The Bridge – Friday 26th May

Our Weekly Newsletter Connecting School and Home

Headmaster’s Message

We’ve reached the end of half term five of the school year and, as always at FBS, it has been a busy one for our staff and students.
 
Our boys have been on the Sports Tour to Holland and we have nearly 40 boys enjoying the Loire Valley in France this weekend. Students have visited Birmingham, Oxford, Royal Holloway and St Mary’s Universities to gain valuable insight into the courses on offer and lots of our Year 9 boys have completed their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh expedition. All these things are part of what we do here to ensure that FBS is more than just a school.
 
This week our sixth form student leadership team led by Head Boy, Malachi, visited their counterparts at St Paul’s Boys School where they shared ideas and knowledge. I’m told it was a productive session and we hope to host the St Paul’s team soon. We also had a visit from sixth formers at Putney High School as we continue to grow our networks with other local schools with shared values.
 
Please do take note in the rest of the newsletter of activities happening after half term including the Year 8 visit to Kensington Gardens on Tuesday 6th June. There are just two school weeks after half term before Years 7 to 9 take their end of year assessments. Hopefully, all boys have a good understanding now of their strengths and areas for development in order to help them focus with their revision.
 
Please put Friday 30th June in your diaries as the date for the FBS Summer Fair and Food Market which will be held after school.
 
Finally, congratulations to Paul in Year 13 who received his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award at Buckingham Palace recently. Paul is the first Fulham Boy to receive this accolade. 
 
I hope that all can enjoy some rest over half term. Our exam year groups still have much work to do but the exam season so far has gone well and we hope our boys have achieved, and continue to achieve great results. I look forward to welcoming the boys back on Monday 5th June.

David Smith

Headmaster

From The FBS Foundation

Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck

My favourite education quote of all time came from the first Headmaster of Stowe School. Back in the 1920’s, he was asked by a journalist what he wanted his students to be like when they left his school. “Simple,” he said, “I want them to be acceptable at a dance and invaluable in a shipwreck”.

It’s easy to view this as a ridiculously outdated statement, but perhaps not. If we ponder for a moment what he meant we can see that the values that lie at the centre of good education have not, in fact, changed as much as we might suppose.

Consider what attributes are needed to be “acceptable at a dance”? In truth, the last thing needed to be acceptable at a party or dance is the ability toactually dance. Instead, what is needed is courtesy; eloquence; smartness; breadth and depth of knowledge; and the ability to communicate with, and
listen to, people from any background and culture. Oh, and you need to arrive on time!

And to help at a time of most need…to be “invaluable in a shipwreck”? Resourcefulness, courage, tenacity, adaptability, logic, leadership, responsibility.

Put together, these are exactly the attributes that FBS aims to instil in its students.

Recently, I attended the leavers assembly of the class of 2023. The Headmaster spoke about how proud he is of their achievements, but most of all, of the people they have become.

Who knows what adventures await them in the years ahead? One thing is for sure though, every one of them fulfils J F Roxburgh’s criteria for a great education. They take with them our best wishes for their exams and their lives beyond school.

Of course, it would not be possible to give our students the best possible start to their adult lives without your generosity of time, energy, spirit, and finance. Your donations through the Foundation are an integral part of providing the education that helps to make our students rounded, socially confident, courageous and resourceful individuals. Thank you for all that you do.

Best wishes,

Julian Thomas

CEO, The Fulham Boys School Trust

j.thomas@fulhamboysschool.org.uk

From The Friends of FBS

Summer Fair and International Food Day Part 2 – Friday 30th June 

Our Summer Fair and International Food Day will take place on Friday 30th June from 3:30pm to 6:30pm (possibly later).

Please use this Google form to let us know how you can help us with this event and what food you may be able to make. We appreciate anything at all that you can do towards making the evening a success. We would love you to come to the event in traditional dress and welcome any flags or artefacts to help decorate your country table too! 

 
Parents will be able to arrive on site from 2:30pm to set up in the canteen and courtyard, or if you would like to make food but cannot make the event itself, boys are able to bring in food in the morning. More details of the day can be seen within the Google form.
 
