ASA TODAY Issue 47

New York Trip

U14 Girls Football

Students reflect on the once in a lifetime Sixth Form trip.

Check our back page to see the fantastic success of the U14 Girls Football team.

Page 20

ASA TODAY

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

The All Saints’ Academy Newspaper

Pages 16 & 17

www.asachelt.org

Students captivate audiences with their rendition of Beauty and the Beast

Every year students have the opportunity to take part in an Academy musical production. This year students received critical acclaim for their work on the production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

A 56-strong cast and crew performed in our biggest production ever! Students auditioned for parts

in December 2017 and rehearsed for three months after school time. During this time, students from Year 7 to Year 13 worked together and became part of our performing arts family.

The students performed to over 1000 people as they took to the stage five times to a packed auditorium.

Audience member

Diane Jackson said “Fab! Fab! Fab! well done to you all! We all enjoyed it. Lumiere stole the show for us.”

Diana Fisher added “This was a brilliant show, the cast were amazing. It was their first show after being postponed because of the snow.

Belle and Gaston were amazing and Lumiere and Babette were so fun-

ny. Congratulations to all the cast you should all be so proud. Well done. Could have watched it again.”

Lisa New commented “This was such an amazing show, me and Amelia loved it. All the cast were excellent especially Lumiere and Babette; such a comedy duo. Well done all.”

See pages 10 and 11 for more reviews and photographs from Beauty and the Beast

Cadets impress at Biennial Inspection On Monday 19th March All Saints’ Academy CCF had their first ever Biennial Inspection. This inspection occurs once every two years where a leading officer visits and checks that we are providing adequate provision via our CCF programme.

Full report on Page 18

EDITORIAL

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

www.asachelt.org

By Mrs Edgar

By Mr McNiffe

PR & Communications Manager Chief Editor Since our last publication we have had many students successes that you will find documented in this edition. This year’s Academy musical of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast was one of my highlights. The students put in such dedication; even helping dig the Academy out of snow so the show could go ahead on the Saturday.

Principal

The Spring term may have heralded one of the coldest periods in weather for a few years, namely the infamous “Beast From The East!” but here at All Saints’ we witnessed the warmth of our most ambitious musical production yet “Beauty and the Beast.” It was truly a triumph, selling out over the coldest weekend of winter followed by sell out shows on the Monday and Tuesday nights. Well done to our cast and crew of over fifty students. I’d like to thank Miss Baynam-Williams, Mr Aitchison and Mrs Edgar for all their fantastic work in producing a show that would compete with any performing arts college. Thanks also go to Mrs Austin

and Miss Smith for their additional support. We now look forward to next year, what ambitious show can follow this? You will have to wait and see!

The arts, enterprise, international trips, sport, Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM); the choice for enrichment is now so broad at All Saints’ Academy, there really is something for everyone to develop their talents and enjoy an enriched Academy life. In this edition you will read about many of the exciting programmes we have in place.

This term, I was proud to be awarded our accreditation to become a centre to deliver The Duke of Edinburgh Award. The Earl of Wessex and John Craven presented me with the award at St James Palace and our first cohort of students will start working towards their Duke of Edinburgh over this summer. Mr Ken-

Formerly known as Parent Forum dry has done great work in promoting and organising this important programme for our students at All Saints’.

I hope you enjoy the many articles that highlight the fabulous enrichment programmes our students’ have been involved in over the first three months of 2018!

On behalf of the whole family of staff at the Academy, I wish you a happy and peaceful Eastertide.

Over the years topics discussed have included Homework, Academy Uniform and Parents’ Evenings.

Date for the diary

Chief Editor: Mrs Edgar Editor: Miss Smith

Anti-bullying Bus On 22nd March the Stagecoach #BeNiceBus came to All Saints’ Academy. The bus is ran by the Diana Award which provides support and mentoring. The campaign engages, encourages and empowers young people to take positive actions in their school, local and even global communities.

Year 7 students had the opportunity to spend an hour on the bus and play some games which encoruaged students to think about their choices and responses to situations.

All parents are welcome to come along and share any concerns, feedback or suggestions they wish to raise on matters linked to the life of the students at the Academy.

We look forward to seeing you.

ASA TODAY Editorial Team

PR & Communications Manager

This group meets once a term, for an hour to discuss a whole variety of issues related to life at the Academy.

If you are interested in attending please email Mrs Crawford on acrawford@asachelt.org.

We would like to thank all of the community, students, parents, carers and staff that came to see the show and make it such a success.

If you are interested in writing for the Academy newspaper please email asatoday@asachelt.org

By Mrs Edgar

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What can you do if you or someone you know is experiencing cyber-bullying?

• • • • • •

•

Tell a trusted adult Save the evidence, screenshot the texts or conversations you recieve so you have evidence Block the person/group Report the person/group Don’t reply or answer back If you feel that the incident is serious enough to be a criminal offence then you can engage your local police force and make a report Stay positive - make sure you speak to people you trust inside and outside of school. These people care for you and will work with you to stop cyber bullying.

Gymnastics and Dance Show Monday 14th May 7pm

Address: Blaisdon Way Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL51 0WH Phone: 01242 711200 Absences: 01242 711203 Email: admin@asachelt.org www.asachelt.org

@asachelt

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

NEWS www.asachelt.org

Public Health England visit

By Mr Chapman Science Teacher

Public Health England are piloting a new scheme for secondary schools in England. Year 8 students had the privilege of welcoming the team into our Academy for an experience day like no other! The theme of the day was the research and spread of diseases. Students had the opportunity to use UV lighting to track the spread of disease on hands, understand the common illnesses that affect us during the winter and act as test animals through a maze!

The students were outstanding in their contributions and questioning and the PHE team were very impressed with our excellent students.

