Issue No. 6

July 2016

PWS NEWS We don’t ever seem able to say this enough but we are, without exception, always so proud of our incredible students. They are brilliant, supportive, respectful, resilient, and fearless…and any other superlative you could think of! In this, our first year as an 11-18 school, we have borne witness to so many incredible achievements and so much determination, on behalf of our students, to make the most of the learning opportunities they are presented with. We see so much passion to make progress towards their personal goals and dreams on a daily basis that it seems hardly possible to be more enthusiastic, more dedicated or more successful. And yet, here we are; at the end of another year in which our students have achieved so much and looking eagerly towards what comes next! We hope you enjoy this edition of the newsletter – with more content provided by students than ever before – and wish everybody a happy and restful summer break. See you in September!

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Issue No. 6

July 2016

Leg-End, Snelling Retires! Mr Graham Snelling first shot to fame at PWS way back in September of 1975 at the age of 21. The School was in its junior years, just like the man himself, with only 200 students and 20 staff. The school itself had just been re-named Prince William School after formally being named Oundle Upper School. He started his career as a young ‘fit and handsome’ P.E. teacher (Yes ‘P.E’ as in Physical Education). He has now completed 41 years at this school whilst bearing many different beards, trousers, colourful shirts, friends and students, as well as taking on many different roles and responsibilities. His important roles (other than being a fantastic P.E teacher) have included being Head of Year 9 and becoming the coordinator of Northamptonshire Curriculum and Industry Project, which was a European funded alternative approach to mainstream education. He has managed Careers Education and Guidance and Work Experience for the many pupils who have attended the school, before becoming the coordinator for vocational education. He was also the school’s First Team Rugby coach (being a massive MAN fan of the game) In his later career he has taken a more senior role as Assistant Head Teacher responsible for community links and partnerships with other schools (TENP), with his final role as Head of the Creative Studies faculty (Yes as in ‘creative work’ like drawing, painting, textiles and woodwork). Over the years The Big G has taught a wide range of subjects including; P.E, Biology (Science), Business Studies, Engineering, French (sans blague or ‘no joke’), Geography, Religious Education, Work Related Learning, Resistant Materials and Product Design. Snelling is a well-travelled individual partaking in many educational school trips including; a year 10 Community Studies camp at Stoke-on-Trent, numerous Ski trips, Opera tours to America, the Czech Republic, Finland and the Ukraine. He has also organised many rugby tours to South Africa and Canada and was a member of the English Schools Rugby Union. As well as this he also organised cultural tours to South Africa and created links between PWS and Mzegr Township Primary School. He has witnessed the school grow to catering for the needs of 200 pupils to well over 1200 students in the past. He has worked with 5 head teachers during his time at PWS. His oldest ex-student is now 58 years old just 4 years his junior. He now has the ‘honour of teaching some ex-students grandchildren’.

His favourite memories during his time at Prince William School: Firstly, he claimed the best part was being able to have weekends and holidays free, plus all the great trips, tours and visits. He is especially proud and privileged to have worked with some fantastic students and great colleagues, which for him is the greatest part of his teaching career. He was also personally pleased he took many risks at his time at PWS. And we don’t mean stealing the creative faculty’s biscuits but the huge risks he took in the classroom. But ultimately nothing for him beats working with young people and having the opportunity to inspire and guide generations as they grow into successful young adults. 2

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What’s next? Apart from a bit of rest and free time, ‘Snell Dog’ intends to do a bit of travelling during term time, looking for a small part time job (not in education). He wants to continue to be involved in community activities. He is looking forward to visiting New Zealand to see the British and Irish Lions tour in June 2017. And he can’t wait until his farewell retirement and reunion for ex-staff and students on Saturday 30th July at the Rugby Club from 3PM. Sum Up (Quote from Mr S): ‘’Nobody can teach you how to teach. You can be humorous or a disciplinarian, shouter or whisperer, but what’s important is seeing results. Seeing the progress of students means progress for teachers. I have always tried to be myself in the classroom, just ‘be human’ in the classroom. Remember you’re, just like the children always learning on the job. It’s ok to make mistakes and after 41 years I am still learning new things all the time.” Student and Staff comments: Mr K Homard-Roy (Senior Assistant Principal) Graham Snelling has always been a champion of students at Prince William School. In his work on careers, advice and guidance he has sought to put the student at the centre of the process and look at how what we do as a school benefits the learner. He th has been a tremendous help to me personally when I have been setting up Work Experience in the 6 Form and his enthusiasm, energy and commitment to this process has been fantastic. Mrs A Warliker (Mr Homard-Roy’s PA) I have the pleasure of knowing Mr Snelling inside and outside of school. Inside school he’s the one I go to when I need to know something – he knows everything! Who am I going to go to now???? Outside school I have had the pleasure of his company at a few parties and he can carve a good hog roast. Miss J Dunn (Student Finance) Graham Snelling has always been a Vocational pioneer within the school. He is always willing to listen to the students and help those who struggle. One of the most memorable achievements have been the trips to South Africa and the Opera Tours which were extremely beneficial to both students and staff. We will miss him a great deal here at PWS. A lovely man!!! Mrs J Richardson (Teacher of Textiles) The first time I recall Graham Snelling was 8 years ago during the then Year 9 assembly about option choices. For a few seconds I was aghast at his "chauvinist" comments about only boys opting for Res Mat and girls for Textiles and only realised that it was all part of a cunning plan when he told the astonished students they had to complete their option choices there and then. As a newby to PWS I wasn't "in" on the joke! It wasn't long before it became apparent that Graham is a truly amazing teacher and individual, one of the genuine good guys who still cares, and is so well respected by students and staff alike. He epitomises why so many of us have entered the teaching profession. His stories and anecdotes have made us laugh so much. Whilst I will miss Graham so much, he more than any one deserves his retirement with Barbara and the boys, although knowing how much he does for others in the community he will not be in for a quiet time. I just want to say Cheers Graham. Ms G Worboys (Teacher of Art) Everyone needs a Graham Snelling in their life! I was fortunate to have had 2 opportunities to 'meet with' Graham - first in the capacity of student and secondly in the capacity of colleague. In both scenarios he has been nothing short of inspirational. Inspirational - not in the flashy or extraordinary way but in the day to day, reliable, same consistent way that promotes trust and understanding both for students and fellow teachers. Above all, however, he is extremely funny and brings a lightness to an everyday routine, if things are gloomy there is always Graham. You cannot beat a sense of humour to get you through life - Cheers Graham! 3