Please contact friends@fulhamboysschool.org.uk if you were to have any further questions.
 
Thank you.

The Friends of FBS

Whole School News

Annual Parent Contract 2023/24 – Action Required Please

The school requires a parent/guardian of every student to sign a Parent Contract annually. This contract is a compilation of the year’s permission slips, our Home School Agreement, our Social Contract, and various policies, where we need your commitment to support your son.
 
If your son is going to be a student here for the academic year 2023/24 please read and submit the following Annual Parent Contract 2023/24 Google Form. 
 
Every student has been sent a condensed version of this form, his Annual Student Contract and is required to submit it by the end of term.
 
If you have any questions about this, please contact Sally Bessada.

Ski Trip 2023

The Ski Trip for this year is now live and so far we have had quite a few sign ups. There are still plenty of places available.  More details regarding the trip can be found by reading this Ski Trip letter. If your son would be interested in attending, then sign up can be completed on ParentPay under the payment item titled ‘SKI TRIP CHRISTMAS 2023’.

Changes to Whole School Day

Please follow the link to this document which outlines the upcoming changes that are due to occur at the school from September onwards.

Year 7 News

Swimming Gala – Wednesday 7th June

Our annual swimming gala will be held at Fulham Pools on Wednesday 7th June. All boys in Years 7 to 9 will attend the event to cheer on boys in their house who are competing in the event. Boys should come to school as normal and will be escorted from FBS to Fulham Pools and back. Year 7 and 8 will attend during periods 1 and 2 and Year 9 will attend during period 3 and 4. Boys wishing to compete in the races have been signing up during form time this week. Please ensure if boys are competing, they have blue or black swimming trunks/shorts.

Year 8 News

Swimming Gala – Wednesday 7th June

Our annual swimming gala will be held at Fulham Pools on Wednesday 7th June. All boys in Years 7 to 9 will attend the event to cheer on boys in their house who are competing in the event. Boys should come to school as normal and will be escorted from FBS to Fulham Pools and back. Year 7 and 8 will attend during periods 1 and 2 and Year 9 will attend during period 3 and 4. Boys wishing to compete in the races have been signing up during form time this week. Please ensure if boys are competing, they have blue or black swimming trunks/shorts.

Year 8 Royal Parks Trip – Tuesday 6th June

On Tuesday 6th June, all Year 8 will be involved in a trip to Kensington Gardens. Please see this Royal Parks trip letter for more information of the day. Important things to note are that boys are not required to wear uniform, they will be dismissed from school at 4pm and also they will required to have credit on their ZIP card. A packed lunch will also be provided for the boys. As mentioned, further information can be found within the letter.

Year 9 News

Swimming Gala – Wednesday 7th June

Our annual swimming gala will be held at Fulham Pools on Wednesday 7th June. All boys in Years 7 to 9 will attend the event to cheer on boys in their house who are competing in the event. Boys should come to school as normal and will be escorted from FBS to Fulham Pools and back. Year 7 and 8 will attend during periods 1 and 2 and Year 9 will attend during period 3 and 4. Boys wishing to compete in the races have been signing up during form time this week. Please ensure if boys are competing, they have blue or black swimming trunks/shorts.

Year 10 News

Year 10 School Reports

Please be advised Year 10 school reports have been published in iSAMS, and are now available to view through your parent portal account. Please discuss these with your son so that you know exactly which subjects he needs to prioritize in the next half term to reach his potential and be ready for September’s mock exams.

Year 10 Devised Drama Performances – Friday 9th June

On Friday 9th June, our Year 10 Drama boys will be performing their devised performances. Please see this letter for further details. Parents are very welcome to attend and support the afternoon as the performances will take place in the Drama Studio from 15:20-17:00 and will be performed to a live audience. Refreshments will be available.

Help With Work Experience

If anyone is able to help providing a work experience opportunity for our Year 10 boys, please contact Ms Le Hur on  c.le-hur@fulhamboysschool.org.uk.

Year 11 News

Year 11 Exam Timetable

The Year 11 GCSE exam timetable can be found by following this link. All the details for the exams are listed within the spreadsheet.

