Newsletter - Ravens Wood School

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RAVENS WOOD SCHOOL
SPRING/SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2015
01689 856050 | [email protected] | www.ravenswood.bromley.sch.uk
Issue No. 18
Our New Headteacher
Ravens Wood welcomes our new headteacher...
Sally Spence grew up in Bromley and was educated at Hayes School
where she studied Biology, English and Geography at A Level, and
became Head Girl in Year 13. She then studied Geography at Queen
Mary, University of London, completing her PGCE at Southampton
University. Ms Spence has been Deputy Head Teacher at Bullers Wood
School for over seven years, seeing it through two Outstanding Ofsted
Inspections. She has also achieved an MA in Educational Leadership
and Management and is passionate about lifelong learning and
self-development. She has had the opportunity to work as an associate,
advising and supporting Key Stage 5 colleagues at Glyn School for Boys
in Epsom and St Saviours and St Olaves School in South East London.
Her educational ethos is quite simple – that each student is given every
opportunity to realise their full potential. To deliver this, the
appropriate strategic and practical measures need to be put in place
with a whole school culture and shared vision for continual growth and
improvement.
She is very much looking forward to joining the highly talented staff
and students at Ravens Wood and is excited for the future of the school
and her role within it.
A Rewarding Result
The school recently recieved
an Ofstead report, and the
school has been judged to be
good with outstanding
features.
This was a great leap from
the schools last report, and
the school now intends to
push further to an
outstanding report next
academic year.
The report was met with
delight from staff and
students, and the article right
was featured in the News
Shopper regarding our
success.
Edited by Max Bloom
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RAVENS WOOD SCHOOL
SPRING/SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2015
PERFORMING ARTS
On Wednesday 25th
February, students in Year
9, 10 and 11 were lucky
enough to participate in workshops with two members
of the cast of ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’. This play is
currently running at the Duchess Theatre in London’s
West End and this smash hit comedy has been described
as ‘Fawlty Towers meets Noises Off.’ Nancy Wallinger
and Dave Hearn led four workshops teaching students
skills in stage combat and comedy.
The cast were so impressed with the efforts of Ravens
Wood students that they sent the Drama Department
this tweet. Well done!
West-End Visit
The fabulous ‘Elite choir’, made
up of singers from Year 7, were
spectacular when they
performed with the BYMT Symphony Orchestra & Chorus at
The Fairfield Halls in Croydon. The boys were the children’s choir
in the infamous work by Carl Orff, Carmina Burana. Thanks
to all the singers, the supportive and proud parents and to Ms
Akhurst for preparing the boys for this event- well done all!
RWS Music Success
‘Lord of the Flies’ was written in 1954 by Nobel
Prize-winning author William Golding. The
story about a group of British boys stuck on an uninhabited island was adapted for the stage by playwright
Nigel Williams. On the 7th, 8th and 9th of July, RAPA Youth and RAPA Senior students performed ‘Lord
of the Flies’ at Ravens Wood School. The show was directed by Miss Courtis and Mr Hughes and the
choreography led by Miss Ward and Miss Barnes.
School Production: Lord of the Flies
The rehearsal process involved a lot of commitment from the cast members; with the students in the
ensemble attending Thursday rehearsals and the main characters rehearsing every lunch and twice a week
after school! Students involved were extremely hardworking and professional.
Students in technical theatre club worked tirelessly with Mr Haskell, Mr Curry and Mr Grant to ensure the
staging was built, lights set (118 cues!), and props created to perfection. The show was watched by all
students in year 7 and year 8 during matinee performances and to an excellent audience on Thursday’s
evening performance. The cast of twenty three talented
students was led by Matthew Simms (Ralph), Archie Holland
(Jack) and Tobie Dunnett (Piggy) and the final show was
outstanding. Well done to each student involved in the
production – your talent, determination and dedication
made the show a
success.
So many members of staff and students were part of
making such a great show possible and the Performing Arts
team would like to thank everyone who helped.
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RAVENS WOOD SCHOOL
SPRING/SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2015
LANGUAGES
On Wednesday 25th March the MFL department welcomed
some visitors from our German Exchange School (Teletta Gross
Gymnasium).
Like us they also have a canteen and some of their staff wanted to see what and how food is served in a
British school. First they were given a tour of the school which they were very impressed with due to the
positive atmosphere around the school. They were also surprised by the quality of our sports facilities
and the number of computers accessible to students in different departments.
