Caludon Update
WINTER 2012
Dear Parent/Carer It is a shame that this Update has to be published before our production of “Grease”, but I am sure that you will enjoy catching up with the highlights in the spring term edition. As usual this Update is overflowing with all of the exciting events that staff and students have so generously supported since September. I am particularly pleased with the number of articles written by, or about, the student leaders in so many aspects of school life. Some helpful notes for you as we reach the end of term: School will finish at 1.15pm on Friday 21 December School will open as normal to all students on Monday 7 January Tuesday 15 January – Parent Session (6.00-7.00pm) – supporting your child with revision and exam stress Tuesday 15 January – Year 9 Options Evening In the new year we will convert to an academy, as you know we have been striving for this and are excited about the school’s future. Further information can be found on our school website www.caludoncastle.co.uk. All that remains is for me to thank all of the staff at Caludon for giving so much commitment and energy to bring success for all of our young people. I would like, also, to thank you for your continued support so that our partnership is strong. Have a peaceful festive break. Yours faithfully
Mrs M Marr Headteacher
Modern Foreign Languages Warwick University Visit On Thursday 22 November 2012, 4 students from year 13, who study A2 French and Spanish, went to Warwick University Library for the morning. The purpose of the trip was to research for their cultural topic, where the students are studying film directors, Pedro Almodóvar and Mathieu Kassovitz and authors, Federico Lorca and Joseph Joffo.
bit tricky! The students then spent two and a half hours researching various books, catalogues and e-journals. One student commented how useful the experience was, not only for their research, but it was also an exciting opportunity to see what a more academic library was like and gave them a taste for university life next year.
The morning began with a tour of the university library and then a brief introduction on how to actually find materials, as this was a
Miss Harris Teacher of Languages Callyovision If you were to have visited a year 7 language lesson last half term you would have been in for a big surprise as Caludon’s first Callyovision competition gripped the year 7 languages team. All year 7 tutor groups were given the challenge to learn an authentic French or Spanish song and to record an unforgettable performance. The outcomes were absolutely amazing and the students really enjoyed getting to know their tutor group, practising pronunciation and improving their overall confidence when speaking in French or Spanish. The buzz continued to other year groups who were given the hard task in assemblies of choosing the ultimate winner. A huge congratulations goes to Miss Paddock and 7.6 who were the ultimate winners with their version of “Yo quiero bailar”. They were presented with a trophy by Mrs Marr in assembly. A big thank you first of all, to the year 7 students for making Callyovision such a success, and to the languages team and the year 7 tutor team for supporting us in this new and exciting venture. Watch this space for an even better Callyovision 2013! Mrs Mitchell Assistant Head – Faculty leader Languages
Modern Foreign Languages continued‌. Comenius What is it? It’s an exciting inter-European exchange programme with 8 other schools from all over Europe. There are 3 sections: Science Social Science Arts and Sports We have partner schools in Manchester, Portugal, Turkey, Norway, Iceland, Belgium, Germany and Spain. There will be trips to most of these places over the next 2 years. Find out more information about the partner schools on the display outside S13! Students and teachers from the schools will be coming to Caludon on 4 and 5 March 2013 for science-related activities. All students who get involved will take part in a range of activities, from: sharing biographies with other students online making a photography exhibition of their school creating a video advert about the school sharing traditions and customs discussing their use of energy and recycling habits
At the moment we are: Planning for the visit in March Preparing a Comenius logo Starting to recruit students to produce science, social science and art project work that will be shared across Europe! Want to get involved? Interested in other countries & cultures? Fancy meeting people from these schools? Interested in going on a trip? INTERESTED? COME AND SEE MRS MITCHELL OR MISS BLUD!
Activities for students who visit other schools in Iceland, Norway, Portugal or Turkey, Spain will be: flamenco & other dance workshops cultural festival in Portugal international sports competition sharing and comparing the results of their mini-project work getting an insight of the culture of the other countries
Logo masterminded and designed by Abbey and Gil Dixon, Sixth From
Modern Foreign Languages continued‌.
On 25 September 2010, the languages department organised a variety of activities to celebrate World Languages Day. Amongst these were a French breakfast that was enjoyed by many students and staff where all croissants, baguettes and pain au chocolat sold out very quickly. A large number of staff greeted students in a different foreign language - ranging from Swahili to Chinese and including everything in between. Our Language Ambassadors took KS3 assemblies, stressing how important it is to learn another language and what the benefits can be. Students took part in tutor time quizzes and even the staff had a go at a food tasting competition which included Greek, Polish and Italian food. In lessons, year 7, 8 and 9 students enjoyed learning about Japanese culture and the ancient art of origami. All thoroughly enjoyed these activities and wanted to learn more about it during their next language lesson! Mrs Mitchell Faculty Leader of Languages
ICT IBM Visit Students studying ICT in the sixth form attended a talk last month hosted by Scott Room from IBM. In the session Scott talked about ICT in industry and specifically experience and skills valued by IBM and similar
companies. Students also received information about courses and internships run by IBM for prospective employees. We would like the thank Scott for taking the time out to visit our students and look forward to working with him to organise a visit to IBM so students can see examples of ICT in the workplace. Mr Fitzjohn Leader of KS5 ICT
Key Stage 3 Council Students have elected six members to represent their year group as part of the Key Stage three council; Nawfal Hassan, Mosooma Shah, Isabelle Packwood, Jay Cranston, Caitlin Leigh and Lucy Killestein have been elected by their peers for their excellent example in and around school. The Key Stage Three council is made up of students from years 7, 8 and 9 who are expected to attend school council meetings and present any concerns from their year group about the running of the school. Six students from year 12, Lucy Minton, Dixson Lee, Taison Lee, Rajpal Dhoofer, Nisha Sanghera and Chanel Blackburn have been working with the council to help support the year groups to take action and ensure the school is the best it can possibly be for the students. Miss Duffty KS3 Leader
Media Studies and Moving Image Arts
