The Netherhall School and Sixth Form Centre

The Netherhall School
and Sixth Form Centre
December 2011
Issue 281
Letter from the Principal
Dear Parents & Students
I am very pleased to provide
for you the end of term newsletter to mark the close of the
Autumn term.
There are a number of
matters I wish to bring to your
attention:
1.
ICT Mark
The school has been successful in once again securing
the ICT Mark. This is awarded
following a rigorous external
quality assurance assessment
of the school‟s provision in ICT.
I was particularly pleased that
the school‟s significant expertise in the use of ICT across
the 11-18 curriculum is viewed
to be of very high quality. The
school‟s
commitment
to
advancing
new technologies
in a school based setting has
also been recognised within
the award.
Particular thanks go to Mr
Alastair Wells (Director of ICT)
for leading the work needed to
achieve this prestigious award
once again. My thanks also to
the staff at Netherhall for
consistently delivering quality
lessons that use ICT in such
creative and practical ways.
2.
Weather Warning
We have managed to have a
fairly mild Winter thus far
and this has meant that we
have not had any closure
days for bad weather. However, the early months of 2012
may bring harsh weather
conditions. Please do look at
the school‟s web site for
information with regard to
potential closure when there
is ice and snow. The local
radio stations also feature
regular bulletins regarding
schools having to close in the
event of bad weather. Clearly,
a decision to close would only
be taken if this is absolutely
necessary.
Mrs Caroline McKenney (Principal)
Mrs Nikky Parker (Assistant
Principal pictured with Mr John
D’Abbro from ‘Jamie’s Dream School’
3.
Piano Appeal
Please do support Netherhall‟s
piano fund raising appeal if
you are able to do so. You can
make a donation to the appeal
through the school office or by
advising me of potential sponsors that might have an interest in supporting the students
through purchase of a new
grand Piano. Emma Snow
(Head of Music) would also be
very pleased to discuss the
„Be a Key Sponsor‟ piano
appeal.
4. 140 Year Celebrations
In the course of 2011
the
school
has
hosted
a number of wonderful celebrations to mark the occasion
of Netherhall‟s one hundred
and fortieth birthday. The
events included the opening
of key buildings (The Science
Centre, The Pavilion Building,
Dance
Studio
and
All
Weather Pitch as well as „The
Hub‟).
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Principal’s letter continued
We were delighted to welcome 5. Staff Departures
Mr John D‟Abbro from Jamie‟s
Dream School as guest of
honour at the opening of “The
Hub”. Mr D‟Abbro is also a
Headteacher and a keen
advocate for young people.
He expressed that
the
provision at the Hub would be
Principal, Mrs Clare Wright (Head
very inspiring for young people Assistant
of Sixth Form with Deputy Heads of Sixth
at Netherhall who are in Form (Mr Keith Day and Mr David Clarke)
are pictured at a celebration Sixth Form
particular need of working assembly in Netherhall’s Atrium Hall that
the occasion of Mrs Wright
at a gentler pace when the marked
retirement.
occasion demands.
Many
Netherhll’s Head Girl, Lydia Melville, (also
thanks to Nikky Parker, pictured) commented of Mrs Wright that ‘She
Assistant Principal for organis- has a way of making you feel warm inside.
ing the opening of the facility.
Many of you will already
The most recent celebration know that Mrs Clare Wright
(The 2011 Christmas Concert) (Head of Sixth Form/ Assistant
was a very joyful and reflective Principal) will relinquish this
occasion which included a role on 31 December 2011.
moving
reading from former Ms Jo Gurvidi who is well
Netherhall pupil John Cash. regarded by student's will
Mr Cash is currently The Head
of Design Technology
at assume the Head of Sixth
Netherhall. Mr Stephen Berry Form/Assistant Principal role on
(School Network Manager) did 1 January 2012. Ms Gurvidi is
a brilliant light show with his currently Assistant Principal
team. Congratulations to Mrs with Teaching & Learning
Snow, Mr Ecclestone and to responsibility at Netherhall.
