The Marches School Class of 2020 Leavers’ Yearbook
Introduction Welcome, Class of 2020, to your Year 11 Yearbook. As a year group, you will go down in history because of all the special circumstances that coincided with the end of your time at The Marches School. We hope you enjoy looking through the pages and that it will help to bring back some good memories. Look out for: • Messages of well wishes and advice from your tutors • Messages from some of the departments sharing some fond memories • Messages from other staff who have played a big part in your school lives Alongside all the messages, I hope you will also enjoy some of the photographs that reflect a wide range of the experiences you will have had as a part of The Marches School. Your parents/carers have also shared a few other photos for your enjoyment. Do not miss the link on the final page. Enjoy!
Message from Mr Pritchard Wonderful Year 11s - what a massive shame it is that I can’t be sharing these words with you in my best suit, bow tie and dancing shoes at our Prom. I am really hopeful that this incredibly strange final chapter in your school lives does not detract from an amazing 5 years at The Marches. On a personal note, all of you have been a huge part of my life over this time - it is a time I will always look back on fondly as my own career develops. Seeing you grow as learners, ready to tackle GCSE exams but, more importantly, from children to young adults fills me with so much pride. Of course it hasn’t been completely plain sailing, all of you will have experienced a huge range of highs and lows, and more than a few of you can take credit for the considerable number of extra grey hairs that I have developed. Looking to the future, with you being the next generation going out into this crazy world, what advice might I give to you? Maybe these two are nice thoughts to leave you with: ‘You’ll always regret the things you didn’t do more than those that you did.’ Now more than ever seems the time to grab every opportunity (you knew that word would be in) that presents itself to you. “Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.” You won’t go far wrong if you follow those words - shared with me a long time ago (in my 18th birthday card) by my grandad. I absolutely, genuinely wish all of you the absolute best for whatever your next steps are, and I am glad I will have the comfort of seeing some of you in our Sixth Form. Please stay in touch if you can, let me know all the amazing things you are doing in your education and your life. If you see me in the street, give me a wave and say ‘Hello’. Look after yourselves and your families.
Message from Mrs Pearson This is a unique year we will never forget, it has been with deep regret that I have seen the milestones you should have experienced pass by, but I have also seen staff determined to do what they could for you with little to no notice – our leavers assembly was especially emotional. The speed at which personal and individual envelopes were put together, seeds were bought and the staff song was written and rehearsed demonstrate Achievement through Caring. You have been extra lucky to have had Mr Pritchard lead you though your time here, his dedication to you just in preparing this book shows the care and regard he has for you. I know from my time with you that you are resilient and strong and you have time on your side, you will progress from this point and join society in Sixth Form, College or work, and make an impact in the world. We are all changed by life experiences, do not dwell on what you may feel you have lost. Your five years of memories here are more than how it ended. Look forward to what is to come – a future where you are in charge of your destiny and so much more is possible out in the world than you know at 16. Feel the fear as you did on your first day with us in Year 7 – it proves you are alive, you got through it as you will again with your new beginnings. You join now and will always be a member of our Marches Alumni. Share with us your learning and successes, we enjoy to celebrate them with you. Enjoy your journey your way, stay safe and be kind.
Message from Mrs Wilmot Well class of 2020, what a year! In my 20 years of teaching, there haven’t been many as memorable as this one and that’s not just because of Covid 19. I can honestly say what an absolute pleasure it has been working with you and I truly mean that from the bottom of my heart, so thank you Year 11 for being amazing. I have seen how much you have grown in Year 11. You have grown in confidence, resilience and maturity and you took everything in your stride. Go out into the world and make a difference. Be bold enough to use your voice, brave enough to listen to your heart and strong enough to live the life you’ve always imagined. Take care and keep smiling
