Headteacher December 2017 As all of Year 7 and our new Year 12 students reach the end of their first term at TBSHS, I feel confident they are beginning to understand what is expected from them and how they need to perform at their best at our school. This term we have set high standards and continued to provide students with a vast array of different opportunities which they have all been encouraged to make the most of to get involved in what the school has to offer. We continue to work on building resilience in our students and helping them to become more independent as learners, by asking them to take greater responsibility for themselves and their own progress. For some young people, when many things are always done for them, they grow to expect it and therefore don’t really learn to cope with or solve problems for themselves. Collectively, we need to prepare them for life beyond school when they will face their fair share of struggles and have to make decisions under pressure. One strategy involves us responding to questions with questions so that students are required to really think things through, apply logic and give explanations of their own. At home you can help to build their independence by challenging them to develop their own practical skills to help with everyday life. The all-round performance by all those involved in this year’s musical, School of Rock, was stunning. The high quality of music sustained throughout the evening, the excellent acting, the superb choreography and dancing all made it feel such a slick, professional production. It was lovely to see so many students, from across the full age range, putting on a great spectacle and clearly having so much fun. Congratulations to all the students and staff involved, including those who worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to make it such a success. The Autumn and Christmas Concerts were similarly successful, with the latter involving over 200 students. The final song ‘O Come, Amazing Grace’ was performed beautifully by students from the senior choir, supported by the vast Year 7 mega choir and provided a fitting end to the feast of Christmas music. We have seen some great commitment to rugby this term, which has led to many hard-fought victories across all year groups. This sustained commitment has been particularly apparent in Year 7, where vast numbers of boys have worked hard in training week after week, and an incredible 120 boys from that year group alone have already played in at least one competitive rugby match for the school, which would simply not be possible in most state schools. Despite the school football season not officially starting until January, the Senior 1st XI have already made great progress in the English Schools FA Cup this year, defeating Samuel Whitbread Academy at the end of November to progress to the last 32 teams in the country. Student success has not been confined to the sports field either with great performances in the Schools’ Mace public debating competition, the Youth Speaks public speaking competition and the Senior Maths Team challenge. As always, these opportunities to represent the school and to develop the requisite skills can only happen because of the efforts and dedication of the staff involved, so a big thank you to them. At the start of December lots of TBSHS staff and students were involved in the Bishop’s Stortford Educational Trust (BSET) Oxbridge and Medical school event. It involved prospective students from all of the BSET schools being really challenged and given practice interviews to help them prepare for the application and admission process for the country’s most prestigious courses and universities. Great preparation for those involved.
The Department for Education (DfE) provided us with some very encouraging analysis of our GCSE exam performance from the summer. It showed that our Progress 8 score, which is the main measure of school performance, is well above the expected level of progress, when compared with boys nationally, meaning, they did far better than boys of their ability would do in most schools. We are also delighted that so many of them chose to stay on into Year 12, our highest proportion ever. As the public consultation is now taking place regarding Countryside Properties’ plans for the Bishop’s Stortford South development, we await, with interest, the decision on whether the site is to be released from the greenbelt. If the outcome is positive we will look to further our plans to relocate the school to the heart of that site. The move will be funded through a number of sources including; capital funding provided by central Government as part of its Priority School Building Programme (PSBP), receipts generated from the sale of the existing school site and any appropriate financial contributions secured through planning obligations from housing developments in the area. We hope to be able to share more information when we hold our Mitre Friends launch evening on 24th January, to which all parents are cordially invited. On Friday we held our service to celebrate the life and contributions of Darren Solomons, who sadly passed away last month. As with Darren’s funeral, large numbers of staff and students, both past and present, came together to celebrate his life and the tremendous impact he had on the lives of those he taught and worked with. We shall be forever grateful for the time and dedication he gave to the school and our students. When we reflect on the successes and the quality of experience our students have had since July, there is much to be proud of. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the parent body for your ongoing support, as we strive to do the best for our students and prepare them for their future. Finally, I would like to wish you all a joyful Christmas and good health and happiness throughout the coming year.
