We’ve reached the end of my first full year as headteacher and what a year it has been. It’s been filled with academic success and student involvement in a whole variety of forms.
We started the year celebrating the examination success of our ex-students, including 2 being accepted to Oxford University. We’re really proud of all our students that work so hard to give themselves the platform they need in adult life.
As two cohorts of students left us, two new cohorts joined us in our Yr7s & 12s, who have shown to be an absolute credit to the school this year.
Some of our staff also began their learning journeys through the National Professional Qualifications or their Equa Education action research projects and our Teaching Assistants began their outstanding TA programme. Continued professional development is important to us, here at The John of Gaunt School, as we all continue to learn and better ourselves.
In September, the year started eventfully with our Yr7 students really starting to get to know each other on their PGL residential trip, our 50 strong drama group had their dress rehearsals for the school production and a large number of our students entered the first rounds of the national maths challenge competition.
These varied types of experiences have continued throughout the year, providing so many opportunities for our young adults here at The John of Gaunt.
We support the whole child through a wealth of opportunities such as
Work experience for Year 10 & 12
Exam success support evenings
University visits to Bath, Cardiff, Bristol and Oxford, including the Brilliant Club, where 18 of our Yr7 & 8 students have recently graduated after completing research projects with a PhD scholar
We also support our academic curriculum by providing experiences such as
Science trips to Bath and specialist events
Geography trips to Studland, Bath, Bristol Harbour, Durdle Door
Astronomy evenings on Cley Hill
Our students have entered public speaking events & participated successfully in the ESU Shakespeare competition.
There have been opportunities to attend stage performances both in school and on trips to Bath Royal theatre and Bristol Old Vic.
Sit in on trials at Bristol Crown Court & Bath Magistrates' court
There have been lantern workshops,
Living history experiences and
Maths multi-secondary HAP enrichment school event organized by JoG
Our extra-curricular experiences have also provided a range of events for our students this year including
Carol service & Christmas discos
Premier League, T20, netball, super league sports events
Williams Formula 1 visit
Mendip ski centre
Not to mention trips abroad.
Barcelona Netball tour
History trips to London and Berlin
MFL Yr8 French trip
Students have now signed up for Peru in 2026
And we are proud of our provision for our local community through our primary master classes, of which I understand the importance and exciting opportunities for our young people as a governor of a local primary school.
Primary football league
I think you will agree, here at The John of Gaunt, our students get a great deal!
The core of our community school are our values of Kindness, Positivity & Belonging. These are a constant focus throughout the year in our assemblies, through our Character Education Programme and our weekly celebrations with students, where nominated students from each year group meet me to recognise their positive behaviour and attitude to learning. Our students love gaining their fast-track canteen passes as well!
Our determination to strive for ‘Excellence Every Day’ is engrained at The John of Gaunt School. Our expectations of ourselves, as educationalists and of our students are high. This is recognised in our very successful, ‘Good’ Ofsted report that acknowledged so many elements that make our school so special. Our pastoral and safeguarding team were described by the Inspectors as, ‘formidable’ and our Directors of Learning left no doubt that our curriculum has been developed and refined to a high standard, ensuring all students can access the learning and flourish as they progress through the years. The fact that our students are so welcoming and proud of The John of Gaunt and the inspectors saw no low-level disruption at all clearly demonstrates our community spirit and our drive for excellence in all that we do. To this end, the progress our students make, when they apply themselves, is excellent.
It’s been such a positive year that has flown by and as we say goodbye to this year’s Year 11 and 13 students, I remind them to reflect on all the good times they had at The John of Gaunt School. They must always remember this, “Once a JoG student, always a JoG student” and we look forward to seeing them soon to hear of how they are forging their future pathways.
On Monday 8th & Tuesday 9th July, 48 year 10 students travelled to London with Ms Davison, Mr Gray, Mrs Mason, Mr Stallworthy and Mr Francis for a history visit to support their GCSE History studies.
To start the trip off, we re-enacted the Derek Bentley trial at the Royal Courts of Justice - with students taking the parts of barristers, solicitors, witnesses and the jury - some even in gowns and wigs! We followed this up with a river cruise down the Thames from Tower Bridge to Westminster pier - we were lucky enough to see the famous Tower Bridge “lift” to let through a “Tall Ship” sailing boat. After a quick trip back to the hotel to sort our rooms, we were off to dinner at Frankie and Bennie’s and then on to the East End for a Jack the Ripper night walk.
After a good breakfast, we headed off to the London Dungeons to find out about Sweeney Todd, the Gunpowder Plot and the witch trials. Mr Gray was released from the cage without charge and Mr Stallworthy narrowly escaped a close shave with some rather nasty instruments of torture! Our final visit was to the Tower of London, where students found out about its role as a royal prison - “hosting” Anne Boleyn, Sir Walter Raleigh and Lady Jane Grey, amongst others.
The students were a credit to themselves and the school and great fun was had by all, whilst at the same time, extending knowledge of the history of Crime and Punishment for Paper 1 of the GCSE exam.
A big thank you to the staff who accompanied the trip.
The John of Gaunt School, along with many schools in the area, have been contacted by the organisation Rehab 4 Addiction with the aim of raising awareness of services available in the local area.
