HARRIS MESSENGER December 2012
Message from the Principal Dear Parents and Carers We have now reached the end of the first term as Harris Academy Morden. I have been extremely impressed with the attitude of students and staff towards the changes we have implemented to improve the Academy. It is very clear to see that this Academy is improving at a very fast pace. Behaviour is significantly improved, with students more focussed on learning. Attendance continues to improve and currently stands at almost 95%. This is a significant improvement, although we will strive to push this to 100% over the next term! The term has seen many wonderful events such as the Faculty competitions in PE, English, Maths, Art and Humanities. The events have been a great success with large amounts of students involved actively or attending to support their Faculty members. We have also welcomed many visitors such as Lord Harris, local MPs as well as over 450 prospective parents for our new Year 7 intake. The students have been very proud to show off their new Academy, over 200 students helped out at the open evenings and I am pleased to say that due to this we have received a huge amount of applications for the 180 places available next year. This is wonderful news and clearly demonstrated the trust local people have in a ‘Harris’ education for their child.
Mathematics The Maths department has enjoyed a busy second half of the Autumn term. Our team of specialist teachers has continued to guide students through exciting and challenging lessons. In KS3, students have completed their second assessment as they continue to work towards their target grades. In KS4, Year 11 students had a busy November, sitting their GCSE Mathematics examination at the beginning of the month. Prior to the examination, students attended regular revision sessions and intervention days. This commitment was best illustrated on the morning of the examination when students arrived at 7.30am for an early morning revision session. They worked extremely hard and were rewarded by a wonderful breakfast in the dining hall. They now look forward to receiving their results in January.
We have made great progress in our drive to become an ‘Outstanding’ Academy but there is still a way to go. Students, staff and parents must continue to work with me to improve every aspect of this Academy over the next term, to ensure we continue to strive for excellence and provide the education that all our students deserve. I wish every member of our community a peaceful and prosperous Christmas and New Year. Mr Mallin Principal
Inter Faculty Sketch Off Students have had the opportunity to draw some of their teachers in a competition to see who best captured their essence and personality using nothing but a simple pencil and paper. On the first day we had the year 7 students draw Mr Gardner. Some students really captured his character really well, so well that it was extremely hard to decide upon a winner On the second day we had years 8 and 9 competing together. On this occasion we had the pleasure of Mr Cooper and his big beard to draw. With tensions high, the students proceeded to draw some incredible portraits, impressive given the pressure. For first place this time there was a draw between two students from the Yellow Faculty, Tiberiu Tapliga and Abraham Avice. The pressure really was on for the older students of year 10 and 11 to step up to the mark and draw like they have never drawn before, and they certainly didn’t fail to do so. With some of the greatest portraits of Mr Giles this side of Da Vinci, it was a very hard task for guest judge for the afternoon, Mrs Bridgman. After minutes and minutes of
Our after school provision has continued to support students across the ability range, offering support and further explanation to those who may, at times, find maths a challenging subject, along with offering extension and challenge to our passionate and gifted mathematicians. We look forward to working with even more of our students next term.
Stand Out Students: Derrel Abdulla (Year 7). A student with brilliant mathematical ability. He always applies himself in lessons and loves a challenge! Savannah Macridis (Year 8). A student who shows real enthusiasm. An excellent half term full of clever thinking and thoughtful enquiry! Julia Bywalec (Year 9). A student who shows commitment and enthusiasm. A great mathematical thinker! Priya Thapa (Year 10). A student with excellent mathematical skills. A fantastic half term full of mathematical problem solving! Raahem Khan (Year 10). A student who shows ability and enthusiasm. He strives to achieve his very best in all lessons! Congratulations to the many other students who were nominated by their teachers this term! deliberation a victor, Rene Trocio of the Yellow Faculty was chosen. It was now down to the maths department to count up the overall points awarded to all the students over the three nights. The Blue Faculty! Many thanks to all the students and teachers who attended and made this event such a great success, I look forward to doing it all again next year. - Mr Dynes.
