Clarion! Issue 3 - December 2013 by Barton Court Academy Trust

Barton Court Grammar School

CLARION! Autumn-Winter Term 2013

Battle of the Bands

The Magic of Soap Bubbles

A Possible Move to Herne Bay ‘Elf’ by Morgan Atherton-Papell, Year 9

Contents Reports

Enrichment Week

Notes from the Editors

34 Barton Court Bake-Off

Headteacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Report

35 Wind Turbine Enrichment Day

Sixth Form Report

36 MFL Enrichment Week

A Possible Move to Herne Bay

38 Food for Thought

Thinking Schools

Other

Curriculum

40 GCSE, IB and A Level Results

Inspire Lectures Programme

42 Sixth Form Art Exhibition

The Great Debate

43 3D Printing

The Magic of Soap Bubbles

44 The Battle of the Bands

Biology Challenge

45 We Will Rock You!

The Importance of Maths

Creative Writing

Extra-Curricular Activity

Slam Poetry Competition

46 Extra-Curricular Excitement

Year 11 Geography Trip

47 Duke of Edinburgh

Year 8 Geography Trip

48 Visit from Chris Dennis

Year 7 Trip to France

50 Raspberry Pi Club

Madrid Exchange

51 Licence to Kill

Spanish and German Exchange

World Language Day

Sports 29 Sports Day 31 Sports Round-Up 33 Football

52 Forthcoming Events

Notes from the Editors Last term the School was involved in a number of activities and issues ranging from Enrichment Days to a discussion about a possible relocation of the School. We have had the pleasure of discovering a number of events that are often overlooked; who knew about the magic of soap bubbles?! Clarion! hopes to share with you the diverse range our School offers to its students and we hope you take as much delight in reading it as we have writing it. This issue includes events and trips from the end of the last school year such as enrichment week activities and results from our former students, as well as recent events that have happened in the new school year. Summer 2013 gave us an outstanding set of IB, A Level and GCSE results with all students having worked extremely hard to obtain them. We are extremely proud of our students, and hope to honour them in this magazine. A number of teachers, and students have contributed to Clarion!, providing us with interesting articles and brilliant pictures. However, the biggest thank you has to be to Mr Hodgkins, who is the driving force behind Clarion!. He has been instrumental, not only in the designing and planning of Clarion!, but in the writing and editing as well. A final thank you goes to you, the reader, who has taken their time to read Clarion, and we look forward to seeing you soon next term!

Editor: Megan Jones Assistant Editors: Claire Merritt, Scarlett Dyson, Emma Sharrad, Lois Bebbington, Isabel Johns and Jennifer Richards

Headteacher’s Report By Ms Cardus Welcome to our School magazine, the Clarion! I hope you will enjoy reading the Autumn Term edition, produced by Mr Hodgkins, Megan Jones & her team. It has been an extremely busy term again at Barton Court Grammar School with students and staff returning in September following the best results in the School’s history for both IB (96% pass rate, average Point Score of 33.3 and 48% Level 7/6); and A levels with 65% A*/ B, 92%A*- and 100% A*-E. Combining the IB and A levels results together this equates to an amazing 73% A*/B which places our students’ achievements in the TOP 100 State Schools at Post-16 in the country (Source: Telegraph Summer 2013). This is a fantastic achievement for the students and the School and something for which we are very proud. At KS4 our students continue to produce consistently high achievement at GCSE and it is pleasing that we now outperform all our nearest local Grammar Schools on the majority, and indeed, in some cases, all the main key performance indictors set by our Government. We are delighted and proud of our students’ achievements and we welcome more students into our Sixth Form this year as a result. Students have often told me that they are disappointed that BCGS does not seem to get the same recognition in our local press as other schools and we hope that this magazine will allow us to celebrate our student successes with you and provide a platform upon which to recognise their outstanding success, both in their examinations and beyond. Whilst examination results are important and provide students with a strong base upon which to build their future careers, examination results alone are not sufficient for success in today’s society and we are committed to providing a quality education that prepares students for learning and work in the 21st century. Students are actively encouraged to be involved in as many extra-curricular opportunities as possible: exchanges, trips, community work, enrichment, work experience, clubs, sports, creative arts, to name just a few. I have no doubt that when you read this edition of the Clarion! you will be left wondering how the students find the time to be such fantastic young people making positive contributions to the life of the School and the wider community and still find the time to complete their studies successfully. This term we have launched the Thinking Schools: Hats to compliment the learning and thinking tools of the Maps introduced last year. We have placed thinking at the heart of our learning and teaching and we are developing a common visual language of Thinking Tools to enable our students to become independent, confident, thoughtful, life-long learners. We believe that thinking students will be successful in their learning and life beyond Barton Court. We are working with Exeter University towards accreditation as a Thinking School and we hope to gain this in Dec 2014/Jan 2015. In the last two years we have renovated over 27 classrooms as part of our rolling programme of school improvement, creating a 21st Century learning environment with the latest technology, allowing us to deliver outstanding teaching and learning. We now have Interactive Whiteboards in every classroom and over 185 new computers across the school site for student use. Our new Sixth Form Learning Resource Centre is proving very popular with students, as they appreciate the best resources we can offer them. We have developed our own Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), with Student and Parent portals now up and running for 24/7 learning and improved communication. It is so important that students have access to the best facilities and resources the School can offer and it is for this reason, as the Governors continue to plan for the future of Barton Court over the next 10-50 years, that we look strategically ahead at how the School can continue to develop and improve for future generations. Recently we informed you of the Governors expression/notification of intent to:   

improve the facilities for current and future students to expand to meet the increasing parental demand and that in order to achieve this, one solution is to relocate Barton Court Grammar School to Herne Bay.

We stated that we were in the very early stages of communication and discussion and that the Governing Body were looking very seriously into the proposal to relocate Barton Court to Herne Bay in order to meet their strategic vision for the School in the longer term. We are still in the very early stages of discussions and no decision has yet been made, but our intentions are clear: we wish to continuously improve the School for the benefit of current and future students. It is such a privilege and pleasure to be Headteacher at Barton Court Grammar School where the students, staff, Governors and parents work together for the benefit of our community. The wide range of activities offered and the fundraising events organised by the students is testament to the hard work and commitment of all staff and students in making Barton Court such a special place to learn and develop. I have no doubt that you will enjoy reading our new school magazine and I would like to take this opportunity to wish our readers a Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year from everyone at Barton Court Grammar School.

Sixth Form Report By Miss Haley Since September I have been privileged to work with such a diverse and rewarding group of students in the Sixth Form at Barton Court. The new Year 12 cohort consists of 145 students, which includes nearly 50 students who are new to the School, either from other secondary schools in the UK or from international schools. These students have settled in well to the School and are bringing a fantastic new dimension to Barton Court life. The first term for Year 12 has been a busy one with new subjects, new routines, new friendships and new responsibilities as prefects throughout the School. Mr Wood has been working closely with the new Year 12 and has been very impressed with the start they have made to the A Level and IB courses. Forthcoming events for Year 12 include the License to Kill presentation, an Enrichment Day focused on extended learning and of course in conjunction with Year 13, leading the School through what we hope will be the most successful RAG Week ever. Year 13 have come back to the new school year with new determination, focusing towards exciting futures. UCAS applications are in full swing, with 15 students making early applications to medical, veterinary and Oxbridge university courses. Ms Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dell has been working hard with Year 13 and the teacher referees and we hope to ensure that all students this year are successful with gaining the university places of their choice. Ms Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dell and I have been impressed with the quality of personal statements we have read so far and wish all students the very best of luck in getting interviews at which they will, I am sure, excel. Aside from UCAS, the Senior Prefect Team and other prefects have been a shining example to the rest of the School at our two 11+ Open Evenings, giving their time freely to show off their school to prospective students. Forthcoming events for Year 13 (aside from UCAS and a lot of hard work to get their grades for university!) include the 16+ Open Evening, RAG Week and an Enrichment Day focused on university living. In addition, there is a small committee in the process of planning the Year 13 Prom to celebrate the end of an era at Barton Court and the beginning of what we are sure to be successful futures. I would like to finish by congratulating all Year 12 and 13 students on a successful start to the academic year and the Sixth Form Team hope we will be able to support all students through a rewarding year of studies.

A Possible Move to Herne Bay By Ms Cardus

Barton Court has recently announced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity whereby a location in Herne Bay has been offered as an alternative site for the School from September 2017. The Governors' proposal is to relocate the School in its entirety to Herne Bay and to build a new school that will not only provide state-of-the-art learning and sporting facilities for all students but will also have the capacity to offer 5 forms of entry, with the option to expand to 6 forms of entry in the longer term, rather than the 4-forms currently in place. Ms Cardus said, "We believe that this move will benefit generations of young people by providing outstanding selective education in new purpose built, state-of-the-art buildings and sporting facilities.â&#x20AC;? The proposed site, an old golf club, offers the School the opportunity to expand with modern buildings and better equipped facilities.

