International Trips Resume

On 20 January the very first group of Year 13 A Level Science students known as the trailblazers had the opportunity to fly to Geneva, Switzerland to visit some famous scientific institutions and landmarks.  On the first day we made our way to the United Nations. The experience was phenomenal, from taking in the beauty of various rooms to learning about the 12 sustainable development goals - it was truly an awesome experience. 

Day 2 we made our way to CERN for a guided tour where we learned about the Synchro-Cyclotron built in 1957, it was CERN’s first particle accelerator.  It provided beams for CERN's first experiments in particle and nuclear physics. We were taught by a Physics expert about the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) which is the world's largest and highest energy particle collider.

In the afternoon we visited the Red Cross Museum. We were introduced to the history of the Red Cross and learnt how the organisation has greatly helped millions of people around the world. The museum had lots of cool exhibits, art work and videos which really brought the experiences to life.

During our stay at the hotel we had a great time in the evenings as we could all play together in the games lounge. It had a pool table, table football and a ping pong table. This gave us a lot of time to socialise, bond with one another and create lovely memories. It was a chance for us to enjoy our time with each other and made the trip really special, as this is our last year of secondary school.

On the final day, we travelled a little outside the centre of Geneva and viewed the beautiful scenery of the lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains.  After taking a lot of photos. and videos we made our way to the airport where we were greeted with a vast variety of Swiss shops and restaurants.

Josh K (A Level scientist)

Chemistry at Oxford University

On 2 February some of our Year 10 Chemistry students travelled to the University of Oxford.  The day included listening to a presentation introducing Oxford, the collegiate system, its courses and opportunities and toured St. John’s College.  A Q&A with a current Oxford University student followed, as well as participation in a GCSE Chemistry challenge run by the Chemistry department. The students met a mixture of undergraduate students and students completing their post doc.  The trip was a huge success and left our students excited about what university life is like.

Sixth Form Updates:

We are celebrating a number of university offers our Year 13 students have received. These include;

• University of Cambridge to study Mathematics
• University of Warwick to study Computer Science
• Imperial University to study Chemical Engineering
• Loughborough University to read History
• Lancaster University to read Law
• University of Nottingham to study Pharmacy

Sixth Form Supreme Court Trip

Whilst studying the Sociology unit of 'Crime and Deviance' the Year 13 Sociology students attended a workshop, exhibition and tour of the Supreme Court. The students debated a discrimination case that was put forward in relation to a bakery refusing to make a LGBT+ positive cake which went against the owner’s Christian values.  Students explored the history of the Supreme Court and the current judges amending legislation. We visited three courtrooms whilst exploring the unique architecture and displays encouraging women to pursue higher roles in the British criminal justice system.

British Mathematical Olympia

Year 13 students Vlad and Saad achieved a Certificate of Merit in British Mathematical Olympiad 1. Only high scorers from the Senior Maths Challenge would participate in this gruelling 3.5 hour paper. They have worked very hard to get a certification and this is extremely difficult to achieve. They deserve all the credit for their hard work

English GCSE Revision Supported by Sixth Form Students

30 Year 11 students attended a voluntary English GCSE revision session led by our Sixth Form students. They covered set texts relating to the GCSE Literature course and tutoring on how to structure responses.

Also Year 12 students, Shanaya V & Sapina B organised a team to run drop in sessions and made Form visits to answer option questions from Year 8 students. Very kind indeed.

Sports

Indoor Athletics at Whitefriars (still awaiting full results) but many Year 7's beat personal bests and came in medal places. Amazing turn out at trials and the event from the Year 7's. 

Great results from the Cross Country Team at the Harrow Borough Championship held at Harrow on School on in January.  The standout performance came from Leo W in Year 7 who came first in the Minor Boys category.  This is an amazing achievement and is our first victory in this race after 5 years of trying.  Kieran B in Year 9 ran a close second in the Junior Boys category, a great achievement in itself.  Overall, from a total of 24 runners from Years 7-11, 8 qualified to represent Harrow at the Middlesex Championships next week. This is a fantastic achievement and something we should all be proud of. 

28 pupils from all year groups were chosen to represent PHS in the Harrow Borough Cross Country Championship in January at Harrow School.  The team were expected to build on the successes of last year/

RESULTS

Harrow Borough Championships

More runners entered than any other school in the borough

Year 7  (Minor Boys category) - Leo W 1st place, Ethan D 4th place

Year 8 - (Junior Boys category) Alex P 1st place from Year 8

Year 9 - (Junior Boys category - Kieran B 2nd place overall

Year 11 - (Intermediate Boys category) - Joseph T 5th place overall

8 runners came in the top ten of their respective races, as a result of this they were all selected to represent Harrow Borough in the Middlesex County Championships.  The name of these are:  Leo W, Ethan D, Alex P, Kieran B, Bevan R, Ilayda B, Mouaaz S, Joseph T

Middlesex County Championships 

8 runners were selected for this event, this is an improvement on last year when 3 pupils were selected, this is an excellent achievement in itself.

