Holland Park will always be a school which aims to do much more than deliver educational excellence. The wider development of the interests, insights, cultural capital and character remain intrinsic to the experience students have here I would like to extend my thanks to you and your children for the warm support that has been afforded to me during my time at Holland Park The Year 11 and Year 13 mock examination results leave me with every reason to be highly optimistic about the future of Holland Park School A recent safeguarding report highlighted the excellent systems and culture we now have for keeping children safe and feeling safe in school, although the school will always look to do more One particularly memorable observation was on the quality of the relationships between pupils and staff and how these are more caring and supportive and thus engender that sense of safety and security at school. I hope you all enjoy a well earned rest over the upcoming holidays
Mr Olusanya - Principal
Ms Boden, Mr Purse, and Ms Bertie had the pleasure of taking a group of enthusiastic Year 7 students on a jampacked residential trip to Dorset The pupils stayed in cosy caravans right by the sea - some even braved a (very chilly!) swim in the ocean and were lucky enough to enjoy exceptionally sunny weather throughout Over the course of three days, the group gained a fascinating insight into life in the countryside At a time when many farmers are feeling the pressure of urban politics, they were more than happy to open their gates and share their world with us - farms, animals, and all Highlights of the trip included: Visiting a working milking parlour, Feeding new-born lambs, Grooming horses and watching a farrier at work, Exploring on a moonlit walk and Touring a trail hunt kennels The itinerary was packed with fantastic rural activities, and our students rose to every occasioneven when surrounded by some rather strong smells and more than a few piles of cow poo! The farmers were full of praise for our pupils, commenting on how thoughtful, respectful, and curious they were - especially in the insightful questions they asked It was a real joy to see students grow in confidence, forge new friendships, and leave with a deeper understanding and respect for rural life
In The Know
Ms Boden
In The Know
The end of the Spring Term marks the second Art Aptitude exhibition of the year This term, Ms Tukacevska designed a project centred on abstract landscapes Taking inspiration from the dreamlike, expressive works of Turner and Peter Doig, students explored the emotional and imaginative power of landscape art Their responses incorporated a wide range of materials and techniques, including photography, acrylic painting, tonal studies, mixed media, oil pastel, watercolour, and charcoal. We are incredibly proud of the hard work and creativity our Art Aptitude students have shown this term, as well as the stunning outcomes they produced Thank you to all the students, staff, and parents who joined us last Thursday to celebrate their achievements
The Art Team
HOLLAND PARK SCHOOL In The Know
FIGURES, FRACTIONS & FUN!
We did it! After the October break, pupils from all year groups eagerly participated in creating this year's next-level evolution of the Sierpinski tetrahedron Combining mathematical and engineering skills, students built 1,024 small tetrahedra, which were then assembled into increasingly larger tetrahedra These were carefully stacked to create a stunning 3D fractal To tackle the challenges, pupils calculated base lengths for stability, analysed weight distribution, and used scotch tape along with heavier-grade paper to support the structure. They also calculated the time needed for the build and explored fascinating prime number patterns On Wednesday, our collective efforts culminated in the magnificent construction of a six-level tetrahedron so tall it even surpassed some of our maths teachers! How many tetrahedra would it take to build the next level? (Hint: Start counting from the top!)
Ms Shibiko
CLASSICS ROUNDTABLE
Wednesday, 26th February, a Classics Roundtable was held at Torpe Lodge, organised by Ms Hart and myself, to inspire and encourage our HPS students to consider as a path to flourishing and growth. The event featured experts, including representatives from UCL, King’s College London, Cambridge, a current second-year student from King’s, and our talented Year 13 Latinists Students from Year 9 to Year 12 attended, engaging with the panellists as they answered questions about the relevance studying Classics in the age of AI At the end of the session, students had the valuable opportunity to speak directly with the panellists, asking questions and gaining further insight into the academic and personal benefits of studying Latin and the Classics It was a wonderful event that sparked great discussions and inspired many to explore this enriching field of study. A big thank you goes to the panellist for their contributions and to Ms Pugh and the PTA for organising a beautiful refreshment
Ms Dona
In The Know
MATHS TRIP TO THE SCIENCE MUSEUM
The Maths Department took students to the Science Museum to see the The Winton Gallery which tells powerful stories about the work of mathematicians in the broadest sense, from salespeople to sailors, aircraft engineers to bankers, and gamblers to garden designers These stories span 400 years of human ingenuity from the renaissance to the present day, with objects ranging from intriguing hand held mathematical instruments to 1929 experimental aircraft But that was just one part of the day students spent time learning about the development of gaming (and partaking in some of the games). They visited areas of the museum involved with technicians and had the opportunity to match themselves with a profession The day was not only enjoyable but more importantly educational learning about maths in a science museum, who’d have thought?!
