The Cherwell School Summer Newsletter 2022 by cherwell3

SUMMER 2022 Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence

CHERWELL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Inside this issue:-

Dear Parents and Carers It is a pleasure to write to you as we move towards the end of the school year. The extreme heat at the end of term has given us some challenges but the students and staff have responded magnificently so we are able to finish term as intended. It is indicative of the school community that we were able to carry on through the hot weather without needing to close - everyone supported each other and just got on with things. It leaves me feeling immensely proud after a long year. What has been great about the term since Easter is that all of the events we wanted to run have happened. This is the first time since Summer 2019 that this has been the case and I am delighted that our young people are once again able to experience all of the opportunities the school likes to offer. You will see this illustrated throughout the newsletter and we are always grateful when our Parents and Carers take the time to look at all the wonderful things that do happen in our school. A particular highlight of the term was the Cherwell Re-connects event (see pages 52-53). This was particularly uplifting as it came to fruition through the combined efforts of staff, students, the PTA and The Friends of Cherwell. We have also had our first “real” Sports Day since 2019 and the students were remarkable. The participants competed with real enthusiasm and the spectators were full of warmth and support for their classmates. It has also been delightful to welcome Parents and Carers back into the school fully this term. For many of you, the last two years have only given a “remote experience” of Cherwell and you will be pleased to know that we have multiple events planned for the Autumn Term that will give you the opportunity to come into school and see us. It is important to note that we will be celebrating the Sixtieth Anniversary of the school during 2022-2023. We have settled on the date of Saturday 1st July for an event in school and we will be looking to extend the invite to as many of our alumni as possible. Please do save the date as we are keen to make the most of this important milestone. Our approaching Sixtieth birthday also reminds me that we are an ageing site and it is an ongoing challenge to keep improving the wider school environment. Once again, I am so grateful to the work of the Friends of Cherwell who are doing so much behind the scenes to support fundraising for the school. Please do take a moment to visit the Friends website and if you are in a position to support them, every contribution is welcomed - https://friendsofcherwell.org/ During the Summer we will be having some major IT work being done in all 96 classrooms across the school. The new Clevertouch technology will result in brighter, interactive screens that we know will aid the experience of the children within the classroom. We have also began a significant refurbishment programme starting on South Site with lots of the classrooms having a complete facelift for September. I wanted to thank all of the Parents and Carers who responded to the recent River Learning Trust Stakeholder survey. In total we had nearly 700 responses from our parent body which was by some margin the biggest number of any school within the RLT. We also carried out similar surveys with students, staff Continued…/

Welcome Page:Pages 2 & 3

Friends Don’t Lie By Matt Barnard School Counsellor: Page 4 & 5 Sustainability at Cherwell: Page 6 & 7 A Day In the Life Of A Citizenship Teacher: Page 8 & 9 Oxfordshire Teacher Training News: Page 10 Library Summer News: Page 11 Academic Enrichment: Beyond Cherwell, European Parliament, Ambassador School, Turing Scheme, The Cherwell Journal, Summer Competition 2022 Year 12 Summer Challenge Dan Hemingway Award & Exhibition: Page 12 - 25 Science Enrichment: Page 26 - 29 English Dept News: Page 29 - 31 Careers: BMW Junior Campus Day Page 32 & 33 Year 8 Human Library Event Page 34 & 35 Year 7 Careers Detective Page 36 Year 9 Careers Fest at BMW Page 37 Year 10 Virtual Mock Interviews Page 38 - 42 Year 10 GCSE Geography Fieldtrip: Page 43 Venture Award - Year 7 Venture Award - Year 8 Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Duke of Edinburgh - Silver Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Buckingham Palace: Page 44 - 51 Performing Arts: Page 52 & 53 Year Team News: Page 54 - 58 Physical Education: Page 59 - 65

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and governors. In most cases the survey feedback was positive and we were pleased (for instance) about just how many within our community would recommend the school to others. As always however, there were things within all the surveys that we will want to work on. Cherwell will remain a “restless school” determined to improve and surveys of this type help us on our journey. I will write to you more fully about the survey results in September and give some details about the actions we are taking as a result. For the first time since 2019 our students have sat their GCSE and A Level exams as intended this term. It really was remarkable and a tribute to all of them to witness how well they coped. We wish them all the very best for their results in August and the school will be open both to issue their results but also to provide advice and guidance on next steps for any who need it. We do have a number of both teaching and support staff who are leaving us at the end of term. It is always tough to see colleagues who have given so much to our school moving on. I know you would want to join me in wishing them well. We are very fortunate to have some wonderful new colleagues joining us in September As always, the final word does need to go to our students. They have continued to inspire and impress us all throughout the year both in terms of their work inside the classroom and what they offer beyond it. The newsletter is a tribute to their talents and endeavours. We sincerely hope you enjoy it. Do have a peaceful and enjoyable Summer break

Chris Price Headteacher

Friends Don’t Lie - Mike Wheeler, Stranger Things By Matt Barnard, School Counsellor

Eleven, Vecna, the Mindflayer, Demogorgon and Eggos. If this all sounds like gobbledygook, then you’ve been missing out on the sensational series, ‘Stranger Things’. It’s a show that provides much interest for those that are psychologically curious, and presumably that’s one of the many reasons why it’s so popular. Sigmund Freud would have been a fan too, especially of the Upside-Down World, which has much in common with his theory of the unconscious, where repressed memories can reappear and hijack our conscious minds if we are not aware! However, I’ve personally found witnessing the compassion, acceptance and the characters' overriding commitment to make reparation when they experience a difficulty in their friendships, both fascinating and heart-warming. They are incredibly loyal, and most importantly they accept and resolve their differences. Who wouldn’t want to be part of a friendship group like that? In the counselling service we are hearing from many students describing themselves as feeling socially anxious, and struggling to know how to make small talk or keep a conversation going. This then leads to experiencing periods of ‘over thinking’ just when they are trying to switch off and go to sleep, which is often a preoccupation with social interactions. I think it’s fair to assume that we can point the finger of blame at the pandemic. Young people were cut off from their friendship groups at a period of their development when they were trying to make sense of who they are in relation to others, separate from their parents, and navigate complicated social interactions. This year, the Mental Health Foundation quite rightly focused on loneliness during the mental health awareness week. In a YouGov poll conducted in the November of 2020, 69% of adolescents (13-19) said they felt alone “often” or “sometimes” in the last fortnight. The pandemic cannot solely account for these figures, as shown in this statistic from research in 2018 - 40% of respondents aged 16-24 reported feeling lonely often or very often. I am not entirely sure what is driving loneliness - the timing would suggest that it can’t just be because of the pandemic - is it social media too? Contrary to its name, social media is not all that social. It seems to stop us from connecting with our friends and family, by meeting up with them asking what have you been up to lately?’. Why bother, when you’ve already seen their holiday photos on Instagram! There is less of a need to reach out and connect in person, or even make a phone call. On the subject of time, social media platforms ‘curate’ comments and posts of things you might be interested in as though it’s current for both you and the person that posted. There is no context as to why the person posted, and without context, it’s not possible to empathise with someone who is feeling angry or sad. There is a lack of what neuroscientists call synchronicity between your emotions and that of the other person. ‘Mirror neurons’ in the brain are activated when you see someone hurt themselves, where you can almost feel their pain. This feedback system helps us understand, within a split second, the intentionality and feelings of another at an almost unconscious level. To put it another way, emotions are infectious. The same system is activated when you see people laughing - you find yourself laughing too, but you are not yet in on the joke. This ability gives you a good chance of guessing what’s on someone’s mind. Oh, and it’s important when falling in love too, but less said about that the better, especially for those of you who are romantics! For some of us in our school community, we need to be taught explicitly how to be a good friend and to socialise. It doesn’t come naturally to everyone. A bit like one of the main characters in Stranger Things, Eleven, who was raised largely in social isolation, experienced a lot of trauma in her early years and has been left struggling to know how to interact socially. It shouldn’t be surprising that she finds it hard to trust others and be trusted. Research shows that people like Eleven, have a brain that adapted to manage her unsafe environment, which is not so helpful when she is then in a safe environment, like with Hopper, the Hawkins Police Chief. Thankfully, Eleven soon learns from Mike that "friends don't lie”. Eleven seems to benefit from being told what the rules of friendship are, but of course one rule is not enough to know, and there are what feels like a million exceptions to the rules too. Continued…/

