Latest News Stories

Martin Lewis speaks to our students

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Last week we were visited by Martin Lewis, Daybreak’s resident money expert and the man behind moneysavingexpert.com

Martin asked our students to take part in his new series of ‘The Martin Lewis Money Show’. The purpose of his visit was to speak to the students about university fees and disprove any myths they may have believed about student loan repayment. Firstly he spoke to students individually, followed by a ‘cash mob’ group session where students had the chance to ask Martin some questions. Not only did the students enjoy finding out more about their finance options, they also got the chance to debut the William Morris Sixth Form Harlem Shake, filmed by the ITV camera crew to appear on Martin’s series! The episode will be aired in May, date tbc.

WMSF Jack Petchey Award Winners

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

On Monday 28th January 2013, we had the privilege of celebrating the success of a selection of our students at the annual Jack Petchey Award Ceremony. The students were presented with their award by Hammersmith and Fulham's Chief Superintendent, Lucy D'Orsi, to the cheers of a packed audience in Kensington Town Hall. Argeanna Smith, Carly Buchanan, Stephanie Jones, Hayley Navarro and Mohamed Takow were congratulated for their outstanding achievements.

The team of Jack Petchey winners was also accompanied by one of our Languages teachers, Annie Taylor, who won the Jack Petchey Leader Award for her outstanding contributions to young people at WMSF and the teaching community at large.

WMSF launches 'Boost Your Chances'

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

WMSF launched its ‘Boost Your Chances’ initiative this week, aimed at students who have the potential to progress to Oxbridge or Russell Group Universities. Successful students are then offered additional opportunities such as the 3 students here. They are all AS students who have been offered work experience placements at the prestigious Wilmer Hale law firm. The students had a fantastic afternoon visiting their London office based in Park Lane and had the chance to pick the brains of some of the country’s top lawyers. They will each visit the law firm every 3 weeks to find out more about the different specialisms of law and, in turn, which areas they would eventually like to work in. We have no doubt that this placement will boost the students’ chances of gaining places at some of the top universities in the country to study Law.

WMSF students collaborate with the BBC

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

A group of our Media students participated in the BBC Outreach project to create a film for St. Stephen's Silver Screen Club. Click on the link below to see the BBC article and the film our students helped to make.

http://www.live.bbc.co.uk/blogs/outreach/posts/Filming-the-film-lovers

WMSF students visit Paris for the day

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

In November, a group of our GCSE and A level French students went on a day trip to Paris with their teachers.

The purpose was to inspire the students to use their French and appreciate the culture around them. Seeing iconic sites such as the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum and Pont Des Arts bridge took their breath away - so much beauty and harmony. Amid the busy day of sightseeing there was, of course, time to stop for a pain au chocolat!

The day was a huge success. The students wanted to stay and many of them are already planning to come back in the future. A memorable trip they won't forget!

WMSF students at the House of Commons

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

A group of our students were lucky enough to visit the House of Commons recently for the Film Education Event.

The event was interesting but centred more on teachers and teaching than the students. However, meeting Cllr Peter Graham and the Rt. Hon Andy Slaughter was great for the students - who were so charming, so interested and intelligent, that both Peter and Andy ended up spending a lot more time with them then they had first stated. The students were talking to Peter for about an hour (and even mentioned EMA!) and he only relinquished them because Andy turned up to take over and they were with Andy for even longer, an hour and a half! They didn't leave until almost 6pm.

We are very proud of the students, they talked up William Morris and were real ambassadors for the work that we do with the students here. They even managed to teach Andy a little about Twitter and how to verify his account to maximise his followers!

Goldman Sachs chairman visits WMSF

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Jim presented our students with a very engaging talk. If we are to understand the world economy, we need to recognise the rise of China, the BRICs and the so-called ‘next-11’. The US economy currently has a GDP of $15 trillion. By contrast, the UK economy is worth $3.5 trillion and China’s is worth $7.3 trillion, expected to rise to $8.5 trillion by the end of 2012. In just eleven years, China has gone from $1.5 – 7.3 trillion. That is quite staggering! In case we are overly concerned about Greece, it should be noted that China creates another Greece every three months. Greece, is, in a global sense, utterly insignificant, except, if there is contagion, which explains the legitimate concern within the Euro zone area. Despite China’s phenomenal growth, it also has a large population amongst which to share this wealth, thus, putting a slight dampener on its absolute growth figures.