Students become journalists for BBC School Report

By Mrs Edgar

PR & Communications Manager Fifteen students from Year 7 to Year 12 took part in this year’s BBC School Report. This was our 7th year of taking part in this exciting project that involves students becoming reporters for the day.

The day began with students identifying news stories from the day’s newspapers and websites. Students then had to choose how they wished to present their findings e.g. written article, video or audio report. Students learnt how important deadlines are in a news room and all of the reporters finished their pieces by the 3.10pm deadline.

The students produced some outstanding reports and the BBC have linked to all of their articles on our website. Please see the link below to see some brilliant reporting by our students.

http://www.asachelt.org/2349/bbc-school-report-2018

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SPIRITUALITY

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

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All Saints’ Annual Daffodil Tea

By Mrs Spence Roman Catholic Lay Chaplain

FAIRTRADE Fortnight

To celebrate Mothering Sunday, the chaplains hosted our annual Daffodil Tea on Friday 9th March from 11.30am to 12.30pm. Parents, carers and grandparents were invited to come along.

Some had attended before, while for many it was their first attendance. Students met with their guests in reception and escorted them to the Dance Studio where the tables were decorated with daffodils and each had a platter of delicious cakes provided by our DT Department.

The guests were invited to sit back and relax while being served tea and coffee by the students. Once the

guests were served, the students then came forward and received their own refreshments. The students were very attentive and looked after their guests most diligently. The tea lasted for an hour and provided a great opportunity for all present to chat and enjoy their time together. All the guests were presented with a bunch of daffodils at the end.

There were many positive comments by both students and guests and again the event was a great success. This year we had our largest numbers to date.

I would like to thank Mrs Midwinter for her help in preparing the room and Mrs Derwent and Mrs Magee for providing the delicious cakes; they were a real treat to the eye as well as palate.

Megan’s Memorial

By Mrs Spence Roman Catholic Lay Chaplain

This year’s theme is ‘Come on In’ and meet the farmers who produce the Fairtrade food and goods for sale in the UK. This theme gives the opportunity to celebrate God’s welcome for all, and helps us consider how we can be good neighbours to others. There are millions of farmers and workers who live in developing countries all around the world. They are our neighbours, our sisters and our brothers, equally loved by God. How can we all be better neighbours?

One obvious way is in the choices we make in our spending habits, these can make a huge difference to the lives of these workers.

Fairtrade sales were organised by the Chaplaincy Team on Wednesday 7th March during break and lunch in the Loaves and Fishes, chocolate bars, cookies and bananas were sold. These sales highlighted how certain foods carry the Fairtrade mark

and so will benefit others by choosing them.

A staff coffee morning was also held on Tuesday 6th March during break.

‘Before joining Fairtrade the situation was very difficult. As there was only one company we could sell our bananas to, we had no say over the price, and it wasn’t enough to cover our costs.’

Florentina Beitia

A member of Coobana A Fairtrade Co-operative in Panama

By Mrs Spence Roman Catholic Lay Chaplain

This year Megan’s memorial was held on Friday 12th January (anniversary Sunday 14th). It was attended by friends from Megan’s year group who are now in Year 13, brother Harvey who is in Year 10 and myself.

We assembled in the Prayer Garden after break and began the short service with a moment of stillness

to bring memories of Megan to our thoughts. The chosen bible passage was John 14:1-3 which reassures us that Jesus has prepared a place for each of us in the Heavenly Kingdom and was read by Sammie Smith.

“Do not be worried and upset,” Jesus told them. “Believe in God and believe also in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so. And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am.”

This was followed by The Lord’s Prayer which we all said together and Gabbie Parsons read the

poem ‘Life is but a stopping place’, which speaks of our journey through life, which for some is long and some short and that our final destination is everlasting peace with our Lord Jesus Christ.

After a few moments of silent reflection the students were invited to place the stars they had written messages on and were laminated on Megan’s Tree while listening to the chosen song ‘Make me feel your love’

by Adele.

This years’ service was particularly poignant as this would have been Megan’s final year at All Saints’ and as her friends leave and move on they will take their happy memories of their friendship with Megan with them.

PERFORMING ARTS

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

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‘Birdsong’ actors visit All Saints’

By Miss BaynhamWilliams Head of Drama

Theatre is meant to change lives and is quickly becoming the most cultured form of escapism on offer in society today. Students’ were delighted at All Saints’ Academy when the actor that amazed them and brought them to tears with his overwhelming performance marched into school on Friday 23rd February! Following on from an A Level drama trip to the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham on Monday 19th February, famous actors Tom Kay and Martin Carroll were welcomed to All Saints’ to talk all things theatre. It is an essential part of the AQA A Level drama course, that students witness live theatre first hand to enable them to answer their live theatre review questions in their written exam during the Summer Term.

Students left the theatre speechless, amazed and in awe of the standard of acting they had witnessed during a fantastic adaptation of Sebastian Faulkner’s ‘Birdsong’ and were astonished with their own abilities to connect emotionally, culturally and historically to the performance.

So, impressed by the students’ positive response to the play, I contacted the actors via their PA to

praise them and congratulate them on reaching out to our young students.

Actor Tom Kay (who has been nominated for BAFTA awards and studied drama at RADA the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts in London) was so touched and moved by the fact that they had had such a positive effect on a local school that himself and another well-known actor came and met with the students that had watched them perform earlier that week to take part in a student led interview helping them “Art has never been so important in schools. The arts quite simply EMPOWER”.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, 2017 with research for their live theatre exam.

Martin and Tom naturally had exceptionally busy schedules with them both being on tour with the show and so could originally only take an hour out of their time to meet and greet with the Year 12 and 13s. However, once they met our students they were so inspired that they stayed for a further hour and a half and shared experiences and stories of their acting career and even gave workshops on how to memorise lines and hold yourself in the spotlight! A truly memorable treat for the A Level drama students and a week of theatre they will never forget! A huge thank

Bristol Old Vic give presentation At the end of January, Bristol Old Vic came to All Saints’ Academy to talk to Drama students about a career in Performing Arts.

