Hammersmith Academy’s STEAM Careers Fair showcased robotics, hygiene science, model building and more!

Hammersmith Academy hosted its largest ever STEAM Careers Fair on Thursday 4th May 2023. The event focused on careers in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, and welcomed 35 exhibitors from across a wide range of sectors.

The event was open to students and parents from Year 10 upwards, and schools from the West London Partnership were invited to attend.

Top employers and industry leaders, including BlackRock, Amazon Web Services, a number of NHS hospitals, the British Library, AECOM, GSK, and ViiV Healthcare, were among the exhibitors, providing students with unique insights into potential career paths. Exhibitors represented a diverse range of careers, from finance and construction, to creative media, scientific research and sports business, making the event an invaluable chance for students to explore their interests and discover new opportunities.

Stalls featured imaginative displays, including a handwashing test on The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine stand, a famous BBC2 icon, robotics, and a 3D printing station at Imperial College’s Dangoor Reach Out Makerspace. These displays really caught the attention of students, offering interaction with cutting-edge technology, bringing to life the careers on show.

Hammersmith Academy’s STEAM Careers Fair forms a crucial element of the Academy’s extensive careers programme, fulfilling the Gatsby Benchmark 5 requirement of providing encounters with employers. Career fairs bring invaluable opportunities to meet employers and professionals, learn about the skills and qualifications required for different jobs, and develop a better understanding of the job market. Students leave more able to

make informed decisions about their future education and career choices, arming them with the knowledge and confidence to pursue their aspirations with purpose and direction.

Matthew Coulbeck, Secondary Adviser and 14-25 Development at Hammersmith & Fulham Council commented, “It was a great event with such a range of top employers and organisations. The conversations between the students and the employers were very impressive. It was fantastic to see parents there too.

I counted over 30 exhibitors and I had great conversations with Imperial Invention Rooms, OVO, LAMDA, Imperial NHS, HS2, VINCI, RSM, Construction Youth trust, Morgan Sindall and Institute of Civil Engineers.

I loved the booklet and the top seven tips for young people attending.

Overall, it was a successful event bringing young people in contact with a fascinating range of employers and support organisations. It helped young people think of the vast range of STEAM related careers and also the impact of innovation on the future jobs market.”

Hammersmith Academy winner, Kiera (centre) alongside Cllr Emma Apthorp, Mayor of H&F (left) and Ben Ruzbehan, H&F’s Youth Mayor.

Hammersmith Academy is delighted to announce that two of our outstanding students, Kiera Ghouneim and Micaiah Haughton, were among 9 student winners of the Youth Achievement Award from Hammersmith & Fulham Council. The awards ceremony was attended by Cllr Emma Apthorp, Mayor of H&F and Ben Ruzbehan, H&F’s Youth Mayor and dignitaries from the borough.

Kiera Ghouneim, a Sixth Form Hammersmith Academy student, was awarded the Young Leader award sponsored by the Chelsea Foundation. Kiera was nominated for her excellent volunteer work with the Police Cadets and the NHS, where she has been working with children through connect care. Kiera’s dedication to volunteering with children and attending regular cadet sessions is truly inspiring. She was thrilled and overwhelmed to be nominated and shortlisted for two awards on the night.

“I try and volunteer with the children whenever I can and attend regular cadet sessions. It was a really big surprise being nominated for this award, but it was also really nice,” said Kiera, who expressed her gratitude and joy for the recognition.

Another award went to Year 9 student, Micaiah Haughton, who won the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award sponsored by KIER. Micaiah was nominated for his perseverance in overcoming a learning difficulty and for his hard work at his parents’ outdoor catering business. He runs the popular waffle stand, which has become a favourite among the locals.

Micaiah’s journey to success is truly remarkable, and his resilience is an inspiration to us all. “I am extremely happy and proud to have won this award. It’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s all been worth it,” said Micaiah, expressing his delight and appreciation.

Hammersmith Academy is incredibly proud of Kiera and Micaiah’s achievements and would like to congratulate all the 9 student winners at the Youth Achievement Awards. Their commitment, hard work, and dedication to their pursuits is truly inspiring and a testament to their character and potential.

Hannah Sapsford and Zavier Massiah-Edwards stand with their teacher after receiving awards for Academic and Sporting Achievement

Nine extraordinary secondary school pupils have won a prestigious Mayor’s Coldstream Guards Prize.

The annual awards are championed by the Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham and are awarded in partnership with 17 Company, The Coldstream Guards, one of the borough’s main Army Reserve Units.

