February 2016 - Woodchurch High School

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:10
This half term has been very productive, with Year 8, 10 and 11 pupils sitting exams. Our exam
process has been developed to prepare pupils from Year 7 for their final GCSE exams in year 11.
Government changes now mean that exams at the end of the GCSE programme will carry 100%
of the marks. Pupils, therefore, are required to develop greater learning skills, so revision and
homework are crucial. We have a great deal of support for our pupils at school with homework
clubs, after school revision sessions and Saturday College. However, we would ask for your support in ensuring that home study is carried out nightly.
This newsletter will update you on other events which have taken place and, as you can see, we
continue to offer our pupils so many fantastic learning and enrichment opportunities.
MP Visit
We were delighted to welcome Margaret Greenwood,
MP, to school on Friday 12th February. Ms Greenwood met with representatives of all year groups, including School Council members, and discussed a
wide range of topics including the Labour Party leadership, Trident and the Junior Doctors’ strike. Pupils
were interested to find out about the working day of
an MP and how Ms Greenwood was able to represent
the diverse needs of constituents across the West
Wirral constituency.
Ms Greenwood followed the meeting with a tour of
the school and discussions with key members of staff.
Both Ms Greenwood and her aide were very impressed with the excellent behaviour of pupils and
their knowledge of the subjects discussed.
We hope Ms Greenwood will be a regular visitor to
school.
On Thursday 11th February we held our annual Take Your Parents to School Day. A number of
parents of Year 7 pupils went back to school to experience life as a pupil at Woodchurch High
School. Parents joined in lessons and had the opportunity to learn about the Internet and the
changes that have taken place in Maths and English.
Parents greatly enjoyed the day and gave very positive feedback:
“Enjoyed all lessons. They were taught in a fun
way. It’s great to see how children interact with
teachers and peers.”
“I had a wonderful time today and thought the reception I received was first class.”
“Absolutely brilliant. A great day – good to see
teachers engaging with pupils.”
Also on 11th February we held our Year 8 Options
Day, when pupils and parents/carers together had
the chance to look at subject stalls and speak to staff
and pupils studying the courses. Form Tutor guidance interviews provided support and direction on
the options available for Key Stage 4. Again, the
Year 8 parents/carers expressed appreciation of the
way in which the school had provided guidance
through options taster sessions, options evenings
and the day itself:
“The student on the Graphic Art was very helpful and
told us lots about the subject.”
“The teachers have given me good advice; really
helpful.”
“I felt a lot better helping my daughter with her
Options after being here.”
“The Options Evening presentations really helped.
My son already had a strong idea of the Options he
wanted to choose before we came. Talking to some
of the subject leaders in the hall just confirmed his choices.”
At Woodchurch we continue to develop our young people as independent learners. Our ten Successful Learning criteria are used in lessons to promote good learning habits in the pupils. There
are ten criteria G1 to G10 and they range from G1: getting on time and settling quickly to G10:
hold yourself responsible for your learning and that of others.
The ten criteria have been selected to cover all aspects of learning and should pupils adhere to
them then they are more likely to be successful learners and make progress.
Each month in Woodchurch we have a different Successful Learning focus. At the end
of the month, staff nominate pupils who they feel have excelled in that specific focus and letters
are sent home congratulating them.
Each year also have twenty-five "Behaviour For Learning Champions". These are pupils have
have been identified as having excellent BFL skills. They are used in lessons to support group
work and the learning of others and outside of the classroom they are used to work with other
pupils to help them develop their BFL skills. For example, a group of Year 9 pupils have been
working with Year 7 pupils and helping them understand and adhere to our Successful Learning
criteria.
Some Year 10 pupils have also been working with Year 8 pupils who are successful in many areas of the criteria, but need some support in developing their understanding of all ten criteria.
It's all about learning at Woodchurch!
From the beginning of next half term, it is our intention to close the Main Car Park Gate (inside
the grounds, internal gate at Sports Centre) between 3.00 pm and 3.30 pm each day.
This change will be made in an effort to ensure the safety of our pupils at the end of the
school day. It has been observed that Parents/Carers are parking illegally within the car parks
to wait for pupils to finish school. This has caused severe congestion but, significantly, it is a
Health and Safety Hazard, as pupils are having to negotiate through parked cars to get to parents who are collecting them.
The disabled access car park immediately beside the main school entrance is for the use of
blue badge holders and the special transport vehicles only. This area must not be used drop
off or pick up pupils as this causes congestion and disruption for those pupils who need to use
this car park for access.
As a school we always strive to keep all our pupils safe, which has led to us making this decision.
Thank you in advance for your co-operation and support.
Year 11: Succeeding in Exams:
On Tuesday 9th February, Year 11 parents and pupils were invited to attend an evening session by a leading educational specialist on Succeeding in Exams, Mr Andrew Newton. The session started with a fascinating explanation on how the brain actually works, and
how to stimulate it and make it work in a positive way for learning. Mr Newton then tried
some brain gym exercises and experimented with some brain quizzes and picture based brain
exercises. These were equally challenging for both pupils, their parents and Mr Chapple!
Reflecting on the outcome of these brain exercises, Mr Newton then went on to look at
healthy revision routines and techniques, focussing particularly on the need for planning a
good routine, eating healthily, living healthily and getting enough sleep. He has left a booklet
with the Year 11 Pastoral Team, with all this information in it. If you were unable to attend
the session and would like a copy, please contact Mr Chapple or Mr Hesketh, who will be
pleased to post a copy to you.
The highlight of the evening was when parents were separated from their children for the final session of the evening. Mr Newton worked with parents in the Main Hall, discussing exam
stress from a parental perspective, whilst Mr Chapple led the Year 11 pupils in an analysis of
their recent behaviour traits to see how stress was effecting them. After half an hour, the two
groups merged, with parents being asked to slot in between the pupils, but away from their
own children, to discuss the results. The ensuing discussions were fascinating, with both parents and pupils stating this was the most enlightening and interesting part of the evening. Parents were able to understand exam stress from a pupils' perspective and Year 11 pupils were able to appreciate their own parents' worries and stresses with regard to the exam
season. Both parents and pupils felt much more informed and relaxed about how to cope in
the upcoming few weeks.
