to the latest edition - The Nottingham Emmanuel School

ISSUE 21 DECEMBER 2012
Emmanuel
EXPRESS
May the peace
and hope of
Christ’s birth
be with you now and
in the days ahead...
ALSO IN THIS
ISSUE
We W i l l Ro c k Yo u
Red Hot Mic
Extravaganza
Next stop…
Outstanding!
We were delighted to welcome a
team of Ofsted inspectors to the
school on 30-31 October as part of
the Section 5 inspection programme.
The inspection team observed a
wide variety of lessons, analysed
the progress of students and the
outcomes of our exam results and
indeed spoke to a large number of
students about their views of the
school. The views of parents and
of Governors were also gathered
as part of the inspection. Following
this process, we are very pleased to
report that the school has now been
graded ‘Good’ in every category of the
new framework . This is testament
to the excellent improvements
that continue to be seen across all
areas of the school as we continue
our journey towards Outstanding in
the next 2 years. Our students are
making good progress across all key
stages because of the consistently
good teaching that they receive,
and the excellent level of pastoral
care and guidance that underpins
the whole school Christian ethos.
Carol Fearria, Headteacher
commented, “I am absolutely
thrilled with this well deserved
outcome which validated our own
judgements and am so grateful to
all the staff, students, parents and
governors who have worked so
hard through strong partnerships
to secure this positive result. This
is a strong Church school on a clear
journey to become Outstanding,
and this is a very notable and
important stepping stone towards
achieving that goal!”
Natasha
A Swimming Success
Mrs Fearria shares her Ofsted delight with students, proud of their school’s success
Together to learn, to grow, to serve
DE-TIMETABLED DAYS
We are very proud at Emmanuel of the wide range of
activities and opportunities that we offer to our students,
in school and out, both within curriculum time and also at
lunchtimes and after school. We are however continually
looking to develop this provision further. One such
development, introduced last academic year with such
positive outcomes, is to have three de-timetabled days in
mid-November.
The normal timetable
was again collapsed
on 14-16 November
to provide extended
periods of curriculum
time in order to deliver
workshops in exciting
and innovative ways.
The De-timetabled days
also provided for wider
learning opportunities in
the delivery of citizenship
programmes. For each
year group, the purpose
of the de-timetabling is
different, focusing on
a range of outcomes
including team-building,
personal development,
core subject consolidation
and foundation subject
extension activities.
I had the privilege of
spending most of these
three days moving from
activity to activity, from
session to session,
and witnessed what
makes this school the
wonderful place that it is.
I saw students engrossed and I saw learning at its most
progressive. I am hugely proud of everyone’s achievements
and hugely grateful for all the hard work and dedication that
went into making these days such a success.
Mr Smith, Deputy Headteacher
PSHE and Citizenship Days
Students in Years 8, 9 and
10 have recently taken
part in themed Citizenship/
PSHE days, focussing on
the important themes of
Friendship, Relationships
and Mental & Emotional
Health. Students engaged
with the workshops and
friendships and concluded
with an ’Open Forum’ event.
Students put their questions
to members of Emmanuel
staff, older students and
visitors from Nottingham
Forest Football Club, one of
whom was a trainee referee.
He gave a particularly
interesting insight
into the campaign
to ‘stamp out’
both racism and
bullying on the
football field
and students
welcomed the
opportunity to
pose questions.
Year 10 students
looked at issues
surrounding
mental and emotional
health and engaged in
lively debates designed to
challenge stereotyping and
preconceptions as well as
deepening understanding
of the issues. We continue
to gather the thoughts and
reflections from students
following these events;
their contributions help us
with the future planning
of the Citizenship and
PSHE curriculum. We
continue to be impressed
by their responses as they
participate in these days,
demonstrating skills which
will equip them for strongs
relationships in their adult
lives.
Mr Doorbar, Director of
Learning for RS, PSHE/
Citizenship and Spiritual
Growth
varying activities with an
impressive mixture of
commitment, curiosity and
enthusiasm, asking plenty of
questions and sharing their
personal view points with
both peers and teachers.
