unity

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Westminster City School Newsletter 

September 2015 

wcsch.com 

Edition 020 

In this issue 

GCSE & A LEVEL 

RESULTS 2015 

SUMMER SPORTS 

ROUND UP 

Sports Day 

Summer Cricket 

Basketball 

Celebration Evening 

Art Exhibition 

Proms Evening 

Science Club 

Imperial College London 

Salters’ Festival of Chemistry 

Cambridge Challenge 

Dead on Time 

Adventures in Molecular Science 

Engineering a Career 

Keeping the Peace 

Chess Club 

Travel Ambassadors Scheme 

Horrible History 

Year 7 Arts Week 

Employability Workshop 

Holocaust Lecture 

Year 10 visit Made.com 

Taizé Pilgrimage 

Cornerstone Maths 

Hannah’s Sweets Success 

Speak Out Challenge

Academic News 

OUTSTANDING 

GCSE RESULTS 

Pupils celebrate their GCSE exam results 

The school is celebrating another excellent year 

with its best ever GCSE results. 

Seventy three per cent of pupils achieved 5+ A* -C grades including English and 

mathematics with 26% of all grades being A*/A. These results confirm that the 

school is performing way above the national average for boys (last year was 51% 

5+ A*-C including English & mathematics) and is on track to be one of the best 

boys’ schools in London. 

League tables and early entry 

Following recent government reforms the new system for measuring 

performance means only a pupil’s first result in a subject now counts towards 

a school’s results and its league table position. However our policy is to let 

pupils re-sit exams to try and achieve the best possible result. We do not cap 

pupils at C grade we use early entry and re-sits to improve pupils’ grades, it’s 

that simple. 

Congratulations go to all our Year 11 pupils on achieving an outstanding set of 

results and the school’s best ever. The boys have worked extremely hard and 

thoroughly deserve their success. 

The breakdown of Westminster City School’s GCSE results is as follows: 

73% A*- C (including English & maths) 

26% A*- A 

23% Ebacc 

Notable achievements 

Karim Mahiddine 12 A*-A, 13 GCSEs James Hawke 11 A*-A, 12 GCSEs 

Intesar Nur 11 A*-A, 12 GCSEs David Rushton 11 A*-A, 12 GCSEs 

Samuel Modu-Garcia 11 A*-A, 12 GCSEs Asef Mahdi Shah 11 A*-A, 11 GCSEs 

Ahmed Al-Safi 10 A*-A, 13 GCSEs Samson Lawal 10 A*-A, 12 GCSEs 

Hasan Ahmad 9 A*-A, 12 GCSEs Faisal Ahmed 9 A*-A, 13 GCSEs 

Ewan Marmo-Bissell 9 A*-A, 12 GCSEs Faaruq Mansaray 9 A*-A, 11 GCSEs 

Joseph Okyere 8 A*-A, 11 GCSEs Murtaza Afridi 8 A*-A, 10 GCSEs 

Louis Cursan 8 A*-A, 10 GCSEs 

Subject grades A*- C 

English 82%; Maths 83%; Further Maths 98%; Core Science 94%; Additional 

Science 94%; Further Additional Science 95%; Art 95%; Economics 94%: 

Geography 76%; RS 73%; History 70% 

We believe our boys should be able to sit exams early if they are able and ready 

to do so. Their future is far more important than government performance 

measures. Our curriculum, which Ofsted says is outstanding, allows the most 

able boys to fast track through Key Stage 4 and sit their exams at the end 

of Year 10. Many of these talented boys have gained amazing results as a 

consequence. We use early entry to accelerate our most able pupils. This 

system ensures pupils are constantly challenged and often leads to them 

embarking on A Level studies whilst still in Year 11. 

Year 10 fast track pupils 

Congratulations to all our Year 10 boys who sat their GCSE exams early. The 

results were extremely good and a testament to the hard work put in by pupils 

and staff. Several boys achieved multiple A*/A grades. These included: 

Arb Xhameni 9 A*-A; Glen Hoti 9 A*-A; Iftikar Ali 8 A*-A; Haris Nsubuga 8 A*-A; 

Dren Dedinca 7 A*-A; Mark Mataac 7 A*-A; Elijah Duma 6 A*-A. 

Many of these boys will now enter the sixth form a year early in September to 

begin studying at A Level. This head start will give them the best chance of 

achieving A* grades at A Level and help them to gain places at top universities 

such as Oxford and Cambridge, and other Russell Group universities. 

Mr J Wilson, Headmaster 

2 Westminster City School Newsletter Edition 020 September 2015

Academic News 

Congratulations to all Westminster City School Year 

13 students on a sterling set of A Level results. 

Our 2015 results are extremely pleasing with 13% of all grades awarded at 

A*-A and 44% of grades at A*-B. The increase in high grades is particularly 

encouraging considering the national fall in high grades awarded. 

Hamid Haider has secured a place at Exeter University to read Law. Hamid 

achieved A in both English and religious studies, and B in history and is 

looking forward to university life. 

Norhan Hussein will be embarking on a Pharmacy degree at Kings College 

London with her excellent As in chemistry and in maths, and B in biology. 

I am delighted with these outstanding A Level results. Our students have 

secured places at Russell Group universities including Durham, Exeter, 

Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester to study degree courses such as 

medicine, engineering, mathematics and politics. 

