Mr Bradshaw's Blog

This blog has now moved!

2011-04-01T23:47:00.001+01:00

Please click here to go to our school website, where this blog now lives.

New website

2011-01-12T21:36:00.002Z

The blog will continue shortly on the school's new website, which will be launched in the spring term.

London 2012 announces Olympic Games Ticket Prices at Cumberland School

2010-10-18T20:50:00.006+01:00

On Friday 15th October we hosted the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games. Seb Coe, Boris Johnson,Olympics Minister - Hugh Robertson MP and Paul Deighton, who is the Chief Executive of the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, spent the morning at Cumberland School. During their visit they met met pupils, staff and the international media before they announced ticket prices for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Cumberland School Welcomes Year7

2010-09-04T16:59:00.007+01:00

First day for Year 7 2010

Our Day Out

2010-07-16T08:33:00.011+01:00

Our summer performance this year was 'Our Day Out' by Willy Russell. Our best yet, with star performances from practically every single member of the cast.

Breaking Conventions

2010-07-05T08:59:00.005+01:00

'Breaking Conventions' is a festival that runs through the school with one performance a term. Organised by Music, but including other urban arts (in this case dance, performance poetry, as well as MC'ing and vocal groups).

Pupils work towards the event in Music Tech club, and independently. We hold auditions for the event and then they have a few weeks to polish their performances. Usually we have a guest performer (MC or poet etc.), and the big one is in October when we link it to Black History Month and raise money for charity last year it was the Mary Seacole Foundation previously it has been the Desmond Tutu Foundation in the past.

Awards Evening July 1st

2010-07-05T07:48:00.007+01:00

More than one hundred pupils and their parent's enjoyed a very warm evening celebrating the progress and achievements of 2010-11. We were also pleased to welcome David Gustave as our guest of honour who spoke passionately about making the most of the opportunities we are given. David represented Kids Company a charity that supports many inner city schools, including Cumberland.
"The greatest thing you can do with your life is to be an inspiration to others. To help them do the things they thought were just beyond their grasp. Your parents, favourite teachers, your best friends lift you in this way. That takes courage – but in turn transforms your life with fun and adventure, passion and commitment. None of us is as strong as all of us."
David Gustave.

Tim Prendergast Mentors Cumberland Athletes

2010-07-05T07:42:00.004+01:00

We were very pleased to welcome international athlete Tim Prendergast to Cumberland School recently, who is mentoring a number of our pupil's. Tim's work in the school is supported by the Youth Sport Trust.

National Sports Week June 28 - July 3

2010-07-05T07:32:00.007+01:00

Throughout last week Cumberland pupil's took part in our annual inter form competitions, as part of National Sports Week. Congratulations to the many hundreds who participated despite the very hot temperatures. A big thank you must also go to the PE Dept who organised all the events during the week.

TOPS Festival

2010-07-04T14:57:00.005+01:00

Cumberland joined with our partner school Campion, from Northampton to launch the Olympic Values at this years TOPS Festival, held at Newham Leisure Centre. The pupils helped manage 1000 primary pupils from schools all over Newham. despite a damp start the event was a great success.

OfSTED visit Cumberland

2010-06-16T22:37:00.003+01:00

On Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th June OfSTED Inspected Cumberland School.
We will receive their report by the end of June. I am positive that they will have seen many good things during their visit as well as some areas which we need to improve. I can tell you that the Inspection Team commented on the positive behaviour and attitude of Cumberland Pupils.

Cumberland - Campion Partnership

2010-05-28T11:50:00.001+01:00

Goodbye to Year 11

2010-05-28T11:37:00.002+01:00

Year 7 London Cup Finalists

2010-05-04T20:37:00.004+01:00

Congratulations to the Year 7 football squad and Mr Murphy (Team Coach) for reaching this years London Schools Football Cup Final. Cumberland were by far the better team and totally dominated the second half. Unfortunately they lost 2 - 3 to Knights Academy from South London. It was good to see so many staff and parents supporting the team.

Cumberland welcomes Dame Kelly Homes

2010-05-04T20:22:00.006+01:00

We were very pleased to share some of our sports facilities with The British Triathlon Federation in conjunction with Corus and the London Borough of Newham Primary Schools. The event was aimed at Primary pupils who ran, swam and cycled as part of a childrens mini-triathlon. Dame Kelly Homes was there to welcome them home.

