The Halley's Comment Issue 13

The Halley's Comment

Issue 13

MYP Success

The Halley Academy is delighted to announce that we have gained accreditation as an authorised IB World School, delivering both the International Baccalaureate Career-Related Pathway and Middle Years Programme. The Academy now joins other academies within LAT in offering this outstanding, internationally recognised, world-class curriculum to students. To achieve this prestigious accreditation, the Academy has embraced the IB Philosophy and Learner Profile into all aspects of academy life, interweaving its values and characteristics throughout the fabric of the community and Small Schools.

The Academy’s curriculum, learning environment and facilities were recognised in the report for providing all students with a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes student-led inquiry and reflection, whilst celebrating international mindedness across the entire community. This was reflected in the positive contributions made by students throughout the verification process, with students in Years 7 and 8 speaking passionately about the Middle Years Programme and the impact it had on their education so far.

The Halley Academy’s IB World School status is an important milestone in its mission to deliver a high quality, international education for all students. The Academy is committed to enhancing this further through the provision of Service Learning and Interdisciplinary opportunities for its students. The Academy would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in our journey to becoming an IB World School and we look forward to sharing further examples of it’s positive and transformative impact on our students and the wider community with you.

“Those who can imagine anything can create the impossible”

Turing School

The end of an academic year is a time for celebration and reflection, no more so than in a year that has been like no other, in education, in the post-war modern era. What has shone through during this year is the resolve, passion and commitment of our students towards themselves, their peers and their studies. When students transition past this period in their lives, we must ensure that they recognise their achievements and successes, something which we are committed to continue celebrating across the Turing Senior Team.

The successes in the Turing School take a variety of forms and encompass all aspects of academy life. An example of this is the fantastic achievements of Estelle (9T1) who has completed 36 quizzes this year through the Accelerated Reader programme. She has been closely followed by Alfie (7T1) who has completed 30 quizzes, a fantastic achievement in the development of their reading and literacy skills.

The completion of Award Cards is another closely fought race, with four students excelling in achieving the accolade of ‘Breakfast with the Principal’. Summer (7T1), Chloe (7T1), Estelle (9T1) and Nicolas (9T2) will all be receiving their invitations at the start of next academic year to meet with the Principal for an awards breakfast, which I know they are already looking forward to.

It is not only Turing School achievements that our students have been recognised for, with two of our students nominated for the prestigious Royal Borough of Greenwich ‘Do the Right Thing’ awards. A huge congratulations must go to Daniel (8T1) for winning the award in his category. Daniel was a credit to the Turing School when he accepted his award virtually at the academy, something which I know his family are incredibly proud of. Another student who must also be recognised for their fantastic achievements is Kerim (10T1) for being awarded second place in his category.

As outlined at the beginning of this article, a time for celebration should also be a time for reflection and recognition of what has been achieved in the face of adversity. As the Head of Turing School, I am privileged to work alongside a fantastic team who support all aspects of students’ lives, in the face of ever-increasing challenges. The last academic year would not have been as successful as it has been without the incredible work of Mr Godina, Ms Jess, Ms Halliday, Ms Smith and Ms Murfitt, who have ensured that every student and their families have been supported every step of the way. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their excellent work this year and know you will join me in this when you next speak with one of the Turing School team.

I would like to conclude by also thanking you for your support and communication throughout this academic year. We rely on your openness and willingness to support us and your child during their school lives, with those firmly rooted relationships enabling each child to prosper. It is important that all our students and their families enjoy a well deserved break from their studies and feel refreshed and ready to tackle the 2021-22 academic year head on, something which I know they will do with the inherent Turing competitive streak we all harbour.

As always, we are here to support your child and will keep you, the families, updated in preparation for a return from September 1st. If you would like to contact someone at any point, please email us at Turing@thehalleyacademy.org.uk.

Easley School

As we approach the end of an extraordinary academic year, it is important that we take the time to reflect and celebrate our learning, experiences and achievements. Without a doubt, Annie Easley’s words and motto for our small school; ‘you can do anything you want to but you have to work at it’ have probably never been more important as we have all navigated through a year like no other. The resilience, grit, flexibility and hard work demonstrated by our students and staff have enabled us all to achieve things we never imagined possible. I am sure it is a year that we will all remember and reflect on for many years to come.

