On Tuesday 23rd April, Kendrick students and staff celebrated Shakespeare's birthday in the now traditional annual-dressing-up-in-homage-to-the-bard-day manner.
More News.....BackOn the 18th April a group of 9 year 12 German students left school for what was to be an amazing experience. Accompanied by German teacher Frau Alderson and recently retired Frau Forman, we travelled by train to Gatwick Airport and from there, flew to Berlin.
I have been asked by many what we saw in Berlin, the question really is, however, what we did not see! After only a few days in the city we had already visited the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Hitler's bunker, the TV tower, the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie...to name just a few. We experienced life as a local, with little talk in English and making use of the public transport. On the last night we even went to the cinema to see a German film and were surprised at how well we understood the dialogue! There was also plenty of time set aside daily to practise for our upcoming oral exam which was a great help, our confidence and fluency in the German language definitely improved.
It really was a special trip, and I speak on behalf of all of us in saying we certainly learnt a lot, both about the language and the history of such a wonderful place. Many thanks to the teachers in organising it and I know that we all really fell in love with Berlin in just the short time we were there and all hope to return there in the future.
Abby King, Year 12 More News.....BackThank you to everyone who came and supported this year's joint Kendrick and Reading Air Ambulance Concert. It featured a selection of orchestral and choir pieces with students from both schools, and also included a talk from the Air Ambulance paramedics. Various shops and parents kindly donated raffle prizes and the raffle alone raised £588 for the charity.
The concert was a huge success with over 80 participants, which meant that there was hardly room for all the joint orchestra to be seated! To date the entire event has raised £2,670 and still counting. If you were unable to attend the evening but would still like to make a donation this can be done at www.justgiving.com/KendrickReadingConcert
Photograph by Tim North Photography
A link to the article in Get Reading is available hereFollowing the success of last year's concert, do come along to the second student-run Kendrick and Reading Air Ambulance Charity Concert. This year's will be on Friday 19th April at 7.30pm in Big School, Reading school. It will feature various orchestral pieces by composers such as Handel, Sparke and Bizet as well as some choir pieces, all organised by the student performers. There will also be a special talk from the paramedics at Air Ambulance about their work. We recommend a donation of £5 for tickets, available on ParentPay. More News.....BackHoli is the Hindu festival of colour. The festival is celebrated in a number of ways, including throwing coloured powder at each other.
This year, Holi was on Wednesday 27th March. During the week, Kendrick school celebrated in a number of fun and creative ways.
Traditionally, RANGOLI designs are made with coloured powder in courtyards to bring good luck. Year 7 decided to celebrate Holi by designing their own Rangoli pattern and drawing it outside the maths block in chalk.
More News.....BackAs part of our World Book Day celebrations this year, students in Year 7 were invited to take part in Readathon, which is a national sponsored reading event, encouraging children to read for pleasure, while raising money for seriously ill children.
All of the money raised by Kendrick School's Readathon is donated equally between CLIC Sergeant and Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity, where the money is spent locally, caring for children suffering from cancer, leukaemia and brain injuries.
The students were given just 2 weeks in which to read as many books as possible and collect sponsors and the total amount raised is an amazing £453.10 !
Well done to all of the students who took part by reading and thank you to everyone who supported and sponsored their efforts. More News.....BackOn Friday 22nd March Kendrick School had a visit from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education. Mr Chris Wormold visited the school and spoke with students and staff who were able to share their views and thoughts about key education issues, including funding for schools, curriculum reform, the future of GCSEs and A levels, capital projects and Ofsted. Mr Wormold assured us he would take back our views to the Department. It was an interesting couple of hours and a good experience for the students who were able to engage in converstation with a top civil servant about their school and views on education. More News.....BackOn 21st March five Year 8 students attended the AWE Girls Engineering Challenge in Tadley. They were asked to produce a weight-bearing apparatus, a marble run and an egg catcher from common materials, which were then tested by trained engineers from the AWE facility. The students produced innovative and well-constructed designs, working excellently as a team, and Kendrick School gained first place in the competition, winning £300 for the school and a solid metal shield. Congratulations to the students involved! More News.....BackEvery year for World Book Day the Library organises a variety of ways in which to celebrate the occasion and this year as well as giving every student the special book vouchers and organising a Readathon event for Year 7, students and staff were invited to test their ingenuity and creativity by writing a story using just six words. The inspiration for this was Ernest Hemingway, who famously won a challenge to write a story in just six words when he wrote:"For sale: baby shoes, never worn".
The response to this Six Word Story Challenge was staggering - an amazing 692 stories were received and the standard was extremely impressive. The stories were wonderfully diverse; some were sad and thought-provoking, others were witty and humorous and some were subject related and topical:-
Last train, silent platform, still waiting...
One night led to one mistake.
Blonde hair, blue eyes, black heart.
Eyes open, she lived in darkness.
One dream, one love, One Direction.
Oops. Wrong button! World ends. Sorry!
Loved by generations, sold for hope.
Death; that was just the start.
Egg lorry overturns. Emergency services scrambled.
No regrets. Except the things forgotten.
The value of x: forever unsolved.
Dorothy: " Screw it, I'm staying here."
The stories that the team of 6th form student librarians judged the best have been used to create a giant wall display in the library and a compendium of all the stories has been created to keep as a permanent record of the literary talents of everyone who took part.
There were prizes for every year group. More News.....BackOn Saturday 2nd March 2013, two teams from Kendrick school went to Reading Crown Court to compete in the Citizenship Foundation's Mock Trial competition. In order to participate in this event, students take on the roles of lawyers, legal advisors, magistrates, witnesses, ushers, court reporters and court artists. They are given a legal case, which they learn and rehearse, before competing against other schools in the real court setting. Both teams performed well and everyone enjoyed the day. Congratulations to Team 1, who came first and will be competing in the Regional Final on 11th May 2013. More News.....BackA sixth Form Student from Kendrick has been selected as a delegate at the UK German Youth Seminar in Berlin. The Reading Chronicle has reported on this and you can read it by clicking on this link. On Saturday 10th and Monday 11th March, Kendrick hosted the Regional Festival of The National festival of Music for Youth. Over 60 festivals, with over 5,000 entrants are taking place between February and April this year. On Sunday, Kendrick played host to groups from Berkshire Maestros, including Berkshire Youth Orchestra, Brass Band and Junior Bassoon Ensemble. On Monday, Kendrick's Junior Singers performed with many other choirs. We find out in May if Junior Singers go through to the National Festival, which is held in July in Birmingham's Symphony Hall.
The Spring Concrt is on Tuesday 26th March in the Hall at 7:00pm and will feature our newly-formed Choral Society (made up from parents, friends, old girls and staff), who willl be performing some of Handel's Messiah. Symphony and Chamber Orchestras will be performing, as will Sinfonia, Junior Singers, Wind Orchestra and Chamber Choir. Six students from Year 13 will be performing concertos too. Parents wishing to get tickets, please apply using Parentpay. More News.....BackKendrick Junior Singers took part in the choral day at the Woodley Festival on Saturday 2nd March, entering the 'Year 9 and Under' class. They sang two contrasting songs: 'Ching a Ring Chaw' by Aaron Copeland, and 'I am the Gentle Light', by Paul Mealor. The choir was up against stiff competition from Elstree School and Crossfields School, and the adjudicator said it was very hard to come to a decision. Our choir was complimented on its beautiful singing and good sense of harmonic climax, and the accompanist, Ka Yan Cheung, and soloist, Izzie Irvine, were given a special mention. The result was that the junior singers came second, by one mark. Well done! More News.....BackAll of Year 10 experienced an exciting and informative presentation from Dr Ben Littlefield from the University of Southampton on Monday 4th March on the applications of Science and in particular Chemistry in the real world. From flowers frozen by liquid nitrogen to explosions and colouful flame tests, there was a wealth of chemical knowledge shared in an entertaining way. More News.....Back On Thursday 14th February, we were delighted to host a Citizenship Ceremony at Kendrick School. This event is the final step in the process of candidates becoming British Citizens and where they make an oath of allegiance and a public and formal pledge. The Mayor of Reading, Cllr Jennifer Rynn, who officiated at this ceremony and along with the Superintendent Registrar welcomed the newly created British citizens in Kendrick’s School hall, said: “Citizenship ceremonies take place weekly at the Register office, however, taking the ceremony into the community and to a school means young people will observe new citizens undertaking the Oath of Allegiance to the Crown and making a pledge of commitment to the United Kingdom” The event was attended by our Year 9s as part of their PHSEE programme and the Chamber Choir opened the occasion. The proceedings were drawn to an end with singing of the National Anthem (lead by the Year 9 students) and the candidates and guests were served refreshments and cakes make by the students. This is an event we are planning to repeat as it was such a success.
