Brighouse High School Newsletter Summer 2019
Dear Parents and Carers Welcome to the Summer edition of the Brighouse High School newsletter 2019 and the final one I will introduce in my capacity as Headteacher. I am proud to be able to share with you the vast array of activities and events which have taken place this term and to be able to celebrate the achievements of our students with you all.In the bulletin you will read about the trips and visits which have taken place including two overseas trips in recent weeks. I must make special mention of the Year 7 trip to the Northern Lakes. This is without doubt the most significant Brighouse High trip; a reward to aim for at the end of the first year of high school and a rite of passage for the pupils; many of whom return with added confidence and affirmed friendships. You will read accounts of the outdoor challenges encountered by the Year 7s and I am sure you will agree that the photographs are fantastic. Although the ‘Blencathra Trip’ has been running for over thirty years with groups returning each time to the Keswick area, the range of activities undertaken is constantly evolving. The new ‘swim safe’ task, undertaken this year allowed participants to experience open water swimming and to acquire a range of safety techniques. The activity was a triumph and I am sure will be firmly established as a part of the programme in the future. Other highlights of the term focus on music, sport and the arts. Our Summer soire e was excellent once again and I very much look forward to some repeat performances from the students at my final whole school assembly at the end of term. At Brighouse High the talent goes on and on! Our unique sports day enabled every pupil to participate in two team events and to represent their respective Houses. The weather was kind to us and the enthusiasm and commitment to contribute was impressive. One member of staff said to me “What a great way to spend a morning”; I agree. The sports ball allowed our elite sportsmen and women to celebrate their achievements in representing school in a range of sporting teams. Guest speaker Johnny Lawless came along to present prizes and the team of the year was the Panathlon team. Well done to all! It has been fantastic to see the outcomes of the new Art and Textiles pre-option courses in Year 9 this year; the trip to the seaside inspired a fantastic collage display and the ‘posh PJs’ project inspired our textiles students to produce some outstanding products. Finally I must mention how impressed I have been by the feedback from Year 12 work experience in July. It is great to see the diverse experiences undertaken by our sixth form students and the mature and responsible way in which they approached their working week. It’s lovely also to see the success of students beyond their high school years. Thank-you to Amy and Emily for sharing your graduation photographs with us. It would be good to hear from other ex- students so that we can share your success too.
I will end now by thanking all of you for your support; not just this term but during my 17 years in the school. I will miss being Headteacher very much but am looking forward to my new role with The Valley Learning Partnership (you can read about this later in the bulletin). Thank-you to the Governors for all their work behind the scenes and to the staff for always being willing to go the extra mile. Thank-you to the students for their enthusiasm and for making each day different. We look forward to hearing about the success of our Year 11 and 13 students in August but in the mean time I wish you all a happy,safe and restful Summer break. My final thought for the term is “If you cannot find the sunshine; be the sunshine�. Happy holidays everyone. Liz Cresswell From September this year I will have the privilege of taking up my new post as Director of The Valley Learning Partnership. This is an educational trust established by Brighouse High and The Brooksbank School who are the two founding members. The trust formalises the collaborative working between the two schools and provides a vehicle for school improvement and efficient use of resources. The trust is values led and will be open to secondary and primary partners who share the our inclusive values and are striving to provide an excellent, broad and balanced educational experience for their pupils. You will hear more about the work of The Valley Learning Partnership during the coming months and a link to the new website will be circulated in Autumn. Liz Cresswell
Dear Parents and Carers The last year has passed in the blink of an eye it seems and I am astounded, as always, by the achievements of our pupils and staff. This summer obviously marks a significant moment in the history of the school as Mrs Cresswell steps down as Headteacher and I am sure you will join me in thanking her for everything she has done for the school, the pupils and the community. It is with a rising sense of pride that I look forward to September and the challenges ahead. I recently spoke to colleagues in school about our plans moving forward and we spent quite some time reflecting on the successes and strengths of the school, of which are many, and also on how we continue to move forward for our pupils and how we can continue to provide opportunities to succeed in difficult times. What I am certain of is, that we are getting things right for our pupils and they are leaving us with the necessary skills and qualifications and values to take their important next steps in life. What I am equally certain of is that the world is changing rapidly and we need to keep up, so what we will be doing is what we have always done; we will take those small steps necessary every day to ensure that what we do gets better in order to ensure that all can succeed. We all know that the key to securing those successes is a partnership between home and school and where we get that right we see our young people flourish. I know I can count on you all to play your part because I have been fortunate to see this community step up when needed time and time again over the last twenty-one years at Brighouse High School. We have some exciting times ahead. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the support you have provided over the last twelve months and I look forward to continuing to work in partnership for the good of our school, our young people and our community. Small steps every day‌together. R Horsfield
Planning ahead for September Please take the opportunity over the summer break to get the worn shoes replaced and check the uniform so that all of our pupils come back looking fantastic as well as feeling refreshed and ready for the new term. Just a reminder that mobile phones are brought to school at the pupils’ own risk and should be turned off and out of sight while on school grounds. If pupils do have phones confiscated more than once then a responsible adult is required to collect from the school office.
Attendance and punctuality Attendance is important if pupils are to succeed in school. If your child’s attendance rate is 95% then they have missed 9 days of school in one year equating to approximately 50 missed lessons. The missed opportunities are staggering as the attendance rate falls. Attendance % 95 90 85 80
Days missed 9 19 29 38
Lessons missed (approx.) 50 100 150 200
Punctuality is equally important and just five minutes late per day really adds up! If your child is late every Equals days missed day by‌ 5 3.5 10 7 15 10 20 14.5 30 22
Equals approximate lessons missed 20 41 55 82 123
Please support us by ensuring your child is in school and on time.
