Newsletter December 2008
This issue
Welcome to the December 2008 edition of Saint Paul's Academy's newsletter!
In this issue:
- Spreading the word
- Girls' sport
- Recognition of our success
- Annual Prize Giving
- Year 7 students
- Anti-bullying film
- Annual carol service
- New school buildings on schedule
- Year 11 students
- School uniform
- Parents in school
- Advent Charity 2008
- Music at Saint Paul's
- English and Communications
- From our football correspondent
- Holiday dates
- Important dates
Dear Parents and Guardians
“Our school has been nominated for the Outstanding Academy Award 2008. I would like to thank you all for achieving the standards required for such a prestigious nomination.”
Principal, Patrick Winston
Spreading the word
News of what we are doing at Saint Paul’s, however, has spread far beyond London. At the beginning of December we were visited by a group of head teachers from Coventry, who were amazed at what we have achieved on such a limited site. We were also asked by the Korean Embassy to explain the changes we have made over the past five years to a group of Korean head teachers. This event was so successful that the school was contacted by a Korean television company who interviewed members of staff for Korean television.
Girls' sport
Girls’ sport in Saint Paul’s Academy has got off to a flying start this year with Miss Henry offering a new range of extra-curricular clubs.
Saint Paul’s Swim Club, which started after half term, has attracted a great number of excellent swimmers and new members are always welcome - ask Miss Henry or Miss Forte for a permission slip.
After the success of last year’s Netball trip to Spain, the club is boasting its best ever numbers and members are looking forward to their annual reward trip in January and to watching a Superleague match in February. The Year 8 team deserves a special mention as they were placed 3rd out of 20 London Academies at this year’s tournament in Bromley - an amazing success, congratulations girls!
Girls’ Gaelic Football has also taken off this term with a Skills and Taster workshop on Winn’s Common in September. There was a great turn out and some great new talent was unearthed in Years 7, 8 and 9! These girls then went on to participate in a London Schools’ Girls Gaelic blitz in Greenford where, after a shaky start, our team managed to claim a convincing win over last year’s winners Tara Girls Gaelic Football Team. More recently, Gaelic specialist Miss O’Connor who up to now has been better known as a History teacher, offered her advice to a Saint Paul’s U14 team who participated in the November Blitz, also at Greenford.
Miss Henry’s Basketball Club has also proved to be a great success with large numbers coming to Plumstead Leisure Centre to shoot a few hoops on a Friday afternoon and to play other schools in monthly tournaments at Eltham Green College.
We are also pleased to say that the Football Club is stronger than ever. After a successful Halloween 5-a-side tournament we have enjoyed some more victories with Year 7s placed a commendable fourth in their group at the Bromley 5-a-side tournament recently.
And finally, Dance is back! With a specialist Hip Hop and Street Dance Teacher from Greenwich Dance Academy coaching for 6 weeks as part of the NrG Xtra programme, we are sure to unearth more talent after having discovered some Dance stars last year!
Recognition of our success
Although we have great confidence in what we are doing in order to provide the best possible education for our young people, external confirmation of our successes is always welcome.
Therefore, we were delighted to receive an invitation to the Education Business Awards 2008 because we were nominated for the Outstanding Academy Award. Every year, researchers identify outstanding examples of best practice, from both state schools and the independent sector, where personalised learning techniques, new facilities and new ways of teaching have helped to achieve success.
Of course, our new facilities are not yet available, but we were delighted that Saint Paul’s Academy was put forward for this prestigious award. We didn’t win, but were highly commended; my thanks as always go to all those who work together to achieve the standards required for such a nomination.
Annual Prize Giving
We have celebrated our successes in many other ways this half term. On December 4th, we held our annual awards evening and for the first time we held this event at Charlton Athletic Football Stadium.
It was good to see all those who left last summer, most of whom are now well established on their post-16 courses.
As always, our former students dressed up for the occasion and it was lovely to see so many confident young men and women. It was also a pleasure to meet their parents and carers, many of whom have had a long association with our school.
Year 7 students
At the other end of the student community, our Year 7 students have settled in very well. At the beginning of the month we met with all Year 7 students and their parents and carers to review their progress so far.
