Shaftesbury School Newsletter Autumn 2022

Shaftesbury

Shaftesbury School

WELCOME

What a great start to the new academic year we have had! In August, the school received the best set of examination results in the history of the school. At both A Level, BTEC and GCSE, our results were above the national average. In fact, our results at KS5 put Shaftesbury Sixth Form in the top 25% of all Sixth Forms. This is an incredible achievement and testament to the fabulous effort staff and students put into their studies. It shows that students at Shaftesbury School make better than expected progress and that our curriculum provides stretch and challenge, thus allowing our students to have great opportunities open to them for the next step in their lives.

The students have settled well into the school year and are working purposefully in lessons. They are embracing all of the extra-curricular trips and activities that are on offer, thus helping them to grow and develop, and to learn about the world in which they live. I think our greatest achievement of this term must have been our TEDx event, which happened at the end of November. Students from Shaftesbury School, The Gryphon School and those from some more far-flung destinations came to Shaftesbury Arts Centre, to speak extremely confidently about a topic which they were passionate about. The eloquence of these young people was mind blowing and I was bowled over by the maturity of those who spoke. It made me think, reflect and change the way in which I view the world. I am incredibly grateful that we were a part of this, and that Shaftesbury School had the opportunity to be seen and heard on the world stage. I really cannot wait to see what is in store for next year’s event.

I would like to thank you for your continued support of the school. We very much know that the school’s success comes from the partnerships we have with our parents and community, and I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

Our Future Classroom wins global innovation award!

We are delighted to announce that our Future Classroom has been named one of the top 100 educational innovations in the world!

Our ‘Classroom of the Future’ has been hailed as a ‘learning space of the future’ by HundrED.org, a global organisation focused on innovation in education. The organisation focuses on identifying, amplifying, and facilitating scalable innovations, which concentrate on 21st century skills, including social and emotional learning, student wellbeing and mental health, and equity in education.

HundrED.org’s Global Collection 2023 showcases the leading innovations and innovators globally. Shaftesbury School was shortlisted from a field of 3,488 submissions and judged by a panel of 188 education experts from around the world, before going on to win the UK spot.

Receiving the prize in Helsinki, Alex More said ‘I am immensely proud that our project has been recognised as amongst the best in the world. It is a huge honour and testament to the amazing work Shaftesbury School is doing in this space, providing forward

thinking education for students, inspiring them and preparing them for the future.’

Headteacher Donna London-Hill added “We are incredibly excited that our Future Classroom has been recognised on the global stage! We believe in inspiring our students, preparing them for the workplace of the future, and exploring innovative ways of teaching. The Future Classroom enables us to do all of this, and both students and teachers love using this space for learning”.

EMSTA AWARD

We are delighted to receive this prestigious award from EMSTA, in recognition of the innovative work our students do around the future of space travel and sustainable planets. We look forward to partnering with EMSTA in the future.

FAREWELL TO CLAIRE TAYLOR

We say a fond farewell to Miss TaylorYear 8 Progress Leader, as she embarks on her maternity leave to go and have her second baby. All the best Miss Taylor. We will miss you lots!

Calling for

Shaftesbury School is revisiting our Christian vision ‘Fruit of the Spirit”, and we would very much welcome a range of parents joining us, to help shape this vision.

If you are interested in sharing your voice, and would like to be involved in sharing ideas, please contact: sarah. hunter@shaftesburyschool.co.uk.

Calling for Parent Voice!

Shaftesbury School is revisiting our Christian much welcome a range of parents joining If you are interested in sharing your voice please contact: sarah.hunter@shaftesburyschool.co.uk

Mrs DM  London-Hill Headteacher Shaftesbury School

Computing

We are pleased and excited to announce that Shaftesbury Computing Department will be offering Esports from next September! It has been recognised that Esports is a growing industry and will be a part of many of our youngsters’ lives, and could also lead to many opportunities as they progress through their chosen career path. As a department, we strive to stay abreast of new developments in technology, and look to prepare our students for the future.

