“I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy” Marie Curie
Miss Teressa Woulfe
Year 7…………………………………2 Year 8…………………………………3 Year 9…………………………………4 Year 10……………………………….6 Year 11……………………………….8 Sixth Form…………………………..9 Home Status Article.…………….16 Trip Week 2019..………………...17 50th Anniversary Book ………..18
@BSAKAbuDhabi @BSAKAbuDhabi BSAK Parent Community Group @BSAKAbuDhabi TheBritishSchool AlKhubairat
When I talk to students about progress, I invariably hear a variety of responses based on the individual student, the time of year and the context in which the question was asked. As parents, I am sure that if you asked your child about the progress they have made this year at BSAK, they will automatically talk to you about academic progress which is reflected in their end of year report. Whilst academic progress is important and one that can be easily measured, I witness progress in different guises at BSAK that cannot be measured through external examinations. As schools, we are almost always judged on our external examinations and we are very proud of what we achieve at both GCSE and A Level. This comes from outstanding teaching and learning, highly motivated students and supportive families. This will still remain our primary focus as we continually strive to develop BSAK as the outstanding school we know it is.
When faced with a difficult situation in school, students who own up to the truth of the situation ensure that there is not an inordinate amount of time spent on trying to draw out the truth. When students realise that it is best to be honest from the start, there is real progress in terms of morality and values and more time can be given back to learning.
One of the hardest values through which to measure progress is resilience and it is the one where students can lose confidence and give up if they do not have the correct support. When young children learn to ride a bike they are often supported with stabilisers and encouragement from people around them. As confidence and balance develops, this support is gradually taken away to show that they are capable of doing it alone. In many ways this is the same as their journey through school, the resilience comes when they ‘fall off’ or in school terms, do not do as well as expected. This is where real progress happens, with the correct support from teachers, parents and friends, a student learns that they can get back on the bike, dust themselves off and start Every week I witness our students making progress in areas outside of their again. academic achievements. As a school, we Fear of failure is often the biggest have focused on our BSAK Values this obstacle to success and this is year to explore how our students can something that we, as adults, need to develop and make progress in their help and show that failure is part of social, emotional and moral aspects of growing up. The lessons we learn from their lives. Students at BSAK display empathy and care by ensuring that any this failure and the resilience we show in the face of failure is what makes us new students are brought into the stronger and allows the most progress. community allowing these students to make good progress after settling in. If we subscribe to Marie Curie’s view, progress will be something that we will Honesty is a key value in any establishment and is vital to ensure that all strive for but it will come in a variety of forms for different people. we grow as individuals with integrity in Responding to these differences will be all that we do. our key to success and progress. 1
At the beginning of this Academic Year, I informed the Year 7 cohort that they would be judged on their effort throughout the year. Looking at the effort levels in the most recent reports, I am delighted to inform you that the vast majority of the year group responded very positively to my request. I am confident that should these effort levels continue into Year 8 then the attainment levels will correspond with this success. The improved maturity across the year group has been a gradual process but I am very proud to walk the corridors of school and witness these young adolescents interacting with each other, older year groups and the teaching staff. I will be remaining as Year 7 Head of Year in the next academic year but I am delighted to inform you that Mr Ruairi Carr will be taking over this cohort as Head of Year 8. Mr Carr has done a great job this year working with 7GR and he has an excellent working knowledge of the year group. I am confident that he will continue to lead their positive progress on their journey towards their GCSE’s. I am thankful to have had the
Mike Edgar Head of Year 7
opportunity of working with such a lovely group of students this year.
