From the Co-Headteachers
As we approach the Easter break, we continue to see strong teaching and learning which wholly prepares our students to be successful on their next steps. Such an excellent education based on unparalleled pastoral care includes outstanding enrichment which, only last night, included an absolutely phenomenal Drama and Music Festival. Such evenings of performing arts go a long way to dispelling the myths about boys’ schools. As one of our new parents/carers noted, “Amazing level of talent. Huge congratulations to all involved. Really chuffed we (our son) will be joining in September.” Read more about that event later in this newsletter.
Finally, as school leaders we would like to wish everyone a restful and safe Easter holiday break. Endeavour to apply our five well-embedded MIND principles over the next two weeks: keep active, keep learning, connect, take notice, give time and compliments).
As a reminder, all students return to school on Tuesday 18 April at 8.25am. Some students are coming into school on Monday 17 April; they have received separate communications.
As we approach the Easter holidays, this is the 27th edition of the 2022-23 Isleworthian. We have produced it every Friday, all year – we hope that you enjoy it. Please do leave a comment to let us know – or to tell us how we can improve!
Simon Fisher and Jo Higginbottom
Safeguarding
Our team of safeguarding leaders will be continue to check any safeguarding reports over the holiday period. So, if you have a concern about the safety or welfare of your child, please email safeguarding@isleworthsyon.org. If there is an emergency call 999 or, for non-urgent matters that require police attention, call 101.
Coming Up!
- Monday 3 – Friday 14 April – Easter break
- Monday 17 April – Curriculum Day (students do not attend school unless invited)
- 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
Pride of House
Our last weekly Pride of House awards before Easter has seen another 40 Isleworthians rewarded with a digital certificate. These students have been fantastic influences around the school this week, showcasing themselves to be outstanding school ambassadors. Check out the full list by clicking a house badge below!
Careers Corner
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) have identified the top five factors businesses consider when recruiting school leavers. The top-rated factor that employers look for when recruiting school leavers was their attitude and aptitude for work. 78% of employers selected this among their top three factors. The next ranked factor was literacy and numeracy skills at 45% followed by relevant work experience 32% as well as digital skills and IT at 30%. Interestingly, only 1 in 5 of the respondents highlighted the actual subjects studied as a key factor when recruiting school and college leavers. The full report can be found at this link.
Outstanding Opportunities
As the Spring Term ends, over 300 students across Years 7-11 have attended at least one club over the term. Our top attendees have been invited to a special Co-Headteacher breakfast in the first week back, to celebrate their commitment to our outstanding opportunities.
It is never too late for your son/ward to sign up to an activity – either before school, at lunch time, or after school. All he needs to do is consult the full list and then speak to the staff member listed.
Invigilators Wanted!
Another call 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
- punctual
- have good communication skills both verbal and written
- have good spoken fluency and accuracy in English.
If you’re interested – or know someone who might be! – read the full Job Description and how to apply on the ‘Vacancies’ page.
Word of the Week
The word of the week is empathy.
House Point Champions
As we approach the Easter break, it is wonderful to see so many students achieving their Diamond and Prestige awards. As a reminder, these are given for reaching 200 and 300 house points respectively. These students continue to be outstanding positive role models for their peers in the classroom – well done to all of them.
Prestige
Abdalla ABDALLA (8Sn)
Ali ASGHAR (9Tu)
Jeswin ESTIBEIRO (11Sh)
Sam GOLDSMITH (8Ad)
Owais HUSSAIN (9Bl)
Axle MOLDERO (9Bl)
Abhi SINGH (9Tu)
Diamond
Aayan AAYAN (8Tu)
Oliver ADDIS (7Ad)
Ridwan AHMED (8Ad)
Zain AKRAM (7Tr)
Yasser ALI-YAHIA (7Tr)
Adam ARANI (7Ad)
Akshay BAGHAT (8Am)
Ayush BAGUL (10Tr)
Himank BAKSHI (7Bl)
Matthew BICKNELL (7Bl)
Viraj CHAUHAN (8Sh)
Horatiu COJOCARU (8Sh)
Joseph CURTIS-RALEIGH (10Ad)
Declan D’COSTA (8Tu)
Aidan DE SOUZA (11Bl)
Ryan EDWARDS (7Bl)
Rayan EL CHAAR (7Tu)
Jeremy FERNANDES (7Tr)
Aldrich FERNANDES (8Br)
Elias GHAURI (7Am)
Alfie GIBBS-JOHNSON (7Br)
Parmvir GILL (10Bl)
Aarib HAJEE ESMAIL (8Bl)
Rafi HODGES (7Tu)
