Clarion! 2015 Summer Edition by Barton Court Academy Trust

Barton Court Grammar School

CLARION! SUMMER EDITION

ARTS SPORTS PROPOSED SCHOOL EXPANSION

STEM

Contents Page Contents Page 3

Notes from the Editors

Fashion Icons

Headteacher’s Report

2015’s Summer Trends

Clarion Origins

Jurassic World Debate

Letter from Former Headgirl

MARVEL vs DC

Student Drive Teams

Dystopian Films

Gifted and Talented

Barton Court Drama

Maths Gifted and Talented

Grease is the Word

Maths Challenge

Retro Review: Inception

STEM Trip

Sports

Cosmetic Biology

Summer First Aid

Look Good, Feel Good

Longshore Drift

Dementia Village

VE Day Celebrations

Year 11 Prom

7/7 Bombings

School Trips

War Commemorations

Forthcoming Events

Found Poetry

Modern Day Chaucers

Shelfies

Go Set A Watchman

2015 General Election

EU Referendum

Provincial Punk Exhibition

A-Level Art Exhibition

Turner Art Competition

Note from the Editors Editor’s note from Mr Hodgkins: Welcome to the Summer edition of “Clarion!” magazine. We really hope that you enjoy reading it. We have tried to make this issue informative, lively, and also thought provoking. 2015 seems to be a year of anniversaries – 100 Years since the battle of Gallipoli, 75 Years since the Dunkirk evacuation, 70 years since the horrors of Auschwitz, 70 years since VE day, 70 years since Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and 10 years since the 7/7 bombings in London. Molly Lambourn and Emily Allison cast an eye over the process of remembrance in two thought-provoking pieces. We have also included stimulating articles on the last General Election and the questions it poses for our democracy, and the forthcoming EU referendum in which some of you may be voting, if the voting age is dropped to 16. However, it’s not all politics and history. We also have some interesting articles on blockbuster movies (2 students do battle over “Jurassic World!), superheroes, controversial new books and, also, fashion tips for the Summer from Lucy Barfoot. Plus, Bryony Thorogood examines the latest trend in apocalyptic, dystopian movies, where it feels like the end of the world every week! We say goodbye to our Year 11’s, with pictures from their recent, lavish Prom at the Abbots Barton Hotel, and we celebrate “Grease”, the school production, in all its glory. Superb sporting achievement is also celebrated, plus some outstanding charity efforts. You will also see some of the great artwork, and writing, which students have produced over the last few weeks, including the recent art exhibition. We’ve also been on the road, checking out controversial artist Grayson Perry in Margate. Plus: what does your bookshelf reveal about you? Eavan Goodman invites you to take a “shelfie”, rather than a “selfie”, and talks through the books that she cherishes on her bookshelf. Overall, this is our biggest ever edition, where we celebrate life at Barton Court Grammar School and all the amazing things that go on here. We’d like YOU to get involved, too ! So if you’re inspired by this, then get involved in September when we start work on the Autumn edition. We are always looking for writers and editors, so come along and get involved. Most of all, please enjoy reading this summer edition of “Clarion!”

Editor’s Note from Bryony Thorogood: We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to this edition of the “Clarion!” At the beginning of this term, we were unsure of the number of articles we would receive, but, to our delight, we have been overwhelmed with the articles to make us think about the world, and feel proud of the school. This edition’s front cover features the proposed new plans for the expansion of the current school grounds. It has been an honour to become part of such an esteemed school magazine and we hope that our commitment to it will show in this edition!

Headteacher’s Report Welcome to our School magazine, the Clarion! I hope you will enjoy reading the Summer Term edition, produced by Mr Hodgkins and the student editors: Bryony Thorogood and George Chrysostomou . Sadly this is Mr Hodgkins’ last Clarion! issue and the baton will now be passed to other members of the English Department. We would like to thank him for his dedication and enthusiasm in coordinating and editing the new style magazine and I have no doubt he will continue to contribute to it in some form. This edition, once again, provides a mix of articles about the School in general, student successes and thoughtprovoking articles written by the students. We hope you enjoy it and would welcome your feedback. If you wish to submit an article for the next edition then please contact the editors directly. An enormous range of activities and successes have ensued since the last edition with the VE Day celebrations, the School Production of “Grease”, Gifted and Talented events, STEM trips, A Level Art Exhibition, the drama production of “The Accordion Shop” at the Marlowe Theatre, Y11 and Y13 Proms, together with a large number of sporting events and achievements. We now look forward to an exciting Enrichment Week with residential trips to Italy, France, Spain, Germany and Devon as well as day trips to Fowlmead, London Zoo, Chatham Dockyard, Thorpe Park, and Euro Disney. Students not on residential trips will also be involved in horse riding, canoeing and sailing locally. We were delighted that the School was successful in the accreditation process by Exeter University to become a recognised “Thinking School”. The assessors were so impressed with how embedded “Thinking” is in our teaching, learning and curriculum that we have been advised to fast track towards “Advanced Thinking School” status. Emily, the Senior Prefect for Learning, along with the Student Drive Team has been very busy and their recent visit to Rochester Grammar School to share good practice with students at that school is covered in an article in this edition of the Clarion!

You will recall last year that the Governors were looking at two proposals for the School: feasibility to expand on our current site and feasibility of a move to a proposed new site in Herne Bay. Last August, the Governors decided that a move to Herne Bay was financially prohibitive and that option was no longer feasible. Determined to continue to improve the facilities at the School the Governors have been pursuing the option of expansion on the current site with enthusiasm. We were sadly unsuccessful in our attempt to secure ÂŁ4m for phase 1 of our plans via the CIF Fund bid in December 2014 and the Governors have agreed to pursue planning permission for this part of the project in an attempt to strengthen the bid when submitted again later in the year. The proposal is to build a new block on the School field, adjacent to the Sports Hall and move the tennis courts to the top field. The new build will consist of a new main entrance to the School, car parking for staff and visitors, bus drop-off and pick-up points, school hall, kitchen and dining facilities, washrooms, 3 Science Labs and 7 classrooms. This will significantly improve the facilities we are able to offer current and future students to the School and improve the safety of everyone when arriving and leaving. It is also expected to reduce congestion on the main road at peak times. In time the new build will also provide an opportunity for the School to expand to 5 forms of entry when secondary numbers in the district permit. The Local Authority has been in discussion with the School for some time as it is expected that an additional form of selective places will be required in the district from 2017 or 2018. As the only co-educational selective school in the district we are able to offer the additional secondary selective places to both genders. There will be no change to the Admissions Policy, but in time it is expected that the PAN will increase from 128 to 150, starting in Year 7 and rising.

It will strengthen our case significantly if we have strong parental and student support. This is possibly a one-off opportunity to improve our facilities for the students with external funding. This is the only way we can provide these excellent facilities on the current Canterbury site and we need your support please for both the planning application process and for approval from the EFA. We look forward to seeing you and your parents, at the Public Planning Consultation session on Thursday 9 July between 4pmâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;7pm in the School Hall or if this date is not convenient at the informal drop-in session on Wednesday 15 July between 4pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C;6pm. A student survey in SharePoint will be available shortly for students and we welcome students/parents feedback in due course. It is such a privilege and pleasure to be Headteacher at Barton Court Grammar School and sometimes it is hard to believe that this is my fifth year at the School. Time has passed very quickly, although not without its challenges! The School has evolved and is now a truly outstanding grammar school delivering high quality education to our young people. This is the absolute minimum they deserve and Barton Court is a lovely, caring and supportive community within which to learn and teach. 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 this school such a special place to learn and develop. I have no doubt that you will enjoy reading our summer edition of this magazine and I would like to take this opportunity to wish our readers a wonderful summer break. We very much look forward to GCSE, IB and AS/A2 results days to celebrate with all our students their individual achievements following their hard work and commitment to their studies.

Ms K Cardus Headteacher

Clarion: The Origins by Bryony Thorogood

Bryony Thorogood explains how our magazine got its title... Our Clarion! brings our attention to what has been happening, or what is still taking place, within our school. But did the word originate for a different reason? And does it still hold a place in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world? Originating in England, somewhere between 1275 and 1325, it is largely exclusive to English-speaking countries; for example, it holds a different exact meaning in Canada to the one in England. The rare charge of heraldry, for England, was found to have an uncertain meaning and an uncertain purpose. In comparison, for Canadian heraldry, a clarion is the distinguishing mark of a ninth daughter. Usually, for modern musicians, a clarion is pictured as a trumpet-like instrument, which could accompany of statue or painting of an angel. The first instrument, however, was a wind instrument, more like a panpipe or recorder than the modern trumpet. This trumpet is the most commonly-known version of a clarion, as is the clear and shrill sound that it makes, when calling people to battle. An alternative use for the clarion was for medieval knights. To support their lance during a jousting tournament, they used a rest, which went by the name of a clarion. Its original nature is questionable, therefore, but, nowadays, it is most commonly used for getting the attention of those who must go to war. {

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The claricord has a tuneful nature As the wire is tightened high and low Thus is it tuned to the player's mind For as it is tightened, so it must go And by this reason, you must know Any instrument mistuned shall hurt a true song

Yet blame not the claricord the tuner does wrong.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

A Letter from Trip, the The Battlefield Former Head Girl October 2015

By by Louise Kendaru

I thought you would be glad to hear some news from meâ&#x20AC;Ś

I took a class called "Leading as a Social Entrepreneur" this semester and my class team developed a business model for an online lingerie company with a positive social impact on the homeless population in the US. Our company is called WANDER|WEAR and for every lingerie item we sell, we produce and donate packages of brand new basic undergarments to homeless shelters. Anyway, one other team member and I decided to put forward our idea for the Duke University ChangeWorks competition which awards a $10,000 angel donation for start-up funding for the winning team and WANDER|WEAR won this year's competition! So my co-founder and I will be looking for further investment this summer and hopefully starting the company within the year. I wanted to thank you for teaching me cash flow forecasts, break-even, and all of those things because they were really invaluable skills throughout this process!

I'm going to include some links here for you to find out more about WANDER|WEAR and maybe you could share this news with your students. I think this might be a good challenge for them to come up with their own social enterprise and pitch it or to see if they can improve ours... We're always looking for feedback, constructive criticism, and advice. So if you also have any, please let me know! All the best, Louise

Here are the links! Duke ChangeWorks Competition: www.dukechange.org About WANDER|WEAR: www.tinyurl.com/aboutwanderwear

WANDER|WEAR Facebook: www.facebook/wanderwearfashion

WANDER|WEAR co-founder and Barton Court former Head girl, Louise Kendaru

Barton Court Student Drive Team Report

by Emily Allison

At the end of what has undoubtedly been a very productive year for the Student Drive Team here at Barton Court, we wanted to take this opportunity to reflect upon everything that we’ve worked towards over the past nine months. But, first, I would like to introduce myself: my name’s Emily and I am your Senior Prefect for Learning, a role that is new to the school’s Senior Prefect Team and Student Drive Team, as of this year. Since March, my job has been to lead the school’s Student Drive Team and to work closely with staff and students on new developments that the school will be taking on, which I will continue to do until next spring. Having only joined the team a few months ago, I am still its newest member. But, thanks to the welcoming of the existing team members and staff involved, I was able to quickly settle in and, within a week of my appointment, had already completed my first major job – giving Mr. Richard Cummins, Director of Kestrel Learning, a tour of the school. The rest of the team have been extremely busy, too, having been involved in a number of initiatives and projects, and achieving several goals, which you’ll be able to read more about in their paragraphs. And, with these achievements in mind, over the coming year, we have many more exciting projects that we’ll be working on. These include the trialling of Edmodo, a Facebook-style forum which we hope to give students and teachers access to in the future, and the continuing of Barton Court’s development as a Thinking School, in order to continue our journey towards gaining an Advanced Thinking School Accreditation, having gained the initial accreditation in the early months of this year. To achieve the latter, both the Student and Staff Drive Teams will be starting to work on a number of projects: beginning the Advance Research project, helping to support Gifted and Talented Year 5 pupils with their 11+ through projects in Maths and English and workshops in other subject areas such as science, music and languages, and introducing a range of new thinking tools within school as well. As you can see, it promises to be very busy time for us! But, on top of all of this, we are also looking to recruit some new members to the Student Drive Team, to introduce new ideas and perspectives into our work. So, if you’d be interested in the opportunity to join us and to have your say in developments taking place in school, please contact myself or Mr Harvey – it’d be great to hear from you! So, as this year draws to a close, I’d like to thank you for all your support and say: here’s to what we hope will be another successful year for the Student Drive Team!

Barton Court and Rochester Grammar School: The Drive Teams

by George Lynch

In the latter months of 2014, the Barton Court Grammar School Student Drive Team met up with the Student Drive Team at Rochester Grammar School to discuss how Thinking Tools and Maps were being presented and used in both schools. On the trip to Rochester Grammar we found out many new uses and varieties of Thinking Tools.

On a tour of Rochester Grammar we came into contact with “CoRT” Thinking Tools. CoRT tools are instructions for directing thinking attention to help students manage their thinking processes. Each of the ten CoRT tools is joined to a word or an acronym making each tool easy to remember. For example two CoRT tools are “PMI” and “CAF” meaning “Plus, Minus, Interesting” and “Consider All Factors.” The tools are designed to make students have a broadened perception on a topic instead of the student defending or sticking with a specific point of view. Next we were introduced to Edmodo which is a Facebook style website which allows students, teachers and parents to connect and collaborate in projects and assignments safely. Like our E-Portal site which is running at the moment, Edmodo also allows parents and students to look at the students achieved grades from subjects in turn showing areas for the student to improve academically. The site is currently being tested with Year 9 GCSE Computing students to see if the site is suited for use, but with over 51 million registered teachers, parents and students on the site the entire Student Drive Team are expecting a Barton Court section of the site to be up and running soon. At the end of the trip to Rochester Grammar it was decided that the schools were going to take part in a collaborated project. The project is implementing Thinking Tools into primary schools in and around both schools catchment areas meaning that before new members of the our schools join, they have a basic understanding of what Thinking Tools are and how to use them making the transition period from primary school to secondary school easier. Finally at Rochester Grammar, a Thinking Journal was in use. The Thinking Journal is a tool which allows members of the Student Drive Team to reflect and evaluate the use of tools throughout all subjects. By doing this, the school can see which subjects are not using Thinking Tools as much as they should or even more than they should giving the Student Drive Team and Staff Drive Team an idea of what subjects need to be using Thinking Tools more. This is why we decided to try and implement a Thinking Journal into our school as being a newly accredited Thinking School it would be good to see where we need to improve in order to reach an Advanced Thinking School status. As you can see we, the Barton Court Student Drive Team, have gained a lot of knowledge from this trip to Rochester Grammar School and are aiming to be implementing the new Thinking Tools and ideas we have learnt about very soon. As Emily has said, here’s to what we hope will be another successful year for the Student Drive Team!

