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  • PE Update 22/1/25

    Published 22/01/25

    KS3 Basketball

    Well done to our Year 7 and 8 basketball teams, who opened their league accounts vs Cleeve Park on Monday. The Year 8s romped to a 37-6 win, whilst the Year 7s were narrowly beaten 12-10, with a late score proving decisive for CP.

    Well played!

    Mr Lines, Head of PE

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Girls' Football

    The U13 girls' football team played against Blackheath this week. It was not the win we hoped for this evening but 100% effort was given by everyone. What more could we ask for!
    The opposition player of the match goes to Nehi.
     
    Great work everyone!
     
    Mrs Kemp, PE Department

    KS3 Badminton

    We were proud to take our KS3 boys to the Kent Badminton championships on Wednesday. The boys played brilliantly, picking up some impressive wins against some prestigious opponents, but didn’t qualify for the next round.

    Well played boys!

    Mr Lines

     

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  • 'Heavy Hugs' ~ Young Enterprise 2025

    Published 22/01/25

    For years, students in Year 12 from Bexley Grammar have participated in the prestigious Young Enterprise competition. Young Enterprise is a charity that’s determined to give young people the opportunity to develop life skills such as teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving to give us the knowledge & confidence we will need to have a chance in the changing world of work.

    Over the last few years, we’ve noticed how stress and anxiety are affecting an increasing number of people in our school. We’ve noticed how more and more students are suffering in silence. How many people struggle with these feelings but often hesitate to seek help due to societal stigma and the distorted perception that it would be a sign of weakness.

    We wanted to create something that could offer comfort. That could be a starting point for those struggling to take control of their mental well-being. Something that could take the weight of anxiety off your shoulders. Something that would be the first step in the journey of mastering mental well-being, that would let you enjoy the fullest that life has to offer.

    And that’s how we came up with Heavy Hugs.

    We saw how weighted blankets were becoming increasingly popular in helping people with anxiety or ADHD sleep more easily and wondered if we could apply the same concept to teddy bears. Whether we could make a weighted teddy bear that would provide comfort in a more personal way.

    But for heavy hugs,  it’s not simply a stuffed animal — it’s a warm friend that’s always there for you, no matter the time or situation. It’s a friend that will be there without you having to ask for it.

    Research confirmed our idea through studies on the effects of deep pressure stimulation: the weight provides a calming effect, simulating a mother holding a child, activating the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. In situations of panic or high stress, pressure stimulation helps slow the heart rate, steady breathing, and ease symptoms of anxiety.

    For parents, we can only aspire that our weighted Teddy Bear can be a tool for you to help comfort your children during the hard moments and offer a way for you to say that ‘Everything is going to be okay,’ even without words.

    Even though our journey has only just begun, we have already learnt so much more than we expected. From brainstorming ideas to designing and testing prototypes, every step has been a learning experience.

    We’re very grateful for the opportunity to learn and to make a difference and we’re determined to give it all we’ve got.

    So, for us, this isn’t just about selling a product—it’s about creating a movement.

    Anxiety and stress shouldn’t be obstacles to enjoying life, especially for children.

    By supporting Heavy Hugs, you’re not just buying a teddy bear; you’re joining us in our mission to make a difference.

    We invite you to take that step with us.

    Share our message, tell a friend, or come visit us at Old Spitalfields Market on the 25th February from 9:15am - 3:30pm. If you’re interested in learning more about our bears or placing an order, contact us via our social media links below (website coming soon).  Together, we can help children — and adults — find a little more comfort in their lives. Let’s make this world a more huggable place, one bear at a time.

    Keep up with us on:

    TikTok

    Instagram 

    Young Enterprise Team, 2025

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  • Royal Society of Chemistry ~ Top of the Bench Competition

    Published 21/01/25

    Four teams completed the Royal Society of Chemistry, Top of the Bench Competition task. The teams were asked to create a poster on a Transition metal.  Three of the teams were selected to be entered. Their entries are below.    

    Dr Numbrere-Nmaju, Science Department

    RSC TOTB Competition ~ 2024/2025

    Articles:

    This competition was certainly a valuable experience, I believe: to form a team, partaking in research, writing and design, and to produce something is great. In spite of a group dilemma of transition metals to choose from - with some unusual suggestions, much like throwing darts at the periodic table, there seem to also be many choices that are interesting, rather important in daily life and specific applications, extraordinary in properties, or relevant to the future, and even a combination of these. It was certainly enlightening to learn, through our investigation and presentation of a transition metal, of the extent and application of chemistry, and to delve into the subject which I find myself often fascinated by. Teamwork was also valuable, as we were all eventually tasked with our areas of research, and in simultaneously iterating and criticising our design ideas, we also linked all of our ideas together, both in presentation and understanding. The aspect of design was also a dilemma, but the result was resolved and enthusiastically completed.