Head teacher Commendation's

2010-04-23T10:50:00.001+01:00

The following pupils have recently been sent letters of commendation
Shakir Abdi 8B
Jasmine Osei 8U
Nazat Hossain 8E
Nathan Antoshko 8E
Shahima Khanom 8C
Ibiroyetunji Oyelana 8B
Elizabeth Battle 8B
Trieu Ho 8E
Mustafa Kamal 8M
Mason Connolly 9N
Malcolm Bisaso 9N
Eduard Pavluiuc 9N
Sarah Hulme 9M
Chrysolyte Bamfo 9R
Narissa Blondell 9R
Lgli Loshi 9R
Shufa Ndikuriyo 9E
Dennis Huczko 9R
Kylie Quach 9R
Sheniqa Adams 9R
Billy Bryan 10N

Glider Design Challenge

2010-04-23T10:25:00.005+01:00

Just befor the Easter Break Cumberland School took part in this design challenge, at Cambridge University, as an introduction to aerodynamics and design. The pupils were placed in groups of three and asked to build a glider that could perform under rigorous tests. Once completed the team had to fly their plane at five targets placed around the lecture theatre. In order to do this the teams needed to modify their glider to allow it to turn left, right and long distance. After the testing was complete Cumberland were in joint first place with all five targets hit, so a final ‘fly off’ was announced. Each team had one chance to hit the stage G-13 made a brave attempt but came in a respectable fourth place. Then it was team G-7's chance and they didn’t disappoint, their plane flew in slow motion to the applause of all the schools involved. The challenge was a success and after an intimidating start our pupil' s showed that they could compete with the best.

Newham Science and Technology Day

2010-04-23T10:10:00.005+01:00

12 of Cumberland's finest represented the School in the Newham Science and Technology Challenge Day on 19th April, held at the QMW University in Mile End , despite facing fierce competion from the boroughs best, Cumberland student's displayed excellent qualities in terms of their ability to work as a team, and problem solve collaboratively while respecting the views of their peers. They were definitely shoulders above the rest and the awards received were a testimony to this.

Trieu and Kristion (Year 8) both were part of a group that were overall winners and will be representing Newham in the London challenge day. They created a paper bridge that managed to take the load of 10kg (equivalent to 10 bags of sugar).

Nhi and Jasmine (Year 8) won an award for an individual event.

Y10 Business Studies visit West Ham Utd

2010-03-31T18:23:00.005+01:00

Business Studies take every opportunity to exploit their industrial links, providing pupils with a richer experience from which to draw for their coursework. Fortunately, we are well positioned at Cumberland School and find ourselves within a short distance of a number of high profile organisations.

Today Ms Lewis took a group of Year 10 BTEC candidates to West Ham Utd, where pupils saw at first hand the multitude of ways that the football club generates income. A tour took in the home and away changing rooms, the director's stand, the director's box, a hotel room, the press room, a functions suite, the bar and reception, as well as the pitch edge. The hosts, Tom and Nadirah, were fabulous and regaled pupils with countless interesting facts - including, to Georgia's amazement, that the grass on the pitch can be heated up using underground heating!!

Stomp Workshop

2010-03-29T19:26:00.006+01:00

Year 10 BTEC Performing Arts and GCSE Drama candidates joined Stomp in workshops on Monday.

Dragons Den

2010-03-28T20:08:00.006+01:00

Fifty Year 7 pupils were split into ten groups to take part in a Dragons Den project. Each group were given a starting point to improve our school, which included litter, the courtyards and corridor display. The groups put together a PowerPoint presentation, a written pitch, a budget and a survey during PSHE and after school. On Wednesday morning a team of professional consultants from Ernst and Young assisted the groups with their School Improvement Initiatives and gave them advice and tips for their group presentations. Everyone prepared well for their pitches and worked extremely hard. In PSHE they entered the Dragons Den. The Dragons were Ms Moore, Mr Hughes, Mr Jagwani and two School Council reps from Year 10, Christos and Megan. Four groups were selected as finalists, and they will now have more time to develop their School Improvement Initiatives for Litter, the Courtyards, the Display and Parent Clubs. They will have a conference call with their Ernst and Young consultant to help finalise their presentation to check everything is ready. We will take the groups to Ernst and Young's offices in Waterloo on Wednesday night for the final Dragons Den. Watch out for the winners!

Headteacher's Commendations

2010-03-28T19:57:00.003+01:00

Congratulations to all those who have been commended for their work during the past week.
Daniela Rodriguez Villegas 10U
Melanie Mamood 9L
Monika Varsani 9N
Petros Akin-Nibusun 9B
Ali Muridi 9U
Montano Sinclair 9E
Afsar Choudhury 9B
Christos Simos 10U
Ihsaanul Hoque 10A
Siddique Ahmad 10C
Egla Loshi 11L
Nada Imane 11L
Aaron Hanif 9M
DuaAshraf 9L
Phuong Nguyen 9B
Blue Turner 10C
Dat Doan 10E
Jordan Cook 10U
Kim Doan 10M
Lok Kei Wan 11L
Samatar Axmed 11E
Huong Nguyen 11R
Joko Sanyang 11M
Apsara Liyakath 11B
Tahiyat Huq 11E

Staff 5-a-side Football

2010-03-25T18:10:00.003Z

Staff 5-a-side football takes place after school every Wednesday in our sports hall.

