Dear Parents

PARENTS’ NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 4 November 2011

Please see the following reminders at the end of this bulletin: NB 1: End of term arrangements and arrangements for the start of next term NB 2: Our closure notification system (plus advice on winter footwear) VISIT BY GOODWOOD HIGH SCHOOL TOBAGO Bradon Forest School have just played host to two visitors from a school in Trinidad and Tobago. Cherryll Birchwood Uzoruo, Headteacher at Goodwood High School on the Island of Tobago, along with Peter Wheeler Thabiti, Chair for Goodwood High School International Partnership Committee, visited us to find out about life at Bradon Forest and form ideas for the next venture between the schools. Goodwood School have been researching the Olympic history of Tobago and have worked with students from Bradon Forest to share information about the differences Tobago students have in everyday school life. All tutor groups at Bradon Forest have been assigned a country to support for next year’s Olympics and 10Y, who have Trinidad and Tobago, spent some time with our visitors giving them a presentation on all aspects of Bradon Forest. Below is a picture of the group with Cherryll and Peter, who gifted the class with extra flags of their country! Ms Birchwood Uzoruo commented: "Thanks for the excellent treatment, quality of the presentations, the opportunities to share and all the positive exposure. We deeply appreciate the commitment to the partnership. The experiences will be treasured for a very long time." Mr Bray, Head of Key Stage 4, went to Tobago in March 2011 to visit Goodwood and participate in the island's carnival. Martin had valuable insight in to how the school works alongside the community for such a large scale annual event. Not only did he spend time with the carnival team behind the scenes but Mr Bray also helped to make costumes himself! Continued/

Mr Bray said: "It has been a honour to have Cherryll and Thabiti staying with my family for the exchange and we have shared many memorable moments which I will cherish for many years to come. From an educational point of view they have taken away new ideas and processes which they will use back at Goodwood High School to inspire their teachers and students alike. This has been a chance of a life time and I hope that we can continue the links in the near future to allow our students to experience life in Tobago.” As part of our International Development plan, Bradon Forest School already has links in Africa and teaching staff have also previously visited Ghana and China. As part of the Global Gateway sponsored by the British Council we were part of an International School partnership finding process and were paired with Trinidad and Tobago in January 2010. The staff exchange was funded by a Global Schools Partnership Reciprocal Visit Grant from the British Council. The funding comes from The Department for International Development to help schools embed an international ethos in their schools. Ms Hunter, International Schools Co-ordinator at Bradon Forest, said: "The visit has helped cement our partnership with plans well ahead for the next 24 months to get more staff and students visitng each-others’ schools." Bradon Forest School will take the venture forwards to gain a Global School Curriculum Grant for a project entitled 'Carnival in the Community across the Atlantic'. This will hopefully allow staff and students from both schools to visit each other. Mr Spiers said: "It has been a privilege to 'partner' Goodwood School and to host Cherryll and Peter's visit to Bradon Forest. We look forward to the further development of the excellent partnership between our two schools which is mutually beneficial for the staff and students in both Purton and Tobago!" International News: As you will be aware we were recently reaccredited the International Schools Full Award for 2011 - 2014 and have held this quality mark since 2008. Last year, Bradon Forest students visited India as part of our inter-schools link and Romania with the World Challenge project. In 2012 we have planned another India Link trip and also a World Challenge trip to Morocco. YEAR 12 PRESENTATION EVENING 2011 On Thursday 10 November 2011 last year’s Year 11 students returned to Bradon Forest for their Presentation Evening. This was the final Awards Assembly of their five years at Bradon Forest. The turn-out was fantastic and it was a really enjoyable and happy evening sharing their successes with the staff, parents and relatives who attended. This special evening provided an opportunity to celebrate the impressive range of achievements - academic, sporting, cultural and community based, of this terrific year group. The evening was also a pleasant social occasion and a chance for last year’s Year 11 students and their families to catch up on all their friends’ news. Students collected their GCSE certificates as part of the evening. In addition, each faculty was asked to nominate a small number of students who had excelled themselves in a particular subject through effort, commitment and achievement. These were: Art Business and Communication Systems Business Studies D&T: Food Technology D&T: Product Design D&T: Textiles DiDA Drama English Language English Literature French Geography German History Mathematics Media Studies

Eiranjit Chahal Joanne Cook Megan Godwin and Joshua Yetman Matthew Cordas Thomas Abbott Marianne Fish and Eve Cornock Chelsea Davis and Peter Newton Annayah Prosser and Anna Meares Daniel Granville Hyun Seo Kim Jennifer Allan Ben Francis Rhiannon Courtney Jennifer Allan and Joanne Cook Ben Madley Jennifer Allan