all musicians and contributors
She is well known to the Sixth
for making the Christmas
concert such a special end Form through her work as a
to our 140th birthday year. You Geographer and through her
will see photographs later in Senior Leadership role in the
the Newsletter.
school.
has had a significant impact in
the school and in the Sixth
Form. She is also very highly
regarded by students, parents
Netherhall is a school where
celebration is part of the
school‟s very essence. There
will be even more to celebrate
in 2012 as students and staff
are always keen to showcase
their work.
All students are due back in
school on Wednesday 4
January 2012. Please ensure
that appropriate uniform is
worn and that equipment is
complete in readiness for work.
I would like to pay tribute to
the very significant contribution
made to the school and to
Netherhall‟s Sixth Form that
has been made by Mrs Wright
on the occasion of her
departure from her role as
Head of Sixth Form. Since
joining the school in 2001 she
and staff for her ability to
combine rigour with warmth
and approachability.
I am delighted that Mrs
Wright has agreed to return
to Netherhall on a part-time
basis.
In
January
2012
she will undertake key Teaching, Learning & Assessment
responsibilities.
6. Student safety
The party season is upon us
and I would urge all students to
be very careful when moving
around the Cambridge area.
I would ask students to not
travel alone in the dark and to
always advise parents and contacts of their whereabouts.
There have been a number of
cycling and road accidents
reported to us in the city so
please use reflective clothing
where possible, observe the
highway code and ensure that
bikes have working lights.
7. Return to School
A staff training day will take
place on Tuesday 3 January
2012.
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Principal’s Letter Continued
8. Work & Play
Our students are fortunate in
having a good holiday period
ahead. There is a good opportunity for rest and recovery
and also the opportunity for
some work. I would urge some
use of the next fortnight for a
clear out of bags and
bedrooms to make way for
the year ahead. Sifting of
work and completion of work
where necessary will prove to
be a good thing particularly
before 2012 itself. The start of
the New Year affords the
opportunity to make‟ the New
Year‟s resolutions‟ that are
necessary for improvement in
2012.
All good wishes to each one
of you for the festive season
and for 2012.
Yours sincerely,
Caroline McKenney
Principal
Netherhall’s Sixth Form Goes From Strength to Strength
He spoke of his enthusiasm
for life at Selwyn College,
Cambridge where he is reading Natural Sciences which is
one of the most competitive
and
demanding
degree
courses in the university.
Lance highlighted that he is
continuing to play the violin
and that he is in the company
of many keen Music enthusiasts. He is enjoying the new
experience of being a very
early riser and can be seen in
Many students return to tell us the very early hours on the
about their experiences at
University. This year we were
delighted when a number of
students came to see us before
the close of the term.
Recent figures for Netherhall‟s
Sixth form students again show
that the vast majority of
Netherhall students enter their
first choice universities to
include the prestigious Russell
group universities as well as
Oxbridge. The 320 strong Sixth
Form places students in an
extensive range of Science
and Arts‟ disciplines across
twenty nine subject disciplines
as well as related disciplines.
Lance Mao dropped into school
to see staff and friends.
River Cam as part of Selwyn‟s
rowing crew.
Lance
deserves
further
congratulations for achieving a
prestigious Ogden Trust Scholarship. The £4500 scholarship
has been awarded to him by
multi-millionaire and financier
Sir Peter Ogden.
Lance said „I am very grateful to
Netherhall for helping me to get
to the next steps in my life.
Netherhall‟s Sixth Form gave
me great opportunities. In the
Sixth Form I was focused on
getting into Cambridge but I
never thought that I would
achieve a scholarship too. I
hope that other students reach
out and grab the opportunities
that Netherhall gave me.‟
Changes to the Governing Body in 2011
Goodbye to Derek Jones (Community Governor), Veronica Thornton (Parent Governor), Gary
Moynehan (Community Governor) and Anne Dickinson (Staff Governor). We thank them all for their
hard work during their time on the Governing Body.
