6th November 2017

NewsletterSixth Form

Welcome back after what I hope was a fantastic half term break. We have had a wide range of Supercurricular opportunities offered recently. Just before the end of term our physicists attended a talk by NASA hosted at the U.S Embassy. This week, our English literature students watched a performance of Othello by the National Youth Theatre. Next week our economists will have the opportunity to attend a lecture by the Nobel prize-winning economist Mohamed Younis, and in December our biologists have a great opportunity to attend the Science Live conference.

These wider opportunities will support the learning that happens in class, offer inspiration within subjects and, of course, will be vital when writing UCAS applications. Many thanks to the staff who give up time to organise these great opportunities.

Our staff and students will have further opportunities to delve deeply into an area of interest on 22nd November which is our annual Ahmed Al-Khafaji Day. For families new to INA, Ahmed was a student in our founding year group who was with us throughout Years 7 to 9 but sadly passed away in July 2014.

Ahmed was a great character. His passion and excitement for learning and knowledge was palpable. His sense of curiosity and imagination as a learner was infectious. He was a committed musician who had his own band and loved to play the trombone and the piano, he wrote poetry, he was a keen scientist, a debater, a student with strong social, moral and political views. He loved languages and read and wrote in Arabic. He was a fantastic all-rounder! And he was well loved by his peers and the staff. Ahmed displayed so many of the BRIDGES dispositions and character traits.

In honour of Ahmed, and to keep his memory alive in the school, we take a day out of our routine each year to model the behaviours that Ahmed displayed so powerfully. On this day we encourage everyone in the INA community, staff and students, to get engrossed in learning about something that really excites and engages them. For some this will involve a trip to a museum or a gallery, for others curling up and reading some books related to a course they are studying or watching documentaries or films linked to course material. Some students spend the day making music with friends or practising a sport they are learning. Some staff members visit other schools to see great practice or carry out research or further reading. We all learn off site on this day. Once we return to school following the Ahmed Day, every student and member of staff is invited to complete a card reflecting on what they spend the day doing and learning and we display these around the school.

We are holding a Higher Education information evening on Thursday 23rd November. Further details are in this issue but please save the date as we will be sharing key information about our vision, the application process and timelines. I look forward to seeing you you there!

With best wishes,Sugra AlibhaiVice Principal and Head of Sixth Form

Head of Sixth Form’s Welcome

When I was in Year 11, I made the decision to leave my secondary school and go to a sixth form college, as the sixth form was very small at my secondary school, and also I had to choose A –Levels I wasn’t very keen on.

At sixth form college, I opted to study Modern History as I had always had a fascination with WW2, English Language as I love how language has developed and changed, and Human Biology as I felt I needed a subject with very definitive answers by comparison to my other 2 options which involved much more research, ‘thinking’ and opinions. I was nervous as I knew I was embarking on challenging A Level courses, and I can remember my GCSE History

teacher saying I’d find it tough to do those A Levels – hearing that made me more determined than ever to study them at A level.

When I began to think about applying to university towards the end of Year 12, only one other member of my family had gone to university before me, so I didn’t know much about what to expect in the application process, or what university would even be like. I did know I wanted to move to a different city and have independence from my parents. The teachers at my college were really helpful with how to write my UCAS application, and I did go to visit many universities through my college to help with that process. It was on those visits that I discovered I wanted to live in a city, and the choice then became between Newcastle or Liverpool, and to study History or English. Both had fantastic courses in both subjects, and it became really exciting, on receipt of conditional offers, that my dream would really happen. My biggest fear was not making the grades needed to get onto the courses I had opted for. Being still undecided about which subject to study, I initially applied for a combined BA honours degree in History and English at both universities to leave my options open, and hoped my A Level grades would make the choice easier. At that stage I had no fixed career plan, I just was studying what I felt passionate about. What was interesting at that stage was that all my friends wanted to go to different places to do such different courses – and it was totally OK! It helped make all the visits to universities that bit more exciting as we could compare them widely, and make good decisions.

