- John Spence Community High School

John Spence
Newsletter
John Spence
Community
High School
Dec. 2012
Celebrating Success with Last
Summer’s Leavers
On the evening of Thursday, November 15th, the school held its annual Presentation Evening for the
students from Year 11 who had left us in the summer and who, in late August, had delighted all concerned with their outstanding achievements in external examinations.
A very large majority of the former Year 11 students attended as well as many of their families and
friends. The evening started with the Headteacher, Mr Stephenson welcoming members of the audience and congratulating the former students on their outstanding achievement.
Mr Whittock, their Head of Year, recalled some personalities and incidents from the five years that he
had been responsible for them when they were at John Spence.
The bulk of the evening was spent presenting examination certificates and awards to the young people
in the Hall. Staff had been asked to give commendations to our former students based on a wide
range of criteria, ranging from particularly noticeable achievement and effort in both academic subjects
and extra-curricular activities to support for other students, or for contributions to the general life of the
school.
Examination certificates were then presented to the students. Presentations were then made to the
twenty-five winners of the Celebration of Success Awards. These awards had been presented to Years
7-10 in July, but were held back until this evening for Year 11 students. Cash tokens were presented to
the twenty-five students who had received the highest number of nominations from staff. From these
recipients, a Student of the Year had been chosen by the Head of Year and Form Tutors as having
made the greatest contribution to school life over the year. This year the award went to Alistair Boyd,
a student who made a huge contribution to the life of the school during his time with us.
Finally, Mr Lynn, the Assistant Headteacher, explained the background history of the Haswell Medal for
outstanding academic achievement, which is presented annually to the student achieving the highest
score in GCSE examinations. The winner of the Haswell medal for 2012 was Alistair Boyd making
him the first student to ever be awarded both the Haswell Medal and the Year 11 Student of the Year
Award.
Mr Lynn explains the
history of Haswell Medal
Ali Boyd receives the
Student of the Year Award
Ali Boyd receives the
Haswell Medal
John Spence
Page 2
Where are they now?
A chance meeting in London earlier this term and an unexpected email in the run up to
Christmas gave us the opportunity to catch up with two ex-John Spence students who we
hadn’t heard from in a while. We thought we should share their recent experiences with current students and their families. We are always interested to know what happens to ‘our’ students once they leave us, so if you are an ex-student with a story to tell, or have any friends
or relatives out there who attended John Spence and want to update us on what they are doing now that they have left school and are making their way in the world, drop us a line at
jschs-office@ntlp.org.uk and we will include your story in a future newsletter.
Kimberley Gibson
- Barrister As clichéd as it may sound, I’ve
always known that I wanted a career in law. And for as long as I can
remember, I’ve wanted that career
to be as a barrister. When I started
on this journey, I was vaguely
aware of the stereotypes surrounding the English Legal System and
as I progressed, there were whispers that I was not from the “right
background” and I didn’t attend the
“correct schools”. However, I now
believe that these stereotypes and
discriminations are disappearing
and paving the way for any hardworking individual to reach their
potential.
Kimberley and her parents at the Inner Temple
reception when Kimberley was Called to the Bar
I started at John Spence Community High School in September 2001 and spent 5 wonderful years
there taking part in various sporting and academic activities, going to Italy twice, and going on Miss
Taylor’s annual trip to Alton Towers. For my work experience placement in Year 10, I shadowed a
legal clerk at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court and from then on, I was hooked on all things legal. I
left John Spence in 2006 with 9 A to C grade GCSEs and a GNVQ in Business Studies, knowing that
the next step for me was college and A Levels.
I attended Tyne Metropolitan Sixth Form College from September 2006 until June 2008, where I
gained 3 A Levels in Law, English Language and History. Whilst the gap between GCSE and A Level
is vast, I was prepared for what was needed after having worked hard to gain good GCSEs. It was
during my second year at college that I had to make the most important decisions of my life that far –
which universities I would apply to and which one would I choose to go to.
