Message from the Headteacher, Mr C Richards:
Welcome back! As we end our first week back after half-term and the year 11s and 13s end their first week of real BTEC examinations and mock GCSE examinations, we are pleased to reflect that it has been a smooth return to school following the break. Those sitting exams have taken the process very seriously and we know their hard work will pay off when the results come through.
You will have heard in the news this week, no doubt, that the government is introducing non-statutory guidance (which means that schools can choose whether to follow it) on mobile phone usage in schools. We had already implemented a ‘not seen, not taken’ procedure back in September so nothing will change at our school as a result of this. What we would really like to see is a great deal more investment in key areas of education such as buildings, the teacher recruitment crisis and special and additional needs support. I am an eternal optimist!
With world book day approaching there’s no need to go out and buy or make elaborate costumes related to your child’s favourite author or book. The most important thing you can do, as families, is encourage your children to read, read to or with them or ask them about what they’re reading. We have a fantastic library full of interesting reading material which is open before school, break time, lunch time and after school. We will be launching our festival of reading with lots of prizes, competitions and activities in school but if you are interested in doing more than reading with your child at home, please click here for some activities from the national literacy trust.
Congratulations to Waleed in year 12
Law residential: Congratulations to Waleed in Year 12 |  |
| The Law residential 2024 will be taking place at Corpus Christi College, Oxford on Monday 11th March to Tuesday 12th March. Waleed Ahmad 12L has been successful in securing a place to attend the Law Residential. The Law Residential is a great opportunity for aspiring lawyers to gain an insight into studying law, and to find out about life as a lawyer at the University of Oxford. Students will receive a timetable on arrival; workshops from Oxford academics, a tour of Corpus Christi college, and a place at the Law Faculty Taster Day. There will also be the opportunity for attendees to spend free time in Oxford. Student ambassadors from Corpus Christi College studying Law will be on hand throughout the residential area to help and give an insight into university life. Best wishes to Waleed from the Sixth form pastoral team. More information about the Law residential can be found using this link: https://www.ccc.ox.ac.uk/law-residential | |
Haiku Contest competition winners
Trip to West London College
Year 8 and 9 went on a trip to West London College for their annual Hospitality Industry Taster Day event. Our students enjoyed the day, got to work with popular Chefs in the industry, tasted different dishes and products and also took part in the Mocktail competition. Congratulations to Rohanpreet 9H, Saaras 8I and Tamim 8I, for their cheerful participation. Here are some of the pictures.
Cooking Club
The students cooked a traditional Nigerian dish called Jollof Rice today. Cooking skills like cutting, peeling, rock chopping, measuring, seasoning were honed. Please see below for a demonstration of what they learnt.
Year 7 HS2 Workshop
Year 8 revision booklets
In preparation for the upcoming March assessments, Year 8 students are provided with a comprehensive revision booklet. This resource offers detailed subject-specific guidance empowering students to approach their assessments with confidence and self-assurance. Additionally, it facilitates the identification of individual strengths, enabling students to strategically focus their efforts. Recognising the potential for stress during assessment periods, we remain committed to providing support to our Year 8 pupils. We are confident that their dedication and diligent efforts will be reflected in exceptional outcomes.
Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary Competition
The Design and Technology Department are celebrating a design icon turning a milestone age of fifty! Please submit your entries to the DT department office. It should be produced on A4 paper. We want you to celebrate Hello Kitty and submit your art work!
Ealing Junior Chess Tournament
Calling all young poets-Poetry Competition
Ealing Book Festival 2024 is running a young people’s poetry competition on the topic of ‘Where Do I Live?’
To enter you need to compose a poem in response to the question: ‘Where do I live?’
The poem can take any form you like so long as it is no longer than one side of A4.
Please click on the link below for further information.
https://www.egfl.org.uk/news/2024/02/calling-all-young-poets
Villiers Homework Review
We would like your feedback on homework. Your responses will help to shape the new policy for the next academic year. Please complete this survey by Monday 4th March 2024.
https://forms.gle/Xf6yA8Cncy5YGi6m8
Free data SIM cards available from Ealing libraries for students
These SIM cards are provided by the Good Things Foundation. The cards are to help those who do not have online access or are struggling to pay for mobile data.
