FBA SIXTH FORM NEWSLETTER

TRADITION – INNOVATION – COMMUNITY – ACHIEVEMENT

Issue #5

Newsletter Prefects

Hello, we are the new Newsletter team who hope to

bring you all current updates about what’s going on within the Sixth Form and with information to help with University and Apprentice applications. You can contact us via social media or email, if you would like to add anything to future newsletters, or if you have any requests on what information is included.

‘Hello, I’m currently studying Maths, Chemistry and History at A-Level. I would like to go to University and hopefully do a Law with either Sociology or Accountancy degree to one day go into some type of Law, preferably criminal. However, I have a large interest into media and editing, hence why I applied for the Newsletter Prefect. I enjoy creating and editing various works, and potentially may try and pursue a career in it.’

-Monique Enrile

‘Hi, I’m studying English Literature, Chemistry and History. I chose them because I really enjoy the subjects and hope to possibly study English or History at University. I’m interested in possibly entering the media sector as a career. This is why I wanted to write for the Newsletter, to be able to gain a new perspective of the broad industry.’

-Tia Georgiou

Introduction As I read through this newsletter I am filled with a deep sense of pride. Pride that I am able to step into Mrs Loyal’s shoes during her maternity leave and lead a sixth form with such amazing students in it. This has been the most extraordinary of times, we have all had to adapt and make changes to our lives in so many ways and yet at every turn I have seen you, the Frances Bardsley Sixth Formers, rise to the challenge. You have taken the challenge of living through a pandemic in your stride and you have kept on going. Keeping going in life even when times are tough is an invaluable lesson and one you will carry with you for the rest of your lives. This won’t be as some in the media suggest a ‘lost generation’ but rather a strong, resourceful and resilient generation. These pages are filled with the brilliant ways in which you have kept going. In the autumn term you marked Black History Month through celebrating the excellence black people have achieved in the entertainment industry and you have begun an important conversation on issue like white privilege and micro aggression. Some of you created an outstanding virtual open evening and others have been preparing for their futures by engaging with remote work experience and online opportunities. Well done to all.

- Mr Menlove, Vice Principal and Head of Sixth Form

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@FBA_SixthForm

@fba_sixthform

Black History Month For Black History Month, we are celebrating the excellence black people have achieved in the entertainment industry, the geography and wealth of Africa. Our main topic is the future of Black Excellence: ways we can easily interstate different minor ethnicity into Britain, white privilege, micro aggression comments in school and workplace and how it affects black individuals. We are learning about these things through discussions, quizzes and documentary series to analyse and understand what black people go through worldwide but mainly in the UK. ---------------------------------------------------------- Since October, students have been made aware of other world issues and educating each other about them, by sharing on social media platforms and having discussions during form time. Many have brought to light the Yemen crisis, #EndSARS in Nigeria, #noFarmersnoFood movement in India and many more that are close and dear to them. To keep everyone educated, Miss. Spinks has blessed the students with language learning opportunities. January was the month of Malayalam and the Language of February is Chinese. Keep an eye out for new words! Following from Black Excellence month, in lockdown, our Hindu and Sikh community triumphantly fasted during Diwali. Christmas celebrated with close family and many FaceTime with friends. Looking into the new year, with Easter and Eid around the corner, let’s continue to support and encourage each other through these tough times. Learn something about another religion, sign petitions that will have a positive outlook on other’s futures and reflect on what your culture means to you. -Naomi Ademuwagun, Year 13, Senior Prefect of Culture

The Head Girl Team The Head Girl Team have been up to something exciting following from lockdown, in the start of the new academic year, we led the assembly with a voice over PowerPoint covering the topic ‘Lessons Learnt in Lockdown’ and the forms were able to reflect on the skills they’ve gained since being away from school. Currently, we are planning the Sixth Form Open Evening with the Sixth Form Team to ensure the numerous advantages of studying at FBA is portrayed to every prospectus student looking to join us next year.

