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GCSE Results

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT

The Moat School is proud to announce that the Summer 2010 leavers secured the best set of GCSE results in the school’s history.

75% of all entries received grades A* - C. 42% of those grades were at A* - B.

This is an incredible achievement by our talented and hardworking Year 11 students.

A full breakdown of marks, value added analysis and leaver destinations will be available to view online soon.

Sincere congratulations to all our Year 11 leavers; especially to Matthew Williams who leaves us with 10 GCSEs including 2 A*’s and 5 A’s.

Moat School Poetry Evening

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Moat School pupils, who have been taking part in Jane Elson’s Drama Workshops, finished the term by performing a selection of poetry with animal themes in aid of the Born Free Foundation.

Harry Roberts, Willem Nelis, Louis Slingsby, Jared Goldblatt, Dominic Murray, Miranda Henshaw and Ben Murphy (pictured from left to right) presented vividly realised poems and songs that were engaging, moving and often very funny, and a very generous audience helped us to kick start our fundraising for this worthwhile charity.

Bowles Trip News

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT

The week of July 5^th saw the Year 7 and 8 pupils head to Bowles Outdoor Activity Centre in a fantastic week of sunshine.

The activity programme was carefully designed to challenge pupils on an individual level in an outdoor setting and to help build team spirit amongst all the members in the group. It was a pleasure to see both these targets achieved in abundance and evidenced in the smiles and exhaustion from the pupils. There were numerous highlights from many pupils experiencing their first campfire and overnight hike though to the rock climbing on beautiful natural sandstone and the giant “leap of faith”.

In the words of Charlie Stanbury, one of the Year 7 pupils: “It was epic!”

A big thank you to the staff that attended the trip in particular Mr Bell whose tent building skills caused great amusement for all concerned!

Duke of Edinburgh Expedition Weekend

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT

The participants have spent one afternoon each week for the last academic year preparing for this special weekend. They arrived at Gomshall Station on Saturday morning and met their assessor. We checked the status of sunscreen application, water and food supplies and then the kids set off in their groups.

They were required to navigate their way from the station to the camp site without assistance from staff. After getting slightly lost a couple of times, they all managed to demonstrate excellent team work skills, keeping each other going and getting back on track in no time. Due to these detours, they arrived at the camp site after 6pm. This meant that there was very little time to rest as they needed to get their tents up and cook before it got dark. Even after a long day in the heat with quite a lot of extra walking, they were all up beat and even had a game of football after dinner. (They played slightly better than England!)

The next morning they were all up an hour early and raring to go. They left the camp site and powered through the routes arriving at the station in record time. Well done to all involved, they did brilliantly and I'm happy to announce that they all passed their assessed expedition! Well done Esa, Jared, Michael, Rufus, Fiona, Maria, Freddie and Jack.

Yr 11 Leavers Party

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT

On Thursday we said a fond and emotional farewell to our current Yr11 pupils. The school staff transformed our gathering room into a spectacular 1950's diner with a menu of hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and a bit of salad on the side. Coke floats and milkshakes were the refreshments of choice with ice cream and hot chocolate sauce for dessert.

All the pupils dressed for the occasion; some very sophisticated looking girls and some cool and casual boys. The staff took this opportunity to share some of their favourite memories of the group, most of them embarrassing but all of them very funny! It gave us an important opportunity to say goodbye and to wish them luck in their future endeavours. They are a group we are hugely proud of and we look forward to their GCSE results this summer.

Moat School Summer Concert

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT

This term saw our first Outdoor Music Concert which was a great success showcasing the musical talents of pupils from all year groups. The weather was on our side, and the pupils thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to demonstrate a wide range of musical skills from playing piano pieces, to a recreation of a rock band – even the teachers were brave enough to perform. Overall it was the highlight of my musical year, and something that I hope will become a tradition in the school calendar.

Duke of Edinburgh Practice Expedition

Thu, 13 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT

On the weekend of the 8th & 9th May 2010, ten of the Moat School students took part in the practice Duke of Edinburgh expedition. This would be their first opportunity to put into practice all the skills they had learnt in the Duke of Edinburgh Enrichment on Monday afternoons. The groups had been decided, routes planned and camp site booked!

Students travelled to Gomshall Station in Surrey and spent Saturday navigating their way through farmland and woodland to reach Bentley Copse Camp Site. It rained the whole day and everyone got wet! One of the groups got lost in the woods and did a two mile detour but spirits remained high and everyone made it into camp before dark. Luckily it stopped raining in the evening so the tents went up and the cookers came out. There was a rather rowdy game of football until it got too dark to see and then the students gathered around for a nice warm hot chocolate before hitting the sack. Very little sleep was had due to the cold, but the next morning the students were all raring to go! We packed up and headed out for the day, navigating our way back to Gomshall Station. All the pupils demonstrated good navigation and camping skills, but more importantly they worked together as a team and no man/woman was left behind! The assessed expedition will be taking place on the 26th & 27th June 2010.

