Idsall Voice - Idsall School

HEADTEACHER’S
NEWS
IDSALL
VOICE
SUMMER 2013
As we approach the Summer holidays I think we can all reflect on a very successful
year for our school. As I know you are aware we were visited by Ofsted in May and
were very pleased with the extremely positive report we received. Not only were we
graded good in all sections of the report but there were so many fantastic comments
about all aspects of our school that linked directly to our visions and values.
Ofsted were very complimentary about many aspects of school but particularly about
the way students behave in a courteous and kind manner to each other, the very high
standard of teaching across the school and the above average standards students
achieve in terms of progress and attainment. I think this is testament to the hard work of
everybody connected with the school, our desire to improve and the continued support
of parents.
The Governing body has been investigating whether converting to become an academy
would be beneficial to us as a school and after sub groups have looked into all aspects
of this their unanimous verdict was that becoming an academy would benefit us. As
such the Governing body voted to move to a consultation period with all stakeholders
before a final vote on whether we apply formally to become an academy will be made.
The consultation period will start in September and run throughout the first half term but
I will write to you at the start of next term to outline when and in what format this will be.
I am happy to say we have very few members of staff leaving us at the end of the
school year but I would like to say a fond farewell to Mr Lewandowski who retires from
teaching after 19 years at Idsall school. Typical of Ryk is that he has spent the last week
of his teaching career organising and running Duke of Edinburgh expeditions which do
and have benefited so many students! We all wish him an active and happy retirement.
I hope you enjoy reading the Idsall voice and the many achievements of our students.
I truly believe the opportunities we offer to our students are second to none and help to
make school life a happy and enriched one. It has always been a belief of mine that the
more involved a student is in the full range of school life the better they perform academically and the more they will grow socially and emotionally.
I wish you all a very happy, and restful Summer and I look forward to us continuing to
move forward together in September
Pete Bourton
Headteacher
Idsall presented with Gold Award at the Shropshire Young
Enterprise Celebration of Achievement
Idsall’s young entrepreneurs enjoyed success at the
annual awards dinner in Shrewsbury. This was a
larger event than usual to mark the 50th anniversary
of Young Enterprise and to mark the occasion there
was a Gold Award. Idsall School had seven
companies that reached the finals and in recognition
of this extraordinary achievement was presented
with the Gold Award and became a Young
Enterprise Centre of Excellence.
The seven companies were made up of pupils from
Year 10 who had weekly meetings after school.
They received guidance from business advisors who
came to Idsall School giving their expertise and to help
them launch their companies. The advisors included Mr
Trevor Lawrence from Caterpillar, Mr David Chiva from
Orchard Properties Ltd and Mr Tim Barker from Young
Enterprise , Shropshire. The companies took the advice
on board and then ordered or manufactured the
products, prepared for trade fairs, completed a
company report and finally gave a business
presentation to a panel of judges.
Up Media was one of the ‘magnificent seven’
companies that achieved all this. They gave their
presentation in the large lecture theatre of
Wolverhampton University and the judges were so impressed they were invited to give their
business presentation on the evening. To their delight they won the ‘Best Presentation Award’.
Another one of the companies, Tweet ’n’ Feed were awarded the trophy for customer service in
recognition of being extremely successful at the trade fairs held in the shopping centres of
Telford and Shrewsbury.
All 46 of the Year 10 pupils involved in the seven companies were awarded their certificates on
the evening. This will help them stand out from the crowd in the competition for employment and
a college/university place. Year 9 will be given the opportunity to also take part in the Young
Enterprise Company programme later in the year.
PICTURE THIS!
Animal Fact File
In order to help bring science to life we
have our friendly animals in the science
department, they are here for students to
This year one of our
come and visit at breaks and lunch time,
projects in English was
the Greenaway project. Myself all students are welcome to pop along and
meet them. The science technicians
and the rest of Miss Smith’s
voluntarily look after and care for the
class’ aim was to read to the
animals every day of the week.
Shifnal Primary School kids
and find out which picture book
was their favourite out of the
wide selection of books that
were chosen to enter the Kate
Greenaway awards. Kate
Greenaway was an author of
many beautiful picture books.
She dedicated her life to
picture books and now other
great picture book authors can
be celebrated!
To start off the project, Miss
gave us some of the books that
Name: David
were hoping to win the award.
Type of animal: African giant land snail
We all read the books and
Age: 2 years old, he will live up to 10
chose our favourite. My
years old
favourite was a book called “I
Size: 165mm
want my hat back”. I liked it
Appetite: Cucumber and lettuce every
because of the funny storyline and the cool, but
day; they also eat cuttlefish bone for
simple illustrations.
calcium to help their shell grow.
Habitat: coconut fibre
After that, it was time to get allocated a book. We
Care: His shell is bathed in oil every week,
got in to groups of two and I went with Rob again.
the science technicians care for him and
We were chosen to read “Lunchtime” By Rebecca
feed him every morning.
