To celebrate the end of exams for our Year 11s, and to commemorate their secondary school years at King James, we organised an end of year barbeque.

Students in Years 9 and 10 have achieved the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award by logging hours volunteering, doing physical activities, developing a new skill and completing a two day expedition.

At King James we make a priority of rewarding our students for their hard work in meeting our Seven Standards. Last year, we launched our Class Charts Rewards Store as a trial with our Year 10 and 11 students.

Lewis Lumley-Young, Teaching Assistant at King James I Academy, has won the Bishop Auckland College Teaching Assistant Apprentice of the Year Award 2024.

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.