Produced at the Media Experience in association

Produced at the Media Experience in association with The Press Association
and Newcastle Education Business Partnership. Telephone: 0191 277 4444
e-mail [email protected]
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FARRA NEWS
Welcome to our newsletter
I
t is a privilege to
introduce you to “Farra
News” – the best
student-led
newspaper
in the world! I hope that
you will take time to
read all of our news and
will therefore be able to
appreciate how busy life is
here at Farringdon.
I have to start with
congratulations to Y11
students who have broken
all previous records with
their outstanding GCSE
results.
70% of our
Y11 students achieved
5 or more A*-C grades
including English & Maths,WELCOME: Mr Kemp
this represents an increase
of 8% on last year’s results. Last term, in recognition of
the sustained improvement at Farringdon over the last five
years, we were recognised as the Most Improved School in
the North East and the Most Improved Sports College in the
UK. To improve still further this year is fantastic; however
it is no surprise to me. Our staff have worked tirelessly for
the students and they have responded by attending revision
sessions (170 attended English & Maths revision classes at
7.30a.m!!!) and developing the self belief that is so important.
It is with a mixture of emotions that we say farewell to them,
on the one hand sadness for losing a wonderful group of
students, but on the other excitement and anticipation of
what these fabulous young people might achieve. The Y11
Prom at Beamish Hall was similarly emotional for a lot of us.
To share that evening was an honour and I was particularly
delighted to see so many of our teaching staff there. The
relationship between staff and students is part of what
makes Farringdon such a special school.
Much of what happened at Farringdon during last term
is documented later on but here are some of my personal
highlights:
Farringdon already has an enviable reputation for putting
on great shows and last term’s school production of Grease
was no exception. Congratulations to all the students and
staff who were involved in it, particularly to Mr Fearon who
somehow maintains his good humour at all times!
The super sports facilities at Farringdon are now even better
following the official opening of our new 3G artificial football
pitch. The students from Farringdon and our local primary
schools had a fantastic day taking part in sports related
activities as part of their induction.
Our staff & students took part in a range of charity events to
raise money for Cystic Fibrosis – football games, leg waxing
(see back page) and a sponsored walk, have moved us closer
to our school target of raising £3000. Mr Roberts has gone
a little further and completed four back-to-back marathons
over the summer running from Whitehaven to Tynemouth, a
total of 140 miles!!!
Autumn 2011
And so to the future.
Next term’s Farra News
is a blank page. It is up
to you to make the most
of the opportunities
that you are offered
and to write your own
successful future.
We welcome our new Y7
students in September
and look forward to
working with you all.
You will each add your
own special quality to
our community and help
to secure even more
success in the future.
Take time to read about
our wonderful school
– I know that you’ll be
impressed
Howard Kemp
Headteacher
?
Meet the News team Where’s Waldo
A
s
usual
we
challenge you to
find Waldo and tell
Mrs Bird the page
you found him on.
Everyone who has
given their name
and form class on a
piece of paper to Mrs
Bird by the end of
September goes into
a draw to win a prize.
Happy Hunting!
WALDO:can
you find him?
Previous winners
NEWS TEAM: Working hard to bring you the newsletter
T
his year we decided that random facts were the way forward
... introducing your news team.
Sarah Barton, 11G, owns over 362 DVD’s and can recite all the
words to the film Funny Face.
Jasmine Mustard, 11A, has lived in 3 different countries, has been
to 7 different schools and lived in 10 different houses.
David Griffith, 11F, loves all things blood, gore and horror!
Savannah Lindley-Richardson, 10G, hates all hot drinks.
Kate Ferguson, 10G, thinks life is a game of yellow car.
Rachael Eastick, 10G, can’t touch rough surfaces.
Matthew Lawton, 10G, likes to wear green clothes.
Rebecca Haswell, 9A, loves writing stories.
Chelsea Jobling, 9H, is obsessed with Tim Burton and Pirates.
Katherine Eastaugh, 8E, likes to be random.
Isabella Taylor, 8A, likes to write children’s stories.
Emma Stubbs, 8B, likes to trampoline .
Mr. Duncanson, graphic design, was the best U19 volleyball player
in Scotland.
Mrs Ranton, ASP, has climbed Sydney Harbour Bridge and lived to
tell the tale.
Mrs Bird, A25, has written to penpals in Austria and America for 25
years (met them too.)
Mr Fearon, A15, ... no comment.
We also received additional help from Mr Fearon’s Creative Media
Diploma Group - Nadia Raine, Emily Hughes and Laura Dewart thank you!
J
ust to let you know winners from our
previous edition:
Rebecca Haswell won the story writing
competition (won a Twilight Game)
The following Y8’s won the ‘design a mythical
creature’ competition:
Stephen Campbell – overall winner ‘dinomole’
(drawing set)
Kaitlyn Forster ‘fallen angel’, Kate Beck ‘Ronnie
Killings’, Daniel Clarke ‘Sindina Fantan’ (runner
up prizes - stationery sets.)
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The BIG move!
FARRA NEWS
Autumn 2011
SETTLED: Y8 give their advice
t can be very scary moving from primary to secondary. We asked some of our current Y8’s
how they settled in at Farra this time last year. We interviewed Reeves Campbell, Amy
Watson, Jacob Scaife, Kiera Bewick, Adam Hollingshead, Scott Alexander, Megan Keogh and
Olivia Astill (all pictured) – then summarised the main things they said below:
Did you enjoy your first year at Farra?
Yes, it was fun, but it went very quickly. It gave us new opportunities to do new things and meet
new friends. The teachers try to make the lessons fun so we stay interested! We also can’t
believe a year has gone by so quickly either, it kind of feels like we have been here forever (not
in a bad way!) we mean we feel quite settled in.
Are any of the rumours you hear at primary true?
None of the rumours are true, you hear about getting your head flushed down the toilet, and
nothing happened. You also hear about being ‘binned’ in the yard by Y10s and 11s, but it didn’t
happen so you don’t need to worry, in fact a lot of the older kids are really helpful if you get lost.
Did you get any new opportunities ?
Yes there are lots of clubs that you can join, and we also got the chance to go to Germany.
Some of us have particularly enjoyed the cooking club, craft club and tennis; PE offers loads at
I
3
lunchtime and after school.
What are the teachers like?
It’s very different having so many different teachers and there’s a lot to remember, but the
teachers are really pretty amazing. Most of us thought they would be mean and very strict, but
they’re not, some are strict with you but for the right reasons. We’d say teachers are fair with
you and that’s good because you know what is expected.
What advice would you give to the new Y7’s?
Don’t worry, you’ll make new friends quickly and start to have fun - you will enjoy Farra! Speak
to the teachers and other students if you are worried about anything – there is always Student
Services to help you! Other advice would be never give up in school, it doesn’t matter what
group you’re in, if you do your best you’ll get a lot out of being here.
For news from our local primary schools please see pages 12-14. This year the news team
have worked with students from Farringdon, East Herrington, Mill Hill, New Silksworth and
Benedict Biscop to bring you their best news items.
Getting ahead
W
e interviewed Nathan Gaffney and Rhianna
Hetherington who represent our school as
Head Boy and Head Girl.
“The fact that I was chosen over every other boy in
my year made me feel quite special. My role requires
confidence and responsibility and I am looking
forward to the year ahead and getting involved in
the duties that come my way,”said Nathan.
“My sister was head girl in the Y11 that have just left
and I considered it a bit of a family tradition! Being
head girl means a lot to me and I am really proud
that the people in my year thought that I would do a
good job. I too am looking forward to what this year
brings,” said Rhianna.
Meet the managers
W
e asked each of the Year Managers to give us
one piece of advice for this year’s new Y7s, but
it is also advice that we could all follow. Your Year
Managers are there to support you when you need
them and to help you be successful.
Miss Stevens (Y7):
There is nothing to be frightened about, it’s a lovely
experience. You will get to meet lots of new people
and I’m really looking forward to working with you all.
Miss Harris (Y8&9):
Make the most of every opportunity available to you.
Show kindness and respect to others and they will do
the same in return.
Mr Horsley (Y8&9):
Listen to and act upon all advice and information
given to you at all times.
Mrs McNaught (Y10&11):
Work hard, play hard and enjoy your five years here –
they’ll go very quickly.
Mrs Ramshaw (Y10&11):
Come in with a nice happy smile and enjoy yourselves.
Finally, Mrs Virk (Progress Coach for Y10&11): Work
hard, give everything your best shot, try to make as
many friends as possible and have a great time at
Farringdon.
HELPING HAND:Year managers are here for you
AHEAD: Could
this be you
someday?
End of term fun
4
FARRA NEWS
END OF TERM FUN: The fun starts here
e decided to end the term with some fun – the
final Weds was an activity day where students got
to choose from several activities on and off school
premises.Some of the onsite activities are pictured: the XL
Youth Village came in offering various activities including MCing; there was animating in Media; cooking up ‘sweet-treats’
W
Community
fun for Farra
in food tech and beach bag making in textiles; table tennis and
fencing in the sports hall; graffiti art; mini-motos on the tennis
courts and some of the students were even brave enough to
hold the birds of prey that spent the morning with us.
Some of the off-site experiences included a tour of the
Stadium of Light; a hiking trip, a sponsored walk, and many
Autumn 2011
others too. The 3G pitch was also officially opened. On
Thursday there was a sports themed morning for all year
groups and a performance from WeareGibber in the hall, on
the damages of smoking. Out on the sports field there were
activities such as, bouncy hopper rides, penalty shoot out,
volley ball, Netball shootout and various other activities too.
The grand opening
HA HA: What a shot
C
ommunity Day, is now well established in school
and is an enjoyable and very worthwhile day,
with many different activities and community based
providers who come into the school to work with us.
The days are based on ‘Every Child Matters’ themes.
Here’s a little about what we did last year.
Y7 have had a variety of different sports activities
which include: Handball, Hip Hop Dance, and Life
guarding in the pool. They tried out Judo and
trampolining and also made delicious smoothies and
tasty fruit kebabs with Mrs Dolphin.
One of Y8 themes was ‘acceptance’ and also
‘diversity’ for which they found out about unity and
peace and how racism can affect people badly. Some
students in Y8 went to East Herrington Park to help
the community directly with a tidy up; a number of
forms worked with Mrs Bird to make an anti- racism
video.
Y9 have been working with MESMAC, and they
received a sexual health talk in the library from the
Box Youth Project. A man from Rwanda also talked
about his difficulties in life, and how he has gotten
to where he is today. In the afternoon, they did a
business challenge to design a cereal box in different
teams.
Y10 students either went to Houghall or Bede College
to look at options available to them after school.
Finally Y11 went to the Health and Racquet Club for
a learning conference where they did a brain training
session and some tasks set by Connexions e.g. talking
about what it would be like living away from home in
preparation for possible university life.
Our next Community Day will be on 22 September
and we’re already looking forward to it! If you would
like to work with us as a provider please contact
Derek Wright or Gwen McNaught.
HOORAY: The 3G pitch is open, three Sunderland legends join us
he
summer July the facility was
2
1
term was the officially opened by Ex
official opening of Sunderland legends,
the school’s state of Mick
Horswill,
the art 3G football Martin Scott and
pitch. The impact Gary Bennett. Our
and ‘wow’ factor sports apprentices,
has been remarkable Uni students and
in lessons and the volunteers were all
pupils are proud involved in organising
of
the
facility and staffing the day.
