End of Autumn Term Newsletter December 2015

In this Newsletter

News in Brief Forthcoming events Important arrangements and dates for the term ahead

Future Newsletters… In order to reduce costs and to be more environmentally friendly, all newsletters will be posted on the school website. Newsletters will be published on a half-termly basis.

School Communications Please do get used to using our new forms of communication, listed here. They are the best way to keep up-to-date with the daily life of the school. It is also far more efficient to access information via the website or Twitter account, rather than by telephone.

Website: www.isleworthsyon.org Email: school@isleworthsyon.org

Twitter: twitter.com/IsleworthSyon Tel: 020 8568 5791

Facebook: facebook.com/IsleworthSyon Fax: 020 8568 1939

Parent Portal: parent.isleworthsyon.com

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NEWS – IN BRIEF

Science GCSEs – Top 10% in the Country for the Fourth Year Running We have just received the first draft of data from the Department for Education (DfE) that confirms some outstanding performances from last summer’s GCSE examinations. It is especially pleasing to note that overall figures show that our boys continue to significantly out-perform all students nationally and comfortably out-perform boys nationally. Indeed across the majority of categories measured, the boys are performing at a level that is significantly above the national benchmarks. One of the great successes is that in the sciences, the outstanding performances have been maintained. This year, the students and staff have seen their progress measures graded by the DfE as being in the top 4% of all results nationally. This is a remarkable result - the fourth year running that the results have been in the top 10%. It is also really pleasing to see the significant improvements in the humanities subjects, where results have been improving over the past few years. This year’s results in geography and history have moved to being in the top 15% of schools nationally. If this measure were to be graded against boys only, the score would be even more impressive. Ellis Bloom – LAMDA We were delighted to receive notice that Ellis Bloom (Year 13) has received an offer to study a stage management course at the prestigious LAMDA drama school in September 2016. A member of the National Youth Theatre, Ellis has been the stage manager for multiple school productions and has demonstrated a clear aptitude for the challenging tasks that the role involves. We wish him well. ‘It’s A Wonderful Life!’ Thursday 3 December and Friday 4 December saw performances of our latest school production – the Christmas classic ‘It’s A Wonderful Life!’ The production is always a delight, and this year was no exception, with every single student rising to the occasion and giving a wonderful performance. There were a number of Sixth Form students for whom this was to be their final ever performance on the Isleworth & Syon stage. George Bridgewater, Louis Kelly, Jack Takeda and Mo Abuelmeaza all gave show-stopping performances, eliciting real emotion from their characters and leaving the audience close to tears at several points! Special praise must also go to some of the younger members of the ensemble, with students such as Tom Keenan (Year 10) and Aaditya Mudhar (Year 9) doing fantastic work. It is, however, unfair to single out anyone in particular, as there was not a weak link amongst the cast! A special mention must be given to Miss Phillips and the music department; all ambient music in the production was written and composed by Isleworth & Syon students and Miss Phillips, and the musical ensemble really helped to add a sense of atmosphere to the piece. A huge well done to everyone involved in all aspects of the production, from the actors to the musicians, the technical team and the teaching staff – it will be incredibly difficult to top this next year!

Finlay Fox (Year 12) and Tom Keenan (Year 10) both gave excellent performances.

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Carol Concert On Monday 14 December, the school held its annual Christmas Carol Concert, over at the local St. Mary’s Church, Osterley. The event brought together students from Years 7-13 for a magical night of festivity. This concert is always a fantastic way to finish off the Autumn Term, and the music department rose to the challenge and put on quite the show! Many different ensembles took to the stage over the course of the evening, with particular highlights being the Jazz Band and the newly-formed Concert Band. The latter featured a stunning solo performance from Year 12’s Cara Doyle on the clarinet. Head over to our Twitter page – www.twitter.com/IsleworthSyon - to view behind-the-scenes shots and some video clips taken during the evening. Look out for an image gallery on the website in the new year.

Thaveesha Paranawidana during the Jazz Band performance.

