SENIOR
ISSUE 4 • SPRING 2020
World Book Day PAGE 2
stedwards.co.uk
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE...
PAGE 3
PAGE 4
PAGE 5
PAGE 6
CCF Camp
A Sweet Victory for More
A Touch of Razzle Dazzle
FameLab Academy
St Edward’s Senior & Sixth Form, Cirencester Road, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 8EY T:01242 388555 E:reception@stedwards.co.uk
I have been asked many times since my appointment as the new Headmaster what attracted me to St Edward’s and being entirely honest there was not one single factor but many that contributed to my decision to apply and accept the position. St Edward’s is more than a school – it is a community that is more akin to a family. As parents we want a school for our children where they will grow in confidence, progress with their studies and leave at the age of 18, not only with excellent grades, but also the skills to handle whatever the next stage of their lives throws at them. In my visits to the School during the Spring Term, it has been wonderful to see the many performances, sporting fixtures, displays and opportunities that exist for all the students, and encouraging to see the large numbers taking advantage of them. These opportunities of course exist thanks to the dedication and expertise of our staff, but one member of staff who deserves particular thanks is Mrs Clayfield who retired from teaching, and her position as Headmistress, at the end of the term. I am sure, in the years to come, many of the pupils, students, staff and parents will reflect on interactions they have had with her and the impact those have had on their lives and I know you all join me in wishing her luck as she moves onto pastures new. I am genuinely excited about the future of our great school – thinking about all the successes that our community will achieve both inside and outside the classroom. St Edward’s is a school that values and appreciates the individual, it is a school that enables each of its members to be genuinely unique and it is a school where every member can become the best them, they can be. This issue of Term Times provides a flavour of what our pupils and students have been up to and, despite the inevitable challenges posed by the current situation with Coronavirus, and starting the new term with Distance Learning, I look forward what the Summer Term has in store. I hope that all our students will take advantage of the opportunity to develop skills such as empathy, compassion and resilience, as they adapt and thrive in a different type of learning environment. Working together, I am sure we can all achieve great things.
DATES FOR THE DIARY Summer Term 2019 Term Starts: Tuesday 28th April Half Term: Monday 25th May – Friday 29th May Term Ends: Wednesday 8th July
Social Media links For all the very latest from the Senior School & Sixth Form please follow us on Twitter: • @StEdwards_Chelt • @SportStEds – for news of our sporting activities And on Instagram: • stedwardscheltenham You can also like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ StEdwardsSchoolCheltenham
Mr M Burke Headmaster
World Book Day Our students did a marvellous job of transforming themselves into their favourite characters from plays, poems and novels they have studied in class, to celebrate World Book Day in March. A special assembly, followed by a literary themed Scavenger Hunt during morning break, got the day off to a great start. To complete the hunt and receive their prize (a gloriously soft baked cookie) each student was required to follow a trail of clues and complete puzzles around the school. The final challenge was to recite a quote relating to their chosen character, which a number of pupils managed very impressively. Lunchtime saw the return of the ever popular Book Day Quiz! Fantastically presented by Elinor H (Year 12), teams were subjected to some tough questioning that really tested their knowledge. World Book Day is a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) of reading. Whilst dressing up is a very fun part of the day, it’s not the what the Day is all about. The activities that we arrange here at School aim to encourage our young people to enjoy reading for fun and to instil a love of books.
S2
Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success, more so than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational background or income. It is with this in mind that Schools across the globe plan their activities and do their best to demonstrate that reading is fun, relevant, accessible, exciting.
CCF Camp, Nesscliffe
WESTWOOD HO! FOR YEAR 12 GEOGRAPHERS
In March, members of the St Edward’s Combined Cadet Force (CCF) enjoyed a three-day camp as part of their training. 57 Staff and Cadets travelled to the Nesscliffe training area in Shrewsbury for a packed weekend of activities.
In March, Year 12 Geographers visited Bideford in North Devon for a three-day field trip. Whilst there, the students learnt a range of fieldwork techniques, spending time studying the town of Westward Ho! and the pebble ridge along the beach. Challenged by appalling weather, the students acquitted themselves admirably, collecting a range of data which enabled them to investigate how the town and coastal landform had changed over time.