For most families, this was an extremely positive experience and it was good to hear how the vast majority of Year 7 students are happy and doing well at Saint Paul’s. For a minority, the news was not so good and these students now have strategies put in place to support their learning.
Anti-bullying film
It is easy to think of a school as a place where only young people and teachers exist. This is not the case at Saint Paul’s where support staff, such as the learning mentors and the chaplain, do a tremendous amount of work, mainly behind the scenes.
However, the mentoring team have recently gained a great deal of publicity in Greenwich following the production of an anti-bullying film called Consequences, which was produced with students from all year groups. The team were invited to present the film and a workshop at the Greenwich Let’s Tackle Bullying Conference in November. The workshop was presented to students from other schools and was very well received.
The film is also being put on the Anti- Bullying Alliance web site in their short film library where it will be available for viewing in the near future. We await the sequel with interest!
Annual carol service
Another annual event is our carol service, which this year took place on 18th December at Saint Michael’s Church. As always, we thank Father Martin and all those at the church who make us so welcome.
Unfortunately, because of our increased numbers, we cannot accommodate the whole school in the church, and so this year the main carol service was for years 7, 8 and 9.
This is always a fantastic event, not only because it celebrates the great feast of Christmas as a community, but also because it is the culmination of our annual fundraising events. You can read further details of this elsewhere in our newsletter.
New school buildings on schedule
There continues to be good news about the new building; after so much frustration and delay, the project is now on schedule and the layout and structure of the building are both very clear. You can, as I said in the last newsletter, go to the school’s website and use the webcam for an up to the minute view of what’s going on.
As I write, the building is being weatherproofed and made watertight so that work can begin on the fitout (in other words the interior of the building) in the New Year. This stage of the process requires far more people on site, but we have every confidence that the project will continue to run smoothly.
I will, of course, keep you updated on any developments. Our trust will have their access to ICT severely reduced.
Year 11 students
You will be well aware that we are never complacent at Saint Paul’s and at the moment we are monitoring all students, Year 11 in particular, in order that they meet the very challenging targets that we have set for them.
Every year, the school is set a target by the local authority, but we have set our own internal targets for both 5 or more A* - C and 5 or more A* - C including Maths and English, which are considerably higher.
In order to ensure that students are on track, there are many support mechanisms put in place. I personally interview all Year 11 students at least twice in the academic year and where there is any cause for concern, students are referred to the Learning Mentors or members of staff responsible for Year 11, in this case the Performing Arts Learning Zone.
We are also fortunate in that we have an excellent Connexions advisor and all students have the chance to meet her at least once.
School uniform
I would like to remind all parents and guardians that students should always be in full school uniform. This includes a blazer, which is compulsory for all students, including Year 11. Sensible black shoes are also part of our uniform and the light, canvas shoes, which many of the girls are wearing, are not allowed. Girls should also wear plain, not patterned tights. I would also like to remind you that extreme hairstyles are not permitted. This includes strips of different coloured hair and Mohicans.
Parents in school
It has been brought of my notice by staff, that a small minority of parents and carers are just walking into school and going to see individual members of staff in their classroom or in other areas. I must point out that this is a complete breach of health and safety regulations and it severely compromises security, even after the end of the school day.
Parents and carers who persist in doing this risk an injunction, banning them from the school site, being taken out against them. I would also like to point out that although we are always willing to see parents and carers, it is usually impossible to do so if an appointment has not been made in advance. Please phone the school or write a note in your son or daughter’s planner, if you wish to discuss any issue with staff.
Advent Charity 2008
This year’s Advent charity got off to a very bright start as students and staff were invited to wear pink in order to raise awareness of breast cancer. Students listened with respect and attention a representative and it has been good to see new initiatives raising substantial amounts of money for our two nominated charities; Breast Cancer Awareness and, of course, Sister Ann and her educational work in Kenya.
So far, we have raised in excess of 3,500, which represents a huge achievement by both students and staff. The final sum will be known in January and we will publish the total amount raised in the next newsletter. As you know, our annual Advent appeal is linked to the Academy’s Enterprise Initiative and our thanks go to parents, carers and friends of the school, including many of our neighbours, who continue to support us so generously.
