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Coopers School
Hawkwood Lane Chislehurst Kent
BR7 5PS
Principal: Mrs S Puxty BSc (Hons) NPQH
Tel:
Fax.
Email:
Website:
020 8467 3263
020 8295 0342
adm@coopersschool.com
www.coopersschool.com
’Enabling learners of today to become achievers of tomorrow ’
5 February 2015
Issue 10 2014/15
Dear Parents/Carers
Are you interested in training to become a teacher in Mathematics, Physics or Modern
Foreign Languages?
At Coopers School, through the Schools Direct Salaried route, you would be paid £19,000-£28,000 to
train on the job, achieving QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) and a PGCE as an optional extra. Study can
be accredited with MA points. We have places available in a range of subjects for a September 2015
start – if you are interested and either have, or are projected to have, a degree at 2:1 or higher, please
either contact the Principal‟s PA Rachel Gulyas on 0208 467 3263 Ext 210 or email
rgulyas@coopersschool.com to find out more.
Calendar, Contacts and Parent Events
Please follow the link below to access our events calendar and a reporting cycle overview:
https://portal.cooperstc.com/CLG/Webdocs/Lists/Parent%20Calendar/calendar.aspx
Please see the website or follow this link to the Gateway for updated staff e-mail addresses:
https://portal.cooperstc.com/CLG/Parent/Documents/Teaching%20Staff%20Email%20List.pdf.
Dates for your diary :
Date
Calendar Item
5 February
10 February
11 February
12 February
13-18 February
14-21 February
17 February
21-23 February
24 February

Year 13 Lecture Day on “The Bloody Chamber, Conway Hall, London (Miss
Offord)
 Year 12 and 13 Parents‟ Event, 4.30pm (Mr Baker)
 Higher Education Evening, 7.00pm, Main Hall (Mr Sikora)
Year 10 Parents‟ Consultation Event, 4.00pm – 6.00pm, Main Hall/Canteen (Mr
Toal)
 Sixth Form Media and Film Department trip to BFI Southbank, London – An
Introduction to the Film Industry (Mrs Morris)
 Year 11 and A Level Biology trip to the Camden Centre, London (Miss Williams)
 Year 8 English trip to see “Shakespeare in Love” at the Noel Coward Theatre –
invited students only (Miss Offord)
 Band on the Run Concert, Main Hall, 3.30pm (Miss Watson)
 Sixth Form English Language A Level Conference, London (Miss Snell)
 A2 English Literature trip to see Jekyll and Hyde, Greenwich Theatre (Miss
Offord)
 GCSE and A Level Music Recital Evening, Main Hall, 6.00pm – 7.30pm (Miss
Watson)
Year 10 GCSE PE trip to the Bowles Outdoor Centre – invited students only (Miss
Owen)
Sixth Form Ski Trip to Zell am See, Austria (Mrs Iles)
Little Shop of Horrors – Rehearsal, 10.00am – 2.00pm, Main Hall (Ms Stanley)
Sixth Form History tour to Auschwitz Birkenau (Miss Horsley)
 Governors‟ Curriculum and Standards Committee, 5.30pm (Mr Lucas / Mrs
Smart?
Chair of Governors: Andrew Downes
Vice Principals: Sue Wood | David Lucas | Mandy Smart | Rob Carling
Respect Responsibility Fairness Pride Honesty Achievement
Coopers School is an Independent Academy Trust operated by the William Willett Learning Trust which is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales with company number 07520128.
The Registered Office is at Hawkwood Lane Chislehurst Kent BR7 5PS

25 February
27 February
Years 10 – 13 Drama Trip to see Miss Saigon, Prince Edward Theatre, 5.30pm
(Miss Watson)
Year 9 Parents‟ Consultation Event, 4.00pm – 6.00pm, Main Hall/Canteen (Mrs
Brown)
Staff Development Day – students not in school
Text Messages to Parents / Students – Mr Carling
Coopers is reviewing its communication methods with parents to ensure that we do
not double the correspondence parents receive, for example, a letter and a text
relating to the same subject. With this in mind, with effect from Monday 9 February
we will no longer be routinely sending texts regarding anything other than
attendance matters, or other individual urgent issues. All other information that has
previously been sent in a text will, in future, be sent by email. Parents/Carers
please ensure that your correct email address is logged on our system to ensure
that you receive all relevant information. Students, please remember to check your
school email account regularly.