New surf star found at Cumberland School

2010-03-20T13:20:00.005Z

Potential ‘surfers of the future’ showed off their talent in East London recently as several hundred students from Cumberland School tried their hand at surf sports, including Street Surfing and dry-land surfing, at the first ever Calypso Surf Anywhere Tour. All this was done in the school gym without the need for a beach, the sea or waves. There was one winner – 15 year old Jessica Harman. Jessica will now be attending an ‘all expenses’ paid trip to a special Calypso Surf Academy in Cornwall. She will learn to surf under the guidance of top surf coaches with seven other winners from schools all over the UK. The Academy is supported by Calypso Aquajuice, the company which sponsors the Junior British Surfing Team.

Sports Results

2010-03-20T13:18:00.000Z

Basketball:
Boys U/16's Newham mini league:
Cumberland beat Stratford 20-8
lost to Royal Docks 3-20
lost to Rokeby 6-34

Netball:
Yr 7's lost to Sarah Bonell 1-8
Yr 8's lost to Sarah Bonell 0-7

Football:
Congratulations to Yr 7 who have reached the final of the London Cup. Match report to follow.

Work Experience update

2010-03-20T13:12:00.000Z

The deadline for year 10 pupils to submit their work placement options online is March 30th. We have also allowed pupils to once again find their own placement and the deadline for submitting the 'own find' forms is also March 30th. All 'own find' forms must be submitted to Mr Jagwani. If you need a form please see either Mr Green or Mr Jagwani. This year we have received just over 50 'own find' applications which is the highest the school has received from a year group so well done to all those pupils. The website for the online options is:

www.learnaboutwork.org/newham

Don't forget to pick a MINIMUM of 4 options and click submit when you are happy with your choices.

Romeo and Juliet

2010-03-19T14:54:00.006Z

The whole of Year 9 watched a performance of Romeo and Juliet by the Young Shakespeare Company today. The pupils helped to direct scenes from the play ,telling the actors the way that they should deliver their lines and how the play should be performed. Everyone enjoyed the show!

Year 10 Internal Exams

2010-03-18T16:44:00.007Z

The internal exams for Year 10 started this week. GCSE art students worked for two days, 10 hours in total, producing some excellent work. Congratulations to all our Year 10 artists.

You may think school is closed on the weekend...

2010-03-14T20:57:00.016Z

...but you'd be wrong! This weekend for example, at least 10 teachers were spotted in school, providing a range of support and activities for the school's pupils as well as Saturday School, which Mr Wallis coordinates, for local primary school pupils.

Above we see Mr Sarumi teaching Spanish in Saturday School.

Ms Dewing and Ms Tobias were in with KS4 pupils, rehearsing Drama.

Ms Lewis and Mr Ali had a group of Y11 pupils in working on their ICT coursework.

Ms Raines was catching up with admin. So was Ms Kelly and Ms Healy - but they were camera-shy!

Mr Lewis had a group of Y11 pupils in working on their Graphics coursework.

Mr Bowes and Ms Doyle were also in with Y11 working on GCSE and BTEC coursework.

What a fantastic testament to all those pupils who care about their achievement!

Headteacher's Commendations

2010-03-12T15:40:00.003Z

Congratulations to all those who have recently received a Headteacher's Commendation

Muhyidin Adan 8D
Bradley Joseph 8C
Sabina Ymeraj 7A
Jessica Harman 9C
Dat Doan 10E
Callan Dray10E
Mohamed Kamal10U
Iris Kamara10U
Abdul Ikar10U
Famiya Abdul10R
Zainab Nafeel10A
Trisha Dhanak10E
Joseph Gunnarsson7L
Sara El-Attaoui 7L
Charlie Saville7L
Jessica Eze7L
Tamika Watkin-Williams7C
Supti Aktar 7C
Kelsey Abbott7N
Monika Narvydiene 7N
Chloe Winnard 7N
Elizabeth Battle 8B
Harry Hudson8M
Daniel Kovacs 8L
Ishrat Jahan8N
Tobi Olaitan8N
Jean Gregory8N
Elizabeth Battle8B
Omar Akhtar10B
Abigail Lynch10B
Elizabeth Jammeh10B

Sports results:

2010-03-12T15:30:00.000Z

Girls Football
Year 8/9 Newham 5-a side.
Cumberland came 3rd in their group but unfortunately failed to qualify for finals.
Well done to all those who took part.

Boys Basketball
U/12's Newham Cup
Congratulations to the Year 7 team for making the semi-finals, where they lost to Forest Gate.

Year 10 Work experience

2010-03-12T15:24:00.000Z

Pupils can access their online account by logging onto: http://www.learnaboutwork.org/newham/
Please see your tutor or Mr Jagwani (Room S19) for your unique pin number and remember if you submit your choices you cannot change them, so please make sure you pick a minimum of 4 choices before submitting.

