Newsletter 1 - Sir Robert Woodard Academy

Sir Robert Woodard Academy
October 2014 Newsletter
I would like to welcome you to our
first newsletter of the school year and
I am sure that you will agree the level
of activity and engagement remains
high. There is so much ‘going-on’ which both educates and enriches our students
as well as providing opportunities for the whole community.
As is normal at this time of year we have been providing opportunities such as
Open Evenings and accompanied tours, which allow prospective students to get
a flavour of our Academy. Indeed, both evenings generated record attendances
with students visiting from a wide range of schools and other academies.
These visits provide an opportunity to see what the Academy has to offer and
particularly with the tours, for visitors to experience the everyday working life of
our school. Clearly, following all of their visits and questioning the students and
their families have a great deal to consider so as to ensure they make a choice that they are comfortable
with. I wish them all the very best.
Our theme in assemblies recently has been ‘Harvest’ and as with nature, we too have had our own harvest
in the form of examination results. Clearly, for some students the fruits of their labours paid significant
dividends and provided them with numerous options in the pathways that they may take.
There were many examples of excellent individual performances which demonstrates the positive value
added achieved by the Academy in ensuring students make significant progress after completing their
GCSEs.
Three students that excelled at A2 were Shu Ying Lin, who achieved 2 As and 1 B and is now attending the
London School of Economics (LSE) where she is studying economics; Chloe Gates, who achieved 2 As and
1 B and is now studying mathematics at the University of East Anglia (UAE); Shu Hua Lin who achieved
3 Bs and is now studying history at University College London (UCL).
Whilst our GCSE results did not progress in a way that I would have liked, we managed to achieve 47%
(before government discounting) for students with 5 A*-C including both English and mathematics.
Indeed, some students excelled, which demonstrates a significant input from the student but also the
Academy and the family. Students whose achievements are worthy of note include: Danielle Herrington,
13 A*s and 1 A; Tom Nulty, 7 A*s and 6 As; Maisie Stephenson, 5 A*s and 5 As; Josh Baker, 4 A*s and
6 As; Daniel Porter, 4 A*s and 6 As.
As with last year, we continue in our drive to ensure that we have sustainable school improvement which
meets the needs of both students and the wider community. We will be continuing to concentrate upon
several areas: the quality of teaching and with it the learning that takes place, the effective tracking of
all student performance so that their progress may be monitored and accurately reported to parents,
and to continue to concentrate upon levels of attendance. We will also, as with last year, be addressing
the issue of low-level disruption that may affect the learning of others. This was recently identified by
Ofsted as a major concern across the country and one that we take very seriously. These actions will, I
am sure, raise the standards necessary for all students to achieve results that realise their full potential
and in some cases exceed expectations. Such qualifications will place our students in positions where
they are able to access our Sixth Form and hopefully progress, as with over 50% of our Year 13s this
year, to either employment (see the Careers page regarding Laura and her new life) or higher education
such as university.
Finally, I should, as is customary, like to wish the Sir Robert Woodard Academy community all the very
best for the rest of the academic year. Be assured that we will continue in our efforts to improve the life
chances of our students by not only raising their aspirations but also supporting them in their education
which will prepare them for their future lives.
Peter Midwinter
Principal
Key Dates
Key Dates for November - December 2014
Monday 3rd November
Tuesday 4th November
Tuesday 4th November
Thursday 6th November
Thursday 6th November
Saturday 8th November
Friday 14th November
Monday 17th November
Tuesday 25th November
1st December-5th December
5th December-12th December
Tuesday 9th December Wednesday 10th December
Saturday 13th December
Thursday 18th December
Friday 19th December
Inset Day
Year 8 Girls HPV Vaccinations
Year 12 Safe Drive Stay Alive
Year 10/11/12 University of Chichester Open Day Visit
‘The Angry Road’ Workshop and Community Performances
Family Cinema - Maleficent
Business and Friends Breakfast at 7.30am
Parents’ Forum at 7.00pm
Year 11 Parents Evening 4.30pm to 7.30pm
Production of ‘Under Milk Wood’ in the SRWA Theatre
Book Fair
Year 10 boys and girls Booster/Meningitis Vaccinations
KS4/5 Celebration of Achievement Evening at 7.00pm
Family Cinema - Frozen
Carol Service
End of term at 12.50pm
Students Past and Present
Students - Present
Ethan Taylor, Year 8, Tutor Group L5 has seen his dreams come true as he was selected from more than
200 young hopefuls to appear in an English Youth Ballet production. He will appear in a comic adaption
of Coppélia at the Hawth Theatre in Crawley on 24th and 25th October.
Christopher Emery, Year 10, Tutor Group L3 will be part of the Trafalgar Day Parade in London on Sunday
19th October as a Royal Marine Cadet.
