A message from Mrs Rothenburg
We’ve had a fantastic first week back after the half-term break! It’s been wonderful hearing all about what our students got up to – the trips they’ve taken, the activities they’ve enjoyed, and the experiences they’ve shared. What’s been especially heartwarming though, is hearing how many students have taken the time to ask staff about their holidays too. This thoughtfulness perfectly reflects the mutual respect and strong relationships that make our school community so special.
Earlier this week we welcomed Stephen Burke and his team from YOLO, a theatre in education company, for a session with our Year 9 students. They performed a hard-hitting but honest play called ‘Risky Behaviour’ which was followed by insightful workshops. The students were impeccable throughout and Stephen commented on how amazing they all were. Well done to all concerned.
Today, our Year 10 students had the opportunity to hear from guest speaker and barrister, Andrew Butler, who spoke to them about aspirations, his career path and a fascinating case of insurance fraud. Our Year 10s were highly engaged throughout his session and asked some brilliant questions. We are always proud when visitors come into school and witness how our students demonstrate our values so brilliantly.
This week, Mr Feguson delivered assemblies focused on Remembrance and the importance of reflection at this time of year. Whilst we always mark this special day, this year we have some extra special plans. On the morning of 11 November we are honoured to be joined by 100-year old D-Day veteran, Ken Cooke who will attend a short assembly. Two students will read poignant poems before Ken shares a specially chosen reading. At 11.00am, some of our Music students will sound The Last Post, followed by an opportunity for selected students to meet Ken.
We are incredibly honoured to welcome Ken and know that it will be a very moving but important occasion for our students and staff.
Thank you to everyone who has donated plastic bottles for our Poppy Appeal. The beautifully handcrafted poppies are now proudly on display along the main drive in readiness for Remembrance Day, and they look amazing!
I look forward to seeing everyone back in school on Monday for a ‘B’ Week. I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.
With best wishes,
Kavina Rothenburg
Principal
Dates for your diary
- Tuesday 11 November: Remembrance Day
- Wednesday 19 November: Year 8 Progress Evening
- Tuesday 2 December: Christmas Concert
- Wednesday 10 December: Year 11 Progress Evening
- Thursday 18 December: Christmas Dinner
- Friday 19 December: School closes for Christmas 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 – English
Conversation starters
Year 7 are continuing with their study of Childhood Then and Now, which will take them up to Christmas. Ask your child what they have learnt about child labour in Victorian times, and what they have learnt about modern child labour. There are some depressing similarities as well as some encouraging differences between the two.
Year 8 – Maths
Conversation starters
Students began the topic of ratio this week so lots of new vocabulary, and some old vocabulary in a new context. Can you remember where you have used these words before – simplify, share, evaluate, equivalent, proportional, rate, multiple, factor?
Year 9 – Science
Conversation starters
Classes have been studying a variety of topics in Block 1 – Motion and Pressure, Reactions of Metals and Earth’s Atmosphere. Students who are studying Motion and Pressure – you can ask how do we calculate speed? Students studying Reactions of Metals can be asked if they remember the signs of a chemical reaction? And how can we show that hydrogen has been made in a chemical reaction? Students studying Earth’s Atmosphere can be asked what caused the early atmosphere to form? What gases did these release? What happened to the water vapour? What did the carbon dioxide do?
Next week is Revision Week for the Block 1 Standard Assessment Piece (SAP). We will be in touch with parents and carers about this.
All Year 9 Science lessons are uploaded to the respective Google Classrooms. All Year 9 students have weekly Science homework to complete on Sparx Science – this is due every Thursday.
Year 10 – Global
Conversation starters
- Computing: This week students will be converting binary to denary, adding binary numbers together and converting hex to binary.
- French: Students are talking about their identity. Can they discuss their friendships in French?
- German: Students are continuing their topic of free time. Can they talk about sports and online activities in German?
