Term 2 2015-16 - Hardenhuish School

Hardenhuish School
Headlines
Dear Parents
Merry Christmas Everyone!
I am delighted to introduce to you, in this newsletter, the
Headteacher Designate, our very own Deputy Headteacher, Lisa
Percy, who will take over from me next September when I retire.
Against a very strong national field, Mrs Percy was appointed
by our governing body. I am sure that Hardenhuish is in safe
hands for the future, and I look forward to working closely with
her to ensure that the handover is seamless.
Term 2 has been full of activity at Hardenhuish as usual,
alongside the daily focus of academic learning. Our pupils and
students have taken part in, and hosted, competitions and have
represented their school brilliantly and with much success.
There have been a plethora of trips, as well as a host of more
local activities and sporting fixtures, and you will read about
many of these in this newsletter. I particularly enjoyed seeing the
Shakespeare double bill, the second of which Comedy of Errors
was performed earlier in the year at the Egg Theatre in Bath as
part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival. There were some
extremely strong performances by our very talented young
people which made the plays really accessible.
The annual Hardenhuish Christmas Fayre was a great
success, smashing all records, and I am very grateful to the
Friends of Hardenhuish for its support. As always they are keen to
hear from other parents who might be able to spare a few hours
to support our school.
The Hardenhuish Educational Trust, which also supports the
school, is still fundraising with the Friends, in support of our
tablet appeal, to use in school for learning. You will find more
details inside.
Finally I hope you enjoyed the Christmas Carol Concert on
Thursday at St Paul’s Church - this really starts the Christmas
season for us. There were some amazing performances by our
young musicians and a wonderful warm atmosphere. I am very
grateful to the music department for keeping this tradition, and
was delighted to see many of you there.
Have a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas holiday.
Jan Hatherell, Headteacher
I am delighted to have been appointed as your Headteacher
from September 2016.
Since joining Hardenhuish as Deputy Headteacher in
January 2010, I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Mrs
Hatherell and the Leadership Team to develop and support
the continued success of every member of our academically
successful and caring school community.
I believe that Hardenhuish is a special place and I am
looking forward to, and excited at, the prospect of working in
partnership with you all to ensure that Hardenhuish continues
to go from strength to strength and staff, students and pupils
are provided with opportunities and experiences to enable
them to achieve their dreams and ambitions.
Although this will be the beginning of a new era, I am committed to evolving
Hardenhuish, enhancing what works and leading positive change where and when
necessary. Changes will be made in the best interests of everyone involved and
principally to maintain and develop our ethos of inspiring young people to learn and
supporting them to succeed in whatever they choose to do.
During my time at Hardenhuish every day has been different, challenging and
rewarding and I believe it is important that this continues as our broad and
varied curriculum, beautiful site and extra-curricular opportunities continue to
develop in the coming months and years.
The Christmas break is almost upon us and provides an opportunity to relax
and recharge and I am looking forward to spending time with my family and friends,
enjoying long walks in the local countryside and indulging my passion for reading.
The beginning of each new term is a fresh start and I am sure we will all
return refreshed and ready to make the most of every opportunity after the break. I
wish you a happy and restful Christmas and New Year and look forward to working
with you all more closely in 2016.
Lisa Percy, Headteacher Designate
Christmas card winners
The winner of this year’s Christmas card
competition was Jodie Watson of 7CEH. Her
card was made up and sent to members of our
community. Thank you to everyone who
entered our annual competition. Mrs J Hatherell
Maths students are set to star in technology advert
Eight Year 13 Maths and Further Maths students, along with
Maths teacher Mr Cobb, had an opportunity to try out some very
new technology, as well as starring in an advert for a project from
dynamic geometry software Geogebra and computing giant Intel.
The students were able to move and control geometrical
objects simply with hand movements, similar to an Xbox Kinnect.
Using an as yet unreleased version of the software students had
the chance to look at mathematics from a different point of view.
This was also an experience of life in the lens – and the students
were superb.
The film is now in post-production and will be premiered at
the national BETT technology conference in January. Maths Faculty
. . . Auschwitz trip - Page 7 . . . Drama news - Page 13 . . Sports Round-Up - Pages 16 - 20 . . .
2
Keeping Doors Open
Hardenhuish achieves county-first award
On Monday 18 January (6.30pm) the Science
Department is hosting a talk entitled Keeping
Doors Open - How To Find Out Where People
Like You Are Happy And Successful In Their
Work for all Year 9-11 girls and their mothers
(or any other influential female, e.g. sister,
aunt, cousin, etc.) in the Peter Thompson Hall.
This informal evening will be hosted by
Professor Averil MacDonald who will explore
the range of options available to girls who
keep a science in their portfolio of
qualifications, where the real opportunities
will be when they grow up and how to identify
the sort of roles they would be suited to in the
world of work.
Women are significantly underrepresented in engineering and technology
careers. To address this skills shortage, we
need to encourage more girls to study
science, technology and engineering as these
can lead to these exciting and rewarding
career options.
Averil Macdonald is Professor of Science
Engagement based at the University of
Southampton, and diversity lead for physics
departments in nine universities in the South
East of England (SEPnet).
She has put together a resource called
People Like Me, which is a revolutionary
approach that uses girls’ natural tendency to
create and articulate their self-identity with
adjectives to help them see themselves
working happily and successfully in science,
technology, engineering or maths (STEM).
Should you wish to attend this event,
please email Victoria Meheust on
[email protected].
Hardenhuish has achieved a county first, as the first school to achieve Healthy
Schools Gold Award status in Wiltshire. Having achieved the Bronze and Silver level
awards in recent years, we are honoured to have had our hard work for this award
rewarded.
The Quality Assurance Group which looked at the Hardenhuish evidence
included representatives from several other Wiltshire schools, Public Health, School
Effectiveness, the Voice and Influence team, Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire & Swindon
Sports Partnership and the Road Safety Team. The group assessed our audit of work
across the different areas of Whole School Approach to Health, PSHE, Healthy Weight
and Emotional Wellbeing and praised our well written and comprehensive evidence.
Members of the multi-agency group were impressed by the many examples of
good practice highlighted and were impressed with our piece of research based
on responses to lessons on mental health taught in PSRE and PSHCE.
Mr Paul Noyce, Curriculum Leader for PSHE, co-ordinated the application for the
award and said: “Staff, pupils and students at Hardenhuish know that it is a fantastic
community committed to the health and wellbeing of every single person. It is
fantastic to be given the Gold Award in recognition of the hard work that goes in
across the school to make this happen and it is an additional honour to be the first
school to be awarded this status.“
Hardenhuish will be presented with our Gold Award plaque at a celebration
event in the new year.
Science Faculty
HARDENHUISH SCHOOL
UNIFORM SHOP
The Uniform Shop will be open during
Term 2 on Tuesdays (12.15-1pm) for the
collection of items ordered on WisePay and
again from 2.45-3.45pm for appointments.
If you wish to try uniform on, this is by
appointment only. To make an
appointment please contact the School on
01249 650693.
PSHE Faculty
Double-whammy for show-jumping team
After the success of winning their class at
last year’s National Schools Equestrian
Association show-jumping competition
Hardenhuish pupils repeated the
performance by winning the class again
this year!
The event was run by Dauntsey’s
School and was held at West Wilts
Equestrian Centre, near Melksham last
month. The winning team comprised
of Year 8 pupils Harriet Cole, Kate
Selman, Lilly Goverd and Alice Edwards,
who all rode brilliantly and
completed fast clear rounds.
The girls showed great
sportsmanship by supporting each other
and working as a team. They held
off strong competition from other local
schools including Sheldon, St Mary’s
Calne, Dauntsey’s, Clifton College,
Warminster and Stonar schools.
Other pupils representing the school
included Year 12 student Mireille Abbots
and Year 10 pupilsPhoebe Abbots in
Class 2.
Year 10 pupil Tom Edwards flew the
flag for the boys and rode an impeccable,
stylish round but sadly had the last fence
down. A special mention should be made
for Lowenna Harvey (Year 9) who rode
two impressive clear rounds in both
classes.
