Chestnut NewsDate: 07 Dec 2018 Issue No: 81

MESSAGE FROM THE HEADTEACHER

Dear Parents and Carers

Christmas Jumper DayNext Friday, 14th December, is Christmas Jumper Day and students and staff are invited to wear a Christmas jumper in order to support Save the Children’s Christmas campaign. Students should wear their normal school uniform and substitute their school jumper for a Christmas jumper. We do not expect students to go out and buy a new jumper, so they can get creative and decorate a jumper they already have with tinsel and baubles etc. The event is being organised by the student council and all proceeds will go to Save the Children. Students should give £1 to their tutor in exchange for wearing a Christmas jumper.

Winter ConcertWe look forward to welcoming students and their families to the Winter Concert on Wednesday 19th December. Tickets available on sale now.

End of termThe last day of term is Thursday 20th December when school will finish at 12.20pm.

Safeguarding Your child’s safety is of paramount concern to us. If you have any concerns over the personal development, behaviour or welfare of your child or any other child within Chestnut Grove Academy that cannot be resolved by the child’s teacher, tutor or RSL, please contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Ms Jackson on 0208 772 2510 or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead Mikayla Jolley on 0208 772 2545. Should either of these be unavailable and you have an urgent safeguarding concern, please ask for the other Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads, Mr Buchanan (KS3), Ms Verber (KS4) or Mr Taylor (KS5).

Christian Kingsley, Headteacher

Students are expected to attend the Academy every day with the expectation that each student should achieve a minimum 95% attendance.

Sickness:If for any reason a student will be absent then Parents/Carers are requested to phone the Attendance Officer (Ms Ramsay on 0208 673 8737 option 1) before 08:30 on the first day of absence. If the absence is for more than one day, you will need to phone the school each day of the sickness. A doctor’s note will be required after three days absence.

Lateness:Morning registration starts at 8.45am. Students arriving after 8.45am will not be admitted to class and will be marked late by the Attendance Officer. Parents will then receive a text informing them that the student has a same day detention to make up the number of minutes late. Students who are late and have a note from their Parent/Carer explaining the lateness, should report directly to the Attendance Officer before going to class. Students who arrive after 10am with no parental explanation are considered absent and are recorded as such on the Academy roll.

Appointments:The Attendance Officer should be alerted to appointments attended during the school day, by a note in your child’s planner, which should also be accompanied by the appointment letter or copy of the confirmation text received.

Please do not call, email or text the school if your child needs to leave school early for an appointment as their note will suffice, which they will need to have authorised by their RSL (Raising Standards Leader) before they can leave.

Ms Ramsay, Attendance Officer

ATTENDANCE

LOST PROPERTY

Any lost property that is found on the school site is held in the main school office (e.g. winter jackets, PE kits etc). Students can come and take a look at the end of the school day, if they have recently lost something as all items will be removed at the end of term. A reminder to parents to please label their child’s belongings, as it will be returned to the student if found.

School Office Team

YEAR 7 PARENTS’ EVENING

A final reminder that Year 7 Parents’ Evening is being held on Wednesday 12th December. All reply slips need to be returned by the end of today (7th December).

Mr O’Neill Pastoral and SEN Administrator

PERFORMING ARTS

Steel Pans at the Balham Christmas Lights Switch On 2018

On the 2nd December our fabulous Year 10 steel pans students performed at the Balham Christmas lights switch on ceremony. There were some very distinguished guests in attendance, including the Mayor of Wandsworth!

A special mention goes to Ayo who played drums for us and to other Year 10 students who came to watch but ended up loading the van too, the true embodiment of our values at Chestnut Grove Academy.

The Year 10 group played fantastically and the crowds loved it. Thank you to you all, and thanks to Gabriel for making such a fabulous effort with your Christmas outfit!

