July 2015 - West Park School

July 2015
Issue 75
As I write, the Government is launching consultation on plans to force large firms to disclose data on the
gender pay gap amongst staff. Nicky Morgan, the Women and Equalities Minister is leading the initiative. The
concern over the pay gap is not new. Governments have always been worried by ‘gaps’. Nicky Morgan is also
Education Secretary and she is rightly concerned about the gap in achievement between ‘disadvantaged’
pupils and others. For as long as I can remember there has been concern in education about gaps in
achievement between different groups of pupils: boys and girls, pupils eligible for free school meals and
others, pupils with English as a second language and native speakers, white working class boys and others.
‘Gaps’, it seems, have always been with us. The Government’s answer to closing the gap at the time of my
secondary education was a boys’ Grammar School (though the stated aim of my school was not to close any
perceived gap in achievement but to offer an education which built character; but that’s another story).
Through school and more importantly through poor but responsible, hard-working parents, the ‘gap’, for me,
closed; the gap for many others widened. There were decent secondary moderns and decent parents but for
many of my friends the combination of secondary modern school and low aspiration, disadvantaged parents
meant a lifetime on the back foot. Intolerable.
Successive Governments have come up with various strategies for closing gaps. This Government allocates
additional money to schools on the basis of how many pupils are eligible for a free school meal. The money is
called the ‘Pupil Premium’ and is provided to help schools close any achievement gap between free school
meal eligible pupils and others. Closing the gap is a laudable aim.
At West Park one of our priorities is to ensure that any achievement gap between disadvantaged pupils and
others narrows rapidly and, ultimately, closes. The Pupil Premium money helps us to provide an outstanding
learning environment for disadvantaged pupils. Our overriding aim is that every pupil who attends West Park
has an outstanding educational experience.
In each year group, around fifty pupils are eligible for free school meals. The Government, challenging schools
through the Ofsted inspection process, wants us to monitor closely and have clear strategies to close, any gaps
in achievement between these pupils, all others in the year group and all others nationally. We have done this
successfully for a number of years and we have been commended by ministers for our ‘gap’ being virtually
closed. There is a slight flaw in this policy however.
From year to year and within year groups, pupils eligible for a free school meal do not always share similar
characteristics, nor do their families. Like all children, some are industrious, some are lazy; some are
thoughtful, calm and reflective, while others are troubled, unbalanced and disengaged; some are bright, some
are dull; some have ambitious supportive parents; some have weak, feckless parents. We work hard to ensure
all our pupils achieve well. Sometimes their personal and home circumstances, disadvantaged or not, can
either undermine or entirely support their striving for success. But we have little control over either situation.
We can build on solid foundations and we can even build on good intentions, but our capacity to truly
compensate for the wider social disadvantage of every individual is frustratingly limited. That said, we stick to
our core beliefs, we never give up on anyone; given the right circumstances every child can do well.
We look forward again to a great set of results for our hard-working young people who have just left in Year
11. Whatever they achieve I know that West Park could not have served them better. Thank you to all my
colleagues and thank you to all our parents, whatever their circumstances, who are determined that their child
will get the very best out of school by working with us to raise aspiration, ensure good attendance and support
the West Park ethos and culture.
We have had a cracking past year and look forward to another exciting year in September. Have a really good
summer break.
Brian Walker
Colleagues leaving West Park
We say farewell and thank you to a number of colleagues this term:
Fiona Goddard (Deputy Head), Martin Barraclough (Music), Annette Evans (Business and Child
Care), Maggie Petrie (PE), Mel Howarth (Nurture), Paul Wharton (English), Lynn Swan
(Humanities), Janine Clegg (Humanities), Molly Renshaw (Cover Supervisor).
We wish them all well for the future.
Questions for Parents!
Tony Little, retiring Headmaster of Eton posed these questions in his book - ‘An Intelligent
Person’s Guide to Education’. I couldn’t have put them better myself! He also has the 10
questions that you should ask the school. Look them up and ask by all means! (I’ll put them in
next issue of West Park News).
The 10 Questions every parent should ask themselves:
1. Do I believe my child is almost perfect?
2. Do I like rules and regulations until my child breaks them?
3. Am I happy gossiping about the school to anyone, but reluctant to talk to the Head?
4. Do I go in at the deep end when someone criticises my child?
5. Am I an expert because I went to school?
If the answer to any of the above is ‘yes’ please find another school.
6. Am I prepared to work with the school and pull my weight?
7. Can I strike a balance between being a velcro parent and a ghost?
8. Can I support my child and support the school through difficult times?
9. Can I suppress my frustrated ambitions and let my child be herself?
10. Will I deflect rumour and find out the facts from the school?
If the answer to any one of questions 6 – 10 is ‘yes’ welcome. We will be able to work with you and
your child will flourish.
House Chess
Congratulations to Hardwick House and a big
thank you to Mrs Carter, Mrs Longley and the
House Captains for running this competition
throughout the year.
Romeo And Juliet: A Review
On the 18th of June, 2015, a group of Year 8 and 9 pupils visited Derby Theatre to watch the
classic tale of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. The play was performed by the Tobacco Theatre Company.
We were accompanied by Miss Beirne, Mrs Sheffield, Miss Lendrum and Miss Dominey.
The performance was extremely engaging; bright lights and an interesting use of the stage
and seating area kept the audience attentive and excited. There was a wonderful mix of
modern and traditional elements. The actors and actresses spoke Shakespearian verse, but
were dressed in bright, colourful modern clothes. This mix of eras was slightly confusing at
first.
The actors and actresses were all bursting with confidence. No microphones were used, so
they had to project their voices without losing the complexity and subtlety of Shakespeare’s
language. Romeo had mastered this skill and the audience could understand every word he
spoke, but Juliet was clearly a bit more timid. Her character was portrayed as weak and
innocent, so her quiet voice may have been part of her role.
The storyline was kept intact and the verse was faithful to Shakespeare’s with no adjustments
to the plot. The language the actors used made their voices sound old-fashioned and very
accurate when placed into the time period of the play. Throughout the performance, the
direction, language and acting was much in Shakespearian tradition. It was an interesting
and educational experience, because we learnt how to interpret the language.
Overall, everybody enjoyed the performance and it will help us considerably in our GCSE
courses next year.
Isabelle Harman, Donya Zamani, Ella Whittaker and Emmie Fearn.
The Peak Awards 2015
Derby College will be holding their annual Awards Evening, The Peak Awards, on Thursday 25th
June 2015. The Awards will be held at The Roundhouse - Derby College’s award-winning
vocational campus in Derby. Many students and staff have been nominated for various awards
and were delighted that Samantha Nightingale came second for Pre ‘16 Learner of the Year’.