The presentation was of particular interest to our Sixth Form students who are now looking at universities and drama schools to further their performance skills and career.

@asaperfarts

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DEPARTMENT NEWS

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

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Charity Head Shave

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All Saints’ teacher wins Inspirational Teacher Award

By Mr Kerr

Business Teacher

As part of the Academy’s charity drive each year group is asked to organise a fund-raising event. Last term was the turn of Year 10 and as Year 10 tutor I wondered what we could do to help raise money for our chosen charity - Acorns Children’s Hospice. At the time, I was sporting a hairstyle that was subject to plenty of ridicule from various pupils who would ask me regularly when I was going to get my hair cut.

It was no mullet but it certainly was too long to be cool! This jovial ridicule inspired me to get a haircut, and if you’re going to do a job, you might as well do it properly. Hence, the idea to shave my head for charity was born.

Naturally, there were plenty of pupils who were keen for me to get my hair cut; in fact they were happy to pay to watch it get shaved off. There were lots of incredibly generous pupils and staff who have pledged towards the cause and to date we have currently raised £417 for Acorns which is outstanding. If you would like to watch the video of my hair being shaved then go to the ASA facebook page, it’s worth a look to see the disgusting pony tail that Mr Aitchison left me with! Likewise if you want to donate to Acorns then please either visit their website or you can come and find me

at school and I will happily pass your donation on. I would like to thank all of the amazing people that donated and also to the team of year 10 tu-

tors who helped to run the event! If I ever shave my head again, I might try not to time it before a snow storm!

By Mrs Edgar PR & Marketing Manager

Art Self Portraits

By Miss Ward Art Teacher

Reflecting on her win, Miss Wife said ‘It made me realise how much students do appreciate what we do and, although it might seem hard at times, it shows that we are making a difference. Being in the classroom and helping the children is what it’s all about!’

A HUGE well done to 7C for their self-portraits created in the style of Julian Opie. Julian Opie is a famous digital artist predominantly known for his portraits of the singer Bryan Adams and Blur.

Miss Wife, All Saints’ Academy’s Head of Mathematics, was overwhelmed with pride after discovering she was to be awarded the prestigious University of Bath Project Support Award for Inspirational Teachers.

The Project Support Award for Inspirational Teachers recognises and celebrates the crucial role teachers play in supporting students with extended projects.

Miss Wife has been nominated to receive the award by All Saints’ Academy alumni Thomas Etheredge, who is now studying Engineering at the University of Bath.

Thomas submitted the nomination to show his appreciation for the time, energy and support Miss Wife provided throughout his A Levels and afterwards, going above and beyond that which is expected of a teacher to ensure his progression to university became a reality.

Thomas said, ‘Miss Wife taught Maths and Physics brilliantly, making every lesson really engaging and ensuring that I fully understood the topic.

She always made time to meet up with me to discuss the various problems of the project as well as her teaching duties, fitting meetings into lunch times and before school started.

Her selfless nature and love of teaching makes me certain there is no one more deserving of this award.

It is easy for a teacher’s actions to go unnoticed so I feel this award would show her what a great teacher she is and how grateful I am to her for all her hard work.’

The award judges concluded that Miss Wife’s contribution to Thomas’s achievements was outstanding.

The inspiring Maths and Physics teacher who has been at All Saints’ Academy for six years said, ‘Finding out I had won an award felt amazing, it lifted my spirits and it made me smile all day!

I taught Thomas Physics and Maths for two years in Sixth Form. He then also asked me to be his mentor for his Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).

Thomas’s EPQ project looked at the future of the universe, focussing on dark energy and dark matter. As his Physics teacher, it made sense for me to be his mentor. Tom did very well and achieved an A*.’

Miss Wife will receive £500 for the Academy, an invite to an Awards Ceremony during which she will be presented with a trophy, an overnight stay at the Hilton Hotel in Bath and future involvements in university EPQ projects.

Miss Wife is hoping to spend the £500 on some new higher tier Maths text books to help push her students to reach those high-end grades – just like Thomas.

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

By Mr Shergold

Assistant Leader of DT and Engineering Prudential RideLondon is one of Britain’s most important fundraising events and the largest festival of cycling in the world. Seven All Saints’ Academy pupils have been lucky enough to be selected to be part of the 500 that are being offered the opportunity to complete the 46 miles fully supported by the Prudential through PruGOals. Providing inspiration and support for young people the project aims to help young people build a better future for themselves by developing relevant life skills; including wellbeing, confidence and employability and encourages personal motivation.

As well as bikes, training and equipment, the programme is providing coaching and mentoring to support the students as they prepare for the event. With the support of Mr Shergold, Ms Warburton and Mr Hall students have undertaken regular rides as well as gym sessions to increase their cardio and endurance in preparation for the challenge.

Tuesday 20th March saw the latest training day with students taking part in nutrition workshops, motivational seminars and a 15 mile bike ride around the centre of Bristol, all involved should be exceptionally proud of the outstanding representation of the Academy. On occasion our pupils were not only supporting each other but helping, motivation and providing encouragement for pupils of other schools - this was not only noticed by staff but the organisers themselves commented on how great they all were.

The event takes place in London on the first weekend of the summer holidays meaning the pupils have just under four months to build their endurance in readiness for what has got to be one of the biggest events in the country – hopefully with All Saints’ taking centre stage!

