The Urswick School

Y6 newsletter

Welcome to The Urswick School. For some of you this will be a new experience as you join our community for the first time. For others the child joining us in September will be following in a long line of family members who have been educated in this school.As you may be aware the school was founded by Christopher Urswick in 1520. Your child is joining the longest established school in Hackney and I hope the new Year 7 soon become proud of our history and tradition. The purpose of this special edition of our regular

half termly newsletter is to provide all of the information you need prior to joining us.

In March 2013 we were inspected by Ofsted who graded all aspects of the school’s work as either ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. We have very high expectations of your child’s behaviour and require you to support us in upholding the school’s Behaviour Policy, which is published in full on our website: www.theurswickschool.co.uk We were graded as outstanding for ‘Behaviour and Safety’ and ‘Leadership and Management’ by Ofsted, which means your child is joining a well run school where learning takes place without disruption in the classroom. Bullying or lack of respect for others will not be tolerated at The Urswick School.

In 2012 we achieved the highest GCSE results in the school’s history; 49% of students achieved 5 or more GCSEs at A* to C including English and Maths. In total 80% gained 5 or more top GCSEs. Our school mission statement is ‘Believe and Achieve.’ We have high aspirations for our students and believe they can achieve even better in the future. We expect our current Year 11 to smash last year’s result and break a new record for the school. This will be the fifth successive year of improved results since I became Head of the school in 2008.

We are all here to support your child, but, in particular Ms Jenny Hunting will be your child’s Head of Learning. The Assistant Headteacher responsible for Key Stage 3 is Ms Louisa Seymour. I know that many parents have regular contact with your child’s Headteacher whilst they are at Primary School but feel it is difficult to speak to the Headteacher at a Secondary School. I hold a Headteacher’s Surgery every Monday between 3pm and 4.30pm. You can come to reception and meet me on a first come, first served basis.

Everyone at The Urswick School looks forward to working with you in partnership to ensure your child achieves success.

Best wishes

Richard Brown, Headteacher

Welcome Transition DayThursday 4th July: 8.30am to 2.45pmat The Urswick School The day will run like a normal school day and your child, who is joining us is September, will have the opportunity to participate in exciting subject lessons, make new friends and meet their teachers.

Lunch will be provided. Please phone the school if your child has a food allergy.

Induction EventOn Thursday 11th July at 5pm we would like to invite you and your child, who is joining us in September, to visit the school. This will be an opportunity for our new students to get to know each other.

You will be able to find out more about our school so that everything is in place for your child to start successfully at The Urswick School in September. Please join us even if you already have an older child at the school. The evening will finish at approximately 7pm with refreshments.

If you are unable to attend please telephone the school on 020 8985 2430.

Students’ enthusiasm for learning and their hard work ensure that at all times their behaviour is excellent. Ofsted, March 2013

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Where to buy our school uniform and PE kitThe school uniform and PE kit are available to buy from Trutex, formerly known as Crossbow, in Broadway Market. Trutex offer a free fitting service to all their customers.

Learning Trust vouchers will be accepted as full or part payment for both the school uniform and PE kit.

Our new school jumpers, PE t-shirts and sweatshirts will be in stock soon. Please only purchase jumpers, t-shirts and sweatshirts with The Urswick School logo on.

31 Broadway MarketHackneyLondon, E8 4PH t: 020 7923 9313

Some PE lessons will be taught on our Astroturf. You may wish to buy for your child some of the following items which are not compulsory but which will improve performance:

- Shin pads (can only be worn if fully covered with school football socks).

- Moulded football boots/blades or Astroturf Trainers (Astros)Moulded football boots have rubber based studs instead of screw in studs. This decreases injury but increases grip and stability. Football boots will not be allowed on the Astroturf.

School UniformOur school uniform is compulsory throughout Years 7 to 11. All students wear:

Pale blue shirt School tieNavy school jumper with Urswick logo*Navy blue trousers or skirtPlain black tights or plain navy, black or white socksPlain black footwearThe official Urswick School scarf is available to buy from the school reception for £7**

*older year groups currently wear a navy school jumper with crest logo.