Mr Dale Reeve Headteacher
Art Department Year 11 students visit to the Imperial War Museum. A recent trip to The Age of Terror Exhibition at the Imperial War Museum has inspired our Y11 GCSE Art students to look more closely at the themes of modern warfare. The Age of Terror Exhibition examines Art work made since the 9/11 terror attack in New York and included challenging work from different perspectives. This show ties in nicely with their current GCSE Art Project “Band of Brothers” where the students are encouraged to explore comradeship through adversity. Some of the themes of the exhibition were challenging and the range of materials used to create the work allowed the students to think of different approaches to communicating their ideas. Students also had a chance to explore the permanent collection of war artefacts and take photographs for their sketchbooks. All in all the students had a great day out in London and we now look forward to seeing the final outcomes for their project.
Football The Last 32 & an England Trial TBSHS U18 Football Team are down to the last 32 in the country The Bishop’s Stortford High School 1st XI have had a fantastic start to the football season as they have a 100% win record in both the County and National Cup. In the National Cup they are currently in the last 32 in the country following an excellent run of games against St John’s Senior School (8-0), Sandringham School (4-0) and Richard Hale (2-0). Samuel Whitbread Academy was a tough away draw to a school with a football academy attached to their 6th form but one that the boys relished as it would be a good test. It was a cold and windy day which made for quite a cagey match with neither team taking too many risks in defence and quite a few passes going astray. TBSHS started the brighter of the two teams but were unable to carve out any real goal scoring opportunities until George Jefferies struck a right footed free-kick from 30 yards out which cannoned off the crossbar and brought the game to life as Nick Randall followed up with an effort that the keeper could only tip over the bar. From the resultant TBSHS corner Samuel Whitbread cleared the ball and broke quickly on the 25 minute mark, the defence was caught a little cold and as the opposition burst forward a miss timed tackle led to a two versus one situation and Samuel Whitbread took full advantage to fire past a diving Will Skingley in goal to take the lead. This gave the game a much needed lift but put TBSHS on to the back foot as Samuel Whitbread came forward looking to double their lead and had several half chances before the break. Half-time was a much needed break for Dave Sadler (Head of Football) and Pete Harris (Head of PE) to reorganise and provide instructions for the second half. The second half started far better for TBSHS and they played the majority of it in the oppositions half but were still unable to create a clear goal scoring opportunity with Olly Miles having several chances that were charged down and Ethan Barton being denied with a last ditch tackle. The break through finally came when Callum Taylor who had worked tirelessly upfront was brought down from behind about 25 yards from goal and Olly Miles stepped up to whip the ball around the wall and into the bottom corner. This was the much needed boost that the team needed and the pressure continued to be piled on to Samuel Whitbread as the two TBSHS wingers Sam Law and George Jefferies attacked at every opportunity. With 15 minutes to go the introduction of Elliot Long provided to be inspired as he jinked down the left wing before standing the ball up to the back post for Olly Miles to power a header past the Samuel Whitbread goalkeeper for TBSHS to take the lead. Samuel Whitbread showed great character as this proved a catalyst for 10 minutes of sustained attacking play from them as they hunted down the equaliser, which nearly came from a shot that smashed off the bar as Will Skingley watched on stranded. TBSHS managed the game well into the final few minutes killing the game off with good use of the ball in the wide positions and cleverly earning free-kicks as Callum Taylor and Olly Miles continued to impress with their hold-up play. The TBSHS back four of Adam Crowther, Alec Chappell, Coby Miles and Connor La Plain maintained their discipline and concentration until the final whistle to ensure that TBSHS progressed into the later stages of the competition. Dave Sadler commented “The way the boys listened and responded at half time showed a great deal about their character, resilience and a willingness to take on board feedback to get a result from this difficult match. They are a very talented group of players who are extremely coachable, and have developed a great team spirit and togetherness. I am excited to see how far they can progress in both competitions”.