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I mentioned earlier that we are hearing of more young people experiencing periods of ‘over thinking’, where they are left mulling over social interactions, our place in the pecking order or giving ourselves a hard time about what we said. In 1997, Schulman and his colleagues wanted to know what the brain does when we are not engaged in a specific task. What do you think they discovered? Yep you guessed it, our brains engage in what they call ‘social thinking’ or as I am calling it, ‘over thinking’. So, our brains naturally gravitate towards over-thinking! Why am I focusing on this so much? Well it’s not just social anxiety and social thinking that can be distressing. According to Johann Hari in his book ‘Lost Connections’, one of the seven causes of depression is a disconnection from others. This can lead us to experience loneliness, sadness and anxiety, resulting in the body releasing more of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol impacts negatively on our immune and digestive systems, leaving us more susceptible to becoming ill and craving sweet, fatty and salty foods. In fact, it is through social interaction with others that our brains develop and heal. Increasingly, Health professionals are Social Prescribing. Connecting with others in groups might reduce social anxiety, depression and stress. It’s great to see so many Cherwell students engaging in extracurricular activities, such as team sports, drama classes, book club, cookery classes and activities outside of school too. One of the worst forms of punishment for any adolescent is the removal of their mobile phone or not being allowed on their gaming consoles. Despite this being a modern problem, and I appreciate that this comparison is extreme but it follows the same premise of punishment through isolation, the environment created can be likened to prison. So, parents, I am sure it’s an effective parenting strategy, but as it stands, the mobile is the predominant means of avoiding social isolation, for now at least. Research shows that gaming improved wellbeing during the lockdowns because of the cognitive stimulation and opportunities to socialise. Hopefully this article will encourage a bit more face to face interaction. So how do you learn to be with people, socialise and communicate? Feelings of shame are particularly painful for all of us, but none more so when you are an adolescent. John Keats (I am sure he was talking about something entirely different when he said this, but I am using it to make my point here) famously said, “Nothing ever becomes real ‘till it is experienced.” I do think you have to go through the trial and error of socialising to learn how to socialise, there’s no shortcut. Avoiding it by not interacting with others will not reduce feelings of social awkwardness or social thinking. To avoid socialising makes future socialising harder, and as I referenced earlier, it can lead to experiencing depression. I appreciate that this comes at a great risk of feeling embarrassment and shame with a badly timed joke or a misunderstanding. I’ve probably done that throughout this article myself; well never mind. That’s another point I want to make: you can’t always avoid making a social faux pas, but you can control how you treat yourself when you do. Remember to be kind to yourself. We’ve all been there and will continue to not get it right. Conversely, if your friend says something slightly off or strange, be kind about it and don’t ridicule them to make yourself feel better because you are glad it wasn’t you this time around!

References: 1) Mental Health Foundation. Loneliness during Corona-virus. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ coronavirus/loneliness-during-coronavirus (2020). 2) BBC. 16-24 year olds are the loneliest age group according to new BBC Radio 4 survey. https:// www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/loneliest-age-group-ra.... 3) Barr, M. and Copeland-Stewart, A., 2021. Playing Video Games During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Effects on Players’ Well-Being. Games and Culture, 17(1), pp.122-139. 4) Hari, J., 2018. Lost connections.

SUSTAINABILITY AT CHERWELL: By Mr Cappleman

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GERMAN DEPARTMENT NEWS: By Mr Mehrabian

2022 marks the 75th Anniversary of Oxford's twinning links with Bonn in Germany. To celebrate this link, 200 visitors from Bonn recently came to Oxford to celebrate, sing, dance and discuss and explore our links of friendship. Here at Cherwell, we met the Headteacher of Bonns Fünfte School, Ursula Dreeser, who joined our Sixth Formers on a visit to the Exhibition Box which was held at St Michael and All Angels' Church. The exhibition featured artists from both Bonn and Oxford, who presented a dynamic exhibition of work, encompassing paintings, drawings, photography and sculpture. Our students had the opportunity to speak to the artists about their work and find out more about Bonn by speaking to Ursula - all in German of course! We are hoping to relaunch our German Exchange and Christmas Market Trip next year. We also plan to visit Bonn so that we can get to know the students and teachers at Ursula's school. If there are any parents who live locally and may be able to host some German teachers in October, please do email jmehrabian@cherwellschool.org

Photos of the paintings at the exhibition

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CITIZENSHIP TEACHER By Michelle Codrington On Wednesday 29th June I was invited by Education International to join a High Level Panel at an event organised by UNESCO at their centre in Paris. In September 2022, the UN have called a Summit of world leaders to discuss the importance of prioritising education. This is in response to the impact of Covid on the education of children and young people across the world but also due to Sustainable Development Goal 4, Quality Education for all. As a teacher I became active in the teacher trade union NASUWT and I have been very well supported by all the head teachers I’ve worked with at Cherwell from the days of Jill Judson to Mr Price. Cherwell is a school that has always understood that we are more than teachers and we have energy outside of the classroom that we are able to share with our students. As a Citizenship teacher, I believe strongly that as teachers we can show our young people that they have a voice that matters and that not everyone has to be famous like Greta Thunberg. From 2018 to 2022 I was elected to become a National Officer of the NASUWT and have the unique experience of being the National President from April 2020 to April 2021, becoming not just the first ever lockdown President of the Union, but also the first Black National President in 101 years. This year I was elected as the Honorary National Treasurer and I’m proud to say that I still teach, mainly KS3. Coincidently the time I received the invite to join the panel was just as Year 7s were finishing a unit on the Sustainable Development Goals and some have written emails to the Secretary General of the UN. During the pre-summit, Education International were making sure that teachers and educators are central to the UNESCO call for ‘Transforming Education’ and that the 150+ Education Ministers from across the world understand that without teachers there is no education system. As the only global organisation of education unions, they are the only voice for all teachers across the world. I was on the main stage panel “Transforming Education Together” – voices of diverse actors with Ministers of Education from Morocco, African Union Commission, China and the Norwegian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. However, the most thought provoking intervention came from Ms Tarcila Rivera Zea, (Executive Director, Centro del Culturas Indigenas del Peru). Her intervention was about the importance of children from indigenous and diverse communities to see themselves in their education. One thing we definitely all agreed on, is that children and young people deserve an education system that gives them more than academic achievement. Covid 19 demonstrated the importance of mental health as well as opportunities for social interaction. We also need an education system that prepares our young people for the world of tomorrow, with the necessary skills and ambitions to tackle inequality, the climate emergency and challenges to democracy. My main message to the conference was that when teachers are trusted and feel valued we will give our all to the children we teach. However transformative, however innovative the ideas that governments try to mainstream, they will be unsuccessful without teachers being involved in their design and implementation. It will end up as a tug of war between teachers and schools who know their pupils and their communities, and on the other side politicians wanting to trial new ideas pulling the other way. I was only able to speak for 3 minutes but I was the only intervention that received a standing ovation from the floor.

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As a Citizenship teacher, I can now honestly say ‘I’ve addressed the World Stage’ and I’m proud to be an advocate for an inclusive, progressing and transformative education system for all our children who are part of the global community. I am only able to take on these challenges and opportunities because I know that I have the support of my fantastic colleagues in the RSPCHE Faculty and others across the school including Mr Price. I am very proud to be a Cherwell Alumni and a part of the Cherwell community. If you would like to watch my interventions, then it can be found on YouTube via the UNESCO TES playlist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmFaf6PtrBI

"The Oxfordshire Teacher Training SCITT is the only school-based initial teacher training organisation in Oxfordshire and trains over 100 new teachers every year, the vast majority of whom go on to become teachers in local schools. Like The Cherwell School, the SCITT (School Centred Initial Teacher Training) is part of the River Learning Trust and also has its own Local Governing Body. We are seeking to recruit a new member for our Governing Body and we are particularly interested in finding suitable candidates who have expertise in the following areas: marketing, finance and education. The Governing Body meets six times a year and if you are interested in finding out more about what we do and potentially applying please contact the Clerk to the Governing Body, Helen Jeffries by emailing helen.jeffires@ottscitt.org.uk."

Patrick Garton Oxfordshire Teacher Training SCITT Director "What a year! Thanks to the team at the Cherwell SCITT I am very close to becoming a qualified teacher and have loved being on the journey so much. My two placements have been an invaluable learning experience, giving me a range of opportunities to refine my teaching with the support from passionate and experienced teachers - something I have really valued. Alongside this, our Wednesday professional learning days have helped me connect with other Associate Teachers, the SCITT team and a wide range of other expert colleagues, sharing our experiences, encouraging each other and asking questions. Not forgetting the huge range of accessible and immediately applicable sessions put in place to support us. Looking back over the last year, I find it hard to believe how much has been covered and how much I have developed. The science specific sessions at Wheatley Park, led by our incredible, knowledgeable subject specialist, have undoubtedly been one of my highlights of the year. Here, my understanding of why we teach science and how to do that best has developed greatly.

My placement at Cherwell has been incredible. All my colleagues around the school have been extremely welcoming and helpful, providing really helpful feedback to ensure I'm challenged and pushed, while allowing my confidence to grow and teaching ability mature. I'd like to give a special thank you to the Science Department and my mentor, without whose time and wisdom I would not be the teacher I am today. I am lucky enough to have a job in the department starting in September and can't wait to get stuck in again, knowing I will be well supported as an ECT (Early Career Teacher). I am so excited to continue my journey at Cherwell. A big shout out to the Cherwell SCITT, thanks to them I can't wait to see what my teaching career will hold."

