Charters News Summer Term 2013 Co-Heads’ Comments
by Martyn Parker and Richard Pilgrim
Sports Day 2013
Creative Arts Exhibition
Charterstock 2013
Summer Fayre 2013
It has been a breathless finish to the academic year 2012-13 at Charters and we know that everyone involved as part of the school community – students, staff, parents and governors – will be looking forward to a well-deserved break. Sports Day 2013
Sitting here with the two most recent copies of our weekly email to parents in front of us, it is hard not to be impressed and proud about the vibrant life of the school. The superb Sum-
mer Fair and Literary Festival; Sports Day (which is always a pleasure for staff and students here, when we know many secondary schools find it quite a chore); Charterstock where many talented musicians rocked an audience of over 250 for three and a half hours; the stunning work on display at the Creative Arts Exhibition in the Durning Room and ... well, read the emails for yourself to appreciate the richness of school life at Char-
ters! And, of course, anyone who says that schools are winding down, needs to know that these myriad of activities are taking place whilst lessons are going on as normal. Don’t tell Year 10 that things are winding down, as History and Spanish GCSE Controlled Assessments have just taken place, contributing significantly to final grades, and our Young Apprentices are undertaking crucial assessments at Pulse 8 this week.
“Students of Charters School will be well-rounded intellectually, socially and emotionally. They will be equipped with the skills for life, work and learning – literacy, numeracy, communication and aesthetic appreciation – in order to be able to participate in a flourishing and decent society.” This is our mission statement and encapsulates the fact that, whilst academic results are very important to us, the all-round development of our young people is the most important goal. We are proud of the way our students present themselves in the community – they don’t always get it right and we are dealing with a complaint at the moment about the smoking of electric cigarettes by some of our students on a commuter train – but the vast majority of the time, they are tremendous ambassadors for themselves, their families and the school. Countless times, we receive emails and letters that begin like the one received following the Kayaking Trip to France: “We have recently had the delightful pleasure of transporting a number of your pupils....”.
So the school is in good heart as we break up for the summer, nervously expectant of excellent examination results, again, from Years 11 and 13 and excited about the coming year.
What is the focus for the coming year? Well, to have a focus is to constrict what we do at Charters. We, of course, want to build on the opportunities available to our students, improve our facilities (with particular reference to the Maths Department accommodation), continue to enable students of all abilities, aptitudes and backgrounds to achieve outstanding academic progress by developing the quality of day-to-day teaching and listen to all the good ideas and constructive criticism that emanate from a vibrant school community.
staff: Miss Warren (Art), Miss Godfrey (English), Mrs Cervera (MFL) and Mr Baylis (Science) have all secured promotions at new schools; Mrs Johnson (PE) is moving with her family to Wales; Ms Foakes (Music) and Mr Keeley (Science) are moving to new avenues in their careers; and Mrs Adeosun (English), Mr Ryan (PE), Miss O’Donnell (PE) and Mrs Finlay (Science) are moving to fresh challenges at new schools. Teaching Assistants who are leaving this summer are Mr Champion, Miss Drysdale, Mr Maxfield, Miss O’Gorman and Miss Spencer. We would like to thank all these colleagues for their hard work over the years they have been at Charters and to wish them well in the next stage of their careers.
We would also like to express our thanks to two longstanding members of staff who are remaining at Charters in a part-time capacity, but who are stepping down from their respective leadership roles: Mrs Bartlett (Assistant Headteacher) will remain as a part-time English Teacher, but she is relinquishing her Assistant Headship in order to pursue a training course taking her career in a new direction, and Mrs Campbell (Head of Year 11) is stepping down from her Head of Year role, but will also remain as a part-time English/Media Teacher – she will be spending more time with her grandchildren in her new-found spare time. Both these colleagues have had a huge impact on the success of Charters School over the years and we send them all our best wishes as they set out on their future pathways.
Thank you to all the staff and students for their hard work this year and the continuing strong support of parents. We leave you with a brief extract from a draft article about Charters School being prepared by an independent publication “The Good Schools Guide”, as we think it captures the essence of what we are all about:
“An admirable and humane school, with some of the sparkiest, brightest, most articulate and most delightful students it’s been our pleasure to meet”. Have a great summer! Martyn Parker and Richard Pilgrim Co-Headteachers
At the end of term we are saying farewell to some of our For term dates see www.chartersschool.org.uk/term-dates
Year 11 Prom
Run away success for textiles students
Year 11 students celebrated the end of their exams in style. Staff transformed the reception area and main hall beyond all recognition; students transformed themselves into models of elegance and sophistication ready to party the night away and the evening ended with a cloud of balloons released with messages of hope for the future.
