Subject Overview
Values champions
We are very lucky to teach such wonderful students at LAB - students who are thoughtful, articulate and eager to learn. This module, we would like to celebrate the following students for their consistent eager attitude for learning and for going above and beyond during each English lesson:
Year 7 - George G
Year 8 - Sriyaa P
Year 9 - Tate C
Year 10 - Aaishka N
Year 11 - Adam B
LAB16 Open Event
The English Department were thrilled to welcome prospective students to our Post-16 open evening this module. Studying the IB DP Literature will ensure students become inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. We do hope the event provided students with inspiration as to how their further studies of literature could look in the future.
Some of the LAB English Literature and Language department researching new texts for Post-16 IB English Literature.
A trip to see Romeo & Juliet
A number of students, with the highest number of merits, were invited to an awards trip to see Romeo & Juliet in the West End. The tickets were purchased with the Jack Petchey winnings of students in years 8, 9, 10 and 11. The trip was intended to be both entertaining and educational (as all students will be studying Romeo and Juliet at KS4). During English lessons at LAB, we always encourage students to critique literature from a number of theoretical lenses; in this case, Romeo & Juliet can be viewed through a feminist lens (from the perspective of Juliet). Students had a great time and many found themselves laughing at the use of word play and singing along during the performance.
In Conversation with Kamila Shamsie
The English Department at LAB are exclusive members of the Pearson Lit in Colour Programme. Lit in Colour is a programme launched by Penguin and The Runnymede Trust to explore how to increase UK students’ access to books by writers of colour and those from minority ethnic backgrounds, and ensure the teaching and learning of English Literature better reflects contemporary culture and society.
As part of this programme, teachers at LAB have access to exclusive content and conversations with writers, poets and playwrights. This module, we delved into the plot, themes and historical context of Kamila Shamsie’s novel, Home Fire. The host for this event was Sarah Shaffi - a freelance journalist and writer. In 2016, she became the first person of colour to edit an issue of The Bookseller magazine.
Home Fire is a contender for LAB English Department’s Post-16 provision and the event did not disappoint: It was fantastic - informative and interesting - and allowed the English department to gain deeper insight into Shamsie’s text.
A Christmas Carol Showings
All students will study Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. You may be interested in the various stage adaptations in London below:
Key Stage 3 - Year 7, 8 & 9
Students should begin revising for their end of module assessments. More information will be provided by the class teacher and will be published on Bromcom and Google Classroom
UKMT
In Maths club we have been getting ourselves ready for the UKMT challenge. We have been doing fun puzzles and activities in preparation for this. The dates of the UKMT are as follows:
Intermediate (Year 9 and Year 10): Wednesday 1st February 2023
Junior (Year 7 and Year 8): Wednesday 26th April 2023
This year is the first time we are taking part in the Count On us Challenge.
We will be competing in a tournament against other schools to be the best!
After Christmas, we will host our in school tournament to decide who will represent us. Watch out for the email to join in.
Sparx Maths
A big congratulations to the following students for getting the most independent learning XP over this whole term!!
3rd Position: Oliver P 7C (4100 XP)
2nd Position: Ivy S 8E (12500 XP)
1st Position: Zara L 9D (20400 XP)
Make sure to be in a chance of getting extra merits for amazing homework!!
It has been a very eventful and exciting term this year. We opened up the Science department doors to over 1000 applicants in year 6.
Not only that, on Thursday 24th of November we had our very first sixth form open evening. We saw many students registering their interest in science from both internal and external candidates.
During term time, we have delivered and successfully completed our first batch of key stage 3 assessments.
Year 7s were busy melting chocolate.
Year 8s had the pleasure of making electromagnets.
Year 9s, have partaken in evaluating the controversial debate on whether stem cells should be used for medical treatment.
Not only that, we are very pleased as a department to announce we have relaunched science club! Students have enjoyed indulging in a variety of practicals and learning outside of the curriculum. When visiting the clubs, students showed great interest in science and asked very inquisitive questions. Next term, we hope to see the club expanding even further with other members of the science team offering evenmore sessions across the three science disciplines
Day of Languages - 26th September
On the 26th of September, we celebrated the European Day of Languages. Students across all 3 colleges participated in a range of challenges from performing foreign tongue twisters and creating videos introducing themselves in 5 different languages, to following workout videos in French or Spanish online. In tutor time, students took part in a quiz, exploring a variety of interesting idioms from all over the world. 10D, 9C and 7C came out on top scoring 8/8.