Joanna Male (Chemistry Associate Teacher)

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LIBRARY SUMMER NEWS By Dr Bonsaver, School Librarian

This has been an important year. Library lessons are back and the South Site Library is finally accessible to all year groups, after two long years of lockdowns and year bubbles! While progressively moving back to our old routines, many of us found ourselves craving something new and fresh. The South Site Library had already changed last year, thanks to the generosity of The Friends of Cherwell. We have now replaced the old-fashioned display-board paper coverings and cardboard frames with beautiful fabrics from Kenya and Italy. More new interior features will be found in September, so wait and see! In the wake of an illuminating idea by 8CS, we have started adding heart-shaped rainbows to our LGBT+ books, so as to make it easy to spot them by the many students who are interested in this theme. With the help of some very creative students, we are developing our own Reading tracker. This will make it easier for the English Department to support Year 7, 8 and 9 students with their readings. The tracker is nearly ready now, and we are looking forward to using it. Finally, look out for our new parents and carers' Library coming soon! Because of lockdowns, in 2020 we had to interrupt some projects that were particularly exciting. We were working on a display of wings, each feather of which represented a book. Many of the students who took part in that initial project are now in Year 11, and it was the new generation of South Site students that completed it last Autumn. We were also working on a Map of literary landscapes for which we interviewed six authors, asking them which place was particularly significant for their work. Eight people in the Manga Club finally managed to complete this project by drawing each of these places and bringing them together into a map. The result is stunning! The students involved in this project have been rewarded in many ways, including a trip to the Bodleian Library to explore ancient maps and other wonderfully decorated documents. We loved our visit and the Bodleian is so enthusiastic about our map that they want a copy for their collection! On the rooftop

Map making

Exploring maps

sketching

We have noticed how much our students love crafting, and how often they lose their bookmarks. We are therefore giving them the opportunity to decorate their own bookmarks, borrowing a box of crafting materials such as washi tape, special pens, pencils, raffia and stickers. I have seen so many beautiful creations around that I think we should set up a competition. The last sessions of the Book Club were reading picnics. We all enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere, the sunshine, and, of course, the variety of biscuits, so this is something we will definitely repeat next year. Have a great Summer! Some of the bookmarks

Beyond Cherwell Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

The Beyond Cherwell programme and award is a new initiative for the sixth form, working with students from January in Year 12 to January in Year 13 as they begin to consider next steps beyond Cherwell. It is optional academic enrichment, designed to sit alongside our curriculum, tutorial work and careers guidance. It involves: • Information, advice and guidance on next steps (university, apprenticeships, careers) • Cross-curricular enrichment ideas, guided tasks, challenges and competitions. • Mentoring, external speakers and small-group projects. • Support developing study skills and research skills. • Creation of a portfolio of evidence to enable competitive applications beyond school. • A certificated award to recognise their efforts and achievements. Through Beyond Cherwell, students have access to: Weekly Bulletin: There is a weekly bulletin updates, notices, opportunities (lectures, events, competitions) and a special feature (interviews with former students, employers and tips on study skills, positive wellbeing and approaching key moments in the year).

Updates, notices, reminders and congratulations

Recommended lectures and competitions

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Beyond Cherwell Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

University tasters and work experience placements

Weekly feature: interview and tips

Weekly Challenge: There is an optional weekly challenge where students do some semi-structured but independent (or group) thinking around a shared idea that goes across lots of different subject areas. Students are encouraged to listen to, watch or read one thing (links given), then pick a set of thinking points to consider. Students can spend as long or as little on it as they like and there is no set format. There is no deadline for these, so you can choose to 'store up' any themes they would like to consider if you don't have time that week.

Cross-curricular weekly challenge © The Cherwell School , Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2022 Page 13

European Parliament Ambassador School Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

European Parliament London HQ

We are thrilled to become one of the very first schools in the UK to earn official accreditation as a European Parliament Ambassador School.

What does being a European Parliament Ambassador School mean? The EPAS programme connects 1500 schools across Europe into a collaborative international network of young people, challenging them to run activities promoting discussion, debate and activism about issues that affect young people across Europe. As an European Parliament Ambassador School, we can connect students with global leaders across Europe, experts in a range of fields and insights into careers beyond the UK. What have we done this year? We’ve hosted virtual conferences, mini-debates, active citizenship projects, Zoom school links, letter-writing projects and political mentoring. We’ve enjoyed trips to London, Finland and Estonia, meeting the British Ambassador to Finland and the Finnish Ambassador to Britain. We’ve established three new school partnerships, sharing friendships and working on joint projects on history, culture and citizenship. In Year 12 or Year 13 in September? Look out for more opportunities to join the EPAS team.

Our new plaque in reception

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Turing Scheme: Beyond Cherwell Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

Finland And Estonia 2022

This April, 32 intrepid Year 12 students set out on an adventure of a lifetime: 16 days in Finland and Estonia, fully funded by a government grant through the Turing Scheme and with support from the Friends of Cherwell. We spent six days in Lapland and the Arctic Circle, travelled the length of Finland by public transport, hopped across to Estonia for five days before finishing in the cultural capital of Helsinki for an Easter weekend festival. Students worked in partnership with local schools on a range of cultural, environmental, political and historical projects, learning about the Baltic region and about themselves. Miss Richer says: We could not be more proud of the ‘32 of Finland 22’, who put themselves out of their comfort zone, joined in with every activity -from eating new food to speaking to new people, from presenting in front of huge groups to listening to new ideas, from injecting energy to a quiet kind word. This trip has showed me that, with the right people and the right support around you, (almost) anything is possible! It's made me realise that it's better to take a leap of faith, rather than to wonder what would happen if you did...

The Embassy

Turing Scheme: Beyond Cherwell Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

Finland & Estonia 2022 Alessandro: One of my favourite moments of the trip was when we finally arrived in Tallinn, a place full of cheerful, friendly and at times stubborn people. One morning JP played table football and did a little dance with another resident of the hostel we were staying in; another morning a stranger sat in on our briefing and started shushing people!...we saw Avrò Pardi's house, a beautiful wooden and glass temple to this composer's music (which prior to this I was unaware of). Tucked away in the Estonian wilderness for wanderers to chance upon, or obnoxious school kids to trample over (we might have been a little noisy). One of his pieces - Spiegel im Spiegel - made for a wonderful soundtrack to the next sight we visited: the Keila waterfall. Estonia truly is a beautiful place.

Alice: One of my favourite memories of the trip was the train ride from Rovaniemi to Helsinki. It was 8 hours long and I actually found myself looking forward to it because of the people I was surrounded by. I was lucky to sit at a table-window seat! It was a calm and warm trip and we spent it learning cards and magic; listening to each other's music and imaging out the windows. I got to know people I wouldn't usually have an opportunity to, and being in a very narrow train full of other people could sound unappealing until I realised it meant getting to be around people I enjoyed and was very interested by. ..This trip taught me to be at ease with myself. I feel a lot calmer and more assured inside myself now, because from the getgo I felt completely free to be authentic on the trip and found that everybody around me accepted me with warmth and kindness.

Ava: One of my favourite memories from the trip was the night-time walk in a snowy forest in Lapland. We were fully kitted out in huge snow suits and fluffy hiking boots that made us look a bit like penguins. We took the coach to the edge of a beautiful trail through the woods. Even though it was late night and pitch black, the snow lit up the forest in a very beautiful but slightly spooky way. The walk was on a raised and very slippy path. Even though I was really creeped out, I couldn't stop laughing because every other second somebody would lose balance and fall, knocking the rest of the group over like dominoes. We cooked sausages and marshmallows on fires until it was time to walk back through the forest and fall asleep on the coach...I learnt so much about the two countries we visited, Finland and Estonia, in particular their history and culture, with visits to the science museum in Helsinki, the Rovaniemi ice hockey game, and the Arvo Part centre. I also made the very important discovery of Salmiakki, an extremely salty liquorice that they need to start selling in the UK.

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Turing Scheme: Beyond Cherwell Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

Finland & Estonia 2022 Diane: The trip was not only insightful in terms of visiting new and unknown places, but also living with relatively new people. We all shared the same curiosity and ambition, encouraging one another to try new (and sometimes unusual) things such as tasting traditional Finnish food and snow walking. ...The trip to Finland has taught me many things, one of which is to live every moment (even the little ones) and to take a chance on every opportunity ...And as it turns out, the trip has fuelled my confidence in trying new things, even if you aren’t sure of what the outcome is. The trip to Finland and Estonia was based on opportunity, and I’m grateful to have received this as It has truly changed my attitude towards new experiences, and saying yes to activities (even if you really want to say no!).

Emma: The best part of the trip was absolutely the community that came together from the students and the teachers: from our first preparatory trip to London I could feel a unified cohort forming, and when our trip leader Ms Richer gave an emotional speech in Tallinn about trusting us with more responsibility - with which I believe we never disappointed - I knew for sure that our group was special. Particularly, one night when we were unsupervised we set up games and sports that everyone had a good try at and involvement in. After all the unforgettable locales, gruelling journeys, and eye-opening experiences we all shared together, there was a real sense of community, and I can't think of a single person who I was uncomfortable around. At the celebratory dinner on the final evening, the air of friendliness and good humour was palpable, and it stands out as a fantastic culmination of the trip. To me, knowing those people even briefly was unparalleled and unforgettable.