Gifted and Talented at Barton Court

by Ms Harding

What an exciting year it has been for the Gifted and Talented programme! Firstly we launched the academic Four-Year Plans. These â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;plansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; are intended to help students prepare themselves in their application for medicine, veterinary science, dentistry, law, STEM subjects and / or Oxbridge. Students in Years 10 upwards were invited to a breakfast and heard an introductory talk by a current Year 13 student who has been successful in application to the course. There was then time for questions and answers and to consider some of the vital steps and activities along the path of preparation. Turnout was high and it was a great pleasure to show students the various ways that they will be supported in their ambitions. In September, students on the four-year plans will meet with myself and the Gifted and Talented prefect to plan activities and enrichment in more detail and to begin some independent research within the field of interest. I have also been very busy creating the Elite Plus programme. This is a three-year plan designed to support the gifted and talented students in Years 7-9. The main goal is to encourage independent learning beyond the curriculum offered in the classroom. Gifted students will be expected to undertake a project, either of their own design, or in collaboration with the gifted coordinator in their subject. The ideas offered so far are great and include: designing new and inventive products with the science and design departments; researching family history and presenting the findings in unique and wonderful ways with history and English; or participating in a debate about an issue of medical ethics. Students will also continue to be involved in external competitions with other schools and opportunities abound in STEM, creating Lego products, debating and public speaking and even becoming involved in European politics in the Youth Parliament! The programme and enrichment activities continue to grow. The summer term of 2016 will culminate with two new and special evenings for the many gifted and talented students of Barton Court. One event will be the Celebration of Talent, aimed to showcase our talented artists, sportspersons, musicians and actors. Students will present their work and the evening will also include awards from teachers. The second evening will celebrate the project work of the gifted students. Work will be on display for parents and visitors to enjoy and students will have an opportunity to discuss and explain their projects. We will also give several academic awards on this celebratory evening. As the foundations of the programme are in now place, the next school year should be a very exciting and busy one for our many gifted and talented students. There will be a vast array opportunities to develop your passion and skills in a range of subjects. I will send a newsletter to tutor groups at the beginning of each term to promote forthcoming events and to remind students of meeting times. In the meantime, if you have any questions or ideas please do not hesitate to make contact with Ms Harding.

Maths: Gifted and Talented Mr O’Donoghue runs this club week once a week after school for some of our more able Mathematicians across the school. Here is what some of the students have had to say about it:

It is not only educational and improves your knowledge of Maths, it’s really fun! - Thomas Gladwell I really enjoyed attending the club. We learnt advanced things. - Ben Carpenter Friend Not only do we learn about non-curricular, interesting, complicated theories and ideas but also enjoy it by applying them and practising them ourselves. For example, one week we explored Fermat’s last theorem and saw the history behind the theory. Another week, we spent solving Sudoku puzzles, ranging from the relatively straight forward ones to those which were much more challenging. The Maths G+T club brilliantly combines maths and enjoyment so that any student can come along and join in. As long as you have a passion for Maths, anyone is welcome to come tackle a few ideas. - Thomas Barry Mr O’Donoghue teaches this club and is always there for help if we need it. Here are a few things that we do. We start by choosing a specific area to cover. This could be anything from Fermat’s last theorem to Sudoku and Pythagoras. One of the benefits of attending the club is that there are competitions every year where particular students are selected to take part. These competitions could be nationals with students from all over the country or just students from Kent. I know that many students and I think that this is a great way to enrich our learning and become prepared for when we take our GCSE’s in a few years’ time. I would encourage more students to attend as it is a great opportunity to have fun and learn. - Elliot White It is good for students who particularly enjoy playing around with numbers and pushing their brains to the limit. It also helps you cover some topics that maybe you aren’t going to see in lesson time for a few years. But don’t worry! It is not like a normal lesson with a teacher going on and on about things like a monotone stereo, No, it is a fun activity that can make your day light up! (and calculate the probability of that happening) - Agnese Fossati It is a great experience for students as it is an opportunity to learn and enhance your maths knowledge. - Max Dovey We explore a wide range of maths and look at some more real life problems. This is nice because it extends your knowledge away from standard maths and shows you famous mathematicians who came up with some very interesting theories. We learn a lot more about very interesting maths, such as how many squares are actually on a chessboard, which was especially interesting as the answer is not 64. - Edward Levings

UKMT: Team Maths Challenge by Sinclair Perry On Thursday the 12th of March, Mr O’Donoghue, Tom Harris, Jamie Goldsack, Nina Szulc and I set off to go to Dover College to participate in the 2015 Team Maths Challenge. When we arrived we headed to the Menzies Hall and took our place at our table and anticipated the start whilst the other teams arrived. While we waited we did a few practice questions. When everyone had arrived, the hosts (from UKMT) explained what we were going to be doing and how there were to be four rounds. These were the Group, the Shuttle, the Cross-number and the Relay Rounds. After everything had been explained, we started! The first round was the Group Round. In this round we were given ten individual questions with varied topics and difficulty levels. The teams had to complete as many of the questions as possible in the 45 minutes we had. In the end we completed eight of the ten and guessed the other two but unfortunately we only got six correct, though bearing in mind the questions, that was actually quite good. For the rest of the day we were then assigned a teacher from another school and our table was split into two teams Year 9 (Tom and Jamie) and Year 8 (Nina and I). We then did the relay round. In this, one team works out a question then the other uses that to work out another question and so on. This was our worst round as we got a very low score due to speed issues and not reading the question carefully. We broke for lunch and then came back to do the Cross-number. Personally this is my favourite round as it is very simple and is what it sounds - a crossword with numbers. This was our highest scoring round and we got 52 out of 56! The final round was complete chaos! We stayed in our tables then the pairs moved around. This was scheduled to be 45 minutes long in which we took turns in doing questions then speed-walking to our assigned teacher. We got a medium score in this and then a short wait for our results…

In the end we came sixth out of 14 schools. Taking into consideration that only 9 marks separated 3 rd place down to 6th place and that all 14 schools were either Grammar or Independent schools we were pleased with the results as we were in the top half and we did better than last year. Our goal for next year is get into the top 3 and this is definitely achievable. Myself and Nina will return for one more attempt and we will be joined by 2 Year 8’s (current Year 7’s). So if are currently in Year 7, like Maths, are good at Maths, like a challenge and would like to represent the school then this could be the competition for you!

STEM Trip: Sandwich Big Bang Discovery Park

by Sinclair Perry

On Friday the 20th of March, 15 Year 8 students (plus Mr O’Donoghue) went to the Discovery Park in Sandwich to learn about STEM-Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. When we arrived, we walked to the Drop-In Zone. This was a series of tables each with a different STEM topic set up. We were given about half an hour to wander around. There were tables on all varieties of topics. How to make your own tsunami, programming Minecraft, 3D printing, maths puzzles and directing robots were all examples. Next there was the workshop section. Our first (20 minute) workshop was all about insects and it was entitled Caterpillars Hot or Cold-What Makes Them Go? This talked about how insects are cold-blooded and have no way to regulate their temperatures like humans and other warm blooded creatures. Then we took some normal caterpillars and some cold caterpillars, put them on paper and watched them go whilst tracking their progress. Then we discussed the results and that the hot ones travel further but some cold ones were anomalies like my group’s. Our next workshop was called Playdough and Topology. Topology is the study of holes or rather how many holes something has. A hole has to go the whole way through so say a mug has only one as the main section doesn’t go completely through. Topology classes things with the same numbers holes as the same like a football and a cup. The fun bit came after. In this we used Playdough to work out how many holes an object has. The rules were you had to have the right amount of holes as you started with and couldn’t take off or put on any parts. First, after we determined a teacup had one hole, we had to make it out of a ring.Then to work out how many holes a jumper had, we squashed a Playdough Version and we worked out it was three. Our final workshop was actually a talk called Science- the best Bits. This was done by the man who also runs The Air Show, Water World and Inferno. He ran lots of experiments about pressure (water and air). Also there were displays about blowing balloons with hairdryers and also a massive one with a leaf blower. We also learnt about vacuums and, towards the end of the workshop, a device with lots of holes for fire and when he twisted the dial, the fires changed height and strength. To serenade us out, he wired the device to his iPod and played Bohemian Rhapsody. Then the device reacted to the notes and it was very entertaining to watch.

All in all I think the day was a big success.

Cosmetic Biology Club by Mrs Hayles and Dr Howard-Williams It has been a very exciting year for The Cosmetic Biology Club! The Year 7 cosmetic biologists have been extremely busy concocting various recipes for bath bombs and soaps and developing original creations. From rose infused bath bombs to macaroon bubble gum scented soaps - you name it, they have created it!

For anyone who does not know what we do in the Cosmetic Biology Club, we have a session every Tuesday after school run by Mrs Hayles and Dr Howard-Williams where we learn the art of making soaps and bath bombs, combining creative craftiness with science. We then wrap our products and sell them for a very small price. This year, the Cosmetic Biology Club has consisted of Year 7s, but it is open to all years. More recently some students have also learnt the art of lip balm making and creating new and unique products such as hidden soaps in bath bombs and mouldable soaps that you can shape even when set. For Mother’s Day we had a very successful sale of the products that we have been making and very nearly sold out, making about £90 in the process! This money went back into the club and we can now expand our ideas with new scents and moulds. In May we took the “Scrub Up on Science Challenge” which is a national competition run by the Society of Cosmetic Scientists. Two groups of students came up with their own bath bomb creations. Our cosmetic biologists spent weeks preparing and testing their different ideas and the result were some spectacular creations. We are waiting for the results of the competition, so keep your fingers crossed! The Club has benefitted from the input of Dr Carolan, who works in the neuroscience department of Givaudan. She has visited the club and made soaps with us and gave an Inspire lecture for the school. Her talk was on the science of smell and how the body interprets different molecules. Some of the samples she brought with her were truly terrible to smell. Her talk was attended by a range of students from Years 7 to 13. She offered some interesting perspectives on neuroscience as a future career path to the students. Well done to the Year 7 cosmetic biologists for such a fantastic year, full of amazing creations, flexibility and creativity in the lab, as well as their great entrepreneurial skills.

‘I thoroughly enjoy it. It is very productive and you are always learning things. I remember when I started Cosmetic Biology and I picked up bath bomb making almost immediately. But I couldn't quite get the hang of making soaps. I am still stuck with it (I don't know why)! Overall, I think Cosmetic biology is fantastic and one of the best clubs I have ever joined. thank you for running it.’ Sophie Warwick Year 7.

“Out of the blue” creation for the scrub up on science competition designed and created by Sidonie Marshall-Joly (7C), Sophie Warwick (7B) and Sam Duggan (7B)

Sizzling bacon and scoop away yolk with a bath bomb egg that revels a hidden egg soap inside! Created by Poppy Bonfield (7G) and Lucy Duggan (7S).

“Dolphin eating octopus” soap created by Cameron Fry (7B)

Why I Love Longshore Drift by Tom Harris Geography student, Tom Harris, has a passion for Geography. Here, he tells us about his fascination for the coastal phenomenon known as longshore drift. Geography is about the environment in which we all live and how, as citizens of this world, we can manage it in order to secure scarce resources for our future survival. This week we learned about longshore drift, the process by which beach sediment (sand or shingle) is moved along a coastline and that is consequently responsible for our beaches and the uniqueness of our coastal areas. Geography allows us to appreciate these processes and understand how the movement of waves and tides can, over time, create complex and awe-inspiring landforms. This is the reason I love geography; it teaches us about how our world is shaped, from our local neighbourhoods, to our towns, cities, regions and beyond. It teaches us about why we live in an unequal world, in which power is held by a few nation-states. It enlightens us as to how and why migrants travel on perilous journeys to places such as the UK in order to enjoy a better standard of living. It teaches us where people congregate to form settlements and allows us to map population density. Geography teaches us how to understand tectonic processes and protect people from the danger presented by them. I enjoy geography as it has allowed me to broaden my horizons and consider the world on a global rather than just on a localised scale. Geography has encouraged me to become more considerate of otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s situations and broadened my perspective on the world.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sure Dr Gleave would echo these sentiments!

VE Day Celebrations at Barton Court

by Chloe Nye

Chloe Nye reports on Barton court’s VE day event... This year, people across Britain celebrated the 70th anniversary of VE Day. VE Day was a day of jubilation, marking the end of six long years of conflict in Europe. During the Second World War, between 60-80 million people were killed, including soldiers and civilians. It was the first time Britain witnessed bloodshed on that scale. VE day ended the threat of invasion, and created hope for the future. On Friday 8th May, students, staff and friends at Barton Court came together to celebrate, remember and honour those who lost their lives during the Second World War. The event also aimed to raise money for the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, a charity which supports everyone involved with the RAF, from veterans to those serving today and to children growing up on RAF stations. The VIP guest of the evening was Air Marshal Chris Nickols, the Controller of the RAF Benevolent Fund. The event was also attended by two RAF veterans. Firstly, Professor Ruane from Canterbury Christchurch University gave a very interesting talk on the impact of VE day and the importance of it being remembered and recognized today. Next, there was an authentic dancing demonstration provided by the East Kent Dance Academy, showing the typical dances of the War period. Their costumes were beautiful! Running throughout the whole evening were various stalls such as WRVS Clothes Exchange, a retro stall and stalls from the RAF Benevolent Fund, War and Peace Revival and Pen and Sword Publishers. There were competitions: Guess the age of the coin competition and Paint a Spitfire Competition. The event also gave students the opportunity to buy a beautiful limited edition Barton Court Grammar School ceramic poppy. Furthermore, running throughout the evening, and proving to be very popular, was the Afternoon tea and cake sale provided by the Food Technology Department and staff. Students and staff made some beautifully decorated and very tasty cakes, which all sold very well. There was also a raffle with prizes kindly donated by the War and Peace Revival and Pen and Sword Publishers. Overall, it appeared that everyone really enjoyed the evening. Many came away from the event realising the full value of the day, and the need to remember it in years to come. It was great to see so many people there celebrating and honouring those who have died for our freedom. We raised a total of just over £415 – a great achievement. The evening was extremely fun, as well as exceptionally informative and valuable. Well done to the History Department!

