Summer 2014 - William Brookes School

Transcription

THE
EDGE
WILLIAM BROOKES SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Summer holiday edition July 2014
Perfect in purple...
This years’ Year 11 Prom was held on a showery Friday, 27 June, but the rain
couldn’t dampen the sprits of our students as they celebrated that post-exams
feeling. The main event was held in Studio 1, with the meal of chilli con carne or
chicken curry with
rice or a vegetarian option of goat’s
cheese tart, followed by a trio of desserts,
served in Studios 2 and 3. Well done and
thank you to the Year 11 students who
formed this year's Prom Committee: Holly
Arden, Chloe Braithwaite, Dane Brickley,
Millie Eccles, Lauren Fourie, Jenny
Gilmore, Ollie Joesbury, Lauren Peters,
Natalie Tonks, Sam Walker and Neve
York.
For this page we’ve picked photos of some
of the students who looked “Perfect in
Purple”. See pages 18/19 for a selection
who chose to look “Pretty in pink”….and
other colours too, of course!
Pictured clockwise from left (thanks to Mr
Bertrand for the photos) are Chloe
Braithwaite and Brad Blount, Ana Branco
and Kerryanne Hewlett, Bethany Hotchkiss,
Alice Spittles-Jackson and Matthew Hartill.
I am amazed at what our students achieve at these times.
Singing, playing, dancing and compering at events with 250
plus people would scare most adults but they just appear to
take it in their stride as they have been nurtured and coached
to such a great standard. I do thank all the Performing Arts
staff, for whom this is the busiest time of a busy year.
It has been a really hectic end to the
Summer Term, with many activities and
events running alongside the drive
towards another exam season. Since my
last Head’s Message I am pleased to
note:
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Induction for both Year 12 and Year 6 has taken place.
The Year 6 pupils arrived for two days following a very
successful parents evening on 30 June, with 162
students planning to join us. Year 12 students were
also in school for a complete week, for a taster of their
real timetables in September.
A new online appointment system for Parents
Consultation Evenings was trialled with Year 7. This
received a lot of positive comments and places the
booking of appointments in the hands of parents and
teachers. This has many advantages, especially
organisational ones, and shows us details about
attendees and removes concerns over lost or
incomplete forms.
Any impact on WBS by the recent strike of the National
Union of Teachers was averted by the professional
wishes of our staff. They have genuine concerns but
feel that other types of action would be far more
productive.
The new timetable began after June half term.
Organising this is a massive undertaking led by Nadine
Murray and Margaret Brown, together with the Subject
Leaders. Despite the busy time of year it has been a
successful implementation.
The Exam Preparation Programme (EPP) has proved
valuable again. The emphasis on terminal exams has
added a burden for students. It is important that they
have some quality time near to an exam with staff who
can answer questions as well as provide important last
minute advice.
Life outside the classroom continues to flourish and I request
you all to support our desire to ensure that all students
participate in the many extra-curricular activities we offer.
Although it is lovely to see all the regular participants, I always
look for new faces in amongst the group, as this only adds
strength to our school and benefits our students.
There have been many strong student performances recently:
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Coursework performances in Drama and Dance
showcased work by the GCSE and A level students.
The Encore and Express clubs have performed work
under the guise of trying new instruments.
The Key Performance Academy used some of our
students in their ranks for the performances on 19 and
20 June and again on 16 and 17 July.
The W Factor had twelve contestants in a high quality
competition, providing a real feel-good factor.
The Summer Dance Festival also took place recently
with both WBS and primary students involved, filling the
stage as ever. The usual staff dance tribute was
included, only making the student performances appear
even stronger!
Page 2
We have had the two major student social events in the year
and look forward to some upcoming staff celebrations:
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The Year 11 Prom which saw in excess of 100 students
celebrate the end of mainstream life at WBS. Grateful
thanks go to Nikki Padfield for the organisation and
Paul Bertrand for the photos, but the event could not
happen without the students who help to organise it all
and the staff who kindly attend on the night.
The Sixth Form summer party was held in Atcham with
nearly 80 attendees. This is a lovely opportunity to say
farewell to some students who have been with us for
seven (or two) years in a very respectful but informal
way and it is a very special time for those staff who are
able to attend. We do feel that we know them very well
having supported them through the challenges of the
last two years. Thanks must go to Jonathan Crook and
Catherine Henderson for all their support in the process
and to the wonderful young adults leaving us for
pastures new. We all wish them the very best for the
exciting next phase of their lives.
A number of celebrations are being planned for
Margaret Brown, Peter Braddick, Sally Hayward, Jez
Pope, Eleanor Wild and Doris Fone who are, after
many years’ service, moving schools or retiring. The
school owes so much to people who have given
decades of service, impacting on the lives of thousands
of students over that time. For some it is retirement to
look forward to, whilst others venture to new pastures
but we wish all of them well.
I would also like to thank the other staff leavers: Beccy
Reynolds, Ben McLaughlin, Craig Westcott, Ruth
Cameron, Hannah Lister and Ffion Davies. We also
wish the staff who will be starting maternity leave well,
and extend our best wishes and thoughts for the
exciting times ahead.
Sporting Success
This has been the best year of sport that I can remember in my
13 years at the school. Although we have won more trophies
and had more elite performers than before, the number of
participants seems higher than ever too. To recognise this we
held our second School Sports Awards Evening last Friday.
This initiative, led by Liam Hennessey but well supported by the
PE team, is proving very popular with over 300 attendees.
Sport at all levels is recognised including the invaluable Sports
Leader programmes. This reminds me how important the
partnership of parents, school staff, club coaches and students
is in delivering competitive performers who want to win but in
the correct manner. They do us, as a school, and you, as
parents, proud in the way they conduct themselves.
Other highlights on the sporting front include:
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We have been very successful in team level sport with
hockey, football and netball all winning trophies.
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We recently won the Telford Schools Athletics
Championships after a six series event programme.
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Interhouse sport has continued with cricket, rounders
and swimming culminating in our annual Sports Day
William Brookes School Newsletter
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which is planned for the last week of term.
The School Games held at Shrewsbury Sports Village
were won by East Shropshire again, with 4 strong teams
from WBS securing good points.
Three students have gained national times to compete
in the British Championships, including Josh Burrows
who is team captain.
External Cricket coaches, girls football and
cheerleading have all really taken off over the last
twelve months.
At the recent National Biathlon Championships, almost
every WBS student improved on their personal best with
Matthew Griffiths coming out as National Champion.
He has recently been invited to join the British Triathlon
camp in France.
Friends of William Brookes School
The Friends have had another successful year. They have
around £8000 of their fundraising left after a recent round of
school bids. This is testament to the hard work of this group of
committed parents so ably led by Liz Wealthall and Helen and
Andrew Goldspink. They are looking to end their tenure after
two years serving on the committee and I have been very
grateful for their efforts, together with those of Jo Caldwell.
The May Fair, Bags for School and the 80s night have all been
great successes.
The Edge Arts Centre
The success of the Edge continues to rise and it is only fitting to
mention the work of Paul Brothwood and his team. Top class
artists, comedians, films and National Theatre Live events have
meant that we have turned around the financial and footfall
figures over the last two years. This has become a true
community favourite and people in the locality are getting a
very good experience from this lovely facility.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff
for their efforts this year. As I write, the Year 7 students are on
their Opal Coast visit, and I have been attending events that
have kept me late at school many times over the last few
weeks. All these occasions have been about celebrating the
work of our students; this only happens because the staff give
freely of their time.
I would like to pay a special tribute to my Leadership Team of
Steve Beard, Jo Caldwell, Marie Lacey and Claire Watkins who
support me and all our staff and students massively.
I wish all staff, students and parents a restful and safe
holiday.
And we extend a warm welcome to the
This term, William Brookes School says
Staffing news
following new members of staff who join us
goodbye and thank you to the following
in September:
members of staff, who leave with all our best wishes
In the People Learning Zone
for the future:
From the People Learning Zone
Mr Peter Braddick
Head of English
Mr Jez Pope
Teacher of English
Mr Ben McLaughlin
Teacher of English
From the Global Learning Zone
Dr Ruth Cameron
Teacher of Psychology
From the Enterprise & Technology Learning Zone
Mrs Eleanor Wild
Teacher of DT Resistant Materials
Mrs Doris Fone
Teacher of Business Studies
Mrs Sally Hayward
Teacher of DT Textiles
Mr Craig Westcott
Assistant Head of Maths
From Admin & Learning Support
Mrs Beccy Reynolds
Data Manager
Mrs Margaret Brown
School Fund Manager
Miss Hannah Lister
Learning Support Assistant
Miss Ffion Davis
DT & Art Teaching Assistant
Our congratulations and best wishes go to the following
members of staff who have recently become parents or
received news of an impending arrival:
Mr Rob Holmquist
DT Product Design Technician
Mrs Yasmin Sherratt
Mrs Lizzy Hoyle
Teacher of Maths
Miss Pauline Andre
Teacher of French
Summer Holiday Edition 2014
Mr Ned Brickley
Miss Tracy Watkins
Miss Helen Comerford
Mrs Venetta Smith
Ms Alex Lane
Head of English
Teacher of English
Teacher of English
Teacher of Law
Teacher of History, Law &
Government + Politics
(returning from maternity leave)
In the Global Learning Zone
Mr Mark Weston
Head of Physics
Mr Christopher Snow
Teacher of Science
In the Enterprise & Technology Learning Zone
Mr Robin Walker
Teacher of DT Product Design
Mrs Pam Hasbury
Mr Anthony Burrell
Head of Business Studies &
Enterprise
Mrs Helen King
Teacher of Maths (A level)
Ms Laura Luke
Teacher of Maths
In the Performance Learning Zone
Mrs Juliette McGill
Teacher of PE
In the Admin Team
Ms Naomi Middleton
Data Manager
Page 3
UKMT Maths Challenge
Every year, William Brookes’ talented
mathematicians are entered in the
UKMT Individual Challenge. There
are three categories in this
competition consisting of the Senior,
Intermediate and Junior challenges.
High scoring students, approximately
the top 40% of entries nationally,
receive either a gold, silver or bronze
certificate. There are also certificates
given to the student who is Best in
Year and Best in School. The
following students definitely deserve
recognition for their remarkable
achievement and have done our
school proud.
Maths Department News
from Mrs Caldwell
Emilia Stonebanks – Best In School,
Best in Year (Year 8) and Gold
Certificate
Annie Bynoth – Best in Year (Year
7) and Gold Certificate
Miika Day-Gough – Gold
Certificate
Bradley Jones – Silver Certificate
Lily Hayward – Bronze Certificate
James Young- Bronze Certificate
Harvey Orme – Bronze Certificate
Tobiah Jones – Bronze Certificate
Furthermore, around five
hundred of the highest scoring
students in each year nationally
are invited to participate in the
Mathematical Olympiad where
they can be awarded a
Certificate of Participation, Merit
or Distinction. Also, the top 100
students in the competition are
awarded a medal.