Bradley Gravestock, Year 13, Tutor Group M5 is, as we go to print, being sworn in as a Special Constable.
Students - Past
The following ex-students of the Sir Robert Woodard Academy have graduated from further education,
with the following qualifications:Charlotte Roberts - BA (Hons) Degree in Music Performance
Gwen Tester - BA (Hons) Degree in Theatre Arts
Oliver Mowbray - Foundation Degree in Motorsport Engineering
Parent View
We would like to ask you to take part in a confidential online survey to check how you
feel we are meeting the needs of your child at the Academy.
We are constantly striving to improve and would really welcome your participation in this important
excercise. Parent View asks for your opinion on 12 things about the Academy - which is designed to help
us improve your child’s overall experience with us. Please log on and complete the questions at:
www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk
Performing Arts Specialism
Performing Arts Tour 2014: Pays
des Olonnes, France
In July this year, 72 students and eight members
of staff from the Academy travelled to Pays des
Olonnes in France to undertake a five day whirlwind
Performing Arts Tour.
As a result of the highly successful tour to the area
in 2013, we were invited by Twinning Association,
Pays des Olonnes-Worthing to perform at the
grand opening of the International Open Chess
Tournament. This event attracts much interest
from all over Europe and the Academy students
performed for two hours to an enthusiastic audience
of dignitaries, competitors and members of the
public. This was an exciting way to kick-start the
tour which continued through the rest of the week.
Dancers, musicians, singers and actors used their
talents to draw crowds of spectators in a variety
of venues across the Pays des Olonnes region.
Performances took place outside the Palais de
Justice on the promenade, at Leclerc shopping
centre and at the Place de la Mairie in Les Sables to
name a few. Our reputation appeared to follow us
wherever we went with familiar faces often spotted
in the audience at each venue.
We received a warm welcome as always from our
friends in Pays des Olonnes and look forward to
seeing them again in the near future.
Performing Arts Specialism cont.
SRWA Junior Band
The Junior Band is open to local primary school students in Years 4-6. We are also open to students
who attend the Academy. If you currently play a musical instrument or are interested in learning, please
contact Ms Fauvel on [email protected].
Strive2dance
Strive2dance is a contemporary dance school based at the Academy and is open to students in the
Lancing and Sompting area between the ages of 7 and14. Sessions focus on technique, choreography
and performance opportunities. For more information contact Miss Warren on [email protected]
Brunel Chapter News
This September the members of Brunel have welcomed the new Year 7 students to the
Chapter who have settled in well, many already taking up important roles within the Chapter
Council. We have been joined by Miss Pigg and the Art Department in addition to the Design and
Technology and Mathematics Departments. We also have a number of new members of staff: Mr
Anderson, Ms Ousalem and Mr Shetzer and we are very happy to have Mr Sayer back.
Last academic year the Brunel Chapter Charity Committee worked hard to raise money for our charity.
This year the charity has been voted on by every student in their mentor groups and the resounding
winner was the Brighton based charity - Rockinghorse.
At Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, the aim is to improve the lives of sick children throughout Sussex.
Rockinghorse is a Brighton-based charity which has been supporting children for over 45 years. It was
set up in 1967 by Dr Trevor Mann, who recognised there was a real need for additional resources to
improve healthcare services for sick children and babies.
The Committee has lots of ideas about exciting ways to raise money for
Rockinghorse - so watch this space!
Mr Edwards and Mrs Heery
Mathematics Specialism
News
With the departure in July of our Director of Mathematics, Mr Neill Redmayne, we are awaiting the
arrival of the newly appointed Director of Mathematics, Mr James Towner, who we welcome to the
Academy staff.
MyMaths
If students are using an ipad or iphone to do their Maths homework on MyMaths, they can download
the app “puffin academy” free from the App Store and log on through this app. This will allow them to
open the tasks correctly.
World Cup Challenge - Conundrum Answers
Answers from the last Conundrum in the July edition of the newsletter:•
•
•
•
•
•
How many players, in total, will be on the pitch during the first round of games of the 2014 World
Cup? 264 (i.e. 6 groups and 4 teams played 6x11x4)
How many matches will be played in total? 128
A sphere has a volume of 7200cm³, what is its radius and hence the surface area? Radius 12cm
This will be used in Rio this summer, what is it? Football
During the entire World Cup, how many penalties will be awarded? 12 (without shootouts)
During the entire World Cup, how many goals will be scored? 166 (excluding penalty shootouts)
Dickens Chapter News
New Academic Year, New Start, New Faces
It’s been a great start to the year and the Dickens Chapter has some new faces.
Firstly, we have all our lovely new Year 7s who have joined us from primary schools all around the
Sussex area. They’ve all turned up looking fantastic in their new school uniforms and they have made
an excellent start to the year; eager and ready to learn.