Cobb. Rob and I practised reading it but we were
Name: Coffee (donated to school) and
disappointed! We wanted ‘I Want My Hat Back’!
Bronchi & Watt (brothers)
Finally, it was time to read to the kids. We had to
Type of animal: gerbil
read to a class of Year 3 and some Year 4s. The kids
Age: Coffee is 12 months old, Bronchi and
were really good and well behaved – they listened
Watt 2 years old; they live up to 3 years
really well! Afterwards though, they had to pick their
old.
favourite book and ‘Lunchtime’ got no votes! In the
Appetite: Normal dried food and also the
end, ‘I Want My Hat Back’
occasional greens and apple
won. I knew I should have
Care: Fed
gone for that book!
I really liked this project and and cared
enjoyed reading to the kids every
and it inspired me a little to morning by
become a picture-book
science
author as well, because I
technicians
also learnt that picture-book
audiences don’t have to be
based around small
children!
By Felix Price
SPRING CONCERT
On Thursday 2nd May a packed audience were
treated to some musical delights from many of
Idsall’s talented students. The concert featured
the ‘Idsall’s got Talent’ winners, from key stage 3,
Frances Holder, and from key stage 4, Lara
Millard. The evening also included GCSE
coursework performances and showcased the
work that goes on during the music session 6
activities.
Well done to all the staff and students who were involved in a fantastic evening!
EXPEDITION
OF A LIFETIME!
On the 12th July, one
leader, three teachers
and ten students will
begin a 19 day expedition
of a lifetime to
Venezuela. The students
have now been
fundraising since 2011 and have each raised
£2850.
One of our original objectives was to make sure
the project phase of our expedition was a priority.
After a 3 day trek through the diverse
environment of the
Henri Pittier
National Park,
where we will be
camping and
passing through
settlements deep in
the rainforest, we
will arrive in the coastal village of Chuao. We will
spend 6 days here working on a community
project. This will involve building a new fence for
the school and organising sports activities with
the local children. We will be camping on the
school playing field!
When we leave the Chuao community we
will embark on an exciting journey to the
highest waterfall in the world. We will Fly
on a light aircraft to Canaima, then travel by
boat through beautiful river scenery into the
dramatic Devil’s Canyon for lunch under the
falls. We will spend the night under the
stars in hammocks opposite the falls. This
Angel Falls experience will be unequalled!
We will all return different people!
Our next expedition will take us to Peru in
2015. We have decided to prioritise visits
to Lake Titicaca, Lima and Machu Picchu
where we will walk the Inca Trail. 21
students have signed up for this trip of a
lifetime.
Idsall School Students Have a Successful Junior Maths
Challenge
This April, 23 Mathematics students from Years 7 and 8 took part in the UK Junior Maths
Challenge set by the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust. The challenge involved problem
solving of a range of mathematical situations and the questions were very tricky.
The following students proved themselves to be able mathematicians and all got awards:
Ben Sloan – Best in
School and Best in Year 8
Caitlin Paget
Glen Scott
Adam Smith – Best in
Year 7 Ed Silver – Best in Year
7
Hannah Davidson
Jacob Davies
Cameron Spiers
John Hardin
Kane Mullett
Edward Meadows
Robert Gibbons
Dieter Hohmann
Emily Langridge
Christopher Rowe
Amy Lannon
Liam Bailey
Jess Hibbert
Mollie Burn
Emma Jordan
Following on from a very successful Intermediate Maths Challenge, Alex Mitcham in year 11, was
invited to participate in the Pink Kangaroo round of the competition. The competition is a onehour paper with 25 multiple choice questions, taken by pupils from over 30 countries worldwide.
Alex was the only student to reach this round of the competition and we are extremely proud that
he was able to represent the school at this level.
Well done to all students who participated and congratulations to all the students that were
awarded certificates.
Example Junior Maths Challenge Question
What is the value of ((1 − 1) − 1) - (1 − (1 - 1)) ?
A −2
B -1
C-0
D -1
E- 2
After tennis training, Andy collects twice as many balls
as Roger and five more than Maria.
They collect 35 balls in total. How many balls does
Andy collect?
A 20 B 19 C 18 D 16 E 8
The Comenius project is where four schools come together from across Europe and learn new
things about our partner schools and their countries and understand the Olympic and
Paralympic values. Our theme is “Olympic Spirit Uniting Europe.”. The project includes schools
from four countries: UK, Poland, Malta and Germany. Next year, representatives from each
school will travel to the others to experience and learn what their country and school is like.
Over the last few weeks we have been putting together information about the school. One
group took a video tour of our wonderful school and another group created a website. Another
group is responsible for designing the Project t-shirt, which is based on the winning logo from
Poland below.
BY MEGAN W AND BETH T
This is our t-shirt design for the whole
Comenius Project
Which students are involved?
