HWS News

KS4 Options Evening

2012-01-18T20:17:00.004Z

Thank you to all the parents and students who attended the Options Evening.
You can download the Options Booklet here
or view it here

Open publication - Free publishing - More gcse

If you require another application form please speak to Ms Pinnick.

Winter Concert Photos

2012-01-14T13:15:00.002Z

Please click here for photos of our fantastic Winter concert.

Insight Issue 3

2011-12-16T14:36:00.003Z

Open publication - Free publishing - More highgate wood

School Skirts

2011-12-15T23:37:00.001Z

We have surveyed the situation with school skirts this term to evaluate whether there has been an improvement or not. Unfortunately almost 50% of students wearing skirts were wearing skirts that were too short. On the plus side almost no students are wearing skirts made out of inappropriate material that is too clingy such as with lycra content so this has improved from last year.

We are reluctant to introduce a school skirt but this is still being considered and is likely to happen if there is not further improvement in the appropriateness of the length of school skirts. If the decision is going to be made at least a half term of notice will be given.

Adrian Hartley
Assistant Headteacher

Insight Issue No 3

2011-12-14T15:03:00.003Z

The December issue of Insight is now available. Click here to download a pdf version. (Richt click and Save As)

Ofsted Report

2011-12-13T21:15:00.003Z

Our Ofsted Report is now available on-line.

Click here to download (right click and Save As)

FSM Appeal

2011-12-05T12:41:00.011Z

Did you know … just registering your child for Free School Meals (FSM) means that as well as you getting the benefits, the school gets extra money?

The Government is giving money to schools to help children from lower income families do their very best. This funding is called the ‘Pupil Premium’.
For every child registered for FSM Highgate Wood School gets £488 this year.
We really believe that everyone matters and with this money we could subsidise students for school trips; improve facilities and staffing for students to study at school; provide hardship support for students in need; improve access to guidance, mentoring and support and fund a variety of other methods for supporting students and families.
If you are registered for FSM you could also get subsidised music lessons, subsidies for school trips, 16-19 bursary grants, priority access to careers guidance and other opportunities during your seven years at HWS.
Please register as soon as possible before Christmas to make sure your child and others in their class don’t miss out.
No one will know you have registered and it will not affect any other benefits you are claiming.
The benefit will be automatically put on your school ID/lunch card every day so no fuss or publicity.
Please register your child today or talk to us to help you.

Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to the school

Paul Guenault
Deputy Headteacher
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Register now to make sure we don’t miss out and you don’t miss out!
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How does it work?
1. First, check if you qualify – it is not just if you are unemployed, so please look at the list below.
2. Registering is really quick and easy – if you think you qualify, contact Haringey (details below) who will help you to register.
3. If you want your child to have a free, healthy meal at lunchtime that’s great – they will get the free meal (saving you more that £350 a year), extra benefits and the school gets £488 extra.
4. If you don’t want your child to have the school meals they can continue as normal – as long as you qualify and are registered, the school still gets £488 extra.
Do you qualify?
You can register your child for Free School Meals if you get any of these benefits:
· Income Support
· Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
· Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
· Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (NASS reference number essential)
· The Guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
· Child Tax Credit, provided you do not receive Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
· Working Tax Credit 'run-on' - the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
You don’t need to provide any evidence of your benefits as your eligibility will be checked automatically.
Older students can also register for Free School Meals if they get any of these benefits themselves.
Contacts for registration:
Haringey Council
48 Station Road
Wood Green
London N22 7TY
Phone: 020 8489 2135
Fax: 020 8489 1945
Email: Student.Finance@haringey.gov.uk
Website: Haringey Council

Come and talk to us if you need any help.

To download Mr Guenault's letter please right click here and select Save As.

Uniform information for cold weather

2011-12-03T18:40:00.000Z

Dear Parents,

Please remember now that winter is approaching, it is very important for students to be suitably dressed for the cold weather. Below is the extract from our uniform code regarding coats:

...it should be plain coloured with no offensive or obvious logos or slogans. Dark colours are preferred. Coats must be large enough so uniform jackets can be worn under the coat. No hoodies – these will be confiscated.

In addition I would recommend that a coat should be waterproof or an umbrella should be provided. A coat that is worn over the blazer can have a hood and this does not count as a hoodie. Any jumper or cardigan that is worn must be the school jumper or cardigan.

Thank you in advance,

A Hartley

Assistant Headteacher

School closed on Wednesday 30th November

2011-11-28T08:52:00.002Z

A large number of staff who are members of recognised unions will be striking on Wednesday 30th November as part of their campaign against the Government’s proposed changes to public sector pension schemes. I regret to notify you that Governors and the senior management team, after seeking advice from the London Borough of Haringey and carrying out a health and safety risk assessment, have decided that there is no other alternative but to close the school. Highgate Wood School will thus be closed to students on 30 November 2011 and you will need to make alternative arrangements for your child on that day.
The one exception will be those students in Years 10 and 11 who have mock exams. These mock exams will be going ahead as normal, and the children will be supervised, as usual, by exam invigilators. Students who do have exams on Wednesday are required to wear school uniform, and will be only in school for the duration of the exams. We will be informing the families of those students who have exams directly using text messaging.
The Governing Body have not taken this decision lightly, and your child’s safety is of the most paramount importance and must not be compromised in any way by attempting to keep open the school with fewer employees. We must all hope that this dispute is resolved as soon as possible. If, for any reason, the planned action is called off, we will inform families through text message, email and the school website.

Yours faithfully

Patrick Cozier
Headteacher

Inspection of Highgate Wood Secondary School by Ofsted

2011-11-22T20:44:00.002Z

Ofsted has now told us that they will be inspecting the school on Thursday and Friday 24th and 25th November. Because of the timing of the inspection, it will be conducted under the current Ofsted framework rather than the new framework which comes into effect from the beginning of next year.

They are keen to inform and involve all parents and carers and have thus asked us to circulate questionnaires for parents and also for students, together with general guidelines as to what an Ofsted inspection is all about.

You can find those documents here:

Click here for the parent questionnaire

Click here for the student questionnaire

Click here for the guide for parents and carers about Ofsted and school inspections

Click here for the guide for parents and carers about Ofsted and school inspections (easy-to-read version)

They will also be made available in printed copy

(Parents should know that school will still be closing early on Thursday to allow for staff training, despite this falling in the middle of the inspection. School finishes at the end of Period 4 but students are welcome to stay for lunch)

Highgate Wood School Film Festival

2011-11-20T17:36:00.002Z

A festival of films made by past and present students, with a special showing of the "first Ealing comedy"

Featuring animation, ghost stories and much more.

!!!Do not miss this unique event!!!

Friday 25 & Saturday 26 November at 7.30pm.
Ticket from the Wren office: Adults £3, children £1

Insight - Issue 2

2011-10-19T17:22:00.003Z

Welcome to the new issue of insight.

Many thanks to our Year 9 artists for providing the cover artwork.

Click here to download a pdf copy

New Chair of Governors for Highgate Wood School

2011-10-13T16:58:00.003Z

Highgate Wood School has a new Chair of Governors. Charles Wright was elected last week as chair for the 2011-12 academic year, replacing Imogen Pennell who stood down after four years in the post.

Charles has lived in Crouch End for 15 years, and has served as parent governor and then community governor for almost five years. He was also a parent governor at Weston Park School.

Said Charles: “Highgate Wood is a fantastic school with fantastic students.
“I’m looking forward to working with Patrick Cozier the Headteacher, fellow governors and the whole school community so that we consolidate our achievements and do our best for all our students.
“We have a clear focus this year, on continuing to improve learning and teaching, further developing a strong positive ethos and values across the school, and managing our resources efficiently and effectively.”

“I would also like to pay tribute to Imogen Pennell who has been the Chair of Governors for the last four years. She has shown tremendous commitment during that time and we are pleased that she has agreed to remain on the governing body and to take up the position of Vice-chair for the coming year.”

Heritage Evening - Thursday 20th Oct 2011

2011-10-11T19:44:00.002Z

MEDIA STUDIES PARTICIPANTS FOR BBC CLASS CLIPS

2011-10-11T17:39:00.003Z

Media Studies Year 10 and Year 11 students Conrad Lee, Audrey King Lassman, Fikriye Kiazim, Greg Bushell and Chrystal Udenweze have been chosen by Mosaic Films to participate in the creation of a training video for BBC Class Clips demonstrating the steps required to produce a short documentary film.

They were volunteered by the Media Studies department based on their excellent work both in and out of class.

They will be interviewing, filming as well as editing a documentary. They will be working alongside professional photographers, editors, producers and others. The students will be interviewing Para-Olympic hopefuls at the Lee Valley Training Centre. They will also be editing their films at the British Film Institute at the South Bank.

This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to meet and work with professionals within the media industry. The producer for Mosaic Films said that our students were the most enthusiastic and the most engaged of all that they had interviewed. I know that you will join me in congratulating them on being chosen for this exciting project

Heritage Evening

2011-09-24T12:05:00.004Z

Plans are underway for October Heritage Evening

Many thanks to all those who contributed to our recent Heritage Evening planning session. Heritage Evening will take place at Highgate Wood School on Thursday 20th October at 7:00 pm and is designed to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of the school.
More details to follow shortly. Everyone is welcome!

HWS Open Evening Wednesday 5th October

2011-09-24T11:59:00.003Z

All prospective Year 7 students and their parents\carers are welcome to the Open Evening at the school on Wednesday 5th October.
The following week you can see the school in action on our Open Mornings on Tuesday and Wednesday, 11th and 12th October.
Please contact Claire Allaway for more details.

(Wherever possible please avoid driving down Montenotte Road on the Open Evening or Open Mornings)

2011-09-24T08:41:00.007Z

Respecting others

The Bigfoot Theatre Company came into school on Wednesday to work with Year 9 students in a series of workshops and performances to learn about respecting the beliefs, values and rights of others.Organised by Ms Lewis and Ms Burniston from ECS it was an enjoyable and thought provoking event, and has also helped prepare students for the GCSE course they are following. Mary Lewis writes: "The play was very entertaining, yet had a poignant message on the notion that in order to expect rights, we need to respect other's beliefs.The student's really enjoyed the day and the ECS Department would very much like to thank the funding received by the PSA for this valuable experience."

Year 9 and the Bigfoot Theatre Company

2011-09-17T15:33:00.012Z

Enrichment Begins With Maths

Year 7's first Enrichment Day took place on Friday 16th September.
Organised by the Maths department the day involved Origami, Orienteering, Surveying and assessments!

Soon the Enrichment Day will be a Geography and History visit to Mountfitchet Castle. It is important to make sure you return your forms and payment in good time.
Click here to preview Mountfitchet

Ali Lewis visits the school
A group of 20 year 7s came to meet author Ali Lewis at lunch time on Tuesday 13th September. Ali has just released her first novel ‘Everybody Jam’ which is set in the Australian outback. She talked about her inspiration for the novel, where it is set, and the characters she chose to write about. She read some exciting extracts from her book and answered lots of interesting questions that students asked. Feedback from thos who attended has been very positive – they all seemed to really enjoy listening to an author talking about her work and those who bought a copy of her book are enjoying reading it so far.

Notices
The History Department is running a praise card competition. This is open to Year 7 and 8 students. The winner will have their praise card produced, and then used as this year's card by the department. Please see Ms Harding for more details.

Mrs Allaway will be holding a planning meeting for the Heritage Evening next month. The meeting will be on Thursday 22^nd at 6.30pm in the dining hall. All are welcome to attend and contribute towards the event which is on 20^th October.

All Year 7 students should now have received their proper ID cards so they can "top up" using the cashloaders in the Canteen and in Wren. If you need your details for online payment through Wisepay please contact Mr Ashman tas@hws.haringey.sch.uk
Post 16 cards will be given out during the coming week (19th September)

Roadworks on Glasslyn Road are causing serious congestion on Montenotte Road, especially in the morning. Please avoid driving down into the school if at all possible..

Students of the Week

Students of the Week will begin from next week. But already Nikolaj Lerch has been commended for his enthusiasm and Pedro Bezarra for his "3Ps" - politeness, punctuality and performance!

Dates for your diary

You should have noticed that there is now a calendar on the home page of the school site. Please refer to this for forthcoming events.

Cashless Catering - Back to normal

2011-09-10T07:37:00.003Z

Thanks to all staff and students for coping with the glitches in the cashless catering system during the first week of term.
The system is now working properly. Year 7s will be using their temporary ID cards until we receive the photographs back from the school photographer at which point their "proper" ID cards will be issued which will allow them to top-up their cards on the cashloaders at school.
In the meantime, though students can still top up their accounts at school, parents and carers are encouraged to use the on-line Wisepay system.
Please see main school website for details.

Welcome Year 7

2011-09-05T17:08:00.006Z

The new Year 7 group will be joining Highgate Wood School tomorrow for their first proper day at secondary school.
You need to come to school (in full school uniform) at 10:35. You will be the only students in the school until after lunch, when Years 8 to 11 will arrive.
You may have already decided to bring a packed lunch, which is fine. If you want school dinners you will already be aware that we are a "cashless" school. Soon you will be paying for all your school meals and snacks with a proximity card.
Tomorrow you will be issued with a temporary one (before your photograph is taken on Friday and your proper cards are made - which will be in about three weeks). You will use this to identify yourself at the till.
You will also receive a letter that gives you details of how to put money onto your school account on-line through Wisepay, and be told when and where you can "top up" your account with cash. And if you have filled in the forms for Free School Meals that money should already be getting added to your account.
But nothing will be completely ready for your first day. So for Tuesday 6th September you will simply give your name at the till and they will make a note of how much you have spent. This will then be deducted from your account. We will settle up during the course of the coming week when you will be able to make payments online and in school.
Wishing all Year 7s (and everyone else) a fantastic first day at school!

Highgate Wood School reawarderd ISA

2011-09-03T08:49:00.004Z

The school has had its ISA status renewed for a further three years.
The British Council, who administer the award confirmed Highgate Wood School has been successful in gaining the International School Award and is accredited for three years from 1 September 2011 to 31 August 2014.
The British Council wished to convery their very best wishes and many congratulations to all staff and students both in the UK and overseas who have taken part in the scheme and were particularly complimentary of our ISA Co-ordinator, Deputy Headteacher Katerina Christodolou, on coordinating such an "impressive range of work".

GCSE Exam Result success

2011-08-25T10:13:00.018Z

Highgate Wood is pleased to announce their best ever GCSE results for the second time in 3 years!
The headline figures are:
5 A*-Cs (including English & Maths) 67%
5 A*-Cs 75%
5 A*- Gs 95%
1 A* - G 100%

After 5 years as Headteacher at Highgate Wood, Patrick Cozier said... ‘This set of results is a significant boost for the school and is a deserved reward for our exceptional and hard working students who have given so much to achieve their potential. Their attitude has been first class and we are delighted for them. In addition to the excellent A’ Level results last week, it is also a testament to our superb staff who continue to show excellent commitment in supporting the students every step of the way. Last year was one with significant challenges for Highgate Wood, including the well publicised industrial action that took place in May; but despite this we have achieved really well. This demonstrates that my staff are fully committed and refuse to be distracted from their core passion – delivering the best possible outcomes and experiences for our students. I am very proud of them all and would like to take this opportunity to thank them publicly. I am personally proud of the fact that this year group are the first to have gone right the way through the school from Year 7 to Year 11 under my headship and that they have achieved the best ever set of results that Highgate Wood has seen. They deserve great praise for their achievement and I expect to see many of them continue their journey at Highgate Wood by enrolling into our very successful 6th form. This represents a jump of 21% from last year. As a school we continue to make good progress and I believe that the message we are sending out underlines our commitment to high achievement and reiterates our motto that ‘Everyone Matters’. It is true that we were disappointed with our GCSE outcome last year as we have very high expectations, but my staff and the students responded excellently to the challenges that they faced and have provided the response that I was looking for. I am delighted that the steps that we have all taken collectively this year to address priorities for improvement have had such an immediate and dramatic impact.’

Chair of Governors, Imogen Pennell said “The school governors are absolutely delighted that our students have achieved such fantastic GCSE and A levels results this year. We’d like to congratulate them all on their magnificent efforts. And we’re especially grateful to our hard-working staff for the way they have inspired and supported the students’ success over the past year, despite some difficult and challenging circumstances, including the effects of a budget deficit.”
	Deputy Headteacher, Paul Guenault said ‘We set really high expectations for this year group, challenging them to believe in themselves and what they could achieve. We put in place a number of focused initiatives to support and monitor their progress across the year including a comprehensive mentoring programme. These have undoubtedly contributed, but ultimately the students deserve huge credit for their achievements. We showed how much we believed in them and they have responded magnificently. They and their teachers are the ones that have made this happen.’
Assistant Headteacher, Dean Mansfield said ‘We had very high expectations for this year group, and they have both met and surpassed those. These results reflect the hard work and effort that I know the students have put in. They thoroughly deserve them and I wish them all good luck for their post 16 courses and beyond! I would also like to give credit to the parents and subject teachers for their sustained effort over the years.’

Congratulations to Katba Imansouren 12 A* GCSE grades * * * Congratulations to Daniela Schamroth Rossade 10A* and 2A GCSE grades * * * Congratulations to Tom Botsford who is now going to Nottingham for a degree in Management Studies having hit an A* in Economics, and A in Sociology and a B in Business Studies * * * Congratulations to all Year 11 for achieving the best results in Highgate Wood School's history * * * Congratulations to James Smith 7 A*s, 2 As and 2 Bs at GCSE * * * Congratulations to Ongun Ozdemir 6 A*s, 3As and 3Bs at GCSE * * * Coral Butler Hardy confirms her place at Birmingham University with an A* in English Literature, A in History, B in Philosophy and B in Drama. Coral will study History and Philosophy * * * Congratulations to all our staff for helping our students gain such stunning results * * * Congratulations to Noah Aldhous for achieving 9 A*s and 3 A GCSE grades

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Exam success for our sixthformers.

2011-08-18T15:53:00.006Z

For the fifth year running Highgate Wood 6th Formers have broken the school record for A Level results. 78% of all courses examined achieved a grade at A* to C up from 71% in 2010. Head of 6th Form Nick Charlesworth is delighted that students have achieved so well and in doing so give themselves grades that can compete in the University application process. “Students and staff worked incredibly hard for these results and it is nice to see such hard work rewarded. For those students who have missed the grades they had hoped for we have a dedicated clearing advisor in school for two days to help those who need it get into the clearing system.”

Students from Highgate Wood will take degree places in a wide range of disciplines from the traditional areas such as History, Politics Economics , Maths and English to the sciences in Biochemistry, and Chemical engineering. Other popular options are Psychology and Media Studies while a record number of Art students move on to Foundation Degrees to Art or Photography.

Head Teacher Patrick Cozier, whilst being pleased with the results from the perspective of the school, has also seen the effect of waiting for results on students, “The rush for University places this year means that students have been under more pressure than usual and so getting results comes as a relief. The wide range of degree options suggests our students face a challenging and exciting future and we are certainly proud of them all.”

Chair of Governors, Imogen Pennell writes: "The 7% increase in A* - C grades over the school’s previous best results is tremendous, and a great tribute to all the members of staff who’ve clearly worked so hard to inspire and support our Post-16 students."
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Highlights

· A* to C grades up for the fifth year running to 78% of all exams taken (2010 71%), A* to B grades are at 43% whilst A*- E grades are 97%.

· A* grades in Art, English Literature, Product Design, Economics and Music Technology

· Students win University places at Russell Group Universities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Nottingham.

____________________________________________________

Personal successes

Coral Butler Hardy confirms her place at Birmingham University with an A* in English Literature, A in History, B in Philosophy and B in Drama. Coral will study History and Philosophy.

Henrietta Lee will move to Manchester for her degree where she will study Politics and History having achieved grades AAB in Politcs, English Literature and History.

Tom Botsford goes to Nottingham for a degree in Management Studies having hit an A* in Economics, and A in Sociology and a B in Business Studies.

Jo Sweeney starts an Art Foundation degree at Falmouth school of Art and Design with A level grades of A* in Art, A in Philosophy and B in English Literature.
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Service for all Haringey students

Did you not get the exam results you expected?
Do need advice about your future options?

It is important for you to act quickly as college and university places fill up fast.

Get immediate support, by filling out the new online exam results support form

Optionally, you can drop in to Wood Green Connexions Centre in Wood Green library (2nd floor ) between 1.00 and 5.00pm, or you can meet with a practitioner at Bruce Grove Youth Centre between 6.00 and 8.30pm on 18th and 25th August.

Insight - First issue

2011-07-22T14:54:00.002Z

Click here for insight

News Weekly 864

2011-07-22T10:31:00.005Z

Headteacher’s end-of-year review
Patrick Cozier writes:
" Reflections on progress over the last five years
As we come to the end of this year, I was reminded by a colleague that this is the end of my fifth year in charge at Highgate Wood. Time has flown so fast, and yet so much has been achieved in that time.
We have developed as a school in so many ways, educationally, physically and ethos wise.
Educationally, we have seen significant improvements in student outcomes. Despite the disappointment of last year’s GCSE results, I am conscious that every year of the five years I have been Headteacher has seen results exceed any previous set of results which Highgate Wood has produced previously. This year, we are convinced that the results will be our best ever. Our results in the Sixth Form continue to be impressive, as is the number of students who increasingly gain places at university, including Oxford and Cambridge.
Expectations of us from our community have increased and this is a compliment to us, in terms of being given credit for our improvements. We will deliver the outcomes that parents, students and governors put their faith in us to do.
Physically, the site has changed dramatically. Over the last five years we have improved the quality and quantity of specialist teaching spaces in the Arts and in Media. We have developed our performance spaces: for example, the Main Hall and the Outdoor Stage Area. We have a new Learning Resource Centre. The Sports Hall, Tennis Courts and All-Weather Pitch have been developed, or introduced, to give our students better access to excellent sporting facilities. We have a newer, larger dining hall with new caterers and a simple-to-use, cashless, catering system.
Ethos wise, Highgate Wood has never been such a pleasant, relaxed and safe environment in which children come to learn. We are a calm and friendly school, yet we remain vibrant and creative. The introduction of a uniform has increased our sense of belonging and community and anyone who witnesses our students performances in the winter concerts, plays, musicals, MADfests and Art, Media and Textiles exhibitions will testify to the fact that individuality and imagination still remain one of the key features here at the school.
I believe that what we have achieved in the last five years is just the beginning. We have set about creating a platform from which to launch ourselves and from this coming September 1 expect to see the positive set of exam results from August move us into the next stage of our development, as we seek to get the best outcomes for our students and reaffirm the support and faith of our local community.
News Weekly
Today marks the last edition of News Weekly. We have been producing it for the last decade and I know that many parents have come to value the regular updates on what happens here at Highgate Wood.
We will be replacing it with HWS Insight – a booklet that will be distributed less frequently, but with more in-depth feedback of things that are happening in the school. We will also improve the extent to which you receive other regular updates and reminders via the website, twitter, e-mail, texting and other means of communication. I will say more about this at the beginning of the Autumn term.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Neil Killingback, our News Weekly editor, for his tremendous commitment and hard work in producing the weekly message so consistently and reliably.
Good bye and good luck to leaving colleagues
As always, the end of the Summer term is also a time for farewells. We are saying goodbye to a number of staff at the end of this term.
The Science Department will be saying a sad goodbye to Cat Donnelly, Meera Parmar and Sue Ellingham who are all leaving us to move abroad — Cat back home to Australia; Meera and Sue off to Mexico! All three have made an impressive contribution to Highgate Wood School and will be missed by their colleagues in the science department. The department will also be losing the services of Anthony Kelly who in his role of technician has helped out significantly. We wish him the best for the future.
Also leaving us from the Maths Department are Catherine Fairbairn, who has been with us for 18 years, and Karen Thomas who has been the second-in-charge of the department for the last two years. Catherine is taking retirement and Karen is off for a new life in Luxembourg. Their contributions are very much valued and I know that the Maths Department will miss their considerable input.
In the English department, Chris Rhodes who has been with us for a couple of years is moving on to another London school, and Dan Carpenter, who has been with us for a very short time, is moving to be a Head of Department.
Headteacher’s end-of-year review/cont
I thank Chris for his significant impact in a relatively short period of time – and in particular the work that he led on First Story which has been an excellent initiative for us. We wish them both the best of luck.
In History, Faith Guilford is leaving after four years to take on a well-deserved promotion as a Head of Department at Greig City Academy. We know that she will be excellent and that our loss is their gain. Nisreen Mamujee, from the Social Sciences Department, is unfortunately moving on after just one year with us due to a family relocation to Nottingham. She has been a joy to have at the school and we wish her the best for the future.
In Technology, Sharon Matheson will be leaving after 16 years at the school in order to pursue a new life abroad. She has been magnificent here at Highgate Wood, stepping up to the mark as acting Head of Technology on a number of occasions when asked. She will be sorely missed by all, and in particular by her colleagues in technology. Of course, she leaves with our best wishes.
We have a number of other members of staff who are leaving who provide a variety of roles at the school.
Anna Horgan, our medical welfare officer, is retiring after 27 years at Highgate Wood. She is very much loved by the students for her care and attention. Neil Killingback has spent the last seven years editing and producing our News Weekly. He has done an amazing job and has been consistently reliable in this role. He is moving on to pursue other interests. Both Anna and Neil have made very different, but nonetheless significant, contributions to Highgate Wood and we wish them both the very best for the future.
Paul Gabriel has been a learning mentor at HWS for the last eight years and has worked with a number of students and families in providing critical support at times when they have most needed it. We are grateful for his impact. We are also losing David Kenrick, who has been the school’s Education Welfare Officer for the last 11 years. He has also worked with some of our most vulnerable students and families and has been effective in his role. We wish them both the best for the future as they move on to new challenges.
Pam Norris has been the Librarian at Highgate Wood for the last 11 years. In that time she has become much loved by the students and over the last two years has played an instrumental role in the setting up and operating of our Learning Resource Centre. Pam is retiring and taking some time to look after the grandchildren. We will miss her, but wish her well for the future.
Isa Bhanabhai has been a midday supervisor in the dining hall for 22 years. She is leaving to take retirement. She has been a dedicated contributor to Highgate Wood and we thank her for her loyal service.
Tony Burton has been at the school for 24 years as PE Teacher, Deputy Headteacher, and over the last few years, School Business Manager. He has given HWS tremendous service and his contribution is massive — so much so that we have created an award for Sporting Excellence in Key Stage 3 in his name. I am sure that we will have a few more tributes to him to announce in the next couple of months. Tony is retiring this summer. We will miss Tony, but know that he has worked hard and deserves a restful but fruitful and enjoyable retirement.
Mary Findlow has also been with us for 24 years. She has been all things to all people in her time at HWS. Her significant roles have been English teacher, Assistant Headteacher, Lead Child Protection Officer and for the last few years, Student Support Coordinator. Mary has been one of the most influential people in the history of HWS and for this we thank her and are in awe of her. She is leaving us to pursue newer challenges and we wish her every success in the future.
Margaret Grimes is the longest standing person to be leaving us after being our Finance Officer, Headteacher’s PA, and Office Manager. She is retiring after many years of dedicated service. She has been brilliant for the school, and we will miss her. We wish her well for the future.
All those who are leaving have made Highgate Wood School a richer place and we are very grateful for that contribution. We offer our very best wishes for the future.
Have a good break
I have very much enjoyed my fifth year as Headteacher at Highgate Wood. At times it has been a challenge, but I never forget how fortunate I am to be doing the job that I do and I am so proud to be the Headteacher of this wonderful community school. In particular I have appreciated the support that students, staff, parents and carers, and governors give to the school. We could not continue to strive for improvement without it.
We wish all students and families an enjoyable and restful summer. See you in September."
Patrick Cozier

Changes to school’s uniform code
In response to popular demand, students returning to school in September will be able to wear a cardigan instead of the school jumper.
Talks between the school’s leaders and the official student council have resulted in some changes to the school’s uniform code.
As well as introducing cardigans, the rules on footwear have been altered. Students will be allowed to wear any plain black shoes or ankle boots. Footwear must be black — and trainers and Ugg boots are forbidden.
The school’s leaders were also thinking of bringing in an official school skirt for girls but the school council persuaded them otherwise. However, some girls have been wearing the wrong sort of skirt, or skin-tight trousers, which contravene the school’s uniform code. Skirts should be black, reach the knee or be one inch above, and be black.
Assistant Headteacher, Adrian Hartley, who is responsible for uniform policy, said: “We are asking all students and families to support the school’s uniform policy in order to avoid the necessity of introducing an official school skirt, even though we have agreement from the governing body to introduce one. Our reason for considering this change to policy was to address the issue that a significant minority of girls have been wearing skirts that are either too short, made from the wrong material or worn in the wrong way. The school council convinced us that we should give one more chance for students to address this issue without the need to introduce a single skirt for girls in order to reduce costs to parents. Skirts should be no more than an inch above the knee and should be plain black or pleated with no Lycra content. If girls come to school wearing inappropriate skirts in the new school year, they will be asked to change into one of a selection of skirts purchased by the school that meet the uniform rules. We shall review the situation after the first half term.”
The school’s leadership agreed that there will not be an official school coat or bag, although parents are asked to ensure that students’ bags are large enough to hold A4-sized workbooks.
Parents should receive a letter about the uniform code before the start of the Autumn term.