For the Year 9 day which
focused on relationships,
we welcomed a theatre
company who delivered a
powerful piece of drama,
exploring the importance
of love and trust in
relationships. Students
participated in interactive
workshops with the actors,
who remained ‘in character’,
allowing our students the
opportunity to question their
decisions and talk to them
about the consequences of
their actions, which made
for a really meaningful and
heated debate! The Year
8 day focussed on
Above: Bethany Maynard, Andrew Sherwin,
the strengthening of
Hamzah Mahmood, and Chloe Elvin
with Mr Doorbar
Top: Luke Bowerman and Lewis Philips busy constructing; Middle
and Bottom Left: Science demonstration in the hall, with Sophie
Crew assisting ; Bottom Right: Charlie Marsh keeps his audience
captivated
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Together to learn, to grow, to serve
BBBBBB
Year 7 Residential proves
‘You can do it!’
Raekwon Dyer and Hashim Iqbal at
the Boots HQ in Lenton
reflect
on these
questions - What could I do
to begin looking for God in
my own life? Where can I
find examples of him being
there already? The students
were asked to reflect on this
key message and to use their
faith when they embarked
on challenging experiences
both inside and outside of the
classroom. ‘A target I will set
myself when I return to school
is to always try new and
interesting things – even if I am
scared.’ (Heavenly Butcher)
Overall, in the words of
Hannah Ward, ‘The Pioneer
was brilliant. The group I
worked with were amazing
and we helped each other. The
activities were really fun and
challenging. It gave everyone a
chance to become friends. The
three days were absolutely
amazing!’
Ms Morley, Director of
Student Services/Achievement
& Pastoral Manager Year 7
Top:The Pioneer Centre; Bottom Left: Cameron Darkin-Price and
toni-rose Bryan enjoying the Centre’s facilities; Right: Faith Tucker
faces her challenge with gusto
“As part of our GCSE Business
Studies programme, we are
researching the renowned
company Boots. In addition to a
speaker coming in to talk to us
about the company, we also went
on a trip to the main Boots site in
Lenton to see their Head Office.
This was a unique experience. We
started the day with a tour around
the work stations. There were
many computer desks and people
on every single floor showing how
much work goes into making the
company as successful as possible.
I was particularly interested in
the fact that they all work in an
open plan environment. Next we
BUSINESS TRIP
The Pioneer Centre is set in
stunning countryside on the
edge of the Wye Forest. An
exhilarating itinerary involving
climbing, abseiling, rope
challenges, caving and archery
enabled students to develop
skills of resilience, teamwork
and perseverance.
Throughout the visit students
had time to reflect not only on
their own successes but how
they had worked together to
enable each other to achieve
their goals. The support and
encouragement of the Pioneer
instructors was evident in
every interaction they had
with our students.
‘Initially I was scared of the
high ropes but the Pioneer
instructor talked me through
the whole thing. Afterwards I
felt proud of myself’ (Scarlet
Wright)
This experience not only
enabled students to embark
on an array of activities but
it also provided them with
an opportunity for spiritual
reflection. The quiet and
tranquil surroundings gave
students time to worship
together. One of the Acts of
Worship encouraged students
to think about their own
spiritual journey - Matthew 7:7
asked the students to
were shown a presentation
which gave us an insight
on the performance of
Boots, their ownership and
how they are expanding.
I was impressed how
Boots have grown over
the years and what
a successful business
they are. We had an
excellent talk about how
Boots compete in a very
tough market, how they target
different types of customers
and how the buying habits of
men are different from women.
Particularly, men leave buying
presents until the last minute!
The tour was both extremely
interesting and helpful for our
coursework and to get an insight
into the logistics of a leading
business. Before the trip I had
an idea of what competitors
Boots had and some statistics;
however, after the trip, I had new
knowledge to apply to my work.
It was a great trip and I was very
thankful to the staff who took us.”