4
3
that
they
have. SIS, the company
Giles
Sandercock that built the 3G
has been seconded pitch, also very kindly
from
Sunderland gave the school
AFC to manage the £750 towards the
community football cost of buying new
development
and football strips for all
we are really excited of our football teams.
about the future. On
WOW: What a transformation, for Farras new 3G pitch
Wednesday the 20
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Autumn 2011
5
FARRA NEWS
Mining into the past Jubilee’s golden
opportunity
N
FARRA: Mining experience
L
ocal ex-miners, Terry Watkins and Keith Lamb,
paid Farringdon a visit to teach pupils a bit
about our heritage and we learnt that our
very own Mr Wright was among their apprentices.
Terry and Keith explained how at the start of the
1900’s there was a total of 300 pits, each employing
300 people; creating jobs and homes for locals.
Nowadays, none of these pits remain in Durham,
and a previous pit once located at Silksworth; is now
Silksworth Ski Slope. They explained how banners
were handmade (costing £1200!) and miners
galas were held, giving the locals a real sense of
community spirit.
Terry himself started as an electrician in our very own
Silksworth colliery; which originally had a community
of 400 mining families, but upon opening the pit this
grew to 4000. As collieries became a more valued
part of the community, miners built dance halls
and some of the very first libraries to expand their
communities. Eventually, local schools were also
created and the community continued to grow, to
include local mining houses and other facilities such
as chapels. Everything was about community spirit
and tight knit families and neighbours. However,
sadly, mines began to close due to changes in
industry. Did you know there is a colliery 12,000 feet
deep underneath the Stadium of Light?
Terry described the mines as something which
gave the community a sense of “Friendship” and
“Comradery”. Now it is so strange to think that
the past mines that were such a huge part of our
heritage and family’s lives have been covered up,
leaving few signs that they ever existed.
Mr Wright attended a Durham Colliery Mechanics
reunion after the assemblies. At the end of the night
Keith Lamb informed the group that he had had a
fantastic week at Farringdon and that the staff and
pupils relationship was fab to see.
Farra out of the blue
ew to the Centre in 2011
Learn Direct Courses Available:
- Literacy and Numeracy Level 1 & 2
- Information Technology Qualification
Level 1 & 2
(Includes
computer
basics,
word
processing,
spreadsheets,
presentations, email etc...)
These
courses
are FREE and can
be done from
home and within
the centre.
A great chance to
update your skills
and get that ideal
job – pop in or give us a call!
Launch Into Work
Are you 16 - 19 and not in education,
employment or training?
Come along to the Launch Pad at
Farringdon Jubilee Centre. To find out more information please
call us on 0191 522 8447
Sessions will run every Thursday
12:30pm—2:30pm
Refreshments available
FREE, FUN, FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE
Advice on Training Opportunities
CV’s & Job Search, Careers Advice
Wii, Xbox, Pool tables, Air Hockey,
Internet Access
Smoking Cessation
Free Confidential Service, students can
come to the Jubilee Centre and see
one of our Smoking Cessation Staff
after 2:45pm. This service is available
for ages 13 or over.
The extended services team, led by
Mrs Wilkins does a lot of work with our
pupils; here are just three things that
have happened this year:
Duke of Edinburgh
In partnership with the Jubilee Centre
and A690 Youth Project, 20 of our
students are taking part in the Bronze
Level of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Students from Y9, 10 and 11 will
complete the 4 sections to achieve the
award.
Awards for All
We
successfully
applied for an
Awards for All
Grant of £7,500 to
provide a variety
of activities for
young
people
and their families aged 8-16 years of
age. Activities will include mountain
biking, orienteering, canoeing and
den building, campfire building
and cookery. The emphasis will be
on improving health and getting
youngsters and parents more active.
The project will hope to work with
approximately 200 people.
SAFC Family Learning
10 Y7 students took part in a 5 week
course delivered by SAFC. The course
was aimed at students who may need
additional support in dealing with
conflict around them and helping
them find appropriate strategies for
managing them.
Raising awareness
A
s Y9 & 10 students will know, Mr Horsley recently led an assembly all about
testicular cancer. This is mainly found in young men from the age of 20 to
34 years of age, and there are about 7500 new cases yearly, but if it is caught
early the chances of recovery are excellent. More than 90% of testicular cancer
patients are cured by their initial treatment. Although it can be uncomfortable
to talk about things like this it is really important to do so. Mr. Horsley also
introduced a ‘wear it blue’ day on which we raised approx £422 pounds.The
money was split between Orchid and Everyman Cancer charities.
BUS WITH A MESSAGE: Only losers give bruises
owards the end of term you may have noticed a
bus on the yard. The bus was there to promote
the work of Wearside Women in Need supported
by the local Council, the police and Gentoo who
wanted to raise awareness of domestic abuse within
relationships. We interviewed volunteers, Kelly
Henderson and Jess Clark-Barkness, who told us a
sad fact is that in their lifetime 1 in every 4 women
will experience some form of domestic abuse,
and often teenager girls ‘put up with’ things they
shouldn’t because they don’t realise it isn’t right.
T
No one should make you feel controlled or afraid;
but the good news is that there is support and help.
Talk to a relative, friend or teacher and the helpline
number is 0800 066 5555.
Pupils got the chance to watch a video, pick up
leaflets and talk to staff on the bus and were given
goodie bags. The campaign was also supported by
Futureheads front man, Barry Hyde who was on
hand to talk to pupils. The campaign had a very
strong message ‘bruises are for losers’ and no one
should put up with being treated badly.
Autumn 2011
FARRA NEWS
Grease is the word!
G
rease was this year’s
school production and as
ever was a great success
with everyone involved, from the
students on stage, to the back
stage crew and the audience who
came and supported the show. There were many surprises to
be had, and one of them was the
wonderful car which took hours
to make but was well worth it in
the end. The show itself was a
culmination of everyone’s hard
work and effort to make it the
success it was. Everyone involved
went to great lengths to make
the play the best – we were even
allowed to film in local ice cream
parlour, Lickety Splits (see advert
and photo.)
Mr Fearon commented, “I hope
that you really enjoyed it and that
you may consider becoming a part
of it next year either on stage or
back stage - we look forward to
seeing you. Unfortunately for some
this was their last production as
they were in Y11 so they received a
special goodbye on the final night. I would like to take this opportunity
to thank these students and those
6
in the band for all their hard work
and dedication over the years
and wish you every success in the
future.”
We interviewed Charlotte Gibson
from Y9 who played Roger, one
of the T-Birds but she has been
involved in school plays since Y7.
She said it was a fun experience
and it helped her to make new
friends. She also said being in
Grease helped her confidence to
grow. She explained that this year’s
show was one of her favourites and
she thoroughly enjoyed it.
We also interviewed Katherine
Eastaugh and Isabella Taylor who
helped out backstage. They said;
“we really enjoyed it. It was a great
experience helping out. I really
enjoyed taking the car on and off.
We got to watch from the side of
the stage, and from there it was
brilliant –it must have been a great
experience down in the audience!”
Farringdon productions go from
strength to strength each year – we
are now left wondering what will
beat Grease – we look forward to
summer 2012 when we will find
out!
T- BIRDS AND TEEN ANGELS: Go greased lighting!
Flash mob The Big Voice
Fast Track
- on track!
A
DANCING: To the tunes of the yard
n one unsuspecting Friday in July students and
staff were treated to a ‘Flash Mob’ on the yard
as school was dismissed. The performance was done
by the ASDAN Dance Group who had worked with
local dancers to put on the display. Mr Wright began
the dancing, closely followed by Mr Earley. The 20
Y10 students were fantastic and a crowd gathered
round clapping and singing along – with many people
videoing on their phones! Watch this space as we
suspect it isn’t the last you’ll see of this talented
bunch!
O
WINNERS: The winning team pose for a snap
L
ast term Media trainee teacher, Francis Monye and Y11 student, John Burn
worked with a group of Y10 BTEC Media students to write a treatment for an
idea based around an issue in the local community. They chose the theme of
anti-social behaviour and carried out interviews with students and local residents
and finally wrote a role-play to enter into the Big Voice Competition, sponsored
by BT. Well – great news – their entry went through to the next stage and will
be made into a film this term. We will work with film students from Teesside
University to bring the film to a finished standard. When it is complete it will be
shown on screen set up in city centres in the lead up to the Olympic Games in
summer 2012. Well done to you all.
YUMMY: Come to the tastiest place in Seaham
lthough we see the final fast track groups
through in Y8 and 9 this year, the venture has
been very successful with our younger students
achieving some incredible marks by the end of
KS3. In the summer of 2010, Christian Barnes
and Lauren O’Dell both achieved A grades in
French. Christian achieved A* in the oral exam,
with a higher point score than any of the Y11
GCSE candidates.
This summer Kate Ferguson and Sally MacDonald
have both achieved A grades for their fast
track GCSE Art course. Mr Young told us,
“They achieved this with thorough hard work,
dedication and fantastic creativity throughout
the two years. They approached the course
with a sense of maturity and were always well
organised and willing to attend after school
classes.”
Megan Giles and Megan Brown both got B grades
in their GCSE Design and Technology- Food,
which was above their predicted grade. Finally,
two Y8 students, James Lane and Brogan Clasper,
have both achieve Grade A’s in their first year of
Media this summer - what an achievement!
For all of these students we can already see
their potential and look forward to a great set
of results when their time to leave us arrives.
For latest news about
our school see our
school website:
www.farringdonschool.co.uk
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Autumn 2011
FARRA NEWS
Making links
Art on show
7
WHAT A PICTURE: Teachers and parents are
proud of students’ work on Open Evening
here was a fantastic exhibition of pupils GCSE
artwork on show in June, including work by Y11
and Y9 fast track students. The open evening was
attended by pupils, parents, teachers and other
invited guests. The night was a huge success and
a tribute to all of the hard work that the pupils
displayed.
T
CITY PROJECT: Youngsters have their say and get to try out some fun activities together
O
n Monday 18th July some students from the school council
went to the Stadium of Light to take part in a Schools Linking
Project that they had been working on. The project was directed at
secondary schools and the aim has been to involve pupils in schools
throughout the city in an exploration of four key questions:•
•
•
•
Who am I?
Who are we?
Where do we live?
How do we live together?
The first three questions formed the basis for work in individual
schools and the last was the focus of a major linking event bringing
together pupil and teacher representatives, from each school
involved. Our representatives were Olivia Swain, Steph Crewe –
Y8; Rebecca Haswell, Raegan Armstrong – Y9 and Charlotte Gibson,
Matthew Longridge – Y10.
Rebecca Haswell told us about the day, “When we arrived at the
Stadium of Light we had to set up our table for our presentations
before we had a look around. On the floor was a whiteboard which
was a big jigsaw map. We had to label our school and places we go
to from around our area for example: Silksworth Puma Centre and
Farringdon Park. There was lots of entertainment: a person who was
juggling; a gymnast with ribbons and people on stilts - and we can’t
forget the snake that showed up. This snake was 2 years old and
it was a Burmese python, it was about 5 feet long – scary! There
were students from Academy 360, Sandhill View, Washington and
Thornhill School. We were mixed up to complete various tasks; one
of the 4 tasks was a tour around the stadium and we played spot
the difference between the 2 changing rooms. We got to see the
football players shirts hanging up. The 2nd task was circus activities;
walking on stilts, walking across the thin line, mini bikes, dance with
the gymnastics ribbon and more. The 3rd task was learning how to
juggle, how to spin a disk on a stick, we also did flower sticks and
hula-hoops.
Finally to our presentation where we talked about what we want
to change and what we think 2020 in our area might look like. The
Mayor and other people from local government were there to listen
to us. It was great to meet and work with students from other
schools and we were really proud of our presentation too.”
