FBA Update

As we reflect on another incredible academic, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to every member of our school community.

To our dedicated teachers and support staff — your passion and commitment to education inspire and empower our students every day. Your hard work does not go unnoticed, and we are truly grateful for the positive impact you make.

To our incredible site team — thank you for your tireless efforts in maintaining our school, ensuring that it remains a welcoming, safe, and beautiful space for everyone.

To our governors — your guidance and support play a crucial role in shaping the future of our school. We appreciate the time and effort you dedicate to making our school the best it can be.

To the LIFE Education Trust - being part of a large group of schools helps in sharing knowledge and expertise. Thank you for the central team who support all the schools and our staff and students at FBA in so many ways.

To our wonderful parents and carers — thank you for your trust, partnership, and unwavering support. Your encouragement means the world to us and makes all the difference in the success of our students.

And finally, to our fantastic students — you amaze us every single day with your curiosity, resilience, and enthusiasm for learning. You are the heart of our school, and we are incredibly proud of each and every one of you and know that Frances Bardsley would have been very proud too!

Thank you all for being part of this wonderful school community. Together, we continue to make a difference!

We hope you will all have a safe , relaxing summer.

Monday 14th July - Year 12 Work Experience begins

Friday 18th July - Last Day of Term

Thursday 14th August - A-level Results Day

Thursday 21st August - GCSE Results Day

Wednesday 3rd September - First Day of Term

The academic year ends on Friday 18th July

There will be a mixture of normal lessons, final assemblies and time in form groups on the last day. There will be a staggered dismissal at thew following times:

• Year 7 - 12:05
• Year 8 - 12:00
• Year 9 - 11:55
• Year 10 - 11:50

There is no lunch service. Food will be served at breakfast and break. Students with Free School Meals should get food at breaktime.

Separate letters for each year group have been sent out with additional information about the end of term and also the start of term.

Our Year 13 Leavers' Day was a heartfelt celebration marking the end of an incredible journey at FBA. Many students returned for one final day together, starting with a warm welcome from the Head Girl and a touching thank you from the incoming Student Leadership Team, who presented sunflowers to their predecessors as a symbol of gratitude and growth.

Form tutors shared moving messages filled with memories, pride, and encouragement for the future, bringing a few tears and plenty of smiles. A lively “Oscars” ceremony followed, celebrating the quirks, talents, and unforgettable moments of the year group.

The day concluded with a short and reflective service at St Albans Parish Church, before everyone returned for food, laughter, and dancing well into the afternoon. It was a beautiful send-off for a brilliant cohort who will always be part of the FBA family.

I have lots of exciting plans for the upcoming academic year!

You can look forward to the launch of the FBA Podcast, a brand-new student newsletter, and plenty of other activities designed to bring our school community closer together. I’m really excited to get these projects off the ground and I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I’ve enjoyed creating them. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the FBA Instagram, where we’ll continue to post updates on both new and past events. My goal is to make FBA an even more vibrant, fun, and connected place for everyone, and I can’t wait to get started in the new school year!

Our inspirational woman of the week is Jenna Ortega as nominated by Ongani N 9L. An American actress of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent, she rose to fame through roles in Jane the Virgin, You, and most notably as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s Wednesday. She is an inspiration for young women because of her authenticity, advocacy for mental health, and openness about her struggles as a Latina in a predominantly white industry.

Ortega has faced challenges like typecasting, early exposure to fame, and online harassment—including disturbing AI-generated content that led her to leave Twitter. Despite this, she remains committed to using her platform to uplift others. In her book It’s All Love: Reflections for Your Heart & Soul, she shares personal stories and affirmations about depression, heartbreak, and cultural identity, encouraging readers to embrace vulnerability and self-love. Her honesty and resilience make her a powerful role model for young women navigating identity and pressure in today’s world.

On Wednesday 9th July, we held our first South Asian Heritage Month Showcase to celebrate the rich cultures and traditions of South Asia. The event featured a variety of student-led performances and activities, including poetry, dance, music, cultural presentations, and a traditional fashion show.

Students from across year groups took part, highlighting the diversity and vibrancy of countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. The event offered an opportunity for the school community to learn, share, and appreciate the many contributions of South Asian cultures.

In addition to the showcase, departments across the school are highlighting the achievements of inspirational South Asian women relevant to their subject areas during lessons. Students have also been directed to additional resources to explore South Asian culture further, including our Asian Voices collection in the library and an interactive calendar featuring recommended films, music, and reading for the month.

Thank you to students for all of their hard work and for being so giving of their time, making the showcase a success and thank you to Mrs McGrath for making this happen!

Our FBA LEAP 2025 attendees who flew to Jersey on 8th July to take part in an incredible wonderfully enriching programme are having a great time !. Umamah F, Saliha K, Emily F, Ongani N, Alina Q and Daniella A have met with other students and are now fully immersed into the programme.

The LEAP organisers praised our students for their kindness and enthusiasm. The students have been enjoying meeting their fellow young entrepreneurs coming from different countries, heading to the zoo and having picnics!

We are very proud to have been able to give 6 FBA students the opportunity to experience this, with full scholarships!

Find out more about the LEAP Programme here https://jerseycollegeforgirls.com/pages/jc-foundation/leap

Students from FBA recently took part in the District Athletics meet. We are delighted to say that the team and a large number of individuals were very successful and all participants gave their all and competed wholeheartedly.

The Year 7 & 8 team secured 3rd place overall. What a terrific performance!

The Year 9 took 3rd place and the Year 10 team 2nd place. This means that FBA came overall 2nd in the Havering Girls' competition. We are so proud of you all.

Congratulations to all the students who took part and to all those that won medals.

Thank you to the PE Department for their amazing hard work in preparing and supporting the students.

On Friday last week we had a wonderful Sports Day. As ever, the banner parade was a hotly contested as the athletics. We will share more about the events, the winners and some amazing pictures in the next newsletter.

We will be saying goodbye to a number of members of staff this summer as they move on to different places, schools and roles. During the last week of term we will spend some time saying thank you to them for their service to the school and the students. On the last day of term, we present a rose to the leavers during the final assemblies. The rose is worn so students know to say thank you and goodbye to those staff members that will not be at the school in September.

We will share more about our leavers in the next newsletter; however, we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all they have done.