From the Headteacher
Welcome to our tenth newsletter of the term. I do hope that you find these short publications useful.
The situation in Ukraine remains distressing. Anyone wanting to support the humanitarian appeal can make a financial donation through the Disasters Emergency Committee. A financial donation to a registered charity is usually the best means of getting support to the areas of most need.
Donating goods is best done through a charity experienced in supporting such appeals. Be careful about which charity you choose as some are not genuine. You can check a registration here.
We are a diverse school community with over 80 home languages spoken by our students and we are, and have often been, truly enriched by the arrival of refugees and asylum seekers joining our school community. We stand ready to support the arrival of Ukrainian students into school should the opportunity arise.
Euan Ferguson
Emergency Funding Support for Families
The local authority is making funding available to support Hounslow families, who meet certain criteria, in these challenging financial times.
Applications must be made before 31 March 2022 and the support can be used for:
- financial awards to cover the cost of foods that cannot be sourced via a food bank or other essentials.
- cost of food or other household supplies that are not routinely available via food banks that operate in the borough
- the cost of meeting health related special dietary needs
- replacement essential white goods/household equipment e.g. a cooker or microwave, fridge or fridge freezer
- funding for utility bills to enable the cooking of food and care for vulnerable members of the household.
To apply, you can download and complete the application form on this link.
If you need help with completing the application, do call the school and we will support you, or you can call the local authority on 020 8583 4787.
Sustainability & Eco Week
Our first annual Sustainability and Eco Week runs from Monday 21 – Friday 25 March.
During the week, we will take a practical approach to sustainability, examining how we can work together as a whole school community to make eco-friendly choices and have a real impact on the local environment. The school will be running a series of subject-specific sessions in curriculum areas, as well as tutor-led sessions over the course of the week.
We hope that this will help to cultivate a climate of sustainability both in the school and beyond the grounds in the local community.
Coming Up!
- Thursday 24 March – Year 10 Parent/Carer Evening
- Tuesday 28 March – Year 11 & 13 Parent/Carer Evening (for selected students)
- Wednesday 29 – Friday 31 March – Year 8, 9 & 10 HPV Immunisations
- Thursday 31 March – Drama Festival
We have published the Term & Holiday Dates, in outline, for 2022-23 here.
Key Stage 4 Courses
Our KS4 Courses Evening took place on Thursday 10 March. It was our first face-to-face event of this nature for a while, and it was great to welcome families into school.
The KS4 Courses Guide is available on the website here, along with a copy of the SLT presentation and information about the process. The online form for selecting Year 10 options will be sent to students on Friday 18 March.
Comic Relief
On Friday 18 March, we will be holding our next charity event – in support of Comic Relief.
We will be taking cash donations as well as holding a series of small events. More information will follow via email and the school website on Monday.
Word of the Week
The word of the week for next week is “ubiquitous“.
News
Year 7 Sevens!
The rugby sevens team are making great progress this term with the Year 7 boys showing significant improvements with every match. At the Ibstock Place tournament this week, they went through their group unbeaten with a draw against Latymer Upper and victories over Ibstock Place B, St Cecilia’s, Tiffin, Ibstock Place ‘C’ and Radnor House. They narrowly lost to St. James’ School in the final but had a great afternoon and represented the school so well. Well done to the squad!
Old Vic Theatre Workshop and Show
We continue our membership of the Old Vic Schools Club, a prestigious opportunity by invitation only. The Old Vic is one of the most famous theatres in London’s West End. During this school year, the group of keen actors in Years 9 and 10 see four free shows at the theatre and receive workshops from theatre practitioners. This week’s visits saw student see the fascinating play ‘A Number’, as well as taking part in a Q&A with one of the main actors afterwards.
Sixth Form Interviews (Externals)
This week, we held Sixth Form interviews for external applicants – Year 11 students currently attending other schools in the borough and beyond.
It was our biggest-ever interview pool, reflecting our Sixth Form’s status as one of the most successful in the area.
The interviews proved that these students would be an asset to Isleworth & Syon School, and we hope to see them starting Year 12 in September 2022.
Isleworth Appreciates
We received a lovely communication via a parent from local Facebook group known as The Isleworth Appreciation Society last week. It read as follows:
“A big thank you to several students of the Isleworth and Syon School. I had a car accident in College Rd yesterday. They were just going home from school, and were on the spot.
They were so kind and considerate. They found my first aid kit, and treated my cut arm, with great care and efficiency. They even patched up my car, so I could get home. I’m so sorry if they were late home. My congratulations to their parents and the school on your special young men.”
We add our congratulation to Year 8 students Sammy Hanafi, Alex Smith and Xavier Williams-Rhodes.
Alumni
A blast from the past over on Twitter this week, as we were alerted to a wonderful reunion.
Former Assistant Headteacher and Head of Performing Arts, Mrs Davies Jones, met up with Raymond Anum and Taheen Modak, two of her former students. Both boys are making waves in the acting world. Raymond is currently performing on stage at the Globe Theatre, while Taheen is rehearsing ahead of his own stage performances at Chichester Festival Theatre next week.
A heart-warming reunion and a sign of the impact that our staff continue to have on students – even after they have left.
Safeguarding Updates
Following on from last weeks’ newsletter, students in Years 8-10 have had an assembly reinforcing the key messages about online safety and malicious communications, as well as how they need to consider their own “digital footprints”. Students in Years 7 and 11 will have their assemblies in the upcoming weeks.
If you have a concern about the safety or welfare of your or another child, please email the safeguarding team at safeguarding@isleworthsyon.org.