More News.....BackWell done to all the students who played in the National School County Badminton Championship on 01/02/2013. The year 11 students came 1st and are through to the South East Regional round and the year 9 students came 2nd. The students were presented with medals and are worthy winners, conducting themselves politely and sensibly throughout the day. Congratulations! Miss Swaine More News.....Back On 23rd January Miss Swaine and Mrs Mason organised a group of 12 GCSE PE students to watch an international Netball match between England and Australia. We travelled by minibus to Wembley Arena and had 'the best trip of our life.' The girls who went were all in Year 10 and were those who had a big interest in Netball. We arrived at the Arena at 5.30pm which allowed us all time to eat dinner and get settled before the match was due to start at 7pm. The match was the second in a series of three with England having already won the first match - winning this game meant that England would have won the series. It was split into 15 minute quarters with a quick break between each quarter. I think it's fair to say, and everyone who was watching the match would agree, that it was very, very intense. The scores throughout the match were more or less even and it was impossible to call but we never lost faith in England! It really was a game where you couldn't miss a single second! Finally England managed to win the game 51-49, a very tight match but a well-deserved win for the Brits! The girls managed to watch high class netball live for the first time in their life and were able to go away and say that they watched England beat Australia - a very rare occasion! Everyone who went with us enjoyed themselves so much and is just waiting for the next netball match to be organised! We all learnt a lot from the match and the netballers really were fantastic role models and were people we, as sportswomen could aspire to be like. Year 10 Student More News.....BackDecember 2012 was a busy month at Kendrick with several events to share with you.
The annual inter-house dance competition culminated in two fantastic 'Evenings of Dance' where the winners were able to perform to a large and appreciative audience.
Speech day celebrated the achievements of last year's year 11 and 13 students included the presentation of GCSE and A-Level certificates as well as presentations of special awards with our guest speaker being Dr Victoria Coulson, a former student at Kendrick and currently a lecturer in American Literature at the University of York.
This was followed in the evening with an outstanding Christmas Concert which included a special contribution from the newly formed staff band and choir - 'No Direction'. The snow today is a timely opportunity to remind you of how we will communicate with you in adverse weather conditions.
In the event of extreme weather, every effort will be made for the school to open and remain open.
Individuals' decisions with regard to travel to school must be based on their assessment of local road and transport conditions.
In the event of closure, notification will be given as follows:
1. A notice on the school website ( www.kendrick.reading.sch.uk) by 6.30am 2. By email (to the address that this email has been sent to) 3. A message on the school telephone system (0118 9015859) 4. Local radio station updates
If there is no notification via the above communciation channels, then the default position is that the school is open as normal.
The weather situation will be reviewed on a day to day basis and the above communication channels will remain open.
More News.....Back Jubilee Time Capsule Presentation to HM The Queen.
November 14th 2012
A group of five students and members of staff from Kendrick School were privileged to be invited to attend the presentation of the Jubilee Time Capsule to The Queen at the Commonwealth Club, the headquarters of the Royal Commonwealth Society.
This event marked the culmination of the Royal Commonwealth Society’s project to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and recognise her 60 years as Head of the Commonwealth.
Over 37,000 people from 66 countries shared photos, videos, stories and memories of Commonwealth history. In all, there were over 80,000 entries, each a recollection of a particular day in the Queen’s reign.
Students at Kendrick School were involved in the project from an early stage and were part of a group of “Super Schools” committed to submitting a significant number of entries and also to promoting The Commonwealth and its history through themed lessons. Coordinated by the history department, most students in years 7, 8 and 9 submitted entries to the Jubilee Time Capsule during 2011 and 2012.
The top sixty Jubilee Time Capsule entries were chosen by a panel of judges from the 80,000 entries. These sixty entries, named “The Diamond (re)Collection” were presented to the Queen on a digital device and will be displayed in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle.
Kendrick School was one of five schools invited to the presentation because the entry of one of their students, Gabrielle McGuinness, was chosen as one of the top sixty to be included in The Diamond (re)Collection. Gabrielle, now a sixth form student, wrote a piece entitled “Land of Many Waters” recalling the journey of her grandparents and mother from England back to their home country of Guyana. The quality of her piece had already been recognised when she was invited to present flowers to The Queen at the annual Commonwealth Observance service in Westminster Abbey in March 2011 and also at the same service in 2012 when she carried the flag of Guyana in the traditional procession of Commonwealth flags which takes place at the beginning of the service.
Gabrielle was accompanied to the presentation by Miss Sally Collins, Deputy Head, history teacher Mrs Gillian Lyne and two Year 8 students who had also submitted high quality entries: Julie Ah-Kee and Julia Chadwick. They stood by large screens displaying their entries as The Queen walked round the exhibition talking to the winners.
This was a memorable experience for both the staff and students and a great honour for the school.
Ref: www.jubileetimecapsule.org
www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport
THURSDAY 15TH NOVEMBER 2012, 6.15pm to 8.15pm
Kendrick School welcomes new students into its Sixth Form and prospective entrants into Year 12 for September 2012 are invited to attend our Sixth Form Open Evening on Thursday 15th November 2012.
Kendrick is a Specialist Science, Maths & Languages Selective Girls’ School with Academy status and offers AS/A level courses in: Art & Design, Biology, Chemistry, Classical Civilisation, Drama & Theatre Arts, Economics, English Literature, French, Geography, German, History, Latin, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Physics, Religious Studies, Sociology & Textiles. In addition to AS/A Levels, an Enrichment Programme is offered comprising of GCSE Classical Greek, GCSE Spanish, AS Critical Thinking, Community Sports Leader Award (CSL2) and Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).
Guided tours and subject information will be available from 6.15pm to 7.45pm. There will be a talk by the Headteacher and Head of Sixth Form at 7.45pm and the evening will be finished by 8.15pm. A prospectus, entry requirements and application form will be available on the night.
Please enter the school through the East Street entrance. No appointment is necessary.
Please note that there is no parking available on the school site. The nearest public car parks are in Queen’s Road and the Oracle Shopping Centre.
More News.....Back
On Friday the 5th of October, Kendrick celebrated World Smile Day for the third time. We raised £488.56 for the charity Debra (which works on behalf of people with a genetic skin condition). This was raised through an own clothes day that was accompanied by various other activities associated with smiling. For example, Smile Cards with the words “Smile and pass it on!” were circulated around the school, with girls writing their names on the back upon receiving a card. One of these cards had 199 names on by the end of the day, showing that smiling really is contagious!
Lauren Cairns 13TC More News.....Back
By Sophie Tripp, Year 13
Following the success of Kendrick School’s Olympic Day and Jubilee picnic, it is natural that new Headteacher, Ms Christine Kattirtzi, would want to encourage and create opportunities for staff and students to come together and celebrate. This is undeniably a strength of Kendrick’s: we value our sense of community very highly, be it through charity weeks or whole school picnics. Thus, this year Kendrick will be celebrating its school birthday for the first time in ten years.
The celebrations will take place over two days, starting on Friday 21st September, when every Form will provide a birthday cake, which will first be entered in a cake competition and then shared in an extended lunch break (a whole school rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ is also planned) and ending on 22nd September, when Kendrick will welcome back past students for their part in the celebrations.
These days, marking Kendrick’s 135th anniversary, are planned to become annual events with bigger celebrations intended for note-worthy ages, such as the approaching 140th birthday. It is doubtless going to be something enjoyed by all, with such a range of students, past and present, plus of course the staff and a plentiful supply of cake!
All ‘old’ girls, however old or young, are warmly invited to join us for our celebrations on Saturday 22nd September between 2pm and 5pm. The Headteacher will speak at 3pm. Entrance to the event is via our East Street in East Street. Unfortunately, there is no parking available on the school site. More News.....Back
For Admission to Year 7 in September 2013
Present Year 6 students and their parents are welcome to visit the school for a tour and to hear an address by the Headteacher who will give a talk at 5.30pm, 6.30pm and 7.30pm. A current summary prospectus and application form will be available on arrival at the school. No appointment is necessary. Your visit is likely to take 1½ to 2 hours.
Please note there are NO parking facilities available on the school site.
Please click on this link for more information on Admission to Year 7 in September 2013.
Please be reminded that the cashless system at Kendrick School for purchases from the canteen at break and lunchtime will take effect from Tuesday 4th September 2012. Therefore, from tomorrow, the canteen will not be accepting cash at any time.
