HEATHCOTE NEWS€¦ · 7 Everybody’s Talkin’: Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge Year 10 student...

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HEATHCOTE NEWSHeathcote School a Leading Edge School Issue No. 48, Spring 2016

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Heathcote Students Have The EdgeNew Parent GovernorsA Message from the HeadDates for Your DiarySimply The Zest!Statutory NoticeLondon Calling! Mentoring with Reed Smith and The BrokerageEverybody’s Talkin’Lessons From The HolocaustCan You Take The Maths Challenge? Sky’s The Limit for Heathcote Year 12 Students Heathcote Chemistry Students Pave Pathway to SuccessWidening HorizonsWhat’s Bugging You?Taking Advice From the Experts

‘Be Not Afraid of Greatness!’: Shakespeare at The Globe STEM Event Helps Students See Their FuturesPozeetive Reviews for The OzeeArt Exhibition Adds Mystery to HistoryChristmas at HeathcoteThe Woman in Black Project DevelopmentBanking on Future SuccessThe KS3 Scholars ProgrammeScholars Trip to OxfordSpectroscopy… In a Suitcase!Deaf Aspirations DayInspired by CambridgeHeathcote Hits HertfordshireSafe Drive Stay Alive 2016Exploring Your True Values at ChristmasBubbly Mood for Year 7 Xmas DiscoWorld Book DayMacmillan Coffee MorningCyber Bullying and E-safetyCooking With PassionLiteracy Group Gets Organic Happy Valley Geography VisitLeading with BTEC P.E. NewsPE Extra-Curricular ActivitiesJack Petchey Winners

Heathcote Students Have The EdgeHeathcote is participating in a national scheme which will reward them for skills and abilities displayed both inside and beyond the classroom.

The project, called the The PiXL Edge, is a framework for secondary schools and sixth form providers to develop and accredit in students those personal attributes essential for employability and life. (PiXL is a national network of schools, meaning ‘Partners in Excellence’.)

It focuses on the five key skills of leadership, organisation, initiative, resilience and communication.

Students qualify at three levels – apprentice, graduate and master – having completed the various activity programmes.

This new venture started before Christmas and was initially targeted at students in Years 7 and 8, but it will eventually be offered to sixth form students as well.

The length of time taken to achieve the three standards is flexible, but the KS3 students all start at Apprentice level and must complete those units before moving to the next stage. Rewards for successful ‘apprentices’ are strongly expected to be in place for the end of the year. Continued on page 2

supporting individual excellence

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At present, about 30 students have signed up. They keep track of their progress online, where they will also find an extensive bank of tasks relating to each of the five skill areas – they must choose two from each. Activities might include leading a P.E. session, addressing

a school assembly, organising a charity event or helping out with a member of the family. There are many more choices. Verification is required to show completion but this is a straightforward process.

Project Leader Mr Hutchins thinks the scheme is an easy way for the students ‘to accumulate lots of extra recognition for many things that they do much of the time around the school and while pursuing their hobbies

away from the school’. He says: ‘Society struggles at times to educate about community values; The Edge should promote students’ feeling of belonging’. So far, Mr Hutchins feels there are clear signs that the initiative is working. ‘Students enjoy the freedom and ease of the initiative. It is fully accessible from a school PC, Laptops, iPads, smart phones, etc. This enables students to compile their portfolios in their own time. In addition, the range of tasks on the PiXL platform allows for huge diversity in the challenges that each student selects. It is this flexibility that puts the ownership onto each student.’

The students were equally positive. Owen Casey, in Year 8, has been involved with the scheme since the start. He says: ‘I think PiXL Edge is good for quiet people who do activities but aren’t getting rewarded for them. Now you can write down what you have been doing and keep a record.’ Year 7 student Annakay Rhoden added: ‘It will help to get you a job, as everything you do can go on your résumé’.

Heathcote Students Have The Edge

Dates for Your DiaryHere are some of the key dates to help you plan ahead.

11 April SCHOOL REOPENS for students

21 April Year 7 Parents’ Evening

2 May May Day holiday

30 May - HALF TERM 3 June HOLIDAY

29 June Year 12 Transition Day (Students not in school)

20 July END OF TERM

A Message from the HeadDear Parent/Carer

The past few weeks have been extremely busy here at Heathcote, especially for our older students, who are hard at work preparing for their examinations. Our Year 9s are choosing their options and it was great to see so many parents/carers at both the option evening and the option interviews.

We are also making good progress planning the new Year 7 block and we hope the council will give us to go ahead in the next few weeks.

Zoë Cozens

Congratulations to Mr Lee Cromwell who has recently been chosen to serve as a Parent Governor for Heathcote, following a competitive election. In addition, Mr Mike Ashwell will continue for a second term. The

school continues to be appreciative of those who give up their time to support the school in this way. Vacancies do occur from time to time, so unlucky candidates and others who did not apply this time round may get a further opportunity in the future.

New Parent Governors


Mr McClurg, Lead Teacher for Economics and Accountancy tells us about another well-received event.

On Friday 22nd January 2016, the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales (ICAEW) came to our Sixth Form to run a workshop for 48 students interested in pursuing a career in accounting and/or finance.

Emma Gibson and Melissa Jordan hosted the Zest Business Game for the Year 12 and 13 pupils who competed in groups of six, to perform a background reading check, SWOT analysis and solution brief before presenting their solutions in front of the judges.

All of our students performed superbly at this 3-hour event, with each person taking on the role of a chartered accountant. Delegation, team-working and communication were all vital to the success of this challenge - but only one team could be the winner.

Our runner-up team was Lucy Coltelli, Alex Cooper, Max Lyons, Nicola Robinson, Xenia Rosu and Tom Sawyer. Their charitable idea and innovative solution made them stand out from the other groups. They each won a USB pen drive from the ICAEW.

Our winners, however, were Sarfo Acheampong, Rubina Ali, Noor Alizai, Shivani Hallan, Megan Payne and Rushik Patel. They too had an innovative idea, but it was the sense of community spirit, and teamwork in their collaborations and their presentations which set them apart from the rest. They won USB pen drives as well as water flasks from the ICAEW.

The students all benefited from this event. The variability of pathways to becoming an accountant really appealed to the students, and most have signed up to the ICAEW for future press releases and apprenticeship opportunities.

