ISSUE 7 Summer 2015
in this issue
It’s Prom time...
...Year 11 photography students work in the frame Year 11 Make the cut in City & Guilds... ...Award Winning Technow-Logic Sports Sponsorship... ...and a whole lot more
HEADS Review
SCHOOL TERM & HOLIDAY DATES 2015-2016 AUTUMN TERM 2015
Spring News
Dear Parents, from the Shrewsbury Carers, Students & Supporters Academies Trust As you are aware, Rob Hatch, Headteacher of The Grange School is leaving to take up the position of Principal at Holly Hall Academy in Dudley from 1st September 2015. I should like to congratulate Mr Hatch on this exciting opportunity. The vision of a brand new school in the north of Shrewsbury has taken a step closer to reality following the results of a major consultation and the decision of the Department for Education. Parents, staff and other stakeholders approved the merger of The Grange and Sundorne secondary schools before Easter. Following the consultation, the two schools - which are operated by Shrewsbury Academies Trust - will merge in September 2016 to form the Shrewsbury Academy. As you are aware, the trust board has announced that the intention is that the Shrewsbury Academy will eventually be located in purpose-built premises, replacing the 1950’s building currently occupied by the two. In the interim period, from September 2016, all Year 7 students will start their education at an expanded Sundorne School site, whilst the Grange students continue their education at their current location in Harlescott. As reported in the Easter Newsletter we were not successful in our bid to obtain capital for a new secondary school building in the PSBP2 (Priority School Building Programme 2) round of bids. However, we will continue to bid for capital for a brand new secondary school building when the Government makes money available. Aside from any discussions relating to secondary reorganisation we submitted several bids under the CIF (Condition Improvement Fund) and I am happy to advise that we were successful in securing £300,000 funding for the removal of asbestos and refurbishment of the Art block. Grange Secondary School was visited by Ofsted Inspectors in March 2015 when the school was graded RI (Requires Improvement) with Good for Behaviour and Safety of students. This judgement is a big step forward and a milestone on the schools’ journey to Good and beyond. As I write this, Year 11s are finishing off their GCSE examinations and I would like to finish by wishing them good luck for their exam results in the summer and their subsequent pathways in either further education or the world of work. Best wishes for a great summer holiday,
Geoff Pettengell Principal - Shrewsbury Academies Trust
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Dear Parents, Carers, Students and Friends of the Grange it is with great sadness that I write my final address to you in this superb publication. I take great pride in having worked at such a fantastic school. It has been my privilege to have been the Headteacher here and I have enjoyed it immensely. I will leave with very fond memories and will always look back to my Shrewsbury days with nostalgia. My daughter was born here so I feel deeply connected to the Town. The high point has to be the Ofsted Inspection of March 2015. This was a vindication of all of the hard work undertaken by the staff, Governors and students over the last 3 years. It was very satisfying and a testament to endeavor to finally be out of the category of ‘Special Measures’ and at last see “inadequate” removed as an adjective from the Grange lexicon. I have to say that in the Christmas holiday of 2012/13, on the eve of my appointment it was not without some trepidation that I looked at the situation the school faced. I need not have worried. The response and warmth in that bleak winter was magnificent. There has been ‘togetherness’ amongst the staff and students and the firm belief that things would improve. Headteachers can overly analyse these things and I am sure that the spirit which I have seen here would have led to improvement anyway. If I have played some small part in that success then I am grateful to Grange for providing me with that experience. I am clear that I could not have left my last job to go to directly to my next one; it is the Grange that has hopefully equipped me for that challenge. I therefore thank you all. With regard to OFSTED I must take this opportunity to reassure all of the parents, friends and students at the Grange that we are actively tackling the areas in the report where we need to be doing better. I have every confidence that the new phase of the journey will be ably steered by Mrs Ward and Mr Raeside and she has my best wishes in taking the school to new heights. Finally; I would like to record my thanks for the unwavering support of me in the discharging of my duties to this school and community. I wish to thank the Staff, Students, and Parents & Governors of the Grange School.I wish to record particular thanks to Ms Cross, Miss Williams, Mr Cox and Mrs Ward who have been such superb professional colleagues. Any shortcomings throughout the improvement journey we have all embarked on are my sole responsibility. I wish the community of North Shrewsbury the very best for the future and I hope to see the journey continue to “outstanding”- you deserve it.