Owners of the site, NewmaQuinn and Quinn Estates, are donating the land for the school, and are building a range of sporting facilities that will be shared by the School and local communities and clubs. Mark Quinn, of NewmaQuinn, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We believe that creating a school in Herne Bay could provide a real boost to the area and we are delighted to be working with Barton Court and our other consultants to make this project a success.â&#x20AC;? Some of the reasons that brought on this proposed change include the high level of potential students that Barton Court increasingly has to turn away each year; the larger space will allow for a larger student body, so Barton Court will be able to grow and become an even better school. As well as this,

many students are from Whitstable, Herne Bay and villages to the north of the city, which means they have to travel great distances to get to school, as there is a lack of grammar schools in the areas surrounding Canterbury. Moving the school closer to where they live will help families in the future who want to send their children to a more 'local' school, and those who cannot, perhaps, afford the cost of travelling long distances each day. Although this announcement came as a shock to many students and parents, as it does entail a great change, this is only the first announcement and the school is eager to receive questions on the proposed plans. The school website highlights a number of Frequently Asked Questions and any more questions can be summited by email. You can view the website showcasing the proposals for the redevelopment of the site in Herne Bay at: http://www.sportshub-hernebay.co.uk

Frequently Asked Questions 

Can the move be delayed a year until September 2018 so no current students are affected? There is still a long way to go before this vision becomes a reality and the earliest start date proposed is September 2017. The Governors are more than happy to review this as part of the consultation and planning process .



How will students travel to school? Consultation with the bus companies will start shortly and it would be expected that a review of current provision and expected provision will take place and that in time new proposed routes will be offered to meet the existing as well as future student needs. Special attention will be given to those students/families in Yr7 that will have potentially a "difficult" journey to the new school site to see what provision can be offered to meet their individual/group needs.



Are there no sites available in Canterbury instead? Our current site is 7/8 acres and the proposed site in Herne Bay is approximately 18 acres. There are no sites available in Canterbury that are large enough and available to suit our needs and more importantly we cannot afford to purchase such land if it did exist. No generous property developer has come forward to offer local land for free in Canterbury City Centre with the additional support to help build a new school and invest heavily to help make up any financial shortfall. Quite simply the School cannot afford to do this on its own .



Is there really a need for a grammar school in Herne Bay? Last year 178 students who live in CT5 and CT6 passed the Kent Test and placed BCGS on their application form. There are more than enough grammar school students in the coastal area to fill a new school. If you include all the students at SLBGS and SLGGS and BCGS currently who travel from CT5 and CT6, as reported in the press last summer, there is already enough students to fill a new school. For decades a whole generation of young people on the coast have had to travel to attend a grammar school.



How will the transition for current students be managed? The plan is for the School to close at the end of the summer term, with packing, relocation and removal taking place over the summer holidays to avoid any disruption to learning. Students will visit the site in advance and be familiar with their new school before starting formally in the September .

Thinking Schools By Mrs Benard-Grosso

At Barton Court we firmly believe in collaborative and reflective learning. Our objective is to provide our learners with metacognitive (definition: an awareness or analysis of one's own learning or thinking processes) skills and tools, to empower learners to move beyond any sense of helplessness and to see themselves as agents in their own learning. The use of Thinking Tools allows pupils to have an immediate record of their own thinking and allows them to share this with others and the teacher. This has been proven to have a major impact in the way students learn. Last year, 8 Thinking Processes were introduced via the 8 “Thinking Maps”. A “P4C” (Philosophy for children) Year 7 club was launched by Ms O’ Dell and the “Thinker’s Keys” were also introduced by some members of staff in their lessons as additional thinking tools. This year we are launching the six “Thinking Hats” which encourage richer and deeper thinking from six different perspectives to provide a deeper exploration of any subject. The main ideas behind the Hats allow students to:  Become independent thinkers.  Objectively guide group discussions.  Evaluate alternatives constructively.  Improve research and writing skills.  Think thoughtfully before speaking.  Listen more intently to the views of others to gain a deeper understanding of issues.  Present ideas with more confidence to teachers, peers, parents, and community groups.  Solve problems.  Make thoughtful and well thought through choices. This year pupils and staff will be using and combining, where appropriate, both thinking tools (Thinking Maps and Thinking Hats) to enrich student thinking and learning. The “Thinking is Fun Club” is starting in September every Friday at lunch time in Room 32 for KS3 where students will have the opportunity to play and think at the same time! This year, there will be opportunities for your parents to come along to our “Thinking Evenings” when they will get the chance to be introduced to our Thinking Tools and play with them! Have a great year, thinking hard!

Inspire Lectures Programme By Miss Haley

The afternoon of Wednesday 25 September was the launch of the brand new “Inspire Lecture Programme” at Barton Court Grammar School. We were lucky to welcome Dr Peter Klappa, Senior lecturer in Biochemistry at the University of Kent and our Chair of Governors to deliver his amusingly titled lecture “Sex, Drugs and Rock’n’Roll” or also known as “what we can learn from a worm”. Students were given a run down on genetic code, they wrote their names in genetic language and learned how a simple worm can be used as a model to learn about sex, potentials for new drug treatments and how mutations can result in Elvis being outclassed in rock and roll skills. A total of seventy six students from Years 10 to 13 attended for the hour session after school. This was just the first of a series of opportunities for students to learn more about topics outside the curriculum and experience different formats of learning in preparation for future studies. Since then in October we were lucky to have Dr Isbenerg from University of Kent coming to present his ever popular bubble workshop. The pictures of this I am sure you will agree are amazing! This year’s full schedule of events can be found below:

We are really keen to give our students an eclectic mix of opportunities to broaden their horizons for future careers and study. We cannot do this without the help of parents, governors and friends of Barton Court, teaching staff do only have so many contacts that they can exploit! We have been very lucky and thankful for the support already received from the local community of parents and governors, but we are ambitious to provide more lectures for our students from March onwards and into next academic year. So, can you help? We need people with interesting career histories, maybe people who have ended up in careers through completely unexpected series of events. We need artists, poets, musicians, sportspeople who could come and give interactive workshops, recitals, lectures. We just need an hour of your time from 3pm on a week day afternoon at your convenience. If you know anybody who could come in and inspire our students towards career pathways and studies they have not yet considered, please contact Miss Haley, Assistant Head Teacher at the School. Barton Court needs you!

The Great Debate By Mr Williams

It was a passionate clash of wills and words that kept the audience riveted at the annual Debating Matters performance in the LRC on Wednesday 9 October. Our four valiant debaters were split across two teams. On the front line in round one: Louise Kendaru (Year 13) and Alexis Long (Year 13); in the final round: Helena Scullion (Year 12) and Silas Long (Year 12). Imagine the scene: our teams, chomping at the bit, raring to say their piece and fight their corner; the spectators, fresh-faced and expectant, crowding into the LRC, eager for the maelstrom to begin; and we teachers standing round rubbing our hands nervously, sipping coffee and munching Twixes, fingers crossed and praying to the full panoply of deities for the glory of our students. Before we knew it, the duel had begun. The motion was ‘Megacities are bad for the developing world.’ Instantly the boys from St Edmund’s, arguing for the motion, dived into battle, defining these vast cities and branding them an evil in the world. The stage was set and the tide was against Barton Court. How could we portray megacities, with all their poverty and social conflict and environmental impacts, as desirable—as the future? But Louise and Alexis struck back, arguing that megacities represent a lifeline to those living in rural poverty. These great urban giants of the developing world are hotbeds of innovations and social mobility; melting pots of different cultures and ideas and a breeding ground for future entrepreneurs. The force of these arguments knocked back St Edmund’s, who never fully recovered. They attempted to compare megacities in the West with those in the developing world, but when the ball returned to us, we riddled their argument with holes. It would be a mistake, argued our debaters, to impose Western standards on developing countries, where urbanisation is in its nascent form. Instead, we must press on with sustainable investment in these spaces and unleash their potential for unlimited opportunity and rising living standards. With the debate over, the judges grilled both teams and concluded, rightly and properly, that Barton Court was victorious! The second round saw a high level of debate from Maidstone Grammar School for Girls and Simon Langton Girls Grammar School (the latter team coached by the venerable Mr Hayes, of course!). Indeed, it was Simon Langton that triumphed, and so it came to the final battle… Helena and Silas, drafted in just days before the debates and with no formal debating experiences, bravely held the fort and argued for the controversial motion: ‘The UK ban on assisted reproductive technology for sex-selection should be lifted.’ But Mr Hayes had trained the Simon

From left: Silas Long, Helena Scullion, Mr Friesleben, Mr Williams, Alexis Long, Louise Kendaru

Langton girls well, and they blasted our team with rhetoric and emotive arguments, appealing to “common sense” and preconceptions of “what is natural”. Thinking on their feet, the Barton Court team held out to the end, seeming to relax and see through some of the bluster of their opponents. Yet, in the end, the judges handed victory to Simon Langton Girls, who, it must be said, put on an excellent show. But there was a final welcome surprise to the evening: it was announced, to the delight of everybody rooting for Barton Court, that Louise Kendaru had been unanimously selected by the judges as Best Speaker of the evening. Success! We held a passionate, stimulating debate with first round victory and a final accolade to a Barton Court student. Not bad for an evening’s work!

