Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School
Floyd Footnotes www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk Issue 18 | September 2014
The Waterside Celebrations This year we held our Prizegiving and Celebration of Achievement in the magnificent setting of The Aylesbury Waterside Theatre. Getting the whole school to the theatre and rehearsing both the Prizegiving and the summer concert on the same day proved to be a very complex operation but it was worth all the trouble. Celebrating our achievements in the venue that is the best in the town seemed highly appropriate. The event followed our traditional pattern of speeches and giving of prizes interspersed with musical items and performances. Our new Head Girl and Head Boy Emmeline Downie and Jack Blue were very smooth comperes. In my speech I was able to highlight a huge number of successes. Our examination results have continued their upward surge at GCSE, IB and A levels. One highlight was that over fifty of last year’s Year 11 gained ten or more A and A* grades. A fresh piece of examination news that we received towards the end of term was that Harry Giles, now studying mathematics at Cambridge University, heard that the mark that he got in one of the special papers that Cambridge set to sift out the best mathematicians was the best in the whole country!
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I compared our school to a barbecue that is burning very well – any new coals that are added pick up heat from those around them and very quickly start to burn brightly. The really positive attitudes that our students exemplify in their studies, and their care and support for each other, are infectious. This amazingly positive culture is one in which all can flourish and thrive. We also celebrated our Rock Challenge dance team coming fourth of all schools in the South of England, our Young Enterprise company being runners up in the South of England final as well as two rounders teams coming top in the district. Our guest speaker was Peter Kelly, owner and founder of Softcat that employs over six hundred people, rated as one of the best companies to work for in Europe. His own personal fortune has led to a listing in the Sunday Times Rich List. He talked about his company and their democratic culture - the whole staff vote on whether the Chief Executive should have a pay rise for instance. He speculated on what that kind of culture would change how a school operates. He encouraged our students to follow their passions – he believed that having a goal to make money is not a strong enough driver to build a big and successful company. Enjoying what you do is a really
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important motivator. Creating a workplace that is a fun environment plus giving clear and generous rewards for success have been two essential ingredients in his company’s growth. Peter took the brave step of inviting the audience to think of questions that he would answer for them, offering a fifty pound prize for the best one. The prize was won by a sixth former asking where he bought his purple jacket from! The first musical item was a stirring rendition of the “Mission Impossible” theme tune from Floyd Brass. In the middle of the programme we had Jack Buchanan dancing to a song sensitively sung by Stephen Tomlinson accompanied by Laura Caldwell-Nichols on the piano. The final act was a stunning performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture complete with cannons - a very fitting ending to a wonderful celebration. Stephen Box Headteacher
Dance News “Everything in the universe has rhythm. Everything dances.” Maya Angelou It seems fitting to quote Maya Angelou at the start of this year’s dance department news because, although she was particularly known for her writing and activism, she was also a dancer. She trained with Martha Graham and - take note all A level dance students - danced with Alvin Ailey. The Summer Concert at The Waterside Theatre on July 10th was an exciting example of the power of rhythm and dance when several dance students performed alongside live musicians. Jack Buchanan in Year 11 danced a powerfully emotional solo to live accompaniment from Stephen Tomlinson and Laura Caldwell-Nichols. The A level dance class – Kat Turner, Emily Nix, Emily Hall, Lauren Jarvis, Jordana Conybeare and Holly Farquar danced a beautiful lyrical group piece to the lovely blend of vocals by Oli Mooney, Yanice Begar and Seb Applewhite. This year’s award winning Rock Challenge team also performed their ‘Tempest’ inspired performance, Brave New World, in the concert. Rock Challenge is an international dance production competition run by the Be Your Best Foundation, a charity that promotes healthy living for young people without the need for tobacco, alcohol or drugs. Entries are judged on dance, drama and production values like set and costume. Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School has been competing for several years
Backstage at The Waterside While everyone had been busy practising to be seen and heard, the tech team were doing the opposite: doing quick changes of the stage, in the dark; fine tuning the lighting rig, to add effect but not take from the performance; preparing all the set, stands, stage plans and so much more to go into the venue. All year, every Tuesday Lunchtime, tech club has been convening, showing students how to run sound, lights and stage management. Throughout the year we have had many challenges set by the Performing Arts staff, ranging from the autumn and Christmas concerts, band night, Rock Challenge and many more, all to prepare the team for this final extravaganza at the Waterside no less! Taking all their
now and two years ago, under the direction of Sara Durose, won the southern regional finals which secured them a place in the southern premiere division. It was therefore with a mixture of trepidation and excitement that I took on the director’s mantle this year during Mrs Durose’s maternity leave because the lowest placed schools get demoted! However, I am very pleased to report that this year’s entry was placed fourth out of thirteen in the UK southern premiere finals which was a huge achievement. We were awarded many certificates of excellence including for choreography, soundtrack, drama, lighting, performance skill and costuming character. These areas were mainly the responsibility of a team of students led by some very able and dedicated sixth formers so it was very pleasing to see them get the credit that they deserved. The judges said team Floyd’s performance was, “A stylish production with an evocative soundtrack. It had great story telling with impressive creation of mood and atmosphere. It wouldn’t be out of place on a professional stage.” We also won the UK National Performance Concept Award. None of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of all the choreographers and performers but also the student stage crew led by Mr Jon Cole, the costume team led by Millie Bell in Year 13, the producers of the soundtrack Harvey Grant and Laurie Howarth in Year 13 and the staff - Kathryn Chapman, Angela Ksiazek and Michelle Burnitt, who gave up their own time to accompany the students to the showcase in Stevenage and finals in Portsmouth. I must also thank our sponsors, The Aylesbury Lions Club, for their generous donation to our fundraising. While Rock Challenge was the biggest of the dance events this year there have been many other highlights. The GCSE and A level dance showcases proved to be very popular evenings and were an excellent opportunity
new found skills and knowledge into a professional theatre was extremely exciting. The team is full of very keen, intelligent, committed students, who are always coming up with new ideas of how to improve, from one event to the next. You only notice a technician when something goes wrong and then Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School team turn up! When the Floyd tech team pull off an amazing event the professional backstage team notice how smoothly and amazing it looks and runs. It has led to Ross Campbell being offered some Christmas work and also Verity Bennett. I was excited to sit through their debrief after this finale event and how they want to make next year even bigger and better! Roll on 2015. Jon Cole Performing Arts Technician
for students to receive constructive feedback on their performances and choreography before their examinations. Some less confident students were so encouraged by the audience’s remarks so that they achieved higher marks in their practical exam than they expected due to the boost they gained. Thank you if you took the time to give them helpful feedback. The Lower School Dance Group ‘Brightlights’ also performed an entertaining medley of dance styles and the contemporary dance club demonstrated their developing technique in a piece choreographed by Year 12 Dance Arts Leaders Rhiannon Bacchus and Laura Cooper-Smith. Year 8 enjoyed a series of street dance workshops led by urban dance specialist Sarah Peel. A couple of students from Year 9, Dominic Elves and Louis Hubbick were also accepted onto the CAT scheme (Centre for Advanced Training) which is a national intensive dance programme for 10-18 year olds who display exceptional potential and passion for dance. These students travel to top contemporary dance colleges every Saturday to receive professional-style training combined with university style seminars. They also get the opportunity to work alongside professional choreographers. Two Floyd students, Jack Buchanan and Dominic Elves also received call back auditions for Matthew Bourne’s new work ‘Lord of The Flies’! It has been lovely to welcome back the Subject Leader for Dance, Sara Durose, from maternity leave in the final weeks of the summer term but we will miss Michelle Burnitt who left on her maternity leave at the end of June. Michelle Burnitt has been an inspiring teacher and colleague and we wish her all the best as she becomes a mother and discovers the joy of a new, and rather different rhythm for a while! Sue Whitfield (Acting Subject Leader for Dance)
Headteacher’s Update We have started the new term in good spirits after another very successful set of examination results in the summer. Last term ended in a frenzy of activity with our summer Open Evening closely followed by our Prizegiving and Summer Concert at The Waterside, Olympiad Day and Activities Week. Our World Challengers have been to Ethiopia and GCSE geographers have returned from Snowdonia. Most of these endeavours are recorded elsewhere in this edition of Footnotes. All have been immensely rewarding and fulfilling because of a huge commitment from staff and students.