PruGOals www.asachelt.org

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DEPARTMENT NEWS

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

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Our Bright Future Project

FameLab Final

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By Mr Chapman Science Teacher

The FameLab competition at All Saints' was even bigger and better than last year! The standard at our February school final was outstanding and the judges had a very difficult decision to make! Our winner Aleks Pengsomboon, managed to sneak ahead of the other competition and we are very proud to have her represent the Academy! The county final takes place at EDF Energy Barnwood, on the 22nd March.

By Mrs Francis PACE Teacher

Our Bright Future project is a Big Lottery Funded programme, which aims to engage young people throughout Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, seeking to develop their skills in habitat creation and management for the benefit of wildlife and the community in urban spaces.

The project offers the opportunity to earn a certificate in Habitat Management and Community Engagement, through completing a range of AQA accredited modules including building raised planters, bird boxes, bee homes, compost bays, log piles, dead hedges and organising community cleans for wildlife. The activities give participants the opportunity to develop a wide range of transferable working skills such as team work, health and safety, punctuality and time management.

‘We began working with All Saints Academy’s PACE students last academic year, initially linking the activity sessions to their Prince’s Trust scheme of work and now to the AQA Unit Award Scheme. We have planted numerous vegetables, wildflowers and bulbs beneficial to flying insects and bees; built multiple bird boxes, solitary bee homes, bird feeders, garden trellises and are now assisting with the improvement of a City Council Pocket Park on the Tewkesbury Road. Students will be repainting the park’s walls, getting involved with a local urban artist, constructing a poly-tunnel and shelves to grow a variety of seedlings ready to be planted out in spring. Students participating in the project will also soon be visiting the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust SSSI reserve ‘Betty Daws’ to coppice hazel and carry out a wildlife survey’.

Jo Worthy-Jones Nature and Wellbeing Manager Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust

School Sports Debating Competition

By Mr Wright

Assistant Head of English In early February, Year 10 students from Pitville School, Balcarras, Cleeve School and of course All Saints’ Acad-

Left - Right: Owain Newman, Aleks Pengsomboon, Emma Pepa

emy took part in the Regional School Sports Debating Competition. Each school had to put forward an argument for why their particular sport should receive Olympic legacy funding. Each team of four took turns at presenting their case and then grilling the opposition with sharp, thrusting questions.

The intensity of this proved too much for one team who had to retire temporarily as one of their members cracked under the strain, but such was the spirit of decency, respect and sportsmanship that the other teams allowed the competition to continue.

Peter Etheredge, Stephanie Odokara, Reece Attwood and Borys Bilak were coached by myself and made a creditable case for why cricket should receive more funding in schools. Peter’s passionate, and magnetic speech proved to be a particular highlight. Cleeve proved to be deserving winners, but All Saints’ earned their bronze medals and were a credit to the school and community.

‘All Saints’ earned their bronze medals and were a credit to the school and community’.

Outward Bound

By Imran Manzoor Student Reporter

My outward bound journey started from the day I had boarded the coach to Ogwen Valley, Wales. The surreal mountainous landscape, mixed with beauty and potency left me in awe after a tiring six hour journey to the valley.

The activities were made to test us and teach us that we are much more capable than we previously would have thought, and it has given me the boost of self-confidence I needed. One of the most exciting activities involved us jumping into a gorge, filled with freezing water. The overall focus of the course was to work with other students from different schools in Gloucestershire and to discover something about ourselves that we didn’t know before the trip. For me, the course helped a lot as it made me think more positively

about my A Levels. Before the trip, I had been worrying way too much about my A Levels, but this has helped me to become more focused and confident in my abilities, eradicating the “barriers” I thought I had.

Another activity involved us going on an expedition through rough, mountainous and hilly terrain.

The view of mount Snowden left us speechless, when we finally reached the summit of a neighbouring mountain. It made me believe that if I was able to defeat this rough terrain, then I am capable of getting through my A Levels with hard work, perseverance, positivity and self-confidence. Without the course I wouldn’t have found the confidence I now hold. I’d like to thank Mr Simcox and most importantly the Academy for nominating me. I was so honoured to represent a school filled with teachers who continue to believe in me and my academic abilities.

TECHNOLOGY

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

By Mr Kelly

Head of Technology Faculty Buzzing Year 9 Business Students from All Saints’, Bournside, Winchcombe and Pittville took part in a multi school

www.asachelt.org

Tenner Tycoon

enterprise challenge and official launch of Tenner Challenge led by Spirax Sarco and Young Enterprise leaders in the Cotswold Hall.

Students were pushed out of their comfort zone from the start with the challenge being to buy and sell items whilst making a significant profit. Creativity, timing and precision was key to the most successful busi-

Year 9 Cadbury World Trip

By Mr Kerr

Business Teacher On 7th March, 27 Business Studies pupils were taken to Cadbury World at the Bourneville Chocolate Factory in Birmingham. The pupils enjoyed a tour of the factory where they saw some of Cadbury’s specialist products being produced by hand, they were also given a demonstration of how chocolate was ‘Tempered’ in the olden days so that it was the right temperature for moulding. We all took it in turns to write messages on a table top with melted chocolate, where some impressive chocolate piping skills were on shown. Pupils were then given a pot of warm melted chocolate with their choice of topping, although incredibly tasty, some of us felt a bit sick after

that, especially as most of us had already eaten the free chocolate we were given on arrival. Another highlight of the trip was the 4D cinema which sent some of the pupils hysterical with the moving seats and the 3D images, possibly not a good idea to have done that after all of the free chocolate. Possibly the strangest part of the tour was the car ride through ‘Beanville’ which is a creepy tunnel filled with giggling cocoa beans doing anything from ice skating to the laundry, an experience that still haunts my dreams. As well as taking home a belly full of chocolate, some good memories and the odd photo opportunity, pupils also took part in an educational talk about Cadbury’s marketing which sets us up well for our upcoming topics in class. All pupils behaved fantastically well and were a credit to the Academy.