Miss Venn has joined the team as our new Chapter Progress Manager. She is working with students in
Dickens every day with the ups-and-downs of day-to-day life and supporting them in their time at the
Academy. She is also working with all of Year 10, across all Chapters, to ensure they are all on track
and working as hard as possible to reach, and exceed, their targets.
Mr Fox has moved across to the Lapper family, and has made way for me, Mr Monahan to take over
Dickens. I’ve come from working for almost 20 years in schools across London and I am delighted to
join the team here at the Academy. What has struck me the most has been the amazing behaviour,
politeness and excellent manners of all the students here. I have never been in a school where
students always say “hello”, “how are you?” and also hold open doors for teachers. I really have been
made to feel welcome from day one.
Congratulations to all the students who have been making an excellent start with their attendance. We
all know how important it is to be in school every day and on time. There has also been an astonishing
amount of Green Cards awarded to Dickens students which shows their excellent commitment to
working hard and doing the right thing; all day, every day. I am looking forward to an excellent year,
with countless outstanding achievements and celebrations of all Dickens’ students. As the reigning
Chapter Champions, Dickens has a brilliant reputation to uphold. C’mon! We can do it! Again!
Mr Monahan and Miss Venn
Paris Trip - 16-18 July 2014
The Paris adventure was successful,
despite the immense heat, but all suffered
with incredible fortitude and very little
complaint. It was a godsend that we had
taken water with us, as this was consumed
in vast quantities.
We climbed up the Arc de Triomphe from
which you have the most amazing views over: the Eiffel Tower, the Sacré Coeur, Notre Dame cathedral,
la Défense, and the obelix of the Place de la Concorde. The Arc de Triomphe stands at the centre of
tree-lined avenues leading off in all eight directions, Paris looked beautiful.
The next day was a visit to Notre Dame cathedral with its magnificent rose window. We then took a
‘bateau mouche’ to the Louvre art museum and saw the Mona Lisa. Queues were too long to go up the
Eiffel Tower, but it towered over us and we were certainly impressed by its great structure. Indeed,
Eiffel Towers were hanging from the belts of many students and one student spent the rest of the
trip clattering about with a huge bunch, reminiscent of a gaoler with his bunch of keys! Eating in the
quartier St Michel was an experience and frogs legs and snails were sampled by the hardy amongst us.
On the final day, it was the Parc Astérix experience which won the day and the students enjoyed the
variety of rides. A range of artefacts appeared on the coach at the end, such as: a plastic cudgel;
a huge, pretend axe; toy animals in various sizes and even a boar’s head fur hat which was proudly
paraded despite the incredible heat!
The main positives were the fortitude of students and staff, the bonhomie which continued throughout
the trip, the students’ excellent manners, their good behaviour
despite some minor incidents of high spirits on the first night at
the hotel, the excellent teamwork of the staff, the trip working
to plan on the whole, all of which lent itself to a gruelling but
enjoyable time.
I hope this will remain a happy memory for all concerned for
years to come. Students said they had really enjoyed the trip
and thanked all staff involved, including the coach driver.
Miss Phelps
Lapper Chapter News
Student News
Callum Kealy (Year 11) has come over from Australia and Luis Garcia Martinez (Year 11) from Spain.
They both took part in a two week trial for Brighton and Hove Albion last year and were both successful
in gaining a place at the B&HA Football Academy. They train heavily during the week, once on Mondays
and Wednesdays and twice a day on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with matches taking place on Saturdays
and working hard in school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. They are both really enjoying it but
say it is hard work! Callum is a striker and Luis is a midfielder for the under 16s team. In December
this year they will both find out if they are to be offered a two year contract with the club. If they are
unsuccessful they will move on to trials for other English youth teams.
Green Cards - Lapper are currently in first place with 2390 green cards.
Student Leaders
Lapper are very proud to announce the new Student Leaders for the year 2014–2015.
The team will be led by two amazing young people who showed they have the skills during the interview
process to be independent and organised. In the senior leader role are Millie Cronin and Kelsie Aitken.
They will be supported by four Year 11 students: Abigail Cole, Abigail Gander, Ginny Goldsmith and
Callum Tattersall. Further supported by the Year 10 Leaders: Charlie Ellarby, Shaun Miskelly, Frances
Romain and Amba Greenwood.
I look forward to working with these wonderful young people to support Lapper Chapter this year.
Transition Programme
This year the Academy ran an extensive programme of transition. Students were involved in opportunities
of attending enrichment activities across the year. The buddy mentor programme supported students
with visits to primary schools, tours and lesson tasters at SRWA. The main change this year was the
three day programme in July which helped integrate students into the routines of the Academy and
alleviate any concerns. Below are the responses from some of the Year 7 Lapper students about their
transition:
Kieran said when he came to SRWA he felt really nervous as it came up so quickly. When
transition arrived he didn’t know what to do with himself. “After transition I was up for it.
