Summer 2015 Bohunt School NEWSLETTER

Transcription

Bohunt School
NEWSLETTER
Bohunt School
Summer 2015
Dear Parents and Carers,
Inside this issue:
As the sun sets on another stellar year for all at Bohunt, it is difficult to
find the time to pause and pick out a few highlights from the academic
year 2014-15 – there are so very many to choose from!
Letter from the
Headteacher
1
Term Dates
2
Press Releases
3
Congratulations to
Students
8
Parent Reminders
43
Contact Us
44
The Expressive Arts Faculty certainly enjoyed (another) vintage year
which saw many great performances and productions, including Annie
and the iPad band playing to national audiences (their cover of Sweet
Child O’ Mine was retweeted by Guns N’ Roses lead Axl Rose). There
has been much to celebrate on the sports pitches at home and abroad
- including an inaugural netball tour to Malta where our girls beat the
national team of older girls!
We bade farewell to year 11 with a stunning Prom at the Old Thorns
and I have to confess to being more than a tad nervous at their results
this August. No reflection on their commitment but more the
uncertainty around exam marking and the further raising of grade
boundaries.
We were delighted to receive both permission and funding for our new
sixth form provision due to open in September 2016; this was the
culmination of a very long-held desire by the governors to establish a
sixth form at Bohunt School – in fact as long ago as 1997 the then
Secretary of State for Education, a certain David Blunkett, denied that
opportunity. Bohunt Education Trust has continued to develop and
now comprises four secondary schools including a brand new school
to open in September 2016 at Arborfield.
If anyone is suffering from Bohunt withdrawal symptoms over the
summer break then I must draw your attention to a three-part
documentary, “Are British Children Tough Enough? Chinese School” which will be screened on BBC2 at 9pm on the 4, 11 and 18 August.
This series was filmed at Bohunt School in the spring and features 50
of our year 9 students ‘experiencing’ Chinese teaching methods at first
-hand – unmissable!
Have a great summer and we welcome the whole school back on
Tuesday 1 September and year 7 only on Friday 28 August.
Neil Strowger
Enjoy. Respect. Achieve.
Bohunt School
Page 2
SCHOOL DATES
17 July 2015
End of Term, School Closes at
1.00 pm
27 August
Autumn Term begins
28 August
Year 7, and Year 10 Trips
31 August
Bank Holiday
1 September
Whole School
16 September
Open Evening, School Closes at
1.00 pm
26-30 October
Half Term
18 December
1.00 pm
4 January 2016
Spring Term begins
15-19 February
Half Term
24 March
3.30 pm
11 April
Summer Term begins
Inset/Reflection Days: 27 August, 17 September, 11
November 2015, 29 January, 4 March, 18 April 2016
This information is subject to change. The school website
will have the most up to date information. Please also
see the Website Calendar for Events and Important
Dates
Page 3
Bohunt School
The SSAT announces Bohunt School as one of the best in
the country for student progress and attainment
Bohunt School has received national recognition for the value it adds to enable students’ high
achievement at GCSE.
SSAT, the Schools, Students and Teachers Network, recently undertook its annual in-depth
analysis of official Department for Education data on all state-funded schools in England and
identified Bohunt School’s success.
The school has qualified for two SSAT Educational Outcomes Awards by being in the top 10%
of schools nationally for progress made by pupils between key stage 2 results at primary school
and GCSE results at age 16, and in the top 10% nationally for high attainment.
The school was invited to receive their award at a regional celebration ceremony hosted by
SSAT at Holland Park School in London on 12 May.
Sue Williamson, Chief Executive of SSAT, said:
“Bohunt School should be congratulated for their exceptional achievement. They have proved
themselves to be leading the field in improving GCSE outcomes for their students. There is so
much good practice that this school could share, and I hope they will join us at the celebration
evening for the chance to network and share strategies with award-winning schools.
These results are testament to the commitment and hard work of students, teachers and
leadership team at Bohunt School, and show what can be achieved when skilled teachers have
high expectations and ambition for every young person. I am proud that thtis school is a
member of the SSAT network.”
Neil Strowger, Headteacher of Bohunt School, said:
“I am very proud of this achievement, however, this accolade is only part of what stands us
apart; it is also our emphasis on outdoor learning, student leadership and STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering & Maths) collaborations with major companies which means our
students have unparalleled opportunities. Furthermore, with our new build Sixth Form opening
in September 2016 there is huge potential for generating yet more opportunities and increased
rates of progress and attainment.”
Page 4
Bohunt School
Bohunt School to open a Sixth Form in 2016
In the last week of April week the Regional Schools Commissioner wrote to Bohunt School to
tell them that their application to open a Sixth Form had been accepted. In the same week the
school's application to the Education Funding Agency for a grant to build the new Sixth Form
block was also accepted. These two crucial decisions now mean that Bohunt can open a Sixth
Form in September 2016, in Liphook, not only for its own students, but also for students from
other schools.
Bohunt's Sixth Form will offer an outstanding educational experience that engenders and
realises the highest aspirations of its students. It will offer students from all schools locally a
genuinely different and significantly more convenient choice of further education that is focused
on ensuring they achieve their potential whatever their background. It will do this by focusing on
the key areas that have led to Bohunt becoming one of the top 20 non-selective state schools
nationally, the TES 'Overall School of the Year' 2014 and Ofsted 'Outstanding':
Setting challenging expectations for students
An academic curriculum, combined with exceptional teaching and a breadth of extracurricular opportunities, that will prepare its students for Russell Group Universities and
other challenging pathways
A high degree of pastoral support and guidance to ensure the attainment of all
Dynamic collaborations with local partners, in particular its feeder secondary schools, linked
businesses (including Siemens, Airbus and Surrey Satellites), local partner institutions
(including Winchester Science Centre) and local universities
Innovative learning environments that are designed for the 21st Century
With only 200 students in each year group it will provide a quite different and distinct 'offer',
much more akin to the successful private schools where their sixth forms are smaller, with
intensive coaching, tuition, personal development and personalised transition.
This style of provision is not new to Bohunt staff; many of the school leaders and staff have run
and worked in state school Sixth Forms before. Furthermore, Bohunt School already supports
