easter 2011 - Ferndown Upper School

NEWSLETTER
Cherry Grove, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 9EY
Tel No: (01202) 871243, Fax No: (01202) 893383
school@fernup.dorset.sch.uk
www.fernup.dorset.sch.uk
EASTER 2011
All Newsletters are now available online at www.fernup.dorset.sch.uk
(Mr A Wills)
Top 100 Schools!
Last week
we
received
a letter
from the
Department
for
Education
praising us as one of the top 100
most
improved
schools
nationally! We were delighted
with this and I have to say that
our parents play no small part in
bringing this about. It is due to
the trust and confidence that
you place in us that enables the
staff and students here to
succeed and surpass previous
achievements year after year.
So well done to everyone and
we can all share in this
recognition of our success.
Now that the spring term is
complete
students
sitting
external examinations in May
and June must turn their
thoughts
to
revision
programmes and study over the
Easter break. Our students here
at FUS have been taking their
studies seriously, and they must
now build on their very good
coursework
with
thorough
revision for
the external
exams. It is
during the Easter break that
they will consolidate their
learning in preparation for the
exams, which will start very
soon next term. We hope that
they will use websites such as
‘GCSE Bitesize’ over the break,
as well as any that provide past
paper practice. Reviewing and
testing themselves at this stage
will make all the difference in
the summer term.
Road Safety
We would be grateful if parents
could reiterate the message we
have given in school about
taking extra care when cycling
or
driving
to
school.
Unfortunately some riders still
have a very blasé attitude and
ride in a very dangerous way
across some very risky places,
such as the mini-roundabout on
the way in to our car parks. This
is particularly true of young
people
with mopeds
or
motorbikes who have been seen
leaving Cherry Grove without
much consideration for their
own safety, or that of others.
We are working with our local
PCSOs to raise awareness of
these issues.
We also cannot emphasise
enough the importance of
wearing cycling helmets as only
recently one of our students
was knocked
off his bike
after school
and
paramedics
at the scene
said that, if
he had not been wearing his
helmet, he could easily have
been killed (thankfully he only
had mild concussion and
cuts/bruises). PLEASE, PLEASE
WEAR YOUR CYCLING HELMET –
IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE.
www.fernup.dorset.sch.uk
1
Parent Focus Group Report
This
group
has
continu
ed to
meet,
and I
have found their views and
ideas to be invaluable. At the
last meeting we discussed Sixth
Form issues, particularly how
we organise our post-16
curriculum and the difficulties in
meeting the needs of our
students in some areas. The key
issue is that we can never really
tell until September how many
students will sign up for each
course, and so this makes it very
hard to deploy staff in advance.
No school or college can run
courses
with
‘unviable’
numbers, and so each year we
have to make the best
predictions we can and decide
which courses are likely to run
and which ones may not.
Also in attendance at this
meeting was PCSO Andy Downs,
who answered questions about
local issues. He is very keen to
speak to parents about internet
safety, and so the group
suggested that this should be a
feature of the Year 9 Induction
Evening on Thursday 14 July.
We will ensure that he has an
opportunity on 14 July to speak
to the parents of the incoming
Year 9, but if there is a demand
from parents of Years 10-13 we
can easily put on a short
briefing.
NB The next meeting of the
Parent Focus Group will be at
6.00pm on Thursday 12th May
2011 – all welcome!
Mini Revolution Volunteering
Day at Kingston Lacy
Student
volunteers
(aged 16-24)
are invited to
attend a fun
day
at
Kingston Lacy on Thursday 14
April 2011, set round the
kitchen gardens, ending up with
a BBQ in the evening. Kingston
Lacy can fund any group
bringing 10 volunteers to the
tune of £100 to support them
with transport, plus food and
refreshments will be provided
throughout the day so there
should be no costs to the
If you are
volunteers.
interested in this idea, please let
the Sixth Form office know by
Friday 8th April.
PREMISES DEVELOPMENT
(Mrs C Lalani, Business
Manager)
The
fabulous
new
limes
room is
completed and makes an
excellent addition to our Hall,
which is now looking wonderful
with new curtains too. This
means that we now have superb
professional sound and lighting
facilities for productions which,
together with our full rotunda
stage and 360 projector,
provides
a
wonderful
production experience. These
facilities are available for hire so
if any local theatre/drama
groups would be interested,
please contact Mrs Lalani at the
school.
We are still waiting for
confirmation of funding to
completely refurbish the three
physics science
labs during the
summer
and
hopefully
we
will hear that
we have been
successful very soon.
