ISSUE 1 2013/2014 NOVEMBER 2013
Bordeaux Boarding
INSIDE THIS EDITION: From the Head
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National Museum of Computing
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Away to Callaway...
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The Coke side of life
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Lowry in London
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Year 8 Football Report
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Inspiration in Brighton
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Maths Leaders
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Careers and Work Experience
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LRC News
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Insight into Nanotechnology
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The Warlingham Walk Two World Wars in two days
11 12-13
In the Hot Seat
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Golf Coaching
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FilmClub Competition
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Dates for your diary
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Boarding the plane the realisation sank in; what had we signed up for?
area, which is so different from our own.
When we arrived in France, we were each assigned to our new “family�. Attempting to make conversation with our new French friends was proving difficult, so the car journey from the airport was rather silent.
Seeing our houses for the first time brightened the nervous mood. They were massive and very open, with most of them having swimming pools!
Before seeing the place we would be living for the week, we were dropped in Bordeaux to see the town. It was lovely seeing the local
We had our first meal and when we woke up the next day, we were ready for school. But no one was prepared for the events that followed...
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It is a great privilege to be Headteacher of Warlingham School; my experience during the first half of term has confirmed this. The Open Evening for entry into Year 7 was an excellent example of how our students can be such fantastic ambassadors for the school. The feedback we received from so many parents made us all feel really proud of their contribution and their commitment to and enthusiasm for the school. It is precisely these qualities that fuel all our ambitions to drive Warlingham School to greater success in the future. The first half term of each academic year is a time to reflect on the exam results. We were delighted to record our best ever A Level results in 2013. The A* E pass rate continued at 99% and we were especially pleased to report that over 75% of students achieved A* - C grades. In the 2014 examinations, we aim to achieve a 100% pass rate and an A* - B rate of 42%. It was with a great deal of pride that I attended the Sixth Form Graduation Ceremony at the Hilton Hotel
Croydon on September 10th. Many of the students who attended are now well underway with their studies at some of the country’s leading Universities. Our GCSE results were also extremely impressive this year. At a time when results fell nationally, our students maintained the high standards set by previous cohorts. A particularly pleasing feature of our GCSE performance this year was that 80% of students made three or more levels of progress in both English and Maths. This is significantly above the national figure and also places us in the top 30% of schools nationally. These excellent results are a testament to the hard work and determination of all our students and staff and of course the constant support and guidance from parents. we look forward to building upon these results and ensuring that Warlingham School continues to achieve outstanding academic success. I am sure many of you have read in the national press recently about the numerous proposed changes to the examination system and curriculum. Some of the changes (removal of modular exams and increase in grade boundaries) have already come into force and others are likely to impact on our current students in years 7, 8 and 9. Please rest assured that as these changes are confirmed we will keep you fully informed through this newsletter, the website and parent information evenings. The school’s mission of ‘Widening Horizons, Raising Aspirations’ encapsulates the ethos of Warlingham. This year, a particular focus is to ensure that all students widen their horizons by taking part in as many of the extensive and diverse enrichment
activities as possible. Mr Seward, Assistant Headteacher, is leading this initiative by auditing our provision, monitoring participation and extending the range of activities available throughout the year. The majority of students do take advantage of the activities on offer, but if your child is not involved in any activity beyond the classroom, please encourage them to look at the list of clubs and activities advertised on the website and the TV screens around school, and get involved. I know many students have enjoyed the new after-school Mandarin and Latin courses being run this term which we will report on in the next newsletter and many Year 7 students are already looking forward to the camping trip to the Lake District during Activities’ Week. As you will see from this edition of the newsletter, it has certainly been an actionpacked September and October! During this half term, members of the Senior Leadership Team have been observing as many lessons as possible and it has been a real pleasure to see so many outstanding lessons, where students have clearly been making excellent progress. I would like to thank parents for their support in making sure that all students are in correct uniform and properly equipped for lessons. This is important in setting the right tone for a purposeful learning environment where all students aspire to achieve excellence. Lastly, I would like to thank the students, staff, governors and parents for the support I have received during the first eight weeks of my headship.