I eventually decided that Northumbria University was where I wanted to study due to the unique degree that they offered. To be become a barrister you need to have a law degree (or an equivalent)
and then you need to complete the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), which is a yearlong,
post graduate course. Northumbria allowed me to combine both of these requirements into a four year
degree and so I began my course in September 2008. During my time at university, I undertook various legal based work experiences including spending a week in London with City law firms, shadowing barristers in Newcastle, York and Liverpool and also sitting with a judge in Durham Crown Court,
to name but a few. After four years of hard work, I graduated in July 2012 with a Master in Law Exempting incorporating the Bar Professional Training Course, Second Class (Upper Division) and a
Very Competent on the BPTC.
I am currently applying for pupillages, which is the next stage on my barrister career path. To gain a
pupillage, your CV needs to stand out and sparkle. Therefore, at the end of October I am going to
America to work on Death Row cases in Lubbock, Texas for six weeks. When I return, I have been
offered the position of Legal Services Officer within the National Health Service. I still live near John
Spence and whenever I pass by, I always think about the various skills and knowledge I learned during my time there. I hope that current and future students will keep in mind that it does not matter
which school you go to, but how hard you work when you are there.
Kimberley Gibson
Page 3
Frances Grimes
- Oxford Scientist -
During my time at John Spence I was involved in a number of teams and clubs, playing on netball, hockey and rounders teams, performing in two school pantomimes, two X-factors and the
North Tyneside Dance Festival. In addition to my extracurricular activities I was fortunate
enough to leave Year 11 as the recipient of the Haswell Medal after receiving a fantastic set of
GCSE results (9A*, 2 Distinction).
On leaving the school I was faced with the question of where to go next. I had decided long ago
that I was going to continue studying to get my A-levels so that I could apply to university, and
so was presented with the choice of Tyne Metropolitan Sixth Form College (as was), St. Thomas More or Whitley Bay. I, like many others, really benefit from a good kick up the backside
from time to time when it comes to work and thought that a school-sixth form atmosphere would
suit me a lot better, so I ended up at St. Thomas More for the next two years.
At sixth form I chose to stick to my strengths and take mainly science subjects. At AS-level I
studied Chemistry, Biology, Maths, Further Maths and Spanish, in the second year dropping
Spanish and taking the rest to A-level. I left sixth form in the summer of 2009 with four A grades
and an A in AS-level Spanish.
And that brings us up to the present. I am now in the fourth and final year of my Masters degree,
reading Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry at the University of Oxford. I am currently working
on my dissertation, a research project based in the University’s Department of Pharmacology,
and like to think I look very at home in a white coat, goggles and gloves. I have loved my university experience: making life-long friends, getting to live in Magdalen College and play ‘Harry
Potter’ for three years, discovering a new city and being constantly challenged intellectually. I’ve
also enjoyed being part of various committees and teams. In my second and third years I was
the Volunteer Manager for a student-run charity project, a committee member of Oxford Women
in Business society and vice-captain of Magdalen College Women’s Boat Club. I’m currently the
social secretary for the college netball club, co-captain on the women’s basketball team (on
which none of us know the rules).
On graduating I hope to be successful in my application to a teaching programme called Teach
First, which recruits graduates to teach in challenging schools for two years. After completing
their leadership programme I would like to return to academia, perhaps abroad in the US or
Europe, in order to get my PhD…Dr. Grimes has ring to it.
Frances Grimes
Where are they now?
In September of 2002 I walked towards my first day at John Spence Community High School.
The school and I had gotten off on the wrong foot after I found out that I’d be spending the next
five years in a form class without any of my best friends. But luckily, I’m not the type to hold a
grudge, so after just a few hours in the new uniform all was forgiven, and five years later I
walked out for the last time as a student. I adored my time at the school, and it’s still a popular
topic of conversation with friends, saying much we miss the place and the teachers.