On the 24th August 2001, I can remember going into college on A Level results day and feeling so unbelievably nervous (more than I had ever been about my GCSEs). Had I got the grades I needed? I remember being given my envelope containing my results and opening it and just jumping with joy that I had got the grades I needed for my degree (three B grades), and best of all, both universities were willing to offer me a place based on those grades. Now I had to decide which course to pick and where. Liverpool was nearer to home in Huddersfield, and I had a cousin there, or Newcastle where it would be totally new. I opted for Newcastle in the end, as I preferred the halls of residence choices! I also made the decision to change to just a single BA honours degree in History in my first term, once I began the course, as I just loved the topics so much more.

The best part of studying my History course was the variety of history I could choose to learn about. Newcastle offered so many topics that you can’t study at school, and I still did some English units too. In the second year we had to choose 9 units from a list of 50 units to study over the year – it was like a wish list, and I loved all of them. Some were more challenging than others, for example I really struggled with focusing on a unit on ‘Anglo-Saxon England’, but bizarrely in that year, given it was such a similar time period, my favourite topic was called ‘Death, Dying and the Dead in Medieval England’ – it was incredibly gruesome learning about the different diseases and death punishments, but the lecturer was so entertaining. I didn’t find essay writing easy to begin with at university, and the freedom given to do the learning was hard to adjust to. But feedback from my lecturers really helped, and over time this became something I enjoyed the most about studying – having the freedom and time to read widely. In the third, or final, year the History I studied became very specialised, and I took a year-long course in the career and life of Winston Churchill (my historical hero!), and it was a different way of learning.

My Education Journey...By Ms Priestley, Lead Teacher of History/Teacher of Humanities

Our lecturer set up weekly seminars for 2 hours, and the 20 students in the group were paired up. Each week a pair had to present an aspect of Churchill’s career or life, to the group, for around 45 minutes, and then the rest of the group could discuss this (rather like we have Harkness here). The great thing here, is I did so much learning in those discussions I didn’t realise I was learning, and the opportunity to listen to others share their reading in such an articulate manner, supported me academically to write a dissertation.

Outside of my studies at university I had a great network of friends thanks to living in halls of residence, and they have become friends for life – they might live in America, New Zealand, China, London or Edinburgh but thanks to social media, and determined efforts, we have stayed friends, and I hope we will forever. Being a History student, the History department took us on many trips around the North East of England to see the historical sights, which was always interesting. I was member of a cheese eating society at one point as I loved cheese so much – but there was so much on offer, and the societies at university really offer you chance to make life-long friends. I also had a part time job while I was studying, and it helped me to balance my studies with real life. I was a cashier at an electrical store, Dixons, throughout my degree, and it really helped me to make friends out of university too, with people from the local area. I think the most worthwhile aspect of my degree was getting to volunteer in my final year in local secondary schools. By this point I was beginning to lean towards teaching as a career option, and going to volunteer in two schools in the area made me realise I loved seeing students learn, and I wanted to put my degree to good use once I had completed it. So a next round of UCAS began for post-graduate study, and luckily I was accepted to Leeds Trinity University to study a PGCE in Secondary Education, specialising in History.

Looking back, I can see I was always worried I wouldn’t quite ‘make the grade’ or get in to university. However, I think lots of help from friends, family and teachers really helped me to accomplish all I have so far. I went back to university in 2010, 5 years after qualifying to teach, and I studied a Masters Degree part time for three years, that was by far the most challenging aspect of any studying - to balance a full time teaching role AND study was very very hard (so much harder than my original degree), but the sense of achievement at the end was fantastic. I would always advocate to students to study what you enjoy, what you are passionate about, and what makes you smile to learn more about – as that is what makes you get through the less enjoyable aspects of learning…. Especially the exams. The next step will always work out, and it is totally OK to not have a plan at 16!

During the summer, we had the opportunity to go to Canada on a leadership course for three weeks thanks to the generosity of the Stuart Horne bursary, which paid for all the expenses (the total value of the bursary was $7,000).

Along with 8 other pupils, we set off on a plane to North America; not knowing what was going to be in store for us over the next three weeks. Throughout the course, we canoed a total of 250 km, as well as hiking and camping.

