Secondary
Academies
The Leigh Academy
Year 9 IB Community Project at The Leigh Academy
This module at The Leigh Academy, we have been involved in many community projects, both at home and abroad. Our students and staff have shown their caring nature through these projects and how well the IB learning attribute has been embedded within our community.
Year 9 students have been working in groups to plan how to help the local community. Paige, Ruby and Alexandru delivered care packages to Darent Valley Hospital and even had a thank you from a patient on the Dartford Facebook page whose husband had received a goody bag, with a gift and card that had brightened up his day.
Two Year 9 form groups modelled the true meaning of sportsmanship, collaboration and team synergy, as all members of the two groups actively participated in planning and participating in a friendly football match between the two classes with the goal of promoting physical fitness through sports.
Ben, Lily and Jadeena in Year 9 collected items for the local food bank at St Edmund's Church. Local vicar, Mandy Young said: ‘We are so grateful - you have been brilliant at helping us stock up and stay stocked, but the need is huge. It does me such good to see children working so hard and so well for other families and kids who don't have much at all.’
Students have shown great kindness as well as developing their organisational skills through these IB Community Projects
Ukraine Appeal at The Leigh Academy
Our Leigh family has shown great community spirit and compassion once again. We launched an appeal for donations that would form part of the Kent Association of Headteachers Humanitarian Appeal to those affected by the terrible events in Eastern Europe.
We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our students, staff and families as the donations have poured in. This first push was for nappies, baby bottles and milk as well as thermal clothing, blankets and first aid kits as the items most needed to support those whose lives have been changed beyond measure in the last few weeks.
At first, we were planning on taking a car or two to the delivery point, but just one week into the appeal we filled two minibuses! On route to Folkestone our minibus drivers stopped at Wilmington Academy, which has been acting as a local collection hub and we were able to fill the minibuses to bursting with the huge number of contributions.
Our drivers Mike and Mark, then drove onto the collection point and were touched by the large number of volunteers who were there unloading the school minibuses from all around Kent, onto the Ukrainian HGV lorries.
Students at The Leigh Academy have also been writing messages of support and love to go with the life saving donations. We have all been touched by this humanitarian crisis and we are truly grateful for the support that has been given that will make a huge difference to people’s lives.
We are still collecting donations, so please do check out the latest list of requested items on our The Leigh Academy Facebook page or our website.
Thank you to all involved and all who have contributed to making a difference.
Longfield Academy
World Book Week
This year Longfield Academy celebrated World Book Day in a different way! We had the usual staff dress up.
However, the main celebration of the day was getting tutor groups to decorate their door from various books. All that joined in had a fabulous time and worked as a team to decorate.
They made an excellent job in transforming our doors!
National Cheerleading Championships in America
Congratulations to Avah and Tilly’s cheerleading team for coming 1st place in the National Cheerleading Championships.
Ukraine Donations
We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of parents and members of the public in regards to Ukrainian aid. We have had so many donations from children’s nappies, food and toys, to clothing, bedding, medicines and so much more.
Motivational Speaker and Workshops
Ahead of the Year 9 option process, we hosted Paul Hughes, a motivational speaker, to talk to our Year 9 students about the importance of learning another language, his experiences as a former Royal Air Force Air-crewman, and how being able to speak in other languages potentially saved his life. The event was very well received by students and staff.
We were also privileged to host an arts careers day and a musical workshop to help our students learn more about opportunities available to them when they choose the arts subjects.
Our potential medical students in Year 12 also had the opportunity to interact with a medical student at the University of Oxford to help them understand, from a student perspective, the processes involved in getting into a top university to study medicine.
We look forward to providing more opportunities to our students in the next modules to help them explore their interests, and future career and academic pathways.
Late Buses
It has been a concern for us that our students are often unable to participate in the exciting after school clubs and revision activities that we offer due to the unavailability of buses. This limitation has impacted our students as they have not always been able to get the support they need or engage in the exciting after school activities that could have a positive impact on their mental wellbeing.
I am pleased to confirm that we now have a late bus service to help alleviate these concerns. The bus will leave the school at 4.40pm each day apart from Wednesdays when it will leave at 3.20pm. This is a huge investment from the school and is at no cost to our families. We hope therefore that we can maximise this opportunity and encourage our students to engage in those activities after school that will put them in good stead to ‘Achieve Beyond Expectations’.
MYP Community Project
This term the Year 9s have been working on the MYP community project in the Design Technology department where students have been working in our onsite Bistro and the professional kitchen by creating and hosting a tea party for our feeder primary schools and younger year groups. Students spent time before the event researching types of service and trialled dishes. Students arranged the seating, set the tables, and hosted the party. They learned valuable skills in batch cooking, working to time scales, working as a team, working in a professional environment and communication skills.
Younger year groups were delighted by the treat and they felt they would be more confident interacting with the Year 9 students in the future. Many students from the event had never had a tea party before. Many students had not had many or any social interactions like this since before the pandemic. Students used and built on all their ATL skills for planning and hosting this event. Both the hosts and guests found this experience very rewarding and it brought joy to all involved. It brought the Longfield community together and gave both parties a rewarding experience. It made Year 9 students think about pursuing a career in the catering industry and related GCSE options, and gave them work experience working in the catering industry
Comments from staff:
‘I was really impressed with how conscientious the students were and how seriously they took their roles. The Y8 students really enjoyed their experience of dining in the Telescope and this can only help build a stronger relationship between our students and the Telescope for future.’