In October, Media Studies and Moving Image Arts students from years 11, 12 and 13 visited the Warwick Arts Centre cinema as part of National Schools Film Week. This week, run by Film Education, offers free cinema screenings across the country, with a wide variety of films and venues included. We went to see ‘Wild Bill’, a low budget British film that had been released a few months earlier. As the students are all studying the film industry, it gave them a chance to see a great film that had had little budget for marketing and so hadn’t caught the public’s attention. The film has a mix of humour, gritty violence and emotional warmth as an ex-convict struggles to keep his family together, although they no longer want him. Everyone enjoyed it. Along with the film we had a talk from an examiner with the BBFC – the British Board of Film Classification. He explained how films are awarded their age certificates, and incidentally talked about the state of the current film industry. Did you know that film producers are so keen on 3D films because they’re almost impossible to pirate? This year sees the 100th birthday of the BBFC, and we were given a clear insight into its role and how this has changed over the past century. Miss Hutchinson Faculty Leader of Visual Arts
Geography AS Geography: Dol-y-Moch Between 12 and 16 November the Geography department took 18 Year 12 AS students to Dol-y-Moch to complete fieldwork needed for their exam. Students are required to answer questions about fieldwork they have completed including locating the study area, describing fieldwork techniques and analysing methods of displaying data and fieldwork results. During the week the students investigated the Afon Glaslyn river, collecting data to see how well it matched Bradshaw's model on river characteristics. Students also had an opportunity to create case studies on river flooding management in Beddgelert; coastal management at Criccieth and sand dune succession at
Black Rock Sands, all of which they are required to use in their Unit 1 exam. The students were a credit to the school completely engaging with the fieldwork. Jude, our Dol-y-Moch course co-ordinator commented that the week had felt like a Year 13 A level week as the students were so mature. Throughout the week, all students asked relevant questions, completed the fieldwork activities with maturity and collected accurate and reliable data. At the end of the week students also had an opportunity to work together as a team to complete a raft building exercise. All of the groups did exceptionally well, however a number of students did find themselves getting very wet!
GCSE Geography: Carding Mill Valley On Monday 17 September and Wednesday 19 September the Geography department took 63 students to Carding Mill Valley in the Long Mynd to complete their GCSE fieldwork. Students had the opportunity to collect a variety of pieces of river data that they could use to complete their controlled assessment. The students were required to collect data from 3 different sites along the river so that they could compare river characteristics. On both days the students all worked well within their groups to collect their data, even though the river levels were a little low. Our thanks go out to the National Trust team who again worked with us to make the days the success they were. We are looking forward to going back in February with Year 10 to complete more fieldwork, even if it may be a little colder!
Geography continued... After the success of last year’s fieldtrip, on 28 November 2012 the Geography department returned to the Sealife Centre in Birmingham with 45 Year 9 students. The students spent the day studying coral reef ecosystems. For half of the day students explored the sealife centre searching for information on coral reefs and designing their own coral animals. The students were allowed to touch some of the less dangerous animals and watched the 4D film “Turtle Vision” which focused on the protection of coral animals as well as getting the students a little wet. The students then completed a VIP tour of the centre where they had the opportunity to ask questions of the experts at the centre. The students were a credit to the school and completed some excellent work throughout the day. Mr Handy Faculty Leader of Humanities
Post 16 Year 13 2011/12 We were very pleased with the A level results of our year 13 students last year. 41.6% of our students attained A*-B grades and 99.7 % attained A*-E. 80% of our students started university courses in September, whilst many others started apprenticeships or employment with training, or are gaining further qualifications at college. Year 13 2012/13 Our new Year 13 students are proving to be excellent role models for the new year 12 students and are representing the Sixth Form very positively around the school. We were delighted with their AS results in the summer, which exceeded last year’s results with 88.1% gaining A-E grades, an increase of 1.4%, and 30.6% gaining A - B grades, which was an increase of 3.3%. Following several assemblies and two parents’ meetings giving information about the UCAS process and finance, the majority of year 13 students are now making applications to university. Indeed some already have offers, including an offer for Damian Panchal to study Dentistry at Birmingham University, which is a real achievement. Students have been reassured that they can afford university after a very good presentation by a visiting speaker, who explained that you only pay back 9% of any earnings over £21,000. This would mean approximately £1 per day on a salary of £25,000. Year 12 2012/13 Year 12 students have also made a very positive start, and are growing in maturity every day. We have recently collected data, which indicates that the vast majority are working hard and making good progress. Events Trips: There have been a huge number of trips for the Sixth Form already this term for a range of subjects. We took a coachload of students to Birmingham University to a conference about how to make the most of year 12, which emphasised the importance of AS results and also provided the students with access to a useful website for revision.
Post 16 continued... Charity Events: The sixth form students have already been very proactive this year. Lauren Johnson organised a cake sale for the Macmillan Nurses in October.
Children in Need became the focus in November with another cake sale, a Live Lounge event, a non-uniform day and fancy dress for the Sixth Form. The Sixth Form once again played football against the staff in a particularly exciting match, which ended 2-2. A parent commented that it was a much more enjoyable spectacle than watching Coventry! A keen group of year 12 students are now planning a series of events to raise money for the Make a Wish foundation. They have volunteered to take part in the ÂŁ1 challenge for the charity. We had a visitor from Mercia MS Therapy Centre who spoke to our year 12 students. She challenged them to take ÂŁ1 from her to see how far they could make the money grow by February half term. Some ideas are baking, nail art, wood or metalwork, art and craft or simply buying something cheap and selling it on. Teaching and Learning Sixth Form Student Leadership Group: Student leadership is a priority this year for our sixth form. Our students have always been involved in mentoring other students and working with staff to enhance the whole student experience at Caludon. There are two main groups that have recently been set up. One is a teaching and learning student leadership group being headed by Becky Cribdon (one of our year 14 students). They are setting up agendas and priorities of focus throughout the year. Training will take place for them this year and they will become an increasingly more active part of the teaching and learning improvement process. So watch this space! The second group are a general group that are going to focus on more general development in the sixth form. They have just designed a questionnaire to gain student feedback on the induction process to sixth form and their first impressions. This will be given out and collated this term so that we can listen to guidance from our student leaders.
