NEWSLETTER George Green’sSchool

1Issue 2 September 14th 2012

WELCOME BACK EVERYONE! What a summer we have had!

ENGLISH GCSE DOWN GRADING OF RESULTS – A NATIONAL DISGRACE!

A great deal has happened over the summer holidays – most of it positive but we were utterly shocked when we came into school to see the GCSE Exam results.  Whilst we were very pleased with most of the results we were appalled to see that there were 19 pupils who should have achieved a grade C in English but actually were awarded a D. 

You will have seen from the out-cry in the media that our school is one of hundreds across the country to suff er from Ofquals decision to change the grade boundaries by 10 points.  This decision was made without schools being informed so pupils had no opportunity to improve their grades.  This is not about standards – it’s simply that they (the young people) were too successful and the decision was made that they had too many C grades. This had nothing to do with the quality of work. The decision was made after the exams and controlled assessments were done and dusted and was a desk-top exercise where marks were deduced across the board. About 20% of schools across the country have been eff ected.

You may have seen and heard us on TV & Radio over the last few weeks making our feelings know.  Jack Cootes & his Mum Dawn were very brave and appeared on several news channels.  Indeed Jack even appeared on Newsnight on Tuesday evening and managed to give Jeremy Paxman a run for his money.  We are really proud of him and will put the link on our website so you can view it. Or you can view it now by typing the following into your web browser

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01mrdw0/Newsnight_11_09_2012/

We have been central to the campaign to get Ofqual & the government to take acti on and to look again at this blatantly unfair situati on. It is our young people, who are being punished for something that is not their fault. The impact has been devastati ng for many of our pupils who have not been able to go on to study the courses they wanted to do or to take up promised apprenti ceships because they need a C in English.

However the good news is: See page two

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On the positi ve side we moved up 6 points and are currently on 54% 5 A* to C grades and Maths came in at 75% which is well above nati onal averages. The number of A* and A grades has also gone up by 6% and we have had a number of pupils who were successful in early entries in Year 9 & 10. A Level results were also very pleasing this summer and as I reported before the holidays the IB results in the Sixth Form were excellent. We will give you lots more detail about all our results in a special ‘results newslett er’ which will be published in a few weeks ti me.

Shuhada Nessa - 9 GCSE’s including 2 A*’s and 6 A’sKorima Begum - 11 GCSE’s including 3 A*’s 3 A’s and 5 B’s

Fazlay Rabbi - 6 A’s and 2 A*’s Laura Truong - 9 A*’s, 4 A’s and 2 B’s

WELCOME TO NEW YEAR 7Our new Year 7 pupils arrived on Friday and had a great day getti ng to know the school and each other. Then they were off to their residenti al camp on Monday with their Tutors. I know how nervous many parents were about this but they had a brilliant ti me and really got to know each other well. The aim of the residenti al was to work on team building and relati onships. These pupils will be together for the next fi ve or six years so it’s important that they get along well. More informati on about the trip will be included in next week’s Newslett er.

NEW BLAZERS & EVEN SMARTER UNIFORM AND DRESS CODE!I think you will agree that Year 7 & Year 8 look really smart in their Blazers as do our Prefects! Indeed all our pupils have arrived back looking extremely smart and well presented. We are making even more of an eff ort to look smart and prepared for learning and teachers and support staff now have a more formal dress code. We are all very pleased with ourselves!Please make sure you daughter/son comply with the dress code and don’t bring in hoodies, sweatshirts, cardigans etc – only school jumpers can be worn in the school and only

outdoor coats can be brought in. Anything else will be confi scated. Similarly make sure your daughter is not wearing a very short skirt. You have had informati on about these items before the summer and indeed in the August newslett er. Trainers are not allowed on any occasion other than in PE or at lunchti me.

Look out for the slightly different style blazers.

These are our prefects.

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WELCOME TO OUR NEW STAFFAt his ti me of year it is always a pleasure to welcome new staff to the school. We are fortunate that so many excellent teachers and support staff want to work in our school. Most of our new staff joined us for three weeks before the holidays so they could learn the systems, get to know the pupils and staff and fi nd their way around the building!

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PUPIL REVIEW AFTERNOON – TUESDAY 25th September for Years 11, Years 10 and Year 13It’s really important to put this date in your diary and to prioritise the date. We need you to work with us to support your child with their learning.YEARS 10, 11 and 13 PUPIL PROGRESS REVIEW AFTERNOONDear Parent/Carer,Review Afternoons for different year groups take place over the course of the academic year. REVIEW AFTERNOON for Years 10, 11, and 13 is on Tuesday 25th September. This will take place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. SCHOOL WILL CLOSE AT 1.15PM FOR ALL YEAR GROUPS. Pupils on free school meals will be provided with a packed lunch before they leave school and of course, all pupils will be provided with work for the afternoon.Parents can see all of a child’s teachers, in any order, and this may take around an hour.Staff at George Green’s School are delighted with this opportunity to meet with you to discuss your child’s progress in individual subjects and we hope you will be too!It is vital every parent/carer attends the Review Afternoons as it is only by working together that we will achieve our ultimate goal – the best for your child.Please feel free to contact me at school (0207 987 6032) or cwhiting@georgegreens.com if you have any further questions.Yours sincerelyMs C. WhitingDeputy Head

