Easter 2017
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ACADEMYUPDATE The latest news from Knutsford Academy and Studio@Knutsford
WELCOME TO THE EASTER EDITION OF ACADEMY UPDATE We have celebrated some great academic successes recently, including nationally renowned A Level results and recognition as a top performing school in The Sunday Times. Together with the academic focus, this school is also about developing the wider social, sporting and artistic talents of our students. In this issue of Academy Update, we feature a number of achievements on both the sports field and on the stage in performing arts. The level of commitment, hard work and dedication that students have shown in sports, drama, dance and music makes me very proud. We are determined to support them and to further develop and improve our facilities so that we can continue to provide the very best environment for our students and staff – one which will allow all to thrive and achieve.
BBC SCHOOLS REPORT2014 - 2015 Over 20 students from Years 7 and 8 took part in the annual BBC Schools News Report Day on the 16th March. The team took on the role of journalists and ventured into Knutsford to capture the latest news from around the town. Between them, they published 7 articles including "Unplug the plug to reconnect the future" in which they visited both the Tesla and McLaren dealerships to look at both petrol and electric cars. It was a really fun day. I liked being able to choose my own story and then seeing it online for everybody to read! David Meaney from Year 7 The articles can be read at www.knutsfordacademy.org.uk/bbc-school-report
With this in mind I am going to be appealing directly for your support with the launch next term of the Academy Fund. This takes the form of a suggested donation from parents and will go a long way to providing support for specific projects, including much needed repairs to the stage at Bexton Road, as well as updating sporting facilities including goalposts and netball resources. In addition, we hope to be able to carry out an upgrade of our student social areas, giving the students a more pleasant and engaging environment to spend morning break and lunchtime. We will be appealing also to the local Knutsford and wider community with a number of sponsorship opportunities across our many performing arts and sporting events. If you know of a business in the local community that would like to be involved, or if you as a parent/carer, through your own business interests would like to form closer ties with the Academy, then please do get in touch. Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
Mike Cladingbowl Executive Principal Knutsford Multi-Academy Trust The Academy Fund will help to redevelop the stage in the Bexton Road Hall, home of our fantastic productions.
Our Football Academy is sponsored by McHale and Co solicitors.
MANCHESTER AIRPORT VISIT 40 students from Year 10 spent the day at Manchester Airport on March 16th, in an event hosted by the Community Relations Team to provide an overview to employment opportunities and what it is like to work at the airport. The students visited a range of different departments: Airfield Operations, Duty Free, and the new developments at Airport City. Year 10 Student Sofia Chowdry commented, "I really enjoyed the visit, it was amazing to see how many different roles and employment opportunities there are at the airport and what goes into making an airport work."
FOOTBALL ACADEMY SUCCESS Our new Sixth Form Football Academy which we run in partnership with Egerton Football Club is having a fantastic first season. They have made it to the final of the Cheshire County Cup where they face Sandbach School on 31st March. In addition they are top of the North West College League and have recorded some fantastic results against well established Football Academies such as Robbie Fowler's Football Academy and Macclesfield Town. The team have received fantastic support throughout the year and we are especially grateful to team sponsor - McHale and Co solicitors.
Interested in sponsoring an Academy Sports team? Contact James Routs – jro@knutsfordacademy.org.uk
NETBALL ON THE UP The netball teams have had their strongest season in many years, with teams fielded from Years 7 to 10. In total over 40 games have been played against 16 local schools. Special mention must go to the Year 9 and 10 teams who both only lost twice over the season. Miss Ince commented, “We are really pleased with the development and growth of netball this season, the girls' enthusiasm and willingness to improve their game has been great to watch but most of all they all seem to really enjoy playing the sport."
Pictured Football Academy player Leon Donnelly who also plays non-league football for Witton Albion
SATURDAY RUGBY RETURNS
U14s Rugby enjoying a Saturday morning fixture in the sunshine against Fallibroome
We are absolutely delighted with the success and growth of rugby at the Academy. The Year 9 students have embarked on the school's first collection of Saturday rugby fixtures for over 15 years, which has seen them compete against a number of elite grammar schools across the north west. We have now established squads in both years 7 and 8, who will also be playing their first Saturday fixtures in the next academic year. We are well on our way to building a successful rugby culture within the town of Knutsford and are working closely with Knutsford Rugby Club, this would not be possible without the continued support of parents and the commitment from all students involved.
