year, ensuring a strong foundation for excellence and continued progress for every child. Her leadership, deep commitment to the Millthorpe community, and vision for the future impressed the selection panel immensely.
We would like to congratulate Kavina on her appointment and look forward to continuing our work together to provide the very best education for every child, ensuring they thrive academically and personally in a supportive and ambitious environment.
Kind regards
Mark Hassack, CEO, Excel Learning Trust and
Lee Probert, Chair of Governors, Millthorpe School
You can read the full letter to parents/carers here.
A message from Mrs Rothenburg
Firstly, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has sent kind messages and congratulations following the announcement yesterday of my appointment as Principal at Millthorpe. I am truly honoured to lead such a vibrant and caring school community and it is a privilege to work alongside our dedicated staff, our Trust, and of course, our brilliant students. I am also deeply grateful to you – our parents and carers – for the ongoing support you provide. I’m excited to continue our partnership as we work together to help every student thrive.
Our Year 11s have continued with their GCSE exams this week, with Drama, German Reading and Listening, and Latin now all completed. Year 11 revision sessions have also kicked off, with colleagues all reporting that students’ conduct and behaviour has been brilliant. We’re all really proud of how our students are approaching the exams, with such maturity and dedication – keep it up Year 11! You can see the schedule of revision sessions here.
A reminder that if your child is struggling with exams and revision, you can take a look at our Padlet, where you can find lots of online support. Full details on how to access the Padlet can be found at the bottom of this email. Please do get in touch with us if you have any concerns or need additional support.
At the beginning of each term, we like to report on how we are doing on Class Charts. Back in January, at the start of the spring term, 96% of all logs on Class Charts were green and I am delighted that as a school, at the start of the summer term, an amazing 97% of all logs on Class Charts so far this year have been green. Our students really do make us proud every day and the staff team go the extra mile to recognise students for working hard to be the best they can be.
This week at our SLT meeting, we welcomed some of our Year 10 Student Leaders who came along to share their fundraising ideas with us. It was great to see how much thought they had put into their fundraising presentation and how passionate they are about giving all students a voice.
Below, you will find a reminder about the school planner design competition. Thank you to all those students who have already submitted their entries, especially those who will be joining us in Year 7 in September – it’s lovely to see so many getting involved already! The designs we have seen so far really illustrate what Millthorpe means to our students and the community, and we’ll be honoured to showcase the winning entries in our new planners in September. If your child would still like to enter the competition, they have until Friday 23 May.
Congratulations to those students who came along to enjoy a lovely, sunny Principal’s Breakfast with me this morning, including Callum, Alice, Lucy, Elsie, Arwen and Mia. Well done to you all.
Finally, I’d like to wish all Year 6 pupils the very best of luck as they prepare to take their SATs exams next week.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend and we’ll see everyone next week for an ‘A’ Week.
With best wishes,
Kavina Rothenburg
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 – English
Conversation starters
Year 7 are continuing their work on Animal Antics, focusing at the moment on non-fiction, as students think about the different structural and presentational features of a charity leaflet. They will go on to make one of their own.
Year 8 – Maths
Conversation starters
Keywords in probability are ‘impossible, unlikely, even, likely, certain’. Can you think of events that match each word eg rolling a seven on an ordinary dice is impossible. Can you explain why winning the lottery is unlikely?
Year 9 – Science
Conversation starters
Year 9 have started their GCSE studies. Students are learning about Cells, Atomic Structure and 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 9am. The next Sparx Science homework is due on Thursday 15 May. We are really excited to launch GCSE Sparx Science to support the students with their learning. All Year 9 Science lessons are uploaded to the Year 9 Science Google classroom.
Year 10 – Global
Conversation starters
- Computing: We’re learning about what utility software is and looking at examples such as file repair/recovery, backup/recovery, file compression and disk defragmentation.
- French: We are completing an end of topic test on healthy lifestyles, before we move on to the ‘holidays’ topic. Can your child say in French what they do to stay healthy, and a resolution they would like to do in the future?
- German: We are completing an end of topic test on healthy lifestyles, before we move on to the house and home topic. Can your child say in German what they do to stay healthy?