Music GCSE Music BTEC Physical Education: Boys Physical Education: Girls Religious Studies Science: Additional Science: Applied Science: Biology Science: Chemistry Science: Core Science: Physics SPECIAL AWARDS

Lucy Bosley and Lydia Coniglio Rees Derham Jordan Bailey Shannon Stephenson Emily Dicks Jennifer Allan Emily Dicks Mary Coe Hyun Seo Kim Hannah Pettit Ben Madley (Group photo on previous page)

Head Boy Head Girl Corbett Cup Duncan Bamford Memorial Award for Languages Kirk Cup for Mathematics Margaret Brand Memorial Award for Technology Twins Cup for Sport Michael Iles Memorial Award for Drama School Cup for Sport

Daniel Granville Emily Dicks Molly Hall Mary Coe Joshua Yetman Gemma Rand Ediz Donmez Nina Hager Natasha Chilambo

This year the Corbett Cup went to Molly Hall (pictured right) who attained 11A*s and 1 A at GCSE. The Corbett Cup for Outstanding Achievement is awarded to students whose outstanding public examination success reflects their commitment to their academic studies across all areas of the curriculum. Molly was a fantastic student involved in all aspects of school life and is a very worthy winner of this award. Daniel Granville and Emily Dicks (pictured left) were extremely hardworking and conscientious throughout their time as Head Boy and Head Girl. In particular, they took the opportunity to lead and raise the profile of a very successful Senior Prefect team. As members of the Prom Committee, they also did an excellent job organising the tremendously successful and enjoyable Prom in June. They were perfect role models for other students and fantastic ambassadors for the school. Staff and students could not have asked for two better individuals to fulfil the role of Head Boy and Head Girl at Bradon Forest School. Many thanks to Daniel and Emily and the whole 2010/2011 senior prefect team for all they did to support the school – they are a first class group of young people. The Year 12 Presentation Evening was a great success and I would like to thank Mr Bray (Head of Key Stage 4), Mr Lemin (Head of last year’s Year 11) and Mr Stiles (Head of current Year 11) and everyone, including our Examinations team, who were involved with all of the preparations and who helped with the organisation that ensured the evening ran so well. The evening also provided an opportunity to publicly thank and praise our excellent team of staff (teaching and support), parents and governors for all their hard work and teamwork that ensures Bradon Forest School continues to serve its students so well.

CHARITY /PASTORAL AWARD At the Year 12 Presentation Evening Miss Mazelin (Subject Leader History) and Miss Harker (Teacher of Mathematics) were awarded the Pastoral Award for 2010/11 for their work in raising the profiles of charities at Bradon Forest School during their time as Key Stage 4 Tutors. In particular Charlotte Quinn and other students from Key Stage 4 embraced the spirit of showing others compassion in the form of raising funds for those in need. The Year 12 Presentation Evening was a fitting occasion for Miss Mazelin to say a few words on behalf of “Jack”, the boy who Bradon Forest students supported in sending to Florida in 2011 for respite from his illness. COMMUNITY AWARD The Bradon Forest Community Award for 2010/11 was awarded to local businessman Khalique Ali, The Maharajah Restaurant in Purton. The Award was given in appreciation of his time and commitment to supporting our ongoing international links with India, Romania and Morocco. Khalique has provided invaluable support in providing refreshments to sell at local a food fair, hospitality for visiting delegates from India and suggesting fund-raising tips for students wishing to embark upon trips abroad in support of social action. Thanks again Khalique for your support. TWO MINUTE SILENCE ARMISTICE DAY/ACT OF REMEMBRANCE As is traditional, Bradon Forest held a two minute silence on Friday 11 November 2011 in recognition of the Armistice and all those who have given their lives in conflicts past and present. Miss Mazelin ran assemblies on Remembrance. In her presentation Miss Mazelin reminded students that during our annual Year 9 History Trip to Normandy the group always lay a wreath at the war cemetery. This year the Bradon Forest History trip group paid their respects to the British soldiers who died during D-Day and Nathan Hiles was chosen as Bradon Forest’s representative to lay a wreath in memory, before the staff led the group in a minute’s silence. Miss Mazelin also kindly produced a Powerpoint presentation for teachers to show their groups on the Interactive White Boards. The presentation highlighted the importance of remembrance and focused on the background, past and present, enabling students to reflect on this important symbolic act. RELIGIOUS STUDIES TRIP TO IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM LONDON The Religious Studies team reports: On th Monday October 10 60 Year 10 GCSE Religious Studies students visited the Holocaust Exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London. Students learnt about the suffering experienced by Jews during the Holocaust and in particular how they responded. This fits into the wider philosophical question Year 10s are considering – How can an all-loving, all-powerful God exist alongside the reality of moral evil and suffering? Students behaved impeccably and engaged fully with the exhibits and information presented. One student wrote of her experience: “I think the visit has made me see life differently because it has made me appreciate my life more, and I have some choice on whether to live or not – the Jews didn’t”. ANTI BULLYING WEEK Over the fortnight beginning 14 November 2011 a range of assemblies were delivered to all year groups as part of our work to mark Anti-Bullying Week. An article on these and the other activities to mark Anti-Bullying Week will be in next issue. (Issue 5 December 2011)

