Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School
Floyd Footnotes www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk Issue 24 | September 2016
e g n e l l a h C k Roc ! 6 1 0 2 s n o i p m a Ch I first entered a team for Rock Challenge with Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School in 2009. Since then our entries into the competition have gone from strength to strength and in 2012 we became a premier team. At this higher level we compete against the 11 other best schools from across the South of England (including Berkshire, Hampshire, Dorset, West Sussex, London and The Isle of Wight). All the schools in the Premier Division have had success in previous years in the Southern Open Finals, therefore the standard of competition is extremely high. Since then we have placed 4th and 5th in the premier division, however we had never reached the coveted position of being the Southern Premier Champions.
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“Rock Challenge has been the most incredible experience I have ever had.The past five years have been so rewarding and I will miss it so much!” Lauren Kendall, 6H3
“Being a part of Rock Challenge for many years has helped to grow my confidence immeasurably. Performing to an audience used to be something I dread but now I can’t wait to get out there and show everyone our piece and compete.” Emily Cregan, 6M3
The commitment and dedication of the team this year has been exemplary. We auditioned and interviewed our cast and crew in September 2015 and since then for 3 lunch times a week the students have worked tirelessly on perfecting our piece. With 60 dancers and 20 stage crew members across Years 9-13, the team spirit and the sense of collaboration has been exceptional. I am incredibly proud of the determination, resilience and drive the students have demonstrated. Student leadership has been a vital part of the success of this year’s piece and our sixth formers have become real role models for our younger students. This year’s piece was based on the theme of Jonestown, which has been a sensitive and touching story to explore. The sixth form team researched the theme and tried to convey it in a way that was appropriately dramatic, whilst at the same time historically plausible. Credit is due to the choreographers: Jack Buchanan, Lauren Kendall, Emily Cregan, Rhianna Baker, Clarissa Davis, Joe Davies and Georgia Williams who have created some original, innovative movement material, and with such a large cast, this is no mean feat. Hugo Piper created a fluid, smooth soundtrack, seamlessly blending the different tracks. Alice Cromwell and Ebun Osobu headed up the costume and make-up team, creating a cohesive look for a challenging theme. Our school technician Jonathan Cole created an incredible set which transformed the piece from an idea in our heads to a visual spectacle. We took part in Southern Premier Final at Portsmouth Guildhall on Saturday 25th June 2016. The team were a credit to the school both in their phenomenal onstage performance and in their commendable attitude throughout the day. The professionalism and talent of all our students was inspiring.
Schools who achieve very highly in specific areas are given awards of excellence and the judges gave us awards for: Student Leadership, Choreography, Performance Skill, Stage Use, Concept, Drama, Soundtrack, Set Design and Function, Visual Enhancement, Entertainment and Stage Crew. Against some extremely tough competition we also went home with the title of Southern Premier Champions and to be the best in the whole of the South of England is a huge honour. To achieve such an accolade is a testament to the creative talent of all of our team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank: Mr Cole and Miss Ksaizek for all their support in preparing the piece. Thanks to Mrs Burnitt, Mr Cole and Mrs Chapman for keeping me sane on the day. Thanks to Dr Footitt for coming to watch and support us, and to the performing arts team for their wonderful celebratory lunch. I would also like to thank our whole school community who have really been behind us and rooting for us, it has been wonderful to hear some of the Year 7’s saying they cannot wait to be in Year 9 so they can do Rock Challenge! Finally, thank you to two local companies who sponsored us for the event: JMP Media and KJB Communications. If any other local businesses wish to sponsor us for next year’s event please contact me: sdurose@ shfgs.co.uk. Sara Durose, Subject Leader for Dance & Floyd Rock Challenge Director
“I have had a long history with Rock Challenge; having participated both on and off-stage. It is a fabulous opportunity to both challenge yourself creatively and also work as part of an extended team, developing many valuable skills along the way. Having been in the Sixth Form this year, I feel that I have had much more responsibility and it has been great to see some of the ideas that I inputted come to life on stage. Rock Challenge has also given me the opportunity to showcase some of my creative lighting ideas on a much larger scale and has reinforced that this is the career that I wish to pursue.” Ross Campbell, 6A1
“To go from not even placing in my first Rock Challenge open heat 6 years ago, to winning the Southern Premier Final this year was an unforgettable experience. It has allowed me to grow so much not only as a performer, but as a person too. Having the opportunity to work with such a large group of talented young dancers has greatly inspired me and allowed me to develop my confidence in leadership and choreography. Furthermore, being told by younger students that I’ve had a significant impact on them, and inspired them to work hard and achieve is in itself the most moving and meaningful achievement of my life. Being a part of Rock Challenge is an experience I wouldn’t change for the world, and becoming Souther Premier Champions was a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life. I would encourage everyone to get involved with this phenomenal event, as it has inspired me to go into professional dance training and follow my dreams.” Jack Buchanan, 6A2
Headteacher’s Update We begin the year 2016-17 in exceptionally good heart after a wonderful year in 2015/16.
that we have known for some time (despite the national teacher recruitment positon being as dire as ever) and I am very much looking forward to working with our new colleagues.
A major highlight of course was our “Outstanding” grade from Ofsted. It was well deserved and a fair evaluation of the school’s work. Two senior school inspectors who read the report commented that it was just about the best report they had ever read. Throughout all the meetings (battles of wits?) with the inspectors I was very proud of the fact that we did not have to play any games or exaggerate any of our achievements. A straightforward presentation of what we were doing and complete honesty about all aspects of our work was sufficient to gain such an accolade.
We received our IB exam results in July. They were yet another set of “best ever” results.
A few weeks after the report was published we heard that our bid to the government for funding for a new building had been successful. We were delighted (and a little surprised!). After some delay we now have planning consent for our new building and preparatory work began over the summer. The new build will provide a further ten classrooms and a large study area for sixth formers. This should make a huge difference to how busy the school feels. Towards the end of the school year we will be able to spread ourselves out a bit. Once the new building is completed we will convert some classrooms into science laboratories, add a music/drama room and extend the canteen. To create our successful bid we had to promise a contribution from our own funds. The LA (who are funding the second phase of building) have put a sum of money into the project and we have promised to contribute £150,000. We will have to take out a loan to provide these funds. The main reason for our fundraising campaign is to cover these costs associated with our new building as well as enhancing the rest of our science labs. After those two pieces of excellent news we also are very happy about the recruiting of new teaching staff to join us in September. We have had the best fields of applicants
The icing on the cake for me was our victory in the South of England Premier final of Rock Challenge – front page news in this publication. For those who are not aware of the competition it is a highly regarded national festival of dance, designed by an organisation that is committed to showing young people that the experiences that they gain from working together to produce a piece of dance theatre are more exciting than any unhealthy alternative sources of stimulation. Hundreds of schools submit pieces that have taken up immense amounts of creation and rehearsal time and that are of really excellent quality. Being judged the best in the South of England at such a large scale exercise is an amazing accolade. It will be a huge challenge for us to build on these successes but we intend to do just that. Being outstanding is not the same as being perfect! We are all committed to doing all we can to ensure that 2016-17 is even more successful than 2015/16.
Enrichment Week 2016 for Year 10.
Year 10 completed their careers education programme during Enrichment Week. The extremely hot weather created a few difficulties in concentration but block booking the rooms with air conditioning helped to alleviate that problem. Over the three days students learned about personal finance – researching the lifestyle they wanted and then discovering what level of salary they would need to fund the life that they were planning for. Costs of housing and levels of taxation brought some surprises and disappointments!
