From the Headteacher
This is my final contribution to the weekly newsletter as I will be heading off to partial retirement at the end of August.
I send my thanks to all parents/carers and of course the students for the many lovely communications, messages and comments that I have received in the past few weeks. Thank you indeed for your warmth and your best wishes.
I shall continue to work for the school on a part-time basis for the time being, specifically around strategy and areas of compliance in order to support the work of the trustees and the new Co-Headteachers, Ms Higginbottom and Mr Fisher. Whilst I will not be based on site, I shall of course enjoy watching the school develop further under their leadership and as the school heads towards 400 years of providing high-quality education for local boys.
To the Year 11 and Year 13 students awaiting examination results, I shall see you in August on the results days and I shall look forward to celebrating your successes as you prepare for the Sixth Form, or go off to colleges, universities or the world of work.
This is the last newsletter of the academic year but The Isleworthian will return next term. In the meantime, I wish all our families all the very best for the future and I do hope that you have a good summer.
Euan Ferguson
September Arrangements
We have a staggered start of term in September. Please see the below graphic for the arrangements at a glance:
Letters were sent home yesterday containing important information and notices about the start of term. We have collated them in one place for your convenience.
Results Days
The two results days for examinations sat this summer are as follows:
Students have already been emailed regarding arrangements for these days. You can check out the letters by clicking the links above.
Safeguarding Updates
We learned this week of the tragic loss of a local student, who drowned in the Thames near Richmond, presumably whilst trying to cool down during the hot weather. Please do read about water safety from the Royal Life Saving Society and discuss the issues with your children.
During the holidays, if you have a concern about the safety or welfare of your child, please email the safeguarding team at safeguarding@isleworthsyon.org. A member of staff will be monitoring the account. If there is an emergency call 999 or, for non-urgent matters that require police attention, call 101.
Music
September 2022 brings another new year of music-making at school.
Students can get involved in music beyond the classroom in two main ways: (1) weekly music instrumental lessons as well as (2) extra-curricular music ensembles.
Music instrument lessons are taught by visiting tutors from Hounslow Music Service. As well as 10 weekly lessons per term, students can enter public music examinations on their chosen instrument(s). Lessons can be purchased via Scopay.
The second option for students is to participate in weekly extra-curricular music ensembles: I&S Big Band; KS3 Popular Choir; Advanced Jazz Group; Music Technology Club and I&S Guitars. These weekly clubs are all free of charge and a timetable will be released in September. These groups will be a platform for students to develop their performance skills and prepare for participation in school and community events.
School Shop Appointments
If you need to visit the school shop during the holidays, it is only open on selected dates, and it won’t be open from 1-6 September.
You can only come to the shop if you have booked an appointment. Please only book one timeslot for all your children, so everyone can have the opportunity. Please note we only accept payments by credit or debit card. Thank you.
Free School Meals
Parents/carers of students eligible for free school meals will have vouchers issued in two emails, one at the start of the holidays and the second voucher on 15 August. The vouchers will be to the value of £3 per day. If your child receives free school meals, they are eligible for a voucher for the Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme which will be running over the summer. We have issued each eligible family with a voucher which was delivered by email on Saturday 2 July. You can read about the Holiday Activities and Food Programme and see some answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Newsletter Feedback
We hope that you have enjoyed these weekly newsletters since we started them in January. We always want to make it better, though, so we’d appreciate your honest, constructive feedback via our survey!
Water Bottles
If you haven’t already, please complete the survey about reusable water bottles. (The requirement to log in when completing the survey has been removed.) Bottles would cost between £10 and £12 and be stocked in the school shop.
News
Key Stage 3 Awards
Monday’s scorching temperatures meant that we had to adjust our plans for our Key Stage 3 Awards Evening – an important event which celebrates students in Years 7-9 that have made a fantastic contribution to school life this year.
Unfortunately, this meant that parents/carers were not able to attend the celebration for reasons of safety. Although we were disappointed, we were determined that students were rewarded for their hard work. So, we held the event during the school day. 96 students received awards – including subject honours, pastoral prizes, and sporting, academic and extra-curricular trophies. A special well done to Max Manson (pictured above with Mr Ferguson), who won the coveted Headteacher’s Cup to commemorate a brilliant all-round contribution over the last three years. Well done, everyone!
Celebration Assemblies
We celebrated the end of the school year with our traditional celebration assemblies. It was wonderful to be able to issue a wide range of certificates and awards for students who have performed especially well this year. Congratulations to all the winners!
In addition, students were urged to be especially careful through the summer break, especially being thoughtful about the temptation of swimming in unknown water. There were also the usual reminders ahead of the 2022-23 school year.
Eco-Schools Green Flag
We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded an Eco-Schools Green Flag designation. This international accreditation recognises and rewards our environmental actions, showing that we are forward-thinking and actively engaged in protecting our planet.
This year, we had a member of staff as a designated Eco-Coordinator and created an Eco-Committee with an enthusiastic group of volunteers. The group completed a comprehensive eco-review and made a plan to make the school even more eco-friendly over the next 12 months – both in the classroom and the wider school facilities. Well done to everyone involved!
Head Students Elected!
Part of joining our Sixth Form involves extra responsibility – both in terms of learning independently and taking a more active role in school life. To that end, seven Year 12 students applied for the role of Head Student this term. This important role, beginning in September 2022, will see them chair the School Council and represent the Sixth Form at school events.
After an application and interview process, Dylan Gracias was chosen as Head Student, with Melad Ameri and Bryn Horton as his deputies. We know that they will be shining ambassadors next year.
Sporting Values
With the Commonwealth Games just weeks away, we have been looking at how we align with the values of this sporting event – Humanity (community), Equality (fairness) and Destiny (ambition and aspirations).
Our regular PE and games lessons, coupled with our extensive extra-curricular sport offering and active playground agenda, enables us to engage and inspire all students to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. In addition, we have many sports leaders who work not only within our school but also in connecting our local community. Our leadership offering is growing, with many KS3 students now taking an active role in leadership for primary school students, this runs alongside our existing provision at KS4 and 5, where students have organised and run multi-sport events for schools in our community.
Gold DofE
Well done to the ten Year 12 students who returned from the Lake District after completing their practice expedition as part of their Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award. The four-day venture included some serious walking around Ullswater, the opportunity to develop camp craft and even the chance for a wild camp, all of course whilst coping with some unprecedented warm weather.
The students now look forward to their assessed expedition in the autumn.