‘The large variety of cakes were served in a very professional manner.’
‘The invite was very thoughtful and gave a lot of excitement to the students as most of them had not attended a tea party before. The variety of snacks provided was very generous and the ambience of the environment was relaxed and welcoming. The students on service presented very well and politely offered to refill our cups and plates at regular intervals. We did not leave without a round of applause and a speech of appreciation from one of the Year 7 students. I thought it was amazing and the students thought so too and we all requested another tea party!’
Comments from students:
‘The shortbread was banging!’ - Connor
‘The shortbread was the best that I've tasted!’ - Evie
‘The service was good!’ - Lola
‘I especially liked the three girls who kept us company.’ - TT
‘I doubt I’ll need lunch!’ - Jim
‘The scones were nice.’ - Matthew
‘I ate two of the chocolate Victoria sponge cakes!’! - Marcus
‘Thanks for everything! FIVE STARS!!!’ - Paige
Wilmington Academy
World Book Week
This year at Wilmington Academy, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of World Book Day with a theme of 'Reading Around the World’ which relates to our status as an IB world School. Tutor groups from across the school (including the post-16 students) competed in a week-long event consisting of 15 challenges that linked to various subjects and IB learner profiles. The winning forms were rewarded with the following: pizza, doughnut and cookie parties. On World Book Day our students embraced the opportunity to dress up as literary characters from their favourite books. Staff joined the WBD dress-up as well which resulted in a vibrant, exciting and buzzing atmosphere at Wilmington! A selection of Key Stage 3 students were thrilled to be part of the unique experience of participating in a creative writing workshop with Nikki Sheehan, author of Goodnight Boy.
International School Award
Wilmington Academy submitted our International School Award action plan to the British Council in November, and were delighted to receive confirmation that our proposals met the criteria and were approved. As part of the feedback received the assessor wrote ‘Thank you, Wilmington Academy for your Action Plan. It is clear that your curriculum provides a very holistic cross-curricular global approach; it is no doubt that this strongly influences the ethos of the school’. We are very proud of the international dimension that is evident throughout our curriculum.
The seven projects, required for full accreditation, have been carefully planned for or implemented as appropriate. This includes the collaborative work with Rosa Chacel School in Madrid. Presentations for the ‘Lifestyles’ project have already been created and some exchange has taken place for feedback purposes. The ‘Identity’ and ‘Sustainability’ projects are ongoing and the exchange of information will take place during Module 5.
Duke of Edinburgh
On Saturday 5th March, our current Year 9 students started their Duke Of Edinburgh Bronze Award journey. To complete DofE, students have to complete four sections: a physical, a skill, volunteering and an expedition section. The students began their expedition and thoroughly enjoyed their practice day, and were fully engaged in improving their skill set ready for the expeditions they have ahead. They participated excellently in all tasks that they were challenged in. They developed skills to enable them to be prepared for when they embark on their overnight expedition such as how to cook, how to administer first aid, as well as how to read a map. The highlight for many students was probably trying on their rucksacks which are the same size as some of the students!
All students involved were an absolute credit to the academy with the Duke Of Edinburgh staff commenting on how polite and respectful our students are. We have had a fantastic start to the Duke of Edinburgh Award and as a school we are extremely excited for the students to continue with their journey and watch them achieve their well deserved award in the summer!
Ukraine Support
Wilmington Academy is delighted to play a central role in the coordination of a community effort to send much needed supplies to refugees displaced by the conflict.
The academy is acting as a ‘hub’ for the local area which aims to collect supplies and resources to send to Ukrainian refugees that have crossed the border into Poland. We are working in partnership with other local schools to send out a 40ft container and a number of HGVs. The appeal focuses on collecting essential items such as baby formula, baby food, nappies, sleeping bags, first aid kits, soft toys and medication suitable for children.
As an IB World School, it is so important that our community has used this opportunity to demonstrate the IB Learner Profile in action, to be caring and principled by making a practical difference to help improve the lives of others in different parts of the world in the most challenging of circumstances.
The Leigh UTC
International Mother Language Day
The German Ambassadors marked this year’s ‘International Mother Language Day’ with a celebratory quiz! Each tutor group sent a candidate to represent their class and participate in the quiz, which was hosted by our wonderful Language Ambassadors, and the students’ knowledge was put to the test with a variety of questions about different countries and their cultures. It was a brilliant way to raise awareness and celebrate the different languages and cultures that we, as the Leigh UTC community, share.
Many congratulations to the students who won the quiz, and were awarded the prize!
Heritage Club
In Module 4 our Year 7/8 Heritage Language students have been learning about the topic of food in their mother tongue. The students had the opportunity to make a three course Polish meal in their Heritage Language club after school. They wrote the recipe and all the instructions in Polish, brought in their own ingredients and cooked the dish independently.
