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Bishop Barrington School Newsletter
ISSUE SEVENTEEN
Five Golden Years As we move into a new academic year, is it fitting that we pay tribute to the GCSE cohort who left us in July. They enjoyed stunning success and we are very proud of them. This year group exceeded targets within the Government’s gold standard measure of attainment, with 61% of them achieving at least 5+ A*-C, including English and Maths. In addition, 94% achieved at least 5+ A* - C grades, and 46% achieved at least 3 A*/A grades. Twelve subject areas enjoyed A*- C success higher than the national average, with History achieving an outstanding 100% A* - C pass rate, with 50% at A*-A. These results are a consequence of five years’ hard work, outstanding teaching and learning and a strong partnership with parents. The cohort truly are a credit to the school and their families.
our best. This support meant so much to us both, as we knew there was always somebody there to rely on and to care for us.”
It has been a privilege to have worked with these students for five years and I am so thankful that their families entrusted them to our care. They will be very much missed and never forgotten. I know that they, too, have thoroughly enjoyed their time with us. Our Head Boy, Ben Lambert, and our Head Girl, Rachel, have asked us to include their tribute to the school in our newsletter. “Having now moved on to an exciting, new phase in our education, with many challenges in college life facing us, we will always look back on our five years at Bishop Barrington with great affection. The outstanding care, guidance and support the staff give is fundamental and ensures we all achieve
“As soon as we walked through the door, we were embraced in to the school’s friendly atmosphere and it immediately felt like an extended family, allowing us to enjoy every moment of our five years at Barrington and for this we will always hold fond memories of our school days.” We have recently welcomed a lovely, new Year 7 group to our school. They already feel part of a warm and caring school community and I know they too will go on to enjoy five golden years, culminating in outstanding achievement. Jackie Gent Headteacher
Awards all round Woodland Studies Members of our Science Department recently took 30 year 7 students to Low Burn Hall, which is part of the Woodland Trust, near Durham. The trust recently acquired 168 acres of ancient woodland farm land and the site borders the River Wear.
Eleven Bishop Barrington students have just passed their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme with flying colours.
The students spent much of the day outdoors and learned how to identify many plants and trees by examining their leaves. Later, they discovered how they could make presents for their friends by using items found within the woodlands They also found out that they could match many of the colours in the woodland to the colours in the rainbow. Finally, they learned how they could make a survival drinking cup by just using items found in the woods.
The students had to explore various aspects of their roles in the group activity, as well as measuring heart beat rates in strenuous activity and when a team member was at rest.
The course examiner John Lamb said, “Some friends of mine who live in Teesdale were very impressed with the young people. They were polite, motivated and well mannered and they really wanted to tell me that the students were a credit to their school.” Jackie Gent said,
The final part of the award was a two day and one night trek from Cow Green Reservoir through Middleton in Teesdale and on to Barnard Castle. The weather was wet but all eleven managed to pitch their tents and complete the course in good spirits.
“These young people have shown real determination and commitment. They have tested themselves and have found how well they can support each other working as a group. We are very proud of them.”
Christmas Fayre Thursday 17th November 6pm - 8pm
European day of languages Our Modern Foreign Languages Department have created a new level of interest. Strategic Leader of Languages, Karen Fletcher organised a series of events around European Day of Languages on Monday the 26th of September. Many celebrities can speak more than one language. Bishop Barrington staff dressed up as famous people. They wore badges displaying the celebrities’ names, the exact languages they speak and a quotation from the celebrity. Many students were surprised to know that the celebrities who were being impersonated really did have a good grasp of more than one, and, in some cases, five or six different languages. A competition was organised for Key Stage 3 students to track down the information relating to each celebrity. This was recorded on a matrix and the winners from each year group received a voucher for iTunes, clothes or books. Students were also awarded “Vivo miles” - our system for rewards whereby students are given credits via the internet which can be spent in various retail outlets.
Big Bang Trip Science staff accompanied 30 Year 9 students to New College Durham to take part in the Big Bang event. The day included several different lectures on scientific themes. Students explored the impact of science on human life. In the morning there were discussions about how shark skin suits assisted swimmers and how using the sides of bike tracks can affect the aerodynamics of the racers. In the afternoon, students were able to investigate a wide range of technologies such as welding with chocolate, using magic glass, and how the technology behind the “Wii” and “X-Box” games consoles. The day ended with students conducting experiments on how nappies absorb liquid because of the huge capacity of the materials.
L to R standing: Arsene Wenger, Jonathan Ross and Kevin Keegan. Seated, Karen Fletcher.
Karen Fletcher said, “The day has been a huge success. The aim of raising the profile of both European languages, as well as their culture, has really hit home. Students have used a fun activity to explore the importance of languages in today’s global society.”
The exciting aspect of this visit was that next year it may be possible for our school to have our own stand to demonstrate how a scientific principle works. That is an interesting challenge for staff and students to be thinking about.
