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

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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 general@gumleyhouse.com

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.