You are reading the online edition of the Old Camdenians Newsletter, Summer 2024.

Dear Old Camdenians

I had the privilege of being invited to speak at the Dorset Education Conference last week as they were keen to hear the Beacon High journey towards becoming an inclusive school, an indication of our growing national reputation. I was honoured to meet so many dedicated professionals who, like us, are committed to improving opportunities and outcomes for all young people. The voices of the children were very much present and centre stage as they are here at Beacon High.

Time always seems to move faster at this time of year. We said farewell to Year 11 on study leave. Our year 11 GCSEs have now been completed and we are extremely proud of our learners who despite a disrupted education over the last five years have been focused and diligent in their preparation for and their application in the exams. We now wait for the outcome of all this hard work on August 22nd on Results Day. Good Luck. To celebrate we held our Year 11 Prom on 4th July.

Year 7,8 9 and 10 have been completing their end of year exams over the last three weeks. These assessments give us essential information about their learning and progress ahead of the new academic year.

It is also the time of year when we welcome our year 6 families to our school in preparation for September. This is the beginning of the transition journey which leads us up to the Transition Day in July where our new year 7 will spend their first day in school.

Our Year 10 students headed off on work experience in June. Most young people do work experience with an employer to learn about a job or an industry. It’s a short term placement in the workplace. To help our children get the most from their placement, we talk to them about using their skills and interests in a job. Work experience is often the first contact children will have with the world of work. It forms part of their careers education and allows them to observe and learn – not to do activities which require extensive training or experience. This is an essential part of the careers preparation for choosing their post-16 study routes and potential apprenticeship applications; as well as getting a sense of the real world of work which is quite different to their experience in compulsory education. Beacon High students always maintain high standards as representatives of our school in the wider community and we always hear good things from our work experience hosts. They had a fantastic time by all accounts. The reports from the employers have been outstanding.

Beacon High is now a mobile free zone. We implemented our new mobile phone policy with the issue of Yondr pouches and moved to a mobile free environment. Students are no longer allowed to bring a mobile into school without their Yondr pouch which locks their phone away during school hours. It has been transformational.

On a positive note, we celebrated our students and their achievements at our annual LORIC Awards Evening (Leadership; Organisation; Resilience; Initiative; and Communication) on Thursday 27th June. Many students received nominations from staff and collected their rewards.

Sometimes we are amazed how we manage to fit everything into a term and keep the learning and development at the heart of Beacon High. We are extremely proud of all of the opportunities that the staff at Beacon High create for our learners.

And finally, our Sports Leaders (in their OCC sponsored shirts) continue to be extremely busy hosting primary schools’ sports days. As always they are tremendous ambassadors for Beacon High and they constantly demonstrate what an amazing group of young people we have at Beacon High. Other key events this term included Academic Review Day and our Sports Day at Finsbury Park. It has been a very busy few weeks. Alan Streeter

Congratulations to Alan and his team at Beacon High, not only for getting through an extremely challenging and disruptive period but also for gaining national recognition for the turnround they have achieved in terms of results and pupil attitudes. The Year 11s now nervously await their GCSE results, and the club wishes them all the best, with the hope that some will apply for the further education bursaries that we have to offer.

It’s unlikely that most of the OCs reading this will have experienced that distinctly American import, the school prom. Our esteemed Hon. Sec. Ray decided to remedy this by dropping in on Beacon High’s Year 11 shindig, held at the school to celebrate the end of exams. See his report and photos below on what looked like a joyous occasion.

It’s been another cracking season for the school’s sports teams, and the Sports Leaders, in their OC sponsored shirts have been taking the message to other schools in the area. Well done to them. See Bill’s report and photographs below to appreciate their achievements.

See also the message from Marta Monteiro, our ambassador for what is now known as the Billy Fund, in which she highlights the support the OCs provided for her studies after leaving Beacon High. It’s not just the money, it’s the network of support that being part of the OC community supplies, and she urges those leaving to apply to become a part of that.