Creativity, flair and drive are just three of the qualities that Charters’ Textiles Students have in abundance. The thriving Textiles Department, which boasts a huge array of resources, consistently achieves top marks at GCSE and A Level. To showcase the talents of its students the school decided to stage a Fashion Show. The night kicked off with the students sashaying down the runway in their own creations, cheered on by an audience made up of their friends, parents and teachers. The students from years 10 through to 13 exhibited work ranging from skirts to evening gowns and children’s toys to cushions. Head of Department, Mrs Pauline Walker, said, “They are a talented and motivated group of students who have worked hard in lessons and put in many extra hours after school with me to complete their practical work.”
Ex Charters’ student designs for High Street chain Former Charters’ textiles student Becky Partington has won a competition to design a knitwear collection for High Street chain Evans. Becky is in her second year studying fashion at Kingston University and will see her collection put into production to reach the shops in February 2014. The judges commented that her project was very fresh and different from what is around at the moment. Follow @ChartersCareers on Twitter for latest career opportunities
Year 7 Musical Maestros
We have recently appointed a new team of committed Year 12 students to lead the Geography Society in 2013-2014.
Charters Music Department were delighted to present the school's first ever Year 7 concert!
and gifted and talented solo musicians from Year 7 shared their talents.
The entire year group performed in class ensembles alongside the 'Junior Vocal Group' and 'Junior String Group'. 'The Banditos' from our local primary schools made a guest appearance
The event culminated in a rendition of 'Don't Stop Believing' sung by the year group in its entirety. It was ambitious but the Year 7s were fantastic with their high energy and enthusiasm!
Summer Spells for students with the best progress
Charlotte Maxfield (President) and Rebecca Garland (Vice President), along with Amy Madden, Alastair Down, Priya Blackburn and Hannah Russell will be coordinating guest speakers, assemblies and geography related events throughout the year. Watch this space for our calendar of events. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter to keep up to date with what’s going on…Follow @chartersgeog
In Flanders Fields On a trip to Ypres Year 9 explored what it was like to be on the frontline as a soldier in the First World War: the mud; the cramped accommodation; the unimaginably high death rate. Click here to read the full report and see more photos. A coach stop on the way home at the famous Belgian chocolatier Leonidas, explored a different aspect of the region!
Students in Year 10 who had received the best progress reports throughout the year were invited to take part in a trip to Warner Bros Harry Potter Studios. Among other things, the students were able to visit the Great Hall, see how the special effects were made, visit the different sets from the film including Diagon Alley, take part in a wand lesson, learn to fly a broomstick and try some Butterbeer! A great day was had by all and as always, the students were great fun to spend the day with and a credit to the school. Join ChartersConnect on Linkedin, follow us on Twitter@ChartersSchool or Facebook for the latest news
Charters Connect …
the alumni society of Charters School
We are pleased to be able to share with you news from some more recent alumni who have been in touch with Charters Connect. We would love to hear from others too. If you have photos or stories to share please email chartersconnect@rbwm.org
Class of ‘63 Reunion
Masterminded from Australia by former Head Boy Ray Huttenmeister and from Berkshire by Head Girl Maureen Connolly, the Class of ‘63 reunion was an outstanding success. Former pupils gathered together in the school library for a welcoming cup of tea before touring the school grounds. Stories of the past 50 years covered adventures in the UK and abroad while all enjoyed reminiscing about the their time at Charters and expressed amazement at the facilities now available to pupils. Lunch and afternoon tea was held in a local pub before once again, going their separate ways. We were impressed by the distance some had travelled to be part of the event: from Cornwall and the north of England; from Australia and Spain as well as those who remain in the local area. It was good to meet everyone and to hear their stories.
Where are they now? Wayne Boothroyd, Charters School 1958-1963, who joined us at the Class of ‘63 reunion remembers his first day at Charters as one of the new intake in a brand new school. An enthusiastic sportsman he became Captain of the Rugby Team which won the first Trophy for the school and a prefect. He left Charters to join the Metropolitan Police Force and one of his early duties was to officiate at the funeral of Winston Churchill. Now enjoying his retirement with his wife Janina, we were delighted to welcome him back to Charters at the recent reunion of the class of ‘63. If you would like help organising a reunion for your year group, please email chartersconnect@rbwm.org
Languages
20 of our year 10 GCSE Spanish students spent 6 days on a homestay visit in Salamanca from 21-27 June. They were placed in host families in pairs/trios. There was a full programme of activities as well as lessons every day, including a guided tour of Salamanca, visits to the two cathedrals, San Esteban, a cookery demonstration in a very chic restaurant, dancing lessons- salsa and flamenco, an excursion to Segovia and Ă vila, a film viewing and a night tour of Salamanca.