Humanities It has been a very busy and exciting half term in the humanities department. The students have been working extremely hard to improve on the successes from last half term and many have been involved in booster sessions to prepare for this half term’s assessments. We have also held an interfaculty debating competition which was a huge success. Students from all year groups participated in several rounds of high quality debating and showed maturity and enthusiasm throughout.
will be starting some morning clubs next half term for our key stage 4 students so look out for more details about these at the beginning of next term. Looking ahead to next term, we have lots of exciting events. The PSHE day will be taking place on January 9th 2013, in which, Year 7 will be going to the London Science Museum to investigate and learn about careers in Science and Exploration. Year 8 and 9 students will be involved in school, in a very exciting Young Enterprise Project, developing their employability skills. We also have a Year 11 field trip taking place for our GCSE geography students.
Stand Out Students:
Clubs: We have a variety of humanities clubs running throughout the week. We recently ran a variety of extra booster sessions to prepare students for this half term’s assessments, which many students attended. In addition, we
Kiarra Ferreira (Year 7) for excellent effort in all humanities subjects. Antoinette Vassell (Year 8) for her mature approach to learning in all her humanities subjects. Aaron Steltner (Year 9) for his great effort in geography to improve his own learning and support the learning of others. Izzy Mann (Year 10) for her consistently excellent classwork in history. Jehen Zabir (Year 11) for her excellence in RE.
Art & Design The Art department has seen so many good homeworks this half term that it has decided to have a ‘homeworks of the week’ display board. One student from each year group has their work displayed for others to see and the student is also awarded with 5 Harris points for their great efforts. The example shown is an outstanding homework based on Gustav Klimt, and was painted by Anjeela Thapa in year 7!
Portraits Corridor Year 7 students have worked extremely hard this half term to finish their self portrait paintings. Painted in tone and with colourful patterned backgrounds, everyone agrees that they look absolutely fantastic.
Year 9 Competition Some of our finest young Artists in year 9 have been working overtime to produce two brilliant designs for the Harris Mascot competition. These have been put to the vote with other students and by a very narrow margin, the winners were Vicky Barglik and Julia Bywalec. Their entry will now go through to the next round where all Harris academies will have their best work entered. Well done and good luck girls.
Stand Out Students: Anjeela Thapa (Year 7). For outstanding classwork and homework. Keira Barnes (Year 8). Having a very positive attitude toward her artwork. Tiberiu Tapliga (Year 9). Strong work produced consistantly. Natasha Coldwell (Year 10). Extremely hard work with great results. Naomi Bimbemba (Year 11). For having great style and technique.
English The success of last half term has continued, with students working very hard in lessons and enjoying a wide variety of activities. In Key Stage 3, Year 7 has been analysing short films, particularly focusing on how fear is created through the use of plot, characters, sound, lighting, camera angles and tension. This has been very enjoyable, if a little scary at times! Our Year 8 students have been looking at the media, and exploring its positive and negative effects. Year 9 has been exploring the presentation of love in Romeo & Juliet, which is excellent preparation for studying another Shakespeare play for their GCSEs next year. In Key Stage 4, most Year 10 students have been studying Of Mice & Men by John Steinbeck in preparation for a controlled assessment. Some students have been exploring the theme of relationships in a range of poems. Year 11 Edexcel students have been working extremely hard in preparation for their English Language exam in January. AQA students have been exploring how war is presented in World War 1 poetry, with a particular focus on the social and historical context and the use of propaganda. We have run a successful programme of after-school clubs on Thursdays for both
Key Stages, targeting students on the borderline of grades or levels. Students have been working in small groups and given extra help and support in particular areas in order to progress to the next level. We are delighted to announce that Zara Smith (Year 11) and Jade Smith (Year 9) were successful in The Poetry Games competition that they entered last half-term and their poems will soon be published in an anthology. Well done! We have continued to be impressed by the commitment and dedication of our Year 11 students, who have attended many intervention lessons, after-school clubs and Saturday School sessions in order to be wellprepared for their exam on January 12th 2013. We have been very pleased with their hard work and progress, and we’re confident that they’ll do brilliantly in the exam. Good luck Year 11!
