Clarion News - Autumn Term - 2025 by Clarion

Letter from the Headteacher

As we reach the end of our first half term, I want to begin by celebrating the outstanding achievements of our 2024–25 Year 11 and Year 13 students. Their commitment, hard work and determination truly embodied our vision of great grades. Our A Level cohort achieved remarkable value-added outcomes, on average gaining an entire grade higher in one of their subjects than their targets predicted. Meanwhile, our GCSE students secured the best attainment and progress results in the school’s history, placing Clarion among the top 5% of schools nationally for progress. Our next goal is clear: to move into the top 3%.

It has been a real pleasure welcoming students back this term. Their energy, focus and enthusiasm for learning have been evident in every classroom and corridor. They’ve responded brilliantly to the exciting developments across the school. From the redesign of The Hub and the installation of new interactive technology to our tannoy system and the impressive Clarion Hall. With every improvement, we have raised expectations once again, and our students continue to rise to the challenge. Attendance and punctuality have both strengthened, and the values of We ARE Clarion are visible in the way our students conduct themselves daily.

This half term, we have also strengthened our relationships with parents and carers through our open morning tours. These sessions have been a real success, and it’s been wonderful to see the pride families feel in their children’s progress. When students, staff and parents all work together, the outcomes speak for themselves great grades and great character. We look forward to hosting many more opportunities for families to engage with the life of the school in the months ahead.

If you’ve visited recently, you’ll have noticed the continued improvements taking place across our site. These upgrades are part of our ongoing journey of growth and excellence. We remain committed to listening to feedback from students, staff and parents as we shape the next chapter of Clarion’s story.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. I wish you all a restful and enjoyable half term break.

Mr Hunt Headteacher

Introducing... Peer Champions

We are pleased to showcase our new Peer Champions. These are students in Years 9 and 10 who will be buddying with students to support with their wellbeing through friendly conversations, clubs and signposting them to places of support.

We look forward to seeing everyone back in September, ready for another year of opportunity, growth, and joy.

School

Council

We are pleased to share our 2025-26 School Council members who will be meeting once per half term to discuss our school. Last year School Council contributed to huge changes such as the new school uniform, KS3 enrichment afternoon, the new house names, the extensive delicious new menus and so much more!

We are looking forward to working together to find even more innovative ways of improving our school for all.

Parent Champions

We’re excited to launch Parent Champions – a new group of parents who will help shape our school community by sharing the ideas, opinions and priorities of all families. Parent Champions will represent the parent voice, give feedback on school events and initiatives and make sure parents are heard and included in decision-making.

If you are passionate about making a difference and want to help strengthen the partnership between home and school, join our Parent Champions team! Together, we can make our school even better for every child and family. Please email cbo@clarion.school to register your interest.

Peer Champions

School Council presenting in assemblies

Open Evening 2025

It was amazing to see so many families joining us for our Open Evening this year and to see so many engaging conversations across the school. We had some amazing highlights, from Kuan’s performance of Bach’s Cello Suite, culinary workshops in catering to comedy skits in Drama.

A massive thank you to everyone who joined us and we hope to see many of you back with us next academic year.

Our Open Morning tours are now complete but any prospective parents can still book a personal tour of the school with the Headteacher via our website, or by contacting the Headteacher’s PA atcbo@clarion.school.

New House Assembly

This year we’ve introduced all new houses, with the inspiration led from Student Council feedback, and our new Year 7s began the year with an introductory presentation. They were asigned to their new houses and received their new Record of Achievement folders, which will be the new device to store and collect all achievements through the students academic journey while at Clarion. These new changes were a result of direct student feedback and consulation with the School Council, just one of then many positive outcomes of student engagement.

Our new houses are: Aquila, Draco, Phoenix and Scorpius.

House colours are:

Aquila - blue

Draco - green

Phoenix - red

Scorpius - purple

Jessica and Araceli’s Trip Review

On this trip to Portobello Market, it was clear that all students were engaged in learning about the history of the Spanish people’s impact on Portobello. We stopped to look at the mural which entailed many aspects of Hispanic culture. We also stopped at a Spanish supermarket where the students were intrigued by the many products which are consumed by Spanish people daily such as meats, cheese and snacks. Following this, the students had 30 minutes of free time to roam around the market and explore the multiple stalls which Portobello had to offer. To finish the trip off, we indulged in several countries’ delicacies, including the Spanish paella which seemed to be favoured by many.

