We have received a lovely letter from Stephen Barton, the Senior Nurse from Foulis Ward at the Royal Brompton Hospital.

Stephen wrote to thank our Primary Department for the generous donation of £2714.00, which has enabled them to buy laptop computers for the patients' use during their lenghty stays on the ward.  Many patients are young people trying to keep up with their day-to-day schooling and so laptops are invaluable to them.

Stephen also took the opportunity to comment on our pupils behaviour during their visit.  "They were a credit to your school, all were on their best behaviour, but they also showed a genuine interest in all aspects of the care patients on the ward were receiving"

Well done to all pupils who represented our school!

Our Junior 5 & 6 class visited the Tower of London on a gloriously sunny day, accompanied by Mr Walsh and Mrs Shayle.

The Tower was built over the ruins of the Roman wall and used by Henry VIII to execute wives and traitors.

The children were given a tour by 'Sir Thomas Seymour'.  They had a great time in his company and fortunately no-one lost their head!

The crown jewels were spectacular and the hands on display in the White Tower was great fun.  Sadly there were no ghosts around in the Bloody Tower, but ice-creams & lollies on the way home made up for that!

DEAR PARENTS
Here’s hoping that May will bring us some much needed Spring sunshine!

PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS
Public exams begin with KS3 on May 6th, followed by KS2 from May 12th, KS1 from May 19th and KS4 (GCSE) from May 15th.  Each year group will have been given their relevant timetable – please ensure that your child is well rested and well equipped during exam time!

ART PRACTICAL/FRENCH ORALS
GCSE Art and French students have now completed their practical and oral components of their GCSE examination.

VISITS
The GCSE drama group enjoyed a visit to “Twelfth Night” at the Queen’s Theatre.  It was a very original interpretation of the play and showed Shakespeare in a new light!

HYLANDS PARK
We have been advised of several new outdoor facilities at Hylands Park, which will be available for the use of our students.  These facilities include a basketball court and an outdoor gym.  The pupils are looking forward to trying them out.

PARENTS CONSULTATIONS
There have been Parents Consultations for all pupils during the last fortnight.  I do hope that you found the opportunity to discuss your child’s progress useful.

PRIMARY CHARITY
The final figure for the Primary fund raising is £2714.00.  Well done to all concerned for raising such a fantastic amount.  Mrs Howland and Mrs Shayle took a group of Primary pupils to the Brompton Hospital to present the cheque, with photos and details of their visit posted on the website.

SENIOR CHARITY
The Seniors are holding their charity day on Friday June 20th, in aid of Little Havens Children’s Hospice.  We are asking them to think up some original fund raising ideas and would be grateful for your support of their initiatives.  In support of the charity, Mrs Hill, our Lab Technician, ran the London Marathon in 4 hours 23 minutes and would welcome any donations towards Little Havens Children’s Hospice.  Congratulations to Mrs Hill on such a great accomplishment!

CAR PARK
I have received a few concerns from local residents who have noted that some of our parents are blocking the exit to the car park, making it difficult for them and their children to move along the street.  Could I respectfully ask that you leave the car park promptly and keep an eye out for any pedestrians.

YEAR 11
We will be saying a formal farewell to our current S11 pupils on Friday May 9th as they begin their study leave in preparation for their GCSEs.  I am sure you join me in wishing them lots of luck for their forthcoming exams!  I would like to thank them for being a great group of students, with a special thank you to the prefects for all their support since September.

ACTING PREFECTS
As S11 depart, pupils in S10 have the opportunity to be appointed as acting prefects.
We have this year asked the pupils for their nominations and have also asked them to let us know why they themselves should be chosen.
Following this nomination process and discussion with all the staff, I am pleased to announce that the following pupils are appointed Acting Prefects as from Tuesday May 6th.
Anum Baig                       Kersten Rothnie
Misbah Baig                     Georgina Wenman
Jessica Hampton             Emma Maddox
Sanita Heer                      Tim Fagbemi
Olivia Jefford                     Sandeep Hothi
                                     Kieran Persaud
They will be awarded full prefectship in September if this period of ‘probation’ has proved successful.  Head Boy and Head Girl will be chosen at the end of the term.
Congratulations to you all!