Congratulations also go to Fawcett College for earning the most merits for European Day of Languages. A shout out to the students below who went above and beyond, uploading lots of evidence of the challenges they completed to celebrate our linguistic diversity.
Linara 7E
Emily N 7D
Rafael 7D
Yaseen 7A
Elena 8C
Samuel 8C
Hareesh 8C
Najiah 8A
Jennifer 8A
Leonardo 9A
Aniya 9A
Olivia 9B
Serkan 10A
Lexie 10D
Ms Morales was delighted to welcome a number of students from Year 7 to Spanish Club in Module 1. Students had the opportunity to explore a range of cultural activities all based around their own interests. Favourites included a virtual tour of Spain’s most popular cities and landmarks, as well as cooking Ms Morales signature Paella dish.
The students learned a variety of vocabulary for food and began to understand cooking instructions in advance of their session. Students learnt phrases such as “abrimos la lata” - we open the tin, “ahora revolvemos” - now we stir, and “listo para comer” - ready to eat.
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to experience an authentic Spanish dish, listening to flamenco music in the background. Some students were even kind enough to take some of the leftovers home to their families.
Next module
Next module, we will begin preparations for entry into The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators. The prize is inspired by the life and work of the great translator Anthea Bell. It aims to promote language learning across the UK and to inspire creativity in the classroom. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to see translation come to life.
Recommended Book
In lessons students will have the opportunity to explore the translation process through the study of poetry, fiction, and literary non-fiction in both French and Spanish. In April, teachers will select the best translations to be submitted to the Prize. Watch this space!
In November, a number of students at LAB took part in a Remembrance Day Ceremony to honour those who have served their country.
We were also able to hold a Remembrance Day Assembly for each college which focused upon the service given by non-combatants during times of war. Following shortly after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, we examined the role that she played as a young princess during the war. In 1940, as children were evacuated from major cities, Princess Elizabeth, then aged 14, made her first public speech to the children of the British Empire seeking to calm their worries. Later in the war, she would campaign for British people to ‘Dig for Victory’ and finally being the the first female member of the Royal family to be a member of the British Armed forces when she joined the army’s Auxiliary Territorial Service.
In addition to this, students were shown a much more modern example of people giving service to their community during a time of conflict. We examined the role that many non-combatants are playing in Ukraine, women and young people especially, as they move to newly liberated areas and work to clear debris for the remaining, often elderly residents.
In order to consolidate our work understanding of Remembrance, and of World War One, the Individuals and Societies department is taking eighty Year 9 students to France and Belgium in Module 3. This is the first of, what we hope will become, a regular trip to the Battlefields of World War One. The trip will involve visits to both Allied and German Cemeteries and to the Sounding of the Last Post, which is held daily at the Menin Gate in Ypres. For students already signed up for the trip, more details will shortly follow about the ever important ‘room-mates’ they will have and an exact itinerary - for students in Year 8, keep a look out for next years’ trip!
One of the most important 100-year-old inventions is insulin. On Jan. 11, 1922, Dr. Frederick Banting administered the first treatment of insulin for diabetes to a 14-year-old boy dying of diabetes. The insulin injection successfully lowered the boy’s blood sugar, cleared his urine of sugars, and removed other signs of the disease. Banting’s invention has since saved millions of lives.
People create and invent to improve the lives of people.
What will your contribution be?
What might you be remembered for in 100 years time?
Photo Credit: Juicebox Podcast
LAB geographers have had a fantastic start to the academic year. Year 7 students have had a whirlwind tour around the planet, from seed vaults in Svalbard to abandoned ancient cities high in the Andes. Year 8 students have been learning about our planet's many resources and the importance of a sustainable approach. Looking closer to home, our year 9 students have spent the last module looking at London, including the many challenges and opportunities this great city faces. Our year 10s have recently completed a unit on climate change and the destructive power of tropical storms. Finally our year 11s have completed their final mock exams and have recently been learning about the importance of sustainable food practices.
The geography department is currently busy planning field trips for Y9, Y10 and the future LAB16. The trips will be linked to the curriculum we will be studying in the first half of 2023 which are rivers and coasts.On the trips pupils will be carrying out fieldwork techniques such as beach profiles, river measurements including velocity and gradient and looking at the efficacy of hard and soft engineering strategies such as seawalls and beach nourishment. Students will then analyse whether the observed measurements match up with what we expect to see based on Geographical models such as the Bradshaw model.
