DEAR PARENTS
Another school year over!  I can hardly believe how fast the year has gone.  May I thank you all for your support during my first year as Head; your kind words and good wishes have been much appreciated.  I do hope that you feel the school is moving forward – I am looking  ahead to a very promising 2008-2009 academic year

PRIZE GIVING
We held our annual Prize Giving ceremony last Thursday.  It was a wonderful evening celebrating the achievements of the pupils over the past year.  I was extremely proud of the way in which the pupils behaved and presented themselves, as was our guest speaker Mr Colin Thompson, who was most impressed with our students.  Congratulations again to the winners, and to those of you who didn’t win prizes this time, let’s hope your name is in the programme next year.

KS2 & KS3 SATS RESULTS
As you may have seen in the media, there have been problems with ETS who are the external marking service for this years SATS and the results have been delayed until at least next week.  As soon as we receive them, I will post them out to pupils in Year 6 and Year 9.

“PARIS”
Our new Parents’ Association held a very successful meeting last week.  They will shortly be in touch with news of their latest initiatives, and I would again encourage many of you to become involved in the life of your child’s school.

VISITS
Miss L’Akremi and Mr Lowey headed up a very successful, if tiring trip to Paris last Friday and this Wednesday, many of our Seniors spent a rather wet day at Thorpe Park!  These rounded off an excellent year of very varied visits, all offering great extra curricular opportunities for the pupils.

SCHOOL DINNERS
Please find enclosed new prices for school meals.  Season tickets offer good value, and I would encourage you to take advantage of them.

AFTER SCHOOL CARE
We are changing the charging method for after school care.  Please find enclosed letter for details.

WINTER UNIFORM
Please ensure all pieces of uniform are named.  Seniors need plain black coats and Primary pupils must have the school coat, purchased from Havering Schoolwear.
I will only be permitting the pupils to wear school scarves and school woolly hats.  Please see Mrs Carter should you wish to purchase these as no other scarves or hats will be allowed.
Gloves should be black. 
 
STAFF
Mr Sintmaartensdyk
We will be saying goodbye to Mr Sintmaartensdyk today as he prepares to return to his native new Zealand later this year.  I would like to thank him for all he has done during his time at Raphael; he has been a totally reliable and good humoured colleague.  Staff and pupils will miss him, and all our good wishes go with him for the future.
Mr Kevin Walsh
Mr Kevin Walsh has only been with us for one term to teach history on supply, but in that short time has established himself as a firm and popular teacher.  He will be moving on to his next supply assignment in September and we wish him all the best.
Miss Johnson
Miss Johnson is getting married in August, and will return as Mrs Pattison. We all wish her a wonderful day!
Mr Jack Luis
Mr Jack Luis will be joining us as Head of Science from September 2008.  Mr Luis has many years teaching experience in Science, and I am sure he will be a great addition to the Staff.
Mrs Elizabeth Strickland
Mrs Liz Strickland will be joining us as part-time History teacher as from September 2008.  Mrs Strickland has over 20 years teaching experience and has been teaching History at Coopers School for the past 8 years.
I am looking forward to welcoming our new members of staff to the Raphael family and hope they enjoy many happy teaching years here.

PE TEACHING
I am in the process of finding a qualified PE coach to take over Mr Sintmaartensdyk’s teaching in this area.  I hope that this will help to raise the profile of PE.  I would very much like to establish school teams and that will be a priority initiative for us next year.

AND FINALLY……….
It just remains for me to remind you that Senior pupils return to school on Monday 1st September at 8.40am and primary pupils return on Tuesday 2nd September at 8.40am.
The Office will be open during the first and last weeks of the holiday should you have any queries.
On behalf of the staff, may I wish you and your family a wonderful summer break and we look forward to welcoming you back to Raphael in September.

Our senior pupils went to Paris for the day on Friday 4th July, led by Miss L'Akremi & Mr Lowey.

They started their day at an unearthly hour...5.30am!  But they needed to leave plenty of time to catch the Eurostar from St Pancras Station.

The weather was warm and sunny and the group enjoyed visits to the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and also a boat trip along the Seine.

DEAR PARENTS
Welcome to the penultimate Friday letter of the school year.

SENIOR CHARITY
The senior department held their annual charity day last Friday and a great time was had by all.  They organised several events such as an inflatable gladiators contest, a sponsored football match, a recycled fashion show and “soak the teacher”!  Their final donation to Little Havens Children’s Hospice is a magnificent £1200, bringing the total school charitable donations for this year to nearly £4000.
I am so proud of all our pupils who showed great initiative and unselfishness in raising such a fantastic amount of money!

