End of Term Newsletter - Summer 2023

End of Term Highlights

Summer 2023

Welcome

Dear Parents and Guardians,

What a year! I could hardly believe it yesterday when I stood at our final whole-school assembly and addressed all of the students for the last time this year. It was a pleasure for me to wish all of our leavers good luck for their future journey, to thank everyone for being part of our vibrant community, and then to witness the emotional moment of friends saying goodbye to each other as they left our school doors. There were many tears, which is testament to the strength of friendship, love and care our students have developed for each other. It was beautiful to observe, even though it was sad, too. Indeed, the end of the school year is a time of transition that we must embrace. To turn to the sage words from Tom Stoppard: “Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else”. I look forward to hearing from all of our leavers in the future about their exciting next chapters.

Thank you to those of you who were able to join us on Wednesday for our Prize giving at Chelsea Old Town Hall. It was a beautiful event and a wonderful opportunity for us to come together to celebrate all of the achievement and success this year. It was a good reminder of just how much happened over the course of the year and just how talented our young people are. Indeed, I hope you enjoy reading this end-of-year newsletter and that it provides you with a glimpse of all of the great things that happened this term.

There are two operational matters I would like to draw your attention to:

Change of account

Starting from 1 September 2023 Eaton Square Senior School will be using a new bank account, distinct from that which the Eaton Square Prep School uses. We appreciate that such a change is unusual and contrary to the message we regularly send warning parents. This change does leave the school and yourselves open to scammers who will try to encourage you to make payments into a non-school account. To counter this, we will be asking that families sign up to the Direct Debit Scheme, details of which will be sent with your regular fee invoice. This invoice will also contain the details of the school’s new bank account. Please note:

• The School will not send bank account details within the text of an e-mail

• The School will not be offering discounts or fee reductions for early payments

• If you are unsure of any e-mail you receive about a change of bank details contact the school by phone to confirm the legitimacy of the e-mail

• Please sign up for the Direct Debit Scheme. This scheme is the best protection against scammers as it protects all payments

School Devices and Digital Literacy

I am delighted to inform you that we will be providing all current students, and all incoming students for September 2023, with a new device to use in the classroom free of charge. We will be sending you more information about these devices before the start of term but please note that they will be of a higher spec than our previous devices thus enhancing and improving what we can do in relation to teaching and learning in the classroom.

I am very happy that we are able to do this as a school as digital literacy is becoming so important and we want to ensure that your children are being equipped with all of the skills they will need to navigate our increasingly technological landscape. We as educators need to be proactive about how to tackle the challenges we face from Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, and other rapid technological advancements. Focusing on digital literacy and increasing our students’ understanding of technology will, I am sure, help them immensely and keep us at the forefront of educational innovation.

Before I sign off this newsletter, I would like to thank all of you as parents who have welcomed me as the new Head of Eaton Square Senior School & Sixth Form. I have thoroughly enjoyed these past two terms. I have loved meeting you and getting to know your children and am extremely grateful for the warm way you have welcomed me into the community. I cannot wait until September to see your children again and to continue to develop the school into an outstanding place of learning, enrichment and innovation where your children will thrive and flourish.

I would like to end this introduction by thanking all of you parents who are leaving us for new adventures, especially to those of you relocating to other countries. It has been a pleasure having you and, especially, your children as part of our community. I wish you all the best. To all parents, I wish you a wonderful summer break with your families and that it is full of laughter, love, good health and happiness. I look forward to seeing you when we return in September.

With very best wishes,

Dr Adrian Rainbow Head

Academic Science

Science Update

The Summer Term has been an exciting few weeks for the students during Science.

YEAR 7

The students have been investigating waves and used a slinky to show the differences between two types of wave; longitudinal and transverse.

YEAR 8

This term the Year 8’s were also involved in a heart dissection, this helped students to see the inner workings of the heart and how it structure helps to keep us alive!