Page 4
John Spence
John Spence Stars Meet Olympic Stars
Over the weekend of 16th – 18th November, Glasgow hosted the UCI Track Cycling World Cup, the first
international cycling event in the city’s brand new Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome. Through the Bike It Project we
received five tickets for the opening day’s event on Friday 16th November. This came at an incredible time
for cycling in Britain after our first Tour de France winner, sixteen Olympic and Paralympic Gold medals in
London 2012 and almost 2 million people out riding their bikes on a regular basis.
As the Commonwealth Games in 2014 approach and athletes fight for a place on the road to Rio 2016, it
was a real chance to see so many familiar famous faces, alongside some excellent up and coming cyclists. The packed out programme featured cyclists from around the world and made some exhilarating
spectating.
The students who travelled up on the day had all been selected carefully by school based on their individual successes in sport. Geraldine and Christopher Sword were selected for their amazing feats in the
WTKA World Martial Arts Championships in Italy. They gained individual medals alongside achieving
World Champion status in the team event. David Burwood has impressed in school rugby, both in lessons
and within Inter School competition. He recently trailed for North Tyneside Academy and will hopefully be
successful in cementing his spot in the squad. Rees Hope has impressed within the Trampoline Academy,
showing excellent levels of commitment and in reaching a high level of ability in such a short time and was
rewarded with a superb performance in the recent school championships. Finally, Orla McCallion received
her ticket through her exemplary commitment to school sport, both in lessons and extra curricular since
joining John Spence in September, a real future prospect within a range of sports!
Within the day’s event, we managed to get track side views of the Team Pursuits, Ominium, Team Sprint
and 10Km Scratch Race. The velodrome was hugely impressive and bustling with fans eager to get
glimpses of the Team GB heroes from London. Our seats where in a perfect location, overlooking the
Team GB pit and allowing us to see the famous Dave Brailsford and Shane Sutton at work, the men instrumental in all of Team GB and SKYs cycling successes. Some of the racing was electric, with these
amazing cyclists pushing their bodies to maximum efforts along the steep and scary 45 degree sloped
velodrome walls. Team GB shone in various events, demonstrating the strength of the sport within the UK.
The Team Pursuit did not end so well though, with the foursome of the GB Team crashing out at high
speed right in front of our very eyes!
Ed Clancy, Jason Kenny, Laura Trott, Jessica Varnish and Dani King supported the lesser known stars
and put on a memorable display of skill and endurance. This was a fantastic day out and one which will
remain in the memories of all who attended. The velodrome was easily reached from school and we hope
to offer opportunities to our students in the future, either as visitors or participants!
Thank you to Lucy Bemrose (Bike It officer) and Sustrans for funding the day.
Page 5
John Spence Students APPly Themselves
A group of Year 9 Gifted and Talented students were tasked with using their entrepreneurial skills during
this Enterprise Challenge.
So what was the Challenge?
Following on from the fantastic success of our British Team at the Olympic Games the students were
challenged to design a mobile app which encourages 13-16 year olds to get involved in sport.
Creating and delivering a successful app is becoming increasingly challenging. The products had to
stand out, deliver a more engaging experience, and have quality content which meets consumer needs.
The students discovered that designing and developing an app is like an entrepreneur starting a small
business. They all took different roles, such as the part of researcher, accountant, networker, project
manager and designer.
The apps that were designed all took into account social media and were designed so they could be
converted in to any language.
At the end of the day the students presented their ideas to a panel of judges.
The winning group was I-Fitness who designed a complete fitness app, which allowed you to select your
own coach and music and had links to sporting charities.
Adult Learning
Opportunities
It’s not too late to enrol for IT Classes at
John Spence - students could do CLAiT &
ECDL starting in January. We have classes
mornings and evenings commencing 7th
January 2013. Please pick up a brochure
from our reception or ring Susan Murray on
0191 2005220 ext 4 to enquire about other
courses on offer.
Page 6
John Spence
All SySTEMs Go
Our new intake of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) students have had a busy term.
In sessions which run after school on Wednesdays, the students have investigated a number of science
related topics ranging from fire fighting and home made extinguishers to how to make Halloween slime.