HOLLAND PARK SCHOOL
In The Know
U15 girls football team continued their impressive winning streak with a dominant 6-1 victory over their opponents KAA As the match started, Maana (Year 10) fired the opening goal in just under a minute The team quickly doubled their lead when Maram (Year 9) scored an impressive volley in the third minute of the game Key performances came from Sarah (Year 9), who excelled in a new midfield role, making crucial interceptions and creating key attacking opportunities. Sumaya (Year 9) also made a vital contribution, blocking a goalthreatening shot in the final minute of the game With this solid win, the team continues to make great strides in the league and remain strong contenders in the title race.
Ms Belgout
PGL FOOTBALL COACHING
Weekend of the 8th & 9th of March, twenty year 8 and year 9 students attended a football coaching weekend at PGL The weather could not have been better as the boys enjoyed coaching from professional FA football coaches and showcased skills in a tournament with other schools The boys also had opportunity to try exciting activities (and overcome their fear heights!), including
Purnell
LONDON YOUTHGIRLS RUGBY
On a cold Wednesday, our Year 7, 8, and 9 rugby girls travelled to Richmond Rugby Club, a venue with a proud tradition of women’s rugby, to compete in a schools’ tournament Unfamiliar with the specific touch rugby rules used, we struggled early on, but both the U12 and U14 teams improved steadily throughout the day The U14s were outclassed in their first match but faced the same team again later, narrowing the gap to just one score The opposition coach was amazed by their progress The U12s also showed an impressive upward learning curve, earning a silver medal! A fantastic tournament with strong HPS representation among eleven schools
Mr James
HOLLAND PARK SCHOOL In The Know
PI DAY SPECTACULAR!
On Friday, March 14th, the Year 7 boys' football team secured an impressive 3 points with a stunning 14-0 victory over Fulham Cross Academy! In an incredible mathematical twist, the boys celebrated Pi Day in the most perfect way possible. This dominant win puts the team 3 points ahead at the top of the table With all our fixtures now complete, we’re waiting for results from other matches to determine if we’ve won the QPR Schools League and qualified for the finals day! Well done boys!
Mr Purnell
PARIS LEGACY NETBALL
On the 24th March, Year 10 girls participated in the highly competitive Paris Legacy National Netball Competition, where they demonstrated tremendous progress and teamwork Despite the tough competition, the girls impressed with their passing combinations and shooting skills Top goal scorers Amina and Sara contributed significantly, but it was Emma J who stood out with her exceptional defensive play Emma's numerous interceptions helped bolster the defence and set up numerous attacking opportunities Overall, the team's efforts and progress were remarkable, and I am extremely proud of their performance and teamwork throughout the tournament
Ms Belgout
YEAR 12 DARTMOOR EXPEDITION TRIP
On Friday, March 28th, eleven of our Year 12 students embarked on a journey to Dartmoor to kick off their training for the upcoming expedition to Cape Wrath, Scotland, in June During their trip, the students developed essential wild camping skills, including navigation, tent pitching, cooking, and, of course, getting accustomed to carrying a 15kg pack on their backs! Despite challenging weather conditions on Saturday night, with cold, rain, and wind, the students maintained an infectious sense of optimism and demonstrated impressive resilience throughout In June, the students will take part in a beach clean-up in one the UK's most remote areas, as well as conduct environmental research as part of their Scotland expedition To help support this incredible trip, the students are raising funds through various activities. If you'd like to contribute, please follow the link: https://app parentpay com/ParentPayShop/Foc/ Default.aspx?shopid=15042
Purnell
HOLLAND PARK SCHOOL
In The Know
U15 Girl's football team secured a stunning 12-3 victory against All Saints School in the QPR League, with hattricks from Maana (Year 10), Tasnim (Year 9), and Maram (Year 9). The spectacular goals included three long-range strikes from beyond the half-way line, a header from a corner, and a well-executed combination play goal from powerful attacking duo Maana and
HOLLAND PARK SCHOOL In The Know Spring Term 2025 Edition
SOLVE FOR TOMORROW' COMPETITION
On Aliana, Georgina, Trisha and Sophie have been shortlisted to the top 100 for the national 'Solve for Tomorrow' competition run by Samsung - with a reward of a new Galaxy tablet each! Tasked with developing a product that would solve a common problem, they decided upon a problem related to sustainability, and hence created 'Biomat', a sequestration mat composed of algae and bamboo, used to maximise carbon dioxide absorption when placed on ocean floors or potentially under the belly of cargo ships (this concept is still under development) They will now attend upcoming workshops with a mentor to continue to develop their idea and compete again in the next phases to be in for a chance of winning new Samsung phones - and having their product made in reality Congratulations, and good luck to the team!
