#ChristmasConcert 🎄

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Vacancies 🦁

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Join a supportive team where respectful relationships are the foundation of our collaborative and inclusive culture.

Explore our vacancies and feel valued at https://www.kingsdownschool.co.uk/vacancies

#KDSchool & #Vacancies 🦁

RECITAL EVENING 2025

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Last week the Music Department held its first Recital Evening. About 100 people attended and heard students giving fantastic performances ranging from pieces by Bach to songs by the Beatles not to mention ABBA, Greenday and Rachmaninov.

Congratulations to all students involved for doing so well!

#Music #KDSchool #RecitalEvening

Christmas Carols

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Our students sang 🎶 Christmas carols 🎄 thursday at Dobbies in Swindon, as part of the late-night shopping event. Their performance brought festive cheer 🌟  and helped spread the Christmas spirit throughout the community.  ❤️🎅 

#TeamKDS #Dobbies #Music@Kingsdown #Pride #Ambition

Christmas Disco

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Christmas Disco 🪩🥳

Thursday 4th December, 4.30 - 6.00pm | Main Hall - £2.50 per ticket.

A letter and Google form have been sent home to Y7 & Y8 parents. The form MUST be completed and £2.50 paid, to receive your ticket - Deadline: 1st December.

TIME TO PRACTICE YOUR DANCING! 😊👍🎉✨🎄

#XmasDisco #KDSchool

Swindon Youth Festival of Literature 2025

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This year, as part of the Annual Literature Festival, students at Kingsdown School took part in various events including: a trip to the Wyvern Theatre, where they heard about Phil Earle’s journey towards becoming a published author, school visits from performance poet Ash Dickinson and Steve Cole and a Swindon school book quiz, where Kingsdown students did really well ending in 3rd place out of the 12 schools competing. Primary schools: Grange, Ruskin and South Marston, also made an appearance at Kingsdown, where they brought their Year 5s over to see author Gareth P Jones sing songs about vampires and ice cream!

Highlights video HERE

Art Students

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Busy time for #GCSE Art Students.

#GCSE2025
#KDSTeam

Music class

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Just before half term, the Year 10 GCSE Music class joined students from other Swindon schools for a special concert given by members of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. The concert featured pieces of music relevant for the GCSE course ranging from Bach to music composed for computer games. It was a great opportunity to hear music played live and all the students enjoyed the experience.

#Music #KDSchool 🎹

OxCOP 2025

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Over the past few weeks, six Kingsdown students have represented Uganda at a mock climate conference, OxCOP, held in Oxford. The event gave students a unique opportunity to step into the shoes of world leaders and experience the challenges of international climate negotiations. In preparation for the conference, our students researched Uganda’s climate challenges and opportunities, exploring issues such as renewable energy, agriculture, and the impacts of climate change on developing nations. They delivered a powerful one-minute opening speech outlining Uganda’s priorities to the other delegations. Students then worked independently, collaborating and debating with peers from countries around the world to decide on the most crucial actions to advance towards 2030. They demonstrated excellent teamwork, communication, and critical thinking.

We are immensely proud of how our Kingsdown students represented both Uganda and our school with such confidence, knowledge, and passion for making a difference.

More picts can be found at our Facebook Page

Halloween Quiz

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Our Year 7 Halloween Quiz was such a fun way to celebrate the end of their first term at Kingsdown - and brilliant to see our students in their fantastic costumes 🎃 👻

Congratulations to our winning team, Spooky Snacks! ✨✨

#challenge #ambition

WELL DONE!

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The year 8 team won the Swindon Town tournament and will represent Swindon town in a regional tournament and have the chance of playing for Swindon town at Wembley.

Well done!!!

#KDSTeam | #PETeam | #Pride

🎃👻Year 7 Halloween Quiz

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The ASC Centre

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On Tuesday 30th September, The ASC Centre hosted Jonathan’s Jungle Roadshow where our students listened and learned about various insects, reptiles and amphibians. The students were able to handle many of these animals with the support of Jonathan. It was such a great day where every student showed respect, responsibility and challenged themselves.

Jonathan expressed his enjoyment of working with Kingsdown students again and is looking forward to returning in the future.

#KDSTeam #KDSchool

Year 7 Information and Meet the Tutor Evening

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Thursday 16th October is our Year 7 Information and Meet the Tutor Evening, from 5.30-6.30pm.

