ARC School Ansley Newsletter July 2015

ARC SCHOOL ANSLEY NEWSLETTER JULY 2015 Issue 2
ARC School
Ansley
Newsletter
July 2015
Issue 2
IN THIS ISSUE
A Message from our Deputy Head
Teacher Victoria Smith
By
As this academic year comes to a close,
we have much to celebrate. I would
firstly like to take this opportunity to
congratulate all our young people on
their achievements this year and I look
forward to the forthcoming exam
results for our current Year 11.
Sadly, we have to say our goodbyes to
the seven Year 11 leavers who are
moving on to pastures new with fresh
challenges in September. I can
confidently say that all staff are sad to
see them leave, but are all very proud of
everything they have achieved here at
Arc School Ansley. We look forward to
hearing from them in the future about
all their successes and achievements.
Good luck Year 11!
This term, our students have had so
many opportunities and successes,
many of which are in this newsletter.
However, I will take this chance to
mention a few of them.
We have been proud of the Boys
Dancing Project, which took place this
term and featured two of our budding
dancers in the performance at Warwick
Arts Centre. Their dance was based on
mythical gods. We were delighted with
their performance and the way they
jointly performed this with many other
local schools.
The students had the chance to visit the
Big Bang Science Fair last half term,
which opened their eyes to the
potential opportunities of working in a
science-based career.
Our students saw our Pets as Therapy
dog Archie, at Crufts as he took centre
stage in the main arena. A very
enjoyable day was had by all.
We are busy planning to warmly
welcome our new Year 7s to our school
in September. They have visited us
several times this term to ensure a
smooth transition, and we look forward
to them becoming part of our school.
I would like to thank the staff for their
hard work and dedication shown here
at Arc School Ansley. Without them we
would not be able to deliver such a
range of opportunities for all our
students and would not have received
such a great outcome from our OfSTED
visit in June. A big thank you as well to
all parents and carers for their
continued support.
Finally, I would like to wish all our
students and families a relaxing and
enjoyable summer holiday, ready to
start back with us on Tuesday 8th
September.
Best Wishes
Victoria Smith. Deputy Head Teacher
Student Voice Pages
In this issue we include a new feature from our
students. Here they have talked about their
favourite part of school life at Arc Ansley.
Pages 6 and 7
Therapeutic Interventions
(IDZ).
Information about the various sessions available
to students in school are included in this issue.
Page 9
ARC SCHOOL ANSLEY NEWSLETTER JULY 2015 | Issue 2
2
Autism News
By Chris Healy and Holly Beasley
We are pleased to announce that
from January 2015, we have been
part of the National Autistic Society
(NAS) accreditation programme. The
accreditation process will take two
years to complete, which is achieved
through establishing core and dayschool standards throughout the
setting. We have made significant
progress over the course of this
academic year; In November 2014 we
were recognised in the Autism
Education Trust (AET) newsletter for
good practice.
Autism is a pervasive developmental
condition that impacts pupils in a
variety of different ways. We
recognise that understanding
and addressing individual pupils’
needs enhances success socially
and academically.
An initial assessment on the four
areas of difference is the key to
underpinning individual needs.
 Social communication
 Social understanding
 Information processing and
interests
 Sensory processing
As we continue to develop an autismfriendly setting, it will ensure
excellence throughout the school in
line with our vision for exceeding the
requirements for students with
complex needs. Through completion
of the Level 3 training with the Autism
Education Trust (AET), we will have
implemented the national autism
standards across the school as autism
lead practitioners.
From this, a detailed summary of the
assessment is completed by the autism
lead practitioners in conjunction with
keyworkers. A passport to success is
created for each individual student,
which
gives
clear
digestible
information to challenge and develop
their areas of need. Termly reviews of
the passport to success provide
evaluation and reflection. The passport
to success is kept by students, and staff
refer to them throughout the day.
We welcome feedback from parents
and carers and have autism meetings
three times a year, which parents and
carers can attend. These provide the
opportunity for discussion with staff
members and other parents alike.
These evenings have proved to be
successful and we will be sending
invitations by post in the new academic
year for our next autism meeting in
October 2015.
ARC SCHOOL ANSLEY NEWSLETTER JULY 2015 | Issue 2
3
Big Bang Fair at the NEC
Back in March, Ansley students had the
opportunity to visit the Big Bang Fair at
the NEC, Birmingham. The Big Bang
Fair aims to give students the
opportunity to meet scientists and
engineers from around the country and
discover
how
STEM
(Science,
Technology, Engineering and Maths)
can lead to exciting and rewarding
careers.
The students took part in many
STEM-related activities throughout the
day, such as controlling a JCB digger,
using specialist equipment to remove
(pretend) nuclear waste, and using the
