Dear Parents/Carers The 2018-19 academic year got off to a successful start in September. Once again we were able to celebrate some excellent performances in the GCSE and A level examinations. Our year 11 students performed above national averages on a range of measures and the strong results supported students to move forward to a successful next step in their careers. There was much to celebrate at the 6th form too with Year 13 students gaining some outstanding qualifications and over one third of the A level grades awarded being at A* to B.
It seems like a long time ago but you may remember that the Autumn term began with the much anticipated change to school uniform; the pleated skirt. I am pleased to report that the new skirt is now well established and a great addition. The girls look smart and we have had lots of positive feedback both from within the school and from our stakeholders and community. The next step in ensuring the highest standard of uniform will be to clarify guidance around trouser style; we will work on this in the new year.
The first termhas been busy as always both inside the classroom and beyond. A highlight, without doubt, was the school production of Beauty and the Beast. It has to have been one of the best shows ever. There was scope for a wide range of talented pupils to take part and the musical played to packed audiences on all three nights. The joy of the show brightened up an otherwise dull, wet and foggy November.
Towards the end of term a second highlight was the Senior Awards Ceremony. We welcomed back Year 11 and 13 students to receive GCSE, A Level and BTEC Certificates and prizes. The evening was led by our own Ant & Dec; school captains Mack and Mason and the guest speaker was ex Brighouse High School student and Member of Parliament for Halifax, Holly Lynch. Holly left Brighouse High sixth form in 2005 and less than ten years later she took her seat in Westminster. Her story is a real inspiration to students. In her speech she urged each of the prizewinners to work hard to fulfil their potential and aim high for the future.
The festive season has kept pupils very busy over the last few weeks. The Winter Soiree, Senior Citizens Party, Carol Service and Awards night are all great Brighouse High traditions and all mark the Christmas period in a positive way, allowing pupils to demonstrate their talents and sense of community and citizenship. None of these events could happen without the hard work of the teaching and support staff who give generously of their time to facilitate the events. I would like to thank all members of the Brighouse High team for the hard work they put in, especially at this time of year. Thank-you to Governors, parents, carers and the wider Brighouse community too for the support you give to our school in so many ways. As Christmas approaches I wish everyone a restful and happy time and hope that 2019 is a successful year for you all. Liz Cresswell
University of Hull Summer School for More Able pupils We were delighted that two of our pupils, Mia Hoyle and Sam Story, were selected to attend a Summer School at the University of Hull at the end of last academic year. The selection process was rigorous; from BHS alone there were 14 applicants. We were over the moon that Sam and Mia were able to benefit from the experiences that the summer school afforded them. Their accounts are detailed below. Claire Horsfield – Assistant Headteacher Mia Hoyle: In summer 2018, I attended a week long residential to the University of Hull. I felt very privileged to attend because it was extremely over-subscribed receiving 1000’s of applications, when only 60 students could be accommodated. I wanted to apply as I felt the experience of uni-life would be one I would not forget, but also because I felt it would give me life skills and teach me how to act out of my comfort zone as it was in a place I’d never been, and I attended with only 1 out of 14 other applicants from Brighouse High School. On arriving, we were given our own en-suite rooms in the new student accommodation building, The Courtyard. We took part in many activities throughout the week, including a Chinese workshop and a talk from a criminologist. We also took part in team building activities such as learning circus skills and taking part in a Murder Mystery Dinner. On campus, we ate at the Canham Turner restaurant. We also had ambassadors which were under-graduates at the Uni, studying a range of subjects like Ecology, Music, Geography, Modern Languages and Communications. They were unbelievably helpful and welcoming, and without the ambassadors the residential would not have been the experience it was. The main focus of the week was on ‘Global Goals’. Each group of 8 people chose one of the global goals to create a presentation on, which would be presented to the other groups at the end of the week. Our goal was on Gender Equality, in which we focused on all aspects such as feminism, misogynism, and gender treatment in different countries around the world and we used the cereal and milk technique to show the rate of male pay in comparison to female pay. Finally, on the last day, we had a party in the campus club, Asylum. It was a great yet emotional end to a great week and I can easily say I would go back in a heartbeat. I made friends who I’m still in contact with 5 months later, and have a firm idea on what I would like to pursue as a career, and University is a definite feature. I would like to thank Vikki, Jordan and Chantelle who set up the residential as it was invaluable.
Sam Story: The Hull University residential was amazing. It was taster of university life for a week. Luckily I had the privilege to attend. I was so eager on attending as my mother had studied there 20 years before and said it was some of the best years of her life, so I wanted a taste of the experience for myself. While we were there we attended classes like Law, Engineering and Chinese. There were many things on in the afternoon. On the first day there was a circus skills show which was hilarious. On the Tuesday there was a murder mystery dinner with an amazing three course meal and entertainment. Sadly, I chose the wrong murderer but it was still a great night. The main focus of the week was ‘global goals’. Through the week we planned a presentation for the last day to inform others on our goals. My groups focus was clean water and sanitation. I have to congratulate Vikki, Chantelle and Jordan for setting up the week as I really enjoyed it. I also thank the undergraduate ambassadors that took out time to take care of us. All in all the week was fascinating and has made me want to attend university when I am older.
