Parental Bulletin - 3rd April 2020

Parental Bulletin
3rd April 2020

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 – 3rd April 2020
I would like to start this final parental bulletin of the term by saying how much we have all appreciated the lovely
comments and feedback that you have provided. It means a lot to us all.
I would also like to thank you for the support and encouragement that you have been giving to your child as they
learn from home. The staff have been incredibly impressed with the work they are getting back. In this bulletin,
each Head of Department has given a snapshot of some of the things that have been going on. It is a long bulletin,
but I make no apologies for this. Please also see the final section of the bulletin from the school library, which gives
some great ideas and links for continued learning and fun.
In a time when we have had to adapt, once again the students and staff of The Knights Templar School step up and
demonstrate the values of the school and our motto ‘Courage and Courtesy’. Thank you to everyone.
I thought I would make you aware of a couple of things regarding Personal
Protective Equipment. Firstly, I am so proud of Jonathan (Year 9) who has designed
a 3D printing protective face masks. You may have seen Jonathan in The Comet this
week. He is now receiving commissions from local Health companies – well done
Jonathan (see article in this bulletin). Secondly, our Design and Technology and
Science departments have been in school over the last couple of days gathering as
many protective gloves/goggles etc. as we have and these will be taken to the NHS.
This includes about 1500 pairs of gloves (some vinyl, some plastic), more than 350
pairs of goggles (see photo), plastic aprons, the prototype visor (see photo) and a
box of safety goggles from DT.
Our DT department will be spending the next two weeks making protective visors
(thank you Mr Micele). We are just waiting for final approval and again these will be passed to the NHS.
Year 11 and 13 exam update
We have this afternoon received some information from the examination groups regarding how they intend to
award grades. Please allow us some time to look into this and we will be in touch as soon as we can (please keep
an eye on communication from us over the next few days).
Year 10 Exams
In view of the current circumstances, the school has decided to postpone the Year 10 exams which would have
followed immediately after Easter. Individual subjects will instead find ways of assessing students’ current
progress and attainment during the next half term so that we are able to publish reporting information during the
summer term. Please encourage your child to stay up to date and engaged in their learning as we will be ensuring
that students stay on track with the GCSE curriculum during next term.
I will be back in touch on Monday 20 th April. Have a safe Easter.
Kind regards,
Mr T Litchfield
Headteacher

Articles in The Comet featuring KTS students

PE
KS3/4 core PE – has featured many different fitness related home workouts. Students have also watched
documentaries and written mini-reports.
KS4 academic PE/Dance – this has included a combination of research and consolidation work. Within PE we are
exploring the use of The Ever Learner as a tool to continue teaching the specification after Easter (Yr10 ONLY).
Tasks have included, watching video tutorials, making detailed notes, revision cards, linking knowledge back to
exam style questions and self-assessment using mark scheme booklets that the students already have.

KS5 academic PE/Dance/BTEC – this has included mostly consolidation work, with BTEC students working through
assignments which were given prior to school closing. BTEC staff are in regular contact with their students and
are providing feedback on draft assignments. Within PE we are exploring the use of The Ever Learner as a tool to
continue teaching the specification after Easter (Yr12 ONLY). Tasks have included watching video tutorials,
making detailed notes and linking these back to exam style questions.

Media
Film and Media students have been working incredibly hard over the last two weeks, and have produced some
highly impressive work.
Year 10 have been working on researching and planning their NEA, which will be essential for when they return to
school as it counts towards their final grade. Year 11 continue to work on the newspaper unit, and have produced
some excellent notes on The Sun and The Guardian papers, and the industry as a whole. Year 12 continue to work
on their analysis of their exam set texts including two Long form TV Dramas, and two set music videos, as well as
researching and planning for their NEA. Year 13 Media have been working on their booklets based on studying the
gaming industry, specifically Minecraft, and Year 13 Film have been investigation Tarantino as an auteur, and comparing
Asif Kapadia's documentary 'Amy' studied in class, to his Diego Maradona documentary which was on TV
last week.
The standard of work I have received has been highly impressive, particularly Year 13 film and media's work, which
has been so in depth, and above and beyond expectations. A huge well done to team film & media.