Do tell us if you meet up with old school pals, or if you come across any memorabilia when you are clearing out your loft! I hope you all have a great summer. Denis Piggott

The year end assessment period has been reached. In terms of terms of how the school is judged the results are key. The hard work put in by the teaching staff will really show. Irrespective of results, this effort cannot be dismissed or doubted.

The headline results will be the GCSE ones. These are key results for both pupils and the school as a whole. Pupils will know in August what they have to do, going forward, what needs to be done to succeed. The school is judged based on these results.

Just as important are the year 7 and 8 exam results. The school will use these as an indicator of what students will have to learn and achieve for their future development and success. So not only will they provide a guide to how these pupils are settling in but also an indication of expected GCSE grades.

Monitoring this is a key role for the governing board. It is part of their responsibility, and something the governing board takes very seriously. Panos Nicolaides

Prom Queen Kiera, Ray and Prom King Micha

Wow, I was invited to Year 11’s Proms Night on 4th July at the school. Our President Alan Streeter and Team Beacon High welcomed Year 11 students at the Camdenians’ Hall, Beacon High School. The hall was bedecked by Natalie Mountjoy.

It is believed to be the first time in the school’s 117-years history that the Camdenians’ Hall has been transformed into a stunning venue for our Year 11 students to celebrate their ‘Proms’. As new students, their first assembly in Year 7 was in the Camdenians’ Hall; their last assembly in Year 11 was in the Camdenians’ Hall. It seems appropriate that they should come back to the Camdenians’ Hall and have fun.

The Prom holds different levels of significance for different people. For some, it’s a chance to dress up and have a fun night with friends. For others, it’s an opportunity to create lasting memories before parting ways with classmates and entering adulthood. I hope you will agree with me that the photos and videos you can see via the link below show our Year 11 (2024) having fun with friends and dressing up. This record will help them to remember when they voted for the Prom King & Queen, and I had the honour to announce them (see the picture above). Joe Fox and Natalie Mountjoy presented Oscar-type trophies to individuals in various categories. Joe had injured his foot prior to the event and was sporting a surgical boot – the DJ affectionately called Joe  ‘One Foot’ throughout the evening; watch Joe perform the limbo.

The evening’s music and games were provided by ‘On Shenanigans‘. These included group singing and dancing; tightrope jumping; limbo challenge; passing the hula-hoop; removing and replacing brick-sized wooden blocks on a table – Jenga (wooden tower game); and musical chairs, to name a few. There was a photo booth where everyone was invited to have their free photographs taken. This proved to be extremely popular. An excellent buffet with non-alcoholic punch was provided by the Old Camdenians Club.

Year 11 (2024), having endured the disruption to their studies with the Covid-19 pandemic, now await the results of their GCSEs on 22nd August. We wish them all the best for the future and hope to see some of them at our OCC 97th Annual Lunch, on Friday 1st November 2024, at the school.

Enjoy my visual record of this wonderful evening! https://oldcamdenians.info/club/year-11-proms-night-camdenians-hall-4th-july-2024/

If you want your image removed or have some photos that you want added to this collage please send them to me. But I think Joe Fox’s limbo challenge MUST be kept?

I am looking forward to seeing Year 11 students again at their GCSE Exam Results Day, on 22nd August, with Denis Piggott and Panos Nicolaides. We want to inform our ‘new’ Old Camdenian’s about the club and invite them to our Annual Lunch, where Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe MBE, an Eminent OC, will be our guest speaker.

Those of you who are unable to attend this year’s annual lunch, please consider sponsoring a ‘new’ Old Camdenian to take your place at the table. For those of you who attended last year’s lunch I have included a video below of Dr Laurence Marks reading from his schoolboy diaries, which made us all laugh!

I am grateful to Marta Monteiro, our Ambassador for the Billy Fund, for her excellent video that explains the benefits of being an Old Camdenian and how she has used the bursary while at university. For further details please use this link:- https://oldcamdenians.info/club/bill-nora-wraight-fund/

The club does not have a subscription fee, but £60 will give you a number for next year’s George Ives 50+ Club draw. It is our main source of income that we use to make donations to the school and pupils. Give it a go, choose a number and make a difference!

