Eastlea Community School Easter 2019 newsletter

Newsletter

Easter 2019

Being successful and feeling successful

Company’s partnership gives pupils aspirations

All set: Students have received help from BCLP volunteers to prepare for college interviews

Leading law firm’s help for students CAREERS after the classroom are being carefully considered by lucky students at Eastlea Community School, who got the chance to work at an international law firm.

Year 10 students Ishrat Ahmed and Andrei Nohai spent time shadowing professionals at the world-renowned law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.

The firm has lawyers in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia and London – and for a week, the Eastlea pupils were among them.

Ishrat said: “This isn’t something everyone our age gets to experience so it was really good for us. We feel grateful for the opportunity.

“They are a huge firm and they work in real estate law and lots of other areas.

“It was an incredible experience that will help me pursue my dream career in law.”

Teaming up: Eastlea students get some work experience

Andrei added: “Eastlea does a good job of steering us in the right direction and helping us figure out what we want to do in life because the teachers are always listening.

“I am not sure if I would like to

pursue a career in law at this point but with all the experience I am getting, it is helping me to have a better understanding of what sort of career would suit me best.”

MENTORS from one of the world’s largest professional services firms in the world have been encouraging our students to aim high.

Year 10 pupils have been getting the inside track on what it takes to make it big in the working world from employees at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) PwC employs thousands of finance and management gurus in offices all around the world, including London, New York and Paris.

Their wisdom is now being used at Eastlea School to help get the best out of Year 10 students ahead of their GCSE exams.

Year 10 student Iqra Mushtaq said the partnership with PwC helps encourage her and her peers to get the best from themselves as they look to the future.

She said: “The partnership with the school is really beneficial to us as students.

The mentors help us with things which are vital for work such as time management.

“They are also taking us for a few days of work experience to help build our confidence.

Getting the chance to work in a top company really helps in that respect.”

Zinat added: “I think this is the best programme I have done so far. The things that they help us with transfer over to school, like time management helps us with revision.

“The teachers are also really helpful as well. Mine is currently making a revision timetable with me after I identified with PwC that I needed one.”

Eastlea Community School newsletter n Easter 2019

Work goes on to ensure great results Headteacher Stephen Gillatt reflects on another successful term at Eastlea... firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.

The praise received from mentors at PricewaterhouseCoopers was fantastic to read, and a testament to the dedication of our Year 10 students, who are going above and beyond to do well in their studies and gain invaluable experience in the workplace.

In sport, our athletes are flying the flag for the school, winning numerous medals in the Essex indoor athletics championships – particularly notable is our

Karis, who can run the 60 metres in an astounding 8.23 seconds!

In the community, students made Christmas dinner for 24 elderly residents, who otherwise would have been alone.

It’s this kind-heartedness and selfmotivation that makes me proud to be headteacher of Eastlea School.

We are working flat out to ensure our students leave the school with a fantastic set of exam results this year. Work on attendance and intervention are ongoing.

As you will read, our students are focused and determined to do well – and our staff will make sure they get there.

Have a safe and restful Easter holiday.

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AS the mornings and evenings grow lighter throughout the term, I am reminded that Year 11s are creeping ever closer to their GCSE exams in the summer.

Our passionate and dedicated teachers are busy ensuring that they are fully prepared for the challenges that lay ahead.

Across the school, we are always pushing our students to the limits of their potential to achieve.

Year 10 students got a flavour of the world of work during work experience, with placements at top institutions, including world-famous law

Students get a taste of the Far East on day trip CHINESE culture was recently explored through cinema when a group of Eastlea’s Year 8 students set out to learn more about the Far East.

During a day at the British Film Institute in Southbank, the students were immersed in all things China – and even learned to count in Mandarin, the language spoken across most of northern and southwestern China.

Year 8 student Ammad Ijaz said he was amazed by the history of the costumes and culture on display.

