Robert Clack School

Stem Potential

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:31:21 GMT

We are delighted to congratulate the nine students who have been accepted onto the prestigious Imperial College London STEM Potential Programme. This is a fantastic achievement, especially considering that we had 22 applications; having nine students accepted is absolutely incredible.

The STEM Potential Programme is a highly competitive initiative designed to support and inspire talented students with a passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Through the programme, students will take part in a range of enriching activities, including academic workshops, mentoring, campus visits, and insight into university life at Imperial College London.

This opportunity will allow our students to develop their subject knowledge, build confidence, and gain a deeper understanding of future pathways in STEM fields. We are extremely proud of their success and look forward to seeing them thrive throughout the programme.

British Science Week 2026 - A Fantastic Celebration of Science!

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 08:13:30 GMT

This year’s British Science Week was a huge success across all three sites, with students and staff taking part in a wide range of exciting activities designed to celebrate curiosity, creativity and scientific thinking.

Throughout the week, students enjoyed a variety of lunchtime and after-school science sessions, including practical challenges, STEM activities, and investigations led by members of the science department. Activities ranged from making hand creams and exploring melting points to engineering challenges such as windmill blade design and marble runs, giving students the chance to experience science in a fun and hands-on way.

One of the highlights of the week was the arrival of our baby chicks, which hatched live in the science labs. Students (and teachers!) visited the chicks during break and lunch, and for the first time ever we live streamed the chicks hatching on the Robert Clack website – it was brilliant to hear how many students were tuning in at home, making this a memorable experience for everyone involved. We also had the science department’s resident pet turtles, Phineas and Ferb, take part in a race – Phineas won despite his small size!

This year’s British Science Week poster competition was also a great success, where over 70 students created thoughtful and creative posters exploring the theme of a positive childhood. The quality of entries was outstanding, with students combining scientific ideas, creativity and personal reflection to produce some truly impressive work. Finalists’ posters showed excellent effort, originality and attention to detail, and it was great to see so many students engaging with the theme.

Across Lymington, Gosfield and Green Lane, the enthusiasm shown by students was fantastic, and it was great to see so many taking part in activities beyond the classroom. Events like these highlight how science can be creative and enjoyable for everyone.

A big thank you to all staff who helped organise activities, run sessions and support students throughout the week — and well done to all students who took part and made British Science Week 2026 such a success!

Aladdin

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 08:02:33 GMT

This week, our school production of Aladdin lit up the stage with two fantastic evening performances on Tuesday and Wednesday. Students from across year groups came together to deliver a vibrant, energetic, and thoroughly entertaining show that showcased not only their musical talents, but also their dedication and teamwork.

From the colourful costumes and creative staging to the confident acting and lively musical numbers, the production was a true celebration of the performing arts. Our cast brought the well-loved characters to life with humour and charm, while the ensemble numbers filled the stage with energy and excitement.

A huge congratulations goes to all of the students involved—both on stage and behind the scenes—for their hard work and commitment over many weeks of rehearsals. Their efforts truly paid off, and they should be incredibly proud of what they achieved.

We would also like to thank staff and families for their continued support, as well as everyone who attended the performances. Your encouragement helped make the shows such a memorable success.

Well done to everyone involved in making Aladdin such a magical experience!

Year 10 Residential

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 21:06:56 GMT

Between the 6th and 8th of March, 24 Year 10 students took part in an exciting residential trip to PGL Bawdsey Manor in Suffolk. Over the three days, students challenged themselves with a wide range of adventurous activities including climbing, Jacob’s Ladder, the challenge course, archery, aeroball, the giant swing and zip lining.

The trip provided plenty of opportunities for students to step outside their comfort zones, build confidence and support one another as they tackled each activity. One of the highlights of the weekend was the silent disco on the Saturday night, where students danced the night away and enjoyed a well-earned evening of fun after a busy day of activities.

A special thank you goes to Mr Cook, who generously gave up time on his Friday and Sunday to help drop off and collect some of the students from Suffolk.

Trips like this create memories that students will cherish for years to come. The residential was not only about physical activity and adventure, but also about building friendships, developing independence and creating shared experiences that make school life so special.

Miss Robbins

U12 Essex 7s Tournament

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 21:02:06 GMT

On the 11th of March, our year 7 rugby girls competed in the Essex 7s tournament, putting in fantastic performances throughout the day. Both the A and B teams showed great determination, teamwork and resilience against strong opposition from across the county.

The highlight of the tournament was an outstanding performance from the A team, who went on to win the entire competition and secure the Essex 7s title. Their attacking play, defensive effort and teamwork were exceptional, making it a well-deserved victory and a proud moment for the school.

The B team also performed brilliantly, showing great spirit and continuing to improve with every match. Their effort and commitment contributed to a very successful day for the whole squad.

Special recognition goes to our “Women of Steel” — Cheriah, Khadijat, Lateefat, Anjola, Nathaya, Amelia and Kelsey — whose hard work, determination and positive attitude helped drive the teams forward throughout the tournament.

Overall, it was a fantastic day of rugby and a great achievement for everyone involved. Congratulations to all the players who represented the school so well and brought home the Essex title.

Miss Robbins

Film Club Trip to see Goat at the Vue in Dagenham

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:43:56 GMT

As part of the Into Film Spring Film Festival we took a group of students from the KS5 CTEC Media Studies classes, KS3 Film Club and KS3 BBC Young Reports Club to see Goat at The Vue Cinema in Dagenham.

Goat is an underdog story packed to the rim with the same vivid colours and graphics that you would find in Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The story follows a billy goat named Will, a young goat who is a bit down on his luck, who follows his mum's wishes to 'dream big' to become a player in the much-loved basketball team 'The Thorns'. However, things are never that easy, and Will has to overcome prejudice from those who think they are better than him from other teams in the league and even his own team mates. However, through perseverance, friendship and team work, Will eventually proves to everyone why he is the true GOAT!

Everyone had lots of fun experiencing everything that comes with going to the cinema, including a healthy dose of popcorn and combo deals!

Thank you to Mrs Fox, Mr Roberts and Mr Carter for helping on the day.

Mrs Crowther-Green and the Film and Media Department

Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge Success

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:38:00 GMT

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JP Morgan Final 2026

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 21:51:17 GMT

On 11th March, two of our teams participated in the JP Morgan Final, presenting their prototypes and pitches to a panel of esteemed judges.

Team Aquinity presented their Revolution Wave product – a device designed to be installed in rivers to help remove pollution from the water. Laura, Nainshi, Kacie, Lucy, David,, Ali, Aravind and Shayaan

Team Green Lungs showcased Air Nova, an innovative concept designed to help filter CO₂ from the air on busy roads. Nichola, Amritpal, Samar, Maria, Zafir, Hamaad, Adam and Tomas

Top Influencer Awards – Brightside

Across all schools, Robert Clack achieved a clean sweep in the Brightside Top Influencer Awards for positive engagement:

�� Laura – Bronze Award
�� Adam – Silver Award

�� Hamaad – Gold Award

We also held a celebration event where students were recognised for their achievements and received personalised report cards.

Both of our teams worked incredibly well and scored highly among the teams present. One of the judges, who attended school in our area, commented on how great it was to see students representing Dagenham at such a prestigious event.

Some Reflections from the students

Amritpal

After the final, I think it is the best thing I have joined because it has actually improved my public speaking a lot, and I get to learn different things that I never had before. Even though none of our ideas ever work together, we always make a final decision together. My favourite highlights of JPMorgan are that I get to meet everyone that I've seen around the school and meet everyone outside of school which made me inspire alot.

Aravind

After the final, I think JP Morgan has improved our community skills by letting us work together to makes something beneficial for our world. My most memorable moment is when we first built the product, and everyone I met had a powerful impact on my life.

Shayaan

After the final, I think it was still useful for me to join as it improved my teamwork, public speaking and speechwriting skills. We discussed ideas and put long thought into our product, which gave us a job - like experience which can be useful in the future and as part of our skillset. It was also a great experience as we got to visit workshops, the JP Morgan headquarters and Tottenham hotspur stadium, which for me are the highlights of our JP Morgan schools challenge journey.

Kacie

I think the JP Morgan program has been a great opportunity to be apart of as it’s helped people form new friendships and work on things they struggle with. Personally this experience has helped me with my confidence and my ability to solve problems. My favourite moments were designing our product in the studio and watching our product come together but also watching the team get so excited in the finals.

Lucy

JP Morgan has been one of my favourite experiences as it’s taught me how to be confident in what I talk about and has shown me how to work in a team with everyone who I may have not known at first but has grown to cherish as life long friends. The JP Morgan mentors have been such a help in growing our company into the best it could be and I’m forever grateful for this wonderful experience as every session has been so fun and I’ve enjoyed myself the whole time.

Congratulations to all the students involved – a fantastic achievement!

Mrs K McBride , Mr R McBride, Miss F Hibbit

Year 2 News - Easter 2026

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:39:42 GMT

It has been an incredible half-term for Year 2, filled with both literary wonder and scientific discovery. We kicked off our celebrations with World Book Day , where the children immersed themselves in the fantastic work of their favorite authors, sharing stories and exploring the magic of character and plot. The excitement continued with a spectacular visit from the Science Dome , which transported us from the classroom to the lunar surface. Inside the immersive dome, we learned all about the historic moon landing and its global significance, sparking a wave of curiosity about space travel and the bravery of the Apollo astronauts. From the pages of our favorite books to the craters of the moon, the pupils have shown a wonderful enthusiasm for learning that is clear to see in these photographs.

Year 4 News - Easter 2026

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 12:00:51 GMT

We have been very busy in Year 4 this term!

We have been very busy learning all about rivers and the water cycle in our Geography lessons. This knowledge was put to good use in our English lessons where the children wrote some fantastic poems about rivers and the power of water. The children been able to take inspiration from the poems of Valerie Bloom and used metaphors and similes to describe rivers.

At the end of last term, we had a visit from a team from Billingsgate Fish Market. The children had the opportunity to find out more about various types of fish from the experts. They particularly enjoyed the opportunity to handle the fish they even got the chance to try some of the fish themselves!

On 5th March, we celebrated World Book Day and the children came into school dressed as their favourite book characters. It was wonderful to see the children in their different costumes, from Harry Potter and Maleficent to Dorothy and Where’s Wally! We even had some children taking inspiration from our History topics as they came dressed as Roman soldiers and Egyptian pharaohs. It was a joyful celebration of reading and we hope the children enjoyed it as much as we did!

To celebrate reading even further and all of the wonderful women who look after us, we invited mums, sisters and other female relatives into school to read some of the children’s favourite books with them. The children really enjoyed listening to stories being read to them and they also had the chance to read to our special visitors!

This term, the children have had the opportunity to take part in swimming lessons at Becontree Leisure Centre. I am so proud of how much progress the children have made with their swimming skills. Not only have they had fun learning to swim but they have also shown bravery, resilience, courage and growing confidence in the water. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm in the swimming pool each week. I hope the children are able to continue their swimming lessons in their free time!

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to sharing more updates with you next term.

Year 9 Netball News

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 11:34:17 GMT

Huge congratulations to our Year 9 netball team! ��

They have been crowned both Borough Rally champions and Borough champions after an incredible, undefeated season against every Borough team they faced. This is the first time this has ever been achieved by this team, a fantastic reflection of their hard work, determination, and progress.

Well done to all the players, we are incredibly proud of you all!

Reception News - Easter 2026

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 11:28:24 GMT

This term, our Reception children have thoroughly enjoyed exploring our topic of ‘Growing a Garden’ ��. The children have been learning about a variety of plants and developing their understanding of the different parts of a plant, including roots, stems, leaves and flowers. Through a range of creative activities, they have painted, drawn and even sown their own plants, nurturing them with care and curiosity.

We were also excited to welcome the Science Dome , where the children took part in an immersive experience and learnt all about dinosaurs, sparking lots of curiosity and excitement! Alongside this, we had a wonderful time celebrating World Book Day , where the children shared their love of stories and imagination.

In Maths, the children have been building confidence in recognising and creating both simple and more complex patterns, as well as practising counting on and counting back to support their developing number skills. In Phonics, the children have now successfully reached the end of Phase 3 and have made fantastic progress with their sounds and early reading. After the Easter break, they will be moving on to Phase 4 , where they will begin to learn and apply tricky words with increasing confidence.

We also take this time to thank all of the amazing mothers of our children, that took time out to come and read for us.

We are so proud of their enthusiasm and the fantastic progress they have made this term! ��

Year 3 News - Easter 2026

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 11:07:37 GMT

This term, the children in Year 3 have been learning about plants; specifically, what they need in order to grow, the important functions of each part of a flowering plant, as well as growing their own sunflowers. Different groups have been investigating what happens to a plant if they took away one of the main resources it needs in order to survive (sunlight, water, soil, and space).

The children also enjoyed World Book Day, with lots of creative and homemade costumes. They enjoyed a cat walk fashion show and a tea party in the afternoon.

Our school had the 'Science Dome' visit once again, this time teaching the children all about volcanoes, something the children had a chance to learn about earlier in the year.

In DT, the children have been learning about seasonal ingredients in order to follow a design brief. They had to taste, chop and prepare seasonal ingredients ready to make a 'seasonal tart' that matched the design brief for the Four Seasons restaurant.

In history, year 3 have been learning about the Romans; in particular, their invasion of Britain and how it changed life as we know it today. From building Roman roads, to inventing taxes, the Romans had lots of positive, and some negative, effects in Britain.

Year 3 also had a great trip to the local church for an Easter experience. They walked to Saint Mary's Church, Beacontree Health, to learn all about the story of Easter, what it means to Christians around the world and even had the opportunity to complete some craft activities. Fun was had by all the children and a huge thank you to the volunteers at the church.

Year 1 News -Easter 2026

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 20:14:30 GMT

It has been a very busy half term with lots of fun learning. In History, children have been learning about famous explorers from the past. Children role played being explorers themselves and loved thinking about all the exciting places they would like to visit and what they would see. We looked at historical figures across different centuries and the children were particularly fascinated by the hardships faced by ancient explorers who had to sleep under the stars, as they journeyed from place to place. The children imagined what it would be like to sleep on a boat, with no modern day navigation tools or facilities and concluded that explorers in the past were very brave!

In Art, we have been learning about 3D structures and we had fun creating our own 3D ocean waves. In Science, children have enjoyed investigating properties of materials and learning new vocabulary such as ‘absorbent’ and non-absorbent’. Our Science experiment relating to how ice is formed and ways to make it melt received lots of excitement from the children. In other Science news, everybody had a great time during the Science Dome visit exploring the wonderful world of Space and Planets through spectacular visual effects.

Children have also worked really hard to write sentences using adjectives and counting in 2s, 5s and 10s this term! It has been so exciting to see your children’s reading and writing journey develop throughout the year. They have all worked extremely hard and we are so very proud of them!

Finally, Year One children looked absolutely fabulous in their World Book Day costumes. The day was celebrated with a World Book Day assembly, character fashion parade, fun activities, tea party and disco! On other reading news, our recent parents reading event was a huge success and many thanks if you were able to attend.

Wishing you and your children a lovely Easter break and we look forward to seeing you all next term!

A LEVEL FILM STUDIES VISIT TO THE BFI SOUTHBANK

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 20:06:54 GMT

The A Level Film Studies students recently attended a study day on the aesthetics of Koren cinema at the BFI Southbank in Central London.

The event focused on the representations of gender and social class via a close analysis of the 2019 Academy Award winning Korean film Parasite (Dir, Bong Joon-Ho). Throughout the day we examined the production, political, cultural and social contexts of the film, looking at ways these affect the film’s aesthetic.

The interactive introduction to the text also included a screening of the full film, offering a fantastic chance to see Parasite on the big screen while preparing for the Global Cinema section of the curriculum.

During the day students examined the aesthetics specific to Bong’s films, in connection to particular contexts that shaped it; and applied it to analyse key sequences from Parasite. In the post-screening discussion, students paid attention to recurring motifs and spatial construction throughout the film, focusing on their relationship to representations of family and gender. Students also considered the wider context of recent Korean social and political history.

The study day was led by Professor Jinhee Choi from Kings College London who has lectured in Korea, the USA as well as in the UK. She was able to provide a fascinating insight into the cultural history of Korean cinema as well as a larger consideration of recent political and social developments in the country.

Korean Cinema is just one of the exciting topics studied on the A Level Film Studies course. From Surrealism and World Cinema to Contemporary Hollywood Cinema - we cover it all! If you are in Year 11 and would like to find out more about the course, drop in to see Mr Johnson, Mrs Evans, Mrs Crowther-Green or Miss Fernando in rooms 41 or 42 at Green Lane or Mr Roberts at Gosfield Road.

Mr Johnson and Mrs Evans

Queens Theatre Trip

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:57:30 GMT

On 5th March , our GCSE Drama students went to Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch to watch a live performance of Loot by Joe Orton. The play is a dark comedy about a bank robbery, a family funeral, and a coffin with a surprising secret, all leading to a series of lies, cover-ups, and chaos.

The show featured quick dialogue, lively physical comedy, and unexpected twists. Our students really enjoyed the performance and learned a lot about how professionals bring a classic play to the stage, which supports their GCSE Drama studies.

Pop-Up Prom Boutique – A Wonderful Evening for Year 11

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 18:16:40 GMT

Our recent Pop-Up Prom Boutique events at the Green Lane and Gosfield sites were a fantastic success. The events provided students with the chance to try on a variety of beautiful prom dresses and enjoy a fun, supportive styling experience.

It was wonderful to see so many students attending with their friends, exploring different styles, and sharing the excitement of preparing for prom. The atmosphere was full of energy and positivity, and many students left feeling confident and excited about their prom look.

Overall, the evenings were a wonderful success and it was lovely to see students feeling confident, happy and excited for their upcoming prom.

Mrs Asghar

Inspiring Visit from Former Pupil and Professional Photographer

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 21:34:52 GMT

On Friday 13 ^th March, our Sixth Form Photography students had the opportunity to take part in something a little different when we welcomed back former pupil and professional photographer, Angela Ogunfojuri, to speak about her career.

During the session, Angela shared insights into her unconventional route into the photography industry, discussing the experiences, challenges and opportunities that have shaped her professional journey. Students were fascinated to hear about the realities of working in the creative sector and the different pathways that can lead to a successful career.

She also got a chance to catch up with Mr Taylor who was her Economics Teacher when she was in the Sixth Form.

The talk sparked a lively discussion, with students asking thoughtful and insightful questions about developing a portfolio, building a career in photography and navigating the industry.

We are extremely grateful to Angela for giving up her time to return to school and speak with our students. Her willingness to share her experiences provided valuable inspiration and she proved to be a fantastic role model for our aspiring photographers.

Annual Teacher vs Student Debate 2026

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 07:26:53 GMT

Our debate club recently hosted an engaging Teacher vs Student debate on the motion: “This house would allow all mobile phones to be used in school for research.” This was a relevant topic as the use of mobile phones in schools is a current news story!

Both teams delivered thoughtful arguments, lively rebuttals, and demonstrated excellent public speaking skills. Overall, the winners were the teachers!

Thank you to Mr King, Mrs Davis, Ms Ahmed, Ms Yasin and Mr Saito for generously giving their time to represent the teachers’ side and help make the event such a success.

The debate was a fantastic opportunity for students to challenge ideas, practise their debating skills, and enjoy a spirited discussion with staff.

British Science Week - Marble Run

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 20:41:00 GMT

The British Science Week marble run activity took place on Wednesday after school. It was a real fun activity and pupils immersed themselves fully in a competitive manner. Sami and Labibul were the winners but the others did incredibly well.

Well done to all the students who took part - Sara, Hanna, Sami, Labibul, Gabrieele, Illarion and Arthur

Year 9 Students Inspired by Medical Career Talk by former pupil

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 11:04:12 GMT

Dr Lara Akinnawonu (class of 2017) joined a group of our Year 9 Lymington Fields students today via Teams students to share her experiences of working in medicine.

During the session, she gave students an insight into a “day in the life of a doctor”, explaining that the role is varied, fast-paced, and filled with constant learning. She also spoke about the key skills that make a good doctor, highlighting the importance of strong communication, empathy, and a commitment to continually developing knowledge and understanding.

Thank you to Dr Lara for taking the time to inspire our students and give them a valuable glimpse into a career in healthcare.

Essex 7s - Year 8

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 11:00:46 GMT

Yesterday, the Year 8 boys competed in the annual Essex 7s tournament hosted by New Hall School.

Robert Clack faced three tough fixtures in the main Cup competition, beating Brentwood and Westcliff, drawing against King John, and narrowly losing to Campion. This performance saw the Year 8s progress to the Cup semi-final against a strong Woodlands side. Robert Clack delivered an outstanding performance, securing a 20–10 victory.

The boys then advanced to the final against a strong Campion team. It was a highly competitive game throughout, with the score 5–5 at half-time and 10–10 at full-time. A golden try was needed to decide the winner. Unfortunately, Campion scored first, meaning they were crowned overall champions, with Robert Clack finishing as worthy runners-up.

Well done to the boys on a well-earned achievement. Compared to last year, when they did not win a single group game, this represents excellent progress. Outstanding work!

Jack Cooper inspires Year 9 with his Degree Apprenticeship Journey

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 21:44:44 GMT

We were proud to welcome back former student Jack Cooper to speak with our Year 9 cohort about his journey into the construction industry via Teams.

After leaving Sixth Form in 2025, Jack secured a degree apprenticeship with The Hill Group, where he now works as a Technical Coordinator. He shared valuable insight into the apprenticeship route, highlighting how subject choices, extracurricular involvement, and developing transferable skills such as teamwork, leadership, communication and resilience helped prepare him for the workplace.

Students were particularly interested in hearing about his day-to-day role — from reviewing plans and liaising with teams to solving on-site challenges — as well as how he balances university study alongside hands-on industry experience as part of his degree apprenticeship.

Jack also spoke about the impact of our partnerships with organisations such as Construction Youth Trust, which provide mentoring and support for students pursuing careers in construction.

His journey is a fantastic example of the diverse and rewarding pathways available after school. We are incredibly grateful to Jack for returning to inspire the next generation — and we look forward to seeing many more students follow in his footsteps.

Senior Debate Squad Leads Show Debate

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 21:39:02 GMT

This half term, the Robert Clack Senior Debate Squad had the opportunity to visit the local primary school, Grafton, to participate in a Q&A session and deliver a showcase debate.

The motion considered whether primary or secondary school provides a better environment for children’s development. The teams were mixed, allowing the older students to mentor the younger pupils.

Well done to all Grafton and Robert Clack students who took part. We look forward to visiting again in the future.

Entrepreneur Academy Final

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 08:39:54 GMT

On Thursday 13 ^th February we held the final presentations of our Sixth Form Entrepreneur Academy — Dragon’s Den style — and our students absolutely delivered.

The brief:

Create a product or service for 16–21 year olds that could be used by college or university students. It could be an invention or an innovation, tailored to a specific audience, with full cost research and a clear business case.
The results? Innovative ideas. Professional presentations. Exceptional teamwork.

�� Winners: Imperium – an inventive mobile banking app designed specifically for the student market. A genuinely original concept, clearly aligned to the needs of their target audience.

�� Runners-up: Magniglasses – a smart glasses concept with a more affordable, accessible design. A brilliant example of

innovation with commercial awareness.

Every team impressed our judges with:
• The quality of their ideas
• Confident, professional pitching
• Strong market research and costings
• Clear marketing strategies

It was fantastic to see many teams applying insights from our guest speakers — and even incorporating Out of Home advertising into their marketing plans following their visit to Bauer Media Group .

A huge thank you to our volunteers and judges who generously gave up their time to support and challenge our students. The future of entrepreneurship is in very safe hands.

Alumni Power In Action

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 08:33:55 GMT

It’s always fantastic to see our students thinking ambitiously about their futures.

Recently, Year 12 student MP shared her aspiration to become a Social Worker and asked whether Mrs Monk could connect her with a former student working in the field. Mrs Monk immediately reached out to Nanah Kamara who was more than happy to help.

Nanah left Robert Clack in 2019 and, after completing her undergraduate degree, is now a fully qualified Social Worker.
A meeting was set up via Teams on Wednesday 11th February, and MP came exceptionally well prepared — asking thoughtful, probing questions about relevant work experience, degree structure, and the training involved in qualifying as a Social Worker.

A huge thank you to Nanah for giving up her time to support the next generation and for being such a positive role model for our students. Moments like this truly show the power of our alumni network.

UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 23:34:39 GMT

On January the 28th, 340 of our most able Mathematicians took part in the UKMT Intermediate challenge. The challenge is a national competition where our students get to compete with the best Mathematicians in the country. The challenge has students utilise their mathematical reasoning and fluency in using the basic mathematical techniques learned from school to solve unique and interesting questions and challenges on the paper. The problems on the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge promote critical thinking skills, often making pupils apply their knowledge in unfamiliar ways in order to solve a problem.

Our results have just come in and we had 82 Bronze awards, 36 Silver awards and an amazing 9 Gold awards. To put this into context, only 11% of entrants achieve the Gold awards nationally.

A special mention to Abisman Rajakumar for achieving the highest in the school and David Karpovych for the highest in Year 9. They, along with 5 others, will have the opportunity to go into the follow-on Kangaroo round for the elite Mathematicians in the country.

Mr Rahman, Ms Hibbit & Ms Tahir

Essex Number 1

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 21:55:24 GMT

This season George in year 11 has been the starting Goalkeeper in the county under 16 schools football team.

The Essex team are enjoying a particularly successful season, they are currently awaiting their national cup quarter final away in Devon which is due to take place this month.

Georges involvement is no surprise to the PE department, he is an outstanding all round sports man who is not only our goalkeeper, but also a key part of the Athletics, Cricket and Rugby team.

Well done George and good luck in the next round.

Year 11 Rugby into the Essex Cup Semi Final

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 21:30:24 GMT

On a wet and windy afternoon on the 5 ^th February the Year 11 Rugby team travelled to the Essex/Cambridgeshire border to play Joyce Frankland Academy in the Essex Cup ¼ final. On a pitch that was heavy in places and swamp like in others this was always going to be a game for the purists and running Rugby a tough ask.

However, after a period of early pressure from Joyce Frankland and a vocal local crowd from the adjacent astro turf the Robert Clack boys certainly knew they were in for a battle. This plus some strong carries and tackles from their strong centre acted as a wake-up call to our boys. They started to take a hold of the game and some strong forward play combined with slick back play which was testament to the boys considering the conditions led to us scoring 3 quick tries and taking the sting out of the home team.

Being up 20-5 at halftime the boys started the second half quite slowly and this led to the home team getting their tails up again and scoring a penalty try to make the game closer that is should be. Robert Clack then scored again to take the game out of sight and secure the place in the semi final where local rivals Campion await which will be an incredibly tough test but one that we will give 100% to.

The boys involved in this game were excellent ambassadors for the school and conducted themselves with respect throughout which at times was put to the test so testament to them and the way the Robert Clack values show through in this group.

Year 4 News - Spring Term

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 18:47:48 GMT

This term in Year 4, the children have been very busy learning all about the Anglo-Saxons. In reading lessons, they have thoroughly enjoyed following the adventures of the main character, Oslaf, in our class text Winter of the Wolves.

In History, the children have been learning about Anglo-Saxon conquests and how England was once divided into seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. They have also learnt about the achievements of the Anglo-Saxon king, Alfred the Great and how Christianity first spread in England during this time.

Our Science and Design and Technology learning have been closely linked, with children exploring electrical circuits and how electricity works. As part of this, they designed and made their own electrical circuits using simple circuits.

In RE, the children have been learning about Hinduism and how Hindus worship. To deepen their understanding, they visited the London Sri Murugan Temple in Ilford, where they were able to see a wide range of Hindu statues and artefacts. The children learned about different deities and the reasons why Hindus pray to them. This valuable experience gave the children a deeper insight into their learning about Hinduism.

Year 3 News - Spring Term

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 18:38:29 GMT

The end of term for Year 3 was certainly a busy one. The children completed their Prehistoric Artwork unit by creating cave wall posters for a classroom display, as well as finishing their own textured cave walls to take home. In Science, the children also had the opportunity to investigate different rock types, soil types, and fossils, thinking about where they might be found and how long they may have been there.

The children also enjoyed some Christmas celebrations, including a class party, a pick‑and‑mix station, and even a visit from Santa and his elf. Year 10 presented the Primary School with their own pantomime, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all the children.

So far in 2026, the children have started their new Science topic of Forces and Magnets, completing experiments to see how friction can affect an object while spinning and how different surfaces create friction when sliding. The children were tasked with working scientifically, so they created a question to investigate, predicted the outcome, and then set up their investigation to gather their final results. They have also investigated which materials are magnetic and how magnets can attract and repel each other.

Vision and Voices Trip

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 18:32:45 GMT

Year 9 Vision and Voices students took their second trip of the year to the National Gallery, where they developed their oracy skills by focusing on three key paintings. All students were highly engaged throughout the activities and were fantastic on the trip.

Year 11 Student pursuing a career in Psychology

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 19:54:46 GMT

Year 11 student Nwayinnaya recently approached Mrs Monk to explore a potential career in Psychology. Former pupil Chiamaka Oleh, who is now working in the field, was keen to help and generously gave up her time to offer guidance. They met via Teams on Wednesday 4th February, where Nwayinnaya was highly proactive, asking thoughtful and probing questions throughout the conversation. A huge thank you to Chiamaka for sharing her experience and supporting Nwayinnaya on her career journey.

Year 10 Boys represent Saracens

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 21:09:10 GMT

Gifton, Teddy and Mazeed from our successful year 10 boys Rugby team have all been selected to play for the professional Rugby side, Saracens in their performance development group.

Trials took place over a number of months and had close to 1000 students involved in the process from the South East of England.

The Robert Clack boys represented Saracen at their home ground, the StoneX stadium.

The boys are part of the year 10 team that made the county final last year and are currently waiting to play the quarter final this year in the hope of making it to back to back Essex finals.

The PE department and the whole school are extremely proud of the whole team, but these 3 in particular deserve special recognition for their achievements.

Mr Goyette

Year 1 News - February

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 21:04:20 GMT

We had a fantastic start to our ‘Fairy Tales’ topic with a creative Fairy Tale Workshop. Throughout the day children explored a range of fairy tale stories through drama and art. Children enjoyed exploring characters feelings and motivations to help them create some fantastic imaginative writing! In Geography, we have been learning to name geographical features in our local environment. In Computing, we have been learning about online safety and discovering how to program a Bee-Bot with a seqence of instructions. In Science, children enjoyed taking part in science experiments including naming and classifying the properties of different objects and taking part in a water experiment to check the strength of different types of paper. This half term, we had a visit from a Road Safety specialist, who helped our children to understand the importance of staying safe, when crossing a road. It was a very interesting and valuable workshop and children were very keen to take part in the activities provided.

Our new topic is called ‘Global Explorers’ and we will be discussing what makes an explorer ‘great’. We will begin our topic by making binoculars, looking at a world map, making passports and completing physical training. Once we have completed our training we will be ready to explore the world! In maths we will be focussing on addition and subtraction skills as well as learning our number bonds to 20 and times table facts of 2 and 10. In science we will be exploring the topic of ‘materials’ and in PSHE we will be exploring our own dreams and goals. It is going to an amazing new half term! We look forward to seeing you soon!

Year 12 Entrepreneurs visit Bauer Media Out Of Home Advertising

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 20:54:43 GMT

Recently, students had the exciting opportunity to visit Bauer Media Out of Home Advertising , where they stepped into the heart of creativity and digital marketing. During the visit, students explored what makes a strong poster and an effective advert, gaining valuable insight into how successful advertising captures attention and communicates a message clearly.

Through hands-on discussions and real-world examples, students learned how advertising campaigns are developed, from the initial creative concept to final delivery. The experience offered a behind-the-scenes look at the fast-paced world of digital and outdoor advertising, helping students connect classroom learning with industry practice and inspiring future career possibilities.

This was made possible through a contact first established via our alumni association. A huge thank you to Jordan and the entire team for their continued support and for providing such brilliant, real-world opportunities. Experiences like these are invaluable in helping our students gain insight, confidence, and inspiration for their future careers.

David in Year 12 commented: ‘A really interesting and hands on experience that highlighted just how much thought, creativity and strategy go into effective advertising. Thanks to Jordan and Holly at Bauer Media Out Of Home for such an engaging experience.’

Recpetion News - February

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 20:36:59 GMT

This term, your lovely children have been learning all about the many traditional tales that we all grew up learning and loving. Goldilocks and the three bears; The three little pigs; We're going on a bear hunt and so many more. They have had the opportunity to explore this learning in our different areas. In the art area, they enjoyed making crowns and colouring so many different pictures of the various characters. In the investigation area, they definitely had a lot of fun exploring and feeling their way around oats. They have had many opportunities to re-tell these stories in their own words as well.

We were also privileged to have been visited by a body that taught our children the importance of road safety. Let's have a brief recap:

First, we need to find a safe place to cross & STOP.
Then, we look out for traffic by looking, LEFT RIGHT LEFT & EVERYWHERE. We also use our ears as we use our eyes.
Finally, we walk sensibly and safely across the road!

They have also been taking huge strides in their reading and writing as well as in their number and maths. Over the break, please continue to work with them in their phonics and writing. If there is any support you think you may need, feel free to speak to us at the end of the day, when you come to pick up your children.

Year 11 Hunterian History trip

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 14:08:52 GMT

Pupils from Lymington Fields visited on Tuesday 16 ^th December and Thursday 18 ^th December to support with the Medicine component of the History GCSE paper. The museum contains the large collections of John Hunter, a pioneering surgeon in the 18 ^th century.

Pupils had this to say:

'I really enjoyed the history trip to central London. It was really interesting to see John Hunter's strange collection of items relating to anatomy and to observe how surgery has changed from the medieval period through to the modern day.'

Ruby H

'The week before we broke up for Christmas our class visited the Hunterian Museum. It was great to walk around Central London seeing the Royal Court of Justice on the way to museum to see what careers are linked to history. In the museum we saw many things which we had studied during our Medicine Unit and it was fascinating to be able to see these items for real. I think it will help hugely with our GCSE'

Rosie T

News from the Treehouse Room

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 14:03:26 GMT

Our core texts have been reading, listening and exploring the characters from various fairy tales. We have enjoyed adding the correct numbers of beans to the beanstalk, matching characters and key objects we see in Little Red Riding hood and building sentences to say what we can see in the images presented to us.

We have enjoyed exploring colour mixing primary colours to make secondary ones as well as developing our fine motor and gross motor skills through tracing lines, threading and mark making. We have also enjoyed working together on our turn taking and using a range of construction toys such as blocks, magnetic tiles and Duplo to create a range of structures and models of our own choice.

Miss Javid

Food Studies Trips

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 21:47:48 GMT

This term, students from KS4 and KS5 in the Food Studies Department took part in three enriching educational trips, each spread across different days. These visits strengthened curriculum learning while giving pupils hands‑on experience in real food‑industry environments.

Trip 1: Young Innovators Food Conference 2025

Students attended the Young Innovators Food Conference 2025 at Barking & Dagenham College’s Technical Skills Academy, where they participated in culturally diverse, sustainability‑focused cooking workshops delivered in partnership with ‘Be Inclusive Hospitality’. Guest chefs—including Ferdinand “Budgie” Montoya, Natalie Sheridan, and Sara Assad Mannings—inspired students with recipes and stories rooted in Filipino, plant‑based, and Palestinian food traditions. Working in professional kitchens, pupils explored new ingredients, gained confidence in practical cooking, and learned about career pathways in hospitality and food innovation.

Trip 2: Billingsgate “Seafood by Design” Practical Workshop

Students also took part in the Seafood by Design programme at Billingsgate Market, led by seafood expert CJ Jackson . This highly practical experience allowed pupils to handle, prepare, and cook a wide range of British seafood. Activities included pin‑boning fish, preparing mussels and prawns, shaping fish sliders, and tasting dishes such as Goan curry, chilli mackerel, and seafood pilaf.

The workshop deepened students’ understanding of sustainability, responsible sourcing, and the nutritional value of seafood while developing their hygiene, knife, and teamwork skills. The day concluded with a reflective Q&A on everything they had learned

Trip 3: “Fishmonger for a Day” — Vocational Seafood Skills Workshops

The third educational experience brought KS4 students back to Billingsgate Seafood Training School for the innovative “Fishmonger for a Day” sessions. Hosted above the historic Billingsgate Market , these workshops are designed specifically for Barking and Dagenham secondary schools to introduce young people to employment pathways in the food and hospitality industries. Delivered by specialist chefs from the

Seafood School, the workshops offered students the chance to:

Learn practical fish‑handling and preparation techniques, including filleting and cooking
Identify fish species and assess freshness
Strengthen kitchen hygiene, presentation, and teamwork—essential skills for professional food environments
Understand current industry shortages in fishmongers and “blockwork” skills, making these sessions especially relevant for career exploration

Students showing strong aptitude were offered work experience placements with local fishmongers and apprenticeship pathways through the school’s partnership with Direct Seafoods.

A Valuable Experience for All Learners

Across all three trips, students represented the school with maturity, enthusiasm, and curiosity. Each visit enhanced their understanding of the food industry—spanning sustainability, culinary arts, cultural food traditions, and specialist fishmonger skills.

The Food Studies Department is proud of the students’ engagement and looks forward to planning even more exciting learning opportunities in the months ahead.

JP Morgan Challenge

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 21:24:24 GMT

Our teams have been working incredibly hard to design and refine their prototypes in preparation for the final in March. As part of the challenge, they had the opportunity to participate in a real-world design workshop in London, where they developed physical prototypes of their ideas aimed at tackling key environmental issues affecting the city.

Team Aquinity presented their product, Wave Revolution , an innovative solution focused on addressing environmental challenges through sustainable design.

Team Green Lung showcased their product, Air Nova , which aims to improve air quality in urban areas and promote healthier living environments across London.

Amritpal

On Wednesday 14 January, we made our prototype. In team 24 we made two prototype versions one for contexts and one for detail so that we can explain what is inside our product. We have worked as a team by communicating with each other to make sure that we are on the same page. I found it challenging when we had to present our prototype with our unfinished presentation and I found that communication is very strong and more ideas can be developed but some ideas wouldn’t fit the concept

Aravind

On our trip, Wednesday 14th January, me and my team 23 made our prototype. When we first came in, our mentors gave us a small test to figure out which one was the starting product of a card reader. After that we got handed our logos. Then, we headed downstairs to work on our prototype. Our project manger assigned us pairs of what to work on. I was mostly working on cutting the wood. After it all finished, our team decided implement our logo into our prototype. The most challenging part about this session was that we had to present our prototype but we had excellent communication.

Kacie

On Wednesday 14th January, me and my team travelled to the London sneaker shop to work with the amazing designers to create our prototype. Both teams got a budget and worked together to decide what materials would be best for the prototype. Then we worked under a time limit to create the prototype and both teams split the work amongst themselves to work most efficiently. It was an overly fun and creative session where we got the opportunity to handle tools that we wouldn’t usually use. We also practised our presentation and communicated as a team on how our project would be best presented.

Wish our teams luck !

Mrs McBride , Mr McBride and Ms Hibbit

Inspiring Futures in Sport and Education – Year 9 Options Assembly

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 18:54:10 GMT

We were delighted to welcome former pupil Josiah Poulter back to Lymington to speak to students during the Year 9 Assembly . Josiah shared his journey since leaving school and spoke enthusiastically about his degree at Manchester University , where he is studying BA (Hons) Football Business and Finance , a course that combines his passion for sport with mathematics and business.

Josiah’s talk gave students a valuable insight into the wide range of opportunities available through higher education, particularly how academic subjects can link directly to careers in the sports industry.

With many Year 9 students expressing a strong interest in sport, Head of Year Miss Walker felt this was the perfect opportunity to showcase how those interests can be developed into future study and career pathways.

We would like to thank Josiah for taking the time to inspire our students and for being such a positive role model.

Young Poet Leaders and National Poetry Day

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 18:28:33 GMT

Over the past year and a half myself and the school have been working closely with Forward Arts Foundation to establish student-led poetry groups in schools across Barking and Dagenham.

During December, eight of our 'Poetry Pioneers' were invited by The Forward Arts Foundation to take part in an incredibly exciting opportunity: To create resources, videos, guidelines and even a logo for a Young Poet Leader's Toolkit. They attended two days of workshops with two other schools in the Barking and Dagenham area, and took active parts in planning, structuring and even creating films with a professional filming team for the toolkit!

All of these resources will then be published for this year's National Poetry Day (1st October 2026) on their website and social media, accessible to thousands of school and colleges across the country, and millions of students and teachers. This is the first time that The Forward Arts Foundation will publish resources that are completely student-created, and our students are a part of this.

The Poetry Pioneers have worked incredibly hard, have shown such dedication and commitment to poetry within our school and have represented our school professionally and proudly in this monumental moment.

Mrs Fox

Year 12 Art-iculation London Finals

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 23:29:50 GMT

The art department again had the chance to attend the ARTiculation London finals heat where we were privy to an extraordinary presentation on photographer Uldus Bakhtiozina by our y12 art and photography student Maria Vesca. The lead judges Alex Bispham and Dr Alan Crookham shared how much they loved the "immediacy of Maria’s presentation, which felt direct, personal and engaging." They praised her for responding so thoughtfully to their questions and congratulated her on "approaching culture in such a fresh, original and “out of the box” way." Amazing work Maria we are very proud of you.

Charity Breakfast for Williams Syndrome

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 07:45:29 GMT

What a fantastic start to Wednesday! Mrs Rose and the Beauty Department organised a wonderful charity breakfast, with all donations going to the Williams Syndrome Foundation.

Williams Syndrome is a rare genetic condition, and the foundation works tirelessly to support affected families, promote wellbeing, and fund vital research into the condition.

A fantastic spread was laid out, complete with unlimited tea, coffee, and juice, giving staff a welcome opportunity to catch up and connect before the school day began. Santa even arrived to join the festivities!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making the event such a success and helping us raise £521.38

Santa Claus the Pantomime

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 22:36:25 GMT

What a fantastic start to Wednesday! Mrs Rose and the Beauty Department organised a wonderful charity breakfast, with all donations going to the Williams Syndrome Foundation.

Williams Syndrome is a rare genetic condition, and the foundation works tirelessly to support affected families, promote wellbeing, and fund vital research into the condition.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making the event such a success.

Film Club Trip to Romford Vue to see Karate Kid: Legend!

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:21:58 GMT

As part of the Into Film Autumn Film Festival we arranged our biggest ever Film Club trip taking 45 Film Clubbers from all three sites and 15 KS5 Media Studies students to see the ultimate in 1980s film revival - Karate Kid: Legends at the Vue cinema in Romford.

The original was released in 1984 and for many it is an absolute classic! Karate Kid: Legend is the sixth film in the franchise and although Mr Miyagi is gone, he is certainly not forgotten in this latest instalment. Joshua Jackson, a familiar face to us kids of the 90s, plays a down-on-his-luck ex-boxer dad and Jackie Chan brings his trademark light, energetic but undeniably authentic performance as Mr Han - Mr Miyagi's old friend. Miyagi karate is what brings these characters together and is the reason we see the return of 'Danielson' Ralph Macchio.