Mr Ruairi Carr I am absolutely delighted that from September I will be taking over the role of Head of Year 8. Over the past ten months I have been fortunate enough to get to know many of the fantastic students in our current Year 7 group. I have watched our amazing athletes excel in many sports, been on stage with our very talented performers, taught some extremely able mathematicians and had a wonderful form class who have matured magnificently over the year; as well as getting to know the rest of the year group on our school trips. It is fantastic that we have so many talented students here at BSAK and I am very excited to push this amazing year group even further as we move into Year 8. Over the next academic year I will challenge each student to achieve their full potential, academically and in the wider BSAK community. I would love to see every student taking part in at least one extracurricular activity and develop a leadership role within the school, as well as pushing themselves to new found heights within the classroom. All students will be encouraged to step outside their comfort zone and try new things, whilst developing new friendships and building on existing ones. If every student can begin Year 8 with this mentality I am confident that we will be in for fast paced, productive and fun year. I hope you and your family have a fantastic summer, and I look forward to seeing you all in the first few weeks of the new academic year.
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We started off term 3 celebrating Shakespeare with a week of performances; many Year 8 students participated in an outstanding performance of ‘Much Ado’ showing the impact of Social Media on relationships. The young performers showed real commitment and bravery in tackling these important issues as well as getting to grips with Shakespearean text. Social Media is a huge part of our students’ lives and we are constantly looking at ways to look at the impact it has on all our lives in a way that is relevant and engaging. Tournament of the Minds Competition
In May, 7 students, Aryaman Rakhecha, Katherine Wedgner, Omar Kama Azlan, Gabriella Wark, Roshan Ganithi, Nicole Mensah and Arthur Weller, all took part in the Tournament of the Minds competition at Raha School. This tested their cognitive abilities in problem solving, presenting and inventing, enterprise, time management and the discipline to work collaboratively within a competitive environment. They all performed extremely well alongside their Year 7 teammates.
House Points
Academic Success
Students have battled it out in various House competitions throughout the year. Students are hungry for House Points and friendly competition has been shown throughout this final term. Students will discover on the last day of term who are this year’s winning House; a huge well done to all the House Captains for their leadership and to all students for their participation.
We have celebrated success across Academic subjects as well as presenting awards for Citizenship, Resilience and Endeavour in a recent assembly and at our Secondary Awards Evening.
Exams The main focus, during the first half of this term, was to focus on revision and preparation for the end of year assessments. Students underwent a rigorous few weeks of preparation, revision and exams and they truly rose to the challenges that faced them. I was really impressed with the students’ positive attitude, outlook to succeed and reflection on results.
There are so many students who have embodied the school values this year and contributed to school life through their actions on a daily basis. It makes me immensely proud to be taking them forward into Year 9 and I am excited to see what this year group can achieve in the next Academic year.
Mrs Eleanor Hayward 3
Head of Year 8
What a wonderful last term we have had! I have continued to be awed and entertained by so many events and activities. Our assemblies have been really engaging this term, commencing with Kangzi Chan giving a hugely popular Ted Talk on Game Theory. We had an opportunity to see the students’ wonderful Borneo films which were lovingly collated
Kangzi Chan
by Mr Kearns, Mr Campbell and Mrs Field.
Shakespeare Week Ramadan
We enjoyed an amazing Shakespeare week in April
We also enjoyed seeing our very own Sheikha Al Ketbi educating the school on the Holy month of
and Year 9 certainly and literally took central stage with their fabulous performances both in
Ramadan and its significance around the world. It
our school show and in our RADA monologues
is so wonderful to see our students being driven by their own passions and interests in the world
and duologues.
around them.
The RADA judges were very vocal about what wonderful students we have in the school and
Billy Elliot
were genuinely impressed with their attitude to
Rehearsals are well under way for Billy Elliot and our Year 9 stars are working away in our drama
learning.
studio with Mrs Mayall. House Drama competitions are coming up in the penultimate week of term. Best of luck to all students treading those boards and to our own Freddie Atkins who is taking part in the wonderful School of Rock in Dubai!
Rehearsing for Billy Elliot
RADA Monologues & Duologues
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Music We have enjoyed various performances and concerts from Music this term and a special well done must be given to students who did do well in their recent Trinity exams.
Sporting Sporting achievements across the board have been fantastic and we look forward to September and all the new season will bring.
Our U15 COBIS Team rocked Sheffield in May, returning the cup to Abu Dhabi months across the department
Examinations
Visiting classrooms this term has been wonderful.