Post 16 continued... Students gaining a place at university 2012 Forename
Surname
Institution Name
Course Placed
Aisha
Ahmed
Worcester
Counselling Psychology
Laura
Allen
De Montfort
Psychology
Sophie
Allen
Northampton
Sport & Exercise Science
Kelly
Andrews
Coventry
Accounting and Finance
Catherine
Aris
Coventry
Adult Nursing
Gursharon
Aujla
Liverpool John Moore
Applied Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Pauline
Baniel
Anglia Ruskin
Optometry
Rehena
Begum
Coventry
English
Gemma
Beresford
City, Birmingham 2013
Product Design
Laura
Blackwood
Middlesex
Nursing (Child)
Kiran
Bola
Manchester
Optometry
Dominic
Brown
Warwick
Computer Science
Chelsey
Cartwright
Nottingham Trent
Biological Sciences
Iona
Channer
UCL
Psychology
Jyoti
Chauhan
Liverpool John Moore
English
Paige
Chesney
Coventry
Sociology and Psychology
Shelby
Clark
Bangor
Media Studies and English
Tamsin
Collett-Cox
Aberystwyth
French/Film & Television Studies (4 years)
Hannah
Cooney
Bath Spa
English Literature
Jordan
Dales
Leeds Met
Biomedical Sciences (Human Biology)
Sonia
Dharam
Wolverhampton
Law
Dena
El-Sawy
Prague
Medicine
Daniel
Foode
Warwick
Biochemistry
Amora
Francisco
East London
Law/Sociology
Rebecca
Fraser
Aston
English Language
Megan
Gaine
Cumbria
Drama
Palma
Gharanei
Coventry
Biomedical Science
Jack
Goodbody
Plymouth
Coach and Physical Education
Kaylee
Grady
Newcastle
Biomedical Sciences
Leah
Grubb
City, Birmingham
Diagnostic Radiography
Scott
Hanna
Coventry
Media Production
Fadumo
Hassan
City, Birmingham
Diagnostic Radiography
Stephen
Hird
Coventry
Photography
Arron
Hope
Coventry
Mathematics
Sarah
Hutchinson
Wolverhampton 2013
Photography
Levi
Kane-Thorpe
Leicester
Geology with Palaeobiology
Shaheda
Karim
Aston
Biological Sciences
Aizah
Khan
Coventry
Theatre and Professional Practice
Post 16 continued... Forename Suman Irundeep Jasmine Elliot Terri Heather Kristian Michael Hannah Amy Liam Emma Sheereen Rickbir Daniel Celeste Junaid Raheel Priyanka Reema Samuel Gemma Anita Luke Nicola Charlotte Alfred Jake James Priya Gianni Tajinder Victoria Shaan Charlotte Rebecca Chelsea Adam Harteshwer Rebecca Christina Joseph Paige Samantha Lee Catherine
Surname Khan Khatkar Lall Lascelles Lord Louis Lynam Lynam McDougall McHugh Mistry Murphy Nabi Nain Nelson Noble Osman Osman Padan Patria Pepper Preston Purewal Randell Reed Roberts Roberts-Dalton Rodger Rodriguez-Hughes Sanghera Sangiorgi Singh Smith Sohal Stansfield Statham Stokes Stringer Thind Todd Turner Watkins Whiteley Wilks Woodend Wynne
Institution Name Coventry Brunel Aston Leeds Met City, Birmingham Coventry Southampton Cambridge Coventry Nottingham Trent 2013 Warwick Reading Coventry Liverpool John Moore Nottingham Trent Sheffield Hallam Manchester Buckinghamshire Coventry Coventry Solent Coventry Lancaster York St John’s Leeds Manchester Met Manchester Leeds Met Imperial 2013 Birmingham University College Birmingham Warwick Coventry City, London Nottingham Cardiff Coventry Lancaster Nottingham Trent Coventry Hertfordshire Birmingham Portsmouth Newman Warwick Coventry
Course Placed Criminology and Law Film & Television Studies Mathematics Business Studies Media and Communication (Journalism) Media Production Aeronautics & Astronautics (4 years) Natural Sciences History Biomedical Sciences Biomedical Science History Law Mathematics Sport Science and Management Public Relations and Media Dentistry (BDS first-year entry) Air Transport with Commercial Pilot Training Media and Communications Media and Communications Engineering with Business (with foundation) Sports Therapy Law History English Language Philosophy Adult Nursing Civil Engineering Biology with Spanish for Science Human Biology Sports Therapy Biomedical Chemistry Criminology and Psychology Optometry Nursing Science Psychology with Professional Placement Adult Nursing Mathematics Psychology Sport and Exercise Science Psychology Human Biology Computer Animation English Electronic Engineering English and Journalism
Year 8 Enterprise Day On Monday 14 November, we celebrated National Enterprise Week with a whole host of activities and opportunities for all of our students across the school. The week was to help develop students’ enterprise skills such as decision making, group work, leadership, risk taking and creativity. Over 130 Year 8s took part to raise money for a good cause and their four weeks of planning pulled off raising an amazing £378.88! On Friday we opened our doors to the hustle and bustle of the Year 8 Enterprise Fair. The whole school went Children in Need crazy, with activities across the school aimed at raising money for good causes. Year 8 students created a huge buzz with a wide variety of crafty things to buy, tombolas to play and cakes to sample. A little bit of friendly competition encouraged
the students to raise as much as they could, five groups each raised over £20 with their ideas which included hot sausage batches, homemade toffee apples and a coconut shy. However, the most raised by an individual group was £36.54 and they achieved this by selling unwanted computer games - all in the name of charity! We all want to say a huge congratulations to our Year 8s and a big thanks to the Business faculty for organising and supervising the event. A special mention to Mr Newsome, Mrs Detheridge, Mr Davoile and Mr Byatt! And perhaps good luck for next year…? Alex O'Malley Promotions Team!
