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Transcript of Summerendoftermnewsletter2013 1stedit
July 2013
Summer End of Term
Year 7 News 2
Year 8 News 2
Year 9 News 3
Year 10 News 3
Year 11 News 3
Year 12 News 4
Inside this issue:
KEY DATES:
Summer Term ends
Friday 19th July
2013
Autumn Term begins
3rd September for
Y7 and Y12
(see school website
for start times)
Autumn Term begins
4th September
2013 for Years 8-
11, and Year 13
(see school website
for start times)
Headteacher’s Message This has been another exciting and
busy year for all involved with Acton
High School. There has been a great
deal to celebrate, including the
launch of our new Sixth Form, the
ongoing expansion of the Greer
Centre (which will give us the
capacity to house our first group of
Year 13 students), the successful
outcome of our Ofsted Inspection,
and, of course, the very many
wonderful events and exciting
innovations that help to make Acton
High what it is. The past few weeks
have again seen staff and students
enjoy enriching experiences in
music, sport and community
involvement. The International Day
was again a welter of colours,
flavours and sounds, the richness of
which reflect our fantastically diverse
and cohesive community. Other
activities, such as the Media Arts
Awards evening, Sports Day and the
music trip to Devon and Cornwall,
have seen students demonstrating
the level of commitment, creativity,
teamwork and resilience that makes
them a credit to the school.
I would like to express my thanks to
all the efforts of the many staff,
students and parents/carers that
have made the events the successes
they have been.
Finally a reminder of some key
dates -
Friday 19th July: last day of
summer term for all students
(finish at 12.00pm)
Tuesday 3rd September: first
day of term for Y7 and Y12 (Y7
arrive at 10.00am, Y12 arrive
at 10.30am)
Wednesday 4th September:
first day of term for Ys 8-11,
and Y13 (Ys 8-11 students to
arrive at 9.15am, Y13 students
to arrive at 8.40am)
I would like to wish all
students, parents/carers and
staff a safe and enjoyable
holiday.
Dr. Andy Sievewright
2013 Media Awards 4th July once again saw an incredibly successful night celebrating inspired and
innovative success across the curriculum with the Media Awards. There was a
fantastic turnout. Work was showcased on the big screen and outside in the foyer
where guests were treated to delicious food delivered by some very adept students
decked out in black tie! Thanks to Ms Colgan and her team for her hard work
ensuring that all guests were well catered for. All departments honoured their
creative students by showcasing the work in colourful and inspiring ways. Ms Hoyle
put in a sterling effort with her technical wizardry and fast-paced editing. The TVA
department worked incredibly hard to produce all the displays that will remain in the
foyer so that students can see their work and that of their fellow nominees. The English department has also
produced a poetry anthology from nominated students. We look forward to an even bigger celebration next year.
The Music Department took a group of fifteen students
to Devon and Cornwall on a tour of the area. The
itinerary consisted of a day with students from Bude
Haven School working on various performance projects
culminating in a group performance of Shosholosa at
the Weir in Whalesborough. Saturday was spent in
Truro, performing a set in the band stand in Victoria
Park to a very appreciative audience as well as enjoying
some free time to sample the Cornish pasties and
clotted cream ice cream. The group then travelled to
Paignton on Sunday to perform a set at the Preston Picnic, before hopping in the bus for the
journey back to London. Highlights of the weekend included an impromptu outdoor performance
at the Youth Hostel, a sandcastle building competition, numerous games of Frisbee and American
football on the beach, and the „Gorgeous‟ (an expression coined on the trip) weather.
Summer Music Tour
P a g e 2 A c t o n H i g h S c h o o l N e w s l e t t e r S u m m e r E n d o f T e r m
Year 7 Pupil Wins the Connie Mark Award We are delighted to announce that Jade Olubokun (7C) won the Connie Mark Award at the Dr John Roberts CBE
QC 9th Annual Achievement Awards on the evening of Friday July 5th. These annual achievement awards are run
by the Acton based charity Descendants, whose main aims are to create an environment where young people
primarily of African and Caribbean descent can learn to appreciate each others' cultures and traditions, to instil in
them a sense of identity and develop a true sense of pride in their heritage. Many congratulations to Jade for
winning this prestigious prize! Pupils Annicka Martin (11N) , Bradley Kipukila (10N) , and Tariq Smart (12H) were
also shortlisted for awards, with the latter being invited to become an intern for MP Angie Bray.
