The Cherwell School Winter Newsletter 2022

WINTER 2022

Dear Parents and Carers

It is a privilege to write to you at the end of another calendar year. The period from September is always such a busy one at school and I am delighted that we have been able to offer so many opportunities to our young people that you can find out more throughout our newsletter

For instance, it is wonderful that we have been able to return to multiple trips and visits since September. During the period dominated by the pandemic this was something that our students missed out on. The return of international trips to Spain (Seville), Germany (Bonn) and France (St Omer) has been especially uplifting as we know that children gain so much from these experiences. You can read more about these experiences on pages 16-19.

Alongside this, it has been wonderful to return to things we simply haven’t been able to do in quite the same way in recent years. Work Experience for all Year 11 students is one particular example which has not happened since Autumn 2019. We know that work experience can have such a profound impact on our young people as they start to consider their next steps and as you will see on pages 10-12, the feedback from employers has been incredibly positive.

As well as these things, our students are now able once again to have a more “typical” Cherwell experience in relation to sports, performing arts, clubs and so on. We work hard every day to encourage them to get involved and it is remarkable what they are able to achieve in so many different ways. If you do get a moment over the break do talk to your children about what they are involved in and how they might want to make use of new and different opportunities in school during 2023

Having an Ofsted inspection in school for the first time since 2008 was an important landmark for the school. I have been especially grateful for the many kind words from parents and carers since we have been able to share the inspection report. As Headteacher, my most important role was to help our inspection team to understand our school (none of them, for instance, had ever inspected a non-uniform secondary school before). I was pleased that they did endorse the values of the school. They recognised our efforts to be as inclusive as possible while still maintaining an ambitious approach with high expectations. Equally they did appreciate that our school functions well because it is a team effort. In many respects the least busy person across the two days was me! Like many Headteachers I have mixed feelings about Ofsted but I do know that this judgement will open up so many more opportunities for our young people and staff. That is a wonderful thing because it does resonate with our values.

Parents and Carers may know that nationally teacher recruitment remains at crisis point and Oxfordshire schools are not immune to this. We have our own teacher training based at Cherwell which is helping us to support the system but I am fearful that moving forward, even this will not be enough. The New Year is a good time to reflect on one’s own career and if you are interested in training to be a teacher with us there are some testimonies and details on pages 6 & 7. Having been a teacher for over 30 years now I remain a huge advocate for the profession. You will never be bored!

Issues to do with climate change are deeply important to our school community and there is some remarkably positive work happening across the school in line with our ambition to be a fully self-sustaining school. The current focus on sustainability and biodiversity is proving especially impactful and you can read more about this important work on pages 8 and 9. Amongst other things we really want 2023 to be a year of tree planting at Cherwell. Continued../

I did want to draw attention to our 60th Anniversary in 2023. We have earmarked the date of 1st July for a particular celebration and more will follow on this early in the New Year. As part of this I am currently updating the book Martin Roberts (our greatly missed former Headteacher) wrote for our 40th Anniversary (and then updated for 50th). Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have anything you would like to share with me in relation to this. It is a landmark moment where we will be able to stop and reflect on what has been achieved since the school opened its doors to its first 260 students in 1963. It will also help to set the context for moving forward for our next generation of students and families

We do have a number of colleagues who are leaving us to move onto new roles. We wish them well in the knowledge that they will always be remembered and have a place with us at Cherwell.

Finally, sincere best wishes to you and your families. It has been a long couple of terms since September and everyone in the Cherwell community deserves a holiday. We will reconvene with energy restored in January 2023

Best Wishes

Chris Price Headteacher

A MESSAGE FROM OUR LEAD COUNSELLOR

Is it me, or are people very eager to celebrate Christmas this year more than usual? It wouldn’t surprise me, given that we are in the depths of winter and the news is looking even bleaker by the day. I’m afraid to report, we are now experiencing the aftermath of the pandemic in all sorts of ways, but especially on young people’s wellbeing. I’m not wanting to point the finger at the pandemic for absolutely everything, as the increase in the need for mental health support can also be accounted for by the feelings about the war in Ukraine, the climate crisis, austerity and the increase in food and energy costs that are weighing heavily on the minds of young people and their families.

So far this year we have seen an increase in 40% in referrals compared to the same time last year in the school’s counselling service. This demand is being seen across the country, as research from the NHS, published in November, reported that, ‘In 2022, 18.0% of children aged 7 to 16 years and 22.0% of young people aged 17 to 24 years had a probable mental disorder.’ (NHS Digital, 2022). I’m not too keen on the language of that quote, but you get the picture. The state of young people’s mental health, and adults too, could be much better.

Firstly, I think it’s important to remember that these worries for young people are very real and giving any impression that their feelings about societal ills, is a problem that needs to be addressed in them is unhelpful. Mental health professionals will have differing views on this, but I do think a lot of the causes, as I have listed above, are external, rather than internal. Sometimes it is just the case that the external factors are beyond our capacity to tolerate, and we can be left feeling overwhelmed.

Mental health exists on a continuum, and providing that the young person addresses these emotions appropriately, then there is little need for a ‘mental health professional’. The world would be a very unfulfilling place, if only a select few people with specialist training could be of help. Feelings of anger, disappointment, irritation, despair, outrage, despondency, sorrow, fatigue, distress, sadness, concern are all part of being human and can be an appropriate response. All too often, we promote the idea that to experience negative emotions, there must therefore be a mental health problem. Then young people are left to consult with Google about their feelings, rather than an adult. It might explain why we hear so often, young people diagnosing themselves with very serious disorders to legitimise their experience.

Sometimes in the counselling service, when we finish working with a student, they may report that they feel they have no one to talk to, now that the sessions have come to an end. There is usually someone in their life, and hopefully the counselling process has helped them to vocalise their needs, worries and concerns to their nearest and dearest. These comments though, are a reminder that young people (and adults), find just having a chat so helpful. However, it’s likely to be incumbent on you as the adult to take the initiative and start the conversation. Given that most adults are preoccupied with their own concerns about the cost-of-living crisis, quite understandably, it’s important we actively make time to listen to the young people in our lives. They are hearing the conversations we are having, and seeing the news about ever soaring prices and its impact on fundamental aspects of our lives most of us have taken for granted. So, ask them if they are worried about anything, give them an age-appropriate explanation. That may involve, teaching them how to budget effectively - this is what is coming in, and this is what is going out. Above all, ensure that they receive the message that the worries are not their responsibility to resolve.

I am slightly embarrassed to admit, that it took until my early twenties to realised that there was no such thing as ‘magic cream’! Whenever I fell over and grazed my knee, which was very often as a child, my grandma would look really concerned, sit me down, and very calmly say, ‘does Matthew want some magic cream to make it better?’. It worked every time. You’d think the world had come to an end, and then moments later with some pink cream on one knee, I’d be back outside only to return moments later.

I can almost smell the germolene now, but the real magic was how my grandma responded. She would have a concerned look on her face but not horrified. She was calm and not panicked, completely interested in me in those moments and she did not blame me. Plus, if she wasn’t screaming the place down, then why am I?

Okay you are not going to fool your teenager into thinking, a bit of magic cream is going to do much for them. But sitting down with them, like my grandma did and really listening to their concerns is going to make the world a better place at least in that moment. So, checking in on how you react, however challenging that might be at times, will help your young person respond better to overwhelming feelings. A calm, warm and curious tone, is like a big hug!

Matt Barnard Lead School Counsellor

Oxfordshire Teacher Training - Outstanding Training in Secondary, Primary and Special Education.

Oxfordshire Teacher Training is a SCITT (school-centred initial teacher training) provider based at The Cherwell School. Each year around 100 individuals train to teach via the SCITT, with placements in schools across Oxfordshire, many in RLT schools. The Cherwell School is delighted to support those training via the SCITT by offering teaching placements in a number of subjects throughout the school. Pia and Sophie are both Associate Teachers currently working in The Cherwell School’s English department. Here they share some thoughts on their experience and why they would recommend our teacher training programmes.

"I was delighted to discover that my second SCITT placement would be at The Cherwell School, and I have not been disappointed! The quality of the teaching I have observed since arriving in September has been outstanding and the collegiate atmosphere in the English Department has made me feel very welcome and supported and has allowed me to eavesdrop on many an instructive discussion in the office - from pastoral matters to detailed subject content. I have been encouraged to take ownership of lessons and have greatly benefited from the insightful feedback I receive regularly from my mentor and other teachers in my department. The genuine care taken daily by Cherwell staff to support each and every student is inspiring to see, and the visible impact this is having has reaffirmed my decision to pursue a second career in teaching. As I come to the end of my part-time SCITT programme, I am so grateful for the opportunities I have had to learn from such expert colleagues at Oxfordshire Teacher Training and Cherwell, and I am very excited to start as a ‘proper teacher’ at the school in January!