Don’t be afraid, the teachers are here to help”.
Sophie when she first started she was nervous and didn’t know what the lessons would be like
and only knew a few people. After the first week she had found her way around and met lots
of new nice people.
Hannah felt nervous before the move and thought she would never be able to find her way
around. However, she says the older students helped her with this.
Alfie was really nervous about the homework but it is not as bad as he thought. Alfie started
the music scholarship which supports him with extra time on his music lessons.
Roonie was not going to come to the Academy but after the transition days he knew he wanted
to be here. He said “to anyone worried about coming here, don’t be! The teachers are nice
and the days go so quick”.
Below are just a couple of comments from Year 7 about the advice they would give Year 6
students thinking of coming to the Academy:
“Don’t worry it’s absolutely fine, you meet new friends and you do more lessons so there is nothing to
be afraid of” - Hannah (Nightingale)
“Don’t be scared because everything will turn out OK” - Sophie (Lapper)
“It’s a good school, come to it.” - Lewis (Dickens)
“It’s a great school, I would recommend coming here” - Ellie (Lapper)
“Don’t be nervous because every person here is nice” - Elisa (Brunel)
“Be you and try to meet new friends” - Maisie (Mandela)
Mr Fox and Mr Spinner
Mandela Chapter News
Mandela News
These Mandela students are off to a flying start
with the number of green merits they have been
awarded for their academic achievement so far
this term. They are great role models for other
students. From left to right: Jack (M2); Tamsin
(M10); Gabriel (M8); Ella (M8); and Beth (M7).
sites on offer, questioning how best to
learn from the memories of World War I. They
will be using their experience to contribute to the
centenary Remembrance commemorations at the
Academy in November.
Mr Pearson
World War I - Our Lancing Men
Following on from the WWI History trip and the
work carried out in the Family History enrichment
session, here are some of the brave men from
Lancing who lost their lives in WWI.
Sgt Percy John Blaker of
King’s Royal Rifle Corps
Born: Lancing 1882
Died: Somme 21 July 1916
Each week the Mandela tutor group with the
most green merits increase gets a prize to share
amongst the tutees!
Ms Barr and Mr Chandler
History
World War I Battlefield Tours: From 29th
September to 1st October, two students and one
teacher were privileged enough to spend two and
a half days in some of the most historic sites on
earth. Lauren Neal, Megan Drake and Mr Pearson
visited museums, battlefields and war graves of
those men lost in World War I.
The government-funded scheme, run by the
World War I Battlefield Tours Programme, gives
one teacher and two students from potentially
every school the chance to visit these historic
World War I sites.
Lauren and Megan got the opportunity to
experience the Last Post ceremony in Menin Gate,
Ypres; stand in real and reconstructed trenches;
visit Theipval Memorial, the largest World War I
commemorative memorial in the World and stop
off for a bit of Belgian chocolate! Both girls were
perfectly behaved and an absolute credit to the
Academy; most importantly of all, they both
enjoyed themselves and were challenged by the
Private
William
Albert
Dykes of Penhill Road,
Lancing of the Royal
Sussex Regiment (7th Bn)
Born: London early 1891
Died: Ovillers 7 July 1916
Private Thomas William
Scutt of
Royal Sussex
Regiment, a farm worker
Born: early 1882 in Alma
Street, Lancing
Died: Pozières 4 August
1916
Private William Monnery of
Shropshire Light Infantry
Born: Sompting early 1884
Died: 22 August 1917 aged 33
5th
Battalion
Lt Charles Gordon Brodie (Flying Officer)
Born: London 13th July 1896
Died: 23rd May 1917 aged 20 buried
Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium.
Charles Brodie worked in Lancing.
in
Capt Alfred Charles Elborough of 6th Bn King’s
Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.
Son of Alfred Louis and Mary Ann Elborough, of
Holmead, Kings Road, Lancing.
Died: 30 July 1915 aged 37 buried in Lijssenthoek
Military Cemetery, Belgium.
Rifleman Alfred John Dell of 2nd Bn King’s Royal
Rifle Corps
Born: September 1887
Christened:Lancing Parish Church 2 October 1887
Died: 3 December 1914 aged 27
Remembered at Menin Gate
Mrs Massey/Family History Enrichment Students
Nightingale Chapter News
Welcome to New Students and Staff
The new term in September is all about new starts - Nightingale chapter is proud to welcome our
new Year 7 students into the family, and also those Year 12 and 13 students who have become part
of it too, as a result of studying Level 3 courses in Science and Computer Science. Many have already
settled in really well – getting to know students of all ages, helping out in mentor time and collecting
much-needed merits! They are a credit to us and their mentor groups.