Stand Out Students: Anjeela Thapan (Year 7) for her outstanding effort and attainment. Tierney Lee (Year 8) for producing work of a consistently high quality. Ashley Beatty (Year 9) for his excellent effort and all-round brilliance. Natasha Coldwell (Year 10) for her outstanding effort, presentation, attitude and attainment in every lesson. Huda Abu Amara (Year 11) for her excellent effort and attainment.
ICT The ICT Department has had a fantastic Autumn half term. The curriculum has been enriched to provide a broad ICT programme of study suited to individual needs. The students have shown enthusiasm and excitement to the new topics they have learnt. In KS3 Year 7 has excelled in producing presentations on the importance of charity in the community. Year 8s have been thinking about the environment by developing a website on global warming. Year 9s have been creating innovative Prezi presentations on a variety of crimes in the UK and the impact they have on the area we live in. In KS4 Year 10 computer science students have been independently developing their Python knowledge ready to tackle their controlled assessment in January. Year 11
OCR National students have completed their website creation skills by designing and creating an innovative music festival website. KS3 ICT Club: After school on Thursdays in B223 we have thoroughly enjoyed developing our photo editing skills. Romans Kuznecovs and Issac Mbimbi in Year 8 have created some outstanding graphics for display around the department. The ICT Department would like to welcome our new member of the team Mr Hacking. Mr Hacking is an expert in computer programming and web development.
Stand Out Students: Anjeela Thapa (Year 7). For outstanding classwork and homework. Keira Barnes (Year 8). Having a very positive attitude toward her Artwork. Tiberiu Tapliga (Year 9). Strong work produced consistantly. Natasha Coldwell (Year 10). Extremely hard work with great results. Naomi Bimbemba (Year 11). For having great style and technique.
NOTICE TO STUDENTS & PARENTS Christmas is a time when many youngsters receive nice gifts and are then keen to show them to their friends. However, this also provides an opportunity for others to steal them if they are not looked after properly. Always mind who you show your new iPod, phone or other gift to. Do not leave expensive items unattended and the best advice is to leave such things at home. In any case, it is against the school rules for items such as mobile phones and iPods to be brought in, so students should continue to follow this rule. - PC Bromley
Modern Foreign Languages Year 7
Students have enjoyed and actively engaged in developing their literacy and reading skills in Spanish and French through the story of a little Penguin ‘Chabacano / Tocard’. Students were set the challenge of writing their own short story. Congratulations to Tara Rousselout , Kinga Malecha and Wiktoria Gonciarz for producing excellent and imaginative stories!
Year 8
This term students studied the theme of water as an essential life source. They are now more aware of how privileged they are to have access to clean water on a daily basis. Congratulations to Brandon O’Sullivan and Shannon Britton for producing amazing posters on saving water!
Year 9
Students studied the topic of school this term and expressed their views and opinions on school subjects, future plans (jobs) and arguments for and against wearing school uniform. They also got to explore the differences in school life in France and Spain.
Year 10
Students produced their second written controlled assessment on different environmental issues that affect their local area. Students are now more conscious of what they must do to become more environmentally friendly!
Year 11: Students have been working extremely hard to prepare for their Speaking Controlled Assessments on the theme ‘My Life’. MFL Clubs: It was great to see more students attending KS4 controlled assessment interventions and KS3 students popping in for homework support! We look forward to an increase in attendance next term! Looking ahead: Year 10 students will be working towards their first speaking controlled assessment. Year 11 will complete their final speaking controlled assessment on healthy lifestyles.
Stand Out Students in Spanish Tara Rousselot (Year 7) for her excellent work and positive attitude in lessons. Jamshid Ayoobe (Year 8) for his enthusiasm and hard work in lessons. Lea Ebanks (Year 9) for consistently producing outstanding work in lessons. Abigail Koranteng (Year 10) has made an impressive start to the GCSE Spanish Course. She is a good independent learner and makes excellent contributions in lessons! Melissa Chambers and Maita Ndewere (Year 11 )for their outstanding GCSE coursework and contribution in lessons.
