Contents Summer 2010
PTA Update . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Charity Fundraising. . . . . 3 Paintings to Dover . . . . . . 5 Year 10 Enterprise Day . . 6 Big Bang Exhibition . . . . . 7 Italy Classics Trip. . . . . . . 8 Specialist Status Re-designation. . . . . . . . 11 Sport News. . . . . . . . . . . 12 Oxford 2010 Debating Finals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Duke of Edinburgh. . . . . 16 International Sports Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Football News . . . . . . . . 20 Shanghai Trip . . . . . . . . . 22 Rugby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Dear Parents I am sure that the years are passing more quickly – it certainly doesn’t seem long since we were starting this academic year in September 2009. It has been a very busy and extremely successful year for the college. Our two inspections by Ofsted and the Archdiocese went extremely well, we have been successful in our re-designation as a specialist school and we have received many very positive reports about the students and how they have been real ambassadors for the College when visiting other countries or taking part in the many external competitions both on and off the field that we have been involved in. We are also very positive about the expected examination performance of both Year 11 and Year 13 students – they have all worked extremely hard and deserve the anticipated success – Year 11 alone completed nearly 3500 hours of Nightowl which is a mammoth achievement. The successes I have mentioned all require support of course from staff, parents and governors and I am extremely grateful for everyone’s hard work. I wish everyone a peaceful and restful summer. I also wish those students well who will be leaving us to go onto University, College or into employment. Yours sincerely L D Rippon
The Newsletter Editing Team James Leyshon 10BR - Senior Editor Tom Buck 10MA – Assistant Editor Matthew Powell 8KE - Assistant Editor
Steven Lennon James Sharples Shea McChrystal James Cooper John Murray-Kemp Alex Brown Nicholas Helme
10CA 10OW 10KE 9 RI 9MA 8CA 8KE
Important Dates: Tuesday July 6 2010 : Open evening for applicants for September 2011 College closes at 12.25pm Wednesday July 7 2010 : Induction day for new Y7 pupils current Y7 pupils stay at home on this day Friday July 9 2010 : Music Dept summer concert in aid of Haiti appeal Wednesday July 21 : Meeting for Y12 students and parents about University application process Thursday July 22 : Future Focus day for Y12 students who break up for summer holidays at the end of the day Friday July 23 : School closes for summer holidays at 12.25pm Thursday August 19 2010 : A Level and AS Level results Day. A Level results (Y13) available from 10am, AS results (Y12) from 12 noon Tuesday August 24 2010 : GCSE results Day – results available for Y11 from 10am and for Y10 from 11am. Modular results for Y9 pupils will be posted home. Monday September 6 2010 : Y13 students attend at 1.30pm Tuesday September 7 2010 : Y8-12 students report at 8.40am, Y7 report at 9.45am. Y8-11 leave at 12.25pm, Y7 leave at 2.30pm. Wednesday September 8 2010 : all students attend as normal at 8.40am
In partnership with YOUTH PARTNER
Picasso Peace + Freedom Exhibition On 2 July, Year 12 Spanish students visited the Picasso Peace + Freedom exhibition as part of their cultural studies option. The visit allowed the students to consider the imagery and art of The Spanish Civil War and its aftermath and to develop their understanding of the Spanish Literature and Cinema they are studying for their A2 exam. Mr Lloyd
PTA Update The PTA would like to thank everyone who supported them at the St George’s Night Dance held in April 2010. The evening was really enjoyable and very lively! Thank you also to Mr Mark Helme (Parent & School Governor) who ran the London Marathon in April on behalf of the PTA. Over £250.00 was raised in sponsorship which has helped boost our funds. The PTA can be contacted at any time via the school office and details of functions etc can be viewed via the school website at www.sfx.liverpool.sch.uk Please remember to visit www.thegivingmachine.co.uk when you make your next online shopping purchase. This will enable a percentage of your purchase total to be donated to the school at no cost to you. The site is secure and no personal details are highlighted. In addition, if anybody would like to make a monetary donation to the PTA, we can be found on www.justgiving.com. This site is set up all year round for the provision of donations and sponsorship and it also means that your donation can be Gift Aided thus providing the school with additional funds. Thank you for your continued support.
Woolton in Bloom Woolton in Bloom this year has the honour of entering the National Britain in Bloom competition to defend the Gold Award won in 2008 on behalf of all the villages in the North West. The College again is taking part in the Bi-Annual Art competition which has two themes: ‘Local Roots’ (the Royal Horticultural Society’s Bloom theme) and the City’s ‘Year of Health and Wellbeing’, these themes are reflected in the village planting recalling Woolton’s wartime ‘dig for victory’ campaign through the ‘grow your own’ and edible flowerbed. The themes are reflected in the Art Competition with entries invited for a poster to advertise ‘Grow your Own’ on either a modern or wartime theme or a 3D model of a plant or flower arrangement. Featured is a poster entry by Joseph Whitfield, Year 12.
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Chairperson SFX PTA
8 Rigby Charity Fundraising In addition to raising money for our year group charity, ‘Lifeboats’, 8 Rigby have also recently raised money for Riding for the Disabled. We were introduced to this charity by Miss McDonald, our form teacher, who is a volunteer worker for this Crosby-based group. We have raised money through the sale of ‘World Cup Cakes’, where the cakes represent each country of the World Cup. We have also had a ‘guess the number of sweets in the jar’ competition. This was won by a Year 7 pupil. Altogether, we have raised £35.00 and are looking forward to raising more money in the future. Arran Moore 8 Rigby
I saw a child... I saw a child who couldn’t walk, sit on a horse, laugh and talk. then ride it through a field of daisies and yet he could not walk unaided. I saw a child, no legs below, sit on a horse, and make it go through woods of green and places he had never been to sit and stare except from a chair. I saw a child who could only crawl mount a horse and sit up tall put it through degrees of paces and laugh at the wonder in our faces. I saw a child born into strife, take up and hold the reins of life and that same child was heard to say, ‘Thank God for showing me the way’ John Anthony Davies
SFX Pupils win Science Bursaries! UK Junior Maths Challenge On Thursday 29th April over 110 Year 7 and 8 pupils took part in the Junior Mathematics Challenge. All students involved are in Set 1 for Maths. The challenge allows the pupils to test their logical thinking and their existing Mathematical knowledge. This year we have 5 students who achieved a Silver award and 11 who achieved a Bronze award.
Congratulations to the five St Francis Xavier’s College Year 12 students who have been awarded prestigious Nuffield Bursaries. The pupils; Rory Back, Daniel Keeley, Rachel Lyon, Philip Evans and Matthew Oldham will each spend four weeks in the summer in one of the Liverpool Universities, carrying out scientific research in areas such as Physics, Medicine and Engineering. They will then present their results to scientists and fellow pupils at the regional celebration event in the autumn. The students were selected from thousands of applications nationally.
Michal Olszewski (Year 7) achieved the best mark in the school. He achieved a score of 69 which gave him a Silver award. He narrowly missed out on a Gold award by 4 marks. Well done to all students involved. Miss Arends Head of Mathematics
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Paintings to Dover! This year, the College are submitting four paintings to be considered for exhibition at this prestigious event. They are the work of David Jones (a submission of 3 paintings) and Philip Evans. Both students are currently in Year 12 but the work was completed during their respective GCSE courses at the College. A panel of 5 judges, including three senior RBA members, will assess the work and successful pieces will be exhibited at the Mall Galleries, London from 12-17th July. Good Luck boys!
