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Bushey Meads News
Issue 64
15th April 2016
BMS Staff and Students Going the
Extra Mile……….
Dates for
the Diary
20 April
Y8 Africa Day
These images capture a
mere snapshot of the many
intensive Easter holiday
revision sessions that were
facilitated by so many hard
working and dedicated staff
at BMS and attended by our keen and enthusiastic Year 11 and Sixth
Form students. All the students I spoke to
were very grateful for the opportunities
provided by their teachers to attend
school during the holiday and told me that
the sessions really helped them keep up
the momentum with their revision
schedules
in
preparation for their
crucial exams in May and
June.
I would like to thank and
congratulate all the staff
and students who ‘went
the extra mile’ over the
last few weeks and wish you all the best for every
success in your exams. Don’t’ forget that the
22 April
Y10 GCSE PE Cornwall Trip
26 April
Y10 GCSE Dance Show
27 April
Y10 Weymouth Trip
Y11 Meningitis Vaccinations
Staff Development Afternoon
Full Governors Meeting
28 April
Y15 Trip Dr Faustus
Drama Exam Dress Rehearsals
Y8 Junior Maths Challenge
BMS Study
Saturdays start tomorrow in the LRC from 10.00 am until
2.00 pm – see you there!
21 April
House Music Competition
3.30-5.30
Mr Turner - Executive Principal
KEY STAGE 3
KEY STAGE 4
KEY STAGE 5
This week’s student of the week is Benjamin. Ben
has gone above and beyond to help support the
Bushey Meads community. He has put in many
hours of his own time to provide help with the
Year 9 options evening and also Parents Evening.
Thanks for all your help Ben. Keep up the good
work.
This week's student of the week is Johnrene and
he has been nominated by the Senior Pastoral
Manager, Miss Dhanecha. The commitment
Johnrene has shown to his upcoming GCSE exams
has been exemplary. He has excellent school
attendance, is always polite, pleasant and hard
working. Johenrene regularly attends revision
classes and has fully engaged with the Reaching
for the Stars programme. Well done Johnerene!
Keep up the fantastic work!
Gil - 13Beech
Our KS5 student of the week is Gil who is in
year 13. Gil has been given this award due to
his commitment to his studies. Mr Back, LRC
manager has been particularly impressed
with Gil’s dedication to attending study
support sessions and should be commended
for his continued hard work. Gil is currently
studying law, religious studies and sociology.
Danielle Bowe - Lead Practitioner for English and Whole school Literacy
Language is empowering
Our opening word of the week for the summer term has been ‘inference’. Students have been exploring
how important it is to be able to use inference and deduction skills when reading to interpret deeper
meanings in texts.
Danielle Bowe
Lead Practitioner for English and Whole School Literacy
We are currently recruiting for several positions at Bushey Meads School. These include posts such as
Head of Faculty for MFL and Head of Faculty for Science, Teachers in English, Music, Science, Computing,
Economics & Business Studies, a part-time position in MFL, School Nurse, Maths Teacher and Clerk to
the Governors & Executive Trust Board.
For further information please look under the 'Vacancies' section on the school website.
House Music
This year’s house music competition is taking place on Thursday 21st April at 3:30 pm in the Main Hall.
Refreshments will be available from 3:15 in the school restaurant.
Tickets are only £1 and all proceeds are going to the charity “Dream Flights”.
Support your House by coming along to the event and cheering the performers.
May the best House win!
YEAR 12 UCAS HIGHER EDUCATION CONVENTION
Diana McIldowie – Head of Work Related Learning
On Wednesday 16th March a group of our Year 12 students visited Brunel
University to attend the annual UCAS Higher Education Convention.
This event is aimed at helping the students determine their higher
education provider choices, over 140 of which, from across the country,
were represented at the convention.
The event provided an excellent opportunity for our students to find out
more about Higher Education and to visit the exhibitors who were happy
to answer any questions the students put to them. There was also a full
seminar programme covering topics such as student life, student finance
and specific subject related talks.
I would especially like to thank Mrs Crane and Mrs Razavi for their
support with this trip.
Diana McIldowie – Head of Work Related Learning
Bushey Meads was delighted to welcome West Herts
College and their Apprenticeship Bus onto site last
week, as part of National Apprenticeship Week.
Students from Years 9 to 13 were given a tour of
the bus and were able to participate in a number
of activities. Decorating the cakes quickly became
the most popular as you could eat your creations!
The experienced advisors were also able to give
guidance around a large number of different
apprenticeships to our year 11 students considering
this as a future option:Construction – build a wall * Electrical – solve the puzzle and light the bulbs * Engineering –
control the robot * Catering – decorate a cake * Plumbing – fix the pipes * Hairdressing – show
us your hairdressing skills
High Achiever Awards – second half of Spring Term 2016
As many of you are aware last year the school introduced a special new award for students called a High Achiever Award.
Throughout the year, every half term, each faculty is asked to nominate one student from each year group to receive a High
Achiever Award based on the student’s work, effort, attitude and achievements made throughout the previous half term.
Each student who receives a High Achiever Award will have their name published in the weekly newsletter, and a copy of their
certificate displayed on High Achiever noticeboards which are placed in prominent places around the school site. They will also
will receive a letter of recognition from the school and their certificate is posted home to their parents.
I am delighted that the following students all received a High Achiever Award for their work during the second half of the spring
term. We congratulate them all for their recent success.