The ceremony took place Friday 25 November at Princess Louise House, the 17 Company Army Reserve Centre in Hammersmith. The awards were presented by Cllr Daryl Brown, Deputy Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham, Cllr David Morton, Borough Representative for the Armed Forces Community and Major Rudy Vandaele-Kennedy of 17 Company, The Coldstream Guards.

One of the judges – Cllr Alex Sanderson, H&F Cabinet Member for Children and Education – said: “Picking just nine pupils was extremely tough”.

“We were incredibly impressed by the entries and worked to pick winners who had really gone above and beyond over the last year. Congratulations to everyone who was nominated – your hard work is inspiring,” she added.

Each prize aims to reward pupils’ hard work, enthusiasm, and achievements. This year’s awards celebrated pupils for their academic and sporting accomplishments, their social contribution, and their efforts in overcoming adversity.

Award winners

This year’s winners of the Social Contribution awards were Amelie Grandjean, 13, and Ealaf Al-Najar, 14, from Fulham Cross Girls School.

“Amelie works hard for the students at our school, making it a better place for everyone. She is an exemplar pupil,” reported her maths teacher, Fatmata Macauley.

Hannah Sapsford awarded for Academic Achievment

Mary Hay, 12, from Fulham Cross Girls School and Hannah Sapsford, 14, from the Hammersmith Academy won the Academic Achievement awards.

And both Zavier Massiah-Edwards, 15, from Hammersmith Academy, and Sariah Brown, 16, from Fulham Cross Girls School were honoured with Sporting Achievement awards.

Zavier Masiah-Edwards awarded for Sporting Achievement

Zavier Masiah-Edwards awarded for Sporting Achievement“Zavier plays football at the Watford Academy and juggles his academics alongside, he is a true role model to his peers,” added his Head of Upper School, Shaun Flitton.

While young carer Ayomide Jacobson, 14, from Fulham Cross Girls School was named as 2022’s winner of the Overcoming Adversity award, Noah Davel, 15, and Connor Hayes, 16, from Fulham Boys School also scooped the honour.

Cllr Morton said: “The response from the recipients, their parents and teachers was heart-warming, and I am sure that we can look forward to an even bigger response next year.”

Prizes, workshops and more

Each winner received an engraved plaque and will be invited to a celebratory lunch at the 1st Battalion, The Coldstream Guards in Windsor later next year.

The nine pupils will have the chance to attend a further three lunches where they can share and gain experiences with each other and their hosts, including Kevin McGrath OBE, Deputy Lieutenant for Hammersmith & Fulham.

The students will also be invited to attend a number of personal development workshops in 2023, all organised by The Coldstream Guards.

These will focus on public speaking, career management and goal setting.

Each school with a winning pupil will receive an engraved Coldstream Guards statuette.

(Source: Hammersmith & Fulham website)

To mark the BBC’s centenary, the corporation launched Share Your Story, a landmark project that inspires young people to achieve their career goals and help realise their ambitions. A special interactive assembly sees BBC stars and staff using the power of storytelling to share personal stories of resilience, career journeys and the work of the BBC.

Hammersmith Academy welcomed BBC’s Chief Content Officer, Charlotte Moore and fashion historian and broadcaster, Amber Butchart, to share their story with students. Hosted by presenter, Jasmine Takhar, guests were asked about how they came to be in their careers, what advice they would give to those looking to get into the media profession and their favourite BBC moments.

Students were fascinated to discover Charlotte’s role in what shows are made and which ones make it on to television, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds. Charlotte was asked about her favourite shows that she has worked on including The Great British Bake Off and Dr Who, what shows are returning and which television and radio stars she has worked with. Charlotte then turned the tables and asked students about their viewing habits, their favourite shows and what programmes they would like to see being made.

Amber, spoke about her passions in fashion and history and how they have led to a career as an historian, author, broadcaster and lecturer. She emphasised the importance of allowing personal interests and passions to influence subject choices and potential careers. Students were keen to ask about who had influenced her own style and about her show, A Stitch in Time. What really grabbed the students’ attention was Amber’s work on forensic garment analysis, helping to solve crimes through clues left behind on clothing.

The event closed with the BBC encouraging students to share their stories by becoming a BBC Young Reporter, the BBC’s journalism and media project which supports young people to develop content creation skills, find out about careers in broadcasting and share their own stories.

Hammersmith Academy GCSE students bucked the trend of a national downturn in results by surpassing the country’s 2021 GCSE attainment measures, which are regarded as the highest achieving cohort to date.

Impressively, 80% of Hammersmith Academy students attained grades between levels 9-4 and 81% of students were entered for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), twice as many students achieving the challenging EBacc accreditation when compared to national figures.