The School Council This has again been a busy year for the Council who have met regularly each half term and discussed the various issues raised by their peers. The agenda has been varied and the Council were delighted to see the results of their hard work regarding the traffic calming measures outside school. Mr N. King, the Chairman of the Governors, attended one of our meetings and was impressed by the discussions and the chairing of the meeting by one of the Council members. The Dining Hall, Food and the School Toilets are regular topics for debate. It was decided to compile a booklet listing the achievements of the Council over the last six years and this is now underway. Again my thanks go to all those pupils who have attended Year or School Council meetings as their input is invaluable. Mrs Smith 5
A Trip to HMS Iron Duke I am a member of the Sea Cadets, I am based in Huyton and I go there twice a week; on a Monday and Thursday. When I am there we usually have inspections of uniforms and do team building activities to earn badges. In April 2010, the Cadets who had a good record of attendance and behaviour were able to go on a trip to the great HMS Iron Duke, for four days at sea. Six of us headed to Scotland were we boarded the goliath ship. We were shown around and then began preparing to set sail the following morning. The ship sailed majestically around the coast of Scotland. During our time aboard, we gained real experience by working in the galley (the kitchen), making food for the crew. Every morning without fault we had a sleeping area inspection, executed by the 3rd Lieutenant.
Year 10 Enterprise Day Year 10 Enterprise Day took place on Tuesday 30th March. This involved all pupils in Year 10. The day was again, a resounding success with some very positive feedback from pupils, staff and our guests from Business Dynamics. Pupils were involved in a variety of activities designed to develop their awareness of the world of business and enterprise and also develop skills such as team working and communication. Pupils applied themselves to a variety of team building exercises which included: Designing and marketing a product, planning and building a model housing development, building a model rollercoaster and looking at the social implications of business activity. Prizes were awarded to pupils throughout the day with a final presentation in the hall. A special mention must go to Miss Cain for all her hard work in helping to organise the event and to all in Year 10 for their efforts and excellent behaviour. Mr Conroy.
One day we visited the communications room which contained the navigation equipment and radios. We had the privilege of encountering the Low, a Linz helicopter. It is used to rescue countless people from the murky depths of the sea. We also saw the lifeboats which provide a similar service. Sadly, after four brilliant days at sea our journey came to an end in Hull. Our return journey to Liverpool included no ship, just a coach and two trains. Everyone felt drained of energy from the exhausting long days at sea. I would like to say a big thanks to the crew and everyone who helped; I enjoyed myself so much that a job in the Navy sounds right for me in the future. John Murray-Kemp 9MA
Staff Changes We are saying goodbye to a number of staff at the end of term and we thank them all for their service to the College. Best wishes go to: Mr Benton and Mr R Higham on their retirement Miss Manning on her move abroad Miss Durnin on her return to Northern Ireland Dr Leach on his move to another school In September we will be welcoming the following staff to SFX: Miss Maskell (Physics) Mr Taylor (PE) Mr Stokes (Music) Miss Marquez (Modern Foreign Languages) Miss Kelsall (ICT)
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The Big Bang Exhibition! On Saturday 13th March 2010, Miss Warwick along with Mr Roberts and Mr Daniels took a group of students to the Big Bang Exhibition in Manchester. The day comprised of the Brainiac Live show as seen on Sky One and the Bang Goes the Theory live show as seen on BBC1. With a coach leaving SFX early in the morning, the day started with a look around the wide array of exhibits and exhibitions spread across the large Manchester convention hall. There were many different exhibits including informative stands with reference to future careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths and hands on exhibits to test the student’s knowledge and understanding of how these subjects work in our world today. Bang Goes the Theory was a live stage show featuring some of the characters from the BBC1 television show and it featured live experiments and even some audience participation as one of our pupils was selected to take part in an experiment.
Diploma The IT Diploma is a new course which has been running since September 2009. It involves students in a new type of learning, introducing new skills that the current generation workers need but do not have. The course involves using the most up to date technology and allows the students to develop business skills as well as skills in ICT. In March 2010 the Year 10 IT Diploma group visited the Apple store in Liverpool One where we embarked on one of Apple’s renowned workshops. We took part in activities on the Apple Macs including using Garage Band and Logic software. We also got to use Apple’s own Keynote which is like PowerPoint but gives more options for animation and transition. This was a really enjoyable trip and we learnt a lot. It was great working with the Apple team and we were given T-shirts which are the same as the ones the staff wear for uniform. They also gave us disks to keep which they had burnt our music onto.
Finally the boys were treated to a Brainiac live show which consisted of lots of big bangs and crowd interaction, from blowing up caravans to mind boggling tricks it was a truly exciting show. The day was a great success and one student said “It was a great day and I really hope we can go back again next time!”
Shea McChrystal James Leyshon 10BR and Tom Buck 10 MA
The Liverpool Schools' Parliament This academic year has seen the MSP's working hard to bring about change for the benefit of pupils throughout the City. Our representatives have attended workshops on Knife Crime, Cyber bullying, The Children's Charter and Keeping safe. The Health Workshop was particularly interesting and the pupils came away laden with ‘freebies’, though unfortunately the pedometers were soon broken! It is with some excitement that we await the 'office' of our own Junior Lord Mayor. Jonathan Rigby will be attending functions and meetings, in
this role, during the month of July. He will be wearing a special chain of office commissioned for the Junior Lord Mayors. I believe it is very heavy! My thanks go to all the boys who have attended Parliament this year. Adam Crosbie, Jake Everson, Jack Taylor, Matthew Powell, Patrick Back and Jonathan Rigby. These pupils have been excellent ambassadors for the College. Mrs Smith
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Italy Classics Trip Italy; the place of legends, and at one point centre of all the Roman conquered world, this is the country where historical and cultural heritage thrive and to visit all its ancient glories was a treat worth savouring. Our journey began at Liverpool airport at 3:30am, where everyone met up to set off through the airport gates to ascend into the skies and land in Ciampino Airport, Rome, where we would stay in a convent. We stayed in the convent for 4 straight days; the nuns were extremely welcoming, adding to the authenticity of Italy even more. After arriving there we went to the mammoth Piazza Navona, where fountains and street performers lay waiting. We then returned to the convent, went for dinner at a restaurant down the road and then we went to sleep. The first proper day in Italy was started off with a much needed continental breakfast after last night’s round of football, the breakfast was of course provided by the nuns. The quiz would begin later, but first we had to visit the ancient Catholic burial tombs (catacombs); after a lengthy tour by an official guide, we had a few minutes in the shop and returned onto the coach to head off for Ostia, the port of the bountiful era of ancient Rome - this is where men and women earned their living. Remaining intact, it was astonishing to find no river or lake next to or even near it; as Ostia means “mouth” you would expect it to be the “mouth” of a river, the reason it isn’t is due to it silting up, so now the site now lies 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the sea. And as if that
wasn’t enough, we were then taken to the Spanish steps which then led to the Trevi Fountain. Being yet another giant of Rome’s city, it was such a perfect day to bask in its glory; until we got back to the convent and it started raining. The following morning we had another continental breakfast and left for our last full day in Rome. We set off and started walking for a few minutes, after a while an iconic shape appeared in the distance; the Colosseum. Yes, after a long wait we finally were embarking on one of the most famous and recognisable buildings of all time. Built during the reign of emperors Vespasian and Titus, it was originally covered entirely in marble, sadly other buildings were built and marble was taken from the Colosseum for these other projects. After this we went to other places such as the vast Roman Forum. Later we passed the L’altere della Patria, more famously known as the “Wedding Cake”, due to its design. We then walked to the Pantheon, a great building with a dome on top, filled with paintings and sculptures. Our final goodbye from the convent was early, and we left feeling grateful for the nun’s hospitality. Before we left Rome we went to the Vatican. Sadly, we didn’t see the Pope, but we caught a glimpse of some rather strangely dressed guards (Suisse Guards). Next a four hour coach journey lay ahead,
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so most of us had a sleep on the coach and thus the journey flew (for those who could get to sleep). Eventually we got to our new hotel and what a hotel it was. In Sorrento you expect views but this hotel had a great view of the beach and the cliffs. After a few minutes we walked down to the beach for a quick swim. After that we had a really great dinner of pizza and then popped into town for a quick little look around; this would be the routine for most nights. Yet again we had another continental breakfast. I didn’t want a fry up - a simple bowl of cheerio’s would have done! We then went to Pompeii, ancient city of Italy tragically destroyed by Mount Vesuvius, but that’s another story. Seeing those preserved plaster casts of bodies was so insightful into the last few actions and thoughts of the people of Pompeii. Then the nightly routine of beach, nice dinner and finally a train into town.
