July 2012 - Oasis Academy Coulsdon

END OF YEAR 

NEWSLETTER! 

As I read through our final newsletter for this year, I am 

struck with how far we have come, how much the brilliant 

staff and students have achieved thus far, and I am so 

excited by the prospect of what lies ahead for Oasis 

Academy Coulsdon. 

It has been such a special year, moving into our new 

home, the opening of our Sixth Form, our Grand Opening, 

‘Bugsy’, ‘Oasis Has Talent’ (and boy it does!), the Diamond 

Jubilee and celebrations in Old Coulsdon, Oasis Euro 2012 

(which Mrs Jones will never let me forget – her team won!), 

celebrating Oasis’ 25 th anniversary, the Coulsdon Village 

Fair, Rotary Club Dinner, OAC Olympics and so much 

more…. And now we have the London Olympic Games to 

look forward to! 

It has been a great year and I am 

delighted that my family are part of the 

Academy. My son is now so settled and 

enjoying school life with enthusiasm and I 

know that my daughter will flourish in the 

environment you have created. 

I thank you and your staff whole heartedly 

for delivering what you promised. 

Year 7 Parent 

In recent weeks the Academy has been buzzing with the local Year 5 and 6 students. 

Over 150 students have enjoyed Technology, Science, Art, Literature, Drama and MFL 

workshops. Over 250 took part in our Primary Sportsfest which was won by Byron in a thrilling final. 

Throughout the year we have invited community, local residents and primary students to come and see various productions and events and we 

have welcomed some special visitors: Lord Adonis, Andrew McCully, Acting Director DfE, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, the Mayor of Croydon, 

Andrew Pelling MP, local Croydon Councillors and various members of Croydon Education Department. 

Last week we welcomed our Year 6s who will be joining us in September. They gave us a glimpse of our future, and are a comfort to us for the 

loss of our Year 11s, who we said goodbye to after their spectacular prom earlier this month. 

It has been another year of amazing dedication, hard-work and tough love from our staff. They have embodied our values and the DWIT (‘Do 

Whatever It Takes’) mentality. I look forward to celebrating their efforts and the students’ achievements on results day in August, and to 

welcoming many of Year 11 back to the Sixth form in September. 

It has been another successful year of fund-raising and Academy support from our committed parents in the Friends of Oasis Academy Coulsdon 

(FOAC). We cannot thank them enough, and I urge you to get involved if you are not already. This year they have raised thousands of pounds 

through our first ever Christmas Fair, a Quiz night, boot fairs, and the Old Coulsdon Village fair, providing for Duke of Edinburgh scheme 

equipment, a defibrillator and resuscitation dolls to support our drive to train every adult and child of the Academy in 

Continued on page 2 

CPR and basic First Aid. 

Steve Chalke is carrying the Olympic Flame 

through the City of London on 26 July 2012, 

the day before the Games officially open! 

Here is Steve’s nomination: 

Steve was born in Croydon of mixed race parents. In 1985 he and his wife set up 

Oasis Trust, based in Waterloo, working with the homeless and disadvantaged. 

Oasis now works in 11 countries on five continents providing education, housing, 

training and healthcare. In the UK Oasis has become an important provider of 

opportunities for young people through its sponsorship of Academies. Oasis now 

runs 13, deliberately taking on schools in areas of significant deprivation around London, 

Southampton, Bristol, Manchester and the north east. Steve leads from the front and is an 

inspirational speaker and fund raiser. In 2005 he raised £1.25m running the London marathon. In the 

2011 marathon he raised £2.32m, another new world record. Steve has not sought honour for himself, 

although he was awarded the MBE, but his vision, energy and drive has transformed the lives of many people in London, the UK and across the 

world. I cannot think of a more deserving torchbearer.

Year 7 have settled in brilliantly and have contributed greatly through the four arcs to the development and progress of the Academy. Year 8 

graduated this week in a lovely family ceremony, which was well attended by parents and carers. They deserve special mention for the Service to 

the Academy and the wider community, especially at our prospective parent’s and new parents events, where they were brilliant ambassadors and 

role models. 

A great deal of excitement and enjoyment progress and achievement As I reflect on all these events and successes I am mindful that they all have 

something in common. They were great only because of the amount of thinking, planning, care and commitment that went into them. This level of 

professionalism, strategic planning, love and determination means that we will continue to strive forward and be Outstanding. 

Some teachers will be leaving us, and others will join. Some systems and structures will change and new, improved ones will replace them. The 

Family mentoring system, Key Stage 3 moving to two years, and Key Stage 4 being lengthened to three to give just a few examples. This is not 

change for change sake, but transformation Planned transformation. 

In order to embrace the new, we must release the old. ‘A trapeze artist cannot swing from one bar to another without letting go’. An important part of 

preparing for the new academic year, then, is to review the past year—to release it—and to learn from it.… 

For everyone at the Academy I would ask you to take time to do just this. To reflect on this year, what you did, how you felt, and what you learned. 

What would a neutral observer say or write about you this year? 

What did I learn? (skills, knowledge, awareness, etc.) 

What did I accomplish? 

What would I have done differently and why? 

What still feels incomplete to me? 

What were the most significant events of my year? 

What did I do right? What do I feel especially good about? What was my greatest contribution? 

What did I most enjoy? 

What were my biggest challenges and difficulties? 

How will I be different next year? 

For what am I particularly grateful? 

Enjoy the Summer Holidays, rest and have fun. Take a little time to reflect on this year, learn from it and come back a better person. Plan your 

transformation. 

Take care and see you soon…. 

Year 8 Graduation Ceremony was well 

attended by parents and carers 

Bugsy 

Rotary Club of Coulsdon Manor Annual Dinner 

Andrew McCully, Acting Director of DfE met 

Student Leaders 

Year 8 raised £93.00 for Cancer 

Research as part of their Maths 

Project 

Byron Primary students enjoying a Science 

Pond workshop 

FOAC put on our first ever Christmas Fair 

Lord Adonis at our Grand Opening

THE HISTORY OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES 

It has probably not gone unnoticed by any of you that this year the UK, and more specifically London, will play host to the Summer Olympic 

Games. It is, therefore, appropriate that the final history article of the year should reflect upon their historical origins. 

The exact origins of the Ancient Olympic Games are shrouded in myth and legend but records indicate that they began in 776 BC in Olympia in 

Greece. They were celebrated until 394 AD when they were suppressed by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I. The Games were usually held 

every four years, or olympiad, as the unit of time came to be known. During the Games an Olympic Truce was in place so that athletes could 

travel from their countries to the Games in safety. 

The ancient Olympics were rather different from the modern Games. There were fewer events, only free men 

who spoke Greek could compete and all the athletes competed naked as the competition was also seen as a 

celebration of the beauty of the human body. As long as they met the entrance criteria, athletes from any 

Greek speaking country or city-state were allowed to participate. The Games were always held at Olympia 

rather than alternating to different locations as is the tradition with the modern Olympic Games. The Olympics 

also featured religious celebrations and artistic competitions. A great statue of 

Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world was erected at Olympia to 

preside over the Games, though it no longer stands. 

Sculptors and poets would also congregate each olympiad to display their 

works of art to would-be patrons. The prizes for the victors were wreaths of 

laurel leaves rather than the medals of bronze, silver and gold. There is one 

major similarity between the ancient and modern Games, the victorious 

athletes were honored, feted, and praised. Their deeds were celebrated and 

recorded so that future generations could appreciate their accomplishments. 