Year 11 – Humanities
Conversation starters
- History: We are nearing the end of our third (of four) modules for the GCSE History course – Britain, Health and the People c1000 to the present day. Ask your child which of the seven factors have made the most significant difference to improving the health of the people of Britain. What does “Laissez-Faire” mean and how did the government’s approach move away from this after 1848? Can they prove it? How did the Great Stink, the Boer War, the rise of the Labour Party and influential reports from people like Booth, Pember Reeve and York’s very own Rowntree result in the government taking a more active approach in improving the health of their people?
- Geography: What is development? How do we measure it? What is the best way to measure it?
- Religious Studies: We are learning about Christian attitudes towards animal rights and then will be moving on to look at attitudes towards abortion.
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.
Lateness procedure
We’re making a slight change to the procedure for students who are late to school (arriving at form after 8.40am). They will still receive a 30-minute after-school detention, but, from 24 November, this will be served on the same day that they were late instead of the day after. This is so that it can be served promptly and not hang over them for any longer than it needs to. Of course, our ultimate aim is for all students to be able to manage their morning routine so that they can arrive on time every day and benefit from our form time curriculum, as the great majority of our students already do.
Remembrance Ceremony – 11 November
On Tuesday 11 November, Year 10 students have been invited to a special remembrance ceremony in school. This will involve a remembrance themed assembly, readings of poetry by students, the sounding of the Last Post by a student, and observing the national two-minute silence at 11am.
We are very excited to inform you that 100-year-old D-Day Veteran Ken Cooke will be joining us, and will also deliver a reading.
Due to this, there is media attention on our event and it is possible that the local press and regional TV news may attend to cover it. Unless we have already contacted you, your child will be in the audience so any photos or news reports are likely to only be of the back of their head. However, it is possible that their face may be shown and the reports will state that it is Millthorpe School in York.
If you would like us to ensure that your child is not in any photos or on any potential news reels, please email admin@millthorpe.elt.org.uk by 3.00pm on Monday 10 November. Please state if you are happy for them to attend as long as they are not in any photos/news reels etc or if you would prefer for them to not attend at all.
If you are happy for your child to be in the audience and potentially in photos/news reels, there is no need to contact us.
Christmas Concert – Tuesday 2 December
We are delighted to invite you to our Christmas Concert on Tuesday 2 December. This celebratory occasion will feature performances from our regularly rehearsing ensembles including Millthorpe band, choir, various rock bands and small chamber ensembles. Our students are looking forward to showcasing the wonderful work they have been doing this term.
Join us as we kick off the festive season with an evening of music and cheer! Tickets are priced at £5 for adults and £3 for under 16s. Tickets are available to purchase through ParentPay or payable by cash only on the night.
Christmas Dinner – Thursday 18 December
Yes, it’s that time already! To make sure the caterers have plenty of time to get their turkey order in, we would like to start making tickets available for this year’s Christmas Dinner.
Christmas dinner will be available to all year groups in their usual dinner sitting on Thursday 18 December.
Dinners will be £3.50 each, to include either turkey and stuffing or roasted vegetable, cranberry and cheese puff pastry wreath, with trimmings plus a seasonal pudding.
You must get a ticket in advance on ParentPay (students eligible for a free school meal can order a free ticket). Please select either a meat or vegetarian option – you will need to stick to this on the day so that we don’t run out.
Please buy tickets by Friday 21 November so that the caterers can place their order in good time.
Note that it will not be possible to provide alternative food offers on that day: students not having a Christmas Dinner should bring a packed lunch.
We aim to make it a wonderful festive occasion, just before we break up for the holidays, so we’d love it if you could join us!
7MTU are Interform Challenge winners!
Congratulations to 7MTU who bagged another win in the Interform Challenge at the end of last half term.
It was a close-run competition in the Science Challenge hosted by Mr Ferguson, which saw 7PHU, 7EDU and 7MTU finish on equal points, but it was 7MTU who were victorious as they took home the title on a tie break!
