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Gumley GazetteSummer 2019
THE MAGAZINE FOR GUMLEY HOUSE SCHOOL FCJ
Open Events 2019
Thursday 26 September 9am to 12pm 6pm to 8pm
Tuesday 8 October 9am to 12pm
NURTURINGINDIVIDUAL
TALENTS
I am delighted to present this term’s Gumley Gazette, which is a reflection of what our students have been up to over
the last term. As always it has been incredibly busy, with students sitting their GCSE and A Level examinations, our new Scholars’ Programme launching, and our new Year 7 cohort embarking on their induction programme ahead of starting in September.
Our Year 11 and 13 students have completed their examinations and their hard
work and dedication has been evident, we know they have done brilliantly.
My highlights this term have included witnessing our promising Year 13s leave
to embark on their future pathways, their celebration mass with their parents
and carers as well as the traditional ‘clap out’ ceremony for Year 11s. I now look
forward to bringing the school into almost 200 years of FCJ education next
academic year, which will be filled with collaborations with other FCJ schools
and celebrations.
As the academic year draws to a close we see numerous activities take place
that bring the community together, from Curriculum Extension Days to the
Summer Festival. I am also proud of the performance opportunities we provide
here at Gumley, with girls at every level having the chance to perform. This term,
we have seen marvellous celebrations of superb musicianship, faultless drama
performances and true sportsmanship. The young talent that is coming through
the school is extraordinary.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish our students, staff and parents and
carers a restful and enjoyable summer break. I look forward to welcoming
many of you back in September as well as meeting many new faces at
our Open Events.
Caroline Braggs, Headteacher
WELCOME
STEMING THE GENDER GAP
Vive Ut Vivas: ‘Live that you may have life’
Our girls’ passion for STEM subjects at Gumley is remarkable, and we are proud to have staff with the specialist skills and resources to deliver future medics, chemists, engineers and mathematicians to the doors of prestigious universities and employers.
Angelica, Year 11, Securing success in STEM A passionate advocate of girls in STEM,
Angelica sees a bright future for herself
in the field of engineering. Her thirst for
knowledge and career success has been
supported by Gumley in preparing her
for this future through the partnership
experiences she has received, including a
maths masterclass at Kingston University,
a taster day at Oxford University and a
workshop at Imperial College London’s
aeronautical engineering department.
Angelica has also benefited from work
experience at GSK where she enjoyed
investigating the process of developing
and testing drugs.
STEM Week Across the world there is still a shortage
of women continuing to study science,
technology, engineering and maths which
leads to a shortage of women in STEM
industries. To that end, our third annual
STEM week in March focused on engaging
students in the breadth of career opportunities
available through a mixture of activities and
workshops, including DNA extraction, illusions,
architecture and the science ‘bake off’.
Building careers in construction To increase awareness of careers in
construction, our Year 10 students attended
a workshop by Willmott Dixon at The National
Gallery. As well as viewing the National
Gallery’s refurbishment project, they attended
a careers session with Wilmott Dixon
employees. This opened students’ eyes to the
opportunities for women in this industry and
the education and career paths to get there.
SPOTLIGHT ON LANGUAGESKnowledge of culture and the means to communicate with people around the world is an essential part of 21st century life. That’s why at Gumley, we offer French, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin and Latin, and create passionate and confident linguists who develop a love of learning and practising their language skills in the classroom and beyond.
A taste of ChinaAn Intensive Learning Day in Oxford
was organised especially for Year 7
students on the Mandarin Excellence
Programme. Our students had the
opportunity to deepen and apply
their language knowledge through a
range of activities, such as shopping
in an Asian supermarket, tasting
bubble tea and ordering delicious
dumplings, Won Ton Soup and Sweet
and Sour Chicken in a popular Sichuan
restaurant. They also developed
their cultural awareness by visiting
the China section of the famous
Ashmolean Museum and attending
a talk from photojournalist Adrian
Bradshaw, who shared his experiences
of when he first arrived in China in the
early 1980s as a young student and
the differences he sees today.
“Today was an eye-opening experience on Chinese culture. I liked the Chinese food and history!” Elaha, Year 7
LANGUAGE FESTIVALGumley’s Language Festival has
been taking place for over 20 years!