Liam Bailey
Will Beech
Leah Ellis
Jordan Findlay
Charlie Griffiths
Kate Hadley
Harriet Mundon
Ellie Potts
Chris Rowe
Emily Turrell
Megan Walker
Millie Young
Frances Holder
Niamh Oliver
Danny Bannister
Kira Down
Molly Finch
Robert Gibbons
Jordan Griffiths
Andrew Killeen
AND Miss Hollins
Lauren Rees
Beth Turner
Amy Vaughan
Elsa Whittaker
Lucy Marsh
Sophie Miller
COMENIUS PROJECT
During the May half term holiday four teachers from Idsall,
Pam O’Carroll, Sarah Littleford and Jo Richards flew to
Poland to take part in a four-day visit as part of the Comenius Project. They
met with teachers from schools in Poland, Germany and Malta with the aim of
organising visits to each of the four countries for students from the four
schools. There was also some opportunity to visit places of importance near Bialystock, where
the Polish school is, and to sample Polish food. The teachers were VIP guests at the opening of
a new school multi-sports pitch and they taught a lesson about the UK and Idsall school to a
class of Polish students, as well as having meetings with the other teachers. The visit was very
productive. Visits have now been arranged to all of the schools and Idsall will be hosting a visit
during spring next year. It was exciting to begin building relationships with schools in different
parts of the world, and to envisage the benefit students will gain from meeting with young people
from different cultures. The theme of the project is ‘Olympic spirit uniting Europe’ and it will be
even more exciting to see this put into practice through the forthcoming pupil visits.
CARNEGIE CHALLENGE
A group of Y8 pupils volunteer to take part in the
Carnegie Shadowing scheme, and then a
competition with William Brookes. This contest
is called ‘The Bashes’ because the trophy is a
small copy of cricket’s Ashes trophy, and there
are the ashes of previous Carnegie bookmarks
in the trophy (The bookmarks are very hard to
burn!).
Here’s what Elsa Whittaker has written about it:
‘I decided to do the Carnegie Challenge. I had
to read 8 challenging books covering different
areas of fiction in the space of 10 weeks. My
favourites are ‘Wonder’ and ‘The weight of
water’, they both are magnificent stories and
grabbed by attention. My least favourite was
‘Code name Verity’, because it was too
descriptive, long, it drifted and I got bored
After we’d read all 8 books, Idsall School went
to William Brookes to have a competition based
on the books we’d read and other book general
knowledge. William Brookes had won the last 3
times, so the pressure was on, but Idsall led
from the start and we won the Bashes!’
A huge well done to everyone who took part! It
is hard work but it is well worth doing as it opens
up the knowledge and the interest in books and
topics that pupils don’t often get to try.
STUDENTS ENJOY A FANTASTIC TRIP TO ICELAND
These extracts are taken from the students’ own experiences whilst they were enjoying their
adventures in Iceland.
My thoughts on Iceland so far…
The views are amazing and this trip has been a
surprise and has exceeded all my expectations
already and it’s only the second day - although I’m
extremely tired. We arrived in Iceland at 1am with
an unexpected shock as Miss Hollins’ bag hadn’t
turned up.
We are now in a North- West Lodge Gaukamyri
which, although cold, has some beautiful views.
The Farmhouse is a lot nicer than the big hotel
and there is even free wifi! It’s going to get very
cold but the volcanic baths tomorrow should warm
everyone up! Ellie Eaton
The Adventure Continues!
We started our day at Reykjavik where we saw all the attractions. We then travelled to the west
Deildartunguhver which is the biggest hot spring in Europe; water from the spring was used to
heat up the greenhouses. During our journey today we stopped off at Hraunfossar or ‘the
Children’s Waterfall’. We learnt about the story behind why the waterfall was called the
childrens’ waterfall as when the water had eroded the lava away it left an arch across the river.
Two children decided to climb the arch and then fell. The parents of the children then had the
arch demolished and named after their children. It was such an amazing sight looking at the
waterfalls because the water was such a vivid blue, it looked un-real! After the waterfalls, we got
on the bus and everyone felt extremely tired so most people had a nap where a lot of pictures
were taken!
We started the day by travelling to the northern city of Akureyri. After a two hour coach journey
we browsed the city and visited various tourist shops where everyone brought gifts for family and
souvenirs to remember their time in Iceland. Then, we travelled to collect Miss Hollins’ luggage
which, thankfully, is now re-united with her!
The Myvatn nature baths were amazing, although everyone was nervous about going outside in
the cold snow; we were surprised by how hot the pool was. The time soon flew by and it was a
shame we had to leave: it was an experience none of us will soon forget.
Sara Massey and Sophie Canning.
WONDERFUL WATERFALLS!
Three painful hours of being on a bus was eventually worth it after seeing the most powerful
waterfall in Europe, Godafoss the “waterfall of the gods”. With the main erosional process being
Hydraulic Action, it was definitely worth seeing with many memories such as Mr Corfield running
from the bus to get into the group photo…to the dangers and realism of seeing it in person. The
time flew by, just looking at how deep the plunge pool was and also how wide the top of the
waterfall was. Many exciting erosional features were all created from the high velocity that the
water was travelling at. With ice underfoot it added to the dangers of getting close to the edge,
slipping was the only thing on peoples’ minds. We’ve now finally arrived at the Narfastadir
guesthouse, in the middle of a snowstorm.