Students had lots of fun experiencing everything that comes with going to the cinema, including a healthy dose of popcorn all before 10am! They were also lucky enough to receive a free cinema ticket form the Vue cinema to use over the Christmas holidays! I cant wait to hear what everyone went to see!

Special thanks to Mrs Fox, Mr Roberts and Mr Evans for your help on the day and making Film Club accessible for so many.

We look forward to the next one in the spring term!

Mrs Crowther-Green and the Film and Media Department

Year 2 Trip to Barking Gurdwara

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 14:41:23 GMT

Year 2 had a fantastic trip to Barking Gurdwara this week (wb 8th December). The children travelled sensibly on the bus and represented the school beautifully throughout the day. When they arrived, they were warmly welcomed and shown around the building, learning about its special features and significance.

They also took part in an engaging session about Sikhism, where they discovered key beliefs and traditions. The children asked lots of thoughtful questions and showed great curiosity. Staff at the Gurdwara commented on how polite and respectful they were, a real credit to the school!

A Level Film Studies Silent Cinema Event

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 14:34:14 GMT

For the third year in a row A Level Film Studies students attended a study day on silent cinema at the BFI Southbank in Central London. We’ve got another busy year of trips planned for our Film and Media Studies students and this was our first to the BFI this year.

The study day offered a brilliant insight into the aesthetics of different silent film movements, including German Expressionism, Soviet Montage, Constructivism and Surrealism. Most importantly students discovered that film has never actually been silent as it has always been animated by music.

We had a glimpse into the fantastical world of The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920), saw the sights of 1920s Moscow in Man With A Movie Camera (1929) and watched in amazement at the antics of Buster Keaton in The General (1926).

Our day concluded with a screening of F. W. Murnau’s expressionistic Sunrise (1927) with a live piano accompaniment from world famous performer, composer and presenter Neil Brand.

Neil Brand has composed music for a variety of films and presented many radio and television programmes regarding sound in cinema. He also now hosts his own podcast on music. It was a real treat to listen to him play and then talk about the experience in a Q & A afterwards. He gave us a wonderful insight into the process behind playing live to accompany a silent film and explained how every accompaniment is completely unique. The music is improvised by him as he watches the film with the audience! We were all utterly captivated by his amazing ability to improvise on the piano for nearly two hours. The experience really gave us a deeper understanding of the power of music when united with striking and beautiful film images.

Silent Cinema is just one of the exciting topics studied on the A Level Film Studies course. From Surrealism and World Cinema to Contemporary Hollywood Cinema we cover it all! If you are in Year 11 and would like to find out more about the course, drop in to see Mr Johnson, Mrs Evans, Mrs Crowther-Green or Miss Fernando in rooms 41 or 42 at Green Lane or Mr Roberts at Gosfield Road.

Mr Johnson and Mr Roberts

Robert Clack Debate Club Ranks 2nd at the Winter Global Classrooms Model United Nations!

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 14:29:50 GMT

Students from the Robert Clack Debate Club across all three sites attended the Annual Winter Model United Nations (MUN), a much-anticipated highlight in our debating calendar.

The two-day event took place at Mulberry School, which hosts the largest MUN programme for state secondary and international schools in the UK.

At these professional conferences, students assume the roles of ambassadors in simulations of UN committees. This year’s theme focused on "The Use of AI," sparking thoughtful discussions on some of the most pressing issues facing vulnerable populations around the world. The event fostered cooperation, leadership, public speaking, and global citizenship in a warm and supportive environment. Our school represented North Korea, Norway, and Canada at the conference.

This year, we earned a total of eight awards and proudly ranked second overall. While we didn’t win the top spot as we did last year, we were pleased to receive more delegate awards than at last winter's event.

The awards were as follows:

Sami – Distinguished Delegate
Daniel – Peacekeeper and Honourable Mention
Adam – Honourable Mention
Safa – Distinguished Delegate
Sophie – Honourable Mention
Zafir – Distinguished Delegate
Samaira – Kindness Award
Sabira – Best Delegate
David – Distinguished Delegate

A huge congratulations to everyone involved — we are incredibly proud of all your hard work and achievements!

The Annual Robert Clack Year 7 transition Assembly with visiting author Dan Freedman!

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 14:24:10 GMT

For the 7 ^th year in a row Robert Clack welcomed author of the Jamie Johnson series, Dan Freedman, into all of our schools to come and speak to our year 7 cohort. His message is a simple one: reading is important and it can help you to become anything!

Dan explained how he crafted his love of football and his love of reading into his dream job; a football journalist. He basically got paid to watch football!

Our year 7 students heard stories of Dan interviewing Christiano Ronaldo, meeting the Queen and travelling the world with the England Football Team alongside the likes of David Beckham, John Terry and Steven Gerrard as the team journalist.

He told them how he made the switch from jounalist to author and how he created one of the most beloved football characters on the TV - Jamie Johnson. Students were surprised by how much grit and determination Dan had to find to get his books published as he was rejected by every publisher in the UK for three years! But, they also learned a valuable lesson in never giving up and working hard - qualities also found in the Robert Clack school ethos!

Students had ample opportunities to ask Dan loads of questions and one pupil from each school was awarded a signed training football for the best question. What an amazing early Christmas gift! Each site also selected a group of VIP students who won a copy of Dan's Born to Play story and got the chance to privately meet him and get their book signed.

Dan's visits are always a lot of fun for students and staff alike and it's good to know Dan enjoys his visit here too.

This is what he had to say about this year's assemblies:

“It was an absolute privilege to visit Robert Clack to help celebrate the joys of reading and writing with the students. I couldn’t have hoped for a better students - the whole event was such a positive experience. I thought the sessions went really well and it was very impactful to see how many students wanted to ask a question! The students were a great combination of enthusiastic, interactive as well as being very polite and listening well. They represented the school fantastically.

“We discussed the power of reading and writing - and how sport and stories allow us to make bonds and build friendships. We also talked about resilience and how real-life stories can be woven into fiction. Plus we explored all the varied and incredible career opportunities that are available within football, even if you don’t make it as one of the twenty two players on the pitch.

“It was a pleasure to speak with the students. This was my seventh visit to Robert Clack and it’s always a terrific experience, but these students were standout. They were so impressive. Thanks to Mrs Crowther-Green for inviting me to your vibrant, thriving school and organising such a great day. I hope the experience encourages the students to Go For Their Goals.”

Dan Freedman

We look forward to inviting Dan back next year and hearing all about his new book!

Alumnus Jamie Coughlan speaks to Year 11 student about the realities of firefighting

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 20:30:28 GMT

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Year 1 News

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 20:05:26 GMT

What we have been learning

This term children have really enjoyed their ‘Winter News’ Topic. We started the topic by carefully looking at seasonal changes by going on a winter walk in nature. We then learnt all about animals and insects that hibernate over winter and how seasonal changes can affect some plants and trees over time. Children absolutely loved the owl visit that occurred earlier this term, and it inspired them to think about how wild animals survive the winter months. In Art, children had tremendous fun mixing various primary colours to make a secondary colour. In our learning wonders, children explored the story of Diwali. In RE children have been learning the story of Christmas and worked really hard to learn all the Christmas songs for our concert. A most enjoyable visit to our local church consolidated their learning about the story of Christmas. Christmas is also the time to celebrate and have fun and we all certainly enjoyed wearing our fun Christmas jumpers for lunch!

Upcoming Learning

Next half term we will be reading a range of traditional and alternative fairy tales to develop our imagination and writing skills. In Maths, we will be focusing on addition and subtraction skills as well as learning our number bonds to 20. In Science, we will be exploring the topic of ‘materials’ and in History we will be learning all about the worlds greatest inventors and how their inventions have shaped and impacted the modern world.

Former Student Inspires Year 12

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 19:45:07 GMT

Former Student Inspires Year 12 with Insight into Management Consultancy

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Year 11 Student Takes Flight with Aeronautical Engineering Inspiration

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 19:33:43 GMT

One of our Year 11 students, Titas, recently expressed a keen interest in Aeronautical Engineering, and we were delighted to arrange a Microsoft Teams call with former pupil Kingsley, who is currently studying the subject at Loughborough University.

During the conversation, they discussed industry opportunities and explored the best ways to build a strong portfolio that could give aspiring engineers a real advantage when applying for future courses or apprenticeships. Kingsley was incredibly impressed by the Titas’s initiative, commenting that “it’s amazing and rare for a Year 11 student to go above and beyond like this.”

We are proud to support such enthusiasm and ambition, and we look forward to seeing where this inspiration will take Titas next!

Primary School News

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:16:18 GMT

Children in Need

On Friday 14th November, we celebrated Children in Need at Robert Clack by dressing up in yellow, spots, or pyjamas.

The canteen staff helped make the day extra special by preparing a themed menu. The Pudsey Smartie Spots Cake was a particular favourite among the children!

Throughout the day, pupils had fun learning about the importance of working together and making a difference.

Despite the challenges facing the world and our community at this time, we are delighted to announce that we raised an incredible £182.58 for the charity. We are truly thankful to all our families for their generosity and contributions.

We are already looking forward to taking part in Children in Need again next November!

Bookfair Success

A huge thank you to everyone who attended the book fair. It was wonderful to see how excited the children were to visit—both during their class slot and after school. It is a real testament to our families that the children have developed such a strong love of reading.

Thanks to the sales made at the book fair, the school has earned £750 in rewards to spend on the Scholastic website. Your generosity means we can refresh our school library with brand-new books for the children to enjoy.

The book fair will return during the final summer half term and will be back again in November 2026 . We look forward to earning even more rewards to spend on books for our pupils.

Iroko Assembly and Workshop

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 21:04:06 GMT

Back in October, we celebrated Black History Month. During our assemblies, we learnt about many inspirational Black pioneers for social justice, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.

Each year, Iroko, a traditional African theatre company, visits our school to perform a story for all the children. Afterwards, every class has the opportunity to take part in two exciting workshops. This year, the children enjoyed both drumming and dance sessions.

It is one of the most anticipated days of the school year. As Iroko were setting up during breakfast club, one of our Year 4 pupils exclaimed, “Yes, it’s Iroko Day!” During the assembly, the company told the story of Anansi the Spider, a character from Akan folklore in West Africa.

The children were a fantastic audience—showing respect by listening attentively, while also joining in with dancing, singing, and chanting. Our visitors shared that they always love coming here because the children are enthusiastic, hardworking, and extremely well behaved.

We are already looking forward to welcoming them back next year!

Talk the Talk

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 18:02:02 GMT

On Friday 24th October, a group of our Year 7 pupils took part in a Talk About Transition workshop delivered by the Jack Petchey Foundation.

Throughout the day, pupils engaged in a range of interactive, oracy-based activities designed to strengthen their confidence, resilience, and communication skills as they continue their transition from primary to secondary school. These sessions also provided valuable opportunities for pupils to build new friendships and share their experiences of settling into life at Robert Clack School.

One pupil reflected, “I thought I was the only one feeling worried about making new friends, but after the workshop I have made some new friends.”

We are incredibly proud of the pupils who attended. Their behaviour, enthusiasm, and maturity were exemplary.

Mr. Nankivell (Head of Year 7 - Gosfield Road)

Year 3 and 4 Ballet Trip

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 17:56:26 GMT

This term, Year 3 and 4 had the great opportunity of attending the Royal Opera House in London to watch the ballet performance: ‘La Fille mal gardée’. Due to a last-minute train cancellation, the children rode on both the bus to Dagenham Heathway station and then on the District Line into central London. After eating their packed lunch at the venue, the children went into the huge auditorium for the first act, followed by a refreshing ice cream during the interval. The children enjoyed the performance, with some children expressing how they enjoyed seeing the professionals do the things they do in their after-school dancing clubs. It was then back to the Elizabeth line for the journey home. Fun was had by all who attended this truly enriching experience.

Former Student Returns to Inspire Year 9 at Gosfield

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 20:19:27 GMT

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Year 10 Parliament Trip

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 13:53:20 GMT

Students from the Debate Club across the three sites enjoyed an inspiring trip to the UK Parliament this week as part of UK Parliament Week 2025. Their visit took them through historic areas, including guided tours of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, where they gained a close-up look at how national decisions are made.

The group also had the opportunity to sit in on live debates, giving them a real sense of the energy and importance of parliamentary discussion. A highlight of the day was a hands-on petition workshop, where students learned how public voices can influence government action.

The visit ended on a fun note with a stop at the Parliament gift shop, where students picked up keepsakes to remember their day at the heart of British democracy.

The trip left many students feeling inspired — and perhaps even considering futures in politics, public service, or advocacy.

Year 10 Art Gallery Trip

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 23:11:58 GMT

Year 10 Art students visited the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington as part of their coursework and idea development. The trip provided an excellent opportunity for students to engage in observational drawing studies of the sculpture pieces within the gallery. They also spent time exploring and learning from the museum’s vast collection. All students were absolutely fantastic—well-behaved, enthusiastic, and a credit to our school.

Year 9 New Scientist Live 2025 Trip

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:57:28 GMT

On 20/10/25 30 Year 9 students from across the three sites attended the New Scientist Live 2025 Expo. Travelling on the Elizabeth Line students experienced a bit of what it was like to commute to a place of work. They were able to tour the venue and speak with dozens of industry professionals and scientists from all types of STEM. They attended talks/demos with exciting explosions and a cannon or two! (Perfectly safe!), along with learning about how magicians actually trick our brains.

They were able to complete competitions and learn about many exciting careers in STEM from people working in them right now. As an added bonus they received many free things, including stationary, bags and even T-shirts. Many students expressed how much they enjoyed the day with one student reporting ‘we learned when we got there and had fun’.

Well done to all our Year 9s who attended for representing the school is such a positive light.

Under-16 Girls Rugby

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:44:14 GMT

The U16 girls travelled away to Leventhorpe School in Sawbridgeworth yesterday. They battled up hill in the first half of the game and were glad to have the downhill in the second half. Zoe Freeman managed to convert all eight of our try's, even some right on the touchline. Try's were scored by Shola (her first one), Belange, Joan (x2), Blessing, Keziah, Eureka and Natasha. Making the final score 19-56 to our girls. Leventhorpe chose Belange as our back of the match and Joanna as our forward. Coaches player went to Arba for her relentless tackling and rucking and Captains player went to Keziah.

Year 13 Hampton Court Palace Trip

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:40:03 GMT

On Friday 17 ^th October our year 13 history cohort visited Hampton Court Palace, the home of many key characters from their A-level such as Cardinal Wolsey and even Henry VIII himself. The students were first able to explore the palace, from kitchens to chapel, wardrobe room to the 'Room of Great Easement' (also known as the toilet), and everything in between. They even had time to run a quick Privy Council meeting!

After their time exploring the students participated in a workshop led by an expert on Hampton Court Palace on the topic of the English Reformation. It had been clear all day that our students are well-versed in everything Tudor, a clear result of their exceptional hard work over year 12, but during this workshop they really impressed everyone. There was no question they could not answer, and yet they had their own questions about what they had seen as they still wanted to know more. Some of the highlights from our year 13 students included the magnificent tapestries, the 'eaves droppers' ensuring nobody spoke badly about the King and arguably the most popular story, that the ghost of Catherine Howard still haunts the halls.

Year 12 Hunterian Museum Trip

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:33:28 GMT

Twenty of our superb Year 12 Sixth Form students showcased themselves to be capable and highly skilled future surgeons on Monday 13th October as they visited the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS), London. Students began the day displaying excellent biological understanding at the Alexander Fleming Museum at St. Mary’s Hospital. Here, our pupils were able to demonstrate fantastic understanding of penicillin, antibiotic resistance and the importance of enzymes in cells whilst stood in the laboratory of Alexander Fleming, the scientist who discovered the world’s first antibiotic “by accident”.

Upon commencing their afternoon session at the Royal Society of Surgeons, our students displayed excellent dexterity and care gloving and gowning up, sticking to aseptic techniques whilst listening with great enthusiasm to three expert surgeons who were beyond complimentary of our pupils' knowledge and engagement. Most impressively, all of our Year 12 pupils quickly mastered complicated suturing (even surpassing their teachers!) and once again, showcased their excellent skill set and high aptitude for learning complex techniques in a short span of time. It filled Mrs Jolly and Mr Skeels with great reassurance watching our pupils suture practice wounds so carefully, knowing full well that if we ever needed emergency care that we'd be in very safe hands.

On behalf of the Science department and Robert Clack School, well done to our Year 12 students and future surgeons who upheld our ethos of high expectations, high standards and hard work on this trip!

UK Maths Challenge

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:32:45 GMT

On October the 9 ^th , 40 of our most able Mathematicians took part in the UKMT Senior challenge. The challenge is a national competition where our students get to compete with the best Mathematicians in the country. The challenge has students utilise their mathematical reasoning and fluency in using the basic mathematical techniques learned from school to solve unique and interesting questions and challenges on the paper. The problems on the Senior Mathematical Challenge promote critical thinking skills, often making pupils apply their knowledge in unfamiliar ways in order to solve a problem.

Our results have just come in and we had 19 Bronze awards, 8 Silver awards and 1 Gold award. A special mention to Nelson M for achieving the highest in the school and achieving a Gold award and Muhammad (Rayyan) HB for the 2 ^nd highest in the school and achieving a Silver award. Nelson will have the opportunity to go into the follow-on Kangaroo round for the elite Mathematicians in the country.

Chinese Exchange

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 13:42:52 GMT

An Unforgettable Adventure: Our First Ever Trip to China

On 19th July, 58 excited students and staff embarked on an incredible journey — our school’s first-ever trip to China! After a long flight, we touched down in Beijing, where tired faces quickly turned into smiles of excitement and anticipation. From there, we travelled to Tianjin, our home for the week, and settled into the welcoming campus of Tianjin Normal University. Our first day was spent exploring the university grounds and getting to know our surroundings — a perfect start to what would become an unforgettable adventure.

Over the next six days, our students immersed themselves in Chinese culture, language, and tradition, alongside new friends from both China and the USA. Each day offered a blend of learning and discovery, and the energy, curiosity, and enthusiasm from everyone were truly inspiring.

Some of the many highlights included:

Martial Arts Training, where students learned the discipline and skill behind this ancient practice.
A fascinating visit to the National Maritime Museum of China, exploring the country’s proud naval history.
Creative Chinese Art workshops, full of colour and imagination.
A trip to the picturesque Yangliuqing Ancient Town, offering a window into China’s traditional culture.
A lively Traditional Dragon Dance, which brought music, rhythm, and joy to the group.
Exploring the China Stone Park and Tianjin Ancient Cultural Street, where students experienced local crafts, flavours, and history first-hand.

The children also had the opportunity to explore a traditional Chinese market — a truly sensory experience! They were captivated by the sights, sounds, and aromas that filled the bustling stalls. Many were fascinated by the variety of local delicacies on offer, and a few brave students (and even some teachers!) decided to sample them. This was a fantastic learning experience that opened everyone’s eyes to the richness of Chinese culture and the many differences — and similarities — that make our world so wonderfully diverse.

After our incredible week in Tianjin, we made our way back to Beijing for the final leg of our journey. There, we explored some of China’s most iconic landmarks, including the majestic Temple of Heaven and the world-famous Tiananmen Square. Standing in these historic places was a truly awe-inspiring moment for everyone.

Along with the trip to China this summer, our school also welcomed students from The New Oriental School in China and Hong Kong for an exciting exchange programme.

Pupils joined in a variety of activities, including building historical castles, designing marketing plans, taking part in drama workshops, and enjoying a lively tug-of-war competition!

A big well done to our pupils for their excellent behaviour, and heartfelt thanks to the staff who helped make this visit such a memorable experience. It was a wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange, new friendships, and fun learning.

Boys 6th Form News

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 13:27:09 GMT

Under-16 Athletics

Well done to the boys U16 Indoor Athletics squad who made it through the heats to reach the final of the indoor Athletics final at the national centre at Lee Valley.

There was some outstanding individual performances and when combined together it saw us finish 4 ^th in an impressive field of schools from the South East of England.

Well done to all.

Mr Goyette

6th Form boys football

The U18 boys team have finished the half term with 2 excellent wins over local rivals All Saints and Eastbrook. They have scored an impressive 15 goals over the 2 games. They currently sit top of the borough league and play an Essex cup second round game away to St Thomas More the first week back after half term. The attendance to training and the enthusiasm has been excellent all half term.

Well done and keep it up gents.

Under-12 Rugby Festival

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 13:21:27 GMT

What an amazing start to the term with nearly 50 year 7 students competing in their first rugby festival of the season. All teams performed really well and there was some outstanding sportsmanship on the pitch. Our friends, Grays Convent School and Riverside, gave us some great competition! Stay tuned for our next rugby festival in November!

Miss Robbins & Mr Pruce

Vision and Voices Trip 2025

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 13:16:01 GMT

This year, our Vision and Voices students are entering the final stage of their three-year journey with the project. On Wednesday, they kicked off the year with their first trip — a visit to the National Gallery — where they focused on developing their oracy skills, particularly through exploratory talk.

From start to finish, the students were outstanding. They demonstrated impressive knowledge and understanding built over the past two years of the project. One student even shared, "This was my favourite trip to the gallery yet."

Barking and Dagenham College Taster Day

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 10:48:38 GMT

On Wednesday 1 ^st October 2025, Mr Hamill Careers Director, led a 100 year 11 students from all 3 sites to experience a BARKING COLLEGE TASTER DAY, with each student experiencing 4 vocational courses/workshops each from NVQ Levels 1 to 3. Barking and Dagenham College is the largest college in East London offering up to 146 varied vocational course and apprenticeship opportunities for students wishing to follow a more practical vocational route in their career. Experiencing 4 varied workshops allowed them to experience great insight into 4 professions first hand and to use the facilities on offer and meet the teaching staff. The day proved extremely rewarding for all involved and really helped in vital career opportunity awareness.

Ski News

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 10:46:14 GMT

For the second year in a row, Robert Clack secured a place at the National Ski Finals. This event took place on the 11 ^th and 12 ^th October and was held at Norfolk ski slope. For the students this represented a significant step up in competition, with the best school teams from around England at this event, competing against our students. Despite the tough competitors, our four boys performed well and improved on there performance from last year.

Well done boys, keep up the hard work.

Mr Curtis

My Neighbour Totoro

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 10:45:02 GMT

Our Year 7 and 8 students recently had the wonderful opportunity to visit London’s West End to see the magical musical play My Neighbour Totoro. From the moment we arrived, excitement filled the air as students explored the bustling theatre district. The performance was a captivating adaptation of the beloved Studio Ghibli story, with imaginative sets, creative puppetry, and enchanting Japanese singing that added authenticity and charm. Students were mesmerised as the characters were brought vividly to life—Totoro’s playful antics, the gentle spirits of the forest, and the heartfelt interactions between Mei and Satsuki captured everyone’s attention. The musical’s combination of visual storytelling, music, and movement sparked laughter, awe, and genuine engagement throughout. Beyond entertainment, the trip offered a valuable cultural and educational experience, inspiring creativity and deepening students’ appreciation of live theatre. It was a joyful outing filled with memorable moments that students will cherish for years to come.

Articulation Photography Trip

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 10:43:21 GMT

Our y12 photography students were afforded the opportunity to participate in the articulations' discovery day. This year they were treated to a personal tour and art talk from a seasoned historian at the National Army Museum. They focused on the ability of art to depicted different perspectives of the same even, gained knowledge about effective research techniques, and honed their public speaking skills delivering their own art talks. Our students did us proud with elaborate presentations and deep connections. Looking forward to the internal finals of Articulation in December!

Treehouse Room News

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 09:33:32 GMT

We have had a busy start to the year in the Treehouse Room. Our core books this half term have been Owl Babies; Rainbow Fish and We’re going on a bear hunt in which we have been using colourful semantics to build sentences and matching letters to key words from the text. We have especially enjoyed using our senses when exploring sensory stories and matching key characters and events in a text.

We have worked had to develop for fine motor and gross motor skills through threading, building and exploring a range of messy play activities. We have exploring shapes and numbers in maths and developing our creatives skills when making key characters from our core texts using mark making and collaging.

Alumni Inspiration

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 09:33:30 GMT

On Friday 26 ^th September Mrs Monk arranged a zoom call for Nelly in Year 12 to speak to former pupil Fisayo, who previously worked in Investment Banking after Nelly expressed an interest in the industry.

Fisayo talked Nelly through:

A Day in the Life of an investment banker – what the role really involves beyond the job title.
Her career path – from completing A Levels to studying at university, at a time when degree apprenticeships weren’t yet an option.
How she navigated uncertainty during her final year of university to discover her passion for finance.
Why degree apprenticeships are such an exciting opportunity today – combining academic learning with hands-on industry experience , while building invaluable professional networks .

Fisayo also highlighted the power of networking in launching and sustaining a career in investment banking – and how students today can make the most of every opportunity to connect, learn, and grow.

Thank you to Fisayo for giving up her time to inspire the next generation of Robert Clack pupils.

Year 3 - Library Bus

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 09:11:48 GMT

Year 3 had the opportunity to get on our new school library bus. We have recently had the seats recovered so the children were excited to get on and see the progress.

In Science, we have been learning about light. WE have investigated how shadows are made, how light travels, and how we can affect the size and shape of a shadow. The children enjoy wearing their lab coats, so they feel like 'proper' scientists.

In DT, the children have been building their own castles using junk modelling materials. Earlier in the term, the children experimented with designing and making their own nets in order to create 3D shapes.

Year 3 News

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 09:04:04 GMT

Year 3 had the opportunity to get on our new school library bus. We have recently had the seats recovered so the children were excited to get on and see the progress.

Year 3 and 4 Lion King Trip

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 08:49:24 GMT

On Wednesday 10th September, Year 3 and Year 4 visited The Lyceum Theatre to watch The Lion King musical. Despite a challenging journey due to poor weather and a tube strike, our pupils handled the situation brilliantly. Several members of the public commented on how fantastic their behaviour was, both during the journey and at the theatre. The children absolutely loved the show and are already looking forward to their next trip to London—to see the ballet in November!

Year 2 News

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 08:39:48 GMT

Year 4 have been busy learning all about the Ancient Egyptians this term! The main characters in our English texts have gone on many adventures in Egypt and the children have learnt all about the pyramids, the sphinx and mummification!

Speaking of mummification, we mummified our own tomatoes! The children enjoyed taking all of the juice and seeds out of the tomato and preserving it in salt. When we had a look at our tomatoes the other day, they were perfectly preserved, just like an ancient Egyptian mummy!

We’ve also learnt all about ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. We made our own papyrus paper to create Egyptian scrolls. We chose ancient Egyptian symbols to decorate our scrolls just like old Egyptian scribes!

Year 4 News

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 08:22:55 GMT

Reception News

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 19:43:47 GMT

This reception’s cohort have had a good start to this academic year. Entering a new environment and finding yourself in a new system is never easy but, they are beginning to understand the expectations we hold for them. This term is all about discovering themselves and learning all about who they are. They have many opportunities to explore the various areas of our learning environment and some have already taken interest in specific areas and will always find themselves at those areas, during our free flow. We know that as the year progresses, they will only get better and better and we will see these young little minds develop in all areas of learning within the EYFS curriculum.

Year 1 News

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 16:47:25 GMT

Our topic this half term has been ‘Remarkable Me’. Children have been introduced to the concept of five senses that help them to find out about the world around them. We have had a lovely time tasting food to classify tastes scientifically, going on listening walks and grouping different materials. We all agreed science is so much fun! We have also been developing a sense of history by comparing celebrations that have happened in the past and celebrations that will happen in the future. In art, children have enjoyed drawing objects and learning about lines and shading. Our shared reading has been very enjoyable and children particularly loved gaining a deeper understanding of the story ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ and have produced some lovely pieces of writing and artwork, inspired by this story. It has been a pleasure to watch your children settle into Year One!

Stagecoach Apprenticeships

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 15:49:09 GMT

We are thrilled to announce that three of our former students have secured apprenticeships with Stagecoach! Last year, through our alumni network, we invited Stagecoach to visit the school. They brought along a brand new bus and gave presentations to our Year 11 students across all three sites. One of the speakers was former student Callum Ferris, who left Robert Clack in 2019 and is now an apprentice with Stagecoach. Well done to Charlie S, Ellis M and Dilpreet S and good luck with your careers.

Robert Clack pupils buck the national trend and achieve the school’s best-ever GCSE results!

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 13:30:30 GMT

Pupils at Robert Clack have achieved the school’s best-ever GCSE results, with an increase in every key performance indicator, despite a fall in national outcomes for the fourth successive year.

Denis who achieved an Average Point Score (APS) of 8.11 commented: “ The people who worked harder got awarded the most. Thank you to all my teachers for the help! ”

Outcomes at Robert Clack are well above the national average. 76.4% of all entries were grade 4 or above (compared to the national average of 67.4% and the London average of 71.6%) and 25.8% were grade 7 or above (compared to the national average of 23%). Our results are even more pleasing given that Robert Clack is the largest comprehensive school in the country and had 480 pupils sit GCSE examinations in Year 11.

Yuhans achieved an APS score of 8.56 with 7 grade 9s and 2 grade 8s . He said: “ I am extremely proud of the grades I have achieved. These results reflect the hard work and dedication I have put into my studies. I plan to continue my journey at Robert Clack, where I will keep striving for success. My long term ambition is to become an entrepreneur and my determined to work hard to make this goal a reality. ”

Overall, 21 pupils were awarded grades 7 to 9 in every subject which they studied, and we are very pleased that two of our students achieved an outstanding 8 grade 9s!

Summaya who achieved 8 grade 9s and 1 grade 8 commented: “ I feel ecstatic. I cannot believe these are the grades I achieved. I am so happy. It shows that hard work does pay off. Thank you to all my teachers at Robert Clack who have made this possible ”.

In addition, over a third of pupils secured grades 5 to 9 in all of their subjects, three-quarters achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and Maths and over half of the cohort achieved a grade 5 or above in these subjects.

Moyosoreoluwa achieved an APS score of 8.97 which led to 7 grade 9s and she is aspiring to become a doctor.

Russell Taylor, Executive Headteacher, said: “ As national results continue their downward adjustment to pre-Covid levels, I am thrilled that, at Robert Clack, we have sustained year-on-year improvement, and with our largest-ever cohort of 480 pupils. I would like to wish our pupils the very best of luck for the next stage of their education in our outstanding sixth form. I also want to express my gratitude to our staff, governors and parents for their unwavering dedication to our children. ”

Year 13 Results 2025

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 17:20:02 GMT

Over 140 pupils placed on university courses as pupils achieve fantastic results!

Robert Clack pupils have achieved fantastic results in A Level, Vocational and Tech Level qualifications. As a result, roughly 140 pupils will be taking up places to study at University in September.

“A levels were definitely a tough battle but I emerged victorious! I tried to spread my revision out by doing little amounts every day and I really feel like it’s added up and paid off. I will be going to study law at LSE in September and my message to any future students is that discipline always rewards. No one’s ever regretted putting in the effort.” Aimuavbosa (A*AA)

High numbers of students will be going to study a wide range of degree courses at universities across the country including Aeronautics and Astronautics, Biochemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, English, History, Physics, and Psychology.

“Sixth form at RC was an experience, filled with hardship and endurance. With hard work and perseverance, success is calling your name. Thank you Robert Clack.” Joshua (A*AA)

We are delighted to report that 3 pupils have secured places to study Medicine, 2 pupils have secured places to study Dentistry and 10 pupils have secured places to study Law.

“I am incredibly grateful and beyond excited to have been accepted into dentistry. It’s a dream come true, and I’m thankful for every challenge, every lesson, and every person who supported me along the way.” Shanzay (A*AA)

Many pupils have also secured places at Russell Group universities with a large number of pupils choosing to study at top London universities such as Imperial College, KCL, Queen Mary, and LSE. We are also pleased that pupils have chosen to study at elite universities further afield such as Warwick, Durham, Nottingham, Southampton and Birmingham.

A number of pupils chose to apply for highly-prized degree apprenticeship opportunities and have been offered places with TfL as well as at top construction and insurance firms.

In A Level qualifications , the average grade achieved by pupils was B-. 20 pupils (26%) achieved the ‘gold standard’ of AAB or above and 10 pupils achieved A Level grades equivalent to AAA or above.

“ The main thing that allowed me to achieve my results was the resilience and determination and clear planning. I am now going to study history at Queen Mary and I will hopefully come back to Robert Clack as a history teacher. One piece of advice I would give is to choose subjects you enjoy and reach out if you need any assistance ” Thomas (Dist*, Dist, A)

The average grade achieved by pupils in Vocational and Tech Level qualifications was Distinction. 15 pupils (27%) achieved grades equivalent to Distinction- Distinction- Distinction or above and 1 pupil achieved Distinction*-Distinction*Distinction*.

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MUN Trip

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 08:09:56 GMT

This summer, debaters from Years 9 to 12 across our three sites had the opportunity to attend the annual Global Classrooms Model United Nations (MUN) conference — a much-anticipated highlight in our debating calendar each year.

The two-day event took place at Mulberry School, which hosts the largest MUN programme for state secondary and international schools in the UK.

At these professional conferences, students take on the role of ambassadors in simulations of UN committees. This year's theme focused on "Global Strategies for Women and Children," prompting thoughtful debate on some of the most pressing issues facing vulnerable populations around the world. The event promoted cooperation, leadership, public speaking, and global citizenship in a warm and supportive environment.

We were proud to represent South Korea and South Sudan this year. Nina, Sabira, and Sydney were awarded ‘Best Position Paper’ for their insightful and well-researched contributions, while Daniel impressed as the youngest delegate in his committee, earning the title of ‘Distinguished Delegate’.

This was also a significant occasion for our Year 12 students, as it marked their final MUN conference — a meaningful milestone after years of dedication and growth.

A huge well done to everyone who took part. Their professionalism, teamwork, and thoughtful engagement throughout the event were exemplary, and they represented our school with pride.

Hay on Wye Trip

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 07:45:21 GMT

Just before Half Term (20–23 May 2025), I was lucky enough to head off with four of our English students on a Pen-to-Print writing retreat in Hay-on-Wye, based at Trewern Outdoor Education Centre. We teamed up with three other borough schools (Sydney Russell, Eastbury and Dagenham Park) - sixteen students altogether and from the moment we jumped off the train in Hereford, the week felt like one big adventure. We soaked up the beauty of Bannau Brycheiniog, swapped screens for fresh air and bookshops, and discovered just how much inspiration can hide in a tiny market town.

Hay-on-Wye, of course, is famous for its shelves upon shelves of stories, so we completed a treasure-hunt challenge to track down local landmarks, spot references to classic books, and see who could unearth the oldest volume hiding in an honesty stall. A wander through St Mary’s Church in Cusop added an unexpected spark with names on old gravestones that fed straight into character sketches, a bit like the Eleanor Rigby moment for The Beatles.

Out in the wild we clambered up waterfalls at Blaen y Glyn, floated down clear pools, and paused on riverbanks to scribble in notebooks. The area, known for its stunning waterfalls and trails, also has an old abandoned railway line that runs alongside the stream. At one point, we made our way through a tunnel on the path with our lights off, in pairs, using sticks to feel our way along the walls in total darkness.

Alongside all the writing and walking, there was no shortage of fun. Students played heated games of Mafia, tried their hand at archery, and some even took on the climbing wall. Others made the most of the surroundings, watching sheep wander freely and spotting horses in nearby farmers’ fields and of course, no downtime is complete without a quick kickabout in the grass.

Evenings back at Trewern meant hot food and writing workshops with Pen to Print, including one memorable session led by the brilliant Jenny Valentine. During her workshop, students used arty postcards as a springboard for their writing, sparking fresh ideas and creativity. By the final night, everyone had a story or poem inspired by muddy boots, festival buzz (thanks to author events with Anu Adebogun, Alice Roberts and Christopher Edge), and the joy of being surrounded by books. We even bumped into Jenny later on in Hay town, where she kindly signed some of the kids’ books. Pen to Print will be publishing the results later this year, and I couldn’t be prouder of the imagination and bravery our writers showed all week.

Miss Fowler

Robert Clack Maths Team Challenge 2025

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 11:27:34 GMT

The Maths Department held their second Annual Robert Clack Maths teams Challenge on Wednesday 9 ^th July. Year 9 set 1 pupils from Lymington, Gosfield and Green Lane went head to head in a heated challenge to determine this years Maths Champions.

The teams competed against the clock to complete two rounds of challenges. They had to be strategic and work as a team to solve complex problems. We were amazed by the creativity and enthusiasm of our elite Mathematicians.

It gives us great pleasure to announce the victors of this years Maths Challenge to be Team Lymington! Congratulations to Ms Kaur and 9E1 for an outstanding performance, they won with a score of 193 points

I would also like to commend all the students in Year 9 students who took part, there was such energy buzzing through the room as the students competed to complete their tasks, and their shouts of triumph at each stage was truly contagious.

Below are the results from the whole competition:

1 ^st Place: Lymington 193
2 ^nd Place: Gosfield 172
3 ^rd Place: Green Lane 169

A special mention to our honorary participants from China, who made up their own team and took 1 ^st place as the overall team winners. It was a privilege to share this experience with our wonderful guests from China.

Congratulations to all those who have won awards for the challenge. We look forward to next year to see which site will claim the mantle of Robert Clack Maths Champions!

Ms Miah

Tate Modern Trip

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 11:10:55 GMT

As a reward for their commitment to Art Club throughout the year, a group of Year 7 students enjoyed a fantastic visit to the Tate Modern. Pupils explored the gallery’s exhibitions with curiosity and creativity, representing the school with exemplary behaviour throughout. It was a wonderful celebration of their enthusiasm and dedication to the arts.

Parliament trip 2025

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 11:03:39 GMT

On Tuesday, 30 select members of the school council of the entirety of Robert Clack School were invited to The Houses of Parliament by our own MP Margaret Mullane after a request sent by Mrs Monk which was finally accepted after numerous rejections. Because of this, this may increase the likelihood of this opportunity opening again.

The way that we got accepted for this trip is based on behavior, engagement with the school council and having an interest in politics.

We left Gosfield Road at about 9:30, took the bus to Dagenham Heathway and took the District Line straight to Westminster.

As soon as we arrived at the grand Palace of Westminster, and after a few scans of our items, we were shown around the ancient Westminster Hall, saw the New Dawn, which is an artistic masterpiece, lit up and controlled by the tide of the River Thames. This was made as a monument to the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

Past that, we explored the Central Lobby, even seeing various news reporters practicing their reports. Later, we were split into two groups and were able to see a debate in the House of Commons between two politicians. Even if you weren’t interested in what they were discussing, you had to be in awe of the entire hall, being shown on TV countless times and finally seeing it in person.

And finally before eating our lunch and heading home, we all got a group picture with our MP, Margaret Mullane, to wrap up the whole day.

Brendan, Year 9

Geography Field Trip 2025

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 10:58:19 GMT

Our GCSE Geography students have just returned from an excellent trip to Walton-on-the-Naze. The purpose of the trip was to investigate whether the sea defences at Walton were effective at preventing erosion and flooding.

Although we had some problems with being able to complete all our fieldwork with high tides most days, the students were still able to collect enough data. The weather was glorious and we certainly made the most of the heatwave.

Whilst battling through the traffic, with Gallows Corner being closed, we were able to belt out some songs on the minibuses and arrive in good time.

The students' behaviour was excellent throughout the trips. They listened well and followed instructions carefully and were a credit to the school. I look forward to taking them all to Stratford in September for their Human Geography fieldwork.

Fighting Pride of Robert Clack

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 20:24:56 GMT

Congratulations to Maisy Kohl in year 9! This half term she won a regional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition.

This was all the more impressive as she stepped up 3 divisions to do so and fought a girl 15kg heavier than herself.

She won in an incredible 4 seconds, forcing her opponent to tap out from an arm bar.

Well done Maisy, we are all very proud of you!

Essex Athletics Championships 2025

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 19:53:55 GMT

On Saturday 15 ^th June 2025, Mr Vinda and Mr Goyette lead the Barking and Dagenham district team to compete in the County Championships at Melbourne park in Chelmsford.

With Robert Clack winning so many events at the Barking and Dagenham Championships 2 weeks before, it was no surprise that Robert Clack athletes made up the majority of the team. There were over 20 athletes from Robert Clack between year 7-10 competing.

All of our athletes showed a high level of skill, physical fitness and outstanding behaviour. They represented themselves and the school with honour.

Special congratulations must go to the following athletes for excelling in their individual events and bring back a county medal.

Joshua - Gold - Discus
Keziah - Bronze - Hurdles
Denzel - Silver - 200m
Dre - Silver - Hurdles

Well done to all who participated.

Josh B Athletics

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 19:45:12 GMT

Essex selection for National championships.

Track and field athlete Josh B (year 9), has had the summer of his life with individual achievements and he's not finished yet.

This year Josh was our highest point scorer in the English Schools athletics competitions, but his success does not stop there.

Barking and Dagenham championships

100m - Gold
Discus - Gold
Relay - Gold
Essex Championships
Discus Gold

Selection for Essex multi events team, competing in the national championships in Northampton in the following events; Hurdles, Long jump, high jump, shot-put, 800m.

Reached national standard in both hurdles and long jump.

Will represent Essex in the hurdles for Essex in the National individual championships.

Josh thoroughly deserves the plaudits he is receiving as he works so hard. In the gym before school, not missing a club after school and working hard at his club outside of school.

Well done Josh! We are all very proud of you.

Year 1 News

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 19:17:04 GMT

It has been our pleasure and privilege to have been part of your child’s journey in Year One! We are so proud of their achievements and we have thoroughly enjoyed watching them grow into budding readers, writers, mathematicians, artists, scientists, explorers, athletes and so much more! Every day the children have amazed us with their determination to learn and grow and we have all been thoroughly charmed by each and every one of their unique personalities.

As always, this term has been really busy with lots of fun learning. We started off our ‘Wild World’ topic with an exciting visit to Sea Life Aquarium! The children were fascinated learning about all the magnificent creatures that live in the ocean and how we can protect their natural habitat. In DT, we had lots of fun chopping fruit and making our very own fruit cocktail! In other news, it was amazing to see so many parents come to watch and cheer along in our school’s Sports Day. Your children certainly enjoyed taking part, showing great sportsmanship and teach spirit! Well done Year One!

Art Exhibition

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 18:45:29 GMT

On Thursday, 10th July, the Art Department held a vibrant and inspiring art exhibition at the Gosfield Road site. The event featured artwork created by students from the Art Club across all three school sites. Students have been working hard throughout the year to produce a wide range of creative pieces, and it was a fantastic opportunity for their efforts to be recognised and celebrated. The exhibition gave staff and fellow students the chance to view the incredible talent and dedication shown by our young artists.

Gardening Club

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 18:37:09 GMT

The Science Department launched a Gardening Club this term, and I thought I would share some photos of what’s been happening over the past few weeks.