    Tianming Xie, Year 10

    I am truly proud of what my group has accomplished within and outside the bounds of this poster: improved organisation, collective research, and great teamwork. This poster is one collection of our communication put into words and illustrations, but overall, our knowledge of chemistry has improved tremendously (to the point where we couldn't fit all our research on the poster!)

    Great work everyone!

    Isabelle Raphael, Year 11  
    Leader of the BGS winning group

     Winning Poster

     

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  • Sponsored Overnight Sleep-out at Severndroog Castle in aid of the Greenwich Homeless Project

    Published 21/01/25

    In January 2025, I, alongside several other students at BGS, took part in a sponsored sleep-out to raise money for the Greenwich Winter Shelter. 

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  • TSBA Book Group

    Published 08/01/25

    Last term, Year 7 and Year 8 students participated in the TSBA book club, thanks to the generosity of the PA. They read eight books on the theme of 'You Are Here', a selection of books set in far-away countries or different historical periods. The book they voted as their favourite was A Flash of Fireflies by Aisha Bushby, a book about a young girl relocating from Kuwait to England. Their second favourite was Dogs of the Deadlands by Anthony McGowan, a book which focused on the dogs who were abandoned after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. All the books that we read are available on a display in the library, so please pop up and borrow a book.

    Mrs Carey, Librarian

    I really enjoyed attending Book Club after school because reading is definitely my favourite hobby, and we did lots of fun activities based on books we read at the Book Club and even got to make our own imaginary movie trailers! I liked when we made a podcast the best, as we got to discuss in detail the book we chose (Dogs of the Deadlands, in my case). Making trailers was also quite fun too, as was acting out the storyboard. I also got to know new people from Year 7, because I was placed in a group where I only knew one person. 

    There are definite perks to joining the Book Club, like indulging in your hobby and meeting new people, but other than that, we had biscuits at every meeting! I especially enjoyed the last meeting, because we played a Kahoot quiz and ate three kinds of cake -Victoria sponge, carrot and chocolate as well as chocolate biscuits! 

    I would definitely recommend going to the Book Club; it was a fun and an easy way to settle in and make new friends!

    Safaa Abdul-Aziz, Year 7

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  • Year 8 First Give Social Action ​​​​​​​

    Published 08/01/25

    Over the past couple of months, Year 8 have been involved in the First Give project and each form has chosen a charity to support. Below you can read about what 8ML and 8LC have been doing for their projects.

    Mrs Paige, Senior Academic Mentor, Year 8

    8ML

    Wednesday 18th December saw the BGS EX Hide & Seek event hosted by Wellman 8ML. The event was a fundraiser for Bexley Foodbank, a charity which aids local people in crisis, offering three-day emergency food supplies. On that day, so many people were so eager to attend, excited about the opportunity and wanted to donate as they knew it was going to a good cause.

    BGS EX Hide & Seek was a thrilling, fast-paced game of hide and seek, spanning across the vast school campus. Taking place for an hour after school, the game was competitive, exceeding 100 students participating from Years 7-9. The event was split into two 30-minute segments, commencing with 11 seekers from 8ML, whilst others were chosen to be hiders, and vice versa.

    Alongside the main hide-and-seek event, a selection of seven students volunteered to showcase their proficient, high-level expertise in baking through a bake sale. During the bake sale, a variety of baked goods were sold, ranging from banana bread and brownies to cookies.

    We are pleased to announce that with the efforts of all those who participated, we were able to raise a grand total of £158 for the Bexley Foodbank. The event not only provided a fun and engaging way for the community to come together, but also showcased the creativity and dedication of those involved in planning and executing the game. The funds raised will go towards supporting various charitable initiatives, having a positive impact on the lives of those in need. We are very grateful and appreciative of the many students who donated to the charity.

    Joshua and Jake, Year 8

    8LC

    8LC’s social action for the First Give programme started in early December and all the money we raise from our events will go towards the amazing charity Bexley Snap, which supports disabled children and their carers.

