Review March 2015 Message from Cheryl Day, Headteacher Another wonderful edition of Clapton Review. It is great to see Ms Miln’s MBE feature on the front page, and the success of our debate teams and basketball players is a real credit to the academy. However, it is the curiosity, commitment and enthusiasm of so many hundreds of our students that really characterises Clapton Girls’ Academy. If your daughter does not yet attend 2 clubs a week or involve herself in one of the many exciting activities, please encourage her to get involved - it will be to her immense benefit.
Ms Miln MBE Deputy Headteacher, Ms Miln has been to Buckingham Palace to collect her MBE which she received for being an outstanding teacher. She was further honoured to be presented the award by Prince William. Congratulations again Ms Miln on your well-deserved accolade.
The Rt Hon David Laws MP, Minister of State for Schools has written to congratulate CGA on its results. A quote from his letter to our Headteacher says, “Your school has proven to be one of the top 90 in England showing the greatest sustained improvement in the percentage of pupils achieving five or more A*-C grade GCSEs (or equivalent), including English and mathematics GCSEs. Finally, your school is also one of the top 100 non-selective state funded schools in England based on the key stage 2 to key stage 4 value-added measure.”
Technology Showcase Six Headteachers from Hortens in Denmark have been to see CGA in action. Their main focus was the use of Computer Aided Design and manufacture in our Design and Technology department. Showcasing their work were leading Design and Technology students in Years 10 and 11. They explained the process they go through to design, make and evaluate their products using both traditional and computer aided methods. Impressed with the facilities, equipment and ‘shop quality’ of the students’ work, the Headteachers summed up what they had seen by saying, “What you are doing with Technology is very exciting!”
March Review 2015 Last term a team of CGA debaters competed in the first round of the English Speaking Union (Mace) Debate competition. Of the 4 schools present only 2 schools could go forward to the second round. Our girls, Salimah Bilal 13F, Beth Foster-Ogg 13A, Kowther Mohidan 10C, Zainab Bhamjee 11P, Hadiyah Patterson 10C and Amina Omar 10C very comfortably took one of these places as they won their debate against Camden School for Girls.
Your Vote Counts Last term elections were held for the new School Council. Two students were elected to office from each Year group. Early this term new School Council members had a day’s training so they could get to grips with their role. Evelyn Dumbleton 7L said the day “helped me to think differently and see what everybody in the academy wants not just me and my friends.” Rabia Iqbal 10C describes what being a School Council member is all about, “Being part of the School Council is an important job as we represent the students and voice their opinions about all sorts of things to do with CGA. The meetings we have are very well thought out and inform us of what needs improving in our academy. As a School Council member I should understand the strengths and weaknesses of my academy so that when I meet up with other School Council members we can highlight areas of concern and give objectives to one another. This role is amazing for confidence and it is a lot of fun working with other committed students to bring improvement and change.”
In the second round this term CGA did very well to come in third position after some strong debates against 5 other schools, narrowly missing out on a place in the next round.
Cambridge Shadows Sixth Formers, Hajrah Anis and Nadia McLennon were recent participants in the Cambridge University Students’ Union (CUSU) Shadowing Scheme. This year’s Shadowing Scheme was the biggest yet, with places prioritised for young people who do not have university backgrounds but who have a strong academic track CGA record. Our ‘Shadows’ stayed in a Cambridge college, attended lectures with their undergraduate mentors, and tried out social activities with the University’s vast array of student societies. Helena Blair, CUSU Access Officer explained, “The Scheme provides the chance to experience university life, and helps to break down the myths students hear about Cambridge. Some students may be put off applying to Cambridge by misconceptions and negative stereotypes and there’s no better insight into being at university than shadowing a student for a few days during termtime.”
The first round of the Urban Debate Mate League at Lammas School saw our Year 9 teams winning both of their debates. In the second round on 5th March, 9 students from Years 8 and 9 continued the winning streak taking out the opposition in 3 of their 4 debates. CGA is currently ranked 6th nationally out of the 200 schools in the competition, and positioned 5th amongst the London secondary schools. Page 2
March Review 2015
Three Faiths Forum
Baking Mad
Volunteers from the Three Faiths Forum which sends religious believers of different faiths into schools to share their beliefs came to speak to Year 11 about Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Humanism. The Three Faiths Forum believes that every individual has their own take on their religion and, by hearing personal stories and being able to openly ask sometimes difficult questions students are better able to understand why people hold the beliefs they have.
In science we have been studying plant and animal cells. We have been researching all the different tissues which make up a cell. Our wonderful science teacher, Ms Bugtti gave us a creative home learning task to create a model of a plant or animal cell. I ingeniously baked a biscuit in the shape of a plant cell. I used icing, halal gummy worms and strawberry laces to represent the different structures. Because I love science I put my heart and soul into creating my plant cell and it was tasty! Who said science wasn’t fun? Written by: Chris-Anna Thorpe 7A.