They are available to collect from the Acton Library, Ealing Central Library, Northolt Library and the Southall Library.
For more information, please click the link below. https://www.egfl.org.uk/news/2024/02/free-data-sim-cards-available-ealing-libraries-students
Help with the Cost of Living
Behaviour Systems
Our behaviour systems have been further developed so that they are clear and transparent for everyone. Please see our new behaviour pyramid below. The pastoral team has explained this to all the children Monday 19th February and there will be posters up in classrooms and other areas of the school as a visual reminder. As always, we appreciate your support and any feedback is welcome.
Year 12 Parents evening 7th March 2024
Please note that Year 12 Parents’ Evening takes place Thursday, 7th March 2024. This event serves as a crucial opportunity for you and your child to engage with subject teachers fostering discussions about their recent assessment results, classwork, homework, attitude to learning, and overall academic progress. The Parents’ Evening is scheduled to commence at 4:00 pm and conclude at 6:30 pm. Your child will note the allocated appointment times with their subject teachers on the appointment sheet they will have been provided with. This gathering is designed to empower you to actively support your child in their educational journey. Attendance is compulsory. In the event that parents or carers have prior commitments, we would be grateful if other family members could be present to accompany your child.
Your child will be given a letter with a reply slip this week. To confirm your attendance at the Year 12 Parents’ Evening, kindly complete and return the enclosed reply slip to your child’s Form Tutor by Friday, 1st March 2024. If you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mr D Sekhon [Head of Year 12] at dsekhon@villiers.ealing.sch.uk or call 020 8813 8001 [1276].
LGBTQ+ History Month and Science
LGBTQ+ History Month is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and recognise the contributions of LGBTQ+ scientists who have made significant impacts in the field of science. While it’s important to acknowledge that many historical figures may not have openly identified as LGBTQ+ due to societal pressures, there are notable contemporary scientists who have been open about their LGBTQ+ identities. Here are a few examples:
- Alan Turing (1912-1954):
- Known as the father of computer science, Turing was a mathematician and logician who played a crucial role in breaking the German Enigma code during World War II. He is considered a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence.
- Sally Ride (1951-2012):
- Sally Ride was the first American woman in space, and she later became an astrophysicist. After her passing, it was revealed that she was the first LGBTQ+ astronaut.
- Lynn Conway (b. 1938):
- A transgender woman, Lynn Conway is a computer scientist and electrical engineer who made significant contributions to the development of VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) technology, which is essential in modern computing.
- Ben Barres (1954-2017):
- A neuroscientist and transgender man, Ben Barres made important contributions to our understanding of glial cells in the nervous system. He was an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the scientific community.
- Sara Josephine Baker (1873-1945):
- Dr. Sara Josephine Baker was a pioneering physician and public health worker. She played a crucial role in improving public health in New York City.
Celebrating LGBTQ+ scientists not only highlights their accomplishments but also helps promote diversity and inclusivity in the scientific community. It’s important to recognise and honour their contributions during LGBTQ+ History Month and throughout the year. Have a go at the quiz, how many did you get right?
Recovering a hacked account
A step by step guide to recovering online accounts.
Whether it’s your email, a social media account, or your online bank, losing access to a digital account can be stressful. This guidance explains what you can do to minimize the damage, and how you can regain access to your accounts.
The Most Precious of Goods trip
Our year 9s recently went on a trip to see a play at the end of January set in the Second World War about family and belonging in the Marylebone Theatre. We recently had an email from the director who exclaimed: “I cannot tell you how impressed I was by the way your students behaved, and by their concentration and attentiveness watching the play. The actor and musician found it a privilege to perform to such an engaged young audience, and two reviews of the play on-line particularly stressed how inspiring they found the concentration of the schools’ audience for the performances they saw. I know that not all the school groups were able to stay for the discussion sessions after the play, but yours did and exemplified the commitment of your schools’ audience in their interest in the story and the questions they asked. Thank you for bringing such a brilliant young audience to the theatre, and thank you for your valuable and inspiring work with this generation of students.”