COMPUTING AND FUTURE SKILLS
Grace Appleby
Mya Ellison
Benjamin Karakaya
Emma Sullivan
Laila Hersi
Ross Neacy
Archie Sharp
7E
8M
9W
10S
11B
12B
13A
Excellent achievement and effort in the GrowIT project
Outstanding progress in using databases
Working really well programming using Python
Excellent controlled assessment work
Excellent effort and dedication to finish her controlled assessment work
Commitment to independent learning
Hard work and commitment to BTEC ICT
DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
Jake Norris-Ataie
Ryan Pearce
Zain Hanif
Kristian Dimitrov
Amira Izhar
Louis Smart
Sami Huseyin
7M
8W
9O
10M
11O
12A
13W
Determination to produce work to a high level of accuracy
Great effort and skill in textiles and STEM activities
Excellent independent problem solving skills in Electronics
Excellent independent problem solving skills in Electronics and Graphics
Producing excellent quality food products and a well written report
Showing innovative developments in his design ideas
Commitment to raising the standard of innovation in his design work
7B
8B
9E
10M
11B
12A
13E
Having a calm and focused approach to the study of English
Outstanding attitude to learning and excelling in presentation
Fantastic contributions in class and improved work
Working with focus and intensity and always demonstrating a desire to succeed
Demonstrating a much improved level of effort
Consistent focus and hard work in lessons
Her holistic approach to her studies and positive response to guidance
Samantha Thavarajah
Arunesh Uthayakumar
Joel Feeley
Thomas Huctchinson
Kajal Dodhia
7O
8A
9S
10M
11B
Emily Hofer-Tillyer
12W
Karuna Davies
13B
Determination and effort in improving in Geography
Having an amazing attitude and work ethic in History
Mature attitude and hard work in R.E.
Positive attitude and hard work in GCSE Geography
Sustained commitment and hard work in GCSE History including attempting extra exam
questions
Excellent attitude; always willing to work hard and keen to succeed in Philosophy and
Ethics
Excellent focus on planning in A level Geography to ensure success
7O
8O
9M
10S
11O
Helping out others in his set with work
Being a willing and fantastic tour guide for candidates visiting the school
Showing a continued positive attitude to learning
Consistently asking questions and excellent active listening skills
Excellent attitude and attendance to after school Psychology revision sessions
7A
Showing excellent leadership and being a role model in terms of work ethic and focus in
Mathematics
Excellent leadership shown through demonstrating examples, supporting peers and always
producing the highest standard of work
ENGLISH
Aaron Doody
Nathra Sriharan
Sophie Ashby
Dena Nunes
Emily Leeves
Cyntheiah Siva
Megan Basnett
HUMANITIES
LEARNING SUPPORT
Abderrahim Taghrest
Brian Hope
Sam Beavan
Megan Hughes
Bethany Brant
MATHS
Menusha
Chandramouleeswaran
Arunesh Uthayakumar
8A
Sam Raymond
Sahil Sindhi
9B
10S
Emre Kilinc
11B
Noah Malancinas
12W
Ben Nunes
13B
Excellent leadership shown with home learning and use of MyMaths
Outstanding leadership and eagerness to support peers, teachers and the Mathematics
Faculty
Excellent leadership in demonstration of answers to exam questions and embracing the
Sixth Form Mentoring Programme
Exemplary leadership in lessons, Masterclass, Sixth Form GCSE Mentoring Programme
and in providing general support to other AS students
Outstanding leadership and eagerness to support peers, teachers and the Mathematics
Faculty
MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Hafsah Minhas
Luka Kovalevskyte
Angel de Alwis
Daisy Olyett
Lucy Parker
Marco Fernandes
Kaviniya Jeyathas
7O
8A
9O
10B
11S
12O
13M
Continued hard work and contribution in class
Excellent commitment in Spanish and continually striving to do better
Consistent contribution to class
Creative approach to written tasks
Excellent commitment to completing coursework
Commitment to learning and using vocabulary in speaking and written activities
Improved effort with writing
7S
8O
9A
10E
11S
12S
13W
Being fantastic in PE and extra-curricular teams
Continued excellent hard work and progress in PE
Excellent attitude in all aspects of PE
Excellent effort demonstrated in Core and GCSE PE
Achieving the highest bleep test score in the school during health week
Improved effort with home study
Improved effort and understanding in all areas of theory
PE AND HEALTH
Taylor Bees
Thalia Simpson
Sadiq Kazmi
Chris Osei
Toby Peskin
Emily Jarman
James Yallop
PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS
Tavi Vieru
Yasemin Sen
Sophie Melsome
Adam Dalby
Chloe Jackman
Emily Griggs
Megan Basnett
7S
8A
9M
10E
11O
12O
13E
Always trying his best in every drama lesson with excellent results
Completing and fixing her work to a high standard despite initial setbacks
Excellent work in her art lessons
His significant contribution to the music department
Excellent effort towards her unit 3 drama exam
Excellent support in Mrs Neal's year 7 class
Making KS3 drama club so successful
7E
8W
9A
10B
11B
12B
13W
Excellent focus and effort in science
Fantastic effort in home project: Journey of a Cheese Sandwich
Consistently going the extra mile in Science
Excellent effort in all lessons and home learning.
Maintaining excellent effort in Biology and commitment to revision sessions
Excellent effort put into independent learning this term
Being resilient and focused in every single lesson: all extra work completed that goes
beyond what is expected
Cameron Leggatt
Yennie Chang
10W
11B
Esther Ayani
Karuna Davies
12O
13B
Sustained effort in Economics
Maintaining a continued effort and commitment to tasks set and personal revision
in Business Studies
A fantastic report from her Childcare placement
Producing outstanding quality answers in every piece of timed writing in Psychology
7W
8O
9A
10W
11B
12E
13S
Excellent attitude to learning across all STEM subjects
Winning the Pi Day Challenge, correctly reciting 85 digits of Pi!!