Alaro’s Workshop ‘I had the pleasure of joining the Head Girl Team as well as the Sixth Form Team in welcoming some new faces to the sixth form on Friday 4th September. Despite the circumstances, we were able to give the girls, coming from other schools, the best welcome to our growing sixth form family. Laibah was in charge of the Treasure Hunt, in which the girls were split into teams with a member of the Head Girl Team as Team Captain. They were tasked with deciphering clues from riddles written by the Head Girl and attempting to find all the clues in the quickest time. Although my team were robbed of a victory, we had a lot of fun and a very successful icebreaker.’

- – Alaro Odoch, Year 13, Deputy Head Girl

and I am proud that everyone was able to take part in the activities. It was an extremely hard decision to make, but I am very excited that the new Senior Prefect team of 2020/21 is strong! Although we are sad to hand over our roles, we are confident they will assume our role and continue to do great things for the school!

- Jessica Nightingale, Head Girl.

K-RACERS Reflections… ‘I found it helpful to be taught life skills for the future’ - Annabel White, Year 12 These sessions have been really helpful so far – they have made me aware of the expenses associated with being an adult, but have also helped me to prepare for life after sixth form’ –

- Rebekah Smith, Year 12 ‘I enjoy K-RACERS lessons because it gives me an insight on how to prepare myself and what to expect for the future. So far, it has taught me how to budget and consider some expenses that I hadn’t considered before.’

- Freya Leach, Year 12 ‘It’s interesting as they listened to what we wanted to include this year, for example, how to do insurance and I really like the voluntary aspect that has been included’

- Annicia Shields, Year 12 ‘I found the KRACERS lessons really useful and it was a chance to listen to the opinions of my peers. I’ve never really had the opportunity to use my public speaking or debating skills, so this was a good chance to use them and get some feedback.’

- Anna McCarthy, Year 13 During the KRACERS debating lessons helped to build my self-confidence, enabling me to voice my points and views. It also helped develop my team building skills, having to work in groups with others, and my research skills.

- Mia Mckelvey, Year 13

K-RACERS This week, we have begun the new K-RACERS programme that myself, the K-RACERS prefect, and Miss Mond had adjusted through lockdown. We are excited for the girls to get more involved over the upcoming terms in the activities set, as well as to see how they evolve and challenge their own KRACERS skills and attributes. The year 12 students have started a life skills programme; in which they will be given an insight into adult life, whilst also making sure they understand what comes with life after sixth form but also to excite them for their futures. The girls seemed enthusiastic about the sessions to come which will include activities such as finding a career best suited for them and how to manage their finances. The year 13 students have begun a debate task in which they are to choose a topic as a class and will be conducting research to complete a debate at the end of the term. This is a key skill that will be very useful for the girls when they start university, apprenticeships or employment, as well as a great way to improve their articulation which is one of the KRACERS skills. We are also excited about a new addition to the agenda which are mindfulness sessions, which will allow the girls to ‘chill out’ from their studies. -Meda Mosiejute, Year 13, Senior Prefer for K-RACERS

Shout Outs!

Well done to all Year 13 students who sent off their UCAS applications –

wishing you the best of luck!

Thank you to all Sixth Form tutors and Sixth Form Team for your help with

UCAS applications.

Congratulations to Miss Agbodan for her new role as Head of Houses!

Thank you to Miss Lucas for all her help and support with UCAS

applications!

A huge congratulations to Mrs Loyal, who gave birth to her baby girl in

December!

School’s Birthday The school’s birthday was celebrated on 2nd October. Although we couldn’t participate in the usual assemblies and planting bulbs, we still got to celebrate with an early finish and the annual and iconic mars bar!

Open Evening As we were unable to host our usual open evening for potential sixth form students, we hosted an a virtual open evening via zoom. This was comprised of different time slots, where we were joined by prospective students and their parents/carers. The head girl team joined the Sixth Form team in delivering a presentation and answering a range of questions from the visitors. In addition to this, the Sixth Form team have created a Google Site and YouTube playlist, which have access to lots of helpful resources – you can find the link below if you would like to take a look! We hope that everyone who attended found the evening useful – we can’t wait to meet our new students in the new academic year. https://sites.google.com/francesbardsley.co.uk/frances-bardsley-sixth-form/home https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTECvRw0TMQ8QsXxXDgvdTA/playlists