The evening will:
- Provide you with the opportunity to meet your child’s new Tutor and other key staff who will guide, support and champion your child throughout the next 5 years.
- Share essential information about our challenging and exciting Year 7 curriculum and how assessment and reporting will work.
- Outline our behaviour policy and reward systems.

#year7Team #KDSchool

#KDS BEATs

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Yesterday, Mrs Robertson identified some incredible Year 7s to have cakes with the Head.

#KDS BEATs. A moment of great pride.

Welcome!

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Thank you so much for joining us at our Open Evening! We are truly grateful to all the parents and carers who took the time to visit and learn more about the KDS Family.

#KDSFamily | #OpenEvening2025 | #WeChampionEachAndEveryStudent

Year 11 Information

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It was lovely to see so many parents and carers at our Year 11 information evening last night. We are so proud of our cohort 2026 and we know that they will take every opportunity with both hands.

All of the slides can be found on the Parent Portal.

Have a restful weekend #teamkingsdown #cohort2026 #team #year11 #challenge

OPEN EVENING 2025

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We look forward to welcoming you to our Open Evening on 25th September 2025 | 5:00 - 7:00pm. This is a wonderful opportunity especially for families with children in years 4, 5 and 6 to meet and talk with students and staff, see the school, take part in activities and hear from our Headteacher, Emma Leigh-Bennett.

No booking is necessary so please come along and join us. We look forward to meeting you and your child very soon.

STEM Race | Year 8

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Yesterday our Year 8 Design and Technology students took part in the exciting STEM Race to the Line Challenge, proudly sponsored by MAN Trucks.

Before the racing began, students had the fantastic opportunity to explore the impressive MAN trucks up close, sparking real curiosity and inspiration. The competition itself was fast-paced, fun, and full of teamwork as students designed, tested, and raced their cars to the finish line.
A huge thank you to MAN Trucks for supporting this event and for providing brilliant prizes; trophies and cinema vouchers for our winning teams.
Well done to all KDS students who rose to the challenge today, showing creativity, resilience, and a true passion for STEM!

#Kingsdownschool | #KDSTeam

Year 11 Curriculum Information Evening

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🦁🔊 Thursday the 18th September is our Year 11 curriculum information evening from 5:30-6:30pm.

You will be given important information about the year ahead, along with strategies to support your child in their exam preparation:
- Introduce you to key staff, including new senior leaders, who will guide, support and champion your child throughout the year.
- Share essential information about our Year 11 curriculum and the support available.
- Remind you of the importance of attendance.
- Provide you with some effective strategies to support your child – especially with GCSEPod and home learning, organisation and other essential revision skills required.

No booking required.

#Kingsdownschool | #Year11 | #KDSTeam

🌱 Year 10 Business Trip 🌱

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🌱 Year 10 Business Trip – Dobbies Garden Centre, Swindon 🌱

This afternoon, our Year 10 Business students had the fantastic opportunity to visit Dobbies Garden Centre in Swindon. The focus of the visit was to explore customer service in action and discover the many ways Dobbies put their customers first.

It was a brilliant afternoon of learning, discovery, and real-world application of classroom knowledge. A huge thank you to the team at Dobbies for hosting us, and especially to Operations Manager Jessica for arranging such an insightful experience.

Our students came away inspired and motivated – a perfect example of our BEATS in action:

✨ #Pride | #Respect | #Ambition | #Stretch

INSPIRATION

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Pre-16 College Course Introduction:

20 pupils have had the privilege to experience hair and beauty and construction instructions as they take part in the brand new ‘pre-16 courses’ that they are taking part in every Wednesday afternoon in courses they aspire to take part in later in life. It is such an inspiration to see them learning new skills and we look forward to seeing them grow in confidence over the next 2 years.

#KingsdownSchool #Ambition

Well Done!

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Well done to Julia, Year 10 for sitting her Polish GCSE in Year 9 and achieving a grade 9!! We are super proud of you, especially for completing this on top of your Kingsdown studies.

Well done! #ambition #hardwork

2025-26 Academic Year

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It was great to welcome back our Kingsdown students yesterday. We hope that you all had a lovely summer and are excited for the year ahead!