UKMT INTERMEDIATE MATHS CHALLENGE
Fieldcraft, building a two-man shelter, using Operational Ration Packs (ORP) and learning how to cook, skill at arms, preparing for their weapon handling test and range practise on the Dismounted Close Combat Trainer (DCCT) were just a few of the lessons our Junior Cadets took part in. The Senior Cadets took part in a Communication, Information Systems course using the new Cadet Force Mercury VHF radio system. All of them
passed the Cadet Radio user course and were awarded their proficiency badge by the Contingent Commander, Maj Winfield during the final parade on Sunday. A highlight for most of the students was the range practise on the DCCT range. A special mention goes to the following new Cadets who achieved very good results on their first-time shooting: Annie M (Year 9), Hugo B (Year 9) and Tom H (Year 9).
Meeting of the Stride Darnley Society Rock climbing, horse riding and musicals were the order of the day this term’s meeting of the Junior Stride Darnley Society. The Society, which has been in existence for well over ten years, is a meeting of students, and some teachers, who come together each term to listen to, and discuss, presentations from other student members. First up was Arabella N (Year 8), who had chosen to speak about her long-time hobby; rock climbing. Speaking with knowledge and confidence, she explained how she came to be involved in the sport, the different types of rock climbing and the recognition of rock climbing in the upcoming 2020 Olympics.
AN OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK Our start of Spring Term Mass, led by our School Chaplain, focussed on how important it is to always try to be optimistic about situations we may face in life, regardless of how challenging they are. At the beginning of the new term, with many looking ahead to important examinations, the occasion provided a useful opportunity for reflection, as staff and students came together to look ahead to what the term had in store.
HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
Next, we heard a very comprehensive presentation from Antonia B (Year 8) about horse riding. She spoke with ease and confidence throughout, explaining the many forms of the sport, and the variety of equestrian competitions. Last, but not least, we had a wonderful presentation from Isabella P (Year 8) about her love of musicals. Issy explained that the addition of dance and music to a story told on the stage is what draws her to the genre. She also spoke about an inspiring live interview that she attended with Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Students from Years 9, 10 and 11 took part in the Intermediate Maths Challenge this term, an hour-long paper consisting of a series of mathematical puzzles. The students achieved some great results. Special mention must go to Shaghayegh S (Year 11), Emma H (Year 11), Chihiro Y (Year 10), Jess A (Year 9) and Brayden H (Year 9) who all qualified for the Kangaroo follow on round in their age group.
Each of our speakers were engaging and spoke with clarity and confidence. It was clear that lots of hard work had been put into the presentations, which were well received by the audience and prompted lots of conversation points from the floor.
Sixth Form students had the opportunity to learn some basic first aid skills in a training session in February as part of their PSHE curriculum. Areas covered in the session included how to check if someone is breathing, how to place someone in the recovery position and how to administer CPR correctly. The opportunity to practise using CPR training manikins really helped the students to understand what to do in the event of an emergency.
S3
GLOUCESTERSHIRE CHAMPIONS Two teams from St Edward’s took part in the Gloucestershire Branch Final of the English-Speaking Union Churchill Public Speaking Competition in February. The event, which was held at the Municipal Offices and attended by the Mayor, Councillor Roger Whyborn, saw teams from Pates’ Grammar School and The Cotswold School compete alongside St Edward’s. The St Edward’s Team of Annabel S (Year 11) who was the Chair, Pati L (Year 10) who was Speaker and Freya H (Year 11) who was Questioner, put on a fine display to be named as the overall winners on the night. The other St Edward’s Team of Sophie E (Year 10), Rachel S (Year 10) and Grace V (Year 11) also gave a superb performance and should be very proud of themselves.
THE IMPORTANCE OF WELL-BEING In late January, the St Edward’s Senior & Sixth Form Parents’ Association hosted a Well-Being Event for parents, aiming to provide answers to some of the questions parents have about the pressures faced by today’s teenagers. As well as a talk from our School Well-Being Nurse and Counsellor, there was also a presentation from a group of Year 10 students who gave a teenager’s perspective into two of the most popular social media platforms, Instagram and Snapchat.
GAMES IN ITALIAN CLUB Our Languages Prefect, Venetia R (Year 12), has continued to run Italian Club this term. During one of the sessions she taught a group of very keen pupils how to play a popular Italian board game called ‘Gioco Dell’Oca’. Interesting conversations on lexical similarities between Italian, Spanish, Danish and French took place and pupils were also treated to some delicious biscuits as they took on the challenge of the game!