Coffee afternoons
St Chad’s
Church Project
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: The church is celebrating its
50th year in October
t Chad’s Church have commissioned Farringdon
to produce some art work. Ms Reay has led
a project to create art, to celebrate the 50 year
anniversary of the church in October. She has been
working with Y9 students on this project – watch
this space for more when they are finished.
S
Cookery and
craft club
M
YEAH: Students put on the afternoon treats in aid of a good cause!
Y
7 & 8 pupils in the nurture groups asked if they could raise
some money for a Wii Fit console for the department. Pupils
came up with ideas for how to raise the money; most agreed to a
coffee afternoon. Pupils designed the invitations and sent them
out to Mr Kemp, Senior Management, HOYs and teachers. There
were two coffee afternoons – both in May, they were well attended
and they managed to raise £140.00 towards the Wii console. The
Wii Fit will be used in the department as a reward during morning
breaks and lunchtime.
rs Patterson continues to offer her cookery
club aimed at Y7 and 8 students. The club
is very popular with students taking home dishes
which would make a two course meal, an example
being chicken kebabs and trifle.
Miss Gibson also delivers her Craft Club aimed
mainly at Y7 and it is also popular with the students
who attend.
Football on tour
F
FARRA NEWS
8
Autumn 2011
ourty eight boys enjoyed 5 fantastic days at Limburgsee
Peel, Eindhoven and Center Parcs during the first week of
the Easter holidays back in April. They experienced record
breaking temperatures which enabled them to make use of
the superb sports facilities that were on offer. Beach Volleyball,
Cycling, Swimming and Badminton were just some of the sports
that the boys were able to do alongside the football fixtures
where we played against Dutch and German opposition.
Our Y8, 9, 10 and 11 teams played games against a Dutch side
BV Caterpillar and were guests at Fortuna Monchengladbach
in Germany. The latter club deserves a special mention as they
presented the boys with gifts and were particularly hospitable.
The boys were also given a tour of the PSV Eindhoven stadium.
A truly memorable trip ended with the boys having an Italian
evening at a converted Dutch barn close to Center Parcs.
Another overseas tour is planned for next year as well as a four
day tournament in Southport. A special thank you to Mr Young,
Mr Stoddart and Mr Thompson for helping with the organisation
and staffing the trip.
SAY CHEESE: All the lads in Holland posing for this pic after a tournament
Sporting achievers
The ultimate challenge!
STARS IN THIER EYES: Liam’s future looks bright
ear 11 pupil Liam Agnew is close to beginning his
full time football scholarship at Sunderland AFC.
The school wishes him well for a successful career
and hopes that he follows in the footsteps of Jordan
Henderson. Liam is a midfield player who was also
one of our young sports apprentices.
Y
Y
SUCCESS: Ellie joins the
squad
ndre
Bennett
was noticed by
Middleburgh FC when he
was in Y9 and is about to
start a 2 year scholarship
with them, he is a
defender who can also
play midfield.
Another footballing star
of the future – watch this
space!
ear 11 pupil Ellie Hall
has been selected for
the Newcastle AFC ladies
football academy. She
has also been selected
for the England under 16
squad to play in the Home
championships. This is
a fantastic achievement
for Ellie who was also
one of our Young Sports
Apprentices.
Y
ear 10 pupils Nathan Robson, Kyron
Whitehead, Nathan Gaffney, Mike Davies,
Joe Lynn, Christian Barnes, Alex Bell and Ross
Dembry took part in a week long Rock Climbing
course at the Derwent Hill Outdoor centre. A
very high standard was achieved by the Y10
GCSE pupils on the course.
ROCK ON: Pupils brave the elements at Derwent Hill
Quad kidz
Triathalon triumph
A
WELL DONE: Great
achievement
ANDRE: The next big
thing
I
n May Harry Munday
represented the Castle
Park FC U14’s in a European
Tournament that took place
in Norway. He was a great
ambassador for the city and
found the whole experience
very rewarding.
SPRINT: The kids all join in the fun!
uad kidz is an athletic event that took place in June at
Farringdon Community Sports College on the new 3G pitch.
This was organised by our Young Sports Apprentices. Our primary
cluster schools were invited and they all attended. Events
included 75m sprint, standing long jump, throwing the howler
and 600m run. Around 150 children took part and enjoyed all
the new events and format.
There was some outstanding performance with the winning girl,
Grace, from East Herrington achieving Step 10 on the UKA ladder
to success and, Kyle, from Mill Hill achieving the Bronze award. We also hosted the Y5 and 6 Kwik Cricket Festivals on the new 3G
pitch. Again the Sports Apprentices assisted with the organisation
of this event. See more about the Sports Apprentices on page 9.
Q
SUCCESS: The students all celebrate their sporting achievements
T
he Sunderland Schools Triathlon was held at Silksworth Sports
Complex at the end of June. There were 192 competitors
from nine different schools. Pupils had to swim 100m, bike for
3k then run 1500m.The boys did well in the individual events
with both James Lane and Jake Fenton achieving individual 1st
positions in their categories. The girls did well in the team events;
The Y7 girls achieved 1st position and the overall trophy. The Y9
girls achieved 2nd position in their category winning medals and
a certificate.
C
M
Y
K
Autumn 2011
FARRA NEWS
9
Students getting sporty On yer bike!
I
n June the Y10’s Sports Apprentice girls organised a rounders
tournament for the Y7 girls and back in May twenty two
Y10 BTEC boys ran an inter-form football tournament for
Y7. We like our students to be involved with organising and it is
a key requirement of the Young Sports Apprentice course too!
Good news for our recent Y11 leavers - all 12 of them gained
accreditation at level 2 and all but two of them are going onto
to further education. Most of the Apprentices will be studying
at Bede 6th Form Academy on courses such as BTEC First
Diploma, First Aid at Work, Manual Handling, Volleyball level
1, Table Tennis level 1 and NVQ level 1 sport and recreation.
The Y10 (and 11) Apprentices have supported and led a range
of sporting events across the region this year, and have been
arguably the best group on the programme so far. To date,
they have supported 10 events - more than any other year.
Towards the end of term they supported a Primary Schools
Athletic event, held on the 8th of July; Mill Hill’s Summer fair
also on the 8th of July (3.30pm-5.30pm) and a Tyne and Wear
racquet sports event, held at the Puma Centre on the 12th of July.
The Y10 Apprentices finished their primary school and university
placements,in July and are now about to embark on their
own individual placement for next year. All Apprentices are
on target to meets both BTEC and NVQ targets, as well as
being on track to complete their 50 days works experience.
As an end of year activity, they also planned their own team building/
paintballing activity and as an additional celebration, on the 19th of
July, there was a combined Young Apprentice Sport/ Construction
trip to Arsenals Emirates stadium (more on this in the side stories.) KICKING OFF: Young sport apprentices enjoy getting physical!
Take to the Sage!
WOW: Don’t they look gorgeous!
S
ince September Farringdon Students have been involved
in several events including the annual dance festival, the
Sunderland Schools Dance Festival, as well as competing in The
Forge/Youth Dance England event where three of our students
were chosen to represent our partnership at The Sage. The
competition to perform at the Sage was a fantastic opportunity for
three of Farringdon’s most gifted dancers to showcase their skills
at one of the region’s most prestigious events. Georgia Roberts,
Stacey Porter and Danielle Nicholson all Y10 Diploma dance
students performed their Bollywood piece titled “East mixed with
West”. This high energy dance piece combined traditional Indian
dance with Contemporary and Street dance. They were chosen
from around 20 pieces performed in a local competition held at
Venerable Bede School and were able to perform with schools
across the North East. Danielle, told us, “Performing at the Sage
was overall a really good experience; however we couldn’t have
done it without Mrs Williams. We were all quite surprised to find
out we’d made it through the competition round and won our
place on the show, as we didn’t expect to do so well. Having to
perform on a larger stage to a with bigger audience than normal
got quite nerve-racking at some points, especially after rehearsals
during the day which tired us all out a little, but I think that the
performance went really well and being a part of it felt like a
privilege due to the standards being so high.”
ON THE MOVE: Coaches whip the students into
shape !
ritish Cycling coaches Alex McClean and John
Bateman were in school on the 15th June and
gave five mixed groups the opportunity to race and
take part in cycling activities in their PE lessons.
B
Trip to the
Emirates Stadium
NEW DESTINATIONS: Pupils visit the Emirates
Stadium on a guided tour
n Tuesday 19th July, a group of Y10 students,
mainly from Construction and Sport had the
opportunity of a day visit to the Emirates stadium.
Extra funding had been secured from Sunderland
Local Authority for the group to depart from
Sunderland railway station in the morning, arrive
in London around lunchtime and then head for
the Emirates stadium for a guided tour. The aim
of the visit was for the students to experience
how the Emirates stadium project has contributed
towards the regeneration of the surrounding area
in relation to Sport and Construction.
O
State of the art
ONE OF A KIND: Pupils experiment a new way
of exercising
ifteen GCSE PE and Young Sports Apprentices
were guests of Northumbria University Sport
at their new 12 million City Space Sports Complex.
They were given a tour of the facilities and also
had the opportunity to use the ‘State of the art
‘sports science and testing facilities.
F
BUSTING A MOVE:The girls rip up the stage with their amazing performance
Didn’t we do well
10
Autumn 2011
FARRA
We’d like to tell you about this summer’s success and just how great we are; but
don’t just take our word for it, some of our past students want to tell you too.
GOVENOR SUPPORT: Giving his congrats
T
CHEERS: Y11 cheering to their success
SUCCESS: Well done from the head
his summer’s results see Farringdon rising to be one of
the best schools in the city. Our % A* - C total including
English / Maths was a staggering 70%. When you consider
that 5 years ago we were 29% this year’s total is incredible. It
places us as 3rd best in the city, only 1% behind St Anthony’s.
So how have we done this? One of our strategies has been to
complete early entry in November – from this we knew we had
61%, this figure already put us in top 10% of similar schools.
The early entry also meant we could set up really focussed,
smaller target groups allowing resit students to focus in on
either the English or the Maths to reach their targets in the
summer. And for students that had reached their target in
November they could then focus more on their chosen option
subjects.
We also ran breakfast revision clubs in June which were
attended by our Y11 re-sit kids and our Y10’s doing early entry,
over 90% of the kids sitting exams turned up. As classes ran
from 7.15 – 8.15 our staff felt this showed a lot of dedication as
an extra hour in bed is always more tempting! Revision classes
during the May half term were also well attended by both year
groups; in fact, many students attended every session on offer!
Another way in which we helped students achieve their
targets was in our tracking of their progress. In B1 students
could clearly see on a poster sized spreadsheet what they had
already achieved and be advised on how to aim higher. It is also
interesting to note that the Y11’s who have just left us in terms
of data, were weaker than the previous year group at KS2 but
clearly worked tirelessly to exceed expectation.
And we are constantly looking ahead. Our current aim for
summer 2012 is 100% 5+ A*- C for all students, 74% inc. English
and Maths. These are aspirational targets; however, it’s clear
from our recent leavers that with hard work and effort targets
are definitely there to be met and often exceeded.
Another strategy we are implementing is Assertive Mentoring
which we are piloting with Y10. All Y10 students will have a
mentor who will meet with them on a monthly basis to look at
pupil progress towards targets and offer support.
Assistant Head, Jill Ashplant, who began her life in education as
a pupil here herself, told us, “Success at Farringdon really does
come from a huge team effort. It may sound a little cheesy but
being at Farringdon really is like being part of a family. As soon
as you walk in the door there is that ‘Farra feeling’ of belonging.
Regardless of ability all students are encouraged to find their
strengths and excel. We want our students to achieve their
best but also to enjoy their education.”