Jim’s talk focused not just on China, but on the significance of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) as increasingly important in the world due to their rapid economic growth and large populations. By 2015 their combined GDP is expected to surpass that of the USA, and by 2035 that of the G7. When asked how important these would be politically on the world stage, he thought that their main might was economic, though they are now meeting once a year and thinking of having a joint BRIC development bank. The significance of this is that the once omnipotent IMF and World Bank are not part of this. The major question they face in the future is how they are going to deal with this: institutions and people alike don’t accommodate change.

Finally, he discussed the importance of the so-called ‘next 11’ (= Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Vietnam, Mexico, South Korea, Turkey and Indonesia). The BRICs plus the ‘next 11’ make up two-thirds of the world’s population. That is why these countries are forces not just to reckon with, but that the current ‘developed world’ has to take heed of. South Korea, Turkey and Nigeria were the three countries Jim singled out in particular as places to take note of.

The ultimate question in this new world order is: how do we run the world better? That, indeed, is the formidable task we leave to the future leadership of our WMSF students: good luck!

Enterprise Adviser, Lord Young, visits WMSF

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0100

In May this year we were lucky enough to be visited by David Cameron’s Enterprise Adviser, Lord Young. Our students were chosen to take part in a Q&A session with Lord Young and relished the opportunity to pick his brains about becoming young entrepreneurs! See below for the full article which appeared in the Hammersmith and Fulham Chronicle.

WMSF Media students visit BBC Centre

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100

A cloudy Tuesday morning in May saw ten very excited WMSF Media students descend upon the BBC Television Centre in White City. Eager-eyed and excited, fuelled by swigs of Red Bull, the students were ALL half an hour early and waited patiently to start the day in the lobby, pinning their visitor badges on under the watchful gaze of the giant hoardings of Will.I.Am, Jessie J and co. A fact, which only served to remind them that the day would end with a meeting and Q & A with presenter of The Voice UK, Reggie Yates.

The outreach event was organised by the BBC to furnish William Morris students with practical advice on how to break into television. This is something that many of the students aspire to, particularly the Media and Film students aiming for careers behind the screen. To this end there were opportunities to talk to the likes of Ruby Kureshie, Executive Commissioning Editor of The Graham Norton Show and Adam Adler, the creator of The Cube, about how to get a seemingly impossible idea turned into a television show. The students learned what makes a TV format by dissecting The Apprentice and then took a tour of the studios. Some of the highlights here were visiting the sets of both Blue Peter and Match of the Day, being contestants on a mini version of The Weakest Link and presenting the weather, Harry Potter style!

Perhaps the most illuminating experience for the students was the fact that the day was chaired by Karl Warner, Executive Commissioning Editor of Entertainment at the BBC, whose message was to exude passion and stand out when trying to break into the television industry, something which he did at the start of his career by sending out a picture of himself in a monkey suit with every CV! It was an anecdote, which not only won our students over, but something they took to heart. It was no surprise then that by the end of the day Karl knew most of the WMSF students by name as they made themselves stand out through their enthusiasm, willingness to take part, infectious sense of humour and intelligent questions. A couple of them were even savvy enough to get Karl’s contact details in order to arrange work experience with him! Watch this space!