** Students will be expected to take their scarves off in lessons; non school scarves will be confiscated and returned at the end of the day.

PE KitNavy school PE T-shirt with Urswick Logo*Navy blue tracksuit bottoms or shortsNavy school PE sweatshirt with Urswick logo*School PE socksTrainers

* older year groups currently wear a navy PE T-shirt and sweatshirt with crest logo. Any student who competes for the school must wear Urswick school PE socks and shorts.

Shin pad Moulded football boots Astroturf trainers

All students will be given a clip-on school tie on the first day of term.

A Message from Father Rob, Rector of Hackney

Dear friends,

Thank you for coming to The Urswick School. I am aware that this is a time of much anxiety for parents and carers as their children begin a new adventure at Secondary School, and I wish to take this opportunity of welcoming you into the community here at The Urswick School.

As one of the oldest schools in the country - founded in 1520 by my predecessor The Rev’d Christopher Urswick, we have an incredible track record of offering good education to children in Hackney. The reason why, of course, is simple. As a Church of England school, we believe that even the smallest detail is important. Indeed, as we celebrate God becoming a human being in Jesus, we see how the smallest detail is important in God’s eyes, therefore such detail is important to us.

Your son or daughter is our biggest priority. Regardless of your own faith or none, we believe that coming to The Urswick School will be the beginning of a great journey into adulthood. Our aim is to provide the tools and necessary support for your journey into life in all its fullness - for this is what Jesus promised.

You will all, of course, be in my prayers, and please do not hesitate to get in touch if you need to.

With my love and prayers,

Fr Rob

Jenny Hunting is the Head of Learning for Year 7 at The Urswick School. She says: “I’m really looking forward to meeting our new Year 7 students.” Ms Hunting is always happy to speak to students who have a question, need some help or are worried about something.

What do you enjoy most about working at The Urswick School? Students at The Urswick School students are friendly, motivated and proud to be here which makes a positive environment to work in. I think that the school offers its students many excellent opportunities and I enjoy being part of that.

How long have you been teaching for? I did my PGCE in London, taught music in Waltham Forest Primary schools for a year and then moved to a secondary school in Tower Hamlets. I taught music and was Deputy Head of Year there for almost three years.

My main subject is music. I find it very rewarding when students discover how creative and talented they are! It’s a great subject as everyone has their own personal taste and listens to music outside school. I also like teaching humanities as students can use their experience and knowledge to have really interesting debates.

Did you always want to be a teacher? I decided that I wanted to be a music teacher when I first started my clarinet lessons aged 9. I decided very quickly that I wanted to be a Head of Learning as I enjoy helping students achieve their best and helping them to succeed in school.

Meet your Head of Learning

Year 12 Drama students give powerful performances

Over the last school term, Year 12 have been rehearsing two plays; ‘Gone Too Far’ and ‘Belong’ by Bola Agbaje. Both plays have been performed at The Royal Court theatre in recent years and they both explore the theme of cultural identity. On 2nd May we had a visiting examiner come to our school to assess the students. The assessed performances contribute 40% of the students overall AS grade.

We had a brilliant audience for the examination performances, thank you to all of the staff, students and parents who came to support them. We hope the Year 11 students who came to watch were inspired by the performances and are considering taking AS Drama and Theatre Studies next year at The Urswick School Sixth form Academy.

Miss Blake and I are extremely proud of what the Year 12 students achieved. They performed two extremely powerful pieces of theatre. They believed and achieved!

Sarah Conway, Head of Drama

Year 12 Drama students perform Bola Agbaje’s Gone Too Far

Rewards AssembliesSince September, over 8,000 certificates have been awarded to students in Years 7 to 11 at their termly reward assemblies. 3,129 postcards have also been sent to students since September!

12 lucky students from Years 7 to 11 have won the attendance prize draw, a reward for 100% attendance and excellent punctuality each week. These students were able to select from a range of prizes including a mountain bike, an iPod shuffle and JD Sports vouchers, as well as Prom Tickets or Year Books for Year 11 students.

Standards have risen steeply since the last inspection and all groups of students now achieve well.