NEW FOOD TECHNOLOGY ROOM

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Easter provided a window of opportunity for the complete refurbishment of our much used Food Technology Room.

As a very successful GCSE subject, our old room had experienced some wear and tear since 1998. The new facilities provide an open and airy teaching space and state of the art technology for cooking.

Many thanks to Ronda Fogel who project managed this operation and to all staff who assisted with planning and execution.

Young Chef of the Year Competition

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 12:00:00 GMT

On Wednesday, 10th of February 2010, Maria Geanaracus and Victoria Hollingworth competed in the In-House Chef’s competition to determine who would represent The Moat School at this year’s Hammersmith and Fulham 'Young Chef of the Year' Competition. Both students had to cook a two course meal in an hour which was no mean feat. They both performed very well under pressure and managed to prepare fabulous dishes. Ms Gray and Ms Lopuszanska were the judges and this involved tasting all the dishes and then deciding the winner. After serious consideration, Maria Geanaracous were selected to represent The Moat School at the TASTE Restaurant at the Hammersmith & West London College.

On Thursday the 25th of February 2010, she competed against 8 other students from various schools in the Borough. The competitors had to work in an industrial kitchen and were observed by 3 Chef judges throughout. Maria did an excellent job and made a wonderful Mediterranean lamb dish, followed by a honey and mango baked pudding.

Maria received a trophy for participating and also met the Deputy Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham on the day.

Much Ado

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT

In October, The Moat School's Year 10 pupils took their production of the Bard's 'Much Ado About Nothing' to the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, as part of the national Shakespeare Schools Festival 2009. They performed alongside 3 other London schools on the night, with 500 schools taking part right across Britain.

Their performance was very well received by the audience and described by the organisers as 'engaging and full of vitality. It's clear these young performers really understand the humour of the play and the motivation of the characters'.

This year marks the third year running that the Moat School has participated in the festival, and each year the school encourages involvement from all Year 10 pupils, rather than just the GCSE Drama group. The Moat School's Director of Performing Arts, Matthew Potger, said: 'this is an invaluable experience for all the pupils. Not only does it promote a supportive feeling of shared achievement amongst the pupils involved as they move into their senior years, it also gives each of them a unique insight into a very challenging piece of text that they will need to respond to in depth in their GCSE English exam next year'.

Now, that's much ado about something!

National Champions!

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:00:00 GMT

National Champions!

The Moat School’s involvement in the National Theatre’s New Connections Festival last term was a huge success. The performance of Anthony Neilson’s new play, The Séance, at the National’s Cottesloe Theatre, brought the audience to its feet. The play’s sharp wit and realism was communicated with precision by the cast, who took the audience on a frequently moving, often hilarious journey into the minds of modern teenagers just beginning to explore their own mortality. The Séance was performed by GCSE Drama pupils Daisy Everett, Ella Knight, Jessica Weiss, Sascha Bailey, Daniel Harney, Bradley Rockall and Matthew Williams, and was directed by The Moat School’s Director of Performing Arts, Matthew Potger.

Under Mr Potger’s direction, the Moat School has worked with the National Theatre on several other projects recently, hosting a schools’ workshop based on the NT’s production of War Horse and taking part in the Shakespeare School’s Festival for the fourth year running. The Moat School’s high-profile presence at the National Theatre has led to it being invited to participate in the National Theatre Schools Partnership programme for 2009 / 2010, as a centre of excellence. This programme will include workshops, performances and masterclasses lead by National Theatre directors and practitioners, designed to tie-in with their upcoming productions of Mother Courage and Nation.

‘It was a great experience. Life changing in the way it gave me confidence’ - Daniel Harney

Picture: This photograph was taken by Daisy Everett on stage during the performance at the National’s Cottesloe Theatre as part of the play, when her character, Phoebe, offers to take a photo of the group before the séance starts.

Record GCSE Results

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 12:00:00 GMT

The Moat School is proud to announce record breaking GCSE results for August 2009 with 69.1% of all grades at A*-C, 2% ahead of the national average. More encouraging still is the news that all core subjects recorded improved results. Maths results were up by over 25% on last year as 57.2% of Moat students gained as A*-C grades. The new statistics course scored a 100% pass rate. Science results were up, even on last year’s excellent pass rate, as over 81% gained an A* to C grade; this is over 20% in excess of the national average A*-C pass rate of 60.2%. We are also pleased to announce that over 30% of students gained a C or higher in English Language. The Moat recorded more A*, A and B grades than ever before with over 20% of all grades at A*-B.