#Be@TheLeighUTC #polishfood
Eco Club
The Leigh UTC has launched its very first eco club, led by Mrs Karande. Once we open the gates to our new field, we will be planting our very own eco garden to help sustain the local wildlife and allow for deeper knowledge and skill building.
This module, the Eco Ambassadors have been busy planning and planting for the eco garden. They are going to be selling some of the plants that we have been growing to raise money on Red Nose Day for charity.
They have also been busy surveying the area so that they can test the effect that the eco garden will have on local wildlife. As part of this, they took part in the RSPB's Big Birdwatch and each of the ambassadors received a certificate for volunteering their time to do this. We are very proud of these forward thinking students and are looking forward to the growth of our club alongside our eco garden!
Mascalls Academy
Since the start of the new year, Mascalls has welcomed the return to normal, rapidly reintroducing trips, assemblies and other opportunities to support the outstanding curriculum work and provide students with opportunities that have been sorely missed over the last few years.
A Christmas Carol
At the start of 2022, Year 10 students visited The Old Vic theatre in London, under Covid restrictions, to see A Christmas Carol as part of their GCSE course. Students were impeccably behaved and adhered to all the Covid rules the theatre asked for. Some students even engaged in conversations with the actors before the show showing maturity and ability to show the best versions of themselves. The show really aided their experience of English Literature and their understanding of an exam text whilst holding on to that Christmas spirit, even if only for one more day!
Trip to the National Archives
History students in Years 12 and 13 enjoyed an opportunity to visit the National Archives in a trip led by Dr Pollack and Mr Neve. On arrival, students were able to admire a replica ‘Cabinet Table’ at which government ministers sit, together with documents relating to the Prime Ministers that form a key part of their studies of Britain between 1906 and 1957. There was much excitement in the archives around the publication of the 1921 census, and Mr Neve and several students had a go at tracking down ancestors! By far the highlight of the trip was a workshop on female suffrage between 1906 and 1914. Students used a range of documents including detailed police records, newspapers, and magazines to study the campaign for women’s votes through the government’s eyes. The results were sometimes moving and surprising, and it was incredible to see how suffragettes communicated in code and the treatment to which they were subjected. As a final bonus, the students were able to handle Tudor documents from the reign of Mary I. Several students commented that the past was brought to life vividly through their reading of the precious documents, and it was a brilliant occasion to deepen both their engagement with sources and their understanding of the time period.
The Return of the Ski Trip
Both students and staff had a fantastic time away in Crans-Montana, Switzerland over the half term break on the Ski Trip, the first for three years. For most this was the first time away from their families for three years without even considering it was the first time abroad in that long. The students conducted themselves marvellously and it has been so nice to continue to return to normal and provide such fantastic opportunities. A special thanks goes to all the staff members who supervised the trip.
The Police Sniffer Dog
As part of our ongoing commitment to safeguarding our students and to be able to say confidently we are a drugs free site we frequently welcome (unannounced) detection dogs from K9 deployment. Last term we were joined by Chester, Ted and their handler. For the day, Chester and Ted were able to freely roam the entire site with Mrs Brooks and their handler, visit classrooms and at break times see every year group and class in the academy. As part of our ongoing educational plan in PSHE we spoke to students about the consequences of drug use and the ease of detection with such impressively trained animals. It was a fantastic experience with no indications of any issues on our site, and most pleasing were the reactions of the students and their engagement in how we keep them safe. So many students interacted with the dog handler and were polite enough to ask permission to stroke Chester and Ted in addition to asking really insightful questions. Many as a result may well be inspired to pursue a career in the police force or canine handling, and we wish them the best of luck in doing so.
Another Sports Leader Event
This term, again, we were able to support a number of local primary schools hosting an indoor athletic competition under the expert guidance of Mr Beck who is turning out amazing leaders at an incredible rate! Mascalls received the following email about our students during this event:
'Hello, I am just emailing regarding the sports event that took place this morning at Tonbridge Angel Centre which my daughter and her school was involved in. I would just like to send across my thoughts. I was once a pupil at Mascalls Academy a long time ago now, and took part in an event like this when I was there so I understand how much goes into an event with so many children and I would just like to say how amazingly they did. They were organised and professional; the staff and pupils were all fantastic with the children. Mascalls Academy, still to this day seems excellent so I congratulate you all and I hope that my children will be interested in joining in the future.'
Needless to say we are incredibly proud of all of them, a huge well done to Mr Beck and those students involved.
Howard Kerr, Business Leader Visits Us
Last term the high-performance academy hosted a visit from business leader Howard Kerr. In a candid talk, Howard told his life journey from a modest, hard-working background to the world of business. For Howard, the big push came when his school headmaster encouraged him to apply to Oxford. He was the first in his family to go to university. After Oxford, Howard admitted he did not have a 'master plan' for business: in turn, he worked in shipping, gas, and most recently the field of standards and regulation. What he pointed out consistently is that his success - which resulted in him becoming a CEO - relied on getting to know people, on his own reputation, and on crystal-clear and honest communication. Howard wanted students to take away that job offers and opportunities can often come in surprising ways, and it's important to recognise them and seize them when they come.