He said: “We learned about Chinese culture and where their beautiful clothes and food came from. We watched movies and talked about Mandarin and we were taught some words.

“It was such a great thing to do and it got us thinking about China. I think we all enjoyed learning the language. I would like to do it again and I’m pleased the school gives us opportunities like this.”

Student Fajr Ijaz says she can now count

from one to ten in Mandarin after the school trip. She added: “We learned to count the numbers which was really fun. We got to learn from film and it was fascinating.

Students from Star Primary School visited us recently, taking part in a dance mat competition.

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“I am really grateful we get to do things at school that get us thinking about learning other languages and about other cultures. I hope we get to go again.”

Well done to 7C who won the cup for the best attendance in their year.

Eastlea Community School newsletter n Easter 2019

Students’ festive lesson in respect YEAR 10 students gave the gift of time – and food – to elderly citizens in December when they volunteered to cook their Christmas dinner.

Kind-hearted pupils from Eastlea made 24 dinners for elderly residents – complete with chicken and all the trimmings.

As well as making them food, and pulling crackers with them, the Year 10 students took the time to get to know them.

The pressure was on for the group, who had to make the dinner from scratch and work as a team to deliver it on time.

Year 10 Jade Litambola-Douglas said it was not just making the dinner that she enjoyed, but she also got the opportunity to speak with elderly residents that she normally would never have met.

She said: “It was a really great experience.

I was preparing the chicken so it was a really important job. I knew I had to do a really good job.

“I was really proud of myself because they said how much they enjoyed it. We got to sit down and talk to them and it really got me thinking about respect and talking to people of different ages.”

Fellow student Aliyah Olajobi said: “We got the chance to speak to older people and I think we learnt a lot about respecting older people and interacting with them.”

Year 10 Eden Simon Robinson added: “We also learned about working as a group – and making sure we were all listening to each other to get everything right and on time.”

Former pupil gives tips on construction

Preparation for life after school WORKSHOPS in preparing a CV and mentoring programmes are giving Eastlea students the tools they need to impress employers after leaving the school.

The World of Work programme is once again in full swing with pupils in Year 10 being encouraged to consider the path they want to take.

Student Aisha Begum, who is considering a career as a lawyer, said the World of Work scheme is once again equipping students to go out and be the best they can be.

She said: “We are getting practical help through workshops which are already teaching us how to write a CV – and they are helping to organise work experience.

“At Key Stage Four everyone in school is interested in what your plan is and they are always asking how they can help to get you there. It teaches us about what we want to do when we are older.

“We have really good teachers at this school who care about what happens to us whenwe leave. That gives you confidence and determination.”

Throughout the programme students will be visited by professionals from a wide range of industries to help keep them motivated.

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Year 10 Maicey Cornish says working with successful women throughout the project has been inspirational.

She said: “It is really good to hear from people who are successful now and hear they were once in the same position as us. It helps us to know what direction to go in.

“This is one of the best things the school offers – my sister did it before me so I was looking forward to it.”

Year 10 also took part in a Building Opportunities and Skills Seminar, in which they will get the chance to put questions to people in the jobs they want.

STUDENTS got a head start on a career in construction after taking part in a workshop run by top executives.

They were given expert advice on CV writing, presentation skills and career paths during sessions held in March.

Commercial director for London & Quadrant Housing Association and former students David Pearce and Construction Youth Trust led the sessions.

Year 11 student Harvey said: “The workshop gave me an insight into construction careers, and made me think about how I can develop my skills more to create an outstanding CV.” Mr Pearce, a former student of Eastlea, said: “It’s a delight to be able to give something back to my old school.

“It was great to see the energy and enthusiasm of the students in the room, and I am sure that they will be fantastic employees in the future.

“I am very much looking forward to coming back and working with the students to develop their employability skills.”

Opportunities in the law YEAR 10 students learned about life studying the law at one of the country’s top universities during a visit this term.

