1. The Valentines Voice
Valentines High School, Cranbrook Road, Ilford, Essex IG2 6HX
Tel: 020 8554 3608 Fax: 020 8518 2621 Email:mail@valentines-sch.org.uk www.valentines-sch.org.uk
Summer
2012
LOWER SCHOOL PRESENTATION EVENING
On the night of Friday 22nd June, Ilford Town Hall hosted our annual Lower School Prize Evening. The evening celebrated another
year of outstanding academic and sporting achievements by KS3 students as well as recognising the contributions made by
individuals to the life of the school. Over 260 students were awarded certificates on the night. As always, the town hall was full of
students, their families, guests and staff. In addition to certificates for achievement and progress in subjects, a range of special
prizes were awarded. The Adam Freeman Sporting Personality award went to Muhammad Shahriyar. The Paterson Award for
Citizenship was awarded to Syeda Alam and the Sarah Hayler Award for Progress in English was awarded to Diana Kalinina-
Ivanova.
The evening contained a range of acts, with an energetic and uplifting dance performance of “Toccata and Fugue—Remix” by the
VHS Dance Troupe opening the event. Our other acts showcased the vocal and piano skills of Michael Dean, Eva Mannan and
Tanisha Ramgoolam.
In Olympic year, our guest speaker was a highly successful sportsman, Mike Mullen, a former World BMX Champion and current
Sky Sports mentor. He shared with us his appreciation of the great efforts and progress made by our students, as well as his advice
on overcoming adversity and achieving your goals. Mrs Jones reminded us all of the great efforts made to achieve these results by
teachers, governors, school staff, parents and students.
Mr S Woodley—Assistant Headteacher

2. GIFTED AND TALENTED ART STUDENTS AND THE QUEEN’S VISIT
Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visited Valentines Mansion and Gardens on Thursday
29th March as part of the Diamond Jubilee Tour. Thousands of people gathered in the park to see the visit
and they were welcomed with cheers from visitors, but 2 of our very own students Ammani and Simran had
the spectacular opportunity of talking to the Queen!
The Gifted and Talented Year 9 Art students had been working extremely hard on The London Pride art
exhibition. The exhibition celebrated six decades of art and design in London, and HM the Queen seemed
pretty impressed with the Artwork. This had been an unforgettable day for our students, and a big
congratulations to all of those involved: Zahrah Ahmed, Roaa Alfatlawi, Fariha Ammani, Humaira Islam,
Simran Kaur, Hazyefah Khan, Tushi Mahmud, Hana Mohammed, Kinza Noman, Jasveen Saund, Jeena
Patel, Thameena Patel, Faaria Roojee, Yemin Sidiquee and Mayura Uthayakumaran.
Ms E Taner
Head of Art
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth meeting the public in
Valentines Park
THE QUEEN VISITS VALENTINES PARK
I was very fortunate to be chosen as the student from Valentines
High School that got to meet the Queen. On the day I became
very excited as I queued to get in to the mansion grounds with Mr
Laws. We managed to get seats right next to where the Queen
was to walk. Whilst we were waiting Boris Johnson came over
to say hello and we had our photograph taken with him. Shortly
after this there was a buzz coming from the crowd outside the
Mansion grounds where thousands of people, including some
from Valentines High School lined the route that the car carrying
the Queen was to take. It was obvious that she had arrived.
After what seemed like an age the Queen came out of Valentines
Mansion and walked straight over to where we were standing. At
this point all of the people were standing and were trying to get a
good view and say hello. The Queen stopped right in front of me
and then asked what school I went to. I told her that I went to
“Valentines High School.” She smiled and moved on to speak to
other people. I really couldn‟t believe that I had actually spoken
to the Queen! It was a day that I will never forget.
Eloise May 7H
Right:
Ready to Greet the Queen -
Sam Baker, Natasha Patel,
Benjamin Parameswaran,
Eloise May, Leah Madhani,
Rebecca Wilks, Mert
Danagoz, Edward Sales,
Shalina Ali, Jasveen Saund,
Juan-David Jaramillo Gomez,
Mudit Patel, Joseph Juanette, Eloise May, Shola Sonagara ,Zarah
Bhoyroo Muniba Choudhury.
