A message from Mrs Rothenburg
Welcome to this week’s email – it’s a bumper issue, filled with lots of useful information, so please do have a read.
Earlier this week we welcomed leaders from across Excel Learning Trust into school to look at the culture we have created to ensure all of our students are happy, safe and able to learn. It was wonderful to hear their feedback about how respectful and courteous our students were during their visit. It was also great to show our visitors how focused our students are in lessons demonstrating our values of hard work and ambition.
As you will know by now, we will be hosting our annual Open Evening next Tuesday. This event takes a great deal of planning and assistance from students and colleagues, so thank you in advance to all those students who have volunteered to support this event – we have been overwhelmed by how many students want to help us celebrate and showcase our wonderful school.
We have continued our visits to our feeder primary schools this week, visiting both Knavesmire and Dringhouses Primary Schools. It was great to meet their Year 6 students, chat to them about life at Millthorpe and support them with the transition from primary to secondary school. We’re hoping to see many of them at Open Evening, or if anyone is unable to attend on 7 October, we’d be delighted to show visitors around at an alternative time
A big thank you to Jonathan Sharp who came into school on Wednesday to speak to our Engineering students about a career in the sector. You can read more about his visit below.
And finally, I would like to wish Mrs Norman all the very best as she heads off on maternity leave. We all wish her well and can’t wait to meet the new arrival in due course! Further information about the SEND Team and how to contact them can be found below.
I hope everyone has a lovely weekend. We’ll be back in school on Monday for a ‘B’ Week.
With best wishes,
Kavina Rothenburg
Principal
Dates for your diary
- Tuesday 7 October: Open Evening for Year 5/6 pupils and their families. School will close early, at 1.45pm on this day – please see below.
- Wednesday 22 October: School closes for half-term break
- Monday 3 November: School reopens after half-term break
What is my child learning at the moment?
Please see below to find out what your child has been learning about in recent lessons in order to have productive discussions about their education:
Year 7 – Global
Conversation starters
- French: Students are learning how to introduce themselves in French, and how to talk about what they like and why. Can your child say hello, and tell you something they like in French?
- Computing: Students will be looking at various tools used in a word processor in order to effectively create and modify word documents.
Year 8 – Humanities
Conversation starters
- RE: We are exploring the topic of Islamaphobia – what it means and how it affects Muslims in the UK as well as looking at real life examples. What is Islamaphobia? What is prejudice? What is discrimination? What does Islam mean? We will then begin learning about the beginning of Islam and the five pillars.
- Geography: What is an economy? What is globalisation? How many links to globalisation can you find around your home?
- History: What were the reasons behind the Spanish Armada’s attack on England in 1588? And why did it ultimately fail? What factors were the most important in the failure? Was it leadership? Tactics? Luck? The weather?
Year 9 – Performance
Conversation starters
- Drama: Students are working on creating their own group devised pieces of Theatre in Education, exploring the theme of homelessness and using non-naturalistic techniques for dramatic effect – please do ask them to tell you all about it!
- Music: Students are studying music for film, looking at how different devices are used in films and video games.
- PE: Students have completed the end of activity one option block where the boys were developing their skills in badminton and gymnastics. The girls were developing their skills in netball and football. For this activity block, the groups have swapped over.
Year 10 – Creative
Conversation starters
- AQA Art: Fine Art students have undertaken personal research in response to the theme ‘Flora & Fauna’ and have created outlines for a mixed media composition. They will explore mark making techniques using different media on a wide range of paper surfaces to further develop observational recording skills. Students will be introduced to, and respond to the work of other artists who have represented ‘Plants & Animals’. This will extend their knowledge of artists gained during the Summer Holiday task. Please have a look at your child’s artwork and discuss what interests them or what they found challenging.
- Engineering: Our Year 10 Engineers have settled onto the Engineering course brilliantly. We have started with CAD/CAM and 3rd Angle Orthographic drawing. Please ask them to show you their examples on Google Classroom, including the M4 nut. We are now working on our first practical task (engineering a trisquare) before moving onto a pencil stand and our first theory unit. Now we have covered some course content, weekly homework will become a consistent format. These Engineering homeworks are electronic quiz (retrieval) sheets on Google Classroom. The homework is designed to be easy to access and complete on any device (phones, Chromebooks, laptops, PCs, etc). Please encourage our engineers to open these homeworks, research anything they aren’t sure about and speak to me if access is an issue.
- Food Preparation & Nutrition: Our Year 10 students have made an incredible start to the course, demonstrating all our of new values perfectly. They are taking on a newly designed, challenging curriculum and are working incredibly hard to gain the skills and knowledge they need to achieve the very highest grades they can. We are working through a unit on Food Safety so please quiz your child about aspects of storing, preparing, cooking and serving food safely!
Year 11 – English
Conversation starters
Year 11 are continuing their exciting journey through Macbeth – a GCSE highlight for both students and teachers! Now they are in Year 11, we have an increased focus on writing timed answers in class, and quote learning for homeworks – any support parents and sibilngs can offer to help with this challenging job I’m sure would be gratefully received! Ask your child what quotes they can remember about Macbeth so far.
