Anglo European School
Bulletin for w/c 29th April 2024 - Week 1
Ben Houri, International Technical Director of Paris Sant Germain visits Anglo European School
On Wednesday 24th April, Ben Houri, Paris Saint-Germain Academy’s International
Technical Director and Paulo Pereira, UK Technical Director were in the UK and visited Anglo European School’s PSG Academy. They spent an hour meeting with Mrs Gee to discuss future plans for the academy's expansion, facilities, the prospect of a football tour to Paris and expansion of the academy into the Sixth Form to support the IBCP. Ben then spoke to students in Year 10 and the Lower Sixth about careers opportunities in the sports industry and how academic qualifications in Science, PE and Languages can lead to impressive international careers in the sports industry. He was particularly interested in our commitment to learning languages and promoting the importance of this for those hoping to work in this industry.
This follows the very successful Easter camp where 58 young people from aged 8-18 took part in a week of football training at Anglo European, supported by the 4 PSG coaches and overseen by Academy Manager, Rebecca Turner, who works closely with Mrs Gee and Mr Cuff in developing our own academy.
Ben and Paulo spoke widely about the power of learning languages. Paulo speaks his native Portuguese, English and French and Ben speaks French and English and they told students that their work as Technical Directors would not be possible without speaking at least 2 languages fluently and the expectation for PSG coaches is that they will have 3 working languages. They were hugely impressed with the articulacy and fluency with which our students spoke to them and they encouraged them to seek career opportunities in the Sports Industry. PSG has over 800 employees in Paris alone and as well as sharing their own journey in the industry, they opened our students eyes to the vast range of employment opportunities such as Physiotherapy, global entertainment and gaming, data analysis, sports psychology, catering and nutrition, fashion design as well as the routes into coaching and playing football.
He stressed the importance of determination, resilience and being indispensable to future employers and encouraged our sixth form students to apply for internships, apprenticeships, work experience and the importance of first impressions and communication skills. The Paris Sant Germain way is to seek excellence in everything and he could see how our students were keen to achieve this.
We are seeing the impact of our academy training on our football team’s outcomes this season. The Year 7 boys have improved throughout the season, finishing very strongly winning their last two games. The girls' team have had an excellent season and remain unbeaten.
Mrs Gee added, "The academy is developing the best possible conditions to allow the players to build on the skills they learn in PE, develop advanced football skills to have fun exercising and getting fit. The academy is strengthening the students’ competitive spirit and we are now working to forge stronger links now with our peers in Paris and develop our curriculum offer in the Sixth Form, in partnership with PSG."
Ofsted Report
We are delighted to present the new Ofsted Report, which will be posted on the Ofsted website in the next few days.
It's a real challenge, with such a limited word count, for any Ofsted Inspector to capture the exceptional breath of our curriculum offer, its complexities and the uniqueness of this school but I hope you will agree that the judgements reflect a true snapshot of the amazing work that our staff and students do every day, with your support, in this unique and distinctive school.
We're obviously particularly delighted that the unique international nature of our broad, highly ambitious curriculum has been celebrated and that the Sixth Form is graded outstanding, particularly after such a challenging year with the disruption to learning in E Block. The recognition that the impact of our work here leads to outstanding personal development is also very special, with the Personal Development programme being heralded as "exemplary".
We're grateful to our parental community for the huge support shown for the vision and leadership of the school in the parental survey and for those who took the trouble to write to the inspectors directly. Some of these comments, shared with us, were extremely moving and heartful and were a huge source of encouragement during the inspection process. The inspectors' acknowledgement that leaders, staff and governors work with determination to "make the school the best it can be for all pupils" reflects out on-going and relentless commitment to school improvement.
The students represented their school brilliantly and we are glad that some of their work as leaders of change on the Student Voice Committee gained special recognition. Their inter-personal, research and leadership skills are reflected in the report as well as their resilience, commitment to languages and interest in the world as they develop into "active, engaged" global citizens of whom we are extremely proud.
The target for improvement which relates to assessment for progress in lessons and is something we have already identified and are addressing in our review of assessment. We know our school very well and we know the exceptional work that is going on here to continue that journey of school improvement.
Many thanks for all your support during the inspection process and on-going commitment to our school. Whilst Ofsted is a lovely public recognition of the impact of our work, the views of students, staff, parents are still paramount and will continue to influence our school development plans for the next academic year.
Bonne Chance to our IB students!