The founder of the modern Olympic Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, took his inspiration 

from these ancient games. He was also inspired by the activities of people in Shropshire in the 

UK. In 1850 an Olympian Class was started by Dr William Penny Brookes at Much Wenlock, 

in Shropshire, England. The Wenlock Olympian Games, as they were known, were held 

annually from 1859 until 1895. They were revived in 1977 and to this day are still held every 

year in Much Wenlock. 

The following Olympics never took place due to the world being at war: 

1916: Berlin, Germany (Summer Games Only) 

1940 Winter Games: Sapporo, Japan 

1940 Summer Games: Tokyo, Japan 

1944 Winter Games: Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy 

1944 Summer Games: London, UK 

The first Winter games were held in 1924 at Chamonix in France. 

If you are going to the Olympics or Paralympic Games we 

hope you have a brilliant time! 

Remember to allow plenty of time to travel to the venue. 

Travel advice and suggested routes can be viewed online 

http://www.getaheadofthegames.com/

KEY STAGE 3 OLYMPICS 

Mr Attenborough and our PE Department organised 

a truly fantastic day of sporting activities and 

competitions for Years 7, 8 and 9. The drizzly 

weather did not dampen the enthusiasm of the 

students and there was something for everyone to 

enjoy. The morning started with activities including 

Ultimate Frisbee, Lacrosse, Netball, Basketball, 

Tennis, Table Tennis and Badminton. After break 

the track and field events began with Tug of War, Shot, Discus and Long Jump, 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m 

and 1500m races and of course the Relays. 

There was fierce competition and determination to break School Records and Personal Best times and 

Mr Attenborough worked long hours at his laptop recording all the information. Certificates were awarded as 

well as Bronze, Silver and Gold medals. 

YEAR 7 ATHLETICS RESULTS 

FAMILY TOTAL POINTS FINAL POSITION 

BRUNEL 90 4 

DA VINCI 102 3 

LUTHER KING 103 2 

CURIE 125 1 



BRUNEL 116 1 

DA VINCI 90 4 


CURIE 94 3 



OVERALL FINAL POSITIONS 



BRUNEL 448 2 

CURIE 417 3 


BRUNEL 92 2 



CURIE 70 4 

OVERALL GAMES EVENTS RESULTS 


BRUNEL 150 1 

CURIE 128 2 


LUTHER KING 106 4

BYRON CROWNED CHAMPIONS OF 

OAC 2012 PRIMARY SPORTS FEST! 

Over 200 primary pupils from four primary schools took part in the annual Oasis Academy Coulsdon Sports Festival on Wednesday 4 th 

July. Students from Keston, Smitham, Byron and Purley Oaks, primary schools took part in an exciting day of sporting activities run by local 

sports clubs and professional coaches. Keston Primary School were defending their Sports Festival Champions Title which they have won for 

the past two years! 

Oasis students, acted as Team Managers and coaches to the Year 5 teams leading and cheering them on 

around a carousel of competitive matches in 10 different sports throughout the day including lacrosse, 

underwater hockey, ultimate Frisbee as well as more ‘traditional’ sports such as tennis, rugby, netball and 

gymnastics 

As another summer’s day dawned it was obvious that wet weather plans had to be put into action but with our 

extensive indoor sports facilities there was plenty of room to organise an exciting programme. In previous years 

a Tug of War determines the Championship Winners but this year, an exciting indoor ’netball-style’ shoot out was 

organised for semi-final places and Championship winner. 

Purley Oaks and Byron were level with 7 all at the end of full-time, so a thrilling 30 second extra-time shoot was 

held with Byron just clinching the winning basket with 28 seconds on the clock to be crowned Sports Fest 

Champions 2012. 

Hamish Robertson and Adrian Nash from the Rotary Club of Coulsdon Manor, came to watch the final and 

present well-deserved medals to runners-up Purley Oaks. Byron were presented with Champion Medals and the 

Championship Trophy which they will hold for a year. 

PE Teacher, Raad Swais, who organised the programme of events said: “The 

Sports Festival is the highlight of the Academy’s 

primary outreach programme 

and with the summer Olympics 

just a few weeks away there 

was a real sporting buzz at the 

Academy. The Festival was a 

great way of sharing our 

facilities with local primary 

schools and giving students a 

taste of different sports.” 

I wanted to say thank you to you and your staff for giving 

the children such a fantastic day. 

They came back so excited and were delighted with 

everything. The staff said it was brilliantly organised and 

the pupils who helped were great. Our Year 5 teacher was 

so proud of her class. 

Please pass on our thanks to 

all concerned. 

Clare Wingrave, Headteacher, 

Byron Primary 

Dream = Ambition + Dedication 

Aim high and never stop until you get there! 

Dear all, 

I just wanted to take this opportunity to say a massive thank 

you for the great memories and experiences that you have 

given me over the past five years. As you all know by now I 

am leaving in July to go and teach in Kenya where I will also 

be working on fulfilling my dream of having my own school 

or charity in a place where the kids have nothing 

and really need it. 

I wish you all the best for the future and I will be 

back to visit on my holidays. 

Mr. Swais 

A rare photo of Mr Swais not in PE Kit! Pictured at the Year 11 

Prom with Miss Chapman. 

GOOD LUCK MR SWAIS AND KEEP IN TOUCH!

EURO 2012 TOURNAMENT 

Sixteen teams – one winner! 

RUSSIA! 

Students from all year groups were involved in the six-a-side Euro 2012 tournament. Each team was 

made up of students from each of years 7, 8 and 9 and two girls, with Year 10 students assigned as 

coaches, and staff as Managers. 

Football fever reached new heights when teams had to ‘bid’ for which country they wanted to be; 

Ireland was hotly contested between the staff members who originate from the Emerald Isle, with 

England the next most sought after. But it’s what happens on the pitch that counts and Russia, 

co-managed by Mrs Jones and volunteer helper Michael Eglon, were quietly confident that they were 

the dream team and the ‘ones to beat’! 

A film crew of students conducted pre and post-match interviews with Team Managers and players 

and the live matches shown throughout the Academy on the plasma screens during lunchtimes and 

after school. 

Mr Attenborough, self-proclaimed ‘Director of European Football(!), definitely had the best dressed 

team as they had team kits, water bottles and other advantages of being led by the Head of PE. However, they were in the same Group as hot 

favourites Russia and sadly lost to the future Champions! 

On the last day of the competition, Russia faced fierce competition in their semi-final against Italy who they eventually defeated 2-0 and then 

played one of the tournament favourites, Greece, in the final. Greece’s managers, Mr Millar & Mr Booth were certainly very vocal (with Mr Millar 

cheering his team on via a Skype-link from his Principal’s Conference in London!). It was a close match with both sides producing great passes 

and forcing some amazing saves from the goalkeepers at both ends of the pitch. In the final 2 minutes of extra time a stunning shot from Moses 

McKenzie secured the Championship for a jubilant Russia. 

13 year old Ryan Ramus enjoyed a double celebration, not only did he receive a Championship Winners’ Medal he was also presented with the 

tournament ‘Golden Boot’ as top goal scorer with eight goals to his name. England Under 19 International and Chelsea Youth Academy 

Goalkeeper, Jamal Blackman, presented Ryan with the trophy. “I thought it was a great success on winning and I'm very proud of the team. It 

was also a bonus for getting top scorer in my year so that's an achievement as well.” Said Ryan. 

Team Manager, Michael Eglon said: “All our players were amazing and showed great determination and skill. Tamah Gayle, in particular showed 

great team spirit and good defensive play. As winner of the Golden Boot Award, Ryan of course was outstanding.” 

