A LIFE IN A YEAR OF BISHOP PEROWNE SUMMARY OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2009 – 2010 EXTRACT FROM NEWSLETTERS Autumn 2009 The Year 11 examination results were a cause for celebration with many students and departments surpassing their previous best and achieving outstanding results. Over 98% of our students have progressed to further education. We also celebrated the outstanding success of students who had ―accelerated entry‖ to public examinations. Twenty four students in Year 9 achieved a GCSE in Rock School. Over one hundred and seventy five students in Year 10 achieved a GCSE grade C or above in Religious Education with one third of the year group gaining A* and A grades. Thirty one students in Year 10 achieved A* or A grades in Mathematics. They will now begin transition work in preparation for advanced level. This year we shall be offering ―early entry‖ to even more students. During the summer much work was completed on site including the replacement of the ground floor windows in the Perowne Block. Two new ICT suites, equipped with cutting edge technologies, were completed with a multi media studio to follow. The Year 11 Common Room was refurbished to provide better accommodation; we understand that we are the only school in the city to offer this type of facility to Year 11. Year 7 began their career with an Act of Collective Worship at the heart of which was the lighting of a candle to symbolise the way in which each student is valuable and can strengthen the life of our community by aiming to ‗be the best they can be‘. Later on that first morning the whole College reflected on Corinthians 1 chapter 13 and the values of Faith, Hope and Love which underpin our work. We are delighted to announce the outcome of our SIAS Inspection (Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools), the Church school equivalent of OFSTED in which we were graded outstanding. Our curriculum continues to grow with further developments on the horizon to broaden the options available. As the lead school in the City for the IT Diploma and the Creative and Media Diploma, we are rising to the challenges by providing innovative academic courses alongside a robust academic core curriculum which includes Mathematics, English, English Literature, Double or Triple Science and Religious Education. Another highlight of our term so far has been the visit of Mrs Margaret Jia, Headteacher of our partner school the Rondo Junior Seminary in Tanzania. During her stay Mrs Jia has worked with our staff and students in order to enhance the learning and teaching in her own school and in ours. As a Church School Headteacher and School Improvement Officer for her Diocese, Mrs Jia has brought her diligence and expertise to our discussions and has furthered our appreciation of thinking skills. Our students have raised £1,000 through a non-uniform day which Mrs Jia will use to equip a science laboratory. On Thursday, 24th September an African Celebration was held at Bishop Perowne hosted by Bishop John and attended by the Mayor, Councillor Andy Roberts and representatives from over 25 schools in Africa and England. Our students danced and played the African drums, The Revd. Andrew Wickens led an Act of Worship and our African guests also danced and sang. We look forward to further strengthening these links in the future. For the first time this year, we admitted thirteen students who are Gifted and Talented in the Arts. They have already benefitted from an enhanced programme.
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SIAS: INSPECTION (Statutory Inspection of Aided Schools) The distinctiveness and effectiveness of Bishop Perowne as a Church School are outstanding. The school, through its distinctive Christian character is outstanding at meeting the needs of all learners. The impact of worship on the school community is good. The effectiveness of religious education is outstanding. The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the school is outstanding.
OPEN DAY SPEECHES : October 2009
The morning I had been dreading for months has arrived, I lay in bed paralysed with fear, My breakfast wasn‘t appealing anymore, I was forced to get in to my itchy new uniform, I sat in the car for what seemed an eternity, I got out the car and walked up to the colossal metal gates, I felt like a microscopic bug abandoned to be ate up by the giants. When I went into class suddenly I did not feel scared or nervous, I felt like my fear had abandoned my and I felt cared for, Later when the older children came in I slowly slunk back into my chair again, But they did not bully me or call me names they were friendly and I started to feel cheerful again. The bell rang and I did not run out screaming like a banshee, Instead I strolled out grinning from ear to ear, The day had been stunningly brilliant, I went home forever looking forward to the next day. By Daniel Price– Year 7 Good evening, you are all very welcome here at Bishop Perowne. As you will know, I started at this school only a few weeks ago. My first day was a roller coaster! But one of those ones where, when you get on you are as frightened as can be, but when you get off you‘ve had the time of your life! After reuniting with my friends and exploring the playground, my form tutor collected me and the other year sevens joining my form. She then took us to the sports hall for our first assembly. The rest of the day was just getting used to the school and meeting the other children in our form. It was fantastic, although I was dreading the following day when we would be starting lessons! It turned out to be not so bad, in fact I loved it! The lessons certainly weren‘t as hard as I‘d expected and all the teachers were lovely! Now, you may be worried about starting high school and I know everyone says that their is nothing to worry about, but their really isn‘t! Homework, finding your way around, making friends, they are all common high school worries. I was worried about all those things but soon overcame my fears, (all of them!). Only a while ago it was me sitting right where you are, even though it feels like decades ago! I feel like I‘ve changed so much since then, more grown up, much older. I‘ve enjoyed subjects that before I didn‘t, like geography for example, lessons just become more exciting! I‘m sure you will love dance, nearly everyone‘s favourite lesson, (including mine). So yes, high school changes you, but in a good way! A very good way! Won‘t it be lovely parents, to hear your child say: ―Mum I‘ve got to do my homework!‖ or ―Mum I got to go to bed early!‖ Okay, maybe not that far, but keep your fingers crossed!. To conclude, I would just like to wish all you year sixes good luck in your SATS and parents good luck with the revision! So I hope to see many of you around next year, (with a big smile on your face!) Thank you 2
Naimee Tudge—Year 7 Good Evening. This year at Bishop Perowne we have once again achieved an outstanding set of results. In Religious Education almost a third of Year 10 and 11 achieved an A* or A grade with just over 80% of Year 10‘s achieving A* - B grade. Here, at Bishop Perowne we are given great opportunities. Last year I got the chance to take my Maths GCSE a year early 100% of this Year 10 class received A* - C grade with 8 A*, 23 A‘s and a B. I have grown so much from my time at Bishop Perowne and I really don‘t want it to end. I‘m sure that some of you are dreading coming to High School, but trust me, it isn‘t really that bad. Bishop Perowne is such a friendly place that I‘m sure as soon as you step through its gates you will feel like you belong here. We are also given the very best trip opportunities. We have been given the chance to go to Llanrug outdoor activity centre, where we could not only develop our physical skills but our mental skills as well and become more confident in ourselves. We have also been on a ski trip, visited Drayton Manor and last year we even visited the Somme Battlefield. Members of the leadership team were also given a chance to take part in a team building day at Top Barn Farm where we could work together and work out our strengths. Bishop Perowne lets you realise your true potential and what you are good at. It gives you chances you might not have had and lets you develop as a person in every way possible. One of the best opportunities that I‘ve been given is being allowed to apply for the leadership team. At the start I was nervous, but step by step my confidence has gradually increased. We first had to speak in front of our year in an assembly. If we managed to get through this stage we had to divide ourselves into groups of 4 and speak in front of the whole school. For me this was the most nerve racking stage. After this we had an interview with Ms Farr, the Headteach, Mr Arbery, Deputy Headteacher, and the previous Head Boy and Girl where the positions we would take up would be decided. This time 5 years ago when I was sat where you are now, if anyone would of told me I would be Deputy Head Boy I wouldn‘t have believed them. It just proves what this school can do for you.
