Christmas 2016
Ark All Saints Academy
The Saint
From the Principal’s Office
Dear Parents
Our Year 10 scholars have now begun the countdown to their
GCSE exams (16 months till they sit their first exam) and Year 9
have started their GCSE courses. This is therefore a very exciting,
and busy, time for everyone at Ark All Saints Academy.
We have done even more than we can hope to cover in this
newsletter, but I hope you enjoy reading about and seeing the pictures from a
selection of the events that have taken place over the last 2 terms.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas break, with a chance to relax and have
time as a family.
Thank you for all your support.
SIAMS inspection
Lucy Frame
Principal
There are exceptionally strong relationships based on God’s love, which ensure
that everyone feels safe, supported, and able to achieve.
SIAMS 2016
On 29th and 30th November, we had a SIAMS Ofsted inspection. A SIAMS inspection is not a standard Ofsted inspection; it does
not focus on behaviour, teaching or results, instead it focuses on us as a Church of England academy. It looks at some big questions,
such as, the effect our Christian ethos has on the scholars, whether our scholars feel nourished spiritually and emotionally, the impact of collective worship on the Academy community and the effectiveness of our RE lessons.
I am extremely proud to say that we received an Outstanding grade in every category. I have put a few quotes from the report
throughout this newsletter, and you can read the entire report on our website.
New 3G Pitch
Thanks to income from letting our Sports Hall out
to community sports groups and some generous
grants, we recently installed our top-of-the-range
3G pitch over the old MUGA.
Natasha in Year 10 got the first kick & first goal on
the new pitch.
We have now been using it to host games against
other schools, who are all very envious!
Founders Day 2016
Our annual Founders Day service on Thursday
3rd November saw us back at Southwark Cathedral to formally welcome our Year 7 scholars
and new staff members to the school.
Worship frequently moves scholars to raise money to support others, including those in their
local community. The rich provision has a profound impact on scholars’ spiritual development.
SIAMS 2016
Shakespeare Schools Festival
On Monday 14th November, after months of rehearsals, the AASA
Drama Troupe performed at the Shakespeare Schools Festival in
central London. They performed Henry V in front of an audience
full of family members & staff.
This was a passionate, modern
take on a meaty, political play
and I was particularly impressed
with how the actors were so
brave in really connecting with
the audience in their direct address speeches, a skill many
professional actors can find hard
to master.
Daniel and Lemar, the lighting
technician and stage manager,
were incredibly professional and
efficient throughout the day.
Natasha Rickman - SSF Stage Director
PRIZE GIVING 2016
On Wednesday 23rd November we celebrated the successes of the previous year with
our annual Prize Giving ceremony.
After a reception in the Great
Hall, the Shout Out Drummers, led by Nathaniel in
Year 10, welcomed parents
into the Dining Hall. From
there it was straight into the
prizes, with interludes for
musical and dramatic performances. Congratulations again
to every scholar who received
a prize, and we’re already
looking forward to next year.
Saturday Stretch
A new programme of events for the 2016/2017 academic year, Saturday
Stretch takes place once a month on a Saturday and is an opportunity
for scholars to interact with people from a variety of industries to help
them understand what is needed to realise their potential and what the
world of work is like from an insider.
We have run two sessions so far; one with university graduates to talk
about exams and the stages of their careers, and the other focused on
the charity sector.
Saturday Stretch sessions still to
come:
Scholars feel that adults listen to their problems and help them to find solutions.
As a result, they can focus better on learning. Consequently, all scholars, regardless of ability or background make rapid progress.
SIAMS 2016