Summer Building Works
There has been a lot of building activity taking place over the summer. We bid successfully for a grant to strip out the rest of the asbestos in the practical block. Our asbestos is of a variety that is completely safe as it is but which needs to be taken out whenever any building refurbishments occur. Our grant has enabled us to upgrade the ceilings and lighting in this part of the school. We will not see a huge amount of difference but having this work done means that any subsequent refurbishment of the rooms in this area of the school will be much more straight forward. We are also having our main boiler replaced, again with the help of a government grant and at the same time have installed a new energy management system to help to reduce our costs and prevent any unnecessary wasted energy. The other major piece of work has been the refurbishment of the library. This room has been in need of some freshening up for some time. It is now a much brighter and attractive environment. The effort of packing up and moving several thousand books has been worth it! We are very grateful to the Parents Society for providing most of the money for this project.
School Funding
Along with many schools in Buckinghamshire we face some funding challenges this year and for the first time in many years, our governors have found it very difficult to set a balanced budget. We are not alone in facing that difficulty. Just about all of the secondary schools in Bucks are in the same position. The situation we are in has arisen from a number of factors. Buckinghamshire is poorly funded by Central Government – the amount of money per student is the fifth worst of all local authority areas in the country. (One of our grammar schools has an allocation per student that is the second lowest school in the whole country). Buckinghamshire has chosen to allocate their funds in a way that is slightly skewed towards supporting primary school children and they are also directing resources towards disadvantaged areas to try and close the achievement gap between the disadvantaged and the affluent. Bucks has a very significant gap to close. One other development in recent years has been the way that Sixth Form funding has been allocated. In 1997 a sixth former attracted 138% of the funding for a Key Stage 4 student. Now there is little difference in the funding levels between sixth formers and those in Year 11. This change has had a big
impact on schools like ours that have large sixth forms. I have been part of a small group of secondary headteachers that has been trying to understand how Bucks Schools Forum have made their decisions about funding distribution. Headteachers collectively have written to Members of Parliament and I invited David Lidington here along with another local headteacher to explain the position more fully. There is a hint of things improving in the future. David Laws (Education Minister) has announced that the funding allocation to local authorities will change for the year 2015/16 so that the areas that at present are “underfunded” will have a significant funding uplift. The figures published in the consultation that preceded this announcement would lead to an 8% increase in funding for us. However, it is difficult to see how this can happen without money being taken away from other areas within the government’s education budget. Our secondary heads working group is aiming to make proposals that make sure that any extra money is distributed fairly. I very much hope that parents and students will see little difference to the quality of education that we are providing but we will have to make some difficult decisions in the next few years if our politicians do not change their plans!
Careers Education
We are planning some big changes to how we run careers education. We are beginning to work with a company that will help us develop a concept of “early career coaching” that will, as the name suggests, help coach students through a process of understanding what kind of activities motivate them. This work will begin in their early years with us and for many students these coaching sessions will be an alternative to the traditional one-to-one meeting with a careers adviser. At some point we will be asking parents and other friends of the school to volunteer to be trained in this area and give some time to helping our students reflect on their options.
Mobile Telephone and Computer safety
Parents will know that we are seeking to acknowledge the fact that many of our students carry in their pockets a telephone that has a serious amount of computing power and access to huge amounts of knowledge. More details about our transition from seeing mobile telephones as dangerous contraband into using them as educational tools will follow! We have not been presented with any major on-line safety issues in recent weeks but nevertheless I am reproducing some advice given to parents by the CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) Centre.
Be involved in your child’s online life. For many of today’s young people there is no line between the online and offline worlds. Young people use the internet to socialise and grow and, just as you guide and support them offline, you should be there for them online too. Talk to them about what they’re doing, if they know you understand they are more likely to approach you if they need support.
Watch Thinkuknow films to learn more. The Thinkuknow programme has films and advice for children from five all the way to 16. Your child may have seen these at school, but they can also be a good tool for you to find out more about what young people do online and some of the potential risks. • Keep up-to-date with your child’s development online. Be inquisitive and interested in the new gadgets and sites that your child is using. It’s important that as your child learns more, so do you.
• Set boundaries in the online world just as you would in the real world. Think about what they might see, what they share, who they talk to and how long they spend online. It is important to continue to discuss boundaries so that they evolve as your child’s use of technology does.
• Know what connects to the internet and how. Nowadays even the TV connects to the internet. Your child will use all sorts of devices and gadgets; make sure you’re aware of which ones can connect to the internet, such as their phone or games console. Also, find out how they are accessing the internet – is it your connection or a neighbour’s Wifi? This will affect whether your safety settings are being applied.
• Consider the use of parental controls on devices that link to the internet, such as the TV, laptops, computers, games consoles and mobile phones. Parental controls are not just about locking and blocking, they are a tool to help you set appropriate boundaries as your child grows and develops. They are not the answer to your child’s online safety, but they are a good start and are not as difficult to install as you might think. Service providers are working hard to make them simple, effective and user friendly. Find your service provider and learn how to set your controls • Emphasise that not everyone is who they say they are. Make sure your child knows never to meet up with someone they only know online. People might not always be who they say they are. Make sure your child understands that they should never meet up with anyone they only know online without taking a trusted adult with them.
