Summer Term Newsletter 2016

Transcription

Wellington School
11-18 School
Excellence in Everything
Summer Term Newsletter
May 2016
www.wellington.trafford.sch.uk
INSIDE THIS EDITION:
Welcome
2
Art News
3
Design & Technology News 9
English News
13
Geography News 15
ICT News
15
History News
17
Maths News
18
Music News
18
MFL News
20
School Council
21
PE News
22
REP News
25
Science News
26
STEM News
27
Year 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 29
Sixth Form News 31
Careers News
32
Welcome to the
Summer Term
2016 Newsletter
Year 7 Trafford Netball Champions
Year 7 team - Trafford Basketball Champions
‘Sing with 7s’, Bowdon Festival
Sponsored Walk Day
Vermont and New York Trip, February half term
1
HEADTEACHER News
Welcome to our Summer Term Newsletter
We hope you enjoy reading about many of the activities and events that took
place at Wellington during the Spring Term of 2016.
I’m delighted to have the opportunity
via this termly newsletter to report on
another full and varied term enjoyed by
our students. Along with my weekly blog
on the website and 32 pages of news here,
you will be left in no doubt as to the huge
breadth of experiences we endeavour to
provide, with the aim of helping to produce
young people who ultimately flourish and
find fulfilment as adults. Trips (both local
and further afield), workshops, theatre
group visits to School, myriad sporting
opportunities, a memorable Sponsored
Walk (this year for Teenage Cancer Trust
– a record amount raised as you can read
later in this newsletter), careers events,
Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, the
ENABLE Project and appointment of antibullying ambassadors and exciting STEM
activities, all alongside a term of Parents’
Evenings, offer just a flavour of life here at
Wellington and you can ‘read all about it’
in the Newsletter. Suffice to say, I am, as
always, grateful to my unparalleled and
dedicated staff and the support of you, our
parents. Our pupils are always so grateful
for the opportunities we provide and it is
wonderful to see them develop in such
a stimulating environment. So, I hope
you enjoy this term’s Newsletter, a true
illustration, in my humble opinion, of that
personal development and the vibrancy of
the Wellington community of which I speak.
A summary of Spring Term staffing news.
We were joined in February by Mrs Baxter,
Examinations Officer, replacing Mr Wood
who retired with our very best wishes
after 9 years of service. Miss O’Malley
re-joined the Art Department as cover for
Mrs Willingham’s maternity leave. Miss
Edmonds joined the support staff as
Teacher Support Assistant and Mr Edmonds
2
(no relation!) has joined us from Easter as
Second in Music. One or two others will be
leaving us at the end of Summer Term and
we have been busy recruiting to fill their
posts. This term has also seen the arrival
of some new ‘Wellington babies’. Welcome
to Xavier Ray Ramsumair, Serge Walter
Campbell, Harriet Lillian Willingham and
Isabella Emily Stephens. Congratulations
to all the new mums (and dads) and we
look forward to visits from you all soon.
The Sponsored Walk took place on Friday
26th February on a bright, dry day. We
were delighted to welcome Anthony Crolla,
WBA Lightweight
champion, and
fundraisers
Vanessa and
Sabina from
Teenage Cancer Trust to School to send
the students on their way. Students and
staff have totally embraced this year’s
charity and at the time of writing we
have hit £39,000 for the first time ever.
What a phenomenal achievement by the
Wellington community. I’m delighted to be
able to add a further £2,000+ to this as a
result of generous friends, colleagues and
family who kindly sponsored me to throw
myself out of a plane on Saturday 23rd
April from 15,000 ft.
A truly memorable and exhilarating
experience – just glad I could do my bit
for this wonderful cause. So, we will be
presenting a cheque to Teenage Cancer
Trust for approximately £41,000 at
Awards Evening at the
Bridgewater Hall on 27th
September, more details
about that event will be
sent home later this term.
We are already speeding headlong through
another busy term with Sports Day, Sports
Award Dinner, Open Morning, New Pupil
Day, meetings for parents of new pupils,
primary school visits, sports fixtures,
reward trips, internal exams, report
writing and of course GCSEs and AS / A
Level examinations, all upon us or rapidly
approaching. A lot of hard but rewarding
work ahead for all of us and very best
wishes to all our students undertaking
examinations. Anyway, that’s quite enough from me. Enjoy the Newsletter, keep up to date via
the website, don’t hesitate to contact the
School to discuss any matters and, above
all, have a great Summer Term.
S P Beeley
Headteacher
ART News
Primary
Sculpture time!
Well Green Primary visited
the Art department and
created a number of
different works.
Well Green
Primary Arts
Week
Year 5 pupils from Well
Green Primary school
visited Mrs Kearney for part of their Arts week.
Pupils were able to learn about the sculptor, Nikki De Saint
Phalle before working in groups to create these
large Nanas in mosaic
style paper collage. Lots
of pupils told me they
were hoping to come
to Wellington next year
which I was very excited
to hear as the class were
bursting with creativity.
Good work Well Green!
Mrs Kearney
One group completed studies of famous
sculptures and monuments including the
Sphinx, Statue of Liberty and my own personal
favourite, Picasso’s goat! (Seriously worth a
look!)
The pieces were all presented as the Angel of the
North, you can see the work here along with a
couple of Wellington’s very own Art Angels!
Another group created Giacometti style sculptures
of figures. The groups worked using a wire frame
then built up the form with tin foil. They were super
enthusiastic and the poses of the figures were
something to rival Saturday Night Fever (ask your
parents … or grandparents!) I know Well Green were
delighted to have such lovely pieces for display.
Miss Grey
Year 7
Amazing
Acrobats
Believe in your selfie!
Year 7 worked hard to
complete their pop-tastic
self-portraits!
Check out the
outstanding
pattern work on
these high flying
paintings!
Lots of skills went into these
brilliant pop art portraits, inspired
by Julian Opie, Andy Warhol and Roy
Lichtenstein.
I could not be more
impressed with
these acrobats by
7.1b and 7.2b, the level of
patience put in to achieve
accurately drawn shapes
was incredible. I’m looking
forward to having these
pieces of art flying around
Room 14 this summer.
Well done Year 7!
Mrs Kearney and Miss O’Malley
Miss O’Malley
Roll Up, Roll Up!
The circus has taken over Year 7
7.4b and 7.5a
have been
practising their
mixed media
skills to create
their circus
posters. There
was plenty of clowning around in
lessons too!
Miss O’Malley
May 2016
3
ART News
Year 8
Hundertwasser Houses
Cultural Hands
homework
Colour, pattern and even a hidden
face or two… what more could you
want from a painting?
To conclude the
Year 8 homework
booklets, all pupils
were asked to
complete a project
based on the
culture they were
studying.
Who knew that drawing without rulers
was going to be such a challenge?!
Well in true Hundertwasser style, 8.3a
accomplished it! I’m over the moon with
these paintings, well done everyone!
Miss O’Malley
Pupils were asked
to decorate their
hands with patterns
and art from their
culture. All pupils
worked very hard
and ‘handed’ in some
excellent pieces of
work.
Lovely Landscapes
8.1a have been taking inspiration from David Hockney and the
English countryside to produce their brilliant paintings
Here are some of my
favourites!
Well done Year 8, a great effort!
It’s a hard task being asked to draw and paint a landscape from scratch but 8.1a
have nailed it this term with these stunning paintings. In addition to landscapes,
the aim of this project was to build their confidence with colour mixing and I
think they have got it spot on. I could not be more proud of this bunch! Well done
everyone.
Miss O’Malley
Mrs Kearney
Japanese parasols
Konnichiwa! Check out this Stunning
group work from Year 8
Year 8
have taken
inspiration
from
Japanese
designs
to create
sections for
the parasols;
I can’t wait
to have
these up
on display,
brightening
the room!
Miss
O’Malley
Creative Landscapes
Some Year 8 students have been
learning about the work of Ton
Schulten.
All students completed some sketchbook
experimentation with tissue paper collage,
paint and pastel before completing these
fantastic landscape studies in oil pastel.
They are so colourful and make for a
wonderful display in Room 12.
Well done Year 8.
Mrs Kearney
4
ART News
Year 9
Robot Wars
Charming Charcoal
How fantastic are these?
Year 9 pupils put their
mathematical hats on and
created these measured
symmetrical drawings before
completing them using
charcoal. The detail and
application of tone has been
well planned and all Robots
show 3D qualities.
Well done Year 9, Great
work!
Mrs Kearney
Creating Waves
Some year 9 students have
been busy designing and
producing these quirky Robot
lino prints.
Students worked hard to ensure that
the proportion of their bodies was
correct, the symmetry was accurate
and lots of vital detail was added,
such as buttons and dials.
Of course, all the Robots were
given names. ‘Roberto’ proved very
popular amongst the group. I think
a few crafty
shops around
Manchester
would have
no problem
selling these
designs on
gift cards!
Well done
everyone.
Lots of exciting work from 9.1 this term!
They have been working in groups to create work with
text and objects in their sealife pieces. Now I like a
pun as you know
and they came
up with a few
belters!
They also
created some
beautiful fish in clay; I’ve never seen
them so quiet, completely engrossed
in the technique and in decorating. Well done on some lovely work.
Miss Grey
Bah–rilliant Pen
studies
Starting off our farm themed
project, 9.3, 9.4 and 9.7 looked
at Henry Moore’s drawings
Everyone tried their hardest on these
tough studies and should be proud of
their results. The students practised mark
making to show texture and shapes. Keep
up the focused work Year 9!
Miss O’Malley
Mrs Kearney
Mixed
Media
Paintings
Continuing with
the farm theme,
9.3, 9.4 and 9.7
have studied the
work of the artist
Cori Dantini
The groups all
worked hard
on getting
their drawings
just right and
the results are
excellent. I’m not
the only one who
thinks so either
… when the work
was posted to
our Instagram
page, Cori
Dantini
showed her
appreciation
too! Great
work guys!
Miss
O’Malley
May 2016
5
ART News
Year 10
Animal
Kingdom
10c rounded
off their
Feather, Fur,
Fin project
with some excellent final pieces
Well done to the Year 10
girls on their creative
final pieces, there are
clear links to the artists
and some outstanding
skills on show! Keep
up the good work in
project 2.
Power of 10
Year 10 artists are exploring a
range of themes in their new
projects.
The planning and the drawing is really
coming on. Their skills in art formal
elements are really being pushed to
enhance observational qualities as well as
exploring new techniques.
Keep up that focus and determination!
Miss Grey
Miss O’Malley
Year 10
Project 2
There’s a lot
going on in 10c
at the moment!
The girls are all
working hard on
their second GCSE
project; they were
able to choose from some broad themes
and have produced some exciting studies.
There is a lot of creativity taking place as
everyone is becoming more confident in
their abilities – well done girls!
Miss O’Malley
Year 10 final
pieces
I promised in the last
newsletter that I would give you an update on
how our Year 10 final pieces turned out!
Each pupil worked very hard and applied lots of detail to
their final pieces. In my opinion, they are the best Year 10
final pieces yet! Well done!
Mrs Kearney
6
ART News
Year 11
Well
heeled!
I’m delighted with the
progress of our Year 11’s.
Each and every pupil is
working their socks off in
preparation for their GCSE exam. Miss Grey has even
promised a Dominos delivery before the end of term as a reward.
These are some photographs of their preparation sheets. Look
out in the next newsletter to see their final pieces. I can’t wait to
see their outcomes!
Well done. Mrs Kearney
Year 11 have come a long
way during the course
and I wish I could include
every picture of their
work which I’ve taken
this term (but that would be a
whole new newsletter!)
Everyone has put 100% effort into their
projects and I am super proud of them!
Well done Year 11.
Miss O’Malley
This GCSE
exam prep
by Kate
in Year
11 shows
a broad range of drawing
techniques and styles,
including handmade paper
versions. The mixed media work being produced
is beautiful and is giving Jimmy
Choo a
run for his
money!
‘Shoe’ erly
some of
the nicest
studies you
have seen!?
Miss Grey
Year 13
Body Beautiful
Portrait perfection
Exploring the theme of
power, Eboni in Year 13
is producing some really
exciting preparatory
work that shows a broad
range of materials used to
reflect the components that
make and power the body,
including prints of her own
body.
Amber Grundy in Year 13
has continued the theme
of portraiture in her
examination preparatory
work, following the
success of her portraiture
in her coursework. This work explores distortion and
contortion. Amber has contorted
the face with tape and by pressing
the face against windows before
photographing it to work from.
