News from Highgate Wood School arts college
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Issue No 22
February 2015
GOVERNING BODY UPDATE Charles Wright, our Chair of Governors, writes: The clock seems to speed up at this time of year, and not only the lighter evenings but exams will soon be upon us. I’m delighted with the improvements in academic performance that we’ve made over the past period, thanks to all staff, parents, and of course our students, and we continue to look for further improvements. Getting those grades really is an important passport to greater opportunities, whether it’s going on to A levels, university, college or employment, so get that revision going, and good luck all! Of course, a good school isn’t just about exam results. I was honoured to welcome Noreen Ryan’s family to Highgate Wood last week, after Noreen’s funeral, and said then that the best schools are not only places young people come for lessons – they are communities, of teaching and non-teaching staff, students and parents, present and past. Our collective response to the sad news of Noreen’s passing showed to me that Highgate Wood is that sort of community, with clear values enabling us to come together in difficult times, support each other and emerge stronger. Noreen served this school for 31 years, as one of our unsung heroes, as the amazing tributes on the website demonstrate, and really was a bedrock of our school community. She will be very much missed, and I’m proud that we were able to play our part in marking her remarkable contribution. A particular word of praise for our singers and musicians who performed so movingly at Noreen’s funeral. Well done all. Cover picture: The cover features some aspects of Noreen Ryan’s Memorial Tree. Students and staff from across the school were invited to hang cards, decorations and any other items they felt were a fitting tribute. Perhaps the most poignant was the single custard cream. The gathering at the school after Noreen’s funeral had the theme of afternoon tea, thus the tea cup.
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Arabella Weir writes: Please support the school when you shop on-line. How it works is really simple. With Easyfundraising you’ll be able to raise free donations when you shop online, without it costing you a single penny extra. If you're buying something, just remember to visit the retailer (such as Amazon, John Lewis, M&S) via easyfundraising.org.uk. Once you've ordered, the retailer makes a donation to the Highgate Wood School PSA. It's a great and easy way to give something back for free! Access Easyfundraising through the Fundraising link on the Parents Tab on the school website, or go directly to: http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/hwspsa
HIGHGATE WOOD SCHOOL GOVERNING BODY Chair of Governors: Charles Wright (Community Governor) Vice Chair: Paul Bennett (Parent Governor) Representative Governors: Cllr Eddie Griffith • Oliver Blackaby • Brenda Allan • Imogen Pennell Parent Governors: Diana Brown • Philip Cavendish • Elizabeth Hess • Chris Tully • Rob White • Julia Chalfen • Paul Bennett Community Governors: Phil Cocksedge • Caroline Conlon • Violet HazelwoodHenry • Chris Parr • Headteacher Governor: Patrick Cozier Staff Governors: Emily Ford • Joe Demetriou If you wish to contact the Governing Body please write to the Chair of Governors, c/o Mrs K Ozturk, Highgate Wood School, Montenotte Road, London N8 8RN (koz@hws.haringey.sch.uk)
Issue 22. February 2015
MESSAGE FROM THE HEADTEACHER Welcome back to successful learning at Highgate Wood School. I wish to start this edition of Insight by taking this opportunity to wish you all a very belated Happy New Year! As always however, time flies and instead of reflecting on the festivities of Christmas and the New Year celebrations, we have already reached the spring half term break. It is difficult to believe that we are already half way through the school year. So much has been accomplished, but as ever there is so much still to do!
they showed courage and strength in singing and playing their hearts out in a way that was outstanding. They were a credit to themselves and the school and I am in no doubt that Noreen would have been overwhelmed with appreciation and gratitude for what they did. Equally sad was the news that we received last week that Austin Coyle, teacher of ECS had passed away on Tuesday 3rd February. Mr Coyle was absent from work for a prolonged period with illness. We had very much hoped that he would return to work shortly, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be. At just 25 years old, Mr Coyle had so much to look forward to and achieve in his career. We are all deeply saddened to have lost a colleague so young and so early in their contribution to the school. We will miss them both. Gone but never forgotten… may they rest in peace. Year 11 – Getting those grades
Tragic loss of two members of staff
On Monday 19th January we lost Noreen Ryan following a short battle with cancer. Noreen made a massive contribution to Highgate Wood School in a variety of roles over a 31 year period. She will be known mostly as the school’s smiling and joyful face in the Wren reception. We are devastated by this loss and the school has been in mourning ever since we were informed by Noreen’s family. However, we were able to be part of a fitting tribute to Noreen last Friday 6th February at her funeral and after event.
If you are the parent of a child in Year 11, you will be aware that our students sat their Year 11 Mock Exams before the Christmas break. Since we have come back, they have received their Mock Exam Results and as a result they all know on an individual level how well they are achieving – and what else they need to do to hit their personal targets across each of their subjects. We are very impressed with the work ethic and attitude of our year 11s and this is reflected in the fantastic progress that they have made since September. We expect to see many of them over half term doing extra study (in addition to the after school and weekend sessions that many currently attend). It is also a testament to dedication of the staff members who are making themselves available to help support our students.
The church service at the St Peter-In-Chains RC Church in Stroud Green was very well attended by most of our current staff, numerous ex-staff and a number of our current students. I was particularly proud of our students who participated during the church service. Through the emotion and the tears
What is pleasing for us as a school is that both individually and collectively, our Year 11s are broadly on target to achieve and exceed what we believe they are capable of. A reminder of our results for the last eleven years and our target for 2015 is shown overleaf.
You will now be aware from letters that I sent home recently that we have faced the unprecedented situation at Highgate Wood School of two members of staff sadly passing away within a short space of time.
