October 2026
THE
EXCELSIOR PARENT/CARER BULLETIN
MATHS IN YEAR 6 OPEN EVENING
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING Wednesday 21 October 5:00pm – 7:00pm
NEW EVENT COMING SOON
HEADTEACHER’S INTRODUCTION As we reach the end of the first half of the autumn term, I would like to thank you for your continued support. It has been a positive and productive start to the academic year, and I am delighted to share some of the wonderful achievements and activities taking place across our school. We recently hosted a successful Year 6 Open Evening, where prospective students and their families had the opportunity to experience the exciting learning opportunities available at our school. We also celebrate the fantastic achievements of two of our students in karate and share details of an inspiring workshop with deaf DJ Troi Lee, which celebrated confidence, inclusion and deaf identity. The bulletin also highlights our Black History Month writing competition, the range of extracurricular clubs available to students, and important information about wellbeing and mental health support. You will also find details of our upcoming Sixth Form Open Evening and key dates for the school calendar. These highlights reflect the many opportunities we provide for our students to develop their talents, build confidence and achieve success both inside and outside the classroom. I encourage you to take a few moments to read the bulletin and celebrate the achievements of our school community. Finally, I would like to wish all our students, parents and carers a happy, restful and enjoyable half-term break. Thank you once again for your continued support, and I look forward to welcoming everyone back for another successful half term.
Mr Deria, Headteacher
whole school
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING...? THE EXCELSIOR ACADEMY IN LOVE HACKNEY MAGAZINE The Excelsior Academy was proudly featured in Love Hackney magazine, celebrating students’ outstanding GCSE, A-level, BTEC and T-level results. The article highlighted the hard work, dedication and positive relationships that helped students achieve success and reach their future goals. It also recognised the school’s supportive community, which encourages every student to believe, achieve and excel.
whole school
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING...? YEAR 6 OPEN EVENING: A FANTASTIC SHOWCASE OF THE EXCELSIOR WAY! We were delighted to welcome over 250 visitors, including prospective students and their families to our recent Year 6 Open Evening, which was a wonderful celebration of everything that makes The Excelsior Academy such a special place to learn and grow. Visitors enjoyed an exciting range of activities across our subjects, from spectacular science experiments and hands-on robotics to writing poetry in English and travelling through different time periods in History. In Arabic, visitors had the opportunity to experience Henna, while Geography took families on a journey around the world and students experienced earthquake preparedness. Students had physical challenges in our sports hall and fairy cake challenges in our purpose built food technology room. Our talented school band provided musical accompaniments throughout the evening, and our incredible art students' work was proudly displayed for all to admire. Families also enjoyed tastetesting some of the delicious cuisine prepared by our canteen team! A particular highlight was our Excelsior Passport Challenge, which encouraged our Year 6 visitors to explore the building, take part in activities across different departments and collect stickers to complete their very own Excelsior Passports. Perhaps the greatest success of the evening, however, was our outstanding team of over 50 student volunteers, who acted as tour guides and subject ambassadors. They represented our academy with exceptional enthusiasm, politeness and friendliness, making our visitors feel welcome and giving families a genuine insight into the pride, character and ambition of our school community. They were fantastic ambassadors for The Excelsior Way and did a brilliant job of showcasing the very best of our academy. A huge thank you to all the staff, students and support teams who worked so hard to make the evening such a success. We are incredibly proud of everyone involved and look forward to welcoming our future Excelsior students into our community. Mr O'Brien Deputy Headteacher
whole school
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING...?
whole school
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING...? MATHS WAS BUZZING AT OUR YEAR 6 OPEN EVENING! Maths was buzzing at our Year 6 Open Evening! Our future mathematicians had plenty to explore! Students and families discovered our Maths curriculum, how homework works and the opportunities available through our Maths Excellence Club. They explored 3D shapes, calculated how much they would need to make their own lemonade, tackled Maths puzzles, and put their skills to the test with our speed times-tables challenge. A busy and enjoyable evening showcasing Maths at the Excelsior Academy!
whole school BHM HAIR & BEAUTY:
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING...?
As part of Black History Month, our Year 9 girls took part in an engaging Hair and Beauty workshop that combined culture, creativity and careers. Students learnt practical braiding techniques while exploring the history and cultural significance of braids within the Black community. They also discovered how hair, beauty and makeup careers connect with the film and creative industries, broadening their understanding of the different pathways available to them. The workshop provided a meaningful and inclusive experience that responded to students’ interests and backgrounds, helping them recognise how their own skills, creativity and passions could connect to future education and career opportunities.
CLUBS & ACTIVITIES EXCELSIOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT: KARATE GRADING SUCCESS Excelsior is pleased to celebrate the achievement of two of our students, Alyssia Jolly (Year 10) and Zeynep-Ela Akyol (Year 8), who successfully completed their Karate Grading with Olympic Karate Inc. (OKI) on Saturday, 10 October 2026, at the Queensbridge Sports and Community Centre in Hackney. Both students achieved a Grade B, earning their 3rd Kyu Brown Belt. This is a significant milestone in their karate journey, bringing them two grades closer to achieving their Black Belt (1st Dan). We extend our sincere congratulations to Alyssia and Zeynep-Ela on this excellent achievement. Their success reflects their hard work, dedication, discipline and commitment to the sport. We are proud of their progress and encourage them to continue pursuing their goals with the same determination and enthusiasm.We wish them every success as they continue their journey towards Black Belt level.
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CLUBS & ACTIVITIES
DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD AT EXCELSIOR ACADEMY The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is an exciting opportunity for students to develop confidence, resilience, leadership and independence beyond the classroom. At Excelsior Academy, all Year 9 students have the opportunity to work towards the Bronze Award, with interested Year 10 students able to progress to Silver and Year 12 students to Gold. Through volunteering, physical activities, developing new skills and completing expeditions, students challenge themselves, discover new interests and build valuable life skills. These experiences help prepare them for future opportunities in further education, university and employment. Students will receive access to the online eDofE platform to record their progress, and all activities must be approved by the school’s DofE Manager before they begin. We encourage students to embrace this rewarding experience and make the most of the opportunities available to them!
TEA IN THE COMMUNITY AN INSPIRING EXPERIENCE FOR OUR DEAF STUDENTS! Our deaf students had a fantastic opportunity to attend an inspiring workshop led by Troi Lee, a pioneering deaf DJ who has broken barriers in the music industry. What made the experience even more special was that Troi attended the same primary school as many of our students, showing them what is possible with ambition, confidence and determination. Troi shared some wonderful feedback, commenting that despite meeting deaf students across the UK, he had rarely encountered a group so genuinely proud of their deaf identity. We are incredibly proud of our students and the confidence, enthusiasm and pride they demonstrated throughout the workshop. A truly inspiring experience, celebrating deaf identity, representation and limitless possibilities! #DeafAwareness #DeafPride #Inclusion #StudentSuccess
SAFEGUARDING
The Excelsior Academy
SCHOOL CALENDAR
DATES TO NOTE
21.10
26th Oct 2026 30th Oct 2026
9.11
SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING HALF TERM ANTI BULLYING WEEK
SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING Wednesday 21 October 5:00pm – 7:00pm
We are pleased to invite you
02072751577/sixthform@excelsiorcst.org
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