Clapton Review, January 2015

Review January 2015 Message from Cheryl Day, Headteacher

It is great to see Clapton Review full of the usual many fantastic stories of trips, events and activities. However, this half term’s edition also has a careers focus so you can get an idea of the students’ amazing aspirations and interests. And they could not have a better role model than Ms Miln MBE.

MBE Honour Deputy Headteacher, Ms Miln has been honoured with an MBE for her services to education and for being an outstanding teacher, instrumental in making CGA one of the best schools in England.

She won Hackney Teacher of the Year in 2002 and has now been recognised by the Queen.

Ms Miln has been teaching maths since the age of 23 and has taught at CGA for 25 years.

She prides herself on being a role model to young girls, showing them that women can be successful in maths.

Ms Miln said of her achievement, “I was so excited, overwhelmed and proud to have received the letter about the New Year’s honour. I love teaching and love those ‘light bulb’ moments where students suddenly understand and I know it’s because I’ve explained it well.”

Model Westminster

Corridors of Power I was fortunate enough to be selected for a week’s internship in Nick Clegg’s Parliamentary Office. I responded to letters and emails from his constituents, created a Liberal Democrat notice regarding the drugs bill, attended various debates in the House of Commons and even had a meeting with Nick Clegg himself! We had a very relaxed conversation about Sheffield University where he previously taught, my various work experience placements and my voluntary work with the homeless. It did not really sink in that I was speaking to the Deputy Prime Minister!

It was exciting walking through the doors of the House of Commons and being security checked every day. I often rubbed shoulders with politicians, even a very stressed Norman Baker! Through this work experience I got an insight into the workings of a fast-paced political environment and have since been fascinated by it. The most important thing I have taken away is that politicians are really just like us, but with fancy titles like the ‘Right Honourable Gentlemen”. Politics needs to feel more comfortable to everyone because it is all about issues that affect us.

Written by: Oniqa Siddiqa 13E

At the end of last term, 3 Year 13 students took part in Model Westminster.

This incredible experience involved learning about the civil service, how they aid the work of the government. The day involved taking on the role of the civil service and attempting to come up with solutions to problems.

Split into teams, we were given a task to pitch an idea for how to use an old airport for something imaginative, beneficial to society and cost effective. We then took our pitches on a surprise visit to 10 Downing Street, where we pitched our ideas in the Cabinet room. Highlights included sitting on Winston Churchill’s favourite chair and seeing George Osborne! It was a fascinating and inspiring experience to visit Downing Street where some on the trip hope to live one day!

Written by: Beth Foster-Ogg 13A

January Review 2015 A finance-based workshop, Uni Dosh, run

by MyBnk, was held for Year 13 students aiming to inform them how to budget and manage their finances across long periods of time when at university. Students were encouraged to evaluate their choices when

K+ Programme Successful applications were made by 6 Year 12 students to the highly competitive King’s College London K+ programme. The programme runs over 2 years and students participate in events, activities and academic experiences which will equip them to transition successfully into university. Support is given through e-mentoring and access to a PhD tutor who works with students to enhance study skills and help them complete an academic project. The girls also benefit from master classes, cultural visits, careers-related events, taster days and the Spotlight Summer School. Our students were placed in the Sciences, Maths & Computer Sciences, Languages & Literature, Healthcare and Dentistry streams, based on their university choices and career aspirations.

STEM Careers There has been an overwhelming response to talks and seminars delivered at CGA by professionals from the science sector. Doctors, psychologists, physiotherapists, pharmacists and engineers have inspired students to think big and challenge themselves in this field where just 13% of science-related roles are currently filled by women. We hope our students go on to use their successes within the STEM subjects in future careers and increase this number over the coming years.

The Apprentice Year 13 students who are considering alternative pathways to university are participating in the Inspire! Apprenticeships Project this year. The project equips students interested in pursuing work and training after completion of their Sixth Form studies with a range of employability and interpersonal skills.

Interactive workshops and practical sessions such as the visit to the Linklaters offices in the City of London enable them to meet real apprentices.

Year 11 are also being prepared for work and training through the Inspired Apprentices Project led by Inspire! Education Business Partnership. Our Inspired Apprentices are being supported to find out the realities of working in their preferred sector, how to develop professional language and behaviour and flourish in a role that interests them.

Access Your Future

personal circumstances shout loudly, and visualise their university lifestyle to get a reality check regarding financial situations they could face. It was a relief to see students placing priority on buying food, utilities and rent over a brand new dress for a night out, or a fluffy pink pillow!

