NEWSLINK WAYLAND ACADEMY NORFOLK’S
SUMMER 2015
part of the
A Squash &
a Squeeze It has been an action packed and exciting few months at the academy.
Year 11 tutors will be specialist in Maths, English and Science to support academic progress.
We have had many events and activities taking place on and off site, ranging from Sports Day to the Year 6 Language Festival and we still have lots of amazing things to squeeze in. Year 11 examinations are now over; comments and feelings from Year 11 have been very good. Students carried themselves with pride and ambition, their conduct was exemplary throughout. In conjunction with the exams this year we provided 20 minute booster sessions with subject teachers prior to individual exams. Students could ask any last minute questions and they were able to discuss top tips, which worked very well. Students were also given a snack and a bottle of water.
In May the first Junior Leadership Team was created from applicants for the Head Boy and Head Girl roles. All applicants conducted themselves exceptionally well and I look forward to working with them over the next year.
There will be several structural changes at the academy in September. Existing subjects will be grouped into four new faculties; Maths, English, Science and Humanities. Heads of Faculty will be responsible for these along with Lead Professionals. The Pastoral system will remain in the four Houses however, tutor groups will comprise of students from the same year group. This will help to maintain House competitions, assemblies and will allow an improved Tutor time.
The Junior Leadership Team consists of: • Dylan Evans - Head Boy • Joe Burnage - Deputy Head Boy •B en Andrews – Responsible for transition in Year 7 and Year 9 •B en Walker – Responsible for transition in Year 7 and Year 9 •D enver McKie - Head Girl •E lishia Poole - Deputy Head Girl •L ilyella Hart – Responsible for Charities •M illie King – Responsible for Student Voice and Reward •A mber Gerrard – Responsible for RESPECT and Anti-bullying Mighty Oakus our GOGODragon is now displayed outside Castle Mall in Norwich (Dragon number 65) and will remain there throughout the summer. Please pop along and say hello to him and the other 83 dragons. Prior to this he had a brief visit to the academy and to the Watton Carnival. Donations can still be made at: Justgiving.com/waylandgogodragon
IMPROVING LIFE CHANCES THROUGH EDUCATION. 2
We are also very pleased to announce that we have been able to secure an Outstanding Partner for the academy. We will be working closely with Alan Yellup OBE, who is the Executive Headteacher of Wakefield City Academy. Wakefield City Academy is part of WCAT (Wakefield City Academy Trust); the trust consists of a group of academies in challenging areas and with students with entry profiles similar to ours. Wakefield City Academy has however, consistently secured Outstanding ratings from Ofsted in 2005, 2007 and 2013. We hope to work closely with them and share ideas and initiatives. It is also the time of year to say goodbye to colleagues. This year we have several retirements along with those that are moving on to careers elsewhere. More detail on this is given on page 3, along with the exciting teachers who will be joining us. It will be a busy few weeks running up to September but, we will be ready to start a new chapter at Wayland Academy Norfolk and welcome our new intake, the class of 2020! I hope everyone has a fun and safe summer. Glen Allott Principal
part of the
Leavers and Starters Leavers Mr Rose – Retiring Mr Rose joined Wayland Community High School in 2002; he was pivotal to the school becoming a Technology College and opting in to become a converter academy. Over his 12 years as Head, the school and then academy grew in strength and achievement. During this time he also received a Good judgement from Ofsted, a testament to all his hard work. Mr Rose has been much loved throughout his time at the academy by students and members of the wider community. His nurturing and caring personality has ensured many students have a future that otherwise could have evaded them. Education has changed massively during his long career. This past year he has worked extensively with the wider federation to support other academies; his knowledge and understanding of education has always remained current and he still maintains at his core that every child matters. We hope that his well deserved retirement brings all that Mr Rose wishes for, including the time to indulge in his much loved hobbies of fishing and art. Ms Wenham – Retiring Ms Wenham joined Wayland Community High School in 2003 as a teacher of Design Technology. Ms Wenham was responsible for starting Textiles as a GCSE subject at Wayland. Subsequently the subject has grown in strength with students continuing to create outstanding work. Ms Wenham has taught a variety of subjects including Art, French, English and Graphics. Ms Wenham also embedded the Crest Award in to the KS3 curriculum. Many students have continued to further qualifications and or a career linked to textiles, art and fashion. We wish Ms Wenham a long and happy retirement. Mr Crowdy A big thank you and farewell goes to Mr Crowdy who has been with the PE department this year. Both the students and staff will miss you. Thanks for all your hard work and we wish you good luck in the next step of your teaching career.
Mrs Cox Mrs Cox leaves us to move to North Yorkshire with her husband. Mrs Cox has been a valued mentor to the students, encouraging them with academic and emotional strengths. Mrs Cox has also finished her teacher training this term and her English group will miss her welsh humour. Goodbye and every success in the future. (hywl a pob llwyddiant yn y dyfodol). Mr Samuels – Going to Norwich High School for Girls Mr Samuels joined the staff at Wayland Academy Norfolk two years ago as a newly qualified teacher. He had spent five years here as a student and was keen to give something back to the Academy. He has given of his spare time freely and helped many students improve their mathematics. We would like to take this opportunity to wish him well as he looks to further his career in a move to Norwich High School.
Contents Principals Welcome – Page 2 Leavers and Starters – Page 3 Top award for quality given to Wayland Academy Norfolk – Page 4 Mighty Oakus – Page 5 Year 11 Product Design – Page 6
Mrs Whittle Mrs Whittle leaves us at the end of this year after 9 years. She has become well-known to students, parents and staff alike as the person we all go to when we need a shoulder to cry on or someone to listen to us. Her role as Pastoral Support Manager has been invaluable to the Academy – she has supported students when they have a personal problem or an issue which is acting as a barrier to their happiness and learning. Mrs Whittle is not one to be made a fuss of, but we couldn’t let this moment go by unmentioned. She will be sorely missed by all.