Rob Hatch Headteacher
Monday 7th & Tuesday 8th September 2015 Teacher Training (School closed for students) Wednesday 9th September 2015 Term starts for students Friday 23rd October 2015 Teacher Training (School closed for students) Monday 26th October – Friday 30th October 2015 Half Term Monday 2nd November 2015 Return to school Friday 18th December 2015 Term ends for students
Useful Dates for Parents/Students
KS4 Drama & Performing Arts Trip 1st October 2015 Year 7 Photos 15th October 2015 French Trip 22nd – 25th October Presentation Evening 19th November 2015 Matinee Performance 9th December 2015 Christmas Show 10th December 2015 Panto Trip – (Yr 7’s) 16th December 2015
School Office 8.00am – 4.00pm Tel: 01743 445493
To report a student absence contact the School Office between
8.00am – 9.00am
Art & Photography Elouise Franks – 11
RTO
EXHIBITION
This was a fantastic opportunity to show case the amazing work produced by our extremely talented Year 11 students. With an exceptional standard being reached by the students this year it was important for as many as possible to appreciate. My best wishes go with Year 11 and hopefully we should be looking at record results this summer. Abbie Davie
Mr. J. Tomkinson Head of Art
s 11 JEE
North Wales
ARTS Review
YEAR 11
Photography Trip 36 Year 10 Photographers took a trip to North Wales on the 16th June. The weather was glorious, ideal for a days’ photography. Our first stop was at Boddelwyddan Church, nick named the marble Church because of its majestic white stone that greets you along the A55 just below Boddelwyddan Castle. The large and imposing Church looks beautiful at all times of the year but especially on a gorgeous day like today. Next we went on to Conwy to photograph the boats in the harbour and the outside of the Castle. Our next destination was Llandudno pier. This again is a beautiful spot with the multi coloured hotels reaching out to the sea. The students were busy snapping photographs of the pier with the Great Orme acting as a beautiful backdrop behind. This was also an ideal opportunity to have our picnics and sneak the odd ice cream, freshly cooked donuts or both! Our last stop was the beautiful golden beach in Talacre. Students were weaving their way through the labyrinth of sand dunes to capture the best photographs of the old and rustic lighthouse, which is the focal point of the beach. Students left North Wales tired but with a buzz of enjoyment. A thoroughly enjoyable day was had by all.
Mr. J. Tomkinson Head of Art
Jamie Lane 11 EJO
Abbi Davies 11RTO
Beth Williams 11 JEE
Abbi Davies 11RTO
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ARTS Review
Dance
Year 10 students look forward to completing the first year of their GCSE course and will conclude their year with a Dance performance in the Summer Concert. The girls have worked hard this year and are making good progress to achieve their grades next summer. Key stage 3 Dance club is held on a Thursday after school for all students. We have been looking at two Dance styles, Street Dance and Salsa. All the students have worked really well after school and looked forward to taking part in the Summer Concert. Key stage 4 Dance club is held on a Tuesday after school and again all students have been enthusiastic and hard working. They have learnt the style of Bollywood and Ballet dance, again with the students looking forward to performing in the Summer Concert. It has been really lovely to have 2 Year 11 students back after school to be involved in Dance club and I wish them all the success in the future.
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Practice expedition 2015
Miss Williams Teacher of Dance
Summer Show
After many weeks of rehearsals the Grange students demonstrated their talents in a sizzling summer show based on the idea of ‘Journey’. The students gave two performances, a matinee on Wednesday 1st July and an evening show on 2nd July. The shows consisted of a variety of Drama, Dance and Music pieces based on styles and themes from around the world. Students were confident and the audience made great comments about the concert. Well done to all who were involved, a great show!
School Production
Auditions for next year’s whole school production will take place in early September so start practising now. We always welcome students getting involved, whether it is on stage, backstage, in the Art department producing costumes, props and scenery, or on lighting and sound. Listen out for announcements in September for how you can become involved.
Gifted & Talented Music Day Several of our Year 7 students participated in a Gifted and Talented Music day here at the Grange School on 6th July. The day aimed to challenge, broaden and deepen knowledge and understanding within Music and also to strengthen instrumental and vocal skills. The Grange students were joined by a number of students from other schools in Shrewsbury. Together, the students worked hard and enjoyed the challenges that the vocal and instrumental workshops gave them! It was very nice to see students from a range of schools and of different musical experiences joining together to create music.
Mrs Bradburn Head of Faculty - Arts
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On 4th and 5th June, 11 Year 9 students completed their Bronze DofE practice expedition. They walked from Ruyton XI Towns to Melverley on day 1, and then back to Ruyton XI Towns by a different route on day 2. They had to be completely self-sufficient, carrying all their belongings and equipment that they needed for the 2 days. They camped overnight at Melverley, cooking their own food and looking after themselves. All the students found it a challenge and learnt a lot from the experience. They are ready to complete their assessed expedition in July, where we expect all 11 to pass.
Miss McCombie & Mr Thomas
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition was a great experience for all of us. For me I felt I really learned a lot about what I could do. The best part of the expedition had to be the cooking as everyone took part and my group managed to produce a good meal and we weren’t expecting that. Overall this experience was enlightening and fun. All of us can’t wait for the assessed expedition so we can do better at relating our surroundings to the map when walking as we kept getting lost but in the end we finished successfully.