Bordeaux Boarding
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C O N T I N U E D
This trip was an amazing experience and has really helped us improve our French. The school was so different because it was tiny and the children don’t wear uniform. Something else that surprised us was the school bell, which played music. The food was very different but so nice and we are so lucky to have this opportunity. It has made all the people that went on the trip a lot closer - Sydney-Mae, Heather Thomson, Regan Beck, Kat Easto, Rianna Dann, Nathanael Seaman, Daniel Hill, Sophie Spall, Shayan Patel, Jack Bradford, Chantelle Whitehead and Fiona Mooney - and it was nice to get to know new people.
We were treated like celebrities with everyone asking for our names, ages, Facebook accounts and phone numbers. Basically, we were crowded by the whole school, with some people even asking for Regan’s autograph. It was completely crazy! We had a few lessons during which we were asked all sorts of questions then we went back to Bordeaux to do a quiz and have a drink. The next day we went surfing which was an amazing experience. Some of us even managed to catch a few waves and not fall off! It was one of the highlights of the visit. The next day, we had a half day off as in France
they don’t have school on Wednesday afternoons. So most of us went to town to have a McDonald’s or Quick and to do some shopping. It was nice to spend time together. On the Thursday we went with the French students to a massive sand dune and walked to the top. It was so beautiful but quite hard to walk up. On the Friday (our last full day) we went for a bike ride in the famous Bordeaux vineyards. As well as these excursions, when we returned from school each day we each spent time with our family doing something of their choice.
We’d like to say a massive “merci beaucoup” to the three members of staff that organised this trip for us and ensured that we had a good time. Thank you: Mrs Sullivan, Mrs Smales and Mrs Ryan. We are looking forward to our French correspondents coming over to England in May when we can show them our culture and language. And we hope in the coming years that many more people will choose to do this trip and have some amazing experiences.
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National Museum of Computing
With the rapid world of technology ever changing, it is sometimes good to take a step back and see where everything originated from; this is exactly what IT students did on the 1st of October with the visit to the National Museum of Computing.
Jones, one of the highest achievers for his IT work in Year 12, said it was “interesting how all the different codes and machines were used during the period of WWII and how complex they were to be able to crack codes.”
Located at Bletchley Park, the museum boasts many exhibits ranging from the first electronic computer ever made, to the role of women in computing and how their role has changed over the vast amount of years that technology has been around.
The students then absorbed themselves in the phenomenon that is the World Wide Web. At the museum they have a whole exhibition dedicated to the internet and how it came to be. This is something that the students were particularly interested in and they discovered why the internet is now used by one in four people. The exhibition concluded by covering how the internet has developed and how it has transformed into the fast, reliable service that we now use on a day-today basis.
The students have a fascination with technology and how it has become what it is today, this was realised when the students immediately went to take a look at the first ever electronic computer. When originally built, the computer’s primary function was to decrypt messages used by the Germans in the Second World War. The students experienced the computer’s fascinating tale and how it managed to save tens of thousands of lives and actually shortened the war singlehandedly. Will Parcell-
One of the high points of the trip had to be the
PC gallery. This was a trip down memory lane for Mr Burdett and Mr Jackson who were able to have a go on the machines of their youth. In this particular section of the museum you can observe and use computers made in the 1970’s onwards still in working order. In addition to this, there is also a timeline which records all previous hardware and software that came to be leading right up to what we think of as standard today: the Windows operating system. Most of us use it every day. The students, once they had used the computers made so many years ago, were able to look back and see just how far technology has come from what their parents had. Overall, the students walked away from the trip with much enhanced knowledge on the world of computing. They all seemed to find it very interesting and developed an appreciation of where technology comes from and also how we have made the advances that have led us to what we have today.
Away to Callaway...
After travelling by minibus to Chessington, we were welcomed into Callaway Golf’s ‘Specials’ factory. Here, hundreds of thousands of custom golf clubs are assembled per year. Callaway is one of the most popular and successful brands of golfing equipment. The company reported sales of $832 million in 2012. The receptionist was extremely welcoming and we were treated like VIPs on arrival. Once we had signed in and collected our visitor passes we had two huge trays of biscuits put before us and coffee, tea and squash. Then, we were escorted up to a conference room where Alan Morgan, Manufacturing Manager, with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation, took us through all the steps necessary to assemble one of their custom golf clubs. After explaining and answering our questions, Alan took us down to the factory where all the clubs are actually assembled. We were split into three groups and escorted through the factory. The tour guide demonstrated how the workers utilise the machines.
