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    • Welcome

    Ofsted report November 2022 "The Kendrick Pledge emphasises friendship, kindness, respect, equality, tolerance and justice, and these values underpin all that the school achieves. Pupils flourish in this exceptionally caring and inclusive learning environment. Secure, trusting relationships between staff and pupils ensure pupils feel very well supported and safe here. In turn, pupils’ excellent behaviour and impeccable manners make Kendrick a very special place to be". 

    It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Kendrick School.

    Kendrick School is an 11-18 selective girls’ school with academy status. It has a local and national reputation as an outstanding school and has an impressive record of achievement as a centre of excellence for girls’ education.

    In its last five OFSTED inspections, Kendrick was judged an “outstanding” school. In our most recent inspection in November 2022, OFSTED stated "Pupils and sixth formers are justly proud of their school community. They delight in their learning and truly excel here. One parent spoke for many when reflecting, ‘The school does a great job of creating well-rounded, kind, human beings who will hopefully go on to make the world a better place. The academic results are important of course, but far from the only focus.’ Inspectors totally agree.” 

    Kendrick is a forward-looking school that grasps the opportunities that present themselves. A love of learning is at the heart of Kendrick with a strong emphasis on high quality teaching. The curriculum is organised to meet the needs of all students and is engaging, rich and ambitious. All staff are hardworking and dedicated; students are bright, enthusiastic and curious, they love being at their school.

    At Kendrick, students enjoy a rich and varied extracurricular education. The House System provides opportunities for healthy competition with numerous annual house events, which are key activities in the school year. Kendrick Student Leaders work energetically and collaboratively with staff to support this vital community element of the school. In addition, we have a School Council, which discusses and drives change for students.

    Safeguarding and students’ mental health and wellbeing are prioritised above all else. As stated by Ofsted in November 2022, ‘The arrangements for Safeguarding are effective at Kendrick’ and ‘there is a culture of vigilance’ where ‘staff care deeply about pupils’ wellbeing’. 

    As part of Kendrick’s Widening Horizons strategic initiative, we actively pursue partnerships with schools and businesses in our local area and beyond. These associations benefit the students of Kendrick, as well as those in neighbouring schools. We share our good practice and offer opportunities to work with primary and secondary schools in the Reading area.

    Kendrick has been expanding over the last three years, a process that started in September 2020 when an additional 32 students joined the school in Year 7. This year we welcomed the last of the expanded cohorts into Year 7, which completes the expansion, making Kendrick a four-form entry school for Years 7-11. In the admission process, priority is given to pupil premium students and students living in the Reading area, which is called Priority Area 1. Our Widening Horizons initiative commits us to achieving greater participation and access for students from local primary schools. In July 2024, we were awarded the Sutton Trust Fair School Admissions Award at Gold level. This is a great accolade for the school which we are very proud of. 

    As the Headteacher of Kendrick, it is my vision to lead, inspire and make a difference to the lives of girls and young women. I believe passionately in girls’ education and know that Kendrick School affords its students the very best education there is.

    Ms Christine Kattirtzi
    Headteacher

    September 2024 

    Weekly letter from ms kattirtzi, headteacher

    FRIDAY 10TH JANUARY 2025

    Welcome back to school! I hope everyone has had a restful and peaceful holiday and I wish you all a very happy New Year. We welcome one new member of staff to Kendrick this term, Mr Gulliford, who joins our caretaking team.

    Staff had an INSET Day on Monday 7th January undertaking further professional training on important aspects of education. We looked at online safety for students, a regular theme in our training, plus elements of Learning and Teaching practice and SEND provision. In addition, I introduced an important initiative on Racial Literacy. This is a programme of training that all staff, students and trustees will receive over the next few months, which I will speak more about in due course.

    School life has resumed quickly, and it was wonderful to welcome students back after the break. Students were straight back into lessons period 1 on Tuesday with Year 11 students very quickly settling to their mock examinations, which will be finish on Friday 17th January. Mock examinations are always an intense and stressful period, but they serve the purpose of identifying knowledge and understanding for students so that teachers can respond to their needs and support further learning and revision for the final exams in the summer.

