11 October 2019
Secondary Newsletter
Southern Entrance
We would like to remind parents and carers that the gate at the southern entrance will be locked at 08:23 each morning. Students arriving after this time should enter via the main entrance in Cricklefield Place.
Safeguarding The welfare and safety of our students is our priority. We do everything possible to ensure our students’ safety, both within the school community and outside of school, including working with relevant agencies to address any issues related to child protection. Students are informed of who they should go to should they have a concern about their own safety or the safety of others. At INA, all staff have regular safeguarding training to ensure that they are able to meet their statutory responsibilities. We also have a number of staff who are designated to respond to any child protection concerns and to liaise with social services: Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Leanne Abbott-Jones Assistant Principal Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) Tam Broadway Primary Headteacher Sugra Alibhai Head of Sixth Form Designated Child Protection Officers Patrick Ball (Online safety) Amreen Patel Pardeep Chaggar Jag Singh Gareth Marshall-Jones David Wilson Mariam Mayet You can find the INA Safeguarding policy, Child Protection policy and other related policies and procedures on the Academy’s website.
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Secondary Newsletter
11 october 2019
Dear Parents and Carers, On Friday, teachers from INA primary and secondary attended the Ark School Summit, along with all other teachers from Ark schools. It was a unique opportunity to come together as a network to meet and celebrate our successes from the first fifteen years of Ark and look forward to the future. The keynote speech was given by Julie Jackson, the inspiring head of Uncommon Schools in the USA. The day was a good reminder of how privileged we are at INA to be able to work alongside and learn with some of the best leaders and teachers in the country through the Ark network. It was great to see so many of you this week, either at the Sixth Form Open Evening. I am pleased to announce that applications for the Sixth Form are now open via the website. We had a record number of applications last year and look forward to receiving applications for the 2020 cohort.
With all best wishes,
Jo Spencer OPEN EVENING
We had an amazing open evening turn out on Tuesday 2nd October. There were many parents along with prospective Year 7 students interested in finding about our school. Our new Year 7 and 8s did an amazing job in taking families around the school and we received amazing feedback, with people saying how confident and well-spoken INA students were. I decided to ask people why they were interested in Isaac Newton Academy, and most said that they had heard brilliant things about the opportunities that are available to students at INA and the amazing GCSE results we achieve every year. All in all it was a very successful evening, enjoyed by all who attended, as well as teachers and students. We really do hope to see many of the families back as part of our Isaac Newton family in September next year. - Student Reporter Cover Photo: Barclay's Bank with Year 11 11 October 2019 Secondary Newsletter
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Black History Month has been marked in the UK for more than 30 years. It takes place during the month of October. It is held to highlight and celebrate the achievements and contributions of the black community in the UK. Throughout history, black people have made huge contributions to society in the fields of art, music, science, literature and many more areas. But in the past these contributions have often been ignored or played down because black people weren’t treated the same way as other people because of the colour of their skin. During October there are many events to celebrate Black History Month, across the country special classes and celebrations are arranged within schools and African and Caribbean societies at universities put on special events and lectures. Museums and art galleries have special themed exhibits, and there are also many special themed shows about Black History Month on the TV and Radio.
Black History Month inspirational figure: Katherine Johnson Throughout history, black women have faced the uphill battles of both racial and gender biases, especially in male-dominated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Even so, many overcome their adverse circumstances, making invaluable contributions to the scientific community, particularly in the United States Space Program. The issue, however, is that the contributions these brilliant pioneers made largely went unnoticed.
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Secondary Newsletter
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Neil Armstrong’s “one small step for man” may not have happened without this woman. Just weeks after Katherine Johnson began a position as one of Langley Research Center’s human computers in 1952, supervisors transferred the summa cum laude West Virginia State College graduate (with degrees in both mathematics and French) from the African-American computing pool to the flight research division. There, Johnson performed the NASA calculations that made possible the manned space missions of the early 1960s as well as the 1969 moon landing. Even astronaut John Glenn put his full faith in Johnson, requesting she re-do allelectronic computer calculations before he embarked on his 1962 Earth orbits. Glenn has been quoted as remarking, “If she says they’re good, then I’m ready to go.” Aside from earning a 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom, Johnson was portrayed by actress Taraji P. Henson in 2016’s Hidden Figures.
