News Warlingham School
ISSUE 1 2018-2019 DECEMBER 2019 In this edition FROM the headS
2-4
Exam Certificates
5
European Languages Day
6-7
CSLA Success
8-11
School of Hard Knocks
12-13
An Inspector Calls
14-15
New BTEC
16-17
Geography Pages
18-19
English Leaders
20-21
Year 8 OUtstanding Art Homework
22-23
Year 11 History trip to Hastings
24-27
French Exchange Trip to Bordeaux
28-29
Duke of Edinburgh Awards
30-31
Special Feature: Activities Week
32-59
Work Experience / My First Term at Warlingham
60-61
Reading is good for you
62-63
In the hot Seat: Katie Haynes
64
Parents and Carers Online Toolkit (Childnet)
65
Where are they now? Sally Morritt
66-67
What parents need to know about... TikTok
68-71
Wide Horizons High Aspirations
FEATURE: European Languages Day
FEATURE: New BTEC
FEATURE: History Trip to Hastings
FEATURE: Activities Week
FEATURE: Where are they now?
From the Heads...
Key Stage 3 since the last edition Welcome to our first newsletter of the of the newsletter, both this half term and during the final part of last term. academic year. Indeed, a large part of this edition We hope that you managed to see is as ever dedicated to reflecting on the celebration of our excellent GCSE the hugely successful Activities Week and A Level results in the local media that took place in July. We hope you over the summer. We would like to will agree that the articles showcase pay tribute to the hard work and the vast number of Year 7-9 students dedication of our students in Years 11 that were able to widen their horizons and 13 in 2018/19: Well done to all the through their engagement in a diverse students and staff for their expertise range of fun activities whilst having and dedication and to parents for their a fantastic and enjoyable time in the support throughout. process. Much has taken place already for Returning to the current academic Dear Parents / Carers
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year, we were delighted to welcome our new Year 7 students into the school community and we would like to acknowledge the way in which the great majority of them have settled into their new environment. We wish them all a successful and enjoyable school career here at Warlingham; all the staff look forward to discussing their progress after their first full term, at the Year 7 Parents Evening in January 2020. We would like to thank all parents who were able to take part in the Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 Information Evenings, which were both well attended and highly successful. We are both really looking forward to the students at Warlingham enjoying another productive and enjoyable year.
Rhianna Patel - A A A A Daisy Millington – A* A A B Daisy Moynihan - A A A Beth Sharp – A A A Sabela Micallef – Dist* Dist A Katie Day – A* A B Katie Blatchford – A A B Many of our students have gone on to start their degree courses at their first choice top universities. We hope the current Year 13 are encouraged that they too can achieve fantastic results this year.
The Year 11 cohort also achieved some fantastic results, which we are very proud of. In Maths, students achieved 80% 4-9 grades (National 59%), 84% 4-9 in English Literature (National 73%) and 79% in English Language (National 62%). Our overall Progress 8 score was once again The school community has enjoyed a really positive start to this term, buoyed positive and shows that our students by the excellent exam results which the are making above expected progress, outgoing Year 13 and Year 11 students based upon their Key Stage 2 results. achieved. We hope this gives all of our A special mention must go to the following students who performed students lower down in the school, the confidence that they can go on to outstandingly well: achieve just as well with enough hard Katie Merritt - 8 grade 9s, 2 grade 8s work and commitment. Luke Stevens - 5 grade 9s, 3 grade There were, as usual, some outstanding individual performances in Year 13, including: Grace Cooper - A* A* A Abbie Drake - A* A A
8s, 1 grade 7 Ashley Cruickshank - 4 grade 9s, 4 grade 8s Becca Jordan – 4 grade 9s, 3 grade 8s, 1 grade 7 Page 3
From the Heads... (CONTINUED)
Luke Percy – 3 grade 9s, 5 grade 8s Emma Griffiths - 3 grade 9s, 4 grade 8s , 2 grade 7s Jasmine Hadouka-Taylor – 3 grade 9s, 4 grade 8s, 2 grade 7s Emily Holvey - 3 grade 9s, 3 grade 8s, 3 grade 7s Amy Kennison - 2 grade 9s, 5 grade 8s, 2 grade 7s Maria Radlett – 2 grade 9s, 4 grade 8s, 2 grade 7s Abigail Jones – 2 grade 9s, 4 grade 8s, 2 grade 7s Jelani Allman - 1 grade 9, 6 grade 8s, 1 grade 7 Abigail Beynon - 6 grade 8s, 4 grade 7s
lower school offer, in order to help improve student achievement and to encourage as many of our Year 11 students to continue that success as part of our ever growing Sixth Form College.
We finished a busy first half term with our biennial sponsored walk. It was a fantastic event which despite the weather’s best efforts, was a great success. It was wonderful to have the whole school together enjoying some exercise and social time, whilst raising as much money as possible. We were extremely pleased with the effort and behaviour of the students throughout the day and have made a point of congratulating them all in the start of We wish this year’s Year 11 students half term assemblies. We now need all the very best and hope to see as to collect the money using wisepay many of them as possible in Year 12 in order to turn that event into real and we encourage Year 12 and Year 10 to continue in the positive way they money which we will use to benefit the students. Thank you to all of the family have started their exam courses. The recent Open Evenings were hugely members and friends who supported the children in their endeavours. successful and very well attended, as We hope you all had a restful (though were the follow-up tours during the now distant) summer break and wish school day. Many of the comments everyone well for the coming year. that were fed back to us were extremely pleasing and the students and staff that represented the school on that night did so superbly. We always try to make use of the feedback Mr P Kinder and Mr S Day Joint Heads of School to help us plan and develop both our Page 4
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT EXAM CERTIFICATES Do you know where your exam certificates are? Every year the Exams Department is contacted by former students in desperate need of their GCSE and A Level certificates for college applications and job interviews. Although we are only required to retain certificates for one year from the date of issue, it is always worth checking with us to see if we still have them. Contact us at exams@warlinghamschool.co.uk with your leaving date and the name by which you were known while at school and we can check for you. If we no longer hold your certificates, obtaining duplicates is a lengthy and expensive process which you will have to instigate and pay for yourself. More information can be found on the school’s website under Information/Examination Information: https://www.warlinghamschool. co.uk/65/examination-information Current students should remember that certificates are available from mid-November of the year you sat your GCSE or A Level exams. Page 5
European Languages Day Quiz The 26th September is the European Day of Languages, which has been celebrated across Europe annually since 2001. It is a day to celebrate and promote the many languages spoken in Europe and to raise awareness of the importance of learning languages. It has become tradition to honour the European Day of Languages at Warlingham School & Sixth Form College, by doing a quiz across years 7-11 and a quiz would not be complete without some fabulous prizes. The tutor group with the highest score in each house AND the tutor group with the highest score in each year are awarded with TWO MERITS per student. With an influx of merits as big as that, it’s a game changer for the house competition. The form with the highest points receive a hamper full of goodies as well as many many merits. Everyone in the school can participate in the spirit of the day by simply saying “Bonjour”, “Buongiorno”, “Hola” or “[insert European language greeting here].” Having participated in the Languages Day quiz for the first time, Lys Manoharan in 7M said “It was really good; fun but challenging” and Harry Ralphs from 7L said “It really made you think about how different other Page 6
countries are”. The results of the quiz were as follows: Best Tutor Group in Chichester: 9L (12/15) Best Tutor Group in Johnson: 8A (11/15) Best Tutor Group in Sharman: 10G (9/15) Best Tutor Group in Mallory: 9H (8/15)
Best Tutor Group in Year 7: 7A (10/15) Best Tutor Group in Year 8: 8R (11/15) Best Tutor Group in Year 9: 9L (12/15) Best Tutor Group in Year 10: 10G (9/15) Best Tutor Group in Year 11: 11R (10/15) A massive well done to 9L who scored the highest on the quiz. They were
overjoyed to receive their hamper and merits and well done to all who participated in celebrating European Languages Day. Watch this space next year to see if 9L‌who will then be 10L can remain the European Languages Day Quiz champions!
