NEWS

Keep up-to-date with everything that’s happening at Hackney Free and Parochial Secondary School here in the news section of the website.

We like to share good news about our students and staff and let people know about all of the events taking place at the School. In this section of the website you can read our latest news stories or download our half termly newsletters.

If you would like to be added to our newsletter mailing list please contact Samantha Robson, Media and Marketing Officer. You can telephone  020 8985 2430 (extension 125) or email srobson@hackneyfree.hackney.sch.uk.

Primary School Science Project

Pupils from two local primary schools have been visiting Hackney Free to use our Science laboratories and take part in Science lessons led by Hackney Free teacher Jen Cullen.

Since September, Jen has been teaching Science to Year 5 and 6 pupils from Holy Trinity and Gayhurst Primary Schools, at their own schools and at Hackney Free.

The project is designed to help primary school children adjust to secondary school lessons, helping their transition from primary to secondary school. Jen will be working with pupils from other local primary schools after Christmas.

Staff visit new building, Friday 6th November 2009

Hackney Free and Parochial staff have visited the first section of the new school building, on schedule to be completed in the Summer Term 2010, for the first time.

During a recent INSET day, teachers and support staff met with contractors, McLaren, for a builder’s breakfast in the school canteen before being taken on a tour of the building, which will include classrooms and the school’s assembly hall.

Dressed in hard hats and high visibility jackets, the excited group were guided around the site by Assistant Head (BSF Lead) Joanne Williams.

“It was great to see the progress that McClaren have made, all the floors are in and the roof is on!” Joanne said. “We are excited about the new facilities and what impact it will have on our school community our students’ learning.”

This was the first opportunity staff had been given to see behind the scenes of the building site, since work began last year.

PE teacher and Head of Year 8 Mario Massimino said: “After looking at drawings and designs for the new building it was brilliant to see everything coming together and get a feel for how the new building will be when it’s finished. I’m really looking forward to teaching in such an amazing space and making use of the new ICT equipment.”

Switch-Off Fortnight

Eco-Spies switch on to switching off classroom lights after school

Hackney Free students have been working under cover to monitor the school’s use of electricity, as part of a national two-week campaign to increase awareness of energy use and its impact on the environment.

Led by Head of Geography Enda Finlay and geography teacher Jess Goegan, a group of volunteer ‘eco-spies’ from Years 7, 8 and 9 spent two weeks monitoring the school’s use of electricity as part of Switch Off Fortnight.  The students recorded the number of lights being left on in classrooms after school and spoke to teachers, asking them to reduce the amount of electricity used in empty classrooms.

Year 7 student Japhet Bolowa said: “We took part in the project to try to save electricity, to reduce the school’s electricity bills and make sure that the school doesn’t waste money. We want to reduce the school’s carbon footprint and believe that teachers should be setting a good example to young people.”

Hackney Free and Parochial was one of 2,500 schools to take part in Switch Off Fortnight.  The campaign was organised by the Pod, a website developed by Eco-Schools and the Eden Project, with the aim of changing young people’s energy-consumption habits - for the rest of their lives.

By the end of the project, the eco-spies found that the number of lights being left on in empty classrooms had reduced by 20%. 

“We noticed that less lights were being left on in classrooms after school, but I think that we can improve on this’, fellow student Shawn Collingwood said.

‘In the future we should keep up these good habits, switch on to switching off and remember to say goodbye to stand-by.”

The school, which was awarded a prestigious 4th green flag for its environmental work by Eco-Schools last year, has distributed several hundred energy-saving light bulbs to students, as part of its commitment to support the community in becoming more energy efficient.

Students Celebrate Exam Success

GCSE results at Hackney Free and Parochial C of E Secondary School have increased by over 10% compared with last year.

45% of students achieved five or more GCSE grades at A* to C. 31% of students achieved five or more A* to C grades including English and Mathematics.