I was particularly impressed with
the experimental piece of the
torso, which includes paint, tissue
collage, modroc and wire to create
the 3D study.
Really looking forward to
seeing how the exam work
develops. Good luck Eboni!
Miss Grey
After using her sister as her muse and
model in her
coursework,
its Amber’s
little brother
who is star
of the show
in the latest
studies. He really is very understanding
and kind to allow his head to be
sellotaped and photographed!!
Great work Amber, well done!
Miss Grey
May 2016
7
ART News
Lowry Exhibition
The annual Schools Competition
run by Cheshire Life magazine saw
several of our students have the
honour of
exhibiting
their work
at the
Lowry,
Salford
Quays.
Selected to
represent
the school
was Ella
Spencer in
Year 7 and her
Lichtenstein
style portrait,
Abreanne
Fernandez in
Year 11 with
a whimsical
Teesha
Moore style
multimedia
piece with
a seaside
theme, and
Amber Grundy
from Year 13
was entered
with her
expressive
portrait
triptych with
reference to artist Francis Bacon.
The work looked wonderful and although
no winners this time, it was lovely to see the
students there with their families and share in
their pride.
Miss Grey
Pizza Night
The Department ran an evening
session from 4pm – 6.30pm back
in March so the students from Year
11, 12 and 13 could be prepared for
their up and coming examination.
To tempt them and help them keep their
strength up we organised a pizza delivery - well it was a good job the man from
dominos had a van, because that was
some pile of pizza we got!
It fuelled the students for the second
half of the session and even Mr Beeley
managed a slice (or 2!)
Easter school sessions were also
provided in the department again
allowing the students to be able to
complete valuable preparatory studies.
Miss Grey
Instagram
I encourage you take a regular
look at our instagram page, @
wellingtonschool_artdepartment .
We now have over 1600 posts of amazing
work from all year groups. As Head of
department I have to pay tribute to my
team who plan, prepare and organise
such amazing opportunities, outcomes,
themes and techniques that allow the students to create
such beautiful work and make the progress they do. But
the talent of our pupils makes this site a real treasure to
celebrate their achievement, success, ideas and progress.
Very excitingly a number of established artists and designers
have started following us and have even liked some of our
posts which is fabulous and well deserved recognition!
Have a look and get ‘liking!’
Miss Grey #teamart
Independence and Support
If you haven’t looked at our Pinterest page, I would
highly recommend it!
Not only is there lots of imagery to inspire and support topics,
but we have been developing exemplar for homework in Key
stage 3. Homework extends class tasks but also develops
independence and resilience. Some of our topic work now
has examples and the standards expected. We know it can sometimes be difficult
for students to set a standard independently, but against this visual they can make
decisions on how to build upon their work and make improvements to reflect their
ability.
We hope to build on this further as a resource and help students become more
independent and raise their own expectations of their outcomes. Please take a look
and encourage your sons and daughters to use this resource where appropriate.
Miss Grey
8
DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY News
KS3
Year 8 Cross Curricular Project
- Year 8 Hindu Bag project
This year in Textiles we are working with the
REP department to develop a cross curricular
project based on Hinduism. Year 8 students are linking the work taught in their REP
lessons to develop designs based on the Hindu festival
of Diwali. Students have learnt how to create a number of
decorative techniques such as dip dye, tie dye, and
block print and stencilling. They have been very
creative with the theme and designed their own Rangoli
patterns.
The bags created are a wealth of colour and very
creative.
Fantastic job Year 8!
Miss Hudson
Year 7 & their amazing animals
Year 7 students have created
a range of ‘amazing animal’
cushions by designing and
making cushions suitable for
young children aged 3 and
under. These decorative cushions were produced using a range of hand and machine
embroidery and appliqué.
I’m sure you will agree the cushions look fabulous. Well done to all those
pupils involved.
Miss Hudson
Year 9 Go Novelty Hat Crazy
Year 9 students have created a range of
‘novelty’ ski hat designs aimed at young people
aged 11- 18 years old.
Students chose their own themes such as fantasy animals,
food types, seasonal wear and many more…
The hats have been created using a number of decorative
techniques such as hand and machine embroidery and
appliqué.
I’m sure you will agree the ‘hats’ are extremely original
and would not be out of place on any ski slope or at any
fancy dress party.
Well done to all those pupils involved.
Miss Hudson
Year 8 Product
Design Novelty Clock
Project
Year 8 students studying
Product Design have been
designing and making a range
of ‘novelty’ clock designs based upon a theme of their
choice. Students have developed a range of practical
and design processes to create their designs.
Courtney Disley in 8Y explains:
“For the last nine weeks I have been studying Product Design and I
have made a novelty clock based on the children’s character ‘Winnie
the Pooh’ this is because it was for young children up to the age of
8 years old.
I used a number of different materials such as MDF, Acrylic and felt
and I also used different tools and equipment to make my clock. I used a coping saw to cut out the
shape of the clock; I used a belt sander and sand paper to smooth the edges. To create the number
sections I used a pillar drill, I used emulsion to paint Winnie the Pooh on the MDF and inserted a
clock mechanism. I also made a stand using a machine called a line bender which allowed me to
heat the acrylic so I could bend it into shape.”
Year 7 Product
Design - Boats
Another term, another
round of wonderful Year 7
boat submissions! Some of the more ambitious
students have even been trying
out the new equipment, for
example the line bender to add
a translucent plastic window.
There has also been a focus on
using masking tape to gain a
more precise overall finish.
Looking good Year 7!
Miss Carter
Year 8, the outcomes demonstrate the skills you have developed - a great job, well done!
Mrs Booth
May 2016
9
KS3
KS3 Food Technology
As the end of another rotation approaches, Key Stage 3 pupils
are putting the finishing touches to their final designs.
In Years 7 and 8, pupils are involved in group work with the aim of developing either a
healthy packed lunch or Mediterranean meal. Each pupil will be designing and making an
individual dish which will complement the rest of the team’s designs.
Year 9 have been working hard planning “Budget Main Meals” which are filling and
nutritious. I’m really excited to see the end results.
If the final products are made half as well as the variety of dishes already produced, then
I’m sure each and every Food Technology pupil will pass their final assessment with flying
colours.
Well done. Mrs Ryan
GCSE
Year 11
GCSE
Textile
Technology
Year 11
students have
designed and
manufactured
textile products
that reflect a
specific brief,
that all have
a particular
function.
They could choose
from ‘A Costume for the
West End’ & ‘A Children’s
Toy’. The students have
identified a target audience
and client to ensure all
textile products have been
developed to meet their
needs.
The costumes have been
designed for ballets and musicals mainly, such
as Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, Coppélia
& Narnia. The toys include interactive play
mats, animals & educational cubes.
The students have worked extremely hard
and have shown real dedication resulting
in fabulous work completed to a very high
commercial standard. All of the textile
products have shown high levels of skill and creativity.
Year 10 GCSE Textiles
Technology
GCSE
Textiles
Technology
students
have been
working
extremely
hard on
their GCSE
Controlled
Assessment;
they have
selected
to design
a fashion
garment
inspired by
a different
culture of
the world or a
unique child’s
toy. Students have
completed
comprehensive
research and
produced some
outstanding designs
which are highly original yet functional for a specific
need or purpose. I look forward to seeing how the students develop and
test their ideas though experimentation samples.
You should be as proud of yourselves as I am Year 11, well done.
Keep up the hard work as we head towards Year 11!
Miss Hudson
Mrs Booth
10 Summer Term Newsletter
GCSE
Year 11 Food Technology
On Thursday 25th February, Leon Shorrock,
the School’s Catering Manager from
Chartwell’s, attended a Year 11 practical
lesson where he was on hand to advise
on a number of practical skills as well as
presentation skills.
The pupils were impressed with the simple yet
effective tricks that can be used to make a dish more
appealing.
GCSE Food Technology – Year 10
The Year 10 Food Technology class have been working hard
improving their practical skills for the GCSE controlled assessment
which is worth 60% of their final grade.
The group have been working well and I have been impressed by the enthusiasm
and commitment shown by every single pupil.
The products produced so far this year definitely highlight the high standard of
practical skills and I am certain the exam board will agree with me when they see
the final dishes.
I am looking forward to some excellent portfolios in Year 11 and can’t wait to see
what future delights will be produced in practical sessions.
Mrs Ryan
The class were making the final products for their
GCSE controlled assessment. The dishes produced
looked fantastic and hopefully they tasted as good
as they looked.
Thanks Leon for giving up
your time to advise the
group and teach them a
variety of catering skills,
we look forward to doing
more work with you in the
future.
Mrs Ryan
Year 11 – Nutritionist Visit
On Monday 25th April the Year 11 GCSE class worked with visiting
nutritionist, Clare Hedderman from catering company Chartwell’s.
Clare helped the pupils with revising the nutrition aspect of the GCSE written
examination which they will be sitting on June 6th.
Pupils took notes and participated in a question and answer session – in fact
Clare was very impressed with the level of knowledge displayed by the group.
Well done Year 11 – I hope you
continue putting lots of effort into
your revision. Special thanks to Clare
who gave up her time to visit the
group and who made the nutrition
work interesting and informative.
Mrs Ryan
Year 11 GCSE Product Design
Year 11 Product Design students have designed and manufactured products that reflect a specific theme or
function inspired by a chosen design movement.
The students identified their target audience and client to ensure the products they developed met a specific need; these products ranged
from lights, clocks, docking stations and storage units.
The students have worked extremely hard and have shown real dedication and commitment and the results are outstanding! The products
have been made to an exceptional standard which demonstrate high levels of skill, originality and creativity.
Both Miss Carter and I are proud of your efforts - well done Year 11!
Mrs Booth
May 2016
11
GCSE
Year 11 GCSE Graphics
Congratulations to the current Year 11
Graphic Products students who have
successfully produced a range of high
quality 3D outcomes. All of the projects photographed are completely
original. There has been no copying /pasting of
clipart images from the internet and the 3D nets have
been designed entirely by the students. Images have
been drawn using the software package Serif Draw
and several elements of a number of projects have
been cut out using our new laser cutter for added precision.
I’m sure you will be impressed with the level of quality achieved!
Mr Travis
A Level
Year 12 A Level
Product Design
Product
Design Trip
This term our Product Design
Year 12 students have been
hard at work completing their
practical submission.
On Tuesday 5th
January, 14 Sixth
Form Product Design
students went to
the Manchester
Metropolitan Special
Collections Unit.
The brief asked the students to
complete a light and storage unit
influenced by the
Bauhaus design
movement. The
standard of work
produced is
excellent and the
students have
used both the new
laser cutter and
3D printer to great
effect.
The Unit currently
has an exhibition
about architecture in
Manchester throughout
the ages, including some
sketches from Piranesi,
images of modern buildings belonging to the university
and related objects. We also requested a number of more
specific objects from the University’s private collection
for the students to see. These ranged from a Bakelite
lamp and Bauhaus posters to laser cut contemporary
lightshades, giving students the chance to consider form,
function and context.
Miss Carter
Pupils were invited to photograph, sketch, handle and
discuss the objects as well as learn a little more about
the Manchester Metropolitan Library as a whole. Sixth
Form students are currently creating either lights inspired
by The Bauhaus movement or storage inspired by
Postmodernism. The curriculum also asks for students to
understand the historical context of these movements so
this trip was key to building a more rounded knowledge
of how these design movements came about. Students
were able to use geometric
shapes from images of the
Alhambra to consider new
lighting designs as well as
redesigning pieces of Onyx
from 5 BC into desk lamps. A
very worthwhile visit.
A Level Textiles
It has been a pleasure to see
how much the Year 12 & 13
students have continued to
develop their creativity and
this year the students have
definitely produced some
of the most original ideas,
clearly demonstrating their
dedication and passion for
the subject. Well done.
Mrs Booth & Miss Hudson
Miss Carter and Mr Travis
Descriptive Writing
10.5 took part in an Apprentice style descriptive writing task over 4
lessons.
Based on the extraordinary documentary, ‘Touching the Void’, students were required
to complete 3 tasks: a 3d visual of a moment from the documentary, a 250 word
piece of description based on their 3d visual interpretation and a 250 word character
description for either Simon or Joe during their experience of descending the mountain.
