Category: News

Demelza is a charity that assists families with young members suffering from terminal and very serious illnesses.

SVP is the Society of St Vincent de Paul who help anyone experiencing poverty. They are there for individuals and families, providing resources and opportunities for mutual support.

The appeal ran throughout Lent and encompassed a variety of social action initiated by our students, including donations of chocolate Easter eggs.

Cross-Site Easter Egg Competition: Congratulations to all participants in our Cross-Site Easter Egg Competition! Together, we raised 655 eggs, with St Mary’s contributing 405, Emmanuel 80, and Aquinas 170. Well done to all involved!

Buon viaggio!

The CTK Rome trip has commenced! Look out for our Rome 2024 diaries to see what the group get up to each day!

Ready for take off

Ready for take off

Nana Reynier takes over as Chair from Dr Rupert Evenett MBE, who has been a Foundation Governor at Christ the King Catholic Sixth Form, for over 17 years. CTK is a highly successful sixth form that has three sites in South East London and Kent. CTK Aquinas is a selective A Level centre for excellence, offering a wide range of A Level courses aimed at high-achieving students. CTK Emmanuel is a professional centre for excellence, offering Technical and Professional programmes equivalent to three A Levels and highly specialised routes to university. CTK St Mary’s is a sixth form centre for excellence offering a wide curriculum of A Level and Applied Technical qualifications.

Executive Principal of Christ the King Sixth Forms, Shireen Razey, says:
“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Nana as Chair of Governors, following the outstanding tenure of Rupert. Nana has a wealth of experience and is dedicated to education and community wellbeing. We are thankful to Rupert for his commitment to our Christ the King Community.”

Nana brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role, having been a Foundation Governor at Christ the King since 2019, she is currently Vice Chair. With a highly successful career in the Civil Service, where she held a senior position in education policy and conducted significant project reviews, Nana has demonstrated a deep understanding of the educational landscape. Nana is currently the Director of People Services and Products and was previously Director of People Experience at Citizens Advice and Head of Organisation and People Development at the University of Greenwich.
Dr Rupert Evenett MBE hands the baton to Nana at an exciting time, following the Sixth Forms 30th Anniversary celebrations and a highly successful Ofsted. The sixth form has an innovative curriculum which meets the needs of local students, including T Levels, BTEC and A Level qualifications.
Over £5 million has been invested in the property strategy over the past 3 years to ensure students have outstanding in class and social spaces. This has included university-grade science labs, state-of-the-art business conferencing rooms, industry-standard engineering facilities and equipment, along with the establishment of a hospital mock ward and child development facilities.

Nana commented:
“Supporting students to realise their ambitions and tapping into and utilising their true potential to the full is at the core of CTK. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to continue to support CTK in helping students make this a reality. I continue to be impressed by the outstanding students at CTK and the amazing staff that are working collaboratively to elevate the achievements of our students”.

If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a Governor at CTK and playing a key role in transforming lives for the better please contact CTK’s Clerk to Governors, governance@ctksfc.ac.uk

We are delighted to announce that we have received good by Ofsted, in the latest inspection.

You can find our full report here

Husband and wife joint gift appeal runs for the fourth year! 

Christ the King Sixth Forms and East Kent Colleges Group are set to work on another Christmas campaign, this time seeking to raise more than ever before in donations and gifts. 

Now in its fourth year, the campaign run by husband-and-wife team Shireen Razey (Executive Principal of Christ the King Sixth Forms) and Graham Razey (Chief Executive at EKC Group) targets those in need, spreading festive cheer through the collaboration, with donations and gifts totalling over £20,000 so far. 

The Christmas Gift Appeal and charity art auction, organised by Christ the King Sixth Forms (CTK) and East Kent Colleges Group (EKC), aspire to continue this tradition. The gifts, donations and funds raised will go towards child hospice charity Demelza, Refuge, Lewisham Foodbank, homelessness charity The Manna Society and the St Vincent De Paul Society, which tackles poverty and disadvantage. 

Shireen Razey, Executive Principal of Christ the King Sixth Forms said:  

“We are delighted to be organising our annual Christmas Gift Appeal again this year. We know what a difference it makes to the local charities we support. Many families continue to face real hardship, and we hope our appeal makes a difference to those at Christmas time. CTK staff and students contribute hugely to social action work within the local community throughout the year, and we are always touched by your kind donations to our Christmas Appeal.” 

The art auction involves students and staff from both College groups donating artworks to be sold in support of charity. We are grateful to those who bid on the students’ artwork, helping us raise nearly £700.

Thank you to those who contributed towards the campaign via the colleges ‘GoFundMe’ link. An incredible sum was raised for the five charities we supported this year.

The charities we supported are:

St Vincent de Paul Society

Demelza Hospice Care for Children

The Manna Society

Lewisham Foodbank

Refuge

For further information please contact:

Christ the King Sixth Forms: Robyn Brown r.brown@ctksfc.ac.uk 

Christ the King Sixth Forms: Rhiana Octave r.octave@ctksfc.ac.uk

Click on the image below to find out more.

Students visit the PlayStation headquarters

The day started with a Welcome by Urban Synergy Health & Safety briefing for all. Followed by an introduction to PlayStation London Studios by Stuart Whyte who is the lead for design at PlayStation.

Students were then given the opportunity to hear from PlayStation Role Models, followed by speed mentoring tables of students seated with PlayStation volunteers who share career insights. 

The day was informative, insightful and most of all inspiring. Our students got the opportunity to hear and ask questions from staff about the nuts and bolts of their own personal and professional journeys to be working for a world-renowned organisation.

