Cherwell Enrichment Year 12 - Beyond Cherwell:- Pages 54

Year 12 ‘Beyond Cherwell’

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

resources in Social Wellbeing and as part of a pastoral programme. She volunteers as a mentor and supports her younger brothers. Rand has written on Tituba and the Salem Witch trials for the Journal and has signed up to represent the school in team competition challenges.

GOLD:

Alisia Maciu: Alisia regularly attends the weekly seminars and has joined many virtual lectures in psychology and sciences, including the Biology Olympiad and being selected for an In2Science placement. She is committed to redrafting work and developing study skills, including creating knowledge and vocabulary organiser resources for younger students.

Ella Myers: Ella is a Cherwell Journal editor, leading the launch and design of a book club for each key stage and reading lists and guides. In addition to her own extensive research around art history, she has designed a superb research task to help people write on art, including her own Journal article and illustration. She represents the school on the Ashmolean’s ‘Our Museum Our Voices’ project.

Emily Meredith: In addition to the weekly seminars, weekly challenges, self-reflections and research into career areas, Emily has written an impressive range of Journal articles, on topics as varied as the science of singing, stress, women in STEM and the origins of the word ‘marmalade’! Noelle Jaho: Noelle has single-handedly created a brand for Beyond Cherwell with a series of logos, modular logos, Cherwell Journal bookmarks, posters and badges. At the same time, Noelle has developed her interests in Law and History through competitions and competitive work experience placements.

Mae Cook: Mae created the website for the Cherwell Journal and helped to kickstart the project on the Editorial Team. She has written for the Journal with biographies and reflections on the French language. She has taken part in various lectures, university and careers research seminars and extension reading, including her own creative writing responses and adapting ideas for younger students.

Thomas Deakin: Thomas attends weekly seminars and applies his geographical interests to each week’s theme with impressive creativity and rigour. His extensive reading and career research around geology is exemplary and he has used this as the basis for Journal articles on sinkholes and volcanoes, as well as careful learning resources for younger students.

YEAR 7 NEWS

By Ms King and Mr Ormrod

Year 7 have had a momentous first year at Cherwell – they settled in really well to the way we do things here and have gone from strength to strength. Since our last newsletter, the past two terms have seen the school being able to open up a little more, with science enrichment lessons, more extra-curricular activities, timetable changes so that specialist lessons can be held in specialist rooms again and ‘proper’ bike sheds being used for the first time! A few classes also enjoyed a ‘Year 11 takeover’ - a Social Wellbeing lesson about climate change taken by some Year 11s who have been working on their EPAS course (photos below).

So many things have changed, and we could not be more proud of our Year 7s, who have seen more change at Cherwell in one year than most students see in their whole time here. They have learnt to be adaptable, focussed and kind to each other. We are hopeful to be able to hold a Sports Day this year, all safely within their Year 7 zones but able to watch other year groups - something they have missed out on this year. They are a distinctly active year group, with many sports and activities being self-organised at break and lunch time, with various bits of equipment brought in to assist their games, so enjoying a Sports Day will be particularly pleasing for them! As we think ahead to the glorious summer holidays, we want to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful Year 7 tutors, teachers and all staff who work so closely with our Year 7s to help them make progress in their lessons and give support where needed. We also wish you, parents and carers, a fantastic summer.

YEAR 8 NEWS

By Miss Bristow, Mrs Kidd & Ms Wiggins

Year 8 have grabbed the challenge of the summer term with both hands. The focus of this term has been, to get ready for Year 9; being the oldest on South Site.

Mega Merits

Over the term, they have been engaged in the Mega Merit competition. As a team, they have been working to earn points on routine, engagement in learning and effort and contribution to the lesson. Each lesson they have been marked out of 5, depending on the percentage of the tutor group who have demonstrated excellence in these areas. I am blown away by the effort made by the tutor groups and so far we have had the following winners: 8JM, 8LK, 8CSe and 8TT - congratulations to all of those on this excellent achievement. Each class of winners have received an R3 each and a treat.

Extra Curricular Clubs

In addition to this, we have seen the return of Extra Curricular clubs in school and it has been great to see Year 8 attending a high number of these, including football, touch rugby and cricket. It has been great to see students take these opportunities to develop new skills and make new friends across the year group.

Quizzes

Tutor groups have taken it in turns to create a quiz for other tutor groups to take part in, the scores counted and the winners will be announced in the celebration assembly at the end of the year.

Looking ahead

Next year, Year 8 will be the oldest on South Site. They will start thinking about their GCSE options and as a team, we look forward to helping students make these decisions and having valuable conversations about the future. Our year groups’ determination, teamwork and resilience never ceases to amaze us. Keep up the AMAZING work and we wish you all a very happy summer.

