Year 7 French Trip to the BFI
Ms Rodgers, Head of MFL, writes:
On the 4th February, all of Year 7 were able to attend a KS3 French film study day at the BFI Southbank. All communication was in French for the first two hours, and students were shown three short films about different themes, and completed various activities between the clips on their workbook. They were very engaged and Mohammed & Cassius even went on the stage and performed their French dialogue in front of 450 people!
We had a stroll along the Southbank at lunchtime and even found a lovely book stall to explore!
After lunch, we watched the animated film of Le Petit Nicolas who is a character in books created by René Goscinny and illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé (a classic French children's series available in both French and English.)
Student comments:
"I loved how interactive the BFI experience was!"
"I loved the relatable questions."
"The French movie about the French book character & the authors was great."
Year 7 'Me Myself and I' Project
Ms Kendall, Art Teacher, writes:
These Year 7 Art students are proudly holding their final pieces from their project Me, Myself & I.
The students all did a drawing from a sculpture by Naum Gabo and then filled in each section in a different way. This combined the skills they have been learning in tone, blending, colour & mark making and their knowledge of Aztec & Egyptian patterns.
London Youth Games Achievements
Mr Levitt writes:
This week the William Ellis indoor athletics team represented Camden in the final of the London Youth Games. They received this honour by winning two regional competitions earlier in the year.
The final was a spectacle of sporting excellence, with the other London boroughs represented by their strongest school too.
Our boys performed superbly under pressure, the team winning one of the relay races. There were some outstanding individual performances too. Joshua placed very highly in the triple jump and Charlie put in another excellent performance on the speed bounce.
The final result will be announced after the Easter holiday. But no matter what the result; the boys couldn't have put more effort into their events. They did us, and Camden, proud.
Year 8 Eco Club Rewilding Project
Mr Mangham, Head of Year 12, and Year 10 parent Jane, who organised the project, write:
Eco Club has been regularly travelling to Kent over the last few months to participate in a rewilding project.
The boys have learnt all about hedges and soil and the importance of these habitats for so many species. Students have planted a mixed hedgerow that includes many UK flowering and fruit-bearing species such as hawthorne, blackthorne and Hazel. This new hedge will eventually connect to an existing hedgerow, increasing connectivity within the site. It's an amazing effort by the boys to create this vital habitat.
On one of the visits we were extremely fortunate to also have Natural History TV producer Hayle Smith join us. Hayle explained to the group how to set up the two zeiss secam 7 trailcams and the boys chose locations to place them: one site next to the newly planted hedgerow, the other near the ‘beaver ‘dam the boys had made the previous week, (which is doing a good job slowing the flow of water!). When the trailcam was most recently checked we saw lots of species, including a roe deer, a fox, the new Manx sheep and a badger.
The boys also helped to remove old tree guards from previously planted trees. They did a great job collecting these, removing lots of plastic from the land (which will be recycled) and freeing up the trees to continue their growth.
In March the group had their last trip to Kent for this project and learnt about native reptiles and how to survey them. To establish a survey system on
site the group set about making reptile refugia out of corrugated iron. These were placed
in areas that reptiles - like grass snakes - would like: near ponds for food, next to hay stacks for heat when laying eggs and near scrub to hide.
Meanwhile at school eco Club has had a great Spring Term and been busy with all sorts of activities. Rubbish has been cleared from the site, the hedgehog feeding station has been maintained and the pond has been surveyed to ensure its nutrient level is correct. As hoped the levels were very low due to the pond only being filled with rainwater. This should help suppress algae growth and keep the pond appealing to amphibians like the frog we saw visiting.
Boys have also been making signage for the area and have carved beautiful spoons and spatulas.
Year 8 Future Men Workshop
Mr Chogah, PSHE Lead, writes:
Year 8 students recently took part in a workshop run by Future Men. The session was great. The facilitators hooked the boys from the word go, and their engaging manner allowed the boys to participate openly and respectfully. Everyone was able to feel part of the group. The facilitators challenged the idea of being men that students might have, addressed it and applying it to real life.