Year 7 Lincoln Visit
Year 7 recently went on a visit to Lincoln Castle and Cathedral and we were lucky to have
lovely weather on both days. The castle has recently been refurbished so they were the first
cohort in several years to be able to walk along the entire curtain wall and see into all parts
of the castle. We are also lucky to have Lincoln nearby as the castle is one of only two motte
and bailey castles with a double motte in England. The visit is completed as part of the
'Castles and cathedrals unit' and pupils are currently creating a guidebook, which is an
assessed piece of work, about either the castle or cathedral. Pupils get the opportunity to use
their inference skills outside of the classroom to learn what the castle and cathedral tell us
about defence and religion in the Middle Ages. It also gives them an experience, as part of
the 'five year GCSE', to look at history in the environment and learn about Norman conquest
and religion, giving them a taster of what they will study in the history GCSE.
Overall a lovely day was had by all, the pupils seemed to really enjoy the experience and
clearly benefited from being able to study the physical history around them.
SEAL Visits 1st July and 9th July
Drum Hill
On Wednesday 1st July nine intrepid participants of the Year 8 SEAL group were taken
for a walk to Drum Hill Scouts camp with their leader Mrs J Hodgshon and a co-opted
Mr B Paradise.
The group were taken to Morley Church and were inducted into the art of map reading
and working as a team.
On the journey, discussions on flora and fauna took place alongside consideration of
history and changing land use in the area.
Climbing up Marks Hill to rest at the line of the Roman Road on the hottest day of the
year was memorable. Whist gasping and rehydrating at the top, we studied the swooping
birds and enjoyed the view.
On arrival at Drum Hill jobs were allocated and the sausages and beans were duly burnt
on the open fire. Following extended washing of black pots and pans, the children
enjoyed some team building games before we were transported back to Spondon.
Black Rocks
On Thursday, 9th July the children (minus pupils visiting The Derbyshire Children’s
Holiday Centre) again set off for a day of scrambling
and abseiling at Black Rocks.
At the venue we met a professional instructor who
supplied the necessary helmets and ropes for a day of
daring and fun.
The pupils overcame fear and enjoyed squeezing
through gaps and traversing low level rocks as a team.
Lunch was, fortunately, packed this time and was
enjoyed as we looked over Matlock, Matlock Bath and
the Heights of Abraham.
The highlights of the day was watching pupil defy
gravity as they abseiled down a rock face. The shrieks and giggles testified to a sense
of fun as they overcame their fears.
All worked well in the team and greatly enjoyed supporting each other as they dared to
undertake the activities.
A good two days for pupils and staff alike!
The Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre Visit
July 6th to the 10th
On Monday, 6th June nine year seven and eight pupils from school were collected, along
with five non-school pupils, for a visit to the Centre in Skegness.
All nine enjoyed the sunny week and experienced a range of indoor and outdoor
activities, including: a trip to the beach; two visits to theme parks; swimming; games in
the sports hall; a visit to the farm that included horse riding, horse grooming and
handling livestock; and finally a small shopping trip.
All enjoyed the experience and appreciated the good food.
YEAR 11 PROM
With their exams out of the way, the Year 11s came together in celebration for their school prom
on Friday 3rd July at Derbyshire Cricket ground. A beautiful summer’s evening provided the
perfect backdrop as pupils arrived on tractors, in sports cars, red double-decker buses and even
a tank! Pupils looked absolutely stunning and their behaviour was impeccable to match.
Dancing the night away with their friends and teachers, the Year 11s said goodbye to West Park
in true style. We have received numerous complimentary letters from management and staff at
the venue who were bowled over by our pupils’ manners and conduct. The leavers of 2015 did
themselves proud once again and we will miss them very much.
Governors’ Awards 2015
Year 7 – Miss Roberts
Good afternoon Year 7 and welcome to your very first Governors’ Award celebration. This is one
of the best opportunities that I have in the year to brag about how amazing my Year 7 pupils are.
These pupils that I am talking about are you. Since joining us, it is your conduct, behaviour and
attitude that make you the role models for all of the other pupils in our year group.
Some of you are sat here now, not quite sure what to expect. But don’t worry, the fact that you
are here means that there’s something special about you and your teachers have noticed it. You
have been nominated for these awards by at least 8 of your teachers because they have
recognised how much effort you put into getting things right every day, week in week out, since
you started with us back in September.
I am sure that you will all agree that it feels like only a few weeks have passed since we were all
sat here for our first Year 7 assembly. Do you remember the topic of that very first assembly? It
was all about first impressions. Well, all of you have certainly made a fantastic first impression
on everyone here at West Park!
The transition that you have had to make between primary and secondary school is not an easy
one and it was a huge change in your lives. Many of you were worried about making new
friends, meeting new teachers, getting lost and of course the dreaded homework. You have had
to forge new friendships and build successful working relationships with your new teachers.
The fact that you have been recognised by so many members of staff confirms that you have
been very successful in all of these tasks. You have outshone the other pupils in your classes and
you are the very best of my year group. It is an honour for us to be here amongst these other
pupils from Years 8, 9 and 10. Take a look around you Year 7, if you model yourselves on these
older pupils then you won’t go far wrong. When you listen to what the other Year Heads have to
say, you’ll realise what great company you are in.
You have managed the transition with ease and are eager to absorb more of what West Park has
to offer. You have involved yourselves in the very core of the school and have helped to make it a
pleasant, active and enriching environment in which to work.
You took part in the General Election. You considered the education manifesto and the key
priorities for the 5 leading parties and then visited the polling station on the 7th of May, like the
rest of the country, to cast your votes. Turnout was good (at 67%) and I am still not convinced
that the exit polls were not conducted at West Park. These Year 7 pupils perfectly predicted the
outcome of the nation and I couldn’t believe it when I saw the real results the next day.
The Year 7 netball team have won all of their netball league games this year and Daisy Sheppard,
Ellie Middleton, Natasha Barker, Chloe Ball, Nicole Anderson, Maddie Blaney, Carly Bobga,
Amber Scales, Charlotte White and Sophie Watkins have all taken part in athletics competitions.
Amber Scales, Chloe Bailey, Shelby Altera, Natasha Barker, Chloe Ball, Daisy Sheppard, Erin
Hughes, Lucy Buckley, Tori Leigh Gibson, Zoe Green and Ellie Middleton are the City Champions
in cross country.