Students also spent half a day working on a marketing project designed by “Subway”. They designed a new sandwich that had to satisfy specific nutritional requirements and then decide on the selling price. They then had to allocate the marketing budget that they were given. On a grander scale they all spent time imagining they were running an oil company, coping with surprises that came from natural events and government policy changes. The three days were hung around some workshops run by our careers education providers “Talentino” that helps students think about their inbuilt personal qualities and the types of employment that might suit their characters. Both the Army and Royal Air Force made contributions, leading activities and providing careers talks. We also spent a session getting students thinking about the university application process. The highlight for me was a talk from a young entrepreneur, Ben Towers, a seventeen year old who owns several companies and has begun to gain an international reputation for his entrepreneurial skills. He began his first company, providing website design services when he was just eleven years old and is now working on branding projects with national firms. It is now government policy that young people have to be in full time education or training until the age of 18. Ben has had to enrol on an apprenticeship programme with one of his employers acting as his mentor. I felt privileged to be in the company of a young man who had made so much happen. He was not at all boastful and did not talk about his income – but he did encourage our students to believe that they could generate a career that was satisfying and fulfilling by trusting their judgements and following their interests and passions. Inspirational! Stephen Box Headteacher
The Sound of Leather On Willow Although it has been a wet and disrupted cricket season I am pleased to announce that our joint Year 7/8 Cricket Team have emerged as undefeated champions of their District League. It is particularly impressive as the majority of the team are in Year 7 and they are playing in the Under 13’s age group. They have trained with great commitment and resilience from way back in February right through to the summer break, and their success is a testament to their hard work. The team managed to win all four of their games against Mandeville, John Colet, Aylesbury Vale Academy and The Grange, captained by JD Mander-Prideaux who managed his bowlers’ and batting order superbly. Special mentions should go to Marc Weltenius for his superb batting and wicket keeping, Dan Wooster for his batting, Joe Pulic, Zac Tilling, and Aran Glover for their all-round ability, and Arsalaan Nasir for some lethal fast bowling. Well done boys - you can look forward to receiving your cricket colours in September. You all have a tremendous amount of potential and I look forward to the 2017 season and what it will bring. James Burge, Teacher of Physical Education
District Athletics 2016 The District Athletics meet for us, is the highlight of the year. It is the pinnacle of the athletics season, all the months of training are over and we have been working towards this final event. Schools from around the district come to compete, bringing together athletes as competitors and friends.
District Athletics results 1st Places Y10 Y10 Y9 Y8 Y8 Y7
The day consisted of field and track events and to conclude, team relays. The stadium was littered with smiles of the athletes that were about to share their talents. The level of competition was very high!
Girls 300m Kia O’Neil Girls Triple Jump Iris-Mae Morse Boys 80m Hurdles Jake Baldwin Girls 70m Hurdles Maddie Smith Girls 200m Margot Hodgkinson Girls Shot Putt Annabel Hing
2nd Places Y10 Y10 Y10 Y10 Y9 Y8 Y8 Y8 Y7
Every student fulfilled their role in racing, jumping and throwing as hard as they could. The effort on the track and field was outstanding. We should celebrate a fantastic accomplishment for all those athletes who have attended training this year. A select few meets over the term, due to weather constraints helped to prepare the school’s teams for the final event, District Athletics, held at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium on July 6th. On the day our students’ behaviour, attitude and dedication made us all proud, some individual competitors stepping up to fill in for events that were outside their comfort zone.
Boys Shot Putt Boys Relay Team Girls 100m Girls Long Jump Boys Triple Jump Boys High Jump Girls Long Jump Girls Relay Team Boys 100m
Jaden Adigun Iris-Mae Morse Kia O’Neil Oli Hassall Tom Kingswell Carmen Williams Yinka Adelowo
Mrs Taylor, Mrs Barber & Mr Burge, Teachers of Physical Education
Overall the school team came 3rd out of eleven schools. Well done a fantastic result! You should be proud of all your hard work.
Sports Day Double Gold Medallist In April, Year 7 student Lisa Curtin took part in the Under 13 English National Badminton Championships. In the singles, Lisa was only expected to get to the quarter finals however, she exceeded all expectations, first beating the number four seed to get to the semis, and then beating the number one seed to get to the finals. In the final Lisa continued her excellent form to win gold and is now the 2016 Under 13 Women’s English National Badminton Champion. This wonderful achievement was then added to at the same championships meeting when Lisa, with her partner won gold becoming the 2016 Under 13 Women’s English National Badminton Doubles Champions. Our congratulations go to Lisa and we wish her more success in the years to come.
Thursday 29th June started with heavy clouds and it was due to get worse, but with a busy end of term ahead Sports Day needed to happen. The students were eager to perform and with the support from Sports Ambassadors, House Captains, the scorers (Mr Dyke and Miss Dickman) and all of the PE department, the day went ahead whatever the weather. Many students from every house competed in a wide variety of field and track events. There was healthy competition between some of the more able athletes through the pentathlon event, involving long jump, 800m, high jump, javelin and 100m. The whole school joined in the fun to support their peers during period 2, unfortunately the rain didn’t hold off even for this, but that did not dampen the spirits of the roaring house support! Despite the terrible conditions, some school records for Sports Day were broken. Congratulations to: Annabel Hing 7A Mollie Palmer 7H Iris-Mae Morse 10A Callum Ryan 10A
Shot Putt 1500m Long Jump High Jump
7.48m 6.07s 4.94m 1.63m
The final results for the day were as follows: Waddesdon Ascott Claydon Hartwell Mentmore
625 623 558 556 510
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
The ‘winner of the games’ Victor Ludorum went to Felipe Mugari and the Victrix Ludorum to Iris-Mae Morse; Congratulations to them both! Many thanks to Mrs Barber, Mrs Malone, Mrs Taylor, Mr Roberts, Mr Burge, the caretaking staff and Mr Cole, who worked tirelessly to make the event happen. Mrs Selby, Faculty Leader for Physical Education
Year 8 Rounders – Winners District Rounders Tournament 2016
Olympiad day took place on Friday 15th July. Ascott, Claydon, Hartwell, Mentmore and Waddesdon all competed in a variety of activities on Olympiad Day to win the Olympiad trophy. This day gives students the opportunity to meet new people within different year groups by participating in activities such as: Dance, Stage Makeup, Sports, Survival Skills, Bake Off and Lego Challenge. Students belonging to each house try to gain house points, which give them a great sense of team spirit and excitement. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed Olympiad Day!
After a hampered season due to continuous wet weather the tournament had to be postponed from its original date. It was finally played on Thursday 7th July. The girls fielded expertly, proving difficult to score against, with some teams only scoring one or half a rounder against them, in 20 good balls! During a short break of play the team practised batting, this led to a real improvement in their own scoring ability and they won the tournament in their last game against Waddesdon School.
Congratulations to the winning house, Claydon! Kaya Barrow, Hafsa Sheikh and Charlotte Wooster 10C Olympiad Day winner – Claydon 1st
Claydon
177 points
3rd
Waddesdon
153 points
5th
Hartwell
2nd
4th
Ascott
Mentmore
158 points 152 points
Congratulations to the team: Zoe Kerr (captain), Chloe Wilson, Roxy Dallamy, Tilly Cox, Susie Louis, Rachel Seaton, Lilli Jones, Ruby Mills, Lexie Pluckrose, Devon Russell and Margot Hodgkinson.