All team members were presented with medals and the Academy Euro 2012 Trophy by Jamal Blackman, who spent two hours at the Academy, 

talking to students, signing autographs and giving football advice. 

Head of PE, Niall Attenborough said: “We are very grateful to Jamal for finding time in his busy schedule to support our tournament. The students 

were thrilled to meet him.” 

Money raised from the tournament will be donated to Sport Relief and some funds will be used to purchase new football kit for the Academy 

Football team. 

CHAMPIONS! 

Year 10 Coach 

Dijon Ansah (Key Stage 4 Head Boy) 

Year 7 

Tony Hayley 

Brendan Walsh 

Year 8 

Moses McKenzie 

Ryan Ramus 

Tamah Gayle 

Year 9 

Michael Poupart 

Nirosh Muralitharan 

“ I thoroughly enjoyed it last week and it was a 

great success for me to actually win a team 

trophy”. Michael, Year 9 

THANK YOU 

MR ATTENBOROUGH, 

WE ALL HAD A GREAT 

TIME! 

A photographer from the Croydon Advertiser came along to the final and you can view the 

gallery of shots (which are also available to purchase) online by clicking on the link below: 

http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/pictures/Oasis-Academy-Coulsdon-holds-Euro-2012- 

tournament/pictures-16446702-detail/pictures.html 

MR MILLAR AND MR EGLON PROVIDED ‘BEAT THE GOALIE’ ENTERTAINMENT AT 

THE OLD COULSDON DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS. 

Friends of Oasis Academy organised the BBQ which was extremely popular despite the rain!

GIRLS’ PE 

It was lovely to welcome Miss Van der Berg back at the start of the summer term. 

Girls’ PE is thriving at the Academy, with so many opportunities for our students 

to shine. Watch out for details on our latest dance World Record attempt in the 

Autumn term! 

NETBALL 

Year 7 and Year 8 were entered into the Croydon Schools netball league and did extremely well! Year 7 came 

3 rd in their division and Year 8 came second! This is a huge achievement as the school has not had a netball 

team for some time. Well done to all of the Year 7 and 8 girls involved in this years netball. Netball trials for 

year 7, 8, and 9 A and B teams will be in September! 

SHOWCASE 

The 2012 showcase saw immense talent from both Key Stage 3 and 

4. We saw over 60 students take part in dance, cheerleading and gymnastics from girls and boys! The 

showcase was a chance for students to display their own choreography as well as what they had been 

learning in EEE sessions and extra-curricular activities. The Academy was pleased to see a diverse 

range of dance styles such as tap, ballet and street and it was pleasing to see so many students involved 

in such a memorable evening! Well done to all the performers! 

CHEERLEADING 

This academic year we have seen the start of something exciting! Oasis Atomic 

Cheerleading team have gone from strength the strength and have learnt so much in 

such a short time! They are now performing to Level 1 competition standards which 

means that they will be able to enter a National Schools Competition next Summer! 

The girls have been coming up with ways to fundraise for uniforms and we are hoping 

for these to be made in November! The girls performed a pom pom dance and 

cheered at the final of the Academy Euro football tournament which definitely got the 

crowd in the mood! 

FAIRFIELD HALLS DANCE 

A group of students performed at the Croydon Schools dance festival which their year was based around the 

theme “Remember when…” Miss Chapman choreographed a contemporary dance piece based on the first 

man landing on the moon. The girls performed and represented the Academy incredibly well! Well Done! 

PURLEY FESTIVAL AND OASIS COULSDON VILLAGE FAIR 

A group of Year 8 and Year 11 girls performed a short showcase of dance and cheerleading at the 2012 Purley 

Festival and also at the Old Coulsdon Village Fair. The display was a mixture of student’s, Miss Chapman’s and Miss Van de Berg’s 

choreography. Well done to the girls who performed outside in the pouring rain with a smile on their face!

CONGRATULATIONS! 

MISS CHAPMAN IS THE CROYDON ADVERTISER 

TEACHER OF THE YEAR 2012! 

“She is always enthusiastic, she has a way of making us want to do well for 

her; she’s an inspiration!” Natasha 

“Thanks to Miss Chapman we now have netball teams” Lilli 

“She’s always there for us and always bubbly, happy and smiley” Katy 

“She started cheerleading club. She’s more like a friend than a teacher.” 

Bethany 

“She’s a role model and always gives good advice. She’s always cheerful and 

knows how to cheer us up if we are feeling a bit down. She puts in a lot of 

extra-time after school to help us” Jess 

“Her people-skills are second to none. She’s really easy to talk to. She 

helped me through a tough time with my exams and gave me good advice 

when I was choosing my Option subjects” Michael 

“I would like to thank everyone who voted for me. I was shocked when I found out students had nominated me and overwhelmed when 

the editor of The Croydon Advertiser telephoned me to tell me I had won! It’s a true honour and reflects on the Academy students and 

staff who have made me so welcome and make my job as teacher an absolute pleasure”. Vikki Chapman. 

Miss Chapman will attend a special reception next week with Head of PE, Mr Attenborough, where she will be presented with her prize: Valiant ICT 

software package for the Academy and a Spa break and dinner at the Selsdon Park Hotel for herself. 

WORK EXPERIENCE 

Our Year 10 students are on Work Experience for the last two weeks of this term . 

They have been given some excellent opportunities throughout a wide range of business organisations 

which include schools, nurseries, legal firms, retailers, graphic designers, hairdressers, leisure centres, 

music producers, accountants, hotels, general offices, equestrian centres, mechanics, builders and 

electricians. 

There was a mixture of excitement and apprehension when the students had their final briefing with Mrs Butcher before they left The Academy. 

They will be visited by members of staff and their employers will provide them with an appraisal at the end of their placement. 

We wish them every success during this very important period of their education and look forward to hearing about their experiences when they 

return to The Academy in September, when they will be in Year 11. Hopefully the insight they would have 

had into the world of work will motivate them in their future studies.

Year 11—it’s finally over! A message from Mrs Patel 

Thursday 23 August 

I look forward to seeing you all on Results Day to celebrate what will be OUR BEST RESULTS EV- 

ER……. 

After a number of busy and intense months, Year 11 students saw the end of their GCSE final examinations, and breathed a huge sigh of relief. 

They have worked hard, studied hard and were able to say, “ It’s finally over.” However, it was quite reassuring to see them support each other 

through this important phase of their journey. 

I am sure that they would like to extend a huge thank you to all of the staff who gave them, group and individual revision sessions, to boost their 

coursework and class work through intervention sessions. Another special thank you to their six mentors, Mrs Straker, Mrs Goodwin, Mr Crivich, 

Mr Shorney, Mrs Moisan and Ms Swan for their persistent cajoling, sweets, chocolates and words of encouragement, including the tough love 

approach. 

They are an amazing group of students who set out to surpass and break records set by other Year 11 groups. They were successful in doing that, 

and, I am sure that when their results come out on Thursday 23 rd . August 2012, that they will be celebrating this achievement. 

Year 11 Year Books 

The year 11 editorial team has been working on their year book for a few weeks now, and they are near the completion stage. The yearbook 

reflects their thoughts and feelings and is packed full with many nostalgic moments that they have all shared over the five years. 

This will provide them with many special memories and they will look back, with smiles, at situations and experiences, that they and their friends 

have been a part of over their time at the Academy. 

Orders can still be taken @ £10.00 each, but hurry because we need final numbers for printing and payment by 30 th July 

2012. 

