Valentin (Head of E-Sports at the PSG academy) and Paulo (Chief PSG Academy Coach) visited the school on Wednesday 26th November to give a presentation to Year 7 and 8 PSG Academy students, as well as Year 10 GCSE PE students and members of the new Sixth Form Academy. They spoke about their progression within the Academy, with an emphasis on how learning different languages has been vital to their career paths. It gave the students a great insight into different career routes related to sport and the great advantages of being able to speak more than one language in international industries.

Year 7 PSG Academy Students

Year 8 PSG Academy Students

The Lower Sixth Community CAS group have been setting up a new initiative to help members of the Ingatestone community become more digitally connected. The "Digital Champions" group will provide free support and training in using technology, with the aim of helping seniors and other community members navigate smart phones, computers, and the internet. Thanks to a generous donation of equipment by Essex County Council, the group is excited to begin offering sessions starting in January 2025. The project hopes to bridge the digital divide and empower older adults to access essential online services and stay connected with family and friends.

We were pleased to welcome colleagues from Good News for Everyone (formerly Gideons) to our Year 7 student assembly recently. Good News for Everyone has a long standing friendship with schools and for over 25 years they have attended Anglo once a year to provide students with the offer of a bible. Students are told if they do not want to accept this, they just say no thank you and walk past. There is no obligation to accept the gift at all. The colleagues from Good News for Everyone are extremely kind and gentle and make no effort to impose this at all. They understand the diversity of belief systems in our school community and do not expect all students to accept the offer.

Tell us about your Punjabi heritage: My dad’s side of the family are Punjabi and so my brothers and I enjoy celebrating Punjabi cultures and traditions because of him.

What is a Punjabi tradition that you love to do with your family?: Probably my favourite tradition is Rhaki. It is a special time with my family where I tie string bracelets to my brothers’ and cousins’ wrists to give them a blessing and protection.

Punjabi culture includes different religions and festivals. Which festival is important to you and how do you celebrate?: For me, I would say Diwali, the festival of light, is a really important time. We gather together, enjoy food and celebrate with fireworks and candles.

Food is a special part of Punjabi culture, what dish would you recommend and why?: I would recommend people try Biryani. It is a rice dish, with spices and meat. It is very filling and you can add your own additions, pickles, and yoghurts for example.

What do you love most about your culture?: The clothing in the Punjabi culture is really impressive. When we celebrate special days we will wear amazing outfits. There are always bright colours, and intricate embroidery.

Reminder - Deadline for all contributions to the Showbox Appeal need to be taken to B1 or B2 by 6th December. Any donations would be gratefully received.

We have been advised that from Monday 25th November, Nibs Buses will be adopting their "No Pass, No Money, No RIDE" policy. They have been advised that all passes have been sent out, and anybody that does not have one will be expected to pay the relevant price for a ticket. If students cannot pay, they will be refused travel.

"Scythe" is a book about a world where everyone is immortal unless they get gleaned by a Scythe. It is really interesting, and you just get glued to it after reading the first page. The main characters of the book are Citra, Rowan and Scythe Faraday. This is a science fiction book where Citra and Rowen get asked to be the Scythe’s apprentice and one of them will end up as a Scythe. Everything is going fine until the two children learn that one of them must glean the failing apprentice. The readers becomes hooked because every page brings a new idea from the author.

Thank you all for your kind donations, we would still appreciate more contributions to ensure this is a memorable event for our senior citizens. Donations can include: cakes, scones, biscuits, mince pies etc. We would need raffle prizes.

If you know of any senior citizen who would like to attend this event, please contact us to secure a place at enquiries@aesessex.co.uk

Reminder: Please send any comments regarding the consultation of our Sixth Form Admissions Policy by email to enquiries@aesessex.co.uk or post to Anglo European School, Willow Green, Ingatestone Essex CM4 0DJ before 5th December 2024. https://www.aesessex.co.uk/home/admissions/admissions-policy-2026-consultation/

Upper Sixth A-Level Drama students visited The National Theatre to attend a student conference on a new and exciting play, The Other Place, written by Alexander Zeldin. The student conference offered an insight into the creative process of the play, including it's incorporation of various contextual elements of the Sophocles play, Antigone.

