Our school vision is to:
Work together to provide students with an inclusive and equitable experience of school which empowers them to achieve ambitious qualifications, powerful knowledge, effective communications skills and the resilience to promote social justice for the better of all.
This vision to empower young women drives everything we do at the school I am sure you will be pleased to read this edition of the SBS news which is a review of some of the many achievements of the school year 2022-23.
As a girls only school we are in a unique position to empower young women because we are experts in how girls learn and have deliberately designed our curriculum and delivery of our curriculum to ensure students ‘learn more and remember more’ (as Ofsted commented when they inspected the school in November 2022). Our approach is based upon the belief that in a girls only school, girls learn better, achieve better and have better opportunities to be empowered. This is not just a belief, it is backed up by research from a number of sources that shows that girls who attend girls only schools are less likely to conform to restrictive gender stereotypes, are less constrained in their choice of subjects and perform better in examinations This same research indicates that girls in girls only schools show a greater likelihood to innovate and take risks with their learning, have more opportunities to show leadership and go on to be more successful in the job market.
This edition of Sarah Bonnell News shows the benefits of attending a girls’ school by sharing some of the most amazing achievements of our students and highlighting the many opportunities we provide for girls to learn and develop as young people
Rae Potter - Headteacher
Sarah Bonnell is a place where dreams and ambitions take flight,where creativity is encouraged and where values such as respect, integrity and compassion are instilled in every one of us.
At Sarah Bonnell we build a sisterhood where students feel comfortable with one another, celebrating each other's successes and embracing unity. This Sisterhood promotes a safe and empowering environment which extends beyond the classroom too, as we support each other during extra curricular activities.
As Head Girl I aim to represent the school with integrity and amplify the message of “work hard” because by working hard you can achieve what you want, whether it be a big or small.
Alongside the Sarah Bonnell values, I want to promote my motto “think it , believe it , become it” to the daily school life of students . This is so they feel as though no goal is unachievable.
As we start this new academic year let us remember that each and every one of us has the potential to make a positive change and strive for excellence in everything we do, wherever we are.
Headteacher, Rae Potter, said:
I am very proud of the students at Sarah Bonnell School - they are ambitious, kind and creative and have worked incredibly hard to achieve these GCSE results. Sarah Bonnell School is known for providing students with great qualifications and we are proud of ensuring that alongside this academic success we also empower them to develop as confident and compassionate young people.
Schools nationally were informed by Ofqual in September 2022 that national GCSE results in 2023 would be lower than last year as they returned to pre-pandemic grading. Ofqual advised that it will be most meaningful to compare this year’s results with 2019, the last year that summer exams were taken before the pandemic. At Sarah Bonnell GCSE results have followed this national picture with sign
There have been many impressive individual achievements with students securing places at our local Newham Sixth Form colleges as well as some of our partner Independent Colleges. For example Raghad Abdin gained a perfect Attainment 8 Score of 90 by securing GCSE Grade 9 in all her GCSEs subjects. Raghad is going to study A Levels in English Literature, Science and Maths at Newham Collegiate Sixth Form.
Eli’anah Enihoro also achieved an excellent set of GCSE results including the top Grade 9 in English Literature, English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry. Eli’anah is now going to study at Queens College London - a prestigious Independent Day school for girls that has a special partnership with Sarah Bonnell School. Queens College provides three students every year an opportunity for a fully funded place to attend the college for Key Stage 5. Eli’anah was also part of the Sarah Bonnell Debate Team who successfully won the national championships this year ! Aasiyah Hussain also achieved impressive GCSE results alongside managing the additional responsibilities that came with being Head Girl Aasiyah achieved ten GCSEs all Grade 9 - 7 and is going on to study A Levels in Chemistry, Psychology, Politics and Maths at Brampton Sixth Form College.
The school is very proud of all our students and wish them all the very best for the next stage of their education and learning.
with a bang! It p p ole school with the highest and most consistent attendance led by myself - Ms Ashraf and Mr Odudimu! Our budding scientists have ranged from KS3 and KS4, who have enjoyed meeting new people and making new friends This term we have made slime, bath bombs, perfume, crystals and created and erupted volcanoes. Our keen and enthusiastic scientists have utilised their critical thinking and analytical skills to evaluate their models and apply their findings onto their next exciting projects
Students have commented on the club stating 'how it’s not all about making it right but having fun’.