143 points
House Results Ascott
Claydon
Hartwell
Mentmore
Waddesdon
The House Cup was won by Waddesdon this year leaving last year’s winners in a tie with Mentmore for 2nd position. Whilst Claydon and Hartwell earned more achievements pro-rata per student the other three houses accumulated more points in other competitions. We enter an exciting new era next year and the prospect of a new house is imminent.
Y7 Library Quiz
1
3
3
4
5
Cupcake
5
0
3
3
2
Flapples Netball
Football
Autumn term Achievements Spring Term Achievements Hockey Rugby
Castle Competition Year 9 Swiss roll Year 7 Music
Year 8 Music
Year 7 Short Story Competiton
Year 8 Short Story Competiton Year 9 House Speaking SPORTS DAY
TOTAL Achievements TOTAL
8
8
6
24
22 4
4
1
10 6
10 2
5
4
16
79
215 2nd
2
6
4
19
27 6
8
3
2
2
8
2
2
2
12
83
191 5th
4
2
2
20
24 2
2
4
4
10 6
2
5
10 8
82
193 4th
After a very good tournament early in the season, where two mixed teams both competed to a very high standard in a friendly competition with other local schools, it was very difficult to select a team to take to the District Rounders Tournament.
6
10 8
24
20
10 6
0
8
4
4
10
10 8
4
76
215 2nd
10 4
10
22
25 8
10 5
6
8
2
7
8
6
20
79
237 1st
When going to print the Year 7 District Rounders Tournament (also postponed due to bad weather) was still yet to be played. Mrs R Selby, Faculty Leader for Physical Education
Everyball Tennis For the past two terms I’ve played tennis at lunchtimes on Mondays and Tuesdays with a coach from ‘Everyball Tennis’ based in Halton called Nicola. I have really enjoyed playing tennis and working on my skills, I have improved my shots and spacing on the court. Every tennis lesson has been a mixture of working on tennis shots, games and matches. Nicola’s coaching was amazing and it has made me a better, more confident tennis player. We have played games such as ‘jail’ and ‘around the world’ which have improved the places I hit the ball on the court and have given me confidence to be able to hit the ball correctly so it lands in the space on the opposite side of the court. It not only improves my tennis, it makes me more confident and is a fun way to exercise. I have really enjoyed ‘Everyball Tennis’ as Nicola was always really encouraging and helpful. My tennis has definitely improved, and I have enjoyed the competitive side of the game. And I am looking forward for future lessons. It was overall a great experience. Alexandra 8W1 & William Pluckrose 7W1
Highlight of the year The Summer Concert saw around 250 students across all year groups (including many from Year 11 and Year 13 returning from study leave) to take part in a spectacular celebration of the talents of the Performing Arts faculty. Opening the show, we had the fantastic combined voices of Years 7 and 8 singing the popular song ‘Hold My Hand’ by Jess Glynne. The lower years again showcased their talents in a number of dance performances accompanied by live music: Street Dance Group wowed audiences with ‘Uptown Funk’, and Year 7’s captivating ‘Thriller’ number was a favourite of many. As well as the larger ensemble performances, the evening showcased the individual talents of many. Ella Pinder’s haunting interpretation of ‘With You’ from ‘Ghost’ perfectly complimented the phenomenal Jack Buchanan and Meghan Bunyan’s dance duet; Victoria Evans’ beautiful ballet solo seamlessly integrated with Jonny Janecki’s violin solo, creating an elegant and energetic performance; and last but not least, Wren Harries-Eccles stunned the audience with her virtuosic rendition of ‘Czardas’. It also became clear that many students are multi-faceted in their talents when Craig Lamport’s composition skills came into fruition in a performance of his guitar duet alongside Scott Caldwell-Nichols. Without a doubt, this wonderful show would not have been possible without the expertise and dedication of the brilliant tech crew – students were involved with all aspects of the production from lighting to stage managing and more. Equally, however, the acts only came together through the sheer hard work from Mr Forshaw, Miss Bahra, Mr Cole, Miss Ksiazek and the whole of the Performing Arts team. A special thank you should also be extended to Miss Gott and Mrs Morton, who have made a huge contribution to the department across the years, and will be sadly leaving us this summer. We would like to wish them well in all their future endeavours. Connor Spence 6C1 & Jessica Hopkins 6A2, Lead Performing Arts Ambassadors
To recognise the achievements of students at the school our annual Celebration of Achievement was held at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury in June. Students from across the school joined parents, staff and governors to watch prizes being awarded to those students who have gone the extra mile, not only in their schoolwork, but also in the areas of sport and performing arts. Certificates were awarded to students in Years 7 to 10 for Effort, Achievement and a Form Tutor Prize, and in Year 12, students who have excelled in each subject were given awards, and others who have done well were given commendations.
The prestigious Governors’ Awards were presented by the Chair of Governors, Gaynor Bull. This year, the Governors’ Award for the Best International Baccalaureate Scholar was given to Celia Kessler, and the Best A-level Scholar was awarded to Ella Pinder. Following the celebration, the evening was filled with extraordinary talent in the Summer Concert. We saw performances from the school’s chamber choir, jazz band, senior orchestra and many more! Not only were there amazing musicians, but also dancers, with a beautiful duet being performed by Jack Buchanan and Meghan
Bunyan to ‘With You’ accompanied by Ella Pinder and the string quartet. As always, it is inspiring to see so many high-achieving students receiving recognition for their achievements. Congratulations to all the prize winners, and many thanks to staff, both at school and the Theatre, for ensuring that the day was such a success. Abbie Foy 6H3, Head Girl & Sam Benbow 6C1, Head Boy
Pride in Giving The last academic year has seen a continuance of the culture of raising funds for others in less fortunate circumstances than ourselves, both at home and abroad. Each term we hold a maximum of two bake sales and one mufti day, with each event raising funds for a designated charity. The two Heads of School, Abbie Foy and Sam Benbow work with me to assess the requests for assistance – there are always more than we can accommodate however, it is pleasing to see our student body continually looking beyond their own particular boundaries to assist others.
