Connect Issue Issue #3

Issue #3 | Summer 2019
The newsletter of the Mulberry Schools Trust
connect
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL
A Messagefrom
the CEO
I am delighted
to welcome
you to our final
newsletter for
this academic
year. With the
exams season now
complete, it has
been another busy
time for Trust schools.
This term, I spoke about the work
of the three schools at various
events including the Teach First
Business Leaders Council, Murray
Edwards College, Cambridge
and UCL Institute of Education.
As the newly appointed Chair, I
also spoke at the Fair Education
Alliance Summit (FEA), which is
a coalition of organisations from
education, charities and business
who are working together to
tackle educational inequality.
We were honoured to host
various events, which included
a visit from Tina Tchen, former
Chief of Staff to Michelle Obama
who joined us for the Year 11
Graduation at our girls’ school
(page 5).
I am also pleased to announce
that Mulberry School for Girls was
awarded the status of ‘Beacon
School in Holocaust Education’
(page 3).
A list of our autumn open evening
events can be found on the back
page and we hope to see you.
I hope you enjoy reading this
issue and I would like to wish
our staff, students and families
a restful summer break.
Dr Ogden speaking at the FEA Summit
RCN chief shares leadership
insights and success stories
Students and staff from across the Mulberry Schools Trust
were delighted to welcome Dame Donna Kinnair, Chief
Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of
Nursing to Mulberry UTC on Monday 24th June.
Dame Donna inspired students
with stories of her own working
life in the east end of London.
Having started her career as a
nurse in Whitechapel, she went on
to work as a health visitor in Tower
Hamlets, Newham and Hackney. As
part of the visit, Dr Ogden chaired
an engaging and riveting Q&A
discussion that included UTC sixth
form student Zaynab Bint Zakeer,
Dame Donna and Winnie George,
Associate Director for Nursing at
Barts Health NHS Trust. The student
audience were able to ask some
frank and important questions
related to the funding of nursing
degrees, why so few senior black
and minority ethnic staff are found
in senior positions across the NHS
and public perceptions related to
nursing being seen as a female
occupation.
UTC students were also treated to
a round table discussion with Dame
Donna and Winnie George and they
were fascinated by the insight this
gave them into the world of nursing
and health care.
Dame Donna has agreed to return
to the Mulberry Schools Trust
to deliver the Annual Education
Lecture in February 2020. Our
students will be looking forward to
meeting her again.

Model UN 2019: Mulberry excel in Miami,
New York and London
The Mulberry Schools Trust is the
UK lead for the United Nations
Association of the USA (UNA-USA)
worldwide network. We are proud
to hold this prestigious role under
the banner of Global Classrooms
London Model United Nations
(GCLMUN), the largest programme
of its kind for state-funded schools
in the UK. Model United Nations
(MUN) is a simulation of the
UN General Assembly and our
involvement with MUN means
that we can offer exceptional
enrichment opportunities beyond
our borders.
In typical Mulberry style, a group
of lucky students travelled across
the pond to MUN conferences in
the USA in the spring and summer
terms. They dazzled young people
from across the world with debates
that tackled gender equality, climate
action, global health and more.
Year 10 students from Mulberry
School for Girls kicked off the
international adventures to join a
conference in Florida International
University in Miami, where
they mastered and developed
confidence, communication skills
and awareness of global affairs.
In addition to attending the
conference, they had some time to
explore the city and experience its
culture.
A group of six Mulberry School
for Girls Year 12 students hit
the Big Apple and attended the
UNIS-UN International Student
Conference entitled, Ripple Effect:
The Water Crisis. The New York
conference started with a day of
cultural exchange hosted at UNIS.
Distinguished guest speakers
2
addressed the role of water in
relation to sustainability and
geopolitics and how access to this
basic human right was affected
by gender, race and wealth. For
the remainder of the trip, students
explored the rich and diverse
history of New York City and visited
a number of iconic sights, including
the 9/11 Memorial, an exhibition on
Martin Luther King and a walking
tour of Manhattan where they
learnt about how the first migrants
settled in Little Italy, Chinatown and
Brooklyn. Upon their return to the
UK the group delivered workshops
for the MUN Conference held at the
school around diversity, inclusion
and race where they encouraged
participants to use art as a vehicle
to promote community cohesion.
