R e v i e w

Issue 20 Friday, 3rd March 2017 

Dear all, 

Robert Barclay Academy R e v i e w 

Education for a changing world 

As I write this week’s RBA Review headlines, we are in the middle of appointing a 

new Assistant Headteacher (two-day interviews). We have a vacancy on the Senior 

Leadership Team as Ms McDougall has deservedly gained promotion and will be leaving at 

Easter to start her new position as Vice Principal at The Chalk Hills Academy, part of the 

Shared Learning Trust, based in Luton. We have been inundated with applications for this 

post and I feel this is a further indication of the rising profile of our school. 

On Thursday this week, Year 6 students and their parents found out what Secondary 

School they had been allocated. I am sure you can all remember this day and receiving 

the news! The popularity of the school continues to rise and we have been allocated just 

under 150 students from Year 6. We are really pleased that the reputation of the school is 

continuing to improve and that more and more parents are recognising all the hard work we 

are putting in. We look forward to welcoming the new Year 7 students to the RBA family! 

6th Mar 

Dates for your Diary 

National Careers Week 

7th Mar Year 11—WJEC Music Unit 1 

Practical Performance—Moderator 

Visit 10am 

Year 6 Welcome Evening 4.30- 

5.00pm 

8th Mar 

Years 10-13 Upper School 

Preparation Day 

Year 12 Field Trip to Norfolk 

Sports Tour Meeting 6pm (Hall) 

9th Mar Year 8 Parents Evening 3.30- 

7.30pm 

On Wednesday evening, four highly 

committed RBA students (Tom Culley, 

Sakhara Dixon, Amy Flowers and Hassen 

Boulemia) took time out from their busy 

schedule to visit the Houses of 

Parliament. The students made the long 

journey to speak out about Body Image. I 

also know these Youth Broxbourne students 

have been voicing their concerns about the 

recent proposed planning for an ERF (Energy 

Recovery Facility) in Ratty Lane, Hoddesdon. 

This week the students have been making 

their peers aware of this local issue and 

explaining to them the method that they can 

take to submit their views on this 

consultation. I am sure parents are aware of 

this but in case you are not you can make 

any comments by sending them to the Case 

Officer, Rob Egan, by e-mailing: 

spatialplanning@hertfordshire.gov.uk 

10th Mar 

Year 8 Options Deadline 

23rd Mar Year 7 Parents Evening 3.30- 

7.30pm 

Sixth Form SJL Careers Day 

30th Mar Year 10 Parents Evening 3.30- 

7.30pm 

School Timetable 

Week Commencing : 

Monday, 6th March 

WEEK 1 

Next Thursday (9 th March), we have Year 8 RBA Students attending the Houses of Parliament 

Parents Evening from 4.00 – 7.00pm. I 

would like to remind parents that they are required to make bookings by using our new 

on-line booking system that we are trialling (as was used for the Academic Review Day). As 

I have reiterated before, I cannot stress how important it is for parents to be attending these 

meetings. Our expectation is that every child and their parent/carer attends these really 

important feedback meetings. 

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that really matter.” 

Have a good weekend. 

(Martin Luther King Jr) 

7th Mar 

8th Mar 

9th Mar 

SPORTING FIXTURES 

Years 7-13 Cross Country Champs @ 

Simon Balle 

Year 7 Rugby Tournament @ Hertford 

Rugby club 1.30pm 

Year 10 Netball Tournament 

For news on sporting fixtures, events, etc., follow Physical 

Education on Twitter: @RBA_PE 

For news about Performing Arts, follow us on Twitter: 

Ced de la Croix 

Headteacher 

Follow us on Twitter: 

@RBAcad 

For news and interesting facts, vocabulary, literacy and 

much more follow the English Faculty on Twitter: 

Editor: Emma Jones 

Robert Barclay Academy, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 8JY. Tel: 01992 410 800 Fax: 01992 410 801 Email: admin@robertbarclayacademy.co.uk 