Pictured above are Hardenhuish School
Equestrian Team with their rosettes after
winning their class at the National
Schools Equestrian Association
Competition.
Mrs J Bush
Year 12 Jessie Childs Talk
As part of the new Year 12 History
course students and staff attended a
talk at St Mary’s School in Calne.
Historian Jessie Childs discussed
the history behind her latest book,
God’s Traitors. It was an exhilarating
discussion of Elizabeth I’s religious
choices made during her reign.
Students made some useful notes,
which will not only benefit their study
of the Tudors but better prepare them
for note taking at University.
Mr P Arkinstall, CL History
. . . School Office: 01249 650693 . . .
3
Hardenhuish Remembers . . .
Creative Year 8 pupils joined forces with pupils from nine
other primary and secondary schools in Chippenham to create
more than 600 poppies which were placed on the war
memorial in Chippenham on Remembrance Sunday. The
poppies were made into four beautiful wreaths which were
displayed in Sainsbury’s Chippenham.
Michelle Perry from Sainsbury’s in Chippenham who
co-ordinated the project with the Royal British Legion
(Chippenham Branch), said: “I just wanted to thank the Year 8
pupils at Hardenhuish School for making such fantastic
poppies. Altogether we received 685 poppies from all 10
schools involved, which were made into 4 exquisite wreaths.
“Literally hundreds of customers stopped and admired all
the beautiful poppies and the words written. The Royal British
Legion (Chippenham Branch) have been overwhelmed by the
support and have asked me to pass on a huge thank you to
your school and its pupils. On Remembrance Sunday, young
cadets laid the wreaths at Chippenham War Memorial on
behalf of the schools.”
One of the beautiful wreaths created from the 685 poppies which were
on display in Sainsbury’s in Chippenham
Christmas Card runners-up
Pupils perform at two
public events
Congratulations to the following pupils who all
played at the Corsham Town Hall Concert last
month and did the school proud: Jack Tavendale,
Kathryn Latham, Kathryn Warner, Isabelle
Pettinger, Arthur Brown, Fiorella Scarpino,
Matthew Coates, Kate Lawrence, Amelia Jany,
Ethan Oatley, Harry Brown, Natalie Foskett, Ben
Lawton and Katherine Whiting.
Mr Williams, Keyboard Teacher
Congratulations to Christmas Card
design runners-up Bethany Pass
7JSH and Tristan Gay 7CIO
The Clarinet & Saxophone Ensemble performed
The Mountains of Nepal at Café Momo in Corsham
last month at an event to raise funds in aid of
Tibetan people who are still facing hardship after
the earthquake in Nepal last April.
The Ensemble also performed the same piece
at the Carol Concert.
Mr G Pike, Clarinet & Saxophone Teacher
. . . Musician Rich Cottell returns to Hardenhuish . . .
Hardenhuish was again buzzing with excitement as Rich Cottell
returned to perform with his latest message to Year 8.
The up and coming musician, visited the school to host a roadshow raising awareness of and giving a positive message about
discrimination and diversity during a special assembly on Monday
30 November.
He had previously visited last July to talk about online safety
and cyber bullying as part of his UK school tour. Rich has been
performing and speaking to as many schools as possible, reaching
thousands of students each week.
Rich has previously supported big acts such as The Wanted
and Conor Maynard and his support is escalating, with feedback
from schools being nothing short of fantastic.
During the assembly, Rich delivered a unique acoustic
performance punctuated by talking to the pupils about the serious
issues surrounding diversity and discrimination and hosting a
question and answer session.
The hugely successful event left pupils with a new found
awareness and perspective on the impact of discrimination and
diversity in life contexts.
. . . Absence Hotline: 01249 767390 . . .
4
Charity Week raises
almost £2,000!
Pupils and staff showed their generosity
once again with a tremendous effort for
this year’s Children in Need and the
School’s Charity Week.
The fundraising events for Children in
Need were organised by Mrs Lorraine
Young (Year 9 Pastoral Manager), Mrs
Sarah Loft (Year 8 Pastoral Manager) and
Mrs Nicky Place, Curriculum Leader for
Girls PE.
Children In Need day started with a
copper coin collection as helpers from Year
8 were overwhelmed by the generosity of
pupils and staff alike. The whole school
had been invited to attend lessons on
Friday in non-uniform and participants
were asked to donate £1 for the privilege.
This provided a tremendous foundation
for the charity and was followed by a
fantastic spread of delicious cakes, biscuits
and sweet goodies baked by pupils and
staff at a superb cake sale held during
break time which drew an enthusiastic,
hungry crowd! The Year 8 and 9 pupils
who manned the stall all worked
wonderfully well as a team!
Pupils from 9LAH stepped forwards to
raise even more money by holding a
Pudsey Bear raffle. The winner, Philippa
White, in Year 9, was delighted with her
cute and cuddly knitted bear to take home!
The outstanding effort for charity
went even further when more money was
raised at lunchtime, as Sixth Formers and
staff fought a fast paced netball match in
fancy dress (pictured above). The match saw
the staff retain their title as champions
with a 10th consecutive victory over the
students - the final result being 7-4.
When added to the takings from the
cake stall, copper coin and non-uniform
collections, Pudsey Bear raffle and the
charity netball match, the combined total
came to a magnificent £1,076.08!
Children in Need day was the climax of
the School’s Charity Week which this year
was in aid of Save the Children and coordinated by Sixth Form student, Kieran
Mulvaney.
Pupils and students had asked for this
additional Charity Week this year
precipitated by the images of refugees
crossing the Mediterranean and Europe to
escape conflict and persecution. Earlier in
the week Sixth Formers ran their own cake
stall (pictured below), whilst Year 10 pupils
had avidly filled shoeboxes containing essentials such as soaps and warm scarves as
well as body lotions and scented soaps to
send to the Syrian refugees who have made
their home in Calais, France after fleeing
their homes to reach Europe in search of
freedom from war.
A total of £735.08 was raised for the
Save the Children charity alone during this
special week. Year 10 pupil Maya Skelton
(pictured right), said: “We all wanted to help
the plight of the refugees and were only too
keen to help in whatever way we could. The
camps that look after the refugees have
been overwhelmed, and so essential basics
are few and far between. Some of my
friends decorated their shoe boxes in fun
wrapping paper which looked really
fantastic!”
Headteacher, Mrs Jan Hatherell, said: “I
want to say a big thank you to everybody at
Hardenhuish for their generosity and hard
work at making this special Charity Week,
the best ever! We raised an amazing final
total and I am proud of every one of my
kind-hearted pupils. Well done Team
Hardenhuish!”
. . . Monday 4 January - Start of Term 4 . . .
5
Year 13 RE students visit the Lam Rim Buddhist Centre in Bristol
To complement their A Level Religious Studies
course, five Year 13 pupils took the opportunity
to visit the Lam Rim Buddhist Centre in Bristol
last month.
The Centre follows the Tibetan Gelug
tradition under the guidance of Ven. Geshe
Damcho Yonten and holds regular evening
meditation and non-residential weekend
courses.
The students were welcomed by Lay
Buddhist, Mike Austin, who gave them a guided
tour of the Centre. This included a look around
the Shrine Room.
Students were able to see first hand the
Tibetan Mayhanana traditions which are
practised at the centre and were fortunate
enough to be able to take part in a short
meditation session which concentrated on their
breathing.
The students had many questions to ask
Mike and found that the visit helped to
consolidate their studies on the Buddhist
religion.
RE Department
Pictured in the Shrine Room are: Lucy Brosch, Maya Goodway, Emma Hughes, Bethan Thomas
and Bethany Vincent.
Movember raises £200 for charity
Senior Maths Team Challenge
Well done to our team of Year 12 and 13 Mathematicians,
Andrew Parr, Joanna Stell, Charlotte Wilmot and Nicole Fok, who
represented Hardenhuish in the Senior Team Maths Challenge.
They performing extremely well in the second of three
rounds and finished 11th overall out of 20 teams in a very strong
heat.
In some other heats around the country their score would
have placed them close to the top 3!
The heat was won by Gillingham School who now go on to
represent the region in the national final in London next
February.
