The Valentines Voice Valentines High School, Cranbrook Road, Ilford, Essex IG2 6HX

Autumn 2016

UPPER SCHOOL PRESENTATION EVENING

On the evening of Friday 25th November, the main hall hosted our Annual Upper School Presentation Evening. A

range of current and former GCSE, AS and A-level students were awarded prizes and certificates. It was a real

pleasure to see so many students return from university and college to collect their A level certificates and prizes.

Special prizes were awarded to Ali Baset Ahmadi who won the Ujagar Singh Trophy for the Outstanding Male

Sporting Personality, Jessica Mortimer, who was awarded the Jagir Kaur Trophy for the Outstanding Female

Sporting Personality, Nabihah Jaigirdar, who received the Yvon Fraser Trophy for Outstanding Service to the

School, Gizem Kilinc, who was awarded the Axon Prize for Drama, and Sally Marlow who received the

Borrott-Turner Debating Prize.

The evening began with Kamaljit Ubhi entertaining us with his drumming to “How Deep is Your Love”. This was

followed by speeches by Mr Laws and by our chief guest, Hussain Manawer. In his speech Mr Manawer referred

to his school days and how he had benefited from the support of teachers even when he found things difficult. He

read a poem he had written and spoke passionately about the need to follow our dreams. We were entertained by

four musical performances, two duets between Zoe Barry with Kaja Zareba and Aneeka Bhattarai respectively,

two pieces performed by Emma McIntyre on piano, and a piece by Hanaan Yakub on cello. The evening drew to

an end with closing remarks by Mr Laws.

The evening was thoroughly enjoyable and a great success. Both the quality of performers, the levels of

achievement and contributions to the school community displayed by those present were truly outstanding.

Thanks must go to all those who contributed to the night and made it –as always -such a success.

Mr S Woodley

Assistant Headteacher

From left to right:

Student Ali Basit Ahmadi, ex-student

Hussain Manawer, student Jessica Mortimer,

Councillor Mr Ujager Singh and Headteacher

Mr Richard Laws

Student Gizem Kilinc Student Nabihah Jaigirdar Student Sally Marlow

On Thursday 13th October 2016, 12 students joined fellow ex-Valentines

student Hussain Manawer at the Ilford Town Hall, in a bid to win the

Guinness World Record for the largest ever mental health lesson.

The students enjoyed musical performances by WSTRN, talking to

EastEnders actors and X factor contestants, speaking to GP’s as well as

participating in a half an hour lesson led by King’s College Professor

Dame Til Wykes.

The lesson covered a number of topics regarding what is Mental Health?

What can you do if you or a friend has identified any issues? How to

improve your mental health, as well as dealing with stress and anxiety.

The students entered competitions and listened to people explain how

mental illnesses have affected their lives.

It was a very rewarding day, which was enjoyed by all who attended,

despite unfortunately not setting the World Record due to some schools

pulling out on the morning. The students were exemplary and were

fantastic ambassadors for Valentines, with the event appearing on both

the 6 o’clock ITV news, as well as Good Morning Britain the following

day. Miss Danvers has since received some

letters from the students explaining what they

learnt and how the trip helped them to under-

stand mental health better.

Hussain is going to try and set the record again

next year, so we hope to attend again and con-

tinue the positive work that has been started in

demolishing the stigma around Mental Health.

Ms Emily Danvers

Head of Kings House

The Guinness World Record - October 2016

“ELF THE MUSICAL”

Valentines production this year was ‘Elf The Musical JR’ an uplifting musical about one boy’s quest to find his

true identity. Based on the 2003 New line Cinema hit and features songs by Tony Awards nominees Matthew

Sklar (The Wedding Singer) and Chad Beguelin (Disney’s Aladdin On Broadway, The Wedding Singer), a

book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, the Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy

Chaperone).

The story encourages each of us to approach each day with goodwill, wonder and cheer.

Mrs S McPherson

Head of Drama

So back in the second

week of September we

held auditions and I've

been listening to

Christmas songs ever

since.

Despite getting through

over one hundred meters

of wrapping paper, three

snow globes a dozen elf

hats and an etch a sketch,

I can still happily say

that “the best way to

spread Christmas cheer,

is by singing loud for all

to hear”.

Our Elves really are “Happy all

the Time”

Buddy let us know that “the best

way to spread Christmas cheer is

singing loud for all to hear”

It’s the story

of Buddy the

Walter told Buddy all about his

mum, “She was fun, full of life.

You would have liked her

A young orphan, who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts, is

transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is given the name Buddy

and raised by the elves in the North Pole. Buddy lives happily unaware that

he is actually a human until enormous size and poor toy-making abilities

cause him to face the truth.

With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City

to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh

reality that his father is on the naughty list, and his stepbrother doesn’t

even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and

help New York remember the true meaning of the holidays.