In English
lessons this term, students are thoroughly enjoying their GCSE play An Inspector Calls, playing out the parts and learning all about British society before and after the World Wars. Things are also pretty explosive in Science with debates on global warming and its consequences. And the work I had the privilege to see in Mrs Newsam’s lesson was truly wonderful. Well done all! It is clear that our students will keep on learning until that final bell rings for Summer.
The students truly outdid themselves in their conduct during exam week. Their behavior was as exemplary as their academic achievement and they deserve great praise for their efforts. By the time their GCSE rolls around, they’ll have it down to a fine art! I was genuinely impressed by their steady, mature approach to their studies. No doubt this will continue into their GCSEs; I have had numerous conversations with students who are already deeply invested in their subject choices and possible career paths.
I wish you all a long and peaceful break and thank you sincerely for the wonderful six months I got to share with you and your children.
Ms. Jen Horgan Head of Year 9
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Last term the Newsletter went out before Year 10 had their The musical interludes from Jon Selvaraj and a band end of Term 2 celebration and I did not want the year to
entirely made up of the following extremely talented Year
end without an opportunity to congratulate the students
10 musicians; Eleni Dodds, Daniel Lind, George
below on their achievements from earlier in the year.
Shanahan and William Hargreaves rocking out to Nirvana was a real highlight of the day.
Reward Assembly There were two things that made this Reward Assembly so special.
Secondly, with the exception of the Head of Year award all the pastoral awards were nominated and awarded to the students by the students. In my eyes there is no
Firstly, it was organized and run entirely by some of our
better way to judge which student has the most integrity,
students: Honey Vastenholt Lewis, Alishba Abdullah,
or empathy, than to ask those people who are around
Marwan Ali and Vedant Khanna. These students were
them on a day to day basis. Those students being
outstanding and it was a real pleasure to see them
nominated or awarded these prizes should be exceptionally
working together and organizing something that went so
proud of the reputation they have built for themselves
spectacularly.
across the year group.
Alishba
Marwan
Academic Award Best Mathematician Best Biologist Best Chemist Best Physicist Best Writer Best Artist Best Product Designer Best Fashion Designer Best Graphics Student Best Actress Best Historian Best Economist
Name of Winner Anika Mehra Daniel Feghali Vedant Khanna Vedant Khanna Safa Akhtar Sarah Williams George Shanahan Tej Arulselvan Lilly Abou Jawad Aishah Vukusic Alice Landerholm Alice Landerholm
Vedant
Form 10PH 10GR 10HY 10HY 10CH 10CH 10GR 10GR 10CE 10CH 10HY 10HY
Honey
Academic Award Name of Winner Form Best Geographer Solal Afota 10CH Best Businessman Abdulla Kuleib 10CE Best Photographer Rayian Mohammed 10PE Best Linguist (Arabic) Tiana Husselmann 10PH Best Linguist (French) Areebah Kashif 10GR Best Linguist (Spanish) Latifa Al-Ahbabi 10GR Best Media Student Anika Mehra 10PH Best Computer Scientist Solal Afota 10CH Best Chef Ella Turner 10GR Best Sportsman Finlay Mackenzie 10PH Best Sportswoman Laura Skafte 10HY Best Musician Ryan Ali 10GR
ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS IN TERM 2 Term 3 winners will be announced in the next newsletter 6
YEAR 10 2017/2018
Pastoral Award
Winner
Form
Head of Year Award
Maya Consin Mosheshe
10HY
Empathy and Care Award
Cora Bridgeman
10GR
Resilience and Desire to Endeavor Award Sarah Williams
10CH
Honesty and Integrity Award
Amira Khan
10CE
Overall Community Award
Amelie Yazdabadi
10HY
Respect and Inclusion Award
Adey Jallul
10GR Jade performing a Shakespeare Sonnet at The Academic Awards Evening
With such an incredible Term 2 Rewards assembly I am now looking forward to the End of Year Rewards ceremony.
House Point Totals
Form & Total 10CH: 1297 10HY: 1128 10GR: 981 10PE: 880 10CE: 571 10PH: 509
House Points are awarded inside and outside of class for effort, improvement, exceptional work and conduct. Well Done to these students who have come top in their House for this academic year.
