Summer Term 2012 Edition
MADE IN MADELEY
ACTIVITIES WEEK 2012 Once again our fantastic Activities Week took place week beginning 25th to 29th June. Each day had a set theme, Monday was World Cultures Day, Tuesday was Literacy Across the Curriculum Day, an exciting PE / Sports Day was held on Wednesday, Thursday was Personal Development Day and finally Friday was Media Day. Activities ranged from a sledging challenge, international cookery, and creating a school TV channel through to literacy lessons in Spanish, basketball with the Hanley Wheelchair Basketball Team and tag rugby. A careers convention (with Keele and Staffordshire Universities) was run and the RAF were in school leading elements of the sports day. Our Modern Foreign Languages department led three successful trips to Germany (Hatzenport), Brittany (Plancoet) and Normandy (Merville-Franceville) with 121 Key Stage 3 pupils gaining from this invaluable experience. Whilst, closer to home, 27 pupils enjoyed a 3 day exciting adventure experience stay at Condover Hall near Shrewsbury. A lovely new commemorative mural was designed and created in our school foyer along with the help of Artist Tony Shaw, the progress of which is recorded on page 15. Year 10 undertook a week of valuable work experience at a variety of interesting placements including Stoke City, Keele University & South Cheshire College. One Year 7 pupil summed up the week with the following comment - “I enjoyed learning about different cultures ... I improved my literacy skills ... I enjoyed working with my form in Spanish ... I enjoyed the day out, spending it with my friends ... I learnt how to edit a film ... It was amazing." All in all another fabulous activities week – well done everyone!
Check out . . . . Activities Week Review - Page 13,
Terms & Holiday Dates for 2012-13 - Page 24
DIARY DATES
Summer safety
Friday 20th July School Closes for Summer break
STAY SAFE THIS SUMMER! Working in partnership with our community police we take this opportunity to remind pupils of the importance of playing safe over the summer break.
Wednesday 5th September School re-opens for the Autumn Term Friday 7th September Year 7 & Year 9 Photographs
• Ensure that your parent/carer is aware of where you are playing. Agree a time to return home.
• Don’t talk to or be encouraged to go off with
Friday 21st September Year 11 Photographs
strangers.
• Ride your bike safely and ensure it is roadworthy.
Tuesday 2nd October Prospective Parents Open Evening 6.30pm
Wear a helmet and respect other road users.
• Stay hydrated, drink plenty of fluids. Stay out of the mid-day sun. Use sun protection.
Monday 15th October Year 7 Review Afternoon
• Observe ‘Keep Out’ notices – They’re there for a reason; it’s not safe to play!
Friday 26th October School closes for half term break House Charity Day
• Remember that water has hidden dangers. Deep water and strong currents can challenge even the strongest of swimmers.
Monday 5th November School closed for Staff Inset Day
The friends of Madeley high school INVITATION
Tuesday 6th November School re-opens after half term break
We would like to invite you to join the ‘Friends of Madeley High School’. As you know we endeavour to make Madeley High a pleasant and welcoming place for pupils.
Thursday 8th November Key Stage 3 Presentation Evening w/b 11th November Year 11 Mock Examinations Week Year 8 Trip to Standon Bowers
We are asking for anyone who is willing to give up some time, however much or little, to join us in our planning and support of the pupils. It is important that we have a wide range of people to support us by giving us their views, fundraising ideas, and by working together with staff to create a happy and enjoyable experience for all of our pupils.
Wednesday 21st November Key Stage 4 Presentation Evening
One of the major problems in school at present is the lack of social space for pupils during break and lunch times. We are hoping to do some fundraising for this in the coming months and would very much appreciate your help and support.
Wednesday 12th December KS4 Future Lives Event & Y11 Mock Results Issued Thursday 13th December Christmas Concert
If you feel you may be able to help in any way please contact Mrs E Graham, School Bursar, Tel: 01782 297200. We will shortly be arranging a meeting where we can discuss a way forward.
Friday 21st December School closes for Christmas break House Charity Day
Thanks, Mrs Graham, Bursar
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A note from the headteacher Mr kerridge One of the things that is very important at Madeley High School is our belief in celebrating the many and varied successes of our pupils, aware that every single pupil makes a unique contribution to the life of the school and has an inspiring potential to fulfil. It is therefore a joy to write at the start of this bumper summer edition of ‘Made In Madeley’, which features an incredible array of successes as this academic year draws to a close. The feeling of belonging to a wonderful school community shone through as our fantastic Year 11 football team lifted the prestigious Sentinel Shield trophy for the first time in the school’s history to the cheers of the many pupils, parents, staff and governors in the stands at Port Vale; shining again at the superb Madeley Charity Day as despite the weather the entire school ran, walked and cheered for charity. It is an important element of education for young people to learn the value of caring for others, the belief that you can make a difference if you set your mind to it, and the power of team work in achieving more together than any one person can alone. That Madeley’s pupils are entrepreneurial and creative was evidenced through the wonderful win of the ‘Class Act’ competition, where we are targeting the £5,000 prize towards building a school shop, the continued success as winners of the ‘Britain in Bloom’ competition, the great performances at this year’s Madeley’s Got Talent and the many examples of endeavour during Activities Week, including the contribution of artist Tony Shaw in bringing some of our pupils’ creativity to life as part of the Chair of Governors’ competition. This Olympic Year has allowed us to benefit from the ‘Be the Best You Can Be’ programme and it was a privilege to have Olympian Nicola Minichiello return to present Year 7s with their medals; they showed some of the leadership skills that are fostered here at Madeley, skills further reflected in the continuing outstanding work of the Madeley Parliament and the appointment of the new senior prefect team. I hope that in reading this term’s newsletter you gain a sense of the experiences our pupils have, the successes they enjoy, the values that they hold. I am very proud of them, the wonderful staff who work hard every day to create this culture and the parents, carers and community who in so many ways support the school on this daily journey. This is the Madeley Team and we can look forward to the next academic year determined to support every individual in their quest for success, knowing that we will all achieve more together. I wish the entire school community a very happy summer and look forward to welcoming everyone back to a new school year in September.