Heather Keith (1007)
DYSON
DISASSEMBLED!
A group of Year 9 Designers
had the opportunity to put their
knowledge into practice and
carry out a product analysis
on the much sought after
Dyson vacuum cleaner, which
was supplied by the James
Dyson Foundation.
Students were able to
disassemble a part of the
cleaner, examine the use
of this new technology,
assess the materials used
and consider what actually
goes into the manufacturing
process of an everyday
household item. Students
investigated product analysis
and, importantly, the design
decisions that go behind it.
The James Dyson Foundation
states: “We want to excite
young people about design
and engineering, demystify
the design process, and
encourage creativity.”
Our students certainly agree
with this and according to
Nicole Cox, “I liked it because
it was a real product that I
could take apart and I thought
it was really interesting.”
Overall, it was a unique
educational experience that
provided our students with
the opportunity to actively
engage with such an iconic
product and hopefully foster
their imagination to consider
creating a product of their own
in the future.
Ms Gyekye, Teacher of
Design and Technology
Top: Year 9 Designers Haleemah
Akhtar and Leanne Faulkner rise
to the challenge; Bottom: Tyler
Beswick disassembles his Dyson
vacuum cleaner
Together to learn, to grow, to serve
3
care and consideration. The
money raised was added to
a collection taken by staff
and amounted to a fantastic
£150 to be donated to
Macmillan Cancer Support.
Following such a successful
event the students were
also invited to help with a
celebration event at Wilford
Church; they spent an
afternoon serving at a lunch
party and taking part in the
service led by Reverend
Phil Marsh. Once again
every person involved was
a credit to Emmanuel.
Thank you to everyone who
contributed in any way, and
a big well done to:
On Thursday 4 October
the Showcase Community
Team hosted a Macmillan
Coffee Morning for a group
of elderly guests. The idea
stemmed from Natasha
Darkin-Price who heard
of the ‘World’s Biggest
Coffee Morning’ project
being run by Macmillan
Cancer Support, and took
the initiative to order a pack
that would start the process
going.
A huge amount of hard
work and planning went
into the event including
advertising, making
decorations, organising
entertainment for the
guests and a presentation
writing about the Macmillan
Charity. Many staff
contributed beautiful
culinary creations and
Ms Weston’s ‘Let’s Get
Cooking’ club provided an
amazing array of freshly
baked scones.
As always, the students
Natasha Darkin-Price,
Alice Edmonds, Chloe
Elvin, Bethany Maynard,
Sophie Pearce, Hannah
Bravo, Reuben Jackman,
Elliott Rodel, Reuben Lee.
Ms Towler,
Academic Mentor
involved were a huge credit
to the school and I was
immensely proud of how
they welcomed and served
the guests with genuine
Interhouse Hamper Competition
The school interhouse hamper competition
is an annual service event whereby each
tutor group across the school is invited by
their Heads of House, to work together as
a team to design, create and compile a
Christmas hamper with the aim of supporting
those less fortunate than ourselves in the
local community. The contents are donated
to Emmanuel House and the Friary Drop
In Centre, which are organisations that
support the homeless and the vulnerable.
This traditional event is a fantastic way of our
students living out our mission statement and
“to serve” the local community.
The competition began on Monday 3
December. Students will have had two
weeks to complete the hamper, but more
importantly, bring in items to fill their design.
Every year we are amazed at the efforts of
the staff and the students who maintain this
generous tradition.
Mrs Wilkins, Head of Yellow House.