Sikander: Before I left for Finland I felt very anxious to the point I didn't want to go, so my mum and Miss Richer had a meeting to help me feel less anxious and motivate me into still going on this trip. It was a trip that I will always remember and have very fond memories of the people that also went. I still felt very anxious on the plane journeys from London to Helsinki and then from Helsinki to Rovaniemi and obviously still felt nervous and anxious on the first few days but once I spoke to the other 31 students and the teachers my nerves calmed down and I really enjoyed myself. My highlights included the ice hockey match where I kept asking the other students I sat next to what was happening (you know who you are: thank you for explaining the match to me). I spoke to new people I’d never really spoken to before and we became good friends on the trip.

Turing Scheme: Beyond Cherwell Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

Finland & Estonia 2022 From a parent’s perspective

Naomi K: I think what struck me the most was a sense of camaraderie in my daughter when she returned from Finland, not only towards her peers but also towards the teachers who travelled with her. I think being part of a diverse group, all experiencing new (and sometimes risky feeling!) environments together, really built a great foundation of togetherness and resilience in a way that I can't offer her .

Andy C: This was a huge step in independence for Harry. It gave him enormous confidence, particularly learning that he could go away with a group of friends and form deep connections with them over such a long time. I am certain that this will be one of the best and most enduring memories from Harry’s childhood.

Sam H: Our daughter Alice came home spilling over with stories, memories and new-found confidence. She has spoken particularly about the people she met and the bonds that she’d made, about finding out what brings light to people and in the process learning to acknowledge (largely due to those she shared the experience with) that her own light had beauty and worth. In particular, she spoke with deep reflection about the night-time walk up into the Arctic Circle and how that experience, being so far north, so remote and so in nature with her friends brought an unexpected calm - a peace that resonated within her. It was almost as if she was describing some mystical experience...the stories proved to be beautiful (and occasionally side-achingly funny!). Thank you so much for giving her this incredible experience.

Nils and Astrid R: We are grateful that our son had the opportunity to go on such a trip. The experience of being in close contact with fellow students for so long was a unique experience for him and must have given him a sense of what is possible in terms of interactions and feeling connected to others. In an age where computer games and the internet provide an inescapable attraction, the value of experiencing joy through conversations and joint activities is invaluable at such a formative age.

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Turing Scheme: Beyond Cherwell Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

Miss Richer: One of my favourite memories of the trip is our casual night walk in Lapland in search of the Northern Lights - even though it was cloudy, cold and the end of a long day. A group of 20 of us left the hostel at 10pm, walked down a snowy, tree-lined, moonlit path in search of a hidden away spot that a teacher had told us gave us a beautiful night time vista. We went off the beaten path, clambering up a snow drift to look over the panoramic expanse of snow on the outskirts of Rovaniemi. It felt like a proper adventure from a children's story especially when the sky began to magically clear, the stars came out and for a brief moment we thought we saw the Northern Lights. Even though both Mr Harrison (Geography expertise) and I (Astronomy GCSE...) were sure that it wasn't, everyone's collective determination that it WAS the Northern Lights made me want to believe in them too. Even my utterly failed attempts at getting everyone quiet again as we snuck back into the hostel after midnight couldn't dampen my joy!

Mr Mehrabian: For me one of the highlights was revisiting Estonia. The last time I had visited the country was in 2000 and so I was excited to see whether there had been many changes. Certainly the country has changed without doubt and prides itself in being a world leader in technology. Ever since Estonia gained independence in 1991, policy makers steered the country into a position where it could leapfrog to become one of the most advanced e-societies in the world. It has also become Europe's newest education powerhouse; even giving Finland a run for their money! Our visit to Gustav Adolfi Gumnaasium was equally impressive. One lesson we observed showed a class of Year 6 students skilled at programming and teaching each other how to improve whilst also able to converse in English. In the senior school, the Estonian students we met spoke fluent English. I left the school feeling that the students we met were confident and were going to go on to achieve great things in life. One thing that has not changed so much is Tallinn's Old town which is one of the oldest and beautifully preserved medieval towns which is why Tallinn still remains the Jewel of the Baltic.

Mrs Green: Trying to pick just one favourite aspect of our trip is difficult as there are so many standout memories. However, the activity I absolutely loved was going to the Ice Hockey game in Rovaniemi. The atmosphere as we stepped into the spectator stands was brilliant - the music was so loud, there was clapping, singing and chanting. Finding a seat, we watched the game and I was desperately trying to get to grips with the rules (as a PE teacher, I felt I should know a bit about what was going on!). After a close game, the win went to the opposing team but the clapping, cheering and shouting when Rovaniemi scored their goals is a very happy memory of our trip.

The Cherwell Journal Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

The Cherwell Journal is a digital journal where students go beyond the curriculum and write about topics that interest them - from niche interests to big social problems, historical records to future speculations, detailed reviews to summary overviews. We know that Cherwell students think creatively and purposefully about the world around them. The idea of the Cherwell Journal is to capture some of those thoughts: a space to think deeply, to read curiously and to share and celebrate ideas.

The Sixth Form Review (Years 12 and 13): https://thesixthformreview.wordpress.com/ The Key Stage 4 Review (Years 10 and 11): https://thekeystage4review.wordpress.com/

Inviting submissions:

The Key Stage 3 Review (Years 7, 8 and 9): https://thekeystage3review.wordpress.com/

Do you have an idea, ‘big question’, topic or problem you want to research, share or think about more? Have you read, seen or listened to something you would like to review? Is there a social issue you see in the world around you that you want to understand more or you think more people should be talking about? Do you have a specialist interest you’d like to share? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

To write for the Journal, simply get in touch to discuss your ideas, receive commissions, get templates and resources to help you get started or to submit a finish piece. Contact Miss Richer or the Cherwell Journal team(enrichment@cherwellschool.org) to find out more.

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The Cherwell Journal Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

By Roan, Year 12 By Pablo, Year 7

By Irakli, Year 12

By Rowan, Year 12

By Krish, Luke & Arthur, Year 7

The Cherwell Journal Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

By Sanah, Year 12

By Jaina, Year 12

By Callum & Shirhan, Year 8

By Amelie, Year 12

By Rayan, Emmie & Isabel Year 12

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Summer Competition 2022 Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

Maps: Charting Worlds Old, New and Imagined

The Brief: We would like you to write a non-fiction article on the broad theme of maps. It should be between 300 and 1,000 words (and can include images if you choose). You can interpret the theme in any way you like. From the history of a map to the landscape of a fictional place, from ancient star maps to the software of Google Maps, from tracking migratory patterns to your own mapped visualisation of data, we want you to shape the brief to fit your own interests. Responses could include: • An article exploring a particular map or place. • An article exploring a theme related to maps. • A map you have created, with a commentary to explain your choices. • A summary of a podcast, book or article. • An opinion piece or a personal reflection on an experience of maps. • An interview and reflection with someone working in a related career. Why Write on Maps? Maps are one of the oldest forms of non-verbal communication, enabling people to situate themselves within their wider community. The word for map in Chinese - 地圖 - translates to ‘portrait of Earth’ and maps are, in many ways, as much about art as science. When we map, we make decisions about size, shape, orientation, what to depict and what to name. Maps are inherently subjective, reflecting the values, concerns and agendas of their cartographers. In a world where we have unprecedented access to maps at our fingertips and swathes of data-driven maps in every field of study, what do maps tell us about our society? What should we embrace? What should we critique? And how do maps change depending on where you stand? Deadline: Email your submission to enrichment@cherwellschool.org by Monday 5th September. Prizes: All entries will receive a Head of Year Commendation, points towards an Amazon voucher and the chance to be published in the Cherwell Journal. Year group winners will receive bespoke book prizes, with a range of smaller prizes for runners-up.

Summer Competition 2022 Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

Generating Ideas How do I pick a focus? You could begin by picking a specific map or place. It could be one that you use everyday or one that is unusual and unique. It could be something historic, something modern or a future innovation. It could be something with an important purpose or something designed just to be enjoyed. It could be a map of somewhere you’ve been or a chance for some arm-chair travel. You could write about the story behind a map. You could write about how it is designed, manufactured and used. Or you could think about a big question, a thinking point or an idea about maps, visualising information and charting new places more generally. Some potential ideas for interesting topics and questions: 10 interesting maps: • Mappa Mundi: a medieval map depicting the history, geography and destiny of humanity in one page. • Harry Beck’s 1931 London Underground map: a revolutionary and now iconic representation inspired by electric circuit diagrams. • The Peters Projection: a map that attempts to accurately project different countries’ relative sizes. • Planck Cosmic Microwave Background: a map of the oldest light in our universe. • Scott's map: a map of Scott’s ill-fated expedition to the South Pole in 1911 • Thomas More’s Utopia: a fictional map drawn in the shape of a human skull. • Chukchi Sealskin Map: a pictographic map of pastimes, displayed in the Pitt Rivers. • The Dauphin Map of the World: descriptions of attempts to colonise Canada. • Human Connectome Project: a map of neural networks in our brains. • Gaia Earth exhibition: a giant 3D globe model, exhibiting in Oxford until 10th July. 10 interesting ideas: • Nature: How do bees use mental maps to navigate? • Computing and Technology: How do map algorithms (such as Google adverts) influence our behaviour? • History: What do maps show about the change of land use in Oxford over the last 500 years? • Maths: What is the ‘four colour theorem’ and how does it work? • Literature, Film and Culture: What would Wakanda look like on a map? Can we learn anything from its fictional geography? • Politics: What is ‘gerrymandering’ and why does it matter? Do boundaries make a map? • Society: Place names, symbolism and power: who should decide what places are called? • Philosophy and Religion: Orienting to Mecca: the influence of holy sites on maps. • Science: Charting the stars: mapping the night’s sky • Design: Are mind maps effective as a learning tool? How do they best work? For suggestions, ideas and tips, pick up a guide from your Year Office or online: https://tinyurl.com/ cherwellsummerchallenge2022.

