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WETHERBY SENIOR SCHOOL WEEKLY JUNE 11th 2018 | WEEK 8

CASTLES, COLUMBUS & CONTRIBUTIONS TO MODERNISATION: NEWS FROM THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT!

HEADMASTER’S NEWSLETTER NEXT WEEK’S DIARY IMPORTANT NOTICES SPORTS NEWS

FROM THE HEADMASTER

Dear Parents, A number of the Year 11 have now finished their GCSEs and, as the examination season draws to a close, articles questioning the level of challenge are appearing in the media, as well as selfproduced comments on social media by the pupils taking them and the teachers supporting them. Over their thirty year life, GCSEs have been criticised for being too easy, and now too hard, for being focussed on rewarding the most able pupils and, in yesterday’s Times, for not preparing pupils to be entrepreneurs. The expectations that have been placed on GCSEs over the years, and the criticism for not meeting these expectations have served to devalue an examination which thousands of young people take seriously and work hard to prepare for each year.

Peter Jones, in The Times article, is concerned that GSCEs do not teach creative or practical skills, that they focus on rote learning, and, therefore, are not sufficient preparation for the world

of work. Even as a teacher of a subject famous for rote learning (amo, amas, amat‌.), I never saw GCSEs in Latin, Greek or Classical Civilisation as an exercise in memorisation or regurgitation but rather as a way to introduce the pupils to the challenges of learning a language, the creativity of some of the earliest writers of Western Literature and a new perspective on the highs and lows of being human, at once recognisable and alien.

Focussing on the end point of the exam, and not the learning process that it is a part of, is to miss the point. The learning and the teaching that lead up the GCSE and the foundation which that study builds for future learning in a school, or elsewhere, are what is important. The view of school that some commentators have is not one that I or my colleagues would recognise.

I am grateful that the Year 11 do not seem to have been as affected by the pressures of these new GCSE examinations as some of their peers in other schools and I am looking forward to seeing them at Sixth Form Induction, at Sports Day and at Speech Day

on the final day of the year.

Before the School arrives at those events, there are a number of other things to look forward to. The Lower School play, Lord of the Flies, debuts next week and we also have the annual Marcos Burnett Photography Exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in Sloane Square.

The majority of Years 7-9 will also be making the trip to Snowdonia for a challenging expedition and the Year 10 have a day together on a high ropes course in London as well as the challenge of their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh expedition this weekend for which I wish them all luck.

Best wishes,

WEEKLY DIARY MONDAY

18.06.18

GCSE German R&W GCSE German Listening Games Years 7, 10 & 11 InterTrib Cricket - Year 7 Tennis U15 A WSS vs John Lyon School (H) 14:30 Cricket U15 A WSS vs John Lyon School (H) 14:30 Year 10 Parents’ Evenings (Surnames A-K) 17:30-19:30

TUESDAY

19.06.18

GCSE Further Maths - Non Calculator Duke of Edinburgh Award 15:30-16:30 Games Years 8 & 9 14:00-16:00 InterTrib Tennis - Year 9 InterTrib Cricket - Year 8 Year 10 Parents’ Evenings (Surnames L-Z) 17:30-19:30

WEDNESDAY

20.06.18

Games Years 7 & 10 14:00-16:00 InterTrib Tennis - Year 10 Intertrib Cricket - Year 7 Lord of the Flies - Lower School Play 19:00-21:30

THURSDAY

21.06.18

FRIDAY

22.06.18

SATURDAY

23.06.17

SUNDAY

24.06.17

Written Exams End GCSE Further Maths - Calculator Games Years 8 & 9 14:00-16:00 Cricket U13 A/B vs Radnor House (H) 2.30pm

HM Assembly at Hinde Street Methodist Church 15:00-15:30 Year 7 & 8 Art and Graphic Design Exhibition 16:00-17:00 Marcos Burnett Photography Exhibition 16:30-18:00