The achievements in Easley small school are really worth celebrating. As we go to press, it looks like Easley is ahead in the small school token competition, reflecting the fact that many students have completed more than one award card over the year. We must, though, celebrate a number of individuals who have contributed a great deal to the race. Roshana in 9E1 has achieved 13 completed cards, Egor in 7E1 has completed 11 cards and Dylan and Marina in 9E1 have clocked up 4 completed cards. The students are looking forward to breakfast with the Principal in the new academic year.

We are immensely proud of Kobeen in year 11 who was nominated and won the Royal Borough of Greenwich ‘Do The Right Thing Award.’ Throughout his time at The Halley Academy he has demonstrated an incredible commitment to both his studies and personal development, juggling hard work with volunteering outside of the Academy.

With this academic year coming to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the parents and carers of our Easley students. Your engagement with the small school and support for your children’s education is very much appreciated and enables our students to be the best that they can be and achieve their immense potential. It is always a privilege to be entrusted with the care and education of your children.

As Head of Easley School I would also like to thank the Easley team for their fantastic work over the last academic year, both remotely and on the Academy site. Their support, challenge and care for every individual student has been exceptional. Mr Davis, Ms Harrington, Ms Stratford, Ms Taylor and Mr Thomas have been relentless in their drive to ensure our students embody the Easley motto and strive to achieve their dreams.

I would like to wish everyone well for the summer break and look forward to seeing our students at the start of September and welcoming our new year 7s.

“You can do anything you want to, but you have to work at it”

“All that is necessary is the belief that by doing our best we shall come nearer to success and that success ..... is worth attaining”

Franklin School

The end of the academic year gives us the opportunity to reflect on our achievements and accomplishments from across the last 12 months. It has been a real pleasure to see how Franklin students across the Academy have continued to flourish academically in spite of the unprecedented events of the last year. The recent sporting achievements of British women and men both at the Euro 2020 and Wimbledon championships remind all of our young people about their capacity to achieve and inspire if they work hard, persevere and have the highest expectations of themselves. It is these principles of success that we see in Franklin students every day, and which have underscored their accomplishments this year.

In our last week we have had the opportunity to host our first in-person assembly of the academic year, held outdoors in the school playground, in compliance with our Covid-19 procedures. This was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate those students who have demonstrated the focus, commitment and drive that are essential to success. In particular, Mohammed in Year 7, Madalina in Year 7 and Zaynab in Year 10 achieved the highest number of award cards during the year, showing a sustained commitment to their learning. We know that attendance is one of the most important facilitators of success at school - so it was excellent to see that more students than ever before in Franklin have achieved 100% attendance for the last academic year.

Franklin students have not only been recognised for their achievements inside the Academy, but also in the prestigious “Do the Right Thing Awards” which recognises the contributions and progress students have made in their local communities. Joshua in Year 11 and Sara in Year 8 were both commended for their exemplary attendance, strength of character and the extent of their academic progress to date.

A massive thank you must also be reserved for the Franklin team who work tirelessly and with passion to ensure that all students receive the care and support they need in order to excel at the Academy: Mrs Parsons, as Deputy Head of School, Mr Roques, as Director of Progress, Mrs Gill and Mrs Godfrey, as Small School Managers, and Mrs Walder, as Small School Administrator.

Finally, all of the Franklin team would like to pass on our sincere thanks for your ongoing support at home in what has been a year like no other. As we hopefully return to normality in the new academic year, we know that the strengthening bonds and partnerships that we form with you at home are critical to your child’s success. We wish you a restful and relaxing summer break with your family and friends, and look forward to welcoming your child back to the Academy in September for a new academic year.

Hawking School

Football Academy

Whilst it’s been a difficult year for football, The Halley Academy scholars and I have managed to have a successful year during the periods we were able to train/play. Whilst there were many tough restrictions at times, we still managed to persevere through by training whilst upholding Covid-19 regulations, as well as by setting the players tasks during lockdown in order to keep active and sharp. When the players were conforming to social distance guidelines, we focused training mainly on their fitness, sharpness and technical ability on the ball by including a lot of ball mastery, speed, agility, quickness and fitness drills; whilst keeping it non-contact.