A Day at St. George’s Park for Year 10 On Thursday 27th June, a combination of Year 10 Boys and Girls attended St George's Park, National Football Centre. The visit consisted of a tour of the state of the art facilities including; a replica Wembley pitch, England XI changing facilities, Hydrotherapy and rehabilitation pools and gym. Two UEFA A Licence coaches, then put the young footballers through their paces in the indoor Football arena. The training sessions consisted of skill development and conditioned games and finally, an all Brighouse High school tournament. N Fitzjohn
West Yorkshire School Games On Monday 1 st July the New Age Kurling Team went to the West Yorkshire School Games. On arrival we were given a green T-shirt to represent Calderdale. We then paraded around the track like at the Olympics as part of the Opening Ceremony. There were dancers and a professional skateboarder, and then we had the oaths of the athletes and the officials read out to us all. We were then warmed up to dance music and we all went to compete in our different sports. The New Age Kurling rules were given to us by the officials and we were split into two teams. The top two in each league then went on to play in the semi-finals – we won our semi-final so then we got to play in the final, which sadly we lost but it was a very close game and was only decided by an extra end. We were presented with our Silver medals and then we went back to school after our fabulous day. Katie Pearson Year 10
Year 9 Art & Photography trip to Spurn Point. In their Art lessons year 9 have been developing work with the theme of the PLASTICS CHALLENGE that faces our world and its seas. As part of this project and to help prepare the students for their GCSE Art and Photography, we took a group of students to SPURN POINT.
The day was a fantastic success and the staff at the centre commented on how wonderfully behaved our students had been.
After months of reading and reviewing, on Friday 15th June 2019, young book lovers from Brighouse High School chose their winner of Calderdale Book of the Year for Teenagers. The book awards are now recognised by the UK’s major publishers, and winning the award becomes a significant achievement for the listed authors. Primary and secondary school students in Calderdale have been involved in the book award since 2000, where they’ve each read, discussed and voted on a total of 175 different titles over the 19 years. The students gathered at the historical and prestigious Halifax town hall, where they met the authors of the five books shortlisted for the Book of the Year for Teenagers Award 2019. Students were given the opportunity to engage in a variety of workshops with the authors of the books. Also they discussed their favourite books with students from different school across the borough and then cast their votes. The winner was ‘Twister’, by Juliette Forrest and she was awarded with a trophy at the event. The book was chosen from a very strong shortlist, which covered a wide range of genres and styles. We continued our celebration of reading by shadowing; The CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal which are the UK's oldest and most prestigious children's book awards, recognising outstanding writing and illustration in books for children and young people. The Brighouse House High School Literacy and Media Hub was the venue for our avid readers to watch for the final presentation of the children’s book of the year. The students discussed their choices and witnessed the winners accept their prizes and reveal their own passion for writing and inspirations. The debut novel from Dominican-American author and slam poetry champion Elizabeth Acevedo clinched CILIP Carnegie Medal. The Brighouse Reading Buddies; peer mentoring scheme has been a experience for all involved. Here are some responses:
brilliant
‘This year my reading leader has helped mw to develop my reading and get into books. It has been fun as well!’ ‘I have enjoyed the word searches because they are on things I like and I can read better. I like reading now.’
Activities in the
See Mrs Makinson- literacy and library co-ordinator if you are interested in any
Watch out for our regular celebration of READING. Past EVENTS:
MONDAYS
c.makinson@brighouse.calderdale.sch.uk
Homework and REVISION club with MRS MAKINSON
Harry Potter Night
3.10- 4.30
World Book Day Shakespeare LIVE
Who? With Miss Aspinall What? The Year 7 Best Book Group – Calderdale book awards When?- TUES lunchtimes Where? The LMH Who? With Mrs Makinson What? The Carnegie Book Group When?- TUES lunchtimes Where? The LMH
of these exciting activities.
FRIDAY FILM CLUB 3.10-4.30 See Mrs Makinson
Year 9 Space Settlement Design Competition As support for their GCSE course, Year 9 triple science students were invited to take part in a Space Design Settlement Competition being held at Brooksbank School. Students had to work in teams to design a space settlement on the surface of Mercury which filled a number of criteria including; plans for living accommodation for 1000 people, food production, waste and water management and protection from radiation and space debris. Pupils also had to propose a timeline and an estimated cost for the settlement. The group of 10 students from Brighouse High School were very innovative and creative with their designs and even included a Parliamentary structure to help govern the settlement, as well as using solar panels to use as an energy resource for their design. Pupils then had to present their final ideas to a panel of judges, and even though Brighouse High's proposal was not chosen, it was commented on how well they had filled the brief and worked well together as a team. Miss Hill
Year 7 Lakes Trip On Sunday 23 rd June around 200 eager year 7’s set off for another Brighouse High Lakes Trip. A fantastic week was had by all, with students taking part in activities such as ghyll scrambling, canoeing, climb the mine, ascending Catbells and new this year, swim safe. Lucy N 7G The Lakes Trip was really fun. I really enjoyed it there because the activities were lots of fun. My favourite activities were ghyll scrambling and canoeing. Grace W 7G The Lakes Trip was very fun and I have enjoyed every bit of it. Every activity was either new or had something new to learn. My favourite activity was ghyll scrambling and canoeing because they were both in the water. Ella S 7S Everyone was so excited when we arrived on Sunday, we were practically screaming. On Monday I did the climb the mine. It was really dark and low in the mine, but lots of fun. Summer 7S Last week was such an amazing week. I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy any of the activities but I actually enjoyed all of them. My favourite moment was when I got to the top of Catbells because I thought I wouldn’t get up there. When we went in the mines it was so cold, but I eventually got used to it. I would like to climb Catbells again and maybe do ghyll scrambling again too. I really liked my hostel because I’ve met lots of new people.The trip was a lot better than I thought it would be. Olivia T 7S Blencathra was an amazing experience. I made lots of new friends. I really enjoyed the activities I took part in, and my favourite was probably Catbells or Canoeing.