Students have been busy painting plant pots, sowing seeds, transplanting seedlings into the garden patch, and keeping the garden beds neat and tidy. I have attached some photos to include for the newsletter, and ensured all students included have the relevant consents in palce.

It’s been lovely to see their enthusiasm and teamwork outdoors!

Summer Dance Show

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 18:14:45 GMT

On Monday 7 ^th July we had our biggest summer dance show yet, with 120 pupils taking part! There were a wide range of dances from contemporary, street and even had had a nod to musical theatre. In the finale, we had inflatables, sunglasses and flower lei's to bring the summer vibe. It clearly was a fantastic show! Everyone that has taken part in dance extracurricular this year, should be immensely proud. Continue to work hard and we look forward to what 2025/26 has to offer.

Key Stage 3 Summer Debate Competition 2025

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 20:07:32 GMT

Our Key Stage 3 Junior Debate Club took part in the annual summer Bingham Competition, hosted by South Hampstead High School.

The event brought together pupils from all three of our school sites. Both Squad A and Squad B showcased their exceptional debating skills, securing victories in two rounds each. The motions covered topics including neurodiversity, workload, cheerleading, feminism, and parental spyware.

The dedication and eloquence demonstrated by the students were truly commendable, reflecting their commitment to excellence in debate and representing our school with distinction.

The day began bright and early at 7:00am and concluded at 7:00pm. A 12 hour day but the pupils persevered! Pupils competed in multiple rounds and had the opportunity to watch a showcase debate in the finals. They also enjoyed a rooftop soft drink social with peers from other schools. Their behaviour, energy, and enthusiasm throughout such a long day were genuinely inspiring.

Congratulations to all participants on their outstanding performance, and thank you to the organisers at South Hampstead—especially Mr Hepburn—for hosting such a fantastic event.

Year 10 GCSE Sociology Summer Youth Conference

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 23:01:21 GMT

This summer, some of the Year 10 Sociology pupils across the three sites were able to attend the Youth Conference hosted at King’s College London. The event brought together students from a range of schools to take part in inspiring workshops and discussions on activism, sustainability, and social justice. Our pupils collaborated with others to design and decorate tote bags with messages of change, reflect on what activism means to them, and explore how young people can make a difference in their communities.

They also had the chance to hear from a brilliant line-up of speakers. Mandu Reid shared her experiences in leadership and advocacy, encouraging students to think boldly about social change. Mya-Rose Craig, also known as Birdgirl, spoke about her environmental activism and her incredible achievement of holding a Guinness World Record for being the youngest person to see half of the world’s bird species. Other speakers included researchers, legal experts, and campaigners working on climate action, public health, and youth rights—each offering fresh perspectives and motivation for the next generation.

A big thank you to the organisers, especially Mary Davies, a Global Classrooms leader, for making this valuable and empowering day possible.

Sociology Department

Year 9 GCSE RE Pupils Visit St Paul’s Cathedral

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 21:48:59 GMT

As a reward for their outstanding effort and achievement throughout the year, a group of Year 9 GCSE Religious Education pupils were selected by the RE department for a special trip to St Paul’s Cathedral. This enriching visit not only celebrated their hard work but also provided valuable insight into topics linked to their GCSE curriculum.

The day began with a guided tour of the magnificent cathedral, where pupils were introduced to stunning mosaics, artwork, and historical sculptures. They had the opportunity to ask thought-provoking questions, try on traditional garments worn by bishops and priests, and explore various areas within the cathedral that highlighted Christian worship, beliefs, and historical context.

A moment of reflection followed as students were invited to light candles if they wished, offering them a peaceful chance to pause and contemplate. Lunch provided a wonderful opportunity for pupils from all three school sites to connect, socialise, and enjoy their time together. Some students even ventured into the gift shop, where they got their first taste of London prices — a real eye-opener for many!

The day concluded with a self-guided climb to the top of the cathedral dome — a challenging 528 steps to reach the Golden Gallery. This final stretch, though tiring, was well worth the effort. The panoramic views of London were breathtaking, and the shared sense of achievement brought a strong feeling of unity among the group. It was truly a memorable experience.

The team at St Paul’s Cathedral were incredibly welcoming and had high praise for our students, noting:
“They had wonderful things to say about your students and were so impressed by the willingness to engage in the topic and have meaningful discussions.”Our pupils were a credit to Robert Clack School — their behaviour was impeccable, and they represented us with pride.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this trip possible. We’re already looking forward to next year… and another 528 steps!

Year 9 GCSE RE Pupils Visit London Central Mosque

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 17:39:23 GMT

As a reward for their dedication and hard work this year, our Year 9 GCSE RE pupils enjoyed a special trip to the London Central Mosque. It was a brilliant day that combined learning, relaxation, and a chance to connect with others.

The day began with a picnic in the park, where pupils enjoyed their lunch in the sunshine and treated themselves to some well-earned ice cream. The weather couldn’t have been better, creating a perfect atmosphere for students to relax and socialise with peers from other sites.

Following the picnic, pupils took part in a guided tour of the London Central Mosque. They explored the building’s stunning architecture and learned more about Islamic practices and beliefs. The visit offered a valuable opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussion and deepen their understanding of the subject. Mais was lucky enough to answer a question on the podium and the boys and girls went against one another during an Islam facts quiz.

A big thank you to Ms Simpson for organising such a rewarding trip, and huge credit goes to the pupils for their outstanding behaviour throughout the day. They were curious, respectful, and represented the school with pride.

Well done to all involved!

Robert Clack & Seven Kings Murder Mystery Debate

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 20:51:08 GMT

This summer term, the Robert Clack Junior Debate Team took part in a murder mystery mock trial with pupils from Seven Kings High. Students were immersed in a fictional case, where they had to argue whether or not the suspect was guilty. They were split into two teams – prosecution and defence. Each team had a mixture of Robert Clack and Seven Kings pupils, so they had to debate with each other, rather than against each other. They were given evidence bags and speaker roles, which they had to investigate before presenting.

Olivia and Alfie, our more senior debaters in Year 10,with Nifemi in our 6 ^th form, judged the trial and gave individual feedback. In the end, the prosecution won the case. It was a fantastic event, which allowed pupils to build on their speaking and teamwork skills.

Well done to all pupils involved from both schools, and thank you to the teachers at Seven Kings for visiting.

Mrs Aktar Al Hossain & Mr Saito

Knife Crime Awareness Week Football Tournament

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 23 May 2025 10:00:33 GMT

On Tuesday 20 ^th May 11 Year 9 pupils attended the Booby Moore Sports Hub for a Football tournament run by the Barking and Dagenham Community Safe Partnership, Barking and Dagenham Council and the West Ham United Foundation.

The boys played well throughout the tournament especially as the rest of the teams were all Year 10 teams. They made it through their group after wins against Sydney Russell and Greatfields earning them a semi final spot against a very strong Riverside team. This proved a task too far and they bowed out to the team who were the eventual winners.

Alongside the tournament, students heard from a range of inspiring guest speakers including guest speakers including Stephen Addison, Founder of Box Up Crime, Patrick Green, CEO of Ben Kinsella Trust, Inspector Carroll Weeden, Arran Johny (West Ham United Foundation), Nana Aggrey and Lauric Diakiesse, manager director of the PAT project and Ethan Bell, Director of Be Heard as One.

Which provided a powerful insight into making good choices and the power of sport to help giver clear goals and a discipline to help guide young people.

The boys were a credit to the school throughout the day and earning plaudits from the vast array of dignitaries there with their efforts on the pitch and their conduct off it.

Special mention to Archie H who was named Robert Clack player of the tournament.

Squad: Freddie C, Adeseye O, Teddy P, Gifton C, Archie H, Levii A, Elijah G, Taylor G, Kylan O-W, Daniel M, Tyler W-F

Imperial’s Science & Innovation competition

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 22 May 2025 21:42:01 GMT

On the 23rd April students Aila and Shashi competed in the national final of the Imperial’s Science & Innovation competition, a competition that inspires students to use STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to think of new and exciting ways to deal with one or a number of the UN’s goals.

The girls team name was Operation I.A.S, looking to address three of the UN’s goals (zero hunger, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy). They created an exciting and innovative device called the Hydro bloomer, looking to utilise food waste as a fuel and clean water to make it potable in countries that require it.

The girls sadly did not win the competition, but did amazingly well to get to the final stage, particularly as there were hundreds of applicants. Despite not winning, their curiosity and drive to benefit science and the world at large continues to impress me.

I am proud of the girls and their commitment to this competition, the world of science and innovation. Well done girls, keep on creating, inspiring and innovating.

Mr Dada'

Year 2 News

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 21 May 2025 18:10:41 GMT

In year 2 this term we have been learning about data handling and solving word problems in Maths. We have developed our knowledge and understanding of character descriptions in core texts as well as using our imaginations to create characters of our own and use exciting vocabulary to describe them. We have thoroughly enjoyed Science in which we learnt about how human beings keep our bodies healthy and how keeping our bodies active help us. Year two have enjoyed expressing the creativity in drawing and collaging to make 3D maps of their journeys to school.

Miss Sobia Javid

PGL Bawdsey Manor Residential Trip

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 21 May 2025 17:46:01 GMT

Twenty-five excited students recently embarked on a residential adventure to the stunning grounds of PGL Bawdsey Manor – a trip packed with thrill, laughter, and unforgettable memories.

Upon arrival we went straight to the beach, where students dipped their feet in the water, tried skipping pebbles and took in the views.

Throughout the weekend, students had the chance to try their hand at a range of exciting activities including archery tag, rifle shooting, Jacob’s Ladder, and the zip wire. Each activity encouraged students to push their boundaries, support one another, and build confidence. One of the highlights was canoeing — not just for the paddling, but for the unexpected capsizes that left everyone in fits of giggles; especially when Miss Shelley and I fell in! Whether falling in or helping each other back into the boats, students showed great teamwork and resilience.

Evenings brought a chance to wind down and celebrate, with the silent disco proving a favourite. Watching everyone dancing with headphones on, completely lost in the music, was a joyful and heartwarming sight and certainly got the PGL staff talking positively the next day!

We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our PTA for their generous donations, which helped make this trip possible. Their continued support means so much and plays a vital role in creating enriching experiences like this for our students.

The trip was more than just outdoor fun — it was a chance to grow, make new friends, and create memories that will last a lifetime. A huge well done to all the students for their enthusiasm and positive attitude throughout!

Miss Robbins

U15 Sisters ‘n’ Sport Cricket National Cup - 15th May 2025

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 21 May 2025 17:32:24 GMT

Some of the U15 cricket team travelled to The City of London Sports Ground in Bromley for the Sisters ‘n’ Sport National Cup tournament. Their first game proved challenging and unfortunately saw a loss - Robert Clack 228/5 (8) to City of London 257/3 (8). However, the girls came back fighting and determined and were able to secure a win against Ibstock school; 250/2 (8) to 233/5 (8). A massive congratulations to Zoe who bowled 2 wickets one after the after in her over.

Miss Robbins

Year 1 News

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 15 May 2025 17:31:16 GMT

In Year 1 this half term, we have been learning about the wonderful world of plants! Children have been on a nature walk, observing seasonal changes in nature and learning about the names of different types of trees and common flowers indigenous to the UK. Children have learnt that some trees are 'evergreen' and others are 'deciduous'. We have been developing our observational skills to paint and draw flowers as well as begin to name different parts of a plant. We have also been learning to identify different fruits and vegetables and think whether a plant can be classified as a fruit or vegetable. In other news, to mark the 80 ^th Anniversary of VE Day, Year 1 children made poppy hats and participated in a range of activities and events to learn about the significance of the day. Children dressed in red, white and blue and had a VE Day celebration tea party.

A Royal Honour: Alumni Representatives Attend the King’s Garden Party

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 15 May 2025 15:14:39 GMT

On Wednesday, 14 May, Alumni Development Officer Ellen Monk and Alumni Trustee and Communications Lead Teri Webster had the extraordinary honour of attending the King’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. This truly unforgettable occasion was made possible courtesy of Alumni Co-Chair and Trustee Ian Pittaway. As well as their alumni work, Ellen is our Learning Resources Manager and Teri is a Learning Mentor on the Green Lane site – between them they have over 45 years’ service to Robert Clack School.

From the moment they arrived at the Palace gates, the atmosphere was electric with excitement. Guests, dressed in their finest attire, had gathered from across the United Kingdom—each with their own story and reason for being invited. It was a special privilege to be among them, walking the immaculate gravel paths and soaking in the grandeur of the Palace gardens—a hidden gem in the heart of London.

The event was a stunning showcase of British pageantry. Military bands played timeless tunes as attendees mingled and enjoyed a quintessentially British afternoon tea, complete with dainty sandwiches and exquisite pastries. The beautifully kept lawns, stately trees, and vibrant flowerbeds created a picturesque setting for a truly memorable day.

The presence of Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla added a sense of occasion and delight. Their entrance was marked by a formal procession of Beefeaters and the playing of the National Anthem as they appeared on the steps overlooking the thousands of guests. Excitement rippled through the crowd as the royal couple made their way down to greet attendees.

To everyone’s delight, His Majesty made his way toward Ellen and Teri, warmly engaging with those nearby. Teri even had the honour of shaking the King’s hand—a moment she described as both humbling and exhilarating - a memory she will treasure forever.

This particular Garden Party held special significance, celebrating individuals who have made notable contributions to the fields of education and skills. Both Ellen and Teri said they were deeply inspired by the many fellow guests they met—individuals from all walks of life who had been recognised for their dedication, service, and positive impact on society.

As they left the Palace grounds, still glowing from the day’s experiences, Ellen and Teri expressed immense gratitude for the opportunity to represent the alumni community and the school at such a prestigious and heart-warming event. It was, without question, a day they will never forget.

Year 8 Vision & Voices Group Visit the National Gallery

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 14 May 2025 18:43:17 GMT

Today, the Year 8 Vision & Voices group embarked on their third visit to the National Gallery this academic year. This trip focused on developing students’ oracy skills, with a particular emphasis on presentational speaking.

The highlight of the session was an in-depth exploration of Paolo Uccello’s Saint George and the Dragon. Students engaged in thoughtful discussion, deepening their understanding of the artwork while exploring a range of interesting and thought-provoking themes.

Here are some pictures from the trip

Miss O'Neill

VE Day Letters

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 12 May 2025 19:45:21 GMT

Robert Clack School is participating in the VE Mail initiative, an inspiring program that connects students with World War II veterans to foster understanding and reflection on the past. As part of this project, the school has received a letter from Colonel Joe Peterburs, an American fighter pilot who was shot down just outside Berlin in April 1945. In his letter, Colonel Peterburs shares his personal experiences and imparts a powerful message of hope to future generations. He encourages students to show kindness, compassion, and resilience in the face of challenges, emphasising the importance of unity and empathy in shaping a better world. In response, students at Robert Clack School are tasked with writing heartfelt replies, reflecting on his words and contemplating the lessons of history to ensure that his message of peace and understanding continues to resonate for years to come.

Robert Clack’s Own Paul Cook Awarded the British Empire Medal

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 09 May 2025 22:04:54 GMT

We are thrilled to announce that Paul Cook, a dedicated member of the Robert Clack community, has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for his outstanding contribution to local sports and community engagement. Paul’s remarkable dedication to coaching and mentoring our students has made a lasting impact, and this prestigious recognition is a testament to his hard work and commitment.

Paul first joined Robert Clack in 2002, initially taking on part-time coaching roles before becoming a full-time member of staff in 2013. Since then, he has been an integral part of the school’s sporting community, volunteering his time to coach and support students in cricket, rugby, and gym sessions. His passion for sport extends beyond the school gates, as Paul also dedicates his weekends to umpiring, coaching at Dagenham Rugby Club, and organising cricket sessions on Friday evenings.

Paul’s tireless efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2016, he received a Chance to Shine special recognition award for his contributions to cricket, and in 2022, he was honoured with the Essex RFU Unsung Hero award. Now, his hard work has been recognized at the highest level with the British Empire Medal.

On Friday, 4th April, Paul and his wife Maggie were invited to the Tower of London, where Paul was presented with the British Empire Medal by Dr. Kenneth Olisa OBE, the Lord Lieutenant of London. The ceremony was a memorable experience, with Paul having the opportunity to speak briefly with Dr Olisa, who shared that he had visited Robert Clack himself. After the ceremony, Paul and Maggie celebrated this significant achievement at the Dickens Inn in St Katharine’s Dock.

Paul’s commitment to supporting the students of Robert Clack and his contributions to local sport have made him a true hero in our community. His passion for helping others, whether on the cricket pitch or rugby field, continues to inspire all who know him.

Please join us in congratulating Paul on this well-deserved honour!

Alumni Medical Presentation

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 06 May 2025 21:11:20 GMT

We were delighted to welcome back two former students of Robert Clack School— Tendayi Hove (Medical student) and Laiba Tanveer (Dentistry student)—who delivered an insightful and engaging session for our Year 12s on applying to Medicine and Dentistry.

Tendayi and Laiba began by sharing their personal journeys from Robert Clack to university, providing a relatable and motivational foundation for the session. They gave students an honest and detailed overview of what it's like to apply for

Medicine and Dentistry, covering key aspects such as:

Preparing for entrance exams (UCAT/BMAT)
Navigating the application timeline
Succeeding at interviews and assessment days
Managing work experience and personal statements

Their practical tips and first-hand experiences gave our students clarity and confidence as they consider their future career paths.

As strong advocates for widening participation , Tendayi and Laiba spoke passionately about the importance of representation in healthcare and the power of returning to support their former school. It was inspiring to see them give back in such a meaningful way.

To close the session, students took part in a hands-on activity, role-playing as doctors and patients in mock consultations. These real-life case studies helped bring medical history-taking and diagnosis skills to life, sparking lively discussion and enthusiastic participation.

The workshop was a valuable experience, full of relevant guidance and inspiration. We would like to thank Tendayi and Laiba for their time, generosity, and commitment to supporting the next generation. We look forward to working with them again in the future.

Entrepreneur Academy Final

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 20:41:50 GMT

Yesterday marked the grand finale of our Entrepreneur Academy, and what an incredible experience it was! The energy in the room was electric as our talented students took the stage to present their final ideas. We were thrilled to be joined by an esteemed panel of judges—Jamie Mason, Jordan Smith, Tina Dulieu, and Dean Franklin—who each brought their unique expertise and perspectives to the table. Jamie, Tina and Dean are all ex pupils and alumni members.

As always, our students did not disappoint. The level of creativity and professionalism in the presentations was truly outstanding, leaving everyone in awe. We saw some groundbreaking ideas, and the future of entrepreneurship is certainly in good hands!

And the winners are...

The winners of the Entrepreneur Academy final were celebrated for their innovative idea of an anti-spiking straw. This concept addresses a significant issue in the hospitality industry and could help protect people from the dangers of drink spiking. It’s an idea that blends practicality with social impact—an impressive achievement from our talented students.

Meanwhile, our runners-up presented an exciting app that pairs players with available football pitches. This simple yet powerful idea has the potential to streamline the way people access sports facilities, making it easier for players to find the right venue and play the game they love.

A big thank you to our judges

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible panel of judges for taking the time to evaluate our students' hard work. Your feedback and guidance were invaluable, and we’re grateful for your support in making this event a success.

Shoutout to Dean Franklin!

A special mention has to go to Dean Franklin, one of our judges, who reached the final five on last night’s episode of The Apprentice! We couldn’t be more proud of Dean and are all cheering for you as you continue your journey. Your success is an inspiration to us all, and we’re excited to see where your entrepreneurial path leads!

To our students, we say...

Finally, a massive thank you to all of our students. You were absolutely amazing—your dedication, creativity, and passion for entrepreneurship were evident in every presentation. You’ve all shown incredible potential, and we can’t wait to see what you accomplish in the future.

We’re so proud of each and every one of you. Keep dreaming big and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. You are the future of innovation!

Mudlarking Trip

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 20:59:07 GMT

On a gorgeous day in March, HEATS students temporarily became official Mudlarkers, hunting for treasures on the foreshores of the Thames in Greenwich. Through an organisation called the Thames Explorer Trust, we spent the morning sifting through this unique archaeological site, as the exposed riverbed at low tide revealed a wealth of historical objects.

Mudlarking is a practice that has grown from a means of survival in the 18th and 19th centuries to a popular hobby today – but you can’t get involved without a permit!

With the help of our registered guide, students uncovered Tudor pottery, shards of 17th century beer jugs, countless Victorian pipe stems, and some very impressive animal bones! One student found a strip of leather which had been preserved in the Thames since before the Industrial Revolution.

Afterwards, our guide gave us an archeological workshop. Our students sorted through various objects and learned about their provenance, how to identify them, and how they worked together to tell us the story of the layers of London’s rich history.

The students did us proud, as always. Our guide commented on how bright and engaged they were and said they were one of the best groups he’d taught. It was so wonderful to see them enjoying their city from a whole new angle.

Thank you, as always, to the staff at Clack who supported this trip, whether it was with cover, or finance, or uploading pictures – we couldn’t do it without you!

Kingswood Trip

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 20:01:32 GMT

Our Year 7 pupils recently had an exciting and rewarding trip to the Kingswood Adventure and Activity Centre. 130 pupils from all three sites, stayed at Kingswood for 2 nights in March, where they participated in a range of challenging activities, including abseiling, rock climbing, fencing and buggy building. Throughout the trip, their behaviour was exceptional, and they truly embodied the values of our school, acting as outstanding ambassadors.

Many students faced their fears head-on, especially during the abseiling and rock-climbing sessions, showing incredible bravery and determination. What was even more impressive was the support they showed for one another, cheering each other on and offering encouragement at every step. It was wonderful to see the pupils not only push their own limits but also help their peers succeed.

The Kingswood staff were particularly impressed with how maturely the pupils conducted themselves. They remarked that they had never seen such a large group show such excellent behaviour. They were truly a credit to the school and to their parents.

This trip was a fantastic opportunity for personal growth and teamwork, and we couldn’t be prouder of the resilience and positivity demonstrated by our Year 7s. They represented the school with pride, and we look forward to seeing how these experiences inspire them in the future.

A big thank you to the 12 members of staff that gave up their time for the trip.

We look forward to organising more of these opportunities.

Miss Fernando

Film Club Cinema Trip to the Vue in Dagenham

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 19:25:45 GMT

As part of the Into Film Spring Film Festival we took our keen and loyal Robert Clack Film Clubbers to see a film adaptation of Harold and the Purple Crayon (2024) at the Vue in Dagenham.

Harold and the Purple Crayon was originally a children’s book written by Crockett Johnson in the 1960s. It’s a hugely popular book for younger readers and has even influenced many popular authors producing titles for young people today! Did you know Dav Pilkey named a character called Harold Hutchins from his Captain Underpants book after his love of Harold and his purple pencil!

Students had lots of fun experiencing everything that comes with going to the cinema, including a healthy dose of popcorn!

We look forward to the next Film Club cinema trip later in the year!

Former Student Inspires the Next Generation of Engineers

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 19:46:07 GMT

On Tuesday 25th March, our students had the privilege of welcoming back a former pupil who has forged an exciting career in aviation engineering.

Callum Kelly shared his journey from GCSE studies at Robert Clack to his current role as an engineer, offering valuable insights and inspiration to the students.

During his presentation, Callum covered a range of topics, including safety in aviation, quality checks in the industry, and the realities of working with clients. He also shed light on the educational pathways available, discussing the differences between university and apprenticeships, as well as the importance of core subjects such as Maths, English, and Science in forming the fundamentals of engineering.

One of the highlights of the visit was a lively Q&A session where students eagerly asked about the mechanics of flight, how weight reduction affects aircraft performance, and even the potential future of aviation. The discussion also touched on the financial rewards of an engineering career and the skills required to succeed in the industry.

Students particularly appreciated hearing first-hand accounts of the interviewing process and what it takes to become an aviation engineer. The visit not only provided practical knowledge but also served as a source of motivation for those considering a future in engineering.

It was a truly inspiring session, and we are grateful to Callum for taking the time to return and share his experiences. We look forward to seeing more of our alumni return to inspire and guide the next generation of professionals.

Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 19:15:31 GMT

I am pleased to share that last week, Daniel (Lymington Fields) and Toluwani (Gosfield Road) represented our school with great pride at the borough-wide Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge finals, held at Eastbrook School.

Mr Morrison and I had the privilege of attending to support the boys and they were a credit to both their families and our school community. Performing a speech on a topic of their choice in front of a panel of seven judges, including representatives from the council, Jack Petchey, Universities, national charities and an audience, takes immense courage. Daniel's speech was titled "Time to Step Out of the Box" and Toluwani's was called "Turning Failure into Success."

The winner of the competition was from Sydney Russell and it was a well-deserved victory. However, I must admit, in my (perhaps slightly biased) opinion, Daniel’s use of vocabulary surpassed that of the other competitors.

It was one of those evenings that truly reminded me why we do what we do in this profession—to give students the confidence and the voice to succeed! From every Form Time activity to English lessons to conversations in the playground, teachers and support staff make a difference.

The event provided Daniel and Toluwani with a fantastic opportunity to develop their public speaking skills, and I'm confident that they will continue to shine.

The future is bright in the borough!

Mr Carter

Students Explore the Frontiers of Physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sun, 30 Mar 2025 12:00:20 GMT

A group of our students had the incredible opportunity to attend a prestigious Masterclass at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) as part of the Institute for Research in Schools' Big Data ATLAS Project.

Throughout the day, students were immersed in the world of particle physics. They attended a fascinating lecture on the Standard Model delivered by a postdoc researcher from the University of Oxford, who explained how detectors at RAL work and gave a whirlwind 40-minute introduction to particle physics. One student reflected:

"This trip was very fun to go on... This was very insightful because it gave everyone a different point of view on how to approach the data analysis for our project, and we all even learned new things—even Dr Shirazi!"

Students also had the chance to work on their IRIS projects with the support of professional physicists, tour the RAL facilities, and participate in a careers panel discussion. They explored how different parts of the collider and its detectors work together, and saw first-hand how particle physics supports other disciplines.

Another student commented:

"I personally discovered that particle physics is not only linked to physics, but biology too. Particle physics can be used to analyse the structures of organic materials… These methods were even used to help create the vaccine for COVID-19!"

The visit was both inspiring and educational, offering a glimpse into how the data gathered from large-scale research facilities like RAL and ISIS can contribute to solving real-world problems.

"I really enjoyed the trip as I had the opportunity to explore possible career paths in particle physics and how all the logistics of an operation as big as ISIS can work and benefit future generations," shared another student.

We are proud of our students for embracing this opportunity so enthusiastically. They returned full of excitement, new knowledge, and fresh perspectives on science and its future—an experience that will no doubt inspire their continued learning and aspirations in STEM.

At the heart of the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source is a powerful particle accelerator, which begins by generating hydrogen ions (H+) and accelerating them through a series of specialized components. First, an injector and linear accelerator boost the ions to 37% of the speed of light. These then enter a circular synchrotron—a 163-metre ring of magnets—where the ions are stripped of their electrons, becoming protons. After nearly 10,000 revolutions, they reach speeds of 84% of the speed of light and are then directed toward the target station (on picture). There, the high-energy protons collide with a tungsten target, releasing neutrons through a process called spallation. These neutrons are slowed and guided to instruments that allow scientists to investigate materials at the atomic level—revealing how atoms are arranged and move, which is essential for developing new, advanced materials used in everything from medicines to electronics.

Dr Shirazi

Sports News

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sun, 30 Mar 2025 11:37:24 GMT

U12 Girls Essex 7s Tournament

Some of the u12 rugby girls had the Essex 7s tournament this term, which saw 2 Robert Clack teams versing 6 other schools in the fight to win the Essex 7s title. The B team had a few losses but was able to get 2 wins and a walkover putting them in 5th place. On the flip side, the A team were fantastic, with determination and hard work they won 5 games and drew against Castle View who were their top challengers this year; as a result the A team were overall final winners and are Essex County Schools Seven Aside U12 Winners 2025. To top it off, the weather was shining!

U15 Girls Essex Indoor Super 6s

The u15 girls got through to the finals of the Essex Cricket Super 6s. They have been working extremely hard in their training sessions and their determination and willingness have certainly paid off. In the first game they won by 14 runs and were feeling positive. In their final game they absolutely smashed it out of the park and won 90-44. I am proud to say that these girls are Essex Indoor Super 6s County Champions 2024/25! I am looking forward to what lies ahead with the summer cricket season now approaching!

U13 Girls Essex Indoor Cricket Tier 2 Competition

Some of the u13 cricket girls competed in the T2 indoor competition this term. It was great to see a mixture of year 7 and 8 girls playing, especially year 7s as this is a brand new sport and is only on our curriculum in the summer. They have all worked very hard and were able to secure one win of 65-53 and unfortunately had a loss by 10 runs in their final game. I know they will achieve great things in the summer!

Miss Robbins

British Science Week

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sun, 30 Mar 2025 08:09:20 GMT

Robert Clack School celebrated British Science Week in early March. Students across all school sites were able to take part in various lunchtime and after school activities including rocket launching, camouflage moths, making slime, tracking mammal footprints, and painting their own plant pots. For a second year in a row we had baby chicks hatching in our science classrooms that students were able to visit. All sessions had a fantastic turn-out, and our young scientists thoroughly enjoyed exploring science beyond the curriculum.

Here are some of the pictures from the week.

Jack Petchey Winners

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 08:05:32 GMT

On Tuesday 18 ^th March our Jack Petchey recipients were recognised for their outstanding achievements. It was an excellent evening, celebrated with families and colleagues, with truly deserving award winners. The following students received awards

Frankie (Year 9)
Neriah (Faith) (Year 10)
Daniel (Year 9)
Jayden (Year 10)
Anousha (Year 13)
Rayanna (Year 13)
Miriam (Year 9)

Our Leadership Award recipient Julie Deacon. Julie has worked at Robert Clack for 30 years. She is a highly experienced and respected colleague who is incredibly valued. Julie has a strong affinity with the school and values and was commended for the outstanding leadership she has demonstrated, as well as the exceptional relationships she has fostered. She is an excellent member of staff who models great practice, setting high standards and supporting those around her to achieve excellent outcomes.

Well done to all!

JP Morgan Challenge Final

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 07:30:50 GMT

Miss Whatmore, Mr Lutes and Mr McBride are excited to share some fantastic news about our Year 9 students who were involved in the JP Morgan final competition that took place Thursday 13 March. Sixteen of our students participated in this prestigious event, competing against 22 other teams from schools across London. The challenge focused on tackling important issues surrounding water, air, or food waste.

The competition was scored out of 200 points: 100 for the presentation and 100 for the work done throughout the program, which began in October. Both of our teams performed exceptionally well, and their hard work made us incredibly proud to represent Robert Clack.

Team Optimum, consisting of Safa, Milena, Kezia, Zoe, Domas, Roland, Malakia, and Jordan, made it to the top 3 and had the opportunity to present their ideas in front of all the JP Morgan mentors and other participating schools. They finished in second place and were awarded the prize for the best innovative idea.

We are so proud of both teams and all their efforts, and they truly embodied the Robert Clack ethos.

Jamie Mason Visit

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 20:04:35 GMT

On Thursday, March 6th, Robert Clack School's Year 12 Assembly was honoured to welcome back
Jamie Mason (Class of 2008) and his colleague Lubeto Kalwa from the Brixton Finishing School . Jamie, an Agency Account Director at Clear Channel UK , has been a steadfast supporter of our Entrepreneur Academy. He has also generously returned to speak at our Year 9 Assemblies, providing valuable insights into the Options process.

The Brixton Finishing School is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to partnering with the creative industries to recruit diverse talent. Their mission is to break down barriers and create pathways to careers in marketing, advertising, and communications, making these fields accessible to individuals from all backgrounds.

Both Jamie and Lubeto shared their personal journeys from school to their current roles. Lubeto, who briefly attended Robert Clack and was part of the Rugby Academy, emphasised that the advertising industry offers opportunities for various skills, interests, and passions. They both spoke enthusiastically about their careers, stating that "whatever your skills, interests, or passions are, the industry has a job for you."

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Jamie and Lubeto for returning to Robert Clack School to inspire and guide our students. Their commitment to fostering diversity and supporting the next generation is truly commendable. They will be back next week to engage with our Year 13 students, and we eagerly anticipate their continued contributions.

Drapers Hall Visit

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 19:03:09 GMT

Robert Clack was one of only two schools invited to a special educational careers event at Drapers Hall Palace in the City of London called The Franklyn lecture in the presence of Masters of Livery companies, Leading educators and VIP'S, CEO'S of London's leading businesses and Sir Martyn Oliver the Head of OFSTED. Yasin Weyli and Katerina Ivanova in Year 13 accompanied Mr Hamill Careers Director and were truly outstanding ambassadors of Robert Clack School by the way they conducted themselves with the 200 plus VIP guests, demonstrating outstanding confident communication skills during the two-hour drinks/food reception which followed the main lecture given by Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein Senior President of London Universities.

All guests had spoken highly of our school and were extremely complimentary regarding the professional engagement of Yasin and Katerina in year 13 during the two hour reception. During the reception Richard Evans Director of Executive Search London's leading professional recruitment company extended an invitation for Mr Hamill to bring a larger party of sixth form students to another major VIP event at The Drapers Hall Palace in MAY 2025 to engage with CEO employers which will be a great professional careers opportunity for our students to extend future Work Experience opportunities via this networking social event with leading employers.

Laurand Krasniqi vist to Year 11

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 20:49:47 GMT

Yesterday, Year 11 students from all three Robert Clack sites had the privilege of hearing from Laurand Krasniqi , a former student who is now a second-year medical student at King’s College, London. Laurand, who graduated from Robert Clack in 2021, shared his journey into the world of Medicine and offered valuable advice to those aspiring to follow in his footsteps.

During his presentation, Laurand spoke candidly about the challenges and rewards of pursuing a career in Medicine, emphasising the importance of starting early and preparing for the rigorous academic journey ahead. He also highlighted common pitfalls to watch out for along the way, giving students a realistic and practical perspective on what it takes to succeed in this field.

The session was interactive, with many students engaging actively by asking thoughtful and insightful questions. Laurand’s personal experience and guidance resonated with everyone in the room, leaving them feeling inspired and motivated to pursue their own dreams in Medicine.

A big thank you to Laurand for taking the time to give back to the Robert Clack community and for inspiring the next generation of doctors.

Thank you!

HEATS Update

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 17:31:14 GMT

This January, students escaped the grey London skies for a different type of gloom as HEATS students from years 8-11 headed to Holland Park’s Design Museum to experience The World of Tim Burton exhibition.

Despite challenges with public transport, students remained good-humoured and patient, and still had the energy to enjoy the gallery in a building which itself is a piece of art.

“The World of Tim Burton” capitalised on our work with stop motion animation earlier in the year. Students experimented with this form of film making and learned about how Burton used it in his films. It was fascinating to see some of the props and costumes from these movies in real life, along with his sketches, early shorts, and models he used.

Throughout the trip, students’ behaviour and engagement was exemplary. They were polite, enthusiastic, and good company all day. It was wonderful to see them representing our school so well.

We were so lucky to have been supported by the school for this excursion and look forward to our next HEATS trip!

Meanwhile, back at Lymington fields, students have been participating in a print-making workshop by our very own English teacher and HEATS champion, Mrs Fox. Members learned how to design their own patterns and images, impress them onto foam templates, then roll over them with ink to create the stunning pieces pictured here.

Write Back

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 19:34:59 GMT

' We believe every young person has a story to tell and the capacity to tell it.'

A small group of RCS students were selected to take part in the Write Back programme. Write Back is a superb opportunity for students to grow in confidence with their creative writing and be able to express themselves.

We asked our students: What did Write Back do for you? What were the benefits for your academic progress? Would you recommend it to younger students?

Rubaiya

Write Back was the core reason of me being more confident in myself as well as developing public speaking and literature skills. This is an amazing opportunity for those who are eager to write but don't know where to start or to boost their self-confidence. In Write Back, we worked as a team rather than just individuals to write our stories, making it as great socialising opportunity so I would definitely recommend it to younger pupils at Robert Clack.

Zainab

Writeback was an interesting experience which included socialising with different people and connecting using games. It was a unique weekly event that was fun with friends and meeting and engaging with various individuals.

Sumaiya

Write- Back is an exciting and unique experience, and I truly enjoyed it. Each session we get to talk about ideas for soon-to-be-published stories and is also a great opportunity to socialise and have fun. What I thought might feel stressful was actually quite the opposite; it was very welcoming.

Hafsa

I enjoyed and loved my experience at Write Back as it helped me express my creativity. Write Back is all about sharing, soon to be published, story ideas with others free of judgement. I am glad to have had the opportunity where I could socialise with others, through games and sweets, and improve my own writing.

Count on Us - Maths Challenge

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 09:14:32 GMT

After a break of 5 years, we are delighted to be participating in the Jack Petchey Count on Us Maths Challenge again. Our first sessions have commenced with a probability game called Hedgehog, and a very large dice!

We are confident that our students will excel and I look forward to updating you as they progress through the different rounds against schools across London. Maybe they will even make it to the Grand Final at City Hall!

PE News

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 22:30:10 GMT

Cricket Leaders

Our Cricket Leaders had their first event of the year in January at Becontree Leisure Centre. This event saw 9 Primary Schools and over 150 students attend. They set up and delivered cricket based activities as well as umpired the 3 T’s tournament at the end. Before Christmas, our young leaders completed 3 after school sessions that were a part of a cricket course for them to gain their Young Leaders Award and I am proud to say they have all passed and achieved this!

Our leaders have more events coming up this year, including umpiring Dynamos Cricket for SEND students that will help them progress to the London Youth Games; umpiring the borough Dynamo cricket tournament as well as the county finals that will be held at the County Cloud.

These students have gone above and beyond to gain confidence, professionalism and general understanding of rules surrounding games. It has been incredible to see these girls speak in front of not only students but teachers, adapt their activities to the needs of the students and remain enthusiastic throughout. Well done!

Miss Robbins

U12 Essex Rugby Festival

What a brilliant year it has been for the year 7 rugby girls! Over 50 girls competed in the last Rugby Festival of the season in January. They faced not only each other but a Barbarian team made up of William Edwards and Grays Convent School. They have all worked so hard all season and it has been a joy to see them progress within the sport. The last event for these students is the Essex 7s tournament held at home grounds.

RESULTS:

A Team - 1st Place, 70 points

WOS: Deborah, Faith and Mila

B Team - 3rd Place, 55 points

WOS: Amarachi, Olivia and Prabha

C Team - 4th Place, 0 points

WOS: Jollie, Dolcie x 2

Miss Robbins

Year 12 Trip to Clear Channel UK

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 18:00:36 GMT

Year 12 Visit to Clear Channel UK – Business Studies

On 23rd January, students from our Sixth Form Entrepreneur Academy had the incredible opportunity to visit the offices of Clear Channel UK, hosted by former pupil Jamie Mason. The session was an action-packed experience that covered key aspects of advertising, sales, and the significance of Out-Of-Home (OOH) advertising.

One of the highlights of the day was working on a real advertising brief from KFC, which students pitched back with enthusiasm and creativity. They also participated in speed networking, engaging with professionals from various departments and gaining insight into the diverse roles within Clear Channel UK—truly meeting the ‘People Behind the Posters.’

At the beginning of the session, Jamie’s fellow host, Jordan Smith, posed a thought-provoking question:

Who would consider a role in this industry? Only a few hands were raised.

By the end of the session, they bravely asked the same question again. This time, every single hand went up. This powerful moment underscored the impact of real-world industry exposure and how experiences like these can shape students’ education and future career aspirations.

Student Reflections:

FA, Year 12: “Overall, the day was insightful and provided a range of opportunities for us at Robert Clack Business Academy. My classmates and I had multiple chances to speak with professionals across different roles in the industry. The day concluded with a fantastic opportunity to work in groups and create an advertising prompt.”

KU, Year 12: “I had the privilege of visiting the Clear Channel headquarters, where I gained valuable insights into the crucial role advertising plays in shaping our daily lives. This experience deepened my understanding of how strategic marketing influences consumer behaviour and brand visibility on a large scale.”

A huge thank you to Jamie Mason and his colleagues at Clear Channel UK, as well as the Brixton Finishing School, for hosting such an inspiring and educational session. It was an invaluable experience that left a lasting impression on our students, equipping them with knowledge and aspirations for the future.

Manicure Competition

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 14:44:48 GMT

On Friday 24 ^th January, Robert Clack Beauty Academy hosted our very first in-house Manicure competition. All students in year 12 and 13 on an NVQ level 2 and 3 program participated. We were very fortunate to have with us two external judges with many years of experience. Kate Smith, key accounts manager from our awarding body VTCT and Katie Nicholls, a local salon owner with whom we work very closely with for work experience placements. Katie has also donated the winning prize of a free training course for one year 12 and one year 13 student (NVQ level 2/3 Beauty Therapy). We are sincerely grateful to our guests who both gave up their free time to judge the students on their personal appearance, client care and professionalism, hygiene and working area, filing, cuticle work and massage techniques, and lastly their ability to paint Red varnish and French varnish, these were all marked out of 10.

Once all the scores were added up, the winners were as follows:

Year 12 Runner up - Honey
Winner - Giovanna

Year 13 Runner up Isabella
Winner Ruby

There was only 1 point between the winners and runner ups.

The standard was exceptionally high. Both judges commented on the students professionalism, confidence and skills. The judges said the students are a credit to the school and department. Kate Smith from VTCT was extremely impressed with the facilities, she couldn't believe the high end beauty equipment and salons that the students are so fortunate to work in, and that the students receive a free uniform and kit. She commented how lucky they are as this provision is very rare with other beauty training establishments. The students were given excellent feedback from a competition/examination point of view, and to support them achieve the highest industry level. The department could not be prouder.

It was a wonderful experience for the students to participate in, preparing them for trade tests in the industry, and possible national competitions!

Well done to all the students who took part! You should all be so proud of yourselves.

Articulation Final

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 21:59:27 GMT

On Monday one our schools art and photography students Alexa participated in the London finals of the articulation speaking challenge. She presented, in the words of the lead judge "...[a] very well structured [presentation] through the use of key works that illustrated the themes and ideas she explored, and made excellent use of video and comparative imagery. She carried out great close visual analysis and tied this to broader cultural references, delivering an engaging and enjoyable presentation."

We are extremely proud of her and the continued impact that Robert Clack Art and Photography is making on the wider art community of London. Congratulations Alexa!

Music carols

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 09:47:33 GMT

The Robert Clack choir had the great pleasure of participating in three carol services this December. The first service took place at CU London on the 3rd of December, to celebrate the commencement of festivities and the lighting of the Christmas tree. This was organising by the Borough of Barking and Dagenham, and our choir joined other schools. Excitedly, Robert Clack choir opened the event by performing first, after a wonderful speech by the Mayor.

The next service took place at Dagenham Green, a construction site that is due to open their brand-new houses and flats. The Robert Clack choir sang festive carols on the 5th of December, amongst the pleasing crowd and Santa! As an appreciation, our students were given lots of free gifts and featured on their website!

