HSAEL News

What are you trying to achieve?

At HSAEL, for children to become leaders in their chosen field, they will need much more than good exam results. Their qualifications will get them to the door of great opportunities, but the skills and experiences they accrue throughout their adolescence will mean they can have a positive change on their life and their community.

By the time our students leave us we want them to be able to:

• Stand shoulder to shoulder with peers from more advantaged backgrounds.
• Develop character so that our students can lead in often closed and competitive environments.
• Make a positive contribution to their local and global community. 
• Communicate articulately and with conviction in their chosen field. 

How are you going about achieving these aims?

Through our 12 Character Education Days across the course of the Academic year our students will develop their cultural capital by accessing, different experiences and opportunities.

By the time our students leave us they will have:

• Visited an art gallery and museum.
• Watched a show at the theatre.
• Experienced a residential away from home.
• Been exposed to public speaking and debating opportunities.
• Visited a university.
• Raised money for charity.
• Gained work experience in number of different settings.

In addition to these days our students experience fortnightly Leadership Development Time. The aim of Leadership Development Time (LDT) is to helps students grow and appreciate their responsibilities as citizens through our exploration of Relationships education, British values and citizenship. It will also provide students with opportunities to develop leadership skills to make positive contribution to the local and global community.

As part of our LDT, students come together as a house to celebrate those excelling as leaders in the community and to also share appreciations for each other. This creates a sense of belonging for our students helping them grow in empathy and compassion. To promote our students’ ambitions each department runs a house activity, where students compete with those in other houses to gain as many house points as possible. At the end of the year all students compete at the Academy Day where the winning House is awarded the House Cup.

What are the results of this?

• We have already run 25 trips in the first term, with every student attending at least 1.
• 15 different sports fixtures across Newham with over 50 different students representing the Academy. We are the female cross-country champions for Newham.
• We have offered bespoke workshops and trips for targeted students including, Horse Riding, Presenting on radio 4 and Question Time.

Our Character Education programme provides our students with the skills required to be successful leaders in their chosen field. It develops their character and gives them the confidence to lead in very closed and competitive environments, often dominated by those from more advantaged backgrounds. As an Academy through the implementation of our Character Education programme, we are committed to ensuring children at HSAEL can stand shoulder to shoulder with students from any other walk of life!