7/7 Bombings: Ten Years Later, Are we Still at Risk? by Emily Allison Emily Allison explores the aftermath of the tragic events of 7/7... This year, July will mark the tenth anniversary of the deadliest bombing to occur on British soil since the end of the Second World War: the 7/7 bombings. On 7th July 2005, the opening day of the British-hosted G8 Summit, and the day after Britain was announced as the winner of the 2012 Olympic Games, our country was faced with this series of horrifying attacks, which left infamous scenes of mass devastation where, just hours before, there had been joy and celebration. Inconspicuous as they walked the thriving London streets, the trains that they would soon grind to a halt still thundering away under their feet, the four bombers made their way to King’s Cross Station, each carrying a rucksack bursting with homemade explosives. Upon their arrival, they spread out amongst the crowds, three of them boarding Underground trains on the Circle and Piccadilly Lines, and the fourth leaving the station to board a bus.

The bombers captured by CCTV.

It was 08:50 when the explosions first shook the city. On the trains, the three bombs exploded simultaneously, bringing the entire Tube network to a standstill and plunging terrified commuters into a dark, smoke-filled hysteria that, for some, lasted nearly 40 minutes. An hour later, the fourth bomb was detonated on board the No. 30 bus by Tavistock Square, turning the vehicle into what one eyewitness described as looking like ‘a flat bedded truck that was mangled and twisted’. In total, 52 innocent civilians, along with the four bombers, were killed in the blasts, and around 770 others were left with countless injuries, many of which were life-changing. Police later revealed that what was initially reported to be a power surge on the Underground network was, in fact, a terror attack by indigenous Islamist militants, thought to be linked to al-Qaeda. The true extent of the terror group’s involvement in the attack still remains unknown, but evidence collected by US Navy SEALs from the hideout where Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011 has suggested that he was aware of the plan to carry out the attack. Now that a decade has passed since the attack, though, we like to think that the terror attacks in Britain are a thing of the past. But, in reality, seems far from the case – and our politicians know it. In a conference with the Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang, David Cameron said that the biggest threat to British national security today is British citizens and other nationals who are fighting alongside Islamist insurgents; claiming later on that ISIS, who have now surpassed al-Qaeda as the world’s most powerful extreme jihadi group, are planning attacks on British soil.

But, how realistic is the threat posed by groups such as ISIS? Many argue that, in fact, we are not at any risk of any such attacks. In The Guardian last year, journalist Simon Jenkins boldly branded the idea that ISIS’ actions in Iraq pose a threat to British safety ‘ludicrous’, claiming that it is little more than a ‘useful excuse for sabre -rattling and fear politics’ and an attempt by the security service trade union to gain both more money and more power – rather an audacious claim by all accounts.

Cameron and the British Government, however, are taking the threat very seriously, warning that the crisis in Iraq and Syria should not be dismissed as a foreign problem. This is something that they are very keen to make clear, with the UK’s terror threat having been raised from substantial to severe in August 2014, meaning that MI5 and the Home Office have deemed a future attack ‘highly likely’. So, what can Britain do to fend off terrorist attacks? With new laws being introduced to make the seizing of jihadists’ passports easier, David Cameron has admitted that we still need to fill the ‘gaps in our armoury’, stating that the Government would be doing so with a ‘tough, intelligent, patient and comprehensive approach’, but that it is likely to take some time. To defend us against immediate threats, there have been calls for internal exile of suspected jihadists and the creation of a network in which the EU can share passenger records. Others, however, argue that the only security from terrorist violence is increasing policing and targeted intelligence. The consideration of all of these options continues in the House of Commons. And, in the meantime, there may be little Britain can do alleviate a threat whose existence we are not fully sure of. To brace ourselves, perhaps, is all we can do.

7/7 BOMBINGS: KEY FACTS AND EVENTS Bomb Locations: 

Three on Underground trains



One on a bus

Three of the Bombers travelled from West Yorkshire to Luton in a hired car.

In Luton, they met the fourth bomber. They then boarded a train to King’s Cross, each wearing a rucksack full of explosives.

Victims: 

26 at Russell Square



13 on the bus in Tavistock Square



7 at Aldgate



6 at Edgeware Road

Suicide Bombers: 

Hasib Hussain



Mohammad Sidique Khan



Germaine Lindsay



Shehzad Tanweer

At King’s Cross, they went to the Tube station where they spread out in different directions. At 08:50, three of the bombs exploded simultaneously on board the Tube network. An hour later, the fourth bomb was detonated on board a bus at Tavistock Square.

Police were later able to link each bomber to a different blast: Germaine Lindsay, Mohammad Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer detonated those on the Tube, and Hasib Hussain detonated the one on the bus.

World War One Commemorations: When Do They Become Glorification? by Molly Lambourn In 2009 David Cameron announced that £50 million would be spent from 2014 on commemorating the tragic events of World War One with the aim to educate the public and future generations.

Indeed any government investment into culture is promising: the lessons learned from WW1 are ones that shouldn’t soon be forgotten. Undoubtedly the investment will be popular and will look favourable for the government and it has to be commended that investment will be made into lessons and trips for children in primary schools. However, at what point does this commemoration become boastful? Are we glamorising the trauma that came out of the war? World War One must be remembered, but we cannot pretend it was “Great”. This was the war where the armies began gassing enemy soldiers. In commemoration those details seem to get ironed out. Are we to celebrate in 2017 the first time the German army used chlorine gas in the battle of Passchendaele? Cameron spoke of presenting the First World War as something glorious in the centenary, yet I fail to see anything glorious about stealing the life out of a generation. World War One goes beyond the medieval concept of glory in war as it was an unnecessary war. The government faces the danger of presenting the war as a necessity which would be lying to the public in the same way that the government did back in 1914 when they persuaded people to enlist. Maybe it is time to change how we perceive “great” when it comes to World War One. Let’s not glorify the fighting, trauma, the human cost and its effect on a generation. However, what is great about World War One is the knowledge that came from it. Consider mental health disorders, the work into Ergotherapy* was a breakthrough. Before shellshock was identified as a true problem, soldiers were shot for disobeying orders when they were suffering from what we today know was Post traumatic stress disorder. The War broke barriers between people, it forced us to become one- those are the values that we are losing. We remember and regret the human cost but maybe it’s time to commemorate the values and knowledge that came from the War.

Funnelling millions of pounds into commemoration doesn’t change what happened. There must be more powerful ways to remember an event than through statues or flamboyant services. Instead of showing our respect through monetary investment- how about having all the shops close, turning off electricity and forcing people to go outside and communicate and stand together the way we had to 100 years ago. *Ergotheraphy- A new therapy in WW1 that helped soldiers in trauma through making them do simple activities which could range from gardening to doing painting or poetry. These hobbies would be a means to distract and help soldiers overcome their problems, they would learn to talk about their experiences. A famous patient treated with Ergotherapy would be Wilfred Owen.

Found Poetry: An Exercise in Creativity with Year 9

by Ms Harding

What is creativity? How do we become creative and what is the process? As a teacher of English I am fascinated by the writing process and determined to provide opportunities for students to create as authentic writers and to reflect upon the process of creativity.

Found poetry begins with random words. Word are chosen from a page of a book. Students had no choice with regards to the book; I chose Atonement, by Ian McEwan, for the simple reason that I knew it would be packed full of great words and images. Students were then told to skim read the page and select around twenty words, which they highlighted. The words were the catalyst, the starting point for a poem! At first, students were daunted and did not know how to turn the words into verse. We tried two approaches; firstly we considered whether any of the words suggested a title; elegant, mute, solidity, ambience, all simple words that suggest so much, a theme, an idea, a mood for the poem. The second creative exercise was to look at the words and see if any pattern emerged, suggested mood or narrative event for example. Many students found this useful and began to imagine a backstory for their writing and thus, the poems were born. The poems made fascinating reading and many were so atmospheric and suggestive to me as a reader that I then asked students to write backstories for the poems, in prose form. What emerged from this follow up exercise was an array of worlds and characters which were engaging to read. Found poetry was a simple activity, but it certainly allowed us to explore the challenges of creative writing in a new and exciting way.

The Computer Worker by Ella Askew In Year 7, students have been studying Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. However, unlike the ones we are used to, the ones produced by these modern-day Chaucers have a modern-day spin to them. Here are some of the best:

The Computer Worker Hunching over his computer, His sondry suits are solempne, But he nas at all. His desk is arranged thriftily, His computer always hoot. He koude do what most didn’t and

Everich wight jealous of him, But noon would ben like him. A parfit clerk record, But -of lowest degree. He woot noght of the outside world and The only time whan that he notices you Is to anon answer a question. With eyen close to squares, His glasses that are painfully thick, Are ay running down his nose. I’ve heard him speak thrice, But when he does he’s curteis. He is the family ese, He comes er all his siblings. And whenever he gets an aventure To show his solempne skill, He jumps at the opportunity, With noon hesitation.

The Reality TV Star by Sidonie Marshall-Joly The Reality TV Star Here she comes, the made-up reality TV star

Smiling with her glinting, fake white teeth and driving a sports car. She’s called Chardonnay, she has a fake tan and nails. And of course she has a large parade of adoring males. Although people call her cheap, she wears Chanel number 5 However, without her stylists, she finds it difficult to survive. She loves to be in photos, she always likes to pose And she has a large array of glorious expensive clothes

She gets annoyed easily and throws a tantrum when she hears The filthy talk that comes from the mouths of her peers Staff wait on her hand and foot, listening to every request And even though she does nothing she always says she’s stressed She goes on many holidays, to many exotic domains It’s quite amazing she’s got this far, with her lack of brains She always wants more, no matter what she receives And if you don’t give her what she desires, she’ll turn away and leave She hates other people stealing the light And if she’s willing she’ll put up a fight And of course she doesn’t care, whatever you say Because she’s wonderful and marvellous (in her own special way!).

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Bookshelves are Boring? Think Again…

by Eavan Goodman

While we all are familiar (some maybe too familiar!) with the selfie phenomenon, a new version has emerged from the internet. Hailed as the bookworm’s answer to the selfie, the shelfie gives anyone the chance to show off their book collection, however big or small, messy or neat. Here is a small section of my book collection which includes my absolute favourites and recommendations.

‘The Book Thief’ by Markus Zusak Don’t be put off by the hefty appearance of this one, it is so gripping that you won’t even notice the length. Recently made into a film, the book remains superior thanks to Zusak’s incredible craft of language and the unique narration by Death. Sound a little strange? The Book Thief is certainly an experiment, but a successful one. Zuzak manages to create a beautiful, heart-breaking story that centres around Liesel, a young German girl sent to live with a foster family in 1939 following the tragic death of her brother. When the family hides a Jew in their house, Liesel must be very careful so she turns to her new-found love of books for comfort. A masterpiece about the holocaust and the beauty of words and ideal for young adult readers.

‘We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves’ by Karen Joy Fowler A recent bestseller and for good reason! Fowler’s fascinating portrait of a girl’s traumatic childhood as the daughter of a psychologist includes a plot twist so unexpected that it should surprise even the most alert readers. Now at university, her brother and sister vanished from her life, the narrator, Rosemary, invites the reader on a mysterious journey with a backwards structure as she tries to piece together her memories, all told with her consistently entertaining dry humour.

‘Noughts and Crosses’ by Malorie Blackman

Set in a dystopian world of extreme prejudice, Sephy, a “cross” belongs to the ruling class. Her childhood friend, Callum, is a “nought”. Once slaves to the crosses, the two classes are forbidden to mix and the ongoing danger in the background makes the romance that develops between the pair all the more risky. An extremely powerful and thought-provoking novel which isn’t afraid to approach serious, big ideas whilst retaining a hugely gripping plot. Blackman has struck a clever balance here which is why ‘Noughts and Crosses’ remains a firm favourite in the world of young adult fiction. Every teenager should read it.

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‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J.D. Salinger A true American classic. Holden Caulfield, a confused, troubled teenager full of angst is the unlikely hero whom we follow in this coming of age novel. Having been kicked out of school, Holden runs off to New York, encountering his fair share of trouble and recklessness in the form of alcohol and emotional breakdowns along the way. Many claim that this book is best read during your teenage years, an age when readers can best appreciate the rebellion that the iconic protagonist represents. In fact, the book can be considered as one of the most controversial, having been banned in numerous schools in America for its profanity and depictions of alcohol abuse. It’s importance to literature cannot be denied however, and many schools have more recently reinstated it.

Some Guardian readers’ contributions prove that when it comes to shelfies, anything goes.

‘The Secret History’ by Donna Tartt A recommendation for the more adventurous reader, Tartt’s debut novel became a cult favourite when it was published more than 20 years ago. Essentially it is a murder mystery, yet the question is not “who?” but “why?” as the death, the victim and the culprits are revealed in the opening pages. The plot sees Richard Papen, fresh out of high school, move from his quiet suburban life in California across the country to Hampden College. Directionless and in search of something more than the unremarkable life he has been handed so far, an exclusive group of undergraduates who study Greek together under the teaching of enigmatic Julian, fascinate him. But, Richard’s entry into this select club sparks in him an ultimately unhealthy obsession, leading him down a path of self-destruction. An unsettling and wonderfully written debut, Tartt’s abundance of references to classic Greek literature combines with her ability to create a startling sense of tension. The result: a complex, rich and intelligent psychological thriller that deserves to be revisited again and again.