PARIS
Our new Parents’ Association (PARIS) is now up and running and you should be receiving regular updates from them.  They will be holding their inaugural meeting on Wednesday July 2nd at 6pm and all parents are welcome.  Please ask Mrs Carter should you require contact details.  Thanks to Ms Hameed for providing some delicious goodies for the staff and seniors to purchase this week in aid of the Parents’ Association fund.

VISITS
21 Junior pupils set off for a few days visit to Stratford Upon Avon this week and I am sure they will have a great time.  The remaining Primary pupils had great fun at Colchester Zoo.  Our S10 Business Studies students enjoyed an informative day at the bank of England, whilst S9 visited the National Gallery.
There are still spaces available for our senior school trip to Thorpe Park on Wednesday 9th July.  Please contact Mrs Carter for details.
A final reminder for those pupils travelling with Miss L’Akremi to Paris on Friday 4th July.  Could you please ensure you have handed in your passport and European Health Card by Monday 30th June.  Pupils should meet at Romford Station at 5.30am and Miss L’Akremi will unfortunately not be able to wait for any latecomers.

PRIZE GIVING
Congratulations to all our Prize Winners who have now been informed of their achievements.  Please ensure that, should you require tickets, you have returned the form to the office.  Tickets will be sent home early next week with your child.  The event is held at the United Reformed Church, Western Road, Romford and begins at 7pm, with pupils to be seated by 6.45pm.

SPORTS DAY
Primary and Senior Sports events will be held on Thursday 10th July on the playing field in Globe Road.  The Primary event will begin at 9.30am, with the Senior event beginning at 1.45pm.  All parents are very welcome.

AFTER SCHOOL
Please note there will be no homework club, or after school club with Pat on Thursday 3rd and Friday 11th July for any pupils.
Please ensure you that you have made suitable arrangements for your child to be collected at the end of school on both days.
Kindly note also, that Pat has now been instructed by the directors to charge for after school care per 30 minute period.  Pat is obliged to charge for the full 30 minutes, whether you use 5 or 25 minutes of that 30 minute period!  I think you will find that our After School Care charging policy is quite generous compared to other schools, as many charge a much higher rate and will insist on payment for a full hour if you go over into the next charging period.

AND FINALLY……….
We are looking forward to a very busy and productive final fortnight of the school year!  I look forward to seeing many of you before the end of term.

Our senior pupils held their annual charity day on Friday 20th June.  This year, the charity chosen was Little Havens Children's Hospice and several events were held throughout the day to help with the fundraising.

  The morning kicked off with a 'recycled fashion show' with pupils modelling fashions made entirely from recycled materials.  The recycled 'Prince & Princess' definitely had the 'wow' factor!

Following a sponsored dance, performed by Mr Rupan, backed by Mr Sintmaartensdyk, the day continued with a sponsored football match in the park.  Some of the girls found other things to amuse themselves with!

The afternoon was filled with fun activities such as gladiator jousting, a darts competition, making the teachers wet in the stocks (a very popular event!), chocolate fountain, coke fountain and so the list goes on.

A massive £500 was raised on the day and that will be added to our running total, which will see the fund increase to over £1200.  An exact amount will be announced next week.

A huge thank you to all the seniors, staff and parents who helped to make the day such a huge success.  Well done to our pupils for their initiative, enthusiasm and generosity - you are a wonderful credit to our school and we are very proud of you all!

Our Year 1 & 2 children have had a very busy couple of weeks with their educational visits.

They visited the Wallace Collection where they saw the famous painting of the Laughing Cavalier and some of the pupils dressed up as characters from the pictures they saw!  They then went to the Kensington memorial Garden to let off steam and were blessed with a lovely sunny day. 

They also enjoyed a visit to Zizzi's restaurant in Hornchurch where they had a pizza-making demonstration, followed by a chance to then make (and eat!) their own pizzas.  The staff at the restaurant were very welcoming, and the children certainly had fun. 

Incidentally, it is worth mentioning that this visit came about after a visit by our Year 11 pupils.  Year 11 voted to go to Zizzi's for their traditional school leavers meal and their behaviour and manner so impressed the management at the restaurant, that we were invited to bring some of our younger pupils along.  So well done Year 11!

DEAR PARENTS
Where has the year gone?  Just four weeks until the summer break, with many events to look forward to.

EXAMINATIONS
Our final exam of the year takes place on Tuesday, just leaving the Art moderation visit on 25th June.  The pupils have been sensible and have conducted themselves extremely well during the long exam period.

