Parent and pupil newsletter 18 Jan 2019

Spanish trip 29th June to 4th July 2019

Some senior students on Spanish trip 2017

This years Bales College foreign visit will be a return to the beautiful coastline of Spain and the vibrant and safe resort of Tossa de Mar. We will use the same excellent hotel as in previous years and will be planning a range of activities and visits for students as well as time for them to relax including a visit to Girona the state capital.

Provisional dates for this trip are set as Saturday 29th June – Thursday 4th July. We are aiming to organise this at the price between £350 and £400 per student although this will depend on the cost of flights. The sooner we get deposits from students the sooner we can confirm the flights and the cheaper they will be. As in previous years we will be organising activities for all ages of students from year 7 to sixth form. Students will stay in three star hotel accommodation in twin or triple rooms, the price will include breakfast and evening meals but not lunch. All activities will be supervised by appropriately trained staff and students will be supervised at all times.

Visit to the Piccadilly Theatre

Mark Haddon’s play is not for the fainthearted; a stage laid out as a digital nightmare with lights that flashed to reflect the confusion of a young person affected by Asperger’s Syndrome. Mark’s world is shattered by the death of his dog, stabbed by a garden fork. He then has to deal with a world he can only understand through literal truth and numbers. He copes by concentrating on a single goal—passing his A level maths exam.

The January trip was organised by Miss Cranston for year 7 and 8 students who had studied the text and it was certainly brought to life. Part of the story requires Mark to take the Bakerloo line which students travelled on to see the play. Mark lives in Willesden Junction, which is not far from us in Kensal Green.

Look out for the next theatre visit we will organise!

March and April – admission days for 2019 entry

We will be continuing our expansion of the school by holding two more admission days for year 7 admissions for 2019. Potential students will attend school on Saturday mornings and sit three admission tests in maths, English and verbal reasoning. Whilst the students complete their tests parents will have a presentation about the school from Mr Yearsley and Dr Ben Moore. Test results are used to help us make an assessment of the potential of a particular student and we then hold interviews with parents and students. Any offer letters will be sent out within a couple of weeks for a September start.

Admission days Sat 9th March Sat 27th April.