Issue 22. February 2015
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5 A* - C (inc. English & Maths)
As can be seen, we are rightly proud that over the last four years we have taken Highgate Wood School from being a 45% to 46% school to being a 70% school! On average, just under 60 students a year additionally get five or more good passes at A*-C (with English and maths); meaning that many more students at Highgate Wood School are able to study good A’ levels in the 6th form. Even more importantly, we also know that students at Highgate Wood School make better than expected progress compared to their peers nationally based on their year 7 starting points. The good news is we believe that we can do better still! We know what are students are capable of when backed by our excellent staff and supportive parents. Let’s ensure that we continue to work together to help them achieve their best. Pupil Premium Award for HWS You may or may not be aware that for the last few years the coalition government has provided additional funding to schools for the specific targeting of students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. This funding is known as the Pupil Premium. The purpose of the Pupil Premium is to address a national problem of disadvantaged students performing less well than their peers – commonly termed ‘closing the gap’. We were delighted to recently receive a letter and a certificate from the Schools’ Minister Rt. Hon. David Laws MP congratulating us on our achievements with the Pupil Premium. As a reward for the excellent progress that our disadvantaged students make, the school will received £5000. This comes on top of the previous positive visit to the school by the Deputy Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Nick
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Clegg a while back to praise us and see first hand how effectively we use the funding. We are proud of this achievement as our work with all of our students underpins our values that all are entitled to the best possible education and that everyone matters. I would like to thank all staff for their hard work in making such a difference to the lives and outcomes for our students from disadvantaged backgrounds. I would also specifically wish to thank Dawn Spence (Assistant Headteacher) for leading our work in this area. HWS Sixth Form proving to be very popular I reported in the last edition of insight that our sixth form numbers had grown from 170 students in 2011 to over 250 in the last two years – a 55% increase! Well, I am now very pleased to report that the number of applications that we have received for September 2015 remain very high, as they have been for the last few years. This is very good news for the school as it says that students from within and outside of the school are clear about what our sixth form can offer them. However, it also means that competition for places in the sixth form and particularly for popular courses will be high. The message to our students is that they make sure that they: 1. Work really hard between now and the summer exams to secure the very challenging grades necessary to gain access to our Post 16 courses 2. Understand that not everyone will automatically be offered a place. The days of Highgate Wood sixth form being a ‘reserve option’ are long gone – a number of students missed out on places on courses that they wanted to enrol on through using us as a backup offer 3. Be committed to doing their absolute best in the sixth form which includes taking full responsibility for their learning, making learning their first priority and ensuring excellent attendance and punctuality to all lessons/study sessions Issue 22. February 2015
4. Ensure that they continue to make a positive contribution to HWS as a positive reference from their tutor or their head of house is also a pre-requisite for entry We also recently held a Sixth Form Taster day on Wednesday 7th January where our students had the opportunity to be treated like a sixth former for the day, including going to sixth form lessons and having non-teaching periods. The initial feedback has been very positive, and I hope that this will help students make the best decisions in August when we have our enrolment day.
INTERHOUSE SPORT Mr Bomani writes: The final week of half term saw the first Inter House competition of the year take place in the football tournament. Year 7, 8 and 9 boys and girls took part in the tournament and represented their house with great effort, enthusiasm and determination making it a great start to the Inter Colour sports calendar (results to be published soon!). Throughout the rest of the year we are hoping to hold Inter House competitions in basketball, tennis, netball, table tennis and many more.
HOUSE CAPTAINS Uniform – Maintaining High Expectations
Please help us to maintain this by continuing to buy your children clothes and footwear in accordance with the school’s uniform dress code. If you are in any doubt, contact your child’s Head of House to clarify items before you purchase them.
YEAR 7
Da Vinci Rudy Berman Caitlin Gillespie Seacole Tom Hewett Gloria Kelly Edison Max Eatherdon Tyce Griffith Da Vinci Kevonte Willoughby Hope Selby
YEAR 8
Thanks to your support we have seen the most impressive period of uniform wearing at Highgate Wood School this academic year. The uniform is designed to be smart formal wear and the overwhelming majority of students are achieving this. Top buttons are done up, shirts are tucked in, skirts aren’t rolled up and formal leather shoes are being worn. There remain a small number of students who still find this challenging, but we are addressing those situations with the support of parents.
Seacole Louis Ludlow Megan Boardman Edison
Thank you as ever for your continued support!
Callum De La Motte Natalie Monoharan
Regards
YEAR 9
Patrick Cozier Headteacher
Da Vinci Dmitri Christou Kate Owen Seacole Louis Ludlow Megan Boardman Edison Kelly Florence Holmes Scott Reidy Martin
Issue 22. February 2015
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ON LINE REVISION SUPPORT
Mr Ashman writes: To support students preparing for their summer exams we are developing a new password protect section to the school website that will give you access to useful revision materials. This is in addition to the open access Exam Preparation and Exam timetable sections. To access the new area go to the main school website, and then click on Study Portal. It will ask for a username and password. The username is student, the password is hws2015 Over the coming few weeks this area is going to get populated with information and resources to help with revision and planning. Already it has some material, as well as direct links to the different exam board specifications and past papers (where available).
