We hope you all had a refreshing and enjoyable half term break. As we return to school, we are filled with optimism and energy for the journey ahead. This new half of term is a fresh chapter—one filled with opportunity, learning, and progress—and we are excited for what lies ahead for all our students.(Culture Day, Personal Development Day, Sport Day)

This week, we also want to take a moment to warmly welcome a powerful and positive change announced by the government: the expansion of Free School Meals to every child whose household is on Universal Credit, starting from the 2026 school year. This initiative will ensure that over half a million more children receive a nutritious meal every school day—a lifeline for many families and a real step forward in the fight against child poverty.

Not only will this help ease the financial pressure on parents—putting as much as £500 back into pockets annually—but it will also ensure that more children can thrive in school, stay focused, and reach their full potential. We know that when children are well nourished, they learn better, behave better, and are better equipped to succeed in life.

This is more than a policy shift—it’s a promise of greater equity and opportunity. And here at FBA , we are proud to stand behind that promise and look forward to supporting every family as this initiative unfolds.

You can apply for Free School Meal using the link below

https://havering.cloud.servelec-synergy.com/Synergy/Enquiries/Citizen/FreeSchoolMeals.aspx

Thursday 12th June - Year 10 Parents' Evening

Wednesday 18th June - Year 6 Parents' Welcome Evening

Monday 23rd June- Personal Development Day

Start of Year 10 Work Experience Week

18+ week

Wednesday 25th June - Year 6 Induction Day

Thursday 26th June - Year 10 Introduction to GCSEs Evening

Year 12 Parents' Information Evening

Wednesday 2nd July - Year 13 Leavers' Day

Thursday 3rd July - Year 11 Prom

Friday 4th July - Culture Day

Monday 7th July - Year 9 & Year 10 Celebration Evening 6 pm

Tuesday 8th July- Year 7 & Year 8 Celebration Evening 6 pm

Wednesday 9th July - Asian Heritage Month Showcase

Friday 11th July- Sports Day

Monday 14thJuly - Year 12 Work Experience begins

Friday 18th July - Last Day of Term

The following examinations will be taking place this week in the Sports Hall for GCSE (unless stated). Good luck to all the students.

As part of our ongoing commitment to building an inclusive, respectful, and culturally aware school community, we have been working with FLAIR Impact over the past two years. FLAIR supports us in deepening our understanding of diversity and inclusion through data-driven insights and meaningful dialogue.

Each year, staff and students take part in an anonymous FLAIR survey, and we’re grateful to all those who contributed last term. With over 1,000 student responses, their voices have helped shape our ongoing journey towards equity and inclusion.

From this year’s feedback, we were encouraged to see some important strengths:

• Students from Mixed ethnic backgrounds reported low levels of racial barriers to accessing opportunities.

• There is a high level of racial diversity within our student community.

At the same time, the survey also highlighted key areas for improvement, which we take seriously:

• The need to build a culture where racism is confidently discussed and challenged.

• A call for more ethnic diversity in curriculum content and teaching materials.

We are already working with FLAIR to address these areas and ensure that our school reflects the values we stand for—respect, inclusivity, and opportunity for all.

We will continue to share updates with you as we take the next steps together.

Thank you for being part of this vital work.

People throughout history have used poetry to reflect on conflict and its impact. Poems can be an incredibly powerful way to share stories, ideas, thoughts and feelings.

For NSI’s 2024/25 competition, students were asked to answer the question: How Can We Prevent Future Wars?

Congratulations to Julia Jimmy who has won the Never Such Innocence Poetry Competition 2024/2025

We would like to thank all our parents and carers for your continued support in helping us maintain high standards at school, including our uniform expectations. A smart, consistent uniform helps promote a sense of belonging, pride in our school community and discipline.

Recently, we have noticed some variations in uniform that we would like to address. In particular, students should only wear black or white headscarves, in line with our school policy. We have also seen some students wearing black leggings or flares, which are not part of the approved uniform. Please note that only FBA black trousers are permitted.

We understand there may be individual circumstances, and we are here to support you. If you have any concerns or need assistance regarding uniform, please speak with your daughter’s form tutor in the first instance so we can work together to find a solution.

Thank you for helping us ensure that all students are ready to learn and represent the school positively.

You can find our uniform policy below

Meet our Student Leaders in charge of Culture, Diversity and Inclusion; Caroline and Valerie

“We are very excited to be your new culture, diversity and inclusion leaders. Our mission is to ensure we appreciate all members of FBA, regardless of their various backgrounds and walks of life, by embracing diversity so that students from all communities feel heard, valued, and included.