Lastly, many thanks to all of you who have contributed to this newsletter – well done! Ray Rowe

First of all an update from my piece in the last newsletter. I reported that Melina, the beneficiary of the first OC sport bursary, was leaving Beacon High as she had moved out of the area. While this is still the plan, she is still with us as she awaits a place in a local school to come up. It’s lovely to still have her with us, not least as she still able to conduct sports leader duties.

The Under-14 girls football team took part in the Islington 7-a-side league at Market Road over four successive Wednesdays in April and May. With it being their last competition of the academic year, an inclusive approach to the competition was adopted, giving all the interested and available players a chance to play each week.

This meant larger squads than were necessary and lots of rotation, inevitably affecting cohesion and performance. But crucially it meant more girls getting the opportunity to play football, which was important and appreciated by the players themselves. They turned up each week, unlike some schools, and really enjoyed themselves. Thankfully the girls didn’t finish bottom and could have ended higher than their sixth place had it not been for some last-gasp goals costing them points.

We are again grateful to the club for sponsoring our sports leaders for another year. In addition to the 30 leaders who began this school year, seven more were appointed for the summer term, five of whom were completely new to the role, so the new tops which arrived in May were both timely and required. Elsayed, Adam, Talal, Jafari and KayJesson sporting their new tops here:

Beacon High’s second lucky recipient of the Old Camdenians Sport Bursary is Attarullah Shinwari. He is a 15-year old student who arrived in the school from Afghanistan two years ago. He is a talented cricketer, a prodigious spinner of the ball both ways who also has an eye for a big shot. He is already at home playing adult cricket very confidently. In June, he enjoyed a work experience with Middlesex Cricket Club which included a visit to Lord’s. He is a courteous, grateful and hard working student, and this award will enable him to acquire a brand new bat, pads, helmet, shoes, bag, thigh pad and ball to further his development.

Final thanks to the club this month is for your support of the school cricket team. The team comprised current and former staff, Attarullah, a friend of his named Sami and other special guests who filled in for our unavailable staff.

We played our annual match against Islington Council at the OCC ground at Burtonhole Lane. The club kindly covered the ground hire cost on our behalf. It was a convincing victory for the school, overhauling the council’s 147 in their 20 overs for the loss of just three wickets. Attarullah ending unbeaten on 7 as we clinched the win. Thanks to the club for a most enjoyable evening. Bill Wood

Here is a selection of photos of the Sports Leaders from their endeavours this term

Below, Bill Wood and the cricket team

Below, Attarullah Shinwari, OC Sport Bursary recipient, at Lord’s Cricket ground on work experience

Here at Beacon High we held our Year 11 prom. The year 11s have worked amazingly hard for the last couple of months studying for and taking part in their GCSEs, and this event was a great way for us all to celebrate the end of this chapter in their lives, even though we almost had to cancel this year due to the government deciding to hold an election on our prom day, meaning we could no longer use the hall we wanted to hire. (I know, how dare they!)

Thankfully, owing to the generosity of the Old Camdenians, we were able to go all out with our decorations and things like a photo booth and DJ, which is what the students were desperate for. This meant we could have the prom here at the school without having to worry about cost. We were delighted to have Ray join us. As the photo shows, he was feeling brave enough to announce our prom King and Queen.

Thank you all so much for your continued support of our students here at Beacon High, You are all amazing!
Natalie Mountjoy

The club is very grateful for any and all donations that we receive to make our donations to the school. However, since we do not have a members’ subscription fee our only other source of income is through the George Ives 50+ Club membership. Please help us to realise future causes and help change a life by joining the George Ives 50+ Club, which is £60 per year or a standing order of £5 per month. A number between 1 and 59 is selected and that is entered into a monthly draw which is determined by the first two numbers drawn in the National Lottery. Prizes are £100 (£200 in November) and £20 (£50 in November).

