July 2016
Headteacher’s Letter Student Successes Leadership
Trips & Events Caludon Experience Week Sports
Photograph: Y7 Art Club members
Headteacher’s Letter
“Confidence and a passion for learning” they have had with student progress. We now have a large team of outstanding teachers who are committed to ensuring your child’s learning is the best it can be.
Dear Parents / Carers, This term has, as ever, been busy and you will see from this issue of the Caludon Update the many activities that make us so proud of students at the school. So many children have benefitted from the trips and activities that staff have offered, and we will continue to offer opportunities for students to demonstrate their talents or to experience something new. In addition, I would like to congratulate five of our staff who successfully received lead learning practitioner status this month. These staff, representing History, Science, Maths and English, had to demonstrate their outstanding teaching and provide evidence of the impact
Every year, we also offer opportunities for staff to participate in an ‘emerging leaders’ programme. These staff develop projects that make a positive difference to students. Last week, 13 members of staff showcased their projects which ranged from enriching sport, and developing student leaders in year 7, to increasing the level of challenge in year 8 English, and improving mathematical feedback. We have continued to share our expertise with other schools and our many visitors compliment us on our high expectations. Your children demonstrate confidence and a passion for learning. In response to your feedback, we offered subject evenings to parents of year 9, 10 and 11 students this year and, as these were welcomed by staff and you, we will be piloting subject
evenings with all year groups next year. You will be able to book appointments online. An information evening for parents to gain a greater understanding for recognising bullying, and learning how the school tackles this, was held last week. Only a few parents attended, but we feel it important enough to offer another opportunity at the beginning of next term, so please check our website for the school calendar of key events. We will also be launching a Parent Council In September to consider matters that are important to you and to provide an additional link between home and school. I would like to wish you and your families a very happy holiday and look forward to welcoming your children back in September. The new year 7 begin school on Tuesday 6th September and years 8, 9,10 and 11 begin on Wednesday 7th September.
Mrs Marr, Head Teacher
Year Team Updates There was a time, now almost mythical, when things slowed down in the summer term. That time is long gone, but part of the ‘busy-ness’ of the summer term is the long list of activities and extra opportunities that are created for our students.
the Y7 Maths Challenge, sports teams that span the year groups, dance and drama clubs, the Wimbledon and Dol-y-Moch trips, and some of the events for the Y6 students who will be starting with us at Caludon in September.
This term has seen years 7 to 10 involved in the Caludon Experience and Arts Week - you will see a lot about these events later in the Update.
As we move to the new school year, Mr Holland will say goodbye to the current Y7 to become Year Leader to the new Y7. Mrs Maroke will take over the reins from him as Y7 move into Y8. Other year leaders will move up with their year groups, so Ms Grisedale will lead Y9, Ms Devine will lead Y10 and Ms Edwards will lead Y11. Post-16 will continue to be led by Ms Roberts, Mrs Carter and Mr Handy.
Years 11, 12 and 13 have obviously been involved in their GCSE and A Level exams this term, as well as the final submission of their coursework for these and their BTEC courses. At the same time as finishing their current courses, many of these young people have been involved in researching their options for their futures. Y9 have visited a range of local universities, Y10 have visited local colleges, and Y12 have had a University Day in Birmingham, finding out what life is like as an undergraduate. Y11 and Y13 have been involved in interviews to secure their places for next year, wherever those might be. Meanwhile, in school we have been finalising the options choices for Y8 and Y9, and preparing their timetables ready for next year. As well as these curricular and career-based events, there have been a range of trips, visits and visitors, many of which are detailed in these pages. Perhaps the most influential of these are the ones that allow students to work with members of other year groups. These are events such as: student leaders organising
All the year leaders wish you a very happy holiday, and look forward to seeing the students back at Caludon in September.
Post-16 News University Summer Schools We are delighted to announce that our three applicants to attend the highly prestigious summer school at Oxford University were all successful! Hari Bhachoo and Jenna Adkins will attend for Medicine, and Megan Smith for Psychology. Helen McFadden has also achieved a place in the highly competitive summer school placements at Bath University, along with another at the Sutton Summer Trust. Rachel Godson achieved a place on the summer school at Sutton Trust for Veterinary Science Congratulations to all of these students; they have done themselves, their families and the school proud!
The Sixth Form Prom This year’s Prom was a wonderful event with over 100 students attending. It was held at Ansty Hall, and was organised by Kara Gaggini and Sophie Greener, with the fantastic support of Ms Veasey from the sixth form team and Ms Anderson from Finance. Kara and Sophie worked so hard to make it happen and demonstrated their event organising skills. The students were all dressed to impress and danced their way through the evening, interspersed by having photographs taken in the photo booth and by a professional photographer. It was a wonderful atmosphere, celebrating the end of 2 years’ hard work and determination. We are very proud of the students and look forward to their results on Thursday August 18 at 8am.
The Year 13 Leavers Assembly It’s that time of year again when we say goodbye to our year 13s. We held a somewhat emotional, but fun, leavers assembly celebrating the achievements and the characters that have contributed to the life of our sixth form for the last 2 years. Students were presented with humorous (and some serious) awards to mark their achievements and contributions. We also enjoyed hot samosas, sandwiches and chocolates for after!
Birmingham University day This event is designed to give students a taste of a university environment and all the information they might need to start them thinking about whether this is a route they would like to go down or not. Birmingham University’s outreach officer gave the students mini lectures on the application process, and the importance of the personal statement and getting the best grades they can.
Ms Roberts gave an emotional speech and tried to leave the students with some words of wisdom. It is always sad to say goodbye but equally delightful to see the students all move on and progress into wonderful, successful young people.