    On the website this week there are many articles charting the successes and achievements of students, please take time to read these.

    Back to last term, on 17th December we had a most pleasant event when we welcomed back our former Year 13 students and their parents for the presentation of A Level certificates. This cohort of students joined Kendrick in September 2017 at the time of the school’s 140th birthday celebrations. They studied their GCSE courses during the pandemic and were the first cohort of students who did sit GCSEs in the summer of 2022 following two years of no written exams. Throughout their time with us they were a most enthusiastic, hardworking, and lively group of students who focused well on their studies and contributed enormously to school life. Their results at A Level were excellent and the university destinations and courses they are now studying are impressive. We are so very proud of them and wish them all the best for the future. Click on this link for the results and destinations of these students.

    As part of the presentation ceremony, a former student gives a speech. This year the speaker and presenter of the certificates was Isabel Irvine, who left Kendrick in 2017. Isabel pursued her passion for singing after she left Kendrick. She went on to study Music, Opera, at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She completed a degree and masters qualification and is now an Opera Singer. In her speech, Isabel spoke about how she has had to manage rejection and imposter syndrome in the world of the performing arts because of the immense competition in this profession. However, with passion and persistence she said that she is determined to do all she can to work and perform as an opera singer and develop her career in this filed. At the end of the ceremony, Isabel delighted us by singing an aria called Venite Inginocchiatevi from Le Nozze di Figaro. Isabel’s uniqueness in both the profession she has chosen to pursue and the voice and determination she has inspired us all.  

    To end I would like to share Isabel’s concluding remarks to the students at the presentation event:

    As you step into this next chapter of your lives, remember this:

    1. Rejection is not a reflection of your worth.
    2. Imposter syndrome is just a sign that you’re stretching beyond your comfort zone—and that’s where growth happens.
    3. Your journey will not look like anyone else’s, and that’s the beauty of it. Celebrate your individuality and trust the process.

    The world needs your ideas, your courage, and your voices even if you don’t think it does. Embrace the challenges, because they will shape you into the person you’re meant to become.  

    Wishing everyone a good weekend.

    Ms Christine Kattirtzi
    Headteacher 

    For the Weekly Update in full please click here

    Letter from Mr Charles Ramsden, Chair of the Board of Trustees 

    On behalf of the trustee body, I would like to welcome everyone to the 2024-2025 academic year. I particularly welcome students joining us for the first time who will get the support they need to settle in quickly and make a positive contribution to the school.

    I have recently taken over as Chair of the trustee board (formerly the governing body) and would like to thank my predecessor, Keith Miller, for the support he has given to Kendrick.

    As trustees, we are responsible for working with Ms Kattirtzi, Headteacher and the Senior Leadership Team to agree on the strategic direction of Kendrick. We assist with setting the school's vision, aims and objectives. To do this, we are organised into three committees - Learning & Teaching, Performance and Review, and Resources. Each of these committees meets regularly, and we meet as a full board three times a year. All the trustees are committed to supporting the ethos of the school, and many have direct experience of the school – as a student, the parent of a student or as a staff member.

    We want to ensure that every student at Kendrick has the opportunity to thrive - academically, as a member of the school community, and in their personal development. Kendrick has something for everyone: a huge range of extracurricular activities including music, sports, and drama; opportunities to show leadership, as part of the School Council or the Student Leadership Team; and, of course, the chance to help others.

    I do hope that you will take advantage of the opportunities to engage with the school. We are always keen to get your feedback, and as Chair of the Board of Trustees, I am always happy to hear from any of you. Please feel free to contact Jackie Gray, Clerk to the Trustee Board jgray@kendrick.reading.sch.uk if you would like to get in touch.

    On behalf of the trustees, I wish everyone a successful year ahead.

    With best wishes

    Charles Ramsden
    Chairman of the Board of Trustees

    September 2024