The Barbecue Season is Not Finished!
The picture that I shared in my Prizegiving talk last term is still with me. I think is a great way of describing how we operate as a community. I was lighting a barbecue early in the summer and watching the coals in the hottest part of the fire helping each other to glow more strongly – whilst at the same time noting that the coals that had no hot coals near them were not warm at all. One of the greatest joys of my job is watching and seeing how the wonderful achievements and attitudes that our students display are so infectious. I have watched them share their “heat” and talent in a way that makes our school such an enriching and liberating place to be. Excellent behaviour, a positive attitude to work and engagement in all that we have to offer are ‘the norm’ in how our young people conduct themselves. Long may it continue! Stephen Box Headteacher
Sports Day Rowing Accolade Well done goes to Aidan Smith who came third in the rowing Nationals in the summer! Aidan is second on the left.
Sports Day was another roaring success this year, with even more students competing in at least one event, including the Sixth Form! The atmosphere was tense as the house Captains and their Deputies urged their teams on to supporting each other in a fiercely fought contest that finished in another victory for Ascott, with huge success in the track events (but a very closely run thing between all the other houses)! Results:
Ascott 503 points
2nd Hartwell – 427 points
4th Claydon – 420 points
3rd Waddesdon – 423 points
5th Mentmore – 419 points
It was also a successful day for some individuals with some substantial school records being smashed. Many congratulations to: Year 7 Year 8 Year 9
800m 800m 100m 800m Hurdles 4 x 100m
Boys Girls Girls Boys Boys Boys
Matthew Cave Charlotte Wooster Iris-Mae Morse Corey Moore Geraint Minney Ascott
M C A A A A
02:43 02:46 13.10 02:20 12.57 51.97
2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014
The Victrix Ludorum was awarded to Penny Lorrimore and the Victor Ludorum to Jabari Hilton - ‘winners of the games’ - for their sporting achievements. Congratulations to both of them on this great sporting achievement. A huge thank you to all who helped in running such an enjoyable and competitive day. Well done! Mrs Selby Faculty Leader for Physical Education
From the start of the day, the camaraderie between the students was high but the atmosphere grew tense as the banter between the houses increased by the minute. Initially we weren’t sure how the weather would turn out for sports day but mercifully conditions were beautifully sunny and warm. Many students from each of the houses competed in a variety of field, track and pentathlon events, battling for each and every house point. It was incredible to see how eager all the students were performing to maximum capacity, even if sports were not exactly their ‘thing’. From the Ascott side of things, the admirable dedication of our sportsmen and women, the organisation of the sports representatives and support towards the house paid off as we ended up coming first and winning sports day. Mr Maddocks wore his smile with pride! We think it is safe to say that everyone made the most of what was a fantastic day and took pride in being a part of such a high-spirited school community together as Floydians. Ascott House Captains
6 Steps to Becoming an Outstanding House Captain
Support your house in every competition from Year 7 – remember that you ran in the 1500m in the 30 degree heat one summer?
Have confidence when public speaking – try recording yourself and note how many times you use the word ‘like’ in two minutes!
Write a good application and be prepared to answer questions at your interview – including the ‘What fruit would you be and why?’
Be creative and imaginative – this could be your best chance to win a competition, if you come up with the idea first.
Always wear your house colour – even if yellow makes you look pasty and ill!
Finally, be proud in victory and gracious in defeat – no one likes a bitter loser.
House Results Sports Day Inter-house Music
Claydon
Hartwell
Mentmore
Waddesdon
20
8
16
4
12
6
3
3
8
4
Inter-house Debating
10
Summer Term Achievements Autumn and Spring term points POSITION
Ascott
8
162
10 4
142
6
20
135
2
16
170
8
12
154
204
170
180
195
194
1st
5th
4th
2nd
3rd
PSHE+ and PARALYMPICS Students in Year 7 have been having ‘fun in the sun’ as they experienced what it was like to play in the Winter Olympics as Paralympians. Four games were played: Boccia, curling, goal ball and a visually impaired obstacle course. The five houses were divided into teams to compete in each game. In the Boccia arena, a participant was asked what it was like to play as a Paralympian. She replied,
“It’s difficult to pretend you don’t have legs, particularly when I use them every day. I find those who live their lives without legs inspirational.” No matter what game the students played, good sportsmanship reigned and at the end of the games, the tension that had been built over the matches, slackened, hands were shaken and the students left with Hartwell as the overall winners. The teachers hoped that the event developed the student’s learning and understanding of other people lives. We certainly used one of our learning habits well empathy! Niah Goldsworthy, Lucinda Gaylor, 7M and Tiegan Aitken, 7W
Buckinghamshire Secondary Schools Deaf Activity Day 2014 With excitement oozing from every pore mixed with a touch of apprehension, we set out to participate in Buckinghamshire’s first ever Secondary School Deaf Activity Day. Matthew Quail in Year 7 and Finnian Brady in Year 8 were included in this new venture aimed at giving secondary school age hearing impaired (HI) students the opportunity to meet and have fun! The venue was The XC in Hemel Hempstead where twelve HI students, coming from eight different Buckinghamshire secondary schools, met each other for the very first time. They participated in indoor caving and adrenalin pumping high ropes – not for the faint hearted! This was followed by a much appreciated lunch of pizza and chips! The day was a huge success with students’ comments including: “The high ropes were my favourite…they were epic” and “I want to do this [Activity Day] again!” Wearily we returned home, exhausted by the day’s activities, but ready to do it all again next year…
“The caving was extraordinary with tight spaces that you had to squirm through!” This event was funded by The Oxford Diocesan Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and we would like to say a massive thank you to them for their support. We hope to make this Deaf Activity Day an annual event, including more HI students next year and giving them the same opportunities to make and build on new friendships that will help prepare them for challenges they may face with their hearing impairment as they grow older, into adulthood. A final comment made by many of the HI students was, “It was really nice meeting other deaf people.” Jennifer Cole Learning Support Assistant
Science at Stone School On the 3rd of July, myself and five other Science Ambassadors journeyed to Stone School and ran a science day for the current Year 6 class. The day was both invigorating and rewarding for all concerned. Our main brief for the day was to run many visually exciting experiments in the hope of awakening the inner scientist in the Year 6 students! After each activity, we would query the students on the science behind each experiment, encouraging them to think outside the box as well as teaching them the skills required to run a safe and successful practical. It was no surprise that burning the magnesium strips proved to be the most popular experiment as it produced the most visually impressive results. The students even had a chance to participate in the experiments allowing them to work out for themselves the best solution to problems. This would usually be to simply ‘add all of the chemicals’ leaving a very big mess at the end (probably more entertaining for the students). The science faculty probably lost a large quota of its sodium bicarbonate that day! Communication was also a really important factor that added to the success of the day, enhancing our leadership skills as well as allowing us to act as role models for the younger learners. I believe that we taught Year 6 the importance and value of teamwork in order to achieve scientific success. However, at the same time we had a oodles of fun time completing each experiment. The most uplifting experience though was being able to inspire and enthuse the students about a subject I am particularly passionate about. I hope that we whetted their scientific appetites! And, thanks to Mr Dwyer for making this possible. Alex Lawson, 6C3
Across Different Continents The summer months saw three teams of Sixth Form students, accompanied by staff and an expedition professional, spend a month in Africa, specifically in the ‘cradle of humanity’ - Ethiopia. Treks in the Bale Mountains, projects in schools and cultural immersion in Addis Ababa, Bahir Da, Gondar and the Rift Valley were all on the itinerary (further details to follow in the next edition of Floyd Footnotes). As this year’s World Challengers headed to Africa, others teams are preparing for their expedition to Asia in 2015. They are going to spend a month in Southern India, trekking and doing project work prior to heading north to Rajasthan to visit world famous sites such as the Taj Mahal. They are planning to travel from south to north via train - an intrepid adventure in itself. The teams will be attending a long weekend in Snowdonia in October in order to hone their camping and trekking skills, and in December they will be aiming to raise team funds through organising the annual Stay-Awake-A-Thon for students in Years 7 and 8 in late November.
