SILVER JUBILEE EDITION

Transcription

1 September/ October 2013 THE COTSWOLD SCHOOL Bourton-on-the-Water Gloucestershire GL54 2BD Tel: Fax: An Outstanding School, Ofsted 2009 Specialist Language College, since 2002 DfES Leading Edge School, since 2004 Specialist Science College, since 2006 An Outstanding Academy, since 2010 SILVER JUBILEE EDITION It s official! The Cotswold School is now 25 years old and we are proud at how the school has grown and evolved over the years. Formed from the amalgamation of Westwood Grammar School and Bourton Vale Secondary Modern there were just over 400 pupils and 35 staff at the outset so the school has more than tripled in size. Results have improved steadily and the curriculum has broadened with the addition of Spanish, Italian, Russian, Economics, RE as an examination subject, Triple Science, Computing, and Sociology. We have new or improved English, Mathematics, Modern Foreign Language, History, Science, RE, Catering, Sixth Form and Library accommodation with a new Geography block being the latest addition. It is hard now to believe that we did not have a Swimming Pool, Astroturf or Sports Hall in the early days. Trips have gone from one French trip to 13 trips abroad as far as the USA, China and Zambia. Survivors from the 1988 launch include Mr Thomas, Mrs Kempson, Mrs Madgwick and Mrs Hudson who said I remember vividly the day when I saw the advert for the French teacher at the newly set up school in May 1988 and knew instantly that I wanted to work there. Little did I know how much a part of my life it would be, as I progressed from classroom teacher to Assistant Principal and saw my two children through the school. The school has only had three Headteachers: Mr Sanders, Mrs Holland and currently our own home-grown Mr Morgan who started in The school may have changed in many ways but the friendly ethos, family spirit and the personal touch are still very much at the heart of The Cotswold School and our success. Here s to the next 25 years!

2 NEWS FROM THE SCIENCE DEPARTMENT Royal International Air Tattoo 2013 Competing against eight other schools from around the country the Year 10 students Charlie Beadle, Theo Godfrey, Toby Abrey and Alex Barter worked alongside expert graduate engineers in the sixth annual Lockheed Martin Engineering Challenge at the Royal International Air Tattoo, RAF Fairford. The teams were tasked to design and constructed a fast-flying bomber plane. Early test flights proved promising, but a mis-understanding with air-traffic control led to an unfortunate crash-landing which hampered the teams bombing runs in the grand finale. Many thanks go to STEMWORKS for organising the activity and to Gerry Hanagarth for supporting the team at the event. A Level Biology Trip Biology students visited the Crop Centre at Warwick University where they had the opportunity to learn about research on the value of variety, coping with climate change, healthy soils and biological control of pests and diseases. They saw crop field trials in action, a giant insect suction sampler, visited experiments in glasshouses and experienced climate change conditions in a poly-tunnel. Taste testing of home-grown UK baked beans and new chilli varieties added further spice to a highly educational visit. Primary Science Event Twenty students from a variety of local primary schools attended an After-School Science Session investigating light and vision as part of Biology Week. The keen future biologists investigated reflection and refraction, built a camera obscura and watched the dissection of an eye. They described the event as brilliant, awesome, interesting, fun and inspiring. The Science Department hopes to continue encouraging such enthusiasm in Science, with another event lined up for later in the term. Thanks go to Year 8 students Amy Kelly and Tabitha Sylvester who were fantastic scientific assistants and acted as great mentors for the students. Two of the major events in the school calendar have come and gone in the space of two weeks recently, namely Speech Day and Open Day. The former saw over 200 prizewinners cross the stage to receive their prize for academic achievement or service to the school community. Mr Morgan did an excellent summary of the school year and our guest speaker was an English Philosopher, Professor Anthony C. Grayling. All guests were then invited to one of Mrs Wrightson s special buffets in the canteen thank you to our catering team. Open Day saw record numbers of visitors arrive to see the school in action during the day and then another people go round the departments in the evening. The Hall was packed to hear our year 7 pupils speak with authority about how they have settled into school. In total we had 130 guides (and only just had enough to go round!) and another 100 pupils helping out in departments thank you to all our volunteers!