YEAR 9

Our year 9 students started their GCSE content this term and this has included completing some core practicals that help the students to apply their learning and learn scientific skills. They have been building circuits in physics and investigating the effect of pH on different enzymes. We look forward to completing more of these practicals in the autumn term.

YEAR 10

The year 10 students have worked extremely hard this term revising for their end of year exams which they completed after half term. Since they sat their exams, they have been carrying on with their GCSE content.

We are looking forward to Year 10 moving into Year 11 and being top of the school.

YEAR 11

We are very proud of our year 11s who have finished their GCSE courses this year and completed their exams. It was impressive to see the attitude and hard work they showed towards their science exams and we wish the students luck for their results day in August.

Academic Maths

Maths Challenge

The Junior Maths Challenge takes place every year in April, this year our Year 7 & 8 students eagerly participated. I am pleased to say that 9 out of 10 students obtained certificates and 2 qualified for Junior Kangaroo.

Students and teachers are proud of themselves for achieving their goals. Well done everyone.

Gold: Iskander and James Lao

Silver: Richard Gamlin

Bronze: Romanos, Jayvijay, Ruggero, Sasha, Mimi and Toti

Academic Computer Science

All Year 7 students took part in the Code Playground online activity organised by Digital Eagles, a Barclays’ initiative to promote coding and to boost digital knowhow.

The coding activity consisted of developing a website using HTML language, the standard mark-up language for documents designed to be displayed in a web browser. The event was very successful as all the participating students were fully engaged, enjoyed the activity and completed the coding activity.

During Summer term, Year 7 students are learning how to make web pages and websites. They are also competing for the three best developed websites. The coding activities are crucial to boost Year 7 students’ coding skills and to make coding such a fun and enjoyable activity.

Modern Foreign Languages

This term our Year 7 & 8s have been preparing and rehearsing songs in Spanish and French during their MFL lessons, to sing and dance to at the end of the term.

The songs were:

Waka Waka (Year 7) | Paro (Year 8 French) | ¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre? (Year 8 Spanish)

It was great to see them all perform in assembly in front of teachers and students. After the performances, the teachers voted for the best song. Some students were a bit nervous, however everyone rose up to the challenge amazingly, especially the Year 8 Spanish class who won the competition.

Here’s some comments from the students participating: “Well deserved win after our hard work” - Dylan “Thecongawasthecherryontop” - Benny and James “Atthebeginningitwashardbutthenitgoteasyandfun” - Lorenzo

Click on the links below for some short snippets of the students performing: https://youtube.com/shorts/Ttm8fjU-PZk?feature=share

https://youtube.com/shorts/QtZKbML27EQ?feature=share

https://youtube.com/shorts/JBUgKowHV6M?feature=share

Our Year 9 Spanish class have spent the last couple of weeks doing a vlog project in Spanish. They spent two lessons planning it and getting the scripts ready and two lessons recording it to then edit the filming to prepare a final video that we watched together in class this morning.

Here is a link to the vlog that was voted the best due to a number of reasons, such as: script that put into practise the Spanish expressions that we have studied this year, original idea, funny and interesting editing.

Geography & Science Trip

Geography & Science Trip to the BBC Earth Experience in Earl’s Court

On Monday 19th June, a group of enthusiastic Year 7 students embarked on a joint Geography and Science trip with Mr Lobo, Mrs Baird and Miss Teelock, to the Daikin Centre in Earl’s Court, London for the much-anticipated BBC Earth Experience exhibition. The event promised to be an immersive experience, taking them on a captivating exploration of the seven continents and the wonders they hold.

The students completed their own fun personal workbook and enjoyed the experience as they were able to learn about the iconic physical landscapes of ‘Planet Earth’ as well as learning about the amazing and mesmerising animals and biodiversity that exists. Learning was conducted in a relaxed setting whilst either lying on beanbags or interacting with some of the immersive experiences!! The video projection images were rather spectacular and the narration from Sir David Attenborough was very fitting and poignant.