Scott Glover– Year 11
DECEMBER 2009
Christmas Prayer
Lord of Light & Love In you infinity & eternity break into our present This Advent lead us from darkness to light From enmity to love From sorrow to joy From falsehood to truth And so may Peace, Shalom, Salaam, fill our hearts, our homes, our world. Amen 3
Worship and Important Services - This term has been very important for the Worship team and they have achieved a lot. They have successfully planned and delivered every aspect of a special Service of Remembrance. The Service demonstrated maturity beyond their years and such sensitivity at an emotional time. Many people commented about how moving the service was and I was really proud of their achievement. The Worship team also planned and delivered an Advent Act of Collective Worship. This was another opportunity for them to demonstrate how they have grown this term and they didn‘t let me or themselves down. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr P Sheppard (Teacher of D & T) for designing a special memorial candle stick holder for Tony Ballard who tragically drowned last summer. He made a fitting memorial to Tony, reflecting his passions and strong character. The candle stick holder will take its place in the Worship room but it will also be used at special occasions when we will hold Tony in ‗the light‘. Over the next few months we shall see the profile of the Worship Leaders continue to rise as their impact upon Worship in the College grows. This is an exciting time for all involved! Simon Bethel Children in Need Day
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On Thursday, 19 November the students began their preparations for Children in Need Day 2009. Due to the examinations taking place on the Friday, the non-uniform day was held the day before allowing students to wear their own clothes after having made a donation of £1.00. On the Friday, with the examination completed in a highly commendable atmosphere and with exemplary behaviour, students were then able to focus on their fund-raising. The target of £1,500.00 was set as the total which had to be surpassed in order for the students to win Session 5 as an activity and entertainment spectacle. Having narrowly missed the target, Ms Farr made the decision that due to the impeccable behaviour of Year 9, 10 and 11 students during the examinations; the sheer commitment that many students had shown towards fund-raising activities, and that many monies were still to be collected from such activities, the festivities of the afternoon should be allowed to go ahead as planned. The students assembled in the Sports Hall at 2.00 pm. Community teams of staff and pupils then competed in various challenges including: donut eating; decorating the cake activity; blindfolded tasting; eating chocolate with a knife and fork; eating a banana with hands tied behind your back with the help of a friend; hula hoop competition and many, many more. The students and staff cheered on their respective communities with wild enthusiasm and all enjoyed a superb competition!! Eventually, Fearnley were declared the winners with Perrins as runners-up. As Deputy Community Captains we believe that this was a wonderful way to relax after a hard week, whilst raising money for children who are less fortunate than ourselves.
Anthea Sutherland & Faruq Gbadamosi - Deputy Community Captains for Perrins
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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2010
Year 11 completed their practice examinations. On 11th February we held a results day, modelled closely on ‗the real thing‘ in August. Having received their envelopes containing their grades, they attended an assembly, followed by two sessions on revision techniques. Many received Head Teacher‘s commendations to congratulate them on their success. The day was rounded off with a Subject Parents‘ Evening. After half term, staff will offer after school Booster Revision sessions. Some students will attend extra support sessions and all will be mentored by their form tutors. Parents of Year 11 students are invited to attend a Revision and Examination Information evening on 10th March 2010, in order that home and college can work closely together to encourage students to aim for their aspirational targets. A number of students have achieved maximum marks in their Science module exam. Students have raised £1,600.00 for the earthquake victims in Haiti and on Friday will be holding a non-uniform day to support The Army Benevolent Fund—The Soldier‘s Charity in honour of our former student Tom Neathway.
BLOOD BROTHERS Productions at Bishop Perowne are always big news and produce a sense of excitement and anticipation throughout the whole College. Our latest production, ‗Blood Brothers‘, was no exception. Despite the best attempts of the weather to derail preparations ‗Blood Brothers‘ was performed on rd th th February the 3 , 4 and 5 2010. As always the students involved, from years 7 to 11, approached the whole project with commitment, enthusiasm and a great deal of skill. Working collaboratively with many departments in the College, including Technology, Art, Music, Dance, Science and, of course, Drama, the production grew from an empty performance space to one filled with a magnificent set, an array of impressive lighting and stage effects and a group of students who were determined to give their best and who finally achieved something quite special. Rehearsing into the night and at weekends the cast produced an impressive and memorable performance, which was enjoyed by almost full houses on each of the three nights. Students from all across the College came together to support the performers in backstage and technical roles and there was a tangible sense of community among all who took part. The performances were filled with energy, varying in pace and style between the humour, tragedy and surprise which makes up this all too famous story. The rapturous applause at the end of each performance tells its own story and the response from all members of our audiences was unanimously positive. ‗Blood Brothers‘ was another success for all involved and achieved through the hard work, dedication, love and care of both students and staff from across the entire College.
