Autumn Newsletter

Winter 2017

@OasisSilvertown

Dear Parents and Carers,

It is my pleasure to present our bumper winter newsletter. We have reached the end of a hugely successful term

for our students, full of activities and opportunities. Our Year 10 students have made a successful start to their

new courses, and our newly appointed student leaders are already having a positive impact on the whole academy

community. Our students have been working hard and have completed their end of term assessments. We look

forward to celebrating their achievements at our winter awards assembly on 21st December.

Highlights

We are extremely proud of our students’ success in reaching the final of the Pinsent Mason Debating Competition

on Friday 8th June. Our students were commended for their performance and were awarded second place in the

competition. Performing Arts continues to go from strength to strength at the academy: our Shakespeare Schools

Company gave an excellent performance of "Macbeth" at Shoreditch Town hall in November, and our choir have

performed at a number of high profile events including the OCL awards at Birmingham ICC, the Oasis Regional

Conference and the Ferry Festival. Amongst our other highlights this term have been our STEM and Cookery

Enrichment events, our winter showcase and our student leader interviews with visiting professionals in October.

Project Rousseau

We were privileged to be awarded a place by Project

Rousseau at a summer "Boot Camp" at for US

university entrance examinations at University College

London from 24th-28th July 2017. Precious Nalder,

Year 10, took part in this prestigious opportunity to work

with top students from the UK and US. As well as

receiving intensive 1:1 coaching for the challenging

entrance exams, Precious was able to hone her skills

at some practice questions.

Principal’s Message

New Roles

We say farewell to three valued members of our staff at the academy this term: Mr Hussain, Mr Roufi and

Ms Martin. We thank them for all their hard work and wish them every success in the future. We also wish

Mrs Waisome all the very best as she begins her maternity leave in January 2017. Ms Boxer will take up the

role of Deputy Principal from 3rd January. Mr Gordon will take up the role of Assistant Principal. Mrs Forster

will now move to a part time role supporting the leadership team after Christmas. We thank her for all her

work as Deputy Principal. We welcome to the Oasis Silvertown team this term Ms Jordan - Acting Curriculum

Leader for Art and Design, Ms Mukasa - Teacher of Geography and Ms Charles - Graduate Teacher Intern.

Reminders

We look forward to welcoming parents into the academy for our Parents' Afternoon on 11th January

from 2:15pm-6:30pm.

As the weather turns colder, please ensure you have read our adverse weather policy on our website.

You can find this in the “news” area on our home page. Please also ensure your child is dressed for the

weather according to our uniform policy. You can find this in the Home Academy Agreement in the

information section of our website.

I wrote to you on Monday 11th December about the end of term arrangements and start of next academic

year. Please ensure you have read the letter carefully. If you have any questions, please contact us at

office@oasissilvertown.org

I wrote to parents on Monday 14th December about arrangements for my upcoming maternity leave in

February. I am delighted Mr Alex Lewis has been appointed as Acting Principal for the period of my

maternity leave. You can read more about this in my letter.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a Happy Christmas and peaceful New Year.

I look forward to welcoming our students back for the Spring Term on Thursday 4th January at 8:30am.

Best wishes

Johanna Thompson

Principal

Ferry Festival

On 23rd September, our choir performed at the

popular local Ferry Festival in North Woolwich. The

choir began the musical performances at the event,

while other art and drama students took part in a silent

protest. Several of our students' protest statements

were chosen to be displayed on placards at the event.

The choir sang brilliantly, starting the musical performances

on the day.

Some of our students took part in a silent protest march. Their

protest statements were displayed at the exhibition!

Shakespeare Schools

Foundation Macbeth

Performance

In July, numerous students auditioned to take part in

the highly acclaimed Shakespeare Schools Festival

event. Thirteen were successful and were given parts

in Macbeth which they spent their summers learning.

Throughout September and October, students worked

very hard to learn their lines, understand characters

and begin working as a team. The final performance

was a huge success with many audience members

surprised at the maturity, confidence and conviction of

our students on stage.

Shakespeare Schools Foundation Macbeth Performance

The company on stage at Shoreditch Town Hall.