3 DUKE OF EDINBURGH S AWARD NEWS Congratulations go to Will Burdett and Ellie Collett on fully completing their hard earned Bronze Duke of Edinburgh s Awards. Other students have been making good use of the fine weather to complete assessed expeditions. Over July, August and September three groups of Year 13 students completed challenging 4-day Silver Assessed Expeditions in the exceedingly hot and sunny New Forest. Many thanks go to the New Forest Panel DofE Assessors, Charley Nelson and Gary Campbell, who gave the fantastic groups a thorough assessment of their expedition skills. Thirty-five Year 11 students have also been busy completing their 2-day Bronze Assessed Expeditions, hiking from Fish Hill to Naunton, camping overnight at Hayles Fruit Farm. Some groups weren t quite so lucky with the weather but survived some September downpours with fortitude. The teams are now preparing their expedition projects for presentation. Grateful thanks go to the DofE expedition assessors, Nigel Hosken and Julia Griffiths, for giving the teams a rigorous assessment. Many thanks also go to Mr & Mrs Ellis and Mr A Thomas for supervising the teams. Year 10 and Year 12 students have also started registering their volunteering, skills and physical sections for their Bronze and Silver DofE Awards respectively. We have also been busy gaining accreditation to run the DofE Award as a directly licensed centre, with Mr Morgan invited to St James Palace s to collect our newly awarded Licensed Centre Certificate. MUSIC NEWS F.A.B!! The Fine Arts Brass ensemble visited us earlier this month. This nationally-known quintet had lunch with us and gave us a fascinating presentation giving an insight into how brass instruments work and their role in music history. Later they gave a masterclass for 15 of our brass players, culminating in an impromptu concert. Our pupils we were very fortunate to see and hear the Fine Arts Brass quintet in action and children and adults alike thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. Concert visit to Birmingham 16th October saw us take our Year 10 pupils to Birmingham to hear the Orchestra of the Swan perform works by Tchaikovsky and by Mozart including Mozart s Symphony number 40 - one of our set works for Music GCSE. Having heard this a lot in the last few weeks it was a refreshing change to hear it played live. I really enjoyed seeing the orchestra on stage, said one pupil. Another said I was surprised how few people there were in the orchestra you only need about 25 people to play this piece. As usual behaviour of Cotswold School pupils was exemplary, and we received compliments from the audience and the Town Hall staff. Well done Year 10 here s to the next time. Christmas is coming - and here are some music dates for your diary Thurs 14 November : Year 8 Music Showcase Weds 4 December : Spirit of Christmas at Gloucester Cathedral Fri 6 December : Choir at Bourton Victorian Evening Tues 17 December : School Carol Service at Upper Slaughter