Rotary Club’s Young Designer event / The Brilliant Club – Page 7
Starters
Sports – Pages 18 to 21
Mrs Cardus – Head of Humanities Mrs Provost – Teacher of French Mrs Fraser – Teacher of Textiles Mrs Nicol – Teacher of Maths Mr Ezzeldin – Teacher of Maths and Engineering Mr Porter – Teacher of Construction
Geography – Pages 8 & 9 GOLD – Page 9 Photography – Pages 10 & 11 Road safety – Page 12 Library News Page 13 & 14 Lego Day – Page 15 Art Department news – Pages 16 & 17
Changing the face of Homework – Page 22 Pets As Therapy / Student Voice Update / Shakespeare for Schools / Year 10 Health and Social Care / Year 7 Residential – Page 23 Dates for your diary / Phoenix Pipes and Drums / Peer Mentors – Page 24
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Dear Students, Parents and Carers I wanted to thank you all for your kind wishes and comments over the last few weeks. As stated in the previous Newslink I am retiring as of this summer, leaving my Executive Principal role in the Watton and Wayland academies. Clearly I am sad to go but it has been an immense privilege to work with you over the years and to see how our students have progressed. Shaping young people’s lives is a vital part of our society and education plays an important part. I intend to travel with my wife and take up art more seriously in this beautiful county of ours. I wish both academies continued success and ask them to hold true to core values that put children first in all things. Michael Rose Executive Principal WAN and WJAW
Top award for quality given to Wayland Academy Norfolk by leading education charity Achievement for All Wayland Academy has been recognized for the impressive work it has been doing to improve progress in English and Maths of students who are vulnerable to under-achievement. The Academy has been working with the Achievement for All programme since September 2012 and has recently been awarded the national Quality Mark. The programme works closely with parents, teachers and the student to look at individual needs in order to develop personalised and specific interventions and targets. The Academy has seen a marked improvement in attendance and progress for these cohorts. Glen Allott, Principal, quotes: “We are delighted that our students, parents and staff have been recognised for their hard work in addressing and overcoming barriers to learning resulting in good progress for the students concerned.” The award recognises the excellent work being done by the
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Academy with Achievement for All to improve progress in reading, writing and maths for all students, regardless of their background, challenge or need. Parents spoke enthusiastically about what the programme has achieved for their children. Intervention strategies were seen as a strength within the Academy, in particular in the way it was led and evaluated which has resulted in a change of culture. Parents, staff and students were interviewed as part of the award process; assessors observed students in lessons and noticed that they were really engaged in their learning. Wayland Academy is the first academy in Norfolk to achieve the Achievement for All quality mark. “All involved have been significant in ensuring the improved outcomes and the consistent culture of aspiration you are developing’ said Shona Walton, Regional Lead from Achievement For All.
Mighty Oakus The drizzle and rain, tried to dampen our spirits on Sunday 14th June but some members of staff and students from Wayland Academy Norfolk braved the elements and set up their stall at Watton Carnival, keeping an eye on their dragon ‘Mighty Oakus’ – yes you did read that right! Wayland Academy Norfolk have sponsored a Dragon that is on display along with all the other Dragons who line the streets of Norwich for the Wild in Art Event for the Break charity. ‘Mighty Oakus’ arrived at Wayland Academy Norfolk as a plain white sculpture ready to be painted by local artist, Lisa Kirkham who along with some Year 8 students came up with the design.
‘Mighty Oakus’ was on display in reception at Wayland Academy Norfolk but he so longed to be seen by more people, so he was let out for the day to visit Watton High Street for the Carnival. It was a shame that the weather was not kind on the day but it was so nice that the people who walked through the town looked and smiled at the dragon. Some stopped to have their photographs taken with him, or just stopped to talk to us about why he was there, to help raise awareness and money for the Break charity. We held a tombola stall, sold some work produced by the students, and Mrs Allott, the Principals wife, painted (with face paints) dragons on faces. We raised £81.39 on the day, helping to support the Break charity. Thank you to all who supported us. If you did not manage to come
along to the carnival and can visit Norwich, ‘Mighty Oakus’ is on display on Castle Meadow. If you have one of the maps or the app he is Dragon number 65. The dragons will remain on display in Norwich throughout the summer until 2nd September. Please pop along and say hello to him and the other 83 dragons. You can follow ‘Mighty Oakus’ on twitter @GOGOMightyOakus. We would love to receive your pictures and messages. Donations can still be made at: Justgiving.com/waylandgogodragon If you would like more information please contact Wayland Academy Norfolk on 01953 881514 or email: mashby@waylandacademy.org.uk
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A selection of Year 11 Product Design final pieces
Well done to the following pupils for achieving the most positives in Design Technology and Art. Please find Miss Pitt for your prize. Louis Fisher Lucy Mill Jade Agent Chelsea Alderton-Spells Ashley Baldwin Holly Bowman Ashley Collins Connor Douglas Benjamin Foster Tomos Hutchings
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Rotary Club’s Young Designer event This year two students attended the Rotary Club’s Young Designer event. Harley Evans was awarded first place for the design and make of his Doll’s House which he produced in Product Design. The judges were very impressed with the amount of work he placed into the manufacture and also his
determination to produce a high quality piece. Benjamin ThomasLewin was awarded second place for the production of his board game in Graphics. Benjamin’s game was easy to understand and beautifully presented. Both boys were a credit to the Academy and the Rotary Club were fantastic hosts. We look forward to seeing you next year.
