Floyd Footnotes April-2015 - Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School

Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School
Floyd Footnotes
www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk
Issue 20 | April 2015
The
Sunshine
of your
Smile
It started back in February when I
was teaching 7W about space.
They had learned about the solar
system and the relative sizes of
the planets so it was time to
discuss what happens to cause an
eclipse. They drew the diagrams
and demonstrated that they had
understood that the shadows of
the moon or the Earth make a solar
or lunar eclipse. And that was
when it started.
“How long does it take?” queried
one.
“Does it go completely dark?”
quizzed another.
So, joyfully, I regaled them with
my recollections of the almost
total eclipse I witnessed in Dorset
in
the
summer
of
1999.
Understandably, this seemed like
ancient history to these 21st
century children. I explained how
everyone gets excited about ‘first
LLP
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First Floor, Lincoln House, 6 Church Street,
Aylesbury HP20 2QS
contact’, as the moon starts to
pass in front of the sun, and how
from that moment to the moment
the sun is completely visible again
takes about two hours. On a bright
summer’s day in August, the 98%
eclipse meant that nearly all the
light was obscured and, even the
birds stopped singing! That was
enough to prompt the question:
“When’s the next eclipse?”
Kate Blanchard, Teacher of Biology
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A question some ask, especially with regard
to modern works. Interestingly that same
question has been asked through the ages
with each new direction followed. Years 10
and 11 students, accompanied by a few
sixth form artists visited two established
bastions of the arts world in the spring term
- the Saatchi Gallery and the Victoria &
Albert Museum.
The Sunshine Of Your Smile
“Oh, there are eclipses all the time, they
are just not always visible from any
habitable place on the planet,” I replied,
confident that I could both reassure them
that they might see one in their lifetime,
and also prepare them for the chance that
they may not survive long enough to see
one on home turf.
But then, they got me, persevering they
put me on the spot and asked the burning
question, “When is the next eclipse that
will be visible from the UK?”
And so I looked it up, there and then, in
the lesson. Imagine my surprise, never
mind theirs, when I discovered there was
to be an almost total eclipse, visible from
the UK, in no less than six weeks’ time. I
don’t know who was more excited, the
thirty 12 year olds, or their teacher!
As the day drew closer it was eventually
decided that some classes would be
allowed outside, under strict instructions
about how to view the eclipse. Some
classes would be allowed to watch it on a
live stream in the hall. Sadly though, my
Year 7 class were not having science with
me that day, so I requested to take my set
of Year 10 outside instead. But it was
cloudy! Should we, or shouldn’t we go
outside? We dallied for a while and then
decided to go for it, even though it was not
the warmest day and nor ideal conditions
for viewing an eclipse with almost total
cloud cover. To start with, we were the
only class outside, but eventually we were
joined by several other groups and I was
bracing myself for having to manage the
situation
of
mass
disappointment.
However, right on cue, the sun broke
through the cloud enough for a little
crescent smile to appear in the sky! Cue
huge sighs of relief from the staff members
and mass clicking of camera shutters.
There was not quite enough brightness to
get the makeshift pinhole cameras to
work, but conventional cameras did a
grand job of capturing the moment.
Colleagues and students in Berlin on a
history trip also experienced the eclipse
with slightly less cloud to obscure their
view.
So 7W, there are a few partial solar eclipses
visible from the UK over the next few
decades, but nothing as dramatic as the
sunny ‘smile’ on Friday March 20th 2015.
The next total eclipse visible from these
shores will not show up until 2090. I’ll
remember the day the sun smiled out from
behind a cloud in Aylesbury for years to
come, and I’m sure you will too.
Kate Blanchard, Teacher of Biology
The Saatchi Gallery changes its art works
three times a year so there is always
something new to see for a regular visitor,
and dependent on your mindset there may
be something on show that prompts the
initial question. A part installed work with
ladders, wrappings, workman’s tools, in a
roped off area - was it an art work or was it
really something still to be finished? A
chair… or is it? Perhaps beautiful, flock style
wall paper is more to your taste - the
pattern made up of words you need to look
at closely to decipher may not impress you.
Or do you prefer a room sculpted from
human hair or a dismantled vacuum
cleaner? Whatever your taste it can probably
be stretched and expanded at the Saatchi.
The V&A may appeal more to traditionalists,
but even here there is something to surprise
you round most corners in this vast
museum. From the enormous hanging light
form in the reception area made from
shades of yellow, green and blue glass, to
wrought iron sculptures, from stained glass
panels, marble statues, material sewn into
many different forms, though to oil on
canvas paintings, there is something for
everyone. Certainly the students who visited both
establishments gained from the experience,
both in terms broadening their own
knowledge of the different forms of art, but
also in providing some thoughts, some
ideas that they might be able to use in their
studies.
Is It
Art?
NOTIFICATION OF EXAMINATION RESULTS
Summer Examinations 2015
Students, if you wish any other person
(including family members) to collect
your results on your behalf, you must
give your written authorisation to the
Examinations Officer, Mrs Damoo,
before results day. Without a signed
letter from you we are not allowed to
release results to any third party (this
includes your parents/carers or
relatives). The nominated person must
produce some form of ID on the day.
If you want your results posted, please
provide a First Class stamped and
addressed envelope and hand it to Mrs
Damoo in the Examination Office. If
you provide an A4 envelope please
remember to provide a large First Class
stamp. If incorrect postage is not
attached we cannot forward your results.
GCE RESULTS
THURSDAY 13TH AUGUST 2015
Year 13 only @ 9.00am in the Hall
Year 12 @ 10.00am in the Hall
GCSE RESULTS
THURSDAY 20TH AUGUST 2015
@ 10.00am in the Hall
No results will be given out by
telephone, fax or email under any
circumstances.
Results that have not been collected will be retained in school for collection on a later date.
Remark & Access to Script Requests
If, after receiving your results, you wish to have a priority remark or priority copy of your script
returned you must see the Examinations Officer as soon as possible (within 5 days if your
university place is dependent on results).
There are deadlines involved in this process and late applications will not be accepted.
Non-priority requests will be dealt with by the Examinations Officer on our return to school in
September.
Headteacher’s
Update
Examination Practice
This year we have included some extra
trial examinations for our senior
students. We have worked on the basis
that there is no better way to prepare for
an examination than to practice sitting
real examination papers under
examination conditions. Years 11, 12
and 13 all took a full range of papers –
and some individuals who did not do as
well as they could have done will be
having some further examination
sessions! This second round of trial
examinations has produced a heavy
marking load for teachers but we feel
that the educational benefits will have
been worth it.
Student Surveys
We have now completed this year’s
round of student surveys. We run a
survey for each subject and students are
given time to complete two or three
surveys each. They give us feedback on
aspects of their experience such as how
much they enjoy their lessons, the extent
to which they feel challenged, how happy
they are with the marking and feedback
they get, how promptly lessons start,
how much homework they get and how
much progress they feel they are
making. Students also get the chance to
write about what is working well for
them in each subject and what they think
could be done to improve their learning
further.