Indeed, there are a mere 9 weeks before exam season begins. Year 11 pupils have been invited to another Presentation Morning at 8.30am on Thursday 25th February to collect their trial
exam results. This will be the final opportunity to experience the thrill (or disappointment!) of
collecting exam results, before the actual GCSE Results Day in August 2016. We hope parents
will be able to attend this short presentation morning and we look forward to celebrating the
successes of all pupils.
These final few weeks are now crucial to complete Controlled Assessments, finalise or amend
a good revision schedule for the run up to exams, ensure pupils are discussing strengths and
weaknesses with their subject teachers, accessing past papers on the school VLE and other
websites, establishing a healthy regime at home and school, and trying to keep stress under
control. Remember pupils should review the basics too and read the exam questions to ensure they answer exactly what is asked, and look at the exam scoring at the bottom of each
page to answer accordingly.
A school life balance is important, but as Woodchurch school life draws to a close, it is important for pupils to take advantage of the many opportunities on offer. Every subject area
has after school revision classes and teachers/mentors are more than willing to offer 1 to 1
sessions for pupils who ask.
Enjoy these last few weeks and months, as, after all, school days are the best days of your
life! So, make the most of every remaining minute.
Can I respectfully remind parents of the school uniform rules and general school rules which, if
not adhered to, will result in sanctions for your child:
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Fizzy drinks are not allowed anywhere in the school building or its surround.
Aerosol cans should only be taken out and used when in the sports centre after PE lessons. The spraying of these aerosol cans in the school or on the bus has resulted in severe asthma attacks for some of our pupils. Consequently they may only be used when
necessary after PE.
School Skirts should be no more than 2” above the knee and should be of a non-jersey
fabric.
School shoes should be as described on our website. Trainers and trainer-shoes are not
allowed.
Only one pair of small earrings (one earring in each ear) and a watch are allowed. No
other jewellery is permitted.
Make–up should be kept to an absolute minimum and nail varnish is not permitted. Pupils
wearing inappropriate make-up or nail varnish will be asked to remove it.
Thank you for your consideration and cooperation in this matter. If you wish for any further information or to discuss these issues further please feel free to contact your son/daughter’s Pupil
Progress Leader.
Please also note this advanced notice: we are changing our uniform slightly in September and a pupils will be required to have a Woodchurch High School bag for their
books, planners and PE kit. There will be several to choose from and they will
be available to purchase, with the child's name inside, from the Wirral Uniform
Shop. This decision has been made to reduce the cost of the uniform and the bags
will be cheaper than other bags that some parents feel under pressure to purchase
for their child. We will ensure that parents are kept up to date with all information
regarding this matter.
The Parent Teachers Association (PTA) – New Members Required
The PTA raises funds for the school.
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Are you interested in helping your child’s school?
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Can you give up any free time? As little or as much as you can, with NO permanent obligation.
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The PTA consists of Parents and Friends of the School.
In the school year to date, the PTA has raised over £1300 and are aiming for an annual Target of £5000! All monies raised are donated back to the school to assist with
needy causes.
We meet at the school on the 2nd Monday of every month and would be delighted to welcome
new volunteers / members. Our next meeting is Monday 14th March – School Staff Meeting
Room 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm.
Art Graphics
Following the Art Graphics trip in December to Liverpool where the year
11 pupils took photographs of various buildings around the city, Mrs
Landrum kindly offered her expertise in
Photography and took the pupils’ side
profile. They then got on with the task
of learning how to manipulate and edit
the photos to create the desired
'Double Exposure' outcome as seen
here.
Mr Marshall, who accompanied the trip
in December, will be invited in to see
their end of year exhibition in June.
Rocket Science
Year 7 have begun looking at Rocket Science in their
Technology lessons this week as part of their STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) project. Year 7 pupils will be learning about aerodynamics and rocket design in order to build the most successful rocket they can; they will then launch their
water powered rockets into the air as a class competition.
Year 7 have used the Technology department’s wind
tunnel to help them learn more about aerodynamics
and how this affects the design of rockets in the real
-world. The wind tunnel is just one of the many pieces of specialist equipment and machinery
the Technology department uses to enhance teaching and learning for all pupils.
Year 8 Robotics
The Technology department has six Lego Mindstorm EV3 kits that are used to teach pupils
about robotics, these are used each week by the Year 8 Robotics Club that begins again on 1st
February with a new group of pupils.
Any Year 8 pupils that are interested in Engineering are encouraged to attend Robotics Club on
a Monday after school. Pupils can sign up using the sheet on the Technology Staff Base door.
Performing Arts
The year 10 Performing Arts students have been developing plays based around the slave trade
for their most recent controlled assessment. They used a variety of inspirations including poetry/monologues and dance to create highly artistic pieces created around a no linear structure.
Woodchurch Pantomime
Our year 9 and year 11 GCSE Drama students performed their own unique versions of
“Cinderella” to a number of our local feeder schools just before Christmas. Our students acted
as independent production companies to research/plan/write/rehearse and provide all the technical elements for their pieces. As you can see from the photographs they did an amazing job.
English Study Support takes place in English rooms 10 and 11 for an hour after school every
Thursday. Pupils from every year group are encouraged to attend, as it gives them the opportunity to meet with an English teacher and receive support relating to the scheme that they are
currently studying. Pupils can also receive support with their homework and any Literacy issues
that have arisen in other subjects. The timetable is as follows:
KS3 Study
Support
En10
Year 10
Study
Support
Year 11
Revision
Media
Support
Drama
Production
En4/5
En7
Drama Studio
En11
25.2.16
Miss Farley
Miss Jones
Mr Jones
Miss Coombs
Mr Dawson
3.3.16
Mrs Crick
Mr Williams
Mr Baccino
Mr Dickenson
Mr Dawson
10.3.16
Miss Hough
Mrs Wilson
Mrs Langcake
Miss Evans
Mr Dawson
17.3.16
Miss Evans
Miss Broad
Miss Coombs
Miss Clarke
Mr Dawson
24.3.16
Miss Clarke
Miss Griffiths
Mrs Wilson
Mr Jones
Mr Dawson
31.3.16
Mr Dickenson
Miss Barney
Miss Willis
Miss Broad
Mr Dawson
21.4.16
Miss Farley
Miss Jones
Mr Jones
Miss Coombs
Mr Dawson
28.4.16
Mrs Crick
Miss Broad
Mr Baccino
Mr Dickenson
Mr Dawson
5.5.16
Miss Hough
Miss Milosevic
Mrs Langcake
Miss Evans
Mr Dawson
12.5.16
Miss Evans
Mr Williams
Miss Coombs
Miss Clarke
Mr Dawson
12.5.16
Miss Clarke
Miss Barney
Miss Willis
Mr Jones
Mr Dawson
19.5.16
Mr Dickenson
Miss Griffiths
Mrs Wilson
Miss Broad
Mr Dawson
26.5.16
Miss L Williams
Mrs Wilson
Miss Griffiths
Miss Coombs
Mr Dawson
9.6.16
Miss Farley
Miss Barney
16.6.16
Mrs Crick
Miss Broad
23.6.16
Miss Hough
Mrs Wilson
30.6.15
Miss Evans
Mr Williams
7.7.15
Miss Griffiths
Mrs Wilson
14.7.15
Mr Dickenson
Miss Milosevic
Star Wars Media Trip
Each year, the exam topic for GCSE Media Studies is different. In 2015, it was TV News. For
2016, it will be Science Fiction Movies. With this in mind, the Media department organised a trip
to see StarWars: The Force Awakens on Thursday 17th January - the film’s first day of release.