A key part of the STEM club is to see how these subjects apply in the real world. Over the term Miss
Hogg has organised two visits to local organisations which are heavily dependant on STEM related skills.
In the first visit the group was shown around Tynemouth Community Fire Station and was given a presentation on the science of fire. The point being that fire fighters need to know the chemistry of how fires develop before they can work out the best way to extinguish them!
This was followed by a visit to the NISSAN plant in Sunderland. The design and make process of manufacturing a new model of car was explained before a tour of one of the assembly lines was undertaken.
Both visits providing a 'hands on' opportunity to see science and technology in action!
Page 7
John Spence Baking a Difference!
During this first term John Spence staff have been showcasing their cookery skills, all in aid of charity.
In September the whole school raised money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Each student donated a pound to the
charity and came to school in non uniform. Some students even wore the colour green to show their support!
A bake off was organised for staff to enter and a coffee morning was held for the remaining staff to purchase the delicious treats made by their co-workers. We had a team of judges to sample each entry and select a winning cake.
Congratulations to Miss Armstrong for her winning Passion Cake.
All in all £785.79 was raised in support for Macmillan Cancer Support, so many thanks to any one who donated.
Another bake off was held in November for Children in Need. This time the staff raised £60 and Mrs Clay’s Definitive
Orange Cake was awarded the winning entry — many congratulations!
Another Bake Off is planned for the New Year and proceeds will be going to the Tuesday Club.
Passion Cake
Method
Ingredients
Preparation Time
50g Walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 Ripe Bananas, mashed.
175g Muscovado sugar
3 Eggs, beaten
275g Plain flour
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 Teaspoons baking powder
175ml Corn oil
175g Grated carrot
Walnut halves to decorate
(optional)
20 Minutes
For the Icing
75g Butter, softened
75g Cream cheese
175g Icing sugar
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla essence
Cooking Time
1 Hour 5mins
Oven Temperature
180 °C Gas Mark 4
Mix the walnuts with the banana. Add the sugar and eggs and mix well. Sift the flour
with the salt, soda and baking powder. Add the nut mixture with the oil and beat
well. Fold in the carrot. Spoon into a greased and lined 23cm/ 9 inch deep, round
cake tin.
Bake for about 1 hour 5 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre
comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
To prepare the icing, beat the butter with the cream cheese until light. Beat in the
icing sugar and vanilla essence. Spread over the cake and mark with a fork to give a
rough-textured finish. Decorate with walnut halves, if liked.
Definitive Orange Cake
Method
Ingredients
Lightly grease the tins and line the bases with non-stick baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Measure the butter or margarine, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and orange
zest into a large bowl and beat for about two minutes, until just blended; an
electric mixer is best for this, but of course you can also beat by hand with a
wooden spoon.
Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tins and level the surface with
the back of a spoon or a plastic spatula.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until well risen and golden. The tops of the cakes
should spring back when pressed lightly with a finger. Leave the cakes to cool in
the tins for a few minutes, then run a small palette knife or blunt knife around
the edge of the tins to fee the sides of the cakes. Turn the cakes out on to a
wire rack, peel off the paper and leave to cool completely.
Choose the cake with the best top, then put the other cake top downwards on to
a serving plate.
Beat together the filling ingredients and spread on one side of the cake, put the
other cake on top (top upwards) and spread the rest of the orange cream
on top. Decorate with spiralled orange zests.
225g/8oz butter or margarine,
softened225g/8oz caster sugar
4 eggs
220g/7¾oz self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 orange, zest only
For the filling and topping
75g/3oz butter, softened
250g/8oz icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp orange juice
Finely grated rind of 1 orange
To garnish spiralled orange zests
You will need 2 loose bottomed
20cm/8in sandwich tins, 4cm
deep
Page 8
John Spence
John Spence Students produce Mag 4 U
A group of our Year 9 students have spent time creating and editing the latest edition of North Tyneside
Council's flagship publication for young people: the Mag 4 U. Fifteen volunteers came together in September to meet with Kat Telfer, the Children's Participation Officer from the Council, and plan their ideas
inspired by the theme of Aspiration. After three strategy meetings, the team headed for Longbenton CLC
in early November to organise and present the magazine.
