Edition 15 11/12/17
CLF NEWS “Embedding Excellence”
BBC Radio Bristol live from Digitech Studio School
ALSO INSIDE THIS ISSUE... Star Wars legend visits Academy
Students win helicopter ride
In the first of its kind BBC Radio Bristol broadcasted live from a school, the first time a school has hosted an entire BBC local radio show in this region. BBC’s Emma Britton broadcasted her Breakfast Show live from Digitech Studio School. Lis Jolley, Principal of Digitech Studio School was the first guest and talked about her school, what a studio school is and what is the role of a studio school. There was a range of CLF Music, Sport, and education features, including a discussion about the funding of education. The show also included the usual BBC breakfast show features such as news, sports and weather. Digitech also has its own radio station, Phoenix Radio run entirely by a team of students. On the day students were involved in reading the weather, the news, sports reporting and they also acted as runners for the BBC Show. BBC Producer Nicki Ledgard has worked closely with the CLF Communications Manager Dean Blake for a number of weeks to produce and arrange content for the show. Dean said, “This is an amazing
opportunity for Digitech Studio School and the Cabot Learning Federation. To be able to showcase our work to Bristol and the surrounding areas on such a brilliant platform is incredible and I would like to thank BBC Radio Bristol for allowing us this opportunity. This will also be a chance for our presenters and producers to work alongside experienced professionals and my hope is it will inspire them to consider a career in broadcasting in the future.” Emma Britton said “I’m very excited to be going back to school for the morning and looking forward to meeting everyone (including Noodle the dog). And if the Phoenix Radio team are up for the challenge, I can put my feet up for the morning!”
Author visits Summerhill
CAB students meet MEP Tim Bowles
“This is an amazing opportunity for Digitech Studio School.”
“Embedding Excellence”
Star Wars legend visits King’s Oak Academy A full life size working model of Star Wars famed R2D2 visited students at King’s Oak Academy. Students from Yrs 7-11, over 170 in total, had a chance to meet this famous robot. Built by Paul Felski, the husband of Julie Felski, Head of Hercules House at King’s Oak, R2D2 was a surprise visitor at a specially convened assembly. With contributions from King’s Oak Design & Technology Department it took Paul over nine years to build the robot. Designed from scratch the robot is made from wood, aluminium, acrylic, different types of plastic and is fully radio controlled and he even plays the Star Wars music! It is powered by rechargeable batteries installed in the head and body. This is not Paul’s first foray into robot building. Paul has also built B9 from Lost in Space, he is 7ft tall, is interactive and speaks. Paul and Julie exhibit him at Comic Cons around the country. Julie said, “This was a brilliant event for our students, it proves that if you set your mind on something you can achieve it with hard work and persistence. I hope our students will be inspired by Paul’s work and encourage them to think big and go for their dreams.”
Students tour battlefields in France and Belgium Year eleven City Academy students Kyreese Johnson and Hamze Hassan, and English teacher Mr Callander, undertook a First World War battlefields tour in France and Belgium. They travelled with students and teachers from across England on a four day tour of significant locations associated with poetry, novels and plays of the First World War.
moving rendition of 'Abide with Me' as the wreaths were laid.
Highlights for them included visiting Essex Farm Cemetery in Ypres, the inspiration behind 'In Flanders' Fields' by John McCrae. That day they were very fortunate to also explore the Zonnebeke Church Dugout. This unique underground site is only being opened to the public for a few months of this year to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele.
The trip was led by Equity School Travel, in partnership with the UCL Institute of Education, who have developed an enquiry based approach for First World War battlefield tours to mark the centenary.
They took in a performance of RC Sherriff's 'Journey's End' at the iconic Old Ammunition Dump in Ypres. They also attended the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate, paying their respects to the thousands of missing British and Commonwealth soldiers. A Welsh choir sang a very
Their final stop on the tour was Tyne Cot Cemetery, where they each laid a cross beneath the inscription of Thomas Henry Newcombe, a Bristolian who grew up on Chelsea Rd, Easton.