Prefects I am very excited to announce that we had an overwhelming number of Year 10 pupils (over 100) applying to be Brighouse High School prefects this year. I was privileged to conduct a number of the interviews myself, and this is always a very uplifting experience, hearing about pupils' pride in their school, about the many strengths and abilities they have, and about their desire to help the new pupils to settle in at Brighouse High. We had some really strong applications, and from these we selected Tom Ablett and Bea Badilla as Head Boy and Head Girl, with Deputies Rachel Hobson, Grace Shinwell, Holly Mason, Oliver Heppenstall-Batty, Michael Brook and Max Crabtree, along with an excellent bunch of Senior Prefects. Prefects attended a first training session on the qualities and duties of a prefect at Crow Nest Park golf club, and a second on Transition Day duties at our Mulberry Suite at the Sixth Form. They have already shown themselves to be a very capable crop at their first official event: Transition Day. Congratulations, prefects - I am sure you will do the school proud. Laura McGregor (Assistant Head of Year 10)
Normandy Trip July saw the return of the French Study Visit to Normandy, an incredibly popular trip which offers pupils the opportunity to practise their French and also to get an insight into French history and culture. It was a really successful trip, and much fun (and learning!) was had by all. I was very impressed with the way pupils threw themselves into the French speaking tasks, using lots of "Je voudrais" and "Merci" and their best French accents to buy ice creams, cakes, waffles, pancakes and drinks. Many pupils tried very hard to speak French outside of these compulsory tasks too, showing real enthusiasm for the language. Team work skills were put to the test during evening enterprise tasks, with hilarious results. All pupils seemed to greatly enjoy the visits, which included trips to the Bayeux Tapestry, World War II cemeteries (American, British and German), Omaha Beach, Festyland, Mont St Michel, a caramel factory and a Calvados distillery. Evenings were spent playing on Gold Beach until the sun went down. A fantastic trip with a group of pupils who really showed off what Brighouse High is all about. Laura McGregor (Teacher of MFL, Normandy Trip Leader)
Brighouse High go to Ackley Bridge! On Thursday 11 th July, 4 students represented Brighouse High School at the annual Electronic Health Needs Assessment Conference, an event organised by Calderdale Council. The students were Jaycey Porter and Cheyanne Powell from Yr 8 and Ella Parkinson and Aimee French from Yr 10. They had worked with Mrs Hartley on developing a presentation talking about some of the work they had done around the issue self-esteem, especially in the digital age. The girls were very brave as they stood up in front of quite a large audience and delivered their presentation which included work they had done to improve their own self -esteem and that of others. The venue for the conference was Ackley Bridge which added to the excitement as there were lots of photo opportunities to be had. Further excitement came when two of our students were lucky enough to win cinema vouchers. Overall it was a great experience, and afterwards the girls agreed that they felt even more confident having been to such an event and having delivered a presentation to so many people. Mrs Hartley and Mrs Naylor agreed that there were lots of good ideas from other schools but that it is always special when our students talk so positively about Brighouse High. Katie Hartley Wellbeing and Safeguarding Pastoral Administrator
London Trip On 10th June, 79 year 8 students departed on two full coaches for the annual London trip. The sun was out and although it was early, students and staff were very excited to get going. There were lots of activities packed in for the students on their one-night, 36 hour trip including Madame Tussauds, the London Eye, a river cruise, watching School of Rock on the West End and, perhaps most exciting, having a tour around the Houses of Parliament. Day one consisted of Madame Tussauds and watching School of Rock and although the weather had been lovely when leaving Brighouse High at 7am, by the time we had arrived in London, there were torrential showers. After a slight queue where 79 students and 8 staff attempted to hide under one shelter, we got inside and students started taking selfie after selfie with themselves and David Beckham or the Queen. The was plenty to look at during the tour including a 4D Avengers performance and a taxi ride through the history of London. After a quick stop at the hostel to drop off our suitcases, we jumped back on the coaches and headed for Pizza Express in the heart of the West End. Miraculously, everyone managed to get fed and watered in about an hour – especially Mr Palmer who had around 3 pizzas to himself! The performance of School of Rock was incredible. The students played all the instruments live on stage and there was a great atmosphere in the audience. Miss Venus and I agreed that it was nearly as good as the 2018 Brighouse High performance! Day two started with a very early breakfast as we met at 7:15(!) in the hostel’s dining room. Packed lunches were handed out and students set off for the Houses of Parliament. It was great for the students to be able to get inside such an historic building and the tour guides were really engaging. Some students even saw Boris Johnson leaving Parliament looking very busy and important! Once the tour had finished, students crossed Westminster Bridge and headed to the London Eye. By some miracle the sun decided to make an appearance just in time for this and the groups got to see London in glorious sunshine. This was our opportunity for some excellent pictures with famous landmarks in the background. Our final item on the itinerary was a river cruise down the river Thames. This was another fantastic opportunity for students see some of London’s famous buildings and learn a little more about the history of them.