History
As a department we have set a variety of tasks for students to complete at home, generally in-keeping with the activities
that they are used to completing in class. For example, students have been asked to complete:
Comprehension/note-taking tasks based on information shared on SMHW;
Independent research within a set brief with set requirements (e.g Y8 mini-project on the Middle Passage);
Creative tasks like creating a medieval menu (Y7) or revision poster (Y10);
Summary activities asking students to reach conclusions or judgements (e.g Y8 was the Empire good or bad);
Consolidation quizzes/activities using online platforms such as Seneca (particularly for Y10 and 11) and
Quizlet ;
Pieces of extended writing demonstrating their understanding of topics (e.g Y7 work on the Black Death);
Exam questions (Y10) and essay questions (Y12).

Year 7 information gathering/note-taking:
Year 8 decision-making extended writing on whether the British Empire was a good or bad thing:

Year 8 comprehension questions:
Year 9 note-taking and analysis of a historical cartoon:

Year 10 exam question:

Philosophy, Religion and Ethics
Work from Philosophy, Religion and Ethics students during this last two weeks has been outstanding! Year 9 has
continued to learn about Buddhism and hopefully some of the mindfulness ideas have rubbed off on our students
during this time. Year 8 are looking at Holy Week and as we approach Easter, they have been asking why this
celebration is important to Christians’ world-wide, there were many sensible answers that said it’s not just about
the chocolate! Year 7 have approached the end of their topic learning about Islam and this last week saw them
writing historical letters about the spread of Islam across Europe during the 8 th century. We continue to set work
for Year 10 and 11 Core RE and most interesting has been a lesson about pollution that saw many responses,
several that made mention of the reduction we are currently seeing in things like air pollution as flights are
grounded and travel is limited – well done to those that incorporated this into their answers. Year 12 continue
with their notes and this week are writing essays about whether or not Christian ideas are relevant in relation to
modern sexual ethics, I’m expecting a variety of interesting answers. And many of the Year 11 and 13 students
continue with their studies, I’m enjoying reading thoughts and opinions about capital punishment and medical
ethics.

Design & Technology
Our Key Stage 3 classes have been asked to complete a variety of tasks, these include ‘Design a souvenir, clothing
or a food dish which promotes a country’s traditions and cultures’, ‘Design a vehicle of the future’ or ‘Design a
suitable home for a pet’. We are currently half way through the projects but already we have had some amazing
work submitted which has been presented in a variety of different ways, including mind maps, mood boards,
sketches and even food dishes! Here are some photos of work that has been produced by a few of our very talented
students

Our Year 10 students have been working on a variety of tasks including exam preparation, studying famous
designers and doing on-line quizzes to check their knowledge
The year 12 students have been looking around their kitchens and instead of just making a cup of coffee, they
have been tasked with analysing their kettles! The detail in the work they have produced has been really
pleasing. They have also been drawing objects in 2D and isometric as well as carrying out tasks to improve
their subject knowledge.

Science
Students have been set a wide variety of tasks from their science teachers. They have been superb in answering
exam style questions and using mark schemes to self-mark their answers. Many students have written really
detailed www (what went well) and ebi (even better if) comments.
This Year 13 work is in good detail and the student has clearly used her understanding to structure the topic by
subdividing it into several main sections. Each of those sections is then broken down into bullet points to
facilitate learning.

This chemistry student has followed an experiment on YouTube on how to extract iron from its ore using homemade
apparatus. They have demonstrated an understanding of the process and related this to the theory from
the GCSE course.

Yr 7 and 8 have been carrying out the experiments at home!

