Head's Welcome
Welcome to this week’s newsletter. It is right around this point in the school year that my mind starts drifting toward the (hopefully!) sunny days of the summer term. We have been busy behind the scenes organising our Annual Summer Party, which will take place on Thursday 25th June. We’ve already confirmed some fantastic food vendors and a diverse range of outside stallholders to make the evening special. Best of all? There is no entrance fee this year. We would love to see as many faces there as possible to celebrate this year with us. Please mark your diaries now, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the sun is as kind to us as it has been for the last few years. Our thoughts are also turning toward our leavers as they prepare for their next chapters. Our Year 11 Leavers' Evening is scheduled for the evening of Thursday 18th June. We are currently finalising a wonderful venue and will share those details with you very soon. We are also working closely with our 6th former to decide on a celebration that truly reflects their journey with us. Watch this space for more news on their bespoke graduation event! Mrs Rich Head
In this week's newsletter
Head's Welcome Students of the Week Dates for the Diary What we've been up to Student Corner Other news and updates, including lost property
Students of the Week
Dates for the Diary
- Monday 16th March: Year 8 IKEA trip, Period 3 to 5
- Monday 16th March: Deadline for Science Week Competition Entries (see below)
- W/C 16th March: Year 10 Work Experience Week
- Thursday 19th March - 4.45-7.05pm: Exam parent presentation and Yr 11 Progress check evening (in person)
- Friday 20th March: Annual Canbury School Talent Show. Please encourage your child to enter in person or send in a short video clip (2-3 mins) of them doing what they love! Entries to klansdell@canburyschool.co.uk. Winners win House Points!
- Friday 20th March - midday: End of term
- Monday 13th April: Inset Day
- Tuesday 14th April: Term starts
- Monday 20th April - 4-5.30pm: Careers Fayre at Canbury
- Thursday 25th June - 5-7pm: Summer Garden Party
Club Timetable
What we've been up to
Ski Trip 2026
Last week, a spirited group of 24 students and six staff members travelled to the Italian Alps for a highly successful ski trip to Prato Nevoso. We were greeted by pristine snow conditions and remarkably quiet slopes, providing the perfect canvas for our skiers to hone their craft—ranging from elegant carving to the more creative "controlled tumble." The trip was as much a lesson in independence as it was in sport; students navigated the challenges of the mountain with increasing confidence and resilience. Beyond the daytime sessions, the apres-ski activities were a resounding success, featuring the adrenaline of snow tubing, the novelty of night skiing, and a traditional pizza night. Ultimately, the students returned not only with improved technical skills but with a newfound sense of maturity, having survived the rigours of the slopes and the even greater challenge of fitting their feet into ski boots every morning! We then asked some students for their thoughts: Elizabeth
- It was an unforgettable experience
- Skiing was the best bit along with the after ski activties
- I really enjoyed film night, snow tubing and night skiing
- Fabio was my instuctor for most of the trip and I really liked him
- It was a bit strange to be away from home for so long but it turned out to be rather enjoyable
- I had never been skiing before and am at beginner level now, but I turned out to be pretty good which makes me feel proud as I tried a new sport
Reenie
- The best school trip I've been on
- I think it was really important as people got to take responsibility for themselves and it helped them find themselves
- It was really fun - my favourite things were just experiencing it and snow tubing
- There was beautiful scenary
- It was my first time skiing and I feel I'm decent, and have improved a lot - the lessons before we left really helped
- Really good and really needed!
Please let Mrs Milestone know if you have any photos or comments to share, and we can include them in next week's newsletter!
Monday Fun
We had a range of activity happening on Monday this week - from making flower arrangements, to putting up notice boards to volleyball!
The Photorealist Lens: Year 9 Inspired by Audrey Flack
Our Year 9 artists have recently stepped into the glossy, high-definition world of Audrey Flack, the pioneering American Photorealist. Known for her complex and vibrant still-life paintings, Flack’s work challenges viewers to see the beauty in the hyper-detailed reflections of everyday objects: perfume bottles, jewellery, and polished fruit. Following in Flack's footsteps, our students have been tackling the challenge of reflective surfaces. If you’ve ever tried to draw a chrome surface or a glass bottle, you know it’s a mind-bending task. It requires looking past the object itself to see the entire room "wrapped" around it. Mastering the 'Super Shine' To achieve these photorealistic effects, the classes focused on three core techniques used by the masters: High-Contrast Transitions: Inspired by Flack’s bold style, students learned that reflective objects rarely use "medium greys"—they often jump sharply from deep blacks to brilliant whites. The Specular Highlight: Using erasers and white gel pens to "carve out" the points where light hits the surface with maximum intensity. Distorted Reality: Learning to observe how straight lines curve and stretch when they are reflected on a rounded, polished surface. This project is about more than just technical skill; it’s about perception. To draw like a Photorealist, students must stop drawing what they think an object looks like and start drawing what they actually see. Our Year 9s have certainly embraced this philosophy, using light to bring their 2D sketches to life with 3D depth and the results have been nothing short of brilliant!