Miss Duvigneau Modern Languages Teacher
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CSLA Success
Warlingham Sixth Form College has had another successful cohort of students who have passed their Level 2 Coaching qualification in Community Sports Leadership. Page 8
As part of the qualification our sixth formers volunteer their time on a Wednesday afternoon; throughout the course, they have been visiting local primary schools, leading groups of children from Reception to Year 6.
As always, it is wonderful to see young, inspiring leaders from the College, engaging and motivating the primary children in physical activity. In addition to coaching the students on a Wednesday afternoon, they have
to show evidence of planning and leading events for the local community. They did this by running the Primary Swimming Gala and Cross Country Cup. Page 9
CSLA Success (CONTINUED)
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Congratulations this year to: Lisa Bayes, Sophie Champion, Anna Maria Cherneva, Holly Lawless, Noor Malik, Ylenia Priest, Morgan Radmall, Emily Riches, Emily Sadler, Ayca Suer, Megan Vannoort, Lauren Carter and Kiara Miller. This was a very talented group of young leaders who were fun to work with and it was really difficult finding who the ‘star’ student was this year. In the end it was the consistency in a high level of performance and leadership when working with the primary students that clinched it. This year the CSLA Star Student Award goes to Ylenia Priest. We wish her many congratulations. Perhaps the biggest success of this scheme is that both the School and the Primary School students have benefitted from developing a whole group of Young Leaders, which helps to inspire and motivate the next generation in sport.
A couple of students who took the course share their observations: “Throughout my time on the course, I learnt to trust my decision making skills and have confidence while interacting with a variety of different personalities. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would do it all over again.” Megan Van Noort Year 13 “During my CSLA experience I found out that my communication skills have improved a lot so has my organisation skills. During this course I have enjoyed organising the swimming gala as this event had really challenged my teamwork skills, which is an important skill to have in future. I have really enjoyed CSLA as it has always been a lesson where we would get to relax but at the same time teach the younger years, which has been very fun.” Anna-Maria Cherneva Year 13
Mrs Salem P.E. Teacher
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School of Hard Knocks Over the past Year School of Hard Knocks ‘SoHK’ have run a programme in Warlingham School & Sixth Form College with Year 10 and 9 boys.
rewards for hitting these targets are trips such as fully funded residential opportunities and rugby tours. At the end of the school year, the boys were rewarded with a Nuclear obstacle course. Nuclear is an award-winning organisation for learning outside the classroom.
SoHK is a social inclusion charity which delivers life-changing programs across the UK, who believe sport can be used to change behaviours and give young people a real opportunity to “It is a great environment for the boys realise their potential, succeed and be to talk openly and express themselves the best they possibly can. about struggles they face and are comfortable doing so. This allows The course provides rugby coaching them to feel heard and understood and mentoring sessions every week which something they crave.” - Staff with the same staff to enable a Feedback consistent intervention with pupils. Session focus on raising achievement, “SoHK has really had an impact on engagement and aspirations for my school life, not only has it helped individuals through the sport of rugby. me to be better in school, it’s helped Rugby has a strong tradition around its core values of Respect, Discipline, Teamwork, and Enjoyment. All of these traits, I am sure you will agree can only help these young men during an important stage of their life, which is the reason rugby is the chosen sport.
my attitude in many aspects. It’s also really enjoyable and you feel rewarded for what you do as you can attend fixtures, trips and gain Kit which is a great achievement.” - Student Feedback Some stats …..
This rugby and life development Comparison of Summer Term 2017/18 programme that is fun, healthy, to Summer Term 2018/19 challenging, and enriching. Providing • 72% of students had 100% clear individual targets which are set attendance or had improved their out in consultation with the school attendance percentage (13/18 in terms of attendance, academic students) achievement and behaviour. The main • The group collectively reduced the Page 12
• • • •
number of days absent they had by they had (13/18 students) 53% • The group collectively reduced the number of detentions by 35% 89% of students equalled or improved their attendance figure • 67% of students either had zero exclusions or improved the number (16/18 students) 61% of students equalled or of exclusions they previously had improved the number of times they (12/18 students) were late to school (11/18 students) • 67% of students improved the The group collectively reduced the number of negative behaviour points they received (12/18 students) number of times they were late by 32% Ms Campbell 72% of students equalled or Student Support Assistant reduced the number of detentions Page 13
Year 11 Trip to see ‘An Inspector Calls’ On Wednesday 11th September, the majority of Year 11 went to see “J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls” at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley. We arrived at the theatre at around 7:00 pm and rushed down to the bar to buy some refreshments (most of us brought Slush Puppies and Haribo). Once we were all ready we went to the auditorium and took our front row seats. Once all the schools and families alike had taken their seats the play started. To start with the beginning confused me as the play started off with an air raid siren and a young boy wondering around the stage. However I soon came to realise that this was to set the scene and inform the audience that the play is set during the First World War. Once this scene had finished we were introduced to the prosperous Birling family who were having a dinner party for their daughter’s engagement. This was quickly (and unexpectedly) interrupted by Inspector Goole. bear the guilt for the destruction of The Inspector investigates the suicide the woman they had all exploited for of a poor young local woman and his cheap labour and worse. startling revelations shatters the very The play questioned society’s values foundations of each of their lives. Over and made the audience think about the course of the play the Inspector our own morals and how we might asked each character insinuating play a role in someone’s suicide. This questions making it clear that they all Page 14
really made me think and I’m sure it was the message that everyone took home from the play. Just like Inspector Goole said “One Eva Smith has gone… We are responsible for each other”. Overall, “An Inspector Calls” was a
brilliantly compelling and haunting thriller that I will never forget! We are all pleased that we had the chance to see this play.
Joanna Elyahky (11R)
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New BTEC! The first term of our new course, BTEC in Applied Human Biology, is in full swing and the Year 12s are loving it! We’ve started with a coursework unit and the students are learning a range of new skills in Microbiology including Gram staining to identify bacteria and view them under the microscope, culturing bacteria using streak plates, bacterial lawns and pour plates and are becoming more proficient in their aseptic techniques every lesson. These are all techniques used regularly in both hospital microbiology labs in order to diagnose diseases, as well as research labs and will set them up well for a career in the health profession,
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whilst also adding a context and purpose to what they’re learning. It’s also very different from any of the practicals experienced at Key Stage 4, which makes it novel and exciting. The theory of how bacteria grow and the many types of bacteria around us, both essential to our lives and harmful
are also a major part of this unit but I think the aspect they are enjoying the most is the wearing of lab coats, essential for microbiology practicals and exactly as they would in a working microbiology lab!
