Anglo European’s Giving Policy is much more than raising money for charity. It is also about giving of yourself and your time for someone less fortunate or less able than yourself. Much of our Active Citizenship work is focused on this principle and culminates in Charities Week, International Day and G-Nation Day. However, there are many ways in which our students give of themselves – inside school and out.

All our Sixth form students have an hour of CAS on their timetable where they are expected to give time to creative, active or service activities which benefit others. It’s predicated on the principle of service beyond self and often it is these activities which stay as their happiest memories of school life for our alumni.

Volunteering can improve your prospects because it often leads to the development of new skills. Organisations often offer training which is free and hugely beneficial.

It’s also a way of connecting with people, developing a sense of belonging to your community and making new friends from all walks of life.

Giving of yourself has been proven to be a means of improving your own mental and physical health and well-being. It also improves your confidence and your communication skills, enables you to conquer some fears and work beyond your comfort zone which is often hugely rewarding. Seeing the impact of your work changing other people’s lives for the better is a great feeling and one we know many of our staff and students enjoy.

Last week, we commended our Sixth Form students who gave up a week of their summer to support our new Year 7 students' transition from primary to secondary school – and what a great job they did! They can now see the impact of that work as Year 7 settle quickly and thrive in our school.

This week, Mrs Gee met with Rex, one of our Year 11 students who spent his summer volunteering at a summer camp for disadvantaged students. He told me that he wanted to give something back, so volunteering to support students for a “Fun Week” which involved varied activities such as Lego, sports and a magic show. Rex supported two groups of children during each day – the 5-9 age group and then the 10-13 age group. He explained how he was quite nervous to start with but soon gained confidence in managing primary aged children and began to enjoy it. He described how fulfilling it was to see them enjoying their learning and enrichment and said he was quite sad when it was time to say goodbye to them at the end of their week. Rex explained how he felt he had developed key skills – organisation, communication and a lot of patience! Sister Horton, who ran the summer school, wrote to Mrs Gee to commend his excellent leadership skills. Mrs Gee suggested that there may be a teacher in the making here! AES would like to congratulate Rex on his outstanding volunteering and active citizenship. He is a student who has made us all very proud.

Would you like to volunteer? You can find lots of opportunities at www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk.

Or perhaps you’d like to support others who are? The staff are also raising money for our charities. A large group of us will be doing the Memory Walk at Highlands Park on 6th October in support of one of our school charities, the Alzheimer's Society.

Mr Marshall (just to go one better!) is hoping to swim the channel next August for Farleigh’s Hospice and Mr Wilson is taking part in the Brentwood Nuclear Races for the charity Mind. The justgiving pages are below if you would like to donate to any of these great causes.

What can you give back?

We would also like to share Lower Sixth student, Megan's volunteering work that she undertook over the summer. She has written this article below:

This summer I went to Kenya on holiday. Whilst I was there, I visited an orphanage in Komarock slum, in Nairobi. A few years ago, my aunt helped relocate the orphanage to its current location, as part of her role working for the UN. When I was there this year, we helped supply food, clothes and toys for the children and spent some time with them. This helped but it is a short-term solution, and I would like to help them become more self-sufficient. Currently, they cook, grow food, and sell it to help raise funds to support the children, but they still struggle as they feed and help educate children and families in the village as well as the children who board with them. The biggest issue is that they do not have a safe kitchen. They currently cook on a fire inside the house, which is dangerous and a safety risk as there’s always little children running around. We decided to try and raise some money to help build them a kitchen outdoors, which will be safer and better for the environment.

If you would like to read more about the organization, Wajibu Wetu, there is more information on the GoFundMe page. Any donations towards this will be appreciated and will make an enormous difference for them and all the children they support.

This was the first GCSE course practical lesson for our new Year 10 students. They were focused on two aspects in their work. Firstly, this was an opportunity for students to refresh themselves on the operation, hygiene, and safety routines of the room following a long six week break from school. Secondly, students were considering the importance of vitamins and minerals in a healthy diet, and where they can be found in the food we eat. Mrs Gee was extremely impressed with the quality of the work that the students produced and looked forward to trying some of the recipes at home!

We believe that every young person deserves outstanding career information and guidance to make informed decisions about their future. Greater Essex Careers Hub has recognised our school as a centre of excellence with regards to its careers provision and has recently shared this article on its website about our outstanding practice. We are very proud of our careers team and in particular Mr Ashworth and Mrs Sands and thank them for their continued hard work in ensuring students have the best possible opportunities to discover their individual career pathway.

You may recall back in the spring term we hosted the British Council and their film crew so that they could create short videos to promote language learning and another to promote the Mandarin Excellence Programme. We are pleased to be able to share these with you. Thank you to all the staff and students who took time out of their day to help create these amazing videos, which are now being shared on their websites and ours and will be used as future marketing resources.