Pia Seekings (Associate Teacher -Part-time English)

" Cherwell has been such a warm and welcoming community to become a part of. Working here as an Associate Teacher, the support and encouragement that I have received from the teachers I am working with has been invaluable. I am grateful for the structure of the Oxfordshire Teacher Training course, which allows us to spend the majority of our time in school from the very start of the year and so to really immerse us in the community. We consistently receive expert advice and feedback, as well as spending time in the classroom observing high-quality teaching. It has been particularly valuable and encouraging to observe the extent to which the teachers that I work with are invested in the academic progress and overall wellbeing of each student."

Are you interested in becoming a teacher? Our teacher training programmes are carefully crafted to give you the best of in-school experience alongside theory, pedagogy and subject knowledge training at one of our training hubs. We offer full-time and part-time programmes, which lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and the option to gain a Master's level Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).

If you would like to know more about our training programmes we would love to hear from you. We run a series of events throughout the year (forthcoming dates below) and you can find a lot of information on our dedicated website https://oxfordshireteachertraining.co.uk/

Information Events – to find out more about who we are, what we offer and how to apply:

• Wednesday 18 January, 2023 – 6-7pm. In person event – The Swan School, Oxford

• Wednesday 1 February, 2023 – 5.30-6.30pm. In person event – The Warriner School, Bloxham, Oxon

• Thursday 9 February, 2023 – 1-2pm. In person event – The Swan School, Oxford

Application Support Workshops – for subject specific advice, support with applications and preparation for interviews:

• Tuesday 24 January, 2023 – 10-11.30am. Online event via Zoom

• Friday 24 February, 2023 – 1-2.30pm. Online event via Zoom

Sophie Greenwood (Associate Teacher – Full-time English)

CHERWELL SUSTAINABILITY

Cherwell School Sustainability Action: Winter 2022

Hedgerow Planting

…

In early December, 25 Year 7 students led by 8 Sixth Form students planted 503 native hedgerow plants on South Site and then a further 90 on North Site. We completed this project in conjunction with Oxford University’s Wytham Woods team, who sponsored the buying of plants through a grant from The Community Infrastructure Levy and provided expert training in how to plant them effectively. We were also assisted by three St Edward’s students completing a voluntary project with Wytham. Our students worked so hard that they actually planted almost double the earmarked area for this year, completing the space designated for next year as well! As part of the action, small wildlife holes will be dug along the length of the fence to enable animals such as hedgehogs to move in and out of the site with ease.

We completed this action as part of the Biodiversity thread of our ongoing commitment to make Cherwell a sustainable school. We aim is to ensure our site offers as much habitat and food sources for wildlife as possible. In January we will also be starting a program of tree planting on South and North Site, that we intent to carry on over the coming years. We hope the trees will also provide shady seating spaces for students as they grow. These actions support the creation and restoration of garden spaces across the sites where pollinating insect planting has been introduced over the last ten years. We will also be continuing to install nest boxes for birds over the coming year.

CHERWELL SUSTAINABILITY

The Importance of Hedgerows (continued …)

The good news is that some 114,000 kilometers of the hedgerow that was counted as lost is now believed to have become relict hedges, or hedges that have grown into trees either due to a lack of maintenance or through their purposeful incorporation into new small coppices of woodland. In recent years some ecologically minded farmers and local volunteer wildlife groups have been replanting old and new hedges and there is growing awareness of their value. We hope our hedge planting action, along with the assemblies we plan to run in the new year will increase student awareness of their value. Our new hedges contain Hawthorn, Alder and Guelder Rose among other species and we hope students will have the joy of seeing them grow and become havens for wildlife as they move through the school.

Links to more information on Hedgerows: https://hedgelink.org.uk/campaign/national-hedgerow-week/ https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211125-britains-ancient-fortresses-for-nature https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/habitats/hedgerows/

By Mr Cappleman

WORK EXPERIENCE

10 TO 14 OCTOBER 2022 -

By Mrs L Dale

We were thrilled to send out our Year 11s on their work experience after an enforced 3-year covid break.

Three-quarters of our resourceful students found their own placements across the county, the country and even abroad! The remaining students accessed placements organised for us by the lovely Pip Elphick at the River Learning Trust.

Students went into a huge variety of work places:- primary schools, nurseries, hospitals, construction firms, charities, architects, hairdressers, leisure centres, vet surgeries, hotels, theatres, care homes, printers, publishers, museums, estate agents, car industry, offices, accountants, lawyers, HM courts, shops, railway stations, pharmacies, health centres, fire stations, restaurants and universities. They went to work with many different people, including their mums, dads, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents and family friends.

Employers were very keen to have youngsters back in the workplace after 3 years, and some of the students were even offered apprenticeships and part-time work after their week.

The feedback on our students from their employers was brilliant and overwhelmingly positive. ** A massive thank you to all our employers **

Darren at Bayards Hill Primary School

Sophie, Alicia, Lucy and Alice at Lincroft Meadow Care Home

Louise at The North Wall Arts Centre

Comments from Employers:

She has gone above and beyond with everything we've asked of her”

We would like him to come and work for us after he finishes at Cherwell”

She has a skill of being a leader where others follow”

They have all been polite, helpful, flexible willing and enthusiastic”

What a superstar!”

Blended in nicely with the team”

They were so keen, one day they arrived before the staff”

Excellent practical skills, manners, politeness and attitude”

He impressed senior staff with his two presentations”

Please can you send us 4 students next time, instead of 2!”

Very impressed with his attitude”

Happy to have them back for more experience or employment! “

We are considering him for an apprenticeship”

She helped us update our social media – she taught us so much!”

He was quiet to start with but grew in confidence during the week “

Matts with the gardening team at Holme Pierrepont Hall, Nottingham

Question: What was the BEST THING about your work experience week?

I loved working with the kids so much, and I got to teach them Spanish!”

The relaxed atmosphere and the college lunches”

Learning new things”

Learning how to drive a boat!”

I enjoyed the insight it gave me into working life….”

Working on the website, using my IT skills”

Just being able to help”

Bonding with the residents in the dementia unit”

Everyone was nice and welcoming”

Every day we did something different” I really enjoyed getting to know the people I was working with”

Meeting different patients with different health problems”

Fixing a vintage MG car!”

DUKE OF EDINBURGH UPDATE:

By Ms Overbeck & Mr Darby

SILVER

AND

BRONZE NEWS:

In October, 8 students headed out to complete the DofE expedition section of their award! The Bronze team were in very high spirits and powered through both days, even taking time to see the Fire Station Open Day. Silver had the extra challenge of an additional night, but they took it on incredibly well! We are very proud of their achievements at the weekend!

MATHS DEPT NEWS

Senior Maths Challenge

The Senior Maths Challenge took place on Tuesday 4th October with all our A-level Maths and Further Maths students encouraged to participate. In total, over 200 students took part in the challenge, which created an air of mathematical excitement across North Site throughout the day. 59% of the students achieved scores worthy of a medal; gold, silver or bronze, and it is worth noting that students enjoy the quirky nature of these problems, whatever their level of success.

We had 13 students in Year 13 and 5 in Year 12 that qualified for the second round, in either the Senior Kangaroo or in 3 cases, the extremely challenging British Mathematical Olympiad, a paper so fiendishly difficult that students are given 3.5 hours to answer just 6 questions. Particular congratulations should go to Aaron and Matthew who qualified for the Olympiad and had some success in answering the questions. We have not yet received their results which will come with news of whether they have qualified for the 2nd round, with the chance of continuing in the competition and potentially representing the UK in the International Olympiad, but any success at this stage represents outstanding mathematical ability.

Here is question 1 from the Olympiad paper to have a go at if you're feeling brave!!

Ritangle Competition

Ritangle is a nationwide maths competition aimed at 6th form students. Since early October, questions have been released three times a week and students have been applying their maths skills to solve a wide range of different problems. In early December, students use their answers to these questions to reveal new challenges and to enable them to tackle the complex Final Task. Several teams of students from Years 12 and 13 are taking part this year and they have been enjoying having a go at these difficult questions. We wish them all the best with the Final Task. Here is an example question for you to have a go at.