Welcome to Bernie Neep (Staff Governor), David Elliott (Community Governor), Mark Belham
(Parent Governor and Uwe Richter (Parent Governor).
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Examination Notices
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Tuesday 10 January – Thursday 2 February – GCE and GCSE examinations
Thursday 12 January – November exam results
Wednesday 7 March – Year 11 GCSE Maths resit (Unit 2)
Thursday 8 March – January exam results
14 May – 27 June – GCE and GCSE examinations
Thursday 16 August – GCE examinations results
Thursday 23 August – GCSE examination results
Examination Timetables
Students have been given a
copy of their own personal
exam
timetable
for
the
January exams with the rules
and regulations printed on the
reverse. A copy of the overall
timetable and the exam rules
are on the school website for
information.
Morning exams start at 0900
hours and afternoon exams
at 1330 hours. Students must
arrive 20 minutes before the
start of each examination.
Prior to each examination,
students must check the
daily lists showing the room/s
and students‟ desk numbers
for that exam. Students will be
called into the examination
room according to their
desk number. Once in the
examination room, and until
they leave, examination rules
will be enforced.
Equipment, bags, books and
mobile telephones
Students must only bring the
appropriate equipment to each
examination – black pens,
pencils, calculator, etc. Any
pencil case must be clear
plastic. Water in an unlabelled
clear bottle may also be taken
into the examination room.
All
valuables,
including
mobile phones, MP3 players
and
iPods
should
be
left
at home or in the
student’s locker as we cannot guarantee their safekeeping. Anyone found to be
in possession of any product
with an electronic communication/storage device or digital
facility (whether switched on or
not) is likely to be disqualified.
Students should not have
notes in their pockets or anything else that might be
considered cheating.
There are strict penalties
enforced by the examination
boards for anyone found to be
in contravention of the rules
which may result in a student
being disqualified from that
examination or
qualification.
the
whole
Sickness
Any student who is unable to
sit an examination due to sickness must inform the school
before the start of the exam
and a doctor’s certificate
must be provided. If a
student feels unwell during an
examination, the invigilator
must be informed. Other
matters which may affect a
student‟s performance, such
as bereavement or other crisis
should also be reported.
Non-attendance
Please note that it is the
school‟s policy to charge for
examination entries when a
student fails to attend a public
examination without evidence
of a legitimate reason.
We wish all students every
success in their forthcoming
examinations
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Christmas Concert
This years Christmas Concert
was absolutely spectacular !
The hall was transformed into
a Winter Wonderland and over
100 students (current and
former) and staff performed to
a packed audience.
This years concert was particularly special because it was not
only a celebration of Christmas
but also Netherhall‟s 140th
Birthday.
Performances included items
from the Stage Band, the Jazz
Band, Choirs, the Ukulele
group and the Percussion
ensemble.
Students included Tom Brice,
Lauren
Lau,
Abbygaile,
Amaranto, Bocheng Wang
and Max-Kent Isaacs. Will
Hollis and Leslie Trede also
impressed the audience with
their body popping.
The audience and performers
enjoyed mulled wine, juice and
mince pies after the concert in
the Atrium.
The evening was a mix of
popular and traditional music
and the audience were invited
to join in with a medley of
carols to bring the concert to a
close.
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Fame Fundraiser at Tesco
Those of you familiar with the Saturday morning Tesco run at the
Fulbourn/Cherry Hinton store, may well have been treated to some
of the songs from this year‟s Autumn production of Fame. Thirty
students from the cast sang their hearts out in the entrance foyer,
simultaneously rehearsing their parts and raising money towards the
production. The morning was a great success, raising over £200 and
showcased some of the hard work and talent of Netherhall students
in the local community.
