Summer 2014 Newsletter

The Blue Coat School
Summer Newsletter – July 2014
A VERY PROUD MOMENT!
Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards Ceremony
St. James’s Palace, London
Blue Coat students achieve the highest award from the Duke of Edinburgh himself – and
after all the trials of adolescence, pressures of GCSE and A-levels, and agonising about
university or apprenticeship – this is what they grow into. How good is that?? Blue Coat
now has the biggest entry to DofE in the North West, and the highest completion rate in
the country.
Faith ~ Vision ~ Nurture
Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,
Welcome to the last newsletter of 2013-14 and the celebration of a busy and exciting term. We hope
you will make time to read about what our young people have done and are about to do, and the
opportunities they enjoy and the commitment they make. You’ll also find updates about how Blue
Coat is growing, and how we develop our provision to meet the needs of our students in a rapidly
changing world.
Next year there will be 240 pupils in Year 7 and the school is growing to accommodate our increased
intake. The new Brian Clarke building is nearing completion, and during the summer holidays we will
be developing the top floor of the Henshaw building to create new facilities for languages. Work to
repair the windows and stonework, costing over £500,000 has already begun, as you can see from
the scaffolding that now surrounds the school’s centre.
We started the year with a new school hall, a new Inclusion base (the Green Room), and brand new
facilities for music and drama, and the new slab and equipment for construction. Food technology
and engineering had had new resources the previous year. Once the current round of major building
work comes to an end, we can focus on upgrading the remaining classrooms – do read in this
newsletter about the amazing new IT equipment that we are trialling. If we could just get funding for a
couple more science laboratories….. Our bid is in with the DfE, and all digits are crossed.
The other really big change that will happen this summer is that we say
goodbye to Mr Devenport, who is retiring after a teaching career of 40 years,
26 at Blue Coat, as Head of Maths, Assistant Headteacher, and Deputy
Headteacher since September, 2009. Mr Devenport is at the very heart of the
school. He knows all our students, their progress, their achievements, and
what they could achieve with a bit more confidence and commitment. He has
taught hundreds of students, and is one of those teachers where parents ask
that their children aren’t moved up a set, so that they can stay with him. He is
there, every day, on the gate, supervising the buses in his own, very distinctive
version of high visibility waterproofs, and patrolling the site, monitoring what is
going on and ensuring all are safe, and there is no silly behaviour and no-one is isolated. His very
name makes students check their uniform – and there are grown men in Oldham who tuck their shirt
in when they see him coming. To the delight of generations of students, he – with his spreadsheets –
is the annual pantomime villain. He is a rock of principle and stability for Blue Coat. We will all miss
him, and wish him, with Mrs Devenport, who retired as Head of Technology from Saddleworth last
year, every happiness and success in this next chapter in their lives, with their grown-up children
building careers of their own.
Although Mr Devenport did not announce his retirement until the Spring, he discussed his plans much
earlier, particularly since his colleague, Mrs Woolfe, also retired last year, and the succession strategy
and reconstruction of the school’s senior leadership to manage this level of change has been planned
like a military campaign.
I am delighted that we have such a strong leadership going forward: Mrs Anderson was appointed
Deputy Headteacher last year, and Mr Higgins and Mr Griffin have also now been appointed Deputy
Headteachers.
Mrs Greenhalgh has also been appointed to a Deputy Headship at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar
School, and three new Assistant Headteachers will join our senior leadership in September. The
transition arrangements are now complete, and we are ready and raring to go!
Thank you and good luck also to Mrs Simmons, who has taught Chemistry at Blue Coat for 8 years,
and who will also retire this summer; Ms Wood, who has taught Physics at Blue Coat for 16 years,
and who is relocating with her husband to Southampton; Miss Hough, who is moving to a new post in
Chester; Miss Bridge, who is moving to a new post at Hazel Grove High School; Miss Roman, who is
moving to a new post at Radclyffe School, and Ms Crane is moving to the Middle East with her
husband and new baby. We are sorry also to lose Mr Badamosi and Mrs Lord who have held
temporary posts in our maths department, and Mr J. Griffin who taught Chemistry during a maternity
leave. Mr Curran, our senior DT technician, retired (for the second time!) at Whitsuntide. We are also
sorry to lose Miss Rothwell as Learning Manager – but delighted to welcome her back as a trainee
teacher of English.
This term we welcomed
Miss Martin – our new Head of Religious Studies
Miss Cotton – our new DT technician
and we welcomed back Ms Clark to our maths department.
Thank you for your feedback through the Parents’ Questionnaire. Some parents asked for more
feedback about their son/daughter’s progress, especially in cases where not everything is as it should
be. In response to this, we have been trialling a system of letters home for Year 10 pupils in cases
where we are concerned that there are patterns developing which could lead to underachievement.
Parental response has been very positive, to this system is likely to roll out across Key Stages 4 and
5 next term.
Please can I emphasise the importance of your support in two key areas:
1. Uniform and appearance of students
Uniform details are on our website – please check before you renew any items this summer.
Shoes in particular can be a bone of contention, so the website includes pictures of shoes
which are not acceptable – for the avoidance of any doubt. Often it is not the uniform that’s
the issue, but the way it is worn, so please reinforce the messages about being smart, and
ensure your sons and daughters leave home looking the part. Parents want their children to
come to Blue Coat for many reasons, but one is that it is an ordered, and smart community,
so please everyone – let’s work together to keep it that way.
2. Please do not drive your car onto the school site, either to drop students off in the
morning, or to collect them in the afternoon
We will have the largest school population in Oldham, on the smallest school site. We have 7
separate buildings, linked by external routes which are used all the time by students and staff,
walking to reach their lesson, or, at social times, for standing and chatting, or playing games.
In this situation you will appreciate that we cannot allow parents to drive onto the site at the
start and end of the school day. It is dangerous. Unless it is an emergency, we would be
grateful if you did not drive onto the site during the school day either. There is only one stop
for visitors, but we are lucky in that there is a public car park nearby on Rock Street.
End of term arrangements
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Wednesday, 16 July:
School will close at 12.30pm, following the Founder’s Day
celebrations. The 700 service, the Y47 service and the 557 bus will
be coming early. The other services are not able to accommodate
the early finish, but please check the website regularly for further
updates, as this may change. Otherwise, pupils will need to make
their own arrangements.
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Friday, 17 July:
End of year service at Oldham Sports Centre. The school will close
at 1.10pm. The 700 service, the Y47 service and the 557 bus will be
coming early. The other services are not able to accommodate the
early finish, but please check the website regularly for further
updates, as this may change. Otherwise, pupils will need to make
their own arrangements.
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Sixth Form will have a collapsed timetable on Monday, 14 and Tuesday, 15 July to prepare their
UCAS personal statements, and explore routes other than university. Sixth formers are all invited and
encouraged to attend Founder’s Day and will walk with staff, though we appreciate that the university
open day season is particularly busy in the latter part of the week.