Mrs Hickox Subject Leader, Biology
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Geography Pages Bish bosh…Summer gone! After our bumper edition in the July Newsletter, this issue gives us a chance to reflect upon the things that happened in the heady rush of the end of the 2018-19 school year and the • Year 9 students have continued excellent GCSE and A Level results their excellent work from last year by that were achieved by Geography looking into the – perhaps sinister students in August. – Destination Question of: “Will the I’d like to begin with a quick update Earth destroy us all?”…a learning of Autumn’s work down the B-Block journey which they will be on all the Corridor – especially as, this year, we way up to Christmas, in readiness are rolling out our new and improved for their first KAP in January. Key Stage 3 curriculum: Of course, while these brand new • Year 7 students have spent their lessons have been enjoyed by our first few weeks in school asking the younger pupils, the gnarled older ones Destination Question: “What is my have been ploughing on with GCSE area really like?”, and have delved and A Level content: into the all-important world of Map • Year 10 students are looking at the Skills in the process. After the half Physical and Human Landscapes term break, they will be finding out of the UK (and now some work on “Who are the British?”; Coasts…in preparation for their • Year 8 students have begun with the Residential Fieldwork trip to Norfolk Destination Question: “Should we in March); panic about the climate?” – a very • Year 11 students are creeping important topic, wonderfully covered ever-nearer to their Option Mock A LOT in the news at the moment, Exams (November) and are currently and will shortly be sitting their first learning about the extreme weather KAP of the year on the content hazards of Tropical Cyclones – they’ve been investigating (along one of which is causing chaos in with some of the things they looked Japan as I type! (Showing ONCE at last year!); AGAIN what an important and allPage 18
conquering subject we deliver…one Museum at Duxford which is a place which affects all of us on the planet!) where the students (and Mr Dicks and myself!) can “geek out” in the presence • Year 12 students have returned of Spitfires, tanks, a Vulcan Bomber, a back to us hungry for more Concorde that we can walk inside and Geography content…and more many more amazing displays! Thanks outstanding successes, as per their counterparts over the last few must also go to Mr Dicks for planning the Duxford trip. years. They are studying Tectonic Processes & Coasts and The Carbon Cycle & The Water Cycles respectively. More on that in the next edition!
Our Geography trips start in November with the Year 13 NEA visit to Somerset, so news of more “pure-Geography” journeys to come next time…
In the Activities Week feature in this newsletter, you will see articles by two students from 8N who very kindly offered to write up their experiences of the two days that were designed and carried out by Geography and History teachers in July. These days run annually as part of the week for those Year 7 students who do not go on Summer Camp. For the last few years, we have focused on The Battle of Britain in school – especially the role of our local area (notably Kenley Airfield) – and have then showed pupils the equipment we have been talking about during a trip up to the Imperial War
Of course, I can never conclude without offering HUMONGOUS thanks to all of my department for their abiding support of all year groups – especially (at the risk of downplaying the efforts of Mr Crenol and Mr Kinder…which I would NEVER do!) Mr Blok, who has expended tremendous efforts to steer the creation and VERY successful delivery of our brand new Key Stage 3 Curriculum (to years 7, 8 and 9, as outlined above). Your humble servant in all things Geographical,
Mr Gardner Head of Geography
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English Leaders
English Teachers nominate students in Year 7 and Year 8 each half term for the ‘English Leader Award’. Students can be nominated, provided they: • Actively join in and positively contribute towards class discussion. • Consistently meet or exceed their Target Grade. • Always complete their homework to a high standard. • Demonstrate a love of reading by keeping a reading journal. • Achieve high scores in their spelling tests. The nominees and their citations for
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the first half of the Autumn Term were: Erin Knight (7A) Erin is a hardworking and conscientious student, who takes an active role in all discussions. She is insightful and thoughtful, her classwork and homework are both completed to the best of her ability and beautifully presented. She is a real pleasure to teach. Kernius Kazlauskas (7G) Kernius always works to the best of his ability and he impresses with his creative ideas and outside-the-box thinking.
Mia Funnell (8H) Mia is a very enthusiastic member of the class. She participates fully in every lesson and is always keen to share her ideas and work with others. She has a wonderfully positive attitude to learning. She is a real pleasure to teach.
Henry G Gardner (8H) Henry is a wonderful member of the class. He is always keen to contribute his ideas and has fully immersed himself in the play we are studying. His ideas are always mature and thoughtful. He is an excellent role model to others.
Mrs Christie Head of English
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Year 8 Homework
As always, the standard of the Year 8 homework was amazing, making it very hard to judge. We are proud of all our students who put a lot of effort into their homework project. Even those whose work was not picked should be proud of themselves. The overall winner for the detailed tonal colour drawing of fruit Mallory Winners was Caitlin McTighe from Sharman Drawing of Fruit- Laura Gjeloshi and the winner of the collage of fruit was Rebecca Holmes from Chichester. Collage of fruit - Ellis Wilson 8H: Cara Burn, Laura Gjeloshi, Ellis Drawing Collage Wilson and Talia Wright Caitlin Rebecca 1st McTighe Holmes 8M: Gabriella Holvey and Anna Tilley nd Laura Christopher 2 Sharman Winners Gjeloshi James Drawing of Fruit- Caitlin McTighe Lucy Abigail 3rd Collage of fruit - Christopher James Richter Collis th Ruby Ellis 4 8G: Henry Gardner, Finlay Taylor, Louis Toogood Wilson Sills, Lily Reeson, Lauren Stevens, Mia Page 22
O’Keeffe and Caitlin McTighe
Clough, William Howe and Ruby Toogood
8N: Sophie Allen, Tiegan FranklynLittle, Christopher James, India Wermig and Fiona Hunt
Chichester Winners
Johnson Winners
Collage of fruit - Rebecca Holmes
Drawing of Fruit- Ruby Toogood Collage of fruit - Abigail Collis 8A: Liam Cudjoe, Peter Carpenter, Ella Chisholm, Anastashia Smith and Charlotte France 8W: Abigail Collis, Emily Lee, Amber
Drawing of Fruit- Lucy Richter 8L: Rebecca Holmes, Owen Bromige, Lucy Kozousek and Annice Kemp 8R: Louie Tucker and Lucy Richter Congratulations to all of you!
Mrs Sula Head of Art
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Year 11 Hastings Trip
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And did those feet in ancient time Walk upon England’s mountains green? On the 19th and 20th of September, the History Department took all of its Year 11 students to Battle Abbey and to the field where probably the most significant battle in English history took place. Page 25
Year 11 Hastings Trip CONTINUED
Students followed their teachers around the battlefield, where they could see the very place where England was transformed from an Anglo-Saxon to a Norman kingdom, and from whence a period of immense change took place and arguably, when the origins of this nation were born.
The harsh reality of fighting hand-tohand was brought home to them with battle axes; they felt the weight of the shields that had to stop the arrows and crashing attacks of Norman cavalry and infantry for an inordinately lengthy battle for medieval times.
Subsequently, the students trod that In the Visitor Centre, students watched ancient land, the hill where Harold valiantly defended his kingdom and a video re-enactment of the battle and were able to see and touch the was felled in his attempt to protect it. types of weapons used by both sides. They walked through the corner of the Page 26
field where Harold’s less experienced troops were enticed from the relative safety of their shield wall to their doom. They stood at the bottom of the hill from which William sent his forces, including his highly trained horses and men and heard how even the Norman horses themselves fought – having been schooled in battle to kick and bite their masters’ enemies. It is always astounding and somewhat awe-inspiring to stand in the very place where events of such enormous significance occurred and where one might imagine the desperate struggle that took place here.
The students gained much from their visit and found a more tangible way to visualise the nature and sheer brutality of medieval warfare.