Many congratulations to all our Yr 11 leavers, we wish you well as you begin your sixth form careers and look forward to seeing you again at Founders' Day. Well done class of 2009 you will be missed by us all.

The Moat School at The National Theatre

Thu, 21 May 2009 12:00:00 GMT

The Séance makes contact with The National!

Following the very successful performances of ‘The Séance’ at the school and The Rose Theatre, Kingston, the Moat School has been invited to perform the play at the National Theatre as part of the National Theatre’s New Connections Festival 2009.

It is fantastic news, as we know that the company has worked very hard for this. Hundreds of schools and theatre groups across the country have participated in the festival this year, but only one production of each of the twelve plays has been selected for the final stage of the festival at the National Theatre.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The Moat School proudly presents
‘The Séance’, by Anthony Neilson
Cottesloe Theatre, on Friday, 3rd July 2009, 8:30pm
Tickets on sale now from the National Theatre Box Office 020 7452 3000
Or www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

Picture 1: The cast (from left: Daisy, Jessica, Matthew, Ella, Bradley, Sascha, Daniel) with writer Anthony Neilson (centre), Director Matthew Potger(centre right) and National Theatre Staff Director, Psyche Stott (right).
Picture 2: This photograph was taken by Daisy Everett on stage during the performance at the Rose Theatre, when her character, Phoebe, offers to take a photo of the group before the séance starts.

'What London Means to Me' Competition Winners

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:00:00 GMT

'What London Means to Me' Competition Winners

Some brilliant news this month comes from the Art Department. A number of children had been encouraged to enter the ‘What London Means to Me’ competition with poetry, artwork and photography. The competition is London wide and extremely competitive with thousands of entries. I am thrilled to report we had three category winners who were all invited to the award ceremony where the winners were presented their awards by Lord Robert Winston.

Alex Ferguson was a winner in the Photography section, Kitty Wallace was a winner in the literature category and Rory Gallagher was a runner-up in the writing category. They all received trophies and considerable voucher payouts to be used on Amazon.com!

Well done to all three. The Moat School wins again!

A Year 10 pupil at The Moat School wins the 'Hammersmith and Fulham Young Chef of the Year' competition

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 12:00:00 GMT

The Young Chef of the Year awards were held on Thursday 26th February when six finalists from secondary schools in the borough drew knives and began battle. Each finalist spent the morning preparing their two courses with the emphasis on “healthy eating”. The event took place at Taste Restaurant in Hammersmith & West London College and was judged by Head Chef from Butchers Hook, Jacky Levievne, who is also current chef of the year for H&F, Sheila Fraser-Whyte, Provision and Hospitality Catering manager and Nicholas Kummar, Manager of Royal National Hotel in Russell Square, London. Competition was stiff with entrants from Godolphin & Latymer and Fulham Cross Schools, but the winner was 14 year old Toby Cartwright from our Year 10. Like other famous dyslexic celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver and Marco Pierre White, Toby has only ever wanted to become a professional chef and now has his chance as he will be spending a day at the Butcher’s Hook. He also took home a crystal trophy and an ipod Touch.

Toby’s winning menu was:
*****
Porcini Mushroom Risotto with Tarragon
*****
Grilled Salmon on Baby Spinach with Roasted Red Peppers and Hassleback New Potatoes

News from Ski Trip

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:00:00 GMT

News from Switzerland! Ski Trip 2009

Day one was beautiful....sun, smiles and sleepy children! Day two was a blast, the children were amazing on the slopes. Particular mentions go to Rhys Like for unbelievable improvement in ski technique and confidence resulting in being moved up to the intermediate/advanced group! Harry Roberts and Alex Ferguson for sheer resilience when learning to turn, snow plough and stay upright (mostly!). Matthew Williams and Pip Harris for brilliant teamwork and leadership skills. However, the most memorable moment of the day was to be seen upon our return to the hotel when it was noticed that both Ian McCarthy and Pip Harris were intently engrossed in revising for their GCSE exams without a single bit of prompting from any staff member! Alex Goldhill was also suspected of typing a history paper!

They day was topped off with a visit to the resort pool, spa and sauna, the children loved it and so did the staff. I think this one may be repeated tomorrow.

Ms King and the team!

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Many congratulations to all our Yr 11 leavers, we wish you well as you begin your sixth from careers and look forward to seeing you again at Founders Day. Well done class of 2009 you will be missed by us all.

