Newsletter - Katharine Lady Berkeley`s School

Newsletter
17 July 2015
Art Department
The Art department has been busy creating new works of art which will brighten up the school in September.
Year 12 having been creating photographs for the new-look Canteen
…and portraits for corridors
While Year 9 have been creating Modern Icons to brighten up the site
As soon as they’re all finished they’ll be put up around the school. We hope you’ll enjoy spotting all this new work
in September.
1
KLBS students welcome visitors from Japan
Our students gave a warm welcome to 30 students from Kosei Girls High School in Japan at the start of July.
The visitors spent a day at KLBS to get a flavour of life in a British school as part of a week-long stay in England.
The purpose of the trip was for all students to practise their language skills and cultural knowledge, to develop
their confidence when meeting people from different cultures and backgrounds, and to have fun. As always, our
students were wonderful hosts, with students from Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 participating enthusiastically in a wide
range of activities, such as general conversation practice, learning Japanese tongue-twisters, writing their names in
Japanese, playing traditional Japanese games and doing origami.
The students from Kosei High School really appreciated the opportunity to meet our students, and everyone
seemed to enjoy the experience.
Thank you to everyone who took part in the day.
Mr Thompson
Ms De Silva
2
26th French Exchange (1989-2015) Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School with Collège Denecourt
In June, 33 Year 9 and 10 students returned to Collège Denecourt in Bois-Le-Rois, a small town lying in an idyllic
situation between the River Seine and the Forest of Fontainebleau. Any apprehension the KLB students had about
meeting with their exchange partners was soon dispelled by the friendly faces that greeted us.
On both Tuesday and Thursday we took the train and
metro into Paris. At Notre Dame Cathedral many
students were in awe of this wonderful 12th century
building. On Tuesday we went up to the 57th floor
and the roof terrace of the Tour Montparnasse. The
breath taking views across the city of Paris enabled us
to identify the wonderful Parisian landmarks. The
metro took us to the Assemblée Nationale and we
crossed the Seine to the Place de la Concorde where
some of the students particularly enjoyed luxury car
spotting at the Place de la Concorde. Sauntering
through and then picnicking in the Jardin des Tuileries
whilst watching the people was very relaxing. At Notre
Dame Cathedral many students were in awe of this
wonderful 12th century building. The weather was
beautiful and the sun shone during a ride on the
Bateau Mouche along the River Seine. From the top deck we enjoyed the sights of Paris, the Grand Palais, the
Musée d’Orsay, the beautiful bridges, Notre Dame, the Conciergerie, the Eiffel Tower and the pretty flower
bedecked house boats, cats and all.
We visited the Arc de Triomphe on Thursday, the
anniversary of the battle of Waterloo. Some of the girls
enjoyed a look round Louis Vuitton on the Champs Elysées
before we walked to the Eiffel tower, which looked very
impressive as we approached it from Trocadero.
After lunch at the foot of the tower, the students had the
opportunity to improve their French listening skills and learn
to appreciate the downside of French bureaucracy as I had
a long discussion with a metro ticket inspector.
Browsing around Montmartre afforded us lighter
entertainment by street artists and gave us the opportunity
to watch the artists at work in the Place du Tertre. We
especially enjoyed climbing up into the dome of the Sacré
Coeur.
Wednesday in school gave us a glimpse of life in a French
school and the opportunity to play volleyball and football
with our partners. We had to walk to the sports ground
which the school shares with the community, which
means that all sports lessons are double lessons. On our
return to school for lunch we passed a primary school
where policemen were on duty because of the threat of
terrorism.
A short bus ride from the school is the town of
Fontainebleau, where, on Friday we enjoyed a visit to the
busy market and the beautiful Chateau de Fontainebleau,
followed by some free time in the pretty town. Several
students were able to sample the local goodies.
3
The weekend was spent with partners and their families
On Monday, excitement was boiling over as the students
anticipated a day at Euro disney. Lots of fun was had by all.
After a tearful goodbye on Tuesday morning, with firm
friendships now in place, we set off home and arrived in Calais
to find our motorway exit to the tunnel blocked because of a fire
lit by striking ferry workers. The children witnessed many
migrants attempting to enter lorries as we waited in long queues
on the motorway. Fortunately, we managed to take one of the
last journeys through the tunnel before it was closed that
afternoon.
Many thanks to Madame Belières and Madame Langer, English teachers from the French exchange school, for
organising such a wonderful stay in France, to the head and deputy head of the collège, to Mrs Wignall, for her
wonderful organisational skills which are of invaluable help to us and to Mrs Bretherton and the two volunteers, Dr
Minshall and Mr Caldwell for accompanying the exchange.
We would particularly like to thank Mrs Whalley, Assistant Headteacher, for all her help with the exchange in
recent years and wish her all the best in her new school.
Mrs E Caldwell
Year 10 Language Leaders - Year 5 Languages Festival
The following Year 10 students ran a highly successful Primary Languages Festival on Friday 3 July for over 100
Year 5 pupils from five local primary schools:
Phoebe Arkle, Tom Baxendine, Emma Benson, Erin Butcher, Toby Carter, Laura Copeland, Rachel Cornick, PoppyMay Davies, Jasmine Davis, Patrick Gurmin, Richard Harper, Rhiannon Holt, Dominik Hornig, Bethanie Johnson,
Octavie Kirk, Matilda Knight, Max Lloyd-Fowlin, Kasia Nickells, Luke Palmer, Robin Pillinger, Anna Rogers, Max
Smith, Joanna Taylor, Ben Wiffen.
The Year 10 students planned and delivered all the sessions themselves. They enabled the Year 5 pupils to have
an introduction to seven different languages and to learn a little of the culture of those who speak, or spoke, these
languages.