Ms Durban and the Performing Arts Team

Football

Year 8 v Ark Putney – 28/11/2018

Last Wednesday the Year 8 football team continued their fine start to the season with a 5 – 1 home win over Ark Putney. But it wasn’t all plain sailing to begin with, the first 15 minutes of the game was all Ashcroft and had they been more clinical they would have taken an early lead. The boys eventually started to settle down and we took the lead through Maxwell Emmery who, after being clattered just outside the box, picked himself up and whipped another free kick in to the far corner of the goal (he’s beginning to make a habit of this) which meant we went in to the half time break 1 nil up and totally against the run of play. The second half started very much like the first and it was Ashcroft who dominated the first 10 minutes and got their deserved equaliser through a well worked goal, so it was now 1-1 and GAME ON… The final 15 minutes belonged to one player, up stepped Issa Virtue who scored a quick fire 5 minute hat trick to put CGA in to an unassailable 4-1 lead, and then with Ashcroft’s heads already down we scored our fifth in the final seconds of the match to seal a fine win after a very difficult start. Our next game will be in January with the date to be confirmed. WE MARCH ON… Mr Giddings & Mr Richards

Year 10 v Ashcroft Last week the Year 10 team travelled away to play Ashcroft in the League. On a cold, wet and windy afternoon playing into the wind and uphill, some teams may have not shown the determination and resilience displayed by the Year 10 team. They quickly got into their stride, creating a number of attacking opportunities but failing to get a clean shot on target. That was until a moment of individual skill from Asher who dribbled though the defence to shoot from the edge of the box low in the bottom corner to open the scoring. Chestnut Grove continued to dominate the half which saw Asher score again after some excellent close skill to create a shooting chance which he took from a tight angle. The half finished with an excellent double save from Saul keeping the score 2-0 at half time. The half time team talk delivered by Mr Hallsworth - telling the forwards to shoot more - proved inspirational as two more goals were quickly added by Jaden and Joe. At 4-0 up a degree of complacency set in and the wide players abounded their roles and the defenders all pushed forward trying to add to the score sheet. This allowed Ashcroft to have a number of counter attacks, from which they scored two quick goals. One goal was slightly wind assisted from a corner after a fine save from Saul. At this point Tai and Maceo stepped up and showed great leadership, making sure all players stuck to their jobs. A tactical switch and some expert coaching again from Mr Hallsworth saw Jake move to left wing, where time after time he beat his man and created a number of scoring chances for himself and others. Eventually he converted a chance to make it 5-2. With this new found confidence he then scored a second to make the final score 6-2. A result which has left the team on a high going into the Christmas break!

Mr Hallsworth

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Rugby

I am now running a rugby club for Years 7-9 on a Thursday 3:20 - 4:20. Students will need appropriate sports wear, such as the CGA green PE kit and trainers. This training will take place on the school’s artificial pitches and will involve fun games, ball skills and other aspects of the game. All training sessions will be non-contact and so students will not require a gum-guard until further notice.

Mr Priestley

ROYAL SHAKESPEARE’S COMPANY ROMEO AND JULIET

On Wednesday 21st November, Year 11 watched a live stream of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Along with seeing the performance, which modernised Shakespeare’s traditional tragedy, students were also able to watch interviews with the actors, directors and producers of the show about some of the interesting choices they made eg. casting Mercutio as a female role.

Here are some quotes about what the students thought:“It helped me to notice all the details in the play, and helped me to realise that I know the play better than I think. The cast was diverse too, which I liked.” Ella“The performance was modern, which helped us to understand what Shakespeare was trying to show about the characters.” Leah“The performance was really professional. It was great to see how they used the props.” Amal, Ayman

Ms Robinson, Acting Head of English

JACK PETCHEY - SPEAK OUT CHALLENGE

On Thursday 8th November, two groups of Year 10 students took part in the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge. This involved students working on their articulation and confidence in order to create a speech, which they performed to the rest of the group. Students were judged on their content, delivery and structure. Ms Robinson and Ms Verber, who supervised the day, along with the external Jack Petchey facilitators, were incredibly impressed with the commitment and dedication of the students. They really did perform some incredible speeches. Congratulations to the following students for making it into the Chestnut Grove Jack Petchey Final, which will take place in the final week of term: Joe Alvarez, Archie Alvarez, Joseph Adeleke, Mariam Mohsin, Eloise McKissick and Charlie Howard. The two winners of the Chestnut Grove final will be part of the Wandsworth Regional Final in 2019. A huge congratulations to everybody involved.

