Half Term Newsletter October 2015

This Newsletter contains:

News in Brief Important arrangements and dates for the term ahead Forthcoming events

Future Newsletters… Please be aware that September’s newsletter was the last printed version. In order to reduce costs and to be more environmentally friendly future newsletters will be posted on the school website. Newsletters will be published on a half-termly basis.

School Communications Please do get used to using our new forms of communication, listed here. They are the best way to keep up-to-date with the daily life of the school. It is also far more efficient to access information via the website or Twitter account, rather than by telephone.

Website: www.isleworthsyon.org Email: school@isleworthsyon.org Twitter: twitter.com/IsleworthSyon Tel: 020 8568 5791 Facebook: facebook.com/IsleworthSyon Fax: 020 8568 1939 Parent Portal: parent.isleworthsyon.com

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NEWS – IN BRIEF

Examination Results – Update! We are pleased to be able to update our results from this summer’s GCSE examinations. The final outcome is that 64% of the cohort gained 5 or more top GCSE grades (A*-C). This is a new school record and when compared with the national average of 48% for boys, demonstrates how well our students are performing in a single-sex environment. We are increasingly ambitious for our Sixth Form students, and have set a goal for our Year 13 A-Level students that there will be 59% of all grades at A*-B. We believe that if our students follow the advice of the staff, maintain their focus and seek to make some marginal gains, that this goal will be achieved. Should the students achieve this mark, it will be an improvement of 4% on the 2015 results. Taheen Modak - RADA We were delighted to receive notice that former student Taheen Modak has been accepted into the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Art (RADA), one of the most prestigious drama schools in the country. This followed a long and complex audition process, which began in December 2014. It is quite fair to claim this selection as a real coup for the school, as Taheen was spotted by members of the performing arts department and encouraged into a potential career path that he had not previously considered. Everyone at Isleworth & Syon wishes him all the best as he pursues his dream of becoming a stage actor.

Taheen in the 2013 school production, ‘The Government Inspector’.

Annual Review 2015-16 In October, the school’s Annual Review was published. This 80-page magazine provides a summary of the highlights from the 2014-15 academic year. This year’s highlights included: outstanding examination results at GCSE and A-Level; a Year 10 student leading out England in the opening match of the Rugby World Cup; a very successful ski trip, as over forty students visited Austria; yet more demonstration of our outstanding extra-curricular provision with trips at home and abroad; and much, much more. The Review is available to view online via www.isleworthsyon.org; hard copies are available on request from the school reception. Harry Case Leads out England Following his selection during the Summer Term of 2014-15, we were delighted to witness Harry Case (11A) lead out the England Rugby Team during the opening match of the Rugby World Cup 2015, as England faced Fiji at Twickenham. Harry did the school proud as he triumphantly carried the flag – congratulations to him for this achievement! Expectations Evenings This term, we have held Expectations Evenings for Years 7, 10 and 12. These evenings are immensely important as they outline our basic expectations for students during this school year. We thank all parents/carers for their support of this event. Each PowerPoint presentation will be uploaded to the website after half-term.

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Senior Awards Evening On Thursday 17th September 2015, the school hosted its annual Senior Awards Evening, presenting a plethora of awards to students in Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11) and the Sixth Form. This year, we were honoured to welcome paralympian Ian Rose as our special guest for the evening. Ian was born with childhood eye cancer (retinoblastoma) and lost his left eye and most of the sight in his right. He overcame these considerable obstacles, however, to become an accomplished judoka, winning the European championship four times, the world championship in Atlanta (1995), and Paralympic Bronze (1996) and Silver (2004). Ian spoke for an inspiring twenty minutes at the end of the evening, discussing the adversity he overcame to rise to the top of his chosen sport, telling the students about the fundamental importance of working hard and never giving up. We thank him for giving up his time to talk to the parents/carers and students. Photograph © Brilliant Images

Music Trip to the Barbican The first school trip of this year took place on Tuesday 22 September, as Miss Phillips took a small group of students to the Barbican Theatre to see the London Schools’ Symphony Orchestra. It was an absolutely fantastic evening, made even more special by the fact that one of our Sixth Form students, Cara Doyle, played principle clarinet in the orchestra! The cohort – made up of 16 students in Years 10-13 – were a credit to the school, with a member of the public commenting on the exemplary nature of their behaviour. Well done to them!

An amazing auditorium at the Barbican!

PiXL Celebration

Congratulations to Sixth Form students Adam Louelhi (12ALE) and Nabil Malki (12RON) (left), who were invited to the PiXL Student Celebration Event on Wednesday 23 September. PiXL (Partners in Excellence) is an organisation that works with over 1000 secondary schools across the country, focusing on raising standards of achievement at GCSE. This event particularly rewarded those students who achieved well at GCSE, in spite of perhaps not having the best results to build on. The main guest at the event was Levi Roots, former contestant on Dragon’s Den and creator of the popular ‘reggae reggae sauce’. There were also a number of other presentations and performances during the afternoon. Well done to Adam and Nabil.

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Open Evening There was an impressive turnout of prospective parents/carers and students for our Open Evening, held on Tuesday 29 September. Our guests had the opportunity to tour the school under the guidance of our volunteer students from Years 8-13. There was the chance to take part in many of the interactive displays in the different curriculum areas; to see evidence of the work of our current students; and to talk to the students and members of staff. The students who took the tours or who were working in the departments were excellent ambassadors for the school and were a real credit to their families. Our thanks to them for their commitment and contribution throughout the evening.

Left: Students in electronics; and right: one example of the fantastic art work on display!