Plastic Bottle Plan In student council, we have identified the need to reduce our plastic consumption as a school. To do so, we have decided to phase out the sale of single-use, disposable bottled water over the next few years. We plan that through sponsorships from local businesses, we will be able to provide every pupil with a reusable Brighouse High School water bottle, designed by students. Through this decision, we hope to massively reduce the amount of plastic waste that we produce and become a more eco-friendly organisation. Madeleine Partland and Mrs Horsfield
RAF Leeming Trip- Wednesday 10th October In October, a group of Year 11, 12 and 13 students were invited to visit RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire as part of an Armed Forces recruitment initiative. We were greeted by Squadron Leader Jayne Lindley who treated students to a fantastic, open and informative day looking at various aspects of life in the RAF and specifically at RAF Leeming. Since the base is so huge, we were driven round on a coach and allowed access to various areas where members of the public rarely get to go. These included the PT section, the RAF Regiment, the Signal Corps and a session with 100 Squadron who fly Hawk T1 jets and act as ’the enemy’ in order to train other front line pilots in combat situations. The highlight for BHS was definitely being given access to the Hawk jets, and being allowed to sit inside them. Each section had put in a great deal of time and effort to ensure BHS feel thoroughly welcome and presented their particular careers in an informative and interesting way, answering plenty of the students’ questions along the way. In addition to visiting different professions, we were shown the type of accommodation that is available to personnel stationed at the base (excellent ensuite double rooms for £16 a month!) and we were also treated to a very nice lunch, which everyone seemed to enjoy! The time and effort spent by Squadron Leader Lindley and the rest of the personnel to make us feel welcome made up for an unforgettable day which was appreciated by students and staff alike. Several of the students are now seriously considering a career with the RAF, after having experienced life on the base. Particular thanks to Mr Wainwright and Mrs Aitken for organising the whole day. Mrs Aitken is looking to repeat this visit on a regular basis, so keep an eye out in the future if there’s anyone thinking about careers in the Armed Forces. Mr Wainwright, Mr Edwards and Miss Venus
AUTUMN TERM 2018 The LMH has been buzzing with books this term with some exciting community activities having been enjoyed. -
Year 7 – BOOK BUZZ launch. All students choose a book and English teachers are given supporting resources. The BOOK BUZZ review competition runs over the Christmas holidays. Year 7 book boxes were distributed to form groups. Shakespeare LIVE – Romeo and Juliet from the RSC – watched by Year 11 Library SHOP – equipment available pre-school, during BREAK and LUNCH including USB sticks and CALCULATORS. Year 8 Book Group – invited to the new Halifax central library to attend author led workshops. Year 9 History cross-curricular work on literacy resources based on World War 1 to mark the centenary. Book fair 3rd – 10th October – funds raised for library stock. The GERMAN MARKET – a Christmas Celebration! NEW – revision section of the library for Key Stage 4. Extra- curricular : Year 7 Homework club Chess club Newsletter club – Miss Hanner Creative writing club- Miss Hanner Year 9 – homework and catch-up club Film Club – FRI – Mrs Makinson Variety of book groups: Mrs Makinson and Mrs Marks D of E call in – Miss Breakwell
Look at the noticeboard for all the exciting activities in January 2019! WE READ TO SUCCEED AT BHS - All students are encouraged to independently select a wide range of reading material. Some students in years 7- 9 are expected to have a reading book with them as part of their daily equipment and are required to set personal goals and keep a log of their reading progress- this is recorded in their planners.(pg 146) This is monitored by their English teacher and form tutors.- The Year 7 library inductions will take place in JANUARY ENGAGING IN LITERACY AT BHS - REWARD POINTS for LITERACY. We REWARD students for the following: Using the LMH’, engaging with whole school literacy events, Shakespeare LIVE, cross-curricular, book festivals , using the reading books in tutor-time plus engaging in literacy tasks within different subject areas.
DRAMA Year 9 Pantomime This term we have been rehearsing for our own pantomime, Peter Pan. It has been an experience with easier and harder sections throughout. One of the easier sections was being able to work with students who have experience in acting and dancing. Also, working with people I know quite well made it easier as we knew each other’s abilities. On the other hand, there has been some harder times during rehearsals like learning the lines and how the scene would work. There is also the part of choreographing your own dances and teaching them to the rest of your group. During the term I had the opportunity to take charge of directing one the scenes. In my opinion, it was a good experience for me as it showed how hard it is behind the creations of the scenes. Overall I really enjoyed doing the Panto this term as it was a really educational and fun experience. Anya Tate 9R
This year for senior citizens day year 9 has been putting together Peter Pan the pantomime in their drama lessons. I have enjoyed working in a team as everyone got involved and there was a great atmosphere. I also liked the relaxed vibe that was very welcoming and made me feel like you could be yourself. The teachers were very supportive and helped us include everyone’s ideas in the final piece. For me learning my lines was quite easy as I am involved in a drama club outside of school. However, I found the fight scenes difficult because if you forgot what came next you risked being punched in the face! To conclude, I have thoroughly enjoyed putting together the year 9 pantomime and it has inspired me to get involved in more school productions. Tom Sugden 9B
LOST PROPERTY We have accumulated various items in lost property without names. Any items not claimed by the 31st January 2019 will be recycled. Please clearly name all items brought into school by your child so they can be reunited.
Science in Action Over the last term more than fifty Y11 and Y12 students have attended various Science in Action events at Salford University. During these events student listened to a variety of scientists talking about their research, recent scientific developments and amazing phenomena that can be seen and experienced in everyday life The talks included a number of interesting experimental demos and covered a diverse range of topics, from the chemistry underpinning the TV show Breaking Bad to the science of superheroes. Students enjoyed all events and were excellent ambassadors for the school.
Science at the 6th Form In November a number of more able students in Y11 were invited to take part in a day of science at the 6th form. The aim of this event was to give them experience of 6th form science and to help them make their post 16 choices. The day was split in to three sessions; making aspirin in Chemistry, genetically engineering bacteria in Biology and determining the force of gravity in Physics. Throughout the day students demonstrated impressive practical skills and a great attitude to learning.
PE Department Hello! Hello! My name is Billy-Joe, 12, from Brighouse High School. I joined this school in September 2018, and it has given me many opportunities, one of which is the Panathlon! A Panathlon is where you get put into teams, I was part of the Calderdale team, to compete in different sports for children in wheelchairs and for people who can walk, but may have learning, physical or other disabilities or difficulties. Setting Off We set off at about 9 o'clock in the morning to get there. On the drive there, we listened to music and had a nice chat on the way. Some of my friends were on the bus with me, like Jack and Katie! I also had Mr. Harris, a member of staff for support - and Miss Kirby from the P.E department. I slept on the way there since I was tired, along with some others from my team. To be fair, it was going to be a full hour to get there. When You Get There My first Panathlon was hosted at the York Sports Centre. I got to meet many disabled children like myself while competing against them for points. All points add up to a big amount that can earn your team! I found out that we were part of the Calderdale team along with Brooksbank, and we were also competing against other schools from all over Yorkshire. Another thing that was exciting is that we got to meet a Paralympic winner! It was awesome!