Today would be our last full day in Italy, and there could have been no better way to finish it than a boat trip over to the island of Capri. It was a lovely island; we spent the whole day in groups of no less than three meandering around in shops. After a while we went for lunch in a lovely spot called the Arco Naturale. After lunch, we went back to town and then we got on the boat and returned to Sorrento. That night just after the quiz we awarded Mr Slattery with an Italian flag signed by everyone, a bottle of Limoncello, a plate depicting a scene of Pompeii and a miniature Colosseum. Our final sleep was only for a few hours when we were woken at around half past three in the morning, our suitcases were packed and once loaded onto the coach, we drove away and back to Ciampino airport for our return flight home. We would like to thank all staff involved in organising the visit for a wonderful trip to Italy.
On Thursday, we knew that our time in Italy was coming to an end, so we decided to try and make the most of our last few days. After another continental breakfast, we went to the coach which was parked on a very narrow road and set off for what we thought would be Mount Vesuvius. However after a few minutes Mr Slattery was informed of a strike there; so instead we visited a coral shop, a place dealing in coral and making things out of it such as bracelets, brooches and necklaces. After that we went to Herculaneum, another ancient Roman city, where we were split into three teams for a task to find as many famous things there as possible. Mrs Barker’s team won. At last we were given the thumbs up to climb up Mt. Vesuvius. Mr Slattery lead the walk up to the top where a huge crater lay waiting; when Vesuvius erupted the entire top of the volcano blew off with immense force, so much so as to reach Pompeii which was no easy spot to find from the top. Later we returned to the hotel for a swim in the beach, another nice dinner, and our penultimate visit to town.
Matthew Powell 8KE
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Community Classes The delivery of a 12 week programme for Adult Learners who live local to the area commenced on Thursday 22nd April 2010. In total 14 courses were offered and the enrolment evening attracted 290 Adult Learners who joined a variety of courses. It is rewarding to see the benefits of all of the planning, preparation and organisation which preceded the community classes pay dividends and to experience the atmosphere enjoyed by Tutors, Students and Adult Learners alike during the Community Class evenings. It is interesting to see how the courses have settled down and how strong core groups have materialised. HIGHLIGHTS The introduction of five new courses; British Sign Language, Cake Decorating, Sculpture, Watercolour, Acrylic, Pastel Painting and Genealogy has provided a wider variety of choice of courses and has generated an extremely favourable response, with large numbers of learners attending these classes regularly. The input provided by Sixth Form Student Volunteers has been invaluable. They have shown maturity and a willingness to accept greater responsibility as the weeks have progressed. Many are now confidently offering help and advice to Adult Learners without any prompting.
During each break time the Lourdes and Haiti charities have been supported, with money collected from a variety of fundraising activities including, a raffle for a cake made by the cake decorating ladies. This Group have continued to support the charities by taking turns to make cup cakes for sale each week and the sale of refreshments. To date we have raised ÂŁ380.00 to be divided between the charities. I would like to thank to Mr Stockton (Catering Manager) and his department for providing supplies of tea, coffee, milk, biscuits and cups.
Usually each Friday morning two young print room helpers from Year 8, Luke Hulse and Scott Robinson visit all rooms used and check they are clean, tidy and ready for the school day. They have also been extremely helpful, updating the Community Class database each week with details of Adult Learners who have attended the Thursday evening sessions. Finally I would like to thank all of the Tutors who have been so patient and have shared their skills with kindness to a variety of Adult Learners. I would also like to extend my thanks to the site staff who have stepped in to assist whenever needed. Moira Leong, Community Co-ordinator
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Specialist Status Re-designation June 2010 Since being awarded Specialist Status for Mathematics and Computing in 2005, SFX has continued to use the Specialism as a vehicle to raise standards and provide enrichment opportunities throughout the school. A recent Inspection by the Local Authority School Improvement Partner confirmed this commenting, “There is compelling evidence that St Francis Xavier is using its specialist status to drive improvements both within and beyond the school” and has recommended the College be re-designated as a Mathematics and Computing Specialist School for a further period.
• The school was judged as managing its specialist status effectively to improve resources and the overall quality of teaching, with Maths & ICT departments driving staff development e.g. the use of new technologies in learning & teaching.
Preparation for the re-designation meetings was initiated and led by the Director of Specialism and a wide range of evidence was collated by staff with responsibility for key areas to support the school’s evaluation against the benchmark criteria. In addition to this, a meeting itinerary was arranged, which included interviews with nine members of staff and three groups of student and adult learners.
• The extensive and significant changes to specialist aspects of the curriculum were acknowledged for providing students with wider and more appropriate choices, these have proved effective in raising achievement and meeting students’ diverse needs and interests.
Exceptional Practice was observed in several areas including; Working with the Wider Community, Rich Provision and High Take up. • It was noted how successful the specialism has been in extending the range of options for students of all abilities, including Level 2 IT Academy provision and the delivery of Further Maths & Computing for the more able. • The Nightowl initiative provided an exceptional 3471 hours of after school lessons in all subject areas for KS4 students in 2009/10.
• Current data reflects compelling evidence of greatly improved levels of achievement in KS4, which significantly exceed 2009 national averages.
• The specialism has driven effective practice across the school through targeted support for literacy, numeracy and ICT for lower attainers. • There is a committed and effective outreach programme in place, involving a range of specialist mathematics and ICT activities with primary schools. There is evidence of capacity building in supported schools, including teacher development and curriculum support. • The school’s recent offer of the IT Diploma provides an innovative and significant specialist provision for the South Liverpool partnership.
• The school has been judged as making an excellent and committed contribution to the community, in terms of provision for adult education, which is in direct response to local needs. • An exceptional aspect of the community provision was identified as being the effective use of SFX students as classroom assistants. Evidence supports high retention rates and a good percentage of returning learners. • Students’ ‘outstanding commitment to the school and wider community’ (Ofsted 2010) was confirmed and reflected in the participation of KS5 students within the Community Learning programme. 11
Cricket
Athletics News
All year groups have made a satisfying start to the cricket season with the Year 9 team already booking a place in the Semi Finals of the Liverpool Cup competition. Although all year groups have been knocked out of the Lancashire Cup competition, Year’s 7, 8, 9 and 10 are still in with a chance of progressing to the finals of the Liverpool Cup with each year group currently being in at least the Quarter finals. The finals are due to be played at Wavertree or Liverpool Cricket Club on the 14th and 15th July; watch this space.
After our recent triumph in the Merseyside Athletics Competition, the following boys were selected to represent SFX and Merseyside in the North West Regional Finals: Josef Yarni, Wade Maxwell, Lewis Wenton, Matthew Bainbridge, Daniel Abayomi, Ifeanyi Emeka Anyakwo and Fraser Hanlon.