The Debating Society is held on Tuesday Lunchtimes in Room 13. Come along if you fancy partaking in formal debates about important issues! Open to students in Year 10 and above, and held by Mr Williams and Mr Friesleben.

The Magic of Soap Bubbles By Kieran Kejiou

Dr Isenberg came to give us a talk on bubbles. I was promised bubbles. And I got bubbles. Lots and lots of bubbles, and I went home grinning like an idiot. Dr Isenberg began with a brief slideshow highlighting mankind’s interest in bubbles. At that moment, it struck me how absurd it was that we were going to listen to a physicist talk for an hour about bubbles. Rationally, it seemed a colossal waste of time. But then I got distracted by the first spherical bubble. And the next, and the next, and they kept coming, accompanied by words and numbers and other things that weren’t bubbles. And the bubbles changed. We saw tetrahedral frames and octahedral frames, and Dr Isenberg calmly explained how the bubble skins assumed positions with the smallest possible area, and that models like these help our understanding of certain molecular structures. Never let it be said that I wasn’t listening. But when the skins met within the frames, we saw squares. Squares. In bubbles. The man was a sorcerer! Then he put bubbles in bubbles; ridiculous. Until he went further. For purely scientific reasons, he lit a cigarette and had a few puffs, just to ready his diaphragm for the next bit.

Using a combination of steady hands, a straw and a cigarette, Dr Isenberg created a thing of beauty. That evening, a ball of silver danced on the wind, enthralling the children within us. I know it was just a bubble with smoke in it, but it was ludicrous enough to almost feel like magic.

Overall, it was a great experience to meet Dr Isenberg and see how bubbles can affect everyday life and scientific research.

Biology Challenge Biology Challenge By Megan Jones

Students in Year 10 recently undertook the ‘Biology Challenge’, many of whom received the award for their work. The competition is open to pupils in Year 9 and 10 in England and Wales, and takes place to ‘encourage an interest in biology beyond the school curriculum and stimulate curiosity in the natural world’. Biology Challenge is on online competition which takes place in schools. Questions are set on the topics covered in most general biology courses for pupils of aged 13-15 but the Biology Challenge also rewards those students whose knowledge of the subject has been increased by reading books and magazines, watching natural history programmes and taking notice of the news media for items of biological interest. The Challenge consists of two 30 minute papers to maximise participation and provide flexibility. The two papers can be taken together or separately; whichever is more convenient to a school. Schools are able to conduct the challenge in whatever way best suits their pupils, ensuring that they enjoy participating and have a reasonable expectation of recognition for their achievements. As well as being able to submit their pupils' scores to the national competition, schools are encouraged to award their own prizes and to make use of certificates provided for them. Nine students achieved the award at Barton Court this year; Joshua Gilson, Georgie Young, Oliver Stapel, Tim Blaney, Sam Wilson, Liam Flavin, Jake Fox and Lois Mitchell gaining Bronze awards and Charlotte Theze managing to achieve a Silver award. All students gained 88-94 points out of 120, a great achievement of which we are extremely proud. The Biology Challenge is a great achievement for students, showing their knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject, and their ability to apply their skills under pressure. We hope to have many more years of students completing the Biology Challenge in the future and congratulate all Year 10 students on their achievements this year.

The Importance of Maths By Tara Dooley Imagine laying out domino pieces all over the surface of the earth, Mathematics is similar to the force applied to the first domino. It is the piece which causes all interactions. The dominos in this scenario are the different components which make up the earth. On a vast philosophical level the dominos as a collective may symbolise the universe, each piece representing the component parts, such as our movements around the sun, the sun itself, our planet, the moon, our solar system. These pieces on their own do not show us the whole picture but simply a part of the picture. Maths is the thing which allows us to connect them. On a simpler, day to day, example, our domino pieces are our daily actions, our routines such as how long it takes us to get out of bed, when we get out of bed, the time we spend travelling or the amount of money spent on lunch. All of these things are connected to each other by maths. Our daily routine is our subconscious doing maths. Think about it this way. How do you know what time to set your alarm clock? And do you know why or how you choose that particular time? You use maths. Let’s say that you need to be in school by 08:30 at the latest so that is your key piece of information or data. And by bus it takes you 30 minutes to travel to school. You need to get up, get dressed, have breakfast, and pack your bag among many other things. So in reality you know that to give yourself enough time to complete all your tasks, 05:30 would be an ideal time to wake up, BUT you don’t want to because you go to bed at 23:30. So you sacrifice your breakfast or your shower for that extra 30 minutes of sleep. See all those things you did subconsciously are you applying basic maths to your daily life. So can you really tell me maths isn’t everywhere? We’ve all been sceptical about how we use maths in our daily life; when will I ever use algebra or calculus? You chose your school bag using optimisation calculus. That, in human, translates to ‘picking the bag that will give you the maximum amount of space to fit all your stuff’. And if you factor in prices, you are doing AS maths. Music? Did you know that music has maths in it? Did you know that when you’re playing a football game, your coach uses game theory, a massive and complex branch of maths to figure out the best strategy to beat your opponent? You know that we use maths to predict weather? Even if that doesn’t seem to work in England! You turn on your computer using algorithms. You make cupcakes using algorithms, the recipe you use is your algorithm. Maths is everywhere, it’s a little bit like oxygen, less important some may argue, but close enough. You can think of anything in this world in terms of numbers. Did you know that the human body circulates 3-7 litres of blood every minute? Or that an adults’ blood pressure needs to be 120 over 80 (120/80)? Or that any lower or higher could cause health complications and even death? See, people found the optimal blood pressure for a healthy body by combining maths and medicine. So maths can literally save lives. These are just everyday examples, simple ones too. Look around you. Observe. Could anything you sit on, live in, eat, drink, use, really function without maths being applied to it at one point in time? That’s the beauty of maths, its everywhere. Maths is like an invisible friend or a secret weapon you can turn to when you’re trying to tackle the simplest or the greatest obstacles and challenges in life. And that is why I love maths.

Creative Writing By Megan Jones

Mr Hodgkins asked his Year 12 IB students to write a party scene from any time period inspired by the party scene in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, ‘The Great Gatsby’: Gabi Dunn Nothing out of place- that was a housewife’s way. Their tantalising swish of patched yet still glamorous skirts with the merest feminine shift of a hip. Wisps of idle gossip rose like smoke, twirling its elegant spirals into the air above equally vacuous heads. Perfected manicured fingers drummed lightly into perfected woven fabrics of the, oh so chic furniture. Heightened sugary treats both of scandal and Mrs So-andSo’s homemade cake falling on gossiping tongues, greedily gobbled up o rouge framed lips. The living room with its canary yellow walls of current fashionable décor, housed its own wittering canaries of a sort in equally bright and beautiful plumes. Outside, the sombre drone of the war-enveloped world temporarily concealed outside the veil of one fizzy, exciting bubble- for now, for now. Carefully prepared sandwiches of such a crisp and ordered cut, a meticulously iced cake teetering on tiers, an elephant in the room that no good housewife dares venture close to. Yes, fears of husbands far away and aggressive foreigners some way off remain brushed under the decorative carpet; and so mindless chirping of recipes and fashion swells their ever fragile bubble. Kieran Stedman The cars waltzed in down the drive in a long procession of wealth, each more indulgent and expensive than the last, I admired at a distance each one in turn. There was no jealous edge to my admiration. Cars are cars. Men are men. Girls are girls. Bored. From my vantage point I watched, like an eagle, scanning the depths below for a glimpse of life that never came. I watched as the masquerade ball assembled, the jokers in their shrouded facades, eyes mocking, hands proclaiming, smiles set hard as stone on their faces. The girls, so many girls. They stared hither and thither,

