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WEEKLY UPDATE – FRIDAY 6^TH MARCH 2026

Letter from Ms Kattirtzi, Headteacher

We started the day with an excellent whole school assembly led by the Curriculum and Current Affairs Committee, Cara, Diya and Jessie marking International Women’s Day which is on Sunday 8^th March. The theme Give to Gain was explained and presented confidently by the three students. They looked at the origins of the day which go back to the early 20^th Century in America, as well as the significant Women’s March in March 1917 in Petrograd, the first stage of the Russian Revolution which resulted in the abdication of the Tsar setting up a Provisional Government which in turn was toppled in November 1917 by the Bolsheviks. The theme of Give to Gain was explained as being important to forge the path to equality emphasising that ‘giving’ is not a subtraction but a multiplication as ‘when women thrive, we all rise’. They outlined the many ways that support can be given to this campaign – at school, at home, at work and in the community. This is done by: giving respect, giving your knowledge, celebrating, giving your participation, sharing truth and giving your time.  The students used an excellent prepared PowerPoint which I will share with you in due course. A super display has been put up in the vestibule marking the day HERE.

This assembly and our IWD celebration coincided with a visit from The Worshipful Mayor of Reading, Madame Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles who was visiting the school this morning. Dr Mpofu-Coles spoke to the students at the end of the assembly and talked about her role in the community as a mayor, the causes and charities she works with, her day job which is working at the University of Reading as an academic and the research she is undertaking in the Whitley area on place and identity. Dr Mpofu -Coles also spoke about the importance of role models for young girls and women because, as she said, seeing women in leadership positions is inspiring and motivating for girls, something that resonates strongly with us at Kendrick. She told us that the first ever female Mayor was in 1946 and that she is the first Black female Mayor in Reading; an excellent role model for us all. After the assembly Dr Mpofu -Coles appreciated a tour of the school speaking to students and staff. This idea of a positive role model was echoed by another speaker we had today, Professor Parveen Yaqoob, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Reading who spoke about her upbringing, education and the barriers she had to overcome to get to the position she is now, another inspiring talk.

We had an excellent Iftar event last Friday night which was attended by many students and staff. Through the generosity of local people there was huge amounts of food and cake for us to enjoy, as well as the opportunity to hear a guest speaker, Mrs Kaur talk about the importance of her faith to her. Mrs Mohamed also spoke to us about her faith and how it guides her in her daily life. We played a Ramadan Quiz which enhanced our knowledge of Islam. Once again, thank you to Mrs Mohamed for organising this event and to the people who donated generously to it. Please see the article put together by sixth formers who attended the event here.

This Friday night we have the Air Ambulance Concert and if you have not bought your tickets, please do so here. Tickets are £8 and can be bought via the secure link here .

A plea to everyone to buy raffle tickets. The KPS Spring Raffle has got off to quite a slow start, so please may I ask that parents be generous with buying raffle tickets as the money raised will buy the very needed Inter Active Whiteboards, we need to replace old ones in some classrooms. You can buy tickets, or donate, here.

It is not often that I mention a former student, but it was drawn to my attention this week that a former student, Shayna, who is studying at Bristol University performed at a local venue to amazing reviews. Shayna played the piano and violin at almost all the music concerts when she was at Kendrick. I am delighted that she continues to play and perform at university. Enjoy her performance and the reviews she received here.

To finish, I would, like to go back to our assembly and the themes we discussed this morning and end with a quotation by the feminist and writer Gloria Steinem who said: ‘The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organisation but to the collective efforts of all of us who care about human rights’.

With that, I wish you all a Happy International Women’s Day and weekend.

Ms Christine Kattirtzi
Headteacher

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School Notices

Profiling

As part of our programme of assessment and reporting the students receive an interim profiling interview with their Form Tutor or another teacher. This year’s session of profiling will take place on Tuesday 17^th March 2026.  

Year 7 Year 7 students will come into school for the full day as normal. They will spend the day on Drama activities. The tutor will let the students know when and where their profiling is due to take place. 