Among other topics, they taught animals in Japanese, countries in German, food and drink in Spanish, gods and
goddesses in Latin, colours in Korean, transport in Chinese and fruit in French to groups of around 15 Year 5
pupils. The Year 5 pupils were also given opportunities to experience a wide range of cultural activities which
included handball, ballet, origami, boules, mosaics, food tasting, calligraphy, fan-making and learning the
commands that Roman soldiers followed. Special thanks to Miss Li for her help in leading the fan-dancing. The
feedback from the accompanying primary teachers was extremely positive and the Year 5 pupils clearly enjoyed
themselves immensely.
As well as running the Languages Festival, some Language Leaders will also be visiting some primary schools to
work with Year 6 and others will be taking part in some Year 7 lessons at the end of term to complete their Award.
The Language Leaders have met for an hour almost every Tuesday after school since September to develop the
knowledge and the skills which enabled them to plan and deliver the language teaching and the cultural activities
so effectively. We would like to congratulate them all on organising such an excellent festival and for the
commitment they have shown throughout the programme.
Mrs Bretherton
Mrs Caldwell
Ms De Silva
4
Spirited Arts House completion
The RE department is very proud to announce the ten runners up and the overall winner of the KLB House
competition ‘Spirited Arts’.
Students across the school were invited to choose one of the five themes offered and enter a piece of art. We
received over 400 entries in total, many from Year 8 and Year 9.
Congratulations go to Olivia Banks (Year 8), our overall winner:
“The Stronger Human Being.”
Runners up included:
Rowan Gibbard (Year 9)
“God ≥ existence?”
Phoebe Pinnell (Year 9)
“Where is God?”
5
Thea Stephens Tuffee (Year 9)
“God’s promises”
Wren Edgar (Year 9)
Danaya Watchman (Year 8)
Abbie Dix (Year 8)
Steph Flemming (Year 9)
“God Circles.”
“Contemplating my reality.”
“Out of this world.”
Olivia Williams (Year 8)
“Everyone is different,
everyone is the same.”
“What matters most (to you?)
Tarragon Newcombe (Year 9)
“It’s all in their heads . . . . “
Jack Thompson (Year 8)
“The Peace Creator”
Entries will be submitted to the national completion and we wish all our students good luck!
The RE department.
6
RE Department’s visit to St Mary’s Church, Kingswood.
The RE Department would like to thank Revd. Chris Mason and David Hatton
(Church warden) for the enjoyable and informative ‘whistle stop tour’ of St Mary’s
Church, Kingswood during our recent Year 7 trip.
Students were invited to investigate the key features of the Anglican Church and
ask deep questions about the nature of sacred places and spaces.
Students learned about the history of the church, the role it plays within the
community and the religious significance of many of its features including the
altar, the baptismal font and the pulpit.
Many thanks to all involved.
Mr Alun Jones
Stained Glass window at St Mary’s
depicting Jesus as the ‘Light of the
World’ on the left , and Jesus with
children on the right
The baptismal font at St Mary’s church
The Berkeley family crest, preserved from the original church
prior to the founding of the current church in 1723
Students exploring different aspects of St Mary’s Church under the guidance of church warden David Hatton
7
The Trials of Sociology: KLB students in the Courtroom
By Ella Beales and Niamh Bowyer
Whilst studying crime and deviance, the sixth form sociology students and Mr Poole were fortunate enough to
spend the day at Gloucester Crown Court on 7 July. This annual trip is the perfect opportunity for students to gain
a better understanding of the criminal justice system, how it works and its influence on society.
This year, our two sociology classes were able to sit in close proximity to the witness stand as opposed to the
public gallery on the higher tier, meaning that we were all able to feel a part of the happenings of court. Court was
held by Judge Jamie Tabor QC who was able to give us detailed information regarding the history of the building,
as well as explaining what it was like to be a judge. We were also particularly fortunate as throughout the
proceedings he clarified what was happening and explained court terminology, so that we were able to make the
most of our experience. As in previous years, Gloucester Crown Court welcomed our interests in the criminal
justice system, meaning that we felt able to ask any questions we had.
During our time at the court we saw variety of
proceedings including a sentencing via video link
from Bristol prison, the swearing of a jury and the
opening of a trial; whereby the prosecutor and
defence introduced their sides of the case and crossexamined their first witness.
The trip not only enhanced our understanding of the
system and its influence on society, but it was also
exciting, interesting and allowed the aspiring lawyers
within the group to experience what their future
may be like in such a role.
Film Festival 2015
This year’s festival, hosted by Wotton Electric Picture House, showcased the creative practical coursework of the Alevel Film Studies students. Judges included staff from KLB and the cinema and attention was focused on the
engagement of the spectator, development of the narrative, and cinematic skill.
Awards were given as follows:
Year 12
1st Lauren Childs
2nd Maisie Belton
3rd Chelsea Wheeler
Year 13
1st Sarah Powell
2nd Toby Champion
3rd Ben Cridge
In addition, the audience vote was awarded to Sarah
Powell and comments included, “What an incredibly
creative and quirky comedy!”.
Thank you to all those who made the evening a success;
the Film Studies department is already looking forward
to next year.
Mrs Elms
8
Library News
Head shrinking author visits KLB!
Ali Sparkes visited KLB on 7 July to talk to Year 8 students. She had a very
special trick up her sleeve and seemed to be able to shrink or enlarge her head
at will with the help of her magic whirligig – all quite disconcerting – but it
certainly caught Year 8’s attention. They listened intently as she told them of the
numerous setbacks she had encountered on her way to becoming a published
author. If Ali’s experiences are anything to go by, in order to succeed as a writer
you need to be really persistent and get used to hearing the word ‘Unfortunately
…’
Ali photobombing a group hard at work during the workshop
Students who had done particularly well on the Accelerated Reader scheme this term joined Ali for a workshop
after her talk. She explained how we as readers use the cover, the blurb and the first page of a book when
choosing something to read. Students were set the fun challenge to write their own titles, blurbs and first pages
and then they all became X Factor judges to pick the winning combination. They came up with some fantastic
ideas. We’ll put them up in the library at the start of next term so everyone can see how creative they were.