We are also proud to welcome the following Mentors who are new to Nightingale chapter this year:Mr Harman
Mrs Ramshaw
Miss McCaig
Mr Ashby
Miss Alcide
Miss Hill
Mr Chattell
Mr Mhurushomana
Miss Earl-Novell
All in all, we have a great team of students and staff - let’s hope we can win some more chapter
competitions this year!
On Top of the World
Over the summer holidays, when many of us
were enjoying new experiences and taking
some time out from school, two Nightingale
students and their family were embarking on
an incredible challenge to widen their horizons
and raise money for charity at the same time.
Kobe Hedgecock (now in Year 8) and his sister
Tamar (now in Year 9) trekked with their family
across the Himalayas, and up to base camp at
Annapurna! Travelling with their parents over
much of the summer holidays, they decided to
raise money for their incredible efforts. We would like to thank them for making one of their chosen
charities, Nightingale’s Chapter Charity - The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home. They also chose The
Dogs’ Trust, which is a charity very close to Kobe’s heart.
Following their successful trip, we are still collecting donations, so please do contact Mrs Pike or
Miss Roberts by the end of October, if you would still like to donate.
Mrs Pike and Miss Roberts
Sixth Form News
A very warm welcome to our Year 12 students.
We’ve had a very busy start to the term, starting with a trip to Sussex University on Friday 5th
September. Students were given the opportunity to attend workshops, go to lectures in their chosen
subjects and visit different types of accommodation. Sussex have also given our sixth form students
full use of their fantastic library.
We ran two workshops, the first, from the National
Citizenship Service with our Year 12s launching
recruitment for the National Citizen Service (NCS)
Spring 2014 programme. This is a once in a lifetime
opportunity for Year 12, giving them the opportunity to
grow in confidence, boost their CV/UCAS application,
develop skills an employer requires, attend residentials
and taster sessions. Although their qualifications and
grades are extremely important in this competitive
and challenging time, it is also vital that they gain as
much work and volunteering experience as possible.
We had a fantastic response from this and 15 students
have already signed up.
We also had Brighton University in to run an interactive
workshop. Students were in teams and learnt a lot about
different courses, grades and various universities.
Our Year 13s have started to write their personal statements
and have had a workshop run by Sussex University to start
their application process on-line through UCAS. Any student
not wishing to go to university will have a careers interview.
Volcanic Performance
On Wednesday 1st October, the Year 13 BTEC Actors took
a piece of children’s theatre to Sompting Village Primary
School. As part of their course, they are required to create
a play appropriate for young people that explores material
that is relevant to them – in this case, the Year 5 children
are about to study the eruption of Vesuvius in AD79 and
its impact on Pompeii. They were then required to run a
workshop to engage the young people further.
The work was astonishing: it was energetic and amusing,
thought-provoking and powerful. The workshops were
animated and involved all of the children in four different
experiences of the story and aspects of theatre. For the
first time, our production arts students led a practical,
hands-on experience of sound and lighting.
The whole event was tremendous for all involved. It
was a delight to see young people across various ages
so obviously enjoying learning together.
Mr Langan and Mrs Cole
English Department
Literacy - DEAR
As many parents will know literacy is one of the cornerstones of our work in the
Academy. This year the focus on literacy has seen the introduction of the daily activity
of DEAR - ‘Drop Everything and Read’. This is a great way of promoting reading
across the whole school. The idea is that for fifteen minutes every day EVERYONE
stops what they are doing and reads! It is a shared experience, gets people talking
about books and reading while conveying a strong message that the Academy believes in reading.
Though the initiative is new to our school, it’s actually been around a while and has been credited for
strengthening the reading skills of tens of thousands of students across the country. It also represents
our school’s commitment to literacy.
Reading with your child, no matter what the child’s age, is an important part of developing a good reader,
building a lifelong love of reading and learning. Please encourage your child to bring a book each day to
school and read regularly! Below are some useful websites to help you support your child with reading
at home.
Useful Websites for supporting reading at home:
www.booksforkeeps.co.uk
www.cool-reads.co.uk
www.ukchildrensbooks.co.uk
www.booktrusted.com
www.redhouse.co.uk
www.storytimeonline.co.uk
www.literacytrust.org.uk
www.literatureForLads.com
Mrs Waller
Religious Education
Calling all Year 9s and Year 11s
Do you like thinking about the big questions in life? Are you interested in learning more about the
answers different people give to questions like ‘What is the point of existence?’, ‘Is there a God?’ and
‘What happens when we die?’ If so, you should seriously be considering opting for GCSE RE (if you are
currently in Year 9) or Philosophy A Level (if you are currently in Year 11).
Both these courses offer a fascinating insight into these huge questions as well as a chance to learn
about, and debate, a vast range of other philosophical and ethical issues. Particular emphasis will be
placed on Christian and atheistic attitudes towards the issues under discussion.