Lucy Buckley and Sophie Watkins joined forces with the Year 8 girls to form the U13 Girls’
Cricket team. They are County Champions and Regional Finalists and they were also the winners
of Derby City Tournament.
At City Sports this year, Natasha Barker finished in 4th place in the 1500m and the Year 7 girls’
team were 3rd overall. The boys’ team finished in 1st place and these results combined with the
other year groups kept West Park at the top of all the schools in the city. Amazing results!
Henry Saunders-Fitton received a gold award in the Junior Maths Challenge (which is a national
competition for our most talented mathematicians) and achieved the highest score in the year
group. He actually had the second highest score in the school and was only beaten by Lewis
Ufton in Year 8. Natasha Barker received the silver award and George Leatherland, Erin Hughes,
Ronnie Hames, Aimee Overton, Cameron Johnson, William Thornton and Owen Hanson-Smith, all
of whom are here now, received a bronze.
The whole year group have recently spent a day in Lincoln on a Humanities visit. Upon their
return I was inundated with comments about their excellent behaviour and the exemplary way
in which they conducted themselves. It is these sorts of comments that make me very proud to
be the head of a year group with such great prospects and if I continue with any more of your
numerous fantastic achievements then there won’t be any time for the other year groups to get
their say and our cake (yes, you get cake!) will be stale. In short Year 7, I am very much looking
forward to witnessing what the next 4 years will bring.
It is now my greatest pleasure to present our newest generation of amazing young people with
their certificates.
I now have the privilege and honour of announcing the final two awards for Year 7 - they are the
awards for the most outstanding boy and girl of the year group.
The Year 7 Boy of the Year
In the 11 years that I have worked at West Park, I don’t think I have ever come across a pupil
who is as intelligent, inquisitive, polite or as charming as this young man. Every single one of his
11 teachers voted for him to receive a Governors’ Award and here are some of the amazing
things that these teachers have said about him:
“He works to the best of his ability and always produces work of outstanding quality, this is
impressive for someone who is only in Year 7. He is able to help others and demonstrates
excellent communication skills when talking to others. I look forward to teaching him again in
the rest of his time at West Park.”
“He is always helpful, kind and polite. He loves art and I always look forward to seeing his
homework.”
“He is the epitome of what a West Park pupil should be. The positive traits he always displays are
ones I try and instil in my own children. It is a pleasure to have him in my lessons.”
“Not only is he academically gifted, and one of the brightest Year 7 boys I have ever had the
privilege of teaching, but he is a joy to know as a person. Impeccably polite, kind and helpful, he
makes school a happier place to be. His tales of his runaway chickens and his fascinating insight
into the world of moustaches amuse me very much.”
“He is an absolute dream - and everything I hope my own children grow up to be.”
What more can I say? Henry Saunders-Fitton – that is one hell of a first impression! You are the
most outstanding boy in Year 7. Thoroughly well-deserved and massive congratulations!
The Year 7 Girl of the Year
My final award is for a young lady who has excelled above all the other girls in Year 7. She too
has received 11 nominations from her teachers and her attendance record is outstanding. This is
how the teachers described this extraordinary pupil:
“A model pupil. Works hard in everything that she does. She is keen to contribute in lessons. Her
peers look up to her and she is a superb role model for the others. She’s just brilliant at
everything!.”
“She is an excellent sportswoman who is an all-rounder. It doesn't matter what the sport or
activity is, she seems to shine. She has a wonderful attitude and come rain or shine will put
100% effort into everything that she does.”
This one is my favourite response…“She is a gifted scientist and will ask questions as well as
answering them.”
“Her art book is amazing! Everything she does impresses me! I know it’s a little premature but I
really hope she considers taking art at GCSE! She is such a lovely pupil who is kind and polite and
an inspiration to others.”
“She is an amazing pupil. She attains exceptional levels in class and also did extremely well in her
end of year exam. I am so privileged to have taught her this year.”
“I’m really glad to hear the news that she is the most outstanding girl in Year 7. She has
progressed significantly in mathematics this year and this is due to her hard working and
conscientious nature. She is a delight to have in the classroom, always extremely polite to both
staff and other pupils. Her written work is beautiful and she takes real pride in her work and its
presentation – I wish I could be as neat! Very many congratulations to her on this award, it is
incredibly well deserved ."
Daisy Sheppard – what an amazing first year you have had. We couldn’t have asked for more
from you. I am excited to see what the next 4 years will bring. A humongous well done!
Year 8 – Ms Mulholland
Good afternoon staff, pupils and governors and a special welcome to the Year 8’s. Whilst some of
you know what to expect this afternoon, for others this will be a new and well-earned
experience.
A few weeks ago I stood in this very position and gave an assembly about random acts of
kindness, unusually for me I actually stood still to read from my notes as I wanted to get my
message right. It is very easy to go through life, looking after yourself and only those people close
to you, but it takes someone extra special to give that little extra, to put 100% into the things
they do. Someone to look out for others and to stand out from the crowd. The pupils sitting here
in front of me today have done just that and deserve to be here, proving themselves to be
intelligent, hardworking, considerate, helpful members of our school community.
Over the course of the Year 15 pupils have managed to earn over 50 credits for the effort and
commitment they have shown to their work over the entire year, and congratulations must go to
Katie Rodgers with 68 credits, the highest total in the year group.
Once again Year 8s did well in the junior Maths challenge, 20 pupils received certificates 8 more
than last year. Gold certificates were awarded to Ben Walker, Joseph Sisson, Charlotte Bentley
and Lewis Ufton, and Lewis has now qualified for the Junior Mathematical Olympiad.
14 pupils took part in the Carnegie medal book award event, after which Mrs Carter came and
found me and told me how fantastic you were on that visit.
She also requested a special mention for Holly Wibberley, Sian Lawson, Olivia Fathers and Betsy
Abbott who turned up every break time for 6 weeks to help manage the desk in the library. Girls
you were brilliant. Thank you.
Two members of staff have asked for a particular mention for their classes. Miss Leon wants to
congratulate 8X4 for their hard work in French, and don’t look so surprised when you do
something amazing, you work hard for your achievements.
Mr Middleton wanted to congratulate 8E for some beautiful War poetry. Abigail Crilly’s piece
was the most moving he has ever read since he has been teaching at West Park.
In technology you have had a fantastic year. Sophie Hey, Bethany Dickson, Ella Conlon, Jessica
Riddings , Molly Mail and Kelsey Fitchett won the engineering award ‘Talent 2030’ and were
asked to exhibit at the Big Bang fair.