Ofsted, March 2013

“ “A spectacular trip to the Royal Albert Hall

Eight lucky students were invited by the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers to attend the Classical Spectacular Concert at the Royal Albert Hall on the 15th March.

This was an impressive treat; students saw performances from a full orchestra, artillery band and dancers. Laser animations and an explosive canon added to the excitement of the performance, led by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,. The students had one of the best views in the hall, sitting next to the royal box.

Year 10 student, Hiram, was particularly impressed by the laser animations, describing the lights moving as though they were ‘doing the waltz with the music itself’. He said :“I would urge all young people to watch the concert. The most interesting part of the show was when the canons were firing. It was extremely exciting”.

Ms Hunting, Head of Year 7 and Music Teacher

At The Urswick School we provide a broad and balanced KS3 curriculum which is excellent preparation for GCSE success.

From September 2013, the majority of Year 7 students will study Spanish as their Modern Foreign Language. A smaller number of students with difficulties in literacy and relatively low reading ages will follow a Literacy Intervention Programme instead.

At the end of Year 7, the students who have made the most progress in Spanish will be identified and study French as an additional language.

During Year 7, students study both Design Technology and Food Technology in a half-year rotation.

Further details about each subject are on our website: www.theurswickschool.co.uk

Key Stage 3 Curriculum 2013/14

Fourth Plinth School Awards: borough winnerYear 8 students put their creative thinking skills to work when they entered the 2013 Fourth Plinth Schools Awards. The students learned about the history of the empty plinth in Trafalgar Square and were challenged to design a sculpture for the plinth that represented Hackney, London, or the UK. Students used pens, pencils, paint and even clay to model their responses and had just 2 weeks to complete their entries!

This year there were over 1,600 entries from each and every London borough – a new record! Against such tough competition, the judge Gregor Muir, Executive Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) chose the work “Tiger Tiger”, by Alex George in 8MAJ to be the borough winner for the whole of

Hackney. Alex joined the other winners to receive their certificates and prizes from Gregor Muir at a special ceremony hosted by the Mayor’s Office at the beautiful City Hall building.

All the winning entries will be exhibited at City Hall from 24 April – 7 June where they will be admired by many visiting dignitaries from around the world. Well done to Alex and to the other Year 8 students for their hard work.

Rebecca Barnes, Art and Technology Teacher

Alex collects his certificate

Alex’s winning artwork: Tiger, Tiger

The Garden of Paradise by Cenk Ozyoruk, Year 11

Art Corner

The headteacher has established a vision of excellence, shared by all members of the school community, which has the students’ success firmly at its heart.

Ofsted, March 2013

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Please ensure all items of school uniform and PE kit are clearly

marked with your child’s name, this will help us to return lost

items of uniform to your child. We advise all students not to

bring valuable items or large amounts on money in to school.

Our rule about mobile phones is ‘Off and Out of Sight.’ They

are brought to school entirely at your child’s own risk.

There will be no compensation for mobile phones that are

lost or stolen whatever the circumstances.

Lost Property

Top 5 tips for starting Year 7 at The Urswick School

Stick a copy of your timetable up somewhere at home.

Pack your school bag the night before the following day’s lesson.

Toilets are not used by students in lesson time. In an emergency a teacher may give you permission to use the toilets. Parents - it is important you let us know of any medical condition which may justify a ‘toilet pass’.

Your Head of Learning is Ms Hunting. Remember her name and the name of your tutor who you will meet next month.

The most important piece of advice: if you are not sure about something then please ASK. Both staff and students want to help you settle in.

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What’s for lunch?Did you know that your child can buy a healthy and filling lunchtime meal, including a drink or dessert for just £1.85 from the school canteen?

Students can choose from a hot meat or vegetarian meal and hot and cold desserts. Lighter options such as sandwiches, wraps, jacket potatoes or salads are also available. Only Halal meat is served and pork products are not used in any of the recipes.

Following new government guidelines, packed lunches will be banned from the site in September.

If you think you are eligible to receive Free School Meals, please contact Sharon Lewis, Receptionist, on 020 8985 2430 or email admin@theurswickschool.co.uk

“When I started at The Urswick School...”