By Mr Jamieson & Mr Dyer

MFL - GERMAN DEPT NEWS:

Radley College once again invited us to join the German Department at the end of September for the chance to speak some German, eat some traditional German food and complete a quiz as part of their Oktoberfest celebrations. Year 11 and Sixth Form German students not only enjoyed the traditional German food but also were able to meet other students studying German at local schools.

By Mr Mehrabian

Cherwell School , Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence

MFL NEWS - SEVILLE TRIP

By Miss Erskine

For the first time since 2019, Miss Erskine, Ms Garcia-Rodriguez and Mr Slater were able to take 20 students from Year 11 and 13 to visit Seville, Andalucia, to stay with host families and practise their Spanish! We were delighted that we could offer this opportunity to a range of students to help them build their confidence in Spanish, and experience Spanish and Andalusian culture.

Students participated in a whole range of activities, from visiting La Gruta de las Maravillas in Aracena, to painting tiles in the traditional Spanish way, to dancing flamenco on stage with professionals. Students also had the opportunity to explore the city of Seville and discover its rich and diverse history, visiting the Cathedral and the old Alcazar. Additionally, our Cherwell students visited Spanish school La Loma, answering any questions about English culture, discussing their favourite things and playing sports with them.

Here’s what some of our students said about the trip:

“

The Spanish trip was lots of fun, an amazing opportunity. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me to grow in confidence when speaking Spanish and improved my understanding of the language.”

“

The food was amazing and so were the family I stayed with. Overall a great cultural experience”

YEAR 8 & 9 TRIP TO BONN

Year 8 and 9 Christmas trip to Bonn, Germany, run by Mr Mehrabian from the MFL Department.

As 47 Year 8 and 9 students met together at 2.45am at school, we really hoped the very cold and very early start was worth it for this trip- and it really was! After an incredibly smooth journey (even getting an earlier ferry because we’d made such good time!) we travelled across 5 countries by coach and made it to Bonn by late afternoon on Wednesday and rested at the hostel with dinner, a team building quiz led by Miss Overbeck and Mr Mulvany, and early bed.

On Thursday, after a very typical (and delicious) breakfast at the hostel, we headed to ‘Bonns Fünfte’ School to visit the staff and students there. From learning about washing machines in DT, to a Biology lesson via a history lesson about laws, all our students enjoyed a morning in class with their German host students. Practicing their German, our students chatted in class and tried to learn along with the teachers. Friends were made very quickly, and lunch saw much laughter and fun, as they showed them around the school and played football and table tennis together.

After a school lunch, it was then time to head into Bonn to visit the beautiful Christmas market there. There were stalls galore in traditional German market style, and students enjoyed trying out their shopping vocabulary in real life!

Friday brought a fuller day, which started with trip to a local museum that also had wild boar, deer and a beautiful stag in an area of outstanding natural beauty. After a short forest walk, we headed to the giant Haribo Outlet store- much to everyone’s excitement.

After a quick (actually quite a long!) stop at the Haribo shop, we were swiftly on our way back to the school for a final lunch and reunion with some of the students. After waving goodbye, we headed over to Cologne for the final Christmas market experience. And what an experience it was! If we thought Bonn market was good, we were all bowled over by the size and beauty of the Cologne market. It is world- renowned as the largest, best German Christmas market and we can well understand this status. With an outdoor ice rink, hundreds of stalls, amazing food and pretty gifts to buy, we stayed until it got dark (and very pretty, with lights and Christmas trees everywhere) and then headed home for our final night at the hostel.

Our day long coach journey back was, like the first day of travelling, long but broken up by lots of stops in each country and a ferry journey.

We had a brilliant time, and the students were a real asset to the school. A huge thanks must go to Herr Mehrabian who organised the trip, and to Miss Overbeck, Miss Skipper and Mr Mulvany who joined us on the team of staff.

By Ms Hodkinson

© The Cherwell School , Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence Winter

LIBRARY NEWS

Welcome, Miss Teixeira!

This Autumn was made particularly exciting by the arrival of Miss Teixeira, our new North Site-based Assistant Librarian. Miss Teixeira is both Brazilian and Portuguese and studied History at The University of Oxford before she starting working at Cherwell. Visit the Fiction Library for any book recommendations, to read in silence or simply to say hello. Don’t miss, Miss Teixeira’s book recommendations and news on Instagram: @Northsitelib (photo of Miss Teixeira)

Happy birthday Fiction Library!

A year ago, our North Site fiction library opened! We can never thank the Friends of Cherwell enough: it is thanks to their donations that this beautiful place and its book collections were funded. We will celebrated the library’s first birthday on Thursday 15th December (lunchtime) with cakes, music and, of course, wonderful books.

We are an outstandingly generous school

Every year, during our Festival of Reading, we encourage the South Site students to take part in Readathon, a reading marathon to raise money for children in UK hospitals. This year, in particular, we have raised £972.39, our new record! Read for Good, the charity that sponsors Readathon, has contacted us to congratulate and to announce that The Cherwell School is one of the strongest Readathon participants in the nation. We would like to thank all the students who have made this possible, as well as their families. We are particularly proud of the fact that this outstanding result has been reached by involving a very high number of students. No donation is too small for Readathon; unity is strength. However large or small the sum you raised was, thank you.

Manga Book Club

Between November and December, the members of the Comic Book and Manga Club took part in a competition for young comic strip artists promoted by The Reading Zone. The participants worked for hours to develop their comic strips and the results are beautiful!

South and North Site Book Clubs

This is a particularly thrilling time of the year for the Book Clubs, as we are organising the Festival of Reading that will take place between February and March. Books are being selected for the library lesson discussions, authors are being contacted, and workshops and games are being planned. Watch this space!

Library Assistant Club: thank you!

The Library Assistant Club gathers every week shelving, repairing or cataloguing mountains of books between North and South Site. I don’t know what I would do without them, and I would like to thank them for their wonderful commitment.

Merry Christmas!

Dr Bonsaver

ENGLISH DEPT KS5 NEWS:

Sixth

Form

trip to Strawberry

Hill House - the ‘birthplace’ of Gothic Literature

In October, 56 Year 13 English students set off on a sunny Autumn day for the Gothic delights of Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham, the artistic expression of Horace Walpole’s Gothic vision. We were treated to small group tours of the house and a very informative lecture by Elizabeth Parker from St Mary’s Twickenham. We had the gardens and house to ourselves for the day, and it was a fantastic place to enrich students’ knowledge of the Gothic genre - a key component of their A Level course.

By Mrs Eve

ENGLISH DEPT NEWS:

Go Team Hamlet!

Back in the summer of 2021, Team Hamlet was in nascent form! Working as a teacher-facilitator, I offered a group of Cherwell A Level English Literature students the opportunity to explore the possibility of creating a one and half hour version of Shakespeare's Hamlet. The dream was to work towards a stage performance around December 2022, but back in July we had no real idea what this would look like. We enjoyed the fact that the project was organic and would gain shape as we went along.

As Hamlet is the longest of Shakespeare's tragedies and normally performed in around three and a half hours, the students and I knew the project posed a serious challenge! Emma A, Izzy E, Leyla M, Eli L, Hattie K and Rebeka L were there at the very start of the journey meeting this challenge full on. They formed a script editing team that early on made the decision to focus on Hamlet’s personal demise over the political dimensions of the play. When the students returned to school in September, Team Hamlet grew in number, with Alice H, Rowan S, Georgina P, Oscar G, Clara B, Freddie D, Freya M, and Jules P all taking on a range of roles. As co-directors, Emma A and Izzy E worked tirelessly throughout the six months, managing and rehearsing the cast outside of school hours.

The challenges were many, not least the issue of identifying a space to perform and working with no budget. This meant that the students also had to think and act creatively. In the end, Team Hamlet were lucky enough to perform at Pegasus Theatre in Oxford, and were able to use props and costumes sourced from their own wardrobes, Headington charity shop Helen and Douglas House, and the Pegasus costume room to successfully create their dark academia concept design on stage.

The big day came on Friday 25th November. After a technical rehearsal and full dress rehearsal, the time had finally come for the final performance! This was enjoyed by cast, crew and audience alike. The opportunity to perform in a professional theatre to an audience of over 100 family and friends was one everyone involved will remember for a long time to come! Thanks to everyone who gave the students their support and encouragement along the way- parents, friends and teachers. There was a formidable amount of work going on behind the scenes, but it all felt worth it in the end!

