Weekly email – 23 January 2026

A message from Mrs Rothenburg

Wishing everyone a great weekend! We’ll see everyone back in school on Monday for an ‘A’ 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

Attendance

At Millthorpe, we are committed to giving every pupil the best possible opportunity to thrive – academically, socially and personally. Regular attendance plays a vital role in helping students feel confident, connected and successful at school. Before the Christmas break we saw a dip in attendance, and whilst levels have increased a little since the beginning of this term, we would like our attendance figures to be better still.

Being in school every day allows your child to enjoy all that Millthorpe has to offer: building knowledge and skills, developing friendships, exploring interests, and shaping future aspirations. Showing up every day helps young people develop important life skills such as resilience, responsibility and routine – an investment that supports their future wellbeing and success.

When your child is unwell
We understand that from time to time, young people are genuinely unable to attend school. If your child is feeling slightly under the weather, we encourage you, where possible, to send them into school and let us know how they are feeling. Often, once students are settled in lessons and spending time with friends, they begin to feel better and benefit from the normality and support that school provides.

Supporting wellbeing and mental health
We also know that some parents and carers may have concerns about their child’s mental health. Please be reassured that you do not have to manage this alone. If you are worried, let us know so we can work together to support your child. School is a warm, inclusive and supportive environment, and for many students, attending regularly helps maintain positive routines, social connections and emotional wellbeing. Prolonged absence can sometimes make returning to school feel harder, so early communication and joint support are key.

Why attendance matters
Research shows a strong link between regular attendance, achievement and future opportunities. Even small amounts of missed learning can add up – missing just ten days of school in a year (95% attendance) means around 50 hours of learning are lost, which can be difficult to catch up. Attending every day helps your child make the most of their learning and move confidently towards their goals.

Working together
We value our partnership with parents and carers and are keen to work together to ensure attendance remains strong throughout the year. If you or your child are experiencing any difficulties, please talk to us as early as possible. We have dedicated staff who can offer support, and where needed, we work closely with external agencies to ensure families receive the right help.

Letting us know about absences
If your child is unable to attend school, please contact us by 8.30am to let us know the reason for their absence. You can call the School Office on 01904 686400, or if you are unable to call, email attendance@millthorpe.elt.org.uk. If we do not hear from you, a member of our Progress Leader or Attendance Team will get in touch, as we have a responsibility to account for every child’s absence.

Thank you for your continued support in helping your child attend school regularly and make the most of their time at Millthorpe.

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:

• French: Students are continuing their topic about their identity, and learning to talk about their style, the music they like and their friends. Can they tell you what they are going to do and what they are going to wear this weekend? Their assessment this half term will be listening and translation, so they should focus on these skills.
• Computing: We will be looking at how and why we use hexadecimal and how to convert hex numbers to binary and vice versa.

• History: Did Hitler intend WWII? Students will be weighing up the arguments of historians and finding evidence for and against this interpretation of History.
• RE: We have started a new unit this term, titled The Holocaust – Where was God? We are starting by examining the history of antisemitism, identity, prejudice and discrimination.
• Geography: Why is the Middle East an important world region? How is Dubai developing sustainably?

• Drama: Devised Drama – Students are continuing working on their final devised drama performance for this unit, working with undergraduate students from York St John University to produce a devised performance which they will perform at the University in the Creative Centre on the evening of 6 February as part of their ‘Co-Create Festival’. Nearly there now!
• PE: In core PE, students have moved onto their next block of activities. The boys are developing their skills in badminton and handball. The girls are developing their skills in football and netball. In GCSE PE, students are learning about the respiratory system and how exercise impacts our breathing.
• Music: Students are studying jazz and blues exploring swing rhythms, blues scales, seventh chords and improvisation.