We have a wide selection of Ali’s books in the
library so if you want to find out what happened
in ‘Car-Jacked’ or whether Eddie survived staying
with his cousins and visiting Wookey Hole (read
‘Dark Summer’) come and along and take one
out for your summer reading.
Choosing books for the library
Library helpers and members of the Screen Reads and Prologue library groups had
a lovely day in Birmingham recently visiting Peters Books & Furniture which is the UK's
largest specialist supplier of children's books and educational furniture. Unfortunately our
budget didn’t stretch to buying bean bags or the amazing giraffe on display in the
showroom but each student had £10 to spend on books for the school library. Some
chose their books very quickly, others found limiting their choice to £10 almost
impossible but we came away with a wide variety of material from re-tellings of the
classics such as ‘Jane Eyre’ to manga and books about ancient civilisations. Come and
see the full range on display in the library in September.
As we were in the city centre we made the most of the opportunity and spent some
time at the state of the art Central Library. It really is an amazing building with a
secret garden, café, gallery, Shakespeare Memorial Room, table tennis tables, music
and film library on offer, not to mention the fantastic range of fiction and non-fiction
available to borrowers. It gave us an insight into the wonderful place a public library
can be and we were all very impressed.
View from the garden at the Central Library in Birmingham
9
Careers Convention Thursday 24 September 2015 6.30 – 8.30pm
The school’s annual careers convention will take place this year on Thursday 24 September from 6.30 – 8.30pm.
As in past years, we aim to encourage representation across a wide range of employment sectors. Further and
higher education providers will also be on hand to offer advice on apprenticeships and courses.
Please put the date in your diary now so you don’t miss out.
If you are a local employer or work for an organisation that would like to get involved, please contact Helen Isaacs
on [email protected]
Work Experience
During the week 6 – 10 July our Year 10 students carried out work experience placements with businesses and
other organisations either locally or further afield.
The aim of the week is to give the students a taste of the world of work including: a formal application process;
travelling to and from a place of work; understanding the workplace dress code; undertaking workplace tasks;
following instructions; working independently; developing communication skills; learning how to provide good
customer service.
Feedback from students shows that, overall, they gained a good understanding of the skills employers are looking
for and the qualities that employers find important. Most students felt they had the opportunity to develop new
skills or to show their initiative in the workplace and would now feel more confident in handling new situations. A
large majority of students would recommend their placement to another student.
Our students also embraced the opportunity to ‘shine’ in the workplace and the following are just a few of the
lovely comments passed to us by employers which help to highlight some of the skills the students were able to
demonstrate.
An interested and proactive student…a real asset and lovely to have
around
Very engaged and showed a genuine interest in all aspects of the
business
A great student – got involved, was enthused, proactive, and quick to
learn
Worked quickly and accurately; listened to instructions and asked
questions
Exceeded expectations: demeanour, attitude and enthusiasm were
fantastic for a 15 year old
A happy worker and a real bonus – meticulous and conscientious
Efficient, polite, well mannered, smiley – a good people person
A quick independent learner who used initiative well
Good punctuality and always well presented. Formed good relationships
and was definitely an asset.
Thank you to all the organisations that offered a work placement this year. We really appreciate the effort made in
putting together a programme of work and providing support to the students throughout the week.
10
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) project day at Gloucester University
On 1 July, Dr Vorley and Ms Beltrami took two teams of Year 10 students to a STEM project day at the Univeristy
of Gloucestershire. The challenge we were set was to design and build a model of a structure that would transport
a package across a river. In the morning we worked on our design and had to put together a portfolio of ideas.
Our teachers were not allowed to help us! In the afternoon we had to use lots of tools and equipment to make and
test our model. Many thanks to the technology department for suppling drills, screwdrivers, sandpaper etc. It was
interesting to see how our design worked in practice and to try modifications and improvements. Unfortunately
neither team was completely successful but we
learnt a lot about how structures work in practice
and could appreciate how much thought goes into
the design and build of them.
The students who went were
Cameron Gilby
Ferdinand De Carvalho
Sam Farr
Jasmine Davis
Enzo Bavetta
Cassie Cox
Kasia Nickells
William Bailey
Laura Copeland
Canteen refurbishment
We are investing in an exciting refurbishment of our canteen space. This has long
been an issue for the school in terms of adequate seating and whilst funding for
this type of work is extremely scarce, we have been liaising with students via the
School Council, Mr Harris, KLB Friends and the Governors to develop the space
into a larger more pleasant environment where both staff and students can spend
some quality time sitting and eating together rather than ‘on the move’ as is the
current situation.
With the help of the site staff, the walls are to be removed between T7, T5 and
T6 to create a large area, capable of seating over 150 people alongside the covered area for a further 80 people.
New floors, ceilings, heating, lighting, furnishings and redecoration will be completed over the next eight weeks so
as to be ready for the start of the September term.
This new space will also act as a larger venue for parents’ evenings, to reduce the amount of moving between
appointments for parents and as a much needed assembly space for the Sixth Form and for other functions when
the Drama Hall is already being used or is not suitable for the size of audience.
To coincide with the works we are re- branding the canteen and launching new menus and a wider selection of
food and drink available for staff and students to purchase.
The whole project will then move on to its second phase which will be the introduction of cashless catering. This
will enable a much faster and efficient service without the inconvenience of carrying money. The cashless system
will entail parents and carers registering an account for their children and preloading this for use only in the school
canteen. There are many benefits for parents in terms of knowing what the young people are spending their
money on and restricting the amount available to spend.
