Newsletter Autumn 2014 - Moat Community College

Message from
from the
the Principal
Principal
-- Message
School uniform
uniform policy/guidelines
policy/guidelines
-- School
Punctuality
- Punctuality
ParentPay
-- ParentPay
Charity News
News
- Charity
International
News
- International News
Cross Curricular
Curricular Day
Day
-- Cross
Awards
Evening
- Awards Evening
What’s happening
happening around
around the
the departments
departments
-- What’s
Nanowrimo
-- Nanowrimo
Moat’sKitchen
Kitchen
- Moats
Issue: Autumn 2014
www.moatcollege.org
Message from the Principal……..
It’s already well into the autumn term and I can tell that it’s going to be an exciting year. Inside
this edition you will find that there is so much going on at Moat Community College.
Welcome back to parents of students in Years 8 - 11 and welcome to the new parents joining
the college. I am pleased to report on what has been another very successful term for Moat and,
as usual, I have been impressed by the effort and attitude of the students. A week has not gone
by this term when I haven’t been incredibly proud of our students’ achievements!
The 2014 GCSE exam results were a little disappointing, as they dropped from last year’s record
for the number of students gaining 5A* - C grade GCSEs including English and maths. However,
despite the disappointment, these results represent the third highest ever achieved by the
college. We will be doing everything possible to ensure the 2015 results are the best they can be.
Staff at Moat work extremely hard to maximise the achievement of all students.
Our new buildings are now close to completion. The remainder of the refurbishments, including
the demolition of the old maths and science block, should be complete by January 2015.
Therefore, all students are benefitting from our fantastic new facilities this academic year.
Please make sure that you send your child to College punctually every day unless they are
seriously ill. The link between good exam results and good attendance is absolutely clear – the
students who are here the most do the best!
Many parents buy new school clothes for their children during the holidays and I remind you of
the importance of sending your child to Moat in the correct uniform. As you are aware, we have
recently introduced a new uniform.
It is compulsory for all students in Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 to wear the new uniform. Year 11
students are permitted to wear the old Moat uniform, and a lanyard identifying them as Year 11,
during this transition year. Please could parents ensure that items of clothing are suitable for
school, e.g. clothing not too long or heels too high, as this presents a health and safety risk.
Most of the compulsory items on the list are available at school wear stockists. However, the
compulsory college jumper or cardigan, with embroidered logos, are available to purchase
directly from our official supplier:
Uniform Direct (www.uniform-direct.com),
54-56 Humberstone Gate,
Leicester.
Telephone – 0116 2511844
Alternatively, uniform can be purchased via the Tesco website (www.uniformeasy.com). Further
details of the new uniform requirements are included with this newsletter.
A number of staff are moving on at the end of this term. These include Miss Chudasama, Miss
Borsada, Mrs Asfaw, Mrs Kerridge, Miss Nelson, Mrs Z Patel and Miss Bennett. I am sure you will
want to join me in wishing them success and happiness in their futures. I would like to thank
these staff for the many years of loyal and exceptional service they have given to Moat.
The staff join me in wishing you a good holiday and a happy new year. Please note that the new
term starts on Tuesday 6th January 2015.
Mr N. Boyd
Principal
School Uniform Policy
Please refer to the uniform guidelines below for further clarification of what is acceptable and
unacceptable.
Optional Items
Compulsory Items
Plain black trousers or skirt
Plain white shirt with collar
Plain black V-neck jumper or
cardigan with Moat logo
PE Uniform:
Plain black abaya or jubbah
Plain black topi or headscarf
All Compulsory Items
Plain white t-shirt
Plain black sweatshirt
Plain black tracksuit bottoms/shorts/
leggings
Moat Community College Uniform Guidelines
Item
Acceptable
Trousers
Plain black
Flat or pleated front
Full length bootleg or
straight style
Skirt
Plain black
Modest length
Pleated or plain A-line
style
Shirt/Blouse
School range
Plain white
Must have collar
Fitted/tailored
Tights/Socks
Tights – Plain black school
range
Socks – Plain black or
white ankle
Plain black with Moat Logo
Jumper/
Cardigan
Abaya/
Jubbah
Shoes
Head/hair
wear
PE Kit
Other
Unacceptable
Additional Notes
Trousers tucked into socks
Cropped trousers/shorts
Jeans or denim
Jeans “style” or combats
Leggings/jeggings/tracksuit bottoms
Zips that show
Large belts
Buckles/laces
Pin stripes
Large belts, buckles, laces, pin stripes
Denim
Tube or skinny fitting styles/jersey/lycra
Slits
Floor length
Belts should be worn within belt
loops and not for decorative
purposes. If worn with boots,
trousers should be worn outside
boots.