Mr Callander said, “The two boys conducted themselves with grace and maturity throughout the trip, they were great ambassadors for City Academy and their community.
“Embedding Excellence”
Bristol Brunel maintains Ofsted ‘Good’ Bristol Brunel Academy recently underwent an Ofsted inspection. Rated ‘Good’ in June 2013 the Cabot Learning Federation is pleased to announce that the Academy retained its ‘Good’ categorisation. “The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection”, Ofsted said. Inspectors who visited the academy for a short inspection in October said, “They provide strong and confident leadership and a clear sense of direction and ambition. Your detailed self-evaluation accurately identifies the school’s strengths and the areas that need to improve further. You have the full support of the staff and strong leaders. A culture of ambition in the school is helping to improve standards and outcomes for pupils. Governors are well informed and provide you with a good balance of support and challenge.” “Changes you have made to the curriculum are clearly having a positive impact on the progress that pupils make. You employ a very effective range of intervention strategies which ensure that the needs of all pupils are met.” Ofsted went on to say, “Pupils are proud of their school and appreciate the positive impact the behaviour policy, ‘Right to Learn’, has on their progress. They are polite and respectful, wear their uniform with pride and treat each other with kindness. Pupils fully support the school’s inclusive policies and practices. The majority of parents believe that the school is well led and that their children are well taught and kept safe. The majority of current pupils make good progress in a wide range of subjects, including English and mathematics. You have reduced previous differences between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils significantly.” In regard to safeguarding they said, “Governors and your leadership team ensure that all safeguarding arrangements are up to date, meet requirements and are fit for purpose. Records are detailed and of good quality. You and other leaders, supported by well-trained governors, teachers and other staff, have created a strong culture of safety which permeates every aspect of school life. Staff work well with parents and carers and with the local authority, when appropriate, to ensure the safety of vulnerable pupils.” Ofsted noted, “Staff with specific responsibilities for safeguarding take great care to ensure that they meet the needs of all pupils. This includes pupils with medical problems, pupils who join the school at times other than at the start of term, pupils from other countries who may speak little English and those at risk beyond the school. There is a strong, personalised approach which parents and pupils value. You and your staff are clear about the risk pupils face from extremism and radicalisation. You, therefore, keep pupils well informed. You deal with incidents of bullying quickly and effectively. Pupils are confident in the measures the school has in place to keep them safe.” In closing they said, “Provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is strong and improving. This is because of your focus on identifying and meeting their individual needs, your careful tracking of their progress and your drive to make them independent learners. You and your leadership team are ambitious to enable disadvantaged pupils to make even greater progress. As a result, you are concentrating on strategies to strengthen their aspirations further.” Jon Jones, Principal of Bristol Brunel Academy said, “I feel incredibly proud of the students, staff and families for the recognition highlighted in this feedback letter. The Ofsted team recognised that we had improved significantly on our previous ‘Good’ judgement and that we are moving ever closer to becoming ‘Outstanding’ at the next inspection. I want to thank every member of the Academy community for their part in achieving this recognition and for their future support on our journey.” Steve Taylor, CEO of the Cabot Learning Federation said, “I am delighted that the community served by Bristol Brunel can be so proud of its local school. The academy continues to get better and better, which is why it is so popular with pupils and their parents and carers. Well done to Jon Jones, his team and the governors for making such a difference every day.”
“Embedding Excellence”
King’s Oak stages major concert at Colston Hall
Schools from South Gloucestershire put on a spectacular Christmas concert at the Colston Hall recently. This annual concert, hosted by King’s Oak Academy, included six of the academy’s partner primary schools Beacon Rise Primary, Courtney Primary, Cadbury Heath Primary, The Park Primary, Park Wall Primary and the Tynings Primary. There were over 450 voices on stage from Years 3 to 13, which also included King’s Oak Academy students. The children performed a range of songs including, Thank you for the Music, You raise me Up, Shine, Heal the World, the Camel Boogie Woogie and a medley of Christmas songs. Other acts included steel bands, drum groups, rock bands, and soloists. The aim of this event was to promote participation in making music and the idea that music can be fun for all ages. The audience also played their part in the ‘fun’ of the evening by singing along to their favourite tunes and Christmas songs.