One student said, “It is all very professional and everything is controlled and put together to a high standard”. James Jenden said, “I’d work there any day!” We reconvened as a big group and were then given the privilege of boarding the Callaway tour bus. I’ll let you know, it’s definitely well out of our price range! The parts alone, carried on the bus, could be sold for the price of three 2-3 bedroom houses in the area! The bus was equipped with an array of high tech equipment for fixing golf clubs on the go. All the golfers that have signed with Callaway have the right to board this monster of a bus and relax in its soundproof room while surfing the internet at high speeds. Abby Vidler said, “It was overwhelming and I was honestly privileged to be allowed in!” Alan King added, “The quality matches its price tag, due to its luxurious décor”. I had a great time, and I feel that I have experienced the workmanship that goes into building these top quality
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clubs. I have also realised that there is a lot more to running a business like this; like health and safety, as Callaway run numerous tests before releasing their products to the consumer. They want to be sure that all they will receive are good reviews and recommendations. The workers seemed very happy and appeared to be treated pretty well which I believe is important within the work place. I could tell that all the staff members were keen to express their positive views on the company. If you are looking for a top quality, custom-made golf club I suggest you go and visit Callaway!! Along with the other business students that went along, I feel very privileged to have been given the opportunity of visiting the Callaway Golf ‘Specials’ Factory.
The Economics & Business Studies students visited the factory to help them understand production processes.
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The Coke side of life
On Monday the 7th of October our Business Studies class went on a trip to the Coca-Cola Enterprises in Sidcup. We were met by our tour guide and taken up to the education centre where we were given a talk about the factory. We learnt about the 344 employees and their job roles within the factory and what goes on within the factory on a day to day basis. We were also given a lot of information on Coca-Cola’s history including interesting facts about the company, for example, Sidcup factory is the only factory in Great Britain where Powerade is produced and how they produce 40 million cases of drinks every year. After we were told about their history, we then learnt about how the factory reduces its impact on the environment and how they reduce the amount of energy and water they use. We learnt that Coca-Cola made their own type of bottle to reduce
impact on the environment called PET, which stands for Polyethylene Terephthalate, this is the plastic used to make the bottles. Lastly we were taught about all the different types of drink they produced in the factory which was interesting as many of us had no idea how many different brands CocaCola produced. These included: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Diet Coke, Dr Pepper, Sprite, Schweppes, Powerade, Lilt, Fanta, Cherry Coke, Diet Cherry Coke, Schweppes Slimline and Powerade Zero. All of this information was very helpful with completing our Business Studies coursework as we had to choose two contrasting businesses to compare. It made it a lot easier to have actually visited a business and have learnt all about it. When we finished in the education centre we were taken into a room where we had to put on hair nets, bright orange
jackets, headphones and a receiver. Looking quite humorous, we then got taken on a tour of the factory where we were able to see all different drinks being made in huge containers and how bottles were made, labelled, filled and then packaged. We were able to see a first-hand account of the variety of different jobs there were to do in one factory. It is safe to say that we had never seen so many cans and bottles of drink before! After our tour we were able to speak to and ask questions to one of the factory workers about her job role and her views of the business, this was also very helpful in completing our coursework. We then got given a pen recycled from the factories waste products and a drink from the factory. This trip was very successful as it was both educational and fun!
Lowry in London
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On Thursday 3rd October the Art Department arranged a visit for Year 11 GCSE students to go to Tate Britain in London. Our main objective was to see the Lowry Exhibition and look at paintings inspired by the rural and urban environments as this is our topic for this term. Before going into the Lowry Exhibition we went around the main gallery to look at all the paintings. We chose two or three paintings to sketch and describe in our sketchbooks. At 12.30 we went into the Lowry Exhibition. It was packed! Lowry was an English artist who was born in 1887 and died in 1976. He painted the urban landscape of Manchester and Salford where he lived and was inspired by the Industrial Revolution. Our favourite painting was ‘Necropolis’ because it was very interesting. I asked some other people in my class which was their favourite painting. Jacob Brown said “ I liked the one with the people going to and from work as it made me feel that I was in the painting myself.”
