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de Ferrers.COMmuniqué Number 053 Summer 2010
COMMUNICATING THROUGHOUT DE FERRERS SPECIALIST TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE principal@deferrers Dear Parents This time of year is always ‘action-packed’ and this half term has been no exception. The list of awards, events, activities, trips, theme days and opportunities has been endless. In everything we have attempted over the last few weeks, the common theme has been that the students have been superb ambassadors for de Ferrers. It has been really encouraging to note the number of parents who have joined us in a variety of activities. Thank you to those parents who have given their time in support of college events. This was particularly important to the success of our Technology Show and college performance of Copacabana. The soaring summer temperatures, particularly during the weekend rehearsals, certainly helped students absorb the tropical atmosphere! All students taking examinations this year need to be congratulated on their level of attendance and behaviour. I was particularly impressed with Year 11 in this regard. We now look forward to some excellent levels of achievement in external examinations. The Year 11 Prom and Sixth Form Ball have both been spectacular occasions. The variety of transport used at the Year 11 Prom was highly imaginative! I am delighted to inform you that, as an Outstanding college, we are eligible to be ‘fast-tracked’ to Academy Status. This is something we are seriously considering and as soon as Governors have more detail, on which to make an informed opinion, the college will consult with all relevant stakeholders.
TENTH ANNUAL
Technology Show BREAKING THE BOUNDARIES It's official - the 10th Annual Technology Show at de Ferrers was our biggest, busiest and best ever! The Technology Show is our chance to share with everyone how Technology College status has benefited our students and the local community. We had several hundred visitors to the show, including parents, governors, primary students and teachers and lots of our own students, all taking part in workshops and activities promoting our specialism as a Technology College. We also had visits from the Mayor and Andrew Griffiths MP. You can watch the interview with Andrew Griffiths MP on our very own de Ferrers TV channel: h tt p://w w w .def errers tv.com / t echnol ogyshow /2010/ar t i cle s /2010 /06/2 9/gre en- scree nv i de os/ Some of the highlights this year included: Sessions for Year 10 students by Bromley Technologies, the design and engineering team that works on Formula 1 racing cars and Shelley Rudman’s Winter Olympic, Gold-medal winning skeleton bobsleigh. Some of the students were able to try the Virtual Reality bobsleigh rack and race each other in the design challenge, using the settings they selected as a team. Mr Orchard and Mr Brown even suffered ‘virtual’ injuries as they flew off the track! Luckily, they were both fine in the real world… Laser-tag contests, using the latest hi-tech Infra-Red simulator rifles that soldiers use to train themselves - we even had a staff-
sixth form session (final score was 2:1 to the staff!). Staff-Student cooking contests in front of a live audience (this year’s score was 5:3 to the staff) – we had a fantastically high quality of meals, ranging from tenderloin of pork and vegetable enchiladas to pear tartlets in caramel sauce. You can see some of the images in our special gallery: http://www.deferrerstv.com/techno logyshow/2010/articles/2010/06/2 5/photo-gallery-1/. A big thank you to all staff and students who took part and gave up their time. Parent cooking masterclasses and sessions in DT ‘ceramics’ and Science experiments, as part of ‘Bring a parent to college day’ – this year we had more than 60 parents
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De Ferrers has had another excellent year. Thank you, once again, for your support. Have a good break and we look forward to even more success this summer and during the course of the next academic year!
M A York Principal
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DE FERRERS INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE SUCCESS
Our first cohort of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme students received their results on Monday 5th July. They were an excellent set of results which exceeded even our own expectations. Four students secured thirty six points which only 3.76% of IBDP candidates globally manage to achieve and six students achieved the top points score of seven in their individual subjects. Six of those sevens were in the studentsʼ higher level subjects which are recognised as higher than a grade A at A Level.
