Dear parents and carers,

Welcome back to a brand-new term! We hope you had a lovely rest over the break.

Despite being our shortest term, there is plenty packed into Term 4. We wanted to share with you the key dates for the term, to help you prepare for weeks ahead.

Our website school calendar continues to be a useful resource to keep up to date with the goings-on of our school, which you can visit via the link below:

https://www.ccs.northants.sch.uk/news-and-events/school-calendar

We look forward to another great term ahead!

Kind regards,

CCS Marketing Team

Dear parents and carers, 

We are excited to share our Secondary Extra-Curricular timetable for Term 4, with some continued favourites and the addition of some brand-new clubs, we hope there will be something for everyone to enjoy. 

All clubs can be booked directly via Edulink by selecting the ‘clubs’ icon from your child’s profile (highlighted in yellow below). 

Instructions on how to sign up to a club can be found using the following link: How to join a club on Edulink.

We encourage all students to take advantage of our extra-curricular opportunities and look forward to seeing them get involved.

Yours faithfully, 

For and on behalf of Caroline Chisholm School

We are incredibly proud of all the hard work and enthusiasm our students have shown this term.

Dear parents and carers,

Please find attached the latest monthly newsletter from our Principal, Mr Chris Bishop, discussing consistency and recent survey feedback. 

You can also find the latest, View from the Flightdeck here:  "Why CCS Fest and what is it?". 

We hope you have a lovely half-term break.
 
On behalf of Caroline Chisholm School

We are excited to let you know that on Thursday 5th March we will be celebrating World Book Day as a whole-school event. It’s a wonderful chance to celebrate reading and enjoy a fun, creative day together.

To help make the day a success, we are encouraging students (and staff!) to dress up. By involving the whole school, we hope the day feels special and enjoyable for everyone, and that students who choose to dress up feel confident and supported. 

This year’s theme is “Words.” Students are invited to choose a single word and base their outfit on it. The word can be abstract, descriptive, creative or linked to something they enjoy. This keeps the day simple, affordable and inclusive. Some ideas might include:

• An adjective – e.g. sparkly, fuzzy
• A colour – e.g. neon, monochrome 
• A profession – e.g. Footballer, Doctor, Author 
• Clothing that represents a hobby, interest or part of their culture 
• A character from a book – e.g. Harry Potter, Matilda

To make the day even more enjoyable, we will also be running a friendly competition, with small prizes awarded for creativity, effort, and how well students have represented their chosen word. We hope this will encourage all students to get involved and have fun with the theme, regardless of age.
 

We want the day to be fun, but also safe and appropriate for all ages. For this reason, we ask that costumes do not include:

• Anything revealing, provocative or adult-themed
• References to violence or weapons
• Gory or horror-based elements, including fake blood or wounds
• References to drugs, alcohol, smoking or illegal behaviour
• Pyjamas, as we want to keep the focus on the theme

Outfits should be school-appropriate, and students should be able to explain the word they have chosen.

We understand that even small changes to the school day can be challenging for some children. If this is your child, we would ask that you please discuss this event with them beforehand and remind them on the morning of World Book Day. Please don’t feel your child needs to come into school wearing mufti; if wearing their school uniform would help them feel more comfortable, they are encouraged to do so. Should you have any questions, you can contact your child's teacher/form tutor or the SEN team (senadmin@ccs.northants.sch.uk) if that is relevant to your child. 

Tutors and class teachers will be talking about the event with students in the lead-up to World Book Day and encouraging everyone to take part. We hope this flexible theme will make it easy for all students to join in.

We are very much looking forward to celebrating World Book Day with our whole school community and seeing all the brilliant ideas students come up with. 

Thank you for your support.

On behalf of Caroline Chisholm School 

We are writing to inform you of an important reinforcement of our school expectations regarding mobile phones.

Please see the attached letter.

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are writing to let you know that our Secondary and Sixth Form phases will close early at 12:45pm on Tuesday, 3 February to allow staff to attend the funeral of Aaron Phillips, our former colleague and much-loved member of our school community. 

Our primary phase will remain open as usual with their finish at 3:15pm. 

• Secondary students who are entitled to Free School Meals will be able to spend their lunch allowance in the canteen at break time. The canteen will have a limited amount available at 12:45pm for any students with FSMs who wish to grab something before going home.
• If your Secondary or Sixth Form child normally collects their Primary sibling at the end of the day, please make alternative arrangements if needed.