On behalf of Heathcote’s Sixth Form, I would like to thank the ICAEW, particularly Emma and Melissa, for their fantastic workshop. We look forward to working with them again in the future!

Simply The Zest!


The best teaching facility, in many ways, is London itself. The Mayor’s London Curriculum utilises the great expertise available in the capital, together with the inspirational environment to provide opportunities for students across a wide range of subjects.

Heathcote Head teacher Ms Cozens organised a team of Geography students to take full advantage of this initiative. The result was a trip to City Hall, a memorable visit to The Shard, and an interesting time ‘mudlarking’ in the Thames near the Tate Gallery. The organisers were so impressed by their guests from Heathcote that they invited some of them back to talk about their experiences at the ‘Mayor’s Education Conference’.

Thus, four of our students found themselves addressing an audience of over fifty teachers, giving what Ms Cozens proudly described as a “superbly polished presentation”.

Project Support Officer Temitope Moses wrote: “The London Curriculum team would like to say a huge thank you to Niloufar

(Soleimaninejad), Michael (Stanway), Thomas (Batt), Husna (Nazar)and the two lovely teachers who brought the students along, for the contributions made towards ‘The World’s Greatest Classroom’ session”.

Heathcote looks forward to other subjects taking advantage of the great resources available through this scheme.

LondonCalling!


Lead teacher for Economics and Accountancy, Mr McClurg, tells us about another exciting opportunity earned by a Heathcote student.On Wednesday 9th December 2015, Reed Smith LLP and The Brokerage hosted the conclusion of their piloted Mentoring Programme for our nine outstanding 6th form students.

All nine students had met with their mentors on a fortnightly basis, developing fantastic networking opportunities and good contacts for work placements whilst gaining helpful advice for their future careers. As part of this process, the students were asked to do a presentation on an area that interests them for five minutes – and speak about it in front of an audience of professionals, friends and family and four judges. This was their own independent research study and their speeches covered the following areas:

•Yousef Maait: “Immigration and the Refuge Impact on society”

•Rubina Ali: “Defeated by Numbers: What is Accountancy”

•Grace Hill: “Nature vs. Nurture: Insight into human development”

•Megan Payne: “Gender and Diversity in the Workplace”

•Lauren Nelson: “Literature affects our morals and values”

•Amy Bowers: “Fuelling the Future: The problem of scarce energy sources”

•Sufyaan Adia: “Steel Problem: Impact of China on UK”

•Louie Yeadon: “Chocolate and its future”

•Yewande Abiodun: “Convictions based upon eye-witness accounts: The issues”

The feedback from the judges was fantastic. The students showed a lot of confidence, ability and independent thought. Each presenter was unique, probing the audience and taking questions from the experts.

After consultation, it was unanimously agreed that Yewande Abiodun had delivered the best presentation in the competition. Her research showed a high level of critical thought, excellent subject knowledge of her topic and thought-provoking insight into the current legal system. She was awarded a one-week work experience placement with Reed Smith LLP in February half-term, where she was to shadow a dif ferent specialist legal senior manager every day to gain insight into aspects of law.

We would like to thank Reed Smith LLP and The Brokerage Service for the fantastic opportunity that they have afforded Heathcote School. The impact that this has had on our students has been phenomenal, boosting their transferable skills and giving them all opportunities for their future.

Mentoring with Reed Smith and The Brokerage


Everybody’s Talkin’: Jack Petchey Speak Out ChallengeYear 10 student Leena Sadouki tells us about an annual celebration of student voice.

On November 26, a number of lucky Year 10 students had the chance to participate in the ‘Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge’ workshop. This lasted the whole day and taught us the importance of public speaking and how to improve our current skill level in this area. We learned the fundamentals and how to apply them in real-life situations, such as learning how to speak ‘on the spot’ – useful for interviews.

As the day progressed, we were able to develop our confidence more and more until, eventually, we were given the chance to prepare a short speech on any topic – to be delivered in front of the whole group. Everyone delivered fantastic presentations on a variety of subjects. For instance, was it better to be ‘dumb and popular’ rather than ‘smart and unpopular’ (and is it a fair question, anyway)? Also, what was the importance of Wi-Fi in modern society?

Overall, I was chosen to represent Heathcote at the regional finals (which was great fun!), where I had the chance to present my speech to a large audience and a panel of judges.

Unfortunately, I didn’t win; however, I strongly feel that the workshop was of great benefit to me in all respects.


Lessons From The HolocaustThe Nazi atrocities of World War II are almost a lifetime away now, but thankfully, there are still survivors left to tell their stories.On Thursday 4th January, Year 9 students at Heathcote were privileged to listen to the testimony of Steven Frank. For over an hour, students and staff alike sat captivated by a very moving and detailed speech, during which Mr Frank showed students photographs of his life before and after the war.

Born in the Netherlands, Steven was only five years old when the Nazis occupied his home town of Amsterdam. From then on, life changed completely for the city’s Jewish residents. They were forced to wear yellow stars when

outside – Mr Frank showed a photo of his to our students – and the punishment for not doing so might even be execution. He had a fabric roll with these stars printed on and recalls his mother having to sew them onto almost every item of clothing just in case they were caught without wearing one.

They were severely restricted in their movements and ability to use local facilities and even public transport. Mr Frank says: ‘I was suddenly different from all my other friends. I was no longer allowed to play in the park; my father could not take public transport to work; I couldn’t go into the swimming pool or the zoo.’

Mr Frank’s father, Leonard, joined the Dutch Resistance, helping people to find hiding places and, by issuing false papers, enabling them to escape to Switzerland. One day he got on his bike to go to work but never returned: he was arrested, imprisoned and interrogated by the Nazis.

After this, the rest of the family, including Steven, were placed in various prison camps, including Westerbork Transit Camp, which also housed Anne Frank, (no relation), the teenager famed for her diary, before she became one of the last people to be transferred to Auschwitz, where she met her tragic fate. However, Steven and his family were transported instead from Westerbork to Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia. Often, this was just a stopping point before a transfer to a death camp, but Steven survived, despite terrible conditions. The war ended just in time – for him.

