Parent Bulletin 20th September

It was such a pleasure to welcome so many parents in to the school over the past week.  On Wednesday we hosted our Y10 Tutor Evening and it was such a pleasure to see spontaneous applause when we shared our founding cohort's results with you:

Over 90% of parents attended - however, if you were unable to do so then the key messages included:

• Homework expectations will increase to around 10 hours per week.  Please encourage your child to do homework when it is set rather than when it is due.
• Ensure you are in London on GCSE results day (Thursday 17th August 2028) to collect results and enrol in Sixth Form.
• Prioritise attendance: average grade of those with 99%+ attendance was 8.0; those with less than 95% achieved 6.1
• Swap your child's smartphone for a 'brickphone' to keep them safe, sociable, well-slept and focused on their study.

On Thursday we welcomed all our new Year 7 Parents to the school to have an opportunity to meet their child's tutor.  Again - attendance was exemplary but if you were unable to attend then the key messages were:

• Children crave boundaries and thrive where expectations are high and consistently applied - and where children are set up for success.
• As children come from 40 different primary schools the transition to secondary is different for every child
• Pupils in Y7 have, on average, received 70 merits and only 2 15-minute reflections since the start of the year
• Where children reveive a reflection it is a reminder that they did not meet our high standards rather than a sign that they have failed or are naughty
• It's essential that school and home present a united front to children.  We will always work with you to manage any concerns but ask that you raise them in private - ideally through email to the school inbox.
• We have an amazing opportunity to create a smartphone free cohort - and ask that you do not give in to pressure to buy a smartphone for your child.

The coming week is a busy one as we start to welcome all the Y6s who are considering their High School Choices in advance of 31st October deadline.  We hope to see many of you at one of our Open Mornings this week or our Y6 Open Evening on Thursday.

Thank you for your support in dropping and collecting children from school.  Please continue to avoid entering Woodlands Avenue (the small road at the side of Chaiwala) as this endangers our pupils and there is no space to turn around.  

Further dates for your diaries:

1/10: Y11 Guidance Evening

8/10: Y9 Meet the Tutor Evening

16/10: School closed for INSET

22/10: Sixth Form Information Evening

23/10: Last Day of Half Term  

Enjoy the remainder of the weekend.

Mr Neuberger

The highlight this week was absolutely the sporting success of our Year 8s at the Ark Football Tournament. 

Hear about it from Mr Chippendale below!

Our Y8 football teams represented Soane with pride at the Ark Football Championships. Our girls team performed superbly, reaching the final for a 2nd consecutive year where they unluckily lost 1-0. Madina was the recipient of the player of the tournament for a 2nd year running- what a talent!

Our boys team become the first team in Soane history to win the competition! After qualifying top of their group, they emerged victorious in a thrilling final winning 3-2. A huge shout out to both teams for their excellent performance and attitude throughout the whole day!

Clubs

Clubs begin this week. All clubs run until 4:30PM, with the exception of Basketball which runs 7:30AM-8:10AM. Pupils are dismissed from clubs outside the visitor reception to Gunnersbury Lane.

Clubs that your child has secured a place for are visible in the My Child At School (MCAS) app. These have also been sent to you via email. You can also add your child to the waiting list for most clubs via MCAS - we will be in touch if space becomes available. 

If your child no longer wishes to take up their place, please let the office know so we can offer this to another pupil. Our clubs are very popular, and most are at capacity - please remind your child to attend their clubs each week. 

Pupils receiving any reflection of any length may not attend clubs. If you have arranged a later collection time, they should wait in reflection until 4:30PM. If a pupil misses two consecutive weeks of a club, their place will be offered to somebody else. 

After-School Clubs (3:40PM-4:30PM)

Clubs in italics are invite-only.

Mondays: Y8 Boys' Football, Illustration, Y10 GCSE Art, School Production, Guitar Ensemble, German Club, Charity Committee, Y9-10 Axiom Maths

Tuesdays: Kung Fu, Senior Jazz

Wednesdays: Netball, Strength & Conditioning, Y11 GCSE Art, GCSE Music, Y9-10 Debating, Eco Club, Y10 Triple Science, Chess Club

Thursdays: Y7 Boys' Football, Y10 Sports Leaders, Architecture, Y9-10 Music Tech, String Ensemble, Junior Jazz, STEM Club, Japanese & Manga

Fridays: School Production, Y7-8 Axiom Maths, Y11 Triple Science, Y9 Boys' Football, Y7-9 Girls' Football 

Before-School Clubs (7:30AM-8:10AM)

Tuesdays: Y8-9 Boys' Basketball

Wednesdays: Y10-11 Boys' Basketball

Thursdays: Y7-10 Girls' Basketball

PE Wall of Fame 

The PE department are aiming to recognise students who perform high level sport outside of school by displaying them on our “wall of fame” in the PE corridor. Please email any images and short description to g.chippendale@arksoane.org if you would like your child to be recognised!

Musical Instrument Lessons

Instrumental lessons for pupils in Years 8 to 12 will start on Monday 21st September.  Pupils that took lessons last academic year have automatically been timetabled for lessons this term unless we have been informed that they do not wish to continue.  Many pupils who have expressed an interest to start learning an instrument have also been timetabled to start lessons.  These places have been allocated where there is teacher availability and to pupils who are working really hard in curriculum music lessons. Please check in with your child that they know at what time their lessons take place.  

All Year 7 pupils have given preferences for which musical instrument they may like to start. They will have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument after the half term break.  Pupils will be given letters in their music lessons with information about how to sign up for these. 

Learning a musical instrument is proven to support children's academic outcomes as well as their overall development. Nearly all of our top achievers at GCSE played a musical instrument. We strongly encourage as many pupils as possible to take up a musical instrument. 

The Living Room

The Living Room has been supporting high school age students in this area for over 15 years. It runs clubs in the centre of Acton where young people engage in sports, board games etc. They are inviting parents and carers to come and see the club for themselves and meet the staff at an Open Evening on 24th September between 6.30 and 8pm. On 1st October there is a Pizza Party after school until 5pm for students to see the club.  Pupils must return home and change out of their school uniform before attending.