This year, late April saw the first Late Night Music event. This was a relaxed evening, featuring a change from the traditional concert format, and showcasing our contemporary music scene. The theatre was decked out in true jazz club style, together with two stages and a bar. We were entertained by performances from the likes of Gatehouse Trio and Dolce Canto, as well as other performers including Jonny Janecki, Jess Hopkins, Connor Spence, Jonathan Ford and many more. All the performers came together at the end for a rendition of ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ which had the audience on their feet and some teachers were even dancing! Our tech crew were amazing as always, helping the evening run smoothly and making the venue look spectacular with some fantastic lighting. The event was a great success, raising money for the Parents’ Society and the Performing Arts Department. A special thanks to Hugo Piper for his hard work and creativity behind the scenes as well as his performances on stage. Look out for details of next year’s Late Night Music event with more outstanding performances from the Sir Henry Floyd’s contemporary music scene. Scott Caldwell-Nichols, 6W3
Bake sales have raised money for Macmillan Cancer Support, All Hands Volunteers, Mission Direct (Zimbabwe) and Teenage Cancer Trust this year. Our end of term mufti days have directed the funds raised to Save The Children (Syrian Child Refugees), Clinical Human Factors and most recently, to Help For Heroes (linking the Invictus Games with our own Olympiad Day). Small grants have also been given to Beautiful Alice and Otters Swimming Club, whilst Sport Relief gained funds following sponsored rowing. In total we raised £7,000 this year for the worthy causes noted above. This is a credit to all those involved and all those who contributed. It is also worth noting that many of our students and staff are involved in charitable fundraising in their own right and are not mentioned above. With the new academic year upon us we will endeavour to continue charitable fundraising. Who will we support? That will be up to those who put in a request for consideration… and the sooner you do that the more chance of being successful! Ian Bryant, Assistant Head
National Recognition At the beginning of March Matt Sharpe, SENDCo and Liz Johnson, ASENDCo travelled to Telford to represent the Personalised Learning Team and the school at the National Autistic Society’s Autism Professionals Awards Ceremony. We were one of three finalists, from across the UK, for the Award for Inspirational Educational Provision: Secondary Schools. The school was nominated because we consider all parts of a child’s life to be important, not just the academic, and it is a safe and supportive place for students with Autism (and other SEND) where they are valued members of the school community. The Personalised Learning Team are well trained professionals who proactively look to see where students need support and do everything they can to help them be successful in every aspect of their school life. This support is reviewed and adjusted whenever needed. We had a wonderful evening at the Telford International Centre where 250 professionals from all parts of the UK had come together to celebrate the successes in support for people with Autism. As you can imagine we were proud to be finalists for such a prestigious award, especially as we are a mainstream school. The other finalists in our category were a specialist SEN college and a Specialist Autistic unit within a school. Unfortunately we didn’t win the award which went to Cherrywood ASD unit, but we are so proud to have been nominated and being finalists.
Sleep & Stress
In the summer of last year and as part of my studies in Year 13 I signed up to take the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). I wanted to focus on a topic that interested me as well as enhancing my understanding for something that will play a big part in my university education. Because of this the heading for my EPQ was “To what extent do external exams combined with performance pressure from schools lead to a rise in cases of depression in teenagers?” As part of my report I felt it important to collect primary data. I used a sample of Year 11 students from both our school and from The Mandeville School. I discovered some interesting results from this study. Perhaps the most striking was the relationship between current levels of stress, and the number of hours of sleep each night. I looked at this aspect because teenagers are recommended to have 9½ hours sleep each night, as well as the fact that sleep deprivation can lower concentration and performance. The results from girls at both schools showed that 54% of students who have a high stress level (at least 8/10) were not getting the recommended amount of sleep each night. From those girls who attend SHFGS, 84% were only getting up to 7 hours of sleep a night on a weekday. This I felt was significant as it showed a clear correlation between the amount of time a student sleeps per night and their stress levels, something that is a big cause for concern especially around exam time. This link is not revolutionary, however it is something that parents, families and the students themselves should consider during the exam period and other stressful periods in their lives. Getting enough sleep is often the last thing students think of when trying to revise late into the night for their exams. It seems however, that late night revising may be adding extra stress and pressure, and so potentially compromising their ability to reach their potential during the exam period. To conclude if students try to achieve the recommended amount of sleep this could reduce their stress levels and improve their performance in their exams. Emily Cregan, 6M3
Liz Johnson, Assistant SENDCo
Engineering Experience In late April, nine Year 10 girls got the chance to go to Wycombe High School for a day of learning about engineering-based careers. We were the first to arrive which clearly showed that students from our school value punctuality! Soon after, the other schools started to arrive, and we all listened to lectures from two different engineers. It was interesting to hear about their vastly different experiences and the types of jobs that engineers get to do. One of the speakers outlined which subjects are useful for engineering, and I was happy to hear that foreign languages are amongst them, since engineers often get to work abroad. She also told us that Maths and Physics are essential. Soon we were separated into five groups of about 20 students, and each group got to participate in four workshops. The first workshop involved using what we had been taught about building strong structures to build a bridge out of spaghetti and marshmallows. This was great fun, and the practical nature of this allowed us to understand the ideas better. We also did a workshop based on strong structures, where we built a giant tetrahedron together as a group. I was extremely surprised as to how strong it was, since we only made it from sticks and elastic bands! These two activities allowed us to work in teams, which is a useful skill in engineering since most engineers work in large groups. The other students in our team were extremely friendly and the staff were very helpful too. Another of the workshops which I found interesting involved using 3D webcams. We got the chance to calibrate the camera ourselves using Python 2.7, which allowed us to better understand how the cameras work. We also got to take photographs with the 3D webcam, to make 3D portraits of our faces and other objects. We used our chemistry skills in a workshop about chemical engineering. This was a branch of engineering that I had not heard about before, but it was very exciting! We learnt why petrol companies use different fuels during summer and winter, and got the chance to test this out for ourselves by inflating balloons with safer versions of both types of fuel. The balloon with winter fuel inflated faster because this has a lower boiling point. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed our day at Wycombe High School, as I learnt many new things. All of the workshops were practical-based so that we could see the ideas that were taught working in real life, and all of the staff and students were kind and helpful. I would thoroughly recommend this visit to anyone who enjoys challenges based on physics, chemistry, and maths. Lorne Hyde, 10W
Hello Brum…
In late June,Year 12 students spent the day at Birmingham University in preparation for the start of the UCAS application process. Birmingham is a leading university, not just in the United Kingdom but also internationally. They have been “challenging and developing great minds for more than a century”. The university offers a wide range of over 350 undergraduate courses, from creative subjects such as Music and Drama to more science based degrees, including Biochemistry and Theoretical Physics. Birmingham University has a lovely campus and, although it is quite large with over 34,000 students, it has a wonderful community that is both friendly and welcoming. Creative Writing is a huge passion of mine, so I decided to attend a talk about English and Creative Writing degrees. The lecturer was extremely engaging and he spoke in a very informative way about the specific modules included in the English and Creative Writing course. I visited the English display stand, where I spoke to current students studying the subject and this was useful because I was able to ask lots of specific questions concerning the course. I also decided to attend two Physics taster lectures whilst at the university, purely because it is a subject that interests me and they were relevant to the topics I am currently studying in A Level Physics. Rebecca Caves, who is looking to study Physics at university, said that the taster lectures were “really interesting and gave me an idea of what would be covered in my course.” Although I did not go on a campus tour or have a look around the student accommodation, I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to move on to university because it gives you a better insight into student life outside the degree you wish to study. Despite the fact that I have my heart set on doing a Journalism and Creative Writing degree at another university, I found the Birmingham open day extremely rewarding and beneficial. I would definitely encourage you to visit universities if you are considering doing a degree when you finish school, because there is so much more to see than what is presented on websites and in prospectuses! Victoria Bromiley, 6M1
CHINA EXCHANGE Only eight hours after the summer concert Mr Box and I found ourselves at Heathrow airport getting ready to board a plane to China to begin our partnership with Beijing Academy. After a tiring 15 hour journey with no sleep because of the time difference, we arrived in Beijing Thursday morning to be greeted by our host Jimmy. We were then taken on a whistlestop tour of some of Beijing’s famous attractions including the Great Wall of China, the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City. On day two we attended the Beijing Academy – this is one of the most popular schools in Beijing with a thousand applicants for eighty places each year – where we were greeted by a 10 foot electronic billboard bearing our names! We observed a maths lesson where independent and collaborative work was central to learning and students solved mathematical problems and equations in perfect English to aid our understanding; we also witnessed a music lesson for 15 students who worked on technical skills through 3-part singing. Our tour of the Academy allowed us to experience calligraphy, see the rooms where Chinese tea was made and tasted, and explore the modern facilities the students are so lucky to be provided with.
