Have you ever heard your child groan, “This is too hard!” while tackling homework? Good! That’s the sound of learning in action. Academic excellence isn’t about breezing through tasks—it’s about stretching the brain until it protests (just a little). This week in school, teachers have been talking about what this looks like in our classrooms and how we can ensure that all of our students, whatever their starting point, are given the opportunity to feel that stretch.

Lev Vygotsky, the famous educational theorist, introduced the concept of the Zone of Proximal Development—the sweet spot where a task is just beyond a student’s current ability but achievable with the right support. In other words, real progress happens when learning is challenging, but not impossible. Or, as Einstein put it, “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

On Monday, a small group of our AMA (Academically Most Able) students in Years 7, 8 and 9 were invited to take part in a History workshop led by Mr Price and Mrs Nichols. The theme was 'Body Snatching'. During the sessions students learned about the illicit removal of corpses from graves, morgues, and other burial sites. The session aimed to stretch the ability and brains of the students. We asked really deep moral and historical questions, which forced the students to think not only of significance, relevance and importance, but also question the societal norms and values of a nineteenth century community. The students worked so well together, really concentrating on the task in hand and their enthusiasm and grasp of key concepts was quick! This impressed us and meant that we were able to adapt the content and session to move things forward to give the students the space and time to really consider key ideas, and questions we did not think we would get on to! It gave us a lot of food for thought on how to really stretch them next time and we are already planning an engaging and thought-provoking session 2!

In addition to this wonderful event, on Wednesday a group of Year 9 students who took part in this year's Brilliant Club https://thebrilliantclub.org/ went to Cambridge University's Magdalene College for the culmination of The Scholar's Programme. The students spent some time reflecting on what they had learned from participating in the seven tutorial sessions led by their PhD tutor Han Fan and writing their 2000 word essay on the topic of 'Money mind tricks', both in terms of economics subject knowledge as well as transferable skills such as academic writing, time management and perseverance. They were then treated to a tour of the college by current university students. They were surprised to learn about the huge number of clubs and societies on offer to students, which allow them to spend time pursuing their passions (whether or not these are related to their course of study) as well as building their CV and making themselves more employable in the future by taking on roles of responsibility within those clubs. Our students were also totally amazed by the college library, as much for its impressive size and architecture as the studious atmosphere found inside, Yaamin commented that "you could hear a pin drop."

The day's events finished with The Scholar's Programme graduation ceremony to celebrate everything the students have achieved by participating in the programme. During the ceremony, Ridwan and Noah gave an eloquent summary of their experiences for the audience, describing some of the paradoxes they learned about as well as highlighting the wider skills they have gained.

Overall, the day was a joyous (although rather rainy) celebration of all the hard work and dedication that the students have put into completing the programme and submitting work that was judged to be beyond GCSE standard. They have all gained some knowledge of economics, built a number of transferable skills and also learned a lot about the options and procedures for continuing education once they are 18.

Mrs Peeters spoke to Noah who gave her the following account of the day: "It was interesting for me to see how a university works, eg the college system. I enjoyed seeing the library and comparing it to our school library. It was very impressive and really huge - about the same size as our whole C block! I felt proud of myself when we were given our certificates. We had a Q&A session before lunch where we learned about applying for university, which college to choose and which course to go for. I would recommend taking part in this programme to any student who is invited. My ambition is to pursue a career in architecture or engineering and I'd definitely like to go to university in the future."

When students struggle productively, their brains form stronger neural connections—literally growing smarter! Carol Dweck, the psychologist behind Growth Mindset, reminds us: “Becoming is better than being.” Encouraging students to embrace the challenge (and the occasional frustration) helps them develop resilience and academic confidence.

So next time your child says, “This is hard,” smile and say, “Brilliant! That means you’re learning.” Academic excellence is built on effort, persistence, and—yes—just a little bit of brain ache.

You are now able to vote for your favourite Head Student Candidate. They are counting on your votes, so ensure your voice is heard. The winners will be announced in next week's Bulletin. Congratulations to all our candidates on a successful week of campaigning.