Lastly, The Robert Clack choir annually visits The Mercury and Queens Hospital. Every year, the choir sings in the community to raise money for King George and Queen's hospital. The choir received lots of positive feedback from the community and public, continuing to spread the Christmas Cheer, even in some of the dreary weather that has been on show lately!

2024 Cricket Success

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 17:07:28 GMT

'Belatedly the London Cricket cup medals arrived at the school a few months late. It did revive the memories of what was an unprecedently successful Summer of Cricket in 2024. The year 8s narrowly lost in the final of the Reigate sixes to Reeds school, then unfortunately went down to a strong City of London side in the semi finals of the cup, a fine win over Norlington School saved the season in the London League. Special thanks must go to Vyasin Sarma Srividyanandan who skippered the side fantastically well throughout the year. Plus to Callum Salmon for his excellent wicketkeeping. The year 9s went one better by doing something that no year group has ever done at Robert Clack, win an Essex Cup. This they did this by beating King Edward VI Grammar school at Billericay cricket club. A brilliant team, there were so many great performances; Ismail Rumjaun's belligerent batting, Manthan's wily spin and George Miller's phenomenal keeping spring to mind. Finally, through it all, the best performances was reserved for the year 10's London cup win away at Kingsdale, South London. Having came through a gruelling cup campaign to beat Barking Abbey, Norlington, Gable Hall, Brampton and Mayfield they had to chase 128 against a very confident and fancied Kingsdale. This they did with hard hitting contributions from Vyasin, Muhammad Ahmed and Captain Fantastic Maswer Mansoor. The latter's contribution throughout the season in all three components of batting, fielding and bowling were integral to the team's success. We are hoping to have at least as successful Summer of 2025.

Philosophy and Ethics Oxbridge Masterclass Trip

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 09:34:16 GMT

This month, the Year 12 and 13 Religious Studies pupils had the opportunity to attend a prestigious A Level conference. It took place in a beautiful Cathedral at the heart of Central London.

During the trip, students had the opportunity to attend face-to-face, subject-specific events led by leading experts in their fields. These sessions were designed to make a significant impact on their learning outcomes. Topics ranged from life after death to the status of an embryo.

Students were able to engage directly with renowned scholars, gaining valuable insights and perspectives that enriched their academic experience. One scholar the pupils had the chance to meet was Professor Daphne Hampson. She is a well-known speaker who is integral to the A Level RS exam specification.

The event proved to be an exceptional opportunity for students to learn from top-tier academics, offering them a unique and impactful learning experience. Thank you to Mr Carter and the RE department for organising this trip!

 Religious Education Department

Year 7 Rugby

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 08:24:28 GMT

Over the last few terms the boys have grown from strength to strength, still finding their feet with the glorious game of rugby. Week in week out pupils have been attending our regular rugby program on Saturday mornings. The year 7's have played a whole host of games, totalling up to 15 fixtures which include St Benedict's, Beths, Saffron Walden, Campion and UCS. Last week a group of 16 pupils played at the annual Essex Rugby Festival held at Brentwood School. The boys had a tough group with Westcliff, Southend High School, New Hall School and Coopers Coborn School. The boys played some incredible rugby narrowly losing to Westcliff School who topped the group with 4 wins on the day and drawing the other games with some respectable rugby being played.

The boys still have many fixtures to come over the next term and a half, this cohort have great potential and progressing in the right direction.

Mr Cook

Robert Clack Debate Club wins Winter Model United Nations

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 21:54:50 GMT

After two very intense 12-hour days of debating and drafting resolution papers the Robert Clack Debate Club came home with 4 awards, including best delegation/school overall out of the whole conference. This is the highest award in the whole competition for Global Classrooms London.

The last time Robert Clack won this prestigious was back in 2018. A special mention goes to Isra and Sarah in our Year 13 cohort who won best delegation when they were in Year 7. They have been working extremely hard in training the younger years for the conference.

Well done to Juliet, Arsh, and Aliza who won their teams to victory by winning honourable delegate. It was also a Robert Clack first as Nada took home the Secretary Generals award.

This year the MUN topic was based around the use of AI and how it affects the world. Each pupil represented a county. Robert Clack was assigned Algeria, China, Lebanon, North Korea, USSR and USA. Some pupils were also on the crisis committee and represented key international thinkers on the such as Lyndon B. Johnson, Vice President, Nikita Khrushchev, Premier of the Soviet Union and Marshal Rodion Malinovsky, Minister of Defence.

Well done to every single pupil involved from all 3 sites and our 6th formers for their dedication to the competition. We are so proud of everyone!

Mrs Aktar Al Hossain & Mr K Saito

A Level Film Studies Silent Film Event

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 20:50:20 GMT

We’ve got another busy year of trips planned for our Film and Media Studies students and we kicked it off with another fabulous day at BFI Southbank.

The study day offered a brilliant insight into the aesthetics of different silent film movements, including German Expressionism, Soviet Montage, Constructivism and Surrealism.

Our day concluded with a screening of F. W. Murnau’s Sunrise (1927) with a live piano accompaniment from dramatist and composer Neil Brand.

Neil Brand has composed music for a variety of films and presented countless Radio 4 programmes regarding sound in cinema. It was a real treat to listen to him play and then speak in a Q & A afterwards. He gave us a wonder insight into the process behind playing live to accompany a silent film and explained how every accompaniment is completely unique. We were all utterly captivated by his amazing ability to improvise on the piano for nearly two hours. The experience really gave us a deeper understanding of the power of music when united with striking and beautiful film images.

Silent Cinema is just one of the exciting topics studied on the A Level Film Studies course. From Surrealism and World Cinema to Contemporary Hollywood Cinema we cover it all! If you are in Year 11 and would like to find out more about the course, pop in to see Mr Johnson, Mrs Evans or Miss Fernando in rooms 41 or 42 at Lower School.

Mr Johnson and Mrs Evans

A Level Sociology Conference

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 20:42:05 GMT

The Year 13 A Level Sociology pupils had the opportunity to attend a Grade Booster for their upcoming exam. It was led by leading student revision website Tutor2u for the AQA exam board.

The pupils found it very beneficial and also great fun as it was hosted in a large mall cinema during busy Black Friday Sales! Students were able to interact with pupils from other schools, answer practice exam questions, win prizes and snack on popcorn at the same time!

Thank you to the organisers of this event for giving our Year 13 Sociology pupils this revision day out. We hope all the tips and advice they learnt helps them in the lead up to the public examinations.

Vision and Voices Trip

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 22:10:13 GMT

Vision and Voices embarked on their first trip of the academic year to the National Gallery. During the visit, they emphasised the importance of their talk goals and engaged in exploratory talk to enhance their oracy skills. These activities were carried out through group discussions and a scavenger hunt within the gallery. The students demonstrated exceptional enthusiasm and engagement throughout the trip.

Under 14 Girls Rugby

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 20:57:36 GMT

The U14 girls have started their Essex Cup campaign with the A team facing Grays Convent, the game started off slow with neither team scoring. But this soon became the best rugby that we have seen from this team. Their structure on the pitch remained organised and led them to a 45-0 win.

Women of Steel

Grays nominations: Natasha and Suraiya
Captains nominations: Kittie and Aaliyah
Teachers nomination: Zoe

This was followed by the B team facing Shenfield. This team had lot's of year 8 girls playing on a full pitch for the first time. With some great individual performances, particularly from Bianca who tried her best to organise a very chaotic match.

Women of Steel

Shenfield nominations: Arba and Bianca
Captains nomination: Lorena
Teachers nomination: Allesya

Miss Bond

Year 8 Vision and Voices Workshop

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 12:53:04 GMT

This week, our Year 8 Vision & Voices students participated in their Term 1 workshop with the National Gallery, focusing on enhancing their oracy skills through exploratory talk. During the session, students engaged in thoughtful group discussions, sharing insights about the paintings in the gallery that impressed them the most. These discussions allowed students to practice articulating their thoughts and ideas clearly, while also refining their ability to listen and respond to others in a collaborative setting. The workshop offered a rich opportunity for students to deepen their appreciation for art while developing essential communication skills.

GCSE Results Day 2024

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 13:00:30 GMT

Robert Clack pupils buck the national trend and achieve the School’s best-ever GCSE results!

As was widely forecast, this year’s national GCSE results have fallen for the third successive year and are now in line with the 2019 pre-Covid outcomes.

However, at Robert Clack School the collective efforts of our pupils and staff have been deservedly rewarded with GCSE results that are better than those achieved in recent years and significantly higher than those of 2019.

Joseph who achieved six grade 9s and three 8s commented “ Robert Clack is a great School with very passionate teachers. Thank you for all your support. ”

Outcomes at Robert Clack are well above the national average. 74.2% of all entries were grade 4 or above (compared to the national average of 67.6%) and 24.5% were grade 7 or above (compared to the national average of 21.8%). This is even more pleasing given that Robert Clack is the largest comprehensive school in the country.

Liam who achieved an APS score 7.67 commented that the school breeds hard work and he will be continuing his educational journey in the Robert Clack Sixth Form to study Maths, Further Maths, Economics and French.

Overall, 22 pupils were awarded grades 7 to 9 in every subject which they studied, and we are very pleased that one of our students achieved 9 grade 9s; only a thousand pupils in the entire country accomplished this magnificent result.

Laura who achieved nine grade 9s commented: “ I will be staying in the Sixth Form to study Biology, Chemistry and Maths at A level. In the future, I hope to go to Oxbridge and study Medicine. ”

In addition, over a third of pupils secured grades 5 to 9 in all of their subjects.

Steve O’Brien, Head of the Gosfield site, commented: “I am delighted that all of the hard work and effort which both our pupils and staff contributed during this academic year has been so handsomely rewarded. The fact that we managed to achieve such pleasing outcomes is especially satisfying given the huge number of pupils in the Year 11 cohort.”

Russell Taylor, Executive Headteacher, said: “ As national results continue their downward adjustment to pre-Covid levels, I am thrilled that, at Robert Clack, we have sustained year-on-year improvement. I would like to wish our pupils the very best of luck for the next stage of their education in our outstanding sixth form. I also want to express my gratitude to our staff, governors and parents for their unwavering dedication to our children. ”

A Level Results Day 2024

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 20:09:49 GMT

Over 140 pupils placed on university courses as pupils achieve fantastic results!

Robert Clack pupils have achieved fantastic results in A Level, Vocational and Tech Level qualifications. As a result, roughly 140 pupils will be taking up places to study at University in September with nearly 90% of pupils securing their first-choice courses.

High numbers of students will be going to study a wide range of degree courses at universities across the country including Natural Sciences, Economics and Finance, Aerospace Engineering, Visual Arts, Medicine, Computer Science, Criminology, Biochemistry, History and Law.

“ I am going to Imperial College to study Aerospace Engineering. I am grateful to my teachers that were there for me every step of the way and gave me great motivation ” (Prannessh, A*A*A, Imperial College London)

We are delighted to report that 3 pupils have secured places to study Natural Sciences and Psychology and Behavioural Science at the University of Cambridge and 1 pupil has a secured a place to study Medicine .

“ I am excited to start my degree at Cambridge and to then follow a career in medical research. Being supported, staying focused and avoiding distractions helped me achieve those grades ” (Hanna, University of Cambridge, A*A*A*)

Many pupils have also secured places at Russell Group universities with a large number of pupils choosing to study at top London universities such as Imperial College, UCL and LSE. We are also pleased that pupils have chosen to study at elite universities further afield such as Durham, Nottingham, Sheffield, Cardiff, Manchester and Exeter.

“ I am on my way to LSE to study Psychological and Behavioural Sciences. My advice to anyone studying in Sixth Form is to make revision notes, and to stay dedicated, even when things get tough ” (Amrit, A*A*A*A)

A number of pupils chose to apply for highly-prized degree apprenticeship opportunities and have been offered places at top construction firms. We are delighted that 4 students on our Beauty Therapy course secured employment at Champneys, one of the top spas in the country.

“ I am going off to pursue a degree Apprenticeship from Savills. I hope to become a building surveyor and help others realise their opportunities beyond university .” (Noor, A*A D*D*)

In A Level qualifications , the average grade achieved by pupils was B-. 18 pupils (26%) achieved the ‘gold standard’ of AAB or above and 13 pupils achieved A Level grades equivalent to AAA or above and 4 pupils achieved A*A*A* or above.

The average grade achieved by pupils in Vocational and Tech Level qualifications was Distinction. 19 pupils (33%) achieved grades equivalent to Distinction- Distinction- Distinction or above and 1 pupil achieved Distinction*-Distinction*Distinction*.

Executive Headteacher, Russell Taylor, said:

“ I am delighted that so many of our students have secured their first-choice universities or apprenticeships. We come into teaching to change lives and today’s results, which are the culmination of our students’ and teachers’ hard work and commitment over many years, will enable our students to pursue their ambitions. I am proud of those students who have achieved the top grades and secured places at some of the very best Russell Group universities, but I am equally proud of those students who have fulfilled their potential in the face of adversity. ”

Robert Clack Maths Team Challenge 2024

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 23:06:40 GMT

The Maths Department held their first Robert Clack Maths teams Challeneg on Wednesday 10 ^th July. Year 9 set 1 pupils from Lymington, Gosfield and Green Lane went head to head in a heated challenge to determine this years Maths Champions.

It gives us great pleasure to announce the victors of this years Maths Challenge to be Team Green lane! Congratulations to Mr Felix and 9C1 for an outstanding performance, they won with an average team score of 31.1.

I would also like to commend all the students in Year 9 who took part, there was such energy buzzing through the room as the students competed to complete their tasks, and their shouts of triumph at each stage was truly contagious.

Debate News

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 07:47:13 GMT

This summer, debaters from Year 9 to 11 across our 3 sites had the opportunity to attend the annual Global Classrooms conference for Model UN yet again.

This took place over two days in Mulberry School who are known for holding the largest MUN programme for state secondary schools and international schools in the UK.

At these professional conferences, students play the role of ambassadors in simulations of UN committees. The event had a warm, supportive atmosphere and promoted co-operation, leadership, public speaking skills and confidence in global citizenship.

This time, we represented Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Nada and Aliza won ‘best delegate’. Manthan secured ‘honourable mention’ whilst Denitsa was recognised as ‘distinguished delegate’. A special mention also goes to Nina who achieved the ‘rising star’ award in her committee.

Well done to everyone involved! Their behaviour over the two days was impeccable as they represented our school to the very highest standard.

Ms Aktar and Mr Saito

Alongside Model UN, the Robert Clack Junior Debate team of Year 7s and 8s were invited for the first time to the South Hampstead Bingham competition!

Both Squad A and Squad B showcased their exceptional debating abilities, securing victories in two rounds each. The motions related to social media, banning exams, lowering the voting age and superhero identities.

The dedication and eloquence displayed by the students were truly commendable, highlighting their commitment to excellence in debate.

The day started bright and early at 7:00am and ended at 7:00pm. The pupils competed in tournaments and had the chance to watch a show debate in the finals. They also got to partake in a soft drink social on a rooftop with peers from other schools. Our pupils' behavior and their energy and enthusiasm during such a long day were inspiring!

Congratulations to all the participants for their outstanding performance and thank you to the organizers at South Hampstead!

Ms Aktar and Mr Saito

SOAS University Trip

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 07:37:59 GMT

On the 25 ^th of June, the Year 12 History cohort visited SOAS university for a school trip. They had a brilliant lecture on Chinese history to support their NEA knowledge. The students were extremely engaged and asked thought-provoking questions about Chinese history. Along with the lecture, they had a university seminar where they could speak directly to the lecturer about the importance of secondary and primary literature. In addition, the students were given a tour of the SOAS university campus and an opportunity to engage with university students. Finally, they ended the day with a personal statement workshop, which was extremely insightful and informative. Mr Crosbie Jones and I were extremely impressed with their dedication to learning about university life.

Miss S Aktar

Sports News

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sat, 13 Jul 2024 10:30:51 GMT

Under-15 Girls Cricket

This summer term has proven to be a very difficult and challenging one for the U15 girls’ cricket. Unfortunately, they have been up against some impressive private and independent schools in their tournaments and came out with some losses. Within these games, however, there were many small victories; wickets, caught outs, 4s and 6s. This only made the girls’ more determined as ever. In their final competition of the year, the girls were determined and desperate for a win and they finally did! Not necessarily coming 1 ^st place, but came 3 ^rd in the Essex Tier 3 Cricket Competition. After getting beaten most of the summer season, coming out with 3 ^rd was a relief for them and they were very happy – they even got to play at the County Cloud Essex Grounds which was an incredible experience in itself!

I would also like to highlight and commend the year 8 students who I played up this year. They took on the courage to play in some of the U15 games which only made them stronger as players. They performed some outstanding bowls and hits off the bat, made friends along the way and had fun with the challenge. It has been a pleasure working with all year groups this year and I am excited for the next seasons.

Miss Robbins

Cricket Leaders Event

What a brilliant 2 days the cricket leaders had this summer! 35 students across year 8, 9 and 10 umpired, led and helped organise the boys and girls Primary Schools Dynamo Cricket Tournament. This tournament is very important to Barking and Dagenham as this was the decider to determine who went through to the London Youth Games. Prior to this the students took part in a Cricket Umpiring CPD with Essex Cricket to help boost their confidence and knowledge of the game. When it come to the leader’s events, the students remained professional against difficult games where they had to make quick decisions throughout. They done themselves and Robert Clack proud; they were polite, helpful and enthusiastic. Towards the end, the students helped give out the medals to the placing teams and announced the team going through to the London Youth Games. I am looking forward to the leaders’ events next year!

Miss Robbins

Beauty Placements

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 18:52:30 GMT

Following a recent trip to Champneys Tring Spa Resort in Hertfordshire, we are delighted to announce that 4 of our students have been offered placements. We are so proud of the students and the hard work they have demonstrated. To obtain a position with Champney is the highest accolade we could hope for.

Congratulations to Ruby, Jaime, Ellie-Mai and Unique and also to the Beauty department for all the support and guidance they have provided.

IRIS Conference

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sun, 07 Jul 2024 13:19:46 GMT

The Science Department is pleased to share the huge success of our Year 12 and Year 13 students who took part in the Institute of Research in Schools Project (IRIS). Throughout this academic year, 20 students investigated a wide range of issues in the topic of Earth Observation including changes in atmospheric gas concentrations or the environmental conditions before large wildfire events to changes in water availability due to flooding events. Students used the data provided by the Sentinel satellites and other scientific sources to conduct their analyses of environmental datasets which led all groups to prepare an undergraduate-style research poster. These posters constituted a basis for scientific discussions at the IRIS London Conference 2024 held in Friend's House, London. Here, over 450 participants, including students from schools across the London region, presented their scientific posters to peers, their teachers, and guest scientific speakers from universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and industry. Pupils did a fantastic job sharing their research with other like-minded students and trying to understand other projects in topics ranging from Ionic Liquids, Cosmic Mining, or DNA Origami.

We are particularly proud of Shanzay Ahmed (Y12) who was chosen as one of six students to present on stage at the conference. Her five-minute presentation was not only exemplary and of academic standard, she was thrust into the limelight as the surprise first pupil speaker of the conference. Her presentation was of such an amazing standard that IRIS has passed along a huge " congratulations for her excellent opening presentation - going first is never easy, but she was excellent, fluent, confident, and able to handle the questions". The Director of IRIS Dr Jo Foster said of all the presentations "It wouldn't be out of place at the high profile scientific conference." It is a massive achievement that we are very proud of.

Secondary Art matters

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 17:00:20 GMT

It was another year of exceptional artwork from Robert Clack students ranging from y9 to y13 at Secondary Art Matters in UEL. Beautiful and detailed pieces were displayed, including some exceptional oil painting portraiture, which garnered much praise by everyone who entered the room, including several other Heads of Art from schools across London. We are proud to be invited to display our students work and even more proud to display such high standards of painting, drawings, and sculpture. Well done to all students in Art and Design.

Beyond the Easel workshop with Year 10 Photography

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 20:26:18 GMT

Green Shoes Arts has teamed up with Valence House Museum to curate a new exhibition celebrating the works of Henry Gillard Glindoni, a notable artist who lived and worked in Dagenham during the late 19th century. This exciting showcase will feature a significant number of Glindoni's pieces, with contributions from both Valence House’s collection and loans from galleries and museums across the country. The collaboration aims to raise awareness of this important local artist and to foster a deeper connection between the community and the museum.

A key focus of the exhibition is engaging young people. In line with this goal, Green Shoes Arts recently conducted a workshop with Year 10 photography students as part of the "Beyond the Easel" project. The workshop introduced students to the art of cyanotypes, a photographic process that creates images without a camera. This hands-on experience allowed students to explore the creative potential of this unique technique, resulting in enthusiastic participation and enjoyment as they crafted their own cyanotypes. The initiative not only provided an educational and enjoyable activity for our students but also sparked an interest in the historical and artistic significance of Glindoni's work.

Here are some pictures from the trip.

Ex pupil Zuzana Lednarova visits Year 9

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 19:00:41 GMT

Ex pupil Zuzana Lednarova came back to school on Wednesday 5 ^th June to speak in Year 9 Assembly at Green Lane. Zuzana told the students about her journey from Robert Clack Sixth Form to her role as a Geotechnical Engineer – much of which is spent off shore on vessels.

As part of our Achieve Excellence Programme Zuzana then took the time to speak 1-1 with a Y8 student who has ambitions to be a Marine Engineer.

Thank you so much to Zuzana for giving up her time and being such a positive role model to our students.

Globe Theatre Trips

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 23 May 2024 17:38:48 GMT

Students across years 10, 12 and 13 have been able to attend performances at The Globe Theatre. Year 10s from across the three sites went to see Romeo and Juliet, which they are studying for GCSE, year 13s have been to see The Duchess of Malfi and year 12 and 13s went to see Richard III.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the trips and had lots to say about the different performances. In English Literature at A Level students are marked on referring to critical interpretations so it is really important for them to see the plays live.

Here is some feedback from an English student who saw both Richard III and Duchess of Malfi:

The A level English cohort were lucky to be able to see two productions of our exam texts, The Duchess of Malfi and Richard III. The Duchess of Malfi was staged in the Sam Wanamaker playhouse indoors by candlelight, which was extremely interesting as candles were used to emphasise certain parts of the play and make the experience much more engaging. It was insightful to be able to see the play as it would have been staged for audiences at the time and we will most certainly be able to use this in our exam. On the other hand, Richard III was staged in the Globe Theatre in the daylight, which was much more immersive. Natural lighting meant that not as many lighting changes were used and we could focus on the story, and the round open air theatre created a truly immersive atmosphere. Both trips were absolutely amazing and will certainly help us with our upcoming exam.

Scholars Programme Graduation

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 15 May 2024 17:24:50 GMT

Scholars Programme Graduation

Twenty Eight Year 12 students have been working with the Brilliant Club (Scholars Programme) to stretch themselves in a super-curricular activity to write a University style assignment. One group took on the challenge with support from their PHD tutor Waruna on "How to build an electric car". With the other group focusing on "What is News?" with PHD tutor Tamara. The students have had an intense 7 weeks of tutorials and had to write an essay on their findings using academic research.

The students done extremely well with 60% of them achieving a First Class!

Two students spoke about their experience and here is what Sriraman Srividyanandan had to say:

The Brilliant Club was something I was enrolled to without really having a clue about what it is, you see I went into year 12 with the mindset of signing up to absolutely anything for my personal statement and well the school approached me about brilliant club and I just signed up with the phrase ‘anything for a stacked personal statement’ in my mind. So I signed up and a few months later we had our first tutorial session with our PhD tutor Waruna. Waruna was amazing, I mean he brought physics back into my life but with a real world application. At Robert Clack the STEM students that were part of the Brilliant Club learnt about the design considerations that go into making an electric car. And it was REALLY cool to see GCSE physics being built upon with learning that forces that are applied on objects at angles can now be separated into their vertical and horizontal components, and also how the project also involved specifying that each object would experience forces differently even if they had the same mass due to shape and so the introduction of coefficients (such as aerodynamic drag coefficient namely) to ensure our display of the forces acting on the car are specific to the car and its shape. Thus the new physics that Waruna taught us allowed us to then be able to make design considerations that would be specific to the car’s purpose, such as the size of the motor. I always looked forwards towards Waruna’s sessions as something cool about Waruna is that for the actual assignments all Waruna needed to do was provide us with the formula in most lessons and then we would be able to finish the work, however waruna decided to teach the logic behind the formula’s and how they are derived and for that iI will deeply miss him and thank him and the Brilliant Club for getting physics and I back together.

Also before I end it off, I must say it is a MASSIVE confidence boost to say I have completed a university assignment in year 12 and it really does reassure me that I will be able to cope with the university life.

Vision and Voices Trip

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 06 May 2024 06:24:03 GMT

The Art department are continuing their work on the Vision and Voices project.

During their third visit to the National Gallery, Year 7 vision and voices students focused on improving their public speaking skills. They learned about the significance of pace, volume, and body language in effective communication. By discussing artwork in the gallery, they practiced and enhanced their abilities to express themselves confidently.

All students exhibited exemplary behaviour, reflecting positively on our school and demonstrating their growth as articulate communicators.

Thank you to Miss O'Neill for organising this trip.

PGL Netball Tour 2024

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sun, 05 May 2024 14:09:56 GMT

From character building, facing fears, netball tournaments and adventurous activities; this trip is certainly one to remember! On the 22 ^nd March, 35 students from years 8 to 10 travelled to Swindon for a Netball Weekend which consisted of, not only Netball Games, but Abseiling, Archery, Zip Wire, Giant Swing, Aeroball and many more! With this being some of the students’ first trip away from home, they behaved and presented themselves immaculately and done Robert Clack proud.

The Netball games saw some victories and losses, but overall the sheer enjoyment and competitiveness shined through, which is what we loved to see. The year 10 teams worked incredibly hard going up against some tough schools; the year 9 team showed determination and was able to win 2/4 games; however, the year 8 team were the ones that dominated the courts. They won all of their pool games and conceded goals that other schools could not reach. They then went through to the semi-finals and won. They then got to the final where unfortunately, after much fight, sweat and a few tears, were defeated by 1 goal. Overall, the Robert Clack Year 8 girls came 2 ^nd at the PGL Netball Tour of 2024!

I am incredibly proud to have had the opportunity to take these brilliant 35 students away, some on their first trip away from home too! I would like to mention a special thank you to Miss Shelley, Mr Vinda and Mrs Webster for giving up their time to look after these students; without them, this trip would not have gone ahead.

Another special mention must go to Robert Clacks PTA team who helped fund this trip. The PTA get funding from the events that they put on and without this, there would be minimum support within the school community to put on these exciting trips. As such, I would like to take the time to mention that the PTA are holding indoor boot sales on the 22 ^nd June, 12 ^th October and 7 ^th December with a potential quiz night on the 28 ^th June. If you could come along to any PTA events please do so!

Miss Robbins

Ex pupil Ashmeet Virdi comes back to school

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 12:26:40 GMT

On Friday 19 ^th April Ashmeet Virdi (class of 2023) came back to school to speak to Sixth Form students about her experience as a Finance Apprentice. Ashmeet presented to the students about the application process and the resilience she showed to get the apprenticeship she wanted after completing 60+ applications. She shared her top tips on the interview process and also details of how her apprenticeship works with the option of going on to a degree apprenticeship in the future.

Thank you to Ashmeet for taking the time to help our current students.

JP Morgan Challenge Final

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 11:19:33 GMT

This term our year 9 students engaged in the JP Morgan Schools Challenge competed in the final event. At the final, our students impressed all of the industry professionals judging the competition. Many people at the event commented on the creativity, professionalism and respectfulness of our students.

The J.P. Morgan Schools Challenge is a project that involves 16 of our wonderful year 9 students. In October, students are split into two teams and spend the next 6 months developing sustainability products and business models to eventually present alongside 22 other teams from schools across London.

In the final, our Team 23 won the J.P. Morgan Schools Challenge for 2023. We are so proud of all of their hard work and their dedication to the challenge. We also had two students who won influencer awards which means that out of the192 students involved in the Challenge they were the two most involved pupils on the challenge platform. I am immensely proud of the hard work and determination of these groups of students.

Run 4 Life

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 19:54:34 GMT

One of our primary reception children, Zeyd took part in the Run 4 Life 5K run on Sunday.

Bearing in mind Zeyd is 5 years old he placed 47 out of 107 runners and completed the run in 44 minutes.

Run 4 Life supports local charities more information can be found here https://run4life.org.uk/list-of-charities/

Well done Zeyd!

Year 12 Sociology Youth Conference

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 22:25:49 GMT

This term, the Year 12 Sociology pupils had the opportunity to attend the annual London youth conference hosted by the Mulberry School.

Now in its 22nd year, this award-winning annual conference brings Sixth Form students together from a range of backgrounds to explore issues of common concern, including themes of equality and social justice, demonstrating that young people have the power to make a difference in their communities and on the world stage.

This year the conference explored 'disrupting discrimination' and how the arts and storytelling are important tools for social change.

Pupils were able to have informative discussions with their peers and create powerful pieces of artwork to exhibit their messages. Some pupils focused their creative pieces on the War in Palestine, whilst other students designed initiatives to tackle World Hunger. The topics were endless.

The pupils found the conference enjoyable with one describing it as “eye opening” as they got to hear powerful speeches from refugees and charity workers. The pupils felt the conference could not have come at a better time with the celebrations of World Book Day and International Women’s Day!

National Apprenticeship Days

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 18:53:27 GMT

Last week, groups of our Year 10 and 12 students visited Sandown Race Course for the Post-16 and Degree Apprenticehip Days respectively.

The students took a lot away from the course, being able to talk to and meet propsective employers. The students were excellent role models for the school and came away motivated by the opportunities available to them.

Our thanks to Mr Hamill for organising the trip.

Year 7 - Vision and Voice Project

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 17:45:48 GMT

Vision and Voice Project with Cambridge Oracy and The National Gallery

In their second excursion to the National Gallery, Year 7 students engaged in the Vision & Voices group project, a collaborative effort between Cambridge Oracy and the National Gallery. During this visit, students deepened their comprehension of closed and open questioning techniques, which in turn fostered their exploration of philosophical inquiry. By crafting open-ended questions about the artworks showcased in the gallery, students embarked on a journey of philosophical exploration, honing their oracy skills in the process. This immersive experience not only expanded their understanding of art but also nurtured their ability to articulate and express ideas with confidence and clarity.

Joseph Adesanya visits Year 12

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 16:53:23 GMT

Joseph Adesanya (class of 2021) came back to School on Thursday 15 ^th February to speak to Y12 students in assembly about his year out working with The Bank of England. Joseph is studying for a degree in Finance at Loughborough University and has taken a year out to work in the banking industry with The Bank of England. He talked Y12 students through the role of the Bank of England and his personal route into working for them before explaining other possible careers within the Bank.

Thank you to Joseph for giving up your time!

J.P. Morgan Year 9 Schools Challenge

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 21:34:57 GMT

On a recent J.P. Morgan trip, students embarked on a unique journey to the Out of Order Design workshop in London. Armed with a diverse array of tools and supplies, they passionately delved into the creation of their sustainability prototypes, showcasing their innovative prowess. Students have been planning these projects for the last 5 months. The culmination of their efforts was not only in the prototypes but also in honing their presentation skills for the impending final. Students will travel to the Oval cricket ground next month to present their prototypes and presentations to industry professionals. They were very impressive in their professionalism and ability to collaborate effectively.

Here are some pictures from the trip. Thank you to MIss Rauth for arranging.

Vision & Voices

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 18:15:37 GMT

The Year 7 Vision and Voices group completed their second workshop in collaboration with the National Gallery and Cambridge Oracy. This engaging session focused on philosophical enquiry facilitated by open and closed questions. Throughout the workshop, students developed their oracy skills by actively participating in group discussions and deliberations centered around artwork displayed at the National Gallery. The workshop played a pivotal role in fostering a collaborative learning environment where students developed a deeper understanding of employing open questions to stimulate philosophical inquiries. The enthusiastic involvement of all students showcased their commitment to enhancing both their oracy skills and critical thinking abilities in the realm of art and philosophy.

Quotes from students:

"“I loved when we spoke nicely to each other when talking about philosophical enquiries as I was already hot on this topic.”

“I Learnt that closed questions can have one answer but on the other hand, open questions come with many enquiries and answers mostly. But open question helps to have philosophical enquiry which has almost basically no answer, they really make you think.”

Ofsted Report

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 21:09:43 GMT

Ofsted Inspection, 22-23 November 2023

I am delighted to share our extremely positive Ofsted Report, which has now been published following the recent inspection. The report can be accessed here .

The outcome of the Ofsted inspection corroborates our view that Robert Clack School is an incredibly special community. Staff, pupils, parents and carers, governors and the Local Authority can be justifiably proud of our collective achievements. As Ofsted commented:

“ Their collective shared vision and high ambition for the school community are consistently exemplified in the ethos, culture and practice across each site. ”

It was abundantly clear to the inspection team that excellent teaching and our core values – mutual respect; compassion for others; self-discipline; high aspirations and expectations; hard work – permeate every aspect of life at Robert Clack School:

“ There is a strong culture of inclusion and mutual respect. ”

“ Pupils learn to be resilient, confident and compassionate individuals. They have high expectations of themselves and strive for ambitious and aspirational goals. ”

“ Pupils and students at Robert Clack School learn to be confident and principled. They develop a keen sense of social justice and are active citizens. ”

“ Behaviour at Robert Clack is exceptional. ”

“ Pupils show high levels of self-regulation and integrity, both in lessons and around the school. ”

“ The support for pupils’ wider personal development is exemplary… Character education is particularly strong. ”

“ Pupils are expected to work hard and do their best. They typically rise to these expectations and achieve well in different subjects. ”

“ All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn a broad and balanced curriculum that matches, and in places exceeds, what is expected nationally. ”

“ Teachers have strong subject knowledge and explain ideas precisely and accurately. ”

The overwhelmingly positive inspection outcome is all the more remarkable given that Robert Clack School has grown from being a two-site secondary school with 1900 pupils in 2017 to a four-site primary and secondary school with 3000 pupils – the largest in the country – in 2023. As Ofsted commented:

“ Robert Clack School has undergone a significant and complex expansion programme. Leaders, including those responsible for governance, have managed this very well. ”

I would like to thank all our parents and carers for their unceasing, proactive support. I am very much looking forward to sustaining our successful and collaborative partnership in the future to ensure that our pupils, your children, continue to enjoy a first-class education.

With very best wishes.

Russell Taylor

Executive Headteacher

Articulation Regional Heat

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 20:52:11 GMT

In an impressive display of artistic insight, Lewis Sobers took centre stage this Monday, the 15 ^th of January, representing our school at the Articulation Regional Heat held at Dartmouth House by the English-Speaking Union. This competition challenges students to deliver a captivating 10-minute presentation on a chosen work of art, architecture, or artefact. Remi Graves, a London-based poet and drummer, served as the adjudicator, evaluating presentations based on content, structure, delivery, and originality. Lewis delivered a truly engaging speech on "How photography transforms our perception on war", leaving the audience captivated and emotionally moved. His passionate and knowledgeable presentation showcased a unique potential that left a lasting impression on all in attendance. A huge congratulations to Lewis for his outstanding achievement in the Articulation Regional Heat.

Alumni visits Y11 and Sixth Form Students

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 19:39:10 GMT

We were very fortunate to have a visit today from Luke Grazette who left Robert Clack in 2017. Luke went on to study Maths and Physics at Warwick after achieving 3 A* grades in his A Levels. He is currently studying for his PhD as an Experimental Particle Physicist at CERN in Switzerland, the home of the Large Hadron Collider.

Luke contacted Mrs Monk whilst he was back visiting Dagenham over the festive period and a special Assembly was arranged of Year 11 and 6 ^th Form students who study Physics. Luke told them about his A Levels at Clack followed by his experience at Warwick and explained some of the work he is doing at CERN.

A fantastic opportunity for our students who were clearly fascinated and asked lots of questions. Thank you to Luke for giving up his time.

Year 12 goes to Winter Model United Nations

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 19:41:45 GMT

This winter term our Year 12 debate enrichment pupils had the opportunity to attend the annual Global Classrooms conference for Model UN.

This took place over two days in Mulberry School who are known for holding the largest Model UN programme for state secondary schools and international schools in the UK.

Global Classrooms Model UN conferences consist of several student-led committees debating different topics, with between twenty-five and thirty countries in each. This winter our school represented Chad and China. Amarachi was also awarded for most distinguished delegate in UNWomen 4 where she discussed access to safe water for women and children.

Thank you very much for Mulberry School for hosting us and we look forward to the summer one! Well done to all Year

Miss Aktar & Mr Saito

Music Successes

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 20:34:40 GMT

Our year 12 music class visited a professional recording studio in London, to learn more about how the studio functions and how the music industry runs. During this trip, Simran was able to record one of her original songs accompanied by Joseph. They produced a brilliant track that the record producer at the studio helped mix and master. It was a day filled with knowledge, that the pupils then took away to write a report about. I would like to extend a massive congratulations to them on their hard work, ethic and positive attitude displayed during the visit.

The music department held its annual Christmas Showcase on the 6th of December. The night was filled full of musical talent from pupils of all ages and across all three sites. We would like to extend a massive thank you to all the staff who supported the event, including: the finance team, IT team, site team, Office staff, Food tech team and everyone who came to watch and support our pupils! Videos from the event, can be found on our Instagram page @RobertClackMusic .

Our whole school choir went to Queens Hospital and Romford City Centre, to perform Christmas Carols and raise money for King George and Queen’s Hospital. Our first stop was at Queens Hospital, where our choir attracted a great crowd! We even had some dementia patients who wanted to sit next to our choir and sing along with them. It was a magical moment that our pupils were very grateful for. We received amazing feedback from the staff at the hospital and the audience that watched.

We then went to the Liberty at Romford and did more singing there. We attracted big crowds and our pupils received amazing feedback and cheering from the public. Although it was a long and tiring day of singing, our pupils were buzzing with excitement! On top of that, our pupils came back to school and then went to Gosfield Road to conduct rehearsals for High School Musical. It is so amazing to see our pupils showing dedication to music at Robert Clack!

Sporting Success

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 21:56:53 GMT

The key stage 4 badminton team faced some tough competition at the Borough Badminton competition this year. All the students involved played to the best of their ability and there were some nail-biting games. The girls were successful in finishing 3 ^rd in the competition. Well done to everyone involved, we are incredible proud of you!

Over the months of October and November the junior boys Athletics team competed at the Lee Valley indoor Athletics championships. There were some superb performances from in all events, but particularly the High Jump and the 60m sprint. The boys performance saw them make the final, where they put in a superb performance even though the team were affected by injuries. The boys were a superb ambassadors for the school and competed with heart and determination. They have set themselves nicely to continue their improvement for the summer outdoor season.

Well done to all the Key Stage 4 students who took part in the Lee Valley Indoor Athletic Cup. The girls all performed exceptionally well in the first round and were successful in making it through to the finals. They performed fantastically on the day and as a result were crowned Champions. Well done girls, we are extremely proud of you!

Alumni Visitors join Year 9 Assembly

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 20:12:13 GMT

Our Options Assemblies began last week with ex pupils Lee Kingston-Spiteri (Footwear Designer), Lewis Holmes (Surveyor) and Ricky Powell (Barrister) coming back to school to talk our Year 9 students through their Options choices and career paths. Thank you all for giving up your time, raising aspirations and being positive role models to our students.

Trip to the National Gallery

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 14:26:36 GMT

"Year 7 students took their first trip to the National Gallery this week as part of the Vision & Voices project. They spent the day exploring The National Gallery and developing a deeper understanding of the meaning and history behind some paintings. Through this they developed their ability to analyse and discuss each painting focusing on their oracy skills. Students displayed exemplary behaviour throughout the trip. Being polite, mannerly, and enthusiastic not only reflects positively on the students but also showcases their genuine interest and passion for art. "

Review from Zain-Ul-Arfeen Shakil

"I learnt a lot about art today in the National Gallery. I learnt that art can be small but it can show a lot of pictures in your Head about what happened in the artists time or era. My favourite painting was "The Family of Darius before Alexander 1565-7" because it was a really large painting with a lot of information stored in it in some way. I think that the National Gallery was a wonderful place."

6 Subject Awards from the PTI

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 20:12:05 GMT

Robert Clack has been awarded the PTI Mark for 2022/2023– recognition for their success as part of the Subject Leadership Programme.

The PTI Mark celebrates outstanding commitment to increasing teachers’ subject knowledge to improve outcomes for all students. Robert Clack Schoolwas given the mark for demonstrating excellence in Art, DT, English, History, Music and Science.

The PTI launched the Subject Leadership Programme in 2007 to recognise and reward school departments that develop inspirational ideas and activities which enhance the teaching of Art, English, Geography, History, Latin, Mathematics, Modern Foreign Languages, Music and Science, regardless of their pupils’ backgrounds or abilities.

The programme, which is open to all state secondary schools in England, is run as a membership group for school departments that choose to commit to increasing the challenge of their subject provision.

To become members of the PTI’s Subject Leadership Programme, school departments must demonstrate their commitment to increasing teachers’ subject knowledge, and to furthering their students’ understanding of and enthusiasm for the subject, regardless of their background or ability.

To achieve the PTI Mark, departments then have to demonstrate that they have increased the challenge within their subject curriculum; developed their staff’s own specialist subject knowledge; developed subject-based links outside school and enthused their pupils through subject-based activities beyond the curriculum.

Photography Trip

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 21:07:59 GMT

The Art Department took our year 10 photography students out on a trip to Valence House. Students explored the grounds of Valence house developing their understanding of composition within photography. At the end of their trip students got to explore the history of their local area in Valence House Museum. All students were fantastic throughout the whole trip, it was a pleasure. Here are some pictures from the visit.

Cricket White Donations

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 19:59:52 GMT

Having our school cricketers looking smart in white cricket clothing is always a challenge, particularly in Year 7 and 8 when children are still sampling the game. Given that our young cricketers are every bit as talented as their counterparts in some other schools, we want them to look the part too. So, when student Ismail Rumjaun's mother Sakinah approached us to say she could remedy this problem we were very interested. Her connection with Mont Rose college, Gants Hill and its CEO Bilal Sheikh resulted in them pledging a cricket shirt to ALL of our male and female cricketers at Robert Clack school. So often promises are not realised but Mont Rose were true to their word. We are indebted to them, the students looked fantastic in their shirts and they will grace our teams for a few years to come. Sincere heartfelt thanks to Mont Rose College CEO Bilal Sheikh, the College's principal Umber Mokal who attended the presentation, Robert Clack's Executive head Russell Taylor and Sakinah Rumjaun for making it all possible.

Paul Cook

Robert Clack Triumphs in Thrilling 3-2 Victory over All Saints!

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 13:47:32 GMT

Our year 9 emerged triumphant against All Saints School, securing a well-deserved 3-2 victory. The match was an absolute thriller, with the Robert Clack squad displaying incredible teamwork, determination, and heart throughout the game. Leading the charge on the scoreboard was Toby, who netted an impressive brace, and Emanuel, who added one more to the tally. Their sharp finishing skills were a testament to the team's offensive prowess.