In emergencies students can access a top up machine and check their balance or indeed pre order food for
collection later that day. Letters regarding the cashless system have been sent out and students will register in
October ready for the new system to go live on our return in Term 2.
Until November, cash will continue to be used as payment in the new look and new layout canteen.
11
Year 11 and Year 13 Text and Library Books
Thank you to all those students who have so far returned their textbooks and library
books.
If you haven’t yet done this, please can you return any outstanding textbooks, library
books and associated CDs, so they can be issued to next years’ students at the start of
September. You can bring them back on results day.
If you have any queries or need to contact school about your textbooks or library
books, please use the following email address ‘[email protected]’ or contact
the relevant subject office.
County School Games at South Cerney Water Park
On Tuesday the 23 June our school joined other schools from Gloucestershire to compete in the County Watersports competition at South Cerney Water Park, near Cirencester, organised by Active Gloucestershire.
We entered a kayaking team, sailing team and wind-surfer in the competitions. The weather
was sunny and the day proved to be very enjoyable. The Kayak team comprised Ferdinard
De Carvalho, Enzo Bavetto, Tess Knowles and Aoife spokes. In this competition the team had
to complete a timed sprint and timed technical slalom course. It tested all the competitors’
skills and unfortunately we just finished outside the medals. Claire Humphries entered the
windsurfing competition and fared better coming away with a silver medal. Our sailors,
(Nathan Perks, Toby Wells, Zach Freer and Carwyn Coates), put in some excellent
performances but came across some very stiff National opposition in low winds. This sadly
meant they failed to place in the team pursuit event and individual races. However they did
put in some great performances on the day.
All our students also had an opportunity to have a go at stand-up paddle
boarding. The picture above on the right hand side features a number of our
students taking part in this novel activity and I’m pleased to say our school
team in the Katakanu race, pictured below in the blue boat, were declared
winners. All our participants were a credit to our school and a number of our
students were cited by the organising committee for demonstrating the school
games values of determination, team work, passion, respect, honesty and selfbelief.
A former KLB Student, Nicholas Williams, joined in a team photo at the water
sport centre at the end of proceedings, having helped organise the whole event.
12
Year 7 Doubles Tennis Competition at Oxstalls Tennis Centre, Gloucester
We took the opportunity to enter two teams of Year 7 girls and two
teams of Year 7 boys into a beginner doubles competition at the
prestigious tennis centre in Gloucester. All the entered players were
not current club players and had been introduced to the competitive
game recently in school.
Our Year 7 students (David Penfold, Ryan Powell, Olly Davies, Renzo
Angad, Anna Symanowski, Paige Todd, Elodie Sparrow and Ellie
Green) are featured in the photograph on the right. It was pleasing to
see that three of our students were credited for showing the school
values throughout the tournament.
All our students played with great determination and the games were very close. Inside, in the boys’ competition,
Olly Davies and his partner, Renzo Angad, triumphed in the boy’s competition winning all their games. Outside on
the clay courts Anna Symanowski and Paige Todd repeated this success in the girls’ competition, again winning all
their games. In their final match they showed fantastic spirit coming from behind.
Sports Leaders
The last term has seen Year 10 and Year 12 Sports Leaders developing their leadership skills out in the field of
work to support the local primary schools.
Year 12
Year 12 students have been involved with organising, leading and officiating at
a range of events in the local area:  Tag Rugby at Dursley RFC
 Primary Hockey event
 North Nibley school sports
 British school sports
 KLB sports day
Year 10
The Year 10 group have been involved in a range of activities in and around the
local area developing their leadership skills across a range of activities.
 Primary Rounders tournaments
 Football tournaments
 Hockey tournaments
 Multiskills events
 Sports days
 District Primary school sports evening
The pilot GLAM leaders project has seen our leaders developing an action plan
that they will implement which is aimed at getting the Girls Active campaign
launched in September. The five girls involved have continued the development
work from their camp held at Loughborough by the Youth Sport Trust by piloting
self-defence classes this term and developing a new range of activities for
September.
GLAM leaders – Lexy Bond, Joely Brewer, Kathleen Burden, Amber TImol, Daisy
Clutterbuck
13
District Rounders Tournaments
Year 10
The Year 10 girls competed at Archway School. Both
batting and fielding was fantastic, with 17.5 rounders
being scored in one match. They played brilliantly, but
narrowly lost out on getting through to the finals. Well
done girls!
Squad – Beth Edwards, Ellie Parker, Scarlett Smith
(VC), Octavie Kirk, Sophie Chinner, Becky SpencerSmith, Becca Hughes (C), Jas Draisey, Imogen Webb,
Lolly Stone
Year 9
The Year 9 team played really well and made it to the final of
the District tournament! A few highlights include winning
against TK (reigning Champions) 7.5-1.5, Farmors 8.5-4.5
and Rednock 9.5-1.5. It was also a great result in the semifinal, where we won 6-3.5 against Stroud High School. We
lost to Wycliffe in the final, but it was a great effort girlies.
Squad - Laura Edmonds, Tarragon Newcombe (C), Rachel
Hughes, Emily Wilson, Fran Bath, Abi Robson (VC), Georgina
Lloyd, Georgia Ford, Ellie Freer, Lauren Jones
Year 8
The Year 8 team had an exceptional District rounders tournament
this year! They won their group convincingly, winning two of their
games and obtaining a draw against Sir William Romney. The team
then went onto play Maidenhill in the semi – final and won. This
resulted in them obtaining a place in the final against Thomas Keble.
The team then won convincingly and are now District Champions!