Message from Assistant Progress Leaders To Year 11, I am so sorry that your last year in school hasn’t turned out the way we had all hoped it would be but hope this book gives you something to smile about. To me you will always be Mr Pritchard’s year group and that is really special, I can’t remember another Head of Year who has stayed with their group all the way through – ever. In Year 7, I remember those keen little faces I had in my top set History group, how cute you all were! Then, in Year 10, I was really privileged to be your Assistant Progress Leader and into Year 11. So what will I remember most? Rows probably, rows over make-up! Oh girls I think you think I love giving you make-up wipes but I don’t, I hate it, honestly! Ha! I’ve also really enjoyed seeing you grow, those of you who worried about exams feeling more confident going in, listening to the gossip of what’s going on. You really are a great group of young people and I wish you all the very best for the future. Remember to dream big, go out there and discover the world. See what there is to offer, if you are going to be a mechanic, work for McLaren, if you will be a hairdresser, let me see your work in Vogue magazine, be the doctor who finds vaccines and saves lives or the Head of the Bank of England! Good luck to you all and remember that The Marches School will always be a part of you! Miss Griffiths As Mr P always says…this moment is an opportunity…. and here’s another one. What a lovely idea to look back upon your time here and reflect upon how far you have come. It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of your experience at the school from day 1 and getting to know you during your time here. Wishing you all the best for the future. Mrs Heighway To all of Year 11, the short time I was in your year group team has created a lasting memory. I got to know you all on many different levels but I know you will all go on to do great things. Good luck in the future! Mr Mannion
Message from Head Boy and Head Girl I think everyone can agree that we never would have guessed that our whole secondary school experience would be over on a random Thursday in March. Although we’ve missed out on the end of Year 11 celebrations that we were all looking forward to, we’ve made so many great memories along the way. Thank you to all of the teachers who have supported us right from when we began in Year 7 to now, thanks to Aaron for letting me be (slightly) bossy at times, but most importantly thank you to Mr Pritchard for being the best Head of Year we could have asked for. Good luck everyone and best wishes for the future! Connie Holmes Back when lockdown started , I’m sure many of us were happy at the idea that we got so much time off school. However in the excitement of it all, we missed the opportunity to say a proper goodbye and have to full Year 11 leavers experience. I have so many memories from my time at The Marches that I will always look back on with happiness. Finally I would like to thank Mr Pritchard for all the support he has given us since Year 7, and I’d like to thank all of you for an amazing 5 years. Aaron Spelman
Miss Hefford’s Form
What a pleasure it was to have been your form tutor for 4 years. Right from little Year 7’s to most of you taller than me. We had the best form parties and I will miss them the most. I look forward to seeing most of you back for Sixth Form but the best of luck to those who are exploring pastures new. Miss Richards
I feel very lucky to have had you as my Year 11 form. You worked well as a team and always stuck up for each other. I will not miss trying to make you line up in alphabetical order, or read in silence, but I will miss your chats and your enthusiasm. It was a real pleasure to get to know you all, especially at such an exciting time in your lives. I know you will all go on to achieve incredible things in the future. Keep striving to achieve your dreams and never give up chasing adventures. I wish you all the best of luck. Miss Hefford
Miss Varley’s Form
“The way we left school is typical of your year group - never traditional and always questioning the status quo. People like you lot are those that will make real fundamental change in our world- so never stop being your wonderful unique selves. We will miss you loads and can’t wait to watch you make us proud! Loads of love xx
Mr Francis’s Form What a pleasure it has been to have you lovely lot as my first ever form group at The Marches! It was a pleasure to see you all every day for our 25 minute sessions, particularly for reading - I know how much you all loved Tuesday Newsday! You are all fantastic and I have no doubt that whatever path you have chosen to take after leaving us, you will be fantastic. I wish you all the very best of luck for the future. As I know how much you all love my inspirational quotes wall, remember the words of Walt Disney - “First, think. Second, dream. Third, believe. And finally, dare!” Please don’t be strangers, you know where we all are!
Mr Sherred’s Form What a shame that I only had the pleasure of being with you for a few months. Year 11 is always a period where time flies, and to have it cut short is a big shame. I know you would have done fantastically in the exams, and would have enjoyed the well-deserved prom. You have developed so much across the short space of time that Year 11 brings and I am very proud of all of you. I really hope for the best for all of you, and if we do meet again, please do wave and say “hello”. All the best.
What a year we had! My first ever form at The Marches, surely I’ll never forget you guys. Some great moments had and I really enjoyed watching you guys mature (all be it very slowly for some) into the young adults you are now. From the secret whistlers at reading time to the over excited kahoots. I hope to see some of you next year, but if not then I wish you great luck in whatever path you take, never forget where you came from and keep moving forwards.
