The weekly bulletin contains the latest news updates.
WEEKLY BULLETIN
15 NOVEMBER 2024
ENJOY - ACHIEVE - EMPOWER
HEADTEACHER’S MESSAGE
KEY SCHOOL DATES
World Children’s Day - 20 November Transgender Day of Remembrance - 20 November National Adoption Day - 23 November HOLIDAYS & NATIONAL DAYS Year 12 Drama Workshop - 19 November Year 11 Rotary Chef Competition - 20 November Staff Training Day, school closed to pupils - 25 November
I couldn’t have been happier to share our Ofsted Inspection Report with you this morning. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as we did in school. It was lovely to see how the comments in the report reflect what we see in school each week. Over the last two weeks our fantastic student
A MESSAGE FROM OUR HEADTEACHER
anti-bullying ambassadors have delivered assemblies to educate and support all students, reflecting Ofsted’s recognition that our students “... talk with confidence about being ‘empowered’...” and speak up “...about matters which affect their lives and others.” Year 11 have now finished their mock examinations. They have managed the intensity of the last two weeks impressively by maintaining their calm and focus. This experience will really help them prepare for the summer term. Over the next few weeks teachers will be feeding back to them about their exam performance. It is important to remember the purpose of the mock exams is to help students identify areas of improvement, whether these are gaps in knowledge or exam technique. Students should see this feedback as a valuable learning opportunity before the final exams in the summer. I really hope they can switch off and rest this weekend. Next week it is the turn of our Year 13 students. I would like to wish them every success in their mock exams. Thank you to all the parents who attended the Year 12 Parents’ Consultation Evening online this week. The students have made such a positive start to their studies and teachers welcomed the opportunity to share feedback about how they have settled into their subjects. A reminder that on Monday 25 November, the school is closed to students due to a staff training day.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Send us your achievement stories and photos to share by email to
info@waldegravesch.org STAY CONNECTED WITH US:
~ Ms Tongue, Headteacher
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Our student Anti-Bullying Ambassadors have been leading assemblies alongside Mr Greaves to raise awareness of Anti-Bullying week (11-15 November). You can watch this year’s video on the theme Choose Re- spect which we have been sharing in school. Access the Anti-Bullying Week parent and carer pack here. Next week, the Breck Foundation is coming into school to talk to Years 8-11 about online safety and recognising grooming behaviours. This is more important than ever, as young people are exposed to new technologies that we are just starting to understand. Find out more about how to support your child in our parent webinar, Monday 6 November (Zoom link Meeting ID: 812 3132 2504 Passcode: 011073). The local Neighbourhood Watch Team is also hosting a Stand up to Harassment webinar by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust next week (4pm on Thursday 21st November). Register for the webinar here.
A little help goes a long way... See page 6 to read about our Christmas Tree Fundraiser CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT
A MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF YEAR 13
This week we sent off more UCAS applications and saw students who sent off early applications receive some offers. A couple of our Oxbridge applicants have already secured interviews, a massive achievement in itself. We are incredibly proud of the ambition and drive our students show and know that whatever the outcome of their applications they will continue to show determination and resilience.
If students are still unsure about their next steps we can arrange careers interviews for them in school and provide support as needed.
This week psychology students heard from Dr Holly Robson, an Associate Professor from UCL, about her research. She is a specialist focusing on patients with aphasia, a communication disorder resulting from damage to the brain, and she spoke about the disorder, neurobiology, methods of studying the brain, current interventions for stroke and aphasia patients, as well as medical rehabilitation. This week four Year 13 students took part in The Crane Valley Schools Forum in partnership with the New Citizenship Project and Crane Valley Partnership. The Forum, supported by Thames Water, gave students the opportunity to share their experiences of and visions for the waterways and green spaces in the Crane catchment, as well as bringing together ideas that had sparked during prior workshops. The students presented their ideas to an audience of local decision-makers, councillors and representatives from partnership organisations at Cranford Community College. Our pupils demonstrated an inspiring, contagious ‘can do’ attitude, with a perfect balance of competitiveness and respect, challenging themselves and the audience to engage in action. Well done Elodie M, Rose J, Tegwen M and Lana D!
Next week students are off their normal timetable for their mock exams. We wish them well and I would encourage them to seek support if they need it. They can come into school to use the spaces available to revise.
MS SILLWOOD, HEAD OF YEAR 13
‘You don’t understand me’ - Dr Tara Porter A relevant, poignant non-fiction book catalysing the understanding of young women’s experiences in adolescence and leading towards adulthood. Dr Tara Porter utilises her 27 years of experience as a therapist and psychologist to pinpoint the ‘why’ to our actions regarding friendships, education, love, body image etc. Using real life scenarios mixed with scientific knowledge, readers can develop more comfort in themselves and have a better perception of others over the 10 topics discussed. This is a must read for not only members of our school navigating teenage life, but also the parents of these students who strive to support their child/ren the best they can. I haven’t stopped mentioning this book since I read it! - Aisha Y, Year 12 BOOK OF THE MONTH
MS O’BRIEN, HEAD OF PERFORMING ARTS & MUSIC WALDEGRAVE RECRUITMENT We are currently recruiting for Exam Invigilators to assist with the conduct and supervision of the School’s public examinations. If you are interested in joining our team, please contact Shelli Fong, Exams Officer, for an application form.
WORD OF THE WEEK
NOUN: the action of explaining the meaning of something; a stylistic representation of a creative work or dramatic role It comes from Latin - interpretation (to interpret) Who would use this word? Philosopher, musician, actor, director, politician, judge, journalist. Examples: “The interpration of experimental findings.” “A different interpration of the story arose.” SYNONYMS: explanation, clarification, definition, analysis, evaluation, meaning, rendition, presentation INTEPRETATION
Please contact us with any queries or problems you may have. To get in touch with a member of staff from your child’s year group, you can: Send an email to sixthform@waldegravesch.org Or you can contact the school via phone by calling: 02088943244 WALDEGRAVE SCHOOL Fifth Cross Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW2 5LH HOW TO CONTACT YEAR 13 HEAD OF YEAR AND TUTORS Pupils have worked hard to design the poster, the set, have stage managed the show and, of course, learnt character and acting skills to bring the work to life. We hope to see a large audience of parents and students supporting their peers across the school. Scan the QR code on the poster overleaf or follow this link to buy tickets. SCHOOL PRODUCTION The Waldegrave Drama Department presents our whole school production THE RETURN on 26, 27 and 28 November in The Studio Theatre. The play is about how we value human life, asking how much are you worth? The production, featuring students from Years 7-12, started in September and has been an amazing process. Ticket sales are already open to this fantastic production and I’m delighted to invite you to see the culmination of the students’ hard work on stage at the end of the month.
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