We have collected about 2,500 surveys in
total. We do genuinely appreciate the
feedback we get. Our students always
tackle the process intelligently and
maturely and I am always impressed at
how little silliness there is. Responses
are anonymous as far as our teachers are
concerned but I do tell students that I
can easily track down the writers of any
inappropriate comments! All of the
responses are taken seriously and are
followed up very professionally by our
staff.
Our survey of parents’ views take place
in November every two years. Our next
parent survey is due later this year.
Typically it has drawn in about 250
responses. It would be great to see that
number increase this year. Again, we do
value feedback on how we are doing.
Sixth Form Curriculum
– IB Diploma and A Levels
The (last) government introduced some
significant changes to A and AS levels
that we are beginning to accommodate.
Every syllabus is being substantially
rewritten and the structure of courses is
changing. For some time we have been
used to AS levels being taken at the end
of Year 12 and we are familiar with
marks on AS level papers carrying
forward into final A level grades. The
new plan is for there to be no connection
between AS level marks and A level
grades. A level grades will be awarded
solely on the basis of examinations
taken at the end of Year 13. AS levels will
still exist but as stand-alone
qualifications. The changes are made
more complex by the fact that not all
subjects are reformed yet. Some will
start their new regime from this
September, others next year and some
the year after in a phase-in process.
We are structuring our programme so
that students will either take three or
four A level courses from the time they
join our Sixth Form. AS levels will still be
available to some but they will have a
much less significant position than they
have had in recent years. We will also be
building in a fuller enrichment
programme than we have done in recent
years.
These changes only apply to A levels.
Our International Baccalaureate
programme continues unaltered (apart
from the regular syllabus revisions that
take place on a five year cycle). We are
now in our fourth year of teaching the IB
Diploma. Talking to parents recently I
was surprised to discover how little is
known about this qualification. We are
hearing all the time that universities and
employers rate the qualification very
highly but that news apparently has not
spread very widely. There are some very
ambitious claims in the IB literature “The programme aims to develop
students who have excellent breadth and
depth of knowledge – students who
flourish physically, intellectually,
emotionally and ethically.” - and, in our
experience, it does live up to these
ideals.
Our Governing Body has spent a great
deal of time over this year debating the
future of the IB at our school. Our
conclusion is that it really is an excellent
experience for our students and we are
committed to making sure that the
awareness of the programme among
parents and students is improved
considerably in the coming months.
Admissions
We had over 250 students who applied
from other schools to join our Sixth
Form. We have now given offers to as
many as we feel able to, but sadly have
had to disappoint some. We are in a
similar position with our Year 7 intake
for next September. Again we have not
been able to accommodate all the
grammar school qualified students who
put us as their first preference school.
For the first time that we can remember
we have a waiting list of first choice
applicants.
At both Year 7 and Sixth Form entry our
numbers are constrained by the physical
capacity of our buildings. We are
beginning to look very actively at the
possibility of constructing a new
teaching block. With more space we will
be able to take in more students and
leave fewer families disappointed.
Stephen Box, Headteacher
CHAMPIONS!
The effort and progress of the Year 7 football
team was rewarded this month with first place in
the District Championship. From September
there has been an outstanding level of
commitment from the squad and Year 10
coaches Jack Wiles and Anson Chan.
WELL DONE
Year 7 Football Club!
The team have played eight games, winning six,
drawing one, with a solitary loss in the County
Cup to the eventual winners. The District Final
against The Grange was an extremely tight affair
in a game that we led in early on through two JJ
Turner goals. The Grange came close on several
occasions but could not find the back of the net
leaving it 2-0 at half time. However, early in the
second half The Grange managed to score a well
worked goal to put us under pressure. Moving
into the latter stages we relied heavily on a solid
back three of Jack Holingworth, Alex Pickering
and Calvin Williams-Weston to keep the lead
intact. With ten minutes remaining JJ Turner
completed his hat trick to move the game
seemingly beyond doubt however, the Grange
scored with three minutes remaining to make
the final moments uncomfortable. In the end
sheer hard work from man-of-the-match Dan
Matthews saw the Floyd home and dry as District
Champions for 2015!
James Burge,
Teacher of Physical Education
SEVENS
The schools Year 8 7’s team went to the
Northampton Saint’s Rugby 7’s Tournament at
Milton Keynes rugby club in mid-March. We
got there bright and early to start warming up
and were taken by our coach and PE teacher Mr
Burge.
We started off the tournament against Royal
Latin and got some quick tries from Sam
Athisayarasa, Ashwin Reddy and myself, with
Jake Baldwin converting twice. The game
finished 21-12 - a great start to the day
against tough opposition. Our next game was
against Walton High and we were in good form.
We started the game a bit slow but before long
we were bagging lots of tries from Ashwin (3)
and Jake (2), once again converting brilliantly.
Final score this time was 31-5. The next game
was tough against Ousedale. I scored a quick
try and Jake converted well. Ouesdale brought
it back to make it 7-5 which made it incredibly
tense. We were in the last few seconds of play
and were defending on our own try line. A well
worked dummy pulled apart our defence and
Ouesdale scored in the corner. We were
unlucky to lose it 7-12. Going into our last
game with our heads held up high against
Buckingham we had an amazing start and
quickly started to dominate the game with well
worked tries from Sam, Ashwin and two for
myself. Jake was still kicking very straight, only
missing one of the conversions to make it
26-0.
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School boys played
with flair throughout scoring more tries than
any other team, and with a dogged defence
also conceded the least. There were some
amazing tackles throughout the tournament
from Ashwin Reddy, Sam Athisayarasa and a
special mention goes to Fiachra for consistently
tackling players twice his size. Great team
performance Year 8!
Oli Hassall, 8W
(Footnote from Teacher of Physical Education
James Burge: Oli played pretty well too!)
Netball
Roundup
There is some strong netball talent coming
up the school, with the Year 7 and 8 teams
setting a good precedent for the future.
The new Year 7’s have had a fantastic
season with enthusiastic and regular
attendance at practices. They also did
exceptionally well in their division in the
Aylesbury District Schools League, coming
second. Two teams were entered into the
end of season tournament, as the squad
had grown over the school year. They
competed in the top two pools, with our ‘B’
team competing against other schools’ ‘A’
teams achieving a respectable 4th place in
pool A and 3rd in pool B.
We entered two Year 8 teams into the
Aylesbury District Schools League this year,
both winning their divisions, which was
excellent! They competed against some
tough competition in the end of season
tournament, again fielding two teams. The
A team challenged in division 1, coming 4th
overall in the whole area (an excellent result)
and the B team fought well to come 5th in
their pool.
The Year 9 team continued to have
dedication to practise. However, following
National Schools
Netball Tournament
Being one of the first teams at Sir Henry Floyd
Grammar School to qualify to play in the South
Regional Finals Tournament in quite some
time, we were very proud of the Year 9 netball
squad before even attending this prestigious
competition. They came in the top four schools
in the whole of the Buckinghamshire in the
county-wide tournaments and deserved to
attend this event.