Top Scoring Student Sarah Williams—129 Vedant Khanna—121 Daniel Feghali—97 William Hargreaves—85 Zeina Fouad—60 Anika Mehra—51
Amazingly whilst we are in the last week of term Year 10 are still full steam ahead. Having just received their end of year examination results I hope they will utilize summer to both relax and work on some of their own areas for development. Next year will be upon them quickly, and study leave before they know it! Having just completed my Head of Year comments for their reports I am amazed at how much the students in this year group have matured this academic year and I am thoroughly looking forward to supporting them on their final KS4 journey next year. I hope that they all enjoyed the benefits of Work Experience and I can’t wait to see their photos. 7
Miss Nichola Cooper Head of Year 10
There has only been one focus for Year 11 this term and this has understandably been exams…The trepidation of the start and the relief of the end….. Year 11 have been a joy to head up this year; there have been many highlights, actually too many to list in this brief newsletter but my overriding memory of them will be their End of Year Function, which was fantastic and demonstrated to me and all of the staff who attended it what a fun group they are and great company. I hope that they can now relax, forget about their exams for the time being and enjoy their holiday. I wish them all the very best for results day on Thursday 23rd August 2018 – fingers crossed.
My best wishes go to our leavers, keep in touch and I look forward to seeing everyone else in the Sixth Form next year. Mr Julian Brammer Head of Year 11 8
How then do we prepare students for life beyond school and this rapidly developing world? This is where this links Preparing students for the to the point above, education has to be about equipping 21st Century World: students with the skills and abilities needed to thrive whatever those developments and changes may bring. The Importance of a moral The skills employers are looking for have already and values led changed, a recent article in Forbes suggests that there Education has been a significant shift towards ‘soft skills’ amongst Mr James McBlane top graduate employers. The most prized attributes were: communication and interpersonal skills and creativity and problem solving and the qualities most sought were flexibility, tolerance and resilience. A number of big firms The Summer is here, for our Year 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 students the exams are over and End of Year Reports and such as PWC have also dropped their traditional academic, 2.1 degree requirement and instead focus on Exam Grade Sheets, have by now been sent to parents. the skills and characteristics of applicants more fully. Our Year 11 and 13 students will have to wait a little In-line with this evident shift, it is increasingly important longer, until August for the results of their GCSE and A Levels. At this point it is, I feel, worth reflecting on what that schools reflect on how they can prepare students for st all of this is for; and by all of this I mean school, lessons, the 21 Century World so that they develop the skills and attributes that will serve them best. curriculum and exams! Solving complex equations, understanding chemical processes, evaluating works of MORAL EDUCATION literature and painting fantastic works of art is of course At BSAK we have for some time been firmly focused on about developing students’ knowledge, understanding and skills in those things. It is also rightly about preparing the holistic and well-rounded education that helps nurture these attributes in our students. Our Sixth Form Future our students to be successful in examinations and to Leaders Diploma is just one of the ways in which we have achieve fantastic results. At BSAK, all of our staff work looked to achieve this. The introduction of Moral incredibly hard towards achieving these outcomes and providing the very best education to each and every one Education, My Identity and the Student Competency framework by the UAE Ministry of Education is something of our students. This is however, a very myopic and that we as a school fully and passionately support and limited view of what ‘education’ is and what education received with great positivity. The focus of Moral should be. At BSAK we passionately believe that Education of character and morality and the positive role education is much more than the content of any of the individual in society is both to be celebrated and particular curriculum and much more than the grades embraced. The drive in the My Identity Programme which that adorn any certificates. A true education is about seeks to further promote those skills in the context of the developing qualities, nurturing character and shaping UAE and to celebrate the nation and Emirati culture is values. This is the less tangible but equally important also something the School is passionate to support and outcome of a truly outstanding education that can’t be promote. The focus on character and moral development easily measured, quantified and distilled into a grade on through education is something that the UAE and indeed a certificate. It is about the growth of our students education systems around the world are right to focus on. personally, not just simply the growth in their academic It is not an ‘add on’ or a distraction from the core knowledge and skills. business of quadratic equations or any other aspect of the curriculum. It both supports and is at the same time, 21st CENTURY WORLD the core business of education. Preparing our students for the 21st Century World requires a moral and values led education.