2012 Prom 

On Friday 6 th July, nearly 75 year 11 students and 20 staff celebrated this event in the Agora, at the Academy. The Agora 

was transformed into an area covered in black and silver – which were the year group’s colours. 

The students arrived looking suave, glamorous and ready to dance and party until nearly midnight. They arrived to the 

sounds of their theme song, SHINE by Take That, and that reminded them of their last day in Year 10, when they voted 

for this. 

They were amazing and they had a fabulous evening and of course danced non-stop. They barely stopped to partake of 

the tantalizing buffet that was laid on which included from jerk chicken to double chocolate gateau. 

They all looked like kings and queens, and it extremely difficult to choose the Prom King and Queen. However, after 

much deliberation, the 2012 Prom Queen was Hayley Dartnell – Holmes and the Prom King was Ryan Bridger. They 

were brilliant and they will be able to share this experience also in their year book with dozens of photographs. 

With my best wishes and have a safe and restful summer break. 

View and order all Prom photos at 

www.photography365.co.uk

“Thank you” 

from Dheeren Somarchand, Year 11 

The Prom was really a magical evening, a memorable night that I will never forget! 

It was really nice to see the boys looking so smart and the girls in their wonderful dresses along with the teachers too, it 

was just amazing! The Agora was beautifully decorated with balloons, a red carpet and most importantly the food and 

drinks thanks to Miss Jones and Mrs Skilton. It was just a phenomenal evening to celebrate the end of our five years 

together in what has been a long, hardworking and successful journey. We now await for the amazing (we hope!) GCSE 

results in August. 

As this academic year draws towards an end, it’s been another phenomenal year. So much has happened. Most significantly, 

we moved into our brand new Academy which is absolutely stunning. We are so privileged to have such amazing facilities and now we 

have a sixth form, so many of us can stay on and take our A Levels. I would like to thank everyone involved with the design and construction of 

this fantastic building. 

I am so proud of this Academy and what we have achieved over the years to become a centre of excellence, it has been absolutely brilliant. 

I have high expectations, and know that we will be an ‘OUTSTANDING’ and ‘VIBRANT’ Academy for many years to come. 

Being part of our Family is fantastic. This year, our year group came together again to help us focus on our GCSE exams and to give us more 

opportunities to discuss and to decide on our post 16 choices. We were extremely lucky to have Mrs Patel as our Family Leader She has guided 

us through our many different pathways and directions. 

Mrs Patel is a wonderful head of year to work with but to our year group she is so much more than 

that. She is a mother who teaches us from right and wrong, a teacher who guides and helps us 

make the right decisions and most importantly, a friend who you can trust and talk to in times of 

trouble and despair. 

On behalf of Year 11, I would like to thank Mrs Patel for being there for us every step of the way. 

I would like to thank her personally for everything that she has 

done for me throughout the year. 

Small things can make a big difference in life; Mrs Patel is a 

GIANT in the Academy. 

I would like to thank the Mathematics and English department for all their hard work and hours that 

they have spent over the last couple of months to help us prepare for the GCSE Examinations; and a 

HUGE thank you to Miss Green who has been overseeing our progress, performance and successes. 

Thank you very much also to all the teachers and staff who have worked really hard to help us be 

successful in our future education and careers. 

FORMULA ONE MANAGEMENT 

Our last newsletter contained a report on a trip to McClaren and a Sixth Form Design Project in 

conjunction with Formula One Management. We have since received written feedback on the 

designs submitted by our Year 12 students: 

Overall both the written and verbal presentations were outstanding. All of the students presented 

their ideas in person with knowledge and confidence, which was particularly impressive given how 

much pressure they must have felt presenting their ideas to the ‘customer’ for the first time. 

Ashane: We really thought that Ashane understood the brief and had considered every aspect. We are particularly impressed with the cantilever 

‘kangaroo’ leg design that enables his chair to fold up with no loose parts, and that he had recognised the importance of this as part of the design 

Miguel: We really liked the look of Miguel’s design and his use of colours and materials. We were particularly interested that he included a 

headrest as it was not part of the brief but we felt this was a good idea from a comfort point of view and greatly added to the aesthetics of 

the chair. 

Gokul: His design looked good and he also mentioned that he had considered cost which is very important to us. 

James: James’ design demonstrated that he understood both the detail and broad concept of the brief, We very much liked 

the folding leg design, the bayonet seat fixing idea and that he questioned if we needed wheels. We also like the trolley 

idea as this is something we had considered but was not in the brief. 

Having considered it carefully, we felt that James’ project covered the brief most comprehensively and Ashane’s 

design was the most imaginative. 

We were pleased to have such a positive experience engaging with you on this project and would welcome 

the opportunity to undertake a similar exercise again. 

Andrew James, Technical Division Principal, Formula One Management Ltd

Poetry 

by Amba Lanning, Year 7 

Want to know what it is? 

To know how it sings? 

I’ll tell you right here. 

Well, it’s not alliteration 

Or simile 

Or metaphor 

Or repetition 

Or adjective 

Or personification 

Or rhyme 

Or rhythm 

Not sonnets 

Or haiku poems 

Or ode poems 

Or acrostic 

Or shape 

Or limerick 

Or lyric 

There are no rhyming couplets 

Or rhyming schemes 

Or rhetorical questions 

Or pattern and beat 

But poetry is ‘language on a spree’ 

Music to be heard and something to be 

It’s ‘words in their best order’ 

And ‘language in orbit’ 

Poetry is emotion and shine 

And such an intriguing thing 

And in a bundle which is what you should see. 

Love Revenge 

by Arounima Rosen, Year 8 

I am standing here, traumatised. 

Think about everything that’s going on, 

I feel that one tear standing on the brink of my 

eye. 

And a moment later, a flood of tears fall down 

my rosy cheeks. 

Even though I loved you, you broke my heart. 

I never thought that I could live apart, 

From this monster who’d 

Snapped my heart 

Into such tiny fragments that it was hard to repair. 

And unbelievably I thought we were a great pair. 

But now I am back, 

Ready to destroy you! 

Crash you, smash you and bash you! 

I’m too good for you and I know that now, 

So here I come. 

The Townhouse 

by Micah Ingram, Year 8 

It looks as beautiful as a bird, 

Painted in black and white, 

You would never have guessed it was haunted. 

The old Tudor Townhouse 

In the Borough of Southwark 

You would never have guessed it was haunted. 

It’s haunted by a mad woman 

Who can take away your soul and drive you insane. 

Be careful of her for she never leaves, 

Watching you with her beady eye. 

Do you dare to enter the Townhouse? 

Enter at your peril only. 

The windy wicked weather accentuates the 

creaky wooden floorboards, 

As the hollowness is due to a trapdoor 

Do you want to fall through? 

Then stay away from there. 

The Townhouse howls as if it’s mocking me 

Like it wants to drive me to insanity. 

A whisper, a stamp and a flash of light is all it 

took 

For her to finally get me. 

VISIT FROM LISA HARRISON FROM OASIS ZIMBABWE 

One of our Global Link Countries at The Academy is Oasis Zimbabwe. On Tuesday 3 rd July we were 

lucky enough to be visited by Lisa Harrison, one of the Oasis Volunteers at their centre just outside of 

Harare in Zimbabwe. She ran three lessons for Year 7 and 8 students and then gave an assembly 

for our Year 12. 