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NEW SENIOR TEAM Senior Prefect Team 2012-13 Congratulations to our new Senior Team, They are now role models and ambassadors for the school and will have the opportunity of being school leaders with a big responsibility of helping to improve the school. We look forward to hearing about their new roles in the next ‘Made in Madeley’ edition!
Head Girl Emma Duffee
Head Boy Eben Lovatt
Deputy Head Girl Louisa Maloney Elsbeth Massey
Deputy Head Boy Will Beacon James Stuart
Assistant Head Girl Hannah Kettle Lydia O’Dowd
Assistant Head Boy James Ball Jonny Denfhy
Senior Prefect Leaders Libby Taylor Michael Alderman Ellie Yeo Ed Blackburn
Senior Prefect Team Katie Jones Matt Boyle Lydia Barley Jake Skidmore Amelia Clarke Tim Hampl Joe Richardson Matt Hogg Ryan Fullwood
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fAREWELL TO YEAR 11 GCSE Examinations 2012 This years Year 11 started their GCSEs with a big advantage this year, they had already achieved fantastic results in their Mathematics GCSE exams which they had taken in November 2011 and March 2012, with 86.2% of pupils achieving A* - C grades. Their behaviour was impeccable and they showed how focused they were on their exams. The revision sessions put on by staff helped them with their preparation and that showed in how they conducted themselves during the exams. We look forward to great results on Thursday August 23rd.
G&T SWANs Presentation To celebrate the achievements of our gifted and talented Year 11 pupils we held an Oscars style presentation evening together with red carpet, where pupils, parents and staff were invited. Pupils gave some excellent acceptance speeches highlighting their enjoyment of their time at Madeley and on where they planned to move onto in terms of college, further education and career aspirations. The presentation was followed by a small buffet reception and drinks. It was a pleasure to see the positivity and aspirations all of the pupils showed and the gratitude they felt towards the staff at Madeley was evident for both parents and pupils. We hope that this will become an annual celebration event.
Year 11 BALL On Friday 22nd June the Y11s enjoyed a fantastic final send off at their prom in the lovely marquee at Tern Hill Hall. Pupils arrived for the evening in tractors, limos, Cadillacs, Ferraris, party buses and even bubble cars! All the pupils looked absolutely fantastic and very smartly dressed. Mr Kerridge and Mr Ostrowski addressed Y11s as prizes were given out and memories shared. The food was fantastic and the dancing (and singing by some staff!) were even better! A thoroughly enjoyable evening was had by all and we wish all our Y11s the best of luck for their future.
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‘BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE’ CELEBRATION EVENT On Wednesday 2nd May we were delighted to be visited by Olympian Nicola Minichiello once again for our ‘Be the Best you can Be' celebration event. Our Year 7 pupils were superb and their presentations gave a real sense of what they had gained and achieved from being part of the programme. Pupils and teachers shared what they had learnt and supported each other in pursuing their dreams and goals. Pupils were presented with a lovely recognition medallion produced and sponsored by the Royal Mint, intended to encourage them to continue to work towards their goals or set new ones. It was a pleasure to have Nicola presenting the medals and awarding a plaque to the school. The ‘Be the Best you can Be’ Programme has been developed to inspire, engage and empower young people to recognise and fulfill their potential and to support the quest that the London 2012 Olympic Games be an inspiration to the youth of Britain and the rest of the world. By completing the Programme pupils raise their self-confidence and self-esteem and benefit from higher aspirations, and a clearer path to how they can realise their dreams.
CLASS ACT COMPETITION WINNERS We are delighted to report that we have won £5,000 in the Sentinel's Class Act Competition. Pupils hope to give retail guru Mary Portas a run for her money by setting up our own school store. Our young entrepreneurs would man the tills every break and lunch period, stocking essential items for their classmates to buy, including pens, pencils, rulers, revision guides, notebooks, and calculators. Pupils are designing some of the products themselves. The shop would also sell refreshments at sports days, school productions and other special events. Pupils want to use the shop as a base for showcasing their wide range of enterprise projects. Pupils have already designed mobile phone and iPad holders, Easter egg novelties, school calendars and personalised mugs. And if they create the shop, they will be able to test out their new product ideas.