Squad - Ismay Lloyd – Fowlin, Sorrel Gilbert, Esme Gurmin, Anna
Mclaughlin, Naomi Culpepper (Captain), Abbie Green, Elissa Duffner,
Apolline Kirk, Emily Crowley, Evie England and Louisa Cartwright.
Sports Awards Evening – 7th July 2015
On 7 July the PE department hosted the sports awards evening. We
were lucky enough to have Beijing Olympic Silver medallist in the
Women’s pentathlon, Heather Fell to award the Sports colours and
trophies.
The evening was a fantastic success with students who had
competed at a District or County level receiving half and full colours
for their sports. The following students were awarded trophies in
their sports.
14
Sport/Trophy
Rugby
Netball
Cross Country
Hockey
Winners
Myles Rawstron – Rudd, Daniel Moss and Kieran Davis
Scarlett Smith and Ismay Lloyd – Fowlin
Elliot Chard and Katie Jenner
Eleanor Stimpson, Hayden Brewer, Lauren Jones and
Thomas Freer
Henry Jones and Naomi Culpepper
Gethin Robson
Jessica Reeves (Judo)
Davis Newcombe (Golf)
Holly Hughes, Josh Werreitt, Lexy Bond, Kathleen
Burden, Joely Brewer, Daisy Clutterbuck and Amber
Timol
Ellie Parker and Tarragon Newcombe
William Payne and Samuel Long
Jacques Woodall, Toby Kinnerly and Naomi Culpepper
Tess Knowles and Rob Dakin
Anna Symanowski and Joseph McCoubrie
David Holt
Sian Burdis
Mrs Chevin
Senior boys hockey team
Robert Bates
Badminton
Outdoor Education
Tubbs Lewis Challenge Shield
Tubbs Lewis Challenge Cup
Sport Leaders Award
Rounders
Cricket
Tennis
Athletics
Gary Broughall Cup (most promising year 7)
Brian Roberts Prize
James Trophy
Coach of the year
Team of the year
Tapscott Cup for Excellence
Gloucestershire Schools Track and Field Championships, Sunday 7 June 2015
Congratulations to all the KLB athletes who qualified from District Trials to
compete for the South Cotswold area in the County Championships.
Lexi Bond was first in action and gained fourth place in the Intermediate
Girls long jump – a fine performance for her first year in the age group.
Tess Knowles then produced a solid series of throws to win the Junior Girls
Javelin. Parker Houser (Junior Boys) and Rosie Harris (Intermediate Girls)
found the opposition too strong in 100m heats but both show potential for
the future. Emily John competed well in the junior Girls High Jump picking
up a bronze medal with a strong performance.
Intermediate Boys 1500m
Elliott Chard and Ben Rawlins were soon in action in the 1500 metres. Ben
was unable to maintain his good recent form and finished outside the
medals in the junior boys event. Elliot however showed his strength with a
fine second place in the intermediate boys 1500 race, before bravely
returning to the track an hour later to claim a bronze medal in the 800
metres.
Yvette Westwood had a full day of championship action but put fatigue
aside to get through the heats and finals of both 100 and 200 metres. She
finished brilliantly winning both events and picking up two gold medals.
An accomplished 200 metre run from Robert Dakin in the 200 metre final gave him a surprise bronze medal in his
first year as an intermediate.
The start of the Junior Boys 1500m
Will Bridges was making a championship debut but battled superbly to get a personal best and take a fine silver
medal in the Junior Boys 800 metres – and probably the happiest podium performance of the day ! Hurdler Abbie
Robson having already taken part in the Shot Put was another KLB medallist with a deserved bronze medal in the
Junior Girls Hurdles.
Will Phillips, a late replacement in the Junior Boys Discus, showed real potential to take a well-deserved third place.
15
Fun run pays off
Students in 8A4 have been working with Olympic triple jumper Vernon Samuel to develop teamwork and
organisational skills. They created a project with the aim to encourage participation in sport whilst helping the
community.
The group of students organised a fun run for Year 7 and after holding assemblies and planning the event, over
150 in the year group took part, watched by the remainder of the year group.
Many students helped raise funds for the two charities chosen by Year 8, which were CLIC and the Wallace and
Gromit Appeal for the Bristol Children’s Hospital. The run took place around the field and some students ran in
fancy dress. It was a great afternoon which showed the real enthusiasm and commitment of all who were
involved.
A total of £1545.74 has been raised to date and credit goes to all who took part including Kirstie Weston who alone
contribute £155.
Year 7 Review
It is lovely to be able to reflect back on the last year with immense pride. Our Year 7 students are now fully
integrated into the school community and have excelled in many ways both in and out of school.
My personal highlights of the year begin in the Autumn term. The enthusiasm and help demonstrated so quickly
by many Year 7 students during the Open Evening was impressive and clearly showed that they had settled quickly
into school life. They were clearly proud to show parents and other students skills they had achieved so far.
In celebration of Christmas, the candlelit Carol Service was a festive, family event made even more special by the
warming atmosphere and participation of Year 7 students in the service. The Christmas festivities continued with
the Year 7 Christmas party the following evening. Again, it was wonderful to be able to watch our students
thoroughly enjoying themselves and displaying some impressive dance moves! Our end of term rewards assembly
completed our celebrations and we were treated to a fantastic musical performance. This was an apt way to finish
our second term and reflect back on how well our students had settled and enjoyed their time with us so far.
There has been a number of extra-curricular achievements completed by students. Many students participated
recently in the charity fun run recently which was organised by some of our Year 8 students and raised money for
two charities; CLIC and The Wallace and Gromit Appeal. I have been impressed, not just by those completing in
16
the race but also by those supporting these achievements through sponsorship. Extracurricular activities include
house events, musical performances throughout the year as well as attendance at a variety of clubs. The spring
term performance of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ demonstrated new found skills learnt through drama lessons and drama
club. There have also been many sports achievements throughout the year; we have enjoyed celebrating success
from rugby, football, tennis and athletics to name but a few.
