Connect_Issue1_Dec18Web

Issue #1 | December 2018
The newsletter of the Mulberry Schools Trust
connect
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL
A Messagefrom
the CEO
I am pleased to
introduce the first
newsletter of the
Mulberry Schools
Trust. The focus
of our multiacademy
trust
is to offer each
child an outstanding education:
in academic and technical
qualifications; in character
development; and in destinations
to university and employment.
We believe in service to our
families and community. We
are joined in our work by many
partners. I would like to thank
you all for working together
with us to ensure we are always
able to give our best to the
pupils in our care. In September,
Mulberry Academy Shoreditch
joined the Trust and we held
our first trust-wide celebration
event at Mulberry UTC, which
was attended by staff, trustees
and governors from all three
schools. There are exciting plans
ahead for the Trust that we will
report on in future termly issues;
in between, you can keep up to
date by visiting our new website.
www.mulberryschoolstrust.org
Dr Vanessa Ogden
A rooftop view of Mulberry UTC
Former First Lady Michelle
Obama Meets Mulberry Pupils
On Monday 3rd December, as part of her European
book tour, Former First Lady Michelle Obama appeared
at a sold-out, in-conversation event at the Royal Festival
Hall in London to celebrate her memoir BECOMING.
During the afternoon, Mrs Obama
spoke to pupils from both Mulberry
School for Girls and Elizabeth
Garrett Anderson School about the
book.
It was an honour to be in a position
to offer this once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to some of our
pupils, and we look forward to the
development of our relationship
with Mrs Obama over the coming
years.
We were also extremely proud of
Nusrath Hassan, one of Mulberry
School for Girls alumni and current
governor of Mulberry Academy
Shoreditch, who joined Mrs Obama
on stage for a thought provoking
panel discussion. Nusrath’s
achievements and experiences are
an inspiration for all pupils across
the Trust.
Nusrath with the Former First Lady
Provisional GCSE results place
Mulberry School for Girls in the top
of all schools in England4 %

Outstanding GCSE Results*
Mulberry School for Girls Progress in the highest quintile at +0.81 and
+0.77 for disadvantaged pupils l All available indicators show progress
significantly above the national average l 46% achieved the top grades
of 9-7 in English, 82% with grade 5+
All pupils follow the EBACC and 55% achieved the benchmark, way
above the national average l 85% achieved grade 5+ in RE, with 7 as
the average grade
Mulberry Academy Shoreditch 32% of pupils achieved top grades 7-9
in English, 67% with grade 5+ l Progress across all subjects was strong
at + 0.22, and for girls +0.48 l Maths results were above the national
average and progress was also strong l 69% achieved top grades 9-7
in Latin
Mulberry UTC We are really pleased with the improving progress of
Year 11 and look forward to the first GCSE results in 2019. There are
some brilliant Post-16 achievements in technical qualifications.
For Post-16 results, see individual school successes in the following
pages.
*Provisional results
Mulberry students perform
at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Pupils from Mulberry School for Girls and Mulberry UTC
travelled to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to perform a
brand new play in August 2018.
Cry God for Harry, England and St
George! was created by Mulberry
pupils and followed a group of
young women attempting to stage
a production of Shakespeare’s
Henry V while experiencing
Islamophobic threats. Eight
actors were joined by a team of
production assistants, caterers,
and film makers to perform and
promote the production over a two
week period, with all pupils taking
to the streets of Edinburgh to hand
out flyers to potential audience
members every day.
As well as performing their own
play, the pupils were given the
opportunity to experience a huge
range of performances and events
as part of the wider festival, from
comedy to circus and music. The
production was well received
in Edinburgh, with excellent
responses from both audience
and press, and was followed by
a special one-off performance in
London’s West End at the Duke of
York’s theatre.
‘Think-in’ with
Jude Kelly CBE
Mulberry School for
Girls and the Mulberry
Schools Foundation
is partnering with
Jude Kelly CBE for a
two-year residency
as ‘Thought Leader’.
Jude will lead a series of six
Mulberry Think-ins to generate,
communicate and celebrate young
people’s ideas and priorities for
achieving a gender equal world.
Jude is a successful theatre director
and founded the acclaimed West
Yorkshire Playhouse, as well as the
global WOW Festival.
The first event took place on
Wednesday 5th December 2018.