Promotions Team Have you ever wondered what student leadership activities are happening in certain areas of school, but you have never had the chance to know about them? Well as you may have heard, recently there has been a Promotions Team devised with students from years 9-11. Its aim is to promote different aspects of student leadership in the school which many people are unaware of and don’t know about. It’s also an effective way of advertising events in school to other teachers, faculties, parents and visitors who come to the school and will help ensure that they are well informed. The students in the promotions team are: Parcha Safi year 11 Amrah Iqbal year 11 Jasmine Hutchings year 9 Renee Vassell year 9 Alex O’Malley year 10 Danielle Payne year 10 Amie Jobe year 10 Aneesah Afzal year 10 Sophie Jones year 10 The team is run by Miss Sutheran. We are working on a campaign to promote and showcase student leadership activities that are already taking place in school. The campaign includes assemblies, a student leadership display and a DVD. The campaign is keeping us busy, Danielle is creating assemblies to encourage other students to become student leaders, Jasmine has been doing lots of filming for our DVD, Sophie is interviewing successful
student leaders in the school (one of which has set up her own Yoga Club and is securing funding to make sure it stays free for our students!), Aneesah and Amie are working on a logo and will present this in assemblies, Renee is supporting us all, me and Parcha are creating the student leaders display and Miss Sutheran provides the biscuits for our busy weekly meetings! One of our members, Alex O’Malley, has even used her journalistic skills to write an article reporting on the year 8 Enterprise Fair! Look out for our promotional DVD in the coming weeks! If you think there are other student leadership opportunities that we need to be aware of, or you want us to advertise an activity or event, then please contact us via email or find Miss Sutheran in F1! Amrah Iqbal Promotions Team
Sociology
On 22 October Miss Sutheran and Miss Roberts took 26 Year 11 students on a day trip to Eton College and Windsor Castle as part of their GCSE Sociology course. Students were given a guided tour of Eton College where they learnt about the life of Eton boys, sat in a classroom that was more than 300 years old and saw some of the most remarkable medieval wall paintings in Northern Europe located in the chapel! The tour offered a good comparison of different schools in Britain and allowed the students to consider the impact of differing life chances on society. This forms part of their sociology studies. The students particularly enjoyed looking around the museum of Eton Life and learning about famous Etonians (including Prince William, Prince Harry, George Orwell and Bear Grylls!) and the traditions of the college, along with a display of the many Olympic medals won by former boys! In the afternoon students were very privileged to visit Windsor Castle and the Queen was in residence when we arrived! Students toured the state apartments used
to host events with visiting dignitaries, saw Queen Mary’s dolls house that shows the whole castle and browsed this year’s exhibition that documents the Queen’s 60 years as the monarch in photos. This was a favourite amongst our year 11’s! All students represented Caludon and the PSD faculty excellently and they were complimented by a former teacher at Eton as a group that was attentive and inquisitive! We hope to run this trip again to Sociology students next year. Miss Sutheran Teacher of Sociology
Music Hospital performance On Thursday 6 December, ten year 12 students, who are studying Music, played at Walsgrave hospital for an hour. The event had a double purpose: to raise money for the hospital, but also to promote the Christmas production of Grease. They played a range of Christmas songs, including Silent Night and Do They Know it’s Christmas?. They also performed some of the numbers from Grease, including Greased Lightning and Summer Loving. There was lots of interest from the numerous visitors, and coins flowed readily into the buckets.
Mrs Waring Head of Sixth Form
Music continued... YolanDa Brown performs On 5 December, the saxophone player YolanDa Brown came to our school with Yamaha. YolanDa is a MoBo award winning musician who has performed around the world to massive audiences. YolanDa is sponsored by Yamaha Instruments who also sponsor the school’s Music department. Yolanda was giving year 7s a masterclass on woodwind instruments.
YolanDa got us to make up some rhythms by clapping, students that learnt how to play woodwind instruments in Music would have to play it back to us. As well as all that she played one of her songs for us. She was amazing to watch. We asked her, “Do you still get a bit scared playing in front of people?” She said, “No I don’t because I think that the people will take something from it and if I’m not scared then the better my music is.” “When did you start playing the saxophone?” “I started playing at the age of 13.” “Did you play any other instruments when you were young?” “I played the piano from age 7.” It was a pleasure to meat YolanDa Brown. By Kitty Isaksen 7.5.
Grease is the word For the last 6 months, ever since the cast list went out, we have been working hard for the school production of Grease to take place. We’ve been working extra hard to make it the best show the school has done yet. From day one we have been rehearsing after school all the different songs, dancing and acting. From the Rydale High School Anthem to We Go Together, the harmonies and the songs slowly pieced together. Soon enough, we being taught dances from Ms Clarke, our choreographer. We’ve learnt dances to We Go Together, You’re The One That I Want and even the wellknown born to Hand Jive. As more and more rehearsals went by, different scenes, songs and dances were being learnt, slowly but surely the show is coming together. Now it’s just a little over one week from the show, the set has arrived and the hardworking stage crew put it all up. Without them the show wouldn’t be possible. Costumes are being made and bought, the lights are ready, Saturday rehearsals are being attended and lots of hard work has gone into it to all make it possible. This year, a professional glossy Grease programme has been put together which hasn’t been done before. By Nicole Pearson
Art Year 9 ‘Action Art’ to music Year 9 students have been getting active in Art this half term! They have been exploring the ‘Action Paintings’ of artist Jackson Pollock and been producing their own interpretations whilst responding to music. Using a variety of ‘tools’ from blackboard erasers, sticks and brushes, to Lego pieces, plastic syringes and their own hands, one year 9 group created a large scale group painting which covered the classroom floor! The process of creating the painting was videoed so that students will be able to view it back and see how the piece evolved from a blank canvas to a busy frantic explosion of colour! We had so much fun that we are busy trying to think of ways in which we can work even bigger in future…..! Mrs Woodcraft Teacher of Art
Jackson Pollock inspired Art
Art continued‌.