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Miss S Haines (Receptionist and former student) Approximately 41 years ago, I remember queuing up in a line, along the front of the stage, for a PE lesson that was going to be taken by our new teacher, Mr Snelling. He didn’t appear to be a run of the mill teacher: He had a sense of humour and made jokes, at our expense and made us laugh. At the same time, another ‘unusual’ teacher arrived at the school, called Tim Ensor, Tim used to sing out the register with his guitar as accompaniment – how cool was that? Tim and Graham became firm friends and still are to this day. So, Graham saw me through my education at Prince William and several years passed without me ever seeing him again. In 1989(?) I applied for a job at the school. It was a part time job involving typing up Records of Achievement. Luckily I got the job, but due to lack of space, I was placed in a cupboard in the Design block with a computer the size of a house and a screen the size of an ipad mini. There I met Graham once more. At that time he was teaching in Design, but he was also working with another, truly great person, Mary Wiles, who was the SENCO at the time. They took pity on my working conditions and suggested I move over to their area in A1 (now English block) where they had a spare office, or at least, a lot more legroom than my cupboard in Design. From that point on, a new chapter in my life at Prince William began – purely because of my geographical location within the school, I began getting involved with the students in Learning support, and alongside typing up Records of Achievement, a slightly more interesting and satisfying job evolved and I became one of the first Learning Support Assistants in Secondary Education in East Northants (soon to be joined by Rosemary Brudenell). Graham and Mary were the most caring people – ideally suited to their role - teaching students with learning difficulties and Special Needs but also, students in mainstream school. Their sense of humour was wicked, but a necessity. Graham was a man that students could relate to and they knew he cared about them, but that he wouldn’t stand any nonsense. He lives up to that reputation still. He also had the knack of being able to ‘poke fun’ at individuals but in a totally inoffensive way and the young people loved him for it. Any student taught by Graham will speak of him with fondness. He is unique and no other person will be able to take his place. I wish him well in the next chapter of his life. Miss D Hopping (Former Teacher of Art) An absolutely amazing man who is so inspirational and inspiring – I personally appreciate his hard working nature and humour. His positive attitude got me through a lot of hard times. He is one of the best people I know!! Mr M Cooper (Head of Humanities and Assistant Principal) During his time at Prince William School Mr Snelling has not been unknown to dabble in the Humanities. His early experiences were in teaching Integrated Humanities to Year 9. Later he was escalated to GCSE Religious Studies and then on to the big questions of Religious Philosophy while multi-tasking and also teaching Geography. We in the Humanities subjects will be sorry to see Mr Snelling leave PWS but he knows we can always make room for him in Hums! We wish him the very best in his retirement. Miss Richings (Teacher of Psychology) Mr Snelling never fails to be a friendly face in a sea of confusion! Before I arrived at PWS, when I mentioned my new job and if anyone lived in Oundle, they ALL mentioned the name Mr Snelling. I found this intriguing as they were of widely varying ages! Needless to say, when I met the mythical beast that was Graham Snelling, he lived up to his reputation as being a total dude and thoroughly lovely bloke! Graham, you will be greatly missed and I hope that you enjoy life on the ‘outside’. Mr S Harvey (Deputy Principal) Mr Snelling is Mr PWS. There is a rumour that he was here first and they built the school around him. His experience, skill and enjoyment for the job and his caring attitude have benefited thousands of local people. It’s often said that it will be difficult to replace staff, however in Mr Snelling’s case this is completely true. We wish him well and hope that he can continue his link with PWS, while enjoying his retirement.