#2025 #curious #determined #resilient

Day 5 - Lion King Education and Final Assembly 🦁🎭

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Day 5: Lion King Education and Final Assembly 🦁🎭

What a fantastic way to end an unforgettable summer school week! 🌟
We’re so proud of all our rising Year 7s—your energy, kindness, and teamwork have shone through every day.
Wishing you the very best as you begin your journey into Year 7… until next year! 💛✨

#Respect #Cohort2030 #Friendships #RisingYear7s

🏆 Well done…

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🏆 Well done Cohort 2025, you DID it! #pride #stretch #challenge

Day 4 - Lego Robots, Tent Building & Teamwork 🤖⛺️✨

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Day 4: Lego Robots, Tent Building & Teamwork 🤖⛺️✨

A day full of creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration at summer school. New friendships were made, robots were built, tents were raised, and imaginations ran wild!

#Responsibility #STEM #Teamwork #Creativity #NewInterests

Day 3 - Orienteering and Literacy

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Day 3 - Summer School: Orienteering and Literacy

A super exciting day orienteering at Kingsdown School. Followed by reading of our fabulous book ‘The butterfly Lion’
#book your future #love reading #challenge

Day 2 - Dragons Den

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Day 2 Dragons Den

#Roar to the beat #New beginnings
Day 2 of this amazing week and back for a fun day of dragons den, making friends and lots of fun.

#Stretch #KDS

WELCOME

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Today we welcomed our future year 7 students to day 1 of Summer School. It was great to see so many ambitious students, full of excitement and ready to start their Kingsdown journey.

#pride #ambition

AMAZING

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Our amazing Year 7 students took part in the largest cookery lesson in the world on 1st July 2025, led by none other than celebrity chef Jamie Oliver! 👨‍🍳🌍
From kitchens across the globe, they rolled up their sleeves, learned how to make delicious gnocchetti, and had a blast doing it! 🍽️✨
We’re thrilled to announce they’re now Guinness World Record holders for the Largest Cookery Lesson Ever! 🏆🌟

Well done, Year 7 — you’ve made history (and some very tasty pasta)! 🎓👏

#WorldRecord #JamieOliver #GnocchiDay #CookWithJamie #Year7Stars #GuinnessWorldRecord #PastaPower #GlobalCookingDay #ProudMoment

SPORT DAY 2025

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Sports Day 2025 highlights are HERE!

Plenty of fun and smiles - #KDSchool #SportDay

#PrizeEvening 🏆

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A huge thank you to all parents & carers who attended our Prize Evening 🏆 last night, and well done to all our students!

#KDSchool #PrizeEvening #BEATs

BIG BUSINESS DAY

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Kingsdown School - Joint 1st - The big business day

Kingsdown School attended the Big Business Day in Swindon. Last year we gained 2nd place and this year we came joint 1st with another swindon school.

The students delivered a fantastic business pitch of a portable electric car charger with a far superior range. They used all their business knowledge from studying business at school and this was backed up by the students who also study computer science who were able to explain with clarity the technical aspects to the dragons

Thank you also to the dragons #Robin Dellor (Imagine Cruising), #Frankie Ward (esports freelancer), #Junior Saunders and #Rob Curtis (the pursuit agency) for sharing their inspirational life stories

And thank you to the platform project for hosting the great event.

#KDSTeam #pride

Royal Holloway - University of London

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On Wednesday 16th July a group of Year 8 students travelled to the beautiful Royal Holloway - University of London for their graduation from the Scholars Programme. The Scholars Programme gives students the opportunity to experience university-style teaching and students have attended six tutorials given by a tutor from Bath University on the topic of Social Science: The Secret to Living a Long and Happy Life. They all had to write a final assignment of1500 words which was given university-style grading.

All have shown outstanding effort and we are so proud of them. #stretch #challenge #pride #ambition

Y10 GCSE Food

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Executive Chef Darren Booker-Wilson recently visited the school to deliver a masterclass in chocolate and sugar work – and what a treat it was! Year 10 GCSE Food students got hands-on experience piping, dipping strawberries, and crafting stunning sugar nests and spirals.
Since then, the workshop has been replicated for all Year 10 GCSE Food students, giving everyone a chance to develop impressive finishing techniques.

A fun and creative way to round off the year – and a brilliant foundation for the practical challenges ahead in Year 11!