I have seen numerous scary reports and articles over the last few years that read something like; ‘85% of jobs that will exist by 2030 have yet to be invented yet’ or ‘Artificial intelligence will make 50% of jobs obsolete by 2025’. Now, I don’t know how much of this is accurate but I think there is at least some element of truth to these projections. What I think is certainly happening is that there is a shift away from ‘traditional jobs’ and an increasing pace of change. As a School we are likely educating and preparing students for a world which we do not and cannot yet fully know what it will look like. It is also a fact that educational models and paradigms have also not changed as much as the world around us. 9
The Future Leaders Diploma With the first year of Sixth Form life drawing to a close, Year 12 students are all turning their attentions to their University and College applications. Our students progress to some of the best universities in the world, and although they are always very successful, we have come to realise that students now need more than academic qualifications alone to make them stand out from the crowd. In a bid to provide our sixth formers with a more holistic education, this year, we have launched the BSAK Future Leaders Diploma.
This BSAK Future Leaders Diploma is a compulsory qualification that is exclusive to BSAK. It is essentially an academic and leadership program that runs alongside our A Level or BTEC courses and it consists of four pillars: Leadership, Citizenship, Extended Learning and Careers/University. Students are taught a number of mandatory core elements, from personal statement writing in the University/Careers sessions, to the ideologies of leadership in their Leadership lessons led by Mr Leppard and Miss Woulfe. Year 12 students have also had the opportunity to complete an extended project as part of their Extended Learning sessions. About 70% of Year 12 students have opted to complete this project, which counts as an AS qualification in its own right. There has even been the option to incorporate a Mini MBA (led by Abu Dhabi University) into the Extended Learning aspect of the diploma.
Despite all the virtues of the diploma, students have unanimously agreed that they have found the Citizenship aspect particularly engaging and rewarding. For Citizenship, students are required to complete voluntary service. Many students have volunteered their support in Primary; some students have given time to assist with ECAs or sports activities and others have volunteered to support the school’s charity endeavors.
Students have accrued credits for all aspects of their Future Leaders Diploma throughout Year 12. In Year 13, they will be awarded a classification of either: Pass, Merit or Distinction. The diploma itself is really exciting for the Sixth Form Team; not only is it the first of its kind in the UAE, but it is enabling our sixth formers to become more rounded global citizens while also having the BSAK wider community at its core.
10
Year 12 Art & Graphic Design Students working with students from The Future Centre
Year 12 University Grade Predictor Exams The 17th of May was a nervous day for
Medsoc
Year 12 students as it saw the start of the
MedSoc continues to lead the way for our
internal UCAS grade predictor exam sessions. Due
academic societies and this year has been no
to the introduction of new linear A Level courses,
exception. Be it external lectures with a GP or
the internal exams have replaced the old AS Levels.
dentist, or universities vying for the attention of
It is now these internal exams that form the
our students, in-school interview practice or
predicted grades that students have to put on
raising awareness of the NHS and the BMAT and
University and College applications.
UKCAT entrance tests, no stone has been left unturned in preparing our students for their
The Sixth Form Team were delighted to see the
medical journey. Time will only allow for these
focus and diligence that Year 12 students put into
processes to be initiated in school time and it is
their revision. The exam session ran smoothly and
crucial that each aspiring medic consolidates the
students received their results in early June in a
process at home, including the organisation of
mock results morning. For students, the Year 12
meaningful work experience that will allow the
exams have given them the opportunity to reflect
students to speak from experience during
and make improvements or adjustments for the real A Level examinations next year.
interviews and critically evaluate the profession. A huge thank you to Mr Campbell and Miss
Reflecting on the attainment from the year group as
Vadukul for their special efforts this year. Without
a whole, the results were excellent and a real
their drive and attention to detail, the students
testament to the hard work and determination of
would be less aware of the ‘bespoke’ application
the students.
process and what the career entails.