WMSF and All Our Children in Uganda

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100

This Easter saw William Morris Sixth Form embark on the college’s sixth annual visit to the town of Kabale in south-western Uganda in conjunction with the charity All Our Children. The visit was the busiest and most successful yet with new projects initiated and new adventures being undertaken. This year’s group was also the largest yet, combining past and present staff, governors, and past and present students. In addition this year, five teachers from Havelock Primary School in Southall and one from Cardinal Wiseman School in Greenford joined the WMSF group to contribute to, and learn from, the ‘Uganda experience’. Flying via Addis Ababa, the group arrived first of all in an exceptionally wet Rwanda and after the long flight there were surprisingly few takers for Jas and Tom’s morning run! Whilst in Rwanda, there was the opportunity to explore the turbulent recent history of this small African country that had led to the genocide. Students visited the Genocide Memorial and a church in Ntarama in order to really bring alive the events of April 1994, and to see how far Rwanda had moved forward since. After two nights in Kigali, the touring party headed over the border into Uganda to be greeted by Mr Twino, the principal of our first partner school, Kigezi High School. Sunday provided the students with a chance to meet their Ugandan counterparts and begin to forge friendships through a few team-building exercises at Arcadia Cottages, just outside of Kabale town. On Monday morning the group headed up the hill for its first day at Kigezi High School. Once here they were given the grand tour of the premises and the opportunity to meet more teachers and students. A particular highlight of this tour included a lecture on how garden waste and microorganisms can be used to heat a shower! With the meeting and greeting over, the hard work began. Students and staff were involved in a number of projects, some educational and some sporting, across the length and breadth of the town. Some of these projects included the Blessed Academy Primary School, Wise Parents Nursery and the Restore Lost Hope Street School. New projects included working at Taufiq Islamic Primary School in the town centre and the Lake Bunyonyi School a few kilometres away. After a short break over the weekend camping at Lake Bunyonyi, it was then back to work for two more days in Kabale – a particular high point of the trip coming on a hot Tuesday afternoon at a picnic organised for the children at the street school. Students and staff came together to help run a fun day out for the children which combined samosas and bananas with all the hyperactivity of a sports day! So with another sporting defeat for the teachers (who lost the staff versus students football match for the second year running) and a host of successfully completed projects, the partnership moves on, growing in reputation and impact. Hopefully 2013 could be even better still!

WMSF Biology field trip to Wales 2012

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100

For the 2012 Biology field trip 58 AS level students went to The Mulberry House (Ty'r Morwydd) Environmental Studies Centre in Abergavenny, Wales. On the first day of the trip students used quadrats and random sampling techniques to measure the changing biodiversity over three different age spoil tips. These were areas of land used by coal mines which destroy the natural habitats for animals and plants. The three different sites indicate how organisms are reclaiming these areas and the students calculated how biodiversity had increased over time using the infamous Simpson's diversion index calculation. The second day was spent using 100m transect lines to investigate how the species change from high level heath land to low lying marsh/bog. This involved the students identifying plant species and avoiding the lizards lurking in the long grasses! That night students experienced animal trapping methods from tree beating (rather over enthusiastically by some), nets, pooters, light and mammal traps. They also identified a range of fresh water invertebrates, analysed the morning’s data and witnessed native bats as they swooped overhead. A very competitive quiz followed to finish the night off. On the final day, students were given the opportunity to walk up the Sugar Loaf mountain to a height of 1955 feet. All the students made it up and gained a great sense of achievement, including walking through a cloud where all the sights from the lovely Welsh countryside suddenly disappeared! The three days were an extremely productive and valuable experience, enjoyed by all students and staff alike, and will no doubt contribute again this year to the department’s exceptionally high results.

Romeu e Julieta

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100

On 19^th May 2012, our Portuguese teacher took a group of AS and A level Portuguese and Brazilian students on a visit to The Globe Theatre to see Romeo and Juliet in Portuguese (''Romeu e Julieta''). The play was part of the Globe to Globe festival where 37 of Shakespeare's plays were acted out by 37 troupes in 37 different languages.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the production and after the play, they discussed the setting, singing, gestures and formal and informal language used by the actors as part of the Portuguese curriculum delivered at William Morris Sixth Form.