If your daughter is planning to purchase food or drink from the canteen, and you haven't already done so, please log onto your Parentpay account to credit her dinner money. If you are experiencing problems with your Parentpay account, then please contact finance@kendrick.reading.sch.uk. ;
The easiest and most preferable way to credit your daughter's dinner money account is by Parentpay; however, for one day only (Tuesday 4th September) cheques, made payable to Chartwells, can be deposited in the postbox in the canteen by 9am at the latest.
If you are still experiencing problems with crediting your daughter's dinner money account, we strongly recommend that she brings in a packed lunch until the account has been credited.
If you have any queries on the cashless system please email finance@kendrick.reading.sch.uk.
We are delighted with our GCSE results and once again our students have made us very proud. We congratulate and thank them for their excellent achievements and their very hard work and determination. Some these outstanding successes include five students who achieved 11 A*s, 16 students who achieved 10 out of 11 A* and 11 students achieved 9 out of 11A*!
Along with our A Level results, it is my very great pleasure to congratulate all our students for all they have done and achieved. My thanks and congratulations also go to the dedicated staff of Kendrick, who year on year, work so hard to teach and inspire our students in their learning. We are looking forward to the GCSE students returning as 6th formers in September and to all those who are leaving us to go to 6th Form College or university, we wish them well and continued success.
Christine Kattirtzi
Headteacher
GCSE Grade
% of Students
A*
57.5%
A* - A
88.5%
A* - B
97.4%
A* - C
99.8%
A* - D
100%
We are delighted to announce that our students have achieved a superb set of results this year with our A2 grades surpassing all records.
Grades achieved at A Level are as follows:
A Level Results
%
A*
30.6%
A & A*
76.4%
A* to B
93.3%
A* to C
98.9%
A* to E
100%
Congratulations to the students for these excellent results and achievements and a big thank you to the staff for all their hard work and dedication. More News.....Back
On 29th June Kendrick School held its own Olympic Day, prepared and organised by the PE Department. The day comprised the whole school taking part in a variety of activities which culminated in a Closing Ceremony showcasing what had been done by different groups during the day. Students and staff wore an Olympic themed T Shirt, designed by one of the 6th form and we watched with pride what students across the school had done. This included a Dance and Drama display, poetry reading, limerick writing as well as a newspaper report and photographs. We invited an Olympian, Nick Gillingham to join us for part of the day and Nick gave a motivational speech at the ceremony.
To read the newspaper report prepared by Year 7, 8 and 9 students, please click here. More News.....Back
On 1st June our Year 8 students designed and performed these formations to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
More News.....Back
Kendrick celebrated the Diamond Jubilee with a picnic and pageant on the front lawn. There is a lovely article and photographs on the Get Reading website. Click here to have a look. More News.....Back
We have received a video from Sangamitta Girls' School in Sri Lanka showing life in their school
Students from Kendrick School visited in Easter 2011 and donated funds raised by Kendrick to improve their school environment.
The video shows the equipment and environment improvements that they were able to achieve with the funds.
To see the video please use this link More News.....Back
We are delighted that Dr David Wright has been awarded the prestigious 2012 Royal Society of Chemistry Schools Education Award.
It has been awarded for his enthusiasm, commitment and inspiration in sharing his love and knowledge of chemistry with students, teachers and technicians leading to an increased understanding of the subject by many. It recognises the work that Dr David Wright has done at Kendrick School, our partner schools and within the wider community.
The Award will be presented to Dr David Wright at the RSC Awards Presentation evening in Birmingham in November 2012 with all of the other 2012 Royal Society of Chemistry Prizes.
We are delighted with this award which is very much deserved by Dr David Wright.
The school will be marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a series of events on Friday 1st June 2012. There will be a whole school picnic on the front lawn and towards the end of the picnic, there will be a pageant (procession) reflecting the various historical events and fashions through the decades since the Queen’s Coronation and at the end of the picnic we will be planting a Mulberry tree to commemorate the occasion.
There are various competitions being held in school and the judging will happen in the week leading up to the Jubilee picnic. Everyone will also be creating their own piece of bunting to decorate the front lawn on picnic day. More News.....Back
We are delighted that Kendrick School won the Regional Final of the Mock Trial competition on Saturday 12th May. This is an amazing achievement for us to get this far in the competition and for the second year running.
Congratulations to Miss Foster, the Sixth Form advisors and Year 9 students. We wish them all the very best of luck for the final on 16th June in Nottingham.
The drawing is by Court Artist Kosha Karnad. More News.....Back
Four Year 8 students won the Salters’ Chemistry Challenge at Reading University on 9th May 2012, beating off competition from 16 local schools. Katie Goddard, Louise Griffin, Hannah Qureshi and Sukanya Walhekar were judged on their scientific skill, teamwork and presentational skills during the challenge.
More News.....Back
On Monday 23rd April students and staff celebrated Shakespeare's birthday.
As this is an olympic year the theme was Shakespeare with an Olympic twist. There is an article in the Reading Chronicle this week and you can click here for a link to the article in the Reading Post. More News.....Back
We are delighted that our Faraday labs have been shortlisted in the final of the S-Lab Awards. Please click here to read the official press release. Further information on our Faraday Labs can be read by clicking here. We will know if we have been successful in June 2012. More News.....Back
Kendrick School and Reading School are holding a concert in aid of Air Ambulance on Wednesday 25th April at 7.00pm in the Kendrick School Hall, with a view to finishing sometime between 9.00pm and 9.30pm.
There will be music to please everyone’s tastes with performers from both schools. An Air Ambulance representative will be saying a few words and will be available to answer any more specific queries you may have. Refreshments and raffle tickets will be available in the interval.
Since 1999, the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance (TVACAA) has been responsible for funding and operating the Air Ambulance service for the counties of Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire (BOB). TVACAA receives no government financial backing; £2,000 is required for every mission, with an average of three missions per day. They are funded entirely by donations and gifts from the public.
In July 2011, a brother of one of the organisers, a student at Reading School, was involved in a very serious road traffic accident and suffered life threatening injuries. He was transported by air ambulance to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where he underwent major surgery and was later transferred to intensive care. He is now fully recovered, thanks to the excellent response from the TVACAA. This strong personal connection to the charity was the catalyst for this concert. By attending or, alternatively by making a small donation to the Air Ambulance, you can support this truly worthwhile life-saving cause.
The suggested donation for a concert ticket is £5.00 and can be purchased by calling Kendrick School on 0118 9015859. If you cannot attend but would like to make a donation to the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance, we would be very grateful and these payments can be made in the same way. Tickets will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. Should you require any special accommodations (e.g. for the disabled or hard of hearing) please let us know when you purchase your ticket.
If you would like to learn more about the Air Ambulance and the service they provide, you can visit their website at: www.tvacaa.org
For further details about the concert, or any other enquiries, please contact us at admin@kendrick.reading.sch.uk.
Our aim is to raise £2,000 for the TVACAA with this concert. With this money, we can save a life. How much is that worth to you?
In April 2012, Ms Christine Kattirtzi takes up her appointment as the Headteacher of Kendrick School. She is delighted to be taking up her new appointment and is looking forward to the future.
"As the new Headteacher of Kendrick, I am excited and look forward to leading the school. Before taking up this Headship, I was the Associate Headteacher of Kendrick and before that the Deputy.
My vision for the school is to lead, inspire, and make a difference to the lives of girls and young women.
….lead everyone to grow and contribute
….inspire staff students and parents to have a voice in the vision
….make a difference to people’s lives and the wider community.
As the Headteacher, I will safeguard the core values and traditions on which Kendrick is based, extend the excellence of the school and always grasp the opportunities to secure its future"
Click here for a link to the welcome letter from Ms Kattirtzi More News.....Back
On the 29th February 2012 Kendrick U13 went to the Berkshire hockey tournament at Wellington College. There were 16 teams entered from all over Berkshire and Kendrick won their group then went on to win the whole competition and qualified for the regionals.
Kendrick V Claire’s Court: 0-0
Kendrick started well and had most of the possession, despite having a few shots on goal we failed to score and the first ended 0-0, this was a bit of a disappointment but we were determined to take our chances in the next game.
Kendrick V Newlands: 1-0
This game was a little more even than the previous one; however the team did have a few chances and managed to score a goal when Frankie Hogge’s shot was saved by the keeper and Becci Rudd followed it up and scored. After the goal Kendrick never looked in danger of losing and ended the match as 1-0 winners.