The annual Colston Hall concert was produced and directed by Tim Warren, Team Leader of Performance & Participation, from King’s Oak Academy, who said, “This concert is part of the continuing work between our academy and our partner primaries which covers many areas of the curriculum. The students, pupils and staff really enjoyed the day and worked really well together, they put on a fantastic performance thoroughly enjoyed by the audience.” This was also a charity fundraiser so a silver collection was made in aid of The Jessie May trust, the chosen charity of the Music department. Pics by Steve South
“Embedding Excellence”
Local charity benefits from students’ generosity
Students at Hanham Woods Academy raised over £2500 by taking part in non-uniform days and other fund raising activities.
The money was distributed to various charities and good causes including a donation to the Jessie May Trust. The Jessie May Trust is a Bristol-based charity providing nursing care at home for children and young people with life limiting conditions who are not expected to live beyond the age of 19. Four Year eleven students Olivia Allen, Oral Brain, Chelsea Shellard and Natalie Cooney handed over the cheque to Helen Mackie, Jessie May Community Events Officer. Helen said, “We are extremely grateful that local children are raising money for a local charity. All money donated will be spent purchasing much needed nursing hours for the people we take care of.” Steve Kneller, Principal of Hanham Woods Academy said, “I am incredibly proud of the young people at Hanham Woods Academy for organising non-uniform days to raise money for fantastic charities such as The Jessie May Trust. It shows that even in the current economic climate young people can support others in our community who are in need of help and support.”
Bristol Met perform hit Broadway musical Hairspray On the back of last year’s sell out show, Lion King, Bristol Metropolitan Academy’s highly talented staff and students produced their version of the American hit musical ‘Hairspray.’ Set in the 1960s Baltimore, the dance-loving teen Tracy Turnblad auditions for a spot on "The Corny Collins Show" and wins. She becomes an overnight celebrity, a trendsetter in dance, fun and fashion. Her new status as a teen sensation is enough to topple Corny's reigning dance queen and bring racial integration to the show in a bid to fight against racial segregation.
Rehearsals started for this production in November last year with students rehearsing weekly and giving up time in their holidays to rehearse! There were 60 students in the cast and over 25 supporting crew members from Years seven to eleven. This production has involved the Music department, external artists, staff, parents and volunteers from the local community who have responded brilliantly by helping with costumes and building amazing sets. The five planned shows sold out very early after tickets went on sale, and this included an understudy’s show where they had their chance to shine in the spotlight. There were also five matinees where students from academies across the Cabot Learning Federation watched this stunning performance. Director and Head of Drama Meesh Lambert-Vince said, “I am absolutely overwhelmed by the commitment of staff and students, they have worked extremely hard and the result has been outstanding. I must take this opportunity to thank Dave Vince, Mick Glenfield and Year 9 student Max Bennett for their exceptional input over the year. I do hope the production will inspire and encourage students at Bristol Met and across the Federation to pursue Performing Arts as a career either onstage or backstage.”
“Embedding Excellence”
Up up and away for Bristol Brunel students
Students from Bristol Brunel Academy had the chance to tour Bristol and the surrounding areas in a helicopter! Three students Zhongwen Chen, Tony Lin and Joel Callicott from Year 8 along with their teacher Sam Thompson, who is a maths teacher, spent 35 minutes flying over the city. Taking off from the academy grounds they took in the sights of the Suspension Bridge, the river Severn and the two Severn crossings before returning to the Academy. Last July the team entered a competition on the "TimesTable Rockstars" website which is a times table gaming educational site, that helps students improve their basic understanding of numeracy skills.
The team competed against other primary and secondary schools in a head-to-head competition over the course of a day. Schools entered from as far afield as Swansea, Swindon and Minehead with a total of 80 students taking part. Bristol Brunel students came out top beating all competition. Sam said, “This is a brilliant reward for students who have practiced and put a lot of effort into their numeracy skills over the previous school year. The flight was amazing and the students really enjoyed their time in the air. As a mathematician I am passionate about numeracy, and the opportunities it will bring when you have a good knowledge and understanding of it.”