Earlier in the year, students from all year groups were invited to volunteer to teach IT skills to people in the community and help them
find out the benefits of getting online. Some students attended Acton Library and Oaktree Community Centre weekly and assisted at
IT classes, while others taught Internet skills at a special event in school. The students were rewarded with a concert at Wembley
arena on Wednesday 10th July. Helping others definitely has its benefits!
Community Minded Students Rewarded with Rock Assembly
7C Win Prize in Attendance Contest! In July, we introduced a prize for all students that have been working hard to get themselves into
school on time, even when they are feeling a bit under the weather. Studies have proven that
pupils with higher rates of attendance achieve higher attainment come exam time, so naturally we
would like to harness these efforts. 7C won the prize with an absolute cracker of 98.2% overall
attendance and they were asked what they would like to have, their response was simple – PIZZA!
Here is the team feasting on their prize – well done 7C!
Year 8 Success in Ealing Borough Athletics Tournament Congratulations to our winners in their achievements at the Ealing Borough Athletics Tournament at Perivale on June 25th: Zoya Styles - winner of Shot Putt
and setting a „New School Record‟. Daila Campbell - Girls‟ Discus. Kymani Perkins - Boys‟ Javelin. Hassan Ismael - Boys‟ 800m and Fabian Earle - Boys‟
300m. Here is Zoya Styles‟ account of her brilliant win: “As I walked to the throwing pitch I could hear the chants of support screaming „go on Zoya, Do us
Proud!‟. After my practise throw of 8.96m, the next throws were very good but I didn‟t know if I had done enough to win. Then they announced that I got 1st
place and I was now an Ealing Borough Champion! I walked back proudly showing off my medal to everybody.”
Year 8 Maths Flexiday On the 4th July, Year 8 students participated in a range of Maths activities ranging from investigating the winning
numbers in a Bingo game, and designing and building bridges in their classrooms, to hands-on puzzles and games
delivered in our Sports Hall by the Happy Puzzle Company. The students had to complete various challenges in
their teams. Most of the challenges lasted for no more than a few minutes, but required each team to work
together and carefully develop strategies in order to find a solution, teaching the students how to persevere and
overcome difficulties by approaching problems from different perspectives, whilst having fun too. Students were focussed and motivated for the whole day,
and everyone had a chance to show their own learning strengths. Children of all abilities were able to work co-operatively to conquer challenges whilst having
fun. It was an incredibly rewarding day for everyone. WELL DONE Year 8!
Year 7 and 8 Social Enterprise Qualification During the Spring Term a group of entrepreneurial Year 8s took part in the SEQ: The Social Enterprise Qualification. The challenges was to consult and design
stalls for International Day. In addition to researching what would work best for our diverse and vibrant school community, the students also had to think of a
charity that they would raise money for. The charity the children chose was Save the Children. The students worked incredibly hard and in doing so their efforts
were recognised by A New Direction, the organisers of the SEQ. Charlotte from A New Direction said "I am really impressed by the Acton students. When I met
them they were just buzzing with fab ideas!" Congulatulations to all the Year 7s and 8s who took part.
AHS Drums for the Acton Carnival The Acton Carnival on Saturday 6th July was the perfect opportunity for some of our Year 9
students to showcase what they have learned as part of a ten week samba drumming project in
collaboration with the London College of Music. The day was hot and some of the drums were
heavy but none of this detracted from the fantastic Brazilian inspired samba music that our
students performed along Crown Street, Acton High Street and into Acton Park. Commenting on
the performance at the carnival, Jez Wiles from London College of Music said, “Well done to us, this
event has been fantastic and a great tribute to what the Acton High students have learned from this
project. Next year will be bigger and better still!”
