On Tuesday 31st October 2023 we welcomed the Little Fish Theatre company in to perform ‘Cancelled’ and host a workshop for our Year 9 and 10 students based on Healthy Relationships.

‘Cancelled’ explores how young people who are still discovering themselves can take responsibility for their harmful mistakes in a 24/7 digital world. It explores the complexities of teenage relationships and the impact of social media. Through music, media and participatory theatre techniques, the play is designed to engage students in thinking critically about the worlds in which they live and how to make positive choices.

The play centres around three teenagers - Rose, Bestie, and Xavier. When an intimate photo Bestie sends Xavier is shared online, it sets off a chain reaction of betrayal, heartbreak, and bullying. Rose gets caught in the middle, trying to support Bestie, but developing feelings for Xavier. Their secret relationship is exposed, destroying Rose and Bestie's friendship. The online bullying escalates to physical violence, sending Rose to hospital.

Each character must confront their own mistakes and figure out how to move forward. They eventually agree to stop engaging online and part ways, hopefully having learned some hard lessons about consent, trust, forgiveness, and the destructive power of technology. The play highlights the pressures and confusion of young relationships in an age of oversharing. The play's themes, scenarios, and character dynamics align closely with many SRE curriculum objectives for this age group related to healthy relationships, consent, managing influence, online safety, gender identity, and communication skills. The play is a springboard for the workshop where student discussion, analysis, and self-reflection can enhance delivery of the SRE curriculum.

Thank you so much to the Little Fish Theatre Company for providing such a wonderful performance and interactive workshop for our students.

Celebrating Black History Month with Ore Ogungbayi

As part of our Black History Month celebration, we had the pleasure of hosting Ore Ogungbayi. This year's theme is “Saluting our Sisters,” and Ore is a remarkable example of a successful, resilient woman. Ore shared her story of growing up as a child of Black Nigerian immigration, fostered by a white British family. She was recently featured in a Channel 5 documentary that explored the impact of "farming," a practice where over 70,000 West African children were fostered by white Britons between 1955 and 1995. The documentary sheds light on the controversy surrounding this official policy and the long-lasting effects it had on those impacted by it.

Despite the challenges Ore faced, she became a successful entrepreneur, author, life coach and public speaker. For over a decade, Ore has worked with our school, delivering workshops on public speaking. During her visit, Ore spoke about her success and resilience, and we are extremely proud to have her as part of our community. Ore, we salute you!

Synopsis of the documentary:

The Channel 5 documentary explores the experiences of nine individuals who were raised as part of the controversial "farming" practice. These individuals were fostered by white Britons between 1955 and 1995, and they share their stories of dealing with such a major change at a young age. For many of them, the workshop retreat was the first time they had the opportunity to connect with others who shared similar experiences. The documentary, called "White Nanny Black Child," is a personal, poignant, and sometimes unsettling reflection on identity, belonging, and the nature of family.

The Flu season is here. 

Oxleas will be offering the vaccination to all Year 7- 11 students on Friday 1^st December 2023.  For further information on how your child can be vaccinated, please view the PDF attached.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM OXLEAS NHS TRUST REGARDING YOUR CHILD’S NASAL FLU VACCINATION

Discover Your Future Career Path at Skills London 2023, UK’s Largest Jobs and Careers Event

Skills London is the perfect event for 14-24-year-olds and their parents or guardians to explore career prospects and job opportunities. Come to ExCeL London on November 24th and 25th, 2023 to explore around 35,000 live jobs, courses, and apprenticeships from over 100 organisations.

Supported by the Mayor of London, this free event provides tips and advice to help you find a career path that suits you. Visit skillslondon.co.uk to find out more and reserve your spot.

Click here to find out more information about the Skills London event

OPEN AFTERNOON FOR INTERNAL STUDENTS

Woolwich Polytechnic Sixth Form will be hosting an Open Afternoon for Internal (WPSfB and WPSfG) students on Wednesday 8 November 2023. Students have been invited to attend one of two slots based on tutor group number. Tutor Group 1s have been invited to the 2:50pm slot; Tutor Groups 2s have been invited to the 3:35pm slot.

Please reserve a place for the 2:50pm slot by reserving a ticket here - 

Woolwich Polytechnic Sixth Form- Open Afternoon at 2:50pm Tickets, Wed 8 Nov 2023 at 14:50 | Eventbrite

Please reserve a place for the 3:35pm slot by reserving a ticket here -

Woolwich Polytechnic Sixth Form- Open Evening at 3:35pm Tickets, Wed 8 Nov 2023 at 15:35 | Eventbrite

We were delighted to welcome a number of prospective parent and community “governors” to our first ever Governance Open Morning on Thursday 12th October.

The candidates learnt more about how governance works at PolyMAT, how they could apply, and had the opportunity to ask questions. They also had the opportunity to have a tour of one of our schools.

Join us for the next Governance Open Morning on January 25th, 2024 by registering on our website here.