Stand Out Students in French Mia Gilmour (Year 7) for excellent participation in class discussion and for being a positive role model to her peers. Brandon O’ Sullivan (Year 8) for going the extra mile and always producing impressive homework. Vinkita Dhawade (Year 9) for her enthusiasm and hard work this term to improve her French skills. Isabella Mann (Year 10) for all the hard work and extra effort to redraft coursework and for showing real autonomy in her studies. Pratik Rai (Year 11) for being creative and adventurous with the language and pushing himself to achieve an A*.
Music So, after all the nagging and the intense rehearsal schedule, The Journey performance featuring HAMD students performing with students from across the Borough and with professional musicians from across the capital was magnificent!
By the time the concert started, the students had begun to understand the positive power of live performance and how much hard work is necessary to make the music rise from the page, become ‘real’ and touch people’s lives.
GCSE Music
Our rising stars! – Natasha Coldwell and Adrian Freitas, Highly accomplished musicians who will go on to great musical things in the future.
Inter-Faculty Sing it!
Coming after Christmas is the first Faculty singing talent competition – further details will be available when it is launched!
Physical Education Faculty Events
Congratulations go to the BLUE Faculty for their victory in the first Inter-Faculty Basketball Competition this half term. More details can be found on the Harris Morden Homepage. next half term, we have our third event which will be table tennis.
Enrichment
the Merton 6 a side competition with only 5 players! They won every game and beat many of the schools in the borough. Next half term will be very busy with basketball, netball and football fixtures. Remember to attend training sessions if you wish to be selected. Best of luck to you all!
Stand Out Students in PE Tayybah Aslam & Houshang Beigzadeh (Year 7) Romans Kuznecovs & Tracey Masembe (Year 8) Clement Uzoukwu & Anna Marie Hakim (Year 9) Natasha Coldwell & Liam Harris (Year 10) Luke Smith & Ivet Angelova (Year 11)
After school clubs have been very well attended this half term. Activities run every day after school . There is an extended basketball club on Mondays after school from 4-6pm that is open to boys and girls of all ages. Clubs will continue after the half term so please check your tutor noticeboards for details and get involved!
Fixtures
Congratulations to our year 9 boys 6 a side football team who won
Sports Leadership and Volunteering
Congratulations to our JSLA students and their hard work developing their skills in lessons as well as the contribution made in the Multi Skills Primary School events this half term. We would like to highlight the outstanding leadership the Year 8 leaders demonstrated at Perseid Multi skill event, you did yourself and the academy proud. Well done to you all! Also, a big thank you must go to our Year 11 Sports Leaders and their support during the Inter Faculty Events, as well as Year 9 boys who continue to support through their fantastic umpiring at football events. We would also like to say a big thank you to the Sports Partnership for all of their help and support this term!
Science The Science department has always has been very busy this half term and the pressure of intervention, preparing students for exams, revision days and Saturday school kept all staff on their toes preparing and delivering quality lessons to every student. Students in KS3 had a chance to complete their Autumn 2 assessment and are busy working towards their challenging end of year targets. To support students with this the science department focussed on targeted intervention to students who needed an extra push. The students in KS4 had an even busier time and they can testify to an intensive programme geared towards supporting them in reaching their GCSE target grades. Saturday school was a huge success and it is good to see the number of students taking their studies so seriously. Science also ran an intensive revision day for all year 10 students in the run up to the January exams. We were lucky to bring in experts from the Harris Federation and from Harris Academy Merton to assist us in delivering a fantastic program that all students had high praise for.
As always the science enrichment clubs are there supporting students who are in need of extra challenges but also for supporting students with whatever questions they might have concerning the curriculum.
