FBA Update

This Thursday marks the 80th anniversary of the Victory in Europe Day or VE Day - the date of the unconditional surrender of Germany and the end to nearly six years of a war. This day would have been celebrated by students at the school who lived through WW2. Their school days would have punctuated by regular air raids as well as supporting the war effort by growing food on the school grounds.

This week, as we think back, we will share with the students how food was grown on the field and draw links with a new project at FBA. We are well underway with the creation of a new allotment in one of the school quads. Miss Cooksey, a member of our site team, has been building new raised beds and polytunnel ready for students to start to plant and grow food.

We look forward to sharing some pictures of the students getting involved and the results of their green fingered efforts.

Tuesday 6th May - External Examination period starts

Monday 12th May - Year 8 assessment fortnight starts

Friday 23rd May - Year 11 Leavers' Day and last day of the Half term

Monday 2nd June - Start of Summer term 2

Thursday 12th June - Year 10 Parents' Evening

Wednesday 18th June - Year 6 Parents' Welcome Evening

Our Year 11 ends their Period 6 programme last Tuesday celebrating their hard work with an afternoon tea. Throughout the year our Year 11 have dedicated an extra hour each week on Tuesday where they focused on examinations techniques and support. We would like to express our gratitude to all our staff who made this possible and we wish all our Year 11 students good luck for their first examinations period which start this week!

Year 11

• Tuesday 6th May AM - Health and Social Care
• Thursday 8th May AM - Drama
• Friday 9th May PM - Business Studies

Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) is an is the independent government body in England responsible for regulating qualifications, examinations, and assessments. In essence, it ensures the quality and fairness of these standards in the English education system.

Ofqual have created a toolkit for explaining grading for GCSE and A Level exams- we thought this might be useful for parents and carers to understand how the grading take place. Please watch the video below.

Our She is Studious form time programme was back last week. Students have 30 minutes form time each and in Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 they had three sessions dedicated to learning a new study skill.

In Year 7, we wanted students to think about their long-term goals and sense of achievement, along with about being determined to succeed.

In Year 8, students learnt about dual coding which is a psychological theory that describes how the brain processes different information and build long term memory.

In Year 9, students looked at effective ways to take notes.

The survey has been sent to all parents and carers but you can also access it here.

Your opinion about our school really matters to us and your feedback is a vital part of helping us to make this school the best it can be.

We are inviting all parents and carers to complete the survey which will only take around 5-10 minutes to complete. The survey can be found here:

https://edurio.com/teacher/poll/7e6NPZ and will be open until Fri 16th May 2025.

We look forward to hearing your views about all aspects of school life.

Many thanks for your participation.

Last week, we proudly celebrated our Year 12 Law students for their participation in the Bar Mock Trial. Each student received a certificate in recognition of their involvement in this super curricular experience. The trial gave them the opportunity to immerse themselves in the courtroom environment, taking on roles such as barristers, witnesses, and other key legal figures as they enacted a real legal case. It was a fantastic hands-on learning experience that brought the world of law to life.

We are pleased to inform you that the Year 7 and Year 8/9 athletics teams had a fantastic experience at this year's Chelmsford Athletics Outdoor Cup last Wednesday competing against schools from across Essex, London and Kent (state & independent). With the following results with new PBs across both teams:

Year 7 were overall 3rd out of 24 schools with excellent performances from the 6 students that competed. We also secured a Gold in the High Jump by Amelia Clive jumping at 1.38m. Well done Amelia!

Year 8/9 combined team were overall 19th out of 32 schools with excellent performances.

The students will continue to train and prepare for the rest of this years athletics season including the end of year Havering Districts competition. Please congratulate them on their achievements.

PE DEPARTMENT

Tennis enhances hand-eye coordination

This week our Year 10 Sports Captains wanted to inform you about the benefits of playing tennis.

Tennis isn't just a fun, competitive sport—it is a fantastic way to boost your hand-eye coordination! By tracking the ball, timing your swings, and adjusting your movements, tennis engages both your brain and body. Regularly playing tennis can sharpen your reflexes, improve balance, and boost overall brain function. ​

🎾 Challenge of the week: Play tennis with a friend!