Lauren Harcourt Henna Siddiqui Bethany Finlan Chloe Pahnke Bethany Spiers Renee Vassel Amelia Lingard Sophie Millington Dale Patrick Evans Fiona Bell Luke Taylor Helen McFadden Rebecca wakefield Abbie Roberts Casey Ruwodo Bethany Mason Emma Ellison Taylor Cottrell Abbie Johnson
Caludon Year 12 debating team The Caludon year 12 debating team took part in the Coventry schools debating event in October. This was held at the Council Debating Chamber and involved sixth form teams from secondary schools across the city. Caludon were given the task of proposing that ‘Hosting the Olympic Games was a waste of money’. The main debate team of Gagandeep Nar, Safina Siddiqui and Alex Starkey did an excellent job and presented a complex argument with confidence and style. The support team of Karanjeet Somal, Toni Kavanagh, Amy Timms and Ruvan Timana also took part through research and feedback in the run up to the debate. They also played a key role in each of the debates through sharing questions and comments. Particular congratulations go to Safina, who won 'best speaker' for the Caludon team. Miss Allmand Teacher of English
Food Technology
The Let’s get Cooking Club started again in September with new members learning to make a whole range of new recipes. They have been completing a skills diary and have learnt many skills such as chopping, slicing, grating, mixing etc. This term they have been led by Hayley Clarke and Kay Hardwick form year 12. They have been wonderfully assisted by Jonathan Letts in year 8 who is the student ambassador for Food Technology. Next term they will be planning a Tex–Mex restaurant for parents…. watch this space! Our main event this term for Let’s Get Cooking took place in September, which was the school open evening – the mission was to get as many year 6 pupils cooking as possible. On the evening with the help of the Year 10 Hospitality students, we managed to get 107 pupils to make their own flavoured flat bread. Feedback was excellent from this event and the year 6 pupils enjoyed their first experience of practical food at Caludon Castle.
BTEC Hospitality Year 11 BTEC Hospitality have been carrying out numerous events since September, including Mrs Marr’s tea parties for outstanding students, providing a ‘vintage’ tea for a school Governors’ meeting , running a Pizza café, which raised £27 for charity, and running a take away service for staff which raised a further £55.
Future events include end of term celebrations for new staff and year 7 and running a diner as part of the “Grease” production. Miss Ruddy Leader of Food Technology
Food Technology continued
Mrs Ruddy Leader of Food Technology
Year 8 Super Learning Day On Friday 26 October students in year 8 took part in a Super Learning Day. The theme of the day was, ‘Style and Trends,’ and focussed on developing 5 key skills; these skills being memory and speaking, note taking, researching, problem solving, evaluation and analysis.
Students enjoyed a variety of activities throughout the lessons. During Science lessons each class worked in groups to develop their problem solving skills by creating the strongest tower out of straws. In Modern Foreign Languages students completed against each other to develop their memory skills. In Humanities lessons classes looked at the change of styles throughout the ages. During this lesson students were encouraged to work independently and chose the resources available to develop their research skills.
The English faculty involved students in reporting on different styles and trends, enabling every individual to develop their note taking skills. Technology focussed on product analysis by evaluating different types of modern technology. Each group was then asked to develop their own technology and pitch their idea to a panel of judges.
The year group have been encouraged to use the skills developed throughout the day in their normal routine. The day was enjoyed by all and was a big success! Miss Duffty KS3 Leader
Anti Bullying week - 19 to 26 November
“We are better without Bullying” Once again Caludon Castle students participated in Anti Bullying Week. This year’s Anti Bullying Alliance slogan was ‘We are better without Bullying’. During tutor times and assemblies all of the students explored the effects of bullying in our community. Together we looked at ways in which we could help maintain and promote an environment where everyone feels safe and secure. Our own theme for 2012, is ‘If you see something, say something’, and this message is displayed on the new charters. To highlight this theme, each tutor group reviewed the methods currently in place to report bullying behaviours within the school. Staff will look at new suggestions to ensure that students continue to feel confident when reporting incidents. Our new Staying Safe Charter was also
launched, this was developed by Year 8 and 9 students during the summer term. And as usual students received their BEN (Bullying Ends Now) cards. Students from years 7 and 8 enjoyed participating in workshops to explore, promote friendship and celebrate diversity. A competition was launched for younger members of our school community to design an image of BEN. The winning entry will be displayed throughout the school. Mrs Edwards Leader of Year 11
History Bosworth Field, Leicestershire – 4 October 2012 Year 12 AS Historians adventured to Bosworth Field in early October to retrace the steps of Richard III and Henry Tudor. 30 students enjoyed a tour of the battle site, trying on armour in the interactive museum and practising battle formation with pike. Special praise goes to George Whitehouse who valiantly volunteered to wear full armour and weaponry during the Les Routiers session. A true knight! Miss Beasley Subject Leader of History
History Club In the New Year we will be launching a new History club….the ‘History Detectives’! Our most able students who are interested in history will be given the opportunity to further their knowledge and skills through a variety of weird and wonderful historical investigations! Look out for more information coming soon…. Miss James Teacher of History Revision Sessions In the New Year the History department will be starting targeted revision sessions for all Year 11 GCSE students. Students will be invited to attend sessions for either A*-A, C+ or Aiming High. These sessions will be held after school for C+ and Aiming High and before school for A*-A. Further details of topics to be covered and dates/location will be issued after the Christmas holidays. Miss Beasley Subject Leader of history
History continued Year 7 History Super Learning day - 8 October 2012 In October, all Year 7 students took part in a Roman super learning day. They were given the opportunity to further their knowledge and enjoyment of History by learning creatively and outside the classroom. Throughout the day, the students took part in a range of activities including tasting Roman foods, creating a variety of Roman dramas and working with the History squad to learn about Roman army life. The feedback from students was extremely positive and has demonstrated that they have improved their history knowledge… ‘Burping at dinner was a compliment to the host!’ ‘Armour was very heavy and the plume would be put on sideways to show high command.’ One student summarised the success of the day by saying, ‘because fun creates a positive attitude for students, it makes them want to learn more.’ Miss James History Department
The History squad in action with Year 7
Year 7 practise the tortoise formation
History continued... Rewards Congratulations to the following ex Year 11 students who achieved the highest possible grade in their GCSE History exams in the summer; Nicole Anderson Laura Gaffney Taison lee Earl Radtschenko Liam Sheridan Liam Tallis
Chris Bickley Hope Hughes Bethany Morrison Petronella Randell Megan Sizer Robyn Turner
Niall Collins Dixson Lee Gagan Nar Gurjeevan Sembi Alex Starkey The History Department
Remembrance Assembly - 9 November 2012 Caludon History department led the Armistice Day remembrance assembly during break time on Friday 9 November. The 2 minutes silence was observed following the last post, played live by Mr Taggart. Students and staff came to pay their respects to all those service men and women who have been injured or who have given their lives fighting for their country. Messages of thanks were written by students and these will be taken to the First World War grave site, Tyne Cot, when year 9 visit in March 2013. “Thanks for fighting for us. I live my life to the fullest because of you”, Dylan Barron “Thank you – you will forever be remembered for your courage and bravery”, Abbie Johnson Miss Beasley Subject Leader of History Year 12 – Enrichment within the History department Since September 2012, several year 12 students have been working within the History department as part of their enrichment programme. This has included assisting with learning in the classroom for various year groups. Students of all abilities have benefitted from the help provided by our year 12s. They were also instrumental in ensuring the smooth running of the Year 7 Roman Day. Many of them helped the younger students with their drama productions and food tasting. They also provided the photographs for the day. Lucy Minton and Dixson Lee are conducting an on-going research project into the impact of learning outside the classroom, which will involve some students from all year groups. The History department would like to thank Gagan Nar, Imaan Osman, Harry Andrews, Daniel Kelsey, Chris Bickley, Matt Hirons, Nicole Anderson, Megan Sizer, Gurjeevan Sembhi, Ashleigh Clifton and Katie Simms. Mrs Linton Teacher of History
History continued... Upcoming History Visits Learning beyond the classroom activities planned for the spring and summer term include; Year 7 15/06/13 and 17/06/13
Visit to Kenilworth and Warwick Castles.