Megan Farmer 9NJH
Somme Trip Vimy Ridge
Vimy Ridge was a museum and memorial for the Canadian soldiers who fought in the 1st World War. The museum had pieces of equipment and personal belongings in it. There were also trenches that were used during the war. We saw an underground area what was kept together very well, most of the original supports where still intact, with only some minor repairs to keep the place together. At the top of the ridge, there was a giant memorial to the soldiers, which stretched over multiple hills.
Menin Gate
We went to the Menin Gate ceremony at 8.00 pm at night. This ceremony happens at this time every single night to honour the people who died fighting in the 1st World War. Inside of the Menin Gate there were hundreds of thousands of names of people who died in the war. A service was then carried out where a bugle call would be made, followed by a minute’s silence. An extract from a poem read which ended the ceremony.
Ash Davies & Luke Morris 9 NJH
We went on a skiing trip to Aosta, Italy at the resort of Pila late March early April. Grange and Sundorne went on a combined trip for the first time since becoming an academy. We met at Grange on the Saturday at 3pm and travelled to Dover departing at 9.30 pm and arriving in Calais at 11.30 pm by which time we were very tired. We then travelled through France to the North West of Italy. We tried to sleep but we were all very excited, when we did sleep we were awoken by the familiar voice of Miss Evans telling us we were stopping for a free French breakfast. Once we arrived at the resort we collected our ski equipment and then went to our hotel and sorted out our rooms and had lunch. The food over the week was magnificent and consisted of pizza, pasta, soups and lovely desserts.
EVENTS Review
Skiing Trip to Aosta
The skiing was fantastic. We woke up at 7.15 am every morning to have breakfast and get ready for skiing. For the first 2 days we were in random groups progressing skills and building up our confidence. After the first 2 days we were then put in ability groups for the remaining 3 days. We took part in many activities, Karaoke and quizzes and went to town to buy gifts. On the last day we were given a certificate by the instructors and we gave them gifts. Overall the trip was a phenomenal experience and I would love to do it again.
Harry Cheshire 10JCT
PROM NIGHT 2015 This year’s Prom was a perfect end to another busy year! The dresses, the cars, the dinner jackets all blended together beautifully with to create a wonderful atmosphere that staff and students alike would agree made for a great evening. What a great way to celebrate the end of GCSE examinations and the start of summer. I’m now looking forward to seeing the photographs published in the local press so that the rest of the town can see that The Grange School can really put on a show! I hope to see you all again in the autumn to celebrate your achievements at Presentation Evening.
Mrs Lock Key Stage 4 Progress Manager
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EVENTS Review
ATTENDANCE
Online safety & Cyber Bullying Message As a school we try to encourage online safety and cyber bullying through ICT and PHSE lessons as well as inviting agencies in to speak with students to make them aware of dangers. On the 22 April students had the opportunity to meet, Rich Cottell who has been taking part in an online and cyber bullying school themed tour across the UK. Rich is an upcoming singer/songwriter and has supported bands such as The Wanted and Conor Maynard. Rich spoke with students about personal experiences and possible dangers through social media and the internet. Students were engaged and thoroughly connected with Rich Cottell and his unique way of capturing their attention from the start. Rich sang current songs from the charts encouraging students to join him on stage and show off their talent. Students also had the opportunity to have “selfies” and autographs. This event was a great success enjoyed by staff and students and got an important message across.
The Pastoral Team
PSHE Winning Team:- Izzy Wilson, Sioned Hughes, Caitlin James and Gemma Rogers - Mrs Higgins
CHAT Tuesday Lunchtime Workshops in Lower School Canteen and 1-2-1 Sessions in PLC by appointment only
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Bowling Trip
In March, a group of Year 7’s were selected to take part in a fire safety quiz. The winners (who were in my team) had a free bowling night. The winners on the 14th April, went to Ten Pin Bowling in Telford. There was a competition to see which school could score the most combined points over two games. My team got over 600 points but the winning team scored over 750 points and got a return visit. There was food too. After we had finished both games everybody had their picture taken by a fire engine. It was great fun and I recommend it to any future Year 7’s. By Caitlin James 7CEA
CHAT – Confidential Help and Advice for Teenagers is a service students can access during the school day, whether it’s about general concerns, health issues, advice or support. Students can request to see one of the following through the CHAT team – Family Support Worker, School Nurse, Connexions Worker and Youth Service. If a student wishes to access a service which is not available on site the CHAT team will make an appointment with the appropriate service. This is a confidential service and students should contact Mrs Perkins, CHAT Coordinator or leave a message in the post box which will appear in the near future.