Senior Challenge
Ben Jones – Best in School, Best in
Year (Year 11) and Silver Certificate
Barnaby Dowdeswell – Best in Year
(Year 12) and Silver Certificate
Richard Hadley – Best in Year (Year
13) and Silver Certificate
Naomi Cooper – Silver Certificate
Helena Wall – Bronze Certificate
Nina Cooper – Bronze Certificate
Samuel Walker – Bronze Certificate
Sophia Cooper - Bronze Certificate
Intermediate Challenge
Connor Bennett – Best in School,
Best in Year (Year 9) and Gold Certificate
Tom Grant – Best in Year (Year 10) and Silver Certificate
Harry Entwistle – Silver Certificate
Amelia Gilbert – Silver Certificate
Robbie Cooper – Bronze Certificate
Simon Bowen - Bronze Certificate
Harry Dowdeswell - Bronze Certificate
Isaac James - Bronze Certificate
Jake Carter - Bronze Certificate
Adam Goodman - Bronze Certificate
Oliver Williams - Bronze Certificate
Nat Jones - Bronze Certificate
Amber Walters - Bronze Certificate
Matthew Jones - Bronze Certificate
Junior Challenge
We are delighted to announce
that Connor Bennett (left) has
attained such an outstanding
achievement and has been
awarded a Distinction and a
medal. Well done Connor!
We hope that you continue to
be a great ambassador for the
school!
Farewells…
We would like to send our best wishes to Mrs Sherratt
who is due to give birth at the end of July. We hope she
has a safe delivery and we will see her return early next
year!
Finally, we would like to say a big farewell to Mr
Westcott who has taken up a new post at Shrewsbury
Sixth Form. We wish him all the best and without doubt,
he will be sorely missed by staff and pupils at William
Brookes. Many will agree that he has been a fantastic
teacher throughout his time at the school.
Can you solve this Alphabet Soup?
Why are some letters above the red line and some letters below?
Page 4
Ali G in da Lecture Theatre!
confidence as they
realised that they
already knew most of
their course; they just
had to know how to put
it down to gain
maximum marks. Ali
gave them the chance to
try out exam answers
and to hear immediate
feedback.
Oh, OK, it wasn’t that
Ali G…
Ali Ghalib, ex-chief
examiner for Edexcel
Psychology A level,
came to William
Brookes School on
Monday 14 April. What
is more, 90% of our
Psychology students
gave up the first day of
their Easter holidays to
come and do a
workshop with him.
“I found today so useful;
I'm a lot less stressed
now. It has been so
beneficial to me!” said
one of the students.
Ali’s advice on exam technique was timely as there was
only one month to the first exam and it boosted students’
- Mrs Ravenscroft
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY...
Lost Property
Monday 1 September
PD Day 1
Tuesday 2 September
PD Day 2
Wednesday 3 September
Y7, Y10 mentors & Y12 students
return
Thursday 4 September
Y8, 9, 10 & 13 students return (also
Y11 students not on Work
Experience)
Monday 8 September
Y11 Work Experience students return
Thursday 11 September
Presentation Evening
Wednesday 15 October
Open Evening
Friday 17 October
Open Morning
Parents! Don’t make it easy for your child to lose
track of costly school items! Please make sure that
all your child’s clothing and equipment is clearly
marked with his/her name!
Monday 27 – Friday 31 October
Friday 14 November
J L Edwards AGM and Presentation
Evening
Items are often mislaid, and the school’s Reception
office staff regularly find themselves inundated with
mounds of coats, shoes and bags, etc., often with no
indication as to whom they belong. Following
Shropshire Council guidelines, all un-named and
unclaimed items which has been held for more than
one month will be disposed of.
Thursday 20 November
Sixth Form Open Evening
This is a link to the new lost property page on the school
portal.
https://portal.williambrookes.com/students/
Pages/Lost-Property.aspx
If you think that any of the items may belong to your
son/daughter, please ask them to come and reclaim
them from Reception as soon as possible.
Autumn half term (return Monday 3 November)
Monday 22 December – Friday 2 January
Christmas Holidays (return Monday 5 January)
Monday 16 February – Friday 20 February
Spring half term (return Monday 23 February)
Friday 27 March
P D Day 3
Monday 30 March – Friday 10 April
Easter Holidays (return Monday 13 Apr)
Monday 4 May
May Day Bank Holiday
Monday 25 May – Friday 29 May
Summer Half Term (return Monday 1 June)
Thursday 16 July
End of Term
Friday 17 July
P D Day 4
Page 5
FOCUS ON LANGUAGES
Year 7 French Trip made to a traditional
At 06.30 on 9 July, Mrs
Neale, Mr Wilson, Mr Beard
recipe for over 100 years.
and myself all left school with 40 very excited
- a report from Madame Crowther The talk by Bruno, the baker, was delivered
Year 7 students for our annual 3 day visit to
entirely in French and the students all listened
Le Touquet on the Opal Coast. We travelled by coach down
attentively and asked lots of good questions. Greg Jones
to Dover and, having managed to make good time on the
showed off his maths and science skills by working out the
way, caught an earlier ferry than planned from Dover to
difference in the weight of the bread before and after it's
Calais at midday.
cooked and Shannon Burgess asked "Combien de pains
mettez-vous au four?" in perfect French. The students were all
On arriving in France, we headed to Boulogne, the largest
then given a pain au chocolat each to try and some also
fishing port in France, where we visited the old part of town (la
decided to purchase some fresh bread or croissants to take
vieille ville) for a quick look around. The students enjoyed
away with them. Lucky parents!
visiting the church "Notre Dame de Boulogne", built between
1827 and 1875 and bearing many similarities to St Paul's
All in all, the visit was extremely successful. The students were
Cathedral, where they had the opportunity to take some
a pleasure to take and benefitted in so many ways. Here's to
photos and buy some souvenir coins.
another successful visit next year!
We arrived at our accommodation in Stella Maris on time for
And here are a few of the comments made by our students
our evening meal at 19.30. The students all dressed up for
about the visit:
dinner and Finn Bleackley (pictured in the group below) made
I enjoyed my trip to France because I had never been before
a particular effort in his tiger onesie! It was then time for
and I got to learn a lot about French culture and the language
football or rounders where Mr Beard tried desperately to keep
- but most of all I had a great time with my friends!
up with the young legs.
Eloise Collins
On the Thursday, we spent some time at the local market in Le
My favourite part was the theme park and I also liked the
Touquet in the rain. The students managed to practise some
bakery. I really enjoyed the sand dunes too. It was so cool.
of their French haggling with the market stall traders and also
Shannon Burgess
tried some of the local produce. Henry Willis particularly liked
I loved this trip because I know lots of words now.
the miel (honey).
Lyndsey Thornton
The afternoon was spent at the Bagatelle theme park which is
I loved going on the French trip because it was a great
a well established amusement park with many rides and
experience and I have learned a lot more of the French
attractions including family favourites such as log flumes,
language, also I learned about French culture at the bakery
rafting, rollercoasters and a 4D cinema. Everyone had a
when we had a lesson in French on how to bake bread! My
wonderful time on all the rides, including the new ride Triops
favourite part of the French trip was the theme park and the
which had Mr Wilson and Mr Beard screaming like babies!
bakery lesson. My worst bit was leaving the hotel and getting
That evening there was more free time around the
on the ferry to come home!
accommodation for football, playing in the park and generally
Olivia Ritchie
running around in the dunes.
On our last day (Friday 11 July), before heading home, the
students were all presented with a beret to wear at breakfast
and we visited a local boulangerie where bread has been
Another Year 7 photo on page 8!
STOP PRESS
FCSE GERMAN
From Madame Ellison…
For the first time this year our
Year 9 German students
have had the opportunity to
take a half FCSE in German,
which involved completing a
series of reading and writing
tasks. Students will be
receiving a Pass, Merit or
Distinction when the results
come out in the Summer.
We feel that it has been a
very successful innovation as
Year 9 students have been
greatly motivated by this
opportunity. This year’s new
Year 9 Germanists will
therefore be entered for the
same certificate next year.
Page 6
Outside the hotel
Dressed for dinner!
FOCUS ON LANGUAGES
Much Wenlock – Cysoing 10 ans de jumelage
Over the first weekend in July, while the
Cysoing
Tour de France came to England, I was
lucky enough to accompany the Much
Wenlock Twinning group to Cysoing,
near Lille in Northern France, along with
five students (Year 11 students Matthew
Hartill, Ben Jones, Isabel Mitchell and
Sam Walker plus Sixth Former Katie
Pridmore) from William Brookes. After
an early start and a long journey we
arrived in Cysoing in the early evening
to a reception in a local hall. The
mayor, wearing his official Tricolore
sash, formally welcomed us with a speech, against the
backdrop of the large screen showing the live streaming of the
France Germany match. We toasted the 10th anniversary of
the twinning between Much Wenlock and Cysoing with wine
and canapés.
Afterwards we all went home with our respective host families
for the evening. I was staying with Valérie, a teacher of English
from the local lycée, and her family. On Saturday we were all
taken to the Louvre Lens, a satellite gallery of the Louvre in
Paris, where we saw an interesting exhibition on the theme of
war, Les Désastres de la Guerre . Lunch followed in an
estaminet and a brief visit to Lille itself. Valérie later gave me
a quick tour of her high school, Lycée Charlotte Perriand,
which is set in the grounds of a chateau. It was pretty deserted
being the first Saturday of the summer holidays.
In the evening, the torrential rain thankfully stopped to allow us
to go to an outdoor son et lumière, commemorating the 800th
anniversary of the Battle of Bouvines, where Pierre Augustus of
France defeated King John and France became unified. 200
people, including stuntmen on horseback,
performed in this massive production which
culminated in a spectacular fireworks display.
Year 11 student Matthew Hartill adds:
As if a trip to a foreign country in which we were
expected to speak in a language that was not our first
wasn’t frightening enough, as the Much Wenlock
Twinning society approached its sister town of Cysoing in Northern
France, a sudden, cold realisation hit me; the French, famed the
world over for their footballing passion, were taking on the
might of ever-efficient Germany that Friday evening in the
World Cup quarter final.
Much like at the source of the footballing carnival going
on in Brazil, a Les Bleus loss would mean our adopted
country for the next four days may quickly become
a hostile environment – my memories took me
back to a time of another exchange to our crossChannel friends, this time when I was in Year 9,
during the European Championships of 2012. That
evening, as I sat watching my beloved England take on
On the Sunday there was a visit to a
local micro brewery, a medieval faire at
Bouvines, moules-frites in a restaurant
and a quick trip over the border to buy
some Belgian chocolates. But the final
evening was spent in the salle de fêtes in
Cysoing itself where all the host families
and English visitors were treated to a
meal provided by the local town council.
This event encapsulated the spirit of the
twinning: French and English chatting
amicably in a mixture of both languages;
plans being made for future visits and
projects; lots of laughs and experiences being exchanged.
This was "networking" on an international scale.
Hearing the stories that people told about their host families,
describing their accommodation, the food they had eaten and
the families with whom they were staying reminded me of what
it was like being on the French exchange when I was 14 and
some of the fears and concerns that our Year 9s may have
when considering going on our own school exchange to
Vouvray.
There are at least 40 French people who would like to come
on the return French visit to Much Wenlock in October. If you
are interested in getting involved with the twinning group or
even hosting an individual, couple or family, the contact is
Linda Stevenson 01952 727884 or email [email protected]
There are yellow banners advertising The Tour de France
along the streets in Cysoing as the cycle race passed through
the area on Wednesday 9 July. You might have caught a
glimpse of Cysoing, Bouvines or the Pierre Mauroy stadium in
Lille if you watched it on TV. I missed le Tour in
both countries, but I gained in many other ways.
- Madame Francis
Sweden in a group game, I recall not without
considerable pain how hearty cheers greeted England
conceding a goal – perhaps almost as loud as if France
had scored themselves. Thus, I sensed there was bad
footballing blood between the two nations, and that, if
France won or lost, myself and my compatriots would
be in a difficult situation.
