St Aloysius' College Newsletter

Autumn 2 - December 2024

Our Headteacher's Message

Dear readers,

We are all delighted to reach the end of a long but very successful Autumn term. The following are some of the highlights:

St Aloysius College came second out of ten Islington secondary schools for GCSE Progress 8 2024. Progress 8 measures the average progress across eight subjects made by each pupil from KS2 to KS4 (GCSE). The school was in third place in 2023 so GCSE results are continuing to improve year on year. Well done to our pupils, to their teachers and to their proud parents!
The school has won two FFT attendance awards for 2023-2024. St Aloysius College is in the top 10% of all schools nationally for attendance and it is also in the top 10% of similar cohort schools nationally for attendance. St Aloysius College is the TOP Islington secondary school for attendance.
We launched the Aloysius Alumni Alliance on Friday, December 13th with a very successful coffee morning. The next meeting will be on March 27th at 5pm-6pm. All past pupils are warmly invited to attend.
The Department for Education has given the school the green light to admit girls to Year 7 from September 2025. We are delighted to welcome girls to Year 7. This is a significant milestone in the history of this school. St Aloysius College will be the first co-educational Catholic secondary school in Islington. Please share this exciting news with your friends and families and contact the school for further information and for tours etc
Christopher Baah-Okyere Yr 11 has been offered two fully financed Sixth Form scholarships to Highgate School and to Westminster School. Well done, Christopher!
Pupils have been very busy organising various activities before Christmas to raise funds for our three charities: The Catholic Children’s Society, The Passage and CAFOD. The total amount raised will be revealed early next term!

Thank you for your continued support and I wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2025.

Ms P Whyte

Headteacher

GCSE progress figures move closer to the top

Our headteacher Ms Whyte is delighted to share some exciting developments, just in time for Christmas: "Congratulations to all our staff on the wonderful news that St Aloysius' College is second in the borough for pupil progress at GCSE 2024", she reports, adding: "This is a significant achievement. We were number three last year for GCSE in 2023 so the only way is clearly up!" A total of ten Islington secondary schools were listed in the recent data publication on 2024 exam results by the Department of Education.

In other words: when it comes to making progress on your GCSE journey, there's only one place in north Islington to turn to: St Aloysius' College (Central Foundation Boys' School in the south lead borough-wide, for which we congratulate them wholeheartedly).

Remember: we also welcome girls in Year 7 from September 2025.

Our Breakfast Club elves are ready for many healthy starts in 2025

Ms Hunter and Mr Salazar-Endara embody the spirit of Christmas all year round: every weekday morning, they don their aprons and get stuck in with buttering bagels and stirring hot chocolates. On behalf of the whole school community - and Magic Breakfast, the charity supporting the club - we would like to say a ginormous thank you to the two early morning elves. You make a real difference to how our students start their day and build up that all important momentum for the challenges ahead.

Breakfast Club runs every weekday morning between 07.30 and 08.15 am in the lower ground floor food tech room.

Black History Month tackles questions on social attitudes

Why is there still the need for a Black History Month? This was just one of the questions Mr Thomas posed to Year 12 in his topical Black History Month assembly. The students looked for answers by examining changing social attitudes to issues like race and ethnicity. 'It was all you want from an assembly,' Head of Sixth Form Ms Mauris-Blanc commented: 'Informative, mind-opening and inspiring'. The Black History Month presentation was also enjoyed by key stages 3 and 4 before the October half-term break.

Year 7 research influential black voices and personalities

Year 7 celebrated Black History Month by wising up about a historic personality of their choice: they completed an ambitious research project consisting of a top-ten fact file, a quiz and a big colourful information poster. Acting Head of English, Ms Doorly, had the impossible task of picking the best entries as the whole class produced such brilliant work! Pictured is a wholesome selection of students and their projects, representing class 7B and the energetic and focused manner with which they tackled the assignment.

Archbishop and alumnus George Stack honours the fallen

We were delighted to welcome Archbishop Emeritus George Stack to a wonderfully moving Remembrance Sunday Mass in our school chapel in November. Pictured is the laying of the wreaths by the war memorial on Hornsey Lane, attended by Aloysians young and old, as well as parents, carers and members of staff.
A day later, we paused to remember. On Remembrance Day, we honoured the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of those who served and continue to serve. From the battlefields of the past to the sacrifices made today, let us reflect on their legacy of bravery and peace. May we carry forward their memory with gratitude and respect, reminding ourselves of the value of unity and hope. Lest we forget.