Assessment at Coopers : Year 8 parent workshop – Mr Lucas
A huge thank you to all the parents who attended the Year 8 parent workshops we have been running
over the last three weeks. We have seen many parents and have been able to explain how the new
assessment process we are using at Coopers works. We went through the „flight path‟ for students as
they arrive in Year 7 to the end of Year 13. The key aspect of our new assessment system, which is
currently only being trialled with Year 8, is the link between the work studied now and that required for
GCSE and A Level. As always at Coopers we are pulling from the top and ensuring students have the
best opportunities to ensure they achieve the highest grades possible. During this workshop we also
looked at how to interpret the reports and the Options process for Year 8.
Once again thank you for your continued support. If you have any questions or issues about your son‟s /
daughter‟s progress please make sure you talk to their tutor or the individual teacher. Together we can
make a difference.
Year 11 ICT – Mr Rafferty
CIDA Unit 2 Deadline Dates 2015
Unit
LO1: Folder, source table and proposal
Deadline Date
Friday 13 February
LO2: Sketches and make opening sequence
Friday 13 February
LO3: Welcome video script, storyboard and video clip
Friday 13 February
LO4: Animated weather forecast
Friday 6 March
LO5: Outro video sequence
Friday 6 March
LO6: Test, Evaluate and E-Portfolio
Friday 27 March
After school catch-up classes take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Other times
are available on request – please speak to your teacher to arrange a different day.
Year 11 and Post 16 Arrangements – Mrs Wood
All Year 11 students have now met a member of the Post 16 team during January to review their
updated predicted grades following the mock examinations in December and their applications for next
year. For the vast majority of students applying to stay at Coopers next year, a letter will be posted
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home by half term offering them a place on selected courses, subject to them securing the required entry
grades. For those students not yet meeting entry requirements, a further meeting will be arranged
following the next round of mock examinations in March. Mr Sikora is meeting all students interested in
applying for apprenticeships or college places to advise and support them on the application process.
Thank you to all students and parents for their cooperation in this process so far. If any student or
parent wishes to meet with Mr Sikora for advice and guidance on Post 16, or with a member of the Post
16 team, this can be arranged by emailing post16@coopersschool.com.
Advice from the Police – Miss Salt
We have asked by the Police to bring to your attention some guidance about
young people across the Borough posting sexually explicit images of
themselves, or others, on various social networking sites. The Police request
that, as parents/carers, you make yourselves aware of your child‟s internet use.
Young people are increasingly using technology not only to stay in touch, but also to explore their
sexuality and to push the boundaries regarding what they send and to whom they send it. Unfortunately
young people engaging in this type of behaviour i.e. „sexting‟ and posting images, do so without
considering the consequences. They often find out later that the image has been passed on to many
others and, as a result, they can become the victims of bullying or harassment. There is also the
importance of them being aware that in some rare instances these images may end up in the collections
of offenders. The police advice is that parents and carers should be encouraged to speak frankly with
their children about this type of behaviour. Not only are they opening themselves up to unwanted
attention, but also by possessing, distributing or, indeed, publishing these indecent images they are
committing a criminal offence. In school last year we invited the Police in to deliver an assembly about
the dangers of 'sexting' and using the internet as a form of communication when anything posted was
very difficult to retrieve. We hope that the youngsters have understood this very important message.
Advice for parents can be accessed on the CEOP website – www.ceop.police.uk.
Dedicated Learning Day – Tuesday 20 January – Mr Toal
Our Dedicated Learning Days are held five times throughout the school year and are a wonderful
opportunity for our students to learn outside a normal structured lesson. Year groups are attached to a
group or subject area during each DLD which allows students to develop a passion for a subject that
they may not have previously had. Please see reports below giving a flavour of the kinds of things that
took place on January‟s DLD.
DLD – Year 8 Academically Able trip to the Natural History Museum – Dr Fishwick
Thirty students from the Academically Able cohort of
Year 8 went to the Natural History Museum. Along with
visiting the exhibits, of which the favourite was
definitely the dinosaurs, the pupils also got to take part
in a hands-on workshop identifying different
animal species based upon their colouration.