From fireflies putting on a spectacular light show in North America, to snub nosed monkeys huddling together to stay warm in Asia, and hungry hamsters fighting to keep their food in Europe, the Yr 7 students experienced our seven continents in all their glory, like never before.

As the students said farewell to the BBC Earth exhibition, they had a quick game of ‘Giant Chess’ and reflected upon memories of an unforgettable journey that broadened their horizons and ignited their passion for the planet. Inspired by the immersive experience, they left with a renewed commitment to protect the natural wonders of the seven continents they had explored.

A big thank you to all the teachers and staff who made this trip possible.

Mr Lobo

A-Level Geography Trip

Geography Fieldtrip to Nine Elms/Battersea and Vauxhall

At the start of the summer term, our Yr 12 Geography students went on a Geography fieldtrip to Nine Elms/ Battersea and Vauxhall to look at Urban Regeneration, as part of their A-Level Geography studies.

Students devised and implemented a range of data collection techniques e.g. Questionnaires, Environmental Quality Surveys, Shopping Surveys and Land Use Surveys as they sampled along a locational transect through contrasting areas.

The transformation of Nine Elms/Battersea from a dirty and unloved industrial wasteland into London’s fastest growing and most vibrant residential and business district, is one of the biggest urban renewal success stories this century.

They had the opportunity to go into and experience some amazing housing developments e.g., Embassy Gardens in

Nine Elms and assess the impact of landmark features such as the American Embassy and the iconic Battersea Power Station. One student even managed to interview a former Manchester United footballer (who will remain nameless for privacy reasons).

A-Level Psychology Trip

Psychology Trip to the Freud Museum, Hampstead

As a way to consolidate their knowledge of Freud’s famous Psychodynamic theory, the year 12 Psychology students visited the Freud Museum in Hampstead! This gave students the opportunity to see Freud’s infamous couch used as part of his psychoanalysis treatment, whilst also extending their knowledge of other key figures such as Anna Freud (Sigmund Freud’s daughter). All in all, the trip was a great day out and was a deserved reward for the students given their persistent hard work this term. Keep it up guys! - Mr Read

Creative Arts Paris Tour

Bright and early, on the 11 June, 24 students and 4 staff members travelled to Paris via the Eurostar. We enjoyed a jam packed schedule from a foodie walking tour to an exclusive tour of the royal opera house. There was much to see and do in Paris!

Day 1 - Diary by Bernado

After the 3-hour train ride to Paris, we instantly got involved in a jammed packed day full of activities. This started with a foodie walking tour where we tried different French pastries including brioche and baguette. Shortly after we went to the centre Pompidou, a museum with fascinating art of the likes of Andy Warhol and Duchamp to modern artist. To end a long and busy day, we when to an Italian restaurant where we enjoyed pizza and pasta.

Day 2 - Diary by Elle

On day 2, we woke up early to a traditional French buffet before heading out for a tour at the Opera Garnier until around lunchtime. For lunch we found a local boulangerie where we all had sandwiches and pastries. We spared some time for shopping prior to our 3-hour walking tour at the Père Lachaise Cemetery. Afterwards we went to a restaurant where we had burgers and salads for mains, and Ice cream for dessert. We then travelled to the Eiffel Tower and went on a cruise besides it to see some of Paris's Famous landmarks. We took pictures in front of the illuminating lights of the Eiffel tour then headed back to the hotel to get some rest.

Day 3 - diary by Udval

On day 3, we packed up and checked out, ready to leave later in the day. After breakfast, we left to visit Allieries des Lumières where we had a beautiful experience of seeing Chagall’s work come to life in front of our eyes. Personally, for me, it was a wonderful opportunity to capture his art for inspiration in my own work. We then went to the gift shop to buy different tokens such as unique notebooks and ceramics. Shortly after, we walked to a local patisserie to buy baked goods. After having lunch back at the hostel, we sat off to London. The trip provided us with a wonderful experience of one of the most famous cities in Europe and I’m really thankful to everyone who made it possible for us.

Creative Arts Week

From the 26 June, we shone a spotlight on Music, Drama and Art in celebrating Creative Arts Week.