They were able to meet student ambassadors and have a mini tour of the university as well as being provided with lunch. The student feedback indicated that they found it really useful and thoroughly enjoyed Ansar’s humour and knowledge. They conducted themselves with
maturity and were great ambassadors for Caludon Castle sixth form. Student leaders After a highly competitive set of applications and interviews, all of which were fantastic, we now have a head boy and head girl. Charlie Wilkinson is head boy and Nicole Scarr is head girl. We also have 4 amazing prefects: * Jasmine Hutchings who has already started to shape her role as a motivating leader for fundraising; * Anya Bratt who has begun to plan the tours for our year 11 into 12 transition event and appears to be shaping a PR role for the sixth form; * Megan Smith and Ben Marsden who are currently working to shape their lead positions, to put their talents of organisation and enthusiasm to good for the sake of the sixth form. Monday at the N.E.C On Monday 27th June Caludon Castle sixth form took a trip to the UCAS open day at the N.E.C in Birmingham. We had the opportunity to speak to over 100 universities and apprenticeship leaders. It gave everyone a chance to decide what course they might want to apply for in the following year. It also helped other students who already knew what universities they wanted to go to, as they could ask further questions about their options that may not be on the websites. There were also talks we could attend where we were told about UCAS applications, student finance and other important pieces of information.
This was a great day as everyone who may not be able to travel to the open days had been given the ability to speak to the representatives of the Universities. It was also a lovely chance to catch up with friends on the coach and throughout the day, as well as learning about what they would like to do in the future and learning about the other amazing courses that are offered to students. Jasmine Hutchings Our Head Girl Speaks... Hello my name is Nicole and I will be your head girl this year! The leap from year 11 to sixth form is massive and this is one reason why you should throw your all in, right from the start. Building a positive relationship with your teachers is important as they are an invaluable resource when it gets tough! Sixth form gives you the independence you definitely won’t have got whilst doing your GCSEs, however this means putting more effort in off your own back. You will also have the help of the sixth form staff who can be found in the sixth form office. They are always there for you, along with your teachers, to ensure you get the best grades possible. If there’s something you really enjoy studying, then doing this at A-level is already a kick in the right direction as you will be motivated to do well. I have found that studying what you love is much more exciting in sixth form as you are able to excel in what you’re good at. Work experience is also something you can look forward
to. It gives you the opportunity to take time out of a school environment as you are put into the adult world of work. Make sure you think ahead in terms of work experience, so that you get a good placement that you’re interested in. If you’re lucky enough to know what path you’re going down, try and choose a placement suited to this, as it will help you in the future when applying for jobs. Along with this, enrichment is something very important which you will need to do this year. It’s something extra, such as helping out with younger years netball or sitting in on a year 8 Maths class to offer your expertise. I do English Language; therefore I have chosen to read with a year 7 class every Wednesday. This has given me independence and an even better working relationship with my English teacher, as it is something we can both relate to. Again, it makes sense to do enrichment in an area you are interested in, because the whole point is
to enjoy yourself while helping others. You will also be able to talk to me and to Charlie this year if you need us. We are here to help you along the way or be here if you just want a friend or a chit chat, so don’t be afraid to come and talk to us. We will be more than willing to help you in your studies or to help you set your timetables, as we have been through year 12 and we know it is tough. Overall, sixth form is a great experience which will set you up well for university, apprenticeships or what ever else you may choose to do in the future, but you will only get out of it what you put in. So try your best and good luck! Nicole Scarr
Year 11 Prom Friday 8th July was Prom Night for Year 11 students at Coombe Abbey. We were in the marquee, with silver lights embedded in the black ceiling, and tables with sets of balloons, in black, silver and pearl. There was a candy table set out for the students to enjoy as and when they wished to do so. We had our meal, then announced the Prom King and Queen - Nathan Scullion and Chloe Ellis. They were each given a sash, a certificate and a crown/tiara. Then the partying started! There wasn’t a student who didn’t dance as the music was so enticing; the DJ was amazing. Some of these students never came out of their comfort zone whilst studying. However, now that all that was behind them, they could break off their shackles and really dance the night away. A few didn’t come off the dance floor almost all evening, which was most reassuring. We had a photo booth and a professional photographer present so that these precious memories could be savoured. It was lovely to see these young people be truly genuine in showing their true feelings towards their peers (a sense of great loss due to some attending colleges or apprenticeships, and no longer being together for 7 hours a day). Numerous students went and sat at the staff tables to have a chat and to show their gratitude for all that had been put in place for them. These were heartfelt conversations about missing staff and all that they’d done for them, with some students
Celebrating success Headteacher’s Tea Parties The following students were invited to the year 7 and 8 Headteacher’s Tea Party in the final week of June.
