SFXtra December 2011 by Peter Evans

sfxtra December 2011 In partnership with YOUTH PARTNER

Contents

Dear Parents

Heartstart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Preparations for Christmas seem to begin earlier in the shops with each year that passes and 2011 is no exception; in fact given the economic situation and the stiff competition businesses are facing, it seemed to “have to” start even earlier this year. Whilst we all worry about the current financial situation it does perhaps focus us more on the true meaning of Christmas; rather than being concerned about what gifts should be bought we should view this Christmas as an opportunity to think about what we can give for free, because after all Jesus wasn’t born into a wealthy family and was not dependent upon worldly goods. The best gift we can give to one another is the same as that which Jesus gave to us all – that of love.

Children in Need. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Maths & Computing Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 SFX Open. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Life After Handley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Duke of Edinburgh’s Award . . . . . . . . . . 12 Physics Olympics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Trip to London . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Enterprise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Community Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Business and Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Remembrance Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 School Sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Let us hope that this Christmas will be an occasion when we all will have the opportunity to refocus on what we are really celebrating. The rewards felt by loving one another in the way that Jesus has taught us will last much longer than any gifts and wrapping paper. On behalf of all at the College I wish you a peaceful and holy Christmas. Best wishes for 2012.

Friday December 2nd 2011 College closes at 12.25pm in recognition of Feast of St Francis Xavier on December 3rd.

Yours sincerely, L D Rippon Headteacher

Thursday December 15th 2011 Christmas lunch for all pupils, students and staff.

Newsletter Editing Team Andrew Brown Francis Prior Paul Wileman Jordan Rimmer Holly Knisz Matthew Blakemore Christopher Johnson Daniel McIver Ben Gilbert Daniel Healey Jonathon Joynson Sam Darby Mr A Grace

Important Dates

13LE 13MA 13CA 13CA 13 MA 12KE 11KE 10RI 10LE 10WA 10MA 8RI

Monday December 19th 2011 Senior Proclamation at 7.30pm for members of Year 11 (2010-11) and Year 13 (2010-11) – awards and public examination certificates will be presented as we celebrate the success of those who took examinations last summer. Tuesday December 20th 2011 College Carol Service at 7.30pm in the College Chapel – please do come along to support this important occasion. Year 12 and 13 students break up on this day after Mass before lunch. Wednesday December 21st 2011 College closes at 12.25pm for Christmas Holidays. Monday January 9th 2012 College reopens at 8.40am for all pupils, students and staff.

Get Your Children Book Fair past week has seen the annual bookfair in the Reading this Christmas This school LRC and it has been as popular as ever! Each Christmas these days is all about high tech gadgets, stuffing our faces with mince pies and Christmas puddings, and generally slacking off for the time being. For teenagers, however, this is even more apparent in the new modern world, whilst years ago Christmas provided some relaxation and peace of mind. Why not calm things down a bit? We need to bring back the old Christmas, and what provides a bit of peace at mind and will stimulate the young growing minds of today?

Books!

day during English lessons, teachers have brought their Y7, Y8 and Y9 classes down to the library to browse the large selection of books available to purchase. Some just came and had a browse, some bought Christmas presents for their siblings while some just bought early Christmas presents for themselves. The myth that young people are only interested in video games and computers was well and truly put to rest when witnessing the enthusiasm of the boys as they excitedly browsed through the books. Whether you were looking for spy stories, love stories, mystery novels or just a girly book for your baby sister, the LRC annual book fair had something for everyone.

Books are a great way to keep us occupied and along the way helps to educate us and improve our range on vocabulary and change our way of thinking, as well as introducing new ideas that we were previously ignorant about. A personal favourite book of mine is ‘The Bumblebee Flies Anyway’. I won’t give away any spoilers, but it is a great read. With believable yet complex characters and a twist you would never suspect, it’s more than enough to keep your child entertained! Other books I would recommend your child to read would be; • Postcards from No Man's Land by Aidan Chambers • Northern Lights by Philip Pullman • Junk by Melvin Burgess • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon • Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney • Robert Muchamore books • Harry Potter book series by J.K Rowling • The Fear by Charlie Higson • Time Riders by Alex Scarrow

Buying or borrowing these books will not only give your child a better vocabulary, occupy them and entertain them but it will also have a massive effect on their grades in school. So why not give it a go for the benefit of your child? You can find these books online at various websites such as Waterstones.com, Amazon.co.uk, Blackwell.co.uk and many more. You can also purchase them from several book stores such as Waterstones, WHSmith and Blackwell. Or simply go to your local library and borrow the book you want for a week or so! So what’s there to lose? Go out and borrow a book for your child today! Christopher Johnson 11KE 2

Learn Life-saving Skills with Heartstart Would you know what to do in a life-threatening emergency? Learning Emergency Life Support (ELS) skills can help you keep someone alive until professional help arrives. The British Heart Foundation’s Heartstart initiative teaches students what to do in a life threatening emergency – simple skills that save lives.

Future Lifestyles It’s Back! It’s Free! The largest on-going Physical Activity Scheme in Liverpool • FREE Access to All Lifestyle Centres • FREE Swimming All Year Round to Young People under 17 • FREE 1 Month Pass to Lifestyle Gyms, £1 per session thereafter. • FREE Court Hire (Book on the day) • FREE All Weather Pitch Hire (Book on the day) Have you registered yet? Visit: www.liverpool.gov.uk/futurelifestyles Phone: 0151 233 5433

To date 2.6 million people have been trained through Heartstart. It is aimed at the public, and anyone from the age of ten upwards can learn the complete range of ELS skills. The Heartstart programme includes skills such as: • assessing an unconscious patient, • performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), • dealing with choking, • serious bleeding, • helping someone that may be having a heart attack. Knowing what to do when someone has a cardiac arrest is important. If you can do CPR you can buy the time needed for professional help to arrive and save the life of your loved one. Being able to do CPR more than doubles their chance of survival. Currently Year 10 and 11 ASDAN students complete the course in school with Mrs Hesketh as part of their Certificate of Personal Effectiveness; the intention is that all Year 7 pupils will complete the training in the summer term as part of their PSCHE entitlement.

PTA Update The PTA would like to thank everyone who attended our Christmas Bingo held recently in school. The event was well supported and a great afternoon was had by all. We managed to raise just over £500.00 which will go towards our funds to help within the school. A special thanks must go to all parents for your generous donations towards raffle prizes for Christmas bingo. Thank you also to all of the new Year 7 parents who came along to the PTA AGM cheese and wine gathering. It was so nice to meet up on an informal basis and we hope you will continue to support PTA if you are able. In addition, thank you to all those who have responded to our request for donations and completion of Gift Aid forms. For future events we have planned a ‘Family Race Night’ for early February 2012. Details will follow in the New Year. Please look out on the SFX website for further updates. http://www.sfx.liverpool.sch.uk/content/PTA In the meantime, the PTA would like to wish you all a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas and thank you for your continued support. Best Wishes Chairperson(s) SFX PTA

Defibrillators Thanks to the help and support of Mr Costello, father of Tom, we have been provided with a number of defibrillators and the relevant training associated with them, in school. This venture is part of a wide campaign championed by Mr Costello to get defibrillators available in schools around the city. A defibrillator is a life-saving machine that gives the heart an electric shock in some cases of cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops pumping blood around the body. When someone has a cardiac arrest, defibrillation needs to be prompt. For every minute that passes without defibrillation chances of survival decrease by 14 per cent. Research shows that applying a controlled shock within five minutes of collapse provides the best possible chances of survival. 3