On the 19th of February, I was given an amazing opportunity to go to Corpus Christi College at the University of Cambridge to study Italian for a day. I have always wanted to learn Italian, so when this opportunity arose, I applied for it. I didn't think I'd get in, but surprisingly, I did! When I arrived, we began a session titled "Why Italian? Why learn it from scratch?" which was very informative and led me to consider that perhaps I should learn a language from scratch at university. We then explored the cultures of Italy through art, which taught me how literature and art can reflect the culture of a country while also aiding in language acquisition. I believe my favourite session was on history. As someone who loves history, I realised that Italy had colonies and faced challenges regarding this issue. It was a significant revelation, as many countries suffered, such as Ethiopia, which truly opened my eyes and motivated me to research more about it. We concluded with translating a fairy tale called "Cappuccetto Verde" (Little Green Riding Hood), which was challenging for me since I didn’t know Italian. However, they provided us with some key words to assist with the translation and demonstrated how to translate not just word-for-word but also culturally to ensure it resonates with the language’s culture. Through this, I have learned a great many new Italian words, of which I am very proud.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and I thank Corpus Christi College and Anglo European School for presenting this opportunity. I hope it inspires others not to shy away from applying for experiences like this and encourages them to challenge themselves by learning a new language at university.

Thank you to all our parents who have paid the parental contribution as detailed in our previous bulletin. If you have not yet paid your contribution please could you pay this term so that we can ensure that extra-curricular events are not affected by lack of funds, such as Study Club, transport costs for sports fixtures and visits, guest speakers, work-related learning, and careers education and health, pastoral and counselling services.

As a reminder, to maintain this distinctive offer, we suggest a parental contribution of £60 per annum (or £20 per term). If every family contributes, we can continue to provide these vital extras that make our school unique. If you haven’t made a gift aid contribution this year, please click the following link. Please note that if you agree to Gift Aid your donation, these are especially impactful, as they allow us to claim an additional 25p for every £1 donated. Please note that in agreeing to gift aid, you are confirming the following statement.

"I am a UK taxpayer and understand that, if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in the current year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations, it is my responsibility to pay any difference. Please treat as gift aid donation, all qualifying gifts of money made from the date of this declaration."

Https://i.paydit.to/anglo-european-school-aesgiftaid

If you are not a UK taxpayer and wish to make a donation, please you the following link

Https://i.paydit.to/anglo-european-school-5005sch

Of course, you are welcome to donate as much as you can afford. Donations can be made as one-off contributions or regular standing orders via your bank. Regular donations through Gift Aid really make a difference!

This February, marks the Silver Anniversary of the UN's International Mother Language Day, so we decided to focus on not 1, but 3 languages!

"The 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day celebrates a quarter-century of efforts to preserve linguistic diversity and promote mother tongues. This milestone emphasizes the importance of language preservation in safeguarding cultural heritage, improving education, and fostering more peaceful societies."

In this month's video, we hear from 3 students who speak Italian, Japanese and Russian. These languages make up our Phase 2 Language offer.

A reminder to Year 7 students: If you would like to study one of these languages from Year 8 please sign up to a taster session.

Read-A-Thon

The Library is celebrating World Book Day by dedicating its space to reading only. The PCs will be turned off for the day and the Library will be a haven to those who just fancy a quiet read. This will include Study Club before school, break and lunchtime. So make sure you do not have any urgent homework or printing to do as it will be a lovely day just to enjoy books. There will be a book tasting table available for those who don’t know what to choose!

(Please note that the Year 11 will still have access to the PCs in their lunch hour due to their GCSE preparations), however, the Library will be silent that day and they will be asked to leave or use our GCSE Revision books if noisy.)

"Where Sleeping Girls Lie" by Faridah Abike-Iyimide is a stunning debut that masterfully blends suspense, emotional depth, and powerful storytelling. The novel follows the journey of a young woman confronting the shadows of her past and the weight of societal expectations. Abike-Iyimide’s writing is sharp, evocative, and gripping, keeping readers hooked from start to finish. The complex characters, particularly the protagonist, are deeply relatable, and the story delves into themes of identity, trauma, and resilience with remarkable authenticity. With its unpredictable plot and emotional core, this book is an unforgettable experience. Highly recommend!

(Where Sleeping Girls Lie is a 14+ book, Students who wish to read 14+ but are underage can get a parental consent form from the Library)

PC Ryan, Community Safety & Engagement Officer from the Brentwood Community Policing Team will be in school on Wednesday 6th March during Period 4 and Period 5 in B6. She will have an open door and students are welcome to come and talk to her about anything they are worried about, concerned about and to answer any questions they may have. This is a new initiative and we will pilot it on Wednesday and see how it goes. If it is successful and students are keen to talk to her, she will be able to visit the school more frequently.

We are hosting our first Awards Evening of the academic year on Monday 10th March at 7.30pm at Anglia Ruskin University for our Year 11 and Sixth Form students. Invitations to the winners were sent to parents and students before half term. We look forward to sharing the hard work and achievements of our students. Congratulations to all our winners!