already wishing they’d been more attentive during lessons, as this event was final proof of the end of school for some of them. The atmosphere was electric and just perfect. Here’s wishing all of Year 11 well, in whatever they decide to do next year. It’s been a privilege being your Year Leader and I’ll miss all of you. Mrs Maroke, Leader of Year 11
Y7 Alora Ha Bobby Dobson Daniel Harrison Eiren O’Sullivan Ella Farren Jake Smedley Lewis Eaves Lucy-Mae Jones Maariyah Munir Millie Smedley Nayana Robin Olivia Hancock Olivia Nicholson Samuel Wright Sophia Kennedy Y8 Darcey Harris Hollie Fraser
James Dunn Jaz Randall Jessica Smith Jessie Ryan Johnetta Okyere Maddie Seery Madison Taylor Olivia Barker Olivia Hillage Simerpreet Dhaliwal Teona Anderson Tom Goode Zola Bailey The following students from years 9 and 10 were invited to the Headteacher’s Tea Party in May. Y9 Amy Boon Britney Caka Chloe Broomfield Conor Kiernan
Dyllan Dosanjh Emily Allman Hannah Harvey Jessie Paprotny Megan Blake Owen Callender Rachel Cooper Rahul Rai Simran Rakkar Y10 Alex Long Danash Mahmood Jaynika Mistry Katie Hallam Kelsey Kenefick Kyaahn Choto Lydia Maguire Masooma Shah Max Ingham-Stott Murray Nailor Poonam Virdee Samira Khanum Sophie Mitchell
Celebrating success Rotary Awards
Visual Arts
It is fantastic to be able to share yet another triumph at the Annual Coventry Rotary Awards this year, in Design and Technology. The evening was held at Warwick University on Wednesday 22nd June. We were so proud to see the turn out of our Caludon Castle “Young Designers and Caterers” as their names were called out and they approached the stage. Despite strong entries from all of the secondary schools across Coventry at GCSE and A Level, we again have won both Quality Awards in GCSE Product Design and A Level Product Design, and the highly regarded business award Coventry Rotary Clubs’ Excellence in GCSE Catering and Hospitality, which is a monetary award of £100. Many congratulations to:
As with most subjects, in the Visual Arts the months of May and June are arguably the most stressful for both student and teacher. Examinations are completed; work is assessed, moderated and then exhibited This process pretty much mirrors the creative process that artists experience professionally, whereby their work is measured and judged in many forms.
Abigail Frost - Coventry Rotary Clubs’ Excellence in GCSE Catering and Hospitality Award, sponsored by General
Charities of Coventry for her international cuisine, £100. Waylan Jacobs - The Phoenix Quality Award, for his concept car lighting. Nathan Scullion - The Phoenix Quality Award for a sustainable pendant lighting product. And to the following who each received a Prestigious Rotary Award: Bethany Taylor Caitlin Pearce Lauren Watts Ashlea Glasspool Isha Mistry Adam Walmsley Nathan Mitchell Moqsud Miah Stefan Pierre Louis Angela Ventura Jaimie Williams Joshua Taylor Anil Maroke Mr Temple, Technology Faculty
It is therefore so pleasurable to witness our students continuing to surpass their own expectations, and take enormous pride in knowing that they have created something they can truly call their own. I often stress to students how magic a subject area it is, to be able to create something that has never existed before! The Art GCSE cohort of 2016 was successful in building a body of work that did not reflect a house style but played to the strengths and passions of each of the art students. Disciplines employed ranged from painting and printing to sculpture and mixed media, amongst other processes and techniques. Themes too were very varied, often generated from the idea of identity and exploring what makes us who we are.
In Brief Mrs Marshall ran the London Marathon in April, finishing in a time of 3 hours and 56 minutes.
The AS course, in its first year of delivery was incredibly well received by our moderator, and this is testament to the hard work and commitment of our year 12 students. Their portfolios and final outcomes began as ideas inspired by the word ‘Circus’, but soon developed into something more personal and wholly self directed. Themes investigated included ‘What lies beneath’, ‘Fear’, ‘Memories’ and ‘Performance’ and these ideas were realised through painting, mixed media, new media, found objects and sculpture. Our Photography A level and Moving Image BTEC students all worked towards displaying their final work in our Sensed exhibition in July. Their ideas were often built from simple foundations to extraordinarily complex final outcomes. This year there were many installations, with students seriously considering the way the audience would be led to see their work. Others created small one-off books for a more close up experience. Ms Petty, Visual Arts Faculty
Paris 2016
ÉCU 2016
Twelve students doing post-16 Moving Image courses accompanied us to Paris during the Easter holiday, to attend the European Independent Film Festival, known as the ÉCU. We left Coventry at 3.45am on the Friday, to catch the 7.00am Eurostar train from St Pancras in London to the Gare du Nord in Paris. We arrived in Paris in time for a late morning snack, and were able to check into our hotel straight-away, to leave our bags there. It was directly opposite a very lovely-looking Parisian church. Little did we know. We spent the day sightseeing - Sacre-Coeur, the Louvre, the Jardin de Tuileries, and other galleries for the arty-minded. When we returned to our hotel for a much needed rest at about 6pm, we discovered that Friday at 6pm is bell-ringing practice time for the church. This went on till almost 8pm. Luckily, even the marking of the quarter hours stopped after that.
Most of the Saturday and Sunday were spent in the Montparnasse district, watching films from around the world and attending workshops about filmmaking. There was no agreement on the best film of the weekend, but Madam Black, a short NZ comedy film about a dead cat, was a definite team favourite. Over the weekend we also visited the Eiffel Tower, the Paris Museum of Art, and the Montparnasse Tower, from where we watched the sun set, with a rainbow arcing round below and above us. More sightseeing, and souvenir shopping, on the Monday - the Pompidou Centre and Notre Dame - before catching the early evening train back to London. But not before one of our party (who shall remain nameless) dropped her train ticket through the open staircase into the closed-off building works below. A real test of our French conversation skills. Ms Hutchinson and Ms McDougall, Visual Arts Faculty
On the 8th of July, ten Media Studies students boarded a coach to Plas Dol-y-Moch, Coventry’s outdoor education centre in North Wales. They were on a mission to complete filming for two different projects. Five Y10 students were making music videos for their GCSE course and five A level students were shooting footage for their short films.
Dol-y-Moch
The weather wasn’t really conducive to filming as it rained heavily a lot of the time. However, our intrepid students carried on regardless, using golf umbrellas to protect the cameras and waterproofs to protect themselves.
carry out further filming now they are back at school, to complete their 5 minute films.
The year 10 students had very cleverly written several adventurous activities into their films. They had fun kayaking, abseiling, mining, and falling off cliffs - with safety ropes of course! The footage captured was original and they have already created effective music videos from it.