She wanted to raise awareness of the struggle to educate poor children in Zimbabwe and also to 

show that we only have to do a very little to make a huge difference to the lives of these young 

people. Her presentations were very relevant as the students she was talking about were the same age as our students, many of whom were often 

the carers for their siblings. Lisa explained how Oasis worked to save ’trafficked’ young girls and boys and how education was their passport to 

freedom. 

She left us with a lot of ideas for us to pursue next term and we will be able to strengthen our ties with Zimbabwe. We already support the Oasis 

Tanaka Project through fund-raising and five of our Year 12 students are saving to become volunteers in Zimbabwe before they go to 

university next year. 

Lisa took away letters that Year 7 and 8 students had written to the students in Zimbabwe and they hope to 

receive replies very soon. We are hoping to continue this ‘pen pal’ link with them. This way the 

students can learn from each other about their lives. 

Mrs Butcher also purchased some of the beautiful bags that the 

Tanaka girls have made and will be selling these at a 

forthcoming Trade Fair that one of her Business Studies 

groups will be running next term in The Academy. 

Further information can be found in ‘The Tanaka 

Project’ brochure or from Mrs Butcher.

Another fantastic year! Yes we know we say it every year but we truly can’t believe that another year has flown by so quickly. We would like to 

take this opportunity to say goodbye to our Year 11’s and their families; we sincerely wish all those who are leaving the Academy every success in 

their future endeavours. We have enjoyed representing you on the FOAC this past year and hope that you have taken advantage of meeting with 

us when we have been out and about at the Academy. We love to hear your views and opinions, so please do consider joining us next year. Over 

the last half-term our events have included:- 

Old Coulsdon Diamond Jubilee Celebrations: rain, rain, wind, bit more rain, is that 

the sun, no more rain . . . despite the appalling weather we had a fabulous afternoon 

flipping the burgers and toasting the sausages on the FOAC barbecue. Luckily we were 

all under a gazebo, except the poor guys on the barbecue!! We served up over 300 hot 

dogs and flame grilled cheese burgers, wiping out all stocks of cheese in the local area 

and raising a whopping £550 in the process. 

All Weather Car Boot Sale: following our thorough drenching at the last Car Booter in 

April, we were prepared for whatever the weather could throw at us, but luckily the sun 

shone down from on high, so we didn’t have to move inside the sports hall. Once we 

decided that we really were awake and standing to attention (your FOAC is not terribly 

good at 7 o’clock on a weekend morning and straws are usually drawn for volunteers) 

we managed to boot up our profits to £250. 

Old Coulsdon Village Fair: back by popular demand and with pre-Fair advance orders 

in the bag, we were again selling Krispy Kreme donuts and mouth-watering home-made 

fruity pots. We set our sights high at 1000 donuts and by 2 o’clock we had managed to sell 45 dozen. Breaking out in a sweat, your FOAC 

focused on the task ahead, knowing that you would not let us down and by close of business . . . and despite, yep, unbelievably, more RAIN . . . we 

had flogged the lot! 

Events Round-up for the year - we could not have done it without you! We have had a truly fabulous year, both in terms of fundraising for the 

Academy and in partnership events with local community groups. As students, parents, carers and Academy staff, you have all been so generous 

with your time and money, enabling us to trounce last year’s fundraising total. Whilst going to press, we were still totting up the figures and the full 

details will be published on the Academy website shortly. Last September seems a lifetime time ago but since the start of this academic year we 

have held a Christmas Fair, sported a Race Night, put you all to the test at our annual Quiz Night, sailed through two Car Booters, fired the 

Barbecue for the Old Coulsdon Diamond Jubilee and topped off the year at the Old Coulsdon Village Fair. 

And it has been great fun, we’re not just saying that so you’ll join us next year We have truly enjoyed every moment, but the biggest pleasure 

of all has been spending your money on: CPR training dolls to train all the students in basic life-saving skills; a blood pressure monitor; 

crash helmets for the mountain bike club; funding a SAVVY Theatre Company workshop; digital cameras for GCSE projects; the 

Academy Christmas Tree and Opening Ceremony wristband memorabilia; and financial assistance with 

the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. If you would like a say in how your money is spent next year, then 

come along to our meeting in September. 

And to next year: we have some great ideas for the forthcoming year and will be kicking them off with our first 

ever Fireworks Night on 2 nd November, followed by our popular Christmas Fair later in the month; and of course 

the year would not be complete without our annual FOAC Quiz Night featuring a surprise mystery guest Quiz 

Master- who will it be in 2013?? 

We hope that you all have a restful Summer break and we look forward to welcoming new members and fresh 

ideas from September. 

Keep up to date with us by: 

Following us on twitter at www.twitter.com/OasisCoulsdon 

Checking out our Diary Of Events on the Academy website 

Emailing us on foac@oasiscoulsdon.org 

Downloading our Meeting Minutes from the Academy website 

You are represented on your FOAC by:- 

Brunel: Reena Ramus, Sam Smith, Henrietta Westergaard-Belcher, Tracey Jeal, Tracy Lavelle, Karen Steele, Lynne Dunham 

Da Vinci: Sue Buckingham, Dawn Lockyer, Graham Day, Shirley North, Paul Laing Curie: Jacky Vasili, Claire & Russell 

Taylor Luther King: Jackie Hann, Clare Howe, Alison Fitzwalter Y11: Jan Boothby Independents: David Millar, Mark 

Pelling, Marion Jones, Bob Lund 

Our next meeting will be in the Autumn term check the website for details.

FAMILY LEADERS REPORT 

Mrs Buckingham, Mr Calvo, Mr Cheshire & Mr Martin 

We just cannot believe how quickly a year has flown by, it only seems like yesterday that we were welcoming year 7 into the Academy. This year 

has seen a real enthusiasm from students for trying to gain the ARC awards for Service, Professionalism, Academic and Enrichment. We were 

amazed at how quickly they achieved some of the merits in each of the areas reflecting a keenness and passion to do well, with many of them 

attaining the Principal’s Award. 

This year saw even more reward events being offered to the students and even more students achieving the standard required to attend the 

event. This year we held a Beach Party, we had a film event, we took 200 students to see the Pantomime, Aladdin at Fairfield Halls and we hired 

a number of different inflatables where over 300 students took part in both individual and team activities. As we write this we are finalising the 

details for a trip to Chessington in the last week of term with 150 students being invited. Let’s just hope the weather improves and we have a bit 

of sunshine! 

We end this year with changes in the Family system being announced. All the Family Leaders are sad that we will be losing some of our students 

but are very excited with the new system and how it will bring positive change for the students. Most of the newsletters that we write reflect our 

views as Family Leaders on what we have done. However, in this newsletter we have decided to find out student and mentor views of how they 

feel this year has gone for them and what their hopes are for the future. Below are thoughts from some students from each of the families and 

from Luther King Mentors. 

We would just like to finish with a big thank you to all of our Mentors who are have done a fantastic job in supporting your sons and daughters 

and us over the past year. Year 10s are all on Work Experience and we wish them well in whatever they have chosen to gain experience in. We 

would all like to wish you and your family a safe and restful summer holiday and look forward to working with your child again in September. 

As Head Girl of KS3 I’ve helped at 

parents’ evenings and have made 

speeches in front of audiences. The 

position of Head Girl has allowed 

me to develop my leadership skills 

and improve my confidence. 

A lot of positive things have 

happened in the Academy this year. 

Year 9 have graduated and started 

their GCSE options, and students have been involved in shows 

such as Oasis Got Talent and the Dance Show Case. 

Kirsty Bailey Year 9 Da Vinci 

BRUNEL 

“This year in the Academy I 

have enjoyed helping at 

basketball matches!” 