The finished product is available on line here:
http://gregsroom.co.uk/jshsm4u
We attended a Celebration Event at the Council Chambers in the Quadrant Building, Cobalt Business
Park. In attendance was the Elected Mayor, Linda Arkley and Gill Alexander, who is the North Tyneside
Strategic Director: Children, Young People and Learning. It was a lovely morning and it's fabulous that
the hard work of the team is available for everybody to view.
Gill Alexander and Elected Mayor Linda Arkley with the John Spence Mag 4 U group and Mr Gibson
Open Sesame at the
Theatre Royal
Forty John Spence students were lucky enough to take a trip to the
Theatre Royal last week and kick start their Christmas. They went to
see the pantomime Aladdin and it was a huge success.
The students travelled from school by coach in the freezing conditions
and were treated to front row seats on their arrival. The best seats in
the house? Only if you like being covered with cabbage, water and
toilet roll! However, the students loved the experience, especially
when Mrs Lee was singled out and was the butt of several jokes from
the cast.
Each student received a selection box, which was useful, as the return coach was stuck in the traffic and arrived back at school nearly
an hour late. Well done to all students involved for your brilliant behaviour both on the coach and in the theatre. You are great representatives of the school.
Next year the trip will be running again and the pantomime will be
Jack and the Beanstalk.
Page 9
Peter goes to Parliament
We are very proud that one of our Year Ten students, Peter Dyers, is such an active member of the North
Tyneside Youth Council. He represents the students at John Spence magnificently and I know he values the
opportunity to be part of the decision making process. Peter is a prime example of one of our students wanting to 'do a bit more' and he's really reaped the rewards this year.
Last month, Peter was given the chance to visit the Houses of Parliament as part of a delegation of students
from North Tyneside Youth Council. The group included Jade Hope who is the elected Young Mayor of
North Tyneside. The trip was a working one; Peter and the rest of the team spent time in discussion with
Graham Stuart MP and the issue of Careers for Young People was addressed. The feedback from Mr Stuart
was very positive and it's excellent that someone from John Spence was involved in such a beneficial learning experience.
Peter will continue to represent the school on Youth Council in 2013 where he will be joined by another student from John Spence, Sean Mulligan from Year 9. Well done to both boys!
Attempt to beat World Marathon Record
On October 16th children from John Spence Community High School took part in the World Marathon Challenge to raise awareness of the child malnutrition crisis the world is currently facing and also raise money for
Save the Children's World Food Day.
124 student runners from Year 7 took part in the event, divided into their four Olympic teams (Athens, Atlanta, Beijing and Sydney) in an attempt to break the marathon world record time an a 211 x 200m relay. Also
involved in the organising and running of the event were seven Year 10 sports leaders in addition to twelve
Tyne Met College sports leaders, a number of whom were former John Spence students.
Despite competitors and leaders persevering through the freezing cold, blowing winds and pouring rain for
well over an hour in an attempt to complete the challenge, conditions simply became too bad to continue.
Despite this, the event was a success in that it raised awareness and a massive £1300 for Save the Children.
Page 10
John Spence
World Championship Success
At the beginning of November John Spence students Christopher and Geraldine Sword travelled to
Italy to compete in the World Karate Championships, up against 4500 competitors from over 80 countries.
On the first day of competition, Geraldine qualified for the finals in both Open Hand and Weapons
Forms categories for her age group whilst Christopher qualified for the final of the Open Hand Forms
category but missed out in Weapons.
On the second day of competition Christopher was chosen to represent the England Cadet team (1315yrs) in the Team Points Sparring competition. After losing narrowly to Italy 'A' in their Semi Final,
Christopher fought extremely well in the Bronze Medal match against Italy 'B'. Fighting second in the
three man team, he turned a 3-8 deficit into a 10-9 advantage which was extended into a comfortable
victory by the third and final team member, thus securing the team Bronze medal.