S4
Focus on Engineering This academic year, a group of four Year 12 students have been part of an Engineering Education Scheme (EES) run by EDT, a nationwide educational charity engaging young people through STE(A)M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) with focused experience days, projects and placements. EES is a 6-month EDT Programme which links teams of Year 12 students and their teacher with local companies where they work on real-life, scientific, engineering and technology projects. The scheme provides students with an in-depth experience in science, engineering and technology that will enable them to make an informed decision about their future studies and career. Since November, the St Edward’s Team have spent weekly sessions with their mentors from Ultra Electronics, Aaron and Alice, working on a special engineering based project. Their brief, set by Ultra Electronics, is to design and build a modular body sensor to monitor frontline service personnel. In January our budding engineers enjoyed a two day residential, working at Bath University alongside their mentors. The design is really taking shape and they hope to have a working prototype prior to the assessment day in June. We look forward to seeing the final result!
A Sweet Victory for More The House Icing competition returned this year in a new ‘Spring Term Slot’. The theme was Roald Dahl and there were many imaginative entries as students were challenged to design and make a themed decoration out of icing. All of the entries had clearly been planned thoroughly, right down to the smallest of details. In response to the theme a range of Roald Dahl characters made an appearance including Fantastic Mr Fox, the Enormous Crocodile and the BFG.
The author himself was also depicted in entries from Esther E (Year 7) and Áine L (Year 11). Venetia R (Year 12) made a cheery Matilda and one of Matilda’s books was intricately produced by Flo L (Year 11). The winning entry was Annabelle C’s (Year 8) beautiful scene from James and the Giant Peach, making it a victory for More House. Special mentions also go to our runners-up, Alex Mc (Year 13) for her lovely Esio Trot, and Maria S (Year 10) who made a fantastic figure of Willy Wonka.
MFL HOUSE RECITATION COMPETITION The annual Modern Languages House Recitation Competition took place in midMarch. This annual event sees students challenged to recite a piece of French or Spanish poetry with a particular focus on pronunciation, accent and diction. All of the students who took part acquitted themselves very well indeed. The winning House this year was Newman and the runners-up were Fisher.
A Touch of Razzle Dazzle
MADDIE TAKES TO THE SKIES
A cast of talented performers took to the stage in February as they presented their production of ‘Chicago – High School Edition’. Cast and crew had been working exceptionally hard over the preceding few months and there was huge anticipation in advance of the first night. With four performances, including a special Gala night with a 1920s theme it was a long, but enjoyable week and we hope that all who were lucky enough to see the show thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The St Edward’s cast were performing the ‘High School Version’ of the classic show, in which some aspects of the text had been trimmed or changed to ensure the show was suitable for secondary schools. The watching audiences were treated to an impressive visual spectacle, which allowed the cast to demonstrate a huge amount of ‘razzle dazzle’.
Directors, Mr Strachan and Ms Bowen said, ‘It has long been an ambition to bring the wonderful music of Kander and Ebb to St Edward’s in the iconic show “Chicago”. We are so proud of each and every member of our cast for being willing to step out of their comfort zones and commit themselves wholeheartedly to the production – we have been overwhelmed by the depth of talent that exists here at St Edward’s. The show has been a genuine pleasure to work on. So often we have finished a rehearsal talking about how much we have enjoyed it. The cast and crew are a credit to both the School and their families.’
Spectacular Science Science and Maths staff organised some wonderful activities, both in and out of the classroom in celebration of British Science Week (BSW) in March. BSW is an annual event, run over 10 days throughout the UK. Thousands of events take place to celebrate science, engineering, technology and maths (STEM). A highlight of the week a lunchtime ‘Science Spectacular!’ where students were wowed by an array of exciting and visually impressive science experiments, including conjuring fire without a spark, setting methane bubbles alight and making Jelly Babies scream to name just a few. At the end of the week students came together to participate in a STEM quiz. Working in House Teams, students from across the year groups tackled three rounds of Science and Maths based conundrums. After the answer sheets had been collected in and marked, More House were declared the winners. This year, BSW coincided with ‘Pi Day’, an annual celebration of the mathematical constant celebrated on March 14th (3/14). To mark the occasion at School, staff and students constructed a paper Pi chain, with each link representing a number in the infinite sequence of Pi. An impressive effort was made and links were constructed for 192 digits!
During the Christmas break, one of our CCF Cadets was fortunate enough to travel to Dundee to take part in a two week flying scholarship programme. The ACPS flying scholarship allowed Year 13 student, Maddie, to take part in 12 hours’ worth of flying lessons, ground lessons and a theory test, all with the aim of flying solo at the end of the course. It was a great opportunity for Maddie who has her sights set on a career in aviation.
BLIND DATE...WITH A BOOK! Around Valentine’s Day the Library hosted a ‘Blind Date with a Book’ event, where students were challenged not to judge a book by its cover! Little ‘lonely hearts’ ads were written on the front of each book, wrapped in plain paper to hide what was beneath. This challenge always proves popular, with lots of extra wrapping of books required to meet demand!