A general day for us typically included a 15-20 km canoe paddle before we arrived at the campsite and had to set up camp for the night. One person had the role of being an architect and had to set up the tents and the tarps, others had the role of cooking and everyone else was either on dishes duty or firewood/ hydro duty. The variety of different tasks meant we developed new skills, including learning how to set up a tent and a tarp, and how to set up a fire and keep it alight. As the course progressed, we also learnt how to navigate through the lake with a map which was a skill we had to use when we were the leaders of the day. Neha said: “Prior to going on the Outward Bound course, I was a fairly shy and reserved individual and wouldn’t have necessarily nominated myself to partake in a leadership course.”

Our original plan was to portage and canoe through Lake Temagami, all the way up to Lady Evelyn. However, due to unforeseen circumstances and the weather, we decided to take an alternative route through the lake to ensure our safety. Throughout the trip, we were caught in a number of thunderstorms and sat in lightning position for almost 2 hours (which is a crouched position on your PFD life jacket so that if you were to be struck by lightning it would be directed away from you), which was an experience to say the least!

I can remember one incident where we’d just completed a 5km portage and whilst canoeing, carrying everyone’s personal luggage and food barrels for 13 people, there was a thunderstorm. This meant that we had to stop canoeing and pull up to the nearest land, where we spent hours in lightning position. There was one point during the thunderstorm where Awais was hyperventilating to keep himself warm and the instructors were very concerned and mistook it for a panic attack. Although there were some really difficult challenges during the trip (such as when we were pulling our canoes through a swamp full of beaver dams), we were able to successfully complete the course and both came away with skills that are going to be extremely valuable during our final years of school and through to University.

Outward Bound CanadaBy Neha Rajput and Awais Seyyad, Year 12

As diligent physics students we all yearn to acquire more knowledge on the subject and question professionals on their fields of expertise. This is due to the fact that most of us aspire to pursue fields in which physics is vital. On the 19th October we were given an opportunity to attend a conference run by the U.S. Embassy for Sixth Form students who studied physics and were interested in Aeronautical/ Aerospace Engineering.

The conference was hosted by a member of the Royal Society, Dr. Sheila Kanani, who explained her inspiration into the field and furthermore what her role is and how heavily her field of work has impacted her life. She also explained how pursuing this booming field gave her numerous opportunities which included hosting a show on BBC One. The other host was Jim Adams who was employed in NASA for 17 years where he finally retired as the NASA Chief Technologist (which is the highest level of employment a civil servant can achieve). He further elaborated how space research has changed the world and how his role at NASA impacted their past and current projects including the Cassini probe which will go down in history as one of the most important launches.

We were later joined by two Virgin Galactic engineers. Ron Rosano is a Virgin Galactic Astronaut in Training and will be one of the first to take a commercial flight into space. He explained to us the role of being an Aerospace Engineer at Virgin Galactic and how their shuttles exactly work and the physics behind the design and procedures carried out. They furthermore emphasised the commitment of the job and also which qualities and traits will appeal to employers.

Overall, we enjoyed the trip and it was a very useful insight into the field of Aeronautical/ Aerospace Engineering alongside being very useful to understand the versatility of physics as a subject.

Written by Faraaz Khurshid 12M

A level Physics Trip to the U.S. Embassy19th October 2017

Last Wednesday, 2nd November, 21 students travelled into central London, accompanied by Ms Rudd and Mr Davoll to see Othello performed live by the National Youth Theatre in collaboration with Frantic Assembly.

The play tells the tragic story of Othello, a black general to the Venetian army who, having married a white Venetian woman, is insulted by her father, and tricked by one of his oldest friends, Iago, whose lies drive poor Othello mad with a jealousy so strong that he kills his new wife, believing she has been unfaithful.

Although all of the students were really positive about the performance – one student, Shanzeh Haroon, from 12 Atwood, was particularly keen to reflect on what she’d seen.

Review by Shanzeh Haroon I thoroughly enjoyed watching the National Youth Theatre’s take on Shakespeare’s Othello: it was a much more contemporary and modernised version than we’d seen before which, in some aspects, exceeded my expectations, particularly the sense that the stage resembled Othello and Desdemona’s relationship when Othello was strangling his wife and the stage’s ceiling and pillars were slowly collapsing.