pronouncing their astonishment at the beauty of a flower or the splendour of the stars, innocent to the core by any eye, but mine. The jocks rolled in, chests puffed, shoulders wide, strutting cockerels serenading through the night. If only they could all have seen how ridiculous they looked. Reflecting, I do not know what bored me so much about this scene, perhaps it was just that I had seen it all before. A little later in the night, my senses, awoken by alcohol, began to appreciate the scenes around me. The night awoke in neon. The band played somewhere below me, their music rolling out into the crispness of a dark sky, like a swan gliding seamlessly over the water. The musicians like the legs below the surface, kick frantically to keep the swan afloat; on the surface the swan swims out into the night, softly kissing the ears of each unsuspecting party goer. The musicians kick on. Outside guests clustered in bunches around circular tables, which seemed to spin like plates in a magicians act, and move across the grass in an illusion of the eyes. It was gone midnight, light was everywhere. It was as if the decadent party guests who staggered through the veil of darkness had gone to war with the night. Armed with light and colour, we fought back the power of the twilight and tore off the reins of sleep on our backs, the night was conquered in a glorious haze of hypnotic light. I felt like Spartacus, leading the night-time slaves out of the shackles of darkness and forward, into a nocturnal being, the hours of darkness would become our day. The wheels of revolution had begun; they would roll on until the lips of sunlight caressed my tired skin. I became ever more conscious of my hands, where they were, how they looked, who was watching. In truth, probably no one. I couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes all around me, and in my drunken state the dilemma of my hands took on paramount importance. Beneath the table they fidgeted, I couldn’t keep them still. I brushed the leg of a girl across the table, scared I’d caused offence I withdrew, sharply. The girl, winked at me playfully, before I had the chance to explain myself she stood, turned, and snaked away into the darkness. My mind took on a panic stricken hysteria, I lost control. From here on in the party is broken and fragmented in my mind, a record fraught with scratches. Snippets of conversations are all I have left. And the sweat. The sweat was unbearable, I never wore that suit again and yet, it was not a warm night, in fact quite the opposite.

Slam Poetry Competition By Mr Hodgkins

October saw the second annual Barton Court Year 10 Slam Poetry Competition with a great range of interesting, provocative and humorous entries. Some of the poems were quite political; others were more personal and amusing. Some poets chose to talk about things that irritated them, while others celebrated things they enjoyed. Slam poetry is fast, dynamic, clever and makes strong use of rhythm and rhyme. The day started with English teachers showing a selection of Slam Poems and discussing the qualities of a good slam poem. During period 1 Mr Hodgkins doffed his baseball cap and his cool shades, put on his “I LUV COV” T-shirt, and then regaled students with his “epic” slam poem, “The Mean Streets of Coventry”, which was met with a mixture of amusement and bemusement. Suitably inspired, students set to work on their own Slam creations. The best 10 students, or pairs of students, from the five classes met in Room 19 during period 5 for the Slam finale. Competition was intense. They had the time, and they had the rhyme! In the end it was difficult to choose the best entries, but eventually, Mr Hodgkins and Mrs Ward settled on the following prize winners: Fourth: Tristan Triffault-Gardner Third: Eleanor Austin Second: Jake Lawrence and Noah Routh First: Jessica Grynfeld Prizes were given to the winners during the Year 10 assembly the following week and Jessica’s winning entry is published in this magazine. Well done to all involved.

The finalists...

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The winning poem was by Jess Grynfeld with her poem â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Girl Next Doorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;:

The Girl Next Door Who was that girl next door? She lived in 24, every morning I saw her getting in the car looking like a super trooper in her mini cooper, she listened to Abba a lot. Do you remember her? Nice smile, shiny hair, vacant stare like sweet singing drifting over vacant spots in the car parking lots. I used to drop hints like Softmints: "come round, come down, come to tea or U or V makes no difference to me, just come and see my mug collection." No. She was the section of society that have nothing to say, uninteresting, nice but hey, nice is not a conversation topic stop it oh god I'd pick interesting over nice any day. Anyway, she never came - I made small talk all the same. She used to be a hula-hooper, was told she was super, got spotted then rotted dropped out dropped the hoop and never did it again. Liked to hit not to kick, guy gave her a ring n' she cried a bit pathetic but her smile lit up a room so we let her off. Drawn to flames like a moth, that girl next door, always gave it away premature then complained to me she'd acted like a whore, she was never sure Just hoping giving it she'd get some back. She was great but lacked the proper style - her presence a present a gift her smile. But all the while too boring, mourning, never soaring, needed a flooring I couldn't stand her but hadn't a leg to stand on. She was sweet, she was mint (they had to go and get specific) She loved Swayze, she was hazy (her innuendoes were terrific) But nice. 'Nice' was the word on which I'd fixate, 'nice' was the word I grew to hate, 'nice' was her fate, she was a 'nice' mate but wait You cannot be friends with a personality trait. Who was that girl who lived next door? None of us remember her name anymore.

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Year 11 Geography Trip By Alex Milsom

A dreary, overcast Friday morning in Canterbury. It doesn't feel right for Year 11s to be on-site early, we try our best to be at school for as little as possible! Donning waterproofs, wellingtons and wind-cheaters we had every eventuality covered. The plan for today: jump in a few rivers, measure a little bit of data for our controlled assessment and not get soaking wet. Since when has life gone to plan, though? We were dropped off after a relatively short coach journey to Epping Forest, the largest Site of Special Scientific Interest in the UK. It was pretty large, 2476 hectares in fact, so we relied on the help of qualified Field Studies Centre staff. Our Year Group was lucky: just for us, the Geography Department treated us to two qualified FSC staff members, leading a group of 30 pupils to 3 different sites located across the county of Essex. After being briefed and instructed on the background of our studies and given tips on how to undertake the measurements, we ate our lunch and headed to the sites. We checked to see if each site followed the Bradshaw Model, as each site was located further downstream than the other. Whilst the "Bradshaw Model" may seem like a bit of geographical jargon, we were fortunate enough to have been taught, very

well, as to what the model means in the context of a river. We disembarked after a brief journey back to Canterbury feeling proud of ourselves. Without needing too much help, we worked as team and managed to collect all the data we needed to complete our controlled assessment without drowning, falling or injuring ourselves. The true meaning of teamwork is when you're able to boast that you, well, worked as a team.

Year 8 Geography Trip By Sophie Kelderis, Sarah Leathwhite and Alyssa Chin

On Tuesday 1st October 2013 Year 8 went on a field trip to Minnis Bay, Margate Town and Botany Bay. We got split into 3 groups and went on 3 different coaches and we each went to a different place. At the beginning of the day we got given a booklet of questions to fill in throughout the day. The first site our group visited was Botany Bay. Botany Bay was a nice beach with lots of chalk cliffs. On the Bay there was a lifeguard hut and a gift shop, sadly it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t open on the day of our visit. On the top of the cliffs there were benches in memory of some locals that visited the Bay often. We found this site really fun to visit. The next site we visited was the town of Margate. Some of the main features that Margate has are the Turner Contemporary, Theatre Royal and The Winter Gardens. We spent most of the time in Margate high street, where we did a survey on the amount of shops, we found out that there were 12 Chain stores, 7 Pubs and restaurants, 9 empty shops, 3 charity shops and 16 gift shops. Next we had to ask 2 local people what they liked and what they thought could be improved about Margate. The things that the locals said they liked about Margate were that the seaside was safe for their children and that the dreamland theme park was being refurbished. On the other hand, the things that the locals thought could be improved were the cleanliness of the high street and the empty shops. At the end, we were given around 30 minutes to go in shops of our choice. Finally, we visited Minnis Bay. At the bay we walked on the footpath. During the walk, we saw a cafĂŠ, the North Sea, Reculver Castle and lots of sea defences. The sea defences included groynes and a sea wall. There are a couple of things that they like you to do to keep it a nice place to visit, these include: avoid scaring the birds away, taking photos of the sea creatures you find instead of taking them home and putting your rubbish in the bins provided. The whole experience was one that we all enjoyed, our favourite was probably being the Margate town. We would really recommend that people take part next year as they will have a lot of fun.

Year 7 Trip to France By Thomas Peacock and Tom Harris

During Enrichment Week, most of Year 7 travelled to Rue in the North of France to stay in the picturesque Chateau du Broutel. On Monday we travelled by coach to Dover from which we caught a ferry to Calais. On our way to Rue, we stopped at Le Touquet (“Paris on the Beach”). There we ate our lunch and had a delicious ice cream. Leaving this beautiful sea resort at 1pm, we travelled towards a snail farm, where we witnessed the area in which 100,000 snails were farmed. We could hold them and we were also offered free samples of snails with garlic butter. Many of us indulged ourselves in the national delicacies. On Tuesday, we remained at the Chateau for the entire day, partaking in some enjoyable activities with the delightful staff. Activities included abseiling, kayaking, rafting and rock climbing. We went to the historical city of Amiens on Wednesday. First, we visited the stunning Amiens Cathedral, then went to a café outside the Cathedral, where we got the opportunity to practise our linguistic skills. We also visited the underground cave system of Naours which was incredibly fascinating and displayed the atrocities of the WW2 clearly. In the evening, we engaged in the famous Chateau Olympics. On Thursday we travelled to Abbeville on market day and purchased local treats; Mr Wood had been waiting the whole week for the opportunity to purchase some Turkish Delight! In the afternoon, we returned to the Chateau to take part in more sports activities. For dinner, a special treat was waiting for us: frog’s legs! On Friday, we were taken on a tour of the town of Rue. We went to see the memorial of the miracle cross, as well as a museum where we learned about the first woman pilot.