There are also many other useful resources available to help with revision, particularly MathsWatch and SAM Learning. As happened last year, the PSA have generously provided an incentive for GCSE students to use SAM Learning. Those who make the best use of this revision site will receive free tickets for Celebration Evening. To get onto Sam Learning you need to know that the Centre ID is N8HW. Your username, which is the same as your password, is a combination of your date of birth and your initials. If, for example, you were born on 3rd October 1998 and your name is Patrick Cozier, your username and password will both be 031098PC. For MathsWatch you need to visit www.mathwatchvle.com. For this site the Centre ID is highgatewood. Your username and password is exactly the same as your school login (your .309 name and password). Both Sam Learning and Mathswatch have been set up so that every member of Highgate Wood School has an account. If you have problems logging into Sam Learning you can call 0845 130 4160. For help with all of the school’s online systems, including Show My Homework, Wisepay and Vivo you can also email: data@hws.haringey.sch.uk
PLEASE CHECK SCHOOL PLANNERS Could all parents\carers please ensure they check and sign their child’s School Planners at least once a week. This helps us all to keep on track with any homework set but also provides a quick and easy way for parents and carers to keep in touch with their child’s form tutor.
SCHOOL PHONE SYSTEM Major changes are happening to the school phone system over the half-term break. There is a risk that there may be some disruption to normal service at the beginning of the new half-term. 6
Issue 22. February 2015
PUPIL PREMIUM AWARD Ms Spence writes: We are delighted that Highgate Wood School has been recognised by the Department for Education for our success in raising attainment and value-added -progress of our disadvantaged students in Key Stage 4. We are the lucky recipients of a £5,000 award in the Pupil Premium Awards 2015. David Laws, the Minister of State for Schools has written to us confirming the award, giving congratulations to our staff, governors, parents and students. “‘The reason you have been selected is that you are one of the most improved schools in the country in terms of value-added progress of your disadvantaged pupils since 2011” he writes. “Thank you for your leadership in making such a difference to the future success of your pupils.” The prize money will come to the school at the end of March and will be used to continue our work in “closing the gap” in all areas of school attainment, experience and outcomes.
HOUSE LEAGUE TABLES
The best way to predict the future is to invent it
From caring comes courage
Success comes from perseverance
28,712
29,615
29,378
so far this year
so far this year
so far this year
Top Vivo Earners Rasheed Kamara (Yr 11) Rawan Ataya (Yr 10) Isobel Murray (Yr 9) Grace Heron (Yr 8) Lottie Ezer-Ahern (Yr 7)
Top Vivo Earners Odeja Anderson (Yr 11) Randal Harrison (Yr 10) Mya Gomez (Yr 9) Brandon Durand (Yr 8) Freddie Ferszt (Yr 7) Issue 22. February 2015
Top Vivo Earners Umer Khan (Yr 11) Jordan Brown (Yr 10) Elle-Mae Netherton (Yr 9) Toby Wyckoff-Smith (Yr 8) Louis Fletcher-Wheeler (Yr 7) 7
HOW TO STOP BEING LATE Ms Christodoulou writes: Are you tired of feeling like you're always 10 minutes behind yourself? You're not alone. According to a recent news article, 15 to 20 percent of people are chronically late! In addition to the negative impression it can send out, being late for school can also lower your selfesteem, because you're constantly apologising and covering your tracks. And, of course, being late for school also means your missing out on learning - and that can have a big impact on your future and your success. Analyse Improve your punctuality and attendance by taking an honest look at how long it takes you to get ready in the morning. People tend to underestimate by 30 percent how long it takes them to complete certain tasks. If you are often late, it might be because you don’t have a realistic idea of how much time it actually takes you to get dressed and get to school. For a week or so, keep a log of how long it takes you to complete each preschool activity, getting dressed, eating your breakfast to brushing your teeth, walking the dog... Whatever your total, add 20 minutes. Or make yourself believe your start time is really 20 minutes earlier than it is. That way you'll be on time, even when you're late! Preparation Preparation is key when it comes to getting to school on time. Make sure all your school clothes are ready the night before, and get all your other things sorted too: your Oyster card, school card, keys, packed lunch, money and anything else you will need. If you bring a snack or packed lunch to school make sure that will be ready as well. Try and have everything you need ready to go, rather than waiting until morning and then risking a panic… and lost time! 8
Sleep Habits Instead of getting up with just enough time to get dressed, give yourself time to ease into your day. Wake up with time to spare. Set your alarm that little bit earlier, and try and avoid hitting the snooze button. To get adequate rest, go to bed earlier at night, and limit stimulants like sugar and the bright lights of TV and computer screens before bed. Getting Ready Follow one major tip to make getting out of the house easier in the morning - put all of your belongings in one place so you aren’t flying around the house trying to gather things at the last minute. Often the simplest solutions are the best, so pick up an empty cardboard box from the supermarket and use that to store your school books, bag and equipment. You will then know where everything is and won’t need to waste time searching for them. Healthy Living and Time Management Living healthily not only improves general well being, it will also help your punctuality and attendance. Eat right, exercise regularly, drink lots of water and get to bed early will ensure that you are as healthy as you can be, and will thus reduce the number of days taken up with sickness, or of lateness because you are feeling unwell.
Will Haringey prosecute students whose attendance is a concern in their final year? There have been some suggestions that Haringey Council will not take attendance concerns seriously when a student is in their last few weeks or months of schooling. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Local Authority can, and will, take enforcement action for any absence when the student is still of statutory school age. These final weeks in Year 11 is an absolutely crucial time for students as they finish coursework and prepare for final exams. Attendance is more important than ever. Issue 22. February 2015
SEND REFORMS - UPDATE
Mr Dobrashian writes: Many thanks to all those parents and carers who attended the Information Evening about the new SEND reforms earlier this term. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with the ideas and implications of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Reforms prompting lots of useful discussion. The reforms are very significant and far-reaching and we will be distributing more information shortly. Information is available on-line, both from the DfE (visit http://bit.ly/hwssend) and also under the Learning Tab of the Highgate Wood School website.