For further information, please visit:
www.partnershipofequals.org/
mulberry-think-ins
Pupils Model a
United Front
On Wednesday 12th and Thursday
13th December, the Mulberry
Schools Trust (MST) held the
27th Global Classrooms London
Model United Nations (GCLMUN)
conference at the International
Maritime Organisation, the only
UN organisation with headquarters
in London. GCLMUN is part of the
UNAUSA’s Global Classrooms MUN
programme and MST is proud to
be leading the largest schools
programme in the UK for this
worldwide network. The bi-annual
conference involves a pupil-led
Secretariat and brings together
hundreds of pupils from across
the country, including all schools
within MST.
Pupils played the role of
Ambassadors in simulations
of UN committees to build an
understanding of global challenges
through debates and resolution
writing. They were equipped with
co-operation, leadership and public
speaking skills, and developed as
confident global citizens. Using the
Universal Declaration for Human
Rights as their guiding work, they
considered how the international
community could tackle different
forms of discrimination, focusing on
refugees, the LGBTQ+ community
and indigenous peoples.
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4th Annual Education Lecture
On Wednesday 13th
February 2019, Mulberry
Schools Trust will be
holding its 4th Annual
Education Lecture at the
historic Royal Society of
Arts in John Adam Street.
We are delighted to announce
that this year’s guest speaker is
journalist, writer and broadcaster
Samira Ahmed. Ms Ahmed will
reflect on her life and work as a
journalist, commenting on current
social political trends and scanning
Girls and Boys Tackle Gender
Inequality at Flagship Conference
On Friday 12th October 2018, the
Mulberry Schools Trust held its
flagship Partnership of Equals
Conference at the QEII Conference
Centre.
The conference brought together
400 young people from schools
across London and further afield
to discuss and explore themes of
gender inequality, with the arts as a
key focus for the day.
Pupils heard from a panel of actors
and directors, and worked with
a number of performance poets.
Many poems were published in a
the horizon for issues of
future global importance.
Our lecture series is part of our
offer to provide high quality
and outstanding enrichment
opportunities for all our pupils
to encourage the importance of
leadership in employment, public
life, community life and family roles.
We would also like to invite our
parent/carer community and the
friends of Mulberry.
Places are limited and so if you
would like to reserve a place, please
RSVP to AJ Agar on headspa@
mulberryschoolstrust.org
Mulberry Schools Trust Upcoming Events
There are several exciting events planned over the next few months across the Trust. We
look forward to sharing more information with you in future editions of the newsletter.
Thursday 17th January 2019Year 10 and Year 12 Open Evening, Mulberry UTC
Wednesday 13th February 20194th Annual Education Lecture with Samira Ahmed, Royal Society of Arts
Wednesday 13th March 2019Year 10 and Year 12 Open Evening, Mulberry UTC
Thursday 14th March 2019 Year 11 Parent/Carer Introduction to Sixth Form, Mulberry Academy Shoreditch
Friday 22nd – Sunday 24th March 2019 Mulberry School for Girls, Florida International University visit (Miami)
Thursday 28th March 2019 Mulberry Youth Conference, Mulberry School For Girls
Thursday 11th – Sunday 14th April 2019 Mulberry UTC, Cornell University visit (Ithaca, NY)
Thursday 9th – Sunday 11th May 2019
Mulberry Academy Shoredith, Lebanese American University visit (New York)
Richard Street, Commercial Road, London E1 2JP
A 020 7790 6327 m mstnews@mulberryschoolstrust.org
www.mulberryschoolstrust.org
CEO: Dr Vanessa Ogden
special anthology and a selection
were performed at the conference.
A wide range of resources from
the conference, including video
extracts, can be accessed via the
website.
www.partnershipofequals.org.
Wednesday 3rd July 2019Year 8 Mulberry School for Girls mini Model UN conference with local primary school
If you would like to contact the CEO or have any feedback on the contents of this newsletter, please contact
us as follows: m mstnews@mulberryschoolstrust.org A 020 7790 6327 www.mulberryschoolstrust.org
The Mulberry Schools Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales (Company No. 10035860).
3

NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS
OperaSquad @MulberryTH
In October, Mulberry School for
Girls was taken over for the day by
a team of singers and musicians
from English National Opera’s
OperaSquad, who performed
operatic extracts in unlikely places
throughout the day, including
corridors, courtyards and the
dining hall. In addition, the ENO
team ran a series of workshops and
assemblies for pupils throughout
the day, introducing them to
the world of opera and getting
everyone singing. Year 10 drama
pupils took part in a special session
on Porgy and Bess, while all of Year
8 explored soundwaves in a special
‘Science and Singing’ lesson.
Some pupils were even given
the opportunity to conduct the
professional singers. This takeover
day signalled the beginning of a
year-long collaboration with the
company, which will include trips,
workshops and projects focusing
on opera for pupils across the Trust.