The students have to study six subjects, three at higher level and three at standard level. They have to choose English, a foreign language, a social science, a science and a Maths subject. In addition to their academic studies they complete an enrichment course entitled Creativity Action and Service which requires the students to complete over one hundred and fifty hours of work in the college and wider communities. They also study a course entitled Theory of Knowledge where they analyse ways of knowing; for this they have to complete an essay and a presentation. Finally they have to complete a four thousand word Extended Essay on a subject of their choice.
It has been an extremely challenging yet thoroughly rewarding two years for our IBDP students but the preparation that the IBDP has given them has meant that they are well prepared for the next step in their lives at university. We are very proud of all our IBDP students and we wish them every success for the future.
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New Menu at de Ferrers Communiqué
At de Ferrers we spend a lot of time sourcing local, fresh produce and we are proud to promote our British meatballs, sausage and Red Tractor Farm Assured roast chicken.
Our best selling item is ʻTheoʼs Chicken Wrapsʼ over seventeen flavours of Halal chicken, with up to three per day served in a wheat flour tortilla with a fresh salad base topped with the chicken of your choice and then a squirt of up to three sauces, at a cost of £1.50 and 95% fat free. New items to encourage a healthier choice are always being added to the list, with weekly promotions being displayed in and around the canteen and college. At de Ferrers we have a very friendly catering team that is always happy to help anyone with their questions.
Morning Break Menu (Hot Breakfast items change daily) Toast 2 halves - 20p Toasted tea cake - 30p Crumpets - 30p Whole Fruit - 30p Bacon sandwich - £1.20 Vegetarian, Breakfast sandwich - £1.20
Lunch Menu (A selection of these is available) Meal Deal Option from £2.20 for main course and sweet Jacket Potato and fillings from £1.50 Baguettes hot + cold £1.60 Sandwiches - £1.30 Salads from - £1.50
Plain Pizza, Speciality Pizza, Paninis, Tortilla Wraps, French Sticks and much more. Fruit, Jelly, Mousses and Biscuits. A selection of sandwiches, baguettes and wraps from £1.30 - £1.60.
Keep looking in our termly newsletter for new and exciting products that will keep our catering fresh and changing all year round.
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visit the Technology Show! Many thanks to everyone who were involved in our best ever turn-out. Faraday DT Challenge for Y8 students: they had to design, build and test a machine to pick objects up that the operator could not see! Space Science sessions for Y7 in StarLab, the inflatable planetarium, giving them a guide on what to look out for in the night sky. Our first Science lecture. Dr David Evans, who works at CERN and the University of Birmingham Particle Physics group, talked about particle physics and the search for the smallest structures in the Universe. We were even treated to several experiments using liquid nitrogen! . Year 10 and Year 12 Physics students got a rare chance to link up live to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, Geneva, and discuss particle physics with Dr Mick Storr. We are extremely grateful to Dr Storr for giving up his time to answer their
questions – a great pilot for our new HD video-conferencing equipment. Visits by hundreds of primary students from our local schools. In addition, we had workshops run by Science, Psychology & Social Sciences, ICT and Enterprise, MFL, the Duke of Edinburgh team, PE and our blue-screen newsroom, as well as the climbing wall, Photoshop workshops and a visit from the local fire-service! We were also very pleased to welcome the Mayor to our show and give him a guided tour of this year’s events – he even took the opportunity to present our winning skeleton bobsleigh team with the Challenge Cup.
Rem em ber t ha t you ca n f ind out more a nd post com ments on our dedica t ed Tech Show websi te: w w w.deferrerst v.com /techshow
WaterAid Munro Challenge
On Saturday 12th June Mrs Isaacs, Miss Woods, Mr Smith, Mr Griffiths and Mr Tyson took part in the WaterAid Munro Challenge. They climbed Y Garn, 984 metres, in the Ogwen Valley, North Wales. Around £300 was raised to help provide clean drinking water and sanitation in Africa and Asia.
Could you become a Governor of de Ferrers Specialist Technology College?