AS Drama students wow the audience

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100

William Morris’ drama students showed unquestionable commitment to their AS exam earlier on in the year. Saturday 24th March 2012 saw a full day of preparation and performance by 23 students studying the AS Drama and Theatre studies programme. Four productions took place in front of an examiner, family and friends. Two casts performed Euripides’s Trojan Women with the other two taking on an adaptation of Antigone. Greek Tragedy was a genre most of the students hadn’t tackled before and this allowed them to explore the relevance these ancient tales still hold today. Each production explored the text from a different setting; Antigone found herself in a 1920’s café and a leisure centre whilst the wailings of the Trojan Women were heard from a Desert Island and a time abandoned bunker. Students rehearsed each week from January to March, developing characters, exploring space and honing theatrical techniques. The performances brought a buzz to William Morris on a normally quiet Saturday. Over 50 audience members showed their support by attending either the matinee or evening performance. All four productions were met with praise and the students conducted themselves in a professional manner, allowing their hard work to shine.

WMSF students Step Into Dance

Sun, 20 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Well done to Nicola, Christina, Aaisha, Leona, Edneleen, Leena, Anicette, Khangal and Hassan who took part in the 'Step Into Dance' street dance event on Friday night. The students performed a 5 minute piece of dance which they had choreographed with their dance teacher, Roxy. Their performance was a mixture of contemporary and street dance and went down a storm with the 300 strong audience. 20 weeks of rehearsals had definitely paid off!

BBC Radio 4 Interview WMSF Students

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100

On Wednesday 21st March the poet Michael Rosen (best known as the author of children's classic 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt') visited William Morris Sixth Form to interview a group of A Level students for his Radio 4 show 'Word of Mouth'. His focus was on the students’ use of abbreviations and he commented favourably afterwards on their level of linguistic awareness.

This was a fantastic opportunity for the students who really enjoyed the chance to discuss language use with a famous writer.

This episode of 'Word of Mouth' was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday 27th March at 4pm. You can be hear it online here.

WMSF Students Take To Lyric Stage

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Performing arts students were given a taste of the big stage by putting on a showcase at the Lyric.

Teenagers from William Morris Sixth Form took over the Hammersmith theatre last Thursday (2nd February) for a day of rehearsals and evening show for friends and parents.

The AS and BTEC students displayed their talents in a variety of drama and dance performances which included Dakini, inspired by Eastern dance traditions, and contact improvisation drama Distorted Allegiance.

By Greg Burns, Fulham & Hammersmith Chronicle

Photos by Andrew Gray

WMSF Students Receive Jack Petchey Awards

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

The outstanding achievements of nine of William Morris Sixth Form’s students were recognised at an award ceremony in Kensington Town Hall on the evening of 23rd January 2012. The nine young people were awarded honours for exceptional contributions to WMSF or significant academic and personal development or progress in 2011.

Each award-winning student was presented with a certificate recognising their achievement and a badge to mark the occasion. In addition, each student was given two hundred pounds to spend on items of their tutor groups’ choice. The two fine looking gentlemen pictured, Patricio Cueva Marquez and Ian Blackelock-Rae, attended the award ceremony in person and were congratulated by the Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham on their efforts.

Also at the ceremony, Ian Baldwin (Curriculum Area Leader for Business) was presented with a Leader Award medal in honour of his contributions in service of young people. It was a great pleasure to have the company of the WMSF Student Jack Petchey Coordinator, Mohammed Belmokhtar, at the ceremony contributing to the joyful nature of the proceedings and celebrations of the commendable achievement of these young people. The evening was an inspirational event and a very proud occasion for WMSF. Congratulations to our 2011 Jack Petchey winners!

WMSF Hosts All Our Children Launch Party

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

All Our Children, a charity set up by William Morris Sixth Form staff members in collaboration with staff from the Warriner School in Banbury and Oxford University, officially launched at WMSF on 24th November.

The charity, chaired by former WMSF Principal Liz Walton OBE, builds on the successes of our partnership with Kigezi High School and other education institutions in the south-west Ugandan district of Kabale. The charity's main aims were officially unveiled as being not only to advance the educational opportunities for Ugandan students, but also to give UK students the opportunity to get involved with partnership projects in Uganda.

The launch evening was a vibrant affair and attracted residents from the local Hammersmith and Fulham community, the media and many other local schools who wish to get involved in a partnership of their own in the future.

