Welcome
Welcome to our final Rowntree Reporter of this academic year, which showcases the breadth of opportunities that members of staff provide for students to be involved in. It is always lovely to see so many students representing the school and taking part in these opportunities with such pride in their school.
Best wishes for the summer holiday, and we look forward to welcoming students back to school in September. - Mr Hewitt, Headteacher
Sports Day 2025
Recognise excellence
On Tuesday 1st July, students took to the track and field for a day of athletic excellence as we held our annual Sports Day. Over 500 participants descended upon the sandpit and sports field, ready to battle it out across 12 exciting events.
The morning kicked off with field events, where students pushed their limits and showcased incredible athleticism. The cheers continued in the afternoon as the track events began, with entire year groups erupting in shouts of support for their classmates.
The day was a true showcase of talent, with a new generation of athletes stepping into the spotlight, demonstrating not just incredible skill but also outstanding sportsmanship!
Among the stand-out performances was Year 8's Dan De Simone, who missed the school high jump record by a mere 5cm! Regan Smallwood, also in Year 8, came within 30cm of the long jump record before going on to secure victories in both the javelin and the 300m race. Flora Eckert, another Year 8 sensation who had an absolutely fabulous day, won all three of her events: the 200m, the 1500m, and the high jump!
After the dust had settled, it was time to count the scores and announce the house winners. Willow House emerged victorious, but Aspen secured a close second, followed by strong showings from Hazel and Oak.
Beyond the fierce competition, what truly shone through was the incredible enthusiasm and positivity that lasted the entire day. Seeing so many students throw themselves into the events, backed by the roaring support of their classmates, made this Sports Day an unforgettable display of school spirit and sporting excellence. - Mr Simpson
The JORO Masked Singer
Encourage wellbeing
After a long four-year wait since the last JORO Masked Singer, it was time for the next generation to take on the challenge and don the costumes once again. Starting in the final half-term of the school year, each Monday morning brought a fresh contestant to entertain the school with their incredible vocals and smooth dance moves.
Each contestant chose their own song and then recorded their vocals with Mr. Hill in the music department. Their tracks were then expertly produced and finalised, ready for video editing. Filming for the acts took place during a baking hot week towards the end of May - after spending almost an hour in costume, some contestants looked like charity runners at the end of a marathon! Regardless, each contestant gave it their all and fully committed to every ridiculous request I made of them.
Each week, the entire school was abuzz with speculation about who might be 'behind the mask.' A couple of the contestants proved incredibly difficult to guess for both staff and students.
In the penultimate week of term, we held a live final in the Vaudeville Theatre. Tickets were allocated to all year groups, and we had a full-capacity crowd. After an opening dance number where the contestants joined our Year 8 dancers on stage to perform ‘Cha-Cha Slide’, each act was brought forward, critiqued by our panel of experts (and Mr. Day), and then unmasked to rapturous applause. There was genuine surprise at the Sheep and Snowman reveals (Ms. Doricott and Mrs. Atkinson, respectively), and Big Bird proved to be a real fan favorite. Still, every act was embraced and received standing ovations from the crowd.
A number of awards were presented: Sheep won the Best Choreography/Movement Performance, Snowman won the Best Vocal Performance, and the legend that is Big Bird won the Most Entertaining category. There was also a special award for the real star of the show, Mrs. Bullock from our Admin department, who danced so expertly with each of the contestants in the videos. Surely she must be tempted to don a costume in a future contest?
Thank you to all the contestants (Ms Dorricott - Sheep, Mr Cochrane - Big Bird, Miss Fenwick - Crocodile, Miss Johns - Bear, and Mrs Atkinson - Snowman) for giving their time, effort, and dignity. Thank you also to Mrs. Clarke for being the mastermind of the whole process. One thing is for certain: The JORO Masked Singer will return! - Mr Harland
Key Stage 3 Celebration of Achievement
Recognise excellence
In June, we celebrated the yearly successes of over 80 Key Stage 3 students. Students were nominated from each subject in our curriculum for their contributions from across the year. Pastoral teams also presented awards to their outstanding students of the year, and Ms McLaughlin presented the extracurricular awards. We also had performances from the Matilda Takeover Ensemble and Arabella and Olivia. At the end of the evening, we presented the final awards linked to our behaviour curriculum. These were given to students who have shown outstanding contributions to school life throughout their time in Key Stage 3.
