Easter 2019 newsletter for George Mitchell School

George Mitchell School Times MEET THE TALENTED TRIO HEADING FOR THE TOP Prestigious Colleges programme helps students win scholarships Read the full story on Page 2

Nadia now ready to soar to new heights Oxford place offer for former student

FORMER student Nadia Hassan, who hit the headlines when she won a scholarship to the leading private school attended by the Duchess of Cambridge, is set to study at the world’s top university.

Nadia, now in her final year of A-Levels, left George Mitchell and Leyton for a £35,000-a-year scholarship at Marlborough College in 2016.

Now the talented student, who won her place thanks to George Mitchell’s scholarship programme – which this year saw Year 11 Hasan Patel head for Eton College – has been offered the chance to study at Trinity College, Oxford.

If she meets her predicted grades in her A-Level exams, she will study French at the world-famous university next September.

Nadia, who last year returned to the school to speak to Year 11 scholarship hopefuls, said: “It all started three years ago at George Mitchell School, when my headteacher Mr Hussain approached me with the scholarship programme.

“I had never heard of Marlborough College or Trinity College, I was just a 14-year-old from Leyton with lots of enthusiasm.

“Now I am set to go to a university where some of the greatest academic minds in history have studied, and to study the subject I love.

“It has been a real rollercoaster two years.

My life and my surroundings have changed completely in that time. It has been an incredible experience.

“I really can’t thank George Mitchell School and Mr Hussain enough. As I said, it was there that it started for me.”

Headteacher Mr Hussain said: “It is very kind of Nadia to credit the school with some of

Delighted: Nadia pictured when she received her exam results at George Mitchell her success but really we just gave her the tools she needed to succeed.

“Our job is to give every child, not just the exceptional bright ones like Nadia, the best possible chance of reaching their potential.

“Leaving your home at a young age and going to a completely different environment, with very different people, is tough for anyone

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and particularly for a 16-year-old. Not only has she settled into her new home, it is clear from her success she has thrived and is now on the cusp of joining one of the top educational institutions in the world.

“As a school we are incredibly proud of her achievements and wish her every success in the future.”

Scholarships delight for three talented students A TRIO of talented students have become the latest from George Mitchell to win places at top independent schools.

The success of Dominika Berta, Romeesa Khan and Dominic George has come through the school’s scholarship programme.

The three students earned their places after submitting written applications, attending interviews and sitting entrance exams in their chosen colleges.

They follow their fellow student, Year 11 Hasan Patel, who last month was offered a scholarship to the world-famous Eton College.

Dominic George will swap Leyton for Christ’s Hospital, in the sleepy Sussex town of Horsham, while Dominika Berta and Romeesa Khan will attend University College School, Hampstead.

The students won their scholarships, worth more than £25,000, thanks to tailored one-toone support from our headteacher Mr Hussain.

Christ’s Hospital was opened by King Edward VI almost 500 years ago, and is normally only open to fee-paying students.

Notable alumni of UCS include legendary athlete Sir Roger Bannister, composer Julian Lloyd Webber and actor Dirk Bogarde.

Dominic, who will study Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths, said: “Teachers at George Mitchell helped me throughout the process of applying to Christ’s Hospital and made me believe this was something I could achieve.

“Mr Osei in Maths has always been an incredible motivation, encouraging me to achieve the best grades possible. It’s because of his inspirational lessons that I

want to continue studying Maths at A-Level.”

Romeesa, who will study Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths, said: “I’ve always wanted to be a doctor and, by attending this prestigious college, I come one step closer to that dream.

“I wouldn’t even have considered applying had it not been for Mr Hussain suggesting it to me. This opportunity has the potential to be life-changing for me and my family.”

Dominika, who will study English, History,

French and Art, said: “I was supported throughout the process by the school, with Mr Hussain preparing us for mock interviews and supporting us with drafting our personal statements.”

All three say they hope winning places at a top fee-paying school will give them a better chance of gaining a place at either Oxford or Cambridge. Headteacher Mr Hussain said: “We are incredibly proud of all of the graduates from our scholarship programme.”