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Miss R O’Connor (Head of Communications and Assistant Principal) Big G, The Gruffalo, Snell Dog or, to me at least, Mr Graham is known under many guises by many people but will, to so many, always be considered as a central part of their time at PWS and as residents of Oundle town itself. Before I even began my teaching career at PWS I learned that Graham had achieved near legendary status amongst his past students and their parents alike and not without reason. He is entirely selfless and always works with one goal in mind; to benefit the students he teaches and the community he, so clearly, loves so much. In the 12 years I have worked at PWS there has not been a question posed to which somebody has not replied, "have you asked Graham?" and his stories...the printable ones at least!...span the history of the school and its staff. They will, no doubt, be shared long after he has retired even though we know we'll never be quite able to live up to his infamy and, actually, I'm not completely sure PWS will be quite the same without him; Mr Graham - The King of Oundle! Aaron Burrows (Former Student of Mr S) After 41 years of teaching he’s still got it. Mr Snelling is the BFG. The first time I met him I was terrified. After only one lesson with him I soon realised he was actually the greatest teacher I’d ever come across. His cool and calm nature, great beard and deep voice demands respect from others just as he himself gives respect to others also. He is one of the ‘good guys’ who does care. His awful jokes and sense of humour keeps everyone going and his teaching ability is amazing. Even when he hasn’t got a clue at what he’s doing he can still teach!!! This year alone he’s taught me so much about teaching, something I will never forget. His wisdom is remarkable. He is a true friend and I will really miss him. I hope he enjoys his retirement. Cheers Mr S and you still owe me 4 pints!!!!!! George Robertshaw (Former Student of Mr S) What to say about Mr S? He is the best thing about PWS. Since I arrived at the school four years ago he has been kind, overwhelmingly generous and supportive. His quick wit and sense of humour have kept me smiling. I still can’t believe that he is leaving and it certainly is an end of an era. Nevertheless I hope he enjoys a long overdue rest and continues with his great work for the community. I will miss him greatly. Cheers Mr Snelling! Abraham Hall (Former Student of Mr S) He was the only teacher I’ve ever come across that ever truly terrified me. However now I think he has great hair and a great beard. He’s got a funny sense of humour.

Article by Aaron Burrows (Y13) 5

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July 2016

Prince William School Alumna, Freya Chambers, reflects upon her success and we wish her all the more in her ongoing journey. Well done, Freya! 'I was first introduced to the clarinet at OKCMS by Andy Kirkwood, the deputy head of woodwind at Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Service, and I was fortunate enough to continue studying with him whilst at PWS. By the age of 15, I was a member of both the Northamptonshire County Youth Orchestra and Concert Band, playing in multiple venues across the UK and touring Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Debate Club I am Elliott West, one of this year’s Debate Club members, and I am writing to tell you about what we have done this year and things we are planning to do next year. This year we have debated about many different topics ranging from ‘doctor’s wages compared to footballer’s wages’ to the EU Referendum. Our main topic this year was the EU referendum; we did a school vote to see how the school would vote. Remain won the vote winning 66% of pupil’s votes. In my opinion it will be a shame to see our country leave. One of our first topics last year was Trident and whether we should give up our nuclear weapons. Would you like to come next year, take part and help organise schoolwide votes?

The PWS Music department was a key part of my musical development. The weekly groups run by Mr Allen, Mr Homard-Roy and the peripatetic staff showed the dedication and commitment to music I was so lucky to be a part of. In September 2015 I was given the privilege of studying with Linda Merrick at the Royal Northern College of Music where I have just completed my first year. Most recently I have been selected by the BBC to perform as part of the 'Youth Ensemble' at the Last Night of the Proms on 10th September and I am so pleased to have been invited to perform Sir Malcolm Arnold's 2nd Clarinet Concerto with the Northamptonshire County Youth Orchestra 16th October of this year. I would like to thank all the PWS staff who have supported me along the way especially Mr Allen, head of music.'

Debate Club runs once a week and will reopen after the summer break! So keep a look out for a clubs list! Elliott West

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Issue No. 6

July 2016

Food, Glorious Food! Summer term marks an important stage in the life of the Year 11 Catering student, as the assessments they have finished are worth 40 marks towards their GCSE. All of the students successfully completed an intensive mornings challenge, to design, plan and execute a two-course meal from a country of their choice. Some fantastic creations were presented and I wish them well as they await their GCSE results in August. Year 10 pupils completed a 'Valentine's meal' assignment and have made an excellent start to their Year major project. Each student researched local businesses and had an extremely enjoyable visit to Salerno's in the town for a tasting menu; many thanks to the team for looking after us. Special mention must go out to Katie Cooper who after coming second to our own Joe Pendred last year, persevered and won the local 'Future Chef' competition in. The Food Department were thrilled to accommodate training sessions, where local Chef trainer, Jack Godfrey, was able to work with Katie in preparation for the regional competition. Jack was on hand to also put several of our other talented year 11 Catering students through their paces and advise them on career development and further education opportunities. Finally, the very successful 'PFA Royal Bake-Off' was held in June. This national event was to honour the Queens' birthday as we celebrate her 90th year throughout 2016. As you can see we had many wonderful entries, whose standard made the work of our panel of judges of Governors and Hambleton's bakery all the more difficult! Well done to all who entered. 7

