Dear Families,
It’s been a successfully busy few weeks at School 21. Please read our latest newsletter with news about our Reception Open Morning next week, the amazing launch of our Festival of Light, sport success, great learning across the school and lots more!
On Friday 29th November, all staff from School 21 joined up with our colleagues from Big Education. This saw staff from our other sister schools, School 360 and Surrey Square, as well as from the Big Education Central Team come together with us for our annual Big Education INSET.
We were honoured to be joined by our keynote speaker, world renowned education expert, Jean Gross, CBE. Jean has led many national initiatives aimed at improving learning, attainment and well-being of disadvantaged children and those with educational needs. She engaged us in some deep thinking about Emotional Intelligence and how this frames our work as educators.
We also engaged in a fascinating session on Artificial Intelligence, exploring the opportunities and risks in the field of education. The initial session was led expertly by Big Education's Head of Digital, Ben Rollo Hayward. We then collaborated to develop some meaningful uses of AI in our respective classrooms/roles.
To top of the amazing day, we hosted our first Big Education Staff Awards. Colleagues had nominated their peers who embody our Trust Values and our very own , Lola Blatch picked up the award for 'Be Brave' – congratulations, Lola!
Please take a look below at all the other wonderful things going on at School 21.
Many thanks to you all for your ongoing support and feedback.
Moray Dickson – Headteacher
NEWS – Reception Open Morning – NEXT WEEK!
If you have a child who will be turning 5 years old between 1st September 2025 and 31st August 2026 then please attend our open day on the 12th December 2024.
Please also share the details with friends and family who will be looking for Reception admission for September 2025.
Here is a copy of the Starting School in Newham booklet which will guide you through the process.
More information can also be found on the Newham website: Primary School Admissions
Reception applications will need to be made through: eAdmissions
Applications must be completed and submitted before 5pm 15th January 2025, after this time applications will be considered as late.
If you have any difficulties completing the Newham Admissions form you can contact their School Admission Team Email: [email protected] Phone: 020 8430 2000
NEWS – Festival of Light Launch Success!
Last week's Year 4-6 Festival of Light concert was an incredible success!
Year 5 kicked off the show with an incredible Samba Reggae performance, using the new drums and Samba instruments that came with our funding from Restore the Music this term.
Year 6 performed film themes such as Wallace and Gromit, Pirates of the Caribbean and Mission Impossible as whole-class bands, part of School21's ambitious band project.
Year 4 took the hall by storm with their singing and a performance of Jingle Bells on their recorders. We were treated to powerful performances from the Primary Choir and staff choirs. Even the audience joined in with some Samba Chill harmonies. Finally, we sang the wonderful Something Inside So Strong as our grand finale .
The primary and music teams are incredibly proud of all of the children involved in the concert, and we'd also like to thank our parent community for coming and supporting their children so wholeheartedly.
Next Thursday 12th December will be the senior Years 10-13 concert, and on the 17th December we have Reception to Year 3 performing in two concerts on the day.
Tickets still available via Weduc!
NEWS – School21 Tuck Shop opened by Year 8
Mrs. Gumbeer, Lead Food Technology Teacher, along with the newly recruited team of School21 Food Ambassadors, has launched the School21 Tuck Shop. This student-led initiative is a continuation of a real-world learning (RWL) project delivered to Year 7 students last year as part of Project-Based Learning (PBL). The Tuck Shop was initially funded by the charity Harvest UK and operates as an independent, student-run project. Open every Friday during break time, it offers a variety of snacks and drinks to the school community. Some of the snacks, such as pizza slices, popcorn, and breakfast muffins, are freshly prepared on Friday mornings. The snacks are sold at a discounted price, and the Tuck Shop has quickly become a popular spot within the school.
NEWS – PRIMARY PLAYGROUND DONATIONS NEEDED!
The primary children have been loving all the additions to our playground! We are still in need of lots of donations from parents and the wider community, we would be grateful for donations of new or gently used items. Donations can be dropped off at the school reception for Ms. Maggy or at the B4 reception classroom for Mr. Modini. We appreciate any contribution to improving the children's playtime. Please see below for some of the things that would be useful to donate.
NEWS – Musical Cast Inspired by Theatre Trip
The cast of our upcoming school musical, Guys and Dolls, recently visited the Bridge Theatre to watch their current show! The experience was truly inspiring and has energised our cast to deliver an amazing performance! Keep an eye out for more updates on our production.
SPORT News @School 21
GCSE Boys Battle it out on the Basketball Court
School 21’s GCSE PE boys showcased incredible determination in their debut basketball fixture against Rokeby. From the opening whistle, the team displayed grit, skill, and teamwork, keeping the score tight throughout the game. Each player contributed with dynamic plays, sharp passes, and unwavering energy. Despite the boys valiant effort, Rokeby edged ahead in the final quarter, capitalising on key opportunities. The School 21 lads fought until the last second, demonstrating resilience and sportsmanship, but ultimately fell short, losing by just 7 points. Though the result wasn’t in our favour, the team left the court with heads held high.
