In this newsletter:
- Message from our Principal
- Gold in Hunts Swimming Gala
- Sixth Form news
- Mayor is Jumping out of a plane for schools
- February Half Term Voucher Scheme
Message from our Principal
It has been nice to have the sun make an appearance at St Ivo this week, and has given a lovely backdrop to the Year 11 Mock exams that have begun this week – well done Year 11, keep going!
It has been a busy week with events at school this week; we hosted the district swimming gala on Tuesday here at St Ivo, and it was great to see our students swim to victory against many other local schools. Well done to all of those students who participated in the event, and performed so well. A brilliant performance like this is testament to the hard work, determination and commitment that goes on behind the scenes, week in, week out – and we are really proud of our students who show this tenacity and perseverance. Also, this week a group of drama students went on a theatre trip to see the Women in Black, which is part of their GCSE studies, and despite a late-night coach trip, all were in the next day to sit a mock exam – well done.
We also welcomed Year 12 Parents for an information evening about Work Shadowing, if you are able to support us with a placement for our Year 12 students, please get in touch with the office. Similarly, if you are interested in supporting with a Year 10 Work Experience placement, we would also love to hear from you. It is only with this support from our local community that we can offer our students these really valuable opportunities.
Updates
Sport
Our gold medal events are:
- Freestyle 50m
- Butterfly 25m
- Back Stroke 50m
- Breast Stroke 50m
- Freestyle 4x Relay
1st Place: St Ivo Academy – 171 points
2nd Place: Kimbolton – 160 points
3rd Place: Longsands – 132 points
4th Place: hinchingbrooke – 129 points
5th Place: Sawtry – 104 points
6th Place: Abbey College – 70 points
Sixth Form Year 12 Work Shadowing Evening
It was lovely to see so many Year 12 Parents/Careers and students on Wednesday evening for the work shadowing presentation.
If you were unable to make it we have included the presentation slideshow here. There is also a link below to a Unifrog video which explains in a little more detail the parents/carers role in the process. All placement details and paperwork will go through the Unifrog platform, which is incredibly user friendly and makes the process very efficient. Parents and carers will also receive log in details shortly to set up their own profile, so they can track their child’s progress in the work shadowing process. Please note, you do not need to set up an account and will still receive emails asking for you to confirm your consent to a placement.
All students already have a Unifrog account and have set up their profiles. Year 12 on Wednesday morning also had an assembly on the work shadowing process.
If you do have any questions then please do get in touch with Helen Parks helen.parks@astreastivo.org
6th Form Book Club
On Friday 23rd January we ran our first 6th form book club. We had 21 students attend and we discussed the dystopian short story ‘There will come soft rains.’ It was a lovely occasion with interesting discussions about the style of the story, AI and the impact of the story on the reader. In A Level English Literature, we study the genre of dystopia so this story will help the students develop their literary contextual knowledge and it was wonderful to see Year 12s and Year 13s talk about literature together. We are looking forward to planning our second meeting.
Community News
Dear Friends of St Ives,
Mayor Julie Kerr and Councillor Michael Burke Take the Leap for Mental Health Support in Local Schools
On Saturday 14th March 2026, Mayor Julie Kerr and Town Councillor Michael Burke will be taking to the skies for a thrilling skydive challenge in aid of the Mayor’s charities for 2025-26.
This bold event aims to raise vital funds for mental health projects across all schools in our town. Mayor Kerr’s chosen charities this year focus on supporting student mental health and well-being.
Funds raised will help provide resources for counselling services, safe spaces and initiatives that promote emotional resilience among young people.
The skydive will take place on Saturday 14th March 2026, and we invite everyone to get involved by donating whatever they can.
Mayor Julie Kerr said:
“Mental health support for our students is more important than ever. We’re taking this leap to show our commitment and raise awareness for this crucial cause.”
Councillor Michael Burke added:
“It’s a big challenge, but for an even bigger cause. We hope the community will rally behind us and help make a real difference.”
Every contribution will go directly towards improving mental health support in our schools.
How to Donate:
Donations can be made via the Town Council website
www.stivestowncouncil.gov.uk/pay/
February Half Term Voucher Scheme
Find information from Cambridgeshire County Council regarding their voucher scheme.