Activities There were lots of activities for all ages/abilities. These include boccia, new age kurling, polybat and even more mini-sports like the bean-bag throw. The sports I played in were boccia and polybat. Polybat is air hockey played with table tennis balls and bats. First, I played boccia. We won by one or two points, so we were lucky! After doing boccia I moved to polybat. To say it was my first Panathlon, I did amazing! We won 7-4! After each round of games, we all shook hands to show good sportsmanship. Extra Sports With the activities, you could also do some other sport events to earn more team points. There were many things like the bean-bag throw and the wheelchair slalom. I had a go at the slalom and was pretty good at it! The sports leader gave us a runthrough of the course and I gave it my best. I believe I got around in 40 seconds! Races After you have completed your activities, you get to eat your dinner. Either you can sit quietly and eat with your team, or you can have a chat, giggle or whatever you fancy really. Once lunchtime was over, we started getting into some friendly competing races. The first activity that happens is the javelin throw. Once you are done with swapping partners in the throwing events, we got into relay races. The race I did was the powered wheelchair relay. You have to go down a lane, swirl around the cone and make it back to the top. When everyone has done their races, they collect us all and announce the winners and certificates. At The End At the end of all this, I took a gold medal, certificate and a free shirt to remind me of what happened on that day. It was the best day of my life. I am glad I had all of my friends, Miss Kirby, Mr Harris and everyone’s support during this day. Nothing meant more to me in my whole life. I even fought back the tears. Billy-Joe Yr7
As is now tradition in the Brighouse High School PE department calendar, the academic year got underway with the now worldfamous Brighouse Run which tests the students ability to complete a challenging 1 mile Cross-Country course to assess their overall fitness, determination and resilience. This year the vast majority of students performed exceptionally well with a huge number of PB’s being set and existing records being broken. The highlights of this series of runs included new Year group records being set by Daisy Whelan in Year 8 and James Stead of Year 9 but the most overwhelming achievement was by James Shaw (Pictured Right) who set an astonishing new whole school record of 5:45! Boys Brighouse Run September 2018 Winners
Girls Brighouse Run September 2018 Winners
Year 7
Elliot Clarke – 7.04
Phoebe Strang – 8:01
Year 8
Max Priestley – 6.16
Daisy Whelan – 7:08 New Y8 Record
Year 9
James Stead – 5:47 New Y9 Record
Billie-Jo Wood – 7:30
Year 10
Ben Kirby – 6:01
Olivia Webb – 6:49
Year 11
James Shaw – 5:25 (New School Record)
Ella Birkbeck – 7:26
Top 3 Boys Runners from Year 7B 1. Elliot Clarke 2. Charlie Berriman 3. Gabe Lawton
Top 3 Girls Runners from Year 7B 1. Wren Hiley 2. Gretel Guakrodger 3. Martha Dibb
We were extremely pleased this August when we got the opportunity to hand out a fantastic set of GCSE and A Level results to our 2018 PE cohort. Having worked extremely hard over the last 2 years, it was fantastic to see all of the smiles and excitement when the students achieved the results they so deserved. Our GCSE Class of 2018 surpassed National Averages indicating that we are out-performing schools nationally in the subject, with our A Level cohort achieving some brilliant results which allowed them to go and study at universities such as Leeds Beckett, University of Manchester and Liverpool John Moores University. GCSE Class of 2018 Key Headlines Results Grade 8+ 10% Grade 7+ 24% Grade 5+ 62% Grade 4+ 76%
A Level Class of 2018 Key Headlines Results A*-A 25% A*-B 38% A*-C 63% Pass Rate 100%
As always, the day to day running of the PE department has been extremely busy and we were extremely pleased to welcome our new cohort of Year 7 students and induct them in to Team BHS. They have settled in well to the PE department and we are excited to watch them grow and develop with us over the next 5 years‌..some would say they are going to fly in the department! At Brighouse High School we want to instil an ethos in our students so that they develop a passion for physical activity and sport. We have an enviable reputation of being equipped with a department and facilities that has the capabilities to offer such a diverse range of sports so that we can find a passion for each and every student, so much so that students will get the opportunity to participate in 12 different sports throughout an academic year.
Our commitment to extra-curricular sport & opportunities has been abundant as ever with football, rugby and netball taking the predominant centre stage this term. However, beyond our traditional representative teams, this term we have also competed in Badminton, Basketball, Cross-Country, Cricket, Girls Football & Rugby, Handball, Pentathlon & Swimming.
Since its introduction 3 years ago, our Sports Personality of the Month award continues to recognise those students who have went above and beyond in PE and their wider commitment to school sport. Detailed below are the deserving award winners for the last half term that will automatically be invited to our Annual Sports Ball and be given the chance to win Sports Personality of the Year. September SPOTM Winners Harvey Crossley
& Evie Harland
October SPOTM Winners Louie Walsh &
Grace Nicholl
November SPOTM Winners Elliot Clarke & Wren Hiley
December SPOTM Winners Matthew Raine Brody Clark Louis Rozsa & Ruby Harris
This year we have also continued to provide the students of Brighouse High School with endless sporting opportunities, not merely in a participation context, but also the chance to watch and experience elite sport in a variety of different venues. This year we have been working very closely with Yorkshire Carnegie and through our official partnership our students have received some amazing opportunities. Our Year 9 students have been the primary focus of this partnership and as a result they have received some top quality coaching from Yorkshire Carnegie in the build up to a festival of rugby at Old Brodleians RUFC. We also visited Yorkshire Carnegie to watch their 1st XV take on London Scottish whereby we were selected to be the flag bearers as the players entered the field of play and which was shown live on TV. Another amazing experience and one we hope encourages these boys to stay and/or get involved with rugby union. We finished the term off with an amazing trip to Newcastle Falcons whereby our students got the chance to play on the Kingston Park pitch, meet some Premiership players and watch Newcastle against Sale which was a fantastic day out!