The third day saw both Chris and Geri exit in the early rounds of the Weapons Sparring but gain great
success in the Individual Points Sparring categories. Geraldine qualified for her third final by defeating
a Swiss fighter while Christopher produced an impressive sequence of bouts, with victories over Italian
opponents in both his 1st round and Quarter Final matches before losing a close Semi Final to one of
his English team mates. In the Bronze medal match, his determined performance secured a hard
earned and well deserved Bronze medal.
On finals day Geraldine finished 4th in the Weapons Forms Final but clinched a Bronze behind the
Venezuelan winner of Gold in the Open Hand category. She added to her medal haul with a Silver in
the Points Sparring final. Chris also gained a Silver medal, losing by a narrow margin to one of the
home team in what we are informed was a final of a very high standard in the Open Hand Forms.
The bitter sweet icing on the cake came when both Chris and Geraldine were awarded the Gold medal
and crowned champions in the Team Forms competition. After a great deal of confusion and discussion amongst officials, they were allowed to take to the mat, complete their form and effectively 'walk
over' as champions. They are officially recognised as WTKA World Champions 2012. A massive congratulations to both Geraldine and Chris from everybody at John Spence!
Page 11
Boys’ Badminton Bonanza
John Spence students have secured the Under 16 and Under 14 North Tyneside Boys
Badminton Championships for the 5th year in a row, beating Kings, Whitley Bay, STM
Academy, Marden, CCC, Monkseaton, George Stephenson and Burnside. We lost 1
game out of 40 at Under 16 level. We again go forward to represent North Tyneside in
the Tyne & Wear finals in February. (2012 we were runners up to Benfield)
Athletics Achievement
Due to the dark nights and cold wintery weather, the Athletics goes inside for the winter
months; again success was seen at the North Tyneside Indoor Athletic Championships
at Marden Bridge Leisure Centre. A team of 8 boys, selected from excellent fitness/
athletics scores in PE lessons, took part in the three different disciplines of Track,
Jumping and Throwing. Each member of the term performed exceptionally well, and
with a few tight results in some events, Valley Gardens slotted into second place, with
John Spence reaping the honours yet again. Sunderland next stop for this team.
K Aplin , E Brown, K Pilica, M Longstaff , L Cass, R Baldwin, J Simao,
R Monaghan
Table Tennis Triumph
On Friday 14th December our Under 16 Boys won the Tyne and Wear Table
Tennis championships at Sandhill View School in Sunderland. Having previously won the North Tyneside Championships the school represented North
Tyneside in the County Finals. Our team of Daryl Penton, Matty Robson,
Lewis McGoldrick and David Office beat teams from Newcastle School for
Boys (4-0), Whitburn (4-0), Oxclose (3-1) and Whickham Sports College (40)
In the same competition our Under 13 Girls team were runners up to Joseph
Swan School from Gateshead. Although we drew (2-2) with Joseph Swan
we lost the title by dropping one game to Whitburn (3-1) while the winners
beat them (4-0). Congratulations must go to all the girls Nicola Toby, who
was unbeaten throughout the tournament, Lauren Smith, Niamh Mason, Rachel Cook and Phillipa Cairns. The girls beat Bede School, Sunderland (4-0)
in their second fixture.
International Initiatives Rewarded
The school continues to work with partner schools in other parts of the world. In February 2013 we will be
submitting our new Comenius Bid to the British Council. Over the last few months we have been working
with colleagues in the following European Schools to formulate the bid.
Johann Sporck Realschule, Germany
Institut Eugeni Xammar, Spain
Istituto Ptovinciale di Cultura e Lingue Liceo Linguistico Paritario Ninni Cassarà, Italy
Rask Mölle Skole, Denmark
Élelmiszeripari és Földmérési Szakképző Iskola és kollégium, Hungary
Together we aim to raise student awareness about the importance of caring for the earth’s natural resources to support future generations.
Further afield we continue to work with the Guidance House School in Pakistan who we
have helped transform their PE curriculum over the last 18 months.