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Moving On Up: Y7 Transition! I have been extremely lucky be involved with transition in some shape or form for over 20 years, but this year it was only the second year in the school's history when Transition has meant Year 6 students! Yikes - what a lovely, lively, excitable and wonderful bunch they all are and I mean all. As I shared with parents and carers on Move Up evening, this year’s transition from primary to secondary school has surpassed all expectations because we have experienced so many ‘firsts’. There was the first child that, when I admired her artwork, told me that she liked my hair. The first children to come in a white shirt and gifted their PWS tie, much to the entertainment of tutors who had to help 28 children tie said ties. The first child to say that they had had the best ever lesson ever ever in their entire life. What? Ever? Finally, the first child to be surprised by a BBC film crew and Mark Wright. Ladies of a certain age are still recovering and Year 11 girls cannot forgive us for keeping him a secret. More about Lola and Dengineers in the next issue. But to know that this year's cohort have ambitions to be PM because they will 'do a better job' is humbling. And to know that our students want to get the very best out of the next stage of their schooling makes me immensely proud. So thank you families, friends and primary school colleagues - you have done an amazing job and we cannot wait to guide these fantastic youngsters on the next stage of their journey. Although knowing them already as I do, they are more than able to do it on their own.

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Science: STEM On Friday 24th June, twelve of us went to a STEM day at Bishop Stopford School in Kettering. Some of the challenges included: • • • • • • • •

Building a simple motor. Designing and making electricity pylons. Making a DNA model. Qwizdom DNA test Constructing a boat. Marine archaeology. Code Breaking Designing, building and racing an F1 car.

We were very happy and excited to find out that one of our two teams came 3rd and the other team came 5th out of fifteen teams. If we were able to combine our two scores, we would have been overall winners! The day was great and allowed us to work together as a team and use a variety of skills. 'On the STEM day we were required to utilise our skills to complete multiple tasks in order to gain points. We had to work as a team to create contraptions using our engineering skills. The best part of the day was creating working projects.' Jess Platt and Arthur Stubbings 9F 'It was a great experience which brought us together as a team. We really enjoyed the creative and interactive aspects of the challenges!' 'The activity we most enjoyed was the pylon activity and the quiz on DNA. We also enjoyed the building challenges, particularly the building of the car, it was fun and it involved good team work.' 'Thanks very much to Miss Melrose and Mrs Stoker for organising and taking us to Bishop Stopford school for this trip.' The visit was a success, all of us enjoyed the Scientific learning that took place throughout the day and we look forward to implementing our learning in our Science lessons. Students that attended: Daniel Maywood Eva Stroh Alice Reeves Erin Clipston Jasmine Read Tomasina Richardson Laura Dew Emily Smith Arthur Stubbings Jess Platt Rachael Lever Molly McNally

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Barcelona! The trip was very educational. We went to many great places and had both native to Spain and familiar food from England. (They had a vegetarian option too) The Spanish trip was awesome, it was so fun. The bus journey was great too, it was clean and spacious, the bus driver even played music which distracted us from the 26 hour journey. We had a lot of toilet breaks too. When we got there we unpacked and we relaxed at the beach in Callafel and played volleyball, football and had sand castle competitions. Then we swam in the hotel pool, it was nice and refreshingly cold which suited the hot weather, then had dinner. On the second day we visited Camp Nou, the FC Barcelona stadium it was sick (even for non football lovers) because we got to see all of the trophies and dressing rooms! And then went back to the pool J On the third day we went to the Sagrada Familia church and then went to a shopping mall and then to McDonald’s. We also went to a flamenco dancing where the food was…creative. On the last day we went to a theme park it was awesome we all loved it!

Jude Sutcliffe & Raya Lesichkova

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Y7 English: Guinness World Record Holders J We had been invited to take part in an attempt to break the world record for the largest reading lesson and – having been so impressed with the ardent reading appetites of our Y7 students – were keen to take on the challenge. And so, on the morning of Friday th 27 June, we all gathered to give it our best shot…and we did it!! Here’s what some of our students had to say about it along with some of their aspirations for future record attempts: “I feel proud to be a record holder but it isn’t the best one to hold…I want to break Jamie Vardy’s record for the most consecutive goals scored!” “I feel great for holding a world record! I would like to hold the record for being awake the longest time.” “A record for cracking 20 eggs in the fastest time.” “I’m proud of holding a world record because it’s a memory I can hold forever.” “It felt exciting and fun to break a world record.” “I’d like to break a record for the most children dabbing in one room…and I liked my shiny certificate.” “We should break the record for the most children doing the chubby bunny challenge.” “It feels cool having known that we read at the same time as everyone else who took