The school’s overall A Level results are as follows: 

13% A*-A 

44% A*-B 

97% A*-E 

Noteworthy individual achievements include: 

Hamid Haider AAB Norhan Hussein AAB 

Zahid Kadir A*AB 

Timur Romanov A*ABBB 

Shivam Sethi A*/A*/A Omar Shafi AAAB 

Mahir Shah A*AB 

Zahid, Timur, Shivam, Omar and Mahir joined the school’s accelerated 

curriculum programme in Year 9 and their A Level results are the 

culmination of five years of hard work and preparation. 

Shivam Sethi will also start at Kings College London in September 

to study Medicine. Shivam’s results are A* in biology and A in both 

chemistry and economics. In July Shivam received this year’s C.L. Oakley 

Prize for Biology at the school’s Celebration of Achievement Evening at 

College Garden, Westminster Abbey. 

Timur Romanov has secured his dream degree course of Law and will 

be studying at City University. Timur passed five A Levels including A* in 

Russian, A in government & politics, B in economics, B in English literature 

and B in history. Timur is a keen sportsman, and was awarded the 

Government and Politics Prize at Celebration of Achievement Evening. 

Zahid Kadir has secured a place at Warwick University to read 

Engineering. Having achieved two As and a B at A Level Zahid has 

achieved excellent results. Zahid has been a model student since joining 

the school as a Year 7 pupil in 2007. In recognition of his outstanding 

contribution to school life he was presented with our prestigious School 

Colours at Celebration of Achievement Evening. 


SSAT Educational Outcome Awards 

Education Awards 

Westminster City School has recently received national recognition 

for its high achievement at GCSE. The national schools’ membership 

organisation for improvement and collaboration (SSAT) identified the 

school’s success using in-depth analysis of official Department for 

Education data on all state-funded schools in England. 

Sue Williamson, Chief Executive of SSAT, said: 

“Westminster City School should be congratulated for their 

exceptional achievement. They have proved themselves to be 

leading the field in improving GCSE outcomes for their pupils.” 

The school is in the top 20% for high attainment of non-selective 

schools and as such has qualified for two SSAT Educational Outcome 

Awards. The first is for progress made by pupils between Key Stage 2 

results at primary school and GCSE results at age 16. The second is for 

value added progress which measures the amount of academic progress 

each pupil makes. These awards are a testament to the commitment and 

hard work of the pupils, teachers and leadership team at Westminster City 

School, and show what can be achieved when skilled teachers have high 

expectations and ambition for every young person. I am proud that this 

school is a member of the SSAT. 


wcsch.com 

Westminster City School Newsletter 3

PE Department 

SPORTS DAY 

2015 

Sports Day took place at Battersea Park 

Millennium Arena on Monday 13 July. Pupils 

competed in track and field events in what 

proved to be a very competitive day. 

Every pupil showed attributes of perseverance and determination that 

will serve them well in other areas of school life. All the boys must be 

congratulated on their level of effort and enthusiasm. The wet and rainy day 

made performances particularly challenging. Despite the conditions three 

new school records were set: Leslie Menka of 8K for 200m, Ovie Ukpedor 

7D for 1500m and Edidden Ben 7W for shot putt. 

The inter-house competition winners for each year group were as follows: 

Year 7 - Kings; Year 8 - Hills; Year 9 - Kings; Year 10 - Waterlow 

And finally, many congratulations to Kings pupils for winning the overall interhouse 

competition. Hamish Hardiman collected the shield on behalf of Kings. 

Mr A Huxley, PE Subject Leader 


PE Department 

Summer Cricket 

The cricket season runs throughout the summer term from April to July. The 

school plays in the Westminster League and London Cup from Year 7 – 10. 

The London Cup draws teams of a very high standard. All our teams 

have had mixed results but have benefitted from playing against some 

strong opposition. 

The Year 8 team lost by four runs in the semi-final of the Westminster 

Cup playing some excellent cricket along way. 


PE Department 

Basketball 

The basketball season ran from September to 

February with Years 7 – 13 competing in the 

Westminster League. 

Year 7 & 8 played in the Westminster Schools Basketball Tournament and 

both finished as runners-up. The Year 7 team, who have some very talented 

players, did not lose a single game, with three wins and one draw. They were, 

quite frustratingly, beaten by St George’s on points scored. The Year 8 team 

lost in the final of their competition for the second year running. 

The Year 9 and Year 11 teams both played in the Westminster League. 

The Year 9 team finished in mid table of their competition. The Year 11 

team produced the stand out performance of the basketball season as 

they convincingly won their league and qualified for the London Youth 

Games qualifying matches. The team won two matches before losing in the 

quarter finals in a very close match against Haggerston Academy. 


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CELEBRATION 

EVENING 2015 

The school choir sings to the assembled guests 

Wes Streeting MP talks about his time at school 

Hariz receives his award from old boy Wes Streeting MP 

In July we assembled at College Garden in the 

grounds of Westminster Abbey to celebrate 

the achievements of the school, its pupils, its 

students and its staff during the past year. 

Wes was born in Tower Hamlets and attended Westminster City School 

from 1994 to 2001. He gained a place at Selwyn College Cambridge 

where he read history. He served as the President of Cambridge University 

Students’ Union for 2004-5. 