Britain in bloom winners Wonderful news, that for the 4th year on the trot, Madeley High pupils have secured wins in the Britain In Bloom, painting competition run by Newcastle Council. Olivia Larsson came first, her design included five floral rings with black silhouettes representing various sports. Rachel Ward came third, with Steph Evans, Keating Young, Esme Hendy, Emily Ward and Katie Marley all highly commended. The work was exhibited at The Art Studio in Newcastle for a week in May. On June 13th pupils and staff attended the prize giving event at Keele and then went for the now traditional ice cream treat before coming back to school. 6
Olympic torch welcome parade
On Wednesday 30th May Madeley Samba Band joined the Olympic Torch Relay Community Parade in Stoke. They were at the front! Led by Mr Smith and his whistle and they played non-stop for about an hour and a half - the length of the parade. The atmosphere was amazing - there were over 1000 school children and 100 flags designed by pupils from all areas of the city. They were also followed by a huge manually operated avatar style puppet, a boom box and a 50 piece band - assembled by musicians from all over the city. There was a carnival atmosphere and the pupils really enjoyed themselves.
Madeley parliament update Madeley Parliament continues to be updated and canvassed about whole school issues. The big focus over the last few weeks has been linking Madeley Parliament with the new ECO Council being set up. Meetings have taken place to draw up an action plan and form time has been used to ensure the whole school is involved in this process - you can read more about the ECO Council below. The District School Council that Madeley lead has been working on a ‘Newcastle’s of the World Project’. MMPs entered various poems, videos and photos and these were presented to the Mayor and Mayoress in the Newcastle Council Chamber. Developments are underway to link pupils from our Newcastle to different places in the world that also have ‘Newcastle’ in their name.
New Eco-Council The summer term has seen the establishment of the Eco-Council with pupils from across the school becoming involved in the project. As well as pupils, staff have also contributed to the project with new facilities for recycling being placed around the school. The project aims to make our school a more environmentally friendly institute whilst raising awareness about the environment for our future generations. Currently the MMPs and Eco-Council members are involved with a research project at Keele University that aims to investigate and raise awareness of the declining availability of fossil fuels. This opportunity gives pupils a chance to voice their opinions and be part of some valuable research that could shape government policy in the future. The Eco-Council may still be in its early days, but it is already having an influence on the school. Pupils have been able to share their views on what they feel are the biggest environmental problems our school faces. As with any school, rubbish remains one of the main concerns and this is top of the agenda for the Eco-Council with many suggestions being offered as to how we can solve this issue. The new term will bring more structure and awareness to the Eco-Council as new logos, assemblies and policies will be acted upon. If you are interested in joining the Eco-Council please speak to Mr Dawkins.
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Gcse art trip to new art gallery, walsall
The Art department took Y10 option groups and a small number of year 11 students to the New Art Gallery, Walsall to see a range of exhibitions to support them in starting a new Art project. The students were given a series of tasks to complete whilst in the gallery which was then developed into a project of their choice entitled 'Sense of Place' or 'The Everyday'. They were given allotted times to complete work and to spend time observing the exhibitions. There was a huge range of work on exhibition from contemporary illustration to traditional painting and sculpture, they saw work from well know artists such as Van Gogh, Picasso, Lucien Freud and Martin Parr and contemporary work from artists such as Laura Oldfield Ford and George Shaw. The work on show was brilliant and the pupils loved the exhibitions, they were spoken to for half an hour by a member of staff from the gallery who was entertaining to say the least. He gave them an in depth biography about the artists and then spoke about the work, this included the inspiration behind it, the meaning and messages, the materials used and the reason the work had been exhibited in such a way. Pupils were keen to draw the work and to observe the city centre through the huge windows, taking photographs of both which will be used in class.
GCSE Art Exhibition On Sunday 10th June we held this year’s GCSE Art Exhibition over at The Madeley Centre. Also on display was Jubilee themed work from both Years 7 and 8. Miss Sargent’s groups produced lovely textile jubilee cupcakes and bunting and Miss Leath’s groups created pen and ink drawings of London architecture. The exhibition was well attended by Year 11s and their families plus the local community.
Horrible histories theatre trip On 30th March pupils from 7 yellow got the chance to visit The Regent Theatre where they saw the horrible actions of the Tudor Kings and Queens. The trip gave an insight into the lives of some of the most famous (and infamous) English monarchs. The pupils experienced an excellent production that combined songs, dance and the occasional beheading! In addition, the audience was treated to a spectacular 3D scene, where we were literally jumping out of our seats as heads and portraits flew at the audience. The pupils were extremely well behaved and did themselves and Madeley High School proud with their manners and demeanour. Ultimately, the experience proved to be an educational one as well as fun. 8
PM TRAINING VISIT On Wednesday 18th April a group of Year 11s were invited to take part in a training taster day at PM Training on Parkhouse Industrial Estate in Chesterton. The day included a variety of ‘Apprenticeship’ activities. PM Training offers students the opportunity to try out practical ‘hands on’ sessions in bricklaying, decorating and joinery. The one hour sessions are conducted by industry qualified supervisors, who have all personally served within the construction industry.
All the students enjoyed the ‘non-classroom’ approach and connected well as they individually built a brick wall, created a wooden joint and wallpapered a wall. The supervisors were very friendly which enabled students to gain confidence when undertaking the taster sessions. The day was a great success and offered the students a chance to explore whether a construction based vocation would be for them. PM Training offers Apprenticeships for students who have left school and who wish to embark on a training scheme within the building industry. This consists of 3/4 weeks in the unit gaining the experience required in the various professions before being assigned to a company to complete the training.