@RBAcad

Year 7 

Jimmy Beaney 

Mason Cooper 

Esther Clark 

Joseph Clarke 

Tyler Cross 

Keera Dawes 

Katie Donnarumma 

Harry Downes 

Daisy Fearn 

Lilly Griffin 

Franki Horncastle 

Daniel Jamela 

Sonny Mays 

Fay Mills 

Sophie Morgan 

Kian Seymour 

Lily Sharpe 

Paolo Termine 

Harley White 

Year 8 

Ria Arnold 

Matthew Beer 

Georgia Berry 

Kaye Birmingham 

Ruby Brown 

Nicolas Cano 

Tilly Carson 

Eva Colduck-Grant 

Jasmine Durasamy 

Harvey Durkin 

Taylor Elwell 

Ella Forster 

Jude Golds 

Teigan Gould 

Tobey Gower 

Calum Gunn 

Samuel Hagger 

Georgia Harrington 

Alex Hill 

Katherine Hindlaugh 

Holly Hudgeon 

Keira Hughes 

Jemma Johnson 

Lorena Hagland-Smith 

Maisie Kemplen 

Daisy Kirby 

Lauren Langsdon 

Sariska Mannion 

Jamie Manston 

Libby Mardell-Lines 

Hannah Merritt 

Physical Education 


Performing Arts 


















Religious Education 


Religious Education & Performing Arts 




























Kacie-Louise Miller 

Cate Morcom 

Evie Moss 

Tiegan Nevin 

Angel O’Callaghan 

Mia Orosun 

Abbie Ottley 

Isabelle Pain 

Emily Pykett 

Ellie Robertson 

Mariachiara Russo 

Connor Smith 

Brooke Taverner 

Lily Taylor 

Mia Taylor 

Callum Walsh 

Shorty Warren 

Harriet Waterlow 

Emily Webber 

Charlie Westley 

Hollie Williams 

Joe Willmore 

Year 9 

Harrison Baker 

Lydia Barlow 

Ben Bateman 

Michaella Brown 

Ellie Jones 

Sarah McGovern 

Jack Parcell 

Frankie Perry 

Stacey Read-Murray 

Tommy Scola 

Aleah Warren 

Year 10 

Millie Andrews 

Destiny Anthony 

Jacqueline Brown 

Zoe Dear 

Sakhara Dixon 

Jade Ednie 

Amy Flowers 

Demi Hays 

Charli Horncastle 

Dora Michnea 

Alexandra Popa 

Erin Rumens 

Lucrezia Sanzeri 

Scarlet Tippett 











































Geography 





2

Year 11 

Abby Coupland 

Jade Goodman 

Emily Gribbin 

Abbie Kermode 

Molly Ludlam 

Lauren Moore 

Sophie Osborne 

Daniella Vinci 



Media 





Media 

Year 12 

Karlee Beech 

Tom Culley 

Adam El-Shafi 

Amy Fallart 

Olivia Smith 

Erin Woodhurst 







Year 13 

Hannah Clohosy 

Nancy Meadwell 



Drama 

On Wednesday, 1st March Razed Roof went to Parliament to launch a report that they 

have contributed to with the charity MENCAP. The report represents people with 

Down's Syndrome in the debate over new medical testing which can determine at the 

earliest stages of pregnancy if an unborn foetus has Down's Syndrome. 

Razed Roof were involved to allow people with Down's Syndrome to voice their 

opinion and escrow their experience living with Downs. Year 12 Drama student Regan 

Goddard was invited along to Parliament to represent RBA and share the positive 

relationship that our students are fortunate to have with Razed Roof. 

‘It was a wonderful opportunity to join Razed Roof at the Houses of Parliament! 

I found it interesting to learn more about people's experience living with Down's 

Syndrome. 

I'm hopeful that the launch will send a clear message of what positive, full lives people 

with Down's Syndrome can live and the extent of activities they can participate in. 

Met John Bercow, spotted many politicians going about their important business’! 