Students were able to ask Howard lots of questions about working hours and the experience of failure (including Howard getting fired!). In the end, one of the key messages to students was that businesses come in all shapes and sizes, and that some of our students will certainly go on to create and be a part of impressive businesses. Howard's final tips were: prioritise languages and digital skills. These are 'enabling' skills that will make you stand out in the workplace and ensure that businesses are desperate to have you. Another 'enabling' skill according to Howard: work experience. Whether you're volunteering or getting paid, some practical insight into the world of work will always make you stand out as a candidate. We thank Howard for his visit and look forward to future events from distinguished speakers!
Ebbsfleet Academy
‘This Must Be the Place’
Local arts organisation Cement Fields, are working with the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation on a project funded by Arts Council England, called ‘This Must Be the Place’. It aims to actively involve local young people in the development of Ebbsfleet Garden City and the Ebbsfleet Academy have been selected as one of the key schools to work within this programme.
The programme started with a field trip to the Alkerden park site and will also include a series of creative art & design workshops and sessions where students will be able to work on specific designs for the Ebbsfleet Garden City.
The overall aim of the project is to create a long-term link between local young people and the area developers, to provide a sense of ownership and pride over the future Ebbsfleet City.
21 Year 9 students who had been selected to participate heard all about the design programme for the rest of the garden city site from the Head of Design at the Ebbsfleet Design Corporation and a landscape architect working with the EDC. They then saw all of the planning in action on the site visit, on which they took photos to capture the most exciting elements of the development and surroundings. These photos will form part of an exhibition to be held in May at Castle Hill Community Centre.
Growth of Women’s Football at Ebbsfleet Academy
It is no secret that Gurjit Kaur Shergill, our Principal, is a keen sportswoman and football is one of her passions. She says: 'For me football is universal. Football is passion, football is life.'
The PE Department is working hard to encourage more female students to increase their physical activity and become more involved in sports. We are part of the movement to achieve the vision to ensure every girl has equal access to football in school by 2024 and we have made a pledge to grow girls’ football.
One of our first actions was to secure additional funding to enable us to bring in AW Coaching who are providing us with top class coaches, and delivering training to our students each week. Through this activity, we are delighted that our girls’ football team is growing, it quadrupled in one week!
We are also delighted that two of our Year 12 students, Abbie and Amy, have completed their FA Level 1 coaching qualifications. Both students are working hard to be accepted at university to study to become PE Teachers.
Ebbsfleet Academy has also been picked to join a project led by Charlton Athletic Football Club. Our Year 10 BTEC students will experience three 2-hour sessions introducing young people to the many and varied career opportunities in sport with a football background.
Careers Event
This term we were delighted to host the Apprenticeships in the Built Environment Careers event. Ebbsfleet Academy opened its doors to a number of exhibitors and guests to promote the opportunities for apprenticeships within the building and construction industry. Students had the chance to talk with potential employers and training providers and explore future career paths.
Visit from Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Mayor, Councillor Lesley Howes
Ebbsfleet Academy welcomed the Town Mayor, Lesley Howes, this term. Lesley sat down with some of our students to introduce how the Council worked. The group discussed the council's environmental activities and their view on the planning application for the proposed theme park. They also discussed how the council chose to spend their money. Our three Head Student candidates also got to ask Lesley for her top campaigning tips. We are looking forward to welcoming Lesley and some of her colleagues back to speak to our citizenship classes.
Head Student Elections
We are delighted to have appointed our new Head Students this term. Student Leadership is at the heart of successful schools, and in order to make student leadership effective, students need to buy into the idea and believe that the Head Students represent them. For this reason, we held a full election campaign for the position of Head Student.
A tight run election campaign, which saw candidates presenting in assemblies, sharing their manifestos and speaking to students to canvas for votes, culminated in an election with all students and staff given the opportunity to vote.
Congratulations to Nicole who was elected as Head Student, with Ana and Angel elected as Deputy Head Students. We look forward to working with our new student leadership team.
Kin-ball
Miss Hartley and Miss Macneil attended Kin-ball training this term for a brand new and international sport to be implemented through the MYP IB. The PE department is excited to teach and implement this with our new Year 7s from September 2022.
Hayesbrook Academy
CCF
Hayesbrook Academy Combined Cadet Force teaches our boys to take control of situations; how to think on their feet; understand how effective team work is and how a team should be led. The boys will be joining The Tonbridge School CCF force for their annual parade on Wednesday 16th March. This will be attended by parents, members of the public and staff. We are extremely excited and proud that the boys have been given the opportunity to participate in this event.
Another exciting piece of news for the cadets at Hayesbrook Academy is that they have recently had their gun cabinet installed with air rifles due to arrive soon! The boys have practised their weapon handling previously in all weather conditions which obviously did not faze them at all!
Talking of weapon handling, future excursions include a Contingent Range Day where the CCF will enjoy a day of activities and participate in an array of outdoor activities and tasks including target shooting!
We look forward to finding out who the top shot of the day is.
Maths Feast
On Friday 4th March, Hayesbrook hosted a ‘Maths Feast’ for the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP). Hayesbrook entered two teams from Year 10 composed of Alex, Ben, Aaron, David, Isaac, Oliver, Liam and Archie.