In November all six schools across the NCL trust came together at three sites to collaborate and share best practice on 'Literacy and Numeracy in action' and 'Purpose''. Sarah Bonnell, Eastlea and Portway were the host schools for over 500 staff Sarah Bonnell hosted 250 people on the day, and it was great to be able to welcome colleagues from Portway and Selwyn for the first time .People were given the opportunity to attend a range of workshops, many of which were led by Sarah Bonnell staff with expertise to share.. The keynote speakers, Kathy Roe and Craig Barton both gave informative and enlightening presentations on Literacy and Numeracy. This provided the foundation for the rest of the day where staff were given the opportunity to think deeply and have dedicated time to reflect on their practice with colleagues from across the trust. Thank you to everyone who was involved in the planning and delivery on the day. Overall, a great success. #BeProud
We began with meetings, talking and listening to students and teachers about our main plans for the month. I initially thought I wanted an entire month, but more specifically the big event to be one to remember for a long time. We had to consider what would make Black History Month memorable, ecstatic and linked to our theme ‘Actions not Words’.
Very soon my plans on paper became a reality with the help of teachers and students, who volunteered to be a part of the plans for the month. As a group, we discussed Afro/Caribbean cultural foods for the canteen, Our indoor piazza decorations and the main event. Hosted by myself (Mauricette) and the current Head Girl of Sarah Bonnell, Aasiyah I am proud to say all of our plans for the month came to pass. One example being Jollof rice and plantain nteen.
The night of the event was an utter success. It began with students welcoming parents, teachers and other people into the assembly hall, with programmes for each person who arrived. We had fantastic decorations and refreshments at hand - with Black History Month Themed colours of course . Moving on to the actual event, there were multiple poems given by students of Sarah Bonnell - about celebrating black achievements As well as, a keynote speech from our own assistant headteacher Ms Oloyede She spoke about navigating blackness in the workplace and much more. Moving on to my speech, I spoke about the success of black people who have paved the way in British society today and their impact in creating change. Finally, the event ended with our very own incredible band of students, which was an engaging and beautifully crafted music performance.
-Mauricette, YR11 Student
Last term the Year 10 debate team and Year 11 debate team went head to head in a battle to be crowned the SB debating champions of 22.
It was a fantastic evening with an amazing list of VIP Judges who all commented on the amazing debating skills of both teams.
Judges were: Joe Seddon: governor at Lister, Janete Ballard: Governor NCL, Zaynah Ali: Biomedical Sciences, King's College, Lyn Brown MP, Konstantina Hara: Debate mentor, Queen Mary University
The evening was kindly hosted by Azaan Akbar, Educational consultant and debate coach who has also worked with the students in the past year at Debate Mate during some of the competitions. The year 11 team benefited from some bespoke and invaluable feedback from Azaan and they showcased their progress to him on the night. Thank you Azaan for hosting. Can’t wait to work with you again next year!
Motions debated were:
This house believes that globalisation has divided the human race
This House would allow young people to stand for elections
It was so close but there could only be one winner! The year 10 team won in style, structure, rebuttals, points of information and content.
The awards ceremony was presented by MP Lyn Brown. She commended both year groups on their debating skills and how they could be an asset if they were to speak in parliament.
Year 10 Team:
Ahmira Calandra
Luka Narbutyte
Marianne Rhodes
Maleeha Iram
Sabrine Zamit
Salma Alam
Year 11 Team:
Humyra Tanko
Layla Abed
Mariam Sheikh
Meerub Anjum
Rahima Ibrahim
Shaima Razali
On the 24th of January 29 students and 9 teachers from a school in Morocco came to visit Sarah onnell for the day The visitors presented two kshops to French and Arabic students in KS3 nd KS4. The first workshop was a discussion ut human values and students made key rings. second workshop was about bringing Morocco o London by sharing a display of Moroccan ural artefacts like pictures, traditional clothing and traditional food etc ur students enjoyed learning about Moroccan ure and our visitors enjoyed speaking English d learning about school life at Sarah Bonnell School.