I am delighted that Wes Streeting took time from his new role in parliament 

to be our guest speaker and present the awards. I’m also delighted that so 

many old boys and friends of the school were able to join us on this special 

evening in this very special venue. 

Wes’s passion for education arises from his own experience, growing up on 

a council estate to become the first person in his family to go to university. 

He is one of the few pupils who received free school meals to make it to 

Cambridge University (just one per cent). 

Guest Speaker, The Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP 

Wes Streeting is MP for Ilford North, having been elected at the 2015 General 

Election. He also represents Aldborough Ward on Redbridge Council, where he 

served as Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Health and 

Wellbeing until his election as a Member of Parliament. 

I would like to reiterate my thanks to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster 

for granting us permission to hold our Celebration of Achievement Evening 

in the beautiful grounds of Westminster Abbey. 




The school orchestra 

College Garden, Westminster Abbey 

The brass section 

Prize winners enjoy the evening 

Year 7 & 8 Class Prizes for overall progress and achievement 

Bakerloo - Ridwanur Rahman 7P - Chukwuma Egbirika 8P 

Circle - Alan Karanja 7P - Ali Eisa 8S 

District - Miles Casalotti-Lochore 7S - Ian Bell 8P 

Metropolitan - Charles Cursan 7K - Mansoor Amiri 8P 

Piccadilly - Sangam Darlami 7D - Gerald Adomako 8H 

Victoria - Azad Singh 7H - Williams Olufemi 8K 

Year 9 & 10 Subject Prizes for overall progress and achievement 

Art - Elie Tshienda 9D Luka Lulaj 10W 

Business Studies - Ramone Croft 9S - Callum St Luce 10W 

Computer Science - Arif Ahmed 9K 

Drama - Stefan Mohess 9W - Quentin Asamoah-Coffie 10K 

Design & Technology - Adil Golapkhan 9W - Aldrin Carlos 10K 

Economics - Najib Salam 9K - Elijah Duma 10W 

English - Adewale Kukoyi 9S - Seun Omoyeni 10H 

Geography - Najib Salam 9K - Aldrin Carlos 10K 

History - Sainbayar Erdenebulgan 9H - Haris Nsubuga 10P 

Humanities - Jack Burns 10W 

ICT - Emanuel Iwanow 9H - Seun Omoyeni 10H 

Mathematics - Hariz Haji 9K - Tolulope Onifade 10D 

Modern Foreign Languages - David Sokalu 9S - Arb Xhameni 10K 

Physical Education - Dominic Simpson-Last 9H - Hamish Hardiman 10K 

Music - Raphael Pacheco Da Silva 9P - Samuel Olufawo 10D 

Religious Studies - Hariz Haji 9K - Muhammod Rahman Choudhury 10D 

Science - Amaan Ahmad 9D - Glen Hoti 10H 

Cadet Prizes 

Jack Pouchot Cadet Award for Meritorious Service - Gabriel Zubairu 11K 

Spencer-Smith Cadet Award for Marksmanship - Emmanuel Smith 11W 

Year 12 & Year 13 Subject Prizes 

Charles Cutts Prize for English Literature – Connor Nkuni – 13DW 

R.E. Machin Prize for Chemistry – Bilal Ourida – 13DW 

John Skinner Prize for Physics – Raeesah Shah – 13SW 

C.L. Oakley Prize for Biology – Shivam Sethi – 13DW 

Geography Subject Prize – Sharmarke Mohamed – 13DW 

John Fradin Prize for History – Timur Romanov – 13DW 

Mrs P Eidom Prize for Government & Politics – Timur Romanov – 13DW 

Business Studies Subject Prize – Aamir Shikh – 13DW 

ICT Subject Prize – Andrew Amonoo-Neizer – 13 DW 

Economics Subject Prize – Bilal Ourida – 13DW 

Miller Prize for Year 12 Mathematics – Iftikaar Amin – 12JL 

Robert Lobb Bequest for Year 13 Mathematics – Titilope Kukoyi – 13SW 

Robert Lobb Bequest for Year 9 Mathematics – Hariz Haji – 9K 

Religious Philosophy Prize - Assay Hagos – 13DW 

Art Subject Prize – Muzahid Ali – 13DW 

Sociology Subject Prize – Victoria Mendoza – 13SW 

Psychology Subject Prize – Urte Januskaite – 12LP 

Media Studies Prize – Sharmarke Mohamed – 13DW 

School Colours 

School Colours are awarded to those sixth form students who have made an 

outstanding contribution to the life of the school. The award is a long standing 

tradition given in recognition of this endeavour and the recipients for 2015 are: 

Omar Shafi 13SW & Zahid Kadir 13SW 

Special Prizes 

In memory of school governor, Marcia Owen, 1947 – 2010, to recognise 

individual effort and achievement in KS3 and KS4: 

KS3 Marcia Owen Memorial Award - Alec Carpio 8W 

KS4 Marcia Owen Memorial Award - Uriel Morrison 10H 

wcsch.com 


Art Department 

2015 Art 

Exhibition 

On 24 June the school held its annual exhibition of GCSE and A level work, 

which this year included exciting new photography and graphics work by 

students who benefitted from the Photoview Rise Up education programme. 

Pupils and students worked extremely hard to produce a wide variety 

of creative work including new media such as film, photography and 

photoshop as well as traditional media such as casting and painting 

used in imaginative new ways. 