Good luck Mrs Wenham
The Brilliant Club Congratulations to Joe Burnage, Lilyella Hart, Alex Franke, Georgia Schofield, Holly Salih and Hannah Kemp who graduated at Trinity Hall College at the University of Cambridge following their participation in The Brilliant Club. All students went through challenging tutorials with a PhD tutor and were given a topic to
complete a University style essay on. The students really rose to the challenge and showed resilience, intelligence and determination. They were rewarded with a graduation trip to the University of Cambridge where they learned about how to apply successfully to university and all about university life.
The Design Technology and Art Department would like to say goodbye to Mrs Wenham who will be retiring at the end of term. Mrs Wenham has worked for many years at Wayland Academy, encouraging her students to produce amazing Art and Textiles pieces to achieve outstanding GCSE results. You will be missed.
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Year 8
The Year 8s have been studying a unit on Weather & Climate, understanding the reasons behind the weather that we experience on a daily basis here in the UK.
Geography Year 7
The Year 7s have been very busy recently, allowing their creativity to shine! Having studied a unit on Settlements and discovering the various places that people live, both in the UK and around the world, students took it upon themselves to create some excellent models and designs of various settlement types. For homework, students were set the challenge to design their very own settlement. They were all superb pieces of work that were
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extremely detailed and had been very well thought out. We then decided to make the challenge of settlement building, just a little more difficult. They were asked to create varying parts of a shanty settlement in groups. This would then come together as a class model of a whole shanty town, modelled around the slum of Mathare in Kenya. The outcome was absolutely superb! I think we may have some budding architects amongst us.
As part of their end of unit assessments, students worked in groups to create their very own weather forecasts. They had to cover a minimum of a 12 hour period and use a variety of symbols from the synoptic code. They also had to try and incorporate the tricky nature of anticyclones and depressions to their forecasts. Students presented their forecasts to the group and then were given feedback on what was good about their presentations and what they could improve on. They then took this feedback and using a levels ladder, made amendments to achieve at least their target grade. Great progress was made by all involved!
Year 10
The Year 10s are at a crucial part of their GCSE at present; completing their controlled assessments.
Year 9
The Year 9s have been preparing themselves for their lives beyond KS3 and practising the necessary skills to complete their GCSEs. They recently studied a unit on China, looking at the demographics of the country, the ways in which it
is developing and the links between China and other countries. They are now using the skills they have learnt to create their very own countries! They are to incorporate population pyramids, climate graphs, and maps showing physical and human geography.
We visited Wells-next-the-Sea to look at the impact of tourism on the small seaside town. Students measured the quality of the environment, counted traffic and pedestrians and also spoke to locals and business owners about their perceptions of tourism. It was a glorious day out and all students were an absolute credit to the academy. Now it’s down to the hard work, as students start to write up their findings. Good luck Year 10s!
GOLD To mark the end of our World War 2 studies and also to tie in with the recent VE Day anniversary celebrations, the GOLD group staged this special event. The class put lots of time and effort into creating very own VE Day street party. Having looked closely at how important VE Day was to the nation of Britain at the end of the war they researched how people all over the country celebrated. The students produced amazing classroom displays and were very proud to
show off all their hard work and what they had been studying.
at that time, Winston Churchill and food rationing.
The children designed and sent out invitations to our street party, which was held in Room 19. As you can see we had a wonderful spread of food donated by some members of staff and the children themselves. For the adults, they served tea in china cups and saucers from a teapot together with a slice of homemade cake, served from a very old china cake stand.
We held a competition about WW2 for the teachers and visitors to our room to take part in. Well done to Miss Ferguson who got the most correct answers and won a prize.
They dressed the room with Union Jacks and put up boards showing information about the Royal Family
The children were surprised with the arrival of a street entertainer who kindly came along and showed them some amazing magic tricks (a very big thank you to Mr Chapman) leaving a few of them puzzled. Everyone enjoyed the day immensely.
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Year 11 GCSE Photography This is the first time Wayland Academy Norfolk has offered GCSE Photography as an additional GCSE. Students have attended after school sessions on a Tuesday and Thursday evening and they have spent many hours outside school taking photos. The students had minimal or no previous photography skills so they have had to learn a huge amount very quickly. They have positively excelled themselves and we are incredibly proud of their achievements. To the class of 2014-2015 many congratulations; we’ve enjoyed being part of your journey.
Steph
Steph has produced some interesting photos which have been taken in Russia as well as England. She has a keen interest in other cultures and her photos capture life from different life styles.
Tyler
Tyler’s ideas are always contemporary and imaginative. Her work shows how good she is at creatively editing her photos to enhance her ideas.
Enola
Enola has shown so much development during the course and she is now confident and comfortable to push herself to take a difficult photo. She has arranged
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Estelle
and set up some intriguing photo shoots organising her own models, props and locations.
Estelle has shown a good level of skill when editing her photos; she is especially good at photographing mechanical forms.
Marcie
Emily
Marcie is an incredible photographer who tells the most capturing story through her images. Her editing skills have developed during the course and she has the most fantastic ability to create mood and emotion for the viewer. Marcie has taken some bold and brave photos and has addressed challenging subjects.
Emily has been an outstanding photography student who has worked consistently hard throughout the course. Her ability to develop ideas into capturing images never fails to impress. All of Emily’s projects are thoroughly researched and fully thought through to achieve the very best final outcome.