The girls had an early start on the last day of
January in the snow, travelling all the way to
East Grimstead only to be told on arrival that
the competition had been cancelled! However,
the tournament was re-arranged for the
following Saturday and the Year 9 netball team
bravely took on another early start, and with
Mrs Barber (teacher in charge), Mrs Selby
(minibus driver) and Sarah Flower (team coach),
made their way to Farnborough, Surrey for a
9.00am start. They had been training hard
since the news of qualifying from the county
round and were keen to implement their
practice.
The girls had some very tough competition in
their pool including Wellington College,
Durrington High, Cokethorpe School, Wycombe
Abbey, Ryde School and Portsmouth Grammar
(the only other state school). These teams
seemed intimidating by both height and talent,
their excellent results in tournaments early
in the season, they did not maintain this in
the league but, they did field a good team
for the end of season tournament and came
2nd overall. This displayed their true
prowess in the local area for netball.
The Year 10’s have had a testing season
with a key member of the team moving to
Australia, whilst another member of the
team experienced a serious injury which
regretfully took her out of the second half of
the season. Other girls from the year group
gallantly stepped up to the plate to fill the
team and hopefully they will continue to
commit to the team for next year. They
came 3rd in the 1st division of the
Aylesbury District Schools League and equal
second in the end of season tournament, so
congratulations for a successful season and
much potential for an even better next year!
The Year 11 netball team entered a strong
side into the end of season tournament,
achieving fourth overall in the top pool. Well
done girls!
Rachel Selby,
Faculty Leader for Physical Education
with some schools having the advantage of
national players and professional coaches. So
we were extremely proud of our girls as they
were hungry for success and played extremely
well, despite the weather. We believe this
deserves massive congratulations!
Coached to this success by Year 10 student
Sarah Flower, who said that, “The girls have
been a pleasure to coach. They never cease to
be full of energy for training and always make
the effort. I was extremely proud to coach them
to qualifying and watch them improve
throughout the competition. They always have
a smile on their faces and are fun to train. Anna
Hill being the Team Captain - well and truly
- did a good job, being friendly and fair with all
the girls as well as improving exceptionally
throughout the season, and proving to be a key
member of the team.”
The Team!
Anna Hill added, “We had great fun playing
against some of the best school teams from
the region; the teams were very good which
meant we had to step up our game. After
seeing how these top teams play and the
standard they play at, it has helped us improve
our game play.”
Well done girls. It has been great working with
such a dedicated and hard-working team there’s always next year!
Emma Barber and Rachel Selby, Sarah Flower
(Coach) 10C, Anna Hill 9W (Team Captain)
In Action
New
Beginnings
Having being given the amazing opportunity
to represent Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School
as Head Boy and Girl, we are excited to be
rolling out some of the initiatives planned by
the new Senior Student Leadership Team.
These include more guidance on possible
career paths and help in dealing with stress,
particularly in the lead up to exams.
Between us we study: English language and
English literature, History, Government and
Politics, French and Dance. These subjects
have taught us a wide range of skills such as
essay writing, confidence in performance and
effective communication.
different teaching and learning related
projects.
Our new Head Girl, Maxine Thomas-Asante,
joined in September 2014. Since coming to
the school she has taken part in the Debating
Society, School Council, and Rock Challenge.
She has also taught a dance club since
October. Maxine names her highlight here as
getting to know the passionate student body.
The Floyd is a warm environment where
students are able to freely express
themselves both socially and academically.
Though social freedoms allow for a relaxed
environment, students are also challenged
through lessons and clubs. This atmosphere
of acceptance and inclusion here is
something that we are very proud of, and
only goes to aid the learning environment for
our diverse student body.
Our new Head Boy, Harry Frost, joined the
school in Year 10 in 2011. During his time
here he has been part of various school
councils, the anti-bullying committee and
Floyd Focus Learning Group, as well as
helping to run Lower School Drama Club for a
year. Harry names his highlight of his time
Though the five stage application process
here as being given opportunities to work
was very daunting, we both learned a great
with students from all year groups on
deal about communication, planning and
organisation. The quality of the applicants
was inspiring, and the hustings prompted
laughter and a sense of good feeling, despite
being a little nerve-wracking. The memory
and continuation of these positive moments
will characterise the 2015-2016 Student
Senior Leadership Team. We are very lucky to
be working with such a committed and
talented team, and by combining our skills,
we hope to make distinct and lasting
progress in the coming year.
The responsibilities of this role are steadily
filtering through and we are easing into our
new positions. As a team, we aim to continue
the great work of the 2014-2015 SSLT,
particularly that of Jack Blue and Emmeline
Downie. Their work focused around senior
students providing support for younger
students in making important decisions,
through subject socials and mentoring
schemes. This was an excellent concept and
we hope to continue developing these
inter-year programmes so as to provide a
voice for every student at the school.
Maxine Thomas-Asante, 6H2 & Harry
Frost, 6W2
Outgoing Head
Boy and Head Girl
Gaynor Bull, Chair of
Governors thanks our
out-going Head Boy,
Jack Blue and Emmeline
Downie, Head Girl for
their excellent year of
service to the school.
Youth Apathy
The Third Annual Preventing
Bullying Conference
Again, SHFGS were invited to attend the
annual Preventing Bullying Conference at
The Gateway Conference Centre in
Aylesbury. This was a conference
organised by Buckinghamshire Services for
Children and Young People, to tackle such
issues as racism, extremism and
homophobia through a series of
interactive workshops. It was attended by
more than ten Buckinghamshire schools.
However, this conference was different…
we had been invited to present all the
good work that the SHFGS anti-bullying
group have done here at the school over
the last two years!
So, although nervous, six of our group:
Laura Wiktorowicz, Harry Frost, Amelia
Fabes, Becky Sharp, Gunishi Nathoo and
Kajal Shah, ably attended on the power
point by Hannah Penhearow and Matthea
Swan, presented some of the successful
work we have been doing, while the rest of
the group stood with us.
This presentation included the genesis
of the group, driven by the previous
Head Boy and Head Girl: Harvey Grant
and Laura Johnson and sixth former
Claire Horn about our initial assembly
work on the use of the word ‘gay’ as a
derogatory adjective. This was followed
by our first series of Anti-Bullying Week
assemblies on name calling and in our
second year, assemblies focused on
the disproportionate bullying of the
differently-abled. We spoke about our
presentation materials, including the use
of powerful age appropriate videos from
Childline and Stonewall and the impact
of one of our students retelling her own
personal account of cyberbullying.
Although we are an Upper School venture,
we were able to mention the competitions
we introduced to include the Lower
School. In our first year this was a poster
competition on our strapline ‘Spot it and
Stop it!’ and, this last year, we held a
creative writing competition on imagining
a world without bullying. The results of
these competitions are now up on our
permanent notice board, next to a flow
chart reminding students how to report
incidents in school.