During lockdown, the players were set tasks, such as football specific fitness drills and ball mastery videos for them to complete during the time they were off. This was in order to keep them occupied and to maintain a routine despite having a huge amount of time off.

At the beginning of the season (before the second lockdown), we had a lot of momentum as a team securing excellent results such as 5-1 win against NKC and 8-0 win against Holcombe Grammar.

Due to the impressive performances, a few of The Halley Academy scholars were selected for the APD Elite Squad which faced professional opposition such as Ipswich Town FC’s and Brighton and Hove Albion’s academies.

Although it was a very tough season for us all, I’m proud of the squads’ resilience and wish all the 2nd year scholars the very best in the journeys after sixth form.

I look forward to working with our new 1st and 2nd year scholars for next season and I’m pleased to be working alongside highly experienced APD Coach Joe Tennant who will join us at the start of preseason.

Mr Bennett (APD)

"Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet"

Black History Month

Growing out of their discussions and explorations around identity, ethics and intercultural understanding, IBCP students in the Sixth Form have spearheaded the delivery of Black History Month as part of their Service Learning advocacy project. This involved preparing tutor time resources for all year groups , including a fantastic interactive quiz (courtesy of Bishwash, 12NWA).

Year 12 students also recorded an assembly for the whole Academy, while Year 13 designed and implemented display boards for each bubble to raise awareness of how black culture and cultural icons have enriched society. Thank you to all students involved for all your hard work in producing and delivering these materials.

Mr Burrows

Careers & Universities Day

Hawking School have held a number of fantastic virtual career days which have brought together representatives from:

Oxleas NHS Trust
UCFB (University Campus of Football) Wembley
Connect Plus Service
Greenwich University

Students attended virtual workshops on focused specialist subject areas, including Business, Science and Sports. In the afternoon an open presentation was delivered from Greenwich university. Which provided an overview to student finance, bursaries and what to expect during their time at university.

The aim has been to provide advice and information which informs and encourages students to think about their next step when they leave the sixth form.

Ms White

Making a Change in Service Learning

Our Year 12 and 13 students have invested a significant amount of time and effort into planning and executing projects to tackle real issues in our community and beyond. Year 12 presented their projects over the recent weeks to their peers with maturity and professionalism. The students challenged each other through detailed and thoughtful questioning.

Leah and Kelsey impressed with their incredible posters and presentations around mental health, and have focused on prioritising wellbeing in our school community.

Theodore focused on the environmental impact of littering, and is currently single handedly making the sixth form area more ‘green’. He has written a letter to Mr Harrison to request recycling facilities for the sixth form and will strive to inspire the cohort to make individual changes for the environment.

Zelal in Year 13 created a newsletter for prospective students outlining the IBCP and a range of courses to present to future students, complete with quotes from her peers.

Poppy in Year 13 created a help sheet for Service Learning students outlining potential project ideas and also, with top tips for success.

I am incredibly proud of the way each student has approached this year, and I am truly shocked by the quality of their independent work. Well done to all.

Miss Elliot

Intercultural Understanding Project

Year 13 students following the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP) have been investigating diverse cultures and communities as part of their work on Intercultural Understanding. Some of our students have shared their thoughts on this experience below, alongside a sample of some of the work produced.

'As a class, we individually interpreted our own perspective of what culture is and based our presentations on this idea.'

Amanda, 13WBU

'I enjoyed learning about my friends' cultures and even a little more about my own culture.'

Poppy, 13WBU

Careers Advice

It is never too early (or too late) to consider your next steps, whether these are in education, employment or apprenticeships.

Mr Harrison is available to meet with students who wish to discuss their career plans or would like more information about particular university courses. Year 12 students should be starting to consider this now, whilst Year 13 students might also want to consult about alternative pathways, deferral or clearing.

Any student that would like an appointment, should see Mr Harrison or Mr Burrows. Drop-in consultations are also available.

Next Steps

Students in Year 12 have already started to look at the various options available to them when they leave school in Summer 2022. In recent weeks, students have been researching degree courses, entry requirements, investigating university open days and drafting their personal statements, as well exploring opportunities with apprenticeship providers and employers.