Community Party
On
March
15th
we
hosted our
annual
Community
Party for the
local elderly folk. They were
treated
to
a
delightful
afternoon’s
entertainment
including singing, jazz music and
quizzes provided by the
students and staff. They were
also served a sumptuous tea
prepared and served by our
students and staff as well as
being given a present upon
leaving. This is a lovely event
which
brings
together
generations of local people and
the students very much enjoy
spending time with the old folks
and listening to the stories of
past times. We have received
many letters of thanks from the
old folks who enjoy coming
along each year to this popular
afternoon. We would like to
thank the Rotary organisation
for their kind donation which
enables this event to go ahead.
See below for more details
about the Community Party.
Neighbourhood Watch
We would like to
thank the local
Neighbourhood
Watch for their
kind donation of
£150, which goes towards the
production of our Newsletters.
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2
John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation (JTYAF)
TOP ACHIEVERS: Peter and Linda Thornton, centre, with FUS Headteacher and delighted recipients of the John
Thornton Young Achievers Foundation awards at Ferndown Upper School. Cheques were presented in a special
assembly in February to most of our 25 successful students in the form of bursaries and scholarships to help our
youngsters try and achieve their dreams. There was a huge variety of projects, including developing artistic skills
in Japan and India, intensive language course in Spain, voluntary work in Cape Town, national horse-riding
competitions, badminton and ice skating competitions, alpine training, Three Peaks Challenge, purchase of
specialist photography equipment, musical and astronomy equipment to name but some! The John Thornton
Young Achievers Foundation (JTYAF) was set up in memory of John Thornton who was a student at Ferndown
Upper before starting a very successful career in the Royal Marines which was curtailed when he was tragically
killed in southern Afghanistan in 2008.
Council and 6th form braved the
project with the help from a
FERNDOWN MEMORIAL AND
wet weather and went to the
number of local craftsmen,
GARDEN OF MEMORIES
official
unveiling
of
the
traders
and
enthusiastic
CEREMONY
Ferndown Memorial by the
volunteers from the town. It is
current Mayor of Ferndown,
dedicated to all those local
Councillor Jean Read. This date
heroes who have inspired us,
also coincided with the 3rd
worked for us, and enhanced
anniversary of local hero Lt John
our lives in this town. The
Thornton’s death.
memorial can be seen at KGV
Millennium Park in Peter Grant
Way.
After three years in the
On Wednesday 30 March at
planning,
the
Ferndown
2pm, Mr Wills and several
Memorial has now been
students from the School
completed as a true community
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3
YOUTH PARLIAMENT
(Shani Bancroft, Democracy & Participation Worker)
Over 14,700 youngsters headed for the ballot boxes in February to choose who they wanted to represent them at
the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) for 2011. The winners of the Dorset UKYP election were announced at County
Hall after nearly 29,500 votes were cast by pupils from across the county. The 3 elected members of the UKYP for
Dorset included our very own Moya Dunne (pictured below with Mr Chris Chope, MP) who received 2,905 votes.
Mr Christopher Chope, MP, visited Ferndown Upper School on 21 March. Mr Chope had a tour of the new school
facilities and met with senior managers, representatives of the School Council and Moya Dunne (pictured above),
the recently elected member for Dorset of the National Youth Parliament. Mr Chope was impressed with the
students and with the new drama, dance and performance facilities at the school.
YEAR 10 SPANISH TRIP TO BARCELONA 28/2/11-4/3/11
(Mrs Moyano, Spanish Teacher)
Once again, the Spanish Trip was a great success! Our year 10 students had
the opportunity to bring their Spanish to life in the beautiful city of
Barcelona, where they visited fantastic places such as Sagrada Familia, Park
Guell, Picasso Museum, Torres Vineyards, Las Ramblas, Camp Nou (FC
Barcelona Stadium), Pueblo Español, Hard Rock Café, the Olympic
Stadium…and much more while enjoying wonderful Spanish food and ice
creams, some Latino Dancing and the beautiful Spanish sunshine…and
snow! Our Year 9s can now sign up for our next trip, which will take place
on the week of the 20th February 2012.
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4
YEAR 6 GIFTED & TALENTED MUSIC DAY
(Mrs C Whitehead, Head of Music)
On 9th March, Year 6 students with an aptitude for music gathered at Ferndown Upper School for a day of musical
activity. The students formed their own orchestra for the day, learning to perform extracts from William Tell and
also composing their own piece based on ideas from Ravel’s Bolero. They had the opportunity to use the music
technology at Ferndown Upper School to create a story telling project, and combined with the Ferndown Upper
choir, to experience four-part singing. The day ended with a short performance to share their work with parents,
friends and teachers. Director of Music, Clare Whitehead, who led the day said, ‘the students were fantastic, and
it was really enjoyable working with them to extend their music making for the day.’