Amongst the individual successes were: Kendall Foster who passed 12 GCSEs, including three grade As; Anisa Bajraktari who achieved eight A grades among her 11 passes; Viet Anh Vu with 11 GCSEs including A* in Mathematics and Hannah Alaba who achieved an A* in English, amongst her 10 GCSEs all at A or A* grade.

These results represent a new beginning for the school.  Our Year 10s took some GCSEs early and achieved excellent results and our Year 9s achieved the best Key Stage 3 results in our history.

Kendall Foster	Anisa Bajraktari	Viet Anh Vu	Hannah Alaba

Senior Student Leadership Team 2009-10

On Thursday 25th June 2009, Hackney Free’s new Senior Student Leadership Team was announced.  During a Sedgwick and National Record of Achievement Service the current Year 11 Head Boy, Sharif Siddiq, and Head Girl, Yetunde Adekunle, made their final speeches and handed over to the new generation of leaders for 2009-10.

Current Year 11 Head Boy, Sharif Siddiq and Head Girl, Yetunde Adekunle presented the new Head Boy and Head Girl with their ties and badges.

54 Year 10 students applied for the positions of Head Boy, Head Girl or Prefect.  With only 26 places available the standard of entries was particularly high and it was an extremely hard decision to make.  All students had to apply in writing, demonstrating that they would adhere to the criteria of a senior leader and accept the job description.  All students also had to commit to a two-day leadership course on a Friday and a Saturday with Kaizen Leadership Training Providers.  Those students who applied for the positions of Head Boy and Head Girl had to prepare a presentation for the other applicants, describing why they should have the role.  Students were then short-listed for the roles, based on their presentations, student votes and staff votes.

Out of the 54 students, 10 made it to the final stages of the application process – the formal interview!  The applicants had to present their case as to why they should be selected as Head Boy or Head Girl, in front of the current Year 11 senior leaders, the Headteacher, Mr Brown, and Father Rob, the Rector of Hackney.

All students did particularly well and were a credit to both themselves and the school.  The students confidently answered questions from the panel and were obviously passionate about the school and what the role meant to each of them.

The successful students who have now formed the Senior Student Leadership Team for 2009-10 are:

Head Girl   Head Boy   Deputy Head Girl  Deputy Head Boy	Siobhan Forde Abubakar Siddique Hannah Williams Bruno Patecote
(l-r) Hannah Williams, Abubakar Siddique, Siobhan Forde and Bruno Patecote
Senior Prefects Kathleen Edwards-Williams (Lead on Key Stage 4 & the Prom) Richard Bryan (Lead on Key Stage 4 & the Year Book) Ishtiaq Ahad (Lead on Key Stage 3 & the Prom) Beatrice Mensah (Lead on Key Stage 3, Year Book & School Council) Prefects Patryk Stefanowicz (Senior Health Hut Leader and linked to Yr 8) Chantelle Willis (Senior Health Hut Leader and linked to Yr 7) Mohammed Abubakr (Senior Sports Prefect and linked to Yr 9) Ravena Johnson (Senior Leader of the Recycling Team and Linked to Yr 9) Sabrina Garner (Senior Leader of School Tours and linked to Yr 8) Esther Williams (Senior Leader of Peer Mentors and linked to Yr 9) Leslie Kanga (Senior Leader of Peer Mediators and linked to Yr 9) Russel Torkanmi (Linked to Yr 7) Corey Williams (Linked to Yr 8) Kenny Kyprianou (Linked to Yr 8) Jack Senger (Linked to Yr 9)           Beril Kartil (Linked to Yr 7) Man-Min Phan (Linked to Yr 7) Anil Colak (Linked to Yr 7) Leroy Tuitt (Linked to Yr 8) Tamara Ferrance (Linked to Yr 8) Akikur Rahan (Linked to Y 7) Burak Pirbudak (Linked to Yr 9)

 Senior Student Leadership Team for 2009-10

Details of Senior Student Leadership Meetings and minutes can be found under the Student Voice section of the website, by following links to the Senior Student Leadership Team.