‘A fun filled adventure’ Dan Starkey Y12
The year 12 students will need to
All students benefitted from the intensive teaching and advice they were given while they were away. It was also an opportunity for students to get to know people from other year groups.
‘I learnt a lot about exposure and how to control it on my camera’ Nadine Roberts Y12 Ms McDougall, Media Studies
Creative Writing Club Creative Writing Club is run by Miss Knight on Tuesdays after school. It is a club where you can express yourself through writing. The different styles of writing vary each week, so we get to try a bit of everything, from poems to short stories, inventing a monster and creating new characters – sometimes we even illustrate our work.
Teamwork by Fjori Dautaj Teamwork is what helps you achieve Teamwork is what makes you believe Believe that you can do your best And with your partners you can beat the rest! A team is that when you’re
together So y’all can achieve more. A team is when we’re always moving Up - and not failing anymore! So teaming up is the best option So think together and make a decision Together as a team we will work exceedingly Together as a team we can all make it successfully.
Our English teachers nominated us to be members, so look out – you might get your invitation next year! Y7 Creative Writing Club
by the Creative Writing Club
Interview with Drama Club What have you learned from doing Drama Club? - So many things! It’s great for making friends and having fun, and has really boosted our confidence. Because we do a lot of group activities, it’s really helped with our team working skills.
penalties and understand the offside rule, but what else do you learn from football club? - It’s not just about the sport! There are so many other skills, like leadership, teamwork, communication and sportsmanship. It’s great when you win but we’re learning how to deal with losses positively too.
When is it on? - Wednesdays after school.
When is it on? - It starts again in September. It’s usually on Wednesdays after school and we play matches against other teams.
Interview with Football Club So we know you’re learning how to score goals, defend, take
In the first week of July we offered a parents’ information evening called ‘What About Bullying?’
Interview with Art Club What have you been working on in Art Club? - We are making a sculpture feature out of coloured water bottles Why do you enjoy Art Club? - Because we love crafts, it helps to develop our skills in art. Why do you think people should join Art Club? - Because it’s loads of fun! Art is really helpful for lots of other subjects too.
Image above: Y7 members of Art Club
As a school, we have signed up to the Anti-Bullying Alliance, and take part in their anti-bullying week each year. Ms Edwards coordinates our approach, creating materials for assemblies and tutor sessions, so that all students across the school are involved.
We know that bullying is an issue of concern to many people within a school community, be they students, parents, or members of staff. A primary concern for all of us is that students are safe, and feel safe. The parents’ information evening was attended by a small number of parents who wanted to know more about Caludon’s approach to anti-bullying measures, and will be repeated from 5pm on 27 September for parents of new students or those who were unable to attend last time.
We have all made new friends and group together to think of topics to write about and share ideas. It’s really enjoyable and an amazing club to be part of.
Clubs
Anti-bullying
We discussed the signs to look out for that might indicate someone is being bullied, but we all realised that such signs could be due to other concerns, so should prompt the start of a conversation, rather than an immediate response to the wrong problem. We also discussed how to spot the signs that a child may themselves be a bully, however unpalatable that thought may be for their parents and for teachers who know the student well. We looked at the immediate
and the long-term effects of bullying, on the victim, the witnesses and the person or the people carrying out the bullying behaviours. None of these escape unharmed, and this is why it is so important that we work together to stop these behaviours as soon as we are aware of them. Mr Fitzjohn, our leader of ICT, gave advice about e-safety in general, and about how to deal with cyber-bullying in particular. Ms Edwards, leader of Y10 and a key member of the school’s anti-bullying team, spoke about the school’s procedures when dealing with suspected bullying behaviours.
Our students, with Ms Edwards, draw up their own BEN (Bullying Ends Now) charter each year, which is then displayed in every classroom and every corridor in the school. Each student is given a BEN card, explaining how they can get help if they are bullied or if they witness bullying. One of the central messages we work on with students is that most bullying stops within 10 seconds if those who witness it speak up on behalf of the victim. Doing so is not always easy, but knowing that it can make a real difference makes it more likely to happen. If you want to know more about our approach to anti-bullying, please come along to the evening on 27 September. You can obviously contact the school at any time if you have specific concerns. Ms Hutchinson
Sensed Exhibition A Celebration The ‘Sensed’ exhibition has been a superb platform for the public and students alike to witness and absorb what has been created in school over the last year. The whole concourse in school, Miss Brooks’ classroom, the Media and Photography classrooms and the gallery were adorned with Art and the reception area was fantastic. As well as the work itself being celebrated, the ‘Sensed’ exhibition enabled us as staff to reward students for their commitment and dedication to the subject. Observing their pride and humility on receiving their awards ended the evening perfectly. So as another academic year draws to a close, the creative process begins again, and we wait as teachers and practising
artists to be yet again bowled over by the future creative. Mrs Petty, Visual Arts Faculty Wow! What an incredible private view at Caludon Castle School, with the launch of the Sensed Exhibition 2016. We were extremely proud to be celebrating the success of budding artists, designers and caterers as their creativity shone through the school in the form of products, food, art, installation, photography and video media at GCSE and A level. Parents, grandparents, adults and children were welcomed with sweet and savoury bites created by Hospitality and Catering students at KS3. They were invited to meander
through the concept lounge, reception, concourse and art studios, observing the many layers of talent. The vibe around the school was positive and alive with curiosity, enquiry and response, paramount to many professional exhibitions. Well done to all students! Mr Temple, Technology Faculty
Drama performances
Performance after performance after performance….