The competition totalled five schools from across Kent to challenge Year 10 mathematicians in a number of rounds. Hayesbrook took an early win, securing the most points in round one which looked at some high level mathematics without the aid of any words! The boys had a fantastic time, working on some problems they had never seen before. In all, the event was a success and we are looking forward to hosting another Maths Feast next year so watch this space to enter your teams!
‘I enjoyed having to think outside of the box for the first round. We had to be very creative to help work out what the question was asking us to do.’ - Hayesbrook student
‘It was great to see students collaborating as a team and getting excited about maths. The staff and students I spoke to from the other schools were really positive about the event.’ - Alison Jolliffe, LAT Curriculum Advisor for Maths
Chromebooks
We are incredibly excited to announce that the Chromebooks for our students in Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 have arrived and we are busy distributing them to the students. Year 7 and Year 12 have been the first two year groups to receive the devices and the following dates are important for families to be aware of:
Year 8: Wednesday 16th March
Year 9: Wednesday 23rd March
Year 10: Wednesday 30th March
When the pupils receive their Chromebooks it is important that families know that the students must bring them to the academy every day and also be fully charged. We thank families for their support with this as staff and pupils will want to use them every lesson as an important tool to help deliver even better learning experiences. Whilst they will not replace exercise books they are excellent for developing digital literacy and proficiency. Year 12 Geography A Level pupils have been busy creating case study Ebooks on the Sagarmatha National Park for their Glaciation module. These were created using Book Creator and we think they look fantastic.
Safer Internet Day 2022
It was Safer Internet Week rather than Day at the beginning of February. Students and families were encouraged to give up social media for the day. Mr Reader encouraged some digital reflection during assemblies. Students were able to listen to the dial up tone from 1994 and also to learn how far the internet has developed since it first appeared. Students reflected on their enjoyment of online gaming and how we can sometimes become different people in the digital world compared to the physical world. The students also learned about the heart breaking story of Brek Bednar who was murdered after he was groomed on the internet in February 2014. Mr Reader said, ‘online safety is really important and our students have regular exposure to opportunities to reflect on their responsibilities.’ Families may be interested in our online safety microsite and our digital wellbeing microsite that includes a survey that pupils can complete.
Finally, we also have a worry button on our pupil online safety page. This is a space for the students to report anything that is worrying them either online or in the physical world.
High Weald Academy
Lambing at High Weald Academy
All of our Year 7 students at High Weald Academy have been taking part in a lambing programme this spring, which has involved them learning how to prepare the pens, ensuring that the area surrounding the ewes is made safe and monitoring their pregnancy prior to the birth of our recent lambs.
We have been excited to welcome eleven so far, which include two sets of twins and triplets!
Mr Cooper (High Weald Farm Manager) has shown the students how to mark each lamb, protect them from any early danger to their health, weigh them and plan for their future when grazing out in our surrounding fields.
The pupils have learnt a wide variety of life lessons and life skills through visiting the farm plus they now understand more about the real time demands of managing a farm and the challenges and indeed joys this can bring to and for Mr Cooper. For example, students have seen that the lambs come into the world across all days and hours of the week and Mr Cooper is always on duty supporting the birth event! Pupils and staff are very grateful to Mr Cooper for accommodating us during one of his busiest times of the farming year.
It has been an exciting time preparing to dress appropriately/health and safety wise for the work on the farm, attend training and be permitted to hold and care for these tiny animals as they come into our care.
We are most proud of our students at High Weald Academy and look forward to their continued progress as they move forward with their new venture in the world of farming!
Stationers' Crown Woods Academy
Greenwich Theatre Performance
Recently, SCWA students received the amazing opportunity to perform As You Like It, the Shakespeare comedy where Rosalind and her cousin escape into the forest and find Orlando, Rosalind's love. Disguised as a boy shepherd, Rosalind has Orlando woo her under the guise of "curing" him of his love for Rosalind. Rosalind reveals she is a girl and marries Orlando during a group wedding at the end of the play.
The performance took place at Greenwich Theatre, one of London’s premiere Off-West End theatres, presenting a year-round programme of drama, music theatre, family shows and pantomime. The theatre is one of the country’s leading supporters of young and emerging theatre companies, regularly providing a launch pad for new work which subsequently transfers around the country, into the West End and around the world.
The production was a massive success, leaving the audience at Greenwich Theatre wanting more. The performances of the Years 7-11 cast and crew, brought to life As You Like It with passion, style and panache after just 7 weeks of rehearsals. The performance truly was testament to the students’ and academy's continued commitment to the arts and to our engagement in opportunities that help improve cultural capital and student achievement. A special thank you to Mr Warburton and Ms Asobie for their creative direction and hard work, but most importantly, our student cast and crew.
