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.

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!

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.

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!

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

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.

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

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.

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!