Matthew Bean – Year 8 

Head Boy KS3 Joshua Mason Year 9 

It’s been an excellent and very enjoyable year for 

me being Head Boy. I’ve gained lots of experience 

in my organisation, leadership, speaking and 

listening skills. It was an honour for me to get given 

this opportunity and responsibility of this important 

role in my key stage. It’s been a little difficult in 

some areas but I have always tried to deal with it in 

a professional and appropriate manner. 

On the day I was given the role of head boy I was 

over the moon, I felt like the luckiest boy 

in the world particularly as I had only been 

at the Academy for a short while. I made 

a promise to myself that I was going to do 

everything I could to make this year the 

best I could and to give it my all at every 

event. 

I would just like to take this opportunity to 

thank Mr Calvo, Mr Best, Mrs Lesova, Mr 

Booth, Mr Millar and all the other teachers 

for selecting me as Head boy for this year, 

I am so grateful. 

Have an excellent summer! 

Surrey Youth Games 

During this competition I was 

playing for Mole Valley and we 

played like champions. We played 

5 games and we won 4 out of the 

5 games. In the final it was a draw 

after 10 minutes and extra time so 

it had to go to penalties and we 

got to 5/5. So it got to sudden 

death penalties and I placed it 

bottom corner, I ran away crying 

and did a back summersault. We 

had won! 

“This year I have enjoyed being in my mentor group and have developed lots of good friendships!” Lilija Kologyij – Year 8 

“This year I have enjoyed being part of the Performing Arts events that have happened. I am proud of being a student here!” 

Bethany Street – Year 8 

“The proudest moment of this year was when we moved into the new school as it was really nice and a wonderful sight!” 

Natasha Stear – Year 8 

“I have really enjoyed learning because the teachers have made lessons fun for me” Madalina Stremtan – Year 7 

“This year has been an enjoyable one because I have made lots of improvements in lessons.” 

Abdul Mohammed – Year 8

LSM Mrs Matate 

We gladly welcomed the following students to our form this term: 

Sabiena Cotowal; Amy Gardner-Briggs; Bailey Jarvis; Georgia McGrain and 

Nirosh Muralitharan. 

LUTHER KING 

The tutor group has developed from last year, with improved interaction and 

relationship building amongst members. More students are making a conscious effort to monitor their attendance and students are beginning to 

talk positively by encouraging each other to improve their attainment and behaviour. Our target for next year is to see more students from the tutor 

group, becoming more actively involved in activities around the Academy. 

As we wished Year 10 students a favourable work experience, we also wished them all the best for their upcoming final GCSE year, with a 

reminder that high attainment of grades requires commitment and consistent hard work and effort. 

LDS Miss Shepherd 

Throughout this academic year LDS has increased term after term, taking in new students to the Academy and offering a caring, stable family 

group to those needing continuity; this has also increased the number of cakes made for each birthday! We have celebrated many successes 

within our mentor group. All our year 10 students are now active members of the Academy Student Leadership group, roles which I’m sure they 

will excel in as they continue into Year 11. The real star throughout the year would have to be Isabella for her outstanding contributions to various 

charities, her academic achievements and her numerous swimming awards. It will be sad to say goodbye to them all as I take on a new role in 

the north of England in September. I wish every member of LDS every success in their academic studies and hope all their dreams come true for 

the future 

LRSM Miss Smith 

What a form! They have been a pleasure to work with over the last year or two. What has impressed me most about this group of individuals is 

their ability to get on with each other and be a family. It has been a pleasure to watch them all grow and mature over this time and I know they will 

all go on to achieve fantastic results. Great year guys – well done! 

LCW Mrs Ward 

2012 has been a great year for LCW mentoring group. We had some fantastic year 7 students join us last September who have settled in to our 

family as if they have always belonged. They have many amazing skills such as dancing and singing and I can already see their leadership skills 

developing. I have watched my Year 8 students through to Year 10 students maturing into young adults, showing kindness, respect and 

innovation. How lucky I am to watch these changes, the pride in my mentoring group is impossible to hide. I will be very sorry to say good bye to 

my Year 10 students who will have been a fantastic support to the lower years. Billy Smith and Alvin Turyatemba have been this year’s 

ambassadors for my mentoring group; they have been there to guide and encourage the whole class, and what a fantastic job they have done. A 

big thank you to them for their help and I wish all of my year 10s well in their GCSE year. 

DA VINCI 

‘Mrs Buckingham is an inspiring Family 

Leader and has helped me a lot. Being 

part of the Da Vinci Family is like having 

a second family. It has been a fun three 

years and I will miss my Family Leader’ 

I have made loads of progress in 

year 7 all because of my hard working 

teachers. Moving from the B set 

to the A set has been a great 

improvement for me. Year 7 has 

been a great year for me and I am 

looking forward to my last year in 

Da Vinci. Becca Laing Year 7 

Thomas Okyere Year 9 

At the beginning of year 7 I was very scared but all of the students and teachers were 

welcoming and kind. I soon felt I fitted into the Academy and very much felt part of a 

Family. In Da Vinci I feel like I belong in it and have very much enjoyed being part of 

this family. I have been involved in many events and activities and have really 

enjoyed participating in the reward events. 

Rachel Bhairam Year 7 

I felt my first year was great because I 

had so many Academy events like the 

Football. I have done lots of 

volunteering for different events 

including helping out at the recent Old 

Coulsdon Village Fair on the two Rotary 

Club stalls. 

Lewis Hazeldine Year 7

I think my year in the Academy has been quite successful because I have taken on 

CURIE 

lots of new things. This year I have become one of the main Curie Student Councillors 

and part of the Academy Student Leadership Team. I have also helped cook for a 

local residential home as part of my food technology course and helped serve at a 

Rotary Club silver service dinner. I have also received the Key Stage 4 Curie Student 

of the Term Award this year along with 100% attendance. Overall I think I have done really well this year and I am very proud of my achievements 

and hope to continue. Jess Graves Year 10 

My Year 7, by Aliyah Turner Dean 

My year has involved getting to know teachers and students in the whole school and I think I have settled in well. 

Contributions to school life: Firstly I have been taking part in Fitness Friday after school every Friday also I have been selected to run for the 

school in athletics every Thursday . I helped out in the open evening to show Year 6s around our fabulous school. 

Outside school success: I have won a canoeing medal for a canoeing race, I have one a football medal because my team won a tournament and 

I have won an athletics medal for my school winning the finals and coming first . 

My year at the Academy by Matthew Gliddon, Year 7 

I joined the Academy in September. So I was trying to settle in to the school. I met new people and new teachers. I have been duty pupil and I was 

a tour guide during the summer opening evening. My first few months at the school, we were still in temporary accommodation. I was excited about 

the new building because it looked very modern and the plan looked brilliant. I have had a lot of homework some were easy some were hard. But I 

liked the humanities projects the best. I like art and drama the most because that is where I feel creative. 

My Academic year by Daniel Heather Year 8 

During the past year a lot of things have changed for the good including; the new building, new 

facilities and new opportunities opening up for everyone. 

My contributions to the school in the past year: I have helped out at an open evening in the 

start of the year and I play for the school football team. 

What have I enjoyed the most? I have enjoyed the change the school has been through from 

what it used to be to what it is now. I have enjoyed the new opportunities for example the Euro 

football competition within our school. I also like the new sports facilities, technology facilities 

and the food rooms. 

My Academic School Year, Kevin Tang, Year 7 

Over the past year a few things have been changed. Before the building was built 

we were learning in temporary classrooms. Now the building is finally built, it has created many 

new opportunities for students and teachers. 