This year’s trip was a great experience for both staff and students. We managed to fit so many brilliant activities into such a short amount of time and that was down to students’ fantastic attitude and maturity throughout the trip. I would like to thank all staff and students who took part in the trip and a special thanks to Mrs Hartley for helping organise it all. Mr Hornsby
Y10 geography trip to Flamborough Head
On Friday 14th June Year 10 Geography students undertook their first fieldwork trip to Flamborough Head and Hornsea in preparation for their Unit 3 exam at the end of Year 11. At Flamborough Head, students were looking at coastal erosional landforms and were even lucky enough to see one of the resident seal pups! Pupils used their time at Hornsea beach to complete a variety of fieldwork techniques such as measuring sediment accumulation and beach width in order to determine the impact and effectiveness of the coastal defences. The students were an absolute privilege to work alongside and their behaviour was exemplary, well done Year 10 Geographers! N Craig
Information, Advice & Guidance (IAG) at Brighouse High School Careers Adviser details for assistance during the summer holidays: Lindsy.Walker@ckcareers.org.uk - Mobile: 07708 015522 (call / text) L4L Sessions Year 10 students have recently had four sessions on Preparation for Working Life. Andrew Potterton from Leeds Enterprise Partnership gave a presentation about Future Jobs, informing students of the growth areas for jobs in the Leeds City Region. Mrs Aitken & Lindsy Walker gave a Presentation on ‘Careers’ & IAG in Yr. 11 and the role of the Careers Adviser. A session on Apprenticeships was delivered by Covea Insurance in Halifax and the students also got an insight into university life from the University of Bradford. The Careers Website Students in any year group can access The Careers Website to help them with their decisions, whether going on to Further/Higher Education or an Apprenticeship. Students can browse the different job areas to see how they link into subject choices. Links to Apprenticeships, The World of Work and Latest News may have live vacancies to apply for. Some Degree Apprenticeships are available too. Higher Education/University Applicants shows the UCAS Website which enables students to research degrees at different Universities but has also been updated to include Apprenticeships. Students can also see if they should take a specific subject to get on the course of their choice in Year 9 and Year 11. Parents are able to access the Careers website at home. 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. The direct link is www.brighousehighcareers.co.uk Decisions at 18! Conference 24 th - 27th June 2019 During Higher Education Week, a group of students who are looking for apprenticeships at the end of Year 13 were off timetable for a 4-day Conference which included the following programme: Interview preparation Team Building Activities with the RAF Apprenticeship Presentation Future Jobs Presentation Interview Skills & Mock interviews with Employers Covea - Assessment Centre at their premises at Dean Clough, Halifax
We are very grateful for the time given by Employers to support our Conference and our students who benefitted a great deal from their involvement in the event. The students will be supported by the Careers Team during Year 13 in order to get an apprenticeship at the end of their studies and will have individualised support as required with their Form Tutor Mrs Aitken. Work Experience 8 th – 12th July 2019 All Year 12 students went out on work experience for a week which is a requirement of their course. Our students made the contacts to arrange their work experience by sending in a CV and/or going through an interview process to gain a placement. The comments we received after another successful work experience week from both students and employers were overwhelmingly positive. Placements were placed in solicitors, schools, hospitals, engineers, accountancy and charity organisations to name just a few. Many students travelled to different parts of the Leeds City Region to take up some exciting placements. To support 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. Many students have been offered extended volunteering opportunities which again will enhance their CV’s. Lorna Aitken – Careers Leader / Head of CEIAG l.aitken@brighouse.calderdale.sch.uk
Year 9 Textiles This year was the first year we have seen Pre-Options in Year 9 technology take effect. We had a fantastic amount of students choose to study Textiles and they have completed two mini projects over the 6 months they spent in the subject area. The doorstop project has been successful for 3 years now as it teaches the students about precision and making a 3D outcome, so we wanted to introduce some different, more rigorous skills into the second project to really challenge the students. The ‘Posh PJs’ project has engaged all students and we have made over 100 pairs of Pyjama bottoms this year ranging from long Christmas themed trousers to shorts with pretty pompom trims. The students have worked really hard to get their products finished on time and they all look very professional. A big well done to Year 9 and a massive thank you to all the parents who have supported the department by providing some beautiful fabrics for their children. Mrs Booth
Performing Arts Department Music Drama Dance The Summer Term isn’t any different to the rest of the year in the Performing Arts Department with a variety of activities and performances taking place. Our GCSE Drama students excelled with some amazing performances on their scripted exam pieces, the musical quality and compositions from our GCSE Music students have been of an extremely high standard and the BTEC Dancers completed their course after the successful Evening of the Arts concert in April. We’d like to take this opportunity to wish all of our Year 11 students the best of luck for the future as they have contributed so much to the life and enrichment of the department. Next year we’re excited to be offering a new course to Year 10 with the BTEC Performing Arts Technical Award which will allow students to combine different theatrical arts and welcoming another large GCSE Drama Class whilst working with our new GCSE Music class. I’m sure they’ll all equally contribute to the extracurricular activities we offer with many students now opting to lead their own performance events. Our Musical for next year will take place on the 13 th-15th November giving us just 10 weeks to get ready, but I know the staff and students involved will be up for the challenge and I can’t wait present the performances to an audience that fills the hall. We’ll also be arranging our next Music Tour for July 2020 which will be launched when we arrive back at school in September. Further information for both the school production and tour will be communicated through the use of student school emails where a code will be sent inviting them to join a new Google Classroom so please keep an eye out for these arriving to inboxes soon. The use of Google Classroom will enable the department to share audition materials for the sc hool production and help to communicate rehearsal schedules so please encourage those who are interested to join the group. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who continues to support the Performing Arts Department, there are so many people that are willing to give up their free time to support the extra-curricular activities that take place at school. Have a great summer break and be prepared to jump straight back into the Performing Arts activities when we’re back in September. Miss R Venus.
Drama Transition Morning As part of the new Year 9 Pre-options Drama course, students were tasked with devising and performing a Theatre in Education performance to show to our upcoming year 7 cohort. The groups had to research themes that were to pical for year 6s, create a script, sort costumes as well as create a post-performance discussion with the groups. Overall, we had 6 groups showing their performances all with slightly different focuses revolving around friendship and High school transitio n. Some of the students from our Year 9 pre-options Music classes also performed some of their recent pop music project songs to the visitors where they had looked at acoustic music-making. We were delighted to welcome students from Withinfields Primary School to come and watch as the students loved it. They were a fantastic audience and were grateful of the chance to discuss transitioning to Brighouse High with some older students who gave them a taste of real life at BHS. After the morning, our guests were excited to be joining us in September and we hope that it will be these students performing to new year 7s in a few years’ time or even getting involved in our upcoming school production.
