Dear Parents

 

Update on the Girls’ School

 

After a buzzing evening in school last night for our first in-person Open Evening for three years, and before we head into the Chagim, I thought it would be appropriate to update you on all the good news about the Girls’ School this year.

 

The examination results were excellent. Both GCSE and A level saw big jumps in the number of top grades awarded compared to 2019. This is a testament both to the hard work and dedication of the students but also to the unstinting support of their teachers.

 

	2019	2022
A level/BTEC A/A* grades	46%	62.5%
GCSE 9-7 grades	53%	62%

 

Kodesh is thriving under the leadership of Rabbi Bennett and Rabbi Birnbaum overseen by Rabbi Golker. We have three new trainees to complement the more experienced teachers and a brand new HIPE team who are already making their mark. In addition, there is now a dedicated space for a Beis Hamedrash for the Midrasha.  The new slogan which you will hear more of is that we want the girls to Learn, Live and Love Torah.

 

Mrs Jacobson, as our new Director of Standards, has been instrumental in improving the girls’ appearance so there are now far fewer uniform infringements and we will be tackling punctuality next.

 

We have large numbers in the Sixth Form and are expanding the team to support the girls. Ms McDonald will be providing careers advice and we are looking to appoint a Mechaneches/Assistant Director of Midrasha.  The girls are also benefiting from our beautifully refurbished Sixth Form Centre which has been made possible through the very kind generosity of a donor.

 

The pictures below show you what it now looks like.

 

No doubt there will be challenges ahead but it is good to share positive news when we can.

 

Wishing you all a Good Shabbos and Ketivah v Chatima Tova.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Mrs K Brice

Headteacher – Girls’ School

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Parents,

This week has seen the beginning of another school year. Hasmonean is again bursting with students and there is a positive energy in the corridors. Staff and students, refreshed from a summer break, enthusiastically embark on a new school year.

But new beginnings come with challenges. Picture the fresh-faced student with his or her new pencil case, nervous anticipation, hope and desire for a successful year. How long will that last? It doesn’t take long for the pencil case to lose its shine.

When we wrap the tefillin straps around our hand we say the beautiful words from Hoshea: v’erastich li l’oilam – and I will betroth you to Me forever.

Rav Pam asks why use the word v’erastich, which is from the word erusin? In any marriage, there are two stages, erusin and nissuin. Erusin is more akin to a short-term engagement whereas nissuin is the long-term marriage. Would it not be more appropriate to use the word nissuin to express our everlasting connection to Hashem? After all, we say it is l’oilam – forever!

Rav Pam explains that in any relationship, the challenge is to maintain the initial excitement. Our hope is that we will not only bind ourselves to Hashem forever, but that the freshness of that relationship should not fade.

This is also the intention of the words we have begun saying in L’Dovid: “shivti b’veis Hashem … u’lvaker b’heicholo”. Permanence coupled with the excitement of the new.

Wishing all of our students a successful, happy and healthy year ahead, full of enduring enthusiasm and exuberance.

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Golker
Menahel

Dear Parents,

 

GCSE, L2 BTEC and L2 WJEC students will be able to collect their results on Bromcom from 8.00am on Thursday 25^th August 2022. The day before results day access to the ‘exams’ icon on Bromcom will be locked out. School will be not open on 25^th August.

 

Students who do not have a login for Bromcom, or cannot remember their password, must email bromcomvle@hasmonean.co.uk urgently.

 

Please note that final certificates are not available until early November 2022.

 

Once a student has a login, full instructions on how to view their results on Bromcom can be found on the Hasmonean website under Information\Students\Exams.  These instructions can be downloaded and printed if they wish.  Please also take note of the following BTEC grade codes:

 

*2 – Distinction* at level 2

D2 – Distinction at level 2

M2 – Merit at level 2

P2 – Pass at level 2

P1 – Pass at level 1

 

Where a query exists about a student’s results, a zoom appointment can be booked to see either of us.  Appointments will be allocated in priority order. Please email either j.leigh@hasmonean.co.uk for boys or j.owusu@hasmonean.co.uk for girls.

 

Students who have missed out on a Sixth Form place or have any queries about their Sixth Form place can email the following people:

 

Girls – Ms Valencia, Head of Sixth Form at c.valencia@hasmonean.co.uk , please also copy in Mrs Brice, Headteacher at k.brice@hasmonean.co.uk

 

Boys – Rabbi M Cohen, Head of Sixth Form at m.cohen@hasmonean.co.uk , please also copy in Mrs Lebrett, Headteacher at d.lebrett@hasmonean.co.uk

 

We will be contactable via email throughout the remainder of the school holidays to deal with any grade-boundary and re-mark requests.