For Adam Crowther making it into the last 32 of the National Cup was the icing on the cake for a fantastic couple of weeks for him as he has been selected to attend a 3 day trial for the U18 England Schoolboy team. Following two seasons of outstanding county performances and being selected as captain, he along with Ethan Barton were selected to represent the South East of England in a match versus the South West being watched by the England selectors. Adam continued his fine vein of form and was picked out to make it into the last 32 players for a selection process that will see him have three days at Lilleshall in which he is aiming to make it into the final squad of 16 players. Adam has grasped this opportunity and is training hard to improve his overall game to give himself the best chance possible after Christmas. Peter Harris believes that “The commitment that Adam has shown towards his football will stand him in good stead for the trial and we all wish Adam Crowther the best of luck in his England trial.”
Music Department Music Mitre Association Autumn Term Update Dear MMA members, Thank you again for supporting the work of the Music Department at TBSHS. Just to update you about some of our recent and approaching events:
School of Rock It was the school musical on Thursday and Friday last week – the product of 10 weeks of blood, sweat and tears. Mr Newsome and myself had been working hard rehearsing 32 individual pieces with the members of the cast and pit band. We are so proud of their accomplishments. It was truly an excellent performance by all the students involved.
Masterclass with Richard Meyrick We had a Masterclass delivered by the professional pianist Richard Meyrick yesterday between 11:00am-12:30pm. Six of our most talented pupils performed in front of a small audience of music students. After the masterclass, Richard selected one of our students as being gifted enough to take part in a special scholarship scheme, providing funding and support for exceptional students to have lessons with professional concert pianists. Well done Owen Lee! Please see the link for further details: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0fLTW5JJtSBUzcwWmp1ZW9ZeTQ/view.
Bishop’s Stortford Christmas Fayre (Saturday 2nd December) Unfortunately, we have had to cancel our involvement in this event due to the fact that too many of our students are unable to attend.
Christmas Concert (Thursday 7th December) We are well on our way with preparations for the Christmas Concert. It will start at 7pm and finish just after 9pm. If anyone is able to help with front of house (tickets on the door), or refreshments during the interval (around 7:45pm) it would be very much appreciated.
PTFA Candlelit Ball (Friday 8th December) The Senior Choir will be performing at this annual PTFA fundraising event. The Candlelit Ball starts at around 7pm. Tickets can be purchased from Debbie Landers (TBSHS office).
ABRSM exams (Friday 26th Jan 2018) We have the Associated Board in on Friday 26th for another full day of performance exams for TBSHS students. This terms entries include Kaiya Hales (year 12) who will be taking his diploma on the classical guitar.
Christmas Carol Services (Friday 15th and Monday 18th December) There will be carol services at St Michael’s Church on the afternoon of Friday 15th December and the morning and afternoon of Monday 18th December. Parents are welcome to attend any of these services if they are free to do so. They start at 9:20am and 1:30pm. There will be a rehearsal for the musicians in the morning on the Friday. The choir, brass group and possibly the string group will perform.
Awards Evening (Monday 18th December) We celebrate the successes of our school leavers, as they return to TBSHS for awards evening. There will be music awards, a musical performances by Skye Platts (one of the Music Festival Advanced finalists) .. oh .. and some awards for other subjects as well.
Final Assembly (Tuesday 19th December) The final assembly will take place at 11:15am on Tuesday 19th, just before we break for the Christmas Holidays. The Concert Band, Swing Band and potentially the Jazz Band will perform.
Other successes from this term: •
The appointment of two new music leaders in Skye Platts and Leah Bartram.
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The formation of the Senior String Group and their first performance of Corelli’s Trio Sonata in D at the Autumn Chamber Concert – fantastic!
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The formation and increase in numbers of the TBSHS String Ensemble (it now has 14 members). Look out for them in the Christmas Concert.
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Mitchell Farquharson being awarded an organ scholarship at the prestigious Chichester Cathedral.