- Miss Harris, Assistant Head of Sixth Form

‘Psychology is the subject I want to pursue in the future, and I am enjoying the extra time I have to further explore this subject. Every Tuesday since April, I have been attending a webinar session which discusses Covid-19 and mental health with a group of expert panellists from The Lancet Psychiatry, UnitedGMH, WHO and experts from the ‘less developed’ countries. Also, in April, I completed the Young Psychologist online programme, which was headed by the company InvestIn. In the beginning of May, I attended a webinar with Dr Izan Ben-Zion on the world clinical psychology. Needless to say, all three experiences have been very illuminating. Also, recently, I completed a MOOC on neurobiology and Psychological First Aid (for which I have a certificate!). Currently, I am completing a certified First Aid Paediatric course and reading The Bette Angels of Our Nature by

Steve Pinker. I am also in frequent touch with The Lancet MHInnovation (online blog); I like to keep up to date with the latest research and mental health initiatives, especially in developing countries.’ - Syeda Tazrin, Year 13 ‘In the future I’m considering going into corporate finance and so, with extra time on my hands, I’ve been completing some online courses. I have already completed an ‘introduction to accounting and booking’ course which I found on The Open University website, I am also halfway through my MOOC that I am completing on ‘finance essentials’, which is a great insight into the basics of finance. Another course I have started is an accounting one on The Open University. I am using this time to develop extracurricular skills I can put onto my personal statement for university and to show my dedication and it is also a great and efficient way to spend your time!’

- Diljot Puarr, Year 13 you R

Work Experience & Online Opportunities

Although most of our work experience placements have been cancelled or postponed, there are still many opportunities available to students during the pandemic. Uptree offers work experience day events dedicated to specific industries such as engineering, marketing, cyber security, law and many more. To apply you simply have to fill out a short questionnaire attached to a chose event and finish your profile you may have started when they came to visit the school. They also offer apprenticeships which may be useful to see what is required and the process. ‘I went on a site called Uptree and signed up, they offer online work experience and webinars. I did one with GSK (a global healthcare company), Facebook and another about careers in law. I found the quite helpful. You don’t have to do much, only listen and ask a few questions if you want. I found the online work experience that I’ve done really helpful when navigating which career path, I want to go in to. Also, it’s helped me to gain more confidence when applying to bigger and more well-known places. Without attending them, I think that I would’ve still been completely lost in terms of my career choice, nut now I’m starting to gain more of an idea and I’m able to expand my network because of these online events.’

- Monica Burgess, Year 13 ‘I’ve currently been taking part in the Brighton and Sussex medical school virtual online work experience. I’ve found that it’s been really helpful and has given me a great insight into medicine and what it is going to be like working in the field of medicine.’

- Fatu Jah, Year 13

Tips for year 12’s:

• Establish a structure/routine to your week to

help get yourself into good habits and stay on top of any homework

• Aim to do 5 hours of extra studying per subject a week

• Test yourself (even better if you do it with friends) on what you are learning as you go

• Use your free periods to your advantage • Be sure to stay in touch with friends and try to

make new ones, whether from FBA or if they have joined from another school, everyone’s very friendly – they can also be a great resource for studying, managing stress, etc.

• Keep a positive attitude • Time management is key so creating a revision

timetable is a great way to plan your time better • Be organised • Focus on the benefits of the school day rather

than what time it ends • Complete practice questions early to

understand the feedback and how to grow • Use online revision websites to help better your

understanding outside of the class e.g. Seneca, Doddle, MyMaths, etc.

Year 12 Expectations Evening

The Year 12 Expectations Evening on the 17th September was a success, despite it being hosted virtually. Hosted via Zoom, the new year 12 students and parents gathered together to be informed of what to expect in the first year of A-Level study. The sixth form team shared important information, such as the sixth form uniform policy, the school day and new protocols in effect due to the current circumstances. Laibah (Head Girl), Imogen (Deputy Head Girl) and myself then went onto discuss topics such as effective methods of study organisation, how to stay motivated throughout their studies and the numerous opportunities that would be on offer throughout the academic year. It was a very informative evening and I’m glad to say that there were no technical difficulties! I think it’s safe to say we’ve really adapted well to the virtual way of living. I hope that the year 12’s have settled in comfortably and are really excited to see the newest additions to our sixth form families develop over the course of the next year.’

