Students in Year 10 who are interested in trade careers have visited Bishop Auckland College to take part in taster sessions.

As part of our extensive Careers Advice and Guidance programme, Year 10 students have been taking part in a variety of hour-long talks delivered by professional speakers from different industry sectors.

As a result of the cost-of-living crisis, we have teamed up with the Local Authority Financial Inclusion Support Officer (FISO) Programme to offer support and advice to our local community.

We have an extensive Primary Outreach programme at King James with sessions that give youngsters from local primary schools the opportunity to develop new skills by trying something a little different. This year, we have introduced an exciting new session in film production with our Media Studies Department.

This year at King James, we invested in the ePlatform app, a dedicated eBook lending app which allows our students to read eBooks anywhere, any time and on multiple devices, including their school Chromebook. Now, as requested by both parents and students, we have expanded our subscription to include a wide range of audio books.

Throughout the year at King James, we organise a variety of special events to raise awareness about mental health and wellbeing. This week we have been supporting the Mental Health Foundation’s annual Mental Health Awareness Week 2024.

Disney Lorcana by Ravensburger is new trading card game for all ages. Ravensburger publishing company are looking to introduce Lorcana clubs to schools across the UK and thanks to an appeal by Stockton-based store and gaming centre, Beanie Games, for schools to join a pilot programme, we are pleased to be one of the first schools in the North East to test out the products at our after-school Games Club.

The best schools and teachers across the country have been shortlisted in this year’s Tes Schools Awards. The Awards, which have been dubbed the ‘Oscars of education’, is a prestigious awards programme which celebrates the best of education across the UK. It has now been revealed that King James I Academy has been shortlisted in the category of Staff Wellbeing School of the year.

This academic year, we opened a lunchtime Reward Store where students in Key Stage 4 could spend their hard earned Class Charts points on rewards of their choice. The initiative has proved to be even more popular than expected.

Students are making excellent use of our newly-installed basketball hoop before school, at breaks and at lunchtime.