A Night on Broadway On Thursday 20 th June, Brighouse High hosted its first ‘A Night with Broadway’ concert. This was a special event for the Performing Arts department as it was our first performance entirely organised and hosted by students. Year 11 students (pictured below) Lucy Midgley and Mackenna Ashton had the idea in January 2019 after rehearsals and performances had finished for the school production of Beauty and the Beast. They were desperate to have another show to work on! The girls were told that they would need to organise it all by themselves as staff would be focussing on GCSE coursework and exams but the girls were totally up for the challenge. From that moment on, Lucy and Mackenna were fantastic. They organised everything including: programmes, running order, auditions, cast, raffle and refreshments. They certainly realised what needs to been done in order to run a successful concert within school and the people needed to be involved to make the night happen. The night itself was a massive success with a crowd of around 85 friends and family coming to watch. The evening consisted of solos, duets and ensemble performances of musicals old and new. This is hopefully the start of an annual event with students in year 10 already volunteering to help organise it. A massive thanks to Lucy and Mackenna for organising a brilliant night. Mr Hornsby
Summer Soiree Somehow we have managed to arrive at our twelfth Summer Soiree to take place at St Martin’s Church in Brighouse and the quality of the performances once again didn’t disappoint with students from across the whole school community being involved with the event. The night opened with the Wind Band playing the theme to Monty Python’s Flying Circus followed by a tribute to Elvis before returning in the second act with Disco Lives and Lord of the Dance, a real mix of musical styles with all the students adapting well to the different musical challenges of the pieces. Solo performances ranged from vocalists (Eleanor Fletcher Yr13, Bea Badilla 10U, Jasmin Brook 11H, Holly Mason 10B, Jessica Priestly yr13, Faith Palmer 8S and Alexandra Wilkinson 10U), pianists (Lewis Dobson yr 12, Rebekah Goodchild yr13 and Nathan Shaw yr 13), drummers (Joseph Church 8E, Fletcher Clayton yr 13 and Harry Millington 10H) and guitarist Theodore Hart 7R with students then coming together to perform duets and smaller ensembles. The Guitar Ensemble performed ‘Use Somebody’ and ‘Boulevard Of Broken Dreams’ with added vocals by Katrina and Georgina Munnich. It was fantastic to see so many in the ensemble and particularly the addition of the many Year 7 students. The choir continues to build with numbers increasing from both staff and students meaning that they can explore more complex vocal harmonies and this was achieved in their repertoire consisting of ‘Halima Pkasholo’, ‘Skin’, ‘Believer’ and ‘Fix You’.
The Mayor of Calderdale, Councillor Dot Foster, made some fantastic remarks to the students and only wished they’d taken even longer to appreciate
the applauses at the end of performances. Cllr Foster also has a passion for singing and is supporting Calderdale Music Trust as one of her charities this year, an organisation we have a long establish association with. Thank you to Mr Eady, Mr Roberston and Mr Marshall from Calderdale Music Trust for all your continued support with the ensembles and to Mrs Atkinson with her work within the Wind Band. It’s also fantastic to have ex-students returning with Robbie Lumb now our established departmental accompanist and Marcus Mason ably accompanying his sister in her performance. It was lovely to see so many familiar faces in the audiences who continue to return and follow the progress of the department.
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 and students can have vocal, guitar and keyboard tuition within these sessions. 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 BrighousePerfArts on Twitter @BrighouseMusic.
in
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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 of the ensemble work that goes on in school including the guitar ensemble, string group, brass ensemble and keyboard club. Students can attend these groups free of charge and take advantage of the expertise provided by the visiting tutors. The groups are open to students of all abilities even if they’ve never picked up an instrument before. 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 Autumn Term 2019 School Production 13th, 14th and 15th November – 7.00pm Senior Citizens Party Friday 13 th December Carol Service Monday 16 th December – 7.00pm
Year 6 Maths Competition On Thursday 4 th July, Brighouse High School Maths department hosted a Year 6 Maths competition as part of the wider transition week programme of events. Having already taken part in the Four Nations event and PE competition earlier in the week, it was the turn of the best Mathematicians who will be joining us in September to show their brain power. Nine teams of students from St Andrew’s, St Chad’s, St John’s, St Joseph’s, Withinfields and Lightcliffe all competed in teams of 4. At the end of 4 gruelling rounds of problem solving, relay racing and working in pairs and fours, the final results were: 1st
St Joseph’s (pictured right)
2nd
St Andrew’s (A)
3rd
St John’s
The event wouldn’t have been able to happen but for our team of Year 10 students who acted as supervisors for the nine teams – they were friendly and helpful to the Year 6 students whilst also maintaining an excellent focus throughout, especially when marking the papers for each round. Thank you to: Kate Wood Connor Mackrill Emily Houghton Amelia Greenwood Casey-Leigh Gilyeat Abigail Barker Alicia Syed Amber Mullen Katie Pearson I’d like to offer a big thank you to all the Year 6 students who made the trip to Brighouse High School (we’ll see you in September) and also their teachers for bringing them – we look forward to hosting the next edition of this event in 2020. Mr Rose
As you know, we believe that an effective partnership between home and school is the best way to ensure that young people are happy and successful in school. Obviously communication is a key aspect of maintaining that effective partnership. We are always exploring new ways to make our communication with parents/carers easier and more effective and from September 2019 we will be using MyChildAtSchool portal and app as our main method of communication between home and school. From September 2019, in order to ensure all information is delivered securely and quickly and to reduce needless printing and waste, all tracking data and reports will be sent via the portal. It is therefore vital that you register on the portal and login as soon as you receive your personalised details in September. MyChildAtSchool [MCAS] is a portal enabling parents to view their child's academic performance in real-time via a web browser. This facility allows exclusive access to the child's Attendance, Assessment and Behaviour whenever the parent/carer wishes. As well as student performance data, the portal also provides general useful information about school such as the Academic Calendar and Announcements. In summary, MyChildAtSchool provides: Access to real-time Attendance, Assessment and Behavioural data An insight to parents on their child’s schoolwork Communication facilities to improve contact between parents and schools Instant access to Published Reports and Letters
It is a more effective, quick and environmentally friendly way to communicate important information about your child’s education and life in school. Please ensure that you register and log-in as soon as you receive the details and please do not hesitate to contact school if you have any questions.