"GET YOUR WRISTBANDS READY!" John of Gaunt School Productions invites you to watch its 2024 Whole School Show "Out of Power". What is a farmer to do when they're up to their eyeballs in crop-rotation and cattle feed...host a music festival! Does Michael Elvis (Uh Huh) know how to host a music festival? No. Does that matter? Absolutely not! So come along on the 15th and 16th of October to watch the chaos ensue! Only, look out for cow-pat....
(Playlist includes: Dance the Night Away, Texas Hold em, Bet That You Look Good on the Dance Floor, Uptown Funk...to name a few!)
Period Products for the summer!
On Wednesday, we held our first giveaway of sanitary products – including sanitary pads, tampons, period pants and toiletries. This was a great success with a huge number of students across the key stages attending and taking a variety of products home with them for summer.
Given the success and uptake of this event, we will aim to run them more regularly during the next academic year.
Students have been reminded that they can access these products from the medical room and pastoral team throughout the academic year should they need them. Whilst this was shared during lunchtime with students, it is important for parents and carers of any student who took the Modi Bodi period pants to carefully read the packaging/care instructions on the website linked here: https://www.modibodi.co.uk/pages/washing-and-care
Many thanks, Miss Martin & Miss Moger
On Tuesday 2nd July I had the pleasure of taking a group of Year 7 and Year 8 students to the University of Bath for their graduation of the Brilliant Club course. They have been working hard since the start of April. The programme involved the following:
Students work with a university researcher in small groups to give them experience of what it’s like to study at university.
Students learn beyond the curriculum; PhD tutors will share their subject knowledge and passion for learning. This will stretch and challenge students as they develop their academic skills.
At the end of the programme, students complete a final assignment of between 1000 and 1500 words. This is marked using the university grading system and allows students to show the progress they've made.
This involved the students from each year group working with a PhD Tutor on a project as part of The Scholars Programme.
At the graduation event, all students got a chance to be with other schools that had been involved in the programme and reflect on their experience. They also got a chance to action plan moving forward how they were going to use the skills learnt into there school and personal life. The students sat in a lecture theatre to get a feel of university life. They then had a tour of the university campus which they all really enjoyed. The day finished with an opportunity for a question and answer session with some students from the university.
It was lovely to hear quotes like ‘I am definitely going to try and get into Uni, I want to come here’ from our students. After that, the graduation started when all students collected their certificates. Four of our students spoke about their experiences in front of the whole group, and did The John Of Gaunt School proud. These students were Maci Beety, Maddie McDine, Henry Blowers and Edward Stacey.
The students who were involved on the day were:
Maddie M, Imogen B, Vanya R, Ian G, Clementine M, Jazz I, Elena F, Wiktor K, Michelle C, Edward S, Peter R, Solomon B, Michael H, Harrison B, Maci B, Henry B, Ashton H, Isaac W, Archie B, Alexander W, Ed H, Frankie G, Isla S, Eden P and Ella C.
A lovely day had by all.
The Expressive Arts Faculty OSCARS
On Wednesday 17th July, the Expressive Arts Faculty hosted its annual OSCARS evening. The presentation evening recognised the outstanding achievement, commitment and effort of students from all years in Art, Drama, Music, Photography and Art Textiles. 53 students were nominated for various awards. Everyone attending the evening was dressed in their finery.
As well as the awards, there were a range of wonderful performances to entertain the audience. Performances included a vocal arrangement of ‘Story of Tonight’ from Hamilton by a group of year 10 students and a piano performance by Stephanie Clarke in Year 9.
The evening culminated in the presentation of the highest achieving award, ‘The Faculty Fellowship Award’, which went to Jessica Blackburn and Charlie Wise, who have given many hours outside of lessons to concerts, shows and events since they were in year 7. We are now on the look-out for students to nominate for next year…could it be you!?
Well done again to all our winners! We wish all of our Year 11 and Year 13 leavers all the best.
Our fabulous year 7 group created Lino prints, which they hand cut themselves, in our art and photography session.
The Peru Trek Expedition mentioned above is open to our current year 8, 9, 10 and 11 students who intend joining the Sixth Form next year.
We hope this email finds you well. We are thrilled to extend a special invitation to your students and their families for an enchanting outdoor cinema experience at Trowbridge on Sunday, 28th July.
Get ready to be captivated by three of the most beloved family classics: Frozen, Jurassic Park, and The Greatest Showman.
Let the magic of these iconic films transport you to extraordinary worlds filled with unforgettable characters.
Embark on a heartwarming journey with Elsa, Anna, and Olaf as they discover the true meaning of love and sisterhood. Brace yourself for an adventure of prehistoric proportions in Jurassic Park, where you'll encounter the awe-inspiring dinosaurs that once roamed the Earth. And in The Greatest Showman, be inspired by the incredible story of P.T. Barnum and his extraordinary circus, featuring unforgettable performances and a sensational soundtrack.
We would be absolutely delighted if you could help us spread the word about this extraordinary event by featuring it in your esteemed school newsletter and displaying it on your noticeboard. By doing so, you will be giving your students and their families the chance to partake in a truly magical movie experience.
- Movies: Frozen, Jurassic Park, and The Greatest Showman
- Food: Mouthwatering burgers, hot dogs, popcorn, and a small bar will be available
- Seating: Bring your own chair or blanket for maximum comfort
We kindly request that you share this invitation with your students and their families, emphasising that everyone is welcome to attend this electrifying event. Should anyone require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Join us in creating unforgettable memories and a thrilling day of entertainment that will be talked about for years to come. Your support means the world to us, and we cannot wait to welcome your students and their families.