Newsletter July 2014

Summer Term 6
Thamesview School
July 2014
T HAMES V IEWS
Inside this Issue:
Business & Enterprise
Thamesview’s Largest Athletics Squad at
District Athletics
Headteacher’s Letter
2
Challenger Community
4
Discovery Community
5
Endeavour Community
6
Enterprise Community
7
Pupils had attended weekly training sessions and had practiced for their events leading up to the day. For
some this was very nerve wrecking considering it was their first Athletics competition let alone against 12
other schools.
Summer Concert
8
Everyone who participated did really well, the following pupils stood out in particular.
D of E Expedition
14
New School Uniform
23
Dates to Remember
24
On Wednesday 25th June 39 pupils represented Thamesview School in the Districts Athletics competition
against various schools from Kent.
All of the pupils behaved extremely well showing excellent etiquette and sportsmanship throughout the day.
Special points of
interest:Business and Enterprise
News
Creative Arts News
Try Angle Awards
Chloe Sharp won the 800m and 1500m broke a new
District record of 4.58!
Community
Name
Points
Challenger
92
Discovery
86
Endeavour
74
Enterprise
66
Well
Done
TVS!
Ryan Campbell won the 100m and
200m final
Philisha Sowe (on left) came 2nd in the Shot Putt and Lauren
Campbell came 6th in the 100m final. Continued on pg 13.
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S u m m e r T e rm 6
Welcome to the Summer Newsletter. I hope you enjoy reading about
how busy we have been at Thamesview this term. The newsletter is
packed with examples of the wide range of opportunities available to
our students on a daily basis.
In April we underwent a School Inspection conducted by the Local Authority. This involved several inspectors
(including two serving Headteachers from other schools) spending two days in the school and then reporting on
what they had experienced. I would like to share with you some of the findings from the Report. Below are some
direct quotes from the report:
‘This is a very good school that has a clear direction of travel towards outstanding. Staff, pupils, parents and governors have not only
bought into the school vision but are helping to create a school that is inclusive and aspirational. Mr Ingham has made significant
improvements since his arrival and is well supported by governors and his leadership team.’
The main findings of the report are included below:

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
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
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
The school has made good and in some cases outstanding progress since the arrival of Mr Ingham in September 2012.
Students are extremely well cared for by all members of staff. Tolerance and mutual respect are ingrained in this inclusive and
caring community which values each individual.
Staff are regularly seen talking and listening to pupils at break and lunchtime.
The school has many opportunities for all pupils to develop new skills through extensive extra-curricular activity at various times
throughout the day.
Pupils and parents speak highly of the staff and many appreciate the plethora of opportunities they have in their school.
Senior leaders have been skilful in taking appropriate action to move the school forward towards outstanding. The impact of
their work can be seen in academic outcomes, quality of teaching and behaviour of pupils around the school since September
2012.
Leadership and management are good at most levels and governors hold the Headteacher and senior team to account in a
robust yet supportive manner. They communicate effectively with the school through planned meetings with clear actions for
review at the next scheduled meeting.
Where teaching is good or better, there is pace and challenge, good use of prior attainment data and improvement time for all
pupils, as a result the percentage of outstanding lessons is increasing.
I was personally very pleased in the findings of the report and glad that it recognised the hard work and commitment put in by our staff
on a day to day basis. Our school has improved and is still on a journey towards providing the best education possible for all our
students. We have also worked hard on the relationships we have developed with parents/carers this year and have benefitted as a
school from this mutual support. Finally, I would like to mention our students. It is true that all visitors to the school comment on how
friendly, courteous and well behaved our students are. This was no different in the inspection. The visitors were very impressed with
the discipline shown by our young people and commented specifically on the positive and friendly atmosphere created by our students.
Their smart appearance and mature approach to their lessons was also commented on as was the inclusive atmosphere of the school.
The inspectors asked me specifically to thank our students for the warm welcome they received! I commented in last year’s newsletter
that Gravesend is full of energetic, bright and enthusiastic young people and it was good to have external visitors agree with this
comment!
In order to start the new school year on a positive note I would ask that parents ensure their child has the correct uniform and
equipment in school. Please see page 23. All students will be required to wear our new school uniform from September 2014 and it
appears that the vast majority of students are already wearing this.
Attendance has improved this year and I have been highlighting the importance of good punctuality and attendance on many occasions
throughout the year. Poor attendance causes poor academic performance and, conversely, good attendance leads to good progress. I
would ask all parents/carers to make sure their child attends school regularly and on time throughout the year. As you may be aware I
am not allowed to grant term time holidays from September 2014 and I would ask parents/carers not to request holidays as it does put
a strain on the good relationships we have worked hard on developing.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of staff who will be leaving Thamesview at the end of the Summer term.
Mr Frame will be leaving us after 33 years teaching at Thamesview and we all wish him well in his retirement and hope that he stays in
touch with the school. Mrs Dawson has worked at Thamesview for 16 years and will be leaving at the end of this term – we all wish her
well in her retirement. Mrs Hennessy is also retiring after 14 years at Thamesview and will be enjoying a well-earned rest! I would also
like to wish Mr Assiter well as he is also leaving. We will also be saying goodbye to the following staff: Mrs Darby, Miss Higgins, Ms
Achour, Mr Trant and Mrs Hall. I wish all our leavers well and hope they keep in touch with Thamesview.
I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce to you several members of staff that will be joining us in September – some staff
started before the summer holiday:
Mrs Adjei – Subject Leader for Modern Foreign Languages
Mr Cuthbert – Maths Teacher
Mr Hynes – Design and Technology Teacher
Miss Marchitto - Modern Foreign Languages Teacher
Ms Valencia - Modern Foreign Languages Teacher
I am very excited to welcome our new staff to Thamesview and believe that they will all be welcome additions to our capable and
committed teaching staff. I hope you enjoy hearing about all the activities our young people participate in throughout the year and wish
you all a healthy and happy Summer!
