Week 8 – End of term success

In this newsletter:

• Holiday Vouchers
• Celebrations of success
• Equipment
• KS4 Revision
• Supporting Your Child with Post-16 Applications
• Sixth Form Option Blocks
• Congratulations to Year 13
• New Guitars
• Sport – year 7 Rugby
• Black History Month Poster Winners

School returns on: Tuesday 4 November 2025 (week A)

Let us know what is going on during your holiday! Anything you are proud of? Beautifully designed revision notes, new music grade, sports competition, volunteering etc – please get in touch and share it with us at community@astreastivo.org (this is inbox is monitored during school holidays by Lauren Tomlinson, Marketing and Communications Officer at St Ivo).

Cambridgeshire Holiday Voucher Scheme 

Cambridgeshire local authority will be running a holiday voucher scheme for October Half Term.  For each eligible pupil, they will be issuing a £15 supermarket voucher. Eligibility remains the same as in previous rounds, including support for Post 16 Bursary students.  Every eligible pupil should receive their voucher by the end of the day on Saturday 25 October.  

For further information please use the links below.

Parent Letter

FAQs for Parents – October Half Term Voucher Scheme

Cambridgeshire Holiday Voucher Scheme Team – holidayvoucherscheme@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Equipment

Well done to everyone who returned in September fully equipped and have maintained this throughout the first half-term! Having all the items on our equipment list, allows students to take a full part in lessons. For those students missing a few things, here’s a reminder of what students are expected to bring with them every day:

• 30cm ruler ​
• Black pens (x2) ​
• Rubber ​
• Green pen​
• Pencil ​
• Scientific calculator​
• Protractor​
• Highlighter​
• Glue stick​
• Large transparent 30cm pencil case* ​
• Knowledge organiser folder*​
• A4 Equipment ziplock bag*​
• Translucent reading ruler*​
• Mini whiteboard*​
• Whiteboard pen/ pencil*

The school provided students with items highlighted with an asterisk last academic year, or the start of this academic year for those who hadn’t previously been provided with them.

You are able to purchase mini whiteboards and reading rulers through MCAS. Alternatively, parents and carers can purchase these from online retailers searching for “mini whiteboards” and “dyslexic ruler overlays” respectively.

KS4 Revision

Year 11 mock exams are fast approaching and we advise all students to dedicate periods of time over half term to spend revising for each subject – you can find a blank printable revision timetable to support this.

Thank you to parent feedback there is no links to past papers and specification on the KS4 revision page (our approach > our curriculum > KS4 revision).

We are also running targeted intervention sessions to support revision and preparation. Invites have been sent to students who will benefit from these sessions

Yr11 – Supporting Your Child with Post-16 Applications

All Year 11 students have now received their logins for MyChoice16 and have begun completing their profiles as they prepare for their next steps after school. This is an exciting time, and your support can make a huge difference.

Students can now start exploring courses, attending college and sixth form open days, and beginning their applications through MyChoice16.

Please be aware that some application deadlines are as early as 6th January (please check with individual providers), so we strongly encourage all students to complete their applications before the Christmas break giving me the opportunity to check and submit by the deadline. Applying by the January deadlines will give them the best possible chance of securing a place on their preferred course and with their chosen provider.

You can support your child by helping them research different courses and providers on MyChoice16, encouraging them to attend open days to explore their options in person and checking they have completed all sections of their application carefully and on time.

If you or your child have any questions or would like further guidance, please do contact me on the email below or ask your child to come to come and talk to me in school.

St Ivo Sixth Form subject blocks for September 2026 entry

Thank you to all those students who completed the Sixth Form choices ‘Initial thoughts’ survey. The subject blocks have now been finalised for next September.

We have used the subject choices of those students who stated that they are likely, or highly likely to attend our sixth form to create the blocks, trying to avoid as many subject clashes as possible.

For the vast majority of students this has been possible, but inevitably it is impossible to make every combination work, so there is a very small number of students where their 4^th option choice may have to be used, or they may have to choose an additional subject. We will be meeting with these students to discuss this further after half term.

The final deadline for applications to our sixth form via the My Choice 16 platform is Tuesday 13^th January. Once the application deadline has passed, we will meet informally with each student who has made an application to join us.

The subject option block sheet can be found using the following link to the sixth form section of the school website on the main page or in the courses section. Open option block PDF

A Message from the Principal – Congratulations Year 13!

I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to all our Year 13 students for completing your mock examinations. This milestone marks an important step in your journey toward the 2026 exams, and I am incredibly proud of the commitment, determination, and maturity you have shown throughout this process.

Mock exams are not only an opportunity to test your knowledge, but also a valuable experience in managing time, focus, and resilience – all essential skills for success in the months ahead. Your hard work and positive attitude have not gone unnoticed, and I want to thank both our dedicated staff and supportive families for guiding and encouraging you along the way.

As you move forward, take the lessons learned from these mocks to strengthen your confidence and refine your strategies for revision. Remember, every effort you make now brings you one step closer to achieving your goals.

Well done, Year 13 we are very proud of you and look forward to celebrating your continued success in the year ahead.

Mr Meneaugh

Brand New Guitars!

We are delighted to announce that our Music Department has been successful in securing funding from Music for All — a fantastic organisation that provides grants and equipment to schools and community music projects. This grant will provide 30 brand new ¾-sized acoustic guitars for our students! We are committed to providing a high-quality and culturally respectful musical education, allowing students to explore instruments without limitations or stereotypes.

Importantly, the guitars we currently have are full-sized, which can make learning difficult for beginners or smaller students. The new ¾-size guitars will be much more accessible and comfortable for students to play as they gain confidence and musicianship.

A huge thank you to Miss Yip for leading the funding application and securing these valuable resources for our students. We are excited for this next step in strengthening our music provision and can’t wait to hear the sounds of learning and creativity fill our classrooms!