Newsletters

Advance Notice - Flu Immunisations

Years 7, 8 and 9 will be given their Flu Nasal Spray Vaccinations on 19^th January 2023. 

A consent link will be sent out to parents approximately 3 weeks before this date.  Please ensure that you follow the instructions when you get this as verbal permission on the day will not be possible. 

Hoodies and nose piercings

The year teams want to make parents and carers aware that hoodies – classed as any zip up sweatshirt style top – are banned under our uniform policy, and from Monday 28^th November we will be enforcing the principle of ‘see it, lose it’.

We are of course conscious that the weather has suddenly turned wintery and that students need some protection from this, so would encourage parents and carers to get in touch with their child’s year team if they require financial support with providing a coat or jacket. All contact will be treated with confidentiality.

If you are unsure which coats or jackets would be suitable for school, please see below from the school uniform policy, which can also be accessed in full on the website: https://www.johnofgauntschool.org/page/?title=Uniform&pid=32

‘Must be either the approved school coat or plain black. Plain black jackets and coats with a small logo are allowed. Hoodies of any sort are not allowed.’

We would also kindly remind parents and carers that nose studs are banned under our policy, and these will be confiscated from students wearing them. Reputable piercing shops will be able to advise on or support with removal if necessary.

Phoebe Jenkins in 7A sang in the Devizes Eisteddfod Music Festival n Saturday, winning her musical theatre class, and section, as well as receiving a wonderful trophy. What a fantastic achievement!

Phoebe has also been invited to sing on Saturday evening at the Winner's concert. Well done Phoebe and good luck for your next performance.

Devizes Eisteddfod Festival

Congratulations to Alfie Green in Year 10 who achieved a Commended Certificate at the weekend at The Devizes Eisteddfod Festival within the Solo Musical Theatre Performance Class. This is a five-day festival of over 400 classes of music, speech, drama, dance, writing, art, photography and composition for people of all ages.

This was Alfie’s first festival. Very well done!

Year 10 Netball Match

On Thursday the Year 10 Netball Team played at home against a strong Matravers Team. The girls played a great game. We had two teams and were alternating each quatre. Our A team did beat Matravers in their quatres but unfortunately, we lost overall 29-17.

Player of the match from each team went to Ella Garnett and Evie Lawrence. An enjoyable game to watch and play. Well done all!

World Kindness Day 13^th November 2022

Our Year 8 students have been focusing on the theme of kindness in our tutor time sessions this week to celebrate World Kindness Day.

Students had the chance to choose some random acts of kindness to carry out in school, at home & in our local community.  They also watched a short video about kindness.  Our tutors also discussed with their tutor groups what kindness is, how to be kind & what kindness looks like in school, at home & in the community.

The Year 8 Team

Ten Tors 2023: Autumnal Navigation hike to Rode

35 intrepid students returned for their latest Ten Tors 16-mile hike to Rode, this time students were armed with maps and route cards to practice the navigational skills discussed in a recent workshop. The frost glinted in the lovely morning sunlight and the cloudless blue skies indicated we might be in for a very beautiful day (we really were - see the full set of photos on the  Image Gallery and also JOG Adventure Facebook page). 

The group headed off towards Widbrook over the frozen fields, long shadows being cast on the grass at the inevitable queues at each stile or gate. We then headed towards Stowford farm, before dropping down and walking alongside the River Frome to our gloriously stunning lunch spot at Tellisford Weir (shared with some very brave local swimmers!). As we began our return journey through Rode and then Southwick we had a few close encounters with friendly horses and cows, and a prolonged view of 4 deer who ran laps around the field as we watched on, with one deer rushing past us in very close proximity. 

As the sun began to set, we arrived tired and satisfied from our day's hike. As usual the students had been superb (thanks to the 55-mile team for their gate duty) and a special mention for James Asquith for being super helpful (holding broken stiles, moving hanging brambles, checking electric fences). Navigation was of a very high quality, and it is already evident that we are likely to have very high-quality teams for next year's event. As always thanks to all the staff and volunteers who make this possible.

Congratulations to all our winners of the Ovid In The West Country Competition!

It was fantastic to see so many entries this year, and I was delighted to see so much creativity from our Y7s. We had a range of beautiful drawings, a number of Pandora’s Boxes and models, a couple of prose entries and a cake - sadly the judges didn’t get to taste it! Mr Woodville, Mrs Bruton and I thoroughly enjoyed every single entry, and we would like to commend you all for your efforts. All pupils who entered will be getting 5 house points, and for our winners, the Amazon gift vouchers will be wending their way to you. For any member of staff or pupil who would like to see the work and hasn’t yet had a chance to do so, it is still on display in the library.

Our internal prizes went to:

• Oliver Clark for his creative Pandora’s Box with light installation entry.
• Edward Stacey for his super Theseus and The Minotaur model.
• Hannah Watts for her gorgeous Icarus cake.

All three have been invited to Bristol University on the 5^th December for the final ceremony, where 20 other schools from across the region will be taking part. In this round the judges will be nominating a further prize for their favourite at John of Gaunt and an overall regional winner.

Finally, our student prize went to Amelia Rushent for her superb drawing of the Minotaur; the pupils of John of Gaunt really admired it.  Amelia – your prize will also be wending its way to you.

Thank you to everyone who took part and for making the competition so successful this year.

Area Cross Country Trials 2022 at Stonar School

On November 3rd, 34 John of Gaunt students travelled to Stonar School to compete in the Area Cross Country trials. Every student represented the school superbly on a very tricky hilly and boggy course - there were even reports of students losing their shoes in one area of the course!

In Year 7, the girls achieved an excellent 4^th place in the team event, and the boys went even better and claimed 2^nd in the team competition. Ed H from 7E was the standout JoG performer in this race, coming 3^rd and booking himself a place at the Country trials. 

In the Year 8 and 9 competition, JoG were also well represented with the girls team coming 7^th in the team event, and the boys earning another 2^nd place in the team competition. Rayane H from 9I ran brilliantly to finish the race in 2nd, over 30 seconds ahead of 3^rd place, and booked himself a place in the County Trials too.

Lastly, two Year 10 girls attended the event, and Grace S from 10E claimed 7^th place to earn another spot at the County trials. 

A big well done to all students who competed. Every student did JoG proud and enjoyed the day, especially as the rain stayed away, and the sun stayed out all morning! Good luck to Rayane, Ed and Grace in the next round of the competition.