Ambassadors’ road safety idea a winner TWELVE Young Travel Ambassadors from Year 8 went up against schools in Waltham Forest to win £250 towards supporting better road safety.

Pitching to a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style panel of Transport for London (TfL) engineers, the students won backing for the production of a video to raise awareness of safety when crossing the road.

Hamza, a Young Travel Ambassador for George Mitchell, said: “We were told to think of something original, and I couldn’t think of anything better than this to show our peers the importance of road safety.

“Despite being the only secondary school to make it this far, we came away with more money than the sixth form colleges for our project.”

Paige, also a Young Travel Ambassador, said: “We must raise awareness and do all we can before it’s too late.

“Our work could save a life or prevent a collision on the road, which makes it all the

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more important and worthwhile.”

The Young Travel Ambassadors will begin production in the coming weeks of their road

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safety video, in addition to running an obstacle course in PE lessons to encourage safety when crossing the road.

First step towards medical career Aspiring doctors took their first step towards a career in medicine on a trip to the world-famous King’s College London.

Henry Ampofo and Venuja Senthivel, Year 9, took part in a workshop aimed at Year 10 and 11 students, learning key medical skills such as taking blood pressure, stitching, CPR and learning about the functions of the heart.

The workshop was led by King’s College’s top postgraduate medical students, with

selected students from schools across London attending.

Henry said: “The trip really inspired me to be a doctor. I learned about the three stages towards gaining the qualifications needed, and feel the workshop really set me on that path and gave me clear goals.”

Venuja said: “I really enjoyed the practicals and getting hands-on experience, which is vital if you want to be a medic like I do.”

Daniella glad she had a little help from friends A YEAR 8 Romanian student with Down’s Syndrome thanked her peers for their kindness and support with a trip to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.

Daniella won the Jack Petchey award in the autumn for her outstanding progress in class since joining the school from Romania, after being nominated by Miss Hadaway and Miss Cassetari.

The trip to Winter Wonderland saw a dozen students take to the ice with Daniella, the first time she had ever been ice skating.

Daniella said: “It was a beautiful place and the first time I have ever skated. I wanted to take my friends as they are really nice to me at school.

“It was so nice to spend time with my friends at Winter Wonderland, because I wanted to thank them.”

Elvira Olteanu, teaching assistant at George Mitchell, said: “Daniella is an inspiration to us all. She was so nervous starting here, but the support she has received from her peers is incredible.

“Daniella finds some subjects, such as PE, more challenging than others, but has overcome this with the help of her friends.

“This was Daniella’s way of saying a big thank-you to all of the students who have supported her.”

Memorable day: Daniella with her friends enjoying the Winter Wonderland

STUDENTS visited the Royal Opera House to watch a ballet performance of Romeo and Juliet.

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A stand-up comedy workshop, with top professionals from the Soho Theatre, proved a hit with students in Year 7.

Students get baking to support LGBT charity GEORGE Mitchell students cooked up a storm to be crowned overall winners of this year’s Educate and Celebrate Great Rainbow BakeOff. Now in its sixth year, students from schools across Waltham Forest have come together to bake to support LGBT History month, with the competition organised by charity Educate and Celebrate.

Educate and Celebrate is a national charity which works to promote inclusion in schools, and teach tolerance to students.

Entries were judged by a panel of LGBT celebrities, including Jordan Grey, Lady Phyll and Scott Nunn.

Asked what made George Mitchell’s cake stand out, Jordan Grey, who appeared on BBC’s The Voice, said: “The students incorporated so many messages on it of peace, reconciliation, flags and events in LGBT history. The team worked incredibly well together.”

She added: “I think the reason we are here is so important. It is obviously a wonderful confluence of an LGBT history, a history plagued with all kinds of issues and intersectionality.

“Lady Phyll is a champion of intersectionality, I’m here as a positive face for the kids to look to, particularly if they want to talk about transgender issues.