Mr Ingham
Headteacher
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S u m m e r T e rm 6
Bienvenue Collège Michelet!
On Monday 23rd June we
welcomed staff and students
from our French partner
school, Collège Michelet. The
school is situated in the North
of France in a town called
Lens. We have a long
standing relationship with this
school which continually
allows our students at
Thamesview to converse with
native French speakers and
to appreciate the differences
between our cultures. This
year our Year 8 students have
enjoyed writing and receiving letters form Collège Michelet which has enabled them to use their skills for an authentic purpose.
The Year 8 students played a leading role during the visit including helping to provide refreshments on arrival, giving a guided tour of
the school and holding conversations in both English and French.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable day and as a result of the visit, our student are maintaining links
through social media and continuing to use French to communicate! We do hope it will be
possible for Thamesview students to visit Collège Michelet in the near future.
Do ask your child what they have learned in their French and Spanish lesson as this allows
them to practise their French and Spanish at home and builds their confidence. Maybe it will
inspire you to learn too!
For more information and pictures of Collège Michelet, go to http://collegemicheletlens.etab.ac-lille.fr/
Bonnes vacances
Mrs Darby, MFL Teacher
Free School Meals
Kent County Council have produced a new website which allows you to check your
eligibility for Free School Meals. If you are eligible your child will receive a free
school meal. Our cashless catering payment means that your child’s account will
be automatically credited with funds should your application for FSM be accepted.
However, it is not only money for school meals that eligibility can attract.
If eligible for FSM your successful application will also attract Pupil Premium
funding for the school. This funding can be used to contribute to the cost of
school trips and to fund other interventions in school to ensure your child makes
the best possible progress. Follow the link below to check your eligibility.
www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/free-school-meals
Mrs Dance — Deputy Headteacher
Keep connected with the school by checking out
our new Mobile app!
Scan the
QR code to
go straight
to the
download
page!
Keep connected with the school by liking us on
Facebook and following us on Twitter
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Page 4
Enrichment Cup
Challenger Champions
Welcome ‘New Challengers’
Transition Day
Challenger— 92Points
Discovery— 86 Points
Endeavour— 74oints
Enterprise— 66 Points
International Day
Farewells and Happy Retirement
Emily Darby
Janet Dawson
Bob Frame
Congratulations to
our New Senior
Students
Ryan Campbell
Olivia Pinder
Callum Lane
Emily Rush
We want to say a
BIG THANK YOU
to Morgan Cullen, Zak Both, Shannon Niblett and Lanre Sowami. You have
been exemplary in your roles as senior students.
Good luck to all Year 11s with their GCSE results.
Thank you to all involved with Challenger. It has been a very successful l
and enjoyable year as your Community Leader.
FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH...
I would like to give special thanks particular to Mrs Brooker and the
Challenger form tutors for all their hard work allowing the students of
Challenger to blossom into independent, caring and confident individuals.
Mr P Robinson
Page 5
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Senior Students
Lots to Celebrate!
We are very excited and proud to announce our Senior Students for
2014-2015! We had many strong candidates apply and the decision
was very difficult, but in the end these four young ladies stood out
amongst the crowd. They are all eager to join the leadership team
within the community and help out with various activities. I know they
will be great assets to the team, strong role models and I look forward
to working with them!
Every week in assembly we recognise a few of the terrific
achievements and wonderful things our students have been
doing. Unfortunately, we don’t have room to share all of
these special achievements, however here’s a few of the
stand-out awards for the last few weeks.
Congratulations girls! Mollie-Anne Wrench, Sophie Jeffery, Sumeyya
Kose and Emily Sparkes
Congratulations to Kelly Aldridge and Max Cook for their
nominations for the Try Angle Awards; Bernice Wellard for her
exceptional attitude, hard work and commitment; Izzy Borg
for helping with the Year 6 transition programme; Jake Cant
and T-J Holdren for both achieving 100% on the 10 minute
multiplication challenge during form time.
Enrichment Cup
We ended the Enrichment Cup in second place… but there’s still high hopes for
first on Sports Day (in keeping with tradition!). Recent events for the Enrichment
Cup have included ‘Have a Balloon’ where we got second place after blowing up
as many balloons as we possibly could, without passing out! We also had a staff
challenge called ‘Assault on the Senses’. All of our senses were tested and
apparently we could do with some practice because we ended up receiving third
place.
Wow! The talent we have amongst not only our
students, but our staff, is incredible! Well done to Mr
Griffin and Bradley Lewis who gave us a wonderful
rendition of ‘Living on a Prayer’ at this Year 11
Leavers’ Assembly.
Lots of laughs along the way though! Our final event of the year was a volleyball
game… first place was won!
As we break up for the summer
holidays, please take time to
appreciate the little things. Cold
drinks on the hot days; having
barbeques with friends and having
time to spend how you want to
spend it.
We’re thankful to have Harry R. who
always helps out with the challenges!
Enjoy the well-deserved break
everyone and we’ll see you in
September!
Sincerely, all of us in Discovery.
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Page 6
It has been another glorious term for the staff and students within the Endeavour community and we are
looking forward to the summer break to recharge our batteries for the new term in September. We hope
you have a wonderful and safe summer break.
Miss Skipsey
Endeavour Community Leader
“Hi. I’m Emma and I enjoy
dancing and participating
in sports activities. I am
looking forward to working
with the students within the
community.”
Introducing the Endeavour
Senior Student Team!
“I’m Harry and I have a keen
interest in football and
basketball. I am looking forward
to the challenges of being an
Endeavour Senior Student.”