Students worked incredibly hard on this mini-project, producing some of the best
descriptive work I have ever read from a Year 10 class. Some examples include:
• ‘Elongated clouds as plump as a baker’s bun, glided across the baby blue sky like
geese migrating to the south’
• ‘I was a monster to make a choice as mortifying as this’
• ‘I can feel the coldness murdering me from the inside’
• ‘The peak had its own story’
• ‘I lay there as still as a corpse staring at the dark and gloomy crevasse’
• ‘The snow’s idle and indecisive movements swerved and charged into nothing,
creating a dull and almost opaque atmosphere.’
As you can see, students used lots of imaginative and complex vocabulary, alongside
excellent imagery, to
create work which
showed flair, ambition
and creativity. The 3d
element of the project
also enabled students to
visualise the scene and
show-off their artistic
talents!
Mrs McDonnell
Visit to the John Rylands Library
In March, a group of Year 12 and 13 English
students visited the John Rylands Library in
Manchester to take part in a workshop about
change within the English language.
We were given a talk on the development of the language,
from 1066 to the present day, and shown examples of
this change in action from the library’s collection, which
included manuscripts over 500 years
old.
We were also given a tour of the
library and everyone was impressed
at the architecture and interior of
the building (the exterior’s pretty
impressive too). Well worth a visit when you’re in Manchester;
one of the Year 12 students remarked how being at the library was
almost like being at Hogwarts – praise indeed! (Thanks to Rachel
Whyte for the photos of the library).
Mr Williams
Cinema Visits
Miss Hitchens and Mr Hay took members of ‘Book into
Film’ club and the participants of ‘The Cube’ intervention
to see ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part Two’ at the
cinema in December.
The pupils had loads to talk about at club during the proceeding half term as we
discussed the novel further! Meanwhile, Miss Hitchens, Miss Spencer, Mr Hay and Mrs
Mildenstein ventured out again to see ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ with the Year 11
Media Studies cohort. The exam topic is ‘Sci-Fi Films’ and given the impressive efforts of
the cohort this year the trip provided a suitable treat too.
Miss Hitchens
ENGLISH News
Mary Poppins
Theatre Trip
Miss Simpson, Mrs Mildenstein,
Mr Hay, myself and 50 Year 7s all
had a ‘supercalifraglistic’ time at
‘Mary Poppins’ in February at the
Palace Theatre. The performance
was wonderful; the pupils were
completely – not just practically
– perfect and I even purchased a
parrot head umbrella too!
We also ran a competition to win a Bert
Bear for the best newsletter articles; Well
done to the winners Grace Cottrill, Madeline
Rogerson and Amy Harrison. Here are a
couple of excerpts from their articles:
“As we got to the theatre I couldn’t wait to
see the play. When we were queuing up it
was busy and noisy with all the excitement.
The lights and the sounds were magical; it
was so exciting. In the interval, some of us
bought some lovely ice cream. During the
play, the characters went to a conversation
shop and they saw a lady feeding the birds
who taught them family values – just like
Mary Poppins. At the end Mary Poppins
flew up into the sky, right into the crowd. Thank you to Miss Hitchens, Mrs Simpson,
Mrs Mildenstein and Mr Hay for taking us.” Madeline Rogerson (7ESD)
“The Mary Poppins trip was really fun! We
all sat in rows of seats with a great view
of the stage. All the actors were really
good at playing their parts. We also got
the opportunity to buy binoculars for £1
for an even better view! I think the Mary
Poppins trip was really fun because we got
to experience what it’s really like to be in
a theatre and see how spectacular all the
actors are in the way they play their roles.” Amy Harrison (7MLE)
Miss Hitchens
BBC SCHOOL REPORT
Miss Hitchens and Miss Spencer were in
charge of meeting this year’s News Day
deadline in March for the BBC and the Year
8 team worked tirelessly hard to produce
some amazing content for our dedicated
School Report page. Please visit the page
at: http://www.wellington.trafford.sch.uk/
bbc-school-news-report/41110.html
Thank you to all
involved and well
done for meeting
the deadline.
Miss Hitchens
and Miss
Spencer
May 2016 13
ENGLISH News
I Love English Badges
Year 12: Language and Literature
Look out for the new “I Love
English” badges on blazer
lapels!
Our Year 12 Language and Literature students
are analysing a range of fascinating texts which
centre around the topic of Paris.
They are awarded each month to the
pupils who have the top ten most
Behaviour Watch points in English,
and to pupils who have produced work
that has been displayed on the “I Love
English” corridor display board. Work
is displayed on this board when class
teachers feel it is of excellent quality, or
if it represents
a considerable
investment in
effort.
Well done to
all pupils who
have received
a badge so
far.
Mrs Collinge
One of the pieces within their anthology contains a recipe
by the chef David Lebovitz, an American in Paris, for
‘Chocolate Mole’. To better understand the experience
of an American adapting his native menu for a Parisian
palette, Sarah Willington, Emma Whitehead and Holly
Minshull prepared a quart of the stuff… with mixed
results.
Lebovitz asked: ‘How can you not love mole?’ Well, we
didn’t. The unsweetened chocolate seemed to pair oddly
with poblano chillies, garlic and tomatoes. Parisians may ‘seem to love anything that
has chocolate in it’ but I’m not sure even the chefs themselves would share this view. The
class seemed surprisingly delighted by the prospect of putting the ‘Mole au Chocolat’ to one
side and concentrating upon some proper linguistic analysis. I wonder why…
Despite my reluctance to tuck heartily into a second slurp of the sticky, brown, FrenchMexican cuisine, I was impressed by the girls’ commitment. Such dedication is surely a good
sign with examinations looming ever nearer!
Très bien! Miss Spencer
GEOGRAPHY News
Shropshire Field Trip
During the last week of the spring
term, we took 44 Year 10 students to a
lovely part of Shropshire.
They packed their bags (some of them packed
enough for a month, let alone 2 days) and
headed south, with a short stop at Burger
King and the last of the 4G (much to the
students dismay). While staying in a ‘haunted’
manor house the students took part in a range
of activities to enhance their GCSE course (and
the famous Geography Quiz!) The students
walked for miles and despite the rain, there
was no complaining, even when our map
reading skills were not perfect. We woke up on
Wednesday and travelled to Carding Mill Valley,
where students got into the fieldtrip spirit and
measured the river at a variety of different points. The students used a wide
range of equipment from ranging poles to clinometers and were very sensible
when both in the river and climbing up to the source. Some of them even
climbed in to a waterfall!! Thankfully the weather was the best it’s ever been and
despite a few short showers, most of us had our sunglasses on for the entire
trip! On Thursday we were very lucky to be taken on a tour of the local farm and
look at calves and hold lambs that were less than a week old. The students left
tired, but definitely not hungry, and incredibly sad to be leaving, despite the lack
of mobile phone signal – anywhere! I am sure the activities completed will add
to the students understanding of rivers and prepare them for their GCSE exam!
I want to say a massive well done to all of the Year 10 students we took – you
were fantastic and we couldn’t fault your attitude or your behaviour at any
point on the trip. I was very proud to be your teacher and hear all the positive
feedback from the people we worked with.
Miss English
Geographer of the Month
Well done to all of our geographers of
the month this term. Your efforts are
recognised and rewarded! Keep up the
good work into the summer term.
January 2016 – Rianna Legg (Year 9) for 100% effort
in homework and classwork. Nominated by Miss
English
February 2016 – Caitlin Halfpenny (Year 9) for
consistently hard work in both class work and home
work. Nominated by Miss Barsoum.
March 2016 – Rebekah Court (Year 8) for excellent
verbal contribution in class. Nominated by Mr Holt.
Well done to all!
Mrs Kenny
GEOGRAPHY News
Geography Year 12 AS and A Level Groups Combined
This term, Year 12 Geography students embarked on their residential trip to the Lake District.
We stayed four days at the Blencathra FSC centre near Keswick. You may recall that
the mountain was for sale last year for £1.7 Million, as seen on Country File. We had a
successful trip despite the rain and snow!
The days involved walking and wading in rivers and then analysing the data through
hypothesis testing and analysis. We also studied glacial features and sediment in
Easdale near Grasmere, despite having to take a huge detour due to the A591 road
closure caused by the December floods. We also experienced the aftermath in local
villages and towns of the disastrous floods caused by storm Desmond on the 5th
December. We saw the effects on Keswick and Glenridding and the responses taking
place by building and insurance companies. The students were really shocked by
the destruction that was caused. The students completed a fieldwork study for the
examination in June and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. The food and accommodation
was amazing and the mini bus definitely felt heavier on the drive home. A big thank
you to all the students who behaved impeccably, this was noticed by the centre staff
who also thanked them. Mr Whitaker Spring Term Stickers and rewards
As a department, each term we award stickers for excellent pieces of class work
and homework to Key Stage 3 students who have shown real effort and progress
in Geography. The following students from each class have earned the highest
number of stickers and have received a prize. Well done to all and keep up the
good work!
Spring Term Praise postcards
Each half term we send out praise postcards as
a department to Key Stage 3 students who have
shown real effort and progress in Geography. The
following students have been chosen.
Mrs Kenny
7.1A Malaika Ali and
Eleanor LloydWilliams
7.2A Cameron Davenport
and Kate Maxim
7.3A Ellie Budenberg and
Ashley Dawber
8.1B Rachael Eckersley
and Elizabeth
Brouard
8.2A Caitlin Maguire and
Thomas Addison
8.4B Isaac Scanlon and
Gabrielle Dale
9.3 Sumayya Awan and
Mina Faisal
Mr Whitaker
7.5B Lauren Hodcroft and
Luke Waugh
8.2B Fraser Birchall and
Aimee Linney
8.5A Rhiannon Mcmahon
and Ben Beech
9.6 Jake Riddell and
Connie Taylor
9.1 Arnese Thaqi and
Layton Mathieson
9.9 Thanison (Thiep)
Pothong and
Bradley Malakouti
Miss Barsoum
7.1B Rory Jones and
Annabel Wright
7.3B Callum Macdonald
and Melanie Dook
7.4A Deepshika Srikanth
and Ben Wakefield
8.1A Finlay Nugent and
Fariha Agha
8.3B Aadam Ashraf and
Charlotte Cosh
Miss English
7.2B Awena Owen, Will
Parums
7.4B Amber Kelly, EvaJean Quested-Leech
7.5A Ellisha Ascott,
Jessica Gethins
9.0 Elliot Jones, Megan
Wardle
9.4 Bronte Ward, Oscar
Clarke
9.7 Laura Rundle,
Caithan StreetLarkin
Mr Holt
8.3A Rebekah Court,
Emma Tanner,
Patrick Waters and
Oskar Szejmo
8.4A Amelia Atack, Libby
Mulcahy and Dylan
Jones
8.5B Chantel Tshuma and
Callum Byrne
Huge congratulations to
everybody for their hard
work and excellent effort
this term. Keep it up!!
Mrs Kenny
Mrs Kenny
7.1A Eleanor Lloyd
Williams
Armeen Shehzad
Mia Liddell
Adil Mohammed
7.2A Ethan Stewart
Katie McCorquodale
Lucy Kilvert
7.3A Andrew Foden
Ashley Dawber
Nicole Page
8.1B Emily Read
Rachel Eckersley
Elizabeth Brouard
8.2A Isabelle Leslie
Caitlin Maguire
Anna Bugg
8.4B Hollie Adamson
Sinead Leech
Imogen Walker
9.3 Shannon Heywood
Oliver Donnelly
Sumayya Awan
Mr Whitaker
7.5a Madeline Rogerson
Matthew Memory
Mollie–Jo Rotherforth
8.2B Aimee Linney
Molly Short
Katie Davies
8.5A Abbie long
Adriatic Hoxha
Rhiannon McMahon
9.1 Issy Fallon
Alice Lamb
Toby Redman
9.6
9.9
Ruby Shaw
Hannah Kayes
Callum Everitt
Morgan Larkin
Tiep (Thanison)
Pothong
Mauro Pereira
Miss Barsoum
7.1B Kiya Lau
Emily Speed
Elizabeth Hayselden
Jack Holden
7.3B James Colledge
Holly Grice
7.4A Maizy Price
Alexa Morales Mead
Georgina Oakes
8.1A Fariha Agha
Jenny Gee
Sam Jolly
8.3B Natasha Ellams
Erica Morris
Freya Mulvey
9.2 Jaydon Brady
Gabe James – Keep
Ellie Frost
9.5 Florence Davies
Collins
Aimee Sutton
Mohamad B
9.8 Rebecca Williams
Alexia Gordon
Miss English
7.2B Awena Owen
Josie Flynn
Hannah Gibson
7.4B Amber Kelly
Eva-Jean Quested
Leech
Sally Thorley
7.5A Lucia Munday
Grace Cottril
Kaden Bowen
9.0 Lottie Warburton
Megan Wardle
Phoebe Ross
9.4 Maddy Daniels
Bronte Ward
Libby Nurse
9.7 Imogen O’Mahoney
Laura Rundle
Theo Konstantiou
Mr Holt
8.3A Oskar Szejmo
Amelia Karabedian
Emma Tanner
8.4A Amelia Atack
Libby Mulcahy
Joseph Horsley Frost
8.5B Chantel Tshuma
Harlie Edwards
Daisy Joynson
Well done to everybody
involved!
