December 2013

Aston Community Education
Trust (ACET) Newsletter
Issue No. 5, December 2013
Dear Parents
Aston Y7 Pop Choir
WELCOME TO THE FIFTH ASTON COMMUNITY EDUCATION TRUST
(ACET) NEWSLETTER
As we near the end of 2013 it is a good time to thank those who have contributed
to our successes over the year and to look forward to what the future may bring us.
We owe a huge thank you to the pupils and students, their parents/carers and
families, staff and governors of both our academies for their hard work and
achievements over the past year. With your on-going support and commitment we
are continuing on our upward trajectory and helping to make a difference.
2013 has been another very good year for
ACET.
Thurcroft Junior Academy (TJA) recorded its first
SAT results since joining ACET – the best ever set
of SAT scores in the recent history of Thurcroft
Junior School - a remarkable achievement in
such a short space of time. The National floor
standard target of 60% across Maths, Reading
and Writing was blown away with a result of
74%. This betters the previous highest score
by 7%. We have also seen some improvement
in level 5 attainment compared to recent years.
Although we are pleased with the progress
achieved, as you would expect, we are still
looking to improve the results further in 2014,
with even greater focus on 2 levels of progress
and level 5 achievements.
Aston Academy once again produced some
excellent exam results with 76% of our Y11
students achieving, or exceeding, the National
benchmark of 5 A*-C GCSE grades including
English Language and Mathematics. Although
we are delighted with the individual successes
of our students and we believe this score should
place us in the top 10% of schools nationally, we
are still committed to improving upon this next
year and look to an even greater number of Y11
students achieving 5 or more GCSEs, including
English Language and Mathematics, at grades
A* - C.
Meanwhile, staff have worked hard to ensure
that all our Y11 students were enrolled on
appropriate courses, training or in employment,
maintaining our impressively low number
of NEETs (not in education employment or
training). Last year’s Post-16 students were
also very successful in accessing pathways of
their choice, with many going on to university.
Students did extremely well at both A/S and A2:
our Y13 students achieving a 98.4% pass rate,
with 30% of those grades awarded at A or A*
level. Well done and sincere thanks to everyone
who contributed to this year’s examination
success.
You may not realise how many extra-curricular
activities we provide at our academies. We
believe in developing the whole child so they can
take their place in society, with academic success
being just one aspect of this. At Aston we have
an average of 15 clubs per week, and have had
720 school fixtures across all age groups. Pupils
and students at both academies have continued
to excel in many different and varied sporting
areas. Amongst many successes, we have
outstanding athletes, swimmers, cyclists and
heptathletes. Teams have won cricket, netball,
football, rugby and rounders competitions. We
also have students competing at events such
as Thai boxing, basketball and trampolining. At
Thurcroft Junior Academy, after-school clubs
take place every night of the week and are
proving very popular, with increasing numbers of
students attending them. I should also note that
the free breakfast club is being well used, with
28 pupils accessing this facility.
We are always working hard to provide a safe,
secure and pleasant working environment for
our students and staff. Academies have access
to a variety of capital funding streams and
ACET actively pursue those which are relevant
to us. This year has seen the approval for the
refurbishment of the assembly hall and the
introduction of changing rooms with shower
facilities at Thurcroft; whilst Aston is now
enjoying the benefits of a resurfaced entrance
walkway. Visitors to Aston will also have noticed
the introduction of an electronic entrance
system, which despite causing some of us to
cringe at our photographs, has increased the
level of security for our site.
Finally, I am including a brief reminder about
what ACET is and who we are. Jean Long, Roy
Dyson, John Swift, Paul Bennett, Eunice Newton
and myself (John Barton) are the Trustees and
as a trust we aim to provide the best possible
all round education for our pupils and students.
We believe that every child really does matter.
The Trustees of ACET are actively involved in the
life of both our academies, we care passionately
about our young people and the educational
experience they receive. To learn more about
our aims and ethos please feel free to visit www.
astoncetrust.org
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a
Happy and Prosperous New Year.
John Barton – Chair of ACET
Outstanding
Outstanding
Improvement
Improvement
Award Award
SSAT
SSAT
2011 2011
Outstanding
Outstanding
Progress
Progress
Award Award
SSAT
SSAT
2011 2011
a Message from the
executive Principal
Welcome to our Autumn
Term Newsletter which I
hope you find interesting
and informative.