A report from Patriks P. about his experience of Geography in Year 10 so far.
"In module 1 we learned about the development of Nigeria and what economies are like in LIC (low income countries). During module 2 we have been learning about the effects of tropical storms like typhoons, hurricanes and cyclones and we are now learning about climate change and what causes climate change. Overall Geography has been a fun learning experience and the lessons are always engaging."
The Royal Geographical Society has a wide range of resources to help aspiring geographers learn more about the planet we call home. The site has access to podcasts, articles, animations and film archives to help you with your studies.
In Religious Education this year, we had an amazing start by tackling some theological questions. Year 7 have researched and presented their findings on various beliefs of the Earth's origins. Year 8 have been engaging in some experiential learning, and explored what it means to live a Jewish life.
Year 9 explored and occasionally exchanged wedding vows when questioning religious and non religious views on marriage.
Year 10 have been reflecting on Christian beliefs and how they impact the lives of believers. Recently, some year 10s have even taken to singing about the 10 commandments as a way of remembering Christian beliefs about sinning.
Year 11 have been investigating crime and were able to ask a staff member who had experienced crime, why someone might forgive.
As we approach the end of Module 2, students will have an opportunity to discuss the newly released Census 2021 data and consider why secularism is on the rise in the UK and why we may be drifting further from the global theological way of thinking
Students will also have a special assembly that looks at Festivals of Light and what meaning they can impart for all of us, regardless of religion.
Business as usual…..
Business Studies has hit the ground running with over 40 students currently studying it. Students have been raving on about how much they enjoy the subject and how they have learnt so much already. Thus far, students have learnt about entrepreneurship, how new business ideas come about, market research and more. Recently, students sat their first end of module assessment with the average grade being a 6, for both classes - with 3 students attaining 38/43, a whopping 88% for their first assessment. Well done to them!
Outside of lessons, some students have recently visited the local Greenwich market to see the various businesses and how they operate, making links from what they have covered in lessons to the real world.
In more exciting news, the Business students are currently developing their business projects where they have to create their own business ideas that are creative, innovative and solves a problem. students will be pitching their ideas to Mr Walker at the end of December. The two groups that win, will be entered into the Peter Jones Tycoon in February 2023, competing against other young entrepreneurs for a chance to win thousands.
BIMA Digital Day
Our Pupils were given the opportunity to participate in Digital Day; a nationwide initiative with the world of tech held by BIMA. BIMA Digital Day gives 11-16 year olds an insight into a world of digital careers. Students competed in a sponsored, nationwide digital challenge linked with brands to solve real life problems.
The day was awesome, full of ideas, creativity, thinking and problem-solving.
Read about what some of our students have had to say about the day.
“Emperor employees showed us the career path that they took in order to get where they are which was very helpful in making my decisions on my own career and broadening my knowledge on careers, especially agencies. Overall, I quite enjoyed digital day seeing as I gained knowledge on how businesses and companies improve and expand as well as the role digital plays in it.” Velia - Year 10
“I really enjoyed the task they gave us because it helped develop my skills in meeting new people, communication, thinking and planning. I appreciated the chance that I got to experience working in the computer science industry for a day and felt that the Emperor did a great job on making the day fun, interesting and entertaining for everyone. At the end of the day I thought it was very nice that everyone shared their group solutions to see what we could have done or improved on.” Chloe - Year 9
“The overall BIMA experience was really enjoyable! During the event, I was able to meet a lot of new people who brought a number of amazing ideas to my project. The BIMA Staff (Stephanie, Josh, and Victoria) were really nice and helpful. In addition, the tasks that we did challenged me in a number of different ways and helped me develop as a Digital Leader. For our task, my team chose to do the Primark challenge which was to try and help Primark be more sustainable and come up with ideas for it. In the end, we came up with the idea of reusing old clothes and having them personally designed for the user. To conclude, the day was very exciting and I was able to get a view of the computing industry and how it worked.” Pratik - Year 9
The Hour of Code - Monday 5th December
The Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries.
Hour of Code is available year-round, but every year in December at LAB, our school joins millions of students around the world celebrating Computer Science Education Week with the Hour of Code. Pupils experience and complete activities in their subject areas related to Computer Science, whether they are in their science lesson, maths lesson or history; they participate in activities which show how Computer Science is related to that subject they are studying or the field they enjoy.
To find out more information you can visit: https://hourofcode.com/uk
Textiles News from Miss Carlin
I have been very pleased with the progress my students have made over the last two modules.