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EASTER 2010
Once again, the ski trip was an unequivocal success with the hoteliers and tour operator telling us that the Bishop Perowne students are the best they have ever worked with. The same accolade was passed on by the staff of Worcester Cathedral, following Year 7‘s visit last week. Our students derived enormous benefits and represented us well in the Magistrate‘s Junior Mock Trial Competition. Jack Barwell, Jacob Dunster, Michael King and Jacob Robinson were runners up, (to King‘s School), in the Regional Junior Mathematics Team Challenge. The term has also brought much success in Sports. Our Year 11 and Year 9 Rugby teams won the prestigious Sixways Tournament 2010 title. We are proud of all they have achieved. Year 11 student Tom Sharwood represented the Midlands versus the North on, Sunday 28th March at Denstone College, Staffordshire. This is a significant achievement, since the next step in representative honours is full England representation. Tom started the game at fly half and put in a sound performance, both distributing and defending solidly, despite the serious injury he had sustained. He also scored his first points at this level, converting two penalties successfully. Many, congratulations to Tom and his family.
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN KING’S SCHOOL AND BISHOP PEROWNE CHURCH OF ENGLAND COLLEGE – ARTIFICIAL PITCH
We are delighted to announce the construction of an Artificial Turf Pitch which will be built at Bishop Perowne over the next few months. The planned opening date is during September 2010. We are extremely fortunate that the pitch which will be paid for entirely by The King‘s School and is to be sited on the lower of the two levelled pieces of ground, adjacent to the Sports Hall. It will be made of the sand-filled variety of artificial turf and be floodlit. It will be used by Bishop Perowne each morning during term time and by The King‘s School each afternoon. The pitch is available for community use outside these times by sports clubs and other bodies and bookings can be made through the Finance Office at the College. It is planned to use the pitch for hockey, football and tennis, although it may be available for other sports. Hockey represents an extension of the Bishop Perowne PE curriculum and its use for football will allow that sport to be played on a well drained surface. Access will only be allowed at the permitted times and only formal games can take place on it. A great deal of hard work has taken place by both Bishop Perowne and The King‘s School to get the project to this stage. The inconvenience of the construction itself will be more than compensated for, by future use of a wonderful asset, by the pupils of both schools.
BELL RINGING AT WORCESTER CATHEDRAL
At bell ringing we go up to the tower and practice with training bells. Also, we have bell ringing teachers come in and help us learn more. Bell ringing is a great experience that I think everyone should get a chance at doing. Bell ringing is not just for boys or girls but for everyone. Mrs Johnson runs bell ringing on Fridays after school at the Cathedral. First, we meet up in the office at school, then we take the minibus down. At the moment, we are one of two schools getting this chance and this experience. We only have five people currently participating. Bell ringing is a lot of fun and you also get to make a lot of new friends. One of the teachers, at the moment, used to be Head of Science at Bishop Perowne Church of England College. It will be a lot nicer if we have more students coming to this life changing experience. Not many people get to go up to the tower where the training bells are. By Georgia Robinson 7Y4 F009 6
Students as Interviewers We, the student panel have recently interviewed four candidates for a full time dance and drama position at Bishop Perowne College. This is how the experience helped us and showed us a huge array of possibilities that could aid our future encounters with interviewers. Immediately after four, fresh faced candidates had come and gone through our intensive questioning, we knew we had a huge debate on our hands. Not only were the candidates impeccably equipped, beyond what we had firstly anticipated, but nobody could agree on a conclusion. This was extremely far from black and white. We immediately defended our favourite candidates. After a short while, we all agreed to compile the evidence we had gained from our formal interviews. We gained a valid field of data and had a monumental debate as to who we could choose as our favoured candidate and eventually came to a conclusion that was three to one. We sense that the expertise we have gained from this opportunity is immense. Each of us believes that we have gained different understandings of how to approach an interview from both view points; the interviewer and interviewee. The skills we have gained make us confident that we will be able to go to any future interviews and have the ability to impress. Together we have acquired a wide range of awareness about interview processes and have met new people. We have learned valuable social skills that have given us the ability to assess and evaluate personalities and life aspects. We feel honoured to have been invited to participate in such a worthwhile role and feel we had a real impact on the outcome. We have now built a bridge of interview techniques that we thrive to improve on in future interviews. The hardest part of the process was that we had to think of a seemingly infinite array of questions, to keep the candidate talking and to be able to assess which candidate we felt would be best for Bishop Perowne. We had to account for the arrangement of the current staff in each department and found ourselves in what seemed to be an impossible position, having to pick the candidate we felt best suited the Bishop Perowne family. With the school‘s help, we hope to continue our experience by assessing the candidates even further, and viewing their capabilities in the classroom. This will hugely improve the picture we can paint of how he or she would perform in a day to day classroom environment. The students carrying out the interviews were:Faruq Gbadamosi Tom Revell Jordan Quinn Katy Taylor Robert Crowe Appointment of Head Boy and Head Girl 2010—2011 Our established process for appointing our Head Boy and Head Girl has been acclaimed as an example of best practice of citizenship and democracy in action. Last year, the Worcester News ran a special feature on our College. The process begins with a presentation from Ms Farr in which she describes the role, responsibilities and the person specification. Students then have just over a week to fill in the application form. The next stage involves each candidate delivering a one minute speech to Year 10 describing why they would like the role. This is followed by a student and staff vote. The Outgoing Leadership Team read the applications thoroughly, triangulating them with evidence from the presentations and vote. A shortlist is drawn up by the Outgoing Leadership Team and some students are invited to speak to the whole College and attend a formal tutorial with Ms Farr, Mr Cox, Mr Tyler and the Outgoing Head Boy and Head Girl. It is the Outgoing student team who make the final decision on behalf of the 7
school. Each successful candidate receives a formal letter of appointment and then the induction with Ms Farr and the Outgoing Team begins. Their first task is to deliver a whole College act of worship. This year, we had some outstanding candidates. We wish to congratulate the following successful applicants; we are confident that they will help us ‗grow together to be the best we can be‘.