“I’ve been a fan of Educate and Celebrate since the beginning, since before it was a full-

on scheme, when they were selling books out of car parks.”

Tianna Quentin, who was on the winning George Mitchell team, said: “We practised every Monday after school, and every day on the week of the competition, to make sure we had a chance of winning.

“Our result today was by far the best cake yet. It’s really inspiring and honouring to have people like Lady Phyll and Jordan Grey

coming in to judge this, and we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved.”

George Mitchell School’s primary team also competed, with student Mujtaba Arif, Year 6, describing their Skittles-based cake: “The skittles represent different genders, as there are lots of different types.

“Inside, the different colours in our sponge represent the diversity of the LGBT community.”

Speaker’s media insight

STUDENT Rebecca has won the Jack Petchey award for helping SEN pupils during PE lessons.

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TOP executive Tessa Matchett talked to Year 10 students about careers in television and communications during a visit to George Mitchell School.

Mrs Tessa Matchett (right), who is Head of Press for ITV Studios, explained to students how she climbed the corporate ladder from humble beginnings as the daughter of Maltese immigrants in Bethnal Green.

The talk was part of celebrations for International Womens’ Day and was organised

by Speakers for Schools.

Mrs Matchett said: “I hope that students took away from today that a career in public relations is a rewarding career that is an option for them.

“I failed one of my A-Levels, but didn’t let that stop me. I resat my exams a year later, went to university and pursued my dream career in public relations.

“I admire the idea of trying to inspire children and young people to show them that there are career options open to them irrespective of their background.”

Cristina Gheran, Year 10, said: “I found Tessa’s talk really inspiring, as even when she failed she carried on and went on to study at university and be really successful.”

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Student Emilia Popa, who hopes to go into a career in communications, said: “The way in which Tessa presented her career and life story to us was amazing.

“It proved to me that if I work really hard, I can succeed, and that I shouldn’t let anything stand in my way. It’s made me more determined than ever to study and go on to university.”

Boxer’s tips on discipline A top British boxer gave an inspirational speech and sparred with students during a visit to George Mitchell School.

Philip “Quicksilver” Bowes talked to Year 9 students about how boxing helped him when he was their age.

Mr Bowes, 34, from Leytonstone, started boxing professionally when he was 18 and competed in the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

He told the students: “I wasn’t always the best academically.

But I started boxing at a young age and it taught me resilience,

determination, perseverance and discipline. Finding something that you love and committing to it teaches you these things.”

After the talk, Mr Bowes let students put on gloves and showed them some moves.

Year 9 D’jhone Abraham sparred with Mr Bowes. He said: “I’ve been boxing for a year and I’m really enjoying it.

“I found the talk really exciting because it’s not every day that you get to speak to a professional boxer. I’m really happy the school sets up things like this.”

Tweet of the term

Bridging the generation gap with unique project George Mitchell Primary is taking part in a unique intergenerational art project spanning two years and culminating in a huge street festival.

Quality Street, run in conjunction with arts charity Magic Me, is bringing young students and the local elderly community together through creative activities.

It aims to build confidence, creative thinking and communication skills in the younger and older generations.

Years 3 and 5 have been working with people from local care homes, most of whom are in their 70s, 80s and 90s.

Experienced artists are running the workshops in a range of subjects, including music, theatre, visual arts, film and storytelling, Project producer Greer MacKeogh said: “This is the first time we have taken something like this on. The whole ethos is to get elderly and younger people together so they can both benefit.

“They get to share their skills and experiences. It’s a really innovative idea and already, just a few months in, we are seeing the children really enjoying it and coming out of their shells.”

Every Wednesday a group of elderly people from the local Seddon Centre have been coming to the school to take part in puppet and kite-making workshops with children from Year 3.

The classes are being run by Polly Beestone,

Pupils set to feature in artwork 5

who trained in puppetry at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

Their work will be put on display during the first of two street parties in June this year.

Another will take place in the summer of 2020.