Our young people have worked
hard throughout this long and
busy term and are, no doubt,
very much looking forward to
a break from school routine
over the festive period. At
Thurcroft, our Y4 to Y6 pupils
and at Aston, our Y8 to Y13
students began where they left
off in the summer: sustaining
high levels of attendance and
behaviour and demonstrating
great
commitment
and
resilience in their learning. We
also welcomed new cohorts
of Y3s and Y7s who have
shown themselves to be polite,
enthusiastic and conscientious.
They are already making a
positive contribution to their
new communities.
It has been noticeable how
smart pupils and students
have been this term and we
would like to express our
sincere thanks to parents and
carers for supporting us in this
respect. As the nights draw
in and the winter weather
conditions worsen, we ask
that you please do all that
you can to ensure your child
arrives in school wearing a
suitable coat. We understand
that coats are not popular
with some youngsters but
have found some arriving in
sweatshirts (with and without
hoods) which are not part of
our dress code. Please consult
our website or contact staff in
the academies for additional
guidance
on
acceptable
clothing and footwear during
the colder weather.
Extensive lesson observation
and work scrutiny undertaken since September have revealed that
some tremendous progress has already been made by youngsters
this term under the guidance of their teachers. Many of the
exercise books we monitored were filled with superb content,
neatly presented and thoroughly well organised; their owners
clearly taking great pride and care in their work. We are privileged
to have such wonderfully receptive youngsters in both academies
who are determined to achieve the aspirational targets set for
2
them by their teachers.
All year groups in Aston
Academy were involved in
the sponsored walk on Friday
October 11th, when they
shared an enjoyable experience
with their classmates whilst
raising funds for others less
fortunate than themselves. The
event was closely supervised
by staff ably assisted by Post
16 students who also showed
great generosity of spirit when
they led the annual Children
in Need collection in both
academies on November 15th.
Each year we are amazed
to see the array of colourful
costumes which appear and
this year was no exception.
We can only imagine how
difficult it is for staff to avoid
smiling as they stand in front
of a class of bananas, hot dogs
and Disney characters. Thank
you to all our pupils, students,
their families and our staff
for supporting charity events.
Last year saw ACET youngsters
raising over £11,000 for good
causes.
As school comes to a close
on Thursday we will be saying
goodbye to some staff who are moving away from Aston. On
behalf of everyone associated with ACET I wish them all well in
their new posts and thank them for their service to our school
community. I wish everyone associated with ACET community a
joyful Christmas and prosperous New Year.
Best wishes
Eunice Newton
Thurcroft Junior Academy News
“With your commitment we will exceed expectation”
Dear Parents/Carers
I hope this newsletter finds you all safe
and well and no doubt in the midst of
preparations for the Christmas season. It
is my pleasure to provide you all with an
update on the progress Thurcroft Junior
Academy pupils (and staff!) are making…
The pupils returned to school absolutely
buzzing from the visit and clearly found
the learning experienced to be second-tonone.
The Reading Buzz
Inspirational Learning
Opportunities
The year group topics have proven very
successful, with pupils demonstrating
their enthusiasm for learning through
the completion of an excellent standard
of work both at school and at home. My
thanks go to pupils, staff and parents who
have all been a part of this success. Much
of the homework produced by the pupils is
on display both in the classrooms and on
the corridors – do come in and have a look,
if you haven’t already.
To enrich the curriculum, most pupils have
been on at least one educational visit
during the autumn term;
Y3 had a Viking visitor in school at the
beginning of the term who thoroughly
entertained them for the whole day and
from whom they were able to experience
first-hand Viking tools, equipment and
clothing. All pupils were able to dress-up
as Vikings for the day – a great time was
had by all!
Y4 have been learning about the human
body this term and what better place
to visit to learn about this than Eureka!
It has also been extremely pleasing to hear
the positive comments about the pupils’
behaviour and smart appearance from
visitors while the classes have been out on
their visits.
Y5 visited the Space Centre in Leicester
which provided a whole host of
opportunities that could not have been
presented in a classroom. As well as
viewing life-like models of the planets
there were model rockets and shuttles
for the pupils to walk into and imagine
what it would be like for real if they were
an astronaut in space. The pupils came
back very enthusiastic about this visit,
commenting it was the best visit they had
been on to date.
Y6 have put themselves in the shoes of
evacuees this term as they have been
learning about World War 2 and its impact
on everyday lives. The pupils visited Eden
Camp where they were able to experience
the smells, sounds and sights that would
have been common during this period in
history.
It remains an academy focus to promote
a love of reading throughout the school.
