As we come to the end of the month of November and begin our Advent journey, our newsletter gives us a chance to pause and reflect on the many wonderful achievements of our pupils and opportunities afforded to them.

Advent commences with the theme of Hope, so let us be thankful for the hopes and aspirations our pupils are filled with and pray for those less fortunate in our communities, where that hope may be less present in their lives.

Anthony Ellul

Headteacher

This month has been inspiring, with so many achievements to celebrate. Congratulations to the Year 10 boys ably supported by Kennedy in Year 8 for winning the Glen Rovers Tournament, and to Tommy for being named Player of the Day. We’ve also had exciting events like Sir William Sargent’s visit and the Girls Network celebration, highlighting creativity and mentorship.

The Diversity and Inclusion Talk reminded us of the importance of building an inclusive community. Finally, as we marked Remembrance Day, we reflected on the sacrifices made for our freedom and the need to support and uplift one another.

Deborah Oyakunle

Head Girl

First Friday of the month Mass was celebrated by Fr Brian. We remembered all those in our Book of Remembrance and Holy Souls - Mrs Marsh

Each year group participates in a retreat programme each academic year. Retreats provide students with an opportunity to pause and reflect as well as developing friendships with their peers.

Year 11 retreat took place at the end of November, this year theme was to think about art and faith. How God can take the broken pieces of our lives and bring them together to make something even more beautiful than we imagined.

Well done to Ilinca Florea in Year 7 who won the monthly Jack Petchey Award. The Jack Petchey Foundation was set up by Sir Jack to inspire and motivate young people across London and Essex to do their best and reach their full potential.

The nomination read: ‘Ilinca is always ready & willing to give everything a go in class. She is a quiet achiever who deserves recognition for her hard work & commitment to her classroom progression.’

Well done Ilinca!

Creating poppies for Remembrance Day

As part of our school's PSHE programme and our commitment to diversity and inclusion, Year 7 and Year 9 students recently attended a workshop facilitated by Show Racism the Red Card.

This session empowered students to further recognise and challenge racism, equipping them with the skills to foster a more inclusive community. A heartfelt thank you to Paul and Francis for their insightful presentation

The current cohort of The Girls Network have wrapped up their year long mentoring programme with a celebration event.

Students were mentored by women in industry, on a monthly basis, where they were supported with CV writing, work experience and having guidance to support them with their academic progress.

Sir William Sargent, the CEO of Framestore, visited St James'. As part of our work with Speakers for Schools, Sir William talked to students on the creation and History of Framestore, Europe's largest post-production house. The company has played a vital role in making many films including Harry Potter, the Marvel films, Gladiator and Wicked.

Students were able to ask a wide range of questions, whilst gaining a greater understanding of the fastest growing sector in the UK - the creative industries, and the diverse careers available to explore.

Year 12 Media Studies students visited Sky Studios, where they had the opportunity to film their own sequences and learn about various careers in the TV and film industry. It was an enriching experience that inspired creativity and provided valuable insights into the industry.

Year 10 Boys plus Kennedy in Year 8 won the Glen Rovers Tournament beating Nicolas Breakspear in the final 4:1. Tommy Cooke received the award for overall player of the day, voted by the referees - Well done boys!

Year 10 football team won 2-0 against Wren Academy - well done boys!

Year 10 GCSE PE students attended St Mary’s University last week to check out their facilities,equipment and learn more about university life.

"Year 7 were estimating the area of the classroom floor in Maths. In order to estimate the length of the classroom pupils used their arm span to represent 1 metre." - Ms King

'Year 7 are studying directed numbers and finally understanding why subtracting a negative number is the same as adding using double sided counters. Pupils were very creative with their use of 'zero pairs!' - Ms King

'Year 7 creating a presentation on different legislations that relate to data & technology' - Mr Handoni

Year 12 Sociology students are learning about demography. Today they began to explore how the population may be affected by birth and death rates, identifying some key reasons why. Next lesson they will be able to apply sociological knowledge to explain the patterns and trends in birth rates, as well as the impacts, linking to previous topics they have learnt, such as childhood. - Miss Amado