Newsletters

Dear all

The first two weeks of term have been completely packed with activities across the school. From inspiring Art Workshops and Ski Trip Practice Sessions to Year 12 in-class Assessments, Photography and Textiles Mocks, Cross Country events, Armistice Day Commemorations, Year 11 MADE Revision Sessions, Living History Experiences, and our Sixth Form Open Evening – it has been a wonderfully busy and rewarding start.

I would like to extend a sincere thank you to all staff for running such a wide range of opportunities and ensuring our students continue to benefit from an excellent provision both during and beyond the school day. A special thank you also goes to everyone involved in our Sixth Form Open Evening. It was fantastic to see so many of our own students, as well as young people from other schools, engaging with the event. We received an abundance of positive feedback, and it was inspiring to hear students speak with such confidence and ambition about their futures.

As the weather turns colder and wetter, please do ensure your child(ren) bring a coat to school so they can remain warm and dry throughout the day. Keeping students comfortable helps them stay focused and ready to learn.

Looking ahead, the pace certainly doesn’t slow. We have our Year 11 Parent Exam Drop-in Sessions at Tesco (see our Facebook page or the article below for details), Year 13 Mocks and Year 12 Vocational Exams, our Leadership Residential, and our Year 11 into 12 day. Alongside all of this, multiple Ten Tors training trips are taking place, and we look forward to sharing updates with you soon.

As always, thank you for your continued support, and we hope you enjoy this edition of our newsletter.

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Have a great weekend, 

Mr Rhodes

Important Reminder: Allergy Information Update

To ensure we continue to safeguard all students, we are asking parents and carers to please make sure that the school has the most up-to-date allergy and intolerance information for your child.

Our catering team relies on accurate records to keep students safe. The catering team will not sell any food items to students who are marked on the till system as having an allergy or intolerance.

If your child’s allergy information has changed or if you are unsure whether we have the correct details please contact the school office as soon as possible on office@jogschool.org. 

Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a safe environment for everyone.

Former Student Success 

We are incredibly proud to celebrate the amazing achievement of Bartosz Lopaciuk, one of our former students who left Year 11 last year, who recently spoke as part of the UK Youth Parliament.

The UK Youth Parliament is made up of over 300 inspiring young people, all elected as Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) to represent the voices of their peers. Through this platform, they work together to bring about real social change and make sure young people’s views are heard at the highest level.

Bartosz’s dedication, confidence, and passion for youth representation is truly inspiring, and we couldn’t be prouder to see him making such a positive impact.

Check out the photos below and if you'd like to see a video of Bartosz speaking in Parliament, please head over to our Facebook page – what a fantastic role model for our students and community!

WEST WILTS CROSS COUNTRY TRIALS 2025

On Friday November 7th, our best runners in years 7 to 10 travelled to Stonar to compete in the West Wiltshire Cross Country trials. Our students represented the school fantastically, demonstrating positivity and excellent in their races and behaviour at the event. We had 6 students qualify for the County Championships in January - well done to Ed, Isla, Elise, Imogen, Lottie and Parker! 

YR10 Art Acrylic Workshop

Year 10 GCSE Art students took part in an all-day Painting Workshop with Mrs Snowden on the first day of term two. This was a great opportunity for them to learn about the different acrylic painting methods of Impasto and Glazing and for them to try their hand at using palette knives and squeegees instead of, or alongside, traditional paint brush techniques. 

Students were shown how famous artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Jenny Saville, and Gerhard Richter, use these methods of painting in their work to create particular effects with the paint and then the students set to work creating their own examples. Each student created Tone, Tint and Shade bars using the Impasto technique with palette knives as a warm-up, before moving onto creating a set of A5 paintings using one or both of the techniques. Students also learnt the effects of painting on Canvas, mount board, Acrylic paper, and Acrylic board as they experienced what it was like to paint onto more professional surfaces. Students will use their new knowledge and understanding of these different methods, equipment, and surfaces as they progress through their coursework, which is worth 60% of their final grade. Each student is working on a personal interpretation of the theme "fragments" and they are really starting to think about the colours, images, and techniques that will work well to show off their ideas.

All showed great care and enthusiasm for their work throughout the day, and we really look forward to seeing how each student takes what they have learnt and continue to develop their artistic practice into fantastic, big, show-stopper final pieces. A massive well done Year 10 Art students.

Link to Hope Christmas Shoe-box Appeal

43 Christmas shoe boxes left school this morning (10th November) crammed full of lovely gifts for families in need in Ukraine and other East European countries.  I would like to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who contributed and especially the class coordinators and tutors who did such a fantastic job putting these boxes together.  They bring much joy to people in very difficult circumstances.

Wishing you all a (very early!) merry Christmas and a peaceful, fulfilling 2026.

Affordable Schools Wiltshire - Silver Award

We are incredibly proud to share that The John of Gaunt School has been awarded the Affordable Schools Wiltshire Silver Award in recognition of our ongoing commitment to making education accessible and affordable for all families.

This award celebrates the fantastic work of our school community to support families with the cost of school life – from simplifying uniforms and improving access to trips and enrichment, to introducing initiatives like our free school uniform scheme and savers menu in the canteen.