Well done again to the team and to Mrs Zajac for helping
them to prepare for the event.
Mr P Cobb, Maths Faculty
Can you help to develop reading skills?
Hardenhuish site staff have raised more than £200 for charities
chosen by the family of a former Year 7 pupil.
Site Manager Phil Evans, with caretaker Brian Beasley and
senior caretaker Barry Mussard, grew their facial hair during
November to raise funds for the charities in memory of Leo Darby,
who passed away last term.
Thanks to everyone who donated to this worthy cause.
Site Staff
At Hardenhuish we run a reading scheme as part of the
Learning Support Faculty’s Literacy programme.
Selected pupils and students have up to two sessions a week
with a trained volunteer coach. During this time the pupils and
students work on improving reading skills, enabling them to
have greater access to the curriculum.
In the past we have had great success in turning pupils and
students with weak skills into far more confident readers. In
order to run this scheme we need volunteers to act as coaches
who will be able to give a couple of hours each week. We would
ask you to commit to a regular time each week.
If you are someone who can help to develop reading skills
with our pupils and students to encourage a love of reading, or
you know someone who can (such as a friend or family
member), please contact Sinead Deedigan via the School Office.
Learning Support
. . . Tuesday 5 January - Information, Advice and Guidance meeting for Year 10 parents . . .
6
Flautist Joanna to represent GB
After a rigorous audition process a few weeks ago, Year 13
student Joanna Stell has just gained a much saught after place in
the National Youth Wind Orchestra (NYWO) of Great Britain and
now holds one of only 12 flute places nationally!
The NYWO is the UK’s premier wind orchestra for
approximately 75 young musicians aged 14 to 21 and brings
together some of the finest young woodwind, brass and
percussion players in the country. The orchestral configuration
uses the whole range of clarinets to take the place of violins and
violas in a symphony orchestra, resulting in a wonderfully rich
and sonorous sound.
Joanna will now have the opportunity of performing in
prestigious concert venues including The Royal Albert Hall, St
John’s Smith Square, Cadogan Hall, Birmingham Town Hall and
Duke’s Hall attracting wide-ranging audiences. Players within the
NYWO are also afforded chances to tour abroad with the
orchestra, extending their experience and performance
opportunities and Joanna is already scheduled to tour
Switzerland next summer with the orchestra.
Huge congratulations Joanna! All the hard work and
determination you've put in, has certainly paid off!
Mr T Fosker, Flute Teacher
. . . Rupert Reports . . . Rupert Reports . . . Rupert Reports . . .
The first day of October half term holiday saw a ridiculously early start up to the Lake District.
By 1.45am I was in school seeing the Morocco trip off before heading north to the yurt. I was
happy to see them all back safely six days later at a much more respectable time of 4.30pm.
As winter arrives I have been told I need to help reduce the fuel bills at home and consider
my carbon footprint; there have been complaints about drafts when the back door is left open.
The result of all this has been the fitting of a dog flap– sized medium. I can’t say I have been
keen, I have stared at it or sat looking sad by the back door but it was then pointed out that it
has been ordered and fitted at great expense and I needed to use it. I like to sit in the fresh air
allowing the breeze to ruffle my fringe and this has now all stopped until the summer.
A training regime was started involving biscuits being placed either side of the door and
that was a turning point in my understanding. One plus point is I can now bomb straight
through it when I see a squirrel or a cat in the garden!
As we approach the end of term I am enjoying my advent calendar complete with doggy
chocs behind each window and I have been in a range of Geography lessons.
I am now starting to pack for my New Year break in Cornwall. This year we are going
much further west to explore the granite scenery of the Lizard peninsula.
Seasons greetings and a Happy New Year to you all.
Rupert
Year 7 Skellig unit produces homework creative writing project
Year 7 pupils were given a homework task recently for their
unit on the novel Skellig for which they had to write a
description of a junk room in their house or from their
imagination.
Here’s Emily Dirs’ (7ESQ) piece which impressed her teacher.
The very moment that my head came up into the impenetrable
chill darkness, bitter cold air clawed at my face. I shivered and
strained my ears to hear the gentle drip, drip of pipes around me
over the constant fierce raging gale outside. I flicked on the light.
Then heaved myself up off the ladder and gazed at the terrible
mess that lay before me.
There were mountains of old hats, scarves and gloves –
moth-eaten and torn. All were sprinkled with a thick layer of dust
that soared into the air at my touch for one glorious second, before
settling once again, like delicate crystal snowflakes, upon some
other forlorn, dishevelled object.
Bags, suitcases, blow-up mattresses and rolled-up sleeping
bags had been thrust unceremoniously to one side of the room and
strewn around them, things like pots of sample paint (used only
once and never again), shredded pieces of wallpaper and boxes of
Christmas decorations, calendars, fairy lights and tinsel.
Glitter covered every surface, as if fairies had been dancing
and prancing over the tonnes of discarded, unwanted clutter. Piles
of stories (never to be finished), dreams yet to be fulfilled and secrets yet to be discovered.
Miss S Lawrence, English Teacher
. . . Tuesday 12 January - Friends of Hardenhuish meeting, 7pm Gatcombe Room . . .
7
Sixth Form trip to Auschwitz - Birkenau, Poland 2015
Arriving in Poland we were immediately driven to the hotel where
we met our tour guide for the day and did a walking tour of
Krakow.
Starting in the old Jewish quarter we were told there was
once a very busy Jewish population which is now almost entirely
gone; the reason didn’t need explaining. We continued the tour of
some of the famous and important synagogues in the area and
were told some of the legends and myths that surrounded them.
The final synagogue we visited contained a large cemetery where
the wall was made up of the old grave stones which had been
destroyed by the Nazis upon arrival into the city. This was
followed by a walk to the old fortress that dominates Krakow’s
skyline. We were told of its Italian influence due to the historical
trade route between the countries which was reflected in the
Roman architecture of the towers and buildings.
We then walked to the main square which was very large and
contained a very large cathedral with two uneven towers. After
this we returned to the hotel where, after dinner, we were
prepared for our trip to Auschwitz the following day.
Waking early, we arrived at Auschwitz 1 where we were
confronted with the old Polish barracks which had been converted
into the infamous concentration camp. The large brick buildings
took many of us by surprise as they weren’t what many of us had
expected of a place designed to hold, what the Nazis considered,
inferior people.
After walking through the gate, we were shown the house of
the commandant of the camp, uncomfortably close for a man to
live with his family. We then went into one of the gas chambers
and the several furnaces, the reasons for both needed no
explanation. We continued our tour by entering various buildings,
each with their own horrific reminder of the scale of what had
happened. The room containing the hair of some of the female
victims was particularly harrowing. We finished our tour by
entering a building which housed a book containing the 4 million
names of the victims of the holocaust.
Next stop, the death camp at Auschwitz – Birkenau. Upon
arrival into Birkenau, we were confronted with the gates and the
all too famous train tracks leading into the camp. The size of
Birkenau (425 acres) became quickly apparent as we approached
the main gates and were able to look down the length of the outer
fence. Upon meeting our guide, we continued on, to be confronted
by what many of us will unlikely forget - the endless rows of
chimneys from the old buildings and the endless stretches of what
used to be electrified barbed wire; a sight few of us could truly
prepare for.
We entered one of the wooden buildings built for the
prisoners which, as expected, was hardly designed for the comfort
of its occupants. As we walked out from the building and along the
railway which for many would have been their last journey, we
came across one of the cattle cars in which the prisoners were
transported. As explained to us in Auschwitz 1, the conditions
inside would have been horrendous as people were packed in so
tight they couldn’t sit down or rest until their arrival.
Our tour continued with a walk through the centre of the
men’s camp where we were confronted with the remains of
another section of the camp, thankfully this was never completed
and subsequently destroyed before ever being used.
We then came across the first of the crematoriums in an area
surrounded by large ditches and ponds. Our guide explained how
ponds such as these as well as the surrounding marshes were used
for the dumping of the ashes. The next building we visited was
where many of the people transported were processed; their
clothes would have been confiscated to be replaced by the
infamous striped pyjamas, their hair was cut, their identities
stripped and they were then sent on to whatever lay in store for
them.