Students were invited to ask Alexander Zeldin questions, which provided a deeper understanding of his work as a director and his approach to creating this gut-wrenching piece of theatre. After the conference, students were able to enjoy the play, which incorporated a star studied cast including Emma D'arcy, Tobias Menzies and Nina Sosanya.

Our 9 A-Level Drama students will use this play to analyse and evaluate when answering a Live Theatre question in their final written paper in June. A huge thank you to The National Theatre for providing this experience, which will be sure to help our help students succeed in their exam response.

On Monday 25th November, 32 students that study Computer Science visited the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park. The centre is run by very friendly and knowledgeable volunteer staff who tirelessly endeavour to showcase what the museum is all about. The day began with a brief talk explaining how Bletchley Park came about as a code breaking centre during World War 2, and why it is situated in Bletchley.

There were four activities prepared for the students. The first stop was The Colossus. It was an enormous machine, fully functional with first generation valve technology. This was a rebuilt version of the one designed to break the German Lorenz cipher. Here the students learnt about the way this machine was used to decrypt German military secret messages. The volunteer explained how the Lorenz messages were broken as a result of careless repeat transmissions.

Other Cipher machines like the Enigma machine and the rebuilt Turing Bombe machine, created to decipher enigma, were also on display.

Next, the students explored second generation computers. They had a talk on the Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator (EDSAC) which is considered to be the second stored program electronic computer and the first computer to run a graphical computer game. Right opposite the EDSAC was the world’s oldest digital working computer known as the Witch machine. This machine was used between 1951 and 1957 at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment to perform calculations. The students were then guided through the evolution of computers, looking at very large sized but low storage slow computers to modern day tiny embedded systems with very fast processors.

The next activity was to program the old BBC Microcomputers developed by Cambridge-based company Acorn. The students enjoyed programming a snake game on these computers using an instruction written in BASIC. Students then got a chance to play their games and see whose game lasted the longest.

The final activity was for the students to partake in the Turing test and program a bot. During the Turing test, they were able to assess the ability of a computer to mimic a human, as judged by another human who could not see the machine but could ask written questions. The test is named after Alan Turing, who proposed that a computer can be said to possess artificial intelligence if it can mimic human responses under specific conditions.

It was a fantastic day, where the students learnt so much but also had lots of fun. The volunteers were very complimentary on the general conduct of our students and the quality of questions they asked.

It’s fair to say that the students had an amazing experience and were good representatives of the school. We were very proud of them!

Students are invited to participate in our annual charity Christmas themed non-uniform day, organised by the Sixth Form Charities CAS team, to be held on the 13th December 2024. Please can a donation of £1 be paid via ParentPay, either before or on the day. All the monies collected will support Farleigh Hospice, our chosen local charity, which was voted for by our students this academic year.

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 students 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 students have PE that day, please ensure they bring their normal kit.

If your child is in Year 11 they may still participate in the non-uniform day, but MUST REMEMBER TO BRING ALL EQUIPMENT NECESSARY FOR THEIR EXAM(S) THAT DAY!

A few parents have alerted us to the fact that their children have received chain messages via social media. The messages are often long and detailed, and there are often threats of harm if the message is not passed forward to others. If your child has received one of these messages, our advice is to delete it and block the sender, especially if the message is from someone unknown. Please reassure your child that no harm will come them if they don't forward the message; this is sadly just a scare mongering scam but we understand that it can be upsetting. Here is a link to a really helpful BBC Newsround article which may help you discuss this with your child if they have received a message and been upset.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/61311888

This is a good opportunity to remind your child that any social media platform they use should have the highest possible privacy settings set. They should only be 'friends' with people they know in real life and they should not accept message requests or follower requests from people they don't know. On snapchat, they should have their 'see me in Quick Add' turned off (it is turned on by default) and on What's App, they should ensure that 'who can add me to groups' is set to 'my contacts' and not 'everyone'. They can also select 'my contacts except...' if they want to stop specific people adding them to groups.