School choir backs rap star Sway
Young singers from the school joined in a chorus of approval for a new song by rapper Sway, who used to be a student at the school ten years ago.
The choir spent a day with the singer recording the backing vocals for a new song by Sway called Song For The City. Sway, whose real name is Derek Safo, approached Head of Music Ed Harlow to ask if he could return to the school and invite the choir to sing on one of his new songs for his forthcoming album, Deliverance.

Young apprentices rise to the occasion
Five enterprising students from Highgate Wood proved worthy champions of a Sir Alan Sugar-type challenge last week.
They took part in an ‘Apprentice’ style competition in Canary Wharf organised by The Enterprise Challenge Limited.
In total, 15 schools from London and Essex took part in the Grand Final on July 14.
Our team of Hatice Tas, Sam Boundy, Maddie Knox, Kezia Lenton and Robert Warren won first prize and brought back the ‘challenge’ cup for the school’s display cabinet.
The competitors had to take a corporate brand and create and promote a service or product to enhance it through some form of association with next year’s London Olympic Games.
Our students chose sportswear company Nike, and they put forward a multi-purpose ‘app’ for a mobile phone that would relay regular updates on events during the Olympics and also give tie-ins to buy clothing and book restaurants.
The students suggested that their three-in-one app could be easily adapted so that it could link to other events and sponsors.
The students were accompanied by Business and Economics teacher, Francis Frimpong.

You’re hired: Our cupwinners with Mr Frimpong

Dates for your diary
Sept 1/2: Enrolment for Sixth Form
Sept 6: Students register for new school year
Sept 30: Year 7 Enrichment trip

Important notice: Register on September 6: 10.35am for Year 7, 2.10pm for Years 8–11

News Weekly 863

2011-07-15T10:03:00.008Z

Summer festival was a feast of fun
The weather was kind for this year’s MADfest and crowds of people enjoyed the sunshine. In fact the only people to get a soaking were those teachers locked in the stocks.

Assistant Headteacher Dean Mansfield soaks up the punishment

A talented array of students performed for the crowds while a range of stalls selling food, books and CDs did a roaring trade. One group of students sold ‘Fairtrade’ chocolate while some enterprising Turkish students sold delicacies of their national cuisine prepared by themselves and their families.

Fairtrade supporting students sold chocolate

Head of Music, Ed Harlow, who helped the students’ organising committee, said: “The performers at MADfest showed courage to get up and perform in front of so many people. They performed to a high standard and they should be proud of their achievements. I was impressed by the way in which our students in the audience were so supportive of the performers. I would like to say thanks to the Year 11 students on the committee who ran the day smoothly and ensured it was successful.”

The crowds enjoy one of the student performers

Members of the PSA want to thank everyone who came to support the event. Speaking for the organisation, Nancy Wilde said: “We’re so pleased. The event raised more than £9,000 — which will be spent on school activities. She also would like clarify the situation on the Pura Beauty salon, which donated prizes to MADfest. The salon will open in Crouch Hill in two weeks time and the lucky winners of spa vouchers and pedicures must wait until then to use them.
Unfortunately, no contestant managed to roll the dice for the required numbers to win the Fiat 500.
MADfest included an exhibition of works by the school’s AS and A2 Art and Photography students, A2 Media Studies students and A2 Product Design students. One exhibit, by AS student Brett Martindale Durning, is shown below.

A dream-like image was captured by using several techniques

Some of the other artworks displayed at the exhibition included:

Success for students in UN-style event
Highgate Wood students showed they had the powers of persuasion at the London-wide Model UN Conference last week. The conference took place over two days at Mulberry School in east London. Our 19-strong team won a clutch of awards, building on the successes of previous teams. The team competed against 24 schools from other London boroughs as well as a sixth-form delegation from a school in Israel.
Highgate Wood’s students won three of the nine ‘Best Delegate’ awards and seven other prizes. The delegates had to accurately represent a country on the topic of 'Women and Development' while students on the Security Council discussed the situation in Gaza.
Head of Citizenship, Niall O’Connor, said: “The conference is increasingly popular and competitive among schools in London and we were restricted to 16 delegate places and three roles as chairs. We could have taken three times the number of delegates.” Social Science teacher, Neil Robertson, helped to prepare our delegates. He said: "All our students did well and it was heartening that our new recruits won awards. We had been allocated some very tricky countries for the event, Saudi Arabia for instance, but our students rose to the challenge."

Delegates worked hard to find an agreed resolution

Recycling initiative at local retailer
Year 11 BTEC Work Skills students were on cloud nine last week as they worked on a project at Food From The Sky local food retailer Budgens.
The students went to the allotment and garden situated on the roof of the store in Crouch End, where they joined owner Andrew Thornton and other volunteers to build a special greenhouse.
As part of the project the students looked at the issue of environmental sustainability and the importance of recycling. Beforehand, the school had collected plastic bottles of different shapes and sizes. The students had to clean and sort the bottles, remove any labels and cut off the bottoms and then string them up in to make the ‘greenhouse’.

Working co-operatively was part of the project

Work Skills teacher, Chrissie Ronay, said: “The students learned the importance of prioritising tasks, working to a deadline, working as a team and taking a break. They were motivated, hard working, flexible and able to problem-solve when things didn’t go according to plan. In a follow-up visit, students will evaluate outcomes of the original visit, reflecting on what went well and areas where they can improve.”

Pay your pound to dress down
Students can leave their ties and blazers at home next Wednesday, July 20 — as long as they pay a pound and wear a special wristband instead.
They can come to school dressed informally, but no short shorts, skirts or skimpy tops, please. The no-uniform day is a fund-raising activity organised by students for the Hillcrest charity in South Africa. Maddy Grant-Pyett of the School Council said: “We’ve raised more than £2,000 for Hillcrest so far this year. Every penny will be spent on helping improve the lives of young children who’ve been affected by HIV and AIDS. Year 12s will take the money to them in August.”

Taking music to the mountains
The hills of Austria will be alive with music made by students of Highgate Wood next week. More than 90 students and 10 members of staff are leaving today for a four-concert tour of Austria. They will be based in Salzburg for the tour, which runs from July 15 until July 21. Before leaving, the students performed for their families at a special preview yesterday evening.

Back to school for budding rock stars
Young rockers in the making are invited to sign up for a four-day course being put on at Highgate Wood from Monday, July 25.
The Summer Rock School 2011 will provide a great chance for rock musicians aged 13 to 18 years to learn some new skills from professionals in the rock business.
The programme of activities has been organised by Riot Act Music and Haringey Council’s Music and Performing Arts Centre.
The cost of the four-day is £80. Places are limited.
Among the tutors for the event will be Charlie Pinder, who used to be Managing Director of Sony Music and now runs his own artist management company, and Andy Maclure who was the drummer with Sleeper, and is now Head of Artist Development at Brighton Institute of Modern Music. Riot Act Music said: “You don’t have to be able to read music or to have done a gig before, but you must at least have some basic knowledge such as chords or drum patterns. You should bring your own instrument, and amplifier if you have one. Drums and PA will be supplied.”
More information is available on www.riotactmusicservices.com
To book students should contact Haringey’s Music and Performing Arts Centre on 020 8489 8960 or email mpac@haringey.gov.uk

Musical students shine
Congratulations to the following students who passed their Trnity Guildhall music examinations last week. Joshua Eldridge: Saxophone, Grade 8 with merit; Leora Mansoor: Saxophone, Grade 5 with merit and Neena Afua-Nsafoah: Clarinet, Grade 5.

Claim your lost property
A large collection of school blazers, jumpers, PE kit — even the odd shoe or two — remains unclaimed in the school’s Medical Room. Students who have mislaid any item should check with Anna Horgan in the Medical Room before term ends and collect any lost property. Any items not collected by next Friday will be given to charity shops.

Dates for your diary
July 20: No-uniform day, wear a wristband
July 22: Term ends
Sept 1/2: Enrolment for Sixth Form
Sept 6: Students register for new school year
Sept 30: Year 7 Enrichment trip

Important notice: Students dismissed at 12.25pm on Friday, July 22 (end of term)

News Weekly 862

2011-07-08T10:20:00.005Z

New Year 7s have first taste of school
More than 100 new faces came to see Highgate Wood on Tuesday as September’s intake of Year 7s got to know the school better.
They met their form tutors, tasted the food from the school’s kitchen and had lessons from their forthcoming timetable.
The newcomers were helped around the school by our student peer mentors and 18 students from the new Year 8, who ensured the day went smoothly for the newcomers.

Excited about joining the Highgate Wood community

Pastoral mentor for Years 7 and 8, Leon Mitchell, who co-ordinates the school’s peer mentor scheme, said: “I’m proud of our 38 peer mentors who welcomed the students and explained to them how the school is run. They were helped by students from the new Year 8 who were able to vividly recall their experiences of recently becoming part of the school and passed on some tips about settling in which should be helpful to our newcomers come September.”

Young swimmers win Haringey cups
Four Highgate Wood teams made a big splash at the Haringey schools swimming championships this week.
Teams of boys and girls from Years 7 and 8 won their competitions against other schools in the borough. The event was held at the John Loughborough School, Tottenham.
The following students competed for the school:
Raphaella Phelps, Morwenna Taylor, Beth Gosschalk, Anna Keating, Isabella Considine, Patrick Hegarty-Morrish, Robert Dalgleish, Ned Clarke, Billy Scott Price, Gabriel Clarke, Sushila Ghose-Coveney, Lucy Parfitt, Ellen Boardman, Rosa Gamble, Brendan Comyn, Teddy Nash, Andrew Shaw and Ethan Fraser.
In addition, five new Year 11s, who are studying for a GCSE in PE, helped to run the event. They were: Caitlin Bowen, Georgia Taylor, Ben Owen, Matthew Brown and Kate Gosschalk. Kristee Arkle in the PE Department wants to thank them for their efforts.
The victorious teams won two magnificent trophies which are on display in the cabinet in the Wren reception.

Fantastic prizes to be won at MADfest
The school’s summer festival MADfest takes place tomorrow, Saturday July 9.
Entry cost £2 for adults and £1 for children and students. Gates open at 1pm.
Raffle tickets will be on sale at the event. Prizes include a tour of the Emirates Stadium and tickets for a West End show. Raffle tickets cost 50p each or a book of 10 for £4.
Among the other activities this year is a dice-rolling competition with the potential prize of a Fiat 500 thanks to Prickett & Ellis and the ‘voucher tree’ with prizes from local shops, cinemas and restaurants. Voucher tree envelopes will cost £5. MADfest is sponsored by Greene & Co.

School finishes early on July 22
Students will be dismissed from the school at 12.25pm on July 22
Lessons will finish at 12.10pm. Students will then go to registration.
Light snacks will be available from the canteen.

Dates for your diary
July 22: Term ends
Sept 1/2: Enrolment for Sixth Form
Sept 6: Students register for new school year
Sept 19/23: Post-16 trip to Pendarren
Sept 30: Year 7 Enrichment trip

Important notice: MADfest on Saturday, July 9. Gates open at 1pm.

Highgate Wood School A level Art show

2011-07-06T19:03:00.000Z

News Weekly 861

2011-07-01T10:41:00.003Z

Yellows triumph at Sports Day
Students in the Yellows team showed they had what it takes to win the Sports Day shield this year.
A fantastic all-round effort by students on the running track and out in the field resulted in a well-deserved victory for the team.
A selection of some of the photographs is published below.
Head of PE Sol Ibrahim said: “A great turnout by students ensured that all races were exciting and competitive. Students wore their colours with
Pride, the singing and the chanting from the stands made for a loud and colourful event with a wonderful atmosphere throughout the day.”

One leap ahead

Starting her run-up

Only one more lap to go!

About to 'launch' the javelin

The shot was heavier than some students thought

After the race .... it was time to relax

"One final heave and we'll win this event"

Yellows' captains proudly hold up the shield, with Mr Cozier (left)

New forum for parents and governors
An informal meet-the–governors session running at the same time as a PSA meeting proved to be such a success that plans are underway to make the arrangement a regular event.
Parents welcomed the opportunity to ‘pop in’ and talk informally to governors while the governors were pleased that another channel of communication between them and parents had been opened up. At the same time as the PSA meeting, four governors were on hand to meet parents who had booked 10-minute slots with them.
Governors Caroline Conlon, Elizabeth Hess, Carol Vincent and Imogen Pennell want to thank the parents who came to the session. They said: “The governors present found the meetings very useful and there are plans on how we might develop the initial experimental ‘surgery’ with the PSA steering committee.”
The governors say the points raised by parents and the outcome of discussions with them will inform the regular contact between governors and the school’s senior leaders.

History prize for student — and school
An historically-based story about the migration of Caribbean people to Britain after the Second World War brought rewards for Highgate Wood student Lauren Gee from the prestigious Historical Association.
Lauren wrote a story about the arrival of SS Windrush from the Caribbean in 1948 — an event that marked a turning point in the post-war history of Britain — as part of her studies in Year 8 for History. Lauren’s story was submitted for a competition run by the Historical Association.
The Association invited entries from secondary school students around the country for its Write Your Own Historical Story competition. Lauren’s story ‘Daylight show through the little keyhole’ was one of 30 entries from Year 8s.
On its website, the Historical Association says: “..stories came from a wide variety of periods and places in the past, they ranged from ancient Rome to Bloody Sunday, from the southern states of the USA to Singapore. The quality of stories was strong across all Years. The judges looked for, and found, stories that combined a gripping plot with a strong sense of the past.”
Lauren was one of the eight winners from the total of 97 entries in all categories. She will receive an engraved paperweight, a winners’ certificate and £25. And through her success, Highgate Wood has been given a year’s free membership of the Historical Association.

Student brings hope to African island
Highgate Wood’s Matthew Brown in 11I got in the swim at Park Road Pool to turn around the lives of impoverished schoolchildren on the island of Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania in East Africa.
He raised almost £2,000 through a sponsored swim at the pool and personally handed the money to schools in Zanzibar on a visit during the Easter holidays.
Matthew’s efforts, and the help and assistance of a friend, Jade Clarke, from Hornsey School for Girls, were recorded by Douglas Taylor, Senior Programme Manager for Education at Voluntary Services Overseas in Tanzania.
In a letter to the students Mr Taylor said: “The money you raised is supporting activities that will raise the quality of education children will receive.”
The money raised by Matthew will be used to support a headteacher coaching project, the purchase of books in Kiswahili (Swahili), the refurbishment of libraries in two rural primary schools and the training a street seller of scarves in computers to improve his employment chances. Headteacher Patrick Cozier said: “I want to congratulate Matthew for his magnificent contribution to a worthy cause.”
After his visit, Matthew said: “I am one of the very few people of my age who have seen the conditions that these people live in. When we returned to England I really understood just how fortunate we are and I wanted to do something to help and make a difference. I was thrilled to see how much could be done with the money I raised and am thinking about other ways I can continue to help the lives of others.”
Matthew’s parents have been actively involved with the Voluntary Service Overseas organisation in Zanzibar for a number of years.

MADfest raffle tickets go on sale
Raffle tickets for MADfest are on sale in the Wren Office for 50p a ticket, or a book of 10 for £4.
There are some great prizes on offer, including a Luxury Spa Day, a tour of Arsenal Emirates Stadium, two sets of VIP passes to Go Ballistic Paintballing, manicures, restaurant meals, cinema tickets and tickets for the West End play, Wicked.

Dates for your diary
July 4: New Parents’ Evening 7pm
July 5: Transition Day for new Year 7s
July 6: INSET/ school closed for students
July 9: MADfest
July 22: Term ends
Sept 6: Students register for new school year

Important notice: School closed for students on July 6 for teacher training

News Weekly 860

2011-06-24T10:39:00.007Z

'Class of 2011’ go out in style
The end of formal schooling for the year group known as the ‘Class of 2011’ was cause for celebration on Friday evening last week.
Despite the wet weather and difficulties with local transport, hundreds of students made special efforts to attend the event to mark the end of their school careers — girls came in their ‘prom’
dresses and some boys put on sharp suits.
The guest speaker for the evening was Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington.
This year the event was held at the Union Chapel in Islington, which proved to be a stylish venue.

Ready to take on the world and make their mark

During the event, students and their proud parents were entertained by some of their fellow students: Zandile Lungah, Joanna Clarke, Serafina Taylor, Alisha Hardy, Louis Abbott-Wilson, George Carroll, Jasper Tygner, Joshua Eldridge, Daisy Webb, Ruth and Natasha Collett.
Their Head of Learning, Stewart Brown, said that all the performers were marvellous and that he would happily pay to see them perform.
Dondu Ocak was presented with the Pauline Ashbee 4Cs Award. She was nominated by her teachers and tutors in the Year 11 teaching team. Headteacher, Patrick Cozier, congratulated Dondu and said: “The award goes to a fantastic and superb student whose deserved achievement epitomises everything that our ethos of co-operation, consideration, courtesy and contribution are all about. Well done Dondu.”
Mr Cozier added: “I thought the evening was a huge success. I was pleased to see our Year 11s so well turned out and so committed to enjoying the evening and having a good time. It was also fantastic to see so much support at the evening from staff, both present and past, and I’d like to thank them all for coming. I think Assistant Headteacher Lindsay Pinnick should be congratulated for organising such a great event.”
A full range of photographs captured the event and News Weekly publishes a montage created by Ms Pinnick.

A wonderful evening filled with hope for the future

Most of the ‘old’ Year 11 students have now completed their exams. They are reminded that GCSE results will be released on Thursday, August 25 and can be collected from school from 11am until 1pm.

Summer festival plans step up a gear
MADfest 2011 is going to be bigger and better than ever — and every penny spent at the event will go to helping the school.
This year there’s a ‘Top Gear’ top prize. A brand new funky retro-styled Fiat 500 is the prize in a dice-rolling competition. And if you can’t afford an Arsenal season ticket, you can try and win a raffle prize — a tour of the Emirate Stadium thanks to Arsenal Football Club. Representatives from the Arsenal will also be at MADfest running a penalty shoot-out competition.
This year, the festival is being sponsored by Greene and Co. and Waitrose, Crouch End. In conjunction with MADfest, Waitrose has made the event one of its local charities for support which means that when you’re shopping in Waitrose ask for your token to go to the Highgate Wood container and help the school raise more money.
The organisers promise a whole range of activities and stalls, as well as performances from the school’s young musicians, dancers, singers on the outdoor stage, and there’ll be an exhibition of artworks produced by this year’s A-level students.
Among the stalls will be Pura Feet Fish, which will nibble away at those hard calluses. While they’re nibbling, you can read a copy of actor and writer Arabella Weir’s latest book as the ink dries on her signature that you’ve bought from her stall.
Joanna Brown, one of the organisers from the PSA says: “Come and join us on Saturday, July 9 for our annual summer celebration of music, art and dance. Alongside a dazzling display of talent there’ll be fun for the family, great food and astounding prizes to be won. If you are an art lover, then local gallery, Jealous, will have a stall selling works by their artists or you can pick up a CD or book at another of our stalls. MADfest is Highgate Wood’s PSA largest fundraising event and the money raised will be distributed across the school benefiting every student.”
The organisers would like to hear from other parents, friends or students who can help. Donations are welcome, especially unwanted CDs, DVDs and books as well as plants. They can be left at the school’s Wren office during next week — any plants will be tended until July 9 or bring them early on the day.
Students can help too. Next week the organising committee will be asking their colleagues to donate one book to the special Teenage Book Stall. These students will be promoting the event to tutor groups during tutorial time next week.

Performers selected for MADfest
The acts taking centre stage at this summer’s festival on July 9 have been chosen following a series of auditions.
A full list of 36 acts were whittled down by the student organisers from more than 50 hopefuls. The list has been posted in the Drum building.

Musicians to visit Austria
The last days of the school year will be filled with sweet music for many of the school’s student musicians.
They will be in Salzburg giving a series of four concerts in a trip arranged by the Music Department. During the visit they’ll go on a Sound of Music Tour and see Mozart’s birthplace.
Head of Music Ed Harlow said: “The trip will involve the school’s orchestra, Jazz Band, funk band, its senior choir, the guitar group, the Magnificent Mandolinis and the brass group. In addition, student bands, singers and dancers will be performing too. More then 90 students are going on the trip and they’ll perform in four concerts. We’ll be travelling by coach and I’m looking forward to a great time.”
● A few invoices for individual music tuition are still outstanding. Parents are asked to pay immediately. Please contact Mrs Hassan in the performing Arts Office.

Meeting for new parents
Parents of September’s new intake at Year 7 are invited to a meeting on Monday, July 4 at 7pm. Head of Learning, Stewart Brown, and members of the Year 7 teaching and support team will be on hand to talk about the school. Members of the PSA will talk about its range of activities.
Assistant Headteacher, Claire Allaway, who is managing the ‘Transition to Secondary School’ for new students and parents said: “The meeting is an opportunity for parents to get to know tutors, Head of Learning Stewart Brown and find out how the school is run. It’s also an opportunity for parents to meet each other.”

Donate plastic bottles for food project
Empty plastic bottles are urgently needed by Year 11 Work Skills’ students who are volunteering at Budgens. Please donate any bottles to Teresa Owen in the Wren building.

Dates for your diary
July 4: New Parents’ Evening 7pm
July 5: Transition Day for new Year 7s
July 6: INSET/ school closed for students
July 9: MADfest
July 22: Term ends
Sept 6: Students register for new school year

Important notices: School closed for students on July 6 for teacher training.
Congratulations to the 'Yellows' - winners at Sports Day on June 23 (Picture story in next week's edition).

MADFEST 2011

2011-06-21T18:37:00.009Z

MADFest

Highgate Wood School arts college

Open Air Stage

(entrance through front gate, Montenotte Road)

Join us for MADFEST, our annual summer celebration of Music, Art and Drama at Highgate Wood School. Come and enjoy an exciting line-up of talented student performers – musicians, singers, dancers on the open air stage.Drama performances will be taking place throughout the afternoon in The Drum, and the Post-16 Art exhibition will be open.

Alongside the performances, MADFEST offers a dazzling array of culture, food and fun!

We will offer beauty and pampering opportunities such as the Pura Feet Fish treatment, Henna tattoos and nail art. You can try your hand at the notorious Stocks – the chance to throw wet sponges at teachers! See if you can conquer the Bucking Bronco. You could even win a brand new Fiat 500, courtesy of Prickett& Ellis estate agents, by rolling a dice!

Arsenal Football Club will be running a Penalty Shoot-out on the astro-turf, and are also offering a Raffle Prize of a tour around the Arsenal Emirates Stadium!

Books, CDs, and DVDs will be on sale, and we are delighted to announce that local author and comedy actress Arabella Weir will be signing copies of her books.

A unique selection of gorgeous flowering and edible plants will be available from our plant stall.

If you are an art-lover, Jealous Gallery will be present with pieces of art for sale. MADFEST also marks the beginning of the Highgate Wood School Post-16 Art exhibition, giving you the opportunity to view recent works by the students.

We are very proud of our status as an Arts College. Come and find out why at MADFEST 2011 on Saturday 9th July, 1-5pm. Support the outstanding talent at the heart of your local community, and soak up the vibrant atmosphere of a summer festival on your doorstep.

How you can help
We are still open to offers of help. If you are interested in helping on a stall at MADFEST on the day, please contact Nancy at nwilde@thefurniturepractice.com.

Any contributions to the CDs, DVDs, and Books stalls are still welcome and can be dropped off to Noreen in the office.
If you would like to donate plants to the plant stall, please bring them into the school office, or to the playground from 10am on MADFEST day.

We would like to thank our sponsors, Waitrose, for their support through Waitrose CommunityMatters. You can help raise additional funds for MADFEST by contributing Green Tokens to the box at the checkout. The tokens will be exchanged for cash which will then be donated to Highgate Wood School PSA.
Thanks to estate agents Greene& Co for helping us to publicise MADFEST.

MADFEST is Highgate Wood School PSA’s largest annual fundraising event. The funds raised by MADFEST will be distributed across all departments in the school, so that all the students can benefit.

