Worthing High School
Semper Ad Excellentiam Contende Always Pursue Excellence
Newsletter
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD Dear Parents, Carers, Staff and Governors, At the end of a very busy term it is important to reflect on all that has been achieved. Students this term have remained extremely focused, Yr 11 students have sat a second round of mock GCSE exams and now enter their final preparation time for the summer exams. I would like to pay tribute to Yr 11 students for the way they have conducted themselves through the exam period. It is very pleasing to be able to say that Yr 11 are excellent role models and clearly demonstrate an attitude of Always Pursuing Excellence in all that they undertake.
team respectively to embark upon the next chapter in their careers.
Andrew Parkinson leaves the Music Department at the end of this term to pursue other interests.
This term we say goodbye to seven members of staff: At the start of term my PA Christine Jones moved on to pastures new and she has been replaced by Sam Austwick. Jeff House and Craig Walker (pictured next column, top) also left the Learning Support and Behaviour
Very sadly Mrs Bayford leaves our Science Department after 13 years. Not only has Mrs Bayford been an excellent form tutor and teacher, she has also guided our PGCE and NQT teachers as they find their feet in the world of education. We wish Mrs Bayford all the very best as she takes up her new post at The Angmering School.
Broadwater Dr Amanda Jakes
ajakes@worthinghigh.net
At the start of term we will welcome Mr Collins to the Science Department, Mr Le Gac to MFL and Mrs Boyce to the History Department. Mr Earle will be joining as Behaviour Support Manager and his team will be bolstered by Behaviour Support Assistants Miss Blount and Miss Lynch.
We say a very fond farewell to Mrs Anderson who has been our Finance Manager for almost 12 years. Andrea leaves at the end of this term and we are enormously grateful for all the astute management and conscientious attention she has given to the financial health of the school.
March 2016
I would very much like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continuing support and to wish you a very peaceful Easter. Kind regards Carolyn Dickinson Headteacher
CONTENTS 3 BBC NEWSROUND
Reporter and camera crew film news report on school’s involvement with insect pollination programme
3 OSCAR WIN
Student’s Dad beats Mad Max and Star Wars to win Oscar for his special effects on Ex-Machina
5 FILM ROLE
Year 8 Student Josh Farley plays main character in a film inspired by Quadrophenia
7 BBC NEWS REPORT Year 9 Students spent the day as Journalists for the BBC as part of the National School Report project
COMMUNITY LEADERS
Heene Stuart Townsend
stownsend@worthinghigh.net
Salvington Lee Hardwick
lhardwick@worthinghigh.net
Tarring Mostefa Beda
mbeda@worthinghigh.net
OUR INSIGHT INTO BBC NEWSROUND Monday presented the opportunity to observe Newsround, which is presented on the young children’s channel CBBC, who were in Worthing High to film about the Pollination Project. We witnessed how they interviewed the younger children and how they angled each shot. After, they were kind enough to answer our questions, letting us in on an insight into what working within media was like. Martin, one of the reporters, spoke to us about all the opportunities he had been given through his work, such as reporting on the Olympics and covering the darker, hard hitting story of the Paris attacks. Tasha, another reporter, also talked us through the camera and how it worked, as well as explaining how she got to where she was today. It was extremely helpful as it gave us a deeper knowledge on what to expect when going into that aspect of work. Also, they made me see that it doesn’t matter how you start, just as long as you start somewhere, any experience will enhance your knowledge on media. Martin mentioned how he spent the start of his work in media getting coffee
for fellow workers and he now presents Newsround as well as featuring on BBC Radio 1. Watching the reports also made me more determined to immerse myself into the media industry and I can’t wait to learn more about it. Charlotte Barber Yr 11 Media Student
As a GCSE media student and aspiring journalist, I was presented with the opportunity to shadow two members of the BBC Newsround team. It was an honour to be part of this experience and what I have learnt will be invaluable in my future. I was given the chance to observe the filming process first hand- of which the entirety of their reports are based. Additionally, I was able to talk with the presenter/ journalist- (Martin Dougan) about where his career has taken him to date and will take him in the future. Martin’s advice was incredibly inspiring as it gave me real insight in to how to make myself stand
LEARNING THROUGH LANDSCAPES (LTL)
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Our recent involvement with the Polli:Nation programme (articles above and page 3) is sponsored by LTL, a national charity working to ensure that every child benefits from outdoor learning and play. It advises government, engages the private sector and empowers school communities and early years settings to make the best of their outside spaces for children’s education and wellbeing. In a recent survey of schools that improved their grounds with LTL support, 88% said it had resulted in more creative learning and environmental awareness among pupils. Despite such benefits, 80% of teachers in a recent MORI poll said they believe that their school is failing to make the most of their outdoor spaces. LTL aims to change this – and is the only organisation focusing specifically on school environments in order to do so.