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Ex-pupil and TBSHS legend – Eli Haines – receiving his Diploma on the Trombone.
A busy term, but an enjoyable one. Any help that can be offered for the Christmas Concert would be welcome. Let me know. Kind regards (and is it too early to wish you all a Merry Christmas – perhaps!) Mike Cosadinos Head of Music The Bishop’s Stortford High School
Maths Department December 2017 Maths In Action Study Day On Thursday 22ⁿd November, 13 intrepid Mathematics students from our Sixth form took a train into London to attend the annual Maths In Action Study Day run by The Training Partnership. This year’s lectures included the classic ‘Fermat’s Last Theorem’ by Simon Singh, ‘Are we made of Maths’ by Mark Lewney, ‘The P=NP problem’ by Kevin Buzzard (he of the loud trousers) and ‘Drinking from the Fire House’ by Miranda Mowbray. This was a fantastic opportunity for students to explore both Pure and Applied Maths beyond the school curriculum and gainer a deeper understanding of Mathematics as a subject and the many directions that Mathematics can take you. Thanks to Miss Tudo and Mr Hobbs for taking the event. B Boxall
Senior Maths Challenge This year 14 Year 13 students, 17 Year 12 students and four Year 11 students competed in the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge. This is an event that we hold every year and have had some great success with in the past. Students answer interesting and sometimes complex Mathematics questions in a multiple choice format ( with negative marking! ) and are awarded certificates if they do well, with the highest performing students nationally being invited to enter a further competition. In this year’s event, 3 students were awarded Gold certificates, 19 Silver, and 9 Bronze. Congratulations to all who took part and particular congratulations to Riku Green in year 13 who qualified for the Senior Kangaroo and Joey Xiang in Year 12 who qualified for the first selection round of the British Mathematical Olympiad (BMO). James Gor in Year 11 has also been entered for the BMO as a result of his continued success in the main school. We look forward to the results of both the Senior Kangaroo and the BMO. B Boxall
Senior Team Maths Challenge Our UKMT Senior Maths team this year consisted of Millie Mitchell, Ben Smith from Year 13 and Dylan Canty and Joey Xiang from Year 12. The competition took place at The Centre for Mathematical Sciences in Cambridge, and was attended by 26 local schools. In the past we have done well to finish in the middle of the field, as the competition is fierce. However this year the students performed particularly well and achieved a respectable 10th place, beating our local rivals. B Boxall
Drama Firstly welcome to our new drama teacher Matthew Comiskey who has already made an impressive impact within the department directing School of Rock. It was a busy term in the Drama Department rich with extra-curricular clubs, rehearsals, the whole school show and preparation for the GCSE and A Level performance evenings next term. Please read about what the students in our department have been getting up to, with many in upcoming television and local theatre productions. I would like to thank my colleagues Matthew Comiskey, Natalie Miles, Mike Cosadinos, Joe Turone, Sophie Antony and Claire Jonas for all their hard work and dedication to the students, the department and the extra-curricular activities that we run. A big thank you also to those students who are helping with clubs, events and productions. Have a great Christmas. Hayley Bart-Williams Head of Drama.
Extra-Curricular Clubs Report Drama Club (Year 7-8) Friday lunchtimes. Studio 26 Shem Jacobs, Ester Roberts and Tommy Tancock have been appointed as drama leaders and will be in charge of running the drama scholars next year, which will be on a Friday Lunch time. We will be exploring sections of plays working on characterisation skills and practitioners theory. Along with some improvisation games to improve on this skill. Well done to all those who have taken part in drama scholars this year.
Technical Theatre Crew (Year 7-13) Monday after school Studio 70 Mr Joe Turone In Technical Theatre Club this term we have focusing a lot of our time on the preparation for the school production of School of Rock in particular. This has been a great opportunity for students to put their knowledge gained from the start of the year into practice with the running of a professional production. The majority of the Tech Club were involved in the school show in some way, shape or form so I’m grateful for their input, hard work and enthusiasm. Thank you to all the boys that did the sound and lighting for the Christmas Concert in my absence I hear it was a great success.