Global School Links - Hackney Free and Kenya

Mural at Kiriani School, designed by Rachel Kelly.

THREE members of staff from Hackney Free and Parochial have returned from a two-week expedition to Kenya, run by the Dorset Expeditionary Society. Rachel Kelly, Tina Caruso and Claire Hooper, joined 20 other teaching staff from around the UK to develop relationships with the Kenyan community and work on projects already established by the Society.

The trio spent five days working at Kiriani School, a school Hackney Free and Parochial has developed strong links with, where they taught lessons on origami, Australian wildlife, Maths and PE.  A DVD designed and produced by Year 8 students at Hackney Free and  Parochial was played to students at Kiriani. This gave the Kenyan students an introduction to life in Hackney and an insight into the differences between schools in the UK and in Kenya.

Hackney Free and Parochial has been involved in the Kenyan expedition for six years.  Students regularly raise money for projects by selling Kenyan jewellery and take part in an annual 22-mile walk in Bridgnorth, Shropshire.  A spring concert held at the school last year to raise more funds, which will enable more orphans to go to school and guarantee they receive at least one nutritious meal a day.

Rachel Kelly will be returning to Kenya in the summer with students from Hackney Free and Parochial and other schools across the country.  Students will have some unforgettable experiences, including, climbing Mount Kenya, Africa’s second highest peak, diving off the coast of Mombassa and learning the traditions of the Masai warriors. 

The main focus of the trip will be to work on the expedition group’s largest project, the Baragu Health Centre.  The centre has been built and developed by the group over the past 10 years and currently treats up to 80 patients a day.  A dental unit is planned to be completed this summer.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for students, especially in Hackney, to see a developing country and live within a Kenyan community,” said Rachel Kelly, Assistant Headteacher.  “They grow in confidence and develop an awareness of the global climate and economy”.

Blessing of the New School

On Wednesday 28th January children and staff of Hackney Free gathered at the edge of the site to what will be their new school.

The land and building were blessed by Fr Rob Wickham, Rector of Hackney he said "This blessing was an important moment in history. Hackney Free School's future looks so exciting, as we build upon almost 500 years of history. May these foundations literally change hearts and lives as we create the new citizens for Hackney today." A short bible reading, prayer and blessing of the land with holy water marked the beginning of a new era for school and community. Chidera Onyeukwu said “Everyone was happy, it was exciting to be the first students on the site of our new school”.

Hackney's Poet Laureate and Trailblazer Winners 2009!

Congratulations to Sabrina Garner (Year 10) who became Hackney's Poet Laureate at the Trailblazer Event!  Sabrina attended a workshop at Link Laters Law Firm with a professional poet last week and was able to put her skills into practice on stage at the Hackney Empire. Also at the Trailblazer Event, several Hackney Free students were successful in winning awards for their various commitments that they have shown both in and out of school.

Outstanding Academic Achievement - Sekinat Yusef and Roland Hogan (Year 12)

Sport - Harry Andrews and Siobhan Forde (Year 10)

Turning Your Life Around Award - Rachel Silvera (Year 10)

Outstanding Achievement - Joel Toney (Year 9)

Team Award - Hackney Free Recycling - Beverley Frempong, Ravena Johnson, Aaron Hanna and Leroy Tuitt (Year 10)

Hackney Free Speak Out Challenge

Six Year 10 students from Hackney Free have been selected to represent the school at the Speak Out Challenge Finals.  Matthew Oyetunji, Beatrice Mensah, Christopher Laye, Siobhan Forde, Richard Bryan and Kathleen Edwards-Williams did exceptionally well during the training session and are the 6 student finalist to go through to the next round!  A special mention also goes to Abubaker Siddique who gained 2nd place, Akikur Rahan and Esther Williams who gained 3rd place and Beril Kartil who was voted the most improved student.  The Borough final will take place at The Petchey Academy for this years Speak Out Challenge! Date to be confirmed!  All 6 finalists will be performing their speeches in Year 10 assembly next week! 