Necropolis by LS Lowry
Year 8 Football Report On Thursday 10th October 2013, Warlingham School played de Stafford School in a football match. It was a cold, windy and rainy day, but it was still a great game to watch because in the first half de Stafford scored twice and went 2-0 up. In the second half it was a lot better than the first half because Warlingham came onto the pitch with a lot more confidence and fight because of a team talk. We started to play better football than de Stafford with Josh
Arkwright scoring two goals, smashing them both into the back of the net. Lucas McDonnell scored a great goal from outside the area to make the score 3-2 to Warlingham. Then de Stafford scored in the last ten minutes to make it 3-3. However, Warlingham won a corner in the last five minutes of the game and Luke Morris scored a great header to make it 4-3 to Warlingham and complete the scoring.
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Inspiration in Brighton On the 11th October the AS Art and Photography students took a trip to Brighton to find inspiration for their projects. We started the day by exploring the architecture of the Royal Pavilion and surrounding buildings, providing a perfect opportunity for photographs and quick, continuous line drawings. We then explored the pier and captured the faces of the quirky people of Brighton. Soon after however, we were hit with a
downpour of rain which led us running to the Lanes to find shelter. The Lanes were crowded with people bustling in and out of the unique shops that provided a burst of culture and colour to the streets which made for great photo opportunities. Hidden amongst the buildings were graffiti that could only be described as Art, covering the walls from top to bottom. As we made our way through the streets towards the train station we took the opportunity for some last photographs and quick sketches. The rain failed to dampen our spirits and we came away with some great photographs and drawings to use within our projects.
Maths Leaders Along with some other students, we took part in a ‘Maths Leader’ course during the 2012/13 academic year. This involved learning how to lead and teach others mathematics. We started in November last year, by learning several techniques on presenting and projecting your voice. We also learnt how Maths is used in everyday life showing us that it is an important subject. We went on to help in the Year 7 Number Day. This was fun and gave us an insight into how to lead a group. We then took a starter in our Maths lessons to our peers. This improved our leadership skills and increased our confidence in teaching. Finally, we all took our own lesson to a Year 7 class. We chose different topics and planned out an hour-long lesson. This put to the test everything we had learnt and completed our course. Overall, Maths Leaders was a fun and educational experience and we would recommend it to the upcoming Year 9s. The Year 9 Maths Leaders for last year were Jess Stevens, Amelia Hill, Renee Wilson, Tom Anderson, Daniel Hill, Shayan Patel and Amir Lmoh. Jess: “I did my lesson on isometric drawing. Overall, I thought that it went quite well and the class enjoyed the lesson; however if I did it again I would plan more to do and choose a more wider topic to do it on, because isometric drawing hasn’t got a wide range of things to do.” Amelia: “I did my lesson on patterns, I think the lesson went well and I enjoyed teaching it. The Year 7s participated and looked like they were having fun. If I did it again I would make my lesson longer and use textbooks more to give the students’ time to think the topic over so it stuck in their brains. Overall it was a very interesting experience and I really enjoyed taking part.”
Careers and Work Experience It’s been a busy start to the new school year. At the KS4 information evening, Mrs Needs spoke to parents about the Work Experience procedure. I spoke to Year 10 in their assembly giving them information about finding, securing and handing in forms on time. I have received only a few completed forms so far, so you really need to start getting your placements sorted out. IT’S ONLY 6 WEEKS UNTIL THE DEADLINE. If you need help please come and see me in the LRC. With half term imminent please take time to look for a placement if you haven’t already secured one. The earlier you start looking the more chance of success you will have of
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securing the placement that you want. Don’t forget other local schools are also looking for placements for the same time of year and as you all know the best things always go first. Traditionally, this time of year is when schools, colleges, sixth forms and universities have their open evenings/ days/events. If you are in Year 11, hopefully you have been to several events to see the different types of further education there is open for you next year.With the raising of the participation age (RPA), you have to stay in some type of education or training until your 18thbirthday. You have several choices, attending 6th form, going to college, taking an
apprenticeship, doing voluntary work for over 20 hours a week (but you must be taking part in some kind of nationally accredited training e.g. evening classes) or going to work full time, again you must be taking part in an accredited training. You need to seriously start thinking about which choice is right for you and getting as much first-hand information is the best way. I have started a Careers ‘Drop In’ on Tuesday and Wednesday lunchtimes for 6th form, please come and see me if you need any information, advice or guidance. No appointment necessary.