According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (2022), “E-cigarette use was highest among those aged 16 to 24 years."

Further evidence presented at research briefings in parliament suggests “that 54% of young people aged 11 to 18 in England report having begun vaping “just to give it a try”.

Among 11-15 year olds, 15% have ever tried vaping. If there are 8.8(ish) million pupils (DfE, 2023) in our schools, with 3.6 million pupils in secondary school, ‘rough maths’ suggests there are 540,000 children who have tried vaping!

Our school, in line with national guidance, continue to take active steps to try to ensure that vaping does not happen in here. Staff are on duty at breaktime and lunchtime and we patrol the toilet areas regularly.

It is our school rule that toilet cubicles should be single occupancy and there are no grounds for students being in a cubicle together. If we find students in a cubicle together they will be sanctioned and they will be searched if we have suspicions that they have been vaping.

Bringing a vape to school, using a vape in school or in school uniform, or asking others to conceal a vape for you is likely to lead to suspension from school.

Students who have previously been found with a vape, or where we have had suspicions around vaping, are more likely to be searched again as we take active steps in vape prevention. Over the next few weeks, we will be inviting students who have previously used a vape or who we suspect are vaping to join some 'break the vape' workshops organised by the Children's Society's Safe in Essex Programme and the Essex Young People's Drug and Alcohol Service (EYPDAS). This is targeted education for students with known issues with vaping, but if you think that your child would benefit from this and you would like them to participate, please email enquiries@aesessex.co.uk for the attention of Mrs Wootton.

Our work on vape prevention forms part of our safeguarding policy. There is so much still unknown about the long term impact of vaping. In some schools, students have become seriously unwell after having vaped, often because they did not know what the vape actually contained.

This article from the University of Bath is a scary read, and something you could use to start a conversation at home around the dangers of vaping.

For students, if you see vaping in school, please tell us so that we can take action. You can report vaping concerns to us by using our online reporting system.

We are excited to open our doors and welcome prospective students and their families to our Open Evening! Feel free to share this event with friends and family who are looking at potentially joining our Year 7 or International Sixth Form in September 2025. For more information: https://www.aesessex.co.uk/home/admissions/open-evening-and-tours/

We would like to remind parents who pick up their children from school to use local car parks in the village, rather than making collections from Willow Green. With over 1,300 students leaving the school site at 15:30, Willow Green becomes extremely busy and local residents require easy access to their properties. Thank you for your support in making a safe departure from school for all students.

Following our email regarding the 621 from Roxwell to Ingatestone, please see below an email we have received from a parent regarding this service:

"Further to your email on the 9th of September, regarding the new 621 service provided by First Bus I felt compelled to write expressing my concerns as to the level of take up from parents with children who live in the Writtle, Roxwell, North Melbourne and surrounding areas.

For parents who are concerned with the initial cost of a lump sum they may not be aware that First Bus offer the facility to pay in three interest free instalments via Klarna when using their app and online.

I can only commend the service my son has received since starting to travel to and from school this term using First Bus. The service is prompt on arrival and is operated by a friendly driver.

I do hope that there is further commitment from parents in taking up this service that will allow it to continue operating but fear that as is so common in this day and age that if availability were to stop that it will never be considered again by a service provider and would lead to parents using the expression. “If only we had a reliable bus service operating things would be so much quicker and easier”. 'Use it or lose it', as they say.

Below I have broken down the above into relevant points in support of continued operation of this valuable service.

Cost Considerations: While £360 for the autumn term may seem significant up front, breaking it down to a daily cost - especially when compared to the expenses associated with driving your child to and from school - puts it into perspective. Beyond the monetary aspect, there’s the intangible value of time saved. As parents, we’re all too familiar with the clock-watching routine during school runs. The 621 service offers a practical solution by freeing up time and allowing your child to gain independence.

Payment Flexibility: It’s great to know that First Bus offers the option to pay in three interest free instalments via Klarna. This flexibility should ease any initial financial concerns for parents who might hesitate due to the lump sum payment.

Long-Term Commitment: I have a valid fear of services being discontinued due to lack of uptake. It’s essential for parents to recognize the long-term benefits and commit to using such services consistently. If we collectively support reliable bus services, we contribute to a more efficient and sustainable transportation network."

Are you ready to make new friends, learn new skills and perhaps try something new? Our amazing range of extra-curricular clubs has something for everyone! Whether you’re into sports, arts, music, technology, or exploring new hobbies, there's a club for you. Joining a club is a fantastic way to explore your passions, build your confidence and broaden your horizons. Don’t miss out on this chance to get involved, try something new, and take your school experience to the next level. Here is the timetable to over 61 clubs and activities. Is there something that you would like to see added to this programme - do let your form representative know?