out from a crowd of other budding journalists. One thing Martin said was intriguing, ‘if you set your standard high to begin with; when faced against others, your standards will always be one step ahead of theirs.’ Not only did he teach me that if I challenge my own ability as a writer, I will be able to get where I want to be; but also that if you set your mind to something- and you enjoy it and work hard, you can almost certainly be as successful as you wish. His colleague Tasha, who was filming, also enforced the idea of going for what you want and grasping every opportunity you are given. On the whole the event was much appreciated by myself, and I have definitely discovered a new found hope- knowing that it is completely possible to make it as a journalist, in the busy world of media in this day and age. Phoebe Cornish Year 11 Media Student
Over the past 20 years, LTL has worked directly with over 10,000 schools, raised over 24 million pounds for grounds improvements and trained thousands of teachers and practitioners to help them rethink the design and use of their outdoor environments. Fruit-full Schools is just one of the exciting programmes LTL has developed to help them do this. As the lead partner for this programme LTL are contributing project management expertise as well as experience of working with schools. www.ltl.org.uk
Heritage Lottery Fund
Thanks to National Lottery players, LTL invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. www.hlf.org.uk @heritagelottery
BBC NEWSROUND FILM AT WORTHING HIGH BBC Newsround filmed a report at Worthing High School last week following the announcement that the school has been chosen to lead a project across Worthing schools to help to protect the dwindling population of Britain’s pollinating insects. Martin Dougan, BBC Newsround Reporter came to Worthing High to meet students from Thomas a Becket
transforming our outdoor spaces to become pollinator-friendly habitats, with the support of the national school grounds charity, Learning through Landscapes.” Martin Dougan was very impressed with the students he met and their broad knowledge of the importance and opportunities available to support pollinating insects within school grounds. Asad Khan, a Year 7 student at Worthing High was interviewed by Martin for the report. Asad said: “It is vital that students and schools get involved in projects like this as promoting pollination friendly habitats are critical for the future. I am really
Infant and Thomas a Becket Junior as well as Worthing High students. All three schools are working together on the Polli:Nation Project. Over a two hour period, Martin interviewed students from all three schools as well as filming a planting session and pollination game activity.
DAD WINS OSCAR! My Dad’s name is Paul Norris and he is a Visual Effects artist and supervisor. He has been working in the film industry since 1998 and before that he worked on TV commercials. My Dad has just been awarded an Oscar for best Visual Effects for the movie Ex Machina from his first Oscar nomination. He was also nominated for a BAFTA but sadly Star Wars stole the spotlight. I asked my Dad how he felt when he found out he had won and he said “I was stunned, surprised and amazed because our small budget film had just won the biggest movie award in the world, beating Star Wars and Mad Max.” These were my thoughts on how I felt when my Dad had won, “It was so surreal, it was as if we were living a dream only this time it had come true.”
excited to be involved in this project and I am looking forward to working with the other schools.” David Hodd, the Project Manager of Learning through Landscapes also attending the filming session and said: “It is critical that we address the declining numbers of pollinating insects. Karen Hayler, Business Manager at Worthing High said; “We have been chosen as the main lead school in Worthing for the UKwide ‘Polli:Nation’ programme. The project will involve students from Worthing High, Oakgrove, Thomas a Becket First and Thomas a Becket Junior. We will be
Paul & Ben Norris with the Oscar
See Pauls portfolio on IMDb, his credits are amazing! Ben Norris Year 8 Student
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CAREERS EVENT
On Friday 29 January all Year 8 and 9 students had a fact-finding opportunity to be involved in workshops and talks run by colleges and businesses, both local and national. To start the event off, Jane Chew, from the Skills, Business & Enterprise Team and her ambassadors gave a talk about Apprenticeships.
The day enabled students to find out more about the different career routes that are available to them Post 16. Representatives from Worthing and Northbrook College showcased the various courses that students can take, and there were talks from a wide range of businesses including Western Sussex Hospitals, Solicitors, Banks, Civil Engineers, Vets, Hair & Beauty and Hospitality who
explained what the different roles were within their organisations, what these jobs are like, qualifications that are required, salaries and career paths. To round the day off students listened to a talk by student ambassadors from Brighton University.
