Literacy at Wilmington

Top AR Students

Number of books borrowed from the LRC this year: 3233

Service As Action

Over the last two modules, MYP pupils have been focused on helping their community in Dartford and engaging in issues that affect their local area.  During module 1, the area of focus was on homelessness in Dartford and included  amazing projects such as charity donations and letters sent to local businesses for help.

In module 2, all staff and students were invited to participate in a charity donation drive for the Trussell Trust and Dartford Food Bank. A wide variety of items were donated in the form of clothing, food, games and more!  All of these items are going directly to the charities and will immediately impact those that need it most at this special time of year. A big thank you to everyone who donated items; your kindness is greatly appreciated.

MYP Cultural Awareness @ Wilmington

If we are to preserve culture, we must continue to create it.

Johan Huizinga

So far this year, we have relaunched Cultural Awareness with a focus on what culture actually is; this will help to introduce it to our new students joining MYP.  We introduced the role of a cultural anthropologist and how considering this role as a career can take students to fantastic places as well as afford them a more comprehensive understanding of the world! Students have embraced the subject with great enthusiasm. Following our introduction, we focused on and discussed Black History Month. Students were given the opportunity to enter a national poetry competition run by Black History Month, a national publication magazine and website that encourages students to ‘dig deeper, look closer, think bigger.’  Watch this space for any students who make the shortlist with their poetry focusing on ‘Saluting Our Sisters!’ which celebrates the contributions of black women in all areas of public life and service to their communities.

At the end of Module 1’s  'Cultural Awareness' programme, students voted on a culture they would like to research in more depth. The winner was Japan, with 48% of the overall votes. We have taken a look at different aspects of culture within Japan, and students have now embarked upon their own research projects, using their student agency skills to explore an area of culture that is of interest to them, and they will present it to others in a format of their choosing. These are due in January and the students have been very eager to get started and are excited to be entering into a competition to win prizes and a chance to go on a reward trip in Module 6! 

Something new this year was a cultural awareness focus for Year 10 Action Day. On October 9th,  students spent the day exploring culture, identity and diversity through the lens of Rastafarianism. Students were invited to explore the rich history of Rastafari and explore how it has developed over the years to incorporate lots of cultures. It was also a platform to address some misconceptions and listen to the experiences of people from the Rastafari community e.g. Kai Davis and Marquita Oliver. Students also explored the music and key individuals of Rastafarianism before carrying out their own investigation into an aspect that interested them. It was a very positive day and students were very forthcoming with their reflections on the day. 

As part of the reflections, students were asked two key questions. Below are some responses colour-coded by their college:

1: How has studying Rastafarianism changed the way you think about history and cultures?

“It has made me think of how people express their religions. It doesn’t always have to be obvious.”

“It has made me think that Jamaican and African culture is connected because of Rastafarianism. There are more connections that you realise on the surface.”

“It made me more aware of the different cultures and how they live their lives. It can be quite difficult to do this when there are a lot of other influences.

2: What is one thing you have learnt today that you didn’t know before?

“I had no idea how big Rastafarianism is or how big a commitment it is to become Rasta.”

“I didn’t realise that dreadlocks were an expression of faith and not just a style choice. It has a deeper meaning than just hair.”

“I finally understand what Rastamouse was about as little kid! It was about the religion of Rasta and how the values are ones that everyone can follow. The qualities are global even if they don’t realise it.”

Culture Day

Culture Day, held on Wednesday, 6th December, was a vibrant celebration that brought together post 16’s diverse community.

We, as Post-16 students, found that it was necessary to celebrate this day in order to appreciate the range of cultures within our midst. We organised captivating cultural stalls, creating an immersive experience for the younger students from Years 7 and 8 who attended the event accompanied by their class teachers. These stalls went beyond providing information, offering an engaging and interactive journey into diverse cultures.

The cultural stalls were thoughtfully set up, featuring information about various traditions, customs, and histories. We took pride in showcasing the richness of our cultural backgrounds ; presenting vibrant displays and dressing in our traditional clothing items. Each stall became a mini-exhibition, capturing and exploring a particular culture. As the students explored the different cultural displays, they were exposed to new information and  were invited to participate in the festivities actively. From language lessons to national anthem singing lessons, the stalls became hubs of learning and creativity.

