Parental Bulletin 18th January 2018

Parental Bulletin
18th January 2018

The Knights Templar School
Headteacher:
Mr T. Litchfield, G.G.S.M.
Park Street
Baldock
Herts SG7 6DZ
Email: admin@ktemplar.herts.sch.uk Tel: 01462 620700
Dear Parents and Carers
PARENTAL WEEKLY UPDATE – 18th January 2018
(available on our website)
The Wizard of Oz is our school production this year and the performances are next week – I hope that you have
bought your ticket! The Friday night (last night) is now sold out, but there is limited availability for the other three
evenings. There are two casts and each night promises to be of the highest quality. Please do come and support the
school in this popular show.
I would like to congratulate the students (and staff) on two very successful days of house matches this week. Year 7
and 8 have shown great enthusiasm and energy on Wednesday and Thursday, despite the very cold weather. I am
sure that the year 9 students will show a great attitude tomorrow in their house matches.
I was delighted to speak to the winning team in the North Herts Teaching Alliance Geography Quiz which took place
on Tuesday evening. Schools from most of the schools in North Herts entered a team and our winning team pipped
the Hitchin Girls by one point to first place. A full report from Miss Bow can be seen later in the bulletin.
Please would parents of year 9 students be reminded that we are holding the Year 9 Options Evening tonight. We
have already communicated to you about the timings of the evening. Please do come prepared to ask lots of questions
to help assess which options are right for your child.
Please may I remind you that students should be in school around 8.30am to be in their assembly or to start their
tutorial lesson at 8.35am promptly. Students should be properly prepared for the school day, which means correctly
packed bags, a full pencil case and homework completed.
Please can I ask you not to drop off or pick up students from the Sports Centre. There are plenty of roads and
streets locally where this can take place. The Sports Centre was gridlocked last night (Wednesday) and the sports
department were trying to get to a sports fixture. As a result the start time was delayed and therefore the students
were back to school later than planned.
Kind regards,
Tim Litchfield
Headteacher
Dates for your Diary
Thursday 18 01 18 KS4 Options Advice to Yr9 Students & Parents
Friday 19 01 18 Yr12 Fine Art Mock Exam
Yr9 Winter House Matches
Saturday 20 01 18 School Production Dress Rehearsal
Monday 22 01 18 School Production Final Rehearsal
Primary Performance: The Wizard of Oz (Performance: 2pm-3pm)
Yr8 Indoor Hockey Tournament
Tues– Frid 23—26 01 18 School Production: 'The Wizard of Oz'

Music News
Monday Miniature is back !
This is a short , informal concert featuring our talented student soloists .
Date : Monday 5th February
Time : 5pm
Venue :Hall
Admission free
Please come and support these performers . This will be a lovely evening and a great way to start the week !
Tuition Fees
A reminder that this term’s music tuition fees are due for payment by next Friday 26 th January please.
Payment can be made online via WisePay. Please contact the Music Office if you have any queries.
Newsletter for children and young people with additional needs
The January edition of HAND (Hertfordshire Additional Needs Database) News is now published. Click here to view.
Read for details on how to apply for short breaks, free courses for parents, inclusive activities, support groups and
much more.
School Uniform News
You may have heard that Hawkins of Hitchin have shut down after 155 years of trading. With assistance
from Hawkins a new store called Beat School Uniforms has opened in Hitchin on Hermitage
Road. You can also order online www.beatschooluniforms.co.uk and orders will delivered
to your home address within 48 hours. For further details, please see the leaflet towards the end
of the bulletin.
Shirt Monkeys will continue provide their excellent service and have sent in
the following note:-
Happy New Year from The Shirt Monkeys. We just wanted you all to know
that we are still here in Baldock as KTS uniform suppliers. We have been pretty busy in the last 10 days since all
those lovely children went back to school. We have endeavoured to deliver as soon as we possibly could; to some of
you in a couple of hours, to some a couple of days. We hope you continue to be happy with our service. We are currently
fully stocked so don't hesitate to contact us.
This summer we intend to continue to provide our personal service and will encourage the parents of Year 7 starters
to have a 'uniform fitting party' at their own home or any customer can come and see us in our new fitting room or
attend one of our many pop-up shops during the school holidays. Our aim is to make the uniform buying experience
as simple as possible.
We have a few new exciting products added to our website, so do keep checking back with us.
www.theshirtmonkeys.co.uk
Don't forget to name those PE kits!
KTS school uniform requirements can be viewed at: http://ktemplar.herts.sch.uk/Parent-Area/School-Uniform/