Candidate Speeches for Head Boy / Head Girl Team 2011 / 2011
Joe Robbins Hi, my name is Joe Robbins, but I‘m not just your Average Joe, because I‘m the Joe who wants to be your Head Boy.
Not your Average Joe I believe the College is like a body and we are all different parts of that body, each with a different role to play. Some might be eyes, some might be hands and some might be feet—it doesn‘t matter which part you are—but all are needed for the body to function properly. If I was Head Boy, I would strive to get all the parts of the body working together so that the body was really stacked.
I would do a job properly. Not like this.....
I would make sure it was completed. Where there‘s a will, there‘s a way
I would not cut corners. What a Genius.....
I am very approachable and if any of you had a problem, I would do My best to help you out. A helping hand.....
My name is Joe Robbins but remember, I‘m not just your Average Joe 8
Ruth Tayler Hello, my name is Ruth. I would like to start with a quote from Helen Keller. ‗I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can still do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something I can do’. I love this quote. It tells of how you should strive to use the best of your ability. This applies to our school, everyone should want to show their best. This is why I want to be Head Girl, so I can grow into a better person and see the school and its students fulfil their potential. A Head Girl needs to be a role model, a team worker and an ambassador for the school. I can do this, building on what has been achieved before. A Head Girl needs to represent the students: YOU. I am someone who will passionately articulate your views. A Head Girl needs to help the school build towards a better future. Together we can do that I am Ruth Tayler and I want to be your Head Girl.
DRAMA NEWS
‘The Battle of Worcester’ at St Barnabas Primary School. th
On Friday 5 March the Year 10 GCSE students completed their project on ‗The Battle of Worcester‘ with a performance and workshop at St Barnabas P Primary School. The performance, a 30 minute improvised piece of Theatre In Education (TIE), communicated information and facts about ‗The Battle of Worcester‘ to the Year 5 students who had been studying this event as part of their history syllabus. Following the workshop, the students from Bishop Perowne ran a twenty minute workshop in which they encouraged the Year 5s to take part in a drama exploration of what they had learnt from the performance. This was a great opportunity for the students from both Bishop Perowne and St Barnabas to work together and one which we hope to repeat as often as possible in the future. At the end of the afternoon, the staff at St Barnabas were kind enough to ask us back to do some more drama during their ‗One World Week‘ in July.
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Trips To The Theatre In the past three months more than one hundred of our students, from all year groups, have been on
trips to see professional productions at The Malvern Theatres. These have included productions of ‗The Rocky Horror Show‘, ‗Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat‘ and ‗Blood Brothers‘. As well as being a fantastic experience in their own right, trips to the theatre are often used as a means of supporting learning within the curriculum, with many of the productions being used as part of the KS3 and KS4 courses. Both the Year 10 and 11 students who have visited the theatre recently will be using their experiences on which to base their GCSE coursework evaluations.
EUROVISION STARS SHNE AT BISHOP PEROWNE Thursday 11th March saw Bishop Perowne Church of England College host a glittering tribute to the Eurovision Song Contest. Over 85 students from Years 8 and 9 performed in French, German and Spanish at the College‘s first annual ‗Concours Eurovision de la Chanson‘. Hosted in English and French by Deputy Head Teacher, Andy Cox and Modern Foreign Languages and Drama teacher Mary Windows-Yule, this truly European occasion was the brainchild of C and T animator Dan Morgan, who worked closely with teachers from the Modern Foreign Languages department.
Students lipsynced in French, German and Spanish to songs old and new, familiar and unknown, all now truly memorable. In a sophisticated Cabaret ambience, students, parents, staff and governors were treated to a real ‗spectacle‘, as group after group performed, with video introductions and backing.
At the end of the evening, audience votes were counted and the Eurovision title was presented to ‗JIFFIES‘, six Year 9 girls who lipsynced to ‘99 Luft Ballons‘, the classic Nena song from the eighties. À la prochaine fois!
ART DEPARTMENT NEWS
Konflux Theatre Company and Primary Schools Konflux Theatre Company have been working with Year 10 Drama Students on Theatre In Education techniques. The same Year 10 Drama Students conducted a series of workshop and performance at St Barnabas Primary as has Dan Morgan from C&T. 10
Worcester University Students have been working with Year 7 groups conducting drama workshops on the text ‗Skellig‘ by David Almond. Theatre Visits Mr Plant arranged three theatre trips for GCSE students who had the privilege of visiting Malvern Theatres to see Joseph and The Rocky Horror Show and Blood Brothers. Tremor Theatre Company CONGRATULATIONS to Tremor Theatre Company, (Bishop Perowne Community theatre group) for winning the award for best set in their recent performance of ―Florintines‖ at the Swan Theatre this month. Music Department th
Older members of the College choir will be performing in Worcester Cathedral on the 24 March in a performance of the Armed Man by Karl Jenkins. Song Writing Workshops Students in Years 9 and 10 took part in a song writing workshop with Nigel Clark, composing a fantastic song that will be produced to sell, to raise funds for Haiti. County Dance Festival Following huge success over the last three years, Bishop Perowne and the Year 10 dance students have been invited to run the County Dance Festival. Students from year 10, 11 the specialist intake and the Boys dance group will be taking part. th
Wireboyz performed at No8 in Pershore on the 29 March. Their performance was stunning and highly acclaimed by the professional dancers. New Appointment We are delighted to have appointed Miss Davies to join the Arts Team from September 2010. Miss Davies will be known to many students from her secondment to us this term and her invaluable help with the production of Blood Brothers. Her wide experience of the Arts and theatre will help us in the delivery of the Creative and Media Diploma in September. Creative and Media Diploma As September approaches, plans are being put into place for the delivery of the Creative and Media diploma. The new Television Studio is nearly ready and a white line in the middle quad outlines the parameter of a new Performing Arts space, which will be completed by September.