Madeley has got talent! Madeley's Got Talent took place once again this year. Pupils had been busy practicing in the drama studio, during Glee Club and Karaoke Club which are held on Monday and Thursday lunch times. The heats took place on Tuesday 24th and Wednesday 25th April and friends and family were invited to come and watch and cast their all important vote. All the acts were fantastic and it was clear that a lot of hard work had been put into all of the acts' performances. Unfortunately, only four of the acts with the most votes from both heat 1 and 2 went through to the live final on Tuesday the following week at 7.00pm! Contestants from all year groups took part in this fun entertainment extravaganza! The range of acts in the final were very varied: K Groake, Year 7 Singing, B Rogers, Year 11 - Drumming, L O'Dowd, E Parkin & I Lee Year 10 Singing Group, Year 7 Singing Duet, Year 11 Band, J Lord, Year 11 Singing and H Hopwood, Year 7 Singing. At the end of the night, after everyone had performed their best, the tension mounted and the votes were counted. The contestants were all sent to the stage to hear the winner being announced. The results were revealed in reverse order. Singer, Jack Lord was announced the winner of Madeley's Got Talent 2012! Thank you to Ms Vorwerg, Mr Smith and the Year 10s who did all of the sound and lighting and put on a great show.
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YOUNG TEEN FICTION AWARDS On Tuesday 3rd July, I went with 8 of my friends to the Young Teenage Fiction Staffordshire Book Awards. It was an amazing day. I loved every minute of it. First, we had a look around and bought some books. Then we took to our seats and watched other schools perform an extract from their chosen book. All of them were amazing, it was a really hard choice. In the end, ‘A Monster Calls’ won. Then we had demonstrations from Chris Bradford and Peter Cookson (the guest authors). It was a great day and I would love to go again next year!
By Emily Lawton, Year 7
Peer mentors celebration event On July 1st, a Peer Mentoring celebration event took place at Newcastle-under-Lyme College to recognise the achievement, work and commitment of Peer Mentors around the area. Schools from all over the Newcastle and surrounding boroughs attended the presentation and every Peer Mentor received a certificate presented by the Mayor. The college provided a buffet lunch in the main restaurant hall before everyone proceeded to the auditorium. There was a talk about the impact of Peer Mentoring and how many schools have been willing to take part in the national scheme. The Mentoring and Befriending Foundation (MBF) piloted the scheme a few years back due to bullying statistics and the success rate has been phenomenal. Bullying does not just take place in schools, it takes place in the community and work place and people find it easier to communicate to their peers and talk to them about things that are bothering them in complete confidence. Madeley High has participated in the scheme for several years; younger students have found it beneficial in their first year to have people who have been in the same situation as they have and to know how it feels to be in a new environment. As a trained Peer Mentor, I think the scheme is extremely useful to use in schools because it provides a vital alternative for support which could really give people the confidence they need. I would recommend that anyone who has good listening skills and who likes to help and support people to apply in year 10 as from personal experience, it is very rewarding and a skill that will remain with you for life. Review by James Ball Y10, Peer Mentor 10
Charity day success This year has seen Madeley High School rise to the fundraising challenge. Pupils and Staff have raised money for many charities including Douglas Macmillan, The Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, Sport Relief, The British Women’s Volleyball Club, Children in Need, Lepra, School Fund and the Year 11 Ball.
Friday 6th July came, but unfortunately after weeks of planning and organisation the day was a washout. On this occasion the great british weather won! Severe weather warnings had been issued with flood alerts in particular. We were beaten, but not for long. Our re-scheduled date of Friday 13th July arrived and so did the rain again but we decided that on this occasion nothing was going to dampen our enthusiasm. From 9.00am on Friday morning it was all systems go; with gazebos in place, balloons being blown up and the course marked out with the start and finish line in place. The Catering staff took care of the refreshments for all the runners who needed a little bit of sustenance after they had finished. The first aid tent was on stand-by just in case, but thankfully not needed. With the PA system in place 1.45pm soon arrived. Mr Ostrowski led the warm up for everyone ensuring that pupils and staff were warmed up and ready to go. At 2.00pm the horn sounded and they were off with Mr Ostrowski and Mr Mayers setting the pace. Both staff and pupils took up the challenge either running or walking, it was an amazing sight seeing so many people taking part to raise money for the nominated Charities, Cancer Research UK, The Children’s Liver Disease Foundation and the Hanley Wheelchair Basketball Team. With the finish line in sight, Mr Ostrowski and Mr Mayers started to sprint to the finish line with Mr Ostrowski just beating Mr Mayers to finish in a time of 19 minutes. Tom Carter, Year 9, was the first pupil to finish in a time of 22 minutes. It was lovely to see everyone cheering on the runners and walkers across the finish line, all with smiles on their faces. Mr Hope got everyone joining in the `Cha Cha Slide’ while we waited for the final few to cross the finish line. Thanks to everyone who took part and contributed in making our first community day event so successful. Special thanks go to parents who supported either in person or by donating equipment and to the family members and friends of our pupils who have sponsored generously along with staff members Mrs Carter, Mrs Bonfiglio and Mrs Armstrong who co-ordinated the event. Year 7 pupil Emily Dunn raised an incredible £1654.50 (to date) for Cancer Research – an amazing achievement! It was a fantastic afternoon with pupils, staff and the wider community coming together to do what they do best, thinking of others less fortunate than themselves and helping to raise over £4,000 (and still counting!) for the three deserving charities.