Author inspires pupils at Summerhill Academy This term all 80 Year 4 students at Summerhill Academy have been studying a book entitled ‘Tribe’ by Tracy M Alexander, a Bristol based author who writes children’s fiction. This book has been used because it is set in a school and it links to the pupils curriculum, it was also published the year they were born, 2009. Pupils’ have been creating their own writing and stories using the book as inspiration. The author spent a day in the Academy working with pupils on a story writing workshop. Pupils created their own characters, then made up a story of their own using the characters they created. “The pupils have been very excited about this chance to meet a real life author.”
Dawn Sayers, Year 4 teacher and Head of English said, “The pupils have been very excited about this chance to meet a real life author. It has given them a purpose for their writing and they were very much looking forward to sharing their stories with Tracy. At Summerhill Academy every pupil is a reader, every pupil is an author and we work hard with them to raise their expectations and aspirations that they too could be authors one day.”
“Embedding Excellence”
Jazz Messengers perform at King’s Oak
The National Youth Orchestra’s Jazz Messengers performed at King’s Oak Academy. The six piece band performed in front of 150 Yr 7s from Kings Oak and 50 pupils from King’s Forest, and The Park primary schools. Part of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra’s learning programme, they are touring a small number of schools coordinated by the South Glos Music hub. As well as performing their forty five minute performance included, meet the musicians a brief history about how they started learning to play, they talked about the music they performed, how they chose their instrument, and how to get involved in Jazz.
CAB students meet Tim Bowles MEP
Tim Warren, Team Leader of Performance and Participation said, “It was a brilliant performance by some very talented musicians, I hope they inspired our musicians to show them want can be achieved with dedication, hard work and practice. I would also like to thank, South Glos Music Hub for putting on this performance, our primary partners for attending and of course the musicians themselves!”
West of England Mayor, Tim Bowles, took part in a mentoring session for young people as he launched a new ‘Unexpected Mentor’ campaign. The campaign, which aims to widen the appeal of mentoring to employees and entrepreneurs, was launched jointly with the chief executive of The Careers & Enterprise Company, Claudia Harris, at Bristol-based OVO Energy’s headquarters. OVO Energy launched a mentoring programme with West of England Mentoring (WEM) in September. Fourteen employees are involved, supporting more than 30 secondary school students at City Academy and Oasis Academy Brislington. WEM is now looking for more local businesses, especially those with a diverse workforce, to get involved, and share their experiences and expertise with young people. West of England Mayor, Tim Bowles, said: “As a region we need to ensure we have the right skills for businesses now and into the future and we must encourage young people to realise their potential. “Mentoring can really help boost the confidence of young people, and it works particularly well when the mentors are people they can relate to. It’s also a good way of ensuring that young people get to know the vast range of career opportunities available to them in the West of England. I would encourage businesses across our region to get involved – it will benefit their current employees and help nurture future employees too.” Jon Angell, Principal of City Academy said, “When we were invited to be involved in this ground breaking project I agreed in an instant. This is a superb opportunity for our students to receive mentoring from a range of mentors and it will also give them some excellent careers advice that will be invaluable to them in whatever career path they choose.”
“Embedding Excellence”
Careers Fair at King’s Oak A very successful careers event took place in October for 110 Year 11 students and 148 Year 8 students at King's Oak Academy. Students chose to visit different business organisations finding out about different careers opportunities within the businesses. Commercial awareness is an important employability skill and many were surprised to learn about the vast amount of opportunities available.
Chemin Alam-Lloyd, Programme Leader - Business & Enterprise said, “It is vital we discuss and advise our students of the best future education or career paths available to them when they leave. This is just one of a series of events that we put on to inform our students of the pathways available.”
News in brief..........