Then it was that time of year when Book buzz arrived! This is a National scheme that has been running for five years; it is aimed at encouraging 11 year olds to read for pleasure. During an English lesson I spoke to and showed each Year 7 class the books that were available in the scheme this year. The students then had a chance
to view the books for themselves and make a choice as to which one they would like. As in previous years all the students seem to find this an enjoyable experience and are delighted to receive a free book.
LRC News The start of term has been an extremely busy one for the LRC. Firstly I carried out the Year 7 induction programme. This gave each Year 7 form a chance to come down during an English lesson and play the ‘question and answer’ game. This is a way for each student to learn about how the LRC is run and what our expectations are, whilst having fun. Then the winners of the Year 6 Postcard competition were announced in a Year 7 assembly. The competition involved students writing a review on a postcard of a book they read over the summer holidays and sending it to me at school to be displayed in the LRC. Congratulations to the following students: 1st prize Joshua Pine 7W 2nd prize Harriet Roberts 7L 3rd prize Adam Dunn 7N 4th prize Anna Wainwright 7R. All entries are displayed in the LRC. A big thank you to all the students who entered.
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Insight into Nanotechnology lengthscales to develop new products for high speed communications, energy storage, and treatment of chronic diseases. Based in the Faculty of Engineering, students enjoyed an exclusive view of the nanoworld through hands-on experiments — making nanoparticles and biosensors, visiting the university’s nanotechnology clean rooms, and using scanning probe microscopes to see atoms and molecules. Working in teams, they took part in the ‘nanotechnology challenge’: formulating their own proposals on how nanotechnology could best be used in society. The social aspect of the course included a film night, a sports night and a formal course dinner on the final night where students and supervisors socialised and shared their experiences of the week. From 8th to 11th July, two of our students - Joshua du Plooy and Dariya Nikitin - were given a rare insight into the exciting and dynamic field of nanotechnology. During the four-day residential course organised by The Smallpeice Trust in partnership with the University of Leeds, twenty-eight students, aged 16 and 17, enjoyed a unique opportunity to learn first-hand about this revolutionary science. Drawing from expertise across all the main science and engineering disciplines, nanotechnology uses the special properties of matter at molecular
Dr Kerry Baker, Education Liason Officer for Engineering at the University of Leeds commented: “In the UK there is an ever increasing need for engineers and engineering skills. We are therefore delighted that at the University of Leeds we have been able to work with The Smallpeice Trust to engage a group of enthusiastic and talented young people in activities and discussions concerning Nanotechnology and related engineering and scientific disciplines. These young people may be our engineers of
the future and it has been a wonderful opportunity for us to nurture their interest in engineering while they were here.” Spokesperson for The Smallpeice Trust, Lucy Kelly commented, "This course has provided students with a fantastic opportunity to learn about the fascinating work carried out by internationally recognised engineers and scientists from the University of Leeds. Not only have students left the course with a better understanding of this intriguing subject but also with a greater insight into the future potential of nanotechnology.” The Nanotechnology course is run by the independent educational charity, The Smallpeice Trust, as part of an ongoing programme of subsidised residential courses to help young people aged 13 to 18 learn and develop skills in engineering, design, technology and manufacturing. Through running residential courses and STEM enrichment days, The Trust has reached out to 20,353 students across the UK in the past year. Dariya and Joshua both achieved five A’s in their AS Level exams in the summer and are taking Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Further Maths at A2.
