A message from Mrs Rothenburg
We’ve had a great week once again here at Millthorpe, with a focus on careers, progression, aspiration and success.
On Tuesday we held our annual Careers Fair for students in Years 7-10. As ever, 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. Our visitors were overwhelmingly positive, commenting on our students’ confidence, curiosity and ambition for their futures. You can read more below.
On Tuesday and Thursday, Year 11 students attended Taster Days across a number of post-16 providers where they enjoyed finding out more about their options after they leave school. It has been lovely to hear all about their experiences and see their excitement and enthusiasm about their next steps. The timing of these visits has been ideal, helping students to focus as they prepare for their PPEs, which begin on Monday. Full information, including the exam timetable can be found here.
Year 9 students have been finding out about their subject options this week as they prepare for their transition to Key Stage 4. They have shown high levels of respect in all assemblies this week and enjoyed learning about all the different courses on offer at Millthorpe. Thank you to all our subject leads for their input. Year 9 families should have received a letter about the Progress and Options Evening, which will be held on Wednesday 28 January. We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone into school. You can find the Options information on our website.
On Wednesday, a group of Year 10 and 11 students visited York St John University, where they learned all about university life, the variety of courses available at higher education institutions across the country and student finance. We are very grateful to the York St John team for hosting such an informative and inspiring visit.
This week, our enrichment activities have resumed. It is wonderful to see continued high attendance at the sessions and witness the enjoyment as students do something they love or try something new. Full information about enrichment sessions for this term can be found on our website.
Congratulations to those students who came along to Principal’s Breakfast today, including Jack, Joe, Milo, Kerry and Henry.
Wishing everyone a great weekend! We’ll see everyone back in school on Monday for a ‘B’ Week.
With best wishes,
Kavina Rothenburg
Principal
Dates for your diary
- Monday 19 January – Friday 6 February: Year 11 PPEs
- Wednesday 28 January: Year 9 Progress and Options Evening
- Wednesday 11 February: School closes for half-term break
- Monday 23 February: 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:
Conversation starters
Students have begun a geometry topic including area and perimeter. 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 – 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 can be asked about the reactivity of elements of 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 – Global
Conversation starters
- Computing: We are looking at how and why computers use binary. We are looking at how to convert binary numbers into denary numbers and vice versa and how to add binary numbers together.
- French: We are continuing our topic of ‘holidays’ in preparation for our reading and listening assessments this half term. Can your child revise the vocabulary to talk about holidays in French?
- German: We are finishing our topic of ‘childhood’ in preparation for our listening and reading assessments this half term. Can your child revise the vocabulary from this topic in German?
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 their 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 do 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?
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 changed activities. The boys are developing their skills in badminton and handball and the girls are developing their skills in football and netball. In GCSE PE students are busy revising and recapping topics from Paper 1 ahead of their PPEs.
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.
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 more than 20 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:
“It’s a pleasure to attend, as always. You have some lovely students!”
“Our team had a great day, and it was great to see how genuinely interested the students were – they are a credit to the school.”
“Your students are so polite and engaging, and were really inquisitive and genuinely interested in our work.”
“We really enjoyed the day and as always, we were impressed with how polite and engaged the students were.”
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, Indigo Greens, Siemens, North Yorkshire Police, SYSTRA, Transpennine Route Upgrade, British Library, Aviva, York St John University, Army, Benenden Health, Derwent Training, Middlethorpe Hall, NHS, Gleeds, Flamingo Land, Tesco, Quickline, Borthwick Institute for Archives, HMP, Fera and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
Ramadan 2026
We are aware that the Holy Month of Ramadan begins on 17/18 February and want to ensure that our Muslim students are supported during this important time. If your child intends to observe Ramadan in any way, please can you complete this very short Google Form.
All students will receive a Culture Curriculum session during Form Time to explain Ramadan, and how students not observing it can support any peers and friends who are.
Job of the Week – Ergonomist
Ergonomists work to ensure safety and efficiency of equipment through research and design. The job is all about exploring the relationship between people and the things they use. Ergonomists work in a wide range of sectors and their roles usually tie into product design. You will normally need a degree in Ergonomics, Human Factors or similar, and postgraduate qualifications in this area are looked on very favourably.
Watch this video for more information about becoming an Ergonomist.
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 -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.
Last weekend, The Golden Globe Awards took place, recognising excellence in film and television, so this week’s talk focuses on screen industry careers. You will hear from a diverse panel of early career starters across a range of roles, such as Animation and Film & TV to VFX and Games. They discuss their trials and tribulations, what they love most about the industry and what drives them. Discover what it’s really like to work in screen and gain insight into different pathways into the industry.
Just click the image below to view.
Yorkshire Mentoring – advice and support for parents/carers
Yorkshire Mentoring is hosting an informative session focused on serious youth violence, crime and gangs, specifically designed for parents and carers. The session will take place at York High School on 22 January from 6.00-8.30pm.
Free concert tickets
York Guildhall Orchestra in partnership with York Music Hub is offering free tickets to York school children for students and a parent/carer to attend their next concert at York Barbican on Sunday 8 February at 3.00pm.
To request your free ticket, please complete this form.
#WakeUpWednesday – Digital devices and wellbeing
This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide helps parents and educators understand how digital devices affect children’s wellbeing and how to promote healthier habits.
Digital devices are woven into everyday life for children and young people, but balancing the benefits with potential risks can feel challenging. This #WakeUpWednesday guide explores how screen use can influence sleep, emotional regulation, physical health and online experiences, offering clear context around why concerns about wellbeing are growing.
Written with schools and families in mind, the guide shares practical, realistic advice for setting boundaries, encouraging open conversations and building digital literacy. With insights from an experienced mental health professional, it supports adults to help children develop healthier, more mindful relationships with technology.
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.