Year 10 trip to Berlin July 2019 Bright and early on a Sunday morning in July, 46 sleepy students and 6 members of staff set off on our way to Berlin. We travelled by coach and plane to our hostel in the centre of Berlin to begin a busy four days exploring some of the 20 th Century’s most iconic historical sites. It was a thought provoking and at times emotional trip as the students learnt about life under surveillance by the German Secret Police, the Stasi, and saw first-hand the conditions inside the Nazi Concentration camp of Sachsenhausen. As well as learning more about the Holocaust and the Cold War, enhancing their knowledge of the period to help with their GCSE History studies, the students embarked on a walking tour of some of the main sites of the city, including the Brandenburg Gate and Potsdamer Platz where they saw the remnants of the Berlin Wall itself. We visited Checkpoint Charlie which was one of the Berlin Wall’s most iconic crossing points between the Eastern and Western sectors of the city and visited the Holocaust Memorial to the murdered Jews. We also undertook a guided tour of the Stasi Prison. It was a fascinating look at life in East Germany during the Cold War and we learnt about the various methods the Stasi used to spy on the population. We were also able to visit the Reichstag Dome to see amazing views over Berlin. On our final day we visited the Olympic Stadium built in 1936 for the Berlin Olympic Games. We were given a behind the scenes tour and were able to see not only the original Nazi parts of the stadium and to sit on Hitler’s balcony but also to visit the dressing rooms of the Hertha Berlin football team which now uses the stadium as its home grounds. In the afternoon of our final day we visited the Nazi Concentration Camp of Sachsenhausen which was a very moving and emotional experience as we heard about conditions in the camps and what it was like to have been a prisoner there before and during the Second World War. We also made sure there was time for some fun on the trip and visited the best chocolate shop in Berlin as well as visited a huge shopping mall where most people spent some of their Euros and Mr Kantola-Smith tried a Currywurst. On our second night we had a well deserved rest with a trip to the cinema where we enjoyed the air conditioning as well as the film and snacks. It was a fantastic trip, where students were able to broaden their knowledge of the topics they have already studied at GCSE and to gain some insight into the Cold War which they will be studying next year in Year 11. We hope to repeat the experience all over again very soon!
Brighouse High School Physical Education It has been an incredibly busy Summer Term in the PE department with most of our attention turning towards Summer programme in the form of Athletics, Rounders, Cricket, Tennis, Baseball and Lacrosse. Thankfully the weather has not been to bad since we returned after the Easter holidays and this has really allowed our students to experience a full range of summer sports that has hopefully allowed them to make more progression towards their physical goals here at Brighouse High School. However, as is now tradition, the Summer Term began with the final Brighouse Run of the 2018/19 Year and what a series of fantastic performances we saw with a number of Year Group Records being broken. Detailed below are the names of the students who ran the fastest Brighouse Run time during 2018/19 with those that broke year group and school records also highlighted.
Year 7 Year 8 Year 9
Boys Brighouse Run Record Holders for 2017/18
Girls Brighouse Run Record Holders for 2017/18
Charlie Berriman – 6:25
Wren Hiley – 7:20 (New Y7 Record)
Max Priestley – 5:45 (New Y8 Record) James Stead – 5:36 (New Y8 Record)
Daisy Whelan – 7:08 Sophie Carroll – 7:11
Year 10
Thomas Ablett – 5:58
Olivia Webb – 6:49
Year 11
James Shaw – 5:25 (New Whole School Record)
Ella Birkbeck – 7:21
Athletics has been the primary focus of both boys and girls PE throughout the Summer Term and we have witnessed some superb progress of all of our young athletes. During lessons were students continue to learn and develop their skills in all athletics disciplines, ranging from the various running events, throwing events and jumping events. Our most advanced athletes have then been competing in the various athletics events across Calderdale, with the first major athletics meeting being the Calderdale Talent ID event whereby students aim to make district qualifying times/distances in order to be selected for Calderdale to compete at the West Yorkshire Championships.
The pictures detailed above are the students who were selected to compete at the Talent ID event, with Brighouse taking one of the largest contingents of athletes from any school across Calderdale. Although all students acquitted themselves excellently, the students detailed below were selected to represent Calderdale and we are extremely proud of their representative achievements.
James Stead – Boys 100m Josh Heavyside – Boys 200m Bobby Hamer – Boys 800m James Shaw – Boys 400m Joe Shaw – Boys 800m Mia Lawrence – Girls 100m Pheobe Galloway – Girls 200m
The second major athletics meeting was the Calderdale Year 7 Super 8’s Competition whereby schools are asked to select their 8 best athletes in Year 7 to compete against one another across all of the athletics disciplines. Again, our squads did fantastically well with the combined Brighouse Team coming 5th out of the 10 schools competing. This is a great achievement considering it was the first time that some of our Year 7 students had competed on such a big stage. It sets a solid benchmark for next year when we aim to reach that prestigious Top 3 position and take a medal home!