Throughout the year students have shown great team work and interpersonal skills. Every tutor group has
successfully performed an assembly to the rest of our year group. I have been very impressed both with the
preparation and also delivery of their given topics. These wider skills were evident most recently when many
students volunteered to help on the Year 6 Summer Induction days. Year 7 students were polite, helpful and
certainly made the Year 6 students feel welcome for which I am very grateful. Further highlights from this term
include seeing the Year 7 students enjoying Sports Day. I was pleased to see students winning medals, spectators
cheering their house on and students participating in sports that are new to them.
By the end of term six, students will have watched, and maybe participated in, our final assembly and those top
PACE point winners will have enjoyed the rewards trip. I hope that all Year 7 students are able to finish this
academic year with a sense of pride in terms of new friendships, achievements and skills. It has been a pleasure
to be Head of Year 7 for this year’s cohort and I sincerely look forward to seeing their progress in Year 8 and
beyond.
Chloe Landeg, Head of Year 7
Year 8 Review
As this academic year draws to an end and my first year working as Head of Year 8, I wanted to take a moment to
reflect on what a fantastic year we have had. There have been so many successes, both inside and outside school
that the Year 8 students should be proud of. I have loved being able to mentor each and every student in the year
group and hear about things that they have achieved and things in which they are pleased to have been involved.
I have had regular updates from the PE department and I am so impressed to say that the Year 8 boys are district
champions in rugby, football, hockey and cricket and the Year 8 girls brought home the district trophies for rugby
and rounders. That makes KLB the winner of 8 district titles and I am so proud to be the Head of Year for such a
talented sporting bunch. It was brilliant to be able to go and watch them in their matches and cheer them on in
winning!
Furthermore, there have been numerous different musical and theatrical events where I have witnessed students
performing some outstanding pieces of work. Thinking back to the summer music concert, I was so impressed to
hear about so many musicians from Year 8 performing: Anna Geary as God, Ellie Snowdon as Mrs Noah and Dan
Pacini as Noah are a few people to name. The performance of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ with the Year 8 drama club
allowed Neve Smith, Olivia Green, Austin Hampshire, Amelia Reves, Sophia Iddon, Abbie Green and Oliver Wilson
to showcase their acting skills in front of an audience. The engineering group, who took their project to the
“Go4Set” competition, were the proud winners of the award for being most innovative and for that I must
congratulate them on their hard work and commitment. I am always really impressed to hear about students
getting involved with extra-curricular clubs inside school. Joining these clubs allows students to interact with
different groups of students and develop their learning from in the classroom in a different environment.
There have been some achievements outside of the school setting with the Year 8 students that I was excited to
hear about. Some of the talents and hobbies that the students have are really superb. Charlotte Wilson and
Phoebe Pain have both qualified to ride horses for Great Britain and Aimee Buggs has qualified to represent
England in a baton competition. A special mention must go to Danielle Denbigh, Esme Kenny and Lucinda Bithrey
who were lucky and talented enough to perform in the West End this year. The year 8 group have also proven that
they are a tough group that shouldn’t be messed with! We have had a number of different coloured belts awarded
in karate and taekwondo: Danaya Watchman achieving a brown belt, Christopher Little gaining his green belt and
Isabel Hasking getting a distinction in taekwondo.
I must congratulate a selection of students who have joined some clubs that are developing skills which are vitally
important within society. Matthew Clothier has recently joined John Ambulance and Jason Hunt has joined a
lifesaving group; both of these clubs are enabling these boys to develop first aid skills which might come in handy
in the future.
17
Added to the talent we have in Year 8, we also have a group of caring individuals who have worked exceptionally
well to raise money for a number of different charities and I have loved hearing about the different ways they have
been sponsored. Teaching group 8A4 were part of an event where they organised a charity fun run for Year 7
students, 8LGI organised a bake sale raising money for Cancer Research and many individual friendship groups got
to together to raise money through sponsored walks and sponsored silences. I was particularly proud of Mitchel
Clarke and Ellie Jenkins for their sponsored silence for CLIC and Sienna Laming, Anna Geary, Olivia Banks and
Danaya Watchman for their attempts to be silent raising money for Children in Need. This shows how the students
in Year 8 want to work as part of the wider community and support people who aren’t as fortunate as themselves.
I hope that everyone has a fantastic summer break and I look forward to working with this year group in Year 9.
Next year is a really important point in a students school life as it is the year when students make their options
choices and I hope that, from the beginning of the term in September, they are beginning to think about which
path in life they might want to take and match up some suitable GCSE options.
Thank you to everyone in Year 8 for their hard work and dedication and I hope this continues next year.
Sarah Hind, Head of Year 8
Year 9 Review
The Year 9 students are an enthusiastic group of young people who are contributing well to the school and many
are making the most of the opportunities available to them. The students are fully aware of the two main aims I
set them at the beginning of the academic year: firstly, all students should have a target of achieving a ‘1’ for
effort on their reports for every subject and; secondly, all students should be involved in an extra- curricular
activity. I am a firm believer that all people benefit from being involved in a range of activities and as a result
become a well-rounded person. I hope that students in my year group continue to make the most of the activities
available to them. As a Head of Year, I feel very proud to witness the achievements of so many young people and
I hope the paragraphs below provide a flavour of some of exciting things year 9s are involved in.
