FST Public Newsletter

February 2024

CEO Welcome

It is hard to believe that, by the time you read our newsletter, we will be just over halfway through this academic year. I know that everyone is working hard to ensure our students/children get the best quality of education they deserve. This of course is not just about the Quality of Teaching and Learning, it’s also about the ethos, the culture, and the environment. Ultimately, it is about all staff and students having high expectations of themselves and striving to improve their own practices and/or skills because we want to be the best we can be. Finding the right balance between raising expectations, upskilling ourselves and still managing to look after ourselves can be challenging at times. Through my regular meetings with your Headteacher/Head of School, I know that a lot of thought and effort goes into ensuring that your children, our families, our staff, get as much support as possible.

A warm welcome to our new families. We are delighted to welcome you into our Future Schools Trust family. Here is a link to our first edition which you may find useful to read. Our Trust Team is also expanding with the appointment of Mr Dadson as Trust Marketing and Events Manager, and Miss Dawson as our Trust Marketing and Events Assistant.

Strengthening our local partnerships

In October, I shared with you all the work I’ve been doing in collaboration with Maidstone Borough Council and Fusion Maidstone to pursue a long-term ambition of mine to create community gardens for members of our community. In December, I reached out to our families to gauge their interest and I am pleased that the responses were positive. I recently met with representatives from Fusion Maidstone and Maidstone Rotary Club to seek their advice on the best location: I am delighted to inform you that Tiger Primary/New Line Learning site has been identified as the most suitable location. Next step: Design our Community Gardens.

Our work with Fusion Maidstone is going from strength to strength. I was fortunate enough to be invited to their AGM in December and the work they do to support the most vulnerable in our local community is remarkable. I would like to take this opportunity to formally thank Mrs Stokes for her amazing work in launching our Trust programme with both Fusion Café and YMCA. Young people from both Tiger Primary and Cornwallis Academy are already benefitting from this great initiative and New Line Learning will be soon. I hope you enjoy reading Mrs Stokes' article in Cornwallis' section.

Supporting our families in need

You may be aware that we were able to further support some of our vulnerable families by working in collaboration with RRT (Rapid Relief Team). This all stems from a casual conversation with a Tiger Cubs parent during last year’s Tiger Cubs’ graduation ceremony. One meeting and several emails later, 47 families received a substantive food parcel in mid-January, helping them get through difficult times. Sincere thanks to RRT and school staff for coordinating this initiative.

I hope you all had a lovely half-term break.

Mrs Linney-Drouet

New Line Learning Academy

Tiger Primary School

Tiger Cubs Day Nursery

The Gateway

Meet the Trustees

Marilyn Hodges

Chair of Trustees

I began my involvement with our Trust when it was first established in 2007, bringing together 3 former Maidstone schools. At that time I was a Director for Kent County Council (KCC), responsible for Strategy, Policy and Performance of Kent’s 650 schools and children’s social care. Part of this role was establishing the Kent Academies programme and I became a Trustee for FST, which I continued after semi-retirement. I am currently Chair of the Board of Trustees (sometimes called Directors) and lead on safeguarding. I am very proud of the progress our schools have made in recent years, achieving some of the best outcomes in Kent. I regularly meet groups of students and never fail to be impressed by them. I passionately believe that for children to achieve academically we have a moral duty to care for all of their needs and wellbeing as best we can, whether that be helping them to develop resilience for growing up in a changing world and the challenges of social media, being healthy including mental health or providing support for those that live in difficult circumstances. I also believe education can be the key to change lives for the better and our teachers do an amazing job.

After retirement from KCC I worked part time supporting developments in children’s services across the UK, including as a Chair of a Local Safeguarding Children’s Board. I am also a Trustee for a local charity, Young Lives Foundation, which supports vulnerable young people. I have had the privilege to work, albeit for short periods, in different communities and countries and learn from those experiences. I have taken groups of teachers to work in townships in South Africa and volunteered in a rural school and orphanage in India. For the past five years I have worked reviewing safeguarding in schools, both in the UK and abroad mainly for the independent sector, and recently worked in Vietnam, Thailand, Chile and Brazil

When I am not working I love to spend time with my family and five grandchildren. I am a keen gardener, enjoy long walks with the dog, and am an avid reader. I endeavor to practise yoga regularly, although my good intent isn’t always matched by action. I taught yoga when I was young and know it is a real benefit if you can be disciplined to practise.