The Academy maintains its outstanding record in English and Mathematics with 84% of students achieving a grade 9-5 in English and 82% achieving a grade 9-4 in Mathematics.

In terms of progress, both girls and boys at the Academy outperform their national counterparts.

GCSE Standout Successes

• Yosif Ali was the Academy’s top performer, scoring an outstanding 10 grade 9s. He said, “I am happy and I really feel the hard work I put in has paid off. It has been an extremely uncertain time as this was the first year of examination after the lockdown and the online learning due to Covid made the GCSEs even more stressful for most of us. The Academy has supported us with intervention sessions before every exam, and the DT department also helped me with my coursework immensely. I would like to thank Ms. Ferrell for supporting with my course work, Arkwright application and many other projects over my time at the Academy. I would also like to thank Mr Fitchett for expanding my horizons and giving me confidence in my Sixth Form application, and Mr Flitton for the hard work he has put into teaching the Further Maths course in just a year. I am looking forward to my fresh start in Sixth Form.”
• Abdellah Zinet was awarded 7 grade 9s, 2 grade 7s and a grade 6. He added, “I feel very proud and fulfilled by my results due to the hard work and perseverance I poured into my examinations. My family and I are very pleased with my results. Although GCSEs were a really tough time, I believe the help of the Academy and the constantly available resources gave me that edge. It relieved our stress and made it feel do-able. The Academy has supported me through the constant revision opportunities such as extra help from teachers, extra lessons and revision resources. I would like to thank Mr Flitton, Mr Beattie, Miss Millar, Mr Bridle, for their constant support and welcoming nature, their fun engaging lessons and personalities urged me to do well. I am looking forward to the future with its challenging opportunities and successes.”
• Winnie Chan attained 5 grade 9s, 2 grade 8s, 3 grade 7s and a grade 6. She said, “I feel relieved about my results as I just started studying GCSEs in Year 10. English Literature and Language are the most challenging subjects for me because English is not my first language. I am grateful to have Ms Moore and Ms Millar as my English teachers, as well as the support from the English Department. I’d like to thank Ms Slav and Mr DeCarolis giving me advice in music listening exam and composition. Finally, I want to thank Mr Fitchett who supported me throughout the year. I look forward to new opportunities and being part of the Academy Sixth Form next year.”
• Kawther Hussain attained 4 grade 9s, 4 grade 8s and 2 grade 7s. She said, “I feel incredibly proud of my results – it’s the best feeling knowing all my hard work finally paid off. Similarly, my parents are delighted because they too, have seen the effort I have put in over the last 3 years. Our GCSE journey has been far from normal, but we overcame the obstacles, sat our exams, and can look back knowing it was worth the struggle. The Academy definitely played a big part in my achievements, the continuous resources, support, and dedication from all the staff, really made a difference. I am grateful for every one of my teachers, especially Mr Flitton, Mr Savvidis and Miss Lopez-Cantos, all of whom have gone above and beyond to prepare me for my exams. I am looking forward to going into Sixth Form, and having the ability to study A-Levels I enjoy.”
• Thomas Albery achieved an impressive 5 grade 9s, 4 grade 8s and a grade 7.
• Samuel Grange scored 3 grade 9s, 4 grade 8s and a grade 7.
•  Anastasia Loutchina-Myndiuk achieved 3 grade 9s, 4 grade 8s, 2 grade 7s and a grade 6.
• Sara Okwara Brambilla was awarded 3 grade 9s, 3 grade 8s and 3 grade 7s.
• Elaha Hasanzadeh scored 3 grade 9s, 2 grade 8s and 5 grade 7s.
• Mahamed Elmi accomplished 3 grade 9s, 4 grade 8s, a grade 7 and 2 grade 6s.

Headteacher, Gary Kynaston, said “Congratulations go to our Year 11 students who have excelled in their GCSEs. The Academy has always had an outstanding record, but the attainment of this year’s cohort is all the more impressive given a downturn in grades is anticipated nationally.

To have exceeded last year’s national attainment measures demonstrates what a strong academic foundation Hammersmith Academy rests upon. Our impressive results are down to the hard work and dedication of both students and teachers, as well as a testament to the thorough and rapid planning of our Senior Leadership Team, staff and governors at the very start of the pandemic ensuring no student was disadvantaged by any disruption to learning and progress. The Academy’s early investment in it’s Digital Equality Programme saw every student provided with a personal Chromebook for home schooling, resulting in an agile transition between school and home learning. All of this has added to a strong post Covid recovery strategy.

Students should be very proud of not only their achievements, but for also demonstrating resilience and determination to succeed throughout the last three years of their course. I also congratulate parents and families who have worked with us in supporting their children throughout. We look forward to welcoming our cohort into the Sixth Form to begin the next steps of their academic journey.”