Suhayb HUSSEIN (8Sh)
Parva JOBANPUTRA (7Am)
Rajvir JOHAL (7Bl)
Anso KALEMI (9Sh)
Abdul KHAN (8Br)
Ashan KHEHRA (10Sn)
Rohan KHURANA (7Sn)
Aryan KHURANA (9Sn)
Lukas Dominykas MACIANSKAS (7Bl)
Angad MADHAN (10Ad)
Ryan MAK (8Sn)
Rayyan MALIK (9Tr)
Max MANSON (10Ad)
Milojan MAYURAN (7Ad)
Dan MCALLISTER-WELLS (7Bl)
Abeer MEMDANI (7Br)
Manav MERBAY (9Br)
Noah MERRY (7Sh)
Aston MIN (7Sh)
Mohammad MIRZAI (8Sn)
Karl MOLDERO (7Bl)
Alexander MORAN (7Sn)
Ishrak MUSTAFA (8Tr)
Abdur-Razzaq NADEEM (7Bl)
James NEVISON-COLLAR (7Am)
Aaron OPEL (7Tu)
Eric ORDONEZ (7Tu)
Jonas PARDO BUIKUS (7Tu)
Sviatoslav PELYP (8Am)
Jonavon PEREIRA (9Ad)
Elliott POWELL (10Tu)
Haseeb RAJPUT (7Tr)
Ayaan ROUF (7Bl)
Harvey SANDHU (7Tr)
Ahmad SARWARI (10Ad)
Rohan SEEHRA (8Br)
George SEGET (10Ad)
Mohammad Basheer SHAIK (10Ad)
Jasraj SINGH (7Am)
Damanpreet SINGH (10Tu)
Decklan SIQUEIRA (8Br)
Yousuf TAHIR (8Ad)
Jacob TURSKI (9Am)
Ashmeet VIG (8Sh)
Milo WOOD (7Sn)
Mohammad YAHIAOUI (7Ad)
News
Drama & Music Festival
Last night (Thursday) we were delighted to host our annual Drama & Music Festival! Featuring nearly 100 students, this event was a wonderful celebration of the performing arts at I&S.
The spectacular hour-and-a-half programme featured exemplar work from across the key stages, with fantastic drama performances and beautiful musical renditions! The event was brilliantly-compered by three Year 9s – the two Finns, Chappel and Donovan, plus Parmvir Gill – and was very well-attended by our school community. It was particularly lovely to see some Year 6 students who will join us in September.
One parent/carer commented afterwards, “How you get the best out of these kids is a credit to your hard work and your school.”
It truly was a pleasure to see our boys showing off their fantastic talents during this outstanding evening. Check out the full list of students; well done to all of them!
Year 13 A Level Drama
Year 13 drama & theatre students had their final performance assessment for their scripted unit on Tuesday. This was the first time since 2020 that this examination has been conducted with an examiner, due to the Covid pandemic.
The three students – Jack Barratt, Anthony Di Falco and Rhys Davies – performed excerpts from ‘Art’. They did a brilliant job with this tragicomedy, which centres on three middle aged men when one of them purchases a very expensive new artwork for 200,000 francs.
We look forward to receiving their marks – we are sure that they have done very well indeed!
Natural History Museum
Also yesterday (Thursday), our wonderful Year 12 biologists headed with Ms Stead to the Natural History Museum! This trip was designed to bring their their ‘Topic 3 – Classification’ studies to life.
Students spent 90 minutes going round the museum, using a bespoke resource designed by Ms Stead. This workbook specifically targeted elements of the specification, particularly in terms of students’ learning about mammals and invertebrates. They also saw an exhibit about the evolution of humans, meaning they could actually see things that they had studied in class.
Students loved it; Aaron described it as “a good visual representation to condense everything we’ve learnt so far” while Oliver remarked, “I enjoyed seeing for myself how birds are adapted for flight.”
SkyUp Launch at Bridgelink
Earlier this week, we were pleased to send three student ambassadors to the launch of a special project down at the local Bridgelink Community Centre. Supported by Sky, the SkyUp project facilitates greater inclusion for young people (up to 25) and the over-55s on the Ivybridge estate in Twickenham.
Previously, we have supported their food pantry in our charity drives, so we were delighted that Ashan, Angad and George attended this launch event. These community projects are so important to us, especially when they help those in need.
The Queen’s Pallbearer
At the beginning of the school year, we wrote about a former student who was privileged to be a pallbearer during the Queen’s funeral – carrying the coffin into and out of Westminster Abbey. This student, Jake Orlowski ((pictured on the left with the three sergeant’s stripes on his sleeve), is part of the Grenadier Guards. He has just been awarded the Royal Victorian Medal (Silver). This prestigious medal is given for personal service to the Sovereign or the royal family, and is the personal gift of the King.
End of Spring Term Assemblies
At the end of this term, we have held special Celebration Assemblies for each year group. In total, over 800 certificates have been presented for a huge range of positive contributions to school life. It was fantastic to get students together for a celebration of the term – as well as a reminder of the hard work needed in the Summer Term. It sent students off to the break with smiles on their faces!