Girls’ Sports Round Up

The girls Year 7-9 football team took part in a fixture against Cumberland school earlier in the term. They put in a very skilled and hard fought effort with the match ending in a very entertaining 5-4 defeat. There were some excellent performances in this game and we are hoping to build on that in our next fixture against Royal Docks Community School. It has also been great to see the attendance at our extra-curricular clubs. We have just started a Hip Hop dancing club on a Tuesday, football and table tennis on a Thursday and basketball on Fridays. It would be great to see even more girls attending these clubs after the New Year.

Silvertown News

Boys’ Sports Round Up

The boys have had a successful start to the year in

PE. The stand out performance of the term was the

Year 9 boys’ basketball team’s victory against School

21. The boys scored 5 points in the last 40 seconds to

win, with some excellent defensive and offensive

efforts towards the end. The highlight for the Year 7

and 8/9 football teams was competing in a 6-a-side

competition at West Ham Academy. This was a great

evening with some great play and goals scored.

Regular football training at Newham Leisure Centre

has started on a Tuesday evening, so results and

performances should only improve. The attitude and

discipline to attend training has been great to see and

we are excited for this to keep improving. Hopefully

the boys’ hard work pays off in our upcoming fixtures.

Y8/9 Basketball Match V School 21

Y7 at West Ham Academy 6 a side competition

Jack Petchey Awards

Ceremony

In September the 2016-2017 Jack Petchey award

winners attended a very special award ceremony at

the O2 Cineworld where they formally received their

Jack Petchey awards along with all the other Newham

school winners. Parents and staff members who

attended the event were extremely proud to see our

students being recognised for their achievements.

The first 2017- 2018 Jack Petchey awards

have been awarded to Laura Londono Duque (Y10),

Rion Shahini (Y10) and Fanta Kebe (Y9). Further

awards will be taking place in the New Year.

Jack Petchey Awards Ceremony

Languages Trip to Köln

On 14th December our Year 10s boarded a coach to

Germany! This was the beginning of the academy's

first ever foreign exchange where the students

travelled through the night to reach a school in Köln in

time for breakfast! OAS students met German

students, talked in German, experienced a German

school and then visited the German Christmas

markets for a real German experience! It was a

fantastic experience for everyone involved.

Our students practising their language skills at a German

School

Silvertown News

A spot of sightseeing in Köln

Student Leaders

appointment and training

We were amazed at the number of applications for our

leadership roles. Over 230 applications were received

for the roles of Prefect, Ambassador, Mentor,

Coaching group representative, Librarian, Sport and

Subject leaders. All applicants had to submit a formal

applications with a reference and then they were

finally interviewed by volunteers from local businesses

and other education establishments. The volunteers

were very impressed with our students' confidence

and commitment to serving the school community. It

was a difficult task to choose our group of leaders this

year. The successful candidates have now received

training in their new roles. Ambassadors and Prefects

were given the opportunity to receive leadership

training at the Normura Offices on the Southbank. We

were given security passes and were led to a

conference room on the top floor overlooking the

River Thames, the London Eye and Parliament. It was

an impressive view. During their training session our

student leaders learned about different leadership

types and the skills needed to lead others effectively.

At the end of the day the different groups had to make

a professional presentation of what they had learned.

I could be prouder of our confident and professional

students and their team working abilities. Once again

our students were complimented on their attitudes

and behaviour.

Student leader candidates having their professional 1:1

leadership interviews with guests from businesses and

industry

FOAS (Friends’ of Oasis

Parent Group)

The Friends of Oasis have met twice this term to

decide on a programme of events for this academic

year. Thank you to all the parents who attended and

offered their support. We will be supporting the end of

term Art showcase and will be arranging a Summer

Fair at the end of the year. We would like to hold an

auction in the spring term of items we no longer use.

Do you have any old phones, children's bicycles,

unwanted and unused gifts we can auction? Can you

offer any services to other parents? Please contact

Mrs Todd or Ms Carter if you have any items you may

Silvertown News

be able to donate so we can make this event a great

success.

Monday Enrichment this

term

On Mondays all students remain at the academy until

4:15pm. All Year 7, 8 and 9 students attend an

enrichment activity of their choice. The students can

choose from workshops focussed around career

pathways such as law, teaching, forensic science,

sports leadership and caring professions.