Forty-six pupils had a lesson in school on the Star Wars franchise, and how it has become so
successful prior to boarding a coach to the Odeon Cinema in Bromborough with four members
of staff. The trip was a great success with pupils and staff all enjoying the film and excitedly discussing Star Wars on the way home. It is hoped that the Media cinema trip will become an annual event.
On the 11th February, forty-seven pupils and five
staff are embarking on the annual overnight trip to
London. They will visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour
in Leavesden, where they will have two lessons
from film professionals as well as taking part in the
studio tour. On the second day, they will visit the
London Film Museum to see the James Bond exhibition and go on a sightseeing tour of London.
Year 11 Ty Newydd Writer’s Residential
On Friday 15th January, twenty Year 11 boys visited Ty Newydd in Wales for the weekend with
the English department. Ty Newydd is a house which dates back to the 15th century. It was
also the former residence of David Lloyd George and is now the National Writing Centre of
Wales. Established in 1990, thousands of aspiring and budding writers have since passed
through its front door. Over the weekend, the boys completed three full sessions of English in
preparation for their upcoming mock examinations, as well as cooking and walking in the
Welsh countryside.
Grammar Revision
As grammar now carries a bigger percentage in GCSEs, Mr Jones is starting after school grammar revision every Monday in English 9. The aim is to encourage pupils to develop their confidence with their grammar and recognise when they have made basic errors, such as forgetting
to use capital letters and full stops. The first session will focus on homophone and the following
week basic punctuation will be studied. New dates will follow next half term.
Creative Writing Club
Miss Willis has introduced a creative writing club for Year 8 pupils. The club
is on a Thursday after school and is open to any pupil that likes to write for
pleasure or is interested in creative writing. This is an excellent opportunity
for pupils to have specialist support with developing their writing and their
imaginations.
Year 7
Year 7 have now started their Shakespeare scheme of work and have made excellent progress.
They have been focusing on the life of the famous playwright and have learnt about what life
was like in Elizabethan England and how this influenced Shakespeare’s work. Using their
knowledge, they have produced posters, leaflets and tour guides about The Globe theatre and
have developed their understanding of how Shakespeare’s plays were performed. Year 7 pupils
have also been studying the plays Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet and have been reading important scenes in order to understand the key character’s feelings. The Shakespeare scheme of
work is developed to introduce Shakespeare to our Year 7 pupils and begin to prepare them for
the work they will be doing during their GCSE years.
Year 8
Year 8 have worked well this half-term after completing their trial exams. In the first week of
January, pupils sat GCSE level papers to introduce them to the style of examinations and prepare them for their next three years at Woodchurch.
Year 8 have also been working on PSCHEE this half term within their English lessons. Pupils
have been exploring Drink Driving in the Media; they have created some excellent adverts and
storyboards as well as some fantastic analysis writing on the topic.
Year 8 Options
Year 8 are currently in the process of selecting their GCSE options for Year 9. The pupils will all
take English Language and English Literature, but we also offer two more brilliant courses within
the Curriculum Area. Pupils also have the option to take Performing Arts and Media; both courses are really exciting and will help pupils to develop lots of new skills to support them with English.
Year 9
The Year 9 scheme of work for the Spring term is centred around Shakespeare’s Macbeth. This
scheme is designed to prepare Year 9 pupils for their English Literature GCSE and to develop
their confidence when reading and translating Shakespeare’s language. Year 9 have been reading key scenes from the play and have explored the presentation of different characters, particularly focusing on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and the dynamic of their relationship. Pupils have
engaged well with the scheme and demonstrated a mature approach to the themes within the
play.
Year 10
Year 10 have been continuing with their study of Macbeth and developing their responses to
character in preparation for their GCSE exam. Study packs, which include a copy of Macbeth, A
Christmas Carol and study files are still available to purchase from Miss Griffiths for £5. These
study packs are an invaluable resource which all Year 10 pupils should be equipped with in preparation for their GCSEs.
Year 10 have also recently completed their first English Language Mock GCSE examination, we
were impressed with the mature attitude and the pupils’ commitment to their studies.
Year 11 Key Dates
Year11 are to be congratulated on their performance in the recent Mock Walk Through Day.
They worked hard all day preparing for their exams and we are very impressed with their commitment to revision.
Please see the table below for key dates of examinations. Revision classes are also being held to
enhance pupils’ understanding of different text types prior to their GCSE English Language exams in May and June. Year 11 pupils are continuing to complete mock exams throughout the academic year which will help staff assess progress before the summer exams. Please support your
child with revision and homework.
Date
Monday 21st March
Topic
Mock Language Exam IIII
Friday 6th May
Mock Walk Through Day III
Monday 9th May
Mock Language Exam V
Monday 23rd May
English Literature Unit I Exam
Friday 27th May
English Literature Unit II Exam
Tuesday 7th June
English Language Unit I and II Exams
Geography Support Sessions
Support sessions for all KS4 classes are held every Tuesday lunch time in Humanities 5, this
is to support pupils with homework and preparing for tests and exams. So come along bring
your lunch and get those grades, or alternatively come along for a chat about all matters Geography!
