From the Co-Headteachers

We are very proud of being a boys’ school. We enjoy teaching boys because it is our fervent belief that the world needs kind fathers, caring husbands and partners and brilliant, grown-up young men who have had the best start in life. At Isleworth & Syon, we enjoy a proud heritage of excellent examination results, outstanding enrichment opportunities and positive contributions to our local community through student leadership. We work tirelessly to maintain our high standards.

One aspect of these high standards includes our students being tolerant and respectful of difference. As Muslims around the world conduct their fasting as part of the holy month of Ramadan, it is a good time for all of us to reflect on how we approach diversity in our school setting. This week, our outstanding House assemblies have promoted the importance of diversity as well as broadmindedness. We regularly remind our students of how lucky they are to have access to a free, excellent education which prepares them for a successful life in modern Britain.

As school leaders we would like to extend our sympathies to the family of headteacher, Ruth Perry. Some parent/carers may already be aware of the circumstances surrounding the tragic and unnecessary death of this school leader.

Finally, we would just like to remind you that next Friday (31 March) is the final day of the Spring Term, meaning students will be dismissed at 12.30pm for the Easter break. Students return to school on Tuesday 18 April at 8.25am.

Thank you to those parents/carers who have given us helpful feedback about this newsletter. We constantly aim to improve, so do leave a comment if you have any ideas about how this weekly publication can be even better.

Simon Fisher and Jo Higginbottom

KS4 Courses

Following the successful KS4 Courses Evening last week, Year 9 students received the online form to make their subject choices for Year 10. The deadline is Tuesday 29 March.

For full information about the process, do check out the KS4 Options page on this website.

Mobile Phones

Our school policy is that mobile phones are not seen, used or heard while on school site. This means that mobile phones brought into school must be switched off and stored securely (usually in school bags) during the school day. The aim of this policy is three-fold:

  • To provide a safe environment for our students to learn without distraction.
  • To reduce screen time – parents/carers should be aware that inappropriate mobile phone use is not only a distraction but also a hazard to student wellbeing and mental health; there is an array of research confirming the dangers of high screen time on student mental health.
  • To improve personal safety. It is important for students to carry a mobile phone in case they need to contact home, in an emergency. However, this can be a double-edged sword – displaying an expensive device in public makes them more susceptible to street robbery. Parents/carers should discuss this with their children.

Photo by Tracy Le Blanc.

Holiday and Food Programme

Spurred on by Marcus Rashford’s campaign, the Government now offer activity programmes over the school holiday periods, for students on Free School Meals (FSM).

Parents/carers of FSM students have just one more week to sign up to two Easter holiday sports camps on the school site. Each sports camp will last for four days and can be accessed through this link. As well as performing a multi-sport activities, students will attend workshops about food and nutrition as well as the importance of exercise for their general wellbeing. 

Invigilators Wanted!

We are looking for Examination Invigilators. You will be employed on a casual basis to supervise students in mock and external examinations throughout the school year.

The hours are variable; morning sessions begin at 8.00am and afternoon sessions typically finish at around 3.30pm. You will need to be reliable and punctual, as well as having good communication skills both verbal and written, including spoken fluency and accuracy in English.

For further details, read the full Job Description and how to apply on the ‘Vacancies’ page.

Drama & Music Festival

Our Drama and Music Festival is less than a week away! Taking place on Thursday 30 March (6.00pm), this fantastic school event will be a celebration of drama and music. It is open to all members of the school community, and tickets are completely free – you just have to register via the link that was sent via email. Get in touch with school if you need the link resent. We hope to see you there!

Pride of House

Congratulations to this week’s Pride of House award winners. There is one from each form group, reflecting their fantastic contribution to school life this week. Please do click on the house badges below to celebrate these students’ achievement!

Coming Up!

  • Thursday 23 March – Year 10 Parents/Carers Evening
  • Thursday 30 March – Drama & Music Festival
  • Friday 31 March – End of Spring Term (students dismissed at 12.30pm)
  • Monday 3 – Friday 14 April – Easter break
  • Monday 17 April – Curriculum Day (students do not attend school)
  • Tuesday 18 April – Start of Summer Term
  • Thursday 20 April – Year 6 Transition Meeting
  • Thursday 27 April – Year 8 Parents/Carers Evening
  • Monday 1 May – Bank Holiday
  • Tuesday 2 May – NEU Strike scheduled
  • Monday 8 May – Bank Holiday
  • Tuesday 9 May – Monday timetable

Safeguarding – Online Safety

Being online is an integral part of children and young people’s lives. Social media, online games, websites and apps can be accessed through mobile phones, computers, laptops and tablets – all of which form a part of the online world of young people. 

The internet and online technology provides new opportunities for young people to learn and grow, but it can also expose them to new types of risks. E-safety forms a fundamental part of our safeguarding and child protection measures. For all age groups, we cover dangers and threads such as: cyber-bullying, phishing (scams), identity theft and grooming. 

We hope that all parents/carers can proactively reinforce these issues at home and, in some cases, conduct random checks on mobile phones as well as laptop use of their son/ward.