Starting the new term – Autumn 2014
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School opens for Years 7 – 12 on Tuesday, 2 September, 2014 at 8.45am. Years 7 – 11 are to go
to form rooms. Year 12 are to go to the Mezzanine.
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Year 13 will return on Wednesday, 3 September, 2014, and should go directly to the Mezzanine.
School News: Projects and
Improvements
School Direct - Securing the teachers of the future for the
children of the future.
We are delighted to have had another very successful year of training new teachers through School
Direct. This (relatively) new route into teaching allows high calibre graduates to train in school,
learning from outstanding teachers and playing a real part in the school community in addition to
gaining a Masters level PGCE.
Our six trainees in English, Maths, Science and History this year have gained Qualified Teacher
Status with flying colours: five of them are likely to be judged to be ‘outstanding’, following final
accreditation from our University partner - Liverpool Hope. It is much to their credit that they have had
such success on a challenging programme that combines subject and professional training with full
immersion in the life of a busy school. We are proud of them and equally proud of the team of
colleagues who have developed and led their training. Three years ago, School Direct was a new
initiative for the school born of our longstanding experience in hosting trainees and leading
professional development for teachers at all stages of their careers. Today it flourishes as a valuable
part of school life to enhance the learning experience of our students and secure excellent teachers
for the future. Our trainees will all teach in local schools from September, three of them at Blue Coat:
Mr Kenney and Miss Charnock in English, and Mr Hayat in maths.
We have been busy recruiting a similarly high quality group of trainees for next year when we will offer
even more places in a wider range of subjects and for primary as well as secondary education. As a
National Teaching School, Blue Coat leads The Northern Alliance in this work. We are a group of
schools from Oldham and neighbouring authorities which share a commitment to excellence and the
development of teachers.
To find out more about us, our School Direct programme and the other activities in which we are
involved follow the links on our website to www.northern-alliance.net
And if you or anyone you know is interested in a career in teaching, we would like to hear from you.
Being Restorative – Mr Coe
Restorative Justice has been in the media spotlight for some time, often suffering from poor press
reporting which bills the approach as “criminals being made to say they’re sorry”, compounded by
Coronation Street’s Gail McIntyre meeting her burglar in recent episodes and asking him to say he
was sorry!
It is much more than that. In schools, a restorative approach is about building, sustaining, and
sometimes of necessity repairing relationships at all levels, and it mirrors the ethos and values of our
school. It is about valuing every member of the Blue Coat family and working hard to learn from our
mistakes and put things right. It separates the action from the person. Restorative approaches equip
staff and students with the skills and language to find solutions to every day conflicts and to reflect
more on their own behaviour. It is a solution-focused approach that deepens and develops children’s
understanding of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of life.
This year we began our journey towards becoming a restorative school, a project that may take a
number of years to complete. We hope to be the first secondary school in the country to achieve this
recognition. Early steps have involved the senior team and governing body. 25 staff in the Key Stage
3 pastoral team have received training in restorative approaches. Eventually we plan that everyone in
school will be fully trained.
There has never been a more opportune moment to commence this work, as our school expands and
we work hard to tackle this issues that face young people often around the use of social media. We
believe that this project will help to fulfil our aims in school or producing independent young adults
who go on to make positive contributions to all aspects of their communities.
Restorative Approaches in Year 8 – Miss Wilkes
My career started in a Hull School, where ‘restorative approaches’ has been well established across
the borough for many years. I was very excited to be asked to pilot Restorative Justice with Year 8 at
Blue Coat. I am thrilled to say that the Year 8 team, both pupils and tutors, have fully embraced this
and it has already had a significant impact on the wellbeing of our students. All tutor groups conduct
what we call a half termly ‘check in’, where tutors lead a whole class discussion on topics which are
currently affecting the year group, including issues like bullying, peer pressure and how to deal with
conflict and gossip. This has allowed all students to have a ‘voice’ and to express their feelings about
topics which particularly concern them. Alongside this, the Year 8 team have been taking a lead role
in using Restorative Justice to resolve peer disputes and conflicts. This has been in a variety of
settings from one to one meetings with students, level 1 meetings involving pairs of students, to
‘Restorative Conferences’ which have involved larger groups of students. The skills involved in
participating in these meetings encourage students to take responsibility for their actions and to reflect
on how they may have impacted on the wellbeing of others. It also allows the harmed individual to
feel a sense of empowerment by having the opportunity to express how they felt in a controlled and
safe environment. We believe that adopting a restorative approach in school enables students to
develop valuable life skills in managing themselves and managing their relationships, a skill that will
be invaluable to our young people throughout their life.
Mental Toughness – Mr Keane
Mental Toughness – for all not just the few
Mental Toughness in Blue Coat is the son of Growth Mindset. A Growth Mindset approach argues
success through ‘talent’ is a myth: that talent or ability, in any walk of life, is down to purposeful
practice. For years now the message about elite and exceptional performers is that these people
have trained more and practised more. The 10,000 hour rule tells us that world class anybodies have
all spent 10,000 hours practising their skill. This rule has even made it through to a breakfast cereal
called “FUEL.. your 10k hours”.
But there is a danger in this message – some people know they will not put 10,000 hours in, so why
start? Perhaps this is why relatively few students really apply the ideas to themselves.
This year, more than ever I have seen students replacing, “I can’t do it” with, “I will try.” This change
is important because our aim is to develop all our young people so they have the confidence to meet
life’s challenges and the commitment to stay the course when the going gets tough. To do this they
need an unshakeable belief that they can control or affect what happens to them in the future. This
is how they become everything they can be and everything they are meant to be. Some people call it
“Grit”, others call it “Mental Toughness”. Call it what you will, it is not something you are born with, it
is developed - like a muscle, through our actions. Dr. Peter Clough’s theory of mental toughness has
these concepts as its cornerstones: Confidence, Control, Challenge and Commitment.
Earlier in the year a team of tutors and the learning mentors went to learn about the 4Cs model, how it
can be taught and the ways it can be developed. This team then went on to produce a series of
mental toughness lessons for Year 11.
Year 11 students took an independent, externally produced questionnaire to assess their mental
toughness before and after the programme. The results are now in. Their confidence scores and
their control scores, particularly emotional control scores, have shown statistically significant
increases. We have succeeded in changing independently assessed, psychometric measures on a
large cohort over a course of just six lessons. This is really exciting and encouraging, especially since
these scores are correlated with success in all walks of adult life, not just with academic attainment.
Students’ confidence and emotional
control significantly improved
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00
Pre
Post
2.00
1.00
0.00
Challenge
Commitment
Control
Emotion
Control Life
Overall Control
Confidence
Abilities
Average score
1-low 10-high
Confidence
Interpersonal
Overall
Confidence
Overall Mental
Toughness
There were huge gains for the mental toughness tutors too. Their mental toughness also showed
statistically significant gains. In the words of one Year 11 tutor, “I wish we’d had something like this
when I was 16.”