Right:
Mr Laws, Deputy
Headteacher with the
Mayor of London Boris
Johnson and Eloise May
Valentines Art Students with their Art Exhibition

3. VALENTINES HIGH FOR THE
GUINNESS
WORLD RECORD!
After the great success and publicity of
Simran Kaur‟s self portrait last year on the
Face Britain website, 9 more self portraits
from Valentines High School were selected to
be projected on to Buckingham Palace to
celebrate the Diamond Jubilee and the
Olympics. They were selected to be included
in a small gallery of just 200 out of a
staggering total of 230,199 uploaded onto the
Online Gallery.
The montage image of The Queen was created
from over 200,000 portraits, including those
from Valentines High School, which
showcased on the national network of BBC
Big Screens and on over 400 digital ad screens
in train stations and shopping malls across the
UK, with the hope to achieve a Guinness World Records attempt for “most artists contributing to the same art
installation” making the national and local news.
Well done to Simran Kaur, Poonam Degun, Zara Tahir, Tasnim Islam and Jazib Mahboob.
Ms E Taner
Head of Art
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SKY SPORTS PROJECT
Fifteen Year 10 boys took part in a Sky Sports “Living for Sport” project. On the 12th December Mike
Mullen, a six time World Champion BMX rider
and BMX Freestyle World Champion came into
the school to deliver a world class BMX session to
the boys. The best two students from the day won
an I-pod shuffle for their effort and enthusiasm.
It was a hugely successful day and the boys really
enjoyed it. Mike then revisited us on the 9th
March to deliver a follow up session focused on
how to achieve in life. The entire project was a
massive success. Well done to you all.
Miss Meech
PE Department

4. YEAR 9 AND 10 LEADERSHIP AT THE YEAR 6 ROUNDERS COMPETITION
On Wednesday 4th July, 16 Year 9 and 10 pupils were involved in the organisation and running of a Year 6 rounders competition.
The Year 6 pupils were divided into small groups and were then coached by the Valentines pupils.
Pupils were coached in a number of throwing, catching, batting and bowling skills. After this, the Year 9‟s and 10‟s coached the
primary pupils in small games, helping them to
further develop their understanding of the game and
its‟ rules. Finally, they scored and umpired the
games in a round robin competition.
The pupils involved were:
Jas Saund, Lisa Fosu-Brenyah, Anja Cremer,
Thameena Patel, Ammani Ahmed, Jeena Patel,
Hibah Raja, Gaby Agdomar, Shanice Hadley, Liam
Bradshaw-Shallow, Renee Trumpet, Laura
Londono, Dominique Mcleod, Kornelija
Nalivaikaite, Harriy Rajendran and Hannah
Mortimer.
They did very well indeed and were a credit to the
school with their smart PE kit and positive attitude.
Mrs May
PE Department
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PRIMARY INDOOR ATHLETICS COMPETITION
On Wednesday 9th
May 2012, a group of 21 Year 9 and 10
students were involved in organising and leading an athletics
competition for Year 3 and 4 pupils from ten schools across the
borough.
The Valentines students practised setting up for the event
beforehand, one evening after school, followed by, on the day,
greeting and welcoming the visitors, leading, coaching and
scoring their events and announcing scores and presenting
medals.
The event ran smoothly and many of the primary teachers complimented the leaders on their excellent
manners and leadership skills and they were all a credit to the school.
The pupils involved were, in Year 9, Abdul Abdulla, Jahanvi Dhamija, Nimesh Gondalia, Sukhdip Hopal,
Hazyefah Khan, Kinza Noman, Masom Rashid, Asjad Zeb, Umar Yazdan, Shafeek Rizvimohamed, Mayura
Uthayakumaran and Yeamin Sidiquee, and in Year 10, Yunus Hussain, Nathan Mbalu, Harry Grewal, Hannah
Mortimer, Gaby Agdomar, Sophia Kyriacou, Aisha Hussein, Sam Alloui and Harriy Rajendran. Well done
everyone.
Mrs May
PE Department.

5. BIKE POLO
Over the past term in collaboration with Redbridge Council, many pupils have taken part in a new extra-
curricular bike polo initiative using free bikes afforded to the school through a grant scheme. This culminated in
six students representing the school in a competition involving eleven schools across three London boroughs on
27th June. The boys won all eight of their matches emerging victorious in the final with a 6-5 win against
Wanstead to lift the trophy. This was an outstanding achievement in such a short space of time. Well done to
Jordan Sinclair, Mahdi Ahmed, Humza Khizhar (all 8C), Cameron Roberts (8S), Renoy Hossain and Joe
Juanette (both 7S). As a prelude to the club starting up we were even afforded a professional BMX rider display
to wet the pupils‟ appetites for getting them onto their bikes.