Although we do not have a problem
with bullying at SHFGS, what our group
has done and will continue to do, is
to promote an anti-bullying culture to
ensure that we look out for and after each
other. For us, one person being bullied is
one too many. Part of this invites all of us
to not be bystanders if we see or hear of
anyone else being bullied, even if it is not
happening to ourselves. Hence, we set up
a ‘No Bystanders’ Petition and encouraged
staff and students alike to sign up. We
have four A2 pages of signatures and
counting..!
This conference was a wonderful
opportunity to share good practice and to
help other schools envision how to set up
their own groups. Our presentation was
very well received and we have already
had three schools contact us about our
work, so SHFGS is leading Bucks schools
on this!
Finally, I would like to add that none of
this would have been possible without the
hard work and dedication of the antibullying ‘angels’, a group of like-minded
individuals promoting a positive antibullying culture here in our school. I am
immensely proud of them!
Danielle Tolner, Associate Teacher
Towards the end of January Year 13 took part
in a politics-themed morning that stressed
the importance of voting. We also introduced
our fellow students to local party
representatives and their respective policies
for the forthcoming general election. We
organised this as our contribution to a
national movement aiming to encourage a
rejuvenation of democratic interest among
young people. This was prompted by the
disastrously low turnout of 44% among
people aged 18-25 in 2010 – a sign of youth
apathy.
The packed morning started with an
assembly, organised by us, in which Kavita
Sharma, 6C2, a Member of the Youth
Parliament talked about how to vote in the
forthcoming general election and the
importance of young people having their
voices heard. At the same time, we set
ourselves the target of getting our year’s
turnout to beat the national turnout for young
people, if not the average national turnout for
all those eligible!
After this, in the subsequent LIFE! session, we
introduced students to representatives from
the local Conservative, Green, Labour and
Liberal Democrat parties, some of whom are
parliamentary candidates for the forthcoming
election. They went on to talk for a short
period about what their parties stand for, why
they joined and subsequently stood for them,
as well as outlining some key policies they
will be running on in May. This was followed
by an enthusiastic question and answer
session in which our peers passionately asked
scrutinising questions surrounding issues of
the environment, climate change, the general
future, banker’s bonuses and local services.
Many of our fellow students afterwards told
us how much they had enjoyed the session
and how they had personally benefited from
it as this aided them in finding their ground
in politics as well as answering some of their
questions surrounding the election. On behalf
of the whole of Year 13, we would like to
thank Cllr Bill Chapple OBE, David Lyons,
Andrew Pakes and Cllr Stephen Lambert for
their attendance and we hope that future Year
13 students will replicate this fantastic event
and vote!
Brad Baines, 6M1 & Adam Stevenson, 6A2
Band Night
One of the crown jewels of Sir
Henry Floyd Grammar School
is incontestably the
Performing Arts Faculty.
From our Summer Concert,
with canon at The Aylesbury
Waterside last summer to
events held in our own
multipurpose theatre,
performances are always a
spectacular occasion. Band
Night was no exception. With
the ‘standing room only’
crowd a foot from the stage,
groups performed - in every
sense of the word – and the
energy of the performers was
infectious. A stirring rendition
of the Killers’ ‘Mr. Brightside’
produced a deafening singalong, and a rousing
performance of Dave
Matthew’s ‘41’ had everyone
jumping wildly. Band Night 2015 was a true
gig experience and had
performers and audience
members alike buzzing with
excitement not to mention
exhausted, after two hours of
jumping and singing along to
a great variety of bands, duets
and solo performances. As
always, it has been a pleasure
working with the faculty and I
would like to personally thank
all the students involved for
the incredible amount of work
they put into making Sir Henry
Floyd Grammar School a
pleasure to attend. An
additional thanks must go to
Miss Bahra plus Jon Cole and
his Tech team whose time and
effort made this event such a
success.
Jean-Pierre Waksman, 6A1
Rock
Challenge
After months of rehearsals, Sir Henry
Floyd Grammar School students
eagerly awaited an opportunity to
showcase their Rock Challenge dance/
drama piece at The Gordon Stuart
Theatre in Stevenage. The team
showcased in the local heat of Rock
Challenge, a national competition
which gives young people a chance to
show-off their talents and experience
the high of performing, to replace the
high of drugs and alcohol. Having
won two highly competitive heats
back in 2012, to become Southern
Open Champions, the school have an
automatic place in the Southern
Premier finals later this year and so
performing in Stevenage was an
opportunity to present their piece to
the teams competing there. The real
competition will be the in Portsmouth
in June.
The Floyd’s piece this year is based
on the Hans Christian Anderson
version of the Little Mermaid with all
its ‘darkness’ and the horror, drama
and death that the original story is
renowned for. With help from their
dance teachers, technicians and other
Performing Arts staff, the piece is
largely the work of the students and is
a fantastic opportunity for them to
take on leadership roles. Sixth
formers have played a leading part in
choosing the concept, choreographing
and teaching as well as heading up
costume, lighting and set teams. It
has been a whole school effort and it
has helped to build bridges across the
year groups in the school, resulting in
a growing feeling of school spirit.
With auditions and rehearsals starting
all the way back in September, it’s
been a long but very enjoyable
process to get the 8 minute piece
ready and the students were very
excited
and
honoured
to
be
showcasing as a Premier team at the
Stevenage event.
Having been involved in Rock
Challenge since Year 9, it’s always the
highlight of my year and the perfect
break from the stress of examinations.
Now I’m in Year 13, it’s really sad to
think that this is my last year of Rock
Challenge but it has been amazing to
have an opportunity to take a leading
role in decision making and, fingers
crossed, for the best Floyd piece to
date with some fantastic results when
we compete in June!
Evie Aspinall, 6A2
East Meets West
I have accompanied Year 10 students to Berlin
as part of their GCSE History Cold War studies
for a few years now. On each occasion I have
returned after a couple of days with two
distinct thoughts. Firstly the trip never ceases
to increase the knowledge and understanding
of all who go whether through the places
visited, or from hearing a personal anecdote
from the Cold War period. The second, is a
personal reflection - the students, despite the
non-stop approach over two days which
involves about 17kms of walking on each of
them, remain cheerful, polite and attententive
throughout. They are a credit to the school.
turn right for the Memorial for the Murdered
Jews of Europe, onwards to the site where the
Fuhrer Bunker is flooded and covered over,
head to the wall mural that presents the party
line of the superiority of the East German
political regime, walk past what was once the
largest office block in the 1940’s world, the
former Luftwaffe Ministry, keep walking
towards Checkpoint Charlie… and a brief rest
sat on an U-Bahn train to the Berliner Mauer
museum in Bernauer Strasse, where sections of
the wall are maintained, including a
watchtower and death strip between two walls.
Another train, dinner, a final train and back to
the hotel near Ost Bahnhof. A day that had
started at 3.00am, finished with bed at
11.00pm - tiring certainly, happy definitely.
An early morning flight, a coach to the hotel to
drop off luggage and then… start at the
Reichstag, listen to a brief history of inter-war
years German politics, then onto the Tiergarten
Soviet Memorial that used to sit within the old
British sector, down to the Brandenburg Gate,
Day two started with a walk to the East Side
Gallery - the longest section of the wall
remaining along a stretch of the river Spree.