Our Ready Trophy was awarded to Dorothy Wilson, the Ambition Trophy to Joe Hodgkins, the Responsible Trophy to Claudia Jozefowska, and finally the Resilient and Responsible Trophy to Martin Aldinov. Congratulations to all the students involved!
University of York Geography Enrichment Day
Teach and learn through inspiration
In June, I visited The University of York with several other Year 9 students to attend a geography workshop centred around sustainability in York. In the morning, we took part in three workshops: adaptation and decarbonisation; careers, jobs, and the green economy; and biodiversity, with a focus on connecting with nature.
I found the adaptation and decarbonisation workshop the most interesting because we were able to learn in depth about how we can reduce our carbon footprint. After pizza for lunch, we began the main task of transforming York's Guildhall Ward to support a sustainable community; we incorporated new ideas we'd learnt from the workshops, ranging from green corridors to heat pumps. Our poster would then compete with the three other schools. We came joint second place and I found the whole day engaging, inspiring, and enriching. - George Moss - Year 9
Vaudeville Variety: A Celebration of Talent, Tribute, and Triumph in the Performing Arts
Nurture talent
As the curtain closed on another spectacular year for the Performing Arts departments, we came together in dazzling style for our annual Vaudeville Variety showcase, an evening filled with talent, heart, and unforgettable performances.
The night opened with a stunning folk duo, Esme Bell and Jess Heridge, whose harmonies and musicianship captivated the audience from the very first note. Their performance set the tone for what was to be a joyous celebration of everything our students have achieved this year.
Following this, Poppy Goodrick took to the stage and delivered a truly belting solo performance that brought the house down. Her vocal power and stage presence reminded us of the extraordinary individual talent blossoming within our school community.
One of the evening’s standout moments came from our BTEC Performing Arts group, who presented an exceptional excerpt from the hit musical Hamilton. Their performance was nothing short of outstanding - a high-energy, tightly executed showcase of storytelling, rhythm, and raw talent that left the audience spellbound.
A particularly moving part of the evening was the choir’s beautiful tribute to the late Malcolm Maddock, whose recent passing has been deeply felt by all who knew him. Malcolm was a cherished member of the Vaudeville community, instrumental in shaping the musical life of our school over the past decade. The choir’s heartfelt performance was a fitting homage to his legacy and influence.
The show concluded with a burst of energy and joy as a brilliant Year 7 trio lit up the stage with their rendition of ‘I'm Still Standing’. Their infectious enthusiasm and spirited delivery had the whole audience clapping along, and marked a perfect end to a truly memorable evening.
Vaudeville Variety reminded us all of the power of the arts - to connect, to uplift, and to celebrate. Here's to another incredible year of creativity, collaboration, and performance. We can’t wait to see what next year brings! - Mr Hill
Year 5 Visit to The Joseph Rowntree School
Respect all members of our community
Last month our school buzzed with the energy of nearly 200 Year 5 students, who got an exciting taste of secondary school life. Their day kicked off in Vaudeville Hall with the ‘Big Sing’, led by the inimitable Mrs. Clarke, setting a vibrant tone for the day.
From there, it was a whirlwind of discovery. In Science they transformed into scientific investigators, doing experiments with paper chromatography and diving into the colorful world of indicators through hands-on experiments. Geography took them on a fascinating journey into mining, made deliciously practical as they ‘mined’ chocolate chips from cookies. In Art, creativity soared as they sculpted fantastic clay fish. It was a day packed with exploration, laughter, and unforgettable experiences!
All in all, the Year 5 students embraced the new experiences of secondary school and were a real credit to their primary schools. We look forward to welcoming Year 5 back in the autumn term for Open Evening! - Mrs King
Sixth Form University trips: Leeds Beckett University and Newcastle University
Nurture talent
Summer term in Sixth Form is an exciting time, where students are preparing for the next steps beyond school. On June 18th students travelled to the UCAS fair at Leeds Beckett University, where they got to meet a wide range of universities, colleges, and conservatoires to discuss university life, entry requirements, and the variety of courses on offer. To consolidate their understanding of university life, we also travelled to Newcastle University for their open day, where students got to visit lecture theatres, the sports centre, accommodation, and academic departments.