Matthew Wood
A level glaciation
On Tuesday 9th April, the coach led us through an area of
northern Iceland known as Skagafjorour. This area is ripe
with fantastic examples of glacial land formations; there
are three types: erosional, depositional and fluvoglacial.
In fluvoglacial formations misfit rivers can occur, these are
known as misfit as they appear in U-shaped valleys and
not in V-shaped valleys, where rivers usually form.
It is known that U-shaped valleys are formed by the huge mass and movement of glaciers
during the last ice age. The bottom of the U-shaped valley is known as the glacial trough. When
sea levels rise due to climate or the snow and ice melt water can be stored in these troughs
forming Fjords. These Fjords are located around the coastal regions of Iceland, Norway and
much of Scandinavia.
The slopes of some mountains are made up of small rock fragments called 'scree' this is created
when freeze thaw action at the top of the mountain breaks shards of rock free from the mountain
which then fall down onto the mountain face and become scree. The scree covered mountains
have led to an extreme sport known as 'scree sloping' where participants sprint down the
slippery rock faces.
There are three types of glacial erosion: glacial, sub-glacial and lateral. Sub-glacial and lateral
erosion occur due to abrasion as the glacier moves down stream
causing the rock to smooth as if being rubbed by sand paper.
By Elliot Marshall
Eggy Snow!
We made our way to the sulphur pits in Myvatn and the snow
had become horrendous; you could only see about five meters
before it was just a white blanket of snow. We got out to have a
look and the cold hit you like a brick wall. We first had a look at
the main large pits. They were black and oozing with smelly gunk that had a strong odour of
manky eggs; it made you feel really sick. I could still taste egg on my tongue on the trip back.
After most of us had run back to the safety of the coach we decided to go around the pits with a
few others. Getting this close made the egg stench nearly unbearable, not to mention the snow
was now blasting in our faces. We finally got back to the warmth and our shoes were caked in
eggy mud with no way to get it off!
Elliot Dunson and Ryan Smith
Pahoehoe Lava
Today we saw some lava fields they were very interesting, as
they were smooth. It is one of three types of lava, but the only
one to be smooth and sheer. The place where we saw the pahoe-hoe solid lava was very close to the plate boundary of the
Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, which was
evident by the copper pipes that had separated and become
detached over the last few years. There was a cave that had very hot water in it of around 50
degrees centigrade; therefore, it was steamy and had a faint eggy smell. When we went into the
caves, because of the steam from the flowing hot water we could not see much. Luckily we had
Mr Walker kindly waiting inside with a head torch on so we could see where we were going. We
also managed to push the boundaries of Miss Hollins’ risk assessment and we climbed all over
the smooth pahoehoe lava mounds that surrounded us.
Sian Cobham and Charlie Thomas
Dimmuborgir
The one feature that really did strike the eye was Hverfjall crater, which was incredibly
spectacular as it looked just how a volcano should be: broad, conical and strewn with black
rubble and rock from explosions over 2000 years ago. From the 10 metre deep lava field we
could see lava towers of solidified crust that form when lava runs over swampy land and the
temperature of the lava causes the water to evaporate. The escaping steam makes vents in the
lava so the lava solidifies creating mazes of lava crust
pillars in the lava fields where the top of the lava crust
had collapsed everywhere else.
Today we visited some land formations known as
Pseudocraters. These again are features formed on wet
swampy land when the heat from the lava creates vents
that look like bubbling mud pools forming real volcanic
craters, but only in their shape. We were spoilt for choice
as lots of prehistoric volcanic craters awaited us.
Jack Heath and Sam Webster
Thursday
Today we leave the lovely Narfastadir Farm accommodation
to start our long journey home, visiting Thingvellir on route.
This 550Km coach journey affords us an opportunity to see
some of the spectacular, snow covered mountains, fjords,
and bays of Northern Iceland before arriving for a short stay,
once again, at the Cabin Hotel in Reykjavic. We leave at
4am for Keflavic Airport for our 7:00am flight back to London.
Our highlight of this trip was taking a dip in the geothermal
baths we visited on Tuesday. We thought it was amazing how
warm the baths were, despite it snowing and also being
heated naturally as outflow from the geothermal power plant.
The steam effect glazing across the water was also a great
sight to behold. It was a pleasure to be able to enjoy such an
exciting adventure in a way that we would never had been
able to witness in our own country, and in many others for
that matter.
Rob Leverington and Laith Shewayish
Thingvillir
We visited Thingvillir on
Thursday, it was a great
experience and one of the
highlights of the trip because it
had a lot of history behind it.