We were also privileged to get our photo taken in front of the official Gallagher Premiership Trophy‌..something many 13 and 14 year old boys and girls never get the opportunity to do!
Student success both inside and out of school in Sport is something we at Brighouse High School are incredibly proud of. Watching our students grow and hearing about their achievements makes the hours of hard work and practice all the worthwhile and we have had some really memorable moments already this year. World Champion We were incredibly prod to welcome a World Champion back to school as Year 8 student Evan Duncan claimed the Brazilian Jujitsu World Championship in Wolverhampton which was also followed up with him being selected as an ambassador for Gracie Barra Europe. Evan is now making huge strides in the martial arts world and we are incredibly excited to watch this young man achieve so much on the international stage!
National Qualifier Thea Morris in Year 9 once again performed superbly well at the regional Trampolining Finals qualifying for the National competition due to be held in Belfast in January of 2019. She was accompanied by fellow Year 9 student Hugo Bannister who also qualified and we are keeping our fingers crossed that they both bring the National title home in 2019! County Cricket U13 Cricket Captain Joe Pyrah was formally recognised at the Yorkshire County Cricket Awards Evening when he picked up ‘Batsmen of the Year’. We look forward to him taking that type of form in this Summers school cricket season!
Record Breakers As always, we entered a great swimming squad in to the Calderdale Swimming championships with all swimmers performing exceptionally well and smashing PB’s. However, our senior boys relay team took the headlines when they beat the Calderdale record which had stood since 2009 to retain the Century old Rose Cup.
Performing Arts Department Music Drama Dance As we welcomed in Year 7 this year the Performing Arts Department were quick to get them and the rest of the school into a busy schedule of rehearsals as we put together various concerts and events. Once again the work ethic and attitude of the students who have thrown themselves into the department culture has amazed me to create performances that have been immensely enjoyable and of such high quality. It’s lovely to see the department regularly used through lunchtimes and after school by such a variety of students and we continue to encourage the use of the facilities in school to allow our students to thrive in their performing arts pursuits. Students are always welcome to join in with our extra-curricular activities even if they’ve not had any previous experience, if anyone would like to find out more about getting involved in music, drama or dance please talk to one of the department staff. Thank you once again to all the parents and guardians who continue to support the department, it is very much appreciated. I look forward to the performances and memories to be created in 2019. Miss R Venus. Brighouse High School Open Evening Thursday 4th October This year the music department experienced lots of musical performances on this very successful open evening for year six students and their families. Performances included Bea Badilla, Georgina Munnich, Harry Millington, Leo Stuart- Rothwell and Lucy Gibson from year ten. There were also Zeke Kershaw and Tegan Stansfield from Year eleven. There was a wide array of musical pieces preformed using many instruments such as the piano, guitar and drums. Some of the songs played include ‘Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots’, ‘Rolling in the Deep by Adele’, ‘Lifeboat’ from Heathers the musical, ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ by Elvis Presley and ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis. Furthermore there were multiple opportunities for all students to try their hand at instruments provided by the music staff and students. To add to this the students and their parents got a taste of GCSE music as they watched the Year 11 students complete their compositions for their exams, and got the chance to ask questions about the course. Overall this was a very successful open evening thanks to the help from the Brighouse students and the participation from the eager year six students who attended. By Georgina Munnich, Harry Millington and Zeke Kershaw
Beauty and the Beast 21st/22nd/23rd November
This year we took on the mammoth task of producing Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’; a world famous and one of the best loved musicals of this century. Given that we would only have eleven weeks with the cast in September to the opening night the performing arts department decided to hold an open audition during the school holidays…. Yes August! The workshop and auditions were well attended and we cast a record breaking 50 students in the show from years 7 to 11. Rehearsals were intense, four nights a week until 5pm, gradually but surely the show started to take shape. The three evening performances were truly fantastic and the students did incredibly well to cope with the demands and requirements of their costumes, the elaborate staging and complex musical score. The show was a culmination of a lot of dedication and hard work and it would not have been possible without the help and support of everyone involved. It can be so easy to take the time and support from other members of staff for granted but the department feel so humbled and privileged to be able to work with such a reliable core of people and we would like to thank everyone who has made the production happen. A special mention needs to go to Mr Lyne from the Art department who gave up so much of his time to produce a fantastic set for the stage. He was of course ably assisted by our maintenance team who were so accommodating in fitting in the extra jobs given to them around their already busy work schedules. The live pit band added to the atmosphere of the show and the talent of our young musicians was highly impressive as they worked alongside more experienced musicians. The costumes transported us through the different scenes and the backstage, lighting, sound and make-up crew all learnt new skills and worked hard behind the scenes to ensure that the show ran smoothly. Here are some comments from the cast: This year, we did the fabulous production of Beauty and the Beast. We only had 11 weeks to put this production together; however, by the 21st of November we were ready to perform. We performed for three nights in a row to a number of different audiences, all of which seemed to really enjoy it. This was a different production to ones that the school have done in the past which made it a really good experience
for the entire cast. We all thoroughly enjoyed doing this production and I’m sure that everyone is excited to see what production we will be doing next year. Holly M 10B This was my first play as a member of Brighouse High School and it was amazing. The casting was really thought out and I got to make some friends out of it. I was the Bookseller in the opening scene and I made it suit my personality. The teachers and students of this production were phenomenal. And then it was show night. After 11 weeks of hard work we got to perform to three show-worthy audiences. By the end of it, we were all pretty emotional. We had become a close family and I enjoyed it so much. It was such a fun filled rollercoaster of surprises. I’m sure that I will be doing it next year. Samuel W 9I
Year 11 Drama Trip – Thursday 29th November On the 29th November the year 10 and year 11 GCSE Drama students went to see 'Oresteia' at the Lowry Theatre, Salford. The production by Splendid Theatre explores the place where rage meets justice in an artful, political, physical, musical, entertainingly furious and furiously entertaining - piece of theatrical magic. Condensing Aeschylus’s classic trilogy into an hour, Splendid’s regal cast of three retell the story of King Agamemnon, his queen Clytemnestra, and their children, Iphigenia, Electra and Orestes. A legendary family born to power, but destined to rip itself apart in a bloody cycle of tragedy. The students will use this piece of theatre as their live theatre review for their Performance and Response unit in the exam. The students conducted themselves wonderfully on the trip and were a credit to the school.
