Autumn Term 1 – November 2022
Dear Parents/Carers,
We have returned to school feeling very positive about the achievements of our Year 11 students this summer as they received their results from the external examinations. It has been a pleasure to see that all their hard work has been rewarded with outcomes that I am very proud of. I am particularly pleased with the growth of our scholars (see below), especially those who achieved an average Grade 6 and above across all their subjects. Well done to everyone!
This autumn half term has been filled with the delight of welcoming our new Year 7’s as they transition from primary school to a secondary context with AMSI staff supporting them to do so. They are very keen to adapt to the learning that will be new in most cases and rise to the expectations that underpin our cornerstones of confidence, aspiration, reflection and respect.
Attendance and Punctuality
We are encouraged by the students’ positive start and improved levels of attendance and punctuality to school. We would however ask you to ensure that your children are in school regularly and on time. We expect all our students to have 97% attendance, which means that students miss no more than 6 days of school across the school year. Should students’ attendance fall below 90%, they are considered to be a persistent absentee (this means they will have missed 19 days of school across the school year), and parents are liable to prosecution if students attendance falls below this level.
In terms of punctuality, a reminder that if students arrive to school more than 30 minutes after the start of the school day (after 9.10am), they will be given a D3 detention, instead of the normal 30 minute punctuality detention, and will be given an absence mark, in line with government policy. Obviously, if there is a good reason for the absence (i.e. medical appointment with a note, a major traffic incident etc), we will use our discretion, but waking up late, feeling ill, not being able to find uniform or heavy rush hour traffic are not acceptable excuses. If you have any queries, or need support in getting your child into school, please do not hesitate in contacting our attendance manager Ms Warner.
Anti-Bullying Ambassadors
We are delighted that we have been chosen to run the Diana Memorial Trust’s Anti-Bullying Ambassador programme. 14 of our students undertook training on how to act as effective peer mentors, and will promote positive behaviours and interactions amongst our young people.
Teaching & Learning
We have been really pleased with the excellent start to the year. We hope you have had an opportunity to look at the curriculum rationale documents (KS3 and KS4) on the school website which detail the work being taught in lessons. Last term, we ran a competition for Mrs Stubbs’ Summer Scholar and our winner was Arku in 10E; his summary of learning was excellent and scholarly in every way. (It can be seen on the school website.)
Homework Support and KS4 Prep have been well attended this year. It is based in our new School Library and is open from 8.00am – 8.40am in the morning and from 3.00pm – 4.00pm in the afternoon. The space is used for students who want to work independently as well as for those who have missed their homework deadlines. Students who attend voluntarily are entered for a draw each half term. This half term our winners of a £15 Nandos voucher are: Ayesha from 9A and Xavion from 11B.
Our Library has been a fantastic addition to the school facilities. We were thrilled to welcome Alexandra Sheppard, Jasmine Richards, Yomi Ṣode and Breis as part of our inaugural AMSI Literacy Festival, much of which was hosted within the refurbished library. Students of all years were inspired and energised by the presentations and workshops from such a talented group of writers. We were also happy to welcome Jennifer Killick on the 17th of November, who spoke to our Year 7 students, as well as pupils from Newington Green Primary school.
The library is now firmly established as the heart of reading and studying within our community. A popular destination for all students, it is open from 8.00am to 8.45am every morning, as well as every lunchtime. Students are welcome to come and borrow or read a book, as well as having access to chromebooks and revision guides should they wish to complete some independent study.
Blended Learning
Chromebooks are an integral part of Teaching and Learning at AMSI. All students in Y7, Y8,Y9 and Y10 have been issued with Chromebooks to enhance their learning experience. Staff use chromebooks in lessons for a range of activities e.g. set classwork , set homework, quizzes and other activities to consolidate and review work done in lessons.
Student Voice
The school council have met on a few occasions this term and have already presented their issues to the senior leadership team. Our school charity focus this year will be Crisis and we are hoping to have representatives from the organisation attend to meet the school council so that they can raise awareness of the local and national issues regarding homelessness. The school council are already thinking about ways to help fundraise to support the cause. We have also had the opportunity for Islington Council to attend a school council meeting and bring with them an ex-student who was part of the Islington Youth Council to promote the upcoming Youth Council elections; two of our current students (Year 10 and Year 11) have decided to stand as candidates and we are actively supporting their campaign as part of the assemblies and student bulletins.
AMSI Musician of the week
Thank you, as always, to all the featured students for their resilience in investing hours of practice and dedication in perfecting their incredible performances and to our fantastic instrumental tutors for supporting and mentoring our aspiring musicians. View performances
Reminders:
- Students are required to bring their chromebooks fully charged to school every day.
- The school door opens at 8.30am every morning.
- Our Autumn 2 behaviour focus will be on lesson transitions. Students will be reminded to Keep Left and Keep Moving!
Key Dates:
- 8th December – International Evening 5pm – 7pm
- 9th December – Christmas Jumper Day
- 12th December – Year 10 Parents Evening
- 13th December – Musician of the Week Live Event
- 16th December 2022 – End of Autumn term (Half day finish)
Kind regards,
Susan Service