While much work is being carried out in
school to ensure as many pupils as possible
are heard reading every day, it makes a
vital difference if a child is able to read at
home at least four times a week. All pupils
who do this and have their planner signed
do receive a reward in school each week –
please support your child.
In September a ‘Book Fair’ was held which
raised £321 – thank you for your support;
pupils from across the school will be
randomly chosen to help purchase new
reading material for the school through
the monies raised – watch this space… In
January there is school visit planned with
an author coming into school, followed by
another ‘Book Fair’ in March to celebrate
World Book Day.
We would be grateful for any volunteer
parents/grandparents who are be able to
come into school to hear children read.
Please contact us if you are able to help.
Helping Others
As always, the pupils have been very
forthcoming in helping other people less
fortunate than themselves across the
local and global community. During the
autumn term, pupils have been involved
in supporting Children in Need through
a non-uniform day where the pupils were
encouraged to ‘show their spots’. A fun
time was had by all as the pupils were
involved in various fundraising activities
throughout the day, including donating
loose change to a ‘Pudsey’ outline and
showing their support through the
purchase of Children in Need wristbands.
A total of £337.15 was raised for this
worthwhile cause.
Pupils have once again shown their
support for the ‘Shoebox Appeal’; this year
a total of 24 shoe boxes were donated to
the cause – pupils will find out where their
shoe box was sent in the New Year.
3
Thurcroft Junior Academy News
“With your commitment we will exceed expectation”
to work with the lunchtime supervisors to
‘zone’ the playground into designated play
areas, taking on board suggestions raised
through class council.
Remaining Term Dates for
2013-14
Tuesday 7th January 2014 - Children
return to school
Friday 21st February 2014 - School
closes for half term break
Monday 3rd March 2014 - Children
return to school
School Council
The School Council are continuing their
work on improving lunchtime activities
this term, with Miss Newbolt’s support. So
far, the team have helped to organise the
Halloween Disco, with support from Mr
Grayson, where a total of £223 was raised.
The school councillors have planned to
use this money to purchase new outdoor
play equipment to ensure that all pupils
are able to be actively engaged over the
lunchtime period. Their next challenge is
Friday 11th April 2014 - School closes
for Easter
Staff and pupils entered into the
Halloween spirit!
Monday 28th April 2014 - Children
return to school, *School closed for
May Day Monday 5th May
Friday 23rd May 2014 - School closes
for half term break
Tuesday 3rd June 2014 - Children
return to school
Friday 18th July 2014 - School closes
at 2.15pm for summer break
Aston Academy News
“With your commitment we will make a difference”
SCHOOL BUS
INFORMATION
To enable students to plan their journey to
and from school a new web site has been
introduced - please follow the link below
to access: http://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/
onboard/
The On-board website offers lots of
benefits including a facility to plan your
journey with an A-Z school finder. Plus the
following benefits:
• Age appropriate pass information
• Safety advice
• A list of dedicated school services
• School contact details
• A link to the school on the Interactive
Map
You can find information on the bus
services operating to your school under
the “School Journeys” tab, clicking on your
school name and identifying the relevant
bus service number. This then needs to be
typed in the link found by hovering over
and clicking “School Bus Timetable Finder”.
Other timetables for normal network bus
4
services can also be found using this link.
PLEASE SEE ASTON ACADEMY WEBSITE
FOR THE LINK
A hard copy of all school travel
information can also be collected from
the Student Services Coordinator area in
reception.
Library News
November saw the start of our Chess
Tournament. There were 18 students who
signed up to take part, from Y7, Y8 and
Y10. Games take place on Wednesday
and Friday lunchtimes within the library.
Competition is fierce and games are
played with much enthusiasm and
concentration. Results will be posted in
the next Newsletter.
Term Dates for 2013-14
Half Term
School closes Fri 21st Feb 2014
School opens Mon 3rd Mar 2014
Easter
School closes Fri 11th Apr 2014
School opens Mon 28th Apr 2014
May Day
School closes Fri 2nd May 2014
School opens Tues 6th May 2014
Spring Bank
School closes Fri 23rd May 2014
School opens Mon 2nd Jun 2014
Summer
School closes early Fri 18th Jul 2014
INSET DAYS (Closed for students)
Fri 20th Dec 2013
Fri 21st Mar 2014
Mon 21st Jul 2014
Public Holidays (Closed for students)
18th Apr 2014
21st Apr 2014
5th May 2014
26th May 2014
Aston Academy News
“With your commitment we will make a difference”
Leave of Absence Requests
There has been a great deal of coverage
in the media in recent weeks about the
new guidelines regarding leave of absence
for students during term time, including
requests to take students out of school
for holidays. In line with these guidelines,
absence for a student will be recorded as
unauthorised unless the circumstances are
considered to be exceptional.