More pictures can be found at Facebook Page

#GCSEFood #CulinarySkills #EndOfTermTreat #CreativeCooking

Cohort 2025 - VIDEO

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Year 11 - Cohort 2025 - VIDEO

#KDSchool #Year11 #Prom

COHORT 2025

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A wonderful ‘warm’ send off for our cohort 2025. It was so special to have you all together for our final celebration. We have loved watching you all grow over the last 5 years and you all looked so beautiful at Prom. The video will follow next week.

Enjoy your summer #teamkingsdown #prom #cohort2025

Final Day - Normandy 2025

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Our final day spent at Parc Asterix! Lots of fun and white knuckle rides to finish off an action packed week of adventure and discovery.

Fantastic weather, fantastic visits and fantastic students! #kingsdown #backtohome

YEAR 7 - WELL DONE

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Well done to some of our wonderful Year 7 students for a great first year. It was lovely to share a cake with you today to celebrate and reflect on the year’ #BEATs #pride #welldone

Sports Day Charity “Shoot-athon”

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We are pleased to announce that there will be shootathon to raise money for Cancer Research on Sports Day (18th July). This will be a tutor group vs tutor group 2 minute challenge to score as many goals (football) and netball hoops as you can.
The shootathon will be part of sports day and will be a scoring event (for house points!) as well as a chance to raise money.

Your child has been given/will be issued with a sponsorship form this week by their tutor. They will have a week to gain as many sponsors as they can.

There will be an additional reward for the tutor group that raises the most money.
Sponsorship forms and money raised will be collected on Monday 21st at roll call.

All proceeds go to Cancer Research (home store in Greenbridge).

#Normandy 🇫🇷

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Normandy Trip 2025 😊

Our students are having a blast and learning all the cool stuff!
Check out their learning journey on our Facebook page!

EXAMINATION CERTIFICATES

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Examination certificates awaiting collection from 2016-2023.

Good Morning,

Here at Kingsdown we have a significant number of GCSE certificates still to be collected that range from 2016 to 2023 (excluding 2020 as these were all posted out due to the Covid restrictions in place).
We are encouraging anyone who hasn’t collected their certificates from previous years to contact Mr G Coomber, Exams Manager on exams@kingsdownschool.co.uk and we will check to see if we do have your certificates here on file and can arrange to make them available for collection. Universities and other Further Education establishments quite often want to see the actual certificates to enable enrolment. If in the future you do need replacement certificates you will have to apply directly to the exam boards themselves and they charge approximately £40 per certificate.

According to JCQ regulations we should dispose of any outstanding certificates after 12 months from the date of receipt in school and will be doing so by 31st December 2025 but would like to give you the opportunity to collect your certificates from us before that date.
When contacting the school please confirm the year in which you took your GCSe examinations, the name in which you took the examinations and as a security check your date of birth which will help us to match any outstanding documentation.

I look forward to hearing from you.

KDS Team
#KDSchool

BIG Welcome!

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Today we welcomed our future Year 7 students into Kingsdown school. We have had a super day getting to know you and learning about what makes you ‘BEAT’.

We are looking forward to day 2 tomorrow #pride #ambition #transition #cohort2030

Summer Recital Evening

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Last night our Summer Recital Evening took place with the highest number of performers for many years taking part. We heard pieces ranging from The Beatles, Billie Eilish and Bernstein. It was great to see such a large and supportive crowd gathered to listen to the 28 students who took part.

Congratulations to all the performers and we look forward to listening to you again. #challenge #pride

Photos on our Facebook Page

YEAR 7

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Today we celebrated our Year 7 students who have modelled the BEATs each and everyday. Students were recognised by sharing cakes with the head.

We are really proud of each and everyone of you 😀

#keepshining #BEATs #cakeswiththehead

Year 11, you did it!!

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Year 11, you did it!!!

What a beautiful last day we all had together. From a 6:30am start in McDonalds, to a celebration assembly, ice cream on the back field and then our Kingsdown staff clapped you off with a guard of honour.
You are the most incredible year group and we have no doubt that you are now ready to take on the rest of your lives.

Well done!!!

Take great care and keep in touch 🙂
Kingsdown School

YEAR 11’s - Last Day | VIDEO

DofE

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17 year 10 students completed their Duke of Edinburgh Silver Qualifying Expedition, Friday to Sunday.
3 days and 2 nights of challenges, walking, being self sufficient & map reading in the countryside near Northleach in Gloucestershire. The weather forecast was awful but we were incredibly lucky with just a couple of downpours.