'I have always wanted, since I was about 3, to be able to perform on a real stage. Now I have and I love it!' - Connor, Year 7
'The use of physical theatre, ensemble work and in-depth understanding of Shakespearean language helped make this a wonderful interpretation of this play.' - Shakespeare Schools Festival Director
'I just love to see not only the production, but the joy and excitement on the students' faces having just performed - a true privilege and blessing. It was just wonderful to see students 'treading the boards' again - long may it continue!' - Mr Warburton
Cast and Crew
Directed by: Mr A Warburton and Ms A Asobie
Duke Senior: Joshua, Year 9
Rosalind: Anna, Year 10
Jaques: Sophie, Year 7
Duke Frederick: George, Year 9
Celia & Amiens: Rebecca, Year 8
Le Beau: Layla, Year 8
Charles: Connor, Year 7
Oliver & Touchstone: Alfie, Year 11
Orlando: Samuel, Year 11
Adam: Erik, Year 8
Corin: Natalia, Year 8
Silvus: Maia, Year 7
Phoebe: Luna, Year 7
Audrey: Rhia, Year 7
Second Lord: Ademola, Year 9
Lighting: George, Year 8
Lighting: Sam, Year 9
Costume: Summer, Year 8
Marketing: Ayla, 7SDO
Sound: Henry, Year 9
Special thanks: Ms Walton
We look forward to being a part of the festival next year.
The performance truly was testament to the students’ and academy's continued commitment to the arts and to our engagement in opportunities that help improve cultural capital and student achievement.
Leigh Academy Blackheath
High Class Drama Workshops at LAB!
On Tuesday 18th January, Leigh Academy Blackheath was fortunate enough to invite Martin Robinson, author of Trivium 21c: Preparing Young People for the Future with Lessons from the Past, to visit. Martin is one of the foremost educationalists and drama teachers in the UK today.
In his writing, he argues that current debates in education can be transcended if placed in the broader historical context of the Trivium: an approach to education championed by the Ancient Greeks, where Grammar (the powerful knowledge required to be an expert in a subject), Dialectic (the skill of engaging critically with said knowledge) and Rhetoric (the ability to articulate one’s ideas skillfully, both verbally and in writing) are all recognised to be of equal value. We were extremely grateful to invite Martin to deliver a 2 hour workshop on devised script-writing to all of our Year 10 drama students. It was a unique experience, about which Quinn and Areebah were kind enough to write about below:
‘Last week, Mr Robinson visited our school to give the Year 10 drama students a workshop, primarily focused around movement, expression and focus. At first, it felt odd doing the exercises, following our hand around the room, changing our levels and direction in fluid movements; it was not until we were partnered up, however, that we realised what skills we were building. Everyone found they could suddenly - with little practice - construct and perform a fluid, storytelling piece in sync with their partner. Overall, I found this workshop very engaging and helpful as it progressed our skills in the field of devising a piece, something we will be tested on in our GCSE examination.’ - Quinn, Year 10
‘In this drama workshop we were focusing on the topic of devised pieces. At first we were instructed to do whatever the visitor told us to do, for example, to centre after we did our expressive warm-ups. I thought it was very strange because he told us to follow our hand so I thought we were doing that for the whole lesson, until we went step-by-step and ended up with a devised piece.
We got to this stage by working with a partner, following their movements and creating a performance with character flow. I liked this workshop and I think that it was very beneficial for me because I now understand that drama is not just talking and moving to create a play, it’s got a deeper meaning and you need to know the story behind the performance. Every performance has its own backstory.’ - Areebah 10B
The Halley Academy
Rivers of the World
During Module 4, Year 8 and 9 students at The Halley Academy took part in our second, consecutive year of Rivers of the World workshops. Students were chosen due to their creativity and commitment in their art lessons and this year we have incorporated our links with our partner school in Ghana and the Queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Led by our visiting artist, Shona Watt, students designed and made crowns inspired by Ghanaian royal crowns and headpieces, from a number of materials, including tinfoil, to emboss flowers, animals and birds. As well as being exhibited in London and Greenwich, our finished artwork for our academy will feature on one of the flags for The River of Hope pageant as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June. The River of Hope will feature flags displaying artworks from a selection of schools in the UK and international schools that we have collaborated with as part of the project.
The students thoroughly enjoyed the workshops and commented on how they improved their confidence, team building skills and creative thinking. They are very excited about seeing their work exhibited and being part of the jubilee celebrations.
Strood Academy
Careers Fairs
During term 3 and 4, Strood Academy opened its doors to numerous potential future employers and further education for our students holding a series of Careers Fairs. Organisations including Kent Fire Brigade, Kent Police, Medway Council, BorgWarner, Border Force and All Task were in attendance. Students were able to speak with people from the world of work and gain a great understanding of the different roles within organisations and the recruitment process. Students were particularly excited by the Border Force stand where they were able to see items which had been confiscated at customs whilst finding out more about the recruitment process.
There were also representatives from Mid Kent College, The University of Kent, UCA and Canterbury Christ Church University who spoke to students about the different courses available and the realities of student life.
Students were excited to find out about the opportunities available to them and many left the fair with a clearer understanding of the job market.
Strood Academy would like to thank all of the businesses and organisations who took time out of their busy schedules to attend the Careers Fairs.