Well Done Year 12! 11
Bespoke University Applications
Recently the Sixth Form Team delivered a successful Parent Information Morning to guide parents through the process for students who wish to apply to Oxbridge, Russell Group Universities or Medicine related degrees. Such applications are bespoke as they differ from the standard UCAS applications in terms of timelines and in terms of content. Although the meeting was for parents, the students themselves are already really knowledgeable about the process. Students aspiring to apply for Oxbridge, Russell Groups Universities or Medical courses have been attending session throughout the year to prepare them for this important step. Mr Johnson and Mrs Holcroft have been running the Bespoke University group by hosting weekly tutorials. Here students have been guided through the courses available; the different colleges; tutorial style learning and the interview and application process.
Parent Information Morning Students have even had the opportunity to interview BSAK teachers who are Oxford or Cambridge alumni members themselves. This support will continue into Year 13 where BSAK looks forward to hosting Oxbridge candidates from all schools in Abu Dhabi, along with Dubai College, for the Mock Oxbridge Interview Day. This event, in conjunction with the Oxbridge Society of Abu Dhabi, is always beneficial in preparing students for the rigor of the interview and selection process.
Introducing our new Head Boy, Head Girl and Senior Prefect Team Last term, the Sixth Form Team invited Year 12 students to apply for roles within the Senior Prefect Team. The amount of applicants was unprecedented, with over 60 applications. After shortlisting based on application letters, 25 candidates were invited to interviews that took place in May. In the interviews, Sixth Form Leadership Team 2018/2019 students had to answer one key question: ‘Why should students The Sixth Form Team want to come to BSAK?’ congratulate all of our new senior The selection was extremely difficult, as in our eyes, every single candidate Prefects on their success and we wish them the very best of luck in was deserving of a role. However, after some long deliberations and the academic year to come. Mrs Tamera Holcroft discussions, the new team was Head of Year 12 appointed. 12
After five incredibly intensive weeks of this term, it was time to bid a fond farewell to our Year 13 Class of 2018. Our leavers’ events included a celebration for our Lifers, who have spent their whole education at BSAK. It was a lovely evening at The Club for students and their parents, who enjoyed hearing speeches from their peers and teachers, and reminiscing with former teachers from their days in primary and their old tutors through the secondary school. It really is testament to the strength of BSAK that 34 of this year group are lifers, an extraordinary number in a city as transient as Abu Dhabi.
Then in the last week, we enjoyed the formal celebration and passing out of the year group in a packed Primary Hall, who were treated to musical and literary performances, and received a certificate and memento of their time at BSAK. There followed the last day, complete with banners, giant pictures and spraying Mr McBlane with silly spray. The day culminated in the emotional leavers’ procession down the stairs into the packed main reception area, complete with tears, hugs and laughter – and that was just the teachers.
of but were probably these guys JayZ, Kane, Drake or Florida. The DJ obviously hadn’t brought his classic rock and cheesy pop selections with him, but the students seemed happy enough. During the evening, we also presented the first award for Outstanding Contribution to Sixth Form to Ben Brammer. Ben has played such a big role in many varied areas of the school, he never says no when we ask him to use his outstanding media skills for the school, and he is a model of gentlemanly conduct and a wonderful role model for our younger students.
The final leavers event was the Farewell Event, held at the Crowne Plaza Yas Island. After some final prizes, videos and speeches, Year 13 stormed the dancefloor and didn’t move for three hours. We were all treated – and I mean that – by the sight of Mr Thompson dancing and ‘singing’ through songs by people I’ve never heard 13
Ben Brammer, Winner - Outstanding Contribution to Sixth Form Award
FAREWELL YEAR 13 2018 And so, the exams. As I write, the final examinations have been sat by the overwhelming majority of students. There are a couple of poor souls still working away in the library and Learning Curve, but the end is nigh. I must say, it has been very impressive to witness the mature and dedicated approach to the examinations from the Year 13 students, and I know that all the teaching staff will join me in wishing them well for August, when I look forward to seeing many smiling faces on results day. They leave us with some terrific memories; sporting accomplishments, musical brilliance, academic potential and drive. And, from a personal point of view, the legends and founder members of R.E.J.E.C.T. Football. BSAK will certainly never be the same again, and to quote a banner erected on their last day,
“long live the Class of 2018!”