As it turned out, France were uninspiring in a fairly tepid encounter
between two powerhouses of world football who really
should have delivered more. Mats Hummels’ header
was the only thing separating the two teams on the
score sheet, and there was little else to differentiate
between a French side who failed to hit the heights of
previous dominant performances in the group stages,
where they had scored 8 goals in 3 games, and a
German team who laboured rather than eased to
victory.
(Continued on page 8)
Page 7
FOCUS ON LANGUAGES
Cette année le Tour de France
a commencé en Angleterre,
plus précisément dans le Yorkshire. Il y a trois
étapes en Angleterre: de Leeds à Harrogate, de York
à Sheffield et de Cambridge à Londres. Le Tour était
très populaire avec les anglais – beaucoup de
personnes ont regardé le Tour, à la fois à la maison
et sur le trajet. Il y a aussi beaucoup de gens qui ont
fait des panneaux pour manifester leur soutien pour le
Tour. Après avoir fait des étapes en Angleterre, le
Tour à voyagé en France, où le reste du Tour se
passe.
Il y a aussi une étape de la Tour de France qui passe par
Cysoing, le village avec qui Much Wenlock est jumelée. C’est
très passionnant pour tous les hommes et femmes de Cysoing,
car le Tour de France est une très grand évènement pour toute
la France, et le fait que le Tour passe par un petit village
comme Cysoing est de très bonne publicité. C’est un peu
similaire que quand la torche olympique a passé par Much
Wenlock. Aussi il y a une équipe anglaise dans le Tour, mais
ça va peut-être difficile pour Chris Froome à gagner le Tour
après qu'il s'est écrasé au cours de la quatrième étape.
Cependant, j’espère qu’il va gagner le Tour pour la GrandeBretagne, comme Sir Bradley Wiggins a fait en 2012.
French Exchange 2014
This year the
Tour de France
began in England, specifically in
Yorkshire. There are three stages in
England, Leeds to Harrogate, York to
Sheffield and Cambridge to London.
The Tour was very popular with the
English - many people watched the
Tour, both at home and on the way.
There are also many people who made
banners to show their support for the
Tour. After the stages in England, the
Tour has travelled to France, where the rest of the tour goes.
There is also a stage of the Tour de France passed through
Cysoing, the village which is twinned with Much Wenlock. This
is very exciting for all men and women of Cysoing as the Tour
de France is a great event for all of France, and the fact that
the Tour passes through a small village like Cysoing is very
good for publicity. (It's a bit like when the Olympic torch
passed through Much Wenlock.) Also there is an English team
in the Tour, but it might be difficult for Chris Froome to win the
Tour after he crashed during the fourth step. However, I hope
he will win the Tour for Britain as Sir Bradley Wiggins did in
2012.
- Sam Walker, Year 11
1
Sadly this year, for the first time in over 30 years, our annual French Exchange didn’t run. However our students did thankfully still
get a chance to practise their French when they met students from our partner school Gaston Huet, Vouvray, in May.
3
The staff from the French school brought their group over to Shropshire for a week and spent one day at William Brookes as part
of their experience. After being greeted by Mr Beard and Mrs Ellison, they were able to look around our school, with which they
were most impressed.
They saw a presentation in the Coubertin Lecture Theatre where they learned about English schools and our school in particular
and then had the chance to spend some time with our Year 9 students during lunch. In the afternoon they were welcomed into
lessons by William Brookes staff before setting off back to Shrewsbury.
They thoroughly enjoyed their day with us and on behalf of the French students and staff and the languages department, we would
like to thank all students and staff who gave up their time on the day.
French Exchange 2015
Next year’s French Exchange has already been launched to the new Year 9 students and there are still a few places left. We are
2 around the Loire Valley as well spending the day in Paris as part of
looking forward to visiting the French school and sightseeing
- Madame Ellison
this invaluable experience. Please see languages staff for details.
Year 7 students on their hotel balcony, wearing their colourful berets.
(Matthew Hartill article continued from page 7)
Though the football was disappointing, (and the internet signal through which we were trying to watch the game even more so), the evening
quickly progressed beyond the shortcomings of a national side who had begun to capture the hearts of a country cynical from previous
international tournament disappointments, to a welcome befitting the 10-year anniversary of the connection between the two towns. As
people drifted home, it was clear that the looks etched on their faces were not ones of disappointment, but of contentment and excitement
for the weekend ahead.
It is rare that two such football-mad nations would move on so quickly from their sporting failures, and it is true that, as an avid England fan,
I am still reeling from exiting this tournament at the first hurdle. However, as we arrived back at ‘home’, (at least for the next four days), I
soon forgot my devastation at my national team’s showing, and even resisted the chance to gloat over my Gallic cousins at their painful and
recent exit!
5
Any World Cup resentment there may have been between England and France also floated away in the mild evening breeze.
Page 8
Ms Jones’ Year 8 students
have been doing a cake
pop project in DT Food
lessons, making cake
pops themed for a
celebration.
Here are just a few of the
yummy results!
Page 9
Science Section
Applying Science to Life...
Daniel Pritchard 11A1, Craig and Kath the paramedics, and
Hannah Rich 11B10
We are very grateful to the two paramedics who came into
school (in their own free time) on 9 July to talk to Applied
Science students about what they do on a typical day, what
skills are required to become a paramedic, and what
qualifications are needed for the job. They also showed us the
interior of the ambulance.
We had the privilege to be shown how to use the equipment
they use on a day to day basis, such as an ECG to monitor the
electrical activity of the heart and a defibrillator. They showed
us how they test for Diabetes and fitted a neck brace to a
student. They talked about how much they love their job and
explained about their shift system - two days on days, then two
days on nights. They work 12 hours at a time with only a
short lunch break of 40 minutes. It helped us to understand
their role for our Applied Science course.
Thank you, Craig and Kath! - Dan Pritchard and Hannah Rich
Sampling the Sixth Form...
During the week beginning 30 June, prospective Sixth Form
students came to William Brookes School for their Induction.
This gave students the opportunity to sample their A-Level
lessons and get a taste for Sixth Form life. Students who are
coming to our Sixth Form from other schools appreciated the
opportunity to explore the school and to make new friends.
On 2 July, The Edge Adventure Activities Centre visited the
school and students were able to enjoy the activities they held.
These photos say it all!
Sixth Form staff look forward to welcoming the new students in
September.
- Mr Roden
Page 10
8
Page 11
Head’s Commendations have recently been awarded to:
CONGRATULATIONS!
Name
No. awards
Subject/s
Maisie Hill 9L10
1
Library
Lewis Hinsley 7B2
3
English, Maths
and Whole
School
Sam Hughes 7L7
1
History
Rebecca Anderson 7A3
2
IT and Music
Anna Baister 9L8
1
Library
Jessica Baker 7B1
2
Art and RE
Angel Beasley 8B1
5
PE x 2, History,
RE and Maths
Chloe Bolton 9S5
1
Library
Erin Bowman 7L9
1
History
Hannah Broadley 9S4
1
Library
Sam Brown 8S1
1
History
Jade Bruce 9S3
1
Library
Isaac James 10L3
1
French
Jack Burgess 10L6
1
French
Katie James 10S7
1
French
Shannon Burgess 7B10
1
French
Molly James 8S4
1
History
Anna Calabrese 9S1
1
Library
Bailey Jones 7L9
1
RE
Charlotte Casteleyn 9S2
3
Library and
Science x 2
Bradley Jones 8B7
2
History and
English
Jack Cox 7A5
2
RE and Art
Harry Jones 8A1
3
English x 3
Owain Crossman 7S2
1
English
Ross Jones 7B2
1
English
Kate Davies 8S10
1
English
Rebekah Kay 10A9
1
French
Niimi Day-Gough 10A10
2
Library and
French
Lily Lawson-Broadhead 7B6
2
RE and English
Megan Leak 7B1
1
History
Matthew Loveitt 9B1
1
Maths
Millie Lowndes 7L7
1
Art
Jacob Loynton 7S8
1
Maths
Emily Mansfield 7S10
1
History
Miika Day-Gough 8A6
2
English and
History
Alex Diack 8L7
1
English
Kate Doherty 10B2
1
French
Harry Dowdeswell 10B4
1
French
Harry Entwistle 10S1
1
French
Katelyn Ewings 7B2
1
RE
Amelia Fawcett 8B4
1
History
Imogen Fawcett 10B6
2
PE x 2
Amelia Gilbert 9B6
1
Art
Emily Gilmore 9B3
1
Art
Rachel Grace 10L2
1
French
Chloe Green 10A5
1
Library
Dylan Griffiths Jones 9S5
1
Library
Abigail Guerin 8L4
1
Library
Connor Hammond 7S4
1
English
George Hare 7B8
1
DT
Lucy Harper 10A3
1
French
Alexys Hawkins 7B5
1
French
Katie Hawthorn 10L2
1
RE
Charlotte Hayes 7A9
1
English
Lily Hayward 8B8
1
Library
Archie Henderson 8B9
2
English and
Geography
Emily Hewlett 8L4
5
Art x 3, Drama
and Library
Fleur Humphries 8B2 has been awarded
an amazing 12 Head’s Commendations
this term, for Library x 3, History, PE, Art,
Tutor Period x 2, Drama, English, House
and French!!
Liam Martell 7S4
2
Maths x 2
Lily Mason 7L10
1
French
Chloe Mortimore 9L4
1
Library
James Naylor 7A10
1
French
Luke Norwood 8B7
1
History
Caitlin O’Grady 7L3
1
RE
Ellise Partridge 7S10
1
Music
Jemima Passey 7A5
2
Maths and
English
Ellie Petch 10A4
1
French
Michael Peters 7L3
1
French
Jody Purcell 8S8
1
Art
Mary Ravenhall 7B4
1
History
Cameron Ray 7A1
1
English
Jake Reacord 8B2
1
Library
Katie Richmond 8A4
2
Art and PSHE
James Scott 9L6
1
Art
Aimee Sellars 8S6
1
Art
Finlay Shannon 7L10
1
French
Chloe Shillam 7L1
1
RE
Oliver Silgram 7S9
2
French x 2
Page 12
MORE CONGRATULATIONS!
On 4 June, 9 of our
Sixth Form students
took part in the
West Midlands
regional heats of
the Gen Y Rail
national
engineering
competition in
association with
Network Rail. The
students were
challenged to
design their own
train in two teams (Barnaby Dowdeswell, David Nutt and
George Crane from Year12 and Ed Tyley, Harry Lewis. Jamie
Henderson, Ben Evison and George Morris from Year 13) in 2
hours, and then present their design to a panel of leading
industry experts from Network Rail and associated companies.
Both teams from William Brookes Sixth Form performed
tremendously well and successfully won their heats, gaining a
place in the Nationals finals at Network Rails training facility in
Coventry.
The finals were held
on 25 June and this
time the teams
were challenged to
design their own
state-of-the-art
train station around
Oxford (currently a
real life project for
Network Rail). They
had to consult
experts who were
involved in the
project and pick up
on key design features that they were looking for.
Again the students performed superbly and were a credit to the
Sixth Form. Unfortunately they did not win the competition, but
this was a great experience for all the students to be part of
and we look forward to entering another two teams next year.