Hackney Free and the USA Elections

Matthew Oyetunji of Hackney Free has returned from a 10 day trip of Washington DC as part of the Hackney Youth Parliament.  Matthew was successfully elected to represent Hackney last month and his first main job was to take part in documenting the USA Presidential Elections.  Matthew received some expert media training before the trip to USA to ensure that he got all the footage and interviews he needed to make a DVD for young people in Hackney to see upon his return.  Matthew attended the trip with other students from across Hackney who had been elected into the Youth Parliament. Apart from experiencing the USA Presidential elections first hand, Matthew also got a tour of the White House, met with representatives from both election parties, appeared on various London News Broadcasts and newspapers and saw various war memorials and famous landmarks.  Matthew has already given a presentation to his peers about his trip in an assembly at Hackney Free and is busily editing the DVD ready for viewing!

Remembrance Day Service

The 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War was marked with great respect at St John-at-Hackney Church on November 11th. As part of their weekly Religious Education lesson, 9WIR attended a service led by Father Rob Wickham. They were accompanied by Mr Howard and Mr Aubrey.

The service followed a traditional order, matching the prayers and reflections of millions of people across the country. Fr. Rob led the class in prayer, before Mazlum Kamruk read The Exhortation (printed below), after which the students affirmed that they would remember all those who had fallen in battle.

The two-minute silence was observed with quiet dignity. Led by the Rector, all those present took time to give thanks for the sacrifice of soldiers killed between 1914-18 and 1939-45, as well as all victims of conflict in the past 100 years. Many students wore red poppies, a poignant reminder of the bitter cost of war, and the peace which was brought to Flanders Field ninety years ago.

The chapel in St John’s (found to the left of the High Altar), in which the service was held, houses a memorial to former members of the church who gave their lives during the World Wars: a stirring reminder of Hackney’s involvement in a global conflict. It was past this memorial that Femi Valentine and Hannah Oladugba walked to lay a wreath at the foot of the altar. All were silent again to offer further thoughts and prayers to those who fought – and died – for out freedom.

“They shall not grow old,
As we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them”.
(For the Fallen, Lawrence Binyon, 1914)

France / Gaul Trip 2008

The annual school journey made by the Classical Civilisations Department was to view the Roman remains in Southern France. In previous years the department has usually travelled to Rome and Pompeii in Italy but it was decided to make a change of venue this year.

The trip took place in November 2008 and 20 pupils and three members of staff accompanied the students (Years 10 and 11). The trip was led by Ms Adamson with Mr. Brokenshire and Miss Whittaker also making the journey.

After leaving school at 4am we flew from Stansted to Marseilles and then by coach to Arles. The students stayed in a modern hotel just outside Arles. On the first afternoon we took a bus into the centre of Arles to visit the Roman theatre and amphitheatre. Whilst there we walked through the old town making a stop at where Vincent Van Gogh painted some of his masterpieces. We saw the Roman wall and the old gates and then took the bus back to the hotel.

On the second day we went to the very famous Pont du Gard which is a large aquaeduct & is a French National Heritage site. In the afternoon we travelled for about 50 miles to Nimes. Here the students had the chance to go into the best preserved Roman amphitheatre in the world - it is used today for bull fights! - they also walked into the town centre to the Temple (Maison Carras).

On day three we travelled along the coast to Frejus which was the main Roman naval port in Southern France and then onto Mandelieu (near Cannes) to visit a typical French market. In the evening the students went to the local bowling alley for a bit of light relief!

Day four arrived and it was time to go to Orange and look at the remarkably preserved Roman theatre which was an impressive site. They also had the time to take photos at the Roman arch before getting back on the coach to journey to Glanum which was a small Roman town very near to St. Remy du Provence.

Day five was the return journey home but as our flight was not leaving until 7pm we went into Marseilles which is the 2nd largest town in France. We did have very wet weather throughout the trip but on the last day the sun shone brightly! Our coach driver, Christophe, was excellent and took us on an unexpected tour of Marseilles before dropping us off at the airport.