ex-students to get into Oxford and Cambridge, already holds careers fairs and already runs
Gold Duke of Edinburgh for ex-students whose colleges don't run it. All of this, combined with
the building of a brand new block, a Governing Body who have been planning for a Sixth Form
for many years and the organisation of the Bohunt curriculum over the last couple of years to
prepare for its own Sixth Form means that the first year group will receive outstanding tuition
from day one.
Page 5
Bohunt School
Bohunt School to open a Sixth Form in 2016/ cont...
"We are incredibly excited by the opportunities this gives students locally. They will now be able
to continue with Mandarin beyond GCSE, work with leading employers on real life work
challenges through our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) programme, be
able to learn languages in an immersion style, have access to an incredibly high quality outdoor
programme and be taught in brand new, cutting edge facilities away from the main campus.
And, all of this, will be local and in a highly supportive environment."
Three parents, who were consulted, said:
"This project [Sixth Form] has just made my day - I am thrilled. My son is achieving very well at
Bohunt, far exceeding our expectations. The structure at Bohunt really suits him and maximises
his opportunities for success."
"A small sixth form is missing from the current options available at the end of Year 11. I believe
this sort of environment could be very positive for pupils in terms of focus on A Levels. It would
also be ideal in terms of location and travel."
"I am so impressed with my daughter's academic achievements. There would be no doubt that
this would continue for her."
Further news
6 July: We held an update evening with regard to vision, ethos and the building
30 September, 6.30 - 8.30 pm: Launch Event where details of the offer and how to apply will be
given
20 and 21 October: Bohunt School Sixth Form Taster Days
Page 6
Bohunt School
Winston Churchill Fellow works to bring real world working
to the heart of the education curriculum
Philip Avery, Director of Learning & Strategy for Bohunt Education Trust, has recently returned
from his third, and final, fact-finding tour, to the Netherlands; the first two visits were to the USA
and Sweden. This research opportunity was funded and supported by the Winston Churchill
Memorial Trust, and resulted from his research proposal being selected from many others
submitted across the UK. Phil wanted to learn about different approaches to STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering & Maths) education and Project Based Learning:
"We hear a lot in the media about the need for more engineers, for our students to be more
'work ready' and for our education system to improve. I wanted to go and see what others are
doing and how they are answering these challenges. In doing so I found lots of great ideas, but
also I learnt that maybe we're looking for some of the wrong things.
We are looking for more able students to go on to be engineers when we should be ensuring
that every student leaves secondary school 'STEM literate'. By looking for more engineers we
ignore, to an extent, that quality counts; we don't just want more, we want more British
engineers who have creative, quirky minds that can come up with transformational ideas, not
just superbly engineered products. Finally, schools need to be asking 'what can we do for them'
not just 'what can they do for us' when linking with businesses."
Phil will write up his project over the summer but already themes are emerging. Without a
simple, clear vision for the sort of learning and learner that a school is looking to develop the
best technology and the best learning environments will become distractions rather than aids; in
Sweden, where the government pays for every child to have a tablet or laptop, this initiative has
seen every sort of impact from hugely positive to negative.
Businesses, universities and schools need to build in-depth, long term partnerships, not interact
through one off 'inspiration' events; in Ohio, universities and businesses work in schools to
accelerate interested students through to apprenticeships and free degrees by the age of 18
and in doing so have reduced staff turnover by 45%.
Teacher training is crucial and we need to think broadly about how we do it. Priorities could be
Initial Teacher Training for engineers that qualifies them to teach multiple STEM subjects as
well as 'STEM lessons', and a STEM Masters programme that challenges teachers to introduce
the Design Process into a range of subjects, encourages the introduction of 'STEM lessons' and
improves the quality of tuition in the various STEM subjects.
Phil says, “I visited some really innovative programmes and was particularly impressed by the
ambition of schools like High Tech High in San Diego, the Science Leadership Academy in
Philadelphia and Metameer in Boxmeer. These were schools with a clear vision for education,
unafraid to follow it even if it didn't link directly to exam results. These schools were committed
to innovative, yet rigorous, education and the students were achieving more than you would
think possible: work experience that involved training UK teachers in Project Based Learning,
patents to improve wind turbines and improvements in the manufacturing processes of the
petrochemical industry.”
Page 7
Bohunt School
Winston Churchill Fellow works to bring real world working
to the heart of the education curriculum/ cont...
Phil has already started trialling and implementing what he has seen. One of the schools within
the Bohunt Education Trust is Bohunt School in Liphook, one of the top 20 non-selective
schools nationally and TES School of the Year in 2014. The school prides itself on innovation
as shown by its immersion language programme where students are taught a third of their
timetable in Spanish, French or Mandarin. Phil has been working to implement a STEM
curriculum within the lower school that builds sustainable partnerships with industry, uses
Project Based Learning, and focuses students on the process of learning, rather than just the
end product:
"What British schools do really well is classroom craft; there were few places I went where the
quality of explanation, the differentiation and the rigour were better. However, too often,
education combining content, skills, creativity and a focus on process are confined to after
school. We wanted to bring STEM, real world working and education that will inspire students
about STEM subjects to the heart of the curriculum so it can be enjoyed by all, rather than
those already motivated."
The work is already starting to be noticed, with Phil speaking at the Sunday Times Education
Festival and being invited to a Telegraph round table event on how businesses should interact
with schools.
"As an Education Trust we have a vision that is far wider than just outstanding attainment and
part of our ethos is that innovation is the day job. Furthermore, we are constantly looking to
challenge our values and beliefs so that we continuously improve. Therefore, we were very
keen for Phil to make the most of his Winston Churchill Fellowship and we will now be
supporting him to trial the ideas and publicise the results so that students well beyond Bohunt's