• Fine Art: Students are finalising both Component 1 coursework projects (‘Identity’ and ‘Sense of Place’) ready to hand in on Friday 30 January. The 2026 exam paper was handed out on Monday 12 January so the preparation period for Component 2, the AQA Externally Set Assignment (exam) has started. All lessons will be focused on exam preparation (see schedule on Google Classroom). Students will spend the next 12 weeks developing a personal response for one question. The support of parents/carers is invaluable during the preparation period. You can help by discussing initial ideas for questions, listening to your child explain their ideas, supporting your child with photographic studies and if possible, ensuring they have quiet space to create samples and develop their personal response(s) at home. Reserving time during the February half term to complete development work would also be supportive.
• Engineering: Students are now near the end of the Unit 1 coursework (worth 40%) and have been preparing for their PPE mock exam. If it isn’t already, they need to get their Card Roller finished during Wednesday lunchtimes and/or after school on Fridays. Unit 1 often has the majority influence over their final qualification in Engineering. The folders for Unit 1 and 2 are available on Google Classroom, as is the full course Rubric (guidance on how to complete the coursework and revise). Please ask them to show you their folder and encourage them to work on completing tasks.
• Food Preparation and Nutrition: students are completing their technical trials for their NEA 2 coursework task. It is crucial that students are organised with their ingredients for these trials, the dates are posted on Google Classroom. Students also have the dates of their final practical exam between 16-18 March.
• Graphics and 3D: students have just started their Component 2 project which is worth 40% of their GCSE grade. The briefs were launched after Christmas and students are currently researching their themes including taking their own photos for inspiration ready to begin studying the work of their chosen artists/designers. The project culminates in a 10-hour exam where they will make their final designed product(s). Students need to be working really hard to keep up to date with their work as it is a very tight timeline set by the exam board.

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.

Year 8s enter the Interform Challenge

Last week our competitive Year 8s took on their first Interform Challenge – dodgeball! Miss Lansdall took the reins with independent and unbiased adjudicator, Miss McCartney, ensuring that all was fair. Our Year 8 families will know how competitive our Year 8 forms are and this challenge only increased their drive for success and the top spot!

Miss Ramplin and the Year 8 team were impressed with the amount of students putting their names forward not just for dodgeball but for all the upcoming Interform Challenges. We cannot wait to see which form comes out on top each week and celebrate the success of each student who takes part.

Miss McCartney commented how impressed she was with the team work, the laughter and the competitiveness of each student and what a great way this was to start her day.

Congratulations to Miss Lansdall’s form who won the first competition. As a PE teacher her form had extra pressure to deliver, well done!

Next week’s competition is led by Miss Ramplin with her General Knowledge Quiz and she will not go easy. A tip for her Year 8s: One of her favourite game show competitions ‘Don’t just watch the ads, win them’ will be her inspiration.

Duke of Edinburgh

A reminder that the deadline for applications to complete the Bronze (Year 9) and Silver (Year 10 and 11) Duke of Edinburgh Award is Friday 30 January. All deposits, medical information and application forms must be completed by this time. Deposits can be made on ParentPay and applications/medical forms need to be returned in an envelope to the main office with Mr Wright’s name on the envelope. Thank you.

DofE Bronze Award meeting

Can all students who have signed up to complete the bronze DofE in Year 9 come to the main hall at 3.30pm on Tuesday 27 January. The meeting is for students only and should last approximately 30 minutes.

At the meeting we will show students how to log on to the eDofE website and how to complete the relevant sections of the Award. Students in Years 10 and 11 who have enrolled onto the Silver Award do not need to attend unless they have not completed the Bronze Award.

Sports Leaders take the reins in PE lessons

Over the last couple of weeks, some of our Year 9 Sports Leaders have been into Dringhouses Primary and Poppleton Road Primary to teach Year 4 pupils multi skills activities.

Our Sports Leaders went into the children’s PE lessons where they were given an activity to teach. Each leader then taught the activity to a group of six pupils before the group then moved on to their next activity, so in total the leaders taught five groups of students during the lesson.

Our students gained some valuable leadership skills by leading these sessions and although Miss Lansdall was there in a supervisory capacity, she did not get involved in the lessons. This meant that the leaders really benefited from leading their own activities, gained some volunteering experience and increased their confidence.

Miss Lansdall said “The Sports Leaders who have been in the primary schools so far have been brilliant! They have shown such enthusiasm, positivity and some quick thinking to make their activities more challenging or easier to help the students. It was so nice to see them blossom into these incredible leaders, who have become so confident in leading sessions. The kids absolutely loved the sessions from the leaders, so they should all be proud of the sessions that they have led. I’m looking forward to our return visits to both schools over the next couple of weeks with some more of our Sports Leaders.”