But although the stagecraft blew my mind, I personally felt that Rebecca Smith hadn’t done full justice to the “virtuous” and “pure” character that I would argue Shakespeare intended Desdemona to be. Instead, they portrayed her as a more assertive and defensive female than we would find in the Renaissance Period, making it harder to feel sympathy for her at the end. It’s true that this is an impression that a modern audience can connect with more, and that it’s a refreshing change from the way she’s typically portrayed but, given the chance to change that, I would choose to make Smith’s character slightly more reserved so as to arouse a greater sense of pity from the audience when she dies, making it a bigger tragedy.

Compared to Desdemona, Othello seemed quite sedate for much of the play although he did, when necessary, manage – just about – to seem infuriated by what he believes to be Desdemona’s ‘infidelity’. Nevertheless, the couple perfectly conveyed their romantic relationship towards the start of the play (as Shakespeare undoubtedly intended) through the use of abstract symbolism as their bodies intertwined with one another in a beautifully-choreographed scene that was one of my favourites, not least because it was echoed tragically later on when the movements were repeated in reverse during Desdemona’s death scene.

Elsewhere, the use of lighting, specifically when Iago entered the last few scenes, truly added to his immoral persona; presenting him as one who thrives in darkness, despite the fact that others refer to him as ‘honest’ throughout the entire play.

And so, overall, the performance gave me a better insight as to how Shakespeare’s play can be interpreted in different ways according to the different generations it passes through. Definitely a recommendation; the National Youth Theatre’s performance of Othello is not to be missed.

Y12 English Literature Trip to see Shakespeare’s Othello2nd November 2017

Printed 03/11/2017

Year 12 Mock GCE Exam Timetable - December 2017

Due to ARK data collection dates, the following exams will take place in November:

• 23rd/24th November 2017 - Chemistry (120 mins) • 24th November 2017 - English Lit Drama (75 mins)

Times unless stated Monday 4th Dec Tuesday 5th Dec Wednesday 6th Dec AM

P1 8:35 for

8:40 Start Finish 9:40

Maths 1 (60 mins)

History 1 (135 mins)

French Listening (120 mins)

50 mins listening 70 mins reading/

translation (classroom)

Geography 1 (135 mins)

Music (90 mins)

P2 9:45 Start

Released at 10:50

English Lit - prose (40 mins)

P3

11:05 for 11:10 Start Finish 12:10

Religious Studies 2 and 3 (120 mins)

Economics (60 mins)

Religious Studies 1 (60 mins)

Drama (50 mins)

P4 12:50 Start

(varied finish time)

Maths 2 (40 mins)

PM

P5 1:45 for

1:50 Start Finish 2:50

Further Maths 1 (40 mins)

Government and Politics

(80 mins)

Psychology (90 mins)

History 2 (90 mins)

P6 2:55 Start

Released 4:00

Further Maths 2 (60 mins)

• 28th/29th November 2017 - Biology (75 mins) • 27th November 2017 - Physics (120 mins)

Year 12 Mock Exam Timetable

Year 12 mock exams will begin on Monday the 4th December and are designed to support the students in preparing for their final examinations. Subject teachers will provide specific information to students. Year 12 mock exams will be held in the activity studio.

Thursday 23rd November 20176pm - 7pm

Isaac Newton Academy, 1 Cricklefield Place, Ilford, IG1 1FY

www.isaacnewtonacademy.org

Year 12 students, parents and carers are invited to attend this informative event which will provide guidance on:

Higher EducationEvening

Year 12

the process of applying to Univeristy

information and timelines for the UCAS application process

expectations of an Oxbridge application

the importance of supercurricular engagement

medical, dentistry and vetinary science application advice

how the INA Diploma will support your application

Doors will open at 5:45pm

Save when you travel

12% off

Extra 5% off

your railcard10% off

advance tickets

10% offUp to

25% off

Money off student stuff 24/7

Details correct at time of printing (June 2016). Visit nus.org.uk/extra for terms and conditions.