Parents can access the website from home and help their child making suitable choices.
Follow us on Twitter to keep up with updates on Work Experience: http://twitter.com/CumberlandE13

Young animators' video has arrived

2010-03-10T13:07:00.003Z

Here's the animation video that Fateha and Nhi made over half term (see post below).

Sports News

2010-03-05T15:07:00.002Z

Football
Boys:
Yr 7 London Cup, Cumberland beat Richard Chandlor 5-4
Yr 8 Cumberland vs Brampton 6-4 (Friendly)
Yr 8 Cumberland came 4th in Newham 7- a-side cup
Yr 9 Cumberland vs Rokeby 2 -1 (Friendly)
Yr 11 Cumberland vs Greenwich Polytechnic (4-6) London Cup

Girls:
Yr 7 Cumberland came 4th in Newham 7-a - side competition

Netball
Yr 7 Cumberland lost to Plashet 5 -6
Yr 7 Cumberland lost to Statford 0-3
Yr8 Cumberland lost to Plashet 0-7

Basketball
Boys: U/14: Friendly vs Brampton, Cumberland won 64-38

Commendations

2010-03-05T09:36:00.000Z

Head teacher’s Commendation
The following pupils have recently been sent letters of commendation as a result of recommendation by one of their subject teachers. Head teacher Commendations are sent to pupils whose behaviour or progress is worthy of a special mention.

Daniel Kovacs 8L
Mohammed Hanafi 10L
Asha Davis 10C
Blue Turner 10C
Jayshree Solanki 9C

Sports Partnership

2010-03-05T09:25:00.002Z

Active Lifestyles Trailblazers Project
The Cumberland School Sport Partnership has been selected by the Youth Sport Trust to pilot a project linked to tackling obesity with reception year children, in view of the Borough’s high childhood obesity levels. 10 of the Partnership’s primary schools are involved with the project. The project is funded by the DCSF as part of its commitment to the national obesity strategy and it supports schools to think differently about how they offer physical activity opportunities to young people. On Thursday 4th March I was invited to meet the Minister of State for Children – Dawn Primarolo and observe the project in action.

Geography Visit

2010-03-05T09:15:00.007Z

Geography Department views the Olympic Site
On Monday 1st March I had the pleasure of visiting the Olympic Viewing Gallery with Year 10 Geography pupils. Despite the miserable weather on the day we were given an excellent update on the many exciting developments coming to Newham as part of the 2012 Olympics. The behaviour of the pupils was excellent.

Business Studies display coursework at Tate and Lyle

2010-03-04T15:07:00.003Z

Hendry Amiryan accompanied Ms Lewis to put up a display of his class' BTEC Business coursework at Tate and Lyle in Silvertown today. The work was carried out after an educational visit to Tate and Lyle in December. Year 10 wanted employees and visitors to the factory to see how their coursework had benefitted from the educational visit, enabling pupils to better visualise and understand the issues they had to analyse in their work.

Half Term Activities

2010-02-24T16:39:00.007Z

Animation Workshop at the CLC
Fateha Begum and Nhi Nguyen of 8R were selected to join pupils from other Newham schools over half term for a two day animation workshop at the City Learning Centre.

"We used plasticene to make our own characters and then used them to make our own short animated film. We could choose our topic. We chose ‘Litter’.

It was hard to move the characters because we had to move them very slowly to end up with the right effect and each time the character was moved, a photo had to be taken. We had to take about 25 photos to represent just a few seconds of film.

The bit we liked least was making the characters, because it was difficult to get them looking as perfect as we’d have liked them. The best bit was adding the voiceover, because it made our characters come to life. It was also quicker and easier than making the animation part of the film, and if we got it wrong, we could simply and quickly re-record the sound.

If a similar opportunity came up again we’d recommend it to others, because it was a really fun activity".

Nhi & Fateha 8R

You can now follow us on Twitter

2010-02-16T16:20:00.002Z

For up-to-the-minute information, you can now follow the school's activities via Twitter at http://twitter.com/cumberlandE13

As we break for half term

2010-02-12T14:12:00.003Z

Half term
Pupils and staff begin their much needed half term break today.
We return to school on Monday 22nd February at 8.40am

Cumberland Chronicle
Our latest Cumberland Chronicle was sent home today highlighting all the key events for the past half term. This is a fantastic publication. Many thanks to Ms Doyle and her army of volunteers who help put the Chronicle together

B4L
Since the beginning of term I have been discussing with staff, pupils and parents what behaviour is needed to ensure good teaching and learning can take place.
Building on the Cumberland Code we have developed Behaviour 4 Learning as part of our Classroom Expectations. What follows is the outcome of these discussions. When pupils return to school after half term our expectations about classroom behaviour will be raised. Many of our pupils already follow these expectations
Sports News

Football:
Yr 11 boys beat Rokeby 5-0
Yr 7 boys, 7-a-side, came third in the Newham Cup

Basketball:
U/14 Boys Newham cup:
draw v St Bons 15-15
lost v Rokeby 2-18 – unfortunately failed to qualify for the knockout stage.