Winter Soiree – Thursday 14th December 2017 The Winter Soiree is a concert that is open to all and encourages those who have never performed on stage before to get involved, it was clear to see there will be some future musical stars within school. Pop and film music was a main feature of the student choices and there were revivals of the performances from Beauty and the Beast. As the soloists, duets and ensembles performed the choir was led for the first time by Mr Marshall from Calderdale Music Trust who performed ‘Fight Song’, ‘Skyfall’, ‘Winter Wonderland’ and ‘Sing Noel’ all ably accompanied by Year 13 student Rebekah Goodchild. This is a perfect oppo rtunity t i
This is a perfect opportunity for those students who wish to showcase their talents and is open to all the arts including acting and dance. Many thanks for those who supported the evening. Senior Citizens Party – Friday 14th December In partnership with the Public Services students and Mrs Levy we welcomed in the local community for our Senior Citizens Christmas party. The musicians in the department always enjoy performing at this event and it was a chance for the performers to showcase their talents as well as provide some Christmas cheer. As our guests arrived the wind band performed a variety of carols and then the students performed solos and ensembles as our guests were served lunch. We had a lovely afternoon which truly enticed everyone to get in to the Christmas spirit.
Carol Service – Monday 17th December Held at St Martin’s Church in Brighouse we joined the Religious Studies department for our annual carol service. We had a delightful mix of Christmas themed musical items, readings from students and staff with a theme of ‘togetherness’ and extracts from secular Christmas texts. Faith Palmer in 8S performed the opening verse from ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ and ex-student Robbie Lumb was our organist for the evening who accompanied the carols. The Guitar Ensemble also impressed with ‘Happy Christmas (War is Over)’ and Mr Eady’s arrangement of ‘’Norwegian Wood’. The Carol Service is always a pleasure to arrange and a fitting end of term celebration. After the service staff, students and the congregation enjoyed hot drinks and mince pies which were served by the Brighouse High school community and very much appreciated. Year 9 Pantomime – Tuesday 18th December This term we have been rehearsing for our own pantomime, Peter Pan. It has been an experience with easier and harder sections throughout. One of the easier sections was being able to work with students who have experience in acting and dancing. Also, working with people I know quite well made it easier as we knew each other’s abilities. On the other hand, there has been some harder times during rehearsals like learning the lines and how the scene would work. There is also the part of choreographing your own dances and teaching them to the rest of your group. During the term I had the opportunity to take charge of directing one of the scenes. In my opinion, it was a good experience for me as it showed how hard it is behind the creations of the scenes. Overall I really enjoyed doing the Panto this term as it was a really educational and fun experience. Anya Tate 9R This year for senior citizens day year 9 has been putting together Peter Pan the pantomime in their drama lessons. I have enjoyed working in a team as everyone got involved and there was a great atmosphere. I also liked the relaxed vibe that was very welcoming and made me feel like you could be yourself. The teachers were very supportive and helped us include everyone’s ideas in the final piece. For me learning my lines was quite easy as I am involved in a drama club outside of school. However, I found the fight scenes difficult because if you forgot what came next you risked being punched in the face! To conclude, I have thoroughly enjoyed putting together the year 9 pantomime and it has inspired me to get involved in more school productions. Tom Sugden 9B
Senior Awards – Wednesday 19th December The opening of this event started with Rebekah Goodchild (Year 13) and Zeke Kershaw (Year 11) performing on the piano as guests arrived for the awards evening. Katrina (Yr11) and Georgina Munnich (Yr10) then sang and accompanied themselves on the piano before the initial speeches began. Year 11 student Genie Tempest gave her superb rendition of ‘My Everything’ by Ariana Grande before later joining Bea Badilla (Yr10), Grace Shinwell (Yr10) and Thomas Adamthwaite (Yr11) who entertained us with their arrangement of Chasing Cars’ by Coldplay. Many thanks to all who gave up their time to perform during the evening. Instrumental and Extra-Curricular Provision Well done to all the students who have recently received their ABRSM or Trinity exam results, our music tutors have been very impressed with the standard and there have been some amazing individual results. Instrumental lessons provided by Calderdale Music Trust still prove to be popular in school and extra-curricular sessions are always well attended. Extra-curricular sessions are held during lunchtime and after school across the Performing Arts department and there are no additional costs to attend them. Students also earn RESPECT points for each session they attend and extra RESPECT points are awarded for students who perform or help out at concerts. Students may also book to use the music rooms after school for their own band rehearsals if they wish. Twitter To keep up with any other developments in the department, follow BrighousePerfArts on Twitter @BrighouseMusic. Here you will find: Concert and Ticketing Information Photos and live updates from concerts and rehearsals Links to local concerts Information about our next school production.