Whether you decide to share your own shelfie or simply pick up a book you wouldn’t normally read, in it’s own trendy way, the shelfie is a reminder of one very important thing: books should be celebrated!

“If you have enough book space, I don’t want to talk to you.”- Terry Pratchett

‘Go Set A Watchman’: Go Get Your Facts Straight

by Emily Allison

Emily Allison comments on the publishing sensation of the summer. Should we believe the hype? One day last summer, whilst completing some legal work for her most famous client, Harper Lee, Tonja Carter found herself looking at what she believed to be an old manuscript of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. Although seemingly familiar, there was a difference: the story unfolded during the racial turmoil of the 1950s instead of the poverty-stricken 1930s with which fans of the novel will be acquainted. Confused, Carter tried to work out what it was that she’d uncovered, unaware that she’d made arguably the most monumental, and perhaps most controversial, discovery in modern literature. It was the manuscript for a novel entitled ‘Go Set a Watchman’, the parent of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer prize-winning classic, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. Written in the early 1950s, the novel was rejected by publishers at the time, who ‘didn't expect the book to sell’. They suggested, instead, that Lee write a prequel in order to introduce readers to the characters. So that’s what she did – and this prequel, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, has gone on to sell more than 30,000,000 copies worldwide and be named the ‘Best Novel of the 20th Century’ by readers of the Literary Journal. But, despite the overwhelming success of her work, Lee had remained adamant that she would never publish another novel and has spent the 55 years since ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’s’ publication living in fierce reclusion. That is, until now. It was announced in February that HarperCollins would be publishing ‘Go Set a Watchman’, printing an initial two million copies of the novel for release on 14th July – a change of heart by Lee that has left many people puzzled. Why, after all these years, has she changed her mind? It is the answer to these questions that has caused the novel to be shadowed by controversy. It is believed by a surprising number of people that ‘Go Set a Watchman’ is being published against Lee’s will. At the grand age of 89, she’s no longer the young woman that oversaw the publishing of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ in 1960. Now described by friends as “essentially blind and profoundly deaf” following a severe stroke in 2007, and without her sister and most loyal protector, Alice, who died last year, it is clear to see that Harper Lee is perhaps vulnerable and that her work, therefore, could easily be taken advantage of. Some have accused Lee’s lawyer, Tonja Carter, of doing just that. Carter and Lee, however, have both been quick to dismiss these rumours. In response to questions concerning her state of mind, Lee has said that she completely supports the publishing of the novel and is “extremely hurt and humiliated” by the claims that she has been duped, stating that, in fact, she is “alive and kicking and happy as hell with the reaction to ‘Watchman’”. But the world, as we know, loves a scandal, and so it may be tempting for some to want to believe the accusations against Carter. Yet, I’d argue that it’s important to remember that Lee wanted the novel to be published originally, before ‘To Kill a Mockingbird, and claims herself that it is a “pretty decent effort” – so, with this is mind, perhaps we need to first get our facts straight and, until there is proof that Harper Lee is being taken advantage of, we should follow Atticus Finch’s lead: seeing the best in people, and therefore treating ‘Go Set a Watchman’ as a cause for celebration, as it rightly deserves to be.

The 2015 General Election and the Need for Reform

by Ruby Fitzgerald

Ruby Fitzgerald explores the aftermath of the General Election, considering whether the system is broken... The UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s general election of 2015 has been and gone, and has subsequently made its way to the back of most of our minds. A surprise 12 seat majority for the Conservatives has potentially secured a stable 5 years for our country, without the conflict of a coalition, and has pushed debate for electoral reform away from the forefront of mainstream media. The Tory party successfully gained 24 more seats in the House of Commons, allowing their MPs to dominate 50.9% of the house. However, the results of the election, and the electoral method have not satisfied us all. Despite a majority in seats, the Conservatives only actually achieved 36.9% of the total vote. I, and many others, recognise this as clear injustice and a threat to democracy in the UK. Our general elections operate under the First Past the Post system. For those who are unaware this works as follows: the country is divided into 650 constituencies and candidates from a number of parties campaign to be elected in a single constituency, the candidate who secures the most votes (not necessarily a majority) is elected as the member of parliament for that constituency, and is trusted to represent the population of that area in the House of Commons. The party who secures a win in over 50% of these constituencies is able to form the government. The problems this creates has been amplified by the growing popularity of newer and smaller parties, as more candidates run in an area the less likely it is that the winner can achieve a majority. For example, in Belfast South, nine parties ran and the winner, the Social Democratic and Labour Party, won with only 24.5% of the vote, leaving 75.5% of the electorate unrepresented. Moreover, the votes casted by the 75.5% are now effectively wasted and do not count towards the parties representation in the Commons. This was clearly illustrated by UKIP in the 2015 election, despite achieving 3.8 million votes, they secured only 1 seat. Although many of us love to hate the UK Independence Party, the voterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right to be represented has been undoubtedly undermined. Conversely, due their concentrated support, the Scottish National Party received 56 seats with only 1.5 million votes, highlighting the fickle nature of our democracy. Now, these injustices are not unique to the 2015 election. No winning party has ever actually achieved 50% of the total vote in modern times, meaning again and again the British people are being unrepresented, leading to further disenfranchisement from politics. This is particularly notable in the Canterbury constituency. This election 30,547 people voted for a party other than the Conservatives, however we live in an area which is renowned for being a Tory safe seat. The 22,918 Conservative voters were able to clinch the seat for Julian Brazier, maintaining the position he has held since 1987. There is, of course, left-wing support in the area, and increasingly so in younger voters. In many ways votes for any other parties in Canterbury can be considered wasted as they have absolutely no impact on the makeup of parliament. This cannot go on, our system is broken and we must continue to demand and vocalise the need for electoral change. The effects of First Past the Post provoked large demonstrations days after the election. These were hailed by the media as predominantly anti-Tory protests, however they had a large focus on demands for Proportional Representation. Proportional Representation is the best alternative to First Past the Post, and allocates seats in line with the percentage of votes won. If it had been used this election the Conservatives would have won 75 fewer seats, and smaller parties would have benefited, for example the Greens would have won 24 more seats. In order for all votes to be truly equal, proportional representation must be the future for Britain. If you are interested in helping to promote the use of Proportional Representation, there are a number of petitions available on the internet.

An Opinion on the EU Referendum by George Chrysostomou George Chrysostomou discusses the EU Referendum and how it might affect you, in this controversial and outright piece... The politics of our country has been in a state of flux over the past few months, as an election was held, votes counted and Conservatives elected. There was one issue that was moaned about in true British fashion, which was of course immigration. “All our jobs are being taken by foreigners” was a concern amongst many, likely a tagline for some campaign ads. Top scientists have found a correlation however, between those who claim such nonsense, and Daily Mail readers. Nonetheless this prompted a rise in the more radical thinkers, the United Kingdom Independence Party, more commonly known as UKIP. Their main policy, much like the SNP for Scotland, was the freedom of the UK from its European sisters (or brothers). The country responded in an incredibly supportive way, with UKIP gaining.... 1 seat. Coincidently they actually lost a seat during this election, suggesting even Rochester and Strood were sceptical of UKIP’s master plan. A fact which cannot be denied is that UKIP did gain over 3 million votes countrywide, suggesting that many did feel strongly about our relationship with the EU. This was demonstrated over the election with the topic of the European Union, being hotly fought over. This prompted the Conservative party to “listen” to the British public (ironic as it is) and offer an in or out referendum, by the end of 2017. And so I bring us to modern day Britain, with a referendum looming. Whilst many debate over the issue of our status (most of the country clearly implying “it’s complicated”) with Europe, I would like to look at a separate issue, which many seemed to have skimmed past. Should the future of our country get a vote in the referendum? When I say the future of our country, I do mean the individuals who currently grace our sixth form and anyone who will be 16 by 2017. Yes, I believe that 16 and 17 year old’s should get a say in our European vote. Despite my cynicism over the capability (myself included) of our generation in contributing to such a large decision, I believe it is our right to do so. The European Union benefits us in so many ways, more so than perhaps jaded older generations. Europe presents opportunity to us, for careers across multiple countries, the ability to live in other communities, and experience culture in the cities of so many famous locations. We can travel without restrictions, study where we wish and plant a home wherever we may choose. The benefits of those things alone will span across our lifetime if we were to stay in the EU. One could study in France, live for a year in Germany and then settle down in Finland. They may be taking our jobs, but what many seem to not realise, we can just as easily take theirs. With that in mind, perhaps its best if you get back to studying for that French GCSE. Not so pointless now after all, is it?

Sarcasm aside, I do also believe those who have lived for 16 years or more do have the ability to contribute to such a debate. There is a stereotype which has been thrust upon the teenage years, which I would like to argue against. The general assumption is that anyone below 18 finds politics boring, being labelled as uneducated and un-opinionated. That may be the case for a select few, but the same could be said for the majority of the British public. Considering only 66.1% of the country, bothered to turn up and tick a box, it could be argued that those people are also uneducated in politics, or un-opinionated. Add to that, many votes were spoiled due to miscellaneous mistakes such as: not ticking a box, ticking all boxes, drawing the politician, circling a name and water damage, just to name a few. It seems, those who do not want to be counted have taken leave of their census. Luckily for those of the ages 16-17, they have been trained for the very moment a box needed to be ticked, having spent years filling in work sheets and other pointless surveys, shoved at us during tutor time. Atop this, I do believe if given the platform to do so, any 16 year old, could produce a valid argument, for why they wish to leave, or stay in the European Union. No chance has been given to the teenagers of England, and it’s about time they are given an opportunity to voice their opinion. If you have read this far then I congratulate you. If you have carried on reading to this point, you are most likely to have an opinion on the EU and would like to make a contribution to the upcoming debate. If you have not read this far and have instead found other ways to spend your time then so be it, but you won’t be reading this anyway, so no point wasting my words. This is the point of the article where a case study is produced to you, whether you like it or not. Scotland is the example I would like to present to you, one which has had its own battle of independence. The Scottish referendum had an 84.5% turnout, numbers a general election must dream about. One reason for this was because 16 and 17 year olds were allowed to vote. “What a ludicrous idea” the rest of the nation yelled, as vigorous debate swept across Scottish schools. But, thankfully it was a success for all involved, and not only did we keep our Scottish neighbours (for the time being) we also saw the first chance given to the next generation. This is a generation of future leaders, a generation who will live in the country left to them, so why not give them a say now, on how their futures will unfold. So with that in mind, shouldn’t that very same generation, be given the same opportunity on a much larger platform? Do we not, as citizens of the UK, have a right to vote? The truth is, those in government are dismissive of us, and the power our voices hold. They hide behind the excuses that many would be influenced by teachers or parents. They avoid the topic, using parliament to debate their wage increases. Or perhaps lay across the bench to take a nap, fashioning a pillow out of a manifesto. David Cameron himself claims to be open to debate, but this debate has not occurred. Regardless of these obstacles, our voice does hold power, and if we are to have a say on the important issues which face us, then we need to act. I heavily encourage anyone reading this, to start making your political opinions heard. The amount of times I am told to think about my future, by schools, governments and politicians. Yet the hypocrisy is I cannot control that future, because of those same people. So regardless of your opinion about the EU, whether you would vote in or out, the one thing we should fight for, is for our voices to be heard.

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Provincial Punk Exhibition By Molly Lambourn Molly Lambourn views his latest exhibition and reports from Margate… Grayson Perry is one of the most prominent commentators of society in the art world. Infamously Perry provokes controversy, whether it be through adorning pottery with crude images or shamelessly reducing the general public down to the clothing label that they wear. Grayson Perry is never one to dodge controversy.

Sexuality, Consumerism and Identity Grayson Perry manages not only to shock in his artwork, but also tease the very nature of British culture. I recently went to the Provincial Punk exhibition at Margate Turner Contemporary which showcases over 50 Grayson Perry pieces. Provincial Punk being an oxymoron referring to the teasing rebellion that Perry offers in his artwork. So in case you haven’t heard of Grayson Perry, here are the basics: He is a transvestite with the alter ego Clare He has a wife and one daughter He is infamous for crude drawings being embedded within his pottery and others artworks His techniques range from etching to enormous tapestries I found Provincial Punk to be one of the most thought provoking and inspirational art exhibitions I’ve been to. The Turner Contemporary is on our doorstep so I suggest having a look for yourself, especially if you take art. My one criticism would be the irony with the gift shop at the end of the exhibition… Perry makes some controversial statements in his art about how Britain is motivated by consumerism and how we define ourselves and each other through brands and material wealth. Yet Perry has some rather expensive posters and bags available in the gift shop that almost play the audience. It is ironic, yet I suppose Perry is just a spectator and he never said he was against consumerism…

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Highlights of Provincial Punk I was absolutely thrilled to discover that Maps of Days was at the Provincial Punk exhibition. Map of days is an etching, it is a self-portrait depicting Perryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind. It fits in perfectly with the exhibition as it defies the whole manner of a traditional portrait. Below the picture of the whole piece is a close up section. The amount of detail that went into this piece is quite unbelievable. The piece consists of memories and is inspired by 15th and 16th century maps. The bolder lines represent the skin- however the idea is that the skin can be absorbed, altered and changed by the outside influences. This piece is quite raw and genuine to Perry. There is a still an element of satire in some of the language he uses in the piece. Yet I believe the more time you spend looking at this etching, the more you discover about Perry. It reveals more about him than what a traditional portrait could ever suggest.

Map of Days Comfort blanket is a huge tapestry created by Perry. When you look at the whole piece you will see that it is in the shape of a note. The note consists of all the brands which make up a part of British culture today. This particular piece is fascinating not only because of its size but also because of the comments it makes about British society and how we are dependent on certain brands.

Comfort Blanket This piece was rather satirical, the figures on the vase were labelled underneath by what they were wearing. The detail on the pots in simply amazing and there is a video in the exhibition that shows you how these pots are made and decorated. Punters in the Snow

I enjoyed the poem on this particular piece. If you get a chance to read it, it basically showcases some of the struggles that Perry faced growing up. Perry grew up in Thatcherite England at a time where is wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t easy to be different. There was a lot of stigma against transsexuals, and Perry was conflicted as he felt both masculine and feminine.