Hammersmith Academy Sixth Form students celebrate A-Level and BTEC success with 50% of all grades awarded A*-B, bucking a national downturn in top grades awarded over the past two years.

There have been fantastic results across the academic departments with notable successes in Geography, Politics, Physics, Further Maths, Psychology, Sociology and Spanish.

In addition to 50% of all grades awarded A*-B, an impressive 80% of all grades were awarded A*-C.

Matthew Sanetra and Mai Kheir maintain the Academy’s Oxbridge success gaining places at Oxford University.

A-Level Standout Successes

Hamza Huda attained the Academy’s top score with A*A*A*A and will study Computer Science at Queen Mary University, London.

Matthew Sanetra achieved A*A*AB, and goes on to study Computer Science at Magdalen College, University of Oxford. He said, “I am ecstatic at achieving my offer – it feels surreal! Everyone in my family is extremely proud and there is an overwhelming amount of joy among us all. I have found it to be a very challenging year, but I believe I am now much better prepared for whatever the future brings. The Academy has been amazing for the whole 7 years I have been there. They have always supported me with exploring the fields I am interested in and without them I am confident that I would not have achieved as well. I am now extremely excited to study at Oxford and to focus on the subjects I love.”

Batoul Gheleb accomplished an impressive A*A*AA to secure a place at University of Warwick, to study Computer Science. She said of her experience, “I feel relieved and excited to move on with the next chapter of my life. It was sometimes difficult to revise the specifics of the advanced information available to students, but the staff did their best to support, providing readymade and easy to access revisions tools. I’m grateful for all staff members that supported my progress all throughout my time at Hammersmith Academy. I’m very much looking forward to university life and completing my degree!”

Lisa Dang attained A*A*AA and will study Theology & Religion at University College, University of Durham. She said, “I feel relieved about my results, especially as the exam boards announced that grades would be lower this year. My parents are proud as I’m the first person in my family to go to university. The Academy has supported me with retaking exams and they really helped to integrate me back into school. I’d like to thank Ms Harrowes who helped me with my application and choosing Durham as a place to study and I can’t wait to move and start studying in-depth.”

Lucia Beautyman was awarded A*A*AA achieving a place at King’s College London to study Geography. She said, “I did better than I expected and my family are really happy for me! It has been a disrupted few years with Covid and the advanced information helped me a lot to structure my revision and which topics to prioritise and focus on. The Academy really helped us with interventions which gave extra support and I want to thank Ms Harrowes who provided UCAS advice and to Ms Moss in psychology.”

Osuke Miyamaru attained A*AA, and goes on to Imperial College London to read Biological Sciences. He said, “I’m delighted that I have managed to get my place at a top university with world-leading research. It wasn’t the easiest A-Levels with Covid disruptions; however, the teachers helped us through. I’m really grateful for the opportunities the Academy has provided for me over the past few years, and I am looking forward to researching further into the field of Ecology which I find exhilarating.”

Kristy Oliveira Baker scored A*A*A to achieve a place at University of Exeter to read History.

Sumaya Ahmed accomplished AAA and now heads to Queen Mary University, London to study Biomedical Sciences. She said, “After a long 2 years, I’m relieved that my hard work has paid off. You never know what to expect with exams but I’m glad I achieved what I was aiming for. Our year group has had a unique experience with Covid causing disruption but thanks to the help of our supportive teachers and careers team we still managed to persevere. I’m looking forward to the rest of the holiday and starting a new chapter in my life!”

Mai Kheir attains her place at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford to start an English Foundation Year. She added, “Considering the difficult circumstances of the last two years, I’m happy with the results I achieved. I think we all found these disrupted years difficult to handle but all being in the same boat, we were able to support and help each other. The Academy and the teachers have always been incredibly supportive, helping me through many challenging moments, and I hold great gratitude towards the teachers. I would like to thank all of my English teachers, particularly Dr Runacres, without whom I don’t think I would have recognised my appreciation for Literature. I’m looking forward to the new experiences, growth and opportunities that come with stepping out of the school setting and into university, and to expand my knowledge of a subject that I am very excited to explore.”

Headteacher, Gary Kynaston, said, “We are delighted that the hard work and dedication of our students is reflected in a brilliant set of A-Level results.

Sixth Form students receiving their A-Level results today are the first cohort to sit national examinations since 2019 and who themselves have not had the experience of national examinations during their secondary education. That in itself is a huge challenge and our students should be very proud of their achievements.

A large part of the success is also down to our teaching staff who have supported students and prepared them thoroughly over two years of their courses, ensuring students perform to the best of their abilities in an examination setting.

