Some words from our Heads of Years
Year 7
We are finally at the end of an extremely busy but rewarding term. Year 7
have now completed their first two terms of secondary school, and we have accomplished a lot as a year group. We trained our next cohort of Antibullying Ambassadors – with Oscar C and Henry SL joining the school's team. We completed our Audit Predictions and Reflections, as well as celebrating those students with audits in the top 10 for achievement and/or attitude to learning grades. We also spent the last seven weeks working hard preparing for our Winter Fair. I want to say a massive thank you to everyone that supported the Year 7 Charity Winter Fair, from our Year 10 form prefects who spent every Thursday supporting/organising their groups, to my fabulous Form Tutor Team working tirelessly to ensure that all 147 students knew what they were doing and were prepared, to our parents and guardians helping behind the scenes to buy sweets and put together stalls.
Most importantly, I'd like to thank anyone that visited the winter fair and those that spent tokens, helping us raise money for our chosen charities:Thanks to everyone's hard work, we managed to raise a record £1710! (wow) – I can't wait to do this all again next year...could we reach £2000? This money will be going to the following charities: Cancer Research UK, Macmillan Cancer Care, MenTalk Sittingbourne, Demelza Hospice, Swale Foodbank and Violence Against Women And Girls (VAWG) Charities.
Wishing you all a lovely and well deserved break!
Miss Irinoye
Head of Year 7
Year 8
This term has seen Year 8 settling confidently into their routines and lessons. Students are arriving punctually, smartly dressed and engaging with the pastoral curriculum, which this term has focused on our Borden Value of Respect. As Head of Year, I have been proud to hear that Year 8 behaviour around the school, especially at break and lunchtime, is exemplary. Staff and students delivering assemblies to the year group have also praised their excellent behaviour and engagement with the topics.
As the term draws to a close, we look forward to seeing whether 8S maintain their dominance of the inter-form competition and are rewarded with a non-uniform day on the final day of term. The Winter Fair, Christmas jumper day and the Christmas lunch top off the festivities for the term.
A few practical matters for our return in January - please ensure students' possessions, especially coats and PE kits, are named, for ease of reuniting lost property with owners. Should you need to get in contact with me regarding your son, please contact me on aedwards@bordengrammar.kent.sch.uk in the first instance, as my teaching timetable reduces my availability during the day.
Wishing everyone a restful and healthy holiday.
Mrs. Edwards
Head of Year 8
Year 9
As we approach Christmas, you will, no doubt, be aware that we are moving quickly towards more discussion of GCSE choices, options exams and all the preparation that comes with them. The year 9 internal exams begin on Monday 19th January and end on the 29th January. Teachers will be preparing students for these exams, and we will be completing revision skills in form times. The exam timetable has been posted on classroom for your perusal.
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Mr Holley
Head of Year 9
Sixth Form
Terms one and two have been a hive of activity for sixth form, who have truly encapsulated the spirit of the Borden Values.
Year 11
Year 11 have had a very busy start to the year, with curriculum learning continuing alongside mock exams, followed by reflection and improvement work based on their results. We are now looking ahead to the February mocks and the exams beyond. During this time, students have also begun to consider their post-16 options, logging into Kent Choices and attending the recent parents’ evening.
Looking ahead, we will be holding an information evening at the start of the year (details have been shared in a separate letter), and exam preparation will really step up as students begin creating weekly revision timetables. Alongside their hard work, the year group has also enjoyed a range of trips and careers events.
We are extremely proud of their efforts so far and look forward to supporting them through the next phase of Year 11 in the new year.
Mr Weller
Head of Year 11
Year 12
Terms 1 and 2 have been a busy time for our Year 12 students, but I am so proud of the transition they have made and the hard work and dedication they have already shown in their studies. More impressively is the amount of commitment they have shown in their dedication and commitment to helping others in the school. Our Year 12 students have been fantastic role models in embodying the Borden Values throughout their new life in the Sixth Form, from participating in mentoring programmes to helping at Open Evenings.
Throughout Term 2, 44 students have been trained as both peer mentors and Mental Health First Aid Champions. All students had to participate in two days of training for both mentoring programmes in which they are now qualified in working with our students in years 7-11 who may need further support. MHFA Champions have also been in their allocated tutor groups to deliver tutor sessions as well as working with students weekly during their tutor periods. The maturity, dedication and commitment displayed by the students has been appreciated, and we look forward to them working and supporting our students during this academic year. Below is a picture of our current MHFA Champions.
Students from across Year 12 also delivered a number of assemblies for year groups 7-11 about Men’s Health Awareness Month and Movember in which they spoke about subjects such as testicular cancer and men’s mental health. These were well received by students and highlighted two important issues.
Students in both Year 12 and 13 also had an assembly from the Anthony Nolan Trust who came in to educate our students about the importance of the work they do in regard to stem cell research and the Anthony Nolan Trust register. Following this, 26 of our students participated in swab testing, meaning they could be placed on the national register. We hope to build our links with the Anthony Nolan Trust next year and ensure more students in the Sixth Form are educated about the important medical research of this charity.
Year 12 students have also been informed about their Work Shadowing week, which will take place from 6-10 July 2026. Mr Brinn delivered an assembly and all students have access to the process they need to complete and follow in the Year 12 Google Classroom. All students are encouraged to find their own placements, and there have been several students who have already secured successful placements. We encourage all students to have found placements by the end of next term.