Mr Lin’s Form Hello remember me!? This was not how I imagined to see everyone finish Year 11. It would have been nice to see everyone one last time altogether, have a proper goodbye. Especially as I’ve registered most of you, for a 1/3 of your life.....(roughly 5/15). I wish you all well and hope you are keeping safe. Make sure you are still looking ahead and keep moving forward, even though it may seem like time has stood still. Always do your best! Always work hard and never loose your good manners! There’ll be good days and bad days. There’ll be sad days and happy days. Life is a lesson in itself, your choices will shape your journey and it will shape you. Take care of yourself and others closest to you. Be kind and believe in yourself. I hope I have taught you something. I hope I have helped you in some way. I miss you all. Yours Mr Lin (SHL’s School Dad)
Mr Richard’s Form Hi guys, Unfortunately because I only got to have you for such a short period of time I don’t have the massive amounts of memories to share with you that I wish I did. However, over those 7 or so months, that was plenty of time for me to realise what a lovely, mature, kind, friendly bunch of people you really were. My fondest memory will always be just getting to spend those 2 chunks of 25 minutes every day getting to just talk to you guys and get to know you all. It says a lot when those 50 minutes I got to spend with you guys became my favourite part of my day. For you lot to have that big an impact on someone in that short a space of time just goes to show how wonderful a bunch of people you really were! When revision kicked in you guys were hot on it and I didn’t even have to tell you guys to get work/revision out...you were straight on it! I’m confident you will all get the GCSE grades you all deserve and were going to smash any way!! I wish you all the best for the future and as Miss Spencer says, please keep in touch, you know where to find us! Mr Richards. P.S. I did NOT punch the air when I found out I had you guys............it was more of a little dance :/
Mr Richard’s Form So, it’s hard to try and remember all the best bits, or just narrow it down, but here’s some of my KLS memories over the years… The hottest Y6 induction evening ever, with Mr Deery getting excited that Jacob was wearing a rugby kit. Colomendy. Winning EVERYTHING in every competition (and someone mistakenly giving the sweets prize to Corey…). Singing to a sunflower in Scouse to bring it back to life. Playing Pokemon Go. Watching conspiracy theories and ghost stories on YouTube. Making what seemed like the world’s longest paper chain. Citizenship lessons, obviously the best one being the condoms lesson where it turned out Kian, Jack H and Tom didn’t have a clue what to do! And then when we turned the sample condoms into balloons for a bit… Covering everyone with blue face paint for Sports Days, and sharing my strawberries with some of you on the field. Moving up to the huts for a term, all of us complaining every single day about it, and doing a huge cheer when we found out we’d be moving back to L4. Getting snowed in at break with you all, before they finally shut school. A few tears and arguments. Many laughs (sometimes at each other… mainly Tom. And his greenfly). People falling asleep during reading. Welcoming in every new person, to the point that we no longer remembered they were ever ‘new’, including a few European students and some trainee teachers too! Actually getting permission from Mrs Pearson to organise a charity water fight, which we then never organised! Giving you a Valentine’s Day gift every year. A lot of us getting confused that Eva and Holly have the same birthday. Some of you not realising Maddie and Lydia were twins! Three Bonington House Champion BBQs. Form parties. Measuring skirt lengths with a ruler after the new rules were announced. Practicing for House competitions - singing Christmas songs, building bridges, book topples, baking, Just Dance videos, fishing, etc. Telling other students whenever they asked who my favourite class was, that it was my form. Crying when I found out I wasn’t going to be your form tutor in Year 11 but feeling relieved that you were going to Mr Richards after he excitedly came running into my room to tell me he’d got you lot, punching the air! Getting to watch you all grow from little 10 and 11-year olds to young adults (with most of you now taller than me!) I was so looking forward to seeing you all at prom to give you the send off you more than deserved, but for now let me say this – you are all AMAZING. I couldn’t be any prouder of each and every one of you for everything you have achieved since you started at The Marches, and I hope you all get the GCSE grades you’ve worked so hard for. I can’t wait to see what you’re all going to go on to do over the next few years – remember, the world is still your oyster, and I know none of you will let this virus stop you from achieving your dreams. Whether you’re carrying on at The Marches Sixth Form or moving on elsewhere, make sure you keep in touch! Much love to each and every one of you! Mrs Spencer
Miss Robert’s Form Thank you for letting me join your tutor group for most of Year 11. You were a group of so many different personalities but put up with my daily nagging, moaning. We had many ups and downs, being the best at getting inside when it is raining because you could get in a straight line and winning the attendance award and receiving the advent calendar. I wish you all the luck in the world with whatever you chose to do, stay safe.