Year 11 – Humanities
Conversation starters
- History: Unsurprisingly, students are spending their final few lessons with us revising all four modules which make up their GCSE History course: Germany 1890-1945, Conflict in Asia 1950-75, Britain: Health and the People c.1,000-present, and Elizabethan England 1558-1603. All students have paper copies of the GCSE History Exam Rubric and all revision materials, and these are also posted on Google Classroom. We know that the essay question on Health and the People will ask about the influence of seven factors (war, religion and superstition, individuals, government, science and technology, communication, luck/chance) so please ensure that your child is confident in giving examples of these seven factors from across the whole 1,000 year study, in key areas such as understanding the causes of disease, treating disease, surgery and anatomy, and public health developments. Similarly, we know that the essay question on Elizabethan England is about Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire, so please quiz your child on this manor house, and how it reflects the time period during Elizabeth’s reign.
- RE: Students have just finished the course content, so lessons will be revision based from now on. Please encourage your child to bring their revision guide with them to lessons. I have asked students to let me know if there are any topic areas or types of questions that they’d like to focus on, so please encourage them to speak to me about this – that way we can tailor the revision to any areas of weakness.
- Geography: Year 11 students have now completed the course content for their Geography studies and should be focusing on revision in preparation for their upcoming exam. Their Paper 1 exam on Physical Geography will take place on 14 May. This paper covers key topics such as: Natural Hazards – earthquakes, tropical storms, climate change; The Living World – ecosystems, rainforests, and hot deserts; Physical Landscapes in the UK – coastal and river landscapes, key processes, and landforms. At this stage, students should be consolidating their knowledge by: reviewing past papers and practising exam-style questions; strengthening their case study knowledge for real-world examples; using revision guides, flashcards, and summary notes to reinforce key ideas; and practising timed responses to develop exam technique and confidence. Encouraging structured revision and checking their understanding will be key to success in this exam. If they need extra guidance, resources like online tutorials, revision websites, and teacher support are great ways to boost confidence before exam day.
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.
SEND Update
SEND Network evening
Thank you to the parents who attended our SEND network evening yesterday – you can see the slides shared at the event here. They outline the adaptive teaching training that all teachers are doing and the passport review the SEND team are undertaking.
Adaptive Teaching is an approach that tailors instruction to meet the diverse needs of all students. It involves continuously assessing students’ strengths and needs and adjusting teaching methods accordingly. This ensures that every student, regardless of their abilities, can access the curriculum and achieve their full potential. This training is aimed at improving outcomes for all students, including those with SEND.Review of SEND Passports
Following this training, we are reviewing how we communicate and implement SEND strategies through our SEND passports. This review will include:
- A central document outlining strategies for different areas of need.
- A prioritisation of person-specific strategies on individual student passports.
We believe this approach will help us better support our students and ensure that their specific needs are met consistently.
Parent involvement
We value your input and would like to involve you in this process. There will be an opportunity for you to be involved in the passport review at our Summer SEND Parents Evening on 5 June. Information will be coming out in due course with details of how to book onto this session.
Year 9 Graduation Ceremony – a milestone celebration
We are excited to announce that Millthorpe will host its first-ever Year 9 Graduation Ceremony on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 June. This special event will mark a significant milestone for our Year 9 students as they transition from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4. Miss Boyd has been sharing details of this ceremony with Year 9 students in their assembly this week.
As the first year group at Millthorpe to experience this celebration, our Year 9 students will be recognised for their hard work, growth, and achievements over the past three years. The ceremony will take place in the Main Hall, featuring a showcase of students’ learning and experiences throughout KS3.
Guests will enjoy performances from the school band, as well as the moment each student graduates from KS3 into the next stage of their educational journey.
To mark the occasion, all students will wear a graduation gown, provided by the school, worn over their Millthorpe school uniform.
We look forward to celebrating this moment with our school community and honouring our students’ achievements.
Planner artwork competition
A reminder that we are running a competition for all students currently in Years 7-10, which is also available to our new students joining us in Year 7 in September. From September, the student planner will feature artwork designed by a student in each year group. There will be a new, streamlined planner each term, so there will be three winning entries per year group.
In Personal Development lessons, students have learned more about this exciting project and begun to draft their own entry. They have been asked to complete a final version, using colour if they wish, and hand this in to their Form Tutor or email an electronic copy to planners2025@millthorpe.elt.org.uk
The deadline for entries is Friday 23 May.