Mrs. Kenny
May 2016 15
ICT & COMPUTING News
Coding
There have been some significant changes in the
Key Stage 3 Curriculum in ICT & Computing.
We are now teaching text-based programming to Years 7-9,
which has proved quite a challenge to students and staff!
Students have been learning the basics of programming in
Python. This language is relatively easy to learn and there are
a wide range of free resources to support coders. Why not
download it at home and ask your children to show you what
they know? You’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Some classes have recently completed
assessments on programming. Pictured
are Sam Sparks (9MRN), Natasha Cartmell
(9CCE), Scott Topping (9VMI) and Seb
Whitehead (9ETR), who performed
brilliantly on the test. They are sporting
our new ‘coder’ badges, given to those
who scored well.
Mr Little
HISTORY News
Year 7 Visit to
Manchester
University
The History Department were
delighted to take 10 Year 7
pupils to visit Manchester
University on Friday 4th
March 2016 to experience how
Ancient History and Classics
are studied at University. The trip provided the opportunity
for pupils to explore Roman
Manchester and the ancient world at
the Manchester Museum and was a
reward for all the hard work that these
10 pupils had put into their studies
recently. The trip was fantastic…
despite the heavy snow and artic conditions! Pupils managed
to learn some Latin, create interactive Roman Manchester iPad
exhibits at the Manchester Museum and learn all about underwater
archaeology by studying the famous
Uluburun shipwreck. I was
massively impressed with our
Year 7 pupils and received
countless compliments
from Professors and PhD
students about their genuine
enthusiasm, impeccable
manners and impressive
knowledge! Well done to all
involved!
Mr Gerschler
HISTORY News
Project Work
I have been setting my
teaching groups in Year 7
and 9 some project-based
homework during the Spring Term and the standard of
work produced has been phenomenal.
Year 7 have been researching life in Medieval England and Year 9’s
focus has been Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. From beautifully
modelled castles, such as Year 7’s Alexa Lima’s stone castle-keep
that is proudly on display in the main reception, to George Davis’s
scrummy doom painting cakes that went down a treat with 7.2a for
not only its physical display of heaven and hell, but also its heavenly
and hellish taste!! Esme Hardwick also deserves a mention for her
beautifully written Medieval diary.
Not to be outdone by Year 7 the standard of Year 9’s homework
projects has also been incredibly impressive. Eve Selwood-Metcalfe
has produced some very moving art work depicting the Holocaust
and Marcus Jones made a fantastic board game reflecting life in Nazi
Germany. I am currently sifting through their latest projects, life in
Britain during World War Two and the standard is again equally high. A massive well done to all in 7.2a, 7.5b, 9.0 and 9.7 for their projectbased homework, they truly have been a delight!!
Miss Tidbury
Holocaust Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day takes place
on 27th January each year.
It’s a time for everyone to pause to remember
the millions of people who have been murdered or whose
lives have been changed beyond recognition during the Holocaust,
Nazi Persecution and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda,
Bosnia and Darfur. On HMD we can honour the survivors of these
regimes and challenge ourselves to use the lessons of their experience
to inform our lives today. 27th January marks the liberation of
Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. To commemorate
HMD, the History Department took 12 Year 9 pupils to a remembrance
service at Sale Waterside Theatre. Thomas Palmer and Louise Cross
would like to share their experience of attending this year’s service:
‘It was interesting to see so many stories linked to the Holocaust.
The motto for this year’s event was ‘Don’t stand by’ and many of the
speeches encouraged us to speak out if we know something bad is
happening. We learned about the Garden of the Righteous Among the
Nations in Israel, a remembrance garden that honours non-Jews who
risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. We also heard
about ‘Ronnie’ Harry Stewart, a German Jew who joined the British
military to help fight against the Nazi Regime. We also learned about
the persecution of European Roma and Sinti people during the Second
World War and witnessed a traditional Gypsy Ballet performance. We
learned about the efforts of Muslims to save Jews across Europe and
the Middle East during World War II, many of these stories are not
that well known and should be shared more often. Rabbi Portnoy read
prayers and candles were lit as a memorial to those lost in genocide.
The main message of the day was to speak out against wrongdoing
and to see that all humans are equal; we all experience the same
thoughts, feelings and
emotions. We were
told about the current
migrant crisis in Calais
and how more could
be done to help those
fleeing war in 2016.
No matter how small,
we can all make a
difference’.
Mr Gerschler
KS3 History Project
Work
All KS3 History classes have
been producing independent
project homework since the
Christmas break.
Year 7 have been looking at life in
Medieval Britain, Year 8 at life
under the rule of British Empire and
Year 9 at life for ordinary people
in Nazi Germany. The quality and
creativity of work produced has
been outstanding! All of the History
department have been incredibly
impressed with the effort, thought
and time that has been put into
these projects and we would like to
say a big well done to all of our pupils.
Special mentions go to Owen Wadsworth’s
Medieval castle, the aborigine diaries
completed by Emily Read, Michelle Chan
and Leah Cummins, Zainab Shather’s
booklet about 20th Century changes to
South Africa, Lizzie Brouard’s Scramble
for Africa game, Abi Coleman’s Growth
of the Empire game, Abi Leboutillier’s
project on Medieval Monarchs, Emily Atkinson’s Medieval
Shield, Brandon Stevens’ ‘monopoly’ approach to life of ordinary
Germans in the 1920s and 1930s, the Empire board games
completed by Rory Johnson, Kian Wykes, Daisy Joynson and
Francesca Renwick, Ruben Varela’s research project into life in
India, Chantel Tshuma’s poster on life in 20th Century South
Africa, the artwork linked to life in Nazi Germany completed
by Imi Kerr and Charlotte Gethins, Cameron Stenhouse’s board
game about German political parties of the 1920s and 1930s,
Marcus Jones’ board game about life in Nazi Germany and Lucy
Beaumont’s diary of life in Nazi Germany from a Jewish German’s
perspective.
Well done to everyone for your amazing work! Mr Gerschler
Holocaust
Survivor Talk
21st March
The History department
were very fortunate to
be able to welcome Joanna Millan from the Holocaust Educational
Trust to speak to all Year 9 students.
Joanna delivered a stimulating, engaging talk to the students, who
have been studying the Holocaust as part of their History studies
this year. During the course of the talk, many students asked very
thoughtful, interesting questions which were very impressive to
hear - this shows they have been paying attention this year!
Over 20 Year 9 students were also nominated by their History
teacher to attend a lunch reception with Joanna, which was also
attended by myself, Mr Gerschler and Mr Scott. It was pleasing to
witness the students continue asking some excellent questions
and this made the lunch event very enjoyable for all concerned. At
the end of the talk, Joanna was presented with a card and flowers,
and informed of the £134 raised for the Holocaust Educational
Trust through selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts as a token of our
appreciation.
Mr Wright
May 2016 17
MATHS News
Maths Masterclass Salford
University
On Wednesday 23rd March, 8 Year 10
mathematicians visited Salford University for
a series of Maths Masterclass workshops.
The aim of the day was to inspire the pupils to continue
with the subject post-16. The pupils spent the day
calculating mechanics, computing with dominos and
trying out some maths magic tricks as part of a talk
by Katie Steckles (a phd student and maths busker!).
Each activity used a different type of maths and the
day allowed the subject to be seen from a variety of
interesting angles (both obtuse and acute...).
Maths Feast
Sam Gregg, Megan Burns, Mia Hughes and Ben Hayes
from 10.0 competed in the North West Maths Feast Year 10
Competition on Tuesday 15th March at Manchester University.
The competition is organised by the Further Maths Support Programme
who aim to encourage more students to “take maths further” post-16.
Wellington won the comprehension round which involved studying a poster
for 3 minutes on a topic that they hadn’t seen before, complex numbers,
and they scored full marks in this round. There were 29 schools at the event
and Wellington were placed fifth. Well done, team!
Miss Latham
Pi Day
Miss Latham
On Monday 14th March (3.14) Pi Day was
celebrated at Wellington School.
Year 7 took part in Pi-based activities in their Maths lessons and learnt
about the history of Pi as well as competing in a freehand circle drawing
competition- winners received an apple pie (you can’t say we’re not
generous in the maths department!)- and making Pi bunting to decorate
our classrooms.
All year groups took part in a Pi dingbats competition and 9CSR were the
overall winners, the only tutor group to score 100%!
Miss Latham
MUSIC News
Bowdon Youth
Festival
Wellington School Music
Department are very
proud to support the
Bowdon Youth Festival
and have now competed
in the Senior Choir of
the Year class 3 times.
This year we were represented as always by Sing and Sing with 7s. Neither choir
disappointed in the quality of their outcome and it was very encouraging to see so
many of our parents and staff at St Margaret’s Church to cheer on both these choirs.
I am pleased to report that Sing retained the trophy for Wellington School as they
delivered 2 stylish, a capella performances which would amaze and astound even
Gareth Malone. Their renditions of The Cure classic ‘Friday I’m In Love’ and Fleet
Foxes’ ‘White Winter Hymnal’ were flawless and Sing fully deserved the accolade of
being Bowdon Youth Festival’s ‘Senior Choir of the Year’.
Sing with 7s did not come away empty handed either as they won their own trophy
for ‘The Most Entertaining Performance’ during the competition. This was thanks to
an amazing performance of ‘Everything is Awesome’ from the Lego movie. Sing with
7s were singing in harmony, rapping and even throwing down some shapes!
It’s not often that I find myself speechless, however all the performances by the 2
choirs reinforced the high quality of singers we have here at Wellington.
Llongyfarchiadau a da iawn chi bois! Mrs Moorhouse
Sponsored Walk Day
Thanks to the Year 10 and 11 buskers
who entertained the walkers on
quite a cold day. We need to
remember our fingerless gloves next
year!
Mrs Moorhouse
MUSIC News
Instrumental Lessons
Just a reminder to students that instrumental
lessons will carry on from term to term.
Also, you must ensure that you are involved in at least 1
extra curricular activity this half term. If you’d like to take
advantage of our very competitively priced Music Service
then please see Mrs Moorhouse for a letter.
Talent Show
Well Green Primary Visit
As part of the Well Green Primary School Arts week Sing with
7s and the Year 10 GCSE Music group visited the school to
deliver a musically packed assembly to the entire school.
It was a special
visit for Sing with
7s as they were
still riding high
following their
success at the
Bowdon Youth
Festival the
previous week and
they were keen
to show off their
award winning
performance of ‘Everything is Awesome’. It was also an extra
special visit for one of the members, Zara, who was a Well Green alumnus.
I know that you have made your old school extremely proud Zara.
The Year 10 group had been told to prepare their own performances in
groups of their choosing, and we were treated to 3 very different and
very mature performances: an Adele song by Georgia, Jasmine and
Yasmin; Ben and Angus performed a 12 Bar Blues piece which featured
piano and violin improvisational sections; and Amelia, Lily and Owen
performed their own version of the Ed Sheeran anthem, Sing. The Year
10 students impressed myself and Mr Holt with the way they explained
their performances, giving students an insight into why they’d chosen the
pieces and explaining how some of the more unusual instruments they
used such as the cajon were played.
It is always a privilege to take our musicians out and about into the local
community and this visit was no different. Watch this space for more
community visits by our amazing musicians.
Mrs Moorhouse
It’s that time of year again! We’re on the look
out for every single different talent, so if you’re a
whizz on the juggling balls or keep-e-uppies, get
practising.
The staff are also practising hard and I know following
last year’s rendition of the Macarena by Mr Beeley and the
alternative ‘SLT’ dance performance, we’ll wait with baited
breath to see what they have to offer us this year! Auditions
will take place after the May half term. And if you’re
interested in joining our very able technical team then come
and tell Mrs Moorhouse.
Graded Exams
During March a group of students made their
way down to the Friends Meeting House
in Manchester to complete their ABRSM
examinations.