Humanities are having a Parent support evening for year 10 Parents/Carers on the 25th February 6-7pm- looking at how to revise and what they need to do to support their child.
Congratulations to the following pupils for their recent excellent performance:
Year 7
Ciaran Charles
Angus Farley
Heather Fox
Keira Jones
Year 11
Callum Cooper
Matthew Hassall
Ellie Rhodes
Leon Makin
Billy Cliff
Year 8
Jonathan Bruffell
Benjamin Muirhead
Marshall Dreelan
Karl Holland
Tom Hudson
Luke Black
Year 10
Sam Hudson
Ben Williams
Mia Stewart
Megan Wilson
Blake Langley
Beth McDonough
Hannah McNee
Cerys Mack
Year 11 History revision sessions are on Monday lunchtime and
Tuesday 3.15 each week.
Medieval Britain Topic
Well done to pupils from 7X1 who built
model castles as part of their Year 7
History work on Medieval Britain.
The pupils are - Jez Forshaw, Tom
Rylance, Sam Moorhead, Bethany
Mather, Aisha Hammett, Louise Southall, Alex Martin, Latoya Hinchliffe,
Kathryn Sheard, Sarah Thomas, Chloe
Stewart and Lewis Fryer.
Year 9
Harry Natton
Ben McSherry
Jack Shaw
Thaila Barker
Luke Holmes-Thompson
Matthew Hassall
Matthew Bradford
Ben Davies
Year 10
Luke Hillan
Ben Owens
Kristi Stephenson
Year 7 Buddhist Centre Trip
Last month, 45 Year 7 pupils visited Oxton's Buddhist Centre to learn about
Buddhist beliefs and practices as part of their KS3 Religious Studies. Pupils
were given the opportunity to meditate, ask questions and explore a Buddhist place of worship.
As an incredibly popular visit, a further trip has been arranged so that more
pupils can take advantage of this excellent opportunity.
On Holocaust Memorial Day 2016, pupils from our
school took part in a conference to remember and
learn from events of the past. During the day, pupils
from Year 8 and Year 9 listened to a talk from a second generation Holocaust survivor and took park in
three workshops based on anti-Semitism and the
application of the Christian value of Forgiveness to
past events.
It was an incredibly moving and emotional day. Pupils were captivated by what Freddie (our speaker)
had to say and were anxious to express their conviction of justice for all humanity.
In the picture, Harry Natton (9XV) and Lucy Atherton (9XV) receive two Holocaust Memorial candles on behalf of the school.
Revision Workshops Big News!!!
As part of our continuing revision programme Year 11 have a big revision event planned for after school every Monday 3.30 – 4.30pm. RS staff will be at hand to help with exam technique
and structure. This is a very important tool to have to hand in your exam box. Even if you think
you know how to answer exam questions for RS still come along. There will be WJEC examiners
to hand to guide you on your way.
Humanities Support Club
Friday lunch times we have a Humanities support club for all pupils. Teachers offer their
lunchtimes to support pupils who need 1:1 support with class work, homework’s or who would
like to know more information about a topic they are studying. This study support is open to all
pupils of all year groups. Go the extra mile and visit us on Friday lunch time in Humanities 2,
come for 5 minutes for come for 30minutes – it’s up to you !
In RS we would love to put
everyone’s name on the success scroll of honour, but unfortunately we can’t. This term
however we have focused on
the year 10 pupils who are
above target. Here they are,
and what a list it is too. We are
really proud of our Year 10 pupils who have really put a lot of
effort into their revision and
exams. Keep going!!
The following Y10 pupils have repeatedly achieved
or exceeded their target grades in RS milestone assessments - a huge well done to all of them!
Year 10 - Excellent exam results:
Callum Elston
Alex Lamb
Josh Caddick
Anna Marrin
Jade Moutlon
Abbie Royal
Leah Hemmings
Lois Keeler
Rebecca Copple
Hannah Bendrey
Joe Mensah
Brad Pyper
Tom Hodson
Morgan O'Loughlin
Steven Gillan
Rev’d Turner would
like to say well done
to Thaila Barker for
all her effort in RS
recently
The Religious Studies Subject area has continued to
strengthen links with Chester Diocese and Chester Cathedral. Year 10 pupils will be attending a conference
this term to be held at the Cathedral – more information
to follow.
Age UK Visitor to Health and Social Care
On Thursday 14 January one of the Year 9 GCSE Health and Social Care classes was pleased to
welcome Mr Ray Collings, Senior Manager for Community Support Services at Age UK Wirral .
The class has recently been learning about the needs of individuals in later adulthood and how
for some people this life stage can present a number of issues due to failing health, bereavement or loneliness.
Mr Collings explained about the increase in the elderly population on Wirral and across the country. He described the excellent work that Age UK Wirral does in terms of its wide range of activities, support and facilities, and he talked of how these activities can benefit individuals by giving them opportunities to stay healthy and happy as they get older.
The students found the talk
very interesting and asked Mr
Collings a lot of questions, both
about the organisation and his
own career.
Mr Collings is hoping to meet
the Christian Values reps later
in the term in the hope that
school may be able to financially support Age UK Wirral in
its valuable work.
Options in Health, Social Care and Early Years
Next year the Health, Social Care and Early Years Department will be offering two courses:
BTEC First Certificate in Health Social Care, which has been running for many years, and BTEC
First Award in Children’s Play, which we are offering for the first time.
Ms Oldham recently spoke about the courses in a
Year 8 assembly and she and Mrs Kennedy have
run two taster lessons to give pupils a “flavour” of
learning in the department. They were delighted
that 60 pupils attended to find out a bit more
about the subjects. The lesson was on why play
is important and how different toys help children
develop.
Ms Oldham and Mrs Kennedy would like to thank
Thaila, Rebecca, Joanna and Becky; the Ambassadors did a great job supporting them in the taster
sessions.
NHS Careers Competition for Schools
During the past few weeks the two Year 9 GCSE Health and Social Care classes have been taking part in an NHS Schools’ competition. Pupils did an online quiz about their interests and were
then matched up with a number of careers that might suit them. They used various different
websites to find out about one of those careers, and then produced a job description and a
poster to encourage more young people to consider that career.
Some of the entries were excellent and they have all been sent off to London for judging. We
look forward to finding out if any are going forward to the regional finals.