Some students gave their feedback on the day:

“The trip to the PlayStation was a fantastic experience and one I will never forget that was actually one of a kind. I learnt a lot the organization, communication and having a listening ear helps a lot when working with people with other cultural diversity, I also learnt that we start from somewhere to get to the top, therefore work experience is a key duty that we must perform now. I also found out that on LinkedIn that we can get in contact with people that have different career or jobs, and they are willing and ready to help us. I learnt that in an organization there are different unit that work together to achieve a common goal.” – Tiffany

“I would describe my experience as eye-opening, realistic and inspirational. As I personally want to continue business in the future, specifically marketing, the most inspirational person was Leila herself. Leila said that I reminded her of how she was, and Diane encouraged me to sign up for their programme. I had spoken to Leila previously as she visited my secondary school, and her words of encouragement have always followed me. Her words were to be bold, brilliant and brave and those 3 words forced me to be outspoken and strive for the best. Also, the international workers have made me consider the option of working abroad and I realised it is something I would love to do.” – Diora

“Personally, I found the trip to be very helpful for me because it broadened my understanding about life outside school. The trip also allowed to communicate with industry people who gave me tips on finding work experience and gave me useful websites for me to use. Examples of this: Firstly concerning work experience, I learned that any available work experience is useful as it allows me to build on my soft skills. Secondly, a useful website given was Linked-In (glass-door) which aids me to get people’s experiences in the particular work forces I would desire to work in. Overall, the trip was very useful and I was thankful to be able to be a part of the trip.” – Monawar

CTK AQUINAS HOLDS ITS SEPTEMBER OPEN DAY!

CTK Aquinas was the first of the CTK Open Day events to take place. The event went ahead on Saturday 30th September where we were joined by over 160 prospective students. 

The student ambassadors worked tirelessly and professionally to chauffeur individual groups of prospective students and their parents/carers around the building as they answered questions and showed our guests to the relevant subject areas. 

Staff also played a key role on the day, interacting with interested students and taking them through the subject course. Some subject ambassadors remained in their classrooms to support their teachers and give the prospective students a real feel of what it would be like to study A Levels courses at CTK Aquinas by giving them an introduction to the classroom facilities as well as showcasing their fantastic work. 

Principal talks were conducted by site principal Ms. Holly Power and Executive Principal Shireen Razey. These sessions offered a comprehensive overview of the diverse subjects and opportunities available at CTK Aquinas. The feedback from our visitors was overwhelmingly positive, reflecting their satisfaction with the event.

We extend our gratitude to the students and staff whose efforts contributed to the event’s success. A heartfelt thank you to the prospective students and parents/carers for their delightful presence and participation.

Almost 1000 students at Christ the King Sixth Forms (CTK) are celebrating excellent A Level and BTEC results.  Students have shown resilience and determination to land top grades which is a testimony to their hard work. Christ the King Sixth Form has three sites across Southeast London and Kent and yet again CTK students were able to achieve outstanding A Level and BTEC success and secure places at their chosen university destinations. 

Students at CTK Aquinas have achieved outstanding results, with a 98% A Level pass rate and 21 A Level subjects achieving a 100% pass rate. This is especially impressive being above the national UK pass rate of 97.3%.

Over 500 students at CTK studied BTEC extended qualifications (3 A Level equivalent) with a pass rate of 99, and 70% of those received Distinction or above gaining places at highly competitive universities.

It is remarkable that this is a group of young adults, who sat their first ever external examinations this year, having spent most of their Year 10 and 11 at secondary school being taught from home due to the pandemic and being unable to sit GCSE examinations in summer 2021.  This year group are also the first cohort since 2019 to have their grades adjusted in line with ‘pre-COVID’ grade profiles. These results demonstrate what resilience and determination this cohort of students have repeatedly shown. 

CTK Executive Principal, Shireen Razey said “I am immensely proud of what our students have achieved this year. Students at each of our specialist Sixth Forms have shown real resilience and determination to succeed in their studies, and I am delighted to be able to celebrate their outstanding results today. A big thank you to our students’ parents/carers for their invaluable support. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the committed staff at CTK whose dedication and care have played a key role in our students’ success. I wish each of our students every future success in their university, apprenticeship and employment destinations and look forward to hearing of their great achievements as CTK Alumni.”  

Some student thoughts about their experience of studying at CTK:

Daniel Dimitrovski

A Level Maths (A*), Further Maths (A*), Physics (A), Computer Science (A) and EPQ (A*)

University of Oxford

“I have always been greatly supported by everyone at CTK. One of the things I have enjoyed the most, is the engaging lectures from professional and outstanding teachers. My greatest achievements have been gaining a distinction in the Maths Olympiad and now getting into Oxford University to study Maths and Computer Science. My teachers really helped me prepare for my university interview and I am very grateful to everyone at CTK for the opportunities I have been given. I leave CTK with enhanced motivation to excel in my further studies and to build a strong career in Maths and Computer Science with a focus on Cryptography.”

Dami Adedoyin-Adeniyi

A Level History (A), Religious Studies (A), Sociology (A) and EPQ (A*)

University of Oxford

“CTK has been a very positive experience, mostly because the staff have offered such great support. The teachers are all very helpful and are specialists in their chosen subjects. I have been given extensive opportunities to enhance my progression prospects and the careers team were extremely knowledgeable.  When I opened my results envelope, I was overjoyed to see my hard work had paid off and I had achieved grades AAA and an A* in Extended Project Qualification. I had always felt very supported by my teachers from the beginning, and they were there with me when I received my results, everyone was so happy for me. I am now very excited to be going to Mansfield College, Oxford to read History. I want to say that I couldn’t have done it without the help of my teachers and everyone at Christ the King who supported me.”

Lani Iriajen

A Level Maths (A), Biology (A), Chemistry (A) and EPQ (A*)

Imperial University College London

“My first impression of CTK was that everyone in the community was friendly and approachable. This impression has remained, and I have made some good friends. I am grateful for all the support I have received from my teachers. The teachers are always willing to help and go that extra mile for you and are specialists in their subjects. I am looking forward to going to study Biochemistry at Imperial University College London and start my higher education journey.”