Year 3 Shawn Amasihohu said: “We made dragon puppets in the class and it was really fun. I made the scales and then the older people

Year 3 students will be part of Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen’s latest artwork.

The Turner Prize-winning artist has invited George Mitchell Primary students to be photographed for his

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worked on the head. I had a good time talking to them and helping.”

Year 3 Hannah Mohamed added: “My favourite part of the week was meeting with the older people. We were making kites and I couldn’t wait to fly them.”

Parents or guardians interested in volunteering can email qualitystreet@ magicme.co.uk or call 020 3222 6064.

newest piece of work. A class photo, along with the portraits of hundreds of other children from London schools, will be brought together into a single large-scale installation.

The artist’s ambitious,

contemporary project will be on display at the Tate later this year.

Year 3 teacher Rachel Stone said: “It’s quite exciting. The children and teachers are really looking forward to seeing the finished artwork.”

Passion and commitment deserves praise Headteacher Mr Hussain reflects on another successful term at George Mitchell School... way with a heart-warming act of kindness – sharing her Jack Petchey money with her fellow students.

It is testament to the friendliness and welcoming nature of our school that students often choose to share their success with their classmates.

It would be remiss of me not to mention former student Nadia Hassan, who continues to astound.

This year she has been offered a place at Oxford, proving the sky is truly the limit for George Mitchell pupils.

What Nadia has achieved has a much wider context than her own personal success, as she has set the standard for other students to strive towards.

Seeing a student from their own school

winning a place at a university whose alumni include top writers, politicians, clergy, doctors and lawyers, truly has a transformative effect.

From this term we are ensuring every child starts the day with a healthy, nutritious breakfast, by teaming up with the Magic Breakfast team to offer all students a snack on the go.

In the Nursery and Primary, students have been on trips around London (Epping Forest, the Institute of Imagination in Lambeth, Hampton Court) and had visits from the fire brigade and storytellers.

It just remains for me to wish you a restful and happy Easter.

The hard work starts again next term.

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AS the mornings and evenings have been getting lighter throughout the term, I am reminded that Year 6 and Year 11s are getting closer and closer to their SATS papers and GCSE exams in the summer.

Over the Easter holidays, staff will be giving up their time to run revision and intervention classes for students.

This is the kind of passion and commitment that has seen the school ranked among the best-performing in the country for GCSE results.

I want to take the opportunity to thank them for their efforts.

Across the school, our students continue to have access to world-class enrichment and extracurricular activities.

They have been inspired this term by a diverse range of speakers from a top media executive to a professional sportsman.

As well as academic prowess through the continued success of our scholarship programme, student Daniella has shown the

Engineering workshop helps crack robot code George Mitchell students learnt the nuts and bolts of building their own robots in an engineering workshop.

The Year 9s were also taught how to code their creations to move like animals.

Students were split into teams and challenged to see who could get their robot to walk for the longest.

Simonas, Year 9, who was on the winning team, said: “It was a great experience. We saw all the different ways a robot can be coded and how each movement has to be programmed in. It was amazing to see all the work that goes into a machine.”

The workshop was run as part of the school’s new More Able programme.

Marwa, Year 9, said: “It was hard but fun.

I learnt things I had never learnt before, like coding. This has made me choose Computer Science next year.”

Nicolay, Year 9, added: “It showed me there were so many different aspects behind every machine. Getting to plan, build and also code the robots was really interesting.”

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Hundreds of students at George Mitchell Primary will soon be getting free breakfasts to help improve their concentration in lessons.

The school has signed up to Magic Breakfast, a charity that aims to ensure no child is too hungry to learn.

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It provides healthy food and expert support to teachers and schools. The provision will start after the Easter holidays.

Liam Howley, learning mentor in charge of the programme, said: “We’re really excited about this scheme starting.

“Students who may not have had food before school will get a healthy start to the day. It might also take some pressure off parents who don’t have a lot of time in the morning. A healthy breakfast is really important for learning and concentration.”