Thanks to the following members of staff for their generous support with the production: K Sullivan, L Baldwin, F Holloway, H Findlay and S Hands.

By Ms Bird

ENGLISH DEPT NEWS

© The Cherwell School , Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence

SCIENCE ENRICHMENT

The Science Faculty has had a busy couple of terms with a variety of activities aimed at enriching the student science experience, including participation in various clubs and attendance at extracurricular lectures. Selected highlights from the last two terms are detailed below.

KS3 Science Club

SCIENCE ENRICHMENT

Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize for 2022

Year 7 States of Matter Show

SCIENCE ENRICHMENT

Year 7 States of Matter Show

Sixth Form Science Talks

Once again, we have been exceptionally lucky in being able to offer an exciting and rich series of weekly talks for our Sixth Formers. Ever popular and well attended, it is great to see so many of our Year 12s and 13s take advantage of the academic excellence and scientific knowledge at our doorstep. Some highlights for this year have been:

• Darragh Ennis on RNA - Life's forgotten molecule

• Ben Goldacre on Bad Science and Big Data

• Mark Lynas on SEVEN MINUTES: Nuclear war and how to avoid it

SCIENCE ENRICHMENT

Oxfordshire Young Scientists of the Year

Year 9 Christmas STEM Lectures

An annual event for December, we were delighted to take some 50 of our Year 9s to the University Natural History Museum for a morning of films on conservation success stories, and a lecture on the ecological services provided by insects. The students also had an opportunity to have a look at some of the museum’s wonderful exhibits and take part in various hands-on activities, including live animal handling!

The Cherwell School , Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence Winter

Congratulations to Rowan Hector-Turnbull who was nominated as Our Young Biologist of the Year!

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

CHERWELL GIVES BACK

By Ms Dorn

Year 12 worked on creating some donation boxes for Oxford Mutual Aid and a local organisation called Providers. This year was the fifth anniversary of hosting our Cherwell Gives Back Event for our Sixth Form students and this year was better than ever. We made over 90 boxes of donations for people across our local community, with donations, ranging from toiletries and essential items, to guests and treats for some of our most vulnerable community members. It was brilliant to see Sixth Formers arriving with their boxes, donations and wrapping paper. The Social Wellbeing teachers were so impressed with the thoughtfulness in which they prepared their donations and how they had written some lovely sentiments. Year 7 were involved too, making a tutor group box of donations, led by their peer mentors and members of staff also gave generously. We are looking to do more work like this over the coming year with our Cherwell Changemakers as a way to give back to our local community. Thanks to all people involved and Merry Christmas!

Thank you so much all at Cherwell School for collecting and wrapping donations for Providers, supplying the Warneford Mental Health Hospital in Oxford! A bumper crop this year, we have sorted your donations and are ready to wrap them up ready to deliver to the patients in hospital and spread some Christmas joy. We really couldn't do this without you so a big round of applause, have a wonderful Christmas knowing you have made a big difference!

Katie at Providers takes delivery of the donations.

From Katie at Providers:

GEOGRAPHY NEWS:

By Mr Littlewood

During the first week of September the Year 13 Geographers, accompanied by Ms Alexander, Ms Pearson, Mr Harrison and Mr Littlewood embarked on the first residential field trip that has taken place since restrictions were eased. The venue was a new one for the school - East Sussex and the town of Seaford. After a first evening scaling Seaford Head and exploring the local coastal formations, which provided valuable insights for the A Level course, the party retired to the YHA South Downs. The following two days were spent planning and gathering fieldwork data for the students’ independent investigations, all of which have to be individual. This led us to investigate Cuckmere Haven and the Seven Sisters Cliffs at Birling Gap. We were very lucky to dodge the awful weather, and had an excellent time, with the students representing the school brilliantly. A great deal of excellent data was collected for a wide range of projects, and we are looking forward to going back next year. Thank you to all the staff who accompanied the trip, and to all the colleagues who supported us from school.

Mr Littlewood

YEAR 8 GEOGRAPHY NEWS:

By Mr C Huck

Studying Geography at The Cherwell School, we endeavour to give students an inspiring diet of both physical and human geography, to set them up as the best global citizens they can be, even if they don't choose to pursue GCSE Geography with us. The overall premise of the Year 8 Written Composition was to evaluate whether or not humans should use natural environments. Throughout Year 8 students look at two natural environments in particular: Polar Environments and Tropical Rainforests, and balance this with a unit on Population and Migration. Within these units, students develop their understanding of how humans interact with the world around them, and the impact this can have on natural/ fragile environments. The key focus of their writing was the strength of evaluation, and we feel these three students produced truly exceptional work. Enjoy!

Extracts from

the Year 8 Writing CompetitionGeography Summer 2022

There are significant benefits of using other natural environments, such as the Amazon rainforest. Development in the Amazon, such as farming, has both social and economic benefits. Commercial farming, for example, can provide jobs for people in Brazil (which has a 8.9% unemployment rate) and a better income. The average income in Brazil has increased from $10,251 to $15,679 and poverty rates have decreased since development in the Amazon began. This money can be spent on local services and trade. The produce of this farming can be sold to city workers, who can then have secondary and tertiary sector jobs rather than having to subsistence farm (or produce can be exported to other countries, generating money and growing the Brazilian economy). With people earning more money, the government can take more from tax, which can be spent to further develop Brazil, like on housing (which can be built on land in the Amazon rainforest), schools and infrastructure. Since development began, the literacy rate in Brazil has increased from 84.3% to 93.2%, doctors per 100,000 people have increased from 109 to 216, causing the life expectancy to go from 66.3 to 75.9 years old. These benefits clearly reach not only the rich but also ordinary citizens, it can be argued that taking advantage of natural resources is essential for the development of Brazil.

Carys P - 9BF

Should humans use natural environments?

Aaron P - 9BF

An environmental impact due to the use of the Amazon is deforestation. Trees remove CO2 from the atmosphere, helping to slow down climate change. Cutting down many trees will reduce the number of plants photosynthesising, which removes less CO2 from the air. Consequently, climate change and global warming will continue to worsen due to the increasing number of rapidly developing countries and even developed using fossil fuels for energy. This could result in many catastrophic events such as melting ice caps and glaciers, which causes rising sea levels and would be destructive for many cities and ecosystems. In addition, the rainforest’s biodiversity would begin - and already is - decreasing: the extinction of many species will disrupt food webs and this could lead to even more endangerment of animals or extinction. Additionally, polar ecosystems would be affected by melting ice, especially mammals and birds who depend on the ice to hunt, mate and survive. This would regionally and perhaps even nationally affect Brazil and surrounding countries, in a way which is currently irreparable. In the worst case, it could affect regions across the planet. However, we can set up nature reserves within the rainforest to keep the rare biodiversity found in the Amazon.

Another economic advantage of using the Arctic is the utilisation of the Northwest Passage and Northern Sea trade routes. A benefit of these routes is that a ship travelling from Europe to Asia would be 40% more efficient, making the journey cheaper and the ships would emit a lot less CO2. Currently, to sail from Europe to Asia you might need to sail through the strait of Gibraltar, then through the Mediterranean sea, then through the busy Suez canal (in Egypt) and sail through the Indian ocean if necessary, to finally get to your destination. However, you could use the Northern Sea route to sail around Russia instead. The Northwest Passage can be used to go from eastern Asian countries, such as China and Japan, through the Pacific and through Canada’s many islands to reach the USA’s east coast, instead of going through the Panama canal. It can also be used so that goods can be transported from the west coast of the USA to its east coast. These reduced journeys will benefit global trade and more profit can be made due to cheaper travelling costs. However these routes are dangerous because of icebergs and they encourage use of fossil fuels to power the ships. Countries like Egypt and Panama could be affected if lesser ships use their canals, which they have to pay to use.

Tudor-Stefan H – 9NS

On the other hand, the economic downside of the exploitation of natural resources is that it is a source of income that won’t last for a very long time, and when depleted, it won’t come back. For example, at the current rate of deforestation and global warming, the Amazon Rainforest could disappear by 2064, and most of the Arctic could melt away by 2050. This means that if a country relies on exploiting natural resources then when their resources will run out, there would be high rates of unemployment, which would cause people to go into poverty and potentially make the country’s economy crash. This is significant because an economic crash would affect people all over a country or the world. For example, businesses would have less sales and thus less money, so they might have to close down, meaning people would be deprived of things they would have usually bought from those places. This means that the products will need to be found elsewhere (at a higher price) so not as many can be obtained, and because the demand is now higher than the supply, prices will go up resulting in inflation. As a result, people’s quality of life will decrease as they are able to afford less products than they normally would.