Dedicated tutor sessions provide support to students in identifying the right pathways, and I would advise students to spend the summer break visiting universities that appeal to them -- either virtually or in person -- to get a feel for what the experience of living and studying there might be like. This will ensure applicants begin the UCAS process in September with a clear understanding of the opportunities available to them and the grades or experiences required to succeed.

Mr Burrows

Tutor Representatives: Eco School Committee

Passionate about our planet? Do you have what it takes to be an ecological leader and make change happen? If so, consider joining the Eco School committee! The committee will be made up of two student representatives from each year group, including Hawking School, and will work to raise environmental awareness across the student body, improve the school environment and create financial savings for the Academy. In addition to the two representatives, any other interested students are welcome to take part.

This would be an excellent opportunity for students to demonstrate leadership on their CV or personal statement whilst making a positive contribution to the school’s learning environment and taking action to protect the planet for future generations. Participation could also contribute towards their Service Learning allocation if studying the IBCP. Find more information and complete an application form via the microsite here, or via the Eco School Google Classroom here.

Ms Summan

Criminology students are on the case!

Over the last few weeks year 12 criminology students have been solving the mysterious murder of Deid Mann. Using their knowledge of physical and testimonial evidence, the students examined the scene, compiled forensic reports and analysed interviews of the suspects and witnesses. All students are drawing their conclusions as to whether they can identify the perpetrator with enough evidence to secure a just verdict.

The task is designed to stretch and challenge students, to put their theory into practice in a ‘real life’ scenario to solve a mysterious murder case from crime scene to court case. However, students will have to wait to find out the outcome of the case until the new academic year. Next module they need to prepare their defence or prosecution case to present at the court hearing before we can find out whether the murderer of Mr. Mann will see justice!

In other news...

GCHQ Workshop

The Halley Academy was proud to welcome a team from GCHQ: The UK’s intelligence and cyber agency, for a series of workshops with year 8 and 9 classes.

Our students had the opportunity to learn about the role of the GCHQ in keeping the UK safe and the importance and application of knowing languages.

In the workshops our students deciphered hidden messages in French and Spanish to solve fictional crimes, experiencing scenarios faced by the GCHQ on a daily basis. With guidance from the GCHQ staff our students cracked codes and prevented Virtual crime and Drug trafficking. The students applied their translation skills in French and Spanish in a similar way to how the GCHQ employs their language skills to solve and prevent international crime cases.

The Halley Academy students benefited from the opportunity to work with a group of UK’s intelligence specialists. This experience widened the students’ horizons of the potential and future prospects that learning Modern Foreign Languages offers in their future careers.

DSP Art Therapy Work

The DSP students have been working on Forests of Calm in which they use the natural world to take a break from the stresses of life and reconnect with nature. School Counsellor Cathy Booth said that the students “worked amazingly well today”.

Successful Application: The Old Vic Schools Club Program 2021

The Drama department has been successful in our application to be part of the exciting Schools Club programme 2021/22 with the Old Vic Theatre. In total, 77 applications were made for 40 spaces. Our GCSE Drama students will have the opportunity to visit The Old Vic theatre on several occasions to watch free theatre performances, as well as have bespoke workshops. We look forward to this wonderful opportunity for our students to engage with professional theatre, develop their learning and build on their cultural capital.

Dr Alberta Male

Congratulations!

Our Year 13 students following the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP) received the results of their IB Diploma subjects on Tuesday 6th July. This represents our first cohort of IB results and a significant milestone since our accreditation as an IB World School in July 2019.

The results are extremely positive and all students should feel immensely proud of themselves and their achievements, particularly in the context of the last two years and the impact felt due to the coronavirus pandemic. This includes 75% of students achieving one or more result at Grade 6 or above, and 63% attaining the highest possible grade 7, equivalent to A/A* at A-Level.

Particular successes include:

Amanda, who achieved a 7 in History, a 7 in Psychology and a Grade A in the Reflective Project, and hopes to study History at the University of Greenwich.
Poppy, who achieved a 7 in English Language & Literature, a 6 in Geography and a Grade B in the Reflective Project, and hopes to study French and Geography at the University of Lancaster.
Eliza, who achieved a 7 in Psychology, a 5 in Global Politics and a Grade B in the Reflective Project, and hopes to study Psychology at the University of Kent.
Ewoenam, who achieved a 7 in Psychology, a 5 in Mathematics and a Grade B in the Reflective Project, and hopes to study Psychology at the University of East Anglia.