Mad Kids Bedroom Wall

A-Level Art Exhibition by Miss Hodge

Our A-Level artists put on a fantastic show of their work on the 16th June. The exhibition private view was attended by staff, students, families and governors, and everyone had very positive feedback. One parent even said that it was â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;better than a degree showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Between them, our A-Level artists produced artworks spanning a wide range of disciplines: Key pieces include: paintings from Joe Baxter, Bonnie Greenstreet & Callum Gray; Manipulated joinerstyle photographs from Max Lamdin and Elise Richards; Fashion design from Alanna Elliott-Reynolds; a handmade light box installation by Sam Pearson; and experiments in combining thread and vintage family treasures by Josh Mitchell. The standard of work was of a very high quality throughout, and the students showed brilliant teamwork in helping each other to get the exhibition up. We think that the exhibition was a great success and are very proud of all of our developing artists.

Turner Competition by Mr Ashmore

On Wednesday 4th March evening a number of our students- Ruby Burns, Joseph Baxter and Siobha Summerswere shortlisted for the Turner Contemporary: "This is Me". Ruby and Joseph both attended the evening along with parents and I am pleased to say that Joseph came in second place in the Key stage 5 category. The students work will be exhibited at the gallery during April.

Fashion Icons Over the Years: 1920-1980

by Lucy Barfoot

Lucy Barfoot, fashion editor, writes about fashion trends... Fashion is a fast moving industry. Trends come and go, and styles change as new ideas are introduced through the many influences of the world. There are always new style icons coming and going throughout the decades, but the most influential people within the fashion world of the 1900’s still inspire the magazines, media and the people of today. In 1920-30 the top style icon was Marlene Dietrich. She was one of the most fashionable women when it was in high demand to wear feminine dresses. However, Dietrich chose to be different with her androgynous wardrobe. She said “I dress for myself. Not for the image, not for the public, not for the fashion, not for men.” In films she would wear beads, long dresses, big hats and accessories, but in her real life she made menswear glamourous by adding her staple look of FUR. She fought the stereotypical views of women’s fashion and challenged the ideas of society by having bi-sexual relationships. Therefore, her fashion helped changed the stereotypical views of society in her time, and this has inspired women to be free when it comes to fashion and to dress only to impress themselves. In the 1940s Lauren Bacall was a beautiful, bold and independent woman. Her choice of matching patterned skirts and blazers, wearing bold red lipstick, long skirts and her elegant style has made these outfits timeless. In the 1950’s Grace Kelly became an icon as her ‘simplistic princess’ look made history. The pale colours, long coats, tortoiseshell sunglasses and cut pants are the items that are used time and time again for fashion shoots, especially in ‘Vogue’ to capture the sophisticated look that it represents. Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn are the screen legends and their classical films are always replayed on the TV. Audrey Hepburn’s most famous look is from the film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” where diamonds really are a girl’s best friend as she is showered in them from head to toe with her fitted long black dress to represent her glamour and classy personality. Marilyn Monroe is remembered for her bold red lipstick and white long flowy dress, this signature look is recreated by celebrities when they hit the red carpet such as Madonna and Christina Aguilera. The most famous model and fashion inspiration of the 1960’s was no other than Twiggy, bright colours, shift dresses, cashmere turtle necked jumpers, A-line skirts and floral patterns symbolised sixties fashion. It was through Twiggy’s fun personality that made these clothes shine in the windows of shops and became staple items that every girl must have in their wardrobe. Madonna was an up and coming artist in the 80’s. Her pop music inspired her to try different looks and style them to her tastes. Her creativity has introduced many looks such as the lacy wedding dress adding the lace gloves to create edge, worn in her “Like a Virgin” music video. Also, in the 80’s Princess Diana was the first royal to express her personality through fashion. Her choice of big hats, long dresses with military buttons, matching colours have also inspired the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton. Nowadays, there is no individual style icon as social media has connected the world with fashion and has inspired people through their own creativity to make the best outfit that describes their personality. There are so many different influences that no one dresses the same everyone is unique. Therefore, no one should be afraid to try something new because your style could create history as there is no right or wrong. Fashion is all about expressing yourself and showing your creativity.

London Fashion Week: 2015’s Summer Trends by Lucy Barfoot Lucy Barfoot gives the lowdown on what’s hot this summer... The summer trends were featured at London Fashion week, earlier this year. They included:

MAKE IT MONOCHROME: Black and white NEVER goes out of fashion. This year create the monochrome look with different

patterns,

from

eye-catching

graphics to oversized stripes.

HYPER FLORALS: Designers have added pops of colour and oversized flowers to make sure you stand out from the crowd.

SHIMMER AND SHINE: Metallic, glitter and light-catching details! The best outfits to

wear of the evening, shine in the moonlight and dance the night away.

THAT SEVENTIES SHOW: Suede, flares, crochet, lace, denim and flowers! The seventies are back in fashion,

so go through your parents wardrobes because you are going to need to do some DIY and turn some clothes into modern fashion.

STEM Sandwich Bang Does TripJurassic World Big Surpass the Discovery Original? Park

By Sinclair Perry by Jake Fox

Jake Fox and Sam Wilson go head-to-head over this summer’s must-see Blockbuster epic... Yes “Jurassic Park” will go down in history as a film which redefined the movie monster, and created a new generation of children and adults addicted to dinosaurs and even movies themselves. As impressive as it was as a spectacle and a film however, the new “Jurassic Park” manages to not only match the job of its original, but succeed and better it in more ways than many previously thought. “Jurassic Park” is known for its visuals. The giant dinosaurs, the massive arena, even the CGI from the early stage still holds up, for the most part, and the sight of the T-Rex is one of the most notable scenes in history. So how does “Jurassic Park” address this overbearing problem? By going all out on the CGI of course; with everything from the park to the dinosaurs themselves, even creating one in case the other resurrected beasts of history weren’t quite enough to whet the appetite of the modern audience. Quite simply, it look amazing, and puts most current films to shame, let alone any from 1993. The original was a good effort, but this new version is the definite one in terms of realism, presentation, and general excellence. The story is fresh and exciting in most scenes, and covers the view of money vs nature pretty nicely without ramming it down your throats from minute one. Like the original, themes like this sit comfortably in the background of the main plot, giving off a clear message but not dictating what you’re seeing. Of course, as it’s still a Hollywood sequel and so relies quite heavily on the audience’s nostalgia towards Jurassic Park, but uses these moments sparingly and effectively, and shows the rest of cinema how to do it properly and subtly, without a giant sign pointing out how good the first one was compared to the one you’re stuck watching now. “Jurassic Park” is a film with faults, and there’s no escaping that, and the new updated version of the franchise addresses these problems and confidently as well, not resorting to gimmicks or complete re-adjusting of the formula which worked so well for the first three films. It keeps the tone light and quietly ridiculous (past the whole dinosaur thing obviously) meaning that you can enjoy the film without having to question all the coincidences that go on constantly. It’s a feel-good action thriller, and you don’t get the combination working so well very often, so it should be something greatly celebrated. “Jurassic World” was marked out to be one of the biggest movie events of the year, and will still be viewed as that for many years. However there’s a strong argument for it being the best the franchise has to offer, and whilst it lies mostly down to personal taste, from the perspective of a new-age film-goer, it’s certainly a step-up in terms of action and adventure, and a welcome one after the last attempt. Not only as good as the cult classic, but a new example to work from in modern monster-movies.

Does Jurassic World Surpass the Original?

by Sam Wilson

No 22 years ago, “Jurassic Park” hit the cinemas and brought with it a box office success and a frenzy of cheap dinosaur movies. On the 11th June 2015, “Jurassic World” was released, the fourth film in the franchise, and the first for 14 years since the calamity that was “Jurassic Park III”. At the Academy Awards in 1993, “Jurassic Park” won three Oscars: for Best Sound, Best Sound Effects editing and Best Visual Effects. “Jurassic World” will be lucky to get a nomination for any of these categories, let alone win. “Jurassic World” is not a bad film. In fact, it is fair to say that it is both one of the best films in the first half of 2015, and the best film in the franchise since the original. Chris Pratt put in a solid performance as the male lead and Bryce Dallas Howard did fantastically as the lead actress. However, it is ridiculous to even suggest that the film is better than “Jurassic Park”. The casting for “Jurassic Park” was far superior, with Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Richard Attenborough and Jeff Goldblum being one of the best casting decisions of the last few decades, each fitted their role perfectly, and although Pratt and Howard did well, they are no match for the original cast.

The original created a film years ahead of its time, with advanced animatronics and impressive visual effects. “Jurassic World” produces impressive visual effects but it is not ahead of its time in any way, shape or form. The Mosasaurus and Indominus Rex are impressive specimens and in a direct comparison, make the T-Rex and Dilophosaurus of the original look weaker, however, 22 years of technological advancement would bring us to accept this. Similarly, the Star Wars prequels had far superior special effects, yet were far inferior to the original trilogy which came 25 years prior. Therefore, visual effects are a tough factor to compare films on, with age creating huge differences. However, when we tie each film to its time and compare it with other films released close to it, “Jurassic Park” reigns triumphantly. “Jurassic Park” has iconic moments that have lasted throughout the last two decades, whereas “Jurassic World” was not as full of these moments. “Jurassic Park” brought us such scenes as the two main children pushing against a windscreen to prevent the T-Rex getting to them, Jeff Goldblum in the back of a car as the protagonists are chased by the T-Rex and Bob Peck’s famous line “Clever Girl”, referring to the raptor about to devour him. It is these moments which makes a film so memorable and will eventually allow it to prevail over “Jurassic World”. At the end of the day, “Jurassic World” is not bad, it’s just not as much of an iconic ‘family film’ as “Jurassic Park”. To conclude, “Jurassic World” was a perfect call-back to “Jurassic Park” but it was simply not better. World is ridden with easter eggs and references to the original, and that makes it perfect for fans of the franchise. “Jurassic Park” created the trend, and Jurassic World picked up where it left off for me, being the true spiritual successor. Although The Lost World and Jurassic Park III happened, I prefer to believe that they didn’t and therefore “Jurassic World” helps me forget, move on, and learn to love dinosaurs again.

MARVEL vs DC: The Battle for the Superhero by Shannon Potter Over the last seventy years, a new phenomenon has swept the world with bright coloured suits and abilities that surpass those over the average human: the superhero. The earliest classified as such are Spring Heeled Jack and the Scarlet Pimpernel, however it is not these who catch our attention. Two companies for years have been battling to dominate the comic book world both, with a selection of unique heroes and villains to capture the imagination of both young and old. To this day there are still arguments ,whether it be in the school playground or in the work place over which superhero is truly the best and a rift has been created over many a friendship. With the upcoming marvel films planned for the next five years, the DC universe have not had much to celebrate. A new film is planned to bring the caped crusader and the man of steel together but other than this film little more is known. The Marvel universe currently seems inescapable with the Avengers age of Ultron being an undeniable success and Ant man being one of the must see summer films but are the marvel heroes and villains truly superior or does DC still hold its converted title? Both Marvel and DC started creating their heroes in the late 1930’s but some really began to take off in the 1940’s the first DC character being Doctor Occult created in 1935, until the 1960’s DC had comic supremacy leading with some of our favourite heroes globally like Superman and Batman, the first influential hero created by Marvel was Captain America in 1941, but Marvel did not get a break really until they recruited Stan Lee, the creator of some of Marvels’ most iconic characters from Hulk to Spiderman. DC held the monopoly for years and Marvel slowly have begun to steal their thunder. The Marvel cinematic universe is the dominant force of the comic community, however DC cannot be counted out just yet. The range of unique mutants and heroes created by both Marvel and DC are prominent in our culture today however, is it possible to judge who has created the better characters? If iconic characters are considered to be better the winner would be DC, with the two most recognised heroes in existence. Clark Kent, The Superman, the caped crime fighter with no flaws and perfectly angular jaw line can be seen on merchandise worn by most individuals the superman logo is one of the easiest to recognise globally. Another of said logos is the bat symbol. Batman is an inescapable series both comic and film. The characters are dark yet hold a charm to them the twisted villains are more liked than hated. The Batman to date has more film and television portrayals than any other, superheroes the most famous of which is the dark knight trilogy starring Christian Bale as the caped crusader. The most famous female superhero also belongs to DC’s Diana Prince. Wonder Woman is one of the most popular costumes for women to wear be it parties or Halloween. The merchandise market for her is much larger than any single Marvel female and she is undisputedly queen of the heroes. However, DC’s famous few may struggle to stand up to the sheer number of Marvel heroes in circulation, The Justice League holds seven original members whereas the Avengers holds a vast set. The original five quickly recruited another nine in the 1960’s alone. The integration between the Marvel heroes created a solid network which DC heroes lack.

The top grossing superhero film of all time currently stands as “The Avengers”, which as time goes on is expected to have many thrilling further instalments The much awaited third instalment will be split into two parts and is rumoured to combine the popular franchise with its’ interstellar counterparts the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Marvels’ films generally perform to a better quality than the DC film franchise. The casting is usually perfect, with skilled actors such as Robert Downey Jr and Chris Hemsworth leading the franchise, not to mention acquiring a contract with one of the most highly thought of actresses in the cinematic world today Scarlet Johansson. The Marvel films’ centre on the comedic aspects and interaction between characters but as a wholly serious film cannot compare with DC’s gothic take on their beloved Batman. The film trilogy the Dark night along with Tim Burton’s Batman trilogy are the perfect blend of both dark humour and serious themes. Marvel attempts elements of darkness with their villains but do not have the same haunting effect that forces their audience to watch for example the death of the penguin scene in Burton’s “Batman Returns”. The chilling scene shows his Penguin friends casting his body into the waters below after he has died of poisoning, the film forces us to question whether this is a fitting end or a tragic end for a peculiar character? In the DC the heroes are arguably is not the characters we watch out for. DC’s villain’s, mainly those of the Batman series, are unique, mysterious and capture the screen. For example take the Joker. Most villains both in literature and film, traditionally commit atrocities for a reason, this is the same with comic books. Ultron, from the Marvel universe, wishes to create the perfect world, or Doctor Octopus from the Spiderman comic’s whose fateful accident lead to his brain rewiring and the fusion of mechanical limbs to his body, creating a villain with malicious intent. The Joker seems to have no apparent motives but fun. He enjoys playing with the Batman and in his most famous adaptation played by Heath Ledger the sickening humour keeps the audience intrigued and bizarre quotations make him arguably, if not undoubtedly, the best supervillain in existence. The DC universe uses its iconic characters to great effect whereas Marvel’s tactic is to create a breadth of heroes from the most iconic such as Ironman to those whose existence should be questioned such as Squirrel girl. Over the years DC’s more developed and carefully created characters have struggled to face up to the constant bombardment of new creations Marvel throws onto the field. From galactic warriors, to gods, to ants Marvel have seemed to cover nearly every area possible with some form of deity.