Mr Dicks Head of History
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Exchange Trip to Bordeaux This year, from the 22nd to the 29th of September, we took five Year 10s, two Year 11s and one Year 12 to Bordeaux for our yearly exchange trip. Although we were unfortunately not blessed with typical French sunshine that week, our students were able to experience what French school life is like as well as meet their French partners and improve their listening and speaking skills. They also enjoyed a variety of activities and even if our surfing session had to be cancelled due to poor weather, they still had a great time throughout the week. We are now looking forward to having the French partners over in March where they will get to experience what life in Britain is like.
Ms Foret Subject Leader, French
This was my third year going on the French exchange so I wasn’t very nervous and I had no reason to be. I really enjoyed the trip and it helped my French a lot. Spending a week in France can really help with listening skills and you get to practice speaking. I highly recommend this trip to students studying French and I hope to return to Bordeaux next year.
Rachel Sharp (12R) Page 28
It was my second time going on the French exchange so I was less nervous than I was on my first trip. I already knew my partner and she was a very good host. I enjoyed going to Arcachon with everyone’s partners on Monday and doing Go-Ape style courses with my partner.
Clare Richter 1(1R)
This trip was definitely one of my favourite trips so far. The first day was tough as I was a bit overwhelmed, but by the last day I felt really comfortable and felt more confident than before I came on the trip.
This trip has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I am happy with the fact that I have participated. I had an amazing time and would consider doing it again next year.
Katie Kozousek (10L)
It was so fun; the food was amazng and we did so many cool activities! We went to the sand dune, we tried special (non alcoholic) wine, went to la Rue Sainte-Catherine (the longest street in Europe at over 1km long) and practiced our French by talking to the kids at the French school.
Leonard Amoabeng (10A)
I was really nervous to go because I didn’t think my French was good enough but now I’m really glad I went. I have noticed that because of this trip that my French has greatly improved and I have much more confidence in my speaking abilities. The trip was a lot of fun, a great experience and really beneficial! I’m looking forward to having my partner, Camille, come over to stay with me in March.
Liz Gilbey (10G)
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Duke of Edinburgh Awards
Bronze Award
Silver Award
Around 80 Year 9 students undertook their Bronze practice expedition in the New Forest.
The Silver groups started with the practice expedition in Wales. They did well to remember their navigation skills which they had to use around some diversions put in place to avoid livestock with young.
The first day they arrived the students had the challenge of setting up their tents and cooking. During the following two days the students practiced their navigation skills with the help of the teachers and then on their own. Most groups managed well and got themselves back to camp in good time. The students used the skills they learned from the New Forest on their assessed expedition around East Grinstead and Ashdown Forest. All the groups managed to successfully navigate themselves over the two days. Page 30
The groups then went to the Peak District for their assessed expeditions. They explored the sights of Castleton on their first day with a walk back to the campsite. The groups completed their planned routes over the next two days very competently.
Gold Award The practice expedition was over four nights in the Coniston area, where they could refine the skills needed for the final expedition.
A group of 11 students then completed their DofE Gold Expedition in the Lake District. The group started their assessed trip by helping set up the Year 7 Summer Camp before starting their four days of walking and camping in the Keswick area. what they had learnt from their practice They had some difficult weather to manage with mist on the higher hills on and spirits remained high throughout. Both groups finished in good time on some days but they did well to apply the last day with a couple of students recreating their Year 7 Summer Camp photo.
Miss Wilson DofE Co-Ordinator
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Year 7: Greenwich Trip On Friday 12th July, Year 7 went on a day trip to a museum in Greenwich. I found this trip very interesting because I found out many facts about the solar system that I didn’t know before. I would recommend this museum because it is family friendly and generally lots of fun! My favourite part of the trip was the auditorium. I really felt like I was in space, seeing all the stars, planets and getting a view of our galaxy. At the museum, there was even a gift shop where you could buy a souvenir to remember your experiences there. It was a really hot day and we got time to socialise in the main area which was a great opportunity to take pictures!
On the 12th of July, during Activities Week, some year 7s went to Greenwich to see the Royal Observatory.
This trip was amazing, I had such a good time and I would definitely go there again.
Laura G jeloski (7H) and Iona Pears (7H)
Anastashia Smith (7A)
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It was very exciting because in the massive planetarium, we learned some things such as constellations and what space potatoes are! The most fascinating thing we saw was the Meridian line. (The meridian line is exactly 0 degrees) We have also learnt a lot from our two workshops about Mission Rosetta and Exoplanets. We hope to use this information. Overall, this trip was very interesting and exciting.
Special Feature: Activities Week 2019
Special Feature: Activities Week 2019
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Year 7: Maths Day During the Maths Day in Activities Week, Year 7 students were investigating shapes. Here are some of their comments about the day: Today we made shapes and we made a display out of them. Then we got our card and we drew our lines down the middle of the card and labelled them 1-4 and cut them out and stuck them together and drew around them on an A4 piece of paper. Next, I coloured them in to make a pattern. The thing I enjoyed the most about this event was making display and making all the shapes and then creating a pattern.
Danielle Hatch (7R)
I liked making the shape out of coloured paper and cutting it out for it to go on a big piece of paper. Even more, I liked the colouring on the shapes. We worked in a group which is great and I enjoyed this activity.
Molly Scott (8A)
Today I learnt about curved stitching; it was confusing at first but then I got the hang of it. I did some origami for shapes and drawing.
Nahom Tamiru (8W) Page 34
My favourite part was making the shapes out of paper. Maths has been very fun because we have been making a lot of shapes and cutting them out. My table made a big flower out of the paper before break.
Special Feature: Activities Week 2019
Also it was fun when we made the pieces of paper and made a shape then we traced over it until the paper was filled with the shape you made then we made it all pretty.
Fallon Giles (7L)
Today I have done curve stitching,
folding it and using shapes to make a pattern. I enjoyed using shapes to make a pattern because you were able to colour it in and do what you want with it. You were able to be really creative as well.
Maisie Cox (7W)
Special Feature: Activities Week 2019
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Year 7: Humanities Day and Duxford Trip Humanities Day – Battle of Britain: “Warlingham at War” Last year the day we had at school was fun. In the morning we learned a bit about our local area in the war. Then after break we looked at some equipment used in the war like a gas mask for babies, and looked at a map of our local area from the 1940s where Kenley Airfield had been removed for secrecy. The most interesting of the displays was a real life air raid siren which told people if there was an attack coming. We also went over to Riddlesdown Common to look at the places along the valley that the bombers would have been aiming for. In the afternoon, we got the chance to make and play some war-themed board games and also watched the very sad film “Goodnight Mister Tom” which is about children who were evacuated from their real homes in the war.
Sophie Allen (8N)
When we arrived, we met a member of museum staff for quick talk before going off to see the planes! There were SO MANY…but my favourite one was the silver Spitfire that flew really high! There were even statues of planes!
In the morning we all went to the fire assembly point and were put into our groups for the day before getting onto the coach for the journey there.