It was interesting to note that the view of being men for the boys was largely in the context of romantic relationships. The Future Men facilitators helped them to recognise that there are other relationships (siblings, sisters, mothers, community). The boys enjoyed it (so did I!).
Year 9 Art Camden Biennale Project
Ms Madsen, Head of Art, Craft & Design, writes:
On Thursday the 19th of March Year 9 students worked with a graffiti artist from On The Level Productions to create a mural in the playground. This was inspired by the artist Ben Eine, who students had studied this year. Ben Eine makes typography-based work inspired by lettering from fairground signwriters.
Students worked using stencils in layers and spray cans. We were able to take part in this project as we won funding from Camden Learning as part of the Art Biennale which takes place every two years across the borough.
The mural looks amazing, and has really improved the top playground as well as providing a reminder to students of the schools five 'R' values. Well done Year 9s!
Year 9 Artwork
Year 9 students have also been busy this term creating pieces inspired by Banksy and making word collages:
Year 10 Art and Graphics 'Cabinet of Curiosities' Project
Ms Madsen also writes:
In February, Year 10 Graphics and Art students took part in their final workshop with Lauderdale house. Students have worked with a Chinese heritage artist, responding to the gardens at Lauderdale House on the theme of ‘Cabinet of Curiosity’. In this workshop they made jelly prints using natural forms and used tools they had created from natural forms when they visited the gardens in January. They produced experimental artwork inspired by Chinese scroll paintings and calligraphy.
They previously also worked using porcelain clay and bronze.
All their work will go on display in the house and gardens as part of the prestigious Highgate Festival in the summer.
Year 10 Romeo & Juliet Trip
Ms Hughes, Head of Drama, writes:
On Friday 20th March, all Year 10 students visited the Globe Theatre to watch a production of Romeo and Juliet. This production was made for young people, and brought the play into the 21st century.
This performance will support students' study of the play in English, as it forms part of their GCSE literature exam. 30 students have also taken part in an in-school workshop on the play to develop their knowledge.
Year 11 Art Trip to Kew
Ms Madsen writes:
On 26th February, Year 11 Art and Graphics students went to visit Kew Gardens.
Kew Gardens was holding its annual Orchid festival and this year it was themed around Chinese culture. The students were amazed at the Orchid festival – it was held inside the tropical plants exhibition and included animals from Chinese culture. The Orchids were a welcome sight of bright colours during February.
Students also visited the Marianne North Gallery which shows the astounding range of work by this botanical artist who travelled the world and documented what she saw in beautiful paintings.
The art and graphics students produced drawings and were very inspired when they saw her work. The work will contribute to the students' exam project, so we look forward to seeing what they make in the summer.
Music & Drama Performance Sharing
Ms Hughes writes:
This week the music and drama departments held an informal lunchtime sharing of the fantastic work done in students’ piano, brass and acting lessons. We saw monologues, a brass duet and solo piano performances.
Our school offers one-to-one extra-curricular music lessons with expert tutors through Camden Music, and small group Drama lessons with LAMDA. You'll be able to find out more about these lessons when you come in for your meeting in May.
Careers Education: Inspiring Future Pathways
Mr Parry, Careers Lead, writes:
Our careers programme has been busy and exciting this term, offering students valuable opportunities to explore the world of work and develop key employability skills. On January 19th, Year 9 students took part in an engaging Enterprise Day, where they worked in teams to design and pitch their own business ideas. The day encouraged creativity, teamwork and problem-solving, while helping students build confidence in presenting their ideas. It was inspiring to see students think like entrepreneurs and gain insight into the skills needed to succeed in business.
In February Year 7 students visited KPMG in Canary Wharf for a workplace experience trip. Students were given a tour of the professional office environment and learnt about the wide range of careers available within a global organisation.