Jane Chew said, “This was a most ambitious event, which gave the students lots of choice and opportunity to meet a range of employers and hear about several different career areas.” Ms Millar Careers Adviser
WATER AID “Every minute, every day, people suffer and lives are lost needlessly because of a lack of safe water and sanitation” Water Aid is a fantastic charity that aims to stop this needless loss of life. Their vision is a world where everyone everywhere has safe water, sanitation and hygiene. Water Aid has teams in 37 countries across the world and just
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£15 can help provide one person with access to safe water. They have already helped over 21 million people, and vow to try and provide clean water for all by 2030 I would like to say a huge thank you to the whole of Worthing High School for the support they have given me in raising money for Water Aid for my London Marathon appeal! On the mufti day before half term we raised nearly £800 to go to the charity and this was all due to the kindness of our students here at Worthing High School. I will be running the 26.2 miles of the London marathon on Sunday 24th April, my training is tough but it will be worth it on the day! As I’m
running on the day I will think of how much the fantastic students of Worthing High School have raised to keep me going!
Mrs Conrad Head of Geography
FILM ROLE FOR YEAR 8 STUDENT One of our pupils is set to star in a short drama about a young boy who is being bullied for being different. Josh Farley who is in year 8 is to play the young boy named Buddy, who is a young carer for his mother who has Multiple sclerosis. He finds struggling with his responsibilities difficult and is bullied at school. Both he and his mother share a love of sixties music, through which Buddy finds a welcome escape. He is then befriended by an out of work actor from the film Quadrophenia , who is able to give him a chance just to be a kid again and take a moment from his responsibilities. This drama has close links to the film Quadrophenia, from the scooters to some of the cast from the film being in it, such as Mark Wingett. The Director Devlin Crow (pictured above with Mark Wingett and Josh) is currently crowdfunding through a kickstarter campaign that runs
until 16th April. During this time he needs to raise £20,000 in order to be able to make ‘Being’. Pledges have already been steadily coming in and are now over £12,000. Josh has already raised funds by organising a car wash at school to help get this project off the ground. Josh also hopes to do a cake sale at school to raise more. Anyone who is interested in helping this drama to be made can visit the website www.beingthefilm. co.uk where they can click on the kickstarter link for more information. Pledges range from as little as £2 and there are great incentives
on offer such as Quadrophenia merchandise, signed gifts and film credits.
This important drama raises awareness of MS and also of the many young carers that exist.
CELEBRATING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT – Always Pursue Excellence Over the last four weeks the students who through sheer hard work have had their names and achievements displayed on the Community Achievers Boards, were invited to a Celebration Breakfast with Headteacher, Mrs Dickinson, the Senior Leadership Team and Community staff. The students spoke of their achievements with great pride and were able to provide invaluable feedback for school improvement. These students embody the school maxim of Always Pursue Excellence, and it was a great treat for everyone to be able to share in their achievements. Mrs Dickinson Headteacher
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PEER MENTORS A group of students will be learning how to become Peer Mentors this term. The group will have 6 sessions where they will develop their communication and listening skills and knowledge about how to help other students in the school. They will learn how to build self-esteem in others and how to show an empathetic approach to sensitive issues. Once the course has been completed the students will support other students as Peer Mentors. Mrs S Ayres Assistant Head
BERLIN TRIP 2016 In February half term 48 GCSE historians from year 11 braved the cold and visited Berlin (to expand their knowledge).
time” and “it was inspirational and Sachsenhausen stood out the most”.
As part of the GCSE they study Germany 1918-45 so this was a brilliant opportunity for them to expand their knowledge and understanding of Germany’s history and also experience the city in the
present day. The students visited the Reichstag, the Olympic Stadium built in 1936 and Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. This was alongside visits to museums that
reflected life during the Cold War and exhibitions relating to life for Germans living under Nazi rule. Year 11 students described the trip as “an experience of a life
WORTHING HIGH GAINS DEVELOPMENT AWARD
My thanks to all the students who made the trip so successful and to Mr Hardwick, Miss Griffiths, Mr Peacock and Dr Jakes who made it possible by joining me as staff members. Mrs Grindel Leader of History
We have been awarded a bronze award after a rigorous process of questionnaires, a self-assessment
WHS gains award for CPL from The Teacher development Trust.
WHS became a member recently of the Teacher Development Trust Network because as a school we recognise that teacher development through continuous professional learning is at the centre of excellent teaching and learning. 6
audit and interviews of both teaching and support staff in our first audit with the Trust. The Trust identified WHS articulates a strong vision of effective CPD across the whole school.