Mr A Murphy
Baseball This term has seen the introduction of English baseball to the PE timetable and it has proved to be an instant success. Very similar to the American sport of baseball the boys have really taken to it and embraced the idea of a new sport in their PE lessons. The only differences are; the bat which has a flat edge and is kind of a cross between a cricket and baseball bat and the ball which is smaller in size. You have one opportunity to hit the ball from a good throw and make it round the 4 bases without being caught or ran out to score your side a home run. English baseball professional players and coaches have led the sessions. The players who represent England at the sport in national fixtures vs. Wales are trying to generate interest in the North West and are coming into schools and introducing the sport again. This term has also seen Years 7 and 8 compete in softball fixtures against local schools Calderstones and New Heys; after a trial and training session the boys performed exceptionally to lose narrowly to Caldertones by a couple of runs and beat New Heys convincingly. We are hoping that in the coming weeks we will be playing English baseball fixtures against the schools in our surrounding areas. Mr A Brown
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All of the boys produced outstanding performances throughout the competition with nobody finishing their event below 3rd place. There were also some great individual performances with Matthew Bainbridge opening proceedings with a win in the Year Seven 2 lap sprint. At the same time as the track events were taking place, Daniel and Ifeanyi were busy competing in the shot put, finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively. There were also wins for Wade and Matthew in the Triple Jump and Long Jump with Iffeani and Daniel winning their event in the standing long jump by a country mile. Attention now turned to field events and relays that produced some fantastic individual and team performances. In the 4 lap relay Daniel was comfortably victorious with Lewis and Fraser coming an extremely close second in the 8 lap relay. Lewis was also very unfortunate not to finish 1st in the 4 lap sprint being pipped at the line in a photograph finish. After a fantastic start from Joesf it was a similar story in the 4 x 1 relay sprint with the boys finishing a very close second behind the school representing the Wirral. In the presentation ceremony the boys waited eagerly as the results were read out in reverse order. I was not surprised at all that we were in the final 2 schools because of the amazing performances throughout the afternoon. However, the boys were ecstatic when it was announced that SFX had won the overall competition by a whopping 80 points! The Captain Matthew Bainbridge wasted no time in going to receive the winner’s trophy on behalf of the college and the boys. Fittingly, St Julie’s also won the Year 7 girls competition and our boys seemed very happy to proudly parade their medals with the girls from our neighbouring school. Not a bad afternoon’s work for SFX and Merseyside! We now all look forward to the summer and trying to repeat our performances in the outdoor athletics season. Mr Murphy
Tennis This summer term saw us take part in a number of tennis fixtures in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10. In term time we have had coaches from Palmeston Tennis Club (Mossley Hill) visiting school every Monday, giving expert coaching to many of the boys in the tennis team. The coaches have coached specifically on different shots such as; forearm, backhand and the volley as well as positioning and improving service. The coaching we are receiving from Palmerston has paid off and the standard of tennis played in fixtures against Gateacre, New Heys and Calderstons has been very high.
Table Tennis This academic year saw us enter two teams in the Liverpool South Central Table Tennis leagues. The fixture nights were all held at different schools around the South of the city and consisted of singles and doubles games. At the midway point of the season the Key Stage 3 team sat mid table with games in hand to play whilst the Key Stage 4 team were sitting comfortable at the summit of the table having only dropped a couple of matches and proved to be a very worthy of their placing by winning almost all their doubles games. Only Bluecoat school were showing similar form and with that fixture coming later in the year the boys were focused on beating the schools further down the table. Moving towards the last round of fixtures it appeared as if the very competitive level of the KS3 league had got the better of our boys as they’d slipped a couple of places, however our team although on the younger side compared to their opponents, pulled off a couple of wins in their final few fixtures to finish a respectable 6th place in the final standings.
The tennis matches have been based overall so each individual match contributes to the overall score. Against Gateacre we were unlucky to lose on the final doubles game to leave the overall score 11-9 in Gateacre’s favour. Against New Heys the boys played some magnificent tennis hitting some tremendous winners demonstrating that the coaching had paid off. The overall score line finishing 14 -6 to SFX. The Calderstones game was just Year 7 and although for some of the team it was only their third ever competitive game they showed great effort and technique to narrowly lose out in the final doubles game to an overall score of 4-2. The boys have really enjoyed the tennis fixtures this term and we would like to stress that the Monday night coaching is available for anyone regardless of ability. Coaching is on offer and there is also a chance to have a game of tennis against your friends; anyone from any year group is welcome to attend. Mr A Brown
The final fixtures saw Bluecoat face ourselves in what appeared to be a decider. In a very tight encounter a 99 stalemate meant that if we won our last two games by the required score line we would be KS4 Table Tennis Champions. The boys weren’t going to pass up the chance and beat Calderstones and King David respectively playing some excellent table tennis throughout. Congratulations must go to the four KS4 boys who represented the team Matty Thompson, James Foley, Kieran Kenny and Steven Lennon. A special mention must go to Steven Lennon who went unbeaten throughout the whole competition. Mr P Kelly
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Oxford 2010 Debating Finals Day After weeks of training, standing up and practising our speaking and trying to put the finishing touches on our styles, the day had finally come for me, Philip Devine, and my fellow Year 10 debater, Dominic McCaffrey. After a gruelling visit to Durham for the qualifying round of ICYD – the International Competition for Young Debaters - we were now heading for a place where some truly great speakers had taken to the floor: the Oxford Union. Our day began with the dawning sun. It was a shocking 5:30 a.m. meet at Lime Street Station for us and the formidable Mr Cugley. Brushing the sleep from our weary eyes, we waved goodbye to home and pressed on towards Oxford, our optimism tinged with a slight foreboding. With the long journey ahead, we discussed what issues could possibly crop up and researched them appropriately, scrutinising our trusty newspapers. This is due to the fact that many debates arise from issues freshly introduced to the media spotlight. Or, as Mr Cugley insists upon putting it, “Why is debating so deliciously chewy? Because it’s full of currant affairs!” Four hours passed as quickly as they ever will and suddenly we were walking through the gates at the iconic Oxford Union. We walked through the halls gasping at the pictures on the wall: the Dalai Lama, Mother Theresa, Stephen Hawking, and even better, Kermit the Frog! We gasped at the age of the books in the library some older than the three generations of our families. However, when registration came we realised how big the event we were participating in actually was. After most long distance trips to competitions, we jokingly ask whether we are the furthest travelled. Most of the time we are, but this particular occasion proved an exception. We had been beaten comprehensively by a team that weren’t even from the same continent. They were from South Korea and would put most people’s command of the English language to shame! It was then that we realised that this was the biggest competition we had taken part in and that a severe examination lay ahead of us.