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The workshop, entitled the Nature of Colour, allowed pupils to investigate the different ways that animals
use colour in nature, whether that is to become camouflaged, act as a warning to predators, or generally
to be attractive to the opposite sex. Pupils got to experience using spectrometers to analyse colour use
in the different animals, and eventually were asked to design a product making use of one of the different
types of colouration. Pupils greatly enjoyed the event and represented the school well.
DLD – Year 11 English trip to “An Inspector Calls” – Mrs Ashton
The English Faculty took a group of Year 11 students to watch a
special, private screening of a rare production of „An Inspector Calls‟.
After an easy train journey to London and a tube to Kensington,
students enjoyed a meander through the beautiful V & A Museum en
route to the amazing Victorian lecture theatre. The Stephen Daldry
production was worth the trip and has enhanced students‟
appreciation of the importance of setting and direction for a dramatic
text. As expected, students‟ behaviour was exemplary and the group
were fun to be with.
DLD – Year 7 History trip to the Tower of London – Miss Alexander
The History Department took 90 Year 7 students to
the Tower of London. It was a beautifully sunny
day which enabled us to walk from London Bridge
Station to the Tower, taking in the tourist attractions
such as HMS Belfast, the Mayor of London‟s office
and Tower Bridge. Once at the Tower of London,
students had the opportunity to discover and
explore 1,000 years‟ worth of History! Some of the
highlights of the day included seeing the aweinspiring Crown Jewels that are still in use today,
the iconic symbol of the White Tower, built by
William the Conqueror, and also understand how
the Tower of London is used today as a tourist
attraction. Many students also had the opportunity
to talk to the Yeomen Wardens who live at the
Tower, about the exciting historical stories of the
Tower. They were also happy to pose for photographs! Thank you to all the staff that helped and to the
students for making the trip so enjoyable.
STEM Challenge Day Southern Counties Final – Dr Fishwick
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Congratulations to Simeon Rachev (Year 10) and Ben Baguley (Year 9) for representing Coopers in the
Southern Counties STEM Challenge Final. Simeon and Ben originally won the Bromley final back in
June 2014, along with two students from The Priory.
They then were entered into the Southern Counties
final to represent Bromley Borough. The event was
held at King‟s College London, in the Engineering
Department. Students were tasked with designing,
building, and programming a Lego based robot that
could follow lines, and react to sounds. The idea was
to simulate rescue robots searching for people buried
in rubble following natural disasters. Both Ben and
Simeon performed very well, and finished in 3rd place.
The competition was fierce with some very complex
robots accompanying some very good presentations.
Congratulations to both Ben and Simeon for
representing Coopers and Bromley Borough well and
finishing 3rd overall. Well done boys!
Holocaust Memorial Day – 27 January 2015 – Miss Horsley
As a Beacon School in Holocaust Education, Coopers is committed to high
quality teaching of the Holocaust in conjunction with UCL/IOE‟s Centre for
Holocaust Education. As such, the whole school commemorated the 70th
anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and remembered those that have
been affected by genocide in Cambodia, Darfur and Bosnia.
All year groups have been looking at how to „Keep the Memory Alive‟, the theme of this year‟s Holocaust
Memorial Day. To find out more about how you can keep the memory alive and to see the work of the
Memory Makers, including artists, photographers, choreographers and Stephen Fry visit
www.hmd.org.uk.
As part of the Beacon School initiative, we were also invited to attend the National Commemoration of
Holocaust Memorial Day, where Prince Charles and David Cameron spoke about the importance of
remembering a human tragedy. Survivors also shared their stories, ensuring that we do not forget what
can happen when hatred is allowed to flourish within society. In a poignant moment, the last six of
seventy candles that were sent all around the country were lit by survivors of the Holocaust and
subsequent genocides.
Students are enriching their studies by learning about the Holocaust in February half term. Twenty Sixth
Form students will accompany Miss Horsley, lead teacher of the Beacon School, and Miss Alexander to
visit Auschwitz and Krakow. As a long term aim to Keep the Memory Alive, Coopers welcomes ideas
from the community. If you have any ideas of what could be done to keep the memory alive, or have a
link to the Holocaust or subsequent genocides, please see Miss Horsley in the Humanities Faculty or
email vhorsley@coopersschool.com.
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Australia Day, Monday 26 January – Ms Erice
Coopers School celebrated Australia Day on Monday
26 January, with students taking part in quizzes, flag
competitions, and a literacy contest. They were also
able to enjoy the themed Australian menu provided
by our fantastic canteen staff.