One of the highlights was the culinary section, where students could try diverse foods. We went above and beyond, offering food that ranged from  Nigerian Jollof Rice to Filipino Adobo Chicken. The younger students eagerly sampled these dishes, fostering a sensory exploration of diverse cuisines.The food stalls became hubs of cultural exchange. We shared our culinary traditions and so engaged in conversations ; answering questions and fostering a sense of unity through the universal language of food. This interaction transformed the event into a dynamic and enriching experience for all participants!

Culture day celebrated diversity and served as an educational platform, breaking down cultural barriers and promoting understanding. We hope it left a lasting impression on both the younger students and their class teachers, creating a sense of appreciation for the cultural diversity in the school community.

Post 16 Students 

IB Careers Programme Service Learning

Culture Day Cookbook 

As a part of our IBCP course, we developed a cookbook compiling recipes from students and faculties to go alongside our Culture Day event. We wanted to create a sense of community in school to bring together foods from different cultures and heritages in one accessible format.  Finally, it was also significant that we raised awareness of different diverse cultures in our school environment and celebrated them in the form of food, something which is universally known for bringing people together. 

Ella, Ashini, Diana (Year 13)

Business Engagement

It has been a fantastic start in the new academic year where we have continued to engage with existing and new employers to bring these businesses in for personal development and opportunities to our students at Wilmington. The students are finding more information about the world of work and are already thinking about what they plan to do in their future career.  Here are some of the events held at the school during module one and two:

Lloyds Banking Group - Cyber Security - Year 10

In October, the Lloyds Banking Group from the Cyber Security team came in and delivered a careers talk about the way cyber security protects customers from financial loss and data breaches. It was an educational and engaging experience for the year 10 students to hear all about cyber security around the world and how the banks deal with them. Students were engaged throughout the event with some shocking facts that they didn’t know for example:  over £1.2billion stolen through fraud in 2022, with nearly 80% App fraud cases starting online.               

Business Breakfast meeting - November 2023

We had 16 businesses at the breakfast meeting with presentations from Darent Valley Hospital, NHS and the T level students from Health and Management and Administration course.  There was a Q&A throughout the meeting and an opportunity for the businesses to hear about how the T Level students are progressing on the course.  The meeting was supported by our school governors.

ExCel Skills London

Our Year 12 students went to the London ExCel for the Skills London Exhibition, where they met employers from different industries.  At the exhibition there were: British Army, Hilton group, Transport for London, British Airways, Royal Navy, Amazon, Sky, KPMG to name a few who were offering advice to students about apprenticeship programmes, employment opportunities etc.

Tree Planting @ Wilmington

Wellbeing @ Wilmington

Agencies you may seek support from over the Winter Break:

Maths

We have made a positive start to the year, with years 7-9 beginning their journey on the MYP course and year 10 and year 11 following the GCSE content. Welcome our new year 7s who have now completed their baseline assessment and have successfully settled into their new sets. Year 8 and 9 have returned this year and continue their MYP journey, making a great start to this year. While year 10 students have begun their GCSE journey  in a positive manner .  Finally, the year 11  students are focused and looking forward  to completing the course this year.  A huge well done to our Y11s for completing  the first  set of MOCK exams!

Lingfield Horse Racing Trip

Our year 7 students at Wilmington Academy were invited by 'Racing to School' to go to Lingfield Racecourse in Surrey. This was an exciting opportunity in which students got to focus on horse racing and the use of maths within it. Students observed jockey weigh-ins, measure the distances horses run, find out about converting metric to imperial units and finally to watch horse races live. Due to the year 7s being outstanding and having a great time, we have been invited again next year for another opportunity! 

What’s Next?

UK Maths Challenge:

A massive well done from the maths department and Wilmington Academy to Gladys from Y11  who was awarded a certificate in the UK Mathematical Olympiad. What a wonderful achievement, congratulations and well done! We look forward to more students having the opportunity to take part in the future.