July 2016

Super Star Staff: Mrs Berry What do you most enjoy about working at PWS? Working with our brilliant students - they make every day interesting, enjoyable and challenging in equal measures! Are there any particular events of stories you'd like to share with us about your time at PWS? I've loved the trips I've been on so far. Skiing for the first time in my life was...interesting!! Our students were fantastic and so encouraging and supportive even when I was too rubbish to be in the beginners group!! What are you most excited about with regard to the future of PWS? I think that the addition of Y7 and Y8 has meant an exciting new chapter for the school. I'm looking forward to seeing the continued impact this has on our school community - I think it's brought everyone together more, and has definitely brought more energy into daily life at PWS! What did you most enjoy about your own time at school? I loved being with my friends - I was quite a shy student (shocking, I know!), and I really valued a sense of 'belonging.' I also loved my Y11 English lessons; I had such an inspiring teacher and it was her that made me carry on to A-Level and beyond. If you hadn't been working in education...what might you have done instead? Maybe something political...but I do love writing, so maybe trying to be the next J. K. Rowling! What song best sums up your attitude towards teaching? Hmm...I feel the pressure with these types of questions! Maybe cheesy, but you can't beat 'You Gotta Be' by Des'ree

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Year 11 Leavers

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UKMT JUNIOR MATHS CHALLENGE Earlier this year, some pupils in year 7 and 8 were chosen to participate in the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge. The challenge was run by the UK Mathematics Trust and was supported by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, which provided material to provoke students’ mathematical thinking and test their problem solving skills in an accessible yet challenging way. The test consisted of 25 multiple choice questions which you had an hour to do; however you were not expected to answer all the questions as incorrect answers could lose you points. Out of the approximately 250,000 pupils which took part from across the country, roughly the top 6% received a Gold certificate, 13% got silver and 21% achieved bronze. Around 6,500 of the top students th exceeded Gold and were then, invited to sit a following competition on Tuesday 14 June 2016, the Junior Mathematical Olympiad or Kangaroo. Two of our year 8 pupils achieved this; Christian Pinder (Junior Mathematical Olympiad) and Rhianna Overton (Junior Kangaroo), who are now awaiting their results. However even those who didn’t go further still felt it was “quite a challenge but still good fun” (Finlay Dodd) Many said “it was nerve-racking and sometimes difficult but I’m still pleased I did it.” R.Overton & E.Robertshaw

Super Star Staff: Mr Betts-Masters What do you most enjoy about working at PWS? It’s going to sound cheesy, but I like how polite our students are. I’m a pretty calm person really so I like teaching in a calm atmosphere. Also when students do work they can be proud of, it makes my day. Are there any particular events of stories you'd like to share with us about your time at PWS? That’s between me and the boss! Well ok, I found it a little bit interesting when a Year 11 made me a “theme tune”… check it out on SoundCloud, “Bettstep” by Hydracor. What are you most excited about with regard to the future of PWS? YouTube, I want to get more student work on our YouTube channel. If you have any projects you’d like to share do come and see me. Sub up and leave likes and positive comments, there’s some amazing student work up there already. What did you most enjoy about your own time at school? Trips, I was lucky enough to go skiing five times with school and am now a black run master, with mad off-piste skills, also learning to sail, kayak, visiting art galleries or shows in London. Loved it. I loved art; we had our own sixth form art room, which was chill, but also loud… very loud. If you hadn't been working in education...what might you have done instead? I trained as an Architect so that I guess, but really I wasn’t all that keen on the industry. What I really like doing is drawing or painting and writing, I love writing. 13

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The Student Becomes The Teacher.

We were given the opportunity to turn the quiet room into a revision room to help boost our confidence for the exams. For example, we created a variety of colourful posters that included key ideas, terminology and summaries. We also covered the tables with paper and worked together to create rough mind maps using our own knowledge. By filling the room with lots of posters and mind maps it allowed us to regularly take notice of quick revision notes. Finally, every so often we would use the classroom whiteboard to share and learn each others knowledge. At first we found revision stressful but using this technique helped us to manage the revision workload more effectively; so we advise others to do the same next year. Thank you to the Learning Support staff for allowing us to do this! Jade, Katie and Ben