Coloured
Embroidery
Capped sleeves
Patterned
Midriff on show
Sheer/transparent
Patterned or footless tights
Any vest/top worn underneath
should be plain white, and the
shirt/blouse should remain buttoned up to cover this.
Skirts must cover three quarters of the upper leg as a minimum.
Logos/name brands other than the Moat
logo
Plain black
Plain black shoes or boots
Plain black, headscarf/topi
Plain black, hair bands,
“bobbles and clips”
Plain white t-shirt
Plain black sweatshirt
Black tracksuit trousers/
shorts/leggings
Trainers and white socks
Any make up and jewellery worn should be
discreet
Coloured laces
Trousers tucked into boots
Trainers
Plimsolls
Flip flops
Heels over 2”/large platform soles
Canvas
Embellished or decorated
Coloured
Zips or buttons on sweatshirts (health and
safety)
Trainers are only to be worn
when participating in a sporting
activity
Hats should not be worn
indoors at any time
Punctuality
Be on time…..
At the start of the day, the majority of students
arrive in school before the doors close at
8.40am. This is essential so that they can get
to registration. The school has to ensure that
all students are registered correctly for their
safety. There are important messages that
have to be passed on and students also have
to attend assemblies before they go off to
lessons for the day.
However, if a student is late, this may result in
a detention so it is very important for students
to arrive on time.
Mr N. Anderson
It’s all change (preferably no £change) at Moat Community
College.
As a parent/carer of a student at Moat Community College
you will know that there are ‘things’ that need to be paid for.
As we have moved into our new school we have new ways of working that change the way
we would like you to pay for dinners, trips etc.
In an attempt to remove all cash and cheques (which saves us money and resources) from
the college, we are asking all parents/carers to use our e-payment method to pay for
anything that costs £10.00 or more, e.g. a week’s dinner money, trips, equipment etc.
whenever possible. This can be done online using a very secure website called ParentPay
or in cash at local stores where you see the PayPoint logo if you have requested this service
from the college.
Even if you don’t want to pay in this way, or what you are paying for costs less than £10 we
would still like you to register on line and create an account, as we will only be sending
receipts through this system. We will also be able to use the system to communicate other
information to you by text and email.
The registration process will be/or has been sent to you in a personal letter. If you haven’t
had the letter, or it’s lost please contact reception and we will issue you with a new letter;
your user name and password are in the letter. If you would like help setting up the account
initially please ask at reception.
AND
Don’t forget that if you apply for free school meals and you are eligible, your child will get £50
a year to spend on or put towards trips and ICT equipment. If you think you might be eligible
ask at reception and they will assist you.
If you have already applied or have been entitled to free school meals in the past five years
£50 has already been placed against your child and can be spent in this academic year.
Charity
Remembrance Day
On the 10th November, most of us in Moat watched
a live assembly streamed from the Tower of London.
Thousands of schools across Britain joined in with
this event to learn more about Remembrance
Day. We were asked to think about the following
points:
Last term we raised enough
money from the non uniform day
and substantial vivo donations,
to take on two new children for
the next 4 years through Islamic
Relief’s Orphans One to One
Programme.
Why should we remember?
What is so significant about the 100 year centenary?
How should we remember?
The assembly repeatedly reminded us that the
888,246 ceramic poppies around the Tower of
London represent the 888,246 soldiers from Britain
and the Commonwealth who died in World War One.
We have received details of the
first of our two new orphans.
This orphan is Ifrath Mirfa
Mohamed Hanifa. She is 3 years
of age. Ifrath lives in
Sammanthurai, Sri Lanka. Her
father died, so she is
by her mother. Ifrath has
two siblings.
On the 11th November at 11am, the whole school
held a two minutes silence, along with the rest of the
nation. Many of our staff and students bought
poppies to support the work of the British Legion.
Mrs Steventon
They live in a house made of
brick, in average conditions but
with no gas supply.
Without our sponsorship money,
Ifrath would face a struggle in
her early life to get the nutrition
and healthcare she needs. Her
health should be much less of a
worry for her family now.