Does God Exist?
The apparent conflict between religion and science was the topic of discussion for Year 9 in Religious Education lessons this term. Alom Shaha, author of The Young Atheists Handbook came in to talk to the students. Through the use of magic tricks, theological debates and some personal and emotional stories he provided food for thought, challenging the audience with the question ‘Can you be a good scientist and believe in God?’ He in turn was posed some very difficult questions from our students from ‘What makes us different to animals?’ to ‘What about the existence of the supernatural?’
Year 8 have had a fascinating time at the Science Museum exploring the exhibits and learning about different satellites and equipment that have been in space - some that even made it to the moon. They also watched a documentary called ‘Mysteries of the Unseen World’, learning that the naked eye perceives only a fraction of what there is to see on Earth; we are surrounded by things that are either too fast, too slow or too small for us to observe, such as the flight of a dragonfly, the bacteria living on our bodies and even the invisible rays of light which surround us all. Page 3
March Review 2015
At CGA every student has access to a stimulating range of extracurricular opportunities that improve students’ motivation, build self-esteem, help them to become more effective learners and above all, raise achievement. All students are encouraged to attend two or more clubs each week to build on learning experiences within the curriculum and provide experiences that extend and develop students’ skills. Visit the academy website to view the new clubs timetable, which is updated every half term. Over 120 clubs are currently on offer every week, ranging from judo to debating to current affairs discussion groups, helping to support students’ physical health, critical thinking and global understanding. Our new Club Suggestions box in the LRC has allowed students to input into the range of clubs and a Japanese club has now been introduced as a response to their feedback.
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March Review 2015
Alter Ego
What’s in the Box?
Finalists for Hackney’s number one talent contest, Alter Ego were selected following an X Factor style contest in January. Performers aged between 13 and 19 took to the stage to deliver a variety of different entertainment including acting, singing, rapping, dance and comedy in the hope of making it through to the finals. Among the successful 9 acts were CGA’s spoken word artists Jamilah Bint-Usman 9L and Kyanne Richards 9A.
Since October, a select group of 13 students worked on the Barbican Box Music Project. They developed a composition based on the contents of the box and used their local area and surroundings to get their creative juices going. American folklorist and ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax also provided an inspiration.
Hundreds packed the Hackney Empire for the sell-out final event. The winner was selected through a 50/50 combination of text votes by the Alter Ego audience and nominations by the judging panel, made up of industry professional Ghetts, Bless Beats and Leroy FX from dance group Flawless, and Hackney Empire’s Susie McKenna. Huge congratulations to Jamilah and Kyanne who came in joint 3rd position.
The group had a very exciting time putting the finishing touches to their work which included tuba, trombone, clarinets, piano, singers, spoken word and much more. During the project they benefitted from working with mentors such as rapper and producer Prince Rapid and singer/songwriter Sam Mumford. Their moment of glory came when they performed their finished 20 minute piece on stage at the Barbican on 26th February. See the performance at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CajDmMACbQE&feature=youtu.be
Judge, Leroy FX, said: “I was amazed by the talent and I enjoyed every act that was on, it was a really good night. I thought each artist, really gave it their best.”
Jamilah Bint-Usman & Kyanne Richards (3rd & 5th from left respectively)
Summer Art Festival 9th July 2015 Coming soon - even more ‘extra’ opportunities for students to audition to perform on stage or showcase their artwork in the end of Summer term Arts Festival.
Merchant of Venice Our A level drama students were treated to a fine example of Shakespeare brought into the 21st century when they went to a performance of The Merchant of Venice at the Almeida Theatre. The students will compare this version to the original performance conditions for their final drama exam. The production opened in a casino with poor Antonio agreeing to borrow money from Shylock in return for a pound of his own flesh. This modern setting allowed the audience to connect with the dangerous results of being in debt to the wrong people. The horrifying sight of Antonio being strung up to the rafters of the theatre, while Shylock prepared to claim his debt, was a sight that will stay with the audience for a long time. Page 5
March Review 2015
Hop, Skip & Jump Pupils from schools within the Hackney Teaching Schools Alliance (HTSA) had a fantastic, fun-filled primary sports day at CGA as part of their Physical Education programme. The sports hall and dance studio were buzzing with activity and excitement as the children, aged between four and seven years old from Rushmore, Nightingale, Kingsmead, Gayhurst, Harrington Hill and Millfields put their energies into mastering the art of trampolining, street dance, ball skills and target practice. Clapton students’ outstanding leadership skills came to the fore as they supported the pupils throughout the day.