Carri
Brandon has been a consistently hard worker, his projects are thoroughly completed. He has produced exciting final pieces and has always taken on the challenge to produce innovative final pieces.
Carri has worked so incredibly hard during the course and with time has grown in confidence in her own ability. She can now take striking photos and she considers subject matter, composition, angles, lighting and backgrounds.
Tom
Tom has proved to be a good photographer who is capable of photographing a range of subject matters from food to people, but his favourite subject is dead and decaying animals.
Maisie
Maisie’s portfolios are a visual feast of information; she works in a methodical way to show her thought process from beginning to end. She is a very confident photographer and is always prepared and ready with camera in hand to capture the next exciting moment.
Brandon
Kezia
Kezia has grown in confidence in her own ability as the course has progressed. She has taken some amazing cultural photos which are thought provoking to the viewer. Kezia can now direct a viewer’s eye around her photos through thinking about angles and lighting.
Year 11 Photography Exhibition Year 11 Photography hosted their Photography exhibition this term to showcase the work that they had produced over the last two years for their Pathways + option. The work was admired by current students, staff and parent/carers. Students worked after school on a Tuesday and Thursday to gain their additional GCSE.
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Wayland Academy Norfolk students learn about road safety for a day Year 7 pupils at Wayland Academy Norfolk swapped sums for speed cameras for one day only as part of a road safety event today (Wednesday 8th July). Norfolk Constabulary put on the event, in partnership with Breckland Council and Norfolk County Council, to around 110 students at the Academy. Watton’s Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) and Shipdham and Ovington Community Speed Watch teams were at Wayland Academy all day, giving presentations on how the constabulary enforce safety on the county’s roads and the potential consequences of driving unsafely. The pupils were split into groups and spent the day, moving between a number of engaging activities. They all had the opportunity to use road safety kit, such as the speed gun equipment,
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and took part in role plays to act out various scenarios. A competition to design road safety posters inspired some creative and impactful designs with the winning entries from Bethany Shaw and Megan Green to go on display outside the school. PCSO Tonya Winsley, of Watton SNT, said: “Today we were able to teach local pupils how to stay safe when walking on the roads and riding on their bikes, in what we wanted to be an engaging and interactive way and I was delighted with how much they took to the activities and the enjoyment they seemed to get from the event. “Hopefully the students will remember and use our advice to become safe and considerate drivers in the future, and maybe even pass on some of what they’ve learnt to parents and other relatives too.”
Michael Wassell, Leader of Breckland Council and ward member for Watton said: “All the children taking part today had a great time and have gained a greater understanding of where risks lie in everyday situations. Skills learned at this early stage will help keep them safe throughout their lives.” Glen Allott, Principal of Wayland Academy said: “We prepare children inside the classroom the best we can at the Academy, but we can also prepare them for life outside the Academy too. Speed awareness is a real life skill and knowing how to stay safe on the road is important at any age so today will have given our Year 7s a great headstart.” If you would like to set up a Community Speed Watch scheme in your village or town, contact the Norfolk Safety Camera Partnership on 01603 276 433.
Library News Carnegie Comes to a Conclusion by Ms Paterson
The Carnegie book club reached its annual conclusion on Monday 22nd June as we travelled to the University Technical College (UTC) in Norwich for the announcement of the winner. Academies across the TEN group joined to discuss what we thought of this year’s nominated titles, and debate who we thought would be the overall winner. Our group had managed to read the majority of the titles, were very active within the groups and were a credit to Wayland. At twelve o’clock the room settled to silent munching on lunches as the Award Ceremony began. The Greenaway Illustrator’s Award was first, and much to certain pupils’ disappointment, Shaun Tan’s ‘Rules of Summer’ lost to ‘Shackleton’s Journey’ by William Grill. We had already voted and were strongly favouring ‘More than This’ by Patrick Ness, so there was a shock announcement when ‘Buffalo Soldier’ by Tanya Landman snuck in ahead! It was a great day which really made our student’s break down and analyse the quality of texts, and evaluate their effectiveness for the target audience of the readers.
Carnegie Report by Jackson Cutts
On 22nd June, myself and a number of other students went to the UTC in Norwich, to view and discuss the results of 2015’s Carnegie Book Award. We met with pupils from other local schools to debate our favourite books from the shortlist and listen to other people’s thoughts on the novels. After some lively discussion, we participated in a series of quizzes about children’s fiction and the competition itself. Later, following refreshments we gathered to watch a live stream of the announcement of the winner of the Carnegie book award. The victorious novel, Tanya Landman’s ‘Buffalo Soldier’, came as a surprise to all of us, as many among the group expected Patrick Ness’s ‘More Than This’ would take the prize. The final thing to do was assemble for photographs, before we returned to Wayland. Good fun was had by all, and we eagerly await next year’s award.
REMINDER from Mrs Barnett!
BLAG
The Boys Reading Group Library Group (BLAG) met earlier this term with Mr Parker, Academic Mentor and Mrs Barnett, Librarian. They discussed the type of books they felt would encourage boys to engage more with reading and came up with a list including: DC Comic Graphics, Real-Life Interactive Adventures, Extreme Sports and Manga style novels. New books were purchased and have been flying off the shelves so quickly that waiting lists have been put in place for the most popular titles! Colourful new beanbags have also been bought and are very popular with the students; they are a bright addition and help to make the library a welcoming space.
PLEASE remember to return your library books before the end of term!
