SWANLEA NEWS Issue 63 SWANLEA BUSINESS & ENTERPRISE COLLEGE Spring 2009 Conversations

the new hit play by Swanlea and Thomas Buxton students! LETTER FROM THE HEAD Ms Austin Swanlea has, again, experienced a full and exciting A quick reminder to parents - please do encourage term. Over the last few months we have been treated your child to attend the large number of after-school to a number of exciting activities - the play by Thomas clubs that we run in school. We offer a wealth of extra Buxton and Swanlea students being one of the support and to those of you with children in Year 11, highlights. this might be a particularly good time to remind your child of the opportunities for help available to them. I am very pleased to be able to have this magazine Please do contact school if you have any questions bearing evidence of our most recent accomplishment: about the enrichment clubs we offer. we are, officially, an outstanding school, and are proud to display the logo awarded to us by OFSTED (visible below on this page). With every best wish,

Swanlea School Business & Enterprise College 31 Brady Street E1 5DJ

Tel: 020 7375 3267 Fax: 020 7375 3567 Email:[email protected] www1.swanlea.towerhamlets.sch.uk Editor: Eimear Daly

2 Over a 1000 people were treated to the wonderful musicians, actors, performers and video directors production created by students from Swanlea to achieve their final product. and Thomas Buxton Primary school called “Conversations”. The audience were staggered by the quality of the acting, writing, dancing and singing. All students 30 students from Swanlea and Thomas Buxton worked collaboratively and supported each other worked throughout the year on the play. Together, throughout the whole process. A truly wonderful they wrote the script and the music within the production - congratulations! play. The students worked alongside professional Mr Shindler Senior Leader

3

Canon Barnett

tion

Primary School, n a T wS

e l N

Kobi Nazrul t l S E t m

Primary School, R City a W A

Osmani Primary School, u A P O

Thomas Buxton Infants, N A D T S

Gateway LE N m I I Thomas Buxton Juniors, Interested in V E O H

Schools Stewart Headlam T s C A

Partnership Primary School, Free fitness EAN M Swanlea School ! activities? Osmani Primary School is delighted to have the opportunity to run a for mothers Fitness from schools Club, in their newly refurbished gym in the Schools Partnership.

The activities will consist of ics and c ob irc aer u it activities If every you are Thursday interested from 9.15am in taking to 10.15am. part in these

Osmani FREE Venue: activities Osmani then please Primary School, Vallance Road, call Cynthia on London

07595 608 801 E1 5AD SWANLEA 4

tion

n a T wS e l N

t l S E t m

R a W A

u A P O

N A D T S

LE N m I I

V E O TH s A

CEAN M !

Parents of Year 7 students are also given Ocean Maths Year 7 students have also were invited into school to homework which they are enjoyed the workshops and take part in a Maths lesson asked to complete with their one student commented with a difference! Ocean parents. “I think it’s a great idea Maths involves children getting parents in even learning maths with their In one term alone, 84 Year 7 though it’s embarrassing. parents and working together parents attended an Ocean If they learn more stuff on to solve mathematical Maths class and there has subjects they can help us questions and puzzles. been a very positive response with our homework and we The workshops are very to the workshops. One parent will all learn something new.” interactive and parents do commented and not have to be good at Maths ics c “It is very important for b ir to attend. By participating in ro c parents to come because ae u these workshops, parents it only parents know what a develop ways to support their c ties they can give to their child. Ms Allen tivi children with maths at home If parents come every time, City Gateway and as part of the Ocean it will benefit their child.” Project Manager every Maths programme, students Thursday from 9.15am to 10.15am.

5 swanlea school ECO-Committee Throughout February, two committee and help find ways Some ECO FACTS... members of the student council, to make Swanlea school more Flora McLaughlin and Tahsan environmentally friendly. The • In one year there would be enough waste to fill dustbins Choudhury, embarked on an Eco-committee will continue to stretching from the Earth to information campaign to help work with staff and students to the Moon launch the brand new Swanlea help up all contribute to saving Eco-Committee. Together with energy. Please do speak to • On average, each person in Ms Crawford and Ms Daly, they Tahsan, Flora or any student the UK uses 15 trees worth researched and developed a council member to find out more of paper every year (which means in Swanlea we use up wonderful display for the mall information or to suggest an about 18,000 trees worth of (pictured below) with some idea. paper a year) key eco-facts to help capture students’ attention. Tahsan and Mr Goodman • Recycling 1 aluminium can Flora manned the display during Deputy Headteacher saves enough energy to power a television for 3 hours lunchtimes over the course of two weeks so that students • Recycling two bottles saves could sign up to join the enough energy to boil water for five cups of tea.