Licenced to deliver DofE Award The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is the world’s leading achievement award for young people, recognised by employers and universities alike. It gives all young people the chance to fulfil their potential, make a positive difference to their community and develop life-long skills. We are very excited to announce that CGA is now set up as a Directly Licensed Centre and can deliver a full DofE award programme and grant Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards on behalf of students at CGA. Ms Gakungu who oversees the DofE programme at CGA said, “It is an amazing opportunity for us to be able to deliver the DofE programme in our academy. All our students are encouraged to get involved and work towards gaining this award which is an asset to their CV and enhances their employability skills, leading to a multitude of opportunities.” Page 6
Whistleblowers
Fahdi Ahmed
Kevser Kilinc
Congratulations to Sixth formers Fahdi Ahmed, Tiye Kabara-Clarke, Kevser Kilinc and Seun Adeduntan who recently qualified as Level 2 basketball table officials with England basketball. The girls are now in the process of undertaking their Level 2 refereeing course and will be the first CGA students ever to become Level 2 officials, making them eligible to officiate at national league basketball games.
Tiye Kabara-Clarke
Seun Adeduntan
March Review 2015
Sports Hall Athletics CGA hosted Hackney’s Primary Sports Hall Athletics competition final. There was strong competition between the qualifying students in teams from Gayhurst, Morningside, Northwold and Mandeville Primary schools. After the final race it was Gayhurst Community School who were crowned borough champions. They now go on to represent Hackney in the London schools round later this year. Special thanks to Jasmine Charlton 10C, Molly Bennett 9N, Francesca Beaumont 9T and Ezelina Owens 9P who were involved in the organisation and leading of this event; demonstrating their excellent understanding of athletics.
London School Games Final Four Our U14 and U16 basketball teams are through to the London School Games Final Fours. They sealed their places when Harris Academy Battersea received a hammering from the U14 team who won their match by a massive 62 points, followed by a decisive victory for our U16 team, who won 59-32.
Talent Spotting Over 10,000 young Londoners take part in the London Youth Games basketball competitions every year and the Games have been the stepping stone for some of Britain’s top basketball talent. CGA hosted the opening match of the U16 schools’ basketball competition in the Big Kick Off Week of the 2015 London Youth Games. Team GB basketball captain Drew Sullivan was an interested spectator as Hackney youngsters took their first steps towards representing their borough in Europe’s largest annual youth sports event. On this occasion, our team proved far too strong for Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and ran out as 66-4 winners.
Our girls have done brilliantly to get this far as this competition is open to every school in London and is the basketball equivalent to the FA cup (but for London schools). The London finals will be on 19th March. Page 7
March Review 2015
Language Leaders Year 10 Languages Leaders, Beatrice Brierley 10L, Alexandra Virlan 10C, Sofia Begum 10A, Munira Haffeji 10N, Aisha Mangera 10N & Sumayya Patel 10T visited Year 3 and 4 at William Patten Primary School. They had a very exciting afternoon teaching two Spanish classes each, which they had planned and prepared themselves. They were very nervous to begin with but got more confident as the afternoon went on and they are looking forward to their next visit soon!
To be or not to be To enrich their understanding of Literature and the Arts, Year 8 students have been to the Tate Modern and the Globe theatre. A guided tour took them through the “Highlights of the Permanent Collection” where they explored the art works of surrealists Dali, Picasso and Miró. A quick walk along the Thames and the girls were immersed in the world of Shakespeare’s Globe, taking part in a bespoke Hamlet workshop and dramatizing their interpretation of the immortal words “To be, or not to be” on the Globe’s stage. The trip was a culturally rich experience taking in the sights of Southwark Cathedral, Sir Francis Drake’s Golden Hinde and the smells of Borough Market.
Attendance Awareness Attendance Awareness Month kicked off the Spring term at CGA with a focus on ensuring all students, staff and parents were even better informed about the importance of attendance in gaining outstanding achievmement. Displays, assemblies and Collective Time were used to reinforce key messages to students and all parents received a new attendance leaflet. New attendance initiatives were also launched across the academy including: a weekly tutor group raffle; an Attendance Awareness Year group raffle; free breakfasts in the Dining Pavilion for those arriving early to school on selected days throughout Attendance Awareness Month; Collective Time attendance activities of wordsearch, maths & languages activities linked to attendance and a poster competition which was won by Zainab Akhoon 7N.
Wanted: Parent Governor Are you committed to the education and achievement of young women in Hackney? Can you devote 3 evenings and a day per term to our academy? The Articles for the Academy Trust provide for parents/carers of registered students to be Parent Governors on the governing body. A vacancy currently exists and you are invited to put your name forward should you wish to stand for election. Please contact the academy at pforde@clapton.hackney.sch.uk by 13th April 2015 and enclose a brief factual statement about yourself. If a number of candidates come forward, the appointment will be determined by an election. All parents are entitled to vote in the election.
www.clapton.hackney.sch.uk
TERM DATES Parent Consultation Evenings, 4.30-7.00pm Year 7: 19th March Year 8: 23rd April New Families Evening, 28th April, 6.30-7.30pm End of Term Friday 27th March, 12.30pm
Visit the website to see more calendar events