Year 7 have been looking at Well Being and Good Mental Health as their theme. They have made tote bags with a surface decoration to promote their well being and mental health. The students have learnt how to thread up a sewing machine and to stitch fabric on it safely and with accuracy.
Year 8 have looked at Biomimicry as their theme and have designed glasses using Biomimicry. They have transferred their designs onto 2D Design and their glasses will be laser cut in acrylic or plywood.
Year 9 have made a padded, protective case for their Chromebooks. They have made their cases to the theme of Pop Art and have learnt to tie dye fabric and layer with waddling and a lining to finish off the Chromebook case. Year 9 will add applique designs to their cases to link to the Pop Art theme.
I really hope we can all see students using the products later in the year!
Food & Nutrition
This year's food lessons so far have included learning a variety of cooking skills and food preparation and hygiene for Y7s. Year 8 students have developed a really great understanding of food provenance. Y9 classes have really worked hard and enjoyed developing their own restaurant style dishes from risotto to vegetarian bolognese.
Our new Food Preparation and Nutrition students in Y10 have been developing skills in food preparation and made some interesting dishes. With the highlight being the success of the wobbly Panna Cotta dessert. By creating this desert students have learnt about Dairy commodities and varieties of gelatin, plating up for the beef gelatin version was completed by Shamar.
Ten students from our GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition students visited Borough Market at London Bridge on 24th November. The smell of the food was enticing even from London Bridge Station where we were also amazed at the size of ‘The Shard’.
Trip to Trinty Laban
On Monday 5th December 2022 Trinity Laban’s 3rd year Musical Theatre course invited LAB students to watch a dress rehearsal of their upcoming show: Curtains at the spectacular Laban Theatre in Deptford.
As a Music Department, we decided to select 20 Y9 students who we feel display our values within Music and who have shown great enthusiasm and passion in our lessons.
It was an invaluable opportunity for our students to experience the dress rehearsal of a high quality performance production locally, performed by Trinity Laban’s 3rd year Musical Theatre degree students.
The show is by Kander & Ebb, creators of Chicago and Cabaret, and is a light-hearted musical murder mystery set in Boston, USA, in 1959.
The students were so well behaved and thoroughly enjoyed the show.
Year 7
During Module 1, Year 7 were introduced to some physical Drama techniques including Tableaux, Thought Tracking, Juxtaposition, Cross cutting and Marking the Moment.
We taught this by introducing students to the movie “Wonder”, many of whom were already familiar with. By the end of the Module, the students were able to create their own tableaux which told the story of Augie's first day at school. All of Year 7 impressed us with their ability to use physical drama skills such as facial expressions, posture and gestures to create vivid characters and clear storylines.
Year 8
Throughout Module 1, our Year 8 students were introduced to the world of advertising. They learnt about three different categories of adverts; Selling a product, Educational and Charitable. We focused on the vocal skills that are used in these adverts. For the final performance of the module students created their own advert which fell under one of the categories they had learnt about. Students created exceptional students, some of which were professional standard. Strong vocal skills were evident and some groups went above and beyond adding music and sound to enhance their performance!
Year 9
Last Module, Year 9 were introduced to the play by Mark Wheelers, “Hard to Swallow”. We looked at the play through a physical theatre lens, much like it is usually performed. Students
were able to use their knowledge of physical theatre skills and use them to create their own version of a scene from the play. They were given creative freedom in this performance which was a chance for them to express themselves. Most students were able to add in elements of physical theatre to their performance such as; movement in unison, movement in cannon, Gestures, Motif and Levels. The level of professionalism has been admirable, and we encourage our Year 9 students to keep this up!
Year 10 were given some newspapers to read through as their Stimulus for their GCSE Devising piece.
After workshopping some different ideas, the one that stood out to them was the Refugee crisis and they have started writing a play based on this for their devised performance -
Watch this space for their full performance in the summer!
BTEC Music students completed their first internal assessment. The students had to plan, organise and run a Music Concert. In class they have been working on developing a set list, creating promotional material and researching about what you need to do to create a concert.
GCSE Music students were there to support and perform pieces for their mock performance assessment.
Year 11 Drama students have been working hard on researching, planning, devising, performing and evaluating their devised play based on their chosen stimulus. The students had four image stimuli to choose from: Seven Deadly Sins, Dali’s “Persistence of Memory” , Munch's “The Scream '' and a school picture of Stephen Lawrence. Our talented GCSE Drama students gave six outstanding devised performances.
