Friday 14th November 2025

A busy week. On the Tuesday 11/11 we marked Remembrance Day at a whole school assembly. As we always do, the assembly was presented by me and a group of sixth form students, Diya, Kendrick Student Leader and Koyenum, also a Kendrick Student Leader and Holocaust Ambassador, and Maya member of the CCF. We spoke about the theme for this year’s Remembrance Day, the commemoration of the 80^th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Listening attentively, students learnt about the contributions of women in the war, as well as the many 80^th anniversaries this year has marked. We also heard about some personal family history from Mr Haynes, History Teacher who talked about diaries he had found belonging to his great grandfather who was a doctor in a Field Hospital in Ypres in 1915. As a doctor, Mr Haynes’ great grandfather was administering to soldiers affected by the new weapon of destruction which had just started to be used in the First World War, gas. The diary entries show that this was something new yet was having a devastating effect on the soldiers. To accompany this piece of history, Mr Haynes read the famous and graphic poem, Dulce at Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen. You can read the poem here.  

The assembly was accompanied by music played by a Year 13 student, Wincy. At 11.00am we paused for a two-minute silence marked by the playing of The Last Post by Year 13 student, Connie. More details about the assembly HERE

Another assembly this week was one given by Mrs Mohamed, Geography Teacher,  to mark World Toilet Day, on 19^th November. This was a most serious and important assembly highlighting the lack of toilets in so many parts of the world and the impact this has on sanitation, hygiene and disease, and the disproportionate effect this has as on girls and women in various parts of the world. For some girls, the lack of toilet facilities prevents them from going to school and accessing an education. In the video Mrs Mohamed showed us there were some stark and distressing facts about this issue. Please look at the assembly slides HERE including the last slide about how we can help improve this situation through donations to water charities. Perhaps we at Kendrick can endeavour to raise money to build a toilet for a village that needs it. 

We welcomed our parents and students in Year 11 and parents and students from other schools on Wednesday evening to our Sixth Form Open event. The format allowed us to speak separately to the two cohorts and to explain the process of entry. For our Year 11, they have now started the process of thinking of their plans post 16: A Levels and subject choices, as well as where they would like to study. Obviously, we would like all our students to continue to study at Kendrick, which the vast majority of them do, but this is a time for everyone to pause and think what is the best option for them and suits their needs. Last night, Mrs Hearn, members of the Kendrick Student Leadership Team and I, strongly made the case for studying at Kendrick for all the obvious reasons, such us continuity in studies, familiar environment, established relationships, and excellent pastoral support and careers information, in particular UCAS guidance.  The Open Day for Year 11 was preceded by a Post 16 Conference, organised by Mrs McManus, Careers Coordinator at Kendrick and Learning to Work, our Careers Information and Guidance providers. For this event, a keynote speaker of some fame was invited to speak to the students. This was Yasmina Siadeton, former Kendrick student, entrepreneur, and winner of The Apprentice in 2009. The students were utterly absorbed by Yasmina who described her educational journey at Kendrick and university, her business achievements, including appearing and winning The Apprentice. We hope we will see more of Yasmina, as her experiences, as well as her determination and passion for business certainly resonated and inspired many of our students. Year 11 have also had one-to-one careers interviews, talks by employees including apprenticeship information, plus details about the Kendrick Sixth Form in the prospectus.

To finish, I would like to go back to the assembly on Remembrance on Tuesday morning. At the end of the assembly, I spent a few moments of reflection thinking about what we can do in our lives, our actions and behaviours, to promote peace and avert conflict. I suggested as a community at Kendrick we can:

• remember those who have died in war
• reflect and consider that war is an argument/disagreement on a major scale that has not been resolved. 
• look at the unresolved conflicts and arguments we have with each other and how we can try to resolve these peacefully and amicably. 
• be the person that tries to keep the peace in disagreements and tries to find common ground. 
• ‘call out’ people when they are being mean or unkind to others. 
• recognise and appreciate the warmth and kindness of others and be welcoming to people who join our community. 
• support charities and organisations that work in countries where war exists.
• try to live our lives in peace
• re-read and recommit to our Kendrick Pledge

With such thoughts in mind, I wish everyone a peaceful weekend. 

Ms Christine Kattirtzi
Headteacher

---

Safeguarding

Safeguarding at Kendrick School
Article on Anti-Bullying Week

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Mental Health and Wellbeing at Kendrick School
Article on Spending Time with Supportive People

Latest News on our Website

Assemblies this Week

Kendrick's Remembrance Day
World Toilet Day

School Calendar
Week commencing 17th November

National Self Care Week

• Tuesday 18th November - Climate Control Conference, KS4&5; Presentation of the GCSE Certificates, 2.30pm.
• Wednesday 19th November - GCSE Music Trip to Wicked

Student Careers and Work Experience

Current Opportunities

Vacancies

English and Drama Teacher on a short term contract - January - July 2026
Exam Invigilators

ParentPay and Evolve Reminders

Reminders on Friday 14th November 2025

Kendrick Parents' Society (KPS)

Weekly News - 14th November 2025

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