Year 9 students took part in a recent Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial Competition organised by Young Citizens. This was held in the prestigious court chambers of Basildon Crown Court. Each student did the Anglo proud by holding their own in a formal and tense atmosphere delivering speeches of a high standard. Our lawyers carried themselves with professionalism and assertiveness, and our witnesses withstood tough lines of questioning. The legal advisor and usher also played their roles perfectly. Well done team Anglo!

Tickets are on sale now - make sure you secure yours! The Anglo European School Association will be on site serving refreshments at this event.

To celebrate International Day, the Sixth Form CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) group organised an exciting Form Door Decoration Competition, encouraging students to showcase their creativity and cultural appreciation.

Forms across the school transformed their doors into vibrant displays representing different countries, celebrating diversity and global unity. The competition was fierce, with each entry demonstrating incredible effort and imagination.

After careful judging, the winners were announced:

🏆 1st Place – Australia
🥈 2nd Place – Malaysia
🥉 3rd Place – Indonesia

A huge well done to all participants for their creativity and teamwork in making this event a colourful success. The competition not only brought a festive atmosphere to the school but also strengthened students' awareness of different cultures around the world.

Eva, a student in Upper Sixth, since September 2024 is part of an active group of young people working in the arts. Eva's curatorial work can be seen in an exhibition which has opened in the prestigious Whitechapel Gallery in East London.

Duchamp & Sons is a collective of young people from across East London who meet regularly at the gallery and collaborate on creative projects with artists. They experiment with art, share space for food and conversation, and create exhibitions, events, and new artworks as a collective. As part of this collective Eva co-curated and organised the exhibition Moving Grounds: 15 Years of Duchamp & Sons, together with artist Holly Graham, and Amelia Oakley (Curator: Youth Programmes, Whitechapel Gallery). The exhibition marks the collective’s 15-year anniversary and is on from 5 February till 4 May 2025. More information about this exhibition can be found here.

This month we celebrate the culture and language of the beautiful country of Romania.

I think that Romania is one of the most underrated countries. It has its problems, of course, but is so far from the misconceptions that others have about it. Most Romanians talk with passion about their history, proudly presenting themselves as the descendants of the Dacians and the Romans. They often say that the Romanian nation kept its ancestors' greatness and strength.

Romanians are very connected to their roots and traditions. Most religious or private events in Romanians' lives come with their own traditions and customs, and the Romanians are proud of all of them. Two of the most important religious holidays in Romania are Easter and Christmas, and for both, many traditions have been preserved to this day. The most striking thing about Romanian culture is the strong folk traditions which have survived to this day due to the rural character of the Romanian communities, which has resulted in an exceptionally vital and creative traditional culture. Romania's rich folk traditions have been nourished by many sources, some of which predate the Roman occupation. Traditional folk arts include wood carving, ceramics, weaving, and embroidery of costumes, household decorations, dance, and richly varied folk music.

Food is an important part of the Romanians' lives, and the traditional dishes are at the top of the list: they love to eat local foods and share with others. The most popular food dishes are sarmale (a mixture of rice and minced meat rolled in cabbage leaves usually served with polenta), mici (short sausages without casings that never miss from barbecues), or smoked pork (mainly ciolan afumat) with varza calita (steamed cabbage – which is also served with sausages, duck or pork ribs) or fasole (beans – which is turned into a star main course when served with sausages). Romanians are also proud of their country's natural beauties and rich wildlife. Most would recommend the Danube Delta - famous worldwide as one of the largest and best-preserved of Europe's deltas and a biodiversity hotspot, and the Carpathian Mountains - one of the wildest areas of Romania and home to some of the last remaining virgin forests in Europe.

Romania's offer for nature enthusiasts is quite varied: from mountain lakes, waterfalls, and mysterious caves to dozens of national and natural parks, high mountain peaks, the Danube River, and the Black Sea.

Plus, there are plenty of wild animals to see here, right in their natural habitat. In the higher areas, travellers can spot big predators such as the brown bear, the wolf, and the lynx, but also bison and the beautiful foxes, deer, and chamois.

Proud to be Romanian? I think the answer is YES!

This week we welcomed students from the College Roger Vercel in Dinan, France. We hope that they have enjoyed their week visiting Harry Potter Studios, Canterbury Cathedral, sightseeing in London and watching a West End musical. We hope they all have a great time with their Year 8 and Year 9 exchange partners this weekend brushing up on their English, whilst our students take this opportunity to practice their French.