Central America is the destination for 2016. An assembly to Year 10 students in the summer term revealed the intended destinations - Cost Rica and Nicaragua. An evening for parents and students will take place on Thursday 9th October at 6.30 p.m. where full details will be imparted and questions answered. The expedition to these countries, which sit with the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean either side of them, will provide the opportunity to do a ‘five volcano in five days’ trek, experience the Monteverde cloud forest, work on a community based project and relax on a beach overlooking the Pacific or, alternatively enjoy some white water rafting. What all of these ventures have in common is the determination and perseverance that all those who sign up for them have to have. Whether it is raising the funds to go, developing fitness to cope with the physical demands of trekking, or overcoming natural concerns about living in a strange environment, all expeditions will develop key life skills. Without exception, those who have taken on World Challenge come back citing, “It has been the best experience of my life.” Ian Bryant Assistant Head
“It has been the best experience of my life”.
Stephanie Shamnyaria in 8M qualified to get to the Buckinghamshire mega-final by coming third in the school competition, scoring 19/21 points. This took place at Wycombe High School on Saturday 17th May. Stephanie lost her first two matches but carried on to win the next four to quality for the Southern Giga-final on Saturday 12th July in Reading. Mike Buckley Teacher of Geography
Sixth Form Our very own Sixth Form author is published! A taster from the Amazon review for Annie Westermann’s new e-book. We prefer some flavours of Neapolitan ice cream to others. At the end of the day though, they all look to cool our tongues and sweeten our days. Religion too looks to cool our minds and sweeten our hearts. Does it matter the flavour? It is certainly not worth fighting over! A range of flowers make a garden beautiful as a range of perspectives and beliefs help us better understand the truth. We could all learn from each other instead of fighting if only we took the time to try and understand other cultures and people and their religions. Religious books can appear rather hefty and unappealing however so this book presents the wise and peaceful teachings of all the world religions in an easily digestible format, along with illustrations, stories and fact files all for good measure. Misunderstanding causes conflict and not the religion itself. Knowledge is power. Understanding is peace. http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords =Religiopolitan&sprefix=Relig%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AReligiopolitan Kathryn Chapman and Sarah Williams Assistant Head of Sixth Form and Head of Sixth Form
“Really interesting! I liked how engaging the teachers were.”
“I really enjoyed all of the lessons. I am so excited to join the Sixth Form!”
Sixth Form Induction Day Applications to join our Sixth Form in September have been higher than ever! All students predicted to do very well in their GCSEs were invited into school on June 30th to join our own Year 11 students who are intending to study A levels or the International Baccalaureate next year. The aims of the Induction Day are to reassure students that they were making the right choice in their 16+ education. This was achieved through a series of taster lessons throughout the day to give a real feel for the study of each subject selected at Key Stage 5. For many students this was the highlight of the day.
“Teachers gave a brilliant idea of everyday lessons and what is required to succeed.” “I found it really useful and the students were very friendly and I loved the atmosphere.” We look forward to meeting all those who are successful in their GCSEs in September and especially, in welcoming those who will be joining us from other schools. One of the great things about our Sixth Form is the addition of new students who bring with them great enthusiasm and new ideas to complement the experience of our internal students moving up from Year 11. The Sixth Form Team
University Applications Sarah Williams Head of Sixth Form
Three top tips for Sixth Form students making university applications from Katherine Pagett, Birmingham University Schools and Colleges Liaison Officer.
1 Choose the right course, at the right place for you – don’t worry about your friends and where they are going. You are going to spend the next three or four years of your life there so it has to be right for you. 2 Choose a subject that you really enjoy or that interests and inspires you.
3 Apply in plenty of time. The UCAS closing date might be 15th January 2015* but universities make offers as and when they receive them. Work on your personal statement over the summer holidays, complete and send it off and then you can concentrate on your studies and getting the grades you need. (*October 15th for early applications such as Oxbridge, Medics etc.).
Year 12 Birmingham University Trip on 27th June 2014 After the sunny weather we had been having it was a rather wet journey for almost a hundred Year 12 students and four members of staff to our annual Birmingham University Undergraduate Open Day. The university offers a wide range of degree courses from medicine to music, African studies to applied golf so our students had a varied range of talks they could attend. There were also a variety of general events and talks such as on student life at Birmingham, student finance, studying abroad as well as accommodation and campus tours. Opposite is some of the feedback from our students who found it a very worthwhile day.
“I attended a talk in the Music Department which was very informative. I enjoyed walking round the campus as there were many places to visit like the library, concert hall, cafes and more. After visiting Birmingham University, I am strongly considering applying to study music there.” Sammy Voong, 6C1 “I focused on looking at the psychology courses, particularly forensic psychology. I was very impressed by the enthusiasm shown by both the professor who spoke and the students who led me around the demonstrations. I found the course to be very extensive and it looked like something I would enjoy. One thing I didn’t expect to discover – but was very pleased to – was that studying abroad was not only an option but was actively encouraged. Birmingham University has definitely made my short list!”