Emma Addy
Harry Topsfield
“Hello, I’m Stanley and I have
an enthusiastic and energetic
personality which I believe
will help me encourage
others to get involved with
activities and challenges.”
“I’m Tonicha and I enjoy
socialising with friends and
exploring new places. I am
proud to be part of
Endeavour because
everybody is so nice and
makes you feel welcome.”
Stanley Clarke
Tonicha Gilbert
Congratulations!
Elisha Richards and Annalise Glynn for successfully
completing their ‘Big Foot, Little Foot’ training
programme. Endeavour are proud of you!
Community Top
Attendance
Congratulations…
EvLM
Very Well
Done!
We Will Miss You!
It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing the departure of a few of our
team members. We wish them luck and success with their new ventures.
Thank you for all of your support.
A Special Thank You
To:
All of the Endeavour staff who were part of the Staff
Enrichment Challenge earlier this term.
We were awarded first place and earned community
points for the team.
Congratulations!
Page 7
S u m m e r T e rm 6
We are at the end of this year and what a year it has been. Lots of Community Competitions have seen Enterprise students challenge
the other communities with great spirit and enthusiasm. We have welcomed some new students into the community including Bjorn
Smit into Year 9. Also we have said farewell to our Year 11’s wishing them all the best in their futures; all students made them leavers’
cards and little presents to remember their form.
Enterprise Student Voice is going from strength to strength, we now have two students representing their form as Form reps. We have
welcomed back Mrs Foster who has returned from maternity leave. But often at this time of the year we have to bid farewell to some
members of staff. This year Mr Trant and Miss Higgins will be leaving us, we wish them all the best in their future and thank them for
their hard work during form time and I am sure their forms will miss them both as they are inspirational and full of new innovative ideas
to do during form time. We also will be saying happy retirement to Mrs Hennessy. I know a lot of parents and students will miss her
support and understanding. She has been the figure head of Enterprise for the last 5 years and I know we will all miss her a great deal.
I wish you all a very relaxing, fun and safe holiday. Will see you in September ready for a new year.
Mrs Lima
Enterprise Community Leader
Enterprise Form Reps
ENTERPRISE SENIOR STUDENTS
This year we had 13 very strong, mature and outstanding
students apply for senior student and it was a hard
decision narrowing it down to just four students. But I
am please to inform you of Enterprise Senior students
Kieran Christmas, Anjali Sooknanan Alice Sims and
Connor Fenlon
The following students have
99% attendance since
September 2013
Year 6
Transition Day
11th July 2014
BAILEY, Adam
BARCLAY, Natasha
BARHAM, Ethan
BROOKS, Lily
CHURCH, Liam Harry
CURTIS, Holly
FOORD, Mary-Kate
HAWKES, Reece
HIGGS, William
HOMEWOOD, Kellie
HUTCHINSON, Gaby
JONES, Ted
MURRAY, Bethany
OLIVER, Leigha
SHARP, Chloe
SIMS, Alice
SIMS, Georgina
STONEHAM, Shaye
TREE, Erin
WOOD, Paris
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S u m m e r T e rm 6
Summer Concert Cracker
The ‘Summer Concert Cracker’ was once again exactly what it was
billed as...a cracker of a summer show in the glorious British
sunshine. The audience couldn’t believe their luck as Thamesview
opened up it’s grounds for the Creative Arts annual summer concert
which once again included a magnificent Art display.
On entering the venue the audience were encouraged to become the judges of the fabulous Art exhibition before they could lay out their
picnic baskets and hampers for the show. The quality of the artwork made the judging difficult due to the amount of creative and
innovative pieces.
After playing judges in the Heartspace the audience then got to sit back and be entertained as the students rocked the summer concert.
The show included a wide variety of acts which incorporated live music, dancing and singing which really had the crowd smiling and
clapping throughout.
As always the Thamesview students braved the daunting task of singing to the masses and this year the singers varied both the musical
styles and the performance techniques as we had solo, duets and a group of three perform.
There were also dazzling dance routines from a range of dance classes as the audience were treated to well executed choreography as
the young students gained valuable stage experience. The Glee Club were also on show fresh from their recent hit school musical
production. The glee students mixed singing and dancing in their two spots of the evening and showed that they have progressed even
further since there last appearance on the school stage.
The Drama contingent showed off their acting skills as we were treated to three varying monologues and a wonderful period duologue.
All the acting students grabbed the opportunity to shine as they coloured every speech with emotion, feelings and articulation.
The Summer Concert really was a wonderful evening and it wouldn’t have been possible without every cog that makes the wheel turn, so
a massive thanks to all that were involved, it would be impossible to name everyone but whether you printed a programme, made a
sign, created a piece, sold a ticket, came to watch or even told someone to go and watch then you were a part of what makes
Thamesview so great. We believe at Thamesview that every child can achieve and at the end of the Summer Concert it was clear that
every Performer and Artist had succeeded; Believe, Achieve, Succeed...roll on the next Thamesview spectacular!
Mr Ferguson
Creative Arts Faculty Leader
Page 9
S u m m e r T e rm 6
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Page 10
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory
is a Sweet Trip for Students
Forty lucky students had a scrumptious time as they were amazed by flying
glass elevators , dancing Umpa Lumpas and disappearing men at the stage
show of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in London’s West End.
As reward trips go...this one had the sweet smell of
success!
Chickenshed Champion Education
On Friday 27th June over 300 students were lucky
enough to watch ‘Crime of the Century: Voices &
Choices’ by Chickenshed Theatre Company.
The famous theatre group visited Thamesview to
promote the education of role models and choices.