MUSIC DEPARTMENT NEWS
(Mrs C Whitehead, Head of
Music)
Exam Results
My apologies
to Nick Cossins
for omitting
his grade 6
trombone
success from
the last Newsletter. In addition,
we would like to congratulate
Luke Bhagwanani on his grade 8
drum kit result, which he passed
with Merit.
Sixth Form Soiree
Community Party
Congratulations
to our sixth
form musicians
who gave us a
wonderful
evening’s entertainment on 2nd
March. Much of the music we
heard was in preparation for
their final recitals which have
just taken place this week, and
it was a valuable experience for
them to have the opportunity to
present their work in advance of
the final assessment.
Congratulations
to Fusjazz who
performed at
the Community
Party on Tuesday 15th March,
entertaining the older folk
with several numbers from
their repertoire, including
two new pieces learnt this
term. More details about the
Community Party below.
www.fernup.dorset.sch.uk
5
Spring Concert
As we write,
preparations
are in full
swing for the
Spring Concert
on 5th April,
the final opportunity for our
leavers to perform for us. It
promises to be an exciting
evening, with a range of solo
and group items, including an
ambitious medley of tunes from
Les Miserables performed by
the choir.
SCHOOL SPORTS COORDINATOR NEWS
(Mrs L Stainer, SSCo)
It has been another busy term
for our students with lots
getting involved in leading and
participating in a variety of
activities.
On Thursday 3rd March we
hosted a football festival for the
Year 5 of Ferndown Middle
School (FMS). Our students
gained their JFO (Junior Football
Organisers) award back in the
Autumn Term but the weather
had not permitted us to hold an
event up until then. The event
started with a warm-up for
everyone then our leaders led a
variety of skills activities. It then
concluded with a tournament
for them to use their skills. Our
Leaders did a brilliant job and
the Ferndown students enjoyed
a really informative session.
Congratulations to:
Scott Turner
Chloe Jackson
Aaron Tranter
Luke Holmes
Abbie Wilson
Will Allen
Danny Hill
Connor Coppard
Harry Goodship
Jordan Bates
Matt Surridge
Mike Oxford
On Friday 11th March FMS
hosted a rugby festival for the
First Schools and we were asked
to supply Leaders to officiate
and help at the event. Once
again our Leaders did a brilliant
job and both the staff at FMS
and Ferndown First School (FFS)
were very impressed with them.
The students involved were:
Sean Sims
Farouq Sreti
Conor Francis
Oliver Preston
Alex Richardson
Jazz Dance has been continuing
on Wednesdays after school and
the girls are making excellent
progress. The club will continue
after Easter and will cost £1 per
session. The intention is to put
on a performance in July so
anyone interested in joining the
group should see Ms Stainer as
soon as possible. Well done to
the girls who have been
attending regularly and good
luck with the new routines. The
girls involved are:
Maddi Ianson
Amber Skinner
Natalie Whisken
Moya Dunne
Ashleigh Simonot
Carla Payne
Katie Broad
Alice Harford
Danyelle Deamer
Bethan Hansford
Yasmin Diverdi
Paigan Ackerman
Self-Defence has also been
continuing on a Thursday after
school led by John Hanrahan
and his leaders. Several of our
experienced Jitzu students have
been taking the sessions under
Mr Hanrahan’s lead. This week
certificates were issued to
everyone who had been
attending on a regular basis.
Those students were:
Oliver Preston
Alex Richardson
Amber Skinner
Jordan Lee
Aiden Heron
Fiona Richardson
Natalie Whisken
Megan Middleton
On Thursday 7th April there is a
Quadkids Athletics Coach, Pete
Barry, coming in to run a Junior
Athletics Leaders course. The
course enables students to run
events and help at First and
Middle School sports days.
Anyone interested in being
involved in this should see Ms
Stainer as soon as possible.
Although the course is limited to
20 students I will be looking for
extra helpers in the summer to
officiate at events.
I regularly send in photos of the
events our students are
involved in to the Echo and this
term have been fortunate to get
5 photos printed which I have
included in this newsletter
section (see below). Well done
to all the students involved and I
hope you continue to be in next
term’s events.
www.fernup.dorset.sch.uk
6
PE DEPARTMENT NEWS
(Mrs E Pemberton)
On Tuesday 29th March 2011 the Year 11 Volleyball team played in a Poole and East Dorset tournament at Sir
David English Sports Centre. They gave up 3 hours of their evening to participate with other local schools in a
mixed tournament. Considering the group do not practise much together, they certainly did well, as their level of
play certainly impressed me and scouts from the local top club: Wessex Volleyball. They played a round robin
style tournament and played such teams as Lytchett Minster and St Edwards.