Students discussed career and education pathways with a course leader and student ambassador from King’s College Law School.

More Able coordinator Ms Khan said: “Our students confidently spoke about their high aspirations of studying at a Russell Group university and their plans for the future.”

Eastlea Community School newsletter n Easter 2019

Talented sprinters Karis and Sarah have promising future TWO aspiring Olympians from Eastlea Community School are celebrating winning a host of medals in an Essex indoor athletics championship.

Talented Karis Wilson and Sarah Campbell both took home golds after competing at the Under 13s Open at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre in March.

Karis came first in one of the 60m dashes and won silver in the 200m race. Sarah also won gold in her 60m event and came in fourth in the 200m.

The girls built on the phenomenal success they had already enjoyed at the Essex County & Eastern AA Championships the previous month.

Sarah said: “The school has been really supportive. We always do a lot of running in PE. But I’ve only been training for about a year so it was surprising that I did so well.

“I’m definitely aiming for the Olympics one day; the school and the coaches have given me the confidence to believe I can.”

The students, who train twice a week at the nearby Olympic Park, want to emulate their heroes Olympians Asha Philip and Dina Asher-Smith.

Karis can run the 60m in a stunning 8.23seconds, while Sarah completes the 200m in just 28.75seconds.

Karis said: “We are only training twice a week with our professional trainers at the moment but I know that we will have to start doing a lot more as we get older.

“I think I’m the fastest in Essex at the moment and it would be amazing to be in the Olympics one day.

“I’m planning on being a professional athlete when I’m 16 and then going to uni to study something like sports psychology.”

Campaigning students foster Amnesty links FUTURE politicians and lawyers from Eastlea Community School have spoken about their “inspiring” work with charity Amnesty International.

Year 10 students Aisha Begum, Anika Hussain and Amaal Omar are planning an event which will help get other young people interested in the charity’s work.

They want to host the event at Amnesty’s headquarters in Shoreditch later this year.

Aisha said: “We are people who like to speak our minds. We want people to be

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actively involved in human rights work. I’m hoping to go into law or something to do with criminology when I’m older so I’ve been learning a lot from Amnesty. It’s been inspiring.”

The students hope to get as many women and girls involved with Amnesty’s work as possible.

They said their event would include classes or talks around feminism and they have already worked on campaigns to provide free sanitary products in schools.

Amaal said: “I want to be a teacher when I’m older. I want to teach people about their rights. I think it’s especially important for young girls to know about human rights.”

Anika added: “It’s good to get people talking about feminism because I think a lot of bad things are said about it. Feminism just means boys and girls being equal and I don’t think people should disagree with that.”

Classmates Ishrat Ahmed, 15, Faizah Mufti, 14, and Migle Marcipukaite, 14, have also been working with Amnesty.

They wrote a briefing paper and letter for MPs about how to deal with the crisis in Israel and Palestine.

Migle said: “We looked up all of the MPs who are interested in Israel and Palestine and we sent our letter and ideas to them.

“We haven’t heard back yet but are hoping to soon.”

PROFESSORS from Japan visited the school in March to learn about our outstanding SEN provision.

Professor Takahashi Makoto and Professor Junicia Tanaka are pictured with our SENCO Ms Grigore and Headteacher Mr Gillatt.

Talent: Year 8 Kai Bryan shows off his amazing art homework.

Eastlea Community School newsletter n Easter 2019

Sports leaders pass on skills to primary pupils YEAR 8 and 9 sports leaders mentored primary school students teaching them how to become outstanding in the role.

The school hosted Year 5 pupils from local primary schools across the borough during sessions held throughout the term.

They will now be able to take what they have learned from our students back to their own schools to run sporting competitions.

Skills learned during the training sessions

include working as a team, communication and leadership. Alongside the mentoring sessions, sports leaders have also helped out at primary school sports days and events run for younger students at the school.

Student Rhys Dillion said: “These sessions were good for both us and the younger students because while you are teaching them you are gaining invaluable skills yourself.”

