26 May 2023
Dear Parents and Carers,
Thank you for your ongoing support during this half-term. We look towards to a positive final half-term, which includes our popular wellbeing personal development week, and we are also preparing for September 2023. Part of that involves making new appointments and we are excited about recent additions to our leadership and Sixth Form teams, as well as new appointments in English, History, Maths and Science. I will share more in our end of year parental letter in July.
Years 11 and 13 have now completed two weeks of exams and it is clear that being in school for an extended period has been a significant help to the majority of Year 11. We have been able to ensure additional revision, structure, and regular meals, and hopefully that will help them to be as successful as possible. We have learnt much in the last two weeks and will find additional ways to offer support during the exam season in 2024.
All other year groups will now move towards the ‘stepping up’ process in June and July and we will also be visiting forty primary schools to meet the Year 6 students who will be joining the school in September. For any parents and carers with a child joining us in September 2024, the following resource might be useful.
Supporting Children’s Transition
It offers practical guidance on the transition to secondary school, and we will also share more information next half-term about a chance for all new Year 7 students to come into school during the summer holiday.
The summer term is a very busy one, with public speaking, celebration assemblies, music for a summer evening and our long running Sports Celebration evening. Years 10 and 12 also have the opportunity to complete work experience and our final week of term will focus upon well-being and personal development.
We were pleased this week to receive a letter from the County Durham Foodbank, thanking us for a financial donation made from funds raised by our recent non-uniform day. Our house system continues to provide opportunities for students to ‘give back’ to the wider community, and we are grateful to the team who coordinate such activities.
Finally, it has been great to see so many students actively involved in their Duke of Edinburgh award expeditions this week. They’ve been very fortunate with the weather too!
Have a good half-term break.
Mr O’Sullivan
Year 6 to 7 Transition Notices
The Common Admissions Form has been sent via email to all families this week. Please complete and return at your earliest convenience!
Our Induction Day, which is a chance for students to spend a day with us to familiarise themselves with our school routines, experience some lessons and meet their form class, takes place on Friday 7th July - details to follow nearer the time. We are aware that students from Browney Academy will be unable to join us, so we are pleased to have been able to arrange an additional transition visit specifically for those students during the morning of Monday 10th July – again, details will follow nearer the time.
Finally, we are pleased to say that we are also working on an additional transition visit, which will take place on Friday 1st September.
Vaccinations for Year 8 and 9
The School Age Immunisation Service offers HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) vaccines to all pupils in secondary schools. This is routinely in Years 8 and 9. This has been emailed to all parents and carers of students in these year groups, but you can also click here for details of how to consent via the NHS service.
Relationships and Sex Education Update: Summer Term 2022-2023
We are currently reviewing the curriculum model and programme of study for personal development/RSE and health education.
The new model will build upon previous good practice, will continue to respond to the needs of all pupils, will consider local and national issues and will be reflect the views of the school community (pupils, parents and teachers).
Updates, including the new RSE and health education policy with be shared with parents via the Friday Bulletin and also on the RSE page of our website; this will include any additional consultation periods as well as opportunities for parents to attend RSE and health education workshops.
Year 10 sessions
We are very pleased to welcome Wayne Stevenson back on Thursday 8th June and Wednesday 21st June 2023 to complete a series of RSE workshops with our Year 10 students as part of wraparound support. The sessions will focus on substance misuse, binge drinking and the risk of sexual harm, STI's, consent and the Law.
You can find out more about Wayne here.
Year 10 Business Lessons
This week in Business we focused on training and development. To consolidate this some of our Year 10s became "trainers" and the rest became the "trainee". This is a great way for students to link the concepts to real-world examples and to get an insight into how new skills are learnt.
This week we have been taught: how to draw an eye, how to do a drop kick in rugby, how to do keepy-ups, basketball tricks, origami, to speak Arabic and Russian and a spot of gymnastics! I think we all realised that more often than not skills come with practice and hard work. We have been really impressed with the coaching styles of our Y10's - some modelled, others explained, some did both, some were a little strict (!), but all showed a real aptitude for teaching - well done Year 10.
Miss Forbes
Subject Leader for Business & Computing
PE News
On Monday our Year 10 football team were at St John's taking part in the last cup final of the season. We faced Parkside and took control with a goal in the first 2 minutes from Cole Carter. We dominated possession and reached half-time 3 - 0 ahead. Parkside rallied in the second half, but we claimed the trophy with a 4-1 victory. Alex Graham was POM.
It was also confirmed on Monday that all five of our football teams have won the league this year - an amazing achievement!
On Tuesday, our Year 7 basketball team played Egglescliffe School in the quarterfinals of the Junior NBA competition. We started slowly but improved as the game went on, winning 30 - 20 to reach the play-off finals which take place at Maiden Castle on Tuesday 27th June. Luigi Fortis was POM. Our Year 8 team have already qualified meaning we are one of only two schools with two teams through to the finals.
Thursday was a busy day as our U15 girls cricket team were at Washington CC taking part in a "Chance to Compete" tournament. We produced some excellent cricket to win all 5 matches and become area champions. Our closest game was the final match against a strong St Leonard's team. We now go on to the county finals in June.
Our U15 boys cricket team were also in action on Thursday as they took on St Leonard's in the County Cup. We batted first and scored 91 runs in our 20 overs. Ray Foots was top scorer with 27 runs. An excellent bowling and fielding performance saw us restrict them to 67 runs and reach the next round.
Finally yesterday, our U13B boys' tennis team were at home playing Barnard Castle. It was an excellent afternoon of tennis played in a great spirit. Despite all the games being close we managed to win them all to secure a 6-0 victory.
Good luck today to our Year 7 cricket team who are at Jesmond CC taking on RGS.
Mr Hopper
Subject Leader for PE
Finally, we have been asked to advertise the following:
