From the Co-Headteachers
We would like to extend a very warm welcome to readers of this newsletter.
It definitely feels like Spring has sprung and, as we lead into the summer months, we are priming ourselves for the onset of an array of school trips and outings. As well as producing highly successful students and responsible citizens, we also build incredibly confident young people. A major part of this process is the result of our extensive enrichment programme; this provides tremendous building blocks for assembling robust strong personal character – preparing pupils for a better life in modern Britain. Parents/carers would be very hard pressed to find any state school with such an outstanding, high quality and diverse, range of extra-curricular opportunities. If your son/ward isn’t already involved, push him to take a look at the list later on in this newsletter and then “buy-in”.
This is also the “business-end” of the school year. With external GCSE and A level examinations only one week away, we wish all of our Year 10, 11 and 13 students the best of luck. It is never too late to start revising. Our revision mantra of “little and often” also applies to KS3 students who have important internal assessments in June and July. You can read about our recommended revision strategies.
Enjoy the extended Coronation weekend and, crucially, enjoy time connecting, taking notice and praising each other as well as doing thing together. These are key, soft employability skills embedded within our school.
If you have any comments about this newsletter, good or bad, please do complete the quick anonymous feedback form.
Just as a note, please don’t put student queries in there, as it is anonymous.
Simon Fisher and Jo Higginbottom
Bank Holiday and Timetable Change
This weekend is a long one due to the bank holiday on Monday when school will be closed. To ensure that our students do not miss too many Monday lessons, we will follow Monday’s timetable on our return next Tuesday, 9 May. Please make sure that your son/daughter/ward has packed their school bag accordingly.
Parent/Carer Trustee
A final reminder that if you have a child in current Years 7-13, you have until Monday (8 May) to apply to be a Parent/Carer Trustee.
You should have:
- A strong commitment to the role and to improving outcomes for children.
- Good inter-personal skills, curiosity, and a willingness to learn and develop new skills.
- The specific skills required to make sure the governing board delivers effective governance.
Please find more information on our ‘Academy’ page, in the ‘Trustees’ tab.
We are acutely aware of the current cost of living crisis, and the impact this is having on families. One way that we have adapted our provision is through our ‘New To You’ scheme.
This allows families to purchase pre-used items of school uniform or sports kit that are in a reasonable condition. Orders can be made through the ‘New to You’ section on SCOPAY. Prices have been set much lower than usual uniform prices.
If you require any further financial assistance, please contact the school.
Club of the Week – Maths Challenge Club
Who: Years 7, 8 and 9
When: Wednesdays, 3.05 – 4.30pm
Where: Room 242
Staff: None – run by Sixth Form students
An opportunity for students to go deeper into maths, exploring its possibilities through puzzles and problem solving. This club is being run by Year 12 further maths students Dalbir and Mikaeel, who wish to pass on their passion for maths to younger students. It is inspiring to see students as leaders, offering their time and expertise to inspire the next generation of mathematicians.
If you are serious about having fun with maths, this is the club for you. No sign up necessary, just come to 242.
We have just updated the extra-curricular list with a series of new clubs and activities for all kinds of interests! Check out the full list; students can sign up with the staff member listed.
Safeguarding
When it comes to serious violence, the London Borough of Hounslow has a low crime rate compared to other London boroughs. Despite this, we are unafraid and unapologetic in school about tackling issues linked to criminality and personal safety. With this in mind – and given the recent tragic and fatal stabbing in Brentford – parents/carers should feel wholly confident that, in our outstanding Year assemblies, we are tackling, head-on, the issues of personal safety.
Parents/carers can find more information from the NSPCC.
If you have a concern about the safety or welfare of your child, please email safeguarding@isleworthsyon.org. If there is an emergency call 999 or, for non-urgent matters that require police attention, call 101.
Pride of House
40 students across Years 7-11 have been given the Pride of House award by pastoral staff this week. The award recognises a sustained contribution to aspects of school life. Click a house badge below to celebrate their triumph!
Examinations
Whilst students are working hard on their revision, they should also realise that vital improvements can still be made across all subjects. Remember, one extra mark can change a grade!
Alongside revision, students should now start thinking about how to approach the exam days. Important points to remember:
- Know exactly when all exams are scheduled (timetables have been emailed and are on the website).
- Ensure you have enough equipment and – for all Year 11 students – a scientific calculator.
- Ensure a calm and steady approach to taking the written papers.
Ofqual, the examinations regulator, have published a letter to parents/carers ahead of the summer examinations series. You can read it on their website.