Children In Need - Entrepreneurial Spirit Lives on at SFX This November Sixth Form students decided to raise money for Children In Need. They approached Ms Finlay to ask for a cake sale. It was agreed that staff and Sixth Form students would either bake or donate cakes to be sold in the Sixth Form common room at break. As usual we were not disappointed! At one stage Ms Finlay had

feared Mr Prescott would disappear under the mound of cakes being stored in their office. Cakes came in abundance donated by other Sixth Form students and staff. One of the most popular cakes was made by Mrs Norris' fair hands (chocolate rice crispy cakes). Mr Higham and Mr Evans made some muffins which proved to be extremely popular. If you think the staff were taking this all a little too seriously you may be right, their competitive spirit came to the fore during this time. Not to be out-done by the male staff Miss Lindop and Ms Finlay made some Pudsey and Blush bears which again proved to be very popular. Indeed Miss Lindop and Ms Finlay were much relieved that their cakes sold out before Mr Evans’ muffins! During the morning the pressure mounted as break time approached. Sixth Form students surrounded the breakfast bar in the common room as word spread that there may possibly be an early sale! Students queued up to feast their eyes on the delicious cakes, they bought cakes in abundance and soon ate up all of the stock. By the end of the day every cake was sold and a grand total of £116.00 was raised.

Design & Technology Lunch Club The Design and Technology club gives students the opportunity to develop their skills and understanding of the subject further through activities completed during lunchtime sessions run by Mrs. Hesketh and Mr. Bowers. This term the Design and Technology department were asked to assist with the construction of props for the school production of ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’. This meant that students were able to design, construct and decorate props for the production which included large camels, palm trees, placards and even a chariot! All students worked extremely hard during each lunchtime club to complete all props and had a great time in the process. A special thank you must also go to Mr. Fox, the DT department technician who also gave up so much time to help complete the props. As a result of the success of the work, requests have now been flying in to assist with other ventures around the school. This includes the design and stage props for the school talent competition the ‘SFX Factor’. Mr. Bowers.

Christmas Card Competition The Christmas Card competition has now become an annual event at the College with pupils encouraged to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas in their designs. The judges included Mr Rippon, Mrs Goodall (Governor), Ms Douglass (Art Department) and three representatives from the School Council to provide a pupil voice. Judging was a difficult task with some excellent submissions reflecting original ideas and interesting responses to the brief. The cards are currently being printed in the College reprographics department ready for distribution before Christmas. Many thanks to all the pupils who submitted entries: get your thinking cap on for next year!

René Magritte: The Pleasure Principle (Tate Gallery, Liverpool 24th June- 16th October 2011)

‘Art evokes the mystery without which the world would not exist’ René Magritte A visit to the recent Magritte exhibition by the 6th Form Art cohort, accompanied by Mr. Kelly, has informed A Level Personal Investigations. Magritte, a Belgian Surrealist painter (1898-1967), is most renowned for his mysterious imagery which juxtaposes ordinary objects in strange and incongruous surroundings. The exhibition is curated thematically and brings together a substantial number of Magritte’s Surrealist works from all stages of his career. He has been described as a ‘creator of images’ conjuring unseen, enigmatic and improbable worlds which at times are unnerving. A Level and GCSE students attended in-house workshops run by Artist/Educator Julie Robson who composed the information presented in the exhibition. The work generated forms part of the Portfolio submission for accreditation and has generated some unusual and exciting responses. Ms Douglass

The judging of the SFX Christmas Card Competition took place on Tuesday 29th November 2011 with the following results: Year 7: Christian Winterton Year 8: Graham Wright Year 9: Max Butler Year 10: Haydn McChrystal Year 11: Matthew Spreadbury Year 12: Michael Sweetman Year 13: Francis Prior (Overall Winner)

Year 10 Pupils Inspired at Maths and Computing Day Thursday 14th July saw Year 10 pupils taken off timetable for a day of interactive activities based around maths and computing. The event, organised in partnership with Connexions Liverpool and ByDesign, saw the pupils complete a range of workshops and speak to an assortment of employers and further education institutes in a careers fair.

Their communication skills were also put to the test when groups had to guide a blindfolded participant around a ‘minefield’ to avoid obstacles whilst retrieving a range of objects. The day was thoroughly enjoyed by both staff and pupils alike. A representative from Connexions Liverpool commented upon how nice it was to go into a school full of polite and enthusiastic pupils to show them the opportunities available in the future.

Pupils were given the opportunity to use a selection of sports equipment used to enhance performance. These included rowing machines, football machines and some technology used by Jenson Button to improve his reaction times. In other workshops, pupils were tasked with building catapults and solar powered remote controlled cars.

Miss Warwick, Maths teacher and MAC Co-ordinator, said “The day was a success as it inspired pupils and opened their eyes to careers available in the future. It was nice for pupils to be able to make links with the subjects they study in school with the real world. It made all the planning worthwhile!” Mr Rippon, Head Teacher, also added “It was a superb day- extremely well organised and the boys thoroughly enjoyed it!” It is hoped that MAC day will be run again in July 2012.

Pupils on Fast Track for Career in Railway Engineering Independent educational charity, The Smallpeice Trust joined forces for the second year running with The Lloyd’s Register Educational Trust (The LRET) and the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering (NSARE) to give two thousand students from across the country the opportunity to participate in free Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Days and residential courses. Sixty Year 9 students put their design, technology, engineering and maths talents to the test in a unique one-day railway engineering challenge devised as part of innovation Rail (iRail). The 13 and 14 year old students were challenged with two tasks; their first was to design a bridge which was as lightweight as possible with a pre-made track running through the centre of it. Their second task was to design and build a small battery powered vehicle to travel on the bridge from one end to the other. Teams were then judged on cost, stability and aesthetics of the bridge and vehicles.

to show them the worthwhile careers they could have by taking STEM subjects.” Michael Franklin, Director of The LRET commented: “The LRET has broadened its well-established relationship with The Smallpeice Trust by funding railway engineering STEM Days and residential courses. Engineers from mechanical, civil and aerospace engineering all have a role to play in the railway sector. The need for this kind of educational activity is huge as railways across the globe are expanding faster than ever before and the career opportunities are immense.” Gil Howarth, Chief Executive of NSARE added: “If the railway engineering industry is to attract the quantity and quality of young people required for the future, it is imperative that we raise awareness of the opportunities within railway engineering. We are delighted to be working with The Smallpeice Trust, The LRET and iRail to raise awareness of the exciting career opportunities railway engineering can offer young people.” Dave Saunders, Chairman of iRail added: “There is a tremendous opportunity open to today’s young people in science and engineering. The move towards lowcarbon energy and a more sustainable way of living will require engineering investment and technological change. Most of this will be high-skill work though, so it’s vital that young people are enthused about science and engineering and go on to obtain the skills and qualifications that will be needed. We are delighted to work with The Smallpeice Trust to help to explain this to school students and bring a new dimension to their science and maths learning.”

Two lucky students from the school were given a free place on a Railway Engineering residential course, sponsored by The LRET and NSARE which will take place at the University of Liverpool. The school’s Maths Teacher & MAC Coordinator, Miss Warwick said: “We were delighted to be given this opportunity. The railway STEM Day has encouraged our pupils to connect the taught elements of science, design and technology to what happens in engineering in the outside world. By taking part in this STEM Day, we have found that many students have been inspired to work harder within the fields of STEM to achieve their future goals.”