COMING UP……
Monday 5th May – School Closed.
Tuesday 6th May – KS3 begins.
Wednesday 7th May – GCSE Spanish orals.
                    Junior trip to the Tower of London.
Thursday 8th May – GCSE Drama practical.
                   Visit to ‘Twelfth Night’.
Friday 9th May – Study leave begins for S11.
Monday 12th May – KS2 begins.
                  S10 talk with School Nurse.
Wednesday 14th May – GCSE Drama visit to ‘The Birthday Party’ (12 noon).
Thursday 15th May – GCSE starts.

AND FINALLY……….
Wishing you all a pleasant weekend.

Report by Ellie Sanomi - J6

Yesterday, on Wednesday 30th April, a group of us went to the Royal Brompton Hospital.  We went to present a cheque for £2714.00.

We met a couple of people with Cystic Fibrosis; one called Olivia and the other called Charlotte.  On the outside they look well, but on the inside they are not so good, but they are very happy people and are very friendly.

The manager Steve took us around the ward and he also gave us a lot of cakes!  He works so hard to make everyone feel positive and happy and he is a great example to others.

Our final total for the Primary Charity day is the magnificent sum of

£2565.47

Mrs Howland would like to say a big thank you to everyone who helped us to raise this enormous sum of money.  For such a small school, the children should be really proud of their efforts.

A group of children will visit the Royal Brompton Hospital on April 30th to present the cheque and see for themselves the resources it will provide.

DEAR PARENTS
Welcome back!  I can hardly believe it is the start of the Summer term already.  We certainly have a very busy twelve weeks ahead ……….

SCHOOL PHOTOS
The new school photographer, Braiswick Ltd, was in school today to take whole school and class photos.  We will send home information on how to purchase, as soon as we receive the proofs.

VISITS
GCSE Art students visited the Royal Academy of Arts this week and the GCSE Drama students are visiting the theatre next week to see ‘Twelfth Night’.

HEALTH CHECK
The School Nurse came into school this week to carry out Reception pupil health checks.  I have also arranged for them to come and talk to J5/6 and S10 later in the term.

EXAMS
This term sees us administer internal exams and national exams at Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4.
You will be informed of your child’s timetable as the term progresses.

SCHEMES OF WORK
You will shortly be receiving the Schemes of Work for this term which I hope you will find useful and informative.

CALENDAR
Please find enclosed calendar for this term – as you can see, it is a very busy time so please take careful note of all dates!

GCSE FRENCH ORALS
Please note that Albany School have changed the date for the French orals from Monday 21st April to Monday 28th April.  Pupils involved will be taken by taxi to the school on the day.

DIARY
Weds 23rd April      GCSE Drama visit to ‘Twelfth Night’ 7.30pm
Thurs 24th April      S9&10 Parents Evening 4.30-5.30 & 6.00-9.00 – Please ensure your child has made appointment times with relevant teachers.
Mon 28th April        GCSE French Orals at Albany School
                             J5/6 Girls’ Hygiene talk 11.05
Tues 29th April       GCSE Art Practical
Weds 30th April     Primary visit to Brompton Hospital to present charity cheque
Fri 2nd May           New Acting Prefects appointed

DEAR PARENTS
The second term of the year is drawing to a close.  A very early Easter, and we have the promise of snow!

VISITS
The pupils have enjoyed a variety of educational visits during the past few weeks.  GCSE Art students visited the Tate Modern in order to begin their preparation for their forthcoming practical examination, J3 and J4 visited the Imperial War Museum to supplement their curriculum work on Britain since the 1930’s, and P1 & 2 spent the morning at Tole Have Pottery, producing some beautiful pieces of clay work.  All the pupils gain so much from these visits which help to bring their learning to life – thanks to all the staff for their organisation and supervision of these trips.