Christmas reward assemblies bring busy autumn term to a close

Christmastime is reward time: this season, it's Year 7's turn to represent our various year group reward assemblies. Head of Year Ms Jastrzab was very busy handing out certificates and prizes to the students who came out on top in the different subjects, as well as those who made the biggest leaps forward. Well done to everybody for putting in a super effort this term. Roll on 2025!

Year 11's Christopher receives two scholarship offers from prestigious schools

Massive congratulations to Christopher Baah-Okyere in Year 11: he managed to get not one, but two offers for a fully subsidised sixth form scholarship. 'I had to give it some real thought but in the end, I went for the offer by Westminster School,' he says. Christopher is already familiar with the school, after attending their Platform Plus programme in Year 10. 'I kind of know Westminster and their academic culture and I'm curious to see where my learning ambitions will take me.' Christopher's brother proves a real source of motivation as 'he got all 9s in his GCSE which is inspiring.' What would Christopher say is the most important ingredient for academic success? 'You definitely need something that drives you and keeps you accountable to yourself,' he says, before returning to Mr Neville's history class (one of the subjects he plans to study, alongside maths, chemistry and economics).

Alumnus returns to school to inspire new generation

Over half a century ago, a young student called Peter Osman found himself elected Head Boy at St Aloysius' College. He travelled to school every day from the Caledonian Road, ready to serve his fellow pupils as a thriving role model. Exactly 60 years later, that same Peter Osman returned to our Hornsey Lane campus to talk to Year 10 students about his amazing career in business, where he continued to inspire people and bring the best out of them. "If you're really good at something, it doesn't matter what you can't do," was one of the thought-provoking messages Peter offered today's generation of learners. Headteacher Paula Whyte encouraged her students to follow his example, "and perhaps one day it's you who will be standing here inspiring others". We warmly thank Peter for his uplifting visit.

Brand new alumni network launched before Christmas

Friday 13th December saw the relaunch of our Old Boys network: under the new name Aloysius' Alumni Alliance, we welcomed some former pupils and staff members to the library for an informal get-together. It was an overdue opportunity to catch up and network over a hot drink and a festive treat. We were pleased to see some of the more recent former Aloysians joining in too, making for a relaxed gathering that spanned generations. Pictured is current headteacher Paula Whyte addressing the party and bringing everybody up to speed with the latest developments at St Aloysius' College. Are you a former pupil or staff member? We would love to hear from you. Drop us an email at enquiries@sta.islington.sch.uk and we will be in touch with more information about the growing Aloysius' Alumni Alliance.

Year 10 student voted Islington Youth Councillor

Fantastic news from the political front: one of our Year 10 students, D'Eric Koy, is a duly elected member of Islington's Youth Council!
The results were revealed at an event held at Islington Assembly Hall, following an election in which 4,924 votes were cast by young people aged 11 to 17 earlier this month.
This year’s election drew a record-breaking 48 candidates, campaigning on diverse topics such as mental health, tackling poverty, spaces and activities for young people, equal opportunities, the environment, and youth safety.
We're so proud of D'Eric's campaigning, which clearly hit the right note with Islington's young voters. His mum, Mrs Honorine, wrote in to say "thank you all for all the support you gave to my son during his election period, physically, mentally and emotionally", adding: "D'Eric was telling me, 'Mum don't worry, my school is supporting a lot."

Advent fundraising focuses on Cafod, Catholic Children's Society & The Passage

Our advent fundraising campaign has kept us busy and excited for most part of December. To begin with, the focus was on the Catholic Children's Society. Melody from the charity paid us a visit and talked about the difference any donation will make to local families this Christmas. She asked a string of thought-provoking questions that left the students better informed and motivated to up their fundraising efforts. You can donate directly by going to cathchild.org.uk.

Next up was Mal from homeless charity The Passage. Their mission is to 'prevent and end homelessness in London'. The figures are stark: there are currently around 4,800 rough sleepers on the streets of the capital, more than 1,000 of them in Westminster - the richest borough in the whole of the UK. Mal told our boys that their fundraising efforts will help to bring people out from the cold this Christmas. A heartfelt thank-you from our whole school community for his visit and the important work @passagecharity undertakes year in, year out for London's homeless community. Online donations can be made at donate.passage.org.uk.