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New DVD toolkit LAUNCH The 'Living, Learning and Respecting Difference' DVD Toolkit, to help people understand a little more about learning disabilities is now complete. We are very proud of the final result and feel it captures the project extremely well. Our pupils represent our school in a positive manner, reflective and articulate when expressing their ideas. The launch event took place on Thursday 5th July, with guest speaker Cllr Robbie Marshall, many visitors from the NHS, police, educational institutions and of course parents/carers of those who took part. It was a huge success and many visitors commented on the positive nature of the project and how impressive our pupils were. Big thanks must go to Sue Jackson (NHS) who co-ordinated the whole project and for involving our school. The DVD will now be distributed to schools in Staffordshire and used as a tool in PSHEE. Our Y7 pupils will also begin to use it in our Diversity PSHEE module next year . Congratulations to all the pupils who took part and to Mrs Mellor for co-ordinating the event in school: Y7 - Katie Neath (who also won a competition designing the DVD cover), Emily Lawton, Ineke Drijfhout, Louis Austin-Hawkins, Tom Heraty, Adam Jenkinson. Y10 - Libby Taylor, Emma Duffee, Aimee Jackson, Alex Holland.
french taster day at NULC On Wednesday 11th July, 20 Year 10 pupils attended a French Taster Day at Newcastle College. They took part in several interactive activities and spoke French most of the day. It was an extremely successful day thanks to Michael Lacoult, their tutor for the day, and some AS Level students who helped and who also went to the trouble of providing us with a delicious French themed buffet! Feedback from Michael Lacoult was good . . .
The students were amazing, they have really enjoyed the day and were immersed into a French speaking world. They were spoken to in French for most of the day and responded really well to all the challenges they faced. Their attitudes were extremely positive and they were all extremely keen to participate and contribute to the session. So credit to their teacher Ms Slight.
ROUTES INTO LANGUAGE EVENT On 25th April Ms Slight took 13 Year 8 pupils to Keele for the Routes into Languages event. This followed an evening in November when the same pupils attended lectures and a workshop. The lectures were by University Graduates who now have a degree and a job involving languages. The workshop was led by Steven Fawkes of the Association for Language Learning. This was followed by a continental buffet. The evening was both entertaining and inspiring. Pupils attended several taster sessions each on a language they hadn’t studied before (Japanese, Russian, Romanian, Italian, Basque, Chinese and Portuguese). The whole event was extremely well organised and hopefully it achieved its aim – to encourage pupils to take a language at GCSE.
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Activities week REVIEW Monday - World Culture Day On Monday of Activities Week we hosted World culture day at our school. This fun filled educational day saw pupils experiencing the 7 continents of the world. Activities included Indian cricket, African drumming, South American food tasting, European Military history, Kite making, Barn dancing and golf amongst others. Special mention goes to Mr Fox for re-enacting the Australian outback in the outside classroom and Mr Mayers pretending he was Scott of the Antartica. A big thank you to all the visitors and teachers for making the day so special. In our visit to Room 6, Mr. Stonier’s room, we found students dressed up in the traditional clothing of West-Africa, the headwear and the spears that tribal people
As we were walking round we dropped in to the hall where a group of pupils were taking part in a traditional American dance activity. We interviewed Ms Vorwerg about her thoughts on the activity. “I think the day is going brilliantly, I have learnt many new things about the pupils, this has been a really worthwhile experience for the pupils, so far the day is going great!” by Olivia Sutcliffe
would use nowadays. They went through the ways in which these are used too!
The south America group, were experiencing new foods such as Indian dips. They were also experiencing a variety of different cultures of music. The teachers said “It was a worth while experience.” Mrs Pain said “It got everyone engaged in the activity. They experienced new flavours of food.”
Tuesday - Literacy Across the Curriculum Day Pupils had a varied day learning a range of literacy skills including: following instructions; translating the basics of our language in a Spanish lesson -“Hola”; creative writing skills and differentiated puzzles to get pupils problem-solving. Ms Slight produced a Spanish lesson before leaving for a school trip to France. This was shown in lessons and pupils accessed the Spanish curriculum in many classrooms. It was wonderful to hear teachers from all subjects speaking in Spanish and pupils trying out their new-found knowledge in preparation for their summer holidays. Year 8 produced some fabulous poetry inspired by clips of Usain Bolt winning gold at the Beijing Olympics. Their use of adjectives and superlatives made their efforts truly fantastic. Year 7 produced a school song which summarised our values and aims as a school; these were thoughtful and even reflected on our school motto in Latin – Cognito enim cras hodie. Year 9 produced the accompaniment to the school song, choosing the genre of music to match the sentiment of the words. All in all, the day was a great success and the pupils reflected on this in their evaluations. One year 7 pupil said, “today has really impacted on my literacy skills.” Brilliant! 13
We then travelled to the dining room where we found and interviewed Ineke Drijfhout, she commented, “We’re making fruit salad, from West Africa.” she then added, “Banana is my favorite out of the fruit that we’re using in the fruit salad.” And finally, when we went into Mrs. Snape’s room, Room 15, the pupils were making Anzac Biscuits, a recipe from New-Zealand.