Out of 15,000 children sent to Theresienstadt, only 93 lived to see their freedom – but luckily, this number included Steven and his two brothers.

Sadly, Leonard Frank was not so fortunate. Aged 39, he was murdered by the Nazis in Auschwitz.

Students in year nine wrote letters to thank Steven Frank for his visit. Safa Sharjeel said: ‘Thank you for coming in and sharing all about your life. You helped us a lot with all the information you gave us. We were able to learn about the holocaust a lot better in school. You have had a very interesting life but is has also been very sad. It must be hard for you to talk about your family in front of many people without getting emotional.’

Mr Frank replied to the students, answering some of their questions and explained: ‘I have been very grateful for my life, denied to so many other children during the war. I have played sport, loved, married, had a family and a career. But now is the time to give something back. And I will give my testimony to students in schools to my dying day.’

During his absorbing talk, Mr Frank said the worst thing about experiencing such atrocities as a child was that he learnt how to hate. He has had to do a lot of work in later life to learn to forgive. He left to our students with the message that if he was able to achieve a chemistry degree at night school whilst recovering from trauma, then they could all achieve and do well in life by setting their minds to it.

Steven Frank is scheduled to visit Heathcote again later in the Spring Term.


QUESTION: In a particular group of people, some always tell the truth, the rest always lie. There are 2016 in the group. One day, the group is sitting in a circle. Each person in the group says, “Both the person on my left and the person on my right are liars.” What is the difference between the largest and smallest number of people who could be telling the truth?A: 0 B: 72 C: 126 D: 288 E: 336 ?

In February, 90 Heathcote students took part in the UKMT Challenge, a test that is aimed at students in year 11 or below. It involves answering 25

multiple choice questions (like the one above) in one hour and is conducted under normal exam conditions. The questions test reasoning and logic. They are designed to make pupils think, without being overly technical. All participating pupils should be able to do the first 15 of them, while the remaining 10 are more testing.

The top 40% of students nationally receive a gold, silver or bronze certificate. Around 500 of the highest scorers in each school year are invited to take part in the Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad papers. Results should be in the next newsletter.

120 Year 7 and year 8 students will be taking the Junior UKMT challenge in April.

You will be pleased to know that the question at the start was from the harder section of the paper. The solution and proof are below.

ANSWEREach truth teller must be sitting between two liars. Each liar must be sitting next to at least one truth teller and may be sitting between two truth tellers.The largest number of truth tellers occurs when each liar is sitting between two truth tellers and each truth teller is sitting between two liars. In this case the truth tellers and liars alternate around the table. So half (that is, 1008) of the people are truth tellers and half (1008) are liars. This arrangement is possible because 2016 is even. The smallest number of truth tellers occurs when each liar is sitting next to just one truth teller and so is sitting between a truth teller and a liar. In this case, as you go round the table there is one truth teller, then two liars, then one truth teller, then two liars and so on. So one-third (672) of the people are truth tellers and two-thirds (1374) are liars. This arrangement is possible because 2016 is divisible by 3. Therefore, the difference between the largest and smallest numbers of people who could be telling the truth is 1008 − 672 = 336 (E).

In the photo, you can just see Mr Wiggins, who also took the test. Wonder if he got that right?

Can You Take The Maths Challenge?

Sky’s The Limit for Heathcote Year 12 StudentsIn December, Heathcote ICT / Computer Science students visited the Sky Academy in Osterley, West London. The academy of fers multimedia courses which can lead to employment opportunities. The trip afforded our students the chance to reflect on issues such as web design and blogging. According to Year 12 student Nadiyah Bruce, one of the highlights of the trip was a tour of the Sky Sports newsroom. The guide demonstrated how there is a three second delay before transmission, just in case anything inappropriate is said. Nadiyah thought the environment was very ‘high-tech’ and described the trip as ‘inspirational’, giving them an insight into exciting career possibilities.

However, Nadiyah also said: ‘There were not enough women working in there’. Apparently, there was only one female employee in the ICT department. Nadiyah clearly felt that she would like to personally contribute to an improvement in that statistic in the future!


Heathcote Chemistry Students Pave Pathway to Success

Ms Karpinska, 2nd in Science, writes about major success for GCSE students in her subject.

Congratulations to Aliza Zafar, Ecem Tunay, Ilayda Uludag and Ushna Zaineb, our Year 11 students who have been successful in their application to the Sutton Trust ‘Pathways to Medicine’ programme, run by the Outreach team and Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London. On March 2, they attended a ‘Welcome’ event at Imperial College, together with their older peers, Jessica Marashi and Yousef Maiit, who shared their impressions of the programme so far. Heathcote is very proud to support such talented young people on their path to their dream career.

Pathways to Medicine is an exciting initiative designed to support brightest and most motivated Year 11 pupils who aspire to study medicine at university and become our future doctors and surgeons. The programme provides participants with many opportunities to support their aspirations and university applications, such as e-mentoring with a current Imperial medical student, a week long summer school, student conferences and a work placement in a London hospital or local GP surgery. Pupils on the programme will have many chances to gain inside information from academics and students on topics such as writing an effective personal statement, having a successful medical school interview and scoring highly in admissions tests.

Widening HorizonsHeathcote likes to take its students into the world of work, inspiring and motivating them as they consider their future careers. In December, a number of our Year 11s attended the Winter Vacation Scheme at Allen & Overy LLP at Liverpool Street in the City of London.They were given the opportunity to meet business professionals who were able to advise them on their post-16 options. Our students also made contact with current interns at Allen & Overy, who had completed their degrees in dif ferent subjects at a variety of universities such as Oxford, Cambridge - and even at Yale in the USA.

Students on the trip included Ahmet Kangal, Anduena Bardhi, Ellie Boyle, Emily Ashwell, Hamzah Khalid, Harry Blake-Herbert, Ramazan Jakupi, Stephanie O’Dwyer, Sinead Gallagher and Thomas Chesnaye. They were very positive about the whole experience.

“I found the trip extremely useful, as I met graduates who provided advice on my future career and on how to reach my goals.” Hamzah Khalid

“The trip was a great experience. It was interesting talking to people that had just finished university or were doing their degree. I found it helpful learning about what we will soon be going through.” Anduena Bardhi


What’s Bugging You?When presenter, author and naturalist Martin Rapley visited Heathcote in February, he brought with him a gang of unusual friends. Known as ‘The Bug Man’, Martin visits schools across the country accompanied by various stick insects, scorpions and the odd tarantula, as well as creatures of the non-bug variety, such as iguanas, chameleons and snakes.