The bus driver very much appreciated having a squeaky clean bus too!

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ness strategies.

Students were in random teams so had not met each other before. Students continued to show 100% professionalism from start to finish.

Spirax Sarco and Young Enterprise leaders commented on this, as well as the superb business creativity which had been on show. Well done to all the students involved.

Young Entrepreneurs Competition

By Mrs Parr

Pastoral Manager Post 16 In partnership with GCHQ and GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership a group of 90 students from Year 9 took part in an exciting programme that is based on the concept of Dragon’s Den for budding young entrepreneurs.

Small teams worked together to devise a new product or service with guidance from business volunteers from across the county. Students

developed a marketing campaign, a finance plan and a pitch for their in-

novation and presented it to a panel of judges. The judges heard the pitch, asked questions, gave feedback and selected a winner from the programme.

Ideas for useful products included: “STARS” website: a resource for students to access online academic help via online tutors. “Beaker Speaker”: an unbreakable glass cup with LED lights. This beaker can be programmed to keep fluids either hot or cold. “PO” Personal Organiser: an app that links to your calendar, school timetable, reminders etc.

The ideas were all innovative, the judges chose Craig, Luke, Keira, Kara, Sienna and Blazej as the winning team to progress onto the County finals which will be held at GCHQ. They designed the “Anti-bullying” app for mobiles phones that is pre-installed by phone companies that can scan messages for hurtful content and if found the message is reported.

The team will present their product against finalists from each of the other participating schools.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

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By Miss BaynhamWilliams Head of Drama

At the heart of All Saints’ Academy’s Performing Arts department is the belief that it “takes a community to raise a child”. We are a family and one that is very proud of what all of the cast and crew of the annual academy production of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ has achieved. Four packed audiences (including one in front of the Mayor of Cheltenham) displayed all of the hard work and dedication and most importantly, the passion All Saints’ Academy students have for drama and music. The students have gone above and beyond this year to ensure this was the best production audiences have ever seen and their commitment certainly paid off. It was fantastic to see such a wide range of ages from Year 7 all the way through to Year 13 taking part and was a pleasure to watch over 67 students audition to be part of the cast in December.

In the face of adversity, students and staff pulled together supporting that “the show must go on!” despite the treacherous weather conditions from the ironically named “Beast from the East” and pulled out all the stops, to ensure the snow didn’t stop them from showcasing a performance they were exceptionally pleased with. Thank you for being ‘our guest’ if you came to watch everyone’s favourite ‘Tale as old as Time’.

‘Wow! What a performance! The Beauty and the Beast production was outstanding! I am simply blown away by the hard work and dedication of all that were involved, they worked their socks off to put on such a brilliant production. There were plenty of laughs, provided particularly by Harvey White as Lumiere and Tamzyn Regan as Babette - their timing and onstage presence was fantastic!

All of the students and staff that were involved in this production should feel over the moon at their achievements, it has been a pleasure congratulating as many of them as possible. These productions just get better and better!’

Mrs Sallis

‘A first rate production with fantastic performances by all involved, both on stage and in supporting technical roles.

The entire company produced an evening of magic with brilliant performances, matched by dazzling costumes and an amazing set. Without doubt, a resounding success!’

Mrs Cummings

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

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‘The quality of production at ASA continues to go from strength to strength, year on year. It was fantastic to see so much new talent coming through. I thought Owain was superb and it was a joy to see him in a prominent role. Caitlin was excellent as Cogsworth: another talented performer whom I had not been aware of previously!’

Mr Nicklin

‘Wow, just wow!!! The show was so much better than I anticipated, and I had very high hopes. The whole cast were amazing, but there were some stand out performances. Iwan as Gaston had me rooting for him, in a strange anti-hero kind of way. There were outstanding comedic performances by LeFou and Babette, but my lasting memory will be Lumiere – his facial expressions were enough to warrant the entrance fee alone. I can’t wait for next year!’

Miss Wellington

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

CAREERS www.asachelt.org

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National Careers Week

With so much going on over the week, we would like to say a massive THANK YOU to all the businesses who supported our “World of Work” event for making this week a huge success for the students.

Mrs Parr

By Mrs Parr

Pastoral Manager Post 16

Year 7 - 11

At All Saints’ Academy we embrace National Careers Week with a full program of events aimed at raising aspirations and broadening horizons. We bring together students, local employers and advisers through careers events and activities throughout the week.

National Careers Week is a celebration of careers guidance and employment opportunities across the UK. The aim is to provide a focus for careers guidance activity at an important stage in the academic calendar to help support young people when leaving education. At a time of high youth unemployment there has never been a bigger need for careers guidance to be promoted and celebrated in education.

National Careers Week is our platform to advise and inspire our next generation as they enter the world of work.

On 8th March we welcomed 60 visitors from a range of local and national employers to take part in our careers Q & A event. Professionals, academics and apprentices ranging from engineers, public services, financial services industry, recruitment specialists and charities visited the academy and engaged with students.

Our guests were assigned to tutor groups where they were questioned by students on their company and career to date; the transferable skills acquired, importance of commitment, punctuality and resilience in the workplace.

Year 12

Year 12 students had a presentation on how to “Aim a little higher” from Kamal Hyman, one of the UK’s youngest professional speakers and Spoken Word Artist.

Kamal’s unique, dynamic and interactive style of delivery leaves audiences entertained, informed and most importantly inspired! He has spoken to over 30,000 students across the UK. He uses his creative talents to turn ideas, values and messages into consumable and entertaining spoken word pieces.

Kamal Hyman is a motivational youth speaker with a simple mission; to prepare students for the real world.