A Leave of Absence Form must be
completed for any known absence. This
will ensure we do not phone, text or call at
your home to find out why a student is not
in school. If you feel the circumstances
regarding the absence are exceptional then
please write to Eunice Newton, Executive
Principal, clearly stating why you feel the
absence should be authorised. This should
be attached to the Leave of Absence form.
Y11
Learning
Progress
Manager - Miss Jo Layden
Unfortunately our Y11 Learning Progress
Manager, Miss Layden has suffered a knee
injury over the half term holidays, which
has meant that she is unable to attend
work. The work that Miss Layden does to
support our Y11 cohort is so vital we have
decided to assign Miss Norman to the year
group. Miss Norman is an experienced
Learning Progress Manager who was linked
directly to our successful Y11’s from last
year. We continue to be in contact with
Jo each day as she checks e-mail and diary
appointments etc. However if you have any
need to contact school regarding a student
in Y11 please contact Miss Norman on the
e-mail address below. I am sure you will
join us in wishing Miss Layden a speedy
recovery and return back to Aston Academy.
[email protected]
Useful Phone Numbers
Youth Start - 01709 820100
Childline - 0800 11 11
Samaritans - 01709 361717
Youth Café - 01709 829160
Learning Progress Managers
Mrs Thackery - Y7
Mr Risley - Y8
Miss Day - Y9
Mr Scantlebury - Y10
Miss Layden – Y11
Mrs Norman – Y12
Mrs Graham – Y13
Computing, Business & Economics Faculty
n
e
D
’
s
n
o
Drag
On 13th November around 38 Business & Economics, Post
16 students took part in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ day in which
representatives from Rotherham Youth Enterprise supported
the students in constructing a presentation for three selected
business people. All three ‘Dragons’ are self-employed
in very different industries; ranging from Accountancy to
Electronic security. These would be the ‘Dragons’ and judge
the presentations at the end of the day. To begin the day the
representatives introduced the students to marketing terms
and meanings that they would be using in their presentations,
in order to give them a better understanding. As students
completed the task they then had to use these ‘products’,
which they had to sell to other groups also completing the
task. The products ranged from ‘cupcake mugs’ to ‘bungee
ropes’ to ‘hair products’.
Following this task the students were then given another
‘product’, however, no more serious than the ones before!
They were then given 2 hours to complete a sales pitch for
their product including features such as the product’s function,
sale methods, promotional methods and expected sales. By
the time students were ready to present their sales pitch, the
products had much more identity. These products included:
glasses frames which changed colour on demand, home
security systems, and baby baths with designs that changed
colour dependent on the temperature of the water. Also plant
pots which used sunlight detection to move around.
All groups gave excellent presentations and responded well to
the follow up questions asked by the Dragons’. The Dragons’
then chose their winner to be The Iron Man who offered a
product which took ALL the ironing out of ironing shirts!!!
Although there was only one winner on paper, all the students
left the day with a greater knowledge of business and setting
up their own business.
This event is now in its 8th year, it has definitely become a
fixture on our Faculty calendar. Each year the judges comment
on how imaginative the students are; and how well they
present their ‘pitch’ in a very short time-frame.
We now look forward to next year!
Mr Sadler & Katie Marshall Y12
5
Arts Faculty
s Arts
a
m
t
s
i
r
h
C
3
1
20
2013
r
e
b
m
e
c
e
D
–
Celebration
Once again, our many talented students
will perform on Wednesday 18th
December to a packed audience. We
hope to include an exhibition of artwork,
dance, drama and many musical items.
Our Y7 pop choir have been working
extremely hard at harmonies and are
producing a tremendous sound. Our
senior choir continue to sing beautifully,
with complex harmonies and pitches.