- Alaro Odoch, Year 13, Deputy Head Girl

Form Challenges This term has provided us with many opportunities for some friendly competition in form time – there have been both house and form competitions. These have included quizzes, tasks and form challenges. Well done to all winners from the first term – we hope you enjoyed your prizes!

European Day of Languages The European Day of Languages was celebrated on 26th September this year. The general objectives of the European Day of Languages are to alert the public to the importance of language learning, diversity and the range of languages learned in order to increase multilingualism and intercultural understanding, promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe and encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school. With this, everyone is encouraged to take up a language, or take special pride in their existing language skills.

FBA SIXTH FORM NEWSLETT

Introduction

The spring term begun with the sudden announcement of another national lockdown and the closure of schools. Not the start to 2021 any of us had expected or hoped for but once again our wonderful Sixth Form students have made the best of it. Old traditions have been continued in new ways. We still had an excellent Christmas panto that was pre-recorded and shared in form times across the school. It was met with rave reviews. New activities like a Screen Free Day have also taken place. Year 13 students have continued to work on their UCAS applications and many have now received offers, well done to all involved. There has rightly been a focus on mental health and Alaro Odoch shares some useful advice in this newsletter. Motivation and time management have been a struggle for many in this lockdown and Miss Mond provides some very helpful tips here. As I write there is snow lying on the ground and the temperature is sub-zero but the longer days remind us that spring is on the way and better times lie ahead.

- Mr Menlove, Vice Principal and Head of Sixth Form

Christmas Panto Even though this last year has been a bit strange, we wanted to keep as much FBA tradition as we possibly could at Christmas; this included adapting our annual Christmas Pantomime to suit the current conditions! When we came to begin filming, we ran into a large problem: our actors and team were mostly self-isolating! It threw us off schedule and for a while, we weren't sure whether the panto would end up going ahead. But we persevered and filmed what we could; we definitely had more bloopers and outtakes than usable footage but our editor and co-director, Meda, turned it into an enjoyable short film. The 2020 Christmas Pantomime was a stressful, manic adventure that reflected how it is important to find things to enjoy and stay resilient during times that are tough. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it and hope you enjoyed watching it.

- Imogen Marfell, Deputy Head Girl

Christmas Jumper Day On Friday 11th December, the whole school had a Christmas jumper day to raise money for charity. In the sixth form, although our celebrations were limited due to social distancing and students isolating, our students were still in the Christmas spirit! Here are some of our favourites…

Motivation & Time Management In K-RACERS this half term, we have been supporting the students with their time management and motivation whilst they are working at home, as we know from student voice completed after the last lockdown that these were areas the students found challenging. We discussed The Pomodoro technique which is used for effective time management and was created by Francisco Carillo in the 1980’s. The Pomodoro techniques is fundamentally 25 minutes of focused work (no phones and distractions) followed by a 5 minute rest. This can be repeated as many times as is needed based on the amount of work you have to do and the amount of time you have. We also discussed how students can motivate themselves at home and we discussed the common reasons for lack of motivation and how to overcome these, such as: Give yourself a written down goal to work towards e.g. If I complete this work, then I will be able to get higher than a C in my next assessment. Create a to do list of all of your work and break it up using the Pomodoro technique into manageable chunks. Consider ways to make the work more fun i.e. by completing it with a friend over FaceTime or by listening to music as you do it. It also helps to complete the work you don’t like first so that you are more motivated to complete the work you do like later on in the day. Social Media and TV can be big distractions at home; you can try putting your phone in another room or can use App/ Website blocking technology: Freedom, Forest and StayFocused enable you to block sites for as long or short as you want. To find out more, you can visit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19fd7iHKBEQTSllVyK8cfms-5_nM5fhms/view

- Miss Mond, Deputy Head of Sixth Form

Mental Health Matters

‘I’ve found that creating a new routine outside of my lesson timetable has given me something to look forward to. Avoid getting stuck in a repeating cycle of events - it can be very mentally draining. So assess your lifestyle currently. What can you change? When I asked myself this, I naturally focused on food! Your meals are a great way to get creative so why not try out some new recipes this week? You are just a search away from millions of recipes waiting to be discovered. Take this opportunity to show off your culinary skills - once you’ve made your dish, take a picture and let everyone know about your latest achievements by tagging @FBA_SixthForm on your Twitter post! After all, cooking will be great practice for when you’re at the stage of independent living!’