If you would like to contribute to the fundraising efforts of the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, please go to cafod.org.uk/give.

Thank you!

Our students also collected everyday items and festive goodies to create hampers for St Gabriel's Catholic church in Holloway. They are designed to bring some Christmas cheer to the elderly members of their community.

School Food Bank to support community with cost of living this festive season

One of the ways in which we reach out to our community is through the collaboration with FoodBank Aid North London. The aim is to help families navigate the cost of living crisis by offering surplus food, toiletries and cleaning products at no cost. Ever since we launched this service in 2022, demand has been consistently strong, which shows that there is a real need in the St Aloysius community for support when it comes to acquiring life's essentials.

The North London network of Food Bank Aid is open for donations 365 days of the year. For more information please use the link below.

Donate Groceries - Food Bank Aid

You can donate groceries at the hub or at your local drop off point - email info@foodbankaid.org.uk to find out where your nearest drop-off point is located. If you are not sure what to give, scroll down to see our list of essential items and what the food banks need most this week.

foodbankaid.org.uk

Historic transition makes a splash in Camden and Islington newspapers

Earlier this autumn, St Aloysius' College hit the local headlines with the historic transition to a co-educational setting. Girls will be able to join the school in Year 7 for the first time in its almost 145-year old history. Headteacher Paula Whyte and her team had been working relentlessly on the proposal: 'We are delighted that we can now extend our educational opportunities to sisters of current pupils and to any girls who wish to join our school in Year 7 from September 2025,' she says.

Pictured is an article on the momentous change, published by the Camden New Journal and Islington Tribune newspapers at the end of October.

If you have any questions about our new co-educational status and how your daughter can benefit from it, please get in touch via enquiries@sta.islington.sch.uk

Volcano models show the eruptive power of hands-on learning

We were blown away by Nicolas's edible volcano at the beginning of November! The Year 9 student created the lava cake as part of a geography project and our teachers erupted with joy when he donated it to the staff room. Well done, Nicolas, for putting a lot of love and effort into your creation that doesn't only look amazing but also tastes super scrumptious.

More brilliant volcano models came flooding out of our geography department: Tashveenn's replica has it all: lights, labels, lush surroundings and amazing attention to detail overall. No surprise that head of department, Ms Krenc, was bowled over: 'You can even switch the lights on and off - wow.' The Year 9 student is known for his love for crafting and it radiates once again from his latest creation - literally! Well done, Tashveenn.

Sixth Form students get insight into big City finance

Find your feet, go far: a big part of our excellent post-16 provision focuses on career choices and the work arena in general. Years 12 and 13 were invited by the London office of MFS Investment to hear more about jobs in accounting, finance and business. 'We got a lot of information on the day', Year 12 student Nico recalls. 'It was fascinating to see what options there are in a company that moves crazy amounts of money around each day'. The students received information from an expert panel on apprenticeships and internships, both on offer in the US-based company. 'Definitely a lot to think about and be inspired by', Nico tells us.

Football alumnus pays surprise visit

Always excellent to see former students come back to say Hi! Especially if they have made a name for themselves since they left our school. Ms Kisten was delighted to welcome 23-year-old Denzelle Olopade earlier this term, central midfielder for Dartford FC and proud Aloysius alumnus (class of 2018). Denzelle began his career with the Norwich City Academy, before moving to Crystal Palace’s U18 squad in July 2019. He certainly didn't waste any time after closing his St Aloysius chapter!

Great to see you, Denzelle. We can't wait to see what you'll do next.

Creative Sixth Form subjects turn attention to coursework

Busy times in our Graphic Design department: the Year 13 students are have been working with a razor-sharp focus on their A Level coursework this term. Pictured is Mr Northey casting his expert eye on the emerging designs.
Are you currently looking for a Sixth Form college for September 2025? We offer a first class post-16 provision, including strong links with a network of top UK universities and outstanding pastoral care & personal development opportunities. You can now apply for a place by going to www.sta.islington.sch.uk and click on the link that takes you straight to the application form.