UPDATE ON REPLACEMENT PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT TOOL: SIMS LEARNING GATEWAY Our replacement parental engagement tool, SIMS Learning Gateway, went live as planned on Monday 31 October 2011. Letters from our Data/Reporting Manager, Mrs Chappell (Assistant Headteacher), were sent to all parents regarding the access and log-on details for the SIMS Learning Gateway for their child/ren. The changeover was virtually seamless. The front page of the Learning Gateway is via the ‘SLG’ link at the top right of the school homepage www.bradonforest.wilts.sch.uk Nearly 300 parents have already obtained their passwords and are currently logging on and using the Gateway. Feedback from parents is very complimentary regarding the ease of use and access to information. If you have yet to obtain your password please follow these instructions: How to Access SIMS Learning Gateway There is a dedicated Learning Gateway link on the home page of our website: www.bradonforest.wilts.sch.uk or direct via Capita Childrens Services: https://hslg10.capita-cso.co.uk/ In order to access information, parents and carers will need a username and password (NB a single username will allow you to access information on all your children attending Bradon Forest School). The username can be issued if the school holds your current email address. The process for issuing login details (taken from October 2011 Newsletter and Parents Letter) is as follows: Letters containing the username were posted to parents in mid-October. The letter asked parents to email school at the following SLG designated email address: [email protected] in order to be issued with the matching password. Email addresses are checked to match the school records, which results in the parent password and instructions on how to access the Learning Gateway being emailed. NB Any parents wishing to access the Learning Gateway who do not currently have an email address registered with school are encouraged to use the reply slip on the letter and send us this information as soon as possible. Once we have received this, the issuing of login details will proceed as described above. If you have any queries please contact our Data/Reporting Manager, Mrs Chappell (Assistant Headteacher), via the SLG email above or by telephone on 01793 770570. CONTROLLED ASSESSMENTS In Issue 1 we shared the calendar for the Controlled Assessments 2011/12 that Year 10 and 11 are now required to take as part of their GCSE courses. The 2011-12 Controlled Assessment Calendar is updated weekly in the parents’ area of the school website (see link below). This area also contains access to the Parental Guide to Key Stage 4 Controlled Assessment Handbook (KS4: 2011-13) and a number of other useful reference booklets for parents. The number of Controlled Assessments that require ‘full examination conditions’ certainly require a great deal of careful planning. Last year (ie 2010/11), the first year of Controlled Assessments, ran very well and the arrangement systems we have in place ensure our students are given the best possible support. I would like to thank all colleagues, both teaching and support, for their careful planning and hard work in running the very busy programme of Controlled Assessments. Controlled Assessment Calendar website link: http://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupHomepage.asp?GroupID=70773