Furthermore there is good evidence to suggest that the real gains from programmes like these are
seen not immediately but further down the line when the skills and techniques have been applied in
real life situations.
The A-level Mindset – Mr Oakes
For the last year the Sixth Form team have been undertaking some exciting research into what makes
a successful A-level student. The research involved investigating the characteristics of both students
who had performed extremely well in their exams and those had found their studies a challenge, and
had not achieved the grades they began their studies hoping for. The research involved focus groups
with students, one-to-one coaching sessions and observations of a selected group, and have taken a
different approach to analysing academic underperformance – that observing the habits and
behaviours of the student in and out of the classroom.
The pilot study reviled a number of interesting themes. We then started to group the themes and have
since developed a model named The A-level Coaching Model shown below.
The model can be explained in simple terms…..

Vision: How well do you know what you want to achieve?

Effort: How many hours of independent work do you do?

Systems: How do you organise your learning and organise your time?

Practice: What kind of work do you do to practise your skills?

Attitude: How do you respond to setbacks? How do you cope with challenge, opportunity and
anxiety?
High performing students tend to be strong in all areas. Poorly performing students can have a range
of strengths in some of these areas, but crucially, have a significant gap in one or more areas.
We have now developed a psychometric test which measures a student’s performance under each of
the headings. This allows us to work much more effectively during coaching conversations with
students and provide students with specific tools to help them improve their performance. Next year
we will be putting this to the test and we will be undertaking a large research study to test the
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effectiveness of the model and tools we use. On the 4 of July we will are delivering a course in
central Manchester to a number of other schools and colleges from around the country who have
already shown an interest in the work we have been doing. If you’d like to keep up-to-date with our
developments you can follow us on twitter @alevelmindset or visit our web page
www.alevelmindset.com
New Technology – Mr Hawes and Miss Martin
Interactive Screens
This week Blue Coat staff and students have been getting the feel for the new interactive screens that
will be used in a number of classrooms next academic year. The screens allow students to work
interactively at the front of the classroom, and can be used for a whole host of activities that will
encourage active participation in the lesson. For example, students can play picture pairs; key word
match up games; create interactive timelines; play category sort games; participate in multiple choice
quizzes... and so much more! In addition to this, teachers and students can easily highlight,
underline, or annotate any work that is on the screen and so interact with a piece of work. Of course,
there's also an in-built timer to keep students on their toes in their learning at all times!
All-In-One Computers
The Blue Coat School has just taken delivery of the first batch of the new All-In-One computers.
These will be rolled out into the Geoff Tootill Building over the summer. We have a regular renewal
cycle of machines thus ensuring that pupils are always using the best equipment for their work. All-InOne computers keep all the machinery in the screen, meaning that we save space no longer having
to find somewhere to put the old fashioned box. Students now have more space to work when in
class
A second batch is due for the newly built Brain Clarke building. We will be using a mixture of 21.5
and 23.5” devices.
The 7/12 Project – Miss Boyle
Since September 2013, our Literacy Co-ordinator, Miss Boyle and KS3 Mentor, Mrs Ryan have
designed and rolled out a research project, the ‘7/12 Project’. Based on the ‘Peer tutoring in reading
Scotland : thinking big’ (2011), the focus is the impact of peer tutoring on the reading literacy levels of
Year 7s, and particularly our pupil premium students and those with the weakest literacy levels in the
year.
The ‘7/12 Project’ involves the whole of Year 7 and nearly 140 Year 12 students. The approach is
personalised and considers the individual literacy needs of each child. Each Year 7 pupil is carefully
matched to Year 12 reading mentor and together they complete a weekly differentiated reading task
covering skills such as skimming and scanning, comprehension and inference and deduction.
Whilst our Year 7s were able to improve their reading, this has also provided huge opportunities for
our Year 12s; an active citizenship opportunity which has allowed them to develop their leadership as
well as offer peer support.
This has been an exciting project which has offered plenty of Kodak moments. Our Year 12s have
been perfect role models and our Year 7s have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them. Levels
of progress will be measured in the final term; however, the change in attitudes towards reading is
already evident.
Keep up-to-date and follow our progress by clicking on the Northern Alliance link on our website.
Social Media – Mr Higgins and Mrs Anderson
A key school priority for next year is to support all our students in using social networking sites like
Facebook, Twitter and XboxLive sensibly and safely.
Young people are now growing up in a digital world. Research suggests the average teenager
spends 31 hours a week online and 80% of this time will be on social networking sites. Every school
in the country has seen the problems that social networking can bring to the lives of young people
including cyber bullying, postings that can damage reputations and exposure to dangers presented
by strangers.
Next year we will be working with all students to give them clear guidance and support about how to
use social networking sites in a safe and mature way. We launched this focus with students in Year
8, Year 9 and Year 10 on the 7th of July. Students enjoyed a range of lessons and presentations
focused on the 4 key considerations when socially networking:



Am I safe?
Is my reputation safe?
Am I being nice?
Am I breaking the law?
The day finished with students producing their own code of conduct for safe and sensible social
networking. This will be shared with all parents at during next year’s information evenings (see
calendar for dates for each year group).
We also held a very well attended evening for all parents focused on online safety and social
networking. Colette Morris an internet safety and child protection expert from Oldham LEA gave
parents some very practical advice on how to support and protect their children online. The evening
was well received and very entertaining. We plan to run this event next year for those who missed it,
please keep checking parentmail for further information.
Students’ News
Engineering – Mr Briggs
The Year 8 Go4Set STEM project team has been working with Diodes of Chadderton to examine
different ways that the school can improve and extend recycling, whilst also researching into a variety
of further green issues such as renewable energy sources and costs. As part of the project, the team
has also completed a bottle top charity drive also aimed at increasing pupils’ awareness of
environmental impacts.
The team will be presenting their work through a written report, presentation and display at the
University of Manchester, where they will be judged along with a number of schools from across the
North West. The pupils have also used their work to count towards the Silver CREST Award.
Construction – Mr Merrill
The new construction course is going from strength to strength, with the students now well under way
with their bricklaying unit. They have completed their first assessed brickwork model which is a
straight wall in “stretcher bond”, and are starting to master the basic principles which underpins all
brickwork. They are full of enthusiasm and enjoying spending time outdoors in the nice weather. As
the models increase in complexity, so do the skills involved and the students are relishing the
challenge which this involves.
This new course has
stimulated a lot of
interest, not least among
staff who never learned
these skills, but would
love to learn them to do
practical jobs at home.
We face the interesting
possibility of students
training staff…..
English – Mrs Perry
This term has seen some intensive intervention work for those students sitting examinations. The
department has enjoyed working with a consultant who has enriched and refreshed our teaching,
which has allowed us to give the students the best possible chance this summer. The students are
always very well prepared; this extra input has sharpened our approach and we are very optimistic
about the results. The students have worked really hard; their success will be well deserved.