A more sustainable school: plans for outdoor classroom started

A more sustainable school: work on forest garden to start in spring term

Our partners from eco-initiative Growing Green have been busy behind the scenes this autumn term. A lot of planning went into making our school premises more sustainable and bio diverse. Over to Jeska and Nick (pictured) for their report:

Following our creation of the pollinator garden, pond and orchard at St Aloysius' earlier in the year, Growing Green are back with bigger ideas for the school in 2025. As well as returning next term to spruce up the areas we have already planted, we are planning to work with the school to create a wonderful forest garden in an area of the woods behind the football pitch. This will be transformed into a nature exploration, outdoor skills and chill-out space to be used for various activities and projects.

And if that wasn’t enough, we will be providing a Growing Green Club Leader to work with a group of interested pupils on developing the space, so it works for students and for nature. We hope to get things started in the second half of next term, once a Leader has been found, the site has been cleared of rubbish and a safety check carried out on the trees.

Interested in getting involved? Please let Mr Felder or Ms Briody know.

Apply for a Sixth Form place before the end of January

Booking is now open on www.sta.islington.sch.uk

Many cheers raised at traditional Christmas dinner for pupils and staff

Christmas joy in every corner of our school: on the penultimate day of the autumn term, everybody was invited to tuck into a hearty Christmas lunch and spread the uplifting spirit of the season. From our fresh-faced Year 7 intake to the more seasoned sixth form students (pictured) - a lot of fun was had over some traditional Yuletide fare. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Become a part of the new Aloysius' Alumni Alliance!

We're building something big: a brand-new alumni network called the Aloysius' Alumni Alliance. If you're a former pupil or an ex-member of staff, we would like to hear from you. Please send us your name, daytime telephone number, role at the school and the year you left St Aloysius' College and we will be in touch. The email address is enquiries@sta.islington.sch.uk
We can't wait to hear from you and celebrate your past contributions to our school, as well as inviting you to make a difference to our current and future students' lives.

NEWS JUST IN: the next Aloysius' Alumni Alliance event will be on Thursday 27th March 2025, from 5pm. Details to follow soon!

An important appeal to our student bookworms: Do you have a library book or two that is stuck at home? Make sure you hand it in as soon as possible. We keep building a strong and exciting catalogue of titles, accessible to everybody in the school community. The book you forgot to return might just be the one another student can't wait to get stuck into. #bringbooksback

Table tennis squad returns from tournament unbeaten

No mucking around: In late November, Mr Wahid took our boys to a KS4 Table Tennis Tournament at City of London Academy, where they smashed it and won each and every game! Highbury Grove and Central Foundation were just some of the schools that they got the upper hand on. Well done boys!

Table tennis happens to be one of the sports on the up at our college: a new designated area on the lower ground floor is proving very popular with student players, especially over lunchtime. Watch this space for even more table tennis accolades, as our talent is working hard on their skills and techniques!

Dark Matter in the spotlight for Year 10

Mystery and science brought together: at the beginning of November, a 12-strong group of Year 10 students had the incredible opportunity to attend the Dark Matter Day event at King’s College London, where they delved into the mysteries of the universe and got hands-on with advanced physics. The day started with inspiring lectures on dark matter, where they learnt about one of science’s biggest mysteries and the invisible forces that shape our universe. They then took an exciting tour around the historic London Strand Campus, getting a taste of university life in the heart of London. The day's highlight was reached when the students built their own cloud chamber, using isopropyl and dry ice in a practical workshop, where you can see particle trails up close, just like professional physicists. We hope this experience ignited students' curiosity and excitement for exploring the vast mysteries of science and the universe.

Young scientists create elephant toothpaste

Our extracurricular clubs have been up and running from early September, and one of them, KS3 science club, is positively brimming with fresh new talent. It runs every Thursday lunchtime, led by Mr Worrell, and is designed to help build students' scientific skills and foster a curiosity for the subject.
Earlier in the term, the boys created Elephant toothpaste! The aim was to show the decomposition of a colourless liquid called 'hydrogen peroxide', using yeast and warm water as a catalyst. Just another day in the science lab, in other words :)

St Aloysius' College confirmed as the top school for attendance in Islington

Figures to be proud of: St Aloysius' College has been honoured with two FFT National School Attendance Awards for the 2023/2024 academic year. We received accolades in the following categories:
* Top 10% of all FFT secondary schools in England.
* Top 10% of similar FFT secondary schools in England.
Islington council's school bulletin features our achievement in its latest edition, writing: 'This recognition underscores the college's commitment to fostering a culture of regular attendance, which is crucial for pupil success and well-being.'