We would be very grateful if you could encourage your child to participate in this competition and submit an entry by the deadline. We will look to use a variety of entries as a display in school, in addition to the winning entries having pride of place on the front of the student planner next year. There will be prizes for the winners too.
Thank you for your support.
Carlton Lodge – payments due
The balance for the Year 9 Carlton Lodge residential trip is now overdue. If you have not yet paid, please log in to ParentPay as soon as possible to clear your balance so that we can pay the venue.
If you have any problems, please contact Mrs Brown. Thank you.
Year 7 Geography field trip to Bolton Abbey – 4 July 2025
We are really excited to announce that we will be taking all of Year 7 on the first Geography field trip at Millthorpe. We will be going to Bolton Abbey on Friday 4 July 2025 where we will be looking at river processes.
We are kindly asking for a contribution of £17 per pupil. If your child is a Pupil Premium student then the funding will cover the cost of the trip for you. This can be paid via ParentPay. Please may we request that payments are made no later than Friday 20 June.
This is a really lovely opportunity for the pupils to get out and about and explore geography beyond the classroom.
Please see the letter attached letter for further details and please don’t hesitate to get in contact if you have any questions.
Georgie Steers and The Geography Department
Karaoke Club is back!
After a few weeks hiatus, Karaoke Club was back with a bang at lunchtime today. Michael, Ben and Nenyasha did a great job of ‘Counting Stars’, as did the Year 8 group with their rendition of ‘Let it Go’!
Year 8 girls shine in football double victory
Last weekend four of our Year 8 students played in the final of the York City and District FA U13 Girls Cup for their grassroots football club. Their team, York RI U13 girls, beat fellow finalists, Wilberfoss, with a fantastic score of 4-1.
The team also recently won the York and District U13 girls league. This is a fantastic, and rare, achievement to win the double, so well done girls!
L-R: Immy B (captain), Maisie M, Izzy M and Georgia C.
Maya and Lukas are MVPs!
Maya F in Year 10 and Lukas K in Year 11, were both named ‘MVP’ at the recent York Eagles Basketball Club annual awards night. MVP means Most Valuable Player and is a recognition of players who contribute all round to their teams.
Well done to both!
Job of the Week – Air Cabin Crew
Air Cabin Crew are responsible for ensuring that all passengers are safe, happy and comfortable during their flight. They are trained in security and emergency procedures, making announcements on behalf of the pilot and serving refreshments. They also carry out flight safety announcements to ensure everyone has been briefed before take-off. You will need GCSEs and skills such as speaking other languages and teamwork will help you stand out.
Watch this video for more information about becoming Air Cabin Crew.
Speakers for Schools – inspirational talks
Each week, as part of our careers and aspiration-raising programme, we are featuring a talk from Speakers for Schools.
This week as our Year 11s begin their GCSEs in earnest, we bring you a talk all about resilience which was originally broadcast on World Mental Health Day. Jordan Wylie MBE, award-winning adventurer, international bestselling author and one of the stars of Channel 4’s BAFTA nominated shows “Hunted” and “Celebrity Hunted”, is the national ambassador for The Ulysses Trust and an incredible role model for all young people.
In 2023 Jordan was awarded an MBE by His Majesty King Charles III for services to charity and education both in the UK and overseas. Jordan is especially inspiring to those who struggle with their mental health – being honest about his own challenging background, and his personal battles with mental health. His positive energy, inspiring messages and spirit of adventure is infectious, and Jordan is one in a million when it comes to his generosity of spirit, and his understanding of young people.
Just click the image below to view.
#WakeUpWednesday – A guide to Snapchat
Recent user numbers for the messaging app Snapchat currently sit at approximately 800 million and figures from data gathering company Statista indicate that roughly 20% of those users are under 18. That’s a lot of young people participating in this sprawling social media platform, many of whom are potentially unaware of the associated risks.
That’s why The National College released their ‘Wake Up Wednesday’ guide, also available in podcast format for those who want to listen on the go. It can be tricky to know how to safeguard younger users on Snapchat but they aim to show you how, whilst also giving you in-depth knowledge of the online safety risks posed by this platform, which we know is very popular with our students. Please take a look.
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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