Mrs Perkins CHAT Coordinator
Here we are at the end of another academic year with our current Year 11 having left , only to return for results day on 20th August and for their Presentation Evening on 19th November. Taking up their roles will be the Year 10 students with the new prefects about to be awarded their roles. As is often the case things begin to slip a little as the end of the school year approaches and although we have worked really hard with students and parents I am disappointed to say that attendance and punctuality has dropped. For half term 5 attendance stood at 93.7% which is 0.5% down on last year. This means we remain in need of improvement for attendance and will therefore be more stringent still with absence in 2015/2016. I am, however, pleased to say that students with PA (persistent absence) were below that of last year end of terms and we hope to stay on course below the target set by the Education Welfare Officer. Tutor group % Attendance 7CEA 95.78 7NAT 95.52 8VLR 95.20 8CRW 93.10 9VLB 93.74 9SJR 96.24 9NJH 94.13 10KDO 94.62 10JEM 95.10 10 JCT 94.70 11MJS 92.11 11EJO 92.61 11JEE 96.49 11RTO 91.77
Uniform & equipment
This is also a suitable time to remind students of the uniform rules. I have noticed an increase in the number of students wearing inappropriate footwear and some skirts have suddenly acquired Lycra and have shrunk. We are aware that for tall girls with tiny waists skirt length has been forsaken to get the fit at the waist. To ensure this is not a problem in September we have asked the School Shop to provide two lengths. This means skirts should now fit at the waist AND reach the knee. A reminder also that denim and leather coats are NOT allowed. Student council has asked about the ruling on nail polish and it has been decided that no students are allowed to wear nail varnish, just natural nails please.
Behaviour & Safety
Behaviour has continued to see further progress with less disruption and many more students engaging well during their lessons. The result is an overall drop of 39% in the number of fixed term exclusions over last year. Students are to be congratulated for maintaining the high standards set at the start of the year. We need you to maintain this standard as the minimum next year. Let’s aim for OUTSTANDING.
Mrs Ward Assistant Head
Hair & Beauty Well done to Year 10 Hair & Beauty students. This qualification is being delivered to Year 10 students from Grange and Sundorne schools across Shrewsbury Academies Trust. It is the first year of delivery and will be completed in July 2016. The qualification is equivalent to a GCSE and involves 1 exam and 3 projects over the 2 years. Thank you to Kerry Thomas for taking the time to visit the students and provide a hair extension workshop. This supported one of their projects and gave the students the opportunity to attach and remove extensions. The students have worked very hard this academic year.
Well done
In Food Technology this summer term, Year 8 students have been jet setting across the world exploring ingredients and dishes from other countries. They have researched Australia and made Lamingtons often referred to as the ‘National Cake of Australia’. This is a square-shaped sponge cake coated in a layer of chocolate icing and desiccated coconut. China was next, exploring fragrant ingredients of lemon grass, garlic, ginger and chilli. Students had a choice of dishes to make such as stir fry, chow mein and spring rolls. Many requiring the skill and use of the Wok. Banana Bread was next, researching the exotic fruits and spices from the Caribbean.
FACULTY Review
Technology Vocational Learning
Food Technology More recently students have worked closer to home. Farm shops and Farmers markets have increased in popularity over the recent years, and customers enjoy visiting such establishments to purchase locally sourced ingredients. A savoury dish to include sausages has been made and the Famous Shrewsbury biscuit has been the latest practical assignment. A biscuit dough that contains sugar, flour, egg, butter and lemon zest; dried fruit is often added too. Would you believe the Shrewsbury Biscuit was first mentioned in a recipe book dated 1658?
Mrs N. Higgins Food Technology
Vehicle Maintenance Technology Vocational Learning
NEWS Well done to the Year 11 group who have all achieved the Level 1 introduction to the Hair & Beauty sector City & Guilds qualification. I wish you all the best for the future.
Mrs Roberts Head of Technology & Vocational
Just a few words to congratulate the following students for achieving their Institute of the Motor Industry service and repair qualification:Ashley Cartwright, Kieran Davies, Joseph Carolan, Perry Jones, Liam Marston, Kevin Medicott, Luke Partridge, Dale Powell, Jacob Smith, Jason Wall, and Liam Carolan. All of these students have worked very hard over the past twelve months and produced some very good work. Can I take this opportunity to say I have enjoyed working with them all very much indeed. I would like to wish them all a safe and prosperous future. Paul Lane Course Co-ordinator and Tutor.
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FACULTY Review
Young Enterprise Design
The Young Enterprise students were invited to a presentation evening at the Park Inn Telford. The event was hosted by the Young Enterprise programme and involved a 3 course dinner and guest speakers. Awards were presented throughout the evening. The students from several schools within the Shropshire area had been observed by the judges during their trade fairs, presentations and submission of finance details. The students from The Grange School thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Their maturity and positive attitude was evident while speaking to other teams and visitors including the Mayor and Mayoress of Shrewsbury. Each table had a business link which gave students the opportunity to discuss their journey and seek advice on becoming an entrepreneur. We were fortunate to have Martin James from Greenhous as the business link on our table. He has since visited the school and is in the process of providing support and advice to our students. Chiles Cartwright was the guest speaker for the evening. He provided a motivational speech, encouraging students to research businesses and develop ideas when striving to be an entrepreneur. The highlight of the evening was the team from The Grange School, Tecknow Logic, being nominated for an award in the category ‘Best Financial Management’ sponsored by Dyke Yaxley. I am extremely proud to say that they won the award and this can be seen displayed in the trophy cabinet in the schools reception area. Well done guys, it has been a privilege working with the Young Enterprise Programme and an honour to have been part of Tecknow Logic and the fantastic team of students.