Our final stop on the tour was the international monument,
passing the remains of another gas chamber and crematorium on
the way. The guide explained how the monument was situated at
the end of the railway, above where many of the victim’s ashes
would have been piled until somewhere could be found for them.
The monument was between two of the largest gas chambers and
crematoriums at the camp and as it was raised, we were able to
really grasp the scale of not only the camp, but also the crime
which took place here.
On the monument was a series of plaques, all saying the same
but translated into different European languages.
For ever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning
to humanity,
where the Nazis murdered about one and a half million men,
women and children, mainly Jews from various countries of Europe
We ended our tour by lighting candles and placing them
around the English plaque, a small yet humbling gesture of
remembrance and then walked along the train tracks that ran the
width of the camp, one mile in length, back to the gatehouse. We
returned to Krakow and were given some time to browse the main
square before returning to the hotel from where, the next day we
departed home.
Charles Potter, Year 13
Evening lecture gives Spark of Life to students’ studies
On Tuesday 3 November, nine Year 12 and
13 Biology students attended an evening
lecture at St Mary’s School in Calne.
The talk entitled The Spark of Life –
Electricity in the Human Body was given by
Professor Dame Frances Ashcroft, a Professor of Physiology at the University of
Oxford and Fellow of Trinity College
Oxford.
Here is Eloise Holme’s account of the
evening:
“Professor Frances Ashcroft's evening
lecture St Mary's was an unexpected
goldmine of information - in the eyes of a
biology student that is!
Not only was the lecture based around
an intriguing topic, K-ATP channels, but her
methods of delivering a speech on such
ground-breaking and complicated subjects
made it seem easily comprehensible even
for the youngest of minds.
A few weeks after the speech I found
that the topics Professor Ashcroft had
covered actually tied into my course - a
bonus that made the lecture all the more
worthwhile!”
Science Faculty
. . . Tuesday 12 January - Information, Advice and Guidance meeting for Year 13 parents . . .
8
. . . Thursday 14 January - Year 9 Parents and Pupil Consultation Evening . . .
9
New musical event
draws in the crowds
Term 2 started with a new musical event
on the calendar which was an opportunity
for the younger musicians to show what
they can achieve in just one term at
Hardenhuish.
On Tuesday 3 November about 170
pupils from Years 7, 8 and 9 filled the
stage to sing and play to a packed audience. The evening was a big success with
impressive singing from the whole ensemble and many instrumental and vocal
items
ranging from strings,
brass, ukulele, flutes and band items.
We were so impressed with the
standard of performances on the night and
the enthusiastic response from pupils
taking part and we look forward to future
concerts as these pupils work their way up
through the school.
The evening had a Caribbean flavour
towards the end with the Year 9 Steel
Band’s debut performance. During the day
the class had taken part in a workshop
with visiting Steel Pan expert Gillian
Holmes.
She taught them a couple of
traditional Steel Pan pieces which they
performed in the evening. Gillian was
delighted with the work the pupils had
done and with how quickly they learnt
their new skills.
On Tuesday 24 November it was the
turn of our Year 11 musicians to take to
the stage.
As preparation for their GCSE
performances, they put a programme
programme and hope the music got you in
together of solo and ensemble pieces and
the spirit of Christmas.
conquered nerves to put on a really good
concert. The evening had a lovely
atmosphere where the pupils supported
Pictured top and left: Year 9 pupils during
one another to achieve their best.
their Steel Pan workshop.
An evening of great music and a high
Above: the Year 11 GCSE pupils before their
standard. We wish them good luck in their
Performance Evening.
performance exams in January.
All of our weekly music clubs have also
been busy this term preparing for our
annual Christmas Carol Concert in St Paul’s
Church which took place last night
(December 17).
Miss D Workman, CL Music
We hope you enjoyed the varied
. . . Tuesday 19 January - Information, Advice and Guidance meeting for Year 11 parents . . .
10
A busy term . . . and
next term looks busier!
The past two terms have been
exceptionally busy here in the Resource
Centre, with huge numbers of books being
borrowed as several big-name novels have
been published in the run-up to Christmas.
Further reflecting the encouraging
national trend for the printed format enjoying a renaissance in interest recently,
copies of the likes of Diary of a Wimpy Kid:
Old School, Username Evie, Girl Online on
Tour, Eagle In The Snow, Grandpa’s Great
Escape and Tom Gates Top of the Class have
been in high demand here in recent weeks.
On top of this there has also been
unprecedented interest in many
non-fiction titles, notably the Guinness
World Records Gaming Edition for 2016,
while our additions to the Kindles and
audio books in recent weeks have also
proven extremely popular.
It has been great to welcome all the
new Year 7s not only at break, lunchtimes
and after-school but also in their
fortnightly library lessons as they learn
about how they can make use of all the
resources in the future. We also hope Year
7 have enjoyed the opportunity to choose
themselves a free book through the BookBuzz scheme – it was wonderful to finally
hand these out to you all during term 2.
Year 8 pupils meanwhile have been
using the library resources to help with
their Gothic and Shakespeare units of work
in English; Year 13 historians were
captivated by Zigi Shipper’s talk about the
Holocaust back in October, Year 9
researched Martin Luther King here in
PSHE and some Year 11pupils were here on
Cross-Curricular Day to look at potential
options for their future.
In addition, we hosted ex-Hardenhuish
pupil Crispin Lilly here in November as he
held a fascinating workshop for students
interested in film studies (pictured above).
Terms 3 and 4 look set to be even
busier with lots of events planned – we
have the Poetry Slam workshops here for
Year 7 in January, Ash Dickinson making a
welcome return in February to speak to
Year 8 and several special events taking
shape for Hardenhuish’s Literature Festival
in early March.
More details will follow in your library
lessons, the Term 3 newsletter and you can
even stay up-to-date with all the library
news by following @harnishlibrary on
Twitter!
Enjoy your Christmas reading and see
you in 2016.
Mr N Southwood, Resource Centre Manager
7NML - Being the winners of
Smoothie Day feels amazing!
All of Year 7 took part in smoothie day.
We worked together as a tutor group team, and that’s what
made us 2015 winners! We shared each other’s ideas to come
up with the one we thought the best - and we were right! We
split up the different tasks between the class. Some of us went
and made posters and songs, while others made TV and radio
adverts. In class we edited and made each other’s ideas
included, and even made some of them better!
When all of the smoothie-making was over we had our
smoothie brought to us and then we tasted it. It was delicious!
To make it taste so good, we included: Tropical Mix,
Mango and Apple juice!
We prepared our presentation to show the judges and
when we found out that we were the winners of Yellow Band
we were very excited and couldn’t wait for the final result!
As soon as the judges announced the champions we
went over the top, screaming!
Now we and our tutor can’t wait until it’s going to be sold
at the Octagon Canteen!
Teigan Higgs and Poppy Maslen, 7NML
. . . Thursday 21 January - KS4 Options Evening . . .
11
Morocco Geography Field Trip
22 - 27 October 2015
Quarter-to-two in the morning saw 38 Geography students from
Years 10 to 13 and four staff start their journey to Morocco.
A lengthy security procedure at Luton airport saw us
eventually on our Ryan Air flight to Marrakesh. We arrived midmorning and were greeted by our guides. We were able to quickly
get to our city centre hotel and have lunch, before walking to the
souk.
A quick tour then saw us visit an apothecary for a hilarious
couple of hours trying various lotions and potions, several
students got shoulder massages. With dirhams burning a hole in
their pockets, the students took the opportunity to buy a range of
gifts including Argan oil. We then went back to the souk where
students were given 45 minutes to try their hand at bartering!
The busy bustling market was a real culture shock for some
but they embraced the experience and came back clutching an
array of items, in particular several Fez.
Day two saw us head into the Atlas mountains and make our
way to Ouzarazte; spectacular scenery created out of the fold
mountains gave us many photo opportunities. The IBIS hotel was
excellent and the students appreciated the very fast wi-fi!