different
electrical
conductivity
properties of various fruit to make
music! The students even got to see the
TARDIS, but unfortunately no Doctor
or Clara.
The students enjoyed talking to a
variety of people who use STEM in their
everyday lives, working for companies
as diverse as Sellafield Nuclear
reprocessing, CAT, the BBC and the
Armed Forces.
By David Wilson
Look out for more Big Bang visits in the
future.
Finance Day at Arc Ansley
By David Wilson
Wednesday 22nd April was Finance day
at Ansley. Students had a great time
investigating tax, banking, different
types of currency, and more, in a day of
activities led by Ed Flack, from the
company WizeUp.
Key Stage 3 looked at the history
of money, discovering when the
first coins were created and even
when the money box was
invented. They followed this up
by looking at currencies of the
world and finding out about different
ways they can save their money as they
get older.
Key Stage 4 were investigating ways of
saving money for large expenditures,
while taking into
account the minimum wage and
maximum working hours for different
age groups.
They then did an activity to work out
how much tax and National Insurance
they would pay on a £62 000 wage. The
day was sponsored by a local Building
Society and some students had the
opportunity to appear in a photo shoot
for the local newspaper.
ARC SCHOOL ANSLEY NEWSLETTER JULY 2015 | Issue 2
Peer Mentors
By Holly Beasley
Here at Arc School Ansley, we have
been very lucky to be able to appoint
five fantastic new Peer Mentors: Jago,
Liam S, Nicole, Brandon and Corrine.
In April of this year, the five students
involved completed a two-day
intensive
co-counselling
training
course, led by Netta Cartwright, of
Peer Support Works.
Over the two days, the students were
taught a number of self-esteem and
team building games to play with their
younger peers, as well as learning
about
confidentiality
and
key
counselling skills.
4
The two days were jam-packed with
activities, many of which were quite
challenging, but our new peer mentors
showed maturity and engaged
brilliantly throughout, and as a result
have developed excellent new skills.
Our Peer Mentors now wear black and
silver striped ties so they are easily
recognisable, and they are already
getting to work supporting other
students around school.
The Peer Mentors are currently
planning sessions to deliver to years 7
and 8 in Acorn sessions later this term.
They will be involved in buddying our
new intake of year 7 students, and will
continue to have a positive impact
around school into the next academic
year.
JAGO’S VIEW AS A PEER MENTOR…
As Peer Mentors we are always available if you need to talk. We are
confidential and aim to be as professional as possible. It might be a personal
issue you want to talk about, it could even just be for a chat. So you know
who we are, we wear different ties which are black and silver. Whatever you
want to talk about, we are here for you.
NICOLE’S VIEW AS A PEER MENTOR…
I am a Peer Mentor and I talk and listen
to the other students in school. I work
with them in their Acorn lessons to
help with their social skills. We play a
series of games like Guess Who Said It?
This is where the students have to say
nice things about each other. I enjoy
helping and listening to the students
and I am here to help them with their
concerns.
ARC SCHOOL ANSLEY NEWSLETTER JULY 2015 | Issue 2
5
Residential News
By Chris Healy and Vikki Long
During the week, the group took part
in a climb to the summit of Mt
Snowdon, battling through many
different weather conditions. David
and Liam S worked as a team and
encouraged one another to make the
difficult and tiring walk to the top of Mt
Snowdon.
The group enjoyed searching for a wide
variety of pond life during the fresh
water exploration and worked well as
part of the team while enjoying the
wonderful scenery.
The students were able to experience
activities such as abseiling and rock
climbing on Conway cliffs, where their
physical and mental strength was
tested by the heights they had to reach.
The week was hugely successful, with
all students taking part in all activities
and many teambuilding challenges.
The group worked hard throughout the
whole stay and learnt many valuable
lifeskills, as well as achieving
tremendous goals through challenging
themselves to complete a range of
difficult activities. Well done to you all
and congratulations. We look forward
to our next residential trip!
Food Technology
By Sonny Binning
The Jamie Oliver BTEC Home Cooking
Skills Certificates are taught in years 10
and 11.
At the Arc School, in Food Technology,
we seek to develop in our students a
sound understanding about food and
the important role food plays in a
healthy lifestyle.
We teach the basic practical cookery
skills and focus particularly on Healthy
Eating, Safety and Hygiene, Diet and
Nutrition in Years 7 and 8.
The fun aspect of cooking is the main
focus in Year 9, using celebrity chef
recipes.
Students are encouraged to be
independent learners, creative thinkers
and team workers through their food
studies.
In the last term, we have had various
trips including Cadbury World as an
Easter reward trip, the annual Year
11s trip to the BBC Summer Good
Food Show and Gardeners’ World
Live at the NEC.
ARC SCHOOL ANSLEY NEWSLETTER JULY 2015 | Issue 2
6
Student Voice Pages
TIKEYAH’S VIEW ON GOING TO
KINGSBURY WATER PARK FOR HER
FRIDAY ACTIVITY…
By The students