Ms Hart
THE MAGIC FLUT E
On Tuesday 1st April, a group of our students were very excited to visit the Royal Opera House for an immersive concert, Everybody Sing The Magic Flute The concert was a special event to launch United Learning’s collaboration with the Royal Opera House on a new project based on Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute. As part of the project, students across the Group have been working with artists from the Royal Opera House to create a unique performance of the famous opera With the of promoting students’ creativity, confidence collaboration skills, the project has so far seen students learn six songs from The Magic Flute to perform at the launch event Bringing together 700 students from 53 schools, students created a vibrant performance of the opera alongside the Royal Ballet & Opera Orchestra and professional opera singers During the Summer Term, students then learn the rest of the repertoire to perform at one of three concerts across the country in June and July These will be held at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and Corn Exchange in Cambridge As well as performing at the launch event, 4 of our Key Stage 5 art students also received a special backstage tour of the Royal Opera House These students have been working hard to develop costume and set designs inspired by The Magic Flute and enjoyed the chance to meet with artists and designers before the concert The designs will serve as inspiration for the Royal Ballet & Opera Design Team, who will then create costumes worn by professional singers for the final performances in the Summer Term The concert was a wonderful way to launch the project, and our students are now very much looking forward to performing at the Royal Festival Hall in the summer
In The Know
CHELSEA FC FOUNDATIONS ‘IN THE BOX’ PROJECT
Continuing our relationship with Chelsea FC their worked our Year 10’s on the ‘In the Box’ project working on a business task The challenge was innovative ways to engage with supporters and involvement After sessions with their Foundation teams came up with loads of impressive ideas eSports suite to celebrity five a side games This travelled to Stamford Bridge and had a morning team of Chelsea staff who not only loved the ideas presentation skills Students got to meet and work players and for their efforts the students all received bag with a Chelsea water bottle, pens, highlighters, lanyard happy students
Mr McCarthy
ZOE BILLINGHAM CBE
This week we had a former Chair of the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) and the National Crime Agency Remuneration Review Body (NCARRB), Zoe Billingham addressing the Year 8 cohort We heard how her career had taken her down many paths and now she is Chair of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust She told us that working to reform the Mental Health Service has been her biggest challenge and welcomed a student question on reforming the food. It was wonderful hearing how she didn’t know what she wanted to do but worked hard at everything emphasising attitude as a key component to success We were very fortunate that she gave up her time to be with us and the students appreciated her lecture
Mr McCarthy
INTERNATIONAL SILVER MEDAL
Georgina Lee spent her weekend doing Maths homework but also travelling to Antwerp in Belgium for the Judo Ippon International Trophy With over 1000 competitors at the event, she easily won her first bout but things got progressively harder She is a blue belt and was coming up against competitors two belts higherblack belts. In a nervy semi-final, she held on to win and was confident going into the final However, against her 26-year-old and very experienced opponent she did brilliantly to secure her career best result Now, onwards and upwards with the next competition being the extremely tough ‘London Area’ event in May where scouts will be looking for national representatives Good luck and very well done Georgina!
Mr McCarthy
In The Know
YEAR 12 UCAS DISCOVERY TRIP
Year 12’s were taken to the UCAS Discovery event at the London Excel Centre where Universities from across the country were available to answer student questions. Universities from across the Britain including Russel group universities had stalls, displays and advisors to inform about what they offer Student representatives from the universities were also there to give their advice, “Get a microwave, get an air fryer, start studying straight away ” The event also had employers and there was advice available for those interested in apprenticeships All in all, a the event got the thumbs up from students
Mr McCarthy
MATHS SUCCESS!
We’re thrilled to announce that Elise Holmes has been selected to attend the UKMT’s prestigious National Mathematics Summer School! This exciting opportunity follows her outstanding performance in this year’s Intermediate Mathematical Challenge - well done, Elise!
ART APTITUDE PLACES
The Art team are delighted to announce an exciting opportunity within the Art Aptitude program, offering a
HPS GREENPOWER
limited number of fortunate students with the chance to join our scholarship program. After reviewing the current enrolment figures in the Art Aptitude program at Holland Park, we have identified a limited number of openings for a select group of aspiring young artists This opportunity is open to students already attending Holland Park School who demonstrate a genuine passion and aptitude for art Successful candidates will participate in Art Aptitude sessions every Monday from 15:15 to 16:30 and will subsequently choose GCSE Art as of their options subjects in years 10 and 11 Therefore, we encourage interested students to carefully assess their commitment to meeting the requirements of this program before applying As part of the standard process for Art Aptitude, a 40-minute art exam will be conducted on Thursday, 1st May 2025 If you are keen on applying for Art Aptitude program, please submit your interest via the link here: //forms.office.com/e/bvTWmLgmfE Ms Fitton and Ms Tukacevska will be in touch shortly with further details
We are a group of ten year 12 students fundraising for entry to Greenpower - a series of charity events at motor circuits around the UK which requires us to design and build a go-kart sized electric vehicle with an emphasis on sustainability and to race alongside other competitors. We are all very passionate about engineering, and many of us are aiming to study it at degree level - to bring Greenpower to Holland Park School would provide students interested in engineering like us with the opportunity to learn and develop crucial skills in design, fabrication, and problem solving as well as soft skills in communication and teamwork, networking, self-confidence and strategy - if we manage to make it to entry, the car can be reused and modified over the years by future Holland Park students so that they can both learn from and enjoy the same experience But we cannot make this happen without your support! Any donations however small would be very much appreciated to bring such an opportunity to our school https://www crowdfunder co uk/p/hpsgreenpower#start
In The Know
LAST DAY STAFF PIZZA PARTY!