Judy Rider

Vice Chair of Trustees

I am delighted to be a Trustee at Future Schools Trust, having worked in different roles in education for over 38 years. I am a passionate and experienced educator with a vast body of knowledge of schools.

I grew up in a very working-class family and was the first in my family ever to take A levels, and to go on to university. I firmly believe that education and learning can transform lives and hold the key to successful futures for all our young people…and older ones too!

In my time I have been privileged enough to be a Headteacher of several secondary schools, an Executive Principal of a very challenging secondary school, and a CEO of a small Multi Academy Trust with a Higher Education sponsor. I have also worked for the Local Authority in an education role.

As a parent of a child with significant Special Educational Needs, and another child currently in secondary education, I understand only too well the immense challenges and pressures that our young people often face in school and in the wider society particularly with social media at the forefront of their minds. As a Trustee I believe my role is to ensure our schools at FST provide the best opportunities for our young people to be inspired and positively encouraged to be the best they can possibly be all within a caring, safe, and nurturing environment.

It is great to be working alongside other committed and talented Trustees and Governors – all working in a voluntary capacity – to provide support, challenge, and guidance to our talented team of senior leaders led by our passionate CEO.

I am continually inspired by the many young people, academy leaders and staff, that every day embrace the opportunities put before them to create our wonderful learning communities at FST.

Mrs McMahon

Headteacher

Cornwallis Academy

A warm welcome to the February edition of Cornwallis’ contribution to the Trust newsletter. As we approach the end of term, it’s lovely to reflect on all the excellent work achieved by our students. Once again, there’s a great deal to be proud of.

The Trust Sixth Form Taster Day

Year 11 students from Cornwallis and New Line Learning took part in the sixth form taster day. Students attended sessions from a variety of new and exciting post-16 subjects so they could experience, first hand, the interesting courses on offer at our Trust Sixth Form. We’re delighted to have already received a record number of applications. If your child has not yet applied and would like to, please click on the following link: https://www.kentprospectus.co.uk/courses/full-time-courses?provider=the-sixth-form-at-cornwallis-academy

Maidstone Day Centre for the homeless

Our school community also kindly supported Maidstone Day Centre’s food drive. The generous donations were greatly appreciated, so much so, the school received a letter from our local MP Helen Grant.

School Production - ‘Oliver!’

The success of our production ‘Oliver Jr!’ was a testament to the collaborative spirit, dedication, and talent that defines Cornwallis. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of this event, whether they were on stage, behind the scenes, or part of the enthusiastic audience. A standing ovation to our talented performers! Their hard work, commitment, and passion was evident in every line delivered, every note sung, and every dance move executed. Their performances were truly exceptional, and made us all immensely proud. Behind every great show is a team of dedicated staff - my sincere thanks to the Performing Arts department and numerous volunteers, who worked tirelessly to guide and inspire our students.

Fusion Café Cookery Course

This term, 10 students from Key Stage 4 have begun an 8-week cookery course at Fusion Café in Parkwood. Not only are students learning to cook low-cost, nutritional meals, but they are also completing a Level 1 qualification in Food & Hygiene. After cooking up their delights, students sit in the communal area to enjoy their meals. Some of the highlights so far this term include: carrot and coriander soup, chocolate fudge brownie and spaghetti bolognese. Students are really enjoying this new challenge, and the feedback from the staff at Fusion Café has been overwhelmingly positive.

We look forward to continuing our partnership with Fusion Café, as we progress further through the academic year.

Young Artist Awards

Congratulations to Lexie Chance and Dillon Masters from our Year 8 Art Scholarship group, who were selected to exhibit work in the Maidstone Young Artist Award - under 14 category. Congratulations also to Elle Rees from last year’s Year 13 A Level. Elle's sculpture was selected in the over 15 category.

Work was selected from hundreds of submissions from across Kent, and it is a wonderful achievement for students to exhibit in a public gallery. Their work has been displayed in Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery.