Overall, the trip was an immersive experience for many students who hadn’t been to Portobello. The travel was easy despite the weather and we managed to arrive to and from our destination on time. In the future, we’d love to participate in more Spanish trips, as we not only got to help on the trip as staff helpers but also we got to learn more about Spanish culture following our GCSE and A Level courses.

MFL Dept.

The Clarion Lighthouse Sensory Garden Project

We are excited to share that the Clarion Lighthouse ARP has begun a brand-new Sensory Garden Project, led by Mrs. Shirianthy! This inspiring initiative is designed to provide our students with a hands-on, multi-sensory learning experience while developing important life and functional skills.

Through this project, students will have the opportunity to learn about gardening, care for plants, and explore a wide variety of smells, textures, and colours in a calm and engaging outdoor environment. The garden will be themed around the four seasons, with carefully selected plants chosen for their sensory qualities — from fragrant herbs in spring to colourful blooms in summer and textured foliage in autumn and winter.

In addition to sensory exploration, students will also grow vegetables that can be used in their Functional Skills cooking sessions, allowing them to see the full process from seed to plate. This practical connection between gardening and cooking encourages independence, teamwork, and an appreciation for healthy, sustainable living.

We can’t wait to see our garden grow and flourish with the creativity and care of our Lighthouse students!

Mr Figueiredo SEND

Attendance

Attend to Achieve

At Clarion, we have one clear expectation when it comes to attendance: 100%. Every day in school matters, not only for learning but also for building confidence, friendships, and the character needed for long-term success.

Good attendance is about more than just being present in lessons. It ensures students are safe and supported (safeguarding and belonging), leading to great grades. Attending regularly helps students feel part of our community, stay on top of their learning, and make the most of every opportunity that comes their way.

This year, we launched our ‘Attend to Achieve’ campaign. This initiative focuses on strengthening our approach to attendance through:

- Tighter attendance protocols and daily monitoring

- Clear communication between school and home

- Rewarding great and improved attendance

Together, these steps help us ensure that every student has the best possible chance to succeed — both academically and personally.

What can you do as a parent?

- Encourage your child to come to school every day, on time

- Check their attendance regularly on MCAS

- Talk openly at home about the importance of attendance and how it helps them reach their goals.

Let’s continue to work together to support our young people. In order to develop pupils who achieve great grades and build great character, they need to Attend to Achieve.

To learn more visit our website: www.clarion.school/102/attendance

Mr Tan

School Attendance Lead

Clarion Chess

At last, after the Exams, we have been able to bring to a conclusion the Final Clarion Grand whole student school Chess tournament.

The competition was for 64 students from all year groups and was a knockout tournament, until the semi finals and final.

Special Mention to the beaten semi finalists, Hussyn -10R and Mohammed A -12A both played well and were great sportsmen in defeat.

In the Final a thrilling series of matches between Kashif - Y12 and Etienne - Y7 the results were.... 4 games played, one was a stalemate, with the Final score being. Kashif 1 Game _____ Etienne 2 Games , with him winning the final one.

So Congratulations to our whole School Champion, Etienne and commiserations to the runner up Kashif.

Hopefully in the new school year we will commence with a competition open to ALL within CLARION, including staff.

Mr Walker Sixth Form Pastoral Lead

Sixth Form chess competitors

Catering Highlights

This term we’ve had a number of outstanding dishes developed by our student chefs, who are developing their technical skills and ability to apply their knowledge of flavour profiles.

Below we have a selection of just some of the fantastic dishes plated this term! We have Year 10’s doughnuts, the SB Future Chef school heat winner, Carmalita’s chicken alfredo with homemade tagliatelle, Logans’ Thai beef rice bowl, Archie’s home made cheese burger and triple cooked chips, Amirah’s Jamaican patties and festival and Emmanuel’s mac and cheese with fried rice.

Mrs James Director of Learning for Catering and Technology

Upcoming: Christmas Lunch!

We are excited to announce that our Christmas Lunch and Jumper Day will take place on Friday 12 December.

Students wishing to take part must sign up in advance by making a prepayment on ParentPay. Students eligible for free school meals (FSM) must notify the school if they would like to join. Please note: only Christmas lunch will be served on this day.

Students not signed up will need to purchase food at FB1 and will not be permitted entry into the canteen during lunch.

We look forward to celebrating the festive season together!