Day three was the highlight for many as we travelled even
further south to about 150km from the Algerian border. Here we
picked up our ride into the desert on 42 camels. A hour and a half
trek saw us arrive at our Bedouin encampment kitted out with
proper showers and flush toilets - glamping at its best. It was
tagine for dinner – for many of us the 5th of the trip!
In the morning our camels took us back to the bus before we
headed off to find a sand dune to explore, then off to a date
palmarie.
On the penultimate day we drove the 200 km back via a
Kasbah used in Gladiator and Game of Thrones – more souvenir
shopping opportunities with many pairs of harem pants and stone
camels bought. The roads through the Atlas mountains were very
hairy with tight hairpin bends and rocks falls making us feel we
were part of a Top Gear episode! The driver got rapturous
applause when we arrived back in Marrakesh safe and well.
The final day saw a morning flight back via Easy Jet to Bristol
airport and then a 16.30 arrival back at school.
The students have described the trip as life changing. For
many it was a real eye-opener as to what life in a less developed
country is really like for its people. Getting off the beaten track
into areas not visited by tourists gave us a chance to experience
the real Morocco.
Ms K Skeplorn, Mr M Fennell, Mr G Williams and Mrs J Todd
Year 7 Trip to Shri Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Swindon
Forty-five Year 7 pupils visited the Shri
Guru Nanak Gurdwara (Sikh place of
worship) in November to gain a real insight
into the Sikh religion to complement their
current Religious Studies topic.
Miss Lavender, Miss Harborne and Mr
Wiggall accompanied the pupils on the trip.
Upon arrival at the Gurdwara all pupils
(boys and girls) were required to cover
their hair with head scarfs, remove their
footwear and wash their hands as a sign of
respect to the Sikh religion.
The pupils entered the main worship
hall where the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh
Holy Scripture was displayed in the takht
(raised platform or throne). The pupils sat
crossed legged on the floor and listened to a
presentation before asking a member of the
local community questions about the Sikh
religion.
Before leaving the main hall the pupils
were allowed to walk around the takht to
get a closer look at the Guru Granth Sahib
(pictured right).
Pupils were then invited into the
langar (dining room) and offered various
items of vegetarian food; displaying the
Sikh’s generous nature.
Pupils thoroughly enjoyed the visit and
some of their comments are as follows:
“I liked finding out what an actual Sikh
thought of his religion”
Emily Gibson
“I liked looking at the different culture”
Amy Gingell
“I enjoyed learning about how the religion
began and the ten Gurus” Zarni Johnson-Moe
. . . Tuesday 26 January - Information, Advice and Guidance meeting for Year 7 parents . . .
12
Careers Fair - A job well done!
Hardenhuish was abuzz with the entrepreneurial spirit as
representatives from almost 30 local businesses and training
providers attended the Careers Fair last month.
The event attracted a wide variety of representatives from
the world of work locally such as Dyson based in Malmesbury,
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust from Devizes and Chippenham-based
M J Church Construction.
This year’s event was kindly sponsored by Bechtle Direct,
who very generously donated a LINX 810 tablet for a prize draw
during the event. Bechtle Direct is part of the Bechtle Group,
Europe’s largest IT solutions organisations.
Year 11 pupils earned entry into the draw to win the
fantastic prize, after visiting five ‘stalls’ at the fair and
completing an evaluation form.
Whilst attending the fair, pupils had the opportunity to
speak to company
representatives and there
were plenty of interactive
stalls and games to engage
the pupils. The Year 11
winner was Jayden
Griffiths-Mitchell (11JJH).
Headteacher, Mrs Jan
Hatherell said: “The annual
Careers Fair was an
unqualified success for the organisations involved as well as for
pupils and parents. There was a palpable buzz in the room when I
visited and many of the professionals had amazing things to say
about our school and its pupils. I am sure that it has had an
enormous impact and I am grateful to everyone involved for pulling
it all together – a huge undertaking.”
Pictured left: Representatives from the Bechtle Group, sponsors of
Hardenhuish School’s Careers Fair 2015.
Above: Pupils at the Careers Fair.
Y11 Awards Ceremony
Staff, governors and the parents of 150
former Year 11 pupils all celebrated together
in the Peter Thompson Hall this term to
commend the outstanding efforts and
achievements of the ‘Class of 2015’.
The evening was an excellent
opportunity to invite the year group back as a
whole to celebrate another year of
outstanding achievement and success.
Proceedings began with a welcoming
drinks reception, where pupils were
informally congratulated on their GCSE
successes before the more formal celebration
took place.
The occasion was presided over by Mr
Geoff Wells, Chairman of Governors, Mrs Jan
Hatherell, and Miss Fox, Learning Manager
for Year 11.
All the former Year 11 pupils received
their GCSE certificates during the evening. In
addition, more than 80 Subject, Exceptional
Effort and Special Awards were presented to
the group during the evening. The ceremony
was a very moving and inspiring occasion for
all concerned.
This event also showcased the musical
talent of two of the year: Rebecca Warner
performing a soulful rendition of The Last
Time by Taylor Swift, and Harvey Nash
enthralling the audience with his piano solo
of Greensleeves.
Mrs Hatherell, was full of praise for
the pupils. “The Class of 2015 was a very
special group of young people and we are
extremely proud of them. It was wonderful
to see the pupils again and everyone at
Hardenhuish School wishes them every
success for the future. I am also very
grateful to the Hardenhuish Educational
Trust for their generous support of this
event.”
Pictured are: Lauren Simms, Lauren Hussey,
Josh Smith, Alexandra Bragg, Matt Gould, Amelia
Broadway, and Adam Lloyd.
. . . Wednesday 10 February - Information, Advice and Guidance meeting for Year 12 parents . . .
13
Weather puts paid to Christmas Lantern Parade
In November Year 8 DT AGAT pupils participated in a special project with a local company called The
Nature of It to produce a giant lantern for the Chippenham Christmas light parade. After an initial discussion
of the possibilities, it was decided that we would make a giant Christmas tree. What could be simpler you
would think? The next part involved lots of maths as we calculated the length, width and height of each of
the sections of the 3D structure.
Working with withies was also interesting; we learned they need to be kept damp to keep them
supple, and then bind them with masking tape at intervals to make the frames. The group split up into
teams to create each section and once the frame was completed, it was covered in tissue and PVA glue.
Naturally some Hardenhuish baubles and a dash of tinsel were added to the tree to complete the look.
Sadly on the night the weather was so bad the lantern parade did not take place, but our tree was put on
display in the Museum, then transferred to the new Town Hall Visitor Centre where it will stay until
January.
Miss Holland, DT
. . . Drama News . . . Drama News . . .
Forty Year 8 pupils took part in a drama workshop
with the drama company Le Navet Bete last term.
Some of us, having seen them live in June, were
really excited by the idea of working with them their exaggerated style of slapstick comedy suited
many of the performers in Year 8!
Al, Matt, Nick and Dan from the group led us in
many drama games and exercises that would help
us perform for our parents later that evening. The
performance was about rival gangs, including the
Flick Chicks and the Teenage Mutant Unicorn Ninjas, that took part in a gangster battle.
Everybody who attended the performance said it was a humorous play that they
enjoyed watching. Highlights included the awarding of the prize melon trophy, a tense
choreographed thieving scene, the tightrope battle and the attack on the audience by killer
zombies!
But the most memorable moments were provided by Elysia Copeman walking slowly
up and down the stairs on her crutches to catch up!
Lily Murnan, Year 8
Two capacity audiences enjoyed the Drama Department’s
presentation of a Shakespeare double bill this term. On December 7 and 8 pupils and students from Years 9 – 12 performed in abridged versions of a tragedy, Richard III, and The
Comedy of Errors, the School’s entry to the Shakespeare
Schools Festival in November.
I directed the first play in a 1920s Gothic style, with just
an Art Deco sun (beautifully cut by Mr Graham and painted by
Emily Colesby and Emma
Hughes), and was very proud of
my terrific cast and the way that
they dealt with my strange ideas!
Special mention must go to Louis
Vellacott as a chilling, magnetic
Richard.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching Mr Kirkman and Miss Dawson’s
Latin-set Comedy of Errors, even more, perhaps, than I had at
the Egg Theatre. Some lovely theatrical comic touches from a
cast led by Harry Butler and Holly Selman made the evening go
with a swing, and the cheers that followed were heartfelt and
well-earned.