North Herts Teaching Alliance Geography Quiz
Miss Bow, Miss Staines and Mr. Gordon took 16 year 11 students to the
inaugural NHTA Geography quiz at The Barclay School on Tuesday. We
competed against 14 other teams from across North Hertfordshire including
Hitchin Boys, Hitchin Girls and The Priory School. Students competed
in a range of rounds including ‘Our Hazardous World’ and ‘OS Map Skills.’
We are thrilled to announce that one of our teams WON the quiz with
Hitchin Girls coming in a close 2 nd . The winning team consisted of Matt
Craven, Max Smith, Matt Haskins and Alex Walker. We would like to thank
all those students who gave up their evenings to take part in the quiz and
we are incredibly proud of all those involved.
The Geography Department
Year 10 Work Experience
We would like to remind year 10 Parents that there is just under a week and a half until the Work Experience consent
forms need to be in along with the relevant payment (31 st January 2018). Own
placement forms need to be in by 28 th February 2018. If needed the forms can be found
at http://ktemplar.herts.sch.uk/Work-Experience-documentation/
We would also be very interested to hear from you if you work for a company that
would be interested in offering a student a Work Experience Placement. Please email us
your details on the address below. Mr Breadmore and Mrs Gunnell are on hand to answer
any queries. Please email us at wex@ktemplar.herts.sch.uk
Year 11 Science Revision Workbooks.
Research and experience has proven, that students who achieve their potential in exams are those that spend time
'testing themselves' on what they have been learning and revising, rather than simply re-reading notes.
In order to assist our GCSE students with their independent studying, we have for sale (at a discounted price) a series
of all-in-one Revision and Practice books. These are specific for our AQA Specification, and include free downloadable
flash cards and an ebook.
These study aids are available as three separate books at £5 each (rrp £10.99) for those sitting Separate Science
exams, and for those sitting Combined Science, there is a combined book available in either Higher or Foundation
Tier, at £10 each (rrp £16.99).
If you wish to purchase these, our preferred method of payment is via WisePay and students will receive their
books in their science lessons.
Students in Year 11 will have the exclusive opportunity to purchase these resources up until half term, and after
that the offer will be opened up to students in Year 10.
Any questions, please contact myself, Mrs Allman or Mr Grove.
Many thanks,
Mrs Wallace

Library News
The craft of storytelling comes to Baldock.
An increasingly popular form of entertainment, storytelling is much more than fairytales,
fiction and ghost stories. It’s the most ancient form humans have of explaining and
exploring the world around us, of sharing ideas, or simply entertaining and enthralling.
At our very own Fireside Festival storytellers will take you on a journey with their
captivating tales. Prepare to be on the edge of your seat, rolling in the aisles, or simply wowed by their skills of
narrative structure and language. Above all, it’s always a fun and friendly experience.
For more information on acts, events or to buy tickets visit www.firesidefestival.org
The BBC’s 500 Words 2018 story writing completion is open for entries NOW.
Seven years ago, Chris Evans had a dream: to get children excited about reading and
writing. All children, no matter what their ability. 500 Words is now one of the most
successful story-writing competitions for kids in the world: Three quarters of a million
children have written a story for us over the years!
Entry to this competition is open to anyone aged between 5 and 13 years on the 8th June 2018. For more
information visit www.bbc.co.uk and search 500 Words.
ART NEWS
Coming up soon…
Food Journalists Wanted
To celebrate ten years of the Guild of Food Writers’ Write It Competition, First News
and Pink Lady Apples have launched the Young Food Writer of the Year! For more
information and entry details visit pinkladyapples.co.uk/write-it-2018
Year 11 GCSE Art visit to Tate Britain on Friday, February 2 nd
The theme of this year’s GCSE exam paper will have been revealed before the trip, so it is a prime
opportunity for students to be inspired, research and prepare lots of sources for the exam on 26 th /27 th
March.
Years 11, 12, & 13 Art, Photography and Languages trip to Paris, 10 th – 13 th February
We are almost all set to go. Please remember to send in passports, EHICs and any outstanding
forms. There will be an information meeting for parents and students in the 6 th form Common Room on
Wednesday 24 th January at 5pm when we will discuss the forthcoming visit and answer any questions or
concerns. We hope you will be able to come along.
Year 7 Art visit to the National Gallery in London on 6 th and 8 th March
Students should have received letters about the gallery visit but if not, copies are available from the Art
office or via the KTS website. We would appreciate it very much if payment & permission could be
completed before the half-term break. Thank you.
Year 10 College students
The students studying construction and motor vehicles at North Herts College
have had a great start to the academic year. The college tutors have been pleased
with the progress they have made since September and are impressed with their
attitude to the practical work. This week the construction students were
completing a variety of bricklaying tasks with their work photographed for their
portfolio's.