For a period of time the comic book world was shaken in the 1990’s with a set of comics combining the two franchises. The comics only continued for four issues in 1996 featuring eleven battles in which marvel acquired 6 victories over DC’s 5. Five of the battles endings were decided by the fans where their vote would decide the outcomes, for example DC’s Batman was picked to triumph over Captain America and Marvel’s Spiderman defeated DC’s Super Boy. This concept surely would gross more than any of the other films combined if these battles were brought to the big screen and the story behind them was expanded. Multiple combinations could be achieved ,like Batman fighting against Iron man would cause not only disputes but mass anticipation from fans of all ages. This concept would really put the argument to rest once and for all. This would also give DC some chances to showcase some of their lesser known but equally brilliant creations such as Martian Man Hunter who briefly appeared in the Justice League. So, the superhero movie is here to stay!

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The Woman in Black—Theatre Mascara, Death Tournaments, Starvation: Why Must We Suffer So? Trip in November

Brown by Bryony Mrs Thorogood

Bryony Thorogood discusses the trend for dystopian films... The 21st October, of this year, marks the day that Marty McFly flew to, in “Back to the Future II”. Although aspects seemed unlikely, and still do, it is surprising the number of predictions made that are true today. So, if hoverboards and Jaws 19 could be predicted in 1989, why do we only predict a dystopian future, now? This year has planned the release of many awaited sequels, including “The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials”, “Insurgent” and “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2”, which follow the success of their predecessors. And these weren’t the only ones; “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”, “The Purge: Anarchy” and “The Giver” were also released in 2014, “Elysium”, “The Purge” and “Oblivion” in 2013, as well as “Dredd” and “Total Recall” in 2012, to name but

a few. These films can’t even be viewed with the hope that we’ll all feel better upon leaving the cinema because it won’t be true. The message is the same for them all: the future looks bad and we have no escape. Dystopian films almost always feature a population where no one is happy, not even the fascist government that are controlling them. The societies from before have broken down, overthrown by this new one, who have made up their own laws to suit them. Weird robots or violent thugs control the legal system. Most people are clones in pyjamas, but the contrasting force to the police is a large group of heavily tattooed gangsters, who often get tattoos to make them look more intimidating. The females that are part of these groups still manage to perfectly do their makeup and wear

tight-fitting leather outfits. There will a rebellious woman, who took her inspiration from the brothers that brought her up because they had no parents. Too, there will be an old wise man, a man with no flaws, and the messiah, who is going to save the day. And it’s likely that it will be based in a post-apocalyptic America, and their lair will be underground, in some dingy warehouse. The lighting is poor, there are no public schools and etiquette has gone out the window. The hero never wants to be a hero in a dystopian movie. Until something really fires them up, when the antagonist uses their passion against them, or when all around the protagonist pressure them into becoming a hero. Katniss Everdeen, protagonist of “The Hunger Games” series, is a key example of this; unwilling to become a hero, really, until the penultimate film, already having experienced far too many hardships that she hadn’t wanted to face before. If the hero is female, however, there is a chance that the film will begin with a coming-of-age ceremony, in which she wears the dress that her mother had been keeping only for such an important occasion. Later on, it is likely that she will drastically transform, with a new hairstyle and an outfit that wows her male counterpart, before she dazzles everyone with her secret weapon skills.

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It could be likely that there are so many dystopian films because there are so many white film-makers. The films that involve these minorities mainly contain white minorities, who suffer most of all. Black film-makers will not want to make films about the world they can already see, where injustice is prominent, children are constantly hungry and poor people are persecuted. These films give white people the opportunity to parade around, acting as someone they’re not, blatantly unaware of what this actually

means to the people that live in these situations, in real life. It is almost as if dystopian films are modern remakes of Western films, only with robots, instead of cowboys, and society, instead of Indians. Instantly, the films seem less threatening because the audience know that, by the end, the trouble will be resolved because the ‘good guy’ is going to come along and sort out the ‘bad guy’. The original films made it appear as if the future was bright because there was no one left to fight. The modern remarks aren’t quite as reassuring because they’re not based so far in the past, or in the past at all. Dystopian films, however, make the present look better than it is. Acting as a comparison, the world leaders we have and have had aren’t quite so extreme, which means worse for the future. The past was bad, the present’s worse, and the future has no chance. What has been experienced in the past suggests that a future catastrophe could be even worse than the Dark Ages or even either of the World Wars, and this could put an end to human society. In contrast, it could suggest that we’ll bounce back and continue to develop into a world more like the one that was predicted in Back to the Future.

Perhaps today’s film-makers are just jealous of the future. They might be unwilling to accept that their grandchildren are going to live in a world that was developed even from today. If they can’t enjoy the future, why can anyone else; après moi, le déluge, as Louis XVI’s grandfather once put it. If they were able to survive in a world without flying cars, why should anyone else be able to have this luxury?

‘Grease’ is the Word by Miss Brown Miss Brown reports on the school musical, ‘Grease’... It’s got groove it’s got meaning. But what meaning? For the pom-pom waving, leather jacket wearing, rock and roll bopping cast members it meant 4 months of intense rehearsals. It meant learning songs, dance routines, learning lines, putting on American accents and remembering direction. It meant listening to the dulcet tones of Miss Brown and Ms Fenn gently encouraging them to ‘STOP TOUCHING THE CURTAIN’ and ‘STOP STANDING LIKE YOU NEED THE TOILET’. In other words, in meant hard work all round. It also meant a lot of fun. We have never had such a large, positive and hardworking cast. The chorus impressed us with their creativity, each of them creating their own personal character and social groups such as the ‘jocks’ and the ‘geeks’. The principles brought their own ideas to the parts and were able to make them their own with some stunning and mature performances. To name but a few, Kate Maclean (Sandy) and Louis Hannaford (Danny) approached the parts professionally and with stunning results. Eleanor Boiling (Rizzo) gave an emotional rendition of ‘There Are Worst Things I Could Do’ and Kiyia Velasco Mills (Kenickie) wowed audiences with his energetic version of ‘Greased Lightning’. Of course, a production is not just about those who get to take a bow. The backstage team, led by Cameron Earl-Dieppedalle (first time Stage Manager) worked tirelessly to ensure scene changes happened quickly and safely. Lighting and sound were provided by Poppy Reed and Jules Konieczny (although this time without his guitar) as well as Tom Oliveira, Brandon Ethell and Harry Fox on the follow spots.

Oliver Kennet and Jacob Glass were a continuous presence at rehearsals, providing musical support and working with Ms Fenn as assistant MDs’. Thanks must be given to the year 7 student body who spent an enrichment day helping making props with Mrs Parker and Mrs Hidson and painting the set with Mr Ashmore; whilst learning about the musical theatre genre and the performing arts business. A special mention and thank you to Mr Boiling who kindly made the two ‘Grease 1’ cars for us, complete with working headlamps. Mrs Parker and her team of year 9 food technology students provided the Gala night with American style food such as burgers, fries and milkshakes; whisking (or maybe stirring) the audience to a 1950s diner experience.

Barton Court Drama! by Miss Brown A group of students have been rehearsing the new play ‘The Accordion Shop’ for the National Theatre Connections festival at The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. On the 29th April we spent the afternoon at the Marlowe Theatre on the main stage working with their professional team of technicians to do the technical and dress rehearsals. They then performed in front of a large audience, including industry professionals from The National Theatre. The students got to get dressed in the Marlowe’s dressing rooms, making it a professional experience, as well as meeting students from other schools and youth groups who were performing that same evening.

On the 30th April, year 11 GCSE drama students performed extracts from different plays as part of their final GCSE performance in front of the moderator. The students did themselves proud under difficult circumstances, as a power cut plunged the first group into darkness mid-performance; as well as this having an effect on sound and one set of lights for all performers. The moderator, a drama teacher himself, praised the students for how well they coped with this. Technical difficulties aside, the students gave some mature and top grade performances. The moderator was particularly impressed with Tor Lorentzen in his role as ‘Serge’ in an extract from Yasmina Reza’s play ‘Art’ and Mercedes Brandy in her role as ‘Marge’ in Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Absent Friends’.

Retro Review: Inception by George Chrysostomou By Sinclair Perry George Chrysostomou urges you to catch up on a classic... Leonardo Di Caprio. Christopher Nolan. A plot that makes you keep pinching yourself to check if you’re not asleep. What more could you want? If you’ve been living under a few cultural boulders since 2005, you would’ve heard of a small director called Christopher Nolan; the mastermind behind the Dark Knight trilogy, and the new astro-exploration trek “Interstellar”. However, despite all this great work behind him, one film stands out as being the definition of Nolan. An immense celebration of his talents in film-making, and one of the highlights of the careers of all involved – “Inception”. Whilst in essence being a heist movie, “Inception” provides much more in that it has emotion, depth and an ending so controversial there are websites and on-going debates about what the final seconds truly mean – for both the viewer and the characters. And the fact that people care this much about the fates of characters that left our screens in 2010 is true testament to just how good this film is. It constantly has you on the edge of your seat, from the minute the action starts early on to the very end, in either shock, awe, suspense or just confusion as you wonder what actually just happened, and the acting from big names like Di Caprio, Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt only helps to immerse yourself into it all just that bit further. Of course, this is a film purely based on surprise and your reaction to it, so the plot itself is better seen revealed slowly and carefully, like pulling off a plaster – revealing solid gold genius underneath it. To say it’s mind-testing is an understatement, as Nolan really pushes the boat out from reality to find the hard-hitting themes and ideas which are right at the core of this film, and whilst it may cause a few to feel slightly lost, by the end you still feel part of the ride, even if your mind might still be trying to understand the title. It keeps going and keeps providing you with new things to think about and talk about when the film is over, and does all of this without managing to overwhelm you at the same time, carefully keeping you focused on the events unfolding, whilst still curiously mulling over everything else that’s going on.

There are simply too many perfections in this film to continue to talk about. From the plot, to the themes, to the characters, to individual moments, some of which will go down in cinematic history for the simple brilliance and ‘wow’ factor that they bring. It’s incredible. It’s unbelievable. It’s Inception.

Canoe Wild: After School Canoe Club at Grove Ferry by Mrs Swinden Canoe Wild contacted us about courses that they run, one of which is a six week introduction to canoeing and at the end of it you are able to achieve your BCU 1 star award. We had a group of 8 students, ages ranging from 11 to 15 years. The first week we went, the weather was cold and wet, although spirits were high!! The group, Ellie Swinden, Conor Stanfield, Felix Reed, Finlay Perry, Freddie Harvey, Jack Read, Ian and Thomas Wingfield were talked through the Health and Safety requirements and the dos and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ts of the river and then paired up. Fortunately, it did stay dry until the end of the lesson!! We had to miss the following week due to high winds. The weeks after that were spent honing their skills. Due to the missed lesson, they had a two hour lesson on what should have been their last week; due to the weather this took place at their Fordwich site. The weather was kind to us and a great time was had by allâ&#x20AC;Ś The instructor got everybody to use the skills they had learnt over that last few weeks. He also got them the build a canoe stack with 5 canoes, they had to climb on the top of it and paddle it along the river!!!! I think that was the highlight of the canoeing so far, it was definitely great fun to watch from the river bank!! Overall, our experiences at Canoe Wild have been fun and exciting, as well as learning a lot of technical skill and the importance of team-work.

The Rugby World Cup by Adam Whyte Adam Whyte looks forward to the next great sporting event on British soil… What, where and who? Every four years since 1987 20 nations have come together to celebrate the game of Rugby via the Rugby Union’s World Cup. The last World Cup was held in New Zealand in 2011 with the hosts defeating a strong French side 8-7 in the final to take the crown of World Champions. Four years later in 2015, England will be hoping for a similar fate as they host the tournament for the first time since 1991. Known more officially as the quadrennial rugby union world championship, the 2015 organisers will be hoping their sharper focus upon foul play ahead of the autumn event will not take away from the fight, spirit and sheer ecstasy associated with the sport we all know and love. But who should be fancying their chances ahead of the opening ceremony on September 18 th? Who may prove to be a dark horse? And who should recognise qualification as an achievement in itself? Here’s the Pool-by-Pool lowdown.

Pool A: Pool A features three of the top-six ranked teams, in England (4th), Wales (5th) and Australia (6th). The hosts England will have reason to be confident, if history is anything to go by, as the previous seven Rugby World Cup hosts went on to reach the final on five occasions. The newly founded strength in depth of Stuart Lancaster’s side gives England fans yet more reason for optimism thanks partly to immergence of Tom Youngs and Jonathan Joseph during the Six Nations. In stark contrast, the loss of Jonathan Davis for Wales and constant question marks over the young George North means ‘strength in depth’ is exactly what Warren Gatland’s side are lacking. The betting odds don’t bode well for Wales either, with both England and Australia forming stronger contenders for the crown. Australia’s lowest ever ranking of 6th place after only a 43% win rate in 2014 is a clear indication of how they will struggle to overthrow the hosts in Pool A. As a result, despite the excitement felt by added foreign-based players such as Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell, the likely second place finish for Australia will on paper put them up against South Africa in the next round – a side the Wallabies have lost to in four of their last five meetings. Although some comfort must come from the fact that, alongside England and Wales, a win is surely assured against the remaining Pool A members Fiji and Uruguay who many feel are simply along for the ride. Pool B: Pool B features another potential semi-finalist in South Africa whose 27-25 win against World Champions New Zealand sent shock waves across the rugby world. Whilst November loses to Wales and Ireland hinted at certain cracks within the Springboks side, it’s widely regarded that Pool B will prove an easy ride for the third favourites as far as the World rankings are concerned.