As well as being a high achieving school we are also a school
with a great atmosphere – the ‘Farra Feeling’ is something you
definitely won’t find anywhere else! Watch this space for more
good news to come.
Ex-head girl Dr. Dembry,
goes far if you please
I
t is quite
s c a r y
to
think
that it was
three years
ago I left
Farringdon,
I often think
about the
moment
the tanoy
sounded
and
Mr
Thornton
announced
SMILING: Schooldays
it was time for Y11 to go to the hall. It just
shows how quick time flies. One of my
favourite memories from Farringdon is the
school history trip to Belgium and France. It
was such an enjoyable time and I really felt we
all stuck together as a team. I also think of my
first ever assembly as a student governor. It
was in front of the parents of New Y7 students
and was really frightening. I could hardly say
anything and was rescued by my friend and
fellow student governor, Simon. Although
it was a very new experience, I feel it really
helped build my confidence, especially when
giving presentations. I have taken what I learnt
from that assembly and used it throughout
college and my first year of University. I am
currently studying medicine at Durham; it was
very surreal on the first day when we were
addressed as doctors in training. I have passed
my first year and cannot wait to start second
year in October. Hopefully after University,
I will be able to start my training to become
a G.P. Farringdon is a wonderful school and
has an excellent support network, which
allows students
to achieve the
q u a l i f i cat i o n s
they
need
in order to
progress further.
By Lauren
Pilmore
AND NOW: still
smiling at Uni
I
really loved my time at Farringdon, and although I left in 2000
it feels like it was only a few years ago. My favourite lessons at
school were English and Physics - I can still hear Mr Wright always
saying “lets tidy up now chickadees!” at the end of every lesson. I
pretty much liked most lessons, although spending the afternoon
with wet hair after swimming wasn’t too great! When I was at
Farringdon you were still allowed out of school each lunchtime,
so I remember queuing up in the chip shop with what seemed
like hundreds of other people, and hurrying back to school on an
afternoon after spending lunchtime hanging about near Morrisons
or in East Herrington Park. After I left Farringdon I went on to do my
A-Levels in English, Physics, Biology and Art at City of Sunderland
College. After that I went to Lancaster University where I studied
TIDY UP: Chickadee
English and Linguistics. I had a fantastic time in Lancaster and I was then lucky enough to win
a scholarship to complete my doctorate in Applied Linguistics. My 3-year research project
looked at the language people use in the North West of England.
I finished my PhD in May, and so I’m still getting used to people
calling me Dr Dembry! I’m now working in Cambridge at Cambridge
University Press, managing the research that goes into books for
people who are learning English. I look at the language we all use
when we write and talk and compare that to what people learning
English write and say and use this to improve textbooks. There’s
no way that I would have got to where I am now without the
education I received during my time at Farringdon - it’s a really
fantastic school.” Claire Dembry
WELL DONE: Dr.Chickadee
C
M
Y
K
NEWS
Autumn 2011
Student
to
teacher!
I
A
fter attending playschool, infants and Primary school
together we started Farringdon in 1990. We both have
great memories of our time at school here. We started off in
some classes together but as Miss Pratt got cleverer she moved
up into top sets, whilst I stayed in middle sets. Our fondest
memories are from our trips away with the school which
included Grange, Skiing and Camping Spain; we still talk about
those trips from time to time as we had so much fun on them.
After we left school Miss Pratt went onto College to study Maths
and Psychology, then University to study Biology. I started an
NVQ in Business Admin and started work as an Administrator. After her studies Miss Pratt joined Kingsmeadow School then
successfully interviewed for the post of a Science Teacher here
at Farringdon in 2003. She then got me an application form
for a vacancy in the school office and I started at Farringdon in
2004, we have enjoyed seeing each other at work every day ever
since! Andrea Parker, Mr Kemps P.A and Miss Pratt,
Science
started Farringdon in 1989 and was warned that as long as
Mrs Lackenby wasn’t my form tutor I’d be ok! Needless to
say as the names were called – guess who I got!
On day one Mrs Lackenby explained to the group that she
was out ‘loco parentis’ (second parent) and she really was.
Despite her reputation she was a fantastic tutor, constantly
looking out for us and keeping us together including trips to
Vindolanda, Metroland and even the Stackyard for lunch!
After a few other career thoughts I decided on teaching;
but always knew that the school I wanted to teach at was
Farringdon. I started at Farringdon in 2003 and following a
brief stint as Head of Maths at Pennywell, I came back to
Farringdon in 2008. Farringdon is definitely where I belong;
the relationships I have developed with staff as both a
pupil and now a colleague are ones I know I wouldn’t find
anywhere else. My son is currently in Y10 and my daughter
will start here in 3 years – I wouldn’t dream of sending them
anywhere else. Farringdon gets under your skin and will
always have a special place in my heart (and my family’s!)
11
From stage to study
I
n Farra some of my favourite
memories were the music
department - choir, band and
the likes and as you can see in
my school photo, playing the
Tin man in the Wizard of Oz
was definitely a highlight.
When I left Farra I went to
Newcastle College and now I’m
at Trinity Laban Conservatoire
doing a degree in Musical
Theatre. I love living in London
and I think perhaps my love of
music and theatre stems back
to my time at school.
STAGE-STRUCK: Mark - a
career in the theatre
Mark Eastaugh
Jill Ashplant,
Assitant,
Head
EXAMS: from
sitting them to
teaching them
Roll of honour 2011
THEN AND NOW: And still friends after 21 years
At the end of every year our students are presented with a gift voucher to reward
their hard work. Here is this years roll call of honour. One lucky student is also
drawn at random to win a Wii- our own Kate Ferguson was the lucky winner.
Year 7
£5: Brandon Agar, Scott Alexander, Olivia Astill, Mason Barron, Niall Belton, Kieran Bennett, Grace Blake, Lucy Boldon, Adam Braithwaite, Connor Brown, Steven Burn, Tara Burnicle, Joseph
Burwood, Daniel Cairns, Nathan Carr, Amelia Christie, Leah Cormack, Liam Dunn, Matthew Edmondson, Ethan Maddison, Matthew Fletcher, Jack Francis, Abbie Gibbons, Emily hall, Demilea
Harrison, Alex Heckles, Nathan Holt, Chloe Horner, Jack Howe, Georgia Jenner, Luke Jobson, Owen Johnson, Ruby Johnson, Katy Jones, Nicole Kelly, Ben Kerr, own King, Alisha Lamb, Josh Lamb,
Abigail Laybourne, Billy Lindsay, Fern Martin, Thomas McKeown, Edward Mustard, Jake Outhwaite, Georgia Parkin, Jake Pattison, Amber Peters, Chloe Peverley, Emma Phipps, Courtney Porteous,
Anthony Potter, James Price, Stephanie Robinson, Jacob Scaife, Daniel Scott, Megan Storey, Emma Stubbs, Jake Stubbs, Daniel Sutcliffe, Olivia Swain, Elena Tait, Isabella Taylor, Kirsty Taylor, Alex
Thirwell, Josh Trotter, Maria Tuddenham, Ellie Turnbull, Jack Turnbull, Nathan Tye, Elliot Wall, Amy Watson, Kieran Watson, Megan Watson, Shawnee Watt, Kieran Wayman, Nathan Wheeler, Nicola
White, Jay Whitehead.
£10: Kiera Bewick, Jack Bolton, Reeves Campbell, Stephanie Crewe, Lucy Davies, Katherine Eastaugh, Lauren Gair, Brandon hall, Rachel Hill, Adam Hollingshead, Megan Keogh, Kalum Longhurst,
Charlotte Parkes, Lauren Patterson, Melissa Price, Bethany Scott, Daniel Sowerby, Bethany Thompson, Katherine Wilmot.
£15: Eve Vickery.
Year 8
£5: Elliot Atkinson, Courtney Bate, Kate Beck, Jenna Bianchi, Molly Britton, Leah Calder, Emma Campbell, James Chambers, Ryan Clark, Daniel Clarke, Brogan Clasper, Jodi Conway, Lloyd Emmerson,
Kaitlyn Forster, Ellie Forsyth, Jessica Fox, Sophie Goodchild, Luke Graham, Ben Haley, Rebecca Haswell, Angel Headley, Alex Hendry, Alex Hodgekinson, Matthew Jenkinson, Chelsea Jobling, Matthew
Kirtley, Shannon Mallam, Millie O’Brien-Bird, Georgia Perry, Emily Piercy, Megan Robinson, Lauren Scrafton, Bethany Stirk, Abigail Sumner, Megan Thornton, Aimee Trewick, Mollie Turnbull, Hannah
Wilkinson, Jade Wilson, Hannah Young, Lucy Young.
£10: Grace Allison, Rebeccah Arthur, Stephen Campbell, Georgia Shaw, Rebecca Wild.
Year 9
£5: Georgia Beston, McKenzie Brandon, Megan Brown, Sam Carrah, Kiera Coleman, Laura Dewart, Amy Donaldson, Caitlin Dyke, Rachael Eastick, Beth Fairless, Jonathon Foggin, Megan Giles,
Fletcher Gladden, Brandon Hall, Elisabeth Hepple, Laura Jennings, Chloe Lynn, Sally MacDonald, Liam Robinson, Megan Stevens, Keiren Stimpson, Caitlin Sweeney, Scott Wallace.
£10: Kate Ferguson, Matthew Lawton, Savannah Lindley-Richardson, Gavin Taylor.
Year 10
£5: Jonathan Ayre, Caitlin Bate, Sarah Casey, Louise Cox, Amy Cuthbertson, Shannon Dixon, Amy Ferguson , David Griffith, Rhianna Heatherington, Rebecca
Hickey, Jessica Hogwood, Sarah Hollingshead, Nathan Jobling, Terri Joyce, Bethany Keogh, Ellie Kilty, Josh Kilty, Rebecca Latimer, Danny Foster, Nathan Gaffney,
Rachael Lennighan, Taylor McEvoy, Kelsey Miller, Jasmin Mustard, Danielle Nicholson, Joshua Norman, Lauren O’Dell, Rebecca O’Dell, Mark O’Donnell, Terri
Richardson, Gemma Robinson, Sam Robinson, Nathan Robson, Daniel Roache, Arron Sharples, Nicole Shipley, Nicole Smith, Sophie Straughn, Lee Taylor, Josh
Thompson, Chris Voss, Bethany Watson, Dylan Webster, Daniel White, Shoana Whitely, Anthony Wilson.
£10: Paige Beveridge, Andrew Brydon, Jade Cook.
£15: Mitchell Rose.
Year 11
£5: Liam Agnew, Beth Anderson, Samantha Beaney, Daniel Bell, India Bolton, Rebekah Braithwaite, Jordan Brown, Jake Burlace, John Burn, Matthew Burnett,
Sarah Calder, Liam Campbell, Lisa Cartier, Bronwyn Charlton, Jake Colling, Sophie Conn, Rachel Corner, Andrew Crago, Bradley Crook, Louise Davidson, Shae
Dickman, David Dyke, Jonathan Fleming, Bethany Foster, Stephen Foster, james Fox, Lucy Gair, Jade Graham, Ellie Hall, Bethany Hardy, Victoria Hayes, Beth
Hodgen, Kiera Horn, Andrew Hubbard, Julie Hunt, Naomi Hutchinson, Lauren Kelly, Jessika Kitson, Jessica Lavelle, Abbie Lavery, Gavin Leckenby, Sarah Lowson,
Hannah Lynch, Lucie McEvoy, Ryan McGuinness, Kieran Metcalf, Rosemarie Middleton, Leah Morrison, Callum Nash, Amy Norton, Hannah Old, Jo-anne
Parkinson, Jordan Potts, Zoe Proudlock, Laura Purvis, Abigail Raine, Amber Robinson, Hannah Robson, Dawn Rooney, Mollie Russell, Clarke Sanderson, Holly
Smith, James Smith, Emma Spoors, Polly Stenger, Kristopher Sumner, Jake Towers, Abbie Welsh, Arron Wilson, Joshua Wood, Rebecca Young.