P a g e 3 A c t o n H i g h S c h o o l N e w s l e t t e r S u m m e r E n d o f T e r m
Year 10 Experience the World of Work Year 10 impressed us all with their
preparations for the world of work by
taking part in an exciting week of work
experience from 1st-5th of July. The work
experience programme kicked off with a
mock-interview day on 25th June, when
30 professionals from a range of local
businesses came into school to interview
the Year 10 students. All students
dressed in formal business clothing and
wowed the potential employers and the
rest of the school with their smart
presentation. The aim of the day was to
prepare them for work experience the
following week, and was supplemented by
workshops focusing on health and safety,
CV writing, and interview techniques.
The work experience was valuable for
many, and we were all extremely proud of
some of the great success stories that we
heard and of all the glowing reports that
were fed back to us;
Pavandeep Goulati and Matthew Franzozi
worked with Ealing Planning Department.
Extra mention was made of the way that
they dressed and presented themselves
during the week. They produced some
valuable work and were said to be a credit
to the school.
Dawid Tomczuk and Elias Duale were
placed at Ealing Highway Services, and
these students were reported to have
worked very hard.
Hyat Ibrahim was an absolute role model
at St. Mary‟s Catholic School. She
represented the school well and her
overall performance was described as
„excellent‟.
Reuben Edwards-Osbourne was a credit to
the school, dressing very smartly and
behaving in a very mature manner on his
placement with an estate agent in Ealing.
David Ibrahim was amongst those who
went to LEAP for his work experience due
to his placement being cancelled by his
original employer at the last minute. The
CEO of LEAP was so impressed with
David‟s mature attitude and exceptional
people skills that he was invited to an
appointment at Buckingham Palace.
We are immensely proud of our young
people for their fantastic performance in
this programme.
Ealing Readers Award 2013
Tuesday 13th June saw the final of this
year‟s Ealing Readers‟ Award. Over 50
students from nine Ealing High Schools
met at Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School
to vote for their favourite read of 2012.
The winning book was Missing Me by
Sophie McKenzie, closely followed by
Guardian Angel (Robert Muchamore),
Ratburger (David Walliams) and The
S a c r i f i c e ( C h a r l i e H i g s o n ) .
A Readers Panel from each school read
their way through the shortlist of books
decided upon from nominations from
students in Years 7, 8 and 9. Each School
championed one shortlisted book and the
audience on the day were entertained by
several lively and amusing presentations.
Author Geraldine McCaughrean came
along to talk to and encourage pupils.
Acton High School was ably represented
by Bilal Rasouli, Sufyaan Amjad, Safiya
Mohamed, Jade Olubokun, Natalia
Dabrowska and Hanan Ibrahim.
Thanks to all those students who
nominated books last autumn.
This is the 4th year that the Ealing
Readers Award has been organised by
School Librarians from Ealing High
Schools. It is one of the few awards that
is voted for by students themselves.
Acton High School Wins Regional Science and Technology Challenge Day
On Wednesday 3rd July twelve students
from Years 8 and 9 attended a Science
and Technology Day at the University of
West London. The students worked in
teams of four and involved two Acton High
students working with two students from
another Ealing school. The activities they
took part in were designed to raise their
interest in science and technology and to
increase an awareness of the application
of science. The challenges included
building electric cars, programming robots
to play football, solving crimes using the
latest forensic technology and mastering
software currently used by the police to
create E-FIT images.
Our students entered into the challenges
with great enthusiasm and demonstrated
phenomenal innovative and creative skills
so that we won two of the four challenges
of the day. Mailo Conceicao and Haris
Rabbani were in the team that won the
competition overall. This means they will
represent Ealing in the national finals.
Well done to all who took part.
Year 11 Prom and Final Festivities Year 11 have had a wonderful send off; starting with their final assembly at the end of May
and culminating with their Prom. The GCSE exams have passed successfully and the year
group are now planning for their futures.
This year‟s Prom was held at the Novotel London West in Hammersmith on Tuesday 2nd July,
and was a successful event very much enjoyed by those who attended. Everyone had made a
huge amount of effort and there were some very dapper looking young men and very elegant
young ladies who enjoyed the food and drink, and danced the night away.
P a g e 4 A c t o n H i g h S c h o o l N e w s l e t t e r S u m m e r E n d o f T e r m
School Attendance: Term Time Leave Parents are reminded that leave of absence taken during term time should always be avoided as the
time away from school will be registered as an unauthorised absence. Permission should be
requested from the Headteacher in advance prior to any arrangements for leave. The Headteacher
will consider if there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application. If leave is granted, only
the Headteacher can determine the number of school days a child can be away from school. Leave of
Absence forms can be obtained from the school office.