Estelle Demafelix, Alex Jackson, Rachel
Newstead, Ms Kapoor and Daanish Khan
working on the design of their hamper
PEAK ADVENTURE
As part of a unit of work entitled ‘Landscapes,’ the Geography
department took Year 8 students to Dovedale in Derbyshire with the
aim of allowing them to see and experience awe-inspiring landscapes at
first hand and to practise a range of fieldwork techniques such as field
sketching, bipolar analysis and environmental surveying. Students learnt
about the geological history of the area and examined how tourism
was having an impact on the landscape. Unfortunately, heavy rain in the
drainage basin overnight had left the stepping stones impassable so
students had to complete the arduous and exhausting task of climbing
Thorpe Cloud – no mean feat considering that it stands at 287 metres
above sea level! The views across the valley enabled students to see a
V shaped valley and breathtaking limestone scree hills. Following our
descent, students went on to enjoy learning about how the landscape
had changed over time due to natural and human processes. The
students returned to school tired and a little bit muddy but all had
enjoyed the opportunity to actually witness real life landscapes rather
than simply examining pictures in the classroom.
Mrs Simpson, Teacher of Geography
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Together to learn, to grow, to serve
T
his year the drama department
decided to put on our most
ambitious production so far. “We Will
Rock You” is a wild, rock-and-roll show
that uses the music of Queen and an
hilarious, science fiction script written
by Ben Elton. It is about a group of
young people who want to break out of
the cyber culture that has taken over.
They want to be rebels and they want to
rock!
Overall, the production was a creative
musical display that was adapted to suit
the context of our school. It showcased
the original talents of our students and
successfully brought together the cast
and audience. It was such fun to watch!
It was evident that the show was hugely
demanding as it required performers
who could act, sing and dance. It also
required an incredible band, a great set
and outstanding
visuals. More than
fifty people had to
work together to
create this daring
and exciting show.
Ms Richards and
Miss Miles who attended
the first night of We
Will Rock You were
really impressed with the
production. Ms Richards
said, “It even topped
Hairspray for me as my
favourite school musical
so far! The visual effects
that have been specially
created for our version
were great, as was the
set design. The students'
performances and the
playing of the band really
were of an exceptionally
high standard.”
Congratulations to
everyone who contributed
to the success of We Will
Rock You
Performers:
Emma Blyth, Kirsty Barnes,
Aaliyah Brown, Eleanor Dickens,
Sally Jackman, Destiny Daniels,
Natasha Darkin-Price, Ellie
Piggins, George White, Luke
Parr, Alice Edmonds, Beth
Chadwick, Katie Collins, Caitlin
Hill, Georgia Stapleton-Green,
Katie Faulconbrige, Paulina
Moskwa’ Abigail Pendergast,
Georgie Blyth, Jessica Blyth,
Beth Maynard, Nicole Lyons,
Rosie Bentham, Rachel
Newstead, Sam Towner,
Ala Habibiani, Charley-Mae
Middleton, Ellie Eden
Band:
Mark Duckers, Brandon Hill,
Joshua Marsh, Jacob Hill
Tech:
Morgan Salt, James Bentham,
Matt Prior, Abbie Edmonds
Backstage:
Luke Parr and Freya Owen
Top: The cast and band in full
rehearsal mode; Bottom: The finale
Together to learn, to grow, to serve
5
RED HOT
MIC
TRIUMPH
Red Hot Mic is a singing and rapping
competition organised by the Red
House Student Action Team (Shayne
Nhidza 1602, Emmanuel Ojomo
1602, Jessica Higgot 1002, Katie
Slepko 1002, Meredes Powell 802
and Nicole Allen) to raise money for
the Red House charity Christian Aid.
Specifically, the money raised will
go to the Kailahun Health Project in
Sierra Leone, a hospital that supports
mothers and children in need of
medical attention shortly after birth.
There were 11 acts competing for the
overall winners prize and each one of
the audience bought a ticket for £1
to watch. The show took place from
3:30pm – 5:15pm and was a huge
success, raising nearly £400. In total
there were 4 judges (Ramone ‘Ram 1’
Williams who has been nominated for
a Mobo Award, Rob Green, an up and
coming performer from Nottingham,
Andy King from Confetti Recording
Studios and Mr Ellis), all of the judges
can constructive feedback to the acts
after they had finished in front of the
live audience.
The students in the audience were a
credit to the school, demonstrating
their strong sense of community
by not only supporting all the acts
but also through their generous
contributions to Christian Aid.