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MFL Languages Festival On Friday 26th June the Year 6 students from our seven primary feeder schools participated in our annual Language Festival run by the Year 9 students of Wayland Academy Norfolk. The Year 9 students were divided in to groups earlier in the year and were tasked with creating an activity in a language of their choice in order to extend their language and leadership skills. They used their knowledge and teaching skills on the day in order to entertain and educate the Year 6 students, whilst also helping to create opportunities for the Year 6 students to make new friends. All our feeder schools took part in the games and challenges; the students were put into groups and tried out various activities including twister, snap, hangman, snakes and ladders and many more – all in different languages, including Croatian, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian and Arabic. 14
Quotes from Year 6s
‘I’m finding it fun and very rewarding – there is a good variety of different activities to do’ – Logan Driscoll ‘Very much fun, I’ve learnt a lot of words in different languages’ Hermione Rands ‘It’s fun and I’m learning new things’ Sian Lount
Quotes from WAN Year 9’s
‘Really good – it’s fun talking to the Year 6s as they are learning lots of new languages’ – Kira Jade ‘I think it’s fun and it is fun to interact with the Year 6s’ – Daisy Kiddel ‘It’s been an inspirational day’ Holly Salih Photographs and write up by Abigail Evans and Katherine Ward (Year 10 Photography students)
Lego Day Part of the problem with filling the current skills gap is that students are switched off to construction early, often while they’re still in primary school. In the Skills Centre, we decided a couple of years ago that we needed to do something about this and decided to invite the Year 6 students in for a number of activity days. This did however, present us with a bit of a problem; how were we going to capture their imagination? What were we going to do with them? So many construction activities rely on having the correct PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) which we can’t expect from students from outside the centre. Inspiration came, in the form of an ever popular activity. If you can’t work with real bricks because you don’t have steelies, what’s the next best thing? Lego, of course!
The activity is designed to highlight the importance of teamwork within the construction industry; each student in a team is allocated a specific job role which has its own rules and limitations. The Project Managers were shown (for the grand total of five minutes) a Lego structure and informed that their task was to reproduce it with the help of their team. They had the responsibility of communicating to the rest of their team what the structure looked like and how they should build it. The only other members of each team that were allowed to see the original structure were the Construction Engineers, who were also permitted to take notes and talk to the Architect. The team had to work out what bricks they needed and purchase these from the Builders’ Merchant; although only the Site Agents and Bricklayers were allowed to visit the merchant. Only the Bricklayers
were permitted to actually build the structure, with as much verbal help and encouragement as their team wished to give them. Finally, the Quantity Surveyors kept track of all purchases made for the project and were responsible for producing the final accounts for their building. (And, to reassure you that we took the rules seriously: £100 fixed penalty notices were issued to any team found to be in violation of these rules!) This year, due to the number of students, we had to run the activity over two days. On both days, all the students were focused, engaged and totally engrossed in their task. The buildings took shape at different speeds, with some teams spending a long time looking at what seemed to be a mismatched pile of bricks before suddenly making huge strides whereas other teams took the slow and steady approach throughout.
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Art Department news Summer 2015
Year 10 are looking forward to a trip to the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge where they will take part in a bespoke workshop with the theme ‘Still life’, following a tour of relevant exhibits.
Our Norfolk and Norwich Open studios event on Friday 5th June proved to be a success with visitors leaving very positive comments about the Year 10 Art work on display. Thank you to all who attended and a special thank you to Richard Nobes at City College Norwich, who designed and printed our invitations again.
Prior to the Open studios event, Jack Darge, Natalya Copeman and Wendy MacKinnon exhibited their drawings in the Forum as part of the ‘taster exhibition’.
The Art Department is looking forward to working with Pets as Therapy (PAT) by designing a promotional poster. Pets As Therapy is a national charity founded in 1983. It is a community based charity providing therapeutic visits to hospitals, hospices, nursing and care homes, special needs schools and a variety of other establishments from volunteers with their pet dogs and cats. Thank you to Carole Adam for giving us this opportunity.
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Year 7 have been studying Botanical Art and have produced some beautiful watercolour paintings. This cyclamen is by Riley Smith.
Lovely to see ex-Wayland Art students Sanchia Clinton and Murphy McKie at the Private View of their exhibition at City College Norwich. Sanchia and Murphy left us in 2012 to complete a BTEC Art and Design Level 3. Murphy is going to study Art at Degree Level at Leeds College of Art. I wish them both well.
ANTHONY WEBB Incomplete manifesto for potential 1. USE EVERYTHING AROUND YOU. You can learn from everything around you. From the objects around you to your feeling of the room you’re in.
2. LEARN TO THE LIMIT OF YOUR MEMORY. Every major human accomplishment was because of the knowledge they have collected. Even the littlest trivia fact can matter.
3. ALWAYS DEVELOP YOUR WISDOM. Make sure you always use your wisdom to its fullest, for what good is knowledge without the means to use it.
We have now said goodbye to our Year 11 students, who between them produced some fantastic work, in particular Brandon Whitehair, Anthony Webb and Brooke Cadwell. Good luck and keep in touch!
4. CREATE POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS. Negative bonds only slow you down while positive ones help give you a push.
10. CHANGE NEGATIVE RESULTS. Don’t forget that with every negative you either have to add a positive to it or use that negative to change another negative since two negatives make a positive.
11. ALWAYS FORGIVE BUT NEVER FORGET. It’s always possible to forgive someone even though it may be hard but it’s never good to forget because then you learn nothing to stop it happening again. Don’t say you “can’t” forgive them.
12. IF YOU CAN HELP, HELP… DON’T QUESTION IT.
Nikos Kazantzakis, a Greek philosopher, once said “In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can”. This could not have been said better.