I am always pleased to hear from students about their achievements in and out of school. I was thrilled to learn
that Maisey Fryer has represented England in cheerleading and she has been recognised at the sports awards
evening for her efforts. Katie Allen has also represented England in gymnastics. Katie travelled to Italy to
compete for her country. Toby Kinnerley has once again performed at a high level in all sports. He has
represented the South West in the 300m and qualified for national finals. Toby’s sporting prowess in tennis has
been rewarded by playing in the county final. In addition, Toby was recognised for his football ability and was
given the Junior Cup for the most promising footballer at KS3. Tarragon Newcombe has also impressed in the
sporting field. Her interest in golf has enabled her to represent the county in competitions. Ellie Butler also
continues to train hard at Oxford United’s football academy and she has played football to a very high standard
again this year. In team sports, the Year 9 rounder’s team came second in the county, losing to Wycliffe College in
the final.
In the performing arts, a number of the year group continue to perform at a high level. A special mention must go
to both Sophia Staddon and Abbie Bates who have been in a number of shows which include some in the West
End. There are so many other achievements in the year group and the names above are just some of the
highlights of this year. I encourage all students to tell me about what they are doing outside of school because I
am keen to promote and celebrate this.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have helped to make this year to be such a success for
Year 9. I have been ably assisted by Miss De Silva and Mrs Bull and I am grateful for everything they have done.
Mr Warren has also been a great colleague to work with again and I am indebted to him for his unfailing support. I
am also so grateful to the skilful tutors who have shown an outstanding level of care and commitment towards the
students. Inevitably, as an academic year comes to an end, there are some changes. I am sad that one of our
tutors, Mr Bassett is leaving the school, however, I wish him well for the future.
Finally, the students in Year 9 should now have a well-deserved rest over the summer break and they should be
ready to work hard as they are about to start their GCSE courses. Students should be under no illusions about how
crucial the next two academic years will be for them but I am confident that the students will meet the demands
with aplomb. I am looking forward to supporting the Year 9 in their quest to achieve the best they can and I look
forward to working with you to ensure that all students reach their true potential. Have a lovely summer!
Lee Poole, Head of Year 9
18
Year 11 Review
With the focus on GCSE examinations and next steps, Year 11 has gone so fast. The first highlight of the year was
the careers convention in September. There were so many different companies and organisations
represented. It is was a fantastic opportunity for the students to find out about their post 16 options and the
world of work. It was great to walk around and listen into conversations that the students were having about what
the companies do and what opportunities were available. Of course, many conversations were also initiated by the
free pen or keyring and some students seemed to come away with whole bagfuls. Continuing along the careers
theme in November, the Rotary interviews took place with more Year 11 taking part than ever before. All the
students I spoke to thought it was really useful and the Rotary club were so complimentary about all the
students. I am sure that these interviews will help them to move on to successful careers later on in their lives.
A charitable highlight was a cake sale suggested and organised by a number of students for the charity AntiSlavery. It is great to see young people showing care and compassion for those less fortunate as I think it can
often be the case that society views teenagers as quite inward looking. £120 was raised to go towards the work of
the charity which is determined to wipe out slavery that still exists today, for example the 3500 Yazidi women and
children believed to be held as slaves by Islamic State.
The year group has continued to have great sporting success represented by individual students and by
teams. We have a number of national level fencers, long distance runners, sprinters and an international
gymnast. Quite a few have also taken part in World Challenge which really is quite an undertaking with all the
fundraising they needed to do along with working hard for the GCSE examinations.
There was also the prom at Tortworth Court, which was just fantastic! It really was a great evening. The students
all looked lovely and were so well behaved. I couldn’t believe how much they had all grown up from when I first
took over as Head of Year 8. It was such a nice atmosphere all evening and seeing them all arrive with so many
proud parents was really something.
Finally I wish the students all the very best whatever path they choose. They have been an absolutely lovely year
group to look after. I hope they keep in touch and that in 30 years’ time, they will invite their old, and hopefully
retired, Head of Year along to their reunion.
Tim Andrews, Head of Year 11
Sixth Form Review
The Sixth Form year has been as busy as ever. Students have balanced the demands of AS and A level courses
with a range of extra-curricular and enrichment programmes. We have said a fond farewell to an exceptional year
group and welcomed a new group at the recent induction day. The year began in earnest for Year 12 students,
many of whom sought reassurance from Year 13 mentors who helped to settle their anxieties about coping with
the huge jump from GCSE to A level. This mentor scheme has worked successfully and will be developed further
next year. Once students had adjusted to the new workload, the enrichment programme started. We worked in 14
primary schools with students helping in lessons; listening to children read and supporting with primary sports
activities. This year, those considering health care professions were welcomed into one of seven local care homes.
The number of students accepted onto the University of Bristol Access to Bristol programme reached an all-time
high, with KLB students filling 9% of the places available across the region. This eight week programme provides
students with a great insight into studying at university. Charity work has also been a key part of the enrichment
programme.
Many of you will have seen a previous article in the school newsletter describing the Sixth Form Drive for Life event
that we held in February. The event, organised in partnership with the Fire Service, Police and Road Safety Team,
was opened by the very brave and inspiring Izzy Pain. Her words resonated with every student and the feedback
certainly suggested that the impact of the event would be far-reaching. Izzy also headed up the Sixth Form charity
committee, whose members helped to organise a range of events over the course of the year. We look forward to
seeing this year’s leavers’ tea towel, the proceeds of which will support two charities chosen by the Year 13
students: The Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Wolfram Syndrome UK Support Group.
The Talking in Confidence (TIC) programme went from strength to strength with tremendous support being
provided for a number of vulnerable students in lower year groups. The Year 8 literacy programme and
19
tutor group help have continued as in previous years and there has been a strong presence of sixth form students
in lower school lessons. It has been a busy year. Even in the last few days of this term, we have seen 16 students
spend two intensive days completing a TEFL qualification and an additional 35 students complete the first aid
qualification.