Throughout the week, students had the opportunity to engage in ‘choose your own adventure’ form activities, specialist workshops during lunch times, student-led assemblies and we invited the school community to attend our Creative Arts Showcase. Each year we centre our form times, assemblies and workshops around a theme, and this year our theme was diversity.

We have received excellent feedback from students throughout the week - here's what they had to say:

‘The Paper Birds workshop allowed us to enhance our acting skills and made us view theatre in a different way.' - Daniel, Year 7

'This week is such a great opportunity to express yourself' - Amina, Year 10

'The Paper Birds workshop was very interactive and engaging. My favourite activity was writing and performing our poems in Verbatim Theatre style.' - Jay, Year 7

'I attended the Acting Workshop with Kate Walker, and it was brilliant and really informative, as I was able to learn about different acting techniques and career opportunities available to actors. Overall, it was very useful for anyone who would like a career in acting!' - Adam, Year 9

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'I like Creative Arts Week as it focuses on my passions, it also helps others come out of their shell and express themselves.' - Oliver, Year 9

A Night of Madness

On Wednesday, 28 June the Creative Arts Department hosted the ‘A Night of MADness’. After the success of last year’s event, we were so pleased to invite our parent community back to showcase the talents of our students. We opened the evening with an art exhibition, followed by musical and theatre performances. Miss Ferguson, Mrs Churchill and Mr De Santis are so incredibly proud of the students for displaying such confidence and we hope the school community enjoyed the event.

If you would like to see a short video of the performances, please click on the links below:

https://youtu.be/K23bObzNOS8

https://youtube.com/shorts/wYo2dEMPY-U?feature=share

Workshops

During the creative arts week, students had the opportunity to sign up to a range of creative extra-curricular sessions. To begin the week, our very own Mr De Santis hosted a Ukulele workshop where students learnt how to play the instrument.

Later in the week, one of our talented parents, Farah Rauf, facilitated a Calligraphy workshop where she showcased her work and taught the students how to calligraphy. There was also a friendly competition for the best calligrapher and the lucky Shaikha won a beautiful quill.

We invited Paper Birds Theatre Company in to facilitate a devising workshop and the students had such fun writing and performing their own poems inspired by the poem ‘I Come From’. Here is an extract from a poem one of our students wrote:

‘I come from Gujrat on the coast of India, I come from the pollen infested cricket field, I come from my grandma’s delicious but really spicy chicken curry.’ - Jay, Year 7

Here’s a few short snippets of the Paper Birds Workshop- https://youtu.be/DBdD7aiRwm8

To end the week, Mr De Santis hosted a Piano workshop where he taught the students the musical notes and they learnt a short song. We then invited another talented parent, Kate Walker, to facilitate a workshop about the World of Professional Acting. The students enjoyed the interactive and informative advice about casting agents and auditions. Overall, it was excellent to see so many students engage in the workshops and to see their love of the arts grow.

Congratulations

We would love to say a HUGE well done to Ben Schaerer (Year 9), who has already received results for his grade 8 piano exam and has successfully achieved a merit!

Year 7 Theatre Visit - Mrs Doubtfire

On 8 June, the Year 7's visit Shaftesbury Theatre to see the new hit musical Mrs. Doubtfire. Much like the cult classic film, Mrs. Doubtfire was about an out-of-work actor, Daniel, who will do anything for his kids. After losing custody in a messy divorce, he creates the alter ego of Scottish nanny Euphegenia Doubtfire in a desperate attempt to stay in their lives. As his new character takes on a life of its own, Mrs. Doubtfire teaches Daniel more than he bargained for about how to be a father.

Here's what some Year 7 students had to say about the performance:

'The acting was awesome with lots of enthusiasm and emotion making a very believable yet still entertaining performance.' - Iskander

'Mrs Doubtfire was an extraordinary musical which successfully stimulated and amused the audience.' - Bernado

'Overall, the musical was an amazing comedy which made me laugh a lot!' - Richard

Year 7 & 8 Theatre Trip - A Midsummer Night's Dream

On the 23 June, the Year 7 and 8 students attend the Globe Theatre to watch the performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream. This was an entertaining and engaging opportunity for students to experience a live performance as audiences would have experienced in Shakespeare’s time.