Steering students towards future careers

More Able Coordinator Carl Kenny

The school’s More Able programme is inspiring students about potential future careers. Here Carla Kenny, the More Able Coordinator, explains the scheme and how it is already having a positive impact. attending because we recognised girls were not choosing Science and Computing careers as often.

We wanted to make sure that girls know these careers are open to them too.

We have paired up with many universities, including UCL, King’s College and St. Mary’s, to ensure the workshops are being delivered to the highest possible standard

New girls’ group teaches equality STUDENTS at George Mitchell School have started a girls’ equality group inspired by strong female role models.

The Lean In group, named after the Sheryl Sandberg book about women in the workplace, was started by Year 10 students earlier this year.

Leaders Fatima Ali, Javeria Farooq, Abadhe Ahmed and Rawen Chergui said it aims to teach pupils about equality, rights and feminism.

Javeria said: “We want to promote gender equality. One thing we learnt was that women often compete with other women in the workplace or in social spaces. It doesn’t have to be like that. This group is about working together and women supporting women.”

Rawen added: “Everyone gets a time to speak in the group. We had an assembly recently and a lot of people didn’t know what the definition of feminism actually is – that it is about the sexes having equal opportunities. Not about women taking over.”

The girls said they were inspired by strong women role models to set up the group, including Meghan Markle and Michelle

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by experts. We started in January across all year groups and we can already see the impact it is having. The students are much more positive about pursuing careers based around those STEM subjects.

It is an exciting programme that is adding significantly to our already very positive skills output.

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The More Able programme is all about raising aspirations and inspiring students about their future careers.

We are pairing students with workshops in a whole range of subjects. Many of them have been STEM subjects that will teach students about careers in Maths, Science and Engineering fields. But we have also had music and sports workshops to foster creative talents.

In our recent robotics workshop we had more girls than boys

MAKING new friends – primary students were visited by an owl.

STUDENTS across the secondary school took part in a Samba workshop.

Obama, and will soon start putting on events and socials for other year groups.

Some of the girls recently saw the Duke and Duchess of Sussex onstage at the WE Day event at Wembley (above).

WE Day brought together inspiring speakers and world leaders as well as real people with uplifting stories.

The charity seeks to end child labour and support international development.

Fatima said: “It was inspiring. It’s always good to see strong role models. The group has been really successful so far and we are keen to expand to other year groups.”

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YEAR 9 students worked collaboratively to design and build a sustainable water recycling unit with moisture sensors and pumps at a STEM workshop run by the Small Piece Trust.

All dressed up: There were many costumes including Bailey’s Dementor (left)

PRIMARY students learned to be careful around traffic at a road safety workshop.

Harry’s tales an inspiration for costumes STUDENTS and teachers donned the outfits of their favourite literary characters for World Book Day in March.

George Mitchell students celebrated stories with a range of outfits and a costume competition.

JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books were a source of inspiration for many. Year 7 Augustas Sapinskij came to school as the title character.

He said: “I love the Harry Potter books so I really wanted to come as Harry. It was so much fun and has encouraged me to read more.”

Year 7 Bailey Robinson dressed as a Dementor from the Harry Potter series. He said: “My favourite book is Harry Potter and

the Philosopher’s Stone. It was really fun to go to school dressed up.

“I haven’t read all the Harry Potter books yet, so they are next on my reading list.”

The school ran a costume competition, quizzes and workshops on the art of storytelling to celebrate the day.

Head of English Sumanya Aswat, who dressed as a Charles Dickens-inspired Victorian woman, said: “The children really seemed to enjoy themselves.

“The activities got them thinking creatively about literature. We did a lot around non-fiction and have seen a big uptake in biographies being taken out of the library.”

YEAR 8 girls’ A Team celebrated three wins in the borough football league.

Their top goalscorer was Anastasia.

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YEAR 3 and 4 children learnt about Fairtrade, healthy eating and the history of chocolate at the Bean to Bar workshop.

Budding Year 7 gymnasts have been perfecting their weight-bearing balances in PE.