Well done to Chloe, Amelia, Ethan, Harry, Sophie, Agatha, Mollie, Seth and Theo who have all been a real credit to Millthorpe.

Maths team news

We would like to take this opportunity to send Miss Rhodes our best wishes as she begins her maternity leave today. We have the pleasure of welcoming Ms Mullis to the maths team and are very much looking forward to working with her over the next year.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this change or your child’s progress in maths please email admin@millthorpe.elt.org.uk and the appropriate person will respond.

Thank you for your support.

Dropping off and collecting your child from school

The vast majority of families driving their children to and from school do so with care and consideration; we would urge everyone giving children lifts to drive, stop and wait safely and legally at all times. In particular please do not pull up or wait immediately outside the school gates, on zigzag (no stopping) lines or double yellow lines.

Note that waiting, stopping or parking on double yellow or zig-zag lines is prohibited according to the Highway Code and you could be fined for doing so.

The roads around the school become very busy at the start and end of the school day. Where possible, we encourage families to drop off or collect children a short distance away from the school gates and allow them to walk the remainder of the journey. Unless your child has an injury or mobility difficulties, walking a few extra metres can make a significant difference to safety and traffic flow, while allowing you to park legally.

Please also note that the entrance on Southlands Road is generally quieter and easier to navigate than the other two entrances.

Thank you for your continued support in helping to keep our school community safe.

Assembly Shout Outs

This week’s Assembly Shout Outs are from Ms Longbottom in Music and recognise individual students or groups and how they have demonstrated one of our core values. This week’s shout outs go to:

Year 7
William K and Ben W for confidently playing in Brassish and holding their own with a lot of Key Stage 4 students.

Year 8
Josephine G for practising piano during every spare minute in school.

Year 9
George L and Eilidh G for joining the school orchestra even though it can be an intimidating ensemble to access in the first rehearsal.

Year 11
All of Year 11 Music – this class are absolutely incredible. Their attitude and dedication to practice is inspiring and I love teaching them!

Please note that a small number of other students received shout outs but due to permissions we are unable to publish their names – well done to them too!

Careers programme – a call for support

As part of our Careers programme, we are committed to providing students with information and knowledge about a wide range of careers that are available to them once they have left school. This is especially pertinent to careers within our local community. As such, we would welcome any parents/carers or Millthorpe alumni who would like to come into school and talk to, or work with, our students in lessons about their profession and expertise in their chosen area. This would be either talks to small groups, or showcasing their skills to the students.

If you are able to support the school, please contact Miss Watts E: s.watts@millthorpe.elt.org.uk in the first instance.

Sports round-up – PE department

Netball round-up

Millthorpe U14 A&B vs Fulford U14A
Results:

• Millthorpe U14 A 13 – 4 Fulford A team
• Millthorpe U14 B 7 – 9 Fulford A team

Players of the match:

• A team: Agatha P
• B team: Amelia AucAkland

Miss Watts and the PE department are really proud of the way that the girls worked hard throughout the game to try and incorporate tactics that they have worked on in training into each game.

Millthorpe U13 vs Brayton
Result: Millthorpe A team 2 – 14 Brayton
Player of the match: Edie M

The Year 8s had their first match of 2026 against Brayton Academy. The A team had a battle on their hands with Brayton starting two new shooters who were amazing! Our defence did an amazing job as the score could have been higher.

Result: Millthorpe B team 7 – 3 Brayton
Player of the match: Pearl M

The B Team started the game strong and continued throughout, leading the first half 5-2. The girls continued to fight and push to win 7 – 3, our attack was confident and precise and it showed in the score.

Girls’ football round-up

Millthorpe U12s vs Joseph Rowntree U12 
Result: Millthorpe U12 0 – 2 Jo Ro

This was the Year 7s first ever football match for Millthorpe, and the girls played with their hearts on their sleeves and gave it a really good go. They played some good football and defended really well, stopping Jo Ro getting shots on goal. The matches for Year 7 are now coming thick and fast – we have lots coming up in the next few weeks!