The students were: Sophie Fanner
(captain), Aimee Fanner, Abbie
Wilson, Lewis Coles, Iain Kay, Chris
Williams and Oli Cusack. They were
skilful,
played
with
good
sportsmanship and good humour.
They were supportive of each other
and of other teams. It was a
pleasure to spend time with the
group at the tournament, as other
staff also commented on their play
and good nature.
The group played some competitive games and
ended up in the mixed team final, missing out to
Lytchett Minster 1st team (who have county
players in their team).
This is a great
achievement and one they should feel proud of.
Well done guys!
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7
PE Notices
There will be no after school PE clubs after school the week beginning 4th April as we have Year 11 PE GCSE
Practical examinations over three days. Clubs will start again after Easter.
PE Clubs after Easter
Calling all athletes, rounders’ players and tennis players! Our summer sports clubs start after Easter. Please see
the new club list that your tutor will have after the Easter holidays. Come along and try something different or
practise some existing skills. Whatever level of your ability – everyone is welcome.
BIOLOGY TRIP
(Ms C Evans, Head of Biology)
On March 28th, Miss Harrison
and Mrs Pearce took our year
13 Biologists to the National
Oceanography Centre to enjoy a
day on-board the research
vessel ‘Callista’. The students
worked
with
professional
marine Biologists and learnt a
variety of fieldwork techniques
enabling them to collect data
for analysis back in the
classroom. They were also
extremely fortunate to be given
a private lecture by Dr Jon
Copley, an acclaimed specialist
in the study of deep sea
hydrothermal
vents.
The
students learnt a lot and really
enjoyed their experience as
trainee marine scientists!
Monitoring marine light levels
using Secchi Disks – Alex Foster
‘A secchi disk is a black and
white painted disk attached to a
rope with metre intervals
marked out on the rope with
knots. We dropped this over the
side of the boat and submerged
the disk into the water column
as far as we could whilst we
could still see it. This allows you
to measure the depth of light
penetration. This is important
for marine plant life such as
phytoplankton which needs
light
in
order
to
photosynthesise.
I
really
enjoyed getting out there and
doing some practical work in the
field. The lecture we had
afterwards was very inspiring
and has made me want to
become a marine biologist.’
www.fernup.dorset.sch.uk
8
Beam Trawl – Ben Tubbs
‘We cast a beam trawl into the
water behind the boat. It
dragged along in the sediments
above the sea bed and captured
some interesting things. When it
was pulled up, Gary (Marine
Biologist) put everything into a
bucket of water and we were
able to see what we had caught.
There were lots of crabs,
especially spider crabs, which
look like string! We also found a
sea squirt, which looked like a
pouch and it squirted water.
Rosie picked up a whelk and
unfortunately it defecated on
her!’
Grab Sampling – Eve Palmer
and Gemma Leader
‘Part of our time on the boat
consisted of sampling the
seabed from 2 different sites.
One
site
was
by
an
industrialised area near an oil
refinery, and the other was
nearer the beach. It was
interesting to compare how
different the samples were. The
sample from nearer the beach
was richer in biodiversity and
had less of a strong smell! This
illustrated how much impact
human activity can have on a
marine environment.’
Plankton Trawl – Sam Mackey
and Becky Prevett
‘We deployed a plankton tow.
This is a net with very tiny holes
(6 microns!) which lets water
flow through but catches
plankton. We learned that
plankton
consist
of any
organisms which are unable to
resist the flow of the tide, and
that there are two kinds of
plankton, phytoplankton and
zooplankton. We then looked at
the
samples
under
a
microscope, which was very
interesting to see!’
East London’s history. In the
evening we went for a
multicultural experience with a
meal in China Town. This was
followed by an evening street
YEAR 13 GEOGRAPHY TRIP TO
LONDON
(Goegraphy Principal Student,
Charlotte Brumpton)
The Year 13 Geography students
recently went on a residential
fieldtrip to London as part of
our A2 topic on World Cities.