Over the course of 2018/19,
Mulberry Schools Trust is involved
with OperaSquad, the English
National Opera’s flagship schools
programme.
Obama
Foundation
Scholar
We are extremely proud to
share that alumna Fatima
Zaman is an inaugural Obama
Foundation Scholar, having
successfully secured a place
on a one-of-a-kind programme
that combines a Master of Arts
degree at the University of
Chicago Harris School of Public
Policy with an extraordinary
scholarship that includes access
to exceptional experiences
outside the classroom with the
Obama Foundation.
During a recent Obama
Foundation summit, Fatima
also headlined Barack Obama’s
closing speech. What an
achievement and inspiration for
our girls!
Oxbridge Beckons
for Year 13s
Eighteen Year 13 pupils have
attended a training day at
St Mary’s School Ascot in
preparation for early entry
into Oxford, Cambridge,
Medicine and Dentistry.
Pupils met fellow candidates
who are applying for early entry,
were given feedback about their
UCAS personal statements, as
well as having personal interview
experience and feedback from
senior academics and professors.
In Year 12, pupils have had the
opportunity to attend a number
of performances and experiences
such as a visit to the opera, ‘War
Requiem’ with Ms Smith and Ms
Whale and ‘La Boheme’ with Mr
Maynard as part of the young
critics programme.
Six pupils have been accepted
onto the prestigious Wadham
College Oxford programme. Most
recently, 35 Year 12 pupils were
invited to attend a Gender Equality
conference where they were able
to listen to a talk given by Michelle
Obama.
Outstanding Review Assures Quality
From Monday 26th to Wednesday 28th November,
Mulberry School for Girls had its annual ‘Challenge
Partners’ Quality Assurance Review.
This is where a group of trained
senior leaders from other schools
conduct a review, which includes:
lesson observations, interviews
with pupils and meetings with
senior leaders. We are delighted
that the review team validated
our judgement that the school is
‘outstanding’ in all areas.
The school is awaiting the written
report but here are some of
the pleasing comments during
feedback:
‘Mulberry is an exceptional school’
‘Strong identity with a real warmth
and passion’
‘There is the same level of
academic challenge clear in all
subjects, whether art or Maths’
‘A reflective and thoughtful
organisation’
‘The pastoral support and
knowledge of pupils is exceptional’
‘Pupils spoke incredibly highly of
all the staff at the school’
Cutting Edge Research Leading the Way
On Friday 19th October, Mulberry School for Girls held its annual Teaching
and Learning Conference. All teachers and learning assistants shared
and developed good practice in marking, feedback and assessment. A
new feedback policy, based on cutting edge educational research, has
encouraged innovation across the curriculum. We held a ‘Teach Meet’
where colleagues shared the very best practice with each other. The
conference is part of a carefully tailored programme of professional
development that builds on the expertise of our highly skilled teachers and
support staff to continue to ensure outstanding progress for all pupils.
4

Richard Street, Commercial Road, London E1 2JP
A 020 7790 6327 m info@mulberryschoolforgirls.org
www.mulberryschoolforgirls.org D @MulberryTH
Headteacher: Dr Vanessa Ogden
£4k+ Raised During Charity Week
Sixth Form pupils put sustainability at the top of the
agenda and raised an impressive £4,352.60 for London
Charity Week in November.
The week-long activities included:
a teachers’ football game; movie
night; bucket collections; car
washing and cake sales. Riyah
Maymunah, Year 13 pupil, explains:
“Charity Week is a week
where a community comes
together to raise money for
those in need. It is a week
where Mulberry girls united
to work collaboratively and
combine their diverse skills
to raise awareness about the
importance of sustainability.”
As part of this work, Year 13 pupils
also planned PSHEE lessons,
delivered to the whole school,
to explain the importance of
sustainability.
Pupils were invited to the London
Award Ceremony where they
Award winning charity week banner
created by Umme Chowdhury, Nuzhat
Jahan, Sayma Sultana, Sumayyah
Tahsin and Madeha Yasmin.
won an award for their amazing
banner and were nominated for
their campaign. Mulberry pupils
and families contributed to the
total of over £1.36 million raised
during Charity Week across seven
participating countries.
Sixth Form
Open Evening
On Thursday 8th November,
we held a successful Open
Evening where we showcased
our fantastic Sixth Form offer.
The evening was extremely well
attended by 195 Year 11 pupils
from Mulberry School for Girls
and 83 external applicants.
Pupils had the opportunity to
speak to subject teachers about
the variety of courses that we
have on offer, as well as hearing
about the support that we offer
pupils outside of the curriculum
both pastorally and in preparing
for university and apprenticeship
applications.