Year 12 News

Year 12 School Reports

Please be advised Year 12 school reports have been published in iSAMS, and are now available to view through your parent portal account. Please discuss these with your son so that you know exactly which subjects he needs to prioritize in the next half term to reach his potential and be ready for September’s mock exams.
Year 13 News

Year 13 Exam Timetable

The Year 13 A Level exam timetable can be found by following this link. All the details for the exams are listed within the spreadsheet.

Sport Update

First Ever Gold DofE Award

Paul in Year 13 recently received his Gold Duke of Edinburgh award at Buckingham Palace. This was a momentous occasion for Paul and also means he is the school’s first ever recipient of the Gold Award. View the ‘Read more’ button below for some photos of the day. This week also saw our U15 Cricket Team in action, resulting in a great win over University College School’s B Team. Well done gents!

 

Read more

Upcoming Events For Parents

Hold the date! Summer Fair and International Food Day Part 2 – Friday 30th June

Our Summer Fair and International Food Day will take place on Friday 30th June from 3:30pm to 6:30pm (possibly later).

Please use this Google form to let us know how you can help us with this event and what food you may be able to make. We appreciate anything at all that you can do towards making the evening a success. We would love you to come to the event in traditional dress and welcome any flags or artefacts to help decorate your country table too! 

Parents will be able to arrive on site from 2:30pm to set up in the canteen and courtyard, or if you would like to make food but cannot make the event itself, boys are able to bring in food in the morning. More details of the day can be seen within the Google form.
 
Please contact friends@fulhamboysschool.org.uk if you were to have any further questions.
 
Thank you.

The Friends of FBS

See our calendar for more events

Other Important Information

Sports and PE Kit – Injuries and Illness

Kit: For the summer term, students should be wearing trainers, white socks and white polo shirts for both PE lessons and sports afternoons/mornings. We would encourage students to also bring a fleece or rain jacket just in case. As the weather gets hotter, please ensure your son has a water bottle and sun cream available. If required, please follow this Tylers Sportswear link for The Fulham Boys School kit page.

Injuries/Illness: Students are expected to be in full PE kit unless they are unable to get themselves changed (ie. they are on crutches or have a cast). Should your son have a legitimate injury or illness that might prevent them from fully engaging in PE lessons they should still bring their kit and support in lessons as far as they are able. If you believe that your son will not be able to manage this then a request should be made to your son’s Head of House to ask for alternative arrangements to be made during PE lessons and Sports Afternoon. 

Peripatetic Music Lessons

There is availability at the school for lessons in the following instruments: bass guitar, brass, drums, guitar, piano, woodwind (saxophone, clarinet and flute) and finally lessons for singing. If you think your son would be interested in taking part in these lessons, contact either Mr Chawla (r.chawla@fulhamboysschool.org.uk) or Mr Gleed (o.gleed@fulhamboysschool.org.uk) to find out more.

The Drum/Guitar teacher would like to increase his uptake for instrumental lessons. Again, please contact either Mr Chawla or Mr Gleed if your son would be interested. Please see his introductory video here.  

Parent Reminder For Visiting School

This is a polite reminder that parents should avoid visiting reception wishing to speak with a teacher, form tutor, HoH etc without prior arrangement. Parents should contact the relevant staff member by email to make an appointment. Thank you.

Quick Dates For The Diary

Tuesday 6th June

 Year 8 Royal Parks Trip

Wednesday 7th June

 Year 7, 8 and 9 Swimming Gala

Friday 9th June

 Year 10 Devised Drama Performances

Monday 12th June

 LAMDA Showcase in Drama Studio 5:15pm – 7pm (more details sent out soon)

Tuesday 13th June 

 LAMDA Showcase in Drama Studio 5:15pm – 7pm (more details sent out soon)

Wednesday 14th June

 Year 8 Mandir Trip (more details sent out soon)

Thursday 15th June

 Y10/12 Silver/Gold DofE practice training session 5pm – 7pm (more details sent out soon)
Useful Links

Term Dates

FBS Platforms For Parents

Sports Fixtures Calendar

Sogans Uniform Shop

Ways you can support FBS

Contact Information