But this win wasn't just about individual brilliance; it was about the collective effort. Every player on the team poured their heart and soul into the game, and it showed on the field. The defence, led by the towering presence of Christian and Jordan, proved to be nearly unbreakable. Although the opposition managed to find the net twice through scrappy scrambles in the box, our defence remained resolute and solid for much of the game.

Out on the wings, Theo and Emanuel showcased exceptional skills, providing valuable support to the midfield trio of Leonard, Isaac, and Abdur Rahman. Emanuel's quick response with a goal right after Toby's first strike was a true highlight of the match. The second half saw strong contributions from our substitutes: Shane, David, Justin, and Yaw. Their fresh legs and determination helped maintain the team's energy and momentum.

Additionally, the newcomers to the squad, Harvey and Lucas, made an immediate impact on the field, proving themselves as valuable assets to the team. Man of the match goes to Emanuel for his unstoppable prowess on the wings. Well done lads!

⚽️Toby (Eze assist)

⚽️Eze

⚽️Toby

Under-16 Netball Team Success at Borough Competition

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 19:48:03 GMT

Congratulations to the U16 netball squad on their success at the borough stage of the national netball competition. This was the first time the girls had played together and they were successful in securing themself a place in the county stage of nationals after winning all their games. Wishing you all the best of luck at the next round which is being held at Redbridge Sports Centre in November.

Robert Clack Vs Debdan Park (2-1)

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 17:43:20 GMT

Essex Cup Preliminary Round

Congratulations to our fantastic Year 9 football team on an incredible victory winning 2-1 against Debdan Park.

First off, a big shoutout to Toby for that brilliant goal, assisted by Theo.

And let's not forget Shane, who nailed it with an amazing goal, all thanks to Shakye's impeccable assist.

The honour of "Man of the Match" undoubtedly goes to the unstoppable Theo, for his outstanding performance on the field!

To every single player on the team, well done! Your dedication and teamwork truly paid off. Our defence line was impenetrable most times and our goalkeeper George made sure no balls went past our net. It was a fantastic effort all around. Keep up the great work, champs!

Year 10 Girls Represent England

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 18:05:13 GMT

The year 10 girls started the year off with nine days away in France, representing England. There were three other teams representing England, two boys and one girls all of which were private schools. We spent the time away at Pontlevoy Abbey, one of the oldest remaining schools in France.

The girls started their time away not playing rugby, but cooking a dish to represent where they come from. So of course the girls had to represent our local cuisine Kings chicken shop. The other teams couldn't get enough of their fried chicken and chips.

The next day the girls had a tough pool, going against top tier finalists New Zealand and two French schools. They then played against Wales, which was the decider for which team would make the semi final. They then faced yet another French team in the semi, which happened to be the host school so there was lots of support for the opposition. They managed to beat Pontlevoy in front of the huge crowd and then waited eagerly for their final against Scotland in the afternoon. The girls were on top form and played their socks off until the final whistle crowned them 'Development Cup' champions, beating the Scottish girls nine trys to one. This match was televised live on local French television, so they were under a lot of pressure from the start!

Robert Clack pupils celebrate the School’s best ever GCSE results!

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 13:00:04 GMT

“I’m so proud of myself and what I have managed to achieve this year and I am thankful to all of my teachers for their help in all of this.” (Aimuavbosa)

As was widely forecast, this year’s national GCSE results have fallen below those achieved during the pandemic era of 2020-2022, and are broadly in line with the results achieved in 2019.

However, at Robert Clack School the collective efforts of our pupils and staff have been deservedly rewarded with GCSE outcomes that are better than those achieved in 2022 and significantly higher than those of 2019.

Aditya who achieved grade 9 in every single subject commented: “ I had high expectations and I did better than I ever imagined. I worked on my weaknesses and this paid off. I would like to thank all my teachers that helped me achieve these grades through numerous after school sessions and interventions. ”

25 pupils were awarded grades 7 to 9 in all of their subjects and one student achieved a clean sweep of 9 grade 9s, one of just 1160 pupils in the entire country to accomplish this magnificent result. In addition, 35% of pupils secured grades 5 to 9 in every subject studied.

“Always make sure you put all your dedication into your GCSEs. It will pay off. I achieved 6 grade 9s and I am over the moon” (Rohaan)

Outcomes at Robert Clack are significantly higher than the national average. Over 75% of all entries were grade 4 or above (compared to the national average of 68%) and 30% were grade 7 or above (compared to the national average of 22%).

“I definitely did not expect my results. I went through a lot of hardships before exams started but they all paid off in the end. I am thankful for all the support my teachers have given me.” (Subah)

Executive Headteacher, Russell Taylor, commented: “I am so proud of our pupils and staff. Not only did this year group suffer significant disruption to their Key Stage 3 education as a result of the pandemic, they are also the first cohort of students to be assessed against the more demanding pre-pandemic grade boundaries. Given this context, their achievements are all the more remarkable.”

Robert Clack pupils achieve the school’s highest ever exam results and over 150 pupils placed on university courses!

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 14:40:34 GMT

The results achieved by Robert Clack pupils in A Level, Vocational and Tech Level qualifications are the highest achieved since examinations returned to normal. As a result, roughly 160 pupils will be taking up places to study at University in September with nearly 90% of pupils securing their first-choice courses.

“ I feel very overwhelmed and very grateful. I am thankful to my amazing teachers and my dear friends. I know I have worked hard and I am so happy that after achieving A*A*A*, I will study Biomedical Science at University of Warwick. ” (Mahadia)

High numbers of students will be going to study a wide range of degree courses at universities across the country including Engineering, Archaeology, Chemistry, Computer Science, English Literature, Law and Mathematics.

We are delighted to report that 3 pupils have secured places to study Medicine and 2 pupils have secured places to study at the Universities of Oxford (English Language and Literature) and Cambridge (Mathematics) respectively. Many pupils have also secured places at Russell Group universities with a large number of pupils choosing to study at top London universities such as Imperial College, UCL, Kings, LSE, and Queen Mary. We are also pleased that pupils have chosen to study at elite universities further afield such as Warwick, Bristol, Nottingham, York and Edinburgh.

“ I am really happy that my hard work over the past two years has been put to good use. I want to thank my teachers for their dedication in helping me to attain these grades. ” (Oladipupo)

A number of pupils chose to apply for highly-prized degree apprenticeship opportunities and have been offered places at top Management Consultant firms, chartered surveyors and Amazon.

The average grade achieved by pupils in A Level qualifications was B-. 23 pupils (31%) achieved the ‘gold standard’ of AAB or above, 21 pupils achieved A Level grades equivalent to AAA or above and 3 pupils achieved A*A*A* or above. One pupil achieved A*A*A*A*A in Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology and will be studying Mathematics at the University of Cambridge.

“ I am absolutely thrilled with my results – I could not be happier. I want to express my gratitude to all those who helped me along the way. It wasn't easy but we got there in the end .” (Anthony)

The average grade achieved by pupils in Vocational and Tech Level qualifications was Distinction. 26 pupils (37%) achieved grade equivalent to Distinction- Distinction- Distinction or above and 7 pupils achieved Distinction*-Distinction*Distinction*.

“ I want to thank the business and sports departments and also the Sixth Form Team for supporting me all the way and helping me to achieve my so successful results. Remember to stay dedicated and do not give up! ” (Ellie)

Executive Headteacher, Russell Taylor, said:

“I am thrilled that our students have achieved the outstanding results that their hard work so richly deserves. More Robert Clack students than ever have secured places at the country’s top universities or degree apprenticeships at leading multinational companies. I am exceptionally grateful to our committed and hardworking colleagues, who have provided magnificent support to our students throughout their time at Robert Clack.

Unlike in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where the devolved governments have retained lower grade boundaries due to the impact of Covid, the examinations system in England has returned to pre-pandemic standards. Therefore, I am delighted that our results are in line with those achieved last year (when grade boundaries were lower) and higher than those achieved in 2019.

As our students embark on the n ext chapter of their lives, I wish them all the very best of luck – they deserve all the success that I know they will achieve.”

U15 Cricket Leaders

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 10:41:21 GMT

The U15 cricket girls had a fantastic day out at May and Baker cricket club where they helped umpire and run the borough primary school cricket. Alongside Essex Cricket and Barking and Dagenham’s lead in Sports Participation, our students were responsible for over 15 Primary Schools across 6 cricket pitches. These girls were such a credit to the school, in which it was mentioned multiple times how professional they are. A cricket coach from Goresbrook also mentioned that they are the best leaders he has seen in over 18 years and how they stood their ground in many challenging situations as umpires. It has been phenomenal to see them develop as young leaders.

Miss Robbins

U15 Girls Cricket Tier 2 Hardball Comp

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 10:37:07 GMT

What a season it has been for the U15 girls! Seen many victories and some losses; however, after every game they have been so dedicated to develop their skills and knowledge. Our A team girls competed in the Tier 2 Hardball competition where they won all of their pool matches. Unfortunately, the girls were beaten by 5 runs in their finals game but came out in 2 ^nd place overall! It has been an absolute pleasure coaching these girls and I look forward to them competing next year.

Miss Robbins

Year 12 Work Experience

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 10:48:05 GMT

Work experience plays a crucial role in shaping the future of students, providing them with invaluable insights into various professions and helping them develop essential skills. At Robert Clack School, an inspiring partnership with Savills Property Company has opened doors for Year 12 students, allowing them to embark on a fruitful and successful work experience journey. Let's delve into the positive outcomes and experiences of the students who had the opportunity to work at Savills, one of the leading property companies in the industry.

Through the innovative partnership that Mr Hamill has helped established between Robert Clack School and Savills Property Company, a group of enthusiastic Year 12 students had the chance to gain hands-on experience in the dynamic world of real estate. This initiative not only provided an excellent opportunity for personal and professional growth but also allowed these students to develop a deeper understanding of the industry and its diverse career paths. The students who participated in the work experience program at Savills were immersed in a supportive and engaging environment that nurtured their talents and ambitions. Under the guidance of experienced professionals, they were exposed to various aspects of the property business, including sales, marketing, property management, and client relations. This comprehensive exposure enabled them to grasp the intricacies of the industry while refining their skills and uncovering their hidden talents.

One student Prannesh Pathumakanthar, managed to secure a work experience placement with BAE Systems plc. His placement took place in the form of a residential at Isle of Wight. He was one of a handful of students across the country who gained this opportunity.

Tajus Granatauskas secured a placement with Clear Channel working with one of Robert Clack School’s Alumni. This was thanks to Miss Monk and the connections she has helped establish between past students and their employers. His supervisor had this to say “Was early, smartly dressed, engaged throughout and was so polite and well mannered. A lot of people internally (including Sales Director) has praised him already”.

There were many other successful placements that students embarked on around Barking and Dagenham, with the support of the BDSIP. Opportunities such as working in local libraries to supporting supermarkets. It has been a hugely successful week for Year 12’s at Robert Clack School.

Debate Club goes to Model United Nations !

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 07:21:17 GMT

This summer term the Year 10 Debate and Sociology pupils had the opportunity to attend the annual Global Classrooms conference for Model UN.

This took place over two days in Mulberry School who are known for holding the largest MUN programme for state secondary schools and international schools in the UK.

GCLMUN conferences consist of several student-led committees debating different topics, with between twenty-five and thirty countries in each. This year our school represented Canada and Brazil. Sarah in Year 11 won an honourable mention for the committee of UNHCR 2 which ensured the safety of asylum seekers.

Thank you very much for Mulberry School for hosting us and we look forward to the winter MUN!

Miss Aktar & Mr Saito

Media Studies Round-Up written by the BBC Young Reporters

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 13:42:39 GMT

We have had such an exciting year as BBC Young Reporters in the Media Studies Department! At the start of the year we wrote, developed and recorded our very own podcast about Children’s Mental Health Week. We learnt how to use the audio equipment and discovered what it takes to edit audio and images on Premiere Pro.

As part of this we got to practice our interview skills by interviewing our head of year Mr Van Gelder and other students in the Wellness Club.

Shortly after this we visited a media related industry careers event at the UCL Pearl located at the Eastbrook Studios in Dagenham. Industry professionals taught us all about all the different jobs available to us in the film industry and we even got to play around with some of the equipment!

We then moved on to take part in the BBC Young Reporters Competition where we had to design an idea for an article about what makes us special. We wrote about how significant our borough is and how special our school is as we will become one of the biggest schools in the UK.

Our favourite event of the year was the Industry Professional Talk the Media Department organised with London based post-production house The Assembly Rooms. Here we got to interview the guests, film and photograph the day and take part in the talks and demonstrations. We learnt how essential the editing process is and are now using these new-found skills to edit together our coverage of the event.

We have also taken part in an in-house competition to create our own stop motion cartoons which was great fun!

The skills and experiences we have learnt in BBC Young Reporters will help build our careers and confidence in the future. This club is great fun and if you would like to find out more come and find us in the Media Department.

Written by Kamilah, Afifa and Zaynah, Year 7

Year 7 History trip

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 09:45:28 GMT

On Tuesday 11th July the history department took some of our fantastic year 7 future historians on a trip to Greenwich as a reward for working so hard all year. After travelling on almost every form of public transport possible our students arrived at the Maritime Museum where they were given an activity sheet to complete as they perused the museum's collection, with some expert commentary from the lucky teachers who accompanied them. Pupils really enjoyed the interactive aspects of the museum's collection and were able to get a head start for next year by considering the museum's collection on the Transatlantic Slave Trade which they will study in Year 8. After an Al-Fresco lunch in Greenwich Park with the sun beaming down we made the long trip back to school. Overall it was a successful trip in which our pupils behaved impeccably, they were a credit to Robert Clack!

Trip to Hay on Wye

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 09:40:43 GMT

For the second year running, we were delighted to take four budding Year 10 writers to Hay-on-Wye to attend the Hay Literary Festival, and to stay at Trewern Outdoor Education Centre.

The Year 10 students spent the weekend reading, writing and bonding with other secondary-school students from local schools from the borough.

Like last year, students enjoyed some incredible experiences in the stunning Welsh countryside, including gorge walking and cascading down waterfalls, as well as exploring a breathtaking mountainside at sunset. The students also worked on crafting their creative writing by attending author workshops, exploring Hay village and writing in the serene grounds of Trewern Outdoor Education Centre.

The day at the Hay festival saw students listen to lectures and workshops by writers including Laura Dockrill, Dr Shini Somara and Nikesh Shukla to inspire their own writing. This year, we were also very lucky to have an exclusive tour of the festival to see the inner-workings of this famous literary feat!

Robert Clack School would like to say a heartfelt thank you to the dynamic team at Pen-to Print and Barking and Dagenham Council, and Justin and his staff at Trewern for organising such a superb and inspiring trip.

KS3 STEM club

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 08:20:20 GMT

Members of KS3 STEM Club attended a trip to the Science Museum in London this week. These students were invited on this trip as a reward for their hard work and dedication to STEM Club throughout this academic year. They have all been present for 85% or more of STEM Club sessions this school year, equal to at least 32 hours of extracurricular activity for these students.

Many of these students are also celebrating their 2-year award, earned when you attend 85% or more of sessions for two consecutive school years, taking their total to around 64 extracurricular hours in two years. The students had a fantastic day of learning at the Science Museum and were able to explore many of the principles discussed in sessions throughout the year in the exhibits. These students have worked incredibly hard this year and we are so happy we were able to celebrate them this week!

Piano Donation to Lymington Fields Primary School

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 07:40:09 GMT

This term the music department was contacted by Mr. and Mrs Wijeratna who kindly offered to donate their upright piano to the school. This instrument was lovingly played by their daughter who has now left home, and the family wanted to donate the piano for other children to learn and enjoy.

It was decided that Lymington Fields Primary School should receive the piano, and it is now pride of place in the canteen/assembly hall ready for music lessons.

We are extremely grateful for this kind and generous donation to the music department and Robert Clack School.

A Memorable Seafood Adventure at London's Billingsgate Seafood Training School

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 10:37:32 GMT

We're excited to share an extraordinary field trip experience that a group of 33 Catering students recently embarked upon. Our students had the opportunity to visit a renowned seafood training school located in the heart of London's vibrant Billingsgate fish market.

Accompanied by their enthusiastic teachers, our budding gastronomes stepped into a world of culinary delights as they delved into the intricacies of seafood and its preparation. The trip was nothing short of a feast for the senses, with tantalising aromas and a sea of information awaiting them.

Upon arrival, the students were welcomed by the knowledgeable staff of the seafood training school. They began their journey by learning about the key quality points to look for when assessing the freshness of shellfish and various types of fish. The students discovered the art of discerning a fish's freshness through its glistening eyes, firm flesh, and the sweet, briny scent of shellfish. It was an eye-opening experience, broadening their understanding of the culinary world.

Next, the students were introduced to an array of fish species, expanding their knowledge beyond the familiar fish found in local markets. From popular varieties like salmon and cod to more exotic options like sea bass and red snapper, the students were captivated by the diversity of flavours and textures available from the sea.

The highlight of the visit came when the students actively participated in preparing squid, mussels, and prawns under the guidance of skilled instructors. With gloves on and aprons fastened, they eagerly embraced the challenge of cleaning, marinating, and cooking these delicacies. The experience fostered teamwork, precision, and an appreciation for the work that goes into preparing seafood for consumption.

After their hands-on session, the students gathered around to watch a captivating demonstration by the culinary experts. With deft knife skills and culinary flair, the chefs transformed raw ingredients into mouth-watering dishes. The students marvelled as they witnessed the magic of seafood cooking in action.

As the aroma of the dishes filled the room, the anticipation grew. The time had come to taste the fruits of their labour. The students savoured a delectable fish curry and fragrant rice, made using the fish they had prepared themselves. The flavours danced on their palates, and each bite was a testament to their newfound skills and the incredible journey they had embarked upon.

To top off their seafood adventure, the students also had the opportunity to taste the perfectly cooked squid, marvelling at its tender texture and delicate flavour. The experience opened their minds to the vast array of culinary possibilities that lay within the realm of seafood.

Reflecting on their day at the seafood training school, our students returned to school with a treasure trove of knowledge and unforgettable memories. They had not only gained insights into the intricacies of seafood but also learned valuable life skills such as teamwork, attention to detail, and the joy of discovering new flavours.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the seafood training school and their dedicated staff for providing our students with an enriching experience. As our students continue their educational journey, we are confident that this unique adventure will serve as a stepping stone, igniting their passion for the culinary arts or simply enhancing their appreciation for the seafood they enjoy.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates and adventures in the upcoming editions of our newsletter. Until then, we wish you a delightful summer filled with discovery and exploration.

Mr Mwangi

Head of Food studies.

Year 10 construction trip to Barking Riverside and New City college Rainham

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 11:31:08 GMT

The year 10 construction group were invited to attend a visit to the site at Barking riverside in partnership with the Construction Youth Trust. They had the opportunity to meet the Site Manager and other personnel to hear about their job roles, responsibilities and typical tasks in their working day. The students were then treated to a site tour, to see the work in progress in the building of the Barking Riverside Project.

In the afternoon the students visited the ‘state of the art’ New City College, Rainham Construction Campus where they had a talk and tour from the principal of the site to learn about the courses that were on offer to them after their GCSEs.

This was an informative and inspirational day for the Year 10 construction pupils who should be very proud of themselves for being so well mannered and displaying such a high standard of behaviour. All of the students were engaged in the presentations that were given, asking sensible questions that supported their learning and opened their eyes to the range of activities available to them within the Construction Industry and the pathways open to them after they have successfully completed their GCSEs.

Year 12 art students work exhibited in University of East London 5th -14th of July

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 12:46:36 GMT

This artwork is a testament to our talented and dedicated students who embarked on a scheme of work to enhance their oil painting skills. Inspired by the masterpieces of Caravaggio, these students have successfully captured the essence of his dramatic lighting and compelling compositions. The result is a stunning collection that pays homage to Caravaggio while showcasing the unique perspectives and creativity of these young artists

NHS Careers Fair at Queens Hospital

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 14:02:21 GMT

Year 10 and 12 students experienced a highly informative NHS Careers Fair at Queens Hospital with former Robert Clack student Dr Reece Weaver presenting and proving to be a fabulous role model and inspiration to our students!

KS3 Art Exhibition

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 12:26:21 GMT

This exhibition was a celebration of our student’s hard work and dedication. The work shown was an accumulation of the artwork made during art club on Green Lane and Lymington throughout the year.

The theme of the exhibition is ‘The Faces of Clack’ as students have been focusing on the people that make our community a positive, comfortable and successful place. We have been very fortunate to have members of staff volunteer their time after school to pose for the student’s life drawings, allowing them to experience new ways of working.

Throughout the year, students have been encouraged to look at famous artists such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol for inspiration and think of creative ways to implement this within their own portraits. They have been given the opportunity to use a variety media that they may not have experienced within lessons.

The art department are incredibly proud of our students, and we would like to thank them for their hard work and dedication this year

Year 9 Lymington visit to 300 years of St Paul's Cathedral celebration

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 07:26:03 GMT

Robert Clack year 9 Lymington students were invited by The London Lord Mayor to participate in the 300th celebration Anniversary of St Paul's Cathedral.

Robert Clack was one of only two schools invited to attend this special event with many special VIP's and members of The Royal family, Masters of all Livery company's and Arch Bishops.

The conduct of all students was magnificent as was the celebration and amazing music and choral voices of St Paul's choir. The students will indeed remember this special event for many years to come in the company of London's senior business leaders.

Father's Day and Pyjama Day

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 20:34:22 GMT

Our Primary school recently celebrated Pyjamarama day and Father days by getting our students to wear PJs and asking dads came in to read with them. Here are some photos from the event.

UCAS Discovery Event

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 10:32:55 GMT

On Wednesday the Year 12's visited the University of East London where a UCAS Fair was held.

Students got to ask insightful questions to multiple universities and apprenticeships from across the country. The Year 12's are hoping to broaden their horizons next year by taking up some of these exciting opportunities that came from this trip.

Year 12 National Gallery trip

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 07:43:00 GMT

Year 12 art and photography students had an incredible experience during their recent visit to the National Gallery in Trafalgar square. The highlight of their trip was the captivating exhibition titled “After impressionism: Inventing Modern Art”.

They were fortunate to see the masterpieces created by renowned artists such as Cezanne, Van Gogh, Rodin, Picasso, Matisse, Limt, Kathe Kollwitz, Sonial Delaunay, Kandinsky and Mondrian.

The students were awe-inspired by the innovative and ground-breaking works on display throughout the National Gallery. They took this time to sit, study and draw the art work that inspired them the most. After they took the time to walk through some parts of the city of London, appreciating its iconic landmarks and rich cultural heritage. Throughout the entire trip, the students exhibited exemplary behaviour, demonstrating their enthusiasm, kindness, and respect. It was a truly fantastic experience from start to finish.

Year 10 Employers Interview Day Feedback

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 15:25:32 GMT

Fantastic Feedback From Employers

Following our successful Year 10 Employers Interview Day where employers from industry came into school and interviewed our students about themsleves, and career aspirations we have had some excellent feedback. Below is a selection of comments that we have received.

'I cannot thank you enough for hosting this event and allowing me the opportunity to have a brief glimpse of what you and your dedicated team do for your students at Robert Clack School. It has been an honour for me to meet with you and to be a small part of this brilliant initiative that prepares your students well for the world of work.

Where to start. Your students had such a huge impact on me that I cannot even put it into words. I left the day taking the full energy of these young people with me. It was such an emotional experience for me. To hear your students discuss so confidently their dreams and hopes for their future, truly inspired me. Great job to you and all your team for all you do to support these young people through their life challenges and prepare them in navigating the world of work.

I wanted to share with you some of the amazing conversations I had with my interviewees whom I found to be confident, articulate, focused and self-aware with varied aspirations. I am not sure many students aged 14-15 could communicate as well as your students did that day. Without exception, they all understood, regardless of their personal ability, that their education would be the key to the door of opportunity to the future they desire. I am not sure how you managed to instill that motivation into your students, but I would love to learn more from you if possible.

One student told me he is already working, he has his own business to save money for university, Several spoke about the importance of helping others, using their strengths to assist their peers in academic subjects and creating study groups to help each other pass upcoming exams. They spoke about being resilient and gave me varied examples of when they were resilient. They easily defined what it meant to be an effective leader and when asked to give an example of someone who is a good leader, more than half suggested their Headmaster as he demonstrates confidence, is firm but fair and listens to others to make sure their voices are heard.

I found it most difficult to ask the question about what challenges they have faced and how they overcame them. Some of their personal stories were heartbreaking which again impacted me in ways I cannot put into words. However, what stood out was the determination and perseverance demonstrated through these challenges and the knowledge that it is OK to seek support sometimes. Just amazing.

It was just such a pleasure to listen to your students.'

'I wanted to drop a quick note to say it was a privilege to volunteer at Robert Clack School last month for your employers’ interview skills day.

Your pupils consistently demonstrated a high level of enthusiasm, ambition, and professionalism way beyond their years. You should be very proud of the way they excellently represented themselves and your school. I am sure they will go on to achieve success in their chosen endeavours and I wish them all the very best for their futures.'

'The future is secure if the students I saw on Wednesday area anything to go by.

Each and every one was informed, engaging and self-aware. I was particularly impressed by the number who were prepared to challenge back - demonstrating a sense of enquiry.

All sorts of career plans were on view from Formula 1 motor racing, to building design, to accountancy, to law to the travel industry, to aspirant MasterChef contestants, to philosopher… and many more.

All of the students I saw were very proud of their school and it is clear that the staff are doing a very good job.'

'I just wanted to thank you so much for the amazing day we had at Robert Clack yesterday with your year 10 students.

Every student I saw was truly inspiring. They seemed to be naturally well-mannered and were so professional in their approach to the interviews.

I think the hardest questions were the two regarding 'best and worst' points or events. I found that a hard one to answer at any age; if you practise too much it comes out as over-prepared and robotic. Such fine lines these young adults need to to absorb and practise! The students yesterday were inspiring. I can not imagine being able to do what they did yesterday when | was only 14/15. Even though many exhibited nerves, most of them came across as self-aware and self-assured.

It really was a privilege to get to know some of them. Please pass my congratulations to every one of them.

All credit to you and your team at Robert Clack - not just for the excellent organisation for yesterday but your obvious hard work and dedication with these students all through the year. Such results do not happen by accident. Thank you for allowing us to share in a small way to their future development.'

Ski Race

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 26 May 2023 12:14:39 GMT

Following the success of the ski trip to Les Deux Alpes at Easter and 19 years on from when Robert Clack first had a ski team, 4 students who excelled while in France were chosen to represent Robert Clack in the Eastern Region School Ski Race on Sunday 30th April.

Having come back from 6 days skiing and following 2 race training sessions, Jack, Joe, Keira and Oliver arrived at Ipswich Ski Slope ready to go.

After being nervous on their first run, they didn’t hold back on their second run, resulting in them achieving 2nd place in the U16 mixed category.

A great result for all involved.

Year 8 & 9 Ski Trip

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 26 May 2023 12:11:35 GMT

April 2023 saw the PE department run a ski trip to Les Deux Alpes in France for 36 students from year 8 and 9. The eagerly awaited ski trip started its final preparations shortly after February half term where the students undertook their ski lessons at Brentwood Ski Centre prior to departure, allowing those who had skied last year in the school ski lessons to get back up to scratch and those who had never skied before to get in front before we hit the French Alps.

Departure day soon arrived, staff greeted some tired eyes at the Gosfield Road Leisure Centre at 2am but having quickly loaded the coach, we were on our way to Dover. Upon arrival at the Port of Dover, students were starting to awake after their early morning meet. Despite the small delay at Dover…..we found our way to the front of the line.

An hour or several down, the odd sick bag and a coach of excited students, we arrived having climbed twisting, turning mountain roads to the Les Deux Alpes Ski Resort. The conditions on the first day could not have been any better for us, with a fresh dusting of snow and blue skies.

On the first morning, students spent their time honing their new skiing ability on snow with their instructors before exploring other parts of the mountain.

As the confidence of students grew while skiing and the fear of heights were overcome, more areas of the mountain were explored giving students more opportunity to ski different runs and challenge themselves.

During the evening, there was plenty of entertainment to occupy students, with laser tag and bowling, with Miss McTaggart being consistent and coming last in each of these competitions. The quiz night and bingo gave students time to rest and recharge before skiing the next day.

Overall, the trip was fantastic fun for everyone involved and all students developed both their skiing and as a person while having memories for a lifetime, I am sure. The students were a credit to their parents/carers as well as Robert Clack.

News from the Media Department

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 26 May 2023 09:59:28 GMT

The Media Department have had an extremely exciting spring term. It started in April when we attended a very successful Media and Film career event at the unique UCL PEARL facility at the new Dagenham Film Studios. We took along the entire cohort of our current Year 12 and 13 Media students and our extremely eager KS3 BBC Young Reporters.

We spent the day looking at the different careers on offer in the media industry from camerawork and lighting to make-up and acting! Students had the opportunity to handle equipment at the various exhibition stalls and get a real feel for the kinds of opportunities that are available to them on their doorsteps.

Through this visit we began networking with a contact from a post-production house called The Assembly Rooms. From this initial meeting we arranged the department's biggest ever Industry Professionals Event.

On April 19 ^th we invited five editors and editing producers from various post-production houses in London to Robert Clack to spend an afternoon giving talks, Q&As, demonstrations and advice to all our students.

The event was a brilliant success and proved to be a real turning point for many of our students who were able to get feedback on their work by industry professionals; some of which are award winning in their field.

The Industry Professionals Event was also an amazing opportunity for our BBC Young Reporters to practice their article writing, photography, camera work and interviewing skills! The whole afternoon worked to teach, inspire and connect. Media and Film students also had the opportunity to organise work experience which was an incredible additional experience for the students outside of the course. We look forward to hearing about their further adventures and successes, especially our Year 13s as they move onto the next stages in their academic pursuits and professional careers.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back next year and continuing to develop extra-curricular activities for our wonderful and creative students.

Mrs Crowther-Green and the Media Department

Year 10 Employers Interview Skills Day

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 26 May 2023 09:50:39 GMT

The Year 10 Employer's Interview Skills Day 2023 held in The Gosfield Leisure Centre on Wednesday 24 ^th May has proven to be the most successful in the school's history. The evidence for this will be in the A4 written feedback reports given to each student from up to 35 Senior ranking Employer's from a wide diverse range of professional backgrounds. Each Employer's report for every student contained five category scores out of 25 max marks and positive engagement feedback and future separate areas for development. Students were each given the original score report with carbon copies of each for our records. Each student also completed an evaluation report on what they gained from the day's experience and they were indeed in outstanding praise of the event.

35 Employer's interviewing our 360 Year 10 students included Dr Jing Bian, International consultant to The United Nations and Professor of Law at Greenwich University, Kathy Crockford, Senior Vice president for Citi Private Bank, Patrick Crockford, Chief Financial Director in Industry and Commerce and Director of finance of City of London University. 10 senior managers from Savills Property International, Duncan Eggar, Senior Civil Engineer and manager at BP Global systems, Moira Davis, Senior Lawyer, Julia Sibley MBE, Senior Executive of The London Savoy/Claridges/Champneys Hotel Educational trust for hospitality (some of world's most luxurious hotels) and Hilary Mensah, Campaign lead for Greater London Authority to name but a few. It was also a pleasure to have 4 of our Alumni interviewing our students - our thanks go to: -

Richard Harrington - class of 1975
Jeff Stafford - class of 1969
Nikki Frostick - class of 2005
Dan Cattini - class of 2007

The employers were incredibly positive about the conduct of our Year 10 students, below is a selection of comments that they made: -

'Each and every one was informed, engaging and self-aware. I was particularly impressed by the number who were prepared to challenge back - demonstrating a sense of enquiry. All sorts of career plans were on view from Formula 1 motor racing, to building design, to accountancy, to law to the travel industry, to aspirant MasterChef contestants, to philosopher… and many more. All of the students I saw were very proud of their school and it is clear that the staff are doing a very good job.'

'Every student I saw was truly inspiring. They seemed to be naturally well-mannered and were so professional in their approach to the interviews. The students yesterday were inspiring. I can not imagine being able to do what they did yesterday when | was only 14/15. Even though many exhibited nerves, most of them came across as self-aware and self-assured. It really was a privilege to get to know some of them. Please pass my congratulations to every one of them.'

Trinity Laban

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 25 May 2023 11:58:13 GMT

On the 30 ^th March we had a visit from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance as part of their FLUX Tour 2023.

Their third year BA hons Dance students showcased two of their commissioned works. Every student who participated in our Barking Broadway performance in February had the opportunity to participate in the event and we had over 100 students watch the performance. This was a fantastic opportunity for our GCSE and Level 3 students who are considering continuing on to higher education to gain an understanding of what a conservatoire has to offer them. Overall, the students had a fantastic experience and thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

Reception School Trip

Thu, 25 May 2023 08:11:39 GMT

This half term, Penguin Class have been learning about Minibeasts. On Wednesday 24 ^th May they went to Thorndon Park on their first ever class trip to put all of their learning into action. They impressed the Park Ranger with their knowledge of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ and got very excited shaking the trees and catching all the insects. We also looked under logs to find different minibeasts. We had great fun playing a relay game that involved wrapping ourselves up in tarpaulin to pretend we were in a chrysalis. Finally, we made symmetrical pictures by placing natural objects on one half of a piece of material, folding it over and tapping it with a stone!

Well done Penguin Class for being such a credit to the school on our day out! All of the adults were very proud of you!

Miss Barrett

Inspiring Futures Launch Event

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 25 May 2023 08:08:17 GMT

On Tuesday 9 ^th May, 8 students performed at the Inspiring Futures Launch Event at Studio 3 Arts, Barking. This event was part of a launch for a new toolkit that was created by teachers within the borough, showcasing how creativity is so important for each and every individual and how creative arts takes place within schools.

There were live performances from Eastbury Community School who had a student perform sign language alongside a video of how disabilities are perceived within schools and Ripple Primary School performed with percussion instruments as the entrance to the event.

Robert Clack School performed twice. Scarlett and Amy in year 8 performed their piece "To Build a Home" which was a part of our Dance Show at the Broadway Theatre in Barking in 2023. Scarlett and Amy were successful in winning the choreography competition and therefore got selected to perform at this event. Their piece was about 2 individuals needing each other when they don’t even realise, through the trials and tribulations of grief.

From year 12, we had Rose, Imisi, Medina, Adesewa and Iyobosa perform their choreography competition entry called "Instruction". This commercial, street dance piece was one of entertainment and joy. These students were selected to perform at this event after having a very successful choreography entry every single year and have won every competition to date.

The students' performances were incredible and of such a high standard, we now look forward to our Summer Dance Showcase on Wednesday 12 ^th July, where you will be able to see more performances similar to the ones performed at this event. Well done to all those involved.

Miss McTaggart

Fun in Year One!

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 25 May 2023 07:49:50 GMT

It’s a been a busy term full of learning and celebrations to mark the coronation of King Charles.

In Year One our topic this term was ‘All Things Grow’. We began our topic by going on a nature investigation walk, playing close attention to all things growing in the natural environment. We then planted some sunflower seeds and runner beans. Children were amazed at how quickly the sunflower seeds and runner beans grew! We also had lots of fun planting our potatoes and we are really looking forward to cooking and eating them, once they have grown!

In science we looked at different parts of a plant and the life cycle of a plant. We wrote up our findings and made a lovely display of all the things we have learnt about plants. To celebrate the end of our topic we all really enjoyed making a fruit cocktail and eating it in the sunshine! Year One think plants are amazing!

Les Misérables

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 24 May 2023 13:22:46 GMT

Our year 10 and selected year 9 students were invited to go and watch Les Misérables in the theatre on the 16 ^th of May.

Pupils were able to experience watching the spectacular show, and have the opportunity to have a specialised Q&A with the cast. The production team demonstrated to the students the different job roles within theatre and how the musical is set up and runs during the night. Best of all, we had the pleasure of hearing from Claude-Michel Schonberg himself (the composer and creator of the show) and hear the story of how the show was created! What a fantastic event!

Jack Petchey’s Speak Out Challenge 2023

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 24 May 2023 13:13:44 GMT

What is the Speak Out Challenge?

The Speak Out Challenge is a program delivered by the Speaker’s Trust and funded by the Jack Petchey Foundation. The aim of this program is to allow pupils to develop confidence in their speech writing and speaking skills, whilst providing an outlet for young people to share their ideas and perspectives. Each year, over 20,000 young people participate in Speak Out Workshops from every state school across London and Essex. This program empowers Year 10 students to have their voices heard in a collaborative and competitive environment.

The Workshop

A group of Year 10 pupils had the opportunity to participate in a free in-school workshop that encouraged pupils to develop their speaking skills by teaching them meaningful public speaking techniques.

During the workshop, each student had a chance to write and perform an original speech with a trained facilitator from the Speak Out Challenge. Pupils spent the day working with a group of selected peers in the drama studio and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

The Semi-Finals

After completion of this workshop, the Speak Out Facilitator and English teachers selected the top 5 students who demonstrated outstanding public speaking skills. These five pupils were invited to participate in the semi-finals during the Year 10 Assembly. Each pupil gave a speech on a topic they were passionate about in front of their peers, and they did exceptionally well. After much debate, two winners were selected: Jasseena and Natnael.

Our Representatives

Following their successful semi-final performance, Jasseena and Natnael went on to represent our school in the borough-wide Speak Out Challenge! Students from schools across the borough had a chance to compete by performing their original speech in front of their family, friends, peers, teachers and esteemed guests from our local community. There were plenty of certificates and gift vouchers to be won for successful performances.

Hosting the Event

This year, Robert Clack had the privilege of hosting this esteemed event due to our successful performance in the competition last year. As such, many talented pupils from our school were assigned important roles during the event. Simran acted as student judge on the evening, whilst Divine hosted the event as student MC. We also had a number of musical performances during the evening, including a piano solo by Emmanuel as well as a beautiful vocal performance from Toni.

A Journey to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre: The Tempest

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 24 May 2023 13:08:15 GMT

The Performance

Earlier this term, a group of Year 7 pupils enjoyed a trip to The Globe Theatre in London to watch a performance of The Tempest. The Tempest was an excellent trip. Although the journey to and from London was long, when we got there it was magical – it felt like I was a part of the performance too!

The performance was fun, exciting and entertaining. My favourite part of the play was the comedic scene with Caliban! Also, the costumes were outstanding, especially Ariel’s fairy costume. The actor’s costumes were very detailed and matched the character’s personality. Each actor was incredibly talented and created an enjoyable experience as they truly made Shakespeare’s classic story come to life!

The Workshop

A few weeks later, a trained actor from The Globe Theatre visited Robert Clack School to provide a workshop for all of the students who attended The Tempest trip. During the workshop, we participated in drama games and re-enacted several important parts of the play. It was a really exciting opportunity to work with pupils from Green Lane as we were able to meet new classmates during the drama activities.

Student Review

Overall, I would rate this play as a 9/10 as it was an exceptional performance. Seeing the play performed lived made Shakespeare’s play easier to understand and truly made the characters of The Tempest come to life! I would definitely see another play at The Globe, but be sure to bring a blanket or jacket because it’s cold!

Written By: Tianna, Lymington Fields

U15 Cricket Leaders

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 24 May 2023 12:28:21 GMT

Our U15 cricket leaders helped host another event with Essex Cricket this term. The students officiated and scored dynamo cricket games with over 13 primary schools at May and Baker Cricket Club. Karen from Essex Cricket and Leanne who is the lead of Girls Participation in sport in and amongst the borough mentioned how professional the students were and how good they were with the year 5 and 6 pupils. The same girls have the opportunity to run the same event, however, with mixed gender games. These cricket events the girls are doing will look phenomenal on their CVs and contribute to their life skills.

Miss Robbins

U12/U13/U15 Cricket County Cup Tier 3

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 24 May 2023 12:25:07 GMT

The U15a cricket team have had a fantastic start to their competition season winning all their games in the County Cup Tier 3 by a mile! All girls were an absolute asset to Robert Clack; showing incredible sportsmanship, being on target for most of their bowls and being motivating towards their peers. These girls also have the Nationals coming up soon in which we are preparing intensely for this.

Following on from the unbeatable record set by the U15s, the U12s also took 1 ^st place in the County Cup Tier 3. The same group of girls who competed in the U12s also competed in the U13 competition and was able to grab 3 ^rd place overall! These girls have only been playing cricket for under a term and are showing massive potential in their skills and game play.

Both teams have a hardball County Cup Tier 2 competition coming up in June which will show a great challenge, however, these students are so determined and well-driven to remain in the top 3!

Miss Robbins & Mrs Webster

Architect & Ex Pupil Joshua Geach

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 23 May 2023 10:51:22 GMT

It was wonderful that Architect and ex pupil Joshua Geach gave up his time to help one of our Y8 students via Zoom. Joshua left Robert Clack in 2013 and is now working in Manchester for renowned Architects SimpsonHaugh.

Through our Achieve Excellence programme Learning Mentor Miss Ramgoolam approached Mrs Monk about one of our Y8 students at Lymington Fields who had expressed a desire to be an Architect. Joshua was happy to help and they spoke via Zoom for about half an hour about the pathways into the profession, which Options and A Levels to take and Joshua also showcased some of the projects he has worked on from University to the present day.

Thank you to Joshua for giving up your time and being a fantastic role model to our current students.

Girls Rugby Tour News

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 22 May 2023 13:50:20 GMT

32 U14 girls went away on rugby tour at the end of April to Croft Farm Water Park in Gloucestershire. It was a really enjoyable weekend with the girls playing in a rugby tournament, trying out stand up paddle boarding and kayaking and also an afternoon of bowling. It was great to be able to take so many girls away, we were the only team to be able to produce an A and B team for the weekend. We are also looking forward to taking the girls to France in September and October.

Rugby 7's

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 22 May 2023 13:36:36 GMT

The U16 girls travelled away to Bedford Athletic RFC at the end of April to finish off their fantastic rugby season. With only nine girls in attendance, I wasn't feeling very confident as I knew the girls would be extremely tired early on in the day. Despite this, the girls went on to prove me wrong in every game. They were unbeaten in their group where they played Bablake (32-5) , Royal Latin (17-5), Wallaston (22-10) and Newport High School (22-10). They then faced our local rivals from Basildon, Woodlands in the semi-final, narrowly beating them 25-15. They finished the day in the final against an extremely tough opposition Samuel Whitbread Academy. They may have not come away with the win in the final, but they performed well beyond my expectations in every game!

Art students experience Chinese calligraphy lesson

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 22 May 2023 12:36:19 GMT

Our students recently had a remarkable cultural exchange with Nanping Middle School in China by engaging in a captivating Chinese calligraphy lesson. Despite being conducted online, the experience was nothing short of captivating for our students. They were enthralled by the elegant strokes and intricate characters of Chinese calligraphy, immersing themselves in a world of artistic expression and cultural heritage. This allowed our students to broaden their horizons, fostering a deep appreciation for the rich traditions of another country. The online lesson served as a bridge, connecting young minds from different corners of the world and nurturing a sense of global awareness.