Year 8 and Year 11 Year 8 and year 11 students are asked to stay at home and will have a remote profiling interview. This day should be regarded as a school day and students are expected to register at 8.25am remotely and complete the work set.   The Form Tutor will let the students know when their Profiling time will be and will send a Google Meet invitation. The students will need to make sure that they are connected to the Google Meet on time as to not delay the rest of the students. These appointments are for the student to meet with their tutor and should be a 1-to-1 conversation. Please ensure students have the opportunity to speak openly by providing them a private space for this wherever possible. Students should be appropriately dressed and have their cameras on and backgrounds blurred. 

Year 9 Year 9 students will come into school for the full day as normal. They will spend the day on Work Related Learning activities. The tutor will let the students know when and where their profiling is due to take place. 

Year 10 Year 10 students will come into school for the full day as usual. They will spend the day taking part in various activities and should regard this as a normal school day, wearing correct uniform and bringing their pencil case and a reading book.  

Sixth Form. Please see the email sent to you regarding timings

For those students coming into school, the day should be regarded as a normal school day and students should wear correct uniform and bring their pencil case and a reading book.  The canteen will be open for lunch as normal, along with the library which will close as normal at 5pm. 

Kendrick School Food Bank Easter Collection

I am very pleased to be able to update you on our last collection food bank collection and to launch an Easter Collection running throughout next week.

Thank you in advance for you continued support and remember that students can leave donations in the sixth form block or the server area near the hall. Parents can also donate through Parent Pay.

Last term we delivered 8 large boxes of donations and a fabulous cheque for £1300 representing money raised since last summer on Parent Pay and through in school fund raising events. This money supports families in moments of crisis and is always incredibly gratefully received.

I would love to take a large donation up to Whitley Park Food Cupboard in time for the Easter holiday. Sarah is asking for  toiletries (shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant), toilet rolls, cleaning products, washing powder for clothes, stir in pasta sauces and tea/coffee/biscuits. I am sure that we may be able to also donate chocolate treats for Easter. This would be amazing!

Mr Nick Simmonds, Deputy Headteacher

Safeguarding

Safeguarding at Kendrick School

Child Protection in Sport Unit We all want children and young people to enjoy taking part in sport – and parents play a key role in that. This section of the NSPCC website has been created to signpost parents to all the advice needed to keep children safe in sport, from choosing safe clubs and activities, to supporting children in a positive way. 

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Mental Health and Wellbeing at Kendrick School

How to talk to your children about conflict and war

SEND

SEND Local Offer Winter Newsletter

School Fund

Please donate to our School Fund here. You can make one-off payments through your ParentPay account or complete a standing order form for more regular payments. If you are a UK taxpayer, please ensure you also complete a Gift Aid Form. 

A school fund is maintained by voluntary contributions from the parents/carers of students. Its purpose is to provide an additional source of funding for the provision of facilities and educational resources for the benefit of students. We use our School Fund to support so many activities in and out of school that have now become essential to school life. 

Canteen

The menu for Autumn/Winter can be found here. The menu is subject to change dependent on food availability. Please ensure that you regularly check your child's canteen balance on their ParentPay account and settle any 'overdrafts' quickly. Overdrafts should only be issued on an exceptional basis and not as a regular occurrence. 

Latest News on our Website

Kendrick School Iftar

School Calendar

Week commencing 9^th March - Week B

Fair Trade Week

• Tuesday 10^th March – Year 10 Enterprise Challenge
• Thursday 12^th March – Year 9 Parent Consultations
• Friday 13^th March – World Sleep Day

Student Careers and Work Experience

Current Opportunities

Vacancies

Evening Site Assistant to join us in April 2026. 4.45pm to 9.30pm Monday to Friday. Closing date for applications: 8am Friday 20^th March 2026.
Food Technician to join us in March 2026. 22 hours a week. The successful candidate must be able to work flexibly over the school day, 8.15am to 3.45pm. Closing date for applications: 9am Friday 27^th February 2026. Interviewing Tuesday 10^th March 2026.

ParentPay and Evolve Reminders

Latest Reminders for ParentPay and Evolve

Kendrick Parents' Society (KPS)

Weekly News – Friday 6^th March 2026

 

On behalf of the trustee body, I would like to welcome everyone to the 2025-2026 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.

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 Lisa Hillan, Governance Officer to the Trustee Board lhillan@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 2025