TEDx Youth

@Shaftesbury School

This event, a first for Shaftesbury School, was called ‘Louder than Words’ and it more than certainly lived up to that name! At midday, in front of those famous scarlet, red TEDx letters, skilfully crafted by Mahta Rezvani and her team in Design Technology, a global audience from Ghana, Sweden, Finland, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, Canada, USA, Fiji, Botswana, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, and Argentina were all connected and listening to sixteen inspiring voices. They came on a blustery day in November to share their insight, knowledge, and passion on a wide variety of topics close to their hearts.

The sponsorship for this event also had a worldwide connection, with thanks to GF Piping Switzerland and Epson for making it possible. Clive Harris, Head of Catering at Shaftesbury School, along with Sixth Form student Georgia Denton, added to the international flavour, providing everyone with fantastic Asian inspired cuisine throughout the day and, of course, copious cups of British tea!

Not only was there an international audience, food and sponsors, but also speakers from around the world. Leah Wang, Rayyan Ahmed and Fatimah Hussain all delivered inspirational talks from the perspective of ‘Gen Z’, and enlightened all who listened, on how we can harness the power of debate, break free from negative mind sets and fulfil our potential. Particularly moving was Rayyan from California, who realised a dream of delivering his first TEDx Youth talk in the rural beauty of Shaftesbury.

Equally, our youth speakers closer to home (Nadia Chapman, Mya James, Gwen Hamblin, Henrietta Love, Archie Friend, James Joshi and Olivia Bowditch) spoke with such conviction on a variety of issues, which challenged the audience and made them consider how we can be pro-active in destigmatising body types, challenge the misconception of micro aggressions, and confront and change some truly shocking statistics about the gender pay gap.

A special mention must be made for Kimberley Hendricks, a Shaftesbury boarding student, who stood in, just a week before the event, to not only give us a heartfelt talk on the benefits of music, but also to sing the aria ‘O Mio Babbino Caro’ by Giacomo Puccini. This really was where ‘Louder than Words’ reverberated from the Shaftesbury Arts Centre, our wonderful venue for the day, and around the international stage.

These young, inspirational voices certainly set the bar high for our more experienced speakers. Unsurprisingly, their words spoke equally as loud as Simon Constantine, Joseph Russo, Sam McLaren, Ffinlo Costain and Antoine Walter, who delivered talks on how we can reform the prison system to stop punishing the already wounded, to key environmental messages on how we produce food, and use and save water so all on the planet can have clean access to this life giving resource. All spoke with such passion, knowledge and with too many humorous anecdotes to mention, which delighted, yet informed us all.

If ‘Louder than Words’ was the foundations on which the event was built, then the legacy this has created is already more than in motion. Mr Alex More, SAST CPD and Pedagogical Learning Lead, who was instrumental in the organisation and facilitation of the event announced that over 120 speakers, globally, had expressed their

interest to speak at next year’s TEDx Youth event.

In a world where sometimes messages become lost in soundbites and spin, this was a day when our young people could speak out from one tiny part of our world, and could be heard and embraced by a truly global community. It was a day when ideas were shared, and a day when everything, indeed, felt ‘louder than words.

Reward VIP Day!

A huge well done to all of the students across Years 7-13 that were awarded the first VIP Day, as part of the new reward system before October half term.

Students were welcomed in the morning with breakfast in the Bistro, as we celebrated their achievements. They spent the day in non-school uniform and enjoyed a pizza lunch. Lesson 5 allowed for students to sit back and relax, watching a film and eating popcorn, all while enjoying one another’s company.

The next VIP Day will be just before the Christmas holidays. The winners will be announced the week before, and a letter will be sent home.

Year 11 Careers Interviews

Every Student in Year 11 will have an in-depth careers interview with our external Careers Advisor. The meeting is thorough and gives each student the opportunity to discuss and explore the post 16 opportunities in Dorset and Wiltshire.

Our careers adviser produces a detailed report for each student, which is shared with the students, with follow up opportunities as well.

Further information regarding careers guidance can be found here: https:// www.dorsetcareershub.co.uk/careers-guidance-and-resources-for-youngpeople

Harvest Festival

A huge thank you to all of our Year 11 cohort, who have brought an incredible amount in, for our Harvest Festival collection this October. All of this food will go to a local food bank, and it was great to see our students taking an interest in supporting others at such a difficult time. Well done!