Indoor Athletics:
Girls are currently joint 1st with St Angela's in the Newham League

Headteacher's Commendations

2010-02-05T16:07:00.004Z

The following pupils were sent letters of commendation from me last week, as a result of recommendation by one of their subject teachers:

Fateha Begum 8R
Fatima Lakdawala 11E
Priscilla Asare 9N
Una Wilson 11R
Eliezer Del Rosario 11C
Ahmir Hussain 11R
David Nduka-Oladiti 9A
Malcolm Lukwago-Bisaso 9N
Kyran Green 9C
Dhruv Patel 9C
Ali Ayeman 9C
Elle Nelson 9R
Eliza Luxton 9R
Shanice Joseph-Downer 9R
Noor Nadir 10C

Sports News

2010-02-05T16:00:00.002Z

Football:
Newham Year 7 7-a-side
Cumberland second and qualified for the final

Badminton:
KS4 East London Schools Finals
Cumberland won 1st round, lost in quarter finals

Basketball:
Girls Newham league:
Cumberland Year 8 and 9 beat Forest Gate 10-6

Cumberland Year 10 & 11 lost to Forest Gate

KS3 Enterprise Week - Year 7

2010-02-05T15:57:00.002Z

"Year 7 had to work in groups and create a company that makes t-shirts or towers. We discussed and decided a company name, roles within our team and a design for our towers and t-shirts. To make the towers we used rolled newspaper and packing tape. It was extremely important that we all worked together as a good team.
After sketching out our ideas for the t-shirts we used glitter and loads of stickers, glitter and fabric pens.
The best thing about it was that everyone participated in it and it was fun. We presented our final pieces to each other and voted on the winning groups.
My favourite part was designing the t-shirt which was brilliant".

By Aaron McNally and Adam Hussain 7C

KS3 Enterprise Week - Year 8

2010-02-05T15:48:00.003Z

Year 8 were split into two groups for their annual enterprise day. External facilitators hosted this annual event which helped pupils develop many different skills through the 2 hour workshops.
The first organisation was EdArt, a creative and business-minded group that asked pupils to work in groups and come up with a business idea for a T-shirt design based around the themes of social agendas such as drugs, bullying, alcohol, violence, crimes, human rights, the environment etc. The pupils were judged based on their business plan, their T-shirt design and their advert that they had to present to the judges. Most of the pupils used the concept of role-play, poems, raps and important catchphrases to try to win a cash prize.

The second organisation was a drama group ‘Ready or Not’ who have worked with Cumberland school for many years. Pupils were once again put in groups and were asked to devise, within a time limit, an idea for a TV news report. The pupils used a video camera to help them create their idea and incorporated it with their live presentation.
Pupils managed to develop many different qualities and worked on their personal, learning and thinking skills such as communication, teamwork, organisation, leadership, commitment, imagination, reflective learning, independent enquiring, self-management, being an effective participator and being a creative thinker.
The feedback from ‘Ready or Not’ mentioned that the pupils were absolutely great and praised their behaviour and commitment to the tasks given to them. The organiser of Ed-Art announced at the end of the session to all the pupils that they have been running this programme for five years and never had a year group so brilliant and hard-working producing quality presentations; the best they had ever seen.
A huge ‘well done’ to all year 8 pupils.

KS3 Enterprise Week - Year 9

2010-02-05T15:35:00.005Z

Year 9 participated in their annual enterprise day and this time the challenge was much tougher than they expected. The pupils started off learning about the different types of qualities and skills that they have and how they can use members of their groups to work together using those skills in order to compete with other groups.

The challenge for our pupils was to create a 3D roller coaster given paper, card, sticky tape, glue and scissors. They had to use the resources available to them and design a roller coaster where a marble was placed at the start of the track and had to go around to the finish without stopping or falling off.

Pupils worked really hard and gained bonus points for teamwork and resolving any conflicts that they had. They had to test their roller coaster in front of an audience and present their findings. They were given marks throughout the workshop. It was a fun day during which all members of the year group contributed.