In September we will be holding elections for parent representatives on the Governing Body of the college. Parents / guardians of all students are entitled to stand for election, or to nominate others. You do not need to have any qualifications to be a Governor, but you do need to be committed to the role, and be available to attend evening meetings. A letter will be sent home with your son/daughter in the first week of term, giving more information and asking for nominations.
PLAY DATE
As part of the Child Development Curriculum, the students are required to undertake a substantial piece of coursework looking in detail at the development of a child. We rely on the support and guidance of local families, friends and settings, in order for the students to have access to experiential learning, to complete their coursework.
As a thank you for their patience and understanding we invited them to our ʻplay dateʼ on Tuesday 11th May. The students were required to plan fundraising activities and to support the event. These included dressing up as book characters and dancing competitions, to name but two. We raised over £100, and the students prepared, planned and delivered an exciting session for the children, along with a healthy snack, and drink.
The activity provided us with an excellent forum for revising all aspects of the curriculum on a practical level, and enabled us to thank all those involved in the application of learning, making the day a great success.
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THE SKIES THE LIMIT FOR DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY A LEVEL STUDENTS
It's been another successful year for our Duke of Edinburgh Award candidates and the biggest challenge ever for the leaders!
The current Year 12 Textile and Product Design students have been expanding their horizons this term with several visits to universities and industrial companies. Year 12 Textile students have attended a three day summer school course in fashion and textiles at Derby University. Here, students were given the opportunity to develop and produce their own concepts in degree studios as well as exhibiting their work in an exhibition which was open to the public at the end of the three day course….well done, ladies! Year 12 Product Design students attended Loughborough University Third Year Technology degree show and have visited Yamazaki Mazak UK Ltd. This company houses the UK Technology Centre and has the UK's largest and most expert team of engineers, with vast experience in machine tool applications for almost every industry sector.
MEDICAL MATTERS Parents/Guardians have prime responsibility for their child’s health and should ensure that they are well enough to attend college. The College Nurse is unable to offer a consultation service at the start of the day but supports students who become unwell or have an accident during the day. It is the Parent/Guardian’s responsibility to collect students if they are unwell and need to return home.
Bronzes (95) have attended their Training and Practice weekends in the Peak District. They will set off in September for the Assessment Expedition. Silvers (43) have all passed the Assessment and have spent an evening with leaders presenting their project work. Golds (50) will travel to Wales during the next few weeks to embark on their five day Assessment Expedition.
An Open Evening for prospective Bronzes and their parents will be held in October for Year 9 students.
For the past nine months staff and students at the college have been working incredibly hard on the annual college production of the 'Copacabana'. Wednesday 14th July From Wednesday 14th July - Saturday Saturday 17th July 2010 17th July, Dove campus was trans, The Hall, Dove Campus formed into a tropical paradise of Harehedge Lane, dancing, palm trees and cocktails. The Burton upon Trent cast of one hundred students between Tickets - £7.00 the ages of eleven to eighteen put on 0) £5.0 ns ssio nce (Co a spectacular show and performed to ktail Bar Licenced Themed Coc a full house almost every evening. Congratulations to all students both Tickets available from involved! Their hard work and deterCampus Receptions mination was appreciated by all the audiences and they should all be very proud of themselves for what they have achieved. It has been a great pleasure for the staff to work with such a talented, friendly and hardworking cast. Finally thank you to all staff who gave up their time in order to assist with the production and to all those parents/carers for supporting the students with transport, costumes and tickets. Watch this space for information on future productions! de Ferrers Specialist Technology College
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Happy Hens ….Happy Students!
Twenty Design and Technology Year 8 students visited Happy Hens Farm, Monday 29th June, situated within the beautiful South Derbyshire countryside as part of a Staffordshire County Council competition. Pupils got up close and personal with several animals in The Chick Shed, The Pygmy Goat Enclosure, The Animal Tunnel, The Animal Barn and The Open Chicken Shed! Students also learnt about how sheep are prepared and selected for market, how eggs are collected, and evaluated and discussed the quality of life of both roaming and barn reared chickens.