Lottie Anderson added: “When you are

working with primary pupils, you are developing the kind of skill sets that will be helpful to you in the world of work.”

Another student, Mercii Morrison, said: “Being a sports leader has really boosted my confidence because it has taught me I can help other people.”

Mma Alisigne added: “I know I am able to communicate better because I have spent time talking to and helping younger pupils.”

Simple business idea pays off for Talaha STUDENTS have been channelling their inner Richard Branson to find innovative ways to make cash for the Tenner Challenge.

The project saw students challenged to start their own companies, learning all about business planning, taking risks and making a profit in the process, starting with just £10.

The pupils sold a variety of products to their classmates using keen knowledge of branding and recycling to turn over a profit.

Year 9 Talaha Tariq and his business partner made £40 after buying healthy snacks in bulk and selling them on to his fellow pupils.

He said: “The idea is a simple one in business – you buy in bulk and then sell for a higher price. It’s simple but highly effective.

Because the types of snacks pupils want are sometimes not available in school, we saw a gap in the market.”

Abidah Rahman, also in Year 9, offered a tuition service to pupils at local primary schools, and made a healthy £20.

She said: “We wanted to be innovative so we looked a providing a service rather than a product. A lot of Year 6 children and their parents are worrying about their SATS coming up.

“Our idea was to offer a unique service from students who have recently gone through the

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Presentation time: The students show their ideas for the Tenner Challenge process of revising for the exams.

“We leafleted local primary schools and got business that way. It was a really exciting project to work on because it gave you a sense of independence.”

Student Talaha added: “School is good for learning core subjects but I also think we need experience of how to be successful in the outside world. Am I the next Richard Branson? We will have to wait and see.”

Eastlea Community School newsletter n Easter 2019

Diana’s tale destined for anthology CULT television drama Game of Thrones provided the inspiration for a fantasy short story set to be published in an anthology.

Year 10 Diana Ilie’s tale of a fire-breathing dragon tamed by a fearless girl has been chosen to feature in the Hallmark Hotels Short Story competition.

Diana was encouraged to enter the competition by her English teacher but said she never expected to have her story included.

Her efforts have earned her a £50 Waterstones voucher and a free stay at a Hallmark Hotel.

It will be fully illustrated and available to

Singer Maria’s all set for top music school AN aspiring 16-year-old singer who only arrived in the UK a year ago has been offered a place at Ed Sheeran’s old music school.

Year 11 Maria De Silva will take her place on the two-year course at Access to Music in Hackney after impressing at auditions.

Maria will learn stage craft and get tips in her singing from the country’s top tutors, who have helped to produce a conveyor belt of top stars, including Rita Ora and Jess Glynne.

Her success is made all the more remarkable given she only arrived at Eastlea Community School a year ago from Brazil.

Maria now hopes to emulate her hero Ella Fitzgerald by making a career out of performing.

Maria said: “It has been an incredible year – first a move to a new country and then a place at Ed Sheeran and Rita Ora’s old music school.

“I love to sing and being accepting on to this course has given me the confidence that I can follow my dream of having a career in music.

“I now have to get on with my studies and make sure I do well before I start next September. It is a very exciting time.”

Maria credits her confidence and subsequent success to the outstanding teachers at Eastlea Community School.

She said: “The teachers and students have been so supportive, giving me advice and tips before my audition.

“They made such a big effort to make me feel welcome and part of the school. It was my music teacher who pushed me to audition for this course.

“When you have teachers at a school who believe in you and have confidence in you then it really makes you feel like you can achieve anything.”

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read in all Hallmark Hotel bedrooms across the UK. Diana said: “I actually got quite emotional when I found out my book was going to be in the anthology. You never expect to win when you enter.

“I submitted my story on the last day of the deadline and so never expected it to be included. It was a total shock.

“When I heard it was going to be published, I was really pleased.