- Jonathan Crook, Head of Sixth Form
House positions of Responsibility
(Head’s Commendations continued from page 12)
Sophie Smithurst 8B7
1
History
Molly Southgate 7S1
1
French
Lauren Standley 9B8
1
History
Ellen Steele 8S3
1
Art
Carys Tench 7S2
1
French
Owen Tench 8S8
2
Leah Tromans 8B6
House
Captains
Vice-Captains
Athens
Bradley Smith
Rebekah Kay
Emmet Reynolds
Megan Peace
Beijing
Harry Dowdeswell
Abi Bromwich
Sam Cox
Imogen Fawcett
English and
History
London Isaac James
Charlotte Pickford
Tom Grant
Danielle Furber
1
History
Mimi Tsolchovska 10A5
1
French
Sydney Patrick Andrews
Olivia Baugh-Brown
Oliver Williams
Megan Taylor-Wozencroft
Chloe Turner 10A6
1
French
Georgia Verity 9S6
1
Other
Lauren Vickers 10A10
5
French,
Library,
History and
RE x 2
Amber Walters 9B7
1
Library
Chelsea Whitfield 7A1
1
RE
Megan Williams 7B8
2
PE and History
Henry Willis 7A8
1
PE
Maisie Woodhall 7L1
2
English and
French
Evyn Woodhouse 9B7
1
Library
James Young 7S4
1
History
Were you listening to BBC Radio
4 from 09.00 on 28 June? If
you were, you’ll have heard
'Extraordinary Stories and
Remarkable People' on the
'Saturday Live' programme. The
guests included our very own
Shropshire Young Poet Laureate
Mia Cunningham (10S2)!
The BBC put her up in a hotel in
London on the Friday night
before her interview on the Saturday morning. Mia also
performed for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratfordupon-Avon some weeks ago as a guest poet as part of Writing
West Midlands which was another prestigious event.
Well done, Mia, we are super-proud of you!
Page 13
And don’t forget that our School Library is also open
most days from 08.00. It’s open throughout the
school day and closes at 17.00 Mondays - Thursday
and 15.10 on Fridays.
There are 3 main catering outlets in school, as well as
vending machines.
Restaurant 1850 is open to all students for breakfast,
during morning break and at lunch time.
Simmill’s (pictured above) is open all day for Sixth
Form students and staff, and also during evening
events at The Edge Arts Centre.
Café Sport, located in the Leisure Centre, is open
during morning break and at lunch time, as well as
times when the Leisure Centre is open to the public.
Page 14
Forthcoming ’Live Stream’ events in our Arts Centre:
Full details of all
future arts events
can be seen in ‘The
Edge’ Autumn
programme.
www.edgeartscentre.co.uk
Follow us on
Facebook too!
Parents - please remind your child/
children that CHEWING GUMIS NOT
ALLOWED IN SCHOOL.
Page 15
Music
Notes from Mrs Jaeger...
The Music Department added the musical entertainment to the
School Fête on Sunday 10 May. There were solos and duets
along with small groups performing popular music, with the
Instrumental Group entertaining with folk and jazz music.
Ffion Davies started off our music extravaganza. We were
lucky to be set up next door to the burger stall!
W Factor - 2 July.
This year there were two smaller
competitions - six contestants from
the Lower school (Years 7 and 8)
and six from the Upper school
(Years 9-13).
There were two prizes (one for each section) of £50.
And the winners were:
Lower school - Beth Cooke
Upper school - Dan Sutton
Many thanks to all those who made this year’s W Factor a
great success, in particular Mr Walker and Mrs Ravenscroft for
looking after all the contestants backstage. Congratulations to
the two winners.
Xpress concert - 3 July
This year our end of year concert theme was "Country and
Roots". Choir and Instrumental Group were also features of
the concert along with Express Club.
There were great outfits from students and audience. Tom
Orves won the student prize for spending the whole night as a
Mexican and Mr Oxtoby was the best-dressed member of the
audience - great Stetson! Any suggestions for a theme for next
year would be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks to all who attended, sang and clapped along with
us and gave us great support throughout the evening.
Year 10/11students have recorded their first composition for
their GCSE course-work. We spent a weekend (28/29 June)
getting scores/audio and written work completed. Well done one piece of coursework complete!
The GCSE students next recording day will be scheduled in
October when we will spend a day recording your solo
performances. Start to practice now, as the date will arrive
quickly after the summer holidays.
Thanks to Mr Walker for this photo of Beth (centre) flanked
by her enthusiastic supporters with their banner. It was so
big it almost blocked the view of half the audience!
Drama
Notes from Miss Beresford...
Theatre Studies AS level Practical Exam
Featuring both monologues and ensemble
performances from our students, this is always a
highlight for the Department as our Sixth Form students are
given the opportunity to really show off their acting skills. A
public preview evening was held on 9 April, followed by the
exam itself the next day.
We were pleased to present two group performances this year,
Punk Rock by Simon Stephens (directed by Mr Henson) and
Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward (directed by Miss Beresford).
These, along with the always varied student-selected
monologues, provided a highly contrasting programme of
events that provided an excellent showcase for the talents and
range of the Year 12 students.
Special thanks go to all parents, students and staff who took
the time to give the cast feedback and constructive criticism
Page 16
following the preview performances; this is always an
invaluable part of the exam preparation process. Thanks also
to Sam Jukes in Year 11 who kindly agreed to fill in the role of
Chadwick for Punk Rock.
Blithe Spirit
Courtney Hems
Zach Jones
Caprice Lane
James Rees
Mia Young
Ruth
Charles
Elvira
Dr Bradman/Edward
Madame Arcarti
Punk Rock
Katie Green
Oliver Gribbin
Emily Hall
Dom Hammond
Katie Pridmore
Sam Jukes
Lily
Bennett
Cissy
Will
Tanya
Chadwick
Dance
Film Studies
Notes from Ms Beresford...
On 11 June, the A-level Film students put on a showcase of the
short films they have made over the course of this year. The
quality of the work was very impressive as was the range of
styles in which the students had worked. Interesting new takes
on genres including the Western, Science-fiction, Film Noir and
Crime thrillers were all included and were greatly enjoyed by
the audience.
As well as seeing the shorts themselves, it was a delight to hear
our young film-makers speaking so eloquently about their
aims, intentions, practical methods and inspirations.c Well
done to Dan Carr, Euan Ralph, Dan Sutton and Ivan Wroe.
We intend this to become an annual event in the summer term
to celebrate achievements within Film Studies.
Bugarach:
Mountain of
the Gods by
Ivan Wroe
Notes from Ms Bartlett and Mr Slater
Chester
Earlier this year, our A-Level students were invited to
perform at the University of Chester's Annual Community
Dance Showcase, involving many school and
community groups from the Chester area. The students had
the chance to perform their piece 'The Consequences of
Freedom' which is based on the Icarus story from Greek
mythology. This was a valuable opportunity for the students to
see and perform at a University, and also to watch many
different groups of all ages. The dancers performed brilliantly
and had a wonderful evening!
Summer School
During the May half term 10 of our GCSE students attended a
dance summer school co-ordinated by Jordan Spilsbury.
Those taking part were:
Annabel Bald
Meghan Moore
Charlotte Pickford
Harriet Carter
Natasha Chauhan
Laura Robinson
Jodie Harvey
Imogen Stonebanks
Adam Lewis
Sian Walker
This was an opportunity to introduce the students to the
technical requirements of the course and the choreographic
units of work. This year's focus was Overdrive by Richard
Alston which culminated in a final performance during the
dance production. It was a fun summer school with some
excellent work being produced and I am sure it has generated
much interest for next year's programme.
Summer Dance
Our students have been very busy
performing in the Summer Dance
Production. This year saw over 30 dances
from over 80 students ranging from age 5 to
18. We are really fortunate at William
Brookes to benefit from past students who return to help
choreograph dances, run clubs and help with producing the
show. Many thanks to all our dance instructors - Emily Hall,
Jemma Reynolds, Alice Sidebottom, Josh Walker, Kim Wells
and Jordan Spilsbury. This was an opportunity for the students
to demonstrate their outstanding technical ability, and their
total commitment to a performance. It was also a chance for
the Department to be really proud of our students!
The Babe
Wore Red by
Dan Carr
The Pick Up
by Euan
Ralph
Last Days by
Dan Sutton
Page 17
Pretty in pink!
Continued from our front page...
See even more photos on our school website
http://williambrookes.com/
Page 18
And lovely in lots of other colours too...
Page 19
Library latest...Library latest...Library latest...Library latest
‘Carnegie’ Shadowing Scheme
The Carnegie medal (pictured left) is awarded
every year by CILIP (The Chartered Institute of
Library and Information Professionals). This and
the Kate Greenaway Medal (for best illustration)
are the oldest and most prestigious children's book awards in
the UK., the awards that authors and illustrators say they 'most
want to win'!
Every year, CILIP invites groups of young people to ‘shadow’
the awards process. This means reading the shortlisted books,
meeting to discuss them and post reviews on the official
website, and finally choosing our own winner. This year we
had a huge number of student ‘Carnegie Readers’ - 23! some of whom have taken past in previous years, but with
several new faces too. The group, most of whom are pictured
right (thank you, Mr Bertrand!) were:
Anna Baister 8L8
Abigail Guerin 8L4
Cameron Barden 9L9
Lily Hayward 8B8
Chloe Bolton 9S5
Emily Hewlett 9L4
Hannah Broadley 9S4
Maisie Hill 9L10
Jade Bruce 9S3
Fleur Humphries 8B2
Anna Calabrese 9S1
Chloe Mortimore 9L4
Charlotte Casteleyn 9S2 Linden Parsonage 9S9
Niimi Day-Gough 10A10 Jake Reacord 8B2
Conall Edwards 7A10
LaurenVickers 10A10
Emily Gilmore 9B3
Amber Walters 9B7
Chloe Green 10A5
Grant Williams 10A9
Evyn Woodhouse 9B7
They all enjoyed the experience of reading books which might
not have been their usual choice. This year’s 8 shortlisted
books were:
Julie Berry
Kevin Brooks
Rachel Campbell-Johnson
Susan Cooper
Anne Fine
Katherine Rundell
Rebecca Stead
William Sutcliffe
speaking at the ceremony in London, said: "There is a school
of thought that no matter how dark or difficult a novel is, it
should contain at least an element of hope. As readers,
children - and teens in particular - don't need to be cossetted
with artificial hope that there will always be a happy ending.
They want to be immersed in all aspects of life, not just the
easy stuff. They're not babies, they don't need to be told not to
worry, that everything will be all right in the end, because
they're perfectly aware that in real life things aren't always all
right in the end. To be patronizing, condescending towards
the reader is, to me, the worst thing a Young Adult fiction
author can do."
In a special letter to Shadowers, Helen Thompson, Chair of the
All The Truth That’s In Me
The Bunker Diary
The Child’s Elephant
Ghost Hawk
Blood Family
Rooftoppers
Liar & Spy
The Wall
Every year, we take part in ‘The Bashes’ Carnegie-themed
book quiz with our fellow ‘shadowing’
group at Idsall School in Shifnal,
alternating the venue between us. This
year was our turn to visit
Idsall, and we WON!!!
We were thrilled to have
regained the trophy with
the most convincing score
of 99-77, and all our team
(captained by Niimi)
proved how much they
A very happy
knew about the shortlisted
WBS Librarian!
books and children’s
The ‘Bashes’ Trophy books in general. After the quiz we
enjoyed yummy snacks; many thanks to
Idsall school for their hospitality.
Idsall school also enjoyed the event, as the account on page
19, written by an Idsall student, shows.
Our vote for the winning book was Bunker Diary, and CILIP
announced on 23 June that this was the ‘official’ (chosen by
librarians) winner too! CILIP Carnegie winner Kevin Brooks,
Page 20
(Continued from page 20)
2014 judging panel, said…
The victorious WBS Team with
the Bashes Trophy
“Well, here we are at last!