Head to a local park in Romford and enjoy a game of tennis with friends or family. Here's a few great options to get you started:

• Rally Practice: Bring a racket and a ball, and see how long you can keep a rally going with a friend—no net needed!
• Target Practice: Set up cones, bottles, or chalk targets and practice aiming your shots—great for precision and focus.
• Mini Tennis Game: Use jumpers or cones to mark a mini court on the grass and play a short game using soft balls.
• Visit local tennis court E.g. Raphael Park Tennis Courts: They are currently running free social tennis sessions every weekend as part of the Barclays Free Park Tennis programme—equipment is provided! For more information on local tennis courts and how to book them visit: https://www.havering.gov.uk/sports-fitness/sports-pitches-courts.

Remember to grab a pair of rackets, a ball and wear sensible footwear!

Our inspirational woman of the week is Kate Middleton as nominated by Sophie B in 7R. Kate Middleton, officially Catherine, Princess of Wales, is a senior member of the British royal family and wife of Prince William.

She is admired for her strength, grace, and dedication to causes like mental health and early childhood development. Recently, she inspired many by publicly sharing her battle with cancer, showing resilience and honesty in the face of personal hardship. Despite her diagnosis, she continues to be a source of support for her family and a symbol of courage to others.

Her ability to lead with empathy and dignity makes her a powerful role model for young women.

Huge congratulations to the following students who have been awarded a FULL scholarship to the LEAP programme in Jersey in July!

This is a fantastic achievement and a once in a lifetime experience for these students. Please send them your congratulations:

• Daniella A Y9
• Emily F Y10
• Ongani N Y9
• Umamah F Y10
• Saliha K Y10
• Alina Q Y9

Following the popularity of the Netflix show Adolescence, we’re taking this opportunity to raise awareness of misogyny and its impact. The show has sparked important conversations about gender stereotypes and how media can influence our views negatively.

Let’s use this moment to promote respect, equality, and critical thinking both on and off screen. Year 9 and Year 10 will take part in Speaking Out Against Misogyny sessions in form time over the coming weeks.

Students' participation in these sessions is vital in fostering a supportive, empowering environment.

Students should now be actively looking for work experience for their week of work experience in June. Please Students are encouraged to see Miss Woods in the Careers Office in Sixth Form if they need any help – especially if they are unsure about logging your placement on Unifrog. A list of contact details for previous placements has been shared on Show My Homework.

One of our students is running a half marathon on the 7th of September 2025 and would love for you to help with her donation journey!

Faith is running for Sense Charity. Sense is a national Charity that supports people who are deafblind and those with complex disabilities, to be understood, connected and valued.

They are there for every person who faces communication barriers in a world that relies on being able to see and hear well to be connected. Together we can unlock barriers to communication so no one is isolated, left out or unable to fulfil their potential.

Thank you for helping me reach my fundraising goal for the Big Half.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/faith-wicks-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL&utm_campaign=015

It has been a busy week on the farm, with the weather finally getting warmer!

This term, Year 7 and 8 are learning about poultry, waterfowl and game husbandry (the raising and care of birds) during farm sessions. Chickens are pretty amazing birds; they are the closest living relative to the T.Rex dinosaur – this is seen when they run and when they squawk in a distinctly velociraptor fashion! The colour of a chickens eggs are determined by their genetics; for example, Ameraucana’s lay blue eggs, and Leghorn’s produce white eggs.

Outnumbering every other bird species, with 25 billion worldwide – that is four times the number of humans. Chickens, like us and other mammals also have REM (rapid eye movement) during one of their sleep phases, which suggest that they dream. They are intelligent, and have a great memory, and can recognise multiple faces, so our three FBA chickens will be familiar with students who regularly visit the farm!

Come and see our FBA chickens; you will find them free-ranging the farm, strutting and scratching about, foraging for food. We are open on Mondays to Thursdays during every break, lunch and after school until 4pm, and before school at 7.50-8.25am on Fridays.

Over the weekend, history was made. The London City Lionesses were the first football team with no affiliation with a men's club to earn a place in the Women's Super League (WSL). Since splitting from Millwall FC in 2019, they have played in the second tier of English football but have recently received investment from Michele Kang who also owns Lyon (France) and Washington Spirit (USA) which has helped boost their playing staff and facilities.

So along with the mighty Tottenham Hotspurs Ladies, Chelsea, West Ham and an average North London team, there will be a new London team to go and see next season.

To find out more about the London City Lionesses, go to https://www.londoncitylionesses.com/