Year 10 Cinema Trip – Ms Stanley
On Thursday 22 January, Mr Watson and I took a
group of twenty Year 10 students to the cinema in
Bromley where we watched „Into the Woods‟, as a
reward for their consistent hard work and the
excellent progress they are making. The trip came
about because some students had told Mr Watson
that they would like to be more acknowledged and
rewarded for their brilliant attitude to learning, so Mr
Watson organised an all-expenses paid trip to the
cinema. Well, not all expenses paid, because our
budget could not possibly meet the cost of all the
gigantic buckets of popcorn and vats of fizzy drink
that were consumed!
It was a pleasure to take out such a lovely group of
young people. Opinions on the film itself varied: one
young man said it was the worst film he had ever
seen, but others enjoyed it. Personally, I didn‟t think
much of it, but I am proud of these students and was
very pleased to be able to acknowledge their
contribution to the ethos of Year 10.
Notices from Performing Arts – Mrs Stanton
Little Shop of Horrors – Ms Stanley
Students and staff have been working hard in
Performing Arts for the school production of
Little Shop of Horrors, which will be
performed to a paying audience on the
evenings of Tuesday 17, Wednesday 18 and
Thursday 19 March.
Down and out florist‟s assistant Seymour
becomes an overnight sensation when he
discovers an exotic plant with a strange
craving. He is secretly in love with his
colleague, Audrey and names the plant
Audrey Two in her honour.
Audrey Two has plans that are far greater
than Seymour can imagine as it grows into a
bad-tempered, foul-mouthed carnivore who
offers fame and fortune in exchange for
feeding its growing appetite. How far is
Seymour willing to go to get the girl of his
dreams?
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Band on the Run – Miss Watson
On Wednesday 11 February, students from Years 7 and 8 will be showcasing their work
from this half term including the 7A Band on the Run where students have had the
opportunity to learn a brass or woodwind instrument as a class band this half term. They
have been practicing hard and have made fantastic progress! There will also be
performances from the Year 7 and 8 steel pan ensembles and 7B and 7C classes will be
performing some reggae music, accompanying themselves on ukuleles. The concert will
start at 3.30pm and finish by 4.30pm. Tickets are available from the Performing Arts
department.
GCSE and A Level Recital evening – Miss Watson
On Thursday 12 February, GCSE and A Level Music students will be performing their solo and ensemble
pieces for their examination. This will be an evening of high quality performances from our most talented
musicians. There will be a wide variety of instruments and styles to suit any taste.
The Recital will start at 6.00pm and finish by 7.30pm. Tickets are £2 and are available from the Performing
Arts Department.
Creative Arts Block – Mr Carling
The construction of the new Creative Arts block is progressing well and will be completed this term. The
official opening of the building will take place in the Summer Term and the Art, Drama and Music
faculties will be teaching in the new building from the start of the next academic year, September 2015.
The building will house
 Four new art rooms
 An art gallery
 Two music classrooms
 A recording room with a recording booth
 Two specialist computer rooms
 Five music practice rooms
 Two drama/dance classrooms, one of
which will contain specialist lighting and
sound equipment for drama performances
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Tin Hut – Mr Carling
In addition to the new build
Creative Arts Block, work will
start shortly on the replacement
of the Sixth Form Study Centre, a
building near the Mary Anderson
Centre which is known as the Tin
Hut. The new building will be two
storeys with a common room on
the ground floor, including a
drinks and food servery for the exclusive use by Sixth Form students, and a computer room/study area
on the first floor. The architect drawings showing the look of the replacement building are shown above.
The building is planned to be complete by the start of the next Academic Year in September 2015.
Year 8 Student Assistants – Mrs Haslam
During the course of the year, all students in Year 8 get the opportunity to undertake the role of Student
Reception Assistants which involves helping staff with messages and administration. This is a valuable
day for the students to develop their work related and people skills and we are particularly proud of the
way Year 8 have been rising to this challenge. Students to be commended for the period Tuesday 20
January – Friday 30 January are:
Bolu Ajibade
Daisy Coyle
Luke Dineen
Rebecca Evans
Berkan Hassan
Frankie Hearn
Thomas Jennings
Hayley Kincella
Jade Lambert
Tommy Lawrence
Mia Lockett
Chloe Mason
Benjamin Mosquera
Sebastian Otani Jones
Reece Pemberton
Tara Roberts
Jodie Spaks
Aaron Thorpe
Sainsbury‟s Active Kids 2015 – Mrs Haslam
We are again taking part in Sainsbury‟s Active Kids 2015 collecting vouchers for
an exciting range of equipment. Active Kids vouchers can be collected from 28
January until 5 May at all Sainsbury‟s stores, petrol stations and when ordering
goods online. Please donate your vouchers to us in the collection box which is
located at Student Reception.