Kayla Worrell-Morrison

A Level Criminology (A), Psychology (A), Media (A) and EPQ (B)

University of Cardiff

“I chose CTK as it offers an excellent range of A Levels, with well-planned and resourced teaching and learning. At CTK I was supported every step of the way on my journey. From the very beginning to the very end, each member of staff was there for me; academically and as a whole person, they encouraged me to always strive to be the best I can be. I worked hard and with the support of the Christ the King community, I am happy to say I have achieved AAA and have a place to study Media and Communications at the University of Cardiff.”

Tia Richards

A Level Politics (A*), Geography (A*), Fine Art (B), EPQ (A)

University College London

“I have really enjoyed my time at Christ the King. It is a very community spirited sixth form where everyone has been so supportive and helpful. I have felt very cared for and nurtured throughout my time at CTK. In preparation for university, the Careers Team helped to guide me and provide advice on which pathway to choose. There were many opportunities available, including the Open City Accelerate Programme at University College London, which helped me understand the requirements of my chosen course. I am over the moon with my results of A*A*AB and am happy to be studying at University College London.’’

Nathaniel Gana

BTEC Media – D*D*D

University of Reading

“I wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation for the support that CTK sixth form has provided me with during my time here. With dedication to academic excellence and inclusivity, I gained D*D*D in BTEC Media and have been able to achieve my dreams of attending the University of Reading to study Architecture. The personalised attention and encouragement from the teachers has, without doubt, contributed to my academic success. The various resources offered by the sixth form, such as the well-stocked library, extracurricular activities, and online tools have been outstanding.  I would highly recommend CTK, to anyone looking for a wonderful educational experience that goes beyond academic excellence.”

Christabel Efe

BTEC Applied Science – D*D*D*

University of Warwick

“I am thrilled to have achieved D*D*D* in BTEC Applied Science at Christ the King. I am going to study Neuroscience at University of Warwick, in the pursuit of becoming a Neurosurgeon. During my time at CTK, I enjoyed meeting new people, engaging in classroom work and coursework. Furthermore, my teachers have given me thorough support in my studies and have motivated me to work harder. The support systems put in place at CTK are very good and the Sixth Form always has the student’s best interest at heart.”

Angele Ijeh

BTEC Media – D*D*D*

Brunel University of London

“I am delighted with my results. Whilst at CTK, I enjoyed many of the modules that I studied as they were truly inspiring. We had to complete a media campaign for a music artist which I really enjoyed as this gave me an insight into how media integrates into the music industry. I am now going to study Music Production at Brunel University and am thankful to CTK and the support my teachers provided me.  I have truly enjoyed my time at CTK, and it has helped towards my aspiration of owning my own record label.”

Chisom Eduzor

BTEC Applied Science – D*D*D

Kingston University

“With the help of CTK I have been able to achieve D*D*D in BTEC Applied Science and now I am going to study Biomedical Science at Kingston University. Christ the King has a wide range of exceptional courses and the course I studied was just the right one for me. The teachers helped me to support and push me to achieve my final grade. The Careers team provide great advice for the future, and they helped me choose which path I wanted to go down.”

Klaudija Kazlauskaite 

BTEC Health and Social Care – D*DD

University of Greenwich

“I chose CTK because of its values and the support that is available to students. My experience has been great at CTK. Teachers here are very talented, and they helped me to achieve my best. Staff are always there to support you as a young individual in all possible areas. I recommend this sixth form because students always receive the support they need. There are many different activities and opportunities that students can get involved in and improve on a variety of skills. I am so happy with my results and that I have received my offer to study at University of Greenwich.”

We were delighted to hold our Evening of Celebration on Monday 26 June 2023 providing the opportunity to recognise and celebrate our wonderful Year 13 students’ achievements this year. 

It was a fantastic evening with a welcome and  introduction from Ms Power, CTK Aquinas Principal followed by a talk from Ana our Student Governor talking about her experience as a student at CTK. 

The Guest speaker was Leila Thomas from Urban Synergy an award winning youth empowerment charity that has helped over 20,000 young people between 9-24 years of age reach their potential. Leila talked about how she founded the charity and its current work after which she was kind enough to present the awards.

As guests arrived they were welcomed by student, Oscar playing the piano which was a beautiful way to commence the celebrations.

After the awards had been presented and to close the formal proceedings Paige read a poem she had written as a thanks to Ms Davis who is retiring at the end of term.

Refreshments were served after the formal presentations and guests had the chance to meet speakers, staff and students.

Christ The King Sixth Forms Foundation Governor Trevor Gomes awarded BEM in Kings Birthday Honours List 

Christ the King Sixth Forms’ Foundation Governor Trevor Gomes was awarded a prestigious Medal of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) for services to education and the community. Trevor, who is a previous student of Christ the King Sixth Forms, was recommended for the honour by the Prime Minister for his work establishing a youth mentoring programme which equips young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with the skills needed for the world of work and higher education. 

Trevor is the founder and director of youth mentoring programme ‘ELEVATE’, originally launched in 2019 to support 15 students at Christ the King Sixth Form College. Trevor rapidly expanded the programme during lockdown, which is now reaching over 10,000 students. The programme runs a series of different schemes, combining workshops with 1:1 mentoring, and a breakfast club offering weekly group mentoring, and covers a range of topics helping young people improve skills for presentations, interviews and networking, as well as providing guidance on careers and CVs, building an online presence and personal branding, and boosting wellbeing and resilience. 

Acts of Charity Day takes place annually. Our Act of Charity Day helps our students to establish and emphasise the values that are important to us at Christ the King Sixth Forms. Our students spend the day contributing in a positive way in their local communities.  The day provides the opportunity for students to take part in a group social action activity with their 10:10 tutor group. In previous years this has included as varied activities as litter picking to helping in local Churches, foodbanks and Primary schools. 

If you know of a local organisation or business who would like our students’ involvement with a charitable activity to support the local community then please contact enquiries@ctksfc.ac.uk

Below are photos of students from last years Acts of Charity Day 2022.