What a journey, from being
presented with the list of 76
nominated titles for the
Carnegie Award, to the final,
exhausting, judging meeting
where the winners were
finally identified. Every step
of the way we, the judges,
have felt your presence
through your reviews,
magazines and pages. It is
wonderful to be able to share
the excitement of exploring
these amazing books with
you, to hear your passion, and to know
that Shadowing Groups all over the
world are spreading the joy of reading.
I want to take this opportunity to express
my heartfelt thanks to you for taking
part in this year’s shadowing, and
helping to make the CILIP Carnegie
Award so very special.
The 2014 CILIP Carnegie Award goes to
Kevin Brooks for Bunker Diary, an
uncompromising book that explores the
darkest heart of humanity, and shines a light on the strength
and unflinching morality that lies within us all, should we
choose it. The judges chose Bunker Diary for its incredible
characterisation and completely credible plot. Kevin Brooks
refuses any easy solutions, and maintains the diary format
throughout – creating a real world for the reader to inhabit
fully. Bunker Diary is undeniably a book that transports the
reader to a place that, at the time of reading, feels very real. It
is a book that can be read and reread without losing any of its
power, and we feel that it should join the canon of previous
winners as a new classic.”
I hope that you have enjoyed your shadowing experience, and
that you will join us again next year. Who knows what delights
are being written and published in readiness for nomination?
Go along to your local library, and explore their new books.
Can you identify any that might appear on the nominations list
in November?
All the shortlisted titles are in our library stock, so come to our
library and read them for yourself and see which book you
would have chosen. The ‘Bashes’ trophy, pictured above,
contains the ashes (books + ashes = Bashes) of a Carnegie
bookmark from every year since 2005, when we started our
competition against Idsall. We’ll be looking for next years’
readers from March onwards, and welcome any confident
speedy readers from Years 7-10.
New books!
Thank you to everyone who bought books from the
“Cover2Cover” May leaflets – we were able to obtain more
complimentary titles for library stock. This academic year your
orders have enabled us to obtain free books for our Library
worth more than £150. See what new titles we have via the
Library tab on the school portal!
Short Scrabble
Tournaments
Over the last three years,
many students have taken
part in one or more of our
‘Short Scrabble’
Tournaments, as well as
countless friendly games.
Well done to all competitors,
scorers and dictionary
checkers. Jigsaws and
origami are also available in
the library at lunchtimes.
Student Library
Assistants
Many thanks to the students
who have served as Student
Library Assistants since February. They are Rebecca Anderson
7A3, Jess Baker 7B1, Abigail Cank 7S6, Joe Comery 10B6,
Niimi Day-Dough 10A10, Aliyah Feeney 7S6, Emily Gilmore
9B3, Gareth Matthews 8L1, Jay Nunn 10S4, Caitlin O’Grady
7L3 and Linden Parsonage 9S9, and they will remain in post
until the first fortnight or so of the new term in September,
helping to train our new Assistants who will take over until
February 2015.
See overleaf for a ‘WBS Word’ article about our Student
Library Assistants!
And finally…THANK YOU MISS BROWN!
Although we will still her around school, the Library will not be
the same next term without Miss S Brown’s cheerful help and
assistance, as she will be working exclusively as a Teaching
Assistant. Miss B will be missed!
Carnegie Scheme - the Idsall viewpoint!
Over the past few weeks, some Year 8 students from set 1
English were asked to participate in the Carnegie scheme. 12
of us volunteered to be a part of it and at our first meeting we
chose which books each of us was going to read. Overall
there were 15 students on our team including two prefects and
one Year 10 student. We each read a book and tried to
memorise details from it for when it came to the Quiz against
William Brookes School!
The day before the Quiz we held a meeting to practise
questions and make posters so that we could prepare
ourselves for the upcoming event. On Wednesday 18th we
headed over to the Library at 09:00 to set up for the 2 hours
we had of the Quiz. William Brookes arrived shortly
afterwards. The questions were a mixture of easy and hard;
we had general question rounds as well. Mr Thorley was the
question master, even though he has an injured leg he bravely
came in to help. He sat at the front in his big chair, throwing
questions at us for an hour while we struggled to find answers.
The other team were really nice but too good to be true; that
resulted in them beating us by 22 points meaning they scored
99 and we got a well-deserved 77.
I thoroughly enjoyed this whole event. It was fun to meet new
people and read new books. I read The Wall and thought it
was a good read, and even though some parts were slow I still
liked it.
- Ella Woodall, a Year 8 student at Idsall School
Page 21
Words from WBS Word..
What would you say to someone
You know who they are: the kids
who told you the library is for
behind the desk in the school library,
nerds?
ever eager to take your books or
exchange your lanyard for a library ipad. Rebecca Anderson and Jay Nunn, two of our
Jay: If it’s so nerdy, why is there such a
In many ways, they are Mrs Herdson’s
Student Library Assistants were interviewed
long waiting list for the job? Even
eyes and ears for one hour of the day –
by student Matthew Hartill for an article in
supposed rebels have wanted to be part
unless they are playing scrabble, that is!
the April edition of ‘WBS Word’.
of this, because it’s all about being part
Yes, because our budding librarians take
Here’s a shortened version...
of the school, not making yourself look
their word games incredibly seriously, this
good, or trying to act hard.
interview happened rather later than it should have done.
When I did sit down with Jay Nunn and Rebecca Anderson,
Rebecca: I agree, being a library assistant has helped me a
however, they radiated enthusiasm for their positions as
lot in becoming part of the school, because I have learnt about
official school library assistants…
the school through doing this, and it may help me to get a job
one day!
What is a library assistant?
Jay: Basically, you help Mrs Herdson and Miss Brown in the
library, doing jobs for them or helping out students.
Why did you want to become library assistants?
Rebecca: Well, because I like to help out, really, and I had
heard that it was a fun thing to do.
Jay: I was interested in doing it in Year 7 because, again, I
like helping people out. It takes a long time to get the job, but
it is really fun when you do get it, and, as I’m in the library
most of the time anyway, I thought I could learn something
while I was there.
If you could sum up your experience as a library assistant in
three words, what would you say?
Jay: (Long pause): Helpful, busy, tiring – but in a good way!
Rebecca: Fun, lots to learn, meeting nice people.
So, there you have it – our very first interview with the school
library assistants. It was a privilege and a pleasure; they were
eager to talk and happy to take part, which seems like a bit of
a philosophy for them and their colleagues – but just
remember this when you venture into the library next time.
I think they deserve that much.
Mrs Dale sends a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to Anna Baister, Joe Comery, Rebecca Hartill, Jake
Reacord, Emilia Stonebanks and Nathan Watts for all their hard work on ‘The Word’ this term.
Unique employment opportunity for
Sixth Form students at WBS
For the last 6 years, the school has employed Sixth Form
students to assist staff in supervising lunch times at school. Our
latest recruits joined the current team of no fewer than 18
students in total who are all paid the ‘going rate’ for the job.
All successful applicants undergo full interviews and check
before being trained in all aspects of their roles, including
radio procedures.
They are excellent role models for our younger students, who
show them a lot of respect. Mr Crook, Head of WBS Sixth
Form, said ‘This is a fantastic and unique opportunity for Sixth
Form students, and something that will make them stand out
when they apply for University and Apprenticeships in the
future. We are very proud of the students who make this
scheme so worthwhile and we hope to continue running it for
the foreseeable future.’
The teams are supervised by our Student Support Officers and
they have become an essential part of lunchtimes at school.
Mr Walker stated ‘I can’t imagine how we would cope without
them. During the year we see them mature and grow into the
role, and it is always a shame to let them go!’
Jaya Ellis-Perks, top right in our picture, added:
‘I have been a lunchtime supervisor for a year now and I enjoy
it as no two days are the same. I know from experience that
when you catch somebody doing something they shouldn’t be,
you’re not always the most popular person around! But if you
treat everyone fairly, then in time they will come to respect you
for that. It is also important to be approachable and
confidential so that students feel they can come to you with any
issues that you can then help them with.’
Page 22
Barcelona Sports Tour Reports
Day 1 - Wow what a start, with a dash to the plane - this was
the first time I had seen Benji Robinson beaten in a sprint by
Mrs Jardine! (See Mr Walker’s article below.) Our time at the
theme park was memorable as it was the first time I have seen
Mr Walker’s skin turn the same colour as his hair after the
Chinese roller coaster. Our hotel was top quality and we
received a warm welcome.
Day 2 began with a game of beach football. Imogen
Denholm produced a pile driver volley which hit the bar in the
game, but it was Matt Oakley who scored the winner. And I’ve
only just recovered from the tackle made by Tom Grant! Next,
a visit to a water park. Water slide Olympics commenced and
credit goes to all who took part. Luca Basini-Gazzi and
Mitchell Fletcher are the future of the sport. Katy James and
Amelia Gilbert became world champions at water sitting! In
the evening the hockey girls came up against a national squad
who were a top class team, but still managed to put on a brave
and committed performance.
Day 3 was sports day - the start of the winning feeling! The
netball squad trained hard; the hockey girls trained at the polo
club in Barcelona with a National League coach and the boys
trained at a top class facility with academy coaches from West
Ham & Crystal Palace. During the evening the boys football
picked up a win and a draw. The girls hockey battled so hard
and pulled out a great 1-1 away draw vs Club Egara with Paris
Bates scoring the goal. Our player of the tournament was
given to Lucy Cowper who will be missed by all at William
Brookes; she has the potential to be a very good player.
Day 4 was tournament day and team girls and team boys stuck
together to put on a great performance for team WBS. At
breakfast Ben Oakley had his weetabix and apple and I could
see in his eyes he was a winner. At the tournament both teams
dominated possession and the older boys won the Tour of
Spain Masterclass Tournament with the younger boys coming
runners up. Over at the netball the hockey girls had
demonstrated true team spirit by getting involved in the netball
tournament and demonstrating what being part of a team is
about. Thank you girls. The netball team competed in the
from our Spanish correspondents
Señor Hennessey and Señor Walker...
U16 tournament with many players from Years 8 & 9. The
girls held it together as Zoe 'no pressure' Marcar scored the
sudden death point to clinch the title. Mrs Jardine was in tears
with pride!
Sports Tour is more than sport, it's about sticking together as a
team and living as a small community. Our students put on
fantastic displays and demonstrated the importance of
teamwork. They were a true credit to the school and staff were
proud of how they interacted with each other and the way they
represented the school. Thank you to all the staff who
supported the tour and to the parents for giving students the
opportunity to participate.
The next Sports Tour will take place in October 2015.
Meanwhile, poor Mr Walker had a less than auspicious start to
the tour...
Looking forward to another Spanish adventure with WBS
sports, I arrived at Heathrow at 04.00, was kept waiting at the
security gates to then be told ”The gate has closed and you
and the 10 students here have missed your plane.” The other
30 had got through and were on their way to Barcelona without us!
Thankfully, we got on the next flight an hour later. At
Barcelona airport, we waited for our luggage. And waited.
But they had managed to lose my luggage and that of two of
the students! Mr Wilson (our Spanish interpreter) did a
magnificent job in reporting the loss but for the next three days
I had nothing but the clothes I was standing in and my
passport. Then, as if by magic, they all appeared at the hotel.
But apart from that we had a wonderful trip. I was privileged
to manage the Year 10 boys’ match against a local Spanish
team, where we drew 2 all. The week ended on a high when
the lads won the tournament at football and the netballers did
the same as well. A very happy staff and students had a final
night of celebrations before a trouble free journey home.
It was a privilege to be part of this trip, and despite the horrors
of day one , it will long live in my memory.
Page 23
Sports Reports
from
Mrs Humphreys...