ABSENCES: All other absences are closely monitored at all times and will only be authorised at the
school‟s discretion. If you would like further information please speak to your child‟s Head of Year;
Pastoral Support Assistant or the Education Social Worker.
UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE: „Unauthorised absence is an absence where the reasons provided by the
parent/carer are unsatisfactory‟. Absences are monitored closely; if your child is absent on a regular
basis and has unauthorised absences of 15% or above, you may incur a Fixed Penalty Fine charge of
£120 or a prosecution for the unauthorised absences of your child.”
PLEASE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD‟S REGULAR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
~ Dr Andy Sievewright (Headteacher), Jakki Thompson (Education Social Worker)
For the second year running, a number of Year 11 students who
will be returning to the Sixth Form next year were taken on a trip
to St Peter‟s College, Oxford by the 6th Form team Mr Mothada
and Mr Cudmore. The idea behind the trip originated from Chair of
Governors, Guy Fiegehen, who was himself an alumnus of St
Peter‟s college, where he studied in the 1960s.
Activities on the day included a tour by current Oxford students,
mock interviews in Engineering and Economics, drop-ins with
college tutors and a pleasant walk around Oxford and a number
of other colleges. The activities gave students a good idea of what
admissions staff look for when recruiting students, and there was
a sense that this was the right time for students to visit before
they started A-Levels and well before they applied to University.
We hope that the visit will inspire students to work hard next year
so that they can possibly put in an application in October 2014.
One of the students who visited last year, David Mcinnes, recently
got accepted onto a prestigious Oxford summer school which
many suggest is harder to
get a place at than Oxford
University itself. It re-
confirmed our belief that
there are definitely students
in Year 11 and the current
Year 12s that can go onto
study at Oxford and other
top Universities.
Year 12 News: Introduction We have come to the end of a successful first year for Acton High
School‟s Sixth Form. We started the year with a 111 students and
we‟ve finished the year with a 97% retention rate which is a great
credit to both staff and students. Student attendance up until the
exam period was excellent with it averaging at 95% for Year 12.
With the new Sixth Form centre progressing and on track to open
in mid-August we are hoping for an equally positive year starting
in September with new Year 12s and also those students that will
have progressed into Year 13. Those students who have sat AS
Levels will receive results on August 15th and those who have re-
taken GCSE will get there results on August 22nd. Members of the
6th Form team will be in on both occasions to discuss and advise
students on their results. We do recommend that any students
who do not believe they will pass three Level 3 courses apply to
other colleges as they will not meet the criteria to enter Year 13.
We wish students all the best for their results in the summer and
hope to see as many back in September as possible.
Attention Turns to University Since the last AS Level exam was sat on the 14th June, attention
has switched to applying to university. Students who are applying
for Oxford, Cambridge and Medical courses will need to apply by
October 15th while all other students will be encouraged to
submit applications by the middle of November. On the 4th July
flexiday students were in workshops which helped to explain how
to apply to University and write personal statements while
providing students with UCAS logins. Students will be able to
chose five courses/higher education institutions when they apply.
Throughout the last nine months the Year 12 team has attempted
to explain and allay possible fears over Higher Education. A lot of
time has been spent on explaining the £9,000 per year dreaded
tuition fees which has dominated coverage on Universities over
the last couple of years. We‟ve also held a Higher Education
evening for parents and guardians and invited several guests into
school to talk about general Higher Education issues.
On the 21st June we took fifty students via coach to Reading
University‟s open day. Thankfully the weather was kind and
students walked around campus all day visiting stalls, general
information talks and individual subject areas. For most, it was
the first time they were able to have a look round halls of
residences and hear from University professors about what
studying at University is like. We recommend that students try and
visit as many open days as possible before applying to their
chosen institutions. If a student wants to visit an open day, but
feel they are struggling financially to pay for transport, please get
in touch and we‟ll see what we can do to help. If you have any
questions regarding Higher Education please get in contact with
the Year 13 team.
New 6th Form Students Visit Oxford University
on holiday