During the half-term break fourteen teachers from schools in Tower Hamlets visited two schools in Philadelphia to see how London schools and, indeed, St. Paul's Way compared.

In the first visit, schools started at 8am sharp with the school already buzzing around 7.30am. Students were confident and polite and the uniform was immaculate. Due to a history of gangs and weapons, schools bags were not allowed and instead students were spied lugging piles of books from their lockers between lessons. A security guard was employed full time and the local police also had close links with the school. Students completed enrichment activities after school, which ranged from cooking to American football. If students failed two subjects in a given year then they had to attend summer school in their main three month holiday.

Forgetting their PE kit three times meant they failed that subject, so organisation was essential. The school canteen's menu offered steak, cheese, chips, cheese, and deep-fried cheese. The school had a high ethnic diversity with a large African-American majority. Assessment usually involved long modules of work with a final presentation on the topic in front of peers and parents alike. Not surprisingly the war of independence was both an historic topic and constant joke throughout the week. The personal highlight for me was a teacher asking if we used American Dollars in England.

The second school was a religious, selective school with students rising to greet the teacher in each lesson. The school could hold a massive 2,400 students but currently only had only 1,400 students enrolled. Students were again polite and eager to hear foreign accents and were enthusiastic that teachers had travelled eight hours by plane to see them!

Overall an invaluable educational experience for both students and teachers from both sides of the Atlantic.

Mr Tudjman, ICT Department

Year 11 Photography students are taking part in an exciting 'Big Brother'-style experiment for the "Artbeat" Project.

They are currently working with performance artist, Jason Bruges, using pioneering technology. They are creating artwork which will be shown in an exhibition and later displayed in the offices of Allen & Overy in Canary Wharf.

Last weekend, the students carried tracking devices to record their movement around the streets of London. These devices are being trialled by the company and may appear in shops in the future. They came back to school this week to see the digitally recorded movement on a computer screen. The digital artwork will be combined with photographic images the students took during those same journeys over the weekend.

Ms Fairbrother, Art & Design Department