I am pleased to report that all our students entered
by our visiting Music Teachers were successful in
these examinations. Could I also remind you to notify
us if your son/daughter is sitting or has passed a
Music examination with any of the examining boards
such as ABRSM, Trinity, LCM and Rockschool. These
qualifications are on the National Qualifications
Framework and some can be used to access points for
UCAS, the university admissions service.
And now for the results. Congratulations to the following
students:
Georgia Brennan (Singing) G3 with Merit; Rachael
Eckersley (Singing) G1 with Merit; Isabelle Fallon
(Violin) G1 with Merit; Lewis Murphy (Violin) G3;
Francesca Renwick (Singing) G1; Sam Sparks (Cello)
G4; Jasmine Spinks (Piano) G2; Demica Thomas
(Singing) G1; Angus Thompson (Violin) G3.
Music Bulletin
The weekly Music Bulletin is published on the school
website. It has details of all the weekly rehearsals for
our ensembles, drop in sessions for students and extra
lessons for examination groups so make sure you check
it weekly, even if it’s just to make sure the whole family
listen to the Music of the Week. Send your nominations
in to Mrs Moorhouse for any piece of music you think the
students of Wellington School should be listening to.
Mrs Moorhouse
May 2016 19
MFL News
Boppard 2016
Ancient Greek
In July of this year,
the MFL department
will be taking
40 students to
Boppard on the
Rhine in Germany. Greek Club was a
club created to teach
those who had an
interest in ancient
Greek language
some of the culture around it.
Every year we take
students to either
France or Germany to
introduce them to the
culture of the country and obviously, chocolate factories
are a firm favourite of both students and staff! The photographs here are
from our most recent trip to Boppard, where we visited Cologne cathedral
and the Lindt chocolate factory.
There were 5 sessions in total
and students learned the ancient
Greek alphabet and some basic
phrases; such as ‘Hello’ and ‘’My
name is’, which was fun. We also
learned about some of the ancient
Greek gods and goddesses and
how to translate phrases and words
from ancient Greek to English.
The sessions were insightful and
interested me greatly. I would definitely recommend the
experience to others.
Mrs Williams
Aaron Mellish 10 JLM
AS Level Workshop
On Friday 18th of March, the
Year 12 Spanish and French classes travelled
to Manchester University for the AS Speaking
workshop.
Spanish Breakfast
8.3A had the opportunity to try typical Spanish foods like
chorizo, jamón serrano and tortilla española as they had
been studying food and drink in lessons.
Mrs Roe-Bennett’s tortilla went down very well and Dan Adams managed
to eat nearly a full jar of olives! Hopefully, it gave the students a good
insight into an important part of Spanish culture!
The aim was to learn valuable techniques to aid us in our
forthcoming speaking exams and to help us to understand
how we can achieve our full potential! During the day, we
learnt phrases and vocabulary for each sub-topic that could
show up in our exams, and how to get the best possible
marks. For the Spanish group, we were arranged in groups
of three in a room with six tables, each table focusing on a
particular topic. We spent roughly 30 minutes at each table,
with 5 minutes break in between sessions. During each
session, we played games to help us learn vocabulary, as
well as being asked questions in the format of our exams,
so it was a very interactive and enjoyable experience. At the
end of the day, we were each given a certificate and were
asked about phrases we had learnt during the day. Overall, I
think it was a very useful experience – I will take their advice
on board and try to use as many phrases they taught me as
possible in my speaking and writing exams. Thank you to the
staff and students at Manchester University for inviting us!
Ashleigh Cross 12AWS
Mr Mani
Dual Linguist Careers
The Dual Linguist group had a discussion about
the possible career options which studying
languages can bring with local sports journalist
Matt Ford.
He spoke to them about jobs he has done with his
French and German degree including writing for football
magazines, translating novels and websites, teaching
English and online marketing. 9-0 spoke in French and
German with him and Matt was very impressed with both
their linguistic skills as well as their genuine enthusiasm!
Mr Mani
MFL News
French Spelling Bee
On Wednesday 23rd March, Megan Williams (7ARI), Abbie Le Boutillier (7ARI) and Heba Adhami (7SRU) took part in the Regional Finals of the
Routes Into Languages French Spelling Bee at MMU, accompanied by Mrs
Roe-Bennett and Miss Becker.
All the girls were very excited to see that there were free cupcakes and very nervous for the
task ahead! Nerves aside, they performed admirably in front of an audience of approximately
100 students and staff and all received an excellent goodie bag for their efforts. The competition was fierce – the
winning student in our heat managed to spell 26 French words in one minute!! No pressure for next year then……
Mrs Williams
Love is in the air!
In February, pupils
from Miss Weeks’, Mrs
Williams’, Mrs Allen’s and
Mrs Whitham’s groups
produced fantastic display
work for the MFL corridor
in the run up to Valentine’s
day.
World Book Day
On Thursday 3rd March,
the MFL department
celebrated world book
day in its own inimitable
style!
Amongst many beautiful pieces, pupils in Year 7 used opinions to
say which school subjects they like and love, pupils in Year 8 wrote
a ‘recipe’ for their perfect partner and Year 9 pupils designed some
beautiful pieces of work about loving learning languages. Year 10s
described their ideal partner and we also had love letters, online
dating profiles and poems in the target language. A lovely way to jazz
up the corridor!
Students from Year 7 had a book title translation
challenge in all three of our Modern Foreign
Languages, translating such titles as ‘Caballo
de Batalla’ (War Horse) and ‘Nos Étoiles
contraires’ (The Fault in our Stars). We had lots
of enthusiastic students taking part, well done
everyone.
Mrs Williams
SCHOOL COUNCIL News
School Council News
School Council has once more been at the forefront of everything
good about Wellington School over the last few months. Elections,
discussions, suggestions and debate are at the heart of what the
School Council do, and this hard-working and dedicated group
provides an invaluable link between students and staff. This not
only helps to develop essential key skills in our students but
actively informs the development of school policy.
This is typified by the way in which students have added value to the on-going
review of Wellington’s values and vision. As one would expect of our students,
many of the best ideas have been generated by them themselves!
While this has taken up much discussion time this term, however, the Executive
Committee have also made time to hold a ballot for the election of Member
Photo shows Caitl
of Youth Parliament for Trafford. This represents yet another exercise in
in Kemp and Yasm
in Lee ready to
conduct the MYP
democracy for our students following the ‘Make Your Mark’ campaign earlier
election
this year.
While this year’s Member of Youth Parliament is not a Wellington Student,
we have high hopes that some of our Council members will appear on next
year’s ballot paper. Leading this particular political charge are three Year 10
students; Yasmin Lee, Caitlin Kemp and Aaron Mellish, who attend weekly
meetings of politically motivated young people from across Trafford and
ensure that the voice of Wellington is heard beyond the school grounds.
As members of Trafford Youth Cabinet they have recently returned from a
weekend in Wales where, as one would expect, they represented themselves
and Wellington School Council fabulously.
Mr Holt
May 2016 21
PE News
Sixth Form Football
As the football season comes to an
end it’s time to reflect, and I would like
to say well done to all the Sixth Form
footballers, who have represented
Wellington so well this season. It has been our busiest year yet, with
home and away games versus, Ashton,
Wellacre, Sale Grammar, St Ambrose,
and Urmston Grammar. Results have
been mixed, as has the side that has seen many
changes over the year, but this has been positive as more students have
wanted to get involved. I hope next season we get the same enthusiasm and if possible
more fixtures, and not only in football, it would be a real positive to try and get some
Sixth Form fixtures in a range of sports, transferring our success lower down the school
into Sixth Form sport. I would like to wish our Year 13’s Kieran Wright, James Moore, Joe
Cronshaw, Adam Burgess and Chris Partington all the best in the future and thank them
for their commitment to sport while at Wellington.
Mr Morgan
Year 9 Football
What a triumphant season so far for the Year 9 football team following a disappointing
campaign last year.
We have a good, core group of players who work hard for each other and they have
certainly got their rewards this season. We dominated the South Trafford League and
remain unbeaten to this point. We beat ACA 5-0, Sale Grammar 5-1, BTH 4-2, Sale
High 12-0 and Broadoak 15-0; this meant we played Wellacre in the league playoff
to get to Carrington. What a game that semi-final was, 2-0 up into the second half
and the game ended 3-3 after extra time. We won penalties 4-3 and progress to
the final on the 10th May. The team are going in the cup with the potential to win
both competitions and play Sale Grammar or BTH in the semi final. We are hopeful
of a successful campaign but that aside, I am so proud of how the team have come
together and played collectively with the same intensity as each other.
Mr Tomlinson
Year 7 Trafford
Basketball
Champions
Year 7 Basketball - “The year 7
Basketball squad managed to top
their unbeaten league season
with victory in the Trafford Schools
Basketball Final.
Following the unbeaten league run last term, the squad faced Sale Grammar in the
semi-final. After a tough, hard-fought game, Wellington went on to play Ashton on
Mersey in the final. Travelling away to Ashton with a full squad, Wellington produced
their best performance of the year to claim the Trafford Schools Championship. Both
Mr Tomlinson and myself are extremely impressed with the hard work and dedication
the boys have shown to both training and fixtures throughout the season. We both
look forward to defending our title next year.” Mr Higginson
Girls Football
Year 7, 8 and 9 played against BTH under
the floodlights and it was a great evening
for games.
The coaches from Broadheath Central FC have
been running sessions in school for the girls so it
was lovely to see them coming along to support
the girls in their opening games. The 7s had a
cracking start to the season with a 4-0 win. Goals
came from Millie Clayton (2), Katy Worthington,
and Esther Hoare. The Year 8s were down 2-0 but
managed to bring it back to 2-2 in the second half.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t maintain the pressure
and the end result was 4-2 to BTH. Erin Tighe
was named as Player of the Match after a great
performance. The Year 9’s have a strong squad with
many club / county players and they put up a good
fight against the side from BTH. Connie Taylor made
some great saves in net and Hannah Smith was
first to the ball throughout the game. The 9s were
unlucky to come out with a 2-2 draw with both
goals coming from Jess Richardson.
The Year 7 and Year 9 teams played Ashton on
Mersey in thrilling battle encounters. Nervous
faces soon turned into beaming smiles as the goals
started to rain in. The girls not only showed great
teamwork but some fantastic individual skills. The
Year 7’s won 4-0 with goals coming from Esther
Hoare, Millie Clayton, Katy Worthington and Maizy
Price. The Year 9’s beat AOM 4-0 with goals from
Jessica Richardson and Ella Richards.
The Year 7 team were superb against Sale
Grammar. They have been working hard in training
and it’s definitely paying off! We had some lovely
team work and ‘1-2’ passing all over
the pitch and our defensive line stuck tight to their
players and didn’t give them an inch. We had a lot
of shots but just couldn’t get them on target. The
girls never gave up and finally their work paid off
when Daisy Glazebrook slotted it past the Sale
Grammar keeper for a 1-0 win. Our player of the
match was Katy Worthington. The Year 8 team
played a very tough Sale Grammar side. They
were physically stronger than us but the girls
worked hard to the bitter end. The final score was
unfortunately a 5-0 loss. The Year 8 player of the
match was well deserved and went to Mia ClaudeWilliams.
Miss MacGlinchey
U13 Manchester United
Tournament
Year 11 Football
“The team took part in the Manchester
United U13 girls tournament at the Cliff in
Salford.
Same as the Year 9 story really and a continuation of the previous season’s success.
I have to commend the lads on their commitment to the team during their most
important school year and they have been honest with their approach to this season. We successfully navigated the league campaign beating BTH 2-0, Broadoak 1-0, Sale
High 5-0 and North Cestrian 5-1. We drew 2-2 against ACA and Sale Grammar to finish
top of the league and played Wellacre in the semi final. Unfortunately, Wellacre had to
forfeit the fixture which puts us in the final for the first time in three years. The team
are also going strong in the cup with a semi final against Broadoak coming up with the
hope of replicating the Year 9 team and reaching two finals. I have to say I hope they
do make both finals as it is the least they deserve for their efforts, endeavours and
commitment to each other. Again very proud of the lads!!
Mr Tomlinson
Unfortunately, they came up against a few bigger
and stronger Year 8’s but the experience will stand
them in good stead for next year’s competition.
They played 7 games with only a few minutes rest
between each so physically it was tough going!
They played teams from all across Manchester beating Manchester Academy, Broadoak, MCMA
and Ambrose Barlow. The girls won 4 games and
lost 3. Numerous goals came from Milly Clayton
(our captain, and birthday girl!), Maizy Price, Katy
Worthington and Lucy Kilvert. The girls gave it their
all and had a good day of sport.”