Regan Goddard—Year 12 

Regan representing RBA at the Houses of Parliament 

Lauren Mack 

Head of Drama 

3

Drama 

Year 12 Practitioners in Practice Examination 

On Thursday, 23rd February the AS Drama and Theatre students performed their devised 

performances to a live audience. The exam involved the students taking Sarah Kane's 

controversial play 4.48 Psychosis, created around her own experience of depression, and 

combine it with two learnt theatre practitioners. The first theatre practitioner was Antonin 

Artaud who created Theatre of Cruelty. The second a contemporary physical theatre 

company Frantic Assembly. The students had spent almost three months rehearsing their 

examination performances and were incredibly nervous on the big night! The students 

channelled their fears and led the audience through a theatrical experience like no other! 

Thank you to all who supported on the evening especially our brave audience made up of 

many proud parents! 

A huge congratulations to the AS class, you all did incredibly well! Now the test is to keep 

the effort up with the supporting paperwork! 

Lauren Mack 

Head of Drama 

Photos of the Year 12 Drama students during their exam performances 

Dance 

Geri Masucci 

Director of Learning—Year 10 / Teacher of Dance and Drama 

4

What is Red Nose Day? 

Red Nose Day is a fundraising event run by Comic Relief that takes places every two years 

Comic Relief is a UK charity, which aims to create a just world, free from poverty 

Last Red Nose Day the UK public raised an astonishing £99.4 million to help people living incredibly tough lives both here in the 

UK and Africa 

We’re taking part in Red Nose Day 2017 because: 

 

 

 

 

Pupils learn valuable life skills 

Pupils gain understanding and empathy for others in the world 

It brings the whole school community together 

Our school can really make a difference to people’s lives 

Did you know… 

 

 

£3 could pay for a counselling session for a child who has lost of their parents to Ebola in Sierra Leone 

In the UK, £10 could help a young person caught up in gang culture to turn their life around with professional mentoring 

On Friday, 24 th March RBA will be raising money for the worthwhile cause of Red Nose Day. The first event of the week will be pupils 

having the opportunity to buy a red nose for £1. Sellers will be around at break and lunch 

time, as well as visiting forms, throughout the week for pupils and staff to purchase a red 

nose. 

Additionally, there will be a cake sale at break and lunch time on Friday in the Refectory. 

We would like to ask for volunteers to bake/bring cakes in to sell as well as to help on the 

day to sell them, if this is of interest to you then please talk to Ms.Melhuish. 

Please remember to bring in some money to support this charity event at the school. 

If you have any questions, then please talk to Ms.Melhuish. 

Sophie Melhuish 

Head of Year 8 / Head of Girls’ PE 

Year 10 – Work Experience 

All Year 10 work experience forms should be in by next week Friday, 10 th March, this is the final closing date. Anyone who 

has not got their forms in will be allocated a job by the Youth Connections team. 

Well done to everyone who has completed the form and has found their own placement. Mr Hoskins who delivers the work 

experience program is so pleased with the amount of students who have found their own placements. If you don’t have a 

form they are at Student Reception. 

Geri Masucci 

Director of Learning—Year 10 / Teacher of Dance and Drama 

5

On Wednesday, 28th February four RBA students had the opportunity to visit the 

Houses of Parliament and speak in a discussion about Body Image. Hassen 

Boulemia, Sakhara Dixon, Amy Flowers and myself travelled up to Westminster 

after school. Once arriving at the Houses of Parliament we moved up to the 

committee rooms where we took our seat for the evening in committee room 12. 

All four students were lucky enough to have the opportunity to speak and 

represented RBA to an extremely high standard. The students spoke about how 

together we can tackle the stigma around Body Image, how we can portray 

positive Body Images online and how to support our peers and improve self 

esteem. 

Following the meeting, our MP (Charles Walker OBE) very kindly came to speak 

to us with the Leader of the House of Commons - The Rt Hon David Lidington 

MP. RBA students discussed with Mr Lidington how the government is working 

to improve Mental Health and thanked us for the Youth Councils work regarding 

young people's Mental Health in Broxbourne. 

