From the Headteacher
With the magnolias at the front of the school in full bloom and looking stunning in the improving weather, it can be easy to forget the troubles not too far away. I am sure, like me, you continue to follow the news from Ukraine and hope that this conflict will soon end. We are taking part in Comic Relief Day and some of the activities will be geared to financially supporting the humanitarian appeal. Should you wish to make a more substantial personal contribution, you can do so through the Disasters Emergency Committee.
We are fortunate that life here continues without the worries of conflict. In addition to great learning, our students continue to benefit from a range of additional opportunities, with the biggest trip this week seeing the badminton club heading to Birmingham to watch play at the All England Championships.
Please do read on for news of other activities; some information items about opportunities for students on free school meals; a staffing opportunity; and an appeal about parking around the school site.
Enjoy the weekend and week ahead and please keep the people affected by the war in your thoughts.
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. Please see last week’s newsletter for more details. Applications must be made before 31 March 2022.
Free School Meals – Information
We can confirm that the local authority is again supporting the issuing of vouchers over the Easter break. If you think you may have become eligible for free school meals, please apply here.
Hounslow Swimming Club is offering free swimming or water safety sessions. Please see this flyer for further information.
We also recommend looking at Hounslow’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme – which has a range of activities and events over the Easter holiday.
Word of the Week
The word of the week for next week is “empathy“.
Eco & Sustainability Week
This important event takes place next week. Our main focus for the week takes the form of a question – ‘how can we become an eco school?’
Students will be introduced to what sustainability is and the steps we all can take to be more eco-efficient in our everyday lives. Activities will be posted on Microsoft Teams for students to complete, while Study Support sessions will concentrate on discussions about eco issues. Some subjects will also be teaching lessons around themes of ‘litter and waste’, ‘global citizenship’ and ‘energy’.
Please do have a chat with your child about sustainability during the week.
KS4 Courses
The KS4 Courses Guide, for Year 9 students, is still 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 at 3.00pm this afternoon. The deadline for choices to be made is next Friday, 25 March.
Invigilators
We are looking for Exam Invigilators to join our school. You will be employed on a casual basis to supervise students in mock and external examinations throughout the school year.
The hours are variable; morning sessions begin at 8.00am and afternoon sessions typically finish at around 3.30pm. You will need to be reliable and punctual and have good communication skills both verbal and written, including spoken fluency and accuracy in English.
For further details, read the full Job Description and how to apply here.
Drop Offs/Pick Ups and Parking Near Academy Place
Despite constant reminders, a few parents/carers are still parking on double yellow lines when dropping off or picking up students at the start and end of the school day. We ask you all to conform to the law and to put the safety of all children first. In addition, residents of Academy Place have asked that the entrance off Ridgeway Road is kept clear for residents. Thank you for your support.
News
Badminton Trip
Over 30 regulars from the badminton club spent the day at the All England Championships – the oldest and most prestigious tournament in the world – in Birmingham on 16 March. The opportunity to watch the world’s elite players is rare and the boys were inspired by the quality of play and the spectacle. Member of staff Prem George led the trip and will be taking the head coach role for Hounslow’s team in the forthcoming London Youth Games. Above, Shanmuga poses with Indian superstar, Saina Nehwal.
Intermediate Maths Challenge
It was fantastic to see four young but very capable mathematicians, qualify for a further round of the National Maths Challenge, following their successes in the first round earlier in the term. Year 11 students Daniel Caffoor, Ushran Hooghan and Chris Kolev made it through to the 1-hour ‘Pink Kangaroo’ paper and Mikaeel Shah went one step further, getting the opportunity to take part in the 2-hour ‘Olympiad’ paper. We await the results with great excitement!
Hounslow Youth Games Cricket
Now that our extra-curricular programme is returning to near-normality, it is fantastic to see so many students achieving success on the sporting fields. This week, well done to brothers Mohammed Tahir and Saad Tahir plus Ryan Shah, who are part of the Hounslow team that has qualified for the finals of the London Youth Games at Lords cricket ground next week. This means that a third of the team comes from I&S – an achievement that reflects brilliantly on the PE team and the students themselves.
Engineering Visit
On Thursday 3 March, Mr Elliston took 13 students to the local Russell Finex Engineering Company in Feltham. This industrial visit enabled A level engineering students to get a fuller grasp of the complexity of a modern engineering business. During their two-hour visit, they developed a deeper understanding of how a wide variety of products are made, including CAD/CAM in practice. This was a great example of how our extra-curricular offer brings classroom learning to life.