Prince, Taylor, Kali and Isaac - all victorious in the 4x2 relay at the Islington schools' indoor athletic competition in early November. The Year 7 boys came first in the discipline, fired on by their coach Mr Kaya. Well done for putting in a quality effort boys!

The second autumn half-term has been another resounding success for the PE department and its various sports teams. Be in football, table tennis, basketball or athletics - the boys returned to the school with accolades, impressive score cards, podium places and even a taste of the big league (see below).

Thinking outside the box - that was the motto of the latest maths enrichment session at Highgate School. The challenge for our Year 10 students was to find the answer to a calculation by trying out unconventional approaches and strategies. They left the session with a new mindset: there is often a multitude of ways to find a solution to a maths problem and creativity and an open mind are crucial ingredients. A big Thank You to our partners at Highgate School for putting on another inspiring enrichment lesson, allowing our boys to look at maths through fresh eyes.

Christmas time - reward assembly time: there were big smiles and cheers all around in our main hall when Head of Year Mr Dapaah handed out sweets, treats and accolades to our Year 9 and 10 cohort. Pictured here is just a small snap selection of winners, with Chrishna from form group 9T emerging as the autumn term's most rewarded student. Well done to everybody putting in a top effort between September and now! Long may your commitment and dedication continue.

Our pastoral mentor Mr Thomas was delighted to welcome solicitor Garry Green KC to St Aloysius in November. Described as 'a passionate and committed advocate, fearlessly defending his clients’ right to a fair trial', Mr Green spoke passionately about his profession to our Sixth Form students, as well as a selection of boys from Key Stages 3 and 4. Some of them even got to put on traditional legal wear in the shape of a wig and a gown! The event was described as 'inspirational', 'informative' and even 'eye-opening' by some of the students, who got a real insight into a vocation that can make a huge difference to people's lives. KC stands for 'King's Council' by the way.

Say Hi to our new Thursday afternoon art club, enthusiastically led by Mr Al-Asadi! The boys pictured are creating gruesome pencil drawings of ghosts, learning more about the all important balance between light and shade to create a dynamic effect. The atmosphere was calm and focused when we visited, with the students clearly enjoying a bit of creative down-time after a busy day at school.

We are positively bursting with new clubs this year, and our students are lapping up the refreshed offer. Chess, Robotics, Cooking, French and Boxing are proving extremely popular with our intake. Some of the clubs are organised in partnership with our private sector neighbours at Channing School.

Astounding fact: did you know that plants can only turn 0.1%-8% of the sunlight they receive into energy? It sounds like a small amount of food to survive on but plants seem to be wondrous creations...

After 11 years, Head of PE Stewart Henderson leaves St Aloysius College. He will be sorely missed, not just by the pupils who benefitted from his innovative and student-centred approach, but also his team of PE teachers and the wider school overall. "I loved teaching at Aloysius," Mr Henderson tells us. "The boys here are very keen to do well and full of energy - they rarely show up without their kit!' Asked what he would describe as the highlight of his more than a decade long run at the college, he points at the English Schools Football Finals in 2016. 'We scored 1:0 and became champions of England, fired on by 250 Aloysius students. A day I will never forget.' We wish Mr Henderson all the best for his future career and send massive thanks for his invaluabale contributions to St Aloysisus' College.