The STEM Day was run by the independent educational charity, The Smallpeice Trust as part of an ongoing programme of courses designed to help young people learn and develop skills in engineering, design, technology and manufacturing. For further information visit www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk, or telephone The Smallpeice Trust on 01926 333200.

Smallpeice Education Officer, Thea Wilson who led the day commented: “With new networks being planned and with work to do on an ageing railway infrastructure, this STEM Day was aimed at giving students a taste of the railway engineering sector. It is always very encouraging to see just how much students get from taking part in a STEM Day as they develop their creative thinking and problem-solving skills. In Year 9 the students are choosing their options and we wanted 7

SFX Open July 2011 saw the inaugural SFX Open Championship, known affectionately as the Boughey Cup. As its name suggests, the tournament is open to all pupils at the school and consists of a whole day of debating in the British Parliamentary style. In his final debating duty before leaving SFX, Matthew Handley fulfilled the role of Chief Adjudicator of the competition, whilst his debating partner of some years, Matthew Oldham, was Tab Master, whose responsibility it was to calculate the points scores of all participants. The principal judges of the competition were DAPSS commander-in-chief Mrs Boughey, as well as Year 11 pupil and rising star of the debating community, Joseph Irwin. judged by Matthew Handley and Matthew Oldham

The Final 8

Matthew Oldham (Best Speaker- Oxford University) congratulates the Best Speaker of the competition.

The event attracted fourteen teams from various year groups but - following an exhausting day of verbal combat – the competition was narrowed down to four top pairings who would compete against each other in the final. These were Paul Wileman and Stephen O’Hare (Year 12); Sean Gill and Alex Gentle; Sean McCorkindale and Matthew Dickinson; and Luke Adamson and Liam Fowles (all Year 10). The motion for the climactic debate was: “This House would introduce compulsory national service for all school leavers”. Ultimately, it was the McCorkindale-Dickinson combination that won the day. Speaking in opposition to the motion, they very adroitly undermined the concept of national service as something that was desirable and fair. Well done to them both. Whether they are able to retain their title next year remains to be seen. Congratulations are also due to Stephen O’Hare, whose consistently strong performances over the course of the day meant that he topped the speaker tab for the competition. A final mention must go to the Year 7 pairing of James Daniels and Dominic Bramwell, who, despite their tender years, both gave very mature and combative performances, missing out on the final by an extremely narrow margin. They are surely ones to watch!

Only 15 minutes to prepare for the motion.

On The Horizon There are busy times ahead for members of DAPSS as we look forward to a variety of other debating challenges. Soon we will have the first round of the Manchester University Schools Debating Competition, to be quickly followed by the first round of the Oxford University Schools Debating Competition. In preparation for this latter event, ex-pupil Matthew Handley has kindly agreed to lead a workshop at the college in which he will expertly hone the skills of our team members. Finally, there is the ‘Debating Matters’ competition. Last year SFX won this event and, in doing so, earned a cash prize of £2,500.00 for the college. Not bad for a day’s work. This year’s competition takes place on Monday December 5th and will involve one SFX team of four pupils. Carrying our hopes will be Philip Devine, Joseph Irwin, Kristian Radcliffe and Paul Wileman. Good luck to one and all!

Schools Mace The Schools Mace is the oldest national debating competition in the UK and one in which SFX has enjoyed considerable success in recent years. Therefore, it was good to see Year 12 pupils Philip Devine and Joseph Irwin keeping alive this proud tradition by recently winning through to the second round of the tournament. Speaking in opposition to the motion, “This House would make post-mortem organ donation compulsory without exception”, the boys comfortably eclipsed the efforts of the teams from Merchant Taylor’s (Crosby) and St. Edward’s. In fact, their closest rivals were the SFX ‘B’ team of Paul Wileman and Kristian Radcliffe (both Year 13), whose strong showing would have resulted in a ticket to the second round were it not for the fact that the competition only allows one team per school to progress. Bad luck, boys!

My Inauguration Bing! The alarm clock went off, I was so excited. Today was the day of my inauguration ceremony! I got ready, had my breakfast and was ready to go. I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived. When I got there I was placed beside a young boy named Luke who was also getting inaugurated and was equally as nervous. The time came for me to stand up and become Junior Lord Mayor! What an honour it was to meet the Lord Mayor of Liverpool. The Echo newspaper was there too and I got my picture taken with the Lord Mayor. He talked to me about my new role and I explained to him that I was excited to take on this new role. This was one of the greatest days of my life! Sam Darby 8RI

Cambridge University Schools Debating Competition The first round of this competition took place at the college on 28th November. SFX entered two teams. SFX ‘A’ were Philip Devine and Joseph Irwin, whilst SFX ‘B’ comprised Kristian Radcliffe and Paul Wileman. Both pairings performed strongly and made it through to the second round of the tournament, beating Liverpool College, Hawarden High and Newcastle-under-Lyme Independent School in the process

Life After Handley – DAPSS Moves Bravely On A new season of competition usually meets with unalloyed joy at SFX’s Debating And Public Speaking Society (hereafter referred to as DAPSS).Shouts of ‘Bravo’ fill the air; pencils are sharpened; throats cleared purposefully; and Mrs Boughey’s hovering gavel captivates the bright eyes of every young debater at the college. However, September 2011 stirred up a strange cocktail of emotion. The excitement was still there of course, but it was tempered by a twist of sadness, a dash of misty-eyed nostalgia and a hint of former glories. What was the reason for this? In the summer of 2011 we were both shaken and stirred by the departure of three Year 13 students who, over the course of the past four years, had helped to shape SFX into a veritable bastion of debating invincibility. ‘Students’ seems too insipid a term for this trio of titans who – under the canny guidance of Mrs Boughey – managed to bring undreamt of success to the college with a series of glittering triumphs at prestigious tournaments up and down the country. Feared and respected in equal measure throughout the debating community, these masters of persuasion were: England team member Matthew Handley, currently reading History at Oxford University; Matthew Oldham, now a Physics undergraduate at Lancaster University; and Daniel Keeley, who is studying Maths and Economics at the London School of Economics. At times like these, avoiding cliché can be difficult . . . so I won’t bother trying. Truly, it is the end of an era. Our loss is very much the gain of these lucky institutions. Breathing the same air as these talented young men was a rare privilege. We shall never see their like again (except when they come back to help out with stuff). Thanks for the memories, lads. Good luck with university. This summer we also said a reluctant goodbye to Year 13 students Jonathan Mitchell and Natalie Casey. Relative latecomers to DAPSS, their unstinting support, quick wits and charming dispositions made them – over the past two years - highly valued members of the society. Both Jonathan and Natalie have gone on to Leeds University, where they are taking degrees in History and English and Journalism respectively. We wish them well.

Best Ever Examination Results at the College This summer saw record A Level and GCSE results for the College with 29% of all A Level grades at A* or A and 53% at Grade B or above. Students are heading off to Oxford, Durham, and Edinburgh to name but a few destinations. At GCSE 69.3% of all students gained 5 A*-C grades including English and Maths and 82% obtained 5 A*C grades overall. Together these are the best ever results for the College and students should be very proud of their fantastic achievement.