Mental Health Awareness Week

This week students and staff have getting involved in a range of activities and information sessions with the aim of raising awareness and getting students talking about mental health. Every day the Wellbeing Team sent out information and strategies to promote good mental health including a leaflet on how to cope with Exam Stress and one on how to cope with Loneliness. During the week there were several activities and information session taking place on all our sites.   

Just some examples are:

At St Mary’s in the LRC there was a large display focussing on anxiety with tips and approaches on how to manage its effect and suggestions of actions that can be tried both personally and with friends and colleagues. The display also includes a library of self-help books and details of professional services that can be contacted. 

At Aquinas one of the activities for the week was getting out for a walk at lunchtime with students and staff getting out to take some time to enjoy the fresh air. 

At Emmanuel students and staff created a thought board on how to manage stress and anxiety.  The board was positioned in the reception area and students and staff were encouraged to  come along and post their ideas on the post-it notes available; every thought or idea was exchanged for a sweet. This will provide a great source of tips and hints on how to manage anxiety for students and staff.

Huge congratulations to our Silver Duke of Edinburgh students who have completed their training expedition in very cold and muddy conditions.

The expedition took place over 2 days and nights as one of four elements of the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award.  The activity was designed to inspire the students to develop initiative and a spirit of adventure by planning, training for and completing an adventurous and self-sufficient journey as part of a team. 

The Virtual Careers Conference at Christ the King Sixth Form has gone from strength to strength over recent years. Having started through necessity with the Covid19 pandemic it now gives students a chance not only to support their progression but to upskill themselves with remote learning.

The cross-site event comprises a variety of university and career-based talks that students join online via Microsoft Teams. The day provides a fantastic opportunity for our Level 3 students to start thinking about their future and to explore their progression options. As in previous years, a Level 1 & 2 Careers Conference was held which offered specific support to students studying a BTEC Level 1 or 2 course with their own progression.

Over 50 external organisations supported the Conference by providing speakers for the talks.  Many of the participants were returning, having attended the event in previous years.  The programme of talks included sessions on a wide range of careers from Medicine and the NHS to entrepreneurship, journalism, engineering, banking and many more.

Later in the academic year, on Friday 16th June 2023, we will also be holding an in-person Careers Fair/Exhibition. At this event students will be able to meet a range of universities, apprenticeship providers, employers, and other support organisations, face to face to support their progression. 

Trip to Eton College

On Wednesday 1st March 2023 students from CTK Aquinas visited  Eton College to attend a student leadership conference where they attended several informative sessions around the theory and application of leadership. The day also provided a fantastic opportunity for students to explore one of the oldest and most prestigious Colleges in the UK and to visit the chapel and the oldest classroom in Europe, which was built in 1440. During the breaks sixth form students from Eton played host to students from Aquinas.

All students gave positive feedback about the trip and the conference, with one student saying:

“I really enjoyed the trip. The first session was my favourite session because we looked at self-leadership and how you can apply it to your everyday life. I learnt that you have to take 100% responsibility for everything you do. I also enjoyed speaking to the boys from Eton and learning about what it is like studying and living away from home.”

On Saturday 18th March CTK Sixth Forms were invited, along with other charities and social action groups within the archdiocese,  to exhibit the charitable and social action work they are involved in.  The exhibition took place in the Amigo Hall after Mass in St Georges Cathedral Southwark.  This initiative was supported by the Archbishop who has a specific interest in schools showcasing their philanthropic activities.

Staff and students from CTK set up a stall in the hall, showcasing their work through banners, posters, and leaflets. This was an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of the many social action projects, charity events and community action events that CTK Sixth Forms support, and the positive impact that schools are having in their communities, and to encourage others to get involved in charitable work.

As in previous years we are running our Easter Egg /Chocolate Appeal for charity.  This year we are supporting Demelza Hospice which provides  end of life care for children and young people, and bereavement support for families, and SVP (Society of St Vincent De Paul) an international Christian voluntary organisation dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage. We know that times are challenging right now but we would be really grateful for any donations of Easter Eggs and / or chocolate, no matter how small, to support these two great charities.  Please bring any donations to reception by Thursday 30th March 2023. 

Thank you for your support.

During half term our students at CTK Aquinas visited Queens College at Oxford University as part of the Lewisham Challenge programme. We received wonderful feedback from the students that took part about what a great time they had!

CTK Aquinas student Daniel said;

“I am thrilled to stand before you to share some exciting news. After months of hard work, determination, and perseverance, I am proud to say that I have been accepted into my dream university – Oxford University, to study Mathematics and Computer Science.

This has been a long and challenging journey, filled with countless hours of studying, researching, and lots of problem solving. I am truly grateful for the support and encouragement of everyone who has been by my side throughout this process, and especially thankful to my school CTK Aquinas for providing me with all the help I needed. 

I know that the road ahead will not be easy, and I am fully prepared to face any challenges that come my way. But I am confident that the education and opportunities I will receive at Oxford will allow me to reach my full potential and achieve my goals.

I look forward to this new chapter in my life, and I am excited to see what the future holds.”

The Senior Mathematical Challenge, organised by the UKMT, is the UK’s flagship maths competition. 

Daniel has spent many months preparing for the challenge, which has required a high level of mathematical reasoning, and precision of thought and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems. Daniel was awarded the Gold Certificate, and as one of the highest performers, he was invited to Round 1 of the British Maths Olympiad. He was awarded a Certificate of Distinction and is now preparing for Round 2 of the British Maths Olympiad. Daniel has worked very hard towards these competitions and we are extremely proud of his achievements. 

The rain didn’t stop Geography students from CTK Aquinas enjoying their field trip to Kew Gardens in November.

They attended a session on ecosystems and climate change looking at how climate change affects our ecosystems today and in the future. Through field-based enquiry students explored and analyzed climate change mitigation strategies while developing knowledge and understanding of this complex issue.  