Miss McCartney was thrilled to see all of the participants show exceptional teamwork as they collaborated on their knowledge. Well done to all the participants.
Roll on next week’s History Interform Challenge hosted by Mrs Bowland – we can’t wait to see you!
Year 9 trip to Carlton Lodge
A reminder that you can now secure your child’s place on next year’s Carlton Lodge trip by paying a deposit via ParentPay.
The annual Year 9 residential trip to Carlton Lodge outdoor activity centre will take place on Monday 15-Tuesday 16 June 2026 and although next year’s trip is over two days, students will still get the chance to do the same number of activities as in previous years. This residential trip is an exciting experience that students will remember for years to come.
The cost is now confirmed at £215 per student (reduced for Pupil Premium/Free School Meals students).
If you have any questions, please contact the School Office.
Bronze Award – Heart of the Community Scheme
We are delighted to announce that Millthorpe School has been awarded the Bronze Award for the Heart of the Community Scheme.
The scheme aims to recognise the efforts made by schools and colleges towards saving lives across Yorkshire by participating in Restart a Heart Day and encouraging further participation in CPR education and defibrillator availability.
There are three levels of accreditation – bronze, silver and gold – that schools and colleges can progress through and demonstrate how they have:
- made significant efforts to equip their students with life-saving skills through Restart a Heart training, visiting speakers/instructors or the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Ambassador Programme
- ensured the safety of their students by providing access to defibrillators which are registered, easily located and highly visible/accessible
- developed and implemented programmes to support the education of the wider community
We are absolutely thrilled to be part of these important initiatives and to have received the Bronze Award.
Careers Fair – appeal to local businesses
As part of our ongoing programme of events to ensure pupils are prepared for their next steps after school, we are looking for representatives from a variety of local organisations and professions to attend our annual Careers Fair.
The Careers Fair will take place on Tuesday 13 January 2026, from 9.15am-3.15pm, during which students from Year 7 through to Year 10 will have the opportunity to visit the stands, talk to representatives and gain useful careers advice.
Any local businesses interested in attending or finding out more should contact Miss Watts, Careers Lead.
Stan continues to make waves
Year 10 student Stan S continues to make waves in the pool, going from strength to strength in an outstanding short course season. He recently achieved an incredible seven gold medals at the Yorkshire Championships and was selected to represent Yorkshire at the National Team Championships in October.
During half term, Stan joined a training camp in Spain, returning home ready to compete at the North East Regional Championships, where he added to his already impressive medal tally with a further two golds and three silvers in the 16-and-under age group.
Stan’s performances over the past year have now earned him a place on the National Talent Development Pathway, where he trains with Swim England coaches at the GB base in Loughborough University – a remarkable achievement for a swimmer of his age.
Next up, Stan is preparing for the National Short Course Championships in December, where he has qualified for nine events in the under-17 category.
Stan’s success so far has been nothing short of phenomenal, and we look forward to following his journey over the coming months. Congratulations, Stan!
Josie wins Young Volunteer of the Year award
Last weekend the North Riding County Football Association hosted their Grassroots Football Awards 2025 and we are thrilled to share that Year 10 student, Josie C, won the Young Volunteer of the Year award for her outstanding contributions at York RI Football Club. You can hear what her coach and some of the younger players had to say about her dedication and enthusiasm here.
Josie’s passion for sport doesn’t stop there – she’s also a keen parkrunner. She is about to complete her 250th junior parkrun ahead of turning 15 when she will only be able to participate in the general category, and will become the first junior parkrunner at the Knavesmire event to achieve the milestone. She is also just weeks away from reaching her 100th volunteering session. You can read more about Josie’s story here.
Well done Josie – we are very proud of your commitment, kindness and hard work. Keep on running!
Year 7 – research project
We have agreed to support Ellen Lavender from York University who is completing a research project on sexist content on social media.