Winning the regional STEM challenge ‘Moving Derby Forwards’ were Ella Teasdale, Ellie
Welbourn, Zuzanna Grebla, Asha Stone and Lucy Winrow. They will now go on to represent the
school in the national finals in March.
A great number of you have represented West Park in various sporting events.
The girls’ cricket team of Sophie Turner, Hannah Raven, Poppy Fearnwright, Amelia Hurst, Paige
Ferguson and Lucy Smith again won the Derby City Tournament and went one better this year as
they were crowned County Champions.
Once again the girls cross country team had a successful year. They were 4th in the league and
Olivia Bestwick, Chloe Boiling, Lucy Smith, Isobel Chetwynd, Sky Reynolds and Emily Turton
were all selected to represent Derby East in the schools championship. The Boys’ cross country
team had an even better year. Along with pupils from Year 9 they came 2nd in the cross country
championship and 3rd in the league. Well done to all the pupils who took part.
City Sports took place last week. Girls and boys teams were well placed in 3rd and 4th
respectively overall. We also had some stand out individual performances.
Tatenda Nyambara in the girls’ 200 metres came 2nd
Casey Ablott was 3rd in the girls’ discuss
And Lucy Webster achieved 1st place in the high jump at a height of 1.25m
The boys had even more individual success.
Matthew Pawelski won the boys’ Javelin
Daniel Heidari represented West Park in the Shot Putt and came 2nd, so too did Noah Fletcher in
the High Jump.
Jake Martin who has twice broken the school record for the 1500m this year went on to win the
same event.
These are just a few of the individual and team successes from this year. I just wish we had more
time to mention all the personal achievements many of you have accomplished during Year 8.
Now to present the certificates.
Once again it has been a struggle to decide on the boy and girl of the year, with so many of you
receiving a high number of votes from the staff.
The Year 8 Boy of the Year
The boy I have chosen received 18 nominations in total for effort progress and attainment across
10 Subjects. The highest of any boy in the year group. He has also achieved 100% attendance last
year. He is the form representative on the school council, took part in the Seven Trent water
challenge and has represented his house at chess.
This year he received a bronze certificate in the Maths challenge and has shown throughout the
year that he is polite, mature and conscientious in his studies.
The boy of the year is Lorik Ramadani.
The Year 8 Girl of the Year
Deciding the girl of the year was equally difficult. This pupil has again received an amazing total
of 28 nominations for her effort, progress and attainment as well as recording 100% attendance
for the year. Her form tutor describes her as mature, hardworking with a real passion for
reading. She is a pleasure to have in the form group extremely fair-minded and has no difficulty
expressing her opinions in an extremely articulate and polite way. She was a winner before as
part of the Team that Won the STEM challenge and she is a winner today again.
Girl of the year is Ellie Welbourn.
Year 9 – Mr Rossell
To many, success seems to come suddenly. When you observe others and what they have
achieved you usually don’t appreciate what it has taken for them to get where they are.
Ultimately, in failing to do this you also fail to learn what it would take for you to attain the same
level of achievement and success. This has not been the case with those sitting here today in Year
9. Success is something that all of you have achieved: some achieve it year after year, some have
achieved it this year for the first time and some still have further successes yet to come. One
thing that stands out for me about success that rings true, is that no matter how easy it may seem
to others, achieving, success is something that is earned through hard work and persistence.
And in the case of the wonderful pupils here today, through excellence in effort, attainment and
progress.
Although I have only taken the reigns of Head of Year 9 for a few months, this position as well as
my position as Assistant Head of Year has given me the privilege of working with some of the
brightest and most talented pupils in the school. Each day I have witnessed some fantastic
achievements made by Year 9 pupils, such as potential future engineers Panxin West, Kayla Mey,
Chloe Swords, Donya Zamani, Ella Whittaker and Madison Nixon who Mrs Hobbs took to the ‘Big
Bang Fair’ where they entered a regional competition and won, and then went onto the National
finals at the Birmingham NEC. Unfortunately, they were not successful but, still, getting there is a
great achievement. Also on the future engineer front, Adam Wright, Erin Legg, Chloe Wright,
Alex Johnson and James Hewitt took part in the iRail competition which involve 12 teams that
had to solve a problem associated with trains travelling at high speeds not only did they enter
this but they also went on to win it!
We also have with us today some excellent Mathematicians who could probably wipe the floor
with me in a maths test any day! Naomi Stone and Aiden Shipley took part in the incredibly
difficult Maths Challenge at Swannick Hall and finished a very respectable 17th out of 28 teams.
On a more creative front we have some very talented Artists in Year 9 such as Charlotte
Mangham who Mrs Colley said, “has produced some outstanding work over the year”. We also
have some excellent actors and dancers in Year 9 including Lauren Pearce who performed to a
fantastic standard in the ‘Hairspray’ production that Mrs Straw put on earlier this year. Sesha
Cooper has also performed in a dance show outside of school with her dance school and I am
sure she will go from strength to strength in this field.
I am especially pleased to announce that Year 9s have also been on a few trips this year such as
The Harry Potter trip, and to see ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’ performance
at the Leicester Curve Theatre.
Their behaviour on these visits was described by their teachers as “exemplary” and “a credit to
the school” by the Curve Theatre, which is something that makes me very proud indeed, and
further shows what a brilliant year group you really are.
This year some of Year 9s had the option of choosing to do the Duke of Edinburgh award and I
was pleased to see so many pupils taking part as this inspires future leaders. Speaking of leaders,
we may well have a future leader in our midst in Beth Bryant who actually achieved her leaders
award at cadets after taking her exams for this recently.
The sports achievements of Year 9 have really stood out, in fact the Year 9 girls’ under 14
Basketball team are county champions by absolutely thrashing Anthony Gell School in the final
and the boys, not to be outdone, were county runners up for the third year running, also in
basketball.
Not only have I been astounded by the achievements of this fantastic year group, but I have also
been very touched this year by the generosity of a few pupils in Year 9 such as Chloe Swords,
Stephanie Padgett and Melissa Richardson, who took time out of their own schedule to raise
money for a charity that is very close to my heart. They took part in a national enterprise
challenge called the ‘Tenner Relay’ and donated all of the profits to the SANDs charity.
Next year will be a vital year for you all currently in Year 9: Year 10 is a tough year, just as this
one has been, and is the real start to your GCSE studies. You will no longer be in your form
groups in class and will find new friends that you probably didn’t speak much to in previous
years. You will form new bonds with staff and teachers who will help guide you through the
toughest two years of your school career so far. This next two years will have a profound effect
on your future and if you continue to carry on in Year 10 as you have done in Year 9, with hard
work, effort and excellent attitude, then there is no reason why you cannot go on to be a total
success in life!