The event resulted in Year 7 Science students being able to discuss classification issues – a topic they are studying – with real-life examples. Meanwhile, Year 10, 11 and 12 Art students took the opportunity to produce work based on the animals’ life cycles and habitats, which also tied into a trip to the Natural History Museum.

The presentation was very well-received and lots of staff and students enjoyed being able to examine their weird and wonderful guests at close quarters.


Taking Advice From the ExpertsDesign…Engineer…Construct! Students in Year 11 were part of a workshop provided by our course sponsor Gardiner and Theobald on how they could present their ideas as part of their final assessment - due to be held on the 18th March 2016. Andrew Moore, Quantity Surveyor at G&T, gave the students some really valuable ideas on how to communicate their message. They will now have the next few weeks to put some of these ideas into practice before their assessment. Further inputs from G&T are planned during the next couple of months as students complete their coursework prior to their final examination.

Heathcote students came face to face with such luminaries as Andrew Aguecheek, Malvolio and Sir Toby Belch, all characters in ‘Twelfth Night’, when they visited The Globe Theatre in early March’.The Globe, of course, is a modern reconstruction of an open-air 16th century theatre where Shakespeare’s plays were performed.

The group contained students from each of the Year 9 English sets, selected for the trip as a reward for consistently good effort and behaviour. Although not studying this particular play, they were being given an opportunity to build on the knowledge they had gained through reading ‘Macbeth’ in Year 8 and to prepare for later in the term when they tackle ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.

For many of the students, it was their first trip to The Globe or to any live Shakespeare performance. Party leader Ms Kee had prepared a synopsis of the play for them to look it, but the students soon found themselves following the plot, even though the play itself is full of confusions and comedy based on mistaken identity.

The weather was exceptionally kind and students also spent a few pleasant moments on the banks of the Thames admiring the stunning views of St Paul’s Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the production, which Ms Kee described as ‘brilliant and dynamic’. Everyone was delighted when Sir Toby started squirting the audience with water and cheered as the entire cast came on to dance to ‘Watch Me (Whip Nae Nae)’. Of course, it is unlikely that either of these features are to be found in the original stage directions, but one student, Nathaniel Elemide, said he was glad to see that Shakespeare had been ‘urbanised’!

‘Be Not Afraid of Greatness!’: Shakespeare at The Globe


Pozee tive Reviews for The Ozee

STEM Event Helps Students See Their FuturesLead teacher for Economics and Accountancy, Mr McClurg, tells us about yet another event designed to inspire and motivate.On 14th December 2015, 17 AS/A2 Heathcote Sixth Form students were invited to attend a Careers using Maths & Economics STEM workshop.

Our diverse group of students (16-18 year olds) were shown practical applications of how mathematics is used in the world of work, followed by a case study of a statistician at Global Sports Statistics.

After this, all the students then engaged in a networking activity, where they had to meet with a range of professionals and discuss their specialisms in order to gauge

what opportunities exist in the STEM world, post-18. The fields represented were: Actuary, Defence Science, Mathematical and Financial Economists, Oxbridge students of Mathematics

and Economics, Accountants and Engineers. After lunch, the students then participated in a Group Challenge, dealing with extreme risk in the financial markets, and exploring how they could use their mathematical knowledge to mitigate economic risks in the global stock markets.

All of our students thoroughly enjoyed this activity and were motivated to engage in the STEM sector post-18. The opportunities in the STEM sector are vast, but perceptually, the door is closed to many students who lack the access to get into such positions; this conference has opened doors for them.

Lead Drama Teacher Ms McHugh informs us about a successful theatrical event.

Over a two month period twenty Year 7 and 8 pupils rehearsed every Thursday for their performance of ‘The Ozee’ (a combination of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and ‘The Wiz’). Each week, the cast came through the doors of H21 full of excitement and enthusiasm. Drama Club is not just about creating wonderful plays: we also play a variety of Drama games and I have noticed the pupils becoming much more confident with every aspect of performance.

Each student had their own role to play including seven main roles and thirteen excitable, enthusiastic and larger-than-life Munchkins.

After weeks of rehearsal, on Thursday 28th January the Drama Club took centre stage in the main school Hall. They performed to an audience of their parents and peers with energy and passion. After the show, audience members told me how wonderful they thought the students had been. I felt that they performed their characters to the audience with confidence and courage. They did themselves and Heathcote proud. Well done Drama Club!


Art Exhibition Adds Mystery to HistoryAs part of Heathcote’s ‘Winter Showcase’ from the Expressive Arts faculty, December saw another spectacularly effective cross-curricular exhibition in the school’s main foyer.The Art department combined with the History staff to produce a show which focused on celebrated characters from days gone by. The chosen subjects had to be related to topics currently being covered in KS3 lessons. Students selected a famous person and then produced a piece referencing the work of artist Geoffrey Farmer, who regularly uses materials such as cardboard, cloth and found objects. The result was a series of minimalised, stylised and distorted figures which somehow seemed to connect the past with the present.

The students were encouraged to use their powers of imagination – so Queen Elizabeth I emerged wearing a costume from the film ‘Men in Black’, perhaps touching on gender issues. Some students also included quotes, to stimulate even more reflection on the part of the viewer.


Although this was primarily a KS3 venture – and all their work was displayed – Year 11 and A-Level students also joined in with even more scope for independence in their approaches. For example, Year 12 student Salvador Sanchez-Pardo added a cubist twist to a portrait of architect Zaha Hadid!


Festive fun-seekers would have had a great time at Heathcote last year with a range of entertaining events. Staff and students put on their special Christmas jumpers, defying conventional notions of style and fashion; everyone gorged themselves at the excellent Christmas lunch and there was a seasonal meeting of the Faith Group. The term was rounded off with a performance by X Factor band New Kings Order, strutting their stuff for charity on the last day before the holiday. Overall, the events raised £875, shared between Royal London hospital and Save the Children.

Santa will have been well impressed.