Activities week REVIEW Wednesday - Sports / Games Day Pupils in Y8/9 enjoyed a day of physical activity and sport on a glorious sunny Wednesday, well it didn’t rain! . Activities included Crazy Golf around the school, cheerleading, dance mats, Tag Rugby, Rounders and Football. The Y9 pupils also experienced problem solving activities led by the RAF. The feedback from Sergeant Russell about the way the Y9s went about the task was exceptional. Every pupil threw themselves into the tasks and were a credit to the year group.
Thursday - Personal Development Day Personal Development day in school was a high success! Activities throughout the day included wheelchair basketball, blind football, drama workshops, dance activities, ‘Be the Best you can Be’ activities, Nick Vujicic reflection lessons and image & gender workshops. The whole day really made pupils think about different challenges that certain people face.
Friday - Media Day On Friday the focus turned to the influence and power of the media in the modern world, with pupils thinking through the positive and negative impact that the media can have and how media is changing through technological advances and the growth of 'social media'. Pupils then worked on the development of progamming for Madeley TV, with programmes made on: the history of Madeley High School, sport at Madeley, arts, and creativity at Madeley. Advertisements for the school were also created, drawing inspiration from famous campaigns of recent times. It was superb to see the energy and creativity of the pupils in action as they rose to the challenge, whether as actors recreating the Sentinel Shield football victory in the Sports Hall, or directors selecting the best locations for interviews and screen shots. We certainly have some Steven Spielbergs and Peter Jacksons in our midst. 14
Activities week mural During Activities Week our foyer was brightened up with a brand new mural. Artist Tony Shaw joined pupils to work on the piece. The mural is based on the winning design by our Year 7 pupil Marianna Glazewska who won the competition set by our Chair Of Governors Dr Becket to design a mural based on the theme `Year of 2012’. Marianna’s commemorative design incorporates symbols reflecting the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games. The Mural is unveiled by Mayor and Mayoress Cllr and Dr Becket
Pictures below show the mural in progress. Thanks to all the pupils, Miss Leath & Tony Shaw and for their hard work on the project.
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Activities week REVIEW—trips Condover Hall is an imposing Grade I listed Elizabethan mansion set in the picturesque Shropshire countryside. The interior has been restored to its former glory, with sumptuous chandeliers, wood panelled rooms, fine plasterwork and magnificent fireplaces. With its grand architecture and manicured gardens it was a beautiful place to stay. The journey started with a great atmosphere on the coach for the hour long trip. Miss Leath, Mr Royall and Mrs Lee accompanied us on the trip and were great company in the somewhat damp conditions. With Yr7, 8 and 9s going there was a good bond created between the years. We participated in 8 activities and a disco which we all enjoyed doing, especially body zorbing. It involved getting into an inflatable ball which covered our bodies from waist to above our heads. After getting in and doing a warm up we were able to try and knock each other down, which we all found amazing. Other activities included were; archery, laser maze, climb wall, abseiling, the gladiator climb, stone walk and egg protect. The facilities included a seated cinema which was great for watching the football and the catering was exceptionally tasty. The best facility had to be the football pitch where we played a great game against the staff of Condover. Review by Tom Carter, Y9
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Activities week REVIEW—trips
I absolutely loved France! I went to amazing places, made wonderful memories, saw brilliant sights and I smiled everyday! The sun, the people, the teachers, the friends you never knew you had, the memories you never knew existed, the beaches we laughed on every dayand the discos we danced at every night. Honfleur was the highlight of the trip for me, it was a gorgeous harbour town, the sun was out and it was so hot we spent the afternoon walking around absorbing the beautiful place as well as purchasing a ‘I love Normandy’ T-Shirt as a souvenir. The Calvados visit was also lovely, I loved tasting the different apple juice in the Pierre Huet. Other visits included Pointe du Hoc a cliff top fortification where the Americans launched their assault in WW2, a trip to Bayeux and a vist to La Miramel Goat Cheese Farm. Overall it was a brilliant trip and I am so pleased I went! Review by Mary Jackson Y9.
Year 7 went on a trip during Activities Week to the Brittany region of France. After a very long journey and ferry ride, we arrived in our beautiful hotel in Plancoet. We went to an oyster farm in Cancale where 23 pupils tried raw oysters! Then in Dinard most of us spent the afternoon eating ice creams and playing volleyball and football on the beach. The next day we went to St Malo, a walled city by the seaside. After the world's fastest little train tour of the city and visits to the infamous chocolate shop, it was off to the beach again! Later on we went to Le Grand Aquarium to see lots of fish and go on a 'scary' submarine ride! The last full day we went to Mont St Michel, which has an abbey on top of a hill surrounded by lots of little shops and cafés. We had a great time and have some brilliant (and hilarious) photos to prove it!