walls benefit."
Page 8
Bohunt School
Congratulations to..…
Shaw House which has raised its second £1,000 this academic year. The house charity is ‘Kids
Kidney Research.’ Well done to all the students who helped raise this, especially the ribbon
makers.
Please see below as we are on the National Website:
http://www.kidskidneyresearch.org/bohunt-school-raise-another-1000-kkr/
Ben Greene of 11G who plays
hockey for Hampshire. He has been
selected for Regional training
sessions, the next stage after
County selection. Ben is a senior
member of the Guildford U16 Boys
squad which plays in the Southern
Premier Age Group league. With
this Group, he has travelled to
international tournaments in
Barcelona at the Real Club De
Polo, one of the top two hockey
clubs in Spain, where he played
against Spanish and Russian
opponents.
Ben plays for the Guildford HC
Mens 2nd and 3rd X1's, and trains
with the 1st X1 squad, which is a
National League Team and plays in
the Western Conference, one of 40
National League sides. We wish
him well for the future.
Yasmin Kay of 10W who made her big stage debut
after being selected to dance in the English Youth
Ballet’s production of The Sleeping Beauty. Along
with another young Liphook ballet dancer, Riley Watts
from the Hilary Marston School of Ballet, Yasmin took
part in three performances at the Kings Theatre in
Southsea on 6 and 7 March. All the soloists and the
corps de ballet roles in the production were performed
by 111 of the finest dancers, aged 8 to 18, from
Hampshire and the surrounding counties.
Page 9
Bohunt School
More Congratulations ...
Stan Mellstrom and Toby Williams, from Year 8,
who represented the Southern Region in the
National Basketball Finals in Sheffield. This is a
superb achievement for both students, following a
long line of previous students who have
represented the Southern Region in this
competition. Several of these students have then
gone on to achieve basketball scholarships to
Colleges in the USA. Stan Mellstrom, whilst at the
Competition, also won the England Basketball
Under 13 Shooting Competition. Stan has been
selected as one of only 20 players from 114 to
attend this year’s England U14 Camp in August.
To the iPad Band who performed on 25
June in Birmingham. They were asked to
perform before dinner at the Apple
Regional Training Centre conference, and
played six songs, bringing the audience to
their feet. They were absolutely
phenomenal and can be seen at:
https://youtu.be/5Tgj9GwPpLw
Young Scribes Writing Competition 2015
In the Haslemere Rotary Club’s Annual Young Scribes French Writing competition, five local
schools competed this year and four Year 11 students from Bohunt took the top prizes. They
wrote pieces about their future plans and judges from St Jean D’Angely marked their
entries. The overall comment from the judges was that the entries were of a high standard this
year. A 'Highly Commended' certificate is awarded to those attaining 75% or over.
Winner : Jade Atlass-Hye
Highly commended : Megan Banks
Commended : Lauren Hewett and Abigail Mason
Bravo !
Mrs Perdu
Page 10
Bohunt School
National Archery Champion
Maia Daborn (9W) spent a weekend
competing at Archery GB's headquarters
at Lilleshall UK Sports Training facility
near Telford. Following practise sessions
on Friday she was one of 250 archers
from all over the UK who competed in the
Junior World Archery 1440 Star and
Metrics on Saturday and The National
Championships on Sunday. On both
days, archers shot 12 dozen arrows at
targets with the longest distance for
Maia’s age group being 50 metres on
Saturday and 50 yards on Sunday.
On Saturday Maia became the UK under16 Ladies Barebow Metric Champion and
on Sunday the UK under-16 Ladies
Barebow Imperial Champion for 2015,
winning by a comfortable margin on both
days. This means that Maia is the
number one archer in her category in the
UK for 2015. She also achieved Junior
Master Bowman classifications in both
events which is the highest classification
a junior archer can achieve. Maia,
currently holds 21 county records and 6
national records and is ranked 6th for
county records out of all archers
(including adults) within Hampshire.
Barebow is an olympic style bow but
without any sights, stabilisers or any sort
of aids.
Page 11
Bohunt School
French Exchange Visit
Year 9 and 10 students spent 10 days in Lycée Rimbaud in Istres, and stayed with their partners
in the beautiful region of Provence. For some students this was their third residential trip abroad
with Bohunt School, and we were amazed by their curiosity and open mindedness. We visited
the vibrant city of Marseille, as well as the beautiful, historical cities of Arles, Avignon and Aix en
Provence, and even got to bathe in the Etang de Berre with beautiful blue waters that flow into
the Mediterranean. We also got to do some work on a common project relating to the
environment which we hope to take forward with our partners. We had a fantastic welcome and
great friendships were formed. We are eagerly awaiting the return visit next academic year!
Mr Vallet
Page 12
Bohunt School
French Exchange Visit Photographs
Page 13
Bohunt School
Year 7 Study Visit to Normandy, France
In May the Language Department took 120 year 7 students on a study visit to Normandy in
France. We travelled by ferry from Portsmouth to Caen and stopped off in Bayeux to see the
famous tapestry which the year 7 students had studied in history this year. We spent the second
day at the Chateau de la Baudonnière making bread and orienteering, all in French. The French
themed evening was a great success: everyone dressed up and had the opportunity to try snails.
The next day was very wet but we still enjoyed shopping at the market in Granville and then
wandering around the medieval streets of Mont St Michel. Our visit to the goat farm was fun and
informative and there were plenty of opportunities to handle and groom the goats. On the trip
our students were able to learn about Normandy as well as having plenty of opportunities to hear
and speak French.
The Chateau de la Baudonnière orienteering and breadmaking
Page 14
Bohunt School
Year 7 Study Visit to Normandy, France/ more photos
A rather wet Montmartre (left)
The French evening (right and below)
Page 15
Bohunt School
Spanish Exchange Visit
‘Go on the Spanish exchange and try all the tapas – they’re amazing!’
‘The whole week was really cool.’
‘We learned so much about Spanish life!’
These are just a few opinions given by
year 8 and 9 students who took part in
the Spanish exchange this year. We
travelled to San Lorenzo de El Escorial
(near Madrid) in June, after meeting our
Spanish exchange partners when they
came to Bohunt for a week in May.
While in Spain, we ate a lot of Spanish
food. Bizcotelas - a local dessert
specialty - were eaten by the bucket
load and we ordered many an ice cream
from local heladerías – well, it was quite
warm…!
Page 16
Bohunt School
Spanish Exchange Visit/ cont...
It wasn’t all just eating, though. We visited the monastery in the town, which holds lots of
important Spanish history within its walls. We also visited Segovia, an ancient Roman city with
plenty to see and do. At the weekend, students spent time with their host families and the list of