Year 10 Netball Team
Year 9 Netball Team
NATIONAL GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONS Knutsford Academy gymnasts were crowned National School Champions for the second year in a row, having won the event on Friday 10th March. A fantastic achievement for Georgia, Sophie, Millie and Louis, whose success is built through our partnership with Knutsford based Gymfinity and the squad's head coach Lily Rees. Lily commented, “We are just so thrilled to have won the title again. The team have worked very hard and set themselves high standards. They are an absolute pleasure to coach, I have worked with them all for a number of years now and it is fantastic to see their efforts rewarded."
Our victorious gymnasts, L to R: Georgia Ban-Murray, Sophie Baldwin, Millie Marshall and Louis Thomas
A BUSY TIME FOR PERFORMING ARTS The Beswick 2017 Now in its 39th year, on the 22nd March we hosted the annual Beswick Music Festival, a highlight of the performing arts calendar where we celebrate outstanding musicianship at the Academy. The Festival saw over 40 students from all years across the Academy participate with fantastic performances from everyone. The award winners are listed on the right.
Composer Abigail Chetham Junior Musician Emma Bland Best Beginner Jodie Brooke Ensemble Players Kai Walton and Oliver Turner Junior Vocalist Charlotte Johnson Contemporary Musician Oliver Turner Senior Vocalist Anna Collins Senior Musician Zoya Imtiaz
YEARS 7,8 & 9 PERFORMANCE EVENING Emma Bland - Year 9 On the 15th of March students from years 7, 8 and 9 put on a brilliant evening of entertainment which included both dance and drama pieces that had been prepared through extra-curricular activities. We all really enjoyed performing as it gave us the opportunity to share what we have been working so hard on. For some people it was their first time on stage and it is definitely something they will never forget. I performed in the Blood Brothers section of the evening and loved the atmosphere of working with my friends to put on the best display possible.
NYC 2017 The Sixth Form performing arts students spent the February half term in New York where they attended 4 Broadway shows including Sunset Boulevard, which stars former Academy student Michael Xavier alongside Glenn Close. After the show the students then got to spend some time with both Michael and Glenn.
Sixth Formers pictured with former student and Broadway star Michael Xavier (centre)
Shorrocks Award Emma Bland Wallace Rose Bowl Oliver Turner
OPERA NORTH In March, 30 Year 8 students had the opportunity to be involved in a project with Opera North, based around their current production Hansel and Gretel. The students were involved in a full day of workshops with the director and the musical arranger here at the Academy, and then had a trip to The Lowry Theatre in Salford Quays to see the Opera performed by the company. All agreed, it was a fabulous opportunity.
HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR SPENDS AFTERNOON WITH YEAR 9 By Robbie McInnes – Year 9 Year 9 were fortunate enough to experience the thought provoking hardships of the holocaust by none other than a survivor, Joanna Millan, who had been in a situation where they didn’t know whether they were going to make it out alive or not, and someone who had lost everyone and everything she had. Shortly after her birth in 1942, Joanna’s father was sent to Auschwitz where he was murdered on arrival. At 18 months old Joanna and her mother were taken to Theresienstadt camp north of Prague. Not long after this her mother died of tuberculosis.
We learned how she made friends with 5 other child prisoners, how their story unfolded and how they became inseparable whilst at the camp. In May 1945 the camp was liberated and Joanna was flown to England where she was adopted. She did not know what had happened to her family and friends until 1989. For many years she was told to forget that her old life had ever existed. This was a mesmerising and yet also mournful and reflective afternoon, everyone attending was lucky enough to get a first-hand view of Joanna’s amazing story.
THE BENEFITS OF WORK EXPERIENCE Miss Weigh, Head of Studio Years 10 and 11 talks about the importance and success of work experience. As part of the Studio programme, students undertake a day of work experience fortnightly alongside their other option subjects. It helps them gain useful skills and qualities that cannot be taught in the classroom and it is an important part of our students' personal development building confidence and experience.
Recent feedback from our business partners has been very positive, commenting that our students are “mature, very eager to help, hardworking, motivated to learn and fit perfectly into the team and the business”. Several students have been offered apprenticeships as a result of their placements with employers quoting, “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with your students, they will be a great asset to our company.”
Our students also recognise the value of the experience outside the classroom. Kelly Savage (Year 11 Studio) agrees: “It has helped me gain a greater understanding of the world of work and what it feels like to be an employee. It has given me confidence to complete jobs independently, preparing me for the real world”. Miss Weigh pictured with students who have been benefiting from work experience
KEY DATES SUMMER TERM 5 May – 7pm
Rotary Knutsford and BTEC Musical Showcase
11 May – 7pm
Fashion Show – Bexton Road Hall
15 May to 30 June
GCSE and A Level exams
Weds 5 to Fri 7 July
School of Rock – Bexton Road Hall
11 July
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