The most familiar of South Africa’s opponents come in the form of Scotland with their New Zealand head coach Vern Cotter at the helm. Unfortunately the Scot’s Six Nations performance showed very little sign of improvement, with the bookies expecting them to not get any further than the last 8 in 2015. The remainder of Pool B features the best of the Pacific Island sides in Samoa, the 2019 World Cup hosts Japan and a side who endured a very poor Pacific Nations Cup – USA. South Africa will be over the moon with their Pool this year.

Pool C: The penultimate Pool features the current World Champions and overwhelming favourites to reclaim their title. In 2014, the New Zealand retained their Rugby Championship crown in style, but will have been disappointed at the loss of their winning and unbeaten records at different points during the same event. But such disappointments prove very minimal in comparison to their uncanny spacial awareness and the fact they have more pace and power than the rest of their Pool combined. The All Blacks have only lost two of their last 42 tests since their last World Cup victory – do we need to say anymore? The nations of who form the unfortunate opponents to the 11/8 favourites are Argentina, Tonga, Georgia and Namibia. Following a strong third place finish at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Argentina were rewarded with a place in the 2012 Rugby Championship. However the tournament three years ago did nothing but highlight Argentina’s clear regression since the World Cup in France, with the Pumas only recording a win in their final game. Fortunately this World Cup success is exactly what sets Argentina apart from the remaining three in the race for second place in Pool B. The ageing Tonga team will take heart from their progressive improvements in recent World Cups; their shock win over eventual finalists France in 2011 proving testament to such a fact. However they prove to be wildly inconsistent meaning their potential status as a dark horse in the race for the second place in Pool B may be under threat. Georgia are also very unpredictable meaning the game between these two sides on September 19 th may prove interestingly tight. Lastly are Namibia who have played 15 World Cup matches; losing them all! Not only that, their aggregate scored at the World Cup results in an astonishing 974-144! With overwhelming favourites New Zealand in their group, the accolade of the biggest win is most certainly on the cards. Australia currently hold the record with a 142-0 win over Namibia in 2003. Pool D: Pool D casts a far more even array of quality in comparison to the previous pools. Back-to-back winners of the Six Nations Ireland are likely to battle it out with an enthralling and enchanting French side, who finished runners-up in 2011. Italy prove to be continuously reliant on their now ageing superstar Sergio Parisse. Their lack of notable talent elsewhere will most probably mean they struggle to get out the group. This seems to be the case for both Romania and Canada who complete Pool D; both of whom are considered rather anti-climactic when it comes down to performances at the World Cup.

The Final Predictions: There’s no arguing as to what team will be arriving to England and Wales in the autumn with the most confidence. South Africa seem unstoppable on all fronts at the moment and their sensational run of success shows no signs of stuttering. However, after some very painful exits to previous World Cups, alongside the painful, ever looming, 4 year wait for Six Nations success, England may fancy themselves in front of the passionate English crowds in September. Many feel the time has come for Stuart Lancaster and England…and I tend to agree.

Year 7 Rugby by Mr Lintott What a year for the year 7 Rugby team at Barton Court! The season started in October with weekly training sessions on Mondays after school. We started with a good showing, having a number of players coming to the school from Canterbury, Ash and Whitstable rugby clubs. With over half of the team having never picked up a rugby ball in anger they showed real spirit and commitment to the game, and with help from the more experienced players became a very capable team early on. With Barton Court being an emerging school in rugby, their first outing was a tough one, with back to back games against Kent College and Simon Langton. They narrowly lost to Kent College, but then had a comfortable 24-5 victory over a strong Langton B team. After a number of tough training sessions in appalling weather conditions our next fixture was against Marsh Academy. The boys came up against a very committed yet agitated team and as the tries came raining in tempers flared, but to Barton Courtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s credit they kept their cool and run out worthy winners 48-0. Next up we were away to St Anselms where the boys struggled to get it together but still managed to pull a win out of the bag. After the Christmas break it was onwards and upwards with a resounding victory against a very boisterous Abbey School. Our final fixture was against Canterbury Academy and this was a bruising encounter. They were a very tough opponent and unfortunately we lost by two tries. Just before Easter the boys had the Emerging Schools Festival held at Whitstable RFC. Barton Court breezed through the group stages with wins against Archbishops, Abbey, QE and Sandwich Tec. So this meant that we went on to a straight final against Canterbury Academy. The boys knew they were going to be in a tough game after the loss to them earlier in the season. To their credit they showed great heart and immense strength to over power a well drilled forward pack and gain a fantastic victory to become Emerging Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s District Champions. As their coach can I give all the boys a massive thank you for all their effort, endeavour and application that they have given me through the season.

American Football at Barton Court!

by Miss Poole

On Thursday 22nd June Year 7 and 8 students had the honour of meeting and being coached by former professional American football star, Byron Chamberlain. The former tight end played most of his career with the Denver Broncos where he won back to back Superbowls and was also picked for the prestigious pro bowl team. Byron was travelling as part of the staff for American Football Development who are a Canterbury based company striving to promote the game across Kent. AFD were in school to provide taster sessions, with the view to further investment in American Football next year. The lucky students in year 7 and year 8 were given a taster of session of American football that included learning the various line positions, how to throw the ball properly, as well as the importance of responding only to the call â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Set, Hutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; from the quarterback. Weighing in at 264 pounds, the six foot one gentle giant made a great impact on students and seemed to spark a huge enthusiasm for American football at the school in the future. The former pro also made an impression on staff as well which Mr Fairfax brought to life by the tales Byron had to tell regarding old pros and top stadiums. He also charmed the canteen staff as he kept coming back for refills in the true American style. He was a true gentleman and his visit will hopefully signify the beginning of a long partnership between the school and American Football Development.

Sports Round-Up: Girls Basketball

by Miss Poole

The under 16 girls basketball team started the season with a crushing 46-6 win against the Abbey school, before losing narrowly to both Chaucer and Herne Bay High. However, the girls came in to form at just the right time and produced an excellent display to be crowned under 16 district champions. Player of the year was awarded to Alice Scharmeli, whilst Leah Rolls was awarded player of the tournament. The under 14 team began their campaign with a dramatic game against Spires, scoring in the final seconds to secure a 22 all score line. The team trained hard in between games and were beginning to develop a sense of unity and cohesion. There next game saw an excellent 18-10 victory against Community College Whitstable, reported on by Mollie Harding below. The team have showed great promise, especially with students from year 7 and 8 playing too. Third place in the district tournament bodes well for more success next season. Girls Basketball match- Barton Court vs CCW (Report by Mollie Harding) On Tuesday 3rd February CCW went down 20-24 to Barton Court. The game was played with a good competitive spirit which was reflected in the close score. With each side fielding only 5 players it was a game where basket for basket was scored until the last 2 minutes of the final quarter. Sophie Kelderis provided terrific defence for Barton Court under the basket and her height assisted in scoring at the other end. Iszy Osmond showed good skill in defence as she was very good at catching the rebounds from the opposing teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shots and then driving the ball forward to the other end. The whole team showed good support for each other and had fantastic teamwork. By working together, the team managed to score 24 goals until the end of all quarters. Lois Loxley was very good at winning the ball back from the opposite team and she was very good at intercepting the ball between passes, shots and dribbles. The whole team was performing very well and was in the lead by far until the third quarter. However they all started to tire and lose concentration which led to the opposite team being much stronger and them getting the ball much more often, resulting in them shooting successful goals and them being in the lead. However, in the final quarter everyone was focused and had a lot of strength which led to us scoring many successful goals and the final score being 20-24 to Barton Court. Finally Ella Swatman was our player of the match as she scored the most amount of goals and was focused and strong throughout the game.

Sports Round-Up: Girls Netball

by Miss Poole

Year 7 managed to form a team in time for one warm up game and the district tournament. Their first competitive match was a very close affair and saw them lose narrowly to Canterbury Academy by 13 goals to 8. The district tournament was a real learning curve for the team, with them developing their knowledge and understanding of positional roles and team strategy. The team came a creditable 8th, which was a good achievement considering they formed so late. Year 8 resumed their season after the winter break with a close encounter with Canterbury Academy, losing by 10 goals to 6. However, the team trained hard and improved in the lead up to the District netball tournament. The team had a magnificent tournament, showing great skill and determination in standout results of drawing with Kent College and beating Simon Langton. Our final placing was 4th out of a strong field of 10 schools. The team should be proud of their efforts this year. Colours were awarded to Alice Thompson and Isabel James for their commitment to school netball. Year 9 had a disappointing season in terms of results, however they were the most committed and enthusiastic of all teams this year. Despite training hard for their tournament they were only able to finish 7th of 10 teams. Year 10 had good form in the lead up to the tournament, with a particularly impressive win over Herne Bay and a narrow defeat to Archbishops. However, the team were missing main shooter Alex Willis and influential defender Poppy Smith for the tournament, and despite some excellent play were unable to convert as many chances as they would have liked to. The team finished 7th of 9 teams in the District tournament.

Boys’ Sport: Futsal, Rugby and Indoor Athletics

by Mr Lintott

Futsal The Year 7 Canterbury and Herne Bay district champions played in the Kent Futsal Championships at Medway Park Gillingham. We were drawn in a tough group, but we still managed to win all our games and only conceded one goal in 5 matches! These results meant that we reached the knockout and semi-final stages of the competition. We played Dartford school and won the game comfortably (3-1). As fate would have it, we then played Canterbury Academy in the final, who actually qualified as runners up behind us in the District Championships! . This was an edgy and nervy affair throughout and there were few chances in a very tight and well matched game. The game then went into extra-time, where the match would be decided on a golden goal. With 2 seconds left on the clock (yes, 2 seconds!) we conceded from distance with a wonderful strike and lost the game. The boys achieved 2 nd place in Kent overall and should be extremely proud of their wonderful achievements.

Kent Futsal Runners up- squad list.

Elijah Mancini GK Oscar Lwellyn Odlin Max Halliday Harvey Lintott Sam Clay Koshis Rai

Rugby The under 14s Rugby team played three matches in 2015. Their first game was against a strong Archbishop’s team, which included two county players. We played with lots of heart and team spirit, but lost the game 30-17. Our next match proved to be another challenge against Canterbury Academy, where we lost the game 50-21. In our final game versus Abbey School, we got the success we deserved and won this by one converted try-21-14. This result was a positive in a challenging season, again several young players took a positive experience from these games and contributed well to the team, next year we will be stronger for this. Indoor Athletics The year 7 and 8 students got an early taster before the summer Athletics season got under way at an indoor event held at Herne Bay High. We entered a strong team and saw some really good performances, particularly in the year 7 boys’ competition where we finished a close 4th place behind Herne Bay High School. The year 8 team also finished a credible 5th. Both teams look in good shape to have a very successful season in the summer.

Boys’ Sport: Basketball and Football

by Miss Poole

Basketball The under 13 Boys basketball team started the season with a convincing 32-18 win against the Abbey school, before losing narrowly to Herne Bay High. However, the boys came in to form at just the right time and produced an excellent display against QE in their next match, winning by 10 points in a high scoring game (42-32). In our final match versus Spires, we finished the season in style and won the game by a massive 46- 12, this was a fully deserved result and showed some impressive performances by the Year 7s in the team. Overall, a good season with only one defeat and lots of great experience gained from the younger players in the team. Football Year 7 resumed their season after the winter break with a close encounter with Simon Langton in the cup, losing by 2-1. The winning goal for Langton came in the last 10 minutes of a game where it looked likely to go into extra-time. However, the team trained hard and improved their performance from our last league encounter and this is already looking like it is going to be close again next year!. The team had a magnificent team spirit and are showing great skill and determination, which again bodes well for next year’s season in the A League. Our final placing was 4th out of a strong field of 10 schools in both leagues. The team should be proud of their efforts this year. Year 8 managed to reach the semi-final stages of the District Cup competition after beating CCW 6-1 in their quarter final match! This was fully deserved and Tom Halliday scored an excellent hat-trick in this game and assisted on a further gaol, achieving a man of the match performance. We were drawn against Langton in the semi-final and although we fielded a less experienced team due to injuries and illness on the day, we still managed to push Langton all the way. Langton won the game 3-1 , but some good performances by four Year 7 boys are worth highlighting. Max Halliday, Oscar Lwelleyn Odlin, Will Moses and Harvey Lintott all helped the Year 8 boys put in a solid performance. District Football District football teams have again included several players from years 7-10 in their squads. They have completed all their fixtures this year and have been heavily involved in matches on a Saturday. The under 12s team won the District Cup this year, beating Dover District in the final of the competition which was played at Maidstone United’s Gallagher Stadium. Max Halliday and Harvey Lintott were strong members of the squad , with Harvey being joint top goal scorer.