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Activities week REVIEW—trips During Activities Week, some pupils in Year 8 visited Germany, a trip organised by the Head of MFL, Mrs Threadgold-Brind, accompanied by Mr Phillips, Mrs Threadgold-Brind, Mrs Jenkins and Mr Dawkins. We left school on Saturday at 11:30pm. We travelled through the pouring rain to the hotel and stopped off in Brussels on the way, at the Expo ‘58. We eventually arrived at the hotel at 4:40pm on Sunday to be greeted by a woman looking strangely like Cruella Deville! (Luckily, she was quite nice!) On the Monday we visited a small town called Cochem, there we visited the castle and had a tour, then walked around the town in groups, looking at shops to spend our money! Later on, we visited the leisure centre, with a huge water slide, wave pool and jacuzzi! Tuesday saw us visiting Cologne. We started off in the Lindt Chocolate museum, with a tour and tastings! For those who were feeling fit, the trip up the cathedral tower was next, whilst the rest explored the city. On the Wednesday we went to the oldest town in Germany, Trier. We saw the roman ruins and did even more shopping! After that we visited the Amphitheatre, which was an interesting historical experience. On the last day we went to Phantasialand, which was probably one of the best activities. We all had a great day – lots of us got wet on the water rides and we all had lots of fun! Overall we had an amazing experience in a different country and I’d recommend other pupils to go on the next trip! Review by Holly Pye Yr 8 18
YEAR 10 WORK EXPERIENCE All of our Year 10 pupils enjoyed a week’s work experience during Activities Week. Thanks to Mrs Vickers and Mrs Kretschmer the preparation to co-ordinate the placements had started right back in January. Pupils were placed with a variety of different employers including, Stoke City, The Design Office in Crewe, The Meadows Primary School, Bridgfords Estate Agents and Aspire Group to name but a few. Here are some pictures from the week along with some excellent employer comments. Imogen Lee – Bridgfords Estate Agents "All Staff Members have enjoyed having Imogen with us. I would have no doubt about having her return to us and she has represented your school well. You should be proud."
Georgie Heath – Cheswardine Primary School "We would be happy to have Georgie back as an apprentice if the opportunity arose. Well done it has been a pleasure to have you around!"
Tom Hughes – South Cheshire College (Music Technology) "Tom has carried out every task well. Been a pleasure to have him."
Jake Skidmore – Bridgfords Estate Agents "Jake is without question the best work experience student we have had. All the Staff at Bridgfords have been very impressed with his ability and attitude. He has designed material from scratch which will be posted to tens of thousands of potential clients of Bridgfords which involved him working alone and showing very good It skills. He has been a pleasure to work alongside. Jake is a credit to himself and the school." Alice Plows – STF Fasteners "Alice has been an absolute pleasure to give work experience to. She has been working in every department and has made friends with everyone, all of whom have commented on how nice she is.”
Joe Brookes – The Design Office, Crewe "A pleasure to have. Very impressed with his level of skills (software and drawing) and in general was very polite and willing to pitch in.”
Alice Heath – The Insolvency Service "Alice was an absolute pleasure to have in the office. Nothing was too much trouble and she seemed to really enjoy her time with us. A credit to the school.”
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SPORTS REVIEW Football U12 Boys Newcastle District Schools Champions – 2 wins from 2 games U13 Boys Following a draw in their 1st game against Clayton, the boys capped a stunning comeback against SJF to score with last kick of the game to win a thrilling contest 4-3. A draw or victory in their last game against Wolstanton would have seen the boys crowned district champions for the second year running. Unfortunately the boys suffered an agonising 1-0 defeat. U15 Boys Following a win against Clough Hall and defeats against Clayton and STB the boys finished 3rd in their league. U16 Boys The Boys had an outstanding season, winning the Sentinel Shield for the first time in the school’s history. In the semi-final the boys dominated against Clayton at Kidsgrove Athletic and finished 3-0 victors. In the final at Vale Park on Tuesday 15th May, roared on by a large crowd, the boys showed tremendous resilience and teamwork to secure a very well deserved 3-2 extra time victory. Winning the shield capped off a fine 5 years for the boys, in which time they have lifted the county cup and dominated the Newcastle District Competition.
Rugby U16 Boys Following an outstanding 22-7 victory last week against Blessed William Howard in the quarter-final, the boys fought bravely in the semi-final against a team from Alleynes and unfortunately suffered a 42-19 defeat. U12 Boys Despite winning the Newcastle district competition, the Y7s boys found life a lot tougher in the county competition at Lichfield at the end of March. In a competition which featured 40 schools the boys unfortunately lost a key player to injury in the first 5 minutes of the opening game and never really recovered from the set back. Their 1 win, 2 draws and 4 defeats wasn’t enough for the boys to qualify from their group.