The trip was very rewarding for all the students and the behaviour was excellent. The students were a real credit to the school and Hackney!

Brussels 6th to 10th November 2008

As a result of the school’s participation in the Arsenal Double Languages Club, ten of our pupils were invited to spend a long weekend in Brussels as the guests of the European Commission.

There was a lot of competition for this initiative but our strong bid enabled us, along with two other schools, to participate in an action packed and thoroughly rewarding experience.

The trip began with a journey on EuroStar which was a first experience for most of our pupils. We were accompanied by representatives of both the Arsenal and the European Commission.

During the visit we spent a day at a secondary school in Anderlecht where pupils from the two countries engaged in conversation in French and English via a succession of highly motivational games. The afternoon was spent playing a football tournament where our pupils were pleased to wear the full Arsenal kit while the Belgian children represented Anderlecht. We had a very warm welcome from the head teacher, staff and pupils alike and hope to reciprocate this in the future.

We also went to see a home match where Anderlecht played against another Belgian team and the children had another opportunity to bond with their European counterparts and lead the cheering for their team!

On the last day we visited the European Commission and the children had the opportunity to interact with one of the commissioners, Leonard Orban, who is responsible for multilingualism. We then made our way to the European Parliament where we met Robert Evans who is a London Labour MEP. Again, the pupils engaged well with Mr. Evans and asked some pertinent questions. We were also given a guided tour of the building by an interpreter. This enabled pupils to gain a better understanding of the mechanism of the parliament and to begin to comprehend how important it is to be able to speak another European language.

The trip was a resounding success, not least because it helped to develop our pupils’ cultural awareness and an understanding of the value of being able to speak another language. It also gave them an insight into the way the European Commission and the European Parliament work and this will hopefully empower them in the future when, as adults, they will need to make important decisions about their country’s future.

   


Sports Achievement Award

The sporting achievements of Hackney's young people were celebrated at the 3rd Hackney Youth Sport Awards at Hackney Empire on Monday 20 October.

The awards were a celebration of the local youngsters aged 5 to 16 who have taken part in a variety of sporting events during the past year, including the London Youth Games - Europe’s largest youth sports event which all London boroughs compete in.

Choice FM DJ and entertainer, Kat B, hosted the event and presented awards with help from Hackney Mayor Jules Pipe, Councillors Nargis Khan and Rita Krishna as well as Paralympic athletes Dervis Konuralp and Ade Orogbemi.

More than 30 awards were presented to teams and individuals for their sporting successes over the last year.

Patryk Stefanowitz of Hackney Free & Parochial was singled out for his exceptional individual achievements in Karate and contributions to sports in the borough.

Outstanding Academic Achievement 2008

Congratulations to Sekinat Yusuf who achieved outstanding GCSE results this summer to earn a full scholarship to Gordonstoun School (6th Form) in Scotland.  Sekinat, Deputy Head Girl, achieved 5A* and 8A's at GCSE level, and achieved an Open Academic Scholarship for Science at one of the best schools in the UK.  Sekinat has also been nominated for one of the highest awards at the London Schools and the Black Child Awards 2008 for her academic success.  

Sekinat has already completed her induction period at Gordonstoun and has  just come back from a week of sail training on the Gordonstoun boat: Ocean Spirit.  About the induction period, Sekinat said 'It was an amazing 8 days! We did two 24 hour sails! Hard work but definitely worth the experience. I am also on the netball team and I have joined the coast guards, as part of my service!'