Our students spirits remained high throughout, Congratulations to everyone.

#CHALLENGE 💪🦁

WELL DONE!

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Students at Kingsdown School have correctly answered over 2 million questions on Sparx so far this academic year!!!

Well done!!! #challenge 🦁

Why Choose Kingsdown School?

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Help shape the future in a school that values everyone learning, fosters respectful relationships, and maintains a commitment to excellence in all we do.

Explore our rewarding vacancies at https://www.kingsdownschool.co.uk/vacancies

#kingsdownschool 🦁

PARENT INFORMATION EVENING

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What a great turnout in the Main Hall - Thank you to all our Year 6 parents and carers who joined us! A big warm welcome to you all.
We look forward to seeing you again on 10 July, 6:00pm - 7:00pm.

Keep up to date by visiting our Cohort 2030 page - HERE

#KingsdownSchool #Year6 #beWelcome 🦁

MASTERPIECE

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😋 Our Year 10 GCSE Food students have risen to the challenge and brought gourmet creativity to a whole new level in our very own Kingsdown version of the national Tunnocks Tea Cake Challenge!

From day one, students explored professional presentation techniques, developed their own paper-based design concepts, and learned how to turn an everyday treat into a showstopping masterpiece.
The final task? Take a classic Tunnocks Tea Cake, and transform it using the theme of “Nature”.
The RESULTS were nothing short of spectacular! Each tea cake was plated to perfection - from edible flowers to textured sugar art, every element of decoration techniques was carefully chosen and expertly executed. 

The creativity, attention to detail, and passion shown by our students set the bar incredibly high – we couldn’t be prouder!

Check out more picts on our Facebook Page

#PRIDE #KDSchool

#PRIDE #STRETCH #DofE

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This weekend 17 Year 10 students completed their Silver Practice Expedition, staying in the grounds of Westonbirt School, walking for 3 days and camping overnight.

The weather was beautiful as was the countryside.

Congratulations everyone of you #PRIDE #STRETCH #DofE

More picts can be found at our Facebook Page

YEAR 10 GCSE 😋

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Our talented Year 10 GCSE Food students rolled up their sleeves and got very creative this week, crafting stunning focaccia bread designs!

Focusing on both flavour and presentation, students used a variety of vegetables and finishing techniques to turn simple bread into edible works of art. From floral scenes to abstract designs, their imagination truly rose to the occasion!

Swipe through to see some of the beautiful and delicious RESULTS!

Y11 GCSE

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Y11 GCSE Drama students went to Bristol Old Vic to see an innovative and exciting performance of The House Party for their written exam today.

All the best Year 11! #Ambition

YEAR 8

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Year 8’s having an amazing time with beautiful weather on our Pencelli trip. We have completed caving, climbing, canoeing and kayaking, mountain walking as well as last nights evening activity of Dingle Descent.

Follow this journey on our Facebook Page

#KDSTeam #challenge #🦁

Ofsted Inspection Report

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We are really pleased to inform you that our recent Ofsted inspection report has now been uploaded HERE.

We would like to thank and encourage parents and carers to take a moment to read the report which provides valuable insight into the strengths and areas for development within our school.

We are very proud of this report and congratulate our students, staff and parents.

Thank you all.

KDS Team
#pride #ambition #stretch #challenge #respect #responsibility

WE ARE HIRING

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Kingsdown School has much to offer and we are at an exciting stage in our journey. Across every team in the school, we are all extremely proud of what we have achieved in the last 5 years for our students. That said, we remain ambitious for the future direction and further development of the school. We had a positive visit from Ofsted when they visited on 18th March and their report is due to be published during the first week back after Easter.

Join the Kingsdown Team - here are our current vacancies:
Deputy Headteacher - Inclusion
Head of MFL
Head of Drama
English 2ic Head of Department
Teacher of English
Teacher of Maths
Teacher of Drama

Please click HERE for further details and to apply.

DofE 🏆

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Over the past 6 weeks our DofE students have been learning basic First Aid skills, camp craft, the countryside code, map reading and how to put up a tent. On Saturday 29th March 60 students put their map reading skills to the test around White Horse hill and Woolstone.

🏆 10km in the sunshine and everyone made it back!

Well done!!! #Pride #Stretch #Challenge

HAVE YOUR SAY!