A Level Physicists have been doing some revision on Particles & Radiation
Year 9s have been set a variety of tasks:
Notes on stopping distances …

Speed calculations … and some graph work …

We have also set some taskmaster style tasks for a bit of light relieve …
Research and make a da Vinci’s bridge …
Tear a hole in a piece of paper that resembles something …

Celebrating Drama Work
Teaching staff across the Drama Department can tell you that our students have not allowed remote learning to
quash their creativity!
Year 7 students have been very imaginative when developing storyboards inspired by Charlie Chaplin and silent
movies of the 1920’s. I enjoyed one in particular that was created using photos featuring members of the family.
Students in Years 8 and 9 have been completing production design tasks in response to texts they have read and
studied. We have seen some carefully considered costume designs, showing reflection of characters and era.
Many set designs produced have been beautifully drawn and we have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the artistry from
many of our students.
Year 10 and 11 Drama students have been working hard exploring Blood Brothers. We have had some lovely analysis
of characters and students have shown good engagement with the wider context of the play.
Our sixth form student have shown great maturity and real independence in their engagement with their work.
We have had some very insightful work that shows students are continuing to develop their skills of analysis and
evaluation. We are fortunate that
we can still engage with theatre
performances thanks to the generosity
of various arts organisations.
Last night many of our Theatre
Studies and Performing Arts student
sat down to watch the National
Theatre performance of One
Man, Two Guvnors ‘together’.
Our students are certainly keeping
their love of theatre alive. Well
done!
Alice, Year 7
Lila, Year 7

James, Year 8
Jacob, Year 8
Kayleigh, Year 8

Kate, Year 9
Ella, Year9
Toby, Year 9

Music
A music department is normally a hub of sound with instrumental lessons going on, music lessons taking
place and this has not stopped even though we are not in the same building to collaborate our work. We have
seen some excellent work from all years with the year 7s researching, creating and even playing their homemade
instruments. Along with this we have had had some great performances throughout as well, from year
8s,9s and 11s showcasing their music skills and uploading the audio to show my homework or Google drive.
The year 11 BTEC music group haven even released their ‘BTEC Best Hits’ product which is accessible through
the school website showcasing their recording skills and mixing skills through managing their own product.
Students have had good discussions on live performances, film music and samba, drawing on all of their own
skills and background knowledge. The use of Garage band has been shown throughout with students sending
Garage band files for us to listen to as a part of their work, and even researching wider listening, Music technology
and performances without being reminded. Music has always been strong at Knights Templar and this
is even more evident during this time with students willing to showcase their skills and understanding.
Successes of the Maths Department over the last two weeks
A quote from one of the Maths teachers was that ‘Despite half the department being luddites we managed our
first video conference’’. It was so successful we have the second one in a week planned for tomorrow and this
time Mr Kempster is going to share his screen and give us some online training in using one of our new online
purchases!
We have heard from some parents who are really going above and beyond to support their children with their
time and support. Pupils have had to become much more independent in their learning although it is good that
so many also have contacted us for help when they have really needed it. The emails sent by pupils have all been
extremely polite and well written. Some classes have had to do their scheduled tests remotely and mark them
themselves using a mark scheme. It was very gratifying to see how seriously they took it.
We have made a lot of use of our two remote learning platforms, My Maths and Maths Watch and both staff and
many pupils have worked hard to learn how to navigate their way through them. Pupils have found it challenging
remembering which password to use when and where but have generally risen to that challenge eventually!
Economics Department Successes
I have been so impressed by the way students have positively adapted to the current crisis and this new way of
working in such a short time. Some have set up online study groups to collaborate on tasks, other have shown
how self-motivated they are at managing themselves, producing quality work and meeting deadlines, with brilliant
submission rates for work after a few teething troubles. I am full of admiration for the positive attitude and
constant work ethic those who would have been sitting important exams this Summer! It has also been heartwarming
to discover what lovely support there has been at home, sometimes with the boot on the other foot and
parents helping their children to use tech!
I’ve had individual emails from almost everyone now and some fantastic independent work completed on topics
such as the recent budget (that might need a few changes…) and monetary policy where ink was barely dry on
the first rate reduction! There can’t have been a time when almost every aspect of economics was under the
spotlight making students and people everywhere question how societies and lives are organised. These unintended
and unexpected consequences and a new way of looking at life will be hopefully be something positive
that can be carried forward when some sort of normality eventually returns.