Production Report The school production of School of Rock was a brilliant success. There were stand-out performances from lead boy and girl – James Knudsen and Leah Bartram. This year saw the largest cohort of students taking part. There were a number of positive comments from parents: “The lead part was amazing, the humour worked really well and the audience were truly in awe of the music delivered. Great evening.” “The singing and acting great, the band very impressive, and the leads absolutely amazing!” The support that was given by the staff was invaluable and every contribution that was made, whether it be time or effort, is greatly appreciated by the Drama department. The hard work of technical team and backstage crew was evident in the smooth running of the show. The important thing is that all students taking part felt a huge sense of pride. It is an unbeatable feeling when everybody pulls together
and produces a show that participants can be extremely proud of. We already look forward to doing it again next year!
Exams Overview Next term will be busy, with both A Level and GCSE performance exams taking place. Year 13 have been working hard devising work based on a stimuli in the style of either Brecht or Berkoff. They are about to start their scripted pieces which will both be performed next term. Year 12 will also have a performance evening where you will have an opportunity to see their reinterpretation of a text. Key dates will be sent as soon as the exam board sends confirmation. I have been lucky enough to have been their during both year groups devising process and have seen much high quality and creative work. Year 11 have been working very hard on creating devised work based on the stimuli ‘It was a cold, bright day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen.’ They have come up with some very interesting pieces and these will be performed at 5.30 in room 70 on the 16th of January. Following this at some point in February they will perform their scripted pieces in front of an external examiner. Key dates will be put on the parental bulletin once we have confirmation from the board. I would like to take this opportunity to say ‘Break A Leg’ and I am sure their exam evenings will be a success.
Overview It has been a rewarding and successful term in the drama department. Thriving with talent and always buzzing with energy making it a pleasure to work in the department. I would like to thank all of the pupils for their hard work in the subject and for being a joy to direct and teach. We would also like to take this opportunity to say ‘Break a Leg’ to all the students auditioning for places at drama school next year Have a fantastic Christmas and break. Mrs Bart-Williams. Head of Drama
History Department News It has been another busy term in the History Department.
Year 7 Students in Year 7 have been studying Medieval England, analysing events such as the Norman Conquest and the Murder of Thomas Becket. They also investigated castle building and a number of students produced some outstanding work creating models of, or posters about, castles that they had visited or researched. The effort and attention to detail of some of the students was hugely impressive. These photographs can be seen in the History - Castles Year 7 Photo gallery at the end of this section.
Year 8 Students in Year 8 have studied the English Civil War, Interpretations of Oliver Cromwell, the Industrial Revolution and more recently The Transatlantic Slave Trade. Students have been making their own film documentaries about slavery and the reasons for the abolition of the trade within the British Empire in 1807. Again, some of the work has been of an incredibly high standard.
Lower School History Club (Y7&8) This club meets every Monday lunchtime at 1.20pm in Room 2. “This term, we have been focusing on the medieval period, looking at both warfare and daily life. From September to October, we made our own model castles out of cereal boxes, toilet rolls and paper - sadly not quite imposing enough from which to oppress the local populace, but they look great on a mantelpiece! More recently, we have been in small groups designing board games based on ordinary life in the Middle Ages, range from the inspired Medieval Monopoly to a revamped Top Trumps, with a Christmassy prize for the best creation. In our final session, intensive play-testing led to Robin Munday, Filip Janitz-de-la-Rue and Max Lavergne (all Year 8) being crowned our winners - well done boys!” Many thanks to Miss Quinlan for running this great club!
Lower School Ancient History Club (Y7&8) On a Friday lunchtime, students get the opportunity to investigate Ancient History in Room 9. Amongst many different activities, students have recently been learning and recreating the story of Romulus and Remus and the birth of Rome. Many thanks to Mr Conquest for leading these sessions!