These trips are foundational in providing students with information about higher education, and are a key element of the Sixth Form team's support for students in making informed decisions about options post-18. - Ms Edgar
Performing Arts
Teach and learn through inspiration
York St John's University Takeover of York Theatre Royal
Following our Technovirus project last year, we were absolutely thrilled when the University invited us to take part in their Theatre Takeover event. While last year saw our Year 10s creating a powerful devised drama, this year our incredible Year 7 and 8 students performed a dazzling ‘Matilda Medley’ from the beloved musical.
The energy was palpable during our after-school rehearsals. We were joined by third year students Darcey and Emily, adding to the frenetic, loud, and wonderfully fun atmosphere. All their hard work culminated in a sensational performance at the theatre during the May half-term, playing to a sold-out audience!
It was clear how much the students thrived on this performance project, and we saw an amazing growth in their confidence. Perhaps in a few years, some of them will be back on that very stage leading the next generation in a similar endeavour!
The feedback from the theatre was fantastic: ‘The project was a big success and the students did you proud. I’m glad they enjoyed the experience and a huge thank you to you for facilitating it in school.’
A massive well done to our brilliant ‘Matilda Medley’ company - Mr Coates
National Theatre Connections 2025
As you may remember from our previous newsletter, our school was delighted to have our application for this accepted in July last year. Students have since reflected on the experience of rehearsing and performing Brain Play as part of the York Theatre Royal Connections Festival, calling it 'an amazing experience', ‘great for meeting and making new friends and building up my confidence’. The show also had two truly devoted fans, Aimee's Grandparents, who were inspired to recreate the plays Brain Chorus in their own home!
Well done again for all involved and a very big thank you to all who supported this project, especially Aimee's Grandparents! - Mr Coates
Do you have any Regrets?
As part of the Vaudeville Variety concert, Year 8 students performed extracts from No Regrets by Gary McNair for National Theatre Connections 2025. The photographs show their Dress Rehearsal.
This play is the result of five years of interviews, during which McNair spoke to people from all walks of life about their experiences with regret. Through these conversations, he explored whether regret is something to be feared or simply accepted as part of being human. Year 8 have enjoyed exploring this brilliant piece of Verbatim Theatre and bringing their own interpretations to the piece. - Mr Coates
Pride 2025
Embrace diversity
June sees the country come alive with colour for Pride month! The Joseph Rowntree School staff and students represented our school once again this year by joining the parade, which goes all through the city centre and ends on the Knavesmire. The weather was a little unpredictable, so lots of flags were used as hoods! That said, nothing stopped us holding our JRS Pride flag high and dancing along to the music and drums. Along the route businesses and organisations hand out water, sweets, and keepsakes to the marchers, and everyone has brightly coloured signs and clothes. There is a huge festival each year on the Knavesmire after the march, with live performances, street food, fairground rides, and stalls. It is a real celebration of acceptance and inclusion in our city. For our school, being respectful and embracing diversity is incredibly important - therefore we will continue to support all members of the LGBTQ+ community, both in our daily school life and at the annual Pride event. - Miss Fenwick
Going Green with 8J5
Teach and learn through inspiration
This term, 8J5 has been busy learning about our environment and how to look after it. We have thought carefully about the little things we can do at home and school to reduce our carbon footprint, recycle, and look after the wildlife around us.
We have planted a beautiful wildflower garden for the bees and butterflies to enjoy. We planted sunflowers - however the local rabbits thought they were for them and have had a nibble of most of them… something to think about for next year?
We have enjoyed hatching and watching our stick insects grow. We have thought carefully about the sort of environment they need to thrive, and with Mrs Willis’ help have created the perfect habitat for them to live in. We applied for our Green Blue Peter Badges in June and are excitedly awaiting their arrival. - Ms Bloor
8J5 have thoroughly enjoyed this project;
Toby: "My top favourite thing about working for my Blue Peter badge was watching Deadly 60: Sharks."
Dan: “I liked working on our Blue Peter badge when we drew the Wiltshire garden and planted sunflower seeds and put them on the window sill to grow. We watched a programme about David Attenborough and Steve Backshall and we took a photo of us with the sunflowers and the stick insects.”
Hamish: "My favourite thing about getting a green peter badge was working with all my friends and hearing all about the things that 8j5 does to help the environment."
Tyeicha: "My favourite thing was the stick bugs."