- Alaro Odoch, Deputy Head Girl ‘Lockdown is something that affects everyone, but does so in so many different ways. We don't face our friends and teachers in the same way we did before and so it gets easier and easier to lie and say you're fine; it gets easier to sleep all day; it gets easier to ignore everyone and push them away - but this only makes it worse. Dealing with mental health isn't just talking to someone, it's doing things that make you feel like you have control again. People wonder why lockdown affects us this much and it's because it seems we don't have control anymore. Yes, we’re not having exams (one of the few things that were set in stone) or we can't go out and meet with our friends, but we shouldn't dwell over it or ignore the other things that are now possible. Of course we should acknowledge it, but why not change it up? Bake the cloud bread that you saw on tik tok, research into stock investments, rewatch all of the disney movies - take back control - because you can do anything when you're in control. Never hesitate to reach out and talk about how you're feeling because chances are, we’re all feeling the same.

- Ainhoa Otemade Olave, Senior Prefect of Mental Health and Well-being

Useful Links:

Advice for parents to support their teen children or look into it yourself: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/for-children-and-young-people/coronavirus/supporting-your-teens-wellbeing-during-coronavirus/ How to support yourself in a difficult living environment: https://youngminds.org.uk/blog/how-to-look-after-your-mental-health-in-a-difficult-living-environment/ Tips to study from home whilst protecting your mental health: https://youngminds.org.uk/blog/looking-after-your-mental-health-while-studying-from-home/ The Youth Access website contains guidance tips and helplines for a variety of topics designed for specific groups of young people. They offer some topics such as government advice for young carers, bereavement counselling and self-harm support. Personal blogs from young people are available to read and understand how they’re coping and what helps them personally. (it seems incredibly helpful and well worth looking for anyone struggling during lockdown): https://www.youthaccess.org.uk/covid-19-resource-hub/for-young-people#Tips

Shout-Outs!

Well done to the Year 12 and 13 Health and Social Care students, who completed their exams in January - we wish you the best of

luck for your results day in March!

Well done to all students for your continued hard work with lockdown learning – be proud of yourself and

everything you have achieved.

Well done to all the Year 13’s who have received university and apprenticeship offers

so far.

Well done to all who participated in Screen Free Day – we hope you had an

enjoyable day!

A huge congratulations to Katherine Wilson-Smith who has been offered a place

at the University of Cambridge to study History! Screen-Free Day

On Wednesday 3rd February students were set the challenge to go from 9am to 3pm screen free. In normal times we all spend a lot of time looking at screens and some of us are addicted to checking our mobile phones. But in this past month with lessons all delivered by zoom and work all set on SMHW or Google Classroom, we have been staring at a screen all day. Research suggests this can have a negative impact on our well-being. So, what would have been an off timetable personal development day provided the perfect opportunity to do something about it, and Screen Free Day was born! The students were given a range of alternative activities they could try in the hope that they would find them enjoyable, refreshing and therapeutic while giving their eyes a rest! The suggested activities ranged from getting your steps in by taking part in the Havering Walking Challenge to carrying out a bird watch survey and from baking some comfort foods to writing a poem. It’s amazing to think that before 1953 (when a lot of households bought their first television to watch the coronation) most people did not have a single screen in their home or workplace. People were much better at keeping themselves amused through creative activities like drawing, painting and playing musical instruments. Their sense of well-being is thought to have been better than ours today. Screen Free Day has given our students the chance to step back to more simple pursuits and discover ways of unwinding that do not require technology.

-Mr Menlove, Head of Sixth Form