Year 9 Football – Mr Pullen
On Thursday 29 February the Year 9 football team were unfortunately knocked
out of the Bromley Cup by Harris Academy. The team had three regular players
unable to play but still managed to put on a strong performance. I‟m not sure I
have seen conditions so bad to play in, with rain, sleet and even snow coming
down at one point! The man of the match was awarded to George Dickenson.
Intercommunity Competition News – Mr Grover
So far this year the Intercommunity competition has been extremely exciting and participation is at its
highest ever level. Students from across the school have been taking part in different events
representing their communities in various new ways. As always,
this has been a chance for the brightest sporting talents to show
off their skills in many different winter events including football,
handball, basketball, benchball and badminton, with more coming
up before the weather improves such as table tennis!
Some of the highlights include HAWKWOOD scoring a last minute
basket in the Year 9 Basketball to take the title from SUMMER‟S
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hands. Another exciting sporting moment was when the boys from Year 7 WILLOW showed their
domination in football by not dropping a single point!!
The fantastic change for this academic year is that all faculties have been getting involved during DLDs
and running their very own intercommunity competitions. This adaptation to the programme has meant
that we have been lucky enough to find out how gifted our students are in so many new areas, such as
the Maths Faculty running their own version of the popular TV show „The Cube‟. In an exciting DLD,
SUMMER showed they were able to beat off the competition and take the title, earning points for their
grand total! Technology also got in on the act by hosting a range of design and build challenges and
once again SUMMER were able to demonstrate that their skills were not confined to the Maths room and
took 1st place again! There are many more faculty events coming and up and it‟s an exciting time to see
who will be able to earn more points for their team.
We can‟t forget one of the highlights of
2014 which, as always, was the Talent
Show. This year was an amazing event
in which all communities were able to fill
ten minutes with pure class and an
obvious sign of the entertainers of the
future! With MORLEY going first with
some fabulous singers, a special mention
must go to Year 8 student Mustapha
Hassan who was able to show off his black belt Tai-Kwan-Do skills mixed in with some high level beat
boxing. Although the show opened with a bang, it was CROWN who stole the title of victors with an
unbelievable rendition of „All about the Bass’ and a bi-lingual version of „Silent Night’.
We have listened to our students, and over the coming months we have put in place competitions
requested though Student Voice. March will see the first of these events in the form of a Darts
competition. Students will take part in a knock-out tournament over the course of a week and the winner
will be crowned Darts Champion 2015 alongside earning vital points for their community! We will also
see table tennis, cricket, rounders as well as a quiz, more DLD events and not forgetting a new format
sports day!