SIXTH FORMERS EXPLORE TROY Sixth Form Classics students visited the ‘Troy: Myth and Reality’ exhibit at the British Museum in London in January, in order to enhance their knowledge of one of Greek Mythology’s most famous stories. The exhibit provided our Classical Civilisation and Latin A Level students with an opportunity to see examples of both ancient sculpture, as well as contemporary works of art. There was also the chance to examine some of the evidence that adventurers and archaeologists have found looking for the lost city.
S5
FameLab Academy 2020 SCHOOLBEAT In January, Year 7 pupils took part in a series of ‘Schoolbeat’ sessions led by PC McDowell, from the Gloucestershire Police Schools Unit, learning about online safety. Schoolbeat is an initiative from the Gloucestershire Constabulary that sees officers visit schools all over the county and talk to children in Year 6 to Year 9 about a range of potential hazards that they may encounter as they mature both in and out of school.
MACTE VIRTUTE LATIN READERS! Our students showcased their language skills in March at the final round of the Latin Reading Competition, held at Cheltenham Ladies College. Students performed in pairs, with our Year 8 entrants presenting ‘Lucius Spurius Pomponianus’. Isabella P and Lene Z did a particularly fantastic job, coming 3rd in the Junior Latin Duologue, beating 16 other pairs. We are also very proud of Pati L and Sam H (both Year 10) who outshone all of the other contestants in the Intermediate Latin Duologue to win with their reading of ‘Polyspaston’ – many congratulations!
Just prior to half-term we enjoyed an afternoon of Scientific talks as we staged our School Final of FameLab Academy. FameLab Academy is a schools’ initiative run by Cheltenham Festivals which seeks to revolutionise science communication in schools. For the competition, Year 9 students, supported by their teachers and a STEM Mentor from the world of academia or industry, prepare 3 minute presentations to explain a scientific topic in a dynamic and engaging way to a panel of judges. Since the beginning of term all Year 9 pupils had been working hard on the FameLab Academy project, each choosing and researching a Scientific question of interest to them. Following in-class heats, the 10 School finalists presented to the whole of Year 8 and Year 9 at the final. Joining us as judges at the event were the Education Manager from Cheltenham Festivals, Elspeth Kenny, Rob Tipples, Regional Design Engineer at National Oilwell Varvo LTD and our Librarian, Laura McIsaac Bailey. OUR WINNERS WERE: Runner-up: Megan S whose presentation was entitled “Does Temperature affect the bounce of a tennis ball?” The judges praised Megan for her use of props and her clear, scientific explanations.
Runner-up: Dan H who talked about the science behind fingerprints. Dan was commended on his confident performance and the way that he responded to the judges’ questions. Winner: Izzy J who the judges said demonstrated great charisma and an impressive academic approach to her presentation on the question “How do video games keep us playing?” In recognition of winning the School Final, Izzy now has the opportunity to participate in a masterclass in science communication, as well as a one-day visit to a local engineering company. Izzy also secured a place at the Regional FameLab Academy Final. We look forward to seeing how she gets on!
Cracking Collagraphs! Year 8 were working hard in the Art lessons this term to produce ‘Collagraph’ plates. Collagraphy is a print making process in which materials are fixed to a hard backing to create texture. Students arranged their materials to depict sections of the ‘Lost and found’ display in the Art Department. The resulting ‘Plate’ can then be use to print onto paper.
INTERGALACTIC STEM DAY In early March we welcomed Year 6 children from local schools to enjoy an action-packed STEM Day. The children were tasked with exploring the origins of “a meteorite that has survived its journey through the atmosphere”. From testing acids on metals, to extensive research and using microscopes to investigate signs of life, the Year 6 pupils were able to identify that the samples were from different periods in the alien planet’s life, and compare pollution levels.
S6
The plate is coated in paint, laid face-down onto of a damp sheet of card, placed between multiple layers
of paper padding and passed through a large press. Due to the unpredictable nature of the process, the resulting artwork is different every time. Our students aimed to create three versions of their designs, each in a different colour scheme and we think they were rather lovely!