One student commented that studying art had made him think far more 

deeply about issues such as media coverage and identity. Parents, staff 

and pupils alike enjoyed the chance to celebrate their achievements. 

Miss E Chance, Art Subject Leader 


Performing Arts Department 

Proms Evening 

Our first Proms Evening on Thursday 9 July 

was a great success. 

The pupils performed amazingly well and acted professionally during the 

whole performance which is a testament to their patience and hard work. I 

would like to thank everyone who came to watch the show, the support was 

very much appreciated. Please take a look at all the photographs from the 

evening on the school’s Flickr page. www.flickr.com/photos/wcsch. 

Thank you once again to everyone for supporting the event. 

Miss S Mole, Performing Arts Faculty Leader 

Pupil 

VOICE 

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Science Department 

Pupil 

VOICE 


Pupil 

VOICE 

Imperial College London 

Science Club 

On Thursday 2 July, Year 12 students 

attended a personal statement workshop at 

Imperial College London. 

In Science Club this year we carried out many investigations but our favourite 

one was literally opening up nappies. We compared how much water a 

nappy could absorb to how much a normal cloth could absorb. The nappy 

absorbed a lot more water than the cloth because the nappy had a special 

material inside called hydrogel which absorbed a lot of water. We enjoyed 

this because we had to get our hands a bit wet and it was fun! 

Reja Ahmed and Chhitiz Gurung 8H 

Year 7 Science 

We arrived at the Sir Alexander Fleming Building on the South Kensington 

Campus. and took our seats in the Lecture Theatre. A postgraduate 

student who is currently completing her PhD shared her experience of 

university life. 

Following her talk there was a lecture about writing a personal statement 

for university. She shared the dos and don’ts of what to include such as 

not relying solely on the synonyms tab for alternative words. An opening 

statement should never include the word haemorrhoids! Always check the 

definition before you insert a word! Also, make sure that you know what the 

current developments are in the news for the subject you are considering 

to study at degree level. These can often be used for academic interviews. 

BBC News and Channel 4 are what you should be tuning into regularly! She 

spoke of many more ways of writing an excellent personal statement to 

guarantee not being put in the ‘No’ pile. 

Salters’ Festival of Chemistry 

A fifth year medical student shared how he had used his opportunity at 

university to become an entrepreneur and start up his own business. He 

is working with other departments at Imperial College London to develop a 

glove that controls tremors in patients suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. 

At the end of the lecture, we took advantage of the sunshine and toured 

the university visiting facilities such as the sports centre, library and halls 

of residence. Altogether it was an informative visit to prepare us for UCAS 

applications in the next academic year! 

Tanzim Ali, Year 12 

On Wednesday 13 May, Year 7 pupils represented the school at the 

Salters’ Festival of Chemistry. After a long journey on public transport 

the boys arrived at Queen Mary University of London. We were greeted 

by the event organisers and taken to the undergraduate lab to start the 

Salters’ Challenge. From a selection of suspects, pupils worked in pairs 

to determine who the criminal was using chromatography techniques and 

ion tests. Following lunch, the boys participated in a university challenge. 

They used their science skills to get a liquid solution to change colour 

in exactly one minute by varying the concentrations of chemicals. After 

their participation they were treated to a magical demonstration where 

they learnt about the wonderful chemistry of liquid nitrogen and solid 

carbon dioxide. They received certificates of participation and really 

enjoyed the opportunity to apply the science they learnt during lessons 

to real life situations. Aaron Rex, Ridwanur Rahman, Virgil Doe and 

Myron Kaunda did an excellent job of representing the school at the 

Salters’ Festival of Chemistry. 

Year 12 Chemistry 

Cambridge Chemistry 

Year 12 chemistry students took part in the 2015 Cambridge Chemistry 

Challenge for Lower Sixth. The challenge consisted of a 90 minute written 

paper taken under exam conditions. It contained two questions which 

contained parts of the AS level chemistry syllabus as well as chemistry 

content seen in the first year of a chemistry degree course. Some parts 

were easily approachable, but other parts were more challenging. Our 

students used different analytical strategies to tackle the exam and 

arrive at probable solutions. The science department received a highquality, 

laser-etched crystal orbital for the students’ participation. 

Miss A Ansah, Science Teacher 




Pupil 

VOICE 

Adventures in 

Molecular Science 

On Tuesday 30 June, three of our current AS Level Chemistry students 

attended AIMS: Adventures in Molecular Science. This one day course, 

at the Department of Chemistry at UCL, was designed as a taster day for 

the University Chemistry experience, including lectures / workshops and 

laboratory work. They also listened to discussions on the merits of studying 

chemistry at university, future careers for chemists and a chance to ask 

current undergraduates about their experiences. 

Following a brief outline of the day, students listened to two 

undergraduate lectures about the chemical ‘Origins of Life’ and how 

to harvest ‘Solar Energy from Organic Molecules’. Afterwards, the UCL 

admissions tutor gave an enlightening lecture on applying and studying 

for a chemistry degree and the broad range of occupations open to 

chemistry graduates. 

After lunch, students made their way to the undergraduate laboratories 

where they were invited to make an organic compound using the laboratory’s 

equipment to then analyse their product. The students used the practical 

skills they have gained at school to make the organic compound. 