Sports Round-Up: Futsal, Indoor Athletics and Handball

by Miss Poole

Futsal The under 12 and under 16 girls teams entered the Kent School Games finals full of confidence, having won their regional qualifiers. Unfortunately on the day neither team re-created earlier form and were unable to finish in a top 3 spot. However, the girls all had a fantastic experience and enjoyed playing futsal at a very competitive level at a great venue. Special mention should go to the under 16 girls team of Harriet Bourton, Leah Rolls, Bonny Mason, Millie Hanson, Ellen King, Lilly Mason and Ellie Holder as they have now qualified for the finals three years in a row. This team have been at the stronghold of girls football in the school for the past four years and have proved themselves to be very good role models to the aspiring footballers entering the school. Indoor Athletics The year 7 and 8 students got an early taster before the summer Athletics season got under way at an indoor event held at Herne Bay High. We entered a strong team and saw some really good performances, particularly in the Year 7 girls’ competition where we finished a close second behind Simon Langton Girls. The Year 8 team also finished a credible 4th. Handball – Satellite School Success Following the introduction of a new handball club after school in terms 1, 2 and 3 the school are proud to report great success amongst our handball players. Students showing potential attended County trials at Medway Park and the following students were successful in gaining county honours; Alanna Forwood, Ellie Warner, Sabrina Matthew, Kezia Knights, Anna Burns, Alice Scharmeli and Rosie Davis for the girls, and Sam Simms, Sam Harlow, Joey Young, Toby Darby and Seth Rice for the boys. The girls had tremendous success as part of the county squad and won through the regional qualifying event to go on and represent the South East at the national finals in April. Unfortunately, the team could not achieve a top 3 finish, but they all had a great experience of playing highly competitive sport on a National level. Well done to all girls involved. The boys have also gone from strength to strength under the watchful eye of handball development officer Tom Middleton. The students were involved in the regional championships, finishing an impressive 2nd in this event. The boys have shown a great enthusiasm and commitment towards handball and have gone on to play a number of games for the county squad. In addition to this a number of our students now attend Canterbury seniors’ handball club at Canterbury Christchurch university. This has been a really exciting and successful year for handball at Barton Court and we look forward to more success when Tom Middleton starts up the satellite club again in September.

Jack Read and Freddie Harvey’s Charity Swim by Freddie Harvey We had to choose an event in and out of school to raise money for the Guide Dogs Fund, and Jack and I chose to do a 2 mile swim at the King’s School pool on Sunday the 22nd of March 2015 at eleven o’clock. We spent the week before raising money in the school by going to form rooms asking teachers and pupils in the school. This was a success as in the school we raised £22. Then we asked people out of school for their support. This idea was one of the best that we had as its outcome was a huge amount. However, it came as money per length so we had to find out exactly how much we had made when we added it all together at the end. We arrived on the day at 11 o’clock and proceeded to get changed and ready, and, by 11:05, we were off. We were both a little unsure as to whether we would finish. However, when the first 20 minutes our lengths were in and we were both in our mid 20’s we then continued to go until our final lap where we swam the last one together.

A huge well done to Jack and Freddie!

Total amount raised: £216

23 56

Summer First Aid by Bryony Thorogood DEHYDRATION This occurs when the amount of fluids lost from the body are not adequately replaced, and it can especially happen on days of: excessive sweating during sports, and prolonged exposure to the sun or hot conditions. WHAT TO DO 1)

Reassure the casualty.

Help them sit down.

Give them plenty of fluids to drink (water and isotonic drinks, for salt replacement).

If the casualty has cramps, stretch and massage the affected muscles.

Monitor their vital signs, and call for medical advice if the patient continues to be unwell.

INSECT STING Insect stings are more painful than dangerous, as the initial pain is followed by mild swelling, redness and soreness. WHAT TO DO 1)

Reassure the casualty.

If the sting is visible, brush or scrape it off with the edge of a credit card or your fingernail; DO NOT USE TWEEZERS.

Raise the affected part and apply a cold compress for at least ten minutes.

Monitor their vital signs, especially for signs of an allergic reaction (wheezing and/or reddened, swollen, itchy skin).

IF THE CASUALTY HAS BEEN STUNG IN THE MOUTH… There is a risk that tissues in the mouth and throat will occur, blocking off the airway. WHAT TO DO 1)

Give the casualty an ice cube to suck or a cold glass of water to sip.

Call for emergency help is swelling starts to develop.

CPR: NO BREATHING WHAT TO DO 1)

Kneel beside the casualty, level with their chest, and put the heel of your hand on the centre of their chest.

Place the heel of your second hand on top of the first and interlock the fingers, ensuring the fingers are off the ribs.

Leaning over the casualty, with straight arms, press down vertically by about 5-6cm, before releasing pressure, but not moving your hands from their chest.

Make 30 chest compressions (suggested to the tune of Staying Alive).

Tip the casualty’s head back, so their mouth falls open.

Pinching their nose, take a breath and place your lips around the casualty’s mouth, breathing in until chest rises; after let the chest fall, give a second rescue breath.

Continue the cycle of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths, until help arrives or the patient recovers.

SUNBURN Over-exposure to the sun or a sunlamp can result in sunburn, and sunburn can even occur on an overcast day, at a high enough altitude. It is easily prevented by staying in the shade, wearing protective clothing and regularly applying a high factor sun cream. WHAT TO DO 1)

Cover the casualty’s skin with light clothing or a towel.

Move them out of the sun or inside, if at all possible.

Encourage them to have frequent sips of cool water.

Cool the affected skin by dabbing it with cold water, or allow the casualty to soak in a cold bath for ten minutes.

Mild burns can, later, be soothed by calamine or after-sun lotion; severe sunburn should treated by medics.

THE RECOVERY POSITION If someone is found to be unconscious, without a spinal injury, this position is vital to put the casualty in. WHAT TO DO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Kneel beside the casualty, to remove things like glasses and bulky objects (i.e. mobile phones and keys). Ensuring that both of the casualty’s legs are straight, Place the arm closest to you at a right angle to the casualty’s body, with the elbow bet and the palm facing upwards. Bring the arm that is farthest from you across the casualty’s chest, and hold the back of his hand to their cheek, which is closest to you. With your other hand, take the far leg just above the knee and pull it up, keeping the foot flat on the ground. Keeping the casualty’s hand pressed to their cheek, pull on the far leg and roll the casualty towards you, onto their side. Adjust the upper leg so that both the hip and knee are bent at right angles. Tilt the casualty’s head back and tilt their chin, so the airway stays open. Call for emergency help, if not already done so.

HEAT STROKE This will happen when the brain fails to regulate body temperature, so becomes dangerously overheated, often due to a high fever or prolonged exposure to heat. WHAT TO DO 1)

Move the casualty to a cooler place.

Remove as much of their clothes as possible.

Help them sit down, supported with cushions.

Wrap them in a cold, wet sheet, until their temperature falls to 38°C below the tongue or 37.5°C under the armpit.

Keep the sheet wet by continually pouring cold water on it; or, if there is no sheet available, fan the casualty or sponge them with cold water.

Once their temperature has returned to normal, replace the wet sheet with a dry one.

Monitor their vital signs, and repeat the process if their temperature appears to rise again.

YOU SHOULDN’T BE AFRAID TO DO FIRST AID! Do you know why? Because it’s more important to try to save someone’s life and give them a fighting chance to live, than to leave them alone because you don’t want to make the situation worse, even though you know more than the people around you.

Look Good, Feel Good by Lucy Barfoot Keeping healthy and exercising is a topic which comes up time and time again. We all know that we need to eat a balanced diet and do lots of sporting activities as a way of exercising. Keeping fit is all about motivation, seeing the results and making you happier. It is also about living your life to the fullest and experiencing new things. While you sit indoors on a nice sunny day watching Netflix or playing on the Xbox you get lost in an imaginary world and forget that time and life is passing by day by day. That is why you need to enjoy yourself this summer. Instead of wasting your time sitting indoors, go out and explore the world. Start a new sport (rock climbing, tennis, football, dance etc.), go to the beach, talk lots of walks with your family and friends, go on an adventure. There are so many activities you can do this summer which will make you healthier and happier. Jess Lamb in Year 13 is a fitness blogger who has helped inspire and motivate people to keep fit and healthy. Her main goal is to “Get others active and happy with their bodies” by eating healthily, going to the gym, walks and runs with family or friends to help keep you motivated and to have fun. When asked about her summer fitness routine, she replied “Eat healthily, more fruit but before 2pm so that the sugars have time to digest. Try and do at least 3 sessions of exercise a week, this can be a run, a fitness DVD or your own mixed Cardio and strength exercise. Try and get a form of protein in your diet just after you wake up and just before you go to sleep to keep your metabolism up, examples are an egg, chicken, protein shake”. An easy way to monitor your diet and health is to use the “my fitness pal” app which is a calorie counter and diet tracker. For more tips from Jess Lamb you can follow her Instagram account @jesskerylfitness and her fitness website is keryldex.wix.com/ jesskerylfitness. This summer, explore the world and share new experiences with friends and families. You can join clubs such as canoeing, dance, rowing, sailing, rock climbing etc. You could also join a summer camp such as the Duke of Edinburgh award and NCS. Remember to eat healthy, drink lots of water and enjoy the sun.

Dementia Village: Is it Time for the UK to Reconsider Dementia Treatment? by Molly Lambourn Molly Lambourn tackles a controversial topic that will impact upon many of us... Hodgeway, or as it is nicknamed- “Dementia Village” is a care home in the Netherlands that treats dementia with a fascinating new approach. The care home facilitates 152 severe dementia patients who are able to live normally in a “fantasy” village. Dementia is an ever increasing issue in the UK. The disease is a broad term used to describe the deteriorating mental functions that occur with old age, the most common form of dementia being Alzheimer’s which affects two thirds of dementia sufferers. Dementia village has shops, pubs and 25 venues that cater for different hobbies. Unlike the care system in the UK where patients are confined to a home- patients in Hodgeway still maintain independence in their lives. The idea behind the village is that the patients will feel more at ease living in a community as opposed to living in an institutional care home. All of the staff in the various shops are trained to treat those with dementia. Controversially a lot of the patients believe it to be a real village, indeed many aspects of it are- in the restaurants chefs and waiters are trained to their profession. The village provides patients with a world as their brain would currently understand it as dementia is thought to reverse the clock so that the patient will no longer remember today but instead to when they were around 30. The staff at Hodgeway believe it to be a more benevolent approach than having a care home that resembles a hospital.

The treatment has shown success with the patients being less agitated and therefore requiring less medicine than usual dementia patients. They have the freedom to walk around in a safe environment. Critics might say that it is unfair to fool the patients but the care home doesn’t mask the patients from their illness, they simply treat them in a way that allows them to get the most out of their final years. Hodgeway provides patients with independence that wouldn’t usually be associated with Dementia. Nonetheless the approach is costly, the village cost £25 million to build and is reserved strictly for the most severe dementia patients. The UK government budgeted a £66 million investment into Alzeimers for 2014/15, a better figure compared to the 2010 budget of £26 million. Currently there are 850,000 people in the UK with Dementia, by 2025 this number will increase to a million. Is the UK government investing enough into Dementia? Maybe the care system in the UK could be improved. Hodgeway may not be economically viable in our country yet it is the principles of Dementia village that we should consider. All people deserve freedom, this privilege does not have to stop in old age. Imagine a life where these patients don’t have to have the standard routine a care home enforces, where everyone has to wake at a set time and follow set routines. Instead a personalised human approach could be taken. The Netherlands are setting the standards for the compassionate way to treat our old.

Year 11 Prom Photo credit: Max Lamdin

Not only is Year 11 prom a chance to wave goodbye to those that might be moving on to new schools at the end of the year, it is a chance for the ladies and gentlemen, alike, to dress up in their finest. Here is just a collection of some pictures of the gorgeous girls and the charming chappies that made an appearance!

Barton Court School Trips German Exchange Trip: Next year holds exciting opportunities for German students at Barton Court as our future Year 9s, 10s and 11s will be exchanging letters with German students at the Otto Hahn Gymnasium in Landau. Otto Hahn is a mixed grammar school in the heart of the German Rhineland, a stone’s throw from the historical and picturesque towns of Heidelberg and Heilbronn. Our students will be learning about German customs and traditions and sharing a few of our own. We’re hoping to establish an exciting relationship with new experiences to share with our German penfriends, with the hope of setting up an exchange to Landau in 2016. Watch this space! Or, as they say in German… “Halten Sie ein Auge darauf”!

The Battlefield Trip, October 2015: By Finlay Perry In May I received an email entitled, “GCSE students, Free trip to France and Belgium” concerning a government scheme to engage people in history, by providing a small number of free places to tours in France and Belgium. I was instantly interested. I drafted my piece, and tried to convey how I would both do the trip justice, and how I personally would be suited to the place. It appears that I got the message across. Midweek in half term I checked my email, and found that I had been accepted for one of the places. This is a great opportunity because it will allow me to get first-hand experience on a topic that until now I’ve only read about. The closest I’ve been to the battlefields are the books I’ve read on them. The trip is to Northern France and Belgium and it will cover some of the key battlefields of World War One, and some of the main points in the advance of Hitler. We will be going with people from fifteen other schools. I feel that to maintain knowledge of our history is paramount, because it reminds us of past failures, and most importantly, can give us hope that things do change. Trips like the one I am fortunate enough to be attending can provide us with a link to the past that can drive our thirst for it. After the trip Alex, who I am going on the trip with, will have the task of spreading the word about World War One in the community. This trip will allow us to inject the enthusiasm gained from our first-hand experience into the school. I am greatly look forward to the trip, and am sure that it will benefit not only Alex and I, but hopefully it will encourage those in younger years to apply when their time comes.

Sixth Form Iceland Trip 2016 by Ms Rothwell Ms Rothwell tells us more about this exciting trip planned for next year… Enrichment Week 2016: Open to current year 10s, who are remaining at BCGS in Years 12 and 13, and 11s

Who? The geography department would like to invite current year 10 and year 11 students to a 4 day trip to the land of fire and ice: ICELAND.

What? An amazing, excellent and awe-inspiring 4 days and 3 nights in Iceland. Full board/flights/excursions/insurance all included in the price. When? 18th July 2016 – 21st July 2016

Why? The trip will include some of the major attractions of Iceland. This will include the following and more:- geysers/ glaciers/geothermal energy/swimming in the famous blue lagoon/stand either side of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge/visit the Eyjafjallajökull volcano/ time to spend in the capital city Reykjavik

How much? Approximately £750.

Please see Ms Rothwell in the geography office or Room 24 if you are interested in going...

Forthcoming Events ENRICHMENT DAY 3rd July

IB RESULTS DAY 6th July

SPORTS DAY 7th July

SCHOOL CONCERT 8th July

ENRICHMENT WEEK 13th-17th July

END OF TERM 17th July

A-LEVEL RESULTS DAY 13th August

GCSE RESULTS DAY 20th August

START OF TERM 7th September