News

In The Month Of November 2024

November 2024 - This month our students took part in the following activities:

Our extra curricular clubs continue to be well attended. Clubs on offer include -

• Dance Club
• Drama Club
• Bands Club
• Choir
• Instrument Builder Club
• Literary Lab
• Language Exchange Club
• French Culture Club
• Careers Club
• Maths Challenge Club
• STEM Club for KS3
• Step Up Science Club
• Mad Science Club
• Computer Coding Club
• Art Club
• Games Club
• LLZ Social Club
• A range of Sports Clubs including: football, basketball, badminton, netball, futusal
• Year and School Council Meetings

• The Performing Arts faculty announced that a select few students from Year 10 GCSE Dance, Drama and Music have been appointed as Performing Arts Captains. The students chosen have shown dedication and commitment to coaching KS3 dance, drama and music extra curricular activities, supporting the Performing Arts staff and being role models to their younger peers.

• The Winter Showcase matinee and evening performance took place on Thursday 21st November 2024, with an audience of Yr7 students, followed by an audience of family and friends. The performances on stage included dance, drama and music acts, with students performing from Yr8 dance club, Yr8 drama club, Yr9 dance studies, Yr9 drama studies, Yr10 GCSE Drama classes, KS3 choir and many auditioned pieces, across various genres and styles.

• More of our Year 9 students attended the Havering Sports Leadership Academy. The Leadership Academy aims to develop the leadership and communication skills of students through assisting in the organisation and running of various sporting competitions.

• Our Year Council meetings took place with all of the form reps meeting with their Achievement Team Leaders to discuss many aspects of school life including careers provision at school, revising for assessments, ideas for Sports Day 2025 and any other business. The students continue to take their responsibilities very seriously and discussed their thoughts and ideas to be taken forward to the School Council Meeting in December.

We visited the following places:

• On Thursday 14th November the Year 10 GCSE music students travelled to Central London to explore the Royal Academy of Music. Students explored keyboard and string instruments dating back to the 1700s through a performance workshop which included live demonstrations of the instruments by the Academy's talented students. Students learnt how the instruments had developed in their manufacture and usage, and how this impacted the evolution of music through the different musical eras. In the afternoon, students thoroughly enjoyed watching two harp ensemble performances in the Angela Burgess Recital Hall, and got a real insight of what the life of a music student could be like at the Royal Academy of Music.

• On Wednesday 20^th November, Year 11 GCSE Music students travelled to South Bank, in sunny Central London, to attend a performance by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall. The orchestra performed pieces specifically on the GCSE specification and incorporated detailed analysis and quizzes which linked key terminology and musical features which students are asked about on their listening paper.

• On the 20^th November a number of Year 10 students attended the ‘Continental Landscapes’ VIP day. This was intended to give those students considering a career in architecture and design an insight into these careers and what type of design issues they may be faced with.

• On 22^nd November Yr10 GCSE art students visited Tate Modern on the South Bank to explore its collections of 20th century and contemporary art. They responded to a variety of activities; answering questions, taking photographs, analysing work and making sketches. Students had the opportunity to see famous pieces of work from the Pop Art and Surrealist movements along with the latest installation in the gallery’s famous Turbine Hall. Students found work relevant to their current project on ‘Natural and Mechanical Forms’ and identified artists of personal interest for future reference. They also took the opportunity to photograph the iconic building itself along with other famous architectural landmarks such as St Paul’s cathedral.

• On Monday 25^th November 50 Year 8 students visited Whitechapel for a Jack the Ripper walking tour. Students in both groups visited historic sites such as where the Ripper murders took place, dosshouses, homeless shelters from the 19th century, the old matchstick factory and many more sites of interest in the Ripper case. This trip compliments the Year 8's history curriculum on Jack the Ripper. 

Abbs Cross took part in sporting fixtures:

• Yr7 Football match against Bower Park. Final score Abbs Cross 3 – Bower Park 0

• Yr7 Netball match against Brittons Academy. Final score Abbs Cross 14 – Brittons 1