Women's History Month 2024
Friday 8th March
International Women's Day
Please click on the link here for an inspirational Women's History Month calendar for March.
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Ada Lovelace
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Celebrate International Women's Day
with some of these suggestions
Fiction
 Cinderella is Dead by Kallyn Bayron
It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery.
Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step-sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all.
Non-Fiction
 This Book is Feminist by
Jamia Wilson and Aurelia Durand
'This Book Is Feminist' is a vibrantly illustrated introduction to intersectional feminism for pre-teens and teens.
Discover the history and meaning of the feminist movement through 15 reasons why feminism improves life for everyone
Poems
 My Brothers Have Not Read Little Women by Scarlett Curtis
We sailed to Treasure Island,
Became Lord of the Flies,
We saw ourselves in Holden C,
Damaged, sad and wise.
We gave our time to Oliver.
Our hearts to Spider-man.
Followed Charlie to the factory,
Took flight with Peter Pan.
Your words are universal.
Your characters are true.
Your stories transcend gender,
But women write books too.
Popular Culture
 Moxie - Netflix
Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with her small-town Texas high school, who thinks the football team can do no wrong.
Fed up with sexist dress codes and hallway harassment. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules.
Please click here for further reading materials and other useful links.
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US Trip of a Lifetime!
On the 9th February, the Business and Economics department took 33 students to the United States of America. We flew into Washington and visited the iconic sites of the US Capitol, the White House, the Smythsonian museums and the Lincoln Memorial. We then took a coach to Philadelphia, where we were able to view the Liberty Bell and the famous Rocky steps and statue before heading off to New York. There we walked around Manhattan, took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty, went to the top of the Empire State Building, toured the Financial District and ground zero and battled through a snowstorm to visit the United Nations Headquarters. We also ate our weight in chocolate at the Hershey’s Chocolate World tour, listened to the 9/11 stories from firefighters at the FDNY store, posed with police officers at the Brooklyn 99 HQ in Brooklyn, rode the carousel at Central Park, cheered for players at the Brooklyn Nets basketball game and hung out with minor celebrities in Times Square. To be able to travel with this group was an absolute pleasure - they were inquisitive, excitable, friendly and incredibly well-behaved. They did their research and made sure they experienced everything these cities had to offer - I’ve never had a group want to retire to their beds so early, ready for the array of activities of the next day. This was a trip to remember for a lifetime!
Mrs Harris, Head of Business and Economics
After an 8-hour flight, we landed in Washington where we rested our heads before heading off to the Capitol Building. We were given an incredibly detailed and interesting tour, learning the basis of the US Justice and Government system. We also walked along The Mall, seeing the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr's Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial and the White House to name a few. My friend and I also had time to look around the American History Museum, seeing Dorothy's red shoes and Jonny Coltrane's saxophone!
Soon enough, we were driving to New York and on the way we made a quick pit-stop in Philadelphia, where we ran up the Rocky Steps and saw the Liberty Bell. Mrs Harris then let us eat lunch in this amazing food market and many of us tried a 'Philly' cheese steak, which was delicious. As we drove into Manhattan, we all screamed the lyrics to Empire State Mind, and we were so excited to start exploring New York City. The organised activities included a guided tour of the United Nations and the Hershey Store, as well as an evening trip up to the top of the Empire State Building. We also visited The Statue of Liberty and the Immigration Museums and got very cold on the ferries to and from the Islands! One evening, we saw an American basketball game, which was such a cool experience that I'll never forget. The trip was amazing as we were given enough freedom to do our own things, with Beth and I seeing 'Six' the Musical on Broadway and trying out New York's fast food and restaurants. Overall, the trip was an incredible experience and I can't wait to go back soon!
Rosie Barnwell, Year 13
The US trip was nothing short of amazing. I had no idea what to expect, having never been to America before, but I was very impressed with the tall skyscrapers and the rich history of a country that is so young in comparison to our own. I was, however, less impressed with the price of everything over there. I was shocked when the cashier at McDonald’s told me my meal would cost $22! I was very invested in the visit to the Capitol building and Ellis Island as it felt so surreal to step foot into places I’d only ever seen on TV, as well as enjoying the hospitality of the American people, which is an accurate stereotype as everyone is so friendly and helpful over there.
While I did enjoy my time in Washington and Philadelphia, I would have to say New York was the best part of the trip. Visiting Times Square and the Empire State Building were lifetime experiences that I will definitely always remember, but a special mention has to go to my trip to Little Italy with Sophie. Unfortunately, we were unable to find authentic Italian food or people (sorry Ms Martucci and Mrs Giglione, we really tried!) However, it was a very telling experience about how America has developed as an immigrant nation and how it really is a melting pot of different cultures.
Overall, I really liked my experience in the US and am very grateful to the Business and Economics department for organising such a spectacular and special experience, especially thankful to Mrs Harris for spearheading the trip (and Mr Cheuk for joining at the last minute and being exceptionally talented at locating lost items).
Dionis Zaimaj, Year 13
 
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Year 10 Jack Petchey Public Speaking Competition
This year, the Year 10s were able to take part in the Jack Petchey Public Speaking competition. Those who signed up were trained in writing speeches then performed these for their fellow peers.