Our rock bands continue to rock and our
other instrumentalists and performers
have been preparing extremely well, both
in lessons and at home. Our many extracurricular activities continue to enhance
learning outside the classroom and the
music building is always full of students
hoping to become the next big thing!
k
l
a
W
d
e
r
o
s
n
Spo
3
1
0
2
r
e
b
o
t
c
-O
Some of our very talented musicians performed for everyone at the annual
sponsored walk. This was well received by both staff and students and the musicians
thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
6
Music Extra-Curricular 2013
Monday Lunchtime: Mrs Machan
Pop Choir Y7
Tuesday Lunchtime: Miss Wright
Music Theory - All Year Groups
Tuesday Lunchtime: Mrs Gray
Instrumental Ensemble - All Year Groups
Wednesday Lunchtime: Music Staff
Samba/African Drumming All Year Groups
Thursday Lunchtime: Mrs Perry
Keyboard Workshop – Y7/8
Thursday Lunchtime: Mrs Machan
GCSE Revision - Y11
Friday Lunchtime: Mrs Gray and Miss
Wright
Senior Choir - Y8+
Friday Lunchtime: Mrs Perry
Performance Workshop - Y9
Arts Faculty
Y7 Creativity
Y7 let their imagination run wild when presented with a box of
assorted materials and media and asked to show us how creative
they could be. Taking a risk was no problem for our Y7’s as they
produced some amazing sculptures. Take a look and see what
you think.
e
c
n
e
d
i
s
e
R
n
Artist i kshops
Wor
On June 26th & 27th, installation artist
Matt Butt visited school and did a 2 day
workshop with a variety of Y8/9 students.
They produced automatons to inspire
a creative partnership
construction which is to be
used at the Aston Carnival
and will later be displayed
at Rotherham Town Hall.
tart
S
g
n
i
y
l
F
GCSE
This year GCSE groups
have made an excellent
start with their portfolio.
All our students are
engaged in developing
their imagination and
artist skill.
7
Humanities Faculty
Literacy Week
The 11th- 15th of December will be an
exciting re-launch of the Humanities
Literacy Week. During lessons, Y7 and Y8
students will have the exciting opportunity
to create an information booklet for Aston
Hall Hotel. The booklets will be based on
the history of the building and the work
that students produce will be judged by
the hotel staff. The winning design will
be printed and displayed in the hotel itself
and the successful student will also receive
a prize provided by Aston Hall.
KS5 Debating
Club
This term sees the
start of the Humanities
Post 16 Debating Club,
which offers Aston
students a new fun and
rewarding opportunity
whilst providing practical experience in
advocacy, issue analysis and evaluation
and the chance to develop invaluable
skills in public speaking. The ability to
communicate effectively is a skill essential
to success in every aspect of a student’s
life, as well as developing communication
skills it will also help students’ to think
carefully about the world around them.
Humanities Learner of the
Term
With Christmas fast approaching we
are getting ready to announce the first
Humanities Learner of the Term for this
academic year! Each teacher will nominate
a learner from each of their classes who
they think enjoys their learning, behaves
in a way that allows others to learn and
works hard to reach their target. There will
then be a winner drawn out of a hat for
each year group and they will be awarded
a prize and certificate.
Humanities Club
The Humanities Faculty will once again be
running the Humanities after school club
starting in the New Year on Thursdays 3
- 4pm. Last year we had some fantastic
activities where students could plan their
own fieldtrip, experience what it was like
to wear costumes from the past and design
their own Christmas cards and quizzes.
Further details of this year’s opportunities
will be announced in your humanities
lessons. We hope to see you there!
A level Psychology
Conference
On Thursday 21st November, thirty-one
of the psychology students attended a
Science and Pseudoscience conference at
ip
r
t
d
l
e
fi
y
h
p
a
Y12 Geogcrarborough
to S
In February the Y12 Geographers will
be going on an exciting field trip to the
east coast for 4 days to study coasts
and river environments. This is an ideal
opportunity to reinforce their learning
from their classwork and see these
environments in action. We will be
staying at Boggle Hole Youth Hostel
which is close to Robin Hood’s Bay.
Students will have the opportunity
to visit many places including
Flamborough Head, Dalby Forest and
Scarborough. There is also plenty of
time to socialise with friends and the
chance to enter and win the coveted
annual Humanities Scarborough Trip
Homemade Cake Baking Competition.
Last year the prize went to a ‘Geography
themed’ cake!
8
Nottingham Playhouse. The day involved
demonstrations and talks about how science
should be conducted. The talks included:
Dance, hormones and thinking: a talk
by Professor Lovatt explored the effects
of dance and the speed of our problem
solving. We also considered that how
we dance affects our attractiveness to
potential partners. This talk included full
audience participation (well done Daniel
Timm and Elliott Surtees who made it on
to the stage!).
The science of laughter: Professor Scott
discussed the evolutionary and social
origins of laughter and the impact it has
on social relationships.
Science and pseudoscience: several
psychologists discussed examples of good
and bad science including myths about
‘5-a-day’, brain gym and eight glasses of
water a day.