The Eurasian and North
American plate meet at this
constructive plate boundary. As
well, this is where the first
Parliament in the world was
held. This was a once in a
lifetime opportunity to see
where the two plates meet as
Iceland is on the mid Atlantic
ridge.
Alice Read and Sara Massey
ACTIVITIESWEEK!
Activities week has finally arrived to end the summer
term this year. The annual activities are back to give
both students and teachers a break from the norm and
have some well-deserved fun. Mr Morris who has organised the activities
said that the main aim of the week is to allow the students to see the teachers differently and
improve relationships. The week begins with days of personal development for years 7-9 where
they will be taking part in art, design and drama pursuits.
The week will then culminate in the long anticipated day trips out.
Househillwalk–studentswillbewalking
uptheirHouseHill‐Caradoc,Wrekin,Long
MyndandRagleth.
Art&Musicactivities
Designactivities
Scienceactivities
Year7
Sportsday–amixtureofAthleticsports
including:javelin,shotputandhighjump
whichwillallowthewinnerstocollect
pointsfortheirhouse.
Allyears
Year7
Year8
Year9
During the week year 10 students will be completing their second week work experience
placement. A number of year 9 students will also be taking part in ‘Duke of Edinburgh’
expeditions.
Students were given the opportunity to choose which activity they would like to take part in on
their day out. Unsurprisingly Alton Towers has again been the most popular activity!
AltonTowers
Waterworld
ChesterZoo
Countrysidewalk
Cinema&Bowling
Filmday
PLAS CAERDEON
This year we returned to Plas Caerdeon Outdoor
Education Centre at Bontduu, near Barmouth. This is a
lovely centre situated in its own grounds and beautiful
surroundings.
A trip of this sort presents our Year 7 students with a range of opportunities
which we cannot provide within school itself. For instance, the activities on
offer include hill-walking, archery, rock climbing, kayaking, gorge walking
and orienteering. We include some environmental awareness work while
out on the hills and on the beach. Looking after oneself when away from
home and working as a team are valuable
‘growing-up’ experiences and students will
learn to become more responsible and
independent through the challenges faced at
Plas Caerdeon. We also aim to have fun!
YEAR 13 LEAVERS’ BALL 2013
On Friday 17th May 2013 the annual Sixth
Form Year 13 Leavers Ball was held at
Hawkstone Golf & Country Club. All
students and teachers looked wonderful as
they dressed in their finest evening wear in
order to celebrate the end of the students
two years at Idsall Sixth Form. There was
a drinks reception followed by formal
photographs taken by Mr John Whalley, a
three course dinner followed by a fabulous
fireworks display and speeches. Mr
Chrimes , Head of Sixth Form, led the
speeches followed by Naia Martin, Chair of the Sixth Form Committee, who with a small team of
volunteers had organised the whole event. The evening continued with dancing until 1.00am and
a truly wonderful time was had by all. The evening was a fitting farewell to an outstanding group
of Year 13 students.
Naia Martin’s Leavers’ Ball
Speech
Sixth Form Leavers’ Ball 2013
Naia delivered this wonderful speech which
sums up what a fantastic sixth form the school
provides and how the students develop their
educational and social skills whilst at Idsall.
“Someone could walk into Sixth Form and they
would see people working at computers,
chatting at tables, Mrs B behind her shut office
door. To this person Sixth Form is a place for
us to learn, and learn alone. But Sixth Form
isn’t like that for those of us who know it, who
go there. For us it’s a place to grow – to
become ourselves. To a Sixth Former Mrs B’s
closed door means she’s helping someone or
she’s just annoyed with the noisy Year 12s. But
99% of the time she is mopping up someone’s
tears,
consoling
their
heartache
or
congratulating their success. But it doesn’t
matter if her door is closed because we know
that she is always there if we need her.
Whether we are happy, sad, angry – she will
talk us through it. So to a Sixth Former Mrs B’s
shut door isn’t just a
door but it’s the
reminder that we aren’t
alone. And in Sixth
Form no one is ever
alone! I’m not referring
to the one room we are
shoved in, but to the
fact that we all have
our groups, our friends,
our people. Yet we
don’t confine ourselves
to these groups –
everyone mixes together as one
unit. This is why people outside
of
Sixth
Form
may
not
understand how special it is to go
there. We may all complain about
it, say we hate it, call in sick
because we just can’t face it –
but it really is a great place to be.
Mr Chrimes may rant and rage
but each one of us knows it's
because he wants us to succeed.
We may dislike the teachers
when they yell or give a bad
grade but they are part of who we have all become – they are the people who inspire us. We
have all chosen what we want to do with the next few years, whether that’s university, a gap
year, an apprenticeship or going straight into work. We all have a future, but for tonight we are
going to celebrate two years of making friends, growing and having fun.”
SIXTH FORM “I DID IT” AWARD 2013
Each year a Year 13 student is presented with this very
prestigious award which was given to the Sixth Form by Mr
Roger Skelhorn upon his retirement from of Idsall School.