GCSE SCIENCE
Several students elected to re-take their GCSE Gateway Science Module in order to improve their grades.  We have now received the results with three students gaining an A* and one gaining an A.  Congratulations!

IMMUNISATION
S10 recently had their immunisations for diphtheria/tetanus/polio, administered by the school health visitors.  We have forged an excellent link with the health service, and I hope to use their expertise to enrich our PSCHE curriculum in school.

ISA RUGBY 7S
Mr Sintmaartensdyk and Mr Lowey accompanied a group of 11 boys to the ISA Rugby tournament in Leamington.  Although our boys were not victorious, they had an enjoyable day and will have brought back invaluable competitive experience for the future.

SPORTS LEAGUE
The current standings in the House Sports League are: 
Mauney 32  Wykeham 40
Plenty of time for Mauney to catch up – many Summer Term activities to come!

OPEN AFTERNOON
We held an extremely successful Open Afternoon on March 12th.  Prospective parents were invited to visit the school and see the pupils ‘in action’ as well as meeting the staff.  We certainly had a very busy afternoon and as always visitors were most complimentary about the manners and behaviour of our pupils.

PRIMARY CHARITY DAY
The Primary department held their Charity Day on March 14th, in aid of Cystic Fibrosis.  The pupils took part in a range of sponsored activities, then organised a fun afternoon of stalls and games.  All this followed a delicious breakfast organised by Mrs Gilbert which certainly started the day off well!
I am delighted to tell you that the total so far stands at £1345, with sponsorship money still due which should bring the total to over £2000.  A fantastic effort by everyone, and pupils, staff and parents should be justifiably proud of this achievement!  Thank you to Mrs Howland for all her hard work in organising the day, and to the Primary Staff, Mrs Gilbert and Mrs Willis for all their help.

MOBILE PHONES
I must remind you that it is strict school policy for all mobile phones, i-pods, MP3 players etc to be handed in to the Office at the beginning of the day.
There was an incident this week in which a mobile phone was not handed in, and was then mislaid.  Staff then had to spend an inordinate amount of time searching for it.  During this search, it came to light that several pupils keep their phones with them throughout the day, despite knowing that it is against school rules.  Any pupil found with a mobile phone during school time can expect to have it confiscated.  Our full mobile phone policy is posted on the website.

NEXT TERM
As always, the Summer term is extremely busy.  KS1, KS2, KS3 and GCSE exams all need to run alongside internal school exams, and we have annual events such as the Junior production, Prize Giving and Sports Day to look forward to.  Please ensure that your child is passing on all the correct letters/pieces of information regarding dates and arrangements.  Always worth checking their bags at the end of the week!  Don’t forget that Mrs Carter always posts the Friday letter on the website should you not have received one via your child!
Next term begins for all pupils at 8.40am on Monday 14th April.

AND FINALLY……….
It just remains for me and all the staff to wish you and your families a happy Easter.  Enjoy a relaxing break – let’s hope the weather forecasters are wrong again!

Dear Parents,

Below you will find all the necessary details of the arrangements for GCSE's this summer.  The students will be briefed about their conduct in the examinations, and what they may, or may not, bring into each exam room.  Breach of the regulations is a serious matter which the examination boards treat severely by annulling all results in the current series of exams.  A special concern is mobile phones, I-Pods, MP3 players.  Any such items found in an examination will result in disqualification from GCSE's.

Thursday 20th March - Deadline for all S11 coursework, except Art and Drama Practical.

Summer Term

Week 1
Monday 14th April - Return to school

Week 2
Monday 21st April - French Orals

Week 3
Tuesday 29th April        9.05 - 3.55  Art Exam
Wednesday 30th April   9.05 - 3.55  Art Exam

Week 4
Monday 5th May       School closed, Bank Holiday
Wednesday 7th May  Spanish Orals
Thursday 8th May      Drama practical exam
Friday 9th May          3.25 Study Leave begins