When we were eating our picnic lunch we got to see some actual Spitfires and other planes flying because they were preparing for an Air Show! After lunch, we went inside a building that
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had some World War 2 artefacts; there were soldier’s uniforms – including helmets – and diaries telling how different people experienced the war. This building also had tanks and lifesized replicas of bridges and ruined villages to make the scene seem like an actual warzone. One of the tanks was massive – so much bigger than all of us! We took lots of photos next to it… As well as that, there were also
scenes showing what war would have been like in the Jungle. On the way out, we got a chance to look in the shop to buy some souvenirs, and were then on our way back to school – singing on the coach!*
Ceri Preece ( 8N)
*”I can vouch for the singing. It was…. interesting…(!)” - Mr Gardner
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Year 7: Summer Camp In July, I was lucky enough to get the chance to go camping in the Lake District as part of Activities Week near the end of the year. We set off on the coaches and after what felt like forever, arrived at the campsite. We were staying in big tents of eight people, sharing with our friends, which was really nice. Throughout the week we did some really great stuff, including going on a hike up the side of a mountain, during which our guides taught us about the local area, and pointed out to us some of the natural plants that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise, abseiling down an ACTUAL rock face about 40 feet from top to bottom, and ghyll scrambling. Ghyll scrambling was great fun - it’s like going to a
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natural water slide park. This was my favourite activity. The campsite itself was set in the middle of nowhere; it was the quietest place I think I’ve ever been. You could hear your heart beating when you were lying down in bed. It was so strange not to hear any cars going past or any sort of sirens or alarms going off.
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We got really lucky with the weather as the last night, and the apron that he well, it didn’t rain really all that much, wore! and it was quite warm at times. Thank you to all of the staff for taking It was a really great trip and I’ve got us and for helping us throughout the lots of memories that I’ll take away week. with me, including Mr Guzy’s BBQ on Georgia Lavine (8A)
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Year 7: Design Technology Day
The Year 7s who did not go on Summer Camp spent one day in the Design Technology Department. The main activity was a team-based activity focussed on recycling. Teams had to design and make a vehicle out of recycled materials that could transport an egg over a set course. Each vehicle had to be based on an alien monster - the sort that could
appear in an episode of Dr. Who. An extremely wide range of weird, wonderful and wacky vehicles were produced! Having designed and built our alien egg transporters, we went outside to test them. Each team was given a raw egg which they had to transport over the furthest distance without breaking. Some of the eggs survived, but some didn’t! Students also spent a session in the Food Technology room where they made rocky road bars and produced packaging for their food products.
Gabriella Holvey (8H)
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Year 8: Beat the Flood On the 10th July, we were set a challenge to make a house that could withstand a flood. We started planning our ideas in groups of 3-4. We thought of various ideas, like a house boat but didn’t think it would be good as it could float away. We went to A3 and started making a house. We had difficulty finding a suitable base. We watched a video that the School provided to help us. We discovered that this place is prone to flooding much of the time. We used hessian (a strong fabric), clay, lollipop sticks and other materials for our model. We had a limited amount of time to make them; at the end, we tested it and presented it.
other students than I usually work with. I liked working as a team as everyone helped. We were made to think about the financial cost of materials and how much we could spend. I also liked designing our house and thinking of different ideas. As a group, we were all on the same page and our idea was good. I especially liked the structure of our house and I liked making a poster to present our work.
On the other hand, there were things I didn’t enjoy as much. I found it a little stressful, as making a house is not easy! I found it difficult to do everything in the time allocated. Also, we didn’t finish our house, which was annoying as we were so determined I enjoyed this activity as it was different to try and finish it. I also found it hard to build with the limited resources we to normal lessons and it was fun to had been given as it meant we had to create our models. Also we got to test our idea to see if it worked. It was adapt our idea a lot. great to be in groups and mix with When we tested it, the house was
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sprayed by a hose and our house was doing well… until it started to sink. I didn’t enjoy that bit as much as I am competitive and we’d tried so hard! Overall, it was a nice thing to do and it
was educational for us all. It will help us in our future learning. In conclusion, it was a great day. Also, my group won!
Amba Pandya (9G)
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Year 8: Creative Arts Days
Year 8 spent part of their Creative Arts week in Music. Mr Loseto had groups of students doing a ‘Stomp’ based junk orchestra performance. Stomp is a musical Page 44
and physical theatre that uses the body and ordinary objects to create a performance using rhythms and movement. In a twist to the Stomp tradition, students brought in their own
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inclement weather, and rehearsed a piece on the front lawn which they performed. It was loud, vibrant and got all the students involved in a dynamic performance style! The students were fantastic and had a thoroughly enjoyable time.
Mr N Duff Head of Music
The Art Department was so impressed with the way in which Year 8 students approached the Creative Arts workshops - with enthusiasm and diligence. The form groups were mixed up and it was wonderful to see the students working so well with individuals they would not normally work with. The first activity they responded to was a Kinetic art project based on ‘The way things go’, a 1987 art film by the Swiss duo Peter Fischli and David Weiss. Firstly, they watched the video clip of the artists installation piece and it was brilliant to see such young pupils responding so maturely to this contemporary way of working. They went on to construct their own imaginative Kinetic moving installations using physics to inspire their ideas.
‘junk’ from home and we were greeted The second activity was based on with a range of junk from pots, pans, architecture, inspired by structures copper tubing right through to an old such as the Eiffel Tower and the wheelbarrow! Gherkin, students competed in small Year 8 had a great time, despite the groups to build mathematical based
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Year 8: Creative Arts Days Revue” theatre company. Footlights is one of the most prestigious and recognised university drama societies in the country, and has spawned many celebrated and recognisable alumni now working in the fields of theatre, film, television and comedy. Former members include Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Richard Ayoade, Olivia Colman, David Mitchell, Sue Perkins, Sandi Toksvig, Alexander Armstrong and Emma Thompson.
bridges and towers. It was with baited breath we watched on to see which stayed standing and which collapsed under the strains of their ambitious designs! We certainly found the two days as enjoyable as the students did, well done Year 8s; we were very proud of you!
Mrs Wilkins Art Teacher
During Creative Arts Days, Year 8 students had the opportunity to work with members of Cambridge University’s world famous “Footlights Page 46
When they came in to work with our students, the company had been in the process of preparing and developing the comic sketch show they were taking to this year’s Edinburgh Festival. The festival is often seen as a testing ground for future talent in the media and performing arts. The company included former Warlingham School & Sixth Form College student Amelia Hill, who is currently studying English Literature at Trinity College Cambridge. The actors led Year 8 students through a series of workshops to develop comedy and comic scenes. Work done looked at voice, movement, timing, reactions and content. Students then had the chance to create their own comedy scenes and
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sketches developing their own ideas, whilst drawing on the support and advice of the actors.
people with proper performance industry experience and we hope it will have inspired some of them to take This was an excellent experience for all their creativity even further. of the students in terms of developing Mr Deacon their confidence in performance and Drama Teacher developing their own ideas from
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Year 8: Shakespeare Workshop and Go Ape trip
As part of the Year 8 Activities Week, on the Friday, the Guildford Shakespeare Workshop came to Warlingham School. The actor talked to us about Macbeth and told everyone the history of Shakespeare. They acted out scenes from the Macbeth and got people from the audience to play some of the roles which was really fun. After that, everyone was out into groups and were given scripts from sections of Macbeth to work with. Together with one of the actors from the Company, we had about an hour to rehearse. Then all the groups came back to perform their pieces in the order of the play. It was really good to see how all the different groups added their own style to the script and each performance was slightly different. Page 48
After that, the actors did a Q&A with the audience which was really helpful and interesting. The day was fun and helped us to understand Shakespeare a little bit better.
Theo Huyton ( 9 ?)
The year 8 trip to Go Ape was an amazing success. The weather held out for us as we arrived at Tilgate park and checked in with the Go Ape team. Groups then split into those who were due to go up into the trees and those who went off to investigate the park. The groups that headed further into the park walked around the lake, encountering some of the wildlife that lives on or near the lake. This included Ducks, Squirrels, Geese and a few rather excitable Dogs enjoying a walk out with their owners.
