In keeping with our new Reward System, the following students have been given Headteacher Commendations for service to the school beyond that which might be expected:

(1) Nominated by Ms Wood-Thompson, Zara Martin in Year 11 embodies everything we wish to promote in student leadership. As our only female club rugby player in the school who also represents the county, she supports our Year 8 girls as a coach, preparing them for each game and sharing her expertise. She is an excellent role model and it is a pleasure to watch her work with our younger students in such a positive, professional way. 

(2) Matthew Hill is to be congratulated for his beautiful and brave rendition of The Last Post at our Remembrance Service on 10 November and commendations were received by all students who supported the Remembrance Service with the laying of wreaths, including:

Zak Whitmore, (7A1), Mark Djemal (7T1), Anabelle Locke (7T2), Abraham Day (7S1), Kundiso Marango (8A1), Henry Abrahams (8H1), Lydia Reeves (8S1), Maddie Wetton (8T1), Angelica Elton (9A2), Christopher Parker (9H1), Lilly-Rose Crawford (9S2), Success Omoregbe (10A1), Jake Evans (10T2), Toby Atkins (11A1), Owen Hockin (11A2), Alex Lack (11H1), Lewis Symeon (11H2), Andreas Zamba (11S1), Jack Gannon (12Y) and Libby-May Barnett (12X).

In light of parental feedback, we have made the following tweaks to our Consequences Chart. As such, please note the following:

We have removed C2 – ‘Repeated C1 behaviour’ and replaced it with 6 options. Colleagues will only choose one from the following:

0.1 Continued uniform infringement despite warning

0.2 Continued chewing gum despite warning

0.3 Repeated failure to have the correct equipment

0.4 Continued low-level disruption despite warning

0.5 Continued lack of effort/progress despite warning

0.6 Failure to complete Home Learning

We have removed C3 – ‘Repeated C2 behaviour’ and replaced it with 2 options. Again colleagues will only choose one from the following:

0.1 Continued disrupting of the learning of others despite warning

0.2 Continued inappropriate comments to peers despite warning

Finally, we have added in under C3 – ‘Unsafe behaviour’

 0.1 Found with peers in a toilet cubicle

Thank you for your ongoing support.

We are delighted to inform you that an Expression of Interest submitted to Balliol College, University of Oxford, to participate in the Balliol Young Changemaker Awards has been successful. 

Established by Bill Drayton, the founder and CEO of Ashoka (www.ashoka.org), who studied at Balliol College, the Balliol Young Changemaker Awards will support students with funding of up to £5,000 in putting into practice their ideas to benefit our school community, or young people in the wider community. Their idea should address a pressing practical problem that impacts on how students or young people in our wider community can achieve their potential or ambitions, and, it is hoped, will help shift mindsets and address challenges in society to establish something of value and achieve lasting social change. 

As such the school will be submitting entries focused upon two local projects: community work with the Broxbourne Nursing Home (about which there is further information in the article below) and a Primary School Reading Project whereby our Key Stage 5 students will be supporting students at our local primary schools to engage in active and discursive reading for pleasure.

Ms Adams, Subject Lead for Geography

Over the course of two days the Year 11 Geography students visited the London Docklands in order to gather data for their GCSE. 

The days began with a trip on the IFS Cable Car over the Thames to North Greenwich, followed by an UberBoat to Canary Wharf, ready to begin student data collection. 

The aim of the students’ investigation was to compare the impact of regeneration on quality of life at three different locations - Millwall Docks, Cubitt Town and Canary Wharf. At each location students completed a variety of fieldwork methods including questionnaires and environmental quality surveys. 

All students behaved impeccably and showcased the school in its best possible light. This was particularly evident when conducting questionnaires, with members of the public going out of their way to provide staff with feedback on the students’ courteous and respectful behaviour.  

Well done to the Year 11 Geographers, a true credit to themselves and our school!

As teachers, we aim to inspire our students to aim high and to work hard to fulfil their dreams. We often engage with young people who don’t yet have any idea of what their future may hold. Over the course of coming newsletters, we will introduce a number of former John Warner students whose hard work and commitment have taken them to unexpected places.

Ailsa, Susan and Peter were all educated at The John Warner School, and their stories are an inspiration to all current students who are, as yet, uncertain of which direction they want to take. Ailsa, who left John Warner circa 1985, became Press Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, and appeared on TV screens the world over when she, and another member of staff, had the privilege of posting the announcement of the birth of Prince George at the gates of Buckingham Palace in 2013. Later on, Ailsa became Director of Communication for the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

Susan left the school in 1988 having become Head Girl when she reached the Sixth Form. Susan now works on several TV quiz show, including The Chase, as an Independent Adjudicator.

Peter was an exceptionally talented Drama and Theatre student who is now working at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in central London, having previously worked at The National Theatre on the South Bank. Ms Dean-Arshardi remembers Peter as an outstanding actor who performed in shows such as Little Shop of Horrors (as the dentist!) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the John Warner stage. Peter lacked direction when he first left school, and didn’t go to university until he was in his early twenties; as such, we are all proud of what he – and others like him - have achieved. 

Also in keeping with the spirit of Christmas, 27 students will be supporting a local community project with the Broxbourne Nursing Home.  We all know how lonely some of the residents at the homes can be not seeing or hearing from anyone apart from those around them.  Our students will become pen pals initially with the hope of potentially visiting the home and the residents that they will have written to at a latter point in the year.