The day finished with a demonstration of
hypnosis: Andrew Newton demonstrated
hypnosis with student volunteers.
Unfortunately none of the Aston students
managed to get a seat on stage (despite
the best efforts of Declan Shaw!)
The students had a great day representing Aston
Academy in a very positive way and all expressed
how much they enjoyed the conference.
Declan Shaw
PE Faculty
Rotherham Schools 1st Round
Cup Results
Y7, Aston 4 - Dinnington 5
Man of the Match - Frazer Stanton
Y8 , Aston 10 - Pope Pius 2
Man of the Match - Ahmad Ibrahim
(2 goals)
Y9 , Aston 2 - Brinsworth 1
Man of the Match - Sam Martin
Y10, Aston 2 - Maltby 1
Man of the Match - Jake Ford
Aston 1st XI, Aston X1 2 - Dinnington 0
Man of the Match - Joe Bland
Future Swimming
Champion?
Y8 student Kate Clifton is emerging
as a real talent in Swimming. Kate
currently swims for the City of Sheffield
Swimming Club and is preparing to
swim in the North of England and
National Swimming Championships in
the next few months. We wish Kate all
the best for the upcoming competitions
and are proud of her achievements.
Daniel Jeffries Y8 - Star
Judo Student Receives
Medal from Lord Mayor
Each Term the PE faculty would like
to celebrate the success of our top
sports students in school. This term
our focus is on Daniel Jeffries in Y8.
Daniel is one of the top performing
sports performers in school and
has had an excellent year in Judo,
winning a string of competitions.
August 2012 - Boys U16 British Daniel receiving his medal from the Rotherham Mayor with
Closed Championships, under 50kg, Head of PE Faculty Mr Esberger
whilst only being 11 years old
October 2012 - Boys U16 Irish Open International, under 50kg, representing team GB
against eleven other European countries
April 2013 - Boys U16 Scottish Open International, under 55kg
June 2013 - Boys U16 British Open International, under 55kg
September 2013 Silver, British Championships fighting in the under 60kg category, he
took a decision to fight in the category above his, against players much heavier than him
October 2013 - Reselected for the Great Britain team - Boys U16 - European competition
in Venray, Holland
Netball Teams
The Y7 team have had a fantastic start to the year with over 20 girls regularly attending
training. Player of the Match awards have been given to Ellie Barnes and Hannah
Thompson.
The Y8 and Y9 netball team have been training well and this has paid off with victories over
Swinton and Maltby. Y10 and Y11 netball teams have been working hard on improving
their fitness alongside their match play which has proved successful with them winning
matches at Maltby Academy and Winterhill School.
With the Y11 tournament coming up this half term, this extra fitness training will help
them be successful at gaining a place at Rotherham Finals Day!
The Post 16 netball team finished 2nd in their tournament and have made it through to
Rotherham Finals Day!
A brilliant start to the year by all teams! Well done girls!
U13 Girls Rotherham Inter Cricket
New Judo Club Starts in
School
Aston Academy PE Faculty is always
looking for new sports with which to
engage students and get them involved
in school clubs. This half term and
continuing after Christmas we have
a Judo coach coming in to school to
deliver Free Judo sessions on a Thursday
night. The sessions are aimed at
beginners and will help students learn
new skills and even progress towards a
grading. Judo is a safe and controlled
sport but allows students to develop
their strength and control. The sessions
begin at 3:15pm in the Sports Centre. If
you have any questions please see Mr
Esberger.
The U13 girls attended the Rotherham Inter Schools Cricket competition. They played
four matches and won all of them. Molly and Lucy Jacobs, Emma Louise Proctor and Lucy
Payne all bowled eight overs each and Emma Louise Proctor had to retire twice after
hitting the fifteen run maximum target. Mia Heath made some really good stops in deep
field. The girls will now progress on to the South Yorkshire Finals on the 11th December.
Rugby Results
Teams
Y7
Y8
Y9
Y10/11
Dinnington
Won 22-20
Won 55-14
Lost 44-17
Lost 44-26
Wickersley
Won 44-12
Lost 34-22
Lost 34-22
Lost 35 -17
Hall Cross
Won 36-22
Won 44-22
Won 58- 7
Won 26-22
Hungherhill
No game
Lost 26-18
Won 55 - 7
No game
Oakwood
Won 56 -0
No game
Won 65 - 0
No game
9
English Faculty
At the end of a long and busy term, we are finalising coursework
and controlled assessments and preparing for the summer exam
season. Revision sessions for GCSE will start after the Christmas
break. Please ask your English teacher for details.