This trip was great fun and a superb opportunity to prepare for the Great Staffordshire Picnic competition on the 14th July.
Team Tanzania PSFA The departure date is finally here! On the 19th of July Team Tanzania departed for the three week challenge to Africa. After a long process of planning, fundraising and training, the team is ready to embark upon the experience of a lifetime. As you are aware, when team members arrive in Tanzania, they will climb Mount Meru (over 4500m) and learn about the local cultures, but mainly they will be focusing on the project phase of the challenge. This is where the team will get ʻhands onʼ in a community by firstly building an obstacle course for the children at a local school. To enable them to successfully complete this project, the team has been learning new skills with the help of de Ferrersʼ own Mr Taylor and plans and designs have already been drawn up. In addition to this, the team will also be helping to paint a dining room, and will build chairs and desks to contribute to school equipment.
never have reached this point. Team Tanzania would like to take the opportunity to thank the college, the community and the parents involved for all the support they have given. Over the past year this support has been so important to the teamʼs members, and has successfully enabled them reach their goal. For this support, the team cannot thank you enough. They will be hosting a Showcase evening early next term in order to share some of their achievements and experiences – they hope to see you there!
Whilst the team members are away, you can follow their progress at www.deferrerstv. com/tanzania
Keep up to date with blogs and diaries, track the development of the project and view pictures that the team will post on the site. It is clear that without the continued support and contributions given, the team would
IBDP Biology and Geography Fieldtrip
Fourteen IBDP Biology & Geography Students along with eight A Level Geographers recently spent a day in Edale conducting fieldwork investigations as part of their coursework requirements. They studied the physical features of different upland river habitats and then identified the animals present to examine how the physical environment impacts upon the different animals and plants that live there.
Here are just some of the events the PSFA has in mind for the coming year:
Year 7 Bingo Night Murder Mystery Mayhem Christmas Fair
Fashion and PreProm Extravaganza Quiz Night Duck Race
to name but a few! And it all starts next Autumn term on Monday 13th September, 7pm, on Dove campus with our PSFA Wine and Nibbles Night where you are welcome to come along for a chat, a glass of something and snacks to help start our new college year. Should you wish to stay longer, our AGM will be taking place at 7.45pm; this will be a short, quite informal meeting with an opportunity to find out more about how the money raised by the PSFA has been spent and share any ideas or thoughts on the role of the PSFA in the College. A formal invitation will be sent out in the first week of the Autumn term but please put the date in your diary now! Can I say a big THANK YOU to all the PSFA committee members and also staff members who have helped with our fundraising effort during the last year – you all give of your free time willingly and enthusiastically and that really makes all the difference! So, good luck to all of you who are awaiting exam results in August and have a good summer!
Anita Mclean Chair
JUST LIKE THE OSCARS! Key Club Communiqué
On the 22nd May, two Year 10 Product Design students represented de Ferrers at the ʻPrintIT!ʼ award ceremony at the NEC and received awards for their design work based on fair trade products. Falaq Raheel and Mitchel Taylor were nominated in the ʻBest Overall Presentationʼ category in this national competition aimed at inspiring students to explore the world of printing. Their prize for reaching the finals was a VIP tour of the International printing exhibition and a compact digital camera each.
KEY STAGE 3 THEME DAYS
Following the success of this learning experience last year we decided to once again change the timetable for our Years 7, 8 and 9 students. The Years 7 and 8 completed a trip around the world over three days.
Each year group took part in six different activities all of which placed different demands on the students. To support the students in the learning process over the days each area had to work to the 6Rs, something the students are very familiar with within lessons. Every student was given a passport which they took with them on each stage of the journey. A competition was held for the best passports in each year group and the winning students will be rewarded with a trip out of college.