A team of five Year 10 pupils from Woodchurch High
School have been representing Liverpool FC in the
Premier League Enterprise Challenge 2015/16.
Twenty-nine school groups representing Premier
League and Football League Clubs, made it through to
this year’s Play-Offs. The business and skills based
challenge is run by the Premier League and Sport Relief, which this year tasked pupils with working on a
strategy to help encourage fans to spend more time at
stadiums on match days.
The Play-Offs were hosted at Manchester City on 3rd
February 2016; our team did so well to get so far in the competition but they were unfortunately just beaten by Manchester United on the day.
Mrs Hulse, teacher of Business Studies said:
“The five Year 10 pupils have been an absolute joy to work with throughout the competition,
their hard work, dedication and ability to work as a team has been so encouraging. They have
been a credit to Woodchurch High School, their families and themselves. Although the competition is over for them, they should be extremely proud of their achievements and the skills that
they have learnt and developed along the way.”
Gemma Smith, Liverpool FC Foundation Project Lead said:
“The Premier League Enterprise Challenge is a fantastic way of allowing local high school students to learn about the inner workings of a football club. The challenge gives them the opportunity to increase their business knowledge, develop presentation skills and build confidence.
Team ‘Eventus’ from Woodchurch High School in Wirral have worked extremely hard over the
past couple of months and seen off lots of great competition. It’s been an absolute pleasure
working with them.”
Andrea Cooper, Head of the LFC Foundation added:
“The Premier League enterprise challenge forms a key part of the LFC Foundation’s educational
programmes. This year we have seen 10 teams from five Merseyside schools enter the Liverpool
FC Club heats and it is fantastic to see how enthusiastic and hard-working the teams have been
to date. We are delighted to have Woodchurch High School represent the LFC Foundation at
this year’s play-off. We wish them all the best.”
Learning Journeys
Throughout the department, we have started to implement a new scheme called learning journeys. These will be used by every class and every child within that class.
They will be used to map the progress that they are making throughout each topic and can be
used as a checklist to make sure students can do all aspects of a topic before moving on.
An example:
KS 3 Stage 7
Algebraic Proficiency
Learning Journey
I
understand
the role of
the = sign
Know the
meaning of
expression,
term,
formula,
equation,
function
and identity
Know basic
algebraic
notation
(the rules
of algebra)
Use
letters to
represent
variables
Identify like
terms in an
expression
Simplify an
expression by
collecting like
terms
Know how to
multiply a
(positive) single
term over a
bracket (the
distributive
law)
Substitute
positive
numbers into
expressions and
formulae
Given a
function,
establish
outputs from
given inputs
Given a
function,
establish inputs
from given
outputs
Use the
order of
operations
correctly
in algebraic
situations
Students should be ticking and dating sections that they have completed in class as well as noting the page in their book that they did this on.
Learning Journeys
Which of the following is
an equation, formula,
expression or identity.
What do the following
mean?
3a
3a = a + a + a
3a + 2b + 2a – b
x
3(x + 5)
4
4t + 3u
Simplify these
expressions
d2
m(n – p)
4( a + 7)
4(a + 2b) – 2(2a + b)
T = 4h + 10
2c + 5 = 11
5ef
The cost of a plumber’s bill
is £40 per hour plus a £20
call out fee.
How much would it cost
to call out a plumber for
a 3 hour job?
Find the value of these
expressions when a = 4.
3a2 + 4
What is the algebraic
formula for this?
If the bill for the
plumbers job is £260
how long did the job
take?
5(a – 6)
Key Words /
symbols
Never
heard
before?
Heard of
but not sure
what it
means?
2a3
Know what it means and can explain it in
context
Jot down your ideas here...
Expression
Term
Simplify
Substitute
Equivalent
Identity
Expand
Distributive law
These are the parts of the learning journey in which we define key words in each topic and we
answer questions to prove that we understand each of the topics.
Go to www.mymaths.co.uk and login at the
top of the homepage.
School login : Woodchurch
School password : Vector
Each of the lessons in the library has an Online Homework. Your child will be directed to do
these tasks by their teacher. On the next page your child should enter their private login and
password in the pink 'My Portal' box. This information should be written in their planner.
Your child will be set a number of tasks by their teacher and these will appear under MyTasks.
They must complete both pages of the Online Homework and then Checkout for the scores to
be saved to the database. If no lessons are appearing then you have a Pop-Up Blocker installed. You MUST allow to use Pop-Ups. Tasks can be attempted again, accessing through
MyResults, where you can see all their results and track their results by Level by clicking MyLevels. It will also tell you which questions your child could and couldn’t do, how many times they
have attempted the worksheet and when they last tried it. A system of Traffic Lights indicates
how successful your child has been.
Green light : they have good skills in this area.
Amber light : they still have difficulties and may need to attempt the task again.
Red light : they need to go back and relearn the topic. Try the Lesson again or get them to ask
their teacher for help.
If you do not have internet access at home, your child will be able to complete their work on the
computers available throughout the school.
Please take some time looking through the website with your child and monitor their progress
regularly. Please contact your child’s maths teacher if you have any more questions.
We still have lots of revision materials available in school. Revision
guides cost £3, revision guides with a workbook cost £4 and calculators cost £4. They are available at all times from the maths staff base.
We have now started using PiXL maths for students to answer exam
style questions. Once they have attempted it themselves, the website
then takes them through a video answer to the question in which it
helps fill any gaps in a student’s knowledge. This is an imperative
practice implanted by the department in which students can have a
methodology explained as to how to go about preparing for upcoming
examinations.
Students can get the PiXL maths app for their phones for them to revise at any given time, as well as getting homework set on the site.