The last term has been the busiest the Drama department have ever been! Year 9, year 10, year 11 and year 12 ALL gave public performances, some for external examiners as part of the GCSE and AS grades. It has been our busiest term but…we all agree, again, that the quality of the work, the originality and the creativity, but more so the total dedication shown by our students, have all been AMAZING! Sorry to shout in the Cally Update but, in this case, it was necessary.
companies they created either a piece of storytelling for very young children or a piece of educational theatre for upper primary children, teaching them the risks of being ‘unsafe online’. Luckily our fantastic connection with Hill Farm Primary School allowed our students to perform the work to the appropriate age group.
Starting in key stage 3 and working upwards…
The year 9s did the school and parents proud. They worked independently, together, and with real energy. All of the small audience were enthralled and a genuinely brilliant afternoon was had by all. There was a rumour that even Mr Taggart was laughing and clapping, something that hasn’t happened since 1993!
In June, a number of year 9 students performed some exceptional pieces of devised theatre as part of the ‘Theatre for Children’ scheme for learning. In small performance
Year 10 explored themes around ‘Community’ and what this means, through their practical Drama work. All of the classes performed to an exceptionally high standard and we were
delighted that so many parents came to school to support them. Seeing the Drama Studio so busy on three different nights was hugely rewarding. Two of the classes, working in small groups, created work around the events of 911, the London Riots and the 1984 miners’ strike. The quality of the devised work and the level of focus were particularly strong. The other class performed a whole class piece about the miners’ strike. Again, the quality of performance was superb. It turned out to be a very emotional evening as three members of the audience had direct experience of the strike and, after the show, they spoke about how what they had seen was so moving and powerful. Seeing the ‘truth’ in their work was something the students will carry with them into year 11 without doubt. Year 11 students were examined, performing their own work to an examiner, during two hectic days in May. We invited parents to an evening ‘mock exam’ celebration in the preceding week. Again, seeing so many parents in school supporting the students was amazing to see. The quality of the work presented was outstanding and the variety and breadth of ideas was a credit to all involved. Finally, year 12 performed individual two minute monologues, again to an examiner, as one component of their practical exam and then, one week later, performed a small cast play to the same examiner. The monologue evening always contains a wide range of styles, characters and
genres and really pushes the courageousness of the young performers to the max.
piece of work looking at a group of artists whose relationships turn sour after a tragic accident.
The group performances were particularly challenging this year. George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’, a play about talking animals no less, was performed with gusto and commitment using thin wire frame animal masks. ‘Pool No Water’ was an exceptionally physical and dark
With all of this talent coming through, the future of the Drama department feels bright! Mr De Groot, Drama Department
Visits and Events Events In Brief
On 8 July, 57 Y10 Drama students took part in a workshop with professional performers. They learnt many new aspects of physical theatre which they will be able to use in their Y11 devised and scripted pieces. On 13 July, four Y10 students took the opportunity to attend an Insight Into Law day at Birmingham University.
Theatre Visits
Last year the Drama department took year 11 to see the National Theatre production of ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’ by Mark Haddon. It was SO good, and the written evaluations for coursework were so good that we felt the current year 10 should see it also. They now have, after a trip to London’s West End, and should be beavering away on the evaluation reviews over the summer holiday. What is particularly impressive about the production is its simplicity. Most of the staging takes place on a bare stage, but the incredible effects that are created with projection, physical movement and powerful music make this a compelling production. Theatre trips are an integral part of A Level Theatre
Studies. The RSC production of ‘Hamlet’, reimagined in a modern African dictatorship, was the highlight for the year 13 students who prepared detailed notes on the piece for their end of course written examination. For year 12 there was what seemed like a slightly risky visit to an abandoned warehouse in the grubbier parts of Birmingham. An exceptionally talented group of actors turned this into the streets of Edinburgh for a production of Irvine Welsh’s ‘Trainspotting’. The actors were very much amongst the audience throughout the production and the mix of humour with some disturbing and harrowing situations was sometimes shocking but really made the students think. Their discussion afterwards, and the subsequent coursework evaluations, were particularly strong this year.
Uganda On the 15th July, as the rest of the school were considering the weekend ahead, we received this email from Miss Hammersley who was travelling with Mr Morgan and 10 Caludon students on their way to Uganda: Hello all, We’re all checked in and waiting at our gate! A final thank you to everyone for your donations, time, effort and personal sacrifices in order to make this adventure possible. Don’t forget to keep up with us along the way in the form of our blog, available from the main page of the school website. http://www.caludoncastle.co.uk Mweraba! (You can ‘Google translate’ that one) Students and staff in school had been busily raising money to send more mosquito nets to our partner school in Kampala. Each net costs just £4 but could save someone’s life, protecting them from the mosquitos that carry malaria.
Other Events In Brief The UKMT Junior Maths Challenge took place at the end of April, with 110 Y7 and Y8 Caludon students taking part. The History Department took Y8 on their annual visit to the Black Country Museum on Monday 23 May and Thursday 26 May. Nine Y12s travelled to Warwick University on Thursday 14 July The lucky ‘mathe-magicians’ attended an inspiring and exciting maths conference. Yr10 and Yr11 all had the chance to watch a live performance of ‘An Inspector Calls’ in the school hall during April. A STEM / Engineering event was held in the School Hall on 28 June for year 9.
Art students from every year group took part in a workshop on 15 and 18 July to create a living sculpture, with Miss Brooks. This was a very experimental workshop, using techniques that none had ever attempted before. The sculpture they have created will be coated with a mix that will encourage moss to grow and will be positioned in the school grounds. On 18 July nine Y10 students had a Skype conversation with a Vietnam veteran, to give an insight into this conflict. On 23 June, five students represented Caludon at a STEM event to celebrate National Women in Engineering Day.
