Inspirational Women in Technology

On Thursday 12th September, Capgemini, one of the world’s leading IT and consulting companies, hosted an event called Women’s Business Network with a focus on Inspirational Women in Technology.

Year 13 Kingsbury High School students, Anika, Bindiya and Ushma, were invited to attend the event, where they heard a talk from Kathryn Parsons, Co-founder of Decoded and winner of the New Generation prize at the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year awards; followed by a Q & A session.

Back in March, these students were part of a team of Kingsbury High School students who won first prize in a mobile phone app building competition, Young App Developer of the Future. Their prize was to spend a day at Capgemini offices in London.

Michelle Perkins, Director of the Capgemini Schools Outreach Programme, said “It was great to see the ladies from KHS in our Holborn office again. We were also lucky enough to be joined by Kathryn Parsons of Decoded fame, and her recent Veuve Clicquot award win means she is indeed becoming quite the famous entrepreneur. Hearing from a young highly successful British female entrepreneur was inspiring and entertaining. I hope that Anika, Bindiya and Ushma took some inspiration from Kathryn’s story.

Capgemini regularly hosts events to showcase female talent and give colleagues the chance to catch up. This was the first time that we hosted students, and I’m really glad we did. It gave us a chance to enrich our relationship with the school and in particular these three students. They are an absolute credit to the school and my colleagues enjoyed meeting them and their teachers. Bindya’s attempt to bring a touch of glamour to our wall art was really good fun and a talking point!

We run a school leaver programme for A Level students, having met a few of the KHS students, I really hope that some will become Capgemini colleagues in the near future!”

Enter Capgemini’s current competition which is open to 14-18 year olds.

[text & photographs by Camille Shah]

Debating at KHS

Do you like discussing controversial issues? Do you think you can develop stronger arguments than your opponents? Well now you can put your quick wit and verbal skills to the test by taking part in competitive debating. Past and present members of the Upper School Debating Society have contributed to a short video which shows how competitive debating works and explains some of the roles and strategies that lead to success. The students were filmed during a debate on a motion about allowing schools to deal with misbehaviour by carrying out physical punishments (‘corporal punishment’).

Filmed and edited by Mr Windrich, and co-ordinated by Aim Higher Manager, Mr Mitchell, the video focuses on competitive debating in the “British Parliamentary” style, taking the format adopted for the Oxford Union and Cambridge Union competitions.

There are debating clubs for students in the Upper and Lower Schools and all students are warmly encouraged to give this activity their best shot – whether around the debating table or making points from the audience (“the floor”). In competitions, students are judged on the style of their presentation, the substance and structure of what they have to say, and the observance of rules and etiquette.

As a suggested classroom technique for the Kingsbury Expectations for Effective Lessons, teachers may be interested in incorporating competitive debating – or associated activities, such as mock trials, moots and oracy projects – in their lessons when considering controversial issues, ideas or topics which attract differing points of view.

For further information about debating and public speaking at Kingsbury High School, please see Mr Mitchell or Ms Tumber in the Upper School (Sixth Form and GCSE students respectively) and Mrs Assaad in the Lower School (Foundation and Acceleration students).

(video, also found on Planet eStream, by Mr Windrich & Mr Mitchell; text by Mr Mitchell)

GCSE Results

We would like to congratulate Kingsbury High students who achieved an outstanding set of GCSE results in 2013. These results are the highest the school has ever recorded and reflect all the hard work of the students, staff, parents and carers.

92.4% of the year group achieved 5 or more GCSE passes at A* – C.

76% of students achieved 5 or more at GCSE at A* -C including English and Maths

85% of students achieved A* – C in English

84% of students achieved A* – C in Maths

47 students achieved 7 or more GCSEs at A/A* and 10 students achieved 10 A* /A

[photography by Steve & Jo]

A-Level Results Day

[photography by Steve with Erik]

National County Championships 2013

Congratulations to Kingsbury High School student, Anya Vadgama who was a key player in the National County Cricket Championships. The Middlesex U15 Girls team were crowned Champions after the final against Lancashire at Wokingham CC on the 23rd August.

Clement Boden, Middlesex Girls’ Cricket U15 Manager, said “I congratulate Anya on her fine achievement on being selected for Middlesex at cricket. She is an exceptional player and played in every game for the County U15s this season, opening the bowling with precision, ecomony and often immediate reward. Having bowled magnificently in the final against Lancashire, Anya’s 3 not out off 18 balls was instrumental in seeing the team past the line. I would like to thank and congratulate all at Kingsbury High School for your support and assistance throughout the season in nurturing such a fine young talented player, and now National Champion.”

Read the match report: Middlesex U15 Girls – National County Champions

[photographs by Mr Vadgama]