Headteacher's Letter 13.03.2025
Dear families,
With Easter fast approaching and Ramadan well under way for our Muslim community, this is a time for prayers and family gatherings. At school, the second half of the Lent Term has been extremely busy. The Year 9 options process is underway, Year 11 completed their mock examinations and there have been a number of trips both national and international. In addition, as we approach the start of the summer term, our Year 11 and 13 students will soon be taking their examinations. This is a time for focus and hard work to ensure the success that our students so thoroughly deserve.
Examinations – Years 11 + 13
Guiding and supporting students in preparing for their exams is a high priority for us. It is essential that our GCSE and A level students engage in serious revision and preparation for the forthcoming examinations over the holiday period. It is said that good exam results are made in the Easter holidays.
Students must plan to work for seven hours a day most days of the Easter break – they should treat each day as a workday. This may seem a lot, but the students who get the best grades will be working this hard and some exams take place in early May. If you work for 14 days, that will be about 100 hours of revision. For example, in GCSE modern languages you are going to learn vocabulary and grammar. It is best to spend 30-plus minutes on this every day, coming back to the same words again and again. The GCSE speaking exams take place immediately after the Easter break.
We hope that full advantage will be taken over Easter to engage in a full revision programme and to use the various support sessions that will be running in school. The key message now is to make the remaining time count and to use time productively.
Revision guidance can be found on the school website HERE together with a blank revision planner which students can download and use HERE.
Please note that exam boards have included contingency sessions on the afternoons of 6th, 13th and all day on 26th June. These days would be used in the unlikely event that exams had to be moved because they could not take place when planned. Please be aware that your child could be required to sit exams on these days.
Turing Scheme
Trips took place earlier this term to Athens, Greece and Dhaka, Bangladesh. Both trips were fantastic opportunities for our students to broaden their perspectives, develop independence and adaptability, and form international friendships. We are incredibly proud of their enthusiasm, curiosity, and respectful engagement throughout these journeys. These projects would not be possible without funding provided to our school from the Turing Scheme and we hope to work with the organisation again to provide further opportunities to our students.
St Dunstan’s Church Eucharist
I would like to share the wonderful success of last week’s Eucharist at St Dunstan’s Church, where over 40 students gathered in faith and fellowship. Our Eucharists take place twice each half term and it was truly heartening to see so many take part in this special service. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making it such a meaningful occasion. We look forward to welcoming you again at our next Eucharist on Thursday 3rd April.
Art Exhibition
At Stepney All Saints School, we are proud to be part of the THAT Network (Tower Hamlets Artist Teachers), a fantastic and supportive community of Artist Educators. This year, our school had the privilege of exhibiting at the Mile End Art Pavilion as part of the Connecting Narratives show.
Our talented Year 9 students showcased over sixty lino prints exploring The Art of Protest, each one designed, carved, and printed by the students themselves. The Design & Technology department also contributed remarkable work, including architectural models of reflective pavilions created by Year 9 students and a striking selection of redesigned toy cars made from mixed media by Year 8 students.
Special congratulations go to one of our Year 8 students, whose piece Blood Diamond—a powerful work filled with symbols of conflict and change—won 2nd place in the KS3 category out of the entire exhibition!
I would like to thank our ADT department for their dedication and creativity in delivering such an inspiring showcase.
She Is Seen Festival – A Celebration of Empowerment
Last week, we were proud to host the She Is Seen Festival, a vibrant celebration of female creativity, strength, and expression. The festival brought together students and staff to showcase the voices and achievements of women. We kicked off the festival with an inspiring talk and workshops from the author and public speaker Onyinye Udokporo whose journey is truly motivational. The week continued at pace with workshops and presentations that celebrated the resilience and creativity of women.
World Book Day
Last week, we marked World Book Day with a fantastic celebration of reading and storytelling. Staff and students took part in a variety of activities in our school library throughout the day, creating a fun and engaging atmosphere that highlighted the joy of books. It was wonderful to see so many members of our school community coming together to share their love of literature.
While World Book Day is a great opportunity to celebrate reading, we also want to encourage a love of books all year round. Reading not only expands knowledge and imagination but also helps to develop critical thinking and communication skills. Please encourage your child to read every day.
Uniform
All students are expected to dress in full school uniform at all times on the premises. The uniform associates students with the high standards of work conduct and dress we set them. I would like to remind you that we check the uniform of all students on the gate and at tutor time. Students who come to school dressed incorrectly may, if there is no adequate reason, be sent home to change or parents contacted to bring in the correct items. For full details of the school’s uniform policy, please visit the website HERE.
I would also like to add that I will be writing to families in the near future about the school’s overall policy on the use of mobile phones and changes that will be introduced in advance of the new academic year 2025-26.
Key Dates and Events
This is also a busy time with a number of dates in diary for the coming weeks as follows:
- Academic Review Day: Friday 14th March
- Eid Closure – Possible date: Monday 31st March (to be confirmed)
- Year 10 Examinations: From Tuesday 1st April.
The full set of term dates for the academic year are available on our website – click HERE.
To remain up-to-date on what is happening in school, click HERE for our latest news articles and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram @StepneyAS for a wealth of content from students and staff.
As always, thank you for your continued support and please do get in touch if there is any aspect of our provision that you would like to discuss.
Warm regards,
Ben Siaw
Headteacher