French & Spanish Performances

This term, some of our MFL students watched a Spanish performance and a French performance delivered by the International Theatre company, Onatti. Our students thoroughly enjoyed watching the productions in Spanish and French. The plays were interactive, funny and involved our students throughout. All students had a fantastic time!

Cornwallis’ Class Champions

As always, fantastic learning has taken place this term. Our Duke of Edinburgh students have been cooking up a storm. Students in year 7 have been exploring materials using graphite for their sketches and crafting different religious buildings.

As we approach the exam season, KS4 and 5 students have been focusing on their essay writing skills and revision. We look forward to seeing what term 4 will have in store!

Term 2 and 3 Sporting Results

Term 2 and 3 have again mainly consisted of football fixtures. Sports such as badminton, table tennis and basketball are scheduled for term 4.

1st XI Football

The team has had a successful season and has won the league for the first time.

The league table is below:

The team was knocked out of the English Schools Cup in the 2nd round, however they made progress in the Kent Cup by reaching the quarter-finals only being defeated by Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School 4-0.

Year 11 Football

vs St Augustine’s Academy

- Maidstone Schools’ Cup (League)

- Won 9-1

- Goal scorers – Mark Boruk (3), Thomas Piles (2), Harry Hawkett, Alfie Turner, Lennon Delaney, Own Goal

vs Norton Knatchbull GS

- Kent Schools’ Cup 3rd Round

- Lost 0-4

- Goal scorers – N/A

vs Claremont School

- English Schools Cup 3rd Round

- Lost 1-2

- Goal scorer – Mark Boruk

vs The Malling School

- Maidstone Schools Cup (League)

- Won 5-2

- Goal scorers – Harry Hawkett (2), Freddy Preston-McLeod, Lennon Delaney, Mark Boruk

vs St Simon Stock

- Maidstone Schools Cup (League)

- Won 4-1

- Goal scorers – Mark Boruk (2), Lennon Delaney, Harry Hawkett

vs Kings School 2nd XI

- Friendly

- Won 2-0

- Goal scorers – Mark Boruk, Thomas Piles

Season Overview

Maidstone Schools’ Cup – Currently in 1st Place in group B and well placed to make the Semi-Finals.

Kent Schools’ Cup – Knocked out in the 3rd Round

English Schools’ Cup – Knocked out in the 3rd Round

Played 9 - Won 7 - Drawn 0 - Lost 2

Year 9 Football

Year 9 beat New Line Learning 2-1 and also received a bye from Maplesden in the Maidstone Schools’ league competition.

Year 8 Football

Year 8 beat Norton Knatchbull 3-1 in a friendly and lost 3-1 to SST in the Maidstone Schools’ League.

Rugby

The year 9, 10 and 11 rugby teams have made the district final. These year groups will face the Malling School in the final. Year 9 and 11 games had their finals postponed due to frozen pitches – they have been rescheduled for the start of term 4. Year 10 play their final next Wednesday 7th February at Aylesford rugby club.

Year 7 were knocked out of the competition and year 8 have made the plate competition with their 3-way tie games against St. Simon Stock and New Line learning occurring at Aylesford Rugby Club on Wednesday 31st January.

On behalf of all Cornwallis staff, I would like to wish our entire FST community a restful half term break and enjoy spending time with your loved ones.

Take care,

Mrs McMahon - Headteacher

Ms Mackie

Head of School

New Line Learning Academy

Terms 1 to 3 have been filled with hard work, excitement and challenge and I know that as we approach half term; pupils, staff and parents will be ready for the break. The New Line Learning community are incredibly proud of how our pupils have believed and achieved by engaging in more challenging learning, a wider range of Pathways and the extensive extra- curricular opportunities that have been made available to them. We ended term 2 with lots of fun provided by the pupil- led charity events and two separate cast pantomimes, whilst Year 11 have demonstrated determination and resilience as they prepare for their next set of mock exams.

We returned after the Christmas break with renewed energy and a shared commitment between all stakeholders to raise expectations and aspirations. I would like to thank everyone for their consistent effort in supporting this drive towards our shared value of creating a ‘community of excellence’.

