Brentford school for girls
brentford 6 form th
january
2020
brentford bulletin
“Top 100 non-selective state-funded schools in the country” Nick Gibb, Minister of State for schools (February 2016)
Keeping you in the loop Head teacher’s update
behaviour update
Dear Parent/Carers,
Parents/ Guardians/ Carers
I do hope that you have all had a fantastic festive break and are well rested for the year ahead. The last few weeks of the school year were full of festive cheer. I would like to thank all of the students who were involved in events over the Christmas season. The school raised a significant amount of funds for its chosen charity, Queen Elizabeth Foundation for disabled people which is a fantastic achievement.
As always at Brentford School, we remain focused on ensuring that each pupil reaches their full potential and has a positive school experience. As we begin the Spring term, it is important we work together to ensure all of our students maintain high levels of enthusiasm and motivation. I have listed below what I hope are some helpful tips to support you, as parents/carers, to motivate your daughter right up until the end of term.
As we move into the winter months, can I ask that you all do familiarise yourself with the severe weather conditions policy which you will find on our website. In the case of severe weather we always do try to keep the school open unless there is a risk to the health and safety of students and staff. If this is the case, you will always be informed as early as possible. As the weather is getting colder can I please remind you that school coats, if worn, must be in a dark colour and sweatshirts and hoodies are not to be worn.
Tips for your daughter’s success in school It should come as no surprise that success at school starts at home. Studies have linked poor academic performance to factors such as a lack of sleep, poor nutrition, obesity and a lack of parental support.
At the end of last term, we received our schools grading in the Department for Education ‘performance tables’. We are delighted once again to be graded in the top 15% of schools in England for the progress that our girls make at GCSE, which is a fantastic achievement which we are very proud of. Our results at A-level were also very pleasing. These results will be published in the new year. On behalf of the school, can I thank you as parents for the support that you have demonstrated as a parent body, attending parents evenings, and engaging with the school and your daughters in the learning process. You are a critical part of the achievement cycle, supporting the success of the girls. Wising you all a happy new year Thank you as always for your support. Best regards,
Marais Leenders Head teacher
The good news is, those same studies also show higher test scores for students who live in homes where healthy habits, regular routines, and good communication exist. How can you ensure your child heads off to school each day with the best possible foundation? Please find below some top tips on how to help your daughter succeed at Brentford School for Girls. Enforce healthy habits You cannot perform well when you don’t feel good. To help your daughter have the best chance at doing well in school, make sure she follows healthy habits at home. Choose a bedtime that will give your child plenty of sleep and provide a healthy breakfast each morning. Encourage exercise and limit the amount of time she spends watching TV, using her phone, listening to music, or using the computer or tablet. Routine is key! Most pupils thrive on structure and will respond well to routines that help them organise their days. On arrival home each day, there should be a brief rest period, followed by completion of homework and reading. To be effective, parents/carers must check this. Students should pack their own bags and get themselves organised for the following day. Create a space At school, your child has a desk or table where she works. Try to replicate this at home, preferably where there is plenty of light, few distractions and enough room to work. Read, read and read some more It is often said that children spend the first several years learning to read, and the rest of the lives reading to learn. The written
word is a gateway to all kinds of learning, and the more opportunities you give your child to you read, the better chance she has of becoming a proficient and eager reader. Set the example Children learn by example. Let your child “catch” you reading. Take time to learn a new skill and discuss the experience with them. Sit down and pay bills or do other “homework” while your daughter does her homework. Research shows, if parents display a strong work ethic and continually seek out learning opportunities, children will begin to model that same behaviour in their own lives. Encourage conversation Do you know how your child feels about her classroom, her teacher, and her classmates? If not, ask her. Talk with her about what she likes and does not like at school. Give her a chance to express her anxieties, excitements, or disappointments about each day, and continue to support and encourage her by praising her achievements and efforts. If you have any concerns or questions please contact the school through your daughter’s Tutor or Head of Year. Stay in touch with school Do not limit your support to your child; extend it to her teachers as well. Meet the teachers if required and stay in regular contact by phone or e-mail so that you can discuss any concerns as they arise. Not only will it pave the way for you to ask questions, but it will also make the teachers more comfortable with calling you if they have concerns about your child. Expect success Perhaps the most important way you can support your child’s efforts at school is to expect her to succeed. That does not mean that you demand she is the best student or the best athlete or the best artist. Rather, let her know that you expect her to do “her best” so that she will be proud of what she can accomplish. If you make that expectation clear and provide a home environment that promotes learning, then your daughter will have a greater chance of becoming the best student she can be.