MAY / JUNE 2010 Again this term there have been many notable successes: the History trip to the Battlefields, the Music Evening, a performance at the Cathedral, Dance and Sports Festivals and the moderation of GCSE coursework. We were delighted to hear that Jack Barwell, Jacob Dunster, Michael King and Jacob Robinson have qualified for the National Finals of the UK Mathematics Team Challenge. This is a superb achievement; we wish them every success in the final. It is always good to receive news of former students. Last year‘s Deputy Head Boy, Alistair Wood now 17 years of age, has just been elected as the new Chairman of the Worcestershire Liberal Democrats. He always told me his ambition was to be Prime Minister. Hollie Jones has secured a place to study Textile Design at Falmouth University. Competition for this course is very fierce. We wish Hollie well. Mr Hartley, our new Subject Leader for Mathematics, Mr Huffadine, ICT Systems Manager, Mr Bonnick, teacher of English and Miss White, teacher of History have all settled quickly into there roles. We have recently recruited three new Assistant Heads following retirements early in the year. Mr Kling and Mrs Price are already part of our staff; Mr Reeves is currently a very able and experienced 11
senior Subject Leader of Mathematics at a school in Birmingham. All will take up their new roles on 1st September. It has been a pleasure to welcome several visitors to the College. On Tuesday 18th May we were able to offer a conducted tour to Councillor Mary Drinkwater, Chair of the County Council who was accompanied by Marcus Hart the Cabinet Member for Education. They were particularly interested in our Science Labs, our new Creative and Media Suite which is currently under construction and our excellent ICT facilities. Marcus Hart discussed and applauded our involvement as lead School in the IT and Creative Media diplomas. On Thursday, 20th May, we received a visit from Robin Walker, our new MP. We were able to discuss with him our concerns regarding funding for schools in Worcestershire. He was also impressed by our facilities. He opened our new Creative and Media Studio with the following words:―Pupils at Bishop Perowne in the new few years will have enormous opportunity due to the Studio and it is my first opening as an MP. I come from a political family where my brother was once asked ―what his mother did for a living.‖ He said, ―she cooks things and she opens things‖ but I am very honoured that my first opening should be at one of Worcester‘s finest schools, one that I am very happy to support and therefore declare this Studio officially open.‖ I thank all those connected with our Community for their support this term and wish everyone a happy and restful half term holiday.
PERRINS COMMUNITY NEWS
The Community Parliament has carried a motion that environmental issues are the most important that face our generation. As such, we want to improve our environment, become involved in local environmental issues and raise awareness of global campaigns. Therefore, Perrins Community Parliament has set itself a challenging and exciting goal. We have decided to make our College an Eco-School. With the full support of the Headteacher, we want to achieve the Bronze award of the nationally recognised Eco-Schools initiative by the end of the Summer Term. Next year, we hope to achieve Silver award and in the following year we will achieve the prestigious Green Flag award. In order to raise awareness, we are carrying out a poll to find out which endangered animal the College would like to adopt. The result will be published in the next College Newsletter. We want to encourage students to travel to College in a more environmentally-friendly manner. Therefore, we have arranged for a cycling proficiency charity to come into College in June to help a group of Year 7‘s become more confident on their bicycles. In addition, we have conducted an eco-audit of the College, assembled an action group and formulated an action plan to help us achieve our goals and Eco-Schools status. We will keep the College community informed of developments via the newsletter but in the meantime if anyone has any suggestions about green issues we could address then please get in touch with Mr Laidler.
OXFORD UNIVERSITY TRIP – AIM HIGHER
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On Tuesday 27 April, five students from Bishop Perowne had the exciting opportunity to visit, and view, the life of an undergraduate student at Oxford University. With the help of Worcester Sixth Form and AimHigher, students from the Worcester area were invited to consider the possibilities of further education with an up close view of Merton College. The schedule for the day included a seminar on just what Higher Education and university is, a tour of Merton College with current Undergraduates, a photo scavenger hunt around Oxford and a question and answer session with a Law Tutor. Each of these sessions helped to illustrate that to attend Oxford University does not depend upon who your parents are or where you went to school, but how hard you work and what you wish to achieve. 12
Students who are beginning to consider further education might like to visit the University & Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) website at http://www.ucas.ac.uk. This website lists every further education institution and every course available in the country with details on how to apply. For students not yet sure of their path for the future there is also a survey that can help suggest courses based on personal interests.