After that, we departed for Calais and on the way there, had a shopping opportunity at Carrefour. We then caught the ferry back to England and arrived at Barton Court at 6pm. The French trip was a really enjoyable experience for everyone. This is what Thomas Peacock had to say about the French trip: â&#x20AC;&#x153;My favourite activity was the rafting. We had to build a raft and sail it across a lake. It was really fun as the boat kept on capsizing and everyone got soaked! The market in the town of Abbeville was really great! The food in the market was brilliant and the Turkish delight tasted so good. The rooms were so big and comfortable. The only problem was that the rooms were up a long flight of stairs so we had to heave our heavy luggage up the stairs and into the rooms!â&#x20AC;?

Madrid Exchange By Jack Grieve & Rebecca Mansfield

On Tuesday 8th October 2013, 16 students ranging from Year 10 to Year 13 travelled to Las Rozas, Madrid with Miss Bernardo and Mr Austin, as part of a Spanish Exchange. During the trip, each student stayed with a Spanish student and their families which enabled us to live the Spanish lifestyle and obviously practice our Spanish. It was fantastic! Throughout the week we went to school with the Spanish students and experienced classes such as History, Maths and English. Here we could see a clear difference between our school and theirs. For example, the majority of the students stay in the same room for all lessons whilst the teachers move around the school for each class. We were treated extremely well at the school and were even treated to a goodbye lunch including the traditional Spanish dish, paella. We also went on two trips; one to Segovia and the other being to the Centre of Madrid. Segovia is a very historic and beautiful town which is 40 minutes away from Las Rozas. As well as having free time to explore the town, here we visited a castle and climbed a tower that had 152 steps, which lead us to stunning views at the top. Madrid was a very fun day and we visited many places during the day, such as a modern cathedral, eating tapas in a market, discovering Picasso's art in the Reina Sofia gallery and visiting the iconic Plaza Mayor. When we weren't in school, we went out with our exchange partners and their families to the parks, bowling alley, shopping centres and much more. We both feel that this trip was absolutely brilliant as it enabled us to build friendships with the Spanish students and most importantly a relationship that allows us to return to Spain to stay with them again in the near future. We would definitely do the exchange again and recommend the trip to everyone. Lastly, we would like to thank Miss Bernardo, Mr Austin, the Spanish exchanges and their families for making our time in Las Rozas so memorable.

Spanish and German Exchange By Mrs Perkins and Ms Green

The Spanish buddy programme consisted of 20 students (Years 9-10) from a Barcelona private school coming to stay with us for 4 days, from 4 to 7 June. During that time, they attended lessons with their English buddies and they participated in all sort of activities, including drama and PE. In the last day they had a presentation of certificates for all students involved. The Spanish students stayed with English families arranged by Concorde International. They all enjoyed meeting each other and they learnt a great deal from our school and our school life. A real success! We will continue having more students from the same school next year and we are looking forward to repeating the experience.

Barton Court welcomed students and staff from the Windthorst Gymnasium who arrived for a brief visit to experience life first hand in a UK school. The Y7 bilingual class from Meppen in Northern Germany have been visiting the UK for the past week and enjoyed meeting students in Year 8 and Year 9 for conversation with both groups asking questions about each other's school day. Mrs Green, Lead Teacher of German, said "It was a fantastic opportunity for students to challenge their speaking skills in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. We hope to experience more of these opportunities as the School broadens its international links."

World Language Day By Jack Wellard

On the 19th of June a group of 18 students went to Keynes College at the University of Kent to experience new languages and make new friends. When we got there we registered and then got a name label and our timetables (from the options we had picked earlier in the month) and then went for the introduction. We were welcomed and then went to our first period. Everyone either had a French or Spanish small production to go to. I went to the Spanish one and I understood it quite well and it was very funny. After that we had our break and then went to our first period, I had Russian with Jack Whyte and Tom Doggett. The teacher didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t speak English until the last 5 minutes of our lesson so we had to really listen and watch his actions to understand him and be able to speak back. Next we went to the Spanish theatre workshop and we acted out places with words the man had given us. My group was Jack Whyte, Leoni Boyle and Olivia Law. We were asked to act it out twice because it was so amazing!! After that we all had lunch. We sat out by the pond and then went to get the free stuff that was on offer. We were allowed to get it after having asked for it in a different language. Our last lesson we went to after lunch, mine was Mandarin. I went with Liberty and Escher to the classroom and the teacher used to teach here. We had really good fun learning the different symbols and how to speak the language. Also we learnt how to order a Chinese takeaway in Chinese and we watched a video learning different symbols and other symbols that can be combined to make words. I have now decided that I want to learn Chinese Calligraphy. We had a great day and I would love to go again.

Sports Day By Miss Poole

Sports Day and Wilberforce House Wins! Tuesday 9 July 2013 saw a hugely successful school Sports Day. The hot sunshine and festival atmosphere set the scene for a fantastic day of sporting competition. Students competed in their house colors and were cheered on by their house communities who sported face paints and some very creative banners. Students competed in the traditional athletics events, as well alternative sports such as Rounders, Bench Ball and Dodge Ball. This provided the opportunity for all students to take part in the events. There were some fantastic performances throughout the day, including new school records for Sam Simms in Year 10 and Alex Willis in Year 9. Sam Simms was a force to be reckoned with in the sprint events, recording an impressive 24.78 to set a new school record in the 200m. Alex Willis also broke a school record, throwing a whopping 9m20 in the shot to break the girls’ Year 9 shot putt record. Sixth Form students provided stalls and entertainment for students to enjoy, whilst also raising money for charity. Pankhurst House raised the most money which will be put forward to the School’s charities. The Sixth Form also had a surprise win in the staff vs. student 4 x 100m relay. The Sixth Form students coped better in the heat, crossing the line a meter ahead of the nearest staff team. Overall a great day was had by all. Wilberforce extended their domination by winning the Sports Day Cup for the second year running, much to the delight of Mr Fairfax.

Enrichment Day 1 – Year 9 Inter-house Sport Tuesday 1 October saw the first of the year’s inter-house sporting competitions. The day was greeted enthusiastically by Year 9, who were very keen to get off to a winning start for their houses. Students competed in a full day of sporting activity, with boys competing on the football pitch and basketball courts, whilst girls competed on the football pitch and netball courts. The competition was fierce but played in good spirits, with many displays of team work and fair play. In the girls’ competition, Einstein proved too strong for the other houses in what has to be described as an outstanding display of netball. Jess Harris’ shooting proved particularly difficult to prevent, as they eased past their opponents. In the girls’ football, Pankhurst dominated proceedings, with outstanding performances from Poppy Smith. In the boys competition Nightingale won the football with Reece Trythall being identified as the star player. In the basketball Einstein dominated, with an outstanding display from all-rounder Joey Young. Overall, once all scores had been combined, Einstein were crowned as inter-house winners for Year 9.

All students enjoyed the day and the PE department were pleased to be able to witness some excellent sporting performances.

The winning house– Einstein

Outstanding performers in the boys’ football

Outstanding performers in the girls’ netball

Sports Round-Up By Miss Poole and Mr Lintott Girls’ Glory! The girls’ extra-curricular season has got off to a busy start, with football and netball clubs proving popular across the year groups. Training sessions have been well attended and the girls have shown great enthusiasm. In netball, matches have been contested across a range of age groups and with a mixed amount of success. The Year 7 squad is very competitive, with almost twenty students jostling for starting positions in the games. The side, captained superbly by Alice Thompson, got off to a great start with a 22-0 victory over Spires Academy. They followed this up with victory in a mixed game with Year 8 students against Chaucer (12-4). Year 8 have had a mixed start to the year, with a poor opening performance resulting in a loss to Spires Academy. Pride was restored with their victory in their mixed age group game against Chaucer however, and they remain upbeat for the remainder of the season. Year 9 started confidently against a very strong QE side, but despite some excellent performances they lost by a narrow gap of 14-11. Year 10 have also showed great dedication to training and are working hard to improve as a team. Unfortunately so far despite some really positive performances, they have suffered defeat to Chaucer and QE. The girls’ football club has been well attended every Wednesday with representatives from all year groups. The girls are working really hard to improve and develop as a team in training sessions, but unfortunately they have been frustrated by some cancellations. The under 14s and under 16s have both played one game, with both teams unfortunately losing. Despite the early setbacks both teams remain upbeat for the rest of the season. Both netball and football teams will now have a break for the basketball season, with competition recommencing in February. We would love to see any new faces when we recommence in February so please come along if you enjoy these sports! The Triumph of the Boys! The Year 7 boys made a fantastic start to their district matches, beating Abbey convincingly , 5-1. This was a great team performance and particularly good individual performances from Tom Halliday and captain Ronnie Murray (who showed great leadership skills). Our second game was against Herne Bay High, who were unbeaten after three games. The conditions were poor,