Emily: "The thing I enjoyed most about doing the green blue peter badge was planting the sunflowers and seeing that the local rabbits ate them the next day."
Daniel: "My favourite thing was watching Deadly 60: Sharks and learning where they live."
Lucas: "I have enjoyed working for a badge. I enjoyed writing my badge application."
JORO'S Got Talent
Encourage wellbeing
This year saw the first JORO'S Got Talent Competition, to show off the talents of our students competing head to head for the golden buzzer!
We had a variety of talents from singing, gymnastics, and dance, to rock bands and theatrical performances! Alba Fenton was the overall winner with her incredible modern dance, taking the points for Hazel House! - Mrs Tindall
A Level Literature trip to Richard II
Teach and learn through inspiration
On a gloriously sunny spring day in April, the A-level Literature students travelled to London to see Shakespeare's Richard II, which is a set text on the Aspects of Tragedy course.
In the morning we travelled to Embankment, where we walked along the south bank of the River Thames to view St Paul's Cathedral and have a quick visit to both Tate Modern and Shakepeare's Globe Theatre. Over lunchtime we went to London's trendy Borough Market, to experience their amazing world foods.
The main event was to go to the Bridge Theatre to see Richard II. The play is the first in Shakespeare's history cycle, where the rightful king, Richard, makes some terrible mistakes leading him into conflict with his cousin Henry Bolingbroke. The play includes tournaments, battles, and reversals of fortune.
The production was brought right up to the modern day and the students were spellbound by the incredible acting.
At the end, students were slightly confused as Joseph Rowntree stayed in the auditorium whilst all the rest of the audience left. This was because The Bridge Theatre had kindly arranged with Ms Edgar for the students to meet the cast afterwards. As the students found out that they were just about to meet the film star Jonathan Bailey in person (star of Bridgerton, Wicked, and Jurassic World Rebirth), there was much gasping and excitement. He was absolutely lovely, and sat and chatted to our Sixth Form about the play, drama in general, and even posed for a photo with us. -Ms Edgar & Miss Pugh
The Great Rowntree Bake Off
Encourage wellbeing
Teams from Years 7, 8, 9, and 10 took part in the annual Great Rowntree Bake Off Competition to represent their houses, baking cookies and decorating cupcakes. We had some amazing participants who produced some incredible bakes this year!
Winners were as follows:
- Year 7: Willow
- Year 8: Oak
- Year 9: Oak
- Year 10: Willow
Well done to all students who represented their house in the competition! - Mrs Tindall
In June, a group of Year 7 and 8 girls attended Dalby forest for the North Yorkshire Sport Girls Wellbeing Festival. The girls took part in a variety of activities including kin-ball, inflatable obstacle course, bracelet making and wellbeing crafts, yoga, archery, and circus skills.
They also had an athlete workshop with James Kirton and Jenny Wallwork. Jenny shared her experiences of professional sport and battles with mental health.
The Year 7 and 8s threw themselves into the day and ended with a colour run where they were covered in paint whilst they ran through the forest! - Mrs Tindall
Year 7 Football Champions
Our Year 7 boys have made an incredible start at secondary school, winning their league in their first season with us.
They have incredible strength and depth, which was shown by the five different goal scorers in the final. Having been 2-0 down inside three minutes, to dig in and turn it around into a 6-2 win was a really resilient performance.
We have had around 20 boys represent the team across the year, and they have all contributed to the teams success. I am looking forward to them stepping up to 11-a-side for next year and seeing if we can achieve any more success. - Mr Kite
Tennis Champions
This summer term proved very successful for the boys' tennis teams, who achieved excellent performances against numerous York schools. A standout achievement was the Year 9/10 team winning their division title, securing victories over both state and private schools from around the area - well done! - Mr Kite
Year 9 Sports Leaders
Over the course of the term, the Year 9 Sports Leaders have attended three primary schools where they designed and led their own sports sessions. The students were really professional and fantastic with the Year 1s and 2s. Their positivity and enthusiasm was evident in all their sessions as they represented our school!