“This trip was truly eye-opening
and insightful, teaching me many
things, and ways we can try to
become better citizens in a global
community.” Nuzhat, Year 12
Six students representing Years 10
and 12 from Mulberry Academy
Shoreditch and Mulberry UTC
also found themselves in New York
for the annual Global Classrooms
International MUN Conference
hosted by the Lebanese American
University. The students joined
committees to debate wide-ranging
topics such as food security, the
integration of the disabled and
the situation in Rakhine, Myanmar.
The closing ceremony was held
in New York’s UN Quarters and
Mulberry Academy Shoreditch
Year 10 student Carlotta Joffe was
presented with an award for her
distinguished performance within
her committee.
During their time in the Big Apple,
the students also managed to visit
a number of famous sites including
the Grand Central Station and
Times Square. They also walked
along the New York high line which
is set along an old railway and
took the ferry over to Staten Island
which passes the Statue of Liberty.
“New York was an opportunity for
me to get out of my comfort zone
and the experience undeniably
led to me participate in activities
that I wouldn’t have done before,
like being a chair at a Model UN
conference.” Manazar, Year 12
“The trip was a great insight to the
real world and how a professional
debate would take place. It
opened our eyes to what other
delegates think about the world
and how we should tailor certain
solutions to benefit countries.”
Khaled, Year 12
Mulberry’s 28th GCLMUN
conference took place in July.
The two-day conference entitled
‘A global call for concrete action
for the total elimination of racism,
racial discrimination, xenophobia
and related intolerance’, was held
in response to the dangerous rise
of extremist movements promoting
populist and nationalist ideologies
of racial superiority in different
parts of the world. Mulberry
welcomed students aged 13 to 18
from state-funded, non-selective
schools from London, as well as
international schools from around
the world.

Richard Street, Commercial Road, London E1 2JP
A 020 7790 6327 m mstnews@mulberryschoolstrust.org
www.mulberryschoolstrust.org
CEO: Dr Vanessa Ogden
NHS England’s executive director
discusses career opportunities
Students from across the
Mulberry family welcomed
Emily Lawson from NHS
England to Mulberry UTC
in April.
Ms Lawson, the National Director:
Transformation and Corporate
Operations, oversees a directorate
that includes key corporate functions
that support the effectiveness and
efficiency of the NHS.
As one of the largest employers in
the world, Ms Lawson encouraged
students to think about the many
exciting career opportunities
available within the NHS beyond
being a doctor, nurse or paramedic.
Students were also fascinated in
some of the technological advances
that are currently used across the
NHS, including artificial intelligence
and the digital technology that sits
behind the launch of the new NHS
app. Ms Lawson was taken on a
tour of the UTC’s state-of-the-art
facilities including its health suite
and creative spaces.
Mulberry
awarded
Beacon Status
On behalf of the Trust’s national
contribution to education, we are
excited to announce that Mulberry
School for Girls was awarded
the status of ‘Beacon School in
Holocaust Education’ by the UCL
Centre for Holocaust Education.
Every year, the Centre look to
recruit up to 15 secondary schools
in England committed to enhancing
teaching and learning about the
Holocaust and we are delighted
that Mulberry School for Girls is one
of the cohort schools representing
the southern region. As a Beacon
School we will become a dynamic
hub serving a network of local
schools and will partner with
the Centre to improve teaching
standards, raise pupil achievement,
and strengthen social, moral,
spiritual and cultural provision.
Strategy and
best practice
shared at MST’s
Governors and
Trustees summer
conference
The first ever MST Governor and
Trustee Summer Conference took
place on Monday 17th June at the
Mulberry and Bigland Green Centre.
The conference brought together
Trustees, Governors and senior
leaders from the family of schools.
Colleagues looked closely at the
three year strategic plans of the
schools and received a briefing
on Ofsted’s new Inspection
Framework.
The conference ended with
a reflection and evaluation
activity, followed by an evening
reception. It was great to receive
comments from colleagues that
the conference helped them to
understand and appreciate the
links between the three schools
in the Trust.
MST launch new charity
Mulberry Schools Trust
is soon to launch a new
charity, Mulberry Schools
Foundation.
The Foundation will support the
Trust’s vision by funding individuals,
organisations, events and initiatives
in order to:
• remove barriers to learning,
achievement and social
engagement;
• give access to opportunities
that build creativity, confidence,
discernment, leadership, selfdetermination
and global
awareness;
• give voice to young people and
other communities less often
heard and provide platforms for
leadership through those voices;
• innovate to enhance equality and
social justice, so building young
people’s capacity to make a
difference to their world;
• celebrate and extend best
practice and make a national
and international contribution to
educational improvement, policy
and knowledge.