IMPORTANT NOTICES

A date for your diaries: Speech Day Thursday 5th July, 2:00pm St Mary’s Church, W1H 1PQ

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Soup: Tomato

Soup: Mushroom

Main: Whole Roasted British Chicken

Main: Chilli Beef Tacos

MENU WEDNESDAY Soup: Summer Vegetable and Barley

Meat Free: Pasta Bake To Go With: Yorkshire Pudding Herbed Diced Potatoes Broccoli Gravy

To Go With: Steamed Rice Cheesy Nachos Salsa, Sour cream, Guacamole Sweetcorn

Dessert: Berries and Cream

Dessert: Ice Cream

Meat Free: Pasta with Tomato Rose, Pesto or Alfredo Sauce To Go With: Sweet Potato Mash, Carrot Rounds, Green Beans

THURSDAY

Soup: Minestrone Main: Smoked Haddock Fish Cakes or Steamed Pollock Fillet

To Go With: Garden Peas Mushy Peas Steamed Basmati Rice Tartar Sauce

Meat Free: Pasta Bows with Mushroom Sauce

Dessert: Summer Fruit Pancakes

Dessert: Rocky Road

Freshly Made Bread

Main: Breaded Chicken Goujons

To Go With: Oven Roasted Chips Garlic Mash Baked Vegetables Grilled Peppers

Meat Free: Creamy Mushroom Risotto

Dessert: Strawberry Panacotta

Homemade Salads Vegetable Crudités With Hummus Sandwich & Wrap Selection Meat & Cheese Platters Fresh Fruit Yogurt Pots

EVERY DAY

FRIDAY Soup: Chicken Noodle

Main: Chicken Drumsticks

Meat Free: Mexican Bean Burritos

A TERM IN HISTORY...

Mr Warner writes‌ In Year 7 the boys have been studying the history of immigration to Britain from the Beaker Folk all the way up to the present day.

The newspapers have been particularly kind to us by providing a backdrop in which terms such as the Windrush generation are suddenly common parlance. As citizens of such a global city, it has been interesting for the boys to see how the different layers of immigration have built up over time.

Meanwhile, in Year 8 the boys are exploring the origins of European empires. Having studied which inventions were critical in allowing European explorers to break out of their own hemisphere, we’ve looked at the voyages of Columbus and the settling of North America. Recently we looked at the following poem as a means of remembering one of history’s more memorable moments:

In fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

He had three ships and left from Spain; He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain.

He sailed by night; he sailed by day; He used the stars to find his way.

A compass also helped him know How to find the way to go.

Ninety sailors were on board; Some men worked while others snored.

Then the workers went to sleep; And others watched the ocean deep.

Day after day they looked for land; They dreamed of trees and rocks and sand.

October 12 their dream came true, You never saw a happier crew!

"Indians! Indians!" Columbus cried; His heart was filled with joyful pride.

But "India" the land was not; It was the Bahamas, and it was hot.

The Arakawa natives were very nice; They gave the sailors food and spice.

Columbus sailed on to find some gold To bring back home, as he'd been told.

He made the trip again and again, Trading gold to bring to Spain.

The first American? No, not quite.

But Columbus was brave, and he was bright.

A TERM IN HISTORY...

Having spent the autumn term looking at how the British Empire emerged as such a global power in the nineteenth century, the boys in Year 9 are now engaged in seeing how the whole thing unravelled following World War II. The big question looming on their horizon is: did the British jump, or were they pushed?

Facing source material such as this quote (see below) from Prime Minister Clement Attlee, the boys have to question what it was that drove the process of decolonisation.

Clearly Attlee alludes to the ‘push’ of Indian demand, but

equally is willing to respond to it. The boys now need to decide where they believe the balance lies.