Hold The Front Page
In June, I spent a week working for the Telegraph in London. Whilst there, I had the opportunity to find out the intricate details of the newspaper business and explored working in various sectors of the company, including advertising, editorial, HR and sales. Most exciting, however, was the opportunity to write my own article for the paper – ‘Why 16-17 year olds should have been allowed to vote in the EU Referendum’. This is currently being read and edited for potential publication by one of the editors of the paper. I found the experience amazing as it confirmed my career path and my interests in journalism, and I have been invited back to the newspaper in future for a graduate course post-university. Joe Kennett, 6H3
In October, 30 of our students will be visiting China as part of the exchange programme, spending time visiting the city and in lessons with their hosts. We hope to learn a great deal from the Academy and their positive learning community, and we are very much looking forward to setting up a regular exchange programme. Miss Bahra, Teacher of Music
Exemplary Scholar
Ben Phan, who left the school last year, has been awarded the prestigious REACH Oxford scholarship to study engineering at New College, University of Oxford starting this October. The scholarship is worth almost £170,000 and will cover Ben’s international tuition fees as well as all his accommodation and living costs for his four-year course. Ben joined the sixth form in September 2013 having recently arrived from Vietnam with his mother and British step-father. He spoke very little English but the school immediately recognised his mathematical ability, although his mathematical education at his Vietnamese school had covered very different topics – a situation Ben ensured he rectified during the time between his acceptance in August and the start of term in September. Once in school Ben embarked on an intensive self-study programme to improve his spoken and written English, such that last summer he gained four A* grades at A Level in mathematics, further mathematics, physics and chemistry. Ben is currently working as a support engineer for Schneider Electric during his gap year as part of the Year in Industry scheme. Ben is keen to pass on the message to other disadvantaged students that perseverance and determination can overcome seemingly unsurpassable obstacles. He says “I will continue to work hard to realise my aspirations and to help others to achieve their dreams” and also hopes to one day be in a position to establish his own bursary scheme to help students in a similar situation. We are extremely proud of Ben. He has an exemplary work ethic and great personal resilience. He came to this country with a dream of studying at Oxford. We wish him every success for the future. Kathryn Chapman, Assistant Head of Sixth Form
A Year In Industry I decided to do the Year in Industry scheme for my gap year rather than apply straight to higher education as I wanted to experience corporate engineering before making the decision as to what to study, and where. When I started the scheme in last August 2015 with Rolls-Royce, a world leading power systems company, with ‘Quality & Improvements Engineering and Knowledge Management’ as the job description, I had no idea what to expect – who would? However, I soon understood what this involved and also started to develop an appreciation of the number of types of engineering involved in keeping a global company moving. Being part of the Rolls-Royce global team has definitely been the corporate engineering experience I was looking for - attending meetings, taking actions and being expected to get on with a job using my own initiative. My main project has been to produce a tool that enforces conformance to a new process that has been implemented into the company. The tool will impact 1300 UK employees in the first roll-out – quite a legacy for a pre-university student on their gap year! For this tool I have also produced a set of performance metrics that will help measure collective users’ performance. The metrics will be used by employees of Rolls-Royce at all stages of component design - from the designers themselves to monitor their specific group’s performance through to someone right at the top to see a global picture of what is happening. To
produce this I had to teach myself VBA programming, which has really helped my independent learning skills – this will be really useful for my higher education next year. Year in Industry has been an excellent choice, not just because of the work and transferable skills I have been able to pick up or improve on (email etiquette, organisation, motivation and the confidence that working towards a goal that isn’t a grade has inspired), but also I have had to move away from home, start to pay bills, sort out car parking, MOT, insurance, and get myself out of the house every weekday for an 8.00am start. I have had to find activities for the evenings with new people that I haven’t just met in class or at school, such as joining a band and two new orchestras. I’ve also started bouldering every week which has been incredible fun and is always really rewarding when you complete a new route that had been especially difficult. The determination that all of these activities have taught me (as well as the competition I’ve had with myself as to how to make the best lasagne) has really helped me to enjoy supporting myself this year. The experience at Rolls-Royce has given me an appreciation of the different streams of engineering and has reassured me that I want to study it. I have also recognised in Rolls-Royce there is a freedom to push your career path in so many different ways and all within one company. I’ve really liked the company’s attitude to its employees and have decided to take on the Higher
Engineering Apprenticeship with them from September, rather than go to university, so I can continue to experience how a global company keeps up with our changing world. The Year in Industry scheme is offered by a wide range of companies, across many sectors and there are both Engineering and Management schemes available. I would highly recommend this route to anyone who wants to know what work is like in a career that interests them. It can also be helpful to see what you don’t like prior to training for it at University or elsewhere. For me, it has been a highly fulfilling gap year opportunity that has prepared me for the future. Emma Lorrimore, 2015 leaver
Indian Easter
Over the Easter holidays I embarked on an incredible trip to India with an organisation called Medical Projects, where I spent an eye-opening two weeks work shadowing in a hospital. It was thanks to my chemistry teacher, who circulated a web link, that I discovered the project. The website was really detailed I was immediately extremely drawn to the project, particularly the rural Indian location. At the start of term I had considered taking part in World Challenge 2017 however, I soon decided that this cheaper and more subject focused trip was the one for me. I paid, booked my flights, booked vaccinations and obtained a Visa. The overall price for the two weeks (which included a weekend break in the middle) cost around £1000, not including flights. I thought this was very good value and I had been saving from my part time job for 2½ years, also it would show my enthusiasm towards practical applications of the possible subjects that I want to study in the future, biology and chemistry. The website suggests that this is a good trip for people considering becoming midwives, doctors or nurses but I can see many ways in which this would benefit individuals from a broader remit than they suggest. The project staff were very supportive if needed prior to and throughout the project. I arrived at Mumbai airport after an 8¾ hour flight and met 10 other students, mostly in Year 12 from other schools around the UK, Germany and Qatar, who were to be my companions for the trip. Thankfully, they were all lovely! We made the long journey from Mumbai to the hospital campus (halfway between Goa and Mumbai) which took all day and allowed us time to get to know each other. Most days the temperature reached 43 degrees (sadly the region is blighted by a drought at the moment) but we all consumed plenty of water and despite the warnings by concerned friends before my departure, none of us became ill. We ate traditional vegetarian Indian food from the region for all meals except one.