Word of the Week
The word of the week is publish.
Coming Up!
- Monday 8 May – Bank Holiday
- Tuesday 9 May – Monday timetable
- Monday 15 May – Public Examinations Begin
- Monday 29 May – Friday 2 June – Half-Term
- Wednesday 14 June – School vs MCC cricket match
Careers Corner
A BBC Bitesize survey of over 4000 13-16-year-olds has given a snapshot into how young people see employment and the choices before them. When asked to name the most important thing in a job, the most popular answers were ‘Feeling good about what you do’ (27%) and ‘happiness’ (26%), with ‘money’ (23%) ranking third. Interestingly, 40% of respondents from London were willing to a job they didn’t like if they were paid well. The most popular job choice was engineer, with computer scientist, lawyer, nurse, and architect all making the top 10.
Free Digital Skills Training
The London Digital Jobs & Skills Hub has produced a list of free events, training and courses. This excellent resource really is worth a look for those interested in digital careers and upskilling themselves in our capital city.
House Point Champions
17 more students have earned either a Prestige or Diamond house point certificate this week. They are shown below – well done!
Note: this list is accurate as of 7.00am today (Friday). If your child reached a threshold after 7.00am on Friday, they will appear in next week’s list.
Prestige
RJ CLARKE (7Ad)
Asher COLACO (7Am)
Jatin DESINENI (7Am)
Sam GILMOUR (8Am)
Gabriel JAWORSKI (9Sh)
Sami KHALIFA (8Tu)
Diamond
Shiyan AHMED (10Am)
Shahjahan AKBAR (10Sn)
Ayman BUTT (7Tr)
Sonny FARNELL-WARREN (7Ad)
William FERGUSON-NEWLOVE (9Sh)
Nathaniel JAWORSKI (7Sn)
Daniel LUMM (9Sn)
Slaven PEREIRA (8Ad)
Abdul QAHER (9Sn)
Imaan SOODI (7Br)
Freddie SUMMERHAYES (8Bl)
News
Ashan Khehra – London Youth Assembly
A huge congratulations to Year 10 student Ashan Khehra, who has successfully been elected as Hounslow’s representative at the London Youth Assembly (LYA).
The LYA is a new body formed by the London Assembly to drive positive change for young people – a passion for Ashan. Along with other youth representatives, he will attend quarterly meetings in the Chamber at City Hall to discuss matters of importance to young Londoners. He will be paired with an Assembly member to co-ordinate issues, promote campaigns and discuss key themes. Well done, Ashan!
Sixth Form Theatre Trip
On Wednesday, we were pleased to arrange a special theatre trip, with all Sixth Form students invited to buy a ticket. A large group went to the Apollo Theatre for a thought-provoking production of ‘For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy’.
The fantastic play sees “six young Black men meet for group therapy, and let their hearts – and imaginations – run wild”. This outstanding and impactful piece of theare analysed racism, racial discrimination and racist stereotypes. The students in attendance were very affected by what they saw. Some student comments are included below:
“It appealed and showed problems of multiple demographics which really highlighted the issues.” – Shivom Dhami
“It was really well-balanced between comedic relief, well-orchestrated musical numbers and hard hitting story-telling.” – Josh Ford
“Best show I’ve ever seen.” – Jericho Sison
Arts Award Leadership Event
Earlier in the term, we talked a bit about the Silver Arts Award taking place in the drama department. A performing arts version of the Duke of Edinburgh’s award, this accreditation is equivalent to a GCSE and asks students to develop and refine skills within the arts. For unit 2, students had to organise their own leadership event.
This took place last Friday (28 April) and was entirely set up by students. They were responsible for the content of the events, as well as planning the health and safety, organising equipment, and arranging their own marketing. This was a fantastic way to develop their communications and leadership skills! They hosted an arts exhibition and a teacher vs student quiz, and everyone present in the audience agreed that they were very well-run! Now, students have to reflect on the event’s success and then submit their full portfolio. They should find out if they passed in the next few weeks!
Ellis Madle Community Fundraising
This week, we wanted to highlight a Year 12 student who has undertaken some outstanding community work. Ellis Madle has recently organised a charity music gig in Kingston to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society. This is a subject particularly close to Ellis’ heart, so he wanted to try and make some real change!
Off his own back, he contacted the charity and got their support, as well as sourcing a charity and arranging for some of his friends to perform. In total, he raised £700 for the charity – a phenomenal effort! It is fantastic to see our students mature into active, considerate citizens.