Sixth Form Science 

Strange Ice 

In May our sixth form students 

attended a lively chemistry 

demonstration lecture at 

Emanuel School given by 

Professor Andrea Sella who 

shared his fascination and love 

of ice. Ice is so familiar that we 

take it for granted but it is a 

material that is so strange that 

it breaks almost every rule in 

our text books. 

Professor Sella of University 

College London is a synthetic chemist and his Strange Ice demonstration 

celebrated the centenary of X-ray diffraction. He captivated the whole audience 

and our students in particular who impressed him so much that he emailed me 

the next day to compliment them. 

Mr C Rees, Assistant Headteacher 

Professor Sella wrote: 

“At the end of the talk your students asked an impressive 

number of important and very intelligent questions. I was 

deeply impressed by them and I would be grateful if you 

would pass on my regards and thanks for attending my 

talk and for contributing so much to the discussion at the 

end. I wish them all the best in their studies.” 

wcsch.com 

Dead on Time 

Year 8 pupils got the fantastic opportunity to take part in the Foundation 

Schools Science Challenge at Queen Anne’s School in Reading. Pupils 

were given a taste of real-life forensics together with the opportunity 

to solve a mysterious death. Pupils needed to apply their best problem 

solving skills as they uncovered twists, turns and shock revelations in a 

dramatic film-like mystery. They learnt techniques from the beginnings 

of forensic science such as analysing finger prints right through to DNA 

fingerprinting in order to reach a conclusion that fits the evidence and find 

out who committed the crime. 


Jordan Yaheya 8k shares his experience: 

“The science trip to Reading was fantastic. We 

learnt all kinds of new things like DNA taking, 

finger-printing and also identifying what our own 

prints look like. I especially liked the fact that we 

were able to do DNA testing. It was technically 

challenging and the pressure of having the whole 

team relying on you not to make any mistakes 

was intense. Overall, it was a great day out and I 

would definitely go again!” 

Science Careers 

Engineering a Career 

Year 10 and Year 12 students attended a talk from Yasmin Ali, a chemical 

engineer who works at eON. She spoke candidly of her occupation and 

research in oil and gas exploration. With supplies of oil and gas quickly being 

depleted, energy companies are looking for innovative ways to efficiently extract 

oil and gas from the Earth. That means the next generation of scientists and 

engineers need to invent new technology to solve today’s problems. Yasmin 

talked of the future development of 3D printers to reduce the storage of spare 

parts on remote oil rigs among other research goals. She also shared how 

chemical engineering is a great subject to study at degree level as engineers 

are in the top three of graduate earners. Plus, engineering is a great profession 

to pursue if you are interested in branching into investment banking later in 

your career as you are equipped with the analytical and problem-solving skills 

that the finance sector look for in candidates. Altogether it was an informative 

and useful talk. 



Year 9 News 

KEEPING 

THE PEACE 

On Wednesday 20 May a group of Year 9 pupils 

participated in the annual United Nations 

Peacekeepers wreath-laying ceremony at Whitehall. 

This year wreaths were laid at the foot of the Women of World War II memorial just 

north of the Cenotaph to remember those UN Peacekeepers who have died helping 

countries torn by conflict. The pupils involved were responsible for chaperoning 

groups of UN representatives to their standing areas around the memorial, and then 

orchestrating the wreath-laying in a specific sequence. To ensure it ran smoothly the 

boys dedicated two afternoons after school to rehearse their roles in the ceremony. 

All the pupils were deeply respectful and impeccably behaved throughout. 

Ms M Bailey, Languages Teacher 

Unitate Fortior Chess Club 

Solomon Gains 

Chess Victory 

At the begining of May pupils from Year 8 to 11 

matched their wit and strategic abilities against 

each other in a school chess competition. 

The matches took place in the library after school every day with the boys 

playing a single match to qualify. The qualification round quickly sorted out four of 

the strongest competitors, Anas Kramech 9K, Eduard Platon 9H, Kaz Azumaya 9S 

and Solomon Alfred 11K. 

After nine days and thirty games Eduard Platon achieved third place and Anas 

Kramech second place. The six game final battle between Anas and Solomon was 

quite close but after two timed matches, Solomon claimed a clear victory. 

Chess has long been recognised throughout the world as a builder of strong 

intellects. Playing chess can improve the cognitive ability, rational thinking and 

reasoning skills of any pupil. It also promotes logical thinking, instils a sense of 

self-confidence and improves pattern recognition skills. It teaches the values of 

hard work, concentration, objectivity, and commitment. Chess can also improve 

academic performance and this has been demonstrated by several studies by 

scientists around the world. 

Mr D Gachette, Cover Administrator 


Year 8 News 

Pupil 

VOICE 

Year 8 News 

Pupil 

VOICE 

Travel Ambassadors Scheme 

Year 9 Youth Travel Ambassadors have been 

working with Transport for London to create a 

campaign called safe feet safe foot steps. 

Our idea is to appoint road safety marshals who are willing to volunteer approximately 15- 20 

minutes of their time after school to help their peers cross the road safely. This will stop the roads 

from being congested by students as we have seen this is an issue outside of school grounds. 

Road safety marshals will be rewarded with a £10 Amazon voucher for joining and then will be given 

an amazing opportunity to train with the City of Westminster Council on how to be safe on the road. 