Sixth Form Applications Following our very successful Sixth Form Open Evening, applications can now be submitted for consideration. All applications to our Sixth Form must be completed electronically; please visit the school’s website (www.isleworthsyon.org) for further information. The deadline for applications is Friday 29 January 2016. Information about the Sixth Form, including the prospectus, Sixth Form Handbook, examination results and some ‘success stories’, can all be viewed in the ‘Sixth Form’ section of the school website. Year 12 & 13 Pre-Public Examinations (PPEs) Timetables have already been issued to Sixth Form students in advance of their pre-public examinations, which take place after Christmas. The examinations take place over two weeks, from Monday 4 – Friday 15 January, and students should be preparing for these important examinations now and over the Christmas period. The full timetable can be accessed via the ‘Examinations’ page of the school’s website, or by visiting isleworthsyon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Sixth-Form-PPE-Timetable-Jan-2016.pdf. Students can also access revision guides and tips, as well as skeleton revision timetables and various other useful tools, by visiting the ‘Study and Revision Skills’ section of the website. Go to isleworthsyon.org/?page_id=915.

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Year 7 Induction Assembly Our Year 7 students have now finished their Induction process, which began all the way back in March 2015. The process culminated with an Induction Assembly on Friday 11 December, to which all parents/carers were invited. It was an hour of celebration, congratulating the Year 7 students on an outstanding start to their Isleworth & Syon careers. A representative from each form group gave a short speech about their first three months at the school, and it was great to hear their insight. Then, each student was given a bronze, silver or gold medal denoting their current progress – it was lovely to see a lot of students wearing them with pride throughout the rest of the day! Well done to Year 7 for making such a great start to life as an Isleworth & Syon boy.

Battlefields Trip On Sunday 18 October, Miss Qadeer accompanied A-Level history students George Bridgewater and Emelio Titus on a three-day visit to the World War I battlefields at Ypres. It was a very poignant experience for the boys, as they were able to see first-hand the effects of the war. While examining the cemeteries, George found the grave of his great-great-Grandfather; look out for a full write-up from him in next year’s Annual Review publication. Remembrance Services

The cohort at the Borough Road Memorial.

The school took part in a series of events as part of this year’s Remembrance Commemorations. On Remembrance Sunday, Mr Fisher and Ms Squires accompanied twenty students as they represented the school at the Isleworth 390 event; each student wore a sash with the name of one of the 390 Isleworth residents who died during World War I. The boys were impeccably behaved as they took part in a parade around Isleworth and its environs, and were a credit to the school.

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On Armistice Day, an assembly was held for each year group in the school hall. A number of students gave short speeches or read poetry, before a wreath was placed at the school memorial at the back of the school hall. At 11.00am, a minute’s silence was held in school. Mr Ferguson and Mr Kettle also accompanied a small group of students to the local Borough Road memorial, which honours the students and staff of the old Borough College (which was located opposite the school) who died in the First World War. Students took an active part in the short service with a series of readings, while Zack Taylor played ‘The Last Post’ to perfection. It was an honour to be involved in this moving ceremony along with a number of local primary schools and residents. Film Screening

To coincide with the Remembrance Day commemorations on Wednesday 11 November, the school hosted a special screening of the silent film ‘A Couple of Down and Outs’. Set in war-time, this silent film was shot in Isleworth in 1924. This particular version contains a contemporary soundtrack, entirely composed, performed and recorded by Year 13 student Louis Rugg. The film itself was an absolute delight, and it was a great to see a good turnout from parents/carers and visitors. A special well done, of course, to Louis, whose soundtrack was spectacular.

Formula 1 Lecture As part of their A-Level mathematics course, students are able to take part in various lectures throughout the school year. On Wednesday 4 November, nine Year 12 students visited Royal Holloway, University of London for a talk titled ‘Chess at 200mph: The Game of Formula 1 Strategy’. This was a fascinating lecture led by Gareth Griffith, feature film and major sports software specialist; it focused on the mathematical techniques behind race strategy at Mercedes-Benz. The lecture was also designed to bridge the gap between A-Level and university teaching. All of the boys found it immensely rewarding. Oxbridge Preparation On Tuesday 17 November, nine Year 13 students were accompanied by Miss Tyreman for an Oxbridge preparation day, taking place at the JFS School, Harrow. Students were selected because they have applied for an Oxbridge university or medical school place for September 2016. Students took part in a variety of activities during the day, which focused largely on the interview process for these prestigious institutions. The most gruelling part of the day, according to the students, was the ‘mock interviews’ section, where students had to do two 30-minute subject-specific interviews with recent Oxbridge graduates. Students were really put through their paces, but in all had a very rewarding day, giving them an insight into the challenges that face them in the next few months. Isleworth Association Quiz Night Our thanks to all those who supported our annual Quiz Night. The evening was a great success, with over a hundred students, parents/carers and staff forming teams. At the midway point in the quiz, a CucinA curry was served to attendees – this was definitely needed, as the quiz, designed by Mrs Robertson, was fiendishly difficult! The winning team was composed entirely of staff, and they romped to victory by over thirty points! Profits from the evening stand at £549.49, funds that will be used to support educational projects at school.