I know you will wish to join us in congratulating our students and celebrating their results with them. As an Academy, we share in their sense of accomplishment and wish them every success for the future.

We look forward to celebrating similar achievements when our IB students join the rest of our cohort for their Level 3 results in August.

Roots 4 Life

We are delighted to announce that we are now in partnership with Roots4Life. Roots4Life is a new charity set up to address the physical and mental health challenges that come with malnutrition, obesity and social isolation. Operating from the Baker Centre, a new community hub and 8.6-acre site in New Eltham, Royal Borough of Greenwich in London, their goal is to help people of all ages to live healthy and happy lives by improving their physical and mental wellbeing and their resilience.

The charity wants everyone to have:

Improved physical and mental well-being
Better understanding, attitudes and behaviours around food, eating and exercise
Raised sense of community and more positive friendships

Our partnership with Roots4Life will enable all of our students, (Years 7-13) the opportunity throughout their 7 year academic journey at The Halley Academy to experience learning in a unique outdoor environment. These experiences began during the course of our Cultural Capital Week when our year 10 and 12s visited the centre enjoying a spot of pond dipping, nature trails and an introduction to food production.

Rivers of the World Project

At the end of module 5, a group of Year 8 Art students took part in the first 'Rivers of the World' workshop. Shona, our visiting artist, has worked with the British Council and The Thames Festival Trust for over 15 years. As part of the workshop, students made sea creatures from recycled materials focusing on plastic pollution as part of their MYP project where they are focusing on the impact of scientific and technological advances on the environment. Ms Courtley and Shona were extremely impressed with the creativity and enthusiasm shown by all of the students involved.

Greenwich Schools Athletics Competition

After much anticipation, The Halley Academy took part in the Greenwich Schools Athletics Competition, the students' first borough wide competitions against other schools in the borough, on Tuesday 29th June and Tuesday 6th July 2021.

All competitors who represented the academy in a wide range of athletics events were a real credit, demonstrating many of our academy's values such as respect to other competitors and resilience when competition got tough.

Although each and every student who took part competed to the best of their abilities, there were a number of stand out performances. These were, Mubarrak in year 10 who stormed to victory in the 100m with a winning time of 11.56s; Dre who came from behind in the 200m to win in a time of 26s and finally Daniel in year 8 for battling his reservations about competing and doing a great job in his 1500m race. In the girls competition we had many other stand out performances including; Marina in the year 9 discus who won with a throw of 19m, Chloe in year 7 who ran the 1500m for the first time and completed the race without stopping and Courtney who won the triple jump for the year 8s.

Overall, both competitions were a huge success and we look forward to competing against other schools more in the next academic year.

Apiary News

We have new bees! A locally caught swarm was delivered last week by the Ruxley Beekeepers Association, and they are currently settling in nicely to their new hive. It's unlikely that we will have honey to extract from them this year, as they need time to build up the colony strength before winter, but we still have small stocks of honey from the last harvest available. The new hive will be inspected either at the end of this week or early next week, depending on the weather - this will allow us to check for the presence of a healthy, laying queen.

Cultural Capital Week

Module 6 saw the introduction of The Halley Academy Cultural Capital Week. This opportunity allowed our students the experiences of learning outside of their usual curricula and provided the time to develop key skills and attributes amongst our community of lifelong learners.

Unfortunately, due to the weather, we had to postpone our planned Sports Day on the Monday. However the week got underway with our Values Day on Tuesday 13th July. All of our students were involved in interdisciplinary projects, which focused on our module’s Values topic which was that of ‘community’. Our students across all year groups, (7-12) investigated a range of topics from; the influence Information Technology has had on our communities, an investigation into how memorials reflect our community values to the impact of food in defining our identity.

Meanwhile, between Wednesday 14th July and Friday 16th July, our students engaged in a variety of activities; online theatre productions, talks, workshops and a Maths Dragon Den were a few of the highlights.

It was incredible to see our students relishing the opportunities provided during the course of this week and to see them using all aspects of the MYP learner profile. Next year, we will continue the success of this week, with Cultural Capital Days throughout the course of the academic year.