4 NEWS FROM THE ART DEPARTMENT Inspirational Art Trip to London Galleries Year 11 Art students recently took to the road and visited the Saatchi Gallery and Tate Britain to put their GCSE course into context and see some fabulous art ranging from paper installations to old masters. Fun was had by all during this educational visit and pupils had plenty of opportunities to engage with the artwork up close and in person.the Saatchi Gallery offered a tour of their Paper Exhibition, which enabled pupils to see the endless possibilities of Paper as a medium, whilst Tate Britain displayed its usual inspirational collection of Art across the centuries. The breadth of Art at Tate Britain really inspired us all and lots of sketches and photographs were taken. Once back on the bus, Pulham s Coaches supplied a tour of the city and its famous landmarks and public Art which rounded the trip off perfectly. Success in the Painted Cotswold Art Competition Congratulations to Tabitha Sylvester, in year 8, who was one of a select few from schools within Gloucestershire who received a certificate of achievement for her colourful entry into the Painted Cotswold Art Competition. Organised by the County Council, raising awareness for Gloucestershire Young Careers, renowned artist Darren Baker helped judge the prize winners of the competition and even awarded Tabitha with her runner s up certificate. Congratulations Tabitha! YEAR 9 CAREERS EVENT On Monday 14 th October school held a careers evening solely for year 9 pupils to aid them with their GCSE options choices. A number of local businesses and members of the local community gave up their time to come into school to talk to the year 9 pupils and answer questions they might have about a number of professions. Pupils had the opportunity to talk to chefs, electricians, pilots, motor engineers, architects, vets, veterinary nurses, food manufacturers, artists, teachers, estate agents, surveyors, photographers, cabin crew, journalists, nurses, and there were representatives from the financial sector, hotel management and human resources. This was a great chance for pupils to speak first hand to the people that are actually involved in what could be their chosen career. If anything, pupils were able to expand their horizons and see the diverse options available to them. The evening was a huge success and there are already plans to repeat the event next year along with a similar one for Year 11 and 12 in the new year. A big thank you to all of those people who volunteered and took part in the evening. NEWS FROM THE LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT The MFL department were delighted to welcome pupils and teachers from our partner school near Munich in Germany this month. 10 German pupils arrived on 4th October to stay with their exchange partners and our German visitors accompanied their partners to lessons and also took part in a range of trips and activities over the week. The Cotswold School pupils had the opportunity to practise their German and communication skills, particularly on the joint trip to Oxford. The Cotswold School's pupils did an excellent job of hosting our German guests - such a good job that some of the German pupils didn't want to go home! We are now looking forward to our return trip at Easter. Well done to all the pupils and families who hosted our visitors. European Day of Languages was 26th September and the languages department celebrated with a language quiz in the hall for pupils in Years 7&8. There were two teams of teachers who competed against each other to show superior knowledge of a range of language and culture and pupils in the audience were enthusiastic in judging the teachers' performances. Moments to note were Mr White's belly dancing, Mr Hemsley's acting ability when performing as a participant in the Oktoberfest and Mr Jones' running ability in order to beat Mrs Bates to the answer at the back of the hall. And many thanks to all the members of staff who took part! The winning team was Mr. Ellis, Mr MacMorland, Mr Hemsley, Mrs Bates and Miss King against a valiant effort by Mr Goold, Mr White, Mr Jones and Ms James.

5 CHARITY MUD RUN It s funny what people will do when challenged. Tempted (or bullied some might say) to push their own physical boundaries. That is exactly what happened recently when a group of eight Cotswold School staff took on the gruelling challenge of a 10K Mud Run in Derbyshire. Mr Smith, Mr Thomas, Mr Shorter, Mr Macmorland, Mr Sweetlove, Miss Tattersall, Miss Franklin and Miss Brammar all entered the X Runner Wild Thing, a 10K obstacle race that pushed them to the edge of their fitness and mental levels. Located at Wild Park in Brailsford, near Derby, the race was made of two 5k laps which included obstacles such as: The Swamp of Doom, where Adam Thomas lost his footwear, a plunge pool which involved swimming in muddy water, and underneath floating obstacles. You then you had to climb a ladder to be sent hurtling back down a purpose made water slide back into the muddy depths. We leapt through walls of fire and waded through waist high muddy water. There were tightropes, tunnels, quick sand, giant walls, cargo nets, more mud, more water and finally the assault course. This was a team event and we all made a pact that we wouldn t run off or leave anyone stranded. However the adrenalin was too much for Matt The Machine Macmorland who asked permission if he could give it a go. The team consensus was, that we didn t want to hold him back, so off he went. He was first to obstacle number one, standing tall on a 12 foot high hay stack, arms aloft cheering like Rocky on the Museum of Art in Philadelphia and he was gone. An hour later he lapped the rest of us on his way to completing the course in a time of 1hour 7 minutes placing him 22 nd in a field of nearly 3000 competitors! He did feel guilty for running off though and ran a third lap with the rest of us to ease his conscience. The whole event was enjoyed by all that entered, and even though we were wet, muddy, and absolutely exhausted we all are keen to give it a go next year. The fact that we were all raising money for Team Macmillan did give us that extra boost. NEWS FROM THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT On Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th October all Cotswold School Year 7 students visited Goodrich Castle as part of their present studies into Medieval Britain. This fantastic site brought to life the realities of castle design that the pupils are studying as part of their present enquiry. Pupils were set the task of trying to imagine how they would attack and defend the castle and to see if they could see how the castles were built up and improved at different times. Pupils had great fun discovering the portcullis and murder holes, climbing the tight spiral staircase to the top of the keep and walking around the high wall walks. Goodrich has an amazing example of a Great Hall with large fire places and windows. Pupils also fascinated at finding the castle garderobes toilet shoots! The ghost story and the dungeon were also clear highlights! We were delighted by the behaviour of the students, with the staff at Goodrich and other members of the public all commenting on how mature and interested they were. CHINA TRIP 2014 Last chance to sign up for Chinese trip, October half term Letters must be back as soon as possible as flights will be released shortly. Fantastic opportunity to see famous sights such as The Great Wall of China and the Shanghai skyline, as well as taking amazing local Chinese food and visiting our partner school. Also lots of Xmas shopping opportunities! See Mrs de Mello for a letter or if you have any questions. NOTE TO ALL PARENTS: A reminder to all parents that pupils should be dropped off and picked up outside the gates before and after school. Please avoid driving in to school as it causes problems for the buses trying to get in and out and also increases the risk of accidents due to excess traffic. All pupils travelling on a school bus must make sure they have their bus passes with them at all times or they could find they are refused transport on that day, also they must make sure that they travel on the correct bus that the pass is issued for. Could you also please ask your son/daughter to remain in their seat during the journey to and from school and make sure they are wearing their seatbelts. Many thanks for all your support.