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Meanwhile the teams back at base were inducted into how to use the tether, (making sure we don’t fall to our doom!). They then had to ascend into the trees, where there were a variety of crossings between trees, (almost all of them swing in some way!). Once we had all been around the basic course, we cold then try the harder version of the junior Go Ape. It was great fun trying to get around between the trees.
Mr Moore Science Teacher
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Year 8: Trip to Paris
For the fifth year running, I had the pleasure of being involved in the Year 8 trip to Paris, having successfully run the trip in 2018. This year it was myself and Mr Holder at the helm! Students arrived early on Monday morning. There was a great deal of excitement and anticipation for a great week ahead. We travelled by coach to Dover and took the ferry to Calais before getting back on the coach to continue our journey to Paris. We stayed at the Dream Castle Hotel, a 4* hotel close to Disneyland Paris. The students were in rooms of three or four and were divided into larger groups of up to twelve, with a dedicated member of staff looking after them. We had dinner at the hotel on arrival and then went to bed. On Tuesday, we were up bright and early and after breakfast in the hotel we boarded the coaches again and headed into Paris. We visited the Eiffel Tower and everyone walked up the steps – it was a long way up but the views were worth it! We then had a site-seeing tour; we saw L’Arc de Triomphe, The Louvre, The River Seine, Notre Dame and Champs Elysees. The coach driver dropped us off at Place de la Concorde and we walked through the gardens. Later we went to Montmatre, where we saw the Sacré-Cœur and had dinner at a restaurant. There were over Page 50
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120 of us, including staff so we took over the whole restaurant!! The next day, we went to the Palace of Versailles, which was the home of King Louis XIV. The Hall of Mirrors is particularly spectacular as well as the gardens where students competed in a selfie challenge! Then we had dinner at the hotel and free time before retiring. Thursday was the day that most of us (including me) had been looking forward to the most……..DISNEYLAND! We took the shuttle bus from the hotel and spent the whole day there. It was fabulous and we all got to go on some rides. I was upset that I didn’t get my usual picture with Goofy who is my favourite character but he was in the parade and Mr Valentine managed to get all of the characters in the parade to wave to us which was wonderful. We had dinner at King Ludwig’s Castle (again filling up the whole establishment) before heading back to the hotel to pack. Friday dawned and we travelled home. It was a much quieter journey than on the way out. We’d had a fantastic trip but we were all very tired. I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the staff that came on the tri and of course the amazing group of students – you were a pleasure to look after. I am certainly looking forward to going on this trip again in the summer.
Miss Webb Design Technology Department Special Feature: Activities Week 2019
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Year 9: Team Challenge During Activities Week, not all of Year 9 went away on the PGL trip; the remaining students had the exciting opportunity to participate in ‘Team Challenge’ - a three-day event designed to develop teamwork and leadership skills. On day one, the students are allocated to either ‘Calendar Wars’ or ‘Takeover’. On day two, the teams swap so that the students get to experience both activities. one of three charities that the students select to work for: the NSPCC, Oxfam Calendar Wars is and the WWF. based upon a task from the Alan Sugar Takeover is loosely based inspired businesson the board games themed programme of Risk and Diplomacy on BBC called ‘The and is a leadership, Apprentice’. During team-work and decision-making live ‘Calendar Wars’, the role-playing game for eight teams students work in teams of five to designed to allow students an insight produce, market and theoretically sell into the world of high diplomacy, products in order to raise money for
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finance, negotiation and ‘back-stabbing’. Each team member has an important role to play in the success of the nation they represent and the outcomes are often hilarious as students develop more ingenious and devious ways of outwitting each other. The winning team is the one who has built the strongest economy by controlling the most valuable provinces, but most students would agree that everyone is a winner in a day that is rambunctious, engaging and fun.
On the third day, the teams got even bigger for a physical and strategy team challenge task called ‘Enigma’ - they were in teams of 18-20. Enigma takes place on the field and astroturf and involves students moving in teams from station-to-station, with each group having to undertake a range of challenging mental and physical challenges that develop good team working skills.
Mr Kinder Joint Head of School
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Year 9: Trip to Whipsnade Zoo
During Activities Week 2019, Year 8 attended Whipsnade zoo as one of their trips out of 5 fun filled activity days we spent with school while the other year 9s were at the PGL trip. We arrived to school at 7:45 to get ready to leave at 8:00 on the coach. Page 54
The journey took around an hour and a half until we finally arrived at our destination; we were all so excited for the day ahead of us. We all immediately rushed to see the animals. Firstly we visited the chimpanzee’s; we watched a little
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show/feeding time where we learned some amazing facts about the chimpanzee’s. Did you know they are not actually monkeys but they are the closest ancestor to humans and we share 95-98% of the same DNA? On the way to the penguins we
passed the grazing zebras, when we got to the penguins we were shocked that they were able to survive in the hot conditions but then we found out that they were actually African Penguins and are used to climate conditions hotter than the temperature here.
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Year 9: Trip to Whipsnade Zoo (CONTINUED)
Then we stopped for a little break along the exquisite view of all the natural surroundings; it was wonderful. Next was bongos and white rhinos, did you know that rhinos can weigh up to 6 tons which is 6000 kilograms. On the way to the African section on the road we saw 2 caviidaes freely roaming around, caviidaes are part of the rodent family and they look like massive Guinea pigs. In the African section of the zoo we saw: Lions, Hippos and Giraffes (there were lots of baby giraffes and they were still so tall!). Then we saw the Sea Lion show which was amazing. We couldn’t believe what the trainers could make them do! Soon after we stopped for lunch, by this point we were all so hungry. Some of us enjoyed a packed lunch and food from the café while others had a refreshing ice cream. Next we saw the tigers and on the way to the elephants we saw otters, red and some very pretty, colourful pandas and another rhino butterflies. However due to it being When we arrived at the elephants there very humid inside we weren’t inside the was a lady explaining how you can exhibit for too long recognise which elephant was which To finish the day off on the way out of Finally we went to the butterfly house the zoo we payed a visit to the zoo where we saw cocoons, cockroaches Page 56
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gift shop; many students bought a keepsake to remember the trip or a drink if they wanted one. We then got on the coach and left to arrive back at school at around 3:30pm We would like to thank the staff who
organised this trip and we would also like to thank Dave the coach driver as we wouldn’t have been able to attend this trip without them
Keira Gibbs (10R,) and Rebecca Jones (10W)
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Year 9: PGL 68 Year 9 students went away to the PGL’s flagship centre, Boreatton Park in Shropshire. The days were jam-packed with activities that are designed to challenge the students. Students took part in four activities per day, as well as an evening activity. Over the course of the week they took part in a variety of activities such as kayaking, raft building, Jacob’s ladder, archery, aeroball and many more.
Jacob’s ladder requires the students to work together to reach the top as the gap between the logs increases.
Kayaking: students and staff alike attempted the standing-up challenge which was a bit too challenging for Mr Tipton!
Climbing turned into a speed climbing contest with the boys running up the wall in under 20 seconds!
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But all that hard work pays off, once you reach the top!
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The Challenge Course tested this one, who used his athleticism to overcome the obstacles. Fencing saw an epic final, Leonard versus Javier.
It was a great week, one in which the students represented Warlingham really well. There were plenty of laughs, particularly on the last day as the staff enjoyed their final wakeup call! Many thanks to all the staff who ensured that the students have got some great memories of one of the best trips the school runs.
Miss Hurst Head of Mallory House
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Work Experience / My First Term at Warlingham staff confirm the Employer feedback comments. Many thanks to members of Support Staff who went out to visit students and employers at their placements. Even bigger thanks to Carolyn Adams, who along with others helped with the enormous job of ringing round those who we couldn’t get to see in person.