Excellent work in Science and Computing
Being the highest achiever in the Intermediate UK Maths Challenge
Excellent work in Science and ICT
Being the highest achiever in the Senior UK Maths Challenge
Fantastic effort and commitment to supporting the e-club
SCIENCE
Hannah Barry
Tegan Collins
Cormac Coyle
Daisy Olyett
Kerrie Geelan
Dillan Dhanak
Carly Williams
SOCIAL SCIENCES
STEM
Luke Andrews
Zaki Sarwoadi
Cormac Coyle
Sam Basnett
Kerrie Geelan
Deborah Gosden
Olly Brown
By Sara Ash, Assistant Headteacher
Matt is currently a student in Year 13 who is studying English, government
and politics, music and photography. He has been a credit to the sixth form
with his outstanding attitude to learning scores, excellent grades from his
subjects and his participation in school activities and has also been
nominated as the KS5 student of the week in the past.
Matt is now going one step further for his local community and is taking an
interest in local
politics – perhaps
inspired
by
his
govenment and politics lessons at Bushey
Meads?
Matt is standing for election, representing the
Green Party, in the forthcoming council elections.
Not only is Matt studying hard for his approaching
A level examinations he is also busy canvassing
support ready for the big day – Thursday 5th May.
We are all incredibly proud of Matt and wish him
every success with this venture.
Maths Challenge
Sara Ash, Assistant Headteacher
House Points 2015-2016
ASH
7328
BEECH
7286
SYCAMORE
6596
MAPLE
6554
OAK
6503
ELM
6450
WILLOW
6226
7500
7000
6500
6000
5500
Theme of the Week – Belief
by Sara Ash, Assistant Headteacher
B
elief
Motivation
S
uccess
The Whole School assemblies this week have been on the theme of Belief, one of our core values at
Bushey Meads School. The focus was on the power of belief leading to positive effects and linked to the
idea of a growth mindset.
Key words that linked to the theme were motivation, determination, confidence and attitude. Having the
belief that when we find things difficult we do not give up; instead of simply saying “I can’t do it” we add
the word “yet”.
In the words of Theodore Roosevelt:
Believe you can and you’re halfway there
Raise your attendance, Raise your chances!
By Sara Ash, Assistant Headteacher
What does “Good attendance” mean? 90% is outstanding, isn’t it?
When you consider achieving 90% on an exam or assessment there is cause for celebration. It is
definitely outstanding and a fantastic percentage to reach. However, when we consider 90% attendance
at school we consider that a very poor attendance figure and in need of improvement. Being absent 10%
in a year equates to one day missed education every fortnight.
Looking even closer, 1 school year at 90% attendance = 4 whole weeks of lessons MISSED!!!
If that pattern of 90% attendance continued for 5 school years (Years 7-11) it would equate to half a
school year missed!
This then would have a massive impact on the learning.
Research suggests that 17 missed school days a year = 1 GCSE grade DROP in achievement. (DfES)
The greater the attendance the greater the achievement.
So 90% is not as good as it first seemed. What can you do to improve your attendance?
● Come to school unless you are ill enough to see a Doctor
● Don’t take holidays in term time
● Try to make medical appointments after school
● Talk to teachers or your parents if you are worried about something
Attend and Achieve!
● If you miss school this will affect your attainment
● Make sure you catch up on all work you miss
● Ensure your attendance remains above 96%, allowing you to achieve your potential
On a positive note we have a very large number of students who have achieved 100% attendance in a
half term. These students are rewarded with an R4 which equates to 10 achievement points.
If you have not achieved 100% attendance for a half term so far why not aim for this term?
Anti-Bullying Ambassadors update
by Sara Ash, Assistant Headteacher
A team of 30 students attended their second meeting as the schools new AntiBullying Ambassadors. The first initiative is to raise awareness of their role across
the school by visiting form tutor groups and speaking to students.
The students are also promoting the idea of THINK. Displays of the THINK poster
are around the school to encourage students to be mindful and aware of their
actions at all ties.
HEALTH WEEK 2016
Report by Mr Cartledge, Mrs Cooper, Mr O’Kelly, Mr Hawkins, Mrs Cartledge, Miss Ward
What a week for sport, physical activity and health at Bushey Meads School…….. Over
800 fitness tests, 9 fixtures, County Emerging Schools Rugby finals in Year 7 and 10,
County Development and District Netball tournaments, District Gymnastics Finals,
nearly 60 cooks in Masterchef and nearly 1,000 Sport Relief Fun Runners as well as
countless clubs and the usual recreational lunchtime sport - a week to remember with
lots of success to report !!
Monday
The first day of the school's annual Health Week saw
nearly 200 students complete their annual Multistage
Fitness test assessments. The sports hall was the scene of
some outstanding efforts as the students strived to beat
their previous PB’s. Each year during the annual Health
week all students in Years 7-11 take part in the
Multistage fitness test to assess their current levels of
cardiovascular endurance. The attitude and effort levels
of the students are always excellent and provide the
students with a real insight into how their levels of fitness compare nationally. Students
can compare their score with the normative national standards which will also be provided for parents to view.
Parents will be able to access the outcome of the tests after Easter via the Learning Gateway where you can track
progress throughout the student’s time in the school.
Monday lunchtime saw the usual year 7 recreational sports club with nearly 50
students taking part in organised sport in the sports hall. Meanwhile on the
astroturf over 50 boys were playing some lunchtime football and another group
were participating in their weekly hockey club. All students in KS3 also did their
weekly 2 x one hour PE lessons during the week with students in KS4 participating
in 1 x one hour lesson. Parents are reminded that all children between the ages
of 5-18 should be taking part in at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day,
this should range from moderate activity, such as cycling and playground activities, to vigorous activity such as
running and competitive sports.(NHS recommendations)
There is lots of useful advice and guidance on the Change4Life website on how young people can improve their
overall health and fitness.