Current Community Standings
1st
=
Summer
/ Hawkwood
3rd
Willow
4th
Crown
5th
Morley (reigning champions)
News from the Sixth Form – Mr Baker
Stars of the Week – Year 13 (week beginning 19 January 2015)
Nominated for “taking responsibility for his/her own learning, asking for help when needed,
responding positively to feedback, and acting on advice given”
Aaron Armstrong
Nancy Barnes
Madeleine Byers
Jake Camacho
Megan Carroll
Callum Clarke
Samuel Cockburn
Kameron Coleman
Jessica Currie
Jack Davies
Lauren Dawkins
Darryl Daynton
Jessica Greenwood
Jamie Hards
Matthew Hargrave
Jay He
Max Heath
Lewis Humphrey
Serdar Hussein
Antalya Ibrahim
Benjamin Jobson
Charles Kimble
James Knibbs
Connor Lynch
Danielle Lyon
Crystal Matarira
Emily McGarry
James Messeter
Rachel Miller
Sam O‟Flynn
Ruby O‟Hara
Yoyo O‟Shea
Taylor-Leigh Parkes
Marc Pouani
Lara Shakespeare
Ganu Sivanandan
Ryan Spicer
Albert Stitt
Joe Wilson
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Stars of the Week – Year 12 (week beginning 19 January 2015)
Nominated for “a special mention from Mrs Stanton in the Music Department”
Bradley Crittenden
Stephen Kasolo
Daniel Jarvis
Chloe Jenkins
Bradley Royer
Eliz Ustusoy
Alex Sargent
Stars of the Week – Year 12 (week beginning 26 January 2015)
Nominated for “contributing effectively to discussions and debates – respects the views of
others and can articulate a good argument”
Freddie Ashdown
Ellie-May Bearman
Keilah Boyd
Craig Brookman
Will Chenoweth
Tia Clarke
Leanie Coote-Scott
Joseph Dennehy
Sydney Fowler
Joe Gammon
Ellie German
Tinya Giwa-Osagie
Cicero Gleadall
Luke Gunning
Louie Hart
Tommy Heath
Sam Hemens
Adam Hillman
Paige Hilton
Amelia Holland
Jade Hutchinson
Carly Hyland
Elliot Jeffries
Simran Kalsi
Stephen Kasolo
Angel Keene
George Leach
Reece Lockett
Daniel Mahoney
Preston Marquez
Alex Mayhook
Gabriel Moses
Ellie Mothersole
Teddie Newton
Ciara Nuttall
Gabriel Olayera
Aimilia Owoso
Bailey Parker
Ethan Parker
Bradley Royer
Sherif Sekoni
Devonte Senior
Shannon Shaddick
Alex Staggs
Allena Stanford
Nazia Tamanna
Callum Taylor
Grace Thomas
Eliz Ustusoy
Amelia Ward
Jacob Westlake
Jessica Williams
Shkelqim Zejnullahu
News from the Library – Mrs Pickup
Valentine’s Day Picks – reading list
The Fault in Our Stars – John Green
Across the Universe – Beth Revis
City of Bones – Cassandra Clare
How I Live Now – Meg Rossof
Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austin
Teen Idol – Meg Cabot
I’d Tell you I love you… - Ally Carter
Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare
Noughts and Crosses – Malorie Blackman
Legend – Mari Lu
Eleanor and Park – Rainbow Rowell
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Competition for Years 7 and 8 – get reading – get writing – get inspired!
The Chris Evans Breakfast Show 500 Words Story-Writing Competition – returns to Radio 2 for a
fifth year in 2015. 500 Words asks children aged 13 and under up and down the UK to put pen to paper
to compose an original work of fiction using no more than 500 words. For more details, see Mrs Pickup
in the Library or visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00rfvk1.
Library Competition
Music
Book Cover Design
Project Remix Competition
by Malorie Blackman Children‟s Laureate
Book Trailers
Creative Writing
Cartoon Strips
YOUR CHANCE TO
GET CREATIVE.
COMPETITION DETAILS
Take inspiration from your favourite writers to make your own creative work in
response to their books and stories. Go online and watch Malorie Blackman introduce
the competition (web address is below). To enter, choose your favourite book from the
project remix book list then either:
 Write a fanfiction (a piece of creative writing based on a character
from your chosen book).
 Design an alternative cover
 Reboot their story for your own spin-off comic strip
 Write a piece of original music inspired by their work
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UK residents aged 13-19 years can enter the competition
Malorie herself will be choosing her favourite entries in each category
Win some very special prizes – including the chance to join Malorie and friends at
the Project Remix award ceremony in London in spring 2015.
End date: Monday February 23 2015
Details at http://www.movellas.com/projectremix
Enrichment – Mr Toal
If parents/carers would like to contribute to the ever-changing Enrichment programme in any way, please
contact Mr Toal for further information ntoal@coopersschool.com.
Collecting/Dropping Off Students – Mr Carling
Marjorie McClure Gates and Coopers Car Park
Students are not permitted to enter and exit the Coopers site via the Marjorie McClure gates. There are
many vehicles using these gates at the beginning and end of the school day and students are putting
themselves in danger by using them. Please enter and exit Coopers using our own pedestrian gates.
There have also been a number of incidents of parents using the Marjorie McClure gates and trying to
park in their car park. For health and safety reasons, except by prior arrangement with Marjorie McClure
School, please note that there is no parking on site available in their car park.