This year we have again been following the English Schools Athletics Association award scheme whereby students aim to achieve certain times/distances in reward for a bronze, silver or gold medal. This has really transformed our athletics programme and students are clearly motivated in trying to achieve the different standards in each event. The picture below shows Year 8 boys who achieved a medal during their 300m lesson.
The biggest Sporting Events were left for the final week of the Summer Term at Brighouse High when the students were eagerly anticipating our fantastic and completely unique Sports Day. Each year, the PE department offers 17 different sports for the student to opt in to during the morning of sports day ensuring that we provide an inclusive and endless opportunity based sports day. This is then followed by a traditional athletics afternoon, whereby any students who wish to represent their form groups and houses can compete and accrue points throughout the day. Needless to say, the event was a major success and the students were seen to be enjoying every element of the day with the 17 activities students were involved in detailed below;
Lacrosse Problem Solving Old Skool Sports Climbing Netball Baseball Mountain Biking Kick Rounders Touch Rugby Table Tennis Handball Dodgeball Danish Longball Nerf Ball Football Rounders
The finale of the Summer Term was undoubtedly our 7 th Annual Sports Ball were the PE department and students came together to celebrate the fantastic sporting successes that we had achieved throughout the academic year. This was by far the best Sports Ball we have ever had at Brighouse high School with over 135 students in attendance, dressed immaculately and partying late in to the night with one another. Although award winners took the main spotlight on the night, the overwhelming theme was the bteam that we are creating here in the PE department under the title TEAM BHS. We are truly becoming a fantastic team and I am immensely proud of all the students who have so brilliantly contributed to PE and School Sport as a whole and I am already excited for September 2019 and another year of even more sporting success!!! The award winners from the Sports Ball 2019 are shown below;
York St John Year 10 Residential Summer School Brighouse High were very fortunate to be offered a number of places on this year's York St John Year 10 Residential Summer School. I took four year 10 girls to the Summer School, which was a fantastic experience, allowing them to get a real taste of university life. Over the course of three activity-packed days, Casey, Katie, Ellie and Kiomi joined students from a number of other schools around Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, living in university accommodation, eating at the university canteen, attending lectures and seminars and sampling some of the social activities that take place on campus. All four girls were able to listen to a motivational talk by David Hodgson, and at the end of their experience, each of them was involved in either a performance or a presentation linked to the academic sessions they had attended. The experience was greatly enjoyed by everyone involved and the girls did themselves and the school proud. Miss McGregor
Year 11 celebrate at the Prom One of the highlights of this summer term has been the y11 Prom celebration at The Holiday Inn, Brighouse on Friday 10 th May. Students arrived in sophisticated style in limos, sports cars, party buses and even an army tank! Everyone really enjoyed joining in the dancing and marking the end of their high school studies. We wish them the best of luck in their exams. Miss H Thackray Assistant Head Y11
UK Biology Olympiad Earlier in the year five of our Y13 Biology students took part in the UK Biology Olympiad. The competition consisted of two 45 minute papers, with questions covering content from across the A-Level Biology specifications (of all exam boards) and a significant amount of content not on these specifications. Only the top A-level students in the country take part and only a certain percentage of those that take part gain an award. We were very proud that all of our students that took part achieved an award, below are the names of those students and the awards they achieved. Harry Moon - Bronze Hannah Cowling - Highly Commended Sam Heppenstall-Batty - Highly Commended Robert Wood - Highly Commended Robbie Freeman - Highly Commended. Mr Samaddar
Lessons From Auschwitz - A Day Trip to Poland for Year 12 students I went on the day trip on 8th of May with the Lessons from Auschwitz - Holocaust Educational Trust who were very good hosts and had a wide array of knowledge about both the holocaust and Auschwitz. Another surprising factor was the sheer scale of Birkanau, the photos don’t do it justice of how large it is. There was one aspect of the tour of Birkanau that had the largest effect on me, which was how only a short time ago thousands upon thousands of the prisoners that were held there suffered in the exact same spot where I was stood. The exhibitions at the Auschwitz camp were also especially “hard hitting” as it’s every day objects that were taken away from then. It puts everything into perspective as it shows the fragility of life and how easily it can be taken away. The tragedy that was the holocaust needs to be remembered. Dan Smith Year 12
“Where do you see yourself in five years?”
Job Seeking can be daunting – to help prepare our Year 12 students when applying for apprenticeships and preparations for job interviews we held a Job Seeking Conference. The students really benefitted from all the activities organised for the Jobseekers’ Conference… from learning how to compose a standout CV and finding out what an interview with a real employer is like, to participating in activities where they could interact with each other and demonstrate their skills in problem-solving, communication, leadership and teamwork. Students were engaged and had fun! Visitors to the 6 th Form who were involved in the activities were impressed by many students and commented on how much they enjoyed working with them.