BATTLEFIELDS TRIP by George Sansome (Deputy Head Boy) Further details of this tour will be made available by the start of the academic year. At 4.30 in the morning, we set off for France. After crossing the Channel we drove to the area of Ypres in Belgium. Our first stop was a British Commonwealth cemetery where we heard the story of just one of many young men to be killed at Ypres. We then drove on, with our guide pointing out key area of the battle, and explaining some of the facts and figures. Next, we visited some trenches and were shown the weapons, kit and methods that soldiers used in trench warfare. A few of us took part in a re-enactment of an attack on a trench using some of the equipment that our guide had showed us. This was a great experience as it helped us to understand how hard trench life must have been, with your life constantly under threat from various things. Later in the day we visited Tyne Cot, which is the largest Commonwealth cemetery on the Western Front, ate dinner and then attended a Memorial Service at the Menin Gate. We then drove back to France to sleep at a hostel. After a good night‘s sleep, we moved onto the Somme, visiting various cemeteries and the Ulster tower. We were shown the uniform of the British troops and also had a rifle demonstration. We then drove to the Thiepval Memorial and laid a wreath for my great-grandfather, who was killed at the Somme but has no known grave. We also found another student‘s relative on the Memorial; the group were all very respectful and we were all moved by their stories, and the poem that was read. After having lunch at the Lochnagar Crater, we set off to see other perspectives of the war. We visited a German cemetery and then went to Delville Wood and the memorial to the South Africans and other soldiers who died there. Ms Farr read a poem and we then set off into the wood to each place a small cross in memory of one of the thousands of soldiers who were killed in the battle there. This was the most emotional part of the trip as it was hard to get to grips with the fact that under a century ago peace and quiet had been torn apart by shells and gunfire and the noises of the battle. We then began our journey home, all of us having learned something new as well as enjoying ourselves. It was a brilliant trip; our guides were excellent and the re-enactments enabled us to empathise with the soldiers who fought and died for our country. TILLEY PARLIAMENT – HEALTHY SCHOOLS TASK GROUP This term, 14 members of Tilley Parliament have formed a Healthy Schools task group. We will be working in collaboration with Miss Allport, Canteen staff and PE staff to contribute towards the completion of the audit for the Healthy School‘s Award. The deadline for completion is July. The aim is to ultimately achieve Healthy School‘s Status for our College. As a College we need to demonstrate effectiveness in PSHE, Healthy Eating, Physical Activity and Emotional Health and Well Being. We are already doing a lot of the requirements but need to gather evidence and complete certain audits to achieve this award. As a Parliament we are currently focusing on the Healthy Eating aspect. We have briefly met with Rachel from the canteen who has suggested suitable websites for us to begin our research – such as the School‘s Food Trust website. We are currently researching healthy lunch box fillers to promote healthy eating. The College canteen currently provides a variety of healthy balanced meals but this is not always true of students bringing in their own packed lunches. We are running a competition for students within the Parliament to design a poster to promote awareness of healthy lunch boxes. The poster will then be displayed around College. Muffasir is also focusing on designing a healthy balanced lunch box for vegetarians. 13
The next task will be to devise and distribute a student survey on school menu choices to include both food and drink. Consultations will take place termly. We look forward to assisting Miss Allport in achieving Healthy Schools status.
Miss G. Olseen Community Leader for Tilley. LRC NEWS
Mark Robson
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On March 26 we were privileged to welcome children‘s author, Mark Robson. He spoke to over 200 students in Years 7 and 9. Mark was a Royal Air Force Pilot, and these experiences helped prepare him to write his exciting Dragon Org books. But this may never have happened if there hadn‘t been bad weather to prevent Mark flying, and he became bored! His flight navigator told him ―Do something – go and write a book!‖ This throw away comment was the start of the ―Darkweaver‖ series. Mark was an inspiration to many of the students, and he encouraged them to aim high and get what they want in life, and never to give up. Following the talk, students had the opportunity to talk to Mark individually and purchase signed copies of his books. Bishop Perowne Church of England Book “We are Writers”
Every child can be a writer, and that is just what students at Bishop Perowne Church of England College have proved! Students were invited by the College Librarian, Linda Bromyard, to submit pieces of work for entry into the book. The items range from short four lined poems to longer stories covering several pages. All types of writing are included, fact, fiction, plays, creative story writing, analysis on books and films, 14
the students have covered everything. Each year group has contributed some form of writing. Some chose to put in a piece that they had already written for College work, while others decided to write something specifically. The standard and quality of each piece is extremely high, and all contributors should be very proud of themselves. The book cover was also designed by a student in College, she used a piece of work that she had produced for her GCSE Art, and an explanation of her art can be found within the book. Furthermore, the forward was written by author, John Townsend, who is a regular visitor to Bishop Perowne, and has got to know the staff and students very well over the last few years. He understands the buzz of seeing the finished book finally in print. The book doesn‘t just contain writing from the students; several members of staff were keen to be included, creating even more variety to the book. SPORTS DEPARTMENT NEWS Leadership in Sport David King and Ruth Taylor are doing well and contributing fully to the City Leadership Sports Academy. They are planning activities for the primary schools for National Sports week. Beth Jones, Robert Crowe, Jack Moore and Harry Dunning all attended a Top Link Leadership course at Worcester University and will be organising a Sports Event for Year 7 this term. Already this year over 80 students have been actively involved in leadership in College:-
The Year 11 BTech group ran the Year 6 Cross country festival. 24 students from Year 7 to Year 11 ran the Year 2 Gymnastics Festival. The Year 10 GCSE and Year 10 Btech groups ran the Year 3 Orienteering event. 24 Year 8 students ran our Year 6 Indoor Athletics Festival and then were asked to lead at the Year 7 County Athletics Competition. This was a privilege and they rose to the occasion. Many of our top sports competitors have coached and taken on leadership roles during their sporting careers and often give back to the sport when they can no longer compete. Grass roots leadership at College is just the start .
JULY 2010 As always Arts‘ week provided an abundance of opportunities for our students from learning about the Golden Ratio and a Dragon‘s Den challenge to designing and making in Design Technology. The trips to Goodrich Castle, the Malvern Hills, London and Drayton Manor were highly successful. On 20th July, a sculpture made by our students under the expert guidance of Mr Shepherd, was placed at the front of our College. This is a remarkable achievement. Photos of the sculpture entitled ‘Birds in Flight‘ appear in this Newsletter. Our mission ‗to develop spirituality across the curriculum‘ was certainly delivered during Arts‘ Week. Other opportunities have included a spiritual retreat to Polzeath in Cornwall by our Worship Team, a Work Experience week for Year 10, a Geography Field Trip and taster days at local Colleges. We are proud of our students whose Art and Photography is on public display and our dance group who showcased at ‗Voices and Visions‘. We are looking forward to our dance evening on 21st July.