Mrs S McPherson

Head of Drama

Walter’s employees faced

some hard truths

“We’ve got nothing, we’re

idiots”

The Macy’s workers

found out how to make it

“Sparkle Jolly Twinkle

Jingley”

Buddy looks at his

snow globe “Santa

gave it to me when I

left the North Pole”

Michel and Emily write

their letter to Santa

“I don’t want a cheque

that’s made out to cash”

Jovie told us to “Never

fall in love with an Elf

By the end of the run, thankfully, the only person who was still hoping that

Santa will bring him “a cheque that’s made out to cash” was Mr Laws.

French is widely considered to be a challenging subject, and

thus is sometimes viewed as daunting. However, from the

23rd – 27th October, a group of students studying French at

Valentines were able to embrace rich French culture and

lounge in the atmosphere of community that is impossible to

capture in a French textbook.

23rd October: Fighting tiredness, the students and

accompanying teachers met outside of the school in the early

hours of Sunday morning to ready ourselves for the

approaching coach journey to France. During the hours of

travel, much like in Vertical Tutoring, we were able to

introduce ourselves to younger students (and older) who were

to join us in our experience of France.

24th October: The following day, we were given the

freedom to venture through the highly esteemed

“Futoroscope” theme park. Based on multimedia,

cinematography and audio-visual techniques, this attraction

in particular conveyed a theme park contrary to our

preconceived image of those in the UK. The experience was

new to most of us, and enjoyable for all.

25th and 26th October: The last two full days were filled

with exploration and adventure. We had the opportunity to

explore cities of Tours and Blois and fully immerse ourselves

into the French lifestyle. Though they were not unlike

regions in the UK, touring these cities allowed us to

experience an ambiance unique only to France and we were

able to make parallels, and mark differences with our lives

and lifestyles back in the UK.

On the whole, the experience was unforgettable. As a group

we were able to enhance our French skills and knowledge,

whilst experiencing something new and enthralling and this

will undoubtedly further enhance our appreciation for the

language and the subject.

Emma McIntyre G3

FRENCH TRIP OCTOBER 2016

As part of the ‘The Children’s

Commissioner’s Takeover Challenge’,

we gave students the opportunity to

teach lessons, interview staff and

takeover their jobs for a day. Students

of all ages taught lessons, which was an

amazing opportunity for students to

develop their confidence and leadership

skills.

It also gave them the chance to experi-

ence how tricky it can be to plan a les-

son, or control a class and I think many

students finished the day with a much

greater appreciation for the hard work

their teachers put in! A really popular

activity on the day was interviewing

senior members of staff, including the

Head Teacher and the Deputy Head.

Students were able to discover how

they got their jobs, what they enjoy

about them, and what they get up to

each day. They could also put forward

their suggestions for improving the

school.

The day left students encouraged to be

more active in their education, more

aware of how their school runs, and

more respectful of their teachers. It was

a great success for both teachers and

students. We can’t wait for next year!

Miss Jennifer Hughes

English Teacher & Student Leadership

Coordinator

Children’s Commissioner’s Takeover Challenge 2016

Friday 18th November 2016

Mr Richard Laws, Head of Valentines High

School, was interviewed by two students,

one from Year 7 and one from Year 8.

Student leadership is key to the success of

Valentines High School. Once again the

students proved how insightful they really

are. I have taken away several ideas from

the students to consider for the coming

year.”

“On Takeover

Day, I learned

how different

teachers have

different teach-

ing styles and it

is not necessari-

ly a bad thing,

because all their

different

teaching

methods help

children to

learn. I found

this day to be a

great learning

opportunity for

me and a chance

to get more

involved with

my school as I

have newly

joined this

school in

September as a

Year 7 pupil

and wanted to

participate in as

many things I

could.”

Sahil Shahzeb

Eshan Hafeez Year 7,

working in Imperial

House

Nikhil Sharma &

Tesrat Shamerullah

working in Kings

House

“Takeover Day was beneficial for me as it allowed me to get a taste of what my future

career could be like. I intend to become an English teacher so I gained first-hand

experience of what it is like to actually teach. Planning a lesson was also a lot harder than

I thought, and took a lot of careful consideration.”

Aneesah Rashid, age 16, Year 12

Role: Taught an English Literature lesson to Year 12

“I thought Takeover

Day was a brilliant

experience for me

because when I

interviewed a teacher,

the advice that he

gave me really helped

me and inspired me to

become a teacher

when I am older.”

Sadia Chowdhury,

age 11, Year 7

Role: interviewed Mr

O’Sullivan, Assistant

Head Teacher

Amaan Patel, Year 7,

teaching a Geography

lesson

Miss Worswick, Deputy

Headteacher interviewed by

Pradhyumaan Chaudhaury

Year 8

ROAD SAFETY—STREETWISE

SEPTEMBER 2016

FACT: Over 130 children die and 4,500 are seriously injured every year in the UK whilst

walking or cycling to school!