‘Fame’
Meanwhile, at the High School for the Performing Arts…this year‟s production of Fame the
Musical was another hit success, selling out on both the second and third performance nights.
The show was an opportunity for the wealth of Netherhall talent to shine, with a cast of 15 lead
parts played by students from years 8 to 13, three choruses totaling around 60 students from
years 7 to 10, a magnificent band and for the first time in a Netherhall production, a specialist
dance troupe made up of dance leaders from years 8-10. Here are just a few comments from
people who came to see the show: “It is so brilliant to see the progress in individual students.”
“I went to see Fame, I really enjoyed it. Great show.” “The band was amazing … as ever.” “Wow
and well done the play was brilliant, I really enjoyed it.”
And though a well-deserved rest is certainly in order, now that the dust is beginning to settle and
the rehearsal materials have been returned, we‟re already contemplating…what show will we do
next?
Drama Club
The long-awaited drama club is now up and running every Thursday after school in Drama Studio
1 and is open to all students in years 7, 8 and 9. Led by students from the year 10 GCSE drama
group, students can expect to learn directly from each other in an enthusiastic and supportive
environment. Students in the drama club will be working towards the forthcoming Summer Arts
Festival after the Christmas holidays, so we‟re looking forward to having as many people involved
in this exciting event as possible!
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Year 7 Pantomime Trip
On Friday 9th December, a coach-load of year 7 students, accompanied by the Drama and Music
departments, went to the Cambridge Arts Theatre to see this year‟s panto, Cinderella.
The show had enough singing, dancing, custard-pieing and general frivolity to really get the spirit
of Christmas going!
Year 9 Stage Combat Workshop
The year nines were treated to a full day on the offensive as Dr Ian
Stapleton once again returned to Netherhall to deliver the stage combat
workshop. Students were treated with the opportunity to practice sword
fighting and unarmed combat for the stage with
a final performance at the end of the day to
show off their skills. Having learnt how to
harmlessly punch, slap, kick and strangle one
another convincingly, students were warned not
to practice their newly found skills around the school – in case some of
them were just a little too convincing!
Forthcoming Trips and Events
Information about the new theatre season is beginning to trickle through and there looks to be a
number of exciting opportunities for really engaging theatre, including more performances from
Headlong (Earthquakes in London) and English Touring Theatre on the bill. The Drama
department will be booking tickets for some of the not-to-be-missed performances, so watch this
space for news of forthcoming theatre trips.
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Press Photography trip to Twickenham for the Varsity
Match
Every year three Netherhall A
level Photography students
are given the chance to
visit
Twickenham for the
Varsity rugby match. This year
saw Tommy Banham, Oliver
Wheddon
and
Isidoros
Lapsatis experience life as a
sports photographer at the
home of rugby. They were
asked to snap photographs for
Cambridge University and our
very own TNN, taking full
advantage of access to the
press facilities whilst working
alongside (and bending the
ears of) some of the most
experienced and successful
press photographers in the
business.
See left a few pictures taken
on the day.
Year 9 Information, Advice and Guidance
On Thursday 12th January 2012, we will be holding an information evening for parents of Year 9 pupils
about the courses and pathways open to them at Key Stage 4 and beyond. This is what we used to call
our Options Evening. However, it is not just the name that has changed; much about the process has
changed over the past few years too. Therefore, we would urge you to keep that evening free and attend.
More details will follow in a letter to be sent early in January.
Free School Meals Registration
Interesting Fact: In Cambridgeshire there are a large number of pupils who are eligible for free school
meals but who have not yet registered.
Families could be missing out on their entitlements and the school could be missing out on funding.
If you would like help to find out whether you are eligible or even to apply, either on-line or by completing a
form, all you need to have is your National Insurance number and details of your children.
We are happy to help, in confidence, with this process - simply contact Rosemary (Student Records) on
01223 242931 ext 229 and she will help you with the next step.