Coming Up in Careers... ● Careers Club interview practice, writing CVs, covering letters and personal statements, applying for jobs, Key Stage 3 & Key Stage 4 options, preparing for university and apprenticeships. ● Careers Committee student champions who will offer peer-topeer training to use careers-related s o f t w a r e programmes, help to update resources, contribute ideas to the Careers Library and promote the work of the Careers Library. ● Careers fairs, trips and much, much more.

For more information contact: Ms Whitworth, Careers and UCAS Co-ordinator based in the Learning Resources Centre (LRC)

The Access Project has been a huge success. Around 50 students in Years 11 to 13 have been embracing the opportunity to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in various subjects by gaining academic support from professional and enthusiastic Access Project tutors. Tutorials are delivered by high flying graduates in an impressive city firm setting so students see how the subject they have a passion for is applied to the world of work. The impact of the project is already being seen. Students are reporting an improvement in their grades, motivation and confidence and 3 students were offered interviews at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

Mentoring Works On 24th November, students taking part in the Mentoring Works programme were recognised for their dedication and commitment to mentoring at a celebration event held at the prestigious Aviva Offices in the City of London.

The students’ volunteer business mentors from Linklaters were there to witness their mentees receiving award certificates and to celebrate the successes of the programme to date, demonstrating that mentoring really does work!

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A lively one-day event at the Copper Box Arena in December brought over 200 scientists, engineers and technologists together to share a day of challenges and experiments with 400 Year 8 and 9 students from 20 London schools. Activ Robots, City and Loughborough Universities, Cisco, London Transport, National Grid, Samsung and many more companies all shared their cutting edge technology and very best talent. CGA’s Year 9 students tried their hands at work-based tasks from extracting DNA from a strawberry to working on the production line of a cosmetics firm. This industry-led initiative helped them understand their true potential and the real opportunities available in the contemporary STEM workplace.

January Review 2015

Family First

The ‘Through the Looking Glass’ work experience programme was an amazing opportunity. I learnt a vast amount about the different roles people working in the city have and what each job entails by visiting a range of companies, from global law firms such as Linklaters and Ashurst to insurance companies like Lloyd and Marsh. I was informed further about the work of barristers, solicitors and lawyers through a mock trial at Hardwicke chambers where I played the role of the defendant. At the law firm Eversheds, I learnt the etiquette of eating at a formal dinner, another side to being a business professional. One of the highlights of the week was a fascinating tour of the Houses of Parliament, being told more about the history of the building alongside up-to-date current affairs.

My confidence increased and I developed presentation, teamwork and negotiation skills as well as having my horizons broadened. I networked with professionals, discovered how large organisations function and met other like-minded young people.

Written by: Humayraa Gajia 12D

Kick Off! Sporting action was replaced with social action at the Emirates Stadium as it hosted Envision’s London Kick Off event! Over 300 young change makers assembled at the iconic stadium ready to get inspired for the Envision year ahead.

First off was a whirl of dynamic stalls and activities for the students to get involved with. With the event falling during Parliament Week, a popular activity was the ‘Give Issues the Boot’ ball pit. Students wrote the issue they most wanted prioritised in parliament on plastic balls then kicked them into the pit.

Speeches from John Paul Flintoff, author of How To Change The World, and Yas Necati, an 18 year old feminist campaigner recently named one of the BBC’s 100 Women of 2014 also featured in the ceremony.

Kick Off set the tone for the monumental things Envision’s London students are set to achieve this year!

Year 12 students and their Year 7 mentees went to Linklaters law firm for a ‘Family First’ day in December. They were amazed at what was on offer as they were shown around Linklaters. Staff also spoke about how the law firm had started out and the many different countries in which its offices are located. In the afternoon students were put into groups to create an enterprise project with the products available to them. They had money to buy their products and had to allocate roles in their groups, some being designers, others market researchers and others ensuring the budget was not overspent. Their day was very inspiring.

Tuesday Programme Provided by New Regents College the Tuesday Programme is a series of vocational tasters available to Year 9 students wanting to try more practical subjects and gain a qualification ahead of their GCSEs. Students spend Tuesdays following an alternative timetable, working towards personal development goals, building confidence and putting together a portfolio of work which they submit to gain the OCN London Award in Progression. This year’s programme is made up of 9 different vocations, including cooking, construction and fashion.

Court Room Drama Speaker, Yas Necati

To better understand the sociology of crime and deviance through real-life situations Year 13 sociology students went to Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court to observe the procedures in 3 different court rooms. The morning court sessions were followed by a talk from the Visits Co-ordinator, who explained the different roles within a courtroom and answered questions from fascinated students. Discussions followed on the relevance of what the girls had seen to their study of sociology, including the analysis of the gender, class and ethnicity of the defendants and the workings of the court room itself.