Headteacher's Commendations

2010-02-01T17:11:00.004Z

The following pupils were sent letters of commendation from me last week, as a result of recommendation by one of their subject teachers:
Jessica Squibb 8A
Shakiyl Chowdhury 11E
Joshua Evans 11R
Lok Kei Wan 11L
Chennel Chalmers 11L
Laura McGrath 11M
Deverie Young 11E
Temitope Raheem 11R
Stefan Taylor 10M
Ahmed Hussain 10N
Katherine Bulaon 10C
Romaine Rose-Cameron 10L
Ehimetalor Unuabona 10B
Shane Watson 10R
Nicola Gunnersson 10C
Iris Kamara 10U
Taiwo Olokayode 10C
Dillon Powlett 10N
Rosie Holder 9A
Hally Ngyuen 11R
Oksana Senior-Peters 11C
Arminas Rinkevicius 10M
Dua Ashraf 9L
Melanie Momood 9L
Egla Loshi 11L
Christine Wan 11L

Week ending Friday 29th January 2010

2010-01-29T15:38:00.004Z

Year 9 Options
Today marks the end of the Year 9 Option Process. All option forms should now be with Ms Kelly. Yesterday’s Parent’s Evening provided Year 9 pupils with an opportunity to finalise their option choices following discussion with Subject Staff. If parent/carers or pupils have any outstanding questions related to the option process, they should contact Ms Brotherson (YC) or Ms Kelly (Deputy Head).

The Price
On Wednesday 27th January a theatre group performed a road safety play for our year 7 pupils entitled “The Price”.
The production was a fast moving multimedia presentation, focusing on road safety. The play dealt with the way young people behave on the streets and the tragic consequences that this can lead to. The play is based on actual events which led to the death of a young boy. His parents gave permission for the play to go ahead, in his memory, to help save lives.
Pupils are shown pictures and video footage of the teenager and the effect his death had on his parents and friends.
We have had this presentation for the last 4 years and plan to repeat it next year.

B4L Classroom Expectations as part of the Cumberland Code
Staff and pupils have been doing some interesting work around the type of behaviour which will best support learning. We have been answering the question “What behaviour is required to ensure a good lesson takes place?”
We have already agreed:

o Arrive on time in an orderly manner and with the correct equipment.
o Listen to the teacher and other students.
o Always follow instructions.
o Respect other people and their property.
o Do your best and allow others to do their best.

Sports News
Football:
Year 9 boy’s friendly - Cumberland 2 – 1 Rokeby

Indoor athletics:
Year 7 indoor athletics league: Following event held at Cumberland on Monday,
Girls team are now 2nd and Boys team are 6th in the borough league.

CSI at Cumberland

2010-01-25T16:58:00.010Z

Today it was CSI Day at Cumberland School.

Friday 22nd January

2010-01-22T14:09:00.014Z

GCSE Music Performance.
Congratulations to all those year 10 & 11 pupils who performed on Thursday evening as part of their GCSE course.

YEAR 11 Group Performances I
Shakiyl Choudhury & Joshua Evans – Falling (Alicia Keys)
Lok Kei Wan & Temitope Raheem – Slow Motion

YEAR 10 Compositions I
Stefan Taylor – Peaceful Playground
Hussain Ahmed - Breeze

YEAR 10 Solo Performances I
Nicola Gunnarsson – Etude (Otto Langley)
Romaine Rose-Cameron – O Mio Babbino Caro e Ben (Giuseppe Verdi)

YEAR 10 Compositions II
Shane Watson – 2012
Katherine Bulaon – Lost in Time

YEAR 11 Group Performance II
Laura McGrath & Chennel Chalmas – No-one (Alicia Keys)

YEAR 10 Solo Performances II
Stefan Taylor – Lightly Row
Hugo Ezimora – Drum Solo (own composition)

YEAR 10 Compositions III
Romaine Rose-Cameron – Oblivion
Ehimetalor Unuabona – Midnight Dream

YEAR 11 Solo Performances
Lok Kei Wan – Nostalgy (R. Clayderman)

YEAR 11 Special Events Compositions
Chennel Chalmas
Deverie Young

Year 10 Group Perfomances
Katherine Bulaon / Iris Kamara / Taiwo Olokayode / Kehinde Olokayode – Sunday Morning
Whole Group – Circle of Fifths (composed/arranged by Ms Eglin)

Goodbye to Ms Martyr who begins maternity leave on Friday 22nd January
Hello to Ms Passey who will be her replacement.

Year 11 Mock Exam Results
On Friday 22nd January the year 11 pupils received their Mock Exam Results. As always on these occasions some were happy while others realise that there is still a lot of work to do if they are to achieve their potential.

I reminded the year group that they only have approximately 70 days of school left, or put another way, 350 hours of lessons.

I reminded them that "If they do what they have always done they will get the same results". I know that most want to improve on where they are now.

Headteacher's Commendations
Congratulations to the following pupils who have received a letter of commendation for an aspect of their life at school.

Fateha Begum 8R
Kenny Lee 11B
Fatima Lakdawala 11E
Priscilla Asare 9N
David Nduka-Oladiti 9A
Malcolm Lukwago Bisaso 9N
Kyran Green 9C
Dhruv Patel 9C
Ali Ayerman 9C
Hira Ikram 8R
Noor Ishanzadah 10C
Tahiyat Huq 11E
Dana Hurley 9C
Peta-Kay Gordon 10C
Aromire Afolabi 10C
Matilda Cobham 10U
Kim Doan 10M

A challenging start to 2010

2010-01-13T14:03:00.001Z

Since the recent snow first fell, last Wednesday (6th January), I have been enjoying it with my own family.

