This week, KWS hosted the Inter-School Debating Competition, where we were joined by teams from St George’s, SJL and Roundwood. Students from Years 7-12 then engaged in debates about a range of motions (from the length of school days to the morality of zoos).
KWS won three out of four debates and came joint first! Sophie H and Flo C (both in Year 10) won the prize for best team, with Sophie then going on to impressively win the prize for best individual speaker!
Well done and thank you to all who contributed towards the event.
This week was Children’s Mental Health week and to support our students to maintain a healthy mind we displayed lots of self-help books that give advice on how to boost confidence and resilience, and nurture a sense of inner wellbeing. Here in the library we have books promoting healthy lifestyle choices and lots of literature outlining options for support for anyone feeling overwhelmed by circumstances or struggling with unhelpful thought patterns.
We’ve also displayed works of fiction that deal with the often complex themes around mental health. We believe this encourages our students to connect to fictional characters and allows them to see how problems can arise, and how they can be resolved. We hope that this will help them to reflect on their own mental health, and that of friends and family members, and to understand that asking for help and support is encouraged, and can really make a difference.
There are posters throughout the school with contact information for anyone who’d like to chat about any issues that are causing concern or worry.
We also marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day, with a wide-ranging choice of fiction and non-fiction books for those interested to learn more about the Holocaust and its impacts on both the individuals involved and society as a whole. And we even squeezed in a display to mark the Lunar New Year, the Chinese Year of the Snake.
We’re happy to announce that Olivia T in year 8 was the lucky winner of the “Where’s Winnie?” challenge, which was run in conjunction with the English department, to celebrate National Winnie the Pooh Day. Along with many others, Olivia enjoyed hunting out Winnie each day, and her name was drawn out of the correct answers, winning her a jar of runny honey and a Winnie the Pooh bookmark. Congratulations Olivia, and well done to everyone who took part.
KWS Talks has been officially released! Interviewing teachers, bringing you fresh perspectives, insightful conversations, and a touch of humour to brighten your day.
Have a listen now, and be sure to share it with someone who would find it enjoyable!
Earlier this month we welcomed hundreds of students and their families into KWS for our sixth form open evening. It was wonderful to see so many of our current year 11 students as well as new visitors to the school taking such an interest in the sixth form subjects and the opportunities provided at KWSixth. Students and parents visited the subject stands, spoke to sixth form staff and listened to a talk from Mr Martin, Mr Laing, Mrs Gardner and head students Becky Dowse and Tristan Havemann.
The application deadline for year 11’s is Monday 3rd February.
https://kwschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/6th-form-.jpg774808Chrissy Dickshttps://kwschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/smlogo.pngChrissy Dicks2025-01-24 11:30:102025-01-24 11:30:10Sixth form open evening 14th January
Did you know, the KWS Library offers a request service to all students and staff? If there’s a book you need for a course of study, a subject you’re interested to learn more about, or if you’re desperate to discover what happens next for your favourite characters in the latest instalment of your best-loved series, come and talk to the library staff, and we’ll see what we can arrange. We can get books added to the eplatform in either print or audio, or we can order a physical print copy. And don’t forget, the eBooks can be converted to read aloud via the ‘immersive reader’ in the app. There are a multitude of ways to devour our books!
Over the last few weeks we’ve responded to requests for lots of sport-related books, including football, horse riding and golf – maybe in response to some sport-related new year resolutions? We’ve also added books to support our A level students, and those studying for their EPQ (extended project qualification), as well as the latest books in a long-running crime series, and a well-loved fantasy collection.
So, do come and have a chat with us if there’s a book we don’t currently stock that you’d like to read. We’re very keen to support both reading for purpose and for pleasure.
Last week, three more students demonstrated their willingness to challenge themselves further, going above and beyond their school work, to complete the Academics Programme.
Well done to Jack H (8) for completing PE, Gideon S (8) for completing Maths and Joie F(9) for completing Science. These students have been awarded the title of ‘Academic’ within their subject and can proudly wear their corresponding badge as a result.
This will give them access to a number of opportunities during the summer term as well as being an impressive addition to future applications for school roles.
If you have any questions about the Academics Programme, please feel free to email me directly. I look forward to seeing the next wave of students attempt the challenge! –
We are delighted to announce that our Senior Concert will be taking place on February 6th 2025 at 7pm. The evening will feature a range of performances from our Senior Choir and Orchestra, as well as solos and duets from students on our GCSE Music, Drama and BTEC Performing Arts courses in year 9 and above.
The evening promises exceptional performances, and all proceeds go to support the work of the Performing Arts department.
Doors open at 6.30pm and a licensed bar is available. Tickets are available through our box office via the following link.
https://kwschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/spring-concert.jpg12001600Chrissy Dickshttps://kwschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/smlogo.pngChrissy Dicks2025-01-24 11:29:452025-01-24 11:29:45Senior Concert – 6th February
Katherine Warington School is thrilled to announce its upcoming school production of the Broadway and West End hit musical Legally Blonde. This exciting event will showcase the incredible talents of our students, particularly those from the newly established Level 3 Performing Arts course.
Our production of Legally Blonde will feature standout performances from students who have been honing their skills in our Level 3 Performing Arts course. This programme, introduced this academic year, has already proven to be an environment nurturing exceptional talent. The students have been working tirelessly to bring this vibrant and energetic show to life, and their dedication is sure to shine through in every performance.
Get Your Tickets Now!
Don’t miss out on what promises to be a spectacular show! Tickets for Legally Blonde are now on sale at www.create-herts.co.uk. Be sure to secure your seats early, as this is an event you won’t want to miss!
Dates: Thursday, 27th March – Saturday, 29th March 2025
We are delighted to announce that we have moved our social accounts onto the Bluesky platform and you can keep up to date with our events, shows and trips by visiting our new profile at @create-kws.bsky.social or you can just click on the link!
https://kwschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/bluesky.jpeg12001600Chrissy Dickshttps://kwschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/smlogo.pngChrissy Dicks2025-01-24 11:29:292025-01-24 13:28:59Performing Arts are on Bluesky!
On Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd January, 90 pupils from Yr11 visited the Radlett Reform Synagogue as part of their Jewish Beliefs & Practices module within GCSE Religious Studies. It was a great opportunity to experience some of the things that have been studied, and will hopefully aid pupils in their GCSE exam in May. Pupils used the visit to ask questions about Judaism in today’s society and to learn more about the different ways Judaism is followed in Reform and Orthodox communities. Pupils also got to see first hand what it was like to use some of the articles of faith such as the tallit (prayer shawl), as well as having a close up look at a Torah scroll that was nearly two hundred years old and that had been hidden from the Nazis in Czechoslovakia during the Holocaust.