CREATIVE WRITING CLUB

By Mr Strickland

We can hardly believe it. This year is the 10th anniversary of the Cherwell Creative Writing Club! We are having perhaps our best year ever, with record numbers; (57 writers were on hand for a recent session!)

A range of our writers are going to be published in the upcoming Whispers of Winter III collection, edited by Oxford novelist T.L.Williams. The Creative Writing Club have contributed powerful, and rich poetry and prose in a variety of styles. Some of the writers will be reading their work live at a special event called 'Spotlight'. The Post Pandemic Performance Project, which the readings are a part of, will take place on Wednesday 7th December from 7.30pm, at Florence Park Community Centre, Cornwallis Road.

You too can be part of the Creative Writing Club experience. This group is very inclusive and is a great place for all ages and ability levels. Everyone is welcome in this supportive environment. Meetings are held every Tuesday from 3:15 to 4:15 in Room 5 on the North side.

Remember that all ability levels 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 soon!

The Cherwell Journal

Academic Enrichment

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

@CherwellEnrich

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 curi-

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/

To write for the Journal, simply get in touch to discuss your ideas, get templates and resources to help enrichment@cherwellschool.org to find out

Inviting submissions:

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.

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

To write for the Journal, simply get in touch to discuss your ideas, get templates and resources to help you get started or to submit a finish piece. Contact us on enrichment@cherwellschool.org to find out more.

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

By Rowan, Year 13

By Roan, Year 13

The Cherwell Journal: Summer Challenge

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

2022

Summer Challenge

Our Summer Challenge of 2022 was open to all year groups, and we received some fantastic entries! The theme this year was maps, and students were encouraged to write a short non-fiction piece centred around this broad topic. Take a look at selection of the wonderful entries below!

By Chloe, Year 8

By Benafsha, Year 9

European Parliament Ambassador Schools

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

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 (EPAS) 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.

Official accreditation

Thursday 13th October 2022

We were officially accredited as a European Parliament Ambassador School (EPAS) this year. The plaque was presented to our 2021 -22 Junior Ambassadors by former MEP Catherine Bearder. She delivered a presentation and held a Q&A session with the group, speaking to them about the importance of maintaining close links with our European neighbours, and how they could play a vital role in shaping the future of the UK’s relationship with the EU. Catherine was reportedly ‘delighted to see the curiosity and enthusiasm of Cherwell School pupils to build a shared and interconnected future for learning.’ You can find the official article on the European Parliament website here

European Parliament Ambassador Schools

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

Euroscola Conference (Human Rights)

Students participated in an online conference of 50 schools across Europe on the defence of human rights. They enjoyed a welcome from the European Parliament, a Q&A with Rainer Wieland (VicePresident of the European Parliament) and an ‘innovation lab’ led by Stefan Krauss (Head of Human Rights Action Unit), and were given the opportunity to share ideas with other young people across Europe. After the conference, students identified human rights impingements they perceived, engaging in discussions with their peers to identify potential solutions. Many thought-provoking debates ensued, and we are sure that this event was memorable one for all of the students who participated.

World of Work: Sustainability and Green Futures

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

World of Work: Sustainability and Green Futures

Our Year 13s successfully completed a day of work-based placements. Through the generous support of 17 different employers, they were able to test out new sectors, developing their team work and taking an interdisciplinary approach to the theme of sustainability. Find out more about our World of Work days on the Sixth Form website

Sustainability Seed Fund Prize winners (sponsored by Low Carbon Oxford North):

‘Green Card’: Alternative Football World Cup (Oxford ECI: Eliana, Jaina, Juned, Kaela, Liam, Luke, Michi, Olivia, Pawel, Rebeka, Rowan and Tiye)

Future Potential Fund winners (donated by Charity of Thomas Dawson):

Eben Hood (Thames Valley Police)

Gi Griffini (Lynn Palmer Architects)

Ella Odell (Oxfordshire Teacher Training)

Jamie Scott (Oxford Policy Management)

Individual Prizes: Head Teacher Commendations:

Alessandro Griffini (Facebook)

Daniel Cox (OxWash)

Francisco Garippa (Oxford Policy Management)

Lena Davies (Limelight Sports Management)

Noah Yudkin (Oxford Earth Academy)

Pawel Murawski (Oxford ECI)

Tom McNally (Lynn Palmer Architects)

World of Work: Politics. Society and Community

Academic Enrichment

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

World of Work: Politics, Society and Community

Our Year 12s successfully completed a day of work placements. Students were visited by 16 different employers, giving them the opportunity to test out new sectors, develop their team work and take an interdisciplinary approach to the theme - with impressive engagement, dedication and curiosity. They participated in team activities with the RAF; designed self Street Drone; took on the role of a Parliamentary Assistant, drafting email correspondence on behalf of an MP in the House of Commons, and much more!

Find out more about our World of Work days on the Form website

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• BBS Sport

• Blake Morgan

• BMW Mini

• Caring Together

• Creation Theatre

• Dahlberg Global

• Facebook (Meta)

• GVI

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•

•

•

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• Oxford Literary Festival

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• Oxford University Hospitals

• Oxford University Museum of National History

• Oxford Wood Recycling

• Oxfordshire Teaching Schools Association

• OxWash

• Pitt Rivers Museum

• RAF

• Street Drone

• Strutt and Parker

• Thames Valley Police and Ethox Centre

• Wytham Woods and Oxford Earth Academy

And, of course, our wonderful keynote speakers:

• Sam Barratt, Chief, Youth, Education & Advocacy at UN Environment

• Sir Stephen Wall, Diplomat, Ambassador, Political Expert, Historian, and global LGBT advocate.

Beyond Cherwell

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Contact:

enrichment@cherwellschool.org

Police, Law, Data and Ethics Project - Thames Valley VRU

Our Sixth Form students participated in a series of events with the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit, contributing towards the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit Data Ethics Forum at the Big Data Institute.

Students were involved in discussions of data in policing, from its collation and storage to its application in judgements and reduction strategies. This was in preparation to input the views of local young people to the Thames Valley committee, that use data to make decisions and question its legitimacy, bias and fairness.

They also participated in a day-long workshop led by Thames Valley Police and the University of Oxford’s Ethox Centre.

BBC South reported on the students’ trip to the Big Data Institute, asking some of them their thoughts on the issue of data ethics in policing: ‘Theo said: “There's a lot more than I would like personally to be out there but then the project has kind of made me understand that some of it is for the greater good.”’ But Artin said it made him “uncomfortable”, and added: “It does kind of scare me a little bit thinking maybe what if teachers or my doctor or the local police knew that sort of information about me?”’

You can read the full article on the BBC website

Cherwell

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Trinity Talks - Cyber Warfare

Students participated in a talk from global cyber security expert and former Pentagon Special Counsel, David A. Simon, on cyber threat trends, government and private sector responses, and the implications for international and domestic law.

Those with an interest in exploring computing, international relations, law and Cold War history signed up to watch the talk, which covered evolutions in the landscape of cyber threat from ransomware attacks, economic crime and modern warfare of whole states, considering personal, corporate and national responsibility.

Annual Oxford Law Lecture 2022

Students attended the High Sheriff’s Law Lecture, titled ‘Towards a Written Constitution’, which involved:

• Lecture by Sir Robert Buckland in the University of Oxford’s Examination School

• Q&A session with Mark Beard (High Sheriff)

• Workshop with William Downing (Legal Partner, Blake Morgan)

• Legal Service at Christ Church Cathedral

A huge congratulations to those who submitted an essay for the High Sheriff's Oxfordshire competition: Ben Ross, Rayan Sayyaj and Sid Vaidya!

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

Beyond

Academic Enrichment

‘Woods, Work and Wellbeing’ Residential

Students were taken on a residential trip to Wytham Woods, staying in the Swiss Chalet lodge overnight. This trip prompted them to think about how to find the best mindset and wellbeing for effective revision, making use of the Five Ways To Wellbeing:

• Connect (phone-free meals, board games)

• Be active (woodland walks)

• Take notice (wildlife watch and stargazing)

• Learn (revision)

• Give (biscuit baking for parents)

Vice Chancellor’s Innovation Awards Ceremony

A special trip to the Vice Chancellor’s Innovation & Engagement Awards, with a talk on the opportunities and challenges of world-leading research and a chance to speak with the award nominees and winners, including the team behind the COVID-19 vaccine.