Kendrick V Waingels: 0-0
This was another hard fought match where Kendrick, again, had lots of possession. Although -Waingels made a few breaks, Kendrick’s defence was solid and the match ended 0-0.
Kendrick V Kennet: 2-0
This match was quite one sided, Kendrick were improving as the tournament progressed and they played well as a team. Some very good attacking play resulted in goals from Nasya Munga and Frankie Hogge and another win for Kendrick.
Kendrick V St. Mary’s: 0-0
The next opposition for Kendrick was a good team who proved to be the most challenging so far but it was an even game with chances for both teams and the 0-0 result was probably a fair one.
This was the end of the group stages and Kendrick had secured a place in the finals by winning section A.
Semi Final- Kendrick V Holme Grange: 0-0 (won 1-0 on penalties)
Now, in the later stages, the opposition was getting tougher. Holme Grange played great hockey and had some good attacking chances but Kendrick defended really well as a team and played their best hockey yet, keeping a clean sheet. The match ended 0-0 and went to penalty flicks.
The penalty shoot out saw some excellent saves from both goal keepers. The Kendrick shooters came very close to scoring, Becci Rudd scored the penalty and thanks to Katie Goddard’s great goal keeping Holme Grange didn’t score any. Meaning that Kendrick won the shoot out 1-0 and progressed to the final.
Kendrick V the Abbey 0 – 0 Kendrick won 3 – 1 on penalties.
Kendrick met the Abbey in the final. The Abbey are always strong opposition and were no different on this occasion. They pushed hard for a goal and had a few corners but Kendrick defended superbly and again played well together. The match ended 0-0 and another exciting penalty shoot out began.
Kendrick had improved throughout the tournament and the penalty shoot out was no exception. Having only scored once in the previous shoot out Kendrick kept their best until last and scored three goals in this one with the other two being stopped by good saves from the goalie. The scorers were Frankie Hogge, Nasya Munga and Freya Leyland . Well done to all of the penalty takers.
The Abbey took two good penalties which were saved by Katie Goddard. The last two seemed unstoppable – one of them did prove unstoppable but “super goalie” Katie Goddard saved the other as it flew through the air. Kendrick won 3- 1 on penalties and had won the tournament!
More News.....BackWe are delighted that Kendrick has topped the Reading Borough's league tables this year.
This is due to the hard work of all the staff, students and the support of the parents.
For more information, please read the GetReading article via this link.
As there is a delay in departing, the estimated time of arrival is 1830hrs. More News.....Back
Participating in the Shakespeare Schools Festival has been a truly wonderful experience. The high standard of the production was set in mid-May when my co-director Annabelle Stephenson and I started auditioning girls in years 7, 8 and 9 for roles in “Twelfth Night”; we were blown away by the talent exhibited by every girl who auditioned and we struggled for days over who to cast in which role. It was clear that the effort had been worthwhile, however, when we began rehearsals – every role was done great justice and the girls were so enthusiastic. It was a joy watching the production develop with every rehearsal as each actress became more comfortable and familiar with her role and after rehearsing for a couple of hours per week since casting the roles we were ready for the performances on the 6th and 7th of October at Norden Farm theatre in Maidenhead. Both evenings went spectacularly and everyone gave their all to make the performances the best they had ever been. The cast was given special commendation by the Shakespeare Schools Festival coordinators for their excellent comic timing and impressive characterisation, plaudits that were well-deserved. Every member of the cast was a joy to work with and I feel that we became really close, with everyone putting in maximum effort in every rehearsal; although I now know how difficult teachers find it when students talk in lessons – who knew 13-year-old girls could talk so much?! We are currently rehearsing for our final 2 performances at South Street Theatre on the 21st and 22nd of November, and I will be so sad for the whole experience to end because I have learnt so much and enjoyed it thoroughly, and I am sure the girls have too.
By Maddy Harrison
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Kendrick School celebrates languages!
Kendrick School Language Specialism Week, which began on the 31st October, gave students and staff alike the opportunity to celebrate the learning of languages through the wide range of activities that were offered each day. During lessons, in break times, before and after school, students were able to broaden their understanding of both the languages and cultures they are learning about at Kendrick and also other linguistic and cultural features from around the globe.
Each morning, students enjoyed international breakfasts as part of their breakfast club. These included food from France, Germany, Spain and they even tried out the food that the Romans would have eaten which included honey cakes and dried fruit!
Honey cakes and dried fruit
Learning about hieroglyphics
Various guest speakers were invited to the school to take part in specialist activities, including Clare Coombe and Dr Ute Wölfel from the University of Reading. In these session students learnt about the secrets of hieroglyphics, as well as taking part in a discussion on contemporary German cinema.
Tuesday was a Modern Foreign Languages Enterprise day for all Year 10 students, which gave them the opportunity to work collaboratively and practise both their creative and linguistic skills. Teams of six were asked to design a language game suitable for a beginner Year 7 or Year 8 class learning French or German. After a long day’s work, many superb games were produced complete with packaging! Madame Dwyer, Head of French said ‘ It has been a very productive day. The students proved to be so creative and imaginative. The games they produced are of exceptional quality and went way beyond our expectations’
Wednesday included some Italian taster lessons, sessions in which Year 8 groups could try out Chinese drums, led by Mrs Hayes, and a highly competitive Language Committee quiz. In the afternoon a French physicist, Antoine Sirinelli, from Culham Science Centre, spoke to Year 13 classes on the topic of nuclear fusion within Europe and the value of being able to speak a foreign language in the current economic climate. After school, the European Film Club joined up with Reading Boys school to show the film ‘Jeux d’Enfants’.
During assembly on Thursday everyone sang ‘Summer Holiday’ in German, followed by ‘Old MacDonald’ in Latin! Year 8 were privileged to see a digital model of Rome, presented by the guest speaker Dr Nicholls. During lunch break there were strong feelings voiced in the debate on the subject ‘Should Britain leave the EU?’ To round the week off, Year 7 and 8 pupils had the chance on Friday to trial the games made by Year 10 on their Enterprise Day. Julie Alderson, Head of German, commented, ‘What a fantastic way to promote your subject! The fact that the Year 10 students have produced these games makes them extremely appealing to the younger year groups, who are so excited about trying them out. It has also made the Year 10s reflect on the different ways we all learn a language which in itself is of great value.’
Great fun was had by all and it was a chance for all Kendrick students to realise what the school has to offer in their Modern Foreign Languages’ and Classics’ departments.
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For our AS level Physics course, we had to visit a place that would offer relevant physics principles, which would in turn aide our practical work in class. Most of us did not know what to expect, in terms of the coursework, but I suspect many of us were not very optimistic. Indeed, when Mr Hill mentioned church organs and the physics of their internal workings, the future seemed quite bleak. But when he dismissed this as our investigation and mentioned the words ‘Thorpe Park’ there were squeals of relief around the room, and so physics became everyone’s favourite subject– for a while at least. There were definitely cries of horror and indignation from non-physics students, and even staff, all asking the same question, ‘What has Thorpe Park got to do with physics?’ A lot I have to say. Later on in the year we will be calculating gravitational potential energy from the statistics of the ride, and analysing the different forces the rider experiences whilst on the ride. Although this was probably the furthest thing from our minds on 12 October when we finally set of in the early morning , for Thorpe Park after many weeks of anticipation. Most of us were wondering whether we would have to do any measuring, or timing of the rides, which became a moot point, since the stopwatches and tape measures were forgotten ( rather conveniently I must add). But there is the advantage that the statistics of all the rides are readily available from the theme park, so this pretty much left us free to ‘experience the forces’ rather than measure them, which was completely fine with us. Asides from this, the trip was a brilliant idea, as we were able to feel the forces in motion, and it will remain quite fresh on our minds till the time we have to put the coursework in writing. Good luck to all of us
Many thanks to Mr Hill, Mrs Conlon & Miss Sackett for this wonderful idea and always finding ways to make physics fun!!!! More News.....Back
As part of their introduction to the A2 Biology course, all students go on an annual residential course at Dale Fort, a field studies centre on the stunning Pembrokeshire coast in South Wales, to carry out some practical ecology investigations. It is always a highly beneficial and enjoyable experience and is a key part of the A level course.
Once again, on a sunny Saturday morning at the end of June, around 50 expectant students set off on two coaches laden with suitcases, waterproofs and wel-lingtons down the M4 accompanied by Mrs Heath, Dr Crawford, Mrs Warwick and Mr Hodge. As the roads gradually narrowed to a single lane and the view out of the windows changed from drab concrete to rolling green hills, it becomes very clear why we choose to visit Dale each year. Built in 1856 and nes-tled on a thin peninsula, Dale Fort has a spectacular location and easy access to a diverse range of sea-shores.
