Contents He adte achers’ address Clubs Events from Music Need to Kne ad Number Day 2020 Events from English World Book Day 2020 Caludon Masterclass Photography Trips Le arning at Home Wellbeing for Students, Parents and Staff
The Headteachers’ address Dear parents/carers, Who could have known that within one term of our last message, the world as we know it could have been turned so upside down! Wherever we look, wherever we go, we are told that these are unprecedented times, and that is certainly true of school life as we know it. We are sure that you are still adjusting to either the virtual school environment, or the support/care for key workers’ children. So are we and all members of staff. For these reasons, this Update could not be more timely or welcome. It reminds us of the strong and positive learning activities and opportunities that Caludon is all about; of the wonderful staff and students who have taken part and benefitted, and what the future will hold when normality returns. The accounts and images serve to remind us all of the ties that bond the Caludon family. We cannot thank our staff enough for making all of this possible. They will certainly give us plenty to read over the Easter break. The virtual school will close from Friday 10- Sunday 26 April inclusive. Please note that during this time no work will be set or marked through Firefly and that the usual channels of communication with the school will not be open. All of us are in need of a well-deserved rest, especially those who have gone above and beyond to provide a stable response to events. Weekly Year Team updates will resume week commencing 27 April. Now, more than ever, we urge you to stay safe and strong.
Clubs at Caludon Castle
There are now 34 clubs on offer at Caludon Castle which is 6 more clubs than last term. Throughout this edition you will see information and pictures from some of these clubs showing that students at Caludon really value them. Students who attend them keep these clubs going so thank you to all students who attend regularly. Thank you to the many teachers around the school who put a lot of effort into making these fun and engaging for all. As always, if there is a club you would like to see on offer at Caludon Castle, please see Mr Holland, or your class teacher to see if it is something we can accommodate.
Events from the Music faculty The Music department is very proud to announce that we have become a school member of Music Mark for this academic year. This is in recognition of our commitment to providing high quality music education for all young people in our school as nominated by Coventry music.
The school orchestra are delighted to have been accepted onto the Mondulo Programme. This is part of the national project; Orchestras for All. This will give our young musicians a chance to perform as part of large scale orchestras on a world class stage. The school orchestra has started to learn and practise in preparation for the regional and national meets. The first one was on the 12th March in Birmingham. As part of this project, the students were able to work alongside professional musicians from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Year 7 Music trip to the Birmingham Symphony Hall The Music department took 47 Year 7 students to the Birmingham Symphony Hall to watch a performance by the CBSO. This concert featured the whole of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. This was an amazing spectacle as they are very talented musicians playing in an awe inspiring building. This will certainly have a lasting impact on the students. The concert provided a clear snapshot of what orchestras can produce. They created music that ranged from classical to modern day genres. They did this through varying sections and instruments of the orchestra. It was a show for everyone! “It was great to see and hear the Avengers music being played by a live orchestra. I have never seen a real orchestra before, it was amazing”. Jenifer, Year 7.
What do students think about Music at Caludon Castle?
Both KS4 and KS5 students have reflected on their time at Caludon Castle working within the Music department. They have shared their personal reflections and memories from the many opportunities the Music department have offered them. Over the past year and a half, I have been involved in a project with Coventry Music who work in collaboration with the Tin Music and Arts. This project gives young people like me the opportunity to program in a band. We are grouped based on our age and interests then we are left to our devices. We are encouraged to write our own music which then leads up to preforming live gigs. My band is called the ‘Mugshots’ and we played a gig in December with another band called ‘Project Overload’ where we both played our original music. I highly recommend the project for anyone who wants to be in a band. They provide advice, equipment, practice space, time to record and the opportunity to perform. Joseph, Year 10.