It celebrates the cultural diversity of
our school but also the language skills
our students have gained throughout
the year. Students have been
working tirelessly rehearsing their
performances in a range of languages
and forms, including poetry, song,
dance and drama. We can’t wait to
see their hard work put into practice
when they perform live in front of
their peers and staff at the end of
the academic year.
CHINESE EXPEDITIONGumley girls always remember their once in a lifetime trip to China as part of the Mandarin Excellence Programme.
This July our Year 8 MEP students will be taking part in a two-week intensive linguistic and cultural programme at
Yunnan University in Kunming City. Outside the classroom they will participate in cultural and sightseeing activities
which encourage the use of the language learned in class. We can’t wait to hear all about it!
Leading in languagesAs an IOE Confucius Classroom since
2014, Gumley’s MFL department have
been running a primary outreach
programme to begin to develop
primary students’ Mandarin language
skills. Every week, our Hanban
teachers visit St James’ Primary
School in Richmond, but on 20th
June it was the turn of our budding
Year 7 linguists to share their learning.
Running a range of activities, they
provided Year 5 with an insight into
Chinese culture and language whilst
also developing their own teamwork
and leadership skills.
EXCHANGING EXPERIENCES Our GCSE Spanish students in Years 9 and 10 participated in a cultural exchange
with our long-standing partner school, Instituto Zurbarán in Badajoz, Spain. This
action-packed trip was aimed at giving our students new experiences including
attending lessons, visiting Seville, Mérida and Badajoz, in order to learn about
how past cultures have influenced the Spanish way of life, and also enjoying
free time with their Spanish families. It was an exceptional opportunity for our
students to immerse themselves in the language and culture. They certainly
returned with more confidence, resilience and independence.
“Badajoz has been one of my best experiences at Gumley. The culture, new people and the opportunity to learn is something I will never forget.” Peace, Year 9
04 | Gumley Gazette Summer 2019 Gumley Gazette Summer 2019 | 05
06 | Gumley Gazette Summer 2019
60 SECONDS WITH ANTHONY GRAHAM, HEAD OF THE SIXTH
What have been the most significant developments in The Sixth this last year?We launched a number of initiatives this year. Firstly, a new induction
programme for our new Year 12 students to support the step up from GCSE
to A Level study, both academically and socially. Through taster lessons
and team building activities, students got to experience what life is like at
The Sixth as well as develop new friendships. Secondly, we have been busy
creating the Gumley Scholars’ Programme which will kick off in September
2019. This is for those students who further demonstrate academic
excellence; they will be provided with unique experiences to develop the
knowledge and skills needed to progress to the most prestigious universities
and employment.
What are you most proud of about The Sixth?Our students! They continually amaze the Sixth Form team with their
resilience, positivity and great work ethic. It’s great to see them succeed in
their academic studies, develop personally through our enrichment offer and
continue their education to university or choose their future career pathway.
Most of all, they exemplify our FCJ values.
What’s next for The Sixth?There are exciting things to come! We are in the process of planning the
development of our Sixth Form Centre which will enhance the learning and
social experience for our students. We are also continuously developing our
offer, ensuring each student receives a personalised programme tailored
to their individual needs and goals.
Why choose The Sixth?The Sixth is a fantastic place to study. The expertise of our team when
it comes to UCAS applications and career prospects is second to none;
students of all abilities are given help and guidance in securing the best
university place or employment possible, along with unrivalled enrichment
opportunities to make themselves stand out.
Getting to know our new Head Girl, LucyWhy did you want to become Head girl?Throughout my time in Gumley I’ve
always enjoyed getting involved,
so becoming Head Girl just made
sense. Gumley has given me so many
opportunities and made me the
person I am today, this is my time to
give back to the school.
How will this role help you now and in the future?Between my role and my A Levels I
have to manage my time effectively,
which is one of the most important
skills to have for university and later,
my workplace. It has also developed
my confidence to strive and go
above and beyond.
What are your plans and ambitions for the future?Curriculum Extension Days and
guidance from our Careers Advisor
has shown me the path I need to
follow in order to achieve my goal
of attending university to study
psychology and hopefully carry out
some psychological research, and
maybe even find a cure for dementia!