No sooner had the students arrived and unpacked than they were straight into their first lectures, ex-pertly led through the key ideas of ecology by the their tutors for the next few days. The pace of the next five days was very quick, with every moment filled with activity including the completion of three practi-cal assessments that will contribute to their final A level grade. Studying succession in a grassland area is sandwiched between visits to a rocky shore to identify various plant and animal species (some of which have claws to nip fingers) or to measure their abundance and preference for specific microhabitats. Dur-ing the next few days, the students developed an understanding of a wide range of aspects of ecology that are examined at A level and the practical skills necessary to collect useful data that might then be used to monitor changes in specific populations or assess the environmental impact of human activities. Being able to clamber over rocks, to capture and mark elusive sandhoppers, whilst simultaneously identi-fying multitudinous species of seaweeds, all whilst ensuring the waves don’t wash over the tops of your wellies – these are the essential skills of the budding ecologist!
The students were a great credit to the school and made the most of every opportunity with characteris-tic enthusiasm and dedication. Once again the tutors were full of praise for the students of Kendrick, who have been visiting Dale for decades, and we hope for decades to come.
Mr Hodge, Head of Biology
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On the morning of Monday 18th October, everyone on the trip had arrived, ready to leave. It was 6 o’clock in the morning. It was cold. It was dark. However, despite this, everyone was excited- we were going to Paris!
By lunch time we were leaving England, getting ready to make port in Calais. The rest of the coach journey went quickly thanks to the excellent DVD selection we watched en route. Everyone spent the evening settling in to our host families and preparing for the trips the next day.
On our first day, we arrived on time to the Sacré Coeur in Paris, and much to our dismay there was a never-ending stair case to climb. We set to this task and were rewarded by the stunning sights it offered and the Sacré Coeur. The Sacré Coeur was beautiful, its huge domed structure towering above us. We returned to the coach, ready to move on to Notre Dame, However, the coach’s battery had gone flat and it was immobile. We utilised this time to do some ‘cultural’ shopping and visit the Place du Tertre.
On Wednesday, we went down the river on the Bateau Mouche trip, and were able to see Notre Dame from there, along with many other old Parisian buildings. Previously that day, we had visited the Musée d’Orsay, which was full of sculptures and paintings. We had our (English) audio guides to inform us about the pieces. Afterwards, we visited the Eiffel Tower. It was hugely tall, and looked incredible. We waited for our turn to go up it. Both the tower and the soldier by it were lovely to look at, and the time flew by with those distractions. Everybody took the lift to the 2nd floor, and then a second lift to the 3rd, where there was an impressive view. However, it was too cold to stay up there for long, and so we all returned back down to the marginally warmer ground. The return to our host families was welcome to warm up, and along the way we saw both the Moulin Rouge and the Avenue des Champs Elysées.
The next day we visited the French school. Not only was it a good opportunity to practice our French, but it was also warm in the classrooms. The lunch break was two hours long, in which the French pupils spent their time eating the prepared school lunch and wandering the grounds, but many of us were left wondering what to do with all of that time, after having eaten our sandwich in 10 minutes à la Kendrick-style. Spanish lessons were interesting as no one on the trip could speak Spanish, and only limited French! Their school day finished at 4:40, which to everyone on the trip felt was very late, compared to what we, in England, are used to.
Friday was our final day, and, after traversing the cobbles, we entered the beautiful Palace of Versailles. We could see it from far away in the coach because of its glinting golden roof. We went around in small groups admiring the artwork, and architecture; in particular, the King’s Chambers and the Hall of Mirrors. After the Palace we roamed the gardens. Then in was time for shopping! Everyone was overwhelmed by the size of the shopping centre, but soon set to the serious task in hand of buying. Laden with presents, we returned for the last time to our host families.
The next day packed and ready we said goodbye to our lovely host families and boarded the coach. The journey was a success as we arrived 1 ½ hours early. However, we did have to watch Meet the Morgans on the way. We arrived home, tired and burdened with souvenirs, but having thoroughly enjoyed the trip. It was amazing and was a great opportunity not only to speak French, but also to see some beautiful sights and discover a new culture.
By Leonie Hutch and Gabrielle McGuiness More News.....Back
The Kendrick Results for the Senior Mathematical Challenge were the best that we have ever had. This demanding paper was sat by 128 students with 12 Gold, 32 Silver and 39 Bronze Certificates being achieved. Eight students qualified for entry to the British Mathematical Olympiad round 1, and they are now awaiting the results of their 3½ hour Maths paper: Deepika Pyla, Esther Uwannah, Lisa-Marie Dyer, Sian Miller and Rebecca Dillon from Year 13 and Josie Hogge, Emma Tyson and Rebecca Harwin from Year 12.
Do you enjoy a Maths challenge? Why not try a couple of the questions from the SMC?
(1) A square is cut into 37 squares of which 36 have area 1 cm2. What is the length of the side of the original square?
A 6 cm B 7 cm C 8 cm D 9 cm E 10 cm
(2) There are 10 girls in a mixed class. If two pupils from the class are selected at random to represent the class on the School Council, then the probability that both are girls is 0.15. How many boys are in the class?
A 10 B 12 C 15 D 18 E 20
(3) The diagram shows a regular hexagon, with sides of length 1, inside a square. Two vertices of the hexagon lie on a diagonal of the square and the other four lie on the edges.
What is the area of the square?
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On Sunday 15th January the PE staff and several students had a very enjoyable evening celebrating success at the Reading sports personality of the year awards. Amongst those giving out awards were a number of past and present Olympians making the awards a very fitting start to 2012. The school’s PE department received the Secondary school of the year award with Mrs Janis Richardson being awarded the Sports teacher of the year award. A number of students also received awards for their sporting talent and success in sports out of school. The students included Amber Owen who received Female school personality of the year for her achievements in sprint kayaking, Cecelia Mowczan, Emily Aldridge and Alisha Miller received awards for School special achievement in the sports of rowing, karate and trampolining. The evening was completed with Hafsa Kabeer winning the Junior sports personality of the year award for her achievements in kayaking. Huge congratulations to all of the students and staff involved.
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As required by the School Admissions Code, Kendrick School is consulting on school admission arrangements for the academic year 2013/14.
Below are links to our Admissions Policies for 2013/14, any comments on these policies should be made to The Admissions Officer, Kendrick School, London Road, Reading, RG1 5BN by Wednesday 29th February 2012.
Admission to Year 7 in September 2013
Admission to Year 12 in September 2013 More News.....Back3/1/2012 12:00 AM
Please click here for a link to Kendrick News for Term 2. We hope you enjoy reading about all the activities that have taken place over the last term.
The morning of Wednesday 23rd November saw an excited Year 7 group at Kendrick - they were going to visit a ‘Lab in a Lorry’! This mobile lab gives young people a chance to explore science through hands-on experiments. The colourful lorry was parked conveniently at Reading Girls’ School – located less than a mile away from Kendrick School. The school mini bus transported the Kendrick girls to Reading Girls’ School.
There were three different sections that were part of the lorry and in each compartment different topics were covered - Optical, scattering of light and Sound. The girls were split up into 3 groups, one group per experiment.
In the light session, the girls had the chance to explore how white light can split up into the seven colours of the rainbow. They first put a triangular prism at different angles above light. They also then saw the true colours of a thick viscous liquid through a polychromatic material. Both resulted in the rainbow effect. Another light experiment was looking at a piece of clear tape through a polychromatic material with a white TV screen behind the tape (showing some beautiful colours). Girls also understood the mystery of the blue sky. “I was amazed how a square piece of black material could transform some boring old tape into something which looked like abstract art!” exclaimed one of the girls.
During the optical experiment, girls used an ‘endoscope’. An endoscope is an instrument that doctors’ use to look inside the human body. Using the endoscope, girls tried to remove a tumour from the stomach of Bob the dummy. They then used a grapple hook and tried to grab the tumour and pull it out.
Finally there was the sound session. During this session girls understood how sound travels in waves. This was demonstrated by stretching and compressing a slinky. They then tried making sounds by rubbing a damp finger around the rim of a wine glass. They also watched how the inside of a hi–fi player vibrates so much that it could even break the wine glass!
The girls seemed to be really enjoying themselves, participating wholeheartedly. As one of the year 7s summed it up - “I really enjoyed myself at lab in a lorry, it was wonderful to actually perform these experiments!”