Caludon Experience Week - Events Y9: The Great Caludon Bake-Off
Y8 & 10: Matilda, Cambridge Theatre
Year 9 rose to the challenge of the Great Caludon Bake Off producing an array of Victoria sandwiches and scones that Mary Berry would have been proud of!
Charlotte Nicklin and Simran Rakkar were awarded for an amazing Victoria sandwich and Joseph Haythorn and Tom Randle for a very creative scone!
During activities week many year 8 tutors and others took 200 students to a London show.
We were very impressed with their skills and in the end the judging came down to ruler measurements with only mm separating the finalists! Well done to year 9 for their competitive attitude in this activity and especially to our overall winners….
Mrs Ruddy, Technology Faculty
Y10: Duke of Edinburgh and Paintballing 19 students from year 10 carried out their final expedition for their Duke of Edinburgh bronze award at the start of Caludon Experience Week. The next day, some of these students were getting muddy again, as almost 60 students from year 10 went to Adventure Sports in Warwick for a day of paintballing. The students were divided up in to 4 random teams and faced each other in a round robin tournament. In epic battles in woods and a closed circuit filled with hay bales, teams valiantly faced each other in a game to get the opponents’ flag. After 6 rounds the green and black teams were eliminated, leaving Mr Stokes’ red team and Ms Miller’s clear team to battle it out for the overall victory. Ms Miller’s team won and took home the spoils. Well done Clear team! Mr Stokes, Y10 team
highly recommended show! Mr De Groot, Drama Dept
‘Matilda’, based on Roald Dahl’s book with brilliant Tim Minchin songs, script and lyrics, was an example of how modern theatre can make something new and exciting from such a traditional form as musical theatre. If any parents want to treat their children over the summer, it is a
Y10: Colleges Year 10 students were all allocated a one-day place at a local college, to find out more about the opportunities available to all post-16. They visited Henley College, Stratford College, Coventry University College and Warwickshire College. “As part of the Caludon Experience, 73 year 10 students visited Warwickshire College in Rugby to find out about the wide range of vocational courses on offer and help to inform choices for their post 16 education. The students were given the opportunity to take part in taster sessions in a variety of subjects such as Engineering, Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy, Computer Science, Photography and Construction.” Mrs Bennett, English Faculty
Caludon Experience Booked up Quiz 2016
Y7: Bushcraft Camp As part of experience week 104 year 7 students went to Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire to take part in an overnight Bushcraft experience. The experience involved students learning a whole range of new skills including: Shelter building Fire building Fire lighting Campfire cooking Whittling Trap building The art of camouflage. Students also played a wide variety of games that involved them running around the woods and hiding in the bracken. The activities were exciting and students thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The students were divided into two camps which had within them tent groups and tribes. The tribes were the activity groups and it was within these that they learnt their skills.
Library News
After the shelter building they were given the opportunity to sleep in their constructions instead of the tents that were provided. In Camp 1 twenty five of the fifty two students opted to have this experience and none of them regretted it even though there was heavy rainfall overnight and some of them woke with wet feet as they had stuck out from under the shelter. This didn’t daunt them though as our intrepid students continued to enter into the activities offered with enthusiasm.
The Scholars Programme
The response from the students as they got on the coaches to go home was that they had had an ‘amazing’ time, it was described as ‘wicked’ and the ‘best trip ever’. I know I’ll not forget the spine tingling sound of two camps of students having a ‘sound off’ in the forest before charging off for another game of Predator!
We were delighted to organise and host a book quiz earlier this term for our Year 6 transition pupils.
by Roald Dahl and were then given an invitation to the final quiz which took place on Thursday 7 July.
Participating secondary schools invited pupils from their local primary feeder schools to send a team to represent their school. This was a great opportunity for book-loving pupils to get involved with our school and represent their primary school one last time.
I’m able to announce that the team from Ravensdale School, seen on the right, won the final! Congratulations to them all.
On Wednesday 29 June we had teams from Ravensdale School, Wyken Croft and for the first time Whitmore Park. We had four amazing quizmasters, pictured right, all from 7.8. Well done to: Joe Griffiths, Thomas Twamley, Eva Heffernan and Eiren O’Sullivan.
Alison McDougall, Visual Arts Faculty
The winning team with 36 points was Ravensdale’s Team 1. This successful team were each presented with a copy of Matilda
For the first time this year, we have taken part in the Scholars Programme, run by the Brilliant Club. This scheme gives school students the opportunity to work with a tutor who is currently a PhD researcher from a top university, discovering what university study is like by getting involved with it.
application forms, and of these about 55 wrote essays to apply.
We offered twelve places, six in year 9 and six in year 10. All students in those years were invited to apply, by writing an essay on one of the dozen titles that were available. Approximately 80 students took
Miss Barton, School Librarian
All of the essays were good enough to have been selected, so some rigorous selection criteria had to be applied. The students who were finally offered places had written extremely good essays that advanced clear and interesting arguments using illustrative examples, and with no errors of spelling, grammar or punctuation. The 12 students were invited to a launch day at Warwick University in early June, where they met their tutor, Esther
Jawing, for the first time. They were given a tour of the campus, and attended talks and lectures on university life and study techniques. Since then, Esther has visited Caludon four times to host tutorial sessions for the students as they work on their project on ‘Reading in the Digital Age’, a project that will feed into her main PhD research project. The students have been completing an assignment each week, and communicating with Esther using a VLE.