On Midsummer’s eve, four rebellious young lovers, a band of ambitious artisan players, and a feuding Fairy King and Queen all cross paths in a riotously enchanted forest. When the shapeshifting, mischief-making Puck, the Fairy King’s servant, is ordered to cast spells on everyone, what could possibly go wrong? All hell breaks loose as nature, and human nature, are turned upside down and inside out; the forest’s new inhabitants are in for a wild and unsettling night of love, jealousy and utter confusion… but once the nightmare is over, will life be a dream again by morning?

Here's what some of our Year 7's and 8's had to say about the play:

'The costumes were very abstract and brought the characters to life' - Connor, Year 8

'I really liked experiencing the Globe Theatre as a whole and appreciating what it was like for people back in the day' - Ruggero, Year 7

'The play was very interactive, and I particularly liked the live musicians as they added an extra element to the performance' - Daniel, Year 7

Summer Sports Day

Eaton Square Senior School’s highly anticipated Sports Day took place at the Millennium Arena in Battersea Park, and it was a resounding success. This thrilling event brought together students from Year 7 to Year 12, showcasing their athletic prowess and fostering a sense of healthy competition. The presence of enthusiastic parents added to the vibrant atmosphere.

The Sports Day featured a wide array of activities, ranging from traditional field events to exhilarating track races. Participants showcased their strength and precision in events such as the vortex throw, frisbee throw, shot put, high jump, long jump, and agility challenges. The athletes demonstrated remarkable skills and determination throughout the day.

The track races added an element of excitement to the event. Students raced in thrilling sprints like the 100m, 200m, 400m, and even the demanding 1500m, pushing themselves to the limit and inspiring their peers.

In addition to the more traditional events, classic Sports Day races were held, including the everpopular egg and spoon race and sack race. These light-hearted competitions brought smiles and laughter to participants and spectators alike, adding a touch of nostalgia to the day’s events. All events had points associated with positions and these counted towards the house totals. The Sports Day cup was won by Hunlock.

To keep everyone refreshed and energized, an ice cream van was on hand, offering delicious treats. The parents of Eaton Square School also played a crucial role in ensuring the event’s success. They set up a stand featuring Pimms, cakes, and sweets, providing a delightful assortment of refreshments.

Overall, Eaton Square School’s Sports Day at the Millennium Arena was a memorable occasion that celebrated athleticism, teamwork, and school spirit. It showcased the talents of the students and fostered a sense of camaraderie among participants and spectators alike. The event’s success was a testament to the school community’s dedication to physical fitness and a vibrant, inclusive environment.

Physical Education & Games

This term we have been focusing on cricket, rounders and tennis in our Games lessons, building up to the House Cricket and House Tennis tournaments we held over at Old Actonians this term.

It was a fantastic afternoon with Browne winning both the rounders and the singles tennis, and Waugh winning the doubles tennis. Ruggero was voted as player of the day in the tennis, after only dropping 5 points in the whole afternoon!

We also had a three-sport fixture against Northwood Senior School a couple of weeks ago, winning both the tennis and the rounders, and a very close loss in the cricket. Again, it was a lovely afternoon out on Tooting Common in the sunshine.

Sport Achievements:

Max Ferguson (Year 8) recently completed a triathlon in France in the 16-18 category and managed to finish the race despite his bike not being fully functional. Well done Max!!!

Connor Welsh (Year 8) played in an Ice Hockey tournament in Bratislava where he represented England. We are pleased to say the team did outstanding and came second overall, meaning that the team (inc. Connor) have qualified to trial for the Olympics! A HUGE well done to Connor, what an amazing achievement.