The official graffiti murals on the wall were
admired and then it was time to walk, catch a
train to Treptow Park Soviet Memorial with its
vast liberator statue set within a garden of
carved stone and granite tableaus. As we
toured and learned the sun shone, then faded
when the eclipse occurred, then time to walk,
catch a train to the Stasi prison in an area of
East Berlin that didn’t appear on maps prior to
1989, then another train - or was it a tram this
time - to the DDR Museum to experience life
in the communist regime through the 1960’s,
70’s, 80’s. Another walk to Alexander Platz
and time to grab something to eat, before
another train, the hotel, a coach, the airport
and… delayed. Back to school for 2.30am,
home, sleep - tired, happy and dreams of two
packed days!
Finally… thanks to Julie Pilkington for
arranging the trip, Freddie Forder for his
assistance, and of course the Year 10 students
- you make it all worthwhile.
Ian Bryant, Assistant Head
THE ROAD
TO POWER
Late in March, a group of Year 12 history students, myself
included, participated in a school trip to Germany to visit
sites relating to our study of Life in Nazi Germany (19331945). The trip spanned two days, and involved touring
areas of Munich and Nuremberg, focusing mainly on the
Nazi Party’s origin, and Hitler’s road to power.
Upon landing in Germany, near Munich,
and meeting our tour guide, we quickly
bundled onto the coach out of the cold.
There was a sombre mood on board in
the short journey that followed, due in
part to the very early start we all had,
but mainly because we all knew our
destination was to be the Dachau
concentration camp memorial site.
Dachau, opened in March 1933 under
the command of Theodore Eicke, and
was the first of the Nazi concentration
camps, acting as a blueprint for
subsequent others like the more
infamous Auschwitz. At first it only
housed political opponents but, over
time, grew to include many other groups
such as Jews, travellers, members of the
Jehovah’s Witness, and prisoners of war
amongst others.
We were given a guided tour of the
memorial site, visiting various areas of
the camp, most of which had been
destroyed, although a few original
buildings remained. The tour, while
extremely insightful, was also very
harrowing. This was especially true
while walking through the crematorium
and
gas
chamber,
‘Baracke
X’,
constructed in 1943. It is unknown if
these chambers were ever used, but
even so, there was 30,000 recorded
deaths, not including the thousands of
prisoners who lost their lives without
being registered in the camp.
The tour ended at the memorial of the
camp and the plaques commemorating
the US troops who liberated it in April
1945, setting free over 67,000 prisoners.
After the tour had concluded we got
back on the coach and, after a short
reflective drive arrived in the heart of
Munich.
Here we began following the very route
that Hitler and the Nazis took during the
Beer Hall Putsch of 1923. Out tour guide
was exceptionally knowledgeable and
able to describe in great depth the
events that occurred, while also
encouraging us to appreciate non-Nazi
related German heritage, one example
being the copious amount of varied
architecture. We stopped for a much
needed hot drink before continuing our
tour to explore the origins of the
resistance group ‘The White Rose’ at
Munich University; standing in the same
place where Sophie Scholl, and others,
threw leaflets for the last time before
they were caught and eventually
executed. As evening approached we
split up to eat, before returning to our
coach, and took the journey to
Nuremburg and our hostel.
The following morning, we travelled
around Nuremburg, ‘city of the
Reichsparteitage’,
exploring
the
architecture of the Nazi regime, in the
city that was home to most of its wellpublicised rallies. The buildings, mostly
unfinished, were immense in size. The
message the Nazis wanted to convey
was clear – power, dominance and
wealth. We first took an audio tour
around a museum, which contained a
mass of information on the rise of the
Nazis, and especially their presence in
Nuremburg. After this, our guide took
us on another informative tour of the
many well-known Nazi buildings around
the outskirts of the city. After mid-day,
we once again boarded the coach for the
final time to travel to the airport, and
back home.
All in all, the trip was insightful into
what we had been learning back at
school. It is one thing to read about
something in a text book, but to
experience it, and see it up close, is
something else entirely: it brings a
totally new perspective and a deeper
understanding of the period in its time.
I’ll end this article in a similar fashion to
how our guide ended the tour with a
quote relevant throughout the entirety
of history: “All that is necessary for the
triumph of evil is that good men do
nothing.”
Tom Peney, Lead Prefect, 6M2
GLOBAL
DIVERSITY
WEEK 2015
This year’s chosen charities were
‘Sparkles’, a local speech therapy
charity for children with Down’s
syndrome, and DSi.
‘Sparkles’ was founded in 1999, and
in addition to providing incredibly
important speech therapy, it also
prides itself on the work it does to
support local families and carers using
their services that aid the development
of children’s speech. Looking globally,
we
chose
Down’s
Syndrome
International (DSi), a UK based
international organisation committed
to the promotion of the right of people
with this condition to be accepted,
and to improving their quality of life
around the world.
In this our fifth year of holding Global
Diversity Week at Sir Henry Floyd
Grammar School, the students helped
to organise a number of fundraising
events and assemblies to raise
awareness. Year 12 International
Baccalaureate students and members
of the Floyd Learning Focus Group ran
a series of assemblies to the whole
school during the week. A ‘Book
Tombola’ was held, as were culinary
events like a cultural bake sale and
canteen food throughout the week
was inspired by tasty recipes from
around the globe. Some older students
ran a ‘Henna Hands’ stall, all aiming to
raise as much money as possible for
our extremely worthwhile causes.
Particular highlights this year were the
annual Fashion and Talent Shows,
reminding us once again how talented
and creative our students are.
The final amount raised which £400
which was divided between the two
charities. A cheque was presented to a
representative of ‘Sparkles’ by Jacob
Cole in Year 10 in March. This was a
Year 7 assembly and it was deemed to
be fitting that they were the audience
as it is their first time as spectators of
a Floyd cheque presentation. Awards
for the best diversity writing were also
given out by Mrs Hanham at this
assembly (with an Easter treat!).
Oh, and it was great to hear from the
Right Honourable David Lidington
about our GDW!
Harry Frost, 6W2
Creativity
Students in Years 7 and 8 were asked to write a
with
piece based on the theme of diversity during
Diversity Global Diversity Week. Here are the winners:
Rainbow of Hope
(Year 7 Winner)
Let our Differences Unite Us
(Year 7 Runner Up)
Everyone is different
None are the same
Imagine a world devoid
Of colour and rain.
I am different,
You are different,
But our hearts still pump blood and
our bones still support us.
I may look different but I am the same
on the inside,
So we stand strong together,
We unite.
I am different,
You are different,
But we walk the same land and have
the same rights.
I may stand smaller than you but I am
the same on the inside,
So we stand strong together,
We unite.
I am different,
You are different,
But we still hear the bird song and we
still smell the flowers.
I may have different beliefs but I am
the same on the inside,
So we stand strong together,
We unite.
We may live different lives and love
different people,
But we all stand together,
We all unite.
We stand for what is right,
We stand for peace,
We stand for hope,
We stand for unity.