Stand Out Students in Science Year 7: Lucy Brown. A student with a brilliant mind and inquisitive nature with a love for everything Science Year 8: Chenelle Sparks. A student who shows real commitment and loves the challenges posed to her in Science. Year 9: Akshay Chundunsing. A real scientist in the making exploring and questioning problems posed in the lessons. Year 10: Menushan Herald. A dedicated student who workes hard and deserves every praise there is for an excellent half term. Year 11: Pratik Rai. A student that proves that hard work, resilience and dedication will bring success. Congratulations to the many other students who were nominated by their teachers this term.
Duke of Edinburgh Award 2012 19 Year 10 Students have recently enrolled onto the Duke of Edinburgh Award being offered by Harris Academy Morden. The Award is a programme of activities split into 4 different categories – physical, skills, volunteering and an expedition. The activities are chosen by participants but must fit in with the DoE rules. Participants must spend an average of 1 hour per week on their physical, skills and volunteering sections, spread over a period of 3 – 6 months. Designed to challenge and motivate students to develop their abilities and outlook on life, the Award is internationally recognised and highly regarded by employers, with over 80% of them agreeing that after academic results such as GCSEs, they look for something like a Duke of Edinburgh Award. This year’s intake is taking part in activities such as volunteering at after school clubs at a local school or in a charity shop, skills such as cookery, model making and music as well as physical activities like netball, football and table tennis. Training for the expedition will commence in the Spring.
Student Referral Centre The SRC was opened in September with the following aims and purpose: • To provide a comprehensive behaviour support and intervention service to all Academy students through targeted support. • To provide an alternative sanction to fixed term exclusion. • To reduce the number of fixed term exclusions and improve students’ behaviour. The centre does this by providing a range of services including: • 1:1 support and advice sessions • Group support and advice sessions • Workshops and courses • Summer Transition Project (Summer School) • Bereavement support • Victim support • Peer mentoring • Staff support and advice • Formal internal isolation • Positive Parenting courses It has been a busy first term for the SRC and a programme of 1:1 mentoring / support sessions and workshops has been successfully rolled out . There are currently twenty nine students receiving weekly 1:1 mentoring and two courses have taken place. The internal isolation provision has been well used and has proven to be an effective sanction.
Self -Esteem Course Eight students attended the four week in-house course which builds confidence and esteem through individual and team activities focusing on each individual’s strengths, teamwork and leadership. All participants showed a measurable increase in their confidence levels by the end of it. The average increase was 15%. Following this success the course will run again in the new year.
“I enjoyed this course because it helped me improve my communication skills .” Year 7 Student
Fire Brigade LIFE Course (Held off site at New Maldon Fire Station) Two students successfully attended and completed this in October. The course is based on learning the skills and role of a fire fighter. It aims to encourage participants to adopt a new set of values; to work cooperatively with each other; to become self confident and gain self-esteem and to improve communication skills. More students will be attending the course that is running in January. www.bishopsford.org
Next term will see the introduction of more courses and workshops including the MET-TRACK programme in January. The nine week course is approved and facilitated by the Metropolitan Police and uses sporting activities to build life skills including team work, leadership skills, self discipline and self esteem. The lead facilitator is a fully qualified sports coach and GB athlete and he will be delivering the programme with assistance from a guest speaker. A member of our behaviour support team will also be present. Topics covered by the speaker will include resisting peer pressure, safeguarding oneself, respect for oneself and others, and the effects of gang membership and crime.
Second visit for Lord Harris and guests Once again we were delighted to welcome Lord Harris for his second visit to the academy. This time he was accompanied by local MP, Siobhain McDonagh and the Harris Federation Chief Executive, Sir Dan Moynihan. Our guests enjoyed a guided tour around the school and visited many different students, participating in their lessons. Lord Harris and Siobhain McDonagh took time to ask students about their thoughts on the new academy and what ideas they had for further improvements to make our new school even better. For some of our outstanding students, this visit meant they had a fantastic opportunity to get their picture taken with Lord Harris’ Olympic Gold Medal from the London 2012 Games! We hope Lord Harris and his guests enjoyed their time with us and we look forward to welcoming them back in the near future.