24 Hours in Wytham Woods

Students enjoyed a residential trip to Wytham Woods, where they stayed in the Swiss Chalet lodge. They took part in activities such as:

• Cooking

• Woodland walks

• Ecology and nature watches

• Games

• Campfires

Beyond Cherwell

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Arvo Pärt Festival

We held a Finland reunion gathering, where students attended the Arvo Pärt concert at the Sheldonian Theatre, complete with a visiting delegation from the Estonian Embassy. Some of the professional musicians from the Carice singers then visited us at school, leading a ‘music and meditation’ workshop.

Vanessa Onwuemezi:

Author Workshop

Award-winning author and poet, Vanessa Onwuemezi, kindly came to visit our Sixth Form students. She gave a reading from her short story, Green Afternoon, and then led a Q&A session, followed by a creative workshop. Students engaged in discussions of culture, the connection between art and science, and finding their creative and political voices.

BBC Student Critics Award

Students participated in a reading group, discussing the National Short Story Award shortlist. Alumnae Helen and Eleanor guided personal responses through art, critical writing and technical analysis.

Contact: enrichment@cherwellschool.org

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Oxford Half Marathon

A group of students kindly volunteered to lead an aid station at the Oxford Half Marathon - preparing the site, giving out energy drinks, cheering on runners with unwavering enthusiasm, and clearing up after the event. Their support was invaluable, and we know that runners and organisers alike were incredibly grateful!

PERFORMING ARTS

It has been an action-packed time for the Performing Arts Faculty Staff since September. We have got nearly all of our pre-pandemic, extra-curricular clubs up and running and have aims to boost instrumental uptake by running a multitude of workshops in organ, saxophone and double reed. We’ve been incredibly fortunate to enlist the expertise of national experts such as David Crown rehearsing with our senior choir and work with the Gabrieli Consort cumulating in a concert of 65 of our singers in Coventry Cathedral. We’ve had a number of Dance and Drama workshops which you can read about below.

Drama: Students at GCSE and A Level have enjoyed brilliant workshops by the world renowned Frantic Assembly. The workshops enabled students to gain first hand experience of the style of Frantic Assembly. We then took over 50 students to see the brilliant production of Othello by Frantic Assembly at the Oxford Playhouse. GCSE Drama students enjoyed a trip to Milton Keynes theatre in September to watch a brilliant production of Blood Brothers by Willy Russell. We have also taken our GCSE Drama students to see the new play Brown Boys Swim at The North Wall, written by the highly acclaimed local playwright Karim Khan. Khan was a winner of THE SCOTSMAN FRINGE FIRST AWARD and BBC POPCORN AWARD FOR BEST NEW PLAY for Brown Boys Swim. We were then really lucky to have the North Wall visit Cherwell to hold a workshop based on the play with ourGCSE Drama students.

KS3 Drama Club has been meeting regularly on a Monday after school and regularly attracts 50-60 students each week which is fantastic. We are looking forward to performing at The North Wall theatre on Wednesday 1st February to showcase a collection of the students' work from Dance and Drama club from Years 7, 8 and 9.

KS4 and KS5 students have been busy rehearsing for the upcoming school show Twelfth Night. This year, due to roof maintenance on the school hall, we have booked the North Wall theatre in Summertown to showcase the production on Tuesday 17th January. This will be a fantastic experience for the students and something we hope to book again for the future.

We very much look forward to GCSE and A level Drama practical performances as part of their exams in February.

Dance: In November, GCSE Dance students took part in a very exciting project by dancing with a flash mob at the centre for members of the public at the Westgate Shopping Centre. What turned out to be a special event with the Estonian Ambassador and members of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the students performed with live musicians (Jacqui Miles violin and Ali Kane piano) and taught the public the choreography.

In January, we have the return of Juka Dance Company. KS3 and KS4 students will have the opportunity to learn new dance techniques, led by a wonderful choreographer and freelance dancer who will support the Dance Club to prepare for a performance at the Reconnects Arts Event on July 14th 2022 in the North Site Hall.

We have taken our A-level students to a fantastic concert from the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rite of Spring, and a Lutoslawski symphony. Our KS3 Drama, Music and Dance students who have regularly attended ensembles are going to see Creation Theatre’s Christmas production.

The Christmas Concert was a huge success with choirs and small and large ensembles. It was wonderful to be back in St Michael and All Angels Church after a hiatus three years. We are very grateful to Gavin

Next term we look forward to Twelfth Night which will be held in The North Wall and many other performing events. Do follow us on actual arts to keep abreast of all events that have taken place and forthcoming ones. From the Performing Arts Faculty Staff we wish you a very Happy Christmas and all the best for 2023.

ROAR

Gabrieli Consort

Project (KS3 & Senior Choir)Coventry Cathedral

Knight vicar of St Michaels and all his team for enabling us to perform in such a beautiful setting. (photos overleaf)

Mrs Hollindale Head of Performing Art and the Team

2022 © The Cherwell School, Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence

Christmas Concert 2022 - St Michael & All Angels Church.

© The Cherwell School , Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence Winter

YEAR 7 NEWS

Mr Massiah & Mrs Knight Head of Year 7 & Deputy Head of Year 7

As we look forward to the Christmas holidays we take time to reflect on what a busy and exciting first full term in Year 7 has been. Students are now settled in to their classes and fully in the flow of life at Cherwell. They have had plenty of opportunities to try new things such as Sports Clubs, Drama Club, Pop Choir, Creative Writing and much more! It has been a real pleasure to celebrate the achievements of our sports teams in assemblies. It has also been lovely to see students making new friends across the year group and accepting others into their friendship groups and we are especially proud of how much they have done to get involved in the wider life of the school. For example, we had a high uptake for being a student guide on the Year 7 Open Evening, the Anti-Bullying Ambassador Scheme and extensive involvement in preparations for the Winter Festival. This was a brilliant day with a wide range of stalls and it was lovely to feel the festive buzz and see the togetherness and enthusiasm of the students who ran the stalls - (see some pictures below). The money raised will contribute towards break and lunch time activities for Year 7! As the end of term approaches, we’re looking forward to the Celebration Assembly where we will reflect on how much progress Year 7 have made since September and celebrate the individual successes of many students! Well done Year 7, we are so proud of them!

With best wishes for a lovely festive period,

Mr Massiah & Mrs Knight Head of Year 7 & Deputy Head of

Year 7

YEAR 8 NEWS

Mr Madden & Mrs Goble Head of Year 8 & Deputy Head of

Year 8

Since returning from the summer holidays it has been a pleasure to see the students settle into Year8 with such a positive attitude. The resilience this year group continues to show and never ceases to amaze us.

The commitment to learning and motivation we have seen from the year group is one to be commended, and we look forward to seeing students develop further in the New Year. As a school and year group we will continue to focus on the routines that keep us safe, give us calm starts to our lessons and the focused environment which is essential for learning.

Over the course of the term, Year 8 have created a quiz and taken part it every Friday morning. We have had quizzes about Sport, Harry Potter and some really challenging general knowledge subjects in which students can really show off their knowledge. We look forward to being able to award the masterminds of the year group on the last day of term in our celebration assembly.

We have also held a second Parents & Carers Evening since students arrived at the Cherwell School. It was great for teachers to finally be able to share the excellent achievements within the year group and to also give some constructive feedback in order for students to develop further. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of staff who helped to make the PCE so valuable.

We hope that Year 8 all have a well earned rest over the festive period andwe wish everyone a healthy, safe and Happy Christmas and look forward to seeing you all in the New Year.

Mr Madden & Mrs Goble, Head of Year 8 & Deputy Head of Year 8

YEAR 9 NEWS

With the Christmas holidays fast approaching, it’s certainly been a busy term for Year 9! Some subjects have changed and students have separated into specific Science groupings and now study all three separate sciences for the first time at Cherwell as they prepare for GCSEs. They have had some brilliant opportunities for clubs and trips this year, and are (mostly!) looking forward to making their GCSE choices after the holidays. They have had plenty of opportunities to try new things such as different sports clubs, drama club, creative writing, going on a Science trip to Oxford, a dance trip to London and even some trips abroad - to France and Germany - for the first time in their time at Cherwell due to the pandemic.