Year 8 and 9 Richard Knight Lectures Unfortunately, the Richard Knight, Khaki on Campaign, History lectures that were due to be held on 12th December had to be cancelled as a result of the school closure.
I am pleased to say that these have been rearranged for the 9th January 2018.
Year 9 students currently studying History Will hear a lecture on the development of warfare during the Second World War to advance their understanding of the events that they were studying in the autumn term. The talk will cover issues such as the development of the roles and uniforms of the British soldier from 1939, including the evolution of airborne forces; the German invasion of Crete and the first mass dropping of paratroopers; and the build-up and key events of the D-Day landings. Students will get a chance to look at a wide range of equipment (both genuine and replica) from the war. This talk will take place during Period 2.
All Year 8 students Will hear a presentation about WWI which will include some of the following issues: recruitment and the Kitchener Volunteers; military uniforms and equipment; life in the trenches; the use of poison gas; the role of heavy artillery and much more. Again students will get the chance to look at a wide range of equipment from the war. This will help to prepare students for a more detailed look at the First World War within their History lessons after Christmas. This talk will take place during Period 4. More detail about Richard Knight can be found at: http://www.khakioncampaign.webs.com/ Although there is no formal charge, we are asking students to make a voluntary contribution, where possible, of £2 to help cover the costs of the presentations. These will be collected on the day of the talks.
The Cold War: The Shadow of the Future – IWM Duxford Trip In November, a group of Year 10 and 11 students got the opportunity to take pilot an interactive decision making game at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford. Using video, game theory and roleplay students were recruited by American scientists to explore decision-making in the context of The Cold War. In the shadow of IWM’s historic collection play ‘The Prisoner’s Dilemma’, a real-life thought experiment employed by the global think-tank the RAND Corporation in 1950, they examined the challenges facing both sides in an age of potential nuclear Armageddon. Thank you to Mr Stark, Mr Conquest, Mrs Parr and Mrs Haines for accompanying the trip.
The Berlin and Battlefields Trip Plans for the Y11 GCSE History Trip to Ypres and Berlin are now well underway. A reminder that the Parental Information Evening will take place on Thursday 11th January 2018 at 18.30 in the school library. I look forward to seeing parents and students to give them more details about the visit. Mr Dickens.
GCSE History Revision GCSE History Revision sessions have taken place every Friday lunchtime between 1.20-2.00pm. These will continue in the Spring term. Students should keep their eyes open for other revision activities coming soon!
A level History Lectures Advance notice of the following A level lectures which will be taking place over the coming months: • A Level History Lecture - Prof Matthew Hughes (Brunel University) - The British Mandate in Palestine - Monday 5th March 3.30pm-5.00pm •
A Level History Lecture – Dr Jonathan Davis (Anglia Ruskin University) – Stalin’s Russia – Either Tuesday 27th March 3.30pm-5.00pm
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A Level History Lecture – Prof Sarah Stockwell (King’s College London) – Interpretations of Decolonisation – Tuesday 24th April 3.30-5.00pm
It is expected that all A level historians (Y12 & 13) attend these events. In addition, Y10 & 11 students considering the subject at a higher level are welcome to be present to get a taste of topics studied in the Sixth Form. Any parent wishing to come, please email
[email protected] For further details about activities carried out by the department, and links to interesting history articles related to relevant topics, you can also follow @tbshshistory on Twitter! Many thanks to parents and students for their ongoing support for all of the above activities! Mr Dickens History Department
The Extended Project Qualification
The Extended Project is an opportunity for Sixth Form students to undertake their own piece of academic research on a topic of their choice before producing either an extended essay (c. 5000 words) or an artefact based upon their findings. The following Y13 students should be congratulated for completing the project, undertaking work on a fascinating range of different issues: Alfie Jennings – To what extent will humans have successfully colonise Mars by the C22nd? Sheryaar Khan – To what extent will the advancement of genomics affect the burden of disease on the public in the next decade Lewis Oakey – To what extent would culling badgers reduce the spread of bovine Tuberculosis from badgers to cattle? Elizabeth Hood – How far has the sexualisation of women in the media impacted upon the role of women in society? Ellis Ashley-Fenn – To what extent were sub-prime mortgages the most important factor in the causation of the financial crisis of 2008? Bethan Leret – To what extent is ketogenic dietary intervention a viable alternative to conventional chemotherapy treatment for malignant cancer care? Kathryn Odrich-Damalle – To what extent have