These qualifications are not a ‘soft’ or ‘easy’ option and are highly respected nationally. Indeed, 30% of
students currently studying English at Oxford University studied Philosophy A Level. Crucially, you don’t
need any prior knowledge either, so the fact that you haven’t done much RE before should not put you
off considering this awesome opportunity.
Anybody would be welcome to study RE at GCSE level but those wishing to study Philosophy A Level will
need at least a ‘B’ in English GCSE, as the course demands a high level of written English. However, this
does mean that you will learn what it takes to write superb essays which is an invaluable skill at A Level
and beyond!
If this sounds like something you might be interested in, come and see me in M014 to find out more!
Mr Lawson
Sport Round-up
U16 Netball
Fitness Suite
This half term SRWA played host to the U16
district netball league. Every Thursday schools
across Worthing and Adur competed in a hard
fought contest to win a chance of getting through
to the netball finals.
The morning gym sessions and afterschool gym
sessions are proving more and more popular!
The Year 10s, who for the first time in three years
had a team, learnt a lot from the experience
of competing in a high quality league. Despite
not winning, their spirit and tenacity is to be
admired!
The fitness suite is now available for students in
Year 9 and above to use with Mr Bromley every
day before school from 7.10am–8.00am, and
after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays 3.20pm–
4.30pm.
Mr Bromley
In contrast, the Year 11s won two matches
against Shoreham Academy and Steyning, and
challenged Davison and Towers to play to their
very best.
I am very proud of everyone who represented
the Academy, and I look forward to the U16
tournament after Christmas.
Miss Hammersley
SRWA Hosting Primary School
Tournaments
SRWA and our Sports Leaders are hosting a
range of sporting tournaments for our local
primary schools – North Lancing, Seaside,
Sompting Village and The Globe.
The first of these is coming soon!
Thursday 20th November – Years 5 and 6 boys
indoor football
Year 8 Football
The Year 8 boys have started the season strongly,
with two wins and one defeat from their three
games.
There have been a number of stand out
performances none more so than Brandon Morris,
who contributed four goals in the 6-2 victory over
Worthing High.
The boys have shown fantastic effort and
commitment over the past four weeks and hopefully
will reap the rewards as the season continues.
Mr Dales
Thursday 4th December – Year 4 and girls indoor
football
Mr Bromley
Donations
We would like to make an appeal for donations of
any unwanted football boots or old trainers sizes
5-10, for our PE department. Any donations would
be gratefully received. Thank you.
Mr Matanle
Wet Weather Gear
As we are entering the wet weather season,
could parents please ensure students are
equipped with warm clothing and wet weather
gear for PE lessons held outside, together with
a change of clothing and a towel.
PE Department
SRWA Links with the Community
SRWA Business and Friends Breakfast - 18th July 2014
This Business and Friends Breakfast brought together over fifty people from within the community to
celebrate the end of the 2013/2014 academic year and to look forward to September 2014 and beyond.
Aedan Kerney and Ruth Peskett were introduced to the group and opened proceedings. Aedan has a 41year link with music in the locality. Ruth went through the predecessor school and has been playing the
cello since she was three. Apart from her obvious talent in the music world, her contribution to life in the
community can only be described as staggering.
Ms Davies-Arnold then introduced students; Laura Still, Emma Ekpo and Elanor Francis who spoke to the
group about their experiences in Kenya, supported by some incredible images on the ‘big screen’. Their
experiences really did encapsulate the opportunities that are out there for students at SRWA.
Mrs Heery then explained the most recent Brunel sponsored event to support the Freddysmile charity.
Mr Williams very kindly took us through the most recent drama production, Alice in Wonderland and
Through the Looking Glass, which again showed the depth of talent here at the Academy.
Mr Bryant described some of the work that has taken place for the Academy to be successful in our Travel
Plan application. The video, which was put together by Aiden Colwell and Ben Jones (Sixth Formers)
showed the student travel plan group discussing the plan and what has been achieved this year. Further
to this, they also shared their aspirations for the future, which we hope materialise. Dillon Thompson
was in the audience and his contribution and commitment to the Travel Plan has been representative
of the rest of the group. Others to be congratulated are students: Cydney Heasman, Grace Wood, Billy
Hannan, Jay Jordan, Shane Pask, Luke Cambridge and Harry Hirtle.
The main theme of concluding 2014, involved the group reflecting on the past and discussing what we
have achieved together. Thereafter, we then looked ahead to September and beyond, and the feedback
will be looked at in more detail in preparation for the next breakfast.
Mr Midwinter concluded with a farewell to Mr Bryant and wished the group every success in the future.
The raffle draw took place upstairs on the art room balcony which allowed those present to ‘network’ and
enjoy the last section of the Breakfast in the fresh air.