The Brilliant Club – Sponsored by The Alumni Association in partnership with the School

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 11 May 2023 14:02:27 GMT

I am beyond excited to share my experience with The Brilliant Club Scholars Programme!

As a Year 12 student, I was fortunate enough to be selected for the program last October. Initially, I was a bit apprehensive about the university grade project and the large essay that was expected of me. But with the guidance and support of my PhD tutor and friends, I was able to overcome my doubts and work hard towards achieving my goals.

I am pleased to announce that I secured a 1st class grade for my essay, which is a testament to the hard work and dedication that went into it. The program has truly opened doors for me and allowed me to develop my skills in research, writing and analysis.

What's more, I had the opportunity to visit Kings College London for a graduation ceremony! Along with my fellow Brilliant Club Scholars, it was amazing to be able to tour the campus and learn more about university life from current students. We were able to network and connect with other students from different schools who had also completed the program. It was truly an insightful experience, being able to experience university life and workload first-hand.

As I approach the end of my Year 12 studies, this experience has really helped me in making informed decisions about my future university choices. I am now even more motivated to pursue higher education and I am truly grateful for this amazing opportunity.

Thank you to The Brilliant Club , my PHD tutor, and my fellow students for an unforgettable experience!

Madhev Keecheril Year 12

The Scholars Program was an amazing experience which I am very proud of being a part of, having created something at a university standard at this age has improved both my confidence of applying to a university but the ability to do well there. Despite being a challenging experience, I am able to look back at this as a way to remind myself of how I overcame challenges and can continue to do so. I learned about the bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis and gained knowledge about a subject which I most likely wouldn’t have even thought about, it was truly interesting. The Scholars Program has helped me learn about the different ways of teaching in university and has prepared me for the type of work which I would receive. I want to thank my teachers for organising this and the alumni for helping to fund this great experience for myself and my fellow peers. Gobind Sunner Year 12

Ex Pupil Georgia Holmes visits Year 12 assembly

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 11 May 2023 11:32:19 GMT

We were very happy to have ex pupil Georgia Holmes back in school today to speak to Year 12 students about her career as a Mortgage Advisor. Georgia spoke in depth about routes into her career and gave some excellent advice.

Year 12 trip to Ashford International Spa & Hotel

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 11 May 2023 11:29:04 GMT

On the 18th of April 2023, we went to Ashford International Spa and Hotel. We stayed there for two nights. We left the hotel on the 20th of April.

My favourite part about the hotel was going to the pool, hot tub and sauna. Going into the sauna was a new experience for me as I've never been in one. Going into the sauna was very relaxing for me because after I went into the pool, which was kind of cold, we got to relax in the sauna to cool down our body temperatures. Some things the sauna helps us with is our immune system, it calms down the mind, it decreases blood pressure and it makes your blood circulation flow better.

The spa trip was exceptionally beneficial because it shows you how many different jobs you could do within the beauty industry. Its also showing us how things work within the spa if we ever want to work in one in the future. We got the opportunity to hear from two spa professionals who work in the spa to how it works and what you do. We learned that there are so many opportunities working in a spa . In the spa they even talked about how they accommodate rooms to people who live too far away but also want to work in the spa hotel. After hearing the two spa professionals talk , it made me think that I could possibly even work in a spa in the future since there's so many opportunities.

This trip has benefited my learning by seeing how many opportunities there are within the beauty industry and that I could go and work in one in the near future. And this could help me with the treatments that I am about to do in September , like massaging , which we experienced on the trip. The trip is additionally value for money because you get to enjoy the experience of the facilities , treatments , breakfast and dinner.

Coronation Tea Party

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 09 May 2023 17:10:19 GMT

Reception and Year 1 dressed in their best enjoyed an afternoon tea in honour of the Kings Coronation on Friday.

Key Stage 3 STEM club

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 08:50:07 GMT

KS3 students involved in STEM Club continue to work incredibly hard on building their knowledge and skills within STEM. Recently, students held a session with the primary after school club. In this session, the KS3 students lead the primary students in creating chromatography Easter eggs. They discussed the science behind the projects and encouraged creativity. The KS3 STEM Club members put on an exemplary session and did a wonderful job sharing their love for STEM with another generation of learners.

Here are some pictures from the event.

Rapper and Manga Author Visit

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 20:16:14 GMT

Our year 8 cohorts on both Lymington and Green Lane, have had the fantastic opportunity of meeting a rapper and manga author, Shao Dow. Shao Dow, gave a presentation on music careers to the pupils and what hard work looks like for a musician in the long run. Students had the opportunity to interact with Shao with a brilliant Q&A session. Our pupils were in awe to see what Shao has achieved over his 15 year career, especially as he wrote the sound track for their favorite game, Fortnite!

To end the presentation, Shao gave the pupils an outstanding rap music performance, with a brilliant call and response interaction. Pupils were lining up after to get Shao's autograph and were asking questions about him all day! What a brilliant musical opportunity!

To view snippets of his presentation, performance and interaction, please visit the Robert Clack Music Instagram page @robertclackmusic

Entrepreneur Academy Final

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 15:27:52 GMT

We were lucky to have our some of our alumni speakers back as VIP judges for the Entrepreneur Academy final – Tina Dulieu, Jamie Mason, Emma Porter and Anish Vara, were the ‘Dragons’ along with Head of Business Mrs Azad and Mrs Monk.

The brief - You are required to create a product or service suitable for 16-21 year olds. The product or service can be tailored to either male, female or both. The product or service can be an invention or an innovation. There is no specific budget however you will be required to research and record costs. Your product or service should be something that can be used by individuals who attend college or university.

Our first pitch was from Philip, Lord and Charles with an idea for an app called ‘Flow’ which was designed to aid study skills by reading set texts aloud with no need for scrolling including voice recognition, an online dictionary and a text to speech option. The app would also be able to read images such as manga and graphic novels.

Fatiha, Zehrin, Jawaheer and Manaheel presented their idea which was an Interior Design app called ‘Everything You Need’. The idea of this was it would enable students to re-design their rooms at home or Uni utilising the app. There would also be the option for in-app purchases and discounts for longevity of using the app. The girls handed out a slick poster with a QR code for ease of access.

Tajus and Stefan’s proposal was for a product called ‘Krunch Klips’ – an adjustable gym clip. They had assessed that there was not much competition in the market at present and that they could produce the item relatively cheaply so as to maximise profit.

Next up was Ishraqur, Ephraim, Marcus and Yousef with their app – Capture Literature. This app would allow the user to scan any text and provide feedback, suggest improvements and give relevant information. They hoped to use social media and influencers to advertise their brand and were offering a one-week free trial.

All of our student teams presented very professionally and had considered their brief carefully to include:

Project Vision - What have you been asked to do? Who is your target market? What is your plan?
Product/Service - Need buy/want buy/fear buy? Product visual and branding/logo/sologan, description of purpose/use
Market Research - Is there a need or want of your product? How do you know? What research informs this?
Competition - similar items on the market?
Unique Selling Point/ Niche market - what makes your product or service stand out?
Marketing - How will you market your business? Social media? Endorsement? Why?
Human resources - Who are your team members? Skills? Responsibilities? Strengths and weaknesses?
Finance - market research on similar products, selling price, revenues, break even, profit or loss
SWOT Analysis - Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats - according to your idea

Conclusion - Summarise why your idea is viable

After deliberation and discussion the judges were pleased to award first place to Fatiha, Zehrin, Jawaheer and Manaheel for their Interior Design app. Closely followed as runners-up by Tajus and Stefan with ‘Krunch Klips’. A fantastic afternoon with our students displaying all they had been taught by their entrepreneur experience over the last few months. Thank you to our alumni members for giving up your time to listen to the pitches and deciding on a winner.

ROBERT CLACK HOSTS UDL ROUND 2

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 08:39:10 GMT

For the first time ever the Robert Clack School hosted Round 2 of the Urban Debate League.

Pupils from all 3 sites got involved either to watch or participate. We welcomed schools from around London and our local borough. The motions were related to professional sports and viral content.

Our team won 4/6 rounds with Emmanuel scoring the highest points for a speaker on the night. The Year 11 senior debate squad (Rania, Isra and Sarah) have worked tirelessly to prepare the younger years for this important day. They have trained them effectively whilst balancing their own GCSE exam commitments.

Thank you to debate mate for the mentoring and judging! A special thanks also to Miss Honey and her team in the canteen for all the cakes and food they made for the hardworking debaters.

Debate mate cup here we come!

International Women's Day

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 11:39:08 GMT

Happy International Women's Day from all of us at Robert Clack. We have celebrated in Assembly this week with our brilliant alumni speakers Deborah Adesanya, Omotola Sadare and Kajal Ruparell and looking forward to seeing Harley Mason with Year 10 tomorrow. We also had video messages from Maria Blakely and Dr Melissa Pepper.

Thank you all for being an inspiration to our students.

Aaron McLean Year 9 Visit

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 13:53:11 GMT

Former Robert Clack pupil, professional footballer and soccer pundit Aaron McLean was back at school today to meet Year 9 students from Lymington and Green Lane. First of all, Aaron met with Harry who is interested in a career in commentating and punditry. Harry was delighted to speak to Aaron for half an hour about his football career and also how he got his opportunity with Sky Sports/BT Sports.

Then a small group from Green Lane and Lymington spent some time with Aaron and quizzed him on his football career mainly. Questions included how he combined his school work with his academy spot with Chelsea and what his favourite goal was during his career.

The students were chosen by their Heads of Year and the visit was arranged as part of the Achieve Excellence Programme via the Learning Mentors.

Aaron stressed the importance of hard work and practice and also the importance of education.

Thank you to Aaron for giving up your time and being so open and honest with the students.

Primary World Book Day

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 18:19:15 GMT

Thursday 1st March 2023

Our Year 1 and Reception class took part in World Book day with many students dressing up as their favourite book characters.

Space Day

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 16:44:13 GMT

Reception students took part in a space themed drama workshop.

On Wednesday, the primary school reception class took part in a drama workshop based on the learning they have been doing in class on space. The pupils came to school dressed fantastically as astronauts and worked together in the morning to make a trip to the moon by rocketship. The space cadets had a fantastic time walking in space and visiting the planets and stars. We even had time to look for aliens! Well done on working so well together and completing the space mission!

Captain Butler and Captain Bunting

Wendy and Peter Pan

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 23:12:22 GMT

Sam D Butler's superb production of 'Wendy & Peter Pan' was fantastic and the staff and students that worked so hard to make such an brilliant play deserve credit. Audience members, in large numbers, have commented on the professional nature of the production including its incredibly impressive dramatics and highly polished stagecraft.

Mr O'Brien said, Head of School (Gosfield Road) said 'I had the great pleasure of watching last night's performance and I have to say that it was truly fantastic in so many ways. Our young thespians performed with great energy and artistic flair. The play was replete with humour, musicality, dramatic irony and even prompted interrogation in to profound philosophical questions such as the nature of evil vs goodness and the implications of the loss of childhood innocence!'

The production took place over 3 evenings and a special matinee performance was put on for our primary students.

Big Chef, Little Chef

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 19:42:10 GMT

The secondary cooking club hosted the primary afterschool club for a “big chef, little chef” night and made cakes with them for Christmas.Here are some pictures from the event..

Alumni Visitors

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 12:48:49 GMT

Once again, this week we have had alumni visitors to Year 9 assemblies at Lymington and Green Lane to speak to our students about their careers in order to get them thinking about their Options choices.

Thank you to Jamie Mason, Rachel Solu and Lewis Holmes MRICS for giving up your time to come back to speak to our students and being such excellent role models.

Robert Clack School Visits Gurdwara For Inter Faith Week!

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 10:00:06 GMT

During the interfaith week celebrations this week those who won the IFW art competition in Key Stage 3 (Green Lane + Lymington Fields) were invited to a local Gurdwara. A Gurdwara is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. People from all faiths are welcomed in a Gurdwara. Robert Clack School has a large Sikh Community so pupils learnt all about their culture and even had a chance to be involved in the Langar Kitchen! Here is what the pupils had to say;

Simran (Year 7) - “It was nice to see my friends enjoy the experiences that I have every day”

Brogan (Year 9) - “The Gurdwara had really welcoming energy. It is incredible that they feed people regardless of your background”

Taren (Year 7) - “I really enjoyed the free food”

Sophia (Year 7) - “Really fun and interesting

Leah (Year 8) - “A good experience”

Oliver (Year 7) - “I would go again”

Devonte (Year 7) - “It was really intriguing and they taught us lots of facts”

Well done to all the pupils who were involved and the Gurdwara staff for taking care of us. We hope to continue this trip every year!

Robert Clack School Religious Education Department

Alumni Visitors to Assembly

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 15:43:19 GMT

We are very fortunate to have an active alumni association with ex-pupils that are always willing to come back to benefit current pupils. Today, we had visitors to Y9 Assembly both on Green Lane and Lymington Fields sites to give an insight into their careers and to encourage Y9 to start thinking about their Options choices.

Thank you to Ricky Powell, Karishma Bhandari and Michael Soetan for giving up your time and inspiring our students.

Robert Clack pupils celebrate phenomenal GCSE results

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 19:13:48 GMT

29 pupils achieve grades 9 to 7 in every subject.

Following the School’s best ever A level results, in which 25 students achieved straight A*/A grades, with six earning places at Oxbridge and two going to study medicine, we are beyond delighted to announce our best-ever GCSE outcomes despite the fact that our pupils had to contend with countless Covid-induced absences and periods of self-isolation during Years 9 and 10, not to mention two national lockdowns.

Year 11 student Muaaz said: “Studying for GCSEs taught me how to prepare for A Level and what I need to do next. If it was not for my teachers, I would not get those grades.”

Our pupils’ commitment to home-learning, their dedication to before-school, after-school, weekend and holiday catch-up sessions, and the magnificent support of their teachers and other staff at the School, has resulted in truly phenomenal results.

Year 11 student Katie said: “I received four grade 9s, four grade 8s and one grade 7. I felt doubtful that I was not going to do well but when I received my grades, I saw that my hard work paid off. I am very thankful to all my teachers who always believed in me, even when I did not.”

A number of pupils attained 7 or more grade 9s. One pupil achieved the highest score in the entire country for GCSE Physics and has been commended by the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA (OCR) examination board for this remarkable feat.

Overall, 29 pupils achieved grades 9-7 (the equivalent of A*/A grades) in every subject they studied, whilst one-third of all pupils secured straight 9 to 5 grades.

Year 11 student Salma, who achieved all grades 5 to 9, said: “I am proud of what my friends and myself achieved. Difficult times do indeed have great outcomes.”

Executive Headteacher Russell Taylor, said: “As always, I am exceptionally proud of our pupils and staff. Our shared values of mutual respect, compassion for others, discipline, hard work and high aspirations continue to sustain our cohesive community, and have ensured that our pupils in Year 11 have fulfilled their potential this summer in the face of extraordinarily adverse circumstances. We look forward to welcoming all of our pupils back into our highly successful Sixth Form in September.”

6 Pupils Secure University Places at Oxbridge as Robert Clack Pupils Achieve Excellent A Level and Vocational Results

npower@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 14:01:35 GMT

We are delighted to report the outstanding achievements of our pupils in their A Level and vocational qualifications this summer. Despite the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, pupils have achieved excellent grades and secured first class university, apprenticeship and employment destinations.

Over 160 students have accepted university places at a range of first-class institutions across the United Kingdom. We are delighted that a record six students have secured places to study at Oxford and Cambridge and two students are going on to study Medicine and Dentistry.

High numbers of students will also be going to study at Russell Group universities with particularly high numbers progressing to prestigious London universities such as Imperial College, King’s College, UCL and Queen Mary University. Students are going on to study a wide range of degree courses, including Engineering, Architecture, Chemistry, Computer Science, English Literature, Law and Mathematics. An increasing number of students have been successful in pursuing highly-prized degree apprenticeship opportunities, including at top firms like Ford and Savills.

Kingsley who will be studying Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Loughborough in September said: “I am really excited about it and obviously I did not expect to achieve 3 A*s. The work over the last 2 years has been exceptionally demanding but I am eternally grateful for the support from my teachers that got me to this day.”

This cohort of students has overcome significant challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic: they did not have the opportunity to take their GCSE exams in 2020 and the first year of their Sixth Form studies was significantly disrupted by Covid-enforced absences, periods of self-isolation and a second national lockdown.

Pariza who will be studying Biochemistry at Imperial College said: “I am really happy with my results and I would like to especially thank my teachers for the support they have given me especially during the pandemic and during the lockdowns. My time at Robert Clack has been really great - from teaching me the skills to become an independent learner to the extracurricular opportunities we were being offered to prepare for University.”

Students achieved their outstanding results through their dedicated engagement with remote learning, their impressive resilience and determination, and the unrelenting hard work, commitment and guidance provided by their teachers.

Fatoumatta who will be studying Architecture at the University of Greenwich said: “The support from the teachers is the key to the good grades we’ve achieved. Teachers constantly reminded me, supported me and motivated me to work hard to get the grades.”

At A Level, 30 pupils (33%) achieved the ‘gold standard’ of AAB or above, 25 pupils (28%) achieved AAA or above and 11 pupils (12%) achieved A*A*A* or above.

In Vocational Qualifications, the average grade achieved by pupils was a Distinction and 24 pupils (41%) achieved Distinction-Distinction-Distinction or above and 3 pupils achieved all Distinction* grades.

Executive Headteacher, Russell Taylor, said: “In a climate where university places, employment and apprenticeships are more competitive than ever to secure, it’s an amazing achievement that a record number of pupils will be pursuing their dreams on their chosen pathways in September. I would like to thank our magnificent staff for their dedication and commitment to ensuring that our pupils are ready for their next steps. After the disruption of the last few years, our pupils should be extremely proud of their achievements - well done to you all!”

Biology Field Trip to Trewern

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 08:17:24 GMT

During the week of Monday 4 ^th July, 28 of our Year 12 Biology pupils had the opportunity to visit the Trewern Outdoor Education Centre in Hay-on-Wye, Hereford, for the annual residential Biology field trip.

During the field trip, pupils were excellently engaged in opportunities such as rocky shore transect sampling and kick sampling in small stream and river systems. Pupils got up close and personal with a variety of ecosystems and species, ranging from limpets to freshwater shrimps, and can now expertly explain how these organisms are highly adapted to survival under different environmental conditions and how to estimate the population sizes of these species. On the final activity day, pupils became experts in various outdoor activities or sports, including BMX biking, archery and gorge walking, and left for home on Friday 8 ^th July with many fond memories, technical skills and newfound friendships.

Despite a challenging week away from home, these Year 12 pupils have proven themselves to be worthy biologists ready to tackle the ecology modules they will study in Year 13 with hands on experience to support them.

Media trip to UCL Pearl

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 13:40:47 GMT

On Wednesday 6 ^th July a group of Year 7-9 students and a group of Year 12 students attended a Skills for Screen event at the new UCL Pearl facility near Dagenham East station.

This was a film focused careers event for schools in Barking and Dagenham in collaboration with Film Barking and Dagenham, and the incredible UCL PEARL.

This will be the first of many industry led events coming to schools over the next few years as the Dagenham film and television studios grow and develop. Film Barking and Dagenham described the event in the following terms: ‘We want to ensure our young people are inspired to consider a career in one of the many and varied options the film industry offers. This event will raise aspirations, help students understand their potential, and understand the transferable skills they already have!’

The trip to the UCL Pearl was a great and innovative idea to encourage younger audiences to get into the film industry, appealing to the younger generation in schools around the area shows its inclusion and support of all young people with aspirations to work in the Media.

The event presented us with different career paths inside the film industry. The event started with a live performance of the renowned, Dagenham born, rapper Haks. This allowed the team hosting the event to relate to a younger audience and one from a similar upbringing as them. Seeing someone from the same area as you succeed especially, within the music and film industries can inspires you. The leader of the council gave us a presentation about the future opportunities for young people in the Borough.

The UCL Pearl is also easily accessible as it’s located only a few minutes from Dagenham East station. Seeing the building in person allows you to see the extraordinary re-development taking place on the site. The building is a state of the art centre which has amazing new equipment such as amazing lighting systems and multiple display areas. The centre allows younger people to get to network and gain experience in the industry and allows undiscovered talent in an area such as Dagenham to develop. The UCL Pearl was host to not only the schools in Dagenham but many other successful entrepreneurs from the area as well who wish to give back to the community to help others gain similar success.

The trip itself was well organised both by the teachers at Robert Clack and the team at the UCL Pearl. They presented us with different career paths which was eye-opening as I didn’t realise that there was such a diversity of careers in the film industry. Speaking to the team face to face truly immerses you in their story and their journey as you gain a greater understanding of the different roles played in the film industry. The trip altogether was truly inspiring and made me reconsider my own career paths.

Thanks to the team at the UCL Pearl and the teachers at Robert Clack for organising such a wonderful experience.

Praise for our Year 12 Work Experience students

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 09:04:10 GMT

Having visited all 14 Year 12 students on work experience in both the CBRE and Savills International Property central London organisations last week I was extremely impressed with the high quality of their professional learning roles and excellent working environments. The Executive Director has written the email below praising the excellent professionalism of all of our students during what was an extremely high quality set of west end placements.

Well done to all 14 year 12 students who completed outstanding work experience placements and were a true credit to Robert Clack School! (see below from executive Director):

Dear Mr Hamill,

All of your students were a credit to the Robert Clack School and were highly praised by my HR colleagues and Surveyors for being smartly dressed, polite, engaging, eager to learn, arriving on time and overall being great to spend time with.

Have a great weekend.

Alison McDonald
Executive Director
CBRE | Property Management

KS3 STEM Club

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 14:43:19 GMT

Students in KS3 STEM Club have worked exceptionally hard this year to improve their confidence, learning and understanding of STEM subjects through practical and research work. Several students were recognised in recent celebration assemblies for outstanding participation and achievement in STEM Club throughout this academic year. Many pupils were presented with certificates, badges and science ties to celebrate their hard work. These students have displayed significant growth in the areas of resilience, persistence, self-reliance, and comfort with productive failure.

Very well done to all of those involved in KS3 STEM Club this year!

Music trip - Royal Albert hall - 15.06.22

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 07:10:42 GMT

On Wednesday the 15th of June, thirty year 7 students participated in a Music and Science workshop at the Royal Albert Hall.

After travelling to West London, students enjoyed lunch at the West Albert Lawn.

Before heading into the Royal Albert Hall, we couldn’t resist taking a picture in front of The Albert Memorial.

The workshop was led by one instructor who had a long, varied scientific and musical career. The workshop mainly consisted of demonstrating sound and light waves, volume and frequency work, to which our students showed great enthusiasm and a great knowledge of this prior to the workshop.

After showing very insightful demonstrations on how light waves and sound waves work, it wouldn’t have been a real visit to the Royal Albert Hall without visiting the concert hall, to which our students were all amazed to see.

The last part of our workshop was the students given a task of creating a rap based on what they have done throughout the workshop. Our students made us proud by creating musical insightful raps to the class.

To end the day we took one last picture in front of the legendary Royal Albert Hall. The workshop and trip proved to be a very insightful and fun experience.

Year 12 Work Experience

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 11:27:25 GMT

14 year 12 students have made a powerful impression with property employers in London W1 at both The CBRE and Savills. I was given a personal tour of their roles and sites by Alison McDonald who is The Senior Chief Director of The CBRE across the UK.

Their programme is extremely extensive, mobile and pro-active across a large variety of property sites in the west end and square mile. They will engage in retail site costings, visit construction site developments, evaluate office site rentals, learn about building evaluations and calculations and client observations in what is an extremely packed programme.

Added to this visit was securing with the Directors educational employer visits for the next academic year and apprenticeship level 2/3 and degree apprenticeship presentations for all year groups for next year’s PSHE curriculum programme, plus arranging other educational visits into the academic calendar. This powerful experience for year 12 will indeed enrich their CV’s in the years to come.

Mr Hamill

Xhejson shines at Work Experience

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 10:27:46 GMT

One of our lucky Y12 students Xhejson went to Cushman & Wakefield in London for his work experience this week. This was arranged via the alumni association and a former student, Lewis Holmes, who has been back to the school many times on a volunteer basis. Lewis mentored Xhejson in Year 9 and we are thrilled that this connection has continued. Lewis said:

‘Huge congratulations to Xhejson who completed his work experience with Cushman & Wakefield’s South East Office Agency team this week!

As part of his work experience, Xhejson had conversations with several industry leaders about office, retail & industrial agency, retail & office valuations, diversity, equity & inclusion and office leasing.

The South East Office Agency team took Xhejson on a tour of #400LongwaterAvenue (the only #BREEAM Excellent building outside of London) where he learned multiple key areas of a sustainable development.

Thank you to the brilliant South East team supporting his time at C&W. A special thank you to Henry Harrison and Ellen Monk for the organisation of his work experience!’

Well done and congratulations to Xhejson!

KS3 Sports Awards 2022

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 10:18:46 GMT

On Tuesday 12 ^th July 2022 we celebrated the sporting prowess of our KS3 students at their Sports Awards event.

In attendance were Head teacher Mr Taylor, Head of the Green Lane Site Mr Richardson and Head of Lymington Fields Dr Spandl, they were delighted to be joined by special guests to present our very talented students with their achievements through sports awards.

Barry Taylor, former Clack PE Teacher, for over 35 years, retired from his Director of Sport role four years ago, in 2018. Barry is still a great supporter of the school he regularly turns up on a Saturday morning to watch the students play rugby.

Former student, Aaron McLean, had a long career as a professional footballer, including stints at Peterborough United and in the Premier League with Hull. Aaron now appears regularly on TV as a pundit for Sky Sports and BT Sport. Another great supporter of the school, who hasn’t forgotten his roots, Aaron has been back a number of times over the years.

The evening’s awards began with the presentation of colours. Students across all year groups can earn their colours by being consistently involved in at least three sports or participating in 80% of Rugby or Netball matches throughout the school year. Year 7 are awarded different coloured socks, year 8 different shorts and year 9 a special rugby top. This is a great incentive to work towards and the pride on the student’s faces as they received their colours said it all.

The evening continued with each sport presenting individual awards across all three year groups. Football, Cricket and Netball, presented talented students with players of the year, for Rugby, most improved players and players of the year, Dance, dancer of the year and Athletics, athlete of the year. Overall sports person and runners up were also presented to some of the most outstanding students across the board.

The night also celebrated many sporting highlights of the year including our U15 Cricket Team winning The London Cup, our Y9 Football Team winning The Borough Cup with a goal difference of 32 and eleven school athletics records broken. What a fantastic year for school sport, especially rewarding after the students had missed so much due to the pandemic.

The event concluded with a closing speech from Aaron, saying how much of an honour it was for him to be present and how happy he was to still be in contact with some of his teachers who had inspired him. He spoke about how the school, especially Barry Taylor, had helped him with the tools he needed to reach his dreams of playing in the Premier League and his work on TV. He told the students to make the most of their school years and that he looks forward to congratulating them on their achievements in the future.

A fitting end to a fantastic sporting year, celebrating the success of our students. Of course none of this would be possible without the support of the dedicated PE staff, who give up so much of their own time, evenings and weekends to support our students.

A very special thank you must go to both Barry Taylor and Aaron McLean. It is always a pleasure for the school to welcome back former teachers and students, we look forward to seeing you again very soon.

Mandarin lessons

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 06:46:50 GMT

Thanks to the thriving partnership between Robert Clack School and our contact Shan Ding, we were able to offer 12 free Mandarin lessons to a very lucky 30 Year 8 students every Wednesday after school! They have thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic opportunity to learn this very unique and challenging language. By the end of the course, they were able to present themselves in Mandarin. Students even had the pleasure to do some amazing Hanzi characters calligraphy!

Miss Bubaton / Mr Richardson

ROBERT CLACK TEACHER VS STUDENT DEBATE 2022!

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 10:59:27 GMT

The annual Robert Clack; Student VS Teacher debate was back again since the pandemic on Monday 11 ^th July 2022.

Alumni members Azaan Akbar, Aerona Sheikh and Jasmin Bath were back in school to take part also. The motion was ‘This House would introduce a 3 day weekend’. Aerona opened for the staff team and Isra for the student team – both making a strong case for their sides. Divine was second for the students stating that post pandemic a longer weekend could affect mental health and also the well-being of those on free school meals. Mrs Davis proposed that the extra rest day could actually help the mental health of the nation. A lively and combative debate took place with great questions from the audience, including Mr Taylor.

Overall the fantastic student team won but it was a close call. Thank you to all teachers and pupils involved. Also a massive congratulations to the Year 10 debaters for organising the whole event from start to finish.

Mrs E Monk & Year 10 Debate Squad

Trip to Hay

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 11:30:50 GMT

We were delighted that the much-anticipated trip to Hay-on-Wye, organised by Barking and Dagenham Council and Pen-to-Print, went ahead at the end of May. Year 10 students Eddie, Aimuavbosa and Ikponmwosa spent the weekend with other secondary-school students from local schools from the borough. The students bonded not only over a love of reading, but the fantastic opportunities that unravelled across the weekend, which included gorge walking and cascading down waterfalls, attending author workshops, exploring Hay village and writing at sunset in the beautiful grounds of Trewern Outdoor Education Centre, where the group were based. The day at the Hay festival saw students listen to lectures and workshops by writers Yvette Fielding, Natasha Bowen and Sophie McKenzie, to inspire their own writing. In the final hour of the festival, the students were determined to secure the best seats in the house (well, literary tent) to listen to Dame Jacqueline Wilson explain her remarkable journey from childhood to becoming one of Britain's best-loved children's authors. Robert Clack school would like to say a huge thank you to Barking and Dagenham Council, Pen-to-Print and the staff at Trewern for organising such a wonderful trip that our students will never forget.

Miss Twigg and Mr Norwood.

Year 12 Art

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 08:36:16 GMT

The Art Department are very proud of the hard work and talent shown by our Year 12 Art students. Over the past few weeks, they have been collaboratively painting a mural in the Gosfield Road site. We are all very excited to see the finished piece.

Summer music concert

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 07:07:37 GMT

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Art Matters

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 13:46:39 GMT

The Art and Photography department is very proud to announce that our KS3 art students are having their work displayed in the Art Matters Exhibition at the University of East London. Included in the display is also a collaborative piece contributed by our primary school students for the Queens Jubilee. We also have our KS4 and KS5 Art and Photography student’s work being exhibited on an online forum with Art Matters. To view the digital gallery please follow the link.

https://artslondon.padlet.org/ithompson38/4po4qomg1ohjpd0v

Well done to all students of art and photography this year

GCSE Sociology Pupils Visit The Clink Prison

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 11:35:28 GMT

In preparation for our upcoming Year 11 unit on crime, the Year 10 GCSE sociology classes went on a visit this summer term to the Clink Prison. It was a very fun and educational day out. We felt even more privileged that this was the first ever GCSE Sociology trip in all of Robert Clack which we were the first pupils for.

During the trip, we learnt lots about Middle-Aged prison and the history of Southwark. For example, in Southwark, it was notorious for a place roaming with crime from the rich and also the poor. Inside the prison, there were sculptures of lifeless skeletons and rats alongside torture weapons used in those times, for example, the Morning Star, the Chair of Torture, The Rack and Brazen Bull. The Brazen Bull was definitely the most popular method as it was probably the most painful torture method in history and was described as such where you could hear the echoes of screams of the dying victims (and that’s only one off the many severe punishments that were imposed on people at that time).

After visiting the museum, we went to a garden which had a beautiful pond. We had a picnic with our teachers and got to speak to the locals in the area about their experiences of living in a borough which has crime related tourist attractions. Thank you to Miss Aktar for organising this trip and for Mr George, Mr Hamill and Miss Stamp for attending with us.

Overall, the whole trip was a day well spent and would definitely encourage other students to learn more about what Sociology has to offer when choosing their GCSE options!

Nifemi, Sarah & Ayman (Year 10) .

Future Leaders programme

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 09:15:08 GMT

The following pupils were part of the future leader's programme and had their graduation not long ago. They got to do various trips to Snaresbrook crown court and Houses of parliament. The following pupils graduated from The Future Leaders programme:

Ruth

Beloved

Daniela

Jessica

Gracy

Christopher

Mr Joseph

Music isn’t a privilege – every child should be able to choose it

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 09:11:25 GMT

The music department strive to provide Robert Clack students with as many opportunities as possible to develop their passion and talent for music.

To enable this, at the beginning of this year the department applied for a funding grant from a wonderful organisation called Restore the Music UK (RTM UK). The grant enables schools to buy high quality equipment for any child who’s interested in learning music.

I am pleased to say that Robert Clack School’s application was successful and we were awarded £20,000. This money has been used to purchase new and replacement equipment for all three sites to ensure that we can deliver a diverse curriculum and offer a range of extra-curricular activities.

Along with our brand new iMac suites across all three sites, we are excited at the range of activities we will be able to provide for our students from September.

For updates from the music department at Robert Clack, follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertclackmusic

To find out more about Restore the Music UK, check out their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rtmusicuk

KS3 Stem club

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 09:07:45 GMT

KS3 STEM Club have been working exceptionally hard this year to refine their abilities across STEM subjects. They have been exploring how they can use their knowledge in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to enhance their understanding and abilities in practical applications. This is done through experiments, research and exploratory learning. They are an inspiring group of students who continue to build and showcase the outstanding qualities of listening to others, presenting, problem-solving, creativity, aiming high, leadership and teamwork. They continue to generate enthusiasm for STEM subjects and enhance a greater awareness of real-world context.

Miss Rauth

British Science week

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 09:04:34 GMT

This year British Science week took place from 11th - 20th March . Whilst various activities were happening during the week of, the students were tasked with a longer running activity ending in April. As part of science week the science department held a poster competition where students had to design a 2D poster on A3 or A4 paper on the theme " Growth ".

Pupils in Year 7, 8 and 9 across Green Lane and Lymington submitted their amazing posters for judging . Students explored various themes around growth such as lifecycles of different animals and plants , growth mindset , the development of stars, the growth of the human population among many other interesting interpretations. Posters were judged on

Creativity in approach – Innovative angle on the content or creative interpretation of the theme
Content – Clear, accurate and informative about a STEM topic
Effective communication – presented and communicated in an engaging way

The top 5 entries overall were submitted to the British science week organisation for further judging . Please wish our student's luck in this endeavour .

Sumaiya 7H

Giulia 9H ( 2 entries )

Naadia 9A

Harmeet 9E

Many thanks

Miss Whatmore

Employers Interview Skills day

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 08:56:03 GMT

On Friday 27th May 2022 Robert Clack School hosted its annual Year 10 Employers Interview Skills Day in the Robert Clack Leisure Centre. The life skill’s event involved up to 40 Senior experienced City of London Employers, University Professor’s and Doctor’s interviewing all 360 year 10 students in one day providing them with written feedback on their performances and how to improve them where needed. All students were scored out of 25 marks providing a really competitive edge to the day and realistic approach on just how competitive life is for the future. All students were indeed a credit to the school.

Congratulations go out to year 10 and their teachers for their outstanding preparation for this vital life skills event.

Mr Hamill

Trip to University of Greenwich

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 24 May 2022 14:11:10 GMT

Year 12 students were hosted on a trip to Greenwich University where they learnt more about the University, the Computer Science related courses offered, the services provided by the university and received an introduction into aspects of the different computing courses.

They began their day in one of the many lecture theatres on the campus where they were introduced to a Computer Science professors and a Greenwich University student who guided them around throughout their day. The students taught them about the three campuses offered by the university; Greenwich, Medway and Avery Hill. Each site has a slightly different main subject area, with the Greenwich Campus mainly for Computing related subjects.
Next they were given a talk on the Computing subjects Greenwich has to offer. These included Computer Science Masters and Bachelor’s Degrees in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security are also available to study.

One of the highlights of the day was experimenting with different types of cipher algorithms on a website, The Black Chamber, learning how to decode encrypted phrases using different methods and further learning where encryption was first used thousands of years ago and why it was created.

After finishing the activities and lectures they were taken on a tour of the university. The first place of interest was one of the computer rooms where two current students answered questions on what each unit of computing was like to study and discussed their university experience. The tour included the range of facilities Greenwich has to offer including a sizable foyer, an on-site leisure centre with a gymnasium, an on-site bar, a range of well-established laboratories, a concert venue and three campus libraries. They were also informed of the four student halls of residence within a short walking distance to the Greenwich campus and other public attractions in the area.

At the end of the day, they were informed about the university application process. They were taught how to write a personal statement. Some of the skills required included going over spelling errors and correcting them as well as ensuring their personal statements are written using only relevant information about why they want to study the subject of interest, ensuring off topic information is not present but only explanations on what makes each of them individually stand out, either through mentioning extra-curricular activities such as completing MOOCs or showing avid interest in the related topic. When applying to Greenwich University, extra-curricular activities such as completing a full EPQ is well valued due to the range of skills related to independent learning that it demonstrates.

Overall the trip to Greenwich was very informative and the tour around the campus was well organised in a way to provide students with the best possible experience and plenty of knowledge on the university and further opportunities they may want to explore.

Mrs Shergill

Ahed Gardaizi Year 12

Senior Boys Athletics & Barking & Dagenham Athletics Champions

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 23 May 2022 11:29:54 GMT

Senior Boys Athletics

The senior boys athletics team have had a very busy and successful start the summer.

They competed in the Lee Valley outdoor cup, English schools first round and the Barking and Dagenham Athletics Championship.

All the athletes have given their all, but special praise must go to some individuals.

Zak has beaten the 40m mark in Discus and is eyeing a place at the County championships.

Gideon has come close to the school record in the 300m and is looking to move up on the power of 10 website. Eddie has clinched the borough 1500m title and is testament to hard work and perseverance.

The season is not over yet and I look forward to seeing the lads continue to progress.

Barking and Dagenham Athletics Champions

On Tuesday 17 ^th and Thursday 19 ^th of May the Robert Clack Athletes took part in the annual Barking and Dagenham Championships.

There are 12 schools in the borough all vying for the overall champion's title. Our athletes really stepped up to the challenge and performed with heart, determination, and great athleticism.

The individual teams finished in the following positions out of 12 in their respective competitions.

Year 7 boys - 1st

Year 7 girls - 2nd

Year 8 boys - 1st

Year 8 girls - 1st

Year 9 boys - 3rd

Year 9 girls 2nd

Year 10 boys - 1st

Year 10 girls - 1st

This meant that we retained the school title for the 26 ^th year in a row.

We are extremely proud of this achievement and all the work our students do to make this happen.

Mr Goyette

Year 10 Girl's Athletics success

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 20 May 2022 10:49:36 GMT

I cannot put into words how proud I am of the year 10 girl's athletics squad. Their season started on 4 ^th May where they competed in the Lee Valley outdoor athletics cup. The girls blew me away with their performances with Kelly winning with Javelin, setting a new PB. Princess winning the 100m, Divine winning the 200m, Abbie winning the 300m, setting a new Lee Valley record and Kelly, Divine, Princess and Amya winning the relay, setting a new school record. The girls come away as Lee Valley champions having wiped the floor with their competition.

The second competition of the season was the first round of the English Schools track and field cup. Divine Joseph won the girls 200m and triple jump with a pb and setting a new school record for both events. Abbie Dowdye won the 300m setting a new school record, Kelly won the javelin setting another new pb, Princess won 100m and set a pb in high jump. A special mention must also go to Amarachi and Aimuavbosa who threw the Hammer and discus for the first time competitively at this event and performed outstandingly and to Esther for her efforts at this competition in the discus.

The most recent competition for the year 10 girls has been the Borough Athletics Competition. The girls faced some tough competition but once again come away victorious winning the title of borough champions. A special mention must go to Sarah and Keisha who both competed for the first time at this competition in high jump and 1500m and performed fantastically.

Well done to all of the girls involved I am extremely proud of you. I can not wait to see how far this year group can go and am looking forward to seeing more records broken in our future competitions.

Mrs Barker

Visit from England Debate Squad and Deloitte

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 19 May 2022 11:25:09 GMT

Alongside the debate competitions, this term debate also had 2 exciting visits and projects.

The first was from a Francesca Reynolds who is the Team England Development Squad Coach and founder of Politics Education Organisation; Impart. The Year 10 debaters had a very informative session with Francesca where they had the opportunity to ask her many questions about her experiences on being on the whole countries debate team. This is something our Year 10’s aspire to do in the future. Robert Clack School looks forward to being a part of Imparts scheme in September.

Our Year 7 debaters on both Green Lane and Lymington Fields were involved in a pitching conference with Deloitte. They had to showcase their ideas for a new piece of technology then present these ideas to a panel of expert judges. Deloitte is a multinational professional services network with offices in over 150 countries and territories around the world. The Year 7’s were very confident and each pitch was delivered to a sophisticated level. Thank you to Debate Mate for organising this.

Fantastic news from the Art Department

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 11 May 2022 09:15:43 GMT

Prashap from Year 11 has had his art work chosen by The Royal Academy of Arts for the Online Young artist’s Summer Show 2022.

The online exhibition will run from the 21 ^st of June to “1 ^st of August.

There were over 21,000 submissions in total to this exhibition, therefore Prashap should be very proud of himself.

Huge congratulations go to Prashap and we look forward to seeing his work in the exhibition.

A well deserved award for Mr Cook!

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 09 May 2022 11:15:32 GMT

A big congratulations go to Mr Cook who has been awarded the RFU Unsung Hero award.

It is really fantastic that his hard work has been recognised and we are all very proud.

Well done!

Debate Club Achieves 5th Place In All Of London!

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 09:13:34 GMT

On Tuesday 26 ^th April 2022, pupils from across all three sites attended a large debating competition in London called the ‘Debate Mate Cup’. We took 2 teams of our debate society with us from Years 7 to Years 10. The day consisted of games and mini tournaments which were judged by high level University graduates. The topics of the motions were related to artificial intelligence, music as a bad influence and sports personalities political interests. Pupils also got to watch a show debate where prizes were handed out to floor speakers.

Overall it was an extremely intense day out filled with lots of public speaking. Robert Clack’s Debate Society came 5th place in the whole of London and our team won 5/6 rounds all together. This was a huge win considering everyone is a new debater and the club only started running again post pandemic. The bravery and diligence from these pupils was superb and some were fasting while leading their team to victory! They are excellent role models and friends to one another.

Don’t forget that everyone is welcome to debate club which is every Wednesday in Room 17 (Green Lane)!

Miss Aktar & Mr Crosbie-Jones

Lyca Mobile cup

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 14:01:44 GMT

The year 8-9 girls football team competed in the Lyca Mobile Cup on Monday 21 ^st of March at the West Ham Foundation and were unlucky to finish 3 points away from qualification to the regional finals. All involved represented the school and themselves very well and were exemplary in their conduct and efforts ending up with 2 wins 2 draws and 2 losses.