Headteacher Paula Whyte thanks her staff for their commitment to the school's students and families: 'The award-double is a clear indictment of their hard work. It's also an expression of how happy our pupils are to come through those school gates each and every day.' Ms Whyte extends a special thank-you to attendance officer Ms Jones who keeps our records up-to-date with an outstanding dedication.

Paper Plane competition takes off for a good cause

One of our youngest form classes, 7T, let it fly high for charity this Christmas: they organised a paper plane competition in the sports hall to raise some funds. The entry fee was 50p, and the prize for the winner was a £10 amazon gift card! Our winner Yusuf Ahmed in Year 9 is pictured holding the gift card alongside Mr Salazar-Endara, who was instrumental in setting up the event. 'The hall was bubbling with energy, enthusiasm and joy,' he reports, adding: 'Many of them are very skilled and some had some impressive designs! They were more than ready to fly off alongside their airplanes.'

Festive Arsenal Hub visit for group of Year 9 boys

We are delighted to work with the community outreach team of Arsenal FC throughout the year, and some Year 9 boys were in for a real surprise this Christmas season. Together with Mr Thomas, they received an invitation for a visit of the Arsenal Hub in the Emirates Stadium. Part of the tour was the hallowed dressing room where the boys got to pose for a photo in front of the club's start players' jerseys. They may look a bit 'too cool for school' in the photo but we have it from reliable sources that they utterly enjoyed their time at the gunners' home on Hornsey Road.

STEM presentation shows huge variety of career paths

Find your own flightpath: that was one of the messages by guest speaker Dr Lisa Moylan from Kingston University. Dr Moylan spoke about her own career trajectory, making the point that it’s not always a straight line. She also made the students aware of the many different careers that the area of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics offers. From marine biologist to app developer, the spectrum is extremely wide. The students were also given a chance to make their STEM dreams and visions fly - literally! They crafted paper planes that had the STEM job of their dreams written on it and tested their aerodynamics live in the assembly hall. A hands-on and hugely inspiring speech and we thank Dr Moylan for her visit.

Latest Aloysius news on Google, Instagram, Facebook, X - and now also Bluesky

As a dynamic and forward-thinking school, we're always looking for new ways of connecting with our community. One way of presenting ourselves to the wider world happens through digital channels. As you will know, we have a wide range of social media accounts, and you can connect with us on X, Instagram and Facebook by using the handle @StAloysiusC. We have also joined the latest social media kid on the block, Bluesky. Promising to prioritise 'transparency, trust, and meaningful connections', it seems a good fit with the ethos and values of our school.

You can also be part of our digital messaging by posting a review on Google. Doing so is easy: just type 'St Aloysius College London' into the search bar and click on 'Write a review' in the right-hand side window that will appear. Your positive contributions make a real difference and will be much appreciated.

Let's build a thriving, caring and outward-looking community, online and off!

Glimpses of uni life given in Met workshop

We were delighted to welcome a team from the London Metropolitan University - or simply the Met - to our school this term: speaker Priya and her squad of student ambassadors spoke to the boys about all things university. Pictured are Year 8 who still have more than 5 years to think about a potential university pathway. Their session was centred around what universities do, who they're there for and how many we have here in London alone (around 40). The boys had a chance to put their uni questions on post-it notes, which made for a lively and enlightening Q&A session.

Got old LEGO? Share the Joy!

If your family has outgrown LEGO bricks gathering dust at home, why not give them a new life? We’re looking for donations of pre-loved LEGO to spark creativity and bring joy to children in our community. Every brick, no matter the size, helps build something amazing.
Drop off or post your LEGO donations to St Aloysius’ College, Hornsey Lane, Highgate N6 5LY. Or email myself, Mr Thomas, thomas.s@sta.islington.sch.uk and let’s create more opportunities for fun and learning together. Thank you for helping us make a difference, one brick at a time!

Music club offers wide range of instruments to sample

Thursday lunchtime is music club time: students from across all year groups flock to our music block to channel their creativity into all sorts of musical instruments. The choice is wide and ranges from keyboard synthesizers to triangles and maracas. Pictured are Mr Tempest-Roe's African drumming workshop and a jamming session by Kacper and Harry, experimenting with a ukulele and drum combo. Spirits are always high during music club, as are the decibel levels!

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