The Warlingham Walk
Warlingham School held its biennial Sponsored Walk on Friday 25th October 2013 which was an enjoyable way to end the busy half-term. On the day there was a couple of rain showers earlier in the walk but this soon passed. As I directed students from my marshalling position they chatted and looked cheerful and full of determination to stride on and walk the new route which is shorter (11.6 km) than previous years. The new route took us up through the woods near Chelsham and back again. Preparation for the walk begins with the route being checked and walked on numerous occasions. Then, staffing of marshals and walkers is addressed, refreshments are ordered, first aid packs are prepared, there is
communication with parents, students and staff and much more! Fourteen energetic students ran the course alongside Mr Johnston and Mr Burdett. Despite the muddy conditions all got round in one piece though several did fall over in the gloop and Anton Nikitin got the award for falling over the most. A great achievement for all runners, particularly the year 9s for whom the 7.5 mile distance was the longest run they had ever achieved. This group left first, before everyone else. Quite a few students expressed an interest in running this time and therefore the older students were given first choice as the younger students will have a chance to run in two years’ time.
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Year 12s walked with our younger students, members of staff either marshalled or walked with students and canteen staff served refreshments at the half-way mark. Thank you to everyone for your contributions; this year we have been pledged ÂŁ10,000, which will be used to purchase a school minibus to transport students to sport fixtures and trips. Thanks also to Warlingham Rugby Club for once again kindly granting access through their grounds.
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Two World Wars in two days On 19th September, Year 11 GCSE History students swapped their timetables for a visit to the battlefields, museums and cemeteries of Ypres and Dunkirk. Setting off at the early hour of 6am on Thursday allowed for a packed two-day schedule across the First and Second World Wars. To begin with we drove to the Eurotunnel which then delivered us to France. We continued driving through France until we arrived at Ypres in Belgium. The first place we visited was Lijssenthoek British Military Cemetery; this particular cemetery contains 9,901 Commonwealth graves, 24 of which are unidentified. There are 883 war graves of other nationalities, mostly French and German. This sudden portrayal of the mass casualties of war shocked many of us. Following this moving visit we
headed for Bayernwald German Trench System. The trenches here were a carefully restored section of an original German trench system dating from 1916. This gave us the opportunity to experience walking through a cramped trench system and a better idea of soldier’s lives. After the trench visit we headed for Essex Farm Dressing Station. This area was most famous for the doctor John McCrae who worked at this station and wrote 'In Flanders Fields'. From here, the wounded were evacuated by motorised ambulances to other medical facilities. Next we went to the Vancouver Corner Canadian Memorial where our tour guide told us about the first use of poisonous gas in 1915. Langemark German Military Cemetery was our next stop following this. More than 44,000 soldiers, known and unknown are buried here. A mass grave is found upon entrance, this contains an unimaginable 24,917 bodies. The concept of so many soldiers in such little
space was overwhelming. We noticed the key differences between this German Cemetery and the British ones, the atmosphere here was far more sombre and no flowers were present on gravestones. Tyne Cot British Cemetery was perhaps the most moving site we visited throughout the entire trip. It contains 11,908 graves but the entrance is in the form of an extensive wall engraved with the names of 34,927 soldiers who have no known grave and died from August 1917 to the end of the war. The vast number of grave stones and names was truly shocking and the cemetery was all the more moving once our tour guide informed us that this area was the very site of the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917. Following this eventful day we visited Ypres town centre for dinner and some much
Two World Wars in two days
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C O N T I N U E D
anticipated chocolate shopping. After dinner we finished the day by going to the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate to pay respects to those who died in the First World War. Some of our students laid a wreath on behalf of our school. Day 2 After a comfortable night in our university dorm-style accommodation, our second day began travelling to Peckel Bunker in Cassel. British soldiers, in WWII, held out in this blockhouse against continuous German fire for several days and greatly aided the British army in doing so. We then arrived at Cassel where our tour guide taught us how the German’s managed to use tank warfare to power through Europe. Next we visited a memorial barn that was the site of a tragic war crime known as the Wormhoudt Massacre. This incident saw the murder of 80 unarmed British & French prisoners of war. Whilst standing within this barn surrounded by poppies and memorial wreaths we were told the story of 100 men being led into the barn before grenades were thrown in. To know that 80% of these men died in that very small
area was thoroughly unnerving. Following this moving experience we followed the journey of British WWII troops to Dunkirk beach where Operation Dynamo took place and evacuated 330,000 British & French soldiers. Linking to this we then visited Dunkirk Museum where we considered this event in the two opposing manners it is described as, victorious and disastrous. Finally we went to Dunkirk Cemetery in search of the grave of Mr Dicks’ grandfather. Mr Dicks then explained
to us the story of his grandfather’s role in the war; it was very moving to hear a personal account of the battles as well as the overwhelming statistics. This was the final stop in our extremely interesting two-day trip across France & Belgium, WWI & WWII. We found the trip thoroughly rewarding and enjoyable. A big thank you to the history teachers who organised the trips and to the other staff and tour guides who came as well.
