Dear Parents and Carers,

We are delighted to share with you the summer edition of our Fawcett Newsletter, celebrating the achievements, creativity, and hard work of our students throughout the 2024–25 academic year. This edition is a reflection of the vibrant life of our school community, and we hope you enjoy reading about the many successes and highlights that make Fawcett such a special place to learn and grow.

We are delighted to share that Pranay in 10D has been awarded the Young Volunteer of the Year Award (14–15 year olds) for his dedication to the Oxfam charity bookshop.

Pranay first began volunteering in 2023 as part of his Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. He enjoyed the experience so much that he chose to continue beyond the required hours and has since continued as part of his Silver Award too. He has now been a regular volunteer at the shop for around 18 months.

The shop manager nominated Pranay for this award in recognition of his commitment and enthusiasm. As part of the recognition, Pranay received a framed award certificate and a short hotel break through the "Hidden Heroes" scheme. Oxfam representatives personally presented the award to him at a special ceremony held at his shop.

Photos from the ceremony, including Pranay with his award, are included below. A fantastic achievement and very well deserved. Well done, Pranay!

Power 2 Thrive Year 8 Project!:

We are excited to share that some of our Year 8’s were lucky enough to take part in Power2 Thrive, a fantastic mentoring programme designed to help children build confidence, resilience, and emotional wellbeing.

Power2 Thrive is a school-based initiative for children aged 10-12  who may benefit from extra support with their emotional and social development. Whether it’s low self-esteem, struggles with friendships, or challenges at home, this programme helps children build the skills they need to thrive – both in and out of school.

Amelia H 8D has written about her experience below: 

“For the 10 weeks my school was working with power2thrive I was going into the primary school and doing workshops with nursery and reception kids. 

At the start, I didn’t really know what to expect. I was worried about doing something wrong or not knowing how to talk to the children. But after a couple of weeks, I started to feel more comfortable. I got to help with reading groups, classroom activities, and even sen students. Before this, I didn’t fully realise how much work goes into teaching. Even just me coming in for a few hours and playing with the children was a lot of effort. Seeing how much effort they put into each day made me really respect the job. One of the best parts of the experience was getting to know the children. Even when we would just walk into the classroom, we would have a big group of kids run up and hug us and that was very comforting.

In the workshops we would talk about things like mental health, hygiene, social media, and other stuff. In these sessions I found it really easy to open up. We would play games and do small activities but the moral always stayed. I found this a much  more efficient way to help people get their points across because it wouldn't be that much pressure. 

Overall, I’m really glad I did this programme not only because I missed lessons but It's given me a real insight into what working in a school is like. I’ve developed a lot of new skills that I know will be useful no matter what career I end up in. I would definitely recommend it. I feel proud of how far I’ve come in just 10 weeks, and I’ll definitely remember this experience for a long time.” - Amelia 8D

Work Experience!

We are so proud of our Year 10 students, who have completed an incredible week of work experience with a wide range of employers across the community this module.

Our students embraced the opportunity to step into the world of work with enthusiasm and maturity. They developed key skills such as communication, time management, and teamwork – and many received glowing feedback from their placement supervisors!. 

See below Eda D’s work experience review: 

“Work experience : Southeastern railway: Lewisham

For my work experience I was located at lewisham; Lewisham is a main station which operates all mainline services including the DLR. Southeastern operates several services through Lewisham station, including connections to London, Charing cross, Cannon street, and Victoria, as well as services to destinations like Hayes, Dartford and Sevenokas. The station also serves a terminus for the Docklands light railway. During my experience, I learnt how to control the gateline where the gates are controlled automatically via a service panel for the entry and exit of passengers. Here's how the gateline is controlled: when you click release there is a time limit of 30 seconds on the larger gate and 15 seconds for the rest of the much smaller gates. A key notice for workers on the railway is suspicious package bags. When spotted they have to check and make sure that there is not any specific danger towards passengers. The department of DFT (department for transport) comes to the railway unexpectedly and places a rucksack somewhere on one of the platforms as a test to see if it is found correctly and if the proper procedures are followed. Guard walks are completed to patrol the safety of the platforms and make sure nothing out of bound has occurred. Additionally, I had also met many sectors such as revenue, BTP and metropolitan police. The revenue is the team which is assigned to control tickets. In the southeastern railway, revenue protection primarily focuses on ensuring that all passengers pay the correct fare for their journeys. Revenue protection officers patrol trains and stations, inspecting tickets and collecting fares from passengers who haven’t paid or are travelling with invalid tickets. The metropolitan police service doesn’t directly police the southeastern railway network; however, the MPS have a significant role in transport policing across london: reducing crime and antisocial behavior on the transport network, ensuring passenger safety and investigating serious incidents. The British transport police are responsible for policing the railway network in the UK, including southeastern. They work for the safety and security of passengers, staff and the railway infrastructure. Another sector of the railway is the ticketing office. Southeastern ticket offices primarily sell train tickets and provide related services like assisting with travel information and smartcard management. I had also met the REO (railway enforcement officers) which came for antisocial behaviour awareness week. Learning the ways of the railway is nowhere near difficult or hard; you learn and spend time completing practical tasks. I would highly recommend applying for southeastern railway for work experience as it is an engaging and active sector. In my opinion it is worth taking a further step for future plans as you learn a vast majority of different tasks and ways of exploring railways.”