Pictured left: Charley Burton, Matthew Dempsey and Holly Selman
Above: Tom Fletcher
Mr D Ellis, Drama
. . . Friday 12 February - End of term 3 . . .
Chemistry Trip
Year 12 Chemistry students visited
Bristol University Chemistry
department this term.
Students used the undergraduate
teaching laboratories to synthesize and
analyse the anaesthetic, benzocaine. As
part of this session, they were able to
develop their practical skills and to use
a range of analytical techniques,
including infrared spectroscopy, thinlayer chromatography and melting
point determination.
During the afternoon students
learned about cutting-edge research
into the use of proteins to investigate
cascades of chemical reactions and
finished with a lecture about the
atmosphere and pollutants which made
sure that our day truly finished with a
bang!
Science Faculty
14
23rd Scout Jamboree, Japan - remembered
During the summer I went to Japan
for the 23rd World Scout Jamboree.
I was part of the 27 Scouts
chosen to go from Wiltshire. The
time we had there provided one of
the best summers of our lives.
We started our three weeks in
Japan with three days in Tokyo; here
we went to Tokyo’s longest street,
which was filled with shops, and is
also the most popular street
amongst teenage girls for shopping.
We also went up the biggest
tower in the world – Skytree. We
tried many different foods there and,
despite the language barriers, people were able to understand us.
We then took the bullet train to Kirarahama, in Yamaguchi, where the Jamboree was
taking place. There we camped next to Italian, German, Japanese and Mexican Scouts, and
had lots of fun talking and getting to know each other during the Jamboree. We met lots of
different people from many different countries, who all told us a bit about themselves and
their culture.
We took part in many activities as a large group, including a Science day and a Culture
day. On August 5th we went to Hiroshima. It was a very emotional time as there were many
people there preparing for the 70th anniversary of the bombing and the entire town had
been set up to match the occasion. I will never forget it.
After the Jamboree I spent two days with a Japanese family, who gave me a tour and
explained a bit more about the Buddhist temple we were staying in. The family were very
nice and despite their lack of English, we managed to spend a great couple of days and I
even got to learn some Japanese with their help.
It was then time to say goodbye to Japan, but I will never forget the brilliant time I
spent there and aim to go back the next chance I get.
Anne-Cecile Semichon, Year 12
World War 1 Day
For the second year running the
History Department ran a World War
One Day with Year 9 and this year it was
bigger than ever.
A mock trench was created for
pupils to move through during the
course of the day, as well as a fake
machine gun, which was used to
simulate the experience of handling
such a weapon on the battlefield.
Thanks goes to all the staff who
took part and helped make the day what
it was and it was especially nice to see
so many members of staff in costume.
Feedback from the day was highly
positive with many Year 9s voicing their
excitement and enthusiasm. Well done
to all involved.
Mr P Arkinstall, CL History
Sleeping Beauty
On Tuesday 1 December a group of
Year 8 pupils went to see Sleeping
Beauty at the Old Vic Theatre in Bristol.
When we arrived we saw great
scenery – a simple wooden shape that
the cast used for amazing scene
changes (for example a tower, a
mountain range, a creepy cabin).
Throughout the play there were
interesting twists and surprises, such
as the Sleeping Beauty character being
a man, Prince Percy, who was woken
by a kiss from the heroine, Daelen!
The acting was outstanding,
especially the actor who played the
evil witch, Sylvia. Our favourite
moments included the Prince’s first
birthday, when he was a puppet on a
massive cake, and the scene where
the fairy godmothers were
transformed into sheep by Sylvia in
the second act.
It was so inventive, it really helped
us with our drama techniques – we all
really enjoyed the performance and
would love to go again!
Kate Selman and Nadia Storey ,Year 8
. . . Please collect any lost property from Reception in The House . . .
15
Fayre smashes all records!
Thanks to everyone who attended or supported The Friends of
Hardenhuish Christmas Fayre earlier this month. It was a great
event, smashing all records and raised over £2,000.
Pictured right are Year 7 girls: Emma Rhodes, Mia Fulcher,
Amy Gingell and Elise Harding, all from 7AXH, who took the most
money at the Christmas Fair on their stall- £83! They were
presented with a certificate and £5 WH Smith voucher.
Donations of school uniform that is no longer required are
welcomed by the Friends! If you have any items that you would
like to donate, please can these be left at Reception. These will
then be sold at specific school events, to help raise funds for the
school.
The Friends of Hardenhuish are a group of dedicated parents
who give a little of their time to help raise extra funds used to
support and enrich the children’s curriculum.
Raising money is the main aim, but not without having more
than a little fun along the way. Many of you will have already
experienced this with primary schools and will have a lot of useful
experience you can share. For others of you it might be the first
time you have become involved with a school in this way.
In the last academic year the Friends have once again raised
several thousand pounds which has allowed the School to
purchase extra equipment and support additional projects in
many departments.
Our Friends’ meetings are held at 7pm in the House, the next
one being on Tuesday 12 January.
Please do come along, bring another new parent for support if
you wish! You will make a lot of friends and get a real buzz from
being part of a team that organises a number of successful
fund-raising activities.
We really look forward to meeting you. Joining the Friends or
just offering your support is a wonderful way of showing your
commitment to Hardenhuish School.
Mr D Clarke, Leadership Team
Introducing Hardenhuish’s new Staying Safe Online Twitter Account
Hardenhuish Online Safety Twitter account,
@HuishSafeOnline, is already tweeting
many relevant and pertinent links relating
to advice and guidance to ensure safety
when using online sites, games and
applications, as well as relating to items of
technology.
Internetmatters.org have designed a
simple checklist to give parents peace of
mind on Christmas Day if there is an
internet device in Santa’s stocking this
year.
The checklist is to help you set up your
children’s tech gift before you wrap it up so
you know they’re safe online as soon as
they start exploring.
• Set parental controls on your broadband
to prevent your children seeing things they
shouldn’t.
• For smart phones check parental controls
are also set up on the mobile network.
• Set up the device safely by using the device
setting so you can only download age
appropriate apps and games.
• Disable location services so your child
doesn’t unintentionally share their location
with others.
• Set up password control or disable in-app
purchasing so big bills are not run up
accidentally.
• Download age appropriate apps you’re
happy for your child to use.
• Talk about staying safe; be aware of key
issues and how to discuss them with your
children so they know how to stay safe online
• If your child is using social networking
apps, check their profile and privacy settings,
making sure they are not sharing personal
or private information with people they do
not know.
This is just one of the many informative
tweets that have appeared on our new
Twitter feed, which we hope will keep the
school community up-to-date with the
latest online safety issues.
Online Safety is an increasingly
important feature within education to
prepare young people for their
futures.
Hardenhuish aims to ensure good and
safe practice when using devices, apps and
the internet with the objective to instil all
pupils with a good awareness of online
risks so they can minimise the potential
likelihood and severity of any e-safety
incident.
Follow us now!
. . . Please remember the strict 5mph speed limit on the School driveway . . .
16
The heights of
Kilimanjaro beckon
Deputy Finance Manager Jayne Turner
will be trading turkey and tinsel for
trekking this Christmas as she climbs
Kilimanjaro for charity.
Accompanied by her husband,
daughter and her partner, she will
already be in Tanzania preparing for the
ascent by the time you read this!
At the beginning of this year Jayne’s
daughter invited her parents to join them
in climbing the highest peak on the
African continent .
She said: “My husband and I have
completed a number of challenges over
the past few years including the
Yorkshire, National and Welsh Three
Peaks. However the tallest of these is Ben
Nevis which stands at a mere 1344m, tiny
compared to Kilimanjaro’s 5,895m!
“After months of training walks we
feel our bodies are fully prepared
although nothing can prepare us for the
altitude so we will just have to listen to
our guides and go ‘poley poley’ (slowly
slowly).
“We have chosen to take the Lemosho
route which is an eight-day trek (six days
up, two days down) as this gives our bodies
a better chance to acclimatise and hence has
a higher success rate.