We celebrated another brilliant World Hijab Day this year with the theme of ‘Progression Not Oppression.’ This year, students in Year 10 and Year 11 led assemblies sharing their personal stories and presented and shared their hijab wearing role models. Ms Sahebdin also launched the art and poetry competition with students having the opportunity to win an array of fantastic books written by diverse authors. Ms Harvey and Ms Sahebdin designed the beautiful piazza display highlighting hijab wearing women across the globe who can isnpire us all.
During lunchtime, a piazza moment encouraged students to share their message based on the theme for World Hijab Day and suggest their own role models who had inspired them. Students also had the opportunity to try on hijabs, take photos with their own message and raise money for United World Schools by buying hijabs.
Thank you to everyone who made it a memorable celebration.
‘‘PROGRESSION PROGRESSION NOT OPPRESSION.’ NOT OPPRESSION.’
In February, 160 students and 12 teachers travelled to the beautiful Welsh coast as p of their adventures at Outward Bound, Aberdovey. Outward Bound is a charity th gives young people access to amazing experiences in the outdoors and the trip w designed to encourage SBS students to g out and explore the world around them A part of this experience, Year 9 engaged in range of outdoor activities. They went for a jog and dip; they went canoeing and kayaking; they went on a two-day hike.
All the experiences helped students to get out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves to learn something new
open fire will stay with them forever, it was the growth they appreciated the most.
One student commented: “The experience of staying in a cabin was the thing I enjoyed the most... no beds, toilets, running water, electricity, and all 19 of us together...it was a tough thing, and our body ached from the hiking, but it was truly surreal and unforgettable. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but now I see that I really got to connect with nature ”
Another student said: “I got to experience a whole new world of nature outside of London At first, I got exhausted by the amount of energy we had to put in but then I started to see how happy I was, the smile and laughter was on my face more than once. I could tell I was experiencing happiness.”
Lastly, a student summed up her growth, saying: “I have boosted my leadership and communication skills and abilities as a result of this wonderful experience of the outdoors. I've improved my ability to operate in a team, learned how to assist others appropriately, and learned how to inspire others, help them overcome obstacles, and encourage others ”
We are immensely proud of our Year 9 students and all they achieved during their week in Aberdovey. We know this experience will be something that helps them in years to come. Most importantly, we are proud to have been able to provide an enriching experience as part of the diverse and exciting curriculum we offer at Sarah Bonnell School.
Throughout the Autumn Term, a large g performers and designers from a range groups collaborated really effectively to school production: Tales From the Midd production involved a range of impressi performances exploring the stories of A the Forty Thieves, Sindbad the Sailor, a and were weaved together by the frami g of a classroom scenario. Not only did all membe the cast and crew work incredibly hard to put together the production, but they also shared a performance with the Year 7 students, who have been inspired to write wonderful theatrical review the play they saw We are incredibly proud of all the students who participated, the members of staff who worked really hard to support, and, importantly, all audience members who supported the school community.
In May the Learning Hub hosted a five day Book Fair. We had an incredible range of books on offer which were sold at half price. From comedy to mysteries, our students delved in and were thrilled to have the opportunity to buy such fantastic titles. It was wonderful to see so many of our students getting very excited about books and stories. Our girls requested books for orders and came back again and again to buy more. On our first day at at break time, we took in £100 in 15 minutes! The Book Fair created a great reading buzz which added to the reading culture of the Learning Hub. At the end of the fair we had sold £733 worth of books and earned 30 free books for the Learning Hub. It was an excellent event which showcased that SB really does Love to Read. We look forward to hosting another Book Fair again at Christmas! Ms Kaur - Learning Hub Manager
During ELD in May Year 7 students were given the opportunity to do some engineering and building. Students had the task of building their own rocket car in groups Year 7 learnt the engineering concepts of building cars and why speed is important and how designs impact speed of the cars. Year 7 were successful in creating and designing their rocket cars ready for the race in July. On Thursday 6th July year 7 raced their rocket cars with the bloodhound team! Well done to all students that took part in building and racing. We had the fastest car in the country with speeds of 125 kmph. Well done
During STEM week celebrations and ELD we had the pleasure of hosting yet another Girls believe Academy workshop all day to year 9. Students were introduced to the world of engineering and different career pathways that are open to them. Students were engaging in conversation with the female engineers that were presenting We also had the opportunity to feature in their new advertisement short film which was all about women in STEM.
