The Bromfords School Grange Avenue, Wickford, Essex SS12 0LZ. Tel: 01268 471201 Fax: 01268 474494 Email: office@bromfords.essex.sch.uk Web: www.bromfords.essex.sch.uk
July 2012 Newsletter - Issue No.7 Dear Students, Parents and Carers
Inside this issue:
The time has certainly flown by and here we find ourselves once again at the end of the summer term. It has been a fantastic year and I am very appreciative of all the ongoing hard work and commitment from students and staff. Bromfords Governors, parents and carers have also continued to support us all and once again we have a great deal to be proud of.
Student Absence Reminder
2
Dates For Your Diary
2
District Athletics Student
2
Music Lessons
2
It has been a delightful end to the year as we have celebrated student achievement in all aspects of the school. I am delighted to report we have retained our trophy as District Athletics Champions and students have achieved outstanding results in many sporting events and competitions, as celebrated at our Sports Awards. The range of talent across the school is exceptional and we are all looking forward to being able to celebrate again with students when they receive their final examination results in the summer holiday. Our students continue to show themselves as true ambassadors for the school. Tyler and Lauren, Head Boy and Head Girl, gave excellent speeches to Year 6 parents and many prefects, junior and senior, supported this evening and Year 5 enhancement during our primary classroom technology day experience. Students are ending the term with a range of activities and work experience placements for Year 11 before their final focus on next summer’s examination series begins in September. The end of term always brings a degree of change and as we say farewell and best wishes to some of our students, leaving from Years 11, 12 and 13 we also say farewell and good luck to colleagues leaving us too. Mr Jones, Mr Henderson, Mrs Bray and Mr Berry are leaving us after many years at the school. We wish them all the very best and especially Mr Berry who is retiring after 28 years at Bromfords and 38 years in teaching overall. Farewell and thank you also to other colleagues moving on. All our leavers will be missed and we wish them all well in their future pursuits. It has been a fantastic year and weather permitting; it will be a terrific summer. I wish you all the very best for the holiday break. Mrs M Spinks Headteacher
Highlights Of The Year
Page
3/4
Bromfords Go-karting Champion
4
Olympic Torch Design
5
Media & Art Exhibition
6
Parentpay
6
Achievement & Endeavour Awards
6
District Athletics
7
Year 13 Celebrate
8
Boulogne Trip
9
Sarah Kitchener Award Ceremony
10
Bromfest
10
Head Boy & Girl for 2012
11/12
Wickford Football Club Player
12
Bromfords Student Qualifies as Marine Mammal Medic
12
Year 11 Prom
13
Wickford Carnival
13
WISHING ALL OUR STUDENTS, STAFF, GOVERNORS, PARENTS AND CARERS AN ENJOYABLE AND RELAXING SUMMER BREAK
Bromfords Newsletter
S
Page 2
TUDENT ABSENCE - REMINDER Illness: If your child is going to be absent due to illness then please call our 24 Hour Student Absence Line on 01268 474500 on the first day of absence by 8.30am or text 07624 810849. Your message should include the following details: •
The date
•
Your name
•
Student’s name and form
•
The reason for absence
•
A return to school date
If you do not indicate how long your child will be absent then you must call the Absence Line each day that your child is not in school. On your child’s return to school a letter, addressed for the attention of the Attendance Officer, stating the dates of and reasons for absence, should be handed into the School Office. Lateness: If you know your child is going to be late for school, where possible please call the Absence Line on 01268 474500 by 8.30am or text 07624 810849. Your message should include the student’s name, form and reason for lateness. Medical Appointments: If you know in advance that your child will be late for school or absent due to a medical appointment please either send in a letter, addressed to the Attendance Officer, the day prior to the appointment or call/text the Absence Line. Early notification of absences/lateness helps you avoid receiving unwanted phone calls/texts enquiring as to the whereabouts of your child. Thank you in advance for your support.
D
ATES FOR YOUR DIARY AND END OF TERM ARRANGEMENTS Term ends on Friday, 20th July at 12.00pm.
Monday, 3rd September - staff training day. Year 7 and Year 12 students return on Tuesday, 4th September 2012. Year 13 are also in, by appointment only, for mentoring with their form tutors. All other Year groups return on Wednesday, 5th September 2012. Thursday, 4th October 2012 Open Evening for new (prospective) Year 6/7. Early closure at 1.15pm for students. Late start on Friday, 5th October 9.45am registration. October half term begins on Monday, 29th October 2012. Students return on Monday, 5th November 2012. Christmas break begins on Friday, 21st December 2012 at 12.15pm. Staff training day on Monday, 7th January 2013. Students return on Tuesday, 8th January 2013.