“India is today in a state of great tension and this is indeed a critical moment… It is a time emphatically for very definite and clear action…

Let us all realise that whatever the difficulties, whatever the divisions may be, there is this underlying demand among all the Indian peoples… Is it any wonder that today she claims – as a nation of 400,000,000 people that has twice sent her sons to die for freedom

- that she should herself have freedom to decide her own destiny? My colleagues are going to India with the intention of using their utmost endeavours to help her to attain that freedom as speedily and fully as possible.”

(Clement Attlee addressing the House of Commons, March 1946) With brief case studies in the experiences of India, Malaya, Kenya and Zambia, the boys will now look at what modern historians have to say on the subject, before making up their own minds.

WELL DONE HARRY! Last term we ran a History Essay prize for the Year 10s. Whilst the number of entries was small, the standard was high and

I am pleased to announce Harry Holberton as our winner for his excellent essay on the significance of Henry Ford. This was a

mature and creative exploration of Ford’s contribution to the modern world and a fantastic effort.

Wetherby Senior School History Essay Prize Harry Holberton Year 10 Winner 2018

Mr H. Warner Head of History

Mr S. Bolderow Headmaster

CASTLES: A YEAR 10 INDEPENDENT PROJECT Mr Warner writes‌ The boys in Year 10 GCSE have to investigate a particular castle, as part of their GCSE course, and how both its form and function have evolved over time. This year that castle is Kenilworth, a magnificent fortress built of striking

red sandstone not far from Warwick.

Earlier this term we went to visit the castle itself and had a guided tour around the site. This was a chance for the boys to see the object of study in the flesh. Now they have the summer to research and write up their projects

on the different phases of Kenilworth’s history, paying close attention to how the castle was used and what alterations and improvements alterations and improvements different families made to the its structure. This is a great opportunity for the boys to develop as independent learners and Miss Webb and I look forward to seeing the finished products in September.

1100s

Kenilworth under the De Clintons 1120-1174

1200s

Kenilworth as a royal fortress 1174-1244 Kenilworth under Simon de Montfort 1244-65

1300s

Kenilworth under the House of Lancaster 1266-136 Kenilworth under John of Gaunt 1361-99

1400s

Kenilworth under the Lancastrians and the Tudors 1399-1547

1500s

Kenilworth under the Dudley family 1547-88

1600s

Kenilworth under the Stuarts 1612-65

1700s

Kenilworth under the Hydes 1665-1700s

READING Mr Warner writes...

As we hit another run of parents’ evenings, I am reminded of the continued importance of the boys reading on a regular basis. To further this, here is a list of suggested good reads by the history department that might nudge the boys into more fervent reading:

B. Bliven J. Eldridge Z. Filipovic A. Frank J. Gavin C. Gifford A. Hatch R. Hume J. Lemasolai I. Gut Opdyke M. Meserole M. Oliver S. Taplin T. Deary B. Cornwell R. Sutcliff B. Jaques C. S. Forester F. Marryat E. M. Remarque P G Wodehouse C.J. Samson T. Willocks S. Scarrow

Invasion: The Story of D-Day Stories of the First World War Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo The Diary of a Young Girl Out of India: An Anglo-Indian Childhood Hung, Drawn and Quartered: History’s Gruesome bits Old Blood and Guts, General George Patton Equiano: The Slave with the Loud Voice Facing the Lion: Growing up Maasai In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer The Great Escape: Tunnel to Freedom Off With Their Heads! All the cool bits in British History The Usborne Official Pirate’s Handbook Horrible History Sharp's Rifles Knight's Fee Redwall Mr Midshipman Hornblower The Children of the Newforest All quiet on the Western Front Carry on Jeeves Dissolution The Religion Under the Eagle

MATCH REPORT

Cricket U12 WSS A v WPS WSS - 63/3 WPS - 69/4 WSS lost by 6 runs Man of the Match: Edward H. U12 WSS B v WPS WSS - 199 WPS - 254 WSS lost by 55 runs Man of the Match: Zac M.

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