Laila Javaid B1

During one of our Friday afternoon lessons, we were privileged to see a company called Streetwise coming here to

perform a play about the importance of road safety.

I think I speak for everyone when I say that it was entertaining and we all really enjoyed it. More importantly, they

taught us how to be safe around traffic and to keep focused when crossing the road.

We also learnt to not mess around anywhere near any road, as this can lead to fatal accidents.

Aaron Kular B5

On the 16th September the school planned a Year 7 assembly showing the dangers of the road, like crossing with a

phone out and other scenarios which happen to many children across the UK, according to statistics shown to students

at the end. This assembly was well received, as many loved the idea of a small performance based on a subject like

‘Road Safety’.

It was a great idea as it provided us with a moral, with the entertaining delivery of a sad story which we thought

important. At the end, a student asked “Will there be more performances?” Students were excited at the thought that

there could be more sessions like this in the future.

Mohammed Kawsar B2

On Friday 16th September, all year 7 students were treated to “Streetwise”, a thoroughly engaging 60-minute

theatrical presentation focussing on the potential consequences of lapses in concentration and risk taking behaviour

around roads. Thanks to funding from the London Borough of Redbridge, this road safety presentation was able to

happen, and it would be no understatement to mention that it clearly hit the mark with all members of its young

audience. Here are the recollections of two articulate young students about this wonderful event. Despite being the

first time we’ve welcomed this new theatre company, I really hope it is not the last!

Mr N. McPherson

COMMUNITY SPORTS LEADERSHIP EVENTS

During the Autumn Term, 50 Year 11 students were selected to gain a Sports Leadership Qualification in their PE

lessons.

The course is very beneficial as it helps to develop several important qualities including the skills of organisation,

motivation and communication.

The students enjoyed a variety of activities including visits to Highlands Primary and Cranbrook Primary School

where they led small groups of primary children with the aim of developing the pupil’s skills in a sports setting.

In addition, on the 8th and 10th November, students led fitness sessions for primary children in the sports hall at

Valentines.

The Year 11 sports leaders continue to make progress and develop their leadership skills and hopefully they are

enjoying the course.

Mrs Liz May

BIRMINGHAM CLOTHES SHOW

LIVE—DECEMBER 2016

On Friday 2nd December, a

group of Year 10, 11, 12 & 13

Textiles students met very early

to drive all the way Birmingham

to be part of one of the

highlights on the British fashion

calendar—The Birmingham

Clothes Show Live.

When we arrived at the Clothes

Show Live we spent the morning

looking round designer

exhibitions and looking at

current trends. However this was

a good opportunity to meet

different Universities and find

out what Fashion and Textiles

courses they offer as well as

seeing the vast range of work that is produced by the students.

In the afternoon we attended a lecture given by Dr Caryn Franklin and two industry professionals, an entrepreneur

knitwear designer and a University course director. The focus was 'Careers in the Fashion and Textiles Industry'

but a long time was spent discussing the personal characteristics it takes to work in the fashion. Resilience,

drive, creativity and being true to your own style and design. Kainath Ahmed (Year 11) even won a great goody

bag for being the only person in the audience to complete a social media challenge that was set! Dr Caryn Franklin

spent a long time after the lecture talking to all of the students giving advice and tips on their career choices. She

was very friendly and truly inspirational!

The last event of the day was an amazing fashion show. It was a real spectacle of different fashion styles as well as

music and dancing. There were even a few celebrities in there too! May different current trends were showcased

and we saw designs from

many high street stores as

well as high end designers.

It was an exhausting but

really fabulous day which

opened all of our eyes to the

many different pathways open

to us after school life.

Mrs K Morris,

Head of Design, Textiles &

Technology

Establishing and developing links with New-

bury Park Primary School

Valentines has, for many years, established,

maintained and developed links with local primary

schools and a recent opportunity presented itself

with the aim of establishing new links with

Newbury Park Primary School.

A group of year 12 students who are involved in

Level 2 in Community Sports Leadership saw this

as an opportunity to help to develop links and, at

the same time, accumulate voluntary leadership

hours. On Tuesday 22nd November, 22 Year 5

Newbury Park pupils arrived at Valentines for a

fun and exciting session of sports activities led by

Tagera Williams and Mohammed Rahman.

The pupils enjoyed an afternoon of trampolining,

table tennis, badminton and basketball and all had

a really good time.

Well done to the sports leaders for their excellent

commitment and also to the primary children who

worked with effort and enthusiasm throughout the

session.

Mrs Liz May

DEVELOPING LINKS WITH NEWBURY PARK

PRIMARY SCHOOL