We understand that this change may require adjustments for families, and we are truly grateful for your kindness, flexibility, and support during this difficult time for our school community. We are sharing this information as early as possible to help you make any arrangements you may need. 

Warm regards,

Chris Bishop
Principal

Dear Parents/Carers,

I am writing to you with wonderful opportunity for our Year 9 students to come together and show kindness within our local community this Christmas season.

This year, I would like each of our Year 9 tutor groups to collectively create a Christmas collection that will be donated to the Hope Centre to support families and individuals in need.

The Christmas Collection

This is a fantastic way for our year group to demonstrate empathy and the spirit of giving.

• We are asking for a donation of just one item per student to contribute to their tutor group's collection. Of course, any additional items would be so greatly appreciated if your family is financially able to give more.
• A list of useful, suggested items that could go into the collection is attached to this letter for your reference.

We aim to have the collection assembled and ready to be delivered to the Hope Centre during the last week of term. Therefore, please ensure that all donated items are brought into school and given to your child's form tutor between now and Friday December 12th.

We are aware that the Christmas period can place additional financial pressure on families. Please know that we completely understand that this might be something your family cannot partake in at this time. There is absolutely no expectation for every student to contribute, and your child will not be penalised in any way if they are unable to bring in a donation.

Your support in encouraging a spirit of generosity and community in our students is invaluable.

Thank you in advance for your ongoing support.

Warm regards,

Miss E Johnson
Head of Year 9

Dear parents and carers, 

End of term early closure

On Friday 19 December, we will be closing early for the end of term. All students (primary, secondary and sixth form) will finish school at 12:30pm on this day. There will be no provision for any students to remain on site after this time. We have tried to give parents as much notice as possible to enable alternative arrangements to be made.

Lunch Arrangements

Children in Years R - 2 will have lunch in school as normal, before they leave. 

Children in KS2 will not have lunch at school. If you have already ordered a school meal for this day, please can you cancel this order using your ‘meals’ ParentPay account before Tuesday 9 December. Parents of children in Year 3-6 who are entitled to Free School Meals (FSMs) will be contacted before the end of term to find out if a school packed lunch to take home is required for this day.

Secondary students who are entitled to FSMs will be able to spend their lunch allowance in the canteen at break time.

Primary - Extra-Curricular Clubs

We have been in communication with our external club providers and can confirm that no clubs will be taking place on the afternoon of Friday 19 December. 

Thank you in advance for your support and understanding.

Kind regards, 

Andy Fisher                             Gary Wakefield

Vice Principal                          Vice Principal

Assistant Principal for Key Stage Four, Mrs Kathryn Wittich-Jackson, shared:

“Everyone at Caroline Chisholm School is extremely proud of our students and their achievements this year. We are pleased to be celebrating another strong set of GCSE results with an increase in students achieving grades 5-9 in English and Maths.  These results are a testament to the commitment of our students and the unwavering support of their dedicated teachers, support staff, and families.

kathryn wittich-jackson: Assistant principal oversight of Key stage four

Early headlines indicate the following achievements:

• 83% of our students passed English
• 84% of our students passed Maths
• 76% of our students passed both English AND Maths

Standout performances were recorded across the cohort, with a particularly strong showing from our male students, taking the top three spots. Special recognition goes to Uzair, who achieved nine grade 9s and two grade 8s. Congratulations must also go to Alex, Jamie, Elizabeth and Taryn for a fantastic set of results. 

We are busy today confirming enrolments into our sixth form provision and are delighted to be inviting so many of our own students, as well as welcoming many external applicants, to join us in September.” 

 “We are exceptionally proud of our year 11 students. Starting year 7 during the Covid pandemic, they have shown incredible resilience and perseverance throughout their time at CCS.  During the exam series they conducted themselves with great maturity and focus. Good luck to all of our students as they move on to the next stage in their journey”.

Gemma greenwood: Director of Key stage four

Assistant Principal of Caroline Chisholm School with oversight of KS5, Miss Aless Cambio, shares:

“It is always special to celebrate our students’ A Level Results on-site, seeing their success first hand, surrounded by their friends and families. Our Year 13 cohort have performed incredibly well in their results, with 77% of grades achieved at A Level being A*-C, and over 40% of students securing a place at Russell Group Universities.