The next Breakfast will be overseen by Mr Edwards on 14 November 2014.
Dick Bryant (18.7.14)
Careers - Latest News
Parafix UK Welcomes Engineering Apprentice
Parafix have recently introduced an apprenticeship for the first time and have welcomed Laura Still who
has taken on the three year engineering role. Laura was Head Girl at the Academy last year and had been
offered a place at Exeter University to study Engineering, but decided to pursue a vocational education
instead.
The apprenticeship is running in line with a two-year BTEC Level 3 Mechanical Engineering day release
course. Laura will attend classes at Northbrook College, Worthing, one day a week and spend the rest of
her time at Parafix.
She will be studying areas such as mechanical design, CAD and process engineering which will complement
her training at Parafix. To provide Laura with a well rounded understanding of Parafix, she will spend time
in various departments throughout the company. Her main role is within the Research and Development
Department, but during her apprenticeship she will also gain experience working with Quality Assurance
(QA), Health & Safety (H&S), Production, Purchasing, Estimating, Customer Service, Accounts and
Operations. At the end of the apprenticeship, it is hoped that Laura will remain in the company and take
on a supervisory role as part of her long and successful career with Parafix.
Parafix have introduced an apprenticeship because as the
business grows they need more home grown talent. Michael
Punter, Managing Director at Parafix is a strong believer in
apprenticeships as he started as a commercial apprentice with
George Wimpey & Co.
To learn more about Laura’s time at Parafix keep an eye out for
her monthly blog, which will document her experience as an
apprentice; you can read her first one here:
http://www.parafix.com/en/index.cfm/news/apprenticeshipblog-embarking-on-a-career-in-engineering/.
Professor C Gull Project, Brighton University
On 25th September, the Year 6 students from North Lancing Primary school attended the Academy for
the day.
We worked on a project called Professor C Gull, which is run by Brighton University. The aim of the
programme is to raise students’ awareness of university and university life and how they can achieve this,
if they so desire. This is done on a simplistic scale, whilst at the same time being fun and informative.
The day involved the students being taking part in several practical tasks, one of them being an interactive
voting system, which was great fun as the results were displayed in an instant.
Whilst at the Academy the students also experienced two lessons; food technology and drama. At the end
of the day, parents were invited in to see the students attend a mini graduation ceremony, where they
were presented with a certificate.
NHS Careers Information Day
On 6th October, Ms Jarman and I took thirteen Year 11 and Year 12 Health and Social Care students to
Worthing Hospital for an NHS Careers Information Day. The day covered the many roles within the NHS; a
number of staff spoke about their roles, which included the role of a nurse, paediatrician, physiotherapist,
pharmacist and a junior doctor. There was a question and answer session where the students could
find out more information. Market stalls were set up where students could access information from
universities, apprenticeship teams and the NHS.
Career Choices
With the help of local businesses, we are aiming to raise students aspirations and awareness of different
careers. This week we had our first guest speaker from Lancing Business Park, his name is Martin Osmond
and he spoke to students regarding planning and preparation. We have other speakers coming in over the
next few weeks, these include a solicitor, a midwife and someone from human resources.
If you feel you could spare 20 minutes of your time in the morning to come in and speak to our students
regarding your career journey or your current role, please contact me.
Mrs Morley
Careers Mentor
Learning Resource Centre
We are delighted to see the LRC full of students before school, during break and lunch
and after school, all focused on doing homework tasks on our lovely Macs and netbooks
or busily taking Accelerated Reader quizzes.
The new Year 7 cohort are loving Accelerated Reader, they are borrowing books by the dozen, voraciously
reading, quizzing and enjoying telling us about the stories they have read.
DEAR time every day is feeding into the growing reading for pleasure habits exhibited across the Academy,
with staff and students alike talking about what they are reading.
Early in September the LRC hosted our first ‘An audience
with…’ featuring some of the new staff talking for five minutes
about their favourite book, or a book that has influenced their
life in some way.
Mr Monahan, Chapter Head for Dickens came along to talk
about a book he’d read as a teenager, ‘The Man in the High
Castle’ by Philip K Dick, set in a world where Germany had
won WWII and one boy was imagining what it would have
been like had the British and the Allies won – a confusing
concept but it intrigued Mr Monahan.
The LRC invites teachers and support staff to appear in this occasional slot, and students often ask
searching questions about the books showcased and the teacher’s life experiences. A rewarding session,
thank you Mr Monahan.