Mrs Steventon
International News
Bhopal Visit
We are in the second year of our three year
British Council link with Canyon Higher
Secondary School in Bhopal, India. Last year
Miss Nelson (Science) and Mr Daine (PE)
visited the school to share some of our
schemes of work for practical lessons, as
Canyon School do very little practical work.
We also linked two geography classes in each
school, to talk to each other about their
views on global warming and recycling.
The trip to Canyon School was
amazing. The students had very poor
facilities, but they worked incredibly
hard and were extremely respectful.
The rules were quite strict there and no
-one forgot their books or pens! All
students had to buy their text books
for every lesson. If they were late in
the morning, they had to do squats!
This year, we extended the project to include
Art through the same theme.
School started at 7.15am and finished
at lunchtime so that the junior school
could use the building in the afternoon.
We made 22 bags from recycled materials.
These were done by parents, staff, students
and even a governor!! Ms Dimitropoulou and
Mrs Steventon took them to Bhopal during
half term to give to the Canyon students. At
the end of November one of their teachers
Ms Priyanka and a student Sanskar visited
Moat for a week, and brought their own bags
here as a swap.
The students had a lot of responsibility
and did things like take assemblies,
check uniform, supervise the lates
‘squatting sessions’, organise the classroom ready for the teacher to take a
lesson, organise students for House
competitions etc.
One of the things which stood out was
that Canyon students were very proud
of their school and very proud of being
Indian. They used assemblies to
promote the idea that India is a good
place to belong to.
This is something that maybe Moat
students could do more of.
Next year, we hope to send a maths
teacher and an English teacher, to
finish our three year link.
Mrs Steventon
Ms Priyanka and Sanskar
come to Moat
Year Seven Cross Curricular Day.
Year Seven tutors, LSAs and students went on a team building day to Willesley on 10th October. The students participated in a range of activities which helped them bond in
their form groups. Students participated in activities such
tug of war, ski racing, crate walking and assault course activities with particular talent being shown on the climbing
wall and the spider web. Students were very competitive in
the scavenger hunt. The go karts and shelter building were
particularly popular activities!
Students were enthusiastic and engaged, working hard to
win counters for politeness, effort, respect for others and
cooperation. 7.1 were the winning form and achieved over
five hundred counters in total. I was very proud of the team
work shown by form groups and respect that students
showed to the environment. Congratulations Year Seven!
Mrs Hill
Health and Safety
As part of our health and
safety programme, Lyn
Rowe from the city road
safety team runs sessions with all KS3 tutor
groups. This term, she
was able to get the road
safety drama team to
give a ‘roadshow’ to the
whole of year 7. As always, this highlighted
the need for her work,
as more than half the
year group admitted
to not wearing seat
belts!!
Awards Evening……...
The moat annual awards evening was held
in October to celebrate the achievement
of students past and present. The prizes
were presented by Aamena Manga who is
an ex-student herself who talked about
the importance of working hard at school
and how it helped her to get to university
where she is now studying Spanish.
The major prizes were awarded to the
following students:
Siham Ali
Usmah Zaman
Kartik Govind
Uzma Ahmadje
Maria Choudhury
Nishat Tarannum
Tyree Stevens
Shakeela Admani
Rochana Ryan
Siham Ali
Adnan Cassim
Muzammil Malamji
Arbaaz Cassim
Nishat Tarannum
Jahira Chowdhury
Awal Khan Yaecarak
Rizwanaa Patel
Shafaat Nasrulla
Design & Technology Department
Jaguar /Land Rover Trip generates interest in careers in product design,
engineering and vehicle technology.
Fifty seven students from KS4 studying Product Design had an excellent opportunity to see
real-life technology at work.
The students saw a fully interpreted production line in action at the Jaguar/Land Rover,
Birmingham manufacturing plant.
They witnessed the new Jaguar XF being manufactured by a combination of manufacturing
robots and factory workers with a new car rolling off the production line at a speed of one
every 82 seconds.
The excellent factory tour and subsequent question and answer sessions have given the
students real-life experience of their course of study and hopefully have inspired some of
the students to seriously consider engineering as a future career.
Year 7 textiles students made monster
dolls using the hand embroidery skills
that they were taught in their
design lessons.
Science News
Some examples are shown below:
Science Exams
In August, we were very pleased
with the achievement of last year’s
year 11 who achieved some excellent
results.
The current year 10 and 11 have
been working very hard and we
expect some very good results from
them. They recently sat a mock
exam which will help them to
recognize what they need to do to
achieve their grades in the summer.