Mrs Roberts Head of Faculty, Technology & Vocational
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& Technology
Technow-Logic
Throughout this term, we at Technow-Logic have been continuing our work in creating our own company and beginning the closure procedure. We are proud to have made a great profit with selling our Tecknow-Bags and have also delivered a successful presentation at Harper Adams University showing our progress through the competition to other teams and the judges of the competition. As well as this, a large amount of time was spent on creating our company report, documenting everything we as Tecknow-Logic have encountered throughout the competition. On the 14th May, we were all invited to a celebration evening at Park Inn, Telford, alongside all other teams participating in Young Enterprise. We were treated with a delicious 3 course meal, as well as a speech from a guest speaker, Chiles Cartwright, of whom participated in this year’s Apprentice. After this, many awards were presented and Technow-Logic were successful in winning the Financial Management Award, due to our work on organising the money, shares and profits- we were overjoyed! Within the next few weeks we will work on the final closure of the company, and return our profits to the shareholders.
Maya Carswell 10JCT
Technology Vocational Learning
Year 11 students have made some very impressive projects this year, some bigger, but definitely a better quality outcome and hopefully with a good exam we will see a big improvement in the Grades! They have worked hard over the past months to achieve this and this is a credit to many of the students. Well done and good luck. Year 10 students have started working on their Final Design Project . There are some very interesting and challenging design ideas and I hope they continue to rise to the challenges ahead and produce some fantastic outcomes next year. Year 9 students are finishing off their Board Game and Year 8 are working on designing and making a waterproof shelter that will house their phone, continuing their work on structures and materials. Year 7’s have been fantastic making and developing a range of skills that has been reflected in them achieving some very pleasing results. They have enjoyed the challenges throughout the year and are now making a final project – a de stijl Chair phone stand.
Mr. R. Keenan Design & Technology
Year 7 – During this term Year 7 students have been studying a wide variety of features of Medieval Britain. Students have been gaining knowledge and understanding of many features of daily life such as: sports and entertainment, religion, marriage, feasts, education, crime, punishment and many more. Whilst studying these features students have been developing their historical skills, including using sources, analysing their usefulness and reliability, investigating opinions (both historical and modern) of a variety of events and features of this period and understanding both the causes and consequences of events.
English Creative Writing Talk the Talk Year 10 participated in a fantastic public competition for Recently, speaking workshop. The desired impact was to raise confidence and improve skills when presenting to a KS3 students group; without doubt this was certainly achieved. In April the English department and the Library ran a successful creative writing competition for KS3 students. We had over 50 entries and it was a difficult task to select the 12 prize winners. Prizes of ‘My sister lives on my mantelpiece’ by Annabel Pitcher were provided by The World Book Night organisation who aim to get young people reading more. It was great to see the variety of entries and the vivid imagination of some of our students. Even better to hear some of the winners comparing notes about the novel they had won and saying how much they were enjoying it! Dance is my life and now it’s going to get better. I can feel the pull of the famous studio I have longed to dance in for years. But what if I’m not enough for the Royal Ballet School? “Of course you are Darcy!” I said to myself as I entered.
I witnessed the afternoon session, and I have to say that I was extremely impressed. Every single student was able to stand up and deliver a well-structured, thoughtful speech. It was clear that Year 10 had considered advice given to them on aspects of structure and delivery, and that the subject focus mattered to them greatly. Stand out performance for me goes to Grace Davies-Friend who was not only the first to present but delivered her speech in a very professional manner without the aid of notes! There were others, too, who gave fantastic performances on very difficult and emotive subjects. Well done to all. Thank you, Year 10, for your positivity and fantastic behaviour on the day.
By Sioned Hughes 7CEA
Mrs Riches English Teacher
Ms McGivern and Miss Ward would like to thank everyone who entered.
RE
French
Year 7 have spent the summer term exploring Islam & Buddhism, they have produced some great work and some lovely projects. Year 8 have spent the summer looking at Rites of Passage and focusing on initiation ceremonies within the major religions and tribal communities. Year 9 have spent the summer term exploring the importance of an awareness of equality, prejudice, stereotype & discrimination. They have also spent time studying the importance of human rights throughout the world. Year 10 have been very busy focusing on exam technique whilst exploring the Nature of God and Matters of Life and Death.