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Summer Challenge 2022 - Year 12 Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

https://www.libericare.co.uk/event-details/

SCIENCE ENRICHMENT By Ms Ghaffar, Science Enrichment Co-ordinator

Terms 5 and 6 have once again seen a wealth of science enrichment opportunities on offer for students, from various KS5 events to our annual chicken hatching project for Year 7s.

Creative Destruction Lab – Girls’ High School Programme At the very end of Term 4, a group of seven Year 12 girls participated in the Girls’ High School Programme organised by the Creative Destruction Lab at the Saïd Business School. This programme aims to encourage young women to get involved in STEM Entrepreneurship, and the day included participating in small meeting with mentors and start-ups, and observing & taking part in some large group discussions. All the girls involved were truly a credit to themselves and to our school; well-deserved congratulations for trying out something new to:

Helena Emmie Isabel Asling Tiye Clara Abi

- 12CPE - 12NJ - 12ABP - 12EC - 12CPE - 12ABP - 12SC

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KS3 Science Club - Science club has continued through-

out Terms 5 & 6, with a focus on our special project on chicks. In addition to this, the club has been taking part in activities as varied as growing crystals and sunflowers, and extracting DNA from strawberries.

Living Eggs - Chicken Hatching Project

In June, we were delighted & just a little eggs-cited to host our ever-popular chicken hatching project for Year 7s; the eggs arrived on a Monday, and were incubated in a climate-controlled brooder - a couple of days later we were rewarded with 9 fluffy chicks! The 30 Year 7 students involved in this project showed both maturity and responsibility in their duties and were able to watch the chicks grow and develop - we especially enjoyed taking them outside. Our chicks were re-housed at the end of two weeks with a member of staff’s family – we trust they will grow up to be very happy egg-layers – it was eggs-cellent work all round!

SCIENCE ENRICHMENT By Ms Ghaffar, Science Enrichment Co-ordinator Cambridge Chemistry Challenge – 2022 A massive well done to all our students who all took part in this year’s Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, a competition aimed to stretch and challenge students interested in chemistry. Special congratulations to the following medal winners:

GOLD: Matthew Rowan SILVER: Aaron Noah Sara

COPPER: Beanie Danica Isbah Michael Aazam Japheth Aisling

Year 6 Science & Health Days Once again, we were delighted to welcome almost 150 Year 6 pupils from some of our local primary schools to our Science & Health Days. This was a day packed full of scientific discovery and enquiry run by the Science Faculty, together with various physical activities run by our Sports Leaders and the PE Faculty. The pupils had the opportunity to attend a States of Matter show, investigate the properties of fizzy drinks and construct a number of everyday molecules – a rich, hands-on experience of the wonders of science, and a taste of what’s to come in secondary school.

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From Ms Ghaffar, Science Enrichment Coordinator; follow us on twitter: Cherwell School Science @Cherwell_Sci

ENGLISH DEPT NEWS By Ms Hathaway and the English Dept Team

Creative Writing Club - Shining Summer Sun on Amazing Writing What a year this has been for the Creative Writing Club. Greatly expanded, CWC has had its best attendance in its 10-year history and the drive continues. With its writers published in a range of new nationally released books (Empowerment, Twisted Tales and Whispers of Winter II), it has been an exciting time. The Creative Writing Club also participated in the Cherwell Reconnects Arts Evening on the 25th of July, with Co-President Shalva Rosenfeld, Benjamin Tomlinson and Sarah Ali each sharing poems or prose from their published works. Read with conviction and sensitivity, it was a remarkable moment in a remarkable year for these young writers. With the next year rapidly approaching, it is time for students to start thinking about coming to join this artistic collective. The Creative Writing Club is very inclusive (see image of the student’s poster of diversity "Everyone's Valid") and is a great place for all ages and ability levels. Everyone is welcome in this supportive environment. Meetings are held 3:15 to 4:15 each Tuesday afternoon in Room 5 on the North side. All abilities and styles of creative writing are welcome: poetry, short stories, songs, screenplays. You name it; we explore it and write it! We hope to see you there! Mr Strickland

ENGLISH DEPT NEWS By Ms Hathaway and the English Dept Team

Tuesday 5th July saw the English Department’s very first ‘Shakespeare’s Living Library’: an afternoon which enabled all of Year 7 to demonstrate their knowledge of Shakespeare and to celebrate the various elements of his world. Students chose their favourite aspect of Shakespearean England to research and study further and we invited parents and staff to see what the students have learnt and to ‘borrow’ Year 7 students from the Library to learn more about each topic. The students became experts on different areas of Shakespearean England including the monarchy, Shakespeare’s life, colonialism, attitudes to the supernatural, theatres, Shakespeare’s plays and the expectations of women of the era. All of the classes in Year 7 put in enormous effort that was well worthy of the Bard. Not only did they talk with confidence about a range of contextual knowledge, but there were also sonnet readings and mini quizzes about Shakespeare’s life to top it all off. We’re pretty certain that some of these students could have been on the stage of the Globe or Blackfriars had Shakespeare seen them himself! Of course, the most important element of the afternoon was to allow students the opportunity to present their extensive knowledge in a formal way to anyone and everyone who was willing to listen. Year 7 were truly impressive in their ability to talk about a range of Elizabethan and Jacobean world issues with pride and were enthusiastic and confident in the knowledge that they have built on the subject. They handled their questions from parents and staff like absolute professionals. Thank you, as ever, to everybody who was involved in making the day such an enjoyable experience: to parents and staff that came along to celebrate and to those who also supported by helping make cue cards, practising presentations and generally talking about Shakespeare at home! A massive well done and thank you to all involved - we’re so proud of you. Ms Hathaway and Ms Reeves

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ENGLISH DEPT NEWS By Ms Hathaway and the English Dept Team

Year 7 Gothic Tales - Redheart Theatre It’s been quite an eventful week for Year 7 in English; following on from the storming success of their Shakespeare’s Living Library, students were launched back into the world of the Gothic! We were delighted to have Redheart Theatre company come in and visit us on Friday 8th July and perform their ‘Gothic Tales’ to end the week. Students were treated to dramatic performances of ‘The Red Room’ by H G Wells and ‘The Signalman’ by Charles Dickens. The afternoon was full of plenty of drama and thrills as the genre kept us all on the edge of our seats. Students are now going to end the year creating their own spooky pieces so do look out for these at home - maybe they can even make you jump too! Ms Hathaway

BMW JUNIOR CAMPUS DAY By Mr Burton - Design & Technology

A group of Year 10 Engineering students had a fantastic time this term, taking part in a new initiative from BMW. Students were put into teams of 4/5, then set the task of constructing a pedal go-kart together from basic parts. They followed instructions on an IPAD and had to find the right tools and parts in their pit station. (A BMW apprentice was on hand to help if needed). Upon completion, pupils took it in turns to pedal their go-kart around a track in the best time. Grateful thanks to BMW for giving our students this exciting opportunity. Mr Burton, Design & Technology

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The end result

YEAR 8 HUMAN LIBRARY EVENT By the Careers Team, Mr Davis, Mr Jarvis, Mrs Dale and Mr Hopkins

At last, after a 3 year hiatus, we were able to re-instate our Year 8 Human Library activity this term. Employers from different career areas came into school and acted like ‘human library books’, talking to students about the job they do, qualifications required etc. Employers participating covered many different career areas such as Business, Construction, Computing, Engineering, Healthcare, Hospitality, Media, Police, Sport and Teaching. It was a bit like speed-dating, with students rotating around both gyms to learn from, and question, several employers. This will help them to think about jobs they may wish to do one day and may help them when choosing their GCSE options. Year 8 behaved impeccably and really gained a lot from the experience – the feedback from students and employers was overwhelmingly positive. Grateful thanks to the employers who took part. Comments from Employers: I really enjoyed the event and was so very excited to be asked to come and be part of it. It's wonderful to be back to being face to face after Covid - students can learn so much more in person. The Cherwell students ask great questions, are confident and polite - the school does an amazing job!

I really enjoyed the morning and the Year 8s were interested and engaged, with some great questions, so hopefully it will have helped give them an insight into various career possibilities. From the Careers Team (Mr Jarvis, Mr Davis, Mrs Dale and Mr Hopkins)

Helen Ramsay from the Institute of Chemical Engineers

Andy Pillidge talking about IT

Steve Hartley talking about journalism and media

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Andy Pillidge talking about IT

Aliysa Codrington (an exCherwell student) from Lifts & Sprints

Our Headteacher Chris Price PC Jemma MilwardSamuel

Karen McDonald from Crest Nicholson

Jack Ponting from Carter Jonas © The Cherwell School , Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2022 Page 35

YEAR 7 CAREERS DETECTIVE By Mr Davis - School Careers Advisor

This term we had 10 local employers come into school during morning registration to talk to our students. For the first five minutes students had to question their employers to try and guess their occupation. During the second five minutes, the employer explained more about their role and took further questions.