Well done Year 9 Footballers!
Well done to the year 9 boys football team who beat Forest Gate School 6-0 in their first game of the season. Training is every Wednesday afternoon 3.30-4.30 for all boys in secondary school and they can just come along and play.
Learning in School 21
Reception
We have been continuing our celebrations topic by learning the Nativity story! We made mini booklets about the Nativity. We also made different celebration symbols out of playdough. We have been learning about numbers 7, 8 and 9 in maths this week and placing them in different arrangements on the ten frames.
Year 1
The last 2 weeks have been very busy for Year 1, with lots of visits to our local area, including West Ham All Saints Church, where we were able to go into the building and look around. We found out that the building is over 1000 years old, and even saw one of the stones from the original building. We also visited the post office, and posted some letters that we had written (keep an eye out for these in the post!) This week, we were also invited to Highway Vineyard Church where we learnt more about Christmas following our RE topic of Christianity and learning about special gifts. We had so much fun experiencing the different parts of the Christmas story, which were really interactive and engaging. In English, we have been learning and writing about Mo Farah, and have started looking at poetry. We will be looking at, and writing our own poems over the next 2 weeks. In Maths, we have been focusing on numbers to 20, recognising the digit and writing the number in words. We have also created our own number lines to help us with ordering and sequencing our numbers too.
Year 2
This week the year 2 children visited London SEALIFE Aquarium! This trip was a part of the children's coastal project where we have been focusing on the impacts human developments has had on our coasts and the beautiful life that lives there. The children had a fantastic time and had the opportunity to see many of the creatures we have been discussing as we learn how we can protect our costal habitats.
In class they have been learning about how they can protect the coast and the sea creatures. They made ‘Save the Whale’ posters and even created invented sea creatures! Next week they will be work in teams to bring these invented sea creatures to life through using recycled materials. Everyone is super excited to see these come to life!
Year 3
On Monday, Year 3 visited the Natural History Museum in South Kensington. Our current project is all about volcanoes around the world, and our science topic is on rocks and fossils, so this was a great opportunity for us to deepen our understanding of these things. In the museum, we had a fantastic time exploring the Earth's Treasury gallery, where we discovered incredible gemstones of every shape and colour and found out how they had formed over millions of years. After that, we went to the Volcano and Earthquake gallery, where we had the chance to experience what an earthquake would feel like. It was a bit scary! All in all, it was a great day and we enjoyed finding out more about this fascinating topic.
Year 4
Year 4 have enjoyed learning about mountains and rivers for their podcasts episodes, including a trip to Canary Wharf to see the Thames. In Maths, we’re working on graphs and in English we have explored metaphors and similes. The children expressed heartfelt ideas using their senses, such as this creative metaphor: ‘The river is a blue thread sewed by angels’ They showed the school values during the trip and excellence in science, particularly during the chocolate solidification experiment. Well done Year 4, we are so proud of you!
Year 6
On Friday, November 15th, our Year 6 students embarked on an exciting trip to Tate and Lyle, near London City Airport, where they had the opportunity to learn from a variety of professionals. They interacted with representatives from the Police, Transport for London and Thames Water, gaining valuable insights. The students learned about public safety, transportation, and environmental concerns, helping them better understand the world around them. It was an engaging and informative day, sparking curiosity and inspiring future civic-minded leaders!
Year 6 School Council Representatives were invited to One Stop Shop at Newham Library to learn about the support that the local borough provides to those new to the country. Newham council offer assistance for people new to England via a weekly drop in centre. This could be help registering with a doctor, or support with applying for housing or benefits. to register with a Doctor for access to health services. The children met a refugee and got a first hand glimpse into the challenges they face. Once the children were back at school, they delivered an assembly to the rest of the year group!
Year 8
This term, Year 8 students completed an assessment on safe use of knives before receiving a knife use licence certification. We can’t wait to see the results in their preparation of food this year!
Year 9
Last week we were fortunate in Year 9 to have the Little Fish Theatre Co. perform for us. Little Fish creates original, bold, and compelling theatre and drama projects for young adults, with their interactive show aiming to enhance the critical thinking and emotional intelligence of our pupils. The inclusive and engaing show explored relevant themes such as friendships and relationships, as well as the dangers of unknowingly misusing social media as a young person. Take a look at some of our brave students who jumped up on stage to join in the performance!
Year 11
On November 6th, two School21 Council students, Esther and Kayja, participated in an interview panel for the council-run event, ‘We are Food Secure 11-19’ project. They shared their perspectives on food and nutrition from the viewpoint of teenagers studying in secondary school. The event also featured refreshments served by two Hospitality & Catering students, Nafisah and Sophie. These refreshments were prepared by the School21 Food Ambassadors in the school's food room. The efforts and contributions of the students were highly appreciated and recognised by the event organisers and attendees.