The play itself was filled with a wide variety of
educational messages which dealt with bullying, knife
crime, gang issues, choice making and the ability to
question the right role models. After performing the
piece the company then went on to
deliver educational workshops to a further 120
students.
The workshops dealt with decision making and
were designed to engage and educate the
students. During the workshops students created a
variety of Drama pieces, visual images and even
created and performed their own rap songs. It was
a real pleasure to have the company in for the day and a massive enrichment
opportunity for the students.
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Page 11
Thamesview Go Dragon Training
In order to build community spirit two Challenger forms decided to take on the task of ‘Dragon Training’ and boy did they have fun doing
it! It’s not as scary as it may sound...in fact it was great fun as members of CPF and CLF ventured to the Odeon Cinema in Chatham to
watch ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’.
There were lots of laughs, lots of smiles and even more
popcorn flowing on this fun evening out.
The hit animation film was a really big hit as was the trip
as a whole...roll on the next one!
London Baby!
The GCSE Drama trip to London was eventful to say the least as 14 students were treated to a most memorable day. After an amusing
train journey to London the students arrived at Charing Cross and headed for photos in Trafalgar Square before they took the
picturesque walk to the South Bank and headed to the National Theatre. The students were then lucky enough to watch four rehearsed
readings before receiving a backstage tour of the home of British Theatre. The group then went to M&M world and then for dinner at
the ‘Golden Arches’ before watching ‘Is there wi-fi in heaven?’ the winning
play of the 2014 Newviews Playwriting competition. The day managed to fill
a variety of roles, including a theatrical experience, a team bonding
exercise, an educational experience, an enrichment opportunity and last
but by no means least...good old fashioned fun.
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S u m m e r T e rm 6
Gold Medallist Chris Cook at
Thamesview!
On the morning of 13th May professional former Gold Medallist Common Wealth champion ‘Chris Cook’ gave an inspirational talk to our Year 7s and shared his story with us.
Chris Cook was very inspirational because in his story he explained how in life setbacks
will occur in the worst situations. In fact in his story he told us that he had a major
setback, which hurt him but it all came down to how he was going to respond to it. When
he was 16 years old his best friend told him that he would never get anywhere in
swimming however, swimming was his passion.
However he taught us it doesn’t matter how hard or how much the setback hurts, it was all
about how you decide to overcome the setback in order to become a stronger person
inside and never give up. In his case of being told he was never going to get anywhere in
swimming, Chris decided he would sacrifice all his social time to train in order to become a
successful swimmer.
Eventually he made it to the big screens and achieved a gold medal at the Common Wealth
Championships in team GB. He told us that he got to his level of ability because he had a
positive attitude and pure determination no matter how hard someone judges you or lets
you down.
From his I talk I took away with me that at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about my decisions as long as I enjoy
it that’s all that matters and it’s only my decision that counts. I also learnt that I will get setbacks in life but it all comes down to how I
respond to it and how hard I am willing to train to get where I want to be in life.
Ryan Campbell—Senior Student
Thamesview are triumphant at the Kent
Emerging Netball Tournament!
On Wednesday 2nd July Thamesview’s Year 7 and 8 Netball teams represented the school in the Kent
Emerging Netball Tournament. Both teams were very excited and were eager to get onto the minibus to play.
They have worked really hard lately at netball training sessions and this paid off and showed at the
tournament.
The Year 7 team only formed 3 months ago and the girls trained once a week as much as they could. Taking this into
consideration and the Year 7’s only experiencing one other netball tournament, which was not as big as this one, they have done
extremely well. Two of the games they won were fantastic scores; one of them was 7-0 to Thamesview and the other was 14-0! They
really progressed throughout the tournament. Lola Barnham, Destiny Jackson and Chloe Holden did some excellent shooting. Tia
Luchford, Izzy Borg, Megan King and Leigha Oliver were brilliant centre players passing to their team mates in spaces and moving
around the court. Another strong part to our team was defence in which Chloe Godfrey and Mia Lancaster-Usher prevented many goals
and intercepted lots of passes. Out of 9 games pupils won 3, lost 3 and drew 2. This made them 6th overall!
The Year 8 team have played since the start of September last year, attending weekly training sessions and playing in two netball
tournaments where they were undefeated in one and lost a couple of games in another. They have come a long way since
September with their basic skill work in addition to team tactics. The shooting from Lily Fothergill and Philisha Sowe was fantastic with
goals going in from the edge of the circle! The defence from Georgia Brooker, Bethany Jarrett, Holly Edwards and Abbie Freeman was
another element of the squad which kept us from losing. The girls caught many rebounds and intercepted lots of passes to regain
possession. The attacking centre court players also played their vital role extremely well keeping their passes short, dodging to get
around the players and always fighting for the ball. Overall out of 7 games the girls won 6 getting them 2nd place in the tournament!
This was well deserved and I am so
proud of how far the girls have come
since September 2013. Well done!
A big thank you to Terry for driving the
minibus for us, Miss Mitchell for helping
out on the day and her excellent
umpiring, Mrs Barnham for her support
and additional coaching on the day and
Miss Pratt for her constant support
during training sessions.
Miss Stevens — PE Teacher
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Page 13
Year 8 boys came 11th out of 12.
Continued from front page…
District Results
Ted Jones got into the 100m final and Stephen Ellis came 3rd in
the 1500m final.