The main aim of the trip was to
look at the regeneration of parts
of East London. Some areas of
East London suffer from social
deprivation and poor living
conditions and our focus was to
evaluate
how
successful
regeneration has been in
tackling these issues. We
attended our very own seminar
at Queen Mary College, which
focused on the problems of the
regeneration
of
London
Docklands and community
involvement in the 2012
Olympics. We also visited the
Museum of London (Docklands)
to increase our knowledge of
walk of London’s famous
landmarks including Big Ben,
Buckingham
Palace
and
Downing Street. On the second
day, after breakfast at Canary
Wharf, we travelled to Coin
Street on the South Bank which
is an area that has been
regenerated by the local
community. This was followed
in the afternoon by a guided
tour of the London 2012
Olympic Site. We finished a
great weekend with a look at
Westfield Shopping Centre
which is an example of a
redeveloped
retail
centre.
Thanks to Mr Stickley and Mrs
Lock for giving us this
opportunity and experience of
London.
FEBRUARY HALF-TERM MUFTI
DAY
‘Help for Heroes’
(Linda Papworth)
We raised a staggering £956 on
our last Mufti Day on 18
February for ‘Help for Heroes’.
All the students had assemblies
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9
led by Mrs Shelia Addy (pictured below receiving the cheque from Mr Wills), a representative from ‘Help for
Heroes’, about the charity that week and enthusiastically supported the event on the day. The photo
immediately below on the left shows some of our students dressed as ‘Super Heroes’. Also, the two ‘Bens’ (Ben
Denham and Ben Tannett – our Cover Supervisors) volunteered to be ‘gunged’ during the lunchtime. £262 of the
final total was raised by the ‘gunging’ activity alone. Ben Tannett was ‘the chosen one’ by students and staff
(shown on the right in the photo below)! Well done to the two Bens for being such good sports. The ‘gungings’
are always one of our most popular events with students and staff alike!!
Mr Wills said, "We are delighted with the
amount of money raised for this extremely
worthy charity. Students love to get involved
in this sort of event and it promotes a wider
community awareness and good citizenship."
MUFTI DAY ON 7/4/11
The Stroke Association
(Ms C Evans, Head of Biology)
Evans’ husband, who is tackling
the event on 17 April and is
running for this charity after
two close family members
suffered from a stroke in the
last 20 months.
Every
The School Council have decided
to
support
The
Stroke
Association as their chosen
charity for the Mufti day on 7
April. All money raised will be
donated via the London
Marathon place of Will, Mrs
year an
estimated
150,000 people
in the UK suffer
from a stroke. It
is
the
third
biggest killer in the UK, and the
leading cause of severe
disability. A quarter of a million
people are living with long term
disability as a direct result of a
stroke. The Stroke Association is
the UK’s only charity solely
concerned with combatting a
stroke in people of all ages.
They fund research into
prevention, treatment and
better
methods
of
rehabilitation, and help stroke
survivors and their families
directly
through
their
community services.
So if you are watching the
Marathon on 17 April and you
spot a luxuriantly bearded man
(grown especially for the
occasion) wearing a bright blue
Stroke Association vest and the
running number 51648, give him
a wave!
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10
If anyone would like to support
The Stroke Association and
sponsor Will, donations via his
‘Justgiving’ page would be
gratefully
received
www.justgiving.com/will-neylon
WELL DONE FOR USING YOUR
ED!
Well done to Ed
Owen in 10P4
who raised over
£30 for Comic
Relief by tying
his hair back in bunches for the
whole day on Friday 18 March.
Most people did not recognise
him and actually thought he was
a new student to the class!!
FOOD TECHNOLOGY/RETAIL
(Mrs D Houghton)
City and Guilds Retail
The
Retail
course is new
this year and
so far the
students have
been
really
busy studying
all aspects of Customer Care as
well as looking at quality of
merchandise.
Support from
local businesses is vital to this
course and we are already
working with stores like Haskins,
Oswald Bailey and various
stores in Boscombe and at
Castlepoint. We are appealing
for assistance in our local area
from proprietors who would like
to be involved in supporting
activities for the course
including coming into school to
discuss their experiences with
our students or allowing a small
group of accompanied students
to visit your store and observe
systems. All involvement from
businesses will be included in
any publicity materials we
produce. If you would like the
opportunity to support this
course and gain advertising for
your business I would very much
like to hear from you.
The students are now busy
preparing for their practical unit
of the ‘Retail Selling Process.’
We have secured premises in
Saxon Square, Christchurch for a
two week period in the Summer
term and students will be
working alongside students
from Twynham School running
the ‘School Retail Group Store’
during this time. We need to
secure stock to sell in the shop
and are asking for donations of
new products and unwanted
gifts for us to sell. If you have
things at home that you would
like to donate or have your own
business and need to clear any
old stock please get in touch
with me as soon as possible; for
bulk stock items we are offering
a sale or return arrangement
which may be of interest to
store owners.
