Secondary Parents' Bulletin 17.10.25
- avantifields
- Oct 17
- 9 min read
Executive Principal's Half Term Reflection
The Autumn term for our secondary pupils is always one of the busiest — and this year has been no exception! It has been an eight-week half-term filled with learning, laughter and growth, and I am so proud of the kindness, resilience and camaraderie shown by our pupils throughout.
We were delighted to welcome our new cohort of Year 7 pupils, who have settled into secondary life wonderfully. Their parents also had the chance to meet form tutors and discuss how their children are adjusting — a valuable opportunity to build those early home–school connections.
Led by Ms Kholia, we hosted our annual start-of-year Parent Information Evenings for each year group. These sessions gave parents an overview of key events for the academic year, updates to our behaviour and anti-bullying policies, and insight into our ongoing commitment to high-quality teaching and learning.
Our Year 11 students have completed their first round of mock exams and will receive detailed feedback and targeted next steps after the holidays. Alongside this, they have begun attending their careers guidance interviews, which will continue into the next half-term as they prepare to submit their college applications before Christmas. To support this process, we also held our annual KS4 Careers Fair for Years 10 and 11 — a fantastic event that connected pupils with further education providers, apprenticeship routes, and a wide range of employers.
This half-term also saw a highly successful and well-attended Secondary Open Evening. We anticipate another year of oversubscribed applications — a testament to the excellent work of our staff and students. The event was a true team effort, and I would like to extend heartfelt thanks to our student helpers, teachers, admin team, premises and cleaning staff, and the Govinda’s catering team for making the evening such a success. Following this, we have been running a series of open morning tours, giving prospective families a glimpse of our vibrant school community before the secondary admissions deadline on 31st October 2025.
Beyond academics, we have continued to nurture our pupils’ character and spiritual development. Our Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh group successfully completed their expedition and are now ready to receive their Bronze Award — congratulations to them all!
This year’s Student Council has been elected and is already hard at work within three new sub-committees:
Eco Committee – “Nature’s Best Friend”
Spirituality Committee – “To Believe, To Engage, To Connect”
Diversity Committee – “Embrace Yourself, No Matter Who You Are”
Running alongside our yoga curriculum, we have introduced Sanga sessions for all secondary pupils. In small groups, students take time to reflect, connect, and explore some of life’s deeper questions — an enriching addition to our wellbeing programme.
We have also expanded our enrichment offer, introducing LAMDA sessions alongside our wide range of peripatetic music lessons and after-school clubs. Our pupils have also started competing in city-wide sporting fixtures, achieving some excellent early results — well done to all our teams!
Pupils have enjoyed a number of exciting educational trips already this term, including:
Year 11 Geography fieldwork
Year 11 Drama theatre trip
Year 10 CNAT Sport visit
Year 8 Black Country Museum trip
To round off the half-term, we celebrated Diwali with joy and colour. This year, our activities were supported by Avanti House Sixth Form pupils, who led sessions and beautifully modelled what spiritual leadership can look like.
Finally, we were privileged to host 10 wonderful nights of Navratri celebrations, organised and promoted by our fantastic PTFA. Thousands of members of our wider community joined us to dance, celebrate and connect in a safe and welcoming environment. With live music from BIJ Promotions, it was truly a memorable celebration — and we are humbled, as always, to serve as a joyful centre for our community. And a very big thank you to our PTFA for organising Diwali cupcakes for all of our pupils. I know they were enjoyed by all.
Wishing all our pupils, families, and staff a very happy Diwali and half-term break.
Warm regards
Miss V Bardsley
Head of Secondary's Message
As we reach the end of this first half term, I want to take a moment to thank all our parents and carers for your continued support and partnership. It has been a busy but rewarding start to the year, with a range of events including our parents’ information evenings, Meet the Tutor evening, and careers fairs. Your engagement in these opportunities makes such a positive difference to our students’ learning and sense of community.
On Thursday, we our school enjoyed celebrating Diwali Festival Day together. A special thank you to Ms K Patel for leading the planning and organisation of our Diwali festival day, and to Mr N Modha for creating the engaging tutor time activity, Mrs J Thornton for coordinating with Avanti House staff and students to support the delivery of the Diwali
Collective Worship, and Mr J Mockford for helping to arrange the beautiful decorations around the school.
As we head into the break, I would like to wish all our families a restful half term and a very happy Diwali. May the festival of lights bring peace, prosperity, and happiness to you and your loved ones.
Warm regards
Ms N Kholia
Calendar Updates
Monday 20th October – Friday 31st October: Half term break
Monday 3rd November: First day back - Autumn 2 [WEEK A of the school timetable]
WB Monday 3rd November: Start of Y7 & Y8 PIP1 assessments
Department / Students Updates
National Biology Spelling Bee
It was fantastic to see so many of our students take part in the National Biology Spelling Bee this week. The competition featured some truly challenging scientific terms, and our students rose to the occasion with enthusiasm and determination. Congratulations to all who took part, and a special well done to our finalists who will now go on to represent Avanti Fields in the regional round. We are so proud of you!
Y7 Nomit M
Y8 Hanaya K
Y9 Hasini V
Y10 Tasha C
Sports Fixtures update
Years 7/8 Girls Netball
A huge well done to the Year 7/8 Netball Team who made their debut with their first fixture this week. They played four games and although we came 4th out of 5 schools the girls showed a real determination and resilience to keep going and improve during their games. They experienced playing against different levels of ability and this gave them a real desire to keep attending netball club and improve their skills and game play. Well done to Aaria who scored our goals, Kavya who played out of position in defence as goalkeeper and found her strength and Hanaya who dominated the court with her centre position and received our player’s player vote.