Sixth Form
“I attended an insightful English and Creative Writing lecture which introduced us to the topics I would be studying over the three degree years. I particularly enjoyed the enthusiasm shown by the lecturer and I learned about the amount of time and discipline it takes to pursue creative writing.” Kevin Konomanyi, 6M1
Xanthe-Tunley-Stainton, 6A3
Ian Bryant Assistant Head
Emily Barnes
After a month spent on a World Challenge expedition in the summer of 2011 Emily Barnes went to Queen’s University in Belfast to study Bio Medical Science where she has recently been awarded a first class honours degree. Emily is now moving on to Imperial College, London to study for a Master’s degree specialising in cancer research, where she has been awarded a Faculty of Medicine Master’s Scholarship by the university. On receiving the scholarship from Imperial College her notification stated,
After a rigorous shortlisting and interview process involving a team of twelve academic staff, you were identified as an exceptional candidate whom we would be proud to support. The panel felt you had outstanding potential and would use the Master’s course as a springboard to make a difference in the world.
Sami Ramsden
2012 feels like only yesterday to Sami when he graduated from the Sixth Form, and just two years later he is preparing to start an internship at a lobby group based in Washington, DC called the American Taskforce on Palestine – stationed two blocks away from President Obama and the White House. Sami said
While there were many contributing factors that helped me get to this position, including my family’s support and opportunities through university, I will forever be grateful towards the school that gave me my educational base and the A level grades that enabled me to begin studying my politics degree at the Royal Holloway University of London. In addition, my Sixth Form experience gave me a network of friends who have stayed with me and supported me through my good and challenging times, and have been key motivators in driving me forwards in my future career and in life.
IB CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) Report 2014 The Creativity, Action and Service element of the International Baccalaureate diploma programme requires students to participate in at least 150 hours of extra-curricular activities spread over the three areas, as well as a team project and an activity with an international flavour - not necessarily abroad. The IB CAS tagline is “think globally, act locally”. Our third cohort has again highlighted the diverse talents and interests of our IB students. Creativity has involved Sarah Bull, Theo Keeping and Alexy Laughton taking part in Rock Challenge, while Yanice Begar, Ben Gesoff, Kate Goodman, Kevin Konomanyi, Emma Lorrimore, Sophia Rosenthal and Lexi Thawley have all participated in school music ensembles. Zoe Smith is currently attending a four-week course at Manchester University to hone her Mandarin skills and Annie Westermann has written, illustrated and published an e-book. Charlotte Doughty spends many hours each week engaged in ballet, tap and jazz dance classes. Others have served on the Charity Week Committee and, as their team project, the whole group planned and delivered the Global Diversity Week assemblies on our Floyd ‘Rainbow Nation’ theme to the entire school in the spring term. For the Action element Hayley Knowles went on the Sixth Form ski trip, Shelan Ofori and Jean Gopilan have played badminton and both Will Shewbridge and Alexy Laughton
have continued with their martial arts classes. Annie Westermann continues to play tennis at County level and Kieran Allcock is an army cadet corporal. Other students have kept fit at the gym and some have completed the Level 2 Sports Leaders Award. Service, both in school and in the community, is often where the students’ personal interests are evident and this year Alex Lawson is volunteering at the Blackberry Farm RSPCA Centre while Jean Gopilan will be helping with the Summer Reading Challenge at Aylesbury Library. Eimear Simpson and Danielle Balana were part of a project at Bierton School to inspire Year 5 and 6 girls about mathematics with fun learning games. Yanice Begar has presented an assembly to the whole school raising awareness about mental health issues and Hayley Knowles is undertaking the National Citizen Service award. Six members of the group are currently in Ethiopia with World Challenge while several others have been appointed as faculty ambassadors. 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. They have certainly been busy giving so much back to the school and their community! Kathryn Chapman Assistant Head of Sixth Form
Another Excellent Set of International Baccalaureate Results We have our second set of IB results. Once again the school’s pass rate was 100% (a rare achievement in itself as the world wide pass rate is 80%) and our results were comfortably better than the worldwide average (only good schools are allowed to teach the programme). Highest achiever was Liora Michlin with 42 points. Her score was equivalent to three A*s and three A grades at A level. She comfortably exceeded the offer she received from Oxford University. The IB Diploma is a qualification that is an alternative to A levels. Students take six subjects and also have to produce a university-style extended essay, learn about the theory of knowledge and have to complete a number of hours of activities that are creative, physical and that serve their community. The programme is devised by teachers across the world and is free from any kind of political direction. Our staff have very quickly adapted to the
rigorous demands of the programme and are confident that our IB students have a great future ahead of them. This year we have a particularly exciting development where a number of students are taking on-line courses (including one in Mandarin) where they are taught in virtual classrooms with classmates who can be anywhere in the world. We are delighted to be the only school in the county that has been accredited to teach this amazing qualification. Universities and employers tell us that they regard it as the best qualification available to sixth formers in the UK. All of us who have taught the qualification are very impressed at the richness of experience that it provides for our students. It is demanding and rigorous but also very rewarding and fulfilling. Stephen Box Headteacher
Flatford Mill
For a week in June, myself and the IB Biologists travelled to an ecology centre in Suffolk called Flatford Mill.
The building we stayed in was a beautiful grade I listed barn resonating in character. On our visit, we were led and taught by two very flamboyant ecologists whose passion was evident from start to finish, making our stay both fun and interesting! Despite the early morning wake up calls which usually involved terrible singing and consisted of students’ movements resembling that of zombies, we were for the most part engaged in finding out new things in and outside the classroom. We visited many scenic places – one of which was the salt marshes where we conducted our first research investigation. Arming us with both the biological knowledge and tools, we were allowed to work on our communication and initiative which are vital skills for a team. I would like to say Sophia Rosenthal falling in the marsh was the highlight of my day, but the opportunity to get some real fieldwork done and to bask in the lovely weather and scenery that Suffolk had to offer was in close competition. At the end of each day, we would gather in the classroom and analyse the data we had collected. Truth be told, the main thing on our mind was the comfort of our own beds but, with grit and resilience, we persevered to reach interesting conclusions gaining skills to constructively evaluate our work. Perhaps the most invigorating and ultimately rewarding part of our experience was our own research projects. We were tasked to carry out an investigation of our own choice: this taught us true independence and selfthinking skills where we were left to collect our own data and results. As the week reached its final conclusion, we were sad but left feeling very encouraged. It is an experience I would highly recommend to any aspiring biologist! Alex Lawson, 6C3
Floyd Charity Days The Floyd Charity Days were a huge success as we managed to raise an amazing £2825 for the Alfan Foundation. Having presented the cheque to the charity, we now know that the money has helped towards the dispatch of computers to underprivileged orphanages. We have done so well as a student body to have helped make such a difference. We are now planning on dispatching shoe boxes in the Autumn Term, in time for Christmas. More details of this event are to come. But here is a huge thank you to everyone for their generous contribution. Becky Sharp, 6A2 Chair of the Charity Committee
Well Done Floydians on Olympiad Day and throughout Activities Week 2014! Without the marquee this year, we decided to be inventive and creative! And so the opening and closing ceremonies were held in houses on the tennis courts. The morning was rather grey and wet so out came the plastic ponchos to withstand the rain. Spirits however, were not dampened as Mrs Malone whipped the houses up into the right mood for the myriad competitions. During the day, students participated in baking, challenge survival, cricket, monopoly, origami, world cup, war games, body sculpting, cheerleading, sewing and knitting, politics, rounders, drama, animation, science and university challenge as well as a range of performing arts activities. The school was buzzing with activity and everyone enjoyed themselves.
