From the Co-Headteachers

It has been a very busy week in school with a key focus being on preparing students for our annual Progress and Partnership Day (PPD). Part of this robust preparation has involved year group assemblies providing strong messages about the importance of honest and accurate self-reflection in relation to. both, attitudes to learning (A2L) within lessons and the completion of Progress and Preparation Activities (PPA) or homework. Educational experts call this process of self-reflection ‘metacognition’ or ‘self-regulation’; it’s about teaching students to support their own learning. Another drive within assemblies has been on punctuality to school and lessons where we use the mantra, “no minutes lost”. When students get these three fundamental ingredients right (A2L, PPA and punctuality), they make rapid progress which, of course, is the core purpose of young people coming to school

You can read all the news below. Please do read the full newsletter which also contains information about our values, traditions and expectations.

Simon Fisher and Jo Higginbottom

Pupil Premium

The Pupil Premium is additional funding received by the school to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and accelerate their progress. These students often face key barriers such as low attendance, low reading ages, low aspiration, and restricted access to academic enrichment opportunities.

I&S receives funding for disadvantaged students who currently receive free school meals (FSM), as well as those who have received FSM in the last six years. The Pupil Premium grant (PPG) also provides opportunities for young people who have been looked after continuously for more than six months. 

Additional funding is provided to schools to support students with their learning and provide FSM for children of parents/carers who fit certain criteria, which you can read on this page (in the ‘Free School Meals’ tab).

If you meet any of the criteria, you can help make this additional funding available to the school. This funding will support your child; apply online at the link above.

National Headlines About Wellbeing and Mental Health

Adolescence is a unique and formative time. Physical, emotional and social changes, including exposure to poverty, abuse, or violence, can make adolescents vulnerable to mental health problems. Protecting young people from adversity, promoting socio-emotional learning and psychological well-being, and ensuring access to mental health care are critical for their well-being and health during adolescence.

Given this, as a school we are committed to promoting five essential threads to positive mental health; these five strategies are evidenced-based and promoted by MIND, the national charity. They are:

  • Keep learning
  • Stay active
  • Give (time, charity)
  • Take notice
  • Connect (with people)

Club of the Week

Art Coursework Support

Staff: Mr Carpenter

Room: 107

When: Tuesday-Friday, 3.05 – 4.05pm

Who: Years 10-13

This is an opportunity for all students of GCSE and A level art to continue their artwork in a focused and teacher-supported environment. The coursework component of art is extensive and requires constant work and improvement. This support will help you get ahead in your artwork and allow you to prioritise and manage your workload while learning more about the many fantastic styles and media in which art can be presented.  

MFL Ciné-Club

Staff: Mrs Lane

Room: ML1

When: Thursdays, 1.00 – 1.30pm

Who: Years 8-13

We will be showing pupils from Year 8 and above, engaging French and Spanish films to develop their cultural understanding and also to deepen their knowledge of pronunciation and vocabulary.  

Film is a fantastic medium through which we can broaden our horizons and understand other ways of life. Being exposed to native French and Spanish speakers is also a fantastic way to improve our listening skills and our own pronunciation.  

A great way to become even more motivated and engaged in language learning!

Check out our full range of opportunities.

Coming Up!

  • Monday 24 – Friday 28 October – Half-Term
  • Tuesday 8 November – Sixth Form Open Evening
  • Friday 11 November – Remembrance Commemorations
  • Thursday 17 November – Year 11 Parents/Carers Evening

Word of the Week

The word of the week is perspective.

News

Progress & Partnership Day

Today (Friday) we held our annual Progress & Partnership Day (PPD), one of the most important days of the school calendar. All students in Years 7-11, along with their parents/carers, were invited into school to discuss their progress so far this year with a member of staff. Students were asked to complete a self-evaluation and think about how they could do even better in the months ahead. Thank you to those parents/carers who were able to come in – your support is invaluable to ensure that all students can be the best that they can be.

Ciaran Martin – West Ham United

Former student Reece James continues to set the professional football world alight with his stellar performances for Chelsea FC and England. One Year 10 student is hoping to follow in his footsteps and has recently joined the academy of Premier League club, West Ham United.

Ciaran signed his contract last month and goes to West Ham three times a week. This means he leaves school early but he has been fantastic at keeping up-to-date with his classroom work and his PPA. He is making great progress in both his studies and his football as a left-sided centre-back. He understands how important it is to have an academic back-up which shows a mature attitude at such a young age. We wish him well and will be following his career closely!

Sports Teams

It has been another busy week of sport. On Tuesday, we had 30 students at volleyball club and a further 55 at Year 8 football training. We also took part in a Year 9 basketball fixture against The Green School for Boys and faced Enfield Grammar in a Year 10 rugby away fixture. Finally, we hosted Wilson’s School for a friendly Badminton match – the first of the season. This was such a fantastic example of why sport is so strong at Isleworth & Syon – fantastic participation across a range of sports.

Old Vic Schools Club

Our Extra-Curricular programme is not just about our clubs and activities (see above). We also have a dedicated Educational Visits Coordinator to ensure that students are given access to fantastic opportunities across the country. One example was this week’s trip to the Old Vic theatre in London’s West End.

This formed part of the Old Vic Schools Club, a prestigious grouping of schools that only a few schools in London, including us, have been invited to join. This means that we received four free workshops from theatre staff throughout the year, as well as four free theatre visits. This week, students had the workshop on Tuesday before seeing ‘Eureka Day!’ on Thursday. This was a fantastic and thought-provoking production that students greatly enjoyed.

DofE Silver

Our Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions continued this week, with Silver participants from Year 11 currently in Swanage. They left school at lunchtime on Wednesday and will return on Saturday afternoon after camping for three nights. You can see from the @IsleworthDofE Twitter account that students are doing a great job so far – well done, boys!