Calderdale Music Trust
Calderdale Music Trust provides opportunities for children, young people and adults to learn a musical instrument and make music together in their ensembles. They have many centrally run ensembles in two regional centres including orchestras, bands, guitar groups, folk group, jazz group and a variety of others. The Music Trust currently support some ensemble work that goes on in school including the guitar ensemble, string group, brass ensemble and keyboard club. Visiting tutors also provide tuition in Strings, Brass, Woodwind, Guitar, Piano/keyboard, Percussion and Voice. If you would like to your child to learn an instrument then further information and enrolment can be found on their website: www.calderdalemusictrust.org.uk This term many students have taken instrumental exams in school and through their dedication and hard work with the visiting tutors there have been many successful stories: Performing Arts Department Diary Dates 2019 Wind Band Workshop with The Band of the Yorkshire Regiment Sunday 3rd Febraury – 12.30pm – 5.00pm (concert at 4.45pm) Music for Youth Festival Saturday 23rd March Evening of the Arts Thursday 4th April – 7.00pm Music Primary School Tour Wednesday 19th June Summer Soiree - St Martin’s Church, Brighouse Thursday 4th July – 7pm
Performing Arts Enrichment Timetable 2018-2019 Lunchtime
1.30 –2.05
After School
3.10 – 4.10
Monday
String Group (F16) BTEC Dance Workshop (G16) BTEC Dance Workshop (G16)
Tuesday
Guitar Ensemble (F16)
Wednesday Choir (F15) Thursday
Friday
GCSE Music Theory (F16) KS3 Drama Club (G15)
GCSE Drama rehearsals (G15)
GCSE Composition(F15) Wind Band (F15) Keyboard Club (F16) GCSE Composition(F15)
Year 8 Super Learning Day: Commemorating World War One This year’s Super Learning Day for Year 8 was slightly different; as it is the centenary commemoration of the end of World War One, Year 8 spent the day learning about different aspects of the war before producing presentations for the rest of the year group. Each form group focused on an individual topic and soldier who fought in the War; 8B looked at Art, 8R at Science, 8I at Conscientious Objectors, 8G at Vera Brittain, 8H at Music, 8U at life in the trenches, 8S at Poetry and 8E found out about the British Empire’s role in World War One. The forms spent the morning learning about their topic before transforming their knowledge into a knowledge stall they were to present to the rest of the year group. Some amazing things were created! 8I produced 3D monuments to the fallen of World War One which are on display in the Literacy and Media Hub; 8U created captivating posters showcasing the realities of trench life and 8S wrote some excellent poetry to accompany their presentation. All of the year groups created some exceptional pieces of art focusing on their specific topic which we are currently displaying in the dining hall. Despite an unexpected power cut forcing our plans to change slightly, there was a very reflective and appropriate end to the day following the form presentations with all of the Year 8 students stood on the tennis courts whilst Miss Venus played a poignant rendition of the Last Post. Runners Up in Web section of the Code Club Global Competition 2018 This autumn, Code Clubs around the world competed in the first-ever global competition, and we were so excited to be nominated runners up in the Web Section. The challenge was to look at what community means to us so we developed an internet safety web site. Our internet safety site can be found at https://sites.google.com/brighouse.calderdale.sch.uk/block-the-webmonsters/home If you fancy coming to Coding Club in 2019 and you are in Key Stage 3, we meet in F11 every Wednesday from 3:10 - 4:00 p.m. Next half term we will be learning how to use cascading style sheets (CSS with HTML) to create pixel art (like the images here) Wishing you all the very best for Christmas and a fantastic 2019 Mr Wall & the Coding Club Team.
Brighouse Arts Festival As part of the Brighouse Arts Festival a group of year 8 pupils spent the day working with Artist Harriet Lawton from ,The Art Works in Halifax, on a project titled 'Brighouse Baby Boomers'.The project is part of the My Generation project funded by the Heritage Lottery. Before we started our part of the project they had been working with a 'local to Brighouse' group born between 1946 and 1964; Participants brought objects along they valued, because they resonated with stories they were happy to share. Similarly images were chosen from family albums, about growing up in the 1950s,60s or 70s. In addition the wrote letters about the object / items they brought along. Their work was interpreted by a Dean Clough based animator to a soundtrack of 60s hits sung by Hipperholme Community choir. It can been seen on the Brighouse Arts Festival web page. Harriet introduced the project by asking the pupils to bring in items that were valuable to them. The mix was interesting from photos to toys and items that reminded the pupils of memories from the past. After exploring the item through drawing and observation work the pupils were given the story and photos from one of the baby boomers. They discussed their items and how they were important to that person alongside discussing their own. In the art work and response to this they created a 'New Generation' object that combined elements of all the things they had seen and explored during the day. The work will then be shown the the original Baby Boomer group and shared via social media. You can see some of the work via our instagram page art@bhs. Anne Brooke Head of Art and Design
Information, Advice & Guidance (IAG) at Brighouse High School FORWARD PLANNING - please make a note of the date and time! Careers Fair Thursday 14th March 2019 - 4.30 until 7.30pm Brighouse High School and The Brooksbank School are working collaboratively to host a Careers Fair. The event is co-ordinated between the schools by Heidi Haigh at Brighouse High School and Sarah Rawson at The Brooksbank School. If you are a Company or Institution wishing to attend the Careers Fair please contact Heidi Haigh by email to request further information and a booking form on h.haigh@brighouse.calderdale.sch.uk
Details will be posted on the Careers Website link http://www.brighousehighcareers.co.uk/events/careers-fair/ so students and parents can keep up to date with attendees and also research the companies attending prior to the event. Please note the some companies may change due to a change of circumstances. The evening will give students and parents the chance to discuss career opportunities, progression and possible apprenticeship vacancies. The Careers Fair is open to students and parents from years 7-13 from both schools. The youngest students can fact-find in different career areas, years 9 & 10 can identify entry requirements to different careers and courses at Further Education and years 11-13 can understand progression routes in Higher Education and the opportunity of finding both job and apprenticeships.