Ms Robinson, Acting Head of English

CURIOUSITY CLUB

At a recent curiosity club we practiced writing epithets and Homeric similes in order to mimic the style of Ancient poets like Homer and Virgil. All the students worked really hard and wrote some great poems.I have included some here:

The story of Aeneas by Felix Papa 7 Kahlo

“good looking Aeneas, son of beautiful Aphrodite, ran from the burning city of troy as a mouse runs from an eagle, symbol of Zeus, lord of the sky. He ran and ran- like the wind when great Aeolus is angry. Tireless Aeneas ran till he reached a small city in Italy. It was placed at the centre of the yet to be mighty country. Little did he know that he had reached the dream city of the wolf-hearted Romulus”

Sure-footed Octavia by Eliza Goulborn 8 Kahlo.

“Sure-footed Octavia ran to the city like a cheetah, skimming the ground of an African Savannah, hunting for a morsel of food. As she arrived two bad-breathed guards blocked her entrance. Suddenly the mighty Hercules knocked them aside like an Elephant swinging its trunk wildly to push over its hunter in the wild”

Mr Sutton, History Teacher

DUKE OF EDINBURGH 2019

The Year 13 Gold D of E students had a route planning day on Friday 30th November with Adventure-Expeditions - the company we have used for our overseas expeditions for the past 2 years.

This year we are heading for Switzerland rather than France and Italy, and the group have planned a very challenging 4 day loop starting and finishing in Interlaken. The total distance is over 80km and each day includes over 10 hours of walking. Day 3 takes the group along the foot of the Eiger, with Day 4 returning to Interlaken along the Valley of the Waterfalls.

We are all looking forward to it very much.

Mr Hallsworth

We have received yet another great book review. Please take a read:

The Number Devil by Hans Magnus EnzensbergerReview by Daniel de la Lama

This story is about a young boy called Robert who hates maths and has the weirdest dreams like sliding down an endless slide or being swallowed by a big, ugly fish. Then, one night, his dreams changed. He saw a small, red creature with whiskers and a beard and big ears. This little creature was a number devil. Robert then goes to sleep every night and gets taught another mysterious but fun lesson by the number devil. So Robert learnt about triangle numbers, prime numbers, square roots and powers of 2,3,4, even 100. Robert never got tired of this. One day, in Robert’s dreams, the number devil took Robert to a beautiful palace that was called number hell/heaven. Number hell is the number devil’s home where millions of other number devils, all older or younger, wiser or dumber, more/less important than Robert’s number devil live. Robert is given a chain with a star that made him the bearer of the order of Pythagoras and the chain stayed with him outside of his dreams.I really liked this book because I think as well as teaching Maths, it is also fun and entertaining to read. I would recommend this book to people aged 7 and over because when my dad read it, he also found it interesting but it might be too hard for younger readers because they might not understand the hard equations. I rate this book 5 stars.

SCHOOL LIBRARY

IMPACT OF AIR POLLUTION IN OUR LOCAL AREA

Year 8 geography students have been learning about the impact of air pollution in London. We have discovered that some of the worst polluted roads in London are outside hospitals and schools, and considered the impact this can have on our health and the environment. Students were asked to design a campaign in the form of a poster, leaflet or anything else creative to raise awareness and encourage more people not to drive to school. These are just a few of the fantastic examples!

In July 2018 we were awarded Bronze level accreditation as part of TfL’s STARS (Sustainable Travel: Active Responsible Safe) scheme. This shows our commitment to promote and facilitate active, healthy, safe and sustainable travel to and from school. Instead of using a private car, we encourage students and staff to walk, cycle, scoot or take public transport to school.

Active travel provides students an opportunity to: - Improve their health - Improve the environment by reducing congestion and emissions on the road - Improve their road safety skills - Improve their day at school by kick-starting it with a burst of activity.