Mr P Cully
PE Department
SPORTS DAY
2012 is the year of the London Olympics. As a warm up event Valentines hosted its first ever Sports Week involving the three
competing houses, with an Olympic twist. The Olympic sports of Hockey, Handball, Basketball and Volleyball were completed by
teams during lunch time in mixed teams, all the points scored constituted to the Sports Day scores. On Sports Day itself, we had an
opening ceremony where all competitors walked around the track following their Head of House, similar to what you will see on 27th
July. Mrs Jones also presented the medal winners for each event their medals whilst on a newly built podium in front of all the
spectators. The competition between all those that took part was strong, however the sense of sportsmanship and participation between
all athletes was fantastic and all the students taking part, and the spectators were a credit to themselves. Congratulations to Eastern
House who won Sports Day Shield and House Cup for the fourth year in succession.
Mr Malone
PE Department
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6. YEAR 9 MIXED ROUNDERS TOURNAMENT
As every year, Valentines were responsible for organising the Year 9 mixed rounders tournament for the
borough. We were very lucky as after days of wet weather, the morning of the competition arrived as a glorious
sunny day. Once again Valentines took two teams to the tournament, and two Year 10 leaders, Hadiya Ayub
and Aisha Cajee, who worked brilliantly on the score table throughout the event. Everyone enjoyed an
afternoon of rounders, improving their skills, understanding the rules more thoroughly and having fun. All
teams played each other in a Round Robin tournament and
both teams did very well.
The „B‟ team came 6th and the „A‟ team came 2nd overall
and everyone played with a positive and lively team spirit.
The pupils involved were Hana Mohammed, Ibrahim Faizi,
Deividas Alisauskas, Eddie Hodge, Adolf Mata, Jeena
Patel, Jas Saund, Tayyab Wahid, Lisa Fosu-Brenyah, Mudit
Patel, Sam O‟Keefe, Ammani Ahmed, Mohamed Badawy,
Humaira Islam, Anja Cremer, Shahin Ercaliskan, Mia
Newton, Safina Alam, Zahrah Ahmed, Jahanvi Dhamija,
Ravneet Singh, Kevin Mambuini, Thameena Patel,
Muhammad Shahriyar, Mohammed Altab and Sakina
Naqvi.
Well done.
Mrs May
PE Department
_________________________________________________________________________________________
EARLY CRICKET
An „early-bird‟ indoor cricket club has been running since
the beginning of 2012 every Monday and Wednesday
morning before school. All year groups have been in
attendance with word of mouth causing the turnout to rise
every week. Students have the opportunity to imitate their
heroes with a Twenty Twenty atmosphere created (except
for the music!).
It has been great to see a range of students involved and
after passing a trial period with flying colours, the club will
become a permanent feature in the PE department.
Well done to all who have
attended.
Mr Cully—PE Department
YEAR 7 YOUNG LEADERS
A group of 15 selected Year 7 pupils have been attending a
lunchtime club every week this term in order to develop their
leadership and communication skills. They have had the
opportunity on three occasions to visit Christchurch Primary
School where they led small groups of Year 3 pupils in simple
sports sessions.
Finally, having invited and taught a friend how to assist them in
leading an athletic activity, they organised and led an athletics
festival for 130 Year 5 pupils from 4 local primary schools.
The leaders were Aneesa Zaffar, Shanaz Ali, Mariam Ali, Noor
Alfatlawi, Tasneem Khan, Freya Bishop, Oana Petras, Sandeep
Matharu, Aneesh Pasricha, Adam Khan, Jamal Mahroof, Meher
Dipty, Minahil Aman, Haider Syed and Farhiya Osman.
Well done everyone.
Mrs May
PE department

7. YEAR 11 PROM 2012
This year‟s Prom was again a great success! It was a night full of fun, dancing and laughter and has added to
our book of memories! It started out with everyone arriving dressed to impress on the 10th May at 6.15pm.