    So far, we have launched a raffle and a quiz night, and we are hoping to host two more events in early 2025. Thank you to all participants and well done to the winners of the raffle and quiz night! 

    Our next event will be a movie night held on the 10th January, and the movie is voted for from the three choices on our poster. We hope to see as many people there as possible!

    Thank you again to everyone who has already taken part in our events to support the worthwhile charity Bexley Snap.

    Aysu, Year 8

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  • Graphic Novelist visits BGS!

    Published 08/01/25

    On the 16th December, Bexley Grammar School were given the amazing opportunity to meet a real-life graphic novelist, Stephen Salah. He talked us through his most famous book, The Dark Lines of London. We were taught many new techniques and literary devices, such as putting in little extra details to add more flavour to the plot of our own stories.

    We all came up with ideas for our own graphic novels. Evelyn in Year 8 won a free book for the most interesting idea. Thank you to Mrs Quinton for arranging this event. I can’t wait for another author to visit!  

    Kendra Kukunda, Year 8

     

     

     

     

     

     

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  • Exam Stress

    Published 08/01/25

    Exam stress is something which we all have experience of, and although stress is good and prepares us (e.g, enhances our focus and motivates us). Too much of it can lead to cognitive problems, for example, impairing our memory. Which is something we need running during an exam!

    Stress can impact how memories are formed, as well as reduce retrieval. 

    It’s important to recognise symptoms of stress-impaired memory, as well as what is causing this stress in the first place!  Finding the root of the problem and coming to terms with it helps to create a more focused approach to dealing with it.

    Symptoms to recognise include (but not limited to):

    • Forgetfulness
    • Frequent confusion
    • Difficulty recalling studied material

    So how can we tackle this problem?

    There are many coping mechanisms which we can use to reduce stress.

    One simple, yet effective way to improve memory, by reducing stress, is to create a relaxation system. Whether this is a series of breathing exercises or visualising your happy place, it is important you have these systems in place and ready to use at the first sign of stress.

    Many researchers (Zandi et al, 2021) have found that practising mindfulness (e.g. meditation) can help improve your memory by minimising stress, and even helping with any issues of getting to sleep.

    Sleep is also an important key factor to doing well in exams, sleeping after studying helps to consolidate your learning (reinforce new information and commit them to long term memory), as well as allowing your brain to be refreshed for the next day (Diekelmann et al, 2009).

    Which means you won’t end up falling asleep during your exam!

    For some more information, here are some helpful links:

    For anyone who may need some support, here are some useful organisations:

    Zandi- DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_616_20

    Diekelmann- doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2008.08.002.

    Blaise Stokes, Year 12 Psychology Prefect

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  • Cognitive Effects of Not Sleeping Properly on Emotions

    Published 08/01/25

    During such an exam-heavy academic term, it can be easy to overwork ourselves and sacrifice our sleep in the process, having negative implications on our emotions. With 1 in 3 students not receiving 9 to 11 hours of sleep per night, this being the optimal cognitive function needed, this leads to problems with learning, focusing, and reacting, having challenges later in life.

    Looking at sleep from a more emotional perspective, proper sleep is crucial not just for cognitive performance, but for emotional recognition and regulation amongst school students. Insufficient sleep can impair abilities to recognise emotions in yourself and others and engage in positive social interactions. This can affect academic performance as well as social and emotional well-being.

    Some impacts include:

    • Impaired memory and learning: Struggling to retain and recall information, making it harder to learn new concepts and perform well in school.
    •  Reduced attention and concentration: Difficulty in paying attention in class, engaging during lessons, or even following basic instructions.
    •  Lower academic performance: Missing important details in lessons or making more mistakes in tests.
    •  Slower reaction times: The lack of sleep can lead to slower cognitive responses, affecting abilities to complete tasks on time or respond to challenges effectively.
    •  Decreased motivation and engagement: Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to a lack of motivation, making students less inclined to participate in class activities or complete assignments.

    It has been scientifically proven that poor sleep quality has a strong correlation with lower grades and reduced academic achievement, as it affects your cognitive abilities like memory, mood and concentration.