activities seemed endless. This is what some of us got up to:
Theme park, horse riding, seeing Real Madrid play, zip wiring, visit to Madrid, local festival,
mountain walk, water park.
One of the highlights of the trip was our visits to the city of Madrid. We ordered tapas in a friendly
restaurant, went sightseeing in the city centre and got to go to El Estadio Bernabeu - Real
Madrid’s home ground – to go on an interactive tour and walk in the footsteps of some of our
sporting heroes.
There were many tears when we left our hosts for the last time because we weren’t ready for the
week to end. It really was a fantastic experience!
Mr Richards
Page 17
Bohunt School
Year 7 Study Visit to Spain
In March, 85 Year 7 students spent four days in Spain at the Arbolar activity centre near
Cartagena in Spain. The first group accompanied by Mrs Shellard, Mrs Harvie-Wood, Mr Ossai
and Mrs Bonser left in the early hours of Tuesday morning followed a day later by the second
group with Mr Wright, Miss Baldwin, Mr Harding and Mr Richards. Although the weather was too
stormy for sailing and kayaking everyone had a fantastic time and there were many opportunities
to learn and practise Spanish. The activities included Spanish lessons, Spanish cooking, salsa
dancing, a visit to Cartagena, shopping in the local market and beach games.
Page 18
Bohunt School
Year 7 Study Visit to Spain/ more photos
Page 19
Bohunt School
Chinese Students’ Exchange Visit
After a successful visit to China by our students last November, twenty Chinese students and
four teachers from Taizhou came to visit Bohunt School between 29 April and 4 May. The
Chinese students stayed with the host families of their UK partners. They found the British
culture, lifestyle and food fascinating. On 30 April, our Chinese Clil class, 8H, acted as tour
guides and showed our Chinese visitors around Bohunt School. We then took the Chinese
visitors to London for a day trip by train. Although in China, travelling on train can be a lively and
somewhat noisy affair, the Chinese students quickly adopted the “British” etiquette. Instead of
chatting, they took out their newest phone gadgets and started texting furiously! In London, they
saw Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye, before attending an ‘Adaptations to
Habitat’ workshop in the ISIS Education Centre in Hyde Park. After a brief rest, they visited the
National Gallery. In the evening, they had English fish and chips as dinner, before watching a
stunning musical performance of “Matilda”.
Page 20
Bohunt School
Focus Week Activities
Languages teachers at Bohunt were impressed by the energy and creativity of year 8 students
during Focus Week! Students worked on folk tales and pantomimes in French, Spanish, German
and Mandarin Chinese. They took part in speaking, drama, ICT and craft activities before or after
most of the year group went on camp in the New Forest. Teachers helped their groups with
basic scripts and some props, then the students added to these with their own ideas, performing
new versions of Cinderella, Snow White and …. in a foreign language. Much fun was had by
audiences and participants, as students used all the props available to become very ugly sisters
or convincing dwarves etc.! Students were able to work on improving their pronunciation and
broadening their vocabulary by acting out a well-known story in a language they have been
learning for a relatively short time.
Most groups rounded off the Focus Day by watching the original Disney versions of these tales in
the foreign language. Watching films, especially where the story is already known, is a great way
of reinforcing known vocabulary and learning new words – an excellent activity for any rainy days
in the coming summer holiday by the way!
Mrs Lunskey
Meanwhile, on Friday 26 June, year
10 students were lucky enough to
have an impromptu rendition of
‘Diversity’ from the award winning
poet and spoken word artist Rhael
Cape who is known to many as
LionHeart. He delivered a poetry
slam where students had to write
their own poems and then perform
in groups. All students were
thoroughly engaged and enjoyed
the session as part of Focus week.
Diversity was a poem that LionHeart
performed at the BBC local radio
comedy night in London and it went
down just as well at Bohunt School!
LionHeart himself really enjoyed the
interaction with the kids and was
bowled over by their enthusiasm for
the task.
Page 21
Bohunt School
Bohunt Hosts Heroes
On 24 July, as part of the enrichment focus week., students followed a bespoke timetable
organised around various heroes such as local charities, the Emergency Services and the Armed
Forces, as well as meeting and listening to motivational speakers. These activities were
designed to increase students’ knowledge of possible careers, develop their natural curiosity and
build resilience by letting them take risks and learn from their mistakes, all under the watchful
eyes of our heroes. A typical day’s timetable began with some teambuilding exercises led by the
Military Prep College (including lots of jumping - see below) followed by a police fitness ‘bleep
test’ before attending various demonstrations and speeches by our Armed forces and local
charities, such as Canine Partners, Phoenix Futures, Hounds for Heroes and Dr. Helen Little, an
A&E doctor. We were lucky enough to have the AAC in attendance running an activity on
camouflage and concealment in the woods, which obviously worked as we couldn’t find the
soldiers to give them a cup of tea and biscuit.
“Heroes Day” as it is affectionately
named saw students meeting and
greeting all types of heroes like
Millie, the Hampshire fire arson dog,
and Icarus, the assistance dog from
Canine Partners. Students heard
how they were trained and, most
excitingly of all, were offered a
chance to witness Millie sniff out a
hidden object in nano-seconds, and
Icarus undress his owner and fetch
her walking stick.
Page 22
Bohunt School
Bohunt Hosts Heroes/ cont...
One of the most competitive activities of the day (for staff and students!) was the police fitness
test - also known as the ‘bleep test’. This saw Paul Mizzi (Merrist Wood Public Services Tutor
and retired Police officer) putting us through our paces running back and forth in time to some
bleeps on a 20m track. Add some very warm sunshine, jeans and flip flops, and increasingly
faster bleeps into the equation and you may see how some of us didn’t meet the grade to
become a police officer. Congratulations to those students who not only met the grade but
excelled themselves, reaching level 11 and upwards!
A more thoughtful part of the day was when students met residents from Phoenix Futures, a
Hampshire residential service which provides rehabilitation for adults suffering from drug or
alcohol related addictions. The residents’ stories were informative and inspiring, showing just
how easy it is to become addicted to a substance, but also explaining the wider effects it has on
your family, career and life, and how much of a difference somewhere like Phoenix Futures
makes. Organiser, Mrs Green, said “You really could hear a pin drop as these heart-wrenching
stories were told, and our students showed the utmost respect and engagement with thoughtful
questions and comments after the speeches”.