Year 7 Girls came 11th out of 13
Year 9 Girls came 7th out of 13
Lucie Hart came 7th in the 100m final and 2nd in her heat
Mia Lancaster Usher came 12th in her 200m
Jessica kemp came 9th in her 800m
Loa Barham came 9th in her 1500m
Izzy Borg came 6th in the long jump
Chloe Holden came 7th in her high jump
Paris Bundock got 12th in her Shot Putt and 13th in Javelin
Lauren Yates came 3rd in Long jump
Chloe Clerkson came 4th in High jump
Chloe Mcleavey 4th in heats
Ejemen Ebosele came 5th in her heat
Chloe Sharp 1st place in 800m and 1500m
Paris Wood came 10th place in Shot Putt
Caitlin Turner came 14th in Javelin
Came 7th in the relay
Year 7 Boys 8th out of 12
Harley Hollamby came 11th in the 100m
Taylor Metcalf came 6th in the 200m
Dominic Wellard came 5th in 1500m final
Ben Fridd came 5th in the Long Jump
Teddy Fenton came 7th in the Shot Putt final and 12th in the
Javelin.
They reached the relay final and came 6th
Year 9 Boys came 9th out of 9
Billy McDonnell got into the 100m final and came 6th and came
4th in the 200m
Kieran Stoneham came 3rd in the Javelin and 7th in Shot Putt.
Lewis Robins came 2rd in the long jump
Came 9th in the relay.
Year 10 boys came 7th out of 10
Year 8 Girls came 5th out of 12
Ryan Campbell came 1st in 100m and 200m
Charles came 4th in the 1500m
Rio Douglas came 5th in the long jump Lauren Campbell came 6th in the 100m Final.
Lisa Parker came 12th in 200m
Brooke Plumb came 9th in her heat of 800m
Robyn Lacey came 10th in 1500m
Philisha Sowe came 5th in Javelin
They came 8th in their relay.
The Year 10 boys relay team came 4th in their 100m relay - Jamrick-Cooper
Wellington, Ryan Campbell, Rio Douglas and Callum Lane broke their
personal best record!
Tierney Hollamby came 2nd in the
High Jump
Kieran Stoneham came 3rd in the Javelin
Nathan Bostan came
3rd
in 800m and High Jump.
Well done to all of the pupils who participated, as you can see it was brilliant to have so many of the events being represented by
Thamesview and there were quite a few great results.
A big thank you goes to Mr Franks and Miss Pratt for helping and coming along to the event and Mrs Smith and Miss Mitchell for
helping me at training sessions every Wednesday afterschool.
Miss Stevens—PE Teacher
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S u m m e r T e rm 6
Congratulations - Young People do their
Qualifying Expedition Duke of Edinburgh Award
14 Young people from Thamesview have again been successful in completing their Qualifying Expedition Section of
their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.
14 Young people who have spent the last year doing their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award spent Friday 27th and
Saturday 28th July being self sufficient walking by day and camping by night to complete their Expedition Section of the Duke of Edinburgh Award. They had to prove to their assessor that they had skills in navigation, planning and completing their routes and walk for 6
hours each day cooking for themselves on an open stove, put tents up and ensure that they were totally self sufficient for the
duration. They braved interested livestock— especially bulls— very early morning bird chorus, blisters and stings but kept going!
This was a challenging 2 days and one night and they have all shown their assessors
that they had resilience, good team work and tenacity alongside demonstrating skills to
enable them to complete this challenge. I am sure all would have loved to give up at
times but, showed huge commitment to get through.
I am so proud of all of these young
people and hope that they have
gained a wealth of skills and
confidence in their achievements.
Penny
Stotesbury
CYT Thamesview
School
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Page 15
The Try Angle Awards – 20 Years Anniversary
The Try Angle Awards is an event that has been held since 1994 to raise the profile of young people and
their great achievements and personal stories. These people often get little recognition but still strive to do
their best to help the community and make it a lot better place. Young people can be nominated by friends,
family and Youth Workers into many different categories such as; Arts, Music, Sport/Outdoor Activity, Community action, Good friend/Young carer, Courage and Positive awareness. All nominees will get a
certificate even if they don’t win, for their recognition, and winners will be awarded a Try Angle Award Trophy.
This year there were 4 different ceremonies across Kent:
~ 4 June 2014 - South Kent (Dover, Ashford and Shepway)
~ 26 June 2014 – East Kent (Canterbury, Thanet & Swale)
~ 1 July 2014 – West Kent (Maidstone, Tonbridge & Malling and Tunbridge Wells)
~ 7 July 2014 – North Kent (Dartford, Gravesham and Sevenoaks)
I was invited to attend the North Kent Award Evening at the Orchard Theatre which I enjoyed.
There were many different amazing dance groups performing, and many important people, including Mayors, Councillors and Chairmen
attending. One of which I managed to ask his thoughts of the whole evening. This is what he said about the evening .
“It’s an opportunity for people who work in
the public sector: Councillors, Mayors and
other people, to hear the stories these
young people have to tell, for adults it is a
very humbling experience and it makes
everyone's problems appear insignificant
when measured against the difficulties, the
challenges and the achievements, of all
those young people who were present this
evening.”
Clive Pearman (Kent County Councillor)
Thamesview were also lucky enough to have a couple of their students win
their categories and we would like to congratulate both Jaydine Bangura (Good
friends and Young Carers) and Charlotte Jay Cox (Personal Development) to
have won an award. Photos above.
Charlotte Jay Cox with Kelly Aldridge above (who helped on the evening, meeting VIPs ).
All the young people have who have received an award have shown tremendous dedication, commitment, bravery, and determination
and have made outstanding contributions to their community. Most have overcome serious illnesses, personal problems, learning
difficulties or homelessness. Young people have cared for their own parents, grandparents, saved lives or raised moneys for local
charities, by devoting massive amounts of their time, and as a result, the Try Angle Awards have recognised their contributions.
I thought the whole evening was a night to be remembered, from emotional stories, to excellent dance routines and wonderful
musicians, the whole night was great and really showed young people in a positive light, and would inspire children across England.
Andrew Bardo
Work experience and Student from Thamesview School
Heels and Wheels have been the first team
to do a traditional expedition challenge with
one young person being a wheelchair user.