Testing of samples in Forensic Science Enrichment

Presenting a case to a real life lawyer in law enrichment

After School Clubs

Highlights

This term the number of extra curricular clubs on offer has increased! Particularly popular are the new Year 7 choir, kickboxing, football training at Newham leisure centre and table tennis. Do encourage your child to attend a club if they are not already doing so!

Our students practising their kick boxing skills with Barry at

our Friday club

Our Tuesday sewing club, led by Ms Carter. Some amazing

handiwork produced each wee

Flip Out Trip

Year 8 and Year 9 students were treated

to an extra special PE trip at Flip Out adventure park.

The trip planned and paid for by two of our Jack

Petchey winners, Tegan Joseph and Maximillian

Genov. A student in Year 8 said, “The best thing

about the day was when everyone went down the 30ft

Ninja Slide and we were all cheering each other on!”

Safeguarding Update

This term, both staff and students have received

presentations from the Safer Schools Police Officers

on 'Keeping Safe' with a focus on keeping safe online

and personal safety. During the parents’ Meet the

Principal evening, parents received a presentation on

how to keep your children safe online. The

presentation is available on the Academy website

here:

Silvertown News

http://www.oasisacademysilvertown.org/content/safeg

uarding-parent-info

Students and parents having an information presentation on

“Staying Safe Online” from Mrs Forster, Designated

Safeguarding Lead

Peri Lessons highlights

Students at the academy are now offered a choice of

piano, singing, guitar or drumming lessons. Student

attend their lesson for 20 minutes each week and are

given music to practice independently to support their

progress. We have been so pleased that many

students have taken up this opportunity to develop

instrumental skills. Catch them performing at an

academy performance coming up soon!

Winter Showcase

Each term, our showcase events highlight the

achievements of our students across the academy,

but particularly in the arts. This term we were thrilled

to see our Year 7 singers perform for the first time,

listen to our GCSE music class drumming, watch the

theatre company performing extracts from Macbeth

and enjoy wonderful hosting by two of our confident

students! Come along next term if you missed out this

time!

Our Shakespeare Schools Drama Group performing an extract

from Macbeth

Our Year 7 Singers getting us all in the Christmas spirit in our

Winter Showcase

Road safety Workshop

The Riot Act Theatre company visited the school on 24th November to present a play on Road Safety awareness. The performance combined a mixture of drama and video clips to tell the story of three school friends and how their lack of awareness led to a serious accident with life changing repercussions. Following the play our students had a question and answer session where they discussed what they can do to keep safe on the way to and from school. The theatre company complimented our students on their excellent behaviour and their participation.

“The Riot Act” theatre group gave a thought provoking

performance about avoiding distractions and staying safe on

the roads

STEM Enrichment day

On Tuesday 17th October your child experienced

STEM day. The Science and Maths departments

organised a day of enrichment activities in which your

child was able to engage in experiences linked to

STEM careers. Sixty of our Year 7, 8 and 9 students

were given the opportunity to visit London Zoo in

Regents Park. They were able to appreciate how we

use Zoos for conservation and how animals in

captivity can be used in breeding programmes. They

were also able to observe some animals that they

wouldn't normally observe in the United Kingdom. A

large group of students were given the opportunity to

visit The Natural History Museum and Science

Museum. They explored exhibits on the human body,

space, materials, dinosaurs and mammals. Some

students were given the opportunity to visit the Design

museum. They took part in two workshops on how

manmade objects are designed for ergonomic use

and aesthetic properties. A small group of students

were able to visit the cosmetic retailer Lush. They took

part in a workshop in the ethics of cosmetics and how

Lush produce cosmetics with animal welfare in mind.

Kings College London visited the academy to deliver a

workshop for students considering careers in

Medicine. This was attended only by Year 10 students

who were able to engage in this highly interactive and

informative session. Some students took part in

workshops relating to the application of Mathematics.

These workshops included how stocks and shares are

traded in companies and how knowledge of Maths

aids anyone pursuing a career in finance. Additionally

some students were shown how maths plays a part in

everyday activities and how our knowledge of maths

can provide us with opportunities we were unaware of.

Finally NG Bailey, an engineering company, visited

the academy to deliver workshops on how

engineering is an exciting career pathway to

investigate. Students were able to apply their skills to

solve an engineering problem in teams.