Our English department has been involved in some exciting work devising a new specification to
support and run alongside the new GCSEs due for first teaching from September 2015. The new
GCSEs are very demanding as the GCSE grade is determined by an examination only, with no tiers
for different levels of ability, and no coursework or controlled assessment. There is also an increased
emphasis on pre-twentieth century literature. This accompanying increase in the literacy demands of
the paper is something AQA is all too aware of, hence the need to devise a new specification to
support and prepare students for the rigours and challenges of this new paper. We have been
involved with the formulation or concept testing of this new specification, and have provided ideas
about the possible content of this new syllabus to ensure it is exactly right for our students. It has
been very interesting, and exciting, to be at the sharp end of curriculum design project.
KS3 intervention has also been a focus this term; certain year 9 students have been selected to
receive extra support. The emphasis has been on engagement, to enthuse and inspire the students
in these key weeks before their GCSE studies begin. We have been assisted in this work by Mr
Protheroe, the school librarian; the department enjoys close links with Mr Protheroe, and he is always
extremely supportive in providing books that the students will enjoy to foster a love of reading, as this
is often the key to engagement with the subject. The sessions have been well received by the
students, and the staff involved have enjoyed this one-to-one work.
Drama – Mrs Edwards
The Drama Department has had a very busy term.
The National Theatre’s Connections 2014 Transfer to West Yorkshire Playhouse (A Letter to
Lacey)
On 23rd May our extremely talented Senior Drama Group performed “A Letter to Lacey”, written by
award winning playwright and creator of “Mama Mia” stage and screen - Catherine Johnson at The
West Yorkshire Playhouse (Leeds). This play is part of the National Theatre’s Connections event and
is a hard hitting, shocking mature piece of theatre on teenage partner abuse. The very talented
young cast restaged the production for performance on the very large ‘end-on’ stage at Leeds.
After experiencing the acting debut at school in March the
actors really refined their performances for the professional
stage; Reece and the three Karas gave particularly strong
performances, supported by an extremely strong and
focused ensemble and band.
The students were excellent ambassadors for the school and
conducted themselves as true professionals during the day’s
exhausting schedule of rehearsals. What really was
challenging is that GCSE Drama Examination was on at
1.30pm at school; subsequently the dozen students involved
arrived straight from the examination room to join the rest of
the cast on stage for the end of the technical rehearsal.
AS level performances
As expected in a practical performance based subject a large proportion of the assessment is on an
actual performance. This year students took part in a selection of Monologues and duologues, and
group performances as actors and designers. Actors demonstrated their sophistication and maturity
performing Greek Theatre, Shakespeare and a range of more contemporary texts, including “Nightfall
with Edgar Allan Poe” by Eric Coble, “Barefoot in Nightgown by Candlelight” written by Don Negro
and “Five Kinds of Silence” by Shelagh Stephenson.
Arts Award
50 Year 9 students entered their Bronze Arts Award, and 8 students; their Silver Award, producing
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some incredibly detailed portfolios and a showcase of their Drama work. On 20 June 60 Students
performed their assessment pieces, showcasing their acting and design talents.
BBC School Report Day – Mrs Lane
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21 pupils from across Years 7, 8 & 9 took part in BBC School Report day on the 27 March 2014.
Taking on the role and responsibility of editors, researchers, scriptwriters and camera crew for the
day, pupils to put together a news programme covering local,
national and international news stories.
The reports included a story on the new £1 coin and allowed
the opportunity for some pupils to contact the Royal Mint. We
also had a special science report which investigated the Solar
System and allowed pupils to interview our very own Mr
McGuinness. Our ‘and finally’ story had pupils contact the North
Korean embassy for news about a new law regarding haircuts!
The pupils got a real sense of what it was like to investigate
news and the time pressure required for putting a report
together.
Katie Williams 7R said, “I loved be involved in the School Report Day. I
found it very exciting and can’t wait to do it again next year.”
Karl Houghton 9M said, “It was awesome because you get to work with
people you wouldn’t normally - I really enjoyed it!”
After three years as editor, we have to say goodbye to Calum Ford
this year who will be going into Year 10 in September. He has
demonstrated fantastic leadership skills and had been an excellent
role model to the younger pupils who have joined BBC School Report
this year.
After a very exciting day, we now have a very professional looking news report on the website.
MFL – Mrs Knott
Year 7 Spelling Bee
In the Autumn term all Year 7s competed in the class stage of
the French Spelling Bee, learning how to spell 50 words
aloud, using the French alphabet. Two winners from each
class went into the school final round in January, learning an
extra 50 words and practising at a weekly spelling bee
meeting. At the end of the first Spring half term we held a
school competition to find our Blue Coat spelling bee team,
and the winners were Charlotte Blakeney, Chloe Barker, Ana
Ferreira and Ben Matthews. They had to learn another 50
words so that they could compete in the Regional Finals at
Manchester Metropolitan University against lots of other
schools from all over the North West. This took place on
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March 19 , and it was a nerve-wracking experience in spite of
the mountain of cupcakes that greeted us on arrival! We sat
in a lecture theatre with students, staff and parents from other
schools, and one by one the students were called out to face
the room, spelling each word as quickly and accurately as
they could. The students did us proud and remained calm
under pressure, but sadly just missed out on getting through
to the next stage. Goody bags were collected and the team
went home slightly disappointed but happy to have taken part.
Year 10/12 French and Art trip to Paris – Mrs Knott and Mrs Clark
Written by our Year 12 French students: Tom Thornley, Emily Williams, Mahreen Shahid, Will
Newton, Claire Kerton and Emma Butterworth
“As Year 12 French students, we recently had the privilege of enjoying a trip to Paris along with many
other students studying Art or French in year ten and year twelve. We had the opportunity to practise
our French in a real life environment, in particular with the language discovery walks, as we needed to
ask a Parisian a series of questions and jot down our findings. Eating out at restaurants every evening
and lunchtime also called on our ability to have conversations with the waiters and waitresses.
Naturally, the trip gave us a fascinating insight into French culture, such as experiencing the busy
Metro or trying some local cuisine such as goat’s cheese and frogs legs. Not only were we exposed
to the France of today but also of yesteryear as many of the activities centred around important
historical sites in Paris. A visit to the Arc de Triomphe gave us the opportunity to translate one of
Charles de Gaulle’s radio broadcasts to the French people during Nazi occupation. A further
historical visit was to the Pantheon in the university area of Paris, which is the burial ground of anyone
who has had historical importance in France.”
Being with the artists gave us an alternative look at the world in one of the most picturesque cities in
Europe, if not the world. From the natural beauty of the many city parks to the cast iron majesty of the
Eiffel Tower, there was a photo opportunity waiting round every cobbled corner.
