Grow & Thrive

This month has been Disability Awareness Month. We had the privilege of hearing Chloe in Year 10 speak to the school about her autism and how she uses strategies to cope with challenges.

Her speech was a great opportunity to discover more about other people’s abilities and ways of communicating and interacting. Mr Barrett received a diagnosis as an adult and he also spoke to us about his experiences.

During Hearing Impairment Week Dunia from Year 7 spoke to pupils about how hearing aids help her as well as how microphones help block out other noises. Her speech was an inspiration to us all.

Bradley in Year 10 coordinated activities for us on World Diabetes Day. Over £100 was raised for Diabetes UK from his bake sale.

We loved learning how to play Wheelchair Rugby when Saracens Wheelchair Rugby Club came in to run training sessions for us!

PSHCE

PSHCE has been very busy this term!

Year 7 have been learning about personal safety and First Aid and created a board game in our annual House competition to learn the Saracens High values. They also met a paramedic, two magistrates, a community Police officer, an ex-offender and a representative from the Daniel Spargo Mabbs Foundation on Your Life, You Choose day.

Year 8 were challenged to create a board game that would teach Equality Law and the protected characteristics. They also learnt about the consequences of crime and how to make good choices.

Years 9 and 10 have been learning about money matters, tax codes, and how to rent accommodation as part of the Independent Living unit. Year 11 have been discussing the risks associated with new psychoactive substances and the laws that surround them.

Years 9, 10 and 11 have also been working with Brook to understand more about tackling Sexual harassment and how to be an upstander not a bystander.

Design and Technology

This year we welcomed Mrs Nembard to the team, teaching Food and DT.

We had a very busy #TogetherWe Create in which members of other subject areas became honorary DT teachers for a week! They enabled us to make and plant garden boxes filled with plants and bulbs, wind chimes and a model of Grahame Park and Stepping Stones.

It has been wonderful getting to know some Year 7s in DT and sad saying goodbye to some Year 8s as they move onto Food next term.

Year 9s have begun with enthusiasm and Year 10s have grown in skills and knowledge.

Year 11 are continuing with the project based part of their GCSE; designing, modelling and will soon be making their concepts physically real.

DT Club is on Mondays and is open to all pupils. This term we have seen a mix of Year 7s supported by Year 10s and they have been involved in producing some of the props for The Grinch.

Spanish trip to the cinema

At the beginning of November all the Year 7 pupils went to watch the Mexican film ‘Coco’ at Everyman cinema in Barnet. The film is based on the holiday of Día de Muertos, a 12-year-old boy named Miguel, and his journey to the Land of the Dead in search of his own heritage and history. We enjoyed watching the movie in Spanish with English subtitles and we sang along to ‘Un poco loco’ which we had learnt in Spanish lessons.

It was a great experience for all involved, from watching the film on the comfy cinema sofas – and sharing a few tears in the last couple of minutes – to the tube ride. We have already booked the venue for next year’s event!

History: Meanwhile…Elsewhere

This term, the History team launched our ‘Meanwhile… Elsewhere’ projects for Years 7 and 8. These projects allow pupils to broaden their knowledge through researching a significant event that happened elsewhere in the world within the same time period that they are studying.

Year 7 have been constructing answers to enquiries such as ‘what made Baghdad and Constantinople special?’ and ‘did the Normans bring a truckload of trouble in England?’ ‘Meanwhile…Elsewhere’ they learnt about the Gupta Empire, an ancient Indian civilisation.

Year 8 have been constructing answers to enquiries such as ‘why was Britain turned upside down in the 17th Century?’ and ‘how revolutionary was the Age of Revolution?’ ‘Meanwhile…Elsewhere’ they learnt about Nur Jahan, the most powerful empress of the Mughal Empire.

We received some outstanding, and incredibly beautiful, projects from the pupils this term and a huge number of pupils received postcards home and merits for their hard work. Some of the most impressive projects are now on display in our History classrooms, and we hope to add more next term as we launch our second set of ‘Meanwhile… Elsewhere’ projects; this time focusing on the Song Dynasty in China (Year 7) and the story of Caroline Mathilde, Queen of Denmark in the 18th Century (Year 8.)

Year 9

On Thursday 16 December we will be celebrating the pupils who are always doing the right thing, living our values and showing kindness. These are pupils with great attendance, attitude to learning and very few, if any, incidents. Well done to all of you.