YEAR 9 NEWS

By Mr Hopkins & Ms Wells

Year 9 have successfully completed their final term on South Site and they have now transitioned over to North Site to start their move into GCSE. I am overwhelmed with the resilience and tenacity the students have shown.

North Site

Year 9 have been settling into their new environment, new classrooms for their lessons and meeting new members of staff. They have demonstrated that they are willing to take the challenge with both hands and use this move to re-focus and re-engage in their learning, ready for GCSE courses that will start in September.

The Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Awards

This term we have also seen a number of students signing up to take part in their first Duke of Edinburgh expeditions and decide on their skill, physical and service that is required to achieve such a prestigious award. Some students are volunteering in charity shops, helping at sporting events and clubs. Many students have decided to explore new skills and learn to cook, bake, paint and garden - an exciting part of the award that usually opens up new talents. Finally, students used already committed and loyal training at football clubs, rugby clubs and cricket for their physical section, while others took up a new sport like running, swimming or attending an exercise class with a friend. Not only do these sections work towards this final award but it allows students to be open to new opportunities and skills that will add to their personal development in the future.

Extra Curricular Clubs

In addition to this, we have seen the return of Extra Curricular clubs in school and it has been great to see Year 9 attending a high number of these, including football and rounders. It has been great to see students take these opportunities to develop new skills and make new friends across the year group.

Looking ahead

In September, we will see the start of their GCSE course and it is vital that Year 9 continue to demonstrate the maturity, resourcefulness and resilience that they have shown in the past few transition weeks. I have no doubt that students will show everyone that they are ready for the challenge.

Our Year group’s determination, energy and enthusiasm makes me proud to be their Year Leader. I wish you all a happy summer.

YEAR 10 NEWS

By Ms Kelbrick & Mrs Knight

After such a long time with no extracurricular activities, it’s been brilliant to see so many Year 10s get stuck in to new challenges or join their favourite clubs again.

This term we’ve had a successful Duke of Edinburgh excursion in the searing heat of the beginning of June and a really interesting Science trip in the drizzle of late June where we visited the Natural History Museum and the Botanical Gardens to learn about sustainable living.

The Year 10 research project ‘Frankenstein, Medicine and Ethics’ was also a great success this term. This was an exciting, interdisciplinary enrichment project where students worked as part of a special team of researchers, academics and actors with the Wellcome Trust, The University of Oxford and Creation Theatre. Our Year 10 students worked collaboratively and independently to research and create a response around the theme of ‘Frankenstein, Medicine and Ethics’ and produced a short article on an area of their choice from one of the sessions. This will be published in our Cherwell Journal, another great opportunity I’d encourage all Year 10s to get involved in.

Samir’s Natural History Museum drawing

I’m pleased to say that Year 10s approached their Summer Assessments with the same maturity and motivation they are known for. This is great preparation for Year 11 and the GCSE exam programme, starting with the first mocks on November.

So, a huge well done to our Year 10 students who have made it through a really tough year. I hope you and your families have the break you deserve over the summer.

YEAR 11 NEWS

By Mr Madden & Mrs Goble

Although the past two years been a challenge for everyone we can honestly say how impressed we have been by the Year 11 students resilience and positivity throughout this time. They have shown a great sense of maturity and willingness to adapt to the necessary changes school has had to make to continue with their GCSE studies and have engaged extremely well with the online live learning programme.

Following their return to school in March and the cancellation of the formal GCSE exams students threw themselves into their subject assessments and worked extremely hard to achieve the best grades possible for their GCSEs.

It was great to see so many students attend the Year 11 Leavers’ assembly at the end of June and we look forward to seeing them again at our Reward Evening in July.

It has been a pleasure and honour to have been part of such a wonderful year group and we wish them every success for the future.

YEAR 12 NEWS

By Ms Rapson & Mrs Fisher

We have yet again been thoroughly impressed with how well Year 12 have managed this year. It has been really difficult to offer them any opportunities beyond the curriculum, however they have found and accessed these when they could. Some have accessed online work experience, been accepted on superb programmes such as NDORMS and a large group have completed their Duke of Edinburgh Gold expedition. I really wanted to end a difficult year with some positives. This term (with very little notice, and huge thanks to the PE department) we were able to offer Year 12 a 'PE' lesson. We have encouraged all year the benefits of exercise and being outside to support wellbeing and were keen to put words into action. Many students finish their studies on a Wednesday at 12:25 and so we had no real idea of how many would stay until 2pm to join in with rounders or football.

We were absolutely delighted to have so many turn up and even more delighted by the superb atmosphere. Myself and Mr Wallington watched as around 40 students of all abilities played rounders; always encouraging each other, supporting team mates, cheering on success and being a supportive friend when the odd catch was missed! On a different half of the field another group of students played some fairly intensive football (Score 5-4).

It has been a lovely way to spend Wednesday afternoons and hopefully gives us (and them!) the incentive to do more next year.