Year 8 History Trip
Year 8 had a fantastic time on the trip to the Black Country Museum on Tuesday 14th October. The students went into the world of the Industrial Revolution and gained a real-world perspective of the time. They also had the opportunity to experience a Victorian School and visit the Mine. They even saw part of the set of the BBC show Peaky Blinders whilst on their visit. All students and staff had a wonderful time.
European Day of Languages
To celebrate European Day of Languages the Spanish department launched a poster competition with the theme “Languages Open Hearts and Minds.” We received many fantastic entries, all of which have been submitted to the Council of Europe for an international competition. In addition, students also had the opportunity to participate in a form time quiz and house competitions to test their cultural knowledge and celebrate the power of languages.
Art Project work by Year 7
Year 7 have been creating prints this week inspired by their William Morris Autumn Foliage project this term. There has been some lovely work, and we particularly wanted to share these 3 prints where students successfully managed to create a double layer print in 2 colours. Well done Year 7.
The Meaning of Diwali and Govardhan Puja
Diwali – The Festival of Lights
Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is one of the most important and widely celebrated festivals in India and among Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains around the world. The word Deepavali means “a row of lamps,” and the festival symbolises the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.
During Diwali, homes are decorated with diyas (oil lamps), candles, and colourful rangoli patterns. Families clean and decorate their houses, exchange gifts, and share sweets as a symbol of love and togetherness. Fireworks light up the sky to celebrate the joy of the occasion.
For Hindus, Diwali is often linked to the story of Lord Rama, who returned to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile and his victory over the demon king Ravana. The people of Ayodhya lit lamps to welcome him home, filling the city with light and happiness.Many also associate Diwali with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and pray for peace, success, and new beginnings in the year ahead.
For Sikhs, Diwali marks the release of the Sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji, and 52 princes from imprisonment in Gwalior Fort in 1619. The Golden Temple in Amritsar is illuminated with thousands of lamps, symbolising freedom, hope, and the triumph of justice.
For Jains, Diwali is a sacred day that commemorates Lord Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara, attaining moksha (spiritual liberation). It reminds followers of the importance of truth, non-violence, and inner peace.
Across these faiths, Diwali unites people in celebrating the power of light and goodness. It is a time to reflect on one’s actions, forgive others, and spread kindness and compassion. Beyond the lights and fireworks, Diwali teaches that the true light shines from within — through good deeds, love, and understanding.
Govardhan Puja – The Day After Diwali
The day after Diwali is celebrated as Govardhan Puja, also known as Annakut (meaning “mountain of food”). This festival commemorates an important story from the life of Lord Krishna.
According to Hindu scriptures, the people of Vrindavan once prepared a grand offering for Lord Indra, the god of rain, to thank him for the monsoon. However, Lord Krishna taught them that they should instead worship Govardhan Hill and the cows, which provided them with food, shelter, and nourishment.
Angered by this, Indra sent heavy rains to punish the villagers. To protect them, Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill with his little finger, providing shelter to all the people and animals until the rain stopped. This act showed that faith in God and caring for nature are greater than fear or blind rituals.
During Govardhan Puja, devotees build small models of Govardhan Hill using cow dung, clay, or food, and offer a variety of dishes to Krishna. The offerings represent gratitude for nature’s blessings and a reminder of humanity’s duty to care for the environment and all living beings.
PRE Department
Gujarati Lessons – Autumn Term 2
We are excited to announce that Gujarati lessons will commends after half term, starting on Monday 3rd November. Lessons will take place every Monday during term time.
🔹 Start Date: Monday 3rd November
🔹 Location: Maths Rooms
🔹 Cost for Autumn Term 2 : £24.00 per student (for 6 lessons)
🔹 Registration: Via Arbor
🔹 Sign-Up Window: Will open Monday 13th October at 5:00 PM until Friday 17th October 5:00 PM (Via Arbor Paid clubs)
The club is a paid activity for Autumn Term 2. Students will be assessed by the teacher at the beginning, and grouped according to their ability levels to ensure the best learning experience for all.
📌 Please ensure you register your child’s place via Arbor within above the sign-up window.
We look forward to a fun and engaging term of learning Gujarati!
Parents and Carers webinar
Please see link below the live parents and carers webinar for further information and registrations.
Expired Student Medications – End of Term Procedure
As part of our routine health and safety procedures, we will be reviewing and clearing all expired student medications stored in the school’s First Aid Office.
Please be advised that any expired medications will be safely discarded by the end of this term. Prior to disposal, email notifications regarding your child’s expired medication will be sent to you directly via Medical Tracker, in line with our standard procedures.
If you have any questions or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the School Medical Officer via email at medical.afl@avanti.org.uk.
Thank you for your continued cooperation.
PTFA Events
Dear Parents,
The PTFA wishes you all a Shubh Diwali and Nutan Varsh Abhinandan!
As part of the Diwali celebrations, the PTFA once again sponsored and arranged cupcakes for our pupils at Avanti Fields as a special festive treat. We hope the children enjoyed them!
We look forward to seeing you at the Hanuman Chalisa on 15th November.
Warm regards,
The PTFA Team
Hanuman Chalisa
Hanuman Chalisa – 15th November
This is a community event hosted by the PTFA, with prasad offered to all. Donations and sponsorships are always welcome to support the prasad.
Please register your interest here: Ticketsource – Avanti Fields PTFA
Maestros of Music Concert
Booking Details:
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