However, it is important that your
son/daughter continues to work hard
and ensures that their attendance is
excellent as we will be completing
controlled assessments and revising
in the next few months before their
final exams.
New science learning
resources
Your son/daughter has been given details
about a new learning resource called
Doddle Learn.
The website has a variety of activities for
revision and homework to help students in
years 9, 10 and 11.
They should go to www.doddlelearn.co.uk
and then type in the details that they
have been given to log in.
Modern Languages Department…………
Modern Languages KS3 – Exam results
FCSE – AQA – YEAR 8 + 9
(Foundation Certificate of Secondary Education)
Total number of students
Level 4
Pass
Level 5
Merit
Level 6
Distinction
FRENCH
68
75
16
SPANISH
26
73
44
Modern Languages KS4 – Exam results
GCSE EXAMS RESULTS
Total number of students
E or <
D
C
B
A
A*
BENGALI
0
0
1
0
0
0
FRENCH
4
7
9
6
1
0
GUJARATI
0
0
2
4
1
2
PORTUGUESE
0
0
1
0
0
0
SPANISH
1
7
18
6
3
2
URDU
1
1
0
1
0
0
ESOL
We offer the ESOL course to students with English as a Foreign Language. We had 9
EFL students last year in Year 11 and they all passed the ESOL exams at different
levels: 6 students passed at Entry level 3, 2 students passed at Entry level 2 and 1
student passed at Entry level 1.
We also had 17 year 9 EFL students who sat the ESOL exams. They all passed: 14
students at Entry level 2 and 3 students at Entry level 1. All students who passed at
Entry level 2 have moved on to study other subjects.
Additional Languages Exams
Moat Community College offers students the opportunity to take exams in their
home language. If your child knows Urdu, Bengali, Portuguese and/or Arabic we
will do our best to enter them for exams where they can achieve an additional
qualification. Students need to have registered an interest before the end of term.
For more information contact Ms Hughes
(Head of Modern Languages)
CONGRATULATIONS to the Students of the Term
Mohamed Awale 7.3
Arman Manshur 8.8
Subhan Jina 9.5
Hameed Sherkhail 10.3
Zahin Mohmedali 11.1
Mohamed Abubaker 7.1
Talha Patia 8.8
Asha Shehzad 9.5
Aasia Ahmed 10.4
Raashi Patel 11.3
Khadija Ashiefali 7.2
Ibrahim Ramjan 7.5
Mohamadnajib Nasri 8.4
Dyusha Tandel 8.8
Aatekabanu Lakdawala 9.6
Bilal Abdul Sattar 9.5
Hawa Faquirbhai 10.1
Simrana Hamid-Butt 10.7
Kaainaat Munirkhan 11.1
Imtiaz Choudhury 11.8
The Vocab Express League of Champions 2014
Our year 9, 10 and 11 Spanish students took part in an online National Vocabulary
competition organised by VocabExpress.
Our students needed to spell words in Spanish and English properly to get points.
This competition helped them with their literacy skills.
League of Champions 2014
The Genius Cup is based upon the top 25 student scores at each school; whilst the
Challenge Cup is based upon everyone's score at the school. You can see who is
contributing to your school's Genius Cup score by clicking on the "Your School Geniuses" scoreboard.
School
Score
1
Ellowes Hall School
135,880
2
Moat Community College
112,015
3
Riverside School, Prague
109,085
4
Wallington High School for Girls
107,385
5
Northfleet Technology College
86,125
6
Palmers Green High School
85,745
7
The Leys
81,510
8
Ysgol Aberconwy
51,670
9
The King's School, Worcester
St John Fisher Catholic High
School Dewsbury
51,235
10
49,185
League of Champions 2014 (Your School Geniuses)
The Student Leaderboard shows individual student progress compared to all
students across all schools in the competition.
Student
Score
1
Saynab Ibrahim
14,110
2
Amaan Miah
13,900
3
Jahira Chowdhury
8,940
4
Abdurrahmaan Manga
6,290
5
Aditya Jayesh
2,870
6
Sameeha Mamodo
2,755
7
Fahima Adam
2,700
8
Amirah Yakub
2,670
9
Anisah Patel
2,470
10
Muhammad Molvi
2,265
11
Hameem-Ur Rahman
2,210
12
Mohammed-Fahim Abubacar
2,150
13
Amina Tambu
1,955
14
Daanyaal Lorgat
1,920
15
Mohammed Mamodo
1,860
16
Nabeela Nabi
1,850
17
Zaakira Lambat
1,850
18
Ridhwaan Gadiali
1,800
19
Ayesha Karim
1,560
20
Ammarah Waka
1,520
21
Laiba Amujee
1,470
22
Faiza Dugou
1,425
23
Mohammed Sayeed
1,395
24
Nafisa Suleyman
1,340
25
Esa Amujee
1,295
FLSpellingBee
All our year 7 French and Spanish students have been entered into the
FLSpellingBee competition. Last year’s winner was Ibraheem Patel, he proudly
represented Moat Community College on the Spanish National Final Competition
at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge.