Furthermore, the helpers for the evening were all students who had either been involved in travelling with WMSF to Uganda in the past, or who are currently preparing to go in April 2012, and were a ready source of information for the inquisitive guests.

After having had a little time to view videos, read posters and talk to the people involved in the charity, there were a few talks providing a little more insight into the partnership. Principal Kevin Gilmartin introduced the evening saying that, “All Our Children is a wonderful organisation and something that is growing into something even more incredible. Simply put, it is project that changes young lives.”

All Our Children chair, Liz Walton, then went on to explain how the charity had brought together many different people involved in projects in Uganda, but who are all working towards a common goal of “partnering schools in Uganda.”

Following the conclusions of the talks, by Professor David Mills and two former students, Moktar and Paris, the audience were given another opportunity to talk to staff and students involved and to buy some specially designed All Our Children merchandise.

The event was a resounding success. It resulted in many different people having the opportunity to connect with a charity that has education at its heart and exists in the heart of the local community.

WMSF Welcomes Dutch Visitors

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

William Morris Sixth Form has welcomed students and staff from their partner school the Einstein Lyceum in Rotterdam, Netherlands, for their fourth such visit.

During the their 10-day stay, students from Einstein Lyceum were given a timetable for joining in WMSF classes based on a particular area of interest in their own studies in the Netherlands. They then used their participation in classes and interactions with WMSF’s students to put together presentations on the topic of ‘The Many Faces of London’ – something similar to WMSF students’ Extended Project Qualifications.

In addition to classes and working on their projects, Einstein Lyceum students also took part in the activities organised for Personal Development Day; something that is often an eye-opening contrast with the way issues relating to health and well-being are taught and discussed in the Netherlands. Some other students also took part in trips with various subject areas, all to help them get a clearer picture of what being a student in an inner-city London sixth form is really like.

The visit culminated with the Einstein Lyceum students presenting their projects to a large audience made up of their peers, teachers, WMSF students and WMSF staff. The presentations were of a great standard and related the overall theme to maths, media, business, art and psychology. When you consider that their presentations were done in a second language, it makes their achievements all the more remarkable.

It is hoped that a return trip later in the academic year will further strengthen the ties between WMSF and Einstein Lyceum staff and students, consolidating this important international partnership for the future.

WMSF Students Host Israeli-Palestinian Debate

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Students at William Morris Sixth Form have taken part in a workshop to discuss solutions to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The workshop was organised and run by the One Voice Movement. One Voice is a movement designed to bring international attention to the voices of mainstream Israelis and Palestinians, encouraging a peaceful dialogue in achieving a two-state solution.

One Voice were represented by their organiser Sharon, Thuraya, a Palestinian student, and Shir, an Israeli student. WMSF students were then given the opportunity to ask One Voice’s representatives direct questions about life in Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

After hearing about some of the needs that both communities have, students were invited to decide upon a suitable solution for the regional conflict and how it could be managed. Two of the choices most widely discussed were a single-state solution, with both communities sharing power, and the two-state solution whereby Palestine would become an internationally-recognised state.

Sabrina Abdalla, a second-year student at WMSF, said that, “Before One Voice came in to talk about the conflict I didn’t feel that I had the whole picture. Bringing in real people from both sides of the conflict gave me a much clearer perspective of the wide range of problems and needs there. Best of all, the whole workshop seemed so positive and forward thinking.”

It is hoped that One Voice will be able to come back later in the academic year to continue the dialogue with a new group of students.

All Our Children Event

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

WMSF student wins prestigious peace award

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The following article by Emma Heseltine, originally appeared in the Kensington & Chelsea Chronicle:

Peace award for Ladbroke Grove student

A student from Ladbroke Grove has been given a prestigious peace award by London Mayor Boris Johnson.

Moktar Alatas, 19, of Wilsham Street, was awarded the DREAM (Develop Real Examples and Mentors) award at the London Peace Awards 2011, in recognition of the impact of his social enterprise Aspire 2 Inspire, and his commitment to improving his community and empowering young people.

He established Aspire 2 Inspire last year, with the aim of empowering marginalised young people in Kensington and Chelsea, through building confidence, self-belief and personal aspirations.