Frankfurt Trip – Mrs Theissen-White
In March, 48 students and 5 members of staff went to Frankfurt in West Germany. We explored the
historical and commercial highlights of Frankfurt and Marburg and went to visit our partner school in
Gießen, where we were given a guided tour of the school and visited lessons. Our students had
already been in contact with their partners via e-mail or social networks before the visit. This is what
our students thought of the trip:
“I really enjoyed the trip to Frankfurt. I liked going around the German towns/ cities (Frankfurt, Köln
and Marburg) to get a taste of German culture and their way of life.
Having to buy our own meals around the towns/ cities really helped me to practise my German. It also
made me more confident speaking in German.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the school trip to Frankfurt. It really helped
develop my German and understand the German culture.
One of the best experiences of the whole trip was when we visited our
partner school, where we had a guided tour and then met our partners. I
really found this trip to the school very interesting as it was very insightful
to the German culture and their education. It also provided me with a
good opportunity to practise my German language skills (e.g.
pronunciation etc.) amongst my German peers and make new friends
which will allow me to continue improving on my German as we have
stayed in touch.
Overall, I would say that this was the best educational trip I have ever
been on in school. It was informative and interesting and I believe my
German has improved because of my increased confidence in the subject
from the experience I have gained. I would definitely recommend this trip
to others.
I really enjoyed Frankfurt – it was the best school trip I’ve ever been on. I
particularly liked going up the Kommerzbankturm, because the views were
stunning and the building was really nice. I also found the bowling great,
because it was a chance to have a good laugh with your friends. Going
around Frankfurt, Marburg and Cologne were good experiences, because
they were nice places and you got a chance to soak up German culture.
The trip was also useful for my German, because visiting the BruderGrimm-Schule and then going to Marburg with kids from the school has
made me much more fluent as we talked to them and completed a quiz
with them.”
Year 8 Residential Visit to Opal Coast (July 2014)
Year 8 pupils have spent the last two weeks in History learning about the Second World War in
preparation for their visit to The Opal Coast in France. Different groups of subjects have worked
together to prepare an exciting curriculum that examines different aspects of WW2 and how local
people were affected. English, RS, History and Geography, have worked together to explore what it
was like to be a family member at home whilst their son, grandson or brother was in France at
different stages of the war such as the Battle of Britain, Dunkirk, D-Day and VE-Day, and exploring
how relatives would have felt and communicated with their relative under the strict codes of
communication.
Technology, Music and Drama further explored the idea of communication by analysing different
types of propaganda and how they were effective. Science and Maths looked at communication using
traditional methods such as string telephones and secret codes, alongside rocket launching and the
use of periscopes to identify the enemy. This work culminated in a full day STEM (Science, Maths,
Engineering and Technology) project where pupils worked as a team to rescue a stranded soldier
employing skills that they learned about machinery and effective bridge building. MFL and PE
focused on preparing the pupils for their visit in a more practical sense; MFL ensuring that they have
the knowledge required to buy produce at the market they will visit and PE teaching them about
traditional British fitness regimes from WW2 such as ‘The Art of Manliness’ alongside more French
activities that the pupils will be able to play on the beaches in France such as boules.
The visit to France will include a visit to the WW2 museum at Ambleteuse where pupils will see and
understand through the displays and a film how the war impacted on the whole world. A visit to the
formidable Blokhaus at Eperleques will give them an insight into the sheer size of the German base
where the V2 rockets were made and stored, and from where London was to be bombed. A walk from
Cap Blanc Nez to Wissant on the coastline demonstrates just how close the English shore is as the
pupils can see Dover across the channel and understand how the soldiers were rescued from
Dunkirk. Finally, students visit the cemetery at Etaples and find the grave of the soldier they
researched the previous week to lay wreaths and poppies in respect, and memory, of their lives.
Whilst in France the pupils also enjoy some other aspects of the French culture and the area that we
are visiting such as: a visit to Bec-a-suc, a sweet factory; Nausicaa, one of the largest aquariums in
Europe; Aqualud, a water park alongside having the opportunity to sand-surf on the beach. They also
visit the market at Wissant and the old town of Bologne to see the sites and experience the culture.
Pupils who remain at school will engage in a number of activities that simulate many of the
experiences that the pupils in France will experience, including visiting the Imperial War Museum in
Manchester, hosting an army veteran, making propaganda films and competing in a Masterchef
activity based on French cuisine.
Textiles – Mrs Lawson
Year 7 pupils were given a ‘real world’ design task this term, when
they were approached by St. Bede’s Primary School in Bolton and
asked to create some Textiles displays for their new music
classroom. The primary school had made space for an exciting
new music room, but the old building that it was in needed some
help to make it interesting and educational for the primary pupils
that attended.
Our Year 7 pupils set about making a large quilted wall
display, with all of their favourite musical related topics,
depicted in felt appliqué, beads and hand stitching.
Musical notes were cut out on the laser cutter and then it
was all sewn together… and all this in 5 lessons! They
had to work out the size of the display needed, work out
how it would all fit together and make sure it was all
accurate, relevant and as interesting as possible. This
was their first taste as real designers!
Holly McMillan (7M) said “I really enjoyed being able to make something for someone else”. Katie
Williams (7R) agreed that “It helped teach us about sewing and let us design something that we love!”
The display was very well received and Mrs Lawson was sent a letter of thanks from St. Bede’s, as
well as this picture of the Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils all enjoying the work that The Blue Coat pupils had
put in.
Food Technology – Mrs Penn
In November 2015 Major Tim Peake will be the first British astronaut on the International Space
Station (ISS), so Year 9 have entered the Space race!
The Competition:
The Great British Space Dinner
The Mission:
Design a healthy, nutritionally-balanced, British-themed meal for Tim Peake
to eat on the International Space Station.
The Prize:
To have the opportunity to work with Heston Blumenthal for the day to
develop their recipes further. The results of this day will be the basis for the
final selection of items to be developed and launched to the ISS.
Winning entrants will also be invited to an event that will include a live link up with Tim during his stay
on the ISS.
All Year 9 Food Technologists are entering “The Great British Space Dinner” competition to go into
the history books along with Tim. They have been trialling ideas, vacuum sealing, dehydrating and
have had to put on their nutritionist hats to make sure Tim stays in “Peake” (sorry!) health during his 6
month mission. Watch this “space” (sorry!) as entrants will be notified by the end of July 2014. Good
luck!
Music – Mr Hewson
Easter ‘Leavers’ Concert
On Thursday 27th March the music department performed the annual Easter Concert to a packed
school hall of parents, friends, staff and supporters. Again the concert was billed as the Year 13
‘Leavers’ concert and it was a huge success. The Jazz Orchestra, All Aloud Choir, Senior Choir,
Orchestra, Brass Quartet, Brass Band, and featured soloists all shone in their performances. The
music department would like to thank all of the Year 13 students for their contributions to the
department over the years and would like to wish them all the very best in their future studies.
They are: - Maciej Margol-Gromada, Rebecca Stone, Jessica Coburn-Wade, Charlotte Gleadall, Jess
Hollingworth, Rebecca Maxwell, Harry Clayton, Curt Faulkner, James Fowles, Richard Donallon and
Charlotte Spence.
