On 15 March, Romario and Mannie from the Brentford Football Club held a workshop with 20 students from Year 8. The aim of the workshop was to develop positive relationships and was targeted towards students who could benefit from improving their behaviour in and out of school.

The workshop started with an icebreaker where we had to say our names with an action, and repeated everyone else’s name with their action. I realised it was a task to get to know each other in a fun way.

Another fun activity was the truth and lies, a game of saying two truths about ourselves and one lie and the others had to guess the lie. It was a good way of observing ways in which people talk when they are telling the truth or lying. It was also a good activity in developing our communication skills.

We discussed our role models and who we would like to be like and hopefully, that would help create a positive atmosphere in school. My favourite task was the START and STOP activity. We each had to reflect and say what negative we would like to stop and what positive difference we would want to start.    

Overall, I enjoyed the workshop and have learnt a few things as to how I can make a positive contribution in and out of school.

Haseena Sekandary [8B]

We have waited patiently for the delivery of our new minibus for 974 days! A record setting amount of time in anyone’s books.  There have been three Prime Ministers, three Foreign Secretaries, four Home Secretaries and three Chancellors have been appointed during this time, not forgetting a new monarch.

The minibus will mean that students can get to their sports fixtures and trips easily and its inaugural outing on Saturday to the Wimbledon Magistrates Court resulted in our Year 9 students winning the regional trophy.  Long may it continue! 

Congratulations to our Premises and Facilities Manager for the procurement of this jewel in our crown.

Going to Shakespeare’s Globe to watch the modern adaptation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was extremely interesting. Watching the play in the way they would have done in the Shakespearean era, with some schools standing up, others sitting in the dome and the absence of the roof really contributed to the otherworldly environment. It was interesting to see the Capulet and Montague families armed with knives, rather than swords, travelling across the stage on bicycles and electric scooters. The play overall was thrilling and the little present-day tweaks made it unique and intriguing.

Anneka Chumber [9G]

I really enjoyed watching ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in the theatre because, whilst I was reading the play, I was imagining it in my head and it was completely different to watching it in the theatre. Even though it was different, it was amazing. I had no idea what was coming next, which is ironic because I’ve read the full play. All the actors seemed very in sync and connected. Every time there was a tense moment, I could feel it. Even though the play was modernised, it still presented patriarchy and old-fashioned attitudes towards love and women extremely well. For example, when Juliet refused to marry Paris. There were also instances when the actors interacted with the audience, which was funny, but it also intrigued me as it allowed me to see the characters as actual people in a sad predicament and to put myself in their shoes.

Luna Augusto Velasco [9W]

Airbus Degree Apprenticeship Success

Thanks to the unwavering support from my teachers and friends, I was able to receive an offer for the Level 6 Digital Technology and Solutions Degree Apprenticeships at Airbus at Filton.

When applying for university, I decided to review all the alternative options I had post-18 and opted for a degree apprenticeship. This decision was driven by the prospect of having a full-time job to kickstart my career as a software engineer without incurring debt.

After applying for over 25 degree apprenticeships, I finally "landed" a face-to-face interview with the Airbus recruitment team. Throughout this process, I received significant support from my excellent teachers and friends, such as Mr. Naqvi and Iman, who helped me prepare with mock interviews. Mr. Naqvi even went as far as inviting alumni who had also pursued degree apprenticeships to provide assistance and share their personal experiences. 

Zaccheus Soares [13E]

The trip was a fun and immersive event, walking through the exhibitions helped me to come up with new creative and innovative projects for my theme. I am sure it would have done the same for the rest of my class. It was also captivating to see that art has many forms, for example, shown on a hologram or displayed on a projector. I personally enjoyed the Serpentine Exhibition because it was a 3D motion of nature and all the motions overlaying. It was really calming to watch. 

Riya Chana [13F]

Miriam from Richmond Hill Hotel, came to school to speak to Year 12 students about the range of opportunities in the hospitality sector.  We all learnt about the different roles and understood more about different career pathways in this exciting field. Miriam offered part-time work experience opportunities at the hotel, as well as apprenticeships for after A Levels. Overall, being able to learn from Miriam's presentation experience was a valuable learning opportunity that will undoubtedly enhance my future academic and professional endeavours in the field of hospitality.

Kayli Clemente [12F]

This presentation was really enlightening as I learnt about a career path that I've recently become interested in.  Miriam explained in detail how the world of hospitality worked and was really vivacious as she did, making me even more interested. She gave us an introduction to Richmond Hill Hotel and explained the various ways to get into hospitality, as well as describing the multitude of uses for Richmond Hill Hotel, including as a wedding venue. This was a wonderful experience and Miriam was a joy to talk to. The presentation was thorough and intriguing. I would like to use this opportunity to thank Richmond Hill Hotel and especially Miriam for this amazing opportunity.

Aisha Hajiadam [12A]