Year 7 will be able to experience two very different medieval castles and as Kenilworth and Warwick are in different states of repair, the students gain a very real view of how castles adapted and developed over time. Year 8 21/05/13 and 24/058/13
Visit to the Black Country Museum, Dudley.
As the Black Country Museum is a living museum the year 8 students can explore the village as if they had gone back in time, including a trip through the Dudley canals, a tour down a drift coal mine and a lesson in a Victorian school. Year 9 10/01/13 and 14/01/13
Visit to the Imperial War Museum North, Manchester.
Year 9 will be experiencing the many aspects of conflict from weapons to medicine and the impact on civilians in the state of the art museum. 13/03/13-15/03/13
Visit to The Somme trenches, France and Belgium
The 3 day tour includes a visit to sites that witnessed some of the worst fighting of the First World War, including; memorial sites, grave sites and actual trenches. Year 10 and 11 26/03/13-31/03/13
Visit to Berlin, Germany
The 6 day tour covers every aspect of the city in History and includes a visit to the Reichstag, the Olympic stadium, as well as sites which represent some of the darker elements of German History. Year 11 04/03/13
Hitler on Trial theatre visit, Loughborough
A play which encompasses “what if� history, valuable revision and exam practice all in one day. Miss Beasley Subject Leader of History
Library On Tuesday 23 October 2012 we attended a launch celebration at Finham Park School to promote the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2013. We met the hilarious Mark Lowery author of ‘Socks are not Enough!’ Mark talked to us about how he got his ideas for his book, and gave the audience tips, inspiration and encouragement for creative writing. He also had us in stitches as he read a hilarious excerpt from his book, which has also been entered into the Roald Dahl Funny prize award. We had a great afternoon and look forward to the sequel! Miss Barton School Librarian Creative Writing groups Introducing… Creative Inc We meet every Thursday after school in the library. We talk about writing, a new task is set, ideas are discussed and we read out our stories. We are always on the lookout for fresh talent, pop in on Thursday afternoons… We would like to share with you an extract from one of the stories, written by one of our talented students. The Work’s Outing So here I was, stuck at the top of a rollercoaster surrounded by my co-workers. This was why I never went on any of the work trips. I just knew that something horrible would happen to me. Like what was happening right now for instance. I was trapped at the top of a rollercoaster surrounded by my co-workers. At the front of my cart were Nervous Nina and Boring Bill. The row behind them was Annoying Annie and Crazy Kim. At the back of the cart, sat next to me was Daydream Danielle. As you can imagine, I wasn’t particularly pleased. On my first work trip, I was trapped on a rollercoaster. Little did I know- the worst was yet to come! If you want to know what happens next – visit the Library page on the school VLE … Miss Barton School Librarian
Library Celebrating reading with Year 7 Since September 2012- we have challenged year 7 to embark on the Caludon Reading Race starting with the ‘Triathlon’ students were set the task of reading 3 books. A non-fiction book on a subject that they know nothing about. A fiction book by an author that they have not read before. A free choice
7.7 with their Triathlon certificate
Students were then asked to write a short report on what they had read. We have been delighted with our students’ positivity and enthusiasm regarding this challenge. The overall idea was to promote reading for pleasure and, of course, attainment. The Reading Race has encouraged them to use the library confidently and to make sensible choices when choosing what to read. The first class to fully complete the ‘Triathlon’ was 7.7. Well done Miss Gallagher’s class shown here with their certificates! Miss Barton School Librarian
Christmas and New Year LIBRARY OPENING TIMES Monday 24 December Tuesday 25 December Wednesday 26 December Thursday 27 - Saturday 29 December Monday 31 December Tuesday 1 January Wednesday 2 January
Closed Closed Closed Open Closed Closed Open
Maths Department competition update Puzzle of the Week The ‘puzzle of the week’ is displayed weekly outside the Maths hub. It is open to all year groups and, each week, prizes are awarded for correct (and best!) solutions. You can enter by handing your solution to Miss Crowley in S30, or to your Maths teacher. Entries this term have been of an excellent standard, well done to all who have entered! Prizes this term have gone to: Sanjay Patel, Georgina Payne, Jonathon Payne, Olivia Helliwell Nicholas Ferlisi, Kyle Wood, Mckent Calica, Yatin Darbar, Dan Kingswell, Celina Panchal, Niamh Emery, Vicki Berwick, Kamini Mistry and Moqsud Miah. The overall winner for this term (selected at random from the prize winners) was Nick Ferlisi who wins a £10 HMV voucher – well done! UKMT Mathematical Olympiad for Girls Anisha Lad and Georgina Payne were nominated and entered for this exceptionally difficult competition. With 160 participants and a median score of only 4, Anisha and Georgina proved themselves to be amongst the best mathematicians in the country as they scored 5 and 6 respectively. Well done ladies! UKMT Senior Maths Challenge This term, fourteen sixth form students sat the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge. Their results were very impressive; Sanjay Patel, Georgina Payne and Ben Emery were awarded gold certificates, Liam Thorne was awarded a silver certificate and Anisha Lad, Damian Panchal and Aaron Maroke were all awarded bronze certificates. In addition, Sanjay and Georgina performed so well that they were invited to enter the follow on round, which they sat on 30 November. We look forward to reporting on their success in the next issue! Miss Crowley Teacher of Maths