New build update for Minerva community Parents, carers and the local community were invited into Minerva Primary Academy to look at pupils work and to find out the latest news on the new school build. Teas, coffees and mince pies were provided by Elliot the construction company building the new school. Pete Hallam, Principal said, “It was fantastic to meet families, carers and the local community and share the brilliant work our students produce. I would also like to thank Elliot for their ongoing work on our new academy and for supplying the catering for today’s event.”
Pupil inspires fundraiser Staff and students at Frome Vale Academy dressed up as elves on national Elf Day to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society who support people and their families who are affected by dementia. Pupils paid £1 to dress up and contribute money to this very worthy cause. This event was not the brainchild of a member of staff but Year 5 pupil Riley Grover-Gibbens who said, “I have used the NHS a lot recently so I decided I wanted to raise some money to give something back. I asked the teachers and they agreed.”
“Embedding Excellence”
City Academy Christmas extravaganza Over forty students including students from Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 from City Academy will be producing and putting on a Christmas production for families and local feeder primary schools. There will be a morning performance on Tuesday the 12th of December at 11am for the primaries and an evening performance on Wednesday 13th of December at 6pm, in the school theatre for families and the local community. The production is inspired by ‘Into the Hoods’ which uses physical theatre, devised pieces and will also include urban fairy tales. The show will include, singing, music, dancing and hip hop.
BTEC students will also be directing, producing, organising costumes, arranging the music, making props, taking care of sound and lighting and performing in what will be a fabulous festive, fun extravaganza! Rebecca Pearce, Drama Teacher said, “This is an exciting opportunity for students to develop production skills and to experiment and explore physical theatre through urban fairy tales. It is vitally important for us to engage with our local community and schools and this is just one way we achieve this.”
John Cabot student on stage with world famous group Collabro
Collabro, the world's most successful musical theatre group, appeared on stage at the Colston Hall in Bristol recently. They were first spotted on part of ITVs Britain's Got Talent and have risen to success and performed all over the world. One of John Cabot Academy’s Year 7 students, Jess Griffin, took part in a live performance with the group alongside other young people from Bristol. Jess has performed in various musicals at the Bristol Hippodrome including Joseph and Evita. Jess is stood to the right of the blond man holding the mic middle of pic. Sally Apps, Executive Principal said, “What an amazing achievement, well done to Jess who is an extremely talented performer, we are extremely proud. I wish Jess future success with her show biz career!” Jess said, “Being on stage makes me feel happy and so excited. It was a pleasure to perform with BGT winners Callabro. I highly recommend Bristol School Of Performing Arts, this is the drama school that I go to, it is an amazing school. I would definitely love to have a career in Performing Arts. Between my music teachers – Mrs McGrath and Richard Shepherd at John Cabot,they have both given me the encouragement to go further with my music, I am very grateful to both of them.”
“Embedding Excellence”
CLF SPORT Bristol Met’s European champions!
Bristol Metropolitan basketball teams had an amazing summer when they won not one but two European titles! The basketball programme has its foundations in attendance and behaviour. All the players and parents sign a contract to confirm that they will maintain certain standards to retain a place in the basketball programme. They have to have a 4.3 behaviour average, 96% and above attendance and good punctuality, if these standards are dropped then they will not play for the team. Two teams travelled to Belgium to take part in the Flanders Coast Trophy. The under 14s and the under 16s. The under fourteens won their tournament beating all teams, 16 teams in the age group. In the under 16’s won their tournament beating all teams 12 teams in the age group. They beat teams from Belgium, Holland, France and Sweden and an amazing achievement when you consider that this only the second time the teams have entered this competition. The teams are doing so well that five players have been selected for their national sides, which is a precedent in itself. Nassim Ladjimi (Yr11 15 years old) represented Tunisia U17s vs Algeria U17s in August. Marvin Dinnall (Yr11 15 years old) had a successful trial and has been selected for U16 England training camp this winter. Kacey Cox (Yr10 14 years old) had a Successful trial and she has been selected for U15 England training camp this winter. Nathan Symons (Yr10 14 years old) had a successful trial and has been selected for U16 Wales training camp this winter. Hasan Ali (Yr10 14 Years Old) had a successful trial and has been selected for U16 Wales training camp this winter. The players make huge sacrifices to stay in the squad. They train at least four times a week with most players completing seven to eight sessions. Three of those sessions’ players will start training at 7.00AM! Parents and families supported the trip by fundraising and there was also financial support from the academy. Tom Hooper, Head of PE said, “I am massively proud of the work of the PE Dept, the coaching staff and of course the students who have put a lot of hard work and effort into this ground breaking project. I hope that players will go on to play for their national teams which will be a massive achievement, but it is important to me that their effort and behaviour in regard to their studies is maintained and continued.”