Mr Skelhorn was a keen supporter of the Sixth Form as a
whole and a great champion of any student facing adversity.
This award is not about being a winner all the time or
achieving consistently high grades. It may be given to
someone who performs over and above what is expected of them, someone who gives something
back to the Sixth Form Community or someone who triumphs over adversity. It is a unique and
prestigious award which is given to a student who has gone that extra mile during their time at
Idsall Sixth Form.
This year there are joint winner’s Laura Mayall and Penny Lomax. These two ladies each have
their own individual story but both in their own way have shown immense bravery and dignity at
times when others may have faltered. They have put others before themselves and have been
outstanding role models.
MASTER BREWER!
Tom Edgley left Idsall Sixth Form having passed three A
levels in Psychology, Biology and Chemistry. He has taken
a gap year during which he has worked full time and pursued his musical interests. Tom is about to start a career in the Brewery Industry as he is joining Joule’s Brewery in Market Drayton. He will be undertaking an apprenticeship which will qualify him to be a Master Brewer, every
young man’s dream!
ALCOHOL WORKSHOP
A representative from the Driving Standards Agency,
Malcolm Farrar, came to Idsall Sixth Form to talk to
students about drinking and driving responsibly. He
brought with him samples of non-alcoholic drinks so
that the students could taste them and also gave out
useful information to assist students to choose wisely
when in social situations where there is access to
alcohol.
A-LEVEL ART
EXHIBITION
Students, staff, friends and
family were invited to
celebrate the success of
students’ art work on Friday
21st June. The work on display was extremely impressive
with a range of artistic styles and skills being showcased.
There was a lovely atmosphere which was helped by the very
talented Harry Scott who played the piano.
IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE
HOUSE?
Here are Dr Abi Barrett and Dr Giles Roberts, ex students
of Idsall Sixth Form, who have just qualified as junior
doctors. After intensive studies at Peninsular College of
Medicine & Dentistry which is attached to Plymouth
University they have the initials BMBS after their name
which means Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of
Surgery. Abi and Giles return to the Sixth Form annually
to encourage and support students who are currently applying for Medicine and give them the
benefit of their own experiences in applying, being interviewed and what to expect from the
course.
Reading Focus
Year 7 students have carried out some interviews to learn about the reading habits of their friends,
family and teachers. Here is an interview by Gracie Goring of Miss Brodie.
How often do you read? At least twice a week
Do you enjoy reading? Yes, relaxation. Hobby.
Who is your favourite author? Alice Seabold.
Did you read at school? Only as part of lessons.
Do you prefer to read aloud or in your head? Aloud.
What is your favourite book ever? Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
What was your favourite book when you were a child? Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Who was your favourite character out of the book? Probably the Cheshire Cat
When you were little, what types of books did you read? Fairy tales, Enid Blyton – The Wishing
Chair
Do you have many books at home? Around 100
Why is reading important to you? It’s an escape from day to day life
Why do you think children should read? For enjoyment and to learn
Which do you find more interesting, fact or fiction? Both. I enjoy fact finding, but also getting lost in
a fictional story
Where do you like to read? In a warm, comfy environment
What are you reading now? The girl with the dragon tattoo
What is your favourite genre? Fantasy or romance
How long do you usually read for? 30 minutes
If you could be one character from a favourite childhood book, who would you be? Mildred Hubble
from ‘The worst witch’ by Jill Murphy
What time do you normally read? Before bed
Film Club
Film Club is a really cool Session Six activity where you get to watch
amazing films with your friends in the comfort of Idsall’s state of the
art, comfortable, lecture theatre! It’s just like being at the cinema, but
it’s better, because it’s free! There’s plenty of room, the chairs are
comfy and the screen’s huge! Much better than watching a film in a
classroom! And, Film Club members get to choose the films that we watch! We also get to write
reviews which are published on the official Film Club website.
Film Club is on Tuesdays, it usually lasts for one hour, so we watch a film over two weeks, but
sometimes it is extended until 5pm, so an entire film can be viewed at one session.
This term, after much persuading, Miss Devey finally agreed to screen all the Twilight films, one
after the other! The sessions were extended so that we could watch one film each week,
beginning with Twilight, and ending with Breaking Dawn: Part Two. We were also allowed to
bring food and drink (so long as we didn’t make a mess!).
We’ve really enjoyed sitting with our friends to watch some of our favourite films, as
well as some new ones. If you haven’t been before, please come and join us in the
autumn term – you won’t regret it!
Jessika Taggart & Lauren Rutter (Film Club Executive Members)
GCSE SPECIAL
Rosie, Year 11
Jenny, Year 11
Keely, Year 11
Beth, Year 11
Emily, Year 11
Faye, Year 11
Hannah, Year 11
Kira, Year 11
Lily, Year 11
News Feed
1. This ‘seasonal’ teacher likes nothing more than
catching up on ‘The History of Modern Britain.’
I know who it is!