We then got on our assigned coaches and made our way over to Woolston Manor, it felt like it took a lifetime to
get there but we were all so excited that it didn‟t matter.
When we arrived, music and photos welcomed us, the photographer was very funny, and he danced and really
got stuck in. The venue was amazing; it had a lovely balcony where pictures could be taken or people could
stand and talk and a big space for us all to dance. Throughout the night the music kept going and there was a
buffet, which was delicious. To make it that little bit more special, there was a corner of the room where you
could have professional photos taken with your friends and forms and then you could buy them afterwards.
Everyone had such a fantastic time and we even managed to get some of the teachers up and dancing too—
awful dancing though, I must say, they‟ve got no idea how us youngsters do it and I bet you would all agree
that they need some lessons from us!
Leah Madhani 11I

8. SKIING TRIP—LA THUILE 2012
This year from 1st—8th April 2012 Valentines returned to ski the pistes of La Thuile in the Aosta Valley, Italy. For the 37 students
and 7 staff the journey was a long one, but the time passed quickly, as excitement grew about our arrival in the mountains. We
arrived at the Hotel Le Clou on the most beautiful of alpine Spring afternoons and were helped to settle by welcoming hoteliers and
staff.
The very mild spring weather did not make for the best of conditions for beginners on the first couple of days but, both beginner
groups stuck at it, despite a few falls here and there. They made a great progress in the first couple of days and were able to move up
the mountain away from the nursery slopes. The intermediate level skiers were joined by a few of the beginners who had made rapid
progress in the first day or so and they were off! Touring the mountain, practicing their parallel turns and cutting some great shapes.
The advanced skiers of the group were also on good form. Joined by a small number from another school they were soon setting the
pace and carving some great lines wherever they went.
The social and cultural aspects of the trip were far from neglected. Each night the party would re-group at the dining table to regale
one another with their exploits of the day. The pasta was plentiful and the conversation lively to say the least. The highest rated
dining experience of the week was of course saved for our night out at the pizzeria, without which no trip to Italy could be complete.
A great evening was had by all, although comment was passed that the side salad was surplus to requirements!
Refuelled by feasting, the party was able to keep its‟ energy up for the evening activity. Whether it was gliding gracefully around the
ice rink, crooning at the karaoke or strutting their stuff at the disco, everyone got into the spirit and had a great time.
The week was rounded off with a presentation evening. Our instructors came to the hotel to award levels and certificates. There was
much buzz and debate about what people would get. All were left satisfied with their award, even Mr Lynch! After a great week‟s
skiing it was time to board the coach once more for the long journey home to Valentines. A great week, we now look forward to La
Thuile 2013. Thanks to everyone involved.
Mr D Smith

9. GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS’ CRANBROOK PROJECT
Over the past eight weeks, six Year 10 studentts have taken part in a project with nearby Cranbrook Primary School to help
them create their own school magazine.
The project has included costing, marketing and producing their magazine to make it appealing to all those connected with
Cranbrook. Over the course of the project the six students have given up significant periods of their time to allow the
magazine to come to print with all that is left remaining to sell it!
The students have been praised by all at Cranbrook
for their attitude and hard work.
Well done to Jyoti Rathore, Eva Mannan,
Arunachalam Thirunavukkrasu (all 10A), Rizwan
Uddin, Muuaz Vahora and Aamriah Munshi (all
10L).
Mr P Cully
PE Department
The results for Valentines High School from this prestigious national competition are now in. Certificates will
be presented in due course. Out of the 120 entries from gifted students in Years 7 and 8, we have been awarded
26 Bronze certificates, 10 Silver and 2 Gold. Congratulations are due to all those who gained certificates, but
particular honour goes to the following:-
NAME FORM OUTCOME
Kinjan Ranavaya 8V Silver
Aamena Bagas 8S Silver
Amna Mujahid 8H Silver
Edward Sales 8V Silver
Aamir Peerzada 8A Silver
Paulomi Bagvatisancar 7S Silver
Herinaldo Skelaa 7H Silver
Hamza Hussain 7V Silver
Zehn Ahmed 7S Silver
Jehaan Bhoyroo 7A Silver
Harris Koukev 7H Gold
Zain Patel 7A Gold & Best in School
Mr J Elliot—Head of Mathematics
UKMT MATHS JUNIOR CHALLENGE 2012

10. FAD
THE FUTURE OF BRITISH FASHION
* Redbridge teenagers get the chance to feature designs at London Fashion Week
 Young People see their garments showcased by George at Asda during Graduate Fashion Week
 FAD Fashion Futures 2012 and Graduate Fashion Week sponsored by George for the second year running
London based charity Fashion Awareness Direct (FAD) will showcase the work of 25 talented London and Manchester
youngsters at London Fashion Week this September.