miles in the Rain S y a D d ia p m ly O
In knitting, students created baby blankets for young children living in poor countries. They also learned some crochet skills. One of the students described the activity as “a cultural phenomenon.” Politics involved students creating their own political parties and running in a mini sandbox election, again led by Sixth Form students. University Challenge consisted of mind-bogglingly tough questions with some pictionary, music and general knowledge rounds thrown in for good measure. And then there was monopoly where students enjoyed accruing property and exercising their business acumen. The final ceremony was nail biting with only one mark between the winners Waddesdon and Mentmore. Thankfully, we did not need rain gear for the close of the day and we finished on high spirits, partially helped by the new house themes and group dances this year. After a weekend to relax and recuperate, we began four days of vertical and residential activities. For this year’s Activities Week we enjoyed a range of new activities including visiting the Harry Potter studios, bird-watching, bell ringing, Whipsnade Zoo and The Choir as well as the careers event that was extremely successful as well. Old favourites endured though like walking in the Chilterns and the various residentials that have become something of a SHFGS tradition like Bushcraft and Beachcraft. Once again, I was enlisted to be the ‘evil’ baddie for the simulation day issuing a potent virus that required an antidote that we only released after solving of a tricky hunt around school to find the various clues and solve the final dingbats puzzle (which was great fun).
World Cup Challenge saw students predicting where the 2016 World Cup would be held using creativity, collaboration and enterprise. The cheerleaders were experiencing something new, creating a house cheer that included rolls and lifts. Perhaps one of the most peaceful activities was origami. Different airborne shapes were created and judged according to their competency in flight along one of the corridors in the Glover Block. Survival skills saw students exploring ways to survive in ‘the wild’, cooking up some food outside using basic equipment. Cricket went down a storm in the Sports Hall with students cheering each other on in infectious enthusiasm.
£750 was raised on mufti-day on 11th July, the same day as Olympiad Day with students proudly wearing house colours or clothing that reflected their culture, or a mixture of both! Vice President of the Child Labour Rehabilitation Centre said, “I would like to convey our sincere thanks to Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School and particularly to Sammy Voong, Sai Parepalli and Madhulika Bhattachar for their interest in providing support in the name of Project Ignite”. The funds will go towards buying a water purifier and food provisions for the orphanage centre. The bake sale also went very well. The huge chocolate cake was cut up into slices in a minute and sold in seconds. The cup cakes went like ‘hot cakes’. The biscuits did not last very long either! Andria Hanham Deputy Headteacher
Here are some reflections by Year 9 who went to the Harry Potter studio on the Monday. “It was amazing when the initial introductory film finished, the curtains went up and the golden door appeared to The Main Hall at Hogwarts!” “I walked in Harry’s footsteps up the cobbles of the wizardry village of Hogsmeade.”
Here are some reports collated from the articles of the Media group. Sixth Form students led the art activity, passing on their knowledge to a new generation of artists. Claydon worked on a jigsaw piece on the theme of Britain with Waddesdon making a large teacup that included the millennium wheel, the Queen and red, white and blue colours. Animation next door had students putting together a ‘Wallace and Gromit’ style film using cameras to edit a stop-frame sequence. Along the corridor, the delicious aromas of the bake-off were wafting causing tummies to rumble. New friendships were created in science doing fun experiments that were led by the ambassadors building an egg tower or exploring speed and spinning.
Project Ignite
“It was cool riding the broomstick!” “As a stamp collector myself, I found the stamps amazing.” Ridwan Ibrahim 9M Without giving too much away, the sets (and one in particular) were wonderful. The amount of work that had gone into designing them was huge with minute attention to detail. It was great to see costumes, wigs and masks that had been worn by the actors. And I loved the classroom of potions and the Weasley household ‘The Burrow’ with the knitting, washing up and knife cutting up a carrot happening ‘magically’ on their own!
Careers Day
Andria Hanham Deputy Headteacher
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Career’s Fair
Many of us in the world struggle with choosing a career, and we in Year 10 are no exception. On the 14th July during Activities Week, we all took part in an event that helped us have a better understanding of the world around us. Organised by Mrs Kratt, it was a wonderful success and a great learning event for all of us.
“I was able to take crucial and beneficial advice about career options which will influence my future plans.”
On the first day the hall was set up with over twenty different tables, each representing a different career path, from pilot to vet. We were all able to walk around each table and discuss with the adults what their jobs were like and why they enjoyed them. We had the opportunity to learn about careers we had never encountered before, like auditors or an underground emergency planner. Sukhvir Duhra told me, “I was able to take crucial and beneficial advice about career options which will influence my future plans.” Halfway through the day we selected a career option that we would like to pursue further, and spent around 10-15 minutes talking to our speaker in more detail on aspects like working hours, extra qualifications and whether they had any advice. Finally, in the last hour of the day we began working in groups to create presentations about our favourite career option. We researched in detail about all the different qualifications available for our career and worked hard to create a presentation that offered all of the information about our future possible jobs. The next day we tweaked and ‘polished’ our power points and scripts and began to present to the rest of the group. We marked each other based on clarity, engagement and information, and all of us tried our best to give the best presentation. In the end, the winner was the group that represented the army, consisting of Ben Jackson, Jack Turnham, Jonathan Tann and Josh Hanley. Then, for lunch, we enjoyed a delicious meal at Pizza Express in Aylesbury, where we continued discussing our future careers! Overall, it was a wonderful experience, as we were able to interact with adults about their professions. Immersing ourselves in the challenge of finding what we would enjoy doing for the rest of our lives required endurance. However, each of us was able to find an appropriate option, and we all look forward to living our lives to the full - with joy and passion. Adrian Gallie, 10H
Film-making As part of the Floyd’s legendary Activities Week, myself, Mr. Bunn and thirty-five Year 8 students embarked on a two-day mission to create, rehearse, film and edit a ten-minute short film. With the help of an outside film-enthusiast and actor, Mr Bunn and I danced around the idea of using The Demon Headmaster – a series of novels by author Gillian Cross – as the stimulus for the students’ film. The main premise of the books is the idea that the students are alone, the teachers have disappeared and the Headmaster possesses the power of hypnosis with a desire to take over the world. The students were very much enthused with the idea of being without teachers – as young students undoubtedly would be – and so got to work straight away. I began by telling them the stimulus and, as expected, received a loud cheer when I told them that the teachers’ had disappeared. All in good spirits, we then got them to break off into smaller groups and jot down the first things that came to mind.