6 Year 9 take the construction challenge! 45 Year 9 students spent two days at a specialist education centre in Tower Hamlets learning all about trades and apprentiships. Students worked alongside industry specialists and were given the opportunity to experience and learn more about practical skills needed to enter into an apprentiship and learn a trade. Students also debated and discussed the academic knowledge they would need in order to be a successful craftsman, with maths, physics, English and DT coming at the top of the list! Students worked very well together and clearly enjoyed applying their newly acquired practical knowledge. Well done all! Mr A. Walmsley Senior Leader

My BNK students help raise money for My Bnk is a charity which aims them set up their own company successful venture, resulting to teach young people about within school. Some students in over £100 being raised for a the benefits of saving. My Bnk from 9E students did just that worthy charity. Well done! volunteers visited Swanlea and to enable them to hold a Cake delivered special training to our Sale in school in aid of Comic Ms Pritchard Year 12 students, and gave Relief. It transpired to be a very Business & Enterprise Coordinator them guidance on how to run a bank and set one up in school. From this term, there is now a special Swanlea bank in school! Every Wednesday lunchtime Year 12 students open the bank so that students can come and deposit their savings into their accounts. Students also have the chance to take out a business “start up” fund to help 7 Year 10 + gold + Bank of = ? Year 10 Business Studies students learn how to navigate through the problems of raising and lowering interests rates to control inflation by piloting an hot air balloon on a field trip to the Bank of England Museum in Threadneedle Street, London. Students also rose to the challenge of trying to pick up a real gold bar (worth £250,000 on the day) as well as pick open a safe by correctly answering questions about the Bank, its activities and the UK economy.

Mr Berk Leader of Learning for Business Swanlea’s Wonder women! One special weekend in March, a group of intrepid mothers and daughters from Swanlea school set off to Arethusa Venture Centre in Rochester on an exciting residential weekend.

With the aim to help improve students’ team-building and planning skills, as well as encourage their confidence and all-round sense of adventure, the group soon got to a whole host of innovative and thrilling activities. Mothers and daughters (and teachers!) got into the spirit of the weekend whole-heartedly, embarking on all kinds of weird and wonderful tasks. From archery, to riding on a speedboat, to walking on a high-wire, everyone had a truly wonderful time and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We hope to run a similar weekend away for fathers and sons so make sure you watch this space!

Ms Rahman and Ms Williams Coordinator of Learning for Year 7 & Deputy Coordinator of Learning for Year 7 8 9 VIBEZ Productionz Vibez Productionz, an Events percentage of their profits to charity Management Company set up by at the end of the year. The Talent the Year 12s as part of the Young Show was an amazing success with Enterprise Programme, have over 180 people turning up to watch started the year off with a bang! Swanlea’s finest acts perform. Already they have hosted many It soon became obvious to the events, including cake sales and audience that we certainly have a a special Valentine’s fundraiser. lot of talented students in Swanlea! They used the proceeds of those The team intend to hold more events to put together the recent exciting events throughout the year Talent Show on 12th February. Of so make sure you stay tuned! course, we must not forget that Vibez Productionz have also Ms Pritchard made a commitment to donate a Business & Enterprise Coordinator

VIBEZ PRODUCTIONZ WIN INNER EAST FINAL! On 24th March Vibez Thankfully, Vibez’s enthusiasm, advisor Mr Onwugbonu, Mr Productionz - the fantastic energy, positive attitude and Brayne, Ms Daly, Mr Berk, Ms Events Management Company, teamwork skills meant that Bhutta, Mr Firth, Mr and Mrs took part in the Young Enterprise they scooped three out of the Nunn, the Premises and I.T. Company Programme Inner four of awards, including Best staff, Mr Umin, Ms Dudhia and East Final competition at Company 2009! It was a well Ms Austin for all their help and Clifford Chance in Canary deserved win and we look support. It is much appreciated. Wharf. Vibez Productionz were forward to the next round on 29th entered into all four rounds; Best April - the East London final. Ms Pritchard Company Report - a 10 page My thanks go to their business Business & Enterprise Coordinator report based on an evaluation of their company, Best Trade Stand -a display of their Events which included a DVD, posters, banners and pictures of the event; Best Presentation - a 5 minute presentation to the other companies and the judges and Best Company 2009 -the most prestigious award. Our main competitors were Sir John Cass, who pitched an interesting revision guide business idea. 10 Swanlea hosts visit by teachers from Italy Swanlea was recently visited by a party of educators from all across Italy. Teachers observed lessons, spent time with staff, and received a special presentation by students. Laura Humayun, 7S, (pictured left) impressed the visitors especially by delivering her speech in Italian! All the students involved were fantastic representatives and left our guests with nothing but praise for Swanlea. Well done!