“The ideal time to summit is on a full
moon. When we looked at the
options earlier in the year we decided that
Christmas would be the best of these in
terms of holiday time and climate around
Kilimanjaro. So all being well, whilst most
people will be waking up wondering what
Santa has brought, we should be on the
‘Roof of Africa’ watching the sunrise.
Definitely feeling exhausted but hopefully
elated that we have made it!”
Jayne and family are climbing to raise
money for several charities including:
Target Ovarian Cancer, Save the Children,
MacMillan Cancer Support and The Brain
Research Trust. If you would like to donate
please visit: www.justgiving.com/teams/
turner-bailey-mountkilimanjarochallenge.
Any donations would be gratefully received
and Jayne will report back in the New Year.
A blur of 250 primary Santas! Romeo and Juliet in ETH!
Two hundred and fifty primary pupils from Ivy Lane, Monkton
Park, Redland, St Paul’s, Frogwell, Bromham, Kings Lodge, St
Peter’s and Kington St Michael primary schools took to the
Hardenhuish Sports field a couple of weeks back for the annual
Christmas Cross Country Race.
If you happened to be looking out of the window as they set
off, it was a blur of Santa hats!
The English Faculty welcomed the Young Shakespeare Company
into School this term to perform Romeo and Juliet for Year 9
pupils.
Mr D Tanner, PE Faculty
. . . Forthcoming Girls’ PE Events . . . .
27 January 2016 - Wiltshire Games – Gymnastics and
Trampolining
February 2016 - Indoor Lady Taveners Cricket - Girls U13 and U15
9 March 2016 - Year 9 Area Hockey Tournament
9 March 2016 - Year 7 Area Hockey Tournament
16 March 2016 - Year10 Netball Tournament
16 March 2016 - Year 8 Area Hockey Tournament
22 March 2016 - Girls Touch Rugby Tournament
. . . Bangladesh visitors in School 11-15 January . . .
17
. . . Boys’ PE . . . Boys’ PE . . . Boys’ PE . . .
Year 8 Rugby team remains
unbeaten
The Year 8 boys rugby team has gone from
strength to strength this season. They have
played a total of five games this season,
with another two looming, and so far no
team has been a match for them!
The team, captained by Fergal Brophy
and Ethan Oatley, have really developed
and are playing a very good standard of
rugby. The forwards are capable of rucking
and scrummaging ferociously whilst the
excellent handling skills of the backs
combined with their pace combines to
make a winning formula!
The next hurdle ahead of us, whom the
team have already beaten this year, is
Grittleton School in the semi-final of the
County Cup which, if we were victorious,
would lead to an exciting final at
Trowbridge Rugby Club v St Augustines
School.
Good luck to all and hopefully by the
time you read this, the team may be county
champions!
Mr P Fox, PE Faculty
U16 Rugby County Cup
Year 11 Football
Corsham 29 Hardenhuish 12
Commiserations to our very valiant squad, who fell at the final hurdle,
against a determined and driven opposition.
In some difficult conditions, where the slippery egg was difficult to
get hold of, both teams played some very impressive running rugby.
Corsham, brought a greater ‘physicality’ and sharpness to the game,
as we appeared to feel the after effects of our draining semi-final against
Malmesbury.
Ultimately, it was Corsham who finished the match ‘Cock-a-hoop,’
despite some very ‘plucky’ defence and tackling, especially by our
fearless hooker, whose face the next morning told its own story!
Alas though, ‘twas a game too far, but all can hold their heads high
and feel proud about their final season together. It`s been a pleasure to
have worked with them over the last five seasons. Mr M Craig, PE Faculty
Well done to the team who travelled to Kingsdown School in
Warminster to play our first round match. We made good
time arriving for our arranged 4pm KO on AstroTurf and
under lights.
After an initial opening ten minutes reminiscent of
Bambi on Ice, we started to master the tricky surface and wet
conditions to take control of the game, and play some very
attractive football. Neat wing play, and resultant crosses, led
to two goals which gave us the upper hand at half time, 0-2.
In the second half we continued to play the more
measured football, with some fine footwork and inter play,
leading to further quality goals, finally running out winners
by 5 - 0. The team was led by the impressive Harry Moore,
always setting the right example for others to follow.
. . . Netball News . . . Netball News . . . Netball News . . .
Year 8
On Wednesday 2 December the Year 8 Netball girls took on St
Mary’s, Calne playing many netball matches in the cold, windy and
dark evening until 6pm.
Everyone made a superb effort and played their hardest. With some top notch driving, marking and shooting, the
Hardenhuish Year 8 A team only lost two matches and finished off
in 3rd place narrowly missing out on a medal position to
Malmesbury in 2nd place.
However, we did have some notable wins over St Mary’s (42), Devizes (11- 0) and St Johns (3-2). I think 3rd place is a very
respectable placing and everyone should be very proud of what
they did and how hard they worked.
On the 9 December the Year 8s took part in a netball match against
St Mary’s. The A team won their match 28-11.
After the first quarter we began to space out and keep to our
channels. We also were great at passing out and in, around the
shooting D. So our shooters were able to get closer to the post, for
a better chance of it going in.
However, we needed to slow down for safer passes so they
would hopefully be less likely to intercept. We also needed to try a
variety of passes and less loopy passes which has a high risk of
interception. Overall, it was great and well-played game. All the
defenders and attackers played amazingly and this is what led to a
win for Hardenhuish. MVP-Tegan Litherland Atkin.
Tegan Litherland-Atkin, Year 8
Sophie Martin 8CJE
The B team played really well and worked well as a team. We now
need to improve on slowing down the passes and making sure that
the shooters get in front of their defenders so that WA or C can
pass to them so that they can shoot.
We were doing really well all the way through the match. We
were very close in the last quarter as at one point it was 6-6. It was
such a close game with the last quarter ending 9-7 to St Mary’s.
Lucy Keir, Year 8 Well done though girls!
On Wednesday 2 December Hardenhuish B team played at the
Year 8 Area Netball Tournament at St Mary's School, Calne.
Although it was dark and cold everyone played extremely
well and we all enjoyed being part of the team.
We won 2 of our matches and lost 3 which meant that we
came 4th overall in the tournament. Well done everyone!
Bryony Collard, Year 8
. . . School Office: 01249 650693 . . .
18
SPORT
. . . Netball News . . . Netball News . . . Netball News . . .
Year 7 Tournament
On Saturday 28 November there was a netball tournament in Devizes. The
team (pictured right) played against Kingdown, Abbeyfield, St John’s,
Lavington, Grittleton, Devizes, Sheldon and Malmesbury schools.
Hardenhuish played in the A-team tournament.
When we played Kingdown it was a very close and tough game and they
won 4-3; they were a very strong team. Then we played Abbeyfield which we
won 4-2; it was a very tough match but we got those two extra goals in after
them.
We played a few other teams also losing to Lavington and Malmesbury.
We came 5th overall out of nine teams. Our coaches chose for most
valuable player Kate Seddon, our Centre, who played so amazingly! We were
very pleased with where we came because we tried our best and that is all
we could do.
Pixi Boo Nickless Mooney, Year 7
On December 9, Hardenhuish Year 7A team went to St Mary's School in
Calne to play netball against its Year 7 A. It was a tough game with St Mary's
having a lot of height in the D. However Hardenhuish contended well and
showed resilience and hard dedication. Georgia Webb was recognised as
player of the match.
with a little drizzle arriving later, making
On Saturday 28 November Year 7 girls from conditions slippery towards the end of the
schools from North Wiltshire took part in a tournament.
Hardenhuish took two teams and this
Netball Tournament at Devizes Leisure
is the B team report.
Centre.
As a team we improved the more
The morning was dry but very cold
matches we played. We were moving for
the ball better and finding more space on
the court for each other. In future matches
we want to be more accurate with our
passing.
The overall position of the B team was
3rd out of 7 teams, which we were
extremely proud of, especially as some of
our matches were very close.
A special mention goes to Zizi Plahay
as most valued player for the B team
because of her superb shooting skills. Well
Year 7 B Team
U19 Netball County Championships
Well done to the U19 Netball Squad who played in the U19 County
Netball Championship at Dorcan School on Sunday 15 November.