D
ISTRICT ATHLETICS STUDENT
The Bromfords School are proud to inform you of their up and coming star Brandon Heath. 14 year old Brandon had only been training for the three months for the triple jump when he was entered in the District Athletics where he cleared the second longest distance in his age group. He then went to compete in the English Schools’ National Track and Field Championships in Newcastle where he came 6th in the country.
M
USIC LESSONS
If any students are interested in taking up instrumental music lessons in drumming, guitar, vocals or piano please see Miss Struth for more information.
Page 3
Bromfords Newsletter
H
IGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR
SEPTEMBER 2011
Students achieved fantastic GCSE results with 74% of our students achieving 5 or more A*-C GCSE grades and 60.4% of our students achieved 5 or more A*-C GCSE qualifications including English and Maths. Again every one of our students passed at least 1 GCSE, that’s a 100% pass rate! Alongside our GCSE students, our 6th Formers also have a great deal to be proud of as 98% achieved full Level 3 qualifications, with 78% attaining or exceeding target grades.
NOVEMBER 2011
S
TREET DANCING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Jodie Preston, a Year 9 student, took part in the British Championships for Street Dancing in October, coming 2nd in the pairs, 2nd as a team and 4th as an individual. She has been asked to dance at Disneyland Paris and also to go to Austria for the World Championships.
B
ROMFORDS SCHOOL STUDENT SELECTED TO BE OLYMPIC TORCH BEARER
Congratulations to George Jeffery who has been selected to be an Olympic Torch Bearer for the 2012 Olympic Games!
FEBRUARY 2012
T
HE BROMFORDS SCHOOL CHINESE EXCHANGE STUDENTS
From 6th to 10th February Bromfords played host to five Chinese exchange students, Wang Banruo, Wu Ruofan, Huang Yuntang, Li Yixin and Tuo Menqi, who stayed with families of Bromfords School students. The students were from Beijing Chen Jing Lun Middle School.
DECEMBER 2011
Page 4
Bromfords Newsletter
T
HE BROMFORDS GYMNASTICS SQUADS ARE TO REPRESENT ESSEX IN THE NATIONAL FINALS!
MARCH 2012
The District Gymnastics Finals were held at the Bromfords School on Wednesday, 22nd February 2012. Our Under 13 Boys Squad and our Under 13 Girls Squad won the Gold medals in the County Finals, along with our Under 19 Boys Squad and Under 19 Girls Squad also winning the Gold medals.
JUNE 2012
Y
EAR 12’s VISIT AUSCHWITZ
On 15th April 2012, we (Ben Wheatley and Amy Lewis) went on a day trip to Auschwitz -Birkenau as part of our Year 12 A-Level History course with the Lessons from Auschwitz Foundation. To say the whole day was full of negative emotions however is not true. It sounds wrong to say that the whole experience was inspiring, but it truly was. Seeing how so many suffered in such horrible conditions really allows you to appreciate what you have and inspires you to make the most you possibly can out of your life. This is what we now both intend on doing.
B
ROMFORDS STUDENT BECOMES GO-KARTING CHAMPION
Thirteen year old Anthony Ayres from The Bromfords School successfully competed in the Kent Subaru Go-Karting Championships in Kent last week. After Anthony’s first Go-Karting experience at the age of just 9 Anthony realised his passion for the sport and soon became hooked. With regular Go-Kart prepping sessions and Gym training sessions Anthony was in great condition for the competition and successfully came 1st overall. Anthony can now add this grand trophy to his growing collection.
Bromfords Newsletter
O
Page 5
LYMPIC TORCH DESIGN
The ‘Design an Olympic Torch’ competition was open to all Wickford schools. There were lots of entries and the standard was very high. However, despite some tough competition, the winner of the Bromfords heat was Anthony Gill in Year 7. His original design was made into a 3D acrylic torch and he took it to a ceremony at Runwell School, where he and the winners from other schools ran a lap of the field with their torches, to the sound of ‘Chariots of Fire’. If you would like to see Anthony’s torch it is in the House Trophy cabinet near the library. Runners Up: 2nd Place Hollie Middleton Year 9 Joint 3rd Place Madison Gillborn Year 9 & Matthew Cahill Year 8
Page 6
Bromfords Newsletter
M
P
EDIA & ART EXHIBITION An exhibition was held on Tuesday, 12th June at the CLC Centre that was open to the public displaying our Media Studies and Art GCSE and A level students’ work. Some of the work is displayed below:
ARENTPAY In an effort to move towards a cashless school we encourage parents to use our Parentpay system to pay for school dinners and trips
online.