Please contact Mrs D Houghton
at the school address or on
01202 871243
City and Guilds Level 2 Hospitality (Halo)
‘Yes Chef’
The Halo group have had a really busy start to the year. Having taken part in the ‘Yes
Chef’ competition before Christmas we had 3 students who qualified through to the
semi-finals. Gemma Harold, Bethany Morgan and Charlotte Whittington spent the day
on 18th February cooking with leading chefs at Bournemouth and Poole College and
prepared and served up Beef Stroganoff followed
by Chocolate Tart and Raspberry Coulis to a panel
of Industry judges.
The students had a
marvellous experience and, although they did not
qualify for the final, their efforts were well
rewarded in praise. “I found the judging process
very
difficult”
said
Gary
Kilminster,
Apprenticeships Co-ordinator at Bournemouth
and Poole College, “all the students created such fantastic dishes to a very
high level. To see students of their age really enjoying cooking and putting so much effort into it was a joy to
watch.”
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11
Chef’s Visit
The year 11 Halo students were fascinated when we had a truly 4*
visit from Gary Wicker, Head Chef at The Menzies East Cliff Court
Hotel, Bournemouth East Overcliff.
He gave an impressive
demonstration of garnishing and then demonstrated one of our new
pieces of equipment. Carford Catering Suppliers of Ferndown had
recently sponsored the purchase of two “ISI Gourmet Foamers” for
presenting specialised mousses and foamed sauces. Our visiting chef,
Mr Wicker, demonstrated the pieces of equipment and then students
had the opportunity to try them for themselves with some impressive
results.
Community Party
The Halo students were so proud to have been asked to plan and prepare the refreshments on 15 March for the
Community Party again this year. Year 11 students who had already passed their level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety
Certificates supervised small groups of year 9 and 10 students to make a delicious selection of sandwiches,
sausage rolls and cakes. The students then assisted the serving of refreshments and enjoyed an afternoon with
their visitors; they really enjoyed the experience.
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“It was great fun to plan and prepare food for other people.” - Jake Spencer
“I really enjoyed cooking for our visitors and talking with them about I do in school.” - Gemma Harold
“I liked the people who came to our school, they were knowledgeable and interesting. They knew many of the quiz
answers and I was proud to be involved in preparing refreshments for them.” - Isobel Scott
“I enjoyed working with friends on the same task. It was real teamwork and I learned some new skills too.” - Conor
Francis
“I enjoyed making the food, especially the sandwiches, they looked really good, it made me hungry. It was good to
know we were making food for other people, we represented our school.” - Poppy Atherton
PAST STUDENT SUCCESSES
Ian Thornton
Congratulations to Ian John
Thornton (brother of John
Thornton who was tragically
killed in action in southern
Afghanistan in 2008) who used
to be a student at Ferndown
Upper School and will be
commissioned
at
the
Sovereign’s Parade at Sandhurst
on 15 April 2011.
The Sovereign's Parade at the
end of each term marks
the passing out from The Royal
Military
Academy
at
Sandhurst of Officer Cadets who
have
completed
the
Commissioning Course and is
the result of many hours of hard
work. It is the grandest day in
the Sandhurst calendar as
friends, family and VIPs gather
before Old College Square to
watch the cadets take part in
their final challenge.
During the ceremony, the Sword
of Honour, the Overseas Sword
and the Queen's Medal are
awarded by the Sovereign's
Representative to the top
Officer
Cadets. The
parade
traditionally
ends
with
the Adjutant
riding his horse up the steps of
Old College as he follows the
graduating
Officer
Cadets
through the Grand Entrance.
After a formal lunch with
friends, family and Regimental
Officers, the day concludes in
spectacular and celebratory
fashion at the exclusive
Commissioning Ball, where, at
the stroke of midnight, the
newly commissioned Second
Lieutenants proudly display
their rank insignia for the first
time.
Asperger’s Syndrome, knows
everything about each type of
marine
animal,
producing
paintings which illustrate this
passion. Nathan is particularly
appreciative of right whales,
which are so named as they
were considered the ‘right’ ones
to hunt, as they float when
killed and often swim within
sight of shore. Sadly, at one
time they were nearly killed to
extinction. Nathan is currently
exhibiting his work at Verwood’s
Hub until 11 May. Nathan
mostly works in acrylics and
watercolours, but likes oils,
which he considers to be a
better paint. If you would like
to see examples of Nathan’s
work,
look
on
www.nathanart.co.uk or pop
along to the Hub.