English

It has been a busy start to the year for the English department and our students, with lots of engaging texts and new knowledge being acquired. Year 7 has been studying the remarkable true story of Salva Dut in ‘A Long Walk to Water’.The engagement of our students with this text has been inspiring and they have been asking some amazing questions and doing some brilliant independent research. The students have engaged in pairs and groups to create a special Cultural/Community  project which consolidated their learning for this topic and we would love it if they shared them with all those at home as well. This activity allowed our students to display student agency at its best! Well done to all Y7s for their wonderful project work!  

Private Peaceful  has captured the imaginations of our year 8 students and they have been producing some incredible pieces of creative writing this module. They have been working on their use of different techniques and how to create an engaging piece of descriptive writing whilst still building in moments of action.

Year 9 have commenced using the Sparx- Reader platform to improve their reading and comprehension skills; they have approached this new challenge with grit and purpose and are enjoying the competition element against their fellow classmates. This focus on literacy and reading has been further supported by the post-16 students running the book fair recently. This was a huge success and our students are very lucky to have had this opportunity. We hope they enjoyed it as much as we did!

Sparks Reader English Competition

Y9/A2 has led the way for this module with a total of 129 hours of reading in under 3 weeks - a huge well done!

Y9/A1 - achieved 2nd place with a total of 97 hours of reading so far.

Y9/J1 - have clenched 3rd place with 85 hours of reading in total.

Wilmington Team English have also achieved a fantastic accolade in the ‘LAT trust Sparks-Reader Competition’. Our Y9 students have achieved  the highest average reading minutes across the entire LAT trust for 3 weeks running and we are hoping to maintain this successful streak in the next module! 

Our GCSE year groups have hit the ground running with their studies and are off to a flying start! The year 10 groups have been busy studying the horrors and tragedy of Macbeth and are currently working on their 19th century novel; whether that be the complex and mysterious world of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or the warm and mystical environment of A Christmas Carol. Year 11 students have survived their first round of mocks, and we have been so impressed by the drive and dedication they have shown us when working towards their goals. Revision sessions have been a huge success and the opportunity for our students to expand and perfect their knowledge is invaluable when focusing on their exams. 

The debate club competed in their first competition against some very tricky private schools recently. They were debating whether esports should be considered real sports, which we wholeheartedly believe they should be, and the team did an amazing job at getting their points across. They showed brilliant determination during the preparation and spent lots of time researching their topic so that they could approach the competition with steely confidence. We are very proud of them!

A fantastic descriptive writing response by Harry ( Y7)  in Jupiter!

The glowing sunlight struck my vision, shining proudly over the cobbled streets of Gozo. Mountains marked the leaf-green landscape and clouds floated lazily toward the horizon. Marvelling, I traipsed across the path that lined the rocky peak like a snake growing ever tighter. The rumbling ocean sparkled onto the golden sands, the market murmurings beyond, muffling the seas’ melodic tune. Wondering of the nature of the grand hill I stood upon, pure curiosity led me to a jagged hole in the base of the peak. 

“No time like the present,” I murmured as I stepped into the darkness. 

Water. My legs splashed through the dim tunnel, moisture in the air sticking to my clothes ; to my skin. Finally, gleaming sunlight shone once again, dispelling the dreary atmosphere. I emerged into a stone clearing, sapphire-blue water creating a gentle lapping sound all around me. Rays of sun pierced through minuscule holes in my damp surroundings, giving the floor a sun-flecked pattern that stretched to each wall. Fighting the urge to fall asleep to the gentle waves, my eyes floated over each small detail and the tiny beauty that chequered the clearing. 

“Wow,” I whispered. 

Leaving the cave, my next desire pulled me towards the bustling marker that pulsed with chatter and laughter. Vibrant stalls painted the town with a colourful atmosphere and offers were yelled from desperate sellers. Beyond the stalls, there was a collection of fancy and decadent restaurants, marking each corner with menus and waiters. Golden light flooded the town and covered it with a shawl of orange and yellow. 

When the shining light sun dipped below the horizon, the opal-white ferry traversed the gleaming golden sea that reflected the rays of the dying sun. Clouds joined together then parted in a sombre farewell to the daylight. Gozo faded into the twilight and the mountains reached up to the clouds. 