Ashley, Luke, Shannon and Aimee completed
their qualifying expedition and set a new
level for young wheel chair users. Not
content to take the easy option they put
themselves (and teaching staff) to the
challenge and came out succeeding in
completing their Expedition. Not only did
they have to be off site for 6 hours per day,
cook on an open stove and put tents up and
strike them they had the added challenges of overcoming mud, trees,
blocked footpaths, hills and steep slopes to overcome, along side a number
of other challenges that nature and the outdoors threw at them. Their sheer
determination and commitment surprised us all and I am so proud that they
have completed their Expedition and set a new standard for all.
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Page 16
Kings School Invitation to Thamesview
On 1st July 2014 students from Year 9 were ready for battle, after working on a project to build a
miniature race car to compete at the annual SSC race event held at Kings School in Canterbury. Students
used their free time to design a car which could travel at up to 50mph, using the Design and Technology
department as a base of operations, guided by Mr Dean and Mr Trant.
With their green car in hand, so not to upset any particular Thamesview community, they prepared for an
afternoon of engineering war. Thamesview were in good company, with most schools teams coming from
grammar and public schools from across the county.
The event has become a pinnacle of school engineering brilliance, hosted by the amazing Mr Swindley
from the Kings School D & T department, with a keynote speaker from TV’s Brainiac, Mr John Tickle; an
engineer in his own right, presently working for British Gas. Thamesview held themselves well and
completed all their races with no complete disasters, although a
small driving error caused a broken motor to smash as it hit the
cushioning at the end of the track. This was a concern for the third
race, but TVS were well placed to make it into the next heats, but for
a slow first race, caused by transmission issues from the driver to the
car.
In all, the day went well, after some strawberries & cream, speeches
from event organisers and special guests (as well as selfies), the
winners, Kings, were crowned as this year’s champions.
With new friends made, Thamesview students happily illustrated that
they had enjoyed themselves, expressing their social skills to other
schools and singing songs on the way back to Thamesview. We await
the 2015 competition!
Mr Dean
Director of Innovations
Pictures are 1) Who is going to drive?, 2) Preparing the cars for racing, 3) Posing with TV
personality, 4) End of the racing, photo shoot with John Tickle with all the cars,
‘Chemistry at Work’ Event
As you may be aware due to recent news coverage, there is a
shortage of female interest in the STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Maths), industries. With this is mind, fifteen
female students attended a ‘Chemistry at Work’ event earlier this
term at Canterbury Christchurch University.
The students attended lectures and were able to take part in
practical and engaging activities and workshops presented by a
vast range of companies.
A wonderful opportunity to explore
how chemistry is used in everyday
working life.
STEM at
Thamesview
Miss Skipsey—STEM Coordinator
Thank You!
A special thank you to Miss Fackrell and Miss Pratt for giving up
their time to attend this event with the students.
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Page 17
A Trip to Oxford
Waiting for a coach in the pouring hard rain at 6:30am in the morning isn’t the way most people
would like to start their day, but for us, well we didn’t really care. A team of eight set off that
morning, myself, Ben Durling, Anjali Sooknanan, Olivia Devaney, Ryan Crowley, Tonicha Gilbert,
Hannah Collins and of course, Mr Hodges. All of us, Oxford University bound. The seven of us had
been lucky enough to be invited onto the trip by Mr Hodges.
After a mere 3-hour coach ride where we spent most of it stationary, we had finally arrived at our
first College; St.Hughes. We were greeted by walls covered in oars, trophies and medals. As far as we could see, expensive art work
was suspended upon every wall. It was only then that it hit us, we were in one of the world’s most prestigious Universities.
We were taken into one of the lecture rooms where we were informed of the significance of the College and what Uni life was all
about, and then we were briefed on the events that would take place later that day.
After a short wait, we were guided into a room where, stood in front of us, were students from the College. For the next 45 minutes
they would unveil the secrets of Oxford University and diminish the myths that we are very familiar with. I don’t know about the rest of
the group but from this very moment on I was hooked.
Straight after the Q&A we headed off into groups for a tour of the College. The place was amazing! (Especially the games rooms and
bars) it was a sight of heaven. Ping Pong tables, reclining sofas, huge TVs, bars, chill out spaces and one of the world’s biggest
libraries consisting of every book ever made.
We then headed off to Wadham College, which was one of the most stunning buildings I had ever seen. But unfortunately the
heavens had yet again opened.
15 minutes had passed, and finally a tour guide had appeared from the middle of nowhere to show us around the less modern but
even more prestigious College. Again we were treated to more oars, more medals and more trophies. During our time at the college
we had become aware of the competitive vibe that thrives within the Oxford community, it is seemingly equal to our four communities,
but of course on a larger scale.
Although University might have seemed a million miles away to us before the trip, I think it is safe to say that it was now at the
forefront of our minds. We haven’t got long and time is going to fly by, so it’s best we start planning whilst we have the time. This is
why the trip to Oxford was one of the most productive experiences I’ve had at school. Our minds were cleared of the nonsense that
surrounds people’s thoughts when the subject of Oxford University comes up and we were made clear that Oxford isn’t for the rich; it’s
for the people that work hard. This trip had taught me many things but the one thing that still sticks with me isn’t one that I had been
introduced to at Oxford, but one that I had been aware of for almost five years of my life: “Believe, Achieve, and Succeed”
Callum Lane - Senior Student
The Princes Trust—XL Club
A number of students from Year 9, 10 and 11 are part of ‘The Princes Trust—XL Club’ within Thamesview
School. This term, the students have been focusing on personal strengths and developing teambuilding
skills.