Design & Technology

Whilst practicing wood joints, we asked our hardworking Yr10 students to produce an isometric drawing of the wood joints, to the highest standard. Isometric drawing is a very challenging type of technical drawing that all designers need to know to be able to communicate with the manufacturers.

Our year 11 GCSE students are investigating and researching for design ideas and gaps in the market, to be able to come up with exciting new designs.

LIBRARY NEWS

There are new books in the library this term from the wonderful Book Trust Schools Pack. These include titles deemed to be ‘future classics’, books aimed at ‘reluctant readers’, and some non-fiction options. They will be incredibly useful for students choosing their next Accelerated Reader book, to help students complete their homework and reach their termly reading target, as well as for our Book Club. Titles include: Fake by Ele Fountain, Nisha’s War by Dan Smith, The Climbers by Keith Gray, Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Into the Volcano by Jess Butterworth, as well as many others.

KS3 Book Club:

Our KS3 Book Club meets every Wednesday lunchtime in the library. We have the lovely Sixth Form Literacy Prefects who come along to help us out – thanks Abi, Gwen and Louise. Currently, we are shadowing a local book award called the Wessex Amazing Book Award, or WABA for short. We have been part of the shortlist selection process and, although the title that our group suggested didn’t make it on to the list this year, we are all very excited to start reading the shortlisted titles. In February, we will be going on a special Book Club trip to Talbot Heath School in Bournemouth to be part of the award ceremony. The winning book will be chosen and announced, and we will enjoy some fun networking with book groups from other local schools. There’s also cake, because as everyone knows cake is the most important part of Book Club work.

Accelerated Reader:

We are continuing to use Accelerated Reader with all of KS3, to help them read books that are the right level for their individual ability. We use a diagnostic test at the beginning of each term to work this out, and then spend the following term using their personalised level, to work

towards an individual point target. This term the following students have reached their targets and will be invited to the AR Reward Party in the last week of term.

Well done to William A, Chloe T, Harry SJ, Ryan D, Esther W, Faith R, Margaret J and Isla H in Year 7. Charlotte G, Erin W, Isla B, Lucy M, Samuel T and Alfie S in Year 8. Paige BS, Riley H and Alfie G in Year 9. You are all AR stars for reaching your targets before the end of term deadline!

Deadline for reaching your target is December 12th so hopefully there will be a few more students who reach theirs, and get a party invite before then. Keep reading and quizzing everyone!

Reading

Newsletter

launching soon!

Our wonderful Literacy Prefects are also working hard behind the scenes to bring you a brand-new reading newsletter. Name TBD! This will bring you a whole host of exciting reading recommendations, book reviews and general reading news. Keep an eye out for it!

Year 10 have been practicing how to cut and screw pieces of MDF wood together, to create a sustainable wooden toy, using equipment and tools in the workshop correctly.

Year 9 students in D&T kick-start their robotic project, learning basic metal works, using aluminium and wire. They are studying the structure of insects, understanding the importance of Biomimicry (copying nature).

Year 8 completed a mini project, creating funky glasses just in time for Halloween, using the CAD and CAM process and the laser cutter. They were thrilled to be able to wear them during the Trick or Treat night.

Bookbuzz

book

gift for all of Year 7

For the second year running, we have been fortunate enough to be able to buy one of the Bookbuzz books for all of our students in Year 7. This is thanks to a generous donation from the Lush Trust and means that all students are welcomed to school at Shaftesbury with their own book to keep. Students chose their books from the selection list with their tutors and should have now received them. All of the books on the list also have an Accelerated Reader quiz, so that once they have read them, they can hopefully gain some points towards their target. We hope you enjoy your book gift Year 7!

Change is afoot in MFL!

You might think that teaching is a fairly stagnant processlearning a language is the same for whatever language, at whatever age right? In July 2021, the MFL Department had the opportunity to attend a conference, which debunks all the traditional ideals of rote learning and chanting verb endings, resulting in the MFL department changing the entire way that we teach French and Spanish to our students in Year 7. Dr. Gianfranco Conti, who explained to us his research and thinking into how to ensure competency and mastery of a language, led the course. An expert teacher of languages, fluent in 6 of them, Dr. Conti explained to us the idea of students using the language, and learning the way to say things in blocks, as opposed to learning the grammar first. Starting with short sentences of increasing difficulty across the term, culminating in students being able to produce paragraphs of extended writing and speech with a high degree of accuracy.