News Weekly 859

2011-06-17T11:23:00.003Z

Students see campus life at Trent Park
Studying at a university can seem an idyll, particularly at a campus-style college outside an urban area. Some school students may not think university is for them, but that can mean they miss out on an enriching intellectual and social experience.
Highgate Wood school takes part in the Aim Higher scheme which seeks to encourage students from a range of backgrounds to consider furthering their education to degree level — for self-fulfilment as well as its eventual financial benefits.
This week a group of more than 80 students spent the day in the quiet rural surroundings of Middlesex University’s Trent Park campus to taste university life.
During the day, the students were arranged into small groups and took part in a competition designed to get them to think about what studying at a university would be like.
Prizes were handed out to winning students, including high-street vouchers and chocolate bars.
The students found the day to be worthwhile and it raised awareness among them to keep their minds open to the possibility of going on to university in the next few years.
Four students who went on the trip, Denise Ozeler, Linda Idrizi, Elliott Austin and James Brown came back impressed by what they saw.
They said: “During the day students from Middlesex talked to us about what they did and also how they coped with the bills. We were concerned about the likely costs of studying because of the rise in tuition fees.
“We liked the freedom and independence of university and that you’re responsible for what you do and that you are more employable with a degree. From the visit we found out what university life can be about.”
Denise and Linda were winners of the competition held during the day. They designed a poster with a message to spend money wisely and well.
Abdi Siad, who also enjoyed the day, said: “I found out what a university was like and the different courses that can be studied. We were told about loans which helped to put my mind at rest. I’d like to see what other universities are like although the campus set-up was great.”

A week in Wales fosters teens’ spirit
A group of students discovered they had hidden depths while exploring potholes last week.
Potholing was one of the outdoor activities at Pendarren House near Crickhowell in Wales.
The centre is run by Haringey Council and every term a group of students from Highgate Wood spend a week there with two members of staff.
They are encouraged to face physical challenges and work together discovering the pleasures of the great outdoors.
Nineteen students who have just entered Year 9 took part in canoe-ing, hiking, climbing and caving. The students were divided into two groups and both teams bonded so well that the resident instructors felt they were ready to take on a special task involving rock climbing and swimming at the coast.

Emerging from the underground was liberating

Emily Mort and Abel Rubinstein, like the others in the party, found the trip memorable. They said: “We think Pendarren really brought our group together and was a great experience. We did lots of fun stuff like rock climbing which everyone found really great - and if you were confident enough you could try it blindfolded! Gorge walking was really exciting. One of the chjallenges we did was to walk through an old railway tunnel which became pitch black for five minutes but we were given two birthday candles for light that ran out way before the end. When we went caving we had to squeeze through tiny holes.”

Book launch for budding authors
Every writer dreams that one day their work will appear in print — and that dream is coming true for some Highgate Wood students, with encouragement from literacy charity First Story and its writer-in-residence at the school, Romesh Gunesekera.
Over the past year, the students have met once a week to develop their writing skills under Romesh’s guidance with support from English teacher, Chris Rhodes. At the end of the project, an anthology of their work has been published, titled Pages Held With Words.
To mark its publication, a book launch will take place on Wednesday, June 29 in the school’s Learning Resource Centre from 5.30pm until 7pm.
Mr Rhodes said: “This year we had two groups, one on Mondays after school for Year 9 and above students, and one on Tuesdays at lunchtime for Year 7s, which was run by Year 12 students, Amy Laughlan, Tara Henson and Alison Carroll. All told, 14 students have some of their work included in the anthology. I want to thank the PSA, the Jack Petchey Foundation and staff and students who made donations for my ‘Movember’ moustache for their financial support. Copies of the anthology will be on sale at the launch at £10 each.”
Some of the students involved in the project will read their stories and poems at the event.
News Weekly publishes an extract from the anthology written by Alicia Lerche:
Small Things
World
war two
was the death
of many.
But also
the creation of
others.
If Hitler didn’t exist
then I wouldn’t exist,
then my mum wouldn’t exist,
then my dad wouldn’t exist,
then both sets of grandparents wouldn’t have met
in the resistance.
Danes fighting against Germans,
coming to England
fleeing from Burma.
Then something small,
with a big impact might not have happened,
then I wouldn’t have been around to say something,
which had been repeated by someone else,
to someone else,
to someone else,
to someone else,
and maybe that thing
has given knowledge for someone else,
who will one day save the world,
and it is in this way
I might have saved the world.

Sports Day reminder
Sports Day promises to be a great day, come rain or shine, for every competitor. Each student is expected to take part in at least one event on Thursday June 23, at the White Hart Lane Community Sports Centre in White Hart Lane, Wood Green.
Students in new Years 8 to 10 (the old 7-9) should go directly to the sports centre (not to school) and arrive for registration at 8.35am.
Head of PE Mr Ibrahim said: “Students should bring a packed lunch and have some bottled water with them. A packed lunch will be provided for students on free school meals. Everyone is expected to attend, wearing the correct sports kit and team-coloured shirt. Students should be prepared for rain and bring a waterproof jacket.”
Directions to White Hart Lane Sports Centre
The W3 bus stops in Perth Road at the junction with White Hart Lane. This stop is the closest to the sports centre. The W4 from Turnpike Lane, or Wood Green, stops in Wolves Lane, at the Palm House, across the road from the centre. It is a short walk, turning left, to the entrance. The 329 bus stops outside the Civic Centre in Green Lanes; from there it is a half-mile walk down White Hart Lane, passing a park on your left and crossing over Wolves Lane.

Term dates 2011/2012
Autumn 2011
1. Tuesday Sept 6 — Friday Oct 21
Holiday: Monday Oct 24 — Friday Oct 28
2. Monday Oct 31 — Friday Dec 16
Holiday: Monday Dec 19 — Monday Jan 2 2012

Spring 2012
1. Tuesday Jan 3 — Friday Feb 10
Holiday: Monday Feb 13 — Friday Feb 17
2. Monday Feb 20 — Friday March 30
Holiday: Monday April 2 — Friday April 13

Summer 2012
1. Monday April 16 — Friday June 1
Holiday: Monday June 4 — Friday June 8
2. Monday June 11 — Friday July 20*
*Official end of term is Monday July 23 (but this is an Inset day).

Auditions next week for MADfest
More than 50 acts have been chosen to audition for MADfest. The auditions take place on Monday and Tuesday, June 20 and 21, after school. A list has been posted on the doors to the Drum - students can also check with the Music Office.
MADfest takes place on July 9. The PSA would like donations for its tombola stall and raffle.

Dates for your diary
June 23: Sports Day
July 6: Inset day
July 9: MADfest
July 22: Term ends
Sept 6: Students register for new school year

Important notices: Exams for mid-KS4 start on Monday, June 20. School closed to students on July 6, Inset day.

News Weekly 858

2011-06-10T13:18:00.004Z

English history brought to life
Year 7 students travelled back in time on a school trip to Mountfitchet in Essex, where a medieval settlement has been recreated.
At the site of a motte and bailey castle, a peasant-and-baron community complete with livestock, has been brought to life.
The visit was the final component of the enrichment programme for Year 7.

A few minutes was time enough in the pillory

At the settlement the students tried out aspects of life in medieval times — they were particularly fascinated by some of the cruel forms of punishment, like the ‘hell-hole’ and stocks as well as the armour.

Students had the chance to try some protective armour

Parents: note date for PSA meeting
The PSA meeting takes place on Wednesday, June 15. The meeting had been publicised as taking place on June 16. All parents are welcome. Among the topics for discussion are the MADfest event, funding for special activities at the school and plans for ‘teacher appreciation’.
At the same time, school governors will be holding a drop-in session for parents. The governors will be available from 8pm to 9pm.
Organisers of MADfest are seeking donations for the tombola and raffle and would like parents to donate any unwanted gifts or items. Donations can be left at the school in the Wren office.

Audition box for MADfest open
Performers at MADfest must use the box in the Performing Arts office to register for an audition. Students should complete a slip with their name, tutor group and act and put it in the box. No slip means no audition. Post your slips now.

Good sports from Highgate Wood
A large group of Highgate Wood students represented the borough at the Middlesex Schools’ Athletics Championships this week.
The championships were held at the Barnet Copthall stadium on June 7. Haringey came fourth in a competition involving 11 London boroughs. Six of our students qualified for the final of an event.
Two weeks earlier, Highgate Wood’s team had taken part in the Haringey schools’ competition and 20 students achieved the standard required to represent the borough in the Middlesex championships.
Headteacher Patrick Cozier, who watched the Haringey schools competition, said: “I was so pleased to see some of our most talented students competing against the best in the borough and doing so well. What was particularly pleasing was the spirit in which they took part, the camaraderie that existed among them and the pride that they showed in being Highgate Wood students. It was fantastic that 20 of them were called up to represent Haringey at the Middlesex Championships. This is in no small way due to the PE staff, in particular, Kristee Arkle, Caroline Osborne and Sol Ibrahim who took responsibility for the students on the day.”
Unfortunately, four students who had qualified could not make the Middlesex championships, but Ms Arkle and Mr Ibrahim want to congratulate the following students for representing Haringey: Lily Beckford - U15G 800m; Lauren Gee - 15G 800m; Natasha Fairclough - U15G 1500m; Kazinethi Lungah - U15G Shot Putt; Kathleen Jackson - U17G 800m; Jade O'Brien - U17G 1500m; Ellie Jackson - U17G 1500m; Lizzie Bowers - U17G Shot Putt; Lily Biglari - U17G High Jump; Hannah Mitchell - U17G 100m; Ijes Marshall-Jouavel - U17G Triple Jump and 100m; Liam Baker - U17B Javelin; Jamil Popat - U17B 800m; Tadhg Gilbert-Dillon - U17B 100m hurdles; Devante Davis - U17B 100m hurdles and Suraj Deb - U17B 400m.
● Highgate Wood students will be taking part in the Haringey Schools’ Swimming Championships later this month at Park Road Pools. Our team will be selected from those students who swam in the school’s swimming gala in April.
● Sports Day is Thursday, June 23 at the White Hart Lane centre. Students arrive at 8.35am with PE kit. Rainwear recommended.

Students move on a year
All students moved up a year on June 6 and many stated a crucial stage in their schooling. In particular, Year 9s became Year 10 and started their GCSE courses on Monday. Year 10 became Year 11. Every other year group moved up, so Year 7 became Year 8 and Year 8 became Year 9.

Music department notices
Parents of students currently having individual music tuition but who do not intend to have lessons next year are asked to contact Mrs Hassan in the Performing Arts office by the end of this month. You can contact her by email at tha@hws.haringey.sch.uk, by telephone on her direct line, 8342-7973 ,or by letter. Unfortunately, any parent who wants to cancel tuition but fails to contact Mrs Hassan this month may find themselves liable to a fee for five lessons, if they leave the matter until September.
• Music invoices outstanding. Some parents have still not paid invoices for music tuition this term. Payment was due before the end of May, so please pay invoices immediately.

Exams watchdog moves to dispel anxiety for AS level students
A small group of sixth form students at Highgate Wood are among students across the country who were set exam papers with errors in the last month.
The erroneous papers were set for AS level exams in three subjects: Maths, Biology and Business Studies.
Eight students at Highgate Wood sat one of the exams concerned — Business Studies.
A statement from the Director of the Joint Council for Qualifications has been issued telling students and parents who have sat these exam papers that “no one will be disadvantaged as a result of these mistakes. Examiners marking the papers are aware of the incidents and will make careful adjustments so that all students receive the marks they deserve.”
In addition, the examining board (AQA) concerned has written to our Business Studies department expressing its regret and seeking to further assure students and parents. Gill Clarke, Senior Subject Manager for Business Studies at the AQA said: “If you believe that there was a particular impact on a candidate or candidates arising from the error that may have affected their overall performance on the paper, we would ask you to submit an application for Special Consideration through your Examinations Officer in the normal way.”
The school continues to monitor the situation.

Dates for your diary
June 17: Year 11 Celebration evening, 6pm
June 23: Sports Day
July 9: MADfest
July 22: End of term

Important notice: To audition for MADfest you must put a slip in the box. Auditions on June 20/21

2011-06-07T21:18:00.000Z

Year Group Handbooks for new term

2011-06-04T17:22:00.007Z

News Weekly 857

2011-05-27T10:26:00.006Z

Teachers’ dispute resolved
Teachers in the National Union of Teachers and the school’s leaders and governors have resolved their dispute. Strikes planned for this week were called off and the school operated normally.
Headteacher, Patrick Cozier, said: “I am delighted that the school’s dispute with the NUT has been resolved. Talks were held with the NUT, with the involvement of ACAS for 10 hours on Tuesday. We were able to reach an agreed settlement that has been able to resolve the dispute. The talks ended with all parties remaining positive about moving forward, building relationships, focusing on the core purpose of the school – learning and teaching, and addressing workload issues for teachers. I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience and anxiety caused by this dispute. We take parents’ concerns seriously and will reflect on those messages as we move forward. Thank you for your patience, understanding, commitment and continued support. I am also grateful for the many supportive messages I received.”

New timetables for students on June 6
The new timetable starts on June 6 for students in Years 7 to 10. Importantly, Year 9begin their KS4 courses, which will lead to GCSE and other similar exams in two years time.
On Monday June 6, students start lessons at period 3, 11.10am.
Students are expected to be in school from 10.30am in order to attend registration with their form tutors at 10.40am.

Skills training was the real deal
Every student in Year 10 took part in special training sessions last week.
Presented by educational trainers, Live-N-Learn, the sessions combined a digital presentation with sharp commentary from a presenter.
The sessions had a two-fold aim — firstly to show students how to revise and learn effectively; and secondly to recognise that these skills are desirable and transferable to the workplace.
To draw the sessions to a close and to emphasise the aim of the session, the facilitator asked one student to take part in a role play based on the popular TV game, Deal or No Deal.
As in the game, a student tried to win a prize while avoiding forfeits and counter offers from the ‘banker’ while the enthusiastic audience offered advice and encouragement.
With each choice made by the student, the facilitator showed how learning developed skills needed by employers in the modern workplace.
In addition, the game’s elimination process showed the students that effective learning and revision meant that they were internalising much-needed skills, such as: planning ahead, managing time, contributing to joint endeavours, being organised, using initiative, showing commitment and perseverance, being flexible and being open to change.
The students enjoyed the game and wanted their contestant to win, particularly when the selected prize was £5, but sometimes the luck of the draw went against the contestant.
Nevertheless, the students realised that they were learning skills that would help them for the rest of their lives — indicated by some comments from Year 10s afterwards:
Phoebe Moss: “I learnt how to manage my time and how to think in a different mind frame, and how to realise my goals.”
Sam Ahearn: “I learned a lot about getting jobs and about time-keeping.”
Alaine Demosthenous: “I learned how to organise myself. It made me feel more confident.”
Kevin Kwarteng: “I learned that waiting for something to happen means it might never get to happen so it’s better to make it happen.”
Ella Keating “I learned about the different types of revision and that I should keep an open mind and I should make things happen.”

Looking to a future in product design
A group of five sixth formers have just completed their design-and-build projects for their final Design and Technology A-level exam.
The students had to conceive, design and write product details for a useful item of furniture that was functional and space-saving.

Shoe storage from a different angle: a space saving solution

The students were guided by Technology teacher Amanda Went, who said: “I’m very proud and believe the students will gain excellent results in their A2 exams. They created some innovative and imaginative designs for everyday storage as part of their coursework for the exams.I believe they can look forward to university with confidence. I want to congratulate Jakadi Appleton, Laura Silvester, Dalvin Macauley, Ashley Leigh and Ho-Man Cheung for their hard work and effort this year and wish them all the best.”

This stacking system was designed to offer flexibilty and make good use of space

School puts fun into Hornsey run
The Hornsey YMCA Crouch End Fun Run has become established as a major community event. The event and the festival took place last Sunday, May 22, attracting hundreds of runners and onlookers.
Like last year, Highgate Wood students were involved as participants as well as playing a part in the festival. The school helped with the sound system and its operation, while student performers took to the stage during the day-long event. Among the acts who appeared in Priory Park on Sunday were the Keepsakes, a quartet from Year 11 at school.

The Keepsakes performing at Sunday’s Crouch End festival

Jim Shepley, programme director for the event at Hornsey YMCA, was grateful for the school’s input, which was organised by the school’s Deputy Headteacher Paul Guenault. In a message to Mr Guenault, Mr Shepley said: “A big thank you to Highgate Wood School for their contribution to the Crouch End Festival on Sunday. The standard of the performers was excellent and your technical support was invaluable. I’m just recovering from the long day and getting a real buzz from all the positive comments. It was really a massive team effort that would not have be possible without everyone coming together. Please pass on my thanks to HWS pupils and staff for giving up their Sunday to support the event. I hope that they enjoyed the day as much as I did.”
Year 11’s Ruth Collett said: “We were happy to be part of a wonderful community event.”

Open invitation to parents
All parents are welcome at the PSA meeting on Wednesday June 15. The meeting starts at 7.30pm.
Among the issues to be discussed are preparations for this year’s MADfest on July 9 and the results and outcomes of money given by the PSA to a range of activities in the school this year.

Dates for your diary
June 6: Term re-starts, new timetable begins
June 15: PSA meeting 7.30pm
June 17: Year 11 Celebration Evening
July 9: MADfest
July 22: Term ends
Sept 6: Students register for new school year

Important notice: New timetable starts on June 6, students arrive at 10.30am

Dispute Resolved

2011-05-25T13:23:00.000Z

Dear Parent/Carer,

Industrial action by the National Union of Teachers (NUT)

1. Dispute Resolved – Strike Action Called Off
2. Parent’s Information and Update Meeting on Thursday 26th May @ 7pm Cancelled

I am delighted to inform you that the School’s dispute with the NUT has been resolved. As a consequence, strike action has been called off and hence Thursday (tomorrow) will be a normal school day and all students should attend school as they usually would.

As I stated in my letter yesterday, talks were held with the NUT, with the involvement of ACAS during Tuesday afternoon/evening. After 10 hours of talks we were able to reach an agreed settlement that has been able to resolve the dispute. The talks ended with all parties remaining positive about moving forward, building relationships, focussing on the core purpose of the school – learning and teaching, and addressing workload issues for teachers.

I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience and anxiety caused by this dispute. I know that a number of parents expressed their concerns at meetings, through letters and via e-mails to me and the Chair of Governors. We take your concerns seriously and will reflect on those messages as we move forward.

As a result of the dispute being resolved – we have cancelled the planned Parent Information and Update Evening on Thursday 26th May. However, there will be governors present at the PSA meeting on 15th June to give you an update and answer any questions. In the meantime, should you have any concerns or queries in relation to the dispute please contact either me or Imogen Pennell, Chair of Governors by letter or e-mail – admin@hws.haringey.sch.uk.

Thank you for your patience, understanding, commitment and continued support.

Yours sincerely,

Patrick Cozier
Headteacher

Wednesday 25th May - Latest update

2011-05-25T02:36:00.006Z

Wednesday’s strike action has been postponed. This means that Wednesday 25th May will be a normal school day with all staff and all students present.

However, as things currently stand, Thursday’s industrial action will go ahead as planned.

The school is in talks with the NUT and ACAS and if there are any further changes they will be posted on-line here.

If there is industrial action on Thursday the school will be closed to Years 7, 9 and partly Year 10. All other year groups should attend as normal. For further information please see the letter sent out to parents\carers on Tuesday, which is also available here

Comments posted on this issue are being forwarded automatically to the Head Teacher and the Chair of Governors rather than published.

During the dispute all public examinations (GCSE and A Level) will continue as normal.

Strike Action for Wednesday is Postponed.

2011-05-24T10:07:00.003Z

The head teacher has just received confirmation from the NUT that tomorrow’s strike action has been postponed. This means that tomorrow will be a normal school day with all staff and all students present.

However, as things currently stand, Thursday’s industrial action will go ahead as planned.

The school is in further talks with the NUT and ACAS this afternoon and if there are any further changes they will be posted on-line here.

Industrial action by the National Union of Teachers (NUT)

2011-05-22T16:44:00.005Z

Partial School Closure on Wednesday 25th May and Thursday 26th May 2011

Unfortunately, the school will be closed on Wednesday 25th May 2011 for years 7, 8 and 10 and on Thursday 26th May 2011 for years 7, 9 and 10 as a result of further industrial action announced by the NUT unless, as we sincerely hope, ourselves and the NUT are able to find a workable compromise. We will be holding a meeting as an opportunity for parents/carers to receive an update from myself and the governors and gain a clearer picture of what is happening on Thursday 26th May 2011, 7pm start.

In the meantime I and the governors remain committed to continuing talks with the NUT in an attempt to bring this dispute to a satisfactory resolution. I have contacted the NUT and ACAS in an attempt to arrange for more talks to take place early this coming week and certainly prior to Wednesday’s proposed strike action. I am currently awaiting confirmation that the meeting has been accepted. Imogen Pennell, Chair of Governors will be writing to you shortly to give you more of a detailed update of the position that we have reached in relation to the negotiations.

I would like to reassure all parents/carers that for those students who are in school, the experience will remain a positive and productive one. During the industrial action last Thursday 19th, we were able to cope well and create meaningful learning opportunities for those students present in years 7, 10, 11, 12 and 13 – all students were safe and used their time productively.

In the event that we are unable to reach a compromise and the strike action goes ahead the arrangements for each year group are detailed in the head teacher's letter (available here) and summarised below:
Year 7: School is closed to Year 7 students on both days (Wednesday and Thursday)
Year 8: School is closed to Year 8 students on Wednesday 25th May
Year 9: School is closed to Year 9 on Thursday 26th May
Year 10: School is mainly closed to Year 10 students on both days (some classes preparing for upcoming public examinations will be held).
Year 11: Year 11 students are expected to be in school on both days
Post 16: Post 16 students are expected to be in school on both days

All Public Examinations for Years 11, 12 and 13 will take place as scheduled; hence students should attend as normal.

Students who do attend school on Wednesday and Thursday will need to wear full school uniform as normal, and may also require their PE Kit. Fuller information about this are available here.

The Haringey Athletic Championships are taking place on Wednesday for some students in years 7, 8, 9 and 10. Those students who have been selected to take part have already been notified. They will attend the event as planned. Specific arrangements for the day will be communicated separately for those students.

If you are unable to make arrangements for the care of your child on either of these two days, please contact Mrs Kiymet Ozturk, p.a. to the Headteacher. Where this is the case, I ask that those students report to the Dining Hall at 8.35am on each of the days.

Similarly, if you have a child in a year group that is being asked to remain at home who usually has free school meals and you will be requiring them to have a packed lunch during that day, you should inform me in writing (a letter delivered by your child and handed in to my PA will suffice) by Tuesday 24th May at the latest so that arrangements can be made.

Please assume that the school will operate as described above unless you are informed otherwise through one of the schools official communication channels, e.g. website, twitter, text messaging, email, etc. We will let you know if anything changes.

Thank you for your continued support, and hopefully I will see you on Thursday 26th at 7pm.

Yours sincerely,

Patrick Cozier
Headteacher

Please Note: A reminder that the school is closed on Tuesday 24th May afternoon from 1.10pm for INSET

Comments posted on this issue are being forwarded automatically to the Head Teacher and the Chair of Governors rather than published.

News Weekly 856

2011-05-20T11:49:00.005Z

Art and design show draws crowds
Powerful and eye-catching work by Year 11s showed they had made the grade when it comes to their GCSEs this year.
Parents, friends and teachers joined in a celebration of their work at the annual show of GCSE work in Art and Textiles last Friday.
They came to see art and clothes designed and made by students as part of their examinations.
Assistant Headteacher Dean Mansfield who attended the event said: “I was impressed with the quality of the work and the way it had been exhibited. Some of the designs made in Textiles looked very professional.
“I thought the students’ work mirrored current issues in society and demonstrated their passion and commitment.”

Heading for a bright future with artistic talent

Prizes were awarded to students for their work. Prize-winners were: Nana Antwi, Ruth Martin,
Walatasion Fari, Omar Bruno and Noah Aldhous.
Head of Art Matthew Astrop said: “The exhibition was a great success. It showcased the wonderful talent we have in Year 11 and the hard work they have done in their Art classes. The passion and commitment of the students was clearly evident in their work. Everyone who attended the exhibition were delighted with the outcome.”
Headteacher Patrick Cozier took time out to come to the event and spent some of the evening talking to parents as well as admiring the art works. He said: “The quality of work on display was excellent and gave students and teachers good reason to be proud of their achievements. The exhibits were a brilliant examples of students’ ability being positively combined with teachers’ dedication to make a big difference.”

Bosses praise student interns
Internships with local employers helped students climb higher up the employment ladder during the Year 10 work experience week last term.
For a week in late March, 239 students worked for employers in a variety of jobs, ranging from retailing, to the service sector, the creative industries and media.
Work experience co-ordinator Karen Kent is currently collecting feedback from employers and students to compile a report. She said: “For the overwhelming majority of students, the report-back from employers has been most positive.”
News Weekly publishes some of the comments from employers on the students:
• Primark said Nancy Lean was ‘the best work experience student they had ever had working with them.’
• Toni and Guy (Hairdressers) said they were so pleased with Zoe Clegg that she was offered a Saturday job with them.
• Photograph (Fashion and Design) said Eden Barre was ‘a very likeable young lady who will go far with her artistic talent and potential.’ Eden so impressed her mentor, the company’s European production manager, with one of her designs that he has arranged for samples of the garment to be made in a factory abroad and for it to go on sale in Selfridges’ store in Oxford Street.
• Royal Academy of Dance said Neena Afua-Nsafoah was ‘hard working and showed enthusiasm and independence.’
• Sunstone Women Limited said ‘We would have Rhiannon Bassett work for us when she finishes school.’
• Downhills Primary School said Ali Aziz ‘ is able to use his own initiative and built excellent relationships with the children and fully engaged with them. It was a pleasure to have him in our school. We wish him every success for the future.’