At the moment students are at stage 1, where they need to learn the meaning
of the French or Spanish spellings of 50 words. Students will be competing
against other students in the same classroom throughout December. The best
four students in Spanish and French will pass into Stage 2, where they will
compete against the other classes and will be learning 100 words.
You can support your child in this competition by listening to them practise their
spellings.
For more information www.flspellingbee.co.uk.
We wish them the best of luck!!!
FORTHCOMING TRIPS
This academic year we are hoping to have these trips with our French students.
Year 8 Modern Languages & Humanities trip
During the month of May, we are hoping to take year 8 students to Normandy in
France for a five day joint trip.
Students will be visiting a French farm, the World War II beaches, a museum, a war
cemetery, a cinema and other places. They will have the opportunity to experience
many aspects of French culture as well as to practise their language and improve their
understanding of history.
Year 10 trip to Paris
Year 10 students will go to Paris for a 4 day trip.
Students will visit the Eiffel Tower and the Stade de France in Paris. They will also
have the opportunity to visit the International Space Centre in Belgium
Year 7 day trip to St Omer
As a tradition at Moat Community College, we are hoping to take our year 7 French
students to St Omer in France in May.
More information to follow !!
As part of the World War One centenary the
government has organised a visit to the battlefields
for one teacher and two students, from every
secondary school in the country. These visits will
take place over the four years of the centenary,
our school was lucky enough to take part in one of
the first visits in September.
On Friday the 12th October, Uvais Bhesania and
Ismail Hitar, both Year 11 History students, and I
began the journey by coach to France. Here we
saw many interesting and poignant sights including
the Somme battlefields, restored trenches and the
Thiepval Memorial. We also went to the Ypres area
in Belgium where we took part in a sculpture
project and laid a wreath, during the Last Post
ceremony at the Menin Gate.
The trip was also a good opportunity to remember
the 66 Moat students and two teachers who fought
and died in World War One. We visited the graves
and memorials of a number of these men and paid
our respects.
Since returning to school we have given two
assemblies about our trip and made a number of
displays to go alongside the school memorial
plaque. Our next task is to co-ordinate a school
project to create a memorial book about the
sacrifice made by Moat students and teachers
during the war.
Miss Dobson, Head of Humanities
Speech by - Idiris Adan
The English Department….
International Literacy Day highlights the
impoverishment of millions of children
who do not share our educational
opportunities.
Many of our students in the English
department were inspired by Malala's UN
speech calling on governments to ensure
free compulsory education and they were
inspired to write their own impassioned
speeches like her’s.
There were fun activities and competitions
for students in Years 7, 8 and 9. The
standard of entries was very high but Ms
Steptoe managed to pick the following
prize winners who were awarded £10.00
Highcross vouchers:
Winner
Hoor Pathan 9.3
Runners Up
Nabeela Nabi 9.6
Bilal Sayeed (8x/En1)
Haleemah Malek (9x/En1)
Jahira Chowdhury (9x/En1)
Ahmed Osman (9x/En1)
Literacy Booklets
Nidah Hanif 9.4
Aafreen Sau 8.5
Adna Dahir 9.2
Special recognition goes to Idiris Adan for
his thoughtful speech on why every child
in the world should have access to free
education. Idiris presented this speech
skilfully in front of a captivated audience
at our Prize Giving evening.
Congratulations to everyone for taking
part in this important event.
English Department
Ladies and gentlemen gathered here today,
I Idiris Adan want to address one of society’s
most fundamental problems –
The future of our children.
Those of you who are parents, ask yourself this
Do you want your child to be an outcast in
society?
Would you want your child to live a life of
poverty?
Do you want your child to fall short of their
potential?
Without waiting for your answer, it’s obvious no
loving parent would want anything less than the
best for their child.