Coming Soon: School Book Fair

Our first Book Fair of the year is around the corner! From Monday 10th to Friday 14th November we host our book fair at Clarion, the Library is open food break 1, 2 and after school for students to get some amazing deals on new books.

Bring your cash or cards, or pay online from home at https://bookfairs.scholastic.co.uk/pay.

Can’t wait to see you all there!

Ms Hingston Librarian

New Staff Social: Welcoming our new additions

To mark the end of the first half term for our new colleagues at Clarion we had a new staff social event. Colleagues shared with us their experiences of their first few weeks with us.

Here are just a few of their personal experiences

Ms Ahmed Assistant Headteacher

Year 7 Updates

A Fantastic Start for Our Year 7 Students!

What a wonderful first half term it’s been! We are absolutely delighted with how brilliantly our new Year 7 students have settled into life at secondary school. The transition from primary school can often feel like a big leap, but they have all taken it completely in their strides, and we couldn’t be prouder. Walking the corridors and visiting classrooms, we’ve seen so many smiling faces and students already diving headfirst into their new subjects. Whether it’s experimenting in the Science labs, getting creative in Art and Design Technology, or tackling new languages, the energy and enthusiasm you’ve all shown has been fantastic.

It’s been especially pleasing to see so many of you making new friends and confidently navigating the school site. A big well done for mastering your timetables so quickly—no more getting lost on the way to P.E.!

Getting Involved

Secondary school is about much more than just lessons, and many Year 7s have already started exploring the exciting range of extra-curricular clubs on offer. From sports teams to drama and art clubs and everything in between, getting involved is the best way to make new friends, discover hidden talents, and feel a real part of our school community. If you haven’t signed up for a club yet, why not take a look at the list on the school noticeboards or website? There’s still plenty of time!

A Quick Word for Parents/Guardians

Thank you for your support during this crucial settling-in period. Please continue to encourage your child to ask questions, check their homework assignments (especially getting to grips with our online platforms!), and pack a bag the night before to ensure a smooth start to each day. If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s Form Tutor, they are the first and best point of contact.

We are so excited for the year ahead and all the amazing things you will achieve. Keep up the brilliant work Year 7!

You’ve set the bar incredibly high!

Year 8 Updates

Mr Francis Year 7 Team Leader

Year 8 have had a busy start to the new term, with lots of students getting involved in different initiatives around the school.

A great, early success has been the Year 8 Student Helper roles. Every day, two Year 8 students spend the first three lessons helping out in Reception, delivering messages and helping staff out with lots of little jobs. They have become experts in recycling! The feedback for all students has been universally positive, with students getting praised for their respectful behaviour, responsiveness and polite attitude. All students will receive the opportunity to do this before the end of Autumn term, and will hopefully get to do it 2 -3 times over the course of the year!

I would also like to say congratulations to our Form Reps and House Champions who are taking an active role in school leadership.

Our first big adventure as a year group this year will be the trip into Central London to visit the Tate Modern and take a boat trip down the Thames to Battersea Power Station. I’m sure it will be a great day out.

Enjoy half term, Year 8. See you on 5th of November. October 2024

Year

Year 9 Updates

As we reach the end of our first half term, we are so proud of how Year 9 has begun the year, with an incredible attitude to learning and a real commitment to our Year 9 vision: “Achieve through Effort.” A particular highlight has been the selection of our wonderful Subject Ambassadors, who will soon be supporting Year 7 students with their home learning in English, Maths and Science, an excellent opportunity for them to develop leadership and mentoring skills.

We’re also looking forward to our first trip of the year, a see to Matilda the Musical, which promises to be a fantastic and inspiring experience for everyone involved. Looking ahead, home learning will be a major focus for next term, helping students to build independence and strengthen key skills.

Thank you for your ongoing support and well done Year 9 for a brilliant start!

Year

Ms Ahmed

9 Team Leader

Ms Ott

8 Team Leader

Year 10 Updates

Building Great Habits and Setting Goals

As our Year 10 students start their GCSE journey, it is more important than ever that we embody our year group vision of ‘Making the right choices’.

This half term, our focus has been on developing positive habits and using these to set meaningful goals. By establishing clear goals and consistent routines, students are laying the foundations for both academic achievement and personal growth.

Developing strong habits supports every aspect of student life:

• It builds consistency in studying and learning

• It improves time management and organisation

• It develops discipline, responsibility, and perseverance

• It supports health and reduces stress through good routines

• It shapes character and prepares students for future success

Simple daily actions:

These small habits not only create the foundation for success but also help students set and achieve the goals that will guide them through their GCSEs and beyond.