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Inter-House Cross Country
Congratulations to the students who finished the Inter-House Cross Country in the
first three places in their Year Group.
Boys:
Boys:
Boys:
Girls:
Girls:
Girls:
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
1st Riley Nixon, 2nd Callum Brown, 3rd Jake Crow
1st Sam Dunkley, 2nd Eddie Crampton, 3rd Michael Forde
1st Charlie Woolfe, 2nd Charlie Lewis, 3rd Marcus Watson
1st Charlotte Gillies, 2nd Laura Robertson, 3rd Jessica Fowler
1st Jessica Wilson, 2nd Maria Carilli, 3rd Poppy Moncaster Bridgeman
1st Lara Rudn, 2nd Kenza Camara, 3rd Laura Saintey
The
first
Inter-House
competition of the academic
year has taken place recently
with all KS3 pupils running in
the
cross-country
event.
Students could enter into the
„elite‟ race or the fun-run; with
the elite runners gaining all
important house points. Over
120 Year 10 and 11 Sports
Leaders helped to marshal
and officiate the event
without whom it would not be
possible.
Over 50 students represented
Netherhall at the District
Cross Country Event
at
Royston Heath on Wednesday 7th December.
The following qualified to
represent the District at the
County Championships next
term by finishing in the top
fourteen in each race.
Dylan Doggett - Inter Boys
(Years 10/11) 6th place
Kieran Doherty - Senior Boys
(Sixth Form) 9th place
Sam Dunkley - Junior Boys
(Years 8/9) 9th place
Charlotte Gillies - Minor Girls
(Year 7) 10th place
All participants deserve a
big „well done‟ for their
determination and courage in
completing the course for
their house. So a big „THANK
YOU‟ goes to all of those
pupils on behalf of the PE
department.
Jake Crow (minor boys, 16th
place) and Riley Nixon
(minor boys, 16th place)
finished just outside the
qualifying places but will
make the reserve list.
Mrs J Schofield
Overall results will be
announced to pupils in Sports
Assemblies in the New Year;
along with all of the other
Interhouse
results
from
the array of competitions
currently taking place in
the lessons leading up to
Christmas.
Head of PE
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Sixth Form Speech Success
A team of three talented sixth
form speakers from Year
12 have won second place
in the local Youth Speaks
Sixth
Form
Challenge.
On November 24th, Rifah
Ahsan, Rashida Haque and
Radakrishna
Pyneeandee
represented
Netherhall
in
this demanding competition
run annually by the Rotary
Club and hosted by the Perse
School.
Most adults would baulk at
the challenge of delivering a
ten-minute speech, but our
team did the school proud,
speaking with confidence and
flair on their chosen topic of
'Embarrassment'.
The
judges,
including
Lady Cass and the Radio
Cambridge DJ Dave Harvey,
struggled
to
reach
an
agreement on the winners,
and our team were just
pipped at the post by the
speakers from Kings' Ely,
who spoke on whether
computers could ever truly
think creatively.
The host
team from the Perse came
third.
chance to discover what it's
like behind the scenes at a
radio
station
and
what
pressures people face when
they have to talk for a living.
Although the topic was
'Embarrassment', our team
certainly didn't experience any
on the night! Congratulations,
Rifah, Rashida and Rada.
The Netherhall team won £25
book tokens each and were
also invited to spend the day
at Radio Cambridgeshire by
Dave Harvey. He has kindly
offered our students the
Duty Officer - Sports Centre
We are currently looking to recruit a Duty Officer(s) for the Sports Centre to cover
evenings and weekends.
Key Responsibilities:

Looking/unlocking areas of letting

Assisting the User Group

Taking bookings

Collection of Payment

Ensuring the Sports Centre and facilities are maintained.
For further information or an informal discussion contact Mrs S Bull on
(01223) 712142, or download an application form from our website
www.netherhall.org