Mr Lloyd-Jones’s Form It was a real pleasure to have such a lovely and caring Year 11 Form Group. It was a real team with everyone looking out for each other no matter what. We always had a positive, hardworking environment and importantly some good laughs along the way; “Mr Lloyd-Jones doesn’t know about anything that’s going on” – Leonie Ford. Best of luck for everyone’s future endeavors, you all deserve success and happiness. Mr Lloyd-Jones
Mr Kent’s Form I couldn't have asked for a better form, you were all very well mannered and respected one another! It's been a pleasure speaking to you all and being able to talk about your hobbies and interests! I believe that every one of you will go on to achieve great things! Best of luck for the future. Take Care Mr Kent
11M APK, I couldn’t let you leave school without saying good luck!!! I really enjoyed being your tutor for year 9 and 10 and I hope you all do well with your results this summer and you can go on to secure all the placements, apprenticeships etc that you are aiming for. You are all a great bunch with lots of potential, take your chances and work hard towards your goals and I’m sure you will do well. It was a shame I couldn’t have stayed your tutor into year 11 but I just wanted to say I hope that you enjoy the summer despite the weird circumstances with lockdown and go on to enjoy the last parts of education, training, responsibility and the money that comes with the world of work. Take care all and all the best. Mr C Davies
Miss Boag’s Form Firstly, thank you to each and every one of you for making my first year as a form tutor so enjoyable. There were many laughs and it was a pleasure getting to know you and finding out your passions and aspirations. I have no doubt that you will all achieve your goals and look forward to hearing all your successes. I will leave you with some wise words from Dave Grohl- "Once you find that inspiration, you shouldn't be afraid to follow it. Because anything is possible." Miss Boag
Messages from Maths I still can’t believe the year is nearly over and I haven’t seen you complete your exams. Some of you were definitely cheated out of your opportunity to shine there. Though Phoebe, Shannon, Katie and Beth I think we dodged a dramatic bullet there. The morning ritual of checking planners and pencil cases, was a nice start to the day where I got to see all of you, Faye you’d always let me check eventually. Tom I will miss your elaborate good mornings (Piracy has never been my thing). Freya, whether you enjoyed it or not you would always arrive at school with a smile. Drew, you even arrived with a pen and managed to keep in until period 2 some days. Teaching Maths to my Year 11 group this year was a real pleasure, with Kian, Jack and Tom often offering suggestions. Being able to offer some quality intervention sessions we would have smashed that higher exam. Phoebe I appreciate you protecting my calculators and Beth giving me enough room to dance at the front. Abi, the lunchtime duty snacks you provided were most appreciated. I hope you all do well in the future, do stay in touch. Best Wishes Mr Lane
What a strange way to end a year! I personally am sad that you didn’t get to prove yourself in the exams, as we would have seen some amazing results. I am very proud of the way you developed across the year (two years for some of you I was lucky enough to teach in Year 10 too). Not only have your mathematics skills developed, I have seen you grow into young adults. I truly wish you the best for your next stage in your life. Mr Sherred
Messages from English 11B1 you were an absolute joy to teach. I couldn’t fault your determination and hard work and you managed to put a smile on my face every time I saw you! Good luck with everything in the future (though I have no doubt you’ll succeed in whatever you choose to do!). From Miss Smith 11B6 and 11E1: you have got to be two of the most fantastic Year 11 classes I have ever had the privilege of teaching. You were (mostly !) hard working and it’s such a shame that we didn’t get to end the year like we should have done. I have taught most of you since Year 7 and I have seen you grow up into mature, well-rounded adults. I couldn’t be more proud of the group of individuals you have become. I will always remember the successes you all had in your GCSE Literature exams. It was a slog but we got there in the end and all of that hard-work (and nagging from me!) paid off. You should all be very proud of yourselves. Embrace each and every opportunity that is put in front of you and make choices that you know will make you happy! Good luck in everything that you do! I’m sure that you will all go far. From Miss Lloyd
11E4 It seems that over the years, that my classes were inescapable for some of you, as time after time, you all kept getting moved in back into my classes. But, I have had the pleasure to watch you grow from little Year 7s to the confident, able (and definitely taller than me!) Year 11s. Despite all the class juggling, huge literature folder lifting and, of course, the 'red dot of doom', I know that you will be able to achieve whatever you set your minds too. Have confidence in yourselves and go seek all the adventures, that are out there waiting for you. From Miss Mullane 11B2 I took over teaching you lot last year and had been warned that you were 'chatty'. However, as a class, you took chattiness to a new art form! However, I quickly harnessed this, by getting you to talk through your quotes, analysis, narratives etc. Hopefully, some of you should still be able to name a quote! Evidently, all that speaking paid off, with a vast majority of you ending up in the leadership team. Although, you did occasionally slip into bad habits with some memorable conversations on the 'Knights who say 'Ni'' from Isaac and Tom, and Aaron's inability to say 'no' to Connie. As my last Year 11 group at The Marches, I know how this non-traditional ending feels. However, you were never a traditional class! I know that all of you can, and will, succeed. Leaving you with a quote: 'Live in the Past, the Present and the Future!'- go out there and flourish. From Miss Mullane
