There have been many exciting initiatives and activities in recent weeks and I would like to take a moment to thank staff for their commitment to ensuring we give our students the best provision we can.

We have come such a long way as a school and I could not be more proud of our students. Year 11 in particular have conducted themselves superbly throughout the Mock exam period. Our rewards initiative is well under way and is clearly embraced by students.

We had a practice fire drill today and the students were superb. The whole school was out and registers done in record time. So many staff have commented on how amazing the students were.

Thank you, because none of this would happen with your support as parents.

Please do take a moment to complete the survey to give your views on how we are doing. Give your views | Ofsted Parent View.

I have invited Chris Goodall to come and do another session on Artificial Intelligence for us. Please do come; you will find it enlightening and you will be better prepared for the way technology may look like in the future.

Next week, we will be celebrating Anti-Bullying week to reinforce our message of zero tolerance towards all forms of bullying and the importance of respect to all members of our school community.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Assal Ruse

Monday 18th November: Artificial Intelligence talk for Year 7 parents and guardians

Wednesday 20th November: Odd Sock Day for Anti-Bullying Week

Thursday 21st November: Year 10 Parents' Evening (4pm - 7pm)

Wednesday 27th November: SEND Coffee Morning (booking form is at the bottom of this newsletter)

Wednesday 4th December: Year 11 mock results given out

Thursday 5th December: Year 11 Parents' Evening (timing TBC)

Monday 18th November:

• Year 8 Boys vs Jubilee High School at Matthew Arnold
• Years 7 and 8 Netball at Jubilee High School

Tuesday 19th November:

• Year 9 Boys Football 7-a-side
• Years 8 and 9 Netball vs Magna Carta School at Matthew Arnold

Wednesday 20th November:

• Year 8 Boys Football vs Bishop Wand School at Matthew Arnold

Thursday 21st November:

• Year 10 Girls Football 7-a-side

Monday 25th November:

• Years 10 and 11 Netball vs Thamesmead School at Matthew Arnold

We are incredibly proud of our Year 11 students, who have shown true commitment and resilience over the past two weeks during their Mock Exams. They deserve our congratulations for their dedication and hard work, and we hope they take a moment to appreciate all they have achieved.

Looking ahead, students will soon receive their Mock Exam results, and we will work closely with them to identify key areas for improvement. Our goal over the coming months is to support every student as they focus on these areas, ensuring they reach their full potential for the final exams.

I ask that all parents and carers to join us for the Year 11 Parents’ Evening on Thursday 5th December. This is a valuable opportunity to discuss your child’s progress with their teachers after they receive their Mock results and explore how we can all work together to support them in their final months at school.

Most Year 11 students have now taken the exciting step of applying for college or sixth form, and it has been wonderful to see the pride they feel as they talk about their interviews. For those who still need assistance with applications, I run a drop-in session every Thursday lunchtime in L41, and we encourage any students needing support to attend.

Thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to working together to help our young people achieve success and reach their goals.

Naoimh O'Connor

From 2025 to 2027, GCSE Maths, Physics, and Combined Science exams will include formulae and revised equation sheets to reduce the need for memorisation and enhance focus on understanding and application.

We are thrilled to announce that our school’s attendance rate continues to be over 95%. We firmly believe that if students are in school every day, then there are no breaks in their learning. We are noticing that Friday is the worst attended day of the week and we would appreciate your support in ensuring that students value this day as much as the others.

To celebrate this success, we are offering a special reward to any student who achieves 100% for this half term; we have reset the figures from Monday 3rd November. Years 7-10 will be invited to a special screening of the classic holiday movie, Home Alone, on Monday 16th December. Year 11 students will be invited to watch it on Tuesday 17th December.

We need to remind parents/carers of the Department of Education guidelines, that if they take their children out of school without authority for 5 or more days (which do not have to be consecutive), they will be liable to receive a penalty notice. Currently, the amount payable under a penalty notice is £80.00 per parent/carer per child if paid within 21 days. Thereafter, the amount increases to £160.00 if paid between 21 and 28 days. If the penalty notice remains unpaid after 28 days, the Local Authority will consider a prosecution in the Magistrates Court. Please note that penalty notices are issued per parent/carer per child, so a family of two parents and two children will receive 4 penalty notices.

Congratulations to all the students who have been successful in their applications for the role of a member of the Student Council. They will be responsible for leading and contributing towards the successful running of the student population and role models for their peers. We want to congratulate them on their well deserved appointments.

Equally, the House Captains play a vital role in shaping the House System and students have demonstrated fantastic leadership skills and a strong desire to contribute towards the House System. We would like to congratulate them on their new roles and look forward to the positive contributions they wiil bring to the school community.