After lunch, students were inspired by a
fascinating talk from Dr. Helen Little (an ex-Bohunt student). The A&E doctor spoke of her route
to success and also displayed some excellent photographs, shared stories of working abroad,
and quizzed us about specific medical circumstances, such as what we would do if someone
broke their leg nearby.
Students spoke highly of the day with one particular highlight being able to play with some
(unloaded!) Armed Forces weaponry brought in by local regiment the PWRR (Tigers). “Today
has been awesome!”, “It’s so cool and interesting” and “I’d like to join the army now!” were just
some of the comments from students.
Page 23
Bohunt School
Outdoor Education
A recent news article in the Daily Telegraph by TV survivalist, Chief Scout and former SAS
soldier, Bear Grylls said, “A mountain hike helps in the classroom”. Grylls went on to say, “The
self belief that comes from conquering the great outdoors is a lesson that all young people
should learn”, and we at Bohunt couldn’t agree more. The skills learnt, and the experiences
gained, taking part in opportunities linked to the great outdoors can have an impact that changes
attitudes and mind sets. The experiences and lessons will stay with our young people as they
move forward into adulthood. What Gryll’s calls informal education is a fundamental part of life at
Bohunt and the opportunity to participate exists for all students.
This year has been another successful year for the outdoor education team with more students
choosing to take part in the range of opportunities presented to them. The stepped programme
of opportunities begins in year 8 with a 3-day activity camp in the New Forest followed by a
Bushcraft camp in year 9. Once students reach KS4 they are able to participate in the Duke of
Edinburgh Award which we run at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels.
During the recent focus week nearly 600 students spent at least one night under canvas with 200
year 9’s spending their nights under shelters they had built themselves. Year 8 spent three days
trying their hand at new activities such as climbing and raft building, and our second wave of
Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award participants tested their skills on the North Downs. For some
students in year 8 this may be the first time they have been camping or on a school residential
trip so new skills are being learnt from the moment they arrive. The camps are based around a
selection of activities designed to challenge the students’ own fears such as heights, as well as
expanding their team work and cooperative skills through team building tasks such as raft
building where the teams’ efforts influence the success of their voyage. Our year 9s build on
these skills swapping tents for tarp shelters. Students are taught the fundamentals of fire lighting
as well as having to work in a sustainable way in the natural environment. Staying for two nights
in ancient woodland in the Cotswolds, students look at where their food comes from and this can
challenge some students with activities such as rabbit butchery and salmon pannassing. Other
activities include cooking and navigation as well as testing newly acquired first aid skills.
Mr Hansraj, Head of Outdoor Education, said:
“The students’ attitude, effort and resilience when taking part in the outdoor programme has
been superb and I hope the lessons learnt will stay with them as they move forward with the
range of opportunities presented to them at Bohunt. I would also like to thank the staff and
parent leaders who make the outdoor programme possible though their hard work, time and
dedication.”
Neil Strowger, Headteacher, added:
“We are very proud, not only of the students’ achievements, but in the mature, confident and
skilled way in which they conducted themselves whilst often faced with big challenges and tricky
situations.”
Page 24
Bohunt School
Outdoor Education/ Photos of Year 8 and Year 9 Camps
Page 25
Bohunt School
Outdoor Education/ cont...
The school has a large cohort of students participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award which is
made up of four components: a skill, physical activity, volunteering and an expedition. Students
have to demonstrate a commitment to these activities from three months at Bronze to over a
year at Gold with two, three and four day expeditions to complete as well. Over 170 year 10s
spent two days and one night on the North Downs navigating routes they had planned, and
carrying their equipment and supplies. Near perfect weather this season has greatly helped to lift
spirits further and students are now looking forward to their final expeditions in September.
Page 26
Bohunt School
The school would also like to congratulate Beth Andrews and Christine Frank-Shultz in
completing their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Both girls are now awaiting their invitations to
St James’s Palace for the presentation of their awards.
They are shown below with Mr Andrews, Mr Avery and Mr Hansraj, and Ally Griffiths, Operation
Officer from DofE, Windsor.
Page 27
Bohunt School
Page 28
Bohunt School
Geography Club
This term has provided some exciting opportunities for the Geography Club which meets at
lunchtime on Thursdays. We have been training for and competing in the Geography
Association World Wise Quiz.
The Quiz involved Bohunt, Priory and Chichester Free School and gave students an opportunity
to compete in areas such as map skills, world knowledge, UK landmarks and general geography
knowledge.
Well done to all those who took part in Year 8 - James Justesen, Alex Palmer and Lottie Tellyn and, in Year 7, Jake Marsh, Andrew Neasom and Harry Linegar.
In addition to this we have been spending our lunchtimes debating and researching Antarctica in
preparation for entering the Royal Geographical Society’s Young Geographer Competition. The
theme of this year’s competition, ‘Why does Antarctica matter?’, coincides with the centenary of
Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance expedition, which aimed to complete the first crossing of
Antarctica. Despite failing in his original plans and being stranded for over a year, Shackleton
and his men returned safely and the expedition is recognised as one of the most remarkable
feats of leadership, bravery and endeavour. The competition is an opportunity for students to
explore why Antarctica still matters today, spanning the following or any other ideas: Antarctica’s
world leading science; the continent’s unique biodiversity and landscapes; as a location which
still inspires people with awe and wonder of the natural world; Antarctica’s unique status as the
only continent in the world without countries; Antarctica’s governance by the Antarctic Treaty
which promotes science, peaceful purposes, sets aside territorial claims and prevents military
activities.
Page 29
Bohunt School
STEM Activities
Virgin Galactic Google Hangout
On 24 April, a group of fifteen Year 8 and
9 students took part in the Virgin Galactic
Google Hangout after school hosted from
California. The students had the
opportunity to take part in the “Women in
Aerospace” hangout, where they were
able to chat to two of the women at Virgin
Galactic about their roles in the space