I don't know who it is.
2. So, add Page 28 to Page 200… this teacher knows the
value of a great book. (Recommended read: ‘The Grapes
of Wrath’)
I don't know who it is.
I know who it is!
3. Mr ‘Felonies’ has chosen ‘Cider with Rosie’ - he
also likes the book by Laurie Lee.
I know who it is!
I don't know who it is.
4. He’s always angling for a new book.
(Recommended read: ‘The Big Book of Sport Insults.’)
I know who it is!
I don't know who it is.
5. He likes to Caerphilly read books, but he’d read a Cardiff it was interesting. He’s having a Wales of a time...
I know who it is!
I don't know who it is.
News Feed
News Feed
7. This miss preaches the
importance of a good
book.
6. This teacher thinks
everyone should be
forced t’read a good
book!
(Recommended read:
‘The Third Policeman’.)
I know who it is!
I don't know who it is.
I know who it is!
8. What’s black and
white and read all
over? This person’s
book!
I don't know who it is.
9. This teacher thinks Nick
Hornby’s book ‘A Long
Way Down’ is a great read.
He’s not wrong…
(Recommended read:
James Corden’s autobiography.)
I know who it is!
I know who it is!
I don't know who it is.
10. A picture
paints a thousand
words…
(Recommended
reads: ‘The Master and Margarita’ & ‘The Collected Stories’ of
Alexander Pushkin.
11. He’s a good
sport...
(Recommended
read: The Da
Vinci Code.)
I know who it is!
I know who it is!
I don't know who it is.
I don't know who it is.
12. Don’t call in
to the KS3 office
when she’s reading her favourite
book.
(Recommended
read: The Night
Circus.’)
I know who it is!
I don't know who it is.
I don't know who it is.
13. Elle aime lire!
(Recommended
read: The Shadow
of the Wind.)
I know who it is!
I don't know who it is.
Spirit of the Shifnal Half Marathon
The inspiration provided by
a teacher to students was
clearly seen in the Shifnal
Half Marathon. On the
hottest day of the year so
far, experienced runner and
Head of Science, Mr Haydn
Jones, paced and
encouraged one of his
students to complete the
rural half marathon course
in under the benchmark
time of 2 hours. The two
runners crossed the line together in a time of 1 hour 59
minutes and 49 seconds.
First of the elite club runners was Chris Davies of Telford
AC, but in the heat his time was over 5 minutes slower than
his course record set last year. First lady home was Stephanie Ilsley of Ripley Running Club near
Derby who travelled some distance to take part in the popular race.
The race is now in its tenth year and has a firm
place on the community calendar. Residents in
Shifnal, Ryton, Beckbury and Kemberton came out
to cheer on the runners as well as providing extra
water stations, showers (a garden sprinkler) and
hand out jelly babies. As well as club runners there
were many entries from teachers, sixth formers,
parents, and ex-pupils.
Staff and sixth formers also took on the role of
marshalling duties, encouraging participants and
guiding the way.
Since the start of this sporting event it has raised
over £10,000 for various charities, such as Hope
House Children’s Hospice and Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. This year the Half Marathon
is raising funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Charity football match
A charity football match in aid of @DiabetesUK was
recently held between the 6th formers and staff. It was a
great come back and eventual win for the staff team as
they won 3-2 after being 2-0 down!
The event was organised by Jack Jordan who was recently
diagnosed with the condition. He can be seen here (on the
right) helping with the marathon). To read more about
Jack’s story, please go to:
https://www.justgiving.com/jack-jordan-diabetesuk/ …
TRIATHLON TRIUMPH
Finlay Hellowell, a year 8 pupil, competed in her first race of the year on the
16th of March. She raced for the first time in TS3 so she was one of the
youngest in this two year age category.
As you can see she came 3rd girl. A fantastic result and her first triathlon
podium.
Well done Finlay!
YEAR 10 boys win the Presidents Plate!
Year 10 boys won 2-0 v Pheonix school at Bucks Head on 22nd April in the
Shropshire Schools Presidents Plate. Goals were scored by Dom Colbron and
Jordan Bailey. Joint men of the match were Brad Burrows and Jack Cox.
Huge congratulations to the whole team who put in a great team performance!
JORDAN RISES TO THE
CHALLENGE
On Friday 21st June, I did the annual event of cycling 103 miles to Aberdovey, on the coast of
wales, from the Molineux in Wolverhampton. It's a charity ride with around 450 riders and I was
lucky enough to be allowed to enter, as I'm under 16, so the organisers made a special
exception. This made me the youngest rider to ever do it... so no pressure. The day went really
well, and I completed it in around 6 and a half hours, finishing around the middle of all the riders.
I'm glad I could do this to support charities that have supported me! I have raised around £900
and I'm hoping to reach the £1000 before handing in the sponsor money. Thanks to everyone
who has sponsored me!