At Chestnut Grove Academy we are lucky to have a large percentage of our staff and students already using green methods of getting to school, but we think we can do even better. Ms Robinson and Year 8 geography students hope their campaigns have inspired you to ‘go green’!

Ms Robinson, Geography Teacher

BIOLOGY TRIP FUNDRAISING

Every year the Biology department runs a field trip to Taunton, Devon. Not only is this an amazing opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of London life, it also provides our students the chance to get practical experience of “working in the field”. Furthermore, the students cover essential elements of the specification, ensuring our curriculum comes to life.

In order for our group of 14 students to be able to attend the field trip, students must raise £75 each. Fundraising is a fantastic experience which develops key skills, such as team work, and has the added benefit of helping our students stand out from the crowd when applying for university.

To raise money this year, the students and a team of helpers from Science and Curiosity Clubs are hand making Christmas tree decorations! Christmas pudding pompoms and felt Christmas trees will be available to purchase on a first come first served basis for £2 each on parent pay. Please place your order by December 15th. All orders will be delivered to the students on Thursday 20th December to bring home to you.

Please support our students in raising money for this excellent learning opportunity.

Warmest regards and Christmas wishes,

Ms Buchanan, Mr Smith, Ms How and the Year 12 Biology ClassThe Chestnut Grove Academy Biology Team

FRIENDS OF CHESTNUT GROVEWinter RaffleRaffle tickets should now have gone out to parents via all Year 7–11 students. If you haven’t received any, please email us: friendsofchestgrove@gmail.com. There are also spare raffle books at the school office. If you are buying raffle tickets, please make sure you return the stubs and correct money to the school office in the brown envelope (attached to the tickets and prize list) no later than Monday 17th December.

The draw will take place at the Winter Concert on Wednesday 19 December (where more tickets will be available for purchase). Any lucky winners not present at the concert will be notified by phone. Good luck!

Easyfundraising:We have raised £795 so far using this scheme and there is absolutely no cost to you! Please consider signing up to activate it for all your online shopping (Christmas presents, groceries, holidays, insurance, fashion, home, garden and more). Once you have done so you will only need to click on the automatic pop-up whenever you browse these sites. The link is: www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/chestnutgroveacademy

Dates for your diary:Our annual quiz night will be held on Thursday 28th March 2019. This is open to all parents and Sixth formers. There will be more info to come but please save the date.

Our next PTA meeting will be on Tuesday 29th January at 6.30pm. All parents welcome.

General emails to friendsofchestnutgrove@gmail.com Follow us on our Facebook page Friends of Chestnut Grove.

CHESTNUT21

Please do support the Friends of Chestnut Grove’s fundraising efforts by purchasing raffle tickets. They have been given to all tutors to hand out – if you have not received any, then please do contact me on snoble@chestnutgrove.wandsworth.sch.uk with your child’s name, year group and house, and I will make sure that you receive some.

Also – as we approach a very expensive time of year, please consider supporting us while you shop online FOR FREE!!!! Using this website for your shopping: www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/chestnutgroveacademy/ we get a small donation for every purchase made. To date we have raised £750 through this scheme! You can use if for Christmas Shopping, booking holidays and flights – even your online Christmas food shop!

Sharon Noble, Development Manager

HEAD’S COMMENDATIONS

Headteacher’s commendations are given for students demonstrating the PROUD ethos, either through behaviour or exceptional pieces of work. Any student can be nominated by their teacher. Students who receive a commendation get a certificate from the Headteacher and also receive 100 PROUD points. The following students have received commendations in the past fortnight:

ScienceDaniel De La Lama

SpanishMaia GaneshMija SakalyteInka Burton

GeographyLola SnowLateisha Romany

YEAR TEAMS

YEAR 7

What is happening in Health Lessons? What is the Peer Education Project?

Most mental health diagnoses in young people occur around the age of 14. The aim of the PEP project is to help young people develop an understanding of mental health and how to protect it, early on in their school career.

The PEP project trains a group of Sixth Form students to deliver 5 PSHE sessions to Year 7 students specifically about mental health.