Christmas at Heathcote - and All in a Good Cause


Year 13 student ZUHAYR MUGHAL describes another opportunity for Heathcote students to connect with the world of work.Four students from Heathcote School were invited to The Bank of England on the 18th December 2015 for an ‘insight day’ organised by Intern First.

Intern First matches and connects young people to employers for internships and entry-level positions, whilst at school. The organisation aims to improve access for students who are not blessed with their own private network of suitable contacts in the business world.

Upon arrival we were welcomed with guest badges and then seated in a private room where a presentation was given, based on all the schemes the bank offers for both school leavers and university graduates. We were given the chance to network with employers, find out how to get onto to the schemes and learn what such an experience would be like. This benefitted us in many ways, for instance the fact that this opened up even more career paths for us.

We also took part in an activity, in groups, whereby we were instructed to construct what we think a new £5 note

should look like. This was done to encourage engagement with students from other schools and to show our creative sides! After the activity, we sat in our groups and were given speaking activities to do with the person next to us, thereby practising how to talk and what to say in interviews.

We all found this event very helpful and insightful. As a result, we have been able to apply for specific internship programmes with the Bank of England and also learned what City employers look for. We would like to thank Intern First for this opportunity.

The Woman in BlackYear 12 student EMMA CURZON tells us about a stimulating – and startling – trip to

the theatre.As part of our coursework for A Level Drama, we had to review a live theatre production. We went to see ‘The Woman in Black’, a stage adaptation of the novel by Susan Hill at the Fortune

Theatre in Covent Garden. It was a fantastic play. There were only three actors, including the ghostly lady in the title, but all were really good and the sound effects were terrifying. It is not a bit like the film, but it is the most frightening play I have ever seen – I felt jumpy and on edge all the way through, a sensation that was still there even as we left the theatre. It definitely gave us a lot to write about and I would thoroughly recommend going to see it just for fun…But those who are easily scared: you have been warned!

Project Development GCSE students in Year 10 studying Graphics and Resist-ant Materials were involved recently in an event which focused on the design development stage of a project. Outside speaker, Chris Woodger, who is a designer for Transport for London, presented ideas on how to take an initial concept to development stage using a range of communication methods. Students were then set a short task to present their own ideas with the aim of applying some of these skills and experiences to their own projects for GCSE.

Banking on Future Success


More Able Co-ordinator Ms Elgie writes: In a recent article in the education section of The Daily Telegraph, the Head of Admissions for Oxford stated that raising aspirations as young as Year 7 was critical when supporting students to achieve places at the top universities. She encouraged schools to take students on visits that ‘inspire’ students.

This is precisely what the KS3 Scholars Programme aims to do. As a reward for achieving excellent results in termly assessments, students in Years 7, 8 and 9 are given the opportunity each term to learn what they can accomplish if they continue to work hard. Last term, four ‘Scholars’ visits took place; each enabled Heathcote students to expand their horizons and get a taste for what lies beyond our school gates.

Year 7 Visit to the Science MuseumThe day was focused on careers in engineering which included a tour around the latest gallery. Our students got to work with museum staff in an interactive workshop, where they had the chance to build a transistor radio and a speaker out of a polystyrene bowl. This gave

the pupils a chance to test their problem-solving skills with basic circuit components and was coupled with a visit to the museum’s brand new gallery, ‘Engineer Your Future’, which has been specifically designed to focus on the big-thinking, team-

working skills students would need to become the globe-trotting engineers of tomorrow.

The students were all suitably impressed. Aslim Sonmez commented on the ‘peculiar phones’ people had to use before mobiles were invented. The visit inspired her to think about taking triple Science for GCSE. Cenk Goren found the history of mechanical and economic development very interesting. He said: ‘The visit inspired me to professionally develop my chemistry and science skills.’ Ellys Cromwell-McBride said the trip made her think about how things work, for example ‘when the light turns on or when I unzip my coat’ and Sasha Montgomery promised she would share what she had learned with others.

Year 8 Visit to University of East London’s Engineering ProgrammeThe Year 8s started off the day by exploring the future possibilities that engineering could offer students, such as robotics, electronics, structural engineering and product design. Afterwards, in groups, students were given the opportunity to explore different challenges and activities. One group was given a sheet of corrugated card, a Stanley knife, a pencil and a ruler. With only these four objects, they then had to make a platform which would support their weight. This had to be

30cm from the ground. The pupils were really creative in their planning and problem solving, but the real test came when they checked the strength of their projects by standing on them!

Many of the students were truly inspired by the day. While several now know that they would like to attend university, others are keen to pursue a degree specifically in engineering. Jasmin Eloubaidi-Saunders and Sian Lakes enjoyed learning about university and how robots can be used for a variety of purposes. Tahilah Williams was inspired to learn more about becoming an engineer, as she “loved talking to the robots.” Rachel Lott discovered that engineering “is actually fun and challenging at the same time.” Huzaifah Adia is now going to “have a wider look at engineering, architecture and computing;” while Rukhe Omo-Ikerodah has been inspired to keep his options open and to try new things.

The KS3 Scholars Programme: Rewarding Excellent Achievement and Progress at Heathcote


Year 9 Visit to Olympic Park: UCL EastAs part of the Olympic legacy our year 9s were invited to become architects for the day and help the University of Central London create a ‘masterplan’ for the newest campus: UCL East. Our students were involved in marking out the land on which the campus would

be built, photographing possible views and sightlines, and making style selections through brainstorming

sessions with the actual project architects. In groups, students had to make a detailed presentation which outlined how the university campus would serve and satisfy a member of

the community, taking into account any lifestyle needs as well as the aims of the university. The campus is to open in five years’ time, which means that it could be our Year 9s who are the first university students to cross the threshold.

Paris Duncan was pleased to discover how to measure distances without a tape and Lucy Chesnaye said she had discovered that it was important to have some buildings facing different ways. Lots of students said the trip had made them think

about careers in this field. For example, Danella Sloman commented: ‘It has inspired me to want to design and build things’, while Ted Boyle said: ‘It has made me realise I might be into

architecture’. Louis Leonard thought the visit had made him want to go to university at UCL. Niloufar Ghah simply thought that she would now try going into London more!