For the rest of this module students are now working on exam preparation (Blood Brothers and Life of Pi) and their performance monologues -:
Year 10 students have been working on their initial ideas for the composition element of the course (worth 30%) Students have started by creating a piece of music based on only using a single note and seeing how many different ways they can play around with the musical elements - Dynamics, Rhythms, Articulation.
They have also been working on ensemble skills( worth 15%) - here they are practising for their upcoming Winter Showcase performance.
This term we appointed 12 Art Ambassadors. They will be a huge help in promoting the Arts here at LAB
Year 8
Ava 8C
Elena 8C
Jen 8A
Harvey 8A
Femi 8A
Sergi 8C
Year 9
Millie 9A
Miles 9D
Olivia 9B
Ava 9A
Albira 9C
Bolu 9A
Year 7
Module 1: Prehistoric Art.
Students established their knowledge of mark-making. Students were asked to experiment with a range of drawing tools that they created themselves and worked on unusual surfaces (outside of their sketchbook).
Module 2: Realism Art.
The primary focus of this module was to teach them skills in observation and recording.
The formal elements of art (line and tone in particular) were explicitly taught through guided practice. Blind, continuous line and upside down drawing underpins the importance of observation.
Year 8
Module 1: Baroque Art.
Students built on and mastered their knowledge of tone in this module (building on tone taught through the Realism unit - Y7 M2). Colour pencil techniques were also introduced.
Module 2: Art Deco.
Students built on their knowledge of geometric shape and form. Painting techniques (watercolour) were introduced through guided practice.
Year 9
Module 1: Renaissance Art.
Drawing skills such as ‘blind’, ‘continuous line’ and observational drawing (initially taught in Y7 M2 and again in Y8 M5) were employed as a means to investigate anatomy during this module. Connections to the cultural changes significant to the Renaissance were made explicit by investigating the work of Leonardo da Vinci and prompting students to tap into retained knowledge from English (Y8). Students created a Monoprint, as a response to their GRASP task.
Module 2: Harlem Renaissance Art.
During this unit that we challenged students to create personal and meaningful outcomes. Firstly, students created a response to the period through collage (a technique used in Y7 M5/ Y8 M3). We then asked them to ‘make meaning’ in their outcomes through narrative (Y7 M1/Y8 M1).
Students created a Lino print (applying similar principles from printmaking in Y8 M4 and Y9 M1) as a response to their GRASP task
GCSE Fine Art
Year 10 have been continuing to develop their skills in response to the theme of Natural Forms. There has been lots of experimentation and exploration of resources. We are so excited to see how they resolve their concepts, next term.
Year 11 will begin their Externally Set Assignment in January!
Over Modules 1 & 2 our Year 10 GCSE Photography students have developed their knowledge and skills around how to control and manipulate a DSLR.
Their understanding of shutter speed, aperture and ISO (or the ‘Exposure Triangle’) is clear in their sensitive responses.
They have developed outcomes that not only demonstrate knowledge but more importantly - creativity!
We are very much looking forward to seeing them use this knowledge to develop a portfolio of work centred around the theme ‘Distortion’ over the coming months.
Enjoy!
Post-16 Open Evening
The PE Department were thrilled to welcome many familiar faces (and new ones) to our inaugural LAB16 Open Evening. Pupils who remain at LAB for post-16 studies within PE will have two pathways to consider: the IBDP Sports Science, and the IBCP BTEC Level 3 in Sports Coaching.
We hope that these courses have provided prospective pupils with inspiration as to how their further studies of PE and Sport could look in the future.
Our pupils have made a fantastic start to life in PE at LAB this year.
We would like to pay recognition to the following pupils, who consistently demonstrate the LAB Values within lessons and have regularly engaged with the sports clubs on offer.
Year 7
Valentina (7A)
Year 8
Margaret Kyrko (8B)
Year 9
Issy (9E)
Year 10
Ronnie (10A)
Year 11
Aliyah (11E)
Basketball
Basketball provision at LAB has never been stronger, and there have been victories for both the KS3 and KS4 basketball teams this module. Whether it be before school, during break time and lunch time, or at basketball club, many of our pupils have shown a desire to learn the fundamental skills required in order to be an effective member of a team. Before christmas, our KS3 and KS4 teams have London Youth Games tryouts, where there skills will be tested against strong opposition from across the borough. We wish them the best of luck.