WORK EXPERIENCE Ms Martin writes: Year 10 students should now be ready for their Work Experience week beginning Monday 2nd March. All students should know where their work experience placement is located and how to get there. It is a good idea to use one day in the half-term break to test out the journey so you can be confident that you can get to work on time. In any case, all students should telephone their work experience placements over the break to confirm they will be attending. If there are any questions or queries please contact me in the first instance: ema@hws.haringey.sch.uk Issue 22. February 2015
YEAR 9 OPTIONS
Mr Hartley writes: Year 9 students and their families should know that Options Evening on 5th March will be a very important event. Options Evening is the start of the process where you will need to decide what subjects you wish to take at Key Stage 4. All students are required to study the “core� subjects of English, Mathematics and Science as well as RE, PE, PHSE and Citizenship. But you will need to decide on those Option subjects that will be best for you. A few subjects, like Media Studies, Business Studies and Sociology, will be ones you have not studied before, but every single subject at Key Stage 4 develops from your learning at Key Stage 3 and takes your progress to a different level. You will be able to pick three option subjects and so you will have to consider them carefully. You will have two weeks in which to make your decision, then your forms will need to be handed in and the school will be able to start the process of planning the timetable for September 2015.
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ARCADIA WORK EXPERIENCE
Ms. McGurk writes: Wednesday 4th February saw the launch of the Arcadia Work Experience project at Highgate School. A number of our Sixth Formers attended: Year 12 students interested in taking part in the scheme and Year 13 students who had been awarded work placements at Arcadia last year. They were welcomed by Adam Pettitt (Headteacher at Highgate School) and later addressed by Sir Philip Green. Simon Cowell made a guest appearance to much excitement and was interviewed on his early experiences at work and the secrets of his success. 'The Arcadia Experience' was set up by Sir Philip Green to offer work experience and master-classes to talented Year 12 students across London. The project enables students to partake in a series of career-skills master-classes at Highgate School with the opportunity to apply for one of a series of work placements in the areas of Finance, Buying, Merchandising & Sourcing, Retail & Property, Digital, Social Media, Marketing and PR. Current Year 13 students Sonia Martinelli, Choon Fuller, Thea Sun, James Ramsden and Jake Hamilton were all successful in being awarded places on the Arcadia Work Experience scheme last year, after having attended the workshops and masterclasses delivered at Highgate School. Masterclasses for current Year 12 students begin at Highgate School on 26th February. Contact Ms. McGurk for further details. 10
JACK PETCHEY SPEAK OUT CHALLENGE
Ms Allaway writes: This year’s Speak Out Challenge was a really demanding activity through which students learnt some of the skills and techniques, as well as developing the self-confidence, to master the art of public speaking. More than fifty Year 10 students were involved, working towards speaking for three minutes on a topic of their choice to the assembled audience. Jace and Sina became our finalists, representing us at Heartlands School where the regional event took place. They both delivered extraordinarily good performance and deserve our congratulations, as does everyone involved in the challenge. SPEAK OUT CHALLENGERS: Aoife Allen, Georgio Ardeleanu, Talvinder Bains, Amber Bennett, Kimberly Bentley-Maselino, Andrea Bevilaqua, Lloyd Bolton, Yassin Boukemal, Alice Bowen, Erdi Cavusoglu, Margherita Cimatti, Daniel Dop, Sophia Dottore, Nikhil Dumree, Dennisha Edwards, Charles Frase Allen, Sadie Goswell, Jace Griffiths, Melissa Guvenier, Jake Hamilton, Bryony Hillman, Tre Jackson, Ali Kacmaz, Tolga Kale, Herbie Lea Bramble, Harvey Lea-Bramble, Alix Luka-Cain, Neve Maher, Janice Makambu, Decan Malaj, Amber Mckenzie, Laura Moss, Katy O’Neill, Tara O’Regan, Che Ove-Loncraine, Tommy Peglar, Lily Roberts, Joshua Rodney, Caylan Samuel, Ned Scott, Olsi Shehu,Kyle Smith, Fanni Somogyi, Teddy Spencer–Warnes, Annie Stanford, Nathanial Stark, Bailey Starkey, Joe Thorpe Crram, Ishmael Tikly Young, Amy Townsend-Lowlock, Joe Vinall Smeeth, Gabe Weston and Michael Zenios.
Issue 22. February 2015
HARINGEY ACTIVIIES FOR STUDENTS AT HALF TERM
Haringey have again got a whole range of activities and events happening over the half-term. Their booklet February Half Term Fun is available on Haringey council’s website or directly at http://tinyurl.com/hwsfeb15
For most of the activities taking place you can just turn up on the day, but for some activities you need to register in advance. Make sure you check the activity details and contact the right person/organisation.
PROCEDURES FOR CHILDREN WHO FEEL SICK WHEN AT SCHOOL Ms Copley writes: In recent weeks we have had a number of difficult situations arising from students contacting home directly when they are feeling poorly. In some cases this has resulted in people coming into school, expecting to meet with the student immediately and escort them home. This raises a number of safety issues that it is best to avoid. The proper procedure for any student who falls ill or suffers an injury at school is for them to be assessed initially by a member of the on-call team and then, if appropriate, taken to the treatment room. Here either I or another trained member of staff will carry out a proper assessment. If the best Issue 22. February 2015
course of action is for the child to be sent home we will make the phone call to the relevant parent or carer and then make arrangements either for the child to be collected or for them to get home by some other means. (It is for this reason that we ask that all parents and carers update the school with any new contact information). Following this system allows us to properly record and manage any sickness or injury that might occur in school and ensure that the best course of action gets followed. Please try and follow these guidelines
HWS PSA LOTTERY Next half-term will bring some news about the HWSPSA Lottery. In the meantime why don’t you but a ticket? It will only cost you £1 a month and you could win ££££s. For details please email Arabella or Jane at hwslottery@me.com. 11
IN NOREEN’S MEMORY
You were the kindest and most trustworthy person I knew at school. You would always help me out when I was in times of trouble.