Monday 21st May saw 120 talented and innovative young designers aged between 16 and 19 years old gather for an
exciting celebration of „Great British Design‟ at the iconic Fashion & Textiles Museum in London. On the night 25
selected finalists won a once in a lifetime chance to have their designs showcased on the catwalk of London Fashion
Week. Their fashion creations will combine first hand research from the V & A Museum with their own visions of what it
means to be British today. This summer‟s impending Olympic and Jubilee celebrations are a key source of inspiration for
their designs, which will be created in only five days at the FAD summer school and showcased on this year‟s September
catwalks. FAD‟s Fashion Futures programme, which George is sponsoring as part of its‟ pledge to champion young
British talent, consists of a series of industry workshops and nurtures young talent by offering training opportunities,
professional careers advice and platforms that encourage creative ability. Teenagers are mentored by professional tutors
and volunteers and undertake the complete design process of a garment from generating research, fashion illustrations and
technical drawings, to creating paper patterns and calico toiles from scratch.
Fayza Khota stated: “I got to meet a variety of people who were experienced in the industry, with plenty of good advice
and experience to share.
As well as sponsoring the programme in 2012, George at Asda has also launched an incredible opportunity for the
students involved in the programme, inviting FAD teenagers to design a garment for the George stand at Graduate
Fashion week, of which George is the title sponsor. The winners of the George competition will attend catwalk shows at
the event and have the opportunity to report for the George style blog too.
George Brand Director Fiona Lambert said of the brand‟s involvement: “Fashion Awareness Direct is a fantastic way to
help young people break into the fashion industry. At George we are passionate about nurturing the next generation of
fashion talent and FAD enables us to do exactly that by giving those with less fortunate backgrounds the opportunity to
learn invaluable fashion skills, receive professional coaching and provide a platform to showcase their hard work and
ability. It‟s great to be able to be involved in the charity and provide an insight into working in the fashion industry.”
Valentines High School participants
were::
Sharon Mwangi
Fayza Khota
Yussra Raja
Razina Khan

11. THE HUNTERIAN MUSEUM
Wednesday 4th July 2012—an educational and entertaining rollercoaster
ride!
The day started off normally enough. As the bell rang at school and we set off to
visit the remarkable Hunterian Museum. Walking through the rather austere and
beautiful door of the pale stone building, one might not expect to see thousands of
fascinating, if not bizarre, innards of animals and humans preserved in spic-and-
span jars! The specimens range from human body parts, human tissue, dissected
brains, skulls and bones to fully formed animal foetuses, whole animal organs,
fish, birds and reptiles. Visiting the Museum is fascinating for both the scientist
and the layman, though probably not for the faint-hearted as there are some pretty gruesome displays. In store for us next
was a live surgery of a coronary artery bypass graft—only on screen of course! After a quick discussion about the surgery
and a rapid-fire Q & A session with an experienced surgeon, we swiftly moved on to another broadcast of the removal of a
benign brain tumour. The highlight of the day for some of us was the opportunity of learning how to carry out a basic
surgical skill of suturing and knot tying on a mannequin arm. Working in small groups under the expert guidance of
surgeons and medical students was an excellent chance to find out more about life at medical school, as well as to ask
questions about applying to university and to gain some tips about the interview. Capitivated by the brilliant collection of
specimens, the awe-inspiring medical surgeries in action and the discussions with the medical professionals, we just did not
want to leave. Thank you to Mrs Aujla for organising the trip!
Fayza Din—Year 12
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JUBILEE GARDENS
On 21st March the Gifted and Talented Art students had artist
Fiona Heron visit the school and talk about her recent works for
the Queen‟s Diamond Jubilee. The art students also had a
private tour around the new Jubilee Gardens in Valentines Park
even before it opened to the public. The Dry Gardens were
created in celebration of the Queen‟s visit to the mansion. This
project is the first major piece of planting in Valentines Mansion
and Gardens since the Rose Garden in the 1870s.