STUDENT NEWS Hamish Murray (9P) reports: “In the half term I travelled to the Gambia to survey primates with my family. We started near Kololi on the coast where we visited a conservation project to protect the local Green Velvet Monkey population. I even got to feed some of them by hand! Next on our journey we travelled up river to the Maskasutu region where Lawrence Williams, an Englishman, has created a huge 17,000 acre conservation area centred on the Mandina Bilong (Creek). There he has replanted the Mangrove swamps and restored huge areas over the last nineteen years. Originally there were seven dog-faced baboons in the area but now we can confirm that there are over two hundred baboons in the pack. They are wonderful! The babies ride on the adults backs and are unafraid of humans. This does cause a problem for the settlement as they can be destructive to the human inhabitants at the park, damaging solar power units and sometimes the thatches on the lodges as well as pulling out water pipes from bore holes!. They actually came into our lodges and we had to chase them away! Despite this, Lawrence is thrilled that they are thriving once again and hopes that their numbers will continue to grow in the coming years, what a great experience, never to be forgotten!” Well done Hamish and thank you for sharing this fantastic experience. SODEXO SERVICE AWARD Congratulations to Sue Reid who has worked for Sodexo for 27 years. Sue joined the Bradon Forest Sodexo staff team three years ago and is a valued member of Janet Horton’s Catering team. We were delighted that Sue was recently awarded a long service award by Sodexho which was an all-expenses paid trip to London including overnight stay in a hotel, a trip on the London Eye, a meal at Tussauds, together with a free gift of her choice (I understand that Sue selected a Playstation 3 and TV Set for her grandchildren). Well done Sue. MUSIC NEWS Miss Groom reports: “The music season has started and it was lovely to see over 50 students take part in the first Music Concert of the year. They were fantastic. Performing to a full house we had some students performing for the very first time and those that are getting more confident each time they get up on the stage. It was also a delight to be joined by the North Swindon Community Choir as we performed alongside them for the final number. Well done everyone” Mr Calder, Head of Expressive Arts: "The concert was huge fun and the singing was superb. Long may it continue to grow in volume and harmony!" Jennifer Purcell, Arts Manager: “I absolutely love our music concerts. There is always a lovely supportive atmosphere, with experienced students performing alongside total beginners... students who have only been learning their instruments for a matter of weeks! As Miss Groom said, it is really encouraging to see their confidence growing with each performance. A pleasing sign for the future!”

Advance Notice: We are looking forward to the Christmas Concerts: Music Concert: 7 December 2011 7.00pm Our Christmas Concert will be held in the school theatre. All are welcome but do get your tickets early to avoid disappointment! (Tickets for the Christmas concert are already on sale.) Carol Concert: 14 December 2011 7.00pm We will visit St Mary's Church, Purton, for the annual Christmas Carol Service.

You can email me at [email protected] or call the box office on 01793 773981 to reserve your tickets early”. Jennifer Purcell, Arts Manager SAMBA Miss Groom reports: Year 9s have kickstarted the year with a Samba unit in Music. This involves playing genuine Brazilian samba instruments. All students participated and had great fun. This year we were impressed with the effort and originality of the instruments created as part of a homework task. We even created a Samba band of our own with our own instruments. BRADON FOREST THEATRE NEWS Update : Thursday 17 November 2011 Gonzo Moose 'Grimm and Grimmer’ was sold out three days before the show which is an indication of the quality of visiting companies we are able to host in our theatre.(If you missed out on this show then don't worry, you can reserve now for their next show. 'I'm An Aristocrat, Get Me Out Of Here!' comes to the Bradon Forest Theatre on Saturday 30 June, 2012.)

Showing next in the theatre: ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Performed by Bradon Forest Drama students 29 November 2011 - 2 December 2011 7.30pm Tickets: £3 students £4 adults “Lysander loves Hermia, and Hermia loves Lysander. Helena loves Demetrius; Demetrius used to love Helena but now loves Hermia. Egeus, Hermia's father, prefers Demetrius as a suitor, and enlists the aid of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, to enforce his wishes upon his daughter. Hermia, ever defiant, chooses to escape with Lysander. Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of Fairies, are locked in a dispute. Oberon has a plan to solve the problem, but apparently his servant Puck cannot be trusted to carry out his plans correctly! Meanwhile, Helena and Demetrius have also fled into the woods after Lysander and Hermia. Oberon, overhearing Demetrius's denouncement of Helena, takes pity upon her and tells Puck to fix their problem too, so that Demetrius may fall in love with Helena. Puck, however, makes another mistake...

In the midst of this chaos, a group of craftsmen are rehearsing for a production of "Pyramus and Thisbe," to be played for the Duke at his wedding. Bottom and his cast of players end up being embroiled in the magical carnage and somehow Bottom ends up with the head of a donkey.” Following so far? Don’t worry... this one’s not to miss!