11B3: I hope that by now you truly understand how proud I am of each and every one of you. Since taking you on as a class in September you have continued to show just how truly amazing each of you are as a group but also as individuals. I know the nagging got to some of you at times, the heat was unbearable in the room for some and freezing for others, and I dread to think what would have happened if I had had to drag you through another booklet (you loved them really!) but in all honesty, no matter what challenges I put in front of you, you still had a go, did your best and came out smiling (eventually!). I am so grateful that I got the chance to teach you in your final year. I’ve worked really hard since starting teaching 7 years ago to try and not be the ‘crier’ and be emotional every time a class left me. But your last day broke me and I think that shows the impact you have had even in such a short space of time! Please continue to try and believe in yourselves, never give up and always remember that I will be cheering you on forever (no nagging any more I promise!). Good luck in everything you do – you will smash it J P.S. Still don’t know who took the sweets! From Miss Wilson
Well 11B1, where do I start? Most of us have been together for the last three years and what a journey it’s been: I couldn’t be prouder of all the hard work that went into preparing for your English Literature GCSE a year early and getting to share in the successes on exam results day when you had some of the best results we’ve ever had in the department. This continued into Year 11 and I am so sad that our time together was cut short – I just hope that you enjoyed our lessons as much as I did! I wish you all the very best in the next stage of your journeys and hope to see some of you next year in A Level Literature. Take care you bunch of utter legends From Mrs. Robinson 11E2, you were a bunch of characters! You were the first, and longest, class I’ve had at The Marches, taking you throughout your GCSE years. It was amazing to watch you all grow into young adults with confidence. I was so proud of how you worked hard before their GCSE and how you took the disappointing news that you weren't sitting the exam so well. I'm upset that I didn't get to see you at prom, but I know you will go far and wish you all the best in the future. Miss Neild xx 11B5 I don’t think I can express how incredibly proud I am of all of you. It has been an absolute pleasure to be your teacher – thank you for all of the times that you made me laugh (there are far too many to mention). You all have a huge amount of potential and deserve to be successful in whatever you decide to pursue. Always believe in yourselves From Miss Whitaker
11D Media Studies You have all come so far over the past two years and have grown not only as Media Studies students but also as individuals. I am so proud of how far you all came with your fantastic practical coursework pieces and how you showed perseverance through some of the 'less exciting' media texts. Even though you were unable to sit your GCSE exam, I will always know how well you did in Media Studies. Well done! From Mrs. Mills 11A Media Studies I couldn't be more proud of everything you all achieved over the past 2 years in Media Studies. Although we didn't get to finish all of the content or sit the GCSE exam, it was so clear from our lessons how far you had all come with your understanding of media terminology and theory. Not only are you all now able to answer an exam style question with confidence but you also created some amazing coursework pieces which I will be showing off to pupils and teachers for many years to come. Well done! From Mrs. Mills
“Thank you and good luck! I am so proud of what 11B4 science in particular achieved over the course of the year. I will forever remember Louis Mansell singing, the wonderful ‘randomness’ of the boys on the back row and the incredible patience of the rest of the group! You worked so hard and did such an ace job in science . Across year 11, there are so many fantastic students and characters so thank you! It has been a pleasure and privilege to have taught so many of you over that time and you have definitely made a positive and lasting impression. For those of you coming to Sixth Form, I can’t wait to see you in September, and for all going off to pastures new, I wish you all the very best and every success you deserve! Keep believing in yourselves and remember, Rainbows, Unicorns and Butterflies. Mr Collier”
I've had the pleasure of teaching most of you at some point over the past 5 years. It was never dull – especially when there was another argument between Geno and Fran! Whatever you decide to do next year, I hope you make the most of all the opportunities that present themselves to you and enjoy yourselves. Good luck and enjoy whatever adventures await you! Mr Moffatt.
Well, what a year to end on eh. Even though I didn’t get the pleasure of teaching you in Year 11, I was just as sad as you knowing there’d be no chance to see you all glammed up at prom, celebrate and cry with you at results day, wish you well as you move onto the next stage of your life! I had the fabulous chance to teach you in my training year in Year 8 (James Gregory you made me question my decision to teach a number of times!) and then lots of you again in Year 9 and Year 10. I can safely say you’ve been my favourite year group so far – so vivacious, full of character (and characterS!) and now hopefully super resilient. Hope to see many back in Sixth Form and to those of you that go on to pastures new – make the most of everything that gets thrown your way, enjoy the adventure and don’t let the bumps in the road hold you back! You’re all amazing in your own unique way. And Cia – I look forward to the day when you open your own bakery – those Nutella cakes were insanely good! Miss Price xx
Well, Well, well....what a few months. The first few weeks were a little trying but quickly you came to trust me and what a few months we have had. I'm sorry it didn't quite end as it should have but that last day we had working all day on your coursework was productive and fun. What a distance we had travelled. I'm so proud of you all and wish you the best of luck :) Ms Boy x
11B3 Science - fantastic group with some lovely students. I taught this group for Years 10 and 11 and built up a great relationship with them. They were hard working, fun and I looked forward to their lessons. I have missed having a laugh with them. I taught Drew Brennan from Year 7 all the way to Year 11 and even in Year 11, I was still catching him trying to throw paper aeroplanes around my classroom. Unfortunately for him I sat him in the seat that formed a shadow on my board so I always knew if he got up! Most of the group were pleasant and mature young people and I wish them all the best.
