Thecitytimes 2013 summer1

TheCityTimes Summer Term 1 | 2012/13

Investing in the future:

our top mathematicians put to the test at KPMG

Our winning team of investors (Louise, Elton, Safak and Tarik) present their strategy and financial results to the panel.

Cover story: investing in the future Last term, four teams of our top mathematicians were invited to the Canary Wharf offices of our joint sponsor, KPMG, to take part in an investment challenge.

Offering an enticing insight into the working world of the financial services firm, representatives from KPMG - including our Chair of Governors, Dawn Elliott - set our year 10 students a

challenge beginning with the agree their investment plan for the year ahead based on investment of £1.2 million. their forecast of the financial Throughout the morning, our climate. students had to think fast and work as a team. With a year’s A sound strategy was the key. business condensed down into Put large sums of capital into just 20 minutes, the groups high risk investments and you had to react fast to changes in could reap the rewards but interest rates, costs, inflation, you’d also leave yourself open and real life events such as to losses meaning you could natural disasters and stock not afford to cover your costs market crashes. How do you including your staff’s salaries. protect your capital? Invest wisely to generate profit? Team STEL (Safak, Tarik, Elton and Louise, pictured above) Balance risk? had just the right strategy At the end of each financial which they presented to the year, our teams had to record panel at the end of the five year their earnings, or losses, and simulation. Having invested boldly at the start of the process, the team had sufficient capital to absorb losses from insurance payouts following an earthquake in America.

This bankrupted some teams, others recorded a net loss, but Team STEL delivered an overall profit and took first place in the competition.

The workshop clearly illustrated not only the value

of numeracy and mathematical understanding but also core skills such as teamwork, communication and planning - successfully applying their learning in the workplace.

As well as putting their skills to the test, our year 10 students got the chance to meet staff currently on the graduate and school-leaver programmes at KPMG.

Access Project KPMG volunteer tutors

their learning through targeted intervention, mentoring and guidance as well as nurturing students’ aspirations for their future in education and work.

Once again working alongside our joint sponsor KPMG, our Key Stage 4 students have begun a pilot programme of professional tutoring with volunteers from the financial services firm.

The Access Project is a charity working to combat inequality in education by organising afterschool activities, mentoring programmes and supporting students with their university applications.

Coordinated on behalf of the Having joined the firm following academy by Holly Maguire from university or as early as after the Access Project, the aim is to their A levels, the volunteers directly support students with expressed the importance of education but were also keen to promote the range of career pathways available to young people when they leave school.

Additional Studies Looking ahead to next year

Thank you to all the staff at KPMG who volunteered their time and delivered such an insightful and challenging day As our first cohort of students for our students. enters Year 11 we have taken the opportunity to look at how For more photos, visit: Additional Studies is organised. wp.me/p3iCHB-vt To allow for more systematic intervention and support of students in Key Stage 4 we

For more information visit www.theaccessproject.org.uk

are now planning to move Additional Studies, after school sessions, to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday rather than as they are at present Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

All other school day arrangements will remain as they are and there will be no changes to the core academy day which runs from 8.25 a.m. to 3.40 p.m. every day.

The Tempest

Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 May

We closed this half term with another of our fantastic annual Shakespeare productions performed by students from Years 7, 8 and 9.

Forming part of their studies in both English and drama during Key Stage 3, our young actors took to the stage with an African-

themed incarnation of the Shakespeare comedy, The Tempest.

The drama department welcomed a capacity audience of parents, students and staff to an abridged production featuring drumming, dance, magic and music.

Our students were also pleased to see some familiar faces as they put on a special performance for their old primary schools who attended the dress rehearsal the day before the final, evening show.

Thank you to all our students, parents and staff for their commitment and support.

Write On Poetry workshop and competition

Matteo and Emmanuel - pleased to receive their certificates and their cookies in equal measure.