Ofsted update The school has recently received an interim assessment letter from Ofsted, who have not visited the school since 2007. They stated that they do not need to inspect our school until the Summer Term of 2012, at the earliest, since data showed that we were continuing to perform at a high level. However, we decided to request an Ofsted type inspection from the local authority, as we believe we are operating at a level of “outstanding” for overall effectiveness. The inspection took place in late September and inspectors said that we are well placed to be awarded this accolade when Ofsted arrive. In particular, the inspectors praised the excellent behaviour and attitudes to learning of students across the board. We are very proud of them and they are certainly a credit to their families.
Food for thought In September, the Art Department accompanied Year 10 and 11 students on a day’s exploration of some art displays and science museums in Newcastle. The purpose of the visit was to get the students to think about a project in art and hopefully to get some inspiration from the exhibits. Many students were impressed by the natural history examples as well as by the Egyptian exhibition at the Hancock Museum. The two cultures clearly came together when the art students encountered the Discovery Centre. There are many fascinating facets to the museum, as well as interesting applications of science, which make people question if what they are seeing can really happen. This is particularly true of the gravity displays. At the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, the students viewed work by Robert Breer and the innovative paintings of John Coatsworth, where buildings bend and perspectives are challenged. The students really enjoyed the day and certainly were given lots of “food for thought.”
A Bishop Barrington teacher has just been awarded a grant to pay for an exchange visit to a school in Nepal. Ben Johnson, who is an Assistant Head at the school, has been given a £2,100 reciprocal visit grant and he heads out for India on the 30th October. The aim of his nine day visit is to liaise with the principal and director of the Mount Hermoun English School in order to develop a joint curriculum project around the issues posed by climate change. The visit occurs at a time when three people have died when the wall of the British Embassy collapsed in an earthquake on Sunday, 18th September this year. The school is in an area of Patan near Kathmandu, where tourism has been affected by problems associated with travellers heading for Mount Everest The grant has been awarded by the Global Schools Partnership and it provides for the return visit of the two staff to England in January 2012. It also aims to involve the community in work undertaken at the school. Commenting on his visit, Ben Johnson said, “This is an important opportunity for our school to develop strong ties with an area of India which is facing real ecological problems. I know that our students will be keen to become involved in sharing ideas that could help.”
Diana Award
Challenging times
A year 9 student has just been informed that she has been given a Diana Award for her work with the Childrens’ Commissioner’s Advisory Group called “Amplify.” This group aims to bring the views of young people to the Government’s attention through the Childrens’ Commissioner, Dr Maggie Atkinson. Samantha will receive her certificate at a special ceremony at Canary Wharf on 26th September. The Diana Awards are given to young people who are both inspired to work on behalf of others and who seek to inspire others to become involved in their own ways. Samantha has been raising awareness of the Childrens’ Commissioner’s Group, by giving presentations in assemblies throughout the school. She now hopes to be able to take her message to other schools in Bishop Auckland.
Year 11 students at Bishop Barrington were treated to a thrilling account by 10 students who attended a World Challenge event in Croatia last month. The year 10 and 11 students all had to raise £1,200 by sponsored walks, bag packing and other methods.
also accompanied by two Bishop Barrington staff as well as two experts, was to develop the pupils’ leadership skills and to offer them unique personal challenges. For part of the time they stayed in a wooden hut that was situated in an area close to vipers and bears.
The challenge involved sea kayaking, mountain trekking and river kayaking with wild camping. The students took turns to be leaders for the day, organising the whole day’s activities and arrangements. The point of the challenge expedition, which was
Debbie Hepple, Head of girls’ PE said,
Paris trip
“All of our students really benefited from this trip. They learned so much about themselves and how important team work was. We are very proud of them.” In July, the maths department took 44 students on an educational visit to Paris. The aim of the visit was to show how maths is used in a real world context. They spent one day in Paris sightseeing, and another visiting Disneyland Paris, studying the maths behind roller coasters. Finally, they visited La Villette Science and Technology museum which has a maths section showing topics such as probability and Pythagoras’ theorem.
Vote in favour
Future business magnates
Georgia and Bethany
Three of our students, Bethany Breden in Year 11, Georgia Donohue in Year 10 and Callum Bainbridge in Year 8, recently took part in a Youth Forum hosted by BATH. The students were joined by others from Jamaica and Ireland. The theme was “Democracy,” and the students took part in theatre workshops, classroom workshops and political debates. They looked at how democracy in their respective countries impacted on the lives of young people and the issues that affect them. The students will all meet again in one year’s time to compare notes on how things have moved on and to see if the young people have been listened to. Bethany Breden said, “This was a brilliant experience, getting to meet people that you would not have a chance to meet normally. The activities really showed how other cultures treat young people and where changes could be made.”