All runners competed well.  In a weird coincidence, 3 pupils were placed 17th in their respective races.  This is an excellent achievement considering the races had up to 90 runners in, all of whom were the best in their boroughs.

Highest placed pupils were:  Leo W, Bevan R, Joseph T

8 pupils made the Harrow X-country squad for the county race. We won the boys minor race, had the best year 8 boy, 2nd in the boys junior race.

KS4 won the borough badminton plate competition

The Year 7 netball team have won all 3 of their games since their league started in January. 

The Pinner Press

The English department launched a Newspaper Club for the Heads Challenge.  We have now published the 3^rd edition of The Pinner Press!

Year 8 – Be Kind Ambassador School

As part of being a Be Kind Ambassador School we have been nominated for a Be Kind Star School award. We have submitted feedback on how our school promotes kindness and the impact this has had on the school, the community and its pupils.  Year 8 students were asked to submit their responses – here are some that have been received;

How our school promotes kindness: 

• When ordering lunch, we show kindness to the lunch ladies
• Teachers are nice in the hallway and every day they say good morning
• In assembly teachers demonstrate how to be kind to each other
• We promote kindness by engaging students to join different groups, eg, PE, homework and LGBTQ+
• We have many assemblies and form lessons about showing acts of kindness and friendship
• PHS has promoted kindness by ensuring that bad situations are handled effectively and with a positive outcome
• We show equality in lessons and don’t let anyone feel left out
• Our school has promoted kindness by giving certificates and awards weekly to those who show kindness and respect
• We have a Kindness Award so when students are really kind throughout the week they are awarded one.  This makes people become more dedicated to being kind
• Teachers always help with homework
• By having assemblies on the topic and giving awards and recognition for people who show these values
• Teachers help in all activities by being supportive and kind. They include everyone as well as people with learning difficulties to make them feel included

 The impact this has had on the school, the community and its pupils:

• All staff are happy
• Students do not have a reason to be rude
• It has reduced bad behaviour towards others
• It has given students the chance to come out of their comfort zone, thus creating a confidence boost which is a key skill for the future, eg, for job interviews
• My school environment feels a safe and secure place
• People are more aware of their actions and show a better attitude towards one another.
  Everyone feels like they are treated the same way and know that who they are won’t affect how they are treated. In a better or worse way.

Inclusion Department Update

It has been a busy two terms in the Inclusion department where we have enjoyed welcoming new Year 7 students and welcoming back students in Year 8 -13!

September saw the Inclusion department working closely with teachers and parents to help students with additional needs settle back into school and new classes. We have also had a heavy focus on collaboration and communication with students, parents, staff and external agencies this term. Part of this involved organising and hosting several Coffee Morning events to support parents of students with additional needs to share experiences and support. Additionally, our ARMS Provision Manager and SENDCo paid a visit to Bushey Meads School, where they were able to take part in a tour and begin networking with colleagues at the school to share best practice. We are looking forward to welcoming staff from Bushey Meads to visit Pinner High School in January!

October and November saw us celebrating ADHD Awareness and Disability History Month, with assemblies and form time activities to share information and celebrate the differences and neurodiversity in our school community.

We have also been lucky to have the Centre for ADHD and Autism visit the school to give an assembly to Year 7. The assembly focused on what Autism is, what strengths and challenges come with an Autism diagnosis, and how the Year 7 students can work together to support peers with Autism. To build on the awareness being raised by these activities, the Inclusion department have been working closely with a guest speaker who has an Autism diagnosis. Chris Painter has delivered sessions to parents throughout the Autumn Term, and we are really excited for him to soon be conducting workshops with students from all Year groups with an Autism diagnosis.

Dear Readers

During the month of October, our students continue to widen their experiences and knowledge with a range of activities that inspire learning. Our Year 12 and 13 students took part in the UKMT senior maths challenge.  Below are the results, again scoring above the national average. Two golds onto the next challenge! 

Oliver Bronze

Arjun Silver

Justin Silver

Arjun Bronze

Vlad Gold

Tanmay Silver

Aaliya Bronze

Lara Bronze

Aakriti Silver

Sameen Participation

Saad Silver

Manojen Silver

Kavin Silver

Alex Gold

Vlad and Alex have also qualified for the next round which takes place on 16/11.

National Poetry Day

In celebration of National Poetry Day, our Year 9 students attended The Power of Poetry live workshop with Mark Grist, an internationally acclaimed poet, storyteller and rapper based in the UK.  During the session, students brainstormed and shared ideas they felt most passionate about before exploring poetic language and writing their own poems. 

The English department and Learning Resource Centre hosted a poetry slam at lunchtime where students had the opportunity to share their work and answer questions about their creative process and inspiration. We had over 50 students attend and poets from Years 7-12 sharing their thoughts on growing up, identity, climate change and war. We are so proud of the talent showcased today and we wish our students entering the Young Writer's Poetry Competition the best of luck.