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.
Hello Yellow – World Mental Health Day
Millthorpe will be taking part in Hello Yellow on Friday 10 October (World Mental Health Day) to raise awareness and funds for YoungMinds, the UK’s leading charity for young people’s mental health.
No young person should feel alone with their mental health, and that’s why Hello Yellow matters. We’re taking this opportunity as a school community to come together and show our students that we’re with them and they’re never alone with their mental health.
We’ll be taking part by inviting everyone in school to wear something yellow in addition to the usual school uniform. Will you wear yellow socks, or a yellow hair bobble, or perhaps a yellow ribbon attached to your blazer?
You can also donate to support our school’s fundraising efforts by making a donation via ParentPay. The link is live, and you can donate anytime over the next week.
Most importantly, we want to share the resources that YoungMinds offers to support parents and carers, in case you ever need help and advice to support your children. This includes:
- online resources (www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/)
- a phone line, open 9.30am-4pm (0808 802 5544)
- an online chat for parents and carers to speak to trained professionals if you’re concerned about your children’s mental health (www.youngminds.org.uk/parents-helpline/)
Changes in the SEND Team
As some of you may know, our previous SENDCO Merry Norman is due to start her maternity leave this week. Stacey Horsfall, our current SENDCO will be continuing the role on a permanent basis, as Merry will return to a different role in school following maternity leave.
As staffing naturally changes from time to time as different people leave and join the team or take up different roles, we would ask that you use the dedicated SEND email address send@millthorpe.elt.org.uk rather than individual email addresses, so that we can ensure your email is forwarded to the most relevant person.
Year 11 Afternoon Tea and Revision Tips event
Thanks again to everyone who came along to the event last week. As promised, you can view a digital copy of the booklet handed out on the evening by clicking here.
You can also see a narrated version of the presentation from the evening below:
Revision guides
If you picked up revision guides on the evening, we would be grateful if you could now pay for these via ParentPay. Thank you.
Year 7 Interform Challenge
Congratulations to 7VGO, the winning form in the Year 7 General Knowledge Interform Challenge last week!
The next one will be held next week (B Week) and will be Music Challenge hosted by Ms Longbottom.
Year 11 Creative Faculty Virtual Gallery
Our Creative Faculty Virtual Gallery of student work is now live on the school website. Take a look to see the amazing pieces produced by last year’s Year 11 students as part of their GCSE coursework.
Guest speaker inspires Year 10 engineers
On Wednesday, we welcomed guest speaker, Jonathan Sharp, into school to speak to more than 40 of our Year 10 Engineers.
Jonathan has just graduated with a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering and will soon be moving to London to start his career with Proctor & Gamble.
We’re very grateful to Jonathan who was very generous with his time, talking to our students about his educational pathway, sharing examples of his work and answering lots of great questions from other young engineers.
Thank you Jonathan – you left our students feeling very inspired!
Celebrating our mathematicians
We are delighted to recognise the commitment of 27 Year 10 students who are taking part in the Statistics enrichment sessions. Through these sessions, students are building on their mathematical knowledge in areas such as probability, data processing and presentation, and measures of correlation. They are not only discovering how these concepts apply in real-life situations but are also working towards the exciting opportunity to sit an additional GCSE.
We are equally proud of our GCSE Further Maths enrichment class, whose members are adding to their already demanding Year 11 schedules in order to broaden and deepen their mathematical understanding. Covering challenging topics such as matrices, differentiation and geometric proof, this course is both fascinating in its own right and an excellent preparation for A Levels and beyond. At the end of Year 11, students will also have the chance to demonstrate their skills by sitting an additional GCSE examination.
Well done to all involved – your hard work and ambition are truly commendable!
Open Evening
This year’s Open Evening for Year 5/6 pupils and their families will be held on Tuesday 7 October 2025, from 5.30–8.00pm. There’s no need to book, just come along on the evening – all welcome.
- Principal Mrs Rothenburg will give a presentation in the Main Hall at 6.00pm, 6.35pm and 7.10pm.
- SEN talks will take place in the Library at 6.25pm, 7.00pm and 7.35pm.
Further information can be found here.
Early closure – 7 October
Please note that we will be closing school one hour early, at 1.45pm, on Tuesday 7 October to allow staff to prepare for the Year 6 Open Evening. There will be no enrichment activities on this day.
Rugby success for former Millthorpe students
Two former Millthorpe students have earned places on the prestigious Yorkshire U17s Player Development Programme (PDP), marking an exciting step in their rugby journeys.
After being nominated by their rugby coach at York RUFC, Tom Kew-Robson and Henry Steels-Walshaw successfully passed a rigorous and competitive assessment centre and have been selected to be part of the programme.
The PDP extends the player pathway in Yorkshire and develops young players in their progression into adult and representational rugby.
We’re extremely proud – well done to them both!
