FBA Update
17th March 2025
This past week, our school community came together for two incredible evenings of entertainment as our students brought Matilda the Musical to life on stage. It was a true showcase of talent, dedication, and teamwork, and we could not be more proud of everyone involved.
A huge thank you to our talented students, whose hard work and passion shone through in every scene, song, and dance. From our lead performers to the ensemble, backstage crew, and tech team—each of you played a vital role in making the show a success. Your commitment and creativity were truly inspiring!
We also extend our deepest gratitude to our dedicated staff, who devoted countless hours to rehearsals and all the behind-the-scenes details that made this production possible. Your guidance and encouragement helped our students shine!
A heartfelt thank you as well to our wonderful parents and families for your support and your attendance. Your presence made these performances even more special.
To everyone who contributed to this unforgettable production—thank you. The hard work, teamwork, and passion on display remind us of the incredible creativity and spirit within our school community.
Bravo to all! 🎭✨
School Guide Certificate of Excellence 2025
We earned a School Guide Certificate of Excellence 2025 last week.
As the UK's leading school website – trusted by 20 million parents. We are thrilled to have received this award.
Our 4-star certificate is the result of our dedication to academic excellence and is a great way to acknowledge how much we have achieved in the last academic year.
Thank you.
Join the PTA – Make a Difference!
Parents and staff, we need YOU! The PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) plays a vital role in supporting our school, students, and staff. By joining, you’ll have the opportunity to:
✅ Be a voice for students and families
✅ Help plan events and fundraisers
✅ Support teachers and school programs
✅ Build a stronger school community
No matter your schedule, there’s a way to get involved—big or small! Join us today and be part of something great.
Friday 21st March - World Down Syndrome Day
World Down Syndrome Day is on the 21st March every year. It is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012.
The goal is to help people understand and support those with Down Syndrome better. The date being the 21st day of the 3rd month was chosen to represent the triplication of the 21st chromosome which causes Down Syndrome.
To show our support, all students are welcome to wear their brightest socks/odd socks for the day! #LotsOfSocks
STEAM Is for All
Stemettes is an an award-winning social enterprise working to engage, inform and connect the next generation of women and non-binary people into Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM).
This week they shared with us Future Skills: Boosted for Secondary students 11-16 Years Old.
No matter your desired career, it’s always a good time to nail the basics and boost your skills!
Productivity
Take a look at this Zine article on how students can be more productive in your school work.
https://stemettes.org/zine/articles/how-to-live-a-productive-lifestyle/
Presentations
Whether it’s for a class, work experience or anything else, presentations can be easy.
https://stemettes.org/zine/articles/how-to-ace-your-presentations/
Stemettes offers a lot of online events for students during the holidays also, you just need to sign up to them !
Join us on Wednesday, 16 April, from 10:00 to 17:00 to meet others, plan for the future and try out tech tools including 3D modelling software at this hack! At this event, you can choose from different tools to upgrade your learning, try something new or challenge yourself. This event is exclusively for girls, young women, and non-binary people aged 5-25 to join us for a free, fun, food-filled workshop in London and online.
Revision Techniques
Year 11 Revision Planner: 57 days time to revise has been launched last week!
This week, spotlight on Flashcards.
Flashcards: Flashcards are a very familiar tool used by students. Crucially, however, too many students fail to use them for effective self-testing. Clearly, we need to train students to design, or find, effective revision flashcards, before then training them in their use. Students should also beware dropping flashcards they think they know. See template ..\..\..\Revision\Flashcard template.docx
This week’s health and fitness tip comes from Amaya H in Year 8, who is part of the Resilient Health and Wellbeing Committee.
Meal Prepping to Help Meet RDAs
A way to stay healthy is by preparing fresh meals sometimes a week in advance before actually eating them. This means making your meals ahead of time, so that you have food ready to eat later. You can prepare full meals and put them in the fridge or freezer to reheat. It is very important to meal prep because it allows you to plan your meals around healthy ingredients. This can help you meet your RDA values, which is an important factor in maintaining overall health.
What are RADs?
RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance, which is the amount of nutrients (such as vitamins, minerals, protein, and carbohydrates) that you should consume each day to stay healthy. These values are set by health experts to ensure people get enough essential nutrients in their diets. You can find RDAs listed on food packaging in the nutrition information section, usually shown as a percentage next to each nutrient. Keeping track of these can help you make sure your meal prepping meets your body's daily nutritional needs.
An example of foods that work well with meal prepping are: cooked grains and pasta, cooked meat, hearty vegetables (bell peppers, kale, cabbage, carrots, etc.), and sauces and dips.
Here are some benefits of meal prepping:
• Can save money
• Can save time
• Can help improve overall health
• Can reduce stress
Challenge of the Week:
For students who want to eat more healthily, save money, and reduce stress, try meal prepping! Start planning your breakfasts, lunches, or dinners for next week from now.