Mr Allison

GCSE Music visit to the Royal Festival Hall

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 14:00:03 GMT

Our GCSE music students recently enjoyed a spectacular trip to the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre. They watched an amazing performance by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The performance was centered around various musical periods, that pupils need to identify in their written exam. There were performances of works by Vivaldi, John Adams, Beethoven and John Williams.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra delivered a brilliantly interactive performance. There were schools present from all around the country, getting involved with playing along to the music and participating in exciting quizzes!

Our pupils thoroughly enjoyed themselves, especially with the brilliant weather they had!

Many thanks to Tom Allison and Ryan Mugera for supporting the music department on the trip.

Bake sale for Ukraine

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 09:29:08 GMT

Congratulations to our compassionate Year 11 students who decided to organise a bake sale in aid of the Ukrainian refugees. This was completely their idea as they felt they needed to do something to help and they approached Mr Zaman for support. They managed to raise £100 and have donated it to the British Red Cross.

Well done Fatiha, Ronaq, Ibraheem, Talha, Mya, Sulaimaan, Djedkare, Esther and Adesewa.

British Science Week

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 07:03:10 GMT

This year British Science week took place from 11th - 20th March . This years theme was "Growth" . At Robert clack we celebrated British science week through a series of form time activities over the week .These activities consisted of quizzes on baby animals and what they grew up to be ,the growth of plants, where different foods grow and a particular favourite was baby pictures of the science department teachers where students had to guess who they grew up to be . These activities were all worth interform points that were tracked and added together each day .

At the start of the week every form class was given instructions and the necessary equipment needed to grow a cress plant in a egg shell in line with the theme growth. Students were encouraged to decorate their eggs and name them . Additionally they could provide an environment and backstory for their egg . In the final day they were tasked with measuring the height of their cress plant for interform points . the winners of this competition were awarded 15 inter form points

Careers in the NHS/Medical Sciences day

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 12:48:52 GMT

Congratulations to all the Year 9 students who participated in an inspiring Careers in the NHS/Medical Sciences day on Thursday 17th March at Jo Richardson School. All were extremely pro-active in engaging with up to 25 varied medical science related careers workshops within the NHS/Medical Science related specialist professions and were a true credit to the school. The day involved 25 specialist NHS staff to conduct really engaging practical insights into their career roles from Vets, Surgeons, Nurses, Physiotherapists, Orthodontists, Podiatrists, Paramedics, Osteopaths and Epidemiologists to name but a few.

Early first hand exposure to such much needed careers in our society only adds to the quality of destinations, academic grades and learning focus outcomes of our students when they are presented first hand with professional employers. The day proved to be a truly high quality inspiring day for all year 9 students.

Mr Hamill

Virtual Player Appearance : International Women's Day

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 12:31:37 GMT

On the 8 ^th of March, 20 Students who attended the girls football programme on lower school had the opportunity to communicate with a number of West Ham players; Mark Noble, Sonny Perkins, Tameka Yallop & Hawa Cissoko, on the theme of 'breaking the bias' where they answered questions on topics like breaking bias in communities, workplaces, schools' universities and colleges.

The theme of International Women's Day was also a main focus and the players shared their thoughts on equality, motivations and their personal journeys, as well as giving life lessons on how they can succeed when facing challenges.

The girls thoroughly enjoyed this experience and represented the school well in the time they were connected.

Queen's Platinum Jubilee project by Year 12 Enrichment Club

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 13:22:27 GMT

The Year 12 art enrichment club attended the Robert clack primary school last week to create work that will be used as part of their collaborative project to celebrate the Queens Platinum Jubilee. Both the Year 12's and the reception students had an amazing time creating art and learning to bridge the age gap. Our 6 ^th form was responsible, caring, and efficient, and produced some amazing work with the younger students.

Well done to all who participated.

Mrs Davis

Assembly Visits Celebrating International Women’s Day

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 12:28:29 GMT

We are very lucky to have committed alumni members and friends of the school who are willing to give up their time for our students. March has seen a number of assemblies across all three sites to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Monday 28 ^th February – Omotola Sadare (class of 2016) currently studying for a Masters In Construction Management

Tuesday 1 ^st March – Harley Mason (class of 2012) Quantity Surveyor

Wednesday 2 ^nd March – Jessica Ukepbor (class of 2014) UI/UX Designer, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

Fahmida Rahman (friend of Miss Hamid) - Architect

Thursday 10 ^th March – Grace Nwobi (class of 2012) Project Analyst

URBAN DEBATE LEAGUE ROUND 2

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 09:23:29 GMT

On Thursday 3rd March, our debate group was entered into round 2 of UDL, also known as the Urban Debate League. We took 2 teams: Alpha and Bravo. We travelled to Eastbrook with Mr Crosbie Jones and Miss Aktar.

We had gotten there super early, and took the extra time to pre prepare for our debate. We split into our two teams, and collaborated and shared our notes. There was two motions: one which we know beforehand, and prepared for, and another which we found out on the day.

After all the schools had arrived, we grouped into the hall to listen to an assembly from Mr Akbar, who is an alumni of our school and now works diligently with Debate Mate. There was lots of pizza and cinnamon rolls which is always a bonus!

A team then met our opponents: a school called Barking Abbey. We were proposition, and they were opposition: we fought hard and, unfortunately, lost. This was a setback, but we fought back in our second debate against Hornchurch Academy, and won. B team had similar luck; losing their first debate and winning their second.

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience for everyone, and a chance to learn and develop our debate skills.

Isra (10C)

Robert Clack Alumni Entrepreneur Academy

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 11:56:44 GMT

The Robert Clack Alumni Association in partnership with the Business Studies Department have been running an Entrepreneur Academy since October for Sixth Form students. The idea of this is to give students some tips and skills to think about running their own businesses in the future with guest speakers from the Alumni community.

The students had five different guest speakers:

Jack Wilson – Introduce and Inspire – Jack left Robert Clack in 2012 and has been running his own property maintenance business.

Farren Joseph – Marketing – Farren left Robert Clack in 2014 and is now a Business Studies Teacher and Head of Y12. Farren worked in Marketing before re-training to be a Teacher.

Tina Dulieu – Evaluating Ideas – Tina left Robert Clack in 1975 and was also a Maths Teacher at the School. She is now an award winning Business Coach.

Jamie Mason – Sales – Jamie left Robert Clack in 2008 and is now Agency Account Director at Clear Channel, a company that sells digital advertising space.

Emma Porter – Making An Impact Online – Emma left Robert Clack in 2015 and now works in Digital Marketing.

After sessions with each of these speakers the students were then given the following brief:

You are required to create a product or service suitable for 16-21 year olds. The product or service can be tailored to either male, female or both. The product or service can be an invention or an innovation. There is no specific budget however you will be required to research and record costs. Your product or service should be something that can be used by individuals who attend college or university.

Students then presented their ideas at a Dragon’s Den style event on Thursday 3 ^rd March to a panel of Alumni guests including Jamie and Tina and also Gary White, Trustee of the Robert Clack Alumni Association and business owner.

The students made excellent presentations that were very professional – all the visitors were very impressed. Ideas included:

· jewellery that could be activated to call emergency services should an attack take place
· an app that gives discounts to leisure services via your phone
· a smartwatch with an SOS feature
· a service that provides revision materials to universities/students
· a smart bottle that could heat/cool your drink from an app

The winners were Mohima and Connor with their ‘Hotspot’ app. Joint runners up were Hemed, Ferdauzi, Sumya and Victor with their Smartwatch with SOS feature, ‘Poleox Hex’ and Minahil, Olivia and Hadia with 'Sturmfrei' a piece of jewellery with an app to obtain help if threatened when out late at night.

Our judges commented on the professionalism of the students, their presentations and their branding. Thank you to our alumni members for giving up their time and expertise. Well done all!

Year 12 Art students attend Valence House for opening of mural

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 10:25:00 GMT

Our year 12s recently were asked by the Valence House to participate in creating a mural in conjunction with professional Artist Jake Attewood. Last week they went to the opening of the finished piece.

We are so happy and proud of our students. Their artwork, attitude, and work ethic were praised by anyone we spoke to.

Well done to all. It is Robert Clack's continued reputation that allows our students to be chosen for such events like this.

Robert Clack hosts visitors from Barking & Dagenham Council

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 09:01:25 GMT

On Friday 11th February, Robert Clack School hosted Cllr Rodwell (Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council). He met with pupils to discuss climate change and the challenges facing all of us. We were also delighted to welcome Rob Jones, a former pupil, back to Robert Clack who is now working in the LBBD Leadership Office. Please see below the email that he sent after the visit:

"I wanted to pass on our gratitude for hosting our visit today. The students we met with were a credit to the school and our borough. Their obvious passion for tackling climate change is just one example of why young people are our best asset in making the world a better place. They demonstrated an innate understanding of the fact that climate change is as much a social justice issue as it is a practical one. This was a testament to Robert Clack and its ethos of ensuring young people are given the tools they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond.

Please send our thanks to both the students and staff who we met with. As discussed with the school council, the council runs a community clean-up programme which we would love to see Clack participate in. Further details can be found here.

If we can help with anything else related to the school, including perhaps a visit to the Town Hall, please let me know."

Thank you to all of the staff who helped organise the visit and well done to the pupils involved!

Guest Speaker visits from the Humanities Excellence All-Through Scheme

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 10:17:42 GMT

It was truly a lovely experience to be a part of; very enlightening. The event was a delight for somebody who has previously expressed an interest in pursuing law in the future. The judge covered a wide range of issues and answered most of my curiosities about the sector of work. Emma (our visitor) was incredibly informative when she told us about her road to becoming a judge, and made it known that the journey and process was just as fascinating as the end result.

Emma received outstanding GCSE results and succeeded in A level math, English literature, history, and economics. She then went on to university to study history, and in her final year, she completed a lawyer conversion course, demonstrating that it is not necessary to study law during your entire university career in order to become a lawyer. Conversion courses are intense postgraduate programmes that allow you to pursue a career for which your undergraduate degree or previous professional experience has not adequately prepared you for. The lawyer completed a one-year law conversion course, which was intimidating but overall fulfilling and enjoyable. She worked as a paid trainee solicitor for two years after graduating from university, specialising in immigration law, which she expected to love the most. As someone who grew up surrounded by people from all over the world, Emma felt inclined to contribute in this area as she was aware of the difficulties and challenges faced by immigrants attempting to enter the country. But she quickly discovered that this area of law was traumatic and emotional, as she became concerned with each case, fearful that someone might fail and be sent back to a country in which there was violence and/or conflict.

Emma gradually shifted her focus to employment law, which she discovered she enjoyed and continues to pursue now. "I love employment law," she smiled, "because it involves the workplace drama, and I am a nosy person who likes to know what's going on." She emphasised that law is one of the professions that offers so much flexibility and opportunities. From criminal law, to property law, to employment law, etc. Emma went on to become a judge in the field of employment law, which she continues to do now. Her journey took 15-17 years and counting, and she not only appreciates the end result, but she also enjoyed every minute of the ride to get to where she is now.

We were encouraged to ask questions throughout the presentation, and as the judge discussed her favourite cases, the funniest cases, the most emotionally exhausting cases, and the longest cases, many were amazed and grateful for her message, which provided a glimpse into the career and reality of a true lawyer. I was delighted to have the opportunity to listen to such an educational discussion, and I'm sure it inspired many people to consider law as a career path for their future.

SARAH ADEBOLA-DAIRO (Year 10)

Year 12 students achieve excellent results in the Scholars Programme

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 09:51:54 GMT

The above Year 12's participated in The Scholars programme which is funded by the Alumni association at Robert Clack. They had to write a University style assignment under the guidance of a PHD tutor. There were two different groups that had two different topics. All the pupils achieved excellent results and should be extremely proud of their resilience and work ethic that they have shown to get to this position.

Sheriff of London public speaking challenge

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 12:16:48 GMT

Six of our Year 12 students came extremely close runners up in The Sheriff of London’s public speaking challenge at The Scale Space Business Centre in White City West London on Tuesday 8 ^th February. All six who entered had prepared a collective speech on the future of London’s global leadership as The World’s financial Centre and future potential to generate wealth, competing against some of London’s top school’s :

Umar

Caitlin

Kamile

Jessica

Uzair

Nabeel

All of the students were indeed a true credit to Robert Clack School and were all able to network with some influential City of London business leaders judging and attending the event.

Congratulations and well done to them all!

Mr J Hamill

Visit to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 11:51:52 GMT

On Thursday 3 ^rd February, several students who receive support from the West Ham mentoring program were rewarded with an outing to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, where they represented the school in a friendly 5 aside tournament between Robert Clack and Bobby Moore Academy School; during the competition several students stood out in terms of behavior and sportsmanship, however overall, the group showed themself in a good respect and did the school proud.

After the tournament, the students were treated to a tour of the London Stadium, where they learned about the history of West Ham United, the clubs successes, and goals as well as the transformation of the facility from being an Olympic stadium into a Premier League stadium. The students gained an idea of several career opportunities around football, sport and facility management that they might not have considered also. The students showed courteous conduct and made a great impression on the West Ham staff they encountered, being a pleasure and credit to themselves and the school.

Valence House art project

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 11:35:09 GMT

Our year 12 art students spent a day in Valence House to paint a final design of a mural for their herb garden. The mural contains historic elements of Dagenham and the last owners of Valence house. The students worked with an east London artist named Jake Attwell, who is known throughout London for his street art. The mural will be presented in Valence House at 3pm on the 22 ^nd of February. All welcome to come and view the artwork the year 12 art students created in one day.

Rugby girls unbeaten in 2022!

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 11:28:52 GMT

It has been a fantastic term for the girls rugby teams throughout the school. The players have shown great commitment to training throughout the cold winter months and are making real progress with all aspects of their game play. The U13 squad have done particularly well as it is the first season of competing due to Covid last year.

The u13's have been in commanding form in 2022, they have played 6 games so far this year and have worked hard to keep the opposition at bay and come away with 6 victories.

The u15s are also in a rich vein of form and also unbeaten. Their biggest achievement being beating Royal Latin in what proved to be a very tough and closely fought match. Our girls just had the greater desire to succeed.

The U18 girls have remained patient at a time when many of our opponents have pulled out of matches. They have also remained unbeaten to date with the highlight being a narrow victory against or friends at Dartford Grammar school.

All of the girls should be really proud of their achievements, we in the PE department are. We are looking forward to the remainder of the season and the 7's competitions.

Miss Bond.

URBAN DEBATE LEAGUE ROUND 1

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 09:19:35 GMT

In January 2022, the Robert Clack Debate Team across all three sites were involved in their first debate competition this year! The school entered in three teams from Years 7 to 10. Despite the league being held online this year, the pupils were confident and excelled in what were very challenging motions. Their hard work paid off, so much so we won 3/6 off the sessions. Special mention goes to; our fantastic Year 10’s and Kingsley in Year 13 who helped the younger year groups formulate their arguments. With such teamwork and compassion it is no doubt that our teams are ready for the UDL round 2! Well done to everyone involved in debate mate so far this year. We are so proud of you.

Former Pupil Returns to Speak About Apprenticeships – Anish Vara (class of 2020)

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 14:23:50 GMT

Anish Vara’s visit was an amazing experience for both the students he presented to, and to the others he didn’t, as he created a conversation during lunchtime.

Being a former student to Robert Clack School and not being much older than me, it really opened my eyes to how life can change with the right choices.

Anish spent extra time during lunchtime to catch up with individuals he knew when he was in school. This brought together students across the current Year 13 to catch up with how things have been for him alongside discussing nostalgic moments that took place at the lower site years ago.

I was lucky enough to be on the receiving end of his presentation where he gave a detailed explanation on his own experience at Robert Clack School discussing both his high and low points. Additionally, Anish spoke about how he went from a student on the brink of failing to pulling himself back and getting distinctions in his Double ICT course. A course that I too am studying. Anish's journey in life also opened my eyes to all of the preparation he did to be where he is now, plus the fact that he is always stretching himself to achieve in a variety of areas.

Anish went on to explain a degree apprenticeship, specifically the apprenticeship that he has currently taken on at Ernst & Young. He then briefly explained his position at Ernst & Young as an FAAS (Financial Accounting Advisor Server). Anish had the room roaring with surprise and excitement when he opened the eyes of almost each student once he explained his job role and what he does and the potential pay/career options across the years, with salaries ranging from at 20K up to 150K+, when taking on the role of a director or others.

Anish ended his presentation by talking about the benefits you may receive while on the job where you can have invitations to festivals, parties or just being gifted on a regular basis. Anish’s visit had a positive impact on many students, including me. Hearing that Anish wasn’t in the best position to complete his coursework but was still able to bring himself back up inspired me to do the same. I personally have always been afraid to take on the role of an apprentice due to the lack of knowledge I have. However, his detailed explanation on how an apprenticeship works has made me consider taking on the role of an apprentice as an alternative to University with a clearer mind. Overall, the experience was outstanding and I would love for other students to have the opportunity I had in order to either take away a better understanding of what an apprenticeship offers or the message that there is still a possibility of succeeding even when the odds are against you.

H Thomas Year Y13

Ex Pupils come back to School – January 2022

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 11:24:26 GMT

Emma Porter (class of 2015) is a Digital Strategist. She came back to school to speak to our Sixth Form Entrepreneur Academy about ‘Making An Impact Online’, something we thought was important due to new working techniques driven by the impact of the Pandemic. Here is what Emma had to say:

‘What an afternoon I had; got invited back to Robert Clack by Ellen Monk to speak to some business academy students (not sure I’m qualified to do that!) about making an impact online and it was a blast.

Leading up to it I was terrified at the thought of presenting to 15-17 year olds; they scare me quite honestly. Plus when I was at school I was so uninterested whenever someone came in to give a talk, so thought I’d have the same reception.

But to my surprise it wasn’t that at all. The pupils I met were such a brilliant and funny group of young people; they were attentive, they laughed at my stupid jokes (bonus points!), asked great questions and even asked to connect with me on LinkedIn! Who’d have thunk it��

After today, I have every faith the future is in good hands. Thanks for having me Upper School.’

Jamie Mason (class of 2008) also came back to present to our Entrepreneurs about the art of selling. Jamie works for a company called Clear Channel who provide digital advertising spaces. He was also impressed by our Sixth Form students: ‘It was an absolute pleasure. Loved being back! Again it was such a good buzz and if there are any other additional opportunities to try and get involved with please let me know.

Quite a few of the students asked questions which was great to see and the questions asked were really interesting and clever so I was impressed.’

Science this month has been very exciting for our pupils at Robert Clack School!

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 12:15:15 GMT

Pupils have been learning about careers that link to science in order to expose them to the many opportunities out there for their future careers. In December a science careers poster competition was held where pupils in Year 7, 8 and 9 were given the opportunity to design a poster on a science career of their choosing.

We had large number of students across the school submit their entries and we received posters on careers such as , neuroscientists , astronomers , archaeologists , Palaeontologists and even a space therapist !

A huge congratulations to our winners!

Year 7 Year 8 Year 9

1 Sumaiya 7H Mustafah 8J & Zarin 8F Giulia 9H

2 Mihda 7J Emily 8A Fatema 9G

3 Tyra 8B Aleeha 9F

Former Robert Clack student is a successful surgeon

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 12:23:49 GMT

We are extremely proud that our former student Sala Abdalla is working as a surgeon in the NHS.

Sala has this to say about her experience and the support that she was given by our school:

Many school kids growing up in deprived areas of East London may not have ‘surgeon’ written down as a first career choice but Sala Abdalla had other ideas.

Sala, whose family came to the UK as refugees from the Sudan, was determined to follow a career in medicine after being moved by the injustices of private healthcare in her homeland.

“We left the Sudan when I was ten years old but it made a real impression on me that if you didn’t have money you were often destined to die prematurely of otherwise treatable conditions.”

Sala was recently appointed as consultant at Ealing Hospital making her one of only a handful of black female consultants working for the trust.

‘Anything is possible if you have the right work-ethic,’ says the 37-year-old consultant who could only speak Arabic when she arrived in Dagenham.

Sala added: “I sought solace in education and my teachers at Robert Clack School were extremely supportive. They never doubted that I would make it and I owe them a lot of gratitude.”

She is one of a growing number of women entering a traditionally male-dominated profession but the number is growing every year.

Sala said: “It takes a lot of commitment, hard-work and sacrifice to be a surgeon but it is an incredibly rewarding profession.

“I love what I do and there is no match for the satisfaction I get from knowing I have used my knowledge and technical skills to make a difference to another person’s life”

Her willingness to help others less fortunate led her to set-up a surgical charity called Operation International where groups of surgeons, nurses and anaesthetists volunteer to travel to low-income countries to carry out free operations and train local doctors and nurses.

She has made two trips to hospitals in rural Ghana working with fellow volunteers who performed 143 procedures in less than a week.

“It brings its own challenges and you just have to adapt. Power cuts were common and I sometimes had to operate with a torch strapped to my head. The staff in Ghana were exceptionally innovative and hard-working. It was a pleasure to serve the local community.”

Sala’s career in the UK is no less dramatic and, as a general and upper GI surgeon, she carries out a wide range of procedures.

“My specialty is fast-paced and dynamic and the breadth of disease-processes that it covers makes for interesting and satisfying work. I perform operations which are life-saving, such as removing a ruptured appendix or dead bowel.

“I also perform function-restoring surgery, treating patients with debilitating hernias or gallstone problems that interfere with their daily activities.

“I like the immediacy of the results. A patient can come in with a life-threatening condition and, if the procedure is successful, be sitting up in bed the next day.”

“My advice to any young woman interested in a surgical career is to never think it is beyond them. Surgery is one of the most demanding of medical disciplines, requiring years of dedication, discipline and resilience.

“However, it teaches you to become confident, decisive and an excellent problem solver. It is a rewarding career with opportunities to develop additional interests such as in research, teaching and mentoring.

“I would highly recommend a career in general surgery to any young person who is interested in a career that demands a lot but gives you even more in return.”

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Los Angeles Fashion Designer returns to his old school

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 10:05:57 GMT

Fabulous to have former Art student Jason McCarthy to return to his old school and do a weeks worth of assembly presentations across all three sites of Robert Clack.

Jason has worked around the world including New York and Paris and currently has his own Fashion Company based in Los Angeles. His presentations have been a true inspiration to current Robert Clack students.

Mr John Hamill

Christmas Caroling Trip

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 09:45:27 GMT

Our school choir has recently had the amazing opportunity to do some Christmas Caroling in Romford Town Centre. We were asked on behalf of the "King George and Queen's Hospital Charity" to sing a repertoire of Christmas songs, in efforts to raise money for our local hospitals.

Over the last couple of weeks, our choir has been rehearsing diligently together to provide some amazing performances on the day. It was amazing to see pupils from all three sites come together and show unity as members of Robert Clack School.

We had the pleasure of performing in two different locations, where we gathered large crowds that in return donated money to the charity we were singing for. The "King George and Queen's Hospital Charity" gave us some incredible feedback and gifts for the hard work that our choir has put in. Our pupils were ecstatic after their performances, some quoting "that was the best and most enjoyable performance that I have done so far".

It was wonderful to witness pupils performing with utmost confidence. The music department is very proud and honoured to be able to bring pupils from KS3-KS5 in musical unity to represent the school. Huge thank you to the music department for organizing this trip and spending after school sessions for practice time in preparation for this event. Well done to all involved!

KS3 Computing Club

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 14:05:06 GMT

This half-term the students in KS3 Computing Club have been having fun and at the same time learning the importance of robotics and its use in our daily lives. They learnt that robots are currently being used in a lot of places such as in the hospitals for conducting very complex medical surgery. They have also been able to relate with NASA’s Perseverance Rover currently exploring Mars and looking for signs of past life.

They have enjoyed working on assembling parts of a robot “Rolling Robots”. Throughout the practical sessions, the pupils enjoyed connecting the different parts of the robots to form a fully functioning robot and by instructing it via a remote control. These sessions touched on the different parts and types of robots, like Mobile Robots, Rolling Robots, Walking Robots, Stationary Robots, Autonomous Robots.

The project base practical was inspirational and supported the pupils to unlock their true potential with an innovative, experience-based, and self-motivated approach to robotics and to support their personal and professional development for a fulfilling future career in Computer Science and Engineering.

In another session pupils learnt that the structure of a robot is usually mostly mechanical, commonly known as “a kinematic chain” and just like all robots, they also contain electronics and without electronic circuits the engines cannot be controlled. The act of NASA, sending robots to other planets and controlling them remotely really inspired the pupils.

Learning about robots was fun, the pupils showed passion, dedication and hard work that can open career doors in Computer Programming, Computer Science, Engineering and Industrial placement within the robotics industry.

Computing Club is open to all KS3 pupils and is held every Tuesday 3.15pm after school in LC4, Green Lane and hosted by Mr Yahya.

KS3 Science Club

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 12:11:23 GMT

KS3 Science Club have been working very hard throughout this term to develop scientific skills in physics, chemistry and biology. They have done this by planning and carrying out practicals across a range of topics in science. Most recently, students investigated adaptations of animals to suit their habitats. To do this, students researched regions around the globe and then designed animals perfectly suited to them by adding adaptations. This gave students an opportunity to combine their creativity with their scientific knowledge.

Miss Rauth

Lymington School Council trip to Barking and Dagenham Foodbank

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 15:23:07 GMT

The students and staff at Lymington have been collecting food items to donate to the Barking and Dagenham foodbank. As you can see from the photos, they have been extremely generous. On Friday afternoon, we delivered the donations to the foodbank warehouse. These items will make a significant difference to many families over the Christmas period. Well done all and many, many thanks to all involved.

Ricky Powell (ex pupil & Barrister) Visit to Y9 Assembly

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 09:55:33 GMT

Ricky Powell – Class of 2007

Ricky left Robert Clack in 2007 and is now a Barrister. He came back to school on Wednesday 8 ^th December to speak to Year 9 students in their Assembly about choosing their Options and Careers in Law. Ricky spoke a little about himself and his time at school, which Options he chose and also his A Levels. He explained the difference between a Lawyer and a Barrister and also discussed other roles in the legal profession such as legal assistants and conveyancers. Ricky also advised the students to think about which Options would be best suited to a legal career such as History, Sociology, Psychology, Drama (for public speaking), Business Studies and ICT.

Obviously as a Barrister Ricky has a wig and gown which he brought along and allowed 2 students to try on which they were delighted to do!

Lots of ex-pupils commented on how an assembly or visit made them think about their career choices so these visits are so valuable. Thanks to all of our visitors for giving up their time .

Our Country's Good

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 15:03:03 GMT

Our drama students had their first performance of Our Country's Good to a packed audience on Tuesday 7th December.

There are two more performances to come and they are all excited to be taking part.

What is it about?

Botany Bay, 1788.

A convict ship arrives crammed with England’s outcasts. Survival is by no means certain, food is scarce and discipline is brutal in this strange, unfamiliar world. How best to keep the criminals in line; the noose or a more civilised form of art?

An ambitious officer steps forward with the idea of staging a play...

Based on a true story, Timberlake Wertenbaker’s modern classic celebrates the redemptive power of theatre and art.

Internal School Heat for ARTiculation.

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 11:30:33 GMT

ARTiculation is the Roche Court Educational Trust’s nationally acclaimed public speaking initiative designed to promote the appreciation and discussion of visual culture. ARTiculation engages young people aged between 14 and 23, regardless of background or experience, with art and develops their confidence and ability to express their opinions, thoughts and conclusions.

The annual ARTiculation Prize invites those aged between 16 and 19 to each deliver a ten-minute presentation to an audience about a work of art, architecture or an artefact.

Robert Clack School held an Internal School Heat to select a student to represent our school at Regional Finals which take place in a Gallery in London. The students who participated were extremely impressive and made it very difficult to choose a winner.

Congratulations to Davisha who was the winner who will now be representing Robert Clack School against other schools in the coming months.

First place: Davisha

Second place: Grace

Third Place: Prince joint with Youhans

Debate Club goes to Westminster!

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 10:19:55 GMT

On the 3 ^rd of November, 20 of us Year 10’s went on a trip to the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster for the Debate Mate Launch. It was a great experience to see so many people debate in one place and for some us it was one of our first trips since lockdown! Not only did we get to represent Robert Clack but our friends Divine and Yasin, were also chosen to be part of the show debate. Isra was also interviewed by BBC news.

This was an unforgettable experience. We saw the Westminster Cathedral and Parliament Square. We even met Nelson Mandela here! There was a lot of beautiful scenery to take in. The journey to and from the location was so wholesome and we can’t wait to continue our journey in Debate Club.

From Miran, Keisha, Nifemi, Divine, Gwen, Yasin, Elizabeth, Isra, Alina, Sriraman,& Rania (Year 10)

Year 7 student is awarded Music Scholarship

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 08:21:54 GMT

Jason in Year 7 has been awarded a four year music scholarship from the borough of Barking and Dagenham, Jason i s a real credit to the music department and an extremely pro-active student i n all of his lessons, he will formally receive this certificate i n the next year 7 assembly.

Mr J Hamill

Year 12 & 13 students attend Degree Apprenticeship Event

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 08:13:00 GMT

On Monday 8th November 39 students from the Robert Clack 6th form took part in an exclusive Degree Apprenticeship Property and Law event for our school held at Charles Russell Speechly Law firm in the City of London , working also with Savills and the Chartered Surveyors.

Our year 12 and 13 students proved to be fabulous ambassadors for Robert Clack School in both formal presentations and in being pro active in the social networking event that followed . Our three current £12,600 award bursary University students also presented at the event.

Congratulations year 12 ,13 and Bursary former University students Vikram Sandu, Denis Halili and Mirald Cufju

Mr J Hamill

When Wilberforce Came to Tea

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 13:30:22 GMT

Last half term, a number of Year 13 students created a feature length film about the history of Valence House and its links to the abolitionist movement, "When Wilberforce Came to Tea". They worked closely with a local historian as well as a full production team to help write, rehearse and shoot the film on location at the manor. This has subsequently been made into a film that will be used as an education tool for schools across the borough in learning about local history..

The film had a premier first-edit screening in October as part of Black History Month and it will also be available to watch both in the museum cinema at Valence House as well as via the museum website.

The students who took part were a credit to the school and demonstrated outstanding attitude, effort and practice throughout the process and we are very proud of the final film.

Success for Senior Athletics squads!

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 14:42:28 GMT

The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a differeOn Wednesday 6th October, the senior boys and girls athletics teams took part in the heats of the Lee Valley indoor athletics cup. This brings together the best teams in the south east of England. Both boys and girls teams were superb showing great commitment and effort. The girls finished 1st in the heat and the boys finished 3rd, this means they both qualify for the A final at the end of the onth. Well done to all involved!nt source.

U15 Girls Rugby

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 14:39:05 GMT

Our U15 girls played their first match of the season at home against Samuel Whitbread who travelled down all the way from Bedfordshire. The last time we played against them in 2019 our then U15 team took a narrow defeat losing 10-15. This time around the girls won 57-5. Despite the win the most impressive aspect of the afternoon was what great sportsmanship our girls showed when they offered to play for the opposition so that they could field a full team. Trys were scored by Gwen, Princess, Esther, Nifemi, Exaucee and Isabella. Kelly was kicking for goal after each try. Rachel and Theresa were voted 'Women of Steel' by the opposition.

Miss Bond

Year 8 Rugby and Football success

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 14:30:25 GMT

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Netball success

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 14:27:35 GMT

Congratulations to the U16 netball squad on their success in their first Essex Cup game of the season. The girls where extremely nervous having not had a game for 18months due to restrictions, but they controlled their nerves and proved that all the training and hard work they had continued to put in for the past year was worth it. The girls secured a 33-4 victory over Oaks Park school and are now through to the second round. Well done girls! Keep up the hard work.

Mrs Barker

Science this month has been very exciting for our pupils at Robert Clack School

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 14:24:58 GMT

The year 7 pupils have been working through the ‘Scientific skills’ unit, where they have been working through all the important skills needed to be successful science students. These skills lay the foundation for their science journey and are used throughout their time at Robert Clack. Students have been learning about the scientific method, graphing, variables, tables and even How to use a Bunsen burner! Students are guided along by their teachers on how to use a Bunsen burner safely. This practical in particular is enjoyed by the year 7’s and many lessons after we often get students asking “Are we using the Bunsen burner today?”

The year 8 Pupils have been exploring the world of chemistry through the ‘Atoms and Matter’ unit and looking at elements and compounds as well as the periodic table and reactions. Students were able to create their very own compound using iron and sulphur by heating it over the Bunsen burner to create iron sulphide. They then carried out different observations to compare the properties of the two elements on their own, as a mixture and then as the compound iron sulphide.

The year 9 pupils have been working through the ‘Organ Systems’ unit, which covers the circulatory system, the skeletal system and other organ systems in the human body that all work together to form humans! In one lesson students got to dissect chicken wings and look at how the muscles and bones work together to create movement. In another lesson students got to dissect hearts and show off their surgical skills. They investigated all the parts of the hearts and described how the heart pumps blood around the body using the heart they dissected.

We strive to provide our learners with real, concrete scientific learning and the students thoroughly enjoyed being hands on, which altogether enriched their learning experience!

GCSE RE YEAR 11 GO TO WALSINGHAM

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 14:17:53 GMT

At the crack of dawn on Thursday 14th October, 40 Year 11 GCSE RE pupils set off to visit Walsingham in Norfolk. Walsingham is a holy site of pilgrimage for Christians. The pupils were fortunate enough to take part in a Holy Mile walk, visit the Holy House and take in the beautiful Norfolk scenery! There was also an opportunity for pupils to light candles for their loved ones and celebrate all they have achieved. The Year 11s were extremely well behaved and respectful. This was the first time they had gone on a trip outside of London since Year 8 so it was such a refreshing experience post lockdown.

The students said:

Nuha 11E & Mardeeyha 11E - "As Muslims we felt very comfortable in a Christian place of worship, in our lessons with Mrs Doyle we are taught about pilgrimage and I think this will help me in an exam"

Taylor 11L - "The trip was very informative, it is one thing learning about the pilgrimage through you tube videos but seeing it in person is a different level"

David 11G - "As a Christian, I found this extremely educational and was able to reflect spiritually"

Well done to all the students who woke up early in the morning and came back to school late in the afternoon! We are so proud of you all. The whole journey really did put us in the shoes of the pilgrims themselves. Thank you to Alan and Pauline, our shrine tour guides for making the trip so enjoyable.

With Love,

Mrs Doyle-Jeffery, Mrs Prior & Miss Aktar

A Level Biology field trip to Trewern

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 13:45:36 GMT

On Monday 27 ^th October, 33 A-level Biology pupils set out on a 6 hour coach trip to the Trewern Outdoor Education Centre in Hay-on-Wye, Wales, for a week of invigorating biodiversity fieldwork and exciting outdoor activities. Despite grey clouds looming above for the start of their residential week, pupils dove into the deep end (on occasion, quite literally) and exhibited some excellent teamwork, communication and sampling skills. Environments that pupils sampled included a rocky shore and a beautiful freshwater stream system, where pupils demonstrated excellent knowledge and understanding of different living species and how they change based on ecological conditions.

All pupils composed themselves excellently in the face of wind and (sometimes torrential) rain on Tuesday, and were rewarded for their amazing teamwork and engagement on Wednesday with glorious sunshine sampling on the hills of Wales. On the final day of their fieldtrip, pupils were given exciting opportunities to engage in various outdoor activities that included gorge walking, indoor rock climbing, archery and BMX biking. Many pupils learned a great few skills on this final day; whilst some found themselves climbing higher than spider monkeys, others proved themselves to be better archers than the famous Robin Hood. Some of our amazing Year 13s even mastered the art of wading through gorge systems that were taller than themselves, proving that no wave can wash away their determination.

We, as well as all fieldwork instructors at Trewern, were incredibly proud of how this amazing group of young biologists carried forward the excellence promoted by Robert Clack School. We look forward to seeing how the experiences gained on this trip will pay off for these A-level Biologists and look forward to returning to Trewern with A-level Biologists in future years to come.

Year 7 & Year 13 Rivers of the World trip to Leigh on Sea

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 13:40:55 GMT

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Year 8 and 9 students meet West Ham players

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 10:09:38 GMT

Last week on Friday, a handful of the students I mentor had the chance to speak to a number of West Ham players and ask them questions on the topic of education and how engaging with this benefitted them, as well as which transferrable skills can be gained and developed in school and used in the real world once they get the opportunity.

The players spoke briefly about their experiences in school and answered questions linked to how they overcome challenges and failure, advice for students struggling in school and how to handle pressure and stress. The students also got to ask questions about personal things like their inspirations, favourite subjects at school and what advice would they go back and give their 13-year-old self if given the opportunity.

The players involved on the call were Tomáš Souček and Vladimír Coufal, both from the Czech Republic.

Mr Allison

Community Hub Officer - West Ham United Foundation

Former students return for Open Evening

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 09:39:58 GMT

Three former students were fabulous ambassadors to the Careers department and whole school during the Robert Clack Open Evening. All of these students have now had their University bursary awards doubled to £12,600.00 via our special business link with the Worshipful Livery Company of Chartered Surveyors, this special award will also be applied to future candidates from September 2021. Vikram Sandu BSc hons PHYSICS at UCL, Mirald Cufaj BSc hons Real Estate Property at Nottingham and Denis Halili BSc hons Business Studies at Queen Mary London.

Congratulations to them all,

Mr J Hamill – PSHE/Career Director

Robert Clack School opens the doors to its primary school

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 10:12:40 GMT

Robert Clack School was delighted to welcome its first ever cohort of primary children on Friday (10 ^th September).

Following years of planning and preparation, the School’s first Reception class walked through the gates of the school with beaming smiles on Friday afternoon looking exceptionally smart in their uniform. Headteacher, Russell Taylor, Chair of Governors, Gary Jarrett, and School Business Manager, Emily Lines, were very excited to meet the children.

Together with their parents, the children made their way through the well-equipped outdoor learning area to their new classroom base. Vicky Barrett, the Early Years Lead teacher, and Mina Mistry, Reception teacher, organised an exciting ‘stay and play’ induction session, in which the children had the opportunity to explore their learning environment, meet their new classmates and play together. Lisa Newton and Jo Gibson (teaching assistants) supported the children during the session. Parents were able to join in with their children and talk to school staff – and each other – about the year ahead. The atmosphere was extremely positive.

At the end of the afternoon, the Headteacher officially welcomed the children and their parents to Robert Clack School. He spoke about his wish for the children to spend the next fourteen years as Robert Clack pupils and his ambition for them to grow into happy and successful adults. Russell also spoke about the importance of community and working together and assured parents of the school’s unrelenting commitment to this.

On their way out, the children were given a welcome gift, which included drawing materials and a Robert Clack School biscuit. A number of parents took photographs of their children standing beside the welcome banner as a lasting memento to mark the occasion.

Everyone is really looking forward to the year ahead.

Year 11 Results Celebration

IEames@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 12:13:59 GMT

Thrilled students celebrate their success

We are immensely proud of the GCSE successes enjoyed by our cohort of Year 11 students. We are delighted for them, and we are particularly impressed with those students who have battled through challenging personal circumstances to secure some fantastic grades. Some of the happiest smiles have come from students who didn’t believe they could achieve, yet they did! 37 pupils achieved grades 9 to 7 in 8 or more subjects.

Our Headteacher, Russell Taylor, observed:

“Despite the horrendous circumstances that they have endured during the past two years, I am exceptionally proud of our Year 11 pupils who, through their hard work, commitment and perseverance, and together with the steadfast support of our staff, have achieved phenomenal success in their GCSEs. We look forward to welcoming the vast majority of our pupils into our highly successful sixth form in September.”

Our teachers feel incredibly excited about the prospect of receiving these students into our Sixth Form in order to support them in the next stage of their academic lives. We are pleased to report that 220 students from this GCSE cohort will be returning to our sixth form in September.

Year 13 Results Success

IEames@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 12:22:28 GMT

University and Apprenticeship Successes!

Over 125 students have accepted university places at a range of first class institutions across the United Kingdom. A record number of students will be going to study at Russell Group universities with particularly high numbers progressing to prestigious London universities such as Imperial College, King’s College, UCL and Queen Mary University. Students are going on to study a wide range of degree courses, from Mathematics and Chemistry to Drama and English Literature and Politics and International Relations.

We are delighted that students continue to secure places on the most competitive courses, with two students going on to study Medicine and a number of students securing scholarships as a result of their excellent achievements. An increasing number of students have been successful in pursuing highly-prized degree apprenticeship opportunities, including at top city firms like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan.

Imran is going to study Electronic Engineering at Kings College London. He said: “I am ecstatic about going to Kings. Its been a hard two years and I’m so proud of everyone else”. Matthew is off to Exeter to study Mathematics and he said: “I’m really happy with the results. I had not realised I would have done so well considering the troubles we have all had over the past two years. The school has dealt with everything so well”

Headteacher Russell Taylor said “despite the significant challenges they have faced, through their hard work, commitment and perseverance our students have secured excellent destinations. We are incredibly proud of them! I’d also like to pay tribute to our fantastic teachers who have been magnificent in supporting our students in pursuit of their ambitions and dreams.”

This year, following the cancellation of exams, grades were awarded through a process of teacher assessed grades, against a national standard and approved and awarded by the exam boards. The government is not publishing performance data for any schools or colleges this year due to the varying impact of the pandemic.

Rumaysa and Aeesha are both off to study medicine and despite an exciting day they still wanted to give advice to students who are continuing to study.

Rumaysa achieved straight A* grades and will be studying at Imperial College London. She wanted to share this advice: “I was so glad I achieved the outcome I have worked so hard for. My ambition is to become a surgeon and I can’t wait to start my journey at Imperial College! My advice to those of you still studying: keep working hard as your success will only come to you after perseverance.”

Aeesha is considering taking a gap year volunteering before taking up her medicine place next year: “I was in disbelief, all my sleepless nights and revision had paid off. I’m aspiring to become a gynaecologist and volunteer in Singapore in an orphanage this year. To those of you who are still working on your GCSES or A-Levels just remember that not everyone’s path is the same and you should always keep focussed on your goal and you will achieve it”

KS5 Photography/Art

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 11:08:24 GMT

We are very proud that our KS5 Photography and Art students work is being displayed in an online exhibition.

To view all the images please follow this link: https://www.artmatterslondon.org/

Ri Science in Schools Show

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 10:01:31 GMT

On Thursday 24th June 2021 we had the privilege of welcoming to our school Dan from the Royal Institution (Ri) who came to deliver the Ri’s Science in Schools show to all of our Year 7 pupils.

As promised, the show was jam-packed with exciting live demos, experiments and hands-on participation, showcasing static electricity, generators and how magnetism and electricity work together. Students also witnessed the earliest demos that ever showed how electricity can be used and harnessed, developed by two of the Royal Institution’s most famous scientists Faraday and Davy.

It was clear from all the students’ faces that they were thoroughly fascinated by the show and left the show feeling even more inquisitive, excited, inspired and motivated about science.