STEM Day with NG Bailey: The winning spaghetti structure

connected with marshmallows stood 1m high and supported

the weight of an orange

STEM Day : An authentic replica of a spacesuit used by NASA

for the Apollo missions to the moon

STEM Day: Students observing the Lions and discussing how

the Zoo has made efforts to contribute towards animal

conservation

Silvertown News

STEM day: Students enjoying the medicine session run by

Kings College London

STEM Day: Students experiencing the exhibit of the history of

design at the Design Museum

STEM Day: Year 10 students hard at work in the “stocks and

shares” finance enrichment session

Pantomime Trip Year 7

Every year the English and Drama department take Year 7 to see a pantomime at Stratford East Theatre Royal. This always proves to be an incredibly enjoyable and festive experience for the children and lets the students experience a different style of theatre from what they experience via usual theatre and media. As well as being an experience of British Culture, watching a pantomime also assists with students’ understanding of how Shakespeare’s plays were performed and received by the audience, because many theatrical elements are the same, and we find, therefore, that this visit supports students’ study of “The Tempest” in the new year too.

International day of

Languages

On the international day of languages our students and staff shared their love of languages! It was impressive hearing so many different languages spoken in the assembly led by students and great to see so many students taking up the languages challenge at lunch time. Well done everyone!

Silvertown News

Our students with their languages stickers from international

day of languages

Coffee and catch up with

the Principal

On 19th October, we welcomed parents into the academy for our termly coffee and catch up with the Principal. On this occasion, parents were given a talk focusing on "Staying Safe Online" by Mrs Forster, Designated Safeguarding Lead. Mrs Forster's powerpoint, full of information on online safety and tips for parents and students, is available on our website.

Students and parents having an information presentation on

“Staying Safe Online” from Mrs Forster, Designated

Safeguarding Lead

Newham Headstart

We are very fortunate to introduce Headstart a Mental Health Programme in the academy. Delivered in partnership with the London Borough of Newham and funded by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund, the HeadStart programme is a preventative early help service working with 10-16 year olds with emerging mental health difficulties. Students from

Year 8-10 are working alongside Headstart staff to introduce ways to reduce mental health disorders in the academy.

Jekyll and Hyde Trips

Year 10 had a fantastic time on their English trip to see Jekyll and Hyde, the 19th Century novella they are studying for their GCSE English Literature. The modern twist to the adapted novella made it really exciting to watch and made a strong link to our own society which some students said made the original novel's messages appear more interesting and significant. Many students particularly liked the female focus of this adaptation which helped students to better understand the political and social issues affecting women at the time the novella was written, allowing students to be more critical of Stevenson, the novella's author, from a feminist perspective. All in all, it was certainly an educational, inspirational and entertaining experience!

ASDAN Trip (Essential

Living)

On Monday 4th December, our Year 10 students

visited Essential Living a company that constructs

premium apartments in London. They visited as part

of their ASDAN short course in construction. The

students learnt about health and safety on a

construction site and enjoyed the tour around the

Creekside project in Greenwich.

Year 10 students completing the ASDAN construction course

visited Essential Living- Creekside Project

Silvertown News

ASDAN Healthy Lifestyles

Trip to TESCO

Our students enthusiastically toured the shelves of

this mega supermarket with clipboards and their own

individual list for a healthy weekly diet. Within the

space of 1 hour, they had found all their items and put

a price to everything. Quite an achievement in a huge

shop that none of us had visited before.

When asked about the trip, one cheerful young

shopper said that “I enjoyed the shopping but I didn’t

like the prices”. Well, I am sure most of us know that

feeling! Another said, “I will need to buy a car to get it

all home.” Having written the lists in class, some

found things they had left off their lists which they

added (the impulse buyers) and all of them were

enthusiastic about making choices between quality

items and lower price options. This is part of an

independent living task for their ASDAN course to

produce a budget for a whole year including all living

expenses. They are now working on using excel data

spreadsheets to find out exactly how much this is all

going to cost them over the course of one year.

Four year 10 students hit Tesco’s Extra, Woolwich Arsenal last

week to budget and price up a weekly shopping list

Staff Students Fundraiser

Football Match East End

Community Foundation

On 3rd November our staff and students took part in a

charity football match to raise money for East End

Community Foundation. We were pleased to see so

many of our students and staff participate and

support. We were even more pleased to see Dave

Mann, chair of our Academy council, showcase his

skills in goal!

