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Connect: Issue #15 out now!

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We are so excited to share the summer 2023 issue of Connect, the Mulberry Schools Trust newsletter.

This issue is packed with exciting news from across our Trust, including the feature article on Mulberry Academy Woodside and Mulberry Canon Barnett joining our family of schools. We are thrilled to share news of the continued success of our Mulberry STEM Academy programme, the exceptional activities and opportunities opening up to students on the Mulberry Production Arts Academy programme, and our continued contribution to the school system with the work taking place at Mulberry College of Teaching, the East London Teaching School Hub and Reconnect London.

The stories in this issue provide a glimpse into the many achievements of our students, staff and partners.

We hope you enjoy reading about our schools and the opportunities they provide our students.

Enjoy!

Baroness Barran Visit

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On Monday 15th May, the Mulberry Schools Trust and Mulberry Stepney Green Maths, Computing and Science College proudly welcomed the Department for Education’s Baroness Barran, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for the School System and Student Finance.

The school was the fourth to join the Mulberry Schools Trust and Baroness Barran spent the day meeting with the school’s leadership team, visiting classrooms and learning about the school’s journey since joining the Trust. We were delighted to showcase some of our great work.

The day included introductions to the Trust’s incredible Mulberry STEM Academy, where Baroness Barran had the opportunity to meet with our young people and hear about their remarkable, life-changing journeys on this innovative STEM programme. This was followed by a presentation on the ambitious post-16 offer of the school, and a plenary which concluded the visit.

Throughout the day, Baroness Barran was inspired by the impressive student voice and student leadership she saw in practice from the young people from Mulberry Stepney Green. The experience was a success and left the school feeling empowered and motivated as they continue their invaluable work in service of the local community.

Legendary singer, songwriter and actress Beverley Knight visits Mulberry School for Girls.

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On Wednesday 3rd May, we were delighted to welcome the legendary singer, songwriter and actress Beverley Knight to Mulberry School for Girls. Beverley visited our 240 Year 9 students to speak to them about her role in Sylvia as Emmeline Pankhurst for which she recently won the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress. 

This was particularly special as our whole Year 9 cohort have seen her perform as Emmeline at the Old Vic and the play forms a crucial part of the Year 9 integrated Arts Project at the end of Key Stage 3. Also in the audience were Music students from Mulberry Academy Shoreditch, Mulberry School for Girls Music GCSE students and our amazingYear 8 Music ambassadors. 

A panel of Year 9 students impressed Beverley with their thought-provoking questions and confident delivery. Another group of Year 9 journalists interviewed Beverley and will go on to create an article about her visit.  

Students Latisha, Liliana and Sumaiya from Mulberry School for Girls also enjoyed tea with Beverley. They were joined by our CEO, Dr Vanessa Ogden and Headteacher, Alice Ward. It was a fantastic opportunity for the students to have an intimate and face to face conversation with such a brilliant star. It will certainly be a memorable moment for the students involved. 

The visit provided a wonderful space for students to learn so much from this inspirational artist and speaker. We hope Beverley enjoyed her time at Mulberry School for Girls and we thank her for giving up her precious time to come and visit us. 

 

Connect: Issue #14 out now!

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We are so excited to share the spring edition of Connect, the Mulberry Schools Trust newsletter, which is out now!

It features the amazing work taking place at Mulberry Wood Wharf Primary, as well as the incredible opportunities that have been presented to our schools. We’ve been privileged to receive invitations to two remarkable occasions with The Royal Family, showcasing the hard work and dedication of both our students and staff. Furthermore, we are proud to reveal the formal launch of the Mulberry Production Arts Academy as part of our Mulberry Changemakers programme (see page 4).

There have been many remarkable events in the past few months, such as the Mulberry Schools Trust Annual Education Lecture at the RSA and the launch of the Reconnect London report. Our students have had the chance to come together and learn through various activities, such as our Societies and the Trust’s GCSE Maths Revision Conference, creating a sense of community and collaboration.

We hope you enjoy reading about our schools and the opportunities they provide our students.

Enjoy!

 

 

Brick Lane 1978: The Turning Point

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In January we hosted the ‘Brick Lane 1978: The Turning Point’, an exhibition of photography from East End local, Paul Trevor, celebrating the area’s 1978 activists. 

Parents/carers, students, staff and our Mulberry community were invited to come and explore photos which document such an important moment in Tower Hamlets’ history.  It run in the Mulberry Bigland Green Centre on the following days/times. Parul Husain and Sabina Khan introduced the project.

The exhibition was a culmination of a major heritage project exhibited at Four Corners, June – September 2022, with Swadhinata Trust, in collaboration with Paul Trevor, original activists and local volunteers.

Students from Year 8 upwards were given the chance to visit the exhibition and Year 9 used this as inspiration for their Arts curriculum project on protest & activism.

If you would like to learn more, here are a series of short films which share the stories of activists who were part of the fight for social justice in 1970.

https://www.fourcornersfilm.co.uk/blog/memories-of-brick-lane-oral-history-films

With thanks to Swadhinata Trust, @heritagefunduk, the @bishopsgateinstitute, Sabina Khan, Elena Loizides, Sian Morten and all the staff who have made this exhibition possible.

 

Winter Gathering

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Students at Mulberry were delighted by this Year’s Winter Gathering; a production of “A Christmas Carol.”

Year 10 and 12 EPA students performed this Dickensian classic to every year group in the school, sharing with them a message about the importance of love, generosity, kindness and family.  Year 10 and Year 12 GCSE and A Level Drama students brought a frosty Victorian world to life, taking the audience on Scrooge’s dark journey towards becoming a better person. Year 10 dancers created and performed emotionally-charged choreography and Year 10 Musicians performed a range of atmospheric instrumental and vocal pieces in groups and as soloists. The lighting and sound, expertly provided by Year 9 and 10 students helped create a foreboding, tense setting. This contrasted brilliantly with the joyful finale which made everyone smile. Well done to all of our students who worked so hard and thank you to all the staff who helped put this event together. What a brilliant way to end the term!