Before long, Malta floated lazily into view, welcoming the travellers back into its gentle grasp. 

Gradually, the ferry meets the dock, the citizens filter freely onto the streets. The last of the sunlight bled onto the city pathways, turning them a harsh crimson. Night reigns

Science

On the 19th September, Ms Thomas and Mrs Rowley took a group of students to Wildwood to carry out some field techniques as part of their IB in Biology course of study. Wildwood is a wildlife centre focusing on breeding native species and re-wilding them. The students undertook ecological surveys of two areas and randomly sampled the species present in and around the woodland areas. They also had the opportunity to observe the centre's species in a woodland setting, as they were led around by the ranger.The field work and techniques the students used on the day were relevant to their course of study and covered a lot of the content that they study for ecology. It was a great visit and the students had a worthwhile experience. 

Wilmington E-sports 

Esports at Wilmington Academy continues to go from strength to strength since our return in September. 

Our new updated and larger Esports on-site arena (the largest in a school in the UK) has opened and is up and running for the BTEC Esports students and Esports Teams to compete and learn within. We were provided sponsorship from Corsair for the lighting system alongside wall decals by Adplan Creative which has made the space the envy of any school !

The Esports BTEC students were taken on a trip to the College of Esports University situated in the Velodrome at the Olympic Park in London. This was a fantastic opportunity for the pupils to see what an Esports Degree pathway looks like and enabled them to see where broadcast and production alongside gameplay were held on-site. The pupils were also given a presentation about the impact of Esports and how a professional team is run by Lionscreed. This also included a presentation by a professional caster and YouTuber FoxDropLOL who has over a million followers online. 

The school teams continue to be led by pupils across year groups, providing an incredible student agency for those involved. We have four PC-based teams, one Street Fighter Team, and two SIM racing seats competing weekly in the British Esports Student Championships. We are delighted to say that we were the fastest SIM racing team in the UK and therefore got the first pick of our team to race for. Being a Williams-supported event there was only one choice for us. We look forward to going back up to Williams headquarters for the live LAN finals!

The after-school Esports extracurricular activities have seen a huge uptake of numbers which has been brilliant to see. As always, we are on the lookout for more team members, so please do check SOCS and come along.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Joseph S (Year 9) who has become our resident Shout Caster for our weekly games. Joseph calls and clips the game via Twitch providing commentary on the match itself. Moving forward, Joseph has an opportunity to work alongside Williams to co-commentate on a live sim race which will be a fantastic learning opportunity for him. 

Joyeux Noël! ¡ Feliz Navidad! and Happy Christmas from team MFL! 

There have been some changes to the department  as we have welcomed a brand new Director of Learning to the team. If you haven’t already met him, you may have heard him on the top floor of Apollo !  Mr Luret is a French specialist from Paris and has already had such a positive impact on the department and school. No need to worry, Dr Fernández hasn’t gone far and is now our MFL Lead Practitioner. She has lots of exciting things planned for the International School Award, including potential connections with schools around the globe! We have also been so lucky to welcome Mrs M’Bolo to our team who is also a French specialist.

We started the academic year off with our annual celebration for European Day of Languages, which was a complete hit with our pupils. Students had a quiz to complete during tutor time as well as the opportunity to watch the infamous “Let it Go” being sung in 25 different languages. It was amazing to see how many pupils could guess the languages just by hearing them. 

Finally, we would like to congratulate all of our pupils for continuing to complete their weekly Languagenut homework to such a high standard. The platform is still proving to be a hit with the pupils and has meant  that their vocabulary knowledge is even better than ever. A huge congratulations to our Languagenut champions who have been topping the leaderboard over the course of modules 1 and 2 : Y7 French Deyvid H,  Y7 Spanish Ava H,  Y8 French Charlotte L,  Y8 Spanish Alex K,  Y9 French Riley O,  Y9 Spanish Iuliana N, Y10 French Sophia W and our Y10 Spanish Joshua P, they have all received Amazon vouchers for their hard work. Congratulations to all! 