After school the 25 Year 10 Sports Leaders were continuing with the officiating
unit of their Level 1 course with sessions in tag rugby and netball. Meanwhile
in the gym the trampoline club with High Springers took place, with a number
of students learning to somersault and develop more complex trampoline
routines.
Boccia club also took place on Monday. Our disabled students took the
opportunity to practice their target skills by throwing and rolling balls into
hoops of various distances in order to hone their accuracy, before taking part
in a competitive, and much enjoyed, match to finish the session.
Monday also saw competitive sports fixtures for the Year 7 Girls, Year 8 Boys and Under 18 Boys. Reports below
Under 18 Basketball v Bushey Academy (District Div 1)
Date : Monday 14th March
Result : Won 28 - 11
Squad : Tate Stone (c) , Ivan Chiu, Simon Wall, Joe Marks, Archie Sharp, Sami Huseyin, Sam Yelland, Alex
Garvey, Jadd Jalki
Comment : A very solid performance from the boys, comprehensively outscoring the opposition.
Defensively, Archie Sharp was strong under the basket fac ing up to some offensive charges from the
opposition.
Year 8 Basketball v St Joan of Arc (District Div 1)
Date : Monday 14th March
Result : 41-7
Scorers : Billy Garvey (10), Prince Coaster-Etuk (10), Pavit Sangasinha (6), Olu Oshisanya (6), Ross Marsh
(5), James Demir (2) and Jake Watt (2)
Squad : Billy Garvey, Prince Coaster-Etuk, Pavit Sangasinha, Olu Oshisanya, Ross Marsh, James Demir,
James Watt, Mohamed Djahnit, Kees Van Der Leeuw and Keiran Barnard-White.
Comment : An impressive display by the Year 8 team. Offensively there were some quick breaks which
gave the team plenty of opportunities to score baskets. Defensively was much improved with boys
getting a good understanding of man-to-man marking.
Year 7 Netball v District Tournament
Date : Monday 14th March
Result : Beat Queens 14 - 1
Beat St Michaels 10 - 1
Beat SCD - 7 - 0
Lost to Habs 5 - 4
Reached the semi final
Scorers : Skye Narroway and Ellie Rowe
Squad : Georgia Brass, Ellie Rowe, Andrea Hutchinson, Hannah Barry, Jess Benviniste, Fantasia Mulima
Matiya, Gabriella Zhelyaskova, Lily Adams, Sky Narroway and Bhavya Patel
Comment : 5 excellent performances from the year 7 girls with tactical centre passes and amazing
shooting. They beat St Michaels, Queens and St Clement Danes in their group to go onto the semi final
which they unfortunately lost to RMS but still played excellent netball and never gave up. An excellent
first district tournament for the team.
Tuesday
One of the highlights of the annual Health Week is the KS3 Healthy Masterchef competition. Students cook in pairs
and are asked to produce a 2 course healthy meal. This year we had record numbers of entrants with nearly 60
students taking part. The catering suite was a mass of activity for 3 hours as the students prepared, presented and
served their meals to the judging panel. The enthusiasm for cooking was quite inspirational and there was some
real talent on show in the kitchen. It made for a very difficult judging decision by the panel who tasted over
25 meals. Meals were judged on health rating, presentation and overall taste and quality.
After much deliberation the winners were:
1st place : Samantha Chang and Mercyha Veluppillai (Year 9)
Joint 2nd place : Zeal Rathod and Elizabeth Jackson (Year 7)
Joint 2nd place : Niall O’Shea and Josh Davies (Year 9)
Joint 3rd place : Pasan Kulasinghe and Adam St Clair (Year 7)
Joint 3rd place : Millie Ashford and Katie Parker (Year 7)
Commended performance : Amazing cake by Alex Pickles and Rachel Hauff (Year 8)
A massive well done to all of those who took part and also to Mr Chalkley, the Head of
D and T, who helped run the kitchen enabling everyone to get their meals out on time.
Tuesday saw the last of the female students at Bushey
Meads participate in the bleep test. Once again there
were some fantastic performances with students
pushing themselves to their limit in order to achieve
their best possible results.
The stand out
performances today were from Thalia, Hannah and Naomi in year 8 and Caitlin,
Shantae and Jess in year 7. Jess recorded an amazing 10.5 and we hope this stands
her in good stead when she participates in the English Schools Cross Country
Championships on Saturday - Good luck Jess. For the boys Jadd Jalkhi in Year 11
produced the best performance of the week so far with a score of 12.10 - an outstanding effort. In the following
lesson Euan Enright produced the best result in Year 10 with a result of 12.3 - well done. Tuesday was also lunchtime
recreational sports day which again saw an excellent turnout of students enjoying some lunchtime sport.
Among the many extra-curricular sporting highlights of the week were the Emerging Schools County Rugby Finals
with the Year 7 team taking part on Tuesday and the Year 10 team on Wednesday.
Year 7 Rugby
TOURNAMENT
v COUNTY EMERGING SCHOOLS FINALS
Date : Tuesday 15th March
Result : Lost in the Semi Final 12 - 7
Squad : Reid Sims, Archie Sykes, Taylor Bees, Charlie Mainwaring, Shyam Pattni, Gabriel MeunierMurphy, Max Musula, Thomas Phillips, George Rowe, Leo Enright, Jesse Harry-Brown, Jay Marsh,
Toyosi Oyedeji, Alfie Sullivan
Comment : An exciting run in the tournament where both Longdean and Samuel Ryder were
confidently dispatched by the squad with impressive attacking play and strong defensive organisation.