By Shruti Shankar, 7F More News.....Back
On Thursday 24th November all of the year 7 pupils had the fantastic opportunity of taking part in a study skills day and maths roadshow. I found both of these fun and very interesting. I thought that the study skills day was particularly helpful as I can use these skills in my future. We learned so many different ways of studying but my favourite of the lot was the image chain. This was because it was easy to use and quite a fun technique as well. This method is where you write down a variety of words from pictures and then you create a story with the words. I will definitely use this in my next test! I very much enjoyed this experience and I thought that our presenter was especially good. I liked the maths roadshow because it was very different to anything I have ever done. In pairs, we completed a variety of different maths puzzles, some easy, some very hard. Altogether there was a total of 50 puzzles! My favourite one was trying to create a 3-D cube using the pieces we were given. It took me and my partner a while but we completed it! That day I took home 2 things:
1. Many ways to study and
2. A lot of new things learned in maths
By Lucy Clays 7B
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Art & Design student Brittany Bailey was recently awarded first prize in the national Clothes Show Live 2012 poster competition at the NEC in Birmingham. The theme was “Rule Britannia”. As part of her prize Brittany will be required to undertake interviews and attend publicity events next year in addition to receiving her cash prize and trophy.
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This year, we held these evenings at South Street Theatre on November 21st and 22nd. It has been a joy to be able to work in a real theatre. We are extremely grateful to John Luther and the staff there for agreeing to let us use their facilities. It has certainly been a very educational and exciting experience for our students to be able to perform in a professional environment.
We started the evening with a half-hour version of ‘Twelfth Night’, first performed in October as part of the Shakespeare Schools’ Festival. This was performed by students from Y8, 9 and 10 and directed by two of our Y13 students, Madeleine Harrison and Annabelle Stephenson. We are very proud that these sixth form students were able to acquit themselves so well in their shared director’s chair!
I firmly believe in giving this kind of responsibility to students and so I asked a team of Y12 students to make up the production team for Romeo and Juliet. They have done very well at their jobs – they have really learnt what it takes to fulfil such tasks! My assistant director was a Y12 student, Katie Peeling, who was present at nearly every rehearsal and fulfilled her role admirably. Another Y12 student, Alison Sinclair, worked alongside the professional technician in the lighting box. Alison said afterwards that she'd 'never enjoyed anything so much in her life'!
In this vein also, I had two musically talented students – Miki Ponjevic and Jackie Rowe, whom I sent off to set the choruses (usually spoken) to music and wow...when they first performed to us, we were all completely blown away, as were our audiences. We want to know when they’ll be releasing their first CD!! Miki and Jackie too said they'd enjoyed every minute of the time they'd spent composing and practising.
And last but not least, every single one of my wonderful cast was totally committed and an absolute pleasure to direct. I can’t name them all here but credit must go to Anna Winston as Juliet and Millie Foy as Romeo whose moving performances held the audience captured from the start – not to mention their incredibly fast and accurate line-learning ability!
A word about our production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. It was a contemporary interpretation, set at a music festival, in a field of tents with bands playing to the crowds of festival goers. In recent years the culture of festivals here and abroad has really taken off during the summer months. We asked our audience you to come with us on a journey to a festival in Verona, the contemporary setting in which we told our tale of these famous star-crossed lovers. Princes, nurses and servants became festival wardens, soul-mates and friends; friars and apothecaries became trendy vicars and herbalists enthused by alternative remedies…. and two opposing religious cults used the festival to try to recruit new members, to their eternal regret…..Conflict of belief, forced marriage, romance, unrequited love, parent-child relationships, hot-headed youth, what is there in this play that is still not relevant today?
Romeo and Juliet
Twelfth Night
Photographs by Tara Taylor Photography
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Brittany Bailey’s poster design has been selected as one of the ten finalists for The Clothes Show Live exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham next week.
Brittany, 10K, will be present during the judging and prize presentation on Tuesday. The theme for the competition was ‘Rule Brittania’.
Fingers crossed!
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We can now confirm that it will be necessary to close the school to students on Wednesday 30th November 2011. The school will be closed to students in all year groups for the whole day.
We have come to this decision having been informed by the teacher union representatives in the school that a significant proportion of union members have decided to follow the recommendations of their union and take strike action. This will mean that there will be insufficient staff available on site to safely supervise the students.
The school will re-open as usual on Thursday 1st December. May we remind parents of Year 11 students that the parents’ consultation afternoon will take place from 3.45 – 5.45 on Thursday 1st December. 12/1/2011 12:00 AM
We are currently recruiting a part time French Teacher to cover maternity leave from January 2012 to October 2012. If you are interested in applying then please visit the vacancies page on our website via the following link.
For further details please contact Amanda Hunter on 0118 9015859.
Following the success of the Kendrick expedition to Vietnam in the summer (read more in the October newsletter), we are about to launch our expedition to Peru in the summer of 2013. Launching now allows the students time to raise funds, research and then plan their own expedition.
The whole experience will give team members a unique opportunity to learn and develop team work, communication and leadership skills in a challenging and fascinating environment. It will also give them the opportunity to travel in a remote and fascinating area, meet people from a culture completely different to our own and undertake a project in the local community.
The expedition is being offered to students currently in Years 10 and 11, so that they undertake the expedition at the end of Year 11 or 12. We intend to take a maximum of two teams, so places on the expedition will be limited.
The expedition will be managed by True Adventure Limited, a small organisation with dedicated and highly experienced staff. You will be able to meet a representative from True Adventure, and the Kendrick staff involved in the trip at the Parents’ Presentation evening. For more information please look at the True Adventure website www.true-adventure.co.uk or school website for previous expeditions. More News.....Back
Please click here to read Kendrick News for Term 1. In this issue you can read about the Vietnam trip, the Year 7 Isle of Wight residential, student successes outside of school and lots of reports on exciting initiatives which have happened within the school. More News.....BackThe students on the study trip to the Rhineland have arrived safely and all is well.
Last Thursday 29th September, Kendrick welcomed more than 1500 prospective students and parents at the Annual Open Evening. Please click here for further admissions information. More News.....Back
An article appeared in the Reading Post this weekend about the appointment of Ms Christine Kattirtzi as our new Headteacher when Mrs Marsha Elms retires in April 2012. Please read this below:
READING POST
Kendick School’s newly appointed headteacher has told of her pride at taking over the helm of the successful girls’ grammar following the retirement of Marsha Elms next year.
Christine Kattirtzi has been appointed the new headteacher and will take up her role when executive head Mrs Elms steps down at the end of the spring term.
Ms Kattirtzi, who is currently associate headteacher at the school, said: “I am delighted to be appointed headteacher of Kendrick School.
“It is an absolute privilege and an honour and I hope to carry on the excellent work the school is known for.
“I have been here a very long time and hope to bring continuity and take on the new challenges ahead as we establish our position us as an academy.”
Asked how to improve one of the best schools nationally, she said: “That is the challenge to us, to keep doing what we are already doing but to look at the opportunities that are out there.
“Things are evolving and there are many things I have started in the last few years that I want to carry including developing and extending the role of our students in the life of the school.
“Education changes all the time and one of the new challenges as an academy is to increase out partnerships with other schools, communities and businesses.
“I have been there leading many of the things that have made the school a success it is today but we must never rest on our laurels – the girls’s don’t, the staff don’t and I certainly won’t, that will not be for us.” Ms Kattirtzi has been responsible for the day to day leadership and management of Kendrick since Mrs Elms became executive headteacher of the Kendrick Federation with Reading Girls’ School in Northumberland Avenue, Whitley.
Mrs Elms has led Kendrick for the past 18 years during which time the school has grown in status and been judged outstanding by Ofsted on four consecutive occasions.
More recently she has been working in the wider education community in Reading and sits on a number of advisory groups at the Department for Education (DfE).
Mrs Elms said: “I will be retiring from the best job in the world, but I know that Kendrick will be safe in the hands of Ms Kattirtzi who will take the school on to further success.
“I look forward to watching the school prosper.”
Allan Currall, chair of governors, added: “Christine is passionate about girls’ education and ensuring that Kendrick continues to deliver outstanding education for its students.
“The governing body is confident the school’s future is in very good hands and that Kendrick will continue to thrive under her leadership.” More News.....Back
Required as soon as possible, an enthusiastic and hard working person to assist in the preparation and maintenance of equipment and materials for lessons in the Science department and to support Science outreach and partnership work. A working knowledge of Biology and Chemistry equipment is essential as well as competence in IT.