Mr Mike Byrne Head of Year 13
A-LEVEL RESULTS DAY A-level and BTEC results are released on 16TH August 2018 and information about the support available (including contact details for the Sixth Form Team) will be emailed to students and parents before the end of term.
UNIVERSITY NEWS APPLICATION PROCESS On 28 May, Year 12 students had an afternoon session where they were guided through the UK University application process – UCAS, led by the Sixth Form Team. Students should now have completed the personal details and education sections of the form. They have also been working on the first draft of their personal statement, which should be completed on the Unifrog Personal Statement Tool before the end of term. Students will, of course, be able to update this draft as they complete additional work experience, summer schools and other activities over the holiday. Students applying through UCAS will need to have made their final decisions about which five universities they are applying to and hand in their ‘university choices form’ to their Form Tutor by 22ND October 2018.
Year 12 Work Experience We wish our Year 12 students the best of luck with their work experience placements which take place during the final week of term. We look forward to hearing about these upon their return to school in September.
Lunchtime application and essay workshops have also been running to support students who are applying to study in other countries. This year, students are applying to study in Miss Sarah John Canada, Australia, the UAE, The Netherlands and more!
Careers & Uni Advisor
14
I can’t quite believe that we are now at the end of the
It is an indication of their BSAK experience and the
school year and preparing for the whole process to begin
relationship that the students develop with staff that our
again at the end of August.
alumni often visit during the university holidays - which
Life in the BSAK Sixth Form is never dull and as I write this
seem to be all the time! This is something that we never
account, a group of thirty Year 12 students are in Mauritius
underestimate and I do hope this is the case for the ‘Class
to complete their Duke of Edinburgh Gold adventure, and
of 2018’.
those still at school are out on a week of work experience.
BSAK is a school that never sleeps and although the summer holidays begin very soon, we will continue to
FUTURE LEADERS
modify and improve the Sixth Form spaces for the new
The introduction of the Future Leader’s Diploma this year
Year 12 cohort and for our current group moving to the
has added a new dimension to our enrichment provision
‘top’ of the school. I am very excited about the new
and it has been terrific to see the student’s commitment to
student leadership team and have been impressed with
an element outside their academics. EPQ has gone from
the initiatives that they have already brought to the table.
strength to strength, and I am particularly looking forward to the feedback from the new mini MBA being offered. A
WORD OF THANKS
year in, we are currently reviewing the programme and
I could not reflect on this year without thanking all the staff
planning to introduce new add-ons which will strengthen it
that have engaged and assisted with the Sixth Form
further. It’s an exciting time so please watch this space.
students. The success of the students very much depends on the huge ‘discretional’ effort of teachers, tutors, support
Whilst I would like to wax lyrical about all the
staff and the Heads of Year. Outside education, my
achievements of the Sixth Form students this year in the
background is in team sport and I thoroughly appreciate
classroom, on the stage or in the sporting arena, I do not
the special ‘team’ effort of Mr Byrne and Mrs Holcroft. Their
have enough column space other than to say that I am
energy and desire to go ‘above and beyond’ for each
proud of each and every one of their achievements and
student in their year group is truly remarkable and never
was satisfied to see many unlikely Year 12 students
goes unnoticed. I would also like to thank Mrs Church, our
dancing on stage in the recent ‘Dancethon’ house
admin support assistant, for her dedication and friendly
competition. I would like to also add that my pride doesn’t
demeanour this year, and Miss John, our university and
involve the evening that the Year 13 students set up their
careers counsellor, for the work she has done developing
pranks! Stressful was an understatement as I waited to
our UCAS programme and her calm ability to guide our
see what the students were going to conjure up next. In
students through their available
the end, there were no injuries and all the pranks were
university and career paths.