Several Year 8 girls represented the school in a county-wide competition called Future Business Magnates. The competition requires every school’s team to engage in a series of challenges. These include team-building exercises, financial planning, advertising and marketing issues. These are designed to test students’ understanding of business theory. Every school has to give a presentation to a panel of judges to reveal the extent of their knowledge. Simultaneously, the students have to engage in a manufacturing process to produce saleable goods.
Our students chose to produce a range of items made from recycled denim. These included bags, phone socks and draught excluders. At the awards ceremony and dinner in July at the Excel Centre in Newton Aycliffe, our students won the award for the most effective team work. It was remarked upon that the team were very competent at using each other’s talents to aid the group as a whole. It certainly proved to be a winning formula and the school has yet another award to add to its profile. Well done to all concerned.
Please note these very important dates. Year 7 Target Setting
Year 10 Target Setting Evening: 10th October Year 7 Target Setting Evening: 3rd November
Silver target
Gold target
Closer links
Streetwise
Students at Bishop Barrington School have just established close ties with a school in Ethiopia. As part of a “Link Ethiopia” project, the school has paid £350 to establish a partnership with the Beza School, which is about an hour’s drive south of the capital Addis Ababa. The aim of the project is to share information about geography, travel and environment in both countries through pupils working together. Pupils at the school have organised an International School Council and they have produced a PowerPoint presentation about Bishop Barrington for their partners. Already under way are curriculum suggestions involving ideas for work in both Maths and Geography. Several more are also planned. Head teacher, Jackie Gent, said, “Forging international links with schools is very important to us. We already sponsor the education of children in Kenya and have developed links with a school in Nepal. We are very proud that our students are keen to develop these links and are organising this link in their committee.”
breakfast club
We realise that there are times when parents and carers need to meet early morning commitments. As a result of this, we have made the following arrangements. The school provides breakfast for occasions when students need to make alternative arrangements before school starts. Breakfast club runs from
8am until 8.45 am. Cereal and milk 50p Croissant 60p Toast and jam 15p Fruit from 30p Pancakes 25p Teacakes 25p Crumpets 15p Milk cartons ½ 50p Fruit juices from 40p
In August this year, 15 year old Helen Carr in year 10, became third in the world at the United Dance Organisation World Championships in street dancing. The championships were held in Blackpool and there were 72 contestants in the under 16 age group. Street-dancing is a very individual and highly active form of free style expression, where the dancer uses very fast arm and leg movements. Helen was not allowed to move from the spot where she was performing. As she worked through the heats she eventually reached the final 6 and then on to the third place. Caroline Ross, who teaches dance at Bishop Barrington, said, “Helen is a highly talented youngster, who really deserves this recognition. She has great potential but is able to balance this with her school and other commitments. She is a fantastic dancer and we are all very proud of her.”
Dancing girls Several Bishop Barrington pupils took part in a Dance Show at Darlington Civic Theatre on the 16th and 17th September. They were part of a performance held by the Sandra Welsh and Ian Pyle dance troop. The show was judged to be a great success with dancing and acting from children aged 2 to 18. There were 20 acts in each half of the programme and the music ranged in taste from Fame to Rihanna. All of the students had a lot of fun and they said that they enjoyed every minute of the show. Geography teacher, Anne Henderson, who attended along with ICT teacher, Nicola Carlton, said, “It was a very proud moment to see our girls up on the stage with huge smiles on their faces. It was a wonderful show and we will definitely be back next year to watch them again.”
Advanced dance
The students taking part were Sophie Hamilton, Amber Patterson, Jessica Shaw, Jasmine McGuinness, Megan Shaw, Lucy McConnell, Sarah Pole and Rachel Legge.
Dates for your diary 10th October Year 10 Target Setting event 21st October Butterwick charity event 3rd November Year 7 Target Setting event 10th November Year 11 GCSE Celebration Evening 25th November Teacher INSET day (school closed) 12th December Year 11 Mock Results Day 19th December Teacher INSET day (school closed) 20th December Start of Christmas holidays
A Year 9 student, Keeley Morris, has just been awarded a fantastic opportunity to train as a professional dancer. She is now part of an Advanced Training Programme (ATP) which trains young people in all forms of dance styles. The ATP is held at Dance City in Newcastle. The tutors on the programme are all professional dancers themselves and training takes place three times a week. Fortunately, some of the training can be done in Darlington which cuts down on travel. Normally, the ATP would start when Keeley was a year older, but the tutors were so impressed with her talent that they created a “Foundation Year” for her so that she could begin at once. The ATP is the only one in the north east of the country and only about 25 students are chosen in any one year. Dance teacher, Caroline Ross, said, “Bishop Barrington is really proud of Keeley. She always gives 100% in whatever we do in dance. She has also been involved in fundraising to help all of the school dancers get new costumes. She works so hard and we know that she will be a great success in the future.”
Bishop Barrington School Woodhouse Lane Bishop Auckland County Durham DL14 6LA T: 01388 603307 F: 01388 609990 E: bishopbarrington@durhamlearning.net W: www.bishopbarrington.net