VISITS
The Junior children had a wonderful day at the Globe Theatre in London.  As well as visiting this fascinating theatre, they enjoyed a rehearsal workshop, led by a professional actor, on scenes from “A Midsummer’s Night Dream”.  The visit supported their English topic work in William Shakespeare, and coupled with the forthcoming trip to Stratford-upon-Avon they will soon be true experts on the Bard!
The Infant children visited the Wallace Collection and the Kensington Memorial Garden.  There are some delightful pictures on the website showing some of Year One and Two dressed as The Laughing Cavalier!  They thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the garden, and were blessed with a lovely sunny day.
Our younger pupils also enjoyed a visit to Zizzi’s restaurant in Hornchurch where they had a culinary demonstration and then had a chance to make their own pizzas.  They then enjoyed the fruits of their labours for lunch!  The staff at the restaurant were very welcoming, and the children certainly had a fun, yet educational morning.
There are further educational trips over the next few weeks to the National Portrait Gallery, the National Gallery, Stratford -upon-Avon, Colchester Zoo, Bank of England, Paris and Thorpe Park.
Visits provide such great opportunities for our pupils, both educational and recreational and thanks again to the staff who make these trips such a valuable part of the curriculum.

PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION
You should have all received a newsletter from our new Parents’ Association outlining their ideas and aims for fund raising and social activities.  They will soon be holding their inaugural meeting, to which all parents are warmly invited to attend.  Should you need any further information about the Parents’ Association, please call the office and Mrs. Carter will put you in touch with the P.A.  An active P.A. does so much to enhance community spirit in a school – the more parents involved, the better!

PREMISES
There have been a number of improvements made to the premises over this year, with further projects in the pipeline. 
The staff room was refurbished at the beginning of the year, new curtains were fitted in the hall and the music room was re-fitted and decorated. 
The Infant lobby was re-decorated and is now an Infant work space, and blinds have been fitted in P1/2. 
A new changing space for Senior boys has been created, and the Prefects' room is ready for the Prefects to decorate!  
Corridors have been painted, new signage has been erected and the courtyard has been transformed. 
Over the holidays, further classrooms will be decorated, new flooring is being laid to corridors and Primary classrooms, the Junior Boys toilets are being refurbished and the Laboratory is to be re-fitted. 
An enormous amount of improvements in one year, reflecting both the success of our school and the commitment of the Directors to ensure a continuous programme of improvements.

HEALTH SERVICE
The school nurses are visiting J5/6 girls on Monday 16th June for their “growing up” talk.  They are also offering occasional drop-in services which parents can take advantage of by asking for any advice on health issues concerning their children.  I will keep you informed as to when the next drop-in service will be held.

STAFF
Mr Bath left us at the end of last half term and in his place we welcome Mr. Kevin Walsh who is teaching History for the remainder of this half term.
As some of you know, Mr Sintmaartensdyk has decided to return to his native New Zealand later this year, and will sadly therefore be leaving us either in July or October.
We are currently seeking suitable replacement teachers and I will of course keep you updated as soon as new members of staff are in place.

NEW PUPILS’ DAY
We held our New Pupils’ Day on Wednesday and welcomed 38 new pupils to our school.  We have a full S7 class of 20 in September, and 14 new pupils in Reception.  The new children all settled in quickly and have already made new friends with their classmates.  Special thanks to Mrs. Gilbert for providing and hosting refreshments for the parents.

OFFICE DIVIDERS
If anyone knows of a business which may be refurbishing offices and is disposing of large office space dividers, please let Mrs. Carter know as we would like to acquire some!

CHARITY DAY
The Senior pupils are holding their Charity Day on Friday 20th June.  They have already raised £720, and would love to double that figure next week.  Please support their initiatives and ensure that your child has some spending money next Friday!  It will be a non-uniform day at a cost of £1.  All proceeds go to Little Havens Childrens’ Hospice.
One of our parents, Ms. Hameed, has very kindly offered to sponsor the hire of an inflatable gladiator game for the afternoon at a cost of £80, many thanks.

PRIZE GIVING – THURSDAY 3RD JULY AT 7.00PM
Prize winners will be notified next week, and it is compulsory for them to attend.  A letter outlining arrangements and the issue of tickets will be sent home shortly.

SPORTS DAY – THURSDAY 10TH JULY
To be held on the field, Primary pupils in the morning and Senior pupils in the afternoon.  Full details will be sent home shortly.

AND FINALLY ……….
A very busy newsletter reflecting the life of a very busy school!
Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Photos from the Junior Play performed May 2008.

'A long time ago when the west was wild and the point of a gun was the only law for many frontier towns, the people of Dodge City were proud of their peace & prosperity.  With the help of Sheriff Omar their Chilli Sauce became famous throughout the World.  The future was bright until one day their success reached the ears of the fearsome, ferocious, frightening, fast shooting, flamenco dancing, figure skating bandit El Meenio........'

