FBA Weekly Update

There are some significant changes taking place on a national scale in education. Last week, Mr Turrell attended the Confederation of School Trust conference where he heard from Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson , Sir Martyn Oliver (His Majesty's Chief Inspector) and Professor Becky Francis, who is leading the national review of the curriculum and assessment.

What we know so far?

OFSTED - Earlier this term, the new Ofsted framework was released which will shape the way schools are inspected and graded. The old gradings of Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate have been removed. In their place, will be a new report card which will judge the work of schools. This is designed to be new and not match up to the previous inspection gradings.

You can find out more at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsulVGtEv3c

Curriculum and Assessment Review - this will be published imminently and will make recommendations to the government for changes to the national curriculum and assessment. This will shape what is taught from early years through to past-16.

White Paper and SEND reform - there will be a highly significant government White paper released soon which will address a wide range of aspects in education including recommendations regarding how support is provided for students with special educational needs.

We will share information with you when it is released to keep you informed and to let you know how we will adopt and address the recommendations made.

All the key dates for the year can be found on the school website at:

https://fbaok.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Key-Dates-for-Parents-2025-2026.pdf

Please find below some of the key dates for the first half term

Wednesday 22nd October - Year 11 Parents' Evening

Thursday 23rd October - Black History Month event

Friday 24th October - Last day of half term 1

We have been contacted by a few parents regarding the dates for the next academic year. We are currently agreeing these with the Trust and we will publish them on the school website and in the news letter by the end of this half term.

On Friday, 11th October, ten of our Year 12 students represented Frances Bardsley Academy at the prestigious UK Student Leadership Symposium, hosted by the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS) at Chelmsford County High for Girls.

The theme for this year’s symposium, “Together We Rise,” captured the spirit of the day: a celebration of young women as changemakers, collaborators and future leaders. Students from girls’ schools across the country gathered to explore what it means to lead with courage, compassion, and purpose.

Through interactive workshops, thought-provoking keynote talks, and meaningful networking opportunities, our students engaged in rich discussions about leadership in a changing world. They reflected on the power of collective action — recognising that leadership is not about standing alone, but rising together.

The International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS) connects over 600 girls’ schools globally, working to advance girls’ education and leadership. This annual conference provides a platform for students to exchange ideas, develop leadership skills, and be inspired by one another’s stories and ambitions.

We are thrilled to share that Frances Bardsley Academy has been selected to host the UK Student Leadership Symposium in 2026. This is an extraordinary opportunity to showcase our community, our commitment to empowering young women, and our belief that leadership flourishes when voices are united.

As one of our Year 12 attendees reflected, “The symposium reminded us that leadership isn’t about one person leading the way — it’s about lifting each other up so we all rise together.”

We would to to extend our thanks to Chelmsford County High for Girls for their hospitality and warm welcome.

We look forward to building on this momentum as we prepare to welcome schools from across the UK to our campus in 2026. Together, we rise — and together, we lead.

This year we decided to invest in a programme called UpLearn.

All Sixth Form students studying A Level Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, and Maths have access to UpLearn, a powerful online learning platform designed to boost understanding, confidence, and achievement.

With engaging video lessons, interactive quizzes, and exam-style practice, it’s like having a personal tutor available 24/7 to help students master key content whenever they need it. The school has invested heavily in this resource because we believe it will play a key role in supporting our students to reach their full potential.

UpLearn is most effective when used regularly in students’ own time, so please encourage your child to log in a few times each week and make the most of this fantastic resource for independent study.

We are very excited that on Thursday all students will watch our annual Black History Month Showcase that celebrates the depth, joy, and incredible legacy of Black history and culture at FBA. Our student led showcase will feature powerful performances, celebrating the past, present, and future. We can’t wait for you to see it

On Friday 24th October, FBA will be taking part in a ‘Wear Blue for Water Day’ to help Khadijah in Year 9 raise money towards the building of a well in The Gambia. Students need to wear something blue in order to participate on top of their uniform.

In order to take part, students must donate £1 via ParentPay before next Friday.

The day will run as a normal day lesson-wise. A notice has also been put on Satchel One, and a letter has been sent home to parents. Staff are also welcome to join in and donate £1 on ParentPay.

Thank you for you support

The Year 7 teams had their first netball matches last Tuesday and both teams won against Marshalls Park Academy.

Well Done to all players involved.

Congratulations to all the students that took part in the London Borough of Havering's cross country competition last week.

Good luck to the Year 11 H&SC students as they complete their Pearson's Set Assignment (PSA) this week.

This year, we are launching the 'She Is Studious' programme with Year 9. The aim is to help our students develop the habits and skills they need to become effective, independent learners. There will be five sessions throughout the year, which we will be share with your daughter:

• Weekly Review - Snack, Don't Binge;
• Note Taking
• Memory Clock
• Flashcard - Leitner System
• Preparing for GCSEs

We are pleased to share with you the first part of the ‘She Is Studious’ programme for Year 9 - Weekly Review. This introduces students to a learning technique called 'Snack, Don’t Binge', which is based on spaced repetition — a method proven to improve long-term memory and reduce exam stress. By reviewing their work regularly in small “snacks,” students retain more knowledge and feel more confident in lessons and assessments.

What Is the Weekly Review – ‘Snack, Don’t Binge'?

The Weekly Review encourages students to:

• Review what they’ve learned each week.
• Identify what they understand well and what they need to revisit.
• Organise notes and plan for upcoming homework or assessments.
• Build independence and self-discipline with a clear, manageable routine.