ten minute walk away from the union itself. Now this was a problem, as we had to prepare whilst we were on the move, something which is easy in theory but in practice much harder. We had been drawn in what is arguably one of the hardest positions on the table - 2nd proposition. This meant that
we would speak after four other speeches and - especially if 1st proposition was a competent team - it would be very difficult to come up with new ideas. This proved to be our main problem in the debate. The first speaker stood up and giving a rousing speech that anyone would be proud of, outlining every key issue succinctly and leaving us with our heads in our hands. His partner was just as good and, as I looked down at my sheet, I realised we had nothing that hadn’t already been said. I was going to just try and bluff my way through, hopefully extending on and shooting at what was already a near enough bulletproof case. Our speeches went well, but I think in our hearts we knew we hadn’t made first or second. Still, a third place would put is in a position whereby we might yet break to the
We walked through the halls gasping at the pictures on the wall: the Dalai Lama, Mother Theresa, Stephen Hawking, and even better, Kermit the Frog! We registered and sat down in the speaking chamber of the Union, looking at the vast architecture of the hall, a numinous feeling descending upon me as I gazed around me. This was where the competition began. The first motion was set up upon the board: This House would legalise all drugs. We had done it before, but could we pull off a victory? Unlike a lot of the other debates, ours was a 14
final. Sadly, this was not to be, a fourth place in this first debate effectively putting us out of the competition. Now we were just debating for pride. We walked back to the union through the idyllic streets contemplating defeat but looking to the next debate, looking at where we had gone wrong and how to do it better. With some wise words from Mr Cugley, we were
ready for the next big test. We sat down in the hall and awaited our next debate. It was This House would ban all religious schools, with us in first proposition. No excuses this time then! We had another walk this time, but the reward at the end of the walk was magnificent, like a scene out of Lewis. Exeter College is an institution of exquisite beauty, its square of immaculately tended grass surrounded by the finest architecture. It was a privilege to debate there. We went into a room of great wooden chairs and a handsome wooden table, which wouldn’t have looked out of place in a stately home. We began our case strongly, talking through the notion that segregating different religions might lead to ignorance, which could be a reason for the recent explosion of extremist parties onto our political landscape. We felt that this debate developed much better for us, and that we managed to regain some of the confidence that we had lost with the 4th place. Ultimately, we gained a second. We may well have won, but a fantastic speech from the final proposition speaker pulled the rug from underneath our feet. This brought us to the lunch break in our jam packed day and Mr Cugley’s keen eye spotted one of his favourite eateries, Pie Minister. This inspired recommendation was very much appreciated by me and Dom. With a lovely meal of pie and mash down us, we made a move back to union for our third and final debate of the day.
The Catenian Public Speaking Competition Finals Day Matthew Handley (Y12) competed in this local public speaking competition in March along with 8 other students from various schools across the county. He spoke on the subject of Barak Obama's leadership to a packed audience and a panel of expert judges at Hope University, which may seem a daunting task, but given that Matthew has already spoken at the World Schools Debating Championships, he took it in his stride and performed with maturity and flair, completely outclassing the rest of the field. He was duly awarded first place and was rewarded with £100.00 prize money, £250.00 for our school and a fine shield which bears the names of two previous winners from SFX, James Richardson and Bryn Gough. The £250.00 has been used to fund a Debate Society laptop which will prove indispensable for research on the move! Congratulations to Matthew, who now not only represents the school in debating competitions, but plays a vital role in inspiring and training our younger pupils. Mrs Boughey
This House would force people to care for their elderly parents was a tough issue, especially when you had to debate against someone from a different culture, who might have had radically different views on it. We were 1st opposition. In 1st proposition were one of the four teams from South Korea. Unfortunately, the speech that they produced lacked relevance to the motion at hand and we didn’t really have anything to debate against. Nevertheless, we stood up and tried to make as good a case out of it as we could. We couldn’t. We only gained a 3rd. One quite comical moment of this encounter was when a girl with a strong Irish accent questioned one of the South Koreans. She spoke with so much speed the boy, his face stunned with confusion, could only say ‘Sorry can you say that again but slower please?’ When we got back to the union, we knew that the final was an impossibility. However, we had enjoyed the day and had unquestionably got a lot out of it. As we left, we heard the motion for the final: This House would assassinate all dictators. I looked towards Dom and said, ‘If only we’d had the chance to get stuck into that, eh?’ So Dom, Mr Cugley and I strolled away towards the station, homeward bound on a day that had ended in defeat. I didn’t like to look at it that way though. As Aerosmith wisely note in their song Dream On, ‘You’ve got to lose to know how to win.’
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Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award On the weekend of the 19th-20th June 2010 a large number of students left the safety of the grounds of St Francis Xavier’s College to head off into the unknown, well OK to the Peak District but few of them had ever been there before! The normally uneventful journey which traditionally consists of Radio 2 in one minibus and ‘The History of the Natural Environment’ in the other (I shall let you guess which minibus Mr Rippon drives!) was interrupted with a puncture. About an hour into the journey Mr Holden turned with total calm in his voice and commented to Mr Evans “summats up ere lad”. He pulled over only to see that one of the tyres looked as flat as a proverbial pancake. Thankfully Mr Rippon was not too far behind so both minibuses found a safe place to pull into and he had a look at the damage. After all members of staff (excluding Miss Cullen of course; it was thought best not to wake her) attempted to remove the said tyre, it was decided that we would be better served taking the minibus twenty yards down the road to a garage, where they whipped the type off with the help of a power drill and a mallet, and within thirty minutes we were on the road again!
We arrived at our location and after a quick conversation between staff splitting up the day’s roles and responsibilities Mr Rippon and Miss Cullen took responsibility for one walking group of students and Mr Evans and Mr Wignall the other. Mr Holden plumped for the “checking out the coffee shops and looking after the bus”(both very important roles). The students set off for the days hike, both groups would be walking up Mam Tor but by taking different paths to meet at the summit. The sun was beating down upon these our pleasant pastures green and Mr Wignall had versed all the students about the importance of hydration, small and regular sips not infrequent gulps was the way forward! Both groups set a really fast pace and it was, at times, difficult for some staff to keep up – but not for Mr Wignall! He had the energy of a
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chipmunk and at times ran ahead to ensure that the road less travelled was clear of all families and other D of E groups before the SFX students arrived. Mr Evans decided it may be best to drop behind the walking group slightly; this was motivated by the desire to let the students walk on their own (not because he was panting like a dog before mealtime). The groups both made very good time and ended up on the campsite earlier than previous years, now the fun was to start. The students got the tents up with relative ease and settled down to cook their own tea. It would be fair at this point to list some of the usual meals we see; hot dogs, bacon butties, noodles, beans – think the outdoor equivalent of turkey twizzlers. But not this year, oh no, this year’s students, as if they had attended a session run by good old Jamie himself produced Carbonara (made from scratch), Barbequed Burgers, Cheese and Ham Crepes and Spaghetti Bolognaise to name but a few. They then settled down, sat in a large circle on the ground and chatted – yes chatted, for about two hours it was as if we had been transported back in time, no radio, no TV, no internet and more importantly no Facebook! Well that’s what we thought anyhow soon later a text came through from SFX HQ to say that the news of the puncture was all over the aforementioned social networking site – we hoped to hit the top 10 UK trending topics but alas it was not to be. The students settled down well in the evening and after a good night’s sleep they were eager to go in the morning. The final walk was about five or six miles and involved a rather tricky piece of navigation. The staff once again split up responsibilities, Miss Cullen would walk each group to the start point and set them on their way, Mr Wignall would meet them at a given checkpoint as would Mr Rippon and Mr Evans. Mr Holden again chose to sample a bacon sandwich from the local café and read the newspaper – oh yes sorry and look after the minibuses. We just don’t know what we would do without him at times, he is like a dormant volcano waiting to explode, he sits on the sidelines like a coiled spring just waiting to be called up to the plate. The students walked at a good speed, as seems to be the trend set by this year’s Year 12 students, and made it back to the bus in time to enjoy an ice lolly and the start of the 3 o’clock world cup kick off! The students will be taking part in their final assessed weekend on the 9th – 12th July and we will report back then so keep a look out in the next edition of SFXtra.