They now have until 3 August to complete and submit their final assignment. This will be assessed at AS Level standard, and the students will be given feedback in a final tutorial in September. Hopefully their work will culminate in a Scholars Programme graduation ceremony, also in September, at Nottingham University. Their parents will be invited to attend, to see them in their caps and gowns as they receive their graduation certificates. Ms Hutchinson
Science News Mission Starlight Year 7 students have taken part in Mission Starlight. This is a global experiment set up to look at the materials that would be appropriate for an astronaut like Tim Peake to live on the international space station. Students used UV beads, covered them with different materials and then looked at the effects on the beads of the UV radiation given out from the sun. The students then uploaded their results and shared them with other schools in the UK and across the world. Science Fair On Thursday 23 June, year 9 students presented their Science Fair projects to the school. The boards produced were fantastic and showed some incredibly imaginative and independent thinking. Staff and students commented on the quality of the boards along with the verbal presentations given by the students. The science department would like to say a big thank you to the students for the fantastic work they have produced! Richard Lee visit Caludon 75 students from Richard Lee Primary school came to visit the school and carry out some work on the circulatory system. The day involved them watching a heart dissection, modelling blood vessels and looking at the impact of exercise on pulse rate. The students were supported by members of the Caludon Castle sixth form. Ms Banwait, Science Faculty
Year 12 Chemistry visit to Coventry University The year 12 chemists visited Coventry University (accompanied by Mrs Carter and Mrs Veasey) to gain some hands-on experience of working in a real laboratory using equipment not available in school. Students used a wide range of apparatus to prepare, purify and analyse aspirin and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, although some of the experiments did not go exactly to plan! They were then given a talk about different analysis techniques which will support them through their studies next year. The day provided them with an opportunity to find out more about studying Chemistry at a higher level and, as a result, some of them are thinking of continuing with their studies in this area. Mrs Carter, Science Faculty
Performing Arts Events Y10 Recording Day On Monday 4th July all Year 10 musicians were given the experience of working with professional audio engineers from Southfields Studios in Birmingham. Students were allotted recording time and then created their own CD/iTunes artwork, insert details and created their own CD as can be seen in the photographs. Professional engineer Dave Plumb was astounded with the quality of our musicians and the bands they have created. We will receive the tracks in September ready to burn to disc. This work will be sent off as part of their BTEC Music portfolio. Mr Stokes, Performing Arts Faculty
Dance Show
The end of year Dance Show took place on Wednesday 13 July in the Hall. The students had been working hard on their performances since January, and their technicality had increased phenomenally this year. There were students from all year groups performing circus-themed dances that were devised by Miss Hammersley or that the students had choreographed themselves. Mrs Hawkins had worked relentlessly with the students to help them hone their skills. Dance Club
Dramatic Events
At the start of July, during Arts Week, two performers from the Gary Clarke Dance Company came to school to work with year 10 students for a half day workshop. The company have recently been nationally touring a piece called ‘Coal’, about the 1984 miners’ strike. It is safe to say that many of the students were taken very, very far out of their comfort zones! The benefit of this, though, is the belief that outside of the comfort zone is ‘where the magic happens’. Seeing some of the boys discover their ‘dancing face’ was a highlight but, more importantly, realising that some of the students have far more ability in physical performance than we realised. Seeing the ideas being explored in next year’s exam performances will be something to really look forward to. Key stage 3 after-school clubs Connecting to the Visual Arts Faculty theme for the year of ‘Circus’ has been the focus for the after school Drama Club and Dance Club. The Drama Club show, again in a very hot Drama studio filled with parents, was an amazing piece of work this year. The cast created the ideas, storylines and characters themselves, but were led and managed by Miss Lapworth and her brilliant supporting team of Miss Smith and Miss Maisey. We always try and let after school clubs in Drama work with their own ideas; in lessons they work as we direct them and it only seems fair to give them that chance in their own, freely given time. We were hugely impressed this year, in light of this way of working, not only with the quality and conviction of acting but in the complexity of their ideas. Well done all of you!
Leaders of Learning We have been lucky enough over the past few years to have worked closely as a school with Andy Swallow, a current school inspector who also works as a teaching and learning consultant. He visited us this term in both April and June. In the first visit he assessed one teacher, and in the second five teachers as lead learning practitioners, and also accredited History as a lead learning faculty. These teachers and the subject team join others in the school who have previously earned the same award. The assessment is tough, requiring the staff to put together a portfolio of evidence of their impact, facing a one-toone interview, as well as being observed doing what they do best, working in the classroom with students.
We now have a team of teachers who have responsibilities in the school as leaders of learning. All of these teachers are either accredited lead learning practitioners, or are heading for lead learning assessment. Each member of the team leads on an area of learning and teaching development within the school, such as the use of
effective questioning, or techniques for giving expert feedback to students. Through a series of seminars and drop-in workshops during the year, and through Firefly, our VLE, the leaders of learning are able to share ideas and techniques with everyone. They will also form the backbone of our Continuing Professional Development team next year.
Emerging Leaders
The course involves these teachers in attending ten training sessions during the year, after
Throughout the year, Mr Moffat and Mrs Hawkins have been running a student leadership programme. They started with over fifty members, drawn from all KS3 and KS4 year groups, and by June had a dedicated core of 22 young people who had been trained in a range of key leadership activities. These are our ‘go to’ students to explain the school and its ethos to visitors, but are also heavily involved in leading students in a variety of ways. They have all learned how to ‘Packtype’ themselves and others, to find out what their key strengths are, and what they bring to any team they join. Through this, many were involved in leading a session
Congratulations to all those involved.
As a leadership specialist school, we believe in training leaders at all stages, from our Y7 students up to future headteachers. One of the courses we run each year is our own Emerging Leader course. This is for our teachers who are ready to take on their first leadership role, often as a temporary appointment or as a specific responsiblity within a subject team.