I like the freedom of being able to do my work in my own time, it pushed me to stay organised, which is a useful skill. Our recent coursework is all about “Managing a Music Product”. We’ve been put into bands and need to make a promotional pack to advertise that band. Some of the things we’ve had to make are a poster, leaflet, and merchandise store. I actually really enjoyed doing this. Not only was I learning how to physically play the songs we’d perform in the band but also all the things behind what it takes to make successful band. I’d seen all the posters and promotional material from my own favourite bands, so it was strange yet exciting to make my own and to see my face on all of it. I’d love to do something like this in the future, so this was a great taster in what that might be like. Outside of lessons, I love going to the music rooms at break and lunch. It’s a great atmosphere and really fun to just sit and play songs with friends. I started going in Year 8, where I slowly taught myself guitar. I could only play a couple chords but after lots of practise, I started to play a lot better. Now, I'm proud to say that I'm a decent guitarist. I really appreciate the teachers letting me use their rooms to practise in during my free time. I don't think I'd be where I am right now without that opportunity. Not only have I learnt how to play but also how all the equipments works and how you set it up and tidy it away properly, which is a skill in its own. Over the last couple weeks, I’d been helping out with a club that Miss Ellul had set up during Friday lunchtimes to teach the Year 7s how to play Ukulele. Ukulele was the first instrument I’d ever learnt to play, after seeing my favourite band use it in a lot of their songs. I was also in Year 7 when I first learnt, so it was nice to help others in the same place I was. Music in Year 10 is a great experience. Particularly, I love the creative side of it all and the freedom you get when experimenting with it. I’m excited to start writing compositions in lessons next term. It feels amazing to be playing in my own band and I can’t wait to perform songs live. Sonia , Year 10.
I have always enjoyed Music at Caludon Castle. There have always been so many extra curricular activities for me to take part in. I have enjoyed choir and being involved in the school’s Christmas Production. I have found the Music department to be like a second home within the school as they are always there when you need someone to talk to and get musical advice from. In my Music lessons we have some amazing opportunities available to us. Last year, we were able to be the pit band for the school production. We were also able to perform a gig on the history of pop to all of our friends and family. This year is the highlight as we have been able to record a charity single to raise money for the MS Society. We have been able to write and professionally record a song which has given us valuable experience in the production of music. This is an opportunity that we will all never forget and will take pride in. Thank you to the school for providing us with this opportunity to develop our skills and to raise money for an amazing charity. Samantha, Year 13.
‘Need to Knead’ staff activity The Food Technology department ran a session for staff to attend and make bread. Not only did this give members of staff a taste of what it is like to be a Food Technology student at Caludon Castle, it also helped staff relax and learn a new skill. We emphasised the benefits of baking bread for wellbeing as it allows you to do something practical and achieve something at the end. It really was a lovely event and the food produced was outstanding. Well done to everyone who took part and thank you so much to those that helped organised it.
Ms Ruddy
NSPCC Number Day This term the Maths faculty completed a 100 mile bike ride in an attempt to raise money for the NSPCC. Each teacher cycled for half an hour each in order to reach their 100 mile total target. Mr Wood got us so close to our target (99 miles!) but luckily Mrs Marr was on hand to do the final mile for the team! Students in Years 7 and 8 were also taking part in fun, as they carried out mathematical challenges throughout the day. In total, the Maths faulty managed to raise over ÂŁ230. Thank you to everyone who donated! Maths Team
Events from the English faculty Creative Writing Club Competition:
We have had another successful term in Creative Writing Club. We have been working on the Castle Phoenix Trust Creative Writing Competition which is based on writing narratives on the stimuli ‘castle’ and ‘phoenix’. Every member of the club submitted a very strong entry into the competition. Please read Rachel in Year 10’s entry as an example of phenomenal work the students have created. Miss McDonagh
MY CHILDHOOD Oh my childhood, my sweet childhood, how much I miss you. Every time I think about you, my soul starts to feel nostalgic. I think about the blue and clear sky with clouds like candy floss that were orbiting you. I felt happiness every time I saw you when I woke up every morning. The sun was shining brightly and with happiness. Why can’t I have you back? Why did you have to go?