By Chloe Fletcher, Julia Obrebska and Joe Almond Student Reporters

“His speech has been different to what I have previously experienced. He has gone against the stereotypical phrases like “chase your dreams” and told us things that have motivated me to work hard and be successful. He has also changed the way that I look at the word “potential” from something positive to something that you might not necessarily want to be known for having because if you still have potential then you haven’t yet achieved everything that you are capable of.”

Julia Obrebska “Kamal was inspirational and stood out form other speakers we’ve had, he actually made me want to do well”.

Joe Almond

“His speech was very motivational and has inspired me to change my aspirations and the career path that I want to go down. He highlighted that we have to be selfish and think about what we want to do and what we love. It made me think about what I am good at and what my personality shows to help me further my choice within the career path I have chosen to do.”

Chloe Fletcher

Year 13

Year 13 students had a “People Skills” session with Claire Thayers on understanding individual’s personalities, strengths and weaknesses, and their impact on an organisation.

Our personalities can be divided into colours. Each colour has particular traits, and it is important for you to understand these traits. Not only will it help you to understand the person better, but it will aid how you interact with others around you.

We all have a mix of colours, but one particular colour may stand out more than most, this is known as your dominant colour and is more your true personality. Knowing you have a synopsis of all the colours can be useful in any team, school or workplace.

“I liked the way she helped me to understand the differences in how to communicate with people” Clarissa Evans “The talk was interesting as it made us think about different personalities in the work place.”

Adham Rahman

Tutor Group Reviews

“Maureen Bennett from the Everyman was fantastic. She kept my group focused and engaged for the entire hour on her own. She spoke about what kind of films and theatre she has been an actress in, spoke about working with Elizabeth Taylor, spoke about her scariest moment in her career when she nearly drowned in a tank matching the River Thames and she left with this message for our students “life is too short to not give anything you love a go. Your possibilities are endless”.

She asked each pupil what their favourite and least favourite subject was and spoke about the benefits of A levels here at ASA and also the other options for drama college, apprenticeships etc. Great energy and really engaging.”

10YH

“The session went brilliantly. Mr Ash from Ash Property spoke about his Chartered Surveying business and being a professional rugby player, and Mark who runs his own Counselling Training business spoke about his international experience and training people to subcontract business, having left school at 16 and continued his education in his 30s.

They both spoke about passion, dreams, and the importance of work and effort. They also emphasised that having a wide range of skills and / or qualifications will give the most opportunity and choice.

Several students asked questions - especially Luke (one of the careers ambassadors) and Aaron asked two or three questions each, and Sophie and Jas talked to the gentlemen in“We really enjoyed the event and found dividually for advice and information.”

9D it interesting, our visitor Nigel answered our questions and told us how “Ms Pearson from Cheltenham Festihe got to the job he is in now. vals was amazing – kept the students’

He proved that what you interest and gave a really detailed view have passion for is the best idea to of what her job involved and how she follow. Never do anything you are not had got there. They really enjoyed passionate about. hearing about her career path, and she

We enjoyed his stories about made it seem very accessible to them.” meeting the Queen and elite athletes.”

7CH 10C “Our young people need to be able to have the right experiences, information and guidance to be able to find out what careers are best for them. Employers put exposure to work and employability skills like team working, determination, and the ability to communicate effectively, at the top of their wish list when looking to recruit. National Careers and Apprenticeship Week is an excellent opportunity to highlight the range of careers available to young people entering the workforce, the variety of qualification pathways and the skills that are at the top of the wish list for employers.”

Mrs Parr

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

CAREERS www.asachelt.org

Creative Careers Fair

By Mrs Parr

Pastoral Manager Post 16 Our Creative Career Fair brought students face to face with prospective employers and higher educational establishments.

Businesses and higher education providers were on hand to discuss opportunities in the creative sector.

Students were able to take part in practical activities including, cookery demonstrations ran by the RAF catering team and talks about the range of opportunities including travel, sport and apprenticeships.

Mrs Edgar, PR and Communications Manager said ‘the creative careers fair was fantastic for highlighting all of the new and creative careers in many different areas. We had three of our alumni attend the event who all work in creative jobs within the businesses or career paths they have chosen. Ian Higton, a Producer at EuroGamer spoke to hundreds of students about careers in gaming and the media.

Emma Dawson and Richard Atkins from the BBC joined us to talk about Television and Radio career opportunities’.

Events like this are an excellent way of raising awareness of the great opportunities which exist in education and employment to students.

‘We would like to thank all of the employers that gave up their day to come and speak with our students.’

Mrs Edgar

International Women’s Day

By Mrs Parr

Pastoral Manager Post 16 As part of the International Women's Day celebrations, Camille Cowe from the Everyman Theatre, presented assemblies to all students regarding a fun event to celebrate women and to inspire the young people of Cheltenham and Gloucestershire to fulfil their dreams.

Girls into STEM

The aim of the event was to give Year 9 girls that are interested in STEM the opportunity to meet likeminded peers from four other schools across Cheltenham and increase their awareness of the different career opportunities to them in a STEM industry. Year 9 girls were targeted as research shows, that in comparison to boys, significantly less girls take STEM subjects for GCSE.

By Sofia. Lara, Ellie and Natalie Student Reporters

We were welcomed to Kohler Mira by Anna, she looked after us through the day. We were given information about Kohler Mira and played an icebreaker game to share information about ourselves. We went on a tour of the factory and were shown how everything worked and how the showers are made.

Next we took part in a boat building challenge using only straws, cling film and duct tape. We put the boat in water and tested what mass they would hold

by counting how many washers we could place on the boat. Next, we took part in a networking session. This gave us the opportunity to speak to a selection of female Kohler Mira employees about their jobs, what they studied at school and their achievements. We found this very informative as it gave us an idea of job opportunities within Kohler Mira and other places of work.

Finally, we had a Q&A session where we could ask any final questions about career choices and opportunities as girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths subjects. We really enjoyed the experience because it was inspiring and informative. We got to meet very interesting women, had fun and had a brilliant experience.