Film Club
I have been a member of the Film Club since I started at Aston
Academy. I joined because I was intrigued by the concept of
watching films with my friends. Every Wednesday, after school,
we get together and watch films. We can request movies we like,
bring in films to share or Ms Scott will bring them in if ideas are
scarce.
This year, we have decided to watch classics and series of films by
celebrated directors such as Tim Burton, George Lucas and Steven
Spielberg. So far, we have focused on Tim Burton and watched his
films, ‘The Corpse Bride’ and ‘Coraline’.
My favourite film we have watched over the past three years has
been ‘The Bridge to Terabithia’. It is a film full of fantasy and
imagination; a heart-warming tale of friendship and loss. I highly
recommend it.
The club is free and there are refreshments. All you need to do is
get a permission letter from the English faculty. So come and join
us – there are beanbags too!
Ben Nuttall - Y10
Upcoming Events
We are taking students from across the range of year
groups to the Sheffield Theatres production of ‘Oliver’ on
5 December. In January, we will also be taking students
in Y10, Y11 and Post 16 to a production of ‘A Midsummer
Night’s Dream’ to help with GCSE Literature Controlled
Assessment and A level Drama.
Modern Foreign Language Faculty
Merry Christmas from around the
world…
Here is a bit of trivia this term. Can you guess
which language this is?
a. Joyeux Noël
b. Frohe Weihnacht
c. Feliz Navidad
d. Nadolig Llawen
e. Wesołych Świąt
f. Boas Festas
g. Buon Natale
h. С Рождеством Христовым!
i. Mele Kalikimaka
Here are some amusing facts
about Christmas around the
world:
In Germany, on the 5th December, children leave a
shoe outside and find presents in their shoe if they
have been good or a rod if they have been bad.
In France, people celebrate the 3 kings by eating
a “galette” in which a token is hidden. Whoever
finds the token becomes “king for the year”.
On Australian beaches, it is common for Father
Christmas to deliver presents on a surfboard!
Answers can be found on the back page
Maths Faculty
UKMT Senior Maths Challenge
This term 25 students sat the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge.
This is a National Maths Competition aimed at Post 16 students
and lasts for 1 hour and 30 minutes. The challenge consists of 25
multiple choice questions which are designed to make students
think about the mathematical skills they will need to use.
UKMT Senior Team Challenge
A team of 4 Post 16 students, two Y12’s and two Y13’s, went to All
Saints Catholic High School to take part in the UKMT Senior Maths
Challenge. The challenge consisted of three rounds; the team
challenge where students had to use a variety of mathematical
skills to answer 10 questions as a team, the cross number round
which required students to work in pairs and then combine their
answers to solve a cross number, and the Maths relay made up
the final round. The team worked well together and improved on
10
the score last year.
During the summer holidays I was invited to attend a week long
Maths Summer School in Oxford for ranking highly in the UKMT
Maths Challenge and subsequent round. It involved staying for a
week in Balliol College and attending four 1½ hour interactive
lectures a day on interesting university
level mathematics, including subjects such
as combinatorics (a specialised branch of
Mathematics) and networks.
In the evenings there were also Maths
related activities, such as a DVD on proving
Fermat’s last theorem and a Maths related
quiz. However, it was not all maths; I made
lots of new friends and learnt a lot about
university life.
By Daniel Reynolds – Y12
House update
House Captains Trip to Aston Hall
House Key Ring Design Challenge
On Monday 18th November, our House Captains went on a trip
up to Aston Hall Hotel. The idea of the trip was to establish a link
between the Academy and the hotel, in the hopes of promoting
good community relationships. Our Houses are named after
families that lived at Aston Hall and so it was key for them to see
the importance of the Hall. The hotel manager, Raquel Silva, gave
the students a tour of the hotel and the historic ‘Aston Hall’ house.
The students had their photograph taken by two local newspapers
and the story was printed. They then had a talk from a local
historian, Ann Key, who spoke about the families of Aston Hall
over the years. The aim of this was that over the next few weeks,
students back at school in Y7, 8 & 9 took part in a competition
to produce an information booklet for the hotel, detailing the
history of the families and the house. Students competed in
groups within their Houses. The winning booklet will be printed
and made available within the hotel’s reception for their guests.
Over 400 students took part in the competition to design a
House reward key ring. The winners from each year group will
use software to input their design and use the laser cutter in the
Design & Technology faculty to produce the key rings for their
House.