Bright rays of sunshine
Peeking through the clouds
RED
ORANGE
YELLOW
blended in shades of grey
GREEN
BLUE
INDIGO
VIOLET
World robbed of its colour
Fractured identity.
Precious in its many forms
Diversity is our rainbow of hope.
By Imogen Ridley, 7C
By Elizabeth Sond, 7H
To Love or to Lose?
(Year 8 Winner)
Colours & Shades
(Year 8 Runner Up)
People.
King maid
They judge with piercing words
Light dark
and flames that burn our skin.
Unblemished marked
Do they not realise we’re all the same?
Same heart, same brain.
Female male
Word tale
We stand together in life.
Silent loud
One decision to make.
Feeble proud
To love or to lose?
Diverse look
To love.
Unique people
Changing the world for the better,
Difference improve
Using our differences to move forward. Life all are equal
Or to lose.
To lose our united heart,
The steady beat of humanity,
Crippled by hate.
To love together as one body,
Or to tear ourselves apart.
One world, one life, one future.
One decision.
To love or to lose?
Which one will you choose?
By Katharine Oke, 8A
World change
Move in age
Perception changed
People aged
Equal as one
Fight for right
Women Men
Black White
By Esther Hewitt, 8W
Well
done
poets!
Keep
writing.
Andria Hanham, Deputy Headteacher
Enrichment Week 2015
Plans are well under way for our
Enrichment Week in the final week of
the summer term with the majority of
students in the three year groups,
Years 7, 8 and 9, going away overnight
on residential. Because of the success
of
previous
years’
residential
experiences that were part of a choice
set against other activities, we decided
to offer these this time as whole year
group trips. So, Year 7 are getting
organised with their camping kit and
survival gear, Year 8 with their flip
flops and beach wear and Year 9 with
polishing up their French and in
cultural preparation for Bruges and
the battlefields. Year 7 will also enjoy
a day trip to the Bristol interactive
museum ‘At-Bristol’ on the Monday
before they go off to the Oxfordshire
woods.
Year 10 will experience a carousel of
careers and enterprise activities
including, we hope, a day out at a local
university.
activities will be confirmed in the next
few weeks.
Then, the final Friday of the year will
see all students back in school to regroup for the joys of Olympiad Day
when houses compete in all manner of
challenging and fun team activities!
Andria Hanham,
Enrichment Week Co-ordinator
The small number of students electing
not to go on residential will be offered
activities in school or off site. These
Hearing
Dogs
In March, as Year 8 filed into the theatre they were
about to witness what we found to be the best (and
most adorable) assembly so far this year. Waiting
patiently for us was a lovely black dog (Cockapoo
breed) named Chutney and her trainer, Peter Dixon.
Peter showed us a video about how the Hearing Dogs
charity has helped tens of thousands of lives, young
and old. Poor Chutney was a little bit frightened with
so many faces staring at her, although she appeared
to overcome that with her seemingly unending
curiosity. We hope to see her again, soon.
Dexter Adonu & Lui Livingstone, 8C
LISTENING BUS
The National Deaf Children Society run a
free educational service to raise
awareness and bring information to deaf
children and young people across the
country. Using the Listening Bus to
deliver this service, two of our students,
Clarissa Davis in Year 12 and Mathew
Quail in 8H visited it in January when it
came to the area.
Mathew commented on his visit, “I
enjoyed the Listening Bus as I got to see
all the equipment that deaf children
could use. My favourite was the sonic
bomb alarm clock (a vibrating alarm
clock). A close second was the doorbell
which flashed a bright light every time
someone pressed the door bell. It was
also just good fun to see what could
benefit a deaf child in the future.”
Jennifer Cole,
Learning Support Assistant
Old
Floydians
The number of former students, staff
and governors who are now members
of the school alumni association
is now approaching 1000, and the
number continues to grow daily,
especially through our presence on
LinkedIn. It is rewarding to see an
increasing number of those who
spent part of their life at Sir Henry
Floyd Grammar School wishing to reestablish contact. OLD FLOYDIANS - WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
I left Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School
in 1998 and migrated to Perth in
Western Australia. I had several
remaining contacts with friends in WA
from a working holiday visa in 1990
and I gained a variety of temporary
one year posts teaching history and
humanities. I gained a Masters in
Educational Management from the
University of Western Australia in
order to gain a full time post and am
presently teaching at a Catholic
school in Perth.
The major sport over here is Aussie
Rules Football, but with the growth of
the Western Force in the southern
hemisphere Super XV rugby
competition and with the mass appeal
of the EPL, that is being challenged. I
have qualified as a rugby coach and
have gained accreditation as a referee
in the local senior competition. I still
passionately support West Bromwich
Albion, who were one of the original
founding members of the football
league in 1879! It has been an
interesting ten years as a Baggies fan!
?
What I do remember from the Floyd is
the pleasure it was to teach a whole
range of students, especially the first
two Year 10 GCSE classes, many of
whom I then took for A level Nazi
Germany or Government and Politics.
The other key events are undoubtedly
the first and second World Challenge
Expeditions to Morocco in 1995 and
Borneo with Penny Young in 1997. In
Morocco there was the fairly hilarious
time when we visited the Roman ruins
of Volubilis by taxi and then hiked
back to the bus stop as the bus was
just coming around the corner of the
road. We got back to the hotel and
haggled with the owner who wanted
to be paid for a second day as it was
past twelve o’clock, and rushed off
to the railway station, ordering pizza
on the way so that with five minutes
before the train arrived, two of the
group were still en route with the
pizzas! Fortunately everybody got on
and we ended up in the YHA in
Meknes which was a hit as it had sit
down western toilets! In Borneo, the
highlight was clearly climbing up
Mount Kinabalu, resting overnight at
the Lagadan Hut at 11000 feet and
waking up at 4.00am to get to the
top on a bitterly cold morning
however, the sunrise and the views
were worth it. The descent was also
pretty rapid as somebody had boiled
the water for tea but had forgotten
to use any purifying tablets, so on
the way down several of the group
were running off to the bushes,
myself included! By the way my UWA
Masters Thesis was based upon the
experiences of the students before,
during and after the World Challenge
Expeditions and I did send the Floyd
a copy of it – hopefully somebody has
still got it!
?
I am still continuing with the outward
bound pursuits in WA as it is quite
popular in PE Studies over here. I
have been on the Cape to Cape Walk
from Dunsborough to Margaret River
and Cape Leeuwin. Similarly, I served
with the Royal Green Jackets TAVR,
virtually opposite the school, and I
have also served with the 10th Light
Horse (as in the film “Gallipoli”
Recently Lucy Brackley (who left
in 2009) and Rory Allen (who left
in 2011) returned to the school as
guest speakers at the IB & A Level
Presentation Evening. Both recalled
how their time at the school had
shaped their attitudes to life and
given them the drive and resilience
needed to be successful in their
careers. They also explained how
important networking can be in their
working lives.
We have also had a request to tour
the school from a number of the
1963 intake and we are happy to
oblige. If you have any requests that
we can assist with please just let us
know.