Cricket Success vs Northbridge House

The U14 cricket team maintained their 100% record with an excellent 8 wicket win against Northbridge House. The boys fielded well as a team, restricting their opponents to 65 runs in 10 overs with some great bowling from Jay, Nik, Max & Oliver. Jay & Nik then saw the team home with some excellent batting, building a partnership of 42 runs with some flamboyant shots to secure victory!

Private Boxing

Our Year 10 GCSE P.E. students ended a superb year of study with a private boxing session at Buddhabox. The excellent trainer Oriance put the girls through their paces, where students started with mobility and footwork exercises before learning a range of combinations.

Students then had the opportunity to apply their skills with some pad work in the ring, where they showed rapid speed and power!

Staff vs Students Volleyball

On the 4th of July ESS held a Staff Vs Student Charity Volleyball tournament in Green Park over the usual lunch break. Two of our staff teams took on a Year 8 and Year 10 Volleyball teams, and I think I speak for everyone that I was blown away with some of the passages of play, level of skill and team work, demonstrated by all teams. The playoff’s seen the top Student Team play the top Staff Team of the day to play for first and second place; on this occasion it was our Staff Team that narrowly beat the extremely talented Y8 side. As such, I understand a re-match has already been requested by the Y8’s!

A big thankyou to the Charity Committee who ran the tuck shop throughout the entire event, and a special mention to Mr Simonini who provided us with a second net as carried the staff team to victory, we were both delighted and greatful to have you on our side!

Ms Curnow

The School Food Showdown

Year 7 & 8s had an extremely healthy start to the term when we were visited by the Good Food Roadshow. The focus of the roadshow was to look at how quick and easy it is to make a healthy meal. Both year groups went head-to-head in a cook off, Mrs. Baird and the Year 7 team faced Ms. Corisco and the Year 8 team. They were given a range of different ingredients including lots of healthy vegetables and the aim was to try and come up with an exciting and tasty dish.

Mrs Baird’s team produced a spicy lentil curry, and Ms Corisco’s team made a delicious chicken stir fir. At the end of the 15-minute cook-off the rest of the students were able to taste the two different dishes and vote on their favourite. The Year 8 team and their stir fry end up on top! All the students had a really enjoyable and hopefully feel inspired to produce some healthy meals at home!

Click here to see a short snippet of the ‘healthy’ competition.

Business Week

Business Week at School Explores Apple’s Vision Pro Headset Launch and Metaverse Governance

Business week has been filled with insightful discussions and engaging activities, students participated in the school’s annual Business Week. The event aimed to deepen students’ understanding of various business concepts and strategies while fostering critical thinking and collaborative skills. The week commenced with a live assembly, followed by interactive sessions throughout the week. Here’s a recap of the highlights:

Monday Morning Live

The Business Week kicked off with a captivating assembly focused on Apple's highly anticipated Vision Pro headset launch. Held virtually on Microsoft Teams, students delved into Apple's business strategy, with a particular emphasis on branding and market capitalization. Through engaging discussions, students explored Apple's vision and its impact on the tech industry.

Metaverse Governance

Eaton Square Seniors were dedicated to exploring the concept of the metaverse, a virtual shared space where users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users in real-time. Students were encouraged to examine the metaverse’s potential and discuss the regulations and power dynamics that should govern this emerging platform. The discussions were based on a comprehensive resource provided to the students, featuring a thought-provoking presentation prepared by experts from The Economist newspaper.

During Thursday's form time, students explored a fundamental aspect of successful companies-revenue generation.

Form-tutors initiated discussions by posing the question: "How do the world's most successful companies generate revenue?"

Students were then presented with a captivating video from The Wall Street Journal, titled “Why Starbucks Operates Like a Bank | WSJ The Economics of,” offering insights into the revenue models of thriving businesses.

The Business Week concluded with a lively house assembly, where students were encouraged to participate in a group activity - a business crossword puzzle. Each house worked collaboratively to solve the crossword, testing their knowledge of various business and economic concepts.

The winning house received an impressive 15 house points.