PE News
Year 7 Rugby Team Lose Unbeaten Run
On Monday afternoon the Year 7 Boys Rugby team lost 25-10 to a strong and physical Chancellor’s school team.
The team were rusty following the Christmas break and were caught cold with two quick tries at the start of the
game as the Chancellor’s team powered down the field to score.
In the second half the KTS team were more physical in the contact area and improved in attack. Daniel Conn was
tireless in defence and Louis Burns was outstanding in all areas of play. Special mention to Max Robinson
finishing off a superb team try and showing blistering speed down the wing to score at the posts. Mr Matthews
and Mr Amstutz would like to see a huge turnout for training on Monday after school next week.
Mr Matthews would like to thank Jack Petre from year 12 who took the whistle for the first time in a competitive
fixture and gave an excellent performance as referee as part of his Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Saracens Making History at Olympic Stadium
On 24 th March Saracens are hosting the first
premiership rugby fixture at the former Olympic
stadium with a big local derby against Harlequins. KTS
are offering tickets for this game which includes coach
travel to the game. Our school has been invited to take
part in the pride and unity parade which will take place
on the pitch before the kick off. This is a great
opportunity to sample the atmosphere and to appear
before 50,000 fans in an iconic stadium.
The action will be fierce with all the England
internationals returning to club action following the six
nations, these will include Maro Itoje, Billy Vunipola, Owen Farrell and Danny Care. There will also be live music
with Saracens set to name the acts appearing next Monday.
The tickets are £32 for adults and £18 for under 16s which includes the coach travel. If you are interested in this
event, the letter will be sent out via InTouch and will be on the school website, please return by 22 nd
January. Don’t miss this fantastic event!
Lost Property
Do you recognise these odd trainers and boots? Are you missing a shoe?!! We will keep hold of them at the PE
Office for 1 more week after which they will be thrown away.
Thank you.

Year 7 Basketball
The year 7 basketball team took to the court for their first ever competitive match and were unfortunate to lose
to Highfield School by a narrow 3-point margin, with the scoreboard reading 26-23 at the final buzzer.
Despite the disappointment of the result, the team can take a lot of positives from this performance and will
have learnt a lot going into their remaining games.
A special congratulations goes to Oakley Sayer and Ronan Edlin who were the standout performers of the match!
County Success Continues for Charlotte
Charlotte Kingsbury (year 11) has had an excellent season for both her club team (MK Dons) and the
Hertfordshire U16 County team.
Charlotte has played incredibly well in County colours this season and has been an integral part of recent 7-5 and
7-2 wins against Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, respectively. The latter of these wins has booked
Hertfordshire a place in the Southern Counties Semi-Final with their opponents still to be confirmed.
We look forward to bringing you more details of Charlotte’s achievement in the coming weeks- well done
Charlotte!
Medical News
Year 9 and 10 Vaccine Consent Forms
I am still waiting for :
44 forms from Year 9
46 forms from Year 10
I have sent consent forms with letters to all those who have not returned the forms. Please return it asap.
It is the Year 9 options evening tonight so if you are coming please fill in the available consent form then and
leave it where you sign in, with the sixth formers.
Vaccines for all at KTS
Please ensure that your child’s vaccines up to date. Some of the available vaccines were missed for some in
their early years, so do check your child’s records and see that your child has had both doses of the Measles,
Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) not just one.
During the secondary school year the school nurses come in and give the HPV to year 8 and 9 girls; in year 9 or
10 the boosters for Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio and meningitis ACWY will be given.
So do check where your child is at with theirs.
If your child had only the Men C vaccine in Year 10 then they can get the Men ACWY from your GP up until the
age of 24.
Thank you
Jane Mance