East End Shed’s Inclusive Youth Theatre

will be delivering a drama workshop in the Theatre on Friday 21st September at 3.15pm. This is open to all pupils aged 12-16 years. If you are interested in the workshop please give Ms Williams your name.

kayleigh Reason lands role at National TheatreA huge well done to Kayleigh Reason who after auditioning for The National Theatre earlier this year secured a part in a new play about Shakespeare’s children called “Cesario”. She was involved in 8 weeks worth of intensive rehearsal before her debut performance during the summer holidays where she then performed a number of shows to full and thriving audiences who were certainly wowed by the whole cast. It was a magical performance and I am honered to be her teacher and see how far she has come, a true performer! Ms Gordon

Kayleigh Reason as Headhurts in her performance at The National Theatre this summer in “Cesario”.

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THE RIGHTS RESPECTING AWARD (RRSA) UPDATE.The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely agreed human rights treaty in history. The convention on the Rights of the Child cover many areas including some of the following:

Every child has the right to say what they think in all matters affecting them, and to have their views taken seriously.

Every child must be free to say what they think, as long as it is within the law. A child with a disability has the right to live a full and decent life in conditions that promote dignity,

independence and an active role in the community Every child has the right to a standard of living that is good enough to meet their physical, social and

mental needs Every child has the right to an education. Every child has the right to relax, play and join in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities.

There are in fact 45 articles in the convention and at George Green’s School, we fi rmly believe that we are the kind of school that respects these articles. We also believe in working with you, our parents/carers to ensure that, the young people in our care grow up knowing these rights should be respected but equally that they should respect these rights in others.So, with this in mind we have been working towards a very special award; “The Rights Respecting Award” (RRSA) and we are delighted to announce that we have been awarded “Recognition of Commitment” and are aiming to achieve level 1 as soon as possible.

There will be lots of work going on in the school over the next year, with lots of information coming out to you via the newsletter, so please look out for this.......we will also be inviting you to join us in making public pledges and promises to uphold the Convention on the Rights of the Child. If anyone would like to join our Steering Group then please feel free to contact me at the school.Lucy Cientanni

Holiday Dates 2012 – 2013 (Please keep somewhere safe)Start of Autumn term for Year 7: Friday 7th September 2012Start of Autumn term for all other pupils: Monday 10th September 2012Eid Al Adha (School closed): Friday 26th OctoberAutumn Half Term: 29th October to 2nd NovemberEnd of Autumn Term: 21st December 2012

Start of Spring Term: Tuesday 8th January 2013Spring Half Term: 18th February to 22nd February 2013End of Spring Term: Wednesday 27th March 2013

Start of Summer Term: Monday 15th April 2013Bank Holiday: Monday 6th May 2013Summer Half Term: 27th May to 31st May 2013End of Summer Term: Wednesday 24th July 2013

Start of Autumn Term: Wednesday 4th September 2013 Staff Inset Days Monday & Tuesday 2nd & 3rd September 2013

INSET DAYS (School closed to pupils)Monday 5th November 2012Monday 7th January 2013Thursday 28th March 2013

PUPIL REVIEW AFTERNOONS (School will fi nish at 1.15) Tuesday 25th Sep - 10, 11 & 13Wednesday 7th Nov - 7, 8 & 12Thursday 31st Jan - 9, 11 & 13Wednesday 20th March - 10 & 11Thursday 9th May - 8, 9 & 12Tuesday 2nd July - 8 & 11 (new year groupings)

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George Green’s Students visit Navy’s largest ShipStudents from years 8,9 and 10 who achieved the highest attendance record last academic year were rewarded with a trip to visit HMS Ocean, Britain’s biggest warship. The trip took place on Monday and the students found it very interesting to have a guided tour of the incredible vessel.

HMS Ocean has been moored at Greenwich on the river Thames for the duration of the Olympics as part of a huge security presence. The warship, usually a helicopter carrier and amphibious assault ship, is designed to deliver troops to the centre of the action by helicopter or by landing craft.

The lucky students really enjoyed the visit and it was a fi tting reward for their achievement. They were able to go onto the bridge, see the communication room as well as a sneaky look at the bunk beds below deck. The crew showed them the guns and artillery on board and allowed them to try on some of the safety kit. Kawsar Ahad, 8C, wrote an email apologising to Petty Offi cer Lansdowne after he managed to split her jacket whilst trying it on!

Some quotes from students;

Albion Zymberi, “Usually there are 300 people on board which is a lot and they do their job really well by communicating with each other and getting their jobs done.”

