Encouraging Ambition Uncovering Talent Delivering Excellence

BOW VOICEThe magazine for Bow School | Winter 2017

Headteacher’s WelcomeI want to take this opportunity to welcome you all to Bow School’s brand new magazine, Bow Voice. It provides the perfect opportunity to tell you about the fantastic activities that have been taking place, and offers an insight into the rich community-based environment established at the school.

I am very proud of our students, staff, parents and partners; all of whom contribute to making our school the centre of excellence that it is. Underpinning everything is what we call the ‘Bow Way’, and this edition gives you an insight into what this really means and how it is demonstrated by everyone at the school in our day to day lives.

Our Sixth Form continues to surpass expectations, and here we will showcase some of the highlights, including the astounding career of one of our former students. We don’t believe that you ever really leave Bow School, which is why we invite our alumni back throughout the year, to inspire the future generations. It is always a joy to see how much they have developed after leaving us at the end of Year 13.

Part of what makes us unique are the partnerships we have formed with local, national and international organisations. Over a number of years we have created a programme of options that has genuine impact on our students. As well as our ongoing support, we want everyone at the school to benefit from the experience of those outside of the school gates to ensure they are prepared for the wider world after they leave us.

I believe that our school provides a superb, all-round education for students, but we will never stand still. Keep reading and you will learn that the team and myself have a number of developments planned for the coming months that will continue to cement our reputation as a cutting-edge, dynamic school, providing a contemporary education for the modern world.

If you want to find out more about Bow School then please follow us on Twitter, @BowSchool1, visit the website or get in touch to organise a visit and experience the Bow Way for yourself.

Cath Smith, Executive Headteacher

44 Twelvetrees Crescent, London E3 3QW

T: 020 7536 5525 F: 020 7987 4504

W: bow-school.org.ukE: bs@bow-school.org.uk

Bow LearnerA commitment to providing students with the tools required to become efficient, informed and independent learners.

Ongoing progress reports that give parents and students a clear understanding of how to improve.

The development of students’ skills through appropriate homework and a series of opportunities offered through Bow Extra, our programme of extra-curricular activities.

Bow TeacherA determination to ensure that our teachers and all adults working at Bow develop and deepen their own skills.

A core training programme that ensures teachers are well equipped to deliver a broad

and balanced curriculum that prepares students for adult life in the 21st century.

At Bow we have three core values: Encouraging Ambition, Uncovering Talent and Delivering Excellence. We promise to deliver these for the good of our students, staff and wider community so that we achieve our vision of delivering the best outcomes for everyone associated with the school.

Underpinning these key values is the ‘Bow Way’. Introduced in June 2015, it defines what it means to be a part of the school, providing an understanding of what opportunities and behaviours everyone at the school can expect.

THE BOW WAY

What does the Bow Way promise?

Bow LeaderA constantly improving programme of leadership development, with personalised programmes for each leader.

A rigorous appraisal system for all of our staff.

Student leadership that is built into the curriculum, with opportunities offered to hone skills through learning and application.

To encourage students to put themselves forward to provide a strong student voice

and to be role models for the school community.

Bow CommunityTo ensure that our parents are integral to student development. We pro-actively engage with them and are constantly seeking new ways to involve everyone in the school.

To bring our community together through the school’s ethos: Respect, Teamwork, Diversity, Success, Rising to Challenges, Learning from Every Situation.

Life as a

BOW SIXTH FORMERThe Bow Sixth Form is an excellent platform for all students to excel academically, enjoy a wide variety of extra-curricular activities and engage with a series of local, national and global companies.

All Sixth Formers are provided with the chance to experience dynamic partnerships, whilst receiving a bespoke education that takes their individual needs into account.

Bow Sixth Form students enjoy:– High quality teaching from experienced A-level and BTEC teachers and specialist tutors– Small, personal classes that ensure every student receives the level of support and

challenge they need to succeed– Career development opportunities: internships, employability skills and mentors– University and work experiences that deliver relevant exposure to the right courses– Extra-curricular activities to boost CVs and university applications

ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS 2017 • 14% OF OUR STUDENTS ACHIEVED AAA OR BETTER • 40% OF GRADES WERE A*-B • 40% PROGRESSED TO A RUSSELL GROUP UNIVERSITY

Bow student at Oxford UniversityRubel Ahmed’s story is just one example of how the Sixth Form delivers on our promise to provide students with the best possible chance to achieve their dreams.