There have been some fantastic examples of students working really hard on the tasks set in MFL and this has
shown us just how well they can work independently.
As a department, we are setting tasks which allow students to progress through our existing Schemes of Work so
that they will be able to build on what they have been studying at home with confidence when we return to
school.
We understand that variety is important in keeping students engaged and are therefore, setting a range of
activities including online resources, such as Activelearn, Quizlet and Linguascope, and cultural research tasks, as
well as some work from their text books.
It has been wonderful to see students’ work, both in terms of the scores they have achieved in online tasks and
the written tasks which have been sent to us. Here are some examples of the more cultural tasks students have
been working on:
Year 7 French students have produced some excellent fact files about handball, a very popular sport in France,
Year 9 German students have been planning a school trip to a German speaking country, with some researching
German youth hostels, Year 11 German classes have been working on a real German news website for young
people and finding out about how remote learning is working there and contributing their own comments in
German.
Thank you for all of the support you are giving at home. It really is appreciated.
Joyeuses Pâques! - Frohe Ostern! - ¡Felices Pascuas ! - Happy Easter !

Computer Science Department
Over the last few weeks we all had to adapt to new ways of working from home. We had many lovely responses
from students and parents keen to get the work done. Thank you parents for all your support at home!
The students had a variety of programming, web design, revision tasks and coursework over the lockdown period
and many produced some wonderful code and other related work. We also quickly realised that not all students
have access to computers or the internet or have to share with parents and siblings, so we also set some
paper based tasks alongside the computer based tasks. Again no one complained and the students just got on
with it and produced very good work.
On the left there are Python code produced by Francine in Y9
to output all the results of square numbers from 1 to 10 in a
text file (Notepad).
Some of the project based work leans itself to online tutorials.
For Python related tutorials most students follow the Edujo
YouTube channel which is run by one of the KTS teachers in his spare time. The channel can be found at
https://youtube.com/edujotv and has many tutorials ranging from python programming, Raspberry Pi videos
as well as Excel tutorials. Please check it out!
Psychology
We are bursting with pride at how well our psychology students have handled the current situation. We are so
impressed at the way year 13 students in particular are continuing to work hard and turning a heart breaking situation
into a positive and using it as an opportunity to broaden their understanding and branch out from the exam
specification. We've had students asking for advice to prepare them for studying psychology at University,
asking for additional resources and guidance and taking it upon themselves to enrol on online courses.
We are impressed by their resilience and maturity and how they're juggling the stress of the situation and still
finding time to go above what's expected - many of them whilst also carrying out jobs as key workers in retail etc.
A huge well done to you all!’
English Department Report on Learning at Home
During the last two weeks, our pupils have been very busy ‘working from home’ and we have been inundated
with evidence that the majority have risen to the challenge. We have received some lovely work on Shakespeare’s
plays from Year 9, Year 8 have been looking forward to Easter with their work on Easter Eggs, Year 7
have been reading and responding to The Happy Prince and Year 10 have been showcasing their skills in their
essays on A Christmas Carol and in their short story writing; there is clearly a lot of talent out there.
Year 11 have shown great strength of character and have continued to complete exam questions as they wait
for details about their qualifications. Many of them have produced excellent creative writing - one student in
particular produced an article which was so impressive that they clearly have a promising future as a professional
writer. Year 12 have consolidating their knowledge of Frankenstein and Year 13, in a similar position to
Year 11 students, have stayed calm and continued to work hard. Well done to the students who have worked
hard and dealt admirably with these new working practices.