‘Chelsea’s Choice’ On Thursday 15 October, travelling drama company Alter Ego Productions came into school to deliver a powerful play to Year 9 students. The performance – titled ‘Chelsea’s Choice – dealt with hard-hitting issues such as cyber-bullying, online safety and sexual exploitation, and was immensely powerful. It told the story of a 15-year-old girl whose life fell apart due to a few bad choices and trusting the wrong people. It was revealed at the end that it was a true story. The Year 9 students were suitably affected by this poignant piece, which gave them plenty of food for thought afterwards. Well done to the students for the maturity that they demonstrated during this piece. Students will look into these themes in more depth during PSHCE sessions this year.

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IMPORTANT ARRANGEMENTS - AUTUMN TERM

INSET & PPA Days Please note that Friday 27 November and Monday 30 November are marked as an INSET and a PPA Day respectively. Students are not expected in school on either day.

REMINDERS

Basic Equipment – ‘No Excuses’ It is a simple and clear expectation that students bring “basic” school equipment to school on a daily basis, thus enabling them to be ready for learning. Equipment includes pens, pencil, ruler, a scientific calculator, specialist mathematics equipment and a water bottle. All of these items should be organised within a suitably sized school bag, which should also contain a reading book. Please ensure that your son/ward organises his school bag the evening before a school day and is therefore ready to learn. There are ‘no excuses’ for students not being prepared for school. Car Parking – Before and After School We would be grateful if parents/carers would carefully consider whether or not their children require picking up from school each day. The roads around school can get congested; dropping off or collecting students, at either end of the day, does add to this congestion. It can be frustrating for our neighbours to cope with the added traffic and sometimes the way cars are parked is illegal. The zig-zag lines outside the school gates are in place for the safety of our students, and double yellow lines also exist to ensure better traffic flow. The Local Authority has an Enforcement Officer who attends the school to issue fixed-penalties where required, and this has our full support. In addition, parents/carers must not drive onto the school grounds to pick up their children, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Walking or cycling to school is a far healthier option for your children, so please give this option serious consideration. Fizzy Drinks We ask all parents/carers to ensure that packed lunches do not include fizzy drinks. Such drinks are not allowed on the school site. In addition we have noticed some boys purchasing unhealthy drinks on the way to school. We would ask you to discuss this with your son/ward in an attempt to prevent such unhealthy behaviour. Free School Meals If you are in receipt of certain benefits then you may be able to claim for free school meals. Your children are entitled to free school meals if you are any of the following:

in receipt of Income Support in receipt of Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance in receipt of an Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance in receipt of a Child Tax Credit, but not entitled to a Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as

assessed by the Inland Revenue) of no more than £16,190 (from 6 April 2015) being supported by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) in receipt of Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit.

Online applications to the London Borough of Hounslow on the link below: https://eforms.hounslow.gov.uk/ufs/ufsmain?ebz=3_1410421727852&ebd=0. Our administrative staff are happy to help you process your application.

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Key Stage 3 Homework Pilot During the first half-term, we have piloted a new system for Key Stage 3 homework. Please see #IsleworthHomework on Twitter for regular updates on the scheme; below are just a few examples of some outstanding student work.

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS – AUTUMN TERM Sixth Form Open Evening – Thursday 19 November, 6.30pm Our Sixth Form continues to be one of the most successful in the area with outstanding outcomes at AS- and A-Level, consistent success with entrants to Oxbridge and Russell Group Universities, and measures of value-added that place the school in the top 10% of schools nationally. Do please put this date into your diaries. The application form will once again be online only this year. Keep your eyes peeled to the website after half term for updates.

Quiz Night – Friday 20 November, 7.00pm Following the great success of last year’s event, our annual Quiz Night, run by the Isleworth Association (PTA), will again run on a Friday evening towards the end of November. It is always an excellent evening and a chance to meet other members of the school community, whilst raising some funds for educational projects at school. There will be the popular picture round, as well as rounds on music and current affairs. Make sure you reserve the date and start swotting!

Quiz night was a huge success last year!

School Production – Thursday 3 and Friday 4 December, 7.00pm This year’s production is ‘It’s A Wonderful Life!’ Rehearsals are well underway, with students and staff working hard to put on a fantastic show in December. Tickets will be available in due course. Carol Concert – Monday 14 December, 7.00pm Preparations are already underway for this year’s Carol Concert. As is tradition, the event will be taking place at the local St. Mary’s Church, Isleworth. This is always an excellent event, as the school’s many musical ensembles come together for an evening of festive cheer! More details will be circulated closer to the time.

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IMPORTANT DATES AUTUMN TERM 2015

October Mon 26 - Fri 30 Half Term

November Thursday 5 UKMT Senior Maths Challenge Tuesday 10 PTA Education Event (7.15pm) Wednesday 11 Remembrance Day Assemblies Friday 13 Charitable Event – Children in Need Tuesday 17 School Council Meeting (11.00am) Thursday 19 SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING (6.30pm) Friday 20 PTA Quiz Night (7.00pm) Friday 27 Inset Day 3 (Students do not attend) Monday 30 PPA Day for Staff (Students do not attend)

December Tuesday Isleworth Association (PTA) Meeting (7.15pm – Library) Thu 3 – Fri 4 School Production – It’s a Wonderful Life (7.00pm) Mon 7 – Thu 17 Years 11 Mock Examinations Thursday 10 Sixth Form Parents Evening (4.30 - 7.00pm) Friday 11 Year 7 Induction Awards (9.00am) – parents welcome Monday 14 Carol Service (7.00pm - St Mary’s Church) Wednesday 16 Rugby 1st XV v Isleworthians/Staff (2.00pm) Friday 18 Last Day of Term (students depart - 12.30pm)