Legal professions

Technology & engineering

Sports

Medicine

Environmental

Finance & banking

Fashion & marketing

Performing arts & media
Year 10 Graduation
When our first cohort of scholars moved into
Year 10, we thought we had to do something
special, as they are now entering their GCSE
years and growing into more mature and responsible individuals. So we decided to hold a
Graduation Ceremony for them to move into
Year 10; they were presented with their new ties
and folders (gold and silver respectively) and the
importance of the coming years was impressed
upon them, as well as their vital place in the
Academy community as the elder scholars in
the school.
Everyone feels equally valued in this highly inclusive Christian academy.
SIAMS 2016
Citizenship Days
We have continued with our programme of Citizenship Days
this year, where our scholars learn wider life skills outside of
the curriculum. More and more scholars are choosing to
wear professional dress on these days, and we’re really impressed with just how smart and professional they look.
HPA trip to Ernst and Young
On Tuesday 13th December 2016, a group of 12 high attaining scholars embarked on a visit to the London
headquarters of prestigious professional services firm Ernst and Young at the More London business development. Under the guidance of a manager and a trainee accountant, scholars were given a comprehensive
tour of the office and were impressed by the sheer size of the firm
which operates in nearly every country in the world with a workforce in
excess of 250,000 people. Scholars
then attended a presentation given
by four EY personnel all of whom
were at different stages of their careers. The hosts outlined their journey from school to university to EY
and explored some of the entry requirements and assessment processes to join the firm in addition to explaining in detail how the business
operates in all corners of the globe.
The final part of the visit gave scholars a chance to practice some of the skills that an employee at EY would use on a daily basis. In two teams of
six, scholars were provided with two problems to explore and then present back to the group and EY representatives. Both teams looked at both a business problem and a people problem. The business problems focussed on the unique selling points, performance metrics and risks of opening a fictional car dealership and
fictional supermarket in Camberwell respectively. The people problems looked at how to deal with a member of a team missing deadlines and how to effectively manage this issue. The two teams presented with great
confidence and then fielded some challeng“We were most impressed with the scholars’ general participation, well
ing and thought provoking questions posed
considered questions and their presentations. I felt the day was certainby the EY Hosts which they answered with
ly worthwhile and I would be more than happy to host you again next
impressive consideration.
year.”
Thanks are due to Miss Emmanuel and Mr
McDowell for accompanying scholars on
this trip. Here is to a successful visit next
year.
Mr Vinten
Robert Young, Manager in the Energy wing of Ernst and Young who
hosted the visit
The unique and distinctive Christian ethos, which pervades all that the academy does, means
that the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of scholars is extremely strong.
SIAMS 2016
Baddies: the Musical
All of Year 7 went on a trip to see Baddies: the Musical at
the Unicorn Theatre in Southwark.
For many of our Year 7 scholars, this was the first time
they had been to a theatre, so just as important as learning
from the play, was also learning how to act at a theatre and
how to be a good audience member.
Some comments from scholars
I’ve never been in a theatre, and this has helped me see
what it’s like and how it is to see a play.
The whole thing was really engaging because the acting was
so good.
It really made me feel like a scholar because we had to act
sensibly and show the public that we are from a good
school.
Peter Pan was the most engaging character, because he
made me angry when he was being sexist.
The Big Bad Wolf’s in trouble – he’s been ripped out of
his story and thrown in jail for being too good at being
bad. But playing the villain’s the best part, everyone
knows that…
Along with fellow offenders Rumpelstiltskin, The Ugly
Sisters and Captain Hook, the Big Bad Wolf is determined to find out who’s decided to change the fairytale
rulebook and why. How are you supposed to tell who
the good guys are when there are no baddies around?
Construction course
Goat appeal
Four Year 10 scholars have been
taking part in a part-time construction course at Lewisham and Southwark College. They have learnt
some practical skills in woodworking, bricklaying,
and
other elements
of
construction, and this
will lead to a
qualification in
addition
to
their GCSEs.
We are again raising money for goats via
Oxfam instead of sending Christmas cards this
year. So far we have raised just under £500 and
the total is still increasing! That’s enough for 40
goats.
Fundraising activities included:
 Christmas Jumper
Day
 Bake sale
 Music & singing
 Staff & scholars
giving up Christmas cards
Rock Climbing
As part of their GCSE PE course, a group of scholars have started rock climbing classes.
Scholars are confident to ask challenging questions about the meaning of life and about
God. They reflect deeply on the issues that their learning raises, and they acquire a mature understanding of the significance of religions in people’s lives.
SIAMS 2016
Christmas 2016
The Ark All Saints Academy Christmas lunch was
on Tuesday 20th December. Ms Frame and Mr Templeton joined the fray by helping to serve Christmas
lunch to the scholars, all members of the AASA
family alike were allowed to wear Christmas jumpers
in exchange for a donation to the Goat Fund,
and we had some excellent Christmas performances of music, songs
and dance by the scholars in the Great Hall
during lunchtime.
Parent IT Support Point
We are aware that as we start to use more and more IT
applications for homework, communication with parents, surveys, consultations, forms, etc., some of our
parents may not be as computer savvy as their children
are. In order to support
you we have created a
Parent IT Support Point
in Main Reception. If you
are having any trouble
with completing an application form or survey, or
need some help with an
email we’ve sent, just pop
into school and one of
our friendly Reception
Team will help you out.
A scholar commented that AASA gives them the confidence to ‘walk on water like St Peter’.
SIAMS 2016
The Big Sleepout
On Thursday 24th November Mr
Eason, Ms Holmes, Ms Ransom,
Ms Beasley, Mr Kielty and Ms Patel
took part in the Big Sleepout to
raise money for Centrepoint.
They raised over £2500 for charity,
with generous donations from many
scholars and staff members.
In sunny September, sleeping out didn’t sound too bad but as
the days got darker and colder I started to get very nervous! I
knew that I would be supported by a great group of colleagues so
I layered up as much as I could and prayed that it didn’t rain.
The atmosphere in the camp was very positive, but when it came
time to go to bed it suddenly got very real. It was cold, it was
uncomfortable and any time you moved even an inch there
would be a chill go down your entire body and you would have
to try and warm up again. I don’t know how much sleep I got as
I kept waking up, but it certainly wasn’t enough for me to feel
anything other than tired and quite grumpy the next day.
I don’t think that homelessness was ever very much on my radar
apart from an understanding smile and throwing a bit of loose
change into someone’s cup on the street. This experience has
changed my views completely.
It’s 10.30am, I’ve been in a warm school
since 7am and I am still cold. I’ve had a
warm shower, food, hot coffee, and lots of
love and sympathy from my wonderful
colleagues. I cannot comprehend the prospect of sleeping out again tonight and the
next night and the next night. I have the
utmost respect and sympathy for those who
find themselves in that situation on a daily
basis. It will absolutely make me stop and
give money, food, and a decent pair of
gloves to any homeless people I pass in the
future.
Ms Holmes
Sports Day 2016
This year we decided to move our annual Sports Day from July to September.
The main reason for this was that we wanted our new Year 7 scholars to get
involved in a whole-school event straight away. We were very lucky to wake up
on the morning to the
hottest September day in
decades; so hot in fact
that we accelerated the
programme so we could
get back to school a little
earlier! The day was a
great success, and was
enjoyed by all.
Collective worship is completely inclusive, therefore worship is highly valued by
those of all faiths or no faith.
A prayer for
Christmas
SIAMS 2016
God our Father,
whose Word has come among us
in the Holy Child of Bethlehem:
may each child be cared for this Christmas
and let each child grow to their full potential
through him who is Christ the Lord.
Amen