The winners are:
Darcy: Leah Hurst, Hollie Chambers & Ryan Stopford
Furnival: Jack Bell, Charlotte Jeffries & Isobel Frost
Melton: Georgia Scott, Logan Pashley & Katie Jacobs
Verelst: Ebony Thornton, Mia Stokes & Lauren Spencer
Y8 & Y9 Football Competition Thursday 28th November (no results at the time of print)
Y9 Christmas themed ‘Bake off’ Competition Wednesday 4th December (no results at the time of print)
Results of the activities so far this term:
Y7 - PE Activity
day – Friday
13th September
1st – Verelst
2nd – Melton
3rd – Furnival
4th – Darcy
Upcoming events
next term
First term’s
House point totals
Y8 Valentine’s themed
‘Bake off’ competition –
Wednesday 12th February
1st - Darcy 1444 points
Y7, Y8 & Y9 Readathon
week – w/c 17th March
3rd - Furnival 1028 points
Y7- Basketball competition –
Friday 22nd November
Boys:
1st – Melton
2nd – Darcy
3rd – Verelst
4th – Furnival
Girls:
1st – Furnival
2nd – Darcy &
Melton
4th – Verelst
2nd -Melton 1153 points
4th - Verelst 826 points
1st Charity fundraising
event – more info to follow!
11
Post 16
Children in Need 2013
For Children in Need 2013, Post 16
students enthusiastically took part in
the annual fancy dress. The costumes, as
always, were amazing and we’re proud to
have raised £732.72 just from first period
alone. A huge thank you has to be given to
the rest of the school, students and staff,
for bringing in spare change in order to
donate to the cause. We hope next year
brings just as much success and fun!
The MacMillan Coffee
Morning
IYSS Careers Adviser –
Rebecca Vickers
The MacMillan Coffee Morning, organised
by the Post 16 Prefect Team, was a huge
success this year. Through huge generosity
from the Aston staff and the Post 16
students, baking buns and purchasing
them at break time, we raised £319.00 for
MacMillan Cancer Relief.
Y11 students are welcome to call in and
ask questions or have a chat about their
future career. The IYSS Careers Adviser
(formerly Connexions Adviser) – Rebecca
welcomes students to her ‘Drop-in’ session
on a Tuesday and Thursday lunchtimes 12.30pm to 1:00pm in the library (small
room). You can contact Rebecca on Tel 0114
287 2171 Ext 312 and her email address is
[email protected]
Rebecca is part of the new Rotherham
Integrated Youth Support Service (IYSS),
which offers a range of support services for
young people across Rotherham.
Amber Cummings (Y13 Prefect)
Approximately 100 students and
members of staff celebrated the end of
our Y13 students’ seven years at Aston
Academy at the annual Leavers Ball on
21st June 2013. It was a lovely way to
say goodbye to our students and wish
them well as they began the next stage
of their lives, whether this be university,
college, apprenticeship or employment.
Y11 Prom
Y11 was over, some of us had left school
for the last time and our time at the top
was at an end. However we had one last
chance to gather together and celebrate
the 5 years that we had spent with each
other. This of course was the class of
2013 prom.
The prom committee had been planning
it for weeks, and a lot of us had our suits
and dresses ready and waiting to be
shown off. Many of us chose to arrive in
style, and as a result we had all sorts of
transportation turning up, from stretch
limos to the mystery machine. It was
‘style’ all round. We hadn’t even entered
the venue and most of us had already
been photographed.
Once we handed our tickets over, the
night began. We had the buffet which
received, let’s say, mixed reviews, but
dessert went down pretty well. Then the
award ceremony began. Mr Curran and
Mrs Norman announced the evening’s
award winners, and the favourite for Prom
King did indeed receive his deserved sash
and crown.
As the night drew on, the DJ clearly knew
what he was doing: Arctic Monkeys, Kings
of Leon and some older dance tunes too.
Then when the hits from Grease came
to an end, the lights were flicked on and
that was it, our Y11 was over. But we had
certainly gone out with a bang.
e. Polish, f. Portuguese, g. Italian,
h. Russian, i, Hawaiian
Aughton Road, Swallownest, Sheffield, S26 4SF
Tel: (0114) 287 2171 Fax: (0114) 287 6359
Email: [email protected]
www.astonacademy.org www.astoncetrust.org
www.thurcroftacademy.org
12
Archie Galbraith Y12
MFL quiz answers: a. French,
b. German, c. Spanish, d. Welsh,
Y13 LEAVERS BALL