The Business Week proved to be an enriching and rewarding experience for students, offering them valuable insights into the world of business and economics. Through engaging activities, thought-provoking discussions, and interactive resources, students were able to expand their knowledge and develop a real-world perspective.

Pizza & Movie Night

Last month, friends and parents of Eaton Square Senior School held their first movie night for our Year 7, 8 and 9s. The students voted for their choice of movie and then bought the tickets, which were beautifully designed by our Year 9 student Adam's mum Farah. We loved the calligraphy design in particular, thank you very much Farah.

The movie chosen was 'The War with Grandpa' which is a light-hearted family comedy, exploring the humorous clash between generations. The lights were dimed, the popcorn was ready, and the students settled in for a chilled evening watching the film. They were also treated to pizza and popcorn for a real movie experience, which they thoroughly enjoyed.

Year 7 Picnic in the Park

Last month, our Year 7s had a picnic in the park to celebrate a fantastic first year at Eaton Square Senior School. There were picnic rugs, lots of chocolate and a competitive game of football. The students enjoyed the time outside to relax, listen to some music and talk about how their first year has been. A big congratulations from Mrs Baird for all the successes this year!

Year 10 Enrichment Day

Stubbers Adventure Centre

On the 14 June, the Year 10 students enjoyed a day out in sunshine at Stubbers Adventure Centre. This trip provided an opportunity for the students to experience adventure, build confidence and self-resilience, as well as create a strong sense of community within the year group ahead of their final year of GCSE studies. The students participated in a range of activities including crate stack, rifle shooting, laser tag and paddleboarding.

It was a fun filled day in the countryside, here's what the students had to say:

'My favourite thing about the day was paddleboarding - it was lots of fun to paddle around the lake in the sunshine.' - Talia

'Laser tag was our favourite activity of the day as it was fun and really suspenseful as everyone got involved!' - Aksel and Albi

'Laser tag was also my favourite session as it was really competitive' - Roman

Year 10 Celebratory Lunch

Following their end of year examinations, the Year 10’s were rewarded for their hard work with a celebratory pizza lunch. The Year 10 students have acted with maturity and been excellent role models for their younger peers throughout this academic year. The lunch saw an opportunity for students to unwind, be encouraged by words of wisdom from our Head, Dr Rainbow and to celebrate their successes.

We are also excited by the appointment of our new Student Leadership Team and can’t wait to see what new initiatives they implement within the school community. We’d like to congratulate the following students on their new leadership positions:

Amina - School Captain

Jesper - School Captain

Youmna - House Captain of Browne

Anton - House Captain of Waugh

Udval - House Captain of Hunlock

Sonia - House Captain of Hypatia

Duke of Edinburgh

Our Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh groups recently enjoyed a challenging but rewarding trip to the Peak District. Both groups combined their practice and assessed expeditions into a single trip, with Silver walking a mammoth 50miles across some mountainous terrain, in some wet and windy conditions.

Students learned key skills like navigation, camp-craft, and first aid, but more importantly developed key intangible qualities like resilience, empathy, and teamwork. Despite carrying almost 20kg on their backs, students still had the energy for campsite football, and spirits remained high during evening cooks.

The trip was the culmination of a year of hard work committing time to physical activities, skill-based tasks, and volunteering. We look forward to those involved undertaking the next stage of the award, and we invite all those moving into Year 10 to take part next year.

Bridge to Sixth

On 3 July, we held our Bridge to Sixth programme at Eaton Square Sixth Form with our current Year 11 students and our new joiners for Year 12. The students engaged in a range of workshops throughout the day which were designed to best prepare them for A-Level studies.

To begin the day, Mr Lee, our Head of Sixth Form, facilitated a session 'Studying for Success', followed by an 'EPQ' session led by Mr Pittard. We then welcomed the University of Essex in to facilitate two practical workshops. The first was about the world of marketing whereby students had to create a company, product and TikTok advert. The second saw students learn about finance and business by completing a Lego challenge. Finally, our guest speaker Mark McDermott, CEO and Founder of Screencloud, shared his wisdom and advice about taking risks and how to learn from your failures. To close the day, Mr Lee discussed how to make the most of the Summer ahead. Students learnt valuable lessons and key skills throughout the day, ones we hope they will harness and embrace as they move into A-Level studies.