We spent 5 hours, 5 days a week in the hospital, splitting time between different departments such as obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, ICU, surgery and oncology. I was lucky enough to see a number of fascinating operations and also saw the birth of a baby boy and twins by caesarean section. The medical staff were very helpful and despite an occasional language barrier, tried to explain exactly what they were doing and why. I also spent a day with the nutrition and a maternity based community outreach program which I really enjoyed. Some of the things I saw, although very interesting, were quite hard to experience due to the visible discomfort of patients, their relatives and sometimes the busy staff. My experience of ICU highlighted the contrast between number of staff and equipment in the UK compared to India. We were shown how to take blood pressures and also other investigations which enabled us to feel helpful. We were encouraged to reflect on these experiences, discuss and even debate them. I have gained an understanding of the economic and ethical challenges faced by healthcare providers particularly within developing countries with high levels of deprivation and poverty. I now feel passionate about returning to India as I found the culture, landscape and people I met to be welcoming and colourful. I have also learned things about myself and feel more confident. This experience has been helpful towards the CAS part of the International Baccalaureate and will undoubtedly benefit my UCAS application in addition to my personal development. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone considering any kind of medical career or profession. Please have a look at the website and come and talk to me about it if you are interested. http://www. medicalprojects.co.uk/ Megan Jenkins, 6C3
IB CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) Report 2016 The development of students into caring and internationally-minded individuals is an integral part of the International Baccalaureate ethos. One of the main vehicles for achieving this is the extra-curricular component of the diploma core known as CAS. Each student puts together a bespoke programme of activities with which they engage over an 18-month period in the sixth form. I am always impressed with the variety of activities our diploma students take part in and the current Year 12 IB cohort is no exception. Creativity has involved Niklas Adio and Sergei Patsaluyonak in the lunchtime chess club, Tsamaija Forsyth-Gidharry was a runner-up in the county finals of the Poetry By Heart competition and Devosree De has
started a Mandala Club for year 7 and 8 students (see below for an example of the artwork produced). For the Activity element Megan Jenkins has continued her role of Aylesbury Swimming Club captain, Amelia Shaw has joined the Floyd Equestrian team and Gemma Cheng has taken part in a Remote Control Car Racing Club! School sports teams, martial arts classes and the sixth form ski trip to Austria have also been attended. The students have been particularly inventive in their projects to fulfil the community service element of the programme. Several are members of the Senior Student Leadership Team or faculty ambassadorial teams and others are taking part in the World Challenge expedition to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Iona Stepney helps with the National Association of Blood Bikes, Christoph Spellerberg is a
conservation volunteer with the Parks Trust, Imogen Godwin is part of Aylesbury Youth Action and Akaanksha Venkatramanan organised a Book Club for Year 7 students. These are just some of the many activities in their CAS programmes. Congratulations to all these students for a busy year both in and out of the classroom! Kathryn Chapman Assistant Head of Sixth Form/ CAS Coordinator
A TERM IN PICTURES… Heart & Lung Dissections Floyd Blossom
bly
em Year 11 f inal Ass
Presentation to Year 13 Final Assembly
Charity Presentation
g Event in k o o C n io at
The Gener
AiP Young C hef of t he Year
Yr 12 Conducting an experiment on how children learn to speak
Summer Concert Dance
Mar imbas E ntertain of t he Waters ing in t he Foyer ide Theatre
Sports Day Races
Javelin Practice
Sports Day - Wet ,
Wet , Wet!
s Event n ia d y lo F O ld
Yr 13 Final Assembly and Celebrations
Year 7 C r icket Celebration of Achievements
Cooking Demonstration for Staff
Summer Concert Choir
Pract ice
Time To Build The year ahead is going to deliver more space for all us at the school. Firstly though, there is the little matter of building it! With funding from the Department of Education and Bucks County Council, added to our own contribution via a loan, we have secured planning permission to build a new teaching block – 6 standard class rooms, 2 double sized class rooms, an IT suite, an additional sixth form study area with 50 pc’s, offices, lift and toilet areas. Similar in design to our Glover building, the new build should be ready for use prior to the summer term. The English faculty will be based in here, allowing Maths to use more space in the Tower block. As this development is completed we will start work on phase 2 - adapting and extending some of our current space. This will include extending our current dining area, converting at least two class rooms in the Library block for use by the science faculty, and doubling the space of our smallest Dance studios. The new space and adaptations in both phases will provide the teaching space we require not only for the 1200 students on roll from this September, but allow us to grow to approximately 1300 over the next three years. All three grammar schools in Aylesbury will then be of a similar size, providing further opportunities for children from our growing population. Plans of the developments will be placed in the reception area, as they become available, for everyone to see. Ian Bryant, Assistant Head
Investing In The Future £50,000 Annual Challenge
How to Contribute Direct debit, cheque or cash regular or one-off payments
Raising this each year will lead us to the target of £500,000 over 10 years.
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Project
Project
IPADS/LAPTOPS SCIENCE MOBILE LABORATORY REFURBISHMENT TROLLIES The pictures show the before and after view of Science class rooms that we have refurbished in recent years.
Each trolley of 32 iPads or laptops is available to classes throughout the school day for use in all subject areas.
In total we have 9 science classrooms with 6 remaining to be upgraded into rooms which will provide the best setting for our students and staff to learn and achieve in.
The trollies keep the equipment safe and secure when not in use, and enables them to be charged and synchronised as a group.
Each room will cost £35,000 to bring up to modern standards making a total of £210,000 for all six rooms.
The school currently has 4 trollies and would like to see a further 10 available at a total cost of £140,000.
link on our website
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Project
NEW BUILDING The school currently has 1200 students and is planning to increase this to 1300 over the next few years. This will be achieved by offering 180 places in each year group, from Year 7 through to Year 11. Additionally we will seek to increase the size of the Sixth Form to 400. This growth will provide more young people with the opportunity to learn and achieve in an excellent environment. It can only be achieved with additional space, and the plan below provides an outline of a new building adjacent to those we currently have. The cost of this is £1.85M. The project will be completed in 2017 and the school will be contributing £150,000.
To donate please visit our website: www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk/fundraising or contact us at fundraising@sirhenryfloyd.co.uk
Young Chef of the Year On a warm Spring evening at the end of March, seven eager students with a passion for cooking took part in a competition run by our caterers, Alliance In Partnership whereby they had to design a healthy and nutritious meal that had the potential to be sold in the school canteen. Apart from designing and planning their dish, each student had to calculate quantities of ingredients and costs per portion. They then had just under two hours to make and present their chosen meal to a panel of judges including the AiP’s Regional Manager and several members of teaching staff including Mrs Malone. Each student had their own unique flair and all of the dishes were of outstanding quality. Being an ex-Food Technology GCSE student, I had the honour of being able to taste and judge these dishes, and I was completely blown away by how good they were. The food cooked came from a range of different cultures which emphasises just how diverse the school is. Some of the dishes were even above the standard required to get a very respectable grade at GCSE, despite the fact that the students were all in Year 9 or below. After several long discussions (and even a few disagreements amongst judges!) it was finally decided that the winner was Niah Goldsworthy in 9M1 with her Pea & Mint Quinoa Soup, served alongside sweet potato wedges and a homemade bread roll. The two runners up were Imogen Rayer, 8W and Tope Adigun, 8M1. The competition was extremely close and congratulations go to everyone who took part. Niah went to Birmingham at the beginning of May to compete in the AiP Young Chef of the Year Finals, where she impressed the judges so much that they felt she deserved 3rd place, which is a wonderful achievement at such a young age. It just goes to show that determination and hard work go a long way. Niah commented that “It was a great experience because I had the opportunity to get my cooking judged by professional chefs”. With this high level of talent, who knows what delicious food Niah could be producing in a few years’ time? Victoria Bromiley, 6M1
A Wonderful Role Model
Sixth form student Emma Thorpe has recently won the Winslow Young Citizen of the Year award as a result of her involvement with charities and societies in her home town. Emma has been a member of the local Girl Guiding unit for nearly 13 years, and she has taken part in fundraisers to raise money for Milton Keynes Hospital Radio, as well as performing at charity events in Winslow, including quizzes in support of the local church and the town’s GP surgery. Emma is clearly very talented at organising quizzes because she also held one to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Furthermore she has also volunteered at the children’s storehouse in Winslow which helps families who don’t have enough money to buy their children basic goods like clothes and nappies. Volunteering in your local community can be a highly rewarding act of kindness because you know that your work will be helping the lives of others, and it also encourages you to have
a better and more appreciative outlook on life. It goes without saying that there is an extensive list of positives associated with fundraising for charities. When I asked Emma to give her thoughts about receiving the Winslow Young Citizen of the Year award, she humbly responded by saying: “I just generally like to help out around Winslow and give back to the community I’ve lived in for 17 years, and it’s a huge privilege to win an award for doing that.” It is clear that Emma Thorpe is not only a wonderful citizen of Winslow, who has been recognised for her selfless efforts, but she is also a huge credit to Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School. Emma is a role model for the rest of us. Her kind heart and selflessness results in both her home town being a better place for all those who live there, and many charities benefiting from her fund raising efforts. Victoria Bromiley, 6M1
An Afternoon of Memories July heralded the first official Old Floydians reunion for former students, staff and governors. Over a hundred Old Floydians gathered, with representatives from each decade since the early 1960s on a pleasant Saturday afternoon. Everyone had the opportunity to wander the site and buildings visiting memory lane as they strolled, peruse some old photographs and publications, and spot the changes since they left. There was plenty of time to catch up with familiar faces over a drink and a bite to eat, whilst current students generously gave their time to sing to the guests, ending the successful event on a high. As the event ended, a lot of happy faces left with memories of the years gone by recharged, and old friendships reawakened. If Old Floydians would like to make this an annual event please do let us know. Also, if you are interested in organising an event for your specific year group do get in contact with us, we will be happy to assist you.