 

An FAQ document dealing with how examination results have been arrived at this year and applications for copies of papers/re marks etc. is attached.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Mrs J Leigh                                                   Ms J Owusu

Exams Officer – Boys’ School                   Exams Officer – Girls’ School

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

 

GCSE/L2 BTEC/L2 WJEC Examination FAQs

Summer 2022

 

How were my/my child’s grades arrived at this year?

Grades this summer were based on examination results, NEA (non-examination assessment) and BTEC/WJEC coursework.

What do I do if I am not happy with my/my child’s grade?

All students have the opportunity to ask for a review of their overall grade. It is important to note that a review may result in a grade being lowered, staying the same, or going up. If a student puts in a review and their grade is lowered, they will receive the lower mark. If you are considering a review, please contact your examination officer to find out where your marks are in relation to the grade boundaries for each subject you are interested in.

There is also the option to re sit GCSEs in English Language and Maths in autumn 2022, which may be preferable for some students. The design, content and assessment of these papers will be the same as in a normal year. Any student wishing to re sit any other GCSEs would need to do so in summer 2023. BTEC re sits may be available in January /May 2023.

GCSE re sits are due to take place 31^st October -7^th November 2022. The deadline for entries will be available in early September 2022.

 

Can I see a copy of my Script?

 

Yes, this service is free for AQA and Pearson, unless you want to see a copy of your script AFTER a review of marking has been completed. Details of the fees for WJEC are given below.

 

If you wish to see a photocopy of your script/the original, you should fill in form A (attached) on or after results day.

 

The deadline for asking for a priority copy of your script for AQA is 8th September 2022. If you would like to see your original script you can apply to AQA between 5^th September 2022 – 29^th September 2022.

 

The deadlines for Pearson are 29^th September 2022 for an original copy (and a photocopy of a reviewed script) and 16^th December 2022 for a photocopy.

 

The deadlines for WJEC are 8^th September 2022 for a priority copy of your script and 29^th September 2022 in other circumstances.

 

Are there any fees for Reviews this summer?

Yes. Details are available on the attached Form A.

What Different Types of Reviews are there?

There are two main types of reviews you can ask for after results day, as follows: –

2022. A clerical recheck-this just tells you whether the examiner added up the marks on your paper correctly. The deadline is 29^th September 2022.
2023. A review of marking-this is where the examination board looks at whether they have applied the mark scheme correctly. The deadline is 29^th September 2022.

Pearson also offer a priority review of marking -this is used where a college/sixth form place is contingent on the grade you receive.  The deadline is 1^st September 2022.

 

 

Dear Parents

We have come to the end of an action-packed year with this term filled with many different events.

Behind the scenes there has also been much activity. Over the summer, both schools are having major works done to improve our provision and make space for more students. As we look forward to next year, we are strengthening our pastoral teams to enable them to better meet the needs of the students and we continue to reflect on the best methods of teaching and learning and to make adjustments in the light of research.

The efforts of the entire staff body – teachers, the administrative team, IT, the site teams, security, the caterers and cleaners have all played their part in making this year so successful and they all deserve your profound thanks.

Wishing you all a restorative holiday and Good Shabbos.

Mrs K Brice
Headteacher – Girls’ School

Dear Parents and Carers,

I write to you this week in regard to two very important matters: digital learning and mobile phones.

1. Digital Learning

As you are aware, the pandemic thrust Hasmonean along with many other schools into the brave new digital world. On our return to school we appointed digital leads at SLT and department level to ensure we built on what we had achieved during lockdown and made the most of online learning. This video highlights some of the impact it has had on pedagogy within the school:

While we are strongly in favour of harnessing all that the digital world has to offer to further our students’ academic learning, we are also keenly aware that the internet can pose serious risks. To ensure students’ internet use is safe, focused on learning, free of distractions and in line with the school ethos we have set up a Chromebook Working Party composed of SLT members including Menahel Rabbi Golker, governors, parents and IT experts.