Highest A Level Results 2011 Congratulations to the following students (listed in alphabetical order) who achieved exceptional A Level results at the College in the summer of 2011, in what was a record year for results. Rory Back:

Biology A, Chemistry, A, Mathematics A*, Physics A* University: Durham Course: Chemistry (MChem) (4 yrs)

Ben Brown:

Biology A, Chemistry A*, Mathematics A University: Edinburgh Course: Veterinary Medicine (5 yrs)

Thomas Currie:

Biology A, Chemistry A, Mathematics A University: Leeds Course: Biomedical Sciences (BSc) (3 yrs)

Matthew Handley:

English Literature A*, History A*, Philosophy and Ethics A*, Mathematics A (2010) University: Oxford Course: History (BA) (3 yrs)

Philip I'Anson:

Biology A*, Chemistry A*, Mathematics A* Spanish C University: York Course: Chemistry (MChem) (4 yrs)

Daniel Keeley:

English Literature A*, History A*, Further Mathematics A*, Mathematics A* (2010) University: London School of Economics Course: Mathematics & Economics (MMaths) (4 yrs)

Rachel Lyon:

Biology A, Chemistry A, Mathematics A, Religious Studies (AS) B University: Manchester Course: Pharmacy (MPharm) (4 yrs)

Jonathan Mitchell: English Literature A*, History A*, Philosophy and Ethics A* University: Leeds Course: English and History (BA) (3 yrs) Matthew Oldham:

Mathematics A, Further Mathematics A, Physics A University: Lancaster Course: Physics (North American Placement) (MPhys) (4 yrs)

Matthew Weeks:

Mathematics A*, Further Mathematics A, Physics A* University: UCL Course: Mathematics (MMaths) (4 yrs)

Joseph Whitfield:

Art A*, Geography A, ICT A University: Sheffield Hallam University Course: Computer Security with Forensics

SFX Alumni Name: John Year: 2010

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A Spotlight on Science… 12

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Where will it take you? 13

Walker and Tate Visit Our day began with a brief discussion about the history of the statues outside the Walker Art Gallery. As the group anxiously awaited entry to the gallery, our artist/educator for the day, Julie, kindly gave us the plan of action for the visit before we entered the Henri Matisse exhibition.

Annual National Students’ Art Exhibition 2011 Francis Prior was successful in his submission to the National Students’ Art Exhibition with his painting entitled ‘The Outback’. The exhibition is under the patronage of The Royal Society of British Artists and selected work is exhibited at the prestigious Mall Galleries in London. It is a wonderful showcase opportunity for Specialist Schools, Colleges and Academies and is part of an inspirational vision on behalf of the Royal Society of British Artists. Congratulations to Francis whose painting, which was composed using Photoshop from primary source photographs and paintings, employs a technique influenced by the study of the Art of the indigenous Aboriginal peoples of Australia.

Physics Olympics at the University of Liverpool The four physicists representing SFX at the 2011 Physics Olympics met on an unusually sunny October Saturday morning ready for the competition to begin. Our team consisted of Anthony Goulding, Ryan Peters, Paul Wileman and Andrew Brown. We were delighted to be a part of this celebratory 20th anniversary of the competition at the University. During the competition itself, we participated in various activities from measuring nuclear radiation to building and firing a makeshift rocket. Our success was mixed, achieving a best of 3rd place and a not-so-good 28th place. Our mix of skills and knowledge best came together during the ‘Fermi quiz’ in which the answers to questions are given as the integer exponent element of a number written in standard form. We were able to answer all questions and to a good degree of accuracy. Overall it was an enjoyable day, with only a few slight errors preventing us from climbing higher up the final leader board where we just missed out on a share of the prizes. You can find out more about the competition at the University web site: www.liv.ac.uk/physics/olympics Paul Wileman 14

On entering the exhibition, the group’s reactions were very similar: we all were taken aback by the content and context of the works on display. At each level of the gallery, Julie helped the group as a whole find a meaning behind each piece, giving information about the artist’s life and his interpretation of art. As the day progressed, the group’s knowledge and understanding of the exhibition was considerably diverse. This gave each person the opportunity to speak individually giving an overview and analysis of the painting that inspired them the most.

At the end of the exhibition, a tea break gave us the chance to express our feelings further about Henri Matisse, which overall helped reinforce the significance of the trip which was to teach us about the many pathways in art. We then left the Walker and headed down to the waterfront to enter the second exhibition of the day at the Tate Gallery, ‘Alice in Wonderland’. As we entered the first section, high expectations were met by outstanding artwork by various artists on the theme, Lewis Carroll being the main character as the standing author. A discussion with Julie again helped us to stream ideas in expanding the prior knowledge of each individual once again before moving on through the many facets of the exhibition. As we came to the end of the day, the group was interacting and interpreting the displays very formally and with more confidence. It was a very successful visit to both galleries in helping to develop each person’s understanding of artistic movements throughout history and informing our current units of work at A Level. Francis Prior 13 MA

Lille Christmas Market This December, the Languages Department have organised a trip to visit the Christmas market in Lille in northern France. As well as sampling the atmosphere of the market and trying some local delicacies, the group will get a chance to get to know Lille and visit Brussels in Belgium for a day trip! Joyeux Noel!

DT London Trip 2011 The Design and Technology department usually arrange a trip to London with A-level students each year to visit exhibitions that may help students with their coursework. Last month Mr Bowers and Mrs Hesketh took the students to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Design Museum. All students were able to learn from the work of Terence Conran and other influential designers and groups such as Bauhaus and Alessi and be inspired by the architectural exhibits shown in both museums. All students enjoyed the trip and will use the information they gained to benefit their work. Mr. Bowers.

A Sixth Form Perspective My decision to stay on at SFX 6th Form was mainly due to the support I received from all of my teachers whilst studying for my GCSEs. This support carried on throughout Year 12 and continues this year as I prepare to sit my A2 Level examinations. The staff at school have been a tremendous help with my UCAS university application and have provided me with practical help on a variety of things; from tips for applying for student finance for university to also helping me to refine and redraft my personal statement. I have also developed my independence as many of the A Level courses now have independent study and further reading as part of the assessment objectives for attaining higher grades. The 6th Form Pastoral team have supported me throughout my time in 6th Form and have also played a key part in the decisions I have made regarding my chosen career. Jordan Rimmer 13CA

Why SFX Sixth Form? Sixth Form is a new experience for any student moving up from Year 11 but I felt this sudden change more so than others as I decided to continue my school career at SFX after moving from another school. At first this change was a daunting one for me, the prospect of leaving old friends, meeting new people and experiencing a whole different school atmosphere. However, I feel this decision to move schools and more importantly continuing to study at SFX Sixth Form was the making of me. Life in Sixth Form is different to what I first expected, must more is demanded of you as a student and you are treated more like an adult, it is up to you to motivate yourself to achieve. After just completing my University application, I now appreciate how helpful the teachers are throughout our Sixth Form journeys as they are always willing to answer any questions we may have and offer their advice. As my Sixth Form experience is coming to an end, I would highly recommend SFX Sixth Form to any prospective students who are motivated enough to learn for themselves and dedicated to achieving their potential as I feel it has provided me with opportunities that I would not have been able to gain anywhere else. Holly Knisz 13MA 15