Their second session was on water and carbon cycles where they investigated the importance of the rainforest in the water and carbon cycles and discovered the impacts that human activity can have on these systems. Despite the damp weather students learned a lot from their visit.

Geography student, Mason said this about his visit to Kew Gardens;

“Our trip to Kew Gardens was a lovely and very intriguing look into the wonderful world of botany and how fauna and flora affect the world and our lives in the short and long term as well as how they adapt to survive in extreme climates and places where their environment is not favourable. The day was split into two sessions. Session one, had my group and I focus on the water and carbon cycle. We were expertly guided by staff to learn how without certain parts of these cycles, like animals eating decaying matter or plants blocking water runoff, would lead to very detrimental consequences for the Earth and our society. We were then taken to a massive greenhouse which simulates the climate of the rainforest enabling, exotic plants to grow and thrive as well as different insects too. We learnt about how there are many products that have ingredients the originate from the rainforest as well as life changing medicines that are extracted from plants and flowers there too. We were then informed about how the rainforest is not being protected and how some illegal practices used to chop down timber is causing the rainforest to shrink which impacts heavily on the massive amount of biodiversity which lives there. We were also taught how to measure the biomass of trees to determine different things about it for example the amount of carbon absorbed or the amount of oxygen it produces.”

In March we launched our second annual Easter Egg Appeal which saw students and staff across the sites purchasing chocolate Easter eggs, big and small, and handing them in to our onsite donation points. The appeal gained lots of attention from students as they continued to demonstrate a great attitude towards almsgiving and outdid themselves with donations!

Come Community Day, more than 300 eggs were rounded up and hand delivered to the Demelza Hospice in Eltham. We were greeted by the amazing nursing staff who gladly helped to unload the special delivery and reminded us of the immeasurable impact that such gifts would have on the children they care for. We would like to thank all who contributed to this virtuous cause and also to think of the families affected by children suffering serious illness and would like to thank organizations like the Demelza Hospice for all the work that they do. 

We were jubilant to finally have the ability to hold our cross-site Sports Day for our learners last week, which saw many of the sixth forms gifted athletes turn out to the sporting event, keen to claim the title of CTK Champions! 

Events began at each site at 1:45pm with Badminton, Football and Table tennis taking place over at St Mary’s, Netball at Aquinas and Basketball hosted by Emmanuel. Once the coaches of students arrived at the relevant sport-hosted site, students were informed of the round-robin style set of rules and eagerly took to their sporting locations. 

This was a wonderful opportunity for students from the pre-existing CTK Football, Basketball and Netball teams to come together and show off their skillsets.

The cross-site event also gave students the ability to converse and mingle with their fellow CTK learners. 

So, which CTK campus was crowned the victors? After hours of sporting amusement, the scores were as such: 

This means, with a total of 65 points the CTK Sports Day 2022 Winners are ….

St Mary’s! 

We would like to say a huge congratulations to our fellow teammates at St Mary’s and a very well done to all for the skills, dedication and effort shown towards success! 

The last day of the Spring term saw countless activities taking place across the three sites and all in celebration of Easter Community Day! 

ECO: We were pleased to see students incorporating the sixth form’s Eco-friendly ideals into the Easter Community Day by involving themselves in various eco projects that day. One activity involved up-cycling used jam jars and other recyclable masonry to create tea-light lanterns. These were then hand painted, ready to be taken home and used as an eco-friendly alternative to an electric lamp. 
In another mini-Eco Project, students took to the outdoors to hang bird boxes around the sixth form in the hopes of encouraging more bird wildlife on site. The students showed much enthusiasm as they painted and decorated the boxes before picking the perfect locations to hang the new bird homes. 

Cultural: The Easter Community Day continued to be a success with plenty of cultural activities taking place across the sites. This included the

likes of henna hand painting and even live performances in the main hall with renditions of beautifully recited gospel songs. But it didn’t end there. The talent- showcasing continued in the LRC as tactical-minded students took on both peers and staff in a nail-biting chess tournament.

 
Fundraising: The day saw multiple fundraising activities taking place and we couldn’t be more proud of our students for the initiative and generosity shown towards charity work. We were delighted to see students from the ALS department run a sweet stall that raised money for Demelza Hospice, a charity that we have worked with many times in the past supporting the work they do with the families of terminally ill children. 
Another group of students raised money by putting on sporting tournaments whereby entrants would pay a small fee to gain access to the Sports Hall and go head-to-head with an opponent in games such as table tennis and badminton.  
The list of activities was endless and both staff and students alike had great fun, raising over £500 for charity and fully immersing themselves in the spirit of the Easter Community Day!
We would like to thank all staff and students for their commitment to making the day special and for all the hard work they have put in over the past term! 

Five learners from CTK Aquinas have been successful in their attempts to join the Raising Opportunities Programme – a programme that seeks to prepare learners for higher education and wider participation. CTK’s partner for the RO (Realising Opportunities) Programme is the University of Leichester and these learners will be guided through the programme by them.  

The learners Alejandro, Rianna, Rachel-Gladys, Ashton and Samuel all received the good news recently that they have been accepted onto the course. Once these learners complete the programme (that runs from the start of year 12 into the beginning of year 13) they can hopefully expect to receive reduced grade offers from UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) when they get to apply. 

Our congratulations go out to these learners, and we hope that they find the course both informative and educational. We would also like to thank our Careers and Partnerships team for orchestrating this programme in collaboration with Leicester University. 

Learners at CTK Aquinas took part in a youth mental health first aid course run by MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) recently. The course sought to teach learners how to identify, understand and help others who may be experiencing a mental health issue. 

These learners will now go on to be the student wellbeing ambassadors for the sixth form and use what they have learnt to promote good mental health practices and procedures. We are excited and proud to have learners who reflect our values and are as passionate as we our about mental health. 

