Dear Parents and Carers
Yesterday we held the Ark Soane History Conference where 180 history teachers from up and down the country descend on Ark Soane to learn more about our approach to history teaching and to contribute and share ideas. The highlight for so many participants is meeting the 40 or so pupils who also give up their Saturday to act as ambassadors for the school. I am hugely proud of how dedicated our pupils are to their school, how much they value the routines, the safety, the quality of learning and the positive relationships they have with pupils and with staff - and I am very grateful to parents and carers for their support with this.
Our final set of GCSE mock exams are well underway for our Y11s. They have engaged with them brilliantly and we are looking forward to sharing results with you at our Y11 Parents' Evening on Thursday 5th March. Pupils will be set some exam practice to complete over the half-term - but please also encourage them to have a day or two of rest so they are ready to come back for the final push through to GCSE completion.
Ramadan will start during half-term and we wish a "Ramadan Mubarak" to all who are celebrating. We will be holding a school Iftar on Thursday 26th February for all our families - Muslim and non-Muslim alike - please hold the date. If your child is intending on fasting then please complete the form below to avoid being charged for school meals. Ramadan Questionaire 2026 – Fill out form
Please remember that this Friday, 13th February is an INSET day and school will be closed to pupils. We look forward to seeing them again after the half-term break.
Enjoy the remainder of the weekend.
Mr Neuberger
This Week's Highlights
It was an incredible week for the drama department, who had their first showing of 'Romeo & Juliet' at Questors Theatre. A huge congratulations to the cast and crew for such a successful performance. Their second and final performance will be on 12 February. See 'Notices' for more information on how to attend.
The sports department also had a fantastic week of competitive events and learning experiences.
The junior basketball team has been seeing some massive improvements, despite seeing a 38-27 defeat to Drayton Manor. Alex was named MVP for scoring the most points!
Amici Dance Theatre Company has hosted some of the Soane girls, who thoroughly enjoyed the learning experience (as pictured below).
Finally, the Y10 boys football team saw fierce competition this week against Villiers, drawing 1-1. Mo scored the equalising penalty, and Moawiye was named Man of the Match for a stunning defensive performance.
The Ark Soane art competition has received some sparkling entries! Students have been using Y11 art as inspiration for creating their own pieces (and we have to say, they're looking pretty marvelous). The winner for this theme was Aura (Year 9)!
Finally, STEM Club had a fun afternoon exploring the effect of changing masses of sodium bicarbonation (baking soda) on reactions. Future scientists in the making!
Notices
Romeo & Juliet
Our cast of Romeo & Juliet will be performing at Soane on Thur 12th Feb for friends and family. Doors open at 5PM, with the show starting at 5:20PM – latecomers cannot be admitted. The show will finish at approximately 6PM.
If you or your child(ren) would like to watch, please book a ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ark-soane-school-production-2025-26-romeo-juliet-tickets-1982422840080?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Please note students attending must have booked a ticket and be in full school uniform. If you are not attending with them, you must give consent for them to attend unaccompanied at the link here: Ark Soane School Production - Romeo & Juliet consent form – Fill in form. Unaccompanied siblings will be unable to attend.
UniFrog
We know that students are more likely to achieve academic success if they are aiming towards an aspirational destination (career, apprenticeship, or university) when they leave school. To support them to research destinations, record experiences and prepare applications in future, all students have access to Unifrog (www.unifrog.org).
All students have now been inducted onto the platform. Remind your child to regularly log on to Unifrog to continue researching career and future study areas of interest to them.
We encourage you to explore the site together to learn and discuss your child's ambitions for their future study and careers.