Staff and students showing off their skills in our charity

football match for East End Community Foundation

City Pitch Project in the

community

Our City Pitch team, having successfully pitched to a panel from the Lord Mayor's fund for London before the summer, began their community project for young people this term. In November, they arranged for Jimmy Tibbs, the famous boxing trainer and Christian to speak to Britannia Village Youth Club. We look forward to continuing to see them continue to transform our community with their work.

Britannia Village Youth Club enjoying a talk arranged by our

City Pitch Students

OCL Awards- 13th

December

On Wednesday 13th December a very special group

of students travelled to Birmingham International

Convention Centre for the Oasis Community Learning

Silvertown News

National Student Awards. The student award

nominees also enjoyed entertainment and a three

course lunch. Also performing at the event, and

nominated for the John Williams Team Award were

our academy choir. Our choir have demonstrated real

teamwork and resilience since their formation last

year, and are well known throughout the trust. We

were also proud to nominate the following students for

awards: Matthew Pease (Nominated for the Founders'

Award for embodying the Oasis ethos), Giselle

Fenteng (Nominated for the arts and Culture Award,

for her contribution to the arts at the academy),

Samira Mustafa (Nominated for the Achievement

Award, for meeting all her targets and exceeding

many of them), Zayne Hoang (Nominated for the

Sodexho Hub Community Award, for his hard work

with community projects like the local food bank) and

Chyan Poleon (Nominated for the Sports Award, for

her contribution to and leadership of sports at the

academy.)

Members of our choir enjoying the celebrations at the National

Oasis Student Awards

Our choir performing at Birmingham ICC at the high profile

OCL National Student Awards. Our choir were also nominated

for the prestigious John Williams Award

Our student award winners Matthew, Samira and Zayne at the

OCL National Student Awards

Aviation Trip 10th

November

On Friday 10th November a group of students who

have shown interest in STEM related career pathways

were invited to complete a STEM in Aviation

Challenge Day at the ExCEL in conjunction with City

Airport. Students were given the opportunity to

compete against other schools in various STEM

based challenges such as a redesign of City Airport's

infrastructure leading up to their renovation and use of

new technologies/apps to solve problems.

Students using VR headset to understand the applications of

augmented reality at ExCEL Centre

Silvertown News

Newham Debating

Competition

On Friday 8th December a group of students travelled to Pinsent Mason Offices at Liverpool Street to compete in the East London Business Alliance (ELBA) debating competition. Having received expert training from Pinsent Mason professionals, our students debated the motion "School web filters should be less restrictive" and reached the final of the competition, having won their heat successfully. Our students were commended for their efforts in the final and secured overall second place.

Our Pinsent Mason Debating Finalists; we are very proud of

them!

Brilliant Club

We continue our strong partnership with the Brilliant

Club. This term a group of Year 9 students had the

privilege of having a series of university style

seminars from a visiting PhD student on the topic “The

Portrayal of Slavery in Modern Museums.” These

students, after successful completion of their

university thesis, will visit a Russell Group University

in January.

Our Year 9 Students at the launch of this years “Brilliant Club”

Year 7 Residential

Each year we take our Year 7 students on an action packed residential in Kingswood early in September. We find that this is a fantastic opportunity for the students to get to know one another and make new friends in a relaxed and exciting setting. They developed their team building skills climbing Jacobs Ladder, shelter building and even making their own beds! Some of the students overcame their fear of heights on the climbing wall. Other activities included Lazer tag and “Nightline” which were thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Year 7 students “hanging out” at the Kingswood Residential

Trip

The teambuilding activities are an excellent way to make new

friendships and build trust

Silvertown News

Food Academy Cooking

Workshops

All Year 7, 8 and 9 students attended a Food Academy cooking workshop at Newham Leisure centre this term. The students watched a demonstration then worked in small groups to prepare a healthy meal. After cooking, all the food was judged by a taste tester! Winning teams had the best presentation, team work and taste! Students have been given the recipes to try to cook again at home, so look forward to being served frittata, fish cakes or vegetable curry soon by one of our students!