25 hours per week term time plus 5 INSET days (pro rata) and 1 week during the summer holidays (45.1 weeks per annum)
Scale Point 12 - Salary: £8789 per annum (FTE: £15039)
Please click here for more information on this role and how to apply. More News.....Back10/5/2011 12:00 AM
Welcome back to everyone and in particular we would like to extend our welcome to our new Year 7s and Sixth Formers. We are sure you will be very happy at Kendrick School
Once again, in 2011, our GCSE results were excellent with all students achieving five or more A* to C grades including English and Mathematics. 57.3% of GCSE grades were A* with 14 students gaining A* in all their subjects. Four students achieved A*s in all their A Levels. All students who held offers for Oxford or Cambridge were successful in gaining places and many students have been accepted onto competitive courses including medicine, veterinary, dentistry and law
More News.....BackThe Governing Body is delighted to announce the appointment of Ms Christine Kattirtzi as the next head of Kendrick School. Following a rigorous appointment process during which Ms Kattirtzi ably demonstrated her knowledge, skills and passion for the school, its staff and students; the governors and their adviser were unanimous in their decision that she should be appointed.
Ms Kattirtzi will succeed Mrs Elms on her retirement at Easter 2012. This appointment will ensure that there will be a smooth transition and the Governing Body is very confident that the school's outstanding record will be maintained and further developed in the years ahead. The students will continue to experience an excellent education which equips them for future academic study and adult life.
On Saturday 14th May, a group of 16 students from Year 9 took part in the second round of the Citizenship Foundation’s Mock Trial Competition. The students took on a range of roles, including: magistrates, lawyers, legal advisors, defendants, witnesses, ushers, court artists and court reporters. They were given two legal cases (one to prosecute and one to defend) in the setting of Reading Crown Court. They were competing against other schools from the local area. The day was great fun and full of excitement. The team was delighted to win first place and qualify for the National Final on the 18th June. Good luck girls!
Choice and Excellence in Secondary Education in Reading
Reading and Kendrick Schools have been notified of a campaign to reduce educational choice in Reading by forcing them to stop selecting children on the basis of academic ability.
Reading and Kendrick Schools are both recognised as Outstanding by OFSTED and regularly appear at the top of the national league tables. Both Schools have featured as The Times ‘State School of the Year’ – Reading School currently holds the accolade for 2010. The removal of selective status would fundamentally change their unique character.
Every child in the Reading area has the opportunity to apply to come to the Schools - both of which send significant numbers of pupils to top universities every year, including Oxford, Cambridge and top Medical Schools. The vast majority of pupils come from the Greater Reading area and Berkshire.
The Schools offer local parents a choice of secondary provision. They both support the creation of the new school proposed for east Reading which they believe will extend choice even further.
Any over-subscribed school has to select its intake on some basis – it could be argued that selecting on ability is just as valid as selecting on post code. A change to a catchment based on in-take would be to the advantage of few and the detriment of many.
The removal of selection will have a substantial knock-on effect on every other local school - many of which are already oversubscribed. Pupils who may have passed the 11+ for Reading and Kendrick will apply to take up places elsewhere.
Reading and Kendrick Schools pride themselves on their contribution to the local community providing support for other schools, both primary and secondary. Indeed Kendrick School has formed a special partnership with Reading Girls’ School and in Reading School’s OFSTED inspection report 2010 the community contribution was recognised as outstanding. Furthermore both schools have worked extensively with local primary schools providing literacy and numeracy support.
It is disappointing that an issue affecting Wokingham schools could have a detrimental impact on the educational options for all parents in the greater Reading area. The formation of the unitary authorities in 1998 means that the catchment areas of most of the local secondary schools include more than one authority. Parents rightly want their children to go to outstanding schools. Reading and Kendrick Schools believe that many parents would therefore wish to keep open the option of grammar school education for their children. The future of selective education rests with parents of children in feeder primary schools. Reading and Kendrick Schools are doing all that they can to encourage as many parents as possible to join the electoral lists so that the ballot process can be as inclusive and fair as possible.
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On Tuesday 10th May, the second annual Kendrick Federation Lecture was held in our own school hall. We were lucky enough to be joined by Yasmina Siadatan, winner of the 5th series of the BBC's Apprentice, who spoke proudly about her experience as a Kendrick girl and how this, along with her great determination, has contributed to her success. It was a well-attended lecture with students and teachers from a number of local schools including Reading Girls, and lots of enthusiastic Kendrick students. The lecture ended with an engaging question and answer session where Yasmina revealed the truth about working for Lord Sugar as well as providing some practical advice to those wanting to set up their own business. Yasmina's forward thinking and positive attitude inspired her audience and encouraged us to work hard and make the most of our future. The Head Girl Team were proud to organise this event and look forward to next year's lecture.
Anca Dervis and Amy Gavin, Head Girl Team More News.....Back
Every year, on Commonwealth Day (the second Monday in March) a service of Observance is held at Westminster Abbey in the presence of HM The Queen, and Commonwealth dignitaries.
This year, around the service itself, there was dance, music and readings on the theme “Women as Agents of Change”
Schools are invited to apply for tickets and a ballot is held to enable up to a thousand students and their teachers to attend
Kendrick was fortunate to be allocated tickets and the four students chosen to attend were also invited to submit an entry for the Jubilee Time Capsule which is to be prepared to present to The Queen at the Observance next year on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee.
Contributions for the Time Capsule which could be writing, poetry, art, film were to be on the theme of one day in the last 60 years. Year 10 student Gabrielle McGuinness chose to write about the day in 1969 when her mother moved with her family from London back to their original home in Guyana and the school was delighted Gabrielle won the competition and with it the honour of presenting a bouquet to the Queen at the end of the service
A reception was held after the service at which Gabrielle was presented with a prize. This was an exciting and memorable day for all. The other members of the group were Halimah Manan (Year 10), Martha Wallace (Year 9), Oshmita Ray (Year 8). More News.....Back
Kendrick School, Reading has won the finals of the prestigious Financial Mail on Sunday and NatWest Apprentice Challenge competition.
The school beat off some truly impressive teams in the heats to get to the finals and face the Apprentice judges led by Peter Ibbetson, chairman of small business for Royal Bank of Scotland.
The challenge for entrants was to invent, cost and bring to market a beauty product. Kendrick’s team Ultravisible came up with the idea of brightly coloured neon make-up which glows in the dark. They impressed judges with an eye-catching advertising campaign suitable for their young target market and a thorough knowledge of their product..
The teams faced gruelling questioning from Peter Ibbetson, Chairman of small business for RBS, Nicky Kinnaird, founder of iconic beauty boutique Space NK, Olcay Gulsen, founder of Supertrash the LA-IT girl label and Liz Locke, star of the BBC’s Apprentice.
The Kendrick students will be awarded a trophy by HRH Princess Anne in a special event held by The Mail on Sunday on the 22nd March. The winning School also receives a top prize of £3,000.
Each of the 18 students from the finalist teams were awarded £100 prize money by Associated Newspapers.
The Royal Bank of Scotland, which supports the NatWest Apprentice Challenge, said it was really pleased to be able to support a competition that encouraged enterprise in young people.
Peter Ibbetson, Chairman of small business for RBS said: ‘All the contenders did a fantastic job of positioning their products and convincing me how great they were - I was truly amazed at the talent and can see all of them as outstanding entrepreneurs. We are delighted to provide the support for this event in encouraging young people to think about the potential opportunities of starting up their own business and equipping them with the right tools for future success. Encouraging young female entrepreneurs is fundamental to the future health and prosperity of UK business.’
Lisa Buckingham OBE, editor of Financial Mail on Sunday said: 'All the girls in the final did remarkably well - they had worked really hard, had fantastic marketing ideas and resilient business plans and our judges were hugely impressed. The team from Kendrick finally triumphed with a product of real imagination and commercial potential. I was delighted they enjoyed the whole experience.
'Now they have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne who will present them with their winning certificates on March 22nd.'
Mrs Elms, Executive Headteacher, and Ms Kattirtzi, Associate Headteacher said "We are delighted with the girls and their achievement. What started as a fund raising activity for a school trip to Asia to help local communities, has resulted in in this amazing experience for them. We are pleased that the students have had such a great opportunity to develop their enterprise skills and meet women from the world of business’.