As part of British Science Week, we had a STEM ambassador visit for Year 10 students. They discussed wind turbines, renewable energy and careers in STEM. Students had the opportunity to ask insightful questions and explore real world applications of sustainable technology. The session was both informative and inspiring, sparking curiosity about the future of green technology. We look forward to seeing Chris again to engage more students on a fundamental part of our future resources.

Year 8 student, Eamonn, was invited to perform a short sitar recital at The Bhavan, one of the UK's largest centres for Indian Classical Arts on Friday 14th March. The event was a tribute to the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan, one of the finest sitarists of his generation. Eamonn and his sister, Arohi, have been learning the sitar for five years, receiving online lessons from their esteemed teacher, Roopa Panesar, a renowned sitarist based in Leicester. In addition to his studies, Eamonn balances his academic work with his passion for music, and is learning multiple instruments, including the guitar, piano, tabla, and Indian Classical vocal music. We look forward to seeing future performances from Eamonn, hopefully at upcoming Eisteddfod performances.

When it comes to inclusion, neurodiversity refers to a world where neurological differences are recognised and respected as all other human variations. This week, students have attended assemblies on the topic of Neurodiversity, to tie in with the annual celebration of Neurodiversity Week 2025. Please see the link below that accompanied this assembly, as it contains information that you may find useful.

Happy Neurodiversity Week!

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!

Last day of Term: As you are aware, the school will closing at 12:30 on Friday 4th April. However, please be aware that NIBS 50 bus will continue to operate according to their regular timetable. As a result, parents/carers may need to make alternative arrangements for their children’s transport home on that day.

Study Club: From September, Study Club will be open from 3.30pm-4.30pm Monday to Friday.

📅 When?
🕛 Lunchtimes on Thursday 27th & Friday 28th March

🎁 Looking for the perfect gift for your special person?
Come and browse our beautiful selection of gifts—perfect for Mother’s Day or any special someone!

💳 Payment options: Cash & Card accepted

Don’t miss out—find something lovely while stocks last! 💖✨

AESA held very successful quiz night on the 28th February, with over 120 people in attendance.

A brilliant £2,200 was raised on the night. The fabulous Satt Caterers of Ilford provided a delicious curry along with their famous samosas.

Thanks to the school for hosting and staff for arranging the quiz, Mike Ball for stepping in and hosting the event and to all those who donated raffle prizes:

• Studio 35
• Ingatestone & Fryerning Tennis Club
• Walkers Estates
• The Lounge Winebar
• Brown Bread
• Hair at 39
• Kennadys
• Budgens Ingatestone
• Co-Op Ingatestone
• Ravens Bakery
• Oaktree Gallery
• Nails @ 66
• D&T Nails
• The Deli
• Palmers Gents Hairdresser
• DB Lashes & Beauty
• Greenbrook Garden Centre
• The Country Cafe
• Maggies Fashion
• Blue Dandelion
• Ingatestone Convenience Store
• Joy Shoes and Bags
• Abigail’s
• The Print station @ The Old Forge.

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.

In their last game of the season they won 4-2. Esteban, Mattia, Shawn and Harry scored our goals in an excellent performance. Oscar and Mattia were outstanding and joint players of the match. Well done boys - we look forward to following your journey in the next season!

There is high demand from parents and carers to find work within a school, that fits in with family life. Please see below details of fully funded courses available for parents to aid their learning. These sessions are run within school hours and within term times ONLY. This allows parents and carers to fit their learning in with school drop off and collection. Places are limited and will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. www.studysmartuk.online

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

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

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

17th - 24th March: Japanese Homestay

25th March at 6pm: Parents' Briefings for Lower Sixth Madrid work experience/Years 8/9 Madrid/Year9 Blanes (virtual)

25th March and 3rd April 2025: Year 8/9 Wiesbaden and Avignon at AES

25th March: 9y Geography fieldwork visit

26th March: Year 9 RSC Visit

27th March: 8y Parents' Evening (virtual)

28th March: 9x Geography fieldwork visit

1st April: All day rehearsal for Eisteddfod

2nd and 3rd April: Eisteddfod

4th April: School closes at 12.30pm

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/

24th March: Year 9/U16 girls' Football @Chelmer Valley/ Year 7/8 B team boys' Football v BCHS

25th March: Year 8 boys' Football v Beaulieu Park

31st March: Year 9/U16 girls' Football v Boswells/Year 9 boys' Football @GBHS/ Year 8 girls Football and Year 10 girls' Netball @StMartin's

2nd April: Year 7/8 girls' football @SJP

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