Newsletters

Spring Term - 4th April 2025

Welcome to our latest news update, with highlights from the German Exchange Programme, the Teens and Toddlers Project and 6th form careers taster events.

From the start of this week, we would like to wish a happy Eid, Eid Mubarak, to all our families and hope that you had joyful celebrations together with friends and family. 

We look forward to seeing all students back in school on Tuesday 22nd April at 8:30am. We return on a Week A timetable.

Young Camden Foundation: Easter Holiday activities on offer 

Camden’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Easter Programme runs from 7 to 21 April and is open for children and young people aged 5 to 16 who live in Camden and are eligible for free school meals. Find out more and book your places.

Sport and physical activities. The Camden sport and physical activity team, and the Council’s leisure contractor Better, offer a range of fun free and low-cost activities over the holiday at locations across the borough, including local leisure centres, Cantelowes Sports Pitch and Kilburn Grange Park. Visit the Council’s website and Better leisure website to find out more and book your places.

Youth clubs. For the latest youth programmes and other activities for children and young people, visit Camden Rise website.

German Exchange Programme

Julian in Year 11 writes:

The second part of William Ellis‘s exchange program with Dietrich-Bonhoeffer Gymnasium in Wiehl, Deutschland, got off to a tasty start last week on Monday - thanks to all the parents who brought food for their welcoming!

Throughout the week, both sets of students were treated to the chance of boosting their foreign language grades, and strengthen the bonds that lasted the 6 months and 600 miles.

On Tuesday, the students from Germany were all brought into school for a full day of our lessons. They all found it a very interesting experience and had fun talking with our English schoolmates. However, they were very surprised about how strict our school‘s rules are and the detention system is (to all the teachers reading this).

On Wednesday, we went bowling, where Rufus casually bowled 94 and won out of all of us exchange students. Then it was back to my house for a pizza party - everyone was very well behaved and I hope it was great fun for everyone there.

On Thursday we went to the 'Back to the Future‘ musical, which we all found sensational, and had us awestruck from beginning to end (and the rest of the afternoon).

All of our activities together unfortunately made it into a very hard goodbye on Friday for everyone. Hopefully, these strong relationships we’ve formed will inspire some of them to visit us again, or we might have to take matters into our own hands. All in all, it was a great experience for learning and so much fun for all involved. 

Thank you for this opportunity, William Ellis!

Teens & Toddlers Project

Ms White writes:

'Teens & Toddlers' is an innovative scheme that has just completed its second cohort at William Ellis. A group of Year 8 and 9 students were selected for the 16 week programme which supports them in becoming buddies to nursery age children in a local primary school for one session per week. The programme leader Ella Green said the following about the students:

'I am proud of the boys for their commitment to the programme - they showed up every week as positive, kind and engaged role models for the nursery and reception children, despite navigating external challenges. During the workshops, the group engaged in activities, discussions and assessments around interpersonal skills, positive communication with each other and contributing to their community. I am pleased to have witnessed the group grow as a team, and saw individuals develop strategies to self regulate and make positive decisions for themselves. Well done to our William Ellis mentors for finishing Teens and Toddlers and qualifying with an NCFE Level 1 Award in Interpersonal Skills.'

And this is from the school staff where the students were placed:

'The Nursery children really looked forward to seeing their mentors each week. It was lovely to watch everyone’s confidence grow over the weeks together. '

'The Reception children really enjoyed having an older buddy to help with their learning and to engage in play with, and there were always lots of smiling faces! '

Kings Cross Field Study Investigation

Mr Pomeyie writes:

Year 11 Geography students completed their compulsory urban fieldwork in March. The field study focuses on the regeneration that has happened in the Kings Cross area and analyses the impact it has had on those who live and work in the area.

In previous years, we have wanted to include air quality readings as part of the data students are gathering, however, the devices are too costly to make them viable to use. This year, students were able to include air quality readings of 2.5pm and 10pm since last year’s Year 11 had made their own air quality monitoring devices with the Clean Air Project.

The students were responsible and resourceful during the field study visit. This was noted by a William Ellis old boy (Class of 2004) who recognised the uniform and came to pose for a picture with the students and say what a great job they were doing. Some even had time to enjoy themselves on a swing.

Year 12 Science trip to London Zoo

Mr Scott writes:

Year 12 Biology students had a "study day" at London Zoo on Thursday 7th March. There were talks about the conservation work being done by the ZSL with an opportunity to investigate in greater detail their EDGE programme - looking at species on the edge of extinction that are the most evolutionarily distinct. https://www.edgeofexistence.org/

There were discussions around the place London Zoo has in the conservation world, including with world wide animal breeding programmes. A good time was had by all.

Year 12 Business 'Believe to Achieve' Project

Ms Mallick writes:

Year 12 BTEC Business students have been participating in the 'Dragon's Den' part of the 'Believe to Achieve' project that is being run across the academic year. Students were given a brief from which they had to create a presentation and solution to their brief. Employees from PA Consulting them came in to watch and judge the presentations with the winning team receiving vouchers as a reward.

Year 8 Bowling Trip

Mr Szymanski writes:

I invited twelve students last Friday , 28 March, to go on a reward trip to Rowans Bowling Centre in Finsbury Park. The trip had been organised to reward those boys who have consistently displayed the WES attributes (the 5 R's) and made positive contributions to the school so far, finishing in the top three of their form for 100% attendance and on the Bromcom achievement points system.

The boys thoroughly enjoyed their time and the activities at the Bowling Centre playing ten pin bowling and different games in the arcades afterwards.       

Volcanic Activity in NW5!

Mr Pomeyie writes:

Earlier this week the annual William Ellis School volcano model competition went off with a bang! There were some great entries, with one including pieces of bark that gave it a unique, rustic look.

Fantastic work by all the year 7s who produced models – all received certificates and extra-curricular praise points. The winners also received a geographic magazine. The results of the competition were:

Individual Winners
7F - Bowie 
7K – Peter 
7L - Mykyta 
7W - Percy 

House Competition
1st - 7L
2nd - 7K
3rd - 7F
4th - 7W

Camden’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Easter Programme runs from 7 to 21 April and is open for children and young people aged 5 to 16 who live in Camden and are eligible for free school meals. Find out more and book your places.

Sport and physical activities. The Camden sport and physical activity team, and the Council’s leisure contractor Better, offer a range of fun free and low-cost activities over the holiday at locations across the borough, including local leisure centres, Cantelowes Sports Pitch and Kilburn Grange Park. Visit the Council’s website and Better leisure website to find out more and book your places.

Youth clubs. For the latest youth programmes and other activities for children and young people, visit Camden Rise website.

Yours faithfully,

Izzy Jones

Headteacher