Unless they have harmful intentions, always help them because you will have helped the person they helped because of it and the person after that.
13. CONTROL YOUR THOUGHTS
“Knowledge is the key… but only if you have all of the pieces can you open the door”.
Never let your thoughts run wild because they’ll cause havoc if they lead down the wrong way.
6. AIM FOR INSIGHT.
14. LIMITING EFFORT = DAMAGING POTENTIAL
7. UNDERSTAND EVERYONE IN YOUR LIFE. You cannot hope to know, like, help, live with or work with anyone you don’t understand. If you talk to and understand that person… you can walk by them until the very end.
8. BE YOURSELF. You are like a snowflake… everything about you is unique and you have to use that in order to succeed in what you want.
It’s wide with verity and balance at the bottom with its main skills is sharp and long to a point at the top.
20. YOU’LL NEVER SUCCEED UNLESS YOU BELIEVE.
5. INFORMATION IS KEY.
Once you gain ultimate insight, you’ll be able to see the path where-ever you go.
19. HAVE SKILLS LIKE AN ARROW HEAD.
In order to achieve you must always try your best even during the most boring or useless tasks because that’s a part that defines you. 15. KEEP SMILING Even if it’s fake… it can still make your day.
16. THE CONSEQUENCES OF CONSEQUENCES. It’ll never hurt to be prepared for possible results of your actions because causing those actions will help because more results we be produced from it.
17. HOLD ON TO THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE.
9. LET BELIEF GUIDE YOU.
A quote from John Milton in 1944 says “He who destroys a good book kills reason itself”. To learn from the past leads to a more sustainable future.
If you believe in something then you should follow that belief in order to succeed in it but keep in mind the power of insight.
18. KEEP ON CLIMBING. There’s an end up there somewhere so don’t stop until you’ve made it all of the way to celebrate.
21. WHEN IN DOUBT… FAIL FANTASTICALLY. When you try your best at something but it does not seem to be enough for the current task, don’t give up and feel sad, the least you could do for all of your efforts is fail in an epic way.
22. BE THE LIGHT IN SOMEONE’S DARKNESS. It’s never easy to see the positives when drowned in negatives so you have to help them by using what you know about them to bring happiness back.
23. USE AS MANY WAYS AS YOU CAN. Don’t just use one technique or way of thinking because you’ll only get one type of result. Use a variety to get everything you can from it.
24. DESTINY AND DUTY CALLS. Why are we here? I don’t know yet… but I’m going to make it worth it for me and those around me.
25. TO KNOW SOMETHING. If it’s important to you, you should understand it but unless you know what it’s going to do… you don’t understand it enough.
26. HATE IS USEFUL? All emotions, when used correctly, can help you grow in potential but only if you can control them when necessary.
27. MUSIC MOTIVATES. Different music makes you feel different feelings. So use that to your advantage when you need a quick push.
28. TO JUDGE OTHERS IS TO WASTE TIME. We’re all different in looks, love and loyalty to religion but to argue against their views is to waste your time that you could be using for you and your loved ones.
29. THE EASY OR HARD WAY? To get better, never go the easy way but never go the hardest way either. Go the hardest way that you can do because you might learn something that’ll let you try harder next time.
30. WHO ARE YOU? Understanding yourself is one of the most important things for you. What do you like? What can you do? Why do you do things? If you know yourself then you know what you will do to improve yourself.
31. FIND YOUR PLACE IN THE JIGSAW PUZZLE. Don’t work in a place that you don’t fit in and don’t you change your shape just to fit in either. You have to find that special place that has its own place just for you.
32. MAKE USE OF THE LITTLE THINGS. Don’t just focus or wait for the defining things in life. You should also focus on performing all of the little things in life that’ll help you and those around you because all of those little things are just as effective as something bigger.
33. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HERO AND A VILLAIN. What difference? I don’t see any difference… a hero can still do evil and a villain can still do good. Those are just titles which is not the only thing you should look at when learning about someone. The most important thing that could happen with these two… is when they work together.
Year 8 are coming close to finishing their Vintage Travel Posters advertising destinations of their choice. Joe Ferguson chose Australia, Elle Kelner chose Clacton and Sandra Jaskulska chose Poland. They will look fantastic on the Art room wall.
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Sports at Wayland Academy Norfolk Rounders Success The Year 8 and Year 9 teams have both qualified for the semi-finals of the South Norfolk Rounders League. The Year 9 team will play Wymondham College. Congratulations to: Lia Jones, Olivia Baker, Jasmine Vincent, Rebekka Vansittart, Aiesha Pitcher, Lauren Dade, Sidney Reardon and Holly Salih. The Year 8 team will play Old Buckenham Congratulations to: Reanna Cook, Kasey Irwin, Emily Rumer, Charlotte Ross, Lexie Fields, Ellena Sanger, Eve Martin, Kerris Walpole and Emma Bambridge.
Wayland Academy hosted the Breckland Athletics trials again this year Students and staff from Attleborough Academy, Iceni Academy and Thetford Academy joined Wayland in this annual event. The following Wayland pupils all qualified to represent Breckland at the Norfolk School Games Finals on June 30th at the UEA: Wiktor Meja, Matt Wyatt, Alisha Barnes, Beth Childerhouse, William
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Baird-Parker, Henry Waddingham, Nicola Salaga, Lexie Field, Hannah Kerrison, Joel Ferreira, Mirosz Nierzwicki, Lia Jones, Olivia Baker, Jasmine Vincent, James Sinclair, Liam Oewn, Tamika Bustin, Ella Smy, Tamara Levin, Elishia Poole and Amy Studer. Look out for the results in the next edition of Newslink.