Parents and students are reminded that the deadline to submit work experience placement details is fast approaching. Students should submit the information before Friday 14th March to allow the careers department to make the necessary administrative checks with employers. All Year 10 and Lower Sixth students take placements from 2nd June for two weeks. Parents should refer to the EduLink messages sent before half term for further information and a video which shows how placement details are added to Unifrog.

Your child is invited to participate in our annual charity International themed non-uniform day to be held on FRIDAY 7th March 2025. All the monies collected will support Action Against Hunger, which is our chosen international charity that was voted for by our students this academic year. This event is being run by our Sixth Form Charities and International CAS teams, and therefore we ask for a contribution of £1 which can be paid before or on the day, through ParentPay.

The theme means that we would like your child to come to school either in a national dress outfit of their choice, or wear certain colours to represent a flag of a country.

We remind you that our school is a place of work for people of a wide range of ages. Sensitivity needs to be shown in everyone’s choice of clothing. Nothing should be worn that can give a reasonable person any cause for embarrassment or offence, therefore we ask that your child to ensure their choice of clothing and footwear is appropriate for school for example no ripped jeans, cropped tops or high heeled shoes are allowed. If you child has PE that day, please ensure they bring their normal kit.

Now available from AESA for £18 each! These are £25 online and £35 at the door if bought direct from Adventure Island. Contact Kate on 07833 248014 for tickets and to arrange collection from Ingatestone or the school.

Anglo's Year 8 boys' basketball team played their final Mid Essex division 1 match. Dovydas was outstanding and scored 14 points. They are a great group of students who have been a pleasure to take to fixtures and have been a credit to the school. Well done boys!

Some Ingatestone residents and parents have put together a short survey to gauge interest for a new bike/pumptrack in the village. This has been presented to the Ingatestone & Fryerning Parish Council and the local Councillor, Cllr Wagland and in order to demonstrate evidence of interest they have prepared this survey. Please could you take a minute to complete this survey and see if we can push this idea forward.

19th January to 15th March: Year 10 long term exchange students visit Frankfurt

2nd March to 22nd March: Year 10 Long Term Exchange to Biarritz

3rd March: L6 Model UN Felsted

3rd - 7th March: Charities Week

4th March: Virtual Parental Meetings for L6 China, Years 8/9 Cadiz, Year 9 Girona

4th March: Sixth Form History Essay Competition

4th March to 26th March: Year 10 Long Term Exchange to Cadiz

7th March: International Day - Non-Uniform Day / Turkish theme in the Dining Hall

10th March: Year 11 and Sixth Form Awards Evening

11th March: Year 11 Globe Theatre Visit

11th - 18th March: Year 9 Girona at AES

17th - 24th March: Year 8/9 Dinan at AES

17th - 24th March: Japanese Homestay

18th March: Ebblinghem Parents' Briefing

20th March: America theme in the Dining Hall

20th March: Year 8x Parents' Evening - virtual

Key Dates for each Year Group can be found https://www.aesessex.co.uk/home/parents/key-dates-and-term-dates/ and here for Sixth Form https://www.aesessex.co.uk/sixth-form/student-and-parents-information/key-dates-and-term-dates/

Monday 3rd March: Year 7A Netball @Brentwood School/ Year 9 Boys Football @AES/ Year 9 Rugby @Hallmead

Tuesday 4th March: Year 7B Netball @AES

Wednesday 5th March: Year 11 Netball @AES / Year 9 Girls Football @AES

Monday 10th March: Year 10 Boys' Football @WDF / Year 7/8 Netball @Shenfield

Tuesday 11th March: Year 7 MESSSA Rugby @Ormiston

Wednesday 12th March: Year 7B MESSSA Netball @WDF / Year 8 Boys Football @AES / Year 9 Rugby @Boswells

Thursday 13th March: Year 8B MESSSA Netball @WDF / Year 8 MESSSA Rugby @Ormiston

Please note fixtures are organised by all schools so can be subject to change and last minute cancellations - the PE staff will keep those involved in fixtures up to date with information.

Term Dates 2024-2026 - https://www.aesessex.co.uk/assets/Documents/Attachments/Term-dates-2024-2026-1.pdf

Finance - finance@aesessex.co.uk

Admissions - admissions@aesessex.co.uk

Visits - visits@aesessex.co.uk

Attendance - use Edulink

Email: enquiries@aesessex.co.uk
Website: aesessex.co.uk
Location: Anglo European School, CM4 0DJ, Willow Green, Ingatestone, UK
Phone: 01277 354018