I was lucky enough to be one of the judges and hear all the inspirational, creative speeches that were written. It was genuinely a hard decision to make as each speech made such valid points and were all well-spoken and calculated in their speeches. The results were in order:
1st place: Louis Luckman
2nd place: Omolade Paul-Taiwo
3rd place: Hattie Pigott-Deayer
Omolade will now move on to representing BGS in the regional finals. Good luck, Omolade!
The judges were: Mr Husbands, Chizara and Astrid.
MC: Ms Adeaga
Chizara, Year 12 English Prefect
Congratulations to all who participated as you all did so well!
It was amazing to see what the Year 10s could come up with in terms of their speeches and the creativity embedded into each of their unique speeches. It was an honour to be able to judge them on their desired topics and interesting to see how each speech was inspired by their own personal experiences.
Astrid - Year 12 English Prefect
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Science News
Five of our top Chemistry students; Ethan Abbate; Scarlett Basquil, Leo Dhunnoockchand, Nathan Kuhn and Adrianne Yu-Mason were selected to attend the prestigious Chemistry Race held at the world-renowned University of Cambridge.
 
This Chemistry Race is a new chemistry competition in the UK for teams of 3-5 Sixth Form students organised by students at the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford. The race originated as a Czech competition Chemiklání at the University of Pardubice in 2015.
The teams race against each other in solving chemistry problems; whoever gets the most points within the time limit wins! Our Year 12 students competed against Year 13 students and attained a respectable position on the leader board.
Dr Numbere, Chemistry Department
During the first weekend of half-term, a team of Sixth Form students, including myself, went to the University of Cambridge to take part in the annual Chemistry Race that was also taking place in Oxford as well. It was very exciting being in the lecture halls competing against other teams who were just as passionate about Chemistry - and winning! The BGS team worked hard to compete as many questions as possible in the two-hour time limit, helping each other along the way. And although we didn’t win, we had a fantastic time solving questions and having fun together. Overall, it was an amazing experience.
Scarlett Basquil, Year 12
During the half-term holidays, I, alongside four other Year 12 students, had the privilege of attending the Chemistry Race in Cambridge where we would compete against around 60 teams of 4–5 people. The venue for the competition was in a science lecture room, which really gave me an insight into what it is like doing a science course at Cambridge University. The competition lasted two hours in which we had to answer as many questions as possible, but had to get a question correct in order to move on to the next one, which certainly was a challenge despite our combined knowledge of chemistry. All in all, it was a very enjoyable experience and I especially appreciated being able to meet people from other schools who were also looking to further their knowledge of science. I hope that BGS will get to compete in the Chemistry Race next year as it is a superb opportunity for any keen chemist.
Nathan Kuhn, Year 12
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British Science Week
Chemistry in Action
On the 29th February, myself and a group of higher chemistry students went to the Chemistry in Action lecture at the Emmanuel Centre in London. In this lecture we gained an insight into multiple fields of chemistry that we could go into in the future and their current ideas and innovations in solving problems with society, the environment and industry.
We learnt about the current progress in making batteries more sustainable by finding more environmentally friendly alternatives for their components while also trying to increase their effectiveness in supplying and storing energy.
In nuclear chemistry we were informed about the ways that nuclear waste can be recycled in order to decrease the amount of high level nuclear waste. Some fission products can be used in medicine to target metastatic cancer cells and in space exploration in the form of nuclear batteries. They debunked misconceptions and explained in detail how nuclear waste is disposed of and how rigorous safety regulations are, which definitely helped ease a lot of our fears about the disposal of nuclear waste affecting the environment.
Then there was a panel of Chemistry graduates who gave their experiences in university and career decisions. We could go into chemical engineering, with study years abroad, and write a PhD on a cell's chemical signals or work in industry in analytical chemistry and do an iterated Masters, or even do an apprenticeship and specialise in crystallisation of medicine. What connected all of their experiences together was a love and curiosity for chemistry.
Since important tests are coming soon, a professional chemistry marker explained and clarified the questions on the papers and helped us avoid common errors in regard to the command terms in the question. As usual, always read the question.
An “Accidental” Material Chemist explained how she became passionate about material chemistry through opportunities offered by university and international competitions, pushing science to its limits. She also wrote a PhD on creating a type of composite pellet that would be viable as a sustainable container of hydrogen to power cars, which involved lots of hands-on practical work and exploring different ratios of material to see new properties.
Finally, we learned about the ways that synthetic chemistry can help diseases like snake bites in the tropics (a commonly disregarded illness). Current treatments include antivenoms which rely on knowing the species of snake for a specific medicine or having to deal with multiple horrible side effects from receiving many different antivenoms. Antivenoms are also really expensive, hard to synthesise and hard to transport due to their temperature requirements, so chemists have been trying to synthesise glycopolymers in order to replicate the properties of antivenoms in order to diagnose and treat snake bites while also increasing accessibility of healthcare to all people.
This was a fantastic learning experience which broadened our horizons with what we can do with the field of chemistry in the future.