Setting Goals

Mr Tan Year 10 Team Leader

We are proud to have an experienced counsellor, Jon Thompson, who runs one-to-one support sessions for students identified as needing extra support. Jon works for FYP (Forever Young People) and helps students understand the difficulties they are facing, work through a booklet to help set targets, and learn strategies to cope with problems that may arise in their future. If you would like more information about this, please contact Mrs Hammond or Ms Thomas.

Forever Young People uses thought, emotional intelligence and ethical practices to create an inclusive and meaningful future through our teenage mentoring programs and coaching which engages young people through conversational-based learning. We aim to provide young people, children, and community groups with coaching/ mentoring that will support them with their low emotional well-being.

To learn more visit: www.foreveryoungpeople.com

Counselling Support Year 11 Updates

Rising to the Challenge with Great Effort

You should have noticed by now that the GCSE is fast approaching. We are about to reach a crucial milestone in the Year 11 journey, the upcoming Mock Exams (8–19 December 2025) mark an important opportunity for every student to measure progress, refine strategies, and build confidence ahead of the real GCSEs.

Mocks aren’t just about grades, they are a practice run for success. They will help you to identify what is working well and where a bit more focus could make all the difference. Each paper, each question, and each revision session contributes to your growth as a learner. Remember, improvement comes not from perfection, but from persistence, effort and determination.

When you receive your Mock Results on 22 January 2026, it will be a reflection of your effort so far, and a guide for what comes next. Every result tells a story, and it’s your chance to take control of the next chapter I therefore encourage you to maximise the half term break with your revision.

I would like to remind you that we will have our Progress Evening on 22 January 2026 which is the same evening of your Mock Results day. This will be the opportunity to celebrate your achievements and discuss how to move forward with your teachers and families. Stay organised, stay motivated, and believe in your ability to improve every day.

Have a wonderful half term,

Mr Opoku Year 11 Team Leader

Sixth Form Updates

A Successful Start to the Year

As we approach the end of a long but productive first half term, we are delighted to reflect on a successful start to the academic year. New students have settled in quickly, demonstrating excellent focus, enthusiasm, and commitment to their learning. From engaging lessons and enrichment activities to new initiatives across the school, there has been a real sense of purpose and community. We’re proud of the effort shown by both students and staff, and we look forward to building on this positive momentum after the break.

Get ready! Plan, Revise, Practice, Rest, Repeat!

Year 13 students have focused on their personal statements and are finalising their university choices while revising and preparing for their mocks later on in the autumn term (December), while Year 12 students doing vocational courses get ready for their first externally assessed modules in the early spring term. This is an exciting time to schedule regular revision, look at the past papers, and start timing yourself.

Our Best Tips:

Keep your bedtime routine during half-term as similar to your regular term-time routine to ensure your biological clock supports your revision. If you feel that your energy levels are lower: get some vit B, go for a walk (vitamin D), or meet with a friend (boosting your endorphins helps too!).

Revision tips: Study in manageable chunks , interweave subjects and practice timed past papers. Chunking helps with memory consolidation. Interweaving helps with keeping your mind fresh while learning and practicing past papers is the most effective way to check what you are missing and improve your exam time management.

Important Dates:

• 7th November - Personal Statements Deadline (internal)

• 14th November - Student References are due (speak to your teachers if there is something unique you are currently doing that you wish to be considered as part of your references)

• 8th -19th December - Year 13 Mocks

• 9th January 2026 - UCAS deadline

Keep posted for our upcoming UCAS Parent Coffee Morning and Student Progress Evenings. Information will be shared with parents and students when available.

Mrs Micun Deputy Head of Sixth Form

Checkmate! Exciting Times for Our Chess Club

The Chess Club has had a fantastic start to the year! Every week, students have been sharpening their strategic skills, mastering clever openings, and even pulling off some impressive checkmates. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just learning how the knight moves, there’s a place for everyone at the board.

We’re thrilled to announce that our first in-school chess competition has started! Students and staff can put their tactics to the test against each other. It’s all about strategy, patience, and a bit of friendly rivalry. We can’t wait to see who is going to be the winner of our autumn term competition! Please note that all first round matches must be completed by Friday 14th November!

New members are always welcome, come along, make a move, and get addicted to this brain-challenging game.

Mr Walker Sixth Form Pastoral Lead