We’d like to extend wonderful parents who appreciation collection support truly lot
HOLLAND PARK SCHOOL In The Know
PTA COMEDY NIGHT
The PTA is thrilled to announce that our Comedy Night raised an incredible £1500 for our school! A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for an evening filled with laughter, wit, and unforgettable moments With your generous support, we will be fulfilling part of our wish list, including using the funds to purchase much-needed laptops for the school as well as raising money for our PE department It was a fantastic night and the PTA thanks Holland Park School for their support! A special thank you to Phillipe and the rest of the site team!
The PTA
PTA FUNDRAISER FOR THE PE DEPARTMENT!
The PTA and the PE Department have joined forces to supercharge our sports program! We want to get more students active, having fun and competing in team sports A big thank you to those who sponsored a phenomenal £440 at the Comedy Night but we are not there yet! Help us make this happen - sponsor an item today and be part of the action! To sponsor an item please go to: https://www.ptaevents.co.uk/hps/index.cfm?event=event&eventId=97313
SECOND HAND UNIFORM SHOP: STOCK NEEDED!
The PTA Second Hand Uniform Shop has been a huge success (thank you so much to the team of volunteers who run it) and is running low on stock! If you have any old uniform that students are no longer using (older siblings who have left or children who have grown) please do donate this to the uniform shop This can be done via reception at any time or via the shop when it is open (Tuesdays 14 30- 15 30)
S PO N S O R E D C O L O U R R U N I S B A C K !
The PTA-sponsored Colour Run is back and bigger than ever! If you had a blast last year, get ready for even more fun, more colour, and more excitement Register now, rally your sponsors, and let’s make this year unforgettable! All the details are on our website 0 don’t miss out:
https://www pta-events co uk/hps/index cfm?event=event&eventId=97271
In The Know
GETTING TO Know…
Mr Mikey Robinson
IT Site Manager
A termly feature where we introduce a different member of staff each half-term!
1. What is your favourite food? I love anything with a strong flavor, a bit of spice, and noodles or rice I am also a huge fan of curry, especially home-made
2. Where would you most My dream destination has always been Japan. I would love to go during spring to see the cherry blossoms and enjoy the experience of a traditional Japanese inn. The culture, food, and nature have always been
3. What would your ideal superpower I've always hated the idea of having too strong a superpower, making everyday life boring I think I'd like something with a level of restriction, such as being able to teleport anywhere within a 5m range but only being able to do so once every 30 seconds and each time I do, I would expend the effort it took to run there
4 What was your favourite book as a teenager and
I have always been a fan of dystopian Fi and fantasy novels. My favorite book as a teenager was a Sci-Fi series titled 'Gone' by Michael Grant. I found it a very gritty and realistic depiction of an otherwise impossible situation.
5. What skill do you wish you had? To this day, I am still trying to work on my ability to listen to a song and replicate it on the piano. It's something I wish I was naturally good at.
me about a time you failed at something. believe the only failure you can experience is a when didn't learn a lesson from a mistake I believe I failed I picked up a habit in 6th form of running away my problems and burying my head in the sand, hoping they would go away This was one of the biggest changes I made in my life when I left school and I am proud to say I no longer do
What would your teachers have said about you when you were at school?
had an almost invisible presence during my formative years at school I kept my head down and focused on my studies, never getting into any trouble. If anything, they would have told me to be a little louder
9 Who is the most famous bumped into?
I haven't yet had the chance to meet any famous people as of yet, but had the opportunity to have a chat with one, I would probably choose Keanu Reeves He just seems like a really pleasant individual
10 What sport do you watch and which teams or players do you
6. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
After realising I wasn't remotely entertaining enough to be a streamer, I wanted to be a theoretical physicist I then realized through my hobby of building custom PCs, that I had a passion for all things technology.
I really tried getting into watching football a few years ago but it just didn't resonate with me. In true IT fashion, the only sports I really watch are sports, and I would have to my favourite at the moment is Tekken 8. I have learned to love playing football and basketball in recent years though (not that I'm any good at them).