6 Aspiration... Inspiration: Congratulations to: Elliot Goodman pushed himself to achieve terrific marks at GCSE this summer and has now been accepted by the Royal Navy on an officer cadet programme. While at The Cotswold School, Elliott was in the audience when a guest speaker talked to students about careers in the armed services. Elliott was inspired and set about investigating how he could proceed - and with fantastic results. There are just 23 places available to Royal Navy cadet hopefuls at Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College - an independent, selective sixth form college in Leicestershire. We are delighted to report that Elliot, out of more than 1000 applicants, has secured himself one of these highly sought-after places. With tremendous perseverance and dedication on his part, as well as the support and encouragement of his teachers such as Mrs Graham, Elliot met and exceeded the GCSE targets he had to reach to be accepted on the programme. The Royal Navy selection process, which took place during Elliott's GCSE preparation, has been decidedly gruelling with the toughest part taking place with the Admirality Interview Board in Gosport. Following Welbeck Defence College, Elliot hopes to attend university to study marine engineering. After university, he will then go on to the Britannia Naval College, Dartmouth to pass out as an officer of the Royal Navy. Congratulations Elliot! John Feaster who came 8th in the Country in the National Level U21 fencing competition held in Newcastle at the weekend and also to his brother Bob who finished within the top 16. Natalie Webb who plays for Forest Green Rovers Under-14 girls who became National Champions after winning the ESF Champion of Champions Finale in Coventry. Cotswold School U16 Rugby team will be involved in The Stow on the Wold RFC Three Counties Floodlit Rugby Competition. This involves 18 schools from Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire playing matches through the winter under lights at Stow RFC. The final of both the main competition and the Plate Competition will be played on Saturday 22nd March prior to a Stow Rugby Football Club 1st team game Alana Taylor who has been selected for trials at an elite camp for the FA Girls England Talent Pathway. Harry Gaden who has got into the U18 County Rugby Squad. The Cotswold School Academy Trust is a company incorporated in England and Wales, limited by guarantee with registered Company number NEWS FROM THE PE DEPARTMENT The 6th form netball team competed in the U19 County Netball Tournament - the developing squad played well against some strong opposition. We look forward to building on this performance in future fixtures. There has been a fantastic response from students about being involved The Cotswold School Equestrian Team. The first assessment sessions are taking place this half term with Sarah Kellard-Smith our Team Trainer. Please see Mrs Graham (Team Manager) for further details. There have been some excellent performances by school netball and hockey teams. Notible wins have been Year 8 netball Vs Chosen Hill and 9a and 9b netball success against Winchcombe. The hockey teams have been equally successful with U16 and U13 wins against Chosen Hill and an impressive 2-0 U13 win against Balcarras. All pupils continue to train hard in extra-curricular clubs. The PE department are delighted to launch their examinination and extra- curricular PE Kit Shop in conjunction with Wreal Sports. The kit is NOT compulsory; you can order individual items or buy a selected package at a 10% discount. Kit can be worn for extra-curricular clubs, fixtures and examination lessons; however it does not replace Core PE kit. Items can be veiwed in store or via the online kit shop As a department we hope our new improved professional appearance will unite us as we strive to support students reach the next level in their performance. We aim to give a smart and professional appearance to external visitors and moderators as well as to ensure students are equipped with a choice of warm suitable clothing to support them in their sporting endeavours. Items can be ordered all year round from Wreal Sports - Please visit the online kit shop for more information. We are pleased to re-start our popular Cotswold Community School Link Clubs after half term. These clubs aim to allow students to access specialist coaching for less. Initially clubs will be offered in gymnastics, floorball and dance and in spinning and tennis for 6th formers. Please see Cotswold Community School Clubs letter for more details. All reply slips must be returned by Wednesday 6th November and all clubs start the Week beginning Monday 11th November. The PE department are always looking for willing volunteers to help facilitate sporting opportunities for pupils - if you hold a current coaching certificate and would like to help with extra-curricular clubs and fixtures please contact Miss Tattersall at school.