Student Leaders
school time, meeting with a leadership mentor on a regular basis, and carrying out an Impact project. In this, they are expected to lead and implement a change that has a positive impact on improving learning and outcomes for students. They are expected to reflect on this project in three ways: what did you do, what impact did it have on staff and students, and how did you develop as a leader as a result of this project? Emerging leaders showcase their Impact projects at the end
of the year with members of the school’s Leadership Team. This is a lovely event, where the atmosphere is positive and celebratory. Comments from participants this year: “I liked the autonomy and responsibility this has forced me to have.” “The mentor meetings were really useful in making me think things through from different points of view.” “I feel I have grown as a leader and as a teacher.”
early in the school year for all of year 7, so that those students could find out more about themselves. Some of the student leaders have been attached to tutor groups, with some firm bonds made between the leaders and their younger ‘flocks’. Congratulations to those students who have kept going throughout the year and have now graduated as our first fully trained student leaders: Year 7 Ayomide Akinsinmide Luke Winiarski Jake Smedley Daniel Harrison Ariyana Delai Wida Askarzadah Michael Smith
Jake Conor-Chadwick Year 8 Ajay Singh Maddison Taylor Cara Starkey Ben Carr Eesha Matharu Thomas Rogers Zoe Lancaster Gemanee Dosanjh Year 9 Aleks Wroniak Year 10 Laura Howes Maya Patel Vismaya Jose Courtney Powers Nawfal Hassan Many of our students are involved with specific faculties or subjects as student ambassadors or student leaders of learning. These are voluntary roles, taken on by students who want to make a difference within the school, or want to share their pasion for a specific subject. This term, the Maths Student Leaders organised the Y7 Maths Challenge, which took place on June 29. The leaders involved in making this happen were: Y7: Erin, Sophie, Sienna, Jess, Jake and Lucas Y9: Emily and Simran Y10: Muhoortha, Maya, Courteney and Vismaya Y11: Jonathan and Melanie Thank you to all student leaders throughout the school!
Sports 1 Rugby Six of our Year 12 students were involved in the Warwickshire Colts under-18 rugby final at the Butts in April. They drew 18-18.
Rio Olympic Festival event To celebrate the forthcoming Olympic Games this summer, an inter-school event was held on the 14 July. We entered a mighty team of boys and girls from Caludon, competing in a wide variety of events. Caludon won Gold at this Rio Olympics festival. We are extremely proud of all the students involved.
We were lucky enough to have some high level support with our rugby in school this term. An after-school Rugby League club was started in early May, with two Australian players who were representing the Coventry Bears Rugby League team. The club was open to both boys and girls, who were aged 14 and over. Golf Over the last ten weeks a group of year 10 girls have been learning how to play golf. This has been a great opportunity for the girls to learn about a new sport and extend their sporting opportunities. The lessons have been taught by the golf pro Lewis Baker at Brandon Wood golf club and the girls have been fully committed to applying themselves and improving each week. On Tuesday 19th July, the girls competed against each other in a golf festival held at The War
Sports 2
Tennis The Y7 and 8 Tennis teams both made it to the Coventry East final, beating Grace Academy and Ernesford Grange in a qualifying tournament. The boys then lost out to Blue Coat in the final. However the girls beat Blue Coat, becoming Coventry East Champions and advanced to the regional finals held at Memorial Park. They have all been fitted with golf t-shirts and gloves and we wish them all lots of luck. The results of this festival will follow. Well done to all the girls involved and we look forward to taking this sport up again next summer! Mrs Harborne
Warwick University in July. The students involved were: Georgia Cousins Ellie Smith Ashlie Rattigan Katy Hall Georgia Eaton Cameron Farthing Taylor Darby Jake Bestard Sam Bestard Shay Lowndes Charlie Faulkner Owen Harvey Mr Waine
Wimbledon and Harry Potter! During activities week 44 of our students from Years 7-10 experienced a trip to the capital accompanied by Mr Mckee, Mr Moffatt, Mrs Anderson-Shore and Miss James. We spent the Wednesday at Wimbledon, where we were based on court number two and were able to see the ladies British number 1 and World number 19, Johanna Konta, in action. On the return from Wimbledon on Thursday we stopped at the Making of Harry Potter - Universal Studios for a tour of the set and props used in the making of the Harry Potter Films.
Sports 3 Football After a gruelling 8 months, the football season has finally come to an end. The Year 7/8 girls can reflect on an outstanding first season of competitive football, with an immense amount of pride.
the final whistle blown and the win secured, Caludon were crowned champions! Their success was down to exceptional commitment, hard work, a never give up attitude and a fantastic team spirit. They have learnt from their defeats early on in the season and they have used this as their motivation to improve.
I am delighted to announce that the team finished the season with a trophy after being crowned U13s major cup winners for Coventry and Warwickshire. Being crowned as double district winners was no easy feat, with it all coming down to the final match against President Kennedy School (PK). PK were undefeated and looked dangerous, with all the pressure on Caludon to get a result. Anything but a win for Caludon would have crowned PK as champions. Despite it being April, the game itself was put into doubt just before kick-off, with a blanket of snow covering the playing field leaving a hazardous surface. After a lengthy consultation with the referee, the game went ahead.
With thoughts already on next season, the challenge must surely now be on winning the unprecedented treble. We may have to say goodbye to our current year 8s, but we will welcome the new year 7s for what will no doubt be another incredible season. PK scored a devastating early goal leaving the Caludon girls with everything to do. With ice cold wind sweeping across the pitch and hailstones hammering down, the girls rolled up their sleeves and put in a heroic performance. Caludon equalised and then went in front, with the comeback on par to the Bayern Munich / Man United 1999 Champions League Final. With
Mr Holland Football The Year 8 football team made the Coventry Schools cup final at Westwood Heath in April. Manager Mr Frankish led the team to a 3-1 victory against Finham Park, bringing the cup to Caludon Castle School. Lennon McGuinness, Ryan Pedley and Jamie West scored the goals.