“Starting Year 7 at The Urswick School made me feel nervous, scared and excited, all at the same time.

A lot of my friends from primary school came to The Urswick School so that helped me to settle in quickly.

The most important pieces of advice I could give to next year’s Year 7s is that they shouldn’t be afraid to express themselves and should always listen to instructions.”

“I felt a bit scared and quite nervous when I joined The Urswick School because all my friends from primary school were going to different secondary schools.

I met lots of new people and quickly made friends, which made me feel better about things.

Any children who are leaving primary school shouldn’t worry about starting at a new school because they will soon make new friends!”

“When I first came to The Urswick School I was a bit nervous. Some of my friends from primary school came here too, but it wasn’t the same as in primary school.

I made some new friends from different schools who helped me to settle in. There are lots of nice teachers here who always help you when you need them.

The most important things to remember to do are to dress smartly and listen in class.”

“The thought of leaving my primary school was quite exciting but only a few of my primary school friends came to The Urs-wick School with me, so I was a bit shy at first.

My advice to new Year 7 students would be to listen properly and learn. Make sure you join lots of clubs as this is where you can make good friends and learn new things.

Also, don’t be scared to tell a teacher if you have a problem.”

ALICAn nATALIE RAS DEMI

The Urswick School sportsnews

Term Dates 2013/14Autumn Term 2013: Start: Wednesday 4 September (Year 7 first day of term)Thursday 5 September (Years 7 and 11 in school)Friday 6 September (all year groups in school)Half Term: Monday 28 October to Friday 1 November 2013Finish: Friday 20 December 2013

Spring Term 2013: Start: Monday 6 January 2014Half Term: Monday 17 to Friday 21 February 2014Finish: Friday 4 April 2014

Summer Term 2013: Start: Tuesday 22 April 2014Half Term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 May 2014

The Urswick School Paragon RoadHackneyLondon E9 6NR

t: 020 8985 2430

f: 020 8533 5441

admin@theurswickschool.co.uk

www.theurswickschool.co.uk

Gordonstoun A Level PE residentialUrswick School Sixth Form Academy students have returned from an exciting residential trip to Gordonstoun School, Scotland, where they took part in winter skills training as part of their A Level PE studies.

The five students joined sixth form students from Gordonstoun to take part in an orienteering session, where they excelled in some very difficult conditions, on uneven terrain, to navigate their way along the route.

The second day of the trip saw the students tackling freezing conditions on the Cairngorms, Britain’s highest mountain range, during a Winter Skills Day. The boys learnt how to use an ice axe in deep snow, sliding down a 80ft section of the mountain with only their axes to use as a brake.

The students developed confidence during the trip and are all expected to excel in their A Level PE studies. Montel Thomas, Year 12, said: “It was the best experience I have ever had. I really enjoyed learning how to ice climb and use crampons on the Scottish mountains.”

Rachel Kelly, Assistant Headteacher and Advanced Skills PE Teacher

Year 7 boy’s athleticsAfter winning the Hackney Sportshall Athletics Championships, the Year 7 boy’s athletics team competed in the regional final on Monday 11th March against the winners of all the East London boroughs.

They again excelled, finishing second and qualified for the London finals where they finished in ninth place. This was an excellent achievement and the first time the school has reached the finals.

Mattew Williams, 2 i/c PE Department

The Year 7 team proudly hold their athletics certificates

Sportshall athletics The Year 7 and 8 borough sportshall athletics championships were staged at The Urswick School throughout the last half term. All teams competed well and put in lots of effort for the school. Both girls’ teams finished fourth and the Year 8 boys came second.

Special congratulations go to the Year 7 boys for becoming the first Hackney Champions in this event. Outstanding contributions came from Ebube Egwuonwu, David Dang and Joel Minott for excelling in their events. Now they move onto the East London Final where we wish them good luck.

Matthew Williams, 2 i/c PE Department

Students report there is little if any bullying and that any signs of it are dealt with quickly. Their behaviour is exemplary, with the result that learning can take place unimpeded.

Ofsted, March 2013

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