Keep up the good work Year 9- it is pupils like you that make my job both enjoyable and
rewarding.
Now we come to two pupils who have stood out as shining examples of what it is to be an
outstanding pupil at West Park School: our ‘Pupils of the Year’. Mrs Sheffield and I have looked
through the candidates and have selected these two fantastic pupils.
The Year 9 Boy of the Year
This young man is very highly regarded by his teachers and peers. He is polite, hardworking and
focused within school at all times. I am aware that his English teacher thinks he is very talented
in English as his writing is, in her words, “outstanding” and that he is her “favourite boy”. He
even managed to get 98 out of a 100 words correct in a very high level spelling test recently, and
in science managed to achieved an A grade in his science examination, which is a most
impressive achievement for a Year 9 pupil as the examination consisted entirely of GCSE
questions. His form tutor says that he has a fantastic sense of humour and that she is very proud
to have him within her form group and feels that he is a real asset to the school.
I have had the pleasure of teaching this boy and always found him to be a pleasant and respectful
pupil who works to a very high standard. It is no wonder that he has had so many Governors’
Awards votes from his teachers this year as he is the epitome of hard work and diligence.
The Year 9 Boy of the Year award goes to: Joseph Davenport
The Year 9 Girl of the Year
This young lady has been described by her form tutor as “One of the most modest pupils I have
ever taught. Works diligently and always gives her full effort. She never seeks praise, just gets on
with what she should be doing and sets her standards very high. She contributes hugely to the
school as a whole, puts her full effort into every activity given in form time and, again, doesn’t do
this seeking reward or praise. She is an extremely generous person who is always thinking of
others. A credit to herself, the form, the school and her family!” I am aware that not only is she a
high achiever but also she has outstanding 100% attendance also which shows her further
commitment to her studies.
This pupil has worked very closely with Mrs Sheffield over the years and I know Mrs Sheffield
and all of her teachers feel that this award is thoroughly deserved.
The Year 9 Girl of the year awards goes to: Jessica Kelly
Year 10 – Mr Barnes
It is a very proud moment to be here for the final time watching our year group receive their
Governors’ Awards, some of the pupils in here have been here EVERY year – they are ALWAYS
trying hard, they are ALWAYS pushing themselves and they are ALWAYS embodying what West
Park is all about.
We have watched these pupils grow from scared, “little” year 7s to the top of the school and by
this time next year they will have left and will be starting the next part of their adventure.
As always there have been some amazing performances this year, from sport to drama, to
working in the world of business. Every single one of the pupils sitting in this room should be
proud of what they have achieved in their first year of GCSEs and should be ready to go on and
achieve their potential next year.
So, a brief, I promise brief, summary of SOME of the excellent achievements of year 10 this year.
Starting with sport –
35 Year 10 pupils enrolled in Silver Duke of Edinburgh and went out last weekend on the
expedition; I have only heard good things about their walk. Enrolling in silver DofE requires
determination and organisation and I am very pleased that so many of them decided to continue
with this in year 10, hopefully some will go on to complete gold.
The Boys’ football team were ‘A’ league winners and were unbeaten in the league all season
The Boys basketball team were county cup finalists, and they lost a close game to Belper in the
final, They also finished 2nd in their group at the east mids stage of the national trophy.
The Girls’ Basketball team were County champions at u16 level and reached the last 16 in the
national trophy.
The Year 10 Girls’ Football players trained with The Derby County Football players when they
came into school and also Jasmine Hamilton, Zoe Joyce, Safia Jussab were part of the U16 7 a-side
football team who won the Derby City League, so maybe we will see them at the next Women’s
World Cup.
In rounders the team were Runners-up in the City Tournament, losing in the final to Derby High.
In Athletics, there have been some excellent individual and team performances. The girls and
boys were cross country city champions, coming first and second with their boys’ teams.
Lewis Partridge won the boys Triple Jump Competition at the Derbyshire school competition and
represented Derbyshire at the Inter county competition. Henry Henderson has broken the school
record by running the 300m in 40.0 seconds.
Megan Bould and Freya Tarbit were selected to compete in the Derbyshire School
championships. Megan broke the school record by running the 800 metres in 2 metres 31
seconds and Freya became County Champion with 5.14 metres in the Long Jump!! That is 3 times
the height of me!
There have also been many Year 10 pupils involved in the recent City Sports Competition.
Firstly I would like to mention a few standout performers in the Girls’ competition.
Megan Bould – Girls’ 800 metres – 1st place – (2 meters 37 secs)
Freya Tarbit – Girls’ Long Jump – 1st place – 4.89 metres) – new City Sports record
Overall position – 3rd Girls
In the Boys’ half of the competition there are too many names to mention but I wanted to give a
special mention to:
Tom O Brien – Boys’ Long Jump – 1st place – (5.25 metres)
Overall position – 1st Boys
There have also been successes in mathematics with Max Beck gaining a Gold in the Maths
Challenge and Alex Henson and Amy Chilver gaining silver.
A group of Year 10 pupils entered the Big Deal Enterprise Competition run by Warwick Business
School. They worked with a mentor from the business world for 10 weeks to create a business
idea, formulate a business plan and pitch to a panel of judges against schools from across the
country. All the pupils worked hard for ten weeks, meeting deadlines, showing commitment and
giving impressive presentations to the judges.
Team Dinkum, Olivia Astle, Ellie Fooks, Georgia Haney, Mollie O’Sullivan and Caitlin Monteath
found a solution to the problem of tangled and broken headphones ‘The Yo-Yo Rap and ‘Funky
Tape’. Team JAL: Lee-Roy Dobson, Josh Hastings and Alex Henson created a mobile phone case
which would appeal to younger people.
Congratulations to Team Dinkum who came second in the whole competition by a narrow
margin.
The Year 10s have also been involved in the wider school community, they are becoming house
captains, peer mentors, friends against bullying mentors and induction prefects. They have also
been setting an example for the rest of the school in their charity fundraising: Oliver Tipping and
Cameron Rolfe – raised £70 for a 12 hour live stream. Josh Perry also raised £60 doing a
sponsored silence! And 10R ran their very own cake sale!
Many Year 10s have been out repressing the school, including their time on the French trip and
the Ski trip and have shown themselves to be sensible, mature and respectful pupils.
Year 10 has also produced some brilliant musicians and artists, with Natahsa Grebby and Cerys
Bromfield both performing superbly in Hairspray, we also have our very own bands…
including…..