Hopefully you can see the students were very nicely dressed in business attire for their interviews. We are very grateful to the employers who gave up their time to support and guide our students. The interpersonal skills they displayed and verbal responses given were very strong indeed and prove a positive attitude will lead to success. Well done to all
A huge thank you to our speakers and interviewers from: West Yorkshire Combined Authority Lattitude 7 WYLP Lloyds Banking Group Infinite Media Calderdale Smart Move Metronet
Calderdale College Lottie Shaw’s Sky Calderdale Council CK Careers Cover Insurance
For more information visit: http://www.brighousehighcareers.co.uk/
“Don’t call it a dream…call it a plan” Zelana Montminy
Sixth Form Leaver's Prom Night
Year 12 Bridges Not Walls Conference On the 28th of June, our third annual Bridges Not Walls Conference took place at Sixth Form, and it was a resounding success with more than 100 students in attendance. For the second year running, we screened Sue Clayton’s Calais Children, A Case to Answer and contributed £50 to the Calais Children fund. We also welcomed two new speakers, Nola Ellen and Gulwali Passarlay. Nola is the founder of the refugee awareness charity, My Bright Kite, who work in schools across the country. Nola ran a workshop with our students to increase their understanding of the refugee crisis and to do a bit of myth-busting. Gulwali is author of The Lightless Sky and was a refugee who escaped the Taliban as a 12 year old. He has lived in Britain since he was fostered here. He is a Ted Talks speaker and travels the world sharing his story. Finally, we had Mr Yasin, Mrs Patel and Mrs Mulla run their ever-popular ‘Dispelling the Myths about Muslims’ session. The day was inspirational and 98% of students reported that their understanding of the crisis had increased. We have formed a new Sanctuary Group for next year and we are collecting men’s toiletries, tinned food and sports equipment to be taken to Calais as part of our Care4Calais work this summer. N Budler
China Trip Easter 2019 This years annual long haul trip was to China in April. 35 sixth form students had a trip of lifetime to experience a different culture. We travelled to three cities, Beijing, Xian and Shanghai, saw the most amazing sites and ate an Eastern diet for 10 days! Journeys between cities were on overnight sleeper trains which was a very different experience resulting in very little sleep! Some of the highlights included visiting Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden Palace in Beijing, The Great Wall of China and The Terracotta Army. Students also had a rickshaw ride around the traditional streets of China getting an insight into everyday life, cycled along the city walls surrounding Xian, met new friends on a visit to a secondary school with over 3,000 students and ended the trip with a boat ride along the Huangpu River in Shanghai to see the amazing view of skyscrapers and the nightly light show. Visits to the hustle and bustle, noise and colour of Chinese markets led to some brave students eating cockroaches! The memories of this trip will stay with students for a lifetime and we hope will encourage a love of travel and experiencing other cultures. The next trip is to the USA to both New York and Washington in April 2020!. C Lee
Sixth Form Leaver's Prom Night We said goodbye to the class of 2019 in style at the annual prom. This year it was held at Baines Hall Elland Cricket Club which looked beautiful in the summer sun. Over 100 students and staff had a 3 course meal and disco including awards given to the students and staff. Examples of Awards were 'Most likely to gain a Noble Prize' for Jonty Freeman and ' Most likely to be an elite sports person' Sam Heppinstall Battye. Students celebrated their two years at sixth form with old friends, new friends and teachers before heading off to university and employment. It was a fantastic evening which reflected what a lovely year group the class of 2019 have been. C Lee
Life after Sixth Form We always like to follow the successes of our sixth form students as they go on to university. Two of our Class of 2016 and Senior Captains at sixth form have graduated this summer with some outstanding achievements. Amy Greenwood has graduated from St. Andrews University in Mathematics completed a 4 year degree in 3 years! and will now study a Master’s degree in Finance at Exeter University. Emily Rushton has graduated from Leeds Beckett with a First Class honours degree in Sport and Exercise Science. Well done to both girls, we are very proud of you! C Lee
Summer 2019 Results day Information All results to be collected from the Sixth Form College Building on Halifax Road A level Results Day Thursday August 15 th 8am Year 13 9am Year 12 GCSE Results Day Thursday August 22nd 9am Year 11
Mon 2nd Sept – Staff Training Day Tues 3rd Sept – School Open to Pupils Thurs 19 th Sept – Geography Trip Info Evening Thurs 3 rd Oct – Open Evening Fri 4th Oct – Disaggregated Day (closed to pupils & staff) Wed 9th Oct – Year 7 Form Tutors Parents Evening Thurs 17 th Oct - Junior Awards Weds 23rd Oct – Year 7 Geography Trip to Yorkshire Wildlife Park Fri 25th Oct – Super Learning Day / School Closes 28th to 31st Oct – Geography Trip to Naples Mon 4th Nov – Staff Training Day Tues 5 th Nov – School Opens to Pupils Thurs 7 th Nov – Year 12 Science Evening Weds 13th Nov – Year 9 Careers Fair @ Brooksbank Thurs 21st Nov – Year 13 Parents Evening Fri 15th Nov – Children in Need Wed 27th Nov – 6th Form Open Evening Weds 13th to Fri 15 th Nov – School Production Tues 3 rd Dec – Year 8 Parents Evening Fri 13th Dec – Senior Citizens Party Mon 16th Dec – Carol Service @ St. Martins Church Weds 18th Dec – Senior Awards Fri 20th Dec – School Closes
Brighouse High School School Term Dates 2019/2020 No. of School Days 2019 Autumn Term
Re-open
Monday 2nd September - Staff Training Day Tuesday 3rd September – Pupils return Friday 4th October - Disaggregated Day (Closed to pupils and staff)
Half Term
Close Re-open
Friday 25th October Monday 4th November - Staff Training Day Tuesday 5th November – Pupils return
Christmas
Close
Friday 20th December
2020 Spring Term
Re-open
Monday 6th January
Half Term
Close Re-open
Friday 14th February Monday 24th February
Easter
Close
Thursday 2nd April – Pupils Friday 3rd April – Staff Training Day
2020 Summer Term
Re-open
Monday 20th April
May Day
Close
Friday 8th May
Half Term
Close Re-open
Friday 22nd May Monday 1st June
Midsummer
Close
Friday 17th July
75
60
60
Monday 20th July- Disaggregated Day (Closed to pupils and staff) 195
LOST PROPERTY We have a large amount of items in lost property without names. Any items not claimed by the end of Sept 2019 will be recycled or disposed of. Please clearly name all items brought into school by your child so in the event of them losing them we can return them to your child. Thank You