The Ursuline Academy Ilford

Our wonderful Year 12 student Hiruthayani Maheswaran is our latest Jack Petchey Award winner.
Hiruthayani has been described by both staff and peers as an incredibly kind, thoughtful, and hardworking student who consistently goes above and beyond to support others. Whether helping classmates, encouraging friends, or contributing positively to the school community, Hiruthayani always demonstrates compassion, maturity, and generosity.
Staff have praised Hiruthayani for their positive attitude, dedication, and willingness to help, while fellow students admire the way Hiru makes others feel included, supported, and valued.
We are extremely proud of Hiruthayani and delighted to celebrate this well-deserved achievement.

Last Friday, 42 of our students completed the first Ursuline Marathon, fundraising for the charity Refuge. The Ursuline Marathon took place in the gym over the whole day where, one runner after another, the girls jumped on the treadmill to log a kilometre.
We had some amazing times, competition and achievements from the girls. Everyone managed to complete the distance, despite different challenges and fears they held. !

Our wonderful Year 13 students are coming to the end of their time at the Ursuline Academy. We were delighted to gather this morning to take a photo together, and we look forward to celebrating all their achievements in the coming weeks. On May 1st, we anticipate their "Mass of Becoming" as we reflect on their time here at the Ursuline and look ahead to what lies before them as they step into the next exciting and important chapter of their lives. In the weeks ahead, we pray that God will grant them the strength and guidance they need to navigate what can be a challenging period. We are incredibly proud of you all!

We are excited to announce the launch of the Classical Curiosity Club—a new space for inquisitive minds eager to explore the foundations of the world we live in today.

Open primarily to Year 12 and Year 10 students, the club also warmly welcomes anyone with a passion for discovery. Together, we will delve into the rich and fascinating world of Ancient Greece—the birthplace of democracy, philosophy, drama, and medicine.

Through engaging discussions and activities, we will uncover the lives and ideas of influential figures from the ancient world, whose legacies continue to shape modern society and broaden our understanding of the world around us.

Our first session set the tone by exploring women who challenged expectations and carved out their own paths in a male-dominated world. We looked at Sappho, the renowned lyric poet from Le**os whose deeply personal poetry celebrated emotion and identity; Antigone, the courageous heroine of Sophocles’ tragedy who defied authority in the name of moral conviction; and Aspasia, an influential intellectual in Classical Athens, known for her association with Pericles and her role in shaping political and philosophical discourse.

We will continue to explore, question, and uncover the classical world—one idea at a time.

Students had a brilliant time at our French-themed Easter scavenger hunt 🇫🇷🐣 Solving clues in French, they explored traditions like les cloches de Pâques while enjoying teamwork, laughter, and a little friendly competition. A fun way to celebrate Easter and discover French culture—plus some well-earned chocolate rewards! 🍫

We had a really good Ursuline Links session this week, focusing on balancing our time. 7 students attended; their contribution was excellent and we heard numerous quality discussions. Attendees were: Tazmina, Zaynab, Nana, Suhani, Zoya, Preththika, and Aksyaya. They have all been notified of which project they will take on in the summer. !

Angel in Year 10 is our latest Jack Petchey Award winner for her outstanding contributions to the performing arts. Angel is a very kind student who not only works incredibly hard but has stepped into roles when needed, going above and beyond to support her peers and teachers. She is a role model who embodies our Ursuline values daily!

This term our students have been focusing on the USP virtue of listening and being attentive. In the Bible, listening is shown as a very important skill because it helps people understand God, respect others, and make wise choices. When we truly listen, we show care, patience, and humility.
One well-known Bible verse about listening is James 1:19, which says: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” This teaches us that listening carefully helps us respond kindly and thoughtfully rather than reacting too quickly.

We would like to congratulate once again and say a huge thank you to our wonderful Head Girl and Jack Petchey Award winner Lily Power (Front Left) for everything she has done to contribute to our school community. Lily has used part of her Jack Petchey grant to purchase these absolutely beautiful new Geography books for our growing library, which we know our students are going to love!
Well done, Lily, and thank you!