Just a line to thank you all for Saturday afternoon. It was great to see the school again and to catch up with old friends. 1968 was a long time ago but on Saturday it seemed like yesterday! I’m really pleased to see how the school has developed and how successful it is. I hope that another event can be arranged in the not too distant future and please let me know if I can be of any help.
Just a word of thanks to you and everyone else involved in Saturday’s event. It was a real pleasure to meet former colleagues and to see how the school has moved forward in terms of both buildings and outcomes without losing its unique charm. But the real enjoyment came from talking to so many former students, all of whom (as the Headteacher remarked) have become well-rounded and happy contributors to society. It put all the doom-laden nonsense of the last few weeks into perspective!
A warm welcome
Regards to all Ian Harper (staff 1978-2009) A quick email to thank you for organising today’s event. It was lovely to revisit the school after so many years; have the chance to tread in my old footsteps and also see such wonderful new facilities. Could you pass on my thanks also to all those who gave up their Saturday afternoon to make it possible, and in particular the students who performed the musical interlude. The whole event was a pleasure and I look forward to keeping up my new found acquaintance with SHFGS. Best Wishes, Jane Johnson-Booth
(nee Howard student 1977 – 1983)
I’ll spread the word to other former pupils. Thanks again.
p Catching U I just wanted to of all of us fo say thank you on behal r the reunion f on We had a won derful time an Saturday. all the effort that went in d appreciate to organisin the event. g The opportun ity brought back to tour the school lo were so impr ts of memories and we essed with th e students w entertained u ho s. thanks to al Please pass on our l involved an d look forwar to more alum d ni events in the future. If there is an yth with in the fu ing you need assistance tu to contact m re please do not hesitate e. It would be g reat to have a Facebook alumni grou p.
Best wishes Clive Parker (student 1968-73)
Very best wis hes, Mel Walker (nee Bishop
A bite to eat
student 19 69-76)
Where are they now? David Clarke - 1977 Leaver 3rd June 1977
When I left SHFGS back in 1977 the world was a very different place, everything was still brown and beige, only three TV channels, we all still believed that space travel for the masses was only just over the horizon and Punk Rock was at its zenith. I had started at SHFS, full of hope, in 1972 and left at the end of the fifth year (Year 11 for the current generation) with a somewhat disappointing clutch of just three O Levels. I had enjoyed my time at the school but for many of the wrong reasons, hence the poor end result. However, things improved. I went on to Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education in High Wycombe (in what is now part of Bucks New University) where I successfully studied for an Ordinary National Diploma in Building. After that I got a job as a trainee quantity surveyor in a small office in Temple Square in Aylesbury and studied for a Higher National Certificate in Building on a day release basis.
Many years and much study later I am a qualified Chartered Building Surveyor and Chartered Construction Manager, working as a Divisional Surveyor for The Priory Group (addiction clinics, mental health hospitals, etc.). We refurbish, develop and generally maintain sites all over the UK, and I held similar roles in the pub industry and shop fitting world prior to this. Away from work, I have been married to Clare (ex-Aylesbury High School) for 26 years, and we have three children (although they’re not really children now) – Chris, 23, Emily 20 and Nick 18. We have stayed local and lived in Downley, just outside High Wycombe, for the whole of our married life. I have been involved in Scouting since joining the Cub Scouts aged eight and have since been a Scout, Venture Scout, Scout Leader, Assistant District Commissioner and now sit on the County Scout Executive Committee. In 1988 I was the leader of the county contingent to the World Scout Jamboree in Australia. Since 2000 I have volunteered as a steward for Oxfam at the Glastonbury, Reading and WOMAD Festivals. Oxfam make up to £1m a year through their stewarding operation, working at up to 20 festivals each year - if any Year 13 leavers are looking for a good way to fill their
Where are they now? Lauri Knowler - 2013 Leaver Well, where to begin? From an academic perspective, I was offered a place at DeMonfort University in Leicester, well known for its employment schemes, to study Politics and International Relations. Currently I’m on my year in industry, working for a small business in Aylesbury Vale, but I shall continue my studies in September to specialise in Contemporary American Politics and National Security. For this I shall be travelling to America frequently to research their view on their public policy and their view of the world politically. Alongside my degree, I have taken up a few online courses to further specialise in different fields, I am now a certified criminal profiler and recently qualified as a forensic psychologist. I have also been placed on a shortlist for a summer internship at the National Crime Agency. Besides all of this achievement, there is something else that has taken over my life completely! Those of you who may remember me know that I was highly keen on drama and the theatre, (it was one of my
A Levels and has been a passion of mine since I was small) although I haven’t got a part in the West End or anything like that I decided to channel my love for the stage into something else. I take part and I am well known within the pageant industry, particularly Miss Great Britain, Miss England and Miss Universe GB. I have obtained two regional and one national title. I’m the current Miss Great Britain Personality. This industry can be seen as controversial, however, my experience has been anything but. I have gained a dramatic amount of confidence, both in myself and public speaking. It has given me a chance to show who I really can be at my best and also a positive role model to women by doing talks at schools. It has also given me a chance to travel; recently I’ve been given the opportunity to fly to Chicago to help out with the pageant system in the US. I have been on the radio and obviously some of you may have seen me in the local paper trying to raise funds for charity. With this I have also become an ambassador for the charity Beauty With A Purpose to help children all over the globe from building schools to simply a new bus for field trips.