Through interactive activities and discussions with staff, they gained a better understanding of teamwork, communication and the importance of preparing for future career pathways. The visit helped students connect their classroom learning with real-world opportunities.
Year 10 students have been readying themselves for Work Experience next term with two important preparation events for their future careers. On February 23rd they took part in a 'Get Ready for Work Experience' session, designed to help them understand workplace expectations and develop professional skills. Then, on March 9th, they participated in mock interviews, where students practised interview techniques with feedback from professionals. These experiences will play a key role in preparing students for their upcoming work experience placements and future career journeys.
Year 10 STEM Enrichment
Ms Rowland, Science Teacher, writes:
The Imperial Afro-Caribbean Society recently delivered an outreach workshop to our Year 10 triple science classes in January. Issa and Nissi, who are currently students at Imperial College London, shared their academic journey and experience at university. The session included an interactive STEM activity based on civil and aeronautical engineering, and concluded with a Q&A.
On 24th of February, our Year 10 triple science students attended a STEM outreach trip hosted by Imperial College.
The pupils attended lectures about university life, studying science in further education and STEM careers, as well as a tour of the university campus.
We rounded off the trip with a game of non-contact American football in Hyde Park, taking advantage of the unusually sunny weather.
Year 10 & 11 Spanish Visit to Instituto Cervantees
Ms Rodgers, Head of MFL, writes:
In January, the Year 10 and 11 Spanish students travelled to the Instituto Cervantes, which is a public institution created by the Spanish government in 1991 to promote and teach the Spanish language, as well as Spain's other co-official language and Hispanic cultures. It is named after Miguel de Cervantes, the renowned author of Don Quixote, a pivotal figure in Spanish literature.
Students took part in an interactive football workshop in Spanish and also had a tour of the extensive library there, with an opportunity to read some Spanish books & magazines. Students were also able to sign up to the e-library to access the Spanish reading materials online - https://blogs.cervantes.es/londres/2023/12/20/our-e-library-is-open-24-7/
After the library visit, students watched a Spanish movie in the Instituto Cervantes Auditorium about a team of very resourceful & resilient basketball players.
Students said:
"I enjoyed the trip, and I liked playing all the Spanish themed games"
"Very fun, engaging and interactive; I liked learning about Spanish culture and the world of football by using the vocab we have learnt in school".
Year 12 Opera Trip
Ms Wilson, Director of Sixth Form, writes:
Dr Smith and Ms Solea led an enrichment trip to the Royal Opera House on 28th January. Nineteen of our KS5 students went to see La Traviata.
Miriam in Year 12 writes:
La Traviata was a magical experience because it showed me the power of Art in a way that I hadn't experienced before. Opera is a timeless art form and to see world-class performances in such an amazing venue was a once in a lifetime opportunity and to have my first experience of seeing it here was very special. I also loved the extra opportunity that the Royal Opera House gave us: during the second interval were were fortunate enough to see behind the scenes of the set change and be introduced to an apprentice who had been sitting where we were just last year. This really opened my eyes to a wide range of job opportunities in the creative industry.
Year 13 Graphics Trip to London Zoo
Ms Madsen writes:
On Tuesday the 17th of March, the Year 13 Graphic Communication class visited London Zoo. This was made possible due to the staff innovation fund as our school now has a year long school membership.
The students are working on their exam project on the theme of origins. They made primary source drawings of animals and also studied the zoo's marketing and brand identity.
It was a sunny day enjoyed by the students and the penguins alike!
Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award Expedition
Mr Hallam, Head of Outdoor Learning, writes:
A huge congratulations to Sixth Form students who completed their very challenging Silver Duke of Edinburgh award expedition last weekend. Despite dramatic hills, steep cliffs and cold nights, the students showed great resilience, resourcefulness and support for one another to get through the hike. An inspiration for the upcoming Bronze DofE expedition students on Year 9 camp!