Unfortunately, for school, it has presented many challenges. Each day we have had to take extra measures to ensure staff and pupils remain safe. The main decision, we have taken on a daily basis, is to keep the pupils inside at break and lunch time. While this is OK for one or two days for a prolonged period it has put a strain on the school community.

Today, after consultation with Senior Colleagues, Governors and the Local Authority I took the decision to close at lunchtime. This decision will be reviewed daily. I do not expect to take this action every time it snows. However it is a consequence of a prolonged spell of very poor weather.

Olympic Champion visits Cumberland

2010-01-11T15:32:00.007Z

OLYMPIC CHAMPION TO PATRON GAMES

Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu MBE will be the official patron of the 2010 Balfour Beatty London Youth Games, which was launched at Cumberland School on Friday 8th January.

Christine is the UK’s most successful athlete of recent years, having won gold at the 2007 World Athletics Championships and 2006 Commonwealth Games to go alongside her famous victory in Beijing in 2008.

As a youngster, she cut her competitive teeth at the London Youth Games, representing her borough of Newham in netball and athletics. The Balfour Beatty London Youth Games are Europe’s biggest annual youth sport event. In 2009, the Games saw over 47,000 participants from 33 boroughs taking part in 30 different sports.Christine said: “I am really happy to be patron of the 2010 Balfour Beatty London Youth Games. It is an event which holds a lot of fond memories for me.“When I was a youngster, the games were always one of the highlights of the year. It was always very competitive, but also lots of fun too. There was always a great spirit among your team-mates and healthy rivalry between each of the boroughs.“It was a really rewarding experience in my early days in sport and I know it continues to be a massively popular event right across the city.

Anthony Kendall, Chairman, London Youth Games said: “It is an honour to have a sportsperson of the standing of Christine Ohuruogu as our patron for 2010. She has come a long way from being a young netballer representing Newham at the London Youth Games to becoming one of the world’s finest athletes.“She is the perfect example of how a positive sporting experience at a young age can lead on to so much more in life. With Christine’s support we are looking to build on the huge success of last year as we strive to make this year’s Balfour Beatty London Youth Games the biggest and best yet.”

Cumberland goes Into the Hoods

2010-01-11T14:07:00.005Z

Despite the snow and below freezing weather conditions, on the evening of Friday 8th January a group of Year 10 GCSE Drama candidates visited the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank to see the award winning ‘Into the Hoods’.

The amazing performance was put on by Zoo Nation, a talented group of young performers who have already taken part at the Beijing Olympics closing ceremony, Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebrations at Hyde Park, and who have appeared on television shows such as Graham Norton’s ‘When Will I Be Famous’, ‘Popworld’ and ‘The Late Edition’.

Cumberland in the snow

2010-01-08T15:26:00.008Z

Parents/Carers message - December 2009

2009-12-18T17:47:00.002Z

As we approach the end of term and prepare for the holiday period I would like to thank the pupils, staff and the many parents I have met for the support I have received since becoming Headteacher in September.

I have spent a lot of time talking to pupils during break, lunchtime and as I visit lessons. One thing that is very clear to me is that the vast majority of our pupils enjoy school, feel safe and are working hard to achieve their potential. There is always room for improvement and the teachers and support staff are all working to ensure that all our pupils can make the progress they are capable of.

As parents, one of most important things is the progress being made in lessons. I have therefore provided you with the key dates for Parents Evenings. Please make a note of the date of your child’s Parents Evening as I believe it is very important that you make every effort to attend this important event.

Parents Evenings 2010

Year 9 Thursday January 28
Year 11 Thursday February 11
Year 10 Thursday May 27
Year 8 Thursday June 17
Year 7 Thursday July 8

I am available to meet parents if you have any unresolved concerns. If you are unable to visit during the day, I am available every Tuesday 5.30 – 6.30pm by appointment. Please contact Mrs Sandra Bailey Acting School Manager.

Some key dates for the spring term
Jan 11 Yr 10 Hair & Beauty Principal Learning Exam
Jan 13 Yr 11 Applied Business
Jan 13 Yr 10 Hospitality Principal Learning
Jan 21 Yr 10 Diphtheria/Tetanus inoculations
Jan 25 Yr 10 CSI Day
Jan 26 Yr 11 Health & Social Care
Jan 26 Yr 10 ICT Functional Skills Resits
Jan 27 Yr 10 Diphtheria/Tetanus Catch-Ups
Jan 28 Yr 10 Religious Studies
Feb 1 Yr 7 Enterprise Day
Feb 3 Yr 9 Enterprise Day
Feb 15 – 19 Half-Term
Mar 2 Yr 10 & Yr 11 Maths (Resits)
Mar 3 & 5 Yr 10 & Yr 11 Science Modules
Mar 26 Yr 11 GCSE Drama Performance to Parents
Mar 30 Yr 8 Girls HPV Inoculation
School closes for Spring Bank Holiday Thursday 1 April. First day back for pupils Monday 19 April.