Every morning I woke up, feeling freedom, having the desire to play with my toys that were scattered all over the floor like the sand in the beach. Me and my sister played with our teddy bear, thinking it was our baby sister. We really wanted a little sister. We were so desperate. We wanted to feel her soft and brown cheeks. We wanted to smell her baby smell and play with her. Oh childhood, Do you remember every time I said that I loved you? That I never wanted you to go because you were the reason why my happiness was as big as a mansion. Playing with my friends, living stress free. I did not have to worry about doing homework or about my future because my parents were in charge of that. All of this is almost finished just like my hope to get you back. Every time I remember you, the sun comes out and shines brightly, But then it goes cloudy and starts to rain. I would do anything to get you back. I guess it's time to get over it and say goodbye forever. You will always be in my heart; I will never forget you. From your beloved, Rachel…
Clubs in English: We watch films, usually about the topic or the genre that we’re studying in English. After we have watched part of the film, we discuss what has happened so far and what life must have been like at the time the film was set. Currently, we are watching 'Great Expectations', which is based on the novel by Charles Dickens. It is about a poor and young Victorian boy who is making his way to be a rich and good man in the future. I enjoy film club because it helps us gain more information and more detail about the time period of the movie so we can use the ideas in English. It is a very enjoyable and entertaining club to be in and I can guarantee that you will enjoy it - Mr Campbell hopes more people join in the fun and come along! Gabriel, Year 7.
Graphic Novel Club started this term with Ms Shaikh, where students have been creating ideas of stories set in different worlds and realms with graphic images of their characters. By looking at examples of published graphic novels, students have taken inspiration for their own narratives! We are excited to see what we come up with before the end of the year and hope to print and share some with the school. Ms Shaikh
Year 7 students from across the Castle Phoenix Trust came together for an afternoon of creative writing. The students from Caludon Castle, Kingsbury and Foxford worked collaboratively to creative a short descriptive piece entitled ‘The Cave’. By exploring the eerie atmosphere of the cave with torches, they produced intriguing and engaging pieces of descriptive writing, considering different writing techniques and perspectives. Ms Cash
Creative-I.T. in English: Year 9 students enjoyed working with technology in English this term, producing creative writing narratives based on the Gothic genre while reading The Woman in Black. They worked collaboratively, using iPads, to write their own tense and spooky stories! Ms Ivin
It was a dark and dreary night in the desolate graveyard and pungent, musty scents filled the thick air. Everything was silent. Victor crouched atop the lonely oak tree, awaiting some delicious human meat to sink his teeth in to. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the anxious gatekeeper, going about his usual jobs. Like an owl swooping for its prey, he pounced and the gate-keeper screeched. As he was preparing to gnaw at the soft skin on his neck, Victor was distracted by a loud, sharp strike of lightning which gave the gate-keeper a chance to escape in to the cold church and hide beneath a pew. “Come out, come out. I’m getting hungry.” Growled Victor as he noticed a shoe peeking out from beneath the wooden pew. He floated down and snatched the shoe up, and dropped the gate-keeper down with a thud and he disappeared in to a mist, carrying the gate-keeper with him.