Amy Mat, “It felt like a real honour to be able to board the HMS Ocean, one of the biggest ships in the fl eet.”

Hamza Ahmed, “It was scary when I went outside to the top of the ship looking down at the river. I kept bumping my head as I went down the steep stairs.”

Shahid Chellanippurath, “When I stepped in it was like the being on Pirates of the Carribean but modernised. The stupidest question asked was ‘Are the guns real?!’”.

Kawsar Ahad in the ripped jacket

Group of year 8 boys Albion Zymberi and Emre Ceyhan modelling safety kit

Students on the Bridge

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George Green’s Olympic Summer George Green’s pupils and staff have been fully immersed in the Games. 35 of our pupils were selected to perform in the closing ceremony. Out of the 35 pupils 26 managed to complete 30 hours of rehearsals over a 3 month period and performed live to 80 thousand people at the closing ceremony. Haw fantastic is that!

I would like to congratulate and thank the pupils for their hard work, good humour and tenacity. They performed with the world watching. Well done and congratulations on this amazing achievement.

Tuhin Aziz, Paul Gallard, Bailey Pryce, Ishika Haque, Shanara Sadeque, Jade Kelly, Amrit & Simran Virdee, Tegan Churchill, Shama Akhter, Nadia Mohammed, Dean Bowman, Ankar Miah, Sindy Wade, Fahad Ahmed, Leon La, Sami Mohammed Abdus, Jamil FerdawsMohammed Sahib Abdul, Camila Consolfhagro, Farhondeh Ghairat, Amina Salau, Nethanie Hughes Delmas, Shannon Biggins, Isabelle Taylor and Molly Baker. These pupils performed on a huge stage with the world watching. Of course none of this would have been possible if 12 George Green’s staff had not given up their time to support our young people. The chaperones really did go above and beyond. Thank you!

Ms Cientanni and Mr Amey were Games makers who had a very busy but exciting time ‘hanging out’ with the stars. Ms Awoberu took part in the opening ceremony and became a star.

Special MentionI am so impressed with the way Active Community 10 has started this year. You have shown already that you are prepared to work hard, persist when you are fi nding things diffi cult and you are also full of great ideas. Well done to all and KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

AC11 - Your speaking and listening was outstanding - and you made me laugh! But remember, don’t let me down or I will be forced to sing you the National Anthem again! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

I would also like to send special mentions to:

Jackie Reed. Thank-you Jackie. You go on making a difference to the pupils you support day after a day and I enjoy working with you so much.

Kayla Hutchinson. An amazing start to the year in AC11. Intelligent, insightful - I know you will go from strength to strength this year. Keep up the good work.

Wacim Mimen - for your massive improvement in both conduct and the contributions you are making to the lesson. Well done.

Ms Ferner

Dates for your diaries Y11 Drama studentsPlease take note of the following dates and make sure you are in school and fully prepared. Performance of your monologues

Week beginning 17th September

Unit 1 Drama exam (2hr practical) in lesson 24th September

Unit 1 Drama exam (2hr practical) in lesson 1st October

Unit 1 Drama exam (2hr practical) in lesson 8th October

Unit 1 Drama exam (2hr written) controlled conditions 15th October

Unit 1 Drama exam (2hr written) controlled conditions 22nd October

Ms Williams

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BUILDING SCHOOLS FOR THE FUTURE (BSF) REFURBISHMENTYou know that pupils had an extra long holiday this summer in order to make sure the BSF refurbishment went smoothly and to give us time to move into newly refurbish rooms and move out of rooms that are next on the list. It was a long hard summer for my Premises Team, my ICT Team and all those who work through the holiday but I am delighted with the results. The rooms and corridors & new toilet blocks that have been completed look and feel fantastic and make really good learning environments.

The BSF Team have now moved to the next phase of works and the middle block in the school has been closed off which makes getting around the school and from one area to another diffi cult. However, we are managing and we know that we have to go through the pain if we are to gain! Having building work going on around us is not easy and there are problems that arise from day to day – such as cables being cut through by accident & cutting off our ICT systems! I am really grateful to my staff for their patience and calm approach to all of this disruption. They have just got on with it and have not complained (much) even when they have had to work late into the night and at weekends!

Paralympics20 Foundation pupils were very fortunate to attend the Paralypics Athletics at the Olympic Stadium On Tuesday 3rd September 2012.It was a beautiful day and we were met by a truly awesome sight when we entered the arena. The atmosphere was electric and the noise was deafening! The events we cheered on were the wheelchair sprint events, long jump, shot put, javelin and 400 meters. This was a wonderful ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ for the pupils to witness fi rst-hand what can be achieved by our paralympians and people with disabilities. Harry Stanley in Year 13 commented ‘I think the Paralypians are inspirational’. These amazing role-models certainly showed what our pupils can aspire to. Many thanks to John Martinez and Carl Kemp for arranging this visit and the staff that accompanied the trip. Angela Camilleri