Attendance and Punctuality
Our pupil’s attendance to school is generally good but it could be even better. There is a very clear link between good attendance and examination success. Please ensure your child’s attendance is the best it can be.

Punctuality to school and lessons is monitored daily. If your child’s punctuality is causing a concern you will have received a voicemail from myself asking for your support in improving the situation. Pupils whose punctuality remains a problem will be expected to make up for the lost time.

Holidays during term time
Permission for holidays during term time will not be given as I believe taking your child out of school during term time can seriously disadvantage them.

Cumberland Cares at Christmas

Although many of our pupils ‘care’ all year round it has been very pleasing to see so many pupils and staff raising funds to support a number of local charities. The Cumberland Cares at Christmas campaign is supporting Richard House, NSPCC, Save the Children and Winston’s Wish.

Spring Term begins January 4. There will be a late start for pupils to allow for some staff Inset. Pupils should arrive for registration at 9:40am. Gates will open at 9.15. Pupils who have borough transport will be picked up at the usual time.

Our School Uniform

2009-12-18T17:39:00.002Z

I have been pleased with how smart our pupils look in their school uniform. I have included below a uniform list, as a reminder, followed by our PE kit. Variations to this are not acceptable. Please ensure that your child has the correct uniform. The vast majority of our pupils arrive to school regularly, on time, and in perfect uniform. I look forward to this continuing throughout the year.

When buying the school uniform, parents/carers and pupils have a choice of many items. For example, they can choose a red, or white polo shirt, or whether to buy a fleece or a sweatshirt. Parents/carers need to buy all items with a logo on from Ian Howard, the school outfitters. Pupils are not permitted to wear non-uniform items in school, or to wear, for example, hats, scarves, hoods, caps, etc inside the school building.

OUR SCHOOL UNIFORM

OUR PE KIT

Business Studies Educational Visit to Tate and Lyle

2009-12-18T14:16:00.002Z

In December the BTEC Business Studies candidates visited Tate and Lyle Sugars as part of their course. This was one of a number of educational visits that pupils take part in to help them contextualise the work they produce for their examination coursework.

Yasmin said, “it was incredible to see the whole process, from the raw material being delivered in a ship and stored in heaps in a shed, right through to the packets of sugar being packaged ready to be delivered to the supermarket – now I understand why there are always ships moored on that part of the river – I never knew before!”.

Jordi thought, “the most interesting thing about the visit was to see how the whole production process was controlled and monitored from one room, on a series of computer monitors and controls, by just a couple of staff – I didn’t think it could be possible to control an enormous factory from just one computer room”.

It has already proved to be an invaluable experience as pupils have been able to include accounts of their visit in coursework produced since the visit.

Cumberland Cares at Christmas

2009-12-17T17:58:00.003Z

Over £4000 was raised by pupils and staff this half term for our four chosen charities, £1000 of which was presented to our most local charity - Richard House. As the photograph above suggests, sponsored silences were one of the many ways pupils employed to raise money.

Cinderella - Christmas Production

2009-12-15T17:15:00.002Z

At the end of term the BTEC Performing Arts pupils staged Cinderella. Local primary school pupils and senior citizens of our community saw the first performances in the afternoon, before parents and friends visited for the evening performance.

Alongside our cast, the Cumberland Choir, the Senior Choir and the Jazz Band, I would like to thank a number of people who helped make the event a success, including:

Mr Wallis (Director), Ms Hulme (Musical director), Mr Henry (Jazz Band Leader), Jordan Smith (Sound technician), The Art department (Set Design / Props), Ms Tobias / Miss Dewing (Costume), 7N (Tickets sellers), Mr Robinson (Choreography), Rhiannon Eglin (Piano), Jessica Squibb, Jessie Stafford & Ellie McKenna (Poster and ticket design).

Money raised from the performance went towards the Cumberland Cares fund raised for our chosen charities.

MOVEMBER 2009 raises over £1,500 for charity

2009-12-01T14:37:00.000Z

Movember is about having fun, growing a moustache and raising much needed funds and awareness for men's health - specifically prostate cancer. What many people don't appreciate is that one man dies every hour of prostate cancer in the UK, more than 35,000 men will be diagnosed this year and that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK.

This year saw many of our staff participate, each brave enough to grow a moustache for one month. Collectively the team raised £1536.04, with Mr.Gubbins alone raising a £490.50. Well done to all the staff above who joined in, particularly Mr Naylor for organising the team.