Students have shown determination and focus throughout a range of activities. The Princes Trust groups
united together within the kitchen and worked together to bake a number of tasty treats!
The teams also worked together to develop their communication skills and to complete a number of team
based activities.
Miss Skipsey
Thank You!
A special thank you to Miss Wray
and Mr G. Robinson for their
continued support
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Page 18
Duke of Edinburgh
Award
ENROL NOW
Interested in taking on the Challenge ?
Recruiting now for young people to take on the Duke of
Edinburgh Bronze Award
 Young people need to be 14 years old by the end of
October 2014
 Be committed to completing all 4 sections (Skills /
Physical / Volunteering and Expedition)
 Have a sense of adventure
 Available on Mondays 3:00pm—5:00pm
Please contact me on the following
01474 566552 ext 1249 or mob 07920 526546
email: [email protected]
Room EV16
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Page 19
Photos continued from pages 8 and 9
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Page 20
Enterprise Outreach Programme
On Tuesday 8th July we held the grand final of our Thamesview Enterprise Challenge for local primary schools here at
Thamesview. Through the year we have visited six local schools and delivered an Enterprise Challenge, the winning team from
each school was then invited to take part in the final at Thamesview. Schools who took part were Cobham, Shorne, Singlewell,
Chantry, Tymberwood Academy and Westcourt.
The teams all took part in a variety of activities including: Spelling Bee, The Cube and Drama Olympics as well as an Enterprise
Challenge. They got to see Thamesview’s facilities and work with Thamesview’s staff and students.
The competition was extremely close all day with just three points between the leading team and the team with the least
points by lunchtime with just one event to go after lunch.
The winners on the day were Cobham, Shorne was joint 2nd with Tymberwood Academy. The winning school received a shield
and each of their team got gift vouchers. All students who took part in the day received a pencil case with pen and pencil.
What’s Behind the Walls
We took a group of Year 10 students for an open day at
Greenwich University in June to gain an insight into
university life and what happens ‘behind the walls’. The
students had the opportunity to take part in several
workshops as well as having an extensive tour of the
campus, including the library, which is the longest library in
Europe.
Thamesview students could ask university students
questions about their route to university including: A level
choices, course selection, life away from home, budgeting
and part time jobs.
Gravesham Council
Networking Event
During the first week in July we attended an evening
networking event which was held at the Clarendon Royal Hotel,
in Gravesend. The students managed the welcome desk,
registering delegates, handing out name badges and
information packs. The three Thamesview students attending
were: Ryan Campbell, Sophie Jeffrey and Kieran Christmas, all
newly appointed senior students.
This was a great opportunity for students to meet local
business people and gain an insight into networking.
This is the second year we have taken students to this event The Clarendon Royal Hotel has been refurbished and was able
to show case their facilities by hosting this event, and it was an
and the feed back from students was very positive.
ideal setting on a warm summer evening. After the networking
there was an opportunity to enjoy fish and chips on the front
I
think
today
was
good
and
I got a taste of
lawn which was a perfect end to the evening
I learnt a lot about
being at university
university life. I found out
and gained
the answers to all my
knowledge about
questions.
how to apply and
what I need to do.
Jasmine
Millie
I think today was very good, I learnt a lot and
enjoyed it.
Mia
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Page 21
Work Experience 2014
Once again Thamesview students have spent a week working with businesses to gain a valuable insight into the world of work for our
annual Work Experience Programme.
As usual the school had a fantastic amount of support with Gravesham Borough Council leading the way and offering almost twenty
placements to students. Two students really gained an insight into the world of work at Clocktower Kids Cafe and were kept busy with
arts and crafts. Another student spent the week at the new Barnardo’s shop, on Riverview Park, where he undertook many tasks and
received a glowing report. We had students in London, Maidstone and Dartford as well as more locally.
Some students have had offers of extra work experience during the holidays, a few have been told they can apply for part time jobs and
there have also been discussions for two students about apprenticeships next year.
Work Experience is not about career choices but about meeting new people, learning new skills and developing confidence and self
esteem which will help whatever career path you follow.
Some students completed their work experience in school, performing real jobs and gaining a new insight into the running of a school.
Tommy Cook worked in Drama with Mr Ferguson and had the opportunity to assist at the Enterprise Challenge Final and run a
workshop.
At Thamesview School we support the
Charity …. War Child. This charity helps
children in war-affected countries. On the
9th July all students paid £1.00 and came
into school in the colours of 4
countries’ flags. Each community
supported a different country. Throughout
the day there were different activities for the students and during
lesson 5 students researched different facts about their country
and how war affects children.
Mrs Lima
International Day 9th July
Supporting WAR CHILD Enterprise – Afghanistan Endeavour – Iraq
Discovery – Syria
Challenger – Uganda Year 9 Dance Careers Day!
22 Thamesview Dance Students descended on London’s West End
for the day to get a taste of life in the Performing Arts Industry. This
included a 2 hour workshop at the famous Pineapple Studios where
the girls learnt the finale from Matilda the Musical, a backstage
tour of Matilda and seeing the show itself in the evening.
A wonderful time was had by
all as you can see…
Mrs Beaumont
Page 22
Discovery Photo Album!
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Our Year 7’s settled into Discovery really well last September! We cannot believe that a year has gone by already! Here are some
photographs taken during the transition programme while they were in Year 6! We hope you enjoy looking at our page and it brings back
a few memories!
By Miss Weedon and Mrs Grrffiths
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Page 23
As you will already be aware, the uniform changed
from September 2013 for all new students to the
school and from September 2014 for all current
students. This means that, we will be expecting ALL
students to be wearing the new uniform when they
return in September.
Thamesview School places great emphasis on being
part of the school community and the mini-community.