Twitter and Instagram led to increasing levels of racism in the 21st Century? Charlotte Borg – To what extent is criminal behaviour influenced by genetic traits? Sara Dalzell – To what extent should the Holocaust be viewed as the product of historic anti-Semitism? Maria Johnson – To what extent should extreme racism be classified as a psychiatric disorder rather than an issue of social upbringing? Alex Brown – To what extent does modern government surveillance in the Western world sacrifice civil liberties in the name of national security? Jack Boulter – To what extent has the mainstream popularisation of hip-hop affected the impact of its political message? Charles Lockie – Building a robotic automated lawnmower (artefact) George Dallimore – To what extent is the media the most important reason for the continued belief in the occult in the Western hemisphere in the C21st? Joel Williams – Assess the reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire
Joe Apperley – How significant was the Battle of Waterloo in the downfall of Napoleon Bonaparte, 1st Emperor of France? Kevin Dunphy – To what extent can hosting the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games be seen as a good investment for the United Kingdom? Ben Smith – To create a neural network programme that can recognise handwritten number (artefact) Adam Olath – How far should lifestyle related diseases caused by alcohol be treated on the NHS? Tim Leeman – What effect does gun control have on crime In the United States? James Hang – To what extent will corruption hinder Malaysia from achieving their 2020 economic goals? Jacob Coleman – To what extent is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) recognised and effectively treated within the British military?
History Castle Project Year 7
Religious Studies and Citizenship Report Thank you to students, parents and staff for their support of this subject area this term. It is much appreciated and not taken for granted. The term started with excellent results from last year from Year 13 A2 and Year 11 GCSE. Eli Haines’ A* was astonishing whilst Dominic Lilley’s A in one year was wonderful. That said, is it about personal bests and progress is key in life. Year 12 RS results were very promising indeed and give us a great platform. The chase and campaign is now on for the class of 2018 at GCSE and A2 level. Inspired by the New England Patriots, we have been making good progress through the season and hopefully we can win those big games early in 2018. It will not be easy – it never is - but increasingly it is found that results are made now not in the summer. Time can run away before a big event. Revision notes and guides are being provided and students should be making them their own. Spirit, positivity, care and perspective is as important as sleep, well-being and kindness. Year 9 and Year 10 GCSE RS students are also beginning to make their moves to a mastery of the subject. For today prepares us for tomorrow. Year 7 and Year 8 have shown a great love and passion for this subject through their various debates, discussions, project work and marvellous homework creations this term. Students have been a pleasure to teach and learn from. The Whole Group Year 7 Wimbledon Visit was a particular highlight as we learnt about values and culture from Wimbledon Mosque, The Buddhapadipa Temple and The All England Lawn Tennis Club. Students gave such wonderful feedback and we are very grateful to our hosts including The Tennis Gallery which organised gift bags. All these venues demonstrated good citizenship and such values we try and nurture in ourselves and one another. Tennis players play and practice with resilience, skill, grace and fight but they conduct themselves well on and off the court. Good citizenship is also about being aware of key issues and questions in society and responding. Empathy and understanding. This term, in Citizenship, classes, students have been exploring issues such as Mental Health, Politics and Prejudice and Discrimination. A particular highlight was the Whole Year Group Year 10 Visit to Westminster which included tours of the House of Commons, House of Lords, Downing Street, Westminster Abbey and The Supreme Court. All hosts were wonderful and I am particularly grateful to Mark Prisk MP for the Parliament Tours. In the Sixth Form, we have heard from guest speakers David Dein, Steve Bugeja, Peter Tatchell, Matt Frei and Janice Brooks (a 9/11 survivor) who have inspired us to learn, grow and change the world. We are so grateful to all these guests who have given of their time. One person who showed such wonderful and perfect Citizenship was Mr. Solomons. The fabulous tributes, both formal and informal, offered by so many spoke such volumes about someone who was everything a person should be. Interact continues to be a wonderful inspiration with over £5,000 raised this term for good causes thanks to parents and students and this is combined with voluntary work and awareness-raising. We look forward to Non-Uniform Day (for World Cancer Day on 4th) on 2ⁿd February as well as Amie’s Fundraiser on 3rd February at Bury Lodge (e-mail me for tickets) and Showcase on 22ⁿd and 23rd March. Up-dates of RS events will be posted @SquadRS. Holidays are an opportunity to rest, reflect, re-charge and prepare. There are things I wish to improve about my own approach in readiness for next term.