The concert also saw the presentation of the annual Instrumentalist of the Year awards, culminating in
the Blue Coat School Musician of the Year award. Each member of every ensemble voted for their
category and the awards this year went to:
Brass Player of the Year - Richard Donallon, Jazz Performer of the Year - Maciej Margol-Gromada,
Woodwind Performer of the Year - Bethany Hickson, Chorister of the Year - Emma Hooton, String
Player of the Year - Aysha Brannon, Percussionist of the Year – Richard Blythe, and Blue Coat
School Musician of the Year – Rebecca
Maxwell.
Many congratulations to all of the
nominees and the eventual recipients of
the awards, with special congratulations
to Rebecca, who will be invited back as
guest of honour to present our Musician
of the Year award at next year’s concert.
Easter Service
The All Aloud choir sang “I Believe” by Eric Levi and the Brass Band played ‘Horizons’ by Paul
Lovatt-Cooper, one of the pieces they will perform in the National Festival of Music for Youth finals in
Birmingham later this year.
Helena Stanway left the congregation of staff and students spellbound with an emotionally charged
performance of “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again”, from Les Miserables.
Associated Board Exams
Many pupils will be sitting their ABRSM Instrumental exams in the summer term. Good luck to Leah
Williams, Laura Fairbrother, Eleanor Davis, Cyrhas Marshall, Jessica Shaw, Kate Green, Joe
Benham, Isabel Andrews, Zak Warburton, Bethany Hickson, Bethany Johnson, Eleanor Bate, Noah
Mananasy, Edward Rawson, Charlotte Norman, Krystal Eastman and Jack Whitehead. Results will
be published in the Autumn Newsletter.
National Festival of Music for Youth
Both the Jazz Orchestra and the Brass Band have been invited to compete in the Finals of the
National Festival of Music for Youth in July at Symphony Hall, Birmingham. This is the first time that
more than one group has qualified for the finals from the school in one year, and we are obviously
delighted, and very proud. Special mentions go to our soloists, Adam Neild, Maciej Margol Gromada,
Abigail Stanley and Richard Blythe, who will all be prominently featured in Birmingham.
Boys’ PE – Mr Thompson
In the Oldham Schools swimming gala, Bradley Ratcliffe and Kyle Newton broke the records for the
Fly and Freestyle events respectively, while the relay team went on to smash the previously set
record by over 3 seconds.
The Year 8 football team had a fantastic end to the year by winning the Oldham Schools’ Football
Final against Saddleworth. Kade May scored a hat-trick as Blue Coat went on to beat Saddleworth 42 at Chapel Road.
The Year 8 rugby team won the Oldham Schools’ Rugby Final by beating Saddleworth 20 points to 18
in a close, hard fought final - the kicking ability of Daniel South proving to be the difference between
the two teams on the night.
Cricket is proving to be a success yet again with all years progressing to the quarter-final stage of the
competition so far.
Girls’ PE – Mrs Edwards
As part of the Sky Sports Living For Sport project, we are allocated a Sports Ambassador to help us
with our project (more to come at the start of next year) and to promote a healthy, active lifestyle.
Charlotte Hartley, an England hockey player, spent a day with us in June. She led a team building
lesson with a Year 8 girls group, a hockey lesson with a Year 9 girls group and worked with the
Change for Life group at lunchtime, telling her story to inspire students to develop a love of sport and
exercise for all sorts of different reasons. She will be visiting us again in the first term of next year.
Rounders - Both Year 7 and Year 9 squads are through to the semi-final of the Oldham Schools Cup
competition. The Year 9 win in the quarter final was extremely easy with a 17-9 ½ win over
Waterhead but the Year 7 did not have such an easy ride. They had to fight hard against both
Crompton House and the extreme weather conditions to secure a 7 – 6 ½ win.
Athletics - Our girls have shown superb determination this year with regards to athletics. They have
turned up en masse to try for teams and so we have given opportunities to many to represent the
school at various athletics events, ranging from the extremely competitive English Schools
competition to the friendly indoor event at Radclyffe.
Tag Rugby - Training is underway for our Yr7/8 Tag Rugby squad who are competing in the
Manchester School Games in July. Paul Arnold, the Oldham Rugby Development Office, is helping
with the training and the girls are excited at the prospect of being a part of this great event.
Science – Dr Donnelly
Summer term involves a heavy focus on exam preparation, in particular for the GCSE groups in Year
10 and 11. To help with this, Miss Wood and Dr Donnelly ran a whole week of after school sessions
for the Year 11 students who wanted to improve their controlled assessment grades. Around fifteen
students attended every night and all of them increased their grade. This is certain to have a positive
effect on their overall performance in August.
Dr Donnelly also ran two revision days during the summer half term for the Year 11 Triple Biology
students. Forty seven attended the intensive revision sessions, gaining valuable insight into the most
challenging topics and the kind of questions that examiners tend to use. Student feedback was
extremely positive. Thanks to the students, and parents, who encouraged them to get out of bed and
into school by 9.00am.
Every year, two students from Blue Coat school take part in the Nuffield Placement programme,
designed to encourage young people to pursue careers in Science. This is co-ordinated by Mr.
McGuinness. This year, the places have been awarded to Nathan Lowe and Mahi Siddika. Details
are in the Post-16 section of the newsletter.
Jordan Keane, one of our Year 12 Biology students will be spending a week at Manchester University,
working as part of a team looking at how cells signal to each other and how disruption of this process
can lead to cancer. This follows on from the work of a previous student who worked in the laboratory
last year.
Maths – Miss Blything
STEP
We are looking forward to once again hosting a training day for the North West’s most talented year
12 Mathematicians in June, aimed at preparing students who are applying to prestigious universities
to study a mathematical based degree and giving them the experience of post A-level mathematics.
The day includes a workshop on mathematical problem solving where the students must leave
modular maths behind and focus on a more cohesive and synoptic approach to problem solving, and
an introduction to the Sixth Term Examination Papers. Together with a mock university-style interview
with a mathematician and a member of senior leadership, the students leave the day with a firm
footing for their applications.
UKMT
Following their selection for the Grey Kangaroo Challenge earlier in the year, Rebecca Thorpe and
James Barker both did The Blue Coat School proud on the day. Although both missed out on a
bronze award, only three marks separated the two of them and they each obtained a score which put
them up there with the country’s best mathematicians.
In the recent Junior Maths Challenge, Callum Atkinson led the way with an outstanding score which
not only earned him a gold certificate but also placed him highest in both Year 7 and Year 8. A
fantastic achievement! He was followed by James Goddard who achieved a silver award and nine
others all of whom earned a bronze award.
In Year 8, Hannah Murray produced some excellent mathematical answers to earn herself a gold
award and best in year. She was joined by Samuel Mayor and Tomas Crabb, both of whom also
managed to obtain the impressive award. Showcasing the strength in depth we have amongst this
year group, 7 other students achieved a silver certificate, whilst a further 16 pupils managed to get a
bronze. This has been an incredibly successful achievement, well done to all.