Adrianne Yu-Mason, Year 12
 This was a fantastic introduction to British Science Week which commences on Friday 8th March so please look out for more STEM events organised by the Science Department.
Mrs Moore, Head of Science
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 BGS Young Enterprise Team at Spitalfields Market!
 On Tuesday, four of this year’s Young Enterprise team, Illumina, went to Spitalfields Market in Liverpool Street to take part in a sales event. We had been working hard preparing our product and designing our stall, so we were very excited about the day ahead. Forty-eight other schools were attending with their own product, so we were keen to compete and look for ideas to take forward with us. The market lasted from 10am until 2:15pm, with judges also coming round twice to consider all the stalls on show for awards and the general public coming in to purchase our product. At 2:30pm, the judges stepped onto the balcony to announce the four awards. We waited in suspense as the ‘Best Looking Stall’, ‘Customer Service’ and ‘Best Product’ were announced, winning nothing. However, as the head judge, who was from this year's main sponsor Delta, read out the description of the winning stall we still had hope. We were announced winners and felt ecstatic! Reflections from the judges included the fact that our candle could be in the White Company and that our customer service and stall design were outstanding. In addition to this, we also sold over 25 candles, making over £200 profit. Following this achievement, we look forward to our next sales event at Greenwich Market and other local sales, as well as competing in further upcoming competitions.
You can also buy our candle here: https://illuminacandles.co.uk/orders
Luke Winter, Year 12
Our candles are now on sale! Tell your friends and family!
Check out our 5 fantastic candles: Joy, Calm, Nostalgia, Energise and Focus.
Once you have placed your order, your elegant candle will be ready to pick up from the school reception the next day!
To see our team in action, how about you visit our sale at:
Greenwich Market on Wednesday 13th March
BGS Young Enterprise Marketing Team
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 | 06 Mar 2024 All season the boys have been working hard to keep their undefeated streak in the Kent Cup alive with some very impressive performances against difficult opposition. This all came to a head on Saturday when they played in the final against Harvey Grammar School at the Gallagher St... |
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 Netball
Our U18 netball team had a run out against Chis and Sid this week. A fantastic opportunity for the girls to enjoy a match together and challenge themselves in different playing positions. The team worked superbly together and, despite the defeat, came away having thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Well done ladies!
Mrs Howard, PE Department
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Year 10 Progress Review Evening
12th March 2024
The Year 10 Progress Review Evening will take place next Tuesday between 4pm - 6.30pm. If you haven't already responded to confirm your attendance, please click on the link here.
Mrs Spencer's letter can also be found in the 'Dates for your Diary' section of this e-newsletter.
Thank you
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 | 20 Feb 2024 |
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 A Message from the Examinations Office
GCSE Examination Timetable Summer 2024
The GCSE timetable for examinations to be taken in 2024 is now available on the school website or by clicking on the link here.
GCSE Contingency Days Summer 2024
Please note, contingency days are timetabled for the afternoons of 6th and 13th June, as well as Wednesday 26th June 2024. These contingency days are designed to be used in the event of national or significant local disruption to examinations.
This means that all exam candidates must be available to sit exams from the date of their first exam until Wednesday 26 June 2024.
This decision is not a school decision and does apply to all candidates in all schools.
Mrs Bono, Examinations Office
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Year 11 Preparing for Revision
The booklet can be viewed on the school website under the header Teaching and Learning/ Year 11 or by clicking on the link here.
Thank you
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The Year 9 Options Booklet
The booklet can be viewed on the school website under the header Teaching and Learning/ Year 9 or by clicking on the link here.
Thank you
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 Please click on the link here to access all our Safeguarding Updates
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News items you may have missed
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MFL Culture Day 2024
Friday 15th March 2024 will be a day of cultural celebration in our school community. Students and staff are invited to wear either traditional attire or an item of clothing with their normal school uniform which represents their cultural heritage. Students will receive further information through their form tutors, including details of activities run by our student-led societies the ACS and SEAS on this day.
Mrs Savage, MFL Department
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Greenwich
If your child attends a school in another borough, you will need to apply to the relevant council or school directly. APPLY TO BEXLEY.
Tower Hamlets
Children whose parents live in the borough but who attend schools outside the borough. Parents should apply to the authority where the school is located. APPLY TO BEXLEY.
Medway
Does not specify the location of the school and just has a link to applications.
https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200164/school_information/354/free_school_meals. You may need to go via Bexley after this process.
Bromley
If your child attends a non-Bromley school, you must apply to the local authority where the school is situated. APPLY TO BEXLEY.
Dartford
If your child attends a non-Dartford school, you must apply to the local authority where the school is situated. APPLY TO BEXLEY.
When these applications are completed, a notification should be sent to the school for us to update records accordingly, but it may be worth the parents sending in the email confirmation to us too.
Bexley Application Link
https://www.bexley.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/free-school-meals/how-apply-free-school-meals/free-school-meals-form
Don't delay, apply today!
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Lost Property
We kindly remind parents/carers to please write your child's name wherever possible on their items so that the Reception Team can return property to the correct student.
Please click on the link here to report lost property or email us directly via
reception@bexleygs.co.uk.
Reception Team
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GCSE Advance Notice (Summer 2024) | |
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