Welcome from the Co-Headteachers

Over 800 students involved in Wider Learning and Work Experience

This week has been an especially intense week in school, focused on cultivating more self-awareness among our students. Across all age groups, students have been exploring new environments across our great city: work-related-learning, trips to central London, recreational venues, firsthand workshops onsite, employer presentations and competitions.

Our intention is that this carefully planned week will promote our students’ holistic personal development by integrating diverse subjects and practical activities, enhancing creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Students have had the chance to both explore their own aspirations and challenge their own boundaries as well as stereotypes. To be out in the “real world” is a release; this is hands-on, first-hand learning at its very best. We are thrilled to still be able to offer our students this superb opportunity to be immersed in the deep, rich culture of London.

Publicly, we would be like to profoundly thank all parents/carers for their support. We would also like to thank all the staff that have made the week happen – particularly our trip leaders, Wider Learning Week coordinators and support staff. They have shown whole-hearted dedication and commitment to going the “extra mile”. This week really does showcase how, as a state comprehensive school, we continue to offer outstanding opportunities well beyond those offered by similar schools. 

Ultimately, Wider Learning Week cultivates a lifelong love for learning, encourages curiosity, and prepares students to adapt to diverse challenges in their academic and personal lives. Importantly, we want Wider Learning Week to be fun and reward our students for their hard work and good conduct this year.

The regular features of this newsletter, including our weekly House Point Champions, will return in the final newsletter of the term.

Year 7

Students split into house groups for a varied rotation of activities

Citizenship Day

Yesterday (Thursday), the whole year group came together for Citizenship Day. This fascinating and important carousel of activities focused on being safe and civil in the local community. Talks including:

  • a talk by our Safer Schools Police Officer about knife crime;
  • a fascinating discussion about drug awareness, led by the DSM Foundation;
  • ‘how to help someone who has been the victim of knife crime’, led by the London Ambulance Service
  • Gang awareness, child exploitation and grooming discussion with the Met Police
  • A presentation from the London Air Ambulance team about the invaluable work they do and how they, as a charity, need support

Students learned a lot about staying safe and doing the right thing in the community.

House Trips

During the Year 7 week, every student went on an exciting trip to learn more about their house’s namesake. Adam (pictured first above) took a trip to the V&A Museum in South Kensington to learn about the 18th-century architect, Robert Adam. For Brunel students (pictured second above), they learned more about the work of engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel at the Science Museum. Shackleton (pictured third above) house enjoyed an ‘Expedition Day’ in honour of explorer Ernest Shackleton – practicing tent pitching (pictured third above) in school before heading to Osterley Park. Finally, Turner (pictured fourth above) travelled to the Tate Britain on London’s Southbank to find out more about famous painter J.M.W. Turner.

Medieval Sports

Year 7 really loved their Medieval Sports day, led by the history team. During this fascinating activity, students designed their own coat of arms before learning about stoolball – a 15th-century version of cricket with underarm bowling. Students also played medieval football which shares similarities with modern-day gaelic football. Students had lots of fun throughout!

Play in a Day

Mr McDonnell led a fantastic immersive theatre experience for Year 7, which took place across the week in house groups. Titled ‘The Investigation’, it was first run during Year 7 remote lessons during the first Covid lockdown. This activity asked students to uncover a conspiracy, working out what caused a sinister event to take place. Lots of staff played roles within the experience, with students having to work collaboratively to solve problems and answer certain puzzles to gain information. It was a great test of students’ improvisational skills, as it all led to a final performance at the end of each day. Enjoy Rashid’s journalist report below.

Rashid's Report

By Rashid Mbowa (Year 9 journalist)

On Monday 8 July at approximately 12.00pm, I visited a Play in the Day run by the Head of performing arts, Mr McDonnell. Kayden (Year 7) was interviewed; he said that he “enjoyed it because it requires lots of energy.” Throughout the play they presented the themes of violence by showing a monster chasing them and then the monster poking someone’s eye. It was very exciting to watch and the actors did very well! We would love to see more of this throughout the year.

Science Day

From exploring theatrical techniques to exploring scientific methods, the Science Day was busy and varied. Students made their own energy drinks; learned about chemical reactions via an amazing iodine clock experiment (see Igor’s journalist report below); and discovered the aerodynamics of paper aeroplanes! It is safe to say that much fun was had by all.