with very strong winds affecting any passing and shooting. In the first half, with the wind behind us, we took our chance and scored a great goal, as good build up from the back led to a burst of pace through their defence from Zak and we were 1-0 up. Herne Bay then scored against the run of play, by counter attacking on the break and the half time score was even at 1-1. The wind took over again in the second half and Herne Bay benefitted from the increased pace of the ball, scoring from long range. Herne Bay then scored a header from a corner, and finished with a penalty with literally the last kick of the game. A 4-1 loss, but the team with the wind took their chance, a lesson learnt! Our next game was against QE away. We played some super football throughout, which led to our best result so far where we ran out 7-0 winners! Great from start to finish! The Year 8s started with an extremely encouraging result against St Anselmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, achieving an excellent 8-2 victory. Well taken goals by Isaac Webber , Josh Deverson (Captain) and Jamie Goldsack were highlights, but there was also some good all round team play. We were, of course, full of confidence for our second game on 3G versus CCW (Whitstable). We continued where we had finished the last, positive attacking play, and hard work led to a 5-1 victory, with a wonder goal by Ben Kier! Our third game was a tough affair against Spires, who went ahead early (30 seconds!), but we showed great character to come back straight away and we were soon on level terms, and went in at half-time at 11. After the second half, the score ended 2-2. It was a fair result and both teams could go away proud, and ourselves unbeaten in three! Our fourth game was against unbeaten Archbishops! This proved to be our biggest test yet and both teams had chances and lots of possession. At 3-2 with 10 minutes left we seemed to have the game wrapped up (or so we thought). Unfortunately, in the last 10 minutes we conceded two goals and lost the game 4-3. We then played a game in the Kent Cup v Abbey school. The scores were level after normal time and extratime, so it was down to the dreaded penalties! Both Archbishops and Barton Court were cool under pressure, but the luck went against us when we lost 5-4 on penalties in the end. Finally, it was nice to finish on a high, beating a near neighbour (Chaucer) 8-3! Although we went a goal down early on, this woke us up a little, and from then on there was only one team who were going to be the winners. The team showed dedication, desire and determination, with a good finish by Ethan Caldwell that tipped off a wonderful finish to our league campaign. 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat was a good record at the end and we look forward to District Cup games after Christmas! Well done to the Year 7 and Year 8 teams!

Football By Mr Pannell

Year 10 football back to winning ways! After an initial defeat, this term has seen Year 10 footballers triumphantly move from strength to strength in their fixtures. The boys took a battering (that any fish shop would be proud of!) against St. Anselms, losing 9-3 in their opening game. All looked bleak. However, they did not give in. Instead, like a phoenix from the flames they valiantly rallied together and responded with three back to back victories, celebrated in style with some outrageous goals! Full of confidence, the team knew that a win against local rivals Chaucer would be enough to potentially crown them champions of their division. They stepped up to the plate, passing and moving brilliantly to set up a 4-0 lead at half time. Tension mounted, knowing 45 more minutes without conceding was all that was required. But this was not about sitting back and defending. Grabbing the bull by the horns, the boys raced to a staggering 8-0 victory, leaving Chaucer in utter disbelief. Year 10 now wait anxiously to see if St Anselms have slipped up to allow Barton Court to be crowned 2013 League Championsâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;Ś..!

Year 9 football battle on! Year 9 started their 2013 campaign with an unfortunate loss to The Abbey School, where a nail biting game in which Barton Court initially led, slipped away from them in the second half. The boys put in a big effort, with a number of attempts narrowly missing our target. After this, Barton Court welcomed Simon Langton Boys to the hallowed turf. Knowing this would be tough, the boys worked their socks off and showed a performance worthy of an Olympic medal! Unfortunately victory was clinched by Langton boys, but BCGS were incredibly gracious in defeat and hugely proud of their grit and character. Well done boys. Next stop is the cup, where the talented Year 9 team hope for a chance of silverware success.

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Barton Court Bake-Off By Mrs Parker

In June 2013, Year 10 students studying Food Technology completed their term by taking part in our very own food competition; The Great Barton Court Bake-Off. Entries were made under 8 categories; show-stopper cupcakes, soufflĂŠs, chocolate fondants, savoury pies, sausage rolls, posh pizza, lemon tarts and profiteroles. Students reported the soufflĂŠs to be the hardest to make, although most entries still showed great skill considering this. The food made for this competition and the learning it inspired were second to none. Students honed and added to their armoury of cookery skills and created beautifully made, well presented and delicious dishes. There was a large variety of wonderful dishes fit for a king, but there had to be winners, despite the hard A profiterole with chocolate sauce work of all the students. The end of this closely fought contest saw a draw between Allyah, Fran and Rex and then George, Alexander and Oliver, who were able to create the best dishes. However, there were outstanding results for all the entrants, who managed to show their skills as chefs and demonstrate their commitment to the competition.

Chocolate fondant

Lemon tart

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Wind Turbine Enrichment Day By Mr Hodgkins

Barton Court students showed off their inventive skills on a Year 9 Enrichment Day dedicated to building their very own miniature wind turbines. Using a limited range of materials such as rolled up newspapers, elastic bands and paper clips, students worked in teams to produce wind turbines that were judged in terms of their sturdiness, their â&#x20AC;&#x153;beautyâ&#x20AC;? and, most importantly, their ability to generate power. Teamwork was vital, and teams divided themselves up according to their skills and experience. Although itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fair to say that some turbines were sturdier than others and some were more aesthetically pleasing to the eye, all the turbines produced energy to varying degrees and students enjoyed the ability to be inventive and creative. Well done to all those involved !

MFL Enrichment Week By Mrs Bowes Read

The MFL Enrichment week is a chance to learn about other cultures and try something new. We set to both tasks with relish, in no way more clearly than by getting our groove on with the Japanese students from Chaucer College, who made quite a splash when they taught us the Fisherman's Dance. First things first, they gave us a good demonstration: it looked simple, easy, effortlessly graceful… Then they handed over to us! There were heads, legs and arms everywhere. You have to be surprisingly flexible to master the Fisherman’s Dance, and many of us unabashedly confess to lacking this skill! A highlight of the dance was the shouting, delivered rhythmically to accompany the limber movements. It all sounded quite aggressive—a big hit with the boys. We tried out the shouting as best we could, considering that the words were in Japanese! Phew! After an exhausting session Barton Court took a nice rest and once again watched the Japanese dance, admiring the students’ grace, talent and passion. We had the chance to try another fascinating activity: learning basic Arabic . The session opened with some facts about the Middle East which made us realise that we knew very little about this part of the world. For example, did you know that Arabs are part of an ethnic group, not a religion? Arabs were around long before Islam, and there have been (and still are) Arab Christians and Arab

Jews. In general, you’re an Arab if you 1) are of Arab descent (blood), or 2) speak the main Arab language (Arabic). Cool stuff! Next, Mrs Kalmoni presented some Lebanese costumes and some of the more adventurous students tried these on. We learnt some steps of the Lebanese dabke dance and tried to dance along with the DVD. It was hard work as it was very hot but it was also great fun. We’d all like to visit this huge, beautiful part of the world and experience the different cultures first-hand. Finally, there’s just enough space to talk about the Greek dancing! We got to learn about the Greeks’ dancing culture and even tried out some dance steps for ourselves. The most interesting thing we discovered was this: at a Greek wedding it is traditional that the Husband and Wife arrive together, not separately as they do in the UK. Men in Greece used to have authority over women; so, when they danced during a wedding, the women would sit in a circle and the men would dance in the middle. A man would show that a certain woman (wife) was his by swinging his leg over the woman. This also reminded her who was boss!

Don’t worry—our instructor assured us things have changed since then! Overall, it was a great morning and we discovered that Greek dancing is truly exhausting! Overall, it was a great week. Getting the chance to discover aspects of other cultures really made everyone want to learn more.