Rockout was also held earlier this month and was a massive success with Year 10 sweeping the
board. Elise Altoft won the Solo competition, Henry Henderson and Cohan Pearson won the Duet
Competition and Georgia Handly, Georgia Buckingham and Tom Owen Anthony winning the
group competition.
I did an assembly earlier in the year about ‘What Year 10 Can do… ‘ and the list was huge. We
have martial arts experts, swimmers, people who do archery, Grade 6 musicians and they do all
of that as well as being hard working, focused and determined pupils who are going to produce
superb results next year. It is an absolute pleasure to be their Head of Year and I really thank
those sitting in front of us here for being such inspirational young people, who are going to grow
up and become such outstanding adults. So, without further ado... may I present the Governors’
Awards winners for Year 10
The Year 10 Girl of the Year
Firstly, I would like to talk about the girl of the year. As a teacher your know you’re on to a good
thing when you look at your timetable and are disappointed when you don’t have certain pupils
in your class. This young lady falls into this category but luckily I did get a chance when she was
in year 8! I am not alone in my high praise of this pupil. I recently asked those teachers lucky
enough to have taught this young lady to sum her up in a few word and this is what they said:

“Outstanding is the essence of this pupil”!

“She is so talented in her writing and makes my job easier as her work is so consistently
written to a high standard”!

“Polite, articulate and also very funny - she has a great sense of humour and is also
confident”.

“She lights up the room when she comes in to class with her smiley, warm, kind nature
and always ensures she gives everything maximum effort”.

“This young lady is destined for great successes and this award is VERY well deserved”.

“She is an outstanding pupil, she always tries very hard in French and she passed her first
controlled assessment 1st time”.
This young lady is involved in everything the school has to offer from being a house captain for
the best house (that’s Chatsworth!) to representing the school in various sports to competing in
the irail competition and winning it! There really is nothing the young lady can’t do. It is my
pleasure to award the girl of the year award to Imogen Rea.
The Year 10 Boy of the Year
Now for the Boy of the Year award. I have come to know this young man recently and I must say I
wish I had come across him earlier as he is a pleasure to chat too. He a pupil who is not afraid to
get involved and speak his mind and has even impressed Mrs Goddard with his contribution in
the ICT meetings. This young man is a credit to West Park with his dedication and attitude to his
studies. He teachers have described him as:

“Has been an outstanding member of the game making club. Not only has he learnt game
maker to an excellent standard, he has also gone above and beyond my knowledge with
professional grade software that has been self-taught. He also helps with younger pupils
in the club and teaches them game maker which also helps me out immensely. A Super
pupil”!

“Exceptionally gifted and talented in English, yet still ensuring he puts maximum effort
into every task, it is a privilege to work with him”.

“People would pay a lot of money to read work as good as Elliott’s, and I get to read it for
free – how lucky am I”?!

“If it weren’t for Elliott spoiling my lovely, cute Easter quiz with his tales of bunny
massacres, I would like him even more”.
Now this was a difficult choice as there were a number of fantastic boys vying for this award, but
I have say it was this young man’s recent Haircut that put him head and shoulders above the rest
(see what I did there!). I would now like to present the Boy of the Year Award for 2015 to Elliott
Wilson.
Carnegie Award 2015
A group of year 7,8 and 9 pupils have taken part shadowing the Carnegie Medal this year. Eight
titles were shortlisted and many of our pupils read all of the books prior to voting on their
winner. On Thursday, June 18th we took a group of 18 pupils to Kirk Hallam School to take part
in a Shadowing Event with other schools. All of these pupils had to read at least five of the books
to take part. A great time was had by all and the winner selected on the day was ‘More Than
This’ by Patrick Ness. When the final national result was announced on Monday, 22nd June, the
final winner was ‘Buffalo Soldier’ by Tanya Landman.
Thank you to all who took part - Karin Carter (Librarian)
Sainsburys Active Kids
Thank you to everyone who kindly donated their ‘Active Kids’ vouchers. We collected 3,233
vouchers and have selected some sports equipment for the PE Department which should arrive
in September. (Karin Carter)
Industry Morning
On June 26th, Year 9 pupils took part in Industry Morning. We had a range of providers from
local business and industry who kindly gave their time to lead Year 9 in a range of team building
and business related activities. Thank you to all our business providers:
Tony Sweeting – Rolls Royce
Connor French – Rolls Royce
Roy Parker – Derby University
Simon Carter – Derby University
Jodie Bates – Derby College
Chris Curtis – Experian
Mat Syrett – Table Flip Games
Andrew Deighton – AWD Development Solutions
David Roster Phillips – Freelance Engineer/ Consultant
Mr Martin – West Park Mathematics Department
Year 10 Mock Interviews
On Thursday July 16th pupils in Year 10 took part in mock interviews with representatives from
local business and enterprise. This has been organised in conjunction with the Derby City
Education Business Brokerage. Each pupil will have a 20/25 minute interview based on preprepared questions to give them an experience of a workplace interview. Feedback will be given
to help them understand where they need to improve and where their strengths are.
Enterprise at West Park
Year 8 developed their Enterprise Skills and understanding of how education is key to their
future success and happiness in work through the 'Learn to Earn' programme provided by
Young Enterprise.
The annual 'Egg Drop' project provided by the Technology Department further developed
Year 9 pupils' enterprise skills in a fun and enjoyable way.
IRAIL CHALLENGE – WINNERS!
The iRail Challenge 2015 involved 12 teams from various schools across Derbyshire. The 12 teams
were split in to two strands and each strand were given a different brief; the idea being that there
would be a winner from each strand and then a head to head of the winners for an overall winner.
Our pupils were given the task of, ‘Devise a solution to deal with potential problems arising from
more trains travelling at higher speeds on the current railway infrastructure.’ To help them with the
task, pupils were taken on two trips; first to Bombardier to look at the production line of a train, and
then to East Midlands Control Centre to look at how train signalling and level crossings are controlled
by their staff. Once they returned to the Roundhouse, pupils were given two and a half hours to
produce a presentation and supporting poster. Around the room were also a number of rail
companies to provide advice to the pupils. Our pupils worked brilliantly as a team to develop a GPS
concept that would allow for more accurate location of trains on the tracks compared to traditional
axel counting methods, therefore allowing for a higher number of trains travelling closer together
with improved monitoring. They considered all eventualities, including how it would work in tunnels
and for differing lengths of trains. After finding out that accidents occur at level crossings weekly, our
pupils also decided to incorporate the CCTV they had seen at the EMCC in to the trains, so that the
train driver could also check the crossing was clear. The pupils worked fantastically in their teams,
they made good use of all the resources and companies around them and included this information
in their presentation. Our pupils were asked to present last for their strand, and one judge said, ‘He
was simply stunned by the level of effort and thought they had put in to their presentation and
solution’. They were quickly declared the winners of the first strand! They then presented their idea
again against the winners from the second strand. It was nerve racking for the pupils to wait for the
decision, but it was announced that our West Park pupils were the overall winners! The pupils
worked incredibly well as a team and they all demonstrated excellent presentation skills. They should
be very proud of what they have achieved and how they have represented West Park. (Miss Ogden).