Wednesday was our 2024 IB Diploma Programme cohort's last day in school before IB exams started on Thursday. The students had the option to dress up as a character or well-known person with the first letter of their name and they also enjoyed a picnic and farewell party with Mrs Porsz during p3. As part of the celebrations, students voted for a series of awards for each other such as "most likely to become world famous" (Paige), "the funniest" (Rhys) and "most likely to win the Nobel Peace Prize" (Amy). We are grateful to Dhruv for coordinating this and for making certificates for all the winners, including for Mr Mitchell who won "most popular teacher". Mrs Gee then spoke to the group to wish them luck for their exams and the future, and asked them all to stay in touch via our Alumni list and Alumni LinkedIn group. We wish all the students who are taking an IB Exam in this session lots of luck, no matter which route they are following and look forward to celebrating with you again when results come out on 5th July!
The IBCP announces 2 further curriculum pathways through the IBCP at AES.
The other notable curriculum news is the development of two further vocational pathways in our Sixth Form for the IBCP route. The IB Career Related Programme provides students with the skills and knowledge to advance with confidence into an apprenticeship, employment or Higher Education. A hybrid programme that combines the benefits of a globally-renowned IB Education with A levels, including one Career-related Study. We already have an established Career-related route through Business and from September 2024, we will be offering a new PE and Sports vocational route to include A Level PE with work experience and curriculum development/ coaching in partnership with PSG.
The third route will be through the new A Level Computing course which will aim to develop pathways and work experience with the IT, Tech and programming industries.
Scholar’s Programme - The Brilliant Club
Mrs Gee met with the 14 students who have had the privileged of working with Cambridge University’s PHD students in engaging in real research. The impact report this year is very impressive. The students enjoyed a big launch event where they met their tutor, completed pre-programme assessments and then took part in tutorials led by PHD tutors, which emulated a university learning environment, university style pedagogy and independent research skills. The programme culminated in a final assignment which was marked following university standardised schemes. In this cohort, all 14 students achieved a 1st or 2:1 in their final assignment and 3 achieved the much coveted 1st degrees, which is exceptional. The students attended the graduation event at Trinity College Cambridge, which they really enjoyed. All students showed 100% attendance at tutorials and 100% on time submission for assignments. Mrs Gee congratulated the students on such an amazing outcome and listened to what they had most enjoyed and most valued about the experience. They had all learnt something about university life and study and were enthusiastic about following that path, they were all proud of their assignment outcomes and felt it was a positive insight into the value of research. We’d like to thank Mr Russell who has supported and mentored this group throughout this process, for giving up his time to nurture and support our brilliant Anglo scholars. #scholarsprogramme
School Uniform Donations
If you are in the process of clearing wardrobes of uniform that is no longer required or no longer fits, please think about donating these to the school. We have regular requests for all items of uniform and we know how much parents appreciate the money this saves them in these financially difficult times.
REMINDER - False Eyelashes and Lash Extensions
Our school behaviour policy clearly states that any make up worn in school must be subtle. False eyelashes and lash extensions are not subtle and therefore cannot be worn in school. The school medical support officer is increasingly dealing with very sore eyes, allergic reactions and eye infections as a result of the adhesive used in this process. Please do not book your children lash appointments during term time and please do not allow them to have lashes added if they cannot remove them. They will be asked to remove them as they are not permitted in school and we will expect parental support with the removal of lashes where required.
We will be discussing this matter at the next Student Committee meeting to explain the reasons behind these rules so that students fully understand why this is important. False lashes remain a uniform infringement and will be sanctioned in line with our behaviour policy. In line with the Anglo agreement between parents and school, please support the policies in place to protect all students.
Bienvenue and Bienvenido!
This week we welcomed our good friends from Avignon in Southern France and Blanes in Catalonia. It was lovely to see friendships rekindled with exchange partners who our students visited in March return to us from Blanes and new friendships developing with our peers in Avignon who we are looking forward to visiting in June. As ever, many thanks to the staff who look after colleagues and students 24/7 during these visits, parents who invest a lot in making these visits memorable and happy experiences for our visitors and for remembering to pick them up on those late returns, when they have been out to the theatre in London!
As is tradition, we exchange gifts on arrival and we were particularly touched by the artistry of Avignon’s gift which combines our staff with their school in a unique piece of metal sculpture which has been attracting much attention in Mrs Gee’s office this week. Merci!
This week we also welcomed students from Girona taking part in our Year 10 exchange.
We would also like to thank our extended Anglo Family, who have hosted our visiting teachers and helped to provide such a fantastic welcome to our community.
Reflections on my experience of sharing my home with my exchange partner by Kishan Raghu, our Student Editor
The Anglo Exchange Programme is an eye-opening experience and a highlight of being an Anglo student. This has been and is voiced by many, including me, who enjoy what the visits program offers: breath taking sights, developing your language skills and so much more. Nevertheless, hosting a stranger in your house is one challenge that forces you to overcome language barriers and set your differences aside. The first few days were awkward and uncertain as my exchange student was initially reserved. However, some curiosity uncovered that he could speak Mandarin which I could relate to as I was learning the language for two years in Singapore. Moreover, the ice could melt as our advanced linguistic abilities allowed us to converse freely in either English or French. Whilst he could enjoy various British and Indian ways of life like authentic food, clothing and celebrations, I look forward to visiting a Chinese household in France later in June. Honestly, this early exposure to different cultures and ways of life is essential to having a broad-minded perspective and a key element of the people who will influence the future. For anyone pondering the idea, I urge you to take up this chance, regardless of how well you can speak other languages, and understand that this will be an unforgettable memory that will always stick with you.