Norfolk School Games Angling Competition Congratulations to Steven Gale for winning the angling final at the Norfolk School Games – the competition brought together the best young anglers from across Norfolk schools.
England Netball trip On Friday 8th May, 3 members of staff and 14 girls from Wayland set off to the Copperbox in London to watch England play netball. There was a slight delay trying to get into the multi-storey car park as we were not informed of the height restrictions and made it in by the ‘skin of our teeth’!!! This all added to the fun of the day. Once inside we realised we had really good seats and an amazing view of the court. England were playing Trinidad and Tobago as part of their preparations for the upcoming Netball World Cup, which takes place in Sydney in August. England continually turned over possession and finished the first quarter 13 – 5. This momentum continued and by the end of the third quarter England were winning 52 – 27. In the final quarter Trinidad and Tobago tried to make a comeback but England dominated the game winning 67 – 42. After the game we were privileged to see Captain, Pamela Cookey receive a presentation to mark her 100th game for England. The girls then waited patiently and had photos taken with some of the players from both England and Trinidad and Tobago. A great day was had by all and the girls were a credit to the academy.
Claire Pugh On Sunday 17th May, Claire attended an ISTD ballroom and Latin American competition in the bronze section and competed in the cha cha cha Latin, quick step ballroom and old time 3 x sequence dance (Gainsborough slide, Samba and Tango El sid) and qualified by coming in the top 6 in all dances. She also danced in the pairs waltz and cha cha cha getting into the semi-finals, with Claire qualifying for the ISTD amateur ballroom and Latin grand final weekend taking place on 31st October and 1st November at Blackpool Winter Gardens. 19
Sports Day The sun was shining on Wayland Academy Norfolk for their annual sports day. The morning was full of all the traditional field events taking place. A special mention must go to Joel Ferreria who broke the Year 9 Discus record which has stood for 16 years. Joel threw 34:10m beating the old record by more than 6 metres. The afternoon was full of fun with all the usual track events and team relays. Alongside this were all the side events, the Wayland K and of course the ice cream van. Hero House won the most side events, including target frisbee, goalball, rowing and speed stack to name a few. Many staff and students participated in the Wayland K. Hero and Macmillan came joint first with the most participants completing the distance. The overall winners of the day were Macmillan House. Congratulations to all.
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Year 7 382 Year 8 367 Year 9 427 Year 10 340 Extra 400 Wayland ‘K’ 270
Star
Year 7 448 Year 8 308 Year 9 334 Year 10 313 Extra 540 Wayland ‘K’ 336
Year 7 310 Year 8 373 Year 9 335 Year 10 414 Extra 460 Wayland ‘K’ 333
2225
Macmillan
2279
RESULTS
Year 7 298 Year 8 376 Year 9 351 Year 10 320 Extra 560 Wayland ‘K’ 336
2186
Nelson
2241
Hero
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CHANGING THE FACE OF HOMEWORK For some time now, we have been evaluating our current homework policy and monitoring the views of students, parents and teachers as well as measuring the effect that homework has on students and their learning. We believe homework is a valuable and essential part to the learning of all of our students and as such, it is extremely important that homework is set regularly, is completed and that feedback is given. We have developed a new homework policy that will effectively improve the progress of our students through encouraging them to work independently at home. Homework will now be known as ‘Home Learning Projects’ (HLPs). Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 will now follow a timetable of HLPs which are designed to take up to ten hours to complete over two weeks or five hours over a single week. Students will only have one or two HLPs to complete at any one time. The HLPs will be project/ task based home learning tasks that encourage students to work independently and allow them to explore ideas and areas of interest that may not have been explored in depth before.
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Independent learning can be described as practising a set of skills which a student can use in order to become more competent in their learning. Research shows that independent learning tasks reinforce and extend the curriculum, enhance skills, give students a sense of achievement and are vital life skills for young people. It is the intention that HLPs will provide opportunities for independent learning so that we can give our students every opportunity to succeed, to make great progress and to prepare them for their lives ahead of Wayland Academy Norfolk. It is also a great opportunity for KS3 students to acquire the skills that will be required by the newly reformed GCSEs. Our aims are: • To set tasks which engage and challenge students to achieve • To give students opportunities to explore ideas and areas of interest • To provide opportunities for peer and/or self assessment • To ensure students are given clear feedback in order to enable them to progress
All students in Year 7, 8 and 9 are set HLPs from most subjects (with the exception of Mathematics who will set regular weekly homework). All HLPs will be designed to take a maximum of ten hours to complete over two weeks or five hours over a single week. HLPs, depending on the subject, content and skills required will vary. However some examples might be: • Researching a particular area and then using the information to create a resource • Completing a piece of work in connection with classwork which will then inform assessment • Answering questions based on information given in class • Answering a ‘key question’ with an open choice of how students respond. There will be a parent launch evening on Monday 7th September where parents/carers can find out more about the initiative. Letters will be sent out shortly.
Student Voice Update
Year 10 Health and Social Care
Our school council has been working hard this year. They have designed anti-bullying cards, been anti-bullying buddies, created surveys and questionnaires, put forward proposals for a summer uniform and provided valuable feedback on how to improve homework.
Recently the Year 10 Health and Social Care students had a visit from Dorrington House care home. The staff came to talk to students about careers in Health and Social Care and specifically apprenticeships. The students were very attentive and had lots of questions for the staff.
In our last meeting we met with Mrs Fizia from Caterlink to address key issues in our canteen. Students advised on what food should be offered, pricing and organisation of the area. We look forward to seeing their suggestions put in place for next academic year.