“Writing is a hobby for me at the moment but now I’m a published writer, I might have to take it more seriously.”

Year 9 technology students are building electronic circuits for a light-sensing product using a light dependent resistor (LDR).

YEAR 7 students prepare vegetables to cook a delicious dish as part of their food technology lesson.

On song: Maria De Silva has only been in the UK for a year

Students were in excellent voice during music lesson.

Eastlea Community School newsletter n Easter 2019

DESIGN and Technology students learned about systems, mechanical devices and types of motion using cut-away sections of sewing machines.

Big question: Students being put through their paces in the Eastlea Writes project

Philosophy to the fore in new writing project STUDENTS got their grey matter working when considering the philosophical question: does the brain equal the mind?

They will have to answer the question in a 750-word university-style dissertation using the knowledge acquired over a year of study.

The Eastlea Writes project has seen students working with a PhD philosophy graduate.

They have been studying a range of philosophical theories, including substance dualism, reductive physicalism and monism, which will help when completing their assignment.

Year 8 pupil Irfaan said: “Working on this project has really changed my outlook not just on study but on life itself.

“I now come to everything with a critical eye and am looking for what lies beneath every question.

“The assignment really gave us the chance to put some of the knowledge we have gained into practice and test our understanding.”

Fellow Year 8 Izma said: “I think every student should be given classes in philosophy.

It really helps with other areas of study.

“For example, I am now applying what I gave learned in every subject I am taking at school. It has really broadened my thinking.

“It is also great to be working with a PhD graduate because they have a real in-depth knowledge of the subject. It taken our learning to another level.”

NEW boards celebrating students who have scored the top grade of 9 in their GCSEs last year went on display around the school this term.

Students enjoyed hot chocolate with the Headteacher for going above and beyond in their efforts around the school.

Students face social media marketing challenge TALENTED Year 10 students were tasked with raising the profile of The Crystal exhibition among young people using social media.

The visit in March is part of the Seven Day Challenge which will see students tackle problems set by top corporations, law firms and charities.

The aim of the project is to help students develop skills that will help them towards their exams, college and university applications and employability.

More Able coordinator Ms Khan said: “We have drawn on the expertise of top industry professionals to help our students develop characteristics that will be vital for their future success.”

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Eastlea Community School newsletter n Easter 2019

A day of fun to celebrate books

Short back and sides: Alex and Yann donated their hair and raised charity cash

Duo’s hair-raising stunt for charity TWO kind-hearted students cut their hair off to raise money for a children’s charity.

Year 10 students Alex Brown and Yann Carlos took the scissors to their long locks to help the Little Princess Trust.

The hair trim helped to raise a whopping £263 for the charity which helps buy wigs for youngsters who lost their hair through illness.

The pair also donated their hair, which will be made into a wig, to the charity.

Alex said: “I heard about this charity and

STAFF and students took part in lots of fun activities around school to celebrate World Book Day. Our library hosted the Great Book Swap, where students were encouraged to trade their old books while our English department dressed their doors with characters from books.

Meanwhile, the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) generously donated books to the school for our library and Year 7 and 8 students joined the English department for a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.

Students also designed presentations on a chosen poem in English class, which focused on this year’s theme of villains.

knew I wanted to help them. I got my friend Yann involved.

“We both had pretty long hair so our teacher suggested we shave it off and donate the hair to the charity.

“We wanted to raise money as well, so after the haircut we stood in the playground with a collection box.

“It felt great to be able to give something to such a worthwhile charity. The kids need the hair more than us.”

The winner of Eastlea’s Got Talent shows off her award for best performance.

THE Year 8 and 9 girls’ handball team won their first fixture of the season against Brampton School. A special mention goes to Conceicao Silva, Year 8, for being awarded outstanding player.

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OUR Year 10 design and technology students learned about Sustainable Design at an exhibition held at the V&A Museum.

Eastlea Community School newsletter n Easter 2019