Message From Vice Principal, Nicholas Lee, Middle Phase

The run up to Christmas presents a good opportunity to revisit some of the excellent things that have been happening here at Island School over the last 4 months. The Inter-House Athletics Finals (today) is a great opportunity for the whole school community to get together in celebration of a highly successful term full of great quality learning and a broad range of extra curricular activities.

In August we celebrated the outstanding iGCSE and IB results. With 3 students achieving the maximum IB score of 45 points and over 30% achieving 40 points or more. Testimony to the dedication of our students. The Middle School students also performed exceptionally well in the reformed iGCSE subjects with 96% achieving grades A*-C.

The Inter-House Swimming Gala, in September, was a fantastic event, with the vast majority of students either competing in a race or taking part in the famous House relay. There was an electric atmosphere around the pool as points were accumulated in the 60+ events. The Island School spirit was ever present. One student commented – that it was one of the highlights of the year as it encouraged the whole school to get together – something we can’t do as often as we used to.

Now in its second year, Community English’ – one of our many partnership projects caught my attention in October. This student led initiative has grown in popularity and members now hold leadership positions. They meet frequently to ensure a successful programme of activities and to deal with issues as they arise. Eugene Law (11E) when asked about why he joined Community English said, “The smiles and the laughs are the reason I put myself up for it for another year without hesitation – it’s also a great leadership opportunity and I am forging relationships which I wouldn’t otherwise get the chance to do!”

With just 10 votes separating the final 3 acts in Stars in Their Eyes 2019, the start of November was exciting. The orchestra and choir also performed multiple songs to show the depth of talent held by so many of our students at Island School. The teacher choir surprised everyone with their performance of Amarillo – while wearing bright gold helmets (borrowed from the Borrett Road groundbreaking ceremony)!

The first week of December held the Year 11 mock examinations. The mock exams represent a significant opportunity for students to rehearse for the demands of the public exams in May and for teachers to get the information they need to support students in identifying their developmental areas. One thing is certain, Christmas will be a well earned break for all students.