For a fortnight including Activities Week, Year 10 students were out on Work Experience placements. Most students started their placements on Monday 1st July; those who had not found a placement for one reason or another soon decided that they were missing a great opportunity and hastily found placements during the first week. Again, feedback from employers, for the greater majority, was excellent. They praised the students on their maturity, appearance, punctuality and their attitude to work. Employers and Students were either telephoned or visited during the two weeks and reports from those Page 60
Work Experience 2020 will be upon us very soon. The period covers 29th June to 10th July. Completed forms have already started arriving on my desk. I would like to remind those of you that haven’t submitted forms yet that the deadline for getting your forms in is Monday 2nd December 2019.
Sue Stawman Careers & WEX Co-ordinator Want to know how to get through Year 7? Well here’s how I did it! Worried about getting lost? If you become lost, don’t worry because I got lost all the time at the beginning. I asked older students and teachers for help, even Year 10 and above! They are not as intimidating as you may think. Finding my way from classroom to classroom filled me with dread at
the beginning, as my primary school was so small and we used the same classroom for everything. I was so worried I was going to be late to my lessons and would have had to walk in last with everyone looking at me, but this was not the case as everyone else felt exactly the same.
Homework tips! All teachers and parents will tell you to do your homework the day you are given it, but if you’re anything like most 11 year-olds, you won’t do that! There are many other things you would rather be doing like playing on your Xbox, reading WhatsApps from friends, or flicking through Instagram. Unfortunately, this is not going to get the work done, and I guess these adults are right because having the dread of telling your teacher you haven’t done it, is not nice! No longer can I leave it until the last minute, or the morning it is due because I have to leave early to catch the bus to school, and there is no way I’m getting up any earlier than I need to! So I guess what I’m saying is, get it finished as soon as you can and then you’re free to do whatever you enjoy!
say I still have, but I could never have imagined how many more people I would meet. I have also been lucky enough to have been picked for the rugby and football teams, which have been the highlight of my year so far. Why don’t you try something new? You never know, you might actually like it! Plus being a part of a team or club is another great way of making new friends and feeling more at home.
New subjects There are so many different subjects than in primary school, like French, Spanish, Drama and many more. The only problem I have found so far is when I am trying to revise for my KAPs, and don’t really know where or which to start on. The great thing with having so many subjects though is that I can really find what interests me and this can give me some ideas of what I might want to take for my GCSE’s. I can’t believe I’m thinking about GCSE’s already, as I haven’t even finished my first term in Year 7!!
Anyway, basically what I am saying is to try and relax and worry less about Social starting Year 7, because it’s a new During my time at primary school, I adventure that I can guarantee most, if was lucky enough to have made some not all you, will enjoy! amazing friends that I am pleased to
Freddie Alderton (7M)
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Reading is good for you!
Reading for pleasure is an activity that has real emotional and social consequences. There is a growing body of evidence which illustrates the importance of reading for pleasure for both educational purposes as well as personal development. The evidence strongly supports the argument that those who read more are better readers; and the amount of reading and reading achievement are thought to be related to each other – as reading amount increases, reading achievement increases, which in turn increases reading amount (Cunningham and Stanovich, 1998 – cited in Clark and Rumbold, 2006). Children who read very little do not have the benefits that come with reading, and studies show that when struggling readers are not motivated to read, their opportunities to learn decrease significantly (Baker, Dreher and Guthrie, 2000 – cited in Clark and Rumbold, 2006). Studies carried out over the last few decades have proved there are Page 62
scientific benefits to reading. Curling up with a book is not only enjoyable, it can positively impact our mental and emotional health. Reading books, particularly fiction, fully engages our mind and imagination and is proven to reduce stress and promote relaxation. A University of Sussex study revealed that individuals who had read for six minutes had slower heart rates, less muscle tension and reduced levels of stress. Benefits expand beyond reduced anxiety and stress. Studies have linked reading to good brain health in old age. Just like our hearts, our brains are muscles that need to be looked after to continue to function well throughout our lifetimes. If stress reduction, improved mental health, and healthy brain function weren’t enough, reading also helps us to become more empathetic and increases selfawareness. In fact, reading fiction increases our understanding of others and can improve relationships. As we become engrossed in a story, we
understand the characters and their motivations and behaviours, which is knowledge that carries over to life outside of a novel. Also, when we select novels that are set in cultures other than their own we develop an awareness of diverse human populations. In a nutshell, here are 10 reasons why reading is important and why we should all read often and widely. • If we read often and widely we get better at it. • Reading exercises our brains. • Reading improves concentration.
and I have never looked back. Since then, I have always had a book on the go. That’s a substantial number of years, more than I care to admit! I have read books that have made me cry or laugh, which have inspired me or frustrated me. I have read books that I can feel, hear and smell what the characters are experiencing, living every moment with them (Diana Gabaldon – Outlander series if you are interested). This passion for reading is something we would like all our students to develop so they too can enjoy the enrichment it will bring to their lives, wellbeing, confidence and academic success.
• Reading teaches us about the world With the vast range of titles held in around us. the LRC and new stock ordered every • Reading improves our vocabulary month, there is always something and leads to more highly developed for everyone to enjoy. Please remind language skills. students that the LRC staff are here • Reading develops imagination. to support them and will gladly help them select appropriate books. • Reading helps us to develop Alternatively, if parents would like to empathy. make an appointment to visit the LRC • Children who read do better at with their children, I would be happy to school. facilitate this at a mutually convenient • Reading is a fantastic form of time. Please email me (l.ferguson@ entertainment. warlinghamschool.co.uk) if I can be of • Reading relaxes the body and calms assistance. the mind. Louise Ferguson My reading journey started aged 13 with ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’
Data Intergrity & L RC Officer
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I have been at Warlingham School & Sixth Form College since 2005, when I joined as a newly qualified PE teacher from Chichester University. As a PE teacher, my main sports of interest are Netball and Trampolining. I have enjoyed over the years having the opportunity to work with some amazingly talented sportsmen and women throughout these sports teams. I am a very keen netballer; I have played since I was at Primary School and I have been playing ever since on a weekly basis. Ice Skating is also one of my passions. For many years I had ice hockey lessons before going off to University and I still ice skate for fitness My new role this year focuses on now. leading on behaviour and attitudes at the School. I have also taken over as For a large chunk of my time at Warlingham, I was Head of Chichester the School’s Designated Safeguarding House. This was a fantastic experience Lead (DSL). This has given me the opportunity to continue to work with and I really enjoyed working with so the Heads of House and the pastoral many students and staff as part of teams at the school. our team. The past four years we have won the House Trophy and This year I am looking forward to that was through the dedication and the new challenge of my role and comment of everyone who was part I am extremely excited about this of the house. It was extremely hard to opportunity. leave the House to become Assistant Katie Haynes Headteacher this year but it was a job I Assistant Headteacher have wanted to do for a long time. Page 64
Parents and Carers Online Toolkit (Childnet) The new non-statutory guidance published in the summer, Teaching Online Safety (2019, DfE), recommends that schools ‘Proactively [engage] staff, pupils and parents/carers in school activities that promote the agreed principles of online safety’ (see paragraph 42). Childnet have updated their parent and carer toolkit that will help parents have conversations about online safety. Their booklet ‘Let’s talk about life online’ includes ten key messages that should be shared with children: 1. “You can always come to me if you need help.” 2. “What would you do if this happened…?”