industry. They asked questions of Beth, an
aerospace engineer at Virgin Galactic,
serving a dual role of Chief Astronaut
Instructor and Cabin Program Manager,
and Margaret, a Project Specialist at The
Spaceship Company and enthusiastic
private pilot. Bohunt School was the only
school invited to take part and the students
asked some great questions. See the
whole Hangout at www.youtube.com/
watch?v=fQwV9Ay7Omk
The Sunday Times Festival of Education
On 18 and 19 June, fourteen Year 9 students
had the privilege of attending The Sunday
Times Festival of Education at Wellington
College, Berkshire. They were invited to assist
Steam Co., a company who wanted to
#INSPIRANATION by getting students
enthused about Science, Technology,
Engineering, Art and Maths. The students not
only experienced the activities on offer, but
also helped out with T-shirt printing, paper
rockets and Utterly Butterly Ukuleles! In
addition students had the chance to see the
rest of the festival including attending
workshops and talks. The highlight was
definitely the inspirational talk given by Tinie
Tempah on Friday!
Page 30
Bohunt School
Bohunt achieves best overall project for the EDT/Seavision
Go4Set ‘My School is an Island’ project
I was privileged to worked with six phenomenal students who successfully challenged 15 other
schools to win the EDT/Seavision Go4Set ‘My school is an Island’ project. The aim of this project
is for students to capture ideas from their own Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics knowledge; to work with an industry mentor and school mentor to develop their
ideas; and to see how such companies tackle the challenges of the sea. Our team was
composed of Florence Griffiths, Samuel Ivens, William Kellett, Hugo Millard, Toby Shellswell and
Samuel Tellyn, who worked alongside Mrs Haskell, myself and Tom Organ from Agusta
Westland Finmeccanica.
For the Go4SET “My School is an Island” project, the students had to examine the logistical and
technical challenges that have to be tackled anywhere that is surrounded by sea. The ten-week
project culminated in the students making a presentation to members of the maritime industry.
This nerve-wracking day took place at the Mary Rose educational centre in Portsmouth. It was
quite a feat carrying our large 6 foot model across the Navy base, to go with their professional
presentation. They then had to wait for the judges to confer and the results to be announced. As
the runners up prizes were awarded, there was a mood of anticipation. The final prize for the
‘Best Overall project’ was not only selected by the judges, but also by the other competing
students. After a long pause, the next four words took a while to register: ‘Congratulations to
Bohunt School’, a well-deserved award for all the students’ efforts.
The judges praised the Bohunt team for their professional presentation, the choices they had
made about architectural design and methods used to generate finance, and the methods
selected to capture energy from the environment using underwater kites to generate electricity.
They were also praised for their openness and resilience; how they had not been afraid of
making changes to their ideas with clear resolution and determination.
Page 31
Bohunt School
Bohunt achieves best overall project for the EDT/Seavision
Go4Set ‘My School is an Island’ project/ cont...
The prize was a day sailing around the Isle of Wight with the UKSA. We were lucky with the
weather and the team worked really well to sail a 43-foot yacht through the Solent. It was most
definitely a case of all ‘hands on deck’, and a well-deserved day out, which gave the participants
a few more skills to take home with them. I would like to thank the team for sailing us back to
port, as there were times when the idea of sailing to America was discussed.
I would also like to give special thanks to Mr Hoad and the parents of all the students involved in
the project, who helped support the project and also came to support us at the presentations in
Portsmouth.
Miss Habgood
Page 32
Bohunt School
Visit to King’s College London
On Wednesday 13 May five year 9 students attended the Future Scholar Awards held at King’s
College London. The aim of the awards is for students to gain a real-life experience of what
studying at a top university is like. It is hoped that this will encourage them to aim to achieve the
best possible grades.
Our students experienced an introduction to university study, a taster lecture by Professor Phil
Whitfield on ‘Wicked worms – studying and controlling a tropical disease’, a tour around the
fantastic campus (with views of the Thames and the Shard), a student ambassadors’ Q&A panel
and a motivational session in one of the lecture theatres. The students agreed that it really did
motivate them to aim high and consider going to a research-intensive Russell Group University.
They described the day variously as enjoyable, fun, enlightening, inspiring, exciting, and a once
in a lifetime experience!
Page 33
Bohunt School
GCSE Business Studies Students
On Thursday 11 June, Bohunt School welcomed two representatives from Costa coffee.
Between them they had over 20 years’ experience working in various roles for the UK’s favourite
coffee chain. Our GCSE Business students were currently in the middle of their controlled
assessment based around a fictional entrepreneur starting up a coffee shop. We felt a visit from
people working in this fast-growing industry would be hugely beneficial not only to their GCSE
assessments but it would also allow them to link the text book theory to the real world.
One of our visitors, Matthew Case, is currently in charge of 21 stores in the local area as a
Retail Development Manager, and he was able to answer our students’ questions on a variety of
topics ranging from franchising through profit margins to advertising campaigns. The second
Costa representative, Phil Smeaton, is in charge of the company’s work experience programme
and spoke to the pupils about the opportunities available to them working for the coffee giant.
The students’ feedback has been really positive from the visit and they now have a wealth of
industry knowledge to add to their controlled assessments. Both myself and the students want
to thank Matthew and Phil for coming in to talk to us, as well as Mrs Green for helping to
arrange the visit.
Mr King
Page 34
Bohunt School
Two more visits to Sky TV
On 19 June Mrs Green, with other members of staff, took a group of year 11 students to Sky TV
where they met the boxer Johnny Nelson. It was a most worthwhile trip and students’ comments
included:
“It seriously has made me reconsider my career choices.”
“It made me consider other careers different from the ones I had in mind”
“The trip helped me see different career options that I’d never considered before and how to get
there.”
A second trip this term, on 1 July, allowed Year 10 students to meet Jonny Wilkinson. This is an
account of that day by Rowan King of 10G:
“As a massive fan of rugby I was extremely excited to be taking part in this experience because
we would have the chance to meet Jonny Wilkinson, CBE, whose career I had followed. When
we arrived we were soon set up on iPads, using an app by the name of sky careers lab. It was