RESEARCH, LEARN AND SHARE more stories during INA Black History Month
11 October 2019 Secondary Newsletter
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UN
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TOP TIPS: Students
John Edmonstone [1793-1822]
John Edmonstone, who lived from 1793-1822, was a very important figure in the world of scientific research. He was born into slavery, but when he gained his freedom, he moved to Scotland. Edmonstone had a vast amount of knowledge about the animals of South American rainforests and the power of its plants. He was also an expert taxidermist (research this word and see what it means!). Edmonstone became a teacher at Edinburgh University and taught Charles Darwin. He was influential in helping Darwin develop his ideas of evolution. Edmonstone is also noted for educating people in the scientific world about the racist ideas that polluted the social environment. Many scientists were inspired these teachings, and Charles Darwin himself spent the rest of his life as a committed anti-slavery activist. Think about the level of understanding Edmonstone demonstrated. Not only did he use this to further the world of science, but he also helped make the world a fairer and just place for us all.
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• Pick a topic from research to bett discussing with f question your co • Listen to the new parents/other st the topic and th further develop, regarding the to • Take a topic you work hard to un • Whilst working w understand the about a subject learning.
Student who ha
Subhaan 10A
Secondary Newsletter
11 october 2019
NDERSTANDING
derstanding?
sed with all the facts and details. clearly how someone feels.
m any subject and undertake further tter understand it. Test yourself by friends and parents. Ask them to ompetency. ws on the radio and explain to tudents what you understood about he viewpoints of those involved. To , write a list questions you have opic. u have a very strong views on and nderstand the opposing viewpoint. with a partner in lessons, try to misconceptions they might have and explain it to them to help their
Behaviours • Striving to clearly know something by looking for information and making sure that you are fully informed about a topic. • Testing your competence in a particular area to improve its depth. • Being sympathetically aware of other people’s feelings; being tolerant and forgiving. • Being able to support others in their learning.
Parents • Ask your son/daughter to explain a topic they have been learning. Question them to improve their depth of understanding. • Endeavour to understand your child’s school commitments. • Read a newspaper article with your chid or watch a documentary together and discuss the topic, trying to understand the deeper details of the issue. • • Look together at news stories and discuss how people in different circumstances might be feeling.
as shown empathy & listening in his learning: Subhaan is very aware of current affairs and is often discussing them with peers and teachers. Subhaan absorbs a wide range of information and asks pertinent questions to deepen his understanding.
David 10C
David has demonstrated excellent reasoning in GCSE Geography this year. Whilst discussing issues such as immigration to the UK, he shows a deep understanding by always considering the various angles to the argument. .
INA BRIDGES
11 October 2019 Secondary Newsletter
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Saturday Stretch
Accountancy – 5th October 2019
On Saturday, 5th October INA hosted our first Saturday Stretch workshop of the academic year. We were pleased to welcome Jaipal Singh, an Apprentice Accountant with Ernst Young to lead the session and offer our students an insight into the profession, particularly via the apprenticeship route. The workshop was well attended by students ranging from year 8 to 12, all of whom engaged in the activities with enthusiasm. They listened intently to Jaipal’s biography of his educational journey and asked insightful questions. Following this the group were set to task on a mock application form for an apprenticeship position, citing situations when they demonstrated the key skills for accounting: critical thinking, teamwork & communication. The group then completed a situational task such as those given at Assessment Centres; in teams they had to present their ideas on a world without stringent accounting practice. This led to mature discussions around tax, law and societal structure. One student commented, “It was really informative! I would love to earn while I learn, and I found the timeline for applications especially helpful.” At the end all the students came together to thank Jaipal for his time and insight. But it was not just our students who found the workshop inspiring; Jaipal went on to say: “I was amazed by the enthusiasm and interest demonstrated by students at Isaac Newton Academy. It's great to see students taking up these opportunities and investing in their own development at such a young age." We thank Jaipal for taking the time to run the workshop and I’d like to commend all the students who attended. Mr Singh
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Secondary Newsletter
11 october 2019
Coping with Stress On our first week back, Year 9 were looking at how to cope with stress in their PSHE lesson. This is because students have to pick their GSCE options soon and this can cause stress. The objective of the lesson was to know what causes us to be stressed and to find strategies to deal with stress using the BRIDGES skills of Empathy, Reflection and Resilience. What is Stress? Stress is what you experience when you feel overwhelmed by things happening in your life. It is a very general word used to describe lots of different feelings and can sometimes be experienced by everyone, at any time and for lots of different reasons. Common causes of stress These are some ways that people can cause young people stress easily like: • Arguments at home • How much IL you get • Fighting with siblings • Relationships with teachers • Fights with parents • Loud students • Breaking up with friends • Lots of writing • Picking GCSE options How do we respond to stress? As part of our lesson we looked at three ways people might react to stress: Foot on the accelerator - Becoming angry or agitated, you become emotional and are unable to sit still Foot on the brake - You become withdrawn and quiet and show little energy or emotion Foot on both - You freeze under pressure and can’t do anything. You look paralyzed but under the surface you’re extremely agitated. How can we deal with stress? There are many ways to deal with stress and these are a few examples of how to deal with stress - Talking to friends, teachers and family about your worries - Listening to music - Breathing in and out and calm down while breathing - Spending time with friends - Meditating to relaxing music - Going outside for a walk - Exercising By Kareem Beckett-Edwards 9S 11 October 2019 Secondary Newsletter
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INA Attendance and Punctuality Regular attendance is a crucial factor in students’ educational development and success in achieving their full potential. Missing out on education and learning leaves students vulnerable to falling behind, putting them under unnecessary pressure. At Isaac Newton Academy every student is expected to maintain 100% attendance.