See below information about the labour market of local regions. This week we are focusing on Chelmsford.

Year 7 boys' A football team kicked off their season with an impressive first match. Mattia, Esteban and Harry scored Anglo's goals. We’re excited to watch this talented team grow and shine throughout the season. Well done to all involved in a very tight first game. Keep up the great work!

Year 7 boys' B and C football teams took part in their first tournament of the season. The C team won their tournament with outstanding performances from Evan, Lewis and Gene. The B team finished 3rd in their tournament with excellent performances from Kiran, Shawn and Jack. Well done boys!

The Year 8 boys' B football team participated in a 7-a-side tournament this week. There were some excellent goals scored and great team spirit on show. One of the Anglo teams placed 2nd which was an amazing achievement! Congratulations to everyone who took part.

Anglo's Year 8 boys' football team got their season off to a winning start with an outstanding 8-4 victory. Our goals were scored by Felix (3), Alex (2), Finlay (2) and George (1). Ryan was exceptional throughout and Aidan was very good in defence. Well done boys!

The Year 10 girls' Netball team participated in their first rally of the season and managed to secure 4th place against some tough competition. They all played brilliantly and worked well as a team, well done girls!

Miss Whitlock recently caught up with Lower Sixth student Onyi on hearing that she has been selected for the England Netball squad, which is a huge achievement!!

Onyi said: "I played netball for the first time in Year 7 in Miss Whitlock's PE class then joined a club outside of school, then in Year 9 a coach from another team told me I should trial for an academy/franchise. I got into a Saracens Mavericks development squad, then trialled and successfully gained a place in the U15 squad and we came 3rd in the National Academies competition. In Year 11, I played in the U17s squad and was invited to my first England trial in January and earned a spot as a reserve. At the end of last season I had another trial and I am now an England player for the Roses academy.(ages U21-U17).

We look forward to more updates from Onyi as we follow her journey with the academy.

As you may know, we have been following Year 9 student Izzy's achievements in this modern and energetic sport. We are delighted to learn that her brother, Year 7 student Cameron is equally talented in this discipline. They are both on the GB National Team and over the summer competed in Costa Rica. Izzy came 2nd in her age group (12-13) and Cameron came third in his age group (10-11). They also placed first competing in a team race with a teammate. Their next big event is the European Championships in Portugal in June 2025. We wish them both well with their training for this event.

Year 8 student, Maya, has been competing in the Eastern Young Athletes League (EYAL) for 2 years now, winning the league and the final in both occasions along with her club, Chelmsford Athletics Club. Competing for the U13 this season she came first in all her 70m Hurdle races, winning 5 out 5 and she won 3 out 5 Long Jump events scoring an amazing 56 points out of 60 for her club. At the beginning of September, at the StoneX Stadium (Saracens home ground) she competed in the League Final where she finished the season with a new PB with 12.71s on 70m Hurdle and 3.95m on Long Jump. Well done Maya and good luck on your new adventure for U15 Girls!

What is the YEA?

Every two years, 75 young people from across the 12 Essex districts are elected to become members of the YEA. Additionally, every year, 7 of these members are chosen to represent Essex nationally on the UK Youth Parliament. They:

• Review Priorities: Identify what matters most to young people.
• Consult and Campaign: Engage with peers, adults, organisations, and decision-makers.
• Drive Change: Ensure young people's voices are included in decisions at all levels.

Why should you join the YEA?

• Make an Impact: Be empowered to be part of real change in your community and beyond.
• Boost Your Confidence: Help develop essential skills in public speaking, leadership, and teamwork.
• Expand Your Horizons: Opportunities for new experiences and connections with other young people across Essex.
• Foster Personal Growth: Support your personal and social development, preparing you for your future.

Key Dates and How You Can Help

• Election Applications: Open from Monday, 29th July – Thursday, 31st October 2024
• Eligibility: Any young person living in Essex (or attending an Essex School), aged 11-19, or up to 25 with SEN

This is a fantastic opportunity for students to make their voices heard in the community. Please see the Candidate Pack for more information or talk to Mr Hills or Mrs Wootton for further advice.

22nd September to 16th November - Year 10 Long Term Exchange to Frankfurt

Thursday 26th September - school closes at 12.30pm

Thursday 26th September at 4.30pm - Anglo European School Open Evening

Friday 27th September - Non-Pupil Day

Monday 30th September - Year 11 individual photos

Tuesday 1st October - Year 11 Geography Fieldwork Visit

Tuesday 1st October - Year 11 Parents' Information Evening

Please see this link for all key dates for each year group. https://www.aesessex.co.uk/home/parents/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