They also helped to lead the Primary netball festival, and with Year 6 transition day! Well done Year 9! - Mrs Tindall
York & District Athletics Finals
The Joseph Rowntree School Athletics Team has once again had some fantastic success this year! The first round of Year 7 and 8 took place at the School at the end of May. We had 30 students attend the semi-final at York University on 17th June, with some outstanding performances both on the track and in the field! The finals at York University on 24th June again demonstrated the amazing performances of some of our students, including Flora Eckert (Year 8) placing 1st in the 300m, and Peggy O’Leary (Year 8) placing 2nd in the high jump.
We also saw some outstanding results from the boys at the recent York and District Athletics Finals. A huge congratulations to Harry Grainger from Year 9, who dominated the 800m race and secured first place in the district. Equally impressive was Year 8's Jacobi Buttle, who also claimed the top spot in the 1500m. These are truly excellent achievements for both athletes, well done! - Mr Kite
Rising Football Star
At four years old I started playing at Haxby FC boys team as the only girl. I enjoyed it loads and my coaches were amazing. I unfortunately quit at age nine but still played football, this time for Wigginton FC girls. Just before my second season at Wigginton, I got into Evolution Elites and played with them for a season. In my second season of Wiggington, we won division 2 and I scored 32 goals.
I then trialed for York City FC girls and got into the development foundation program. We were lucky enough to go on a football trip to Spain. I won player of the tournament out of 200 other girls.
I also play for an academy team called United Football Sporting Academy, as well as playing for Wigginton. I enjoy playing football so much and I get to play with some amazing teams. I recently got accepted for the UFSA JPL team, and retained for the York City development team. I am trialing for lots of Junior Premier League teams and on top of this I am training to be a grassroots referee!
I don't mind whether I become a professional footballer or not, I just want to see how far I can get with it. But whether I become professional or not, I just want to be successful in my future career.
I love being fit and healthy! I don't just play football - I ski, paddleboard, snowboard, play tennis, surf, and love to go on hikes. I'm quite outdoorsy! I love being involved in a team, and love playing as a team with the friends I have met through football. - Isabella Moore Year 9
Rising Rugby Star
My name is Charlie Laing. At the start of 2024, I started playing Rugby for Heworth u13 girls. I only knew one person, but this did not worry me as I knew it was what I wanted to do. After two weeks I had my first match and I started becoming friends with all the girls, which was good. At the beginning we were always losing games until one game last year when we had our first win, which spurred me on to continue to religiously train two days a week every week, and because of this I am progressing more and more.
In September last year, the team were lucky enough to go to the lake district to play a game against Lowca Lionesses. We ended up beating them and celebrated by going to the lake, bonding with all of the girls, and having fun.
Fast forward to this year, we played a game against Hull Kingston Rovers as a pre-season warm up match. After the match I was asked to try out for the Scotland u14 girls development team. This could lead to me playing in the world cup due in 2030. It was a privilege to be asked, as I am half Scottish and this would make my family and friends very proud. I started training with the team in April this year in Scotland, and our first match was on the 29th of June. Whilst all of this is going on I am still training at Heworth - we are doing really well and I have made loads of friends.
The reason I love playing rugby is because all the girls are kind, the coaches are amazing and everyone is like family, and the training is hard but gives me a sense of achievement. In March this year, I was chosen to be the flag bearer for the England v Italy women's Six Nations match. The atmosphere was amazing and really made me want to keep progressing in the sport.
In the future, I would like to be a successful rugby player for Scotland and be able to buy my parents a big house. I hope to inspire young women into the sport in the future, and to be a role model for girls all over the world. - Charlie Laing Year 9
Principal Students 2025/26
Nurture talent
Congratulations to Greg Horne and Georgia Halstead, who will be our Principal Students for the next academic year. They will be supported by Jack Hayward and Remas Hamido as vice-principal students, along with a committee of six that will lead on key aspects of our school values.
Surprise result throws Chess Club into turmoil!
Encourage wellbeing
It started as a bit of fun but has slowly gotten out of hand, with Gabriel Terol, Sixth Former and budding chess mastermind, tracking down and challenging Mr Turner to weekly matches after school. It was a testament to his endurance and ambition, as he suffered defeat after defeat with a smile and an iron determination to keep improving.
Finally, with just two weeks of the school year left to go, the impossible happened - a titan was felled. Mr Turner, with an unbroken record of total victory stretching all the way back to when he started the club eight years ago, was defeated by a classic bishop/queen pairing. Congratulations to Gabriel!