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There are two major construction projects taking place during the holiday period. BUILDING WORK DURING THE SUMMER Performing Arts Building A new building is being constructed in the central quadrangle for the performing arts. It consists of a large dance room with changing rooms and an adjoining meeting, lecture and conference room. The construction is the same as the blue dining room, but on a very much bigger scale. It will have a sprung dance floor, mirror wall and ballet barre. This new building will be ready for use at the start of the new term. Artificial Turf Pitch At last the major work coming from our relationship with The King‘s School has started. The site is on the lower part of the playing fields on the College side of the footpath. When complete there will be a full size hockey pitch with a full size football pitch on the same area. Additionally there will be two sixa-side pitches running across these full size pitches. The whole area will be fenced and floodlit. The facility will be used by Bishop Perowne in the morning and King‘s in the afternoon of each teaching day. Outside these hours it will be available for use by the public and bookings for this can be taken by the Administration Staff at Bishop Perowne. The pitch should be completed before the end of the Autumn Term. Rewards We have been reviewing our rewards system over the past term. Through various trial systems and student consultation we have arrived at a new programme for September 2010. This will allow students to collect credits on their planner throughout the year. When 25 credits have been achieved the student will log them with their tutor. 25 credits is equal to a £1 in value. During the summer term the total value accrued by each student will be calculated and the students will be able to use their rewards towards the cost of end of term trips or high street vouchers. A monitoring group of students and staff has been set up that will gauge the numbers of credits being presented to students ensuring that no year group or teaching group is being disadvantaged throughout the programme. We are confident that this is a system that students will value and enables us to reward all students who so consistently work hard and achieve well. Mrs J Price YEAR 10 WORKSHOP During Work Experience week five of our students worked with Paul Shepherd, Teacher of Design and Technology to produce a sculpture which they have donated to our College. They described their week as follows: ‗Flying the Nest‘ When design work began, we were all full of ideas. We had to devise some method of sharing an equal amount of ideas to really express the sense of togetherness, and making it feel as if we would each be part of the finished sculpture. While mulling over our thoughts in the workshop we just so happened to find a paper cut out of a soaring bird. ‗That‘s it!‖ we all said, and our ideas began to spill onto a page. The concept of a majestic piece resembling the lifetime of students as they chose their individual paths through the school, finally leaving and ‗flying the nest‘ so to speak, the idea of birds leaving their next for a life of their own seemed to show beautiful imagery of life at Bishop Perowne. We thoroughly enjoyed our work experience week at a metal workshop and feel it was beneficial for not only improving skills, but also giving us a warm feeling of self contentment to see our creation take shape in the grounds of Bishop Perowne. We cannot thank Paul Shepherd enough for taking us 16
under his wing and allowing us to have a small glimpse of what his day to day life as a metal smith is like. Our thanks go to him. Luke Collins, Ruby Hill, Tom Revell, Luke Passey, Karl Rammell. The sculpture has been placed at the front of our College and encapsulates the spirit of Bishop Perowne. Our students are encouraged to grow into confident individuals capable of making a difference in the world. During a recent visit the Archdeacon, the Venerable Roger Morris commented that while the sculpture represents freedom and confidence, the birds are flying in formations which echo the harmony and cohesive environment of Bishop Perowne.
Community News – Llanrug Trip 2010 On the Saturday morning we all arrived in the car park, got on the coach and waved goodbye excitably to our parents. We were on our way to Llanrug, North Wales. The journey seemed to take ages. Eventually, we arrived at the centre, which is on the edge of Snowdonia National Park. Then we had to take our bags up to our rooms and start unpacking and making our beds. I was sharing a room with 5 other boys: Will Sowden, Jack Saunders, Joe Terry, Morgan Hudson and Harry Miller. Later one of the instructors talked to us about rules of the centre, and gave information about when and where dinner was and where all the kit would be for the many activities. The first morning we met with Angie, our instructor for the week. She talked to us about the activities that we would be doing then we had to get all our kit ready for the first activity which was rock climbing. This included, harnesses, helmets, climbing and walking boots and ropes. The place that we were going to climb was about 10 minutes away from the centre. When we got there we had a short walk up to the rock face where we could climb. At this place there were 3 different routes we could take to climb up, but first we had to warm up. For this we did something called traversing which is where you climb on a wall but along it horizontally, not up. After the warm up, the people climbing were clipped onto the rope while the other people in the group made sure that the rope was held tight. After we had finished our first activity of the week we went to get a well deserved ice cream as it was extremely hot!
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For the evening activity we went orienteering. We had to go around the park using a map and find the markings on objects such as benches or boulders and write the two letters down. One evening we also roasted marshmallows on the beach, which was fun and tasty!
The next day we went Sea Level Traversing. We had to get all of our wetsuits and buoyancy aids. Again this was horizontal rock climbing, and involved getting very wet! One particular fun part involved pulling ourselves on a rope between two rocks with the sea below us. As I was going over the instructor let the rope go slack and I went splash into the water, but it was all in good fun!
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For our third activity we put on buoyancy aids once more but this time we were on the water rather than in it! We went kayaking, which was great fun, with amazing scenery. As well as paddling on the lake and sea, we played a game of polo, which was fun, and one or two people capsized.
Our fourth and final activity was mining, down in the caves. We had to have lamps on our helmets as it was pitch black. We were grateful for the torches as we had to canoe across a small lake, which would have been impossible in complete darkness. We were very lucky as this is the only day it rained during the week, but it didn‘t make any difference to our underground activity.
We were all extremely tired by the end of a fantastic week filled with new adventures and activities. I enjoyed every moment but I think the highlight of the week was Sea Level Traversing because everyone jumped in and I got dropped in.