What would you like to do in your wildest dreams?I would love to go to exotic places
such as the Amazon Rainforest and
work as a photographer there, taking
photos of wildlife and nature.
We create a personalised learning experience for each student at The Sixth, which will develop their academic, personal and employability skills. That’s why we offer a range of exceptional opportunities on our university, career and enrichment pathways, ensuring students are equipped with the skills, knowledge and experiences to thrive in higher education, life and the world of work.
UNLOCKING STORIES Across the year we organise many rewarding trips to complement students’
academic studies whilst also introducing them to new experiences. This term our
fashion and textiles students visited the Unlocking Stories exhibition at the new
Alexander McQueen flagship store in London. This space has been created with
the specific aim of inspiring students and the next generation of designers. They
were able to witness a treasure trove of toiles, mood boards, fabric swatches,
books and photographs as well as receiving a talk on the extensive studio
process needed to design a masterfully designed Alexander McQueen collection.
The students are now exploring design processes based on integrating
unexpected elements and twists; an approach central to the McQueen aesthetic. Aiming for the top Earlier this year, Gumley Year 12
students attended a conference to
discover more about the prestigious
Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
During the conference, students
attended sessions on student finance
and careers, took part in subject
workshops run by the universities’
lecturers and were guided through
how to create a competitive
application in order to stand out
from the crowd. The event was highly
regarded by our ambitious students
who are keen to explore their options
at Oxbridge further.
CONNECTING WITH CISCO Two of our hopeful students in Year 12
obtained a place on Cisco’s ‘Pathway to
Your Future’ Programme last term. They
were delighted to be able to experience a career in the IT industry,
shadowing a Cisco employee, using cutting edge technology and working
alongside a team to design and build a robot.
Gumley Gazette Summer 2019 | 07
THE SIXTH GUMLEY HOUSE
SIXTHFORM
GUMLEY HOUSE
6thth
Gym and dance showGumley’s Annual Gym and Dance
Show proved once again to be one of
the highlights of the school calendar,
bringing the school community together
to showcase the many skills and talents
of our keen gymnasts and dancers. Over
100 students demonstrated tremendous
ability and confidence in a number of
meticulously crafted routines.
Well done to all!
SHOWCASING TALENT At Gumley, we pride ourselves on nurturing and celebrating every girl’s gifts and talents. Throughout the year, we put on an array of events to give students the opportunity to grow in confidence and showcase their talents, whether that be in academia, performing arts, music or sport.
WEST END STARS Our Drama Festival was exceptionally
well attended and a lively, enthusiastic
atmosphere was prevalent throughout.
Parents, carers, teachers, governors and
special guest Leanne Lashley, a Prince’s
Trust ambassador and social entrepreneur
who set up Miswits Comedy Club,
were all treated to a range of comedic
performances that students in Years 7
to 11 had produced in lessons and during
extracurricular clubs – from Roald Dahl’s
The Witches and Shakespeare’s Macbeth
to memorable extracts from Once a
Catholic. We celebrated the exceptional
performances which were a testament to
our students’ hard work and dedication by
handing out awards to individuals and best
groups in KS3 and 4.
Gumley House School FCJ St John’s Road, Isleworth, Middlesex TW7 6XF
020 8568 8692 [email protected]
www. gumley.hounslow.sch.uk @GumleyHouse
EXPRESSING CREATIVITY Our annual Poetry Festival saw students
from across all year groups showcase their
high standards of creative writing. We
were delighted to welcome guest poet
and former UK Performance Poetry Slam
Chamption, Joelle Taylor, who commented
on the boldness, confidence and optimism
of the students’ work. This has led her to
inviting some of our students to take part
in an Arts Council funded project entitled
Borderlines: an international spoken word
project which spans seven European
countries and gives voice to their
opinions on borders.
Musical extravaganzaThis year saw our biggest Music Festival
yet, with over 250 entries. All contestants
had to go through an audition process to
secure a place in the grand final, judged by
BBC Emerging singer/songwriter Amelia
Lappert. With a range of musical styles,
genres, solo artists and groups, the event
was a true illustration of the strength of
our musicians across the school and our
music department. Coveted awards were
up for grabs, including Most Promising
Beginner, Best Singer/Songwriter,
Diploma Performance and Best Band.
Congratulations to students who won the
final awards.