LUCKY!: Kate the winner of the
Wii
£10:Kehan Williams.
12
T
FARRA NEWS
Autumn 2011
his year we have continued to work with our primary schools to report on their news for you. Each school has a news team who we meet with
and discuss their stories. Not only have these students written news for us they have also reported in a pod cast for our BBC News Day report, and
produced a video report just for fun. It been brilliant working with these students and we hope to continue this link in years to come.
Athletics, acting
and outings at
Farringdon Primary
REPORTERS: Farringdon primary news team Jordan, Jessica, Ellie-Mae, Jack
Sporting stars Perfect plays Roller coaster ride
Y
Y
ear 5 and 6, were very excited to take part in a
swimming gala at Farringdon Community Sports
College in June, we came 4th. Everyone who took
part received a medal in memory of this event, and
even though we didn’t win, we made our school very
proud!
We also held our very own Mini-Olympics, which in
previous years was called Sports Day. Our Olympics
consisted of 8 races which were: skipping race,
obstacle race, hockey dribbling and more. Unlike
previous years we divide everyone into 5 continents:
America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania. Europe
won just by the skin of their teeth this year. We hope
to do this again next year.
ear 5 have done their end of year play and Y6
have done their leaving play, because it’s their last
year of primary, and they’ll be going into Farringdon
Community Sports College. Y5 performed a play
about their topic (science) they did it about space
and the solar system. It was very funny because they
restated the Apollo 11 with humour. Y6 have did their
play about two aliens who crash on earth and need
a fuel source called flubajubarauinam. It was very
funny and was loved by all ages. The aliens go all over
Sunderland in Heat waves, Costcutters, Chopsticks
and the Aquatic Centre where they finally find the
fuel source.
FINISH LINE: Students participating in race
ALIEN: Out of this world primary plays
Y
ear 6 were on the move in the last
part of term. First they went to
Lightwater Valley, Shaunie Clough (Y6)
said, “ It was really good we had so
much fun and we went on the all the
big rides.”
Y6 also visited Hamsterley Forest where
they were in groups with different
children from other schools and very
soon they made new friends. They did
four activities such as the play park,
den building, nature walk and cycling.
Luke Thomson (Y6) said “I liked the play
park it was amazing but if you fell off
you had to go all the way back to the
beginning.”
Finally Y6 also went to Franky and
Benny’s for a pizza which they made
themselves. We got a fun bag with
lots of toys and games, Jamie Soper
(Y6) said, “ I really enjoyed the pizzas
it was fantastic we got to put our own DON’T LOOK DOWN: Roller
toppings on I would love to do it again.” coaster ride at Lightwater Valley
Creating, baking and
summer: all part of the
fun at Mill Hill Primary
The summer fair
I
n June Mill Hill’s Y6
pupils set up a big
event for the school.
Everyone was split into
groups and they either
made a game or a food
stall. This took a lot of
planning and hard work.
A lot of things were used
to make these games,
such as wood, screws,
the glue gun and much
more. The food stalls
had a lot of work to do
too, such as making
banners and also making
their food. There was
pizza fingers, cakes,
biscuits AND a chocolate
fountain (YUM!) The
games were brilliant
including Road Kill, I’m a
Celeb Knock me Down,
Every Hole is a Goal and
much more.
Mrs Wright said “It was
fantastic. We had a
wonderful
afternoon,
raising lots of money
for our leavers disco.”
This event was a great
success and we raised
over £252 altogether. A
lot of the children had
happy faces. Kyle in Y6
said “I thought it was a
good fund raising event
for the leavers disco”.
All of the children had
a wonderful day. It was
a day to remember, and
as you’ll read in the next
story it helped a lot with
our fair.
O
n the 8th July Mill Hill had a summer
fair, where activities were held to
raise money for the school.
There were many things to do (and
eat) and the children and adults really
enjoyed it. One of the most popular
food stalls were Deco Delight, a cake
stall which won the Junior Apprentice.
The girls who worked on this stall,
Rebekah, Caitlin, Shauna and Charlotte
made many different kinds of cake:
chocolate cake, Victoria sponge cakes,
biscuits and a lot more.
Many people also commented on
tin can alley, a game which included
someone throwing a ball at a stack of
tins with celebrities faces on them. In
the infants Euan from Y2 knocked an
amazing 14 out of 15 cans down and
so did Cameron from Y6; both won a
tasty chocolate bar. The boys in the
group: Alex, James, Josh and Kyle were
very impressed with the throwing skills
of Mill Hill.
Mrs Davey, the Head teacher of Mill
Hill, was certainly impressed with
the Summer Fair and quoted “The
best ever yet!” Whilst Morgan (a Y6
student) said “Amazing - this year’s
Summer Fair was VERY popular!”
We hope that next year’s Summer Fair
will be just as successful.
REPORTERS: Mill Hill news team - Lauren, Adam,
Ben, Cameron, Emily, James
Photo
wizardry
HELPING HAND: students getting a Photoshop
master class
6 pupils from Mill Hill came into Farringdon
in July and worked with a number of Y10
boys who taught them to use Photoshop as
part of a Transition Project with Mr Young. The
sessions went well and Farringdon and Mill Hill
student worked well together.
Y
C
M
Y
K
Autumn 2011
FARRA NEWS
Always busy at Benedict
Biscop Primary
Eco-friendly fashion show
A
t Benedict Biscop we believe
that in order to save the
environment we must do our
bit, we do this through recycling,
reducing and reusing. The pupil
forum (made up of our school
council and eco council) take many
of our pupils’ suggestions into
account and loved the idea of a
green themed fashion show. The
date was set and pupils began busily
designing their outfits, which would
be created out of recycled materials.
On the morning of the 5th of July
KS1 ‘strutted their stuff’ whilst
showing off fabulous accessories
and were followed in the afternoon
by KS2 who had created entire
outfits from recycled products.
The whole show was judged by the
environmental co-ordinator from
Gentoo and by a former finalist from
the Miss Sunderland competition.
Commentary was provided by Miss
Gibson, who thoroughly warmed to
the role. A fantastic time was had
by pupils, parents and teachers!
STYLISH: Students model eco outfits
Enterprise challenge day
O
n Friday 1st July Benedict Biscop took part in an Enterprise
Day. The day is held every year and follows a different theme
each time. This year’s theme was ‘Eco friendly’ and classes
were challenged to make a product from recycled materials
during the week. Year groups set up shops and sold products to
parents on Friday morning. Of course every competition has to
have a winner and this year’s winner was… Y6!!! They made the
most money by selling paper weights and friendship bracelets
(100% recycled). Pupils had a great time and so did parents who
came in. Everyone certainly had their moneys worth.
In other eco-related news our school recently gained the Green
Flag Award. Our fantastic eco council had a visit to see if our
school was ‘eco’ enough to gain the award. They talked about all
the things our school does such as earth day, eco themed events
and looking after our school grounds. We were delighted to
receive the award and it will take pride of place in the entrance
RECYCLE: Students sell ‘green’ products to parents
to our school.
End of year play Sporting
A
T
t the end of each school year all Y6’s put
together an end of year presentation where a
show is performed and awards are presented for
achievement. This year Benedict Biscop performed a
take on 80s classic ‘Back to the Future’!
The lead was Matthew Davis, playing the role of Arty,
he felt the pressure but was ready for the ride. He
practised every night and was rewarded for his effort
and dedication with a song to sing half way through
the play. Also singing a solo was Kyle Middlewood,
who had this to say: ‘I’ve never really sang before so
it was a shock for me when I belted out those notes!”
Ending with a BANG, the presentation is completed
with a happy ending and a powerful version of the
song, ‘The Power of Love’! One thing’s for sure, the
hall was filled with tears, as was the Y6 class!
his term has seen lots of sport take
place at Benedict Biscop. There
has been the inter-house football
and netball competitions (Caedemon
House won the netball and Aiden
House won the football competition.)
Everyone involved had a great day and
all events were very competitive.
In other news, Benedict Biscop football
team finished a great season by
success
winning their division in the 11-a-side
and 7-a-side competitions. The team
then progressed to the City 7-a-side
finals where they finished second
overall! The coach, Mr Musson, had
this to say “We’ve had an excellent
year and I’m so proud of every player
who took part, they’ve had a fantastic
attitude and represented their school
brilliantly.”
Benedict Biscop Reporters
Durham presents
O
n Thursday 8th of July Y6 went to Durham
cathedral for a leaver’s presentation. At the
Cathedral there were Y6 pupils from 12 other schools
in the region. Every school received a letter before
the event telling them what they needed to do at the
Ceremony. Benedict Biscop were asked to prepare
a dance to the song ‘This little Light of Mine’ but
with a slight twist, performing to a rap version! Ten
children participated in the dance and onlookers said
that they all performed perfectly! When the children
were finished they were so proud of themselves and
each other.
East
Herrington
news
13
REPORTERS: East Herrington news team - Charlotte,
Abby, Charlie, Alice
ollowing the hard work, towards SATs, from the
pupils of East Herrington Primary School they
have been rewarded a week of fun, organised by
themselves. The children were all given individual
jobs such as: reporter, communicator, devil’s
advocate, researcher and chair person. After the
children had chosen where they wanted to go, it
was the job of booking a place for 61 people, so
that’s where the communicator came in.
After all the hard work the week finally came and
the children went to South Shields Laser Quasar on
the Friday. It was an amazing experience. Earlier in
the week the children went to Penshaw Monument
that also was a great experience.
F
Fun in the forest
SURVIVAL: Students learn how to make waterproof
dens
amsterly was a great day. We got to do four
activities: mountain biking, a nature walk,
games and den-building. Mountain biking was the
best because we went over some tricky paths and
it was a challenge but we liked building the dens,
especially when we were squirted with water to
see if our den was waterproof.
H
Fabulous Farne Islands
T
his was the best trip we have ever done. It was
an early start, at 8:00 am but it was worth it.
We arrived in Bamburgh and visited St. Aidan’s
church to learn about the Northern Saints then
we headed down past the castle to the beautiful
beach for lunch. A short bus ride took us to
Seahouses where we boarded our boat which
took us right around the islands to see seals before
landing on Inner Farne. There we were pecked by
territory-defending arctic terns and enjoyed the
close company of puffins and many other birds.
The chips back in the village were a welcome treat
before the long journey home.
Y6 Rocky Monster Show
O
REPORTERS: Benedict Biscop news team - Charlotte, Olivia, Fay, Sophie,
Charlotte, Abigail (not pictured)
ur Y6 show ‘The Rocky Monster Show’
featured an ex-rock star who becomes a
mad scientist, determined to create life. Set in
Herrington Castle, there was sure to be trouble.
We went to Farringdon and used their school hall
for our performance which went really well!
14
Party Time in
New Silksworth
O
n Wednesday 20th July New Silksworth Junior
School held their Y6 Leavers Assembly. The
hall was transformed to a red carpet and
display boards that were covered with shiny stars and
spotlights.