Border Force Trip
On 3rd March, 14 Year 12 students had the opportunity to go ‘behind-the-scenes’ at Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal. They met with Border Force officials who ‘showed them the ropes’ of what it would be like to work for Border Force. They met with officials who specialise in passport control who explained what it was like to work on the front line when individuals arrive at the UK border. Students then met with officials who specialise in conducting searches who allowed them to practise their detection skills on ‘dummy’ suitcases by putting them through X-Ray machines and then carrying out a search by hand. Students were all buzzing by the end of the day as they had no idea of the variety of work undertaken by Border Force.
A huge thank you to school governor Rachelle Freeguard who invited our students for an experience they are not likely to forget!
Perform Shakespeare!
Strood Academy's RSC company consists of 14 talented KS3-5 students, embarking on a creative quest to Perform Shakespeare! The group have been rehearsing a section from Much Ado About Nothing in a contemporary and ensemble style, meaning they have been thinking outside the box to include elements of movement and quirky characterisation. On 28th March the group took to the stage, at the Marlowe Theatre, to perform alongside 21 other schools. The group have not only built upon their performance skills but also developed a confidence in Shakespearian literacy. We are proud of their achievement and success.
Royal Opera House Trip
On Thursday 24th February, our BTEC Dance students visited the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden to watch The Royal Ballet's performance of the classic Romeo and Juliet. The students learnt about classical ballet technique and enhanced their analytical skills. The students thoroughly enjoyed the performance and have enhanced their knowledge of the Royal Ballet Company, an area of study in BTEC Dance.
Year 10 student: ‘The dancers were simply amazing! When I get back to the dance studio there are lots of new movements that I would like to try!’
Year 10 student: ‘Inspiring! I want to be just like one of the Royal Ballet dancers; how can I perform on stage like them?’
Creative Conversations
In our student support area we have recently introduced a new intervention programme called Creative Conversations. Here we encourage our students to be creative alongside developing their social communication skills. This term we are making jewellery, providing an opportunity for students to explore self-expression, social skills and how to function within a team successfully. The team of students plan to sell their product to raise money for charity later this term, which will also allow them to practice their business and financial skills. So far the students have settled into this new initiative brilliantly and we think they and the work they have produced is fantastic.
Right to Read
This term, to coincide with World Book Day which was celebrated wonderfully by staff and students, the academy has started its own bespoke reading programme for Years 7-9 as part of the form time programme. Year 7 are reading The Boy At The Back Of The Class, Year 8 are reading The Boy Who Steals Houses and Year 9 are reading Wink. Each novel is read three times a week in form and tutors and students have really thrown themselves into the programme, with one member of staff commenting ‘I have really enjoyed reading and listening to my form read. It was a lovely experience all round.’
Each session the tutor reads 3-4 pages to model effective reading to begin with, the class then takes it in turns to read out loud individually, and then the class reads silently, mirroring the academy’s ‘I Do, We Do, You Do’ classroom approach. The students then go over key words and definitions with the tutor, discuss PSHE questions related to the content they have just covered and then take a Google Form quiz on the content covered to check for understanding and inform any intervention work needed to support literacy progress.
Staff vs Year 13 Football Match
Following the Year 13 cohort challenging staff to a match, Mr Reed helped organise for the match to take place in Term 4 after school. Despite several of the staff team having to raid the PE lost property for boots and shin pads, the staff team emerged convincing victors, beating the student team 2-0 and hitting the woodwork on more than one occasion. Goals came from Mr Kirk with a Ronaldinho-esque long distance shot curling into the top corner, and Mr Williams (usually renowned for his pace and ability on the ball rather than his heading skills), rising like Ronaldo to flick a header into the far corner from a dangerous cross into the box.
Special mentions must go to Mr Reed for organising the match and to Mr Newman for refereeing the match and allowing a competitive game to flow so enjoyably for all involved.
The Hundred of Hoo Academy
2022 has been a hive of activity for us at The Hundred of Hoo Academy. We’ve had several visitors to our site including Paul Hughes, Elevate Education and a vascular surgeon. Our most important visitors however have been our community, as we’ve finally been able to host our first audience of the year!
Originally scheduled for 2020, Schools Will Rock You finally welcomed a hall full of our parents, staff, community members and governors. Organised by the performing arts department, this was a display of our students' hard work and talent. After such an unprecedented time, we are overjoyed to welcome back our local community and celebrate the strides that all of our learners have made.
This show was originally chosen for the 2019/2020 academic year and was sadly put on hold two weeks before opening. Now, three years and two cast changes later, everyone is ecstatic that they have finally been able to show off their hard work and dedication.
Audiences were wowed over three nights by our young cast and were left mesmerised by a ‘wonderful and magical evening.’ We were all shocked by the reaction of audience members who returned more than once, commenting that ‘the show was amazing’ and that the performance from the cast was ‘brilliant night by night.’
We, as an academy, are truly humbled by the support over the last few weeks leading up to the final performance from our local community. A final thank you must go to the students themselves; we would not have been able to put on this event without their talents, their resilience and their determination to perform no matter the circumstances. They have truly shown not only their own passion for learning, but also what Hundred of Hoo learners can really achieve.
Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School
Kent Cup
The U14 7s team won the Kent Cup this week, after coming through a pool which included Colfes School, Ravenswood and Judd with a 100% win record. This set the side up for a quarter-final vs Langley Park which the side won 28-7. A semi-final win over Dartford GS 21-0, led to a final against Chis and Sid school. In a nail biting final both sides deserved huge credit, playing such compelling rugby in tough conditions. The Math were able to secure the ball and produce a match winning try with the last play of the game to win 15-10.
A huge amount of credit must go to all the players who were superb all day.
Luca, the U14 captain said, ‘The work we have done throughout the season has been brilliant for our fitness and team cohesion. I think the cup win was primarily due to our fitness and organisation. We were able to keep our focus during the day despite the poor weather and the boys showed impressive determination and composure to secure the victory.
As captain of the side, it was an absolute honour to receive the RFU Kent County Shield on behalf of the Math.’
Make Your Mark Challenge
Recently pupils at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School took part in the national Make Your Mark Challenge which gave pupils the chance to vote on the issues which they felt were most important for them and which they wished to be discussed on their behalf at the UK Youth Parliament. Our pupils felt that the most important issues to be considered were jobs, money, homes, opportunities, education and learning. The Make Your Mark Challenge also gave pupils the chance to vote for representatives from Medway who would represent them at the UK Youth Parliament in Westminster. Pupils were given the manifestos of all candidates and spent time discussing with form tutors, how we decide who to vote for before placing their x on the ballot papers. As a school we are very proud that our candidate Jasir gained the most votes across all Medway schools and was elected as a member of the UK Youth Parliament. Jasir, who stood under the tagline 'a nation can only be reformed under their youth', was one of the youngest candidates and put a lot of time and effort into his campaign, creating posters, speaking with pupils and taking part in online public events. We look forward to following his future journey into politics.
UKMT Mathematics Competition
It has been another successful year at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School in the National UKMT Mathematics competition. In the recent Intermediate Mathematics Challenge, we have set a new school record for success in this competition. There were 45 students achieving the Gold standard which puts them in the top 10% nationally (approximately top 5000 pupils nationally!). In addition there were 65 Silver certificates and 51 Bronze certificates giving us a total of 161 students who achieved a certificate (top 40% nationally).
Special mention goes to the winners in each year group:
Year 11 - George
Year 10 - Eliot
Year 9 - Yu
In the senior competition held earlier in the academic year, there were some stand out performances from 6 of our senior students who achieved a Gold certificate putting them approximately in the top 3000 nationally. In addition there were 23 Silver certificates and 25 Bronze certificates giving a total of 54 students who achieved a certificate (top 40% nationally).
Special mention goes to the winners in each year group:
Year 12 - Abayomi
Year 13 - Leo
The results will be used to decide the winners of the House Mathematics Competition which was won last year by Thetford House.
Well done to all pupils who achieved success in this competition.
Leigh Academy Rainham
The co-curricular offer at Leigh Academy Rainham grow from strength to strength, with 93% of our students having attended one of our clubs so far this year. 15 clubs are running this module including LEGO club, manga art club, global cooking club, maths progress clinic, photography club, STEM club, coding club, journalism club and Warhammer. We have also developed our second bookable escape room of the year with an Egyptian theme. Staff continue to broaden their own interests and skills to provide a dynamic range of opportunities for our diverse student body. In conjunction with our structured after school co-curricular offer we have celebrated World Book Day, International Women’s Day and STEM Week. We have hosted intercollege competitions and events since Christmas related to Chinese New Year, a Happy Art Movement, World Logic Day and National Darwin Day.
To improve literacy skills we continue to embed an ethos of rewarding students for independent reading. Our intercollege reading competition resulted in 18 million words being read by our students, with Angelou college independently reading the most words and being awarded with an afternoon off timetable to watch the wonderful film Home. In module 4 we have continued this intercollege drive around literacy but the winning college will be determined by the number of quizzes and highest average pass marks based on the Accelerated Reader quizzes they sit having read each book.
World Book Day was a fantastic event with all staff dressing in character and an impromptu Harry Potter battle between Hermione and Voldemort across the dining hall at breakfast. Our weekly Talking Points on the dining hall tables, which share key articles from global news and information linked to the Theme of the Fortnight engage students in further reading and discussions at social times and are well received by students.
We are consistently refining the quality of our rich internationalised and interdisciplinary curriculum offer to ensure that lessons provide dynamic and purposeful opportunities linked to a range of global contexts through use of Chromebooks. Students have been taking virtual tours of Spanish schools in Languages lessons, exploring the Chevaux Caves in Aat, touring Florence in English and taking virtual tours of international museums in science and IT. They have been using Google Earth to explore links between art and maths by studying the architecture of buildings around the world, to compare slums in India with Victorian Britain and comparing the physical geography of Antarctica and the Arctic.
Careers is a key part of our curriculum, helping students to understand the links between subjects and how these can prepare you for future life changing opportunities. Since Christmas we have hosted guest speakers from careers in the Police, IT Programming, Drug Detection Unit, Discriminatory Law, Music and Journalism. Students have enjoyed Q&A sessions at the end of these talks and have enjoyed being able to then extend their learning and interest in careers further through their use of Unifrog.