PSHE

Interviews

I am incredibly proud of our Year 11 students, who have recently taken part in an exciting and important part of their PSHE curriculum focused on preparing for the world of work.

Over the past few weeks, students have been developing their CV writing skills, learning how to present themselves positively, and understanding what employers are looking for. They have worked with great focus and determination to create CVs that truly reflect their strengths, achievements, and aspirations.

As a culmination of this learning, students participated in mock interviews, giving them a valuable opportunity to practise real-life interview skills in a supportive environment. We were very fortunate to have the support of our school governors and Ashiya, who generously gave their time to interview our students, offer constructive feedback, and help build their confidence.

The students rose to the occasion brilliantly. They approached the experience with maturity, resilience, and professionalism. It was wonderful to see how seriously they took the process, not only in their preparation, but also in their presentation. They all looked smart, confident, and ready for their next steps.

I am so proud of the hard work, effort, and positive attitude shown by every student. This experience has given them a fantastic foundation as they move forward into further education, training, or employment.

A huge thank you to our governors and Ashiya for their invaluable support in making this experience so meaningful.

Well done, Year 11, you should all be very proud of yourselves!

 English

Year 11 Bring Romeo and Juliet to Life

Year 11 students have been studying Romeo and Juliet in English this term, and it’s safe to say it has been a real star-crossed success. Alongside attending an amazing production at the Globe Theatre, students have fully immersed themselves in the play through a range of creative projects.

To bring Shakespeare’s work to life, students designed and built their own Juliet balconies, created Romeo and Juliet puppets, and wrote scripts for the famous balcony scene. They then performed their scenes in front of their peers—proving that all the classroom really is a stage.

A huge well done to all of Year 11 for your enthusiasm, creativity, and hard work. We are very proud of you.

Preparation for Adulthood

Market Stall

Everyone in Year 11 had to compete in the Market Stall to raise money for charity. One of my team members suggested candles and we gave a smelling test to see what smells best and we chose at least 4 or 6 different scents. Ms Fusella ordered the materials to make the candles and we got tins, wicks, wax and essential oils. We took off the lids and melted the wax, mixed it with the different smells and poured it into the tins. My team and I made 24 scented candles and we chose them because people can buy them for Mother’s Day for relaxing moments. We made lavender, lemon and rosemary, orange and peppermint. We went on the tube to Queen's Park to get to the Bakerloo Line. We went on the Bakerloo Line and stopped at Victoria Station. The place we were at was called Westminster Cathedral and there were other market stalls for each of us, even people we didn’t know. We laid out the candles on the table but it turned out that we didn’t have enough wax to make all the candles we wanted so we only had 16 for now. We worked together as a team by looking for the customers and selling the products to them. I have learnt the skills to be polite, kind and calm. I liked selling products to make money, in fact I thought I could make a market stall for myself one day. I disliked the experience because it was cold outside and I was constantly standing up. So far, we made £56 so it was a good achievement to have.

By Elijah

Stitching and Sewing Club 

In the spirit of welcoming spring, we made some butterflies from fabric scraps this term.                    

Here are 2 of the poems written by SMBS pupils as part of their work on poetry over the past term:

The Green Sleek Pure 730 Train

In my time capsule, I put my sleek, pure green 730 train.

I saw the pure, sleek, green 730 train at London Euston Station in the morning.

I put the sound of laughter in the train because it makes you feel happy when you look out of the window.

Don’t forget the scent of exotic, extraordinary, hibiscus flowers because it smells nice and beautiful.

Share the feeling of happiness and craziness while you are on the train with your friends.

Remember the scenic sight of St Pancras station when you look at it from the outside because it reminds you of going under the channel tunnel on the Eurostar.

If these things are gone, this poem will keep the memories of the Class 730 train safe.

By Keyshia 10 Wandsworth

In my time capsule I put an xbox 360

In my time capsule I put an xbox 360

I put the sound of a careful car beep and snake detector

Don’t forget the smell of kindly kebab and save the feeling of cheerful cheery

I remember the sight of family  

If these things are gone this poem will keep them safe

By Hayden 9 Chelsea

Review of Romeo and Juliet at the Globe Theatre

Year 10 and 11 paid a visit to the Globe Theatre where they watched an action-packed modern production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Here is a review of the play from Aishah in 11 Richmond:

On Wednesday 4th March 2026, I went to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and watched Romeo and Juliet. The Globe Theatre was round, lots of schools went there to watch the play. There weren't enough seats for everyone and some school students had to stand on the theatre floor. Lots of conversations went on before the play actually started and it was a bit overwhelming so when we arrived I focused more on the appearance of the theatre itself and where I would be sitting. The theatre definitely had a vibrant, energetic and dynamic atmosphere.

The actors were as faithful to the original play. However they added modern elements to the play and even added The Bikers who were stalking them throughout the performance. The props were faithful to the original play as well. The actors were wearing modern clothes but still they spoke their lines similarly to the original script of the play.

I focused more on the Bikers but still paid attention to the actual performance. I liked the modern elements and they added to appeal for older teenagers. The actors spoke their lines well, I didn’t see any problems with it at all. 

I would personally recommend either teenage students or older teenage students watch Romeo and Juliet but I must warn them that the performance deals with mature themes like loss, grief and violent conflict, has stage blood and has characters killing each other or themselves.

Students also took part in a drama workshop run in their English lesson ahead of their visit. The workshop, run by Globe Theatre actors, helped them to explore the language of the play as well as unpicking key themes such as fate, conflict and love.

Wall Ball Event

A number of our Year 10 students attended a Wall Ball event on Thursday 19th March and learnt how to play wall ball and competed in a number of matches.

Each student showed amazing sportsmanship and determination. They all really enjoyed themselves and have even asked if we can play wall ball more in school. Mr Turner was extremely proud to see them representing the school so well.

Creative Mentors Project

Our Year 11 students and their creative mentors took part in their first group activity at the Natural History Museum.

The visit lasted approximately two hours and began with a bespoke creative workshop exploring early photography techniques. Students used light-sensitive paper to create their own cyanotype botanical sun prints, giving them a hands-on opportunity to experiment and be creative.

Following the workshop, students and their mentors explored the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, a world-famous showcase celebrating the diversity and beauty of life on Earth.

This visit forms part of a six-month mentoring programme delivered in partnership with the Westminster City Lions. Students have been meeting with their mentors once a month in school, where they receive tailored support, advice, and guidance to help prepare them for life beyond school. Each student has been carefully matched with a mentor based on their interests.

Students thoroughly enjoyed the experience. One student shared:

"My favourite part of the session was the workshop where we could use the amazing high-powered laboratory microscopes. I laughed so much as it made spiders look like monsters!”.                                          

World Book Day

We also celebrated World Book Day this term. Students enjoyed a trip to Queen's Park Books to exchange their book token for a free book. All week staff were masquerading as famous literary characters in the World Book Day competition and 8 Hammersmith were the form to identify the most characters, winning 100 dojos for their form!              

Equal Voices Art Workshop

On Monday 9th March I went to an art museum with the other members of Equal Voices, the SEND student voice group I am part of. The museum was called Leighton House. At the museum I did mono printing. Blue and Red were the two options. I made a tile. I liked the pizza that we ate for lunch and I liked my mono printing.

By Leo 9 Westminster   

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Please take a look at the School's Mental Health Bulletin here to find out more about how pupils' mental health and wellbeing are being supported.

Free access to audio books

We would like to highlight to families these sites where children and young people can access audio books free of charge:

https://www.calibreaudio.org.uk/

https://help.libbyapp.com/en-us/6103.htm
Audio books are available for free but membership of a local library is required.