World War One Battlefields Trip The school trip to the battlefields of France and Belgium took place from the 24th May – 28th May 2010. The trip was an extremely enjoyable and interesting experience; I think I speak for everyone when I say it was certainly one to remember. We all had a brilliant time learning about World War One whilst visiting the war trenches and famous Flanders Field museum. We definitely came home with a greater knowledge of the war and how it affected everyone. We were astonished when we saw the amount of graves, both German and British, and the amount of unidentified bodies there were. Visiting Vimy Ridge showed us all of the countries that were involved and the problems they faced as a result. Wreaths were laid at the Thiepval memorial and at the Menin Gate in memory of the relatives of Matthew Dickinson (Year 9), Thomas Needham
(Year 7) and Stephen O’Driscoll (Year 7) who fought in the war. All of the pupils had a great time and each was extremely friendly to one another. Overall I think that the trip was a great success and I would recommend it to anyone interested! Nicholas Helme 8KE
On the Dunes in June A Level Biology students have been looking at plant succession at Ainsdale and Birkdale Sandhills Nature Reserve as part of their A2 Biology Unit 4 study. Ainsdale and Birkdale Sandhills Local (& National) Nature Reserve is one of the largest areas of wild dune land left in Britain. It is managed by Sefton Council's Coast and Countryside Service. The reserve was established in 1980 and now covers 670 acres (268ha) of open dunes. It is typical of most sand dune systems with high dune ridges and dune valleys containing slacks. Slacks are low hollows formed by wind-blow, often flooded during the winter which contains many unusual plants and animals. Some slacks provide ideal breeding pools for Natterjacks. A very rare amphibian confined to dune area habitat. The reserve is rich in plant life. During the summer months damp slacks are carpeted with flowers including Early-marsh Orchid, Marsh Helleborine and Grass of Parnassus. In drier slacks the Roundleaved Wintergreen and nationally rare Dune
Helleborine can be found. During a walk-about, to get an overall picture of some of the flora, fauna and dune forms, the group discovered a veritable forest of the very rare bee orchid. Thirty two of these beautiful plants were seen in one small area amongst the dunes. Bees in the past have promoted the evolution of bee orchids. Male bees, over many generations of orchid evolution, have become attracted to the bee-like shape and try to copulate with the flowers (a “female bee”), and hence transfer pollen. Mr Knee gave an informed talk about the nature reserve and some of the plant adaptations that the group would encounter in this almost dessert-like habitat. He also mentioned that the area has a number of “links” golf courses close by (Royal Birkdale, Hillside and Southport & Ainsdale). The word "links" comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes and “links” the coast with the inland.
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FA Respect Campaign An ongoing feature of this year’s football season is the introduction at SFX of the FA’s initiative RESPECT campaign. As a strong opponent locally, regionally and nationally, we saw it as essential to be a part of this campaign considering our status as a leading football school in Liverpool. We have incorporated at SFX the FA’s programme to prevent any unacceptable behaviour in football – on and off the pitch. On average, thousands of referees quit football every year because of the abuse they receive from players and from the sidelines. Lots of children also quit football due to similar reasons. In response, The FA’s Respect programme provides a series of tools for leagues, clubs, coaches, referees, players and parents from grassroots to elite football to ensure a safe, positive environment in which to enjoy the game. These tools include agreed codes of conduct, in-service training for referees, Respect club packs, spectator designated spectator areas and work with referees and captains to manage player behaviour. The initiative proved very successful in school and it was only a matter of weeks before all team managers, players and parents had signed the relevant codes of conduct. Receiving the backing from all parties was very reassuring and also enabled us to invite premiership referee Chris Foy into school to deliver a talk on respect. Chris’s speech was excellent and made reference to premiership players which the boys loved; he also stayed behind to sign autographs for the boys. He was very impressed that the school’s RESPECT campaign was up and running and stayed around for a picture with all the school football team captains and Head of Department Mr Brown. Mr A Brown
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SFX International Sports Festival This term, we have celebrated the SFX International Sports Festival. The culmination came with inter-form tournaments for Year 7 and Year 8 in Danish Longball, Baseball, Tag American Football and Tennis.
Each form represented a country competing in the World Cup. Prior to the events, the boys and their form tutors had a chance to learn some essential sports vocabulary in the main language of their form's country. On the fields, we could hear Spanish (Spain and Mexico) and French as well as Portuguese (Brazil and Portugal), Dutch, Italian and Zulu (South Africa). Mr Lloyd
Athletics The summer term has seen us take part in District, Individual and Catholic Schools’ Athletics. The students selected for the athletics teams in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 have all performed superbly, individually and collectively to win their Year group championships overall. At the District Athletics the Year 7 pupils were the overall champions of their age group with Years 8 and 9 coming runners up. Furthermore, at the Catholic Schools’ Athletics Year 7 once again were dominant with Year 10 also coming out worthy winners. A special mention must go to the following students who represented the school at the City Individuals and who won their individual events to become City Champions; Daniel Abayomi (100m), George Pennington Reader (Hurdles) and Luke Towers (3000m). Mr P Kelly
Vuvuzela A standard short Vuvuzela plays a single B b note. A Vuvuzela sometimes called an “Lepatata” or Stadium horn, is a blowing horn up to approximately 65cm in length. It is usually blown at a football match in South Africa. The instrument is played using the same technique as a brass instrument player, blowing through compressed lips to create a buzz. Football fans in Brazil and other Latin American countries use a similar instrument. Vuvuzelas have been linked to hearing loss during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They have also been linked to the spread of colds and flu viruses. Some people think the vuvzelas take atmosphere away from football. I think vuvzelas add atmosphere to football games. The sound levels of the instrument have been measured at 127 decibels. This means that the pressure levels are dangerously high for unprotected ears. Alex Brown 8CA
Merseyside Catholics Schools Athletics Year 7 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
St. Francis Xavier’s College Maricourt De La Salle Liverpool Archbishop Beck De La Salle St. Helens St. Francis of Assisi St. Mary’s Savio Holy Family
209 pts 165 pts 143 pts 142 pts 141 pts 130 pts 126 pts 118 pts 105 pts
Year 8 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
De La Salle Liverpool Maricourt St. Mary’s De La Salle St. Helens St Francis Xavier’s College Savio Holy Family Archbishop Beck St. Francis of Assisi
154 pts 145 pts 135 pts 134 pts 124 pts 93 pts 82 pts 67 pts 35 pts
Year 9 1st 2nd 3rd 3rd 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
Maricourt St. Francis Xavier’s College De La Salle St. Helens St. Mary’s Archbishop Beck Holy Family De La Salle Liverpool Savio St. Francis of Assisi
168 pts 133 pts 123 pts 123 pts 120 pts 110 pts 107 pts 69 pts 38 pts
Year 10 1st St Francis Xavier’s College 2nd De La Salle St. Helens 3rd Maricourt 4th De La Salle Liverpool 5th Savio 6th Holy Family 7th Archbishop Beck
167 pts 158 pts 143 pts 134 pts 114 pts 68 pts 61 pts
Many thanks to all the boys, the pupils were a credit to the school. Mr. Long
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Year 7/8 Matrix Cup The Year 7 and 8 football team visited Goodison Park in May to take part in the Matrix Cup. Whilst there they played against Cardinal Heenan in a tight game in which Gavin Heard scored the only goal of the match after a neat ball from Tom Feeley. After this they then played against Archbishop Beck in the final for a 12 a-side game in which the full squad played. Unfortunately they lost 1-0 but the chance to play at a Premier League ground was a fantastic experience for all of the players involved. The squad in full: Year 7: Josef Yarney, Wade Maxwell, Matthew Mottram, Jake Burns, Matthew Bainbridge Year 8: Dominic Garner, Matthew James, Ben Jago, Connor Martin-Inglis, Gavin Heard, Tom Feeley Mr K Glover / Mr A Murphy
1st XI Football Competing at a very competitive high standard the 1st Eleven 6th Form football team performed well in the Merseyside schools and colleges league this season. Finishing fourth in the overall standings the boys have shown themselves to be a very tough opponent only losing 5 games all season and to the narrowest of margins. Throughout the season the boys have shown what a good footballing side they are with some notable victories against strong opposition across the county. Our performances over the course enabled us to finish in fourth place meaning we’d qualified for the top eight playoff cup comfortably. The quarter finals saw us drawn against Myerscough College, and against a very physical and tough side we ran out 2-1 winners Jordan Lockett grabbing both goals. The semi finals saw us meet playoff favourites Cardinal Heenan and after a bright start and a superb early goal from James Vickers we conceded three poor goals in quick succession. A tremendous volley from Jordan Scott got us back in the game just before half time, the 2nd half was a very one sided affair our lads camped in the Cardinal Heenan half laying siege to the goal, we missed a couple of very good chances before a rare Heenan counter attack led to a dubious penalty which ended our run in the competition. The 6th Form first team also had a very good run in the Merseyside Senior Shield reaching the quarter finals and losing out narrowly on penalties to tournament holders Deyes HS. All in all it has been a very successful season and the boys can be very proud of their efforts and performances on the pitch. Mr P Kelly
Year 9 Football Following last year’s success as the Liverpool city champions, the Year 9 football team started the campaign very well with a 3-0 victory over our arch rivals Gateacre and a 5-3 victory against a strong All Saints team. The team performed very well in both games and looked like they were going to have another successful season. The cup games also started well as we progressed into round two of the Merseyside and National Cup. Eventually crashing out to Merseyside Cup Winners De La Salle and a very organised Manchester Grammar side. A superb brace by Brandon O’Rourke wasn’t enough to prevent the Manchester outfit winning 6-3.