Happy Prince—Year 7
Poetry—Year 8 Midsummer Night’s Dream—Year 9

Geography
The Geography Department have been really impressed by of the work they have received over the past two
weeks – a lot of you have clearly been putting great effort into completing the tasks set. We have been especially
impressed with how focussed our Y11 and Y13 students have been, with fantastic work being produced such as
these climate change research projects by Emily and Sophie (below). At the other end of the school, we have also
had some wonderful work from our Y7 students and from our Y9s on the topic of Ecotourism, for example Leila’s
work on the principles of sustainability below. This work goes to show that you don’t need to have loads of technology
available to create some excellent work!
We cannot wait to see what our Y8 students come up with for their China projects over the next few weeks
(whilst you’re all having a well-earned break too!) and for the future projects we will be setting you. If you’re
looking for something to keep you occupied, please check out our optional ‘Easter Challenges’ to keep your
Geography brain ticking over the break.

ART
Students have continued to develop and practice their skills in Art and Design and photography with much imagination,
perseverance and creativity. From still-life photography, Picasso’ portraits and the Art of Africa to questioning
the very purpose and nature of art in our work.
Below are some of the responses to the question: Why Art Matters to me.
Why does art matter?
To me art matters because it is a way to express yourself and release your emotions. Art matters even if
it’s a basic doodle as I feel it’s a way of bringing your imagination to life and emptying the daydreams from
your brain onto a page or canvas, to me a world without art would be dull and boring as art can be seen in
so many forms eg, music, painting, literature etc.
I think art matters so greatly as it is a creative outlet where one can not only express a variety of things,
but can also learn about time periods and trends from when art was made. It allows us to focus on something
that requires less ‘thinking’ and we get a rewarding result. Plus it’s fun :)
I think Art matters because one can express how they feel and use a canvas, camera etc to show their
talent and creativity. Without that the world wouldn’t be the same because Art is all around us. That’s
why Art matters to me.
I think art matters because it is a way you can convey whatever message you want in s unique way. It is
more powerful and meaningful than words.
I think that art matters because it’s a subject that is different to all the others and you can do / create
whatever you want in your own way . It’s different to subjects that are all writing based and you can be as
creative as you want and draw / paint / make models. There are no right or wrong answers and it gives
you a chance to do what you choose and you don’t exactly get given strict instructions / directions.
Art is important because is shows emotion and thoughts. The longer you look at a picture the more you
see. The thoughts and emotions that go through our minds every day change but in each you see a
pattern. Art is important because it displays thought and emotion through an image and can even make
fears become beautiful, art doesn't just start emotion in the creator it starts emotion in the observer a
well.
Impressionism is my favorite type of art because it is not made to be what is real but it is about opinion
and view point, it shows a different meaning to everyone who sees it.
I think art it important because it reflects human ideas, emotions, thoughts and memories. We make art
to show our knowledge and to teach future generations what it means to be human. I think that art is vital
for kid's developments because it opens them up to so much culture and ideas that helps them understand
what life is to be human.
I believe art matters because it allows us to see the world in some many different and beautiful ways, it
makes us connect more with each other and our surroundings. Our different reactions to art sums up our
uniqueness and shows how we can be different but still through being linked through the art we view.
Art captures beauty in the mundane and reflects society in a critical way; by asking questions and drawing
attention to social, political and environmental issues. It documents an age and a way of life, while maintaining
ancient traditions and creating links with other generations- past and future. It can be therapeutic
and emotionally challenging, at the same time, and develops individuality that is essential for growing up.

Business Studies
Thank you to all our students who have been emailing us and sending over images of their work, they are really
brightening our days.
Our Year 11’s have been finishing off their final topics of their GCSE course and have been looking at training and
development and motivation.
Students were looking into the importance of training and development and students were tasked to learn how
to make a paper hat using 3 different training methods, as you can see from the photo one of students was
successful in making a great paper hat, though not sure their cat was too impressed with having to model the
finished article.
I also asked students to look at different ways to motivate people and to compile their own motivational playlist
as music is a great way to lift moods and boost the mood. It was great to see this list come through with some
great song choices and some that I will definitely be adding to my own motivational playlist.
Thank you Business Studies students and keep up the good work
Miss McGuigan and the Business Studies team