    Some studies have shown this:

    The effect of sleep deprivation and restriction on mood, emotion, and emotion regulation (Cara C Tomaso, Anna B Johnson & Timothy D Nelson et al 2020)

    The effect of sleep deprivation and restriction on mood ...National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov)https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › articles › PMC8193556

    Get a brief insight into the amygdala, what sleep debt really is and sleep deprivation and how you can avoid it (Zahid Saghir, Javeria N Syeda, Adnan S Muhammad & Tareg H Balla Abdulla et al 2018)

    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6122651/

    GB, Year 12 Psychology Prefect

     
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  • What’s happening with Sport in 2025…

    Published 18/12/24

    The BGS Prefects have a list of sports to watch out for next year.

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  • PE Winter Report 18/12/24

    Published 18/12/24
    Year 7 Netball

    This term, Year 7 students have shown incredible enthusiasm and dedication to netball at Bexley Grammar School. Weekly training sessions have been buzzing with energy, with an impressive number of students attending regularly to hone their skills and work as a team. Their hard work has paid off in matches, where they’ve displayed excellent gameplay, teamwork, and sportsmanship, achieving commendable results against local schools.

    Special recognition goes to our Players of the Term who have stood out for their outstanding effort, commitment, and positive attitude throughout the season.

    Players of the term

    Well done to all involved – we can’t wait to see how you continue to develop next term! They finished this term with a Christmas tournament.

    Fabulous friendly festive fun! The winners were the reindeers, closely followed by the puddings! A fantastic way to end the term. Thank you for your commitment. A massive thanks to the Year 9 leaders for assisting working on their DOFE every week.

    Click on the link here to view the PE Winter Photo Gallery 2024.

    Mrs Kemp, PE Department

    Year 8 & 9 Netball

    We regularly have 3 full courts of netballers training after school on a Wednesday.  This has been a superb commitment this term, girls!  Recent fixtures have seen convincing wins against St Catherine's. 

    More to come in the new year.  Really well done and have a wonderful Christmas break ladies!

    Year 10-13 Netball 

    We have had huge numbers attending netball club on Wednesday nights from our Year 10 & 11 cohorts.

    The teams have worked hard to develop their skills throughout the court and, individually, students have really improved.

    Scores

    St Matthew's
    Year 10A 18-8 St Matthews A
    Year 10B 6-6 St Matthews B

    Chislehurst & Sidcup GS
    Year 10 15-11 CSGS
    Year 11 12-15 CSGS

    Gravesend Grammar, Sixth Form
    1st team 26-20 GGS
    2nd team 13-4

    Year 11 Tournament
    A team - 1st place
    B team - 7th place

    Year 10 Tournament
    2nd Place

    Players of the term

    Ayaka has been outstanding this term, showing real strength in the shooting circle and great versatility on court. Ayaka is highly dedicated and has a fantastic attitude.

    Sophie has shown great leadership on the court for Year 10 this year. Her shooting and dominance on court has been evident in every game she has played!

    A huge shout-out to Alice Black and Evie Matthews, who played in our first team against Gravesend Grammar in November. Both girls showed great experience on court and led the team to a very close win!

    Well done all! 

    Click on the link here to view the PE Winter Photo Gallery 2024.

    Badminton

    Year 9, 10, 11 Badminton Club sees a spread of year groups. Year 9, 10, 11 girls playing against Dartford Grammar with Key Stage 4 becoming victorious!

    Thank you to all who have attended badminton this term that sees KS4 Badminton finish for this year. We welcome KS3 students to join us after Christmas, 7.45am in the Sports Hall, Year 8 every week A, Year 7 every week B.

    Swimming

    Our swimming teams have attended galas at Colfe’s school this term. Our senior team had a superb gala in November, with the girls finishing 3rd and the boys being crowned champions. The team finished 2nd overall. There were some fantastic performances, with BGS winning 15 of the 35 races.

    Running Club

    Every Friday, Week B at 7.45am
    Around Bexley Grammar School, there are many parks and green areas. We are proud to have a running club, where anyone of any ability can run in Danson Park and enjoy the great scenery, landscape, and also some friendly faces from the school! We meet near the sports hall, then we all head off to Danson Park, where we go on our run. Please join the running club. It is a fun way to start your day and have a relaxing run.

    Scott Morris, Year 7

    Running club takes place every Friday, Week B in Danson Park, and is a fun way to start your day. We take a relaxed run around the park, admiring the scenery (and the baby ducklings if we’re lucky!). Everyone can come, you don’t need to be a brilliant runner!

    Caitlin Mackintosh, Year 8

    Girls' Football

    We’ve been lucky to have Charlton Academy working alongside this group of students with more fixtures to look forward to in 2025.