Furthermore, Dan was extremely impressed by the exemplary behaviour of all of our Year 7 students as he said:

"The pupils in this school are so well behaved. I've been to a lot of schools and the behaviour of Robert Clack pupils is by far the best"

Such a statement by Dan speaks volumes of the excellent behaviour of our pupils at Robert Clack School.

Mr Bammeke

Year 13 Drama Students Bow Out With Final Theatre Visit

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 14:13:37 GMT

On Thursday 18 ^th June, our Year 13 Drama and Theatre class enjoyed a final theatre visit to celebrate the end of their course and the outstanding achievements they had made over the past two years. Despite many theatres remaining closed, they were fortunate to go and see a socially distanced performance of a new play J’Ouvert by Yasmin Joseph at the Harold Pinter Theatre in Leicester Square.

The performance itself was a very timely piece set during the Notting Hill Carnival, following three young working-class black friends as they attempt to assert their voices in a rapidly gentrified London. The students loved the stripped back production and strong female leads. The production has been recorded by the BBC and can be currently watched on BBC iPlayer.

It was a poignant farewell for the group, many of whom had studied GCSE Drama and also taken part in drama projects at Robert Clack from Year 7. It has been wonderful to see their progress and shared successes both in and out of lesson in productions such as Coram Boy, The Lion the Witch and Wardrobe and most recently The Threepenny Opera.

We can’t wait to restart Robert Clack Theatre Club and return to the theatre with other year groups once more restrictions are lifted!

Mr S D Butler

Former pupil prepares outstanding lunch

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 09:23:55 GMT

I was delighted to be invited to Barking College on Monday 14 ^th June to plan the Year 10 Taster Day visit on Tuesday 6 ^th July for 140 students. The college leaders had arranged a special three course lunch prepared by our former students who are taking a catering chef course to NVQ level 3. The lunch was prepared via the leadership of former pupil Bobby Addis, who has been described as a fabulous chef by his course leaders. Bobby has one more year to complete and all staff are delighted with his professionalism and outstanding progress.

Mr Hamill

The Mayor’s London Scientist Programme – CREST Award

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 10:49:30 GMT

As part of the Mayor’s London Scientist programme – CREST Award, a group of Year 10 students have been looking at effective ways of preserving food to keep them fresher for longer in rural areas of hot countries where there is no electricity available.

Based on research the students decided the most effective method is the use of zeer pots. The zeer pot is a simple non-electrical fridge made of local materials. It consists of one earthenware pot set inside another, with a layer of wet sand in between. As the moisture evaporates it cools the inner pot, and can keep up to 12kg of fruit and vegetables fresh for as long as 20 days. The zeer pot is simple to make, cheap and sustainable.

For their STEM project the students are investigating the effectiveness of zeer pots at preserving food. In the pictures students are making their own zeer pots to compare how well it can preserve food to not using a zeer pot/simply storing food in a plastic container.

Mr Bammeke

Alumni Success – Izzy Jagan

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 10:23:40 GMT

We are very proud that Izzy Jagan has made the MCV 20 under 30 list. This is the Games Industry’s version of the annual Forbes 30 under 30 list spotlighting people in the industry who are nominated by their peers to be recognised for their work.

Izzy left Robert Clack in 2014 and went to the University of Brighton to study English Literature. She now works at a gaming company called Enix Square as a Junior Global PR Manager.

Congratulations Izzy!

The Brilliant Club

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 09:51:25 GMT

The Brilliant Club has made students understand more about potential paths they could take in their futures, especially when it comes to university life, the structure of lectures and the essays that come with it. Although most students had a broad view of how things would look after A-levels, attending the Brilliant Club really expanded many sixth formers’ understanding of these aspects.

The groups sessions were focused on nerve cells, the immune system and the different types of research techniques in immunology. It was a concept that was definitely out of our comfort zone, but nonetheless, there were parts that we found extremely interesting and researched in great amounts. The tutorials throughout the year also were enjoyable. Most of the content was challenging at the start, as we were going one step further and learning about topics that would usually be taught to university students, but throughout the sessions, our mentors supported us through them and made it much simpler for us to grasp and understand.

We also were assisted greatly when it came to the final assignment, which allowed us to write up our essays based on our tutorials. There were many complex aspects to the write-up, including the references and bibliography, which proved really helpful when the mentors managed to break it down and advise us what to do for those certain parts. Giving us that experience of implementing references in essays gave all of us an eye-opener for what we would experience come university, should any of us choose to take that route.

In summary, the Brilliant Club has been an amazing experience for all involved. The work that everyone behind the scenes does is great, as it really breaks down barriers to higher education. We enjoyed how we were able to relate the material learnt to everyday life, as well as enhancing our understanding as a whole.

We are very grateful to the Robert Clack Alumni Association for funding the club.

Kingsley Oparaugo (Year 12)

Robert Clack Teacher is nominated for prestigious award

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 09:49:58 GMT

A few months ago a group of past pupils devised an application for Emily Valentine to win a School Leader Award from Nexus Education. We found out last night that she was actually shortlisted! Emily was also surprised yesterday with the news as the head of the trust Damien Challenger informed her.

Nexus Education Awards aims to recognise the contribution of educational bloggers, school leaders and providers from across our community. This year we’re launching a new award, the ‘School Collaboration Award’. The award will seek to recognise any school leader bringing schools together to enable collaboration within education.

Emily's time over the past 13 years at Robert Clack has been littered with countless opportunities where she has brought schools together predominantly through debate and this has now been recognised. Whether or not she gets chosen does not matter but the fact she was shortlisted as a nominee speaks volumes about the quality of all the teachers at Robert Clack School. This is another huge win for our community.

Year 7 Ski Lessons

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 09:47:29 GMT

As part of the continued efforts of the PE Department to give our students the opportunity to experience new things and develop new skills outside the classroom environment we proposed 3, two hour ski lessons for year 7 students. Having been met with over 50 responses from students at both Green Lane and Lymington Fields sites, we were delighted with the interest from students and parents alike.

After a much delayed start date due to Covid-19 last winter, April saw the eagerly awaited school ski lessons commence. The initial group of 12 year 7 students started their lessons on the first Friday back after the Easter break. The lessons which took place at Brentwood Ski Centre on a dry ski slope were focused around teaching the students the basics of using ski equipment, balancing on skis whilst moving, controlling speed and use of the ski lift. Safe to say the progress that the students made was nothing short of incredible, from the first lesson where students were side-stepping up the slope, to the last lesson where a number of students were using the ski lift.

So successful were the first group of lessons that we have already started on the second group with a third group of students planned to start after half-term. This is something that we are aiming to expand in the future to give more students from Dagenham the opportunity to learn how to ski and diversify their skill set.

Check out the PE instagram page to follow the progress of the students each week.

rcs_pe

Mr Curtis

Sixth Form Pupils compete in photography competition

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 18 May 2021 11:04:18 GMT

Two of our Sixth Form students Deborah and Fatoumatta entered a photography competition run by London Metropolitan University and their entries really made an impact. Deborah was a runner-up and Fatoumatta's entry was highly commended. We are very proud of their achievements.

The images can be viewed here https://www.ldnmetarts.photography/ypypyt202 1.

Year 13 student is awarded bursary

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 13:37:49 GMT

Vikram receives bursary from Livery Company

It is with great pleasure that I can confirm that Vikram Sandhu who will be studying BSc Hons in Physics at University College London has been confirmed for this year's bursary award from the Worshipful Livery Company of Chartered Surveyors.

Vikram achieved grade A's in all three of his A Levels Maths, Further Maths and an A * in Physics and credit goes out to his Maths teachers with particular praise to Mr Harper his Physics teacher !

Vikram has numerous career aspirations and during the last 4 years has attended my educational visits into London on how Physics can also be applied to careers in the built environment and resistant materials. Vikram is one of twins and this award will indeed be fantastic news for all of his family.

During his 7 years at Robert Clack School, he has always been extremely hard working, polite, excellent attendance and demonstrated extra-curricular activities including school plays and Work Experience.

Vikram will receive £6,300.00 towards his 3 years at University and similar to other bursary students in the past it will be a pleasure with colleagues from the Livery company to mentor him through his career path.

Mr John Hamill - Careers /PSHE Director

Robert Clack Partnerships with Chinese Schools

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 13:57:11 GMT

Our School is very proud of it's overseas partnerships with several Chinese schools

Despite the pandemic, Robert Clack has continued to develop its strong overseas partnerships in several Chinese schools. Overseas trips and cultural exchanges that were planned were put on hold and a new strategy was needed. Taking advantage of the newly developed remote learning skills that its teachers have acquired, Robert Clack is delivering lessons to several schools across China.

To date the school is delivering:

· A-level Maths to pupils at Chongqing Nanping Middle School

· KS3 Maths to pupils at Chongqing Nanping Experimental Primary School

· KS3 Art to pupils at Gaoxin Experimental Middle School in Hunan Province.

Robert Clack will also be hosting a remote education conference with our main partner school to strengthen cooperation and identity further areas, which are of mutual benefit to our school and the community.

The school was awarded a £15,000 grant from The British Council after being impressed with its ambitions for an exciting and innovative partnership with Chinese schools. This money will be used to fund a second trip to China for students in 2021-2022. It will give another group of Robert Clack pupils a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience new cultures, improve language skills, and build independence and resilience.

British Council research has found that just 39% of British secondary schools run traditional international exchanges, in comparison with more than three quarters (77%) of independent schools. A separate survey of university language students found that nearly two-thirds (62%) had been inspired to study a language degree as the result of an international exchange.

Links with Media, Business and Economics are currently being explored with the hope of setting up similar programmes in the next academic year.

World Poetry Day

IEames@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 10:56:23 GMT

Hear from our budding poets.

This year to celebrate 'World Poetry Day' we are sharing poems from around the school. Students and staff alike have created poems to share with you all. We hope you enjoy them:

https://youtu.be/SPah6wh93SU

https://youtu.be/TW-Kb3uSrqM

Alongside this we have spent this week celebrating World Poetry Day by reading, talking about, writing and performing our own poems. Final celebrations were held in the library with a watch party of poetry performances of globally renowned poets. We began with the historic performance of Amanda Gorman on the footsteps of the White House and continued with our very own Robert Clack ex-pupil Kayo Chingonyi. It was a fantastic turnout of over 30 pupils and we finished our watch party with thoughts of a possible monthly poetry club.

A Very Special Delivery

IEames@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 10:19:57 GMT

A year on we received a lovely letter!

Everyone still remembers the excitement of Meghan's visit last year. We were so overjoyed to have a special visitor and little did we know what a huge event it would all become. So many students will hold fond memories of this day, so we were so thrilled to receive a letter this week from Meghan herself. This means a great deal to us all and we hope to continue to stay in contact.

Renee and Rhyanna who made a speech on the day, shared their reactions too: " Renee and I were thrilled to find out that Meghan Markle decided to write a letter to our school for the 1-year anniversary of her visit on International Women’s Day. The day for us was one we will never forget; Meghan was so kind, down to earth, and made the nerve-wracking task of speaking in front of the entire school body and external special guests a little less daunting. We really hope that the fact Meghan felt the need to write our school a letter back a year later, shows how impactful she found her visit and what a special place Robert Clack School is."

You can read the letter here: Meghan Letter

International Women's Day 2021

IEames@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 09:43:09 GMT

Alumni share messages of advice...

Our wonderful alumni helped us to share International Women's Day this year by sharing their thoughts and wisdom about how we can all focus on equality and success for all. The theme this year was 'Choose to Challenge'.

It was great to hear from so many inspirational speakers and know that they all once sat in the same position we once did. You can hear all about how you can also 'Choose to Challenge. You can see the messages here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II3-UX9y53Q

World Book Day 2021

IEames@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 10:51:35 GMT

Sharing our reading in lockdown

We spent this year's world book day at home but we found a very different way to celebrate. Reading is such an important aspect of life at Robert Clack for both students and staff alike. We have some great recommendations and ideas for you here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMKRjgI-JKE

You can also follow our reading instagram account if you would like more regular recommendations: @robertclackreads

Lymington Library Takes Shape

IEames@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 13:29:23 GMT

Thanks to generous donations our library is looking great.

The shelves of our new Lymington library are looking very appealing. In the past term we have had approximately 1,200 books donated to the school library - the equivalent of a few thousand pounds. A number of books have been

been donated by students at Forest School in Waltham Forest.

We have also received a donation of £500 cash for any IT equipment required for self-isolating students.

Finally, an enormous thank you to the students and parents at Forest School and our lovely librarian who has the seemingly never-ending task of registering all the books!

Mrs Sparks

Former student named in the Queen's New Year's Honours List

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 14:35:43 GMT

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KS5 Mathematical Success

IEames@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 12:38:50 GMT

Top 5% Maths Students

Despite all of the doom and gloom I have some fantastic mathematical news and a success story for our KS5 mathematicians.

We had a team of mathematicians who entered a national 'integral maths' competition to solve various challenging and novel problems over a 10-week period. There were 900 schools in total and Robert Clack finished in the top 5%. Very impressive considering the level of challenge.

https://integralmaths.org/ritangle/2020

Well done to Emily G, Dwayne A, Harkuran K, Mohammed H, Ugo O, Matthew D and Saarajun J.

Mr Race

Year 7 students start at Lymington Fields

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 12:18:20 GMT

We have just completed our first full month since opening the Lymington Fields site and what an amazing start it has been. The students have been hugely impressive in the way they have conducted themselves since joining Robert Clack School and have shown consistently the ability to meet our expectations to be BRAVE in their approach to their learning.

The support from parents and the wider school community has been fantastic and enabled the students to enjoy a smooth transition to life in secondary school.

It is clear that the students are relishing the extra responsibility which comes with being a secondary school student as over 50 students attended our inaugural Lymington School Council meeting which clearly demonstrates the positive attitude our students have adopted towards the wider school community.

It has been a great pleasure to observe the fantastic work of our staff alongside the exemplary behaviour, effort and virtuous manner of our first Lymington cohort. It is this positive approach which leaves me in no doubt that these students are destined to succeed at Robert Clack School; as the school motto says - for the BRAVE, nothing is difficult.

Former Robert Clack Assistant Headteacher receives MBE

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 11:16:11 GMT

A Norwich businesswoman who helped home school tens of thousands of pupils during lockdown has been made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Sarah-Jane Mintey is founder and chief executive of Developing Experts, and has been given the honour for her services to technology and education during Covid-19.

Developing Experts has 700 science lesson plans and experiments for children between four and 14, which help schools teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and inspire pupils into future careers in the field.

Ms Mintey, 51, a former Norfolk headteacher, first developed the platform in 2015, but saw its membership soar during lockdown when it offered its lessons for free to aid schools during the crisis.

So far, more than 2,400 schools have taken up the offer and they now help educate almost 80,000 pupils around the country.

Former Robert Clack Computing teacher receives MBE

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 10:43:44 GMT

We are delighted to share the news that Carrie Anne Philbin, Raspberry Pi’s Director of Educator Support, has been awarded an MBE for her services to education in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2020 .

Carrie Anne was one of the first employees of the Raspberry Pi Foundation and has helped shape their educational programmes over the past six years. Before joining the Foundation, Carrie Anne was a computing teacher, YouTuber, and author.

She’s also a tireless champion for diversity and inclusion in computing; she co-founded a grassroots movement of computing teachers dedicated to diversity and inclusion, and she has mentored young girls and students from disadvantaged backgrounds. She is a fantastic role model and source of inspiration to her colleagues, educators, and young people.

Robert Clack Student is Chartered Surveyors Bursary Award winnder

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 10:59:40 GMT

I am delighted to confirm that Denis Halili Year 13 summer leaver has been confirmed as the Bursary Award winner from The Chartered Surveyors 2020. Denis completed three outstanding work experience placements in property with Savills and The CRBE in central London and will now be awarded up to £6,500.00 towards his Business Studies BSc hons degree at Queen Mary university starting this term. Denis worked extremely hard to gain offers of degree apprenticeships in property and unfortunately due to the COVID 19 effects on the industry just now this could not happen. Denis gained distinctions in all of his vocational qualifications and has now started his studies at Queen Mary University, this bursary will have a powerful impact on his future success and also in continuing valuable W/E placements with influential contacts already gained via his excellent work experience accomplishments.

This achievement is also great credit to all the teachers that have taught Denis over the years and many congratulations to all involved!

J Hamill – Careers/PSHE Director

Reading garden built in Teacher's memory using Leader Award Grant

esmith@robertclack.co.uk — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 08:00:22 GMT

Robert Clack used their Leader Award Grant to help build a new outdoor reading garden for pupils to improve their literacy and feel inspired by books – all while enjoying the fresh air.

The idea was to create an outdoor space where pupils could enjoy literature outside of the classroom (literally!). The space is separated from the playground with comfortable seating, plants and wall art.

The reading garden is dedicated to longstanding English Teacher Mr Colin Hopkins, who sadly passed away, and includes some of his favourite author’s quotes to inspire the students.

“As a school, we are constantly striving to improve the literacy of our pupils… We have set aside a ‘comfortable space’ inside the library which has proved extremely popular with students. An outdoor space will build on that and be more visible in the playground, providing peer reading role models.” said Rachel Elliott, current Jack Petchey Coordinator.

Robert Clack School applied for and were awarded a Leader Award Grant of £750 which was used to pay for the seating in the garden, including a deck chair, cushions and outdoor beanbags.

The Leader Award Grant is a grant that can be applied for in conjunction to a Leader Award, used to recognise exceptional teachers, staff and youth leaders for the work they are doing and the opportunities they are offering young people across London and Essex.

This Leader Award Grant was applied for with a recent Leader Award presented to Ellen Monk, Learning Resources Manager and Alumni Development Officer at the school.

“Ellen has always been an outstanding colleague and leader, but her work with the Robert Clack Alumni Association has truly set her apart…she is determined, through her work with the Alumni Association, to do all she can to support the pupils of Robert Clack School.” Said Mr Paul Argent, JPF School Coordinator at the time.

Ellen was given the Leader Award for her work building relationships with over 1200 school alumni and involving them more in the work of the school, such as in mentoring and Skills for Life lessons.

We always encourage schools and youth groups to include young people in the nomination process, and Robert Clack’s school council played a major role in nominating Mrs Monk.

Year 13 Results 2020

IEames@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 09:38:18 GMT

Year 13 Results Success

We are immensely proud of our Year 13 pupils who have worked hard to achieve the A Level and vocational results that they have been awarded today.

We are delighted that pupils are progressing to first class university, apprenticeship and employment destinations with 3 pupils securing places to study medicine at Nottingham and UEA respectively.

Over 100 pupils will be taking up places at their first choice university in September with many pupils looking forward to studying at Russell Group universities such as Imperial College, Southampton, UCL, LSE, Leeds, Bristol, Kings College and Warwick.

Despite ‘centre assessed grades’ (i.e. teacher predictions) being downgraded by statistical modelling, overall pass rates at A Level remained high with nearly 80% of entries being grades at A*-C and nearly 22% being graded at A*-A. The average grade at A Level was C+.

We are also delighted that nearly a quarter of A Level pupils* achieved the ‘gold standard’ AAB or above and 6 pupils achieved A*A*A* to AAA.

In vocational qualifications, pupil achievement was high with nearly 80% of double award subjects (equivalent to 2 A Levels) graded at D*D*-DD with an average grade of D*-D. In single award subjects (equivalent to 1 A Level) nearly 35% of single award subjects were grades at D*-D with an average grade of Merit+.

We are, however, also disappointed and deeply concerned for the pupils that have been negatively affected by statistical moderation process used by the exam boards. Unfortunately, many pupils were not awarded the grades that their teachers thought they deserved.

Centre assessed grades (teacher predicted grades) were lowered for roughly 40% of A Level entries however nearly 60% of pupils had 1 or more of their grades lowered. The government has only offered very limited grounds for which pupils and the school can appeal these results but we will do our utmost to ensure that all pupils get the grades they deserve.

Microsoft Work Experience

IEames@robertclack.co.uk — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 21:26:09 GMT

Our Lockdown Work Experience with Microsoft

By Amelia F Year 11

So, to give some context, myself and 19 other people from my school were chosen to participate in a Microsoft work experience week. It was incredible, even though we had to talk to people through video calls due to Covid-19. I’m extremely interested in the computing and tech industry so this experience gave me an insight into a major tech company’s work day.

During our work experience we had to present a project as to how the Microsoft HoloLens would help the effects of Covid-19. The HoloLens is a mixed reality headset that allows you to pull up digital files whilst also seeing reality.

Day 1

This was our welcoming day so we could get used to Microsoft Teams, and talk to our mentors for the rest of the week. We were also told information about placement/intern years and apprenticeships at Microsoft.

Day 2

Today was a little bit more interesting. We had already made progress on our project, and there were virtual workshops for us to see. We learned about many people's jobs and their experiences at Microsoft and their journey to getting into Microsoft. After that, my mentor set up a meeting with a sales manager specifically for the HoloLens so that I could get a better idea about how it works and how it could help hospitals during the pandemic. After that, another workshop with a very inspirational lady, Pamela Barotti, working in collaboration with TEDx and Microsoft. She was very motivational and had an amazing story that she shared with us about her journey coming to the UK and working for Microsoft. She helped us understand how to be successful using our skills, minds and our authenticity. Lastly, she gave us a 30 day challenge; here are the rules:

DO NOT

• Complain

• Spend more than 2 hours on social media

• Watch too much bad news.

These have negative impacts on your mental health, and trying to stay positive is key.

• Write a goal everyday

• Start the journey to complete the goal

• Have fun everyday!

Day 3

Today was also incredibly interesting. We had a ‘teams’ call with a new Microsoft app called Mixer - a streaming app like Twitch. It was fun to see that you can turn whatever your dream is into a real occupation. My mentor also arranged for me to build an app with Power apps. It was quite easy - just like using the Android Developer. You don’t need to know how to code with these apps, so it is very easy to make apps. He also arranged for me to talk to another amazing woman, Kitty Yeung, a Senior Program Manager in Quantum Computing at Microsoft. She innovatively incorporated tech into her own fashion line. But I was mostly star struck at the fact that she went to both Cambridge University AND Harvard where she received a PhD in Applied Physics.

Lastly, we had a LinkedIn session to show us how important it is to expand your horizons and connections with people from different experiences to better your career and your dream job.

Day 4

Day 4 was our last day. We had a session with the leader of the Microsoft Apprenticeship Programme in London to give us inspiration about different paths to go down after we finish school. Then our mentors set up mock interviews - was a little scared - but it was very useful because we got lots of tips on how to interview successfully. One tip that I want to share is when giving examples of a personal experience, use the STAR method to structure your answer.

• Situation

• Task

• Action

• Result

We were encouraged that if we base our answer in this format, the employer will clearly be able to spot what you have already achieved. Lastly, the interviewer said, always be yourself. Never fake how you feel or what you enjoy just to fit in, you will be very miserable. So, to avoid that be yourself and they will love you for who you are!

Of course this was also the day we had to present our amazing ideas about the HoloLens - unfortunately my team did not win but I’m so proud of them for being the best they can :)

Overall, I’m so star-struck just thinking about the fact that I could experience this week. I’m so grateful for the Microsoft team and Miss Valentine who organised it, and everyone who participated.

The Day I Met Meghan!

IEames@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 21:01:36 GMT

It was the end of the week and sunnier than usual, but it was anything but a normal day.

Friday 6th March 2020. The day I met Meghan Markle.

My English class had been studying poetry for the past few weeks and that week we were looking closer at specific poets. My group was focusing on Maya Angelou, we had done research and made posters so all that was left to do was present it to the class. Then on the Monday of that week we were told by my teachers that we had the opportunity to present in front of the upper school teachers and a special guest. My class was excited but also curious about the special guest.

The rest of the week we prepared,improved our presentations and did more research. Two days after some people were called down from Skills For Life to be told more information about the special visit. That's when we were told that the visitor was royal.This made everyone much more excited. The day finally came and everyone was registered and taken to upper school. My class went to the library and started to prepare by writing poems inspired by the poets we researched. This is the poem I wrote(inspired by Maya Angelou):

“ I am strong

I am caring

I am brave

I am enough!

I am worthy

I am interesting

I am independent

I am enough!

I am beautiful

I am smart

I am funny

I am enough!

I am valued

I am equal

I am proud

I am a woman!”

In the poem I was researching by Maya Angelou she used a lot of repetition,so that's where I got the inspiration from and based my poem off of it. While writing this poem we were all anxiously waiting for the special guest to come in. After all the suspense Meghan finally came into the room… The room was dead silent as everyone was very nervous, she walked around and assured us that we didn't have to feel uneasy around her despite her high status. She made us all feel comfortable and that made the whole process a lot easier.

Imisi Year 9

A Day of Design!

IEames@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 23:10:51 GMT

Budding T-Shirt Designers!

Our students have been fortunate enough to take part in a whole day Art workshop where they could explore issues around BLM and reflect these in their own pieces. The students designed a range of t shirts with their own logos and slogans. Lots of the pieces focus on solidarity and persistence. We can see some future designers in the making! Thanks to the Art department for a great day.

Meeting Geraldine Dear

IEames@robertclack.co.uk — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 20:40:03 GMT

BBC School Report

Geraldine Dear and the mayor and mayoress of Barking and Dagenham join us for a royal visit.

On Friday 6th March 2020 Talha S & Ibraheem A were extremely fortunate to greet and interview the mayor and mayoress of Barking and Dagenham. We were also extremely fortunate to interview Geraldine Dear who was in the Ford strike for equal pay. This was an exciting day for Robert Clack as we were all gathered to welcome Meghan Markle to our school.

The focus of our afternoon was to find out more about our other special guest - Geraldine Dear. We were interested to learn how Geraldine played a very important role in the lives of women in Dagenham. She stood up for what was right. Geraldine and other women who worked for Ford needed to find a way to get back their rights - this needed a group, it couldn’t just be done alone. So Ms Dear and other female workers of Ford created a group and together they protested and fought for equal pay rights

Geraldine Dear talked to us and explained how tough it was and said it wasn’t easy at all. She also stated that we are very fortunate as things are more settled to this day. However to this day, we know that some women still do not have the same rights as men. She also added that women may still be portrayed as weaker than men but we are still grateful as myself and the other female workers at Ford did make a difference. Talha was curious and asked Geraldine some questions, one question he asked was: ‘What made you go on strike’? Geraldine replied with: ‘Our wages weren’t equal like the males',

Meeting Geraldine and listening to her opinions about equal rights has changed our viewpoints. Geraldine and her group made a small step themselves, but this lead to a huge leap for the rights of women all around the world.

All of our guests were very excited to meet us and share their stories, myself and Talha were very lucky indeed to meet these people as it was a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Here's a picture of the mayor and mayoress of Barking and Dagenham and Geraldine Dear with Talha S and Ibraheem A in S2, the school's function room.

Meghan Markle Visits Robert Clack

IEames@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 20:52:29 GMT

The Duchess of Sussex celebrates International Women’s Day at Robert Clack School!

“Oh my god, that’s Meghan! I’m actually going to meet Meghan!” This was one student’s reaction as the Duchess of Sussex surprised students at Robert Clack’s upper site on Friday 6th March ahead of International Women’s Day.

Excitement filled the air as Meghan got out of her car and was greeted by Ian Pittaway - Deputy Lieutenant for Barking and Dagenham and Co-chair of the Robert Clack Alumni Association. Many of the children were speechless, while others gasped as they set eyes on the Duchess who was stood before them. A few weeks earlier Ian had received an email asking if any local schools would like a visit from the Duchess. The theme of the event was International Women’s Day and, with Dagenham holding such an important place in the history of women’s rights following the Ford sewing machinists strike which was instrumental in passing the 1970 Equal Pay Act, Robert Clack were particularly keen to welcome such a special guest.

We were honoured to be selected and set about making plans for the day with the Duchess’s staff and security services. After being introduced to Head Teacher Russell Taylor and Senior Deputy Head Teacher Steve O’Brien, Meghan smiled broadly as she was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Year 7 students, Fiona A and Harvi S.

Meghan was then invited to the Information Centre where she was welcomed by Assistant Head Izzy Eames and her Year 9 students who were working on a project about female poets. The students had researched a variety of female poets, studied an unseen poem, and were busy creating their own poems using their research as inspiration. The Duchess was very interested in their work and offered encouraging words when students shared their poems with her and the group.

Meghan then met Assistant Head Emily Valentine and the Year 12 Debating Society. Robert Clack Debaters have rubbed shoulders with stars and politicians over the years - but never royalty! Miss Valentine shared her experiences of the day. She praised them for how articulate they were and that it was clear that the moral compasses they hold will enable them to become world leaders when they complete their education. A particular highlight of our time with the Duchess was when she was made an honourary member of the Debate Society and students Lily and Yesha presented her with her own debate jacket, she said that 'her husband would be very jealous'. It was an absolute honour for some of our Debate Society to meet such a warm, modern and personable member of the Royal Family. It was a day that we will never forget!”

“When Mr Taylor told me about the Royal Visit from the Duchess of Sussex there was no question about ensuring that our wonderful debaters got an opportunity to show off their skills, especially as the issues that the Duchess holds close to her heart are the same as those involved in the Debate Society. What struck me about the Duchess was that she was incredibly down to earth and keen to hear the views and aspirations of those taking part in the session. She remarked on the fact that they were able to discuss their future careers. One example was embarking on work in Gynaecology in the developing world, and how student Aeesha was able link science and debate effortlessly.

She recognised that our students have the ability to change the world using their voices and encouraged them to continue to have their voices heard. Debater, Aeesah A added, “The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, is an inspirational person not just to young people from ethnic minorities and females, but to the general population. I believe she has this influence because she has already accomplished so many great achievements in her life whilst overcoming many difficulties thrown her way. To have her join our Debate Society has made all of us more proud of being part of the Robert Clack Debate Society. Meeting the Duchess of Sussex has given me personally more confidence and assurance that my ability to speak out can make positive changes and help improve the lives of people for the better. Her joining of our Debate Society has helped solidify the fact that young people can make a change in the world that we live in and that the steps that we are taking to do this are being noticed by many people from all around the world.”

The Duchess made her final stop of the visit at the assembly hall where she was keen to take part in the Year 11 assembly which was themed around International Women’s Day. She was introduced to former student Miss Hasika Bhudia, teacher of mathematics and Head of Year 11, along with another honoured guest - former student Geraldine Dear, a retired Ford Machinist, who took part in the Equal Pay Strike. Students Rhyanna W and Renee P-D kick started the assembly by speaking eloquently about the global impact the female Dagenham Ford workers made on women’s rights. The first strike in 1968 was a trigger in passing the Equal Pay Act 1970. Geraldine was one of the ’13 rebels’ who took part in a further strike in 1984, in protest against the system that graded women as unskilled workers. Geraldine and her machinist colleagues went on strike for six weeks before Ford eventually agreed to their terms and they returned to work on an equal footing to the male skilled workers.

Year 13 student Olivia C then made a heartfelt speech about her own experiences as a woman and reflected on where she thought life would take her. Olivia said, “This visit is certainly one I will remember, as the crucial celebration of women and female empowerment was recognised by a leading female figure in public British consciousness. As I am from a borough with issues surrounding gender equality and the empowerment of young people, I think that Meghan Markle recognising our area and our school as an important centre of change for gender in our society and the role and status of women is incredibly powerful.”

The ‘Citizen of The Week’ award was then presented to student Charlotte Fleisher by Meghan. A very excited Charlotte said, “It was amazing to see Meghan in school. I couldn’t believe it when she congratulated me for receiving my award and shook my hand. This memory will stay with me forever!” The Duchess then addressed the assembly, urging the boys in particular, to value and appreciate the women in their lives whilst setting an example to other men who may not see things in the same way. “You have mothers, sisters, girlfriends, and friends in your lives. Protect them, make sure they are feeling valued and safe. Let’s just rally together to make sure International Women’s Day is something that is not just for one day but frankly feels like every day of the year.”

She then went ‘off the cuff’ and asked for a male volunteer from the audience.Aker O was the lucky student to be chosen! Aker approached the stage to rapturous applause and cheers from his peers and, shaking Meghan’s hand, he said the words, “She really is beautiful innit!” which has become his tag line and gone viral on social media! Aker received a big hug from the giggling Duchess who was clearly amused by his reaction before speaking with confidence about his views on women’s rights. A very proud Miss Bhudia said “All in all, the speeches from our pupils filled us with nothing but pride on this special day. The voice from today’s women of Dagenham was held strong and we have every faith in them to keep the fight for equality alive through the generations to come. Well done to everyone who was involved and I am sure this will be a day nobody will forget!"

This was certainly a day that will be etched in the minds of all staff and students at Robert Clack for many years to come. The atmosphere around the school was electric. Here are a few quotes from some of the students: “I never expected to have such an honour of meeting a royal, but there I was at Robert Clack School meeting one of the most special and important people today” Fabio Petraru “We were all waiting at our tables and then we saw Meghan Markle through a window the teachers forgot to cover! I was honestly so excited because I was getting this once in a lifetime opportunity” Ula Lapinskaite “It was amazing. We were all screaming and crying in excitement. Seeing Meghan Markle inspired me to try harder and be the best me I can be” Popina Brennan

Head Teacher Russell Taylor reflected on the day saying, “The visit of The Duchess of Sussex was a truly great moment in the history of Robert Clack School. As I listened to the wonderful speeches given by Renee, Rhyanna, and Olivia during the assembly, I found myself feeling overcome with emotion. All I could think was: this is what Robert Clack School is about. This visit wasn’t about one individual; it was about us, all of us, working together as one for the benefit of all. I’m sure you have seen the media coverage of Meghan’s visit and I’m sure, like me, you cannot fail to have noticed the look of shock, exuberance, and unadulterated joy on our pupils’ faces. Meghan told our pupils - girls and boys - that they matter, that they have a voice and that they should use it. What a powerful message!

And the response on social media has been nothing short of extraordinary, with so many people from all over the world commenting on our “amazing” pupils. I feel exceptionally proud and privileged to be a part of our community; I hope they all do too.”

A huge thank you to everyone involved in the visit, especially our staff and wonderful students. Special mentions to our VIPs, Ian Pittaway, Geraldine Dear, the Mayor of Barking and Dagenham, Peter Chand and his wife Ginger, Chief Executive of LBBD, Chris Naylor, and Leader of the Council, Darren Rodwell. It was certainly a memorable day for us all!

RE Trip to Rome 2020

IEames@robertclack.co.uk — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 20:38:13 GMT

RE Trip to Rome (January 2020)

In January this year, the RE department took 34 RE GCSE and A-Level pupils to Rome. It was a fantastic trip in which we visited a range of significant religious sites such as the Vatican City, St. Peter’s Basilica and The Great Mosque.

The pupils involved were very engaged throughout, asking our tour guide insightful questions and consistently showing a great attitude. As well as visiting religious sites, the pupils enjoyed exploring Rome more widely. Highlights included trips to the Colosseum, Piazza del Popolo and the Catacombs of San Calisto. After a busy three days, the trip culminated with a delicious meal at the Hard Rock Café.

Here’s a view from one of our GCSE pupils, Christopher B:

‘Whilst on the Rome trip we visited many fascinating sites such as the Pantheon, Vatican City as well as the Coliseum. However, my personal favourite was the Catacombs of San Callixtus. They were the place where the Crypt of The Popes resided, deep underground. As well as the crypt, it contained inumerable holes in which bodies of long past Christians were laid to rest. This was due to the fact that in the time of the Roman Empire, Christianity was an illegal religion so they could not have a place of worship or be buried. Therefore, the catacombs were built outside Rome, on the Appian Way, in order to overcome these restrictions. It was my favourite site, due to the fact that it was vast and yet somehow compact. Also, the fact that it didn’t hurt when I walked in it or that it wasn’t extremely grandiose like most of Rome’s famous attractions didn’t hurt either.’

Thanks to the RE department for a wonderful and fun filled trip!

Year 12 trip to Standard Chartered Bank

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 11:46:31 GMT

On a brisk Thursday morning a group of Robert Clackers embarked on a trip to one of the world’s leading international banks. Year 12 student Dami reports back on their day…. “The journey on the train was a real eye opener to what City workers have to deal - consistently packed the whole way! When we arrived at the bank we were amazed by the décor, especially the massive hut right in the middle of the foyer. We were then taken to the highest level of the building that had a brilliant view of London, especially of St Paul’s Cathedral. We listened to presentations about the inner workings of the bank, including trading currencies, commodities, sales and compliance - the sector that checks up on the Bankers. To top it off we got to go on the trading floor where we saw first-hand how banking works. Overall it was a great day and one that really had an impact on our understanding about the world of banking.

Thanks to Miss Bevan and Mrs Monk for organising and taking us, and also to the Alumni Association for their help in arranging this trip”.

Sixth Formers visit the world’s largest scientific research centre CERN, Switzerland

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 11:45:12 GMT

On 28th January 2016, twenty-eight spirited and eager students from years 12 and 13, along with three members of staff, set off on an exciting two day adventure to CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research in Geneva, Switzerland. The school had laid on a range of activities in the run up to the trip to ensure that students were well prepared for the fantastic opportunity they had been given to visit the ‘home’ of particle physics. Students received a talk from Oxford University’s Professor Philip Burrows, web chatted with Durham University students, and attended a screening of the film ‘Particle Fever’

Seeing the most exciting scientific experiments on the planet and having access to the physicists who were directly involved in them, was an inspiring experience for our young students. CERN hosts the world’s largest and most powerful particle collider – the Large Hadron Collider (or LHC), built in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists and engineers from over one hundred countries! After an opening lecture and exhibition of the LHC, students visited the Antimatter Factory currently home to experiments that aim to shed light on why our universe appears to contain only matter, even though it is thought that equal amounts of matter and antimatter were created in the Big Bang. All very mind blowing stuff!

Despite the whistle stop two-day tour being mainly dedicated to scientific endeavour, staff and students still found time for some social activities, enjoying skating on an outdoor rink, sightseeing, a photo treasure hunt, evening games and – of course - sampling some of the finest chocolate on offer (it’s not just science that the Swiss are world renowned for…!) The trip really was a once in a lifetime experience for both students and staff, capturing the imaginations of everyone across the school. It both supported our current physics students in their A Level studies (literally bringing science alive and encouraging some to consider continuing their physics studies at university and beyond) – and has helped to raise the profile of the subject in the school, inspiring our younger pupils to continue their science studies post-16.

On behalf of all staff and students, the school would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to the Alumni Association and Ford Motor Company for their generous donation which helped to make this incredible trip

Visit the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 11:44:00 GMT

In January this year, the 38 pupils studying GCSE Music had the opportunity to visit the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden to see a performance of the opera Tosca by Puccini. The students were thrilled by the impressive venue and the wonderful performance that they heard:

“This was a truly inspirational experience. I feel like I have found a new world of music that I love. This has changed the music I want to listen to, the music I want to write, and the way I think about music.”

- Gabrielle Atkinson, Year 11

Sky Sports Living for Sport project

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 11:42:40 GMT

On Monday 25th January a group of 19 lucky year 7 students participated in the Sky Sports Living for Sport project with GB athlete JJ Jegede. JJ spoke to the whole of year 7 in a very engaging assembly about his life growing up in Barking and Dagenham and how he became an athlete. After assembly, JJ and our group of year 7 students completed a work shop on the ‘6 keys to success’ with practical sessions and engaging discussions. Our students posed challenging questions to JJ and he responded with very insightful and motivating responses. Everyone involved had a fantastic day thanks to JJ and Sky Sports Living for Sport; we look forward to having him visit us again soon!

Road safety workshop

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 11:40:37 GMT

On Tuesday a group of school council representatives met with Hannah and Korantema from TfL to take park in a road safety workshop. Our students produced some fantastic ideas which they will be presenting in assembly in the near future and they will also be announcing details of an exciting competition for all students to enter. As Robert Clack School’s first ever Youth Travel Ambassadors they will be meeting with TfL again to convey their views on road safety around our school. Well done to Gloria, Fatoumatta, Ahad, Robert, Joseph and Harrison.

Surveying Student Returns to Robert Clack

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 12:30:06 GMT

Surveying Student Returns to Robert Clack

It was a pleasure to welcome back Mirald today, he shared his current project work and city work placement plans with h is BSc Hons in Surveying with a group of our pupils. Mirald has just been awarded £6,500.00 towards his studies by our colleagues from the Livery Company of Chartered Surveyors for outstanding work experience placements with them in years 12 and 13. A fantastic achievement indeed, it really shows what continuous hard work and dedication can reward you with.

Speak to your audience

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Be sure to include a few high-quality images in your blog. Images break up the text and make it more readable. They can also convey emotions or ideas that are hard to put into words.

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Once you’re happy with the text, put it aside for a day or two, and then re-read it. You’ll probably find a few things you want to add, and a couple more that you want to remove. Have a friend or colleague look it over to make sure there are no mistakes. When your post is error-free, set it up in your blog and publish.

Robert Clack Student Makaylah Is a Published Author

Wed, 18 Dec 2019 12:30:07 GMT

Robert Clack Student Makaylah Is a Published Author

Year 8 student Makaylah has written a book called ‘My First Trip To The Gambia’.

Makaylah took a trip to The Gambia when she was 9 and before she went she did not know what to expect. She imagined a place where lions roamed around freely and disease was rife. Makaylah found she couldn’t have been more wrong – The Gambia is a beautiful country with friendly and welcoming people and no lions! Makaylah felt compelled to write about this to infom other people who may consider visiting.

Going forward Makaylah has been approached by an author who is writing a series of books to contribute towards the series. Exciting!

We are very proud to have a published author amongst our students. Well done Makaylah!

If you would like to order a copy of the book or find out more you can do so at www.makaylahwilliams.co.uk .

Choir visit to Fred Tibble Court

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 12:30:07 GMT

Choir visit to Fred Tibble Court

On Monday, 9th December 2019, members of the upper choir and a small number of students from year 9 at Robert Clack school went to Fred Tibble Court to perform and sing Christmas carols. It was an amazing afternoon where we got the opportunity to not only perform, but to chat with the residents of Fred Tibble court. We spoke to many people and had a lovely time speaking to everyone and spreading the Christmas spirit. Everyone was full of joy and us, Robert Clack students had a wonderful day. Thank you so much for letting us spread the joy and perform for the residents. Hope to perform and see everyone again one day soon.

Katie Savage- Year 10

Year 10 History trip to Berlin 2018

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 10:38:00 GMT

From 3rd-6th April, Year 10 History students visited Berlin in order to gain more knowledge about Germany’s significance in the Cold War for their GCSE Unit Conflict and Tension. It was an exciting trip to a city full of history, and the Year 10s also got to visit sites and learn about the Nazi regime and the Second World War and the Holocaust.

We visited the Holocaust Memorial, the Topography of Terror and 1936 Olympic Stadium where Hitler refused to shake gold medal winner Jesse Owen’s hand. For the Cold War, we visited the Stasi Prison in which people trying to escape East Germany where imprisoned and interrogated right up until 1989! We also visited the Berlin Wall and went to the top of the Reichstag into the Dome where we had amazing views of Berlin at night!

To top it all off we went bowling on the last night and also had free time walking around German markets, trying Bratwurst and of course doing some shopping!