LATIN & CLASSICS

Our new slimmed down curriculum, focusses on mastery of key vocabulary and grammatical quirks, before building on them. We have achieved this by putting our heads together as a Department to think about the crucial skills and vocabulary we need students to have by the end of Year 7. The course is engaging and, more crucially, fun for the students to followmeaning we are seeing engagement higher than ever before, and fantastic results!

Mirian Justo, one of the teachers behind the redesign of the curriculum, says, “Year 7 students are really enjoying working with the Conti approach! The sentence builders that we use with the key concepts are greatly helping students to develop their autonomy when learning a new language. This success can be seen in the piece of homework that they have completed from the topic that we have been learning: All about me! It is great to see students learning while having fun”.

Despite being fascinating, varied, and well-regarded by universities and employers, there aren’t many state schools offering Latin GCSE or Classical Civilisation A-Level. A survey by the British Council showed that only 3% of state schools offer the GCSE, and so few offer both, that there aren’t even figures for it! This makes Shaftesbury School’s recent introduction of the two subjects rather special, and we think, unique in the local area.

Gods and monsters, heroes and villains, glory and horror - these fill the stories and histories of the Classical world, which covers the Northern Mediterranean, from the bronze age, through to the fall of Rome in the 5th century. Students at GCSE engage with Latin, starting from scratch, and working through to a strong competency in the written language. The mastery of vocabulary and grammar gives them a deeper insight into the foundations of English, and other European languages, as well as developing skills in such disparate areas as codebreaking and computer programming.

At A-Level, students take this social and artistic engagement further and deeper: the pinnacle of epic oral poetry, the invention of theatre, the invention of the novel and its use for political propaganda, the danger of populist politicians and the fragility of democracy.

There are also many opportunities for extending the study of Classics beyond the classroom. In November, with thanks to grants from the Lush Trust and Classics for All, a coachload of GCSE Latin and A-Level Classical Civilisation students from Shaftesbury School headed into London for a day at the British Museum. They got the chance to see the richness of the cultures they are studying, through the religious, personal, artistic and military items that survive. From the everyday (oddly shaped perfume bottles) to the extraordinary (too many to list, and often too difficult to briefly explain), students were able to imagine themselves back into that setting more viscerally. In early December, we hosted Dr Alex Hardwick from Oxford University, who talked about the roles of women in Homer’s Odyssey, and whether the apparent ideal of their behaviour in society was actually followed. She will also be part of our schoolwide drive to raise student aspiration, talking about Oxbridge applications, and what it is like to be a student there. Hopefully we will head to Oxford to return the visit sometime in the Spring. We also need to fit in our takeover of Chef’s kitchen, to produce a (simplified) Roman banquet.

A dead language? Latin has never felt more alive!

The department are looking forward to seeing where this new and exciting curriculum is going to go in the future!

MATHS

On Tuesday 8th November, a small group of Year 10’s went to The Blandford School, for a maths talk and quiz. The talk was by university lecturer Ben Sparks, on the origins of numbers, and whether the concept of numbers and their value in society, was created or has existed inherently. The talk went into detail about how numbers have evolved from basic counting, to rational numbers with the ancient Greeks, and then onto the concepts of negative numbers and debt. He also explored some of the quirks of our numerical system, such as the oddities of zero, the square root of negative one, and the mind boggling idea of imaginary numbers. The quiz contained questions across many areas of maths and encouraged teamwork, as we were grouped with students from other schools.

By Christopher D. (Year 10)

Maths Challenge

Students from our A Level maths classes took part in the UK Mathematics Trust Senior Maths Challenge. Out of the 19 who entered, 12 earned a certificate: ten bronze, one silver and one gold. We even had one student make it through to the Senior Kangaroo follow on round (result not yet in at time of writing). Well done to all involved. We are looking forward to the Intermediate Maths Challenge (for Years 9-11), which is happening on Wednesday 1st February.

Football

It has been a good term of football here at Shaftesbury School, with plenty of wins and fun along the way. The new Year 7’s have been eager to learn, and have showed great enthusiasm in their games. A highlight was the comeback win in the National Cup, away at West Moors Middle School, where they had to show resilience to come from behind and win in the last minute.