Food for Thought By Miss Lloyd

Enrichment day just gone, consisted of both nostalgia and new learning for our year 13 students, as their ‘university preparation’ was not a day spent on UCAS as some of them expected. Instead, they were preparing for a new lifestyle and experimenting with austerity cooking. Students were equipped with the bolognaise recipe they had learnt previously in earlier FT lessons. Only, this time, advised to follow it loosely and add whatever ingredients they had to hand, to save money and bulk out the food! Skills had not been forgotten and we witnessed some pro chopping. This task was approached with utmost enthusiasm, as the students created a huge variety of bolognaise based dishes. Some remained at a bolognaise sauce, with added garlic or herbs, and served with spaghetti to increase the fibre content. Some extended to chilli type dishes with kidney beans and lentils. In one particular case, a can of baked beans was used, and however strange it sounds, the mixture was full of protein and fibre, and it

didn’t taste bad! One student went a completely different direction and served his in a wrap with cheese as a mini burrito. Once the students had added all the ingredients into a pan, they left it to simmer and gathered to discuss maximum food efficiency and minimum waste. We discussed an article by Jack Monroe about ‘Life on the Breadline’ and how important cheap but nutritious food is when you don’t have very much money. She spoke about buying food from the supermarket value ranges and bulking it out with veggies and lentils. She also gave a quick recipe for kidney bean burgers, which give you protein

without the use of expensive meat or quorn. One of the main points the students got from this, was the potential of freezing food to minimise waste and save their pennies. They all seemed to understand how this could be applied to their bolognaise sauces, currently bubbling away nicely in the pan. Some were very enthusiastic about making big portions and freezing some down, as it meant not having the same thing every day. After the discussion the students realised even more ways they could serve bolognaise, such as tacoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, lasagne, nachoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, meatballs or on a jacket potato.

And however much the students enjoyed cooking their dishes, it was no match for eating them. A number of the students chose to come back to room 35 over their lunch break and enjoy their masterpieces over conversation with myself, Mrs Parker and Miss Stanley. A good day all round.

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GCSE, IB and A Level Results

By Megan Jones

Barton Court achieved great exam results last summer. Here’s an overview...

A2 Results 2013 Barton Court Grammar School is delighted with its first set of A2 results since 2008. Traditionally, the School had offered only the IB Diploma qualification, however, the option of ALevels was brought back in 2010, due to a vision of offering a personalised curriculum at both KS4 and KS5. The School now offers both A Levels with the AQA Baccalaureate, as well as the International Baccalaureate. This is the first year of A2 and the students achieved 65% A*/B Grades, 92% A*-C, and 100% A*-E grades. Ms Cardus said this: “Our students have worked so hard to achieve outstanding results and we are extremely proud of them and would like to congratulate them all. They have been a super year group, and each and every one of them excelled, which is shown in their results. We have always had high hopes for them and they have fulfilled all our expectations.” The School is delighted with some notable achievements for individual students, with five students achieving 4 straight A*/A grades and five students achieving two A*/A grades and one B grade. Two IB Diploma students also managed to find the time to study for an A Level in Sociology, with both achieving an A grade.

IB Diploma Results 2013 Barton Court Grammar School Sixth Form students celebrated their outstanding IB results, the best the School has achieved to date. The International Baccalaureate Diploma is a highly prestigious world-class qualification, sought after by not only the best universities in the UK, but also those around the world. 97% of this year’s cohort passed the qualification, with an average IB point score of 33.3 (equivalent to more than 3 x A* grades at A Level), with the percentage of grades achieved at the

very highest level (7/6) now standing at 47%. Ms Cardus, said: “These results are truly fantastic and are the best in the School’s history! The students have worked very hard and deserve their individual success, with the majority already securing a place at their university of choice at this early stage. I would like to congratulate all the staff and parents for their help in securing such wonderful results for our students and creating a great learning environment for the IB Diploma within the School. The students continue to work hard to increase opportunities for themselves and secure themselves a greater future.” We congratulate the students greatly for all of their results and the hard work they put in to them, and we hope that next year will be just as good.

GCSE Results 2013 Following last year’s huge success, Barton Court Grammar School is delighted with another set of excellent GCSE results this year. Last year the School’s results rocketed to the best ever in our history and we are delighted that the results this year are as equally impressive, maintaining the very high standards set. Students achieved 51% A*/A grades and 99.2% got 5+ A* - C grades, with English and Mathematics. Ms Cardus commented: ‘Students have worked very hard to achieve outstanding results and we are extremely proud of them and would like to congratulate them all. 59 students also studied AS levels alongside their GCSEs, with some students studying as many as four! This is a tremendous achievement and demonstrates the commitment of students to their studies.” The School is delighted with some notable achievements for individual students, with 45 students achieving 8 or more A*/A grades and with 13 students achieving all straight A*/A grades,; there are too many to mention individually. “The School would like to thank all staff for their hard work and all parents and Governors for their continued support without which such excellent results and student achievement would not be possible.” The AS results were outstanding with 41% A/B and 73% A-C grades and all students deserve every success. Well done, students!

Sixth Form Art Exhibition By Miss Hodge Last years Sixth Form art students held an exhibition for their final pieces. Here is a selection of their work:

A textile design by student Hannah Sayer. The exhibit was impressive in size, showcasing a range of techniques and talents.

A Piece by Marya Muzart

The art of fashion, created by Lauren Bason.

3D Printing By Mrs Parker Recently, the teachers joined the Year 13 students in a very special product design learning experience as the department welcomed the Makerbot Replicator 2 3 Dimensional printer. Nick-named Gloria by the students (it comes to us all the way from New York), the printer was put through its paces, as were the students and teachers in a full day of training. In anticipation of the new arrival, students have been building CAD skills using Google StetchUp and they

Students and teachers alike found the Makerbot astounding.

were thrilled to put their learning into practice. Comments such as “It’s amazing!” “We have bought a Tardis!” and “It’s like a new member of the DT family!” put their feelings into words. The excitement and incredulity continued throughout the day as students created case for their IPhones, linked chain and even an army of miniature green robots. It was a truly inspiring experience and none of us can wait to continue to explore the world of opportunity that the Makerbot represents.

Battle of the Bands By Jennifer Richards

Battle of the Bands enabled Barton Court students to display their musical talent, ranging from Year 7’s in onesies to hard core rock! My personal highlight was Jos Fielder Geurts’ great rendition of ‘Milkshake’ by Kellis. However the ultimate winners of the evening, and worthy of a huge congratulations, were the fantastic ‘Gospel Oaks’, consisting of Luke Brealey , James Burford, Harvey Dent and Zak Page, all of Year 12. The evening started with ‘Indecisive’, the ultimate rock girl group, singing ‘Black Sheep’, giving a taste to the audience of what wonderful talent was on display. ‘Indecisive’ were just one of the many diverse performances shown throughout the evening, with ‘Rabbit Foot’ also playing ‘Danny California’. Though I may be slightly biased, as a Year 12 student myself, there was a great deal of talent displayed by the Year 12’s that evening, with Someday and Gospel Oaks performing superbly. Both these groups made their way into the final three, with ‘Frosted Gilliam’ completing the trio. ‘Crystal Veins’, consisting of Year 13’s, were an excellent choice for the Wild Card, having recently developed their own EP! The surprise guests for the evening were ‘Zebra Crossing’, last year’s winner, who performed two of their original songs- giving a taste of what the band will achieve in the future. Even though all the finalists were worthy winners, it was ‘Gospel Oaks’ who were triumphant, with ‘Someday’ coming a close second. I know I am definitely looking forward to hearing their new music!

We Will Rock You By Megan Jones

This year’s school musical is ‘We Will Rock You’; an acclaimed show running in the west-end at the moment, written by Ben Elton with songs only by Queen. In previous years, the school has held musicals such as ‘Oliver!’, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and ‘Bugsy Malone’, which have all been huge successes. Taking part in the school requires a lot of commitment and perseverance to create a great show, especially for the main roles, but it is also a great way to make friends and socialise with people in other year groups. Each year has had lots of people from every year group getting involved, and we’d like to think that this year would be the same. If you are a fan of Queen or just love performing in front of an audience, speak to Ms Fenn or Ms Brown to get involved. Speaking from personal experience, even just being part of the chorus provides an excellent way to dance, sing and act your way to the performances, whilst having fun with your newly-found friends! Rehearsals are usually after school for a few days a week, although there may be more rehearsal time needed for roles with more to do. Also, if you would like to be a dancer in the show, turn up at dance club which will be running in the Performing Arts Studio every Wednesday after school as of January 2014. Dance club will be run by friendly sixth formers Ele Boiling, Nikita-Jade Parker and Rhiannon Havicon who would love to see you there! However, the show is not only for those wishing to perform on stage. Every year, a group of talented musicians perform the live music for the show, which creates a brilliant atmosphere for the final performances. There are also countless backstage roles to be filled by the sixth form. Speak to Ms Fenn or Ms Brown if you are interested! Overall, it is a great experience which leaves you with lots of fond memories of friends and the pride of knowing that you took part in a great performance. I hope to see you there!