The great Nelson Mandela said ‘education is the
most powerful weapon which you can use to
change the world.’ To do that we need to focus
on one country at a time, step by step, so
today, I want you to think about, Somalia.
Somalia is an African country with a population
of 9.8 million people (68% of whom are children
under the age of 12.) Of that population, 87%
of people are expected to die of starvation by
2017, and 90% of children over the age of eight
are forced to work in order to provide for their
families. In other words they are being robbed
of their childhood, as their only thought is
survival.
They are hungry, homeless and helpless. Buying
the basics such as food and clothing is virtually
impossible, paying for school is impossible.
In my opinion, this is tragic don’t you agree?
Education after all is a basic human right!
Education must be free for all children all over
the world. Education gives children a chance to
make something of their lives.
I want to tell you about Ali, poor, poor Ali. He
lives in a Somalian village surrounded by crime
and drug gangs. Every morning he wakes up at
5am to walk 6 miles to the nearest well. Every
morning he hopes he can get to school, yet
every day that hopes fades as he battles to
survive.
Ali was born into poverty. He is destined to
never escape that poverty unless... We, yes
we step in and take action.
Nelson Mandela also said that “Poverty is not an
accident, like slavery and apartheid; it is
man-made and can be removed by the actions
of human beings”.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we ARE human beings.
We can remove this awful injustice.
Free Education Speech to the Court of Human Rights - by Hoor Pathan 9.3
“Education, Education, Education”. These were the three words that Tony Blair called his
priorities when he became Prime Minister of Britain in May 1997. But who is entitled to
education? Is education only for those who can afford it or live in a developed country?
If so then is education a right for all as described in the Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or just a service available to those who can afford to buy it?
My honourable judges, the truth is that education has in many countries been turned
into a profit driven business scheme, reserved solely for the rich and the privileged.
We live in a world today where we can no longer go on being ignorant to the plight of
these children, because it has repercussions. In parts of Asia and the Middle East – children who can’t afford to hold a pen are given a gun by extremists, using lack of education as an easy method of recruitment. Whereas in some parts of Africa - these children
are turned into child soldiers by rebels or sold off into the dark world of human trafficking.
These children are our future, we can’t afford to let them slip into the hands of monsters
who use them for genocide and steal their innocence.
Furthermore, education allows for individuals to make healthy life choices. The UN
reports that in Mali – women with an education of secondary level or higher have an
average of 3 children. Whereas women in Mali without it have on average around 7
children.
Education empowers women to be able to take healthier life choices and also protect
themselves and others from HIV/AIDS.
In low income countries, statistics show that for every year spent in education – 10% of
average lifetime income of that individual increases.
Youth literacy levels in Europe are on average 95%+ but in some parts of Africa, they
drop down to a staggering 50%. We can no longer go on ignoring such injustice – especially when the G8 countries have made eradication of child poverty and illiteracy one of
their millennium goals.
If we put aside the humanitarian argument for a moment and consider the economical
aspects, studies show that worldwide illiteracy costs the global economy $1 Trillion each
year. We are doing ourselves a disservice by creating a forgotten generation.
Worldwide education activist and survivor, Malala Yousefzai once famously summed up
why global education must be our priority in order to reach a new age of stability and
prosperity. She said “Extremists have shown what frightens them the most – A girl with
a book”.
Although it sounds impossible to imagine a world without illiteracy – a utopia, myth or
fable, like a promised land, it can be achieved with a 5-step plan.
Firstly the G8 countries with the help of the UN must create a central body in each LEDC
with high illiteracy rates. This body must be independent of the local government to
avoid corruption and must be highly scrutinised and regulated.
Secondly, the G8 must convince countries to pledge extra funding within their own nation
along with money from international aid to this project. Aid must then be needs assessed
and increased as the project does better.
Thirdly – many multi national corporations operate in these countries, such as Nestlè
planting cocoa pods in Africa. The UN and G8 must include a pledge in commercial trade
agreements for these corporations to invest some profits into this education drive.
Fourthly, the G8 must take a lead in curriculum development and oversight of the project.
The curriculum must be aimed at equipping these young people with skills for life.
Finally, as the project starts to do well and establishes in areas that need it most, all charities that campaign or fundraise globally for better education must come together with the
UN and hold a massive global fundraising drive for a ‘One World Education’ initiative –
combining both public and private sectors.
To build a house, one must start off with a brick. To fulfil such an initiative, we must start
here.
The 11Y5 English class wrote this poem to commemorate
Remembrance Day.