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Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

SIXTH FORM www.asachelt.org

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Year 13 Leavers Ceremony

By Mr Simcox Assistant Vice Principal

The Year 13 that left in 2017 produced our highest ever performance with A levels, so it was a pleasure to welcome them back in January to collect their A Level and BTEC certificates. What made it such an enjoyable time for me was that they all had stories of their success. Former Head Student Kerryanne Bill is now at The University of Surrey and she told me that it is ranked as the best university in the UK for her course in Mental Health Nursing. Two of our students were about to commence their Gap Year travels before university. Rhiannon Watts was off to South America and Josh Dom was about to travel to Asia. Beth Halford was using her Gap Year to tour the UK performing in Luv Esther, a pop/opera musical based on the book of Esther in the bible.

‘I look forward to hearing more from our ex-students over the coming years.’

Young Enterprise Trade Fair

By Mr Kelly

Head of Technology Faculty On Wed 7th March students from the RLX Young Enterprise Team here at All Saints’ competed in the Cheltenham Young Enterprise Trade Fair against other schools from around Cheltenham. Twelve Year 12 students setup and registered their own company called RLX in September 2017 and have spent the last few months really moving the business forward. The business has two divisions; fashion accessories and GPS Bluetooth trackers.

The business has developed really well and the fashion accessories / jewellery in particular have made great sales of almost £300 so well done to them. The GPS Bluetooth tracker has just finished the prototype stage and will be on sale in the next few weeks.

The Year 12 students from RLX were a credit to the school on the day and did themselves proud making it through to the area final! Well done RLX! A massive thank you to our Emma Norman our Business Advisor who has been a wonderful support to the students since September 2017.

‘The Year 12 students from RLX were a credit to the school on the day and did themselves proud making it through to the area final!’

Mr Kelly

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

SIXTH FORM www.asachelt.org

APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED Join a thriving Sixth Form and study a range of A Levels and BTECs. There are also opportunities to play for Cheltenham Town Football Club, mentor younger students, write for the Academy Newspaper and go to places such as New York.

Our new prospectus can now be seen online at: www.asachelt.org Apply via our online application form: WWW.ASACHELT.ORG/SIXTHFORMAPPLICATIONFORM

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Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

NEW YORK www.asachelt.org

By Matthew Jones Student Reporter We had saved for twelve months and been to countless New York parent evenings and our trip had finally arrived!

We arrived at school for midnight with 12 hours of travelling ahead of us, but we couldn’t wait! The long flight from Gatwick left us all tired, but that was nothing compared to the hours of waiting at JFK airport customs when we arrived. When we did eventually get through, our bus was ready to collect us and we were off to The Big Apple (Manhattan, New York).

Once we got to our hotel, we had a quick freshen up and were off out on a walk down to crazy Times Square!

Walking through New York takes much longer than we first thought, due to the constant stopping at each traffic light, but when we got to Times Square we were amazed. With the tallest buildings and shops all around us, we set off on our own to explore the Big Apple.

Along with a free Starbucks for all of us (cheers, Mr Kelly), we now knew we were in New York. Followed up by a trip up the top of the Empire State Building, we got views and a sunset of a lifetime, even if we were absolutely freezing at the very top! The longest, but best day ever, was topped off by dinner at Planet Hollywood and we were soon ready for our rooms and bed back at the hotel.

DAY 2 started with a 6:30am wake up, with a quick breakfast buffet across the road from our hotel. We then took the subway to the Federal Reserve Bank on Wall Street, where we had a tour into the vaults where over 7000 tonnes of gold from nations all around the world is being held – the total value is $600billion. After we had finished the tour, we went on a boat ride to Staten Island to see the Statue of Liberty which was famously donated to the American’s by the French Government. Once back in Manhattan we took one of the longest walks of our lives across the never-ending Brooklyn Bridge were was amazing. The views across to Manhattan and Brooklyn were incredible and we got some great photographs. Once in Brookyln we visited the famous ‘Friends’ building before taking the subway back to Times Square where we had dinner booked at the Hard Rock Café. That evening was possibly the highlight of the entire trip.

We went to an Ice Hockey game at the Barclay Centre in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders were playing against the Detroit Red Wings. None of us knew anything about the two teams, but all found ourselves cheering and chanting for the Islanders, who managed to come back from 3-1 to snatch the game 7-6 in overtime. The atmosphere with 60,000 cheering on an ice hockey match was brilliant and one I will never forget. Most matches finish with 4 goals, so to see a 13-goal classic was amazing. We walked over 14,000 steps on this day!

DAY 3 consisted of a lot of walking and shopping, spending hours in the world’s biggest department store called Macy’s, where members of the group managed to rack up bills of over £300. During this day we saw another New York skyline from the top of the Rockefeller and got the chance to shop through five floors of pure Nike gear in Nike Town which is a whole shopping centre dedicated to Nike. It poured it down this evening which meant our outdoor ice skating experience on Central Park had to be cancelled, but this was quickly sorted by the teachers who managed to arrange us some last-minute tickets to an NBA basketball game involving the Brooklyn Nets. Despite having to cut the game a quarter short due to food reservations, watching an NBA game was something only New York could provide for us. It also turns out that even though it was raining and they cancelled most ice skating reservations, the Beckham’s were seen on the ice on Instagram when we should have been there!

DAY 4 was the last full day in New York and was a humbling and memorable experience. We got to visit the 9/11 Memorial Church where firefighters took shelter in the aftermath of the awful attack on the twin towers.

We listened to their service and were asked to give greetings from the UK in front of the service which was a good experience for myself and Nicola. We then walked over to Ground Zero and took in the scene of where 1000s of people died on that day in 2001, and really gained a better understanding of what so many lost on that day. The day concluded with a trip to Grand Central Station before departing on the longhaul flight back to the UK overnight, topping off what was really a trip of a lifetime.