After training is completed students will be awarded positive points for each shift they do. Our goal is 

to reduce the amount of people standing on the roads after school and to promote efficient and safe 

crossing of the road. All students from all year groups are welcome to apply as road safety marshals. 

By Tahir Khandaker and Arqam Shah, Youth Travel Ambassadors 

“I’ve been bowled over by the effort, 

enthusiasm and insight that the 

young people have shown today.” 

Chris Mather, Head of Behaviour change TfL 

Enrichment Week 

Film Maker Talk 

Koby Adom is a film-maker who came to visit 

8H at Westminster City School on Wednesday 

15 July. He told us about everyday life in the 

film industry. He also told us what qualifications 

are needed to make it in the film industry. We 

all enjoyed Koby Adom coming in to talk about 

becoming a film director or a film maker and we 

learnt a lot from him. 

Papa Kwofie, 8H 

History Department 

HORRIBLE 

HISTORY 

Thirty Year 7 boys were chosen to go to the London Dungeon as a reward for excellent 

behaviour and hard work in their history lessons this year. They were given an immersive 

first-hand experience of London’s dark past, meeting Jack the Ripper and Sweeney Todd, 

and seeing what life was really like hundreds of years ago. The pupils all thoroughly enjoyed 

the day, which was set alight with scary suspense and fun, both in equal measures. 

Mr J Weare, History Teacher 

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Inclusion Department 

Employability Workshop 

PricewaterhouseCoopers delivers a dynamic 

workshop to Year 10 pupils. 

Year 7 Arts Week 

This year’s Arts Week was a huge success! The theme was community 

and art practitioners came to visit and shared their skills with our pupils 

who produced some absolutely brilliant work. Kim Noce ran an animation 

workshop, Evren Mustafa ran a sculpture workshop making gliders, 

Tamara Froud ran a mosaic workshop and her previous work is already 

displayed around the school. Milikyas Ephrame in 7D said ‘I feel honoured 

that my work will be displayed in the school and that others will be able to 

see it in years to come’. 

Pupils made ceramic pots with Chris Bramble and created some 

fantastic animation with John Harmer. Pupils worked with three artists 

over the week expanding their creative and collaborative skills. A 

big thank you to all who took part and look out for this year’s artwork 

displayed and around the school. 

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) operates in 157 countries with more than 

195,000 employees delivering assurance, tax and advisory services. 

The focus of the workshop was employability and included consideration 

of timing, dress, first impressions, making an impact, internet profiling, 

interview preparation and even how to shake hands. Fifteen staff 

from PwC supported the boys with activities and tasks to improve their 

understanding, preparation and readiness for entering the working world. 

The morning culminated with each boy being interviewed in a realistic 

situation and given feedback on their performance. 

The group were visited by Ian Powell, Chairman and Senior Partner of PwC 

UK, who gave a motivational talk about his experience of the world of work 

and answered questions from the group. 

In the future we hope that some of the boys may be able to experience a 

work placement at PwC and be offered support with CV writing, among 

other things. 

Ms T Mustafa, Art Teacher 

The workshop was planned by Kate Scarlet Head of the Inclusion 

department in collaboration with Gill Montalto of PwC. 

DT Department 

Year 10 GCSE visit to Made.com 

As part of their DT enrichment my Year 10 GCSE pupils visited Made.com, the 

hugely successful and entrepreneurial furniture designer and manufacturer, 

in its Charing Cross Road showroom. Our boys met two of Made.com’s 

designers who presented examples of their work and explained how an idea 

is conceived and taken through to the manufacturing process. 

We discussed our GCSE projects, storage solutions based on various 

design movements from the past 100 years, and where we could draw 

influence from to create innovative and original designs. The products that 

were on display were photographed, sketched and analysed, and lots of 

printed literature was collected by the pupils to include in their research. 

Who knows; perhaps we’ll be buying some of our students’ ideas in a high 

street shop soon. 

Mr M Grant-Hudson, DT Teacher 



Holocaust Lecture & Workshop 

On Tuesday 15 July, Holocaust survivor Joan Salter came in to talk to the whole 

of Year 8 about her experiences during World War Two and after the war. 

The boys had had a series of sessions about the Holocaust in the morning, 

run by the history department and the Holocaust Educational Trust. In the 

afternoon they heard about how Joan’s father escaped the Nazis twice and 

how Joan was separated from her parents at the end of the war, only being 

reunited with her family in the late 1940s. 

On Wednesday morning, the boys wrote moving letters to Joan, thanking her for 

coming in to talk to them. They were especially impressed by the story of Joan’s 

father jumping out of a train to escape, but all also took away the message that 

discrimination or persecution need to be stamped out at any level. 

STEM Careers Event 

Pupil 

VOICE 

Ms L Paxman, History Teacher 

Charitable Activity 

Careers Event at UCL 

On Wednesday 15 July we went to University College London to take part 

in a science, technology and maths (STEM) careers event. We were joined 

by other schools including St Augustine’s and Oasis. The day began with 

a talk by a physicist who studies light and conducts experiments with the 

world’s most powerful laser. 

We were then given the chance use a computer software programme 

called Crumble which is able to program LED lights to flash in a certain 

pattern. We also made a water filter to clean water in a scenario set by the 

education outreach group Engineers without Borders. 

Finally, we interviewed various men and women who worked in science 

and engineering to gain insights into various career options. 

