Newsletter October 2009

This issue

Welcome to the October 2009 edition of Saint Paul's Academy's newsletter!

In this issue:

• Exceptional examination results are the outcome of 5 years’ preparation
• Phenomenal achievement
• Practical approach to learning
• Additional Routes to Study
• Aylesford Priory invitation
• Uniform drive has lead to great improvement
• Beat the litter problem
• Raising funds for our partnership school in Africa
• Two governors are moving on to new challenges
• New school buildings' - progress report
• Connexions
• Holiday dates
• Important dates

Dear Parents and Guardians

“Yet again, we return to school at the beginning of a new academic year with extremely good news about our exam results. For the fourth successive year, our GCSE results have demonstrated that with hard work and first-class teaching, students can achieve more than they ever thought possible. We have exceeded all of our targets as students of all ability have performed magnificently; 71% of students achieved 5 or more A* - C; 56% of students achieved 5 or more A* - C including Maths and English and 20% of all grades were at A* and A. At first glance, these figures do not appear as high as last year, but we are very confident that these results will give us our best ever ‘value added’ score which means that the vast majority of students have moved far beyond the levels that the government would think reasonable given their achievement in primary school.”

Principal, Patrick Winston

Exceptional examination results are the outcome of 5 years’ preparation

The importance of team building and getting to know students and staff in different contexts was also a focus of the Year 7 trip to Arethusa, the Outward Bound Activity Centre which is situated on the banks of the River Medway, just outside Rochester. Students not only developed their physical skills but also their emotional intelligence through activities such as the 'Leap of Faith' which involved climbing a pole of about ten metres and jumping from it into mid-air to hopefully land on a trapeze. Other activities included the more traditional swimming, canoeing and rock climbing and a bonfire on the beach in the evenings. This trip was extremely successful as can be evidenced not only through the testimony of students and staff but also by the photographs which have appeared on display areas around the school.

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Phenomenal achievement

At Saint Paul’s we aim to offer all students the best opportunities whether they are black or white, male or female, academically able or students who find learning challenging. This year, we have clearly been successful in this respect; eighteen of our students achieved fifteen or more A* - C grades which represents a phenomenal achievement and which has been made possible by our policy of entering students for examinations when they are ready rather than by chronological age. This type of achievement represents a huge breadth of study with subjects ranging from Latin to PE and from Drama to Philosophy; obviously, this puts students in an excellent position to move forward into Post 16 and University education.

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Practical approach to learning

At the same time, students who prefer a more practical approach to learning now have access to a far greater range of sujects. For the last two years, we have been offering BTEC courses in Sport and Society, Art and Design and Travel and Tourism which, if acheived at the highest level, can lead to four GCSEs at A*. We also offer the ASDAN course in Career Planning which not only gives students very practical help in exploring what they have achieved and what is available but which can also lead to a B pass at GCSE.

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Additional Routes to Study

This year, we are very pleased to also be able to offer courses which are part of the Greenwich Shared Offer. This has come about as a result of all the secondary schools and colleges in Greenwich coming together to provide a range of vocational courses in line with the government’s 2012 initiative.

As I explained in a previous newsletter, by 2012 all students between the ages of 14 and 19 will have the opportunity to follow a variety of additional routes.

At present we are able to offer:

Level 2 Diplomas in Creative Media; Drama; Construction in the Built Environment; Retail and Hair and Beauty. For some students, this will involve two days a week in another local school or college and for others it will involve one day a week in college and one day a week on related work experience. In this way, students will gain not only theoretical but also practical experience of a subject putting them in a very strong position when it comes to seeking employment.

Next year, there will be an even wider choice of vocational courses available including:

Health and Social Care, Retail & Business, and Hospitality, these will be extremely popular. Further details about how to apply for all available courses will be given to Year 9 students as they become available. For those who are interested, visits and taster days will be arranged so that students are fully aware of what is expected of them; these specialist courses are in great demand and only those students who show enthusiasm, maturity and commitment will be accepted. Obviously, students will also require a reference from the school and the consent of their parents or carers before being accepted onto an off site vocational course.

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Aylesford Priory invitation

As you will all be aware, Saint Paul’s Academy is sponsored by the Archdiocese of Southwark and we are always very pleased to be invited to take part in diocesan events. Most recently, at Aylesford Priory, Saint Paul’s students joined the schools’ celebration of the fact that the relics of Saint Therese of Lisieux have come to England. Saint Therese, as I’m sure many of you will be aware, is also known as the ‘Little Flower’ and is a very much loved saint and also a Doctor of the Church. The relics have come to England at the request of Cardinal Cormac Murphy- O’Connor and the Bishops of England and Wales and have now been to nearly forty countries including Brazil, Russia, America, Ireland and Iraq. Wherever they have gone, people have experienced a sense of healing and conversion as well as feeling that their prayers are being answered.

At the Aylesford Priory celebration, Saint Paul’s Academy was represented by a group of Year 9 students seven of whom performed a dance. One of the fundamental joys of the day was seeing so many students from so many different schools and colleges come together to pray and celebrate in this way.

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Uniform drive has lead to great improvement

I am also very pleased with the results of our “zero tolerance” uniform drive. The vast majority of students in all year groups have responded extremely well and I would like to thank parents and carers for their support on this very important issue. Predictably, a small number of students did not wish to co-operate at first, but soon realised that attendance at Saint Paul’s is dependent upon wearing our school uniform correctly. Some of the older students at first seemed to be of the opinion that this insistence on perfect school uniform is a passing phase; I can assure you that this is most definitely not the case!