Year 9 Visit to Hackney Empire A group of our Year 9s were given the opportunity to see a performance of Jack and the Beanstalk at the Hackney Empire, after which they were allowed to ask cast and crew questions about possible careers in the world of theatre. The students really enjoyed the performance

and found the information afterwards invaluable – particularly as it gave them a new perspective about the dif ferent skills required by a functioning theatre.

Some of the students decided to write reviews of the pantomime and also offered their thoughts about having the opportunity to meet the cast. Nathaniel Elemide said: ‘Originally, I was quite sceptical about how good this panto would be. I thought it would be boring, childish and silly. However, I was wrong. I soon found myself yelling and clapping’. Michael Stanway was impressed by the way the actors ‘managed to improvise, even in the bits where they appeared to have verbally stumbled’. Both Michael and Ellie Weston were worried that some of the jokes might have been inappropriate for the youngest members of the audience. Having met the producer and two of the actors afterwards, Ellie realised the need to start thinking about future careers even now. Junel Holder was impressed by the producer’s straight-talking. She said: ‘He didn’t sugar coat things. He told us that when starting a career in the theatre, you might have to work for free.’ Junel learned that it was always important to have a Plan B in case plan A does not work out. Nathaniel also commented on how the actors had not tried to make things sound easy: ‘They told us about the hardships they have faced such as losing friends and being bullied. Having said that, they also showed us the highlights like meeting Beyoncé and working in movies.’


Scholars Trip to OxfordYear 8 student Alfie Hutton describes an enjoyable and informative trip to one of our great university cities.

After a two hour trip via the M11, M25 & M40, we finally arrived at the outskirts of Oxford and it was very nice there with beautiful villages and lovely green scenery.

I was surprised how built up Oxford actually was. The old fashioned medieval buildings were phenomenal. (The University of Oxford is actually made up of 38 universities.)

We were visiting St Peter’s College, a beautiful university with fantastic facilities. We were introduced to Lucy – who told us facts and asked us questions about universities and Oxford in general. We learnt there were 125 institutions in the UK and that ‘David Beckham Studies’ was once a course you could take!

After a tour around St Peter’s, we had lunch in a Harry Potter - styled room. In this university there were four houses, just like Harry Potter, and the tables were laid out like the Harry Potter movies. I enjoyed the real (and scrumptious) taste of classic British food.

After that, we enjoyed a discovery hunt around the city of Oxford looking at all the magnificent architecture.

Finally, we went to two amazing museums. In one of them, our group had to find an object in the museum and make a one-minute presentation about it. We chose the Japanese samurai and we learnt that their ancient swords could kill four people in one slice of the dice. We also saw a great many dinosaur skeletons.

Overall, I thought the trip was fantastic and I would like to see another university like Cambridge

in the future. I was inspired by the amazing facilities and staff. I would like to say thank you to Lucy (for organising the trip), Ms Thomas (for choosing me to come because of my progress) in Spanish, Mrs Dadzie (for helping me on the trip and spending time out of school) and the coach driver (for four hours of driving down hazardous motorways to make this whole day possible).


Spectroscopy… In a Suitcase!2nd in Science Ms Karpinska tells us about a challenging activity for our sixth form students.On 23rd February, Heathcote’s AS and A2 Chemistry students took part in a Spectroscopy workshop delivered by Imperial College Undergraduate and Postgraduate students from the Chemistry Department and supported by Royal

Society of Chemistry. (Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation. It also helps to identify chemical compounds.)

The RSC’s ‘Spectroscopy in a Suitcase’ scheme is an outreach activity which gives school students the chance to learn about spectroscopy through hands-on experience. As well as covering the principles of spectroscopic

techniques, the activities use real-life contexts to demonstrate the applications of the techniques.

Imperial College London allowed us to use a SIAS kit comprising an infra-red spectrometer and a new portable NMR spectrometer. In addition

to complementing the study of spectroscopy at AS and A-Level, there was a strong emphasis on encouraging school pupils to consider studying chemistry at Higher Education and the career opportunities available.

Our guests were very impressed with the knowledge and ability of our Year 13 students, who were able to successfully analyse all of the compounds that were tested, whereas AS students had an opportunity to get a taste of what they are going to learn more about next year. We are hoping to stay in touch with Imperial to organize similar events in the future.

In February, Heathcote once more hosted the annual Deaf Aspirations Day. Deaf students from three schools met together for workshops, inspired by role models from all walks of

life. Students were enthralled by James Clarke’s accounts how he overcame his disabilities to run 63 marathons. Despite being deaf and visually impaired, James has set himself the target to run 100 marathons. Dr. Tyron Woolfe, a Deputy Director at the National Deaf Chlidren’s Society, inspired students with tales of how he persevered, even after initially failing his A Levels, to achieve a PhD. It was also great to have ex-Heathcote pupils return and give advice from their experiences at college and university.

Dr. Tyron Woolfe

James Clarke

Deaf Aspirations Day


Inspired by CambridgeAnika Hossain tells us about an enjoyable trip to Cambridge University and The Cambridge Union – the oldest debating society in the country.On Friday 29th January, twenty Year 12 Psychology students set off for The Cambridge Union Debating Chamber to attend three lectures based on topics that were relevant to or lessons in school.

Fortunately, we arrived early, allowing us the opportunity to take in our surroundings. Indeed, the ‘city life’ was dif ferent to London - enjoyably so with the absence of cars and the presence of longstanding stoned paths and architecture. After a brief exploration of our surroundings, we made our way back to the Union.

Once in the Debating Chamber, we were informed that the room had previously hosted brilliant speakers, such as Winston Churchill, Dame Judi Dench and Stephen Hawking. Quite frankly, it was awe-inspiring to be enhancing

our knowledge about psychology and its contemporary development in society in such wonderful surroundings.

The first of the three lectures focused on Depression and Anxiety in Childhood and Adolescence, and was led by Dr Paul Wilkinson. We were all intrigued by the topic of mental illness, but were stunned by the statistics about how common it was amongst us young adults. Approximately 1 in 4 adolescents will suffer from depression and/or anxiety. We also learnt what symptoms need to be persistent in order for a proper diagnosis to be made.