The activities this year included: Bhangra Dance from Asia, Salsa Dance from Cuba; research and film making about Africa; cookery and Batik work from Asia; snow making in Antartica; car production and jingles from America, Aboriginal Art from Australasia and Totem Pole manufacturing from North America and famous landmarks from Europe and European Mathematical challenges. The days saw us bring several visi-
tors into the college to work with the students and once again they could not praise the students highly enough. We want to thank the Staffordshire Youth Service for doing the “Team Challenge” tasks with us and Mrs Hulburt and the Sixth Formers for giving the students a brief insight into the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
The Year 9 students followed a different programme that took place on Trent Campus. They were involved in three very different events. On Wednesday they took part in a “Managing Futures” programme of work. Guest speakers worked with the students and they completed associated activities. On Thursday the students, with their tutors, completed a project on “Eco-Footprints”. This was managed by Mr Tyson and Mrs Longmore, who complimented the students on the quality of work produced.
Finally Friday saw yet another change of event with all students taking part in a MultiSports Day. The tutor groups were divided into various teams including Cricket, Rounders, Tennis, Football and Trampolining/Gymnastics. The students competed to a good standard and the day concluded with Finals being played in each event. The three days were a great success and it is something that we hope to build on even more in the future.
Kieran Stone and Dan Lee of Year 9 are two of the students who have attended Key Club for over one hundred lunch time sessions since September 2009. Other students who have reached their century are Sam Cooper and Jamie Cooper, also in Year 9 and Rowena Neal in Year 7.
Fantasy Football League
Congratulations to Mr Wake on winning this year's Fantasy Football League with his team Bayer Neverlusen. Mr Hawker was runner-up in the Staff League. Top student was Nicole Wright of 10.6. Mr Wake receives a wonderful trophy and a gold medal.
Top Designers in Year 8
Year 8 Design & Technology students demonstrated their excellent Design skills when the college took part in an IET Faraday Challenge Day on Tuesday run by Mary Southall and Kevin Jones from Attainment Partnership. thirty six students brushed up their Design and Technology, Science and Maths skills to
design, develop and manufacture a mechanical device that could simulate a robotic arm. The students were marked throughout the day at every stage of development. On the day, team two, which comprised of Jonathan, Liam, Danielle, Lucy, Natalie and Scott just beat the runners up by four points with a superb 160/200. This was a great fun day for everyone involved.
Gifted and Talented Art Group A Level Biology Fieldtrip
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One year ago the Gifted and Talented Art students from KS3 were invited to join a lunchtime group. From Year 9 the students are: India Gould Hannah Free Hayley Clark Fawn Clements Naomi Frost Abbey Watson Weronika Stepien
Fom Year 8 the students are: Charlotte Basby Becky Brown James Pickering Meg Poxon Ellie Milnes After several drawings and compositions, the final design was decided. It has taken several months of dedication and skill to create a beautifully painted mural in DB26. Congratulations to the students on such a fabulous piece of Art!
Thirty two A Level Biology students recently spent four days in Aberystwyth conducting fieldwork investigations as part of their coursework requirements. They learnt how ecologists collect data to understand how and why different things live where they do. They also examined how nature reserves are used to manage the needs of man whilst providing an environment where wildlife can prosper.
THE GAMBIA APPEAL
Spooky Performance
Key Stage 3 Drama Club put on an excellent and spooky performance of Roald Dahl's 'The Witches'. The performance went out
to an audience filled with local primary school children and to parents in the evening. A big thank you to those involved with the Drama Club and also to the cast's friends and family who came and supported them during the show!
