Parent Bulletin 9th February

This season marks an important milestone for all of us in the school: Our Y7s are now half-way through their first year at secondary school; our Y8s are half-way to starting their GCSEs; our Y9s are half-way to completing their GCSEs; and our founding cohort (the Y10s) are half-way to completing their time in secondary school and going on to university or employment.  I couldn't be prouder of the achievement of the pupils.

On Friday we hosted a visit from senior leaders of a major Multi Academy Trust.  In their feedback they wrote "It's just a stellar place for the children of Acton...it is an awesome school...the children are the ultimate demonstration of this and they were joyful, full of positive endeavour and very proud of their teachers."  I couldn't be prouder of all that the pupils have achieved and I am hugely grateful for your support.

Parent survey:  All pupils and staff have now had the opportunity to feed in to the annual survey.  I am very grateful to all parents who have already contributed.  If you have not yet done so then please ensure you complete the survey by the end of the week so that your views can be heard. edurio.com/poll/XyOxiC

Ramadan consultation:  Ramadan will be upon us soon after our return from the half-term break.  It is a privilege to mark Ramadan with so many in the school community.  Please do contact us in advance of the start of Ramadan if you have any questions or concerns regarding arrangements during this time.  If your child will be marking Ramadan then please support them to plan ahead to ensure that they remain well-rested, that they eat well before and after the fast and that they sustain 100% school attendance and punctuality during this time.

Eating arrangements and Iftar:  We will be sending out a form after half-term so that you can inform us if your child is fasting.  We will also be inviting all of our families - whether celebrating Ramadan or not - to join for our communal multi-faith Iftar on Thursday 13th March. Please hold the date.

Dates for your diaries:  A reminder that this Friday (14th February) is an INSET day and school will be closed to all pupils.  We look forward to pupils' return after half-term on Monday 24th February.

Have a great half-term,

Mr Neuberger

Despite being the penultimate week of the half term, the students still had lots of energy in and out of the classroom. 8 Ramesses had a fantastic volleyball tournament this week in P.E., with the title going to Amine's team! The year 7 girl footballers had an exciting competition on Wednesday despite being a newly formed team, and had a great clash with Twyford. The year 8 boy's football team also had a game this week, and clenched an impressive 5-1 victory over Holland Park. To top off a big week of sport, the year 9 boys also had their first basketball game on Tuesday, with a big shoutout going to Tinos who scored half the team's points. Well done all! 

There was also lots of hard work and focus displayed inside the classroom this week. 8 Cleopatra had an excellent practical science lesson with Mr Hanna, Mahad (9 Pericles) impressed his form by managing to accurately place 96% of all African countries correctly on a map in form time, and the Year 10s impressed Ms Back with their reflective pencil drawings! 

Clubs will continue as normal this week and the first week back after half term. We have a small amount of availability in some of our clubs – please complete this form if your child would like to join an additional club this term: https://forms.office.com/e/FeNZ19hKYr. 

If you need face-to-face assistance then the school office is open during term-time from 8am-4pm. So that we can deal with email enquiries promptly please see the school email addresses below:

• General Enquiries – info@arksoane.org
• Attendance - absence@arksoane.org
• Free School Meals - fsm@arksoane.org