And after inspiring 50 young people to improve their personal situations, Moktar was nominated by housing charity the Octavia Foundation, for the prize.

After winning the award, Moktar said: "I feel truly humbled by this recognition. I would like to thank the Octavia Foundation for nominating me and for their ongoing support, and also to my wonderful team for their relentless commitment to Aspire 2 Inspire and unshaken belief in our work.

"I believe that working to serve others is a wonderful way to lead your life and this London Peace Award has encouraged me to continue to do so.

"My dream is to help others to achieve the greatness of their potential, and in doing so, allow them to in turn influence others to be great - to aspire to inspire."

Reena Mukherji, director of the Octavia Foundation, who nominated Moktar for the award, added: "We are delighted that Moktar's hard work and commitment to his local community has been recognised and celebrated in this way.

"He is a fantastic young person who has already achieved so much - the Octavia Foundation is very proud to offer support and partnership to Moktar as he develops the enterprise."

The London Peace Awards are an annual celebration of London's unsung heroes, and were held as part of the London Week of Peace (September 18-25).

To find out more about Aspire 2 Inspire, visit www.a2i-youth.co.uk.

Excellence In Science

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Science Department Partners with the Royal Society

William Morris Sixth Form’s Science department has been awarded a membership to the Royal Society’s Associate Schools and Colleges scheme. The scheme is a UK network of enthusiastic teachers who share their experience and work with the Royal Society in order to help promote excellence in science teaching.

Our membership runs for two years and WMSF students will benefit from close links with the Royal Society and access to its resources and expertise.

The Royal Society is a Fellowship of the world's most eminent scientists and is the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.

Click here to learn more

Fantastic Exam Results 2011

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Students packed into the IT suite at William Morris Sixth Form to find the UCAS clearing website crashed with four times the number of youngsters across the country flocking to the site.

The website, used by students to apply for university places, crashed on Thursday morning to leave thousands of youngsters fretting for their futures.

And dozens of students at the Hammersmith sixth-form, in St Dunstan's Road, were left to sweat on bagging a place at university.

Principal Kevin Gilmartin said: “This is the most competitive year for university places that I have ever seen. We have some students who didn't get into the first choices and are trying to sort out their futures.

“But the website crashed under the strain of how many youngsters are trying to go through clearing so it is a stressful time.”

The sixth-form, which has 400 A-level students, saw 98 per cent earn A to E grades with 65 per cent awarded A to C grades.

It meant there were plenty of students who did not need to go through the frantic clearing process and could look ahead to the future with optimism.

Tadaaki Hashimoto, 18, was one of their top performers with an incredible four A* grades and two As bagging him a spot at Queen Mary's to study biomedical science.

He said: “I was really nervous because I thought I messed up a few exams. So to do so well is fantastic. I can't wait to go to uni but I will miss William Morris.

“I was at Brentside High School but came here because my brother did and it was the best decision I ever made. It is an excellent sixth-form.”

Farzeelah Mir also excelled with four A*s in biology, chemistry, mathematics and English literature.

The 18-year-old is going on to study medicine at UCL and said: “I was shaking when I came in today so it is a massive relief. I am going to ring my parents and tell them the good news and then go and celebrate.”

Mr Gilmartin said: “We are absolutely delighted with our results. It is getting tougher and tougher each year to keep standards high and we feel we are doing that.

“Our priority now is to work with our students who missed out on their first choices and help them with their important decisions.”

Read the full article at www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk

WMSF success stories

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Successful past William Morris students share their experience of university.

The first week of July was progression week for First Year Advanced students, with lots of activities to help them prepare for the future, including a visit to Pembroke College, Oxford, with which William Morris is partnered. On July 5th we welcomed back some of our ex-students, who came in to give the benefit of their advice, from how to write a good personal statement to the realities of Freshers’ Week and how to stop other people from stealing your milk when you are living in halls!