nus.org.uk/extraBuy your 1, 2 or 3 year card today

www.nus.org.uk

Over 200 student discounts

Including10% offTs & Cs apply

982613 6050 3141 4505Hailey .M TshumaNational Union of Students

dob: 04/06/98

exp: 09/09/18

40% offUp to

50% off10% off

PLUS 42,000 worldwide discounts with FREE ISIC200 UK discounts

when you joinSave when you study

Save when you chill

advance tickets

A5 Generic Flyer-PE-v3.indd 1 17/06/2016 15:31

Every penny goes to help students

Buy your NUS extra card today

nus.org.uk/extra

www.nus.org.uk

Over 200 student discounts

Including10% offTs & Cs apply

982613 6050 3141 4505Hailey .M TshumaNational Union of Students

dob: 04/06/98

exp: 09/09/18

Details correct at time of printing (June 2016). Visit nus.org.uk/extra for terms and conditions.

A5 Generic Flyer-PE-v3.indd 2 17/06/2016 15:31

Notices:

Year 12 females, apply now!

Rosalind Franklin STEM ConferenceWednesday 28th and Thursday 29th March 2018

INA have been invited to nominate one female Year 12 students to attend the 2018 Rosalind Franklin STEM Conference at Newnham College, which will take place on Wednesday 28th and

Thursday 29th March. The topic for this year’s conference is: ‘STEM: Practical, Beneficial Applications?’

If you are interested, please submit a paragraph detailing why you would like to be considered for this opportunity to Mr Singh before Friday 10th November 2017.

Skills London is the UK’s biggest jobs and careers event for 15-24 year olds and their families taking place on 24-25 November at ExCeL London. The event attracts over 30,000 visitors and 200 exhibitors including top employers, colleges, training providers and advisers. This two day event provides visitors with the opportunity to discover careers through interactive, inspirational activities and demonstrations, and helps young people visually bridge the gap between what they enjoy doing and what they could potentially do as a career. Click here to read more.

Taylor Wessing Insight Day - Wednesday 6th December 2017Taylor Wessing is an international law firm which has been working with Future First for a number of years to give young people the chance to learn about the opportunities that are open to them. The aim of the day is to develop Year 12 students’ transferable skills in presenting, networking and communicating, by taking part in a range of practical activities with professionals from across the organisation, including: • HR and recruitment • Lawyers, paralegals and legal secretaries • Business and marketing • IT, accountancy and facilities management

This experience will help give students a head start in understanding the world of work and thinking about what they want to do in the future. Please see Ms Mayet for more details. Click here to read more.

Social Mobility Foundation’s Aspiring Professionals Programme (APP)

The APP supports high achieving Year 12 students from low income backgrounds across the UK access competitive universities and careers. We offer support through our four pillars:

1. Mentoring by a professional via email2. Tailored skills sessions and career workshops3. University application support and guidance4. Internships with top employers

Students must apply by 9am Monday 4th December 2017 by completing our online application form.

Read more about the APP City programme here.

It All Adds Up: A Maths Conference for Girls11th January 2018

The Mathematical Institute and Department of Statistics are pleased to welcome girls in Years 9-13 to our annual conference. The event will include:• inspirational talks by female mathematicians• mathematical activities and games• hands-on workshops

BOOKINGS ARE NOW OPEN and will close on Friday 8th December 2017. Click here to read more.

The Taster Course Programme provides year 12 sixth form students with a taste of what life at a university in London is like. Through your chosen taster course you will experience the different teaching methods used by university academics and gain an insight into the additional facilities available, whilst meeting students from across the UK. All our taster courses are free to attend and you can choose a course from a variety of subjects taking place at the numerous participating universities. Courses range from voice and drama, to medicine and nursing, to computing and business. Click here for more details.

As well as the above opportunity, Queen Mary University of London is offering a number of free activities for 16-18 year olds, including coding, Health sciences and Law. Click here for more details.

Kings college London offer a range of free evening lectures and on campus programmes for 6th form students to attend, independently. For more information about these events, please click here.

Year 12 Undergraduate Shadowing SchemeApplications open Monday 18 September 2017 and can be submitted at any time until Friday 16th February. The shadowing scheme is ONLY for students who meet one of the four criteria: currently live or have previously lived in local authority care, have a disability, are estranged from their families, OR are the primary carer in their household.Click here for details.

www.isaacnewtonacademy.org