Y7/8 Girls A squad of 14 girls attended the county tag rugby festival at Longton on a glorious March day. After the girls participated in a coaching session they competed in 2 pools of 4 teams. Despite this being a new activity for most of the girls, they competed with great enthusiasm. The ‘A’ team won 2 out of their 4 games and the ‘B’ team won 1 out of their 4 games. Sadly, it wasn’t quite enough for either team to progress to the semi-finals. It is hoped the learning experience will bode favourably for next year. 20
SPORTS REVIEW Volleyball Once again the Friday Volleyball continues to provide a significant number of Madeley High School pupils with high quality extra-curricular PE. It has been particularly pleasing to see how the U14 squad has been developing and the number of new faces joining the squad. On Friday 25th May, an u12s girls team, an u12s boys team and an u15 boys team travelled to Leigh Stadium in Manchester, joining over 600 youngsters for the North West Premier League 4 Sport Lets Play Volleyball festival. Despite the u12 boys and girls teams finishing runners up in their groups, they fell agonisingly short of the few points needed to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition. The u15 boys (made up of Y9s) played up an age group and although they played the most attractive Volleyball in their group they were out powered by taller and stronger boys. Again the boys will learn from the experience and come back stronger for the competition next year. From a new player prospective: After months of persuasion from Mrs Allen, Mr Goodwin and Mr Colin Roberts, founder of Newcastle Staffs Volleyball club, I decided to give volleyball a try. I feel that it’s the best decision I have ever made! On joining the club I found both the players and the coaches were very supportive. I have to mention the Under 15 team particularly because although I am a year younger they have treated me as one of the team which I really appreciated. Those players being: Jack Richardson, Richard James, Rob Bellamy, Will Beacon, Jonny Denfhy and Connor Grimes to name a few. Although I have only been at the club 5 months already I have taken part in events representing the school as well as for Newcastle. Representing the school Harry Dawson, Pieter Drijfhout and I won the Newcastle School’s outdoor tournament held here at Madeley High. Also I have been to Manchester with other pupils from my year to represent Stoke City FC at another outdoor tournament. Along with other Newcastle players in year 9 and 10 I was involved with the non-stop volleyball fundraiser for the Women’s Olympic GB Team, where £230 was raised. I would recommend giving volleyball a go because its an amazing sport to play and watch but also because there is great potential. I would especially suggest starting at Newcastle Staffs because they are welcoming to new players. They have some of the best coaches in the country, they have seen success at national level and the England Volleyball senior and junior cadet teams contain at least half Newcastle Staffs players. “If you never try something you’ll never know what it’s like” by Tom Carter Y9 21
SPORTS REVIEW North Staffs and Stoke on Trent Schools Orienteering Championships Thursday 22nd March 2012 @ Hanley Forest Park On a warm spring day at Hanley Forest Park, Olivia Burton and Katie Smith put in a fantastic performance to win the Y9/10 competition. They were closely followed by Megan Smith and Rebecca Williams who claimed the runners up spot. This was a great performance as it was the girls first competition and their first time orienteering away from the school grounds at Madeley.
School Games This has been a very busy term with pupils participating in a variety of activities. The cheerleading has again proved popular with year 7 girls and a number of year 6s joining us for the first time. We have introduced golf lessons to our year 8, 9 and 10 pupils and the feedback has been positive with pupils saying that they are really enjoying it. On the back of this we have several pupils going to Onneley Golf Course as ambassadors both for the school and the sport on 27th June to support a primary tournament. This month has also seen four of our year 9 boys supporting primary cricket matches as both umpires and scorers for which Carl Inskip has been very grateful and impressed. Next month 12 of our year 10 sports leaders will be supporting Sir John Offley with their sportsday, which will also form part of their sports leader programme. Thursdays has seen the start of our monthly multi-skills academy working with year 6 pupils. The pupils have taken part in a range of sporting activities including volleyball, badminton, and ball skills. The attendance has been good and the pupils are enjoying the variety of activities, with some very positive feedback. On Friday 28th June our primary mini-olympics took place with their year 6 pupils from our feeder primaries enjoying and afternoon of sporting activities.
Pupil SPORTS success CaniX Lucy Matthews in Y8 became the UK Junior Champion in the CaniX event and is now training for the European Championship in October. This is a great achievement and we are all very proud of her. If the event is new to you, details can be found via www.cani-cross.co.uk
Successful Signing! Dan Smith, Y11, made the news in being signed to Liverpool Football Club for a £300,000 fee. The school is very proud of Dan’s achievement and we look forward to seeing him become a premiership success!
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House competition
The 2011-12 House Competition came to a conclusion at Easter. The results couldn’t have been closer, with Space taking the Champions Trophy (overall winners) by ½ point from Fire! The new look competition saw the houses competing not just for the Champions Trophy (overall winners) but also the Sports Shield, Attendance Cup, Creative Cup, Community Cup, Mind Medal and the Performance Plate.
Results Champions Trophy (Overall winners) – Space Sports Shield – Water Attendance Cup – Fire Creative Cup – Air/Space Community Cup – Air Mind Medal – Fire/Earth Performance Plate – Fire The new trophies were presented by Mr Kerridge at the end of term House Assemblies, which featured some excellent presentations from the House Directors. The 2012/13 competition kicks off in the penultimate week of term with the Madeley Mini-Olympics. Starting on Wednesday 11th July each Year group will spend the afternoon competing in house teams in a range of team based sports. The miniolympics will finish on Thursday 19th July with track and field athletics.
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SCHOOL TERMS & HOLIDAY DATES 2012-2013
Autumn Term 2012 Staff: Monday 3rd & Tuesday 4th September - STAFF INSET DAYS Pupils: Wednesday 5th September - Friday 26th October Holiday: Monday 29th October - Friday 2nd November Staff: Monday 5th November - STAFF INSET DAY Pupils: Tuesday 6th November - Friday 21st December Holiday: Monday 24th December - Friday 4th January
Spring Term 2013 Staff & Pupils: Monday 7th January - Friday 15th February Holiday: Monday 18th February - Friday 22nd February Staff & Pupils: Monday 25th February - Thursday 28th March Staff: Thursday 11th & Friday 12th April - STAFF INSET DAYS Holiday: Friday 29th March - Friday 12th April Easter Sunday: Sunday 31st March
Summer Term 2013 Staff & Pupils: Monday 15th April - Friday 24th May May Day: Monday 6th May Holiday: Monday 27th May - Friday 31st May Staff & Pupils: Monday 3rd June - Friday 19th July
HAVE A LOVELY summer BREAK Everyone! 24