If you have a concern about the safety or welfare of your child, please email the safeguarding team at safeguarding@isleworthsyon.org. If there is an emergency call 999 or, for non-urgent matters that require police attention, call 101. 

Word of the Week

The word of the week is attitude.

House Point Champions

Rewards are an important feature of life at school. House points are a key way that we recognise students who have gone above and beyond in school – whether in the classroom, extra-curricular activities, student leadership or citizenship. The students below have received a Diamond award via email this week. This means that they have earned over 200 house points. Congratulations to them!

  • Jacob BAILEY (7Am)
  • Daniel BICKNELL (10Bl)
  • Eddie COVILL (7Ad)
  • Ishat KAKAR (8Bl)
  • Stanley MARSH (10Ad)
  • Cassius ROOHI (7Sn)
  • Fred SIMPSON (8Ad)
  • Kuba ZAPOROWSKI (8Br)

News

KS3 Badminton Borough Champs!

Continuing our sporting success was our Key Stage 3 badminton team, who followed in the footsteps of their KS4 counterparts by WINNING the borough finals yesterday (Thursday)! Unbelievably, this is the 13th year in a row that Isleworth & Syon have been the best borough badminton team.

Led by Ms George, the ‘A’ team played magnificently on their way to the victory. The ‘B’ team finished a close third (losing by a single point), while four other I&S teams also took part. A huge well done to the winning team (pictured above L-R): Daniel Celestino (8Sh), William Ferguson-Newlove (9Sh), Kai Joshi (9Ad) and Aayan Memon (9Br).

A special mention must go as well to our team of young leaders. Before the competition, these students ran a badminton festival for some local primary schools. They taught the boys and girls some basic badminton skills and were a credit to the school!

Year 7 Athletes – 7th in London!

Over the last few weeks, we have watched with interest our Year 7 athletes as they progressed through several rounds of competition. First, they won the borough championships, before finishing a close second in the regionals. This meant that they qualified for the London Youth Games finals – a prestigious honour reserved for the best 220 schools in the whole of London. 

On Tuesday, the team travelled to Ilford for this London competition, taking part in a number of events including running, jumping and throwing! We were thrilled that the boys finished seventh in London, a spectacular result! These students were the first Isleworthians since 2016 to make this stage, and they should be so proud! Well done to (L-R): Jayan Rahllen (7Tu), Callum Cameron (7Br), Oskar Blazevicius (7Sh), Lukas Dominykas Macianskas (7Bl), Lachie MacIntyre (7Ad) and Zion Kofi (7Br).

Year 12 Sports Leaders

At our school, students are incredibly fortunate to have a diet of high-quality physical education and outstanding extra-curricular opportunities. In addition, the “hidden” curriculum is enormously strong; physical activity levels at break and lunchtime are exceptional as boys run, jump and dodge while playing basketball, cricket, football and table tennis. We have a very small percentage of students who are overweight and, when this is identified, we work hard to support individuals as well as their families.

This week saw our Year 12 Sports Leaders supporting a regional public health event focusing on borough-wide school strategies to reduce obesity. These ambassadors were responsible for engaging with over 200 delegates, presenting their own ideas on how to engage young people and communities in a coherent, concise and precise manner. Such external leadership opportunities are invaluable; they provide unique experiences for our young people to develop their soft skills and build their growing CVs. The feedback from delegates was that all students were outstanding representatives for our school. 

Environmental Summit with MP

A few weeks ago, Karanraj Birk was selected to attend a special environmental summit at Isleworth Public Hall. He was joined by local MP Ruth Cadbury at this important event, which discussed ways the local community could join together to fight climate change. 

We asked Karanraj for his review of the fantastic experience – he said, “The experience I had at the event was something I will never forget; It made me feel more confident in the way I speak and present myself. The topic we spoke about was extremely important to me and the community, which was about the environment and sustainability. The main thing I would like to gain from this is to spread awareness that no matter how old, what gender or background you come from you are still able to make a difference as together we are strong.”

Year 10 Parents/Carers Evening

Thursday night saw our Year 10 Parents/Carers Evening, with families invited into school for short meetings with teachers. Discussions were fruitful, looking at the progress made so far this year and how students can do even better in the rest of this year. There was also a work experience stand where students could find more information about how to organise their July placement. Thank you to all the parents/carers who attended!

Poetry by Heart

We love taking part in ‘Poetry by Heart’, a national competition where students learn a poem and then recite it for an audience. Previous years have shown that participation causes a marked increase in students’ confidence and written literacy.

This year’s school competition took place on Wednesday 23 March in the school hall. Representatives from each form in Years 7-11 took part in front of an audience of their peers plus invited parents/carers. Indeed, one parent/carer commented after, “[This is] such a great opportunity for the students to allow their voices to be heard and their creativity to flow.”

Six students have progressed to this year’s national competition – Arjun Patel (Year 7), Maks Tor (8Br), Axle Moldero (9Bl, pictured), Jaden Jones (10Ad), Blake Lawrence (11Sh) and Cedrick Rarang (11Sn).

They will submit video recitals to the judging panel, aiming for a spot in the grand final next term. Well done to everyone who took part – it takes such bravery and resilience to step up in front of your peers!