The Year 9 Tycoons in Business CEO’s had the opportunity to present their business idea to staff at KPMG offices on the 8th June 2023 Students were confident in their delivery and KPMG were very id f th j t
In June, 24 Prefects in Year 10 travelled to the beautiful Lake District in Ullswater as part of their adventures at Outward Bound. Outward Bound is a charity that gives young people access to amazing experiences in the outdoors and the trip was designed to encourage SBS students to get out and explore the world around them.
The aim for the residential visit was to develop their understanding of leadership and challenge. As part of this experience, Year 10 engaged in a range of outdoor activities. They went for a jog and dip; they went canoeing; they also climbed up mountains including the famous Hallin Fell. All the experiences helped students to get out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves to learn something new and to become more informed leaders.
Students had an unforgettable time! While their memories of bunking together in a cabin and toasting marshmallows in an open fire will stay with them forever, it was the growth they appreciated the most. Aaliyah, one of our prefects, commented: “Going to Outward Bound really taught me how to lead a situation and come up with fast solutions to benefit a team. Climbing the mountain felt like a huge challenge but we overcame this and it brought us closer together as a team!”
Ms Myers said: “For a first residential trip I couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful, courageous and positive group of girls to go with. They inspired me with their resilience, determination and their kind energy that really made the weekend unforgettable. I can’t wait to see what these brilliant young women bring to the Prefect Team!”
We are immensely proud of our Year 10 students and all they achieved during their week in Aberdovey. We know this experience will be something that helps them in years to come. Most importantly, we are proud to have been able to provide an enriching experience as part of the diverse and exciting curriculum we offer at SBS.
Well done and congratulations to our debating teams who took part in the Debate Cup 2023 London Regional Finals at the University of Law.
Once again, Sarah Bonnell brought home the cup for the second year in a row, guaranteeing us a place in the National Finals in June!
Congratulations to our year 10 team won the final debate against Brampton Manor and clinched the London Regional Title. So proud of you all!
The Sister Achievement Assemblies brought the school together to celebrate students’ achievements and award prizes for each curriculum area and the school values. The special Sarah Bonnell Whole School Awards were presented by Ms Potter, Headteacher, as follows
Be Proud - Alexandra Arena 10A
Aim High - Layeba Layeba 8H
Work Hard - Naomi Chima 7S
Be Kind - Nehal Bhatt 9D
No Excuses - Vaishnavi Charan 9S
These students are recognised for the way they uphold the school values and the contribution they make to the school community.
The audience were treated to musical performances, an inspiring speech by Head Girl, Tiana TaraWalibange, and a poetry recital by one of our alumni from 2022.
It was a wonderful way of bringing our school community together on the last day of term to celebrate a successful year.
The photos below show the award winners from each of the assemblies with Mr Leslie, Chair of Governors, Ms Potter, Headteahcer and Ms Oloyede and Mr Slater, Assistant Headteachers. Congratulations to all our award winners
On Monday 26th June our year 9 Tycoons in Business group held a Tycoons in business summer fair after school. This was well attended by our Sarah Bonnell Community. It was great to see so many parents/carers at the event. Students made over £700 which is all going to our UWS charity. Henna, care packages, handmade bracelets and many more wonderful items were sold at the event. We even had our very own Ice cream van!
For those of you who have not yet experienced Drum Works, they are a fantastic company who “use drumming as a tool to inspire creativity, build social cohesion and empower young people to direct their own futures Around 570 people take part every week through five partner schools in east London, community programmes in Walthamstow and Newham, and two progression ensembles Highenergy, engaging and creative sessions led by experienced professional musicians enable participants from all backgrounds and all levels of musical experience to create something they enjoy and are proud of. Through collaborative music-making we develop participants’ confidence, break down social barriers and build a supportive community where everyone can thrive.”
Drum Works have provided workshops and an enrichment club every Friday, at which students from all Year groups and levels can take part. This culminated in a fantastic combined school workshop this term, with 9 Drum Works tutors leading Sarah Bonnell and St Paul’s Way Trust students in a 3 hour workshop followed by an incredible performance on the Green for students and teachers to enjoy. The level of performance was outstanding and a real inspiration for everyone! We look forward to continuing our work with Drum Works next year!