CAREER ADVICE - WHAT IS YOUR FUTURE?
This week we are focusing on Photography and the specific career pathways for students to consider.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR
Summer Term
Get ready for summer term with our NEW Extra-curricular lunchtime and after school clubs. These include; 🎓GCSE Revision 🏀 Sports 🎨 Arts 🗨️ Languages 🎵 Music and many more...
Don't miss out—Find out what's on and sign up now 📝
https://www.aesessex.co.uk/assets/Documents/Attachments/extra-curricular-clubs-Summer-2024.pdf
SPORT
Year 10 Boys' Football
Many congratulations to our Year 10 boys' football team for winning the Mid-Essex semi-final this week. With a depleted squad, the team put in a superb performance to win the game via a penalty shoot out after drawing 2-2. The final against Moulsham will be held on Thursday 2nd May at St Martin's School. Parents are invited to attend if they wish from 4pm. We wish them all the best of luck for this special game.
ANGLO INTERNATIONAL CUISINE
Aglio e olio
This recipe is my take on the classic Italian dish Aglio e olio – meaning garlic and olive oil.
One of the main ingredients in this dish is garlic, known to boost the immune system and help keep colds and flus at bay. It is an antioxidant which is known to help to reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure.
This is one of my personal favourites, a very easy and simple dish and perfect for a quick midweek meal.
Happy Cooking
Mrs Prema-Gadhia
Ingredients:
· 250g spaghetti cooked in salted water with a dash of olive oil (keep back approx 100ml of the pasta water to make the sauce)
· 2 tbsps. of extra virgin olive oil
· 4 cloves garlic – thinly sliced
· 1 red chilli finely chopped (deseeded if you prefer)
· A handful of chopped fresh parsley
· A drizzle of lemon juice
· 2-3 tbsps. of parmesan cheese (I use Parmigiano Reggiano)
· Salt and pepper to taste
Method
1) Heat a pan with 2 tbsps. of olive oil over a low heat
2) Add the sliced garlic and chilli, keep on a low heat and allow the garlic & chilli to toast. Add a little more olive oil while the garlic & chilli are toasting – this will stop the garlic burning.
3) Once the spaghetti is cooked, add this to the garlic/chill and add some of the pasta water (you may not need all the 100ml). Give it a stir so the spaghetti is evenly coated with the garlic and chilli. I like to add some parmesan cheese at this point to create a creamy indulgent sauce.
4) Add in the parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
5) When serving, drizzle with olive oil, garnish with chopped parsley and sprinkle over as much or as little parmesan cheese as you wish. Enjoy.
OPPORTUNITIES
Duke of Edinburgh
Consider this opportunity which would assist with the completion of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme.
Key Dates
24th April – 1st May - Year 10 Girona Visit
30th April – 8th May - Year 10 Lyon Visit
30th April at 7pm - Year 11 and Sixth Form Awards Evening at Anglia Ruskin University
3rd May - Year 11 Last Day
6th May - BANK HOLIDAY
2-9th May - Year 8/9 Saronno Exchange Visitors at AES
7-14th May - Year 8/9 Madrid Exchange Visitors at AES
7th May - Model United Nations - Year 10 and Lower Sixth
9th May - Year 10 Parents' Evening (Virtual)
10th May - Upper Sixth Students' Last Day
2023/24 Key Dates - https://www.aesessex.co.uk/home/parents/key-dates-and-term-dates/
Term Dates 2023-2025 - https://www.aesessex.co.uk/assets/Documents/Attachments/Term-dates-2023-2025-including-first-day-of-term-dates-Sep24.pdf
Term Dates 2024-2026 - https://www.aesessex.co.uk/assets/Documents/Attachments/Term-dates-2024-2026-1.pdf
Anglo Communication
Finance - finance@aesessex.co.uk
Admissions - admissions@aesessex.co.uk
Attendance - use Edulink
Email: enquiries@aesessex.co.uk
Website: aesessex.co.uk
Location: Anglo European School, CM4 0DJ, Willow Green, Ingatestone, UK
Phone: 01277 354018
Anglo European School is a distinctive, comprehensive school which seeks to develop ambitious, resilient and principled young people through inter-cultural understanding and a broad balanced, inclusive curriculum enriched by a strong international dimension informed by the philosophy of the International Baccalaureate.