DEAR PARENTS
It has been a busy half term with KS1, KS2 and KS3 public exams now complete.  GCSE’s are well underway, and I am sure S11 will welcome the half term break in order to secure their last pieces of revision.  Next half term is, as always at this time of year, extremely busy but enjoyable as we look forward to whole school events such as Prize Giving and Sports Day.

VISITS
The Juniors had a wonderful time at the Tower of London – the weather was great and they had a very busy day exploring the Tower and admiring the crown jewels.  The GCSE Drama students enjoyed a fantastic performance of “The Birthday Party” starring Sheila Hancock – seeing live theatre is an essential part of their studies. 
There are some visits to look forward to next half term – The Globe Theatre, The Wallace Collection, Zizzis, National Portrait Gallery, Colchester Zoo, Business Studies, Paris and the Juniors’ residential trip to Stratford-upon-Avon.  Thank you to all the staff who organise such a wide and varied programme of visits to supplement the pupils’ learning.

CAREERS
Adrian Cutter, careers advisor, has taken advice sessions with S8 and S9 and will be seeing S10 next half term.  Should you have any queries regarding careers or further education for your child, please let me know and I can put you in touch with Adrian, who will be happy to help.

PSE
Glen Podd, from Romford Evangelical Church, arranged for a group of German students to run PSE sessions on peer pressure for S7, S8 and S9.  The pupils really enjoyed these sessions and it is valuable to be able to forge a positive link to our local church and community.

JUNIOR PRODUCTION
The Junior children had their production of “The Good, The Bad and The Chilli” this week.  I must say I was very impressed with their accurate American accents and it is always so wonderful to see all our younger pupils take part in drama with such confidence, enjoyment and conviction.  Thank you to Mr. Walsh who wrote and directed the play, and to all the staff who helped make it such a success.

ISA ATHLETICS
Kersten Rothnie, Mani Gabbidon, Maisie Robinson, Andy Hunt and Jamil Sarki all took part in the ISA athletics in Bedford this week.  Mani came 3rd and Jamil 4th in the boys’ 100 metres, and Maisie came 5th in the girls’ 100 metres.  Thank you to Mr. Sintmaartensdyk for his supervision, and a special thank you to Mrs. Gilbert and Mrs. Ahmet who kindly provided the transport for the day.

PE KIT
I have been monitoring uniform and PE kit closely this term.  There are still several pupils wearing incorrect items of kit for PE.  Please ensure that over half term, your child has the requisite items for games.  Please note: all pieces of uniform must be named.  A uniform list is available from the office, or can be found on our website.

CHARITY DAY
Mr. Sintmaartensdyk is organising the Senior Charity Day to be held on Friday 20th June.  The pupils have already got some great ideas underway and we would appreciate it if you could support their initiatives.  A group of S10 girls have organised the hire of a “Gladiator Tournament” inflatable game, at a cost of £80 hire.  If there are any parents or families would be willing to help towards the cost of this hire, we would be really grateful!  All proceeds from the day are going to Little Havens Childrens’ Hospice, so the less we have to pay in running costs for the day, the more we can donate to this very worthy cause.  If you are willing to donate towards the hire, or towards the day in general, please contact the School Office.  Many thanks.

INTERHOUSE MATCHES
The following interhouse matches took place this and the results are as follows:

Boys Cricket -  Years 3-6       Mauney won 24-23
                         Years7-8       Mauney won 105-91
                         Years 9-10    Wykeham won 47-23
Girls Tennis -    Years 3-6      Mauney won 6-4
                         Years 7-8      Mauney won 5-2
                         Years 9-10    Wykeham won 4-2

MR. MALICKA
I have to inform you that Mr. Malicka has recently decided to step down from the Board of Directors.  I would like to express my thanks for all his help and support in making my transition to Headteacher as painless as possible!

DIARY
Monday 2nd June
School exams begin.  Revision over the holiday, please.
Tuesday 3rd June
Junior visit to The Globe Theatre
Wednesday 4th June
Infant visit to the Wallace Collection
Friday 6th June
Uniform outfitters to measure and order black blazers for S10
School Nurses available from 3.00-3.30 as a drop-in service should you have any health queries regarding your child
Infant visit to Zizzi’s
Weds 11th June
New Pupils Day

REMINDERS
Prize Giving on Thursday 3rd July at 7.00pm at the United Reformed Church in Romford
Sports Day on Thursday 10th July – Primary am and Seniors pm
End of Term – 11th July

AND FINALLY ……….
On behalf of all the staff, may I wish you and your families a very happy half-term break.  School re-starts on Monday 2nd June at 8.40am.

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!

See our new heading in the Site Structure, where we will be advertising any staff vacancies that arise for September and beyond.