Sixth Form Visitor

Eaton Square Sixth Form welcomed Kate Walker Miles to school recently where she delivered an amazing and interactive workshop on behaviours and body language in the workplace.

Kate is a RADA graduate and seasoned actor of stage and screen with thirteen years’ experience of supporting organisational and individual performance for RADA Business clients. She is an expert in both behaviour change and performing with courage and brings elements of her Experimental Psychology degree training and her wealth of on-screen improvisation experience to bear in her work. A former series producer of live national television in both the US and the UK, Kate understands the demands of leading teams under pressure.

The students enjoyed the sessions immensely where they worked on body language, voice projection and stress management, utilising tools given to them by Kate to help understand and improve all three. For some it was quite a challenge to be under the spotlight, but all the students learnt a little more about themselves and their character. The students common was a place of tranquillity for the rest of the day as they students digested the material and methods covered in the workshop.

It was a fantastic way to bring to an end the enrichment programme for the academic year.

Annual Prize Giving Ceremony

Yesterday we all attended our annual Prize Giving ceremony held at Chelsea Old Town Hall. It was wonderful to come together as a community to recognise our students’ achievements and to celebrate the end of a fantastic year.

We would like to thank all the parents that attended to support our students and would also like to extend a particular thanks to our guest speaker, Professor Mark Bailey for such an inspiring speech, particularly for our students. It was a great honour to have such a widely respected sportsman, academic and gentleman speak to us yesterday. We would also like to say a HUGE thanks to Sofia (Yr 8) and Ben (Yr 9) for their exceptional music performance at the beginning of the ceremony.

The afternoon provided us with the opportunity to gather as a community and reflect on our collective journey as a school over the academic year that has just come to an end. There have been so many amazing highlights throughout the year that we shared with everyone as we collectively celebrated the progress and achievements of our students in all areas of school life.

We would love to congratulate all of the prize winners and House Hypatia for winning the ‘House of the Year’ award.

To watch some short highlights of the ceremony, please click here.

Year 11 Celebratory Trip

On the 4 July, the Year 11 students attended Thorpe Park to celebrate the completion of their GCSE examinations as well as it being an opportunity to celebrate their time together at Eaton Square Senior.

Thorpe Park is home to thrilling rides and attractions and is the ultimate destination for thrill seekers featuring some of the UK's most popular roller coasters and amusement park rides.

Dukes SEND Development Day

This term, our Head of Learning Enrichment, Mrs Haworth and Head of Sixth Form, Mr Nick along with SENDCo from across the Dukes Group hosted a Dukes SEND Development Day on ‘The Strategic SENDCo’ with Dr Nicola Crossley.

You can find out more about Dr Crossley here.

Here’s some really positive feedback from those that attended:

‘Nicola was extremely knowledgeable and thorough. Everything we learned today was practical and can easily be taken into our own schools. The day was also very timely as we approach the end of the academic year as we can implement some of the idea as soon as we return to school in September’

- Louise (Heathside SENDCO)

Thank you so much Esther for organising such a brilliant day. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Your hospitality was exceptional and the food delicious. Nicola was amazing, I really enjoyed listening to her and the day flew by. I have personally come away with a fountain of excellent knowledge and strategies to implement in our school. It was wonderful being with such a dedicated team of colleagues whom are clearly passionate about SEND.’

- Mercedes (Orchard House School)

Nicola was an inspiration! She shared a range of practical ideas and shared how they were backed up by research and policy. She gave use ample time to talk to our colleagues to discuss ideas and share our experience. She is clearly very knowledgeable and an expert in the field. The day was also great for networking and catching up with colleagues.

- Lucy (Eaton Square Prep School)