FBA Update
7th July 2025
Celebrating Culture Day: A Proud Tradition of Diversity and Inclusion
At our school, Culture Day is more than just a date on the calendar—it is a celebration of who we are. As a proudly diverse school community, Culture Day is an opportunity for students and staff to honour, explore, and embrace the rich cultural backgrounds that make our school unique.
On this special day, students and staff are encouraged to come to school dressed in clothing that represents their cultural heritage. The school comes alive with vibrant colours, traditional garments, and stories shared. It is a moment of pride and learning for everyone involved.
Culture Day is also about more than celebration—it is about education. Throughout the day, students participate in activities and workshops that focus on important topics such as microaggressions, identity, and how to actively challenge racism. These sessions spark meaningful conversations and help students develop the awareness and tools needed to build an inclusive and respectful environment.
Culture Day reminds us that diversity is one of our greatest strengths. We are proud to foster a space where every student feels seen, valued, and heard. It is days like this that help us grow—not just as students, but as a community.
We are very grateful for Miss McGrath who planned and orchestrated the day and for our staff who delivered.
Community Anti-Racism Competition
Eliza A in Year 12 won Community Anti-Racism Competition for students from London Borough of Havering and Barking & Dagenham. She said: "Sometimes, racism is brushed away as it is too serious to discuss in everyday discussion so I wanted to create a light-hearted and refreshing poster. I used the the message 'We are all flowers from the same garden' to show that, although we may look different, we are all nurtured by the same values of respect, kindness, and humanity".
Dorset Year 12 Trip
The Year 12 geographers went to Dorset to develop their fieldwork skills to prepare them for their non examined assessments. The students visited Swanage to conduct some coastal fieldwork techniques and went to Studland to see Old Harry’s Rocks in all their glory.
The students also visited Corfe Castle to investigate the impacts of tourism on a rural location, through the use of EQS and questionnaires. We visited Bournemouth to investigate varying levels of deprivation across the LSOA. Lastly, students visited Lulworth Cover and Durdle Door to recap the formation of these landforms from their case studies and to investigate the impacts of being a UNESCO world heritage site, on the natural environment and the local economy.
From Your Year 11 Sports Captains
🍉 Cooling vs Heating Foods – Ancient Wisdom for Modern Heatwaves
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, practised for over 2,000 years, foods are classified as either cooling or heating based on how they affect your body. This isn't about temperature, but how the food influences your internal balance. Find out more by clicking here. During a British heatwave, eating too many heating foods (like fried snacks, spicy food or even ginger) can make you feel sluggish, dehydrated and hot. Cooling foods do the opposite, helping your body stay hydrated, calm, and focused.
🧊 Cooling Foods and Drinks to Try:
- Cucumber sticks – great for snacking
- Melon and berries – great for hydration
- Cold pasta salad – light and energising
- Pears and apple slices – juicy and hydrating
- Leafy greens – especially spinach and lettuce
- Mint tea, green tea, most floral teas – refreshing and calming
💧 Don’t forget to stay hydrated by refilling your bottles at break and lunch using the water dispensers or Generation Juice machines provided.
Inspirational Woman of the Week
Our inspirational woman of the week is Priyanka Chopra as nominated by Alicia A in 10W. Priyanka is an Indian actress, singer, and former Miss World who gained international fame through her work in Bollywood and Hollywood. She is known for breaking cultural and industry barriers, becoming one of the first South Asian women to lead a U.S. network drama. Chopra uses her platform to advocate for gender equality, education for girls, and mental health awareness through her work with UNICEF and her own foundation. Her journey from small-town India to global stardom inspires young women to dream big, work hard, and embrace their identities. She exemplifies resilience, ambition, and the power of self-belief.
Year 8s Immerse Themselves in French History and Culture!
From 23rd to 27th June, our Year 8 students embarked on an unforgettable residential trip to Normandy, France, enjoying five days packed with history, culture, and delicious local treats!
The adventure began with an awe-inspiring visit to the magnificent Mont-St-Michel, where students explored the ancient abbey and soaked in the breath-taking views. We then delved into traditional Norman craftsmanship with a trip to Villedieu-les-Poêles, famous for its copperware.
The next day, our budding historians explored the charming town of Bayeux. We experienced the vibrant atmosphere of a traditional morning market, before stepping back in time with a visit to the iconic Bayeux Tapestry, marvelling at its intricate depiction of the Norman Conquest. A poignant stop at the British Cemetery at Bayeux provided a moment for quiet reflection and remembrance.
Our journey through history continued with a powerful visit to the Arromanches 360° cinema, offering a moving insight into the D-Day landings. This was followed by an informative Arromanches town trail, exploring the remains of the Mulberry Harbour.
No trip to Normandy would be complete without experiencing its famed produce! A highlight for many was the delightful goats’ cheese farm visit, where students learned about the cheese-making process and, of course, enjoyed some tasty samples! We visited an apple orchard and cider farm, learning about apple cultivation and the art of cider making. Evenings were filled with fun, including a fantastic crêpes evening at the "Freedom Café", where students enjoyed a true taste of France.
The students were fantastic ambassadors for our school, demonstrating enthusiasm, curiosity, and excellent behaviour throughout the trip. They returned with not only souvenirs but also a deeper understanding of French culture and a lasting appreciation for the rich history of Normandy. A huge thank you to all the MFL staff who made this incredible experience possible for our Year 8s!
There has been lots of friendly at the Farm to welcome our new goats… let us introduce you to Alvin, Theodore and Simon.
This is the last full week of term for our animals and birds, who will be going on holiday to Lambourne End Farm for the summer break next week on Tuesday. It has been a busy, productive and fun school year at the farm – here are a few highlights:
- We welcomed quite a few new additions to our farm family - Pebbles, Crumpet and Coco the guinea-pigs, Patch the rabbit and Alvin, Theodore and Simon our pygmy goat kids. We also fostered two pigs for the autumn term, Percy and Pepper.
- We sadly lost a few of our rabbits and ducks due to old age; however, this is a part of the reality and responsibility of keeping animals, dealing with the loss when they pass.
- Our animals are all on tailored diets appropriate for their weight, age and lifestyle, along with vaccination, worming and parasite-control programmes.
- Our Farm Leaders have worked consistently across the year in all weathers to develop their animal husbandry skills, support and help their fellow students at the farm. They have also been great at exercising our two Shetland ponies Rocky and Nugget even in the pouring rain, and have also organised and ran two highly successful fundraisers for the farm, alongside a litter picking initiative they devised and ran.
- Multiple students have completed hundreds of hours of work experience and the volunteering requirement for Duke of Edinburgh at the farm.
- The farm has supported The Platform and one of our LIFE Trust schools, The Bridge, with farm referral sessions, with multiple students gaining confidence with handling and care of our animals and birds, as well as seeding and growing flowers, herbs and vegetables that were then harvested and fed to our animals.
Thank you to all the multitudes of students who have come and helped love and care for our animals. Wishing you all a very happy summer holiday from everyone at the FBA farm!
After the very hot weather of the past week, the weather broke with rain on Sunday. Many of you would have experienced the scent of rain or smell of rain. After a long period of warm, dry weather, a pleasant smell frequently accompanies the rainfall and this has a name - it is called petrichor.
This term was first used by two Australian scientists and comes from the Ancient Greek pétra 'rock' or pétros 'stone' and ikhṓr, the ethereal fluid that is the blood of the gods in Greek mythology.
There is some very nifty chemistry behind the scent given off and if you want to find out more, have a look at this BBC article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44904298