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Theatre Trips This term, students have been able to go on a number of trips to the theatre, as a means of expanding students’ learning out of the classroom and increase their understanding of what they are studying. In the final week of term, Miss Hannon and Miss Breach took sixty Year 10 students to see ‘A Christmas Carol’, and the response was very positive – students commented that they already felt that they knew the text more intimately having seen it be performed! The drama department have been very busy this term, with Mr McDonnell organising a number of trips. The highlight of these was no doubt the ‘Our Country’s Good’ study days at the National Theatre, as our A-Level drama and theatre studies students took part in a number of workshops before seeing an outstanding performance of Timberlake Wertenbaker’s play. What they learned during these days will no doubt serve them well in their summer examinations. Poetry by Heart We were delighted to once again organise a Poetry by Heart competition in school this term. Poetry by Heart is a nationwide competition for Key Stage 4, as students have to recite a poem that they have learned for the assembled audience of staff and their peers. This year’s winner was Zack Taylor (Year 11), who gave a wonderful performance of ‘Sing me a Song for a Lad that is Gone’ by Robert Louis Stevenson. We wish Zack the best of luck as he progresses to the regional finals in January. The English department also decided to host a Key Stage 3 competition for students in Years 7 and 8, following some impressive poetry readings in class. In spite of the difficulty level involved in getting up on stage and speaking publicly, the Key Stage 3 students rose to the challenge. Well done to Albert Campling (Year 7) and Kousthub Kaivar (Year 8) for their absolutely phenomenal performances. It truly was a pleasure to watch these students in action, giving all of their passion into these poems.

Well done to Albert Campling (left), Kousthub Kaivar (centre) and Zack Taylor (right)!

Debate Mate Launched Debate Mate run after-school debating clubs and currently work in 266 primary and secondary schools throughout the UK. We have been running this club for a number of years to great success – last year, our debaters placed 10th in the whole country! At the initial meeting, over 70 students expressed an interest in taking part – a phenomenal response! The club takes place every Wednesday, with students learning the art of public speaking and how to debate in a formal setting. The club is be run by specially-trained university students and the techniques are delivered through a series of fun and interactive exercises and games. Students who have been on the programme see substantial increases in their speaking and listening skills, their engagement with school, and a range of students have been shown to benefit (and enjoy!) these clubs.

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Brilliant Club This year, the school has once again offered the Brilliant Club programme to our Gifted & Talented students. As part of the scheme, a PhD tutor has come into school over a six-week period and delivered tutorials to small groups of students, as they work towards the submission of an essay at the end of the term. Each group works a key stage above where they are currently working. This term, our Year 7 and 8 scholars have been working hard on their final project, with half focusing on biology and the other half on history. We are pleased to report that all students submitted their project on time, and we look forward to seeing the results!

Urban Scholars We have once again run the Urban Scholars programme this year, offering a number of students the chance to develop skills through a series of Saturday workshops at Brunel University London. The boys were targeted as potential high attainers, and all of them have risen to the challenges in these workshops. The programme will continue next term. Sports Report – Badminton Borough Champions! We were delighted that both our Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 Badminton teams have finished the year as borough champions! This is the tenth year in succession that our KS4 boys have finished on top locally, a credit to the hard work put in by Miss George, our Badminton coach and co-ordinator. The boys beat Lampton in the final on Thursday 12 November – it was a close-fought battle but the boys rose to the challenge when it mattered and emerged victorious. Meanwhile, the Key Stage 3 borough final was contested by our ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams, meaning that an Isleworth & Syon victory was assured! The ‘A’ team came out on top and now progress to the county round, taking place at Harrow in February! Elsewhere, there has been several other sporting triumphs at borough level. Table Tennis has really risen to prominence in recent years, with the playground tables extremely popular at break and lunchtimes. This interest has translated to competitive sport as well; our Key Stage 3 team won the borough tournament, while the Key Stage 4 boys finished as narrow runners-up – well done to both sets of boys. Our Year 7 cross-country runners also finished as runners-up in their borough tournament – hopefully they will use this as a springboard to further success in the years to come.