WHS STUDENTS ARE BBC JOURNALISTS FOR THE DAY Year 7 views on their transition to Worthing High –Patrick Bangura How much sugar is there at Worthing High? -Danielle Mansbridge and Patrick Bangura
Today we were given the opportunity to become journalists for the BBC for the day. We all got together two weeks in advance, to plan out what stories we were going to report on. After we had decided on about 15 topics we voted for our favourites and divided them between the 14 reporters, in the end we managed to complete 12 stories, which were:
What happens to stray animals in Worthing? -Amelia Mazet, Chloe Broadway and Caitlyn Price LGBT Awareness at Worthing High -Amy Ford, Niamh Bowden and Daisy Wright
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Top Reads in our Library –Elina Vitina
Abi Burley said “It was an enjoyable day for all, I loved to write about my rugby team as I am passionate about it. I also, loved how we could all work together. It was just a brilliant experience!”
Worthing girls rugby club -Abi Burley Father of a Worthing High student wins Oscar -Libby Golds-Jones Worthing High Student stars in a film -Amy Ford, Niamh Bowden and Daisy Wright
Mrs Conrad runs the London Marathon for Water Aid -Abi Burley, Libby Golds-Jones, Sam Leitch, Jack Willis and Amy Ford
What will the new GCSE grades mean for students? -Elina Vitina and Niamh Bowden Worthing Football Club– Sam Leitch and Jack Willis George Dowell’s vision for Worthing My experience on Fire Break –Abbie Pickles
Jack Willis said “It was a great experience! I almost felt like I was an actual reporter! I got the opportunity to interview someone like they do on the news!” There are a few of the reports in this newsletter, but to read them all, please follow the link: http:// www.worthinghigh.net/news/509/ bbc-news-report-10-march-2016/#. VvA4kWfcsdU
NEWS FROM ALUMNI
Worthing High works in association with Future First, who maintain our Alumni database for us. If you are already in work (having attended FE/HE) then please sign up to the school’s alumni scheme by visiting the Future First website: http:// networks.futurefirst.org.uk/formerstudent/worthinghigh . Students who have recently left Worthing High should use the following link: http://networks.futurefirst.org.uk/ student/worthinghigh
Rob Hyder Wilson Currently I’m studying Medicine at the University of Oxford. I'm in my first year of the course. - A whistle Ro b Hyd e r- Wilso n stop tour of He a d b o y 2 0 11 /1 2 my journey after leaving school:
After leaving Worthing High School I moved on to BHASVIC to do my A-levels (biology, chemistry and history). After the two years of study, I managed to get myself a place to study medicine at Oxford, and made the grades in August of 2014. Following this, I worked for 6 months at both Wetherspoons as a bartender and at Virgin Active as a Fitness Coach, saving money to go travelling in the latter half of my gap year. At the beginning of March 2015 I and 3 friends flew out to New York, and made our way into and all the way through Canada, then down the West Coast to end up in Los Angeles. The trip took 5 months in total, and we spent our time mainly 8
in hostels or volunteering with the Workaway and WWOOF programmes - as well as endless hours on buses. I returned to the UK in August 2015 and started at Oxford in October, where I have been since. - Best and worst part of my dayto-day:
One of the best parts of my dayto-day life here at Oxford is being able to eat lunch and dinner in the 'Harry Potter' hall of Christ Church college with my friends. Apart from that, our tutorials - which are usually 3-to-1 or 6-to-1 - are with some of the world leading researchers in their fields, so are incredibly useful and make an excellent addition to the lectures and seminars during the day time. Plus, the tutors usually provide tea and biscuits. Having said that, the tutors will set essays for each tutorial, so I suppose that's the worst part of the day! We tend to have anywhere between 1-4 essays a week, so unfortunately some nights have to be devoted to work. Apart from the essays, we medical students have a love-hate relationship with the dissection room. On the one hand it's incredibly useful to actually see the real muscle and nerves etc when learning anatomy, but when you haven't had breakfast it can make you feel a little queasy... A piece of advice I would give my 16 year old self:
In the timeless words of Ferris Beuller, life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop to look around once in a while you might miss it. It's very easy to just focus on where you want to be in a few years, and not take time to enjoy the present as well. My time at Worthing High
School went by in a flash and it only got faster afterwards. After High School we begin to narrow our options for A-levels and beyond very fast so it's so important to actually make sure you enjoy what you are doing. That, and never listen to anyone who tells you you can’t achieve your goals whatever they may be (of which I, unfortunately, found there were a fair few) because if you work hard, you 100% can. Hopes for the future:
Well, I still have 6 years of medical school to do first, but I think I would like to specialise in A&E when I qualify. I find I'm quite more of an all rounder than a specialist in one particular area, and in A&E you get a little of everything. It is also a pretty high-pressure job, which is when I find I perform best. In more of the short run, I hope to make Oxford uni boxing team in my second year, and get my blues before the end of the third year. Rob Hyder-Wilson
NEWS FROM ALUMNI Tom Reynard All my life I’ve loved maths and I’ve always known that I wanted to study it further. It was only at Worthing High that I began to get a vision for the future. I had the opportunity to visit Oxford University at the beginning of Year 10 with a group led by Dr Klemenic. I immediately fell in love with the city and the University and I knew I wanted to study there. Before this, Oxford and Cambridge had seemed unattainable but after having had my misconceptions challenged, going there became a real possibility. From then on, Oxford was the goal. When considering college, I looked at all colleges in the area to see which one was best for me.