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Beat the litter problem

As you are aware, we strive for the highest standards in all matters and one of the areas where there is still room for improvement is litter. The amount of litter around a school clearly reflects the attitudes and values of the students who attend that school and schools with the worst litter problems are also those which have graffiti and vandalism. There are times when I wish that parents and carers could see how students drop litter in a way they would never dream of doing in their own homes. Chewing gum in particular is a problem and many hours of the premises’ staffs’ time are spent removing gum from furniture and floors. This, of course, is totally unacceptable and having seen the fantastic response of staff and students to the “zero tolerance” on uniform, we are now going to take the same approach to litter and chewing gum. Any student who drops litter or chews gum in school will help the premises’ staff for an hour after school.

This will be particularly important when we move to the new building in January. We are moving to a brand new, state-of-the-art building and it is our collective responsibility to look after this superb facility to the best of our ability so that future generations can also benefit from it fully.

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Raising funds for our partnership school in Africa

Continuing the theme of community, we were delighted to welcome back to Saint Paul’s our colleagues from Mozambique with whom we undertook the ‘Dreams and Teams’ project in 2007. The project has now been taken over by the British Council and has been renamed ‘International Inspirations’ but the aim is the same; to use sport to enhance all aspects of learning and to develop excellent relationships between countries which are very different. The Performing Arts Learning Zone spent a week with the two teachers from Mozambique not only sharing good practice but also showing them the highlights of London and meeting with the Mozambique High Commissioner. As a result of this visit, Saint Paul’s has pledged to raise money to provide resources for our partner school in Africa.

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Two governors are moving on to new challenges

Over the summer holiday, we learnt that two of our governors had resigned; Monsignor Richard Moth, who was the Vicar General, has been appointed Bishop to the Armed Forces and Father David Camilleri, formerly Parish Priest at Saint Bennet’s in Abbey Wood, has moved to Sutton to be a hospital Chaplain. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them publically for their involvement with the Academy; Bishop Richard for his part in the establishment of our school and Father David for his involvement in the daily lives of both students and staff and his contribution to the liturgical life of the Academy.

Without their generosity of spirit and dedication, our school would not have flourished in the way it so obviously has. As a community, we look forward to a very exciting future on our new campus.

We wish them both every success and blessing in the future.

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New school buildings' - progress report

I am pleased to be able to tell you that the new building is progressing extremely well and the builders are confident that they will be able to hand it over to us in November. At this point, members of the school community will be involved in ensuring that the final details, which are so important, are correct and ready for January. Please go on to the Website and see how much progress has been made. Alternatively, go down to Abbey Wood and see how magnificent the building looks; at present, the old Abbey Wood School is being demolished and landscaping, including the sports pitches, has started. Once this is complete, the site will look quite different but it is already clear that the new school will look good and provide a focal point in the neighbourhood. From several aspects, you can now get a clear view of the site as the very tall hoardings which were surrounding it have been removed and replaced with a far more aesthetically pleasing fence.

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Connexions

I am writing to introduce myself as the Connexions Personal Advisor (Careers) linked to Saint Paul’s Academy. This is my second year with the Academy and I visit the school every Thursday.

Most of my time is spent interviewing Year 11 students. The interview is informal, confidential and impartial and my main role is to provide information, advice and guidance when discussing with students their future plans. During the careers interview, we may discuss the individual’s interests, skills, personal qualities, strengths, weaknesses, goals and actions required to help achieve the goals. I will also signpost students to useful resources and sources of information which will help them to make informed decisions. At the end of each interview, a Personal Development Plan is produced for the student to take home, along with any relevant literature. In order to make advice as relevant and personal as possible, I am given students’ base line data. If you do not wish me to have access to this information, please let the school know.

I can also give advice and information on the completion of application forms, CVs and covering letters, interview techniques and job seeking. However, as a Connexions Personal Advisor , I do not make decisions on behalf of the students or try to tell them what they must do and I cannot give legal advice, for example whether they are eligible for Education Maintenance Allowance or home student fees.

If students do not have any ideas about future plans, it may be useful for them to use “Fast Tomato” www.fasttomato.com before the interview to help generate some ideas for discussion. This is a computer-based programme which helps students think about their personal skills and abilities and career areas which may be of interest. Another useful website is www.jobs4u.com which provides detailed careers information about many jobs. Additionally, www.mychoicelondon.co.uk provides information on 6th form and college courses.

During Year 8, when the students choose their options, I hope to attend the Options Evening so that I can support any students and parents who require careers information, advice and guidance at that time. I also try to attend Consultative Evenings where possible and in the Summer term (time permitting) I normally interview Year 10 students who are identified by the school as needing extra help and support.

Additionally, any students in Year 11 and Year 9 who has a Statement of Special Needs will be invited to attend an interview and myself, or a Connexions colleague, will be invited to attend annual and transitional reviews. At the reviews, I normally provide a pack aimed at parents including specific information on special educational needs issues.

Students will also meet me at various events and I am usually in school, in the Ark, each Thursday. Staff in the Ark will always pass messages on to me should I be unavailable.

I do hope that the above information may be helpful to you and I look forward to meeting some of you over the coming year.

Vicki Banbrook

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Important dates

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Holiday dates

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