If any students would like to get more involved in Youth Voice in Broxbourne I 

would massively appreciate if you could send me an email at 

tom4broxbourne@gmail.com and we can organise for you to come and join our 

upcoming youth council meeting. 

Well done to all of the students who attended the meeting at the House of Parliament on Wednesday! You represented RBA 

amazingly. 

Hassen, Sakhara, Amy and Tom attending the Houses of Parliament to discuss Body Image Tom Culley– Year 12 

Year 8 Parents Evening 

Thursday, 9th March 2017 3.30pm—7.30pm 

If you have not already booked your appointment for Parents Evening, please do so via the online booking system 

https://robertbarclay.parentseveningsystem.co.uk 

Appointments will be five minutes long and students are expected to attend in full school uniform. 

Any queries regarding this, please contact your child's Form Tutor. 

Sophie Melhuish 

Head of Year 8 / Head of Girls’ PE 

6

Our Athletics Journey 

‘At Robert Barclay Academy we started Sportshall Athletics at the beginning of Year 7, it was a new start for many students, including me. We had 

to learn this new activity and the events that are involved. These included obstacle relay, four lap run, speed bounce, standing triple jump and 

many more. As PE sessions went on, I and the other members of Year 7 learnt these new events and Mr Gant then had to choose the athletics 

team. A handful of us were chosen to take part in the 1 st round event and we were buzzing to take the role of the new Year 7 Sportshall Athletics 

team. 

When the day finally came, myself and the rest of the team got the minibus to Woodson Park and took off to the event. When we arrived, we went 

into the sports hall and took our seats. Many events took place including the Year 8s races. We did really well in our first event and I was 

involved in winning our first ever obstacle relay race. The team did really well and gained a lot of points. 

In the semi-finals, it was very nerve-racking, knowing that if we qualify we’ll be in the finals of Sportshall Athletics. Luckily, we qualified and 

reached the finals with only a couple of points splitting us Chauncy and Broxbourne apart. In the finals, we ran, jumped and bounced as fast as we 

could to reach that shield at the end of the event. Many Year 7s won their events and the rest finishing either runners up or 3 rd place. As the event 

finished we sat down and nervously waited for the announcement. At last it came it came and deservedly, we were the Year 7 Sportshall Athletic 

champions. Unfortunately, the Year 8 team just missed out and came second which was still an amazing result. 

Earlier this week we also had the opportunity to share our knowledge and experience with some pupils from Sheredes Primary School. Along with 

some other Year 7 girls we led a session to help their Year 5s and 6s to prepare for their own tournament. I was in charge of the Speed Bounce 

activity. It was a pleasure helping and being part of the Year 7 Sportshall Athletics team this year’. 

Written by Joseph Clarke 7A. 

. 

We are very proud of the Year 7s in becoming District Champions. All the boys worked hard to qualify for the final and performed superbly to win 

the trophy. Special mention goes to Tyler Cross and Paulo Termine for finishing 1 st in Triple Jump. Harley White and Sonny Mays 1 st in Long 

Jump. Daniel Jamela and Sonny Mays 1 st in Vertical Jump and Kian Seymour and Mason Cooper 1 st in Shot. 

A big well done also goes to our Year 8 boys who also produced some excellent performances. They too qualified for the final and finished as 

runners up. Louie Chillingworth and Charlie Aldridge finished 1 st in Triple Jump, Jake Hughes and Luke Tully 1 st in Long Jump and Frankie Irving 

and Jake Hughes 1 st in Shot. 

Overall results from the teams that qualified for the final are as follows: 

Year 7 Sportshall District Champions 

Year 7 

RBA 74 points 

Chauncy 68 

Simon Balle 68 

Broxbourne 56 

Year 8 

Broxbourne 75 

RBA 71 

Simon Balle 70 

Chauncy 64 

The Year 7 team now represent the A10 at the County Finals on the 21 st March. 

Adam Gant 

Head of PE and Health / House Leader 

BTEC Quality Nominee 

7

8

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