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Top Scorer for the season was Callum Woods netting 7 times including a 5 goal haul vs. Knowsley Learning Centre. The player of the season was Alex Sweeney setting the example as captain and giving an outstanding contribution. We start the new season with a new manager so we would like to take this opportunity to say many thanks to Mr Bright who has been with us for three years and it has been a pleasure to work with him. James Cooper 9 RI
Year 7 Football The Year 7 played in the Liverpool Cup against the team they shared the League with in May, Cardinal Heenan. Having beaten Bluecoat 3-2 in the Quarter finals and then Archbishop Beck 6-1 in the Semi final, Cardinal Heenan awaited them at the Liverpool Soccer Centre. In the game, after an even start, Matthew Mottram performed an excellent down the left flank and crossed over for the lively Daniel Abayomi who knocked the ball in after the keeper had spilled. During the second half, Cardinal Heenan put the boys under a bit of pressure, with a great save coming from Daniel Murphy after a good chance from a corner and they then hit the bar. However, nerves were calmed later on when Fraser Hanlon broke down the right and crossed for Nick Clarke to head home. A special mention must go to Charlie Short and Matthew Bainbridge who missed out on the final due to being away on a school trip. Both boys have been excellent this season and it was a shame for them to miss out. Michael Swift made an
impressive display filling in for Matthew though in only his second game for the team! However, myself and a few of the other teachers who were watching the final agreed that the man of the match for the final was Declan Nyhus, in a close call as all the boys involved were fantastic. The game capped off a good season with the boys with many, many positives, not just the Liverpool cup final victory but their Merseyside league winners achievement which they shared with Cardinal Heenan. I'm looking forward to working with the boys over the next few years and I'm sure many more trophies will come their way. Squad for the Liverpool Cup Final: Daniel Murphy, Jake Burns, George Pennington-Reader, Michael Swift, Connor Connell, Elliot Hughes, Dylan Haughey, Declan Nyhus, Wade Maxwell, Matthew Mottram, Daniel Abayomi, Owen Wilkie, Josef Yarney, Nick Clarke, Fraser Hanlon Mr K Glover
Year 10 Football
Year 8 Football
Once again this particular year group has had a very profitable season, with some tremendous home and away wins in various cup competitions reaching the latter stages of all competitions entered. In the Merseyside cup we were narrowly knocked out by a strong West Derby side after we fielded a much depleted team due to injuries and schoolboy commitments. However we would have our revenge on West Derby later in the school football calendar. A good run in the national cup beating various sides across the North West region saw us come up against fancied Manchester outfit Wright Robinson College in the last 64. In a close encounter we took the lead through striker Tom Williams with a very well take goal from close range, only for Wright Robinson to go straight up the other end and score a very good equaliser themselves.
The Year 8 football team had a really good season reaching the last 32 of the ESFA national cup and getting to the final of the Liverpool cup being narrowly defeated 2.1 by Cardinal Heenan. Perhaps the most memorable game of the season was beating the national champions (Archbishop Beck) 2.0 away in the semi final of the Liverpool cup with a fantastic display from everybody and 2 outstanding goals from Connor Martin and Captain Ben Jago. After such a great performance the boys felt confident of getting a positive result in the final but it wasn't to be. Nevertheless, all of the boys deserve credit for their efforts this season and I'm sure we can go one step further next season and get our hands on a trophy! Mr A Murphy
The 2nd half was all SFX with the Wright Robinson goalkeeper saving his side on numerous occasions. With time almost up, a hopeful Wright Robinson shot rebounded into the path of their striker who finished well from close range to send them through to the next round. A good run in the Liverpool cup saw us meet De La Salle in the semi finals and a comfortable 5-1 win saw us book our place in the final against West Derby. SFX went into the final missing a few key players and the final proved to be a very tight affair and from early on it was evident that the West Derby players were a very big physical side and in the opening exchanges won many of the individual battles, although midway through the 1st half our passing game began to take effect and just before half time we won a stone cold penalty which Nathan Quirk duly dispatched.
SFX then took control of the 2nd half keeping the ball well and creating good opportunities through there passing and movement off the ball, we weren’t however without the odd scare from the physical West Derby side. Into the final 10 minutes and a rash challenge from a West Derby defender lead to a 2nd penalty for Quirk where yet again he made no mistake sealing the win for SFX. An excellent effort by the boys, we hope for similar success next season.
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Shanghai Trip On the 23rd May we embarked on an 11 hour flight to Shanghai, China. Our main purpose of the trip was to work on the Liverpool Pavilion in the Shanghai Expo, the largest expo that has ever taken place. The plane journey was long but we knew that it would be worth it when we got there. The next day was one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ things. We went to the very top of the tallest observation deck in the world and the 2nd tallest building in the world- the Shanghai Financial Centre. This 500m tall building has only just been built and as well as having offices in there is also a hotel. It was then the boys turn to go round the Expo and visit the different country’s pavilions at the Expo while the girls worked on the Liverpool Site.