Young inventor! 

YR10 student Robert Witowski has begun to make his own gadgets and gizmos.  Last week, Robert created a laser range finder and it has been tested!  It is in its primacy in terms of development, but what an impressive start!  Amazing work!

FORMA Art Education Fair

Our Year12 Art and 3D students visit to the FORMA Art Education Fair, followed by a trip to Regents Park to look at the Frieze Art Sculpture display. The exhibition is open till November 13^th.   

Chemistry Workshop

Our Year 12 chemists attended a virtual workshop run by the Chemistry department at the University of Oxford.  The session focused on 3D shapes, chirality, the role of chirality in biological systems, and the protein SARS-CoV-2.  Upper-year students presented information on their current research projects and the applications of chemistry.  Students increased their knowledge about the different applications of chemistry, were introduced to chemistry research at the university level, and reflected on new topics to study independently in chemistry.

World Mental Health Day

This month we celebrated World Mental Health Day (October 10) and the Self Esteem Team will be visiting shortly to deliver a session to our Year 8 students on developing self-esteem.  For most people, confidence peaks and troughs throughout life but developing an understanding of where self-esteem comes from at a young age can really help to keep a person in the driver's seat.  During the Year 8 session, students will learn to challenge the labels we place on people and discover ways to create a positive feedback loop for themselves and interacting with others. These strategies are recommended for transitional periods, meeting new people, and forming a strong foundation for stepping outside a comfort zone which makes this class particularly useful at the start of the school year, or to set students up for new environments.

Pinnfest this week was a real highlight of the term, and so brilliant to have it back in person for the first time since 2019. Students did a great job with performances of music and drama, and it was fabulous to have so many visitors. Many thanks indeed to all colleagues involved in planning and running the event.

It was lovely to welcome our new Year 7 students to school this week. It is also the first time we have been able to run this event since 2019, and we know everyone benefits from this a great deal. Students spent the day in their form groups in a range of taster lessons, which I know colleagues really enjoyed delivering. Our new Year 7s also have the benefit of a four day summer school running at the end of August, when they will have the whole school to themselves. Over 140 students have signed up for this, and I am very grateful to Governors for approving this programme. Our new Headteacher from September, Mr. Patel, was able to attend both events. He has been coming to school every week since his appointment to ensure a smooth handover and I know everyone is enjoying working with him on planning our continued improvement.

As well as these events, it has also been busy in other parts of the school, with Year 12 Geography students on their A Level field trip in Devon, Duke of Edinburgh expeditions over the last couple of weekends and final arrangements for Sports day taking place too. 

In case you missed issue 8 of our school magazine 'Inspiring Learning' here it is: https://www.pinnerhighschool.org/_site/data/publications/Issue-8-Summer-2022/index.html It gives you a flavour of the year at Pinner High School.

It is lovely to have everyone back in school after the half-term break. We are very much in the thick of GCSE examinations at the moment, with most students completing 4 or 5 papers this week. We had an ice-cream 'wellbeing session' after the exam yesterday afternoon, and I enjoyed catching up with them. Students seem to be managing really well. Our invigilators are full of praise for their positive approach, and we wish every individual continuing success.

More success to report, as over 41,000 students from 550 schools worldwide took part in this year's Biology Challenge, hosted by the Royal Society of Biology.  Of the 126 Year 10 scientists that completed the challenge, 64 students were awarded certificates this week, ranging from commended, highly commended, to bronze, silver and gold. This is an amazing achievement. Particular congratulations to the students for winning a gold certificate, putting them in the top 5% of students to complete the challenge globally. This week our A-level scientists are taking on the Royal Society's Intermediate Olympiad - we hope they are just as successful!

 

Year 12 students were out on another visit this week, this time focused on UCAS preparations, which are about to begin in earnest. Year 10 students are on their Duke of Edinburgh expedition this weekend. Hopefully they will enjoy some sunshine.

Some impressive news for our Mathematicians and sports stars this week, with sixth formers exploring the world of medicine and physics.

116 students took part in the Junior Maths Challenge; an astonishing 96 students received either a bronze silver or gold award. Maths has always been a strength of the school, but this is an impressive number even by our own high standards. 6 of them also qualified for the next stage of the competition as well- congratulations to all!

More success to report for sport beyond our school, with 2 students being selected for the Harrow youth netball team, and 7 students qualifying for the Harrow athletics county championships. Amazing!

Our aspiring medics are at Birmingham City University today. They are taking part in the Operating Department Practitioner Experience day. Their skills with laparoscopic equipment were put to use building sugar cube towers to explore their dexterity and communication skills- to good effect! Physics students are at the National Physical Laboratory, enriching their skills and experience in this area. Year 10 GCSE Geography students completed their field trip this week, as you can see from the image above!

My thanks to such dedicated colleagues facilitating all these wonderful opportunities.