THE CAREERS WEBSITE Students in Year 9 and Year 11 will soon make crucial decisions about their forthcoming options. The Careers Website is there to help them with these decisions, whether going on to Further / Higher Education or an Apprenticeship. Parents are able to access the site at home with their child to help them make these decisions. Explore: Links to the different Career areas that show the different job areas to see how they link into subject choices. Year 12 students will be deciding whether to go to University or into the World of Work. They can access the University Applicants link to do research on the UCAS website as to which degree they would like to study. Apprenticeships. The World of Work. Year 13 Jobseekers will be able to take advantage of any vacancies that are posted by checking the website regularly as to what opportunities are current and available. To access the Careers Website via the Brighouse High School Website www.brighouse.calderdale.sch.uk click on the Careers link on the top right hand side to take you to the home page shown below. Lloyds Bank Group – Work Skills Programme 13/14th November 2018 A group of selected 6th form students had the opportunity to attend a two day Work Skills Programme with Lloyds Banking Group in Halifax. They were taken through interactive sessions over the two days whilst building practical skills and sharing careers tips and advice from Graduate Trainees and Lloyds Scholars. There were also personal challenges to complete and the students gained valuable work experience within the Legal department and other professional services teams.
Lindsy Walker is our Careers Adviser from C&K Careers Lindsy is available for a careers drop in for all year groups on Tuesday and Thursday lunchtimes in the careers office at Finkil Street. Students are welcome to use the drop in sessions if they need further help researching their plans and applying for courses Lindsy has been seeing year 11 students for guidance interviews to allow them to discuss their career ideas and plans for after year 11. Students have been encouraged to research their ideas and also attend open days to prepare for their next steps.
Year 12 / 13 Careers Appointments Lindsy is available to see 6th form students all day every Monday in the 6th form Careers Office. Students can book an appointment with 6th form reception if they would like to discuss their career ideas and future plans. Year 13 Jobseekers Tutorial / Super Learning Day – 25th October 2018 Since September, Year 13 students who are going into the World of Work at the end of Sixth Form have had 1:1 Careers Sessions with Mrs Aitken. They are also able to make an appointment to see Lindsy Walker to discuss their future plans. Sophie Hirst from the ASK project came into our 6 th form to speak to our Jobseekers about Apprenticeships. The students also had 1:1 sessions with Mrs Aitken to discuss their plans on leaving college. Sixth Form – Visits from external agencies PwC came in to our Sixth Form Centre recently to give a presentation to our Year 12 students. External Agencies are also able to set up a stall in our Mulberry Centre for two hours for interested students to be able to go and talk to them directly about the opportunities available in their company. We are very grateful for the input from all delegates who have been able to give up their time to assist our students. We are sure this will have helped the students to make informed decisions about their future choices. Year 11 - L4L Sessions Since September Year 11 students have been taking part in Careers sessions during L4L including preparing a CV and a Personal Statement. There have also been visiting speakers from Huddersfield University, DWP Bradford, C&K Careers, The RAF and Martin Haigh from Lattitude7. Students have also been shown examples of an Achievement File for storing all their certificates in, which they are able to take with them to future interviews. Mrs Lee also provided information about Brighouse High Sixth Form Centre in advance of the Open Evening which many students found beneficial. It should be noted that the closing date for Sixth Form applications is Monday 25th February 2019. Year 9 Super Learning Day– 25th October 2018 On the 25th of October, Year 9 students were off timetable and participated in a careers day focussing on their choices for KS4. Choosing GCSE subjects can sometimes be quite a challenge so students were given the chance to consider all the options open to them and how best to make these decisions using the C&K Careers Directions Booklet. Students also used a programme called JED, where students could find out the types of jobs that would match their skills, talents, likes, dislikes and personalities. The RAF provided Operation X an interactive session; this shows all the different jobs that are called on during a rescue mission. We also had a session where former students of BHS were interviewed about their careers and they in turn gave students advice about moving up through school. Our students had through discussions in their L4L session, chosen some questions to ask the former students. We are very grateful for the support and thank them all for giving up their time to come back into school.
Year 12 Bridging Group Super Learning Day – 25th October 2018
Our Year 12 students had a morning Personal Development Training run by Phil Todd from the RAF. This is to encourage teamwork and communication. The second session involved the Make it game from Future Jobs which was run by Lindsy Walker our Careers Adviser. This is about jobs in Manufacturing. The students who have recently completed an internal work experience placement, will take part in an external one for every Tuesday over five week period. Work experience is a compulsory part of their course. Year 12 - Work Experience 8th – 12th July 2019 All Year 12 students at Brighouse Sixth Form College have now started the preparation for their Work Experience for 8th – 12th July 2019 and have been going through interviews this term, to indicate the type of placement they will undertake during the week. Work Experience is compulsory and a requirement for students to return to their Year 13 studies. Any student who would like to discuss their work experience further can make an appointment by email to see Heidi Haigh on h.haigh@brighouse.calderdale.sch.uk For those students who are interested in a career in the medical field, we have secured 10 placements (all taken) for 15th to 19th July 2019 at either Calderdale Royal Hospital or Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. To ensure students are able to get as much work experience as possible, they are encouraged to do the week before 8th to 12th July in a caring role as well. Interviews were carried out in college by hospital staff on 12th December for the roles. After another successful work experience programme in 2018, the comments from both students and employers were overwhelmingly positive. Placements were secured in solicitors, schools, hospitals, engineers, estate agents and charity organisations to name just a few. Many students travelled to Leeds or Manchester each day and some gained a week in London. To support our students with both UCAS and employment/apprenticeship applications we encourage students to work in an area that they are interested in and part of their future aspirations. We are looking forward to another successful week of work experience in July 2019!
Photos from student placements in 2018 are shown below:
Accolade for Lattitude7 at 2018 Chamber Business Awards Martin Haigh is the Careers Ambassador for Brighouse High School and we will be working together with Martin for our Year 8 Super Learning Day on 29th January 2019 Lattitude7, a training and development organisation from Brighouse, has been crowned the regional winner for the Yorkshire and Humber heats of the Chamber Business Awards 2018. Now in their 15th year, the Awards are a highlight of the business calendar, recognising the key role that local businesses play in driving the UK economy. The Education & Business Partnership award winner, Lattitude7, will now go forward to represent the whole of the Yorkshire & the Humber region in the national finals, which take place in London in November. Martin Haigh, owner of Lattitude7 is a Governor and Enterprise Partner at Salterhebble Junior and Infant School and the Careers Ambassador at Brighouse High School. During 2018, Lattitude7 also supported the Advanced Manufacturing element of the Future Jobs project at C&K Careers.