After trying it, think about how you feel afterwards. If you enjoy it, maybe try doing it with all of your meals, not just one or two.
Our inspirational woman of the week is Miah Madden, as nominated by Nia S in 10R. Madden is an inspirational figure for women due to her dedication to promoting diversity and representation in the media, ensuring that children see themselves in the stories told. As an Aboriginal actress and presenter, she uses her platform to highlight the importance of authentic portrayals of society.
Miah is also a strong advocate for Indigenous rights, inspired by her family's activism and her own commitment to positive change. Her resilience and strength are further reflected in her pursuit of a law degree, showing her desire to impact society beyond the arts. Miah’s role as a fearless and empowered woman who embraces her heritage serves as a powerful example for other women, particularly Indigenous women, to pursue their passions and fight for equality.
Careers
March Career of the Month – Careers in Photography. Photography is a popular, competitive job to get in to, but there are lots of different things you can do if you have an interest in capturing memories and images. Lots of photographers work freelance which can give more flexibility in your career, although there are a lot of self-employment responsibilities. It is also possible to use your creative skills in related areas such as marketing and digital marketing, advertising, web design, graphic design, publishing and curating, where opportunities exist with a range of businesses and consultancies. Teaching and photography technician roles are other options for photographers. Some roles in visual effects and film, for example compositor and camera roles, may also require photography related skills. Find out more here: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/photographer
Year 10 Work Experience: Students should now be actively looking for work experience for their week of work experience in June. Students can see Miss Woods in the Careers Office in Sixth Form if they need any help – especially if they are unsure about logging the placement on Unifrog.
Year 9 Take Your Daughter to Work Day: This is taking place on Thursday 24th April. Please note there will be some important information coming round to students very soon to launch this exciting day!
Year 12 Unifrog and work experience reminder. Students need to ensure they have logged into Unifrog (let Miss Woods know if they are having any issues), and they should start to think about what they will be doing for their work experience in July.
Sixth Form Careers Guidance Sessions: These will now be available to book via google classroom – Students need to go onto the form and book a suitable timeslot when they are free. All students should be seen at least once by the end of Year 13.
Careers Office Opening Times: The Careers Office is located in the Sixth Form Centre. Any student from any year group can drop in before school, at break or lunchtime, and after school until 4pm.
Weekly Careers Tip
Remember to always be truthful when writing a CV, cover letter or completing an application form, as there may be things you will later be questioned on in an interview!
Farm Update
It has been another busy week for our animals on the farm, with lots of students attending sessions and meeting our new baby guinea-pigs, Coco, Crumpet and Pebble! Guinea-pigs make great pets, although they are not from Guinea, and even though males are ‘boars’ and females are ‘sows’, they are not actually related to pigs. They are in fact related to wild guinea-pigs that are native to South America.
They don’t like the cold, so need lots of warm bedding in winter to keep them snug. They are also active for up to twenty hours per day and do not sleep much, so need a good space, like our guinea pig enclosure here on the farm, to run about in. Although guinea pigs like to run about, they are not particularly agile, and unlike our rabbits, do not like climbing or jumping.
They do however have extraordinary spatial awareness, so you are unlikely to ever see them bump into things or each other! They love lots of hideaways in their environment – ours here on the farm particularly appreciate cardboard boxes. Like rabbits, guinea pigs are very sociable animals, and like to live in pairs or groups. We have three groups of three sows, so nine in total, and each group are best friends!
If students haven’t already, they can go and meet them, and get involved with caring for our animals; The farm is open every break, lunch time and after school until 4pm on Monday-Thursday, and before school from 7.50-8.25am on Fridays.
Tips to improve sleep – for 11-18 year olds
Sleep is essential for everyone, but it’s especially important for teenagers. During adolescence, the brain and body go through significant growth and development, and getting enough rest is crucial for concentration, memory, mood, and overall well-being.
Experts recommend that teenagers get between 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night, yet many fall short due to schoolwork, social activities, and screen time.
Lack of sleep can lead to difficulty focusing in class, increased stress, and even long-term health effects. Prioritizing good sleep habits—such as maintaining a consistent bedtime, limiting screen use before bed, and creating a relaxing night time routine—can make a huge difference in energy levels, mental health, and academic performance. A well-rested mind is a stronger, happier, and more successful one!
The charity Mind has valuable tips on how to improve sleep
https://www.mind.org.uk/for-young-people/feelings-and-experiences/tips-to-improve-your-sleep/
17th March St Patrick's Day
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day—a day that honors the rich culture, history, and contributions of the Irish people around the world. Whether through music, dance, storytelling, or simply coming together as a community, this is a wonderful opportunity to embrace the spirit of the day.
St. Patrick’s Day is not only a celebration of Ireland but also a reminder of the values of unity, resilience, and joy. We encourage everyone to take a moment to appreciate the traditions and stories that make this day so special.
Wishing you all a happy and festive St. Patrick’s Day! Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona daoibh! ☘️💚