Bonjour à tous! This term we have covered a multitude of topics across the year groups from holidays to human rights, work experience to weather! Year11 had to complete 60% of the exam before May, which included two speaking exams, so they were suitably shattered before their final papers. Year 10 have completed the first element of their exam preparation and have done a fantastic job! I look forward to seeing more! Year 9 have examined themes such as hunger, poverty, the law and religion from a French perspective – there was great debate and discussion from everyone! Year 8 have looked at youth hostelling as a holiday opportunity which is a thriving business in French society whilst Year 7 have been learning to use their knowledge of home vocabulary to describe their ideal house! There were some very interesting added extras from swimming pools, home cinemas, football pitches to stables, go kart tracks and zoos! Bonne vacances!
Mrs C. Adams RE Teacher
Mrs J. Lock Head of Languages
Year 8
SUBJECTS Review
History
This term students have just finished studying features of Industrial Britain and are moving on to study the renaissance era in Britain. Work will involve investigating the changes that occurred in Britain during this period as well as some other major changes that occurred around the world at this time. Students will study important discoveries and inventions of this era including the work of famous historical figures such as da Vinci and Magellan as well as studying the famous Tudor monarchy.
Year 9
This term students have been and will continue to study World War Two. Students have so far studied the consequences of defeat in World War One upon Germany and it’s people gaining knowledge and understanding of how this, among other factors led to the outbreak of World War Two. Students will now begin to investigate the main events involved in World War Two, looking into both historical and modern opinions of these events as well as making use of historical sources to gain further knowledge and understanding.
Year 10
Students in Year 10 have recently completed studying the first of three units of work that must be covered as part of their G.C.S.E course, that unit consisting of medicine and public health from the Roman era to the modern era. Students will now begin preparation for their controlled assessment that focuses on the British Home Front during both of the World Wars. Students will also take part in mock examinations in coming weeks to help prepare them for their G.C.S.E examinations next year.
Year 11
Students in Year 11 have come to the end of their study of Germany in the inter war years and the transformation of surgery 1845-1918. Once completed students focussed on revision of all units of work completed in preparation for their final examinations. Students had recently completed mock examinations, in which there were some very promising results which will hopefully be reflected in the results this summer.
Mr. C. Ward History Teacher
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SUBJECTS Review
ICT Department
During this term key stage 3 students have been completing a variety of tasks from creating a website for the Shrewsbury Tourist Board to helping to solve a murder using a murder mystery database. Year 10 students have just taken there ICT exam and are eagerly waiting for their results, along with their Unit 2 coursework marks. Well done for working so hard. Year 11 students have finished their coursework for their OCR Cambridge Nationals qualifications and I wish them well in the future. In March the results for the “Create IT Awards” run by Shropshire County Council were announced and we were fortunate to have an entry placed in the top three in the animations category. We did not know what position our entry by Connor Milward had been awarded until the actual presentation evening which took place at William Brooks School. Unfortunately Connor did not win with his “Catch the fish” game but was a runner up and received a certificate and an Easter egg.
Mrs Jones Head of ICT In March I was nominated for a “Create IT Award” for my game. I had to go to a presentation evening in Much Wenlock at William Brookes School. Mrs Hemstock and Miss Glancy took me. There were lots of different schools there. My category was near the end so I had a long time to wait to see if I had won, however this meant that I could see all the entries in the other categories. I didn’t win but I received a certificate and an Easter Egg.
By Connor Milward Year 8
Maths
Following on from the success for the Year 9 & 10 students in the UK Maths Challenge recently it was the turn of the Year 7’s and 8’s to pit their wits against the nation solving puzzling problems. As the Year 9 and 10 students had brought home three awards it was a tall task for the Year 7 and 8 students to rise to, but they did it! Four pupils actually won awards, with Morgan Gough, Sioned Hughes and Caitlin James (all Year 7) claiming Bronze awards and Cristiana Stafie (Year 8) receiving a Silver award. Sioned Hughes and Louie Hammond (7CEA) discussed with Mr Hughes their feelings taking part for the first time.
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How did you feel being selected for the UK Maths Challenge? Sioned: I felt really proud of myself and a little bit excited. Louie: I was a tiny bit nervous, but I was proud and pleased to be selected. What were the questions like? Sioned and Louie: The questions were hard, some we just naturally knew the answers but if we did not know we just missed them out. You had to use logic to understand what the questions were asking. It felt a lot different to normal lessons as we were being challenged to think outside the box. What would your advice be to someone selected for the Maths Challenge next year? Louie: Bring a calculator and be confident (you are not allowed a calculator but nice try Louie) Sioned: Take your time and think carefully about each question. Finally, would you want to do it again and why? Louie: Yes, definitely I really want to get an award and I am confident next year I can do it. Sioned: Yes, I really enjoyed the challenge as it really made me think. Well done to all the students who took part and the award winners will receive their certificates soon. Next time in Maths – World Maths Day and the Year 10 More to Maths Trip.