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WELL DONE! Over 1.5 million questions answered correctly on sparx maths! #maths

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RECITAL

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Music Recital Evening

Recital Evening is on Tuesday 18th March at 6:30pm.
Please come along and hear some of Kingsdown’s talented musicians.

#KDSTeam

 

ENGLAND🌹 v ITALY

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Today 50 Kingsdown students and staff went to Twickenham for the England🌹 v Italy rugby match. It was a really exciting match with 10 tries.

We all had a super time and sang our hearts out. #🦁

ART TEAM

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Year 10 GCSE Art students embracing abstraction in painting and drawing with visiting artist Laurie Plant.

More picts can be found at our Facebook Page

#CreativeAmbition #Ambition

CHARITY FOCUS GROUP

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This year the Charity Focus Group has chosen Cancer Research as their chosen charity.

On Friday 7th February, members of the group visited our local store in Greenbridge to build links with the team and gain promotional material to help raise awareness within school. They were made very welcome by assistant manager Tilly and her team and even got to do a few jobs around store! The group will begin fund raising by organising a non-uniform day next term, with more events to follow…!

#pride #respect #responsibility

More picts can be found at our Facebook Page

YEAR 10 GCSE

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Year 10 GCSE Fine Art students enjoy their day creating organic forms in clay for their coursework portfolio.

More picts can be found at our Facebook Page

#ambition #responsibility

WE ARE HIRING

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We are seeking new colleagues to join our amazing team at Kingsdown School!

If you are interested, please take a look at our Vacancies page:

https://www.kingsdownschool.co.uk/vacancies

THEATRE!

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On Friday night some of our Year 10s and 11s enjoyed a night at the theatre! It was a stunning performance of An Inspector Calls.

#kingsdownschool

SPARX MATHS

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✔️ Well done!

#SparxMaths #KingsdownSchool

GCSE

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GCSE Art and Photography trip to The V&A and Tate Modern.

More picts can be found at KDS Facebook Page

#KingsdownSchool #Pride

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! 🎉🧑‍🎄

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BRILLIANT

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We know that we have brilliant students at Kingsdown School and we have enjoyed spending time with some of them during our Year 7 and Year 8 Achievement Tuesday & Wednesday celebrations.  This term we have invited students that have been recognised by staff for their brilliant achievements in demonstrating the Kingsdown BEATs of ambition and challenge.

Miss Jackson, Mrs Gilbert and Mrs Robertson are looking forward to inviting more brilliant students to celebrate with them in the New Year!

More picts can be found at KDS Facebook

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE

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Our Year 10 Health & Social Care students learnt that 1.5million older adults report feeling lonelier at Christmas time compared to any other time of the year. They discussed how they can support older adults physical, intellectual, emotional and social needs at this time of year. 

To finish the lesson they created Christmas cards to bring some joy to the residents of a residential home within our community.

WE ARE HIRING

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** WE ARE HIRING **

If you are interested, please take a look at our vacancies page:

https://www.kingsdownschool.co.uk/vacancies

HOUSE CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA!

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Each house has been taking part in their final house challenge of 2024. This required lots of student participation in various activities including ‘pin the nose on Rudolph’, ‘Santa around the world quiz’ and ‘Making your own Christmas decorations’ for the tree!

The House Christmas Extravaganza Assembly was created to celebrate the wonderful efforts of students this term, further connect as a house and spread a little festive cheer before students leave us for the festive period!
The house challenge results will be shared in the first house assembly back after half term.

More picts can be found at KDS Facebook

CHRISTMAS CAKE

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Our talented students in Year 10 got into the festive spirit last week by putting their creativity to the test as they planned and baked Christmas cakes! From decorating with bright colors to adding the perfect finishing touches, every student brought their own unique flair to their holiday treats.

We couldn’t be more proud of how engaged and excited everyone was throughout the process. This hands-on activity not only sparked creativity but also brought everyone together to celebrate the season.

More picts can be found at KDS Facebook

#KDSchool

STUNNING

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This evening we had a thoroughly enjoyable evening at St Philip’s Church to celebrate our annual Christmas concert. With thanks to our student and staff choir and of course Mr Wicker for a truly memorable evening.

#AMBITION

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Five Year 8 students have been involved in a Swindon wide task group - Future Sparks which focuses on inspiring young voices in Swindon to ignite change. Jeremy Blain, co-founder of DiversITY-talent presented them and the school with a certificate.