Music at Saint Paul's
Music at Saint Paul’s continues to go from strength to strength under the leadership of Mrs Presencer. Many of you will be aware that there is a Choir trip to Dublin at the end of January and in order to help raise funds for this event, an afternoon of informal music was held on Saturday, 22nd November. As well as giving many of our very gifted musicians a chance to demonstrate their individual talents, they also had the opportunity to play with professional musicians who, like many other people, gave so generously of their time. The event raised £300, but more importantly people from many different walks of life came together to raise money for our students.
Our Choir and musicians also performed at our Awards’ Evening and at Saint Alfege’s Church in Greenwich on the 9th December. This was a fantastic evening, very much enjoyed by all those who attended and it was a pleasure to return to such a marvellous venue. Again, our thanks go to the staff at Saint Alfege’s who were so accommodating, as well as to all the staff, parents, carers and friends of the school who support this event.
However, perhaps the most exciting project undertaken by the music department this term is the establishment of a community music group funded by the Jack Petchy Foundation. As you will remember from the last Newsletter, this group is for young musicians at our school, Saint Ursula’s, Saint Thomas More and Abbey Wood School, to meet for two hours on a Monday night to play together in an informal setting. We now have a core group of young people who attend regularly and we hope to broaden our horizons in the New Year.
English and Communications
The English and Communications Learning Zone have introduced a whole range of new extra-curricular activities which have livened up afternoons at Saint Paul’s no end.
Monday and Friday are both Borrow a Book day, where student librarians advise their peers on books that they might enjoy. On Tuesdays, Mr Ramsland is running Film Club for the second year. This presents a great opportunity for our creative students to explore the world of film making using a variety of techniques and computer programs, and feeds directly into the skills needed for the new GCSE units.
Debate Mate is also a fantastic new programme which is being run in selected London schools by a charity of the same name. The aim of the programme is to teach London students debating skills; the ability to put across a point with strength and flair without descending into argument. Involvement in a debating club is not only good for CVs (it can be a strong influence in college and university applications) but is fantastic for developing skills that can be helpful in the workplace and in social situations. The programme will run every Wednesday until Easter and will culminate in a London-wide competition where our students will have the chance to work with ITN as youth journalists in the build up to the 2012 Games. After this our Debate Mate mentors will help us to organise competitions and residential trips all around the country. There are still a couple of places available, but with nearly 40 members already students will have to be quick!
Finally, Bill’s Blockbusters, our Shakespeare on film club runs on Thursdays, with traditional versions of the plays being shown alongside modern interpretations – popcorn is provided!
From our football correspondent
Football teams throughout the school have taken part in a number of fixtures including the National Cup and the Kent Cup.
The complete set of results is:
Year 7
| Opponents | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity | Friendly | Drew 1-1 |
| Harvey GS | Friendly | Lost 0-2 |
| Ravenswood | Friendly | Lost 2-5 |
| Hayesbrook | Kent Cup | Won 3-2 |
| Coopers | Friendly | Lost 0-3 |
| City of London A | Friendly | Lost 2-5 |
| City of London B | Friendly | Lost 2-3 |
| Kemnal TC | National Cup | Lost 2-3 |
| Cornwallis | Kent Cup | Won 3-0 |
| Saint Columba's | Friendly | Drew 3-3 |
Goalscorers: T. Olagunju 7, R. President 2, J. Williamson 2, E. Nihill 1, H. Verdades 1, M.Gambanga 1, A.Williams 1, H.Cottrell 1, T Yala-Sabua 1, Own Goal 1.
Year 8
| Opponents | Competition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity | Friendly | Won 5-3 |
| Hurstmere | Friendly | Won 3-1 |
| Harvey GS | Friendly | Won 16-0 |
| Bishop Justus | Friendly | Won 8-2 |
| Kemnal TC | Friendly | Won 7-2 |
| Ravenswood | Friendly | Won 5-0 |
| Hayes | Friendly | Won 4-1 |
| Valley Park | Kent Cup | Won 16-0 |
| Coopers | Friendly | Won 7-1 |
| Rainham Mark | Kent Cup | Won 2-1 |
| Bishop Challoner | Friendly | Won 4-1 |
| Erith | Kent Cup | Won 3-1 |
| City of London A | Friendly | Won 6-1 |
| City of London B | Friendly | Won 6-0 |
Goalscorers: T. Adeloye 20, W. Orimolusi 20, B.Owusu-Ansah 17, D. President 7, O. Isichei 5, B. Anidugbe 3, C.Walcott-Blunt 3, T. Esan 3, T. Pemu 2, B. Holdsworth 2, J. Tshibangu 2, C. Baillie 1, S.Cassells 1, N. Davies 1, H.O’Hara 1, L. Ijeh 1, Own Goals 3.