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Super Star Staff: Miss Hunstone What do you most enjoy about working at PWS? It is a huge privilege to be able to work alongside such a wealth of experience and variety of people; staff and students alike. The hidden talents never fail to amaze me; every day you learn something new about a colleague or a student, be it that they are an international sports’ star, the relative of a famous singer or qualified in something weird and wonderful. Are there any particular events of stories you'd like to share with us about your time at PWS? I’ve had loads of great experiences here thus far! I particularly enjoyed the Year 8 visit to France at May half term and watching everyone’s faces trying the snails at the snail farm (unfortunately I had to abstain due to allergies!). Another highlight for me has been taking my form through to the grand final of the Northants Schools County Challenge; we unfortunately missed out on a podium position but had a fantastic time nonetheless. What are you most excited about with regard to the future of PWS? Our determination to raise standards in education and put our students ahead of the game. For example many schools are only offering one or two foreign languages nowadays; we’ve been able however to bring German, in addition to French and Spanish, back onto the curriculum for September 2016. The forward thinking nature of the school really is fantastic!   What did you most enjoy about your own time at school? Am I allowed to say the holidays and snow days?! No? I actually really enjoyed the variety of lessons; I don’t think that you appreciate this when you are at school, but all the different lessons adds such interest and opportunity to your life and make you a more interesting person with more to say about things. For example, I’ve yet to find a need in my life for being able to throw a javelin, but I am so grateful that I was able to learn how to do so and can explain to someone else how to do so – all experiences like this give an individual one more thing that they are able to talk about so you sound less ignorant! If you hadn't been working in education...what might you have done instead? The game plan was always to be involved with skiing and sailing as a career; I had wanted to be a guide for visually impaired ski racers, but a serious knee injury put pay to that and while I can still ski, it isn’t at the same level. Now however I quite fancy owning a deli, sourcing and selling an array of delicious produce and wines at affordable prices! What song best sums up your attitude towards teaching? Billy Ocean, “When the going get’s tough, the tough get going!” (Ask your parents…or Mr Harvey!)

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YEAR 10 HISTORY: ROCKINGHAM CASTLE On the 28th and 30th June, the Year 10 History GCSE classes once again headed to Rockingham Castle in preparation for their coursework studying the elements of British history linked with the structure of the building. Rockingham holds so many secrets about the past and this hilltop castle provides insight into nine hundred years of history... It was built on the orders of William the Conqueror himself and entertained more than ten Medieval kings who enjoyed the hunting in Rockingham Forest. Although Edward I is known for his huge concentric castles that terrified the locals in Wales, he also upgraded Rockingham and we could see remnants of his vision for castle defense. There is even a story that King John’s treasure is not at the bottom of the Wash but buried in the grounds.

With splendid rooms, collections of paintings and armour and 12 acres of beautiful gardens the trip was informative and helped to bring to life the past. Every room is packed full of history and it was interesting to see how the house has changed over time. The guides were engaging and very knowledgeable and they really helped build on our class work, allowing us to put things we'd learnt into perspective. Sadly, now that the fun trip part is over we've got to actually do the coursework. However with the brilliant tour we were given at Rockingham I'm sure it will be easy!

Mathematics: Welcome to Year 7 A huge welcome to our new Year 7s joining us for their first KS3 Mathematics lessons this week! After meeting with all the KS2 teachers across all the primary schools, I can see our new Year 7s have worked so hard in year 6 and have come to us with amazingly strong skills in numeracy. We can’t wait to WOW you with our first topic: sequences; where you could really get to grips with algebra if you go far enough! Our lovely family of KS2 teachers have done a fantastic job, and really will miss you, but they have set you up for a wonderful Year 7 in Mathematics at Prince William School.

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Issue No. 6

July 2016

Super Star Staff: Mr Baron What do you most enjoy about working at PWS? I am fortunate to be working with a great team of people in the PE department and there is a never a dull moment! All members of staff are very supportive of one another. But of course what gives me the greatest satisfaction is my day-to-day teaching job. There are lots of talented students here at PWS and it is excellent to see those students using their talents, particularly when it comes to sport. Are there any particular events of stories you'd like to share with us about your time at PWS? I have been fortunate enough to have gone on many a school visit since I joined PWS, including ski trips and D of E weekends. The students know what an excellent skier I am!! This year’s ski trip was to Claviere in the Italian Alps. On the second day I was skiing a particularly difficult black run, or was it an easy red? I can’t quite remember…but I had a spectacular crash in front of the students, which of course I never heard the end of!! What are you most excited about with regard to the future of PWS? Having the opportunity to work in a brand new sports hall as part of the rebuilding programme and seeing the school continue to go from strength to strength! What did you most enjoy about your own time at school? Being involved in anything and everything sporty! I did audition for the school choir once, but was politely told by the music teacher to ‘consider other extra-curricular opportunities’. If you hadn't been working in education...what might you have done instead? I would definitely have to do something outside. The thought of an office job does not appeal in the slightest! Maybe I could have been a farmer, although it looks a little bit too much like hard work, but I would have enjoyed driving the tractor! What song best sums up your attitude towards teaching? ‘School’s Out’ by Alice Cooper. Although it’s not just about the holidays!