Switch it Off Campaign 10 December to 21 December The Eco-Team have recently launched this year’s Switch it Off Campaign. This began on the 10 December and will be running until the end of term. The aim of the campaign is to encourage as many staff and students as possible to be aware of their energy usage and to reduce it as much as possible. Staff are encouraged to switch off any unused lights, computers and projectors and students have the opportunity during their tutor/mentor sessions to discuss the benefits of reducing energy usage. Energy monitors will be going on walkabouts looking for any unused lights and appliances that had been left on and they will leave a subtle reminder asking staff to switch them off. This year we have also asked each teacher to appoint an energy monitor for each class that they teach to remind their teachers of the importance of having an eco-friendly classroom. ALM have generously donated a prize of a month’s free gym membership to the most Eco-friendly teacher, which will be judged by the students. We will announce the winner at the start of next year. The Eco-team are also still working hard on the school vegetable garden. We hope to have some positive news regarding its progress next term. If you would like to join the Eco-Team please come and see Mrs Flippance in F3 or the Humanities Hub. Thanks again for your support. Mrs Flippance Eco-Schools Co-ordinator
Sport and Leisure Year 11 football The Year 11 football team have had a very busy start to the season and have already played four games, all in the English Schools Cup. The boys have had their most successful run so far in the competition, and of any team in the school’s recent history, reaching the 6th round, the last 32 schools in the country out of 750 entries! Upon the publication of this newsletter, they will have played their last 32 fixture against English Martyrs School from Leicester and will know or not if they have reached the last 16. After receiving a “bye” in the first round, their second round game pitted them against a good Groby Community College team (Leicester) who were confidently dispatched by an excellent attacking performance by Caludon Castle which resulted in a 3-0 victory. Stand out performances were from Jamie Healy, Aiden Mailer and James Maddison, all of whom weighed in with goals. The third round saw them drawn away at John Henry Newman Catholic College (Solihull) The boys recorded a convincing victory despite missing a number of players. Goals in a 6-2 win came from Aiden Mailer 2, Obed Mukwama 2, Reagan Hayes and Liam Woodbridge. Their fourth round tie saw them away again, this time at Prince Henry’s School (Evesham). After a scrappy but even first half Caludon found themselves 2-1 down. The second half saw Caludon step up a gear and outplay their hosts, moving into a 4-2 lead with 10 minutes remaining. However, a lack of concentration at the back allowed Prince Henry’s two late goals to take the tie into extra time. With no goals in the additional period, the game was decided on penalties. Kyle Smith saved a crucial spot kick and all of Caludon’s penalties were confidently dispatched to send the boys through to the 5th round, and the last 64, with a 5-3 win! The fifth round draw pitted the Year 11s against previous semi-finalists, John Port School (Derby) and their best performance of the season saw them win 5-3 with goals coming from Healy and Maddison. This was an excellent attacking performance and would have looked more convincing but for a lack of concentration during the closing stages of the game. On going to press, the boys were due to play English Martrys School from Leicester on the 12 December at Rugby Town in their sixth round tie. Whatever the result of that game, this has been a magnificent achievement from all of the students involved so far.
Sport and Leisure continued The U16s are also due to start their Telegraph Cup campaign on Tuesday 18 December at Coundon Court and will be hoping to have a good run in this prestigious competition where the final is held at the Ricoh Arena. This squad has the potential to be very successful if all members can be available for all games, but those involved so far can be proud of their run in the English Schools Cup this year. Thanks and well done to the following.
Mr Shepherd Teacher of Sport and Leisure
Sport and Leisure continued‌. Netball Netball has really taken off this year with over 60 students turning up for practice on a Tuesday after school. So far the year 7 and year 9 teams have had games, with the year 8 team hopefully playing after Christmas. The girls have really impressed us with their commitment to both practice and matches and we look forward to further successes in the leagues we are in.
Year 7 Team A Caludon v Bishop Ullathorne 16-0 Caludon v Coundon Court 13- 1 Team B Caludon v Coundon Court 5-0 Year 9 Caludon v Tile Hill Wood 6-5 Caludon v Coundon Court 4- 15 Miss Harborne, Mrs Oldham and Miss Brown-Channer
Sky Sports Project The year 9 netball team are involved in a Sky Sports project. The aim of the project is to promote extra curricular netball and positive attitudes towards sport for girls. The girls involved in the project will become leaders of netball at Caludon and will organise an interform netball competition. Every school involved in the project is assigned an athlete mentor and on Friday 9th November our mentor Heather Fisher visited. Heather is a current England rugby player and she spent the morning with various students sharing her life story. The morning with Heather was a great success and we look forward to another inspirational visit from her in the future.