This was all in honor for the Y6 pupils who were
leaving. The compares of the evening were Lucy Oliver
and Dillon Clarke who kept the whole event running
smoothly. Everyone was dressed in their smartest
clothes and it was the place to be. Even the paparazzi
were there, snapping away as everyone strutted
up the red carpet. Many awards were given out for
STARS: The red carpet treatment for New Silksworth
FARRA NEWS
categories like “friendliest
person”, “person with
the funniest laugh” and
“most likely to be famous”. Kaymen Smith won the
“X–factor” award and when he collected his award he
“danced” back to his seat.
The day ended with a special Y6 disco where everyone
wore their best clothes. Overall pupils felt it was their
best day ever and were sad to be leaving the school.
However, they are all looking forward for their new
adventures in secondary school.
REPORTERS: New Silksworth News Team - Daniel,
Bethany, Lucy, Courtney, Jack, Jordan, Luke (not
pictured)
Activity Days - Y6
I
t’s really important to help students settle in and
feel comfortable in September and for this reason
we invited Y6 students to come and spend some time
with us at the end of the summer term. This year
we themed our activity days on ‘America’–linking to
our school play Grease. Students attended Drama
and Singing sessions, Art, Media, Dance, Maths and
history. In addition there was a Y6 sports day and they
were also invited to see Grease for free! Students
from Y7 (and Y10 Media) helped out with the activity
days. Hopefully this made them feel more settled and
confident about being here now.
Autumn 2011
Welcome to
your future
W
e have only been back to school for a matter of weeks but summer
already seems to be a million miles away. For
some of you at Farringdon it will be your final year, and
time to make some important decisions about where
you head of to after school. Will you be heading off to
University through A-levels? or getting ready for the
workplace with a vocational course or Apprenticeship?
Remember, whatever year you are in, if you have any
questions about your next steps to college, where
A-levels or vocational courses could take you; City of
Sunderland College can provide guidance to help you
make the right decision for yourself.
HELP:Head of Bede
Enjoy your holidays and I hope to see you at one of our
open evenings next term.
Judith Quinn - Head of City of Sunderland College’s Bede Sixth Form
Contact Us
Andrew is your Educational Guidance Officer and link
to the College. If you have any questions about college
courses, how to apply or where you want to go after
school he’s here to help. He’ll be coming to your school to
talk through your options in Autumn but you can also call
him on 0191 511 6221 or email andrew.calder@citysun.
ac.uk
ANDREW: Guidance Officer
Open Evening
If you’d like to find out more about what it’s like to study at City of
Sunderland College and the range of academic and vocational courses we
have on offer, why not come to one of our open evenings? They’re your
chance to have a look at our state of the art facilities, talk to staff about
courses and get a feel of what life at college is really like.
Date
Centre
Type of Open
Evening
Tuesday 4th October
Thursday 6th October
Wednesday 12th October
Monday 17th October
Wednesday 2nd November
Thursday 3rd November
Tuesday 8th November
Wednesday 9th November
Usworth
St Peter’s
Bede/Headways
Hylton
Bede
St Peter’s
Usworth
Shiney Row
A-level
A-level
A-level
Vocational
Vocational
Vocational
Vocational
Vocational
To keep up to date with the latest City of Sunderland College information
and find out more about the courses on offer visit citysun.ac.uk
Past Students
INDUCTION : Students getting to know each other
Every year we welcome hundreds of new students
from Farringdon on both our academic and vocational
courses. Here’s what some of them have to say about
life at college:
Nathan Reed–“The College has great facilities and
the staff help you study and get ready for uni.” From
Farringdon to Sunderland to
study Chemistry and Medical
Science at Newcastle University
Harriet
Smith–“City
of
Sunderland College provides a great stepping stone
between school and uni. The relaxed atmosphere
helped me grow as a person.” From Farringdon, to
Sunderland and finally to study Creative Advertising
Strategy at University of Arts, London.
C
M
Y
K
A final farewell
Autumn 2011
FARRA NEWS
SMILE: Despite having to leave the Y11’s managed to smile and pose for Farringdon together one last time
s normal Y11 had their leavers’ assembly just before they Earley presented his infamous awards which got many laughs!
went on official study leave in June. It was an emotional The Y11 dancers performed at Farringdon for the final time and
farewell full of laughter, tears and the odd surprise. there was also a trip down memory lane with photographs of
Speeches were given by Mr Kemp, Mrs Ramshaw, and Mr the students over their five years attending the school. When
A
he prom was an utterly
fantastic night. It took a lot
of preparation but in the end
was absolutely worth it. Beamish
Hall was an excellent venue. The
room decoration, meal, disco
and service from staff were
faultless. The photographer, Tim
French, provided excellent quality
photographs at a very reasonable
price. Pupils looked absolutely
fabulous and were a pleasure all
throughout the evening. Both
pupils and staff enjoyed the sweet
cart which provided a range of
ACHIEVEMENT: For once the boys traditional sweets throughout the
ties were up
Year 8 Enterprising Voyages
Y
ear 8 Speculate an Enterprise team from the
Farringdon ‘galaxy’ ventured forth to the Marriot
Hotel in July to present their business ideas in the
‘Dragon’s Den’ along with 12 other teams from
Secondary schools in and around Sunderland. Our
team of Y8 students, led by Mrs Johnson, worked
hard across the year on various business projects to
raise money to add to the initial £50 budget they were
given at a previous enterprise event.
The awards day started with a quiz and a ‘bad’
business presentation showing how not to do things
when starting a business, and there was also tips on
how to be more successful. We then had practice time
to perfect our presentations, but the room was too
noisy so we went in the foyer but everybody followed!
After lunch it was presentation time in front of the
judges: Margaret Cole, a business adviser, Willie
Hurden a BICC business manager, Christine Wood
who is part of the BICC corporate marketing team
(e.g. website marketing.)
Although we didn’t win we are very proud of
ourselves. We gave a strong presentation and felt
the assembly was finaly over there were hugs and tears on the
yard with so many students saying how much they would miss
each other and Farringdon.
A prom to be proud of
T
CO-ORDINATION: Couples definately came organised
15
that we’d really pushed ourselves to run our business
long term across the year making various ‘seasonal
products’, many schools had run businesses just for
a week!
In the end we raised £200 in total (from our initial £50)
which we decided to donate to charity, half going to
the Autistic Society and the other half going to Breast
Cancer Research. evening. The prize raffle provided
entertainment
with
winners
receiving prizes including perfume,
aftershave, gift vouchers and
extra special sweet boxes. Both
staff and pupils commented on
how enjoyable the evening was. I
personally was thrilled that the
evening was such a huge success. We are now looking forward to our
prom in 2012 at Hallgarth Manor.
So far we have over 150 pupils who
have paid their deposits.
It should be an excellent night.
Theresa Ramshaw, Y10/11
Manager
Opportunities
arise
Y
ear 9 also had the
fantastic opportunity
for a full day of enterprise,
in
conjunction
with
Gentoo. They explored all
of the facilities required
for the London 2012
Olympics, everything from
travel and entertainment
to media requirements.
In teams they had to
invent a board game with
an Olympic theme and
produce scale models of
new styles of transport
and trendy entertainment
venues.
Y8’s up and coming
Community
Day
will
also be based around
TEAMWORK: When they were in Y8 the students a business enterprise
worked their hardest
venture later this month.
GLAMOROUS: The girls shone
Hello and Goodbye
G
oodbye, good luck and thank you to the following
staff:
Two of our English Department: Jen Collings who left
at Easter and Helen Ledger who left us this summer,
both have moved to Seaham School. Irene Todd also
leaves us after several years in Humanities and then
English.
Wayne Hamilton, Science has moved on to Joseph
Swan School after 9 years at Farringdon and finally
David Stoddart from ICT support who has moved on
to become an NVQ Assessor. Good luck to you all!
We’d also like to thank Miss Ballard and Ms Wall
who covered a great deal in Science last year, also
Miss Welch for her work with Alternative Curriculum
Students.
And hello to some new members of staff:
This year we welcome Lisa McCarthy and Emma
Pringle to the English Department. Michelle Scott to
Science and Adam Petrie, Thomas Straker, Joanne
Bellis, Andrew Burton all as ASP Teaching Assistants.
We hope you’ll be very happy here at Farra – we’re
sure you will!
16
FARRA NEWS
Autumn 2011
Gutten tag Germany
HAPPY BIRTHDAY : Matthew and Miss Taylor shared a birthday whilst in Germany, the group outside of the Olympic Museum, students enjoying a ride
t’s hard to sum up everything that happened on this muscles in places we didn’t even know we had them.
Cochem WavePool before returning home for a disco. We
fantastic trip but here goes:
An impromptu stop for delicious home-made ice-cream was also had a birthday boy (Matthew Longridge) and girl (Miss
followed by a relaxing cruise along the Rhine then back to Taylor) and we celebrated with a gorgeous strawberry cake
Monday – Tuesday – we left school just after midnight. The Linz where students got a bit of shopping time before we got from the local bakery, the birthday pair also posed with one
40 students and five staff were too excited to sleep and after the train back home, Some serious flirting with Marvin the of the other hotel guests who wished them well on their
several toilet stops, a ferry and a long time on the bus we waiter over dinner (you know who you are Y7 girls!) and the birthdays.
arrived in Bad Hoenningen, Germany. We settled into our night was again rounded off by games in the park.
Sunday – this was the day many of us had been waiting for,
rooms, had dinner and a music quiz before falling into bed – Friday – a gorgeously sunny day and today all students and PHANTASIALAND!, and the rain didn’t put us off – in fact it
exhausted.
staff bravely travelled in the Rudesheim chair lifts. A whistle meant that many visitors stayed away and we got to stay on
Wednesday – history, Hercules and high jumps! Our day began stop tour around Sigfreids Musikkabinet Museum was rides several times – much better than the usual queues at
with a visit to the Olympic Museum followed by a chocolate followed by a trip on the mini-train through the vineyards theme parks. The rain did ease off in the afternoon but we
cake stop in the Chocolate factory next door. AquaLand filled and around the town, students then had the rest of the stayed wet from the water rides anyway! A great time was
our afternoon where a brilliant time was had by all (with afternoon free to shop - and what a site greeted us as we met had by all – we were too tired to do much on our return to
several bumps and bruises acquired as a souvenir!) After them. German themed out fits, flags (and even man-kini’s) the hotel so had dinner, a quick quiz then packed for the long
dinner a run around in the local park suddenly turned Y7 – 10 as students ‘got into the holiday spirit’. We had dinner in day ahead of us travelling home.
into five year olds again before bed.
a local restaurant before strolling through town back to the Monday – after breakfast and a picture of Ed with all the
Thursday – it all proved too big a task for Mrs Parker and Mrs bus. A late visit to McDonalds on the way back rounded the injured (!) a final travel day and this time the bus was much
Bird when they were sent to buy train tickets for our journey day off nicely.
quieter – we’d had a fantastic time but were truly exhausted.
to Konigswinter for the Drachenfels Mountain Railway but we Saturday – after a leisurely breakfast we drove to the We set off just after breakfast and arrived back at school to
got there in the end! We journeyed up the mountain as far Wildpark in Klotten where we fed bears and stroked the be greeted by parents shortly after midnight. Some amazing
as the train would take us then climbed the rest of the way. deer that roamed free in the park. A number of students memories, new friendships and experiences - and despite
On the walk down we stopped in a mountainside cafe before also went on the mini-theme park there (in preparation for our tiredness we’d do it all again if we could!
continuing, the steepness of the hill had us all with aching Phantasialand perhaps?) In the afternoon we spent time in
I
German football day
MFL animation workshop Languages taster day
SMILE: Some of the team pose for a picture
A
number of Y8’s from the MFL Department took part in
the “2011 Bratwurstpokal German Football Day” in July
at Newcastle University. The day comprised of football related
language activities in the morning and a 7 a-side football
tournament in the afternoon with a German style barbecue
provided for lunch. Language students from the University
were present during the day to support pupils. The pupils all
said how much they enjoyed the day and that the fact they
knew no German at the start made no difference. They said
that they found it easier to pick up because it was a “real”
situation and it made learning more fun. The rain brought an
early end to the football which was disappointing as the team
had just had an impressive win. Hannah Wilkinson was a star in
defence and Cameron Johnson did an excellent job as Captain.