The Year 8 boys have got better with each game, winning comfortably against Sturminster Newton, and just losing to Gillingham, which on another day could have easily been a victory. I expect them to really push on after Christmas, with many more fixtures up ahead.

The Year 9’s have been unlucky with games being called off, and I am expecting them to get their Year 8 form last year, starting with the Gillingham Astro Tournament in January. Year 10’s have been the surprise package this term, and have impressed me on the pitch. They were unlucky in losing in the County and National Cup, but have really improved from last year. They have a really good nucleus of players, who will get better and better with more game time. The PE Department are looking forward to more progress from football teams in the new year, with County Cups, Gillingham Astro Tournaments, and plenty of fixtures to come.

Girl’s Football Team

This year, we have 30 enthusiastic girls from Years 7-12 attending football club at Shaftesbury School. The teams have kicked off to a fantastic start in training and fixtures this term. High levels of enthusiasm, technical skills and passion for the game are seen in every training session and in our fixtures, making these future lionesses an absolute pleasure to lead this year. The U13 team competed in their first County Cup fixture with a fantastic 9-3 win, and are excited to play in the 2nd round of the tournament this term. The U16’s have also showed great resilience and determination in their fixtures this year, despite the torrential down pours! A huge well done to all of our

Ski Trip

We are growing ever closer to the 2023 ski trip to the Ski Amadè area in Austria. There is a strong team of staff attending the trip: Mr Collis, (Trip Leader), Mr Bosworth (Deputy Trip Leader), Miss Doohan, Mr Jamieson, Miss Fiddik, and Miss Kenrick. The ski information evening was held at school on 22nd November, and included a visit from the ski shop where we rent our ski clothing from. If you missed this, please contact Mr Collis. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for more information coming soon, including your ski trip booklets, ski hoodies, dry ski slope lessons (optional) and ski groups. We can’t wait!

football players this year! We are so proud to have these girl’s represent Shaftesbury School. Our door is always open to any new students who would like to attend training on Wednesday at 3pm. No prior experience needed.

Netball

This year, we have seen a phenomenal number of students attend regular netball training. The sessions are filled with enthusiasm and technical brilliance! It has been great to see those back who come to training yearly, and also welcome new members and our fantastic new Year 7 students. We have hosted and attended a number of fixtures so far this year, and have seen some fantastic results from all of our year groups. Fixtures will continue into the new year, with students getting to play at a wide range of different schools. By attending netball club, students gain the opportunity to develop their skills, become more confident with their own ability, and create new friends, not just in their own year group.

School and Sturminster Newton High School. The Year 7 boys showed great commitment and determination playing in their first games of Rugby Union. The strength in numbers is growing for the Year 7 rugby team, with many more games to come.

Year 8 Rugby

A first run out against Wyvern College was a tough match, losing out by 4 tries against a strong Sailsbury team. In the second game for the Year 8 boy’s, they showed great determination and confidence to play against Gillingham School, winning 6 tries to 4. We look forward to more fixtures and tournaments for this group of Year 8’s, with smiles always on their faces.

Year 9 Rugby

A new sport for this group of Year 9’s. A group of 21 boys (with 17 playing their second ever game of rugby), played a competitive and rewarding game against Gillingham School. They are a committed group of boys who are keen to learn and enjoy the contact elements of rugby. In their second game against Leweston School, they showed great skill throwing the ball around, and scored some fantastic tries. We look forward to more fixtures and tournaments for this group of Year 9’s.

Year 10 Rugby

Year 7 Rugby

Fifteen Year 7 students attended the NDRC Year 7 Presidents Trophy 2023, playing against Gillingham School, Sexey’s

GEOGRAPHY

Year 11 Trip

As part of their Human Geography field work, Year 11 students took a trip to Bristol to look at the social inequality within the city, and how regeneration has improved people’s quality of life. Over 80 students took part in the trip, and it was a huge success. Well done to all involved!

A rugby enthusiastic group of boys played against Wyvern College and Gillingham School before the half term break. It was great to see the energy and commitment playing their first games of the year. The teamwork and support highlight the leadership qualities within these group of boys, with the experienced players being really supportive towards players who were new to the sport. We are looking forward to being really competitive at the upcoming fixtures and tournaments.