Centenary
by 11y5
Already 100 years gone
Heartbroken families torn apart
Slaughter
Slaughter of the soldiers
A fight for peace?
Fighting for the country they love
They stood their ground, so will we
Respect for one another
Freedom for the nation
We are all one family
Emotional moments
Soldiers gone and peace shone, sacrifice for our tomorrow
The veterans are all gone, we have to keep their souls alive
One poppy, one freedom
They will never be forgotten
Remembrance, REMEMBRANCE!
The 11Y5 English class wrote this poem to commemorate
Remembrance Day.
A group of 27 Year 11 English and Drama students
went to De Monfort Hall on Wednesday 29th October to
watch an adaptation of Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers. Blood Brothers tells the story of the Johnstone
twins, Mickey and Eddie, brothers separated at birth
who reunite and become friends in their childhood, unaware of their relation to each other or of the consequences their relationship will bring about. The musical
is both funny and sad in equal measure and the pupils
were both entertained and moved by the end.
The students joined in with the rest of the audience
and gave the actors a standing ovation. They were
very well behaved and waited patiently in the foyer for
the bus. It was a successful trip and has really helped
our understanding of the play for both English and Drama GCSE.
student reviews on Blood Brothers:
I really enjoyed watching Blood
Brothers because it was funny,
hilarious, emotional and magical.
Seeing the show has helped me
with my GCSE for Drama because
it helped me with semiotics and
freeze frames. The songs were
very catchy and well sung.
Amirah Valimohamed 11.8
Faatimah Umer 11.7
I thought it was very interesting
and I was filled with anticipation
to see the end.
Atifa Khanom 11.7
The actors were really good at
showing us what the characters
would be like. It will help me
with my Drama performances.
Hamdi Farah 11.1
Their freeze frames were
impressive.
Maryam Abdinor 11.2
Instead of reading it you saw
what their emotions were.
Sumaiya Begum 11.5
Blood Brothers was very
interesting and enjoyable to
watch. I liked the part when
they all sang together; it
showed they worked as a team.
Maryan Jamac 11.4
The English Department….
On Wednesday 15th November, sixty Year 9
students took a trip to the Curve Theatre to see
the West-End production of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer
Prize-winning novel - To Kill A Mockingbird. Set
in the Deep South, the production sees racial
injustice envelop a small-town community.
Through courage and compassion, lawyer Atticus
Finch seeks the truth, and his feisty daughter,
Scout – a young girl on the cusp of adulthood
brings new hope to a neighbourhood in turmoil.
The production was fantastic and thoroughly
enjoyed by the students (and staff!).
Super-writer Simon Mayo Shares Stories with Year 7
On Monday 29th September 2 groups from Year 7 Moat Community College went
to the Curve theatre in town.
The reason for visiting Curve was part of Moat Community College’s Literacy
program. Simon Mayo is an author of 3 books that he told us all about. The books
are called Itch -craft, Itch and Itch Rocks. They are about a teenager who is a
collector of elements which introduced science into show. As well as telling us
about his books, we learnt a song about the Periodic table.
One of the funny parts was when we heard about some of the characters vomiting
because of the arsenic (a type of poison) in the wallpaper. Did you know this
actually used to kill people about 200 years ago?
In the second part of the show a scientist from the company called ‘Mad Science’
performed experiments, which told us about the Periodic table in more detail.
Some of the kids had an A4 piece of paper under the chair with a different
element on. There were different schools at the event and we got to communicate
with them. It was fun!
Written by Muhammad, Mariama & Mahamud
I wasn’t that keen on reading
before but now I am
Muhammad Bendwala - 7.8
After seeing the experiments
Mr Bhatwadekar has said he
might allow us to do some of
the more exciting ones in the
science labs at Moat !
Mahamud Ismael - 7.1
I used to dislike English and
Science, now they are
getting more interesting.
Mariama Musse - 7.1
As part of the Into Film Festival, 60 year 8 and 9 students went to watch Maleficent at the
Phoenix Theatre. As well as enjoying the film, we were treated to a short talk by a member
of the British Board of Film Classification. He explained his role and the process the board
goes through to determine a category for anything that is watched by a member of the
public. Some of our students were even brave enough to take part in the Q & A after the
film!
Rumi Begum (Year 9) shared her thoughts on the film:
First of all, I would say hats off to the director of the movie. It was absolutely brilliant.