Our team were well deserved winners of the morning language
challenge and staff were impressed by their enthusiasm and
speed of learning. Pupils learned football language and the
activities included designing a team badge and writing a
“football song”. The song was set to a ‘Sunderland’ tune:
“Wir sind Farra
Wir spielen Füssball
Wir sind die beste
Wir schiessen Tore
Wir sind Farra
Die beste Mannschaft
Wir sind die Meister von der Pokal.”
WORKING HARD: Jonathon Foggin creates an animation
ome of our Y9 fast track students finished their GCSE
German in June. They did not slow down however! Instead,
they used the last three weeks to improve their French in a very
useful and creative way. They wrote French scripts for future
Y7s, they then created their own props and animated them
using ‘i-can-animate’.
• Sam Carrahar created an animation on classroom
objects with flying pencils and books.
• Kira Coleman made a bright and beautiful animation
on “Les couleurs.”
• Jonathon Foggin used stereotypes to animate some
countries.
• Liam Robinson brought the animal kingdom to life.
• Jason Sim decided to meet and greet in his video with
the help of ‘Crazy Talk’.
• Gavin Taylor was in a singing mood to rap along
numbers 1 to 20.
Our “MANY THANKS!” go to Jane Adamson (from the former St.
Roberts CLC) who came to technologically assist us on the Day!
Fantastic! Thanks also to Mrs Bird for lending us her cameras
and card reader – without which all this fun would not have
been possible!
S
S
underland’s two specialist language colleges, St. Aidan’s School and St. Anthony’s School, organised an A
level Taster Day back in March. The day was aimed at Y11
pupils expected to achieve at least grade B at GCSE and
who were interested in studying a language to AS or A2
level. The day aimed to give an impression of the type
of content and approaches pupils might meet studying a
language to AS level. Pupils experienced four lessons in
small groups, working with four different teachers. Business and university speakers spoke about the importance
of language skills in the world of work and about the
range of language courses available in Higher Education.
The Language College Director at St Aidan’s, Ms J Mayes,
spoke highly of the two Farringdon pupils Sarah Calder
and Samantha Beaney via e-mail: “Just wanted to let
you know how well I thought your two girls coped yesterday – they joined in well in the lessons, despite being surrounded by a huge group of St. Anthony’s and St.
Aidan’s students who largely all knew each other, which
must have been quite intimidating.” We are very proud
of both girls and wish them well in their future studies.
C
M
Y
K
Autumn 2011
FARRA NEWS
17
Bonjour to Belgium and France
Y8 TRAVELLERS: Students enjoying the attractions around Belgium
ast term Y8 pupils completed a depth study into WW1. To whose bodies have never been found from the Battle of the
help bring history to life, 42 pupils took part in the History Somme. Returning back to the hotel for a lovely 3 course meal
department’s annual trip to France and Belgium along we then ventured back out to reflect on what we had seen
with Miss Mills, Ms Jackson, Mrs Wilkinson and Mr Fearon.
throughout our day by taking part in the Last Post Ceremony
After an early start in the morning we travelled via the tunnel at Menin Gate in Ypres. Alex Bird, Sophie Goodchild and Alex
to France. After a relaxing evening in the Old Abbey hotel we Anderson represented the school and laid a wreath during the
were all refreshed and ready to go and start our adventure into ceremony on behalf of the staff and pupils from Farringdon.
the past. Visiting the Somme area, we had two guided tours of The second day centred around the battles that took place in
Vimy Ridge and Newfoundland Park which commemorates the the Ypres, where visits included the death cells and post of
Canadian involvement during the war. After seeing where the soldiers condemned to death for going AWOL, both British and
battles took place we then visited Thiepval Memorial which German cemeteries, a visit to Sanctuary Wood where pupils
has over 72,000 names dedicated to those British soldiers got some experience of what the trenches would have been
L
like in torrential rain. We had also another visit to Menin Gate.
This time this was a more personal visit for Alex Anderson as
she found her relatives name on the memorial and laid a cross
of remembrance to remember him.
After two days of reflecting on the issues of war we settled back
onto the coach for a four hour journey to Euro Disney where
we stayed in a Disney hotel for the evening before spending
the following day taking part in the Disney experience with the
rides, parades and the final firework display. Once the clock
had struck midnight it was time for some very tired people to
get back on the coach for the final journey home.
Anne
Frank
ambassadors
T
he Anne Frank ambassador program is a
program where student ambassadors are
chosen to go to primary schools to tell them
about the life of Anne Frank. Our representatives
were; Rhianna Hetherington, Emily Wright
and Alex Bell from Y11 and Charlotte Gibson,
Jonathan Foggin and Alex Newland from Y10.
The group went to Mill Hill where they taught
the pupils about Anne Frank and what happened
in her life, they also did activities which linked
into the theme of their visit.
And it doesn’t end there. In June Ms Jackson
and Miss Mills worked with the Holocaust
Educational Trust on the ‘Lessons from
Auschwitz Project’. This included two half day
training sessions in Manchester and a day trip
to Auschwitz. The purpose is to improve the
quality of lessons delivered around ‘what can be
learnt from the Holocaust’.
The RE and History department have tried this
year to set up a trip to Auschwitz but the cost is
very expensive and they are now looking at the
possibility of doing something In Holland which
may be cheaper and would focus even more on
Anne Frank.
Geography exploring our region
EXPLORING: The group visit Durham
ear 10 Geography students had a very successful field trip to Durham City
on a cool (14C) July day. The students engaged in tourist questionnaires,
traffic counts; environmental quality counts, car registration surveys and field
sketches. We were looking at conflict within a tourist honeypot. Students will be
able to access photographs of the locations on the: http://www.geograph.org.
uk/ website. This website is an excellent resource to view by everybody as it aims
to cover every grid square in Britain with a photograph. The students visited the
Harry Potter film set in Durham Cathedral and we had a tour of the cathedral. We
also visited the World Heritage Centre that celebrated the Durham City that has
world heritage status. The teachers on the visit were Mr. Bishop, Ms Jackson, Mrs
Ashplant, Mrs Ranton, Mr Thompson and Miss Sweeting. The star of the show
was Aaron Sharples who conducted a lot of research before the visit. Finally we
must thank the Y10 Geography students who made the day such an educational
rewarding event due to the excellent attitude and behaviour that they displayed.
(R.Bishop, Head of Geography).
Y
PASSING KNOWLEDGE: Y9 work with primary students
Media ‘six’ success
CHEERS: Toasting good success
ix super-smart Y11 students spent their English
time with Mrs Johnson in B1 working towards BTEC
Media. The students had reached their target grades
by the end of Y10 in English and did the media as an
‘extra’. They worked incredibly hard and produced
work that was well beyond BTEC standard, all
S
students in the group gained 2 x A*’s which were well
deserved. Here they are pictured with invited guests
(non-alcoholic champagne and popcorn provided!)
who came to B1, one lunchtime to see their ‘Oscar
Winning’ film trailers.
Future travel opportunities
F
urther travel coming up – in October a number of
Y10 and 11 students will go on an adventure to
New York, led by Miss Ashplant and Mrs McNaught.
The trip will take place during October, half term
and the students (and staff!) are very excited. Mrs
Bird and Mr Fearon will also hopefully be leading a
combined theatre / media trip to London in March –
if you are interested in going please speak to them.
Welcome to the
ASP
I
18
Autumn 2011
FARRA NEWS
n 2011 the AS Provision enters its fifth year with students now
in all year groups. We will have leavers for the first time next
year and will be developing a ‘life skills’ programme for them
to do once Y11 timetable is over, this will include basic life skills,
housekeeping, gardening and independent travel.
Also, we will have eight Y7 pupils starting this September, instead
of the usual six. The demand is so high in the authority they have
asked us to create more places for the Y7 group. Our students
are placed across EVERY pathway next year. Just like people who
don’t have autism our students have a range of abilities and skills.
We are the first provision of this type in Sunderland and currently
admit students city-wide who have a statement of SEN and a firm
diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome. The provision has two dedicated
classrooms, a quiet room, a sensory room, and a cloakroom/wc.
We also have shared use of an additional classroom and outside
space for break and lunch times to provide supported access to
activities to help develop social understanding.
Students from the ASP participate in the full life of Farringdon
School and are supported in all aspects of the curriculum. Nonprovision students are welcome to visit us during break and lunch
times. We are committed to improving wider AS understanding
and have a programme of whole-school assemblies and
information cards.
With 30 students and 17 staff, the Provision will be a very busy
place this September!
A’hoy there
AS STUDENTS & STAFF: Look at how happy we are!
Judo champion
SILVER CUPS: Alex and brother Aaron in Holland
his article is about Y9 pupil, Alex Sawyer-Copus. Alex has a great interest in
judo. He trains a couple of times a week at Lambton Street and Washington
where he has achieved his blue belt.We were lucky enough to interview his
mam over the telephone, who told us that Alex was 7 years old when he first
became interested in judo.
Alex’s mam was very proud of Alex when he won his silver medal recently
after winning 4 fights and only being defeated on his final fight by a much
older, German Brown belt player. This took place at the Beverwijk G-Judo
Championships in April in Holland. Susan Kirkpatrick, Junior GB Coach and
a member of the British Judo Association’s Inclusion Commission, said:
“Simon Williams (coach) and I were extremely proud of the attitude and
determination of every member of the team, they displayed the true spirit of
judo throughout the day and secured some impressive results.”
Alex’s mum told us he has done quite a few competitions including Holland
twice and Italy, as well as gaining silver at the Welsh Nationals and Gold at
the Special Olympics in 2009. In Holland this was the first time he has been
selected to represent Great Britain and be part of the GB Squad. It was such
an honour and we are very proud of him. Alex takes it all in his stride and
nothing overwhelms him, he just does his best. Alex has had a great year not just with judo but also winning some of his races
at Junior National Swimming Competition in Sheffield in February and playing
for both the school football team & Great Lumley’s mixed ability team on an
evening. In March, he received an award from the Sunderland Sports Fund
presented at the Silksworth Puma Centre. Alex is looking forward to achieving his brown then his black belt in judo next,
we are sure he will be successful. T
having fun: AS pupils on the beach with the Captain
n June Y6 pupils who joined us in September and
Jack Francis, Niall Belton, Katy Jones, Joe Durban,
Nathan Holt and Julian Brunton, Y8, Chelsea Jobling,
Y9 and Morgan Little, Y10 plus staff went to Cullercoats
beach to meet Captain Raggy Beard, a storytelling
pirate! They took part in a treasure hunt, sand art
competition, a scavenger hunt and rock-pooling. The
pupils listened intently to the Captain’s enchanting
stories and even the most sceptical of the students
were excited when they found ‘mermaid’s tears’
amongst the rock pools.
As this was part of our Y6 transition programme it was
important to make sure that all of the students had
a positive experience, helping them to get to know
the older students and build their confidence. Captain
Raggy Beard helped the children to share a lovely day
together. All of the Y6 pupils returned happy to their
primary schools and parents and said how much they
enjoyed their day.