Year 7/8 Girls = 7th
Year 9/10 Boys = 3rd (behind Thomas Telford School and
Adams’ Grammar School)
Year 9/10 Girls = 3rd (3 points behind Shrewsbury High
Athletics:
School and 8 behind Wrekin College)
We have once again enjoyed a very busy
and successful athletics season. We have
competed weekly in the Telford Schools
competitions, at County level in the Knock
-out Cup, and as individuals some of our students have been
selected to represent Shropshire at Inter-County fixtures.
The 9/10 teams were particularly fantastic that day!
The Telford Schools Athletics Championships were held on 2
July and I am delighted to report that William Brookes are
once again overall Champions!!
There have also been some excellent individual performances
throughout the season, with many students improving their
personal bests.
This is the breakdown of results:
In the Shropshire County Athletic Championships the following
results were achieved:
Year 13 Josh Burrows
1st in 800m
Year 11 Alex Burrows
1st in 800m, 1st in 1500m
Year 10 Stanley Willis
1st in 3000m
Year 10 Imogen Fawcett
3rd in 800m, 4th in 200m
Year 10 Robbie Cooper
4th in Triple Jump, 6th in
1500m
Year 10 Benjy Robinson
5th in Long Jump, 6th in
100m
Year 10 Kelsey Firmstone
6th in Discus
Year 9 Jess Nock
2nd in Shot, 3rd in Hurdles
Year 9 Megan Lancaster
9th in Long Jump
Year 9 Frances Brooks
8th in Shot
Year 8 Ellen Steel
7th in Discus, 4th in Shot
Year 8 Lucy Cowper
competed in 100m and
200m
Girls
Boys
Overall
th
nd
Year 7
5
2
4th
nd
rd
Year 8
2
3
2nd
st
th
Year 9
1
4
1st
st
nd
Year 10
1
2
1st
The boys teams combined were 1st and the girls combined
were 2nd, 7 points behind Wrekin College; a truly fantastic day
of athletics.
At the beginning of June we entered the County Knock-out
Cup Competition. This is always a challenging competition as
we meet the top athletic schools in the County. However, for
the first time in quite a few years all 4 teams (Years 7+8 Girls
and Boys, Years 9+10 Girls and Boys) were placed in the top
3 schools in the semi-finals and made it through to the final.
The following results were achieved:
Year 7/8 Boys = 4th
In the South Shropshire Schools Championships William
Brookes once again dominated the results; the Year 7/8 Girls
were 2nd and the Year 7/8 Boys, 9/10 Girls and Boys were all
1st!
Telford Schools Athletics Champions!
Page 24
students are welcome if they are able to swim at least 10
lengths of the pool continuously.)
In the Under 14 Championships:
Year 8
Maisie Wroe
Year 8
Year 8
Year 8
Thea Perkins-Green
Lucy Cowper
Ellen Steel
Year 8
Year 7
Alex Nicholas
Katie Luckman
Year 7
Year 7
Chloe Durns
Yasmin Yates
Year 7
Year 7
Henry Willis
Greg Jones
Year 7
Toby Jones
Finalist in 100m and
200m
5th in Javelin
Finalist in 200m
2nd in Shot and 3rd in
Discus
1st in High Jump
2nd in Long Jump and 3rd
in 800m
4th in 1000m
100m finalist and Long
Jump
4th in Long Jump
Finalist in 100m and 1st in
1000m
1st in Javelin and 1st in
Hurdles
After their fantastic performances Josh, Alex B, Stanley, Jess,
Ellen, Alex N, Katie, Greg and Toby were all selected to
represent Shropshire at an Inter–County competition.
Josh Burrows (800m), Alex Burrows (1500m) and Stanley Willis
(3000m) - pictured below - have all qualified and were
selected to represent Shropshire at the English Schools Track
and Field Championships in Birmingham earlier this month.
Josh received the highest accolade of being made Boys Team
captain; he carried the Shropshire flag in the opening
ceremony.
To summarise, this has been a fantastic Athletics season. Our
athletes have been committed, dedicated to their team and
eager to do their personal best. Well done everyone; it has
been a pleasure to have been part of your success.
At Swimming Club I have been ably assisted by Rebecca
Hawthorn (Year 12) all year and more recently by Ellie Petch
and Abi Bromich (Year 10). Thanks go to these students for
their time and energy.
On 30 April William Brookes hosted the South Shropshire
Schools Swimming gala. As in the athletics, we dominated the
gala, winning 3 out the 4 age groups.
In the County Schools Swimming Championships the following
results were achieved:
Year 7:
Lauren Hickinbottom
Megan Williams
Henry Willis
Year 8:
Sophie Smithhurst
Jack Manning
Year 9:
Spencer Willis
Jenna Edmunds
12th in 100m Backcrawl and
30th in 100m Frontcrawl
29th in 100m Frontcrawl and
13th in 100m Breaststroke
6th in 10mm Breaststroke
13th in 200m Individual
Medley
1st in 100m Breaststroke and
1st in 200m Individual
Medley
3rd in 100m Breaststroke and
5th in 200m Individual
Medley
Year 10:
Joey Ellis-Perks
Swimming:
Milli Beech
2nd in 100m Breaststroke
and 10th in 100m Frontcrawl
Swimmers have trained all year on a Friday
evening making excellent progress in their
speed, endurance and stroke work. (All
Year 12:
Rebecca Hawthorn
7th in 100m Breast Stroke
Jack Manning was awarded the Peter Cates
trophy for best Boy’s performance after
knocking 5 seconds off the Individual Medley
County record, which has stood since 2002!
This was a fantastic achievement. (See photo
overleaf)
Jack also qualified and swam at the Midlands
Swimming Championships, narrowly missing
his National qualifying time in the 200m
Individual Medley. This is a young man who
is totally committed to his sport and who has
achieved much in the last 12 months. Many
congratulations Jack!
This academic year we have continued with
our aim to have every student in Year 7
achieving 25m of a recognised stroke on their
front and back. (This is a national
requirement for the end of Key Stage 2).
Page 25
Students who were weak or non-swimmers at the start of the
academic year have been attending a weekly club to improve
their water confidence and strokes. In addition to students
attending extra-curricular swimming, we have also withdrawn
students from their P E lessons for extra teaching in Key Stage
3 (Years 7-9). This has made an enormous difference to their
confidence, stroke technique and enjoyment in the water, and I
am pleased to say that this has been extremely successful.
Congratulations to all students who have been involved and a
big thank-you to Ms Hatton.
Biathlon:
As reported in earlier
newsletters, William
Brookes has enjoyed
a very successful
year in Biathlon. I am delighted to report that Matthew
Griffiths (U16 Boys British Schools Biathlon Champion) is also
now the British Biathle Champion (run, swim, run). Matthew
competes in Manchester next month in a Biathle Competition
and if he achieves a top 5 position he will be selected for the
World Championships in Guatamala! We wish Matthew every
success.
Our next major Biathlon Competition in school will be the
qualifying round for the British Schools Competition. We are
hosting this competition on Wednesday 22 October. This
seems a long way off but once we return in September, it’s
only 6 weeks, so keep training in the holidays!
Pentathlon Club:
Branka Sukara-Fielding, our running coach, has been with us
for a year now. She has helped our students become more
proficient, stronger and quicker. This has benefitted our cross
country runners, track athletes, biathletes and those who just
want to get fitter. Branka will return in the Autumn term;
Fridays 15.45-17.00.
Jack Manning with trophy! (See previous page)
Page 26
Interhouse:
Inter house Cricket and Rounders results:
Imogen Fawcett U16s Telford Schools 3rd
Ben Simons Visit
Placed Runner (4 events)& Shropshire
This former William Brookes student visited
Representative
Year 9 PE students and spoke to them about
Robbie Cooper Shropshire Cross Country
his journey to the Winter Olympics in Sochi for
from Mr Hennessy... Vest
the Team GB Bobsleigh team. He bought in some
of the kit he wears to compete in and explained the importance
Year 7 (U12) Achievements
of technology for his sport.
(See also Simon Bowen’s report on page 34)
Indoor Athletics Telford & Wrekin District Champions Boys &
Girls
Indoor Athletics East Shropshire Champions Boys & Girls
Sky Sports Living for Sport (Heather Fisher & Tom Davis)
Sport helps people think, helps people listen, helps people to
speak up and helps people work together. Different sports
inspire different people but one thing is true: there's a sport for
everyone and it can change your life. This is the message from
the Sky Sports Living for Sport project. This year Tom (GB
Judo) and Heather (England Rugby) have worked with students
to inspire them to give back to inspire others to get involved in
sport through Leadership.
Sports Reports
Leadership
This has been another great year from our Sports Leaders who
have been truly inspirational and committed ambassadors for
the school. Our leaders have recorded 1500 hours so far and
this total continues to rise! A big thank you from the PE team
to our Leaders who manage, officiate and coach during these
events to ensure that these competitions happen.
More than 200 students have completed their Leadership
qualifications with national governing bodies to move onto the
coaching or umpiring ladder. Students have gained Cricket,
Hockey, Football, Badminton, Netball, Lifesaving, Swim
teaching, Fitness instructing, Dance, Tennis and Golf
qualifications. Volunteers and coaches play a vital role in
community sport all across the country and without the time,
energy and commitment of these people many clubs, team
sport sessions and coaching sessions would not be able to run.
In short, volunteers and coaches make sport happen. Without
this dedicated group of people who willingly give their time to
enable others to play the sport they love, grassroots sport
wouldn’t exist. To our leaders at William Brookes - Thank you!
Year 7 Athletics Team
Boys Hockey County Champions
School Sport Clubs & Extra Curricular
55% of all students from William Brookes School have
represented the school Sports teams during the 2013-14
academic year, and 65% have regularly attended school Sports
Clubs.
Individual Achievements
Jack Manning Shropshire Schools Champion 200 IM (Schools
record holder)
Joey Ellis-Perks Shropshire Schools Silver Medal 100m
breaststroke
Jenna Edmunds Shropshire Schools Bronze medal 100m
breaststroke
Joshua Burrows (Shropshire, English Schools athletics qualifier
800m, captain)
Alex Burrows (Shropshire, English schools athletics qualifier
1500m)
Stanley Willis (Shropshire, English schools athletics qualifier
3000m)
Oliver Wells U17 Floor & Vault Midlands Team Champion
Drew Wright
Matthew Griffiths U16 National Biathlon Champion
Saffron Allen Olympic award from Sir Steven Redgrave
Greg Jones Shropshire School Games Cross country champion
Year 7 Boys Hockey Squad
Girls Hockey South Shropshire Champions
Boys & Girls Telford & Wrekin District Athletics Champions
Boys Basketball County Champions
U12 County Basketball Champions
Page 27
Girls Netball South Shropshire Champions
Boys Football Telford & Wrekin District Champions
Boys Cricket East Shropshire Champions
Year 7 Girls Netball Squad
Boys Football Telford & Wrekin District Champions
Year 8 Boys Cricket Team
Swimming South Shropshire
Team Champions Boys
South Shropshire Cross Country Team Champions Boys & Girls
Indoor Athletics District Champions Boys & Girls
Indoor Athletics County Champions Girls
Year 7 Boys Football Squad
Swimming South Shropshire Team Champions Boys & Girls
South Shropshire Cross Country Team Champions Boys
Year 8 (U13) Acheivements
Indoor Athletics District Champions Boys & Girls
Indoor Athletics County Champions Girls
Boys Hockey County Runners Up
Year 9 Boys Hockey Team - the County Champions!