Nathan Lock (Ex-FUS student
Wildlife Artist Exhibits at The
Verwood Hub
Daniel Jones (Former FUS
Student)
There’s not
much you
can
tell
Nathan Lock
about
whales!
Nathan, now 22 years old, a
local artist, and an ex-FUS
student who suffers from
Daniel left the 6th form in the
summer of 2006 and then went
on to study at Bangor University
where he received his 2:1
www.fernup.dorset.sch.uk
13
degree in 2009. Daniel then
continued at Bangor to do his
Masters in Neuro Psychology
(researching
Hemi-Spacial
Neglect) and recently received
his Masters with Merit.
In
October, Dan began his Phd at
Reading University where he is
studying/researching
about
renal
failure
and
the
psychological well-being of
patients. His parents recently
wrote in to say: ‘it is in many
ways thanks to the staff at all his
schools and particularly in his
last years at Ferndown Upper
and Upper 6th that he has been
so successful and we will always
be grateful to the teachers that
guided him through his GCSEs
and A Level studies to reach this
Phd.
Hopefully this will
encourage other students and
parents by hearing about the
success of a former pupil – I am
sure that there are many many
more.’
The organisers suggest that a
well-spent gap year can
have life-changing benefits for
young people, including skills
and experiences that employers
and universities value, a sense
of self-belief from what they
achieve, a chance to rethink
their futures, and a lot of fun
and new friends. For further
information email Lawrence
Lockhart
on
GAP YEAR FAIRS
(Lawrence Lockhart)
BATH
King Edward’s School, North
Road, Tuesday 28th June 4pm
to 7pm
For 12 years the voluntary
organisation, Gap Year Fairs, has
provided a free and impartial
information and advice service
on all aspects of taking a wellspent gap year or shorter break
from formal education. This is
available
to schools
and
colleges, sixth formers and
parents in the West Country,
and includes individual help for
young people by email. The gap
year organisations that will be
present are monitored and
recommended, and offer a wide
range of volunteering and other
opportunities in the UK and
overseas. Admission is free and
all young people and parents
are welcome.
gapyearfairs.lockhart@virgin.net
Sixth Formers & College
Students
Are you thinking of taking a
YEAR OUT after leaving
school/college?
Discover the possibilities at
our
GAP YEAR FAIRS 2011
BOURNEMOUTH
Canford School, Wimborne,
Monday 27th June 4pm to 7pm
BRISTOL
Bristol Grammar School,
Wednesday 29th June 4pm to
7pm
EXETER
Exeter University, Thursday
30th June 4pm to 7pm
__________________
Business and IT courses
Childcare, children’s camps
Community work overseas
Community work in the UK
Conservation expeditions
worldwide
Cookery courses
Journalism & Law work
experience overseas
Language courses worldwide
Medical & Physiotherapy
experience overseas
Outdoor Pursuits
Paid work at ski and holiday
resorts
Planning gap year travel
Ski and Snowboard Instructor
courses
Surfing Instructor courses
Sports coaching & playing
sport
Tourism work placements
Paid Placements with UK
Companies in Engineering,
Finance and Management
Teaching, Orphanages, Street
Children, HIV & other
volunteer work overseas
Work & Travel Programmes:
Australia, Europe, New
Zealand, N. & S. America
No charge for admission
For further information
telephone Gap Year Fairs on
(01225) 316593
or email:
gapyearfairs.lockhart@virgin.
net
PARENTS
Come with your sons and
daughters or come on your
own.