Charley Boorman Visit

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:00:00 GMT

January 14th was an exciting day for The Moat, as we welcomed Charley Boorman to the school. Charley, well known to us all for both his film career and his recent expeditions around the globe with motor-cycling companion Ewan McGregor, takes an active interest in supporting the work of dyslexia charities. He recently became president of Dyslexia Action which is currently providing training for Teaching Assistant across the London area in co-operation with The Moat School. Charley spent a large part of his half day with us touring the classrooms and talking to students directly about their experiences of school here, after which he had lunch in the Headteacher’s Study with Ms Gray, Miss King and Mrs Fogel, our Trust Director discussing the Moat’s unique mission and ethos.

Cross Country

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Inter-House Cross-country competition

Tuesday 25th November was crisp yet sunny and was a perfect afternoon for a cross-country run in Bishops Park. The children were not daunted by some muddy areas nor the length of the course and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge!

The winners for the boys and girls teams were in Year 7:- Matty Brooke-Etherton and Amy Gould ; Year 8:- Esa O’Dell-Athill and Brynne Ndoca; Year 9:- Cameron Edwards and Victoria Hollingworth; Year 10:- Daniel Harney and Kitty Wallace; and Year 11:- Oliver Blake and Francesca Ingram. There were also some very valiant 2nd and 3rd placed pupils and Ian McCarthy of year 11 pushed himself to a close 4th. William Walters also ran well and finished 3rd. Brynne Ndoca and Scarlett Serlin in year 8 ran brilliantly and Victoria Hollingworth and Maria Geanuracos were great representatives for the girls in year 9. Also in year 9 special mention is due to Cameron Edwards who not only ran extremely well but even beat Mr Swart to the finishing line!

In the end Bishop House were the overall winners but it was a fantastic afternoon for all the contestants and good practice for the children who were to compete in the inter-school cross-country championships later on in the week.

The World is Our ‘Oyster’

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT

The TFL Safety and Citizenship Team will be visiting The Moat to meet with Y7 & 8 on the 24th November 2008 & Y9, 10 & 11 on the 1st December 2008 as part of PSHE. A School Liaison Officer will be making a presentation to reinforce the changes to regulations regarding Zip Oyster card travel for children aged 11-15 years of age. Topics also to be covered include; getting help, respect, responsibility, emergencies and personal safety all of which link with key aspects of the KS3/4 Citizenship curriculum. The social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) such as self-awareness, managing feelings, motivation, empathy and social skills will also be addressed.

Library Refurbishment

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Thankfully we have now received all the new equipment and materials to transform the library space. Mr Ollier has been busy buying new books for the literacy section, we are unpacking a wide range of sleek new novels, plays and graphic novels to and we await the arrival of our new subscriptions to a range of periodicals and newspapers chosen by the students themselves. Bean bags, bright colours and a quiet zone should ensure that this a pleasant place to think, to read and just to be in such a busy school.

Cross Curricular Technology

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT

The Moat School is a member of The Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3) Schools Affiliate Scheme. Later this month on the 31st October 2008 and also next year on the 26th February 2009 the IOM3’s Education Co-ordinator will be visiting The Moat to present workshop’s on the cross curricular themes of materials and their applications in aerospace, sports equipment, communication, medicine and also smart materials. Y10 & Y11 GCSE Science & Design Technology: Resistant Material pupils will be attending the workshops. The smart materials workshop will look at colour changing materials, shape memory alloys, piezo electric ceramics and other more unusual smart materials.

Moat School Student at the Top and Still Climbing

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT

14 year old Kitty Wallace continues to wow the competition in the world of climbing during her participation in one of Neil Gresham's coaching trips to Kalymanos, Greece. She became the youngest British climber to ‘redpoint a confirmed 8a’ with her ascent of Daniboy. Kitty is a new addition to the Lyon Equipment team and is well known for her results on the youth competition circuit. The route she tackled is 20 metres high and overhangs continuously requiring a climbing style of powerful moves between reasonable but widely spaced handholds…I’ll never complain about a mountain of paperwork again!

Shakespeare School’s Festival

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Earlier this week, I had the great pleasure to be in the audience for the first night of the SSF at the Paul Robeson Theatre, in Hounslow. Our year 10 students’ production of a Midsummer Night’s Dream had a wonderful reception from the audience and was singled out for its unique qualities by the director of the festival who was greatly impressed by the humour of the piece, particular mention went to the death scene of Phoebus and Thesbe who managed to die kneeling up which got a great laugh from everyone. Well done Moat School!