Ms Williams Deputy Coordinator of Learning for Year 7

Swanlea students become award-winninG writers! On 21st February 43 Swanlea Hussain, Mr Ahmed and Mr Ali. students went to Channel S All were delighted at the students’ TV station headquarters to wonderful accomplishment take part in a special Bengali and look forward to next year’s writing competition. It was a competition! wonderful event organised to help celebrate Bangladeshi Ms Daly language day. Media Officer

With over 200 hundred students from competing from different schools, the competition was tough and everyone was focused on trying their best. Impervious to pressure, Benedict Stalon Rozario (11C) from Swanlea won first prize, and second prize went to Mahfuzul Karim Mahi (7W) - a considerable achievement! The students were accompanied by Mr Islam, Ms Mudge, Mr 11 News from the p.e. team... mr Thomas, Mr Cotterill, Mr Ellis, Ms Flowers, Ms Foley & Mr Grant

Football News…. National ‘Times Newspaper’ In March, Mr Grant escorted a The Year 10 Swanlea Boys Cricket tournament and team of 16 Swanlea students Football team narrowly lost on were defeated by Dulwich selected to compete in the penalties in the semi-final of College. National Indoor Rowing Championships at Battersea the Tower Hamlets Cup held at • Under 15s qualified for Park and we were delighted to Hackney Marshes in January. the Indoor Cricket Tower watch Mantas Ganebnas (Year The Year 11 team reached the Hamlets Finals. They have 9) win the bronze medal. final and were strong runners also qualified for the Tower up to Raines Foundation. Hamlets Outdoor Cricket Tower Hamlets We are delighted to announce Tournaments to be played Badminton Doubles that Courtney Chin, Year in the Summer. Competition 11, has been selected • Shaykul Hoque (Year 8) for the ‘London Schools has been selected for the As always, Swanlea were Representative Team. Middlesex Cricket Academy. incredibly successful at this Congratulations Courtney! year’s tournament. All teams Rowing through Year 7-10 ended up winning their respective Swanlea came second in this competitions. Students form year’s Tower Hamlets Indoor Years 7 and 9 were also the Rowing Competition at Oaklands runners up, and students School. Shaykul Hoque (Year competing from Year 8 came a 8) won his race & Bodrul Islam commendable third. (Year 11) & Justine Gonzales (Year 9) were all placed second Results: in their events. These students were also chosen to represent Year 7 Tower Hamlets in the London Champions Swanlea’s Cricket team Youth Games: a considerable Mahfuzul Mahi Md. Shahrukh continue to go from strength achievement. On the back of (7W) Khan (7E) to strength. We have had a that success, Swanlea entered Runners up number of wonderful results 30 students in the National Youth Jamil Ahmed Samsul Ahmed recently.... Rowing Championships held (7W) (7L) • The Year 7 & 8 Girls Indoor in Battersea in which Shaykul Year 8 th Cricket team placed 4 Hoque won a silver medal. Very Champions against local borough many congratulations to all who Md-Shaykul Juned Ahmed schools. took part. Hoque (8N) (8N) • Under 13s Boys Cricket Third Place Khairul- team were finalists in the Rubel Abusaleh Muhammed London Indoor Cricket (8L) Competition held at Lords Amin (8W) Cricket ground. The boys Year 9 were also the winners Champions in the Middlesex Indoor Md-Shaykul Juned Ahmed competition held also at Hoque (8N) (8N) Lords. Runners up Waliur Rahman • Under 13s were recently Mitu Ahmed (9A) defeated in the Indoor Inner (9L) London Cricket Skills Cup Year 10 by Stepney Green. Champions Shahan Rashid Azizur Rahman • Under 15s Boys reached Mantas Ganebnas with (10E) (10C) the London Finals of the his bronze medal 12