On Thursday and Friday our visitors helped the canteen staff to prepare for serving at break time and
lunch time. They were very impressed that the vast majority of food was freshly prepared on site. They
also worked with Ms Hawkins in the food technology department, helping her to prepare for lessons and
they were also able to assist pupils during lessons. Our visitors have taken lots of ideas, which they want
to implement in Germany to improve the quality of food in their own canteen.
A huge thank you to all of the Pabulum catering staff and Ms Hawkins who made our German guests feel
extremely welcome. If you would like to find out more about this visit, search ‘londontour2015.’
German Catering Visit
Exchange Experience
The 2014 German exchange trip consisted of 21 boys from years 7-9
who went to visit their host families for one week in November.
Their partners came here to witness London first hand.
We went to different places and took part in different activities including a trip to Bremen, visiting a pig farm, and
looking around a huge boat yard (Mayer Werft). We also experienced the German school system and spent time
with our partners in lessons. Recently our partners travelled to Bromley to stay with us. The German students
had a lot of fun visiting London and we did a communal trip to Winston Churchill’s old house in Chartwell. It
may seem awkward having someone you don’t know living with you for a week, but we managed to get on very
well
This was my second Exchange and I have really enjoyed it on both occasions. However there is something you
need more than anything on the German exchange…confidence in speaking and understanding the German
language and culture. - Joseph Spiteri Year 9
The year 11 students have been
Hospitality and Catering completing their final controlled assessment for their
GCSE Hospitality and Catering exam. The students had a three hour
examination where they had to cook an international two course meal.
The students
had worked very
hard researching
into their chosen
country and it
was good to see
their hard work
rewarded with
such high
standard of
cuisine. Very
well done, boys!
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Hollybank
Hollybank, one of Bromley Healthcare’s specialist services, is in
Chislehurst and offers short-term breaks for children and young
people with disabilities and complex health care needs. It’s a
happy, homely, safe and stimulating environment, so those that
go there can achieve their maximum potential. Staff work closely
with families and other professionals (schools, health care
professionals) to keep children with their family.
Leading by Example
It’s always a privilege to help our local community, and a group of students from Ravens Wood School
had the opportunity to find this out for themselves.
Ravens Wood School decided to partner with a local charity, Hollybank, which is a respite centre for
disabled children in the Bromley borough. Since their partnership began, Ravens Wood School held a
variety of fundraising ventures including a staff Six Nations Sweepstake and a whole-school own clothes
day.
These activities managed to raise in excess of £2,000.
Three students, Phill Cullen, Ollie Elliot and Deryck Bulley-Tagoe, were chosen to present the giant
cheque to the staff and children of Hollybank. The cheque was received with beaming smiles from all
present.
One member of staff commented: ‘At Hollybank, we make a difference to families’ lives and to the
parents and children who come here, and [Ravens Wood] in their turn are making a difference to what
we can do to help those children.’
It was evident that the visiting students got a lot out of the experience. Oliver who was speaking after the
presentation said: ‘It was really good to learn about the children’s disabilities and how we are building a
relationship with Hollybank.’
Whilst Hollybank is partly funded by the NHS, it still needs additional funding to provide the excellent
facilities it offers. Ravens Wood School has shown that even with the simplest of means, we can make a
big difference to these local charities which means so much to so many people.
A Day of Smiles
It was a great day out for Ravenswood pupils at Hollybank on Wednesday 18th March when they
presented staff and children at Hollybank with a cheque.
Last year pupils from Ravens Wood School Academy of Media (RAMs) made a film of the
wonderful service that Hollybank provides. The pupils chose Hollybank because its local and
provides a wonderful facility for children and young people, and their families, who need help and
support, which is done in a safe and stimulating environment so those that go there can achieve
their maximum potential.
The boys met and interviewed staff during filming. This helped them gain some awareness and
understanding of the differing needs of children with disabilities as well as developing their media skills.
This prompted Ravens Wood School (RWS) to support Hollybank as its
local charity.
Year 8 pupils Ollie Elliott and Deryck Bulley-Tagoe from Ravens Wood
School presented a cheque for £2,026.45 to Hollybank. The money
was raised from the school having its own clothes day. Ollie and Deryck
were joined by Phillip Cullen, student leader of the RAMs. They were
accompanied by teachers Tim Jackson and James Evans.
Bromley Healthcare is delighted that RWS has decided to continue
supporting Hollybank and not only build on this relationship but to raise
further
funds to help improve its facilities.