Gareth Hughes Maths teacher
Geography
This term students in Year 7 are working on the topic of rivers and river valleys. We have been finding out about what rivers are like by looking at features such as waterfalls and oxbow lakes. We have also studied processes such as erosion and deposition. Students spent a day at Cardingmill Valley near Church Stretton. The purpose of the day is to investigate how and why the river and its valley changes as we travel downstream. As well as investigating this issue students were able to develop their fieldwork skills and appreciate what a real river and its valley are like. Year 8 have been studying all things Italian and doing some project work on the topic of tourism. We organised a day visit for them to Cardingmill Valley to investigate the impact that tourism can have on a local area. This visit allows them to see first hand a lot of the issues studied in class. They are currently writing up their project in class as an extended piece of work. Year 9 have been working a variety of topics. One group are working on the topic of Globalisation and discovering just how connected different parts of the world are. This topic is being delivered as a GCSE module which gives students an appreciation of things to come in Years 10 and 11. Other groups in Year 9 are doing various country based studies for example the USA; Brazil and Kenya.
Year 10 are completing work on rivers and river landscapes. They spent time looking at the issue of river flooding and how best we can deal with the issues caused by flooding something we know a lot about in Shrewsbury! Year 10 have also completed fieldwork at Cardingmill Valley on the topic of rivers and this is being used as the basis for completing their controlled assessment task which is worth 25% of their final GCSE grade. Year 11 have just left us having completed their exams. They were a really enjoyable group to teach and worked hard throughout Years 10 and 11. We are now hoping that the results reflect all the hard work that went into preparing for the exams. The Humanities Department would like wish all our Year 11 students ‘Good Luck’ for the future. Mr. R. Thomas Head of Faculty - Humanities
KS3 News
Year 7 are preparing for Plas Menai, our annual trip to the centre on the Welsh coast for 3 days of power boating, windsurfing, canoeing, rafting and sailing. Whilst at the centre students will spend the majority of the time in the sea doing the activities. The centre is well equipped as it is the Welsh National Centre for water sports. The Year 9’s at present have just left KS3 and the support of Miss Evans and Mrs Howells to prepare for KS4. Mrs lock and Mrs Yapp will now support them through the GCSE period. It’s been fantastic to see them grow from Year 6’s to Year 9’s and we wish them well in KS4. Miss Evans and Mrs Howells are now preparing for the new Year 7’s and have visited 6 primary schools to meet the new incoming Year 7’s. We had 3 days on the 23rd, 29th, and 30th of June to prepare for September and ensure that they feel safe and excited about joining The Grange School in September 2015.
Miss R. Evans KS3 Progress Manager
KS4
It is with some sadness that we have now said goodbye to our Year 11 students who have reached the end of an incredibly busy term. Coursework and examinations are now over and they can now begin the process of relaxing and recovering from what has been a very stressful time. I am incredibly proud of the way our students have conducted themselves during the exam season and would like to take this opportunity to wish them the very best of luck as they move onto the next stage in their education and training. They are a credit to you and to the school. Year 10 have been out into the community on work experience this term and have discovered that working for a living is actually a lot more demanding than it looks! They have joined a variety of different organisations and learnt a great deal from colleagues and the environments they found themselves in. It has been a very valuable activity that has given the students much to think about for the future.
Mrs Lock KS4 Progress Manager
TThe start of the summer term is always a positive one with the hope of fine weather. It’s usually a reward for all the cold and wet winter months that dominate our curriculum timetable and fixtures!! Although judging the first half term since Easter, it’s been a damp and windy start. We would like to wish the outgoing Year 11 students all the success with their future. I hope that they continue with their sports participation and representation at clubs and other outside organisations. Over the 5 years, there has been a good representation with regards to sports, but at the same time, many individuals have given up their time to help out the department in relation to refereeing/umpiring games, helping out at sports clubs or leading and volunteering at tournaments and festivals. A big thank you for all of your hard work over the years. When Mickey Mellon and Mark Halstead came in on January 22nd, it was a good chance to make a connection with a club which has sometimes seemed distant in the past. The afternoon started with a question and answer session with Mickey Mellon and there were a lot of questions about the squad and how he coped with the pressure of the fans aspirations which was a nice insight into managing life. Next up, we took on goalkeeper Mark Halstead in a Basketball challenge which made the following Question and Answer more casual because of the fun we had in that time. Mark was asked a lot about what happens behind the scenes, in and out of the training sessions which revealed to us how well this squad could bond. Overall, it was a great experience but now we have the excitement of a possible trophy being celebrated next time by the very respectable Mickey Mellon.