In the semi final the boys made a very slow start and found themselves 12 - 0 down very quickly.
Improving their play in the second half gave the boys a very good chance of winning, but time was
sadly against them.
Lunchtime on Tuesday saw Arsenal Ladies run a football coaching session on the astro for the
girls, the session focussed on skill development as well as some games to demonstrate the
newly acquired technical abilities.
Zumba club took place on its regular Tuesday evening with students
across the year groups attending. Sessions have been running
throughout the spring term and the turnout continues to be high. The
girls have enjoyed participating in a different form of exercise and we
hope to run sessions again next year.
Tuesday’s also sees students get the opportunity to work with the Watford Harriers coaches
at our award winning satellite club. This week the focus was on solving practical challenges in
order to develop the sprinting technique.
Wednesday
The Boys fitness tests got into full swing on Wednesday with Toby Peskin in Year 11 producing
the best score of the week achieving Level 13.2 - a fantastic effort. In Year 8 James Kimber
produced the best performance with 11.9 with Charlie Mannering in Year 7 topping the year
group with 10.1. Charlie Lyall with 12.4 was the outstanding performer in Year 9. Well done
to all the boys for your efforts - the PE staff were all massively impressed by the mental and
physical capacity shown by all.
The Year 9 recreational club on Wednesday saw the usual large numbers of basketball
devotees turn up. Many of these also practice every morning in the sports hall which has seen
the group made progress into the District Premier League.
Wednesday was the key day of the week for competitive sport with the Year 9 Boys and girls involved in netball and
rugby fixtures. Special mention must go to the Year 10 Boys Rugby team who produced the Bushey Meads Sports
team of the year performance in winning the Hertfordshire County Emerging Schools Rugby competition.
Year 10 Rugby team - COUNTY CHAMPIONS!!!
Year 10 Rugby v COUNTY FINAL
Date : Wednesday 16th March
Result : Won 27 - 7
Squad : Forwards - Callum Watt, Robbie Marsh ©, Sam Wright, Simeon Ben-Nathan, Ethan Thrale,
Kieran Woodhouse, Chris King, Tom Williamson, Tom Lake, Kellan Fordham, Victor Williams.
Backs - Curtis Meale, Callum Bedwell, Jamie Howey, Sam Basnett, Kian Gumble, Mason Hodgeman, Euan Enright, Asad Raja,
Jack Leyshon, Chris Osei, Kaya Cato-Guler
Comment : The amazing season that the squad have had continued through this game. Following a team meal, cooked by Y12
Catering students, the boys travelled off to Old Albanians RFC in St Albans. Met at the ground by the Hertfordshire schools
rugby officials, the team were shown to their changing room. Following a specially designed warm up led by Year 13 Simon
Wall and Year 10 Kyran Feasey , who was sadly missing the game through injury, the boys were ready to perform. Nervous but
excited, is certainly a good way of describing the first few minutes of the game. With Curtis Meale calming some of those
nerves, stepping up and intercepting a pass from the opposition and carrying the ball 50
yards over the try line. Callum Bedwell made it a converted try to make it 7-0. Playing against
a much bigger pack and back line the defense shown by the squad was truly outstanding,
scrapping and making their tackles count. BMS made use of a very solid scrum to set up
attacking plays and to steal the ball against the put in whenever they could giving BMS great
field position throughout the first half. Kieron Woodhouse then managed to go over the try
line just before the halftime whistle making the score 12-7 to BMS. With an early score in the
second half by replacement winger Asad Raja and two more tries by Kieron Woodhouse,
playing as a stand in scrum-half finishing off his hat-trick. The boys had accelerated away from their opposition in the final 10
minutes of the game making the final result not necessarily reflect the ‘battle’ the boys had been part of. In all, the whole
team should be immensely proud of what they have accomplished, they have been shining examples of what hard work and
perseverance can achieve. A huge well done to all who have played in the squad in this hugely successful season.
Year 9 Rugby team - District League Winners
Year 9 Rugby v YAVNEH (District Div 1)
Date : Wednesday 16th March
Result : Won 45-0
Tries : Finlay Horastead. Henry Stewart x2, Jack Fordham, James Dodwell, Joel Smith, Ferin Patel
Conversions : James Dodwell x 4
Squad : Joe Manning, Niall O’Shea, James Dodwell, Finlay Horastead, Joel Smith, Jack Steele, Aidan Angold, Ferin
Patel, Yama Qarib, Jack Tebbits, Max Benveniste, Henry Stewart, Maxwell Hamilton, Jack Fordham, Maitham
Mohammed
Comment : The Year 9 Rugby team produced an outstanding performance to dominate a previously unbeaten
Yavneh team thereby clinching the District Development League. The boys controlled the game from start to finish
playing some excellent running rugby. The team can now look forward to following in the footsteps of the Year 10
team by representing Watford in the County Emerging Schools competition next year. Well done all.
Year 7 Football v Immanuel (District Div 1)
Date : Wednesday 16th March
Result : Lost 7-1
Squad : Taylor Bees, Harris Plant, George Rowe, Luke Andrews, Irvine Tannor, Jay Marsh, Zakariya Khan,
Jake Norris-Ataie, Archie Sykes, Reid Sims, Shayam Pattni, Jalen Sotomey and Ben Castello.
Comment : A disappointing performance from the Year 7 boys on a terrible pitch. Failure to pass the ball
to feet and shoot cost them the game. The boys did show they could play with an excellent team goal with
some quick passing eventually finishing with Irvine Tannor heading the ball in the goal.