Enterprise Around about two months ago we entered a competition called the Global Entrepreneurship challenge; this is a competition for secondary schools across Liverpool, 23 in total. The competition was set up to find the next group of entrepreneurs from our city. Firstly our team of six; Matthew Blakemore, Adam Boardman, Liam Cleverly, Joseph Halpin, Adam Mekki-Marr, John Murphy and Mr Daniels had to go to the Arena Convention Centre for a briefing on what the first stage of the competition would consist of. We had certain criteria to fulfil if we wanted to be one of the ten schools who would be put through to the next round. A few of the procedures we had to follow were; making sure our product was recyclable, making sure the product helped the school and making a profit of £100.00 amongst others. We had to think of a business; our idea was a cake from every continent in one box of six cakes, or Continental Cakes. This idea, we thought, ticked all of the boxes (get it?) that the judges would be looking for when judging whether our cakes would be sustainable enough to be put through to the next round. Over two weeks we had come up with our business, our products, our market and overall design as a company. Our next step was to find somewhere we could sell our cakes at; we found out that there was a production about to take place in the forthcoming weeks at the school; we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to start selling our cakes at. On the night before the first evening of the production we went around different supermarkets and small shops looking for the cheapest prices on all of our ingredients, then on the first night of the production the six of us, with the help of the kitchen staff baked around 60/70 cakes, and repeated the same pattern for the three nights of the production. The event was very successful. We just hoped it would be enough for the judges to like our product and be put through to the next round. A few weeks went by until 17th November came around, this was the day were we found out whether or not we had done enough to be put through. Another idea came to mind when we were preparing our pitch for 17th,

this was to make our cakes and sell them in aid of Children in Need, we did this but found that we were out of school on the morning of Children in Need presenting our business to three judges at Anfield. We pitched our idea to the judges then had to wait around while the other 22 schools presented their ideas; whilst we waited we were allowed to tour the best stadium in the world, home to the best football club in the world. Once the tour was over, one of the judges announced the 10 schools that had made it through to the next round; we were the second school on the list. We were all delighted, all the work we had put in over the last two months had paid off. We now have to make sure we continue the work up until the next deadline at the end of January. Of course if you want to purchase any cakes, from 1 box to 100 boxes please contact Mr Daniels via the school office on 0151 288 1000 and we can agree prices and delivery etc. All of the profit made will, of course, be re-invested back into the school. Thank you! Matthew Blakemore 12 KE

Santa Dash "It’s about the 'blokes', our men and women of the Armed Forces.” On the 4th of December 2011 six students (Andrew Brown, Peter Beeley, Tom Cummins, Joe Mosses, Jonathan Rigby and Simon Lee) took part in the Liverpool Santa Dash in order to raise money for Help for Heroes. The weather was not on our side during the day and we encountered a number of hail storms before, during and after the fun run. Though the rain had soaked everyone, and the hail was battering our faces we still managed to maintain a high level of enthusiasm for the race, supporting each other throughout the race. After a few stops to regroup we crossed the finish line together in high spirits in an impressive time of 30 minutes.

The aim of this run was to raise money for Help for Heroes who provide direct, practical support for our wounded. Some of the students have a special connection with the charity as family members used to serve in the forces or they attend cadets, some even intend to join the forces in the future. The students now have the task of collecting the money in and sending it off to Help for Heroes so that it can be put to good use. Andrew Brown 13LE

Community Classes SFX Community classes once again, ran very successfully last term with 205 Community Learners enrolled on a variety of courses. The following twelve week courses were delivered over a twelve week period at a cost of £30.00 per learner. • • • • • • • • • •

Computers for Beginners/Intermediate Digital Photography Genealogy Guitar Singing French Beginners/Intermediate Spanish Beginners/Intermediate Cake Decorating Watercolour Zumba

A large number of Sixth Form helpers supported the Community classes as part of the service section of the Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. It is planned that next 12 week Community Class programme for Adult Learners who live local to the area will start in spring 2012, with 14 courses on offer.

Anti-Bullying Campaign Since the start of the year, each year group has been selling our school’s anti-bullying band with the new slogan ‘Don’t Delay Stop Bullying Today’. This is used to try and stop bullying in our school and promote our anti-bullying policy. Pupils are made fully aware of the SFX anti-bullying campaign and how it works using posters displayed all around the school. Recently a new poster competition was carried out and winning posters were decided by the school council which after the Christmas holidays will be display in various areas around the school. Also every year an anti-bullying slogan competition is held to find the new anti-bullying slogan for our wrist bands for the new academic year. Anti-bullying bands are on sale every morning in the dining room and are also sold at form time to the lower years of the school (Y7, 8 and 9).

Year 12 Business Enterprise competition 2011 The annual Year 12 Business Awards and Enterprise event took place on Friday 15th July. Year 12 AS business students spent a number of weeks developing a business plan based on a brief to combine two well known confectionery products into one. Students were required to design and develop the product. They had to outline their budget, target market and promotional campaign. All the groups worked very hard and their final presentations were exemplary. The winning group consisted of Warren Lewis, Daniel Smith, Antony Gallagher, Rachel Hyland and Chantelle Mason. Their product, ‘Love Triangle’ combined a Mars bar, Rice Krispies and Galaxy. The resulting product really did taste delicious but it was their overall campaign that stood out. The group had obviously spent a lot of time researching the costs and profitability of the product. However the highlight of their presentation was the promotional advert they had produced and made available on YouTube.

Daniel Healey 10WA and Jonathan Joynson 10MA

The department also took the opportunity to make two further presentations. The winners of our annual stock market challenge were ‘Ratten’, made up of Sean Patten, Liam Rigby and Jordan Gunning. This group had managed to achieve an 8% return on a simulated portfolio of shares based on investing £100,000 on the real stock market over a four month period. This is a great achievement considering the present economic times. Finally prizes were awarded to the 2011 Business Quiz champions. This quiz takes place during AS lessons throughout the year and the winning group consisted of Liam Rigby, Kristian Radcliffe, Jamie Douglas, Alex Brown and Sean Patten. This group have worked very well this year and it was great for the Business Studies department teachers to see the students applying what they had learnt in practice. Mr Conroy

Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Award On the 8th July 2011 several Year 12 students left the comfort of SFX early on that Friday morning and headed north-east for the Yorkshire Dales. They were armed only with what they could carry on their back and what they were wearing. This was going to be a long weekend as they had walking, camping, walking, cooking, walking and sleeping in a tent to come and the weather forecast had indicated that it was not going to be nice... ... and, to be fair, for once the forecast was pretty accurate! Our annual pilgrimage to Thwaite, Muker, Gunnerside, Reeth and Grinton had begun. The minibus left for the first port of call, namely Burton Services, why such an early stop off point you may be asking yourself? A good question, well it is the place where we meet the person who some people say has a higher caffeine concentration than a homemade Tiramisu and who’s knowledge of UK coffee shops makes Google and Wikipedia look like a Janet and John’s guide, all we know is he’s called the SFX Stig – Mr Holden. We arrive at the start point for the Friday walk; all the students were looking particularly pleased to be there with many of them having been awake from 6am that morning (some of them did not even know there were two six o’clocks in one day). They completed a full day of walking then arrived at the campsite in the evening. Two sub groups were staying at two different campsites so Mr Holden, Mr Rippon, Mr Johnson (D of E Assessor) looked after one group with Mr Wignall, Mr Cummings (Ex SFX Student and D of E Assessor) and Mr Evans with the other. When the staff met at the end of the day for a debrief the latter group took little delight in hearing that in fact Mr Rippon’s end of the valley had escaped the rain whilst we had been