She was such a warm and kind woman who tirelessly and selflessly eased the school days for both pupils and teachers alike and she was truly the beating heart of our school.
She was always a joy to talk to, a very selfless person, always smiling.
A rare person who always put others before herself. She will be missed by all
Noreen was the most lovely, kind and friendly woman. She was so caring and supportive of me and so many other students during our time at the school.
You always had a smile on you face every time I saw you. Will miss you with all our heart
In many ways Noreen Ryan was Highgate Wood School. That sentiment is repeated time and time again in the messages people have written in her Books of Condolence. Noreen’s cheerfulness, patience, friendliness and enthusiasm, her kindness, grace, consideration for others and calmness under pressure as well as her solid dedication and unwavering commitment to the well-being of everybody at the school exemplifies the very best of what we all strive to be. The moment we made it possible for people to voice their love for Noreen, and their sadness at her passing, they started to respond. Within an hour of launching an on-line memorial we were receiving posts from former students and past colleagues from all over the world. And these tributes continue to pour in. On this page we have reproduced a few of those messages. The web-page itself will remain open for some time and can be found at: www.hws.haringey.sch.uk/main/noreen.htm 12
Noreen was one in a million. Always one to be there for others and to make you feel better. She had a heart of gold and a great sense of humour.
She was always there with a kind word, a restorative biscuit and an amusing story to tell, and her presence was a source of comfort and stability to many who passed through the school.
She was selfless, vivacious and full of life, with an indomitable sense of spirit. There was no problem that could not be diminished through laughter, and there was no student too naughty or 'disruptive' to not be listened to.
Thank you Noreen for everything... And especially for taking the time to know my children. She will never be forgotten and I feel truly blessed to have known her.
She went over and beyond for us all, helping us every opportunity she had whether it was to comfort us when ill or make us smile when we were sad or to simply get us out of trouble! Issue 22. February 2015
I feel blessed to have known such a lovely, warm hearted and kind woman who possessed a truly beautiful soul.
How lovely to see that simple kindness, warmth and humanity can have such an extraordinary and far reaching effect on so very many people.
Thank you for always making time for me and for all the help you gave me during my 7 years at HWS.
one of the nicest ladies i have ever met, the hustle and bustle of school never seemed to bother you and you were always smiling.
You always managed to make me laugh and smile every time I saw you.
She will be missed by everyone and remembered with nothing but love.
Noreen was one of the most inspirational people I have ever known. Apart from her huge heart and unfailing positivity she provided a pair of safe hands for everyone - students AND staff both
Thank you Noreen for your endless positivity and charisma. You were truly special and always brought the sunshine with you.
Oh Noreen, You were such an inspirational, confident, amazing woman. I was so lucky to meet you while I could and I'm so happy you watched me grow till Year 10.
Noreen. was everything I loved about our schoolwelcoming, kind and passionate.
The fact that she touched so many people only confirms the truly amazing, special and unique human being that Noreen was.
She really was 'One of a Kind' and will be missed terribly. What a real privilege to have known such a truly wonderful woman.
Issue 22. February 2015
Noreen had that glow that most people don’t have. She truly was amazing.
Noreen was genuinely one of the loveliest, most caring people I've ever been lucky enough to meet.
You were special...one of life's "good ones" such a beautiful aura. Noreen it was such a pleasure to have met you.
Generous with her kindness, time and stellar sense of humour. My days at HWS were brighter for having Noreen in them.
She lit up her surroundings.
Noreen! She's the lady that made me realise my dreams!!
Thank you Noreen for making my life so much easier.
A wonderful person with an extraordinary heart.
I just hope that you knew how much you were loved and treasured by the staff, parents and of course the children.
You made the world a better place....
THE NATIONAL BRAIN APPEAL Some people have asked if they can make a donation to an appropriate charity in Noreen's memory. As many of you know, Noreen trekked around the world for The National Brain Appeal - walking in Peru, China and South Africa. Students are now able to make a contribution to The National Brain Appeal by donating some of their Vivos to the charity. Information about the charity is available at www.nationalbrainappeal.org 13
SEASON OF PLAYS
Mr Brown writes: Drama students in Years 10, 11 and 13 have been working hard on the staging of this year’s Season of Plays. Steven Berkoff’s take on Kafka’s Metamorphosis will be performed by our Year 11 students, whilst Year 10 will stage an adaptation of Antigone by Sophocles. Our A Level students will be staging devised performances of Angela Carters’ horror masterpiece, The Blood Chamber and Edgar Allen Poe’s William Wilson.