The students had to evaluate the day and said things
like:
I
“I had a lovely time at Cullercoats Bay. I really enjoyed
going on the beach and when I got home I was as
yellow as the sand I had been rolling around in.” and
“I loved rockpooling and the stories were interesting.”
We also received an e-mail from the Captain himself
and here are some of his comments:
Dear Head Teacher,
I am writing to you today, regarding your visit to
Cullercoats. It was my pleasure to be the guide for the
group, and I wish to express my thanks to everyone
who took part. The pupils were polite, well behaved
and enthusiastic throughout their visit, and impressed
everyone they came into contact with. They were a
credit to the school, teachers and their parents and
true ambassadors for your school. They are welcome
back at Cullercoats anytime. Could you please pass
this message on to them, so they can receive the
credit they deserve.
Yours Stephen Skelton, AKA, Capt Raggy Beard
Here are more details about the Captain’s website:
http://www.captainraggybeard.co.uk C
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Authors’ visits
Autumn 2011
FARRA NEWS
W
SINGER TURNS SONGWRITER: Michelle Gayle visits our school
e were sooo lucky to have Michelle Jane Austin classic novel published in 1813)
Gayle - Singer, Actress (Eastenders and a woman finding her fortune by marrying
– played Hattie Tavernia in the a man. Michelle’s message was that the
early 90’s) and Author visit our school in May. difference between then and now is that
Michelle was on her ‘Book Tour’ launching her women have a choice! new and first novel ‘Pride and Premiership’.
Michelle also answered loads of brilliant
Michelle talked about her new book and did questions from our girls and even did a fabulous
readings from it to over a hundred of our girls rendition of her hit song ‘Sweetness’ which
in the school hall. Michelle’s book follows the reached No4 in 1994 - what an amazing voice
story of wannabe WAG, Remy, as she tries to she has! follow her own rules of dating a footballer, but A great time was had by all. Michelle’s book
soon realises that it’s not all that it’s cracked is available from Waterstones and to your
up to be!
mobile phone by texting PRIDE to 60300 (the
The book alludes to Pride and Prejudice (a first part is free!)
Rebecca recommends
I
VAMPIRES: Romance and
action - the perfect book?
think that the best book choice for everyone is
Twilight. Not only Twilight is recommended but
there is New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn and
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner an Eclipse
novella. These books are the best I have read so
far. All 5 of these books were written by Stephanie
Meyer.
The Twilight books are about Bella Swann who
goes to Forks to live with her father. Bella falls
deeply in love with Edward Cullen, unfortunately
he is a vampire. As if this isn’t difficult enough for
Bella there is another handsome young man who
loves her with a dark secret of his own. I don’t
want to give too much more away but I highly
recommend you read the series and watch the
films.
Teachers’ top reads
R
ebecca has also interviewed
several teachers and asked for
their favourite books.
Here are their answers:
Mrs Harris (Year Manager Y8 and 9)
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee
Mrs Bird (Media Studies) ‘Chinese
Cinderella’ by Adeline Yen Mah
Miss Leech (English) ‘Pride and
Prejudice’ written by Jane Austin
Mrs Dolphin (Food Tech) ‘Persuasion’
also written by Jane Austin
Mr Hamilton (Science) ‘The Red Dwarf’
by Dun Naylor and Rob Grant
Mrs Bell (History) ‘Bird Song’ by
Sebastian Falks
Mr Firth (Maths) ‘Fermats Enigma’
written by Simon Sing
Miss Metcalfe (English) ‘Harry Potter
and the Order of the Phoenix’ by J.K.
Rowling
Miss Mills (History) ‘The Book Thief’
written by Markus Zusak
Miss Patterson (Food Tech) ‘Tess of the
Dubervilles’ by Thomas Hardy
Mrs Ranton (ASP) ‘Little Women’ by
Louisa May Alcott
Mr Duncanson (Graphic Designer)
‘Harry Potter’ by J.K. Rowling (all of
them!)
19
AMERICAN VISITOR: Don Calame talking to some students
W
e were so lucky and pleased to have
Author Don Calame visit us in May. Don
is an American Author who has previously had
great success writing for the films ‘Hounded’
and ‘Employee of the Month’.
Don was in the UK doing a tour to launch his
book ‘Swim the Fly’. It was released in June
and the follow up ‘Beat the Band’ is due out in
2012. The story follows the hilarious antics of
Matt, Sean and Coop in their school summer
holidays.
Don entertained over 100 of our boys in the
school hall doing readings from his book and
answering some questions. There was also
an opportunity to buy a copy of the book and
have it signed by Don! An awesome event!
‘Swim the Fly’ will have you laughing out loud,
it is a must read for teen boys (and many girls!)
Don has also picked his favourite funny books
for teen boys (and girls), check out the website
below! http://tinyurl.com/3va7e9k
Get into a good book!
And it isn’t just books
S
o the library is just about books eh? Here are a
few things that have taken place in the library
this term.
‘A Team’ Training
Our school has once again set up the ‘A Team’. The
‘A Team’ are a group of volunteer peer mentors to
help with our school Anti Bullying Policy. Our volunteers took part in a full days training in
the Library, hosted by Bev Chisman, enabling them
to become peer mentors. They were trained in the
best practices to support any students with issues.
Booked Up
‘Booked Up’ is running again for the Fifth Year! We
have registered our school ready for September!
Booked Up is a national programme which is
run by the charity ‘Booktrust’ and funded by the
Department for Education (DfE) which enables Y7
students to choose a free book from a selection of
fabulous titles.
Read more about Booked Up and have a preview
of the books available to choose from at www.
bookedup.org.uk
Army Presentation
Phil Pearson from the Army was in school again
delivering his excellent Army Presentation to
a mixed group of Y10’s. Phil gave the group
information about the various careers and benefits
of being in the army. Remembering there are many
civilian jobs available to do in the Army, it’s not all
about being a soldier!
Seven Stories Seven Stories, who brought two Author events our
way, came along to the events to do the book sales.
Seven Stories is Britain’s gallery and archive that
celebrates the wonderful world of children’s books.
Seven Stories celebrates the art of children’s books. It has been open since 2005 and showcases a
national collection of books and documents from
some of the best books written for children. They
are situated in a lovely location tucked under the
Tyne Bridge in Newcastle’s Ouseburn Valley.
Check out their website at www.sevenstories.org.
uk for opening times and prices......well worth a
visit!
The Box Youth Project
The Box youth project peer educators were in
school again, delivering a brilliant session to around
60 of our students. The students took part in a
series of activities raising awareness and offering
valuable information about the risks and dangers,
of Smoking, Alcohol and Drugs. The Peer Educators
are volunteers working for the Box who are a similar
age to the participants and really relate to the issues
and problems facing young people today. What a
brilliant event!
20
FARRA NEWS
How this paper is produced..
A
s you hopefully know we produce Farra News
three times a year; twice online (just before
Christmas and Easter) and now in print. We
work hard for all our issues but this is probably our
biggest job. We actually begin planning and writing
stories in the final term, it is harder than with the online
editions as there is limited space so each page has to be
carefully planned and we have to ensure we chase up
stories so we have everything just before the summer.
Mrs Bird then checks we have everything proof-reads it
before taking all our work to the Chronicle and Journal
Offices in Newcastle during the summer hols.
In September we spend 2 days working on page
production. Our work has been formatted by Kay
Thompson who leads the sessions and is in the system
ready for us to use when we get there. We use the
computers and a programme called Adobe In Design to
create our pages. After a lot of hard work our newsletter
is sent to the planning production and output room
where it is viewed on a master computer. After that it
goes to the plate room where our pages are put onto
big aluminian plates and sent to the press room where
it is put onto the paper. Each page is printed four times
to put on the different colours - cyan, magenta, yellow
and black. So that is how our newsletter is made.
Autumn 2011
Apprentice
stars celebrate
Students joy: Students receive their award
from Mr Kemp and guests
n June a lunch was held in the Learning
Zone to celebrate the achievements of the
Young Apprentices in Construction and Sport.
The event was attended by over 40 students
together with parents from Farringdon and also
Sandhill View School. The Construction students
were presented with a number of certificates
by David Seldon, Assistant Project Planner,
Gentoo Construction. The Sport students
were presented with similar certificates by Mr
Kemp. A thoroughly enjoyable time was had by
all and well deserved rewards for dedication
and successful completion of both courses.
I
Wax away for charity
OUT AND ABOUT: Going around ncjMedia
Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
O
Scaredy cats: Grown men turn into little mice at the sight of the wax
n July 15th Rebecca Campbell of Rees Hair and
Beauty in Durham kindly gave up her time to
wax some brave volunteers as we are raising money
for Cystic Fibrosis. Students paid £1 in order to
watch the event where the following male staff had
legs, backs, chests and even eyebrows waxed - Mr
Fearon, Mr Turns, Mr Robinson, Mr Wilkinson, Mr
Hamilton, Mr Firth, Mr Golightly and PE assistant,
Liam Kirk were our brave volunteers. In total over
£530 was raised – we’re not sure what that says
about the amount of students that were happy to
see staff in pain but we are pleased we raised so
much for the charity! Mr Robinson and Mr Roberts
also took part in the Coast to Coast bike ride this
summer - and Mr Roberts ran all the way back,
maybe you saw coverage on Sky Sports. He ran the
equivalent of 14 marathons-WOW!
Sister’s revenge: After a long time Megan
gets her own back
All present
challenge and correct!
Something to entertain! We like a
S
eptember can be
depressing after the
freedom of the hols – here are
a few jokes to brighten your
day!
Mum: “How did you find
school today?”
Youngster: “I simply hopped
off the bus - and there it was.”
Mia: “I think we need a new
teacher.”
Mum: “Why is that?”
Mia: “Our teacher doesn’t
know anything; she keeps
asking us for the answers.”
When Dad came home he was
astonished to see Vic sitting on
a horse, writing something.
”What on earth are you doing
there?” he asked. “Well, the
teacher told us to write an
essay on our favourite animal.”
Answered Vic, “That’s why
I’m here and that’s why Sara’s
sitting in the goldfish bowl.”
Teacher: “Could you please
pay a little attention?”
Student: “I’m paying as little
attention as I can.”
Teacher: “James, where is your
homework?”
James: “I ate it.”
Teacher: “Why?”
James: “You said it was a piece
of cake!”
Teacher: “Maria, go to the map
and find North America.”
Maria: “Here it is.”
Teacher: “Correct. Now class,
who discovered America?”
Class: “Maria”
W
Teacher: “John, why are you
doing your math multiplication
on the floor?”
John: “You told me to do it
without using tables.”
Teacher: “Donald, what is the
chemical formula for water?”
Donald: “H I J K L M N O”
Teacher: “What are you talking
about?”
n this year’s Maths Challenge
Donald: “Yesterday you said
13 Y8 pupils and five Y7 pupils
it’s H to O.”
achieve National Certificate. Mrs
Turnbull says this is our best overall
performance – ever – fact!
I
e have recently been informed by the
authority that we are now the 3rd best
school in Sunderland for Attendance! This is
a wonderful accolade when we consider that
five years ago we had attendance of 89%. It is
now at 94.3% (a level which Ofsted considers
“Good”.)
The following recent leavers deserve a
mention: Shae Dickman and Emma Willmott
achieved 100% throughout all five years here
at FCSC. Louise Davidson and Liam Agnew
achieved 100% during three of their five
years here at FCSC. Sarah Calder, Rebecca
Colquhoun, Stephen Foster, Kristopher Sumner
and Rebecca Young achieved 100% during two
of their five years here at FCSC. Also, Lauren
Bamley in our current Y11 is well on course
having not missed a day for her 4 years so far.
C
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