The research team has created a lesson in the hope that it can be made part of the school curriculum to help reduce the harmful effects of sexism. The lesson will contain discussions of sexism, but at an age-appropriate level. Please note the link in the attached letter, where you will find more details, is to withdraw your child from the study, of which further details are attached. If you have any questions, please email the project lead, Professor Harriet Over.
Job of the Week – Upholsterer
Upholsterers attach padding and cushioning to furniture, using sewing and fixing skills to achieve a professional finish. Lots of upholsterers do repair work or commissioned pieces and this can be their main source of income. Many upholsterers learn the trade through an apprenticeship, so you would normally need five GCSEs at 4+, including English and Maths, whereas some are self taught or learn from family and friends.
Watch this video for more information about becoming an Upholsterer.
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.
Over the next couple of weeks in school we will be looking at employability. This talk from Rob Woodward CBE FRSE, Chair, Met Office & Former CEO, STV Group PLC, entitled School Desk to Board Table: My Career in the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Sector, has some interesting insights about things he wishes he’d known when he was at school, and why the skills students are learning now could take them further than they think.
Just click the image below to view.
City of York Council Post-16 Guide
City of York Council has published its 2025-26 Post-16 Guide to support students leaving secondary school this academic year. You can view it here.
Post-16 open events
All Saints Sixth Form
All Saints Open Evening is Wednesday 19 November. You will need to prebook a talk with the Headteacher: https://allsaintsyork.npcat.org.uk/sixth-form/sixth-form-admissions/
Fulford School Sixth Form
Fulford School’s Sixth Form Open Evening is Thursday 20 November, 6.00 – 8.00pm
To book your place, please use the link: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/fulford-school
Askham Bryan College
Askham Bryan College has a series of open events throughout this term.
- Saturday 29 November – Open Morning
- Tuesday 16 December – Foundation Taster Event
For more information, have a look at their website.
Huntington School Sixth Form
Huntington School’s Open Evening is Tuesday 11 November 2025. Register via this link.
Joseph Rowntree School Sixth Form
Joseph Rowntree School is on Tuesday 18 November 2025.
York College
York College is hosting a number of Open Events during the 2025-26 academic year, as follows:
- 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.
Interested in a career in sport?
York Community Stadium is offering multiple opportunities this November to learn more about careers in sport. For more information, see the flyer below.
York Youth Council
York Youth Council is looking for representatives from each school for the City of York’s Youth Council. For more information, please visit www.york.gov.uk/yorkyouthcouncil or scan the QR code on the poster below.
National Saturday Art & Design Club
National Saturday Art & Design Club starts at York College on Saturday 8 November and there are still a few places left.
This is an exciting opportunity for students in Years 8, 9, 10 & 11 (age 13 to 16) the unique opportunity to study subjects they love for FREE, on a Saturday at their local university, college or cultural institution. The Club provides a welcoming space for young people to build their skills, develop their confidence, and discover pathways to further study and future creative careers.
The club runs from 8 November – 11 July 2026 on a Saturday morning from 10.00am-12.00pm.
For more information and to apply to join a club please visit this link: Join a Saturday Club – National Saturday Club
Carr Junior School governor vacancies
Carr Junior School governors are currently seeking enthusiastic new governor volunteers who are not parents/carers of the school (due to the current parent / non-parent ratio) to join the team.
They are specifically looking for expertise in business, finance, safeguarding, SEND and all aspects of education but do welcome interest from all communities and backgrounds.
If you are passionate about education or making a difference to the lives of children in our city and want an application form or to arrange a visit to our school, please contact clerk@elt.org.uk.
Online learning from Togetherness
Togetherness is a not-for-profit NHS emotional health team that provides online learning and training resources related to parenting, emotional wellbeing, and relationships. The following free courses are currently available using the access code: RAISE. Visit togetherness.co.uk/learn to find out more.
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.