The productions will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, 25th & 26th February. Tickets are free but will need to be ordered from Mrs Hassan in the Arts Office. Last year’s Season of Plays was a huge success, and also helped our students in preparing for their examination work. We anticipate this year’s productions to be even better. Remember that the performances are in the first week back so tickets will need to be ordered very
PREPARING FOR BBC SCHOOL REPORT
Ms O’Borne writes: Michael Cosgrave, a BBC School Report mentor, visited the school on Thursday 5th February to meet our School Report team. Michael discussed potential stories for Newsday on March 19th and gave year 10 students advice on how to make sure reporting is balanced and contacting local celebrities. 14
Following on from the success of our School Report last year, the current team are hoping to do even better. They have already had one practise day, and the impressive results of that are available at http:// www.hws.haringey.sch.uk/schoolreport/ We will publicise the main even in March as it is happening. Issue 22. February 2015
IN HINDSIGHT PERFORM FOR SAFETY
Mr Ashman writes: The young rock\pop band Insight performed for all Year 7 students on Friday 30th January. It was a performance that introduced our students to a new and exciting musical talent, but also came with an important message about keeping safe on-line. Rosie, Isabel & Sylvie (7D) certainly enjoyed the event, adding “additional to the fact that it was a fun and spontaneous way to finish the week, they helped get an important message through.” Sissily and Nael (7D) were particularly impressed by the band’s performance of Problem by Ariana Grande to which many of the students sang along. “Thank you Hindsight,” they said “you were amazing”. If anyone wants to find out more information about the band visit their website at: inhindsightlive.com
WATER WORKS HAS
Mr Talbert writes: Nancy Levy-Vegh & Rhea Patel have done it again with their Water Works app. Not content with progressing to the finals of the Apps for Good and Appathon competition they have been selected from thousands of entries as one of the hundred teams to make it through to stage 2 of the iDEA competition. In January, the girls travelled to Barclay’s Bank Headquarters in Canary Wharf where they competed against 99 other teams to progress to the next stage of the competition. It was an intensive and educational day where the girls gained some useful skills to help their idea and future business to develop.
Let’s create a better i n t e r n e t t o g e t h e r Issue 22. February 2015
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HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY
Ms Burniston writes: 27th January, the day that Auschwitz was liberated, is Holocaust Memorial Day. To mark this event we ran a series of assemblies for all students , during which they listened to the reflections of students and staff who visited the site of the concentration camp last November. These recollections formed part of a longer film that we had put together for the event and, without exception, all students watched in absolute silence. “The film was heart-breaking and allowed me to think about the innocent people who died” said Melissa Guvenler. “It was an incredible, moving film which also makes me want to visit the site to see for myself” says Neve Maher. “It was extraordinarily powerful,” says Khadija Nooh, “It really made me reflect on what Ms. Burniston said: that we should never, ever forget what happened, and we must never ever allow such a thing to happen again.”
FREE MONEY FOR YEAR 7
As part of Haringey’s commitment to supporting the borough’s families and encouraging responsible money management, the Local Authority have joined with the London Capital Credit Union to offer every Year 7 student in a Haringey secondary school £20 for free when they open a savings account with London Capital Credit Union. 16
The idea is that this will give youngsters the opportunity to learn about different financial options and how they will manage their money as they get older; getting into the savings habit early and learning about the pitfalls of risky and highinterest borrowing in later life. The “free” £20 will be ‘locked in’ for two years to encourage pupils to add to their savings. For more information visit the council’s website or go direct to: http://tinyurl.com/hwsmoney
Issue 22. February 2015
A DAY OUT AT WEST HAM
ARTISTIC CHEMISTRY
Mr Adams writes Last month fifty-six of our students were lucky enough to experience a premier league football match and training day extravaganza at Boleyn Ground. The day was a huge success with every one of the boys and girls thoroughly enjoying every second. The spirits were high during the whole day, and the atmosphere at West Hams stadium was electric. It was a special day, and something which will remain in the memories of the students who attended. Hopefully we will put on more events like this in the near future.
by Melissa Guvenler writes On the 5th February a group of year 10s went to the Royal Society of Chemistry's Burlington House where we mixed both our chemistry and art skills to create something almost magical. It was a wonderful experience which we enjoyed very much. There were many different experiments that we were able to do, for instance spin painting, where we placed paints of different viscosities onto a round piece of paper and span it to create a unique picture. There was also UV (ultraviolet) art, where we used UV light to create an image. It was amazing, overall, but my favourite part was the marbling, because we splattered different oil paints onto the surface of water and printed them onto paper. The pattern that came out was extra ordinary and inspirational. I hope there will be more exciting trips like this in the future.
NATIONAL GALLERY—MORE THAN JUST ART! Ms El-Damanawi writes: A group of sixth form chemists toured the National gallery looking at the chemistry behind some of the iconic paintings in the gallery. They learned of how the humidity created by people in the gallery, affects paintings, and how a particular cold day caused one of Constable's iconic landscape's to tragically rip. They also learnt about how particular pigments, such as mercury sulphide and gold, were used to signify both value and class. The afternoon finished with a workshop where scientists working in the conservation department shared the techniques they used to preserve, clean and date art works and discovery forgeries! Issue 22. February 2015
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YOUTH CULTURE VIDEO PROJECT Mr Grimmett writes: After half term Mr Grimmett and Mrs Woodstock will be launching a youth culture video project with a middle school in South Carolina, USA. Sixteen lucky students from Year 7 and Year 8 will be videoing aspects of their lives including their time in school, outside of school, their hobbies and even slang words that they may use. They will then swap videos and compare them to discover how similar/dissimilar their lives are and to find out whether their preconceptions of each other hold true. We plan to get everything up and running shortly after the half-term break.