Amanda Rees, Hollybank Manager, said,
‘A huge thank you to the school for keeping us in your hearts and minds.’ She
was disappointed not to be there on the
day of the presentation adding, ‘It’s such
a fantastic start to raising funds for
Hollybank so we can purchase garden
and sensory equipment for the children.’
Students Account
On Wednesday after school, me, Deryck,
Phil, Mr Jackson and Mr Evans went to Hollybank to film handing over the cheque to
members of staff.
As soon as we got into the building we went
to the kitchen where there was lots of snacks
and sandwiches for us to eat. We then went
to the front of Hollybank to hand over the
massive cheque, I was delighted to hand
over the cheque, which shows that Ravens
Wood School had raised £2026.45.
We also interviewed some the staff to find
out their views on the money raised and the
partnership with the centre. Deryck interviewed the staff asking the questions. “What
will the money do to help the Hollybank
Centre?” And “what are thoughts on the
relationship between Ravens Wood and
Hollybank?”
Oliver & Deryck, Yr 7.
A letter sent from a child at Hollybank about his
experience at the centre.
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RAVENS WOOD SCHOOL
SPRING/SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2015
MEDIA ACADEMY
On Monday 13th July, the media department hosted its 2nd annual RAM awards at
RAM Awards Odeon Cinema in Beckenham.
Presented by year 12 pupils James Budd and Jade Mason, the awards showcased the
best media work produced by pupils from Years 11, 12 and 13.
The awards covered a range of categories including ‘Best Production Design’ which was won by
Omar Mohamed, Harry Collins and Josh Dalsan and ‘Best Trailer Remake’ which was given to Dan Strong
and Alfie Hills, for their recreation of the upcoming Kray
Twins biopic ‘Legend’.
Other major successes at the RAMs included Tyler Lewis
Kilden who picked up the Lifetime Achievement Award,
and Lewis Hill who won the signature prize for Year 11
pupils, the RAM Rising Star.
Special praise must also be handed out to Phil Cullen and
Will Smith, who helped prepare and organise the RAM
awards, creating the graphics and editing the VT
packages.
The once in a lifetime opportunity to go on a school trip to New
York was a tremendous experience, from educational workshops to
sightseeing. As soon as we arrived in the city that never sleeps, we were
eager to see the bright lights within the big city, so we headed to Times Square. All of us were fascinated by
the vibrant atmosphere, which left us in high spirits.
RAM Hits the Big Apple
Our first whole day consisted of a walking tour of New York, where we were able to eat street pizza in
Little Italy. Our 3 hour tour allowed us to gain knowledge about New York including visiting sites such as The
New York County Supreme Courthouse where Law and Order was filmed and The New York Stock Exchange
where we were able to see the famous Wall Street.
Our sightseeing consisted of visiting Ground Zero, where we were able to pay our respects to those who
passed away. We thoroughly enjoyed the views from the Empire State building, where we were able to see
the whole of the city at night time, whereas when we visited Top of the Rock, we were able to view the city in
daylight.
After enjoying what the city had to offer, it was time for more learning, so we attended a bus tour which took
us to many movie locations, including I am Legend and Friends with Benefits. After all of this, it was time for
more fun, so we went to watch The Blue Man show, which was very enjoyable.
To end our New York experience, it was time to announce the winner of the Ravens Wood Media Trip
Twitter competition, which went to me for sending in this tweet.
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RAVENS WOOD SCHOOL
SPRING/SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2015
RWS SPORT
In the February half term the school ski party headed to Sauze d’Oulx in Italy, part
School Ski Trip of the Milky Way ski resorts. We flew to Lyon and took a coach to the French/Italian
border. The picturesque town of Sauze was our home for the week, providing our ski
base and also the evening’s entertainment and respite from the ‘interesting’ hotel dining arrangements. We hit the
slopes on Sunday morning with the experienced skiers heading off into the mountains from day one and the
beginners starting out lower down with their expert instructors. As the days progressed, every member of the
party developed their technique and students were able to work their way through the groups enjoying the
challenges of the mountain.
Henry and I had the opportunity to ski in the top group where the steep slopes brought a rush of adrenaline and
we felt pushed to our limits! In fact, it might have proved too much as I bundled into my Deputy-Head of Year
and Party Leader, Mr Durman in a complete white-out, and I’m not sure he’s forgiven me yet! After long days of
skiing, we relaxed in the hotel or walked into town to enjoy the atmosphere and local shops providing a variety of
refreshing food: mainly energy-filled chocolate related snacks. One particular evening Miss Courtis organised a
karaoke party, which left us with some unforgettable and hilarious memories.