Mind blowing in fact. It was so amazing I'm actually struggling to find a suitable word! It's exciting
to think that such good movies are still being made, and Maleficent has proven to be one of my
favourite movies of all time.
It is actually based on a fairytale, something most people will be familiar with from childhood;
however it presents a completely untold side of the "Sleeping Beauty” story. This made it very
dramatic, yet there were funny elements too.
The movie was set in an enchanted world where humans and fairies coexist. The fairies don't have
a ruler as their community is built upon trust. By contrast, the humans have a King and Queen,
and this reflects the fact that their human world is dominated by a quest for power.
I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't seen it, but the story is based upon Maleficent,
the strongest of all the fairies, having her heart broken by the flawed human, Stephen. The film
explores the meaning of 'true love', and the answer isn't necessarily what you would expect.
To sum up, I would say that Maleficent is worth five stars! It is truly magnificent and I loved every
minute of it.
Year 9 take over the Odeon
On the morning of Wednesday the 12th November, the English department took year 9 to
the cinema to watch the new book-to-film adaptation, ‘The Maze Runner’.
Once we had filled nearly every seat and countless selfies were taken, the film began with
action right from the start. It quickly became apparent The Maze Runner was going to be a
thrilling watch, but perhaps some scenes (like the squishing and oozing of a monster
trapped between walls) were a bit much to take after so many chocolates and crisps! After
the dramatic final battle scenes and emotional plot twists, the film ended with applause and
cheers from the students
There was a lot of excited chatter as we waited for the coaches to pick us up, and almost
everybody commented on how enjoyable they thought The Maze Runner was. It was a
wonderful experience for the students and a decent start to an English Language writing
unit.
Two top set English classes attended a debate on teen fiction at Leicester University.
The event included writing tips from Leicester author Bali Rai as well as representatives from
the publishing industry.
National Poetry Day is a nationwide celebration of poetry held on the
first Thursday in October. Every year a theme is chosen to Inspire the
event and this year's was Remember.
Students took part in activities based on poems and were inspired to
produce their own piece of writing.
Jess Green - Performance Poet Visit
Year 8 and Year 9 students were lucky
enough to have a visit from Jess Green
on Tuesday 11th November. She is a well
-known Leicester poet. She performed
poems and led students in workshops
based on Conflict, to coincide with
Remembrance Day. The sessions were
thought provoking and interactive with
all students taking part and some were
even brave enough to read out their own
poems!
The visit was inspiring and all were
encouraged to be creative and came
away with a piece of their own writing.
NANOWRIMO or Write a Novel in a Month is an international
event in which hundreds of thousands of writers, adults and
young people who commit to write an entire novel in only 30
days!!
This is our fourth year of involvement and we have had over
150 staff and students complete a novel in 30 days.
Adult writers agree to complete a 50,000 word novel and young
writers set their own personal goals, ranging from 2,000 to 40,000 words. It’s been a huge
commitment, with students giving up lunch times and their limited free time to hit their targets.
The project finished on 30th November and over 80% of participants reached their goal and
completed their novel. We will be celebrating this achievement with a special author event at our
annual novelist lunch at the start of the new term.
This year as part of our school commitment to independent study and self-motivating
achievement, students were expected to be far more self-sufficient with the majority of support
given on line and in their free time.
All the participants or novelists receive a special school certificate, a very special NANOWRIMO
certificate and 250 Vivos each. They will know that they have achieved something that many
people dream of; they will have written their own novel.
Moat catering are proud to announce our
5* rating from the recent visit from the
environmental health visit. We have got
a wonderful brand new kitchen and
equipment. This was measured on our
policies and procedures in place and
hygienic working practices.
So well done ladies!!
This Autumn term the Moat Kitchen has
proved to be very popular amongst students
and staff once again.
At Moat we aim to provide everyone with a
healthy, balanced and varied diet.
We have a variety of dishes on offer to
tantalize those taste buds. We have a
regular pasta day, curry day, roast carvery
day and traditional fish and chip day. We
also have Jacket potatoes with a variety of
filings on offer everyday and have a ‘Grab &
Go’ menu which includes wraps, noodles,
nachos and burgers.
As a healthy guideline Moat is only allowed
to serve one ‘fried’ dish per week so we
have chosen fish and chips every Friday as a
treat, which seems to be our most busiest
day.
Moat students on top of Ben Nevis—4600ft
Moat Community College
Maidstone Road
Leicester
LE2 OTU
Tel: 0116 262 5705
Fax: 0116 251 0653
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.moatcollege.org