Pupil voice is really important to us at New Line Learning, over the last three terms we have sought feedback from pupils and have been using this to support us in school improvement. We are proud to share that our pupils feel safe and enjoy school. They have reported that they would recommend New Line to a friend. Feedback includes: the staff really care, there are lots of people to help you if you need it, they love their pathway sessions and they really like how the teachers help them to access their learning by making it fun and engaging. They feel listened to and they can see changes that have been made in response to their feedback. The pupil voice have expressed that they would like more outdoor, undercover seating areas as well as activities to become involved in during lunch. We will explore this further with the pupil council during terms 4 and 5.

As we move into Term 4, we would again like to stress the importance of daily attendance to school. It is vital that pupils maintain no less than 95% over the school year. There is clear research that demonstrates that poor school attendance directly correlates to poor performance. We have many strategies in place to support pupils and families with attendance to school. Perhaps the most exciting, is the chance to win some high end prizes at the end of each term. Entry into these prizes draws will be based on those who have 95+% attendance and also those who have the most improved attendance. You have to be ‘in it, to win it!’

Mr Siggs

Headteacher

Tiger Primary School

In the last edition of the trust newsletter (October 2023) we had just been awarded our "Good" by Ofsted. Following that, we held a 'Celebration Week' filled with exciting learning opportunities and activities. One of the highlights was a whole-school drone shot, capturing the vibrant spirit and unity of our Tiger community. Additionally, we had a visit from ZooLab, where our children had the chance to meet and learn about a variety of fascinating animals. Circus workshops and Virtual Reality (VR) workshops were also organised, allowing our children to explore new and captivating experiences.

Furthermore, I am pleased to inform you that we have been working diligently to embed 'The Tiger Way' into our school culture. Introduced at the beginning of the academic year, 'The Tiger Way' outlines our expectations for behaviour and conduct. We teach this ethos through virtual assemblies each week and ensure that it is consistently modelled by all staff throughout the day. To learn more about 'The Tiger Way', please visit our website where you will find comprehensive information.

Looking ahead to term 4, we have some exciting news to share with you. We will be installing a brand-new pod on our playground, which will provide us with two new additional intervention spaces. This will greatly benefit all our children as we will be able to offer additional learning groups and interventions, enhancing their educational experience.

In addition, we are proud to provide numerous opportunities for our children to play an active role in school life through our pupil leadership team. We have head students, house captains, school council members, community ambassadors, and an eco-committee. Starting from term 4, our community ambassadors and eco-committee will meet regularly to discuss ways in which we can actively participate in our local community, promote kindness towards others, and foster environmental stewardship.

Mrs Oliver

Nursery Manager

Tiger Cubs Day Nursery

A big thank you to the staff, parents and children who have given me a warm welcome back in Term 2, I am very excited to join the Trust again and have many aspirations for the Nursery.

Throughout Term 2, we made a fantastic start to positive change within the nursery and one of these was implementing a development plan on the areas that we need to work on. Some of the actions included:

Implementing ‘Next Steps’ for every child, this is to allow all staff the opportunity to develop a child’s overall development.
Designing and implementing a rich curriculum that provides positive outcomes for all children.
Enhancing partnership with parents, through parents' evenings, sharing mornings and events throughout the year.

We had our first parents' evening in November and had an amazing turn out. Over 85% booked an appointment and spoke with their key worker. The evening was very informative, and parents commented on how well their meeting went. Parents' evening will now take place twice a year, once in the autumn term and once in the spring term. Thank you to all our parents who came, and for your continued support. If you do have any suggestions for improving the evening, please do speak to me.

As a team, we have discussed our nursery environment and ways to improve learning. Going forward, we will be following the Curiosity Approach by bringing awe and wonder into each room. We will be removing all plastics as much as we can and will be using natural resources. So, what is the Curiosity Approach? The clue is in the name, to ignite a child’s natural curiosity to explore the world around them.