It is June so we are very happy to be presenting this year’s Pride Month assemblies to all year groups and to encourage allyship among the FBA community. This summer term is also full of exciting culture day events that will really embrace the different backgrounds of our school community

The Heads of House welcome you back to school for our last half-term! This term’s activities will be getting ready for the very exciting 2025 Sports Day, and also thinking ahead to our goals for next year.

However, before we dive in to our new activities - it is time to share the much-awaited tree poster results!

The three winners for this activity were....

House R with Amelia Fenner and Shaimaa Bissasu's work!

House B with Faizah Chowdhury!

Have a look at their beautiful work below.

A huge congratulations to these winning Houses - well done! Each student has won their House 800 points each!

Check out the leader board to see where you are! We have a new House in the lead

Keep a Health Journal!

Jessica A, your Year 8 Sports Captain, suggests that if you want to feel more energised, track your goals, and boost your wellbeing, you should start a health journal!

It doesn’t need to be fancy; it can simply include quick notes about:

· What you ate and how it made you feel 🍎

· How much water you drank💧

· Your sleep and screen time 😴📱

· Any movement or workouts you did 💪

· Your mood or stress levels 🧠💭

· Your menstrual cycle* and how it affects your energy or mood 🩸🌸

*Tracking your period can help you spot patterns, plan around low-energy days, and understand your body better.

Our inspirational woman of the week is Rachael Blackmore as nominated by Ivy W in 7O. She is an Irish jockey who made history in 2021 by becoming the first woman to win the Grand National, riding Minella Times at Aintree. She further shattered barriers by being the first female top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival the same year, securing six victories, including the Champion Hurdle.

Her achievements have inspired countless young women in a traditionally male-dominated sport, demonstrating that gender is no limitation to success. In recognition of her contributions to sport, Blackmore was awarded an honorary MBE in 2023. Beyond racing, she co-authored a children's book titled Granny National, aiming to inspire the next generation .

Year 10 students should now be actively looking for work experience for their week of work experience in June (23rd – 27th). They need to see Mrs Celisse in Sixth Form if they need any help – especially if they are unsure about logging your placement on Unifrog, by the 23rd May. A list of contact details for previous placements has been shared on Show My Homework.

The Year 12 Art students visited to St Alban's Church and met with one of the FBA Governors, Father Hingley. Their visit was to look at the amazing art work within the church which has been recognised for its outstanding beauty and is on the London Borough of Havering's Heritage list.

Thank you to Miss Lines and Mrs Campbell for accompanying the students and for Father Hingley for hosting the students.

It has been another busy and productive week at the FBA farm, with finally some rain to help our grass and little vegetable garden grow. Students have been helping to harvest some of our carrots and herbs grown here at the farm to hand feed to our small animals. Students have also been pruning our ash trees that grow at the farm, which our rabbits and guinea-pigs love to eat.

For good digestive health, a varied diet that includes plenty of fresh leafy greens is vital for our small animals. It needs to be varied so that all nutrition needs are met.

Our spinach grown on the farm provides several vital nutrients that guinea-pigs need, including potassium, calcium and vitamin A. It also has high quantities of vitamin C, which is critical for cavies (guinea-pigs) as they cannot manufacture their own. Ash leaves and bark are good for our rabbits teeth, and provide a good amount of fibre and crude protein, as well as supporting good bladder health. Fresh dandelion leaves and willow also provides excellent nutrition for rabbits and guinea-pigs, so if you keep any as pets at home, try to ensure they are getting plenty of fresh green leaves.

Students are welcome to come and help feed and care for or animals – the farm is open every day at break and lunch time, and after school until 4pm from Monday to Thursdays, and Fridays before school at 7.50-8.25am.

On Friday evening, the period of Eid ul-Adha started and will run until Tuesday 10th June. This is the second of the two main festivals in Islam. Eid ul-Adha celebrates the Prophet Ibramin's devotion to Allah and his readiness to sacrifice his son Ismail. Ibrahim had a dream which he believed was a message from Allah asking him to sacrifice his son Ismail as an act of obedience to God. As Ibrahim was about to kill his son, Allah stopped him and gave him a ram to sacrifice instead as Ibrahim had been so devoted.

In some countries, Muslims sacrifice a sheep or goat and the meat is shared equally between family, friends and those in need. Eid usually starts with Muslims going to the Mosque for prayers followed by a time celebrating with family and friends. It is also important that Muslims give money to charity and those in need at this time.

We would like to say Eid Mubarak to all our Muslim students, colleagues and members of the wider school community.