Parentpay offers you the freedom to make payments whenever and wherever you like, 24-7, safe in the knowledge that this website has been security checked by many local authorities and uses very high internet security standards.
A
CHIEVEMENT & ENDEAVOUR AWARDS
Please refer to the list at the reverse of this newsletter showing the nominations for the Achievement & Endeavour Awards for the Academic Year 2011-2012.
Page 7
Bromfords Newsletter
D
ISTRICT ATHLETICS For the second year in a row Bromfords School are celebrating a fantastic achievement of winning the District Athletics. Students ranging from Year 7 to Year 11 took part in the competition in Gloucester Park on Tuesday, 12th June.
Mrs Sadgrove, Head of PE said “this is a fantastic achievement for our school and our students and is a reflection of all the hard work of the competitors and the staff. Well done Team Bromfords!�.
Bromfords Newsletter
Y
Page 8
EAR 13 CELEBRATE SEVEN YEARS OF STUDY
On Thursday, 3rd May Year 13 chose to mark the culmination of seven years of study at The Bromfords School with a buffet and disco at The Ivory Rooms in Billericay. Nearly every Year 13 student attended this prestigious occasion and literally danced the night away. The students personally invited members of staff to join them in their celebrations and were thrilled to see such a good turnout on a school night! Although the dress code was smart casual, students surpassed our expectations and were extremely well turned out. Their behaviour was exemplary and a jolly good time was had by all who attended! On behalf of the staff at Bromfords, we would like to wish Year 13 every success for the future – reach for the stars and follow your dreams!
Bromfords Newsletter
B
Page 9
OULOGNE TRIP - 20TH AND 27TH JUNE
On the 20th and 27th June, the Languages Department took some of our students to Boulogne, France for a day trip. We took 78 students from Year 8 on 20th June and we took 88 students from Years 8, 9 and 10 on 27th June. The trip was a great success on both days and the students really enjoyed themselves and valued the experience. We began our day at 6am at school and we took the shuttle to France. Despite the early start, students and teachers alike were enthusiastic and excited about the day ahead. Upon arrival in Boulogne, we visited the market and the Old Town, stopping for packed lunch in a grassy area by the walls of the Old Town. Students were encouraged to speak as much French as possible when they were buying things at the market and in shops and they were given phrase cards to help them to achieve this. The rest of our day was then spent at Nausicaa, the biggest aquarium in France. Students enjoyed seeing a huge variety of fish ranging from jelly fish to sharks. A large number of them then bought souvenirs from the gift shop to remind them of their afternoon there. Students were asked to write about their day during the coach journey home. Some of their comments are as follows: The market in France was so much better than in England. People of any age would enjoy the amazing shopping experience! Matilda Jeavons-Lewinton, 8.3 The best part of the visit today was the sealife centre. It was amazing and the building was lovely. There were so many different fish to see. Zoe Brown, 9.4 The trip to Boulogne has been such an amazing experience which I will remember in the future. I learnt that “je voudrais” means “I would like” and it was really helpful when ordering food! I would definitely recommend this to other people! Luke Ball, 8.6
My opinion of Boulogne is that it is an excellent place to visit. It is beautiful there Esther Ogunshile, 8.4 In France this year, I had lots of fun, learning new words, seeing different types of fish and buying lots of fabulous souvenirs! I had a fantastic time and would highly recommend this trip to my friends and family! Rebecca Rowe, 9.7 This was a brilliant, wellpriced trip and I would go again tomorrow if it were possible. Hannah Wicks, 8.1
The Languages Department would like to thank the teachers who came along on both trips and helped to make them successful. We would also like to congratulate the students who behaved really well and were very good ambassadors for the school.