Well done Matteo and Emmanuel (pictured, right) who represented the academy at the ‘Write On’ poetry workshop, held at the Free World Centre last half term.

Last term the academy trialled an online booking system for our Year 7 Consultation Week appointments and we will also be trialling a later start for our upcoming Parent Day on Monday 3 June. Your feedback is really important to us and will be used to improve our future parent consultation events.

Please complete a feedback form at the event or contact the Parent Staff Association with your comments (see page 9).

At the event, celebrating the achievements of the shortlisted student poets, both Matteo and Emmanuel worked with some professional writers and performance poets before taking to the stage with their own work.

Follow the link below to watch a video of Matteo’s performance from the event.

Term dates 2013/14

For more photos, visit: wp.me/p3iCHB-vt

Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge

Parent Day Booking and timings

Term dates for the 2013/14 academic year can be found on page 12 and are also available on the academy website under Events. Key events such as Parent Days, Consultation Weeks, exams and Parent Staff Association meetings will be Congratulations to Whitney added to the website by the end Manning and Chris Sheyindemi of term. who took time out from their busy revision schedule and performed excellently, representing the academy at the Jack Petchey’s Speak Out Challenge.

The Speak Out Challenge is a programme and competition designed to develop students’ skills, confidence and desire to speak in public.

For more information and photos from the event, visit: www.speakoutchallenge.com

Parent/Carer Handbook 2013/14

Our updated Parent/Carer Handbook for the 2013/14 academic year is available online now and a printed copy can be collected from reception or at our upcoming parent consultation events.

A Night with the Band

Charlie and R-Marni bring a disco groove with the Junior Band.

“Come on, let me see you shake your tail feather.�

Tom, Emanuel and Kenny bring out the brass and the braces, backing Nadia on vocals.

Having staged a Shakespeare production, hosted our annual Battle of the Bands competition, and welcomed parents to the last recital of the year at Sutton House - our Night with the Band concert seems so long ago already.

range of hits both old and new from soul classic ‘Proud Mary’ to the Ghostbusters theme.

Tickets for our end of year musical, Bugsy Malone (Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 July) will be available to buy on ParentPay very soon. Please Despite the title ‘A Night with the see page 12 or the Events page Band’, our academy band and of our website for details of choir put on two sell-out shows upcoming events. for our parents, staff and guests at the end of last term.

For more photos, visit: The band performed a wide wp.me/p3iCHB-BO

Battle of the Bands The finals

On Friday 17 May, our talented year 8 musicians took to the stage for our annual Battle of the Bands competition. Performing in groups, formed in their music lessons, the ensembles wrote their own songs and lyrics. The top 12 acts then showcased their tracks in front of a capacity audience in our theatre.

More photos from the finals and our first MP3 download, Cure Me by Lectric from 8Y4 can be found on the academy website.

Bake off Competition

Well done to all the performers involved. The calibre of writing and performing was incredibly high. The winning group, voted for by the audience, will be Our talented Year 10 bakers - led

by Food Technology teacher, Ms announced in assembly.

Riley-Patterson - competed in our inaugural Bake Off competition For more photos, visit: at the end of the spring term. wp.me/p3iCHB-Cc Cure Me by Lectric: wp.me/p3iCHB-Cc

Congratulations to all the students who took part and

Website New features Since its launch in October, we have been adding more and more useful content to our website. Recent updates include:

Christine Tolo Kossa in particular who was our very first winner.

The standard of baking and cake decorating was incredibly high as our lucky panel of judges found out by sampling the array of cakes on offer.

For more photos, visit: wp.me/p3iCHB-vt

lunch menus (see Students), term dates for 2013/14, an exams timetable and Parent Staff Association meeting minutes (see Parents). If there are any features you’d like to see included, please do not hesitate to contact the academy.