Week 5
Thursday 15th May    1.30-3.15 Spanish

Week 6
Monday 19th May         9.00-10.45   Maths (Non Calculator)
Tuesday 20th May         9.00-11.15   English Literature         
                                     1.30-2.45   ICT Paper 1
Wednesday 21st May   1.30-2.30   Science Paper 1
Friday 23rd May    9.00-10.30   Business Studies Case Study 
   
HALF TERM begins

Week 7
School Exams begin
Monday 2nd June  1.30-3.15   Maths Calculator
Tuesday 3rd June   9.00-10.40   English Paper 1
                              1.30-3.30   History Paper 1
Wednesday 4th June  9.00-10.45  Geography Paper 1
                                 1.30-3.15   French
Thursday 5th June     1.30-3.00   English Paper 2
Friday 6th June        9.00-10.15   ICT Paper 3

Week 8
Tuesday 10th June   1.30-3.15  Business Studies Core Paper
Wednesday 11th June   9.00-10.30   History (Source Paper)
                                    1.30-2.30   Science Paper 2
Thursday 12th June      1.30-3.00   Geography Paper 2
Friday 13th June         9.00-11.00   Drama

Week 9
Monday 16th June   1.30-2.30   Business Studies (change)

Week 11
Thursday 3rd July   7.00pm   Prize Giving at the URC Hall,
                                              Western Road, Romford

GCSE Results Day
Thursday 21st August at 10.30am - Results available at school

Once Study leave has begun:

 Members of staff are available for advice during the usual S11 timetabled lessons
 Students may revise in school, wearing the appropriate uniform and following school rules.
 Our usual school rules apply at all times.
 There will be no registration with form staff.
 Students must sign in and out on a daily examination register at the Office.
 Students may leave the premises between two examinations on the same day.
 Students may not leave an exam before the finishing time.
 Students must wear school uniform during any session in school.
 Any student unavoidably delayed by transport, or illness must notify the school immediately by telephone.
 Students are responsible for bringing the correct equipment to all exams.
 Text books and equipment should be returned to the school after the exams.
 Following the return of school equipment, and settlement of any outstanding invoices, bonds will be returned to parents.
 Any GCSE results not collected on Thursday 21st August will be posted on that day.  I am unable to issue results by telephone.

Concentrated and thorough revision is essential during the Easter Holidays.
I will issue GCSE regulation sheets at the beginning of next term.

The final hurdle approaches, and I hope that we can all work together to help our S11 students to achieve GCSE success in the forthcoming examinations.

With good wishes,

Mrs J Lawrence

Primary Charity Day was held last Friday and has so far raised a magnificent £1345.00 in aid of Cystic Fibrosis.  The money will go to Foulis Ward at the Royal Brompton Hospital which specifically deals with this devastating illness.  This will enable them to buy additional resources to directly help Cystic Fibrosis sufferers

Our day started with breakfast from 8am, kindly donated by Mrs Gilbert.  This proved so successful that Mrs Howland & Mrs Lawrence were calling in all hands on deck to help keep up with the frantic buttering of rolls and pouring of orange juice!

Our Primary children then undertook 26 events in a 'Breathless Marathon'.  This was organised by Mrs Howland to show the children what it is like to be constantly out of breath, to give them an appreciation of how Cystic Fibrosis affects the body.  These events were sponsored magnificently by parents and friends and the sponsorship money is still rolling in.

Finally, the afternoon was devoted to stalls and games in the Hall, with cake sales, face painting, lucky dips and great fun was had by all.

A big thank you to all the pupils for their imaginative games and stalls and their generosity in raising such a fantastic sum of money.  Also, thank you to all the parents and friends who helped make this day such a superb success!

Our Junior 3 & 4 classes recently enjoyed a trip to the Imperial War Museum in London, led by Miss Johnson and Mrs Shayle.

The children were interested to see the war time room settings which illustrated how much things have changed.  They were also able to sit in a 1940's classroom, with ink wells in the desks

An ARP warden showed the children around the 'Blitz Experience' and explained what it was like to take cover in an Anderson Shelter during an air-raid.

Everyone agreed they had a fabulous day and learned a lot about living through the war.....and they are all thankful to be living in peacetime!