David Today summer holiday in years to come go to http://www.oxfam.org.uk/stewarding we’re always looking for new recruits. Additionally, I volunteer as a cook at Wycombe Homeless Connection, an organisation providing support and shelter for homeless people in the High Wycombe area. Four years ago I had the privilege of being accepted as a volunteer Gamesmaker at the 2012 London Olympic Games. I worked as a driver ferrying competitors between games venues (‘I had that Usain Bolt in the back of my cab’ – sadly not!) So that’s me, 39 years after leaving Sir Henry Floyd: happily married, three children, a career that I enjoy and several hobbies and interests - who could ask for more?
Winning Miss Great Britain Personality, a title given to the girl who the other 49 girls voted for as the person they got on with the best. Probably the most rewarding award I have ever received.
I have raised over £1000 for this charity and others such as Rainbows Hospice and Cancer Research UK. I have taken part in a number of events to support these charities, I must admit the one I’m most proud of completing was a half marathon…. Never again. Finally I have been nominated as Young Woman of the Year by the Sue Ryder charity, as I gave my winnings of a year supply of Krispy Kreme donuts to a foodbank. My advice to all of you is to let you know that school life isn’t even the beginning. You are there to make friendships yes, but more importantly it’s for you to give yourself an amazing academic opportunity. Work hard, then you can play hard once you leave. Even if you’re more a C student than an A student, you will get there. Especially to those who feel like they’re struggling, you are not alone. Ever. There’s a big world out there, you’re only functioning in a fraction of it at the moment, and the time will go by quicker than you think. Give others the opportunity, be nice to the girl who doesn’t talk much or the boy who seems shy, you never know who they will become.
Duke of Edinburgh Weekend in the Cotswold
Putting up
the tent
A group of ten Year 12 students undertook their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Silver Practice Expedition in the Cotswolds over the May Day bank holiday weekend. They walked as two separate teams and successfully navigated their way across the hills for three days. They were completely self-contained and carried all their own equipment and food, cooking for themselves at each campsite. The aim of this expedition was to develop their skills in preparation for their assessed expedition at the end of June. They must have achieved this objective because, I’m very pleased to say, they all went on to pass their assessment with flying colours! David Goss, DofE Expedition Manager
World Challenge And suddenly the reality hits home! Tomorrow morning we will all be on a transatlantic plane leaving home, family and friends behind for four whole weeks! And while it feels a little nerve wracking knowing we will soon be jetting off to into the remoteness of the Costa Rican and Nicaraguan jungle, the team excitement at climbing volcanoes and working on the project is evident. This morning was the start of build-up day. We have been in the school, but we are not ‘in school’ and now we have less than twenty four hours to sort out any missing kit, lost passports, forgotten visa applications and broken nails. The teachers and expedition leaders are cranking up the ante to make all the challengers aware of the safety, security, health, hygiene and discipline issues that we will all need to be conscious of as we participate in the Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School World Challenge expedition to Central America 2016. This morning’s tasks included checking all the challengers’ kit, identifying, checking and distributing the expedition equipment among the challengers and taking on roles of responsibility. The medical information had to be checked and updated too which continues to take an age….no stone is left unturned! The afternoon tasks have seen people redistribute their kit and remove all the things from their hand baggage that the airlines might object too. Briefings on team support, medical issues, sex, drugs and rock & roll are all on the agenda…. We’re all looking forward to a last supper together before returning to school for a camp out in the classrooms. Then it is up early for a 5.25am departure and ‘hasta la vista, amigos!!’ Peter Merrow-Smith, Biology Teacher
Enrichment Week - S weet Success!
Normandy
Beachcraft Enrichment W eek wit h t he Brit at schoo l ish Ar my
by k - Team Games ee W t en hm ic nr E y t he Britsh Arm
Watersport s Trip - T Olympic At raining with hletes
Out and About with SHFGS A collection of photos from Enrichment Week and World Challenge.
Watersports W ipeout!
Dates for your Diary Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School | www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk
September 2016
November 2016
Thursday 1st – Friday 2nd
Staff Training – School closed to students
Wednesday 2nd
Monday 5th
Years 7, 8 & 13 + Year 10 ‘Buddies’ in school
Junior Ski-sports Parents Information Evening at 6.00pm Seniors Ski-sports Parents Information Evening at 7.15pm
Tuesday 6th
All students in school Year 12 Challenge Day (Leadership & Team Building Skills)
Thursday 3rd
New Intake Parents' Evening 1600-1830
Monday 7th
Parents Society meeting at 7.30pm
Wednesday 7th
Year 7 Adventure (Team Building) Day – half the year group
Tuesday 8th
Open Morning at 9.45am Senior Maths Challenge
Thursday 8th
Year 7 Adventure (Team Building) Day – half the year group
Thursday 10th
Sixth Form Open Evening from 6.00pm
Tuesday 15th
Year 12 ‘Safe Drive, Stay Alive’
Thursday 17th
Year 11 Parents Consultation Evening from 5.00pm
Saturday 19th
Parents Society Christmas Fayre from 12.00 until 4.00pm
Thursday 15th
Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award Parents Information Evening at 6.00pm
Monday 19th
Parents Society Meeting at 7.30pm
Tuesday 20th
Individual Photograph sessions in school Year 9 Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award Parents Information Evening at 6.00pm
Thursday 22nd
Open Evening from 5.30pm
Tuesday 27th
Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award evening at 6.00pm Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award evening at 7.15pm
Wednesday 28th
Open Morning at 9.45am Success in the Sixth Form Parents Evening 7.00pm
Friday 30th
Year 8 Girls HPV Vaccinations
October 2016 Monday 3rd
Parents Society AGM at 7.30pm
Tuesday 4th
Open Morning at 9.45am
Friday 7th
Staff Training – School closed to students
Friday 7th – Sunday 9th
World Challenge 2017 Training Expedition in Snowdonia
Thursday 13th
Open Morning at 9.45am
Monday 17th – Thursday 20th
Open Mornings at 9.45am
Friday 21st
Parents Society Year 7 Family Challenge at 7.00pm
Saturday 22nd
Parents Society Paintball Experience
Monday 24th – Friday 28th
HALF TERM
December 2016 Thursday 1st
Year 12 Parents Consultation Evening from 5.00pm
Wednesday 7th
Year 9 GCSE Standards Evening – parents only at 7.00pm Open Morning at 9.45am
Tuesday 6th – Friday 9th
Phantom of the Opera from 7.00pm
Friday 9th
Parents Society Christmas Raffle Draw
Tuesday 13th
Christmas lunch available
Wednesday 14th
Christmas Celebration at St Mary’s Church at 7.00pm
Friday 16th
Mufti Day
Monday 19th – Monday 2nd January 2017
Christmas Holiday
January 2017 Tuesday 3rd
Inset – School closed to students
Wednesday 4th
All students return to school
Fundraise While You Shop! If you are shopping on the internet for wine, furniture, iTunes, gifts or even flights, please take a moment to log onto The Giving Machine at www.thegivingmachine.co.uk. Register yourself and select Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School as your nominated beneficiary. There are hundreds of shopping sites accessible through The Giving Machine including Amazon, M&S, Tesco, Asda, BA, Boden, Next, E-Bay, Argos, John Lewis and many more. The school will earn a percentage of the value of items bought, which varies by retailer at no additional cost to the purchaser. Think how much we could fundraise without any effort at all if everyone at school logged onto The Giving Machine when shopping on the internet! Please support your school and log onto
www.thegivingmachine.co.uk
Dates are liable to change. Please see the school website for up to date information www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk
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