Have a wonderful Christmas and don’t forget to eat your 12 grapes on New Year's Eve!

The historians of Wilmington Academy have made excellent strides in their learning so far this year. The year 7 cohort have been showing off their excellent knowledge garnered from Primary school and have made a wonderful start to the MYP history curriculum looking at Britain’s early history and first settlers through to William’s arrival and conquest of England after the battle of Hastings in 1066. At the same time our youngest historians have been developing their inquiry skills and making powerful connections from the country’s history and how it has helped shape our society in the modern day. 

In module one, Y8  students have been investigating the British Empire and its impact . They have explored  the starting of the Triangular Trade Route and enslavement of people from West Africa to the Americas and Caribbean. It has been key to ensure that students are aware of the brutality and barbaric nature of this terrible point as recent events have demonstrated , that we are still to come to terms properly with our colonial past.  In module two, students have been  looking at more in-depth investigations into the British Empire’s impact in India and Australia. In assessments they have been using their devices to research and write on whether this impact, in both of these colonies, was positive or negative thus developing and improving their critical thinking and writing skills. 

Year 9 began the year with a thematic study on Migration to Britain, allowing each class to explore different groups and their stories, looking at the Protestant Huguenots desperate escape from Catholic persecution, to more local area studies of the Empire Windrush generation and their treatment and contribution to the country. In module two we have turned our attention to the Rise of Dictators, taking past examples and comparing and contrasting their methods of seizing power and control with some of the worst regimes from Hitler’s control of the Nazi Party up to Muammar Gaddafi’s use of terror and violence to ensure his position as supreme leader in Libya. 

Our GCSE cohort in Y10 have started their studies in earnest, covering the major parts of the Medicine in Britain course, pondering the many different theories that people had in the Medieval and Renaissance periods about why people got sick (was it all punishment from God? Did the stars and planets control how we felt?) and looking at case studies on the Great Plague and into the recent Industrial Era and the advancement of science and technology. Their assessments have been based on GCSE exam style questions enabling them to enhance their understanding of the detail and arguments needed as they make their way in their studies. 

The 20th Century has been the main area of study for the  Y11s as they come to grips with the heightened tension and paranoia of the Cold War, focusing on key events in the 45 year history of the USSR and USAs battle for control and influence that almost brought the about the end of the world as we know it. Having already sat their mocks, we hope the group have now had a valuable experience and are gearing up for the real  exam in only a few short months. 

Our Y12 students have settled into their IB studies well and have kickstarted IB History by studying the Civil Rights Protest in America as well as the rivalries and tensions of the Cold War. Year 13 students have been finalising their final drafts for their Internal Assessment as well as looking at Imperial Russia and the Origins of the First World War. A massive well done for their hard work in their recent mock exams - we hope their hard work shines through in the mock results as well as in the real exams! 

The History team would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and we cannot wait to welcome back our historians in 2024. 

Year 7 started off their careers by investigating the geography of the UK, looking at famous landmarks around the UK. They then progressed onto an investigation on how sustainable Wilmington Academy is, as well as looking at ways we can improve our environmental friendliness.

Meanwhile, Y8 students have been studying earthquakes - looking at the reasons they occur, the impacts they have, and strategies for reducing these effects. Students completed a research task investigating which strategy is best. They have then moved on to looking at resource pressure on a national and global scale. With this information, students can look to the future, investigating the best ways to ensure we have enough resources for the current generation, as well as future generations. 

Similarly, Y9 has investigated major natural hazards, looking at the UK's extreme weather and tropical storms. We looked at the increasing frequency and severity of weather hazards in the UK, ranging from the Beast from the East in 2018 to Storm Eunice and last year’s record-breaking heatwave, linking to our local geography since we looked at why the fire on Dartford Heath may have occurred. In module 2, Y9 switched focus, instead looking at the changing rural and urban landscapes of the UK, as well as why places like the Hebrides are suffering due to a declining population in these rural areas.

Year 10 students have been sinking their teeth into the GCSE Geography curriculum, having almost completed the entirety of their first Paper 1 topic - Natural Hazards. This was through the lens of inquiry-based learning of real-world issues. They will then move on to Urban Issues and Challenges in preparation for their London Docklands Fieldwork trip later in the academic year.