The winner of the competition, as
voted by the audience, was Faith
Tucker from Year 7 who sang an
Operatic classic which wowed the
audience. Faith is an amazing talent
and it was a privilege to hear such
a unique voice. Faith will now go
and record a song professionally
at Confetti Recording Studios and
perform live on the radio, which we
are sure will be just the beginning of
an amazing singing career.
Mr Irons, Head of Red House
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SKYFALL
As part of the GCSE Media Studies course,
students are asked to analyse the promotional
material of an action film. This year, we have been
looking at the new Bond film: Skyfall. In order for
us to be able to analyse the narrative of the film
effectively in our essays, both media groups went
to the cinema.
Chris Kanikula, in Year 10, said, 'That was one of
the best Bond films I've seen. It was so clever in
referencing the films of the past.’
Ms Carrick, Teacher of English & KS4 Manager
Photo: Alix Barret and Shannon Gascoine posing
as Bond Girls contenders!
A DREAM COME TRUE
On 20 November, myself and Mr Aistrup
took our AS Level English Literature
class to see a unique performance of A
Midsummer Night's Dream at Nottingham
University's Lakeside Theatre. This term
we have been studying the LITB2 unit
'Dramatic Genres', where our focus has
been on the genre of Comedy. Students
were treated to an unusual and unique
take on the Shakespeare classic, as the
play was performed with a rather unlikely
World War 2 theme. From Puck's manic
and mischievous magic, to Bottom's
bumbling and blissful ignorance, students
were able to see how the play was taken
from page to stage and re-interpreted in
a thoroughly entertaining way. Performed
by the Mappa Mundi theatre company,
the play had students (and staff) in
stitches throughout as the mayhem of
love potions, misunderstandings and
confusion combined to provide a magical
and masterful experience for all to enjoy.
Everyone involved with the trip took
a lot from the performance, and being
able to see a 'live' version of the play
will undoubtedly give students a strong
understanding of not only the script, but
also of the genre of comedy.
Mr Willshire, Teacher of English
Top to Bottom: The winner, Faith Tucker; Rob Green, guest judge; Mr Ellis;
Brandon Hill
6
Together to learn, to grow, to serve
Book Week 2012
Heroes and Heroines in the Olympic Year
Tom Palmer, our guest author visited
us on Friday, November 2nd. He
brought with him goal posts and a soft
ball to involve students in a penalty
shootout! The LRC was turned into a
football stadium for the day. Students
who answered quiz questions correctly
were invited to take penalties with Miss
Bell starring in goal. Thank you to all students and staff who took part in this
very successful annual event. Also thank you to our Chair of Governors,
Heidi Shewell-Cooper for recommending Tom to come to School. He really
enthused us all to get reading! We have all of Tom’s books available for loan
in the LRC. Why not borrow one soon?
Mr Pycroft , Learning Resource Manager
WINNERS
Writing competition winners:
Lexi Carnell 706
Ella Filz 707
Mei Yan Lee 802
Name Badge competition winners:
Noon Nassr 906
Alena Anthony 906
The Tom Palmer Quiz winners:
Kyra Waldram 703
Umu Cisse 803
Top: Tom Palmer with Chris Brown and
Farhaan Jawed; Middle: Tom talks about his
book; Right: Mr Pycroft in the penalty shootout
“White Fear” by Tom Palmer is a great book with lots of suspense and
excitement on nearly every page! So I would definitely say that this is a very
good read and recommend it to other students.
Eleanor Harris 802
STUDENTS INSPIRED BY ARTIST
Year 12 Fine Art and Textile students were privileged to work
alongside Jeanne Roberts, a Nottingham based English Arts Council
recognised Textile artist, who trained at
the highly esteemed Camberwell and
St Martin School in London. With the
aid of digital imagery derived from her
original art work, Jeanne created a fluid
and richly coloured Nuno felting wall
hanging, which consisted of complex
textured surfaces. Jeanne worked
with the Year 12 students to produce
their own Nuno felting interpretation.