SPORTS NEWS
Year 7 Netball
The Year 7 netball team remain undefeated so far this year, with victories against the following
schools:
Won against Woodlands 13-6
Won against Woodlands 11-1
Won against Littleover 15-2
Won against Landau Forte 10-0
Won against Derby Moor 11-0
The U13 Girls’ Cricket Team – Derbyshire Champions
The team won the Indoor County Cricket competition and are Derbyshire champions. They will
now represent Derbyshire in the regional finals at Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds. This
competition will take place at the end of April.
Sophie Turner
Poppy Fearnwright
Amelia Hurst
Hannah Raven
Lucy Smith
Paige Ferguson
Lucy Buckley
Sophie Watkins
City Sports Results
Year 7
Natasha Barker – Girls 1500m – 4th place – (6 mins 13 seconds)
Kora Downing – Girls’ Javelin – 3rd place – (13.52 metres)
Carly Bobga – Girls’ Shot Putt – 2nd place –(5.98 metres)
Madeline Blaney – Girls’ High Jump 2nd place – 1.20 metres
Also in the team, Sophie Watkins, Daisy Chambers, Ellie Middleton and Lucy Buckley
Overall position for Year 7 Girls’ – 3rd
J Crabtree – Boys’ 200 metres – 2nd place – (28.1 secs)
J Davies – Boys’ 300 metres – 2nd place – (46.6 secs)
K Brady – Boys’ 800 metres – 2nd place – (2 mins 36 secs)
C McIntyre – Boys’ High Jump – 4th place – (1.10 metres)
D Skinner – Boys’ Long Jump – 3rd place – (4.09 metres)
Also in the team were, Joe Jackson, Oliver Holford, Jason Warren and Zak Clarke
Overall position for Year 7 Boys – 1st
Year 8
Tatende Nyambara – Girls’ 200 metres – 2nd place – (29.4 seconds)
Casey Ablott – Girls’ Discus – 3rd place – (15.84 metres)
Lucy Webster – Girls’ High Jump – 1st place – (1.25 metres)
Also in the team were Paige Ferguson, Ellie Welbourn, Chloe Boiling, Lucy Smith, Sophie Turner,
Amelia Hurst
Overall position – 3rd
J Martin – Boys’ 1500 metres – 1st place – (5 mins 05 secs)
M pawelski – Boys’ javelin – 1st place – (24.51 metres)
Daniel heidari – Boys’ Shot Putt – 2nd place – (9.60 metres)
N Fletcher – Boys’ High Jump – 2nd Place- (1.35 metres)
Also in the team were L’Varn Brandy, Harvey Annable, Ben Walker, Kyle Tomlin,
Prase Addedokun, Rohan Seale
Overall position- 4th
Year 9
Betheney Harrison – Girls’ Javelin – 2nd place – (18.10 metres)
Daniella DePear – Girls’ High Jump – 4th place –( 1.25 metres)
Also in the team were, Nicola Kent, Amber Glazebrook, Lucy Porter, Amy Parsons, Molly Parsons,
Sydney Darmon, Jessica Kelly and Maddie Hempell
Overall position – 5th
James Anderton- Boys’ 100 metres – 1st place – (10.97 secs) - new City Sports record
Ryan Baxter – Boys’ 800 metres- 1st place – (2mins 19 secs)
Relay team – 1st place
J Haywood – Boys’ Discus – 3rd place – (22.56 metres)
J Shipley – Boys’ Javelin – 4h place – 27.42 metres
Jack Griffiths – Boys’ High Jump – 3rd place – (1.45 metres)
J Chambers – Boys’ Long Jump – 2nd place – (4.99 metres)
D Steadman – Boys’ Triple Jump – 2nd place – (9.34metres)
Also in the team were, Finn Kingdom, Jordan Mayer, Alex Knight
Overall position – 2nd
Year 10
Ellie Codd – Girls’ 200 metres – 2nd place- (29.1 secs)
Megan Bould – Girls’ 800 metres – 1st place – (2 mins 37 secs)
Emma Welham – Girls’ 1500m – 4th place – (7 mins 35 secs)
Relay team – 3rd place
Amy Chilver – Girls’ Shot Putt – 3rd place- (6.98 metres)
Freya Tarbit – Girls’ Long Jump – 1st place – (4.89 metres) – new City Sports record
Also in the team were Elise altoft, Jasmine Hamilton, paige O Sullivan, Zoe Joyce and Emily Ward
Overall position – 3rd
Ali Afzalishamsibad – Boys’ 200 metres – 2nd place – (25.4 secs)
Henry Henderson- Boys’ 400 metres- 2nd place – (57.5 secs)
Oliver Tipping – Boys’ 800 metres – 2nd place – (2 mins 17 secs)
Kieran McHale – Boys’ 1500 metres – 2nd place – (4 mins 53 secs)
Relay team – 2nd place
Alex Testro – Boys’ javelin – 2nd place- (30.08 metres)
Tom O Brien – Boys’Long Jump – 1st place – (5.25 metres)
Lewis partridge – Boys’ Triple Jump – 2nd place – (11.85 metres)
Also in the team were Jack Anderton, J Harris, James Kennedy and Stuart Duncanson
Overall position – 1st
West Park’s overall position combining all year groups and boys and girls:
1st place.