The students were really excited to meet the artist Fiona Heron
who works in 3D with a vision to create beautiful, simple
elegance. She is majorly influenced by natural form and her
work integrates art and landscape architecture, sculpture, and
fine art photography. Fiona said “As an artist and landscape
architect, I always work in an integrated way with planting and
art interventions so that the effect compliments the space and is
seen as whole rather than a competing element”. Check out her
other pieces of art work around the UK on her website
www.fionaheron.com
Ms E Taner—Head of Art
Mrs Jones with ex-student Hussain Manawer
OLYMPIC TORCH COMES TO VALENTINES
It was a real honour and a privilege to
have the opportunity to hold the Olympic
torch. It was brought to Valentines High
School by an ex student Hussain Manawer,
who has been chosen to be the torch bearer
in recognition of his work for charity.
Mr Singh
Deputy Headteacher

12. YEAR 8 RUGBY TEAM
The Year 8 Rugby team has continued to develop this
term. The boys have been extremely committed to
training and have reaped the rewards for their efforts.
They played Loxford School on Tuesday 22nd May and
battled on to win eight tries to seven. Keith Hughes,
Ilford Wanderers Rugby Club, Schools & Community
Coach was present at the game and was very impressed
with what he observed. He has since invited all of the
boys to attend the clubs‟ weekly training sessions.
Well done boys—keep up the hard work and
enthusiasm!
Mr M Weaver
Head of PE
JACK PETCHEY SPEAK OUT FINAL
On Tuesday March 29th 16 of the
best public speakers came from
14 schools in Redbridge to
compete in the Jack Petchey
Speak Out Final including Musa
Ali and Eva Mannan from Year
10 representing Valentines.
There were some great speeches
on topics such as “homophobia”,
“ Why Society is like socks” and
“TV”. However, one speech
stood out from the rest and that
was Eva Mannan with her speech on Mental Illness. It was
an emotional and inspiring speech and Eva deservedly took
home third prize. Congratulations to both Musa and Eva for
being selected from Year 10 and to Eva on her third place
triumph.
Miss Wilson—English Department
OUT OF THIS WORLD EXPERIENCE
This year some Valentines High School students had an out-of-
this-world experience, getting the opportunity to play around with
meteorite samples and lunar rock. Part of the collection was a 1.2
billion year old piece of Mars and a 4.3 billion year old Nickel
meteorite almost as old as our solar system itself. In addition,
samples collected from NASA‟s Apollo space missions to the
moon were available to view.
Pupils were able to feel the density and texture of the rocks,
which are among very few in the world. We can only hope that
one day a future Valentines student will head into space to collect
further samples.
Mr Harrison
Science Department
PROBABLY THE BEST REWARDS TRIP IN
THE WORLD
On Monday 25th June, the most deserving students from
Eastern, Cranbrook and Woodford Houses were rewarded in
style by being selected for a place on our annual House trip to
Stubbers Activity Centre, in Upminster. This unique trip
allows these lucky students the chance of experiencing
activities which they cannot do in everyday life. This year we
did Kayaking, Raft building, Climbing and team challenge
games. It was fantastic to see some students out of their
comfort zones really pushing themselves to achieve goals
which, for some, seemed to them, at times, unattainable. The
atmosphere was fun and relaxed throughout and it is fair to say
that a great time was had by all. For us, as a House team, the
highlight this year was being told by one instructor that one of
our groups was the best which the particular instructor had ever
led. Moreover, we know that all groups were amazing from
start to finish and a real pleasure to take out of Valentines for
the day. If you like what you see and read, and would like to
experience this type of adventure next year, be sure to involve
yourself in our House system as much as you possibly can.
This is where it‟s at—see you next year!
The House Team
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. EUROPEAN BUSINESS GAME FINALS
Year 12 students represented England and Valentines High School in the European Business Game Finals in
Slovakia on Monday 25th June 2012. Aminur Rahman (12R), Serhan Aksu (12V), Tasbiyah Iqbal (12I),
Ashvin Nankoo (12F) and Faheema Sheikh (12V) had been crowned English champions at the national final
on Friday 11th May 2012 for their company Composters, a service which educates students on composting
through a variety of fun and informative activities.