Benefits for Year students

Year 7 is a key life transition for many students, with a variety of emotional and physical changes that accompany a change in school environment. Research has shown that children are at peak empathy at this stage in their development, and that often school friends are their main source of emotional support at this age. If we start to teach students in Year 7 the resilience and skills needed to look after their wellbeing, then we have the opportunity to start a whole school culture with a focus on wellbeing, as each year group completes the programme.

Pollution campaignsJarrod BrownJoseph SharpingtonBenjamin Powell-HowardDominic Boyle Maia Ganesh Romilly Davis-BarrettInka Burton Leonii Hesse-Campbell Sofia Andrzejewska

Charity FundraisingRashaan Francis

Date:3rd December10th December17th December14th January21st January

Session theme:Mental Health AwarenessMyths, Facts and StigmaStaying WellGetting HelpHelping Others

Congratulations on the PROUD way in which my year group tackled their first KS3 assessments. The students continue to impress me with their love of learning and dedication to making progress. As a year group, they have collectively completed over 1200 assessments this term, which is a huge feat of resilience and determination from the students.

I have mentioned by name in previous newsletters the students that have received a Headteacher’s commendation for their assistance at Open Evening and excellent pieces of work produced in lessons. I have been amazed yet again by a Year 7 student receiving a Headteacher’s commendation. Daniel De La Lama produced the model below showing a plant cell, made entirely from cake! I have awarded over 2000 ‘Demonstrating PROUD’ – RSL 7 Proud points – All the completed cards will be in the draw for a number of special prizes at the end of term!

In addition, as a reward for their positive, resilient, open minded, unified and determined start at Chestnut Grove we are having a Christmas lunch on Tuesday 18th December Period 5 with students and their tutors to celebrate their achievement and a successful first term of secondary school.

I would like to take this time to thank you for all the support you have given the school, whether this be supporting the Friends of Chestnut Grove, attending school events, communicating with school regarding your child’s learning or supporting them to complete their homework.

Year 7 reports go live on My Child at School (www.mychildatschool.com) on Monday 10th December. It would be really useful if you have read this before attending your Parents’ Evening appointments where this will be discussed further and you will have the opportunity to ask any questions or raise any concerns you may have with your child’s individual teachers. If you are struggling to get access to My Child at School or need your user name and password then please email:- MCAS@chestnutgrove.wandsworth.sch.uk. You will not receive a paper copy of this report but if you

would prefer to receive your child’s report by paper then please email the address above and we will add you to the paper mailing list.

On 12th December we have our Year 7 Parents’ Evening between 5pm and 7pm. It is vital that each child comes with a suitable adult for them to receive feedback during this crucial first stage of their secondary school education. If parents or carers cannot attend, any other responsible family member would be welcome. At Parents’ Evening, you will have the opportunity of speaking to your child’s teachers about how they are doing in their subjects. These face to face chats are invaluable as teachers can provide you with a lot more information verbally than through the report.

I hope to see you at our winter concert on the 19th December where all Year 7 will be performing a song together! A fitting send off and an excellent way to end the term before a well-deserved rest.

Ms FletcherRaising Standards Leader Year 7

YEAR 8

Monday 3rd December saw the start of the Year 8 assessment week. The feedback I have received from staff has been very positive. Our year group have approached the assessments positively, ambitiously and shown great resilience. I look forward to the results that will allow us to celebrate success and to develop areas to improve. Thank you to parents and carers for your support during this time, which can be stressful for students.

I would like to ask parents and carers to be watchful over an issue that has arisen with our students using ‘whatsapp’. There have been a few instances where students have been part of whatsapp groups with students from other schools, at least this is what they appear to be but there is no way of verifying this. The dangers here I believe are obvious and we follow this up at school in assemblies and health lessons but I would appreciate if you can check if your child is in any groups with people that they don’t know.