On November 14th, Year 10 Hospitality and Catering students participated in an exciting Sensory Masterclass hosted by Nutrition Kitchen, which was fully funded by the Newham Council. During the session, the students used their sensory skills to predict different food items, engaging in a fun and educational activity. At the end of the class, three winning students were announced. On December 11th, Wednesday, Zuveriya Patel and Reid Burrows will represent School21 at the borough-wide Sensory Star competition, held at the Nutrition Kitchen headquarters. We wish both students the very best of luck in the competition!
On December 5th, Cedric Touchard, the Head Chef at School21, conducted a hands-on cooking workshop for the Year 11 Hospitality and Catering students. The session began with Cedric teaching the students how to butcher a whole chicken, demonstrating important knife skills and techniques. Following this, the students used the different parts of the chicken to prepare a delicious green Thai curry, where they learned about new ingredients and various cooking methods. The workshop concluded with the class sitting together to enjoy the meal they had prepared, providing them with a practical and enjoyable learning experience.
Sophie Smith and Emma Nedelcheva, Year 11 Hospitality and Catering students, are currently attending the Young Chefs Academy at Westminster Kingsway College. The students have been participating in this training program for five consecutive Saturdays, gaining hands-on experience in a professional kitchen under the guidance of college chefs. The course is fully funded for both students through fundraising events organised by School21 students over the summer. On Saturday, December 7th, Sophie and Emma, along with the other participants, will prepare a three-course graduation meal for the guests, including parents, teachers, and sponsors of the Young Chef and Young Bakers Academy.
Year 12
This term, our Year 12 students in Mr Hoeben's DEC (Design, Engineer, Construct) class are learning about the design and construction industry while completing a real-world learning project. They have been commissioned by LocatED to design a public space for the community of Plaistow Place. To prepare for this, they have been learning about landscape architecture, design, and land surveying from industry experts through several trips and talks by professionals. Some of our partners include Allies & Morrison, LocatED, Davies White Ltd, and the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture. By the end of the project, the students will pitch their ideas and designs (including drawings and models) to employees at LocatED in Central London. So far, they have demonstrated excellent engagement and an eagerness to learn.
Festive Food @ School 21!
We’re looking forward to this year’s Christmas Menu – take a look at the menu below:
Introducing:
My name is Ms. Frankie Totok, and I’m thrilled to introduce myself as the new Careers Manager for KS4 at School21. I’ll be working closely with Ms. Lola Blatch, our Assistant Head Teacher and Careers Lead, to provide an engaging and supportive careers program for our students. It’s an absolute privilege to support your child on their educational journey. Together, we aim to empower every student to explore their future aspirations and make confident, informed decisions about their career paths. Below, I’d like to share an overview of our careers provision and some exciting updates about this year’s program.
Our Careers Program: What’s Included? Careers Education: Students will participate in PSHE lessons, workshops, and talks from industry professionals to explore various career paths and learn essential skills. Individual career guidance sessions will also help students tailor their plans based on their interests and goals.
Employer Engagement: We’ll host career fairs, guest speaker panels, and employer visits, giving students direct opportunities to connect with professionals and broaden their understanding of different industries.
Work Experience: Starting this year, all KS4 students will take part in a one-week work experience placement. This hands-on opportunity will help them develop workplace skills, build confidence, and gain insights into their potential career paths.
Work Experience: What to Expect
To encourage independence and career exploration, students are responsible for finding their own work experience placements. This approach not only fosters confidence but also develops critical skills like networking, communication, and professionalism.
To support this process, we’ll provide: Workshops: Guidance on researching opportunities, writing professional emails, and approaching employers. Resources: Tools like Unifrog for CV writing, email templates, and tips for making a great impression. Support: Regular check-ins and advice from our Careers team to ensure students are on track.
If your child faces challenges securing a placement, the Careers team will step in to assist. However, we encourage students to make the first effort, as this builds resilience and initiative.
How You Can Support Your Child
Your role as parents and guardians is invaluable in this process. Here’s how you can help: Discuss career interests: Encourage conversations about their passions and potential career paths. Help find opportunities: Explore work experience placements within your network or community. Review applications: Look over their CVs and emails to ensure they’re professional and polished.
If you have any questions or need further guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to support both you and your child every step of the way. Thank you for partnering with us to prepare our students for bright and successful futures.
Community Notice:
As we approach the festive season, we are delighted to offer families in receipt of benefit- related free school meals the opportunity to take part in the Christmas Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) Programme. This initiative provides essential support, ensuring children and young people have access to nutritious meals, engaging activities, and positive experiences during the holiday period.
For more information click on this document.