    Year 8 Football

    The Year 8 squad have enjoyed their first season playing 11 a-side.  There have been some great goals scored alongside some impressive results, particularly the 9-0 win over Cleeve Park and the 6-3 victory against Harris Falconwood. 

    The Captain has been rotated and many of the squad have stepped up and taken their turn at leading the side.  There is a great spirit within the team which will definitely prove a good foundation to build on.  I want to thank those players who are not always in the squad but have contributed so importantly this season. 

    Representing BGS is something that you should all be very proud of!  Keep up the great work Year 8!

    Rugby

    Our rugby teams have enjoyed a busy term, and have produced some fantastic performances in their games.  The highlights for me are always the progress of new players. With a limited rugby pedigree, it’s always a real pleasure to see our players grow in confidence and understanding over the course of training and matches. There’s a lot to learn in rugby, and with our fixtures starting early, some players can feel a bit unprepared, but they quickly acclimatise and do really well.

    With that in mind, our rising stars for rugby this term have been:

    Year 7 - Pavel Jankulowski, Jason Rai

    Year 8 - Kevin Taflaj, Aarush Upadhye, Jean-Andre Koidjo

    Year 9 - Daniel Moss, Dev Prasadh

    Year 10 - Alex Dimitrov, Joshua Chukwu-Ike

    Performance highlights would include:

    • The Year 7s won their first ever game, and clinging on for a win against Cleeve Park.
    • Year 8s finally getting a win in the gloom at Bexleyheath Academy.
    • The Year 9 squad beat both Langley Park and Wilmington GS with a small squad due to injuries.
    • The Year 10s produced a fantastic performance to beat a very strong and experienced Buller’s Wood Boys' team.

    Click on the link here to view the PE Winter Photo Gallery 2024.

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  • Careers in Languages evening at St. Dunstan's College

    Published 18/12/24

    On a crisp, cold December evening, an enthusiastic group of Year 11, 12 and 13 linguists visited St Dunstan’s College in Catford and were treated to a 'Careers in Languages' evening. The event was billed as a chance to attend an inspiring evening to unlock a world of opportunities with languages. Students explored the diverse and rewarding career paths that language skills can open up. They discovered many incredible opportunities listening to speakers from top organisations such as GCHQ, Military Intelligence, the Foreign Office, and the UN. They also heard first hand from a panel of current language undergraduates, who shared their experiences of studying languages at university. Additionally, they had the opportunity to take part in a fascinating taster session of Japanese, hosted by Kings Language Centre. Many BGS students came away inspired about future career possibilities of which they had not been aware prior to the evening.

    Mrs Watkins, MFL Department

    The trip to St Dunstan's was amazing! At the beginning of the event, we listened to a presentation by a group of people who are currently studying languages at university and using them in their jobs. It was very interesting as we also found out about different job ideas, such as working with GCHQ, MI5 and MI6. I had such a good time looking at the different stalls, where we were also given freebies too! The school was so grand and it was overall an amazing experience!

    Gracie Gosling, Year 12

    I really enjoyed the language trip to St Dunstan's - we enjoyed a variety of talks from a range of people using languages daily in their work and I found it fascinating to see the variety of ways that languages can be used in work. Translators aren't the only jobs, there are many others, such as GCHQ Language Analysts, Hotel Managers and many others. It gave an amazing insight into the pathway languages can give you in the future and I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to take part.

    Rafael De Souza-Plans, Year 11

    Tuesday brought an exciting opportunity for Bexley Grammar School MFL department, in collaboration with St Dunstan's College, who provided an amazing event on the subject of careers in languages. The night was a fantastic, information-filled evening where I got to hear from many linguists, such as a representative from the United Nations, members of the British Army - Intelligence Corps, GCHQ, university students and graduates, business owners, teachers and more. I think the most interesting moment for me was the question panel at the end!

    As someone who is hard of hearing, and fascinated by sign language around the world, I thought it would be interesting to hear if any of the professional linguists had any interaction with foreign sign languages. The silence after I had asked this question was powerful, as all the best linguists that could be brought to the career evening expressed their bewilderment and interest in sign language, but none had learnt any sign in the over 300 sign languages in existence, that provide over 70 million people with communication in the world. This question also led to some fascinating personal conversations, including with some of the panellists about my experiences with language and communication. I hope this spreads awareness to all present in the evening, and those reading this, about the prevalence of sign language around the world.

    Louis Luckman, Year 11

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