Year 8 Boys Hockey Team
Boys & Girls
Telford & Wrekin
District Athletics
Champions
Girls Netball South
Shropshire
Champions
Year 8 Girls
Netball Team
Page 28
Girls Netball Telford & Wrekin District Champions, Girls
Netball South Shropshire Champions and Girls Netball
County Trophy 3rd place!
South Shropshire Girls Rounders Runners Up
Girls Hockey Telford & Wrekin District Champions
Gymnastics
U15 Shropshire Athletics Team Championships 3rd place boys
& girls
U15 Girls South Shropshire Athletics Girls Team
Championships 1st place
Girls Hockey Telford & Wrekin District Champions and
Girls Hockey South Shropshire Champions!
Girls Netball Telford & Wrekin District Champions
Girls Netball South Shropshire Champions
Girls Netball County Trophy 3rd place
Boys Football South Shropshire Champions
Girls Hockey Telford & Wrekin District Champions
Telford Schools Cross Country Overall Team Championships
Runners Up
Year 9 Boys Football South Shropshire Champions
U16 County Badminton players
Year 6
pupils
visit WBS
On 3 and 4 July, Year 6 pupils came to visit William Brookes School. Pupils were shown around the school,
tried sample lessons and enjoyed a school lunch. Our photos (thank you, Mr Bertrand) show visiting students
being helped in lessons by Miss Edge (above left) and Miss Parry (above right).
Page 29
their school in sport.
PE Apprentice Mr Charlie Torr was in overall
charge, with WBS Silver Ambassadors Jess
Nock, Jenny Hawthorn, Hannah Nock, Katie
from Mrs Smith... Hawthorn, Fern Johnson, Kelsey Firmstone, Harry
Wow! – yet another very busy, exciting and very
Entwistle and Rebekah Kay taking a lead with planning the
successful summer term for our Sports Leaders and our partner
event. Following planning, the SAs then went on to train KS3
Primary Schools.
Sports Leaders Megan Leak, Megan Williams, Annie Binoth,
Emily Mansfield, Lewis Cornwell, Harriet Carter, Toby Jones,
Key Stage 1 X-Country at Brockton
James Martin, Tom Nock and Evan Mansfield in the events and
allocate them different roles. Mr Torr also allocated to each
event 6 of the Year 6 Bronze Ambassadors to assist with
officiating and coaching at the Festival.
2014 SUMMER TERM – SPORTS
LEADERSHIP and PRIMARY LINKS
Sports Reports
New Age Kurling
On the morning of 2 May, School Games Co-ordinator Ann
Smith went to Brockton to train Year 5/6 pupils to organise a
Cross-country event for KS1 pupils from Brockton, Church
Preen and Buildwas. The Year 5s had to stake out the course
and learn about the different roles involved in running a Crosscountry event. The afternoon saw separate races for reception,
Year1 and Year 2 boys and girls, with Year 5/6 pupils taking
on roles as warm up leaders, course marshals, finish marshals,
hares and support marshals.
It was a super afternoon which was thoroughly enjoyed by the
50 KS1 children who competed and by the Year 5/6 leaders
who organised the event. Head teacher Mrs Relphs was
impressed by how efficiently the leaders organised the event
and would like to invite more schools to take part next year.
Year 3/4 Olympic/Paralympic Festival
At the end, the SAs in charge of each activity presented
certificates for school games values of teamwork, self belief
and passion as well as Olympic/Paralympic values of
friendship and respect, determination and excellence.
The Festival was a great success with all the children having
enjoyed taking part. The organisation went smoothly and it
was good to see the Year 6 Primary Leaders working alongside
the older leaders so confidently. The emphasis of the
afternoon was to have fun , have a go, develop new skills and
make new friends, with a focus on demonstrating the Festival
values not just at the event but every day.
Change 4 Life Festival
On 26 June William Brookes hosted the East Shropshire Year
3/4 Change 4 Life Festival involving Primary Schools from
across the partnership. 15 of our Year 7/8 Sports Leaders
helped School Games Organiser Mr Chris
Jew in running the event for 64 Primary
children. In the first hour the Leaders had
On 20 May, 18 of our WBS Sports Leaders , supported by 17
Year 6 Bronze Ambassadors, organised a Year 3/4 Festival for
105 lower KS2 children from our partner Primary Schools. The
Year 3/4 children from each school were divided into 3 teams
to represent their Primary School in Boccia, New Age Kurling
or Tri–golf .
The Festival was a culmination of the work done by the Year 6
BAs in their own schools, where they have been running intraschool competitions throughout the year in the 3 sports, at the
same time highlighting the Olympic and Paralympic values of
friendship, respect, determination, and excellence. The Year 6
also helped their schools select 15 children for the Festival,
with a focus on those children who may not usually represent
Page 30
A pupil from Buildwas School demonstrating
a great example of a tennis backhand shot.
St. Johns Catholic Primary School pupils showing some great skills blind folded in goal ball.
Pupils from Buildwas and Much Wenlock try out their
new skills in Tri-Golf. We also had many interested
students having ago at Archery for the first time.
to set up 6 different stations and learn the techniques, scoring
and rules involved in the different activities.
The children arrived and were divided into 16 teams and
rotated around Hockey, Archery, Orienteering, Goal Ball, Trigolf and Tennis. At the end of the Festival everyone was given
a participation certificate and Leaders nominated teams who
were awarded certificates for demonstrating the School Games
values of respect, passion, teamwork and determination. The
young leaders involved were praised by Primary staff for being
so well organised, enthusiastic and professional in their
delivery. Well done to Meg Leak, Megan Williams, Izzy
Broadley, Isla Andrews, Emily Mansfield, Annie Binoth, Lewis
Cornwell, Fred Ross, Toby Jones, Max Reynolds, Millie
Lowndes, Lucy Cowper, Amelia Fawcett, Alex Nicholas and
Thea Perkins-Green.
Year 6 Athletics training afternoon
To prepare children for the partner Primary Sports Day, our
partner Primary Schools are invited to send children to a
training afternoon where they can meet the PE staff and work
on the more technical athletics events using the fantastic
facilities at WBS. 120 children attended and took part in 3 out
of 6 activities including High Jump, Long Jump, Discus, Turbo
Javelin, Shot putt, and Hurdles.
Charlie Torr organised fun obstacle races on the back straight
for children who did not reach the finals of the track events.
The morning started with an ‘Olympic Parade’ around the
track and a mass warm up to music led by Jordan Spilsbury
and the Year 9 Leaders. The morning went well with many
close races and for the first time in 20 years we had a draw in
the small schools competition between Buildwas and Cressage.
Much Wenlock won the large schools shield for the second
time. Certificates were presented by Sports Leaders throughout
the morning to the top 3 in each event and WBS Headteacher
Mr Renwick presented the trophies to the winning schools
before the morning ended with a closing parade. The PE
Department were very impressed with the maturity and
efficiency of the Year 9 Leaders who helped make the day such
a success.
WBS Sports Leaders at Shropshire Schools Summer
Games 2014
On 1 July, Year13 Gold Ambassador Nicola Moore and Silver
Ambassador Harry Entwistle (Year 10) attended the KS3 School
Games held at Shrewsbury Sports Village and assisted coach
John O’Keefe in running the Table-tennis Tournament. The
WBS team of Daniel Searle, Greg Jones, Connor Bennett and
Alex Diack represented East Shropshire and went on to win the
Table-tennis competition, helping the East Shropshire team
become overall winners of the KS3 School Games 2014.
The following day 12 WBS Leaders assisted at the KS2 School
Games. The leaders were involved in officiating Orienteering
(Tom Nock, Evan Mansfield and Hannah Smithurst), Year 5/6
Rounders (Jess Nock, Hannah Broadley, Frances Brookes and
Amy-Jean Jones), Tri–Golf (Andrew Owen and Robbie Nutting)
and Nathaniel Jones assisted with the Sportability carousel
involving children from special schools across Shropshire.
Leaders Lewis Cornwell and Emily Mansfield acted as team
managers for the John Wilkinson and Brockton teams who
represented East Shropshire in New Age Kurling.
WBS Primary Sports Day
One of the highlights of the year is always the Partner Primary
Sports Day when over 375 primary children from Year 2 to
Year 6 come to WBS to take part in athletics track and field
events. This year the PE staff were supported by 42 Year 9
leaders who officiated 11 field events and assisted with start
and finish marshalling, track recording and certificate writing.
Sixth Form Gold Sports Ambassadors also helped, with
Shropshire U21 800m Champion Josh Burrows acting as
starter, assisted by his brother Alex Burrows (who is U17
1500m and 800m County Champion) and also Year13 Gold
Ambassador Jess Nicholas. Beth Millward and Becky
Hawthorn (Year 12) were field event referees. PE Apprentice
Year 9 Leaders leading a mass warm-up with
Jordan Spilsbury
Logan from John Wilkinson School demonstrates
how the Long Jump should be done!
Page 31
Highlights of the 2 days were that East Shropshire were overall
winners of both KS3 and KS2 Games and Harry Entwistle was
awarded an ‘Excellence in Leadership ‘ trophy.
School/Club Links
Year 3/4 Tennis Festival at Cound Tennis Club
from 8 Primary Schools took part in an exciting day of cricket
with Broseley Primary winning an excellent final against John
Wilkinson and qualifying to play in the County finals the
following week.
SGCo Ann Smith organised the tournament at Cound with 6
club members who took time off work to umpire the 20
matches which took place during the day. The weather was
kind and the setting was beautiful. Every team improved their
batting and fielding skills during the day and were awarded
participation certificates, with the top 3 teams also receiving
place certificates. Club coaches also invited all the children to
attend junior coaching on Thursday evenings.
6 schools will also be taking part in the Wenlock Olympian
Games Kwik Cricket tournament organised by Much Wenlock
Cricket Club on 11 July.
Leadership Courses
As part of the school/club links initiative Cound Tennis Club
coach Fiona Edwards has been into 4 of the WBS partner
Primary Schools this term, delivering curriculum and afterschool tennis to Year 3/4 pupils. This culminated in a festival
held at the club on 5 June when four WBS Leaders assisted
Fiona and SGCo Ann Smith in organising 48 Year 3/4s from
Much Wenlock, Cressage, Church Preen , Buildwas and
Condover in mini tennis games. There were 4 groups and the
top 2 in each group were awarded prizes and certificates as
well as everyone enjoying biscuits and squash when they had
finished. A team of 4 from Cressage then went on to play in
the East Shropshire tournament in Bridgnorth. Well done to
WBS leaders Tom Nock, Mitchell Fletcher, Kieron Walker and
Alex Taylor who coached and umpired throughout the
afternoon.
Cound Kwik Cricket Tournament
6 of the WBS partner Primary Schools have been receiving
cricket coaching as part of the Chance2Shine programme.
The coaching during curriculum time and after school helped
to prepare teams for two Kwik Cricket tournaments during the
second half of the summer term. The first tournament at
Cound Cricket Club took place on 11 June, when 66 children
Page 32
WBS Leaders have been busy following National Governing
Body leadership and/or coaching courses this summer with a
number of them following up by volunteering to help at various
festivals or competitions.
Beth Millward and Lucy McKelvey in Year12 have completed
the FA level 1 Coaching award. The girls have been running
Girls Football Club all year and Beth has also been helping
with after school Netball at Cressage Primary and at Wenlock
Lightning Netball Club.
Andrew Owen, Robbie Nutting and Lewis Jameson did the
Golf Leaders course, with Andrew and Robbie going on to
assist at the East Shropshire Tri-golf tournament at Bridgnorth
Golf Club and at the Shropshire KS2 School Games in
Shrewsbury.
