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20 September 2024


Maths Student of the Week

Tahiyah 8M - For being an outstanding role model during maths lessons in terms of behaviour and diligence.

Well Done!


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Year 11 Art 

Our Yr11 Art students began their new project drawing on location of our local area for the theme Spaces & Places.

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They demonstrated excellent observational skills and we were lucky enough to not get caught out by the heavy rain clouds. 

Ms Goldsworthy 

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Assembly Speaker - 9 September
Joel DeFries

On the 9 of September, our assembly speaker was Joel Defries, an ex-student of Camden, who a few of the Year 13s remembered from his previous panto cameo. He spoke to us about school, work, life and the fact that the journey to finding what makes you happy is not linear.

During his talk, Joel explained that while we may currently have clear goals, circumstances can change unexpectedly. What we want to do now might not be what we end up pursuing in ten years. He illustrated this point with his own experiences after leaving CSG, where he achieved CCC A level grades. He expressed regret for not studying more, thinking his friends were not studying either, only to realise later that they were in fact working hard.  He emphasised the importance of putting the effort in at school, as the better you do academically, the more options you open up for yourself in the future.

After his A-levels, Joel travelled to New Zealand to attend Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Unsure about his future and stuck in a degree he didn’t enjoy, he networked and secured an internship at a radio station. This opportunity allowed him to audition for a music TV program, leading to semi-fame as an 18-year-old who appeared on TV for three hours daily. However, the pressure of this experience ultimately caused him to leave university.

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While on the music TV show, he had the chance to interview many celebrities, including P!NK, although that interview didn't go well as he cheekily asked her if she ever felt blue. Eventually, Joel returned to the UK, where he got an agent and became a presenter on the popular kids' show Blue Peter from 2008 to 2011, until it fell under new management and he left.

This period marked a turning point for him; he acknowledged that everyone experiences failure at some point, which can be scary, but it's okay. He decided to shift from seeking roles on TV to boost his own sense of self-importance and to look at ways to look beyond himself and help others. He then became a support worker for homeless individuals, which he found very intense,  humbling  but also rewarding in a way he’d never experienced. This choice helped him realign his own identity.

Further on in his life, after receiving a call from friends, Joel co-founded a company that specialised in selling vodka. He utilised his transferable skills to succeed in marketing and sales, and he now works as chief marketing manager in a multinational corporation. Towards the end of the assembly, he shared that Ms Camillo is his mother-in-law, and she used to be his teacher! Reminding us that in life, we never know what paths we might take or whose paths our lives will cross!


Cambridge Chemistry Challenge 2024

Last June, a group of Year 12 Chemistry students participated in the 2024 Cambridge Chemistry Challenge. It was a very challenging paper in which the students had to answer questions about such diverse topics as How Arsenic was Extracted through history and Forever Chemicals.

Our students did really well and many achieved awards:

  • 7 Copper
  • 8 Silver
  • 1 Gold Award

Congratulations to all who took part!

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