The school was recently awarded the International Schools Foundation Award to recognise our efforts to develop internationalism within school.
Page 12
John Spence
Cup Success for Year 7 Girls Football Team
The John Spence Year 7 girl’s football team recently took part in the annual North Tyneside Rotary Cup
held at the Soccerdome. The girls won every game they played in the league phase of the competition
scoring 30 goals and only conceding 1. They then beat Seaton Burn 3 v 1 in the semi-final and were
matched against Valley Gardens in the final. It was a tight game, but leading goal scorer Jessica McVay
scored a hat-trick and the girls were triumphant! Captain Shelly Brogdan was player of the tournament
and along with Jessica McVay scored 35 of the 36 goals scored by our team. Orla McAllion was solid in
goal and only conceded 2 and defensive player Lucy Johnson played with energy and allowed the opposition no time to play their game. The team consisted of; Shelly Brogdan, Jessica McVay, Orla McAllion,
Lucy Johnson, Georgia Keethlo, India Woods, Lauren Nicholson, Jade Miles and Antonia Adie. The girls
will now play in the regional competition in January 2013 and represent North Tyneside, where they will
play against the best schools from Newcastle, Northumberland, Gateshead and South Tyneside. Well
Done Girls!
Tyneside Senior Schools
Girls U-16 7-a-side
Football Tournament
A team of Year 10 students competed in
the annual 7-a-side competition at Burnside earlier in this half-term. The girls
played against schools from the region
and gave their all in some closely fought
games drawing 2 and losing 2. This was
not enough to see them progress through
to the knock-out stage of the competition,
but the girls should be proud of the effort
and the enthusiasm they displayed at the
tournament.
Page 13
Tyneside Senior Schools
Girls U-14 7-a-side Football Tournament
Although this was a tournament for Year 9 students we took 2 teams made up of Year 7 and 8 students to
Burnside for the second instalment of girl’s football competitions. The’ B’ team played well and battled
hard to compete against the older girls from the different schools from our region and drew 2 games and
lost 1. However, the ‘A’ team were on their ‘A’ game. They played 4 games in their league and won all 4
and progressed to the knock out phase. They comfortably beat Burnside in their semi-final game and were
matched against Seaton Burn in the final. The girls were clearly nervous at the start of the game, but soon
got their confidence up when Jessica McVay scored the winning goal. The girls should have went onto
score more goals, but one was enough to clinch the title. It was amazing to see our younger students
showing the older girls their skill and ability, but also their sportsmanship throughout each game. Well
done girls!!
The ‘B’ Team
Nikita Anderson
Meaghan Vipond
Rachel Eglington
Maisie Charters
Abbie Jack
Lauren Hill
Rachael Coates
Molly Garret
The ‘A’ Team
Georgia Keethlo
Georgia Walker
Madison Watts
Natalie Ellis
Nicola Caygill
Shelly Brogdan
Abby Waterworth
Jessica McVay
Tyneside Senior Schools U-14 Girls 7-a-side Champions 2012
John Spence
Page 14
Sporting Roll of Honour 2012
Team Success
U13 Girls North Tyneside Table Tennis Champions
Nicola Toby, Lauren Smith, Niahm Mason, Rachel Cook and Phillipa Cairns
U13 Girls North Tyneside 7a side Football Champions
Maddison Watts, Georgia Walker, Natalie Ellis, Abby Waterworth, Shelley Brogdan, Jessica McVay, Georgia
Keethlo and Nicola Caygill
U16 Boys North Tyneside Table Tennis Champions
Lewis McGoldrick, David Office, Daryl Penton and Matthew Robson
U16 Boys North Tyneside Badminton Champions
Garylee McMullen, Ryan Macciocchi, Liam Lennox and Matthew Keenan and Jack Lillico
Team Gold Medal Winners at the Tyne and Wear Trampoline Finals
Connor Alexander, Jack Yellop and Josh Barrass
Individual Success
Christopher Sword:
Gold Medal at the World Karate Championships in the Team Forms Competition.