Ioan Crabb 8H 

Nepal Earthquake Disaster 

We’ve raised an overwhelming £1,234 

Our sponsored silence raised £1,273.48 which will go a small way to 

help the Nepalese people rebuild their lives. Thank you to all parents and 

family friends who sponsored the boys in their charitable endeavour. Well 

done to all the Year 7, 8 & 9 pupils who took part. 

Miss K World, Head of Learning Year 7 

£1273.48 

wcsch.com 


Mathematics Department 


What’s the Point? 

Year 10 pupils were invited to attend the Maths Inspiration Show What’s 

the Point? at the Greenwich Theatre in June. The production (including 

lectures from Rob Eastaway, Matt Parker and Hannah Fry) aimed to 

show pupils there is a point to algebra, that Pythagoras’s theorem 

is actually useful, and that exponentials are far more relevant than 

they might think! This was an exciting opportunity for our pupils and 

they appreciated the chance to explore mathematical concepts in an 

innovative way. Many thanks to Mr Lewis for accompanying our pupils. 

Miss J Lockyer & Miss D Moore, Mathematics Department 


Cornerstone Maths 

Teaching using interactive software 

Year 7 Metropolitan have excitedly been working with new dynamic 

software to help them explore the relationship between algebraic 

sequences and expressions as part of the Cornerstone Mathematics 

project. The department has enjoyed watching the boys’ exploration of the 

software and their discovery of new mathematics. We are also particularly 

impressed with the maturity and commitment with which the boys 

approached the project. Well done! 

Miss B Davis & Miss D Moore, Mathematics Department 

English Department 

Reading Club 

Key Stage 5 News 

Well done to Year 12 who have begun their A2 studies in earnest, having 

covered the Core 3 Functions topic in advance of the autumn term. We 

particularly enjoyed creating and playing “pass the parcel” on their last 

day of lessons which assessed their understanding of sketching and 

transforming complex graphs. Congratulations to Joshua Yaheya who won 

the Independent Research Prize for creating a superbly detailed and 

colourful revision guide. Good luck to all our KS5 students for their results 

in the summer and we look forward to greeting our new Year 13 students 

in September. 

This year Key Stage 3 boys have explored 

magical places accompanied by heroic 

characters; they have battled against 

villainous beasts and despotic wizards 

through the enriching texts of The Lion the 

Witch and the Wardrobe and Harry Potter 

and the Philosopher’s Stone. 

Through creative workshops and 

vocabulary enriching exercises that run 

alongside the Reading Club students have 

shown great progress in developing their 

literacy skills. The Reading Club has also seen 

the introduction of Kindles and pupils have 

found these to be a great resource from which to read and discover. 

As a reward for pupils who demonstrated their commitment and effort 

during the Reading Club, certificates and prizes were given out, including 

books, DVDs and vouchers for Amazon. However, the greatest reward has 

been witnessing pupils’ confidence grow and seeing them take pleasure in 

reading and discussing ideas from the texts. 

Next year promises to be just as rewarding and adventurous as the 

Reading Club will introduce swashbuckling pirates and wicked warmongers 

in Treasure Island. 

Miss D Moore, Mathematics Teacher 

This year’s prize winners: Zubayr Khan, Tazrian Uddin, 

Malachi Jeffrey, Samuel Daw and Judah Adejumo 



Hannah’s 

Sweets Success 

Staff and pupils were intrigued and 

excited by the response to question 

19 in the Edexcel Mathematics Non- 

Calculator Paper during the exam 

season. News headlines confirmed the 

challenging nature of this question as 

pupils across the country were stumped 

by its complexity. However, two of our 

Year 9 boys, Najib & Hariz, managed to 

complete this question with algebraic 

flair and they enjoyed sharing this with 

staff as well as with their peers. 

Ms S Solani, Deputy Headteacher 

English Department 

Speak Out Challenge 

During Enrichment Week the English department held an in-house Speak 

Out Day with Year 10 pupils. It was a brilliant day in which the students 

were trained in public speaking and had to compete against each other to 

win the title of WCS Speak Out Champion. 

With only three hours in which to prepare, the pupils showed they could 

be masterful and adept at speaking in public. The competition at the end 

of the day was judged by staff who supported the event. It is with great 

pride that we announce the two winners of the challenge. The Round 

1 Champion was Luka Lulaj and the Round 2 Champion was Cameron 

Robinson-Allen. Congratulations to them both! 

Miss B Kara, Assistant Headteacher 

wcsch.com 



Box Hill Expedition 

During enrichment week an exclusive group of Year 10 pupils embarked on 

an epic adventure in the Surrey Hills. Box Hill is situated within 230 acres of 

National Trust land and is famous for its incredible views to the south. Box Hill 

also featured as part of the road race cycle course during the 2012 Olympics 

and is a favourite spot for cyclists wishing to test themselves on the steep 

climbs. Everyone enjoyed a warm summer day in the hills and we finished with 

a great photo of us all on the stepping stones that cross the River Mole. 



Chaplaincy 

Inclusion Department 

Taizé Pilgrimage 

Pilgrimage has always been a central part of religious 

life and opportunities to go on a pilgrimage are few and 

far between. Essentially its purpose is about journeying 

with others and together strengthening our individual 

relationship with God and each other in community. 