Sports clubs for the summer
Athletic and sporty students can join a full range of sports sessions during lunch and after school this term.
Places are still available and PE teachers welcome any new recruits. All clubs are mixed.
The weekly programme is:
Monday, lunchtime: Years 9 and 10, cricket; Years 9 and 10, rounders
Monday, after school: Year 7, cricket; All Years, athletics
Tuesday, lunchtime: Years 7 and 8, rounders; Years 7, 8 and 9, dance; Year 7, cricket
Wednesday, lunchtime: Years 9/10/11, netball; Year 8, cricket
Wednesday, after school: All Years, athletics; Year 8, cricket
Thursday, lunchtime: Years 7/8/9, softball
Thursday, after school: Year 9, cricket; All Years, athletics
Friday, lunchtime: Years 7/8/9, tennis; Years 10/11, dance

Young boxer has lessons for all
Rising amateur boxing star, Year 8’s Tyrane Wynter, put on a display of his self-defence skills for the rest of his year group at their assembly this week.
With his father, Tyrane gave an exhibition of his prowess kitted out in his ring kit, gloves and all.
Head of Learning Kevin Brokenshire arranged the display partly to celebrate Tyrane’s achievements in the boxing ring — he’s London champion for his age and weight and ranked second in England —
and partly to underline the message to students that dedication, effort and commitment are needed to be successful.
Tyrane explained that he trains six times a week on top of doing his school work.
Mr Brokenshire told students: “Your life chances depend upon making the right choices, being dedicated and hard-working, and learning to control your emotions and physical strength.”
Year 8 parents social evening
Mr Brokenshire would like to remind Year 8 parents about their social evening next week.
He said: “I look forward to meeting as many parents as possible in an informal setting at the Year 8 Social on Tuesday, May 24 from 7pm to 9pm at the school. Drinks and snacks will be provided. Any parents who might need childcare are invited to bring their family along as games and a film will be provided by some of our sixth formers.”

New parent governor elected
Andrew Boardman who has a daughter at the school in Year 8 has been elected to the school’s governing body. He teaches at a school in the neighbouring borough of Camden.

Dates for your diary
May 24: School ends at 1.10pm (Inset)
May 30/June 3: Half term
June 6: New timetable starts
June 17: Year 11 Celebration Evening
July 9: MADfest
July 22: Term ends
Sept 6: Students register

Important notices: School closes at lunchtime on May 24 — students dismissed at 1.10pm.

News Weekly 855

2011-05-15T12:58:00.007Z

Trip to see how the sea shapes Britain

Geography students in Year 10 spent a day on England’s east coast last week to examine the ways in which the land can be defended from the sea and the costs of defences. Their visit was a part of their coursework for GCSE Geography.
The day trip to the seaside had a serious purpose During the visit, the students examined the sea walls, defences and breakwaters put in place at Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex to stop erosion of the coastline and protect property.
Before the trip, the students had worked on questionnaires so they could interview local residents about their views on policies to prevent coastal erosion.
Other academic exercises on the day included making sketches of the landscape, photographing the surroundings and creating maps of the use of the land in the locality. All this activity took place on an unseasonably hot day which meant students and the staff who accompanied them were thankful for the refreshment of some local ice-creams.Students enjoyed the day and News Weekly prints some of their comments below:
“Most of the day was fun — until the seagulls invaded."
“It was interesting to see the coastal defences in action.”
"I liked talking to the people. They were old, it's a good place to retire except it might be underwater by the time I reach retirement...sad times."
The students thanked Hilary Hickey and David Grimmett of the Geography Department for organising the trip and Toyal Bakht for her help

A ‘Yes’ vote for new system on May 5
One constituency of Highgate Wood parents voted resoundingly for an alternative system of communication on May 5. On the day when most of the electorate gave the thumbs-down to AV, Year 8 Highgate Wood parents said Yes to a different way of running the annual meeting of year group parents and teachers. For the first time, a parents’ evening was organised on the basis of a series of appointments. Prior to the event, Year 8 students had agreed an appointment schedule for their parents with their teachers. The aim was to ensure parents and teachers would spend their time during the evening more effectively and efficiently. By all accounts, parents overwhelmingly supported the new system and thought it worked well. News Weekly publishes three comments given by parents to the organisers, Year 8’s Head of Learning Kevin Brokenshire and Assistant Headteacher Claire Allaway. “I just wanted to say how great the parents evening was tonight. I hadn't realised that it was just our year doing it this new way and apparently that's all down to you! So much better than it was - really easy and relaxed - a total success.”
“I wanted to say what a magnificent feat of organisation! I thought the appointment system worked really well, and it was a much more relaxed and stress-free evening compared to last year's. I do feel that as a school you are so good at listening to parents' views and always ready to look at changing something that doesn't seem to work so well. Thank you.”
“Dear Ms Allaway, I gather that you were instrumental in organising today's parents’ evening and the new appointment system. Whoever did this should be congratulated because it was very effective - much more relaxing and we managed to see all my daughter's teachers and go home before the site manager turned the lights off. Thanks.”
Headteacher Patrick Cozier has taken on board parents’ views. He said: “The new system seems to have worked more effectively than our previous system and we will be using appointments for Parent/Carers’ Evenings next academic year. I’m always looking to improve home/school contact.”

Preparations for Year 11 ‘prom’
Year 11 parents are reminded to complete and return their permission slips so they can attend the Celebration Evening on Friday, June 17 at the Union Chapel in Islington. On receipt of the slips and payment of £20, which covers entry for two adults and a student, tickets will be issued. Entry will be by ticket only. Slips should be returned no later than Monday, May 16. In a recent letter to parents from Head of Learning for Year 11, Stewart Brown, he pointed out that Year 11s must continue to attend school and conform with its behaviour policies in the coming weeks for their attendance at the event to be confirmed. His letter also stated that unaccompanied students will not be allowed to attend.
He said: “Student entry is by invitation. For an invitation to be issued, students need to demonstrate their commitment to the Four Cs, and, more importantly, to their own learning and preparation for the GCSE examinations, including the completion of Citizenship tasks. In the meantime, return of the permission slip and the payment of £20 to the school will secure a place for your child. Invitation tickets will be issued in the coming weeks as long as your child continues to meet the expectations of the school. Refunds will be made in cases were students are refused an invitation. The dress code for the event is formal for students.”
Year 11 students have been involved in preparations for the event and were instrumental in deciding that the evening should include a celebration of the musical talents of the year group. The formal half of the evening will include presentation of achievement certificates interspersed with musical performances by students. Afterwards there will be a students-only social in the style of an American ‘prom’.

Getting greener by the day
Eco-friendly students in Years 7 and 8 have started an initiative this week to increase the amount of waste recycled at the school. Year 7 carried out a survey of recycling boxes in classrooms to make sure every room has one while Year 8s have made attractive posters to help teachers and students recycle properly. The actions are part of our Eco-School credentials.

Make a date in your diary for festival
Parents, students and friends of the school are asked to make a definite date in their calendars for Saturday, July 9. The school’s MADfest takes place from 1pm to 5pm on that day. As well as showcasing the school’s best artistic and performing arts’ talent, the event is a major fund raiser for the school. Every penny spent helps improve the school.
One of the festival organisers from the PSA, Nancy Wilde, said: “MADfest aims to create a festival atmosphere with a variety of stalls, food and drinks as a backdrop to the continuous flow of musical and dance entertainment provided by the students on the main stage. The art department will also be displaying A-Level Art work in the main hall. This is a major fund raising event for the PSA which raised over £3,000 last year. Keep an eye out for the MADfest logo which will be on estate agent boards, posters and a large banner in Crouch End, and most importantly save the day.
Further information on the day will be provided in future newsletters. We are starting to collect donations for the tombola, raffle, book stall and CD/DVD/record stall. We are hoping to create a teenage book stall this year and have asked each student in the school to donate at least one book each - please could you remind them to drop these in at the Wren office. If you would like to donate tombola and raffle prizes they should be new, unwanted gifts. All donations can be handed in to the main office in the Wren Building. We will need help on the day to run stalls, if you would like to volunteer for a stint then please could you email me on nwilde@thefurniturepractice.com.”

Helping hands with green fingers
Organiser of the school’s allotment, Caroline Jones, is urgently looking for a parent to volunteer to be her head gardener. The school’s allotment gives a group of students an education in a range of life skills, as well as providing produce for school meals. Ms Jones said: “Our current volunteer school gardener is leaving us in June. We need a dedicated volunteer to help out. The role would suit a parent who wants to be involved in a school project and work with a group of students. The gardener can use part of the allotment to grow their own vegetables as well as helping students to grow theirs. We can be flexible about the arrangements but regular maintenance and watering is necessary. If any parent can help, please contact me at the school.”

Important notice: Year 7 return the permission slips for Mountfitchet castle trip asap
Dates for your diary
May 24: School ends at 1.10pm (Inset)
May 30/June 3: Half term
June 6: New timetable starts
June 17: Year 11 Celebration Evening

News Weekly 854

2011-05-06T09:55:00.004Z

Cutting our carbon footprint
A sustainable environmental future for the school is on the horizon thanks to a group of eco-friendly students
An action team of 15 ‘green’ volunteers, drawn from all years in the school, has been set up as part of the Eco-Schools project.
An Eco-School aims to become environmentally sustainable and to combat climate change and reduce its emissions of carbon in its everyday activities. The initiative is linked with governmental policies on environmental issues and activities by local authorities.

Going green: Four members of the Eco-School action team

The driving force for the project is the student action team which has already assessed the school’s environmental status and thereby gained the programme’s bronze award.
The team is now working towards the attainment of a silver award and finally the coveted ‘Green Flag’ which is granted by the Keep Britain Tidy pressure group.
Geography teacher Davis Grimmett, who is co-ordinating the project, said: “We are well on our way towards achieving the silver award. During last term we linked up with environmental charity Global Action Plan to carry out an audit of the school’s waste and recycling actions and the action team is now involved in setting out measures to reduce the amount of waste. In order to raise awareness, Year 8 will be set the task of designing a poster to support this part of the project. If any students would like to become more involved or would like to suggest ways of reducing waste they should contact me in P17.”

Sport breaks down language barriers
The world knows the Spanish can teach us a thing or two about football, and tennis too, but the sports shoe was on the other foot during a visit to Spain by a group of sports-mad Highgate Wood students last week.
The students, with three PE teachers helping them, sought to convince students from a town near Leon in north west Spain that the two typically English games of cricket and netball were fun to play and enjoy.
During the five-day trip, the 20 students coached the Spanish teenagers at the IES Ornia school in La Bañeza. Alongside them on the trip were some performing arts students and their staff from the Oasis Academy Hadley in Enfield, who demonstrated their skills.
Both groups spent some time on the trip learning about the ways and structure of the Spanish education system as well as discovering a few local sporting customs at first hand, notably a form of wrestling called Lucha Leonosa.

Spain and England united in international friendship

Both groups of English students also enjoyed some sightseeing including visits to Leon and the prehistoric caves in Valporquero.
Scott Keough, one of the school’s PE teachers on the trip said: “The students were fantastic throughout the trip. Despite the language barrier and the fact that the Spanish teenagers were completely unfamiliar with netball or cricket, our student coaches were able to teach enough of the games that the entire school took part in competitive games during break time.
“Our students learned some new skills in leadership and coaching, as well as discovering how to communicate in another language and make friendships.”

Eye-poppin’ show of students’ art
Parents and friends are welcome at the annual exhibition of art produced by Year 11 students for their GCSE exams.

The eyes have it at the 2011 art show

The show takes place on Friday May 13 in the Wren building from 6pm to 8pm.
Head of Art Matthew Astrop said: “Once again our GCSE students have shown they have the artistic imagination to produce some exciting and appealing works of art. I look forward to seeing as many parents and their friends as possible at the event. It’s open to everyone.”

Celebration to mark end of school
Plans are well underway for Year 11’s Celebration Evening on Friday, June 17 at the Union Chapel in Islington.
Head of Learning Stewart Brown has sent out letters to parents inviting them to the event. The evening will start with formal presentations interspersed with performances by some Year 11 students. Afterwards there will be a student-only disco.
Tickets will go on sale next week, costing £20, which covers a student and two adults.
At the event, the Yearbook, compiled by Year 11s, Mr Odei and Mr Brown, will be on sale.

Top tips for exam success
With examinations starting in a few weeks, News Weekly publishes some useful advice to help students achieve their best in the examinations.
First: Drink plenty of water. Keeping your body hydrated helps you to concentrate properly.
You can take a plastic bottle of water into an examination but the official rules state that the label must be removed.
Secondly: Success in exams can depend on what you eat. Nutritionists advise that you avoid sugary foods and derive your energy from foods like wholemeal bread, muesli, rice, beans and pasta. These foods keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel and so help you concentrate. Eating little and often can also help your performance. Dietary experts recommend that a protein food should be part of breakfast — eggs, cheese or ham, together with some fruit.
The biggest threat to your performance in exams comes from sugary foods and fizzy drinks. They deliver a sudden rush of energy rapidly followed by a dramatic drop in your blood sugar level with the result that you feel tired, listless and your concentration wavers. Finally, try to relax completely for an hour before bed during revision and on the eve of exams.

Cut-price books for students
Bargain-priced books are on offer to students in Years 7,8 and 9 through the Scholastic Book Club.
Leaflets showing the numerous books available have been given to students by their form tutors. The leaflets have an order form on the back page.
Students have to make their choice and return their orders to the school’s Learning Resource Manager Pam Norris by Thursday, May 12.
The school also benefits as it receives free books to the value of 20p for every £1 spent by students — so everyone wins.

How to get your external exam results
GCSE results will be handed out individually to students at the school on Thursday, August 25 between 11am and 1pm.
AS and A2 results will be given out on Thursday, August 18 between the same hours.
You must only collect your own results — no student is allowed to collect another’s results.
If you don’t want to pick up your results in person, they can be posted to you as long as you leave a self-addressed stamped envelope at the school office in the coming weeks. Posted exam results should arrive the day after the results are given out at school.

Invoices for music tuition
Please pay invoices for individual music tuition by Monday, May 16.
In exceptional circumstances, parents must make a prior arrangements with Arts Administrator, Mrs Tina Hassan if they cannot pay by May 16. You can contact her by e-mail at tha@hws.haringey.sch.uk or her direct line: 8342-7973.
It is imperative for the school that invoices are paid promptly this term.

Dates for your diary
May 24: School ends at 1.10pm (Inset)
May 30/June 3: Half term
June 6: New timetable starts
June 17: Year 11 Celebration Evening

Important notice: External exams start today: please move quietly around the school

News Weekly 853

2011-04-28T12:28:00.005Z

Keep to the school’s uniform code
Dress smartly and keep to the school’s dress code — that’s the message to students for this term.
Teachers will be checking students every day to see that they are dressed correctly.
The school has a code which states blazers should be worn at all times, except during lessons, ties should be knotted neatly with five stripes visible and shoes must be black and leather, or look like leather. Girls should wear black pleated or plain skirts that fall to the knee or black trousers.
Certain clothing and shoes are forbidden, including plimsolls, trainers (except for PE), boots and hooded tops.
Headteacher Patrick Cozier said: “Students should take pride in their appearance and abide by our uniform code. Some girls are wearing inappropriately short or tight-fitting skirts and some boys think that black jeans or chinos are acceptable. They aren’t — if in doubt see the full dress code on the school’s website.
“We do try to avoid sending students home for not wearing our uniform properly as we don’t think that this is always the best solution. However, we need parents’ help to ensure their children wear our uniform properly. Persistent transgression of the dress code will mean that there is a distinct probability that a student will be sent home to change, unless there is a note in their journal giving a reasonable explanation for the failure to comply and a short timescale for resolution of the issue.”
Assistant headteacher Adrian Hartley will be checking to see that the uniform code is followed. He said: “Blazers and ties must be worn in accordance with our uniform policy. If the weather becomes so hot, Mr Cozier, will use the website and News Weekly to inform students and parents when he feels blazers are not required. The only jumpers that can be worn are the official school jumper, any non-uniform jumpers, cardigans or hoodies will be confiscated by staff. I expect students to wear their uniforms in a way that portrays a positive image of the school inside and outside of its gates. Thank you for your help.”

Year 8 parents advised to book now
A new appointment system will be introduced at the Year 8 parents’ evening on May 5.
Students must book five-minute appointments with their teachers prior to the event and parents then use this schedule on the evening.
Pressure from parents has led to the change in arrangements and the introduction of an appointment system to alleviate queues.
Year 8s were given a letter to take home before Easter which set out the change and this week students have been given an appointment sheet.
Students are expected to make appointments with their subject teachers.
In the letter to parents, Head of Learning Kevin Brokenshire said: “Students will be required to arrange appropriate appointments times with their teachers. Appointments with staff will be agreed on a ‘first come/first served’ basis. Staff will keep a record of all appointments they have made.”
Mr Brokenshire added that if a teacher becomes fully booked, parents will be able to make arrangements for teachers to contact them by email or telephone at a mutually convenient time.
He added: “We are piloting the appointment system in response to requests from parents and we are optimistic the system will enable everyone’s time to be used efficiently. Meetings will take place in the hall, canteen and rooms in the Adams building. I look forward to meeting as many parents as possible on Thursday, May 5 between 4.30pm and 7.30pm but if you cannot attend, please contact the school.”

Personal exam info for Year 10 and 11
Students in Years 10 and 11, who are sitting external exams in just a few weeks’ time, have been given a personalised examination timetable.
The timetable tells them when they have an examination, what subject paper is set and the place where they will be sitting their exam. Students are reminded to check the seating plan before each examination.
In addition, students have been given an information booklet about exam rules and regulations. The booklet reinforces the important condition that mobile phones and other electronic devices like iPods are not allowed in any examination room.

Young musician makes the grade
Congratulations to Emily Kitchen of Year 9 who recently passed the Trinity School of Music exam at grade 5 for the saxophone.

Quiz night swells trip coffers
Organisers of the quiz night held earlier this month for the trip to South Africa want to thank everyone involved.
The quiz night raised hundreds of pounds for the planned volunteering trip to a South African township during the summer holiday.
Teacher Sam Birnie who is helping the students going on the volunteering trip said: “A big thank-you from Team South Africa 2011 to all parents, staff and students who came along to the quiz night at the end of last term.
“Our particular thanks go to parents who donated presents and raffle prizes, as well as organising food platters and the raffle. We are also grateful to the PSA for running a bar and to the very talented students who gave up their time to perform at the event. A great night was had by all and, more importantly, more than £900 was raised towards funding our Year 12’s trip to South Africa in the summer.”

School swimming gala ends in a tie
The school’s swimming gala at the end of last term was a neck-and-neck affair.
The gala ended in a tie between the Yellows and the Greens. Both teams finished with 270 points, the Blues amassed 262.
Head of PE Sol Ibrahim said: “It was the first tie since 1974 and an amazing event with some 250 students involved, including time-keepers, scorers and event organisers as well as the competitors themselves. New school records were set by Brendan Comyn, Max Singleton, Matthew Brown, Sushila Ghose-Coveney and Elysia Sun. Well done!”

Dates for your diary
May 24: School ends at 1.10pm (Inset)
May 30: Half term week starts
June 6: New timetable starts
June 17: Year 11 Celebration Evening

Important notice: Year 8 Parents’ Evening on May 5, 4.30 - 7.30pm. Students should book appointments beforehand

EASTER REVISION TIMETABLE

2011-04-08T14:39:00.002Z

Easter Revision Sessions: All Sessions start at 10 am.
Date	Subject	Teacher
Saturday 9^th April	French (9am start)	ACL
Monday 11^th April	ECS ICT Drama	MLE/JBU BOD/ARI JKS
Tuesday 12^th April	History ICT	JKI/OGE/FGU/KHA BOD/ARI
Wednesday 13^th April	Drama Media Studies Sociology	LBR ADK NRO
Thursday 14^th April	Art Music Drama H&SC	MMS/NMA KDO/EHA KST NRO
Friday 15^th April	Food & Textiles English Lang (C/D) English Lang (C/D)	CAL/RRO WWA CBA
Tuesday 19^th April	English Lit (Higher) English Lang (C/D)	LEM CBA
Wednesday 20^th April	English Lit (Higher)	LPI
Thursday 21^st April	English Lang (Higher)	SPA

News Weekly 852

2011-04-08T09:28:00.008Z

Headteacher looks ahead to new term
Patrick Cozier writes:
Uniform Expectations
As we move into the summer term, it is time to reiterate that Highgate Wood is a uniform school which takes pride in the appearance of its students.
The extent to which students are wearing their uniforms appropriately has noticeably slipped in recent weeks, so we will be launching another drive to get back to the high standards that we have previously seen. Please note my comments.
Students should arrive at school dressed according to the school’s uniform code which can be found on the school’s website in its entirety, along with some specific information about acceptable trousers and skirts. For your convenience I include some of the key points:
All
Only plain black shoes may be worn – Kickers are welcome BUT not trainers,Converse,keds,Uggboots or canvas
The school jumper is the only jumper that can be worn – no alternative jumpers, hoodies or cardigans
Tailored trousers – not jeans (not even black jeans), skinny jeans, drain piped trousers
Note: If worn, Hoodies or cardigans will be confiscated to be returned at the end of the day
Girls
Skirts can be plain or pleated, but should be standard school uniform skirts - definitely not the Lycra content fitted skirts that some girls have worn to school and no leggings.
We do try to avoid sending students home for not wearing full uniform, as we don’t think that this is always the best solution. However, we need parents’ support in keeping uniform as a 'non-issue' by ensuring that their sons or daughters are compliant. Persistent failure to wear uniform properly means a strong likelihood of being sent home to change unless the student has a note in their journal giving a reasonable explanation and a short timescale for resolving any issue.
New Timetable starts on June 6
The new timetable will be in operation from June 6 — the first day back after half term in the summer. The biggest impact of this change will be that each year group will begin its curriculum for next year half a term earlier.
The main rationale for this change is to benefit our Year 9 students by enabling them to start their GCSEs, and other Key Stage 4 courses, half a term early, affording them a greater opportunity to succeed.
The implication for the other year groups is that their current teachers may change at that time. However, as the timetable that we start in June will remain in place until June 2012 (and from June to June each successive year after that), it means that there will not be any further change of teachers this coming September.
Year 11 and Post 16 Students: Preparation for Exams
Year 11 and Post 16 students are now entering the final stage of preparation leading to their exams. There will be a range of exam preparation sessions available over the Easter Holidays. Students are encouraged to make full use of these and to follow the guidance they have been given by teachers in terms of revision and preparation. We are confident that they will all do fantastically well – but they have to put in the hard work to make sure.
Leaving Staff Members
Sadly, we will be saying goodbye to three members of staff at the end of this term. Emma Gray has been with us since May 2010 as a long term supply teacher and has worked well in the science department. Sally-Anne Simmons has worked in the school (although not employed by the school) since May 2009 as our Connexions Personal Adviser. During that time she has worked tirelessly to ensure that our students are given the best possible advice when making decisions about curricular pathways and career choices. Unfortunately due to the cuts across the local authority’s services, Sally-Anne’s role will not continue. David Vigay joined us in November 2007 in the newly created post of Arts Technician. He has been magnificent, created a real niche for this new role and has been invaluable to the Arts departments and our whole school productions. I am sure that you will join me in thanking them all for their contribution to HWS and wishing them all the best for the future.
Successful Students
As always, our students continue to be our best ambassadors and I am particularly pleased with the way in which they continue to give 100% to ensure the school continues to be the a place where students thrive and succeed. During the course of this term a number of students have been sent to me to celebrate their fantastic achievements in lessons.
Among them are:
Joshua Jordan-Rose 9S An excellent act of honesty and citizenship
Ellen Boardman 8A Geography
Giorgia Chianello-Bent 8A Geography
Adam Alon 10D ECS
Cassie Robinson 10D ECS
Adam Khan 10I ECS
Ivanov Saarinen-Boeck 10D ECS
Niall Kennedy 10I ECS
Jonathan Kasai 10I ECS
Max Aref-Adib 7D Art & ECS
Florence Penfold 7D ECS
Aimeeliah Knight 7D ECS
Robyn Cowie 7D ECS
Damian Walters 7D ECS
Barney Terrington 7D ECS
Maddy Strawson 7D ECS
Rory Hammett 7D ECS
Eli Ainapore 7D ECS
Tiffany Vaughan 7D ECS
Patrick Hegarty-Morrish 7A French
Congratulations to those students. I hope to see many more during the summer term.
I would like to thank you all again for your valued and continued support. I wish you and your families a pleasant Easter break.
Remember, we return on Tuesday, April 26 at the normal school time of 8.35am.”
Patrick Cozier

Achievement awards for students
A group of Highgate Wood students who’ve made their mark at the school were presented with special awards this week. Their contribution to a range of activities at the school were officially recognised by the Jack Petchey Foundation during a ceremony at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham on Tuesday evening.

Mayor Eddie Griffiths, seated front, with our Young Achievers
The students joined others from Haringey schools who had been put forward for their contributions to school life. Assistant Headteacher Claire Allaway, who accompanied the students to the event with Lead Learning Mentor Leon Mitchell, said: “The event acknowledged the achievements of young people from the borough of Haringey who were nominated for the award by their schools. It was an uplifting event with some wonderful entertainment from students, including our own Ruth and Natasha Collett who performed their own songs to rapturous applause.”

Grow more for MADfest
Organisers of the school’s summer festival of music, art and dance — MADfest — are looking for contributions from some green-fingered parents. They plan to have a stall selling plants to raise funds. Jenny Collins of the PSA said: “If any of you are planting seeds around now, please put in a few extra for us to sell at MADfest on Saturday, July 9. Tomatoes, chillies and peppers were very popular last year, but it would be good to have some later flowering annuals too, like cosmos or zinnias.”

Taking drama to primary schools
The Year 8 drama club toured local schools this week with its own show. Pupils at Campsbourne, Weston Park and Rokesley primary schools were impressed and entertained by performances of ghost stories and mysteries put on by the group. The 33-strong group devised the show themselves under the guidance of drama teacher, Kalli Stables.

The Year 8 drama group on the tour with Ms Stables, top right
Ms Stables said: “Our students managed to create a ghostly atmosphere in every school they performed in. Luke Storey and Matthew Mulcahy were brilliant presenters and made the audiences laugh with their jokes. Six stories made up the show, with each story more scarier than the last. Over the year the Year 8s had great fun putting the show together and they worked hard to produce high quality material and performances.”

Advice centres open over holidays
The young persons’ advice and guidance service, Connexions, will be open to students during the Easter break. Connexions adviser Sally-Anne Simmons will be in school from Tuesday, April 12 to Thursday, April 14 from 10 am until 2pm in her office in the Learning Resource Centre. She will also be at the school on Tuesday, April 19 at the same times, and at the Connexions Drop-In Centre at Wood Green Library on Monday, April 11 from 1pm until 4pm. Sally-Anne will provide advice and information on educational and personal matters in strict confidence.

Success on the football pitch
The Year 10 boys’ football team are league champions of Haringey and made it through to the finals of the cup competition. The Year 7 boys’ team were runners-up in their league and semi-finalists in their cup competition. PE staff say their successes reflect their skills and application.

Dates for your diary
April 26: Term begins at 8.35am
April 26: Year 9 exams start
May 3: School re-convenes after bank holidays
May 5: Year 8 Parents’ Evening
May 6: External examinations start
Important notices: Term starts on Tuesday, April 26 at 8.35am. Revision help for Spanish GCSE coursework now posted on school’s website on the MLE tab.