8. “Remember not everything is true online.”
3. “Remember that not everyone is who they say they are online.”
9. “The things other people post online might not always show what their life is really like.”
4. “Keep your personal information safe, and other people’s too.”
10. “Recognise how going online makes you feel and take a break when you need to.”
5. “Be respectful to others online.”
The Parent and Carer Toolkit can be found here:
6. “Think before you post.” 7. “Remember to ask if it’s okay.”
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We caught up with ex-student Sally Morritt; we asked if she could share what she’s got up to since leaving Warlingham Sixth Form College. Before I attended university, I studied A Levels in Spanish, English Literature and Government & Politics, at Warlingham. What I have taken most out of my time at Warlingham School & Sixth Form College were the opportunities it presented me to study a diverse range of subjects; where I learned about different cultures and histories, life and research skills, and
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even had the opportunity to travel with the Modern Languages department! Since leaving, I have completed a BA Honours in Politics and International Relations at Royal Holloway, University of London. The last three years have been tough, exciting, and very busy! My first year at university took me to the United Nations HQ in New York, where I represented France on the Human Rights Council and worked on the protection of Human Rights to counter violent extremism.
The conference allowed me to meet people from all over the world and from all walks of life – and I now have a sofa to sleep on in every continent (except Antarctica of course!). In my second year, I was asked to run the trip and train Royal Holloway’s team. So back off to NYC I went, this time representing Qatar.
I have recently graduated with a First Class Honours from Royal Holloway, and started working in the Civil Service in September.
If I was to give any advice to Warlingham students, it would be: do what you enjoy. Quite simply, what you enjoy is what you will dedicate time to and be good at. That is not to say that you shouldn’t work hard (you definitely By my third year, I was elected should!) but take time to work out what President of the Politics and International Relations Society, where I you want to do, and when you work it organised a variety of events, including out, pour your heart into it. That’s what meeting the Israeli Ambassador to the I have done, and I couldn’t be happier with what I have achieved and what is UK and a Charity Ball. Alongside my final year studies, I also completed an on the horizon. internship with the Ministry of Justice, Sally Morritt working on international policy. Page 67
What parents need to know about...
TikTok is a global video community where users create, share and discover ‘funny and memorable moments’ via short video clips – typically about 15 seconds long. Videos can be ‘spiced up’ with special effect filters, stickers, music and sound clips. Currently one of the world’s most popular apps, TikTok was formerly known as Musical.ly, before it was rebranded by the Chinese company that acquired it in November 2017. If your child had previously had a Musical.ly account, all of their videos and personal settings will have automatically been moved to TikTok.
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More than one third of children aged 6-17 consider ‘social media stars’ to be among their top role models. There are millions of creators on TikTok, showcasing their ‘talents, moments and knowledge’, from singing to dancing to stunts and comedy skits, which receive thousands of likes and comments from around the world, quickly turning people into ‘stars’. There is the danger that children may develop unrealistic expectations of how they should look and behave on the app in order to become the next ‘star’. They may have feelings of inadequacy and low selfesteem or become swayed by certain opinions.
INAPPROPRIATE SONG LYRICS TikTok lets users lip-sync to their favourite songs and produce their own music videos. Some of the music choices contain swear words or sexual themes. So not only can children be exposed to potentially inappropriate content but they can broadcast
themselves miming or singing these lyrics.
CONCERNING CONTENT Some of the outfits and dance moves in videos can be overtly sexual and provocative. There have also been reports of some users sharing concerning content, such as videos that promote anorexia, porn, self-harm and violence.
specific video, your child can use coins to purchase emojis to show approval. These can be expensive and easily purchased – there is the option to buy 10,000 coins for £97.99 with a one-click buy button.
ANYONE CAN SEE YOUR CHILD’S CREATIONS TikTok encourages users to ‘share their passion and creative expression through their videos’ and while DANGEROUS TRENDS & something may seem fun at the time, CHALLENGES videos can get in the wrong hands and On TikTok, there are always ‘trending cause embarrassment in the future. If challenges’ and hashtags that users can posted publicly, anyone in the world copy or build upon, and sometimes, can see your child’s homemade music these challenges can pose risks to video and potentially cause bullying young people. within personal friendship groups STRANGERS CAN FOLLOW or even YOUR CHILDREN online. If your child’s profile is open, strangers can use the app to comment on your child’s videos. While this isn’t always sinister, it gives potential predators the ability to contact your child through the platform.
INAPP PURCHASES Of course, as with many apps, there’s a paid element to TikTok. Users can buy virtual coins to be exchanged for virtual gifts – for example, if they like a Page 69
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TALK ABOUT THE PITFALLS OF OVERSHARING Encourage your kids to always think before they do, say, like or post anything online, explaining that their ‘digital footprint’ can shape their online reputation and the way that other people see them. Something they may find funny and entertaining now may impact them in the future. Talk about how to deal with peer pressure and how doing something they think will impress others could affect them.
HANDLING CRITICISM While it’s fantastic to see your child being creative and expressive and bonding with people with similar interests, they need to be aware that not everyone will be supportive online. Comments can be negative or even cruel. Make sure they know how to comment respectfully and handle negative feedback. In the app’s Privacy and Safety settings, your child can decide who can react to their videos, who can comment, and who can send them private chat messages. We suggest using these settings so only their friends can interact with their posts. SIGNING UP WITH THE CORRECT AGE When signing up to TikTok, you are prompted to input your birth date. If your child inputs their age as ‘under 13’, the app will not allow them to sign up and will be locked for 24 hours. The app is intended for users aged 13+, so explain that the rating is there for a reason; to keep them protected from online dangers. It is actually possible to watch TikTok videos
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without even creating an account, so it’s important to check if your underage child has downloaded the app to their devices. USE THE ‘DIGITAL WELLBEING’ SETTING If you’re concerned about the amount of time your child is spending on TikTok, in the app’s setting, you can switch on a feature called Digital Wellbeing. This includes ‘Screen Management’ to limit the amount of time your child spends on the app. SET THE ACCOUNT TO PRIVATE This means that only people who you and your child approve of can see their creations. To make an account private, tap the three dots at the top right of the screen to access settings. Click ‘Privacy and Safety’. Scroll down until you find ‘Private Account’ and turn this setting on.
by simply tapping ‘Report’. In the app’s ‘Digital Wellbeing’ feature, there is also an ‘Enhanced Restricted Mode’, which limits the appearance of videos that may not be appropriate for all audiences. AVOID IDENTIFIABLE OBJECTS To ensure that there’s no way of anyone tracking your child’s location or identity, make it clear to them that they should never film a video in their school uniform or near a landmark that gives away where they live.
DISCUSS INAPP PURCHASES To lower the risk of your child making accidental in-app purchases, teach them exactly what in-app purchases are and the risks of making them without permission. Tell them that they are not essential to enjoy the app and that if they want to make a purchase, they should always ask you REPORT INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT beforehand. In the app’s ‘Digital Wellbeing’ If you or your child see something on feature, there is the option to disable the TikTok that appears to be inappropriate, function of purchasing coins and sending they can report content in different ways within the app. They can report an account, gifts. video, comment or chat conversation
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Warlingham School
Wide Horizons High Aspirations Warlingham School & Sixth Form College is part of the Tandridge Learning Trust Address: Tithepit Shaw Lane, Warlingham, Surrey, CR6 9YB Tel: 01883 624067 Fax: 01883 624026 Email: info@warlinghamschool.co.uk Website: www.warlinghamschool.co.uk