The winners at Kendrick School are:
Josie Thum (15)
Sherrie Talgeri (15)
Rachel Davey (16)
Victoria Wyndham (16)
Seren Charles (15)
Alicia Hughes-White (16) More News.....Back
On Monday 7th March, Rosanna Linkens and Francesca Cullura (Yr 9 KS3) with Ellie Leighton-Young and Jessica Clays (Yr 10, KS4/5) took part in the finals of this year's Young Chef competition at Reading College. They had already won through two knock-out stages to get to the finals,so no mean feat!
Rosanna and Francesca cooked Spiced Beetroot Soup with Poppy Seed Rolls followed by Duck with Pak Choi, Carrots and Orange. Ellie and Jess cooked Thai Fishcakes with Spicy Cucumber Relish, Bang Bang Chicken, and for dessert Sweet Souffle Omelette with Orange Compote.
Both key stages had to adhere to strict budgetary limits, show a wide range of cooking, preparation, organisation and presentation skills, and produce their meal for two people in one and a half hours. Rosanna and Francesa came second in the Key Stage 3 Competition, beating five other schools, with Ellie and Jess third in the Key Stage 4/5 Competition, beating four other schools. A placing in the top three meant both pairs won significant prizes donated by John Lewis, books and demonstration at school by a local chef. More News.....Back
On Saturday 5th March, the Kendrick Junior Singers sang in the Year 7-9 Class at the Woodley Festival of Music and came first! Competing against choirs from Bluecoats and Crosfields Schools, we sang 'Can you hear me?' by Bob Chilcott, a moving song with hand signs, and 'The Goslings' by Frederick Bridge, a humorous song about two goslings who are in love. The adjudicator awarded the choir a rare 'Outstanding' level and commented on the warm blend in the part-singing and the effective communication of the pathos in the story.
Congratulations to all the girls from Years 7 and 8 who took part, and to our accompanist, Ka Yan Cheung from Year 9, who received a special commendation, and to Mrs. Lee-Johnson, the Junior Singers' director. More News.....Back
Nicky Kinnaird, founder of iconic beauty boutique SpaceNK and Liz Locke, star of the BBC’s Apprentice to announce winner of the Financial Mail on Sunday and NatWest Apprentice Challenge competition
Kendrick School has reached the finals of the prestigious Financial Mail on Sunday Breaking the Mould Apprentice Challenge competition.
Kendrick students Josie Thum (15) and Sherrie Talgeri (15), Rachel Davey (16), Torie Wyndham (16), Seren Charles (15), Alicia Hughes-White (16) beat off some truly impressive teams in the heats to get to the finals.
The challenge for entrants was to invent, cost and bring to market a beauty product. Kendrick’s team Ultravisible came up with the idea of brightly coloured neon make-up which glows in the dark. They impressed judges with an eye-catching advertising campaign suitable for their young target market.
The Kendrick team will travelled to London last Friday to meet with NatWest business advisors who will give them support with their business plan and advise on how to pitch their ideas ahead of a meeting with buyers from John Lewis
The winner will be announced on the 14th March at the dazzling finals of the NatWest Apprentice Challenge competition, in front of an audience of 400 girls and teachers from across the UK.
Three teams will face gruelling questioning from Peter Ibbestson, Chairman of small business for RBS, Carolyn Currie. Head of Women in Business at RBS, Nicky Kinnaird, founder of iconic beauty boutique Space NK, Olcay Gulsen, founder of Supertrash the LA-IT girl label and Liz Locke, star of the BBC’s Apprentice.
The winner will be awarded a trophy by HRH Princess Anne in a special event held by The Mail on Sunday on the 22nd March. The winning School will also receive a top prize of £3,000.
RBS MoneySense, which is supporting the Apprentice Challenge and whose own financial education programme is in 60 per cent of Britain's secondary schools, said they are very pleased to be able to support a competition that encourages enterprise in young people and empowers them to think in an innovative way.
Link to article in Reading Chronicle
http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/reading/articles/2011/03/03/50912-pupils-hope-to-be-hired/
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We have updated our Twitter Feed to provide links to all Latest news and Upcoming Events.
If you've never used Twitter before, it's a great way to keep up to date.
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By Sophie Lewis and Alice Cato 8T
On Thursday 13th January a team of year 8’s went to the JMA School for an Indoor Athletics Competition. The people in the team were: Katerina Trench Vidale, Sophie Lewis, Alice Cato, Jaya Chawla, Francesca Williams, Alicia Morando, Caitlin Rigler and Sophie Liu. We competed in a variety of events including vertical jump, standing long jump and an obstacle relay.
We enjoyed competing in both the track and field events and the support from each other was fantastic. Everyone competed very well; Alicia came first in the long distance, while Sophie Lewis and Katerina were winners in the parlauf, as well as many other winners.
We were all very surprised when we were announced the winners in the girls category with 123 points! We shall be going to the Thames Valley Athletics centre in Eton on the 25th January to represent Berkshire in the county finals. We look forward to competing again. Also a big thank you for Mrs Richardson for taking us to the event and all her support!
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Results were excellent this year at all levels. In addition eight students were identified by the examination board Edexcel for their ‘Outstanding Performance’ in a subject. These are:
- Laura Letchford Mathematics A2
- Julia Sinclair Drama GCSE
- Catriona Paul Mathematics A2
- Siobhan Botwright French GCSE
- Theodora Bradbury German GCSE
- Tessa Hoad French GCSE
- Josephine Hogge Mathematics GCSE
- Elisabeth Spence French GCSE
Congratulations to all of the above.
A Level
% Grades
2010
2009
2008
A*
25
n/a
n/a
A*-A
64
72
70
A*-B
89
93
90
A*-C
98
99
99
A*-E
100
100
100 More News.....Back
32 Danish students came to Kendrick school with their teachers in September to take part in a Sherlock Holmes science problem-solving activity. The Danish students were joined by some Kendrick students in year 13 in the Faraday labs where they collaboratively solve problems together and then created presentations. The Danish stu-dents then gave their presentations while Kendrick students assessed them. During the process our students were also learning to speak Danish! The day was part of our international outreach programme.
Mr Hill, Assistant Headteacher More News.....Back
I am delighted to report that our first ever production for the Shakespeare Schools’ Festival was a great success!
We had been rehearsing ‘As You Like It’ since June and all the girls involved approached the project with commitment and energy. We had a cast of 23 students from years 8, 9 and 10 who gave a very polished performance and certainly enjoyed the experience.
We played to a full house, which was a very rewarding experience. Amongst the audience was a good support group of staff and parents from Kendrick, which was great! Thanks for coming!
The festival organisers provided a cast workshop prior to performance day and this gave the students a great opportunity to do some practical work facilitated by two professional actors who work for National Youth Theatre. The day was a great hit with the cast and they learnt a huge amount about performance from this experience.
Two Year 11 students were our marketing team and provide publicity and information about the show – around the school and the local area, in the local newspaper and even on the radio! They are entering a competition for the best marketing team of the Festival so I wish them the very best of luck. We’ll let you know how they do!
We had the benefit of girls who made our scenery and props joining in with the performance and making it a really feel-good ensemble effort. We are very grateful for
their help.
One of our Y13 students was our technician for the day and she had the opportunity of working alongside the professional technician in the lighting box, which was a unique experience for her and we thank her for the hard work she put into creating our lighting effects.
Thanks are also due to Sue Reeves and Eileen Sheppard for their help making props.
But it’s not just about us: we were only one part of the evening. Three other schools also performed and we were treated to productions of ‘Othello’, ‘The Comedy of Errors’, and ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ from very different schools to ours and it was delightful to be able to see what other students had done.
We all benefitted form the Festival organisers’ inclusive and imaginative approach to performing Shakespeare and very much appreciate the experience it has given us.
If you didn’t get to see the play, you have another chance! We decided to use all our hard work to provide an evening of entertainment in school as well. Therefore, we are presenting a ‘School Shakespeare Evening’ on Thursday 11th November at 7.30pm in the school hall. This will feature a sixth-form production of ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ as well as a repeat of our festival production. They are 30 minute versions of the plays, so should make a splendid evening of Shakespeare entertainment. Tickets will be on sale after half-term.
Ms A Strach & Mrs K Bishop, Drama Department More News.....Back
Open Day was a huge success: 1300 parents and children attended the talks given in the Hall and over 850 prospectuses were given out on the night. The students excelled as always in their hospitality and visible delight in showing new parents and children around the school. Lots of positive comments and kind complimentary words were expressed with one student receiving a thank you card from a family! The event as always was skilfully coordinated by Miss Collins, ably assisted by a group of excellent Year 12 and 13 students . Anca Dervis, the Head Girl, impressed audiences with her passionate speech about being a student at Kendrick! More News.....Back |