As a member of the Chislehurst community, Coopers works hard to
be a good neighbour. The roads around the School get very
congested at dropping off/picking up times and this can cause
problems for our neighbours. Please be vigilant when waiting to
collect your son or daughter, and ensure you are not blocking
driveways or other access points. Please also do not use the section of road between Hawkwood Lane
and the car park gate for dropping off or picking up your children as cars reversing/exiting to Hawkwood
Lane cause a potential safety hazard for students.
Messages from Pabulum in the Canteen – Mr Letchford
Pancake Day – Friday 13 February
Enjoy Pancake Day and support Red Balloon – variety of toppings available. For every pancake
sold, 10p will be donated to The Red Balloon charity, helping the recovery of bullied children –
www.redballoonlearner.co.uk
Meet Mr Letchford
Hello students. I am your Catering
Manager at Coopers. If you have any
comments or suggestions about the
food offered in the canteen please feel
free to come and see me at the blue
door to the kitchen.
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Free School Meals/Pupil Premium – Mr Carling
Was your adopted child formerly a „looked after child‟ and adopted on or after 30 December
2005?
From April 2014, schools in England can receive the Pupil Premium for children adopted from care, or
who left care under a Special Guardianship Order on or after 30 December 2005. Schools can also
claim the Pupil Premium for children who left care under a Residence Order on or after 14 October 1991.
The Pupil Premium is to help schools raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap
with their peers. It is paid to schools in respect of disadvantaged pupils in Reception to Year 11. The
Government has extended the coverage of the Pupil Premium in recognition of the traumatic
experiences many adopted children have endured in their early lives and a realisation that their needs do
not change overnight.
To enable Coopers to claim the Pupil Premium for your child, you will need to urgently inform us about
your child and provide supporting evidence, for example, show us the original Adoption (Court) Order.
This will then trigger the payment of the Pupil Premium to the school from April 2014.
Letters have been sent to all families who claimed free school meals last year as a reminder to provide
updated information. If you are newly entitled and have not claimed I do encourage you to do so.
Students cannot receive their free meal until the paperwork has been completed.
If you have any queries please contact Mr Carling, Academy Manager, rcarling@coopersschool.com.
Parent Forum
Parent Forum is made up of interested parents, and meets once every half-term to discuss matters
important to Coopers‟ Parents and their child‟s education. Meetings are at 6.00pm and normally last
approximately 90 minutes. This year we are hoping to grow and develop a PTA aspect to the work.
Minutes and dates of meetings are available on the Gateway. If you are interested in joining Parent
Forum, please do not hesitate to contact Ms Polaszek at wpolaszek@coopersschool.com. We would
also welcome any suggestions for future topics for discussion.
Wednesday 25 March
Tuesday 12 May
Tuesday 23 June
Topic to be decided
Topic to be decided
Topic to be decided
Messages from the Attendance Team – Mrs Costin
Reporting Absence
Could parents/carers please report student absence on the dedicated School Absence Reporting line
and not via Community Leaders or Form Teachers. Parents/Carers can also use the dedicated text
number; full details advising how to report absences are on the School Website. Many thanks.
Requests for Leave of Absence
The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 came into force on
1 September 2013. These regulations state that the Principal may not grant leave of absence during
term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Family holidays do not count as “exceptional
circumstances”. Absence during term time directly affects each student‟s achievement. The School
works with the Local Authority in improving school attendance. For your information, parents/carers who
take students on holiday during term time may be referred to the Local Authority Education Welfare
Service for legal consideration.
Further information on Attendance can be found on our website – please go to Information; Attendance
and click on Attendance Guidance.
Absence due to Medical/Dental Appointments
Please note missing lessons for a medical or dental appointment is counted as an authorised absence
which will affect student attendance as well as missing vital work in lessons missed. Where possible
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parents‟/students‟ support in arranging appointments outside school hours is much appreciated. When
this is not possible, students should only be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary for
the appointment. We appreciate if, for example, it is for a hospital appointment in London then travelling
has to be taken into consideration. However, in an attempt to support an improvement in attendance
students should sign in before/after medical appointments and avoid, as far as possible, taking a whole
day off to attend a medical appointment. Furthermore, students should provide evidence of
appointments by way of letter or appointment card; this will ensure a swift signing out process for
students involved. Your support and cooperation is much appreciated.
Yours faithfully
Shirley Puxty
Shirley Puxty
Principal
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