Mr O’Keeffe, Raising Standards Leader Year 8

YEAR 9 An eventful few weeks. Firstly, our Headteacher’s awards evening was amazing and again a huge congratulations to all the prize winners and in particular Poppy and Edward for their RSL awards. This week has been epic! Students have started their end of term assessments and are revising very well. I have been so impressed with the increase in maturity and dedication to their work. I popped into a science lesson today where I was treated to a live dissection of a heart! The students were totally

engrossed in the lesson which was outstandingly delivered by Mr Smith. Whilst exploring the valves of the heart he was answering questions and bouncing them back to students around the room like a professional tennis player. Very impressed!

Students have also been exploring topics of morality and ethics in PBE and have been running impressive charity fundraising campaigns in Equality Club.

As the nights get darker and we all start to feel tired after an eventful year, Year 9 continue to impress me and I have received feedback in the form of positive postcards, that Year 9 are doing fantastically. Keep up the great work!

Mr StokesRaising Standards Leader Year 9

YEAR 10

Year 10 Parents’ Evening: Thursday 10th January 2019!

Please ensure you record the date for Year 10 Parents’ Evening on your brand new calendars as the most important date for the New Year. Attendance is crucial to support your child’s development and progression through their first GCSE school year. I am looking forward to seeing you all there. As I teach a Year 10 Geography GCSE class I will primarily be meeting parents of this class, but if you wish to discuss anything at all please do not hesitate to take a seat and I’ll be more than happy to catch up with you.

Work experience - Reminder of key dates The year 10 work experience dates are 8th-19th July 2019.The deadline for students to hand in their own placement forms and make their placement choices online is 31st January 2019.To download these forms, parents and students can visit: http://www.chestnutgrove.wandsworth.sch.uk/Academic

International Evening - Kitchen dreams!

There is so much to be said about children enjoying their time at school and I think these moments really capture the joy of participating in extra-curricular activities. A massive thank you and well done to Neveah, Kenaz, Jacob, Monet, Nasharna, India, Saskia and Jaimee for absolutely smashing the cooking, organisation and planning that went into Year 10’s contribution to the International Evening. Your life skills are so impressive for your age and your future is so promising!

Double rainbow

Surely this is in recognition of Year 10 undergoing their first GCSE style assessments last week and taking on this responsibility with the focus and engagement of a year group totally invested in their future! Well done to all of you.

Mr McCarthyRaising Standards Leader Year 10

YEAR 11

Christmas is coming, but before it does, Year 11 have to get through their mock GCSE exams. They have already started and have done maths and English exams and those studying an art subject have started this week. Next week, students will go on Study Leave from Wednesday, which means that they can leave school between exams and also go home when they have finished their exams. They do however have an exam every morning at 9am so they must be in school on time and in perfect uniform if they are to sit their exams. I’ve attached the Mock Exam timetable but it can also be found on the school website along with other useful information for Year 11. Sixth Form applications for Chestnut Grove Academy are due in by 14th December. Mr Taylor reminded students about this in assembly this week and I have followed it up by going around to all of the students and ensuring that they have application forms. It is important that all of the students have a plan for next year, be it here, Sixth Form College, another school or an apprenticeship. Mr Taylor will meet with all of the Year 11 students to ensure they have a plan for next year. Last week Year 11 had an assembly from NCS (National Citizen Service) about an opportunity that is available to them in the summer of 2019. The programme is called The Challenge and it is for young people who are 16 or 17 only. It is comprised of the following four elements; ADVENTUREPhase 1Feel the freedom of the outside world during five days away from home, taking on adrenaline-fuelled activities like rock climbing, canoeing and archery. Your team will cheer you along every step of the way, sharing in every challenge, every success. Then you’ll have a few days back at home for some much-needed rest!

DISCOVERYPhase 2Expect transformation, because this week is all about developing YOU. Living independently, you’ll learn essential life skills from local business leaders and charities, gain confidence in public speaking, communications skills and budgeting. It all looks great on your CV, whatever you do next.

SOCIAL ACTIONPhase 3Now it’s time to make your mark. Back at home, you and your team will devise a community project based on an issue you feel passionate about. You have the skills and confidence to do anything – the more original, the better! This is your chance to feel proud by making a real difference in your community.