Year 11 Revision
Foundation Basics Timetable—3.15
pm—4.15 pm
Date
Topic
Teacher
Room
Tue 23 Feb
Interpreting scatter graphs
Mrs Hale
M9
Tue 1 Mar
Designing questions for a questionnaire Mr Tapia-Jones
M4
Tue 8 Mar
Transformations
Mrs Roper
M8
Tue 15 Mar
Using a calculator
Mrs Kowalski
M10
Tue 22 Mar
Rounding numbers correctly
Mr Nixon
M6
Tue 29 Mar
Rotational & line symmetry
Mr Camsell
M2
Tue 19 Apr
Circles
Mrs Kowalski
M11
Tue 26 Apr
Measuring lines and angles
Mr Jones
M11
Tue 3 May
Averages
Miss Duffy
M5
Tue 10 May
Volume
Mrs Hale
M9
Tue 17 May
Algebra - simplifying
Mr Tapia-Jones
M4
Tue 24 May
Algebra - substitution
Mrs Roper
M8
Tue 7 June
Area and perimeter
Mrs Lewins
M9
Year 11 Revision
FOUNDATION Revision Class 3.15 - 4.15pm
Date
Topic
Teacher
Room
Tue 23 Feb
Interpreting scatter graphs
Mrs Lewins
Mrs Roper
M10
M8
Tue 1 Mar
Designing question for a questionnaire
Mr Jones
Mrs Kowalski
M11
M10
Tue 8 Mar
Transformations part 1
Mr Nixon
Miss Duffy
M6
M5
Tue 15 Mar
Transformations part 2
Mrs Hale
Mr Camsell
M9
M2
Tue 22 Mar
Pythagoras' Theorem
Mrs Roper
Mr Tapia-Jones
M8
M4
Tue 29 Mar
Drawing graphs
Mrs Kowalski
Mr Jones
M10
M11
Tue 19 Apr
Using a calculator
Miss Duffy
Mrs Lewins
M5
M10
Tue 26 Apr
Rounding numbers
Mr Camsell
Mrs Hale
M2
M9
Tue 3 May
Rules of indices
Mr Tapia-Jones
Mr Nixon
M4
M6
Tue 10 May
Drawing pie charts
Miss Duffy
Mrs Lewins
M5
M10
Tue 17 May
Bearings
Mr Camsell
Mrs Hale
M2
M9
Tue 24 May
Fractions, decimals and percentages
Mr Tapia-Jones
Mr Nixon
M4
M6
Tue 7 June
Circles
Mrs Kowalski
Mr Jones
M10
M11
Year 11 Revision
HIGHER Revision Class 3.15 - 4.15pm
Date
Topic
Teacher
Room
Wed 24 Feb
Changing the subject of a complex formula
Miss Easton
Miss Watson
M9
M7
Wed 2 Mar
Applying vector methods for proofs
Mr Doyle
Mr Aubrey
M1
M3
Wed 9 Mar
Substituting into a formula
Mrs Dewis
Mr Crick
M11
M3
Wed 16 Mar
Equations of parallel and perpendicular lines
Miss Watson
Miss Easton
M7
M9
Wed 23 Mar
Bearings and scale drawings.
Mr Aubrey
Mr Doyle
M3
M1
Wed 30 Mar
The quadratic formula
Mr Crick
Mrs Dewis
M3
M11
Wed 20 Apr
Rules of indices, surds
Miss Easton
Miss Watson
M9
M7
Wed 27 Apr
Setting up and solving equations
Mr Doyle
Mr Aubrey
M1
M3
Wed 4 May
Cumulative frequency curves and box plots
Mrs Dewis
Mr Crick
M11
M3
Wed 11 May
Histograms (including finding the median).
Miss Watson
Miss Easton
M7
M9
Wed 18 May
Recurring decimals
Mr Aubrey
Mr Doyle
M3
M1
Wed 25 May
Transformation of graphs
Mr Crick
Mrs Dewis
M3
M11
Wed 8 June
Trigonometry with right-angled triangles, trig area Miss Easton
of non-right angled triangle.
Miss Watson
M9
M7
Year 11
Following the trial exams and work done on past papers in class, all GCSE MFL pupils now have
clear targets to work on in preparation for the final exams in May. The French listening and
reading exams are on May 17th and the Spanish take place on May 20th. Teachers are working
on exam technique in lessons and it is essential that pupils put these techniques into practice
working independently on past papers at home. All relevant exams, including sound files for the
listening papers, are available on the MFL section of the VLE. Pupils should also continue to
work on developing their understanding of a wide range of vocabulary by focusing on a different topic area each week. Subject staff will provide lists of core vocabulary and can suggest how
best to commit them to memory. Having someone at home to help test recall will be invaluable.
Study support sessions on Thursday after school are ongoing.
KS3
How to help at home part 2
In MFL lessons we encourage pupils to always produce first drafts of
extended writing tasks and then check them carefully before producing
a final version. The same approach can be adopted when completing
written homework assignments.
Quantity

Have they included all the information asked for?

Could any additional details be added to sentences e.g. adding adjectives, using a connective (and, but, because) or ‘5Ws and H’ (who, what, where, when, why, how)
Quality

Have they avoided repeating the same phrases by using a variety of vocabulary?

Have they included examples of grammar points covered to date in class?
Accuracy

Have they checked spellings using vocabulary sheets on the VLE? Reading their work
aloud can also help pick out errors.

Have they checked for missing words by translating their work back into English?
Linguists of the Month
Congratulations to the following pupils who have particularly impressed
the MFL staff this half term with their outstanding attitude and effort:
Year 7 Grace Taylor, Ella Sutton, Nicole Rowlands, Lois Makin.
Year 8 Nathan O’Rourke, Abigail Snowden, Nathan Bowen, Ben Muirhead, Benjamin Richards, Mia Prendergas, Sophie Farragher.
Year 9 Sophia Martindale, Thaila Barker, Faye Hoyland.
Year 10 Courtney Hulmston, Emily Perry, William Phillips, Callum Ebbs.
Year 11 Kayleigh Davies, Shannon Carr, Josh Lipscome, Rachael Kendall.
Colegio Legamar, Madrid
In addition to the link established for some of our Year 9 pupils with Colegio Inglés in Zaragoza,
we have recently established another one with Colegio Legamar in Madrid for able linguists in
Year 7. This link has been made through contact with a former language assistant, Elena Alvarez, who worked at Woodchurch in 2013-14. We look forward to learning more about the school
and day to day life in Madrid. Pupils will be put into pairs to work as language coaches to help
their partner develop effective writing skills in the foreign language. As with the link for Year 9
pupils, this is a pilot project which we hope to extend to other pupils if successful.
Youth Sports Trust
Wednesday 20th January we hosted an event that was attended
by 130 additional needs pupils from schools across the Wirral,
both primary and secondary. The event was to showcase the
school as the HUB site on the Wirral for wheelchair sports. The
HUB site is funded through the Youth Sports Trust, and this funding pays for specialist sports wheelchairs, specialist equipment
and the HUB site to run on a Friday after school and on a Sunday
morning.