Instead of directing children, and telling them what to do, the curiosity approach is based on child-led learning. Therefore, children make their own choices, and figure things out for themselves which leads to enhanced confidence, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

The approach draws ideas from other philosophies of early education including Reggio Emilia, Montessori, Pikler, and Steiner. It aims to create children who are ‘thinkers and doers’ instead of passive learners who simply follow the direction of an adult.

By creating active learners, children are more engaged in their environment and have a lot more fun. They are in charge of their own development and choose activities that ignite their interests.

This is where we need your support. Are you having a spring clean or a declutter? If so, can you help us with the following resources:

Lamps - floor lamps or bedside table lamps
Metal teapots/milk jugs
Metal Pots and Pans
Mobile phones
Curtain hooks: Wooden and metal
Green/Beige/Brown/Natural Rug/Cushions
Adult hats (bowler, straw, baseball)
Unique adult shoes, clogs, beaded slip ons,
Old phone – buttons
Hairdryer
Straighteners
Wicker chair
Bead necklaces/wooden bracelets
Wooden cup holder
Wooden bowls
Vintage suitcase
Outfits from around the world
Place mats
Coffee tins
Costume jewellery
Plastic jars/Herb spices
Large metal keys
Tools, small screwdrivers, hammers, trowel,
Small brooms, brushes,
Small gardening tools

Any donations will be greatly received, if you could email me, I will arrange a collection.

Mr Smith

Head of the Gateway

The Gateway

Year 11 GCSE preparations:

Gateway hit the ground running in term 2 with our Year 11 students completing their mock exams in English Literature, English Language, Maths, Biology and Citizenship. To best prepare students, we aim to simulate the real GCSE exam experience by introducing our breakfast club, using the same room and examination invigilator that will work with our students for the summer GCSEs. This helps to alleviate some of the anxieties that our students have by giving them an understanding of the exam procedure and expectations. A big well done to all Year 11 students, with all our learners behaving in a respectful and mature manner.

Core and GCSE subjects:

Last term we covered some fascinating topics across the school. In Citizenship, learners linked current events to help explore the UK’s role in international organisations such as NATO and the United Nations. Science reviewed the circulatory system and components and function of blood, with learners producing diagrams and leaflets to reflect their understanding. In line with the Christmas period, English studied Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, using audio and visual sources to help understand and unpick the core theme and characters in the text. Maths lessons have been reviewing shapes using transformations and graphs, a skill often used in practical trades such as construction.

Vocational studies:

In Art, Miss Dennis and KS3 students have been exploring the DaDa art movement and the artist Hannah Hoch. They created their own artist page and unusual collage techniques to build interesting characters. We also enjoyed crafting at Christmas, making cards and Christmas wreaths that could be gifted to family, friends and loved ones.

Careers:

KS4 have been completing their Careers lessons and applying for local College courses and apprenticeships, as they begin to prepare for life after leaving Gateway this summer. Students have also been exploring their individual skills and qualities to help create CVs, helping them gain work experience and access the world of work.

Miss Cates (who makes the cakes) has been cooking with our KS3 and KS4 learners, as well as looking at the importance of food safety and hygiene, a transferable skill to use at home and beyond. Students have made a variety of cakes and savouries, pizza, pasta, bread and much more.

Motivational Mentoring:

We have been incredibly fortunate to have a local entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker Adrian Webster volunteer at Gateway. Adrian has been supporting and guiding our students, exploring his ‘13 Steps to Success’. Each Friday, students engage with fun and interactive activities that look at unlocking their potential and putting to rest self-doubt that can hamper us from taking important risks that move us forward in life. For example, in one session, students have overcome fears by eating (edible) bugs and identified and celebrated their own unique qualities that make them stand out from the crowd.

Charity Support:

Our female students were invited to participate in a KCC supported project that included a talk from ‘Reach Every Generation’. This is a charity that supports young people who may be at risk of criminal exploitation, serious violence and gangs. Assumptions are often made that young males are the main targets for county line gang exploitations. This talk highlighted ways and examples where young females may be exploited by gang members. This provided important information for our students, that will help keep them safe and provide them with the knowledge needed to spot signs that may lead to exploitation. Miss Dennis was extremely proud and impressed with the questions that our young female students had for the professionals, and the mature manner in which they conducted themselves.

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