Citizenship – Mr Casey
Year 12 Citizenship students were moved by the growing need of the Oldham Foodbank and decided
to raise much needed funds (and food) for the cause.
They highlighted the problem to Key Stage 3 students in the school by carrying out form assemblies,
and arranged for "food boxes" to be allocated in Year 7 form rooms and in social areas around the
school. Students also had a cake sale to raise funds. They then used the money to buy additional
foods and delivered this to the Foodbank in Oldham.
Citizenship at Key Stage 3 has been very active this term with students in Year 7 and Year 8
completing group projects based around raising awareness of issues both personal and global. The
Year 7 students have created some fantastic group presentations and project work for encouraging
improvements in their local areas by campaigning about ideas that local councils could take on board.
Some students have really gone above and beyond expectations taking their gripes to the local
councils themselves with emails to councillors that have got on to local council meeting agendas.
Likewise, the Year 8 students have spent a great deal of study time researching and investigating the
Syrian civil war to raise awareness of this atrocity in schools and in their local community. The
amazing work produced will be going towards creating display walls next year for new students to
gather an understanding of what is happening in Syria.
The tremendous work on display from all of Key Stage 3 students in Citizenship this year has led to
the decision to create a working group of engaged students to run an organic body with responsibility
for Citizenship presence in school. Also, we are currently in negotiation with other schools about the
possibility of entering a debate tournament based around Citizenship which will be an extremely
exciting opportunity to showcase our Citizenship talent at Key Stage 3.
Philosophy 4 Children (P4C) – Miss Pollitt
On their return from study leave, a new group of enthusiastic Year 12 students have been trained up
to facilitate Philosophy 4 Children (P4C) sessions with younger students. P4C aims to get young
people talking about issues that are important to them, whilst engaging in dialogue with other people
to broaden their knowledge and perspectives of other points of view.
After an action-packed 4 hour training session, the committed Year 12s have now delivered their first
P4C lesson to our Year 7 form groups during Wellbeing, focusing on the issues surrounding social
media and staying safe online. After watching a powerful film clip from CEOP (The Child Exploitation
and Online Protection Centre), the Year 12s used their knowledge and expertise to encourage the
Year 7s to think about and discuss their online safety, behaviour and the digital footprint they are
creating. Students had the opportunity to reflect on what they learnt through creating their own paper
Facebook status, tweet and footprint.
RW7 form tutor Miss Boyle said, “I felt it really made an impact and really brought home the fact that
the internet can be a dangerous place unless pupils are equipped with the knowledge to protect
themselves. The activities enabled pupils to recognise their accountability for their own actions on the
internet. It was a super session!”
The Year 12s left the sessions proud of what they had achieved and looking forward to working with
the new Year 7 cohort next year. The Year 7s have already been asking when they can have the Year
12s for their Wellbeing sessions again!
Chaplaincy – Mr Ford
Last term concluded with the school Easter services. Years 7 and 8 joined together in a reflective
service in the school hall, revisiting the Easter story using bible readings music and media. This was
accompanied by some very thought provoking visual displays that Year 8 students had produced in
RS and art lessons.
The senior school went to the Parish Church for a more traditional service of readings and music,
reflecting on Jesus’ death and resurrection. This service featured excellent music from the school
brass band and choir, and very powerful and moving musical solo presentations from Year 13
students Helena Stanway and Harry Clayton.
Since the Easter break students have enjoyed a range of assemblies from senior staff, visitors and
other students on themes such as Lifestyle, Peer pressure, and Materialism. Form reflection
continues to use an active approach to explore the theme of the week in more detail, and form groups
have been able to discuss faith related issues that are important to them.
Rebecca Rees (Year 11) planned and delivered a series of assemblies highlighting the issue of
children who have been made homeless because of conflict. The assembly was engaging and gave
the students an opportunity to respond to the message. Rebecca followed the assemblies with some
fund-raising which, along with her parish raised over £1000 for Christian Aid.
Christian Union continues to meet on a weekly
basis and we have been looking at significant
bible characters each week. We have been
challenged by the faith and perseverance of
some of the Old Testament bible characters, yet
encouraged by how God uses them, in spite of
their faults and failings.
The Salt Cellar Youth Project run a drop in
session on Tuesday lunchtimes called ‘Escape’
which continues to be well attended. Younger
students can drop in on an informal basis to play
games, have a chat, and talk more deeply if they
wish to.
Year 7 News – Mr Brough
Carrying on with the current Year 7’s awesome approach to charitable works, a number of Year 7
boys have successfully raised £38.00 for the cancer charity ‘Men United’. The four students – Tom
Percival, Kian O’Connor, Jack Payton and Max Durston – thought up and organised the entire activity.
The boys press-ganged Mr Kenny, Mr Kelly and Mr Lowe into action and put on a charity penaltytaking activity during lunchtime. The butter-fingered Mr Lowe duly obliged and let in as many goals as
was possible in order for the lads to raise as much money as they could. Well done lads, for
successfully organising and delivering such a worthwhile activity.
Year 10 News – Mr Clewer
Congratulations to Mothersill 10, who are the inaugural winners of the Year 10 Attendance League.
This is a year-long competition set up along the lines of a football league to encourage good
attendance and punctuality as students embark on their GCSE studies. All Year 10 forms play weekly
"fixtures" against each other to compete for the best attendance and their progress is charted in
assemblies in a league table. The prize will be a form social event of their choice in Year 11 and their
victory will be honoured at the end of year Celebration Assembly.
On Tuesday 8th July, eight Workskills students will spend a Raft-Building Day at Hollingworth Lake.
Led by the instructors from the Water Activity Centre, students will work in teams to design and build
a raft from selected materials, and then successfully sail their craft across the lake.
As well as being a key assessment for their qualification, the day will help develop important skills
such as co-operation and communication, and should be a lot of fun!
On Wednesday 9th July, twenty students will attend a taster day at Oldham College. They will spend
the day on campus getting to sample a variety of new subjects tailored to their interests and future
ambitions, and to also help get a feel of college life. This will provide a valuable experience for the
students and help them to begin to focus and plan for those vital post-16 choices.
Sixth Form News – Mr Griffin
Senior Students for 2014-15
Congratulation to all Year 12’s selected to be Senior Students in 2014/15. The quality and quantity of
applications was outstanding with all students submitting a written application and attending a group
interview to gain selection.
Pictured below are the new Head Boy and Head Girl, James Hayes and Beatrice Hewitt-Lee, together
with their deputies Matthew Cavanagh and Emily Williams. They will now head up a 35 strong team
of senior students.
Summer Schools
Congratulations to all our lower sixth students
who have gained places at a range of
prestigious summer schools.