This training has been organised as part of our wellbeing initiative, put in motion by our wellbeing committee. Here at CTK, we understand that the wellbeing of everyone in our community is paramount in ensuring positive development and progression, and we realise the importance of good mental wellbeing. This is just one process of many that our wellbeing committee is currently working on, as well as trips, competitions and more. 

CTK Aquinas is delighted to host the “Researchers in School” forum, organised by both Eton College and Christ the King Sixth Forms on Wednesday the 23rd of March between 1-4pm. The forum includes a number of external speakers offering talks on a variety of subjects including developing a reflective culture in schools and a reflective look at using online courses between schools, to name a few.

To find out more information on the event, please read over the document here. The Event is open to all parents/guardians who wish to attend.

We hope to see you there!

We welcomed the celebration of LGBT+ History Month here at Christ the King this February with a variety of activities and displays which sought to illuminate some of the amazing actions members of the LGBT+ community have performed throughout history. 

In the LRC (Learning Resource Centre) we have had wonderful displays installed detailing both prominent historical figures from the LGBT+ community as well as more recent individuals who have achieved something remarkable. Many people have found these displays incredibly interesting and thought provoking. An example of someone on the board was Nicola Adams, who was the first openly LGBT+ woman ever to win an Olympic gold medal in the boxing competition. 

The LGBT+ Society, a student-led group acting as a safe and secure environment to talk about issues relating to the LGBT+ community, has also been discussing LGBT+ history, as well as the positive changes to civil rights in recent history and the landmark events that led to where we are now, including the 1969 ‘Stonewall Riots’ and origins of the Pride in England to name a few. 

Our 10:10 reflection at the start of the month was also dedicated to LGBT+ history month, which emphasised the importance of respecting human identity, dignity and worth, and that whoever we are, our self-understanding can be affected by our past, present and future. 

CTK is an establishment that reveres acceptance and respect, and we are delighted to be able to be able to shine a light on the importance of the LGBT+ community and the positive impact they have made in making our world a better place. 

At Christ the King we are big proponents of social action in our communities and are regularly running events and activities for the benefit of charities in and around our local communities. Below are a few of the recent social action events that have been taking place across the CTK (Christ the King) sites. 

Recently learners and staff were encouraged to wear expressive clothing in aid of “Dress to Express Day”, a day that aims to raise both money and awareness for the charity Young Minds, a charity that seeks to ensure all young people and their families receive mental health support, if they need it. This day raised over £350 for the charity and cannot wait to see this money put to good use. 

In a similar vein, students also took part in “Onesie Day”, which saw learners attend their sixth form in all manner of humorous onesies. This event was run by the learners themselves and was in aid of Mindout, a charity focusing on improving the mental health of people in the LGBT+ community. 

Learners also ran a heart-shaped lollypop stand in the canteen, with the profits going towards the charity Tender, a charity whose mission is to help young people who are the victims of domestic abuse. This was another charity selected by the learners. The total sales managed to raise a fantastic amount of £70 for the charity. 

The grand total from these events was over £400, and we are so immensely proud of our learners for running events like these, whilst simultaneously committing to their studies. It demonstrates how deeply they care about social action and how much making a difference means to them. 

We eagerly await the opportunity to inform you of more acts of charity and social action occurring around the sixth forms in the future. 

Christ the King is proud to announce the launch of our Easter Appeal, a fundraiser seeking to raise both gifts and money towards two amazing charities, CAFOD and Demelza.  

CAFOD (Catholic Aid for Overseas Development) is a Catholic organisation that aims to assist anyone in the world who requires aid. Demelza is a charity that assists families with young members suffering from terminal and very serious illnesses. 

The appeal is set to run throughout lent and encompasses a variety of social action initiated by our learners, including a chocolate Easter egg appeal, a GoFundMe donation page and a milkshake stand amongst many more. We are honoured to be organising such an event and are excited to be able to update you once we have news on the status of the appeal. 

If you would like to donate items or funds to the appeal, you can do so in a variety of ways: 

• If you would like to donate monetary funds, please follow the link which will take you to our GoFundMe page, where we are raising money for the two charities. 
• If you would like to donate chocolate eggs to the appeal, please bring them to either the chaplaincy, or the reception where they will be collected by the team. 

We would like to take this moment to thank our fantastic chaplaincy team for organising the appeal and continuing to facilitate and run events throughout its course. 

We were delighted to host a virtual talk from the EU council at CTK Aquinas recently. The talk was well attended by students from a range of A Level subjects including Modern Foreign Languages, Politics, Geography and Sociology. 

Mr Bonello, a Lawyer and Linguist gave us an insightful presentation on the role of the European Union and where the European Council sits amongst the other various European institutions. 

The session was very informative and students left with a deeper knowledge into EU policy-making, including how laws are voted upon and the difference between the EU Council and the Council of Europe.  

Events such as these are part of the CTK initiative to further motivate our students to participate in the wider curriculum as well as their chosen subjects. It is very rewarding to see that this encouragement has resulted in so many students formulating opinions on political matters and broadening their scope of knowledge outside of their studies. 

Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is marked each year on 27th January – the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. On this day, schools, communities and faith groups across the UK join together in national and local events to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and of even more recent genocides. 

Deacon Javier, our Lay Chaplin, led a Holocaust Memorial service at each site which staff and students attended.  The service was extremely moving and highlighted the Nazi Persecution and the genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur, in the hope that there may be One Day in the future with no genocide. 

We were privileged enough to host a talk with two holocaust survivors, Paul Sved and Ivan Shaw, who both have fascinating stories about their experiences as young children living in cities under Nazi control. Both speakers, now in their 80’s, gave up their time to speak to CTK lower sixth students as part of the Sixth Forms 10:10 programme. Their stories were extremely moving and highlighted the sadness in their childhood and their victimisation of Nazi persecution. The pair went on to give a recap of their oppression, the time spent away from their families as young children, the day they finally managed to escape Nazi occupation and how they remarkably went on to lead normal happy lives. 