update
The UCAS application deadline has passed and we are pleased to report that this year, the KTS Sixth Form has sent
over 100 UCAS applications for KTS and Emil Dale Performing Arts Academy students.
Over 80% of our year 13 students have applied to university and we look forward to bringing you plenty of positive
news regarding their individual achievements and offers.
In addition, we will be working hard with students who do not plan to attend university by helping them to explore
the world of apprenticeships and employment.
Senior basketball update
The senior basketball team have had a good run of form in recent weeks, beating Fearnhill School by 4 points in a
very close and tense affair last week. However, despite the seemingly close score line, KTS did incredibly well to win
this fixture with a much depleted squad of players due to injury and illness.
This week, they faced St Christopher’s School and got back to the convincing winning ways they are used to!
St Christopher’s boasted one excellent player who formed the main basis of their attacking threat and he performed
admirably throughout the game, scoring the vast majority of their 43 points. However, the teamwork and
depth of the KTS squad was crucial in this game and eventually proved too much for St Christopher’s to cope with,
despite a valiant effort in the first half.
Led by the scoring power of Kim Onslow and the now characteristic intense defence of the whole team, KTS cruised
to a comfortable 18 point win (61-43).
The boys can now look forward to their remaining district fixtures and hope to continue this good run of form to
book their place in the district final for the 6 th consecutive year.
Well done to all of the boys involved.
Senior football update
The senior boys’ football team continued their impressive winning streak with an impressive 4-3
come-back victory over Marriotts School.
The KTS boys dominated much of the first half but found the narrow Marriotts pitch to be a hindrance
to their usual free-flowing football. However, an exquisitely placed free-kick from 25 years
by Ollie Plant ensured that the KTS boys took the lead that there play so richly deserved.
Minutes later, a lapse in concentration allowed the Marriotts striker a 1-on-1 opportunity with KTS goal keeper
Henry Skelding. Despite Henry’s athletic first save, he was unable to prevent the resulting tap-in and at half-time
the game was finely balanced at 1-1.

KTS started as the brighter side in the 2 nd half but 2 quick Marriotts counter-attacks within a 7 minute period saw
the Stevenage school pull away with a 3-1 lead, a score line that did not reflect KTS’s dominance of the game.
Needless to say, the KTS boys never gave up and continued to pile on the pressure, with wave after wave of attack
probing the Marriotts defence. When Remarn Harmsworth latched onto a perfectly weighted pass, he kept his
composure and lifted a beautiful left-footed shot high into the far corner of the net, leaving the goal keeper with no
chance. 3-2: game on!
With their tails up, the KTS boys relentlessly peppered the Marriotts goal with shots and eventually, a blocked shot
fell nicely for Joe Fantom to fire home from 15 yards, levelling the game at 3-3.
Marriotts appeared to be willing to settle for the draw as KTS piled forward looking for that all important winning
goal. With 5 minutes remaining, KTS hoisted a well-taken corner into the Marriotts box and vice-captain Marcus
Crowther was hauled down by an opposing defender to prevent him heading the ball goal-bound, leaving the
referee with no choice but to point to the spot.
Having earned the penalty, Marcus Crowther coolly stepped up to finish the job and slotted the penalty into the
goalkeeper’s right-hand corner to secure a well-deserved, albeit dramatic KTS win (4-3).
The boys now look forward to a return to County Cup action, as they await a highly anticipated quarter-final against
the very talented Bishop’s Stortford High School.
Well done to all of the boys involved with this superb fixture!