Miss MacGlinchey
PE News
Year 8 Rugby
It has been a very promising year for the Year 8 rugby team at Wellington.
Mr Dearnaley and myself have been very impressed with the way the team has grown this
season. Despite infrequent training sessions and gaps between fixtures, the team have
still managed to record some very impressive results. The highlights of the season must be
the victory over a strong Lymm High side and a draw against St Ambrose away; with both
schools having a far greater rugby pedigree than Wellington.
Year 7 Rugby
Having laid a solid foundation in
the Autumn Term, the Year 7 rugby
team, with several new recruits,
developed well in the Spring Term.
Numbers at training remained high
throughout the term and the boys were
also grateful recipients of some additional
coaching from Salford Red Devils Rugby
League team. Unfortunately, several
games were postponed due to either
weather or our opponents ‘running
scared’, but we did play 5 further fixtures
against Manchester Enterprise Academy
(won by a cricket score), Ashton on
Mersey (won 17 – 24), Knutsford (won
(12 – 61), Altrincham College of Arts (drew
36 – 36) a closely fought local derby, and
a second fixture against St Ambrose that
ended in defeat.
Well done to all the squad members on a
great first season of Wellington rugby, and
I’m sure with even greater commitment
we can go from strength to strength in
the 2016 – 2017 season. We may also
have some 7-a-side tournaments to look
forward to in the Summer Term and I hope
as many of the boys and their parents
can join us at the Sports Award Dinner on
Thursday 23rd June, more details to follow
in the next few weeks.
Our record for the season, therefore
stands at: P12; W6; D2; L4 (St Ambrose
twice and Lymm HS twice)
S Beeley
There have been many impressive individual performers this season, such as the Allan
twins, Barney and Toby and Ashley Ross. Boys such as Morgan Blair and Dylan Jones
have been fantastically committed throughout the year, never missing a training session.
Others, such as Alex Wright, have made a return from football and really made their
mark. It has been really pleasing from our perspective to see rugby continue to grow at
Wellington and all of the lads developing as people, not just players. We would urge all of
the lads to continue next year and even consider joining a club outside of school. We look
forward to a very promising Year 9 season next year.
Mr Wright
Year 9 Rugby
The Spring term was
frustrating for the Year 9
rugby squad. Looking to
carry on from the previous
term, the lads had to settle
for 1 game with numerous
cancellations due to
weather, unavailability etc.
The one game that we
managed to play was a
return fixture Vs local
rivals Ashton on Mersey.
Following on from a heavy
defeat in the previous
game, the boys produced
their best performance of
the year and ran out 58-22
winners.
I would like to congratulate
all players who have
represented the school this
year and with the progress
we have made as a squad,
look forward to next year.
Girls Without Boundaries/This
Girl Can…Dance!
Lancashire County Cricket Club have set up community links
with Wellington and have done this through dance.
The girls choreographed the dance themselves with the
support of Natasha from LCCC. She taught them some
mixed martial arts too, so punches and kicks were added
to the dance. They have performed this twice, once in front
of other schools who had also received this opportunity
and a second time at LCCC. The performance was a hit and
the girls came second plus they got the chance to meet the
Lancashire County Cricket Club mascot, Lanky the giraffe!
They have now
been asked to
perform at a
20/20 event in
June.
The girls
are Lauren
McKendry, Niamh
McLaughlin,
Natasha Ellams, Daisy Joynson, Freya Mulvey, Michelle
Chen, Amelia Atack , Amelia Karabedian, Ella Percy, Holly
Evans, Rebecca Court, Caitlin Maguire and Yasmin Ennis.
Mr Higginson
Trafford Futsal Competition
The Year 7 girls football team took part in the Trafford 5-a-side Futsal competition at the
Powerleague Sports Dome.
The squad chosen for the competition were Jemma Cave (capt), Maizy Price, Milly Clayton,
Daisy Glazebrook, Kate Maxim, Katy Worthington, Ellie Budenberg, Lucy Kilvert, Ellie Jinks
and Glory Bristow. We had a good team formation with lots of 1,2 passes (which the girls
have been working in at practice) and it clearly paid off! We beat Stretford Grammar 2-0
(goals from Jemma Cave and Katy Worthington); beat BTH 1-0 (Milly Clayton); beat Broadoak
2-1 (both goals from Maizy Price); drew 0-0 with Urmston Grammar and in our final game we
beat Flixton 2-1 with the first goal scored by Milly Clayton and in the final minutes Jemma
Cave slotted home a cracking penalty to win the game! We finished in first place overall in
the competition and are through to the County Futsal Finals on Tuesday May 3rd.
Miss MacGlinchey
May 2016 23
PE News
Year 9 Netball
Year 10 Handball
Congratulations to the Year 9 Netball team who were crowned
Trafford Champions, following a win against Urmston Grammar.
A team of 10 Year 10 girls entered the Trafford
Handball competition this year for the very first
time.
The girls have had another excellent season, and we look forward
to another fantastic year as we enter Year 10. Our tactical play has
continued to improve this year, with a stronger understanding of our
positioning and a much greater use of set plays. Thanks as always
to the parents who come and help on match days- your support is
always appreciated!
Miss Hodges
The GCSE PE students had been learning the sport in lesson
time, and put their skills to the test by playing against
Flixton, Sale Grammar and BTH. The girls finished 3rd in the
competition, but all of them improved their GCSE scores and
were able to play against some good opposition to learn how
the game is played properly.
Miss Hodges
Year 7 Trafford Netball Champions
The Trafford Year 7 netball final took place against BTH in March and
it was a very tight game throughout, even going into extra time.
All the girls have worked
so hard to develop their
skills and create a strong
team. The final score was
10-12 and girl of the game
from the opponents was
Esther Hoare, plus Alexa
Lima from Mrs Thomson,
the coach. Well done
girls, Trafford Champions!
They also played in
the Trafford netball
tournament at Broadoak. They came third in their pool and following
a 4-0 play-off victory over Flixton Girls came fifth in Trafford! This is a
tremendous success as only one of the team plays outside of school.
Well done to Isabela Bandiera-Leigh (c), Charlotte Christian, Esther
Hoare, Katie Chown, Ruby Sykes, Alexa Lima, Sophie Hurlstone, Leah
Rushton and player of the tournament Ashley Dawber.
Miss Richards
Wellington B and C teams
On Tuesday 8th March, two of our teams completed in a Trafford
Tournament at BTH school and thankfully the weather was on our
side.
There were teams
from all over Trafford
and all the girls
thoroughly enjoyed
the chance to show
off their skills. The
final match even
saw our B team play
against the C team!
The results were that
that the B’s came 7th
and as they beat our
C team, the Cs came
8th. Well done to all
the girls who played
but the girl of the
tournament for the B
team goes to Annabel
Wright and for the C team goes to Lynn Bustani.
Indoor athletics
Year 7 and 8 girls indoor
athletics teams competed
against nine other local
schools and there were
challenges of every kind,
including the speed bounce,
the standing broad jump, an
obstacle race, relay races and
a paired event called the 8 lap
Parlaff where you take it in turns to run two laps, then your partner
does two, until eight are completed in total. A very tough event. All
the girls worked well as part of their team and scores were added
together. Both teams came 3rd in their respective year groups. Well
done to Courtney Disley, Georgie Scrace, Darcy Popplewell, Abi
Middleton, Ellie Swain and Amy Mollard.
Year 12 Manchester United trip
Year 12 AS PE students went on a trip to Old
Trafford this term!
They experienced a tour of the stadium, led by a very able
match day steward, this was then followed by an educational
session from an ex professional footballer covering the
nutrition aspect of the course. The students learnt about the
dietary intake of footballers, and how this changes between
training sessions and match days. The content was all very
relevant to the course and the students were able to take
away lots of information that they can use in their exams.
Miss Hodges
Year 10 Gymnastics Leaders
In March, 10 GCSE PE students from Year 10 went
to Whalley Range High School in Manchester
to volunteer at the Greater Manchester Primary
school athletics competition.
The students were responsible for around 20 small children,
who they had to look after and make sure were all in the
right place at the right time! We had excellent feedback from
the competition organiser and some of the primary school
teachers, who took the time to write into school to show
their gratitude! Well done Year 10!
Miss Hodges
PE News
Ski life – Vermont and New York, February half term
We were lucky enough to be taken on the ski trip to Vermont and New York
during half term.
The first days were spent in the ‘The Beast of the East’ Killington Ski Resort. The resort was
huge, it had six peaks, and each had their own café and lodges where we would usually stop
for lunch. Our favourite was definitely Bear Mountain however Killington Peak was extremely
picturesque. There were many trails, the slopes were very wide and it gave us the opportunity
to practice our technique and despite the cold, the skiing conditions were very pleasant. The
instructors at Killington were amazing! They were great fun and helped us to improve our
technique and style and we all made great progress and picked up lots of tips. When our five
days of skiing were sadly over we said our goodbyes to our instructors and then headed to
New York. On our journey we stopped at the Woodbury Common Outlet mall for some retail
therapy then travelled to our New York hotel. In the evening we went for a fantastic meal at
the Hard Rock Café and then we explored the bright lights of Times Square. On our last day
in New York we had an incredible opportunity to explore the famous landmarks – we walked
over the Brooklyn Bridge and viewed the New York skyline; then we visited
Ground Zero was a touching experience which we’ll never forget. Next
we ventured up the Empire State Building
where we saw the most breath-taking view of
the city. We made life-long friends with people
from other years which we would normally
not have the opportunity to mix with. We all
enjoyed every minute of the ski trip and would
do anything to go back.”
by Emily Madden and Annie Dickinson Year 10
REP News
Inspirational People
Project
Debate Competitions
Students in Year 9 have just
completed an independent project
on an inspirational figure of their
choosing.
Students were given time to prepare for a range of
questions relating to the Full Course topics and then
went head to head with an opposing team. There
were several rounds leading to a grand final which
was judged by Year 13 students. All students really
engaged with this challenge and gained a lot from
these lessons. Outstanding contributors included: Rosie
Coan, Joseph Abadi-Johns, Jessica Chappell, Katy Chapman,
Jana Jackson, Leah Shaw and McKenzie Bryce Clegg.
The students had a choice of many
inspirational people including the likes of
Martin Luther King, Anne Frank and Nelson
Mandela to name but a few. The challenge
was to cover a variety of different aspects
of their chosen inspirational person,
from their life and times, to how they
were influenced by religion and how they
influenced others throughout history. They
then needed to present the project in an
innovative way that captured the attention
of the reader and informed them about
the inspirational figure. The year group
as a whole worked extremely hard over a
series of lessons to complete the projects
and some of the finished pieces of work
are outstanding. Well done year 9 for your
engagement with the project and your
enthusiasm so far this year, keep up the
good work!
Mr Harrison
This half term, we have been leading a
series of debate competitions with Year 10. Mrs Jones
Mezuzah
This term Year 9 students have been
completing experiential lessons in REP; I
have been extremely impressed with the
work students have produced when learning
about the Shema.
The Shema is a sacred prayer written on small scrolls
and placed within the mezuzah outside every Jewish household and Synagogue. The
students created their own models which were brightly coloured and ornately decorated.
Prizes were given our for the best designs and special mentions go to; Alisha Bundhia,
Megan Wardle, Hannah Smith, Phoenix Beardall-Tang, Phoebe Ross and Adam Jennings.
Mrs Jones
May 2016 25
SCIENCE News
GCSE Science Live 2016
Rocket Science
During last term, the Science department took
60 triple Scientists to the Bridgewater Hall for a
series of Science
lectures.
This term, 7 Year 7s joined
thousands of other schools in
becoming Space Biologists. For those of you that have seen
“The Martian” starring Matt Damon you will have an idea
of the importance of being able to grow your own food in Space. The
UK Space Agency and the RHS Campaign for School Gardening have
challenged half a million UK students to grow 200 rocket seeds; half of
which have spent months on board the ISS with Major Tim Peake.
We were treated to
some time travel
talk by Professor Jim
Al-Khalili, explanations of evolution without the use of fossils
by Professor Alice Roberts and how to become a millionaire
by computer scientist/inventor Professor Dave Cliff. Without
doubt the highlight of the day for staff and students was a
lecture by Professor Lord Robert Winston. Probably most
famous for his “Child of our times” series, he talked us
through his past research with understated flair, enthusiasm
and humour. Undoubtedly, he is someone who has made a
massive contribution to Science and has inspired many people
to become scientists. Having spoken to some of our students
who attended the event, it seems that he has truly inspired
them too and hopefully they will become our future Scientists
who will go on to make amazing contributions to society!