Extreme Physics
On the 28th March, four Year 10 students, Jessica Kinsey, Cerys Griffiths, Vlad Balan and myself visited Barnard Castle School in County Durham for a 3 day Extreme Physics course. We were the only mainstream school students to attend. All the other schools were private schools. The weekend included a variety of activities from creating a 60 second timer to creating catapults that launched pieces of clay into a castle! However the most exciting was definitely Airkix, an indoor skydiving centre in Manchester- it was great fun! While there, we were also allowed on the rock climbing wall. On the way back we took part in a science quiz which team Grange won! During the afternoon of the final day we had to give a presentation to the rest of the students. Ours was about the physicist Ludwig Boltzmann and we decided to speak about Entropy - one of the hardest subjects according to the judges! We also had to hand in journals in which we had designated time to work on each day, including writing up accounts of our challenges, writing in simpler terms some really complex science related articals and documenting our progress. Finally, all the teams were awarded various rosettes and prizes due to their accomplishments during the weekend team Grange won many; for creativity on the parachute & catapult challenge, for knowledge on the science quiz & catapult challenge, for teamwork on the catapult and parachute challenge and finally for achievement on achieving the highest mass on the parachute challenge.
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SUBJECTS Review
Physical Education Department
Mr. Dobson Head of PE
Q+A. Student in the Spotlight
Overall, the weekend was a great experience, and we have all learnt a huge amount! We would also like to thank Richard Bonella for accompanying us while there and helping the trip go ahead!
Cerys Griffiths answers a few questions related to her life in Sport. Q1 Who are your sporting heroes? A1 Jessica Ennis Q2 What sports do you play? A2 Netball and Rounders Q3 What is the best advice you have been given in Sport? A3 You can’t do anything by yourself when you are in a team Q4 What’s been the best moment/memory of sport in the Grange School so far? A4 When we beat Priory at Rounders. We hadn’t played a competitive game for a while and beat them this year 7 1/2; 4. Q5 Which 3 sports people would you invite to dinner and why? A5 Usain Bolt because he has a big personality Mo Farrah because I would like to hear his stories Ellie Symonds because she seems a really nice person and an inspiration. I would like to hear her share her experiences.
11
SPORTS Review
English Cricket Board
‘Chance to shine’ project
We have welcomed in some outside agencies to work with the boys Cricket. Ed Ashlin from ‘Chance to shine’ has been working with key stage 3 students on a weekly basis to assist with developing their cricket skills.
Girls PE
There has been great interest at rounders club this year with full teams from every year group attending most weeks, there has also been a league for Year 8’s and 9’s and some friendlies with schools for Year 7 and 10. We have played all years against Priory and the Year 10’s beat Priory for the first time and were delighted to do so! The Year 8’s only lost narrowly by half a rounder. The 8’s and 9’s have also played Meole Brace and unfortunately Jade Walker slipped and broke her wrist. Both teams lost but played well. Year 8’s have also played Sundorne, a match that had to be played indoors due to the weather. Sundorne won 8-6 1/2 which was disappointing but the girls are desperate for a rematch outdoors. We have still to play Belvidere and Mary Webb in the league. District tournaments for all years took place on the 1st and 2nd of July. May I take the opportunity to thank all of the students for representing the school in sport, but also to all the staff who have given up their time to support clubs and fixtures. Without their input, the opportunities we provide would not take place.
New Netball bibs & Shorts
We would like to say a big thank you to Zerena Gurney-Adams from Protocol and Claire Berry from the School Shop who kindly donated a large sum of money in sponsorship to purchase new netball bibs and skorts for students to wear when they are representing the school. We are extremely grateful to the sponsors for their generosity, it means a great deal to us. Let’s hope it brings all of our Netball team’s good luck in the future. The red bibs and black and red skorts are for Years 7 to 11, and will be worn by all Netball teams when playing fixtures
Miss Evans
My term in Physical Education
This term we have been working on Athletics and Cricket. I have learnt how to throw a shot putt correctly in Athletics and do a front drive in Cricket. I most enjoyed Cricket as it is a sport I prefer. I would like to get better at running long distances. My favourite sports this year have been Cricket and Football. This term, all boys groups are working on Athletics and Cricket, with some great performances and skills shown already We are looking forward to a competitive summer of sport which will include Area Athletics and Sports Day.
By Ewan Griffiths 7NAT
12
Young Leaders Training
I would like to say a well done to all of the Year 9 students who took part in their young leaders training at the Shrewsbury Sports Village recently. Their representation on the day was excellent and the attitude and commitment that they demonstrated was pleasing to see. As part of their training, the students had the opportunity to deliver practice sessions to Harlescott primary school students. It was great to see such enthusiasm amongst all of our students. The next stage will be them delivering sessions at the primary school games and hopefully them feeling confident to help and lead clubs next year. “I learnt a lot of new skills whilst having fun. I enjoyed teaching the younger students. I did the training to make my CV look better. I will be teaching primary school students at the school games. We learnt lots of new skills and how to use your own ideas when delivering.”
Year 9 Young Leaders
Thanks for all your support! Mr Dobson and the Physical Education Team