The wearing of correct uniform is an important part of
being prepared for learning and aspiring to do your
best. Students are expected to take responsibility for
wearing the correct school uniform and comply with
this policy at all times in school and on journeys to and
from school. Students who are inappropriately dressed
will face sanctions in accordance with the school
behaviour policy.
All students:
1. Black blazer with school badge
2. Plain white shirt with a ‘classic’ collar, with a top button that should be buttoned up (girls and
boys)
3. School clip on tie related to the Mini-Community to which the student belongs (Challenger –
Blue; Discovery – Yellow; Endeavour – Pink; Enterprise – Purple)
4. All students should have a plain outer coat (not a fleece, sweatshirt or denim jacket/coat)
Boys’ Uniform (in addition to the above):
1. Formal black trousers (not corduroy, denim jeans, cotton drill or track suit bottoms)
2. Black socks to be worn with trousers
3. Plain black shoes with no logos (not trainers, canvas shoes or plimsolls)
4. Optional - Plain V-neck black pullover or plain black cardigan can be worn under blazers
5. No other jumpers, sweatshirts or cardigans etc. are
permissible
Girls’ Uniform (in addition to the above):
1. Black school skirt (approximately knee length, no short,
tight fit, low waist or lycra skirts)
2. Tailored black trousers may be worn (not leggings,
corduroy, denim jeans, cotton drill, ski pants, track suit
bottoms or wide flares)
3. Black shoes with no logos (not trainers, canvas shoes or
plimsolls)
4. Black socks to be worn with trousers
5. Plain black tights or ankle length black socks may be
worn with the school skirt
6. Optional - Plain V-neck black pullover or plain black
cardigan can be worn under blazers
7. No other jumpers, sweatshirts or cardigans etc. are
permissible
Jewellery/Make-up





Girls are permitted to wear discrete make-up
Extreme hair styles (cut and/or colour) are deemed
inappropriate
Facial piercing is strictly prohibited, e.g. nose studs, eye
brow bars or rings as are visible tattoos
Jewellery is not allowed within
school except for a watch and a
single discrete stud in each ear
False finger nails are not
permitted
Full details of the Thamesview Uniform Policy are available on the
school’s website - www.thamesview.kent.sch.uk
Lost Property
Please can Parents/Carers put their child’s name in ALL their
school uniform, i.e blazers, coats, full PE kit including trainers.
Every effort will be made by the school office to return all named
items to their owner, but items not named are difficult for us and
students to identify. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
S u m m e r T e rm 6
Page 24
Key Events:
 Thurs 21st August - GCSE Results Day (10am -2pm)
 Wed 3rd September - Staff Development Day
 Thurs 4th September - Only Yr 7 students in school
 Fri 5th September - Whole school starts back
 Wed 24th September - Individual school photos
 Tues 30th September - Yr 7 Parent/Tutor Evening
Term
Diary Dates
Staff Development Days:
Wednesday 3rd September 2014
Friday 17th October 2014
Friday 19th December 2014
Monday 1st June 2015
Friday 24th July 2015
1
(2014)
2
3
(3.30-5pm)
(2015)
 Fri 17th October - Staff Development Day
4
 Thurs 23rd October - Yr 11 Parents’ Evening (4-7pm)
 Fri 24th October - Last day of Term 1
Bank holidays:
5
 Mon 3rd November - First day of Term 2
Monday 4th May 2015
 Thurs 6th November - Awards Evening (7pm start)
Please note that the school will be
 Tuesday 18th November - Yr 11 Post-16 Information
closed on these days for students.
6
Evening (4-5.30pm)
 Tuesday 9th December - Yr 8 Parents’ Evening (4-7pm)
First day back……
 Monday 15th December - Christmas Concert
Thursday 4th September for new Year 7 students
 Fri 19th December - Last day of Term 2
 Fri 19th December - Staff Development Day
Friday 5th September for the rest of the school
Mobile Phones in School
If mobile phones are brought into school the students
must accept responsibility for its security. They must be
switched off during lessons and must not be used to
phone home if a student is upset or feels unwell. Phones
will be confiscated if they are used at any time except
during lunch and break times in our Heartspace, dining
area and outside the building. If a student does not
follow these rules, the phone will be confiscated. The
rules for confiscation are:
1st time — Phone removed and given to the office and the
student collects the same day 10 minutes after the end
of school time at 3.05pm.
2nd offence — Phone removed, given to the office and
parent/carer to collect it at their convenience.
3rd offence — Phone removed, given to the office and
parent/carer to collect it. Following this, the student
must hand in their phone to the office every morning and
the student will be placed in the inclusion room for a day.
Wednesday 3rd
September to
Friday 24th October
Monday 3rd November to
Friday 19th December
Monday 5th January to
Friday 13th February
Monday 23rd February to
Wednesday 1st April
Monday 20th April to
Friday 22nd May
Monday 1st June to
Friday 24th July
- arrive by 8.30am
ONLINE BANKING PAYMENTS
NOW AVAILABLE
Good news for parents, as from September 2014 all payments for trips and
events can now be made via your online banking.
If you wish to use this system please contact Mrs Farr at:
[email protected]
and she will send you our banking
details and your unique reference
number. This system will become
our preferred method of payment.
We appreciate your support in this. As always, you can
remain in touch with your child should an emergency
arise by contacting our main office who will deal with your
call, on 01474 566552.
Exam results will be ready for collection on
Thursday 21st August 2014
Year 11’s from
10am – 2pm
Year 10’s from
11am – 2pm
Parent Views
At Thamesview we value our parents’ opinions and
continued support. We offer parents the opportunity to tell
us your views at school events and have been very pleased
by the positive responses. You are invited to complete our
parent view questionnaire at the web address below:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/tvsparentview
We look forward to hearing your views.
Dates