CELEBRATIONPhase 4Finally, take stock of all you’ve achieved. You’ll have overcome challenges, pushed yourself into new and exciting territories, and had experiences you never thought possible. Celebrate your triumphs with your fellow NCSers at one great event before exploring all the opportunities NCS opens you up to. This is just the beginning!

You can find information on the Programme here;https://www.ncsyes.co.uk/summer

The students have access to this for only £35 as Chestnut Grove had so many participants last year, but they must sign up by 19th December. Students who do this programme are more employable and the team stated that 4 out of 5 applicants that had done NCS in this age range were successful in gaining employment as opposed to 1 out 5 who didn’t do The Challenge. NCS also have direct links with companies and can help arrange interviews.

If you need any further information or support, please do not hesitate to contact us at school. assembly. I also got the students to sit in the theatre according to how many hours of sleep they had the night before. The photo I have included in this letter unfortunately shows just how few of the students in the year group are getting the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep. At least 75% of the year group were getting 8 hours or less of sleep.

Finally, many congratulations to the Year 11 students who have completed their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

•Ella Swan•Louis Szemalikowski•Adam Valentine•Danu Webb•Grace Murray•Nakieah Maye•Elizabeth Dow•Finn Dempster•Elliot Murray•Jack Banasiak•Ned Button•Aidan Evans•Jade Gattegno•Rosa McDonnell•Martha McDonnell•Sam Rosenberg•Isabelle Smart•Eleanor Smith Briginshaw

Ms Striesow

Raising Standards Leader Year 11

Sixth Form Mooting Competition: Thursday 29th December

On Thursday 29th December, Tanisha Patel in Year 13 organised the Academy’s first Moot. Tanisha completed her Year 12 work experience at The Lawyer Magazine, and was supported by them in organising some work experience days at Blackstone Chambers and has now applied to read Law at Cambridge University. Catrin Griffiths, editor of The Lawyer magazine, was in attendance to oversee proceedings along with Mat Swallows, Deputy Chambers director, who presided over the moot as Judge.

The case which the students decided to use as the basis of their mock trial was R v Blaue (1975). This was a genuine case and students themselves took on the roles of Counsel for the Crown (Tanisha Patel Q.C., Fatima-Zahra Et-taheri Junor, Mia Nareydoo, Janet Oguntuase) and Counsel for the Appellant (Rhys Nagel Q.C., Daniel Willsher, Junior, Ronan Buckley, Haroon Mohamed-Pathusha).

In the course of the moot, the Council for the Appellant tried to convince the Judge that the original trial decision was unsound and that there were sufficient grounds for an appeal against the decision. The counsel for the Crown successfully argued that there were insufficient grounds for appeal and that the original decision was both proportionate and reasonable.

Both sides argued their points extremely well, and the assembled audience of sixth formers and staff were thrilled by the high drama and intensity of a real court setting played out in the Drama Theatre. After the event, both Catrin Griffiths and Mat Swallows commented on the diligence, skill and persuasive arguments presented. They applauded the preparation, planning and execution of the event, which they said mirrored the cut and thrust of administering the law.

Well done to all those who took part and congratulations on hosting a thoroughly enjoyable moot.

Oxbridge Interviews

Congratulations to Arthur Butler, Tanisha Patel and to Stella Rousham (LSA) on completing their interviews at the University of Cambridge this week.

Arthur has applied to Churchill College to read Mathematics, Tanisha has applied for Law at Robinson

SIXTH FORM

Tanisha Patel, Catrin Griffiths- editor of The Lawyer magazine Tom Mountford- barrister at Blackstone

College and Stella has applied to Homerton College to read Human Social Political Science.

Outcomes of these interviews will be known by mid-January 2019 but it is worth noting that in just applying and being called for interview the candidates have shown a real commitment to their studies and a certain resilience of which we are all proud.

We wish them all the very best of luck as they wait to hear back.

Sixth Form Applications

The deadline for Sixth Form applications is Friday 14th December.

Mr Taylor, Head of Sixth Form