Through our established relationship with Wadham College, Oxford, Rubel visited the college when on an out of term time residential. He was one of 20 students from East London who had been hand selected to take part.

Staying in the college meant participants experienced genuine university life, enjoying a tour and engaging with current undergraduates to ask them about what they could expect if they were to go themselves.

Each student was asked to pick a subject to research and present their findings. Rubel selected the Punic Wars, delivered his presentation with conviction and then faced questions on his chosen subject. He was unfazed by this challenge, and even said this was his favourite part!

On his return to school, Rubel commented: “I had a fantastic experience and found that it made me rethink some of the preconceived ideas I had about what a typical Oxford student would be like. I would never have been able to experience this without the support I received from my teachers at Bow.”

THE ROTHSCHILD BURSARYAll Bow Sixth Formers can apply for a bursary of £5,000 for every year that they are at a university. This is unique to our students and is thanks to the generosity of financial company Rothschild, whom the school has a longstanding relationship with.

Any student seeking to attend a university outside of London can apply for the funding. To date, every application has been successful and we now have Bow alumni with Rothschild bursaries studying in Manchester, Durham, Exeter and Portsmouth.

Rothschild provide financial planning support and spread the bursary over three payments throughout each year to help students with budgeting. Thanks to this outstanding offer, Bow students develop core life skills and enjoy a fulfilling experience at university.

And how do we deliver this? Through the Bow Sixth Form promises:

High quality teachers that benefit from years of experience and ‘Bow Teacher’ development programme and collaborative CPD through our SFE local partnership.

Academic extras, including bespoke and targeted Academic Literacy.

A broad and balanced curriculum to achieve career goals.

High spec equipment for all academic and vocational courses

Study spaces that facilitate debate, collaboration and independence

The Rothschild Bursary (see below for more details)

Internships and placements with Sutton Trust, Nuffield Science etc. (see our website for all opportunities)

NO COST trips to experience universities across the UK

Oxford UNIQ programme, university spring/summer schools, LSE Choice etc.

Partner universities support with personal statements and applications and provide guidance about courses

A curriculum that is appropriate to fit with Russell Group advice around facilitating subjects

Mentoring with industry leaders and a calendar of inspirational speakers

Leadership opportunities via lower school mentoring, Model UN etc.

Superb sport, art and music opportunities

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

PARTNERSHIPS WITH SEVERAL OF THE UK’S TOP UNIVERSITIES

BUSINESS LINKS THAT PROVIDE GENUINE OUTCOMES

EXTRA-CURRICULAR OFFER TO BENEFIT STUDENTS AND THOSE MOST IN NEED AROUND US

TOP FACILITIES IN MODERN & INSPIRING BUILDINGS

ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS 2017 • 14% OF OUR STUDENTS ACHIEVED AAA OR BETTER • 40% OF GRADES WERE A*-B • 40% PROGRESSED TO A RUSSELL GROUP UNIVERSITY

Bitesize news

A Centre of Excellence We were recently successfully reaccredited with the Young Enterprise Centre of Excellence Award, one of only two secondary schools across the country to receive this prestigious award again.

As a result of the generosity of our external partners, we have provided financial literacy and enterprise education across the whole school. In the future, we hope to offer financial literacy sessions for parents and share best practice and expertise with other schools across the borough.

KEEPING THE COMMUNITY CLEAN This year, our elected Student Council have been active in the local community, requesting to work alongside the school and Tower Hamlets Council to improve the maintenance of the underpass near the school. Frequently used by many Bow students and members of the community, our Student Body felt that it should be cared for as a priority to support the safety of everyone. It is early days yet, but we expect our campaigning to improve conditions for us all very soon.

Celebrating Success We believe that it is an important part of school life to celebrate students’ successes. This term we hosted the Upper School’s Celebration of Achievement evening, recognising those students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and progress, as well as those who have been the best at demonstrating the values of the Bow Way. A special mention must go to Tufayel, who received the Headteacher’s award. At this fantastic event, parents were invited to join us to see first-hand the amazing actions of our young people. We now eagerly look forward to the Lower School Celebration of Achievement Evening in May!