Reading Buddies & Shared Reading New GCSE curriculums that present greater challenge to the learning experiences of our students means we need to do everything we can to ensure that they are as well prepared and confident as they can be when the time comes. One of the ways in which we can do this is through our weekly Reading Buddies sessions. Not only is this an excellent opportunity for some of our least confident KS3 students to boost their reading skills but it present opportunities to work with our brilliant Post 16 Buddies, all of whom are fantastically supportive and encouraging – we’ve seem some amazing progress! So, over the summer, we hope you all find the time to read and look forward to your recommendations in September OR let us know what you’re reading via Twitter @PWSEnglish 17

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Issue No. 6

July 2016

Warner Brothers Studio Tour: Harry Potter Year 7 students have been studying “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” in their English lessons and so, when the opportunity arose to visit the WB Studio Tour we leapt at it…and it proved so popular that we had to plan a second trip just two weeks later! “When I went to the Harry Potter tour it was very fun and I really enjoyed it. The tour was very interactive and I loved how we had to watch out for things and collect stamps. I was really excited and I bought a chocolate wand!” Dani Darwood “I was extremely excited about going to Harry Potter World as I am one of the biggest Harry Potter fans in the whole world. I had already been before but I didn’t mind going again because it was even better. When I found out we were going I nearly exploded with anticipation.” Natalie Horne “When I went to Harry Potter I was nervous because I didn’t know whether I would like it but excited to go there. My nerves changed to happiness instantly! It was amazing to see how it was made and to walk in the Great Hall.” Dylan Upton “When I went to Harry Potter, although I had been before, it just felt magical. Looking for the golden snitches was just a joy, I’d love to go again! I bought a fabulous wand that belongs to Voldemort (lookout Mum and Dad!).” Jamie Giddings “I was very excited because I had never been before and it was cool to see how it was filmed. Also we got to drink butterbeer which was so yummy!” Aimee Baxter “When we were going to Harry Potter I felt really excited because I had never been before and I just got really into the films. I really enjoyed going to Harry Potter and I want to go again. My favourite part of Harry Potter was the Hogwarts Express. I bought a chocolate frog and it was really nice.” Owen Prior

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Issue No. 6

July 2016

Post – 16 Prom

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Issue No. 6

July 2016

Mathematics: BIDMAS Investigation One day we came into our Maths lesson to see footsteps and the outline of two dead bodies and our teacher dressed in a big brown coat, magnifying glass, a soviet hat and the pink panther in the background. When we all settled down, our teacher stopped the music and informed us: “Ant and Dec have been MURDERED!” and that us “Mathematician Masters have to use our BIDMAS skills to find out who murdered them!” Whispers grew, saying “this is going to be exciting!” and boy were they right! Filled with excitement we started wondering when the fun filled activities were going to get underway. Mrs Symons handed out a booklet with names on such as: David Walliams, Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Mel B. One of my friends whispered to me “I wonder if it’s Simon?” as a joke. Our first task was to use BIDMAS to find out where the suspects were on the night of the murder. I got the question right and move onto the next question, but midway through I got stopped by hearing Mrs Symons say “Can I take a photo of you Luke?” I looked up and saw Mrs Symons handing him a magnifying glass. She took the photo and then plonked the soviet hat on my head which completely blocked my field of vision. 5 seconds later I took the hat off to see…. Everyone laughing at me! rd

On task 2 I struggled a bit but Mrs Symons helped me. Then came the 3 task, we had to identify the murder weapon, which would identify the murderer. Amanda got knocked out. Then there was a finger print scan, the final test, and this was the hardest of all so all of our table put our heads together to work it out. David was eliminated, leaving Simon as the murderer. We were the first group to finish and Mrs Symons congratulated us. As the lesson came to an end, we all got sad because the lesson was ending. Ben Elliot-Brown and Rhiannon Howe

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Issue No. 6

July 2016

Young Leaders, COTSSP and the

May and June has seen Young Leaders at Prince William School given the opportunity to work with the Corby, Oundle and Thrapston Schools Sports Partnership (COTSSP) across a range of sporting events. They have been involved in running hockey, mini tennis and cricket competitions hosted at Prince William School, as well as the TATA Kids of Steel Triathlon. This event saw over 1000 children from across the partnership come together to participate in a day of great activity, which took place at Corby swimming pool and town centre. The Young Leaders have had the opportunity to assist younger peers, lead teams, umpire matches, keep scores and help the COTSSP team in setting up for the events. Taking on all of these responsibilities have helped enhance and grow their leadership skills that are transferable to the wider educational setting as well as a professional setting. The Events that take place are not only beneficial for the Young Leaders of Prince William School, but they also offer a great opportunity for the pupils of the feeder schools to Prince William to get a taste of what the school is like. When they come to compete they get the chance to speak the leaders about the school and see them taking charge of the event, setting a great example and showing them what great leadership work they could do once they come to attend Prince William themselves. We are always looking for more ways to get young people involved in our leadership programme, so if you are interested in developing your own skills and feel this is something you would like to learn more about then please contact with Mr Peleszok or Mr Wright, located in the fitness suite office. The 2016 Northamptonshire School Games programme came to a grand finale on Thursday 7th July at Moulton College, as almost 1500 young athletes all gathered together to compete in a variety of sports to try and become County Champions. 74 schools from across the county participated and represented their School Sport Partnership in 18 different sports. Prince William qualified to represent the Corby, Oundle and Thrapston partnership in year 9/10 Rugby th 7s. After some great team and individual performances the PWS boys finished 4 in the competition, a brilliant result! In June, the fifth and final stage of the 2016 Aviva Woman’s Cycling Tour came through Northamptonshire. To celebrate the tour Northamptonshire Sport held a competition to design a flag that could start the final stage of the race. The competition was open to all children in Year 7-11. The brief of the competition was to design a flag that reflects; Northamptonshire, their local community, British Cycling and Woman’s Sport. Katie Walker from Prince William School was the winner with a brilliant design; she won the opportunity to start the race with the Leader of Northampton Borough Council, Mary Markham, using the actual flag that she designed, which she then got to keep as a memento. All in all, it has been a fantastic term for all of our young athletes and sports leaders – a massive well done to you all! 21