We were really proud of how much they have done to raise awareness and money for good causes like Children in Need (£617.50) and we have a brilliant group of budding Anti-bullying Ambassadors who are continuing to be trained and empowered to tackle bullying, feedback ideas to the Senior Leadership Team and support those who need help. Year 9 students have really stepped up to the challenge of being the oldest on South Site, especially when it came to Open Evening where a record number of Year 9 students wanted to help out as guides, subjects specialists or general helpers. They are truly growing up and we can’t wait to see more of this maturity with opportunities offered to them in the coming months with things like Duke of Edinburgh Award, the options process and the move over the North Site in the summer months. Well done Year 9!

Mrs Hodkinson & Miss Evans, Head of Year 9 & Deputy Head of Year 9

Mrs Hodkinson & Miss Evans Head of Year 9 & Deputy Heads of Year 9

YEAR 10 NEWS

Ms Bristow & Mrs Kidd Head of

Year 10 &

Deputy

Head of Year 10

Congratulations to Year 10! The Winter term has flown by and we are already at Christmas in Year 10. I have to say that we are overwhelmed with the year groups’ resilience and excellence in the face of beginning their GCSE courses. The year group has demonstrated maturity on their transition to North Site and they have shown responsibility across their subjects as well as extra-curricular activities.

Year 10 have continued to show commitment to their teams in the schools’ extra-curricular clubs. The netballers are on a roll with several wins against local schools both away and at home. Both boys and girls football teams are proving to be difficult to beat and that is down to the dedication and commitment of both teams. In addition, the school boys Basketball club has restarted and are looking forward to a match against a local team. It is a pleasure to see students contributing to the school community and representing the school with such energy.

Looking ahead, after such a successful Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award, students now have the opportunity to sign up to complete their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award. The success of last year shows that the year group is able to work as a team, communicate effectively and inspire effort in each other. We look forward to seeing how many sign up for Silver and demonstrate the tenacity they showed during their Bronze Award.

We hope that Year 10 all have well-deserved rest over the festive period. We would like to wish everyone a healthy, safe and Happy Christmas and look forward to seeing you all in the New Year.

Ms Bristow, Mrs Kidd and Ms Blake, Head of Year 10 & Deputy Heads of Year 10

YEAR 11 NEWS

Mr Hopkins & Ms Wells Head of Year 11 & Deputy Head of Year 11

The first two terms of Year 11 have flown by with several positive moments to share with you. Overall, myself and the Year 11 team have been delighted with how Year 11 have taken to the heightened expectations and challenges of being the eldest students at Key Stage 4.The work experience week was re-introduced following the COVID pandemic with all students taking part in a range of wonderful experiences in the world of work. We were so proud of the feedback received from the employers who recognised the brilliant contributions which the students made during this time.

Our pastoral time recently has included presentations of anti-bullying, remembrance and Black History Month. Thank you to Ms Magenty, Ms Rapson and Mr Hibbert for their presentations and tutor time follow up work.

The November mock exam period has been incredibly busy but useful for the students and their teachers. We have used the language of 'perfect practice' to get the most out of this process. Subject teachers and faculty teams will be carefully planning feedback to help guide and re-teach any common misconceptions.

As we look ahead to term 3, there will be genuine opportunities to support the students with their next steps. This will include the Careers Convention, Year 11 Parent and Carers Evening and the Sixth Form Open Evening.

We wish you and your families a wonderful Winter break.

Mr Hopkins and Ms Wells, Head of Year 11 & Deputy Head of Year 11

YEAR 12 NEWS

The Year 12 students have made a great start to life in Sixth Form. They've stepped up to meet the academic expectations and are making the most of the Sixth Form extra-curricular opportunities which are many and varied, including the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award, signing up to our Beyond Cherwell opportunities and attending our weekly Sixth Form Science talks, where an external speaker comes to share their knowledge.

This term, students started their elective lessons too. Electives are designed to be something completely different: an introduction to something new, outside students' A level studies and good for their wellbeing. The choices included meditation, printmaking and learning to play the keyboard. You never know, they may discover a lifelong passion!

We recently had the first of our three World of Work days where students signed up to work on a project with organisations such as BBC Sport, Creation Theatre and The Oxford Literary Festival. The Pitt Rivers Museum also spent the day with us and brought some great props to bring His Dark Materials to life - see photo.

It's great to see our Year 12s take advantage of everything Sixth Form has to offer. It has been a busy term and we wish them a welldeserved rest in the holidays.

YEAR 13 NEWS

We’re sure that Year 13 are looking forward to a well-deserved break after what has been a busy and productive term! Tutorial time has been focused around planning for Post-18 pathways and, in particular, on writing personal statements, completing UCAS applications and preparing for university interviews. Students have engaged brilliantly with this and tutors will continue to support them with finalising their post-18 pathways in the New Year. Students have also completed their November Assessments and have been receiving and responding to feedback over the last couple of weeks. They have shown excellent commitment to their studies and future plans and we were delighted by the Progress Review Reports earlier in the term, which indicated that students continue to work well in lessons.

Beyond the classroom students have participated in a wide range of opportunities, including the World of Work Day, the Euroscola Human Rights Conference, an author workshop with Vanessa Onwuemezi, the Police, Law, Data and Ethics Project as well as various Cherwell Changemakers Projects. Most recently, we were thrilled to be able to provide entrants to the Dan Hemingway Award with an awards ceremony. We had 21 incredible entries which excellently showcased the immense talent of our Year 13 students - Entries included personal art, music, writing and creative projects. With regards to the awards ceremony, it was ‘business as usual’ this year, with a return to a celebration event in the Hall. The judges presented to the entrants, alongside an audience of Year 12 students, who no doubt will have been inspired by the entries on show! The winner of the Dan Hemingway Award was announced on Thursday 15th December, so watch this space for further details and photographs of the Awards Ceremony!

We wish Year 13 a very Merry Christmas and encourage them to have a genuine rest and enjoy time with family over the break.

Mrs Fowler & Ms Howse, Head of Year 13 & Deputy Head of Year 13

Ms Kelbrick - Head of Year 12 & Mrs Fisher - Deputy Head of Year 12

Ms Kelbrick and Mrs Fisher, Head of Year 12 & Deputy Head of Year 12

Mrs Fowler - Head of Year 13 & Ms Howse - Deputy Head of Year 13

PE NEWS

What a brilliant first two terms for Cherwell PE.

This term we have started the year under our new format of teaching activities in more depth than ever before. Activities are now half termly in duration across both KS3 and KS4 PE.

The benefits to this have included but are not limited to;

• Students developing greater competency and fluency in fundamental skills.

• The opportunity and time for more purposeful practice, feedback and retrieval.

• The opportunity for teaching to go into greater depth with more complex strategies, tactical knowledge and context specific rules.

• Easier organisation for students, staff and parents.

• More strongly established links with extra-curricular clubs and KS4 examination courses.

We have seen tremendous progress across all groups during this term and received some wonderful feedback from students regarding new found love for sports they previously“hated”. We have also received some welcome feedback from parents, thanking us for ensuring that purchases of equipment such as football boots are more meaningful as students are using them for a more substantial period of time.

On the next page you will be able to see the curriculum for the rest of the year so you can plan ahead.

Our extra-curricular activities have once again been a tremendously well attended and successful part of our provision. Details for individual teams can be found in these pages from their teachers but I can provide a quick overview of statistics so far;

• 45 fixtures played so far across four sports

• 80% win percentage

To play 45 fixtures by November is an astonishing achievement and is only made possible by having such dedicated PE staff, PE technician and additional coaches. It is a real team effort to provide these opportunities for our deserving students.

As always, I welcome discussing anything sport and PE with you all so please do get in touch should you have anything you want to talk about.

Have a wonderful holiday season.

Ben Wallington, Head of Physical Education Faculty.

Thanks to the Friends of Cherwell we have been able to put on 96 fully coached after school sessions for Football, Volleyball, Netball, Yoga and Hockey.

Not a single club has been cancelled due to fixtures or staff absence at the time of writing which means our students have been more active afterschool than ever before!

We are truly appreciative of the support.

YEAR 7 & 8 GIRLS

NETBALL

The Year 7 and 8 netballers have been outstanding this term; we have welcomed some great players to Cherwell and have wasted no time in getting training underway to improve their skills even further.

The students are motivated and enthusiastic which makes for a lovely atmosphere at the club.

Year 7s had their first match against The Swan School which was really challenging but allowed us to learn loads from that experience. We have another match scheduled in the coming week plus the league starts in January, so we will be getting lots more games then.