At the other end of the GCSE spectrum, Year 11 students are coming to the end of their Geographical studies, rounding off their learning with Rivers and the Changing Economic World - the last two topics they need for their exams. After successfully navigating their mock exams before Christmas, we are in a very comfortable position for the New Year, wherein we are primed and ready to focus on our revision of key topics and development of key exam skills.

Our newest Year 12 students have settled into the IBDP life very quickly, exploring various topics, including Freshwater and Food & Health. They have diligently investigated these topics, perhaps being the most hardworking year 12s the Geography department has ever seen (Sorry Year 13s!)

The highlight for Year 13 students will be the Internal Assessment investigation, where they had the chance to head to three locations along the river Darent to take measurements - the first time they have been able to conduct Fieldwork due to the pandemic. Despite the inclement weather and some rogue cows trying to help with the measurements, they braved the elements and got stuck in. 

In Design & Technology, our MYP-Design students have been exploring Japanese culture through a diverse range of projects across the disciplines of Design, Engineering and Food & Hospitality. This culminated in an exhibition and showcase of the students’ work at this year’s recent Open Evening event. Parents, students and visitors to the academy were all invited to see and experience the products that our year 7 and 8 students had produced themselves before going on to taste the Japanese food that our KS4 catering students prepared live on the night. Consequently,  one visiting parent of a year 6 prospective student enthused: “This is so exciting and unique, it really stands out amongst all the other schools we have been to, you really get the sense of an international awareness”.

In their catering lessons, our students have been exploring Japanese preparation and cooking techniques to produce sushi, noodles, gyozas and Japanese Tamagoyaki-rolled omelettes. Thanks to a grant we were awarded from the Great Britain SASAKAWA foundation, pupils have been able to use Yutaka sushi rolling mats, bamboo steamers, Japanese chefs knives and Tamagoyaki-ki frying pans. This has enriched our students’ palette and helped them to appreciate Japanese culture whilst developing a wide range of new skills that will enhance the dishes they go on to create in the future. 

In their MYP-Design lessons, students have been using sustainably managed forest pine together with reclaimed and recycled hardwoods to produce their own Japanese ‘Geta’ serving boards to serve the Japanese dishes that they have learnt to make in their MYP-Design Catering lessons. Pupils have individually worked through the complete design cycle, by initially independently researching, analysing their research, to inform their design development, before they then made their chosen design and evaluated the outcome. A selection of these Geta boards were on display and in use for our showcase event.

In their MYP-Design Engineering lessons,our students have conducted their own site visit to a small plot of land that Mr Gore has offered  to create and build a Japanese inspired ‘Garden of Reflection.’ The information pupils gained from this primary research helped them to elicit and present their own scale designs for the space. With input and guidance from a professional architect, our year 7s produced their own Computer-Aided Design virtual models on their Chromebook devices. Some of the students’ designs have already been made and we are hoping that upon completion of this project, that it can be officially opened by the summer of 2024! 

Afterschool Clubs

This year, the increased number of participants attending after school clubs has been fantastic and we are delighted to see the number of students across all year groups attending. This has allowed the P.E. staff to enter into more fixtures giving students the opportunity to participate in a sport, which they might not be able to do outside of school.

Netball 

Netball club at Wilmington Academy has been a huge hit this year, being popular amongst many of our students  across both KS3 and KS4. It has been so great to see so many students (new and old) continuing to show their commitment to Netball and their eagerness to improve and play. This term, all our Netball girls across year 7 to year 10 have represented the talent we have at Wilmington, evident from the success we have achieved with all of our Netball teams. All our girls should be so proud of their competition achievements and the improvements they are consistently making in our Netball club each week. It is so inspiring to see such high levels of enthusiasm, motivation and effort, even when they are sometimes playing on outdoor courts in cold English weather ! In conclusion, one last huge ‘shoutout’ to a handful of our wonderful year 9 and 10 students who have been leading fun, engaging Netball sessions and sharing their Netball experiences to the lovely year 7 and 8s. It is so amazing to see the older students taking on different roles and responsibilities to help support, encourage and coach the younger students to success; a fantastic testament to student agency at the academy! Keep up the hard work girls and parents keep an eye out as I am positive that the success and achievements will continue into the next year!