11B1 Chemistry - I taught this group in Years 10 and 11 and they were amazing. We had some great times and this group knew when to have a laugh and a joke and when to be serious. They were hard working, conscientious and a very well-mannered young people. We had some great discussions about science in the real world, which would take us off track, but was enjoyable. Many of this group have great futures ahead of them and I hope they make it as they deserve to. I wish them all the best. Mrs Keeling x
Missing you Year 11 RE 2020. I will see most of you next year so make the most of your break and lack of flash card making. Good luck to those moving on to other places – it’s been a pleasure. Love Miss Richards x My class of 2020, you drove me nuts in Year 10 at times (Fri p5) but I loved watching you all grow in Year 11 into the fantastic people that you are!! Every single one of you has so much potential...so go out there, and make it count!! Mrs Hughes I can’t tell you how unbelievably proud I am of how far you have come. You have learnt so much in the years I have known you, about Geography and life, and I have definitely learnt lots from you too! You have grown into lovely people, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you all and celebrate your successes. Miss Jordan
Well guys, what can I say? I have missed having you all in my classroom (even Kane đ&#x;˜‰đ&#x;˜‰)! Watching you all grown into bright, capable young people has been an absolute pleasure. I will miss Charlotte’s cakes, Faye’s wit, the boy’s attempts at rubbish banter and the whole class’s ability to make me smile. Watching you believe in yourselves this year when you gained a grade you worked really hard for was the highlight of my time with you (Anya, Sally and Tom). I hope you all bring forward your self-belief into your exciting new adventures ahead. Love Miss Phillips
Humanities say ‌
Remember everything you learned from me was never to pass an exam. You are now geographers – you now understand the world better and YOU have the power to make it even better. Good luck in everything that you go on to do- you’ll be amazing! Mr Wilson To Year 11 and especially my 11B option group and 11B2 You are such a wonderful group of people! I’ve really enjoyed spending my time teaching you and I hope that you will continue to be interested in History in the future, some of you should definitely be taking History for A Level! You’ve worked so hard over the last two years it’s strange to end this way but hey, you have made once in a generation history in being this Year group! I wish you all the very best of luck and remember as S Club 7 would say, Reach for the Stars! Miss Griffiths
In 2015 I started my teaching career and you guys all started Year 7 and I feel privileged to have shared this journey with you. You are an amazing year group and have so much to be proud of. I still remember that extremely wet trip to Criccieth with you all – I have never seen such wet fieldwork papers!! 5 years later and you are loving the fieldwork just as much at Erddig. You have always been such a fun and enthusiastic year group – NEVER CHANGE! A special good luck to all of 11B1 who worked so hard this year – you are an INCREDIBLE group of students who I have no doubt will go far. Miss Jenner ď Š
I had the privilege of 2 Year 11 classes, some of you I had taught since Year 9‌ where your notorious reputation meant you ended up with lucky old me! In all seriousness you have been a pleasure as it is the biggest honour of being a teacher to watch you grow up and mature - and my gosh you certainly did that. I am very proud of you all and am gutted our time together was cut short. I have seen more wet socks and sliders than I ever thought I would and I can’t go to Erddig without cringing and feeling quite nervous at the sight of that deep meander!! Continue to better yourselves and thanks for the laughs. Love Miss Redfern x
Messages from PE Football One of the most talented years we have had for a long time. They started their school careers and ended them with a shared cup win – a certain sense of irony that Mr Pritchard with all his football knowledge did no better than me with them! That said, I can’t believe how many different boys finished representing the school at some point over the years. Highlight of the memories. James Gregory drilling a free kick over the keeper to take us ahead in the cup final in Y7. Charlie Morris still hasn’t forgiven me for not awarding a penalty in the cup game in Y7. Drew Brennan finishing from a flowing move down the left wing to seal the cup game in autumn this year – even remembered his boots that day. Thanks for all the time you gave to your school over the years. Make sure you keep playing. Rugby One of the years where we were so happy with the talent available. A complete contrast to the Football team, full of academics and dodgy haircuts. Some great wins more recently and a team well-led by the core of the Oswestry Rugby Club squad and Joe ( county) Hodgson. Hope you can continue to play the world’s best game either here in Oswestry, away at University or somewhere else in the world. Can’t let the occasion go without mentioning the Badminton…… Unbelievable result boys. Smashed it!