Please see some guidance below from Safer Essex Road:

I am writing to you from The Safer Essex Road Partnership (SERP). SERP are trying to achieve safe roads for all users, pedestrians, cars, motorcycles and so on. We know e-scooters are becoming a greater danger especially to our young people; with instances of children in primary school even owning illegal e-scooters.

Attached is a flyer we have produced about e-scooters. We would appreciate if you can share with parents and carers, to alerts them on the facts and legalities around e-scooters. On the approach to Christmas, many people may be considering them as gifts. Please highlight the dangers to your community.

The key points:

1. Privately owned e-scooters are illegal to ride on the highway. Ones you can buy from shops like Halfords can only be used on privately owned land, with the landowner’s permission.
2. Trial hire scooters can only be ridden by people 18 years plus, with a driver’s licence. These scooters can only be used by the person who create the Dott account and are only available in a limited number of locations.
3. Students or staff storing e-scooters on school grounds can cause a fire risk with lithium battery fires.
4. Riding an e-scooter puts the rider at much higher risk on the roads, any collision may be more serious.

Read more about e-scooters Warning over illegal use of E-scooters ahead of Christmas | Essex Police

Safer Essex Road priority is making Essex a safer place to live. We can only achieve Vision Zero, zero road deaths and serious injuries by 2040, together. If your school want to sign up to our Vision Zero pledge please follow the link to our website. Vision Zero Pledge – SERP (saferessexroads.org)

Lily and Lauren, two of our Sixth Form students are organising a reverse advent calendar. Students are asked to bring in any of the donations listed to be given and donated to Billericay food bank to support those in need at Christmas. This will take place between 1st to 13th December. Could all donations be brought to either C4 or the Sixth Form Office. Please can you mark donations clearly so that they are not muddled with the Senior Citizens' Christmas Party or the Christmas present sale.

All donations welcome and very much appreciated.

Please click on the link below for a whole range of activities that may be of interest to you as parents and/or your child. These are focused on the Harlow area. If you don't live in that area or it's too far to travel please contact them as they are very helpful and will be able to direct you to their activities that are local to you. PACT for Autism are a really robust organisation.

The Careers Convention on 27th November 2024 was a resounding success, bringing together over 40 exhibitors and an estimated 750 attendees for an evening of inspiration and opportunity. The event showcased an incredible range of career pathways, with industry leaders such as Ipeco, Ford, Transport for London (TfL), the Royal Navy, and the Police, drawing large and enthusiastic crowds. Visitors were captivated by the dynamic exhibits, from Ipeco's engineering innovations to Ford’s cutting-edge automotive opportunities. TfL highlighted exciting careers in transport and infrastructure, while the Royal Navy and Police provided a glimpse into adventurous and service-oriented roles. The creative sector was also strongly represented, with East London Arts and Music (ELAM) inspiring future talent in the arts, media, and music industries. The convention fostered meaningful connections, sparking curiosity and ambition among attendees. It was a true celebration of possibilities, empowering students and families to explore their aspirations while strengthening ties between the community and local employers. This vibrant event left attendees feeling motivated and well-informed, marking a memorable step in their career journeys. We thank all exhibitors for their time and expertise with this event.

Don't miss out on the fun! Come along and join one of our extra-curricular clubs. Jump into the world of technology, find your singing voice, learn to debate with confidence or perfect your netball skills - there is something for everyone. Year 11 and Upper Sixth students please ensure you are making the most of the extra revision classes and support available to you in each subject.

Unfortunately, this event had to be postponed due to low uptake. A new date is being discussed, so watch this space!