News Weekly 851

2011-04-01T14:26:00.004Z

A plan for action in the community
Headteacher Patrick Cozier, members of staff and students joined forces with other groups on Wednesday for the launch of North London Citizens at the Friends House near Euston station. North London Citizens is a voluntary community action group composed of representatives from schools, universities, churches, mosques and synagogues.
It is part of the broader groups, London Citizens and Citizens UK. Explaining its ethic, North London Citizens said: “We are an alliance of 180 schools, faith communities and other local associations. We work with schools around the themes of active citizenship, student leadership, community and parental involvement. Our campaigns have seen young people taking leadership roles in initiatives such as the Living Wage, Safer Streets and Affordable Housing.”
Highgate Wood School is one of the founder members of North London Citizens. Headteacher Patrick Cozier said: “I am very proud that we have decided to be one of the founder members of the North London Citizens. The inaugural event was a fantastic occasion, really inspirational.
We are committed to playing our part in making London a better and safer community for the future. At the launch the students really enjoyed the celebration and have come away feeling ready to play their part in the community.”

Year 10s show their skills for the job

On work experience at the Chocolate Factory in Wood Green

Work was a great experience for the vast majority of Year 10s last week. They spent five days as employees with many local businesses and organisations. During the week, members of staff visited the employers to check on progress.
Assistant Headteacher Lindsay Pinnick, who is the school’s Work-related Learning Co-ordinator, said: “We were very pleased with the mature way in which students approached their work experience. Employers praised their punctuality, attitude and the good communication skills. Many employers said they wished that all thework-experience students were of the same high calibre as ours and several students have been offered holiday or Saturday jobs as a result of their excellent efforts."

Online help so students can aim high
The school has signed up to a website that helps students connect their personal interests with subjects and courses. The site is targeted at Year 10 and Year 11 students and post-16 students in Year 12. Higher Ideas offers advice online. It can be accessed by students through a link on the school’s internal intranet. The school has bought a licence for the site until December 2011.
Sally-Anne Simmons, Connexions adviser for the school, said: “Higher Ideas is web-based and designed to inspire students by showing them how opportunities in higher education can relate to their interests, school subjects and ideas about future careers. It helps them see what they can do and plan how to get there. I would like every student in Years 10, 11 and 12 to use the resource to plan for their future.”

Exams marking end of KS3
The start of the summer term marks an important stage in Year 9’s school career. All students in the year group will sit exams in English, mathematics and science in the first two weeks of the summer term as they approach the end of their Key Stage 3 teaching.
Students will sit science on Tuesday, April 26 and mathematics on Wednesday, April 27. They then sit English on Wednesday, May 4 after the four-day bank holiday break. The exams will be held in the hall and the gym under the rules and regulations of external examinations so that students can become accustomed to the way exams operate. In a letter to parents, Deputy Headteacher Katerina Christodoulou said that the results of the tests will be included in student reports sent out to homes in the coming weeks. The results will also be used to help staff decide the ‘sets’ for students when they start their GCSE courses later in the term.
Ms Christodoulou said: “These tests will be run in accordance with regulations for external public examinations to ensure students begin to understand the requirements. Students are expected to bring the appropriate equipment in a transparent pencil case — black ink pens, pencils, eraser, ruler and calculator. Under no circumstances will mobile phones be allowed in examination rooms.”
All students are expected to arrive punctually at school for the usual 8.35am start and return, if appropriate, to their lessons afterwards.

Year 9 examination timetable
April 26 Science paper 1 12.10pm
April 26 Science paper 2 2.10pm
April 27 Maths paper 1 9.35am
April 27 Maths paper 2 11.10am
May 4 English/Reading 11.10am
May 4 English/Writing 2.10pm
The examinations for science and mathematics are one hour while the English/Reading exam is an hour and 15 minutes, and the English/Writing exam is 45 minutes. Individual timetables will be handed out next week by form tutors.

Wear a wristband, instead of uniform!
Students on the School Council have persuaded Headteacher Patrick Cozier to allow students not to wear uniform for one day next week as long as they wear a special wristband and donate £1 to charity.
Form representatives of the School Council will be selling wristbands on Wednesday next week. Only by wearing the wristband will students be excused from wearing uniform on Thursday. Citizenship teacher Sam Birnie said: “Thursday, April 7 is No Uniform Day. Form reps will be collecting £1 from every student and they will be issued with a wristband. All money raised by Years 7,8,9,10 will go to the Hillcrest Aids charity in South Africa. Money raised by Year 11s will go towards their Yearbook.”
Students who do not wear uniform are expected to abide by the school’s general dress code and dress appropriately for the classroom.

Getting in on the act

Year 12 students performing Vinegar Joe in their exam

Students taking the AS Theatre Studies course put their acting skills to the test this week. On Monday and Tuesday evenings, the students had to do their ‘acting’ part of the examination for the course. Head of Drama Graham Contor said: “The students performed to a very high standard on both nights and the school has every reason to believe this class of students will receive good to outstanding grades.”

Dates for your diary

April 8: Term ends, school out at 12.25pm

April 26: Summer term starts at 8.35am

April 29: Bank Holiday

May 2: Bank Holiday

May 5: Year 8 Parents’ Evening 4.30pm-7.30pm

May 6: Start of external exams

Important notices: Vote for parent governor closes on Thursday, April 7. Voting forms available from Headteacher’s PA, Kiymet Ozturk. School finishes at 12.25pm on Friday,April 8.

News Weekly 850

2011-03-25T13:12:00.005Z

Outward bound in pursuit of skills
A week-long stay in the wilds of the Welsh countryside took a group of Year 7 students out of their normal comfort zones.
With two members of staff in tow, a mix of 20 boys and girls from Year 7 faced an array of challenges including orienteering, pot-holing, canoeing, climbing and zip-wires last week.
The group visited Haringey Council’s outdoor pursuits centre, Pendarren, near Crickhowell.
The centre has qualified staff to guide students, and their adult supervisors, through the outdoor activities.

Leaving no stone un-turned during their stay in Wales

Relief at the end of a long climb up the mountain

Mr Green and Mrs Breed assessed the students as they participated in the tasks and were pleased that they achieved many personal goals.
Mrs Breed said: “The students showed a determination to succeed and a desire to extend their personal boundaries. They set themselves seemingly difficult personal targets but exceeded them by overcoming some psychological barriers and understandable anxieties. We tracked some impressive individual progress and are now expecting all the students to transfer their new-found skills to the classroom. What an exciting prospect that will be!”
During the week, the weather was spring-like and dry which meant the students went for a night-time walk in the country roped together for safety. Three students on the trip, Ruby Webb, Maria Shand and Oakley Koumbas — speaking for the whole group — said: “Our visit was great fun. We did activities that we cannot do in London and we achieved a lot — we even liked jumping off the high platform in the ‘leap of faith’.”

Model students build castles
Year 7s showed they had the skills to overcome a monumental task during their History lessons in the last few weeks.
As part of their studies of the significance and importance of castles to conquest, defence and political control, the students were encouraged to build models of castles and enter a competition for the year group. The models had to conform to the materials and designs prevalent during the medieval period in Europe.
The winner was Alessandra Dakovic of 7H. The runners-up were: Elliott Edwards, 7I; Bradley Harron, 7E; Gorkem Konakli, 7S and Natalya De La Motte,7S.
At the Year 7 assembly today, Friday, the winner and runners-up were given certificates and Alessandra was also given a HMV voucher. Headteacher, Patrick Cozier, will personally congratulate the students next week.

Alessandra’s prize-winning model looks impregnable

Help with revision for Year 11
In a matter of a few short weeks, this summer’s GCSE exams will begin in earnest, and to help Year 11s prepare for exams the school is putting on special revision sessions.
A list of revision sessions for a range of subjects is shown below:
Date Subject
Saturday April 9: French
Monday April 11: ECS, ICT, Drama
Tuesday April 12: History, ICT
Wednesday April 13: Drama, Media Studies
Thursday April 14: Art, Music, Drama
Friday April 15: Food Technology, Textiles, English Language
Tuesday April 19: English Language and English Literature
Students should check with subject teachers for the exact timings and rooms but as a rule of thumb, the sessions will be four hours from 10am – 2pm and located in teachers usual teaching rooms. (A PDF of the full document handed to students is posted on the website.)
The sessions are designed to help and reinforce students’ personal revision for exams.
Students’ have been given an information sheet with details of the tutors involved for the revision courses shown above. The revision programme has been put together by Deputy Headteacher Paul Guenault who said: “Revision sessions for some subjects will take place during May and the break in the summer term as the GCSE exams are scheduled for dates in June.”
Praise for Year 11 during mocks
Head of Learning for Year 11, Stewart Brown, wants to congratulate and thank Year 11 for their efforts and behaviour during this week’s mock GCSE exams.
He said: “The students applied themselves well and showed great dedication and concentration. As well as identifying intellectual strengths and areas where extra effort should be targeted during revision, the mocks serve as are an excellent trial run and help students familiarise themselves with exam conditions and rules. Don’t forget: No mobile phones in exams!”

School welcomes Italian visitors
The school acted as host to a group of Italian students and their teachers last week, arranged through the European Union’s Comenius Project.
Building international links and learning at first hand about other countries is part of an on-going initiative at the school.
Sixth form media studies students and Assistant Headteacher Lindsay Pinnick reciprocated the hospitality of their Italian guests, having visited the IPSS Alfonso Motolese School in Martina Franca, Italy earlier this year.
Ms Pinnick said: “The students worked on a project related to cultural diversity, which also involved Mr Ekstrom and Mr Harlow from the Music Department, and resulted in a modern mix of Italian and British popular music. Later the students created a design for a CD cover that also reflected cultural diversity. These activities enabled the visiting students to work in collaboration with our post-16 students in a creative way. All of them, I believe, learned more about diversity. Our visitors were helped with any language difficulties by some of our Italian-speaking students from across the school and I want to thank Flaminia and Elena Baldwin, Ben Del Soldato Phillips and Sonia Martinelli for their excellent translation services.”
During the stay, the Italian visitors tasted the school’s special St Patrick’s Day fare at the canteen and were taken to the theatre by Ms Pinnick, Ms Christodoulou and some of the sixth formers to see Thriller Live in central London.

Quiz night for South Africa
Quiz-loving contestants can still join teams to take part in the special quiz on April 1 to raise money for the sixth form volunteering trip to South Africa.
Doors will open at 6.30pm for food and drink — the quiz starts at 7pm. Tickets will be sold at the door.

Dates for your diary
April 8: Spring term ends
April 26: Summer term starts at 8.35am
April 29: Bank Holiday
May 2: Bank Holiday
May 5: Year 8 Parents’ Evening 4.30pm-7.30pm

Important notice: Two parents have put their names forward for the school governor vacancy. Ballot papers will be sent home with students and posted online next week. Vote by April 7.

News Weekly 849

2011-03-18T11:40:00.005Z

Fine words at conference for students
The school hosted the North London Model United Nations for students last Saturday.
The event, which simulates the operations of the real United Nations, gives students an opportunity to learn a wide portfolio of skills.
At this year’s north London conference, the student delegates discussed the situation of women in societies around the world under the title of ‘Women — Half the World’.
Highgate Wood entered a strong team for the event including some ‘veterans’ from previous conferences which this year involved students acting out the role of ambassadors to the United Nations.
Head of Citizenship Niall O’Connor, who has led the school’s involvement in the initiative from the beginning four years ago, said: “Students took on the role of UN ambassadors for the day, representing the views of their country in debate. The entire event was run by Highgate Wood students in eight different committees including UNICEF, the World Health Organisation and the Security Council.”

Guest speakers prepare to open the conference

Natasha Collett of Year 11 took on the mantle of the United Nation’s Secretary General and delivered an inspirational speech to delegates.
Natasha commented: “The day was both inspiring and extremely productive. The delegates took on the role of the UN body, discussing and debating the extremely complex and severe issues that women and girls face across the globe. They approached the topic with both maturity and sensitivity and in the end came out with some great resolutions. Behind the scenes, the conference’s secretariat worked hard, guiding delegates through both the issues and the process of debate. The discussions were of a very high standard and I am confident that all the students involved left inspired by the conference and more knowledgeable about an issue of importance for all of humanity.”

‘Chair’ and ‘director’ of World Health Organisation make plans

Commenting on the input from Highgate Wood students, Mr O’Connor said: “Every one of our students, and there were more than 60 of them from Years 9 to 11, took responsibility for making the day a fantastic experience for our guests. Our school community should be proud of them.”
In total, 15 schools from north London were represented at the event sending more than 200 participants.
A number of external speakers were also involved, including Mairi MacRae from Womankind who spoke about its work with women’s organisations in Ghana and Afghanistan. For the first time this year, undergraduates from London University acted as committee directors to guide the debates.
Councillor Lorna Keith from Haringey Council closed the event and expressed heartfelt admiration for all the students involved in the event.
The text of Natasha's speech can be read at the foot of this week's News Weekly.

School finishes early on March 22
Parents and students are reminded that school ends after period 4, at 1.10pm, on Tuesday, March 22.
Snacks and light meals will be available in the dining hall but students must leave the school site before the usual start of period 5.
Teachers will attend a training session from 2.10pm until 4.30pm on safeguarding young people, including a talk from an external speaker.

Field trip to Devon’s coast
A group of Year 12 Geography students spent four days at the Slapton Field Studies Centre in south Devon as part of their AS Geography course.
During the trip the students had to complete a series of surveys on the local geography and economic activities of the area.
They completed work on the ‘crowded coasts’ topic of their course at various locations along Start Bay, the seaside town of Torquay and the villages inland which are more agriculturally based. Geography teacher Ms Gunes said: “The students completed fieldwork which involved collecting primary data followed by analysis on the topic of marketing. For this, they focused on urban re-branding in Plymouth and rural re-branding at the inland locations of Stokeley Farm and Dartington. In addition the students prepared for a forthcoming exam. I think they enjoyed the trip, but the weather could have been kinder.”

The students had to assess actions to preserve the coast

Reminder to Year 11 on mock exams
Year 11s have mock GCSE exams next week. They are reminded to check the time and room for each exam and to arrive 15 minutes before the start-time. All morning exams begin at 8.35am, mid-morning exams start at 11.10am, after break and afternoon exams start at 2.10pm.
Other students are asked to move between rooms quietly so as not to disturb exams.

Work Experience: Good luck Year 10s
Work Experience Co-ordinator Karen Kent wishes Year 10s good luck at their work placements next week.
She said: “I hope students enjoy the placements and learn some useful tips about working with other people and gain information about possible careers. I urge every student to ensure they get to work punctually by allowing plenty of time for the journey to work. If they are detained because of traffic congestion they must do all they can to let their employer know. Students should make a note of the telephone numbers of the business and the school and keep the numbers with them throughout the week. They should also take the Work Experience logbooks and the Health and Safety handbook to their placement every day and complete them by the end of the week. Please respect the rules of the workplace and follow instructions carefully.”
Assistant Headteacher Lindsay Pinnick, who is the school’s Work-related Learning Co-ordinator, said: “Teachers will be visiting the majority of placements during the week to assess the placement and speak to students and employers. Students should only contact the school in exceptional circumstances during their work placement.”

Seeing how wood can be put to good use
Year 10 students taking the Design and Technology GCSE course used a visit to a recent exhibition at Alexandra Palace to help them with their studies. The students have to design and make a useful product for the assessment of their course in which they are expected to use a range of practical skills. The Woodworking Show at the Palace gave them ideas as well as showing them some of the carpentry and wood-working techniques they could use. Before they start their project work, the students have to conduct some research into the possible market for their ideas. Design and Technology teacher Mark Lockwood said: “The trip helped the students focus and think about the balance between form and function inherent in good product design.”

Quiz night for South Africa
Places are still available for teams to take part at the special quiz to raise money for the sixth form volunteering trip to South Africa.
The quiz is planned for Friday, April 1. Tickets cost £3 for adults, £1.50 for students. Doors will open at 6.30pm for food and drink and the quiz starts at 7pm.

Dates for your diary
March 24: PSA meeting, 7.30pm
April 8: Spring term ends
April 26: Summer term starts (Week Two)
May 5: Year 8 Parents’ Evening 4.30pm-7.30pm

Important notices: A vacancy exists for a parent governor. Deadline for nominations is March 22. If you’re interested contact the Headteacher’s PA. All parents are welcome at the PSA meeting on March 24 at 7.30pm.

News Weekly reproduces Natasha Collett's speech at the north London Model United Nations conference on March 12 2011:

Conference Delegates, Chairs and Distinguished Guests,
As your secretary general, it is an honour to welcome you to the third North London Model United Nations Conference and I take great pleasure in informing you that it is our largest conference yet, with over two hundred delegates from fifteen schools.

We are here today representing a global community, to tackle the important and complex issues that women and girls face worldwide. Today we take on the role of the UN body, the people who have the power to make decisions that can change and influence women’s lives everywhere.

You as delegates will become the next generation of great leaders, inspiring thinkers and influential decision makers. I hope that this conference gives you an insight into the process of research, analysis and debate that will hopefully lead to positive and powerful decision making.

As well as acquiring these skills, I hope that your MUN experience gives you the confidence and inspires the passion for you to express your ideas not only within the structured format of a conference but in all areas of your lives.

Today we are here to discuss and debate the extremely severe and serious issues that women and girls face across the globe. Despite the UN’s previous efforts, gender inequalities remain deeply entrenched in every society. Women lack access to decent work and face occupational segregation; they are too often denied access to basic education and health care, they are under represented in politics (making up only 18% of parliamentarians worldwide) and violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread violations of human rights and it remains shockingly common, affecting all countries yet it is one of the invisible and under-recognised pandemics of our time. Women need strong laws, backed by implementation and services for protection and prevention and they need it now.

Just days ago we marked the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. A day where we honour our mothers, our sisters, our wives and our daughters, a day where we recognise the hidden truths about the world we live in but also a day where we celebrate the progress that women have made since IWD began in 1908. Because in 2011 we do have female prime ministers and world leaders, astronauts, doctors and teachers, school girls are welcomed into universities, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. However, in reality, that is only half of the story.

Today we focus on the things that we don’t see on the news or read in the papers, the facts: On average 36 women in the Democratic Republic of Congo are raped every day, worldwide more than 60 million girls have been forced into early marriage, of the 780 million people who can’t read across the globe, 510 million are female, African women and children spend 40 billion hours fetching water every year and in the UK alone, two women are killed every week by a former or current husband or partner.

It’s these facts and statistics that are hidden away so we don’t have to live with the guilt and horror of knowing that our lives: going to school, choosing to marry those whom we love and having children and selecting a career when we are ready- for others, simply does not exist. The subjects and cases that you’ve come across whist researching for this conference may have been disturbing, probably unknown to you until then and most certainly shocking. Hearing terms such as Female Genital Mutilation, honour killings and forced marriage has given you an insight into a scary and horrible world BUT it’s not a different world, it’s our world. It was the same for our parents and our grandparents, wherever we are from, whatever our race- it’s our world. So now it’s our outstanding obligation as the Model United Nations to inspire this generation so our daughters and our granddaughters and our great granddaughters aren’t face with the damaging problems that women and girls today all over the world are.

On the subject of International Women’s Day, Michele Bachelet (Under secretary general and executive director of UN women) said the following: “The strength, industry and wisdom of women remain humanity’s greatest untapped resource. We simply cannot wait another 100 years to unlock this potential”

She’s right delegates. For the United Nations and the Model United Nations this means we cannot wait another hundred years to ensure women are granted access to decent education and health care, we cannot wait another hundred years to give women the political representation they need and delegates, we can not wait another hundred years to guarantee women’s equality and empowerment everywhere. Individually, we cannot change the world. But as a collective, as a global community, as the Model United Nations and more importantly as a new generation with commitment, determination and passion - delegates, we most certainly can.

Thank you.

News Weekly 848

2011-03-11T11:23:00.003Z

Track and field coaching for Year 7s
Every tutor group in Year 7 went through their paces in the rigour and discipline of track and field sporting activities last Friday as part of their ‘enrichment’ programme.
The students were taken to the White Hart Lane Community Sports Centre for their day of sports.
The Year 7s were schooled in sporting techniques by the school’s Student Sports Leaders from Year 10 and Year 12, aided by the school’s PE teachers.
The sports leaders instructed Year 7s in the techniques of particular field events, for example discus, shot putt and the high jump as well as the athletic disciplines of sprinting, hurdling and middle-distance running.

Togetherness in training for Year 7

Later in the day, Year 7s showed what they had learned with a competition between each tutor group in each sport.
Head of PE Sol Ibrahim was impressed by the sports leaders’ application and commitment. They were: Ijes Marshall Jouavel, Georgia Taylor, Stephanie Saunders, Kevin Kwarteng, Tadhg Gilbert Dillon, Lizzy Bowers, Eleanor Franks, Caitlin Bowen, Liam Baker, Jack Stevens, Max Walker, Ivanov Saarinen-Boeck, Jade O’Brien, Ellie and Kathleen Jackson, Suraj Deb and Josh Gamble from Year 10 and James Collins, Iliya Ioannides and Abdi Siad from Year 12.
Mr Ibrahim said: “Team captains were elected by each tutor group and their role was to make sure all students were involved in at least one activity — a first step into sports leadership. Congratulations to 7T — the overall champions.”

Book day event thrills students
A special World Book Day celebration at the school last week put so many words in the mouths of students that the two visiting authors were delighted with the outcome.
Authors Keren David and S.C.Ransom talked to the students about their work and in turn were asked searching questions by the invited group of students.

Author S.C. Ransom with some of our book-loving students

Librarian Pam Norris said: “Both authors explained how they gather ideas for novels and described the difficulties of tying plot lines together to bring a novel to a close with a satisfactory ending. The students responded with searching questions. One asked how did they put themselves into the mind of a teenager, particularly as women writing from a boy's point of view. Other questions dealt with the difficulty of revealing an author’s emotions when writing and dealing with writers' block.

Keren David (pictured above) commented that she was impressed by the sharpness and intelligence of the questions.”
At the end of the meet-the–authors session, Keren David and S.C. Ransom were presented with bouquets by Rosa Elson of 7H and Yasmin Escayg-Lee of 10A.

Show makes the Head think he’s in the USA
Headteacher Patrick Cozier thought he’d had a dream and moved to America during a performance of the school’s musical show last week.
As he listened to the actors performing the Little Shop of Horrors he was so convinced by their accents that he thought he had been transported from north London to New York.
He said: “The whole cast never waivered and sustained American accents all the way through the production. All the students in the show were magnificent and Year 11’s Serafina Taylor was brilliant in the lead role of Audrey. I thank the staff and students in Art, Drama, Music and Design and Technology for their effort, hard work, collaboration and dedication which resulted in such a magnificent show — it represented the heart and soul of Highgate Wood School.”

The homemade puppet of the show’s bloodthirsty plant

No fooling — quiz is for a good cause
Families and friends are invited to a special quiz night on April Fools’ Day to help a good cause.
The quiz is a money-raising initiative for this summer’s volunteering trip by sixth-formers to a South African township.
The event is being organised by the school’s South Africa team of 2011 and the PSA.
The organising committee said: “Join us for a night of fun, general knowledge, food, drinks and music. Tickets cost £3 for adults, £1.50 for students, and will be sold at the door. Contestants will form teams, which can be planned beforehand, with a team having no more than six members. There are fabulous prizes for the winners and wooden spoons for losers. All money goes towards funding our South African trip to work with the Hillcrest Aids charity. Please come along and bring your friends and family.”
Doors will open at 6.30pm for food and drink and the quiz starts at 7pm on April 1.

Year 10s: Prepare for “first jobs”
The world of work beckons for Year 10 on Monday, March 21, most likely at 8am. Beforehand, students should have contacted their prospective employer and arranged a time for an introductory meeting. Any students who have not yet arranged this meeting are reminded to do so immediately.
The school’s work placement organiser Mrs Kent said: “We will be holding a special assembly on Tuesday, March 15, to explain health and safety at the workplace to students and cover any last-minute issues. I would like to remind students to make that call to their employers so that they understand what is expected of them at their job during work experience week. Teachers from the school will be visiting them at their placements during the week and employers will give us feedback. Students are expected to turn up at the arranged start time every day.”

Reminder for Year 11 on mock exams
Mock GCSE exams start on Thursday next week, March 17. A change to the timetable now means some Year 11s have a Sociology exam on Thursday afternoon and a French Listening exam on Friday afternoon, both at 2.10pm.

AS/A2 results bode well for students
Sixth-formers at the school got a boost this week as they were handed external exam results. A group of students had taken exams in January and the results suggest success in the main exams this summer. Head of post 16 Nick Charlesworth said: “Students in Year 13 took a mixture of modular exams for AS courses, where they were re-sitting single units, or for the first unit on their A2 courses. Results were overwhelmingly positive and have given a real boost to students working hard to get the grades needed for university places. Well done to all students as they prepare to complete their A-levels. These results have put them on the right course and shown what can be achieved as they study and revise for exams in the summer.”

Come to PSA meeting
All parents are welcome at the PSA meeting on March 24. The meeting starts at 7.30pm.

Dates for your diary
March 14: Pendarren week for Year 7
March 21: Year 10 Work Experience
April 8: Spring term ends

Important notice: A vacancy exists for a parent governor. Deadline for nominations is March 22. If you’re interested contact the Headteacher’s PA, Kiymet Ozturk.

News Weekly 847

2011-03-04T09:56:00.008Z

Art on show at London landmark
Two groups of Highgate Wood students combined their artistic efforts to produce a special panel as part of a national commemoration for the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington.
The Year 8 students produced their artwork as part of an educational activity called Refrieze to mark the 140th anniversary of the famous venue.
The students’ work is on show at the Royal Albert Hall with art for the project from other schools around the country.

Part of the modern frieze created by Highgate Wood students

The project was led by art teacher Melisah May and local artist Toby Burton who also runs a lunchtime art club at the school.
Mr Burton said: “The students were asked to contribute work as part of contemporary version of the Victorian mosaic frieze that spans the exterior of the Royal Albert Hall. Using mixed media, collage and drawing, memorabilia and ephemera, the students decorated and filled small boxes to create work that explored their personal identity and issues affecting them as teenagers in 2010. These were then photographed by Ms May and a selection of these images, with contributions from other schools, were digitally ‘stitched’ together by contemporary artist Henry Reichhold to create the modern version now on display in the Royal Albert Hall. It was such a pleasure for me to work with the Year 8s, who relished the opportunity to make an autobiographical piece of work. I was so impressed by their imaginative and inspired ideas for decorating and filling their boxes, and I am so pleased that they have ended up playing such a large part in the finished work of art.”

School rocks to Little Shop of Horrors
Packed audiences of families and friends were thrilled and entertained by performances this week of Little Shop of Horrors starring students from Year 8 upwards.
Sets for the show, including a working model of the blood-sucking plant at the heart of the show, were made by students in an after-school club.

