War Poetry Masterclass

25th March 2026Leanne Johnston
Selected Year 10 students recently took part in a War Poetry Masterclass led by Major General (rtd) Professor Tim Hodgetts, former Surgeon General of the UK Armed Forces. His extensive experience across major conflict zones brought a level of authenticity and credibility that made this a genuinely powerful learning experience.

Through sharing his own poetry, Tim worked with students to explore meaning, themes and emotional impact. What stood out was the way he connected each poem to real moments from his career, helping students to understand the realities behind the ideas they encounter in the classroom. This enabled students to engage with complex concepts such as conflict, trauma and moral decision-making in a way that felt both relevant and meaningful.

Students made strong links to the conflict poetry they study as part of their English GCSE, particularly in understanding authorial intent and the purpose of poetry as a response to human experience. The session supported them to move beyond surface-level analysis, developing a more thoughtful and mature interpretation of the texts they study.

This kind of opportunity reflects our wider commitment to providing a rich and ambitious curriculum, where students encounter subject content in meaningful and memorable ways. It also sits within our work as part of the National Year of Reading, reinforcing the importance of reading as a way to engage with real-world experiences, broaden perspectives and deepen understanding.

Students left with not only a stronger grasp of their GCSE content, but a clearer sense of why literature matters.

We are very grateful to Tim for giving his time and sharing his experiences to the benefit our students.

Hammer Success

9th March 2026Leanne Johnston

We are delighted to share some exciting news about Year 12 student, Alexandria, who represented the school at her first national Hammer Throw competition in Loughborough.

Competing at the UK Athletics Winter Long Throws Championships, Alexandria performed with great determination and resilience. Despite facing some recent health challenges and not quite replicating her training form on the day, she rose to the occasion and secured an impressive bronze medal.

This outstanding achievement at national level is a testament to Alexandria’s dedication, perseverance, and hard work. We are incredibly proud of her success and look forward to supporting her continued progress in the sport.

Red Bulls Academy Selection

9th March 2026Leanne Johnston

Huge congratulations to Year 11 students Sam and Angus, who have been invited into the Newcastle Red Bulls U16 training group.

This is a fantastic achievement for both boys and a real reflection of the hard work, consistency and determination they’ve shown over the season. Selection into the U16 group places them in a high-performance environment and is a well-earned step up in their development pathway.

The programme brings a demanding but exciting schedule, with training twice a week alongside a series of Inter-Academy Festivals taking place at Penrith, Warwick, Keighley and Scotland.

Both boys continue to represent their school and club with pride, and this next stage is thoroughly deserved. Well done!

Rydell High is Coming to KEVI

18th February 2026Leanne Johnston

Dust off your leather jackets, tease up those beehives, and get ready to hand-jive! This year, Mrs Anderson and our Drama department is taking a trip back to 1959 with the high-octane, electrifying production of Grease: The Musical. Whether you’re a T-Bird, a Pink Lady, or just a fan of good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll, this is the show you’ve been waiting for!

 

We have three spectacular performances lined up where the Lower School Hall will be transformed to evoke the Californian summer. Join us between 25 – 27 March, with curtain up at 7.30pm.

You Can’t Miss It!

Our cast and crew have been working harder than a mechanic on “Greased Lightnin’” to bring you an outstanding performance. You can expect iconic anthems and high energy choreography.

Entrance is strictly ticket only. Tickets are on sale from the Main Office. Prices are £7 for students and £10 for adults. Grab yours before they go faster than a hot rod at Thunder Road!

 

Northumberland Youth Elections

18th February 2026Leanne Johnston

Wednesday 11 February saw the annual Youth Elections take place in school. The process was overseen by representatives of our School Council who coordinated the logistics of over 3000 voting papers! We had an excellent turn out as students voted for their Youth Cabinet and UK Youth Parliament candidates.

We were delighted to have four candidates standing from KEVI for UK Youth Parliament:

  • Year 9 Christina campaigning for youth mental health, climate change and equal opportunities
  • Year 10 Jessie campaigning for a 4 day school week, more free clubs for young people and more buses for rural areas
  • Year 10 Berechiah campaigning for non-school uniform on Fridays, food poverty and improve transport links
  • Year 11 George campaigning for the voting age lowered to 17, free classroom based driving lessons in Year 11 and fair treatment for LGBTQ+ groups

We are really proud of these students who are part of a record number of 49 Youth Parliament candidates this year.