The girls played some outstanding netball, and were
complimented by the tournament organisers for their great team
spirit and attitude. Unfortunately we didn’t come away with
medals this time, but look forward to more senior netball matches
next term against our local opposition.
The schools we played against were: Marlborough College,
New College Swindon, Dauntseys, St Mary’s, Godolphin and South
Wilts Grammar School.
The team was made up of: Holly Rutherford (Captain) Anna
Copeman, Bronte Hulbert, Sophia Gardner, Poppy Imperato, Lucy
Morton, Lois Hulbert and Caitlin Simon.
After the tournament, the girls had one more fixture to play
against St Mary’s. They all played well and both matches were
tightly contested.
In the Year 12 match the girls played some lovely netball with
done Zizi!
Finally, thank you to Miss Place who
gave up her Saturday morning to take us to
the tournament and for her umpiring and
advice.
Amy Gingell 7AXH
Squad members:
Amy Gingell (Captain), Katie Miller, Lujzi
Plahay, Freya Churchill, Maisie Baker, Alice
Titcomb, Rebecca Childerhouse, Rain
Godwin, Summer Laidlaw and Isabella
Sawbridge
Results:
v Lavington - drew 1-1; v Devizes - drew 00; v Malmesbury - lost 2-3; v Lavington won 3-0; v Sheldon - lost 2-3; v Sheldon C won 5-1.
short passes being successful and applying pressure quickly when
defending. The team defence was brilliant and it was clear that
Anna Copeman and Amy Oliver were working as an unit using the
3 stages of defence.
Sophia Gardner had an amazing game at GK (a position she is
not used to playing in) making some vital interceptions and
stopping their GS from entering the shooting D. Bronte Hulbert,
Poppy Imperato and Lucy Morton worked tirelessly through the
midcourt aiding Kenya Flower to ensure we kept the scoreboard
ticking over especially in the 3rd quarter where we increased our
lead by 6 goals. Well done Girls! Won - 19-8. MVP-Anna Copeman.
The Year 13 game was a close contest with the girls playing
some outstanding netball. The St Mary’s teacher was very
complimentary about how well the girls played as a team and how
quick they transitioned from defence to attack.
The movement across the court was quick and agile which
enabled Hardenhuish to retain the ball and ensure we got our
shots off. Lost - 25-21. MVP - Holly Rutherford.
. . . www.hardenhuish.wilts.sch.uk . . .
19
SPORT
Young Leaders are Cricket activators!
New free club coming in January
Year 9 pupils have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to
complete a ‘Cricket Activator Course’ in their Sports Leader lessons.
This was provided by Ali Goddard from Wiltshire Cricket who has
many years of experience in teaching cricket.
The course was run over three weeks and gave the pupils
knowledge on how to correctly deliver cricket to younger people whilst
learning some fun and engaging games.
With the completion of this course they have a greater confidence
and will provide some volunteer work to younger children who will love
the opportunity to learn cricket from our future sports coaches.
Hardenhuish Girls Can
Zumba Club
PE Faculty
Well done
Poppy!
Open to: Years 9 – 13
When: Tuesdays Starting Tuesday 12
January.
Time: 3.15 – 4.15pm
Cost: Free!
Taster Session: Friday 8 January - 12:30.
. . . Badminton Results . . . Badminton Results . . .
Under 14
Mixed Under 18 Division 1
Nirmala George, Sid Purvey, Zarni Johnson-Moe and Andrew Monteith, Danielle Binder, Theo JohnsonZiggy Bolhuis.
Moe, Adrian Li and Harry Wood.
Played
Frome A – won 9 – 0
St Augustines A – won 6 – 3
Frome B – won 9 – 0
Kingdown – won 9 – 0
8 points from 8
Played
Frome A – lost 9 – 0
Phoenix A – lost 8 -1
Frome B – lost 6.5 – 2.5
Corsham B – lost 5 – 4
0 points from 8 ( but getting better )
Girls Under 18
Danielle Binder, Katheryn Titcomb, Abbie Cooper
and Joanna Stell.
Marissa Fernandes, Hannah Brooks and Nirmala
George also play for Aero Under 18 girls ( 5 points
from 8 )
Played
Devizes B – won 5 – 4
Phoenix A – drew 4.5 – 4.5
Aero – drew 4.5 – 4.5
Devizes A - won 5 – 4
6 points from 8
Congratulations to
Poppy Crane (9ACO)
who came 1st in the
U15 Girls Wiltshire
Junior Race League.
Mrs N Place, PE Faculty
Geoff Mascall, Badminton Coach
. . . The Inter-Tutor Sports Shield . . .
The battle for the Inter Tutor Sports Shield is hotting up. . . this term pupils have been continuing to
battle it out with the girls competing in netball, and the boys in rugby, to gain more points to add to
their earlier scores. Sadly no Year 10 results as yet as matches are continuing.
Year 7
Tutor
Group
Year 8
Year 9
Netball
Rugby
Total
Points
Tutor
Group
Netball
Rugby
Total
Points
Tutor
Group
Netball
Rugby
Total
Points
5
10
7
6
22
24
KED
TJS
10
7
8
10
28
21
CXC
LAH
7
10
10
8
27
24
SEF
CIO
CEH
AXH
ESQ
JSH
3
6
4
4
8
1
14
20
10
7
2
3
5
3
10
16
8
15
CJE
SRL
AXS
NJL
DXC
5
8
3
6
4
6
7
4
3
5
18
18
15
15
14
11
8
6
18
15
15
14
11
11
2
2
1
6
4
7
5
2
3
8
5
3
4
8
6
5
2
3
HXR
RMH
WSE
SJB
PRF
RYG
LXC
AVB
ACO
MFH
5
1
7
NML
EXH
. . . Absence Hotline: 01249 767390 . . .
20
SPORT
Area Cross Country - Grittleton School
On Wednesday 11 November, we took 48 pupils to
compete in the Area Cross Country held at Grittleton School,
competing against eight schools from the area.
Hardenhuish had an exceptional performance across all
categories. We were lucky with the weather and had good
conditions on the day for
running. All pupils
showed resilience and
effort whilst competing
and very supportive when
spectating.
The results for the teams: Minor Girls 3rd,
Minor Boys 6th, Junior Girls 2nd, Junior Boys 4th, Inter Girls
3rd and Inter Boys 5th.
A special mention to those that have qualified for
the County Championships: India Ibboton (3rd), Megan
Wright (6th), Connor Savage (5th), Max Hughes (6th), Lucy
Buffham (2nd), Katie Strange (6th) and James Wight
(4th). Well done and we wish them the best of luck at the
County Championships.
Honours
Congratulations go to:
William Thompsett (Year
9) - County U14 Hockey
Squad.
Poppy Maslen (Year 7)
– Kickboxing.
Tegan Higgs (Year 7)
- Gymnastics.
Darcie Shields (Year 8)
- Martial Arts.
Well done all!
PE Faculty
Miss N Lander, Girls PE
. . . Clubs . . . Clubs . . . Clubs . . .
Day
Time
Sport
Year Group
Monday
3:15 – 4:15
Badminton
KS3
3:15 – 4:15
Senior Netball
Years 10 - 13
3:15 – 4:15
Touch Rugby
Girls Years 8 - 10
3:15 – 4:15
Netball
Year 7
12:20 – 12:50
Girls Cricket
All Years
3:15 – 4:15
Girls Fitness Club
Years 9 , 10 & 11
12:20 – 12:50
Badminton Smash Up
All Years
3:15 – 4:15
Hockey
All Girls / KS3 Boys
3:15 – 4:15
Boys Football
Years 7 & 8
3:15 – 4:15
Trampolining
Subject to Waiting List
3:15 – 4:15
Badminton
KS4
3:15 – 4:15
Girls Gymnastics
All Years
3:15 – 4:15
Boys Football
Years 9 & 10
12:20 – 12:50
Boys Basketball
Years 7 - 9
12:20 – 12:50
Gymnastics
All Years
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
. . . www.hardenhuish.wilts.sch.uk . . .