Year 11 Academic review day (ard) The school will be holding an Academic Review Day (ARD) for Year 11 on Wednesday 5th February 2020. Parents/carers are invited to meet with either your daughter’s Tutor, Head of Year or a member of the senior leadership team to discuss your daughter’s targets this year in her different subjects. You will also have the opportunity to discuss her progress towards these and how best we as a school and you, as parents/carers, can support a successful academic year. The appointment will be for 10 minutes and will take place in the main hall. We look forward to seeing you.
Date 13th-17th January 2020 15th January 2020 21st January-25th January 2020
Event Assemblies to signpost options process & introduce subjects Year 8 Career’s Day Tutor group activities linked to options
23rd January 2020
Options evening
30th January 2020
DP2 Issued
w/c 24th February 2020 26th March 2020 27th March- 2nd April 2020
Lunchtime taster sessions for Year 8 Year 8 parents evening Option forms to be returned
2nd April 2020
Final deadline for option forms to be returned
27th April – 1st May 2020
Year 8 interviews with Mr May to confirm choices (where necessary)
6th May 2020
Year 8 informed of their final option choices
13th May 2020
Deadline to request changes
Ski trip It is that time of year again! 25 students will be making their way to Austria over the February half term to take part in a week of skiing. The students will be hitting the slopes of Montafon Valley for a week of skiing lessons. We hope this will be a great experience for all of the students and staff involved.
Sixth form tRip to new york On Thursday 20th February 2020, twenty of our sixth formers will be attending a trip to New York. We are really looking forward to this exciting trip and hope that the girls are getting ready to wrap up warm! It’s known for being especially cold in February.
museum of the mind Bethlem Museum of the Mind is a testament to the life and achievements of people who suffer from mental health problems. The museum offers an engaging overview of many different collections so that students can learn something original in a stimulating way. The museum delves deep into psychology including treatments and what the museum used to be like. Students can browse the archives for a more meaningful understanding.
Year 8 GCSE Options Process
‘mary quant’: victoria and albert museum
The Year 8 options process begins this term and your daughter will have the opportunity to choose the GCSE and/or BTEC courses she will pursue through Years 9 to 11. Your daughter may already have begun to think about which subjects she would like to study and how these fit in with her abilities, potential and wider career aspirations. Below is a timeline for
Year 11 Textiles students will go to the ‘Mary Quant’ exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum to gain inspiration for their course work. The exhibition highlights a diversity of Mary Quant’s work and her important contribution to British design, and particularly her influence on the ‘swinging sixties’.
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school production 2020: the lion king With 130 students rehearsing since October, this year’s school production of “The Lion King” is beginning to take form. Students have been working hard rehearsing the difficult songs and practicing the dances every Monday and Tuesday after school. “It has been really fun and enjoyable. My favourite part has been learning the dance for grassland chant” Leyna 7INQ.
Brentford school for girls
brentford 6 form th
more of these take place. • The timing of the evening. • Further information on how to deal with mental health. • We would like more time to discuss the questions in the ‘ask it basket’. • Personal safety should be a focus of the next session, with a session from the police. • My daughter has complained about the toilets. Follow up: • The HUB evenings will take place once per half term. As the first session over ran, we will extend the next session to 6-7:30pm to ensure that we can cover a number of requests/other topics. • The ‘ask it basket’ will be addressed in the middle of the session. • A representative from the police will be present to discuss personal safety • We will continue to ensure that the toilets are monitored accordingly If you have any further feedback, please do not hesitate to contact Miss Coleman via email kcoleman@brentford. hounslow.sch.uk.
Email KMARSH@BRENTFORD.HOUNSLOW.SCH.UK
Music and Lyrics by Elton John & Tim Rice Additional Music and Lyrics by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, and Hans Zimmer Book by Roger Allers & Irene Mecchi Based on the Broadway production directed by Julie Taymor This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International (Europe) All authorised performance materials are also supplied by MTI Europe www.mtishows.co.uk
hub information evening
STUDENT TERM DATES
Thank you for your support in attending the HUB information evening on Wednesday 13th November. It was fantastic to see so many parents and students.