For this issue of the newsletter we felt it
would be more appropriate for the
students to write short articles about
what they enjoy in school time here at
Arc Ansley. The next two pages share
some of their highlights along with
more pictures. We
hope you enjoy!
We learnt how to paddle during
canoeing although I was quite scared and
thought I would drown.
At climbing, we learnt how to work as a
team while we climbed the wall. The wall
had different challenges in different
colours; red was the hardest challenge,
which I completed.
During cycling, we learnt how to go over
a hill in the best way and we had to go
around obstacles.
In archery, we had balloon targets which
we had to pop with our arrows and we
had to learn how to aim correctly.
CALUM’S VIEW ON TAKING PART IN
MINI GOLF FOR HIS FRIDAY ACTIVITY…
OSCAR’S VIEW ON USING
SCRATCH SOFTWARE…
Scratch is good. It’s there
to do stuff like make
games and animations. I
like
to
make
my
animations most.
Since I picked mini golf as my activity, I
have been having a fantastic time
playing golf, with my friends. When I go
to mini golf I find it a good place to relax,
be myself and try my best even though it
is for fun and for a good laugh.
ORON’S VIEW ON THE PETS IN SCHOOL…
At Ansley, we have some animals to take
care of. We have a bearded dragon called
Betty and four degus named Shaya, Bella,
Digger and Nibbles, and a variety of
different fish, some are named, some are
not.
ARC SCHOOL ANSLEY NEWSLETTER JULY 2015 | Issue 2
7
STEPHEN’S VIEW ON SWIMMING
LESSONS…
ZOE’S VIEW ON HER FOOD LESSONS…
I have made some yummy biscuits which
my family really enjoy. I have learnt how
to make cakes and bread. I am looking
forward to taking part in the sweet
workshop in September. I like being in
the food lessons because Sonny makes
them enjoyable.
KIERAN’S VIEW ON TAKING PART IN MINI GOLF FOR HIS FRIDAY
ACTIVITY…
Mini golf is good. I’ve never played it before but it is fun. I’m not very
good at it at the moment, but it’s not all about winning. It’s fun
because it’s a new activity.
WILL’S VIEW ON CYCLING AT
KINGSBURY WATER PARK…
Cycling at Kingsbury is fun for
everyone. Last week, Chris Healy
gave me a special mention because
I tried my best and I didn’t give up.
KYLE’S VIEW ON HIS FRIDAY ON
SITE ACTIVITY…
I spend my time during Friday
activities on site. I get to watch
movies, my favourite so far is
Kingsmen. I get to relax with my
friends and sometimes we get
treats like lollipops and play
outside.
DAVID’S VIEWS ON OUR BEARDED DRAGON AND OUR DEGUS …
I like the degus and Betty the bearded dragon because they’re adorable and funny.
Sometimes we let the degus out of their cage so they can run around on the table
tops. Betty is given live crickets to eat and is regularly bathed. Betty doesn’t move
much while the degus are constantly active.
Six children are selected to
represent the school to go to
swimming
every
Thursday
morning. We are currently working
to get our badges for swimming
skills.
ARC SCHOOL ANSLEY NEWSLETTER JULY 2015 | Issue 2
8
Boys Dancing Project
By Laurie Miller
This term, Arc School Ansley was once
again part of the Boys Dancing project
at Warwick Arts Centre.
Back in May, Kion and Kyle began work
with Choreographer Dave McKenna
from Being Frank Physical Theatre
Company, to create their own dance
based around the theme of gods and
mythology.
Both boys engaged with
the project throughout, and excelled in
taking on the responsibility of
collaborating with other pupils from
Woodlands School and supporting
them with their performance. Kion and
Kyle showed great levels of
cooperation and admirable maturity
when working with these pupils.
On the day of the performance, time
was spent at the Arts Centre walking
through the steps in the performance
space and meeting other boys from
different schools who had also
created their own dance ‘cells’.
Understandably, nerves were running
high. All the boys readied themselves
as they literally took over Warwick Arts
Centre – the performances took place
on the stairways, in windows, on
balconies – wherever you looked, boys
were dancing!
backstage for the finale with the whole
cast.
The boys were buzzing afterwards and
were really proud of what they had
achieved. Well done Kion and Kyle!
Kion and Kyle performed, not once, but
twice, to two separate audiences in the
Studio Theatre, before heading
Read2Dogs
By Laurie Miller
Pupils have continued to take part in the
Pets as Therapy Read2Dogs programme
this term, with Anne and her friendly
English springer spaniel, Archie. The
programme aims to give young people an
enjoyable experience of reading and to
develop their self-esteem. Anne and
Archie have been coming once a week
since the Autumn Term and have worked
with lots of different pupils. After a
successful first year, the programme will
be returning in September, so we shall see
Anne and Archie again soon.
ARC SCHOOL ANSLEY NEWSLETTER JULY 2015 | Issue 2
9
Therapeutic Interventions
Individual Development Zone (IDZ)
By Chris Healy
In early January, we actioned a plan to
meet students’ individual needs
through Therapeutic Interventions
(Individual Development Zone). All
interventions have been received
positively by students and we plan to
increase the therapeutic input and
sessions from September 2015.
To determine which area of support is
necessary, observations are made and
information is collected from qualified
external
professionals.
Our
Occupational Therapist (OT) provides
support for sensory integration.