Jess Wardle, Will Dewey-Simmons, Eren Sayan, Jack Ryan, Patrick
Gibson, Alban Kapa and Adil Mohammad have taken up that
challenge. They diligently prepared 200 plant labels before planting
their 200 seeds. Over 6 weeks they will need to care for, monitor
and collect data on the growth of these seeds. This data will then be
forwarded to the UK Space agency. The out-of-this-world, nationwide
science experiment will enable the students to think more about
how we could preserve human life on another planet in the future,
what astronauts need to survive long-term missions in space and the
difficulties surrounding growing fresh food in challenging climates. We wait to see what transpires!
Miss Lee
Miss Lee
Healthcare Trip
To celebrate British Science Week, 14 Year 9 Triple
Scientists visited the Central Manchester University
Hospital to discover the different careers as Healthcare
Scientists, attending interactive sessions given
by Transplantation Scientists, Cardiologists and
Geneticists.
The students also had the opportunity to meet more Healthcare
Scientists and discuss their day-to-day role and their educational
pathway. The students found it interesting and thoroughly enjoyed
the day. We may have some budding healthcare professionals!
Miss Tan
KS3 Praise Postcards
This half term, Science staff were asked to nominate 2 pupils from each of their KS3 classes whom they felt had performed
to a high standard all half term. Each pupil nominated received a praise postcard and a special Wellington Super Scientist
pencil. The pupils rewarded are listed below. Congratulations Super Scientists!
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Natalie Sparks, Eren Sayan,
Hannah Kuhn, Lewis Berry,
Phoebe Wilson, Sophie Kelly,
Hannah El-Qedeh,
Patrycja Glodowska, Jack Judge,
Ella Richards, Megan Lloyd,
Emily Speed, Cameron Sanderson,
Stephanie Eaton, Patrick Waters,
Francesca Wren, Megan Ingleby,
Jack Draper, Nadia Hussain,
Tash Ellams, Freya Mulvey,
Grace Ferguson, Jakub Kessel,
Felix Hoxley, Abbie Chan,
Alex Rogerson, Maxwell Thoms,
Maciej Dworakowski, Andrew Foden, Nicole Page,
Robbie James, Ashley Ross,
Harvey Baskerville,
Eve Pesticcio, Holly Grice, Joe Edwards,
Abbie Long, Rhiannon McMahon,
Jacob Riddell, Jake Lineham,
Chloe Gregory, Lois Hinds,
Daisy Joynson, Kian Wykes
Theo Konstantinou, Megan Lloyd,
Oliver Tyson-Comer, Charlie Neild,
Oliver Tero, Liam Munday,
Sinead McColl, Grace Cottrill,
Hannah Kayes,
Madeline Rogerson, Shaqeel Ahmad,
Mauro Pereira, Jordan Ruchat
Mollie-Jo Rotherforth, Ghulam Shad
SCIENCE News
Science Club
This term,
Wellington’s
Science Club were
involved with lots
of themed events
to celebrate
various national science days
including making personalised bath
bombs as Mother’s Day gifts.
During British Science Week, attendees trialled
numerous timed activities that demonstrated
the difficulties of life in Space such as building
circuits and models while wearing thick protective
gloves. Other activities that pupils thoroughly
enjoyed included making slime and sugary
snakes,
building
hologram
viewers
and fireextinguishers
and
dissecting
lamb hearts!
Miss Tan
British Science Week
March 2016
Our KS3 pupils celebrated British
Science week with an extremely busy
week of activities.
In lessons they were following the theme
of space. This does not just mean outer
space which was looked at in Science club,
but also means open space, personal space and built
space. Pupils investigated which areas of the country’s
open spaces were affected by acid rain. They looked at
how a specifically designed built space in a hospital can
help fight diseases such as Ebola and then looked into
managing personal space by making and testing their own
toothpaste.
Year 7 have been doing some project based learning
based around the open space theme. Their focus was zoos
and conservation. The department took 120 pupils to
the zoo to carry out some research tasks about the designed
spaces the animals live in and how it mimics their natural
habitat. They are now in the process of teaching their peers to
produce a group project and summarise their findings. These
will be judged at the beginning of the summer term with lots
of Chester Zoo prizes available for the best entries.
A great week enjoyed by all!
Mrs Brown
STEM News
Big Bang Fair
In March, 30 KS3 pupils visited the Big Bang
fair at the NEC in Birmingham.
The fair is intended to raise the profile of STEM subjects,
careers and promote engineering. Pupils took part in a
‘Tomorrows Engineers’ challenge, which involved them
building Lego Mindstorms robots from scratch and then
programming them to perform various tasks.
The pupils then competed against each other in heats
and a tense final saw Mia Claude-Williams and Darcy
Popplewell take a resounding victory over Jack DeightonBrown and his teammates. Go girls!
Pupils then had a chance to wander round the Big Bang
fair itself and get involved with virtual reality, accelerator
challenges, movement sensors and watch the ‘Mad about
Energy’ show which showcased explosive experiments
linking to energy and how we use it. Pupils also had the
opportunity to see how STEM is used in industry and
speak to professionals working in STEM careers, for
example JCB, Rolls Royce, BAE & Siemens.
The fair was attended by 7,000 students from around
the country and as usual, Wellington students were
complimented on their engagement, effort and polite
demeanour. Many thanks to all the parents and guardians
for dragging pupils out of bed an hour earlier – one pupil
in particular arriving at 6:30 am, even before us!
A thoroughly enjoyable day for the students and the staff.
Already looking to next year!
Miss Tyrer and Miss Carter
May 2016 27
STEM News
Year 7
Year 7 STEM club
have been busy
this term making
bobsleds!
Using high impact
polystyrene, metal
wire, acetate and the correct
tools to form and decorate
these items (including the
laser cutter to add their
sled’s name), students
made a speedy bobsled
that we shot across the floor
to measure the distance
travelled. Congratulations
to Josie Watson (VLE) for the
winning sled.
Miss Carter and Miss Tyrer.
Lego
Mindstorms
At the end of last
year, we managed
to win access to a
fabulous competition!
It is called ‘Tomorrows Engineers: EEP Robot Challenge’ and
involves pupils building a LEGO robot using engineering, design and
technology skills with equipment worth almost £2000.
The pupils will then be required to try and tackle a contemporary
scientific problem proposed by NASA! This exciting programme is
currently running as an extra-curricular club and will culminate in
a regional finals competition, set for the 8th June. If our pupils are
successful they will be entered into a national final!
Wellington has been selected based on our enthusiasm for STEM and
the continuing commitment from pupils and staff. Watch this space
for more exciting news and pictures as the competition rolls around.
Miss Tyrer
STEM at Wellington
It’s been a really busy term
for STEM with numerous
different activities going
on. In February, two exciting
events took place in school
for both Year 10 & Year 8
pupils.
Firstly, 30 Year 8 pupils were off
timetable involved in an Engineering
Challenge from the Smallpiece Trust. Pupils heard about routes into engineering and why it is so important. They also completed a task looking at the different forms of energy and why we need to consider renewable energies as
opposed to fossil fuels.
As their main challenge, pupils were tasked with using one of those non-renewable
energies. They had to build a solar powered car themselves, power it using only a
desk lamp and then work out the power needed for it to travel a certain distance. It
got extremely competitive with two solar powered cars racing to the final! The overall
winners managed to get the measurements exact, thus sweeping them into the
glorious 1st place position. An educational and engaging activity which ties in very
well with the Year 8 curriculum on energy and the future. Well done year 8!
Just two days later, 20 Year 10 pupils were also involved in STEM endeavours. Pupils
were involved in a LEGO Mindstorms activity which saw them programming robots to
complete different tasks.
Pupils were taught about the importance of robots and programming for ventures
such as the Mars Rover and the danger of handling nuclear materials. They then
proceeded to learn how to use the programming EV3 tool and programme their
robots to move around, sense objects, change direction and play sounds. Pupils were
even able to make their robots cross the room and pick up an object according to its
colour! An exciting opportunity which the pupils found very enjoyable. Winners of the
competition for the best programmers went to Jack Povah and Morgan Nelson, who were
able to calculate the distances their robots were moving to absolute perfection. They
were closely followed by a team of Sophie Bakash, Philippa Brady & Lara Abunasra,
whose unfortunate robot dropped their collection block, meaning that they missed out
on the award.
This is especially relevant, as having won a LEGO Mindstorms competition, Wellington
School have now received two of their own robots for building and programming.
Miss Tyrer and Miss Carter
YEAR 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 News
Year 7
The Year 7’s have made a very
positive start to Wellington School
and are growing in confidence.
Our attendance, punctuality and behaviour
record are very good. The support for the
Year 7’s is strong with individual support
happening in Maths and English. The
Year group impressed me immensely with
their homework projects and I was blown
away with how confident their delivery
was throughout them. We recognise a
MVP (Most Valuable Pupil) each month for
students who have gone above and beyond
in terms of their standards for learning and
service to the school. The latest group
of students are: Armeen Shehzad, Jenna
Wood, Eleanor Lloyd-Williams, Alexa Lima,
Ollie Charman, Lucy Kilvert, Joe Edwards,
Tomas Soar, Mia Liddell, Ethan Steward,
Amy Robbins and Grace Cottrill. The Year
group are a close bunch of students who
are starting to gel well together and with
over 140 100% attenders it bodes well for
our future.
Mr Tomlinson
Year 8
Year 9
We have been
immensely
proud of our
Year 8 students
this year. This term I set
Year 9 a challenge
based on a national
competition called
the £10 Challenge.
They have
responded
positively to the
pressures of no longer being the ‘new kids on the block’
and in setting a good example to the new, incoming Year
7’s of the standards expected of students at Wellington.
Our pupils have shown a real get up and go attitude
– embracing our Year group motto of “Year 8 All
Stars”. The pupils have remained bright and positive
showing good effort and a real commitment to school
and learning. We have recognised excellence with our
competitive tutor league competition which awards the
best attending and most punctual pupils. Ever the sportsman, Mr Gubbins has taken the
punctuality race to heart and his tutor group have
smashed the league for the year to date. Well done to
8JGS who have enjoyed lollies and ‘Fast Track’ passes to
lunch for being eager beavers to getting to registration
on time. Miss MacGlinchey has been close on the heels
of 8JGS however and has been recognised as the most
improving tutor group for attendance and punctuality. Meanwhile over in the Science block, 8SPR and 8NTN
have been battling it out, sharing best attending tutor
groups and being rewarded for their achievements with a
free breakfast for their tutees.
There have been lots of successes both in the classroom
with effort, homework and academic achievement as
well as on the sporting fields –notably our award winning
Year 8 cheerleaders and our football and rugby teams. We have individuals in the Year group who are elite
athletes in judo, Irish dancing, cheerleading and football. In Music we are represented in the Halle Youth Choir. Whilst an exceptionally high achieving Year group
our pupils remain grounded, polite and respectful In
Assembly and tutor time we have been thinking about
positive role models in life. These have ranged from
Rocky Balboa and Nelson Mandela to Oprah Winfrey.
Also recognising our good manners and how our pupils
are prepared to go that extra mile are the
Year 8 PRO (People Respecting Others) Awards. These
awards have been created to acknowledge students in
the Year group who are continually respectful to their
peers and teachers and go that extra mile in class. Very
soon we will be rewarding this group of students with a
morning or afternoon mountain biking to show that even
good manners are acknowledged in Year 8.
Mr Travis and Mrs Thomson The £10 Challenge
provides a sum of money
for students to form a
‘business’; all costs and expenses need to come from the original sum of
money or any profit that is made. Each tutor group would be allowed to keep
the profits to buy themselves an end of year reward. Whoever made the
most money would win the competition.
However, the kind hearted individuals in Year 9 wanted to donate their
profits towards our school’s Sponsored Walk charity, Teenage Cancer Trust.
Therefore this term Year 9 have been making, baking, cleaning, painting, and
selling a whole host of products from fudge and chocolate, to car washing
and nail painting, as you will see from the accompanying photographs. At
the last count the combined total was heading towards the £400 mark.
There were also a couple of raffles ran by different tutor groups. SLS
organised a raffle where Key 103 tickets were up for grabs. The lucky winner
was Zara Ahmed 7ESD; we hope you enjoy the concert Zara! More winners
to come! Massive well done to Year 9 for all their hard work with the project.