subjected to a very, very heavy shower indeed – I suppose that’s what we get for listening to a geographer who has a little more inside knowledge of the local weather systems. The next morning saw both groups of students looking rather tired and cooking breakfast so that they were ‘carbed-up’ for the day of walking that they had ahead of them. Saturday’s walk was 15 miles long from one end of the valley to the other, a taxing walk with little time for a rest or a lunchtime nap – unless of course your name begins with a J or you are Mr Holden. The weather again was inclement and the students did very well to cope with these conditions and still keep their spirits up. Sunday’s walk is the nicest of the three and consisted of a stroll along the side of the river for one of the groups and the mental image of a Sunday Lunch waiting for them when they got back to Liverpool later in the afternoon. A big WELL DONE to the students who took part in the weekend who, if they complete the other three sections of the award will be collecting their Silver DofE medal in the new year. Those involved were: Peter Beeley, Andrew Brown, Matthew Fowles, Louise Jelliman, Liam Jennions, Joseph Mosses and Amy Wright. Also a thank you must be given to staff who have given their time up throughout the year to help the students to complete the award; Mr Rippon, Mr Holden, Mr Daniels, Miss Cullen and Mr Wignall.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat The school performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat turned out to be a great success. After months of careful planning, preparation and hard work, the performers and everybody involved produced an excellent performance. Thankfully there were no mistakes and from the audienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective everything went smoothly. The part of Joseph was played by Matthew Powell from Year 10, who did an excellent job. Other parts were taken up by members of the College Choir, Performing Arts students and others who were keen to be involved.

As well as students, many teachers were involved in the play, some on and some off the stage. Teachers who had acting roles included Miss Lindop (Joseph’s Mother), Mr Evans (Joseph’s Father) and Mr Higham who played Pharaoh/Elvis. As well as having the performers to thank for the success many others off stage are due tremendous recognition. These include Mr Killips, Mrs Hardman, Mr Stokes and many others. Students also helped to make props for the show, gave out programmes and worked very hard making cakes to sell at the interval. Last but not least, the biggest thank you must go to Miss Anderson, who organised the show, planned everything carefully, conducted the Orchestra and made it all possible. By Ben Gilbert 10 LE

Joseph - An Actor’s Perspective Over three nights from Wednesday 19th to Friday 21st October, SFX was gripped by the music department’s performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The performance featured pupils both onstage and backstage as well as members of staff helping out either by being in the cast, performing in the band or by helping out in a variety of other off-stage roles, e.g. scenery. To be part of the cast was a really enjoyable experience and we all enjoyed performing each night with a combination of acting, dancing and singing throughout the show. All of the other actors were fantastic and put in plenty of hard work in the weeks before the show. We also appreciated the amount of effort that was put into the show in terms of costumes, make up, front of house, admin, the band; and backstage jobs like props etc. Daniel McIver 10RI 21

Remembrance During the week of November 7th boys in years 7-11 attended a Remembrance assembly. The boys reflected on the sacrifices made by men and women during the two world wars and the many armed conflicts since. Every year at the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, we remember those who gave their lives. Our prayerful reflection was added to the national tribute. During the assembly a representative from each form placed a small wooden cross, on which there was an emblem of a regiment or a poppy, in a floral display. The poppy has become a powerful symbol of remembrance. Flanders in western Belgium saw some of the bloodiest battles in World War 1, where once homes and farms stood; there was now a sea of mud, a grave for the dead. Poppies grew in those fields because the ground had recently been disturbed In 1918 Moira Michael an American poet wrote: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We shall keep the faithâ&#x20AC;? in which she promised to wear a poppy in honour of the dead. We continue that tradition and marked Remembrance Day with a two minute silence. The First Two Minute Silence in London (11th November 1919) as reported in the Manchester Guardian, 12th November 1919. 'The first stroke of eleven produced a magical effect. The tram cars glided into stillness, motors ceased to cough and fume, and stopped dead, and the mighty-limbed dray horses hunched back upon their loads and stopped also, seeming to do it of their own volition.

Someone took off his hat, and with a nervous hesitancy the rest of the men bowed their heads also. Here and there an old soldier could be detected slipping unconsciously into the posture of 'attention'. An elderly woman, not far away, wiped her eyes, and the man beside her looked white and stern. Everyone stood very still ... The hush deepened. It had spread over the whole city and become so pronounced as to impress one with a sense of audibility. It was a silence which was almost pain ... And the spirit of memory brooded over it all.' We know that WW1 was not the war to end all wars. We have watched the news as the bodies of fallen soldiers are brought back to Wootton Bassett and are welcomed home. (Repatriations have since moved to RAF Brize Norton near to the village of Carterton.) Let us remember all those affected by the tragedy of war in our prayers.

Remembrance Prayer They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. We remember with thanksgiving and sorrow those whose lives, in world wars and conflicts past and present, have been given and taken away. Grant them eternal rest. We pray for all who in bereavement, disability and pain continue to suffer the consequences of fighting and warfare. May the sacrifices of those who have lost their lives inspire us to work for peace.

World Marathon Challenge

Employability Interviews 2011

In early October the school was invited to take part in a World Marathon Challenge event taking place at Wavertree Athletics Centre. The challenge was a mixed event and centred on Year 8 pupils with SFX being paired up with St Julie’s School.

Between Monday 28th November and Thursday 1st December local employers visited school to interview Year 11 pupils. This was arranged through Liverpool Compact. In the months leading up to the interviews the boys were given an application form to fill in as they would be if they were applying for a job. Each boy had to choose a career they were interested in and say why, as well as writing about their skills, qualities, hobbies and interests. The employers were impressed by the way the boys presented themselves at the interviews and each boy was given a grade on how they did together with detailed feedback on how to improve.

The main aim was for the 15 boys and 15 girls selected to run continuous 200m laps whilst passing a baton between in an attempt to complete 80 laps in a specific time, which would be under the Marathon World Record. The pupils were competing to complete the required number of laps in less than 2 hours 3 minutes and 38 seconds which is the current world record held by Patrick Makau of Kenya. Interestingly, our progress was logged online and compared to other schools attempting the same challenge across Europe. At the halfway stage the team were well on course to finish within the target time although tired legs were beginning to creep in. The boys and girls involved all tried extremely hard and at times ran through the pain barrier to complete the race. As would be expected, the second half of the race was completed a little more slowly than the first and we finished slightly outside the time. All in all it was a very enjoyable day, even though the pupils involved were exhausted by the end. At the presentation ceremony all of the pupils were presented with a world challenge t-shirt and medal. When times were discussed we realised that our time came close to Marathon times set by athletes such as Paula Radcliffe and Haile Gebrselassie. The effort and determination shown by both schools on the day was tremendous. The following pupils were involved from SFX: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Anthony Costello Max Mckinnell Oscar Heard Chris Merrie Alex Holmes James Magowan Sam Mcgrath Christian Ligget Josh Chellew Anthony Chin Connor Taylor Rhys Rodriguez George Kelbrick James Wilde Tom Costello

Mr P Kelly

The feedback from the boys was very positive too, with many saying they enjoyed the experience and found it useful. These interviews develop the boys’ self awareness and confidence and help them to improve presentation and communication skills.

Year 11 vs Queensland Youth Late November saw the school play host to a travelling Australian touring team who visited SFX as part of a ten day football experience break. The Australians were treated to lunch at the school and then embarked on a tour of the grounds followed by a presentation in the dining room during which we presented the Queensland representative with a pendant of our emblem and in return they presented us with a book ‘The Illustrated History of Australia’ and a bag of Gillette sporting equipment. The game itself was played in typical English torrential rain (which suited our boys slightly more than our Australian visitors). However, this didn’t affect the players’ competitive spirit and the game was a close affair (although two late goals from Year 11 striker Brandon O’Rourke made the scoreline 3-0 to SFX). Overall, the travelling group were very pleased with their visit to SFX and as this is the 2nd year of playing this fixture we are extremely pleased to have formed a link with the state and look forward to their visit again in the future. Mr P Kelly 23

Badminton Doubles

Basketball Years 7-9

South Liverpool Tournament - Key Stage 3 and 4

This year SFX have entered in the Liverpool Schools basketball big leagues. Having only played the game for three years we are now seeded as one of the top four sides in the city, a fact that is evident in our placing for the upcoming Liverpool cup draws.