Year 9 Netball v Emerging Schools Netball
Tournament
Date : Wednesday 16th March
Result : Plate runners up
Squad : R.Aravindan, A.Trivedi, E.Houghton-Brown, M.Shah, J.Phillips,
A.D’Alwis, A.Rashid, M.Bonyadi, A.Parker, G.Bryant
Comment : This was a fantastic effort at the end of a long season for the
year 9 squad. Playing in a county tournament in Ware the girls played 11
matches throughout the day winning 8 and losing only 3. In chilly conditions the girls worked hard as a
team encouraging each other and showing a cohesive team ethos. It has been a real pleasure working
with the girls this season and their hard worked has payed off with a very commendable runner up spot
in the tournament. Thank you girls for all your dedication and hardwork.
Thursday
Year 10 Rugby v St Clement Danes (District Premier League)
Date : Thursday 17th March
Result : Lost 37 - 7
Squad : Forwards - Callum Watt, Robbie Marsh ©, Sam Wright, Simeon Ben-Nathan, Kieran Woodhouse,
Chris King, Tom Williamson, Tom Lake, Kellan Fordham.
Backs - Curtis Meale, Callum Bedwell, Kian Gumble, Mason Hodgeman, Euan Enright, Asad Raja, Jack
Leyshon, Chris Osei, Kaya Cato-Guler
Comment : A tired performance from a depleted squad from injury. Facing a very athletic team the squad
worked hard defensively but were unable to withstand the attacking onslaught from the opposition.
Thursday evening’s yoga club proved popular once again. In this the second of two taster sessions the girls were
helped to understand how to channel their inner feelings whilst strengthening their core and abdominal muscles.
A great way to relieve stress, develop flexibility and build muscular endurance. Hopefully more free sessions will
be offered shortly.
Friday
FUN RUN 2016
The Health Week concluded with the annual Fun Run on
Friday. On a chilly day it was fantastic to see all the staff
and students embrace the charity event raising over
£2000 for the Sports Relief charities. All students completed 3 laps of the course
to complete the mile with many students completing between 5 and 10 laps.
As ever the PE and Health Faculty continued to push the healthy lifestyle
message to the students and clearly the whole event was enjoyed by all. The
event ran throughout the day with over 1000 students completing the run. Well
done to all the school who made it such a successful event.
Meanwhile on Friday, the school gymnastics teams which have training over the last 2 months were in action in the
Districts Championships at the Dolphina Centre with some excellent results.
WATFORD DISTRICT GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS @ Dolphina
Gymnastics club, Watford
Date : Friday 18th March
Squad : Competition 1/ Team 1- Results- 3rd
Riya Kulkarni, Betty-Louise Coste, Leoni Sedman, Rose Sutcliffe,
Competition 1/Team 2- Results- 2nd
Megan Sjollema, Milee Thaker, Louisa Wright, Kanishka Gunasegaran, Alice Alefounder.
Competition 2/Team 1- Results -6th
Nicole Redmond, Anna Finley, Olivia McManus, Franchesca Boselli
Report : Last Friday 13 girls ranging from years 7-11 took part in the Watford District School’s Gymnastics
Championships at Dolphina Gymnastics Club. The competition was divided into two levels (1+2). Level 1 was for the
gymnast who has not trained at a club and the Level 2 competition was for the more experienced gymnast with more
formal training.
Some of the schools attending were Haberdashers, Royal Masonic Rickmansworth and Watford Girls. In the morning
the Level 1 girls competed in the floor and vault. All competitors had two attempts at the vault which had to be a
through or straddle vault or jumping on and performing a tuck or straddle off. The highest scores on the vault from
Bushey Meads were Riya Kulkani with 11.6 and Megan Sjollema, Milee Thaker and Louisa Wright with 11.4. The girls
moved onto the floor to perform their individual choreographed routines to music. The girls managed to control their
nerves and all performed with control , grace and good technique. The highest scores from Bushey Meads on the
floor were Rose Sutcliffe with 12.9 and Louisa Wright with 12.7.
In the afternoon it was the turn of the Level 2 girls. They also began on vault and this time the difficulty increased and
the girls had to demonstrate a handspring off the vault. A complex move for the girls. The highest score for Bushey
Meads was Nicole Redmond with 11.3, followed by Anna Finley with 10.9. The floor followed and again the girls
managed to perform with confidence, style and strength. The top scores on the floor were Anna Finley with 12.6 and
Franchesca Boselli with 12.1.
When the results were announced the combined scores saw the BMS level 1 teams finish in an excellent 2nd and 3rd
place overall - a fantastic achievement.
Special Mentions: During the presentation two awards for artistry in the floor routines were awarded for Competition
1. Kanishka Gunasegaran was presented with one of these awards for her floor routine which is a fantastic
achievement.
Rose Sutcliffe scored the second best score on the floor and Louisa Wright scored the second best score overall.
Thanks to Mrs Maloney for her help at the competition.
Finally a massive well done and thanks to all the girls for their commitment to this competition. They have put in hours
of practice at lunch and after school. Their behaviour was superb on the day and they all should be proud of their
achievements.
Year 10 Basketball v Watford Boys (District League)
Date : Friday 18th March
Result : Lost 31 - 20
Squad : Chris Osei, Simeon Ben-Nathan, Curtis Meale, Kieron Woodhouse, George Whitman, Jack Leyshon, Juliusz Pazio, Will
Cowper, Michael Lawman, Callum Bedwell, Chris King
Comment : Although the squad suffered a defeat, they should be very proud of the teams performance. The opposition
were by far the strongest they have met this year and the entire team had to work tirelessly to stay in the game. Defensively
the team made excellent use of the man-to-man defense to limit the opposition to outside shots.