Extra-Curricular Excitement By Jennifer Richards

Recently, pro-active students have been creating brand new societies, that all of the Sixth Form are getting involved with. One society causing a stir is the ‘Gender Equality’ society, run by our Head Girl, Louise Kendaru. It covers a wide range of topics, including the gender issues involved in music videos and sports. Hali Brown is an enthusiastic member of this society who said how ‘gender equality allows myself and others to express their views about the roles of men and women, inequality and how we as a generation can change what has been considered the norm for many years’. If you want to take part in this on-going debate, go to Room 1 Wednesday lunchtimes. This society, along with the new ‘Current Affairs Discussion Group’, which is on Thursday lunchtime in Room 26, shows how Barton Court’s Sixth Form are being vital members in society, putting forward their views on these key, recent events. This includes the discussion of the Syrian crisis, and opposing views being challenged. But don’t panic Year 7-11! Just because societies are currently only open to Sixth Form, it does not mean that there isn’t a large variety of extracurricular activities available to you. For all you music lovers, Thursday is the day for you! On Thursday, there’s string group with Ms King at 3pm in the music room. There is also choir with Miss Fenn in the PA studio, as well as a guitar club at 3pm. Another unique club offered by Barton Court, for Years 7 and 8, is the ‘Biology Cosmetics’ club. This is run by Mrs Hayles, along with her keen Sixth Form helpers, Isabel Johns and Elisa Moyne. This club involves making beautiful bath bombs and scrumptious soaps. So you’ll definitely leave this club smelling nice! If you fancy going along, it runs in Lab 4 at 3pm on Tuesdays.

Scrumptious and sweet – But too good to eat!

Duke of Edinburgh By Mr Harvey A big congratulation is needed for our Duke of Edinburgh students! On 27 September, 16 intrepid explorers packed their survival rations, tent and clothing into their rucksacks and set out on a journey into the challenging environment of the Kent Countryside. The unfamiliar footpaths, the dangerous wildlife and the chemical toilets, all things these students will never forget. The expedition weekend started and continued well for two groups. The girls, consisting of Lizzie Leahy and Millie Purcell (Year 12) along with Gemma Ellard, Abbygail Kelly, Ellie Holt-Rix and Chloe Nye (Year 11) efficiently pitched their tent, made sure they had all their supplies, had a successful meeting with their assessor and settled down for the night. Millie having found out as many names as possible which, of course, she did not forget all weekendâ&#x20AC;Ś their weekend proceeded with the girls embracing the chemical loos at Conghurst Farm (well, at least they put up with them!) and with excellent team work on their planned routes, fine candidates for the next stage of DofE. The boys team, consisting of Alex Hawkins, Ben Lawson and Jason Clark (Year 12) and Oliver Kennett and Gobi Sriram (Year 11) had military precision with their preparation, impressing their assessor with their well-planned typed up route and meal plans. Again they were able to settle down for a good nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleep on the Friday. Their weekend continued with military precision and finished with their supervisor recommending they continue to gold. Never has a group been more spot on with timings to checkpoints, not once getting properly lost! Then came the third group consisting of Greg Hawkins, Liam Flavin, Seb Short, Joe Baxter and Raphael Long- the Famous Five. On Friday night they redrew their route, choosing the lastminute.com approach to DofE. On Saturday morning, the bag search by their assessor identified that one member of the group had packed a glass bottle of Soy Sauce, several heavy tins with ring pull tops, a can opener (!) and an unopened pack of Bisto beef gravy granules which was being stored in the same bag as his spare clothes. Never have a group provided their assessor with such a mix of frustration and hilarity. They were absolutely brilliant on the expedition, not once getting lost and generally being a great team. The weekend would not have been the same without them. Perhaps though if they are going to do silver, some more advanced preparation might be an idea? Overall, 16 successfully passed expeditions. Not too many blisters and three very proud teachers who were supervising the groups. My first assessed expedition weekend with Barton Court students was a pleasure to organise, even if it had some stressful moments and I will never look at Bisto Gravy Granules again without thinking of Greg. Well done to all the students that took part and passed their Bronze expedition!

Visit from Chris Dennis By Jessica Lamb and Lauren Savage

Chris Dennis, who is a freelance TV and radio presenter, came to visit Barton Court on the 27th of November to talk and create workshops for year 11 students on focus day which was all about “Communication.” It was an honour to be in the presence of such an inspirational man, who has reported from events such as the Olympics and Paralympics, using his strong language skills to converse with athletes from all around the world. He has a wide range of linguistic skills including English, German, French, Spanish and Chinese, which have helped him interview many different types of athletes in many different parts of the world. His interviews include athletes such as Thierry Henry, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Arsène Wenger in which he has used his multiple languages to interview and communicate with these athletes. The students learnt how journalism can help you build relationships which many different types of people who you never thought that you’d be able to meet.

We also learned how Paula Radcliffe is fluent in German and French. She has conducted interviews to world press in all of these languages during interviews. Paula’s language skills are rare amongst British sport people. Chris spoke of the many life and job opportunities that can be brought about by the ability to speak another language. The year 11 students had workshops which included taster sessions of how to present information and conduct interviews and how interpreting the interviewees’ opinions can be brought about by understanding the language fully and then reporting back to the news station. Chris’ visit was a success and the students seemed to have enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Students such as Jack B described the day as “Eye opening, interesting and fun.” Equally positive responses came from Chloe E who said “It’s given me a good insight into what jobs you can get if you speak different languages, and now I feel more confident in using the skills that I have to fulfil my career.” Other workshops included lessons on Arabic in which the students learnt the basics of the complex language, and it seemed to have gone down well due to the positive responses from students such as Georgina and Cody who said “The Arabic lesson was entertaining, fun, interesting and overall a good experience.” To hear an example of the work that was carried out with the sports journalist, go to the student portal and look on the French GCSE page - “sports journalist interview with Jack Gilbey.”

Raspberry Pi Club By Alex Hawkins

Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? Well actually, the Raspberry Pi is not culinary excellence but a tiny single-board computer developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation: a group of people who felt that not enough young people were being offered the chance to program their own computer! So, what’s the recipe for this Pi? Only the size of a credit card and weighing in at 45g, the Raspberry Pi Model B runs the Linux operating system and can stomach up to 512MB (512 million bytes) of RAM with a 700MHz (700 million cycles per second) ARM11 processor, although this can be overclocked (sped-up) safely to 1GHz (1 billion cycles per second). However, this only allows for 2 USB ports, ordinarily for a mouse and keyboard, and an Ethernet cable for connecting to the Local Area Network and the Internet. Why tell you all this? Well, in the Computing Department, we are investing in the Pi for the benefit of computing students. You may have seen the brand new 40” LED TV by the door of the technology block – believe it or not, this is controlled directly by a Pi, seen beneath the screen! They are also used by students to learn programming skills, primarily using the programs jGrasp and Scratch and to interact with the LXTerminal, used on the Pi’s Linux operating system. Furthermore, use will soon be extended to a LEGO Technics Truck, which were not designed for motors but have been redesigned to facilitate a motor and the Pi, controlled by using a web browser, which in turn controls the motor. If you’d like to know more about the Raspberry Pi, or even experience them up-close, come down to Room 37 lunchtimes on Thursdays for Raspberry Pi Club or after-school on Fridays for LEGO MindStorms Club, because exam board OCR have agreed to send us a batch of Pi’s to spread the enrichment to even more students! I’m sure we’ll be able to set your appetite simmering!

License to Kill By Isabel Johns & Jennifer Richards

'Licence to Kill?' is a one-of-a-kind theatre education experience which involves informing Sixth Formers of the consequences and effects of a road traffic crash, produced by the Kent Emergency Services. The project is aimed at 16 to 18 year olds in Kent and Medway, and includes a film of a crash in the local area, which has been specifically recreated. Throughout the film, as the emergency services arrive on the scene, the faces on film then come onto the stage, to talk about their experiences. A number of speakers came on, including a paramedic, a fire-fighter, a police officer and people who have been involved with, and experienced the devastating effects of, road accidents. The audience hear about the reactions of the driver and passengers, the medical implications as well as seeing how such an ordeal can affect someone personally. Since 2007, around 35,000 Sixth Formers have seen the production and it has won a gold award from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, as well as a national 'Learning on Screen' award from the British Universities Film and Video Council. One speaker who made a particular impression on the audience was Spencer, who only at the age of 15, got into a car with an inexperienced driver, resulting in a devastating crash that changed his life in a split second. Not only is he still undergoing treatment for the physical effects of the crash, but he still mourns the loss of his friends who died in the incident. This experience was greatly helpful for the Sixth Formers, showing that it is not only drink and drugs that can cause careless driving, but being a recently qualified driver, with little experience, means you have to take extra caution, particularly with passengers. The audience learnt about the traumatic effects a crash can leave, not only on the victims involved, but the driver, who may have injured or killed a loved one, and even the family and friends of the victims. One particular lesson that the students took away, was the importance of wearing a seat belt- such a simple everyday task can be the difference between life and death.

Remember you have a license to drive, not a license to kill.

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