The most successful team we have had at the school. We don’t have many teams who do well at County level when we come up against the Shrewsbury and Telford teams – but these ladies were County Champs this year. My highlight though has to be when we beat Ellesmere College at Ellesmere College in the North Shropshire Final. We were loosing at halftime and had to contest with a very verbal crowd which consisted of Ellesmere parents and the Headteacher! We clawed it back and we crowned champs. A very proud moment. Mrs Bladen
Message from Business Studies I don’t really know where to start! I’ve had the honour of teaching lots of you over the years, either for your GCSE Business, NCFE Business or KS3 ICT (and there’s the old form group too – what a team!). It was a real privilege to get to know you all so well, you’ve been a wonderful year group, full of fun (and a little bit of challenge!) and I’ll have some very fond memories of you all. I’d like to send a specific farewell to my business classes. To 11A, I’m sorry we didn’t get to enjoy a summer term up in the new room (after months of me promising!). An outdoor lesson on that little patio would have been pretty great! I’m super proud of you all – it’s been an honour to get to know you and I looked forward to every single one of our lessons, you were a fantastic little team. I’ll let you off for supporting the blues Aaron and Billy – so long as you promise to keep making up for it with your hard work, positivity and by being all round excellent humans (by the way - who won the Premier League in the end lads?) Abi Perry – I’m not entirely sure I’ll ever top ruining a student’s book by leaving it hanging out of the car door for 25 minutes on the way to school. Of course it was the book of a student who was particularly fussy about their presentation (sorry again..!). To the NCFE team – I’m so proud of you all, you deserved your early year successes and you made some excellent cupcakes (well, Chloe, Charlotte, Sally and Grace did…). Finally, the 11D team. It was a short-lived little spell but a big well done to you, it was nice to see you grow and mature - but Jude, perhaps stay away from Bluetooth speakers… I can’t help but feeling a little robbed, I was really looking forward to seeing you all walk in and out of those exams, you’d all worked so very hard and you deserved a chance to show it all off, but never mind. We know (and you know too) that you’re all ace, so go forward with that confidence in yourselves, it’s well earned. Good luck with everything you do guys, stay in touch and I’ll see you A-Level lot soon! Mr. Davies
Message from Performing Arts
Looking through all your pictures it is clear the impact you have had at The Marches School. Year 11 you have been phenomenally talented Drama and Music students. Covid-19 may have stolen your last term, but it will never steal the memories that will be forever present in the walls of each PA space you have performed in. You will be a difficult act to follow and we will miss you so much. Good Luck and don’t forget us! Love from: Mrs Gilpin, Miss King, Mr Carne, Mrs Craddock-Jones and Miss Coakley-Williams xxx
It's been a great pleasure to get to know my French students over the past two years. They have probably been the most talented Year 11 I have had to teach. I look forward to seeing them again in our Sixth Form and I am delighted that some have chosen to do French at A Level. I wish them all the best for the future and I am sure it will be full of success. They deserve it. Mr Saunier
Good Luck Year 11! From the MFL department It has been a real pleasure teaching you this year. Thank you for working hard! I have missed you! I wish you all the best for the future. Bonne chance et au revoir. Mrs Baker
The best Spanish class and form I have ever had. It has been a pleasure seeing you all grow from Year 7s into talented, kind and courageous young people. You will be the Year 11s that go down in history! We have and will miss you. Good Luck with everything. Miss Pearce
It's such a shame that we are saying goodbye like this, instead of seeing you all at Prom or on your last day! I wish you all the absolute best for the future, you're a bunch of wonderful people and I really enjoyed teaching you over the last two years! I hope you remember all the strange ways we remembered our Spanish phrases and the constant names of some well known members of your family on the whiteboard and in any game we played! Let me know what you're up to in the future, I'd love to hear from you! Mrs Gottschalk
Message from the Pastoral Team Throughout life remember…….