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Spring 2016

English Projects: Other Cultures In English we always try to provide fun and engaging additional learning opportunities for our students that will enhance their experiences within our lessons. One way in which we do this – and to which we ALWAYS receive an incredible response is the homework projects we set. Most recently Y8 have been studying poetry from other cultures and we chose to review the homework projects in a “market place’ setting. As you can see from some of the pictures shared here, our brilliant students rose to the challenge once again. A huge well done and THANK YOU to all of our brilliant students for their efforts and enthusiasm in completing their homework projects…and also to parents for putting up with the need to find craft materials to facilitate new and “inventive” ways to present the projects, we really appreciate it J

Year 8 French Trip 2016 th

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From Saturday 28 May to Wednesday 1 June, year 8 had an amazing trip to the wonderful country of France -it was an experience none of us will forget. On an early Saturday morning, the coach set off for France. It was a long, hot day, but finally, we reached the coast of France. After a well-needed break on the beach, we eventually arrived at our accommodation. It was a lovely hostel that provided cosy rooms and delicious food, and we were warmly welcomed. Our first day in France was full of excitement- we visited La Coupole, the extraordinary World War 2 bunker. Then we went to a thrilling water park that many students will admit was the best part. Monday was just as good; the morning was spent learning about the children of France in the French school. We made pen pals and overall had lots of fun with the children. After we had said goodbye to the French pupils, we visited the Bec a suc sweet factory, where we watched and helped make the sweets. Everyone bought lots of sweets for their families but mostly for themselves- and ended the day on a good note. Our last full day was the most memorable; in the morning we went to the snail farm. We learnt about how the snails are cared for, and we were allowed to hold the snails. Finally, a plate of snails was passed around and we tasted them; they were delicious but not everyone thought so. Later, we went to the Boulogne Nausicaa Aquarium, where everyone had fun; there were sharks, coral reefs, stingrays and sea lions, as well as hundreds of jellyfish, all kinds of tropical fish, and even penguins! It was an amazing visit. When we arrived back at the hotel, we had a French-themed evening. Everyone was dressed up in something French (we even had French fries) and played French-themed games. Sadly, Wednesday was our last day in France. No one wanted to go home, but we still had fun for the last several hours at the Boulogne market. It was our last opportunity to purchase souvenirs, so we made good use of our time there. We also had a Crepe demonstration in a restaurant and then we got to eat the crepes - delicieuse! Freyja Griffiths-Thompson

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Issue No. 6

July 2016

WILDLIFE CLUB Wildlife Club is for the people who have a passion for nature. We are building a bug hotel at the moment and are also open for ideas if you join. We have a very good team of wildlife-crazy people: • • • • •

Elise Lewis Elisha Fisher Tom Hales Chrissie Lee Paige Garnett

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Bronagh Towell

And…you?! If you like nature, then please join as together we CAN make the wildlife here happier!

Northamptonshire County School Challenge This year our school had the privilege to take part in the Northamptonshire’s County Schools Challenge. The County Schools Challenge is a competition where small groups of pupils from different schools learn and debate about a chosen subject - this year it was unhealthy and healthy relationships. First off, Year 8 all took part in a workshop arranged by the Northamptonshire Police Force to learn about the subject and then groups composed a proposal that would help to solve the problem of unhealthy relationships. Later, all groups competed against each other at the end of the day and the winner (8D – Rhianna Overton, Eve Cresswell, Jennifer Coles, Sophie Acred, Ellie Tinsley, Peter Murdock, Sam Norwood, Jessica Smith, Rhianna Judd, Freyja G-T, Flora G-T, Kate Walker, Maisie McCormack and Ellie Stricket) continued to develop their idea over a series of weeks. They later travelled up to the Northamptonshire Police Headquarters for a day in which they competed in the semi-finals in front of the allocated “Dragons”. Eighteen other groups competed in this semi-final, all from different schools, and the top eight including Prince William School were chosen to go through to the final in which they performed in front of five dragons and an audience of parents at the Lighthouse Theatre in Kettering. All of the performances were polished and acted as tough competition. Sadly, 8D did not win however they all thoroughly enjoyed the experiences and evening they had shared. They were honoured to take part in the competition and to represent the school. We hope that other year groups can take part in such an eye-opening experience in the future. 23