Speech and Language Support
Groups

Occupational Therapy 1:1
Support Sessions

Sensory Circuits

‘Exploring Emotions’

Lego Club

Sensory Room

Friendship Group
(September 2015)

Self-esteem Development
Programme (potentially
September 2015)
Our Speech and Language Therapist
(SALT) is employed by South
Warwickshire Foundation Trust and
works with Arc School Ansley one day a
week. Also, our Autism Lead
Practitioners (ALP) are working on a
National Autistic Society (NAS)
accreditation for the school. These
interventions are aimed at giving
students with complex needs the best
possible chance of success.
All interventions are specific to each
individual, each having individual
targets to achieve based on their
individual assessment. We are hoping
to have an open event to which parent
and carers will be invited. This will give
you more information about how our
intervention
program
works.
Remember to visit the website
regularly to get the latest information.
ARC SCHOOL ANSLEY NEWSLETTER JULY 2015 | Issue 2
10
Crufts at the NEC in March
By Laurie Miller
This year, pupils from Arc School
Ansley attended Crufts at the
NEC. Having read to Archie over
the last year in the Read2Dogs
programme, Nathan, Zoe, Oscar,
Liam F and Tikeyah, went along
with us to show their support to
Anne and Archie in the Pets as Therapy
Dog of the Year event.
Activities at Kingsbury Waterpark
By Holly Beasley
As part of our Friday activities, a group
of students have been visiting the
Outdoor
Education
Centre
at
Kingsbury Water Park. The students
have had the opportunity to take part in
canoeing, paddle boarding, cycling,
rock climbing and abseiling.
The activities have been a huge
success. Students have challenged
themselves, pushed themselves
outside of their comfort zones, and
successfully learned great new
skills. Students should be very proud
of their achievements, and what fun
we have had along the way!
Unfortunately, Archie didn’t win, but
we still cheered him on in the main
arena. There were 100s of dogs of all
shapes and sizes on show, and it was
interesting to see lots of new breeds as
well as some old favourites. Cue lots of
cooing and cuddles.
ARC SCHOOL ANSLEY NEWSLETTER JULY 2015 | Issue 2
11
Cake Decorating
By Sonny Binning
One of the regular Friday afternoon
activities held this year for students was
cake decorating. The sessions were led
by an external professional cake
decorator who taught students
numerous decorating skills using cake
boards and polystyrene cake dummies
with icing.
Projects were set on various themes for
students to research and develop their
individual
projects.
Trips
to
Birmingham City Centre took place to
aid the research. The final project was
for students to use all the skills they
learnt to produce a two-tier cake, and
the results were phenomenal! The
project; based on 'summer' was to
produce a piece of work for a customer
as a centre piece.
The fishing group have done extremely
well this half term, catching more than
a cold! Each week several fish have
been caught. Of course, the very large
fish got away; unfortunately we were
unable to catch this on film. Most of the
students have enjoyed the tales of the
river bank and are looking forward to
their next catch.
NICOLE’S VIEW ON DOING CAKE
DECORATING FOR HER FRIDAY
ACTIVITY…
On Friday afternoons, as a treat for
being good all week, we get a choice
of activities. My activity is cake
decorating. I enjoy this because the
staff and peers are relaxed and it’s
calming for me because I enjoy
catering. Currently, I am finishing a
three-tiered gothic wedding cake. I
am also adding flowers because I am
doing an art GCSE on flowers, so
cake decorating is also useful for
that, as well as it being calming for
me.
Fishing at Hoar Park
By Ray Rudkin
NIXON’S VIEW ON FISHING
FOR HIS FRIDAY ACTIVITY…
Fishing is fun. We know it takes
a long time to catch the fish
because they are smart. So far
we have caught perch and
catfish.
DYLAN’S VIEW ON FISHING FOR HIS FRIDAY ACTIVITY…
Fishing is the most flipping fantastic activity on Friday. It takes a while to catch the fish, but I enjoy it so much.