The Foundation’s ambitious
programme will begin in September.
Mulberry Academy
London Dock update
Mulberry Schools Trust are excited by the opportunity to develop
and build ‘Mulberry Academy London Dock’, a new 11-18 school in
Wapping. The school is due to open in September 2022 with Year 7.
The school will be housed in a flagship building, moments from Tower
Bridge, and is designed with landscaped spaces and extensive sport
and leisure facilities.
3

NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS
Students travel to Belgium to
pay tribute to WWI soldiers
On the 21st June, at the crack of dawn, 40 Year 9
students excitedly descended on the school gates for
our annual trip to visit the memorial sites of the First
World War in Belgium.
The purpose of the trip is to pay
tribute to those members of the
various nations who made the
ultimate sacrifice for their countries
over 100 years ago.
Students experienced the sights
and sounds of the First World
War by visiting the site of the
Battle of Passchendaele, visiting
a trench system called Sanctuary
Wood, which was used by British
soldiers. A visit to the battlefield
cemeteries at Tyne Cot and the
German cemetery at Langamark
proved a humbling experience for
our students.
Towards the end of the day and
on behalf of everyone at Mulberry
School for Girls, students laid a
wreath of poppies during the daily
Last Post Ceremony in the town of
Ypres.
Home creates
art and
conservation
Performers from Years
8-12 took to the stage for
a performance of ‘Home’ a
unique and contemporary
production written and
directed by Anne-Louise
Denyer.
Focused on the impact of
climate change, this mixed
media production, was a
wonderful collaboration
between students, their
teachers and teaching
assistants and our partner
organisation ‘Action for
Conservation’. All performers
have additional educational
needs and ‘Home’ represented
a truly cross-curricula
experience which saw students’
confidence, team work and
creative skills sore. ‘Home’ was
brilliantly received by a packed
audience.
It’s gold, silver and bronze
for junior maths enthusiasts
Our Year 7 and 8 students
were delighted to take part in a
nationwide maths competition
organised by the charity UK
Mathematics Trust (UKMT).
The Junior UKMT challenge was held
on 30th April and we entered 25
4
and 34 enthusiastic students from
Year 7 and 8 respectively. In total 28
pupils achieved either gold, silver
or bronze standards, three of which
were gold and 16 silver. Two pupils
from Year 8 achieved so highly that
they progressed to the next round,
the Junior Kangaroo, which was held
on the 11th June.
Our maths-inspired events continue
to go from strength-to-strength and
we look forward to sharing more
news with you in future issues.

Former White House
chief returns to Mulberry
On Friday 28th June, Tina Tchen visited Mulberry
School for Girls as guest speaker at our Year 11
graduation ceremony.
Tina is an American Lawyer who
served as Assistant to President
Barack Obama, Chief of Staff to
First Lady Michelle Obama and
Executive Director of the White
House Council on Women and Girls.
Tina encouraged students to build
on the education they received at
Mulberry to become world
leaders. She also expressed how
proud and impressed she was with
their achievements as Year 7
students when Michelle Obama
visited the school back in 2015.
After the graduation ceremony,
Tina joined our Prefects and School
Council representatives for
afternoon tea and a Q&A session
in the library.
We are extremely grateful to Tina
for her time and for being a loyal
friend of Mulberry.
Richard Street, Commercial Road, London E1 2JP
A 020 7790 6327 m info@mulberryschoolforgirls.org
www.mulberryschoolforgirls.org @MulberryTH
Headteacher: Dr Vanessa Ogden
Debating leads
to success
For over 17 weeks, 25 students
from across Years 7 to 10
attended our popular Debate
Mate Club, demonstrating their
determination, commitment
and love of all things oratory.
As well as developing their
public speaking skills they
also learnt how to develop
a persuasive argument, to
consider other perspectives,
how to make a rebuttal
and summarise key points.
In addition, students also
developed key skills such as
leadership, teamwork, critical
thinking and self-management.
They also participated in
the Urban Debate League
Competition where they
debated with teams from other
schools. At the end of the first
two rounds, they qualified
to compete in the semifinals
where they came 4th
nationally, out of over
100 schools.
NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS
Lord Baker and guests attend ANNA reception
We were thrilled to report in
the last issue that the National
Theatre used Mulberry UTC’s
theatre (modelled on the
Dorfman) to rehearse their hit
production ANNA.