HIGHGATE CAMP REMEMBERED
Ms Jones writes: Lucas Bolton (9S), Rawan Ataya (10I), Jordan Brown (10D), Max Cowie (9S), Caleb WyckoffSmith (9I), Jamie Crispin (9T), Bobby Cox (9A), and Oskar Andgelic (9S) are all involved in what is destined to be huge Multi-Sensory Exhibition at Jacksons Lane. They will be taking photographs and developing them, writing poetry and prose and contributing in other ways to this community project. The project is called 'Highgate Camp Remembered' and investigates the lives of the men whose names are on Highgate’s WW1 memorials. The resulting exhibition and a memorial trail will be on show in a special event at Jacksons Lane in March 2015. 18
THE GAME OF LIFE
Ms Burniston writes: Students in Key Stage 3 have been studying Hinduism and have completed an extended project by designing a “Game of Life” that illustrates aspects of Hindu philosophy and thought. Game designs ranged from the splendid Monkey Tree Game by Yasemin Ozalcin (right) to more traditional board games and variations. But all of them shared the same quality of demonstrating a good understanding of one of the world’s great religions. Ella Bullard and Lottie Ezer-Ahern write: Our game was called 'Moksha Madness', a journey of reincarnation, samsara and the winner achieving moksha - or unity with the Gods. Competitors could achieve moksha by rolling the dice and finding good karma to travel up the board, hopefully avoiding the bad karma on route to derail the journey.
Issue 22. February 2015
HISTORY TRIP TO MUSEUM OF LONDON
Ms Harding writes: Year 8 students have just begun studying African civilization and, as a result, the History Department took 30 of them to the Museum of London Docklands where there is currently an exhibition on London, Sugar and the Slave Trade which crosses over well with their current studies. A powerful part of this exhibition was a staged performance about an American slave called and Ellen Craft. She ran away with her husband from their slave master. Ellen Craft and her husband lived in London but also in Liverpool for a period of time. They returned to USA in 1865 when slavery was abolished where Craft set up a school for ex-slaves to be educated. Year 8 students gained a huge amount from the visit which will help them have a greater understanding of the topic. They will be sharing their knowledge with the rest of their form. Thank you to the year 8 students and staff for a worthy day out. Issue 22. February 2015
Isabel Pountney writes Our trip was absolutely incredible. I really enjoyed our warm welcome and even our relaxed short tour before the monologue, I learnt so much about our topic. The monologue was lively, realistic and captivating. It held the attention of every single one of us. The silence during the performance is one I have not experienced before with many of the people there! And the actress delivering the monologue was so believable I thought she was American right until the end. After the monologue we enjoyed the Sailor Town experience and much more exploring. Thanks so much to all the wonderful teachers who organised this trip!
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STUDENT LEADERS
Ms Gribble writes on Thursday 15 January, ten of our students joined those from eight other Haringey schools for a Leadership Day with Team London and Free the Children UK. The purpose of the day was to work together and gain the skills needed to create positive change in their local communities. The students listened to motivational speeches by speakers from the two organisations and took part in communications and leadership workshops. During these sessions our students discussed what it means to be a good leader and also identified what type of leader they were. They also chose a social cause they were passionate about and made an action plan to set out how they were going to make a difference. Everyone was a real credit to the school and had a great time. Madeline Cormican said “it was so inspiring that I've started an application to attend a trip to India in order to spend three weeks building a school.� Well done to Milou-Mai Law (8I), William Carmichael (7I), Eden Alaneme (7I), Gloria Kelly (7A), Freddie Ferszt (7E), Brandon Durand (8T), Tyreek Heerah-Campbell (8W), Madeline Cormican (8D), Max Trafford (8W) and Evin Efe (8E) 20
MEDIEVAL CASTLE COMPETITION
Ms Harding writes: Last term, year 7 History students studied Medieval castles, and the students completed some wonderful projects about this topic. The history department also ran an optional castle building competition for the students. The castles could be made from any material, including edible castles! The History Department want to thank all those students that took part, and for making such a great effort. It was difficult for us to choose the top three. A decision was finally made, and we are pleased to announce the winner, Adam Lloyd (7G), second place, Shareef Garcia (7S), and joint third place to , Sibylla Baron (7E) and Anya Seymour (7E) who both made gingerbread castles!
SINGER OF DISTINCTION Mrs Hassan writes: Many congratulations to Robyn Cowie who has managed to gain a Distinction in her Grade 8 singing exams. Issue 22. February 2015
NORTH LONDON MODEL UN - 14th March
Rosa Tully writes: On 14th March, Highgate Wood School is hosting its eight annual North London Model United Nations conference. Model United Nations gives students the chance to represent a country in simulation UN debates. This conference will give you the opportunity to broaden your knowledge on the oppression that women face around the world and what options there are to resolving these issues. This year the Highgate Wood conference is on women around the world. Women make up 52% of the population yet, around the world women are being persecuted for no reason other than for the gender they were born into. Women work 66% of the world’s hours, but earn only 10% of the world’s income. Around 64% of the world’s illiterate people are women and 31 million girls of primary school age are not in school at all. On average, only 22% of seats in national parliaments are currently held by women MPs. The topics for this conference vary from access to education, to ending human trafficking and violence against women and girls. One of the great things about Highgate Wood School is that they offer their students such a broad range of extra-curricular activities which not only can you enjoy, they also help you obtain valuable
knowledge and skills. Model United Nations is the perfect example of this. It helped me build my confidence, and taught me how to debate effectively and converse constructively with others to reach an effective solution. I initially found Model United nations hard, often struggling to find the confidence to speak in debate, but with the support from teachers, my peers and my chairs in committee, I soon found my feet. The topic this year is extremely important as gender inequality is a problem that effects every country in the world. Model UN gives you the chance to debate this pressing topic in detail and really explore what problems are effecting millions of people around the globe. Rosa Tully (Secretary General, North London Model UN)
LONDON INTERNATIONAL MODEL UN Blue Weiss writes: Last year I had the privilege of attending LIMUN and aside from immensely enjoying the experience, I managed to succeed in winning an award. This February on the back of that success, we will be competing at top university standard, in predominately intermediate and higher level committees. It started in Year 9 in small beginner committees, when I had little confidence and little skills in reasoning and arguing, but I have climbed my way up through higher level committees, to being a chair and director, to 6th form conferences, to now competing at Crisis committee at LIMUN, the highest level Model United Nations committee. It really is a testament to the staff, students, and ethos of Highgate Wood School that we are managing to bring so many students to a level of Model UN that is unattainable for most university students. It is an incredible opportunity that we have earned at Highgate Wood, one that so few others are able to deliver, and one we are very lucky to have. Blue Weiss (Director General, North London Model UN)
Issue 22. February 2015
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KNIFE AWARENESS
POETRY AND PIZZA
Ms Christodoulou writes: "Many people believe that knife crime is not their problem and will never affect them. Sadly we know this is not the case and we want to ensure that everyone is aware of the threat that knife related crime poses to our lives." So says the Ben Kinsella Trust, the charity set up by the family of the 16 year Islington boy who was tragically murdered in 2008. After half term Year 7 students will visit the Ben Kinsella Exhibition to develop their understanding of the issues around knife crime. This half term we have approached the subject with older students in Years 8 and 9 by a series of presentations run jointly by the police and the Red Cross. Each tutor group were involved in the programme, learning not only about the realities of knife crime but also about to keep themselves and their friends safe. The talks were stimulating and thought provoking, as well as providing students with the opportunity to discuss and be informed about an important issue.
