Embedded Files
Dear Parents and Carers,
The summer term has been busy in LAB16. We have had a wide range of trips and events taking place, while the students have also been working incredibly hard at their studies.
Students have taken part in our largest amount of trips to date this term. We have taken two groups of LAB16 students to Oxford University, where they learned about what it takes to win a place at one of the best universities in the world. IB Careers-related Programme students were fortunate enough to take a trip to Google UK HQ, which made them the envy of the rest of LAB16. Our Sport CP and DP students spent a day carrying out fitness tests at Greenwich University as part of their courses, which was organised by Ms Venton. Finally we entered a number of teams into the Next Grand Prix competition, organised by Formula One along with law firm Travers Smith. Groups had to find a suitable location for the next Formula One Grand Prix and pitch it to a panel of professionals; one of our groups was successful and made it through to the finals, to be held over the summer. As ever, our thanks go out to all staff who organised and participated in these great trips which benefit our students so much.
We have also organised a huge number of events at LAB16 this term. In May, the Jack Petchey organisation held a Talk the Talk workshop at LAB, designed to support students as they move towards University and job interviews. To this end we also organised a UCAS personal statement workshop for Year 12, who now know exactly what not to include in their statements. This term has also seen the launch of LABTalks, our programme of external speakers. The programme kicked off with a presentation by Louis Hewitt and Ed Powell of the Innocence Project at Greenwich University, all about the justice system, while we have also heard talks on the criminal mind from Dr Jack Tomlin and life as a biomedical scientist from Dr Busayo Elegunde.
LAB16 students have also been involved in running important academy-wide events this term. On 2nd July we welcomed applicants to join LAB16 next year for our annual taster day. Our guests enjoyed a team building experience, lessons in their chosen IB Diploma courses, an IB Core session and the opportunity to meet current Year 12 students to quiz them on life at LAB16. The day was a huge success, with feedback from visitors very positive. We look forward to welcoming our new cohort in August on Enrolment Day. Election day 2024 was also a big day for LAB16, as our students stood for election representing the main UK political parties, as well as running voting stations and counting the votes cast at the end of the day.
Summer term has seen students immersed in work at the end of their first year as IB students. In module 5 Year 12 sat their first round of mock examinations, with some outstanding results being recorded by Anna, Alex (37 points each), Rihanna and Tauras (34 points each) in particular. Year 12 Diploma students have also been completing their TOK exhibitions - they are required to choose three objects and explain how they relate to a particular knowledge question in the real world. This forms a part of their Core grade for the IB Diploma. Students across all subjects have also been completing Internal Assessments (IAs) this term, which make up between 20 and 30 percent of their final IB grade. Finally, LAB16 Chemistry students recently entered the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, a demanding examination set by the University of Cambridge. We are delighted to announce that five of our students passed the examination, with Suchay and Anna achieving Gold awards (in the top 11% of all entrants), Freddie and Adriana achieving Silver awards and Sam achieving a Copper award.
Finally, LAB16 has entered a new era as the space in the LAB building dedicated to our Post-16 students has been expanded to take in the area previously occupied by the library. This will give LAB16 students more space to study, collaborate and meet their advisers, as well as another area into which we can welcome guest speakers.
This will be my final newsletter as Head of LAB16, as I hand over the reins to Mr O’Donnell as of September. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to set up LAB16 and lead these brilliant young people in the first year of their IB qualifications. I wish them the very best for the future.
Mr D. Vaughan
Assistant Principal, LAB16
Page updated
Report abuse