Miss Harborne Teacher of PE
Sport and Leisure continued‌. Year 8 and 9 Girls Tag Rugby Tournament. Over the last few weeks we have had a rugby coach in some of our girls’ key stage 3 lessons introducing tag rugby to them. The sessions have given the girls an insight into tag rugby and even motivated some to attend the tag rugby practice after school. All of this led to two teams being picked to enter into the Coventry tag rugby tournament on Tuesday 20 November. The girls had a really good day and all played very well. They played against teams who have had a lot more experience playing tag, but they kept on going and were a real credit to themselves and the school. Thank you also to Mr Grant and Miss Brown Channer for taking both teams. Miss Harborne Teacher of PE Year 10 football The Year 10s have had a mixed year so far, with results not always going their way, but with some excellent football being played. The first game of the season saw them lose narrowly to Coundon Court 5-4. After a tough battle they conceded in the last minute. In the second game they totally outplayed Blue Coat, winning 6-1 and playing some of the best schoolboy football seen in recent times. Two of the goals started from the goalie and nearly 20 passes later the net was bulging, some fantastic passing moves completed a great victory. Next they played Woodlands, losing out 4-3, again with both sides playing some great football and Jacob Highton scoring a hat-trick. The year 10's will look for revenge in this fixture as they played Woodlands again in a friendly before Christmas. The cup games will be coming thick and fast in the New Year, where Caludon look to progress. Thanks to all involved. Mr Frankish Teacher of PE
Sport and Leisure Exciting new Sport and Leisure opportunities for our students! This year has seen the Sport and Leisure faculty revamp its curriculum to offer a unique “Olympic Legacy” curriculum for KS4 and GCSE PE students. This curriculum is innovative and like no other around. It offers the students access to new activities such as water polo, handball, fencing, zumba and volleyball, as well as traditional activities. New equipment has been purchased and this curriculum is already up and running and proving popular with the students. Year 11 GCSE students have been very lucky to have had access to some expert coaching in the field of fencing from Science’s Miss Miller. They have been put through their paces and have participated very successfully in a 10 week block of fencing. In the process they have achieved grades towards their GCSE PE practical assessment. Mr Shepherd Teacher of Sport and Leisure
Sport and Leisure continued‌. Year 7 football
The year 7s have had a positive start to their school footballing experience under the tutelage of Mr Herlihy, Mr Palma and Mr Kemp. Attendance at training has been excellent with over 40 students attending all training sessions. Due to this it has been very difficult to pick a team, but those that have been picked have performed well and represented the school in an excellent manner. Their first game was a friendly against Woodlands in which an experimental side were dispatched 6-2. A more settled side fared somewhat better in their first Coventry Schools Cup fixture against Finham, seeing them progress into the second round with a 6-1 victory playing some excellent football in the process. Goal scorers in that game were : Reece Hadlum, Bradley West, Luke Wetherby, Riley Daviole, Jame-Dean Sawbridge and Danny Bull. Mr Shepherd Teacher of Sport and Leisure
Sport and Leisure continued…. Year 8 and 9 football The year 8s under Mr Elkin, and the Year 9s under Mr Grant, have had some mixed results this season. Fixtures played by them so far are as follows: Yr 8 Vs Whitley Abbey Vs Stoke Park
lost 3-5 lost 2-5
Yr 9 Vs Bishop Ullathorne
Won 2-1
Thanks to Mr Elkin and Mr Grant in providing training and fixture opportunities for these students. Mr Shepherd Teacher of Sport and Leisure Race against Teenage Cancer On Tuesday 16 October 2012, 90 year 7 boys and girls joined together to run the marathon for charity. In teams of 30, they ran boy girl for 105 laps of a 400 metre track – the distance of a full marathon. Two out of three teams broke the record set by Patrick Makau of 2h 3m 38s. One team came home in 1h 59m 57s and another in 2h 1m 33s. Students raised in excess of £200 for teenage cancer. I am immensely proud of our students with, their high spirits and determination throughout the afternoon. And also what they have given back to the community; its cause is priceless Mr Maycock Teacher of Sport and Leisure
Design and Technology KS4 Transition Project – Skills/ Processes and Product Design Year 10 students were set a project brief to design a toothbrush holder to encourage young children to clean their teeth through product design. The project has illuminated health issues that young people face through not taking responsibility for personal hygiene. It was discussed that the solution lay within designing novelty products that make cleaning teeth an enjoyable experience that would then become habit forming for the rest of the child’s life through teenage years and adulthood. Mr Temple Teacher of Design and Technology I am very proud with my toothbrush holder. First we sketched some ideas for our holder. Then when we knew what design we wanted to make we started. Each lesson we would make our product. The design was a shark with weeds in the back. I had a base where the shark would be stable and stuck my weed on the back. I made my weed and shark out of acrylic and used 2d design to design it then the laser cutter cut it out for me .Then I added 3 tubes which 3 toothbrushes would fit in. I drilled a small circle in the base for a child’s tooth brush. I am very proud with my finished product. The ages for my product is around the teenage years and above it will be sold around £5 to £10. Akash Prabhaker
KS3 Model Challenges
As part of learning in Design and Technology students are to understand how their paper based designs will look through Computer Aided, and literal 3D physical prototypes, prior to manufacturing their end outcomes – here are some of the remarkable results! Year 8 Lamination Projects We started our project by planning on using lots of different software. We used Google sketch up, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft word and the internet for research about parts for our final design. To start off our practical work we had a rectangle piece of wood. Half way through we made the work smoother by using a piece of glass paper and the band facer. At the moment we haven’t finished but we are progressing very quickly and should be finished shortly. We are proud of our work so far as it is very creative. By Kaine Taylor and Rhys Harteveld year 8 Year 8 Student Success!!!! A huge congratulations to Jonathan Phillips and Lucy Turnbull who are successfully working beyond targets in Design and Technology. Both student outcomes are highly innovative and creative. Well done new designers!!!
Design and Technology continued...
Year 9 Thingy Wotsit Product This term I have been working on my Thingy Wotsit product. I have made a photo frame on the theme of a peep board, it took me approximately 6 weeks from start to finish. To start off with I had to measure out the wood and I had to use a mitre cutter to cut the slanted corners to make the mitre joint. Once I cut the corners I had to glue them using a clamp to keep it in place. After the clamp was removed I had to emulsion first so I could spray paint it. Then I had to laser cut the plastic so I could stick it on the photo frame. Then I had to cut a piece of wood out the same size of the plastic and paint it. After I done that I could choose different pictures which I am now designing on CAD to put it in. The pictures will be based on different peep board themes, like the seaside or the picnic. The photo frame was extremely successful as a novelty product which could be sold at a company like moonpig.com James Cooper Year 9
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all staff at Caludon Castle School