I have enjoyed helping out with the year 7s. 

I have helped up with parents evening 

making coffee and open days helping out 

with drama. Also I am helping Miss Lindsay 

with the Year 7 drama club and helping 

produce a mini production for them. We 

rehearse on days after school. 

Abbie Smart—Year 8 

What I enjoy about the new Academy building 

I enjoyed that the school has new rooms for more subjects, more practical in the rooms and also the amount of space we can play and learn. They 

have a new areas for us, like the agora and mugas. They have also created a new, bigger and better sport rooms and halls. 

Things the Academy has done for students: Oasis Got Talent, Euro 2012, Year 8 Impact day, Christmas fair, Car boot sale and best of all they 

have had the rewards events!

Congratulations to all students who 

graduated this term and begin their Key 

Stage 4 curriculum in September. 

As well as following their chosen subject 

pathways, students will move into either 

Brunel or Curie, our 

two Key Stage 4 

Family Groups, led 

by Mr Cheshire and 

Mr Martin. 

Mrs Buckingham and Mr Calvo lead our Key 

Stage 3 Family Groups: Da Vinci and Luther 

King. 

All students will be informed which 

Family Group they will belong to and 

a letter will be sent home 

containing a ribbon in the 

Family colour to sew onto 

their blazer.

CHAPLAIN’S 

CORNER 

I started in post as Chaplain at Oasis Academy Coulsdon at the beginning of this half term. As I have been meeting staff 

and students everyone has asked the same questions: ‘what is a chaplain?’ and ‘what are you going to be doing here?’. 

Let me start at the beginning. Oasis believes that ‘well-being’ is about every aspect of a person’s life – social, educational, emotional, spiritual and 

environmental – the whole 360 degrees. Oasis’ work is about meeting the breadth of people’s needs and bringing transformation for communities. 

Oasis has been working in ‘hubs’ for a number of years trying to join up pieces of work in order to bring about whole and healthy communities. 

Oasis Hubs are centres of activity consisting of services which benefit the whole person and the whole community. The service is matched to the 

need – in some areas there is an Academy and a health centre; in another there might be a housing project and a youth work programme along 

with training courses or a café. Whatever the need, Oasis is here to help people and communities become healthy and whole. 

We have an excellent team of teaching staff here at Oasis Academy Coulsdon who deliver high calibre teaching whilst the inclusion team and 

pastoral staff work to meet students’ social and emotional needs. My role is to integrate with both of those teams and to work independently 

towards meeting our community’s spiritual needs. 

In my opinion spirituality is about finding our place in a story which is bigger than ourselves. It is about wrestling with life’s big questions. It is about 

living in a way which connects us to others and is about taking the opportunity to ask ‘who am I?’, ‘who do I want to be?’ and ‘who am I becoming?’ 

As well as providing opportunities for spiritual development, part of my role is to ensure that Oasis’ ethos is upheld in every area of academy life 

and to input into the development of other projects in the wider community. As Chaplain a key part of my role is responding to individuals and 

families who are in need of support. I am here to be a listening ear and to walk with you through challenging situations. 

There are some exciting plans in the pipeline, some of which I will share with you in future publications. In the meantime if there is anything I can 

do to support your child or your family or if you would like to know more about the chaplaincy service please feel free to contact me on 

chaplain@oasiscoulsdon.org. 

During the May GCSE examinations period, 37 of our Year 9 students took 3 GCSE examination 

papers. Each examination paper was one hour in length, making this a total of two and a half hours of 

exams in History, Geography and RE respectively. These papers combined, make up a GCSE in 

Humanities. This was a fantastic achievement, as they had completed the work for this GCSE in just two 

terms at the Academy. 

In addition to the exams, students also had to complete a controlled assessment on the impact of the 

Railways and other forms of transportation on everyday life. The results of this internal assessment were 

very encouraging and Miss Dadswell is very much looking forward to their final results in August. Well done 

to all those in Year 9 who took this examination. 

Shepherd Robson, the 

designers of our building, 

commissioned a specialist 

photographer to take shots of 

our Academy for architectural 

magazines.

MATHEMATICS 2011-2012 

This has been a great year in the Mathematics Department 

as we have worked hard to raise both the achievement of the students 

and to raise the profile of the subject in school. 

At GCSE we have built on the success of last year. The Year 11 students and the Maths Team have worked really hard in 

lessons. Additional time has been given to intervention both after school, at weekends and during holiday times. The 

students also attended two Pixl Conferences where they worked alongside Year 11 students to tackle key areas of the 

course. These were brilliant days from which they really benefitted. There have been three examination sessions this year, 

November, March and June. We are still awaiting the results of the June examinations but 59% of the students have 

already achieved a grade from A* to C. 

With the opening of the Sixth Form in September 2011 the first group of GCE students began the study of mathematics at 

GCE level. There is an evident increase in difficulty of the work at this level and students have worked hard to meet this 

challenge. We are hopeful that our first set of results will be good. 

Maths students at Key Stage 3 have also been working hard and a group of students from Years 7 and 8 entered the Junior 

Maths Challenge, with three students achieving gold certificates and five 

achieving bronze – congratulations to them! 

Students in Year 8 have also successfully taken part in a Charity Challenge, raising £186 for Cancer 

Research UK and the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Students had to use various mathematical 

methods, including sampling and questionnaires, mixed with themes and ideas from business studies 

to sell cakes in the hope of raising the most money for charity. Well done to team ‘Wish’ who raised 

£57 in one day! 

The Maths Department also took part in the Grand Opening running three workshops for students in Year 

9. At one they looked at 3D shapes, cutting out their nets and making models which are on display in F14. 

At another they set up an Oasis Academy Coulsdon account on Twitter so that we have established an 

internet link in which all students can participate. The final project was to design a Lunar Theme Park, a 

challenge that was met with great excitement. 

Last year we introduced the website My Maths to the students. This is used both in lesson times and for homework and 

has proved to be very popular with all year groups. All students have their own individual log in and can gain access to 

tutorials, exercises and maths games. This year we have launched Manga High. Again this is a great maths site but is 

very interactive enabling students to challenge other schools to mathematical competitions and also to compete with 

students at home and abroad. 

A group of thirty Year 7 students will be visiting Groombridge Place to support their achievements in mathematics. This is a fantastic place with 

formal gardens where they may play chess, a vineyard where we will be looking at angles of elevation and depression, an enchanted forest with 

huge swings and lots of other interesting activities. Students were invited to take part in this trip because of their effort, attainment and excellent 

attitude. 

“MONEYTWIST” 

On Monday 25 th June Mrs Butcher organised a 

financial competency programme for Year 9 students, 

that was run by the education company called 

“MyBnk”. 

Their “Moneytwist” workshop covered the history 

and features of money, forms of payment, 

currency and exchange rates, budgeting and 

saving, youth employment, accounting and 

ethical banking. 

The day was packed full of 

inter-active sessions and 

students were given the 

opportunity to find out 

more about how 

finance impacts on 

our everyday 

lives.

A look back on our Sixth Form first year 

By Jessica Little 

We started off the year with a fantastic Grand Opening. We had the great honour of welcoming Lord Adonis and 

Rev Steve Chalke. Sixth Form students took part in welcoming the general public to our Academy, we gave them tours. 

Catch 22: Many Sixth Form students have taken part in the Catch 22 program during this year; 

this provided mentoring for Key Stage 3 students, who need the extra support in guiding them 

towards being successful. 