Attendance 📊:

As we reach the end of the academic year, we want to take a moment to celebrate and share our students’ excellent attendance across Years 7 to 11. Your support in encouraging regular school attendance makes a significant difference to student achievement and wellbeing — thank you!

Whole School Attendance (Year to Date):

• Years 7–10: 95% – This is outstanding!. Including year Y11 data, Facwett finished the year on  93.2%- which is a great achievement.
  
  

A huge congratulations to the following tutor groups for outstanding attendance:

• 7D – 96.9% – Joint highest in the school! Amazing effort!
  
  

• 8D – 96.3% – Top of the year group – well done!
  
  

• 9A – 95.3% – A strong showing for Year 9!
  
  

• 7A – 95.5% – Another great performance from Year 7!
  
  

💬 Why Attendance Matters

Every day in school counts. Students with high attendance:

• Achieve better academic results
  
  

• Feel more connected with their peers
  
  

• Build strong learning habits for life
  
  

At Leigh Academy Blackheath, are committed to helping all students succeed — academically, socially, and emotionally. One of the most important (and sometimes overlooked) factors in achieving this success is regular school attendance.Secondary school is a time of rapid academic growth and increasing independence; each lesson builds on the one before — so when a student misses time, it’s easy to fall behind. Let’s continue to work together to promote strong attendance habits into the new academic year!

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Well done to the following students who have 100% attendance and zero lates: 

Marvellous D

Henry D

Samiha E

CJ

Samuel H-R

Harvey K

Felicity M

Jai M

Troy N

Inioluwa O

Leonardo S

Aayus S

Anjali S

Rowan S

Lingyu Z

Year 9 community project:

This term, our Year 9 students have been taking part in an inspiring Community Project designed to develop teamwork, leadership, and a sense of social responsibility.

Working in small groups, students have identified issues they care about – from supporting local charities to promoting sustainability – and have planned and delivered projects to make a real impact. Whether it's organising donation drives, raising awareness, or volunteering their time, our Year 9s have shown incredible creativity, compassion, and commitment.

The project is not only a great way for students to give back to the community, but also helps them build valuable life skills they’ll carry forward into future studies and b

Summer reading ☀️📚

As the school year ends and students enter the much-anticipated summer break, many families look forward to rest, travel, and quality time together. However, there's one activity that should remain part of your child's routine during the holidays: reading. Summer reading isn’t just a school requirement or an academic task — it’s a gift. It keeps students’ minds sharp, fuels their curiosity, and sets them up for success in the coming school year and beyond. By encouraging regular reading habits during the holidays, parents can make a lasting impact on their child’s educational journey.

Why is Summer Reading So Important?

• Prevents the "Summer Slide"
  Research shows that students can lose up to two months of reading skills during the summer. This phenomenon, known as the "summer slide," can affect a student’s performance in the next academic year. Regular reading helps maintain — and even improve — literacy skills during the break.
  
  

• Improves Vocabulary and Comprehension
  Exposure to new words, writing styles, and ideas through books enhances vocabulary and comprehension — skills that are foundational for all subjects, not just English.
  
  

• Builds Empathy and Critical Thinking
  Through characters and stories, students learn to see the world from different perspectives. This nurtures emotional intelligence, empathy, and reflective thinking.
  