Next term they will be involved in the next phase of inspiring young voices and igniting change. #Ambition

BIKE

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CELEBRATE

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FREE SCHOOL MEALS

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More info can be found at: FSM Campaign Flyer

#KDSchool

CHRISTMAS DISCO

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🎉🎉 We had a great time at the annual Year 7 Christmas disco! Thank you to our fantastic DJ and to the staff in attendance.

It was lovely seeing the students dancing and singing - we even had a teacher vs student Cha-Cha Slide!

Well done!

😊

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

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Kingsdown Christmas Concert will take place on Monday 16th December at St. Philip’s Church, Beechcroft Road.

Come and get in the festive mood by listening to our talented musicians.

#KDSchool

SPORT TOUR 2024 VIDEO IS UP!

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🌟 Kingsdown School Sports Tour 2024 – Spain Highlights! ⚽🏀🏉

During the October half term, 55 students and 6 staff members set off on an unforgettable Sports Tour to Spain, packed with exciting Football and Netball matches, skill-building sessions, and incredible cultural experiences! 🏆✨
From competitive games and team bonding to exploring the stunning sights of Valencia and Barcelona, this tour wasn’t just about sport – it was about creating memories to last a lifetime, showcasing teamwork, and representing Kingsdown with pride. 🌍🎉

🎥 Watch this highlight video capturing the very best moments: Highlights Video – from goals and victories on the pitch to smiles and fun off it:

A huge thank you to everyone who made this trip possible, and well done to all our students for their hard work and enthusiasm throughout the tour. You’ve done Kingsdown proud!
👏💙

📸 #TeamKingsdown #SportsTour2024 #ValenciaHighlights

BASKETBALL

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Year 7 Basketball team first game of the year.
We came out on top against strong Swindon Academy team winning 12-4. Both teams played well.

Well done!

GCSE FOOD WORKSHOP

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Students were all slightly outside of their comfort zone (in a good way) and were all so engaged in acquiring some of the complex technical skills expected from them from their upcoming NEA 2! Mr Booker Wilson really inspired the students with his wealth of knowledge and experience in the food industry and I even over heard some conversations about students wanting to explore their options within this chosen path of career after today and using some of these skills towards their final NEA 2 cook.

It was such a wonderful day and we have all left with a real buzz!

To see our Video, please visit the KDS Facebook page by clicking here

RECITAL EVENING

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Last night the Music Department hosted the first Recital Evening of this year. Eighteen students from across each year group performed music ranging from Pachelbel’s Canon to Don’t Look Back in Anger to an appreciative audience of family, friends and staff.

Congratulations to all students involved for such a brilliant concert.

#challenge #stretch #ambition

YEAR 10 GCSE MUSIC

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Last week, the Year 10 GCSE Music class enjoyed a delightful concert given by members of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at the Platform in Swindon.

The concert included music by Bach, Beethoven, Terry Riley and the premier of a new composition written especially for the event. Each piece was explained to the audience in an engaging manner and the experience has brought to life pieces of music that the class will study for their exams. There was also the chance to ask questions to the musicians about their careers and experiences.

#challenge #ambition #stretch

SPORTS TOUR

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Despite a wet and windy start upon arriving in Salou on Sunday, October 27th—after an epic 26-hour coach journey—55 Kingsdown students and staff dived straight into a week packed with adventure. From the first day, students made the most of every moment, beginning with a splash in the pool as soon as the weather eased, followed by a hearty feast at the ‘all-you-can-eat’ buffet.

Monday brought an early start at 6 a.m. as we headed to Valencia for a guided tour of the iconic Valencia CF stadium, the Mestalla. After a quick stroll through Valencia’s sights and local parks, students enjoyed learning about the club’s history before emptying their pockets at the team store. The group then hit the beach for some lively beach football. Later that evening, Mr. Mason’s team claimed a 4-0 victory over the Spanish side Les Borges, while Mr. Holmes’ team narrowly lost 1-0 to La Selva in a game they had dominated—until a surprise cross found the back of their net.

Tuesday the 29th kicked off with more early-morning training: footballers trained in Riudoms, and netballers at PLOMS. After regrouping at the hotel, the students set off for Barcelona, where they enjoyed an impressive immersive stadium tour filled with the club’s trophies and memorabilia. Another shopping spree followed, along with some evening karaoke, which our students tackled with enthusiasm and bravery.