We all headed home in high spirits, although the 14 hour in blizzard conditions took its toll, not just on us but
our parents who collected us at 3am from the school
gates. The trip was absolutely fantastic and has left
us with some brilliant memories but it wouldn’t have
been possible without the patience and commitment
from our teachers: Mr Durman, Mr Dumper, Mr
Izzard, Mr French, Mr Morrissey and Miss Courtis.
You were a great team, thank you. We hope everyone
involved had a good time and enjoyed the truly
incredible experience! If you’ve never tried skiing
before it’s definitely worth a go. We’d only been once
before in Year 8 and now we think we’re hooked.
Henry & Oscar Smith, Year 10
Hayes Sevens Victors
Earlier this year Year 7 attended the Hayes Invitational 7’s tourament.
16 school’s attended the event at Beccehamians RFC in West Wickham.
The boys began the day with a 21-0 victory against Hayes and continued their unbeaten run throughout the
group stages, finishing top of their group. In the
Semi-Final the boys again put in a great
performance to beat Haberdasher Askes 22-5 in
what was a great team performance. The
Final was played against Wilmington
Grammar School in what was a very closely contested match. The game entered the final minute
with Ravens Wood trailing by three points, but
the boys showed great resilience with Josh
Carroll diving over the line to score his 9th try
of the day, and helping Ravenswood to secure
a 22-19 victory. Other stand out performances
came from Joe Turner who scored 7 try’s,
Cameron MacAulay, Joe Brown, Jake Philips
and Captain Harvey Tootill.
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RAVENS WOOD SCHOOL
SPRING/SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2015
RWS SPORT
For the first time at the school, Key Stage 3 and Year 10 participated in
the school Sports Day on Thursday 9th July this summer.
On a sweltering summer’s day, over eight-hundred Ravens Wood students descended on the sports field for
a packed day of field events, athletics and sport-related activities.
RWS Sports Day 2015
The day began with a number of field events including Discus, Javelin and Shot, with a number of quizzes
and activities going on indoors for those who weren’t taking part on the field. After a short break, the year groups
rotated and some took part in running events, and others took part in inter-form cricket matches held on the
playgrounds. After lunch the day was concluded with the hundred-meter sprint and relay events, including an
incredibly popular staff relay, and an even more popular early dismissal.
One form from each year was grouped into a house, for which you
would compete and gain points. This year, the house names were given
to notable ex-students. Solesbury, named after Team GB olympic rower
Tom Solesbury, took a fitting first place on the overall house leaderboard.
Overall, the day was recieved as a success, with everyone in each
form given the oppurtunity to compete in a wide range of disciplines.
One Year 9 student said: ‘I really enjoyed it. It allows students to
participate in new sports, and it also allows forms to bond in a competetive event.‘
Even for those who were less inclined to participate, the event was
entertaining for all present. Having been asked about music technology
teacher Mr Grant’s hundred-metre relay performance, Head of Year 10
Mr Chenier commented: ‘Never again! He went so red we thought he
would spontaneously combust!‘
The year 9 VII’s team won the inaugural Beth’s 7s tournament
earlier this year. The squad who are the most successful 7s squad
in the school’s history added to the schools trophy cabinet with a
comprehensive victory over The Judd school 28-12 in the final.
Year Nine Rugby Success
The tournament did not start off how the squad would have liked, however going down 10-0 to The Judd school
in their opening group game. However, the team bounced back to secure victories over Maidstone Grammar
School and Wilmington Grammar School to progress out of the group stages. Going through as 2nd place meant
that the team faced the winners of the opposite pool (who were hot favourites to win the competition)
Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School in the semi-final.
A mammoth game of rugby was played out between the two rival teams with the final score finishing at 14 apiece.
The game went into extra-time with the golden and try rule being the deciding factor. Henry Turner raced clear
to score the decisive try to put the team through to the final.
Prior to the final the students discussed the fact that they had
already been beaten by Judd earlier in the competition and were
keen to put in a performance of a team which were yet to loss a
7s tournament. The squad did just that, with slick running and
handling from Jacob Buckley and hard running from Daniel
Rowley and Henry Turner the team overwhelmed The Judd
school 28-12 to lift the trophy.
A huge well done to all the boys that were involved and to show
the determination to come back from a first game loss to beat
that team and win the competition.
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