Week 27 Tyrell Marius-Hewitt

29 Merits

Week 28 Sarah Marquardt 52 Merits

Week 29 Paris Bevans 52 Merits

Week 30 Besart Llapashtica 39 Merits

Week 31 Darren Adu-Amoateng

48 Merits

Week 32 William Murison 45 Merits

Top merit winners Congratulations to all of our top merit winners of the week. Don’t forget, you can keep track of your merits on ePortal, and all of our weekly merit winners are also posted on the News page of our website.

What’s Cooking?

The Russet cafe

William, Brandi and Luz (periodic table cupcakes included) with our Chair of the Parent Staff Association and guest speakers from Guerilla Science, Queen Mary University and George Monoux College.

The future of science education Cafe Scientifique

role of computers in schools and at home, and the growth of the internet in relation to learning.

All parents and students are welcome and we look forward to welcoming a range of guest Thank you to all the parents, speakers to lead the event too. students, staff and guest speakers who joined the debate at our last If you have a background in Education Cafe event run by our computing, web design or Parent Staff Association. Up for programming, we would love to discussion was the small topic: hear from you. Please contact the future of science education. our Communications Manager if Our next discussion evening will you would like to take part. be on Wednesday 26 June, 5.30 p.m. We will be discussing the

Nathan takes a break from baking delicious apple cakes and has a well-earned cappuccino made by guest Barista, Eugenie. Our team of student bakers were invited to sell their delicious cakes at The Russet cafe as part of the What’s Cooking? project run in collaboration with the academy. For more information and photos visit: www.whats-cooking.org.uk

Parent Staff Association Update

The PSA is compiling a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) which will be posted and updated on the academy’s website.

The Parent Staff Association (PSA) helps communication between the school and parents and carers. We meet regularly, organise events, and discuss our experience of The City Academy, Hackney. We believe that the academy can benefit from hearing parents’ views, and that by understanding the academy better parents can more easily help their children do well at school.

Future events

Recent events In addition to our twice-termly meetings, we have this year organised: an international evening and quiz

food

a sample school dinner for parents taster lessons given by the history and maths departments an ‘Education Cafe’ to debate the value of science education Meeting minutes On the PSA page of the website (under Parents) you can read the minutes of our meetings, and learn what kind of issues parents are discussing. These include questions like: ?

?

?

What recreational sports are available apart from the competitive team training?

Our summer programme of extra-curricular sports and clubs are now published under the We will soon be opening a Students section of the website. second hand uniform shop at the school. The first sale will take This term, the PE department during the Year 7/8 Parent Day are offering more than 20 extraon Monday 3 June. Parents, if curricular sports clubs during you have any unwanted items Additional Studies and after this summer - for example, Year school including trampolining, 9 students will switch from white table tennis, cricket, fitness and shirts/blouses in September taikwondo.

- please donate them to the How can parents offer school by dropping off items to ? both positive and negative reception at any time. feedback?

The next event is an Education Cafe about computers, school The academy is looking into and family life on Wednesday new ways for parents to provide feedback, perhaps via 26 June, 5.30 p.m. a dedicated email address or Your questions comments box in reception.

Suggestions welcomed.

Following on from our last meeting on Wednesday 24 A reminder that parents can April, a number of items were attend the SLT surgery any discussed, answers to which Thursday or Friday, 8.30 - 9.30 have been summarised below a.m. without an appointment. and can be found on the PSA Please refer to our updated page of the website.

Parent/Carer Handbook for further guidance.

All minutes are now formally reviewed by the Senior For any questions about the Leadership Team at the academy PSA, or if there are things you and taken into consideration for would like discussed at our next future planning and improved meeting, please email: stephen. communications. The same webster@imperial.ac.uk cycle of feedback is also used by our Student Council.

Stephen Webster ? How can I find out about Chair of the Parent Staff Association the lunch menu?

requests from Who should I contact if I Following think a detention is unfair? parents, the academy’s three week cycle of lunch menus are How can I find out more now published in the Students details about choices section of our website. available in the extended day?