Our students were fascinated by their stories and amazed by the bravery of the survivors. One student said “The testimonies gave me a very harsh yet interesting insight into life during the Holocaust. We’ve heard from historians but not often the survivors and it allowed me to understand the atrocities that were taken upon the people of that time and helped me understand the misfortune they went through. Even with all his discomfort he prevailed and taught a valuable lesson on how two very different views can affect the whole of human history.” – Kanye Cross-Gordon, CTK student. 

We would like to say a big thank you to the Holocaust Educational Trust for arranging this session with us and to the incredible guest speakers for sharing their memorable stories with us at this time. 

The work of our CTK Eco Group continues to go from strength to strength. The Eco committee meet regularly to take forward the Sixth Form’s Green agenda. In a recent meeting they discussed changes they could make to reduce our impact on the environment. Recently, the group have been looking at the impact of meat farming and the damage that such heavily laboured factories can do to the environment. 

The outcome of these meetings has inspired students to consider eating alternative foods that have little-to-no impact on the environment, as it helps reduce the impact too much meat consumption has on both the human body and the environment. 

The reps launched a competition across the three CTK sites, which looked at identifying meat free dishes that each site wanted to take forward. Entrants had to plan a recipe for their tastiest meat-free dish which would be cooked in the canteen. We await to hear the outcome, but recipes included: vegetarian Pizza, meat free chilly, cauliflower curry along with Quorn based alternatives to traditional meat-based recipes. 

The sixth form also received a visit from the Education and Engagement Officer for the Big City Butterfly Project. This is an exciting new project that aims to inspire Londoners to discover butterflies and moths, and connect them with nature and their local green spaces. As well as offering habitat management advice, they have also offered to run a butterfly ID workshop for staff and students. This is an opportunity to gain skills and knowledge to help increase butterfly monitoring across the project area. 

CTK Aquinas were delighted to host Lewisham University Challenge’s “Meet the Oxbridge students” event earlier this month.   

Facilitated by university representatives of Queen’s College (Oxford) and Gonville & Caius College (Cambridge), two CTK alumnae, Lorena and Temi, along with other Oxbridge students, shared their experiences of studying at Oxbridge with Year 12 students from CTK and across the Lewisham borough.   

They spoke about their experiences of the application and interview process, managing the academic workload once they started their course, life in college – both academic and social, and the many opportunities offered through clubs and societies at Oxford and Cambridge.     

These open talks enabled students to get an insight into what everyday life is like at Oxford and Cambridge as well as finding out useful information to help with their applications. The event was very inspiring for our Year 12 students that are considering applying to Oxbridge. The success of this event is testament to our strong relationships with our alumni students and our ongoing efforts to encourage current learners to aim high. 

Thanks to the Jack Petchey Achievement Award received by year 13 French student Emmanuella Owusu Ansah, the entire A Level French cohort were invited to a day out Ice Skating at the Queen’s House in Greenwich followed by lunch at Café Rouge. The Jack Petchey Achievement Award was created to celebrate the achievements of young people across London and Essex and to reward such achievements.

Set in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the rink was surrounded by iconic architecture and some of the best views in London.

The Ice Skating was thoroughly enjoyed by the students. They relished in being outdoors, in each others company with lots of laughs and no broken bones! Some of our students were beginners but showed excellent progress in mastering their new skills. Others were professionals and took the opportunity to display their hidden talent.

Congratulations to Emmanuella on her award and thank you for sharing the award with your fellow French students!

We were delighted to be contacted by CTK Alumni Melvin Lopez-Corleone, who now works at The Bank of England (BoE) as the Senior Regulatory Technology Specialist.

Melvin works within the Innovation area of the Prudential Regulation Authority. The division is at the forefront of researching, applying and delivering advanced technology focused solutions. This includes leading the implementation of Regulatory Technology (RegTech) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiatives with a focus on regulation and supervision.

If that wasn’t enough, Melvin has now created a paid Work Experience Programme which he is very passionate about and is eager to introduce to CTK students. The programme, starting in January 2022 aims to give 10 students the opportunity to learn new skills and take on a 4-week paid role in a highly prestigious setting.

With a focus on Business, Maths, Economics and IT students, the programme will include a year-long mentorship with a senior member from the BoE. The application process involves creating a short video, describing why they would make a good candidate for the programme.

Melvin will be reaching out to students via Teams in classes this week to speak to them in more-depth about the programme and urge them to complete their applications by the closing date of December 31st.

What is Books2Africa? Books2Africa is a UK registered charity that is improving the quality of education in Africa through the provision of books, computers and educational resources that enable individuals and communities to acquire knowledge and achieve their full potential in a globalized world. The charity collects and ships donated educational resources from individuals and organisations in the UK, reducing waste and increasing ‘readcycling’. 

We are thrilled to have made this new charity connection by donating hundreds of no-longer used textbooks. The donation brings us a great sense of gratitude and pride because not only does it mean we are helping impoverished and disadvantaged schools in Africa, we are also doing our bit for the environment by promoting recycling or “readcycling” as it’s known.

Supporting charities is a huge part of the CTK ethos, so we hope to continue this work in the coming months and make even more donations by sorting through our unused textbooks and even IT tech that we no longer use. You can read more about the great work that Books2Africa have been doing by visiting https://books2africa.org/

We were delighted to kick start our month of Open Days with the Aquinas Open Day taking place on Saturday 6^th November. We were joined by a vast amount of prospective students.

The student ambassadors worked tirelessly and professionally to chauffeur individual groups of prospective students around the building as they answered questions and showed our guests to the relevant subject areas. 

Staff also played a key role on the day, interacting with interested students and taking them through the subject course. Some subject ambassadors remained in their classrooms to support their teachers and give the prospective students a real feel of what it would be like to study A Levels by giving them an introduction to the classroom facilities as well as showcasing their fantastic work. 

Each hour-long tour ended with a talk with the site principal Ms Holly Power, as well as Executive Principal Shireen Razey. During these talks, both students and parents were given an in-depth presentation on the full range of subjects and opportunities that Aquinas has to offer. 