It proved to be a very interesting and enjoyable event, appreciated by the students and employers alike. Grateful thanks to Oxford University Press, Jurys Inn, Shaw Gibbs, Pophams, Finders Keepers and Mr Sullivan for taking part.

Mr Davis Greets our local employers

Sarah From Oxford University Press

Paul From Finders Keepers

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YEAR 9 TRIP TO CAREERS FEST EVENT AT BMW - By the Careers Team, Mr Davis & Mrs Dale

Year 9 students were given the opportunity to attend a centrally-organised careers event this term. They met around 40 employers during the course of their one hour visit and got some really good advice on their future careers.

Grateful thanks to OxLEP for organising and BMW Mini for hosting.

YEAR 10 MOCK INTERVIEW DAY By Mrs Dale, KS4 Administrator

YEAR 10 MOCK INTERVIEW DAY

We were very excited to welcome employers back into school once more to participate in our mock interviews. This event had been held virtually for the previous two years. After sitting their GCSE Citizenship exam, students had been using their Citizenship lessons to prepare their CVs and personal statements. We asked our local employers to interview our students and, where possible, we matched them up to the career area they were interested in. On the day, our Year 10s arrived looking extremely smart and professional! Nervous before their interview, they gained confidence as the interview progressed. The employers were very impressed with their maturity, politeness, and how well they coped. All the students bounced out of their interviews with big smiles on their faces. After each interview, the students were given immediate verbal feedback on their CVs and performance. Written feedback will be shared soon.

Mr Price welcomes our employers

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Year 10 dressed to impress!

Comments from our employers: • • • • •

The pupils were thoughtful, reflective about the world and themselves and well prepared They are all well behaved and polite. The students were absolutely brilliant - without exception polite and engaged. Really impressed! The students had a very positive and mature attitude to the interviews and each student I spoke to took a genuine interest in getting involved and learning from the experience. They have thought carefully about their future career and have been working hard towards their goals despite the challenges of the last couple of years.

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Comments from our students: •

I was nervous, but it was good – great tips given

•

I was told I should have prepared more to say

•

Given good info for my work experience

•

I can’t believe I met a surgeon!

•

I really enjoyed it

•

I got a job!

•

They were easy to talk to

•

They offered me work experience – amazing!

•

He told me there wasn’t a box to tick for me as I was that good!

Grateful thanks to our employers:

Dr Saleh Baghdadi, Evie Bennett, Alexandra Bailey, Sgt Atama Cavubati and Pte Archie Mountain, Aliysa Codrington, Gabriella DeSouza Crook, Sqdn Leader Julie Fell, Sarah Flynn, Simon Fulfitt, Dr Alessia Gargiulo, Ruby Grant, Steve Hartley, Hailey Hepburn, Jinghuan Li, Stephane Lisner, Katie Lowe, Mary McLoughlin, Mark Massingham, Aleksandra Niedzwiecka, Jack Ponting, Dr Rob Whitty.

And to our Cherwell staff - Mr Davis, Mr Price, Ms Magenty, Mr Hopkins, Mr Wallington, Ms Wells, Mrs Dale and Ms Devine.

YEAR 10 GCSE GEOGRAPHY RIVERS FIELDTRIP TO COMBE MILL By Mr Littlewood, Head of Humanities Faculty

After three long years without in person fieldwork at GCSE Level, it was a delight to be able to take 150 Year 10 students over three days in late July to Combe Mill in the Cotswolds to do their physical Geography Fieldwork investigation. They looked at the channel and flow characteristics of the River Evenlode and we were blessed with amazing weather. The students were a credit to the school, and really enjoyed getting into the river and trialling the different techniques. For the second half of the day there was a guided walk led by experts from the Cotswolds National Landscape Group, who inspired the students with their in-depth knowledge of the landscape, and helped them investigate flood risk and local ecosystems. I would like to thank them and Combe Mill for having us, and we look forward to coming back next year. I would also like to thank the staff who helped to support on the trip: Mr Huck, Ms Pearson, Mr Spence, Mr Harrison, Mr Alston and Mrs Stuart-Thompson. Also thanks to colleagues who helped to cover lessons while we were out and most of all to the students who were enthusiastic, diligent, curious and a credit to the school.

VENTURE AWARD - YEAR 7 By Ms Overbeck

Our debut Venture Awards for Year 7 and 8 took place in the beautiful outdoors of Hill End in June this year. 55 Year 7s and 65 Year 8s took on the challenge weeks before heading out, by doing something for the community, being active and learning something new. Then the residential adventure started. Activities included putting up tents, fire making, knot tying and shelter building, as well as many team building opportunities and learning about the outdoors. The Year 8s also headed off on a beautiful walk on their second day. Students left with an extra boost of confidence and heads held high.

VENTURE AWARD - YEAR 8 By Ms Overbeck

DUKE OF EDINBURGH - BRONZE By Ms Overbeck

With 171 students taking part in the Bronze DofE Award we needed to split them over two weekends. Expectations were high and group one definitely paved the way for group two. With staggered starts they walked to Youlbury, along the canal and up a hill, checking in with teachers along the way. Camp was set up and cooking together really tested the limits of teamwork. They then headed back to school the next day, tired but happy to have completed their expedition.

DUKE OF EDINBURGH - BRONZE By Ms Overbeck

EXPEDITION PHOTOS

DUKE OF EDINBURGH - SILVER By Ms Overbeck

Silver Qualifier 15-17 July 2022

DUKE OF EDINBURGH - SILVER By Ms Overbeck

Silver qualifier 15-17 July 2022

DUKE OF EDINBURGH - GOLD By Ms Overbeck

Gold Qualifier in Wales - July 2022

DofE GOLD AWARD BUCKINGHAM PALACE - 2022 By Ms Overbeck

We were part of the Record-breaking 12000 Gold Award ceremony held at Buckingham Palace on 16 May 2022. The Celebrations recognised young people who did their demanding Gold DofE programmes both before and during the COVID pandemic. Our morning celebrations saw DofE Trustee HRH the Earl of Wessex and Strictly Come Dancing’s Johannes Radebe give speeches of total inspiration. TV explorer Ben Fogle, DofE Alumna and actor Nina Wadia and The Apprentice’s Tim Campbell were also on hand with inspirational talks on careers and life skills. Johannes left us feeling like we could achieve anything we put our minds to:

“Don’t dream big, dream huge because you have proved to yourself that the sky is your limit and the world is your dance floor.” © The Cherwell School , Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2022 Page 51

PERFORMING ARTS By Mrs Hollindale and the team

It has been an absolutely packed term in Performing Arts since Easter. We were thrilled to find out on the 8th of April that two of our talented musicians, Benji in Year 12 and Otis in Year 10, were finalists in a National Choral Composing Competition. Their pieces will be performed at the Cloth Workers Hall in Leeds on Saturday the 23rd July. There will be a prize for the highest voted piece, so please do click on this link to vote for them. https://www.orasingers.co.uk/2022-competition

Several of our students participated in an Organ Recital and Workshop kindly provided by Dr Nicholas Prozzillo of St Giles Church. As a result, we now have several students learning the organ. In May, our KS3 Choir participated in the National Music Teachers Conference, singing songs from Birdland, which they subsequently performed at Magdalen College School and the Oxford Playhouse and featured on BBC South Today. https://twitter.com/MCSOxford/status/1542776181220573184?s=20 We were extremely lucky in the space of one week to have two of our extremely talented piano teachers, Ilya Chetverikov and Maki Sekiya, performing one of the A-Level set works, 'The Rite of Spring', to a packed audience of Year 9,10,11 and 12 students. This was incredibly impressive, as it is an extremely complex orchestral piece to play on two pianos.