The cast captured the spirit of ‘old skool’ American girl groups

Drama teacher, Luke Brown, who led the production team for the show, said: “All the students involved in the production were magnificent. Everyone deserves credit and I would like to thank all the Year 11s, Jaaziel Bogle-Evans, who voiced the plant, Josh Riley of Year 9 who made his major part debut in the production, Dylan Noone who ensured an excellent sound production and the students from Design and Technology and the Art Department for making such a great set.

Two more of the many memorable moments from the show are shown below:

Photographs supplied by Empire Productions

Mock exam timetables available
Students in Years 10 and 11 who will be sitting GCSE exams this summer have been given timetables detailing dates, times and locations for their mock exams.
The exams start on Thursday March 17 and continue until Friday, March 25.
Year 10 will take either Triple or Double Science, followed by their mock ECS exam on the morning of March 17 while mocks for Year 11 begin on Friday, March 18.
All morning exams start at 8.35am, mid-morning exams start at 11.10am and afternoon exams start at 2.10pm. Students are expected to arrive at the examination room 15 minutes before the start of an exam.

Design a book cover and win £10
There’s still time for students to enter the competition being organised by the Modern Foreign Languages Department.
Head of Department, Ms Lacroix, is looking for designs for the covers of exercise books, one in a French style, and another in a Spanish style.
The designs should reflect the culture and traditions of the countries.
Student entries must be created electronically in an easily accessible format and sent, as an attachment, to Ms Lacroix by email — Alacroix1.309@lgflmail.org
The competition closes on March 25. There’s a prize of £10 for the best design in each language category.

Writers share their love of books
Two popular children’s writers visited the school on March 3, World Book Day, to present a special reading and discussion session for a large group of students.
Author Keren David, whose book When I was Joe is listed for this year’s Carnegie Medal for children’s writers, and S.C. Ransom, author of Small Blue Thing, talked about their books and how they approach writing.
Every student in Years 7 to 11 have been given a special £1 book token this week to mark World Book Day. The token can be exchanged at bookshops or through the Scholastic Book Club for one of a special selection of titles or can be used in part payment for any other book.
The school’s Librarian and Learning Resource Centre manager, Mrs Norris, hopes every student will use the token. She said: “Research by educationalists has shown that children who read achieve excellent results academically across the board and not only in English.”

Dress code: winter rules continue
The likelihood of more cold weather has brought about a re-think of the school’s dress code.Students will be allowed to wear boots suited to poor weather conditions for at least the next week. Please remember, the boots must be leather or leather-look and black, and they must have low heels. Uggs are prohibited.

Media careers’ event attracts interest
The fourth Highgate Wood Creative Careers’Evening on February 17 attracted interest from students and parents. Professionals from the media, art, entertainment and journalism held small group discussions with students to tell them about the opportunities available and qualifications required for specific careers. Media studies teacher Audra Daws-Knowles who helped to organise the event said: “My thanks go to the parents and students who attended. We had speakers from a variety of industries, including advertising, marketing, film, television, journalism, design, photography and art. Among the 20 speakers, there were directors, actors, photographers, designers, journalists and editors present to talk about their professions and routes of entry. I think the students and parents who attended found the event informative and helpful.”

Drama students take centre stage
Highgate Wood students feature strongly among the casts of two shows to be staged by Bilimankhwe Arts at Jacksons Lane Theatre in Highgate on Wednesday and Thursday, March 9 and 10. The Bili Juniors group will perform Scary Play by Judith Johnson at 7pm while the Bilimankhwe Young Company will perform Bassett by James Graham at 8.30pm on both nights.
The Juniors group includes the following Highgate Wood students: Colette Rogers, Maddie Rich, Simone Bell-Roberts, Andrea Ahern, Sarah Free, Faye Heron and Maya Ameen. The Young Company includes the following Highgate Wood students: Archie Barber, Fred Rich, Tessie Orange-Turner, Rory Smith, Maya Kally, Holly Stott, Harry and Edie Fitt-Martin and Alfie Beecher.
Tickets are available from Jacksons Lane box office on 020 8341 4421 and cost £9 or £4.50 for concessions.

Model UN conference at school
The school will play host next weekend to Haringey students taking part in the North London Model UN. The conference will be a re-enactment of the procedures and actions of the real United Nations. The topic under discussion is the position and plight of women. Head of Citizenship Niall O’Connor, who leads the Model UN initiative at Highgate Wood, said: “I take great satisfaction that our students have developed the skill and capacity to host such a significant event. Our students are responsible for all aspects of running the conference which involves 16 schools from North London. The conference will be debating issues such as globalisation, violence, gender inequality and the Millennium Development Goals with regard to women. This year, undergraduates from the LSE and SOAS will assist our students in the conference in a move to continuously raise the quality of debate. These conferences are now regularly over-subscribed within the school, and equally popular with almost every other school in Haringey, as well as among some of the best schools from neighbouring boroughs. In addition, the conference this year will have a student delegation from Poland. Highgate Wood is setting the highest standards for participation, debate and engagement for young people and our students are taking the responsibility for making it happen. The school is rightly proud of them."
More information about the event is available at http://www.northlondonmun.co.uk/

Music department notices
Reminders: The second instalment for the music tour of Austria is due and any outstanding invoices for music tuition this term must be paid by the end of next week.
If you have moved could you email Mrs Hassan in Performing Arts office, as well as the main office, with your new address. Mrs Hassan’s email is tha@hws.haringey.sch.uk

Dates for your diary
March 10: Year 7 Parents’ Evening, from 4.30pm
March 12: Model UN at Highgate Wood
March 14: Pendarren week for Year 7
March 21: Year 10 Work Experience
April 8: Spring term ends

Reminder: Year 7 Parents’ Evening on March 10 from 4.30pm

News Weekly 846

2011-02-18T09:40:00.008Z

Enterprising students scoop top prize
A six-strong team of Year 9 students showed top-notch business skills in a competition against other schools in Haringey.
The students took part in the Secondary Schools Enterprise Challenge at Alexandra Palace on February 10, organised by Haringey Education and Business Partnership (HEBP).
Our team won first prize. Each team member was awarded a certificate. In addition, the team was presented with a trophy by the Mayor of Haringey, Eddie Griffiths. The trophy will be on display in the school.
Highgate Wood was represented by Gizem Alici, Abdinasir Siad, Choon Fuller, Jake Hamilton, Rory Smith and Madi Vincent. The team had to set up a catering business and develop a business plan during the day-long event.

The winning team with two advisers from HEBP (back row)

In the competition the students had to undertake a variety of tasks related to setting up and running a business. Each task had to be completed in a prescribed time. Ms Maclean-Jones, who accompanied the students to the competition, explains: “They had to complete a set of activities relating to businesses — developing a company name; setting up a marketing campaign and creating marketing materials; planning an event for the business; getting finance and making a presentation. The students worked well together, showed team spirit and a mature approach to the tasks. They were brilliant!”
Gizem Alici of 9I said: “We called our company ‘Senses’ as we believe you smell food before you eat. For the challenge, we planned a special Valentine’s party for a 100 guests to a fixed budget. It was a great experience and we were very proud of ourselves.”

Design a cover for a language book
The school’s Modern Foreign Languages Department is running a competition for students to design the cover for exercise books for French and Spanish lessons.
There’s a £10 prize for the winner for each design — one for French, one for Spanish.
Recently-appointed Head of Modern Foreign Languages at the school, Aude Lacroix, believes students will be able to improve on her model for the French version, shown below.

Students: Can you do better than this?

Ms Lacroix said: “I need a new design for the cover of our Spanish and our French exercise books. The object is to create a design that is imaginative and expressive but which allows students to write their personal details — see my example of a French version. The size must not be bigger than A5. The design must be in colour and with a box with at least three lines in it so students can write their names. The design must make reference to the country’s culture and traditions but not be as stereotypical as mine! Students can use any software but the end result must not be a copy — copies of any kind will be excluded from the competition. I’m looking for a unique entry design for each category. The competition is open to everyone in school. If they like, students can enter in pairs but they’ll have to share the prize if they win.”
The competition closes on Friday, March 25.

Young artists to show at Royal College
Artwork created by three Highgate Wood students will be displayed at a major exhibition at the prestigious Royal College of Art in May.
Paintings by Sam Holmes-Kelly, Omar El-Khalaf and Anna Keating will form part of the Young Art Exhibition. Their work was selected by the judges from 30 entries sent in by the school.
The exhibition is open to children at both primary and secondary schools across the country. This year the entries had to represent the theme of ‘Every Picture Tells A Story’.
All money raised by the exhibition goes to Cancer Research UK.
The Young Art Exhibition will take place from May 10 to May 12 at the Royal College of Art on Kensington Gore.

Students invited to Royal Albert Hall
Two classes of Year 8 students taught art by Ms May has been part of a national school event to create artworks based on the famous friezes of the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington.
Now the art is being shown at the Royal Albert Hall under the title of ReFrieze. The students have been specially invited to view the work and will receive certificates from the Royal Albert Hall. The show is also open to the public. The dates and times of public openings are:
Friday, February 25, 11am–3pm; Sunday, February 27, 9am–12pm; Wednesday, March 2, 11am–3pm and Sunday, March 6, 9am–2pm.

Learning about life and love
Sex education is an important part of secondary schooling but it can be a topic that embarrasses young people or a field in which ignorance can thrive.
At Highgate Wood an external theatre group attends the school to present advice-and-information sessions to support the school’s teaching about relationships and personal health.
On Wednesday this week, the Face Front Inclusive Theatre Group came to the school to present sex education in an attention-grabbing and youth-focused way to Year 9 students.
The students were encouraged to take part in the role-plays and express their views.
Conrad Lee of 9W, who was one of the students prepared to speak openly, said: “The theatre group were great and helped me learn and understand.”

Outside fundraisers wanted
Every year a group of Year 12 students go to a township in South Africa during the summer holidays to help make lives better for local children, often those blighted by the AIDs epidemic. The project is co-ordinated by the Hillcrest charity, which is supported by the school.
The students planning a visit this year are looking for financial help from the local business community. Teacher Sam Birnie, who is assisting the students, said: “The student volunteers are looking for sponsors to help publicise their work. If there are any businesses interested in contributing, please contact me on sbi@hws.haringey.sch.uk, before March 3 if possible. In return for your help we will use your business logo in our publicity, including the T-shirts we plan to purchase. We hope to hear from you soon.”

Exam invigilators wanted
The Examinations Manager is also seeking invigilators for public examinations. Mr Quazi said: “We require invigilators to help supervise all public examinations throughout the year — but particularly for this summer’s exams starting in May. The successful candidates will be a member of a pool of invigilators working on a part-time basis although they will be able to work hours that suit them. All successful applicants will be subject to a CRB police check. They will be paid at £8 per hour and will be given training before they start invigilating exams.”
Any parent interested should contact Fazail Quazi on 020 8342 7970 ext 242 or email him on fqu@hws.haringey.sch.uk

News Weekly switches to digital only
News Weekly is moving exclusively to the digital on-line medium.
This edition is the final printed version that will be distributed to students, although the newsletter will be held as a 'PDF' so that it can be printed if needed. In keeping with the paperless age, the newsletter will be available through this website every Friday after the half-term break.

School musical shows
Shows for the Little Shop of Horrors on March 1 and March 2 start at 7.30pm in main hall. The Wednesday show has sold out, but tickets are available for the Tuesday show.

Highgate Wood athletes help Haringey teams win medals

Young runners from the school representing Haringey in the Middlesex cross-country championships last week helped the teams gain winning positions in their races. Max Heap helped the under-15 Boys' team to first place, while the under-13 Girls' team came third thanks to the efforts of Zoe Hutchings, Molly Harrison, Anna Keating and Helen Swinton. Congratulations to all of them.

Dates for your diary
March 1-2: School musical, 7.30pm
March 10: Year 7 Parents’ Evening, from 4.30pm
March 12: Model UN at Highgate Wood
March 14: Pendarren week for Year 7
March 21: Year 10 Work Experience
April 8: Spring term ends

Important notice: Dress rehearsal for Little Shop of Horrors all day on Monday February 28.

News Weekly 845

2011-02-11T11:06:00.003Z

Art show reflects being a Londoner
The art produced by Year 7 collated under the banner of This London Breed drew a large crowd of proud parents last Friday.
The show was hosted by the Art Department and staff were able to forge more links between the school and parents. Head of Art Matthew Astrop said: “The evening was a great success and well-attended. Year 7s relished the opportunity to see their art displayed in an exhibition-like setting while staff from the Art Department established some helpful contacts with parents that will benefit students in the future. I was thrilled that one parent offered the department a screen-printing machine out of the blue and I would like to publicly say thanks.”

A cosmopolitan representation of the student body

Parents thronged the show in the Wren building

Students raised £70 for the Hillcrest charity in South Africa at the event.

GCSE students survey shop shelves
A group of Year 11 students preparing for their Food Technology GCSE exam in the summer went on a fact-finding visit to local shops last week.
The students wanted to find out more information about the presentation and marketing of foodstuffs to help them with the ‘Food and Culture’ component of their coursework.

Students visited some of Crouch End’s most popular shops

Reece Lamy of 11S was one of the students surveying how foodstuffs are marketed. He said: “I visited Budgens to see how Irish food products were marketed and check the ingredients of prepared products. I looked at the packaging and the way the shop kept the range of products in the same space. Budgens’ staff were very helpful.”
Assistant Headteacher Claire Allaway, who organises teaching on the Food Technology course, said: “The survey was designed to discover the range of products from other countries and cuisines sold in local shops. The information gathered by students is then used to define the features of a successful product and also used by students to create a new dish of their own.”

Girl cricketers show spirit of game
Team spirit came to the fore as Highgate Wood’s under-13 girls’ cricket team competed in the finals of the Outer London Schools’ Lady Taverners’ competition at Harrow last week.
Our team was one of seven finalists in the indoor competition and faced stiff opposition from the start. They played three games but did not manage to progress to the play-off.
PE teacher Kristee Arkle, who accompanied the team to Harrow’s Leisure Centre, was impressed by the students’ collective spirit and improvement during the event.

A real feeling of team spirit from Highgate Wood

GCSE students: check your details
Draft statements of entry for this summer’s GCSE exams have been handed out this week to students in Year 11 and some Year 10s who are also sitting the exams this summer.
Students are asked to check these drafts to ensure all the details and personal information are correct. The school’s Examinations Manager Fazail Quazi said: “ These statements of entry are provisional but the information set out in them will be the basis of the official Statement of Entry. Every student is advised to check carefully the draft to confirm:
1. Personal details (your date of birth and your name is spelt correctly — it must be the same as set out on your birth certificate and passport)
2. The details of each examination entry are correct (subject and level).
3. Every examination entry is shown.
If students spot any mistakes or oversights in their draft entries, they should contact me as soon as possible. I must have any corrections by Thursday, February 1.”

Exam invigilators wanted
The Examinations Manager is also seeking invigilators for public examinations. Mr Quazi said: “We require invigilators to help supervise all public examinations throughout the year — but particularly for this summer’s exams starting in May. The successful candidates will be a member of a pool of invigilators working on a part-time basis although they will be able to work hours that suit them. All successful applicants will be subject to a CRB police check. They will be paid at £8 per hour and will be given training before they start invigilating exams.”
Any parent interested should contact Fazail Quazi on 020 8342 7970 ext 242 or email him on fqu@hws.haringey.sch.uk

Learn an instrument at school
One-to-one tuition for a musical instrument with professional tutors can be arranged by the school.
The classes are extra to the school’s provision and carry a cost, which is reduced significantly for students on free school meals.
Normally, ten sessions are taken each term and students are expected to choose one instrument from a list of 25. Students are expected to practise at home and may be able to hire their preferred instrument from Haringey’s Music and Performing Arts Centre.
Any student interested in having music lessons should complete an application form available from the school’s Performing Arts Office.

A yellow slip means ‘pay now’
A number of invoices for this term’s individual music tuition remain unpaid. This week yellow reminder slips have been handed out by the school asking the parents concerned to pay immediately.

Tickets on sale
Tickets for the Little Shop of Horrors are on sale at lunchtime and after school in the Drum.

Donations of fabric wanted
The school’s Textiles Department would like donations of brightly coloured, plain fabrics to help students in all year groups with their studies.
If parents have any unwanted fabric they are asked to leave donations at the Wren office or they can send in any bundles with students who should take them to room W2.

Dates for your diary
Feb 17: Creative careers event
Feb 21-25: Half term
March 1-2: School musical, 7.30pm
March 10: Year 7 Parents’ Evening, from 4.30pm

Important notices: The creative careers evening on February 17 is by invitation only. Year 7 disco tonight, February 11, at 6.30pm, parental permission to attend is required.

News Weekly 844

2011-02-04T10:52:00.005Z

Local shopkeepers help young cooks
GCSE Food technology students tested the market for bakery goods in Crouch End this week.
The students sought the advice of local shopkeepers to help them with coursework about pricing, demand and product placement of prepared foodstuffs.
The students asked three local bakery shops — Dunn’s, Greggs and Sable d’Or — for their views. The students will use the information gathered to help them design a new bakery product as part of their GCSE Food Technology exam.
Technology teacher Amanda Went, who accompanied the students on their fact-finding visit, said: “The students were keen to amass as much information as possible and they asked some searching questions. For their part the local shopkeepers were keen to help and gave their time willingly. Support from businesses in the community is crucial to students’ achievements on courses such as these and I want to thank them on behalf of the school and the students.”

PSA adds more finance to the pot
The Parent Staff Association (PSA) has increased its overall funding to special projects that add extra value to students’ careers at the school.
In its past two meetings the PSA has heard representations from teachers for money to help a clutch of activities.
News Weekly has previously reported in early December on grants made by the PSA. At the meeting last week, on January 25, the PSA also agreed to give £700 to the new student magazine, Ping!
Parent Jane Morgan who is active in the PSA said: “The PSA has agreed to donate more than £4,500 in its last two meetings which has come from the PSA lottery and its own funds. It is money that parents and staff have raised which will go towards enriching students’ time at Highgate Wood. If any parents haven’t joined the lottery I urge them to consider doing so. If every parent or carer bought one ticket a month we could raise more than £14,000 a year. Families can also help increase PSA funds by using the online shopping website buy.at/hwspsa which rebates the PSA when the service is used even though the site does not make an extra charge to users. Some major online retailers are featured on the site.”
A ticket for the PSA lottery cost £1 a month and there’s no limit on the number of tickets that can be bought.
Some of the new projects given money by the PSA at its January meeting included: the set building club for the school’s production of Little Shop of Horrors, a new initiative in photography that will allow Year 11 GCSE students to use monochrome developing techniques, and the booking of a theatre group to present an educational ‘info-tainment’ to a year group about Ethics and Cultural Studies at the school.

Trainee chef passes on his skills
A former Highgate Wood student who is now training to be a chef at Southgate College returned to the school this week to help Year 11s with their GCSE Food Technology course. Nico Vidot helped students with their preparation and presentation skills for a variety of dishes.

Nico, left, stressed the safety rules for using knives

Tyrane packs a punch
His gloves are off when he comes to school, but Tyrane Wynter of 8H knows how to punch his weight in the boxing ring.
Tyrane, who trains at Repton Boxing Club in Bethnal Green, won the London Amateur Boxing Association Schools title for under-42kg class last weekend. He will now box in the semi-final rounds of the ABA England Championships to be held in March.
Head of Learning for Year 8 Kevin Brokenshire said: “Tyrane won the school’s inaugural patball contest, which proves he has excellent hand-eye co-ordination. He’s conscientious and intelligent in lessons and works hard and is a credit to the school.”

Year 7 art exhibition
Parents and friends of students in Year 7 are invited to come to the show tonight of artworks created by Year 7 students this year. The show opens at 6pm until 7.30pm.
A wide range of artwork will be on display including the work below by Michelle Masters' art class.

A group effort recycled plastic bottles as an artwork

Making the numbers count
A group of young students with a head for figures sat a special maths challenge yesterday, Thursday February 3.
The examination is set every year by the University of Leeds and students from schools across the country took part.
Forty Highgate Wood Year 9 students sat the challenge’s multiple choice paper which had to be completed in an hour.
Maths teacher Karen Thomas said: “The challenge will be marked by lecturers at the University of Leeds and gold, silver and bronze certificates will be given to the best performers. There will also be a certificate for the 'Best in School'. Depending on their achievements, students may be asked to take part in further rounds of the competition.”
News Weekly will report soon on our students’ achievements in the challenge.

Exam invigilators wanted
The school’s examinations manager Fazail Quazi is seeking invigilators for public examinations. He said: “We require invigilators to help supervise all public examinations throughout the year — but particularly for this summer’s exams starting in May. The successful candidates will be part of a pool of invigilators working on a part-time basis although they will be able to work hours that suit them. All successful applicants will be subject to a CRB police check.
You’ll be paid at £8 per hour and will be given training before you start invigilating exams.”
Any parent interested should contact Fazail Quazi on 020 8342 7970 ext 242 or email him on fqu@hws.haringey.sch.uk

Tickets for show on sale next week
Tickets for the school’s show Little Shop of Horrors go on sale from Monday, February 7.
The ticket desk will be open at lunchtime and after school and will be situated in the Drum building.
Tickets cost £5 or £3 for concessions.
They can be ordered by email on tha@hws.haringey.sch.uk. and will be reserved for two days.

Dates for your diary
Feb 10: Year 10 Parents’ Evening, from 4.30pm
Feb 17: Creative careers event
Feb 21-25: Half term
March 1-2: School musical, 7.30pm
March 10: Year 7 Parents’ Evening, from 4.30pm

News Weekly 843

2011-01-28T09:28:00.008Z

Students invite Mayor to lunch
Mayor of Haringey Eddie Griffiths visited the school this week and showed his appreciation of the efforts of the student council.
The Mayor had asked to visit the school and, in return, the student council invited him to a presentation on their work and invited him to stay as their guests for lunch.
The student council took the opportunity to tell the Mayor about its campaigns within the school and its activities to mobilise support in a peaceful protest against the Government’s plans to increase university tuition fees.
The Mayor was interested to hear about the work of the student council and enjoyed his lunch so much that he asked to compliment the school’s head chef Charles Rhone of caterers WilsonJones in person.

The Mayor, second left, and chef Charles Rhone to his right flanked by members of the school council

Enterprise flourishes at a local level
A group of Year 10 and 11 students have been developing and harnessing their skills for the work on a BTEC course this term.
Once a week, the WorkSkills students have a work placement at local supermarket Budgens allied to its community-oriented Food in the Sky Project — in which food is grown on the shop’s roof garden.
The students are currently studying a three-part Enterprise course in which they have to develop and carry out a business activity.
Andrew Thornton, who runs the Budgens store, and Food in the Sky organiser, Azul-Valerie Thome, have helped the students with some of the practical details of their project.
The students have chosen to grow, market and then sell oyster mushrooms and have arranged to set up a stall in the shop in Crouch End.

Andrew Thornton of Budgens (left) and BTEC students

BTEC course organiser at the school Caroline Jones said: “The students learn how to do a business plan, how to set up a time-line, how to set up a spreadsheet using the computer program Excel and how to calculate costs. They will then wrap the product, label it and set up a sales point in Budgens. I want to thank Andrew Thornton and Azul-Valerie Thome for their help and funding. This is a real business enterprise for students and imparts effective job skills.”

Creative professionals needed
The school’s Art and Media Studies departments are planning a career’s event next month about the different jobs in the creative sectors of the economy.
Organisers Haf Stephens of Art and Audra Daws-Knowles of Media Studies would like to involve parents who work in these sectors to come along and talk to students.
The event will be organised in such a way that small groups of students will meet with presenters for a set period of time and then move on to another speaker.
Ms Stephens said: “Any parents or their friends who work in a creative career and who feel able to support the school should contact me or Audra by February 1 on hst@hws.haringey.sch.uk or adk@hws.haringey.sh.uk.
The event takes place on February 17, 7pm-9pm.

Young journalists fight for rights
Sister and brother, Samantha and Alexander Ahern, have joined the ranks of the UK’s campaigning journalists. They’ve taken up the struggle for children’s rights in print.
They worked on the design and content for a new magazine called The Right Stuff launched by The Children's Rights Alliance for England. Sam drew most of the images and took many of the photos on a recent assignment.
Sam and Alex are very pleased with the final product and urge you to read copies in the library or to use the following web address: http://www.crae.org.uk/networks/human-rights-magazine.html

Tickets go on sale for musical
The school’s premier musical show, Little Shop of Horrors, takes place on Tuesday, March 1 and Wednesday, March 2 in the school hall.
Tickets, costing £5 for adults and £3 for students and concessions, go on sale on Monday, February 7. The ticket desk will be open at lunchtime and after school every day. Tickets can be reserved for two days by email on tha@hws.haringey.sch.uk.

Sports clubs for students
Places are available for sporty students in a range of clubs run at lunchtime and after school.
Some clubs are mixed while others are specific to boys or girls.
Extra-curricular sports activities
Monday lunchtime: Year 9 boys, football; Year 10 boys, football; Year 7 and 8 all, cricket
Monday after school: All Years girls, netball; All Years mixed, fitness
Tuesday lunchtime: Years 7,8,9 mixed, dance; Year 7 boys, football; Years 7,8,9 girls, football
Tuesday after school: All Years mixed, hockey; Primary school football
Wednesday lunchtime: Year 7 mixed, swimming; Year 11 boys, football; Year 10 boys, rugby; Years 8 and 9 mixed, martial arts; Years 10 and 11 girls, netball
Wednesday after school: Year 7 boys, football; Year 9 boys, football; Primary school football
Thursday lunchtime: All Years mixed, hockey; Year 8 boys, football; Year 7 boys, rugby
Thursday after school: All Years girls, netball; Year 8 boys, football; Year 10 boys, football
Friday lunchtime : Year 10 girls, dance; Years 7,8,9 mixed, gymnastics

Prize winner collects reward voucher
Ben Cary of 11S has scooped the prize to name the forthcoming student magazine.
One of 252 entries, his suggestion of ‘Ping’ was selected as the winner and Ben will receive a £10 HMV voucher. Ben explained the thinking behind his choice of name, saying: “I thought about modern communications and the Blackberry in particular. The student magazine will hopefully be sending a message that all students want to hear and read. When they hear that ‘Ping’ is out they will want to catch up on all the news and gossip.”
Teacher Sam Birnie said: “A big thank-you to the PSA for giving the school council media team £700 to fund the project this term.”

Art on show from Year 7
Art on the topic of hybrid cultures will be on display at an exhibition of work on February 4 from 6pm until 7.30pm. Parents and friends of Year 7 are welcome.