DISTANCE LEARNING It was a far from conventional end to the Spring Term with two weeks of online learning to finish off the first term of 2020. Pupils in Year 7 right through to Year 13 admirably took on the challenge of working from home, supported remotely by our teaching staff who worked hard to provide a programme of inspirational and challenging distance learning. Here is a small selection of some of the images that were sent in to us - #Community
S7
MEET
TH
E
ST AF
F
Bowled Over by Cricket
Mr Matthew Burke, Headmaster
During one of Mr Burke’s visits to School during the Spring Term, Year 7 pupils, Freddie W and Zoe A took on the role of interviewers to ask Mr Burke a few questions in order to find out a little about our new Headmaster: What is your role within the School? My role is to look after the School, making sure that the staff and pupils have everything they need to provide and receive a top quality education. What did you do before working at St Edward’s? I was Head of International Development and Enterprise at Inspired Learning Group, advising a group of thirteen schools in North London. What would you say is the most interesting part of your day-to-day work? I would say the fact that every day is different. I really enjoy talking to people, listening to their opinions and trying to make positive differences at every opportunity. What activities do you enjoy in your spare time? I really like to travel and visit new places, along with my family. I’m also a sports fan – I support Portsmouth Football Club and Bath Rugby Club. Who, or what, would you say has most inspired you in life? I would have to say my School History teacher and my Father. I’ve also been inspired by every other Headteacher that I’ve worked with. Tell us one activity that is on your “Bucket List” I don’t really have a ‘Bucket List’ of things I would like to do. Instead, I prefer to take life and all its opportunities as they come. Finally, the best thing about working at St Edward’s is... I’m really looking forward to getting to know the pupils, the staff and all the members of the wider St Edward’s community. I’m also looking forward to taking St Edward’s to the next level and making every aspect of School life the best that it can be. S8
Girls from Key Stage 3 participated part in Cricket Taster sessions this term, providing an opportunity for them to test their skills, with many of them playing cricket for the first time. Girls’ Cricket is a new sport for St Edward’s Senior & Sixth Form and the taster sessions, run by Gecko Sports, allowed the girls to gain a sense of what they could be enjoying in the future. The taster session started with an introduction to cricket, for those who had not played the game before, with students familiarising themselves with the techniques and rules of bowling, learning how to become more accurate using their non-bowling arm. They were then split into five groups that bowled simultaneously to a range of different targets, testing a range of different skills which aimed to improve technique and precision. In the first lane, the pupils were aiming directly for the stumps and the second had a mat on the ground that tested their short balls. The third set-up had stumps with some plastic bases in front of them, which the girls had to aim for in order to generate a fuller (Yorker) length. The penultimate lane had cones to reward a full-length ball and the final one had cones narrowly lined up to show the correct line for the ball to hit. If a bowler hit the correct zone on their respective lane they gained a point, allowing them to monitor their progress and learn where they need to improve. Our KS3 girls thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to try out a new sport, and are looking forward to testing their new-found skills out on the pitch.
COUNTY CRICKETER During February half-term talented Cricketer Bea E-D (Year 11) visited India on a County Cricket tour, with Gloucestershire Country Cricket Club. The tour lasted 12 days and Bea visited Agra, Jaipur and Deli! Her team played six matches in total - in Jaipur they played one 40 over, and two T20 matches and in Deli three 40 over matches. Bea achieved two 50s during her matches and one of these was in a T20 match! She was also the top run scorer out of the girls and second top wicket-taker during the trip. On the last day of the tour there was an awards evening and Bea won the ‘All-Rounder’ Award.
SOUTH WEST CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS 2020 On Saturday 8th February three of our Sport St Edward’s athletes represented Gloucestershire at the South West Cross Country Championships in Bournemouth. They all did St Edward’s proud achieving the following results: Junior Girls: Abigail T - 42nd (Gloucestershire Junior Girls’ Team: 4th) Intermediate Girls: Ciara T - 13th (Gloucestershire Intermediate Girls’ Team: 3rd) Senior Girls: Emma H - 34th (Gloucestershire Junior Girl Team: 5th)
A “WHEELY” FANTASTIC ACHIEVEMENT!
2020 WINTER SERIES CHAMPION Congratulations to Hady-Noah M (Year 7) who was crowned the 2020 Winter Series Champion in March after participating in the third round of the Winter Series at Shenington Kart Club. A great achievement!
St Edward’s Senior & Sixth Form, Cirencester Road, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 8EY
A big well done to Daisy C (Year 7) who, after 5 months and 15 rounds of cycling has retained the U12 Western Cyclocross League Championship by 2 points. She had to win 3 out of her 4 races to clinch the win and worked really hard to see off some very competitive opposition. Well done also to her brother, Jonathan C (Year 9) who battled hard all season and finished in 4th place in the Under 14 Category. Many congratulations to them both!
T:01242 388555 E:reception@stedwards.co.uk