It has been a very busy week for the PE and health and Mr Cartledge would like to pay tribute to all the hard work and
commitment shown by all members of the PE Faculty who give up much time to provide the many
opportunities for the students in the school. The faculty are now really looking forward to the forthcoming
athletics, cricket and rounders seasons.
As a final achievement to the week the school was thrilled to hear of the performance of Year 7 student
Jess who on Saturday 19th March took part in the National Cross-Country Championships at Belvoir
Castle, Grantham Jess had qualified for the event by coming 2nd in the Hertfordshire event earlier in the
year. Jess represented the Hertfordshire County team in the event and produced another outstanding
performance coming 25th in England - an amazing result.
Boys Sports News - previous week
Football, Basketball and Rugby FIXTURES WEEK BEGINNING MON 29th FEBRUARY - TUESDAY 15th MARCH
Year 8 Basketball v St Joan of Arc (District Div 1)
Date : Tuesday 8th March
Result : 41 - 7
Scorers : Billy Garvey (10), Prince Coaster-Etuk (10), Pavit Sangasinha (6), Olu Oshisanya (6), Ross Marsh (5), James Demir (2) and
Jake Watt (2)
Squad : Billy Garvey, Prince Coaster-Etuk, Pavit Sangasinha, Olu Oshisanya, Ross Marsh, James Demir, James Watt, Mohamed
Djahnit, Kees Van Der Leeuw and Keiran Barnard-White.
Comment : An impressive display by the Year 8 team. Offensively there were some quick breaks which gave the team plenty of
opportunities to score baskets. Defensively was much improved with boys getting a good understanding of man-to-man marking.
Year 10 Rugby v Parmiters (District Premier League)
Date : Fri 11th March
Result : Won
Squad : Callum Watt, Robbie Marsh (capt), Sam wright, Ethan Thrale, Kieran Woodhouse, Chris King, Tom Williamson, Tom Lake,
Kellan Fordham, Curtis Meale, Callum Bedwell, Sam Basnett, Kian Gumble, Victor Williams, Euan Enright, Asad Raja, Jack Leyshon
Comment :.
Under 18 Football v Parmiters (District Cup Semi-Final)
Date : Friday 4th March 2016
Result : Lost 5-0
Squad : Archie Sharp, Andrew Fordham, Josh Lawrence, Sami Huseyin, Tommy O’Sullivan, James Yallop, Michael Sturgess, Joe
Marks, Alex Garvey, George payne, Lyes Titouah, Luke Piesley, Leon Nyoro
Comment : The boys found themselves in a tough semi-final after beating beating SJA in the quarters. The team produced an
excellent first half performance and were very unlucky to go into the break 1-0 down. Unfortunately 2 early set piece goals finished
the contest but the final scoreline was a harsh reflection on the game. Well done to all the boys for their efforts this year with a
Division 1 league win an excellent reflection of some of the quality of the football played.
Year 7 Football v Parmiters (District Cup Semi-Final)
Date : Thursday 3rd March 2016
Result : Lost 7-1
Squad : Taylor Bees, Harris Plant, George Rowe, Luke Andrews, Irvine Tannor, Jay Marsh, Zakaria Khan, Jake Norris-Ataie, Archie
Sykes, Reid Sims, Shayam Pattni and Jalen Sotomey.
Comment : A result that was an unfair reflection on how well the boys played. Beaten by some brilliant individual and team goals
by Parmiters with the boys being rewarded with a goal scored by Reid Sims.
Summer Sports
PE activities have changed for the Summer term - please check the noticeboards and
learning gateway for more details regarding clubs and activities.
These activities are subject to change depending on fixtures and the weather.
Lunchtime
After School
Monday
Year 7 Cricket Practice
Year 8 and Senior Girls Rounders
Long Jump/Triple Jump
Year 9 and 10 Girls Rounders
Year 8 and Senior Girls Rounders
Trampolining (High Springers)
SEN Boccia Club
Tuesday
Year 8 Cricket Practice
Year 7,8,9 and 10 Athletics Club
Girls Football with Arsenal Ladies (astro)
Year 8 Cricket Practice
Watford Harriers Athletics Club
Tennis Club
Year 9 Cricket Practice
Year 7,9,10 and Senior Girls Rounders
Boys Track Athletics
Year 9 Cricket Practice
Year 7 Girls Rounders
Girls Track Athletics
Year 7,8,9 and 10 Athletics Club
Year 10 Cricket Practice
Year 7 Cricket Practice
Tennis Club
Year 7,8,9 and 10 Athletics Club
SEN PE
Yoga
Athletics Club - POLE VAULT
(selected students only)
Athletics Club
Year 7 and 8 Boys Rounders Club
Basketball with Hertfordshire Warriors
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Sports Clubs provided by external coaches
Trampolining Sessions with High Springers Trampoline club
Monday’s in the gym 3.15-4.15 - for details contact Charlotte:
[email protected]
Girls Yoga - Thursday’s after school, all welcome
Arsenal Ladies Football Coaching - Tuesday lunchtime on the astro - bring
trainers - all welcome
Athletics with Watford Harriers Athletics Club Tuesday’s
Bring kit and meet in the sportshall / astro at 3.05
Sessions will continue throughout the Summer term on Tuesday evenings.
by Sara Ash Assistant Headteacher
With the arrival of Spring and lighter mornings and evenings it is a good opportunity for students to consider their mode of
transport to school. Walking is not only good for the environment but is also good for a healthy body and mind.