Accompanied by Deputy Director of Sixth Form Miss Lee, they visited two of Slovakia‟s many castles and
towns, took a tour of a Kia Motors production plant and even enjoyed rafting down the River Ka, as well as
having the opportunity to socialise with other pupils from all over Europe. On the day of the final European
competition, held in Zilina, the team had to give a presentation to a panel of ten judges and local business
people. They then faced some difficult questions about their product and their company, but supported by
Miss Lee they proved more than up to the task, competing against nine other teams. The team from the Faroe
Islands were crowned “Winner of Winners” this year. The European Business Game is a European-wide
competition for young people to establish the best fictional company.
Participation in the European Business Game allows pupils to have an insight into the skills and qualities
required by entrepreneurs while
establishing links with European
schools. Students also meet business
advisors and gain insight into how a
company works.
Miss J Lee
Deputy Director of Sixth Form

14. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGE DAY
On the 12th July a select group of Year 8 and 9 pupils took part in the Annual Science and Technology
Challenge Day for pupils in Redbridge. The challenge took place at Queen Mary University and lasted the
whole day. We were initially put into pairs and then into groups of 4, with people from different schools. In
the groups of 4 we took part in 3 different challenges. In
each task the group were assessed on teamwork and how
well they did on the challenge.
At the end of the day there was an award ceremony,
presented by the mayor of Redbridge. Valentines came
second! Thank you to Mr Simes and Mrs Aujla for
organising the event.
Yoshika Patel, Ela King and Shaaista Lalla-Saib (Year
8)
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YOUTH PHILANTHROPY INITIATIVE
Six pupils from Year 9 received £3,000 for Haven House
Hospice in Woodford Green by winning the Youth
Philanthropy Initiative for our school. They won against five
other groups in the finals and pleased the three judges enough
to have two of the three judge‟s vote for them. Rabiya
Rehman, Thameena Patel, Muhammad Shahriyar, Shalina Ali,
Kevin Christ Mambuini and Hazyefah Khan, in form 9C,
celebrated their great achievements by attending a celebration
in West London. They went to Porchester Hall on Monday 2nd
July with their form tutor, Mrs Riaz-Condron, and their Head
of Year, Mr Freeman, to celebrate. Rabiya Rehman said: “We
got there at about 5pm and had an interview with a few people
before we sat down in our seats. Then we watched a few
performances with the rest of the winners throughout the UK.
There was a wide range of acts, starting from magicians to
celebrity boy bands! The final act was the best act of all; the
Loveable Rogues! And after they performed, me and my
friends got to meet them backstage and take a picture with
them, we were ecstatic! It was a great evening.” The group
and the two teachers got to see a magic trick, watch a break
dance group perform, listen to a few songs and got to meet the
Loveable Rogues after they performed. Thameena Patel says:
“The celebration is definitely a night to remember as we were
thrilled to meet
the Loveable
Rogues and
many other
great acts!”
Mrs
Riaz-Condron
VALENTINES ART SUMMER SHOW
Valentines Art students celebrated their work in the end of year
show, exhibiting the works of Year 11 and Year 13. The show
ranged from exciting wall hangings, traditional paintings and our
all new technique of Photo Silk screen printing! The students
have been working really hard throughout the two years, and
would like to thank everyone who came along and showed their
support.
Ms E Taner– Head of Art

15. AERO MODELLERS AFTER SCHOOL CLUB
Junaid Arif 8S attends the Aero Modellers after school club on a Thursday evening. At this club the primary interest is
flying models but we also cover all types of model building. So far this school year we have built radio control
Hovercraft, designed and manufactured a picture frame on CAD and are about to start work on a scale radio control
model of a Torpedo boat.
Junaid expressed an interest in building a model house and so the development of his model began during lunch times in
D & T to find a house that he would like to model. His scale model was excellent and showed great commitment and
dedication.
Mr M Woollacott
Design & Technology
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My name is Junaid Arif and I am in 8S. When I grow up I would like to be an architect. The reason why I want to
become an architect is that I love drawing buildings, making models and designing. In Design & Technology I was
making a house project; I found the design for the house on the internet. When I first started, I planned it all out on a
piece of paper with the measurements on it. The scale was 1.25. Secondly I
showed the drawing to Mr Woollacott to see if it was correct. After that I drew it
all up on a software called 2D Design.