The first badminton tournament of this Academic year brought the emerging talents of South Liverpool schools together at Greenbank Academy. The SFX Key Stage 3 team sat at the top of the league after the first day of games, which included a great win against St Margaret’s A Team. The pairing of Michael Goodwin and Dominic Bramwell proved unstoppable with a dominant display of tenacity and powerful offensive play. The first and second pairings all came out on top against St Margaret’s A team, Parklands and Childwall teams. There was also an opportunity for the pupils to play two singles games to make up points in the league standings (SFX won four of the six games). A fantastic first day of badminton set up the second day of games for Key Stage 3 against Bluecoat school, which should be an exciting finale! The Key Stage 4 team had encouraging displays against Childwall and St Margaret’s B teams, closing in on their opponents and gaining points which will count towards the final league standings. Victory against an under strength Broadgreen brought some comfort to our pupils, and Aaron D’Souza provided the solitary win in his singles game. It is really pleasing to see the teams continue to improve year on year. Mr McKevitt

Year 9 pupils are further along in their league campaign, having played four matches and won three. Their only loss came at the hands of a very strong St Margaret’s team. Again similar to the Year 7 game this was a fiercely contested game, with SFX losing narrowly by only one point. This has given the boys great hope of victory in a potential re-match in the Liverpool Cup semi final. Forget the Lakers vs. the Heat, this contest will be the game of the year. Training for Year 7 pupils has now been moved to Tuesday nights, while Year 8 and Year 9 sessions remain on Wednesdays. We wish all the teams luck for the forthcoming year and look forward to the potential of basketball silverware in the spring. Please find the upcoming league and cup fixtures below. - Liverpool Cup Year 7 vs. Calderstones / NLA TBA - Liverpool Cup Year 8 vs. Childwall by 13th January - Liverpool Cup Year 9 vs. Calderstones TBA - Year 8 League Thursday January 19th, Greenback Sports Academy 4-6pm - Year 7 League Thursday January 26th, Greenback Sports Academy 4-6pm - Year 9 League Thursday March 1st, Greenbank Sports Academy 4-6pm Mr A Brown

Orienteering

Leadership in PE

Our most recent addition to the curriculum in PE at SFX is the widely popular, challenging and inclusive activity which is orienteering. The department has invested their time in making control markers that have been permanently placed around the school so that can be used for a variety of lessons covering map work, using grid references and using compass directions.

As part of the pupils GCSE PE course, the boys have spent the previous term learning all of the skills needed to run high quality sports sessions. They have taken part in activities designed to instil such qualities as organisation, planning, safety, communication and many more.

We hope the boys continue to enjoy this new area of their curriculum for years to come. Mr Walker

The pupils are working towards the completion of the Sports Leaders Level 1 qualification, an award that is fantastic on its own but can also be used directly as a way to gain marks towards the practical component of the GCSE PE course. In the final few weeks of the year, the pupils put these skills into practice by delivering sessions for their peers in a number of different sports. On each occasion all of the pupils demonstrated a high level of skill and confidence, with Matthew Powell, Alex Speed and Matthew Collins standing out in particular. All of the pupils will have further opportunities to improve their leadership skills in the future when they will be asked to plan and deliver sessions for our feeder primary school pupils. Both Mr Holbrook and I are confident that every pupil will represent the College with distinction. Mr A Brown

Year 7 and Year 9 pupils are progressing well in the Liverpool basketball leagues, with Year 7 pupils losing the opening game to Childwall School by only three points. SFX were up by two points with one minute to go but an unfortunate buzzer sound from the next court confused our boys into surrendering possession, a gift that Childwall were only too happy to accept!

Rugby Union The first school term saw us concentrate heavily on our three rugby teams who have competed in local fixtures and various competitions in and around the City and County. Mr Collins has kindly offered his services and along with RFU development officer Dave Westhead, has been coaching the Year 7 team since September. The boys have been very committed to training and have shown great levels of effort and a willingness to learn. Mr Collins has been extremely impressed with the pupils, the majority of whom have never played rugby before. So far this year the boys have narrowly lost to St Margaret's and have demonstrated their ability to compete against some of the best rugby schools from St Helens at the Merseyside RU tournament. Keep up the hard work Year 7!

Throughout 2011 all year groups have competed in fixtures against St. Margaret’s, Cardinal Heenan and Childwall High School as well as competing in 10 aside tournaments for City Schools at Sefton RFU club in West Derby. These fixtures were all in preparation for the prestigious Merseyside Emerging Schools which was held at Liverpool St Helens. After a very close placing for the previous two years the Year 9 team proved how much they had improved and finished as the winners of the Emerging Schools competition. After being drawn in a difficult group, the pupils knew that they had to start quickly, which is exactly what they did and enjoyed a victory in the group opener against Stanley High School. This was followed by an evenly contested draw vs Chesterfield High School and a comprehensive win over Cowley High School. The semi-finals were decided on an open draw (we were drawn against Chesterfield). Once more the game was deadlocked until a breakaway try by our centre Ifeyani Emeka Anayakwo booked our place in the final.

Cross Country The cross country season is well underway with our school heavily represented with pupils from Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 all competing. So far there have been two races held at Calderstones Park and Clarkes Gardens, Allerton. Race night one at Calderstones Park saw our Year 7 pupils excel with Charlie Sharp and Louis Keegan finishing in the top 20. Our older runners have performed well in both races so far; Harriers long distance runner Owen Sharp won the race at Calderstones and Callum Grant finished 1st in the race at Clarkes Gardens. The boys in the cross country team have two more races to look forward to this season at different parks across the city. The dates and venues for the upcoming races are shown below. • Cross Country Race 3, Wednesday 7th March, Sefton Park, 4.20pm Start • Cross Country Race 4, Wednesday 28th March, Mystery Park, Wavertree, 4.20pm Start

A tough challenge awaited us in the final in the form of De La Salle (St Helens). De La Salle won their semifinal by a number of tries so we expected a tough game, much to our surprise we did all of the running and for the majority of the game we were camped on their try line and only held back by some excellent De La Salle defence. However this was our day and late on standoff Matthew Ledson jinked over the line to win SFX its first rugby trophy for a number of years. The pupils were delighted and can be very proud of their achievement. The winning of this competition meant that the team would enjoy a day out at Trafford MV at the North West Emerging Schools Competition. Although the pupils performed well on the day it was evident that the standard was extremely high, we held strong in every game and demonstrated many of the attributes that got us to the finals, unfortunately, we didn’t cross the whitewash enough and ultimately failed to progress. The boys should feel privileged to have competed at such a high level and stage.