Thank you for all your donations to support this event, the AESA would still welcome more donations for this. Students are to take donations to Student Services and parents can give these to the main School Office. This event is scheduled for 17th December so please support this event, cash or cards are accepted. Presents are priced from as little as £1 to some more expensive items at £10.

If you are interested in joining the AESA and helping with some of their upcoming events please contact aesa@aesessex.co.uk - GET INVOLVED!

It has been noticeable that some students who are currently doing rugby in their PE lessons do not have enough warm clothing for outdoor lessons. It is advisable that students wear base layers under their PE kit (royal blue tops and black bottoms). These can be purchased from any sports shop or our school uniform supplier Price & Buckland . There are also optional jumpers and tracksuits available from the school uniform supplier. A hat and gloves can also be worn in really cold conditions.

The Year 8 Inter-form Basketball final took place this week with 8A running out winners with a last second winner from Ryan. Well done boys!

Our visits and exchanges programme is now finalised for the year and as in the past, we are reaching out to our wider Anglo Family for support in hosting teachers from our partner schools. When hosting, you would be required to offer a visiting teacher a bedroom with access to a lockable bathroom and provide them with meals including a packed lunch for the days that they are out on excursions with their students. We are able to pay £25 per teacher per night for the hosting services provided. Please could you email enquiries@aesessex.co.uk if you are able to accommodate one of our visitors for more information.

Paneer (also known as an Indian cottage cheese), is firm in texture and has a slightly tangy but mild taste. It’s closest alternate is tofu but slightly more firm and saltier in texture and taste. It can be grilled, used in curries or stir fries. Paneer cheese is full of protein and vitamin C, and has a lower salt content than other cheeses. Paneer is widely available in most major supermarkets.

Happy Cooking

Mrs Prema – Gadhia

To prep the paneer:

• 250g Paneer cheese cut into 2cm triangles – roughly 1cm thick. You can make them bigger/smaller and different shaped if you wish for eg – cubes.
• 1 tsp corn flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• Pinch of ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp red chilli powder (optional)
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil

Coat the paneer with the spices, salt and corn flour and shallow fry over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes or until slightly crispy/golden brown in colour.

Set aside on a paper towel and dab gently to remove any excess oil.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• ¾ tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 large red onion finely diced
• 450g baby spinach
• 1 tsp minced garlic (or finely chopped/grated)
• 1 tsp minced ginger (or finely chopped/grated)
• ½ tsp minced green chilli (or finely chopped)
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• ¾ tsp coriander powder
• ¾ tsp cumin powder
• ½ heaped tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Method

1. In the same pan, add the sunflower oil and heat
2. Add the cumin seeds, allow to crackle (this will only happen if the oil is hot enough but not burning)
3. Add the fenugreek seeds and then the chopped onions straight after. (This ensures the fenugreek seeds do not burn).
4. Cook the onions for 3-5 minutes over a medium heat or until translucent.
5. Add the chilli, ginger, garlic and dry spices to the onions and mix together.
6. Add the spinach to the pan and allow to wilt with the lid on.
7. Once wilted, stir the curry together and cook on a medium heat for a further 5 - 7 minutes until the water evaporates - without the lid on.
8. Add in the paneer cheese and combine with the spinach.
9. Serve piping hot with rice/naans and garnish with julienned ginger.

If you would like to share a recipe from your native country please do send this in to enquiries@aesessex.co.uk

Monday 2nd December - Lower Sixth Chemistry in Action Visit

Thursday 5th December - Christmas Dinner

Friday 6th December - Senior Citizens' Christmas Party

Monday 9th December - Start of Year 11 PPEs

Tuesday 10th December - Lower Sixth Geography Fieldwork - Stratford

Tuesday 10th to 20th December - Year 9 Cadiz students at AES

Wednesday 11th December - Christmas Concert - all day rehearsal followed by performance at St Edmund and St Mary's Church at 7pm

Friday 13th December - Non-uniform day

Tuesday 17th December - AESA Christmas Present Sale

Friday 20th December - 12.30pm early closure

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/

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