Pictured are (from left to right):

Satar Yergaliyev, Queen Mary College, University of London, Business and Computing; Doug Woodcock, Birmingham University, Ancient History; Josh White, Heythrop College, University of London, Philosophy; William Morris Principal, Kevin Gilmartin; Tugce Oczan, (in front of Kevin) Durham University, Politics; Aisha Azad, Imperial College, University of London, Medicine; Emma Wilson-Black, Mansfield College, Oxford University, English; Anthony Kastelanides, Liverpool University, Music; Adham Smart, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Linguistics; Yashi Woodburn, University of Luton, Journalism.

Award for Media Students

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0100

On Thursday 19th May WMSF Media students were invited to the second annual Vivendi FreqOUT! showcase, to recognise the work of participants in the FreqOUT filmmaking and digital scheme.

Students from WMSF took part in two workshops, held by Vital Regeneration, that took place over the spring, creating three original films based on the theme of 'Transitions'

Awards for Digital Excellence where handed out and WMSF walked away with the award for Editing and Post Production.

Students Michael Horne and Antonio Perez receive the award from Vivendi's Diane Emdin.

Watch one of the winning films:

WMSF in Uganda!

Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 +0100

This April marked the fifth visit by a group of WMSF staff and students to Kigezi High School in Kabale, Uganda. The trip succeeded in building on the already strong relationship between our two institutions.

As with last years trip, the group flew from Heathrow, transferred in Addis Ababa, before arriving in Kigali, Rwanda's capital city. Whilst there the students and staff were given the opportunity to learn about the effects of the 1994 Genocide. They visited the National Genocide Memorial Centre before heading out to two churches, one in Ntarama and another in Nymata.

After two nights in Rwanda, the group headed over the border to Kabale in Uganda. Here the students and staff met up with their counterparts from Kigezi High School on the Sunday evening ahead of hard week of work. The students visited the grounds of Acadia Cottages in order to engage in some team-building. There was even a football match for staff of both schools to play against the students of both schools - the students ended up winning 2-0!

Throughout the week staff engaged in many training activities with Kigezi's teachers and students integrated with Ugandan life. Some of our students also took the opportunity to organise their own lessons and activities for Kigezi students. Other places visited through the week included: Restore Lost Hope street children centre, Wise Parents Nursery School, Kabale Arts Centre, Kabale University, St Thomas Aquinas School and Taufiq Islamic School.

At the end of the week, the group all retired to Lake Bunyonyi for a hard earned rest - even if it did involve camping!

Jack Petchey award update

Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 +0100

We have just heard that our Staff Leader Award winner, Jagdish Patel, who has been Science Technician here since we opened, has been awarded £500 by the Jack Petchey Foundation, to set up an electronics club for students. Congratulations to Jagdish – and we look forward to an electrifying time in future!

Our two most recent Student Award winners are Chiara Cugini and Patricio Cueva Marquez, who are both AS students. Chiara won the March award, for having gained the highest number of achievement points during the spring term. Chiara has decided to spend her £200 grant on resources and activities to help William Morris students with applications to Medical School. Patricio won the April award for outstanding commitment and support for others on a recent Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award trip. Patricio is still deciding what to do with the money!

Well done to both Chiara and Patricio – there will be news of the May Jack Petchey Award winner in a couple of weeks.

WMSF Fun Run

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The William Morris Sixth Form Fun Run 2011 took place on Wednesday 30th March at 1.30. The event was a huge success and we had just over 300 students and staff take part in the 3.4 mile run around Hyde Park. It was one of many events that we have organised that have been inspired by the 2012 Olympics. It is the third year in a row we have run the event. In a very close finish, the winning male was Zana Remezan and the winning female was Radat Saba. The behaviour of students was excellent and there was a wonderful team spirit during the day. The event really personified the ethos of William Morris Sixth Form. Students and Staff are looking forward to next year’s event.

AS Textiles exhibition

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

On March 28th William Morris AS Textiles students welcomed local residents to their exhibition at The Apothecary Gallery. Residents said they were most impressed with the beautiful embellished felt work on display. One retired headmistress from a private school remarked at the high level of imagination and creativity that had gone into the head wear project . Gallery owner Rosey Grandage remarked ‘this is the best textiles exhibition yet. The poetry that accompanies the final work is really great and helps explain the ideas behind the work.