Year 10
Rounders – Runners up in the City Tournament. Lost in the final to Derby High. Zoe Joyce,
Jasmine Hamilton, Emma Welham, Ellie Fooks, Amy Chilver, Elise Altoft, Megan Bould, Harriet
Brown
Athletics
The following have represented the school in athletics this year:
Year 7
Daisy Shepperd
Ellie Middleton
Natasha Barker
Chloe Ball
Nicole Anderson
Maddie Blaney
Carly Bobga
Amber Scales
Charlotte White
Sophie Watkins
Year 8
Daisy Shepperd
Ellie Middleton
Natasha Barker
Chloe Ball
Nicole Anderson
Maddie Blaney
Carly Bobga
Amber Scales
Charlotte White
Sophie Watkins
Year 9
Amber Glazebrook
Nicola kent
Olivia Julal
Sydney Darmon
Jessica Kelly
Olivia Snoots
Maddison Collingham
Maddie Hemphell
Year 10
Megan Bould
Freya Tarbit
Ellie Codd
Elise Altoft
Saffia Jussab
Derbyshire Schools’ Championships
Megan Bould and Freya Tarbit were selected to represent Derby East at these championships on
13th June in the 800 metres and Long Jump respectively. Megan finished 3rd in the 800m in a
time of 2 minutes 31 seconds and Freya was County Champion in the Long Jump with a jump of
5.14 metres which also set a new school record (she broke her own record set earlier this year!)
Megan has also set a new school record in the 800 metres!
U14 Girls’ Derbyshire Cup Winners
Congratulations to the U14 girls’ basketball team who became county champions this term. In
the final they played fantastically to beat Anthony Gell School 57-49. Paige Ferguson top scored
with 21 points, Maddie Hempell scored 15 and Lucy Walker 12. They will now represent
Derbyshire in the national cup. The team was:
Paige Ferguson
Thea Burgess
Lucy Webster
Lucy Smith
Lucy Walker
Maddie Hempell
Casey Ablott
Sydney Darmon
Tatenda Nyambara
Isobel Chetwynd
Olivia Julal
Kayla Mey
U16 Girls’ Derbyshire Cup Winners
Well done to the under 16 girls who were crowned county champions after a convincing 76-16
victory over Sir Frederick Gent School in the final. The team have performed magnificently well
in their time at West Park and have been Under 16 county champions for the last two years
running. The team was:
Jade Dickson
Elyissa Davis-Henshaw
Megan Bould
Rhiannon Watkins
Amy Chilver
Imogen Rea
Ellie Fooks
Emma Welham
Jasmine Hamilton
Megan Pittman
East Midlands Representation
Congratulations to Rhiannon Watkins and Lucy Smith who have been selected for the East
Midlands Basketball Squad this year. Rhiannon Watkins in Year 10 has now played for the East
Midlands for the last three years. Lucy in Year 8 competed for the region against all the other
areas in the country for the first time.
Year 10 Boys’ ‘A’ league winners
Congratulations to the Year 10 boys who have been crowned Derby Schools ‘A’ League
champions after going through the whole season unbeaten. This was a great achievement in a
very competitive league. The squad was:
Jake Harris
Alex Testro
Reece Crawley
Freddie McAdoo
Patrick Binnion
Lewis Partridge
Ali Afzalishamsabad
Kieran McHale
Jack Hinks
David Orme
Owen Parker
Dayton Pidgeon
Jack Anderton
Reece Strickland
CODE OF COMPULSORY SCHOOL DRESS
If you do not wish to comply absolutely with the School Code then please apply to another school. We
consider good school uniform to be of the greatest importance. There will be no discussion to interpret what
is set out below. We do not listen to protestations from parents or children along the lines of “I don’t see
why skinny jeans, (pink hair, shaved head, nose bolt, nail varnish, canvas shoes) aren’t allowed. They don’t
interfere with learning.”
Colours of School Dress - Black and White
All items of uniform and kit need to be clearly labelled and all pupils require a decent sized School Bag
Boys – Years 7, 8 and 9
Girls - Years 7, 8 and 9
Black School Trousers
Black School Trousers
Style - Trimley LA1404/Greenwich LA1310/ Trutex GTN
or similar
White short-sleeved polo shirt
Black sweatshirt
Black non-canvas shoes
School Skirt
Style – Davenport 913585A/Charleston LA1401/Trutex Blue Max
or similar
White short-sleeved polo shirt
Black sweatshirt
Black non-canvas shoes
Boys – Year 10 and 11
Girls Year 10 and 11
Black School Trousers
Black School Trousers
Style - Trimley LA1404/Greenwich LA1310/Trutex GTN
or similar
Black or white short-sleeved polo shirt
Black V-neck sweater or sweatshirt
Black non-canvas shoes
School Skirt
Style - Davenport 913585A/Charleston LA1401/Trutex Blue Max
or similar
Black or white short-sleeved polo shirt
Black V-neck sweater or sweatshirt
Black non-canvas shoes
Boy’s PE Kit
Girl’s PE Kit
Trainers*
Football boots
White sports socks
Navy football socks
Navy shorts and White shorts
Navy reversible rugby shirt
White round-neck T-shirt
Shin pads
Carrier bag/PE bag
Trainers*
White sports socks
Navy football socks
Navy shorts or navy skirt and knickers
Navy rugby shirt or navy sweatshirt
White round-neck T-shirt
Shin pads
Carrier bag/PE bag
Band to tie hair back if necessary
*
Trainers should be proper sports trainers with cushioned sole and heel
Stockists – Morley, Uniformality or own source
We take a very strong line on the following:






Jewellery, nose studs, eyebrow bars/rings and tongue studs MUST NOT be worn. A pair of modest sized ear studs is
acceptable. Body piercing is NOT allowed on the grounds of health and safety.
Excessive or badly applied make-up or nail varnish MUST NOT be worn.
Acrylic or false nails MUST NOT be worn.
No extreme hairstyles in colour, cut or arrangement. And leave your eyebrows alone!
No jeans, combat trousers or tracksuit bottoms.
Black ‘jean style’ skinny trousers, black skinny trousers or black leggings are not acceptable as school uniform.
Terms and Holidays
2015 – 2016
AUTUMN TERM
Wednesday 2nd September 2015
INSET DAY
Thursday 3rd September 2015
Return to school
Monday 14th September 2015
INSET DAY/Open Evening
Thursday 22nd October 2015
Break-up for half-term holiday
Friday 23rd October 2015
INSET DAY
Monday 2nd November 2015
Return to school
Friday 27th November 2015
INSET DAY
Thursday 17th December 2015
Break-up for Christmas holiday
Friday 18th December 2015
INSET DAY
SPRING TERM
Monday 4th January 2016
Return to school
Friday 12th February 2016
Break-up for half-term holiday
Monday 22nd February 2016
Return to school
Thursday 24th March 2016
Break-up for Easter holiday
SUMMER TERM
Monday 11th April 2016
Return to school
Friday 27th May 2016
Break-up for half-term holiday
Monday 6th June 2016
Return to school
Thursday 21st July 2016
Break-up for Summer Holiday