The efforts of CGA students mentored by Linklaters employees over the past year were officially acknowledged in November at a mentoring recognition event at the Aviva Investors building. Students enjoyed reminiscing with students from other schools about their experiences.

Many students still see their mentors as these relationships will be extremely beneficial to them as they enter the world of higher education or employment.

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January Review 2015

Every Child Matters Day, 19th November Year 7 Year 7 went to Lee Valley athletics centre to do fun activities such as martial arts, long jump, yoga and capoeira. The day was very exciting and active. One of my favourite activities was the long jump because my form tried really hard and impressed the coach in competitions to see who could jump the furthest. After lunch, we did martial arts and a lot of us succeeded in doing difficult moves, for example, the Phoenix. Although the sport is very hard we were all eager to learn it.

Written by: Victoria Nkan 7L

Year 9 Year 9 students are studying the slave trade and the abolition of slavery in history with a focus on what brings about changes in attitude of people over time. To help with their studies they visited Kenwood House in Hampstead, the place where Dido Belle grew up. They were able to imagine the kind of life Belle, ‘a mixed race girl’ had compared to that of wealthy people during that same period of time.

Left: Dido Belle

Year 8 Some Year 8 students went to the Tower of London. The teachers took us on a little tour then sent us to explore more. I went with some friends to the Bloody Tower which was scary because this was where people were executed or thrown into prison.

After we finished our tour here we went to the Clink Museum to see what happened to people who stole, provoked the king or begged for money. Did you know the prisoners ate rats and mice to survive?

Written by Maryam Abdullahi 8A & Shania Singh 8C

Another group of Year 8 students went to the London Dungeons and the London Eye. The London Dungeons were scary and some parts had foul stenches that were really disgusting. Actors dressed as characters interacted with us which made the experience more unique and there were also rides like the Tyrant boat ride which sprayed us with water and we got very wet! We got to find out what happened to the clients of barber Sweeny Todd when we went to his wife’s bakery, ‘Mrs Lovett’s famous Pie Shop’. He murdered them and she cooked them and served them in pies! Sitting in chairs in the pitch black and hearing the voice and footsteps of the barber all around made us scream in terror.

We also went to the London Eye which was a breathtaking experience. It was great to be on top of London. The views were stunning, great for photos!

Written by: Mitsumi Reh-Van 8P

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Year 13 Some Year 13 students visited the Natural History Museum and its winter ice rink. Students spent the morning ice skating on the outdoor ice rink, with many spending the first hour clinging to the side of the rink but eventually skating confidently with only a few minor falls.

After all that activity students went around the museum, taking in the sights and sounds of the Natural History Museum exhibits from the dinosaurs to more modern day animals.

Other Year 13 students went to Stratford-on-Avon to visit the birthplace of Shakespeare and walk through the rooms where he grew up and wrote some of the most famous pieces of literature. We not only gained an insight into what life was like for Shakespeare but also got a real feel for the time period he was writing in and how that may have translated into his work. We also had the chance to see some of the famous theatres in the area, such as the Swan Theatre and the Courtyard Theatre and received an in-depth talk about Othello, which was extremely useful for our coursework.

Written by: Rumaanah Seedat 13B

January Review 2015

Clapton’s Got Talent Students unleashed their inner divas at Clapton’s Got Talent, CGA’s annual talent show. Following 3 sets of auditions, 30 students performed at the sell-out event, exhibiting the full spectrum of their abilities, including singers, musicians, performance poets, flamenco artists and street dancers.

The event raised £1,000 for extracurricular activities.

The prize for best original act went to spoken word poets Kayanne Richards 9A and Jamilah Bint-Usman 9L while Chloe Richards 13A, Larissa Samuels 13E and Syntache Waku 13C bagged the best group act award for girl band, Creativity.

Best solo act went to Amaria Braithwaite 7T.

Winter Extravaganza A spectacular feast of entertainment rounded off the Autumn term at the Winter Concert with dazzling performances given by all involved. There were ensembles and orchestras, soloists, vocal and instrumental bands, including a ukulele group, spoken word poets, dance troupes and a special appearance from members of staff as they joined the school choir for the grand finale. It was truly magical!

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January Review 2015

Weird and Wonderful The Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) boasts an impressive array of weird and wonderful abnormalities of the natural world – perfect for our Sixth Form BTEC Biologists to experience first-hand the impact of disease.