Mathematically Inspired
On Thursday 25th March, at Nottingham Playhouse, fourteen Sixth Formers were inspired…by maths. The maths behind Guitars, Olympic Stadiums and Psychology was ripped apart and re-assembled in ways that could challenge even the most advanced minds. Three speakers showed us that the logistics behind building an Olympic stadium can alter the elements of nature, that magicians are always cunning mathematicians and that guitars donʼt just make music, music makes the universe. Rather than reality teaching us maths, maths has showed us the reality of what surrounds us. Suzie Menzies
As part of our ongoing commitment to raise awareness about global issues, we are delighted to once again report on the success of our Year 7 students in raising funds to support the teaching of hearing impaired children in the Gambia. We are grateful to Dr Malcolm Gardner who came
into college to speak to the students and give them an update on the work that is currently going on. During a recent assembly we were able to present a cheque for over £1400 to him. He was overwhelmed by the generosity of the students and their families and has asked us to pass on his thanks to them. A copy of the letter that he sent to the college is available to view on the College Website.
Young Teen Fiction Awards 2010
On Tuesday 6th July, members of the de Ferrers Dove Reading Club went to the Staffordshire Show Grounds for the Young Teen Fiction Awards. Eight students went along with Mrs Etherington and Mrs Massey. Everyone had a brilliant day, meeting author Alan Gibbons and storyteller Peter Chand. Also they saw six fantastic presentations of the six books they had to read including ʻVampiratesʼ which was performed by themselves. In third place was the book ʻGrassʼ by Cathy Macphail, second was ʻAngel Cakeʼ by Cathy Cassidy and finally the winning ʻBrigands MCʼ by Robert Muchamore. Overall it was a brilliant experience for the eight students who were lucky enough to go.
By Thomas Staddon and William Morrell.
Celebrate in Sign Evening
A unique event was enjoyed by an enthralled and captivated audience of around one hundred and thirty at de Ferrers Specialist Technology College on 1st July. The College culminated its support of National Deaf Awareness Week (28 June – 4 July) with an evening of entertainment that contained a mixture of song, dance and drama with sign language support.
De Ferrers has never been afraid of pushing boundaries and being involved in new ideas and ʻCelebrate in Signʼ was an evening that certainly did that; it combined the talents of its own students with those of special guests from Staffordshire ASSIST and the Royal School for the Deaf in Derby whose signing mesmerised the audience – so much so that a standing ovation followed the closing bars of their final number. De Ferrers Sign Language Club Choir (dFSLCC) has had a busy year with several performances both in and out of college. It, therefore, featured strongly throughout the evening but were also joined by dance groups from the college and the East Staffordshire Dance Collective and guest interpreters from Staffordshire ASSIST. The collegeʼs Drama Group were also in attendance in a collaborative performance of a scene from Roald Dahlʼs ʻThe Witchesʼ.
Mr Tucker and Miss Edwards joined the choir for two vibrant perform-
Communiqué ances either side of the interval – ʻTime of My Lifeʼ from ʻDirty Dancingʼ and ʻTogetherʼ from High School Musical; one member of the audience stated that he will never forget the “Dirty Dancing duet!”
Mrs Tunstall has been working with dFSLCC over the last few weeks on a project based on the John Lennon classic “Imagine”. They were joined by members of the staff sign language group who bravely took to the stage to sign alongside the choir. This was a beautiful performance and there were many wet tissues in the audience at the end of the number.
The audience then had their chance to shine – throughout the evening Mr Tucker and Miss Edwards had been teaching them sign language with the aim of all joining in a performance of Sing a Rainbow. That time arrived and by now the audience was really motivated– they really entered into the spirit of the evening and joined in with enthusiasm – brilliant! The closing number of the show was ʻThe Climbʼ which is now a firm favourite with dFSLCC and this was performed with passion and real feeling.
The inevitable question that people ask is – was the evening all in sign language? Was it all silent? Well, yes, the evening was interpreted and all but three performances were supported and/or featured sign language. But, no, it was not silent…far from it! Indeed, the second half had the audience joining in and having a great time – a real party atmosphere. This was a relaxed and enjoyable evening, with the audience seated around tables. There were many moments of pure magic and at times the tissues were being passed around quite freely.
Plans are already being made for ʻCelebrate in Sign 2011ʼ and if all goes well it should be equally as exciting and captivating. When tickets go on sale next year, be sure to get yours as they are likely to go quite quickly. In the meantime, watch out for information about the choir and its performances on the Sign Language website on the VLE.