Dates for your diary
Feb 1: Deadline for Year 9’s KS4 options
Feb 2: School closes at lunchtime, Inset period 5
Feb 17: Creative careers event
Feb 10: Year 10 Parents’ Evening, from 4.30pm
Feb 21-25: Half term

Reminder to students: Park Road gate
The gate at the Park Road entrance to the school is closed at 8.30am prompt, ahead of the 8.35am start to lessons.
Students are expected to be at school before 8.35am — any latecomers must report to the Montenotte entrance.

Important notice: Year 9 options forms must be returned by Tuesday, February 1

News Weekly 842

2011-01-21T11:53:00.005Z

A cross-cultural experience for Year 7
Turkish history, culture and art formed the basis of a day’s lessons for Year 7 last Friday.
The cultural ‘feel’ of the day was enhanced by Turkish-speaking students at the school taking an active role. They were proud to pass on to their fellow students some of their traditions and art forms.
The day’s educational events — part of the enrichment programme — were organised by Citizenship teacher Sam Birnie and the school’s Turkish-speaking community worker Meltem Erbil.
Ms Birnie said: “Year 7s had a fantastic enrichment day. Each class got a chance to experience workshops on Turkish and Kurdish culture — dance, music, cookery, games, art, geography, religion, language and citizenship. The student ‘teachers’ impressed everyone with their
commitment and enthusiasm.”

Turkish-speaking students passed on skills in playing the saz

Ms Erbil and Ms Birnie want to thank the following students for their efforts to bring Turkish life to Highgate Wood: Fatma Tengiz; Yusuf Ocak; Yusuf Tum; Sezgin Arslan; Yunus Korkmaz; Imam Ortac; Berfin Celik; Nuray Kayalar; Duygu Gulsin; Ebru Cokgezici; Sibel Biner; Derya Inkaya; Diyar Sigirtmac; Huseyin Sumbul; Gurcag Kose; Hazal, Hayal and Ceylan Tapki; Hasan Karayigit; Eray Cocelli; Rukiye Tas; Gizem Alici; Yekcan Iper; Huseyin Ozkes; Mert Sahan; Ekin Oztas; Onur Cokyasar; Pevruze Bellikli, Deniz Hirli; Ayce Ozdemir; Sevilay Kahyalar; Cansu Gunal; Zeynep Icboyun; Cemal Yucel; Huseyin and Berfim Sonmez; Nazlican Kucuk; Demet Duman; Ali Keles; Umut Ortac; Damla Ozeler and Yasemin Ahmet. “They were brilliant,” said Ms Birnie.

Universities beckon for sixth formers
Sixth formers’ applications to university are in the post — and more than 80 of our sixth formers are waiting on tenterhooks for the replies.
Head of Sixth Form Nick Charlesworth said: “Our students have opted for a wide range of courses at universities across the country. Once they’ve received their offers, the students have to decide their first and second preferences by May.”
Sixth formers’ choices of subjects and universities reflects the diversity of A-levels taken at Highgate Wood. As befits a designated ‘arts’ college, Art is one of the popular choices and this year the department has the largest number of applicants for places on foundation courses at art colleges.
An idea of the breadth of subjects taught at sixth form is shown by some of the current applications: Biological Sciences at Warwick, Psychology at Southampton, Computer Science at the City University of London, History at Oxford,
Chemistry at University College London, History and Philosophy at Cardiff, Economics at Kent, Primary Education at Leeds, Drama and English at Bristol as well as History and International Politics at Liverpool.
The planned introduction of higher tuition fees next year has seen competition for higher education places increase this year. Mr Charlesworth said: “We’ve already seen evidence that universities now demand higher grades for popular courses and many universities are specifying grades for particular subjects. Our students have chosen courses carefully, with the help of myself and their tutors, so that their applications are as strong as they possibly can be. I hope the students use their offers as motivation for the highest possible achievement.”

Three art students try to put their minds at ease as they wait

Drama students come in from the cold
The school played host this week to a group of 14 drama students and their teacher from a school in Norway.
Their visit reciprocated a trip made last year by Head of Drama Graham Contor and students to a school in Kristiansand.
The Norwegian students spent three days working alongside the school’s Year 12 and 13 Drama and Theatre Studies students. They spent one day improvising in the school’s drama studios, one visiting the Central School for Drama and the final day at the Royal Haymarket Theatre in central London’s Theatreland.
Mr Contor said: “The students and teachers from Vagsbygd Performing Arts School came on a programme arranged through our Drama International School link. They exchanged ideas and shared good practice with our AS and A2 students.”

A collaborative effort in improvisation in the drama studios

Parents back GCSE students
Year 11 parents turned out in force to the school last Thursday for their final parents’ evening of their children’s school career.
The event followed the special release of the mock exam results and the handover of the official GCSE English results to students earlier in the afternoon.
Members of the school’s leadership were present to talk to parents, including ideas on how to prepare for the next round of GCSE exams in the summer term.
Deputy Headteacher Paul Guenault and Assistant Headteachers Lindsay Pinnick and Dean Mansfield picked up a positive buzz from the evening. Mr Mansfield said: “ We were delighted by the large attendance, having been buoyed by the excitement of Year 11 students when they received their grades in the earlier Results Afternoon. Everyone commented on the benefits of the evening as students and parents left with a clear idea of the support, commitment and hard work required to ensure the best set of results are achieved. Thanks to our parents and staff.”
The school is formulating a special programme so that students prepare as effectively as possible for their GCSE exams. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Free school meals: don't miss out
Free school meals are a right for every student whose family meets certain criteria for income.
Deputy Headteacher Paul Guenault believes some families are missing out and not claiming the entitlement due to them. He has this message for students: "Please ensure you claim Free School Meals (FSM) if you are entitled. You may be eligible if your family receives Income Support or some tax credits. If you aren’t sure whether you qualify, you can collect a guide and a form from the Wren Office or download them from the Haringey Council’s website — the council processes the forms and approves FSM status. This applies to all students, including the Sixth Form, regardless of EMA, and also allows you other benefits, such as subsidised music lessons and sometimes subsidised school trips. Now that we have cashless cards to buy lunch, FSM money goes automatically on to the card so that there is no separate queuing or delay in getting served. Don’t miss out if you are entitled."
Students can get a form from the Wren office.

Reminders to students and parents
● Parents of students going on this summer’s performing arts tour of Austria are reminded that deposits of £120 are now due. Please pay promptly.
● Year 10 students should note that the deadline for all work experience forms has passed. Organiser Mrs Kent cannot process any outstanding forms.
● All parents are welcome to come to the PSA meeting on January 25 at the school. The meeting starts at 7.30pm.
● Sporty students should check notices in PE department as clubs have started again. Full details in next week’s News Weekly.

Dates for your diary
Jan 25: PSA meeting 7.30pm
Feb 1: Deadline for Year 9’s KS4 options
Feb 2: School closes at lunchtime, Inset period 5
Feb 9: Safer Internet Day
Feb 10: Year 10 Parents’ Evening, from 4.30pm
Feb 21-25: Half term

Important notice: Head of English Chris Barker will talk about his department at the PSA mssting on January 25. The meeting starts at 7.30pm.

News Weekly 841

2011-01-14T12:38:00.003Z

Top grades in ‘early’ GCSEs
Year 11 students who sat their GCSE exam for English in November 2010 have got a valuable qualification under their belt.
Overall, 72% of the 222 candidates gained a grade in the A*-C band and 99% gained an A*-G grade.
Excited students learned about their achievements at a special ceremony organised by the school on Thursday afternoon when they were also given results for their GCSE mock exams.
For the first time this school year the majority of Year 11 sat their GCSE in the autumn term rather than during the summer term.

Good preparation for this summer’s exams and results’ day

Big turnout as Year 9 prepare for KS4
Year 9 students and their parents found out more about the subjects that can be studied at Key Stage 4 this week.
The special Options Evening held on Tuesday gave families the opportunity to talk through the subjects and qualifications offered by the school’s 14-to-19 curriculum.
All students will take core subjects during the next two years and then choose one of two ‘pathways’.
The core subjects are English Language, English Literature, Maths, Citizenship, Ethics and Cultural Studies, a Science course and PE.
Students will then opt for a pathway which suits their educational needs and aims.
Pathway Blue is structured towards more traditional examinations. Pathway White has a vocational perspective.
Over the next two weeks, students and parents have the chance to meet form tutors for a meeting when more information and guidance will be available. The school wants parents to make every effort to attend these sessions.
In addition, students can seek advice from the school’s Connexions advisor, Sally-Anne Simmons at drop-in sessions held on Thursdays at lunchtime and after school.
By February 1 students have to submit a form setting out their choice of pathway and the subjects they want to study.
Assistant Headteacher Lindsay Pinnick, who is responsible for the Options process, says: “Students should choose courses they like and know they can do well in, and as far as possible keep their future options open.
Ms Pinnick added: “I was very pleased by the turnout on Tuesday and the positive vibe from parents and students. I believe we are making a far broader range of courses available than ever before this year and giving students of all abilities the opportunity to gain qualifications that suit their needs and prepare them for the future. Please ensure forms are returned by February 1.”

Learn about creative sector careers
Students have the opportunity to discover what the ‘Mad Men’ of the advertising world are really like next week.
Professionals from advertising, media, design and the art worlds will be ready to talk to students at the school’s creative careers evening, to be held on Thursday, February 17.
One of the organisers, Art teacher Haf Stephens, said: “The event will work on a carousel system with students organised in small groups to take part in sessions corresponding to their specified interests.”
The event, from 7pm to 9pm, is open to students from Year 10 and above. Students should indicate on the forms which speakers they would like to see. Entry is restricted to students who have submitted a form.

Come to the PSA meeting
All parents are welcome at the next PSA meeting on January 25. Head of English, Chris Barker, will talk about the recent Ofsted review of English teaching and his plans for the department. The meeting starts at 7.30pm.

Young swimmers make a big splash
A group of 28 students got in the swim during their Key Stage 4 PE course this year.
The students have gained medals for their swimming skills, with five students gaining honours. Assistant Headteacher Dawn Spence, who has overseen the students’ participation on the course, said: “Congratulations to every student, especially those who gained honours as the test was very tough. All awards involved basic life-saving skills. Bronze required students to swim half a mile, silver required a half-a-mile swim using two different strokes and a timed sprint swim, while gold involved swimming half a mile with three strokes in a set time, plus a timed sprint swim. To gain honours swimmers had to complete 1000 metres in under 20 minutes using three different strokes and swimming under water through hoops.”
The swimmers are:
Bronze: Callum Midson and Rikesh Shah
Silver: Fern Buttling-Smith, Josh Spirgel-Sinclair and Yassin Bensakrane
Gold: Alanna Smart, Maddie Knox, Bridie Scott Price, Georgina Fernandes, Elun Phillips, Serafina Taylor, Jake Fawcett, Noah Aldhous, Jack Tully, Archie Barber, Josh Eldridge, Rachel Joiner, Deniz Aktekin, Harvey Johnson, Arshom Spencer, Tom Callaghan and Louis Abbott Wilson
Honours: Amy Thomas, Lizzie Norton, James Smith, George Carroll and Jake Saunders.
Swimming Club re-starts on Monday at 3.30pm.

Students go back to the 50s at V&A
Two cutting-edge students from Highgate Wood have been chosen from hundreds of applicants to attend a special workshop at London’s prestigious V&A museum in Kensington.
Florence Wrightson Cross in Year 11 and sixth former Henry Harley will be attending the Garment Construction workshop at the museum this weekend. The two students will work with fashion designers and textiles specialists focusing on the designs and patterns used in the 1950s.
Highgate Wood’s Art Department has built links with Hanging Out, an outreach organisation for schools and colleges, and through that link the students have been chosen for the workshop.
The school has been invited to put forward students for a two-day poster and t-shirt design workshop in May run by Hanging Out. Students will spend one day researching anti-war protests and another creating their designs. Any student interested should speak to Deputy Head of Art Haf Stephens as soon as possible.

Shadow youth group seeks dancers
Local prize-winning youth dance group, Shadow, is looking to recruit more members and is holding auditions on Wednesday, January 19.
Shadow was formed by ex-student Akwasi Kwarteng and the group performed in a London-wide ‘dance battle of the boroughs’ last year, coming third. Shadow will be competing again in this year’s competition held at the Hackney Empire on January 30.
Auditions for the new members will take place at Coleridge Primary School, from 3.45pm until 5.45pm on January 19. The auditions are open to students aged 11 to 16 years. They should take kneepads, tracksuit bottoms and trainers.

Apply now for our sixth form
Year 11s have a few remaining weeks to submit their applications for the school’s sixth form. Completed forms must be handed in to Nadiege Abolian in the Adams Office by February 18.

Music Department notices
● Invoices for individual music tuition during the Spring term have been sent to parents. Please pay as promptly as possible.
● Deposits of £120 are now due for students going on the tour of Austria this summer.
● Any students whose individual music tuition coincides with public exams this month, January, should speak to their ‘peri’ tutor to rearrange the lesson.
● Please advise the Performing Arts Office if you have moved address in the last six months.
● Congratulations to Samantha Ahern of 10T for passing grade 6 in clarinet, and Lillian Judd of 9D for gaining grade 5 for saxophone.

Rehearsal for actors in school show
The timetable for rehearsals during January and February for the production of Little Shop of Horrors is posted in the Drum.
Rehearsals take place in D3 on Wednesdays, 3.30pm-5pm.
Little Shop of Horrors will be performed on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 1 and March 2. Tickets will go on sale from February 7.

Dates for your diary
Jan 25: PSA meeting 7.30pm
Feb 1: Deadline for Year 9’s KS4 options
Feb 2: School closes at lunchtime, Inset period 5
Feb 9: Safer Internet Day
Feb 10: Year 10 Parents’ Evening, 4.30pm start
Feb 21-25: Half term

Important notice: PSA meeting on January 25 at 7.30pm. Chris Barker Head of English will talk about the recent Ofsted review of the school’s English teaching

News Weekly 840

2011-01-07T12:02:00.003Z

Ofsted sees English work in progress
An official Ofsted inspection on the work of the school’s English Department makes encouraging reading for parents, students and teachers.
In its report, Ofsted — the official body charged with raising standards in education — said: “Evidence from completed coursework and other assessments of the current Year 11 group suggest that attainment is higher than last year.”
Ofsted also noted that the proportion of students who achieve A or A* is better than average.
In a new move by the school this year, the majority of Year 11 sat their English GCSE exam in November 2010, and the results are expected on Thursday, January 13.
Ofsted reported that: “Students mostly enjoy English and find their teachers helpful and supportive... they praise the clarity of instructions and recognise the extent to which most teachers make learning enjoyable.”
Ofsted complimented the recently-introduced English Language A level, saying: “Results for the first group of students were good last year, showing very strong progress.”
Overall, Ofsted rated the work of the English Department as ‘satisfactory’, reflecting the dip in GCSE grades achieved in last year’s exams.
The school recognises that extra efforts are needed with certain groups of students such as boys as a whole and students for whom English is not their home language do less well than expected.
Ofsted praised the English Department’s action plan. It added that there was a clear sense of direction in the English department and that the school had increased teaching time for English and had introduced initiatives to develop literacy across the curriculum.
Head of English Chris Barker said: “The department is working fantastically well and we are pleased to gain such supportive feedback about the new direction of the department. There is now potential for strong progress.”
Ofsted visited the school for two days on September 28 and 29 2010.
For copies of Ofsted’s report, contact the Headteacher’s PA. An electronic version is available on www.ofsted.gov.uk, enter Highgate Wood School, and will be made available on this website.

A look back at the Winter Concerts
Talented performers galore delighted packed audiences at the three Winter Concerts held during the last week of the Winter term.
Head of Music Ed Harlow and his team from Performing Arts were bowled over by the range of talent at the shows. In his programme notes Mr Harlow said: “It has been another busy year for Music at Highgate Wood and the concerts are the culmination of some of the work we have done. The dedication of the pupils involved is inspiring and makes my job a joy.”

Some of the performers from the concerts are displayed below. Photographs supplied by Empire Productions.

Reminders for Years 9 and 11 parents - and Year 11 students
Parents of students in Year 9 and Year 11 are reminded that they have an important meeting with teachers next week.
On Tuesday, January 11, Year 9 parents and students are invited to discuss the options for further study at Key Stage 4. On Thursday, Year 11 parents have their final Parents’ Evening.
Year 9s will start the 14-to-19 Curriculum in May 2011 which will lead to public examinations in Year 11. The deadline for their decisions on the courses they want to study is fast approaching. Forms setting out students’ choices have to be returned to the school by February 1.
The school offers students a range of courses for study, with even more vocational courses related to particular jobs than ever before, as well as the traditional ‘academic’ subjects.
Every student will take the core subjects of English, Maths, Science as well as Citizenship, PE and Ethics and Cultural Studies. In addition, students can then pick other courses depending on their ‘pathway’.
Students will be given a form to complete on which they set out their choices of courses to study. To help students and parents make sound decisions, the school will hand out an Options Booklet’ at the meeting on Tuesday.
In the introduction to the booklet, Assistant Headteacher Lindsay Pinnick, tells students: “We have adapted the curriculum on offer to help you succeed. It is crucial that you choose your courses very carefully in order to maintain progression over the coming years and to prepare for work or higher education.”
Parents will be able to discuss the courses and curriculum with teachers at the Options Evening next week followed by individual discussion sessions with form tutors over the next two weeks. The meeting starts at 5.30pm when teachers will be on hand to talk about the courses on offer, followed at 6.30pm by a talk for parents.

● On Thursday, January 13, Year 11 parents are welcome at their Parents’ Evening to discuss their children’s progress in advance of this summer’s important external examinations.
Head of Learning for Year 11 Stewart Brown said: “There are only 14 weeks of teaching remaining for Year 11 as we count down to the external exams this summer. The meeting is an opportunity for parents to discuss strategies for students to achieve their best in the exams.
“Year 11s are reminded that they should go to the hall in period 5 on January 13 for their mock results and official GCSEs in English and Maths.”

Helping hands for Haitian children
Young children in Haiti made homeless by the massive earthquake in the country a year ago were given some Christmas cheer thanks to the generosity of a group of Year 7 students.
Tutor group 7T have been studying justice and poverty in Ethics and Cultural Studies classes which led them to collect gifts for Haitian children in the run-up to Christmas.

‘No uniform’ day is charitable event
For one day at the end of last term students could choose not to wear uniform if they paid £1. The event on December 16 raised £1,065 which will go partly towards the cost of the Year 12 volunteering trip to South Africa and partly the Hillcrest charity where they will be based. On the no-uniform day, some staff dressed up in the school’s uniform and raised £175 to add to the total, while Geography teacher Dave Grimmett dressed as Santa and raised £93. Citizenship teacher Sam Birnie, who helped organise the activities, said: “Well done to all involved and to the Form Reps and School Council fund-raising team.”

Success on a plate for Lucy
Lucy Wigmore of 11W is studying a catering and hospitality vocational course for Key Stage 4. Her cooking skills are getting her noticed and she’s recently won the north London heat of the national FutureChef competition organised by training agency, Springboard. She will now compete in the regional finals in February.
The FutureChef competition attracted more than 8,000 entrants.

Dates for your diary
Jan 10: GCE/GCSE exams start
Jan 11: Year 9 Options evening 5.30pm-7.30pm
Jan 13: Year 11 GCSE results event, period 5
Jan 13: Year 11 Parents’ Evening from 4.30pm

Important notices: External examinations start on Monday, please move quietly around school.
GCSE results afternoon for Year 11 on Thursday, January 13, Period 5. Exam results in English and Maths, where relevant, will be given out as well as results of the internal mock GCSE exams.

Year 9 Options Evening

2011-01-06T17:36:00.002Z

Year 9 Options Evening will take place on Tuesday 11th January.

From 5.30 pm to 6.30pm there will be a representative from each curriculum area available to talk to you and your child about each of the courses we offer. This will take place in the Dining Hall.

At 6.30pm there will be a talk for parents and carers in the Main Hall. Students will have already received a talk during their assembly on 11th January so do not need to attend the parent/carer presentation.

The Options Booklet and Options Form will be handed out at this evening. If you are unable to attend, the information will be available on the website.

There is an opportunity for you and your child to meet with your child’s form tutor for an information, advice and guidance meeting in the next few weeks. The meeting will last for 15 minutes.

The proposed dates are as follows:
9H – with Ms Georgiades Tuesday 18th January
9I – with Ms Riaz Thursday 20th January
9G – with Mr Ampomah Thursday 13th January
9A – with Ms Wilson Friday 21st January
9T – with Ms Wood Wednesday 19th January
9E – with Ms Zwicky Monday 24th January
9W – with Ms Donnolly Monday 17th January
9D – with Mr Champion Friday 14th January
9S – with Ms Mayer Wednesday 12th January

You will receive an appointment time from your child’s tutor. If you are unable to make the given time, please contact your child’s tutor for an alternative appointment.

The Year 11 Parents’ Evening and Mock Results Afternoon

2011-01-06T17:22:00.004Z

The Year 11 Parents’ Evening will take place on Thursday 13th January. The evening will start at 4.30pm and will finish at 7.30pm. Parents must sign in at the Wren reception where you will receive the necessary information which will enable you to support your child to make progress this year.
This is a final opportunity to discuss with subject teachers how your child is currently performing in each of their subjects. This is a chance for you and your child to discuss how much progress is being made towards achieving their targets, and to identify the next steps and actions required to ensure the best set of results are attained. Attendance to this event is vital for your child’s success in this year’s examinations.

This Year 11 Parents’ Evening follows our ‘Mock Examination Results’ afternoon. This is a new event for Year 11, where we are trying to recreate the actual GCSE results day in August. Your child, along with their peers, will be taken to the Main Hall and will receive their results (including their GCSE English and Mathematics results where appropriate) and their predicted grades. The purpose of this is to motivate all students and to help them to understand the importance of being committed to achieving the best set of results possible.
As your child will have received their progress report and results in this session, it is essential that they remember to bring these with them to the Parents’ Evening in order to discuss their performance and the next steps to improve in the summer exams.
We hope that by having this event occur just before Parents’ Evening, it will provide students with the motivation and drive to continue to improve and succeed as highly as possible.
We really appreciate the ongoing support that you give to both your child and our school, and this is especially valued at this important time.
Attendance at the Year 11 Parents’ Evening will enable that valued support to continue.

News Weekly 839

2010-12-17T09:30:00.004Z

Headteacher’s end-of-term message
I would like to begin by thanking all students, staff and parents for their hard work, commitment and support during this very busy autumn term. I am pleased with the attitudes and application that have been shown by the students during this term — although there is always room for improvement, as I refer to later.
In particular I wanted to praise our Year 7 and Year 11 students. Our Year 7s have started magnificently. They have settled really quickly and have made a good impression during their first term at Highgate Wood. Their contribution to lessons and the wider school has been noticeable and already they are having an impact.
Our Year 11 students have been inspiring this term. It has been really challenging for them as we have demanded a lot. We have set high expectations and have encouraged them to think the same. Right at the start of September, I laid down a challenge to them to outperform the Year 11s from the previous two years. I am confident they will succeed.
In addition, they have had to face preparing for and doing their GCSE English exam in November, countless Controlled Assessments, several mock exams and (for some) November GCSE maths exams. This has been a pressured and stressful time, but it is necessarily so if we are to drive up the exam performance at GCSE in the way that we want to. I am proud of the way that the Year 11s and those staff that teach them have risen to the challenge. Their diligence and commitment is to be applauded. Much has been done to support our Year 11s, including the use of external support where I found it appropriate to ensure that we are learning from the best to continually improve our best. The mock results we receive in January will give us an indication as to the impact of our efforts.

Some resolutions for the New Year
As mentioned above, although our students have had a great term, there is always room for improvement. Below are some suggested New Year’s Resolutions:
Be ready and prepared to learn
All students should be arriving at school everyday fully equipped for learning – i.e. school bag, journal, pens, pencils, rulers, rubbers, sharpeners, PE Kit (as appropriate).
Fully focus on learning
Students should be focused on good learning behaviours and ensure that full attention is given to all tasks and activities – including class work, homework, coursework etc. Behaviour for learning at its best occurs when students are proactive in making a positive contribution to their own and others’ behaviours.
Behaviour to and from school
Students should always be positive ambassadors for the school when out in the community. The generally good behaviour when travelling to and from school is noticed and welcomed by the community (even more so since the introduction of uniform). However, one or two complaints recently from local residents suggest that this is a good focus to have as a resolution for the New Year.
Dress appropriately for school
Students should arrive at school dressed according to the school’s uniform code. This can be found on the school’s website in its entirety along with some specific information about acceptable trousers and skirts – however, for convenience, I include some of the key points below:
For all:
● Only plain black shoes, or boots between now and February half term, may be worn – Kickers are welcome – not trainers, Converse, Keds, Ugg boots or canvas
● The school jumper is the only jumper that can be worn – no alternative jumpers, hoodies or cardigans
● Tailored trousers – not jeans (not even black jeans), skinny jeans, leggings (girls), drain-piped trousers
If worn , hoodies will be confiscated and returned at the end of the day
For girls:
● Skirts can be plain or pleated, but should be standard school uniform skirts - definitely not the Lycra content fitted skirts that some girls have worn to school.
We do try to avoid sending students home for not being in full uniform, as we don’t think that this is always the best solution. However, we need parents’ support in keeping uniform as a non-issue by ensuring that their son or daughter is compliant. For persistent failure to wear uniform there is a strong likelihood of being sent home to change unless the student has a note in their journal giving a reasonable explanation and a short timescale for resolving any issue.

Staff Members leaving
Sadly, we will be saying goodbye to two members of staff at the end of this term. Matthew Mallon has been with us for six years. He has made a fantastic contribution to the PE department, and in particular as the second-in– charge of the department over the last two years. He is leaving in order to pursue his ambition to travel around the world.
Debra Robinson joined us as the second-in– charge of English back in 2002. Since 2006, she has worked productively with other staff across the school as an accredited Advanced Skills Teacher (AST). Ms Robinson’s contribution here has been magnificent. She is leaving us to take up a new post at Gladesmore Community School. I am sure that you will join me in thanking both Mr Mallon and Ms Robinson for their significant and valued contribution to HWS and in wishing them the very best for the future.