The 'Snack, Don’t Binge' Principle

Just as eating small, healthy snacks throughout the day is better than bingeing all at once, regular short reviews are far more effective than cramming before tests.
The Weekly Review encourages students to spend an hour each week revisiting their work — ideally 20 minutes per subject — to keep information fresh and manageable.

How You Can Support at Home - Make It Routine

• Encourage your child to set aside one quiet hour per week for their Weekly Review.
• This time should be sacred — no phones, TV, or distractions.
• Try to choose a consistent time, such as Sunday afternoon or Friday after school, so it becomes part of their weekly routine.
• You can remind them that this small habit makes a big difference and helps avoid last-minute panic before exams.
• Encourage the process by checking your daughter has used the Snack Don’t Binge Template each week to guide their review and ensure all sections are complete.
• Ask Questions, Don’t Test - Rather than testing them formally, ask gentle, open questions such ask “What topic did you focus on in your Weekly Review this week?”
• Provide encouragement by recognise effort, not just results. Praise consistency — for example: “I’m proud that you’ve stuck to your Weekly Review time.” “You’re doing a great job staying organised.”

The Weekly Review is designed to help your child take ownership of their learning in a positive, stress-free way. By supporting this process at home — even with small encouragements — you’ll help them build lifelong study habits and confidence in their learning.

Elixa shared how she uses knowledge organisers to keep information clear and structured. Encourage your daughter to use these as a quick reference tool for revision, it’s an excellent way to spot gaps and build confidence.

This week’s theme is about our KRACERS quality ‘resilience’ – the strength to keep going even when something feels tough. In fitness, resilience means pushing through challenges, staying consistent and bouncing back stronger each time.

💪 This week’s challenge:

Try a plank hold challenge at home. Start by holding a plank position for 30 seconds each day and add 10 seconds daily. By the end of the week, you’ll notice real progress.

Benefits:

• Builds core and shoulder strength
• Improves posture and stability
• Trains your mental endurance, helping you stay focused even when tired
• Encourages discipline and consistency (key parts of physical and emotional resilience!)

Remember: Resilience doesn’t mean never getting tired; it means showing up for yourself, even on the days you are tired.

Our inspirational women this week is Ruth Bader Ginsburg nominated by Ms Darabasz.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a trailblazer for gender equality, co-founding the ACLU's Women's Rights Project and using strategic litigation to dismantle sex discrimination before becoming the second woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Her career highlights include successfully arguing cases before the Supreme Court, teaching ground-breaking gender discrimination law courses at Columbia and Rutgers, and her influential majority opinions on cases like United States v. Virginia (1996) and Obergefell v. Hodges (2015).

Thank you to all students across every year group who have already submitted their applications.

The deadline to apply to become a member of Student Voice is Friday 24th October at 9:00am.
👉 Click here to apply

Once applications close, students will have the chance to read all the manifestos from their year group and vote for their preferred candidate.

Creative arts jobs are all about using your imagination to make things that people enjoy or learn from. This could be music, painting, acting, designing clothes or making movies. If you love being creative and sharing your ideas, these jobs let you turn your passion into a career. Many creative jobs need practice, teamwork, and learning new skills, so there are lots of different ways to get started.

• Music producers help musicians create songs. They listen to ideas and use technology to mix sounds, add effects, and make sure the music sounds great. Producers often work in studios and use special software to create beats or fix problems in recordings. For example, a music producer might work with a singer to make a new pop song sound exciting or help a composer create music for a film. The job needs good listening skills, creativity and a knowledge of music technology.
• Sound engineers make sure all the sounds in music, films, theatre or events are clear and balanced. They set up microphones, adjust volume levels, and edit audio recordings. For example, a sound engineer might control the sound during a concert or fix the audio on a podcast. This job needs attention to detail and technical skills to use sound equipment properly

How to Get into the Jobs

Studying Music, Music Technology or Physics can help you understand sound and music better. You can take college courses or university degrees in music production or sound engineering. Many people also start by working in small studios or doing apprenticeships where they learn hands-on from professionals.

It has been a busy, happy week at the farm, with the weather turning much more autumnal, students have been helping to ensure our animals have nice deep, warm bedding to sleep on. We also had a routine veterinary visit for our pygmy goats Alvin, Simon and Theodore, for vaccination, skin parasite prevention treatment and faecal collection for a worm egg count.

Routine health check, where we checked their temperature, oral health and heart rate showed our goats to be in excellent health. We vaccinated them subcutaneously (under the skin) with Bravoxin, which is a multivalent vaccine that delivers immunisation against several clostridial diseases including tetanus, enterotoxaemia and struck.

Regular farm students have also been helping to harness train our goats to go for walks around the school site - this will help enrich our goats’ lives, providing exercise and stimulation for them, which is key to goat welfare as they are such intelligent and curious animals.

The farm is open every break time and lunchtime Monday-Friday, and after school until 4pm on Thursdays - all welcome.

And finally, to celebrate World Mental Health Day on October 10th, artist Liz Atkin ran a very engaging well-being and mark-making workshop with a selection of students across all year groups. Students explored different charcoal techniques with rhythms and movement to create artwork inspired by the current exhibition. The artwork has been exhibited in the gallery along the ramp for the duration of the exhibition.

Liz Atkin | Above Water runs until 14 November.

If you want to find out more about World Mental Health Day, go to:

• https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/world-mental-health-day
• https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day
• https://www.mind.org.uk/get-involved/world-mental-health-day/

You will also find other useful information and ways in which you can find support if you are finding things difficult.