Ms Ereira writes Poet Paul Lyalls visited the LRC to give a poetry workshop, fuelled by stacks of pizza. Paul was last year’s Roald Dahl poet in residence at the Roald Dahl Museum & Story Centre, and has worked with Michael Rosen, John Hegley and Benjamin Zephaniah amongst many others. He treated us to a performance before showing the students how to write their own Urban Haikus. Here’s a great example by Mya Josiah of 8I: My sister doing her make up in the mirror Make up in the mirror. Rubbing the blusher on her chubby cheeks. But she look perfect without.
CARNEGIE BOOK GROUP
A new lunchtime book group starts after half term in the LRC. We will be reading and discussing the books shortlisted for the Carnegie award. Join us to discover new authors and chat about books. Interested? See Ms Ereira in the LRC. 22
Issue 22. February 2015
LRC OPENING TIMES
LRC AUTHOR VISIT
The LRC is open before school from 8.15am every school day except Mondays. It is also open at break time, lunchtime and after school until 4.30pm. The LRC will be closed for after-school clubs on the following days: Debate Mate: Wednesdays Week 1 and Week 2 Book Club: Mondays Week 1 and Week 2
THE LRC RECOMMENDS
Ms Ereira writes Author Amanda Hemingway, who writes under the name of Jan Siegel, visited the LRC to give a talk to a full house of students from years 7 to 11. She read from her latest book, The Devil’s Apprentice, and encouraged any would-be writers to “read, read and read”. Amanda commented on how impressed she was by the students’ engagement and the number of questions. Responses from the students themselves after the event included, ‘It was inspiring and the extract she read was amazing,’ and ‘It inspired me to write a book myself one day.’
There are always new books to discover in the LRC. We’d like to introduce you to one of them: Salvage by Keren David 16-year-old Cass was adopted at an early age and has grown up as the privileged daughter of a government minister. Her brother Aidan has had a very different life, shuttled between foster care and children’s homes. When he makes contact with her through Facebook both lives are changed forever. Can a broken family be salvaged? This gripping book is shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2015, nominated for the Carnegie Medal, and shortlisted for the North East Teen Award and the Warwickshire Y9 book of the year. Find it in the LRC!
CHATTERBOOKS HWS BOOKCLUB
If you would like to join add your name to the sign -up sheet in Mr Gowen’s room (A25) Issue 22. February 2015
Every Monday Week 2 After school in the LRC Intellectual & fun discussions about books you love and hate, film adaptations and a lot more. For Years 9, 10 & 11 23
School begins again on Monday 23rd February 2015
at 8:35am It will be Week 2 Monday 23rd February
Half term begins
Tuesday 24th February
Year 10 Parents’ Evening
Wed\Thur 24th-26th Feb
Season of Plays - Drama productions
2nd—6th March
Year 10 Work Experience Week
Thursday 5th March
Year 9 Options Evening
Saturday 14th March
North London Model UN Conference at HWS
16th—27th March
Mocks (2) Year 11 Mock Exams
Friday 20th March
Coursework deadline for all courses
Monday 23rd March
Year 9 GCSE Options Deadline
Friday 27th March
Term Ends
Monday 13th April
Summer Term Begins
11th May
Public Examinations start
19th June
Class of 2015 Celebration Evening
Parent\Carer Evenings Wed. 20th May 2015 Year 7 Tues. 21st April 2015 Year 8 Tues. 24th Nov 2014 Year 9
SPRING 2015
Year 10 Year 11 Year 12 Year 13
Tues. 24th Feb 2015 Thurs. 15th Jan 2015 Tues. 27th Jan 2015 Wed. 10th Feb 2015
SUMMER 2015
Mon 5th Jan
Term Starts
Mon 13th April
Term Starts
16th Feb– 20th Feb
Half term break
25h—29th May
Half term break
Friday 27th March
Term Ends
Friday 17th July
Term Ends* * Term ends for students
The school calendar is available on-line at www.hws.uk.com
Keep informed Find out what is going on at Highgate Wood School and keep up with our news visit us at our website www.hws.uk.com follow us on twitter twitter.com/highgatewood Check the school’s opening status Call 02084087508 and give the school’s DfE code: 3094030
Insight is available on-line at www.hws.uk.com