But I have to add that I was very thankful for the Easter break not only for my
waist line but also my purse, which has regularly been emptied over the last
few weeks. One Year 9 pupil, who shall remain nameless, intentionally put a
mark-up on the price of some sweets I was buying! His reason? ‘Ah well it’s
you Miss!’ Charming!
Year 9 have also started to prepare for their GCSEs, which they are due
to start from September, by thinking about stress and how to effectively
manage it. Tutor groups have been producing posters that will be put on
display for the duration of their GCSEs as part of a wider attempt to ensure
that the year group has a positive ethos and growth mindset, which will be a
big focus point for the next two years.
Finally well done to KJS who won this term’s attendance league and have
tucked into a hearty breakfast of bacon butties. Individual prices for the
year’s 100% attenders have also included vouchers and Easter eggs.
This term saw the launch of Wellington’s Parental Partnership, which aims to
continue to develop good relationships between school and home. Our first
event was a showcase of pupil talent. A mix of Year 8 and 9 pupils came off
timetable for Period Five on the last Tuesday of term and made canapés and
cakes for invited teachers and their parents. Parents got to see the students
busying themselves in the Technology department before they served
the scrummy treats to parents and staff. On display were pieces of work
especially selected by the students involved and a chance to meet parents.
The event was undoubtedly a success, with students clearly proud of the
praise that they were receiving from their teachers and the superlatives
and compliments parents paid to the event. Oh and the students were very
appreciative of their cinema vouchers as a reward for their participation!
Well done to all students and staff involved (especially Mrs Ryan) and a
massive thank you to parents for taking the time to come along to share in
the achievements of their children.
Miss Tidbury
May 2016 29
YEAR 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 News
Year 10
Year 11
Year 10 have been preparing for
their upcoming GCSE exams this
term. Tutor time activities have
covered a range of revision based
activities.
The Spring term was an extremely busy time for Year 11. After a relaxing
Christmas break, pupils were asked to start thinking about putting
together revision timetables for the upcoming Mock exams in March.
Students have learnt and practised a
variety of revision methods, they have
also learnt some top tips for managing the
inevitable anxieties that crop up around
exam time.
On top of revision, Year 11 pupils had to complete their applications to the Sixth Form and
go through the daunting task of interviews with Mr Cropper and Miss Grey. I have been
told that all of them did well and both complimented the pupils for their maturity.
This came together with assemblies delivered by Heads of Department, which gave
specialist advice on how to best complete exams in the core subjects.
Mentoring also took place before and after the Mocks in March, allowing pupils to
discuss their revision strategies and any areas for improvement that needed addressing.
It is great to see the vast majority of Year 11 taking the challenges of final GCSE exams
seriously and the advice given by mentors is crucial to their success.
Students have also completed a unit of
work around managing their finances, and
have had to work out how much things
cost in real life! They then went on to think
about what can go wrong, and how to
keep on top of their finances. The students
finished the term by starting some drugs
education sessions that will continue after
the exam period.
Finally, a huge thank you to all of the parents of Year 11 pupils. Without your support,
it would be umpteen times harder to reach the academic achievements we have had in
the past and, hopefully, in the future. This was epitomised by the great turnout at GCSE
Preparation Evening at the end of the Spring term.
Miss Hodges
Mr Williams, Director of Year 11
Good luck to all of Year 11 in the Summer – the Year 11 team are hoping that the grades
will reflect the hard work that you have put in!
Mrs Copeland reports on some of the fantastic events of the Spring Term:
Anti-Bullying Ambassadors
“Hope”
January saw the launch of the
‘Enable’ Project at Wellington School.
Following the
anti-bullying
theme, Years
7 and 8 were
fortunate
to be able
to watch
the play “Hope” performed by The Takeaway Theatre in March. This was an excellent
production and the message was very clear- never underestimate the effect your behaviour
can have on someone. The play really made pupils think about how they behave towards
each other: “Hope” is the story of a beautiful and successful pop star returning to the town
where she grew up for the first time in years. A chance encounter between her and an old
school acquaintance brings back painful memories of her childhood and the systematic
abuse and bullying she suffered at the hands of a classmate. It is a story of courage, selfempowerment and redemption. The play, expertly delivered by professional actors, was
informative, thought-provoking and entertaining and there were follow up activities in tutor
periods.
We are extremely proud to have been
selected as one of the two schools in
Trafford to be given the opportunity to
take part in this European project. Forty six
pupils from Years 7-13 received two days
of training to become fully fledged antibullying ambassadors and peer support
mentors. Alistair Black, Behaviour and
Attendance Consultant for Trafford was
kind enough to deliver the level 1 training
with me in January and Level 2 training was
delivered by the 6th Form anti-bullying
ambassadors in March. Following the
training we now have a job description
for the role of peer supporter, contact
cards for pupils who are unsure who to
talk to if they feel unhappy and pupils in
all Year groups who patrol the site daily
alongside duty staff who feel confident to
deal with issues that may arise both in the
playground and around the site, and much
more! On 3rd May Peter Bower, Online
Safety Consultant working with the Safer
Internet Centre on the Enable Project, is
coming in to School to film and interview
some of our peer supporters. Huge thanks
must also go to the PSHE Department who
delivered ten sessions to Year 7 on the
topic of bullying and created a scheme of
work based on resources provided by the
Project.
Social Media Evening for Parents
On 15th March, Sharon Dixon from Essential Safeguarding delivered training to parents
regarding e-safety and covered such topics as the risks of certain “apps”, cyber bullying,
sexual exploitation, grooming and many other topics. All parents were welcome and I know
that those who attended found the event extremely informative.
Teenage Cancer Trust – cancer talks
Also in March, Kelly Scott from The Teenage Cancer Trust came into school and talked to
pupils in Years 10-13 about this disease which affects so many of us in some way. Kelly
emphasised how rare cancer is in teenagers and the survival rates for most teenage
cancers. She didn’t just talk about the symptoms and treatment, she also talked about her
own experience with cancer and the effect it had on her friends and family. I know from
talking to the pupils how much they gained from the talk in terms of awareness of cancer
but also how to deal with loved ones and friends who may be suffering from the disease.
SIXTH FORM News
Wellington Sixth Form
News, Views and
Reviews
to study to lead them on to their chosen
career paths. We really enjoyed the
interviews and how well they articulated
themselves. We are looking forward to our
new cohort! Well done Year 11!
Well, this term has been a ‘put
your head down and get on with
it’ kind of term. Both students
and staff have been very busy,
but here’s a flavour of some of
the enrichment and support that
has been going on…
Year 12 braved the elements on Wednesday
2nd March to attend the UCAS Convention
at Manchester Central. Despite it
being officially the second day of the
meteorological Spring, a raging sleet storm
greeted them upon their arrival off the
tram! Things improved enormously once
inside the venue where it was, thankfully,
warm and dry. 200+ exhibitors had set up
their stands and the place was buzzing
with conversation. Our students spent the
afternoon collecting information, talking
to representatives from UK universities,
gap year providers and employers and
attending seminars on a range of topics
including student finance, studying abroad
and post-degree career options. At the
end of the day they were laden down with
free promotional gifts (phone stands and
clips, water bottles, pens, bags…) and very
heavy prospectuses. Now the research and
reading really begins in earnest as they
try to narrow down their choices and firm
up their plans. The Convention is a timely
event to kick start this process and our Year
12s were very positive in their feedback
about the day. Exciting times – we know
from experience that it’ll be the end of Year
13 in a flash so it’s crucial to think ahead
and set themselves goals. As always, the
6th Form team are available to answer
questions and offer advice. So, parents and
students, please do get in touch if you’ve
a query or you’d just like some support in
making these important decisions.
In January, our 6th Formers were visited
by the Trafford Elections Team. They were
all encouraged to register to vote and
members of the team were available to
answer questions and offer advice. There
were lots of leaflets to take away and read
in their own time with the crucial message
being that their votes matter and that they
really should exercise their right to vote and
take an interest in political issues.
Of course we had the Sponsored Walk
in February and the usual amazing
costumes. The photos show the effort our
students went to, to make the day such an
enormous success! This year it was in aid
of the Teenage Cancer Trust and our Sixth
Form students in particular were inspired
by Laura McDonagh in Year 13 and the
assembly she gave to share her experiences
and advise how the trust helps those
battling this disease. So, off our students
went all dressed up with their buckets
and coaxed the very generous public of
Timperley to dig deep and raised a record £2,300 from their collection on the day to
kickstart the donations!
Mr Cropper and Miss Grey completed
interviews for Sixth Form last term, and
we have to say there were some very well
informed students who had clearly done
their research and knew what they had
On Wednesday 16th March, 5 Year 12
students, accompanied by Mr Cropper,
attended the North West Oxbridge
Conference at Aintree Racecourse. It was
a busy day of seminars on a range of
themes including ‘Oxford and Cambridge
Universities Explained’, ‘Making a
Competitive Application’ and ‘Student
Finance and Careers’. It provided our
students with an opportunity to find out
loads of information to get them thinking
about the important choices they’ll make
this summer and into the autumn. Even if
they decide an Oxbridge application is not
for them, the hints and tips they acquired
on the day will be extremely useful for any
university application. A good day was had
by all!
At the end of March there were many Year
12 & 13’s involved in a study day, different
techniques were discussed trying to help
students discover new ways to learn and
styles of learning that suited them better.
Revision techniques and planning have also
been a big feature of the tutor programme.
With the big jump in content, standard
and amount expected within A-levels, it is
important that new ways to tweak, develop
and improve are in place to help our Sixth
Form make progress. Those students who
engage with it really see a difference and
using the time planning makes a huge
difference in the stresses and strains the
workload can put you under.
To round off the term, huge thanks to staff
for extra lessons at Easter school, the Sixth
Form really do appreciate it!
So that’s all for now, good luck to
the Sixth Form in all their AS and A2
examinations, we know you can do it.
Mr Cropper, Miss Grey, Mrs Wilson
May 2016 31
CAREERS News
National Careers Week
7th- 11th March
During this week schools were asked
to focus in particular on Career
related activities.
Wellington is already fully involved in Careers
and Work-Related areas across the school
during the whole year, but we did embrace
the challenge and were able to engage our
students in various activities throughout the
week.
Year 8 were introduced to “Launchpad”
which is an interactive, online careers site
where students are able to match their
interests , abilities and personalities to
suggested Careers for the future. There are
over 400 careers with essential information,
plus engaging case studies, photographs and
videos illustrating real-life work activities.
The Year 8 Tutors introduced this to their
tutees in morning registration and the
following week each group were booked into
a computer room so that they could register
and obtain some very useful guidelines and
information.
On Wednesday 9th March Years 9, 10
and Sixth Form Students attended Skills
North West at Events City in Manchester
accompanied by Mrs Mackay, Mrs TaylorCrooke and Mrs Warburton. This is one of the
biggest careers, jobs and skills events in the
region where the students were able to meet
with top employers, colleges, universities,
training providers and advisers and industry
experts with in-depth knowledge. There
were numerous exhibitors, who had set
up information and interactive stands for
students to participate in throughout the
morning.
One stand in particular caught everyone’s
eye and that was the ITV News Stand,
where THE Tony Morris was actually helping
students to read the news from an autoreader whilst being filmed live on television.
Tony actually complimented two of our Sixth
Form Students, Ben Leith and Ben Johnson,
on how smart they looked, he was obviously
very impressed! Mrs Taylor-Crooke was
enamoured to be in the presence of Tony
Morris, but was too shy to take a turn at
reading the news, even though we did try to
persuade her!
Whilst the two Ben’s were presenting the
news, Year 10 students Jess Chappell, Lola
Charvin and Rosie Coan were taking part in a
televised scene from Coronation Street, very
exciting!
Our Students were able to obtain advice,
guidance and the latest information available
to help them make informed decisions
about their future careers. They picked up
leaflets, prospectuses and even some free
promotional gifts, such as mugs, badges,
pens, clips etc.
This event as ever was both enjoyable and
very beneficial to our students and we were
proud that they were representing Wellington
School.
On Thursday the 10th March we welcomed
Trafford College into school to speak to our
students and provide information about
Apprenticeships, which was well attended by
Years 10, 11 and Sixth Form.
Mrs Mackay
Wellington School, Wellington Road,
Timperley, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA15 7RH
Tel: 0161 928 4157
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.wellington.trafford.sch.uk
32
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Summer Term Newsletter 2016

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