The Year 10 Great Debaters! This was an intensive workshop of debating games and activities designed to build skills and confidence, culminating in two Parliamentary-style debates on the motions: This house would ban Blurred Lines and other songs with misogynistic lyrics, and This house would make fitness camps compulsory for obese teenagers.
“I was totally impressed by what the students delivered in the final debates: in one morning they came on in leaps and bounds, and there was a lot of fun and laughter along the way.” Mrs Perrett
“It was a really interesting experience. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it, but it turned out I really did!” Finley Bernstein, 10H “I loved the fact that everyone went from being so shy in the morning to going into a full-blown debate in the afternoon.” Abbigail Foy, 10H “It was a lot of fun and I’m planning to join the Senior Debating Society next year.” Alex Nazemi, 10M
About an hour or so later, they regrouped, sharing ideas until a general consensus was agreed and a rough outline of the story was decided upon. They then broke off into their groups again to all work on individual scenes. Because the stimulus stated that the film was to contain an element of dance as well as drama, some of the less-confident actors also got to shine. It was lovely to walk around the groups and see such a variety of talent. Each group was different – one was creating a flashback scene, one a dance scene, one a scene in the present. Having individual groups work on their own scenes meant that every one of the thirty-five soon-to-be movie stars got decent on-screen time. Tuesday was spent trying out costumes, lighting and sound as well as rehearsing and then filming. As the filming took some time – because we wanted it to be as high-quality and professional as possible – the students found themselves with a bit of free time between takes. This was spent preparing and filming a short trailer for the film; the students’ technological creativity was evident in their top-end trailers that would not be out of place on our television
screens. Authentic terminology could be heard like “over-the-shoulder shots” and “extreme close-ups” that blended naturally into conversations. The film was then edited by Mr Cole and was a huge success among the students, staff and family members who had the good fortune of watching and owning the final product. On the Wednesday – the final day of our mission – we cooled off from the hard work and visited an IMAX theatre in Uxbridge, to see a showing of How to Train Your Dragon 2. This was a very enjoyable day for the students, as they got to witness a top-ofthe-range showing of a very popular film. Overall, it was a fantastic experience for me – working in the department as part of my work experience – as well as for the students making the film. It was a very beneficial for them to work so hard together in order to produce a professional piece in such a short period of time, while having an immense amount of fun at the same time. A very pleasurable week indeed! Ben Churchill Deputy Head Boy
at the Globe Our day involved a tour of The Globe Theatre with a talk about its history, and a practical workshop on ‘Much Ado About Nothing”. Afterwards, we walked across the Millennium Bridge in the sunshine, to St Paul’s Cathedral, looking at landmark sights along the way. “The practitioner dealt with our group skilfully, tapping into the energy of some particularly lively boys and bringing out some excellent performances!” Mrs Perrett
“The workshop was good fun. We learnt to work with a script in new ways.” Benjamin Clark, 7A
“This was my favourite day of the week. There was a really good balance between education, teamwork and a fun time. We learnt a lot about the building and its history, then we had a workshop with a real actor who got us to create the atmosphere in the battle scene between Beatrice and Benedick. The walk across the bridge was perfect for taking pictures.” Mohamed Selim, 8A
The Charles Pope Memorial Trust Do you need help with the cost of instrumental or singing lessons? Do you need to buy a new instrument or repair an existing one? The Charles Pope Memorial Trust may be able to help you! If you have lived in Aylesbury Vale (or been at school here) for at least two years, you can apply for a grant to help with the cost of your musical education, such as tuition fees, instruments, musical scores and books. Last year we spent £1318 in total on grants for tuition fees for trombone, flute, guitar and percussion lessons for six different students. Application forms for grants are available from the Mrs Moray at reception or can be downloaded from our website. There are no age restrictions and no fixed limit on family income, although financial circumstances are taken into account when considering applications. A reference from a relevant music teacher is also required. The Trustees meet once a term to consider applications, so if you wish to apply, you will need to have submitted an application form by the end of September, middle of February or end of May to be considered at that term’s meeting.
Are you a singer under the age of 18? An annual bursary is also available, the Margaret Fripp Prize, to pay for a professional lesson with a national singing professor for a promising young singer under the age of 18. The winner will be chosen in the summer term by the Trustees from a short list of candidates nominated by their singing teachers. Contact us at: Charles Pope Memorial Trust 77 Regent Street, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 3JY Telephone: 01525 854461 e-mail: info@cpmtrust.co.uk
www.cpmtrust.co.uk
Our New Intake are Welcomed – Parents and Students! We enjoyed meeting the parents of our new Year 7 and 8 students on 30th June. The hall was filled with audience members who were both nervous and excited for their child beginning school in September. However, by the end of the evening having spent some time with Tutors, and after the successful Induction Day for the students the following day, anxieties had been assuaged and worries alleviated. New friendships had been forged, including with Year 10 ‘buddies’, and with other new students from a wide range of primary feeders. The roast beef option for lunch proved to be rather popular (to say the least) and students enjoyed a smorgasbord of lessons with their ‘buddies’ ably assisting - including creative writing about a sherbet lemon, whizzy science, brain-teazing mathematics plus “ills ont aimé parler Français” or “hablamos Espanol”! However, excitement was possibly even
higher with some students wanting to come back on the Wednesday! Here are some comments I received:
“I would like to say how impressed we are with Sir Henry Floyd, and are over the moon that my son will be joining his sister in September. He had a lovely day yesterday and actually said this morning that he wanted to go back again today! I think he was impressed!” “The presentation was excellent with reassurance and confidence for parents that they had chosen the best school for their children. Our son was so excited to join his brother
at SHFGS and told us that he had a great time yesterday.” “Thank you so much for yesterday evening. It was very informative and useful. My son had a great day today and came home full of enthusiasm and news of what he had done. It was lovely to see.” Thank you to the parents who took the time to give us some lovely feedback. We are very much looking forward to having a great year with our new additions to our keen community of learners! Andria Hanham Deputy Headteacher and link to the Year 7 Team
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
Parents Society Welcome back to the new academic year to all students and staff and a special welcome to all our new students and their families. We hope that everyone will enjoy their time at Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School and look back over the next few years as some of the best in their lives! We would like to thank everyone who supported our fundraising efforts last year. With fantastic support from students, parents and staff, we are delighted to confirm that we were able to raise a total of £10,165. This amount reflects the generosity of all those families, students and staff who have supported our fundraising efforts last year, and also the success of the many and varied events we have been able to run. We are very pleased with the result as we have been able to use the funds to support the school in many different ways. Events which have stood out for us this year have been the Summer Raffle which raised over £1,200, together with the ever-popular Christmas Fayre and the Mexican-themed Quiz Night. More than a hundred and twenty students from Years 7 and 8 helped us to celebrate after their examinations at the lower school disco, enjoying the barbeque and dancing the night away. The photograph here shows a selection of the fantastic prizes available in the Summer Raffle – thanks to all who made donations!