Shakespeare for Schools
Pets As Therapy Our ongoing Pets As Therapy programme has seen two new pupils enjoying the benefits of reading to our wonderful PAT dog Dora. The Read2Dogs programme has helped many children learn to read and communicate and can improve their literacy skills. Research shows that children can be nervous and stressed when reading to others in a group. However, when a PAT dog enters the group the child becomes less stressed and less self-conscious. Before long the children are looking forward to the reading experience and confidence is boosted. A very big thank you to Mrs Kay and Dora for always brightening everyone’s day at WAN. If you are interested in becoming a PAT volunteer please contact Miss Blundell SEN Department or visit www.petsastherapy.org
On Monday 12th October 2015, 30 students from Wayland Academy Norfolk will be performing an abridged version of ‘The Comedy of Errors’ to a live audience at the Norwich Playhouse as part of the Shakespeare for Schools festival. Wayland Academy Norfolk will be performing alongside three other schools from Norfolk in this prestigious event, showcasing the students understanding and grasp of Shakespearean language and interpretation. The Shakespeare for Schools festival is a national event, recognised by many artistic organisations and professional artists.
After the presentation we have arranged a visit for the students to Dorrington House in Watton, so we look forward to bringing you an update in the next edition on how they got on.
Year 7 Residential This term, we took 39 of our Year 7 students to the Kingswood Activity Centre at West Runton. The students took part in lots of fun activities including; quad biking, aeroball, zip wires and SOS where students had to imagine they were stranded on a desert island and make a shelter using the natural resources provided. It was a thoroughly enjoyable visit for both students and staff. Our next Year 7 residential will be taking place from 5th to 7th October when we will be going to the Kingswood Activity Centre at Overstrand Hall. We hope to see you there! More information about the Overstrand centre can be found at: www.kingswood.co.uk/centres/ overstrand-hall/
The class of 2015 had an amazing Prom at Lynford Hall. There were spectacular cars and dresses along with some EPIC dance-offs that Mr Mather revelled in. A superb end to a brilliant year for them. See you on results day.
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Dates for your diary JULY 2015 Tues 21st – Wayland Academy closes 3.15pm for Summer Holidays AUGUST 2015 Thurs 20th – Exam results SEPTEMBER 2015 Tues 1st – Staff training day Wed 2nd – Staff training day Mon 7th – HLP (Home Learning Project) Parent Launch Event (5-6pm) Thurs 17th – Yr7 & Yr9 Photos Tues 22nd – Workshop at Norwich Playhouse Yr8 & Yr9 Creative Arts group OCTOBER 2015 Mon 5th to Wed 7th – Yr7 Residential Mon 12th – ‘Comedy of Errors’ at Norwich Playhouse for Yr8 & Yr9 Creative Arts group Tues 20th to Fri 23rd – MFL trip to Paris Wed 21st – Wayland Academy closes 3.15pm for Half Term Thu 22nd – Staff training day Fri 23rd – Staff training day NOVEMBER 2015 Mon 2nd – Students return to Wayland Academy Mon 16th – Bag2sch collection DECEMBER 2015 Tues 8th to Fri 11th – MFL German trip to Christmas Markets Fri 18th – Wayland Academy closes 3.15pm for Christmas Break JANUARY 2016 Mon 4th – Staff training day Tue 5th – Students return to Wayland Academy
Peer Mentors Peer mentors is still running in Room 14 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday lunchtimes. Please come along for fun, games, advice, hot chocolate and biscuits. If anyone has any board games that they no longer use please donate them to our group.
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Phoenix Pipes and Drums Four members of the Watton-based Phoenix Pipes & Drums Played at Horseguards Parade London yesterday as they took part in a massive Parade to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the battle of Waterloo. Stan Hebborn, Natasha Rudd, Catherine Lee and Jamie Currie all attended as The Phoenix Pipes & Drums form part of the Southern Highlanders Pipes & Drums, who paraded a massed Pipe Band of nearly 100 musicians from all over the country, who in turn joined a parade of over 1,500 musicians. The Parade set off at 18:15 hrs from Horseguards Parade, (the significance being that the Battle of Waterloo was won in 1815) and Marched 5 abreast down the Mall past St James’s Palace and past Buckingham Palace, where the Parade finished in Constitution Hill. There was an estimated 5,000+ people watching this spectacular event. Stan Hebborn, Pipe Major of the Phoenix Pipes & Drums said, “It is always an honour and a privilege to play in such a splendorous location, steeped with history and tradition, on the very route Her Majesty The Queen followed only last week at the Trouping of the Colour. We are very lucky to
have such opportunities, indeed it was only last week that myself and Pipe Sergeant Catherine Lee were playing to guests in St. James’s Palace at a Waterloo commemorative Dinner, to the pleasure of Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Mornington and direct descendant of the Duke of Wellington. This was also the first Major Parade for one of our newer members, Piper Jamie Currie of Griston.” Pipe Sergeant Natasha Rudd added, “It is always such a thrill to do events such as this. We sometimes spend longer posing for photographs for the tourists than we do playing! This is exactly the sort of thing tourists hope to experience”. Pipe Sergeant Catherine Lee went on to say; “We still have a very busy year ahead. We are playing at the last post ceremony at the Menin gate in Ypres (Belgium) on 18th July, and at the Ystad International Military Tattoo in Sweden in August, as well as covering lots of local shows and events here at home in Norfolk.” The Band are always looking for new members of all ages and abilities, and meet in Watton every Wednesday from 7pm to 9pm. To find out more please visit www.ppd.org.uk