Hammersmith Academy continues its reputation as an institution that sends students to Oxbridge and Russell Group universities and onto competitive and challenging courses.
Congratulations to our Sixth Formers and we wish them the very best of luck as they now approach the next stage of their academic and professional journeys. We look forward to seeing their future success and staying in touch as members of our alumni community.”

Hammersmith Academy students spent the day at King’s House School Sports Ground where the England Men’s Rugby Team were training for their upcoming tour to Australia in July.

Following the squad’s training session, Head Coach, Eddie Jones and his coaching staff put students through their paces with a training session of their own!

Thank you to the team for taking time out to meet with our students, signing autographs and providing life-long memories!

(Photo by Alex Davidson – RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

 

The Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham, MP Andy Slaughter, and entrepreneur, philanthropist and Hammersmith Academy founder Tom Ilube CBE joined Headteacher, Gary Kynaston and guests to mark the Academy’s first decade.

Since opening in September 2011, the Academy has gone on to educate 2,765 of the borough’s young people, providing them with a challenging modern education coupled with extensive access to socio-economic and personal development opportunities. The Academy has become the school of choice for many families in the borough and last year received over 1,000 Sixth Form applications.

The Celebration Evening featured an art exhibition of the latest student pieces.

Year 7 students performed a self-devised drama piece during the evening.

The evening of celebration brought together the Academy’s sponsors, The Mercers’ Company and The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, dignitaries, partners, alumni, parents, staff and governors to say a collective thank you for their support since the school’s founding.

Alumni shared their experiences of the Academy and how opportunities provided by partner organisations have had a direct impact on them and their personal journey, leading to studying at Oxford University and Russell Group universities, working for Chelsea Football Club and Goldman Sachs and embarking on expeditions to the Amazon rainforest.

Alumni shared their Hammersmith Academy journeys with the audience during the evening.

Gary Kynaston, Headteacher, Hammersmith Academy, said “These ten years have been an incredible journey for the Academy. To grow from an initial concept to the respected academic institution that it is today at the heart of our community has only been possible through collaboration between our staff, students, sponsors, local community, parents and partners. We all share a pride in what we have created and the difference we continue to make to the lives of our young people. I thank all those who have come on this journey with us.”

Tom Ilube CBE, Hammersmith Academy Founder, said “I sat down with another chap in a café somewhere in north London and we sketched out the idea of a brand new school that had technology, design and creativity right at its heart. We had a vision back then but it’s gone beyond that. The school has taken on a life of its own, the students and staff, they shape the school to what it needs to be for this community and each generation of students define it again. In a sense, the Academy keeps getting relaunched every year as a new group of students come in, go through the school so its been a real joy to see it evolve beyond me and beyond my vision.”

Chair of Governors, Tom Hartley (L) in conversation with Hammersmith Academy Founder, Tom Ilube CBE (R)

Year 11 and Year 13 students react to The release of information about the summer exams from Ofqual and the exam boards. BBC London was there to discuss how they felt about the updates.

Students in Year 11 and Year 13 across the country have been eagerly awaiting information about GCSE and A Level examinations that will take place in summer 2022.
These students have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and to address this exam boards released advanced information for each of the subjects, detailing which topics will appear in the final exams and which are to be omitted.

BBC reporter, Tolu Adeoye interviewed Yosif, Malaak, Amber and Ali to get their reaction at the information and how it affects their preparations.

Following the Secretary of State for Education’s visit to Hammersmith Academy, Mr Zahawi appeared on the BBC to talk about the return to school for students in January.

During the interview, Mr Zahawi praised the efforts of Hammersmith Academy staff for keeping schools open with routine Covid testing and the wearing of facemasks. Speaking with Sophie Raworth, he particularly praised the support staff for going above and beyond in order to carry out the whole school testing asked by the government.

Mr Zahawi also appeared in a TES feature and again praised Hammersmith Academy, this time on the Academy’s expectations on behaviour and pastoral care.

An extract from the TES article:

Zahawi has previously pledged to put wellbeing “at the centre of everything we do in schools”, which he sees as working alongside clear behaviour policies. He lavishes praise on Hammersmith Academy in West London, at which pupils “wear a smart suit, are expected to behave with respect and to be in school ready to learn, but also they do lots of pastoral care”.

But Zahawi wants to probe why schools with similar intakes are seeing different attendance levels. He thinks it partly comes down to school culture, and holds up Hammersmith Academy in London – again – as an exemplar.

“The pastoral work that the school does, the relationship they have with parents…they can have really meaningful conversations and have that support,” he says.

Read about the Secretary of State for Education’s visit to Hammersmith Academy here.