“We are absolutely delighted to announce that four of our students have been successful in gaining renowned Oxbridge placements. Isabel Langley and Maia Golea will both be studying Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, and Alexandru Burada secured his place at the University of Oxford, studying English Language and Literature. Rohini Mistry achieved a place at the University of Oxford but opted to study Mechanical Engineering at University of Manchester. These outstanding achievements reflect their incredible talent, and commitment to learning.

“As Assistant Principal, I could not be more proud of the remarkable achievements of our Sixth Form students. Their success is a reflection not only of their hard work, resilience and determination, but also of the support from our dedicated staff and the encouragement of their families. They have been wonderful role models for younger students and have contributed so much to our school community. We send them forward with our warmest congratulations and every confidence that they will continue to thrive and make a positive impact in the world.”

Early indications reveal that over 70% of our students have successfully achieved their first-choice university placements. Notable successes from the cohort include,

• Two medics - Sarang Shankar who will study Medicine at Keele, with grades A, B, B and Harry Fidler studying Medicine at Birmingham University, with grades A, A, A.
• Gracie Atkins, securing her place at Oxford Brookes University studying Children’s Nursing with grades D*, A, A.
• Rory Bates studying Mathematics at University of Manchester with grades A*, A*, A.
• Sami Ercan, studying Maths with Data Science at London School of Economics with grades A*, A*, A*.
• Maia Golea, studying Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge with grades A*, A*, A*, A*.
• Thomas Grimshaw securing a perfect set of A*, A*, A*, A*, who will be re-applying for 2026 after a gap year.
• Isabel Langley studying Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge with grades A*, A*, A*, A*.
• Thomas McLaughlin studying Actuarial Mathematics at University of Leeds with grades A* A* A.
• Rohini Mistry studying Mechanical Engineering at University of Manchester with grades A* A* A A.

Key Stage 5 Director, Mr Tom Cole, adds:

“Myself and the Sixth Form Team are incredibly proud of our students, their outstanding results are a testament to their hard work over the last two years. Their dedication and commitment have enabled the vast majority of them to progress on to their desired destinations, we wish them the very best for the future, they have been an absolute pleasure, and we know they will go on to great success!"

Dear parents and carers,

Please find attached our end-of-year letter with lots of useful information to help you get ready for September. Inside, you’ll find details about our staggered start on Wednesday 3 September, how the school day will be structured in the new academic year, and key term date changes. You’ll also find a welcome message from our new Principal, Chris Bishop.

Wishing you and your family a relaxing and enjoyable summer break. We look forward to seeing you in September!

Kind regards,
 

Autumn Wilson-Haywood
Communications and Marketing Administrator

This lunchtime club for years 5 and 6 created wordsearches and crosswords with themes ranging from planets, to authors, and from Mario, to cheesecake flavours.  Ellis said this was “a great thing to do to pass the time” and the team decided to turn their work into an illustrated book, choosing 43 puzzles from 17 different creators.  Isti said the book was made to “inspire people into creativity’, while Leo’s enthusiastic introduction describes it as great ‘for traffic jams and holidays’.  

Well done to everyone who contributed - especially Alex, Ellis, Jess, Leo, Sochima and Isti for their creativity, collaboration and perseverance to make this possible.  Here are our Year 4 learners enjoying the book.

We are proud to share our annual PE magazine celebrating the sporting achievements, events and memorable moments from across the academic year. 

A huge thank you to all the students, staff, coaches and supporters who have contributed to another fantastic year of sport.

We hope you enjoy reading and reliving some of the highlights of 2024–2025.

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are very pleased to share the outcome of our most recent Ofsted inspection, which took place as part of a Section 8 (ungraded) inspection under the Education Act 2005. These inspections are designed to determine whether schools have continued to maintain the standards identified during their previous full inspection.

We are delighted that the inspection confirmed we maintained our standing of Good overall, with our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) remaining Outstanding. This is a wonderful reflection of the hard work, dedication and passion shown by our entire school community – staff, students, trustees, and of course, you – our supportive parents and carers. If you would like to read the full inspection, please find it below. 

We are proud of this achievement and remain fully committed to providing the highest quality of education and care for all our children.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

Each member of the STEM Society chose a topic they were personally passionate about, allowing them to delve deeper into areas beyond the standard school curriculum. This independent exploration not only broadened their understanding but also provided valuable supercurricular experience — an excellent addition to their future university applications.

We’re incredibly proud of the curiosity, dedication, and academic ambition our students have shown through this project, and we hope you enjoy reading their work as much as they enjoyed creating it.