spring 2020: FRIDAY 10th january - Friday 03RD april
Overall, the feedback was positive; a summary from the evening is below: • Informative and interactive session. The interactive quiz was the highlight of the evening. • The topics covered were informative and allowed me to reflect on how I manage issues with my daughter. • Information leaflets provided are useful. • The talk from the CAMHS professional and the support offered in school • The relationship between students and staff within the school is strong and the school understands a variety of needs. Areas of development that the students identified are below: • Evenings like this are useful and we would like to see
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06th january: return to school 09th january: year 12 & year 13 parents’ evening & New york information evening 5pm 15th january: year 8 careers day 23RD january: year 8 options evening 25th january: school play rehearsals 10am-2pm 29th January: debate mate 4pm 01st february: school play rehearsals 10am-2pm 05th february: year 11 academic review 06th february: heathrow apprenticeship show 07th february: love literacy event 8th february: school play rehearsals 10am-2pm 13th & 14th february: THE LION KING School performance 7pm 17th - 21ST february: half term (24th February: return to school) 20th february: nyc trip departure 24th february: nyc trip return 01st march: history old operating theatre trip & year 13 sociology conference 02ND march: national careers week: french/german speaking exams: a level drama performance 04th march: debate mate hosting 05th March: international women’s day 05th march: year 10 parents evening 5.30-8pm 6th march: v&A museum trip & BFI trip 19th march: hub meeting 6-7.30pm 26TH march: year 8 parents’ evening 5.30- 8pm 02nd april: year 8 options deadline 03RD april: term ends (12:30pm)
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Brentford School for girls PE Department
SIAN GIDDENS
BA Honors Secondary Physical Education Favourite Sports: hockey & netball
PHIL DEXTER
Sport and Exercise Science Favourite Sports: football, rugby, basketball and badminton
JOANNE LECOCQ
MSc Sports Psychology and BSc Sports Coaching Science Favourite Sports: football, rugby, netball, swimming
BIANCA RICHMOND
BSc sport, health, exercise & nutrition Favourite Sports: gymnastics, netball and badminton
At Brentford School for Girls we believe that physical education is an extremely important part of each pupils school week and as a department we aim to provide a varied and wide curriculum of sports during lessons as well as an extensive extracurricular timetable Physical education is an essential part of healthy living for people of all age groups, especially those going to school. Today school life can be full of stress and anxiety at every stage and we, as a team, aim to provide our students with the opportunity to get active and out of the confines of the classroom in order to take part in physical activity and work both as an individual and as part of a team on a weekly basis. Research has proved the importance of physical activities for students in a school environment. Scientifically these activities have been proven to be as important as doing school work. Physical education teaches students to improve the quality of their life beyond the school gates and into their adult lives, helping them lead a healthy and active lifestyle. In the PE department we not only teach sport but provide our students with the opportunity to improve how they work as part of a team, to be disciplined, resilient and to have a drive to succeed and do their best in all they do both on and off of the sports field.
brentford school for girls extra curricular clubs
Monday free Breakfast club (yr 7-13) 08.00-08:30 (T1) lunchtime homework club (yr 7-13) 13:00-13:30 (t2) gymnastics (yr 7-13) 13.00 - 13.30 pankhurst gym football (yr 7-8) 13.00 - 13.30 astro football (yr 7-8) 15.20 - 16.30 astro duke of edinburgh (yr10) 15.20-16.20 (t1)
tuesday free Breakfast club (yr 7-13) 08.00-08:30 (T1) lunchtime homework club (yr 7-13) 13:00-13:30 (t2) FOOTBALL (yr9 - YR11) 13.00 - 13.30 ASTRO netball (yr 7) 13:00-13:30 netball courts BADMINTON (yr9 - YR13) 13.00 - 13.30 CURIE GYM netball (yr 10-11) 15:30-16:20 netball courts
wednesday free Breakfast club (yr 7-13) 08.00-08:30 (T1) lunchtime homework club (yr 7-13) 13:00-13:30 (t2) badminton (yr 7-8) 13:00-13:30 curie gym TAG RUGBY (yr 7-8) 13:00-13.30 ASTRO gcse pe club (yr 10-11) 13:00-13.30 pankhurst gym netball (yr 8-9) 15:20-16:20 netball courts debate mate (yr 7-10) 15.20 - 16.30 (m16)
thursday
friday
free Breakfast club (yr 7-13) 08.00-08:30 (T1) lunchtime homework club (yr 7-13) 13:00-13:30 (t2) JUST DANCE (YR 7-13) 13:00-13:30 THEATRE netball (yr 8-9) 13:00-13:30 netball courts BASKETBALL (yr 7-8) 13:00-13:30 CURIE GYM CODE masters (yr 7-13) 13:00-13:30 (t4) EAL Lunch Club (yr 7-13) 13.00 - 1.30 (A3) lion king prop making (Yr 7-13) 15.20 - 16.20 (d5)
free Breakfast club (yr 7-13) 08.00-08:30 (T1) lunchtime homework club (yr 7-13) 13:00-13:30 (t2) BASKETBALL (yr 7-8) 13:00-13:30 CURIE GYM indoor games (yr7,8 & 9) 13:00-13:30 (p1) MULTISPORTS (yr 7) 13.00 - 1.30 ASTRO NETBALL (yr 7) 13.00 - 1.30 NETBALL COURTS
AMBITIOUS | CONFIDENT | FLEXIBLE | INQUISITIVE | REFLECTIVE
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