Gap year organisations
represented at the Fairs will
cover the following options:
Accountancy scholarship
Art History in Italy
www.fernup.dorset.sch.uk
14
DIARY DATES
Tuesday 5 April
Wednesday 6 April
Thursday 7 April
Thursday 7 April
Thursday 7 April
Friday 8 April
Spring Concert
Mayor’s Visit to Art Department
Years 12/13 Teacher Consultation Evening
MUFTI Day for The Stroke Association
Last day for students before Easter Holidays
Staff Training Day
Friday 8 April – Monday 25 April
Tuesday 26 April
Thursday 28 April
Friday 29 April
Monday 2 May
Tuesday 3 May
Thursday 12 May
Monday 16 May-Friday 10 June
Mon 16 May – Tuesday 28 June
Friday 20 May
Monday 23 May
Monday 23 May – Wed 25 May
Friday 27 May
Friday 27 May
Easter Holidays
Students back to School
Year 12 Higher Education Convention
Extra Bank Holiday for Royal Wedding
Bank Holiday
Full Governors’ Meeting 6pm
Parent Focus Group Meeting 6pm-7pm
Year 12 Study Leave
GCSE/GCE Exams
Year 11 last day on full timetable
Physics Visit, Geneva
Year 9 Activity Days
Year 13 last day in School
MUFTI Day
Monday 30 May – Friday 3 June
Monday 13 June
Monday 6 June
Wednesday 15 June
Thursday 16 June – Fri 24 June
Tuesday 21 June
Monday 27 June – Friday 8 July
Tuesday 28 June – Thurs 30 June
Wednesday 29 June
Wednesday 29 June
Friday 1 July
Monday 4 July
Wednesday 6 July
Thursday 7 July
Thursday 7 July
Tuesday 12 July
Tuesday 12 July
Wednesday 13 July
Wed 13 July – Thursday 14 July
Thursday 14 July
Friday 15 July
Tuesday 19 July
Friday 22 July
Friday 22 July
Summer Half-Term Holiday
Year 12 Return to School
Year 11 Study Leave begins
A2 PE Trip to Bath University
Year 10 Exams
Sports Day
Year 10 Work Experience
Year 9 Art Residential, London
Year 11 Leavers’ Breakfast & Celebration, lessons 1-3
Year 11 Prom (AFC Bournemouth)
Year 13 Graduation and Ball
Year 12 Geography Trip, Studland
Years 9/10 History Trip, London
Year 12 Fashion & Textiles Trip, Blandford
Summer Concert in Evening
Employability Skills Day
Full Governors’ Meeting 6pm
Year 10 Teacher Consultation Evening
MAD (Make a Difference) Days
Year 8 Parents’ Evening
Year 8 Transfer Day
Town Sports Athletics
MUFTI Day
Students break up at 12.05pm for Summer Holidays
www.fernup.dorset.sch.uk
15
Dear Parent/Carer
Re: Parent Governor Election
As you will know, we recently invited parents and carers to stand for election as parent governors to our
governing body, and I am pleased to announce that the new governors are:
Mrs Lisa Risoli
Mr Tony Williams
As there were three vacancies and only two applicants, the above named were appointed unopposed.
The School needs one further enthusiastic and committed person to volunteer to become a governor. Being a
governor gives you the opportunity to express your views, to listen to the views of others representing the school
and its community and to influence pupils’ education for the better. As a school governor you would be part of a
team - the governing body. The governing body has a range of important responsibilities. For example, governors
work in partnership with school staff to shape the future of the school, to decide the key issues that will help staff
to raise standards and to determine how the school will best spend its money to achieve these aims. Governors
don’t need qualifications, just the desire to make a positive contribution, show interest, and time - probably a
couple of evenings a month – and the opportunity to visit the school ‘at work’ during the school day from time to
time.
The Instrument of Government for the school provides for parents and carers of registered pupils to be members
of the governing body. One vacancy currently exists and you are very welcome to put your name forward should
you wish to stand for election.
All parents and carers are eligible to stand for election, except
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Persons liable to be detained under the Mental Health Act 1983
Undischarged bankrupts
Persons recently convicted of a serious offence
Persons disqualified under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986
Persons subject to disqualification as a Charity Trustee
Persons whose employment is prohibited or restricted
Persons disqualified from being proprietors of independent schools
Persons on the DfES List 99 (this is a list of people banned from working with children)
If you would like to put your name forward, please complete the form on the reverse of this letter and return it to
the school by FRIDAY 29TH APRIL 2011. You may like to write a brief factual statement about yourself (not an
‘election address’, please, and not exceeding 200 words) and return it with this form. Should an election be
necessary I will circulate to voters your statement and those of other candidates.
Should you have any questions, or would like to discuss this with either myself or the Chair of Governors, David
Moss, please do not hesitate to contact me at the school.
Yours sincerely
Gill Hall
Mrs Gill Hall
Clerk to the Governors
Parent Governor Election: FERNDOWN UPPER SCHOOL
www.fernup.dorset.sch.uk
16
I wish to serve as a parent governor and to be a candidate if an election is necessary. I confirm that I am eligible
to serve as a school governor.
Full name (Forename/s)_________________________(Surname)_____________________
Name of child/ren ___________________________________________________________
Their date/s of birth__________________________________________________________
Signed ________________________________________Date________________________
*I enclose a brief statement about myself for circulation to voters. (*Delete if not prepared)
This form should be returned to Gill Hall at the school by Friday 29th April 2011
www.fernup.dorset.sch.uk
17