SPORTS NEWS Rugby: Mr Hartley reports: This rugby season has had many highs and unfortunately a few lows. First the lows: England and what was not their finest rugby world cup tournament! The highs: another cracking season from the Bradon Lads! The season reports a clean sweep of wins across all age groups! The lads were extremely ready to make up for the short falls of our national team, with possible expectation of a call up to the national squad based on the Bradon Forest School teams’ performances. The teams have trained and worked hard to ensure the continuing standards of rugby and Bradon Forest School continue. The local opposition put up a good fight but unfortunately this pressure was soaked up and when the opportunity was offered the lads finished the game off with the high standards they have set for themselves, well done! Cricket: Mr Hartley reports: Following a tough application process through the ‘Chance to Shine’ cricket scheme, Bradon Forest School were selected as only 1 of 30 schools and cricket clubs nationally to be awarded a bursary of £5000 to replace the non–turf cricket wicket. The criteria included successes, (Bradon Forest School won Swindon Schools Cup Year 9 and Year 10 Competition) and that cricket is firmly embedded into the PE curriculum. The cricket wicket will be well used during curriculum PE lessons, Swindon Schools Cup cricket and of course the annual summer cricket match, which sees the local community challenge the Bradon Forest school staff first 11 for its fun day of Cricket, BBQ and refreshments to round the year off. Cross Country: Mr Hartley and Miss Moore report: The annual inter-form cross country was fought with the usual high standards set by the students and their willingness to win valuable points for their tutor group. The place the students finish in corresponds to the number of points they gained for their tutor group. First place will gain one point, tenth 10 points and so on. The tutor group with the least points are the winners. Below are the final positions: Year 7 Girls

Year 8 Girls

Year 9 Girls

Holly Tingey 7Q

Ayren Walker 8Z

Elisha Kell 9Q

Year 7 Boys

Year 8 Boys

Year 9 Boys

Year 10 Boys

Euan Hutcheson

Gabe Maddison

Luke Neves

Joe Pettit

Y7 Girls st 1 Z nd 2 X rd 3 T th 4 S th 5 Q th 6 Y th 7 P

Y8 Girls st 1 T nd 2 Y rd 3 Z th 4 S th 5 Q th 6 P th 7 W th 8 X

Y9 Girls st 1 S nd 2 Q rd 3 Y th 4 T th 5 P th 6 W th 7 Z th 8 X

Year 7 Boys st 1 P nd 2 S rd 3 Z th 4 Y th 5 Q th 6 X th 7 T th 8

Year 8 Boys st 1 W nd 2 T rd 3 Z th 4 P th 5 Y th 6 X th 7 S th 8 Q

Year 9 Boys st 1 T nd 2 W rd 3 Q th 4 X th 5 S th 6 Z th 7 P th 8 Y

Year 10 Boys st 1 Z nd 2 R rd 3 W th 4 S th 5 X th 6 Q th 7 P th 8 Y

From the inter-form competition the teams were selected for the Area Cross Country Championship at Grittleton House School. Luckily it was a dry but windy day and the Bradon Forest School team consisting of 32 students ran their best and performed valiantly. As expected the competition was extremely strong however, through grit and determination, the Bradon Forest School team did themselves proud.

Those students who finished in the top 10 qualified for the next round th th The County Area Cross Country Championship. The 11 and 12 place runners are the County reserve runners. th

Minor Boys: Euan Hutcheson 4 place. Junior Girls: Georgia Clifford th (County Reserve). Junior Boys: Luke Neves 10 place. Inter Boys: Adam Bradley (County Reserve) 11th place, Aaron Moody (County th Reserve) 12 place.

Girls Football U13 Girls Football: Miss Moore reports: Following the U13 Girls Football team’s success last season where the girls reached the Wiltshire Schools Football final, the girls have started this season with winning ways. The U13 Swindon Town FC 6-a-side Tournament took place in October. Bradon Forest won four matches against Commonweal, Kingsdown, St Joseph’s and Greendown. The girls drew with Churchfields and lost against Dorcan and Isambard. We finished third, missing out on the final against Kingsdown who we already beat by one point. A great display of skill by the squad: Bryony Lockett 8Q, Amy Pounder 8Z, Ela Kanani 7Z, Eleanor Phillips 7Y, Meghan Larkin 8Q, Georgia Clifford 8Q, Erin Donnelly 7Y, Serenn Sanghera 8T. Many thanks to Steve Moyes (10S) for refereeing all of the home fixtures and to Polly Whinfrey (10P) and Bradley Taylor (10Q) for running the line. We would not have been able to play without them! The U13 11-a-side squad did themselves proud by making it to the third round of the English Schools FA competition. Having received a bye in the first round, their second round match was against All Saint’s Academy, Cheltenham. The Year 7s showed great determination and a willingness to learn in what was for most of them their first experience of 11 a side football. Experienced players Meghan Larkin, Georgia Clifford and Serenn Sanghera led by example. Bradon forest were in control throughout, winning convincingly 7 – 0. In round three Whitecross High School, Hereford came to Bradon Forest. They were an experienced side and deserved their 7 – 0 victory. Getting to the third round of a national competition is a great achievement and I am very proud of all the squad: Under 13 Squad: Eleanor Bruce 8Z, Georgia Clifford 8Q, Erin Donnelly 7Y, Clare Draper 7Q, Rosie Hannay 7Q, Charley Hill 8Z, Katie Hughes 7P, Ela Kanani 7Z, Zoe Knight 7Y, Meghan Larkin (C) 8Q, Bryony Lockett 8Q, Eleanor Phillips 7Y, Amy Pounder 8Z, Amy Rowland 8T, Serenn Sanghera 8T, Amy Thacker 7Q. U14 Girls Football: Miss Moore reports: The U14 Girls have also started their season well, winning their first round match of the Wiltshire U14’s County Cup. They played against Lavington, Devizes and came away with