Year 12 Trip

Year 12 geographers spent five days at Slapton Ley Field Studies Centre in South Devon, collecting data for their non-examined assessments. The NEA is an in-depth piece of coursework where students get to study a geographical issue of their choice. The Field Studies Centre provided a range of specialist equipment, and a tutor which students were able to take full advantage of, to ensure their data collection was of high quality. After three days of testing out data collecting techniques and fieldwork ideas, the students chose their NEA titles which covered a wide range of topics, including differences in deprivation in Plymouth, infiltration rates in woodland and farmland, carbon storage in trees, and a variety of projects on coastal processes. Miss Brown and Mrs Coombs were really proud of how hard all the students worked to collect data and to support each other, often working into the evening.

Studland, Old Harry Rocks and Swanage were the locations for a joint A level Geography and Biology trip. The geographers developed their coastal management case study, examining the differences in management between Swanage and Studland, and also looking at the formation of different coastal landforms in the area. The biologists observed and studied the environment for ecosystems and evidence of succession. They carried out a PAG, which involved measuring the distribution and abundance of plants in a habitat.

6th Form

University applications

As always, it has been a busy start to the new school year in the Sixth Form. Year 12 have been settling into their new courses after their amazing GCSE results in the summer, and the minds of Year 13 students are turning towards their next step beyond school. Many are working on UCAS applications, including 6 who had to be super-organised to get ready for early application courses, including those at Oxford or Cambridge University. These students were also lucky enough to be helped in their preparation by Shaftesbury School Chair of Governors, Michael Lesser. Michael came into school on Monday 21st November to put students through their paces with mock interviews. Students found the day tough, but also appreciated the opportunity to go through the interview process, as well as have feedback on how to be even better. Michael said that “The group of students I have interviewed today are a great reflection of the school – I thoroughly enjoyed meeting them, and discussing issues with them all”. Other members of Year 13 are looking at progression routes, such as apprenticeship and employment, and many are already starting to think about planning gap years.

Safe Drive, Stay Alive

This term the Sixth Form have experienced the Safe Drive, Stay Alive presentation from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Rescue Service. The hard-hitting presentation included first-hand accounts from emergency service workers, and those directly affected by collisions on the roads. Whilst this presentation is never an easy subject, many of the students were grateful for the time taken by the presenters, and thanked them personally for giving up their time for them.

Creative Careers

As part of our programme of events to get all students to consider a broad range of potential options beyond Sixth Form, we were lucky enough to have Andy Wallis of Falmouth University visit to talk about careers in the creative arts. Though this is not the intended career path for many students, Andy was able to give students an insight into options that they may not previously have considered.

Sixth Form Open Evening

Looking to the future of the Sixth Form, November 15th was our Sixth Form Open Evening. This was a chance for Year 11 to consider what subjects they might take in the Sixth Form, and to find out more about those they have already decided upon. It was also an opportunity for our current Sixth Form students to really shine, as they talked to Year 11 students about the subjects that they take, and why they consider their Sixth Form to be the best possible place for them to study – far better ambassadors for our Sixth Form than anyone else!

Rag Day

The next big event for the Sixth Form is Rag Day on Thursday 15th December. This year, the Sixth Form will be raising money for Dorset Children’s Foundation, and have plans for events throughout the day, including mufti, cake sales, karaoke, pie-theteacher, collections in town, and much more. The day will culminate in a very special edition of ‘I’m a teacher, get me out of here’ – so please encourage students to bring in their spare change for this worthy cause, and help the Sixth Form, as they endeavour to raise more than the £2,452 that was raised on Rag Day last year.

BTEC TRAVEL AND TOURISM TRIP TO

MONKEY WORLD

As part of their visitor attractions unit, Year 13 Travel & Tourism students spent a day at Monkey World. We listened to an informative talk on business and customer service, before experiencing Monkey World as a visitor for the day. The students will write about Monkey World for three different pieces of coursework this year, so the visit was invaluable in gaining experience of the attraction. Everyone enjoyed the day, saw lots of monkeys, and used the café and gift shop.