Many students state that they live too far away to walk the whole way so why not try a compromise? There are a few
suggestions below for drop off areas with student walking part of the way to school – why not give it a go?
ASH
BMS
HOUSE
NEWS
WILLOW
BEECH
SYCAMOR
E
By Sara Ash
Assistant
Headteacher
ELM
OAK
MAPLE
Form Tutor Awards: Student of the Term
All the form tutors have nominated one student from each form group as their “Student of the Term”. The award has been
issued for being helpful, being involved in the school community, making good progress and/or achieving outstanding results.
Each student receives 15 achievement points as a reward.
The awards for the Spring Term have been issued as follows:
ASH HOUSE
Leo Enright 7Ash
Mohammed Djahnit 8Ash
Thuvaragan Sritharan 9Ash
Harry Clarke 10Ash
Jessica Pickles 11Ash
Cyntheiah Siva 12Ash
Hannah Grimston 13Ash
BEECH HOUSE
Aaron Doody 7Beech
Jessica Enevoldson 8Beech
Megan Dowden 9Beech
Victoria Woolmer 10Beech
Kerry Geelan 11Beech
Amara Francis 12Beech
Gil Lazarus 13Beech
ELM HOUSE
Hannah Barry 7Elm
Kenneth Freeman 8Elm
Noor Ahmed 9Elm
Adam Dalby 10Elm
Danielle Weatherhead 11Elm
Joe Watson 12Elm
Megan Basnett 13Elm
MAPLE HOUSE
Jake Norris-Ataie Maple
Huda Farooqui 8Maple
Ellis Brown 9Maple
Samantha Read 10Maple
Meesha Kanani 11Maple
Heather Thomas 12Maple
Abbie Nicholls 13Maple
OAK HOUSE
Nehal Pabari 7Oak
Lorel Barchieri 8Oak
Aidan Angold 9Oak
Jake Zimmatore 10Oak
Jayson Patel 11Oak
Alex Garvey 12Oak
Emily Charalambous 13Oak
SYCAMORE HOUSE
Katie Parker 7Sycamore
Harrisha Sivanathan 8Sycamore
Katie Sharp 9Sycamore
Devan Parmar 10Sycamore
Elin Bonyadi 11Sycamore
Tommy O’Donnell 12Sycamore
Ciara Howey 13Sycamore
WILLOW HOUSE
Fantasia Mulima Matiya 7Willow
Tegan Collins 8Willow
Christina Bodnar 9Willow
Lynda McClean 10Willow
Ella Hale 11Willow
Sarah Forty 12Willow
Carly Williams 13Willow
Head of House Awards: Student of the Term
House
ASH
Name
Luke Robinson 7Ash
BEECH
Katie Atkinson & Nisa Sharif 13Beech
ELM
James Roberts & Lewis Jackson 13Elm
MAPLE
OAK
SYCAMORE
WILLOW
Sinthujan Krishnapillai 7Maple
James Allett 13Oak
Amy Murray 13Sycamore
Lily Jarvis 10Willow
by Sara Ash, Assistant Headteacher
Four students from Year 8 entered the “Step into the NHS” schools’ competition and were
highly commended for their entry.
The competition is designed to raise awareness of the multitude of career opportunities the
NHS can offer. To enter the students had to choose an NHS career that interested them and then create a job
description and an advert to tell their friends and other young people about it.
Huda Farooqui, Ryan Pearce, Bethany Trickett and Asher Reuben worked hard as a team to put together the entry
and have received certificates back stating that their work was highly commended – an incredible achievement
considering there were over 3,000 entries from across the United Kingdom.
On Tuesday 26th April, the GCSE Dancers will be performing a showcase of
their work. The GCSE Dance course requires students to perform to live
audiences, in order to improve their expressive skills and prepare them for
their live moderation. There will be a variety of group dances, solos and
duets performed that will be choreographed by both the teacher and
students.
Tickets are £1 and can be purchased in advance through Miss Rowden.
It would be great to have your support on the evening and we look forward to seeing you there.
For further information regarding tickets please contact
Miss Rowden: [email protected]
Debating Society Fun Debate: 22 March 2016
22nd March 2016 saw the clash of the Titans, with the debating society team challenging
year 13 drama students on the topic: This House Would Legalise Prostitution. Each speaker
adopted a role for this exciting exchange.
Speaking for the motion were year 13s Sam and Megan who played the roles of a brothel
owner and a former prostitute. Challenging them were year 13 students Elodie and James
who portrayed a religious observer and a person
set tightly in his attitude. And so the fun began.
All who attended had a riotous time and we would like to thank our drama students for
their input. Hopefully they will come again and participate in a further challenge.
The motion won. To legalise prostitution would offer a protection and prevent
exploitation of those in this profession. Cynically, the tax they would pay would not
harm the treasury coffers!
This term we look forward to our exciting debate on whether the UK should remain in the EU - our Referendum debate on
Tuesday 19 April 2016. For this event, two students will be challenging three members of staff. We look forward to the
questions that may be asked from the floor and to the final vote.
Y7 Receptionists of the Term – Spring 2016
Mrs Nealon and Mrs Biggerstaff
Our Year 7 student receptionists are all amazing and we would be lost without their support throughout the
school day.
However, some students stand out amongst their peers as exceptional and a special thank you goes to Adam
and Lenny who we have decided to nominate as our joint receptionists for the second half of the Spring term.
Adam and Lenny both showed such enthusiasm and keenness to help and support us during their time as
student receptionists.
In recognition of their exceptional support, Adam and Lenny have been awarded 10 achievements points
together with a certificate of acknowledgement.
Thank you and well done to both Adam and Lenny and keep up the good work.