Joanne Trott, Adil Ali and took part in Young Enterprise, meeting once every week. This 

gave these students the opportunity to be able to start a business, with a group of students 

from a variety of other Sixth Forms. They are able to contrast ideas on a product, which 

they created and sold. Their group competes against other people in trying to raise the 

most profit with their chosen product and run a successful business. The winners will 

continue their successful business and achieve a qualification from this. 

Trips 

During this year many Sixth Formers have taken part in different trips such as the textiles fashion trip, this was the 

Clothes Show Live event that took place in Birmingham on 5 th December 2011. Three year 12 students D’Andra, Jayde, 

and Emmanuella took part in this event. D’Andra said: “the show was lively yet still inspiring, and it definitely makes me 

appreciate fashion careers more”. 

Tall ships event: Jessica Little, Joanne Trott and Mairi McWhirr took part in the tall ships Easter challenge. The 

trip started in Southampton and finished in Cardiff. We set sail on the same day the Titanic did 100 years ago; we 

also arrived into Cardiff the day the Titanic sank! It took us 6 days to complete the journey. During the 6 days we 

were able to put up the sails and sail with no engine power for 8 hours. We were given the opportunity to learn how 

to steer the ship, throughout our watches we would take it in turns, using sailing terminology to such as ‘port’ and 

‘starboard’ to be able to steer the ship. During our watches if we was not steering the ship we also had to take it in 

turns to be look out, during this time we had to look out from other boats and buoys. We were trained and learnt 

about each siren that went off, making us aware of the surroundings we were living in. We learnt how to move the 

masts using the ropes and tying them around the pins. 

RYLA: Joanne Trott, Jessica Little, Mairi McWhirr and Jordan Bridgman-Simon took part in the rotary young leadership award which took place 

on from the 4 th -7 th May. This trip was based in the New Forest in Avon Tyrell. The trip involved a wide range of activities; these included 

canoeing, archery, trust walk, night line and low ropes. We were separated into four different groups each of which took part in an activity at a set 

time. Low ropes involved the team work to accomplish tasks. Archery gave us the opportunity to learn new skills and learn and experience new 

games. During nightline we were blind folded and had to trust our group member completely. Canoeing was great fun, playing games, races and 

even learning more skills, however out of the 22 young people taking part in the weekend six managed to capsize. 

Skills workshops/ programs 

We have taken part in programs which have allowed us to build on our confidence and skills. Some of these 

programs have focused on one particular area that will be used by many of us in the future, showing and 

teaching us skills that will be used in everyday life. These were programs such as: 

Interview skills day: gave us the opportunity to learn and experience interviews. A team of six from 

Entreisa Education facilitated the day. It gave us the opportunity to learning how to prepare for an interview, 

CV guide, and example of good and bad. We were also given team work exercises to build 

confidence and show leadership and team skills when working with others. It also gave us the 

experience to see what an interview would be like, and show us the ways of which we can be 

prepared and ready to complete an interview. 

Oasis Zimbabwe: This showed us the opportunity that we would be able to gain by participating in volunteer 

work. This would be working with our partnering school in Zimbabwe. Giving us life skills and showing us the difference in lifestyle for 

those who live there. This would also give us the opportunity to find out about the organisation and how it helps people around the 

world. Being able to share their experience of past programs and giving us the opportunity to share our experience with them. 

Five students have been keen on this, and will be taking part in this volunteer work next summer. 

Many have found that Sixth Form has been a real jump from GCSE to Sixth Form. On behalf of the Sixth Form, I would 

like to thank our tutors, Mrs Butcher & Mr McCullagh for all their help this year. 

James Jugghoo: 'James is a 

bright and confident individual 

which came across in his 

interview. His body language is 

positive and exudes 

confidence'. 

Leandro: 'Leandro is clearly a 

polite, friendly individual whose 

infectious personality came 

across in interview. His tone is 

clear and responses are 

understood well'.

YEAR 12 PSYCHOLOGY TRIP 

By Heather Kelvin 

In June the Year 12 Psychology and Biology Students went on a trip to London to visit 

Sigmund Freud’s House. 

We went with two lovely teachers, Ms Lesova and Mr Swais and had a really enjoyable 

time. We had time to go for a wander around Camden through to cultural extravaganza of 

shops and food stalls. 

We then travelled to Freud’s house where we all went on a tour of where he lived. We 

were able to see his study where he conducted his work; the rooms upstairs had many 

pictures of his family and his art work and also a family tree which we found very 

intriguing. 

Afterwards we were able to meet with the curator of the Freud Museum where we could 

ask him questions about Freud, his work or about the museum. We sat in the garden and 

he and two of his PhD students conducted a university style seminar where they talked to 

us in detail about Freud, his life, ideas and work. We were able to debate and discuss 

and we learnt a lot of new interesting information. 

Overall the trip was really great fun and I’m glad we were able to get a thorough insight 

into psychology which will really help us with our studies.

OUR FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITY USE 

Email: lettings@oasiscoulsdon.org or call 01737 559005 

We have all been enjoying our new building and facilities. They are so good we wanted to share them with our local residents and community. 

Since September we have been hiring out our sports facilities, classrooms and Agora to different community organisations and for private parties. 

The sports facilities are very popular, and we currently have athletics training, badminton, Zumba, Taekwondo, football and kettle bell classes. All 

but the athletics will continue through the summer break. On Sundays, Caterham Community Church hold their morning service at Oasis, along 

with Sunday school. 

In addition over the summer, there will be a Karate Summer School, and a production of Pilgrim’s Progress 

performed by the Saltmine Theatre Company, which they are also performing at The Edinburgh Festival. 

We are proving popular for birthday parties for all ages, ranging from go-kart, bouncy castle or football 

parties for the young at heart through to more formal occasions for our local residents. 

Our food-tech rooms are also used at the weekends, for a variety of events. The largest was a sit-down 

meal for 300 in the Agora for an athletics club charity fund-raiser. In December we are the venue for a 

Christmas party for a charity that supports children with heart conditions. 

Our new fitness suite has already gained a lot of interest, and we have a number of personal trainers who 

are keen to use our gym, with the possibility of boot camp style fitness circuits in the sports hall. Local 

osteopaths and physiotherapists have also shown great interest in using the gym for rehabilitation 

sessions. 

All our evening and weekend lettings are supported by our new band of Community Assistants, who aim to 

ensure everything runs smoothly. 

Details for all clubs will be appearing on our community lettings website page in the future. 

If you have read this and think a club you help run may like to use our facilities, or you have a special 

occasion to organise, then please email lettings@oasiscoulsdon.org

Autumn 2012 

Spring 2013 

Summer 2013 

Monday 3 rd September – Friday 26 th October 

3 rd & 4 th September – Staff Training Days 

Wednesday 5 th September: First day of Academic Year for students 

Half term: Monday 29 th October – Friday 2 nd November 

Monday 5 th November – Thursday 20 th December 

7 th January 2013 – Staff Training Day 

Tuesday 8 th January – Thursday 14 th February 

15 th February – Staff Training Day 

Half term: Monday 18 th – Friday 22 nd February 

Monday 25 th February – Thursday 28 th March 

15 th April – Staff Training Day 

Tuesday 16 th April - Friday 24 th May 

Public Holiday on Monday 6 th May 

Half term: Monday 27 th – Friday 31 st May 

Monday 3 rd June – Wednesday 24 th July

BE INSPIRED! ENJOY THE GAMES 

See you in September!

July 2012 - Oasis Academy Coulsdon

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