Oasis Silvertown Students cooking up a storm at the Food

Academy

Anti-Bullying Week 2017

Our Anti-Bullying Week 2017 was a great success.

This year's theme was "All different, all equal." Our

students enjoyed a thought provoking assembly led by

coaching group Jobs A, and completed activities on

this theme in learning coaching time. We are

extremely proud of our peer mentors who began their

duties during this week, are always on hand to help

students solve any issues. One of the highlights of the

week was this amazing “kindness pledges” tree

display produced by the students.

Our amazing display of kindness pledges for anti-bullying

week. Thanks to our student leaders for putting this together

Girls Science Trip -

Stemettes

On October the 19th, 10 Year 10 students were taken

to Stratford East to participate in an event organised

by the Stemettes in association with Monster

confidence. Students met women in STEM

professions and participated in Q and A sessions with

guest speakers. Students also attended a number of

workshops on building confidence, and applying for

opportunities in the workplace. Students also

participated in a mentoring session, where they were

able to network with professionals and gain valuable

advice about their future career paths. This was a very

enjoyable day, which helped students’ think of

professions which link to STEM subjects that they

may not have previously considered.

Year 10 female students at the Stemettes event, held in

association with Monster Confidence. Great to see our female

budding scientists!

Silvertown News

A new piano for the

academy!

The academy recently acquired a piano through the

Pianos for Good Causes scheme offered by AnyVan.

We are thrilled with it!

We are so pleased with our new piano!

Remembrance Sunday

Service at Brick Lane Music

Hall

On Remembrance Sunday some of our students joined with Britannia Village Primary students to sing at a very special service. This is an annual tradition for the academy and one we value greatly.

Oasis Academy Silvertown singing with Britannia Village

Primary students

Brick Lane Music Hall Memorial Service

Old Vic Schools' Club

Our students are now fortunate enough to be a part of

the Old Vic Schools' club. 18 of our Year 9 students

take part in regular drama workshops and attend

performances at the Old Vic.

Theatre practitioners from the Old Vic visited the academy to

run a Year 9 workshop

Students considered the characters and themes in A

Christmas Carol

Silvertown News

Rewards - Breakfast and

Hot Chocolate with the

Principal

Every week, we come together as an academy to appreciate all the wonderful things students are doing in their lessons. This term we have introduced a cup of hot chocolate and breakfast with the Principal during Tuesday morning coaching time for those students who are working hard and receiving top merits for that particular week.

Students with the top merits enjoy weekly breakfast with the

Principal

Christmas Lunch

On Wednesday 6th December the whole academy

came together for our annual Christmas lunch. We

enjoyed Christmas crackers, music, decorations and

special treats. Many thanks to Mrs Todd, Ms Perry

and our student leaders for organising such a lovely

event.

Our students enjoying a very festive celebration at our annual

Christmas lunch

Art Highlights

Our art department continue to go from strength to

strength. We love to showcase their incredible work in

our newsletter.

Here are some highlights from our recent GCSE art

mock exam. Our Year 10 students sat a full day

GCSE exam experience.

Year 10 GCSE Mock Exam Art Work

Silvertown News

The art department also held a competition for the

poster for out annual Winter Showcase. You can see

the winning entry and runners up below.

Hasiya Ahmed (Year 8)’s entry which was the winning entry

Giselle Fenteng (Year 8)’s entry which was awarded runner up

Food Bank

At Oasis Silvertown we are committed to supporting our local community. One of the ways we do this is through collecting for our local foodbank. As with last year, we were overwhelmed by the generosity of our students and their families. We really hope this makes a difference.

Our academy’s generous donations to our local foodbank in

October

We were delighted to receive this note of thanks from Bonny

Downs

Home Learning and GCSE

Study Tips

Our students are becoming increasingly

independent using Show My Homework daily to check

their home learning schedules and GCSE pod to

revise topics for assessments. Please remember that

study club runs for one hour after school from

Tuesday to Friday where students can receive

additional support and resources to complete their

home learning.

Silvertown News

Cashless System

From 4th January 2018 we shall no longer be

accepting cash from students or parents for lunch

money, as we are becoming a cashless academy.

This will enable us to continue to serve students

quickly at lunch times as the academy grows in size.

Please visit our website for more information.

Learn more about the cashless system at this page on our

website

Silvertown News