From the Headteacher
I trust that you enjoyed the school holiday and made the most of the lovely weather and that the term ahead will be a successful one.
As we return for the summer term, we will be focussing on our senior students ahead of their public examinations. The December examinations and our recent Pre-Public Exams provided the opportunity to rehearse timed exams and the job now is to use these experiences to build on missing knowledge and fully prepare for the real tests ahead. The Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard talked of the “alarming possibility of being able” and even with the anxieties of the exam season, I trust that our students appreciate that with belief and determination, they can indeed realise how able they are.
As we learn to “live with COVID” we remain mindful that the virus continues to cause illness. If your son/daughter/ward develops symptoms (a high temperature, a new or persistent cough, or a loss or change of smell/taste), we ask you to follow sensible precautions and keep your child off school until they are fit to return, just as you would with any other seasonal infection.
Euan Ferguson
Exam Preparation
We recommend all students taking exams this summer familiarise themselves with the exam timetables for the coming season. Revision programmes should be planned with the schedule in mind.
Safeguarding Updates
Recently we have seen awful press stories of knife crime and shootings seemingly becoming more commonplace across the country. County lines is a form of criminal exploitation where gangs force or coerce young people to store money or drugs and then transport them around the country and some of the crimes do seem to be related to drug gangs. The NSPCC provide some useful information about protecting children from county lines.
If you have a concern about the safety or welfare of your or another child, please email the safeguarding team at safeguarding@isleworthsyon.org.
Job Opportunities – Support Staff
We are still looking for Exam Invigilators to join our team for the summer. For further details, read the full Job Description and how to apply here.
We have just advertised for a Design Technology Technician, who will support the practical work in the Design Technology and Engineering Department. In addition, we will also be advertising for an ICT Technician to support our Network Manager, in the near future.
All vacancies are posted here.
Parent/Carer Trustee (Governor) – Vacancy
We have a new vacancy on our Academy Trust Board for a parent/carer representative. Should you be interested in becoming a trustee of the school, please go to the Academy/Board of Trustees page and consider putting yourself forward. The deadline for nominations is Tuesday 3 May.
Word of the Week
The word of the week for next week is “acquisition“.
News
Welcoming our New Intake
We are embarking on the six-month induction of new students to the school, by welcoming current Year 6 boys for their first meeting with us on Thursday 21 April. As the new boys arrive at school, they will receive a welcome pack to start the process of getting them used to the “Isleworth & Syon Way”. They will then meet with a member of staff so that we can begin to get to know them and there will be further contacts as the term progresses, which will include spending a day with us at the start of July. We are sure that by the time they join in September they will already feel part of the school.
Senior Awards Evening
After a couple of postponements due to the pandemic, we were delighted to be able to host our awards evening for senior and former students of the school who were being recognised for their achievements in the 2020-21 academic year. It was really special to welcome so many students back to school who are now at university, in employment or on gap years and we are grateful to the parents/carers who also supported this traditional event. Congratulations to all of the award winners and thank you for your commitment to learning and to the school.
The Ray O’Neill Outstanding Learner Award
For the first time, at our Senior Awards Evening, we presented a trophy in memory of a dear colleague, Ray O’Neill, who died last year whilst still in the service of the school. Ray was a genuine lifelong learner, with multiple degrees and diplomas, and he was a passionate teacher of chemistry. The award was presented to Lars-Leander Volle who completed seven outstanding years at school by gaining 3 A* grades at A level last summer. He is certainly a worthy inaugural winner of this new trophy.
Wellbeing Programme with Olympic Sportswoman
Selected students in Years 7 and 9 have begun a six-week programme called Active in Mind. This exciting opportunity is taking place in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust. It is designed to promote mental and physical health through peer mentoring, sport and physical activity. Students have already had their first two sessions with Olympic volleyball player Rachel Laybourne, with initial activities focusing on team-building and problem-solving. Stay tuned for more on this in the coming weeks!