On Wednesday 6th 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.

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

By npower • December 10, 2025
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Year 1 News

By npower • December 10, 2025
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

By npower • December 10, 2025
Former Student Inspires Year 12 with Insight into Management Consultancy

Year 11 Student Takes Flight with Aeronautical Engineering Inspiration

By npower • December 10, 2025
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

By npower • December 10, 2025
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

By npower • December 9, 2025
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

By npower • December 9, 2025
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

By npower • December 9, 2025
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

By npower • November 20, 2025
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Year 10 Parliament Trip

By npower • November 16, 2025
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.