Sixth Form news
Year 13 enjoyed a final assembly, followed by a wet and cold day at Thorpe Park. They were treated to some music from Luke Riches, Alice Sherritt and Charlie Ackery, as well as some photo montages of their time at Charters. A lucky few received an award for things they will be particularly remembered for! The annual May Ball and Dinner at Savill Court hotel was a wonderful occasion with everyone dressed in their finery and students and staff enjoying one another’s company into the small hours!
See the blog for more photos: http:// charterssalamanca2013.blogspot.co.uk/
Fantastic Fossils The geology students in year 12 are a resilient lot, choosing the first of the really hot days to go to Osmington Mills and fry on the beach for 5 hours! Luckily Mrs Hall had made us bring hats and suntan cream. It was amazing to see how what we had learnt made sense when we looked at the cliffs. A year ago it would just have been a cliff, but now we could see changes in the environment from the rocks and fossils. We found
some fantastic fossils!! The prizes for the best finds go to Alice Jarvis for her whole Trigonia, and to Joe Seccombe for carrying back a huge slab with whole bivalves and superb examples of trace fossils at the hottest point of the day. Our thanks go to Mr Jerry Jarvis for offering to come too, and being full of helpful information, and to Mrs Rowlands for helping out with the driving.
To find out about the Sixth Form see www.chartersschool.org.uk/6th-form
Oxbridge calling?
By Charlotte Maxfield
In March Year 12 students travelled to the city of Cambridge along with Mrs Metson and Mrs Powlesland. On our arrival everyone had already begun to make comparisons with Oxford and many agreed that Cambridge was much prettier, with its large open spaces on the outskirts and the river flowing through. We first visited Selwyn College where we were met by the schools co-ordinator and ex-pupil Ellen. When we entered our conference room for the morning we were all immediately drawn to the refreshments table and the prospect of a hot drink after a chilly walk! When finally settled down we were given a talk on life at Cambridge and its differences to Oxford. Later, we were joined by students from Selwyn who gave us a guided tour of their college. We were shown the dining hall, the college chapel and the library. A further tour of the rest of the college allowed us to ask the students about life at Cambridge and details of their subjects along the way. Later we were able to go to lunch in the large dining hall – where there were many references to Harry Potter! Once filled with our two course meals we made the walk into town towards Pembroke College which was lucky enough to have facilities such as a computer room and its own gym. However I was put off by the prison like buildings. As a prospective applicant I found this trip helped to make up my mind over whether or not Oxbridge is right
for me and also which of the two universities to apply to. It gave me opportunities to ask further questions about my subject through meeting both current students of the course and those who had already been through the process. It has definitely helped me to move closer to a decision regarding my subject and potential university.
Exploring Cornwall
It may have been cold and windy but 43 Year 12 Geography students braved the typical field trip weather in preparation for their AS exam. They visited a range of places including the Eden Project and St Austell to see the problems that Cornwall has faced and the rebranding it has experienced in recent years. As well as the Geography, memorable moments included the last night Disney competition. Who would have thought Mr Cowling would make such a good Mike from Monsters Inc?
For Learning Gateway queries see www.chartersschool.org.uk/gateway
Sporting News Dancing Queens
Success at the Kennet Games 2013 Our Resource students had a fantastic day in May at the annual Kennet Games taking podium places in sports as diverse as javelin, table skittles, basketball shoot, beanbag and boccia. Congratulations to all involved. Year 8 pupil Callan Lord commented, ‘I was happy at the Kennet Games and I liked the Uni-hoc because I scored 4 goals for Charters and my mum was happy with me.’
Congratulations to the 80+ students from Years 7-12 who participated in the Evening of Dance, showcasing all of the dance work from the Summer term. Charters Cheerleading squads travelled to Crystal Palace National Sports Centre and came 5th in the country in their competitions. A huge well done to all the girls involved. The KS3 house dance competition attracted over 20 participants this year. Miss Sussex particularly enjoyed the creative concepts and interesting choreography.
Shared Adventures at Tirabad
Inspired by the Paralympics Year 8 pupil Yasmin Somers was so inspired by the London Olympics that she has taken up wheelchair racing training three times a week. She is now the proud recipient of a bronze medal for the 100m which was presented to her by David Weir.
Gifted and talented students from year 9 were invited to participate in a joint trip to Tirabad with G&T students from our Tirabad partner schools: Maiden Erlegh and Emmbrook. Initially nervous, they had a brilliant time climbing, gorge walking and facing new challenges together. Several pupils made arrangements to meet up with their new found friends when they returned and all enjoyed the good weather while we were there!