Some key highlights from our submission included:

89% of our community are now familiar with Affordable Schools initiatives

85% of families report benefitting from these strategies

A rise in engagement with our free uniform initiative

Fewer negative class chart points for equipment, helping students feel a stronger sense of belonging

Continued use of student and parent voice to guide our next steps

We’re thrilled that our approach has been recognised as having a significant impact across our whole school community. A huge thank you to Mrs Jefferies for leading this important work with such passion and dedication and to all our staff, students, and families for embracing the Affordable Schools ethos.

Together, we’re proving that small, thoughtful changes can make a big difference.

Hey everyone!

Last term, we kicked off our very first Project VOICE session, and it was a super success! The topic was mindfulness and wellbeing - something we could all use a little more of in our busy lives.

We were lucky enough to have Daniella from Wiltshire Council join us, and she shared some fantastic, practical ways to help us get grounded and truly stay in the present moment.

Daniella showed us that finding a little peace can be fun and easy. She introduced us to some great tools to help us find our "zen zone":

• Colouring: Not just for kids! A great way to focus the mind and relax.
• Fidgets & Sensory Objects: Perfect for keeping restless energy at bay and bringing our focus back to the physical world.
• Meditation: The classic route to quietening the mental chatter and finding a true place of peace.

It was a brilliant session full of tips and tricks to help us all feel a little more balanced. Big thanks to Daniella for guiding us on this mindful journey!

Our next Project VOICE session is on Thursday 20 November! Hope to see you there!

Year 11 MADE Revision Sessions

On Tuesday, all of Year 11 took part in MADE revision sessions held in Wingfield Hall. The workshops focused on effective revision techniques and memory strategies to help students prepare for their upcoming mock exams and GCSEs.

Students found the sessions incredibly valuable, with many amazed at how easily they could recall information using the methods demonstrated. We hope that the skills and strategies learned will support them throughout their revision and help them approach their exams with confidence. Mock exams for year 11 will be held December 1st-12th.

Year 11 Astronomy Youth Summit 

We're incredibly proud to share the stellar success of our Year 11 GCSE Astronomy students, who recently took their learning to an international stage! On Tuesday, November 4th, our budding astrophysicists journeyed to Bath to participate in the first-ever Youth Summit hosted by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS).

This wasn't just a day trip; it was the culmination of a year's hard work! Our students spent the last academic year diligently attending CEOS-hosted lectures and webinars, deepening their understanding of Earth observation and space technology. This rigorous preparation led to them conducting their own research and creating professionally designed posters.

A Global Audience

Imagine presenting your work to people who actually work at NASA! Our students experienced just that. Their research posters were displayed for delegates from some of the world's most prestigious international space organisations, including:

• UK Space Agency
• NASA
• JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)
• South African Space Agency
• Australian Space Agency
• French Space Agency

Delegates from these organisations walked around, scrutinising the posters and engaging the students with insightful questions. Our Year 11s handled the pressure like seasoned pros, confidently discussing their findings and research methods.

Future Frontiers

The excitement continued as our students connected with their peers from around the world via video call. The highlight was a Q&A panel where our students had the unique opportunity to directly question representatives from these global space agencies about the future of Earth observation and space travel. It was a truly inspiring session that opened their eyes to the vast career possibilities in STEM.

The students were, quite simply, exceptional. Their excellent behaviour and enthusiasm made them wonderful ambassadors – not only for our school but for the UK on an international level. They represented the very best of our academic community.

Well done to all the students involved for making their mark on the world of space science!

Physics in Action

Our A-Level Physics students had an electrifying day out on Tuesday, November 11th, as they travelled to Warwick University for the fantastic Physics in Action event! This national gathering brought together keen A-Level students from across the country for a day of inspiration, discovery, and practical exam tips.

From Space to Subatomic Particles

The day was packed with five presentations from a diverse and dynamic group of professionals working at the cutting edge of physics. Our students were captivated by speakers who shared not only the latest groundbreaking discoveries in their fields but also their personal journeys and passion for science.

The schedule was truly broad, covering topics that ranged from the massive scale of the cosmos to the mechanics of fun:

• Professor Suzie Imber (Planetary Science) explored “Space Weather: Dancing Lights and Damaging Storms,” delving into the science behind auroras and their potential impact on Earth's infrastructure.
• Professor Brendan Walker (Thrill Engineer) used physics to analyse what makes a rollercoaster thrilling in his talk, “Body × Movement = Thrill.”
• Dr. Kate Shaw (Particle Physicist) brought things down to the subatomic level with “Back to the Big Bang: Exploring the Universe with Particle Physics.”
• Dr. Anna Ploszajski (Materials Scientist) shared her accidental journey in science with “The Accidental Materials Scientist.”
• Professor Clare Elwell (Medical Physics) concluded the main talks by showing how light is used in medicine in “Shedding Light on the Brain.”

Our students seized the opportunity to engage directly with these experts, asking detailed questions about their cutting-edge research and career pathways.

The Formula for Exam Success

In addition to the awe-inspiring scientific talks, the students benefited from a hugely practical session: an exam-focused workshop. This was delivered by Lewis Matheson from A-Level Physics Online, who provided key advice and proven strategies to help the students succeed in their upcoming examinations.

The day was a perfect blend of inspiration and implementation. Our students were fantastic ambassadors for the school, engaging thoughtfully with the speakers and soaking up all the knowledge on offer. We hope they left the event feeling highly motivated and confident in tackling their A-Level studies!