Creative Careers Showcase

18th February 2026Leanne Johnston

We were delighted to be invited by the North East Combined Authority to attend a Creative Careers Showcase at Queen’s Hall in Hexham. We completed a preparation lesson in school, looking at the creative sector and doing some mythbusting.

Once we arrived at Queen’s Hall, alongside four other Northumberland schools, we were greeted by the CEO of Queen’s Hall who talked about the importance of transferable skills; something that resonates with our Year 9 students who develop characteristics of Accomplished Students. The students then split into two groups and got to experience different workshops:

  • Careers in Makeup & Creative Arts

  • What does an art curator do?

  • Make New Things, Make New Pals.

  • Making Moves: Navigating the Dance Industry.

Rap Workshop

9th February 2026Leanne Johnston

On 21 January, we launched the National Year of Reading here at KEVI with an inspiring and high-energy creative writing event, as local rap artist Kay Greyson visited school to lead a workshop with selected Year 9 and Year 12 students.

Kay began the session by performing several of her own raps, immediately engaging students and showing how powerful words, rhythm and storytelling can be when combined. She then broke down the structure of an effective rap, focusing on rhythm, rhyme, repetition and, crucially, the importance of a clear theme. For this workshop, students explored the theme of “Belonging”, linking directly to our wider focus on reading, writing and identity across the curriculum.

Students worked together to brainstorm the different places and communities where people experience a sense of belonging. These included school, friendship groups, families, sports teams, fan communities and online spaces. Just as importantly, Kay encouraged students to think about moments when belonging is absent, and how writing can be used to express feelings of isolation, exclusion or searching for connection. This thoughtful discussion helped students see how language can be used creatively and emotionally to reflect real experiences.

Inspired by the discussion and Kay’s modelling, students then set pen to paper and produced some impressive original raps. The quality of ideas, vocabulary and confidence shown by students across both year groups was excellent, and it was a pleasure to see them experimenting with language in a new and meaningful way.

We are grateful to the Hexham Book Festival for their support in making this event possible. As the first event of the National Year of Reading at KEVI, the workshop perfectly demonstrated how reading, writing and spoken language can come together to give students a voice, build confidence and strengthen their sense of belonging.

Holocaust Memorial Day Workshop and Webinar

5th February 2026Leanne Johnston

On 27 January, as part of our programme of events marking the National Year of Reading, we commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day 2026 with a powerful literacy-focused workshop and live webinar delivered in partnership with the National Literacy Trust.

A selected group of Year 9 students gathered in the Library, where Mrs Whitaker from the History department, alongside Mrs Lewis, our Librarian, welcomed students and set the context for the session. Mrs Whitaker provided a sensitive and well-judged introduction to the Holocaust, encouraging students to think beyond dates and facts and to consider the human experiences behind the history. Students were asked to reflect on the fear, uncertainty and loss faced by individuals and families, and to begin thinking about how stories and testimony help us to understand the past more deeply.

Students then joined a live webinar led by award-winning author Tom Palmer, who interviewed Ruth Barnett, a Holocaust survivor who escaped Germany to England on the Kindertransport in 1939. Students listened with real focus as Ruth spoke about leaving her parents at just four years old, the confusion and fear of her journey, and the crucial support she received from her brother. Many students were visibly moved by her story and commented on how powerful it was to hear first-hand testimony.

Throughout the webinar, students paused to record their questions, thoughts and emotional responses. This reflective writing helped them to process what they were hearing and demonstrated the importance of reading, listening and writing in subjects across the curriculum, including History, English and Religious Studies.

The session concluded with a shared reading of Part III of Five Words, describing the journey by train from Germany and arrival in England. Reading together allowed students to connect personal testimony with literature, deepening both understanding and empathy.

We were extremely proud of the maturity, sensitivity and engagement shown by our Year 9 students, and grateful for the opportunity to mark Holocaust Memorial Day through meaningful reading, reflection and discussion.

Rural Careers Showcase

30th January 2026Leanne Johnston

We had a mix of Year 9, 10 and 11 students who attended a Rural Careers event hosted by Northumberland Young Farmers at Morpeth Rugby Club. The event introducted the broad range of opportunities available in the rural sector here in Northumberland and stressed the importance of transferrale skills.

Students also got the opportunity to discuss Further and Higher Education opportunities with represenatives from Northumberland Skills, Kirkley Hall and Newcastle University.

One student siad “I am so glad I came, I have a really clear idea of what I need to do now!”

It was a great networking opportunity with students able to dicuss work experience and part time work. It was fantastic to see an ex-KEVI student inspiring the next generation too.