Finally, the Year 12 rewards assembly was a wonderful way to celebrate the successes of the year group through both their extra curricular and academic achievements. I am so proud to be their Head of Year and of their positive work ethic and their attitude to their learning.
Have a wonderful break and I look forward to welcoming Year 12 in the new year.
Ms Wrighton
Head of Year 12
Year 13
Over the course of term 1, the year 13 student leadership team delivered their introductory assembly to students in the lower years. This was supplemented by the re-introduction of the school debating club which encourages interaction and collaboration across all year groups. This is an ongoing testament to the community spirit that pervades Borden Grammar school and serves to reaffirm the importance of community, kindness and inter-collaboration throughout the school.
In addition to this, the student leadership’s Black History Month assemblies delivered to the lower year groups celebrated the key themes of diversity and multiculturalism; core beliefs which underscore the ethos of Borden Grammar School. The 2025 theme ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride’ recognises the resilience, strength, and unwavering commitment to progress within Black communities globally. It highlights both the power and influence of Black leaders and visionaries who have created change, as well as the importance of cultural identity and pride.
Our commitment to the celebration of diversity and our desire to promote a harmonious school community was further demonstrated through Mr Lindo’s ‘Show racism the red card’ assemblies to all year groups, demonstrating how, as a school, we actively promote the fundamental British values alongside the protected characteristics to forge leaders of the future.
Over the course of term 2, our year 13 students have focused on revision in preparation for their upcoming mocks in January. In preparation for this, they have created revision timetables and identified various revision strategies that will help them prepare for these important exams.
To support students with their UCAS applications, Mr Coutinho from Reading University visited Borden on the 6th and 7th November to provide bespoke help, support and feedback to our year 13 students on their personal statements. This was a truly invaluable experience, allowing students to hone key skills and helping our sixth formers to prepare for life after Borden.
In addition to this, UCAS applications are being made at a rapid pace, with some students receiving conditional / contextual offers already. Oxford and Cambridge applications have been submitted and students are now anxiously awaiting their interview dates. We wish them all the very best in this process!
Lastly, the year 13 celebration assembly was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the successes of individual students. I am endlessly proud of their drive, dedication, motivation and active application of the school’s values and I look forward to celebrating all that term 3 has to offer.
Have a wonderful break and we look forward to welcoming year 13 back in January.
Finally, here’s the link to the school Linked in page:
https://uk.linkedin.com/company/borden-grammar-school-trust
Ms M Das
Head of Year 13
School Council and houses: 
I finished this week with a number of 6th formers, boxing up and taking a record donation from all of you to the Sittingbourne foodbank. I wish I could pass on the heartwarming feeling of handing this over to the foodbank who were blown away by your generosity. They specifically asked that I write to you and pass on their genuine thanks and to tell you that it will be put to good use. 
Hopefully, this message has given a brief overview of the array of amazing things taking place at Borden across the year and I would like to thank all of the staff for their commitment, the students for taking part and you as parents for helping to make this year such a success. At heart, all of this is testament to the fact that our students continue to represent our Borden values of kindness, respect and courage. I hope that you enjoy the rest of this newsletter and see more examples of these positive qualities that I see every week. Have a wonderful Christmas and I look forward to our students returning in January 2026 to 
A message of thanks
As a single academy trust, we are always looking for people who would be interested in playing a role in the running of the school. So what are these roles? A trustee acts as a ‘critical friend’ of the school, attending approximately seven meetings a year and visiting the school at least once to support an area of interest or specialism. We are particularly keen on finding someone with business, financial or legal expertise, although not absolutely necessary. Members are the board that sit 'above' trustees and have oversight of school governance and the accounts. They meet at an AGM only once a year and have a much lighter touch in terms of school oversight. If you are interested in becoming either a trustee or member, then please contact the school for more information.
On Tuesday 16th December, over 40 students took part in the Performing Arts Christmas Showcase, comprising of multiple performances across a range of disciplines. We kicked off the night with our Friday Jam band, followed by sketches devised, scripted and performed by the Drama Society. We had 
everything from an AI generated Christmas, to elves in Santa’s workshop; masked performances with our selection of professional Trestle masks, to a budget Scrooge. And who could forget the students impersonating the teachers as they desperately try to come up with a concept for the Christmas Showcase. The orchestra were in fine form playing some 
Christmas classics, including a beautiful version of ‘Somewhere In My Memory’ from Home Alone. The evening was concluded with The Friday Jam band again, providing the rock soundtrack to a group singalong to Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody, where the cast and audience joined together to usher in the festive 
season. 
We are incredibly grateful to the Old Bordenian Association, who have once again generously funded the Rewards Breakfast throughout this year. Their continued support allows us to recognise and celebrate the ongoing successes of our students on a weekly basis, and it remains a much-valued tradition within our school.
On the 12th December, Mrs Birkin and Ms Das accompanied 27 students from years 7-11 to the Light Cinema in Sittingbourne to watch a re-imagining of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol.' These students were selected for their embodiment of the Borden values alongside the exceptional progress they've made over the course of term 2. The film truly encapsulated the spirit of the season and we're now all ready for Christmas!
If you've visited the school in the past few weeks, you will likely have been greeted by our new receptionists, not just Mrs Daw who joined us this term, but also some of our Year 8 students who are part of a pilot group gaining work experience with our support staff.
at looking after their property. We do all we can to remind them, and encourage them to be careful, and we help countless students to find their possessions. Usually, lost property is restored to the grateful owner. However, please follow the advice below.