Hannah Broadley, Jess Nock, Frances Brookes and Amy–Jean
Jones completed the Rounders Leaders award and also went
on to officiate at the School Games.
Tom Edwards, Simon Bowen, Alex Taylor, Joey Ellis-Perks and
Rebecca Fergusson completed a Tennis Leaders course , with
Alex assisting Fiona Edwards at after-school Tennis Club on
Tuesdays at WBS during the summer term.
Jake Hatton, Connor Bennett, Oli Shires and George
Goldspink did a Cricket Leaders award and are hoping to
assist at the Wenlock Olympian Kwik Cricket tournament in
July.
Year 6 Bronze Ambassadors
(Year 3/4 Intra competitions)
The second half of the summer term has seen Year 6 Bronze
Ambassadors in Church Preen, Buildwas, Much Wenlock and
Broseley organising Year 3/4 competitions in their schools.
Buildwas and Much Wenlock ran competitions in Boccia,
Tri-golf at Cressage
Kurling at Much Wenlock
Telford Golf Club coach George Boden. The sessions were
organised through the East Shropshire partnership to
encourage school/club links and get children involved in a new
sport. Following the taster sessions SGCo Ann Smith made
arrangements for George to deliver 4 hours extra golf
coaching in Broseley and Cressage primary schools. The
schools were then offered an extra session at Telford Golf
Club. Broseley enjoyed it so much that they entered a Year
3/4 team into the partnership Tri-golf tournament at
Bridgnorth Golf Club in June.
Wenlock Lightning Netball Club
Kurling and Tri-golf over a three-week period. Mrs Smith had
meetings with the Leaders to help them plan the events and
then went along to observe the Leaders in action and give them
feedback on what went well and how they could make the next
event even better.
Church Preen Bronze Ambassadors had already completed 2
events last term and planned their own Tri-golf competition this
term and were observed by their head teacher Mr Tinker.
The Netball Club continues to go from strength with 85
members. Friday training has continued under the guidance
of coaches Jill Loveday and Ann Smith during the summer term
with U14 and U11 teams playing in the Tibberton summer
League on Wednesdays. Two U14 teams played in the top
division with White Lightning (Year 9s) winning the League and
Silver Lightning (Year 8s) coming 4th. In the U11 division,
Lightning Flashes won the league for the 4th year and Lightning
Sparks finished 4th out of 12 teams. 10 girls have been
selected for Shropshire following County trials in June. U11s
finish the season playing in the Wenlock Olympian games.
Training starts again in September when Year 5/6 pupils from
our partner Primary Schools are invited to come and join us on
Fridays from 16.00 - 17.00.
Boccia at Buildwas
Broseley have also completed Boccia and Kurling and are
planning their Tri–golf this term with advice from their teacher
Mr Heath.
Mrs Smith has been delighted that all WBS partner Primary
Schools have completed all 3 intra competitions this year, with
Leaders developing their organisation and communication
skills and providing opportunities for lower KS2 pupils to be
involved in fun, friendly intra school competitions.
Wenlock Lightning Netball (Primary U11s)
Primary Golf Coaching
48 children from our partner Primary Schools came to William
Brookes to attend two after-school Tri–golf taster sessions with
Primary Golf Coaching - Taster sessions at WBS
White Lightning Netball U14
Summer League Champions
Page 33
THANK YOU!
A huge Thank-You to all 35
fabulous Friends of WBS
Committee members and to
our wonderful supporters in the
wider Friends of WBS
community of parents, carers,
students and staff. You have
ensured another great
fundraising year!
Debbie Marks aka Madonna
and her trusty team staged a great 80s Night at The Edge Arts
Centre with live tribute band “Kicking up the 80s”, raising
£580 for school funds.
Helen Goldspink, our amazing Vice-Chair, pulled together a
great May Fair with rodeo bull, performances by WBS Express
Club, Tadlop, Footnotes and WBS Cheerleaders plus a BBQ by
Ironbridge Catering. There were homemade cakes,
strawberries and cream, dozens of stalls and games, and, of
course, the WBS Summer Raffle. Thanks to all the generous
Simon meets Simons!
Many of our students met former
William Brookes School student Ben
Simons, brakeman for the GBR2 fourman bobsleigh team in this year's
Winter Olympics in Sochi, when he
visited school on 2 May.
Simon Bowen, 10S6, interviewed Ben,
who told him that “Bobsleigh is basically sliding down an ice
sheet! The brakeman needs to be a big guy to push the
bobsleigh off at the start and pull the brake at the end. You
don’t really get a feel for the speed during the event because
your head’s down. You don’t know what to expect and you
get thrown about a lot. It’s a bit like being in a barrel going
over Niagara Falls or being in a washing machine! We travel
down the ice at the speed of a car.”
They then talked about Ben’s experience of taking part in the
Olympics. Ben paid tribute to the Wenlock Olympian Society,
and said that taking part in the Wenlock Olympian Games
was like “having my own mini-Olympics, from the age of 8!”
This started his Olympian dreams, and he felt that he
understood more of the Olympic spirit after having attended
WBS and having been part of the WOS, as he was imbued
with more of the ethos of the Games than perhaps other
competitors were. He found the Olympic village to be an
amazing environment, it was “like being in a different world
and was an incredible experience all round. It’s been the
pinnacle of my sporting career (so far!)”
Ben tried many different sports at University. He became
“pretty good at several of them, e.g. football, rugby, hockey
and athletics, but it wasn't until I tried bobsleigh that I found a
sport at which I could become world class.” He told Simon
that he loves the adrenaline rush of sports such as skiing and
bobsleigh.
Ben looks back on his time at WBS with very fond memories.
He said this was the “best school I could have gone to” and he
made many friends here. And the best bit of all was the Year
9 ski trip!
Simon really enjoyed meeting Ben, and said “he’s a great
guy!”
Page 34
donations of time, money and effort by so many folk, the event
and raffle raised £1600.
Bag2School continues to be a ‘nice little earner’ for Friends of
WBS. June’s collection raised a further £240 – so thank you if
you sent in your bags of textiles.
MONEY IN, MONEY OUT!
At the Committee meetings every half-term, members are
asked to decide on bids for funds from staff. The last meeting
agreed funding for painting the Sixth Form area, for modeling
kits for the DT Club, a heavy duty laminator for the DT
Department and an audio compressor for the Music Club.
DATE FOR THE DIARY: 24 SEPTEMBER 2014
On Wednesday 24 September, Friends of WBS will be holding
its Cheese & Wine & Cheesecake AGM in the newly refurbished
(thanks to Friends of WBS) Sixth Form area at WBS. This is a
great opportunity to see where your money and efforts have
been going, to meet staff and other parents. We are ALWAYS
on the look-out for new committee members and supporters, so
newbie parents - WELCOME! Meet at 18.30 for food and chitchat for a 19.00 start of the AGM.
WILLIAM BROOKES SCHOOL
UNIFORM
The uniform for our school is navy sweatshirts with our
school logo on the sleeve, blue shirts, black trousers/skirts
and ties with stripes in House colours.
Uniform is to be worn by all
students
in Years 7 - 11.
There is no uniform for Sixth Form students but we disallow
extreme styles of dress or personal appearance.
BRISTOWS CLUB AND SCHOOL
157 Victoria Road
BRIDGNORTH
WV16 4LL
01746 761701
www.schoolwearfactory.co.uk
For your WBS Sweatshirts and P E kit
S R EMBROIDERY
Instones Building
The Square
Broseley, TF12 5EW
01952 885950
email [email protected]
website www.sr-embroidery.com
Holiday opening hours Tues, Weds, Thurs
09.00 - 14.00
Fridays 14.00 - 18.00 Saturdays 09.00 - 13.00
Wenlock Olympian
Games
Full results from all events will be
found on the Wenlock Olympian
Society’s website:
www.wenlock-olympiansociety.org.uk
‘Well Done’ to all our students who took part in the 128th
Wenlock Olympian Games, and many congratulations to
those who won medals! The Games are currently taking
place (finishing on 21 July), so full results were not
available when we went to press.
However, thanks to Mrs Smith, we can bring you these
photos of the Wenlock Lightning U11 Netball teams at the
Games. The Flashes won Gold and the Sparks won
Bronze in competitions held on Saturday 12 July.
STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS
Page 35
“THE EDGE”
Inside this issue:
Summer holiday edition July 2014
WILLIAM BROOKES SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Head’s Message
2
PROM PHOTOS
18, 19
William Brookes School, Performing Arts
College and Coubertin School,
Farley Road,
Much Wenlock,
Shropshire. TF13 6NB
Staffing News
3
Library Latest
20, 21
Maths News
4
22
Ali G/Lost Property/
Dates for your Diary
5
WBS Word/Sixth
Form students work
Barcelona
23
Tel: (01952) 728900
Fax: (01952) 728918
e-mail: adminwilliambrookes.com
FOCUS ON
LANGUAGES
6-8
Sports Reports from
Mrs Humphreys
24-26
D & T Cake Pops
9
27-29
Science/Sixth Form
10
Sports Reports from
Mr Hennessy
Year 6 visit WBS
29
Science Roadshow
11
30-33
‘The Edge’, William Brookes School’s Newsletter, is
published four times a year - October, Christmas,
Easter and Summer. If you have a comment to make,
or would like to contribute an article for a future
edition, please contact the editor, Mrs E Herdson.
Congratulations
12, 13
Sports Reports from
Mrs Smith - includes
Primary Sports News
What’s open When
14
34
Live Stream events/
PACC Information
15
Friends of WBS/
Simon meets
Simons/Uniform
Arts College News
16, 17
Wenlock Olympian
Games
35
Don’t forget that you can also read this newsletter
online. Click on the News link at
Our next issue will be our special Open Evening
edition, ready on Wednesday 16 October. Articles
must reach us by Wednesday 9 at the latest, please!
www.williambrookesschool.com
The school blog
http://williambrookes.ethink.org.uk/
is also linked to the school website.
The school portal can be accessed at
https://portal.williambrookes.com
And don’t forget our Arts Centre site too:
www. edgeartscentre.co.uk
EXAMINATION RESULTS
Please note that the school’s Coubertin Lecture Theatre
will be open on the following dates and times for the
collection of exam results:
Thursday 14 August for GCE AS and A2 level results.
A2
09.00 - 11.00
AS
10.00 - 12.00
Thursday 21 August for Year 11 students collecting
their GCSE results.
09.00 - 12.00
The National Blood Service
will be visiting William
Brookes School on Tuesday
29 July. Session times are:
Buses
Please note that temporary passes are not available from the
school for buses arranged by Shropshire Council. Parents are
requested to contact Shropshire Council’s Passenger Transport
Services (01743 254372) in advance if they wish to make
alternative arrangements for travel to school or for the return
home or on a particular day. Students CANNOT transfer to
another bus route, even temporarily, without application and
permission being given IN WRITING.
The late bus after school (39) leaves the school car park
promptly at 17.15
Other buses that are available after school are the Arriva
services 436/437. These leave Queen Street (Much Wenlock)
for Cressage, Cross Houses
and Shrewsbury at 17.00 and
19.00, and leave Queen Street
for Morville and Bridgnorth at
17.25, 18.15 and 20.15.
14:00 - 15:30 and 16:30 - 19:30
Walk in or book an appointment online at
www.blood.co.uk
96% of us rely on the
other 4% to give blood.
Please don’t leave it to
someone else.
STOP PRESS
As we went to press,
these were the
number of days of
blood stocks left in
the whole country...

Summer 2014 - William Brookes School

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