Physics Factory Plasma balls, levitating coins and flowers frozen with liquid nitrogen were all part of demonstrations used in a talk to Year 11 students on particle physics last term. The guest speakers from ‘Accelerate’ were PhD students from the University of Southampton who had no problem getting the audience to participate, especially in the grand finale of particle collisions using giant inflatable beach balls!

The students said being exposed to higher level physics and its applications in this way really enhanced their knowledge and made physics far more interesting.

An excellent presentation and discussion hosted by 2 professors of the RCS focussed on the timeline of our understanding of disease and medicine, illustrating the many medical breakthroughs over the years and bringing it right up-to-date with the study of antibacterial resistance. Of particular note was the impact wartime has had on medical research; learning about the huge effect the development of blood transfusion and antibiotics had on the world wars was especially eye opening.

The students continued into the museum’s collection, an assembly of some of the strangest medical peculiarities of the 19th century. Exhibits include the real skeleton of the 7’7” ‘Irish Giant’; enlarged skulls, grossly swollen feet and a calf born with its skull within its ribcage. The eyecatching nature of the exhibits was excellent for sparking thought into the intricate workings of organisms and how slight malfunctions can lead to drastic alterations.

Our Town The Year 12 drama enrichment group shared their devised drama piece - based on Thornton Wilder’s Our Town - at the Almeida Theatre, last term.

Students worked with professional actors and directors from the theatre over 10 weeks to create the piece which expressed their views about their own communities. The students used the same set and staging that the cast used in the theatre’s production and really enjoyed sharing their work on a professional stage.

Music Gala The Hackney Music Gala on 7th November celebrated the achievements of some of the most gifted and talented musical students in our schools and community. Over 300 young people from Hackney’s primary, secondary and special schools took to the stage. The concert featured a diverse range of performances and CGA students, ranging from Years 7 to 11 performed in many ensembles, including the borough’s orchestras and choirs, as well as the Hackney Creative Jazz Ensemble.

In October, A level students and Triple Science students enjoyed a dramatic arts workshop that combined the latest research in neuroscience with storytelling, role play and spoken word.

This workshop used groundbreaking research linking rhythms of the heart to emotional intelligence and specific brain neural circuitry.

The 2 sessions were facilitated by leading researchers from Southampton University and the performing arts group ‘Jugular’. The scientists brought 2 portable devices that were used to demonstrate the research, with the students measuring their ability to detect their own heartbeats, emotional awareness and also emotional perception of visual stimuli like faces of different expressions. This was a great experience that linked different aspects of the syllabus concerning the heart and brain, but also a little taster of university research.

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Vocalists, Sakinah McKoy 10P and Sarah Boston 10L represented CGA with an outstanding rendition of Sam Smith’s ‘Latch’ supported by backing vocalists Izzy Ferron, Makilah King, Esther Korner and Melanie Wanjala all of 11P, and

by Kelly Morter 10N on piano, Alma Vonmoos 8P on violin and Caitlin Wren 10N on flute.

January Review 2015

Day of the Dead Being Languages Ambassadors, we study a Modern Foreign Language in Year 12 and thoroughly enjoy it! We are advocates for languages within CGA, ensuring younger students know just how important and beneficial studying a language through to A Level can be. In November, Beatrix Webb 12D and I gave assemblies to all of the Year groups in the school focused on El Día de Los Muertos or The Day of the Dead, a Mexican celebration which honours the dead with fun colours, parades and stories. The celebration is essentially Halloween for other countries. We were able to present the assemblies directly after the The Day of the Dead weekend celebrations and, thanks to social media, a lot of students could see what the celebration looked like.

Greenhouse League The first of 4 Greenhouse league dates was played on 11th November at Newham Leisure Centre. This is the largest scale girls’ league Greenhouse has run with 12 schools entering teams. Our team, made up of Year 7 and Year 8 students, played 2 games in the first league day and won both games. The girls are looking forward to the second league day on 20th January where they hope to continue the good form.

Written by: Brittnie Moss-Jeremiah 12B

Languages Week As a Sixth Form Languages Ambassador, I had the privilege of working with Ms Mond and 5 other Languages Ambassadors - Beatrix Webb 12D, Humayraa Gajia 12D, Sarah Bakayako 12C, Malavya Ashok 12A and Mathilda WesleyWeeks 12E - to create and orchestrate fun-filled games for Languages Week. During registrations, we ran different games which involved speaking in a different language to the students in the class, even the teachers got involved! Students also discovered the many languages teachers could speak from posters they had put on their classroom doors.

A word hunt, where words in different languages were stuck on walls, in classrooms, on lockers and other places proved popular. It was great to see so many students searching high and low for these hidden words!