If you have any alumni news you would like to share with us, please contact news@millthorpe.elt.org.uk
Job of the Week – Quarry Manager
Quarry Managers are responsible for coordinating quarry sites and ensuring the extraction of materials is done safely and to the highest standard. They are also responsible for managing and recruiting staff, coordination, production, overseeing operations, undertaking site inspections and drawing up reports. To become a Quarry Manager, you will normally need a degree in mining, engineering or a related field. Alternatively employers will take relevant experience and health and safety qualifications into account.
Watch this video for more information about becoming a Quarry Manager.
Futures for All – inspirational talks
Futures for All (previously Speakers for Schools) is an incredible social mobility charity which empowers state-educated young people by opening doors to life-changing opportunities. In addition to their work experience programme, Futures for All also regularly broadcast live inspirational talks which are recorded and then hosted on their website.
Each week, as part of our careers and aspiration-raising programme, we will feature one of their talks.
In this week’s talk, we are looking into Routes into Law with DWF Group in which a career panel explores the many routes you can take to start building your career in Law.
Just click the image below to view.
York College Year 11 Taster Days
Bookings for York College’s Year 11 Taster Days on 13 and 15 January 2026 are now open.
These days provide a fantastic opportunity for Year 11 students to try some of the subjects they are interested in, as well as get a feel for College life. Students should choose one of the days to attend.
Further information about Open Events and Taster Days can be found here and bookings should be made using the links below:
Before booking a Taster Day, please read all the supporting information about what is on offer, and how to book which is all detailed on the booking web pages.
Whilst bookings can be made on any device, we would recommend using a tablet or computer to view the booking screens more clearly.
Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and the deadline for all bookings is Sunday 23 November. It is not possible to book after this date.
York College Open Events 2025-26
York College is hosting a number of Open Events during the 2025-26 academic year, as follows:
- Tuesday 7 October 2025, 5.30pm – 8.00pm
- Saturday 8 November 2025, 10.00am – 12.30pm
- Thursday 20 November 2025, 5.30pm – 8.00pm
- Thursday 12 February 2026, 5.30pm – 8.00pm
- Wednesday 29 April 2026, 5.30pm – 7.30pm
For more information, please visit the York College website.
Archbishop Holgate’s Sixth Form Open Evening
Archbishop Holgate’s Sixth Form Open Evening will take place on Thursday 13 November 2025, from 6.00-8.00pm.
Further information and details of how to book a place can be found on the attached letter.
Tadcaster Grammar Sixth Form Open Evening
Tadcaster Grammar School’s Sixth Form Open Evening will take place on Thursday 9 October 2025, from 6.00pm-8.00pm and all are welcome to attend.
Further details can be found on their website: https://tgs.starmat.uk/
Preparing for Adulthood opportunities event
This event is for anyone in Year 9 or above with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities and their parents/carers. It aims to inspire them about post-16 options and employment.
Exhibitors include education providers, employers, City of York Council and other support services, such as DWP. There will also be sessions on Supported Internships and until 5.30pm, VR activities in agriculture and animal tasks.
The event will be held from 3.30-6.30pm on Tuesday 14 October 2025 at Askham Bryan College.
You can book your place on Eventbrite, however, this is not compulsory.
Law – Virtual Work Experience
Calling all aspiring solicitors, barristers and legal professionals! Browne Jacobson are hosting a Law Virtual Work Experience on Tuesday 28 October, from 9.00am-4.15pm.
Further details and booking information can be found here.
Start Safe, Stay Safe – new app
A new app, Start Safe, Stay Safe, has been launched to improve street safety in York and North Yorkshire. It offers a straightforward, and confidential way for members of the public to report street, town and city centre incidents. It also enables authorities to quickly identify patterns of abuse and criminal behaviour and help them to respond more effectively.
The app developed by Stop Hate UK was funded by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and supported by City of York Council, North Yorkshire Council, North Yorkshire Police and Leaders Unlocked.
The app has been designed to help more people in York and North Yorkshire report street harassment and feel safer in public spaces.
You can find out further information here.
Download the app from Apple Store: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/start-safe-stay-safe
Download the app from Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stophateuk
#WakeUpWednesday – A parent and carer guide to EA Sports FC 2026
We know that EA Sports FC is a very popular game with many of our students, and for many, it is a great way to relax and unwind. However, it does have some risks associated with playing it. This excellent guide from The National College is a must read if your child plays this particular game. Please take a look.
Exciting Opportunity: Become a Committee Member for Inspire Alternative Provision
Are you passionate about supporting vulnerable young people and making a difference in their education? Excel Learning Trust’s alternative provision, Inspire Academy, is looking for dedicated and committed individuals to join its first-ever academy committee (a sub-committee of the trust board).
Further details about this opportunity and how to apply, can be found here.
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 Mr Beever, Miss Gater or your child’s Progress Leader during school hours by emailing safeguarding@millthorpe.elt.org.uk, you may wish to make direct contact with 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. In a mental health emergency, please call York CAMHS Crisis Team on 08000516171.