We were overwhelmed by the wealth of complementary and positive feedback relayed by our visitors. We would like to say thank you to all the students and staff who contributed to the success of the event and again, thank you to the delightful prospective students and parents who attended. 

We were delighted to help promote the recent launch of Black Joy with Penguin Random House UK and Speakers 4 Schools, last week. Penguin Talks is a programme of free, creative talks for young people, giving them the opportunity to both hear from, and directly question, a world-renowned thinker, writer or influential figure from our family of authors.

The aim of Penguin Talks is to help equip young people for the future by introducing a new generation of readers to new ideas and perspectives, and broadening their understanding of issues which speakers feel to be particularly prevalent for this generation.

We were joined by contributors, collaborators and editors; Timi S, Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, Sofia Akel and Athian Akec. Our students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and got a great insight into the creation and reason behind ‘Black Joy’ as well as a free copy of the book.

We caught up with Ana, who is currently studying A level Politics, Religious Studies and Sociology and wants to see change being made in her borough for young people through her passion, politics. We wanted to find out what inspired her to join the campaign, here’s what she had to say: 

“One of of the things that inspired me is, as a young person is, I’ve always been very involved in politics, I’ve always tried my best to get involved and make a difference. That’s the biggest thing that inspired me is I want to make a difference in Lewisham, I’d like to be a voice for young people.

Interviewer: If you were to be become Young Mayor of Lewisham, what would you hope to achieve?

Ana: I think that politics is important and that everyone should be involved in it, especially young people, as we are the future of the UK and of Lewisham. I’d like to get young people involved, making sure that theyre taught about politics so that as the next voters, they can have an informed vote.

I’m also really focusing on an eco-friendly borough, tackling child poverty as well as cyber-bullying. Those are my three main campaihn promises, but my most important campaign promise is to listen to young people and hear what they have to say about Lewisham.

Interviewer: What do you friends and family think of your campaign?

Ana: All my friends and family are extremely proud of me. Its been such a good experience. Whatever happens, happens but whatever the outcome I jus hope that I make everyone proud.

Interviewer: What do you hope to do after CTK and how do you studies help align your career goals?

Ana: After I leave CTK I hope to go to Oxford University to study Politics and hopefully one day you’ll see me in parliament! One of my career aspirations is to become a diplomat. That’s something I’m extremely interested in, I speak several different languages. Languages and Politics are 2 of my main passions.

My subjects compliment each other and set me up set me up well for my future as they’re all based around people and will get me to my dream career.

Cycling is a brilliant way to combine getting outdoors with getting some exercise! We love the fact that so many members of staff are setting a notable example for our students by showing concern for the environment and swapping four wheels for two! In support of #BikeToSchoolWeek, we have been catching up with staff and students that travel into college via bicycle. Here’s what they have had to say about their daily commutes: 

Mr Forster said: “I find cycling very therapeutic. It is great for the environment as well as my physical and mental health.” 

Miss Stiasny said: “I love cycling to work! It wakes me up in the morning and gives me an extra spring in my step for the day ahead!” 

Ms Power said: “I am lucky enough to cycle through two London parks on my way to work. I like being able to get some exercise at the start and end of my day and clear my mind during my commute.” 

We’ve been speaking to Mr Downes, who loves to cycle to work.

He says, “I’m lucky enough to cycle to two sites, with very different routes. I love cycling because it helps with mindfulness and wellbeing as well as being great exercise!”

We were delighted to be invited to this year’s COP26 Mock event hosted by St Pauls Girls School in Hammersmith. We were very proud to see our student reps advocating in the student Mock #COP26 conference as part of the UK Schools Sustainability Network (USSN) and the London Schools Eco Network (LSEN). The event was based on Climate Change and how different countries have progressed to fight this following the 2015 Paris agreement. 

In this Mock conference our students gathered facts and evidence to debate how far some countries around the world have come in their fight to lower the global warming crisis. 

Arguments were made in favour for various countries including contributions made by Australia to target and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26% – 28% below 2005 levels by the year 2030. 

What is COP26?

For nearly three decades the UN has been bringing together almost every country on earth for global climate summits – called COPs – which stands for ‘Conference of the Parties’. In that time climate change has gone from being a fringe issue to a global priority. 

The importance of the 2015 Paris agreement 

COP21 took place in Paris in 2015. For the first time ever, something momentous happened: every country agreed to work together to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees and aim for 1.5 degrees, to adapt to the impacts of a changing climate and to make funds available to deliver on these aims. 

For nearly three decades the UN has been bringing together almost every country on earth for global climate summits – called COPs – which stands for ‘Conference of the Parties’. In that time climate change has gone from being a fringe issue to a global priority. 

A level French students started the term with a visit to the French Institute in London. They went to Ciné Lumière to watch Annette – the new film of Leos Carax. In addition to being a fun day out and a great opportunity for the Year 1 students to meet the Y2 cohort and vice-versa, this outing was aimed at supporting the students in their academic studies, especially the cultural and linguistic aspects of the course. We cover the topic of Cinema as part of the A level curriculum and this was a fantastic opportunity to view the work of Leos Carax with Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard in the lead roles.

The film was presented in the Cannes Film Festival 2021 official competition, Annette won Leos Carax (Les Amants du Pont-Neuf, Holy Motors) the Best Director award this year. We all had a great time and the weather allowed for a picnic with French baguettes and delicacies in Hyde Park. Not quite the South of France but the next best thing for now!

Oprah Year 12 student said: “Today was really nice and fun. I liked the French Institute and seeing the place; it looked like a palace! It was also fun talking to the 2nd years as they were very friendly. The movie was great! The plot twist was amazing and the way it ended was so annoying! There needs to be a part 2.” Emmanuella Year 13 student said: “I quite enjoyed the movie, and it helped me to notice how script or movie narratives may differ within countries. I doubt I would ever see s