A selection of our KS3 and KS4 Badminton Players.

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School Developments Work continues on the planning for a new teaching block and internal refurbishments. The new block, which will house twenty new English and mathematics classrooms is being built in order to accommodate a future growth in student numbers. It is hoped that the final plans will be considered at a Planning Committee meeting early in the New Year with the aim to start on site next summer. The internal refurbishments will see current English classrooms being converted into new science laboratories. We are currently short of science space and this development will enable us to continue to offer the very best science provision in the area. TOUCAN CROSSING Mr Ferguson received notice from Transport for London on 18 December 2015 confirming that, following a recent consultation, work will commence on a pedestrian crossing on the Great West Road and Ridgeway Road junction in February 2016. A full repost can be found on the TfL website at tfl.gov.uk/roads/great-west-road.

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REMINDERS Appearance Policy – Holiday Reminders Please remember the requirements of the school with regards to appearance, in particular to hair. This is especially pertinent over the holiday period, when students can be tempted to go for a style that does not conform to school requirements. Our policy is clear with regard to hair, and all of our students are aware of the requirements through repeated reminders in assemblies and in tutor time. The extract from our Appearance Policy is included below as a reminder:

Hair should be conventional in style and in length (above the collar and no shorter than a blade 2) and should not be artificially coloured, “spiked” or contain styling products. Excessively shaven hair (below a blade 2/where skin on head is visible), shaved eyebrows or any shaven step/lines/patterns/fashion trims are not acceptable.

Examples of inappropriate hairstyles can be seen below.

Hair is too short Hair is too long Two different lengths

Products in the hair Products and patterns Patterns

If, on return after the holiday period, students are not appropriately attired for school, they will be sent home and told that they cannot return until their appearance is appropriate. Please also remember that the Senior Leadership Team of the school are the final arbiters of the Appearance Code.

Basic Equipment – ‘No Excuses’ It is a simple and clear expectation that students bring “basic” school equipment to school on a daily basis, thus enabling them to be ready for learning. Equipment includes pens, pencil, ruler, a scientific calculator, specialist

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mathematics equipment and a water bottle. All of these items should be organised within a suitably sized school bag, which should also contain a reading book. Please ensure that your son/ward organises his school bag the evening before a school day and is therefore ready to learn. There are ‘no excuses’ for students not being prepared for school. Independent Learning An important whole school objective for 2015-2016 is for students to display greater independent learning. The misconception is to think that this is solely about homework. In fact, parents/carers can help the school promote independent learning by encouraging their son/ward to:

1. Make decisions (accept that effort is required in order to be successful; self-check their work, accept advice without perceiving it as criticism and work without always seeking approval; respond to the teacher’s written feedback)

2. Learn how to think (question the teacher about topics as well as their peers, take risks with their learning, use initiative, be open-minded and offer solutions, re-visit activities or topics without pressure)

3. Work in a systematic and organised manner (they possess school basic equipment; they are resourceful and manage their time effectively)