Igor's Report

By Igor Lecki (Year 9 journalist)

The Year 7s enjoyed spending Wednesday making iodine (chemical element) clocks and energy drinks. They made the iodine clocks by melting the iodine first then pouring the iodine liquid into the molds and shapes, they then let it dry with the battery pack. After that they made the hour hand and the minute hand with the leftover iodine liquid; they left it to dry then used metal and glue to keep the hands on the main part of the clock. A marker was used to write the numbers on the clock. Finally, students put the battery into the battery pack; that’s how they made the iodine clocks. Year 7 students said they would highly recommend this activity to their peers.

Year 8

Students work collaboratively in their houses throughout the week

Art Day

This day-long art challenge saw each house split into three separate groups across the three art rooms. Students completed different tasks – a four-style cartoon drawing, a cube design project, and a tutorial for how to make stencils. This creative task stretched students’ natural artistic skills and helped them reach new levels of creativity.

City in a Day

Another Year 8 rotation was a new activity for this year – ‘City in a Day’. This geography-themed activity asked students to think about London as a city, identifying strengths and issues. They then worked in groups to design a new city of their own and then build it out of cardboard and paper! This collaborative task showcased how we may have future city planners in our midst.

Dragons’ Den

This activity gave students the chance to think about their futures! Based on the hit TV show, students had to design and then pitch a new product to a panel of ‘Dragons’, made up of representatives from various industries. Students had a great time coming up with their product ideas. See Kuba’s journalism report below to find out about Monday’s winners! All of the Dragons were confident that they were witnessing some successful future entrepreneurs.

Kuba's Report

By Kuba Zaporowski (Year 9 journalist)

This week, Year 8 took part in Dragons’ Den, based on the BBC program. The winning group’s idea was called ‘Hygiene Bot’ – a device which scans your health for any changes, as well as early signs of cancer. The Dragons were really impressed with Year 8s’ hard work and dedication over the course of the day. One Dragon described the winning group on Monday as “inspirational”.

Film Day

Students loved their Film Day rotation! In the morning, they enjoyed a screening of classic horror film ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’. Made in 1978, students were fascinated by the film’s use of horror tropes and how it differs to what they’re used to. After that, they headed to Osterley Park to set up film stills for a horror poster! It was a fantastic way to introduce key film concepts and skills.

Nutrition Day

This fascinating day saw students focus on the importance of healthy nutrition. Students learned about eating in a balanced way, considering what nutrients are contained in the food they eat every day. They then applied these principles to elite athletes, considering how the sportsperson’s diet is different to their own.

Students then worked with our caterers, The Pantry, for a special cookery session – making bread! Students loved the hands-on learning – and, of course, the delicious fruits of their labour. See the Year 9 journalists’ report below.

Adyan, Ali & Chrystler's report

By Adyan Omar, Ali Hussein and Chrystler Pereira (Year 9 journalists)

Year 8 learned about food (balanced diet) and nutrients; they also made bread with yeast, oil and flour. We interviewed one of the teachers called Mr Keane and he said that they were having a lot of fun, and the Year 8 students are “responsible and mature”. We also interviewed two of the students. The first person was named Rio, and he was messy; he had a lot of flour on his hands and apron. He said he “was enjoying this activity a lot”. The other student’s name was Zain. He also mentioned similar things like “It is really fun, and I definitely recommend it.“

Year 9

Every student has a single pathway for the whole week

Computing

The computing week was themed around modern and innovative technology. Students worked on a programming project in school on Monday before heading to Bletchley Park on Tuesday to learn about AI, robotics, virtual reality and more (pictured first and second above). Students headed to the Science Museum in London on Wednesday before staying local and exploring green screen technology at Sky Studios on Thursday. Finally, students enjoyed a series of ‘Discovery’ workshops led by mobile phone company 3. It included a talk on careers and an opportunity for students to make their own movies (pictured third above). It was a fantastic, hands-on week for these computing enthusiasts!

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

For students taking the Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Bronze award Bronze, Monday and Tuesday were preparation days in school, getting ready for the assessed expedition on Wednesday and Thursday. For the expedition, students headed in the minibus to the Bentley Copse campsite. It was a great test of their campcraft and navigation skills! On Friday, students returned to school and reflected on their progress this year. See a special report from our Year 9 journalists below.

Kuba and Abdullah's report

By Kuba Zaporowski and Abdullah Mohamed (Year 9 journalists)

This week, some Year 9 students set off to complete their Bronze Award for DofE. One student said he was really looking forward to the trip as nature makes him feel like he’s on cloud nine. Students were excited by the challenges that lay ahead and described the trip as “a nice way to exercise and track your progress with walking whilst enjoying yourself.”