Year 9
| Opponents | Competition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity | Friendly | Won 3-1 |
| Harvey GS | Friendly | Won 2-0 |
| Langdon Park | National Cup | Lost 1-4 |
| Ravensbourne | Friendly | Won 6-2 |
| Ravenswood | Friendly | Won 5-3 |
| Tumbridge Wells GS | Kent Cup | Won 8-2 |
| Coopers | Friendly | Won 4-1 |
| Ravenswood | Kent Cup | Lost 3-7 |
| City of London A | Friendly | Lost 3-5 |
| City of London B | Friendly | Lost 3-6 |
| Saint Columba's | Friendly | Drew 2-2 |
Goalscorers: G. Murphy 11, N. Eka 11, K. Okogwu 4, D. Conteh 4, K. Brown 2, J. Olufade 2, K. Sharp 2, A. Rufino 1, J. Garrett 1, V. Ejaria 1, Own Goal 1.
Year 10
| Opponents | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Harvey GS | Friendly | Won 11-1 |
| Forest Hill | National Cup | Lost 2-8 |
| Ravensbourne | Friendly | Won 2-0 |
| Ravenswood | Friendly | Won 3-2 |
| Hayes | Friendly | Won 5-0 |
| Hurstmere | Kent Cup | Lost 3-5 |
| Saint Columba's | Friendly | Won 6-2 |
| City of London 'A' | Friendly | Drew 2-2 |
| City of London 'B' | Friendly | Won 4-1 |
Goalscorers: A. Wright 9, O. debunmi 9, M. Brobbey 8, J. Driscoll 3, S. Lingwood 2, A. Swain 1, A. Marshall-Peacock 1, L. Akanni 1, C. Grant-Regis 1, A. Obilaja 1, R. Minett 1, K. Simms 1.
Year 11
| Opponents | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Holmesdale TC | Kent Cup | Won 4-1 |
| Kemnal TC | Kent Cup | Lost 1-2 |
| Saint Columba's | Friendly | Lost 1-6 |
Goalscorers: M. Fabiyi 2, J. Baptiste 1, J. Garry-Gillespie 1, J. McGilly 1, Own Goal 1.
Girls tournaments Year 7 to 11
| Opponents | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Hayes | Kent Cup (U16) | Lost 1-4 |
| Bexley GS | Kent Cup (U14) | Lost 4-5 |
| Bexleyheath | Kent Cup (U13) | Lost 0-11 |
Goalscorers: A. Light 2, H. Goodes 1, L. Smith 1, L. Trieu 1.
Playing record 2008/2009
| P | W | D | L | F | A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 7 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 27 |
| Year 8 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 92 | 14 |
| Year 9 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 40 | 33 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 38 | 21 |
| Year 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
| Girls | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 20 |
| Total | 50 | 29 | 4 | 17 | 199 | 124 |
Holiday dates
| Spring Term | Monday 5th January 2009 Wednesday 8th April 2009 |
|---|---|
| Spring Half Term | Monday 16th February 2009 Friday 20th February 2009 |
| Easter Holidays | Thursday 9th April 2009 Friday 24th April 2009 |
| Summer Term | Monday 27th April 2009 Friday 17th July 2009 |
| May Day Holiday | Monday 4th May 2009 |
| Summer Half Term | Monday 25th May 2009 Friday 29th May 2009 |
Important dates
| Wednesday, 14th January | English 'Pilot' exam |
|---|---|
| Thursday, 15th January | Science Module Tests |
| Wednesday, 28th January | Year 10 Consultation Evening at 3pm |
| Saturday, 31st January | Music Concert Tour to Dublin for 3 days |
| Wednesday, 4th February | Year 9 to Whitstable |
| Monday, 16th February - Friday, 20th February | Half Term Holiday |