Is lam ic C a lli g ra p hy W orks hop
Islamic Calligrapher, Razwan Ul-Haq, joined students from Years 7 to 12 to share his culture and art form. Razwan worked with students from the Urdu group in Year 10 and a selection of Gifted and Talented Art students. Razwanʼs art work uses Islamic Calligraphy in imaginative and contemporary designs. This inspired the students as they attempted to create their own interpretation of significant Islamic
KEY STAGE 3 TRIPS
During this term the Year 7 students had a very enjoyable evening at the “AquaDisco” at Waterworld in Stoke. The Year 9 students once again had their annual trip to Alton Towers. The trips will finish with our end of year venture to “Tenpin” at Derby. The fun-filled evening on the last Monday of term give the students the chance to show off their bowling skills as well as some creative dance moves as the “Tenpin” staff create a party atmosphere. We aim to fill the venue which caters for one hundred sixty people bowling. There are still places available to Years 7, 8 and 9 and letters can be collected from the Achievement and Guidance offices.
words. The work produced was outstanding and as well as developing new skills, all of the students gained new perspectives on culture, religion and identity.
ROAD SAFETY ON DOVE SITE We are well aware that there are problems with traffic on Harehedge Lane at the start and end of the college day, which is making it difficult for parents to deliver and collect their children. In order to ensure the safety of our students, we do not allow parents to drive onto the site, and we would ask all parents not to drop off or collect students from the entrance to the de Ferrers and Outwoods site, which needs to be kept clear at all times. Thank you for your co-operation.
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SPORT
Fantastic individual sporting achievements for students
A number of students have received individual recognition over the course of this term for their continued performance at an outstanding level in a range of different sports. James Ward (Year 12) was selected to represent England Under 18ʼs Table Tennis Team in the Home Nations International in Limerick, Ireland. James, along with Charles Sketchley (Year 10), have both been selected to compete in the UK School Games in Gateshead in September. This is a miniOlympic style competition involving 1,600 competitors across ten sports over four days. A big event! The college traditional strength in athletics has continued with a fantastic fifty one students being selected to represent the Burton District in the County Championships across all age groups. From the County championships, Shannon Golaub (Triple Jump – Year 11), Lee Belcher (Long Jump – Year 10), Mackai Daji (Javelin – Year 9), Dan Wildman (200m & Javelin – Year 8), James Tunnicliffe (Triple Jump & Long Jump – Year 8) and Eliza McAuliffe (Long Jump – Year 7) were all selected to represent Staffordshire based on fantastic performances at the County Championships. A special congratulations must go to James
Tunnicliffe who won both of his competitions to become double County Champion and to Shannon Golaub who became the first de Ferrers student in a number of years to be selected to represent Staffordshire in the English Schools National Championships in Birmingham. The event is being televised live on Sky Sports!
In cricket, a number of students have represented district sides and Andrew Cooper (Derbyshire – Year 11) and Dastgeer Naukhez (Staffordshire – Year 7) have been selected to represent their County sides. Dan Wildman (Year 8) is also hopeing for Derbyshire County selection after scoring 120 not out for the Year 8 college team in the County Cup on their way to the Final, along with a second century this year for the district side.
CRICKET CRUSADERS
The Year 8 Cricket team hashad a tremendous season this year. In the league the boys have produced a fantastic six out of six wins, by beating Granville, Robert Sutton, William Allitt, Pingle, Oldfields and Abbot Beyne. De Ferrers 85-2, Granville all out De Ferrers 88-2, Robert Sutton 50-2 De Ferrers 69-0, William Allitt 68-7 De Ferrers 85-7, Pingle 54 all out De Ferrers 109-7, Oldfield 108-6 De Ferrers V Abbot Beyne won by default They made the Staffordshire County Cup U13 Final away at
IBDP STUDENTS EXAMINE WIND, WASTE AND STUDENT POWER
Year12 IBDP students spent two days working in teams looking at energy sustainability in de Ferrers as part of their internal assessment in the Science subjects. Students were judged on their teamwork, motivational and reflective skills. The teams examined a variety of ways energy could be harnessed, ranging from building their own wind turbine, producing methane from waste from the college kitchen to working out how many students it would take to power a classroom if they were coupled up to bikes with a generator. The project was rounded off with the students presenting their findings to an audience of IBDP staff and students.