Warwick Transformations: Over the last few months, a group of Caludon students have been working with undergraduate students from the University of Warwick, taking part in seminar-style sessions to read, discuss and debate dystopian writing, and even creating their own dystopian worlds. Congratulations to James McGuigan and Maria Sanchez, whose creative projects were shortlisted for prizes awarded by the university. The awards evening took place on campus on 4 March and students were treated to a seminar with a university lecturer and awarded certificates and vouchers for their hard work. It’s been wonderful to see our students develop their confidence and creative skills and I’m looking forward to the programme starting again next year. Miss Knight
Thank you to everyone who made World Book Day 2020 such a success. The atmosphere around school was wonderful with staff and students sharing their enthusiasm for books and reading. The library was abuzz at break time with a very successful book swap (over 200 titles were exchanged) and we welcomed a few visitors from Hogwarts, Wonderland and beyond, as staff dressed up for the occasion. It was great to see students excited about the new books they were able to take home. The world map in the geography department was updated to include books and authors from around the world in a fantastic display of diverse talent from across the globe. In the Phoenix Suite, students loved sharing stories about heroes, from the super men and women of the comic book world, to real-life heroes. The enthusiasm, discussions and displays were inspiring. A group of eight students visited Waterstones on Friday afternoon and enjoyed choosing how to spend their World Book Day voucher (vouchers were given to every student in Years 7 and 8). For many of these students it was their first time in a bookshop and all agreed that they would be visiting again! Many students took part in the Big World Book Day Quiz, testing their knowledge of contemporary children's fiction. Phoebe Yates (7.8) was the lucky winner and took home a complete set of the Alex Rider adventure series. Miss Knight
The Geography department made a display of children’s book that explore various locations around the world. A special thank you to the Geography student ambassadors who helped research and create the display. Miss Mallett
Year 7 enjoyed transforming their favourite books into Spanish in our World Book Day lesson. They decorated their ‘minilibros’ (mini books) and used some key phrases such as ‘escrito por’ (written by), ‘se lanzó en’ (released in) and ‘los personajes son’ (the characters are). It was great combining the two subjects! Mr Ricketts
Caludon Masterclass: Maths Revision Masterclass: On Monday 16th March, 20 year 11 boys participated in a Revision Masterclass. We know that Nationally boys are statistically outperformed by girls and feedback from boys at Caludon was that revision was an area that they felt a lack of confidence. To combat this, seven of our sixth formers agreed to participate and share their techniques and advice on how to prepare for exams and what worked for them. They shared strategies ranging from mind maps and flash cards, to auditory learning and how to condense notes and practise exam questions effectively. Feedback showed that the Year 11s enjoyed the session and got a lot from it. The session was rounded off with pizzas that were eaten in record time. Thanks to the sixth formers for sharing their words of wisdom! Miss Newton
English Year 7 Masterclass: English ran a literature masterclass this half term for Year 7 students which introduced them to different dramatic strategies which could be used to develop a greater understanding of Shakespeare. All students enjoyed the experience and took away some interesting ideas to use in their English study. Ms Ivin
Geography Year 7 Masterclass: Students used their maths skills to work out grid references in order to collect information about the Australian wildfires to debate whether or not the wildfires were man-made or natural. Students were super. Mrs Irving Â
Photography Trips: Year 12 trip to Brandon Marsh:
The Year 12 Photography class swapped their photography studio for the great outdoors just before Christmas, and spent their morning’s lesson at Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve. Despite the recent rains, and the cold temperatures, the class were blessed with sunshine throughout the morning which gave them the opportunity for some stunning photographs. They were documenting the post-industrial site and its wildlife for their Identity project. Ms Hutchinson
Year 12 and 13 trip Birmingham City Centre:
Year 12 and 13 photography and Moving Image students visited Birmingham city centre in December, to take photographs or footage for their current projects on a variety of themes. Arriving by train at New Street Station, they visited Grand Central, the Christmas market, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and the Birmingham Library. The Year 12 students were documenting the identity of the city, and all students enjoyed the opportunity to see professional artwork on display in the gallery. Ms Hutchinson
Making the most of learning at home:
Online learning websites and apps:
To keep learning fresh and engaging there are many apps and websites that you and your child can access at home. Here are just a few of the many out there.
BBC Bitesize is online and it can be downloaded as an app.
It provides learning for KS3 and KS4. Your child can pick a subject from science to languages. It helps students learn through a mix of reading and videos. They also provide quizzes to test how much your child has learnt. It is both engaging and informative.
Quizlet is an app to help revise key topics at all ages. Once downloaded, your child can pick a topic and learn the key information. They match definitions or explanations to the key word or phrase. This is a good learning tool to help find out new information or to help consolidate learning. It is also a good way to mix up the day as it is interactive and can be competitive.
GCSE pod is for year 9 and above. Your child should have their log in details so they can get started. This app allows them to pick a topic and watch videos. Get them to write notes or create mind maps after watching for maximum eect.