Millthorpe U13 vs Joseph Rowntree
Result: Millthorpe 1 – 0 Jo Ro

A massive congratulations to the U13 girls’ football team as they beat a strong Jo Ro team 1-0! They played some really good football and showed a very good defensive display. Player of the match went to Daisy W, who has excelled since joining up with the team a year above her! Well done all!

Millthorpe U13s vs Archbishop Holgate’s School
Result: Millthorpe 5 – 3 AHS
Players of the match: Daisy W and Erin A

The match against AHS was incredible! Lots of lovely football was shown by both sides and it was such an open game. The girls did incredibly well, with some fantastic goals scored by Erica and Erin and we could have scored even more if it wasn’t for some great saves from the AHS goalkeeper. This was a great win to get us another three points in the league, and we look forward to our next league game against Tadcaster in the near future.

Roman Roots

Next Thursday, 29 January, students will step back in time with Roman Roots in the dining room, as our catering partners host their latest themed menu day.

Roman Roots will feature Roman and traditional Italian food, with variations on popular foods with an authentic twist. It promises to be as educational as it is tasty!

York Art Camps

Greg McGee, Director of York-based charity, New Visuality, runs Art Camps in York during the school holidays and provides free places for pupils who receive Free School Meals.

Greg said “Some Millthorpe pupils attended the latest Art Camp where they explored their creativity and had lots of fun. They were great to work with!”

Art Camp will be running again over the Easter holidays – all information will be available via the HAF (Holidays Activities Food) portal.

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 – Family Support Worker

Family support workers offer practical and emotional help to families that are struggling with short or long term difficulties such as bereavement and domestic abuse. Social workers often refer families to support workers so they can work together to help empower families to make difficult decisions and improve their situation. As a support worker you would manage your own caseloads and be required to visit families at home and in the community.

Employers tend to look for a minimum of a Level 3 qualification in childcare, social work, health, counselling or other related courses. Apprenticeships are also available.

Watch this video for more information about becoming a Family Support Worker.

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.

This week is Big Energy Saving Week so we thought this talk ‘A Career Building A Green Energy Future’ from the Infrastructure Industry Foundation would be fitting. Infrastructure like rail, roads, water systems, fibre and power grids underpin our daily lives. Decarbonising our world requires building new, and adapting existing infrastructure, which brings with it the requirement for specialised staff. This talk looks at jobs in the infrastructure sector which offer an exciting opportunity to build this future.

Just click the image below to view.

Apprenticeship vacancies

York College is currently advertising a number of apprenticeship vacancies which can be seen on the attached pdf. Each vacancy has a hyperlink to the Apprenticeship Service website, where you will find full job details and where you can submit your application.

A note on closing dates: vacancies often close earlier than the stated date, so if you are interested, please make sure you apply as soon as you can.

You can also read the attached guidance on how to write a strong application to ensure the best chance of success.

York SEND Youth Forum

The York SEND Youth Forum is a group for children and young people aged 7-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who live in or are connected to York. The forum gives young people a chance to:

• Share their views and ideas.
• Meet other young people with SEND.
• Help improve services and support for children and young people in York.
• Take part in fun activities, discussions, and events.

If you or your child would like to find out more or are interested in joining the SEND Youth Forum, please contact us by email: jointpartnership@york.gov.uk.

Find out more.

York Eagles basketball sessions

York Eagles all girls community sessions begin on Friday 23 January at York College, from 5.30-7.00pm. Girls aged 8-14 and of all abilities are welcome to attend,

The York Eagles girls have had great success in the last few years, led by Millthorpians Maya Foulkes, Ava Lad and Danika Croft – why not give it a try?

The Dog House

Channel 4’s ‘The Dog House’ is looking for local families to offer a loving home to a rescue dog and share their reasons why on the show! If you’re interested, find out more here or email thedoghouse@fivemilefilms.co.uk.

#WakeUpWednesday – Roblox

Roblox is hugely popular with children, offering millions of user-created games and social experiences. This #WakeUpWednesday guide explains how the platform differs from traditional video games, and why its scale, self-rating system and automated moderation can expose young users to inappropriate content or unsafe interactions.

The guide explores concerns including online communication, in-game spending and compulsive play. It also shares practical advice on parental controls, limiting chat and encouraging open conversations, helping adults support children to enjoy Roblox more safely and responsibly.

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 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.