The feedback from parents
and pupils has been extremely
positive and we’re really looking
forward to welcoming all
applicants to an interview in the
spring term.
NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS
Exam Success at the UTC
At the UTC, the first
cohort of pupils will sit
GCSE and A level exams in
summer 2019. However, we
were absolutely delighted
with the 23 pupils who
completed the Diploma in
Health and Social Care at
Level 2 in 2018.
75% achieved Distinction* and
82% Distinction or higher. The
vast majority of these pupils are
now studying Level 3 technical
qualifications with us.
We also had results from our highly
successful technical courses in
Health Science, Health and Social
Care and Digital Media. Attainment
in Health Science was above the
national average at Distinction,
Merit and Pass level. Over 35%
of pupils achieved a Distinction
compared to just 10% nationally,
and 90% of pupils achieved a Merit
or higher compared to less than
45% nationally. In Digital Media two
thirds of pupils achieved a Merit or
higher in at least one unit. Success
at both Pass and Merit was higher
than the national average.
We are looking forward to some
incredible results in 2019.
64 Parnell Rd, London E3 2RU
A 020 3137 7024 m info@mulberryutc.co.uk
www.mulberryutc.co.uk D @MulberryUTC
Principal: Alice Ward
Health Care and
Health Science
Careers
Level 2 Health and Social Care
students have now started work
placements one day a week at
Barts Trust Hospitals in cardiac,
pharmacy, radiology and maternity
wards in addition to study at
Mulberry UTC. These students will
also work towards the NHS CARE
Certificate.
Health Scientists and Health and
Social Care students have attended
careers and information days at
Whipps Cross and the Royal London
Hospital. They have met a wide
variety of professionals in Health
careers and have been able to
develop their own technical skills as
well as learning about the numerous
roles that exist in the NHS. They
participated in workshops using
ultrasound, completing CPR and
undertaking clinical diagnosis.
5
NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS

NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS
Future Solutions Project Week
On Monday 26th to Friday 30th November, the UTC ran its first Future
Solutions project – a week of innovative learning experiences. Future
Solutions is about opening students’ eyes to the challenges and
opportunities in responding to client briefs. Briefs were set by our employer
sponsors, and lessons were suspended for a week during the afternoons so
students could immerse themselves in a working environment. The exhibition
and presentation of projects took place the following Tuesday. The best of
the products, created by students, will be used by our partners in real life.
Examples of projects included:
BFI - Future Film In this project,
pupils worked with the BFI on the
Southbank to create promotional
‘assets’ for young Londoners to visit
the ‘Future film’ festival in February.
This included the creation of film
trailers, showreels, short stings and
social media campaigns on Twitter,
Instagram and Facebook.
Goldsmiths, University of London
Pupils worked towards a ‘pitch’ for
a new TV programme, including
story board and trailer.
Design Museum Pupils were given
a design brief to create a welldesigned
product that improves
everyday life and can be sold in the
design museum shop.
Spotlight Sounds Pupils worked
with young music artists and
developed a recording, a short film
Technical Qualifications Secure Top Pathways
Year 13 students are finalising university and apprenticeship application
courses. Technical qualifications are recognised by all Russell Group
universities as well as Oxford and Cambridge. Year 13 students have
already sent applications to universities including Bristol, King’s College
and Queen Mary, as well as for apprenticeship places with Sky, the BBC,
KPMG and the NHS.
Casualty Scriptwriters Workshop
In September 1986, CASUALTY, the
BBC drama series created by Paul
Unwin, first aired on our screens.
We were delighted to welcome Paul
to the UTC to hear how he used
his personal experience to develop
the controversial television series
which still lives on 30 years later.
The Year 12 Digital Media pupils
had the absolute pleasure and
privilege to work alongside Paul in
and product design and marketing.
WE.org. Pupils planned and
implemented an active citizenship
project, locally and globally.
an intimate director’s workshop.
This was hands-on and practical,
and related to our pupils’ own piece
of coursework based on a Medical
drama. Pupils received valuable
advice about how to evaluate their
scripts, as well as directing tips and
tricks. Paul has now established a
valuable link with the UTC and will
be back to see the final productions
pupils create in the summer.
Seminar Series –
London Ambulance
Service
On Friday 12th October and as
part of our ‘Seminar Series’, we
were delighted to host the London
Ambulance Service. The seminar
series is a monthly event where
we invite individuals into the UTC
from a Health Care or Science field
to talk to the pupils about their
profession.
The paramedics gave an engaging
presentation about how to
become a paramedic, the types of
paramedic roles that existed and
some captivating stories of some of
the more interesting cases they are
called out to during their time in
the service.