The HUB site, is a key indicator of the links WHS has with other
school schools, Claremount school in Moreton have been fundamental in the set up of the HUB site after school on a Friday delivering wheelchair sports activities, and also Greenbank Sports
Academy have been fundamental in the set up the centre that
runs out of the school on a Sunday morning, involving young
children from the Wirral with disabilities in various sporting activities. Both links have been key to the school in supporting our
continued drive to provide the best possible opportunities for pupils with disabilities to achieve in sport and be aspirational and to succeed. The event was attended by Baroness Sue Campbell, who is the person who originally set up the Youth Sports
Trust and is a influential person in sport and school sport. Sue was very complimentary of the
school, the activities on the day, and the provision that is available to pupils in school time, and
out of school time. On the day the pupils took part in Wheelchair tennis, football, rugby, athletics, Boccia, fitness training, bench hockey, table cricket, goal ball and seated volleyball.
Year 10 Netball
The Year 10 Netball team took part in a County competition on
Saturday 30th January at Wirral Grammar School for Girls. All
pupils involved played extremely well, winning three matches, losing two and drawing one. The girls narrowly missed out on
qualification to the regional round by one point, a real shame as
they had worked so hard. The girls’ behaviour was fantastic
throughout the day and they should be very proud of their performance. All the pupils thoroughly enjoyed the competition and
were a credit to the school.
It may be winter but it’s still busy on the farm.
Luckily, we have the help of three hard working
Year 9 pupils – Anya Stanton, Chloe Harper and
Megan Kearney who are working toward their
Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award qualification.
The girls work on the farm after school every
Monday as part of their volunteering unit.
After cleaning out the rabbit hutches the girls
handle the rabbits to carry out a health check
and also get the rabbits familiar with being handled.
Before they leave for the evening Anya and Megan take the two rams (Enzo and Elmo) for a
walk. Walking the rams is good as it reduces the
need to trim their hooves. The boys also enjoy
stopping to eat grass. Working with the rams is
also good for the girls also as they get practised
at handling and working the sheep – a skill that
they need for their BTEC Animal Care qualification.
Other news on the farm – the alpacas are given a haircut!
The schools three alpacas (Scout,
Roddy and Basil) are shorn annually but they still need their fringe
trimmed every few months. In the
picture Basil is waiting patiently
while his fringe is finished. It didn’t
last long, like any two year old,
Basil started to protest – but at
least he can now see where he is
going!
On Friday 5th February Woodchurch High, in conjunction with the Ogden Trust, held our first annual careers fair dedicated to Science and Technology.
We welcomed 16 ambassadors to the school, who all volunteered to spend the day chatting to
pupils about what they do for a living and why they do it. Ambassadors also brought with them
pieces of equipment so pupils could get a hands on experience of what they do on a day to day
basis. Mike Buttery, who works for ............., designing and developing space probes even
brought with him a piece of the actual Hubble Space Telescope.
The ambassadors were all people who currently work (or spent a life time working) in the Science and Technology industries. The types of careers represented included astrophysics, particle
physics, vetenary sciences, statistics, analytical chemistry, tropical medicine, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, IT and computer science, nuclear safety and nuclear engineering. Mike
Buttery, who works for ESR Technology, designing and developing space probes, even brought
with him a piece of the actual Hubble Space Telescope!
Years 9, 10 and 11 spent the day chatting to the ambassadors, finding out what they do for a
living, how they got into their career and why they like it. We were also joined by staff and pupils
from Upton-by-Chester High school and West Kirby Grammar school.
The feedback from the ambassadors, Woodchurch High pupils and the visitors was overwhelmingly positive. The visiting schools both said how grateful they that they had the opportunity to
attend and they pupils were already discussing what careers they could pursue in the future.
Comments from Woodchurch High pupils included ‘Sir that was great, I now know what I what
do when I leave school’, and ‘I had no idea you could do that with Science’. One year 10 pupil,
Ben Wagstaff, has even been offered a work placement with the Liverpool John Moores University Astrophysics department!
None of this would have been possible without the
generosity of the STEM ambassadors who took time
off work to spend the day at Woodchurch High and
to help broaden the horizons of our pupils.
This half term has been a really busy half term for us – even though it’s only been six weeks we
have had a really active time of showing compassion to others around us. We have continued
to raise money for charity with XV and YV forms stepping up the mark – from organising raffles
through to cake sales and other things.
We recently also did our first “Change the World Friday”. Each form had an envelope which we
asked for it to be passed around for pupil to put any loose change in which they had which they
were willing to donate to charity. We were thrilled that over £100 was raised in one day that
way – with mainly 1 and 2p’s.
This half term we also have done the annual Year 7 ‘Give me a tenner’ challenge. Each from
was given £10 and asked to use it to invest and sell goods or services. This is an ongoing project and we will update you on the monies raised next time, however last year over £720 profit
was returned which went to charity. This year we are awarding a prize fund to the winning form
as well as the other profits going to charity. We are supporting the Philippine Community Fund
(PCF) in this project – a project which helps provide food and education to children who live and
work on rubbish dumps.
Archbishop of York Young Leaders
As part of the Archbishop of York Young Leaders
Award one form group went to Holy Cross Church
to begin a project on transforming part of the
graveyard into a wildflower meadow. Pupils completed a litter pick, weeded, dug and cleared.
They also created a Bug Hotel. Rev Anne was delighted with our pupils’ efforts and hopes that in
the next few months we can do further work on
this project for the local community.
Another form are going to a Birkenhead Court Care
Home to organise an activity afternoon, paint residents nails and serve tea and coffee. We will also be making bird boxes in school for some work
with Merseyforests.
There are also a number of other projects being arranged for next half term, including visits to
Winston Place nursery and building more Bug Hotels.
Pupils are reminded to be working on their personal projects – helping others.
Rotary Club—Youth Speaks
On a separate note, our work with the Rotary Club of Birkenhead is
continuing well. We were pleased to put two teams in for the
Youth Speaks competition. Feedback was very positive, with pupils
selecting the themes of “How easily influenced are we?” and “Is
prejudice always a bad thing?”
We also had a representative of Stick and
Step visit our school interact team to discuss with pupils the work of their charity.
As always, should you have any questions or queries about anything in
this article please email me – [email protected].