In this edition of Floyd Footnotes
we welcome the contribution of Jim
Greaves, a former member of staff
to the Where Are They Now? feature.
It would be good to hear about the
lives of some more Old Floydians,
so please drop us a line or two, and
perhaps a photo.
Ian Bryant, Assistant Head
starring Mel Gibson). In the initial
training, fitness was not a challenge
but the four weeks at Kapooka in
Wagga Wagga NSW was more of a
psychological test! Again the best
parts have been working with the SAS
on a variety of operations.
I have saved the best information till
last. I am married to Pauline and we
have recently had two beautiful
babies, who are called Roisinah and
Eamonn (Irish Gaelic). That is the next
challenge – how to be a good parent!
Jim Greaves - Teacher of History
1992-98
Parents
Society
Update
Welcome back to the final term of the
year - the busiest for our students and
their families! This term is an important
one for the Parents Society as we race
towards achieving our fundraising target
for the year of £10,000! We have decided
to use the money that we raise this year
to support the school’s iPad initiative to
buy iPads, accessories and a portable
trolley so that they can be safely
transported around school.
We would like to thank everyone who
has supported our fundraising efforts so
far this year: these will certainly help us
to achieve our goal. Our Quiz Night held
in March was the major event for the
Spring Term, and was attended by over
100 participants – thank you to all the
parents, students and friends who made
the night such fun. As well as some
fiendishly challenging questions we had
an Italian theme, and some interesting
team names – the Bananas in Pyjamas and
the Pete Postlethwaite Preposterous
Posthumous Pizza Party to name but
two! The event was won in the end by
the Lone Rangers.
We have a number of great events lined
up, and more details of these can be
found on the Parents Society page on the
school’s website:
•
Midsummer Raffle Draw: Friday 19th
June: – we have some fantastic prizes
lined up for this year’s raffle. Watch
out for the tickets early next term.
•
Year 7 and 8 Disco Friday 26th June 7
– 9pm: - our final event of the year
and a true sugar rush for all involved,
together with an opportunity for
some of our Dads to showcase their
skills at the BBQ. Full details will
follow soon together with ticket
application forms.
We would love everyone to come to
all of our events, but realise this is
impractical for some. However, you
can still contribute to our fundraising
initiatives from home by supporting
our raffles, joining The Floyd Flottery
and shopping via The Giving Machine.
•
The Floyd Flottery: a monthly draw
where 50% of the money goes to the
school and 50% is paid out in prize
money. More details are on the
Parents Society website.
•
The Giving Machine: if you shop on
the internet through the Giving
Machine, retailers will pay a
percentage of money spent to a
nominated beneficiary at no
additional cost to the buyer. So far
we have received commission of
nearly £1500 paid to SHFGS through
The Giving Machine. Full details in
the advert on page 18 and at www.
thegivingmachine.co.uk.
•
Fund Matching Schemes: do you
work for an employer who offers to
match funds raised by charity? Many
employers enable employees who
have been involved with charitable
fundraising activities to apply for a
matching donation of up to £500.
You do not need to be a member of
the Parents Society Committee just participating in the event and a
contribution in helping out is enough
in some cases. Please check with
your employer if they offer such a
scheme – every donation helps!
Everyone is welcome to attend our
Parents’ Society Committee Meetings.
Our next will be held on Monday 27th
April. If you can help in any way with our
events, or would like to join the Society,
please
contact
us
by
e-mail:
parentssociety@sirhenryfloyd.co.uk. Or
contact us via the school’s reception on
01296 424781, and do have a look at our
web site page!
Time To
Trek
The first expeditions of the 2015 Duke
of Edinburgh Award season are now
complete, with both Bronze and Silver
award students having had a weekend
based locally where basic skills, a night
in a tent, and a day spent trekking were
experienced - for some a first. Whilst
the mainly year 10 Bronze award
students experienced a night of high
winds and heavy rainfall, all students
over the two weekends had generally
pleasant weather for walking in. They
will all have also learned just what is
required to have a successful weekend
away in field conditions, including what
not to take with them as they have to
carry it all!
The practice and qualifying weekends
are now in the planning stages with the
dates already set and published - please
see the school website for details. The
Silver award three day expeditions,
primarily involving Year 12 students will
be based in the Cotswolds and the Peak
District, whilst the Bronze weekend
expeditions will be based more locally.
In the interim all those participating will
be updating their online DofE accounts
with information that forms an integral
part of the award.
Our thanks, as always go to the many
staff who give up their weekends to
accompanying the students - without
them it could not happen, and to Dave
Goss who manages the award scheme so
professionally for us. Ian Bryant, Assistant Head
Dazzling White And Light
Once again students from Years 11, 12
and 13 headed for the Austrian Alps
at February half term for their annual
snow sports trip to the Saltzburger
Sportswelt. We departed from school
on the Friday evening, crossing the
Channel in the early hours of the
morning. Thankfully the long journey
never seems to be too bad as most of
us sleep, if somewhat fitfully, through
the night.
We were incredibly fortunate this year
as we must have had the best week of
weather all winter; low temperatures to
keep the snow in excellent condition,
coupled with clear blue skies and
associated warm sunshine. The great
thing about Snowslippers and the RedWhite-Red Ski School is that they can
accommodate skiers and snowboarders
of all abilities. The beginners start on
the gentle slopes above Alpendorf,
whilst more proficient students head
off over the mountains towards
Wagrain. The most advanced skiers
and snowboarders did one day of ‘Ski
Safari’ to the neighbouring resorts of
Kleinarl and Flachauwinkl, complete
with extensive Snowpark. It was also
carnival time in the local area and this
spilled onto the slopes where a variety
of interesting outfits were to be seen!
Our trip would not be complete
without a full après ski programme
including Austrian bowling, swimming
in Badhofgastein thermal spa, night
tobogganing and of course shopping!
On the penultimate day all the ski
school classes take their tests; timed
runs for the skiers and skills tests for
snowboarders. We were very proud of
our winners who received their medals
in the presentation in the Sankt Johann
town hall.
- Gold medals: Emma Howse, Mathew
McSweeney, Luke Radcliffe-Moore
- Silver medals: Jack Brailsford,
Chimanga Chansa, Charlotte
Eddlestone
- Bronze medals: Mufaro Kapfunde,
Rebecca West.
We would also like to congratulate
Rebecca West, our top snow boarder
and Level 1 qualified Instructor. She
accepted an invitation to work shadow
the ski school’s senior instructor this
Easter and then in her second week
take her own class of beginners.
All students had a brilliant time; not
only do they learn an immensely
enjoyable sport but they also gain
a huge amount of self-confidence.
For some it is their first trip abroad
on their own and they become more
independent. They also come back
saying that they have made so many
new friends and declaring it “The best
week ever!”.
We are pleased to announce that we
are taking bookings for 2016 both
for the senior trip in February and the
junior trip at Easter. We will be with
Snowslippers for both trips, returning
to Alpendorf. All details can be found
on the school website.
Sarah Williams,
Assistant Headteacher
FUNDRAISING – CENTRAL AMERICA STYLE!