On Tuesday 11th June, we
welcomed Lord Baker, Chairman
and Simon Connell, Chief
Executive Designate of the Baker
64 Parnell Rd, London E3 2RU
A 020 3137 7024 m info@mulberryutc.co.uk
www.mulberryutc.co.uk @MulberryUTC
Principal: Dr Katharine Vincent
Dearing Educational Trust, plus
other distinguished guests, to a
private reception and networking
event at the Dorfman Theatre
ahead of the sold-out performance.
A group of students involved in
the rehearsals gave an account
of their experiences working
alongside some of the country’s
leading theatre practitioners and
the impact this had made on their
studies.
As a result, Mr Connell will be
visiting the UTC to see how we
work with some of the best
industry partners and employers
to make our education offer
unique, enriching and successful.
NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS
5

NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS
Congratulations to our class of 2019
Two very special events took place this June at
Mulberry UTC. The first was the emotional graduation
celebrations for the founding students of Mulberry UTC,
who have now completed their first two years of study.
Our amazing students in Year 11
and Year 13 took part in formal
events to mark the occasion of
their graduation. Members of staff
who guided students through their
time at the UTC, gave moving and
inspirational speeches, matched
superbly by students from the
graduating class.
Year 11 students also took part in
a graduation celebration event
hosted by Goldsmiths University.
This gave students the opportunity
to participate in a graduation event
on a university campus, which
led to great excitement and an
enjoyable experience for all.
Prestigious ‘Be the change!’
scholarship awarded to UTC student
We are delighted that Tabassum
Payal, Year 12 student at Mulberry
UTC, has been awarded the
prestigious Virgin Atlantic ‘Be the
change’ scholarship. As part of the
scholarship programme, Tabassum
will travel to India during the
summer holidays to take part in
a range of volunteering activities
aimed at helping to improve the
lives of local people.
Tabassum, who intends to pursue a
career in international diplomacy, is
passionate about making a positive
difference in the world. We are sure
that her actions this summer will
make a positive difference to the
communities she encounters.
Science club is fired up!
As part of science club, students at
Mulberry UTC recently took part in
a fascinating experiment involving
bubble mixture and methane gas.
Students watched as methane
gas was piped into the bubbles
and then ignited, teaching them
about combustion in exothermic
reactions.
Other recent activities include
dissection of a guinea pig, which
helped students to learn about the
internal organs of small mammals
and how this differs from humans.
Science club takes place every
Monday after school.
Classic drama
As you like it!
We were thrilled to host second
year degree students from
the highly esteemed Royal
Academy of Dramatic Art
(RADA) in June.
The world-leading drama school
students used our theatre
space to treat UTC students
and staff to a performance
of Shakespeare’s ‘As You
Like It’. The play is a classic
Shakespearean comedy full of
poetry, adventure and a crossdressing
heroine, which left our
audience laughing out loud all
the way through.
As well as enjoying the
production, our students gained
insight into possible future
study opportunities, as part
of the developing partnership
between us.
6

Gosset Street, London E2 6NW
A 020 7920 7900 m info@mulberryacademyshoreditch.org
www.mulberryacademyshoreditch.org @MulberryAS
Executive Principal: Mrs Ruth Holden
MAS host Prince’s Trust Annual Mosaic Iftar
We were absolutely
honoured to host the
prominent Prince’s Trust
Annual Mosaic Iftar in
May, one of the most
spectacular and luxurious
events the school has had
the pleasure of hosting.
Iftar is one of the religious
observances of Ramadan, with
Muslim people gathering to break
their fast together and staff and
students were amongst other guests
who joined in this tradition.
Mosaic was founded by HRH
the Prince of Wales to connect
young people from deprived
Muslim communities to relatable
role models to help increase their
confidence and improve their
chances of fulfilling their potential.
The event brought together
influential leaders from diverse
backgrounds including senior
government officials.
A lovely moment from the event
was the meeting between Mr Ali,
a teacher at the school for nearly
30 years and Sheikh Aliur Rahman,
Chief Executive of the London Tea
Exchange in Brick Lane.
Our CEO, Dr Ogden, spoke
passionately about the changing
needs of young people in our
communities and the work of the
Mulberry Schools Trust that ensures
all students receive the high-quality
education they deserve.