When I was drawing it up I made the base, doors, floors, windows and the ceiling.
For the ceiling it was a bit difficult because you would have to get the correct
measurements, the material that you would have to use is MDF. MDF is a man
made board which is just covered up with sawdust and glued together. After that
I cut it out on the laser cutter, and stuck all the pieces together. When I finished I
added some wallpaper to the house to make it more realistic.
Junaid Arif—8S
ENTERPRISE WEEK—2ND JULY—6TH JULY
Students from Year 10 Business Studies classes set up mini companies to run their own businesses for one week in July. The students
invested their own money buying “shares” in their business and if they needed more finance, then they did a “Dragon‟s Den”
presentation to Mr Williams who then decided whether to loan them some more money if he thought they had a good idea and would
be able to pay him back.
There were all sorts of business ideas that the students had done their market research on. These included the sale of a variety of
sweets and drinks, hot drinks, ice cream cones, milk shakes, mobile phone covers, samosas, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, a car washing
service and organising year group football matches with refreshments on the Astro turf pitch.
All the businesses chose a charity to support and the profits from these will go to their charity which included Save the Children, Rays
of Sunshine, the Ummah Welfare Trust, Barnardos, Children in Need, Islamic Aid and Cancer Research. We expect a large sum to be
sent to these charities in the final two weeks of term when
the companies will produce their Profit and Loss Accounts.
Mr G Williams
Head of Business Studies
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16. BERTIE STILL LIVES ON
On Thursday 22nd March, it was meant to be the last ever of its kind, yet it seems that the bi-annual Redbridge Schools Festival is still alive and
kicking! Yes, the Royal Albert Hall will, in 2014, host another invasion of our angelic voices. This year‟s festival, being in 2012, saw our children
giving the world premiere of five new Olympic-themed masterpieces by the talented young composer, Chris Wilcox, each one inspired and
influenced by music from five different continents of the world (representing the five Olympic rings). In addition to a well-varied repertoire of
pieces (including a medley of Queen
songs), this year‟s main classical standard
was the ever popular anthem, “Zadok The
Priest” by the legendary George Frederick
Handel, the most famous and regal of all
Coronation Anthems, made even more
appropriate in this special Diamond
Jubilee year.
Although this was a long day for all
involved, it is always a fantastic
opportunity to experience performing in
one of the world‟s most famous musical
venues, and as always, every one of our
students continues to represent Valentines
in the very best of lights. My deepest
thanks must go to everybody on this trip
for making this day such a special and
memorable one throughout. See you in
2014!
Mr N McPherson
Head of Music
“It was the best experience of my life and my favourite part was singing the Queen medley. I can‟t wait to go again”. Aman Preet Kaur 8 “I
enjoyed it a lot” Lizzie Miller 8C
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DID WE ROCK YOU? - YES WE DID!
First it was “A Musical Extravaganza” - then it was “A Musical Spectacular” - now, in this special Olympic year, it was, on
Thursday 29th March, “A Musical Divertissement.”
For the first time, a small fee was charged in order to experience our unique plethora of musical variety here at Valentines. This
resulted in tickets selling like hot cakes, with our sizeable school hall almost full to it‟s capacity. This is no mean feat for the Music
department, but hardly surprising since we have attracted ever growing numbers of supporters for such experiences.
Pride is always taken in making each year unique with different principle ensembles. This year saw us say „Adieu‟ to our
accomplished Rock band, The Loft who closed the evening with an extended set, and it is fair to say that the atmosphere really was
electric. We continue to represent all seven year groups in these wondrous events and mix up solos, duets, trios and ensembles
throughout. Both Steel Pan and Gospel Choir tutors have worked wonders in recent months with some new members, and showed
our lucky audience what can be achieved in a short space of time. My sincerest
thanks must go to Yves Doukali and Daniel Ericksson Hull as well as all
Redbridge Music Service tutors, who inspire our youngsters to continue learning
their instruments and creating in style, the ultimate universal language, known
better as music! In fact every one of our performers in this “Musical
Divertissement” really was a star, and when the stage is almost too small to host
all these young maestri during the finale (to “We Will Rock You” - a whole
school reprise from the opening version by The Loft), it is safe to say that the
number of stars we have here are a plenty.
How can this “Musical Divertissement” possibly be equalled? Watch this
space!
Mr N McPherson
Head of Music