extremely easy to use and, after a survey to find out more about our job strengths and
weaknesses, it generated a word bank of selling words that we could use on our personal
statement. This was extremely helpful, and made me think about job interviews and how I could
further improve my job strengths and attributes to mprove my chances of being successful in the
future.
Then Jonny arrived and gave us an incredible talk explaining choices which helped me to
understand how to get to such a high point in success and happiness. We heard about the low
points and also the high points in his career, and he explained how to face your issues and keep
going. After the talk, we were taken on a short tour of Sky Sports studios. It was incredibly
interesting to see all the different parts of a multinational company and helped me gain an
understanding of the sheer size and mass of the business that we were visiting.
Page 35
Bohunt School
Two more visits to Sky TV
Usually when I think of a large multinational company, I think of it having quite a closed and cold
atmosphere and there being no sense of welcome but at Sky it felt different, there was a much
more welcoming vibe than I expected. After our tour, I questioned the guides about the work
experience they offer at Sky Studios. They explained to me how there were so many different
jobs I could enrol in within Sky and that there was a huge choice if I were to get through the
interview stage. The idea of work experience interested me hugely because I could experience
what it was like to work at a large company such as Sky and I could put my expectations to the
test. The work experience they offer lasts two weeks and you would be working alongside
everyone else, not just making tea and coffee - a full experience of work. All in all the day got me
incredibly excited for the future and helped me gain an idea about how my future could turn out.
Sky was a great experience and was incredible to witness for a day.”
Page 36
Bohunt School
News from Cobbett House
What an exciting year Cobbett House has had! From our fabulous whole school meeting to our
amazing Easter Fair – Cobbett House has a lot to be proud of! Our school meeting reflected
the talent in our house with Annabelle Bonnar playing the guitar and singing beautifully, as well
as some fantastic live drama performances from Tristan Selvage, Elsie Stump, Ruby Arbon,
Holly McGoldrick, Fin Wilson and Tabby Duncan-Weeks, exploring the impact technology has
had on our lives. Ollie Fox also deserves a special mention for all of his tremendous technical
skills.
Our Easter fair ran for the last week of the spring term and comprised of marvellous games such
as Spin the Wheel and Hunt the Bunny, delicious cakes galore, milkshakes, photos with our
very own Minion and a fabulous raffle. Thanks to the generosity of students, parents and staff,
Cobbett House raised an incredible £496.48 for our house charity Dreams Come True, “Once
again, thank you for fundraising for Dreams Come True, the money you have raised will really
make a difference and we are very grateful for your support.” The Charity Champions worked
tirelessly to make this event go without a hitch and we are all looking forward to building on our
success with a summer fete next year.
Picture from
The Herald:
As a reward for the students of
Cobbett House for all their hard
work this year, Miss Broad
organised a trip to Thorpe Park!
Everyone had a fabulous time on
the terrifying rides and we had
amazing success at winning the
games!
Page 37
Bohunt School
The Bohunt Players
The Bohunt Players Showcase on 30 April
was a terrific success. Over 100 audience
members watched a fabulous array of short
plays ranging from hilarious happening on
board our very own airline, to a beautiful
piece based on World War One which
included some exceptionally moving singing.
The students worked very hard and created a
truly professional performance. We’re all
looking forward to their next performance in
the autumn term! One parent said, “I really
enjoyed the recent performances by Bohunt
Players and thought the ‘White Feather’ and
‘Airport’ performances were ‘stand out’.”
“The cast of Matilda were outstanding and it
was a super experience and I’m so glad that I
went.” Lucy Greenhalgh
“Bohunt Players is something that I can do
with people that I don’t normally get to work
with and gives me the freedom to be creative
with my drama.” Lily Ayo
Page 38
Bohunt School
Malta Netball Tour
During the May half-term, four members of staff accompanied 36 students from years 8 and 9 to
Malta. Fourteen months beforehand, many of them had never played netball before. The girls
trained hard during those fourteen months to prepare for the tour, and each one showed
fantastic motivation and determination to succeed. Staff involved in the trip were extremely
impressed with the progress each player had made. On tour they played some of the best
netball they had ever played, and we hope they will continue playing throughout their time at
Bohunt and beyond.
The trip included a two-hour training session, two full matches against Maltese opposition, a
comino boat cruise, a day at the splash and fun water park, a tour of Valletta and an excursion
to the marine park.
Miss Hogg
Bohunt School
Page 39
New School Records set in Athletics
Congratulations to the following who have set new school records:
Year 7
200m boys 600m boys 1000m boys 100m girls Discus girls -
Ross Pitt (7SK) with 28.82s
Alfie Henderson Watts (7R1) with 1m 47.28s
Liam Dunne (7H) with 3m 15.53s
Tiffany Read (7SK) with 3m 35.09s
Kate Downing (7R1) with 18.62 m
Year 8
300m boys High Jump boys 1500m girls Javelin girls -
Callum Hunt (8SK) with 44.19s
George Davy (8A) with 1.58 m
Jessica Cross (8G) with 5m 38.00s
Jessica Williams (8H) with 19.94 m
Year 9
100m boys 200m boys -
Ollie Nicholson (9G) with 11.82s
Ollie Nicholson with 23.57s
Henry McGoldrick (9S1) broke the original record with 25.01s
And our warmest congratulations to:
Ollie Nicholson who won the
100m at the Hampshire
Schools Athletics
Championships on 13 June in a
time of 11.6 seconds. He went
on to represent Hampshire in
the Inter County
Championships in Kent, and
will represent Hampshire again
in the English Schools
Championships later on in the
year in Newcastle. At one point
in the year he was ranked 20th
in the UK for this event - a
tremendous achievement!
Henry McGoldrick should also
be congratulated for finishing
3rd in the same final running a
time of 12.0 seconds.
Page 40
Bohunt School
Tennis Report
Thanks to the large pool of talent in the current Year 7 and 8, we were able to enter the county
tennis league for the first time in some years. The players have done extremely well and have
really put Bohunt on the map for tennis.
The under-13 boys tennis team had some brilliant games and brilliant rallies (Max Gardner is
one of those annoying players that gets everything back!) within matches. We came third in our
league which is wonderful. The boys definitely achieved good results and played well to get
their wins. The under 13 girls tennis squad had a impressive season. They were unbeaten all
season and, in their last match, they only dropped one game in eight sets which is fantastic
work. Just like the boys, this was their first season together so they have gelled really quickly as