By Jordan Whittaker
Trampoline competition
Idsall held the Year 7—11 Novice and Elite Trampoline competition on Friday
19th and 26th of April. Results were as follows—U13 Boys: 1st Owen Tipping,
2nd Matt Wilcox, 3rd Jake Watson. U13 Girls—1st Dani Hewitt, 2nd Natasha
Jones, 3rd Ellie Potts.U17 Girls—1st Taylor Glover, 2nd Chantelle Webley,
3rd Ellie Lowe. Idsall won the overall team events meaning that they get to go
to the Summer Schools Games .
SPORTS AWARDS EVENING
Idsall held a fantastic Sports Awards Evening to celebrate the success, efforts and achievements
of many students who take part in the extensive sporting opportunities available. The evening
was a huge success. There was live music performed by a number of talented musicians and
the evening was hosted by Mr Goodison and Mr DBradburne.
It was wonderful to see so many students, staff, parents and guardians celebrate the sporting
success of the representatives of Idsall School.
A collection of photographs from the evening feature the students excitedly clutching their
certificates and awards.
TENNIS
Following on from winning team of the year the school tennis squad
continue to build on their success with the Year 8 girls wining 4-2 v
Thomas Telford and the Year 10 boys winning 5-1 v Charlton.
Congratulations to all our tennis teams again!
CRICKET
RUGBY
Congratulations to Reece
Cracking performance by the year 7 cricket
Beddows in Year 12 for making it
team in the TWSSA competition on 5th July
into the county rugby squad for
winning 4 games and only just losing out by 10
next year - hard work is rewarded!
runs to Adams Grammar.
Delancey Chess Mega-Final in Hereford.
A number of Idsall students represented the school at a recent chess competition and then went
on to compete in the ‘mega-final’!
The five students who took part in the event were: Tom Boden, Chris Rowe, Tim Preston, Ben
Sloan and Cameron Spiers.
They all competed well and had a fantastic time.
Tim Preston (Y11) won his section, qualified for the Giga-final but will be in Venezuela when it’s
taking place.
Ben Sloan (Y8) came 2nd in his age group and has qualified to go
through to the Giga-final in Manchester (July).
Chris Rowe (Y8) did well, but not well enough to qualify.
A parent who was involved in the event had this to say: “I might
add that the Idsall team played with aplomb; magnanimous in
victory and graceful in defeat. Well done to them all they were
great ambassadors for Idsall.”
ATHLETICS
Idsall school has had a fantastic athletics
season. We are Telford and Wrekin Athletics
Champions at Year 7, 8 and 9!
Huge congratulations must go to four students in
particular who have been selected to represent
the school at the English Schools Track & Field
event which was broadcast live on Sky Sports.
An excellent achievement. by Lucy Edmondson
GIRLS FOOTBALL
who competes in the 200m, Huw Bevan- Javelin,
Rhys Bevan- Javelin and Alexis Newton FrenchHurdles - well done all and a great reward for all Idsall Under 16 Girls won 1-0 against Church
Stretton to become Champions of South
of your hard work.
Shropshire!
Further congratulations must go to
Year 7 girls football team end an outstanding
Huw as he became English Schools
season with a 7-2 win over Church Stretton
Champion for Javelin.
School to win the district cup final!
Well done to all of the girls!
Follow all the sports news including fixtures and results
from Idsall’s PE team
http://twitter.com/idsallsport
@IdsallSport
SUMMER WORD SEARCH
S C S R G B E H P B T X E C J
W Y A W D J O N B J H E W M L
I K N J X L G N I P M A C X T
Idsall School
Coppice Green Lane
Shifnal
Shropshire
M E D W I B P U K H M L K G I
M Z C D B H O Q R R S M Y L U
I P A C W H J G E I A N F C S
TF11 8PD
Phone: 01952 468400
Fax:
N Y S W I V M L F E D H U P M
01952 463052
E-mail: info@idsall.shropshire.sch.uk
Term Dates
Friday 19th July 2013 — End of Summer Term
Monday 2nd September 2013 — Staff
Professional Development Day (School closed
to students) Year 13 begin work shadowing
Tuesday 3rd September 2013 — Autumn term
starts for Years 7 and 12
Wednesday 4th September 2013 — Autumn
term starts for Years 8—11
Monday 9th September 2013 — Autumn term
starts for Year 13
Friday 25th October 2013 —Staff Professional
Development Day (school closed to students)
Monday 28th October to Friday 1st November
2013 - Half Term break
Friday 20th December 2013 — End of Autumn
Term
G H T R K R A P R E T A W S I
P F L H M X C C Z B F S T S W
Q M E I A K E I C M O L G T S
B J O T U C C W N I X R H R S
T P I T I B D F T C T F C A T
BARBEQUE
BEACH
CAMPING
HOLIDAY
ICECREAM
PICNIC
RELAXATION
SANDCASTLE
Follow us on Twitter for the latest news and
events – http://twitter.com/IdsallSchool
SUNSHINE
SWIMMING
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WATERPARK