For the past few years I have taken a group of students to the 

religious community in Taizé, a town situated between Dijon and 

Lyon in the Burgundy region of France. This year’s group joined the 

community for a week in July and the experience was once again 

fulfilling and spiritually rewarding. Although this is primarily a Catholic 

community the brothers facilitate gatherings over the summer for 

young people from all religious backgrounds and these events, 

together with the music, are well known in many churches. 

Young people from around the world gather for a week of prayer, 

singing, silence and reflection, dialogue and discussion, living a 

simple life together in community. 

Although primarily Christian in nature the pilgrimage is open to 

students of all faiths who are expected to attend all the services and 

group activities, but whose beliefs are respected. 

Primary to Secondary 

Transitional Programme 

The transition programme is specifically designed to support pupils in 

their transition from Year 6 to Year 7. The programme offers the tools and 

resources to support all children to achieve a successful transition into 

secondary school, and is a fun and enjoyable experience too. 

Year 6 children attend sessions on topics such as: ordering lunch in the 

dining hall; using the playground; movement around the school buildings; 

dealing with bullying and conflict. They also have the opportunity to 

participate in a science experiment and drama sessions and are introduced 

to the school’s Family Liaison Officer, Learning Mentors and Inclusion 

Manager. Parents are invited into school to share any concerns or offer 

advice and support to other parents. Their visit includes a tour of the school 

with school ambassadors offering a question and answer service. 

The programme was a great success this year and truly beneficial to 

many of the parents who were able to ask questions in a comfortable 

environment. All the sessions were supported by the learning mentors and 

pupils who have previously benefitted from the transition programme. 

Rev Garry Swinton, Chaplain 

Ms Allen, Learning Mentor 

Chaplaincy 

Summer Service 

On the last day of term we held our end of term service 

at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey. 

We gathered to celebrate the achievements of the past year and 

preparing ourselves for worship we spent a few moments in silence and gave 

thanks for the term that was ending and for the things that lie before us. 

It was a particularly emotional occasion as several long standing 

members of staff were attending their last service. They received a warm 

ovation from the entire school demonstrating how highly regarded they have 

been amongst not only the staff but all the pupils too. We wish them well in 

the new chapters of their lives. 

We are grateful to Miss Mole and the choir for the music and to all the 

pupils who read passages and prayers during the service. The service was 

full of joy and celebration and it was a lovely way to end the academic year. 

Rev Garry Swinton, Chaplain 

wcsch.com 


wcsch.com 

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September 

School Events 

Wednesday 9-18 September 

Year 10 Japanese Exchange (London) 

Thursday 10 September 

Year 11 Parents Evening 


Year 10 Blue Parents Evening 

Friday 11 September 

School Photography Day 


Year 6 Open Evening 

Saturday 26 September 

Year 6 Open Morning 

Wednesday 30 September 

Year 7 Science Trip 

Thursday 1 October 


Friday 2 October 


Wednesday 7 October 


Thursday 8 October 


Friday 9 October 

Staff Inset Day - no school for pupils 

Monday 12-13 October 

English & Maths PPE Exams 

Saturday 24 October - 3 November 

Year 10 Japanese Exchange (Tokyo) 

Monday 2- 4 November 

Year 12 & 13 Progress Tests 

Wednesday 4 November 

Year 7 Settling-in Afternoon 


Year 12 Chemistry in Action 

Friday 13 November 

Year 10 Gifted & Talented Event 

Thursday 19 November 

Year 12 & 13 Parents Evening 


Year 12 Chemistry in Action 

Monday 7 December 

Year 11 Orange - IOE trip 

Thursday 10 December 

Year 8 Parents Evening 

Thursday 10-18 December 

Year 11 & 10 Blue PPE Exams 

Friday 19 December 

Children in Need Xmas Jumper Day 

Striving for Excellence Awards 

2015 

Trinity Term 2015 

Striving for Excellence Awards 

Miles Casalotti Lochore 7S 

Miles is a delightful pupil to have in the class. He is always keen to 

contribute in a positive way and makes an effort to go above and beyond the 

requirements of any task. Miles is consistently helpful and polite. He always 

has a smile on his face and brightens up the classroom with his positivity. 

Jeff Turner-Clark 8D 

Jeff is a very polite young man who always follows instructions. He is 

hard working and always strives to achieves his best, both in lessons and 

as a pupil in our school community. His behaviour in lessons and 

relationships with his peers are exemplary. He will regularly help and support 

his peers both in terms of academic studies and moral decision making. 

Najib Salam 9K 

Najib is a role model for all pupils here. He is thoroughly dedicated to his 

work, unfailingly polite and always exceptionally well-presented. He strives 

for brilliance in everything he does, not because he is told to, but because 

he believes in the pursuit of excellence for himself and those around him. 

Pupil 

Success 

Bill Vu 10D 

Bill is a hardworking and dedicated pupil who always goes above and beyond 

both in and out of the classroom. Bill’s approach to learning and behaviour 

towards others makes him a positive role model for his peers in Year 10 

and the rest of the school. He is always eager to improve and better himself 

in all that he does; he continually strives for excellence. 

Edition 020 

2015 

Mr S Boden, Acting Deputy Headteacher 

Westminster City School 

Striving for Excellence, Learning for Life 

55 Palace Street, London, SW1E 5HJ www.wcsch.com

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