THE BOW WAY IN ACTION

At the touch of a buttonKeeping in contact has never been easier! The new ‘School Gateway’ system allows parents to easily receive messages from the school, pay for school lunches and keep up with all school news. This can be accessed through the website or by downloading the app. It is simple, safe and secure.

Philosophy for Children (P4C) P4C is a teaching and learning approach designed to challenge students to probe and question learning. It fosters an atmosphere of open, creative discussion amongst pupils of all ages. Our successful P4C Transition Project is running for a fourth year, working alongside Old Palace, Manorfield and Marner primary schools to comfortably assist the transition into secondary school and encourage a new generation of inquisitive and philosophical thinkers.

Year 7 get Into UniversityRegardless of age, we believe that all our students should consider attending university. A Year 7 class attended the Into University Centre, where students worked in groups to plan extra-curricular activities that can support their application to particular university courses. These students will be part of the Into University programme until they leave Bow at the end of Year 13.

Living our values in 2018

Looking to the future 2017 has been a fantastic year for the school. We secured incredible GCSE results, our Sixth Form has grown from strength to strength, Bow sportsmen and women achieved some historic victories and our partnerships continued to have an astounding impact on the education of all our young people.

Our success does not mean we will stop pursuing excellence in all we do; it only encourages all students and staff to continue on our path to achieving excellence in all that we do. The Bow Way inspires us all to strive constantly for better, and here we look at some of the areas we will develop in the coming months.

Below are just some of the examples of what to expect in the next year which typify the way that we live and breathe the values that govern Bow School.

TOP 5 DEVELOPMENTS FOR 2018• Focus on obtaining better progress rates by making sure all students are suitably challenged in every lesson.

• Improve our transition programme by further strengthening relationships with primary schools to increase curriculum continuity between Key Stages 2 and 3 – and thus the best possible start for our students when they join us.

• Broaden our Sixth Form curriculum even further to increase the inclusivity of our offer.

• Emphasis on the development of public speaking skills to improve the quality of extended writing across the curriculum: think it, say it, write it.

• Challenge our most able students to secure a greater number of top grades in examinations, and use their success to inspire the generations below them.

IntoUniversity programme

A full-time Women’s Education Officer delivering our programme for Bow girls

A BowExtra programme that inspires and develops everyone

High quality careers advice for all year groups

Barclays – Aim to Attain programme

Rothschild Bursaries for Bow undergraduates

Personalised enrichment programmes at KS5

Inspirational speakers throughout the year

Student leadership programme

Academic literacy programme

Numeracy skills developed across the curriculum

A strong Progress 8 score

Comprehensive and personalised learning programme for staff

P4C Gold Award

Young Money Centre of Excellence

School Council and student leadership development

Working with key organisations like City Excellence in Teaching to recruit and train the best staff

A full-time coordinator for our extensive BowExtra programme

Creative partnerships with English National Ballet, East London Arts and Music, Wigmore Hall and many more

Imaginative use of the Waterside Theatre and PE spaces

A full-time basketball coach at the school

Bow Arts seeing artists working with students and exhibiting locally

DELIVERING EXCELLENCE

UNCOVERING TALENT

ENCOURAGING AMBITION

44 Twelvetrees Crescent, London E3 3QW

T: 020 7536 5525 F: 020 7987 4504

W: bow-school.org.ukE: bs@bow-school.org.uk

3rd January 2018 Students return to school10th January 2018: Year 11 mock exam results day10th January 2018: Parents’ Forum 9.15–10.15am17th January 2018: Year 11 Parents’ Evening24th January 2018: School Surgery 9.15–10.15am26th January 2018: Drop Day 37th February 2018: School Surgery 9.15–10.15am12 – 16th February 2018: Half term21st February 2018: Year 12 Parents’ Evening28th February 2018: Parents’ Forum 9.15–10.15am8th March 2018: Drop Day 414th March 2018: School Surgery 9.15–10.15am14th March 2018: Year 7 Parents’ Evening28th March 2018: School Surgery 9.15–10.15am

Dates for the diary