Faisal Salah Poetry

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Faisal Salah performs his poem 'One' at St. Paul's Cathedral. He was chosen to represent the work of the Poetry Society and SLAMbassadors.

SLAMbassadors

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Some of our talented WMSF students perform their poems on a West End stage as part of the SLAMbassadors competition! First up is Hassan Elmi, who brought the house down with his scientific analogies - amongst them is Anfel Abada, a national winner and Faisal Salah who has been singled out by Benjamin Zephaniah and is due to read his poems in St. Paul’s Cathedral this week.

SLAMbassadors competition live footage

Faisal Salah

Failal Salah and Hassan Elmi

Japanese GCSE

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100

From September 2011 WMSF is offering Japanese GCSE for beginners in addition to Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian, Persian, Portuguese and Spanish.

This is an excellent opportunity to learn a fascinating language spoken to 125 million people in the world.

For more information please contact Ana Acitores or Annie Taylor

Jack Petchey awards

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

On January 24th, our Jack Petchey Student Achievement Award winners from the past 12 months attended a gala event at Kensington Town Hall, celebrating all the Jack Petchey winners from central and West London. Jagdish Patel, our staff Leader Award winner was also there to receive his medal and commendation. The 750 guests especially enjoyed the finale, which was a fantastic performance of ‘Mercy’ by four of our Performing Arts students; Katie Pemberton (lead vocals), Amber Ford, Delissa McWilliams and Cheyanne Ettienne-Chen (dancers and backing vocals).

Reem Ali (A level student 2009 – 11)

Reem, who is due to leave us this summer and hopes to progress to a degree in International Development, won her award for leading her drama group in rehearsals for an exam when their teacher was stuck abroad during the volcanic ash crisis!

Moktar Alatas (A level student 2008 – 10)

Moktar, who is now reading Law at university, won his award for his strong leadership of our student council during his final year with us.

Performing Arts students

Katie Pemberton (lead vocals), Amber Ford, Delissa McWilliams and Cheyanne Ettienne-Chen (dancers and backing vocals).

Getset network

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

As a member of the get set network we have agreed to promote the Olympic values (Respect, Excellence and Friendship) and the Paralympic values (Courage, Determination, Inspiration and Equality). We will be playing Olympic sports and teaching lessons linked to the games.

Architecture in schools

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

More success for WMSF students!

WMSF Art students were winners in the annual prestigious "Architecture in Schools " competition, run by the architecture education organisation Open–City. They were delighted to win the award for the Best Class Response, a fantastic achievement. On top of this WMSF’s Head of Visual Arts, Ljubinka Jeftic, was also chosen by the judges to be one of the three joint winners of the Most Inspirational Teacher Award.

The student models were exhibited at the famous Wellcome Trust buildings, Euston Road, London and the awards were presented at a ceremony on 6 December 2010

http://www.open-city.org.uk

Art students design logo

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Applied Art & Design students from WMSF were invited to design a new logo to promote the Hammersmith Community Law Centre, a local body which has been operating for 31 years. The students produced an amazing array of top quality designs and the decision to choose a winning entry was a very difficult one. However after much deliberation a design based on Hammersmith Bridge by 18-year-old Estabraq Al-Khirsan was adjudged to be the winner and a presentation ceremony was held during the centre's annual general meeting, held at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith on 15th December 2010. Local artist Nicola McCartney became a patron of the centre after working with the students on the project.

click here to read more

Liz Walton - OBE

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Karen Thomas (ex vice principal) Liz Walton (ex principal) Matthew Coulbeck (vice principal)

William Morris Sixth Form recently received a ringing endorsement for the hugely successful work it has done with thousands of young people since its’ opening in 1994. Liz Walton, the founding principal who retired in 2009, was awarded with an OBE for her outstanding leadership in sixth form education. This richly deserved reward was presented to Liz at Buckingham Palace where she is pictured receiving her OBE accompanied by Karen Thomas (ex vice principal) and Matthew Coulbeck (vice principal).