So far we have taken action to:

• Block proxy websites using non-conventional domain names to prevent students from undertaking unrestricted internet searches
• Turned off YouTube access for Year 7 students both by user and by Chromebook (with the exception of sites approved by teachers)
• Restricted VPN access (so students cannot undertake private searches)
• Reminded all staff of their duty to monitor the usage of Chromebooks in lessons
• Prevented students from sharing files externally and receiving files from outside of school

Our next steps will be to:

• Ensure YouTube access for Year 8 and 9 students is entirely inaccessible – it has already been blocked by user but there is further work to do to block it by Chromebook (with the exception of sites approved by teachers)
• Investigate and remove any large MP4, MPEG and MOV files on student drives including any which are unlicensed/ illegal or not of educational use
• Improve tracking and monitoring of students’ digital footprints (and strengthen the sanctions for inappropriate usage)
• Trial ‘Family Link’ which will enable parents to co-manage devices and have access to /control over screen time
• Improve online monitoring of students use of Chromebooks in the classroom
• Review the effectiveness of current filtering and security platforms to ensure we use the best available.

We are also in contact with other schools to investigate transitioning from filtering internet searches to only allowing students to access an approved ‘white list’ of websites. While this will take time, we believe that it will make our digital learning and safe and secure as possible, ensuring that students are only able to access educational material.

We will continue to keep you updated on our progress in this important area.

We would also like to remind you of the importance of monitoring your children’s use of the Internet at home including ensuring that:

• All of the devices they have access to are filtered
• The hours of use are appropriate
• You are happy with the content of their Google drive and apps.

If you wish to report any issues related to digital learning and the use of Chromebooks, or if you are aware of any pitfalls that we have not mentioned or have any questions about our progress on this area, please be in contact with our SLT Digital Lead, Mrs Langdon: m.langdon@hasmonean.co.uk

This link to the NSPCC’s provides further advice about online safety: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/

2. Mobile Phones – Relevant for Parents of Year 7-11 Students

Unfiltered and unregulated, the internet and social media are having a seriously detrimental impact on children’s lives.

Currently, all Year 7-11 students’ phones must be switched off during school hours and placed in the lockers provided for them. In effect, they are banned from use on the school premises.  Anyone caught using them has their phone confiscated for a week in the first instance with sanctions escalating as far as exclusions for further offences.

However, the vast majority of phone-related incidents happen outside of school time and it is of great concern to us that many students are spending so much time on the internet and social media outside of school hours. It is well known that it quickly becomes very hard to separate children from their devices unless routines are established early on. That is why we think it is important for parents to limit internet/ social media usage at the evenings and weekends to enable them to take a break to recalibrate and interact with the real world around them.

We are also asking all parents and carers to ensure that they have filtering for their children’s devices on their home network and that their children’s phones are filtered so that children are protected outside of school hours. This is in line with government guidance which requires schools to protect children “against pornography, fake news, racism, misogyny, self-harm, suicide, anti-Semitism, radicalisation and extremism’’ and our responsibility to work with parents to do so.

We appreciate that many parents have already installed filtering devices on their children’s phones but want to give the rest of our parents the opportunity to do so as well, given the government guidance outlined above.

To that end we will be asking TAG to come into school to filter students’ phones this Sunday 10^th July and next Sunday 17^th July between 9:30am and 1:00pm at the Boys’ School. Parents of boys should attend between 9.30am and midday, parents of girls between 12 and 1pm. You will be able to choose the level of filtering you require. Please indicate here if you would like to TAG to filter your child’s phone and what level of filtering you require:

Level of Filtering Required Form

Alternatively, you can visit TAG at their offices:

Golders Green Office
2 Garrick Avenue
London NW11 9AS
(020) 7112 4848

Edgware Office
58 Edgware Way
Mowbray Parade
London HA8 8DJ
(020) 8952 5666

We are now asking all parents to inform us which parental control software/applications are being used to monitor each of your child’s mobile devices via this online form and will keep it open until after TAG have come into school before collating the results:

Mobile Phone Parental Control/Filtering Form

Why are we making these requests? For the very good reason that if parents do not play their part in protecting their children against the dangers of an unrestricted internet and social media, the restrictions which the school imposes during the school day will do little to protect students.

We will be running internet safety training session for children, parents and teachers again over the course of the next academic year.

A link to the NSPCC’s online support with regard to internet safety can be found here:  https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/

If you have any questions or concerns in regard to safeguarding, please contact our Designated Safeguarding Leads:

Mrs Laura Waugh (Girls) l.waugh@hasmonean.co.uk ext 316
Ms Rivka Benarroch (Boys) r.benarroch@hasmonean.co.uk ext 263

With kind regards,

Andrew McClusky
CEO, Hasmonean MAT