Girls’  Football

Our amazing girl- footballers have had a very successful start to the year. It is stunning to have over twenty girls regularly take part in football club and after school fixtures.  Our outstanding year 7s and year 8s attended 5 side tournaments at the Leigh Academy, with both year 8 teams reaching the final stages and claiming first place! Well done!  In addition, our year 7 girls performed fantastically reaching second place. Our year 7 team has also been incredibly successful in the second round of Kent Cup, beating Bonus Pastor 6-0. All 11 of the girls who contributed to this win, displayed amazing team work, passion and stunning skills.  We are truly proud of  you all!

Boys’ Football

The boys football teams have also got off to a great start to the new school year. The teams in year 7,8 & 9 have all now had at least 2 fixtures each, with a range of different pupils playing in each game. Regardless of the results, it is always fantastic to see our pupils applying their IB traits outside of the classroom. Their communication and team working skills always shine through. 

“Christmas Day is in our grasp, as long as we have hands to clasp! Christmas Day will always be, just as long as we have we! Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart and hand in hand!” 

Dr. Seuss

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” 

Aesop

NCS 

The start of this academic year saw the NCS residential trip. Our new Year 12 students took part in the NCS programme as part of their induction into Post 16 - 2023. As part of the programme they participated in a number of different activities whilst on a four night residential at Grosvenor Hall Activity Centre in Ashford. Activities included obstacle courses, trust exercises, climbing and problem solving. Students then took part in a social action project, where they discussed how to raise awareness and money for charity. All the students did extremely well and were a credit to Post 16.

Christmas Tea Dance

The IBCP year 12 pupils will be running the ‘Christmas Tea Dance’. Students will manage the event which will be hosted in the Lecture Theatre. The retirement community of Wilmington will be attending as well as students from Milestone Academy. This is sure to be an enjoyable afternoon, bringing the community together in the spirit of Christmas.  The aim of this dance is to raise money for The Cottage Community, an independent registered charity providing a day centre and hot meals, lunch clubs, activities, transport and shopping trips for elderly and frail clients over the state retirement age.

Year 13 University Trip

The visit to Canterbury Christ Church University was aimed at giving students the opportunity to explore a small campus environment and find out a bit more about the courses on offer and new facilities that have recently opened. The day consisted of sessions where students could hear from University ambassadors about their experience, a campus tour and a UCAS application workshop. Not only did the visit allow students to identify courses of interest but they were able to ask questions to the ambassadors about the application process and what to include in their personal statements. Students returned from the visit with an excitement for applying to university and it has motivated them to be more dedicated and focused on what they need to do to achieve the entry requirements for their desired degree course.

Reach for the Stars

We are delighted to announce the launch of our successful rewards programme ‘Reach for the Stars’ for Year 12 and 13s. This has proved an excellent motivational tool in the past to help support and encourage exam students to strive for the best grades possible, whilst earning rewards along the way.

The programme is used to motivate and engage students in the run up to exams, where all students can achieve rewards for their effort in class, attendance at school and attendance at revision sessions. Students can monitor their progress via their key stage ‘Reach for the Stars’ tracker and rewards range from a ‘fast-track’ lunch pass, food from our restaurant, a Bluewater or Amazon voucher, or a VIP Ballot for a chance to win a £100 Bluewater or Amazon voucher

London Skills

On Friday 24th November we attended the London Skills Show; This is London’s biggest jobs and careers event.  It gave pupils an opportunity to speak to exhibitors and leading employers and gain advice and guidance on potential career paths that they may not have thought of, considered, or even knew existed. The Mayor of London supports the event and is helping young people from all backgrounds to bridge the gap between what they enjoy doing, and finding their future career path.

Return in the New Year

School returns on Wednesday 3 January 2024 at 8:30am.

(Please note: Students will go straight to Form Time at the start of the day).

Key Dates