Bromfords Newsletter
T
Page 10
HE BROMFORDS SCHOOL SARAH KITCHENER ENDEAVOUR AWARD CEREMONY
Sarah Kitchener was a student at The Bromfords School between 1991 and 1998. Sarah was an outstanding student who contributed to all aspects of school life. In 2006 Sarah Kitchener was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. When faced with this life threatening illness Sarah’s strength and determination to keep achieving never waivered. Her courage to continue to work hard and challenge herself when faced with adversity was an inspiration to all who knew her. During her illness Sarah married David Perrow, organising every detail of her wedding and her honeymoon to Hong Kong, Australia and Fiji. In March 2010 Sarah sadly lost her battle for life and later that year The Sarah Kitchener-Perrow Fund was set up by family and friends. Since then they have exceeded their expectations and raised in excess of £66,000 which has been donated to Brain Tumour Research. The Sarah Kitchener-Perrow Fund was The Bromfords School charity between 2010 and 2011. In recognition of this outstanding student and inspirational individual, her family have created the Sarah Kitchener Endeavour Award . On Tuesday, 3rd July The Bromfords School hosted an emotional awards evening in memory of Sarah and in recognition of some outstanding students. Year 7 Lauren Solly; Year 8 Katie Talbot; Year 9 Ben Ellison, Year 10 Lauren Waller and Year 11 Paul Haddon were each presented with this prestigious award for their display of exceptional character and outstanding contribution to school life, by Sarah’s close family and friends. Along with these individual awards there was an overall winner’s shield that was awarded to Katie Talbot.
B
ROMFEST This year’s Bromfest Music and Drama event was a massive success. Students raised £178 to be shared between the departments and the school charity. Amongst the vast array of talent there was George Brewerton, who wowed audiences with his amazing drumming skills and Chloe Wing, who treated us to a beautiful version of ‘You Raise Me Up’ by Westlife – played on the Violin. The Year 11 Drama students also put together a moving performance of ‘Blood Brothers’ shown in three parts. A great night was had by all and we would like to thank parents for attending and the staff of the CLC in Wickford for their ongoing
Bromfords Newsletter
N
EW HEAD BOY AND GIRL FOR 2012
D
EPUTY HEAD BOY AND DEPUTY HEAD GIRL FOR 2012
Page 11
Congratulations to Tyler McBride and Lauren Waller on their appointments as the new Head Boy and Head Girl for 2012.
Congratulations to Harry Skingle and Sacha Hawker on their appointments as the new Deputy Head Boy and Deputy Head Girl for 2012.
Bromfords Newsletter
Page 12
The Senior Prefects appointed are as follows: Connor Bennett Ellen Hay Hannah Lowman William Neller Bradley Norton Emily Phillips
The Prefects appointed are as follows: Benjamin Almond Megan Barnes Samuel Baxter Gareth Bayard Hannah Brown Jack Brown Tomas Brown Jamie Burnham Kirsty Carvey Louise Connor Joshua Da Silva Scott Duffy Elise Harvey Lucie Healy Katie Hill Harrison Hinton Aiysha Khan Reggie Kinsley
W
ICKFORD FOOTBALL CLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Year 9 student Taylor Lane was presented with the player of the year award trophy by Wickford Football Club on the 11th July 2012. Taylor who is a keen sportsman has only been playing for the club since March this year. Well done Taylor a great accomplishment.
The Prefects appointed are as follows: Chloe Langham Charlotte Luckraft Courtney Mass Evelyn Martin Hannah McGoldrick Anastasia Miller Boikanyo Molefi Hannah Nazareth Shauna O’Donnell Esther Ogunbiyi Emily Parsons Reece Pinchback Grace Pocknell Lisa Power Nick Robinson Natalie-Jane Rutherford Danielle Smith Hannah Smith Claudia Walsh
B
ROMFORDS STUDENT BECOMES QUALIFIED MARINE MAMMAL MEDIC
Stuart Clark, a Year 13 student, recently attended a Marine Mammal Medic training course at Nottingham University, run by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue. He attended lectures on the anatomy of marine mammals and how to approach a rescue. There were also practical sessions using life size inflatable whales, dolphins and seals to learn how to handle the animals and how to work in a team with the specialist equipment. Following this course Stuart is now a qualified Marine Mammal Medic and, if the situation arises, will be called out to assist with strandings of marine mammals in the local area.
Page 13
Bromfords Newsletter
Y
EAR 11 PROM - 2012
The Year 11 Prom was hosted at Stock Brook Manor on Thursday, 5th July. Nearly 200 of our Year 11 students turned on the glamour and arrived in style for what proved to be a fantastic evening celebrating the end of the school year. Congratulations to Chelsey Anderson (best dressed female), Ryan Watts (best dressed male), Hannah Veck & Billy Collins-Nuttall (best couple) and finally Michaela Jones & Jay Kynaston (Prom Queen & King). Carriages included a chrome Aston Martin, a horse drawn carriage and Del Trotters Robin Reliant amongst many others. A good night was had by all!
Best dressed male
Best dressed female
Prom King & Queen
Best couple
W
ICKFORD CARNIVAL
Wickford Carnival is taking place on Saturday, 15th September. Come and support Business Studies/Enterprise Students and Miss J O’Reilly.