a 7 – 1 win. The conditions were awful with the girls playing into the wind and rain in the second half. The second round game will be played before the end of term. Under 14’s squad: Amy Bergin 9X, Eleanor Bruce 8Z, Georgia Clifford 8Q, Ellen Cooke 9X, Verity Ellison 9S, Louise Godwin 9P, Kirsten Harris 9S, Charley Hill 8Z, Meghan Larkin 8Q, Bryony Lockett 8Q, Amy Pounder 8Z, Amy Rowland 8T, Serenn Sanghera 8T, Rebekah Taylor 9S. Key Stage 4 Girls Badminton: Bradon Forest Girls win Key Stage 4 Swindon Schools Badminton Tournament. Miss Moore reports: Jemma Bradley, Nicole Farmer, Polly Whinfrey and Sian Towler played in their first ever badminton competition for the school – and won! Nicole plays club badminton, and her experience led to Nicole winning all of her matches, both singles and doubles. The other girls followed her lead with team wins against Isambard, winning 4 games to 1 and Ridgeway, winning 3 games to 2. The girls were a pleasure to take to the competition, and it was great to see them grow in confidence as the tournament went on. They now represent Swindon in the Wiltshire County Badminton Finals in February. Key Stage 3 and 4 Cheerleading/Pom Dancing Bradon Forest Cheerleaders and Pom Dancers perform in Anti-Bullying Week Assemblies. Miss Pratten reports: The Bradon Forest Cheerleading and Pom Dance squad have been working hard in practices both at lunchtime and after school to create a performance for the Anti-Bullying Week assemblies that have been taking place this week and next. The routine includes dance, tumbling, jumps and stunts as well as a cheer related to bullying and costumes that follow the Anti-Bullying theme. The girls involved should be commended on their bravery for performing in front of their peers and for the hard work and dedication they have put in whilst preparing for the performances. The Cheerleading and Pom Dance squad consists of: Grace Bartlett 9Q, Rebecca Boyall 9Y, Rhianna Bryon 8S, Charlotte Butler 9Q, Megan Daw 9W, Olivia Francis 10Q Poppy Gibson 9Q, Louise Godwin 9P, Molly Griffin 9S, Harriet Harding 9Q, Lauren Hoard 10Z, Millie Holland 9Q, Allanah Hughes 10S, Eleasha Kell 9Q, Daisy Kendall 9Q, Bella Larkin 10S, Eva Maddison 10S, Danielle Spiers 8T, Lucy Taylor 9W, Lily Waite 10W, and Alyssa Weymouth 8S. U16 Netball U16 Netball team battle hard at Wiltshire School’s Netball Tournament. Miss Pratten reports: The Bradon Forest U16 netball team arrived at Dauntsey’s school bright and early on Sunday 6 November 2011 ready for the Wiltshire round of the National School’s Netball Championships. Bradon Forest got through to this competition as runners up from the Swindon Schools’ competition. The girls’ first match was against St. Mary’s School from Calne who they beat 6 goals to 5. This was a great start to the day and the girls were positive they could continue winning. The second match was against Goldolphin School, where the girls realised from the outset this was going to be a tightly contested match. They unfortunately lost this match 6 goals to 3. The third and final match in the group stages was against Devizes School which the girls lost 9 – 2. This meant that Bradon Forest finished third in their group and went through to play against the other third place school for overall fifth and sixth place. This match was against South Wilts Grammar School and the girls were determined to win. Unfortunately luck was not on our side as SWGS pulled into an early lead which we struggled to get back. The final score was 7 goals to 3 which meant we finished in sixth place overall. I would like to say thank you and big congratulations to all of the girls who represented the school; they were a credit to themselves and the school and showed real determination even when losing. The U16 netball team are: Jemma Bradley (GS), Letitia Cowley (GK) Charlotte Densham (GD), Beth Dunn (GA), Nicole Farmer (WD), Lucy Flay (WD), Rhianne Groom (captain) (C) and Natalie Moseley (WA).