Mr Kelly / Mr Holbrook

Mr P Kelly

Table Tennis KS3 / KS4 As in previous years we have continued to enter teams into the KS3 and 4 Schools Partnership Table Tennis leagues. The boys have the option to play and improve their skills in both allocated curriculum time and also by attending Mr Kelly’s lunchtime table tennis club. Two squads of 4 players have been assembled to compete against other local schools in our partnership. Although many of the boys were still relatively inexperienced, they coped really well in both the singles and doubles games and earned valuable points for the team. After the first fixture night at Shorefields School the KS3 team now sit 4th in the league winning, fifteen games overall and losing 9. Furthermore, the KS4 team are also in 4th place. KS3 player Michael Lennon deserves a special mention after losing just one of 8 games on the night. The following boys have been selected to represent the table tennis teams this academic year: KS3 Michael Lennon Domonic Bramwell Michael Goodwin Reza Gharoomi KS4 Liam Jones Jamie Schoolar Connor Bowen Liam Flloyd Mr P Kelly

YEAR 7/8/9 LSSP LEAGUE P

Dif

Points

Broadgreen

Shorefields

Childwall

SFX

Calderstones

St Margaret’s

Academy SFA

-16

Bluecoat

-22

King David

Dif

Points

YEAR 10/11 LSSP LEAGUE

Broadgreen

St Margaret’s

Childwall

Academy SFA

SFX

-10

Bluecoat

-10

Shorefields

-16

King David

Army Work Experience In October a group of Year 11 pupils attend Holcombe Moor Army Training Camp in Bury as part of their work experience week. The residential proved to be a very successful week for all of the pupils who took part. Although the activities were physically demanding, the application, effort and overall attitude of the pupils on the course were excellent. They participated in and completed many Army related activities and workshops. These included; a mile and a half timed run, assault course, problem solving, paintballing, army skills training and a night exercise mission. In addition to completing Physical challenges and activities the pupils also completed a Heartstart basic first aid course and received a certificate which can be included in their record of achievement. The pupils participated in all tasks very enthusiastically and although some of the boys came away with the impression that the Army was tough they all enjoyed the experience and agreed that the week was very worthwhile.

Congratulations to Y11 pupil Alex Graham who was awarded the title of Soldier of the Week in recognition of the way he applied himself during the week, his attitude and his leadership skills. Special thanks must also be extended to student teacher Mr Walker for helping with the chaperoning duties on the trip. Mr P Kelly

Football - Years 7-13 As ever the majority of the SFX football teams have started the season in typical “rip-roaring” fashion. Students have competed in National, Merseyside and Liverpool cups, as well as Annual Saturday morning block fixture leagues. Mr Murphy’s Year 10 players are currently flying the flag nationally for the school, being the only SFX team still going strong in the English Schools National Cup. A combination of passing, football and outright determination has seen the team knock out some very tough opposition en route to round 5 of the competition. The team has also enjoyed convincing away victories against Ormiston Academy Halton and Pensby High (6-0 on both occasions) and tight home victories against Hartford High and Thornleigh Bolton. Lone striker Gavin Heard has notched up four goals in the competition so far including a brace of headers against Thornleigh in round 4. Matthew James has also excelled in his new role as a left back and has put in some eye catching performances so far this season. The team is also progressing well locally, with forthcoming ties vs De La Salle (Liverpool Cup), Childwall (Merseyside Cup) and the exciting prospect of Holy Family (National Cup) on the horizon. This term has seen the first fixture round of the Annual School’s Sports Partnership B team football competition. Our B-teams are proving to be very worthy opponents and are well placed in their respective groups ready for the second round of fixtures scheduled in February. Year 7 pupils who played in the competition for the first time adapted very well to the 7 aside rules and structure and only lost one game (narrowly) to tournament table toppers Cardinal Heenan. There were impressive performances on the night by midfield Captain Louis Shirley and striker Jack Taylor. In addition to the success of the Year 7 players, the Year 9 B-team are in pole position after the first round of fixtures and are leading the table by one point (they have remained unbeaten throughout). Comprehensive victories against Alsop, Broadgreen and Gateacre mean that the team can enter the games after Christmas extremely confident. A special mention must go to Defender Josh Carden and Striker Michael Fearneough who were both highlighted by the referees as top performers in all four games played. December saw the fulfilment of last year’s rearranged Liverpool Cup Final. A cold Wednesday night saw Mr Glovers Year 9 team take to the soccer centre under the floodlights for the final vs Archbishop Beck. The game proved to be a very tight affair with the SFX boys playing the freer flowing pass move football on a great pitch. The spine of the SFX team dominated proceedings with centre halves Kennedy and Bainbridge keeping things organised and Maxwell and Hughes linking things up in the midfield. With the game drifting on towards extra time, a late forage by an Archbishop Beck striker led to them taking lead. The Year 9 players kept plugging away and only a great save by the

Archbishop Beck goalkeeper (from a cleverly taken free kick) denied the boys the equaliser. The boys were very disappointed but can be very proud of their achievement. A special thank you must go to Mr Glover who was taking the team for the final time, he too can be very proud of his and the teams achievements since Year 7. Mr Glover has taken the team to victory in Year 7 in the Merseyside League and Liverpool Cup as well as reaching Merseyside and Liverpool cup finals in Year 8. The PE department would like to thank him for his dedication to schools football for the past five seasons. Year 7, 8 and 9 teams have all started well in the local Liverpool School’s Saturday Morning leagues. Mr Taylor’s Year 8 players remain unbeaten to date and have an important fixture vs Cardinal Heenan on the horizon. They have also performed well in the Merseyside cup and are due to play Sacred Heart in round three after two very impressive victories, defeating Knowsley Park 6-1, and local rivals Calderstones 2-1. New centre forward Joe Thompson has performed extremely well, as has Oscar Heard who, when asked to play as a striker performed superbly. After enjoying taking the Year 7 team in the 2010-11 season, Mr Bright took up the post of the Year 7 team manager. So far this season the boys have not let Mr Bright down and have conducted themselves well. A decent run in the National Cup ended in a penalty shootout drama, after being the better team throughout and missing numerous opportunities it was unfortunate for us to exit the competition 8-7 to Halewood High School. Although the boys bounced straight back two days later and beat a strong Alsop side 2-0 to move into the 4th round of the Merseyside cup. Mr Bright has singled out Michael Lennon for his energetic performances in central midfield and Daniel Tierney for some confident performances in goal. At the top end of the school it is with great pleasure that I tell of the 1st XI 6th form team’s impressive start to the Merseyside Wednesday League. Under the guidance of Mr Kelly and Mr Murphy the students have shown great dedication and a very attractive style of football, playing an attack minded four three formation in all the games. Drawing to our victors in last season’s final (Rainhill), were the only points dropped so far this campaign with wins against KCC, Bebington, Birkenhead and St Helens College respectively. Once again I would like to thank all of those who are involved in school football at SFX. Without your help we wouldn’t be able to give so many pupils the opportunity to play competitive football, your help is greatly appreciated by the PE department. Mr P Kelly

Football League Tables Year 7 2011-2012

Year 8 2011-2012

Pts GF GC GD

Cardinal Heenan

Calderstones

SFX

Calderstones

St Margaret’s

Sacred Heart

West Derby

St Margaret’s

-6

Alsop

-8

West Derby

-3

De La Salle

North L’pool Academy

-7

Knowsley Hey

De La Salle

North L’pool Academy

Alsop

23 -13

North L’pool Academy

-5

Knowsley Hey

Sacred Heart

-7

Amemva

Bluecoat

-14

Bluecoat

-2

All Saints

25 -23

All Saints

-10

Year 9 2011-2012 GP

Pts GF GC GD

Calderstones

Cardinal Heenan

SFX

West Derby

Bluecoat

Alsop

-6

North L’pool Academy

-10

Knowsley Hey

De La Salle

All Saints

-1

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