We are proud to say that the
seminar really inspired many
of our pupils, one of which has
now decided they want to study
Paramedic Sciences at University.
Open Evening Thursday 17th January 2019, 4.00pm–7.00pm
Students with an interest in careers in Health Care, Health Science or Creative Industries can apply to join
Mulberry UTC from Year 10 or Year 12. Students come from Mulberry School for Girls, Mulberry Academy
Shoreditch and many other schools across Tower Hamlets, London, and wider areas.
Hear from our Principal, Ms Ward, tour our world-class facilities and meet our talented pupils.
For further information, please email Steph Murphy: smurphy@mulberryschoolstrust.org
You can sign up for tickets here: www.mulberryutc.co.uk
6

Gosset Street, London E2 6NW
A 020 7920 7900 m info@mulberryacademyshoreditch.org
www.mulberryacademyshoreditch.org D @MulberryAS
Executive Principal: Mrs Ruth Holden
Memorable Nobel Prize Awards
On Thursday 22nd November, the academy held its annual Nobel Prize
Award ceremony, celebrating excellence in Maths and Science. It was an
amazing event and we wanted to particularly mention Year 8 pupil, Ehsanul
Haque, who was extremely impressive with his amazing memory skills at
recalling numbers of pi. Well done to all pupils who received awards!
NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS
Sports News
Mulberry Academy Shoreditch
won a bid to become one of
two Sports Hubs in Tower
Hamlets. We have appointed
an experienced School
Games Organiser funded
by Sport England and the
Local Authority, who will be
responsible for organising
and delivering School Games
competitions for local primary
and secondary schools.
Girls’ Football
The girls’ football team continue
their winning streak against
teams representing schools in
the borough. They currently sit
at the top of the Girls’ Football
League - a whopping 10 points
ahead of their closest rivals (as
of December 2018). All games
are played in excellent spirit and
we look forward to celebrating
their future successes.
TOP PERFORMER: GCSE
quham adefila
Seven grade 9s,
one 8, one A*, one A and
an A*Distinction
Dame Julia Commends Social Action
On Wednesday 7th November,
the academy was honoured to
receive a visit by Dame Julia
Cleverdon, DCVO, CBE. Dame Julia
is a longstanding friend of the
academy, co-founder and trustee
of the #iwill campaign and Vice
Patron of Teach First.
Dame Julia met a group of Year
9 pupils who support the charity
Addaction. They performed a
drama piece that saw them win
a £1000 top prize from charity
First Give. Dame Julia thought
their achievements were hugely
impressive and in return she
Record-breaking Sixth Form Event
On Tuesday 20th November, we
had the pleasure of hosting a
large number of Year 11 pupils
and parents/carers for our Sixth
Form Open Evening event. It was
a resounding success with recordbreaking
numbers attending,
including a high number of pupils
from other schools in Tower
Hamlets, Newham and Islington.
Visitors from the London School
of Economics and Queen Mary
shared amazing stories of how
young people are changing their
communities up and down the
country through social action.
University were also on hand
to advise on A Level and BTEC
choices, as well as representatives
from Duke of Edinburgh and
National Citizen Service to
discuss some of the enrichment
opportunities we offer.
We will be hosting a special
information evening for Year 11
pupils in the spring term to provide
more details on what we can offer
your child next year.
TOP PERFORMER: A LEVEL
esther luisa
de oliveira
3As in Chemistry, Maths
and Physics, an A* in
Portuguese and an A
in AS French
7

NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS
OperaSquad @MulberryAS
On Tuesday 16th October, Mulberry Academy
Shoreditch welcomed the English National Opera (ENO)
for ‘OperaSquad Takeover Day’.
Pupils and staff enjoyed workshops
led by ENO singers and facilitators
throughout the day and pop up
performances of opera around the
school at break and lunchtime.
Many of our pupils jumped at the
opportunity to try on some of the
impressive costumes from various
opera productions. We were also
delighted to welcome pupils from
Columbia Primary School and
Christchurch Primary School to join
in the workshops in the morning.
It was a wonderful day for all
and we look forward to future
collaborations with ENO.
Healthy Cooking
with Virginia
Primary School
It was great to see Kate
Gooding, the Headteacher of
Virginia Primary School and her
lovely Year 5 pupils, cooking
chicken noodle stir-fry on
Monday 12th November. The
pupils were having a great time
and enjoyed cooking a healthy
meal. Thank you to Ms Howe,
our fantastic Hospitality teacher
who led on this.
www.mulberryschoolforgirls.org www.mulberryutc.co.uk www.mulberryacademyshoreditch.org