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Did we enjoy it? Do we want to go again? To answer these questions just look at our faces!
Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you to Mr Westrip and all the teachers who took us, you were all fantastic too! It was an amazing week! Simon Williams T001
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Community News – Duckworth
I believe that Duckworth is the best community at Bishop Perowne. Our community spirit is amazing and everyone is always willing to take part. It is incredible to see how much effort is put in by staff and students. Everyone is very outgoing. Duckworth has raised hundreds of pounds for charity by taking part in activities such as penny collecting for children in need, Bishop‘s got Talent, Penalty Shoot –out competitions, Community Bake-Off‘s and many more. This year, we have elected two new Community Captains, myself Charles Done and Emily Shuttleworth. We are already busy planning activities for next term along with all the form representatives. Next term, we are looking to concentrate on one very special charity in particular, ‗Amnesty International‘. We all really appreciate the efforts that are put into making these activities a great success.
Charles Done Community Captain ART – NATIONAL ART EXHIBITION Two Bishop Perowne Church of England College students Alice Collins in Year 7 and Hallam Wood in Year 8, were successful in having their work selected for the eighth National Students‘ Art Exhibition, affiliated to the Royal Society of British Artists. This was organised through the Dover Federation for the Arts for Specialist schools, colleges and academies and the exhibition was held from 12 to 17 July at the Mall Galleries in London. Both students produced some really creative work inspired by their use of mixed media and experimentation in their representation of everyday objects. Hallam was also interviewed and this may be included in the DVD that the Federation produces each year. th
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LRC NEWS We are Writers” Students volunteered pieces of writing to be entered into our very own Bishop Perowne College Book. There are pieces from the youngest students in year 7, through to year 11, and even a few pages are written by the staff! The book includes a marvellous feast of short poems, to longer stories of all sorts. There are also plays, and screen shots, and even a few recipes. Some students have written factual essays based on course work. Furthermore, letters from a former student who is now travelling the world give an inspiration to all current students. Not all pieces are in English, as students studying French also submitted pieces of writing. This delightful book is the result of several months preparation, and we are all so pleased to see the final result and all our work and names in print. Author, John Townsend, is a regular visitor to our College, so we were thrilled that he agreed to write the forward. This book has been a piece of work that has involved all the College community, and every subject, the front cover was designed by a year 10 student, Jordan Elson, who is studying GCSE Art. The book, published by Scholastic, was available for students and staff to buy, and of course we have a copy in the library. Linda Bromyard, Librarian, who organised this, said that the book, which was affectionately known as ―The Bishop Perowne Book‖ was an enjoyable project to do, the students are all so talented and it is so wonderful for them all to see their name in print. Linda Bromyard, Librarian at Bishop Perowne Church of England College 22
SPORTS DEPARTMENT NEWS
Learning through Sport Day at UCW On Monday 28 thirty of our Year 7 boys were taken to the university for a day of sport. In all, there were nearly 250 students from around the district who had taken the opportunity of experiencing a variety of sports led by the staff and students of the university. These ranged from Gymnastics and Boxing to Wheelchair Basketball and BMXing. After lunch we all walked down to the County Cricket ground where we watched Worcestershire play Leicestershire. During the interval we were allowed onto the ground itself to play kwik cricket. Then, when the players came back onto the field we made a tunnel to support them as they came out before taking our seats again to watch the game. In addition to all of this there was an opportunity for students to do some rock climbing on an artificial wall, or be tested by the university's motion analysis unit or try out some of the tennis activities that were provide by the LTA. th
All in all it was a fantastic day with fantastic weather which I am confident that all benefited from and enjoyed. Year 9 District Cricket Champions. Once again this age group has excelled and beaten all of the other Worcester schools to earn the right to play Prince Henry's from Evesham in the County semi-final with the winner going on to play at Flag Meadow. Congratulations to the squad led by their captain Dan Colburn, who has a great deal to do especially when setting the field. Amaan Ibrar (Year 8) Lewis Austin Joe Birbeck Ryan Bunton Charlie Burton Paul Chapman (Year 8) John Hewlitt Tom Hutt Ashley King Nick Macpherson Ryan Molly Ollie Roberts William Sowden
SUMMER TERM Droitwich and Worcester School Sport Partnership Gifted and Talented Day in Physical Education at the Alexander Stadium On 11 June I took 42 children to the Alexandar Stadium in Birmingham. They were from St Georges, St Barnabas, Claines and Northwick Manor along with 10 Year 7 students from Bishop Perowne College. th
We were met by Keith Holt, who is the manager of the England Cross Country team, who took the children through their paces. They had experience of throwing, jumping and running on the outdoor track and then we went to the Indoor Performance Centre. This had an indoor track high jump and long jump facilities as well as an indoor discus area. Most of the children had never experienced such high quality facilities. Throughout the day we saw international athletes with their coaches training. It was fantastic for the children to see how and where our future Olympic athletes may train. 23
The following students were lucky to have this experience and were good role models for the primary children. Kieran Burns, Abbie Fallon-Wilson, Elizabeth Guinivan, William Henshaw, Leigh Hewitt Jack Passey, Elisha Philpotts, Luke Southall Mathew Sowden and Tyler Wright.
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Bishop Perowne College Win Again U13 Girls‘ Double league and County Cup two years in a row.
Bishop Perowne College won the Droitwich and Worcester School Sport Partnership U13 Girls‘ Football League for the second year running. They then went on to play in the County Finals playing teams from the other partnerships in Worcestershire. They finished top of group winning the County Cup for the second year running. Two students Emily Burton and Abigail Laker have signed on for Premiership Team Wolves U14 Girls. We wish them every success. Team Emily Burton, Abbie Fallon-Wilson, Shanice Hobbs, Abigail Laker, Nicole Le Poidevin, Shahena Sultana, Abigail Whitehouse, Charlie Wood
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