Martin said: “Our focus and key differentiator at Lattitude7 is to ensure that our customers have a great learning experience and that their personal development and organisational improvement is sustainable. I am delighted that we have been recognised in this particular category for this year’s Chamber Business Awards and I would like to thank both the British Chamber of Commerce and the Mid Yorkshire Chamber for the amazing work that they do and for this award. I would also like to thank all of our clients, schools and partner organisations for believing in us and giving us the opportunity to make a difference for them”. Martin Hathaway, Managing Director of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce said: “We are delighted that one of our members, Lattitude7, has been announced as a regional winner in the Chamber Business Awards 2018. The Chamber Business Awards are a great opportunity for us to celebrate our members' achievements, to take stock of the great performances of UK businesses over the past year, and to encourage and inspire others to follow in their footsteps. We wish Martin Haigh and the team at Lattitude7 all the best for the national finals next month.” Picture shows Dr Martin Haigh MBE receiving his award from Martin Hathaway, Managing Director Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.
Mock Trial Team Saturday November 17th On Saturday the 17th November 2018 the Brighouse Sixth Form mock trial team took part in the mock trial competition in Leeds Crown Court. The day consisted of preparing for the trials, prosecuting or defending cases, speaking to judges and other members of the judiciary and going head to head with other sixth forms and colleges from around the region. There were 3 rounds altogether the first 2 rounds were prosecuting an acid attack assault case and defending a money laundering case. The third round was defending the acid attack case. Students played the roles of barristers, witnesses, court clerk, usher and jurors. The day was extremely fun, insightful and educational we learnt a lot from the experience and enjoyed taking part a lot. Thank you to Mr Bell and Mr Firth who put their free time after schools to help us prepare for this and helping as through the day. 2018 Trial Team Esha Munir Lauren Webb Sarah Tighe Maisie Carter Annabel Wright James Turner Jamie Beck Capper Siobhan Skudder Rashana Prabhu
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” - Agustine of Hippo Year 13 Travel and Tourism students have been developing their Customer Service Skills in practical assessments as part of their Btec Level 3 qualification assessment.
They took on the role of Travel Agent dealing with a customer who was looking to book a honeymoon, and also took a phone call from an irate customer who made complaints and demanded to upgrade on a flight they were booked on.
Hopefully you can see the students were very nicely dressed in business attire. The customer service skills they displayed were very strong indeed and account for evidence of their final assessment.
The class are now planning their next project. Here they are sending out invites to local residents who visit our school every December for a Christmas Party
For more information visit: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/btec-nationals/travel-and-tourism-2017.html
“Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” – Dalai Lama
Dear Parents/Carers It has been an honour and a pleasure to be Associate Headteacher of Brighouse High School through this first busy term of the new academic year. The students and staff, as always, have risen to many challenges and seized opportunities to excel in a variety of pursuits. The New Year 7 students have settled quickly into the rhythm of secondary school as have the new Y12 students who have joined us in the sixth form college. There have been many trips and visits that have gone out this term, including Science field trips; another fantastic exchange to Ludenscheid in Germany; Geography trips to Salford Quays, the Yorkshire Wildlife Park and the Coal Mining museum; English visits to the theatre, including a trip to The Globe in London to see Othello; sixth form students visited the Knit & Stitch Show while December saw the arrival of the German Market in the LMH and the RS trip to York. Of course the many sporting fixtures continued apace with some fantastic successes in a range of sports, with a number of our students now competing at the highest level in their age groups. Alongside all of this, somehow we find the time to continue the daily business of teaching and learning in school and Y11, Y12 and Y13 have all just completed a challenging set of mock examinations as we travel ever onward toward the summer examination season. It was especially pleasing to see so many of our Y11 parents attend the GCSE information evening in November this year, building on the strong partnership we need between school and home as we support the young people in their studies. November and December have been busy with performances of Beauty and the Beast, the Winter Soiree and this week’s Carol concert and well as celebrating the success of students present and past in our fantastic Awards Evenings when we welcomed Matthew Burton from ‘Educating Yorkshire’ and Holly Lynch MP who spoke warmly about the successes enjoyed by students at Brighouse High School while delivering some inspirational messages for all. It only remains for me to wish all a safe and happy holiday and I look forward to working together with you all in 2019. Richard Horsfield
Mon 7th Jan – School Opens Wed 16th Jan – Yr 11 Parents Evening Thurs 24th Jan – Yr 9 Parents/Guided Choices Evening Wed 30th Jan – Yr 12 Parents Evening Mon 4th Feb – Yr 13 Art/Photo/Textile/Graphics A-Level Exams begin Tues 5th Feb – Yr 9 Taster Day Mon 11th Feb – Yr 9 Choices forms to be returned Tues 12th Feb - Yr 12 & Yr13 Performance Exam Evening Thurs 14th Feb – Yr 11 Taster day 7 Yr 12 Development Day Fri 15th Feb – School Closes Fri 15th – 19th Feb – Yr 9 History Battlefields Trip Mon 25th Feb – School Opens / 6th form Application closing date Tues 5th – 11th March – German Exchange students come to Brighouse Wed 13th March – Yr 9 Dip/Tet/Polio & Meningitis vaccinations Thurs 14th March – Joint Careers Fair with Brooksbank Mon 18th March – Yr 8 Pre-option information/Yr 9 Exam week/Yr 13 Mock Wk Thurs 21st March – Yr 10 Parents Evening Mon 1st April – Yr 11 GCSE – 10 hrs for Art & Photography Exams begin Mon 1st April – Yr 8 Pre-option closing date Mon 8th April – Yr13 A Level–15 hrs for Art/Photo/Textiles/Graphics Exams begin Mon 8th–10th April – Geography Residential Trip to Castle Head Thursday 11th April – School Closes Friday 12th–21st April – Yr 12 & Yr13 China Trip