  

• Fosters Independent Learning
  Choosing their own books encourages students to take responsibility for their learning and develop their interests outside of school-mandated materials.
  
  

• Promotes Mental Well-being
  Reading can be a calming activity, helping teens unwind and escape the pressures of academic and social life. It also stimulates imagination and creativity.

Below is a book review written by Mia H in Year 9, for some inspiration!. 

Book review:

“The book i'm going to review is : 

A good girl's guide to murder by holly jackson. 

The books main themes are mystery, YA literature and crime fiction.

A good girl's guide to murder is an interesting and engaging read because of the underlying theme of mystery. It has many well complexed and developed characters which interlinks with its intriguingly laid out storytelling. The book is along the lines of a modern “whodunit”, which attracts many readers.

Summary:

A good girl's guide to murder (AGGGTM) follows the main character Pippa Fitz-Amobi as she uses her school project to investigate the unsolved murder of Andie Bell, a case where her boyfriend Sal Sinhg was deemed the killer before abruptly taking his own life. 

A more detailed summary: 

The setup: 

Five years prior, Andie Bell was murdered, and Sal Singh, her boyfriend, was identified as the killer before his death. 

Pips investigation: 

Pip, now a year 12, chooses to revisit the case for her final project, aiming to prove Sal's innocence and expose flaws in the original investigation.

Unearthing secrets:

As Pip delves deeper, she discovers that the town of Little Kilton is hiding a web of secrets, and someone is determined to keep the truth buried. 

Growing Danger:
Pip's investigation puts her own life at risk as she gets closer to the truth, facing threats and uncovering more disturbing details about the case. 

Focus on characters:

The story is not just about the mystery; it explores the impact of the crime on the town and the characters, particularly Pip and Sal's brother, Ravi.

Themes Explored:
The book delves into themes of public shame, identity, and the lengths people will go to to protect themselves. 

Evaluation:

One of my favourite things about the book is, all its plot twists and its underlying theme of romance between Pippa and Ravi.

One of my least favourite things about the book is the pacing because the book starts off rather slow but as you really immerse yourself in it the book goes quicker.

Overall review:

I would give this book and 4.8 as it is one of the best books i've ever read and i would recommend it to everyone even if you don't like reading as this book is the one that made me love to read.

The book has two sequels that carry on her story of solving cases and her ongrowing romance with Ravi. ( Good Girl,Bad Blood. As Good As Dead and she has a prequel called KillJoy)

The book is age rated 13 and up by many retailers. The book deals with mature themes including murder, mystery, and potentially suspenseful or intense situations, which may not be suitable for younger children.” - Mia H 9D

Book review by Bailey B 9D:

“The Boy at the back of the class by Onjali Q. Raúf book review 

The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf is an extremely well written  children's novel full of important stories and life lessons  about a young Syrian refugee named Ahmet who joins a school in London. Told from the viewpoint of one of his classmates,the story explores important themes such as friendship, compassion,and the challenges that not only refugees face but loads of young kids from across the globe face. It's centered on the classmate's mission to support ahmet in reuniting with his family.

I also recommend the autobiography on the life of footballing icon Steven Gerrard by Matt and Tom Oldfield”-  Bailey 9D

Fawcett College’s Pastoral Support: A Foundation for Student Success

At Fawcett College, academic success is only one part of the journey. Equally important is the emotional and personal growth of every student—and that’s where our outstanding pastoral support system comes in. At the heart of this system are our dedicated Student Services Managers, Ms Crowley and Miss Lawrence, who work tirelessly to ensure that every student feels heard, supported, and valued.

Whether it’s a listening ear, a safe space to talk, or help navigating life’s challenges, students know they can rely on Ms Crowley and Miss Lawrence. Their work goes beyond expectations, making a real difference in the lives of young people facing personal or academic difficulties.

Year 11 student Mercury H shared her experience:
“Two years ago, I never would've believed that I was capable of finishing Year 11. I did it and I owe it all to you two.”

This sentiment is echoed by James P, also in Year 11:
“Thank you for constantly being there for me and helping me to grow into the person I am now.”

These testimonials speak volumes about the positive impact of our pastoral team. From building confidence and resilience to guiding students through tough times, Ms Crowley and Miss Lawrence are champions of student well-being.

As Fawcett College continues to evolve, our commitment to pastoral care remains as strong as ever—ensuring every student has the support they need to thrive.