A brilliant ex-student, Ella de Villiers, came into school to explain to people how the flute is played. We are very excited, as she will be teaching flute here next year. We were thrilled and delighted that ex-student Bertie Baigent won the International Conductors Competition in Rotterdam. https://www.classical-music.uk/news/article/bertie-baigent-wins-first-international-conductingcompetition-rotterdam KS3 Dance Club were fortunate enough to participate in a Juka Dance workshop, which was demonstrated at the Cherwell Reconnect Arts Event. Hara also came in and taught a professional set of work to Year 11 in preparation for their GCSE. Year 7 really benefited from a devising workshop with Charlotte from Perform for Schools. Year 8 had a great workshop with Trestle Theatre, learning about the use of masks in Drama. The outcomes of both of these workshops were also showcased at the Cherwell Reconnect Arts Event. We launched our Friends of Cherwell music campaign, which was a great success. Thank you to the many people who have already donated instruments to the cause. https://friendsofcherwell.org/music-2023/ Last week was an incredibly busy week, with the fantastic three-act Cherwell Reconnect Arts Event, which included multiple performances: the Year 10 Samba Drumming, Samba dancers, KS3 Dance and Drama, several soloists, our Ukrainian staff parent and student Choir, KS3 Concert Band, String Quartet and Brass Ensemble. Following that, there was a fantastic workshop on Cello to enlist students interested in this particular instrument. Finally, the KS3 Choir performed with the Vox Chamber Ensemble on Saturday evening at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in a concert of 20th century American music. This week, we look forward to our KS3 and KS4 Les Miserables reward trip. Our students have worked so hard and thoroughly deserve this opportunity. From all of us at the Performing Arts team, we wish you all a relaxing Summer holiday. A massive thank you for all your hard work this term! Page 52 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2022 © The Cherwell School, Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence

Cherwell Reconnects Arts! Well done to all the wonderful performers who put on a fabulous show

YEAR 7 NEWS By Mr Madden and Mrs Goble

Year 7 have had a fantastic start on their educational journey here at the Cherwell School. They have transitioned into secondary school with great maturity and have settled in really well to the way we do things here. Since our last newsletter, the past two terms have gone from strength to strength with the increase in opportunities available and the school opening up a little more, with enrichment programmes running in both English and Science, more Sports Clubs on offer to students and more notable of all, the Venture Award where 55 Year 7 students went and camped overnight at Hill End. Despite the challenges this cohort have had to deal with over the past two years we could not be more proud of the Year 7s as they have been able to adapt to change straight from their arrival here. They have experienced more change than some students have seen in their whole time at Cherwell but have managed this transition smoothly! They have learnt to be kind, responsible and adaptable in different ways and all of these traits will set them up for the coming year and beyond.

We have seen and been impressed by how proactive Year 7 are, with so many activities being organised amongst themselves at both break and lunch, and some even spilling over to after school. As we move towards the Summer holidays we would also like to take this opportunity to thank our amazing Year 7 tutors who have worked incredibly hard to support their form groups, ensuring they are set up for success each morning. We would also like to thank all the teachers and support staff who have worked closely with our students to support their progress in lessons throughout the year. Have an amazing Summer break everyone!

YEAR 8 NEWS By Ms Hodkinson and Miss Evans

This term in Year 8 has been a very busy one! We are preparing for the move to Year 9, and have been working on stepping up to the next year at school. In Year 9, students will start their GCSEs (they start their Citizenship GCSE, which they take in Year 10) and much of their classwork will be geared towards GCSE style questions or topics. To help Year 8s think about next steps, our very own Careers Advisor Jason Davis organised a Year 8 Careers Human Library which took place in June. This was a fantastic event and Year 8s had a chance to ask some brilliant questions to the 30 or so professionals who came in to speak to them. Students really benefited from speaking to adults in the world of work, and conducted themselves with real maturity and gratitude. Excitingly, Year 8 were also part of a Trainee Psychologists' research project this term, and had a lesson delivered about Understanding Sensory Experiences. The students really enjoyed the project and we know the University of Oxford appreciated and valued working with the students. Page 54 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2022 © The Cherwell School, Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence

A huge highlight for us this year has been The Venture Award, which 60 students are on their way to complete. We had a great (and very sunny) trip to Hill End where the students learned all kinds of new skills and made new friends. They are continuing to complete their booklets and many look forward to moving to the Duke of Edinburgh Award next year. We are really looking forward to even more fun and hard work in Year 9!

YEAR 9 NEWS

By Ms Bristow, Mrs Kidd and Ms Wiggins In recent weeks, Year 9 have successfully made the transition to North Site and they have shown resilience, responsibility and opportunity in abundance. I am excited to see them start their chosen GCSE options in September this year. This term we have seen the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award take place and students have been building new skills in their after-school sessions. They have learned to read maps, understand contours, use a compass and work as a team. They have successfully completed a two-day expedition and overnight camp in Youlbury and as a year group they showed comradery, leadership and ambition. It was a real pleasure to see them achieve such a prestigious award. Individually in the year group, we have had a number of successes. Erin - 9SMj is competing in the Rowing Championships. Abby - 9ML continues to progress with her football career at Oxford United, Oxfordshire County, Oxfordshire Schools and has had trials for Southern England! James - 9SRv attended an Out of School Educational Day at RAF Benson. Here he learned about an experience flying in gliders which was offered by RAF pilots for those serving as Air Cadets. Leo raced in his first regatta and his quad won the U14s, since then Leo was selected to row in the National Schools Regatta in Windsor and achieved a Gold medal. In addition to this, Sharin - 9SRv has been chosen for publication in a book showcasing young adults’ work called “Empowered 2022- Electrifying words”. Sharin’s poem “Humanity’s Illusions” will be featured in the book and a copy of this will remain in the National Archives of the British Library forever! Meanwhile, Leo has been busy raising an astonishing £1,260.35 and £150 gift aid after completing a 4-mile charity wheelchair race. All donations went to The Sabre Trust and will make a difference to so many people who want to have a go at wheelchair fencing but also who want to progress further in the sport. Leo has become a passionate wheelchair fencer in recent months with the help of The Sabre Trust. He is now fencing with Wantage FC where he found a lovely group of fencers (mixed ability, all ages). He was welcomed warmly and is currently the only wheelchair fencer at the club. Congratulations to these individuals who continue to represent Cherwell and their excellence, both inside and outside of school. I am in awe of the talent the year group have and the opportunities that they take advantage of, developing their transferable skills for now and their lives beyond Cherwell. Well done on an incredible year! We wish you a lovely Summer and a well-earned break. As always - be good, be safe and be careful. We will see you in Year 10!

YEAR 10 NEWS By Mr Hopkins and Ms Wells

The Summer term is a brilliant time of year to be in school with the warmer weather, lighter days and a noticeably quieter North Site. The eldest students on site have been brilliant role models throughout the exam period which was mirrored by Year 10 during the recent Citizenship exams. I have been extremely impressed with the growing maturity which Year 10 are showing in their organisation, time keeping and learning behaviours within the classroom. This can be seen through a significant increase in students being consistently on time for school, a reduction in C3's and growing attendance numbers. A recent Student Voice Meeting has led to the request for lockers and the graduation towards using the canteen space at lunchtime which should both be in action before the end of term. The Thorpe Park Rewards Trip is building excitement and momentum with each week that passes. I am looking forward to the students having a fun experience of school which has been missing during the COVID pandemic. In line with our school value of opportunity, Term 6 also presents experiences with the Mock Interview Day, Sports Day and graduating to the previous Year 11 zone. We look forward to seeing the youngsters go from strength to strength in this final push before the Summer break.

YEAR 11 NEWS By Ms Kelbrick and Mrs Knight

The Year 11s have had an intense and long GCSE exam period where they continued to demonstrate the focus and resilience we've come to expect from them. At the same time, students are finalising their post 16 options. Most are heading to Sixth Form, others to college and still more to an impressive array of apprenticeships. We came to the end of our five years together as a year group this week with our Leavers' Assembly where we awarded some prizes in categories such as 'most likely to win a Nobel Prize' and 'Best Smile,' handed out the 2022 year-book and premiered the Year 11 Leavers' video, link here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kAQ0OQAlKr41is9-Sxk3DphsxNyhufCM/view?usp=sharing and we had the Year 11 Celebration Evening where we partied at a local hotel. The prom committee raised £600 and spent the day decorating the hotel room, it looked fantastic. Students arrived in style, there was a lot of dancing and Amela and Poppy gave a great speech. The energy was truly celebratory. It was a great way to see out our five years together and to look forward to whatever is coming next. Good luck Year 11.

YEAR 11 PROM 2022

SIXTH FORM

By Ms Rapson and the Sixth Form Team We said a very fond goodbye to our current Year 13 on Monday 27th June with a fabulous breakfast, Celebration Assembly and then the ice cream van (loved by students and staff!). It was a really lovely occasion where, after a few gruelling weeks of exams, we could say a huge congratulations to a year group who have contended with so much. This was the year group who in March 2020, left school somewhat in shock, with news that they would not take GCSE exams. They have made up for any school missed over two very impressive years. We are delighted at everything they achieved and so should our fabulous students be. The year group have had superb dedication to their studies and have been amazing role models for our younger students - which we told them! As part of the celebration we also gave out the coveted ‘year book’ awards to much enthusiasm and cheering! To celebrate their time with us we also had a fabulous evening out in May, at ‘the Crazy Bear’ in Stadhampton. This was really well attended by students and staff and we were treated to exceptional food, an amazing venue and some fabulous moves on the dance floor.

It was wonderful to be able to give our Year 13’s a ‘proper send-off’ as they have missed out on so many of our School Leavers traditions! We wish them all the very best for a fabulous Summer (without any revision for once!) and look forward to seeing them all on A level results day on Thursday 18th August. Year 12 have been equally busy during terms 5 and 6, preparing for, and then taking, Summer assessments. They have impressed us with their desire to do well and we hope their hard work pays off preparing them for Year 13 and future challenges. As well as this, we have been able to launch our Destinations Programme, spending time during assembly and tutor period to look at post 18 options, which has included our own in house ‘mini’ Careers Fayre, a very popular residential to Cambridge University (which we must thank Miss Richer for organising) and our ‘Parents Information Evening’ covering these options. Year 12 have also been keen to get involved across our school community, with many helping out on Sports Day as well as volunteering to be part of our Peer Listeners Programme. On 28th and 29th June we also welcomed 440 prospective new students on site as we ran our Sixth Form Induction Programme. This was the first time in THREE YEARS that we could run a live event! And it was wonderful to be able to welcome our new Sixth Formers on site as they found out about Sixth Form life and A level subjects. We wish all of our students a lovely holiday, and good luck to Year 11 and Year 13 for their upcoming results days.