I am very grateful to Ms. Miles, Ms. Mills and Ms. Taylor for their excellent teaching in the Department. Thank you to all the Bag Packers on 21st December. Keep checking your e-mails for any last minute up-dates! With every good wish for a wonderful Christmas and 2018. You got this. Thank you to Mr. Cook and Ms. Haines for their wonderful help with guest speakers. Simon Etheridge
Peter Tatchell
Matt Frei
David Dein
Janice Brooks
Steve Bugeja
Interact Report Autumn Term 2017 In November, with Mr. Pearson-Phillips and President Jack Charity, I attended a Rotary Lunch with business people who give back to society with their motto “service above self.” Though all organisations are important in our community, your fundraising is unique in volume. Thank you. Rotary continue to be impressed with your enthusiasm each Tuesday Lunch Time. We are lucky to be in such a school. Thank you to Mr. Etheridge for his continued great support of Interact. The term started with students volunteering for Grove Cottage’s Sunday Fair followed by cake sales for Macmillan Nurses and the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. It was former student Laura Clarke’s idea to make this a bigger event than previously and it raised nearly £1000. Once again our Non-Uniform Day, on World Mental Health Day, encouraged all to “talk about it” to promote empathy, understanding and resilience. Collectively, you have raised over £5000 this term including monies for Children In Need and The Poppy Appeal. Our final event of this term will be the bag packing where around 100 students have signed up to pack bags. Please check your e-mails and Show My Homework for final details. In 2014, three students did the bag packing all day. Rotary report recipients of the food parcels created by your fundraising cry tears of joy. Charity and Citizenship is more than raising money. It is also about creating awareness and giving time and respect to others everywhere we go in life. Thanks to many staff and parents, Year 7 and Year 10 students have benefited from visits to Wimbledon and Westminster this term to encourage students to be good citizens. Next term promises to be our biggest yet. Inspired by the brilliant School of Rock, Interact and in particular Julius Field are already preparing for Showcase on 22 and 23 March. What act will you do?UK Sport Relief, in that week, will hopefully see many of you do numerous things for international charities. Earlier this year, Elliot Wood ran 13 miles to School for Comic Relief and was still here 10 minutes before registration. Our Non-Uniform Day on February 2ⁿd will coincide with World Cancer Day on Sunday 4th February. Amie’s Fundraiser on February 3rd will see Interacters help with a prestigious event at Bury Lodge, Stansted for a wonderful former Interact President, and her family. Amie is running the London Marathon for Mind in April 2018. We continue to keep in touch with former Interact students this term. Eli Haines has been undertaking charity work and exploring religion in India. Marie Quinlan received her wings and flew a plane to Chicago. Dixie Last has joined the sizeable former student presence studying at university in Nottingham, the current second home of TBSHS. Please have a happy, peaceful and safe Christmas. Give far more than you get and look after those you know who may find this season challenging. James Nash Y12