Successful students
As always our students continue to be our best ambassadors and I am particularly pleased with the way in which they continue to give 100% effort to ensure that Highgate Wood continues to be the a place where students thrive and succeed. During the course of this term there were a record number of students have been sent to me to celebrate their fantastic achievements in lessons. Among them are:
Joe Greener, 10S Science; Rio Newton-Price, 7G Open Evening Talk; Patrick Hegarty-Morrish, 7A English and History; Emma Kinloch, 7G Open Evening Talk; Alessandra Dakovic, 7H Geography; Ella Zabel, 7H Geography; Jamil Shallo, 7H Geography; Monica Nicolaou, 8T ECS; Lucy Carter, 8T ECS; Alex Whitlock, 8T ECS; Rebecca Franks, 8T ECS; Harley Downes, 8T ECS; Regan Cording, 9G ECS; Farhad Sahebzada, 9D English; Barney Terrington, 7D Art; Montana Cameron, 8G History; Charis Entwisle, 8G History; Lois Ward, 8G History; Eleanor Brady, 8G History and English; Tony Wood-Williams, 8G History; Martha McNaught-Davis, 12H Open Evening Talk; Magan Jimale, 12R Open Evening Talk; Jack Johnson 9W ECS; Anna Sorrell, 9W ECS; Alexandra Horton, 8D; Reece Cooper, 7W ECS; Eleanor Franks, 10H Textiles; Nadeem Jalrezi, 7D Art; Mohamed Omar, 8G English; Anicet Lieka, 8G English and Blue Weiss, 8G English.
Congratulations to those students. I hope to see many more during the course of the New Year.
I would like to thank you all again for your valued and continued support. I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and the very best for the festive season.
Remember, we return on Wednesday, January 5 with registration/tutorial time at 10.50am. We’re looking forward to seeing you and working with you in the New Year.
Patrick Cozier

Team sweeps up conference awards
The group of 34 students who represented Highgate Wood in the London Model UN (MUN) Conference was successful on two fronts last weekend.
The team won the inaugural London MUN trophy at the two-day event and were also named as best delegation and members of the team also collected 10 more individual awards.
The students took the parts of national delegates to the United Nations as well as behind-the-scenes bureaucrats.
In their roles, they sought to find an international framework to fight the trade in illegal drugs.

Student delegates packed the conference hall at the event

Head of Citizenship Niall O’Connor, who organises the school’s participation in this Global Classrooms event, said: “We selected our team from Years 9, 10 and 11, with more than a third of them participating for the first time. Every single student was focused, resolute and determined. They were involved in every debate and in every committee. Overall, the standard was the best I have seen in four years.”

Dates for your diary
Jan 4 2011: School closed
Jan 5 2011: Students return at 10.50am
Jan 10 2011: GCE/GCSE exams start
Jan 11 2011: Year 9 Options evening

Important notice: School starts on January 5. Students must be in school for 10.50am.tutorial

News Weekly 838

2010-12-10T11:13:00.004Z

Students peaceful protest makes news
Student representatives at Highgate Wood posted their concerns on the door of local Liberal Democrat MP and government minister Lynne Featherstone this week — and made the news.
In the run-up to the crucial vote in Parliament, the School Council delivered 800 postcards to protest at proposed changes to education policy to the MP’s local office.

Members of the School Council ready to hand in their protest

The students wanted Lynne Featherstone to keep to the Liberal Democrats’ election pledge not to support increases in tuition fees for study at university.
Their protest action was reported in this week’s issue of the Hornsey Journal with the headline: 'Haringey students rally for Lynne Featherstone to oppose tuition fee rise'.
Headteacher Patrick Cozier said: “The students’ protest is an indication of the strength of the student voice and our students are very passionate about their future. A rise in tuition fees will hit the wrong people the hardest, particularly those families who believe they cannot afford to send their children to university.”
Sam Birnie, who teaches Citizenship and co-ordinates the School Council, said: “The School Council acted on behalf of the whole student body. Students have been campaigning hard in school to raise awareness of the issues and to get as many postcards of protest as possible signed. It was great to see students being involved, organising themselves in a positive way to defend their future education.”

Fashion spectacular wows students
The world of fashion and beauty attracted the attention of a group of 60 students at the Fashion Show in Birmingham this week.
Already interested in textiles, design and fashion, students were invited to the show to find out more about the different careers and training in this huge industrial sector.
The trip was organised by Textiles teacher Stewart Brown, who accompanied the students to the National Exhibition Centre.

Retail therapy is part of the whole fashion experience

Mr Brown said: “Taking students to the show helps them grasp the enormity and economic importance of the fashion industry and the commercial activities associated with it. As well as being thrilled by the catwalk and its razzamatazz, they also found out about training and courses which will assist Year 9s when they decide on their Key Stage 4 courses.”
One of the students on the trip, Ashley Hamilton of 9D, said: “I was planning to do Textiles for one of my GCSE courses and the trip made me want to do it even more!”

Reaching out to a new generation
An outreach project by the Drama and Art departments bought benefits to the pupils and teachers of primary school and also helped some of our sixth formers to firm up their career goals.

Reaching out to Rokesly School’s pupils: Isabel Rickarby (far left) and Art teacher Haf Stephens played a big part

Drama teacher Kalli Stables was also involved.

Prize for naming new student mag
The students’ School Council plans to launch a magazine in the Spring term and is offering a prize to the student who can come up with the best name. The winner will get £10 HMV voucher. Suggestions for the name, which will become the masthead for the publication should be posted in the special box in the Learning Resource Centre by December 16.

A chance to work in the creative sector
Sixth formers thinking of a career in fashion, TV, film and the arts are offered an opportunity to take part in a London-wide project with some leading organisations in the sector.
Organised by arts organisation, Hanging Out, the project will place students with institutions like the V&A museum and the British Film Institute. Volunteers will be paid £15 a day expenses. Any sixth formers interested should see Haf Stephens in Art.

No uniform on December 16
For one day, students can come to school dressed in casual clothes as long as they pay £1 and wear a special wristband. On the same day teachers are being asked to wear uniform — with ties expertly knotted and displaying the regulation five stripes — and collect at least £5 in sponsorship from their classes for charity.
The no uniform day, organised by the students’ School Council to raise money for the Hillcrest charity in South Africa, is planned for the last Thursday of term, December 16.

Get fit and flexible with martial arts
A free trial session in martial arts is open to boys and girls this Monday lunchtime.
Boys in Years 7 and 8 and girls in Years 7-9 are welcome to the special session. Any students in these years who are interested should speak to Kristee Arkle in the PE department as soon as possible. Ms Arkle said: “We are hoping to keep martial arts classes going next term but we need at least 15 students to sign up.”

Runaway success for athletes
Highgate Wood students put in a real team effort at the Haringey Schools Cross-Country races last week. All the teams won places on the podium and some students raced so well that they will represent Haringey in the Middlesex Cross-Country Championships in February 2011.
The team results were:
Minor Year 7 Girls — 1st
Minor Year 7 Boys — 3rd
Junior Years 8/9 Girls — 2nd
Junior Years 8/9 Boys — 3rd
Intermediate Years 10/11 Girls — 1st
Intermediate Years 10/11 Boys — 2nd
Mr Ibrahim and Ms Arkle would like to congratulate the following students who will run for Haringey in the Middlesex races:
Helen Swinton, Zoe Hutchings, Molly Harrison, Giacomo Fargion, Natasha Fairclough, Kathleen Jackson, Jade O’Brien, Rhiannon Bassett and Ellen Jackson.

Paying by card takes off at school
The introduction of a cash-free canteen was successfully introduced last week.
Students and staff must now use a swipe card to pay for meals and snacks.
Most parents are using the online top-up facility, WisePay, on the school’s website. Students can also add money to their cards through cash machines in the dining hall and Wren reception.
The system has been overseen by Head of e-Learning Tristan Ashman, who said: “Students should be congratulated on the way they adapted so swiftly to the new system. I was impressed to see how they helped each other as they learnt to use the new cash loaders. A survey will be put on the school website to give us some more feedback on the launch.”

Dates for your diary
Dec 14-16: Winter Concerts
Dec 17: End of term, school ends at 12.15pm
Jan 4 2011: School closed
Jan 5 2011: Students return for 10.50am registration

Important notice: Buy your presents at buy.at/hwspsa to save money and help the school

News Weekly 837

2010-12-03T13:15:00.004Z

Message from the Headteacher
The last couple of weeks have been frantic and extremely busy at the school.

Patrick Cozier is determined the school should stay open and progress

They have reminded me of all the joys of Headship and some of the things that we have to sometimes contend with. Running the school is more than a full-time job, and, in the last fortnight we have also had the heavy snow fall, student protests and a certain level of public glare to deal with — all in a fortnight’s work!
Fortunately, the snow fall in the last few days has not been as disruptive as it might have been. It is always my first priority to keep the school open, unless it is absolutely impossible or unsafe to do so. Thanks to the amazing efforts of my site staff, we have been able to secure safe pathways into and across all areas of the school. Of course we didn’t clear all of the snow, hence many students (and some staff) have enjoyed the opportunity to engage in snow ball games. I am also pleased to report that only one member of staff (out of a staff of more than 150) was unable to make it to school due to the inclement weather. I am also proud of our students who have shown their determination and commitment to their learning by braving the cold weather and, in some cases, treacherous travelling conditions to come to school. A great effort by all.

You will no doubt be aware of the stories of school -aged children missing school to join the National Union of Students’ protest about the government’s plans to increase university tuition fees and to abolish the education maintenance allowance at Post 16.
I can understand the emotion, anxiety and anger about these proposals, and on a personal level I have much sympathy with the mood of opposition to this. I am also very proud of those students who are politically minded enough to want to do something in support of the protest to safeguard their future opportunities for further and higher education.
That said, I am unwilling to condone or support students, other than sixth formers, taking time off school for the purpose of travelling into central London unsupervised to join a protest which has, up to date, been very emotional and potentially unsafe, quite apart from the fact that it is regarded as truancy. What I am keen to do though is to actively support our students in finding an alternative way of expressing their views, and more importantly having them listened to. With this in mind, Ms Birnie, and some students in Year 11, organised the signing of a series of individual letters to Lynne Featherstone MP last week, expressing the students’ opposition to the proposed changes. Around 800 students have signed these letters and we are in the process of arranging delivery of these to our local MP. I think it is great to see the student voice in action, particularly when it is based on something so precious as their entitlement to access future learning opportunities.

Lastly, you may or may not be aware that the school has had some recent press coverage in the local media. This has been focused on matters relating to internal concerns expressed by the National Union of Teachers (NUT). I can appreciate that the coverage may well have caused some concern among those of you who read it. However, I want to reassure you that not everything is as presented. More importantly, I am pleased to announce that the school’s management and governors have been involved in constructive discussions with the NUT and we have agreed a process of on-going meetings and I am confident that these will move us forward. We are fully committed to providing high-quality education and we are confident that our progress on this matter will ensure that we can continue to focus on the learning and progress of our students as our number-one priority.
Patrick Cozier

School projects helped by the PSA
The school’s parent and staff association is backing five special activities enriching the experiences of students at the school.
At the meeting of the PSA on November 24, the full association agreed to pay out hundreds of pounds to projects and initiatives ranging from creative writing to playground games.
Parent Jane Morgan said: “The meeting was a lively event with great input from parents and staff. Teachers from English, Media Studies, Drama, Sixth Form and the Head of Year 8 pitched for money for some exciting projects.
“The underlying rationale was that the money we’ve raised should be spent on enriching the curriculum and not make up for money that should come from the local education authority.”
Members of staff had to make their case for funds. Audra Daws Knowles presented a bid for cameras for a new Year 9 media club; Chris Rhodes submitted a bid for the First Story creative writing project; Graham Contor requested funds to stage a play for Year 7 in collaboration with the Jacksons Lane Theatre and playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker; and Nick Charlesworth submitted a bid for money so that sixth formers could attend a conference on applying to university.
All these bids were successful and given £700 each. In addition, the PSA agreed to donate up to £100 towards the pat-ball tournament organised by Head of Learning, Kevin Brokenshire.
Later in proceedings parent governors, Caroline Conlon and Elizabeth Hess, and chair of the governing body Imogen Pennell spoke about the role and responsibilities of governors.
The meeting discussed ways in which communication between governors and parents could be enhanced.
On a fun note, the PSA lottery winners of £75, £50 and £25 were announced at the meeting.

Reminder for Year 12s
Any post-16 students who think they may now qualify for Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) are reminded to complete and submit an application form before December 31.
The benefit is means tested and the amount paid depends upon household income before tax.
Students who qualify can receive up to £30 a week with additional bonuses during the year.
Application forms are available from Karen Kent in the Attendance Office.
EMA is being scrapped at the end of this school year and will not be paid for post-16 study after July 2011. Students who already receive the allowance do not have to do anything, unless their circumstances have changed.

Important information for Year 8
Science assessment tests will be set for Year 8 during next week, starting on Monday.
A list of topics for revision has been distributed — further copies are available from Year 8’s Head of Learning Kevin Brokenshire and Head of Science Mr Brennan.

Workshop for young politicians
Students who are thinking of starting out in a career in politics can go to a day-long workshop this Saturday to find out more.
The workshop will examine the topics of citizenship and democracy and hold sessions on electioneering and political administration.
They will also learn about the UK Youth Parliament and what being a representative on that body will involve.
Any student interested should go to the Bruce Grove Youth Club at 10 Bruce Grove N17 on Saturday. The workshop is free and runs from 10.30am until 3pm.

Charitable effort on World Aids Day
Students marked World Aids Day on December 1 by raising money for the Hillcrest Aids charity in South Africa. They sold brooches made at the South African organisation and raised £150. Next summer, a group of Year 12s will volunteer to help the charity in South Africa.

Cyclists in line for prizes
All the 90 students who took part in the cycling skills and training course run by the Cyclicious organisation earlier this term have the chance to win prizes in a lucky dip draw.
One of the students on the course, Tariq Taha of 8T, completed every stage of the cycling proficiency test and has been presented with a certificate.
The prizes for the draw include a cycle helmet, speedometer and a special bag of gifts put together by Mr Brokenshire.

Winter concert tickets
Tickets for the concerts are on sale at break, lunch and after school They cost £5 for adults and £3 for students and concessions.

Dates for your diary
Dec 9: Sixth Form Open Evening
Dec 14-16: Winter Concerts
Dec 17: End of term school ends at 12.25pm
Jan 4 2011: Inset day
Jan 5 2011: Students return for 8.35am start

Important notice: Buy your Xmas presents at buy.at/hwspsa, save money and help the school

Year 7 Art Exhibition

2010-12-01T05:31:00.001Z

This London Breed
An exhibition of Year Seven art work is being launched with a private view at Highgate Wood School on Thursday 2nd December 2010. The exhibition is entitled ‘This London Breed’ and will take place at the school between 6.00 and 7.30pm, with speeches being made at 6.30pm.

The exhibition includes Japanese paper lanterns, silk screen prints based on Matisse, a plastic bottle installation based on the work of Yinka Shonibare and pieces inspired by the East End’s Pearly Kings and Queens executed using buttons. The artworks will be displayed in the Wren entrance of the school.

Biscuits prepared by student members of the school’s ‘Lets Get Cooking Club’ will go on sale during the exhibition private view to support the school’s partner charity in South Africa, Hillcrest Aids Charity Trust.

Head of Art, Matthew Astrop, commented: “We look forward to welcoming parents of our new Year Seven students to the school to view the art work created by their children and to participate with us in celebrating their success."

The exhibition will continue to be on display on Friday the 4th of December. Students, parents and members of the public are all welcome to attend.

News Weekly 836

2010-11-26T09:27:00.010Z

Paying by card is the only way to pay
The school’s change-over to cashless payment for food and drink from the canteen starts on Monday, November 29.
Parents and students are reminded to load their cards with cash ready for Monday morning.
Swipe cards have been distributed to students and should be ‘charged up’ as quickly as possible.

All parents should have received an explanatory booklet and a letter from the school giving personal usernames and passwords so that they can top-up online.
The school would like parents to use the school’s website to access WisePay and put money on the cards as much as possible.
Head of e-Learning Tristan Ashman explains how to put money on to the swipe cards. He says: “Visit the school’s website at www.hws.uk.com and click on the WisePay logo or button, which will take you to the payment home page. On the right-hand side of this page there is a login area. Type in your username and password set out in the letters recently sent home — which will bring up your ‘Wise Account’.
“After initially logging on to WisePay you will be able to change their passwords if you want to, but if you do change it, I recommend you choose one specific to your ‘Wise Account’ and not one that you use for another login.”
The school has arranged for an alternative method for students to top-up their swipe cards in an emergency. Students can use a cash-loader machine to put money on their cards. One cash-loader machine is located in the dining area and another in the Wren reception. Mr Ashman said: “I hope most parents will use WisePay. If they have any queries they may find the answers on the Q&As at the website.
_____________________________________________
Click here to go straight to the Cashless Catering pages of the school site.
Click here for Your Wisepay pages to make payments
Click here if you need to contact the school regarding Cashless Catering.
________________________________________________________

Student’s story in young writers’ book
Alexandra Horton of Year 8 has achieved the dream of writers of all ages by having one of her short stories printed by a leading publisher.
Unknown to her parents, Alexandra sent a manuscript to children’s book publisher, Red House, in the Spring of this year as an entry in its annual competition for young writers.
To her family’s surprise, Alexandra was told in the summer that her story — Blinded by the Light — would be included in Red House’s Young Writers’ Yearbook 2010.
Her parents have donated a copy of the book to the school’s library. In a letter to Headteacher Patrick Cozier, they said: “The entries were judged by author Matt Whyman, and part of Alexandra’s prize was to attend a workshop led by Matt which she thoroughly enjoyed. We thought the school would be interested and want to celebrate her achievement.”
Alexandra’s Head of Learning Mr Brokenshire said: “Naturally, we are all delighted. I am arranging for her story to be prominently displayed in the English Department and I shall be asking all Year 8 tutors to read her story out loud during tutorial time in the next few weeks.”

Local charity says thanks to runners
A local charity, The Bobath Centre, which helps children with cerebral palsy, has seen its coffers swell by almost £1,500 thanks to 15 girls from Highgate Wood.
They took part in the Adidas Women’s 5K Challenge run in September and raised money for the charity. PE Teacher Kristee Arkle, who also took part, wants to thank the students who helped raise the money. They are: Eden Barre, Molly Bassett, Rhiannon Bassett, Natasha Fairclough, Eleanor Franks, Rosa Gamble, Lauren Gee, Kate Gosschalk, Ellie Jackson, Kathleen Jackson, Grace Ludlow, Hannah Mitchell, Adyna Moseley, Jade O'Brien, Lily Owen, Tilly Pembury-Smith, Megan Selby and Josie Shand.
Kevin Gillespie Fundraising Manager for the Bobath Centre said: “Your fundraising efforts will help us to make a difference to the lives of hundreds of children affected by cerebral palsy. I’ll be sending the school a certificate for the school as a small token of our appreciation.”

Year 7 art show for family and friends
Paintings, drawings, sketches and designs in bold colours will be displayed in the school next week for parents and friends of Year 7.
A collection of art works created by Year 7 this term, including some of the multicultural art created during last week’s day-long enrichment activities, will be on display.
The exhibition takes place on Thursday, December 2 from 6pm to 7.30pm in the Wren.

One of the works of art that will be displayed at the show

Deputy Head of Art Haf Stephens said: “On show will be work from the enrichment day in which students experienced a rich mix of cultural inspirations including batik patterns, pearly-kings and African artefacts. All the art teachers were involved in the enrichment programme as well as two visiting artists linked to the school, Toby Burton and Laura Bissonnet. Everyone is welcome to come to the exhibition.”

Year 10s take on public speaking challenge
A group of 20 Year 10s took part in the first round of an annual competition to find articulate and confident speech-makers on Monday.
The students were competing in the Jack Petchey Foundation’s Speak Out Challenge.
Over the coming weeks, 200,000 competitors, drawn from 500 secondary schools in London and Essex, will have to speak publicly in knock-out rounds on subjects they identify with.
During Monday’s competition in the school, the Year 10s were trained by professionals from the Speakers’ Trust. At the end of the day, two students, Niall Kennedy and Jack Stevens, were selected to represent the school against other Haringey schools next month.
The event was organised by Assistant Headteacher Lindsay Pinnick, Manager of the Learning Resource Centre Pam Norris and Connexions Advisor, Sally-Anne Simmons who acted as judges. Ms Pinnick said: “The training enabled the students to develop and improve their public-speaking skills. They then had to speak on a topic they felt strongly about for three minutes. In addition to the two winners, the judges chose Millie Page as reserve and gave a special commendation to Maddie Sellers and Cameron Thomas for making the most improvement.
“I was really impressed by all the Year 10s and I’m looking forward to the finals next month as we have the talent to beat the other schools.”

Students say no on a postcard
A group of Year 11s who represent other students on the School Council have started a campaign to protest at the government’s plans to abolish the Educational Maintenance Allowance for post-16 students and allow universities to increase tuition fees. They’ve designed a postcard to be signed by students as an expression of their opposition to the measures, which will be sent to local MP and government minister Lynne Featherstone. One of the organisers, Katba Imansouren said: “Other schools have found out about our campaign and want us to send them a copy so they can do it too.”

Year 8s’ end-of-term disco
Kevin Brokenshire Head of Learning for Year 8, has promised to bring some glitter to the end of term. He’s arranged a disco for Year 8 on Friday, December 10 between 5pm and 7pm and will be sending permission slips to parents next week, which must be returned by December 3.
He said: “If any parents can help in any way I’d be very grateful — please contact me at the school. Food and refreshment will be available on the night. Students will be expected to make a small contribution on entry.”

Young rugby league players try hard
PE teacher Ryan Pryor wants to thank Year 8’s rugby league players for their efforts in the North London Championships this week. The team were runners-up among the Haringey schools.

Dates for your diary
Dec 1: Year 12/13 Parents’ Evening
Dec 2: Year 7 Art Show 6pm—7.30pm
Dec 9: Sixth Form Open Evening
Dec 14-16: Winter Concerts
Dec 17: End of term school ends at 12.25pm

Important notices: Year 11 mock GCSEs start on Monday at 8.35am. Pay by your card in the canteen from Monday

News Weekly 835

2010-11-19T09:52:00.003Z

Parents discuss students’ progress
Almost 200 Year 9 parents came to the school last Thursday evening to find out more about their children’s progress.
The event gives parents the chance to talk to teachers and discuss their children’s learning, achievements and any points of issue.
Head of Learning Bronach McConville said: “Parents were so keen to discuss their children’s education that some stayed later than the official closing time.
“They showed considerable interest in their children’s education and I appreciate their commitment. I would also like to thank the teachers for their help.”
In the coming weeks Year 9 students will have to choose the subjects they want to pursue at Key Stage 4 which will begin in the summer term.
While other Years held academic reviews on Monday, Year 9s attended information sessions on their options for Key Stage 4.
A special parents’ evening on Year 9s’ options will take place on January 11.

Parents talk about their experiences
Earlier this year parents offered to contribute to the discussions on initiatives to raise achievement by students at GCSE level.
On Wednesday, a group of parents of last year’s Year 11 attended a special meeting at which they discussed their family’s experiences and formulated some ideas which they think could help the school to make a difference in the coming years. Their views are being collated by Assistant Headteacher Claire Allaway for a report to the school’s senior managers.
She said: “We had a good response from parents who attended the meeting as well as emails from other parents who wanted to contribute to the debate. Evidently parents, even those who may no longer have children at the school, want the next wave of students to do their best in exams. The feedback was thoughtful and will help us in our efforts to ensure improved experiences of Key Stage 4 for students and parents. A report from the meeting will be given to Headteacher Patrick Cozier and the senior leadership team and will be discussed with Heads of Learning and Departments and the school’s Learning and Teaching Forum.”

Early closing on Thursday
Parents are reminded that school will end after period 4 (1.10pm) next Thursday. Lunches will be available. Staff training will take place in the afternoon.

iPod prize awaits a Year 8 ball player
Patball is a popular game in the playground for many students and next week a knockout competition starts for Year 8.
Organised by Head of Learning Kevin Brokenshire, the competition will run over two weeks, starting on Monday, November 22.
The winner of the competition will receive an iPod Shuffle with other prizes for the runners up.

Who will be the winner of the iPod Shuffle?

‘Ask the governors’ at PSA meeting
All parents are welcome at the PSA meeting on Wednesday, November 24.
Several of the school’s governors will attend to talk about their role in the school.
The PSA will also discuss how to allocate the money it has raised so far and there’ll be the next draw in the PSA lottery. The meeting starts at 7.30pm.

Update on the Winter Concerts
At auditions this week, the acts for the school’s Winter Concerts have been chosen.
The performers will feature on a programme that also includes performances by the school’s music clubs, choirs and orchestra.
The concerts will be held for three consecutive nights in the last week of term, from Tuesday December 14 to Thursday, December 16.
Tickets will go on sale from November 29 outside the Wren office at lunchtimes and after school. Tickets cost £5 for adults and £3 for students and concessions.
Tickets may be reserved by emailing tha@hws.haringey.sch.uk but must be collected within three days.

A personal well-done to Year 11
Headteacher Patrick Cozier wants to thank the students and teachers of Year 11 for their efforts and dedication in the recent public exams.
In a bold initiative this school year, Year 11s sat their English GCSE much earlier than previously— last week in fact. In the same week, some Year 11s took their Maths GCSE too.
The thinking behind this move, which is commonplace in high-achieving schools, is to give Year 11 more time to concentrate on raising their achievements in other GCSE subjects.
Mr Cozier said: “There was a monumental effort from staff in the English and Maths departments to ensure that students were ready and prepared and I would like to thank them for their commitment and unswerving efforts. I believe Year 11 will reap the rewards later this year.”

New police officer on the school’s beat
PC Alan Rankin is the school’s new dedicated police officer. Part of Haringey’s police force, PC Rankin takes over the role as the Safer Schools Officer from PC Ken Egbuniwe, who has moved to a role at the Haringey Pupil Support Centre.
PC Rankin will be formally introduced to students at assemblies over the coming weeks.
Headteacher Patrick Cozier said that he would like to record his thanks to PC Egbuniwe and will be inviting him back to the school at the end of this term for a formal thank-you.

New school governor
Meltem Erbil has been elected as a school governor, representing staff on the governing body. Meltem, who is the school’s liaison officer for the school’s Turkish-speaking community, will join representatives form parents, teachers, the community and the headteacher on the governing body.

Mock exams for Year 11
Year 11 mock exams will start on November 29 and finish on Friday, December 10.

Reminder for Year 10s
Preparations for Year 10s’ work experience next term are well underway.
Those students who are choosing their placement themselves are reminded to return the Own Find forms to Mrs Kent as soon as possible.
Potential employers have to be checked and approved by the external organisers, HEBP, before final approval can be given.

Dates for your diary
Dec 1: Year 12/13 Parents’ Evening
Dec 2: Year 7 Art Show 6pm—8pm
Dec 9: Sixth Form Open Evening
Dec 14-16: Winter Concerts

Important notice: School finishes after lunch on November 25

Games will take place before and after school.Year 8s should check their notice board by A11.