Over the past seven years a total of £55,020 has been donated to the school by the Parents Society as a direct result of fundraising initiatives – thank you to everyone who has made this possible. So our challenge for this year – beat last year’s total and aim to fundraise a minimum of £12,000! We have a number of great events lined up for this term and the year ahead, and more details of these can be found on the Parents Society page on the school’s web site. Year 7 Family Challenge: Friday 17th October, 7 p.m. with supper included – open to all new Year 7 students and their families. An opportunity to meet your children’s new friends and their parents, exchange contact details and get to know others from your tutor group. Full details will be sent out shortly with ticket application forms on the school website. Paintballing for Years 9, 10 and 11: Saturday 18th October, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Get your tutor group together and challenge your year group! Keep an eye out for more details via e-mail and communicated to your tutor groups over the next few weeks. Christmas Fayre: Saturday 22nd November – we hope the whole family will be able to join us for an afternoon of festive fun and to stock up on some Christmas presents. Christmas Raffle Draw: Friday 12th December - if anyone is able to help with donations of prizes for this fundraiser we would be most grateful. Amongst other events planned for the spring and summer terms, we are aiming to hold a Quiz Night and a Girls Night Out plus a disco for Years 7 & 8 is planned to top up the fundraising. We would love everyone to come to all our events, but realise this is impractical for some people. However, you can still contribute to our fundraising initiatives from home by supporting our raffles, joining The Floyd Flottery and shopping via The Giving Machine...
The table opposite indicates how you have helped us to raise this money over this year and the last seven years – we have aimed to allocate the funds in ways which will benefit the whole school. This year we have made donations of £1,500 to provide furniture for the Library, to the dance department for some Apple computer equipment, and £1,000 has been used to purchase a Photoshop Illustrator.
The Floyd Flottery: a monthly draw where 50% of the money goes to the school and 50% is paid out in prize money. Last year the quarterly prize fund hit £300!!! More details are on the website and in the advert elsewhere in Footnotes The Giving Machine: if you shop on the internet through the Giving Machine, retailers will pay a percentage of money spent to a nominated beneficiary at no additional cost to the buyer. So far we have
received commission of over £510 paid to SHFGS through The Giving Machine. Full details in the advert below and at www. thegivingmachine.co.uk. Fund Matching Schemes: do you work for an employer who offers to match funds raised by charity? Many employers enable employees who have been involved with charitable fundraising activities to apply for a matching donation of up to £500. You do not need to be a member of the Parents Society Committee, just participating in the event and contributing to helping out is enough in some cases. Please check with your employer if they offer such a scheme – every donation helps! Thinking of joining the Parents Society Committee? – we would love to hear from you - new members are always welcome. Autumn Term Committee meetings are planned for Monday 15th September, Monday 16th October (our AGM,) and Monday 3rd November at 7.30 p.m. in school – everyone is welcome to attend and it would be great to have more people interested in joining the committee for this year. If you can help in any way please contact us by e-mail: parentssociety@ sirhenryfloyd.co.uk. Or, contact us via School reception on 01296 424781, and do have a look at our web site page!
Dates for your Diary Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School | www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk
September 2014
November 2014
Sunday 31st August – Saturday 6th
Year 12 Geography Field Trip to Snowdonia
Thursday 6th
Senior Ski Trip Parents Information Evening 6.30 – 7.30pm
Monday 1st – Tuesday 2nd
Inset – School closed to students
Thursday 13th
Sixth Form Open Evening 6.00 - 8.30pm
Wednesday 3rd
Years 7 & 8 (+ Year 10 Buddies) & Year 13 in school
Tuesday 18th
Year 12 ‘Safe Drive, Stay Alive’ event 9.30am – 12.30pm
Thursday 4th
All year groups in school (Year 12 Team Challenge periods 3 - 5)
Wednesday 19th
Year 12 Parents Consultation Evening from 5.00pm
Saturday 22nd
Parents Society – Christmas Fayre 12.00pm - 3.00pm
Friday 28th
World Challenge ‘Stay-Awake-A-Thon’ for Years 7 & 8 from 7.00pm - 7.00am
Tuesday 9th & Thursday 11th
11+ Transfer testing taking place in school
Thursday 11th
Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award Information Evening 6.00 – 7.00pm
Monday 15th
Year 7 Caldecotte Project Parents Society Meeting at 7.00pm
Tuesday 16th
Open Evening 6.00 - 8.30pm
Friday 19th
World Challenge Ethiopia Parents Evening 6.30 – 8.00pm
Tuesday 23rd & Thursday 25th
Open Mornings at 9.45am
Wednesday 24th
Success in the Sixth Form Evening at 6.30pm
Tuesday 30th & Wednesday 1st October
‘The Trial’ at 5.00pm
October 2014
December 2014 Tuesday 2nd
Year 13 Parents Consultation Evening from 5.00pm
Wednesday 3rd – Friday 5th
School Musical at 7.00pm
Friday 12th
Parents Society – Christmas Raffle Draw
Monday 15th
IB & A Level Presentation Evening at 7.00pm
Wednesday 17th
Christmas Lunch at school Christmas Celebration at St. Mary’s Church from 7.00pm
Monday 22nd – Friday 2nd January
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY
Thursday 2nd October
Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award Information Evening 6.00 - 7.00pm Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Information Evening 7.15 – 8.15pm
Monday 5th
Inset – School closed to students
Monday 6th
Parents Society Annual General Meeting at 7.00pm
Tuesday 6th – Friday 16th
Tuesday 7th & Thursday 9th
Open Mornings at 9.45am
Year 13 International Baccalaureate Trial Examinations Year 11 Trial Examinations
Friday 10th
Inset – School closed to students
Friday 10th – Sunday 12th
World Challenge India Preparation Expedition in Snowdonia Bank Holiday – School Closed
Monday 13th – Friday 17th
Open Mornings at 9.45am
Wednesday 15th
New Year 7 & 8 Parent & Tutor Meetings from 4.00pm
Friday 17th
Parents Society – Year 7 & 8 Family Challenge at 7.00pm
Saturday 18th
Parents Society – Paintballing Experience
Tuesday 21st
Year 11 Parents Consultation Evening from 5.00pm
Wednesday 22nd
Autumn Concert at 7.00pm
Monday 27th – Friday 31st
HALF TERM
January 2015
Dates are liable to change. Please see the school website for up to date information www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk
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Please see the school website for a complete set of dates and events www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk
Support the Parents Society fundraising from home! An application form is available on the Parents Society page of the school website.
Quarterly prize fund of around £300!
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