4. Read for 20 minutes every evening. School Library – Volunteers Wanted! Our school librarian - Ms Squires - requires some extra voluntary support. Volunteers are needed to carry out activities solely linked to the day-to-day running of the library (issuing books, etc). Anyone interested in contributing to our drive to promote higher levels of literacy across the school should, in the first instance, contact Mr Fisher (Deputy Headteacher): sfisher@isleworthsyon.org. Car Parking – Before and After School We would be grateful if parents/carers would carefully consider whether or not their children require picking up from school each day. The roads around school can get congested; dropping off or collecting students, at either end of the day, does add to this congestion. It can be frustrating for our neighbours to cope with the added traffic and sometimes the way cars are parked is illegal. The zig-zag lines outside the school gates are in place for the safety of our students, and double yellow lines also exist to ensure better traffic flow. The Local Authority has an Enforcement Officer who attends the school to issue fixed-penalties where required, and this has our full support. In addition, parents/carers must not drive onto the school grounds to pick up their children, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Walking or cycling to school is a far healthier option for your children, so please give this option serious consideration. Healthy Behaviours Fizzy Drinks - we ask all parents/carers to ensure that packed lunches do not include fizzy drinks. Such drinks are not allowed on the school site. In addition we have noticed some boys purchasing unhealthy drinks and snacks (including packets of biscuits and large packs of crisps) on the way to school. We would ask you to discuss this with your son/ward in an attempt to prevent such unhealthy behaviour. Finally a small number of boys have required a reminder about safe cycling, especially on the way home from school in the afternoon. All students should have a cycle helmet as part of their cycle wear and they must also ensure that some care is taken when cycling down the hill to the London Road. Again, we would ask you to discuss these matters if your son/ward cycles to school. Thank you for your support.

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Free School Meals If you are in receipt of certain benefits then you may be able to claim for free school meals. Your children are entitled to free school meals if you are any of the following:

in receipt of Income Support in receipt of Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance in receipt of an Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance in receipt of a Child Tax Credit, but not entitled to a Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as

assessed by the Inland Revenue) of no more than £16,190 (from 6 April 2015) being supported by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) in receipt of Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit.

Online applications to the London Borough of Hounslow on the link below: https://eforms.hounslow.gov.uk/ufs/ufsmain?ebz=3_1410421727852&ebd=0. Our administrative staff are happy to help you process your application.

Key Stage 3 Homework Pilot The KS3 homework pilot is being extended into the Spring term 2016. Students in Years 7-9 will continue to be rewarded with Homework Positives every time a home-learning activity is submitted which is of an acceptable quality. Students who produce outstanding pieces of homework will receive Homework Commendations. Many of these outstanding pieces can be viewed on Twitter #IsleworthHomework. Please continue to check the study diary of your son/ward for their home-learning activities; these are also posted on the school website. Detentions for failing to submit homework are being phased out; instead, parents/carers will be contacted by letter when students fail to submit work.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS – SPRING TERM PTA Cyber-Safety Event – Tuesday 26 January Please note that the scheduled PTA Cyber-Safety Evening has been moved to Tuesday 26 January 2016 (6.30-7.15pm). This event – one of several educational evenings organised by the PTA over the course of the academic year – is open to parents/carers/family of students in Years 7 and 8. The purpose of the evening is to provide information about how to keep children safe whilst online, a very pertinent topic in this day and age. To reserve a place at the evening, please complete the short online response form, located on the school website. Year 11 Photographs Please be aware that Year 11 photographs are scheduled to be taken on Wednesday 3 February 2016. Key Stage 4 Courses Evening – Thursday 3 March The Key Stage 4 Courses Evening for current Year 9 students and parents/carers is scheduled for Thursday 3 March 2016. This is a critical event for Year 9 students to attend, as it outlines key information about the step up to Key Stage 4. On this date, students will be given the options booklet, which contains detailed information about the GCSE, BTEC and vocational options open to students. More information will be circulated during the Spring Term.

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IMPORTANT DATES Autumn Term 2015 DECEMBER Monday 14 Carol Service (7.00pm - St Mary’s Church) Wednesday 16 Rugby 1st XV v Isleworthians/Staff (2.00pm) Friday 18 Last Day of Term (students depart - 12.30pm)

Spring Term 2016 JANUARY Monday 4 Start of Spring Term Mon 4 – Fri 15 Year 12 & 13 Pre-Public Examinations Tuesday 26 Cyber Safety Evening (6.30 – 7.15pm – School Hall) Isleworth Association (PTA) Meeting (7.15pm – Library) FEBRUARY Wednesday 3 Year 11 and Team Photographs Thursday 4 Year 10 Inoculations

UKMT Intermediate Mathematics Challenge Year 9 Parents Evening (4.30 - 7.00pm) Thursday 11 Years 7-9 Valentines Disco (7.00-9.00pm) tbc Mon 15 - Fri 19 Half Term