a team and performed outstandingly. A special mention goes to Mollie Jones who took part in
the County Championships in Southampton at the end of June.
Well done to all, and we look forward to another superb season next year.
.
Page 41
Bohunt School
Year 11 Leaver’s Ball
Wednesday 24 June, saw the magnificent setting of Old Thorns transformed into a magical
enchanted forest for Bohunt’s Year 11 Leaver’s Ball.
Through the twinkling of stars wrapped around some stunning centrepieces, the array of
dresses and suits was wonderful - every colour and style under the sun. The students’
carriages for their arrival included: vintage classic cars; modern sports cars; double decker
buses; fire engines and even a set of skateboards and scooters, spreading cheers and laughter
throughout the vast crowd of staff, parents and even the press. More laughter was shared after
the delicious three-course meal during the awards, where successful students were rewarded
with ivy crowns and a vast array of prizes such as tents, sweets, iPhone accessories and, of
course, an inflatable shark. The evening was a wonderful way to celebrate success and bid our
lovely year 11s farewell. Of course, we wish them all the very best of luck and happiness in the
future.
Miss Baldwin
Page 42
Bohunt School
Page 43
Bohunt School
Parent Reminders
MEDICAL ROOM
Please be aware that Bohunt
runs a very small first aid
room, dealing with incidents
that occur in school only.
Any injuries that happen
outside of school are the
responsibility of the parents/
carers and will not be dealt
with by the first aiders.
Parents are asked that they do
not collect their son/daughter
without being contacted by a
member of staff. There have
been incidences of students
calling home, asking to be
collected and leaving school
premises without permission
or knowledge of a member of
staff.
E-MAIL CONTACTS FOR
PARENTS
If you need to contact the
school with questions for any
member of staff, you can do
so by e-mailing to
enquiries@bohunt.hants.sch.u
k. The query will be forwarded
to the most appropriate
member of staff.
TELEPHONING ABSENCES
Please be aware that if you
telephone Bohunt regarding a
student absence you use
option 2 to leave a message,
and not option 4.
ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL
May I remind parents of
school policy with regard to
the authorisation of absences
from school. We value the
high levels of attendance we
see at Bohunt and encourage
parents to consider the
adverse effect of avoidable
absence on the academic
progress of their children.
Accordingly such requests
will be considered on their
individual merit and will
rarely be granted in years 10
and 11 (the GCSE
examination years) and at
times in other year groups
during, or in the lead up to,
examinations. However I
recognise that exceptional
circumstances may prevail
and I would ask that parents
contact their child’s tutor or
Achievement Coordinator to
discuss the need for
absence in such cases.
ILLNESS
If a student arrives late for
school, and after tutor time in
the morning, they must sign
in at reception
If taken ill during the school
day students must go to Miss
Gabriel, Welfare Officer,
before telephoning home.
If a student has an
appointment outside school
e.g. dentist, they should
bring in a note from their
parent for their tutor’s
attention the day before the
appointment is due
It is very important that these
procedures are followed as
we need to know at all times
who is on site.
small number of pupils in the
school with a nut allergy
when planning the contents
of lunch boxes. Their
reaction to coming into
contact with nuts and nut
products can be very
serious indeed. Thank you
for your thoughtfulness.
PUNCTUALITY
Please remember that
morning school begins at
8.40 am. Pupils need to
make sure that they arrive in
sufficient time to be in
registration by this time.
CAR PARK
When collecting or dropping
off your son/daughter,
please be sure not to cause
congestion by stopping in
the road in the car park.
Please stop either in marked
bays or on the courts at the
top of the car park.
Parents are asked not to
park in either Victoria Way
or The Firs to collect/drop
their children from school.
Parking in these roads is
causing congestion for local
residents.
Students are not to walk
through the car park keep to the paths, please!
NUT ALLERGIES
I would ask that parents
exercise care and
consideration towards the
Page 44
Bohunt School
Bohunt School
Longmoor Road
Liphook
Hants
GU30 7NY
Bohunt School is a vibrant learning community whose ethos
is encapsulated by three short verbs: enjoy, respect and
achieve.
Phone: 01428 724324
Fax: 01428 725120
enquiries@bohunt.hants.sch.uk
Our success is based on an approach which combines the
highest expectations with a sensitivity to learners’ individual
needs. It concentrates on maintaining the very best
standards of learning and teaching, and takes every
opportunity to recognise and reward achievement.
We are proud to be a designated Language College and
International School and we offer considerable richness and
diversity of cultural and linguistic experience to our learners
across the curriculum.
If you know of any student achievements not
mentioned in this newsletter, please email
enquiries@bohunt.hants.sch.uk
www.bohunt.hants.sch.uk
@bohuntschool
Advice and guidance for parents on our website
Links are designed to provide you with practical advice on areas of concern that sometimes
cause parents anxiety or stress when supporting their teenager. The four areas are:
Eating disorders
Self-Harm
Anxiety
Online Safety.
Our intention is to provide an area of the website where parents might find information, advice
and guidance that supports them in understanding areas of teenage life that might feel alien to
them. Some of the links are to websites that provide their own advice and guidance; other links
are to articles that may be of interest that are linked to the subject matter.
In some areas we share some of our own teaching resources which provides an insight into
how Bohunt is adapting its curriculum to support students. The range of links is by no means
exhaustive. We would welcome feedback and recommendations of additional information that
parents have, themselves found useful and supportive. Should you wish to provide any
feedback please go to enquiries@bohunt.hants.sch.uk And title your email Health Web page.
Thank you, Mr Vaughan

Summer 2015 Bohunt School NEWSLETTER

Transcription

Similar documents

Learn Spanish - Talk Corporate Language Training

Sixth Form Student Council

May 23rd 2014 Dear Parents and Guardians, The first half of the

Prospectus - Chipping Sodbury School

Spanische Hofreitschule - Künstlersekretariat Buchmann GmbH

Higher Education Science and Technology and Economic

SP ISH - Red Deer Public School District

So. Cal. Timbrado Club - Southern California Spanish Timbrado

Here - My Escuelita

View/Download - The Center for Gender Equity in Science and

E dmonton County School Learning and A

Tenby International School Setia Eco Park

Post 16 Prospectus for Entry September 2016

September 2016 - Rainham Mark Grammar School

Pack PDF File - Impington Village College

Sixth Form prospectus - Dr Challoner`s High School

- Liphook.co.uk