By Mr Wallington, Head of PE

What a brilliant year for Cherwell PE! • • • •

PE Lessons back to normal Extra-curricular programme back Fixtures back New facilities

After 2 years of uncertainty, termly changes to rules, policies, procedures and everything really, we could start a school year focusing on the most important thing to us - the quality of our provision for our brilliant students. In Key Stage 3 PE lessons we redefined and revamped the way we teach PE. Subject experts forensically developed schemes of work to allow all students to develop competence and become strong performers in a range of skills. We bridged our core provision across KS3 and KS4 to streamline the provision of activities over 5 years. This change allows students to study each topic in depth for half termly blocks of time, allows us to make effective use of our facilities and equipment, and gives students joining North Site new activities to learn. Our GCSE and A-level classes continued to make us proud with their work ethic, commitment to the subject and absolute excellence. On moderation days at both The Headington School and Bloxham School the standards exhibited by Cherwell students were of the highest standard and they performed well above the level of their peers. Mostly though, the approach and confidence they felt walking in and out of their exams was something that filled Mr Hopkins, Miss Cox, Mr Jarvis, Mrs Campbell and myself with the utmost pride. We await their results in August with genuine anticipation of grades that they will be very happy with. Extra-curricular sport is well and truly back! 25+ clubs per week, over 100 fixtures, and over 300 students taking part each and every week has shown the enthusiasm and love for sport at Cherwell once again. We have missed it. The expansion of provision to include professional coaches to supplement the PE Department has been a key factor in ensuring a consistency of delivery and enabled no student to miss out on a session due to a fixture taking place. We have collaborated with Youth Dreams Project, Oxford United FC, Harlequins RFC, Oxford Hoops, Oxfordshire Cricket, Oxford Sail Training Trust and Oxford Hawks Hockey. We are very grateful and proud to be working with all those providers and our students have certainly felt the benefit. We also have had guest coaches from Oxford United FC and YDP in the form of Oxford United first team players Matty Taylor and John Mousinho which added another dimension to what we can provide to the students and the sessions were absolutely brilliant. Continued overleaf

By Mr Wallington, Head of PE

I would like to publicly state my thanks and gratitude to the PE team for their continued excellence and absolute commitment to doing their very best for our students. I am privileged to work with such a team. As you scroll through the PE pages here you will read some of the opportunities that have been provided by our brilliant team and their dedication. A little glimpse into the department for you…. After every single fixture throughout the year the staff member who took it texts the result to the department Whatsapp. Every single time there are replies of support and celebration from everyone for every fixture. It really is lovely and indicative of a group of people who are passionate about what they do. I would also like to thank the many parents I have been in touch with this year regarding PE. I love discussing all things PE with you and welcome you to get in touch with me whenever you would like to. My final thanks go to our supporting coaches, staff members, students and parents who have helped us provide clubs and classes this year. Ross Buchanan, Leslie, Lou, Pete, George and John this all does not work without you. Thanks so much.

Please enjoy reading the rest of the PE pages, there are some developments for next year to share and some great pictures too. Please do get in touch with me if you have anything to discuss. I hope you all have a great Summer. Ben Wallington Head of Physical Education Faculty. bwallington@thecherwellschool.org

Our new club shop for extra-curricular teams and sports Our club for traricular teams

new shop excur-

All

Available for purchase now at:

https://www.kitlocker.com/education/school/cherwell-school Page 60 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2022 © The Cherwell School, Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence

By Mr Wallington, By Mr Wallington, Head of PE Head of PE

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE FRIENDS OF CHERWELL Through the friends of Cherwell we have been able to kit out our Football, Cricket, Basketball and Netball teams with new kit for 2022/23. This is a much needed improvement and we are very grateful.

U15 BOYS CRICKET By Mr Wallington

After what felt like an eternity, we finally got cricket going at Cherwell. Our u15 team were entered into the Oxfordshire Schools League and we managed to get through that game and into the semi-finals Vs Chipping Norton. The boys gave themselves a big target to chase in the semi of 161 and unfortunately just fell short with a brave effort of 132 all out. There were some notable performances this year. Jack bowled the single strangest over ever seen and took 2 wickets as a part of that. Captain Matthew scored 35 in the league game, Louie scored 42 in the semi final and Matts 19. This season saw wickets bowled out by Jasper, Louie G and Tom. A slow start which will be built upon next year with more fixtures, coaching, clubs and opportunity. This will be particularly helped by our partnership with Oxford Cricket Club who have kindly agreed to help us develop the sport at Cherwell. Very much looking forward to next Summer already.

By Mr Wallington, Head of PE

U13 BOYS CRICKET By Mr Surrage

Really amazing season of cricket by all players for the U13 team. We had some really close matches against some very tough competition such as Bartholomew School and Burford School. The team managed to secure an impressive win over local rivals Gosford Hill and fun was had by all cricketers who played in the team this season. Some really outstanding performances by team captain Theo S and Vice captain Henry G throughout the season. The players who played this season were: Theo, Leo, Luke, Henry, Krish, Saad, Zaid, Arthur, Ghani, Thomas, Manupa, Luke, Edgar and Charlie.

By Mr Wallington, By Head Mr Wallington, of PE Head of PE

ATHLETICS

By Miss Woodcock After a 2 year absence it was really exciting to get back into athletics this term. We started off at the City Schools Athletics competition with four teams. All students ran, jumped and threw incredibly well with the Year 7 Girls coming 3rd, Year 7 Boys 2nd, Junior Girls (Year 8 and 9) coming 2nd and the Junior Boys finishing 4th. A notable performance came from Rebecca W, who won the Junior Girls Long Jump and went on to represent the City Schools at the County Schools Athletics competition. Here she also won and became County Schools Champion. We entered both a Year 8 and 7 team into the QuadKids City School Games. Both teams were selected to represent their School and the City Schools at the Quadkids County Finals. All students competed in 4 events: 100m, Vortex Throw, Long Jump and 800m. Overall, both teams finished 9th out of 10 schools with a notable performance from Thomas P (Year 7) who finished 1st in Year 7 Boys for individual points.

Well done to all who have participated this season.

By Mr Wallington, By Mr Wallington, Head of PE Head of PE

SAILING CLUB - KS5 By Miss Woodcock

This term, we successfully started up a Cherwell Sailing Club for KS5, where students have learnt the basics of how to sail. In addition, we have been able to give students in KS3 a taster session to give them the opportunity to try new sports and have fun!

TENNIS NEWS By Mr Hopkins

This year we have entered two Cherwell Teams into the local Tennis competitions competing against schools within the county at Year 9/10 age groups with boys and girls. The Boys team have maintained a 100% success rate with impressive victories over King Alfred’s, Cokethorpe, Matthew Arnold and Larkmead. The Girls team have also performed at the highest level with just a single defeat also seeing them top their group. They have had winning performances against Matthew Arnold, Doverbroeck’s and St Helens and St Katherines. I know the whole school is rooting for them within the next rounds of their tournament. In addition to the team's success, it has been brilliant to see growing numbers at the weekly club with students attending from both KS3 and 4.

By Mr Wallington, Head of PE

YEAR 8 GIRLS BASKETBALL NEWS By Mr Ormrod

The Year 8 girls went to Cheney for the U13 County Final where they faced a tough Cheney team. The girls were missing some key players but played well, narrowly losing in a closely contested game in the last quarter. The girls should be really proud of themselves on a great year and Mr Ormrod is looking forward to getting them started again in Year 9.

YEAR 10 BASKETBALL NEWS By Miss Morris

The Year 10 boys went undefeated in the regular season, placing them in the finals against Cheney. Unfortunately, they fell short during the final game which was hosted at Oxford Brookes University in May, awarding Cheney the win. However, the team have not let this knock stop them. Both the Year 10 boys and girls teams have been working above and beyond in preparation for the season ahead. The commitment and effort made by both teams is admirable and really sets a high standard. They have been training before school (7am start!) and after school at least three times a week, with the focus on conditioning and repetition to help prepare for September. 'We have had a great year and although we didn't get the finish we had hoped for, we're ahead on our path of coming back better and stronger - super proud of both teams!' Coach Liberty

The Cherwell School Summer Newsletter 2022

Articles inside

Physical Education: Page 59

Performing Arts: Page 52

Year 9 Careers Fest at BMW Page 37 Year 10 Virtual Mock Interviews Page 38

Venture Award - Year

Science Enrichment: Page 26

Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Duke of Edinburgh - Silver Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award - Buckingham Palace: Page 44

English Dept News: Page 29

Friends Don’t Lie By Matt Barnard School Counsellor: Page 4

Welcome Page:- Pages 2