According to Sophie Shepherd, “Jeanne
inspired me to be more passionate
about my subject. She helped me
express myself through my work” and
Coral Parkes said, “Jeanne showed me different techniques that I could experiment with”. Overall this
experience will broaden the students’ skills and allow them to actively apply the techniques that they
have developed into their own practice.
Ms Jones, Teacher of Design and Technology
Together to learn, to grow, to serve
7
OLYMPIC HOPEFUL
FOOTBALL
U12 Girls Football City Champions
The girls’ football teams from Emmanuel are proving to
be a force to be reckoned with after winning the U13 City
Competition last week. In addition to this, the Year 7 girls went
along to take part in their first City Football Competition at
Power League. The students showed tremendous determination
and skill to remain unbeaten throughout the competition,
winning 6 out of the 8 matches. They were crowned City
Champions (the first time in this age group!) and will be
representing the City in February at Derby County.
Please congratulate the students, especially Natasha Hudson
who was fantastic, scoring 17 of our 20 goals!
Mrs Wilkins, Head of House
The Team: Natasha Hudson (C), Judith Portwood, Freya
Gibbard, Katie Townsend, Alisha Ali-din, Jess Blyth, Georgie Blyth
ATHLETICS
Our Year 7 students
went to the
Athletics City finals
on Wednesday 28
November, after both
the boys and the
girls teams qualified
in 1st place from the
previous heats. The
girls were fantastic
in the track events,
coming 1st in 6/7 of
them. The boys were
equally as impressive,
with some outstanding
performances from
Rayhon Edwards, Mads
Norlov and Dylan Kubu.
Overall, the girls were crowned City Champions after beating the
other five represented teams and the boys managed to beat The
Nottingham High School and finish runner-up to Fernwood School.
The girls now go forward to the County competition in February,
to represent the City in the school games.
Mr Marsh, Sports Community Leader
Girls: Natasha Hudson, Alisha Ali-din, Anita Gaspar, Ella Filz, Ilona
Sawika, Katie Townsend, Yahkemah Lee, Kimberley Senior
Boys: Dylan Kubu, Rayhon Edwards, Mads Norlov, Daniel Radford,
Oliver Thomas, Tyese Ravenhill, Arnold Rukainga
Post 16 student, Natasha Hofton continues in her
quest to make the next Olympic games by undergoing
intensive training
with the British
Youth Swimming
Squad. Natasha
was amongst a
team of eight young
people, between
the ages of 15 and
17, who travelled to
Rio. During the visit,
she and the squad
viewed the plans for
the 2016 Olympic
Aquatics Centre,
which will be used
as the diving and
synchronised
swimming venue
for Rio 2016.
Following on
from this, Natasha then flew to Cuiaba (Central South
America) for 2 more days of training, followed by 3 days
of competition in the Brazilian School Games. Natasha
competed against Brazilian National swimmers and other
international teams in the 50m and 100m Backstroke
and the 4 x 100m Freestyle, winning GOLD in all three
events!
The entire experience has certainly given Natasha
an added incentive to make the Senior Squad with a
view to swimming in the Senior World and European
Championships, in preparation for the Olympic qualifiers
in 2016. Congratulations Natasha on such an outstanding
achievement!
Ms Wharrier, Director of Expressive and Performing Arts
& PE Learning Community
DATES FOR JANUARY/
FEBRUARY 2013
Monday 7 January: Term starts
Monday 21 January: Year 7 and Year 12 History trip to
Hampton Court
Tuesday 29 January: AS Geography field trip to
Birmingham
Thursday 31 January: Year 8 Parent Evening
4.00-6.00pm
Thursday 7 February: Parent Partnership Forum meeting
7.00-8.30pm
Wednesday 13 February: Year 11 Parent Evening 2
4.00-6.00pm
Monday 18 February – Friday 22 February: Half Term
Monday 25 February: INSET DAY
Tuesday 26 February Term starts - all students in school
Together to learn, to grow, to serve
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