Hackney Town Hall Hoardings Project

This exciting project has created a public piece of artwork to wrap around hoardings on the construction site of the Councils’ new Service Centre on Hillman Street. We have been working with designer Florian Kremb the Building Exploratory to help inform the design. The students mirrored the process that a designer goes through when responding to a professional design brief: meeting clients and other creatives, including the architects designing the Service Centre, visiting the site, researching the environments and its people and producing sketches, scale drawings and models. This was then further developed by Gifted and Talented students who participated in 2 full day workshops to research and celebrate the hidden beauties with Hackney. The final artwork was unveiled on the 2nd October 2008 and is on display until the new building opens in 2010.
The piece of work will then be dismantled and cut into pieces and arranged to form an abstract sculpture and will be placed in the new building on completion.

The Big Tidy Up

The Big Tidy Up campaign was launched by the Keep Britain Tidy Group in 2008. Pupils in year 7 at Hackney Free and Parochial C of E Secondary School took part in this event in September. This is the biggest campaign of its kind in history. The pupils took pride in picking up litter from Hackney streets and the grounds of St. John at Hackney Church to make the public aware of the role we all have in making our environment as pleasant as possible. The school was supported by the ENCAMS and the Hackney Council. For more information contact Ms. Vohra on 020 8985 2430 ext. 142.

  
  
  


Hackney Free and Parochial at Downing Street

As part of National School Sports week students were invited to meet Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street on 3 July 2008.

   

Having entered through the famous black front door the students were shown into the back garden to take part in a demonstration of Taekwondo. To give them some additional support double Olympic Champion Dame Kelly Holmes joined in too. Inspired by our students Education Secretary Ed Balls and Secretary of State for Sport, Media and Culture, Andy Burnham, also had a go.

   

The Prime Minister looked on and then spoke to the students about their enthusiasm for sport and what they had been doing during National School Sports Week. He was delighted to find out about the different sports our students are able to experience.

   

Mr Richard Brown, Headteacher, who accompanied the students took our exclusive photographs. We were joined at Downing Street by students from St John of Jerusalem Primary School. Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis joined the students for their demonstration.

Earlier in the day the Hackney School Sports Partnership involved schools from across the area in a series of sporting events watched by a range of guests including Dame Kelly Holmes, Denise Lewis and Guin Batten, Silver medallist at the Sydney Olympics. We were joined by Sue Campbell CBE, Chair of the Youth Sport Trust.

Head of PE at Hackney Free and Parochial, Louisa Seymour, led a demonstration of touch rugby. Ms Seymour is a rugby player with Saracens.

This was an excellent celebration of Hackney Free and Parochial’s work as a Specialist Sports College.

Bishop of Stepney visit to Hackney Free and Parochial C of E School - 4th June 2008

Bishop Stephen visited Hackney Free and Parochial C of E School on Wednesday 4th June. The purpose of the visit was for the Bishop to welcome Mr Richard Brown, who has recently taken up the post of Headteacher.

     

Bishop Stephen arrived very early to attend the school Eucharist that takes place in the Jerusalem Space, which is our faith room. The Head and his Deputy Headteacher, Marion Budd along with other members of staff also attended the Eucharist

Bishop Stephen greeted the teaching and support staff at the school briefing which takes place before the school day begins. He spoke to the staff about the challenging job which they have and also the wonderful rewards they gain from teaching children. Staff listened to the Bishop with much interest and thought.

Bishop Stephen then attended a Year 9 Assembly. This was lead by Father Rob, the vicar of St John at Hackney. The assembly had much involvement from the Year 9 students. Year 9 students asked Bishop Stephen questions about being a Bishop and also the Hackney Free and Parochial C of E School Gospel Choir performed for the Bishop. The Bishop said a prayer for the new Head and the new Deputy Head and he also prayed for the future of the school.

     

After a meeting with the Head, Deputy Head, Chair of Governors and Father Rob, the Bishop was shown the plans for the new school buildings as the school is about to have a £17 million new building programme through BSF. Bishop Stephen was given a tour of the school and he went into many classes

     

Bishop Stephen enjoyed his visit to Hackney Free and Parochial C of E School and he felt very optimistic and excited for the future of the school under the leadership of the newly appointed Headteacher, Richard Brown.

Ian Howard - Assistant Head