Written by: Brittnie Moss-Jeremiah 12B

Spring Time

Hackney Champions Our under 14’s and U16’s basketball teams have been crowned Hackney champions for a third consecutive year. Not only have they retained these titles but done it with an unblemished ‘undefeated’ record. This means that for 3 years running no Hackney school has beaten CGA’s basketball teams. Years 7 and 8 competitions begin this term.

The cross-country team also showcased their exceptional talent last term. In November, 12 students from CGA represented Hackney in the London Youth Games cross-country race at Parliament Hill. Renowned for being London’s toughest cross-country course the girls rose to the challenge with Evelyn Dumbleton 7L finishing first for CGA in the U13s race and Ruby ChristianMuldoon 10C finishing first in the U15s race. The team maintained their unbeaten record in the final race of the season on 15th December at the Emirates Stadium. CGA claimed the top 8 positions in both the Years 7/8 and 9/10 races - a phenomenal success.

The Dance Studio was buzzing on 5th December with pupils from Years 1 and 2 from our HTSA primary schools, Millfields, Rushmore, Nightingale, William Patten and Gayhurst. The trampolines were taking a pounding as CGA’s Sports Leaders from Years 10-13 took the children through their paces in a trampolining competition. Some excellent moves were seen as they bounced and somersaulted, showing off their new-found talents.

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January Review 2015

Wings of Hope Groups of Year 12 students have been fundraising for Wings of Hope (WOHAA), a charity that provides education for children in deprived countries such as the UK, Malawi and India.

A group calling themselves Lacuna, held a bake sale in the Dining Pavilion selling everything from handmade Oreo cupcakes to chocolate gateau and raising £138.17.

Another group organised a winter fair, a Christmas jumper day and even managed a sponsored 7 mile walk, which took them across some of London’s most famous bridges.

Well done girls.

Monies raised are going to a very worthy cause.

Since December, CGA has been participating in the global Meat Free Mondays campaign.

This initiative aims to convince people who eat meat to skip it for just one day per week. More than 800,000 people have already taken the Meat Free Monday pledge, including Victoria Pendleton, Sir Richard Branson, and Emma Thompson. Led by Sir Paul McCartney, campaigners argue that going meat-free, even for just one day a week, can help to reduce global warming, improve people’s health and well-being, save you money, and improve the lives of animals. From now on, all school lunches served in the Dining Pavilion on Mondays will be vegetarian, and we are encouraging those staff members and students who bring their own lunches to school to follow suit if possible. For more information about the campaign and to access a whole range of vegetarian recipes for you to try, please see www.meatfreemondays.com

Nixiwaka Top Marks

A fantastic end of term for Amy Coles 11C as she received the results of her Grade 8 cello exam. Amy achieved the highest mark possible, a distinction. This was the final grade she could take and gives her UCAS points towards university entry.

Right: Amy Coles

Mother Goose Year 7 had an end of term treat when they went to see Mother Goose at Hackney Empire. We walked to the theatre which looked great. There was a big goose on the curtain. Suddenly the lights went down and everything went quiet - the pantomime had begun.

The part of the show that stood out for me was when Mother Goose threw sweets into the audience. Everyone who caught a sweet looked so happy. My favourite character was Freddie as he made everyone laugh with his jokes and his accent. I enjoyed it so much I want to go again next year.

Written by: Coco Peers 7T

www.clapton.hackney.sch.uk

When my class was told that Nixiwaka, an indigenous tribesman from the Amazon rainforest, was coming to visit CGA I could not believe it! I have always wondered what the lifestyle would be like of people who lived in such remote places. During the talk I learnt about Nixiwaka’s lifestyle in the Yawanawa tribe and began to realise that, because of some people’s carelessness and actions the indigenous peoples are suffering and their lives are at risk!

I was really humbled to learn how the tribespeople enjoy life and entertain themselves without modern technology, like the internet. I know it would take me a long time to get used to that if I had to do it. I also found it interesting that all their resources are hunted and taken from the Amazon rainforest – imagine what it would be like getting medicine or freshly made coffee all 100% natural! I appreciated Nixiwaka’s visit – not only did it raise my awareness of the indigenous rights issue but it also helped me to visualise living life in a way that is completely different to my own.

Written by: Pearl Atiemoh 9C

TERM DATES Parents’ Consultation Evenings, 4.30-7.00pm Year 11: 22nd January Years 12 & 13: 4th February Year 9: 5th February Year 10: 12th February Year 7: 19th March Half Term Holiday 16th-20th February

Visit the website to see more calendar events