be calm, be patient, develop tolerance and be kind to others and you will find peace and happiness… Above all, never give up…..and make your dreams come true! A pleasure to have started your journey with you at The Marches School, Mrs Holdsworth The RESET Centre Can’t quite believe that your time here in main school is done – seems to have gone in a flash! You have been a very entertaining year group, with plenty of great memories……good and bad! Can’t say I am going to miss chasing some of you for uniform, detentions, lates and a small minority who liked to hide in order to get some ‘fresh air’. Seriously, you have left a huge hole and I am devastated we didn’t get to celebrate with you at Prom. Good luck, stay safe and grab every opportunity. Miss Phillips Dear Year 11 – Class of 2020 What a weird end to the year. Something we will all remember. You should be really proud of all your achievements and particularly coping with such a massive shift from what you expected to experience over the last few months. You have earned your place on the next ladder of life. We will definitely miss you up in student support (pastoral!) The girls who made an art of taking the slowest time on record to change their uniform (you know who you are) The students who tried to sneak in for a gossip at lunch (mostly the same students!) – you obviously are going to miss us too?! Make your own luck and stay safe. Best Wishes - Miss James
Message from staff
My main memories are Louis Mansell singing “Catalysts speed up reactions” over and over again, the time Tom Purcell came up with his own scientific rule (The Purcell Rule) to calculate the ratio of hydrogens and carbons in alkanes and the amount of times Tom Hodgkinson had a go at other students in 11B4 for pronouncing words wrong! He had a very different accent… Mr Collier I have seen you on crutches, with very questionable haircuts, on your sad days, back from exclusion days, I can't do PE days, weeks, months, ever.... I'm not doing that option block, I'm new to the school...I have lost my timetable please can you tell me where I should be, I have broken up with my boyfriend (rarely girlfriend), I have fallen out with my friends ... endless often bizarre reasons. I always say if I don't know your name it is a good thing. Some of you I know very well and will miss you. Others, Tom, especially on a Friday...what can I say...... SSS is a bit of a dysfunctional family with a really random assortment of pupils in it at any one time. You have all been really kind and supportive not just to each other but all of the younger pupils as well, taking them to lessons, giving them good advice, helping them with their work. You have laughed a lot, cried a lot, had numerous traumas and crises, but you have grown up to be amazing young people ready to face your next challenges in life. I am very proud of you. Good Luck - Mrs Hayes
The Badminton Match After weeks of competition the winners of the Student Competition, earning the chance to challenge Mr Pritchard and Mr Lin, were Max Thomas and San Rogers- and what worthy challengers they were. On the last Wednesday before half term, at lunchtime, a crowd built steadily in the Sports Hall as the players warmed up and the atmosphere was electric by the time the first serve was played. The bumper crowd was noisy- approximately 200 staff and students- clearly favoring Sam and Max as their preferred winners! The staff started well, initially handling the pressure better than their much younger advisories and won the 1st game without breaking sweat. Mr Lin impressing in particular with some lovely shots. The second game followed a similar pattern and again the teachers were comfortable winners. 2-0. Mr Pritchard and Mr Lin could have been guilty of over confidence, cockiness and complacency at this point‌ At the start of the third game the boys won a couple of cheap points, then a couple more, then a couple morewithin the blink of an eye the boys were leading the game by 8 points to nil! The crowd became much more excited and vocal and the boys easily won the game. 2-1. If the early pressure of the big occasion had been managed better by the staff at the start of the game, by now this had completely turned on its head! Some absolutely brilliant play- Sam Rogers cross court back hand and smash alongside Max’s magic near the net made the boys almost impossible to beat- they hardly lost another point in the match- quickly sealing the 4th game to make it 2-2 and then easing through the final game without any drama to be crowned as champions. The crowd went wild at the moment of victory and the 4 players shook hands- the teachers knowing they had been soundly beaten. The trophy was presented by a member of staff from the Movement Centre- reminding everyone the main reason for the whole event- over £200 raised for this amazing cause in just half an hour of thrilling badminton! Thank you to Mr Martin for helping with arrangements, the music and umpiring the game- there was one call of a foul serve that is still controversial.
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Shotput Champion Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9
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Awards
Music
How it all started‌..
How it all started‌..
How it all started‌..
How it all started‌..
How it all started‌..
How it all started‌..
How it all started‌..
How it all started‌..
How it all started‌..
How it all started‌..
A huge thank you must go to all of your parents and carers for two things: 1. All of their support over the (nearly) 5 years you were with us. You will owe a huge amount of credit to them for all the successes you have had. As always, the school is grateful for all of this support, through the good and bad times - it is extremely valued. 2. For sending in the pictures that follow in the next few pages.
THANK YOU!
Only one way to end this book - a good sing song!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_7l10EtTMw