Year 10
Good luck to Year 10 who have their work experience week next week. Mr McGregor held a preparation assembly this week to get everyone ready. We can't wait to hear all about it after the Easter break!
Beach Volleyball
Summer came early this week as after a cancelled football fixture, the KS4 football boys' football team enjoyed an afternoon of beach volleyball at Wimbledon Park. The students enjoyed the luxury of playing on a full sized court in a good natured game between Year 10 and Year 11.
Garden Volleyball
Harry joined in volleyball at break and lunch this week, being amazingly sociable. Well done Harry!
Assembly - Empathy Week
Thank you to Mrs Tank, Nina Y8, Soren and Ella who hosted our assembly this week. They spoken to us about Empathy week, the difference between empathy and sympathy alongside undertaking random acts of kindness. It was a thought provoking talk before we head into the weekend and last week of term.
Student Corner
Soren's Joke of the Fortnight
Not to brag, but I finished a puzzle in under one month.... The puzzle said it was 2-4 years!
Other News & Updates
Police Cadets
The Police Cadet Program gives Young People the opportunity to learn about policing while developing leadership, teamwork and community awareness. Through Training, volunteering and supporting local events, cadets gain valuable life skills and a better understanding of Policing . The programme helps build stronger connections between young people, the police and communities they serve. We offer the Duke Of Edinburgh Scheme for all levels and the different sections can be completed whilst volunteering with us. We offer this at low cost. Our Programme is run for children between the ages of 13-18. If you wish to join us please email the Volunteer Police Cadet Coordinator PC Mollie Boden Mollie.boden@met.police.uk
CareerDays.co.uk - Online Work Experience and Career Days
CareerDays.co.uk offers a series of online work experience and Career Days designed specifically for students aged 13–18. These live, interactive days give students a chance to:
• Learn about a specific career from industry professionals • Understand day-to-day life, entry requirements, and pathways • Complete practical work experience tasks • Ask questions in live Q&A sessions • Receive a personalised certificate for UCAS or CV use
We’ve got a range of upcoming Career Days — all taking place online and accessible from anywhere:
- Vet Work Experience & Careers Day – Saturday 21st March 2026
- Computer Science Work Experience & Careers Day – Saturday 28th March 2026
- Medicine Work Experience & Careers Day – Saturday 4th April 2026
- Law Work Experience & Careers Day – Saturday 11th April 2026
- Midwifery Work Experience & Careers Day – Saturday 18th April 2026
- Dentistry Work Experience & Careers Day – Sunday 19th April 2026
- Psychology Work Experience & Careers Day – Saturday 25th April 2026
- Architect Work Experience & Careers Day – Saturday 2nd May 2026
- Engineering Work Experience & Careers Day – Saturday 9th May 2026
- Business Work Experience & Careers Day – Saturday 16th May 2026
- Performing Arts Work Experience & Careers Day – Sunday 18th October 2026
Details, dates & registration: www.careerdays.co.uk Why this might benefit students:
- Career insight - live expert input and real-world context
- Work experience evidence for UCAS & applications
- Accessible for students anywhere - no travel required
- Suitable across Years 9–13
Research Study Volunteer Request
FIT Partnership Offer
Age backwards this Spring - Offer for Canbury School Discovery Month at The FIT Partnership An extra 1/3 off for Canbury: £300 Value of £940 Use Code: SPRINGTHIRD Spring Offer at The FIT Partnership In just 30 days we’ll guide you through our longevity and recovery protocols and we’re so confident in the results that we guarantee your metabolic age will drop after the month - or your money back! If you’ve been curious about FIT, this is the perfect time to experience it. To find out more or register interest click here and message ‘disco’ https://wa.me/441372613027?text=disco
Easter holiday 2026 touch typing courses for 7 – 16s
Ultimate Activity Camps this Easter
Kooth Mental Wellbeing Webinars
Careers - Volunteers Needed
Thank you so much to those who have come forward already - the new page on our website is looking great and watch this space for our first few case studies! We are always looking for more volunteers who might be willing to showcase their careers in the following ways:
- Short case study for the careers board and school website
- Being present at our careers fayre on 20th April 2026
Please email Mrs Milestone if you would like to take part and she can discuss this in more detail with you.
Local activities and clubs for children and young people
Credits:
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