7 THE COTSWOLD SCHOOL FASHION SHOW 2013 From a student s perspective, I have to admit that the annual fashion show has always been an enjoyable event and this year the organisation fell on the shoulders of the Year 13 textiles students, led brilliantly by Sophie Martin. With a theme of 'The Secret Garden', the Fashion Show did not disappoint, emphasising blossoming designers and models that flourished under the spotlight! The collections came under the scrutiny of a discerning judging panel: fashion guru, George Davies and his head designer/buyer, Charlotte Edgeworth, as well as our own teacher/judges: Helen Kempson and Ami Minchin. Winners this year were: Caitlin Yates (Best Design Drawings and Concept), Lydia Clarke (Best Single Outfit, for her 'Lily' gown), and Charlotte Crouch (Best Model). Charlotte said 'I can't believe I got Best Model, especially with all the other fantastic models! It was a great way to end a thoroughly enjoyable evening.' Sophie M Taylor, Emily-Jane Bayliss and Sophie Collett collectively won the top 'George Davies Prize' for Best Collection. The award, generously donated by the George Davies Charitable Trust, includes sewing machines and work experience with George Davies' clothing company. Miss Julie Franklin, Textiles Teacher said 'Students have been working since July on their collections. They have been supported by Year 13 mentors but mostly worked independently. I am extremely proud of all their efforts and everyone who made the event so spectacular. We raised over 1000 for Macmillan Cancer Support Entertainment was provided in the forms of Charlie Meyrick and Steve Howard who had the audience in stitches with their distribution of raffle prizes and impromptu jokes. A particular highlight from the evening came from Principal, Mr Morgan, who managed to win a family ticket to Giffords Circus in the raffle (no bribes involved!) amid rapturous cheers from the audience! As Steve repeatedly stated, 'we are all winners here', and the Fashion Show proved just that, with beautiful designs, energetic runway shows and ethereal decorations, ensuring that the enthusiastic team of sixth formers and Miss Franklin produced a magnificent evening raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

8 Learning Hub by Adult Education at The Cotswold School Thursdays at The Cotswold School starting 07-Nov-13 (6:30-8:30pm) Cooking for Christmas 4 weeks 40 a kitchen workshop making traditional Christmas cake, puddings and mince pies. Glam up for Christmas 5 weeks 50 discover make-up tips and tricks to help you look great during the festive season. Get online and do more with your pc and laptop 6 weeks 60 all you need to know to stay safe online, buy and sell on ebay, and skype your family. Information Technology 6 weeks 60 introduction to word processing, including how to prepare attractive CVs and newsletters. Personal Development 6 weeks 60 discover 10 secrets of good time management and get the best return on your effort. To enrol for courses at either hub call Christine on or [email protected] YEAR 10 WORK EXPERIENCE A presentation was recently held for Year 10 students and their families, providing guidance on Year 10 s Work Experience Week. In case you were unable to attend that presentation (or would like to look at it again), you can view the powerpoint slides on the school website. If you have any queries or concerns regarding year 10 s Work Experience programme, please feel free to the school. Your will be forwarded to the relevant person who will be able to provide you with the advice you need. PLEASE NOTE: ALL DIARY DATES CAN NOW BE FOUND ON THE SCHOOL WEBSITE