Peer Mentoring Programme

Thirty four of our students in Years 9, 10, 12 and 13 completed training on becoming a peer mentor. As peer mentors, they will provide support to their peers, to help them deal with any problems or issues they are facing.

The training took a day and a half, and prepared our students for their new role as peer mentors. Throughout the day, the students covered topics such as emotional wellbeing, wellbeing strategies, roles and responsibilities of a peer mentor, skills and qualities, communication skills, and developing key listening and questioning techniques.

The programme was run by members of the Salisbury Diocese Board of Education, in conjunction with Kidscape, an anti-bullying charity.

Lorna Johnson from the SDBE said, “It was amazing to partner with Shaftesbury School in training 30 plus peer mentors. You are such an open, imaginative, ‘can do’, supportive team, and it was energising and inspiring to work with you.

We were also bowled over by the young people’s enthusiasm, engagement, and ability to grasp their role in the Kidscape Peer Mentoring Programme. I feel very confident that they will make an important contribution to the range of wellbeing support in the school, and this pilot, along with Motcombe Primary, will be something valuable to share with other schools in Dorset.”

If you have questions regarding the Peer Mentoring Programme, please contact Mrs Hunter or Miss Baxter.

BOARDING

It felt like a new beginning within the boarding house this September. Not only did we start with a new timetable, staff and student inductions, and an Autumn Term Calendar, but we also welcomed a number of new students to the boarding house.

Things have certainly been very busy this term at Barton Hill. Everyone has worked hard, supported by our newly introduced supervised prep, but it has not been all work, and no play!

By the time everyone reads this newsletter, the students will have enjoyed whole house excursions to Weymouth, Bath and the Christmas market, and Tower Parks. Many of the boarders also signed up for the Carnival and fairground evening, and the firework display to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night.

The students have also got involved in the many activities organised here, including the treasure hunt and Halloween evening, the volleyball tournament, and the evening activities during the week.

We have also enjoyed a number of special meal nights this term, including Chinese and Italian evenings, a BBQ night, and the traditional Christmas meal in December, followed by the end of term disco.

During November, we also welcomed Freddy Martin (the Head of Asha, a charity based in Delhi) to come and talk to our students, and Rachel Gibb (the Head of the Five Islands Academy on the Isles of Scilly). After spending some time with our students, they both commented on how everyone was extremely welcoming and engaging.

This is a theme which encompasses the Barton Hill students. They have certainly done their best to get involved in the life within the boarding house, and this has been very encouraging. It is the difference between having a good boarding house and a great one, and it is only right for me to say a very big thank you to all of our students, for the effort they have made this term.

This includes many of them giving up some of their free time to get involved in the various student committees within the boarding house. These committees include the Common Room, Dining Hall

and Well Being Committees. They allow the students a voice on important issues, like catering and life at Barton Hill.

A special mention should also be given to Mya James and Kimberley Hendricks, who both represented Barton Hill at the TEDx event in November, and to Aryan Ramkumar for getting an interview for Cambridge University. Many of our other Sixth Form students are also waiting on offers, and are starting to focus their attention on their examinations.

Well done to everyone!

And finally, I cannot end this newsletter without saying something about our staff at Barton Hill.

The Autumn Term has seen the introduction of a new Head of House, Anita Baker, to the students. Anita brings a wealth of experience from her previous role as a trained Primary School teacher, with over twenty years teaching linguistics to EAL students. She has certainly made her mark within Barton Hill, introducing a Wellbeing Committee and encouraging the students to participate in many of the activities available here.

Anita has been supported by our other residential member of staff, Daniel Bajorat. Between them, they have helped successfully lead the day-to-day running of Barton Hill.

This team is complimented by Jill Stannard, Tracy Dunn, Bob Dunford, Elizabeth Roberts, Nick Reynolds, Phil Williams, Bob Milton, Claire Long and Maureen Barrett. They have all worked tirelessly throughout this term to make student life a lot easier, and for this, I must say a huge thank you to everyone.

They are a great team, and I know that our boarders appreciate them very much.

So, to everyone at Barton Hill, I would like to end this newsletter by wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas, and a well-deserved break.

Simon Bonelli-Bean Assistant Headteacher, Shaftesbury School Boarding.