It has been a busy term for our Year 11 students who have worked incredibly hard during the GCSE exam season. They have shown resilience, dedication and grit throughout their exams and we are so proud of their commitment. In order to celebrate their successes over the last five years at Sarah Bonnell, we held a celebration leavers’ assembly on Friday 26 May 2023. The assembly was jam-packed with leavers’ messages from form tutors, form awards, speeches, musical performances, laughter and tears! Once they have enjoyed a well-earned rest in their summer break, they will be taking their next steps into further education, training or employment. Their time at Sarah Bonnell is now over, but their legacy will live on for years to come!
With great excitement and joy we celebrated our Year 11s finishing their journey at Sarah Bonnell! Flowers, greenery and twinkling lights - our school was transformed into a magical escape for our Midsummer Night’s Dream themed Graduation Evening where students arrived in style. It was an amazing evening filled with music, food and laughter. It was an opportunity for students to reunite and meet friends they might not have seen for a little white and it was heartwarming to see them greet one another with love and warmth as they all entered on the green carpet!
An awe-inspiring moon backdrop was set up and students were able to pose amongst the stars - taking away polaroid shots of themselves with friends. Fellow colleagues had also planned and led on many entertaining activities from temporary glitter tattoos to creating flower corsages and headbands, we had a limbo competition and a 360 photo booth to ensure fantastic memories could be stored forever from the magical night.
A huge shoutout to our Year 10 prefects who exemplified professionalism, grace and charm for the night, helping us make the event possible!
The Year 11 students once again made us proud with how graceful and sensible they were even on a night of revelry and fun. As the night was danced away, students were also handed out their Leavers Hoodies and after much dancing, taking pictures and eating we bid them goodbye.
This year students have had the opportunity to share and celebrate their progress and achievements in music at a range of events. Starting the year off with incredible performances from the String Group and our resident rock band made up of students from Years 9 -10 at our Achievement Assemblies, the year ahead only had more and more musical greatness to come.
We are very proud that students have performed at a range of events this year, from assemblies to grand events such as Black History Month, International Women’s Day, and providing musical entertainment at the Summer GCSE Art and Design Technology Exhibition
Our singers also had the fantastic opportunity to work with BBC singers in the Spring term, taking part in a massed performance with a range of school’s from across Newham, as well taking part in a recording of the Ukrainian Eurovision winning song, which was filmed and shared nationwide!
We have had two grand celebrations so far of the work our students have done this year in music lessons and enrichment clubs At the Winter Warmer and Spring Concert we have had over 70 students perform, from stunning solos to incredible performances from our singing, string, band and drumming ensembles, the students have yet again outdone themselves, demonstrating not only their incredible talents, but also the fantastic work our teaching and peripatetic team have done this year to support their progress.
We have one final exciting concert coming up on Monday 17th July, where students will have the opportunity to perform to parents, families and Sarah Bonnell Alumni This will be a fantastic event, where all of our performers will get to showcase their achievements in music this year. With some exciting additions, such as the launch of our Music Producer Club creations and a Mega Band performance, bringing performers together from all musical specialities!
We are very proud of all of the work our students have put in this year We now have over 150 students receiving 1 to 1 and small group instrumental tuition as well as excellent commitment to our music enrichment clubs If your daughter is interested in having instrumental lessons next year, please encourage her to sign up in September! More information will be sent out in the new school year
Finally, a huge thank you to our fantastic music team, without which we would not be able to put on these fantastic events: Mr Hernandez, Mr Slater, Mr Chawora, Tracey, Ross, Liz, Az, Barbara, Kit and the fabulous Drum Works team!
I hope you have a fantastic summer and look forward to making more music at Sarah Bonnell in September
Ms Whitehouse Curriculum Leader Music
Sarah Bonnell’s partnership with Greenhouse Tennis goes from strength to strength. We continue to work together to give students opportunities to develop their skills in a great sport and develop their confidence and character On Thursday 20 April, Rae Potter - Headteacher and Tom Sippy, Greenhouse Tennis Coach, were invited to a high profile event for investors in the charity at the National Tennis Centre. Mr Sippy coached the investors and hit with some of the UK’s top tennis