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Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

NEW YORK www.asachelt.org

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CCF www.asachelt.org

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

Biennial Inspection

By Miss Wellington Contingent Commander

Continued from front page This year our officer was Wing Commander Martin Larwood-Hughes. We were also joined by Mr McNiffe, Sue Padfield (Chair of Governors) , Squadron Leader Les Tanner (who helped us set up the original CEP partnership).

Squadron Leader Roger Taylor, SO2 cadets, Stuart Spencer and our Test Sargent Ray Cooper.

The day we had been planning for arrived, with a slight worry about the weather, but luckily the snow did not stop us going ahead. I was lucky to have the help of Cadet Sargent Declan Austin, and Corporal Gabriela Krakowiak to help me make sure that the cadets were primed and ready for the visit.

The afternoon began with cakes and tea, and a discussion about how we could make the school cadet

force, grow and flourish. We had the opportunity to discuss how this enriched all pupils involved and went through the many different activities that the RAF can offer our cadets. It was the shared feeling that the CCF should offer cadets opportunities to grow, through leadership courses, flying, travel to foreign camps (and a multitude of other experiences) making them better citizens for the future.

The cadets, lead by Sgt Austin, showed some of their drill skills, and had a uniform inspection by the Wing Commander. The general com-

ments were very positive about the turn out of the cadets. This made me especially happy after the weeks of uniform prep lessons we had undertaken.

The younger cadets went to work with the RAF Outreach team on some leadership tasks, whilst the more experienced cadets did some Skill at Arms with Sgt Cooper. Both groups then joined together for some team work games.

At the end of the session the Wing Commander spoke to all the cadets about grasping the opportunities that were on offer to them, and how

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this could help them in the future. The cadets left feeling motivated and ready for the future – whether that be St Mawgan camp in July, Gibraltar camp or the Aerospace camp in the summer holidays.

Upon leaving all the attendees commented on the manners and willingness to listen from our cadets, and we now await the final report – which I have been assured will be favourable.

Once again I was left feeling very proud, as Contingent Commander of All Saints’ Academy CCF.

Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

ASA SPORT www.asachelt.org

Year 10s just miss out on semi-final!

By Mr Rollason Assistant Head of PE

The Year 10 football team had a great season but narrowly missed out on a place in the semi-final. Our first game saw us against previous district champions - Bournside. This proved to be a close game with both teams having chances to score early on. Bournside eventually found the net twice and won the game 2-0. Next up was Pittville,

this was a must win game after the defeat against Bournside but ASA got off to a questionable start with Pitville scoring straight from a corner. ASA showed their resilience and determination and made it 1-1 just before half time. With the game heading for a draw ASA pushed for a winner, and it came after a moment of brilliance from Jurek who curled a 25 yard worldie into the top bins for the victory. A 2-1 win to ASA! The next game saw ASA play against a very good Cotswold team who quickly went 1-0 up. However, ASA again showed their determination

and resilience and through goals from Wronski, Walsh and Kroliczak won the game 3-1. Heading to Pates with 6 points and knowing another win was crucial the boys really dug in on a very muddy pitch. They eventually went 1-0 through a Wronski goal and after some outstanding defending from Pearce, Kroliczak and Williams we held on for a 1-0 win! Unfortunately the last game didn’t go to plan and despite an early goal which put ASA 1-0 up, they eventually lost the game. A great effort all round by the boys, well done!

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Issue 47, Term 4, 2018

ASA SPORT www.asachelt.org

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Girls Football Success U14 team through to the County Finals

By Mrs Mitchell PE Teacher

All Saints’ Academy will be sending our U14 girls team to the football county cup finals, which will be held at Rednock School on Thursday 22nd March.

The girls put in some superb performances to ensure their place in the finals.

After the initial date being postponed due to the snow - the girls were ready and set for the rearranged challenge, albeit this time in the pouring rain.

The girls fought hard against some stiff opposition and managed to finish in the Cheltenham district tournament, third overall. As a result they will be part of the teams representing Cheltenham in the county finals alongside Cleeve and Tewkesbury.

A special mention must go to Annie Jones and Kaydee Wheeler for their outstanding play and persistance, plus Danielle Lusmore for her calm and collected finishing skills.

All of the girls who played should be proud of their performance and the fact that they worked as a team and never gave up. Congratulations ladies!

We wish the girls lots of luck in the finals.

Penalty Shoot Out

By Mr Kelly, Mrs Derwent, Mr Chapman

The whole school penalty shoot out competition was a great success raising £43 and some great awareness during Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week (1st - 7th) December.

The charity was carefully selected by Year 11 Students and Tutors.

The challenge was to take on Mr Chapman in goal and see how many penalties could be scored in 30 seconds. We had crowds of 50 – 100 students each day watching as participants took on Mr Chapman.

As a number of students managed to score six goals in 30 seconds against Mr Chapman there will soon be a ‘goal off’ against Mr Chapman.

The winning student will receive a signed photograph by Mr Chapman (our resident world class staff goalkeeper!) and other prizes.

Special thanks goes to Kaci Rosaman and Shana Kelly for their football support, Millie Fraser for baking some cakes, Bobby Barnard, Jayden Yeates, Kira Illott and Kelsi Rosaman for selling the cakes and to all students and staff for supporting the event.

Year 10 Basketball Results

By Mr Rollason Assistant Head of PE

A great season and some close games for the Year 10 basketball team!

Balcarras - ASA 45 – 27 (lost) Cleeve - ASA 22 – 29 (won) Pates - ASA 22 – 18 (lost) Cotswold - ASA 19 – 29 (won) Chosen Hill - ASA 29 – 19 (lost)