Library News - For Easter 2020
CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY 2020 - SHORTLIST NOW ANNOUNCED :
The national Carnegie Medal Book Award has begun and we are
inviting students to become a KTS Shadower – to read, discuss,
and review some of the shortlisted titles. Here’s the link : https://
carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/cilip-carnegie-medal-shortlist-2020/
There is no need to read all 8 titles. We have sufficient time to do
this before the national result in mid-June 2020. Whilst we are
unable to meet in school to share our opinions, we can begin to
explore the books on the Carnegie website and view the author video clips. There are plans to have access to digital
versions on the Carnegie website soon, so watch this space!
The Kate Greenaway Award is also underway and there are 8 shortlisted titles many suitable for younger children
selected for the illustrations.
In the meantime, please email Mrs N Evans, The School Librarian, either via librarian@ktemplar.herts.sch.uk, or
via Accessit*, our web based Library catalogue, if you would like to be part of the KTS Rooftop Carnegie Shadowers
this year – ALL Year Groups 7 to 13 are invited.
* Accessit Dashboard link : https://uk.accessit.online/kng15/#!dashboard - don’t forget to change Guest to your
personal library account (school network login and password needed).
Reading for pleasure and discovery… for all the family
As you can imagine there is a plethora of resources available on line to help engage children and families during
the Easter break. We have selected a few of the best here. These have been sourced from reliable education
providers.
BookTrust HomeTime
Looking for something fun as a family? Enjoy storytime with our free online books
and videos, play games, win prizes, test your knowledge in our book-themed quizzes,
or even learn how to draw some of your favourite characters. https://
www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/have-some-fun/fun-at-home-withauthors-and-illustrators/
Scholastic Home Learning resources
Meet Julia Donaldson
and Friends
every Thursday at
4pm,when Julie will share her much loved stories,
songs and poems. Axel Scheffler will be drawing
some of the characters from A Squash and A
Squeeze. A number of FREE downloadable activities
available too. https://resource-bank.scholastic.co.uk/

The fantastic Weekly FIRST NEWS enewspaper is available in full for
Years 7 & 8 (Year 6s too!) with accompanying news and picture quizzes
and more to download. See links below :
ENEWSPAPER : https://schools.firstnews.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/
sites/3/2020/03/FIRSTNEWS_719.pdf
NEWS & PICTURE QUIZZES, COMPREHENSIONS
L2 (Yr5 & 6) L3 (Yr 7 & 8)
News & Pictures Quiz
In the Know Quiz
Look Closer Comprehension
Article Analysis Comprehension
Answers available via your Form Tutor or Mrs N Evans, The Librarian.
This is an excellent daily resource for school children providing lots of reliable news articles
and activities across all subject areas including PSHE– you can access this via EduLink – just
click on the links button.
POETRY TIME !
For younger kids, poet and YouTube star Simon Mole is running a series of free live poetry workshops online
via Zoom. Sessions run on Tuesdays mornings, with a sharing session on Thursday. For more information on how
to join, visit www.simonmole.com/online-poetry-workshops and follow Simon on Twitter @Si_Mole.
For older kids, author Sarah Crossan is sharing a poetry workshop every day at noon on Instagram Live. Featuring
poetry challenges focusing on different themes, our personal favourite so far being her Vision themed
lesson for National Poetry Day! Head to Sarah's Instagram @sarahcrossanwriter to view them all. Sarah will be
sharing some of your poems so use the hashtag #WeAreThePoets when joining in. Make sure you get permission
from your parents/carers to participate in any of these workshops.
FUN DIY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR HOME
Fun DIY Science experiments you can do at home from BBC Science Focus
(KTS Library holds the magazine subscription) :
https://www.sciencefocus.com/list/fun-diy-science-experiments-to-try-athome-with-the-kids/
Every good wish to parents and students
The Library Staff – Mrs N Evans, Mrs Martin and Mrs Boddy