I was really excited when I was told that we were going to take part in the National Reading Quiz. The regional heats took place at school, in the library via Microsoft teams. We all worked hard as a team, only to find out we won!! This meant that we got to take part in the finals, with schools from all across the UK. On the day of the finals, we arrived at school at 8am and took the tube to Central London, where the finals would be. When we arrived, I was amazed that even though all the schools were competing against each other, we all had something in common - our love of reading! There were 10 rounds of 10 questions each, and we all worked together to do our best. During the lunch break, we were given some books and bookmark to take home. Also, there was food, hot drinks and lots of snacks to keep us energised and ready for the last few rounds. When the final round ended, I saw the relief on everyone's faces. There was a very interesting interview with author Patrice Lawrance. We also had a special message sent from author Michael Morpurgo, wishing us luck for the competition. We came 19th out of over 300 schools! 

Jasia Kwokova 8Y

Congratulations to Prem Ghatora, Himat Rai, Jasia Kwokova, and Sylvie Maclean.

On Friday 6^th May, the Heston Community School Governors were invited to the Governors’ Open Day, in order to see a normal school day in action and to speak to staff and students about how the school is operating. 

This was a wonderful opportunity to spend time getting to know about all aspects of school life, from the way the PSHE curriculum is implemented across different year groups, to the role of the Head Students, as well as the building plans that the school has been working on behind the scenes. The highlights of the day were the opportunities to see the students in a wide range of lessons, from the creativity of seeing Year 8 crafting some beautiful Islamic-inspired stained glass windows in Art, to the essential life skills of Year 12 learning about how to de-escalate dangerous situations and report assaults. 

Conversations with staff and students throughout the day were productive and demonstrated the commitment that the whole school community has to developing kindness, ambition and resilience in all students. 

Sarah Farmer, Staff Governor

Silver DofE Expedition 

Over the half-term, the Year 12 Duke of Edinburgh Award participants completed a three-day expedition in Ashdown Forest. Students hiked, camped and cooked in the Forest and managed to endure heavy rain and even hail!

I am very proud of their determination and resilience in making it through the assessment.

Mr A Juriansz [DofE Leader]

"Waking up to the sound of hundreds of birds chirping was a surreal experience" - Kareena Yr 12

"By challenging myself, by taking on DofE, I took on a thrilling experience of walking for great distances using a map to guide my team and the joy within camping and starting up a camp fire!" - Anisha Yr 12

"My most memorable experience of this DofE expedition was definitely the instance where our group was being threatened by cows. The campfire on the first night was also a wholesome moment where we were all gathered together roasting marshmallows and discussing the day we had experienced." - Maria Yr 12

"My favourite moment from the DofE expedition is when my team and I were chased by cows/bulls, it was a frightening, but thrilling experience as my whole team was able to have a laugh while running back to reach another, safer part of the footpath. Other memorable moments included the campfire and roasting marshmallows while talking to my friends about the day we had encountered. If I was to redo this trip, the only thing I would've changed is making sure we spread out our walking distance evenly instead of doing 7 hours on the first day which made us very tired. However, it was a lovely experience and I would definitely remember the moments we experienced on the trip." - Manroze Yr12
 

In late April, Heston Community School had a ‘Well-being Week’ in which all students from years 7-11 got to try new experiences. Every student tried a yoga session with a teacher from Livekarma, and also got to try a karate session with a teacher from Goju Kai.

The responses we received were incredibly positive, with 93% of survey respondents saying they enjoyed trying a new activity and 98.9% saying that they felt better after the sessions.

Current UK research shows that student participation in clubs improves mental and physical health, also helping to develop qualities such as resilience and ambition.There are also strong links between club participation and academic attainment.

Personally, I really enjoyed trying the yoga, as I felt very relaxed after the session, this is something I would definitely like to do again. The karate session was also fascinating as I learnt new techniques and skills, whilst having fun with my classmates! I think that these new experiences benefited our physical skills, as well as our mental well-being.

Below are some quotes from other students who took part in the sessions:

“Yoga helped me, I felt a lot better after it.” - Bilal Shah, 7Y

“Yoga helps us to let go of our stress and anxiety.” - Jasmita Iragam 8R

“They really helped me increase my knowledge of relaxation and self-defence!” - Louis De Vera, 8Y

“I really enjoyed karate.” Habib Faqi, 9Y

“Karate was amazing!” Sehraj Chawla, 10B

“Great new experiences!” Maram Bouaroudj, 110

By Jassia Kwokova 8Y

I am delighted to say that I have been accepted into the Physics - Rockets, relativity, and quantum mechanics course at Eton College with their Summer University Programme. Being accepted into this programme means a lot to me as it will give me an insight into university style courses. This course will broaden my theoretical and technical knowledge as I will get to learn about modern physics concepts and get the opportunity to work hands-on on a water rocket project where we will be analysing its motion and the mechanics behind it.  I will expand my skill base and strengthen my problem-solving skills as I will be tackling and solving real-life problems.

I want to pursue a degree in Aeronautics and Spacecraft Engineering at university, therefore this week-long programme will be highly valuable for my future. I have always been interested in theoretical physics and the way our universe works and I have wanted to learn more about it. By taking part in this course, I will get the opportunity to broaden my knowledge and gain further information, so I can make the best decision for Post 18. The courses at Eton are highly respected and explore challenging concepts where I will have to make sure I perform to the best of my ability to complete and face challenging tasks, learn new concepts, and work through given assignments individually that will build my independent study skills and help me prepare for university.

Applying to super-curricular courses plays a major role in building your character and shows that you have a great passion for your subject. Gaining this experience and presenting it to my desired university will give me that competitive edge over other applicants who may have achieved the same grades but may have not completed many super-curricular activities.  Attending this course will be very significant for my university applications as it show my passion for this field of study. It will also give me a topic of discussion during interviews and the selection process.

I look forward to learning concepts outside my school syllabus and developing my understanding of Physics as well as exploring the prestigious nature of study at Eton. 

I would also like to take this opportunity to recognise my seven peers who were also successful in their applications to Eton Summer School.

Rohit Kumar Bajaj 

Year 12