tasteful and enjoyed by students and staff the morning after. This nicely set up an emotional and but fitting last
Parent support is never taken lightly
day for our departing Year 13 students. I would like to
and I wish you and your daughter/
wish them all the very best for their future endeavours;
son a restful summer holiday and I
each and every one of them has certainly left their mark
look forward to the ‘Class of 2019’
and collectively raised the bar of expectations for the
rising to new challenges next year
incoming Year 12 students.
which will shape their own BSAK legacy. 15
Mr Alistair Thompson Assistant Head 6th Form
I was sitting in an Abu Dhabi coffee shop recently, and whilst attempting to ensure my clan of young boys were thoroughly fed and watered, I overheard a conversation on a table behind me. I am not in the business of listening to the conversations of others but the volume was of a certain level that I could not fail to hear. The topic of conversation was ‘UK home status’ and I was upset to hear one of the parties speak confidently and incorrectly about home status in the UK. This individual party was offering advice to other parties and the advice, although incorrect, was not dissimilar to the advice being offered on social media recently. My wife noticed that my attention had wavered from ‘feeding time’ and when I informed her about the nature of the conversation, she cast me a glance that said “don't you dare say anything”. I thought I would use this as a more acceptable forum to explain home status so that anyone reading this article can become a disciple of the truth.
I am not saying that the process is always straightforward - it is not - as some institutions will, by default, initially offer international student status based on the geographical location of the school. That said, past students have been able to present evidence of their annual ‘connection’ within the UK through employment contracts, flight tickets, National insurance numbers, car hire invoices etc, and have had that decision reversed. At BSAK we offer advice and strategies for families to employ that will provide such evidence. One example of such advice would be the myth that sending a student to a UK boarding school for Sixth Form, whilst the rest of the family remain in the UAE, would count as years spent in the UK and increase the likelihood of home status. The reality is that this is not the case and bears no impact at all and is almost certainly a more expensive solution than paying international university fees.
Home status obviously has a financial attraction as well as advantages on certain courses which have In the past couple of years we have held ‘Home more availability and therefore less competition for Status Evenings’ at BSAK and the plan is to do the UK/EU students. A few courses such as medicine same again in September 2018 and invite the and nursing possess government-enforced quotas parents of Year 9-13 students. As a school, we are for international students which significantly concerned that some families continue to leave the increases the competition for places. At BSAK we UAE before their children begin their GCSE or A level never underestimate the importance of this for journey based on their perceived understanding of families and have a dedicated university and careers home status and the ‘coffee shop’ or social media counsellor to offer advice on the topic. Such is the myths. I feel we have an obligation to our families importance of such a decision, there are a number to dispel such inaccuracies and as such, much of our of consultants in the UAE who will offer advice and knowledge on the subject has been gathered from support for a fee. At BSAK, we prefer to control the the experience of having over 90% of our students advice offered to our families. apply to and attend UK universities each year, frequently being visited by such institutions or by It is my intention to generate data on this topic regularly attending university conferences in the UK from the outgoing Year 13 group when their to stay up to date. destinations are confirmed at the end of August and share this with the school community. In the The reality is that each university has its own set of meantime, I would like to invite all Year 9-13 rules on home status and when one student may be parents to save the date for our annual Home offered home status in one institution, the same Status Evening on 26th September 2018 and student may be classified as an international contact me if you have any further questions. student in another. At BSAK, each student in the ‘Class of 2017’ that applied for home status received If, in coming across conversations like the one I did, it somewhere and as I write this article, eligible please bear in mind that over the last three years, students in the ‘Class of 2018’ are sitting with home all students at BSAK who are UK or EU passport status attached to almost all of their conditional holders have received ‘home status’ offers. A offers. By living in the UAE, we are classified as number of these students had never lived in their ‘temporary’ residents and therefore the country in home country. which we are ‘ordinarily’ resident becomes crucial to home status. If that country is the UK or the EU, Mr Alistair Thompson, and you are able to provide 3 years (currently) of Assistant Head Sixth Form evidence if asked, you should qualify. 16
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