Wednesday the 30th saw more training sessions and tournaments for both football and netball teams, playing against other English schools in a spirit of friendly competition. Mr. Mason and Mr. Shepherd led the youngest team to CF Reus, while Mr. Dadge and Mr. Mason returned to Riudoms, and Mrs. Ridley and Miss Maller took their netballers back to PLOMS for their matches. In the evening, Mr Dadge’s U15s took on Morell FC in an impressive stadium. The first half was tightly contested, with the score remaining 0-0 despite Kingsdown having most of the possession. However, in the second half, the boys responded superbly, playing some outstanding football and scoring a string of brilliant goals. The match ended in a resounding 4-0 victory for Kingsdown, driven by the enthusiastic chants and unwavering support from the Kingsdown fans, which undoubtedly spurred the team on. After some well-deserved downtime, students capped off the night with a hotel disco.

On Thursday, October 31st, our final day, we spent an exhilarating day at PortAventura, one of Europe’s largest theme parks. After one last meal at Playa de Park, we boarded the coach for the journey home.

Throughout the trip, the students consistently demonstrated the Kingsdown values: Pride, Ambition, Stretch, Challenge, Respect, and Responsibility.

Their energy, resilience, and eagerness to seize every opportunity made it an unforgettable week for all involved.

QUIZ

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It was great to have Year 7 celebrating their first term at Kingsdown at our Halloween Quiz on Monday afternoon. It was a close finish with the ‘Halloween Gods’ and ‘The Originals’ teams having to take on the tie break question!
Well done to our ‘best dressed’ prize winners, Kaida, Amandeep and Haiden.

#KDSchool #Pride

SCHOOL COUNCIL

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Last week, members of the School Council met to decide which points they would like to address with Senior Management next term. Here we see them working in mixed year focus groups discussing the many suggestions received from tutor groups across the school.

Mr Raisey #student voice@Kingsdownschool

YEAR 7

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Year 7 students are invited to our: Halloween Quiz - Monday 21st October: 4pm - 5pm | Main Hall
We are looking forward to seeing the students in fancy dress! It’s going to be spooktacular!!

Information about the quiz has been sent home: Please complete the Google form if you would like your child to attend.

#kingsdownschool

CELEBRATE

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OPEN EVENING

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A huge thank you to all our parents/cares who joined us for Open Evening. It was a pleasure to connect with you and your children. We’re also grateful to our dedicated teachers, staff and senior students for making it such a special evening.

Highlights on KDS Facebook Page

Don’t forget to make your application by Thursday, 31st October.

#KingsdownSchool

 

📣 Final REMINDER 📣

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We look forward to welcoming you to our Open Evening on 26th September 2024 | 5:00 - 7:00 pm. This is a wonderful opportunity especially for families with children in years 4, 5 and 6 to meet and talk with students and staff, see the school, take part in activities and hear from our Headteacher, Emma Leigh-Bennett.

No booking is necessary so please come along and join us. We look forward to meeting you and your child very soon.

Find out why Kingsdown School is a great choice: Why Choose Kingsdown School?

#KingsdownSchool #OpenEvening #BeWelcome

YEAR 7 TEAM

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Year 7 Meet the Tutor evening

Thank you to all the parents of our new Year 7 students who attended our information meeting! It was great to see you all and introduce you to your child’s tutor.

#kingsdownSchool #year7Team

UNICEF

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Congratulations to the Kingsdown Charity Focus group. From beat the goalkeeper to wear something blue non-uniform, they raised £305.66 for UNICEF in the last few months of last academic year. Watch out for even bigger and better ideas starting term 2 this year!

#Pride #Respect

YEAR 11

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Thank you to our year 11 parent/carers for joining us at our year 11 information evening.

All slides will be shared on the Portal #cohort2025

WELCOME!

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Year 7 Meet the Tutor evening | Tuesday - 17th September 5:00 - 6:00 pm.

Information to follow.

KDS Team

Congratulations

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Congratulations to our Year 11s- Cohort 2024. Be proud of all your achievements, you have overcome huge challenges and we are so incredibly proud of you. It’s time to celebrate all of your hard work.

All the very best in your new adventures #cohort2024 #pride #GCSE

Cohort 2024 results - YT Video