The first full day we were in Shanghai we visited the Oriental Pearl Tower, an iconic building on the Shanghai skyline. We stood on a glass floor which was a visible straight 350m drop down just underneath our feet. After that we had our first day on the Expo, we had a look around at the different countries’ Pavilions and then worked on the Liverpool Pavilion for 3 hours. The next day we visited a secondary school and had the chance to speak to Chinese children who were slightly younger than us but their English was very good so communicating with them easily was not a problem. The boys had a game of basketball and football with some of the boys from the school and the girls had a netball game, unfortunately losing the basketball but winning the football match. We then watched a small group of Chinese pupils play traditional instruments to a very high standard; the whole group was very impressed. On the following day we visited the neighbouring city of Shanghai, Suzhou, by train. In Suzhou we visited a University which has a link to Liverpool John Moores University in Liverpool. We watched a Traditional Chinese Opera there and were lucky enough to see the actors and actresses putting their make up on before the show. At lunch time we tried our first real Chinese meal, a selection of meats, fish and pastry placed on a large circular plate which spun round so everyone on the table could choose what to eat. We then visited a holy Chinese temple and watched people pray to different Gods. Then it was the boys turn to work on the expo for 6 hours, helping with counting people in, stamping expo passports and helping visitors around the Liverpool Pavilion. 22
On our final day we took the metro to a Science and Space museum where we saw a 4D film which was a great experience for all of us; I would recommend you try and go to one because it will be the next big thing. We then went to a Chinese market place where we could barter for the goods we wanted to buy. We then went to the Bund, a top tourist attraction in Shanghai where people can get a spectacular view of the whole of the Shanghai Skyline. Going to China was an experience I will never forget, getting to know new people and seeing things that some people would never see in their whole life time is why I applied to go in the first place. I hope to go back there when I’m older and see different parts of China. James Sharples 10
My Shanghai Experience After waiting for a long time we eventually boarded a flight from John Lennon Airport, destined for Amsterdam, on the first leg of our journey to Shanghai. On our first day in Shanghai we went to the Oriental TV Pearl Tower (this was over 350 metres high), we went to the very top of the building and the view was astonishing, we could see for miles! Shanghai is such an enormous city it was like overlooking an entire country. The city is also very modern and it felt a little like looking into a science fiction set. We then went downstairs to the glass floor where we could see the city directly below. After Pearl Tower we went back to the hotel and got changed into our school uniforms ready for our first day of work, we split up into two groups and had the opportunity to view the Expo for 3 hours before swapping and working for three further hours. We visited the Space Pavilion, the Oil Pavilion and the Shanghai Pavilion. We also saw the Suzhou Pavilion. On the second day we visited a Chinese secondary school, here we took part in a cookery lesson, a music lesson and we also played some Chinese sports. In the afernoon we listened to some modern Chinese music all provided by the school children and at the end of their performance we were allowed to play the instruments, however not one of the English students or teachers could play any of them! On the third day we had to get up really early because we were going to Suzhou. This was completely the opposite of Shanghai as it was very old and quaint. Suzhou is nicknamed small Venice because every road has a waterway next to it where you could view all of the old Chinese boats going past. After a lovely Chinese meal we went to see a Chinese Opera which was held in
an ancient Chinese Opera House,here we were lucky enough to visit backstage and meet all of the actors and actresses and look around the museum which was there. After the opera we went to the University of Suzhou to take part in a cultural lesson. Here we were taught how to write in Chinese and we also made some origami ducks! Friday was a very interesting day as we went to both the Expo and the World Financial Centre in Pudong. This is one of the biggest buildings in the world and is 494.4 meters in the air and has 100 floors! Our last day in China started very early with a visit to the science museumfollowed by a trip to a local market. After an entertaining bartering session the last activity of the holiday was a visit to the Bund, where we all stood together and watched the Shanghai skyline. My top 5 Experiences of Shanghai were: 1. Suzhou - seeing a completely different side to China was amazing and the best part of the week for me 2. The Chinese secondary school - seeing how people my age work and are disciplined far more strictly was a very good experience and beating everybody at table tennis was fun. 3. Pearl Tower - standing on the glass floor was something else! 4. Meeting all the Chinese people - it is difficult to explain just how nice the Chinese people we met were,m everywhere we went they were more then happy to have a picture taken with you and speak to you 5. And finally the World Expo - it is something words cannot describe and definitely worth a visit, it is absolutely gigantic! Steven Lennon 10 CA
Radio City Visit On Wednesday 23 June at 7.15 am, Steven Lennon (10CA) and Mr Lloyd were sitting in the green room at the top of the Radio City Tower in Liverpool ready to go on air. Breakfast Show presenter Mick Coyle and Les Stewart from Cardinal Heenan and City Talk's education expert were preparing us for the interview. Steven gave a confident performance, talking about his experiences on the Liverpool Youth Ambassadors' Visit to Shanghai - although they were more interested in his table tennis exploits! A recording of the interview will soon be available via the school website.
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YEAR 10 Sports Leaders In June a group of Year 10 students were selected from two GCSE classes to assist in a primary school sports taster day at Calderstones Park as part of their Junior Sports Leaders Award (JSLA). They were each given a coach to work with on individual sports stations ranging from dance to boxing, whilst different primary schools rotated around the events trying the various sports. The students were heavily involved in demonstrating, coaching and organising the running of their stations. The students showed very impressive communication skills whilst working with the primary school children and spent time explaining the different sports and answering questions. All of the students involved were extremely polite and helpful and were excellent ambassadors for the college. The students were also able to watch the tennis at the Calderstones Tennis Tournament whilst on a on a brief break from leading activities (there was a fantastic game taking place which was a Wimbledon qualifier). Overall it was an excellent day for the Sports Leaders and the confidence they have gained through assisting at the event will add relevant experience for their Junior Sports Leaders Award. Mr P Kelly
Dodgeball The PE Department’s contribution to Sport Relief entailed a staff and 6th form entry into the North of England Dodgeball Tournament. To fundraise for the event sponsor sheets were given out and a school sweepstake as to what time the staff team would exit the very prestigious tournament was held. After weeks and months of intense dodgeball training the staff and 6th form teams were physically and tactically equipped to beat Northern England’s Elite dodgeball teams and become Northern Champions. Unfortunately things didn’t quite go according to plan! Losing almost every game (6th form and Staff), and suffering multiple dodgeball related injuries we realised that the squads we had put together fell slightly short of the mark required to be Ultimate Dodgeball Champions (although a friendly between staff and 6th form saw the staff totally dominate and triumph over the 6th form team!).
Rugby The introduction of both codes of Rugby to Year 7 this academic year has proved very successful both within school and competitively. The Year 7 boys have proved themselves to be a very strong opponent in both Rugby League and Rugby Union. Considering the majority of the squad are experiencing competitive rugby for the first time, our achievement in tournaments and fixtures seems even greater. In the Merseyside Emerging School’s League we performed tremendously and although we didn’t play as many fixtures as other schools we remained unbeaten within the Rugby League format, defeating eventual league winners De La Salle School 10 tries to 4. Star turns from Kieran Howell, Matthew Ledson and Joel Dougherty enabled us to come away with a well deserved and memorable victory. After their Rugby League success the boys proved that they can adapt to both codes by reaching the semi finals of the Liverpool School’s Rugby Union festival at Sefton Rugby Club. After a slow start in the group and losing our 1st game, the boys lifted their performance tackling ferociously and played some excellent flowing Rugby, passing from wing to wing with great effect. We eventually succumbed to a physically bigger Childwall side, to which we were the losers of a very tight semi final. Star turns from top try scorer Ifeyani Emeka Anayakwo and scrum half Connor Kerr proved how good the team had become. After a very enjoyable and successful season we have high hopes for the current Year 7 Rugby teams to excel in Year 8 and in the future. Mr P Kelly
Sport Relief Mile In March the PE department took several classes to Calderstones Park to take part in the Sport Relief Mile. The students and staff completed a mile run and the day was a great success with all proceeds from sponsorship and fundraising going to a very worthy cause.
Despite many bruised egos, the tournament was a great way to raise money for a very worthwhile cause through Sport Relief and the end total after all sweepstake guesses and sponsor sheets totalled £810.00.
180 students took part in the run, as well as a number of Year 12 and 13 students and staff (who took considerably longer to complete the run than the boys, but eventually managed to cross the finish line in the end!). It proved to be a very worthwhile and successful day.
Mr P Kelly
Mr A Murphy
Beaconsfield Road, Liverpool L25 6EG • Tel: 0151 288 1000 Fax: 0151 288 1001 • Email: admin@sfx.liverpool.sch.uk www.sfx.liverpool.sch.uk 24