Denstone College. The team coached by Mr Baxter, earned their place in the final by beating Kingsmead College. De Ferrers 190-1, Kingsmead 66-6 with an outstanding team display and Dan Wildman achieving 120 not out. They then went on to beat Wolverhampton Grammar School. De Ferrers 121-5, Wolverhampton Grammar 91-8. Oldfields was the next team to be faced, this being the semifinal with de Ferrers beating them. De Ferrers 109-7, Oldfields 108-6 With confidence running high and some outstanding displays of batting, bowling and fielding by the whole team, they got themselves to the final; de Ferrers v Denstone College. Despite the match not quite going de Ferrersʼ way, they still held their heads high and produced a promising performance, ending the match as runners up in the U13 Staffordshire County Cup, losing by eight wickets. Many thanks to Mr Baxter for what has been a remarkable season for deferrers Year 8 cricket team. Team: Daniel Wildman (C), Daniel Featherstone, Liam Goode, Lewis McQuillan, Simon Billings, Jake Fearn, Will Beesley, Joel Stanley, Jonathan Hunt, Charlie Tunstall and Oliver Jones.
Well done, boys!
YEAR 8 NETBALL
Once again the Year 8 students finished the season in good style and won the Burton and District Netball League. This strong squad of players has worked hard since joining the college and during this season was undefeated. The squad consists of the following students: Courtney Barlow Helen Cook Zara Thompson Millie Dawkins Tamikah Campbell Faye Brooks Holly Webster Danielle Coltman Megan Poxon Luisa Woodhall Guiliana Woodhall Chloe Beckett Millie Bowering Sophie Richardson
ROUNDERS
The rounders season is nearly complete and the Year 8 girls have played exceptionally well. They have remained undefeated in their league games and need to win their final match against Paget to secure the league.
The Year 8 and Year 7 Rounders players took part in a new format tournament earlier in the term. They played very well and both teams were unfortunate not to make it into the finals. However, they enjoyed the experience and high levels of skill and teamwork were demonstrated.
DANCE
Dance continues to be popular within the college and this September will see the first of two groups beginning to study GCSE Dance. Dance continues to be offered as an extra-curricular club and during this term the students at Key Stage 3 have been working towards pieces for the Sign Language Concert. It is good to see interest developing in the younger students and we have a strong foundation on which to continue this tradition. One of the highlights of this term was the performance of the Year 7 boys in “Ghostbusters”. After much rehearsal, over many lunchtimes, the boys took to the stage fully geared up to rid us of any ghosts in the neighbourhood. Equally other outstanding performances were given by: Eleana OʼHare and Danielle Lunn in a dramatic duet; the six Year 7 girls who performed with the Sign Language Choir and the East Staffs Dance Collective Group who practise on Friday evening. Congratulations also to Isabelle Fisher, Raida Ali and Mackai Daji who have successfully auditioned for the District GCSE Dance course. The dancers have been fully involved in rehearsals for the college show ʻCopacobana.ʼ
de Ferrers Specialist Technology College Principal: Mr M A York BA (Hons) BEd MBA
Dove Campus Harehedge Lane Burton upon Trent DE13 0AS Telephone: 01283 239961 Fax: 01283 239971 Trent Campus St Mary’s Drive Burton upon Trent DE13 0LL Telephone: 01283 239936 Fax: 01283 239950 e-mail: office@deferrers.staffs.sch.uk
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