Subsequently, Dr Lucy Cheke discussed memory. Although only one model of memory was mentioned – the Multistore Model of Memory - she did teach us many new terms that will be helpful for our exams. This model focused on Short-term, and Longer-term memory, and how it works when interpreting dif ferent chunks of information.

After lunch (more exploration of the city!), Dr Lucy Blake tiptoed

her way through Attachment Theory. Her field of work seemed to focus on attachments being formed with parents of the same sex.

At the end of each lecture, questions were opened to the floor and, although initially our group were a little reserved, we did eventually participate with dif ferent opinions on how certain attachments are formed - as well as the question: “Is there such thing as a photographic memory?” (No, in case you wondered.)

Overall the experience was incredible, offering us a fresh perspective in modern psychology. By the end of the day, we left Cambridge with nothing but good memories.


On January 27th, forty-eight Heathcote students were invited to attend the University of Hertfordshire’s information day. The aim of the event was to educate the students on university life, the benefits of choosing university and the possibility of studying abroad.

Students were given the chance to ask questions and discuss possible career aspirations with current

undergraduate students. The day also included a tour of the campus with the ambassadors and a guest speech from the student union representative to discuss the life of a student and the wide opportunities available.

The visit was very successful with students taking away clear ideas and information about their future careers and the possible avenues available to them.

Heathcote Hits Hertfordshire

safe drive stay alive 2016The Safe Drive, Stay Alive annual event took place on Monday 18th January. All year 12 students were invited to attend the excellent performance-based initiative, which targeted post-16 audiences, addressing driver and passenger behaviour in a car.

The event was delivered collaboratively by the emergency services, Waltham Forest Council and TfL. It provided a very powerful message to our students, educating them on the dangers of not driving safely and being a passenger in an unsafe car. Real life scenarios and accidents highlighted the importance of the advice being given and the dif ference between life and death.


Exploring Your True Values at ChristmasIn December, Faith Club hosted an after school event for Christmas with festive drinks and snacks. A guest speaker encouraged students to explore this interesting question: “What would be the best present you could receive this Christmas?” Ever yone enjoyed seeing a video of well-known faces from around the school giving their own, stimulating answers!

Bubbly Mood for Year 7 Xmas DiscoHead of Year 7, Ms Shorter, writes: In December, we held the first Year 7 Christmas party for over four years. The students came in their best outfits and arrived ready to dance. The DJ played great music from 6 till 8 and students had the chance to purchase refreshments. To add to the atmosphere, foam and bubbles were sprayed over the partying crowd. Just before the end, we gave the students a chance to sing some serious karaoke. The behaviour of all students was impeccable and a good time was had by all - even Mrs Smith who performed the Macarena! A great way to end the year.

WORLD BOOK DAY

March 3 was World Book Day. Students were given vouchers to use in the school library, either

in exchange for special editions of well-known titles or to reduce the cost of other books. Nearly 200 eager pupils descended on the library staff at

lunchtime to choose their gift.

Especially popular this year was ‘Star Wars: Adventures in Wild Space’!


26th Macmillan Coffee Morning at Heathcote – And The Best Ever! CHARLIE CLARK and THOMAS BRADFORD tell us about their involvement in a successful fundraising event.The Macmillan coffee morning was the most successful ever, over the 26 years that it has been running at Heathcote.

This was only managed with the help from some of the catering students and Sixth formers who made it possible. We were able to make the cakes freshly on the morning so they tasted better.

We got advice from the caretaker on what procedures to follow to keep the event as safe as possible. On the

morning, Charlie noticed that the extension cable was overheating so he quickly alerted the caretaker who gave us a replacement.

Thomas organised everyone to

lay out the tables from a plan he had drawn up using PowerPoint. We made good use of the available space.

However, Mrs Wallace commented that we needed to fundraise to buy some new tablecloths, as the ones we were using appeared to be 26 years old!

The music supplied by Mr Robinson added to the happy and cheerful atmosphere of the day.

We raised our target of £400, which was only achieved by the teachers and other staff making generous donations of ingredients and money. We therefore had minimum expenses to lay out.

Thanks to everyone who helped to make this event such a success.

This is me standing next to the cakes (writes Charlie Clark), with the mad rush of students collecting a drink and cakes. It shows that a lot of people came to get the cakes and the drinks as they were supporting a worthwhile cause. All the money raised for Macmillan is to help them support others.

Thomas and me with Ms McCann and Mrs Wallace and the catering group who made our event a success. This shows that we were able work as a team.

ThomasCharlie

Cyber Bullying and E-safetyHere at Heathcote School we are dedicated to improving people’s awareness on how to keep safe online. Cyber bullying is a form of bullying which uses technology against the victim. This can occur via a mobile phone, through social media or even on video gaming, and young people who are victimised in this way can be absolutely devastated by the consequences. However, there are steps that can be taken to protect a child from cyber bullying, help them deal with the effects and to prevent the bullying from continuing.

Young people who bully other children online need not be bigger or stronger than their victim physically, and their activities can be quite low-key and difficult to spot.

It is an unfortunate fact that a great many children have engaged in cyber bullying in some way or have been a victim of it – or in many cases have simply been a bystander. Parents and carers should be watchful for signs of cyber bullying in their children, be they victim or perpetrator.

Please see this article on the school website for links to further advice and information from both ChildNet and CEOP (The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre).


Cooking With PassionThis year Heathcote School entered two Year 9 students, Poppy Majid and Chloe Coltelli, into the area final of the Young Rotary Chef Competition. Chloe came second in the competition, earning her a place in the District Final at Redbridge College having cooked Chicken Stuffed with Spinach and Feta Cheese, Herby Lemon Couscous with Roasted Vegetables and, for dessert, Pomegranate Passion Meringue Crush. Chloe really impressed the judges with her cooking skills and had a great day working in Redbridge College Catering Department kitchens.

Literacy Group Gets OrganicIn February, fourteen Year 7 Literacy students met Elizabeth Bragg from Organic Lea, a cooperative which grows food on the edge of London. They went out into the Heathcote Garden together, playing educational games and learning about some of the issues, before having the opportunity to plant four apple trees, four small-leafed lime trees and four hazel trees. Ms Bragg said she was ‘excited to run the workshop focusing on biodiversity.

It was a lovely sunny day, too!

