We were delighted to welcome Dame Donna Kinnair, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, to deliver our 5th Annual Education Lecture to an audience of students, parents and ‘Friends of Mulberry’, including our very good friend Dame Julia Cleverdon. The event took place at the prestigious Royal Society of Arts in John Adam Street, central London.

Two accomplished students demonstrated outstanding wit and professionalism as they welcomed Dame Donna to the proceedings. They were exemplary leaders and were a great role models for our audience of young people.

Full of wisdom and insight throughout the evening, Dame Donna reflected on her approaches to nursing, as well as giving her thoughts on the solutions, the role of young people today and blue-sky thinking about the future.

The night also included the awarding of our Sixth Form scholarships – 30 students from across the Mulberry Schools Trust received a scholarship package worth over £450 and many others received runners-up awards including Netbooks or Daunt book membership. It is just one of the many ways the Trust supports its students, enhances their studies and motivates them to succeed!

Dame Donna gave such a timely address, as no one expected that as the next few weeks unfolded, the COVID-19 pandemic would take hold and change our way of lives for the foreseeable future.

“Whether you’re at the bedside or walking the wards…your leadership journey starts from school…it’s about respect for people!”

Dame Donna Kinnair

 

On 30th October, Mulberry School for Girls welcomed HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.  The aim of the visit was to see the invaluable work carried out by the school in promoting the education and success of girls and women both locally and globally.  This ranged from our engagement with WOW led by Jude Kelly and the Donmar Shakespeare Trilogy directed by Phyllida Lloyd and produced by Kate Pakenham, to our wider work with schools across the country and South East Asia.

Over 600 years of collective long service to state education by teachers and support staff will be celebrated at a special event hosted by the Mulberry Schools Trust (MST) on Wednesday 25th September 2019.

The MST Long Service Awards will recognise, acknowledge and congratulate exemplary staff across the Trust for their dedicated service to the education sector for at least 25 years. The loyal staff who reached this remarkable milestone within MST reached 21 this year and each will be honoured at the Trust’s Annual Celebration Event taking place at Mulberry Academy Shoreditch. 

Those deserving a special mention include Tosowar Ali who has taught at Mulberry Academy Shoreditch for over 27 years and Colin Walker who has diligently served the school’s Science department for almost 45 years. Celebrating at Mulberry School for Girls is Jill Tuffee with 40 years of service in education (with 34 years spent at the school) and 82 year old Mohammed Abul Hossain, who has amassed 37 years of service (19 years at the school).

MST will also acknowledge a number of governors who have provided many years of long service to our schools. Governors such as Sue Barrow, who chairs the governing body of Mulberry UTC, deserve recognition for their tireless work.

All relevant staff will be presented with a commemorative brooch and they will receive the Local Authority’s usual financial recognition. Some will be asked to share their memories with councillors and senior officers from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, as well as all staff, governors and Trustees from the MST family.

Jane Farrell, Chair of the Mulberry Schools Trust said:

“Our longest serving members of staff are role models to others and are a huge asset to this Trust. They have a wealth of knowledge and understanding about our schools, which is invaluable to us.”

Dr Vanessa Ogden, CEO of the Mulberry Schools Trust said:

“These exceptional members of staff have chosen to give most, if not all, of their careers to our schools. I want to thank them for the amazing work they do every day and all their dedication and commitment to our young people and community.”

Mrs Ruth Holden, Executive Principal of Mulberry Academy Shoreditch said:

“I am thrilled that Mulberry Academy Shoreditch is able to host such a prestigious event for the Trust. What an honour for us all to celebrate our service to our community – imagine the positive impact these members of staff have had on the lives of children.”  

Mr Tosowar Ali, Modern Foreign Languages teacher at Mulberry Academy Shoreditch said:

“I have had a fantastic career at the school and I have seen education transform the lives of many students over the years. The close friendships that I have built with my colleagues are priceless and I look forward to working here until I am due to retire.”

 

For further information, please contact:

Julie Cordice, Director of Marketing & Communications, Mulberry Schools Trust
Email: jcordice@mulberryschoolstrust.org | Telephone: 020 7790 6327

 

Notes to Editors

The Mulberry Schools Trust is a flourishing multi-academy trust set up in 2016 in Tower Hamlets. The Mulberry Schools Trust currently includes Mulberry Academy Shoreditch, Mulberry School for Girls and Mulberry UTC, and is now working with the Local Authority and the DfE to build a new school in Wapping – Mulberry Academy London Dock. The Trust believes in the power of partnerships with families, other local schools and the communities that it serves.

On Monday 20^th May, Mulberry Academy Shoreditch were honoured to host the prominent Prince’s Trust Annual Mosaic Iftar 2019 at the school. Iftar is one of the religious observances of Ramadan and is often done as a community, with Muslim people gathering to break their fast together. The Street and the Library were appropriately transformed into a magical space fit for any special celebratory occasion. Mosaic was founded by HRH the Prince of Wales to connect young people from deprived Muslim communities to relatable role models to help increase their confidence and improve their chances of fulfilling their potential. The event brought together influential leaders from diverse backgrounds including senior government officials, philanthropists, successful business owners and charity bosses to celebrate the achievements of Mosaic, its ambassadors and the positive impact the programme has on students’ lives.

Mrs Holden, Executive Principal, officially opened the evening and a particularly lovely moment of the night was the meeting between Mr Ali, a teacher at the school for nearly 30 years and Sheikh Aliur Rahman, Chief Executive of the London Tea Exchange in Brick Lane. Sheikh Aluir is one of the school’s alumnae and it was the first time he had returned to the school since leaving many years ago. He had no idea Mr Ali was going to be present and was clearly moved by this very special encounter.

John Booth, Chairman of the Prince’s Trust paid tribute to the many ambassadors and supporters of the charity, as well as mentioning how important the Mosaic programme is to HRH the Prince of Wales. Students Fares (Year 9), Jahan and Freddie (Year 10) were great ambassadors for the school as they took to the stage and wowed the audience with a short presentation that eloquently communicated the transformational effects of Mosaic on their everyday lives – and their futures. Some of the UK’s key influencers joined the ‘To See Is To Believe’ interview panel led by students Ranya (Year 10) and Afis (Year 12). The panel included Asad Ahmad, BBC London News Presenter and Mosaic Ambassador, Sheikh Aliur Rahman, Dr Rimla Akthar MBE, FA Council Member and Dawood Gustave, CEO and Imagination Officer at Reluctantly Brave. Mr Ahmad noted that the two students definitely had a career in TV due to their confidence and expert interview techniques!

Our CEO, Dr Ogden, spoke passionately about the changing needs of young people in our communities and the work of the Mulberry Schools Trust that ensures all students receive the high-quality education they deserve. Shabir Randeree CBE, Chair of Mosaic and Trustee of The Prince’s Trust gave a summary of Mosaic’s ongoing work and future ambitions. The evening ended with Imam Mohammed Mahmoud OBE from the East London Mosque leading the call to prayer ahead of the meal.