On Wednesday 13th November, we celebrated Positive Noticing Day. Tags were written acknowledging qualities of both students and staff, and we wore these tags with pride all day. It was a lovely celebration!

Key Stage 3 are undertaking a literary journey this half term. Year 7 are following Budi and his dreams of becoming a professional footballer, Year 8 are looking at the ever-changing relationship of Callum and Sephy, and Year 9 are acting detectives as they assist Sherlock Holmes in solving the mystery!

We have been celebrating students' work in Years 7-10 where they have just completed end of topic assessments (cell biology, quantitative chemistry, organisms, energy, analysing data and lab work). Using the FAR (Feedback, Action, Response) sheet with specific encouragement and feedback for students, they have all responded in green pen to this. They have shown progress and have understood their areas of development. We showcased our books in a department meeting to celebrate the work that our students are doing in Science.

Year 7 are studying pantomimes this half term. In using props and costumes, their characterisation skills have excelled as they feel more connected to their character. They have created great scenes through use of body language and facial expressions!

Huge congratulations go to on of our Year 8 student, Jasmine A-K, on being selected as one of the winners for the 2024 Tim Spencer Award. As part of this award, winners are offered mentorship for one year and a tour of St Peter's hospital, to have a glimpse into what it takes to run a major NHS institution. We are incredibly proud of you, Jasmine!

On Monday 11th November, the school was silent for 2 minutes to give our respects for those that have served in the armed forces. Mr Scott has also been delivering assemblies to each year group, talking about his Grandad's service in the war.

Year 11 6-a-side Football tournament - For their final, smaller side tournament at Matthew Arnold, the Year 11 Boys team put in their best performance, going undefeated in all games with 2 wins and 2 draws, finishing a respectable second place. Vinnie S and Kye P put in near tournament winning performances!

Year 11 Boys Football vs Thomas Knyvett College - The Year 11 Boys travelled to TKC for the first time in their 5 years at this school and battled with a depleted squad and against the light in a closely fought encounter. The MA Boys came away with a 2-1 win thanks to goals from Kye P and Billy F.

Year 7 Boys Football 7-a-side - Victory! The Year 7 Boys emerged victorious in the borough tournament hosted on our school grounds with a nail-biting win via everyone's favourite format... the penalty shootout against St Pauls.

We are excited to share some updates to our Local Governing Committee (LGC) with you. Starting this half term, Emma Gilmore has stepped up as Chair, with John Meinke as Vice Chair. Both have been serving as Governors on our board, bringing dedication, experience, and a strong commitment to our school community.

After our successful Parent Governor elections, we’re thrilled to announce that Yuki Rawal has joined our LGC as our new Parent Governor. We’re grateful for their enthusiasm in representing our parent community, and we look forward to the insights and ideas they will bring.

The LGC is made up of volunteers from our local community and the parent body plus the headteacher. We meet twice a term to review the strategies for improving our school, making sure its money is well spent and challenging the school leadership to ensure that school improvement is happening on the ground. We are passionate about ensuring the best possible outcomes for our students. The governing body has a vital role to play and relies on a team approach with each governor contributing a range of skills and experience.

Following each of our meetings, we share an update with families covering all key points discussed. This update is posted on the school website under the Governors section.

This term, a group of our students have taken on an exciting academic challenge through the Brilliant Club, a prestigious programme that brings university-style learning into schools. Our students are diving into literacy theory, exploring complex ideas usually reserved for higher education. Through tutorials led by a university tutor, they are analysing texts, discussing big questions about language and meaning, and developing advanced critical thinking skills.

Next week, we will be celebrating Anti-Bullying week. Staff and students are welcome to support the cause by wearing odd socks on Wednesday 20th November. Donations will be welcome from all, with all proceeds being donated to Children in Need. There is an option to donate online through ParentPay, thank you.

Our biggest news is that there will be some changes to our farm, which will provide better enclosures and make our animals winter ready before the cold weather sets in. The egg flow is as healthy as ever (the picture below shows our double-sized egg that one of our ducks produced!) and we are preparing our four tortoises for hibernation.

A plea from Mrs Blackburn: if you have any old gloves and/or wellies that you do not want anymore, we would gratefully receive them for use in the animal care department. Students, please bring any donations to M14. Thank you in advance!

After parental feedback from the last coffee morning, SEND will be running their own coffee morning on 27th November at 10am. This is an opportunity to have a coffee and a cake, whilst meeting the SEND team.

Please use the link below to book a place:

SEND coffee morning