Punctuality
All students need to be present on site and ready for line up no later than 8.25am each day and as such we advise students to be through the school gates (side entrance and southern entrance) no later than 8.23am.
Reporting of child’s absence
In line with INA attendance policy it is the parent/ carer's responsibility to phone the school by 8.15am on each day of an absence. If you fail to contact the school to inform us of your child’s absence we may take the necessary steps to ensure your child is safe. Please take the time to familiarise yourself with the INA Attendance policy.
Year group and form attendance for last week
Tutor 7A 7C 7E 7I 7N 7S 7W Total
% Tutor % Tutor 95.2 8A 96.9 9A 97.5 8C 99.5 9C 93.1 8E 92.0 9E 98.1 8I 99.4 9I 99.1 8N 93.2 9N 99.0 8S 96.6 9S 92.9 8W 95.9 9W 96.4 Total 96.2 Total
% Tutor % Tutor % 97.1 10A 97.6 11A 97.0 97.0 10C 96.2 11C 92.9 98.6 10E 93.3 11I 96.4 94.4 10I 99.5 11N 97.2 88.7 10N 95.0 11S 94.2 96.0 10S 96.0 11T 87.9 99.0 10W 98.1 11W 93.0 95.8 Total 96.5 Total 94.1
Absences immediately before or after a school holiday If your child is absent before or after a school holiday we must see evidence for the absence. This may be medical evidence if your child is unwell, or evidence of flight delays or circumstances beyond your control. We cannot authorise any absences before or after a holiday without this evidence and you risk being issued with a penalty notice.
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THIS WEEK IN P.E… FIXTURES: 14/10/19 Year 7 – FOOTBALL CUP GAME V CHADWELL (HOME) 16/10/19 Year 8 – FOOTBALL V OAKS PARK (AWAY) 17/10/19 Year 10 – FOOTBALL CUP GAME V CANNON PALMER (HOME) Year 11 – FOOTBALL V KSHS (AWAY) 18/10/19 Year 8 – HANDBALL V ST PAULS WAY (HOME)
KS3 INDEPENDENT LEARNING INSTRUCTIONS: For your PE independent learning, you need to refer to the resources in the following order: This PC > Student Share (S) > _Student_Share_MODIFY_Folder_ > PE
UNWANTED TRAINERS:
If you have any unwanted trainers the P.E. department would be very grateful for your donations. Please give your donations to a member of P.E.staff in S01.
11 October 2019 Secondary Newsletter
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Autumn Term 2019 Monday 2nd September - Friday 20th December 2019 Key Dates Wednesday 16th October
Sixth Form Welcome evening
Friday 18th October
Years 11 & 13 - Autumn Mock examinations end
Monday 21st October – Friday 25th October Wednesday 30th October Monday 4th November – Friday 8th November Friday 8th November
HALF TERM Year 10 – Geography – Stratford trip Family Week – No after school events Year 10 – Geography – Stratford trip
Monday 11th November
Year 7–10 Assessments begin
Friday 15th November
Year 10 – Skills London trip 12-4pm
Tuesday 19th November
GCSE Music recital
Wednesday 20th November
Ahmed Al-Khafaji Day – No school for students
Monday 25th November
Year 7–10 Assessments end
Tuesday 26th November
IL Day – Students study at home Year 11 – Next steps interviews
Wednesday 27th November
Year 11 – Progress meetings 2.30-6.30pm
Wednesday 4th December
GCSE Presentation Evening
Tuesday 10th December
Community Party
Thursday 12th December
Christmas Lunch
Monday 16th December
Year 7 Awards Assembly
Thursday 19th December
Winter Concert
Friday 20th December
Year 8-11 - Awards Assemblies
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Secondary Newsletter
11 october 2019