Over the summer the English Department and the LRC
challenged staff to ‘Get Caught Reading’ and here are some of
the more spectacular entries:
Chaplain’s Corner
Twitter: @SRWAchaplaincy
[email protected]
01903 875504
The new school year is well underway and there are
a couple of things I am especially excited about. The
first is the creation of a new Chaplaincy Space next to
my room in the Lapper chapter. I always make sure
I am in my room every break and lunch time so that
students can drop in to see me if they
need to. However, my room is quite
small so often I don’t have enough room
for those students wanting to drop in for
a chat. So, I now have a new space that
will be open during break and lunchtime for students to drop in
and have some downtime and a chat if they need to. It’s simply
called ‘The Space’, which is a reference to my Chaplaincy logo and
description as simply a space to be. I will also be able to use ‘The
Space’ for small group work with students.
The second thing is that as part of our Enrichment programme, I am teaching Mindfulness – which is
a form of relaxation and stress management that is becoming very popular in schools. There is good
scientific evidence to show that if we teach Mindfulness to young people, it gives them the necessary
skills to deal with the challenges they face in their everyday lives as well as in their learning.
I look forward to continuing to develop both ‘The Space’ and the Mindfulness as the year progresses.
Rev Hadge
Enrichment
Following on from the success of last year, the enrichment sessions started
again at the Academy on 16th September and now take place on a Tuesday
afternoon in Week 2. New enrichment activities this term include: Bouldering,
Wild About Wool, Japanese Art and Language, French Cinema, Arabesque Art,
Bike Maintenance Club, Bronze Gold Crest Award, Creative Dance Workshop,
Decoupage, Land of Opportunity, Musicals’ Appreciation, the Natural World,
Shout out Loud and Super Science.
Some of the year 7 students who are
experiencing the activities for the first time
commented:
“I got to do things I hadn’t done before”
“I love it, it could not be better if it tried”
“I like bouldering as it is developing a new skill”
“We get to report on things going on in the school”
“I enjoyed it and think it is a good idea”
“I do fashion design and I love it to bits”
“It is really fun and I learn a lot about Salsa”
Donations of old unwanted bikes needed for our enrichment bike
maintenance club please. If you have any old bikes, bike parts,
punctured inner tubes, tools that are sitting in the shed gathering
dust, they could be recycled by our students. Donations gratefully
received, thank you. Contact: Mr Loveridge at rloveridge@srwa.
woodard.co.uk.
May/June 2014 Examinations
Certificates
For the June series of GCE and GCSE exams, certificates are usually available
in early November. Further information will be posted on the website.
If your certificates are not to be collected by you, then the person collecting
them must have a signed note from you authorising them to pick up the
certificate(s). They should possess some form of photo ID.
Any questions please contact Mr Lamb or Mr Coldham in the Exams Office.
Student Support Notices
Medical
1. Reminder for all students with Asthma or an Allergy to bring in inhalers/epipens. Parents to
ensure a spare is brought into school to be held in the medical room.
2. Reminder to parents that students are not permitted to carry around any medication except for
inhalers and epipens.
3. If a student does need paracetamol, we will need a completed paracetamol permission form signed
by the parent/carer. A form can be collected from Student Support.
4. If a student is on crutches or unable to use the stairs for a medical reason, please ensure they
come into Student Support on the first day of their return to school, to enable them to be briefed
about emergency and lift procedures.
5. If your child has a cold/sore throat, or other minor ailment, please do send them into school as we
expect them to attend. If they need paracetamol at lunchtime and we have a signed form to
dispense, we can help with their symptoms. A phone call home at this stage will be made to alert
you. Please ensure your child drinks plenty of water.
6. Due to students and staff having reduced levels of immunity and who could become seriously
unwell if they contracted measles, mumps, chickenpox or other infections disease, please contact
Student Support immediately, if your child develops these or any other serious infection.
Absence
1. If your child is absent from the Academy for any reason, please remember to ring the absence line
on the first and subsequent day(s) of absence. If you are uncertain whether or not you should send
in your child, please do ring for advice. ABSENCE LINE: 01903 766177. Please dial carefully.
2. Can all medical appointments please be made for after the Academy day has finished. We appreciate
that this is not always possible, so we would therefore ask that appointments be made after 9.10am
if a morning appointment, and after 2.00pm for an afternoon appointment. Students are expected
to be in the Academy both before and after their appointment. This will help them keep their
attendance at an acceptable level.
General
1. If your child has mislaid any items recently, please ask them to come to Student Support as we
have many items which need reuniting with their owners. Can you remind your child to be
responsible for their own belongings. Lockers are available on request.
2. Replacement student cards are available from Student Support at a price of £2.00. Whilst we are
happy to issue a lunch slip on the odd occasion, we do expect the student to purchase a new card
if not located within 24 hours.
3. Can you please ensure your child has sufficient credit on their WisePay account, as we are unable to
give credit unless in extenuating circumstances. If insufficient credit is a problem, an alternative
would be to bring in a packed lunch.
Academy Information
Follow us and contact us by:Telephone: 01903 767434
Academy Website: www.srwa.woodard.co.uk
Email: [email protected]