Engineering

This new pathway began with a visit to the Design Museum on Monday to get students’ inspiration flowing. For the rest of the week, students were making a lamp project – using the IT systems to design their idea before they made the circuit board and designed the lamp’s structure. By the end of the week, students had a full working lamp – a satisfying way to conclude a hands-on week! You can see the finished articles in pictures 3 and 4 above.

Entrepreneur Week

This new pathway, organised by the business team, introduced students to the life of an entrepreneur. Co-ordinated alongside our caterers, The Pantry, students were introduced to branding on Monday and began to develop individual mini business plans. Tuesday saw them develop these ideas into a full concept as well as designing a logo and poster. On Wednesday, students headed to Westfield shopping centre to conduct market research with members of the public. It was back in school on Thursday to hear from some guest speakers and then present their individual concepts. The week ended on Friday with students being interviewed about their business ideas (pictured first above). It was a fantastic way to get these Year 9s engaged with the world of business!

Journalism

This group had a fantastic crash-course in journalism. First, students learned some of the basics about being a journalist and what the career pathway can offer. Then, armed with their workbooks and notepads, they visited different activities across Years 7, 8 and 9. This meant interviewing students, taking photographs, and contributing content for this very newsletter. On Wednesday, they particularly enjoyed using our official social media account to report on all the fun that was taking place inside and outside of school!

Medical Makers

The science team led an exciting and in-depth look at the human body. Students delved into microbiology on Monday before looking at real-life specimens in London’s Hunterian Museum the following day (Tuesday). On Wednesday, students were suturing (stitching) on chicken wings – see Year 9 journalist Hamza’s summary of that below. Medical students then enjoyed learning about phlebotomy (taking blood) on a plastic arm during Thursday. Friday saw the boys examining dentistry. It was a fascinating week!

Hamza's report
By Hamza Ali (Year 9 journalist)

Today we have visited Year 9 students and interviewed them about what they were doing. They were learning how to stich a chicken as part of ‘Medical Makers.’ We asked if they could describe what they were doing and they gave us a quick tutorial on how to stich a chicken: they had to put a stich through the hole using string and needles. This is useful to help chickens in critical conditions. We asked if they would recommend it and they happily said they would. It seemed like a disgusting but interesting experience.
Music Production

Mr McKeever has led a brilliant week focused on the nuts and bolts of music production. Using the Apple Macs, students have examined various aspects of the music production process throughout the week – see Omar’s journalism report below. The week culminated with a special treat on Wednesday and Friday. The boys acted as mentors to Year 5 students from Isleworth Town primaries, taking the younger students through the process of recording a jingle, including producing the drumbeat and sequencing melodic riffs. It was a fascinating week which allowed students to dig deeper into the music they love.

Omar's Report

By Omar Awwad (Year 9 journalist)

Today we visited Year 9 students and interviewed them about what they were doing. They were learning how to create Music beats and then teach it to the younger pupils (Year 6). We asked what Adrian in Year 9 what he learnt about and he said he learnt how to make different kinds of beats and were also studying how to improve their music production skills. I then asked Adrian if he would recommend this to other pupils and he said, “He would recommend this to pupils that like music” and said he likes doing Music because “It calms him down and is really relaxing.”

Sports Week

This is always one of our most in-demand pathways! Students had the chance to try out some sports they may not usually play. They stayed local on Monday, heading to Thistleworth Tennis Club (just over the A4). Students’ physical resilience was tested on Tuesday and Wednesday, via trampolining and beach volleyball respectively. Thursday saw students enjoying ‘Foot Golf’ – an activity which is exactly what it sounds like – before they finished the week on Friday with some competitive climbing.

Year 12

Focusing on the future – preparing students for their next steps

For the Year 12 week, we wanted to introduce students to the process of applying to university, and prepare them for Year 13 and career pathways. Students split into two groups and completed a range of activities during the week:

  • Self-reviews – reflecting on the year so far and the progress that they have made.
  • Tutor support sessions – to see what extra support was required for Year 13
  • UCAS days – onboarding into the system, and working on their personal statements.
  • Cooking class – preparing students for university life by making pizzas and flapjacks

Several Year 12s also acted as student leaders on various activities for Years 7-9, offering their assistance with all aspects of the day. They were great ambassadors for the Sixth Form!