NEWSLETTER Issue 5 April 2019 Fifth place out of 55 similar schools We are very proud to have come fifth for academic attainment in a group of 55 similar schools within which we are placed by the Department for Education (DfE). The DfE puts every secondary school in England and Wales in a group with 54 others whose students have very similar attainment at the start of secondary school. The attainment of students is then measured again at the end of Year 11, to show how the schools compare after five years of secondary education. This enables schools to get a really good idea of how they are performing against those with a similar intake. “Before joining the Harris Federation this school was significantly under-performing, so to have turned things around so quickly is a massive credit to our students and teachers,” said Head of Academy Dan Smith. The academy is also in the top 18% of schools nationally for student progress. b Harris Garrard Academy is in the top 18% of schools nationally for student progress. Careers Fair helps students plan ahead Over 30 different organisations attended our Coventry universities also came along to help largest-ever careers fair in February. Students students consider their Post 16 and higher from years 5-13 came along to meet different education options. employers and universities and take part in In a survey, around 85% of students said the interview skills and CV-writing workshops Careers Fair would help them choose their too. career. Toby, Year 8, said he had “learnt what Organisations at the fair included the London I have to work towards in order to achieve my College of Performing Arts, Department for goals, and which qualifications I need to do Work and Pensions, the Army, Ernst & Young certain jobs.” Thank you to all the external and the National Citizen Service. North Kent m Playwright and speakers and students who attended. Look College and Newcastle, Portsmouth and theatre director Liam forward to seeing you again next year! Borrett inspires the next generation of potential writers. b Students from years 5-13 were invited to our first ever Careers Fair. c Archie and Jacob find out what it takes to become a paramedic. Truly great learning See page 3 c Year 7 seek Cooking on stage Children from years Lost Mine of 4 and 5 attended a Fun Into Food session Phandelver at Dartford Science and Technology The new Dungeons and Dragons club, College earlier this started by Mr Carr in January, is proving a term – an engaging, big hit with students. interactive session “Dungeons and Dragons is collaborative designed to get story-telling,” said Mr Carr. “The children children and young imagine themselves in a different world people interested and together create the characters, a in preparing and m Cooking on stage at the Fun Into Food quest, and tell the story collaboratively cooking food. event this term. as the quest unfolds. It’s really good to After a ‘healthy eating’ presentation by the chef, the real fun started. see the children getting excited, creating Children had the chance to cook on stage, preparing a vegetarian fictional characters and deciding what the noodle dish to celebrate Chinese New Year. characters should do.” “Those of us in the audience were able to cheer everyone on and The HGA Dungeons and Dragons Club has enjoy the delicious smells coming from the kitchens,” said Assistant created a rolling adventure in which they Principal, Ms Brand. “Our children demonstrated some excellent are going on a quest to find the Lost Mine cookery skills, and also impressed the chef with their knowledge of of Phandelver, which was once mined for Mandarin!” We hope the children all feel inspired to go home and magical minerals but the whereabouts of develop their culinary creativity. which is now forgotten. Renaissance Developing ‘Cultural Dungeons and Dragons has been around for decades but is undergoing a renaissance Capital’ at the Tower at present, partly due to featuring in the Students visited the Tower of London and Tower Bridge this term as Netflix series Stranger Things. “There are no part of a trip funded by the Jack Petchey Foundation to help develop screens – just a dice, a character sheet, and their ‘cultural capital’. barely even a board,” said Mr Carr. “It’s all about the pleasure and creativity of story- They learned about the historical importance of the White Keep telling.” As Seun, Year 7, says: “The best (pictured), the execution sites of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, thing is being a half dragon who breathes and the Crown Jewels. They also got to see the inner workings of fire.” Tower Bridge. “It was a truly informative day that helped the students’ to broaden their understanding of heritage and culture,” said Mr . Collaborative story-telling Jackson, History Innovation Leader. at our weekly Dungeons and Dragons Club. Developing cultural capital in the heart of London. 2 #LearningChangesLives Issue 5 April 2019 3 Truly great learning m This stunning portrait of Queen m Year 4 have been learning about states of Victoria was created matter through practical science experiments by Zachary of Monet – melting and solidifying chocolate, m Children in Renoir Class created these class, Year 1. We think predicting the temperature at which ice homemade musical instruments as part of even the monarch melts, and making water cycles in a bag. a home learning project over the holiday. would be amused! We’ve a growing online portfolio of terrific work being done in You can find lots more great learning from the primary phase at Harris Garrard Academy. Take a look for our primary phase at harrisgarrard. yourself at harrisgarrard.org.uk/greatlearning. Above org.uk/greatlearning. are just a few examples. Literary Canon launched on World Book Day Harris Garrard Academy launched its ‘Literary Canon’ on World Book Day to promote a love of reading. Books on the canon include Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, to name just four. And we now have three brand spanking new copies of all 100 titles in the library. Over half of the books for Key Stage 3 were borrowed from the library by eager students on the first day alone. “We’ve already ordered more books to meet the demand!” said Ms Matthews. Download the HGA Literary Canon at harrisgarrard.org.uk/canon. m Queues outside the library at lunchtime for the launch of the HGA Literary Canon. b Our library has three brand new copies of every book on our Literary Canon. 2 #LearningChangesLives Issue 5 April 2019 3 Italy trip for c Students outside the Sixth Formers Colosseum Our annual sixth form trip took us to Rome during their this year, giving students the chance to see three-day trip world-famous sites such as the Vatican, St. to Rome. Peter’s and the Colosseum, as well as enjoy Italian food and ice cream! Our annual international trip is an integral part of our Sixth Form offer. It helps students develop their independence and confidence – enabling them to develop a global perspective and widen their horizons. “The trip gave me the opportunity to travel for the first time and I can’t wait to travel again!” said Lily, Year 13. Thehela, also Year 13, agreed: “I now want to undertake a year abroad as part of my degree so I can travel more.” c Our annual Sixth Form international trip helps students develop their independence and confidence. Mrs Chandhoke Royal trip for Year 1 appointed as Head of Primary Phase Following a robust recruitment process, Mrs Harpavan Chandhoke (pictured) has been appointed as Head of Primary Phase at Harris Garrard Academy. Mrs Chandhoke has been Senior Vice Principal in the primary phase since the school became a Harris Academy and has been instrumental in the progress we m Year 1 went on a fabulous trip to the Royal Mews at have made to improving the school. “I am Buckingham Palace recently. The children met the Queen’s looking forward to continuing to be part horses, Zeno and Maryland, and got a close-up look at the of the journey we are making to change Golden and Diamond Jubilee state coaches. They were lives,” she said. fascinated with the size and how beautiful they were. Harris Garrard Academy Yarnton Way For all the latest news visit Thamesmead Erith, Kent, DA18 4DW www.harrisgarrard.org.uk 020 8320 4800 [email protected] www.harrisgarrard.org.uk Why not follow us on Twitter at @HarrisGarrard 4 #LearningChangesLives Issue 5 April 2019 Written and produced by: www.RodgersJohns.com Designed by: www.intertype.co.uk.