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Mr Kinder Deputy Headteacher and my subject specialism has always been Geography. Travel is a particular passion of mine. I have previously worked as an Assistant Headteacher at de Stafford School and oversaw many different areas of responsibility in my time there. My role grew and changed greatly during that period and I believe my diverse range of experiences has equipped me well for the position I am now in at Warlingham.
I feel extremely privileged to have been given the opportunity to take on the role of Deputy Headteacher responsible for Professional practice at such a forward thinking and dynamic school as Warlingham. I have received a really warm welcome from students, staff and parents so far and already feel very much part of the establishment already. My background in education has seen me operate as a Head of Year and a Head of Humanities
Outside of education, I have worked in both the retail and the customer service industry with British Gas and Vodafone and have even spent some time abroad in the USA working as a football coach. I am currently charged primarily with oversight for the school’s professional learning agenda which includes the teaching and support staff appraisal, training and development. It is my strongly held belief that in education both pupils and staff are eternally learners and that we should always strive to improve our practice and approach regardless of age, ability, stage or experience.
One of my central views that I have as a senior leader is that I believe that there needs to be relentless shared commitment from all within the school, both students and staff, to drive the development of all to be successful and to achieve to the best of their ability. Ultimately the development of our students should be at the heart of all we do. This needs to be a deliberately planned for process over the long term and provide opportunities for everyone. This can only be achieved if you have a focussed commitment to developing both yourself and those around you. I now have a real hunger and commitment to driving improvement here and as an exstudent of Warlingham and someone who lives in the locality, I am fully aware of the tremendous potential of the school. Year on year results show relentless improvement and I am excited about becoming part of that exciting journey to take the next step to ‘Outstanding’.
Golf Coaching Golf coaching will be taking place every Friday lunch-time (1.30pm until 2.10pm) in the gym with professional golf coach, Richard Shaw. The only requirement is a pair of trainers. It will be on a first-come, first-served basis initially, with a maximum of 20 places.
FilmClub competition
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Tribute Competition FilmClub is running several writing competitions this term; the November competition asks the students to design a new tribute for ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’. There’s a £5.00 cinema voucher up for grabs! To be in with a chance of winning, you must design an A4 poster of a new tribute for the Hunger Games.
The poster must provide a background story and must contain labels that reveal the personality and skills of the character, e.g. deadly with a bow and arrow. The competition is open to all students in years 7 to 11. First prize is the cinema voucher and second and third prize will be a DVD copy of ‘The Hunger Games’. The closing date is Friday the 29th of November. All entries must be submitted by then to your English teacher.
Dates for your diary Friday 8th November 2013
Year 9 Tracking Reports home Year 12/13 Interim Reports home
Monday 11th - Friday 15th November 2013
Year 12/13 Progress Meetings
Wednesday 13th November 2013
Year 12 Awards’ Ceremony
Friday 15th November 2013
Year 10 Tracking Reports home
Friday 22nd November 2013
Year 7 & 8 Tracking Reports home
Thursday 28th November 2013
7N, 7G, 7H& 7M Newsflash event - all day
Friday 29th November 2013
7W, 7A, 7R & 7L Newsflash event - all day
Tuesday 3rd December 2013
Year 7 Number Day event - Periods 3 & 4
Tuesday 17th December 2013
Year 12/13 Interim Reports handed out
Wednesday 18th December 2013
Year 12/13 Parents’ Evening
Friday 20th December 2013
Last day of Term: Early closure at 1.25pm
Monday 6th January 2014
INSET Day
Tuesday 7th January 2014
Students return to school
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Warlingham School Tithepit Shaw Lane Warlingham Surrey CR6 9YB Phone: 01883 624067 Fax: 01883 624026 E-mail: info@warlinghamschool.co.uk
We welcome feedback on Warlingham School News and our website www.warlinghamschool.co.uk.
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