Students head leaps and
bounds into Sussex
Sixty-two students in Years
7, 8 and 9 had a fantastic
time on their outward-bound
activities weekend at Hindleap
Warren in East Sussex this
term. Students climbed trees,
played football, got muddy and
took part in various activities
including abseiling, high ropes
and archery. Everyone had a
fantastic two nights away from
home with many yearning to go
back again next year!
NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS
Bangladesh street cricket team visit MAS
As world cricket dominated the
sporting agenda this summer,
we were delighted to welcome a
group of young people aged 12-16
years from LEEDO Peace Home in
Bangladesh, who were representing
their country in the Street Child
Cricket World Cup 2019 organised
by Street Child United. The visit
in May was arranged by former
teacher Mr Stevens, trustee of the
Daneford Trust, and Friends of
Street Children Bangladesh, a UK
based charity that was established
in January 2016 to support and
work with children surviving on
the streets of Dhaka. In typical
Mulberry Academy Shoreditch
style, our students gave all of the
visitors a rapturous welcome on
arrival, with handshakes and smiles
all around. The Bangladesh team
were officially greeted by Mrs
Holden, who also presented the
team with individual gift bags full
of treats. zIt was then off to the
Sports Hall for a quick game of
cricket with our students, which
was extended because everyone
was having so much fun.
Sheriff’s winners
dine in style at the
Old Bailey
Following our victory in the
Sheriff’s challenge reported in
the previous issue, the winning
team was invited to lunch with a
group of High Court Judges at the
Old Bailey in June. It was a huge
privilege for the students to meet
the Judges, discuss their stories
and enjoy yet another unique
experience.
7

NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS
MAS join Asian women celebrations
Mrs Holden had the
pleasure of taking Year
12 students Aysha Sarah,
Zaynab Shah and Somaiya
Chowdhury to the Hilton
Park Lane to celebrate
the Asian Women of
Achievement Awards
in May.
It was a great experience for all of
them and the event was hugely
inspiring, especially when they
met Mayor Sadiq Khan, Riz Lateef,
BBC broadcaster and journalist
and Cherie Blair, barrister and wife
of former Prime Minister amongst
others. Cherie Blair took time to
talk to our students about their
Early risers take a trip to Boulogne
On Wednesday 19th June, staff had
the pleasure of accompanying 30
students to Boulogne in Northern
France.
applications to universities to study
Law and History; Mrs Blair had very
wise words for our students that
were very much appreciated.
It was an incredibly aspirational
evening, listening to the successful
journeys of amazing women and
listening to how they had become
successful and how they had
overcome some of the obstacles
and challenges that had faced them.
After an agreed 2.30am start, the
group met at school and departed
for Calais at 4am! Thankfully, the sun
shone after a rainy Eurotunnel trip,
and on arrival the group commenced
a tour around Boulogne town.
Students visited the market,
conversed with the locals in French
and managed to get some authentic
French bargains! Following the visit
to the “Ville Fortifiée” (literally the
fortified town), the group made its
way to the beach for lunch. Despite
Year 10 are top
of their game!
Our Year 10 boys’ football team
won the Tower Hamlets Borough
Football Tournament and finished
top of the Hackney league with
one game in hand. Their most
memorable achievements this
year are their performances in
the Tower Hamlets Borough
Tournament, where they won all
seven games and did not concede
one goal.
Our sporting achievements
continue to go from strength to
strength. We can’t wait to see
what next year brings!
one student being buried in the sand,
they made it on time to the Besacuc
Sweet Factory where students were
informed in French how the traditional
Boulogne sweets are made. Finally,
after a quick trip to the hypermarché,
everyone made their way to the ferry
for a bumpy crossing back to Dover
and then school…all in one very long
day! Our students represented the
school superbly and were simply
fantastique throughout.
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 issues of the newsletter.
Wednesday 25th September
Thursday 26th September
Thursday 3rd October
Thursday 7th November
Wednesday 13th November
Tuesday 19th November
Mulberry Schools Trust staff, trustees and governance
celebration event
Year 6 Open Evening, Mulberry School for Girls
4pm-6pm
Year 6 Open Evening, Mulberry Academy Shoreditch
4pm-6pm
Sixth Form Information Evening, Mulberry School for Girls
4pm-6pm
Year 10 & Year 12 Open Evening, Mulberry UTC
4pm-6pm
Sixth Form Information Evening, Mulberry Academy Shoreditch
4pm-6pm
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).