We are delighted at these comments demonstrating our students’ commitment to their studies and are thankful to the History Department for arranging and leading the trip so well.
Online gaming for families and Individuals advice
Read the guidance from the NCSC to learn how to enjoy online gaming securely by following just a few tips.
Year 10: Non-A level progression to Sixth form
The Ealing Learning Partnership are running a “Progressions to level 2” careers event targeted at families of current year 10 students who may not want to or be able to choose to study A-Levels at sixth form level. Please read the attached for more information.
Medical needs & allergies
We would like to ensure that our school records accurately reflect your child’s medical needs including information on any allergies. Please keep us informed of any changes to your child’s medical allergies to ensure information is accurate and up to date on our school system. In the case that a student has been prescribed an Epi-Pen by the doctor, they should bring two Epi-Pens to school, one to carry on their person and the other to be provided to the Welfare Office, as a spare in case of an emergency. Please encourage your child to check with the canteen staff for any food allergies and to read the food labels before making purchases. If you have any questions, you can contact the welfare officer directly via email- welfare@villiers.ealing.sch.uk or call reception. For food related questions, you can contact the canteen directly via email- cparameswaran@villiers.ealing.sch.uk
Backing up your data
Please download and read the attached poster for more information regarding the importance of backing up your data.
Rise in measles
In the last month, there has been an increase in the number of cases of measles in north-west London, including a few among Ealing children. Please take the time to read the attached letter. The following weblink regarding information about measles can be translated: https://www.ealingfamiliesdirectory.org.uk/kb5/ealing/directory/site.page?id=4945pIGmcs4
School Streets
We are delighted to announce that, following the consultation, the council has approved our school for a school street which will be launched 4th March. Further details in the attached document.
Year 11 & 13 intervention schedule: spring 2024
Please find attached the new Year 11 and Year 13 intervention schedule for the Spring term. It is imperative that students attend the sessions they have been invited to as this will allow teachers to provide them with targeted support in preparation for the mock exams which will take place in February 2024.
Cash payments
We are a cashless school and families can pay for school meals, stationery, trips and clubs via ParentPay. You can top up your ParentPay account from a bank account or by using a debit/credit card. If you do not have a valid bank account or debit/credit card, please email info@villiers.ealing.sch.uk. We will set up a PayPoint account, so you can make payments using cash.
Contacting Staff
A reminder that if you need to contact staff at school, please use the contact page on our school website to make sure you get through to the right person: https://www.villiers.ealing.sch.uk/contact
If you are reporting lateness or absence, please check the details on this page: https://www.villiers.ealing.sch.uk/key-information/my-child-is-going-to-be-absentlate
National Sleep Helpline
Beware of Parcel Scams
Villiers Diner
Please click through each slide to view this week’s canteen menu.
Spring enrichment timetable
Safeguarding and well-being spotlight
There is a lot of advice and guidance available to help and support parents and carers when you have any worries or concerns about your child. Please click this link for the NSPCC website which offers advice on some different issues.
Key forthcoming dates
For our major events, please check here.
| 29/02/24 | Year 10 Parents’ Evening (1600 – 1830) Year 10 Reports sent home |
| 01/03/24 | TfL Pioneers Challenge Period 1 |
| 04/03/24 | NEW SCHOOL STREET TAKES EFFECT Entrance by vehicle to Villiers Road and Boyd Avenue between the hours of 8.15am and 8.50am as well as between 2.30pm and 3.30pm will be restricted to permit holders only. If you enter these areas between these times without a permit, you will receive a fine. For further details, see above. Rollapaluza Cycling Challenge |
| 06/03/24 | Year 11 and 13 Mock Exams end |
| 07/03/24 | Year 12 Parents’ Evening 1600 – 1830 Year 12 Reports sent home |
Get in Touch
If you have any suggestions on how to improve the school further or any concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch via email: info@villiers.ealing.sch.uk