In late February, the 2016 World
Challenge Team organised a Central
American themed evening to raise
funds for our Training Expedition to
Snowdonia in Wales during the
Autumn of 2015 in preparation for our
expedition to Costa Rica and Nicaragua
in the summer of 2016.
We planned the evening ourselves –
with a little help from the staff going
to Central America with us – splitting
into groups tasked with organising
different aspects of the evening. We all
worked really hard to make sure that
the evening was as enjoyable as
Fundraise
While You
SHOP!
possible for our guests, and on the
day, the event was extremely
successful.
The evening began with a short
presentation about the expedition
itself, and the voluntary work we will
be doing while we are out there. This
was followed by a delicious meal
supplemented with homemade dips
and tortilla, all washed down with
mocktails. We also had fun activities
such as salsa dancing, a quiz and a
raffle, with prizes kindly donated by
friends and family of the challengers,
as well as local businesses. As a less
If you are shopping on the
internet for wine, furniture,
iTunes, gifts or even flights,
please take a moment to log
onto The Giving Machine at
www.thegivingmachine.co.uk.
Register yourself and select Sir
Henry Floyd Grammar School
as your nominated beneficiary.
There are hundreds of
shopping sites accessible
through The Giving Machine
including Amazon, M&S,
Tesco, Asda, BA, Boden, Next,
E-Bay, Argos, John Lewis and
many more. The school will
earn a percentage of the value
‘hands on’ form of entertainment for
our guests, Mrs Merrow-Smith taught
a small group of us to play the
marimba, a traditional instrument a
bit like a xylophone, which was
surprisingly easy to learn!
On behalf of the 2016 World Challenge
team, I would like to say a huge thank
you to all of the staff who helped us to
make the evening as enjoyable as
possible, and of course all of our
guests, who I’m sure will agree the
evening was a huge success!
Rebecca Caves, 11M
of items bought, which varies
by retailer at no additional cost
to the purchaser.
Think how much we could
fundraise without any effort at
all if everyone at school logged
onto The Giving Machine when
shopping on the internet!
Please support your school and
log onto:
www.thegivingmachine.co.uk
Charity
Days
During the final two days of term
the Year 12 Charity Committee
organised various events to raise
money for two charities with
close links to the school.
So many cakes were brought in
for the massive bake sale on
Thursday lunchtime that it ran
over into Friday break as well! Ms
Cochrane, Miss Patchett and Mrs
Prior gamely volunteered to be
gunged while students (and staff)
with musical talents entertained
us in the Battle of the Bands and
Floyd’s Got Talent. The basketball
contest, a raffle, interhouse Sixth
Form University Challenge and
Disney-themed mufti day also
helped to contribute towards the
total of £2325 raised for the
Alfan Foundation and Beautiful
Alice.
Well done to the Committee, very
ably led by Lauren Kendall!
Kathryn Chapman,
Assistant Head of Sixth Form
Valued By Universities
Last month the Year 12 International
Baccalaureate students attended an
Extended Essay Research Skills
Workshop at Hertfordshire University
in preparation for the writing of their
4000-word extended essay. Sessions
covered time management tools,
identifying bias in sources and how to
formulate a research question. In the
afternoon the students were able to
access the extensive online resources
available in the university library.
In a nutshell the extended essay is a
“long detailed answer to a very
precise question” (Rosanna
Montalbano, OSC). It is a
compulsory module in the IB Diploma
and the skills developed from the
process are much valued by
universities as it prepares students
for degree-level research. Students
have a free choice of topic and this
year’s proposals include, among
others, the Rwanda genocide, red kite
conservation, the novels of Virginia
Woolf, the death penalty and the
history of feminism.
Kathryn Chapman,
Assistant Head of Sixth Form
Dates for your Diary
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School | www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk
April 2015
July 2015
Monday 13th
Summer term commences
Wednesday 1st
Year 12 Next Steps Day
Wednesday 15th
Inset - School closed to students
Friday 3rd
Celebration of Achievement at 1.30pm
Friday 17th
Open Morning at 9.45am
Thursday 23rd
Year 9 GCSE Standards Evening at 7:00pm
Saturday 4th – Sunday 5th
DofE Bronze Qualifying Expedition
Monday 27th - Friday 1st May
Year 13 IB Study leave commences
Parents Society meeting at 7:30pm
Monday 6th
International Baccalaureate Results released
Thursday 30th
Junior Maths Challenge (Years 7 & 8)
Saturday 25th - Sunday 26th
DofE Bronze Practice Expedition
May 2015
Saturday 2nd – Monday 4th
DofE Silver Practice Expedition in the Cotswolds
Monday 4th
Bank Holiday – School Closed
Monday 4th – Friday 22nd
Year 13 International Baccalaureate Examinations
Monday 11th
Year 11 Study Leave commences
Year 12 AS Study Leave commences
Monday 11th – Friday 26th June
GCSE & A Level Examinations
Tuesday 12th
Open Morning at 9.45am
Thursday 14th
Year 13 A Level Study Leave Commences
Year 8 Girls HIP Vaccinations
Monday 25th – Friday 29th
HALF TERM
June 2015
Summer Concert at 6.00pm
New Year 7 & 8 Parents Evening
Tuesday 7th
New Year 7 & 8 Students Induction Day
Open Evening from 6.30 - 8.30pm
Friday 10th
Open Morning at 9.45am
Sunday 12th – Monday 10th
August
World Challenge India
Monday 13th – Friday 17th
Enrichment Week
Friday 17th
Final day of the academic year
Monday 20th – Monday 31st
August
SUMMER HOLIDAY
Thursday 13th
A Level Results released
Thursday 20th
GCSE Results released
September 2015
Tuesday 1st – Wednesday 2nd
Inset – School closed to students
Thursday 3rd
Years 7 & 8 (+ Year 10 Buddies) + Year 13 only in school
Friday 4th
All Year Groups in school
Year 12 Induction Day, including Wet ‘n Wild
Monday 1st
Inset – School closed to students
Saturday 6th – Sunday 7th
DofE Bronze Qualifying Expedition
Monday 8th
Year 12 AS return from Study Leave
Thursday 11th
Open Morning at 9.45am
Monday 15th
Parents Society meeting at 7.30pm
Monday 15th – Friday 19th
Year 12 IB Trial Examinations
Support Parents Society fundraising from home!
Year 10 Examinations
Monday 15th – Friday 26th
Year 7 and Year 8 Examinations
Friday 19th
Parents Society Midsummer Raffle Draw
Saturday 20th
Rock Challenge Premier Final in Portsmouth
Tuesday 23rd
Sports Day
Wednesday 24th
International Baccalaureate Induction Day
Thursday 25th
Sixth Form Induction Day
Friday 26th
Y12 Birmingham University Visit
Parents Society Years 7 & 8 Disco at 7.00pm
Saturday 27th – Monday 29th
An application form is available on Parents Society page of school website.
DofE Silver Qualifying Expedition in the Peak District
Dates are liable to change. Please see the school website for up
to date information www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk
Quarterly prize fund of around £300!
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