We relax in the sun, drink water, eat donuts and crisps, and stuff like that. I enjoy it because we get to go as
partners.
ARC SCHOOL ANSLEY NEWSLETTER JULY 2015 Issue 2
Duke of Edinburgh Award
By Russell Smith
Since September, three pupils have
been doing preparation work for their
Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Every Monday, Jack, James and Liam
have been taking part in Bush Craft
sessions. They have learnt a range of
skills, from fire lighting to shelter
building. Having successfully used a
map and compass to navigate around
the local area, the group were ready to
face their biggest challenge; a practice
expedition. The expedition involved
two days of walking, with an overnight
camp. The group needed to be selfsufficient; carrying everything they
needed and cooking for themselves.
Very tired,
the
group
managed
to
pitch their tents,
sort out their kit and
cook dinner. After
chilling out in the
evening and being visited
by some of the staff, the
group eventually went to bed.
The prospect of doing another
six-hour walk the next day was not
met with much enthusiasm, but to their
credit, the group packed up their kit
and got on their way.
On the morning of the expedition, the
group set off from Shustoke Reservoir a
few miles away from school. As the
walking began, it became obvious the
challenge was going to be tougher than
expected.
It turned out to be two of the hottest
days of the year so far. Six hours after
starting the walk, the group arrived at
the campsite.
As the day went on, the walk became a
struggle for some, but the group
encouraged each other to carry on,
having a few extra breaks to deal with
the heat. Once we stopped for lunch,
the group knew the end was in sight
and the last hour seemed to fly by. As
the instructor told the group to stop,
they seemed confused, but this soon
turned into joy as they realised they
had reached their final destination. The
group celebrated with a cold glass of
pop and waited to be picked up by the
minibus.
I hope Jack, James and Liam can look
back on this achievement with pride
and are ready to conquer the full
expedition next year!
End of Year Trip to Drayton Manor
By Vikki Long
As a reward for a hugely successful year
at Arc Ansley, students were able to
spend the day at Drayton Manor Park,
near Tamworth. Students were split
into small groups of staff and students
and were then sent off to explore the
park. As it was a rather warm day, some
students decided the only way to keep
cool was to repeatedly go on the water
ride, Stormforce 10; the record was five
times in one day!
Some decided a more relaxed day was
needed so went to explore the zoo and
various wildlife hotspots
around the park while
soaking up the glorious
sunshine. Whichever activity
was chosen, a great day was
had by one and all. We look
forward to our next reward
trip as we’re sure it will be as
much fun.
NICOLE’S VIEW ON THE DRAYTON MANOR TRIP…
On the 30th of June the whole school went on a trip to Drayton Manor as a reward for our good behaviour and hard work. I had a
great time with the peers and staff in my group. I went on all the rides and had a nice picnic in the shade because it was a really
hot day. The ice creams and slush drinks we had were a nice treat. I had an amazing time. Thanks Vikki Smith.
ARC SCHOOL ANSLEY NEWSLETTER JULY 2015 | Issue 2
13
ARC School
Ansley
Newsletter
July 2015
Ansley Lane
Ansley. Warwickshire
CV10 9ND
Number:01676543810
Email:
[email protected]
School Uniform
Please note all students need to be in
full school uniform as follows:
Black trousers or skirt (of appropriate
length)
White shirt
School tie
School blazer
Plain black shoes
Mobile Phones
Please could you ensure that your child
does not, under any circumstances,
bring a mobile phone to school from
September. This is in the best interests
of safeguarding all of our children, and
we are sure you will support us in this
matter.
Information about our term dates can
be found on our website
www.arcschoolansley.co.uk
ARC School
Ansley
Newsletter
July 2015
Ansley Lane
Ansley. Warwickshire
CV10 9ND
Number:01676543810
Email:
[email protected]