Rumours that Mr Turner has sworn revenge are greatly exaggerated, though he has been spotted muttering about 'opening theory' and wandering around reading chess books for the first time in 15 years. - Mr Turner
Aesthetica Short Film Festival - Film-Making Program
Teach and learn through inspiration
The Joseph Rowntree School is one of seven schools in York to take part in a filmmaking program, working with Aesthetica Short Film Festival, Pauline Quirke Academy, and Viridian FX.
Students received a motivational careers talk from Anna Gallon at Aesthetica, letting students know about York's unique UNESCO of Media Arts status and informing them of the inspiring creative industries and local talent in York.
Viridian FX delivered a behind the scenes talk on their role in creating visual effects for programs such as House of the Dragon and the Netflix film Heart of Stone.
PQA hosted a series of filmmaking workshops, where students operated cameras, and worked as sound assistants and boom operators. They also had the chance to create storyboards and write screenplays using professional software. Students collectively made a short horror film with a twist. They were presented with mini Oscars awards for taking part.
This school year, the Code Breaking and Games Club returned to Joseph Rowntree School on Thursdays after school until 4pm in the maths department. Our team took part in the National Cipher Challenge, coming joint first in the first few challenges and having lots of fun. Due to popular demand for extra game time, the clubs timings were extended to 4:30 and many battles of Hunters and Gatherers, Galaxy Trucker and Settlers of Catan were played. There have been games of Exploding Kittens, Bohnanza, and Dixit as well as the more well known card games of Cheat and Uno. We look forward to welcoming more players and code breakers after school on Thursday 11th September in Ma23. - Miss Howarth
Wiltshire
Overcome obstacles to success
What a year we have had in Wiltshire, and how quickly the time seems to have passed; from jigsaws to rock painting, from cooking to gardening, from skipping to darts, from mindfulness activities to film watching, and everything in between, the year has been packed with activities.
We are immensely proud of how all the students have come together this year, sharing the same space and developing some meaningful friendships along the way. We are all ready for the summer holidays, and are looking forward to a fresh start in September, ready to welcome some new faces and further develop within our space. We wish all our young people and their families a wonderfully peaceful and safe summer together- Miss Umpleby and #TeamWiltshire
Careers Events
Overcome obstacles to success
Work Experience
In June, we had 175 Year 10 students undertaking a full week of work experience across York and the wider region, as part of their careers provision. This spanned a huge range of sectors from the police to retail, car maintenance to nursery care, and much more besides. Feedback from employers was overwhelmingly positive, and students will have got so much from the time they have spent in workplaces. A word to the current Year 9 - next year you will get the chance to spend a week in a workplace in the week commencing May 11th - why not get ahead of your peers and approach some employers over the summer break to see if you can secure your work placement nice and early? - Mr Coleman
Year 7 Enterprise Challenge
On 11th July, all of Year 7 were involved in an Enterprise Challenge as part of their Careers Education. We were visited by the North Yorkshire Business Enterprise Partnership (NYBEP) and a handful of volunteers from workplaces across the region. Specifically, we had volunteers from Indigo Greens Estate Agents, Mott Macdonald Engineering Consultants, Nestlé, Jackson Civils and the Army. During the course of the two hour activity students developed their teamwork, problem solving, and communication skills.
They worked in small teams to plan the creation of a chocolate product, having to price up their production costs, plan a sale price with profit margins in mind, generate unique selling points, and design marketing materials and a box to contain their product. Working within time pressures, having to consider one another's ideas, and develop a unique product was a genuine challenge but we saw some fantastic product ideas, brilliant pitches to the group, and some great collaboration between students and our volunteer visitors. Feedback from NYBEP was excellent, saying that they ‘had a blast, Year 7 were amazing, they blew us away with their enthusiasm and commitment’. - Mr Coleman
Year 8 visit York St John University
On 11th July a small group of Year 8 students visited York St John to have a full day of workshop activity linked to work experience and future employment readiness. Throughout the day they worked together with Mrs Dale and Mrs McLaughlin, as well as a volunteer from the NHS and staff from NYBEP, to develop their awareness of future pathways beyond school and into the workplace. Feedback from NYBEP said that ‘it was a privilege to spend time with a super group of students, they were a real credit to Joseph Rowntree School and themselves. They were well behaved, polite, kind, curious and creative.’ - Mr Coleman