Year 8s had their first match at Matthew Arnold; they played brilliantly and secured a win despite the rain which threw it down and created a minibus full of soggy people on the way home! The league for Year 8 is also starting in January which we are all really looking forward to!

Netball remains open to everyone, even if you have not attended before - maybe this could be a new club to attend for your New Year's Resolution!!

Well done to the netballers and I look forward to continuing to train you all in term 3.

YEAR 9

NETBALL

Netball has got off to a great start this term with over 30 students from across Year 9 and 10 attending the club weekly.

The U14s began the season with both the A and B team winning against Matthew Arnold 12-2 and 12-1. They then had the opportunity to attend the U14 Oxfordshire County Netball Tournament. Overall the team finished 6th with their best performances being a win against Lord Williams’ School and a 3-3 draw against Oxford High School.

Miss Woodcock

Mrs Green

The U15s have also got off to a strong start this season, with a win for both the A and B teams against Matthew Arnold School. The A team played against a strong Year 11 team winning 13-6. Meanwhile, the B team played very well to win 8

With the league now starting across the city, there will be lots more opportunities during the coming term for the netballers.

CROSS COUNTRY

The new Running Club has helped to boost the opportunities for Cross Country. So far this year we have attended two fixtures.

Last term we entered two Year 7 and 8 combined teams into the English Schools Cross Country Cup. The Junior boys team (Year 7 and 8) came equal 5th overall out of eight schools, with notable performances from Thomas and Riccardo (Year 8) for finishing 8th and 9th place.

The Junior girls team (Year 7 and 8) finished in 7th place, with a notable performance from Xanthe (Year 7) for finishing 22nd.

This term we were invited to the SHSK Cross Country Relay Competition. In this fixture, the students worked in a team of 3 and ran with a relay baton. We took two teams from Year 7 and 8 to the fixture. Overall, the Year 7 teams finished 5th and 9th and the Year 8s finished 9th and 10th. It was a great afternoon and great running by all.

Miss Woodcock

Miss Woodcock

PE NEWS

KS3 GIRLS FOOTBALL

The KS3 girls’ football teams have made a good start to the year, with fixtures taking them across the county. The Year 7 girls made a great start to the National Cup beating Oxford Spires 5-1 in their very first game together, with Zofia, Valeria and Orla all getting their first goals for Cherwell! Their time in the Cup ended in a close game with Kings High School in Warwick finishing 0-0 after full time. The game went straight to penalties where Cherwell were unlucky to lose 4-3. The Year 7s have been great at attending training and are preparing well for the County Cup which starts after Christmas.

The Year 8 girls went straight into their National Cup and County Cup competitions gaining wins against The Warriner School and Matthew Arnold (5-0). Captain Amalia led the team well, with goals from Georgia, Anna, Eleanor and Betsy. The team were unfortunate in the next round as they lost out to Headington Girls School in the County Cup and Didcot Girls School in the National Cup.

Miss Cox

YEAR 9 GIRLS

FOOTBALL

The current County Champions of Oxfordshire began their National Cup campaign with a resounding 6-1 victory over The Headington Girls School with Eloise B scoring four goals and Eleanor W two goals. The player of the match was Natalie W who was sensational at centre back. Next up was Wheatley Park, who were dispatched efficiently 3-1 with another two goals for Eleanor and one for Georgia. Sadly, the run ended in the 3rd round when we faced a very good side in the Emmbrook School in Wokingham. Our girls lost 4-2, but not without shocking the hosts by taking the lead twice. Sienna B made a spectacular debut and our player of the match was Georgia.

The girls have been an absolute credit to the school and their parents and I have thoroughly enjoyed taking my first girls’ football team for fixtures. Their competitiveness, spirit and skill have been a pleasure to witness and I can not wait to get the campaign underway to retain OUR County Cup trophy.

Mr Wallington.

PE NEWS

YEAR 7 BOYS FOOTBALL

Year 7 boys have had a cracking start to their National Cup campaign with an impressive 8-0 win over local rivals Gosford Hill. They continued this winning streak with their next game against Greyfriars Catholic School with a more conservative 5-2 win. On this occasion team captain Nifemi A scored all 5 goals. We hope to keep this winning spirit going into Round 4, which will be played before the Christmas holidays.

YEAR 9 BOYS FOOTBALL

The Year 9 boys Football team have really progressed this year developing into a team with outstanding togetherness and spirit. They were unfortunately knocked out of the National Cup by a very energetic and competent Matthew Arnold School team. However, this hasn't stopped the Year 9 boys showing a great commitment to training this season. This increased drive in commitment is definitely the main contributor to their new found positivity and team cohesion. We will look to use these acquired attributes in some upcoming friendlies, which will hopefully ready us for the inevitable glory of next season.

Mr Surrage

Mr Surrage

Year 10 boys had a terrific National Cup run this year which saw them get to round 3. For their first game, they beat a very well drilled and technical Oxford gress to the next round which meant travelling to Gloucester to play Churchdown We claimed a well fought out win, which meant that we qualified to play against another team from Gloucester. The next team we came up against contained some very talented players from clubs such as Aston Villa, West Brom and Cheltenham. We battled well and made it a really close game. But, in the end we just couldn't get the goals we were looking We have now set our focus on the start of the County Cup in the New Year. Our hope is to dominate the second year in a row.

Mr Surrage

BASKETBALL

U15 Boys

The U15 boys have had a long wait for their league games, as they have been scheduled for the last two weeks before the Christmas break.

League Game vs The Bicester School - LOST - 35-44

The boys fell short after gaining the lead in their first game against The Bicester School.

• Top Scorers: Eamonn (13pts) and Kuba (12 points and MVP).

Unfortunately, The Cooper School pulled out at the last minute meaning only two regular season games for the U15s. They have all put in a great amount of effort at training, making a lot of progress.

PE NEWS

BASKETBALL - U16 BOYS

After falling short in the finals last season, the now U16 boys team came back from the summer holidays raring to go! The team is undefeated so far in the 22-23 season, learning at every practice and from every game. We look forward to seeing what the next stages will entail.

Friendly vs

Oxford Spires Academy - WIN - 65-42

Once the team had got back into the routine of training together, we arranged a friendly against a strong Oxford Spires Academy team before our league games started.

• Top Scorers: Tonko (35pts), Jovan (12pts) and Mehmet (10pts)

Friendly vs St.Clare

’s Sixth Form - WIN - 60-34

Against a taller and stronger St.Clare’s team, the U16 boys stepped up and were physical, grabbing rebounds and taking contact to get to the rim leading to a 60-34 win. The MVP awards were awarded to Owen (for scoring double figures and his presence at both ends of the floor) and Paolo (for his fantastic defensive pressure).

• Top Scorers: Duke (16pts), Tonko (13pts), Owen (10pts) and Mehmet (10pts)

League Game vs Wood Green -

WIN - 114-32

A fantastic team effort was made to get the win over Wood Green School. Cherwell distributed the ball well and hustled hard! All of our players made it on to the scoresheet too!

• Top Scorers: Tonko (32pts), Mehmet (24pts), Duke (23pts).

League Game vs Warriner

- WIN - 64-50

On Wednesday 23rd November, the U16s took on Warriner - a team we narrowly beat last year by 7 points. It was a fantastic battle from both sides and great to have a close game. Warriner did a great job at moving the ball and exploiting the gaps in our defensive sets and our post players worked really hard at going 1 on 1 with their defenders and taking contact to get to the hoop. Duke, Corin and Tonko gave stand out performances, resulting in Duke getting a double double. Two of Warriner’s strongest players were fouled out in the final quarter, allowing Cherwell to come out on top in the end.

• Top Stats: Tonko (29pts & 8 rebounds), Duke (25 points & 20 rebounds), Mumo (5 points & 10 rebounds)

League Game vs Cooper -WIN- 72-27

The team only took 8 players to their game vs Cooper but wow, did they step up! We distributed the ball well, started to play defence accordingly as the game went on and rewarded their teammates with passes and baskets! Fantastic defence by Corin throughout. Only one league game left before they reach the play off stages.

• Top Scorers: Tonko (35pts & MVP), Mehmet (13pts), Finn (8pts) and Jovan (7pts)

Across all of the teams, it has been fantastic to see so many new additions wanting to play basketball, showing that it is not too late to pick up a new sport in KS4!

Miss L Morris, Basketball Coach/PE Technician