Hanham student represents Bristol Schools A massive congratulations to William Chappell from Hanham Woods Academy who represented Bristol Schools Rugby at a Gloucestershire RFU Tournament. William was presented with a commemorative Bristol Schools Rugby tie by Principal Steve Kneller to mark the occasion. Mr Kneller said, “Congratulations to William on this major achievement, to be selected from all schools across the city is testament to his ability, I wish him further success in his rugby career.”
“Embedding Excellence”
Hans Price Academy 3G Pitch- officially open for business Staff and students (present and past) enjoyed a fantastic event to officially open the schools new 3G pitch. The staff team took on a team of past students (alumni) who all left the academy between 2010 and 2017. Just under 100 people supported the event which also helped raise funds for the annual Hans Price ski trip. The Hans Price staff team have enjoyed success over the last 2 years winning two Cabot Learning Federation tournaments in a row. They were given a scare early on as 2012 leaver Simon Yard scored from a corner to put the alumni 1-0 up. The staff team then took control with goals from Mr Johnstone, Mr Holland x2, Mr Esch, Mr Armstrong and Mr Bennett. The cherry on the cake was a 30 yard free kick from Somerset cricketer and ex-student Pete Trego. 2012 leaver Liam Cakebread pulled a goal back for the alumni just before the end to make the final score 7-2. On the final whistle Pete Trego opened the new facility along with Principal Tony Searle. He commented on how ‘impressed he was with the new facilities’ compared to his time at the school. Principal Tony Searle said, “It was a great event and brilliant to see current and ex pupils alongside Staff enjoying our wonderful new facility.”
Begbrook sisters win Judo gold Begbrook Academy pupils Ashlie & Charlie Whitfield, won gold at recent Judo competitions. Ashlie won gold at the Bradley Stoke Festival Day, winning all her contests against a mix group of boys & girls and grades. Charlie, represented Begbrook Academy at the Regional Schools Championships and once again won the gold for the third time running however having won gold this time round now means that Charlie is eligible to compete and represent Begbrook Academy again at the British Schools Championships held in Sheffield 2018. Laurie Munroe Principal, “This is a fantastic achievement for both girls, we are extremely proud of them and wish them continued success in their sporting careers!”
Synchronised swimming success for JCA student
Ashlie, left & Charlie, right
John Cabot Academy Year 9 student, Laurel Allen, competed in Gloucester, in the National Championships for Synchronised Swimming. Laurel and her team 'City of Bristol Synchronised Swimming', competed against 18 other teams from around the country in the 13-15 age group, and their superb routine saw them being crowned silver medallists! The Swim England Synchronised Swimming National Age Group Championships is the premiere competition for young synchronised swimmers in England. The Championships are contested over three different age groups - Under 12 years, 13-15 years, and 15-18 years. The Swim England Synchronised Swimming National Age Group Championships takes place at the end of each year, and represents 'the best of the best' in synchro.
Laurel is fourth from the right
Laurel trains extremely hard, 6 days per week plus an early morning swim before school, so this is a fantastic achievement and acknowledges the dedication and commitment that Laurel has shown to her synchronised swimming. Sally Apps Executive Principal said, “We are so pleased for Laurel that her efforts have been rewarded with her recent silver medal, and we wish Laurel and her team lots more success in future competitions!”
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www.cabotlearningfederation.net “Embedding Excellence”