Key Stage 3 Dance Club Miss Pratten's KS3 Dance Club is continuing with great success! All are welcome to the regular lunch time club on Friday's during KS3 lunch. Miss Pratten has had upwards of 45 students all laughing and dancing during the fun sessions. A great way to burn off a bit of excess energy on a Friday! CHARITY NEWS UPDATE: LEPRA 2011 Year 7 LEPRA Sponsored Line Dancing

Following their LEPRA assembly (article in the last issue) Year 7 held their Sponsored Line Dancing event for LEPRA during the Deep Learning Day on Wednesday 16 November 2011. As you can see from the photos the Line Dancing provides valuable sponsorship for LEPRA as well as providing good fun and exercise! A large number of both boys and girls thoroughly enjoyed their Line Dancing! ARTICLE IN THE ‘LINK’ MAGAZINE Following the article in the last Parents’ Newsletter on our annual Year 7 LEPRA Assembly we noticed an article in the November issue of the LINK Magazine. It is great that our LEPRA link and annual Year 7 assembly made such an impact that Rebecca Sweeney, (Ex Bradon Forest Student), organised the ‘Zombie Walk’ as part of their Halloween celebration. Well done to all involved, and the LINK for promoting LEPRA. (Isobel Thompson, LEPRA Health Action ‘link’ for Bradon Forest will be delighted with this promotion as LEPRA often doesn’t get the media exposure it needs.) Well done to all involved. Zombies raise cash for leprosy charity A group of college students and school pupils emerged from the dark to stumble around parts of West Swindon on 28 October. Dressed in rags, leaden eyes, skin bursting with cuts and boils, and blood caked around their mouths, they persuaded shoppers at the West Swindon Centre and visitors to Shaw Ridge Leisure Park to part with their money in aid of LEPRA Health in Action. The charity treats, educates and supports people in some of the world’s most deprived communities. Originally formed in 1924 with the aim “to rid the British Empire of leprosy” it has have built on years of experience to prevent and treat leprosy, and also other diseases of poverty including lymphatic filariasis, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria. Zombie organiser Rebecca Sweeney from Peatmoor, above, with mum Lynn and brother Dan, said she had learnt about leprosy in Year 8 at Bradon Forest. "As part of our charity work for that year a person from LEPRA Health in Action, talked about the disease and other tropical diseases affects millions across the world. I did some fundraising and got the Tshirt, but I've always had in mind that I wanted to do more fundraising for them." Now attending Swindon College where she is taking a BTEC in Media Make-up, Rebecca hit on the idea of Zombie's raising money when she was watching a Shaun of the Dead DVD. "It came to me that I could raise money for LEPRA Health in Action whilst having fun, and raising awareness about the damage leprosy does to people in poverty. "My friends liked the idea and my brother Dan brought along his friend. I did the make-up and my mum and me used Zombie like eyes with white and red contact lenses." The group raised £47 in an hour before going 10 pin Reproduced from the Link Magazine November 2011 bowling at Shaw Ridge, still in Zombie role.

FREE SCHOOL MEALS – CURRENT ELIGIBILTY A number of parents have contacted us over recent weeks to enquire about the eligibility for free school meals. The following provides the current criteria for free school meal entitlement: Are you eligible to claim for free school meals? If you are in receipt of any of the following benefits you are entitled to claim for free school meals for your son/daughter: Income Support/Income based Jobseekers Allowance Child Tax Credit provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and your annual income is less than £16190 The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit Support under Part V1 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 Income Related Employment Support Allowance.