The new draw commences on the 28th September 2024 and ends 30th August 2025. Only £60 per number for the year; and you choose the numbers. Some members have more than one number. Indeed, some of  our members love to hear that they’ve won, but give their winnings as a donation to the club. George Ives 50+ Club is our only regular source of income. Please let me know if you want to have a go and keep us supporting the students and the school. For more information contact us here.

Transcript of Marta’s video to all Year 11 students:-

Hi Year 11.

I hope you’re all doing well. My name is Marta Monteiro and I have just finished my penultimate year of Accounting and Finance at SOAS. Just like you, I completed my GCSEs at Holloway School, which was Beacon High School’s previous name, in the summer of 2021. Today, I want to share something that has made a huge difference in my life since I left school, and that’s being part of the Old Camdenians Club.

The OCC is an amazing community made up of former students from our school, many of whom are now accomplished seniors. They offer the Billy Fund bursary to students who want to further their studies at university which can be used in any way you see fit – whether it’s buying study materials and equipment, covering your transport costs, or even traveling to gain new perspectives.

Personally, I have found the OCC to be incredibly helpful, not just for the funding but also for the immense support the members provide. Dr Ray Rowe, in particular, regularly checks in with me, giving me the opportunity to share my contributions to the club’s newsletter. This is a great place where we update each other on our achievements, experiences, and even challenges.

Ray also shares his own updates – his travel experiences with family, knowledge, and tips that are so useful as a young adult. The members of the OCC are valuable connections and they offer interesting insights into life, which I find applicable as I work towards my degree and other life goals.

So to all Year 11 students here, I strongly encourage you to consider progressing into university and applying to be part of the OCC. Not only will the bursary help you out during your university studies, you’ll also gain access to a supportive network of former students who are eager to help you succeed.

Believe in yourself, work hard, and take advantage of the opportunities available to you. The OCC has been a game-changer for me, and it can be for you too, so please get in contact with Ray for more information and I hope to see you at the annual lunch this year. Marta

You too can request details from our members to locate friends from school – just ask!

Our teachers were Mr George Thompson, my history teacher, and Lena Oleyic, my science teacher. They were both inspirations and significant figures in my life. I wish I had stayed in touch with them. Peter Gourri

I have lost contact with my good friends Felix Balyuzi and Dickie Etheridge and wonder what became of them. Any help welcomed. I have an update on my qualifications:Post-grad studies in Applied Theology University of Gloucestershire with Moorlands College. 2019; Master of Arts (Fine Art) 2020 Arts University Bournemouth. John Houghton

I was very surprised to find myself in the spring newsletter thanks to an article by Michael Greenwood. The picture is of me as the senior laboratory technician in 1962 with one of my technicians. The picture was taken in the preparation room in the old building next to Mr Vannoey’s (head of science) office. The technician standing is Mr Das. I was at Holloway school from 1952 to 1957 and then as a technician from 1961 to 1967.

I will have to sort out my old school records and Old Camdenian magazines. Thank you for keeping me in touch with north London. Ron Bunyon

Dr Laurence Marks reading extracts from his schoolboy diaries

“Everything we witness will one day be history!”

Recorded by Ray Rowe at the OCC’s Annual Lunch 27th October 2023

The 115th AGM will be held in the Camdenians Hall at the school on Friday 1st November 2024. It will be available via Zoom for our members who cannot be there. The AGM will be followed by our 97th Annual Lunch under the stewardship of Ann Tennant and her team in the New Hall, at the Beacon High School, Hilldrop Road, N7 0JG.

We are all looking forward to hearing from our guest speaker, Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe MBE, an Eminent Old Camdenian, who will be talking about his time at school.

We do need your support to keep this yearly tradition going. So please put it in your diary for Friday 1st November 2024 and if you cannot come donate a seat so our new Old Camdenians at college can attend. The format for the day includes a tour of the school, followed by a reception with drinks, the AGM and then a sit-down meal with friends. Also, if you are interested in attending an evening event during the year, such as the quiz night or formal dinner please let us know and we will see if we can organise something for you. Use the ‘Contact’ button or drop me an email. Ray Rowe

The school song ‘Forty Years On’ being sung at the close of our 2023 lunch – enjoy!