Many thanks for your time and ongoing support, and may I, and the Christian Value Reps, wish
you an enjoyable half term.
At Woodchurch High School, we consider the Safeguarding of our pupils highly and strive to
ensure that all pupils are safe and secure at all times. We are the guardians of your children/
wards whilst they are at school and feel that we need to be certain that when releasing pupils
from school for appointments or other similar circumstances, we do so wholly and completely
with the permission of Parents / Carers.
Therefore in unexpected circumstances where a request is made to release pupils from school,
Pupil Services Office Staff will ask Parents Carers a series of Security Questions which will be
based around information which is recorded within Sims (The School’s Information Management System). Once these security questions have been answered appropriately, Pupil Services Office Staff will release pupils from school as requested.
We would also request that when sending a note regarding appointments during the school
day, you indicate clearly that you give permission for your child/ward to make their own way
home or to the meeting venue specified by Parents/Carers. This indication of permission will
be recorded in school for reference purposes.
These actions are being implemented for the sole purpose of keeping Woodchurch High School
Pupils Safe at all times and we thank you for working with us and for your co-operation.
This office is located on the ground floor of the school behind Main Reception. The office deals
with a wide variety of tasks including







Main Switchboard into school
Pupil Welfare
Attendance (Pupil Absence Line 0151 641 8218 – Direct Line to Answerphone- please
leave the pupil name, form, reason for absence and expected date of return to school if
known)
Pupil Records (Sims)
Lost Property
Parent Communication
Sale of School Ties and Badges
For your further information, please note the following:
Office Hours are 7.30 am to 5.00 pm. The switchboard is available from 8.00 am to 4.30 pm
Switchboard options:
Press 1 to report a pupil absent
Press 2 for Inclusion
Press 3 for Exams
Press 4 for Finance
Press 5 for all other enquiries








Pupils should report to the Pupil Services Office if they arrive late to school, or if they need
to sign out for appointments during the school day.
Parents should call the Pupil Absence Line to report a child ill, late, attending a medical ap
pointment or other reason for absence from school.
The Pupil Services Office has a small float of money available for pupils who have forgot
ten/lost their lunch/bus money. Please ensure this is repaid promptly in order that we can
maintain a float for use in emergencies.
Sims is the School’s Information Management System, which maintains all pupil records in
cluding any emergency contact numbers. If any information relating to your son/daughter/
ward changes, for example emergency contact details, address, medical information, free
school meals information etc, you should ensure this information is sent into school for the
attention of Mrs King, Office Manager.
Lost Property is a major issue within school. Please ensure all items are clearly labelled.
Lost Property displays are held each term. If your son/daughter/ward has lost any items,
please encourage them to attend the display and retrieve any items, before they are dis
posed of at the end of each term.
Parentmail is the system used in school to communicate “electronically” with parents in or
der to get vital/important/urgent information to our Parents/Carers as quickly as possible.
Parents/Carers should ensure that school has an up to date e:mail address, which will be
registered with “Parentmail” on your behalf.
School Ties cost £2.50 and our new design School Badges are £2.00
Could I also ask your assistance in ensuring that your son/daughter/ward arrives to school with
the correct equipment for their timetabled lessons each day ie PE Kits and Cooking Ingredients.
Also to ensure that they do not forget lunches or lunch/bus money.
If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact school and speak to Mrs
King, Office Manager, or a member of the Pupil Services Office Team.
Wind Turbine
On Tuesday 12 January two engineers from Border Hydro came to service the school wind turbine, a job that was to take around five hours.
Always keen to create learning opportunities for
pupils, Ms Oldham asked the engineers if they
would be able to talk to a group of pupils about
the turbine and its maintenance. David
Postlethwaite explained that it is a 6 kilowatt,
Class 1 turbine with copper coils and a red box
called an inverter that sends the electricity to the
National Grid. He described how the blades turn
to track the wind and said that, unlike the turbines in the Dee estuary, its design means it has
no brakes, and the speed of the tips reaches 120
mph.
During the session Mr Jones’s Year 9 Engineering group showed great interest and asked many
excellent questions. Thanks to David for his fascinating talk; he is a great role model for our pupils.
Eco Conference
Lynn Struve, Wirral Eco Schools Co-ordinator, has recently contacted school about the possibility
of us hosting an Eco Schools Conference later this year. These conferences are held all over the
country and are very prestigious. Thirty or more Eco Co-ordinators from schools in the North
West will hopefully attend to find out about some of the projects and initiatives here, as well as
possibly at other local schools.
Fair Trade Workshops
On Wednesday 27 January we were pleased to welcome Jason Ward, Global Learning Support Officer from Liverpool World Centre. Jason spent the morning running
two very interesting workshops with Eco Reps. He worked initially with the Year 8
reps, then the Year 7s and Eco Committee members also attended at their convenience.
Pupils considered the Fair Trade logo, the wide range of Fair Trade products (Did you know
there are over 100?)
They also found out exactly what Fair Trade is all about,
why it is important and how the Fair Trade premium helps
to build schools, healthcare centres, water pumps and
more, thus raising the standard of living for farmers and
other community members in developing countries.
At the end of the sessions pupils made a pledge of what
they plan to do personally to support Fair Trade, and they
put forward a wide range of ideas for activities that school
could do during Fair Trade Fortnight from 29 February – 13
March. Watch this space!
Friday 12th February 2016
Close for Half Term
Monday 22nd February 2016
School re-opens to all
Tuesday 2nd March 2016
Wednesday 3rd March 2016
Thursday 4th March 2016
School Production
School Production
School Production
Monday 7th March Friday 11th March 2016
Year 7 Exams
Monday 14th March Friday 18th March 2016
Year 9 Exams
Tuesday 15th March 2016
10X Parents’ Evening
Thursday 17th March 2016
10Y Parents’ Evening
Monday 21st March Wednesday 23rd March 2016
Year 9 Exams
Thursday 24th March 2016
Easter Assemblies
Friday 25th March 2016
Good Friday Bank Holiday—School Closed
Monday 28th March 2016
Easter Monday Bank Holiday—School Closed
Tuesday 29th March 2016
School re-opens to all
Tuesday 29th March Wednesday 30th March 2016
Year 9 Exams
Friday 1st April 2016
Close for Spring Break
Monday 18th April 2016
School re-opens to all