Year 12 student Olivia Fensome enthuses about a field trip to the West Country.

On February, our Year 12 Geography class went on a trip to Somerset for three days. We stayed in Nettlecombe Court, which is located in a secluded valley at the eastern edge

of Exmoor National Park.

Over the three days, we went on many outings to neighbouring villages in the area. Working with students from other

schools, we collected vital research for our upcoming summer exams. This included coastal surveys from the seaside town of Minehead and the effects of longshore drift at Porlock Bay.

Overall, the trip was a great success, as not only did we come away with new skills and data to use in exams, but also some great memories!

Leading with BTECMiss Shorter writes: Year 13 BTEC students are seen here in Sport Leading lessons for assign-ment 3 of the Leadership Unit. As part of this assignment, students had to plan a sporting session, taking into account health and safety is-sues, before producing a risk assessment. Feed-back from the pupils being taught will also be used in their assignment 4, where they have to complete an essay highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.

Year 12 Enjoy Happy Valley Geography Visit


PE NewsHeathcote Girls Finish 3rd…Well done to our Year 8-9 girls who finished 3rd in the Waltham Forest Football Competition.

Cyrus signs for Orient!Congratulations to Tyreece Cyrus (7.1) who recently signed for Leyton Orient.

GCSE Revision NightsYear 10: Wednesday from 3.15-4.15pm Year 11: Friday from 3.15-4.15pm

Are You a Rising Star?If you compete in a sport at a high level (i.e. an Academy Football player or a national level martial artist) then please come and speak to Mr Seymour in PE. We would love to find out about your talent, which could find its way onto our ‘Rising Stars’ profile board!

Sixth Form Visit Jump Giants Our Sixth Form BTEC Level 3 students recently visited ‘Jump Giants’, as part of their BTEC course. They learned a variety of trampolining skills, and were constantly on the bounce!

Mon

day

GIRLS Lunch time BOYSBasketball Years 7,8,9 (Gym)Table Tennis Year 11 (Main Hall)

Basketball Years 7,8,9 (Gym)Table Tennis Year 11 (Main Hall)

GIRLS After School BOYSFootball training (Ms Harris)

Staff MeetingsMMA Self-defence club (Mr Grange)

Staff Meetings

Tues

day

GIRLS Lunch time BOYSBasketball Years 10-11 (Gym)Football Years 7-8 (Tennis Courts)

Basketball Years 10-11 (Gym)Football Years 7-8 (Tennis Courts)

GIRLS After School BOYSFutsal Training – All Years (Mr Symeou)

Netball training / Fixtures (Ms Lewis / Shorter)

Basketball training – Mixed All Years (Ms Armitage / Ms Barnes)

Rugby club– Mixed All Years (Ms Parish)

HOD Detentions KS4Basketball training: Mixed All Years (Ms Armitage / Ms Barnes)

Gym club: All Years (Ms Gogar)

Rugby club: Mixed All Years (Ms Parish)

Football training / Fixtures: Year 7 (Mr Prince)

Football training / Fixtures: Year 9 (Mr Seymour / Mr Robson)

Wed

nesd

ay

GIRLS Lunch time BOYSBasketball Years 7,8,9 (Gym)Table Tennis Year 11 (Main Hall)Football Years 7-8 (Tennis Courts)

Basketball Years 7,8,9 (Gym)Table Tennis Year 11 (Main Hall)Football Years 7-8 (Tennis Courts)

GIRLS After School BOYSSixth Form Enrichment (Mr Monksfield)

Futsal Training Year 8 (Mr Chambers)

Sixth Form Enrichment (Mr Monksfield)

Thur

sday

GIRLS Lunch time BOYSBasketball Years 10-11 (Gym)Football Years 7-8 (Tennis Courts)

Basketball Years 10-11 (Gym)Football Years 7-8 (Tennis Courts)

GIRLS After School BOYSFutsal Training Year 9 (Mr Chambers)

Football Fixtures Year 10 (Mr Prince)

HOD Detentions Y10 (H109)

Frid

ay

GIRLS Lunch time BOYSBasketball Years 7,8,9 (Gym)Table Tennis Year 11 (Main Hall)Football Years 7-8 (Tennis Courts)

Basketball Years 7,8,9 (Gym)Table Tennis Year 11 (Main Hall)Football Years 7-8 (Tennis Courts)

GIRLS After School BOYSTrampolining Club (All Years)(Mr Chambers / Ms Parish)

GCSE Revision (Mr Seymour, Mr Monksfield, Miss Armitage and Miss Gogar)

HOD Detentions KS3

Trampolining Club: All Years(Mr Chambers / Ms Parish)

Futsal Training Y7 (Mr Prince)

GCSE Revision (Mr Seymour, Mr Monksfield, Miss Armitage and Miss Gogar)

HOD Detentions KS3

PE Extra-Curricular Activities

28 Heathcote School and Science College, Normanton Park, Chingford, London E4 6ES. Tel: 020 8498 5110

Jack Petchey WinnersEach month, a student is chosen as the ‘Jack Petchey’ award winner, the reward being a certificate and £200 for them to allocate to an aspect of the school they feel would benefit from some extra funding. This school year, the monthly selection will be made from the collective ‘Performers of the Month’ nominated by each department. A simple draw determines the winner from all the worthy nominees.

NOVEMBER: Pippa Davies: Pippa requested a cake sale in school for Breast Cancer Awareness. This was very successful and raised a significant amount of money for the charity. She assisted in the organisation of the event and helped serve the cakes during break and lunch times. She

liaised with the canteen staff and school management before the event day and ensured that the day ran smoothly and effectively.Pippa acted as a role model for the entire school by showingempathy towards charitable causes and highlighting this to others.

DECEMBER / JANUARY (Combined award): Holly HollisHolly has worked really hard in the Food Technology rotation this year, building her confidence in developing an independent working method and following recipes precisely. She has produced excellent homework and is an enthusiastic member of the class.

The aim of Heathcote School & Science College is to provide an excellent education in a safe, supportive learning environment, where people are valued and make positive contributions to the school community and where students go on to become independent members of society.

www.heathcoteschool.com

HEATHCOTE NEWS€¦ · 7 Everybody’s Talkin’: Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge Year 10 student...

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