Please contact the school office for an application form or if you have any queries, or please use the following Wiltshire LA website link:http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/schoolseducationandlearning/schoolsandcolleges/parentadvice/educationg rants/freeschoolmeals.htm(plus PTA AGM: The PTA AGM takes place on Monday 16 January 2012 in the Bungalow (in top car park). All parents welcome DATES OF FUTURE NEWSLETTERS 2011/12 Issue 5 Issue 6 Issue 7 Issue 8

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5 December 2011 9 January 2012 6 February 2012 26 March 2012

Issue 9 Issue 10 Issue 11

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30 April 2012 18 June 2012 16 July 2012

2011/12 ACADEMIC YEAR DATES Term 2

The dates for this academic year are reproduced at the end of each newsletter to ensure that ‘end of term’ closures and all our Teacher Development Days (when the school is closed to students) are regularly highlighted to students and parents.

Students return Ends

Term 3

Term 4

TD Day Tuesday 3 January 2012 Students return Wednesday 4 January 2012 Ends Friday 10 February 2012 Holiday 11 February 2012 – 19 February 2012

Students return Ends Holiday

Monday 20 February 2012 Friday 30 March 2012 31 March 2012 – 15 April 2012

Term 6 Students return

Monday 11 June 2012

Term 5 Students return Public Holiday Closure Ends Holiday

Monday 16 April 2012 Monday 7 May 2012 Friday 1 June 2012

2 June 2012 – 10 June 2012

Holiday

Ends TD Day Holiday

Monday 31 October 2011 Friday 16 December 2011

17 December 2011 – 2 January 2012

Friday 20 July 2012 Monday 23 July 2012 24 July 2012 – 3 September 2012

Remaining Teacher Development Days for 2011/12 (school closed to students) Tuesday 3 January 2012

Monday 23 July 2012

Yours sincerely

L M Spiers Headteacher Please refer to notices on following page

NB 1 REMINDER 1: END OF TERM ARRANGEMENTS DECEMBER 2011 We break up on Friday 16 December 2011. Registration and tutor time will be 12.00 – 12.15 pm. As Thamesdown are unable to do all of the early pick ups the following has been arranged: Cricklade Buses S21, S25, PLUS Bradon Forest Swindon Service: BE1, BE2, BE3, BE4, BE5 and B90 will depart from school at 12.15 pm prompt. Ellison’s will return to the school and pick up students on the B3, B5, and B7 leaving at 12.50 pm. NB: Students should line up in usual places ready for staff to organise boarding of the buses. Purtonians or those students being collected by parents can leave school at 12.15 pm. Students return to school for Term 3 on Wednesday 4 January 2012 ie all year groups at 8.45 am (NB Tuesday 3 January is a Teacher Training Day and school is closed to students)

NB 2 REMINDER: CLOSURE NOTIFICATION SYSTEM Reproduced from Section 19 of the 2011/2012 Parents Reference Handbook: The weather conditions over the last few winters have been particularly poor and unfortunately resulted in some school closures. With this in mind we would like to reiterate our procedures for closing the school in the event of bad weather or other circumstances outside of our control. Our aim is to give students, parents and staff as much notice as possible. The weather forecast is not always reliable and bad weather overnight may lead to a decision having to be made early in the morning to close the school. We will always keep the school open whilst it is safe to do so. However, in access difficulties, power cuts, heating failure or in the case of an overwhelming staff shortage, we may have to take the decision to close. If we do have to close the school we will use the following means to alert the school community: The school website (www.bradonforest.wilts.sch.uk) will carry a clear, dated message on the homepage stating that we are closed and providing the reasons that have necessitated a closure. A closure message will be sent out via Schoolcomms as soon as is practicable after the decision is made. Local radio stations will be informed and should broadcast details of school closures throughout the day. These include Heart Radio on 97.2 or 102.2 and BBC Radio Wiltshire on 103.5, 103.6, 104.3 or 104.9. Please note: If the weather or other circumstances lead you to think that the school is closed, please use the website or radio to check whether the school is open or not. Please do not ring the school switchboard as this can overwhelm the system when we need to contact staff, bus companies, the media, local authorities, etc. Thank you in advance for your co-operation – hopefully there will be no need to use this system this winter.

NB 3 REMINDER: SCHOOL UNIFORM - FOOTWEAR IN BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS During the difficult weather over the last two winters, a number of parents wrote notes in planners to explain that their child was wearing boots due to the adverse weather conditions to and from school. We are mindful that parents will be considering safety during snow and icy weather and alternative sensible footwear/boots for these reasons is acceptable during the bad weather period. However, this should not be used by some girls as an excuse to wear unsuitable ‘fashion boots’ as the smooth soles make them less safe in icy conditions than ordinary shoes. We will continue to adopt a flexible/sensible approach if we encounter further bad weather periods over this coming winter. Thank you in advance for your support with this issue.