Year 13 students worked closely with Rob Penman, our Higher Education Consultant, to prepare for their next
steps into Higher Education. The number of students receiving unconditional offers from prestigious institutions
has rocketed. I am quite sure that this is largely due to the quality of the applications that our students submit as a
result of their hard work under the guidance of Rob. Those applying for art foundation courses gained great
success and the recent art exhibition confirmed why so many had a range of options available to them if they were
choosing to pursue art in the future. Miss Campion supported a group of students through the EPQ (Extended
Project Qualification) programme and an enjoyable evening was spent listening to the engaging presentations as
students showcased their work. Once again, we have been fortunate to have the support of Sarah Singleton who
works with students on an individual basis to prepare applications for employment and apprenticeships. Gap year
possibilities have been highlighted and students had an engaging Q&A with ex KLB students who talked about their
experiences and offered invaluable advice.
There have been some notable events and achievements which certainly deserve mention as we reflect on the
year. Dan Wilson’s enthusiasm for all that he does is remarkable. For the second year running, he organised a
Question Time event for his peers, most of whom were able to vote for the first time within weeks of the event. As
with last year, the lively and heated debate covered a range of subjects from MPs having second jobs to the
economy. Comparing the results of the votes taken before and after the debate certainly left some of the
candidates feeling happier than others. In May, election fever hit the school thanks to sixth form candidates
campaigning for votes in assemblies with engaging and amusing speeches. In contrast with the General Election,
the school result saw a landslide victory for the Labour candidate Zack Thompson.
We were delighted when twelve Year 13 students won a trip to the European Parliament in Strasbourg after
winning the Gloucestershire Euroscola competition. They thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the seats of the MEPs while
participating in discussions in several languages. The busy programme culminated in Dan Wilson being selected to
speak on behalf of the environment group, sharing proposals which were accepted by the full assembly.
As always Year 13 students left in style. Younger students watched in amazement as the school filled with the
emergency services, gnomes, tomatoes and three Top Gear Stigs to name but a few! The Mariachi band serenaded
many lessons and the convoy of students that processed through the school in such imaginative costumes to put a
smile on the face of everybody in school on that day. The same students were transformed for the Year 13 prom,
which was held once again at the beautiful Grittleton School. The social committee worked hard throughout the
year to ensure that we all had a great evening.
Many of you will be among the 20,000 viewers of KLB Uptown Funk posted on You Tube! For three weeks, the
staff filmed in secret to produce this video as a thank you to the Year 13 students. We wanted to do something
special for a truly special year group. On countless occasions, these students went out of their way to help others
and initiate activities and events to support the school and wider community. They have led us to introduce a new
target for every sixth form student from the start of next year: to make a positive difference to someone else’s life.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the sixth Form team: 14 tutors, Joe Sturt, Rob Penman and Lyn Price
for their unfailing support of the students.
Hannah Khan
Head of Sixth Form
20
KLB Friends
Summer Festival
We hope you enjoyed our recent special event when food, stalls, sports and
entertainments were on offer in abundance and we enjoyed pleasant weather from our
early start right through to the close at 4pm The day was certainly a great success in
terms of fundraising as we made more than £4,800 profit on the day and in associated
pre-sales (of raffle tickets, for example).
Thank you to everyone who supported us at the Summer Festival: all those who baked cakes, donated prizes,
manned stalls, helped out and those who came along on the day and supported us. A special thanks, of course, to
the KLB Friends and Committee without whom it would not have happened.
The Festival was officially opened at 11am by ex-student Chloe Ball-Hopkins, who has been awarded Para-Athlete
of the Year and is tipped for the GB Paralympic squad next year in Rio, competing in archery. The 18-year-old has
helped raise much-needed funds for the charity Muscular Dystrophy UK, having herself been diagnosed with the
condition at the age of four. You can read about Chloe here:
http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Chloe-18-target-Rio-award-highlights-charity-work/story-26504307detail/story.html#paoQC0kGyh0kDevD.99
The winner of the Battle of the Bands was Martha Clements, whose prize was a half day recording session at
Ragged Moon in Stroud, worth £250! Well done, Martha and good luck with your music.
The quality of performances was very high and Ragged Moon were very
impressed. You can read their comments on their blog here:
http://www.raggedmoon.com/blog.html
A special mention goes to the band The Rebellion, who were a close
second to Martha in the judges’ view and actually won the public vote.
The Rebellion continued the musical entertainment for us by playing an
encore when the Battle of the Bands was over, so many thanks to them
for that.
The sports taster sessions and displays were well attended and it was great to see what a variety of activities are
available locally and also to see so many people joining in, getting active and having a good time.
There were so many parents, carers, family members and members of the community who came along on the day
and it’s not possible to thank them all individually, but we really do appreciate all the help as we could not have
put on this successful event without you all.
Fundraising success:
We are happy to announce that the combined profits from the Festival and other fundraising activities (such as the
80/20 Club and refreshment sales throughout the year) have helped us reach this year’s target of £7,000 towards
the refurbishment of the school canteen. We will soon be transferring the funds to the school and are happy yet
again to fulfil our mission statement of “raising funds to enhance school life for all KLB students”.
KLB Friends committee:
At our AGM in October 2015 we will say goodbye to several long-standing members of the committee and, as ever,
we would love to hear from anybody who is able to take their place. We always need new people to bring fresh
ideas and to share the workload but there is also a social aspect to being on the committee, as it’s a great way to
meet like-minded people.
Contact us via: [email protected]
Best wishes for the summer holidays from KLB Friends!!
21
Dates for your Diary
The school term and holiday dates for 2016/17 are now available on the school website.
(Full calendar available at http://calendar.klb.org.uk)
13 August
20 August
GCE A level results published
GCSE results published
1/2 September
3 September
17 September
18 September
24 September
21 October
INSET days
First day of term 1
Open Evening for Year 6 pupils and parents
Staff training day
Careers Convention
Last day of term 1
22