Summer schools allow students to gain a taste
of University life intensely studying a subject
area while staying in university
accommodation for a full week. Competition
for places at summer schools is increasingly
competitive with 4,327 students applying for
1,000 places at Oxfords UNIQ summer
schools. This year saw students gain summer
school places at Oxford, Durham, Falmouth,
Liverpool John Moores and Nottingham
University to study a range of subjects from
the sciences to politics to creative writing.
Nuffield Bursary Placements – Mr McGuinness
Congratulations to Nathan Lowe and Mahi Siddika who have
received Nuffield Research Placements for the summer
break. Nuffield Research Placements (previously Nuffield
Science Bursaries) are extremely competitive and provide
students with the opportunity to work alongside professional
scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians.
Nathan Lowe has secured a place working alongside
Professor Robert Akid, from the University of Manchester,
researching the prevention of corrosion in gas and oil.
Fellow scientist, Mahi Siddika, will be working alongside
Professor Peter Hogg researching pressure mapping in the
treatment of breast cancer. Mahi will be presenting her
findings at the University of Lisbon in late July.
Work-Shadowing – Mr Wild
The first two weeks of July see our Year 12 students come off
timetable to complete professional work shadowing placements.
This year’s students have found some amazing placements work
shadowing in Hospitals, Universities, Schools, Solicitors
Engineering firms and Art studios across Greater Manchester.
Thomas Thornley, a keen German student will be our furthest
travelled student having arranged his own placement at WilhelmHauff-Realschule High School in Stuttgart, Germany. Tom is
looking forward to teaching English in the German school.
Sixth Form Sport – Mr Wild
Girls Get Silver
Late April saw the newly formed sixth form ladies
rugby team win silver medals in their first
competitive outing at the Greater Manchester
Schools’ Games.
The girls were superb on the day, narrowly
missing out on the gold medal after victories over
both Xavarian and Winstanley College.
Football Success
On Wednesday 21st May , our 6th form
footballers played in the Oldham Schools
Football Final. This was their third final in
three years. Unfortunately, we were on
the wrong end of a 6-2 defeat to a strong
Oldham Sixth Form side. However, the
score line doesn't reflect how the match
played out. With 8 minutes to go Blue
Coat were well in the game at 3-2 down,
but within two minutes we lost three
players to injuries. With only eight players
on the pitch this had a massive effect on
the final few minutes, when OSFC took
full advantage of the space available. Up
until the injuries Blue Coat had performed
well with Alistair Truman outstanding.
Adam Davies – Blue Coat Rugby star - receives Great Britain call-up!
Blue Coat Sixth Form Rugby League Player Adam Davies has been selected to play for Great Britain
Community Lions U17’s in their week-long tour of Malta. Adam will play in two test matches against
Malta U23’s.
Gold Duke of Edinburgh: Expedition Practice 2 – Miss Elliott
Gold Duke of Edinburgh groups 2
and 11 met at the highest point in
the Yorkshire Dales - the summit of
Whernside.
In total 56 of our Year 12 student’s
successfully completed their second
Gold Duke of Edinburgh practice
th
th
expedition from the 14 -16 June.
The students experienced a full
range of testing conditions from the
draining heat on Saturday to the
endless drizzle and poor visibility the
day after - not to mention the midges
of the Yorkshire Dales who were
kept well fed by our intrepid
adventurers.
Library – Mr Protheroe
The Year 7 students have been working hard in the Library during their English lessons on the
Accelerated Reading literacy programme. Students take quizzes on books that they have just read
which helps improve to their reading and comprehension skills. The School has taken 2768 book
quizzes this year already. The programme also logs how many words each student has read. We
have increased the number of student millionaires from last year, along with the School total words
read. Last year it was 61 million and we've beaten that with 69,201,679 million words and still
counting. Well done to everyone.
The Year 7 Accelerated Reader Millionaires
2,955,822 Kian O'Connor
2,696,693 Ana Ferreira
2,573,209 Emily Mallinson
2,459,445 Anna Barnes
1,886,123 Jessica Kelly
1,778,036 James Goddard
1,739,591 Nathan Sherriff
1,731,981 Jemma Fricker
1,652,676 Beatrix Kinsman
1,561,706 Rebecca Kellett
1,404,075 Matilda Margol-Gromada
1,363,844 Alice Dawson
1,363,469 Thomas Dolan
1,259,338 Alice Doggett
1,042,874 Megan Barton
1,038,143 Ellie Caveney
Nearly Millionaires (there's still time before the end of term!)
968,453 Katie Shawcross
965,686 Jade Kay
913,674 Maia Lucas
Year 7 Class Positions
Ms Wilkes 13,820,258 million words
Miss Basnett 12,287,472
Mr Bradley 10,256,221
Ms Nelson 9,649,727
Mrs Perry 5,616,699
Mrs Hargreaves 5,054,296
Miss Roman (7b) 4,384,450
Ms Anderton 3,948,053
Miss Roman (7a) 3,636,918
Chess Club – Mrs Hibbert
The school Chess Club meets every Tuesday lunch time in the Green Room. It is for all year groups currently we have approximately 15 students from Year 7 up to Year 13 attending.
Periodically we meet up with other schools in the authority for chess tournaments, both home and
away. The pictures are from a match against Waterhead Academy at Blue Coat. We have also taken
part in competitions between Radclyffe School and Hulme Grammar School.
Although in the past we have experienced a number of defeats, this has not deterred the dedicated
chess club members - they have been refining their skills and have now challenged the teachers of
Blue Coat to a competition after school before the end of the school year.
Year 11 Leavers’ Prom – Mr Keane
The Village Hotel, Ashton Moss
The end of Year 11 is a very busy time. The Year 11 Leavers’ Dinner was held at Ashton Moss on
th
Friday 9 May. The whole event was organised by Mrs Farrington and was a wonderful celebration,
marking the end of their 5 years work here at Blue Coat. Nobody could be failed to be impressed by
the spectacle, and the photographs would not look out of place in the magazine Lancashire Life.
All staff are missing them now that they are gone, but looking forward to their results day in August.
Year 13 Leavers’ Ball – Miss Elliott
Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Manchester
rd
Friday the 23 May was the date we said farewell to our Year 13 students. It’s always an emotional
day and this year was no exception. The Year 13’s ran a Celebration Assembly with comedy awards,
a live performance from singer song-writer Charlotte Gleadhall and the now infamous comedic
leavers’ video. The ‘Joe Durr’ directed-take on sixth form life is sure to get somewhere in the region
of the 4,000 YouTube hits that the 2013 Blue Coat leavers video received.
The evening saw Manchester’s Radisson Edwardian play host to the Year 13 Prom. The event was
meticulously planned by Miss Elliott and her team of senior students.
We wish all our students every success as they start this new chapter in their lives.
Faith ~ Vision ~ Nurture
Contact Details:
The Blue Coat School,
Egerton Street,
Oldham.
OL1 3SQ
Telephone:
E-mail:
(0161) 624 1484
[email protected]
Website:
www.blue-coat.oldham.sch.uk
Headteacher: Mrs J.A. Hollis (MA)