Sports News Sports Awards Friday 7 June

Sports News Summer sports clubs

Students, parents and staff are invited to our annual Sports Awards after school on Friday, 5 p.m. Students have been given tickets/ permission slips (which must be signed so they can stay late to attend) and must arrive via the community entrance at 4.45 p.m. for a prompt start.

The PE department are running a wide range of extra-curricular sports clubs during Additional Studies and after school this term including:

Sports News Recent results Thursday 16 May U15 Cricket V’s Bridge Academy Won by 9 runs

Monday Mixed Trampolining Boys’ Table Tennis Girls’ Netball Boys’ Football Mixed Athletics

Tuesday Girls’ Table Tennis Boys’ Fitness Boys’ Football Girls’ Gymnastics Monday 3 June, 4.00 - 5.30 p.m.

Dance U13 Cricket v Stoke Newington Taikwondo Springfield Park, Hackney U13 Boys’ Cricket

Sports News Upcoming fixtures

Thursday 9 May Y8 Summer Netball Tournament 3rd place Thursday 9 May Y9/10 Athletics, Mile End Girls - 3rd, Boys - 5th All upcoming sports fixtures and recent results can be found in the Events section of the academy’s website. After school sports clubs running throughout the summer term are also listed in the Students section along with 2012/13 sports teams and squad photos.

The City Times The City Times is produced by our Communications Manager every half term in collaboration with student reporters, staff and parents. If you would like to include an item or cover one of our articles or upcoming events in the press, please do not hesitate to contact the academy. Press releases and high resolution photos are available upon request.

Wednesday Mixed Fitness Middlesex Cricket Club Thursday Boys’ Table Tennis U15 Boys Cricket Boys’ Rugby Rounders Girls’ Rugby Mixed Trampolining Girls’ Striking and Fielding

Homerton Row, E9 6EA 020 8525 5440 adam.smith@ thecityacademy.org www.thecityacademy.org/news

Key dates for the half term ahead

Term dates 2012/13

Thursday 20 June Last Additional Studies of the academic year

Summer term 2 Monday 3 June - Tuesday 16 July *Monday 3 June is a Year 7/8 Parent Day. The Academy will be closed to all other years.

The Additional Studies classes on Thursday 20 June will be the last of this academic year. Therefore, from the week commencing Monday 24 June, the school day will finish at 3.40 p.m.

Wednesday 26 June Parent Staff Association: ICT Education Cafe Join our parents, students, teachers, invited experts and guest speakers for our second Education Cafe of the year.

We will be discussing computers in education, the rise of social media and its place in family and school life.

Term dates 2013/14

Thursday 4 July Staff training day & Year 6 induction

Autumn term 1 Tuesday 3 September - Friday 25 October

Academy closed to all students. The academy will be closed on Thursday 4 July for staff training and our induction day for students joining us in September.

Autumn term 2 Monday 4 November - Friday 20 December

Tuesday 9 July - Friday 12 July GCSE Art summer exhibition Our GCSE art students will be joining forces with schools and sixth forms from across the borough for an exhibition of their artwork at Hackney Empire. See website for details.

Thursday 11 & Friday 12 July Bugsy Malone The academy Creative Studies department presents Bugsy Malone, our annual end of term musical finale.

Tickets available on ParentPay soon.

Spring term 1 Tuesday 7 January 2014 - Friday 14 February Spring term 2 Monday 24 February - Friday 4 April Summer term 1 Tuesday 22 April - Friday 23 May Summer term 2 Monday 2 June - Friday 18 July

Details of all upcoming events, sports fixtures and exams are listed under Events on the academy’s website.

The City Academy, Hackney is sponsored by KPMG and the City of London Corporation.

The City Academy, Hackney is a registered company. Registered in England No. 6382192 Registered office: PO Box 270, Guildhall, London, EC2P 2EJ. Registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales. Charity No. 1121963