Bronze Medal at the World Karate Championships in the Team Points Sparring Competition.
Bronze Medal at the World Karate Championships in the Individual Points Sparring Competition.
Geraldine Sword:
Gold Medal at the World Karate Championships in the Team Forms Competition
Silver Medal at the World Karate Championships in the Individual Points Sparring Competition.
Bronze Medal at the World Karate Championships in the Open Hand Weapons Competition.
Greg Purvis:
Sunderland Football Club Academy
Lewis Cass:
Newcastle United Football Academy
Matthew Longstaff:
Newcastle United Football Academy
Sean Longstaff:
Newcastle United Football Academy
Jack Dunning:
Individual Gold Medal Winner in his age group in the North Tyneside Trampoline Finals.
Individual Silver Medal Winner at the Tyne and Wear Trampoline Finals.
Page 15
Sporting Roll of Honour 2012
Connor Alexander:
Individual Silver Medal Winner in his age group in the North Tyneside Trampoline Finals.
Individual Silver Medal Winner at the Tyne and Wear Trampoline Finals
Lauren Nicholson:
Individual Gold Medal Winner in her age group in the North Tyneside Trampoline Finals.
Individual Bronze Medal Winner at the Tyne and Wear Trampoline Finals
Connor Cummings:
Individual Gold Medal Winner in his age group in the North Tyneside Trampoline Finals.
Individual Bronze Medal Winner at the Tyne and Wear Trampoline Finals.
Jack Yellop:
Individual Gold Medal Winner in his age group in the North Tyneside Trampoline Finals.
Individual Bronze Medal Winner at the Tyne and Wear Trampoline Finals
Chris Falcus:
Individual Silver Medal Winners in his age group in the North Tyneside Trampoline Finals
Callum Bell:
Individual Bronze Medal Winners in his age group at the North Tyneside Trampoline Finals
Rees Hope:
Individual Gold Medal Winner in his age group in the North Tyneside Trampoline Finals
Josh Barrass:
Individual Bronze Medal Winners in his age group at the North Tyneside Trampoline Finals
Megan Walker:
Individual Bronze Medal Winners in her age group
at the North Tyneside Trampoline Finals
Abbie Reid:
Individual Silver Medal Winners in her age group in
the North Tyneside Trampoline Finals
Aidan McCallion:
North East Rugby League Academy
Garylee McMullen:
Northumberland Under 18 Badminton Champion
Owen Atwell:
Disability Sports Athletics Talent Programme
John Spence
Community High School
Preston Road
North Shields
Tyne and Wear
N29 9PU
Seasons
Greetings
from all at
John Spence
————
Fit for Life...
Phone: 0191 2005220
Fax: 0191 2005225
Email: office@johnspence.org.uk
Students return to
school on Monday
7th January 2013
www.johnspence.org.uk
Christmas Concert
On Thursday night 13th December in the drama studio, many people braved the icy conditions to be
bedazzled by the John Spence Christmas Concert 2012.
There was a large and varied range of performances including dance, choir, bands, solos and duets covering a wide range of musical genres with a splattering of festive cheer. It was packed to the rafters with
eager family and friends soaking up the atmosphere whilst enjoying a mince pie or two.
The hosts Kyran Brady and Whitney King introduced us to all the acts which included the John Spence
school band, Christmas vocal group, contemporary street dancing and a Rock n Roll band. Even some
of the staff braved the stage for two Christmas songs in the specially created staff choir. There were also
some solo and duet performances consisting of classical, pop and Christmas numbers and there was a
definite buzz in the air amongst the students and the audience as all their hard work and efforts were
clearly evident throughout the evening.
It was great to see so many year 7 students getting involved in their first John Spence school concert
and the work produced by the more experienced students displayed growing confidence and devotion to
the improvement of their own skills. A special thanks to all the talented performers, the peer mentors who
gave up their evening to come and help, the staff who helped facilitate the show and of course all of the
friends and family who came to support.