Dr Stephen Rowe
Dr Stephen Rowe who was a pupil of West Tarring County Secondary School between 1964 to 1968 recently shared with us some reflections of his time at the school. He came across his school report during his preparations for retirement in which his maths teacher wrote, “He has some ability”. Stephen said: “He was no doubt right because I only managed to obtain Grade 5 in the CSE exam.
I would recommend doing this and basing your decision on not just the college’s academic record but the content of the courses, the location, and the general feel of the place. I chose Worthing College and I think I made the right choice for me. I currently study Maths, Further Maths, Physics, and the Cambridge Pre -U. Last year I also took Chemistry but I dropped it when going into my second year as I only needed 3 A-levels. College have a group called the Maths Academy and as a member, I’ve been able to go on lots of trips to maths lectures and participate in competitions. I’ve really enjoyed this as it has given me access to maths beyond the normal curriculum. During my time at Worthing College I visited several other Universities including Cambridge, where I spent a week on a summer school. Going to as many open days as you can is a really good way to get a feel for different universities to see which one is right for you. I had a lot of support from college when making my university application. This support included help with writing my personal
statement and practice interviews once I knew that Oxford wanted to interview me. These interviews particularly helped me because I went in not knowing what to expect but over time I got more confident and understood the sort of questions that they were likely to ask me. I had four interviews in total at Oxford and I came out feeling a bit nervous about the outcome but a couple of months later, my hard work paid off when I was offered a place to study maths. I plan to spend four years at Uni and I’m really looking forward to it. I’m still not quite sure what I want to do after I graduate but a good degree opens a lot of doors and I’m thinking about going into mathematical research. Now I’ve heard back from Oxford, Bath, Exeter, Durham, and Surrey. They’ve all offered me a place to study maths as long as I get the necessary grades. Oxford in particular need me to get A*A*A at A-level so now the real work begins! Tom Reynard.
Student 2010-2014
When I started my TV repair apprenticeship I was immediately stimulated by the unexpected “detective” work it entailed. This led me deep into the understanding of how a TV actually worked. Then, somewhere along the line, the fantastic idea of learning to design a TV rather than to simply repairing it, sowed itself in my mind and gradually germinated.
now settled definitively in France and live in a small hamlet high in the mountains above Grenoble.”
From then onwards, the key to my success has been to consistently follow my intuition and passions and above all to believing in myself.
Stephen’s first adventure novel, “BAIT” is now available on Amazon Kindle as an eBook. He has set up a new website, including maps and photo galleries to create a more modern concept around the book.
I have just finished writing my first full-length novel. It is instructive to note that in my third year report, my English teacher wrote, “A good imagination with a shaky technique”. She was correct then and unfortunately would no doubt say exactly the same today... I have
Stephen is now a renowned research scientist, having published hundreds of international scientific papers. He achieved a BSC Hons in electronics, a PhD in Physics and is a Fellow of the English IET and of the French SEE.
http://www.stephen-william-rowe. com https://www.facebook.com/BAITBook-548002122027025/ 9
LEAVERS PROM 2016 This year the Leavers’ Prom will once again take place in Brighton at The Hilton Brighton Metropole on 1 July 2016. Last year’s Prom was the best one yet, with 180 students attending, all of whom had a great time and we received lots of positive feedback. Full details of the Prom have been sent out to parents by email, if you have changed your email address please come to reception and collect a form, the event will be by invitation only.
The school does not make a profit from any of the items for sale and therefore the students will be hosting various fund raising events to support the costs. Extra money is raised for the Prom to pay for decorations including two big 2016 balloons. Last year we had a live band on entry, a photo booth and a magician that did amazing close hand tricks going from table to table. Students have already held a cake sale and raised £80, and we will use part of the money taken for the forthcoming Muftiday.
Tickets will cost £33, which includes the hire of the venue, a two course sit-down meal and a free drink on arrival. The evening will start at 7.00 pm and students will take their places in the dining room at 7.45 pm. The menu will be chicken with lemon and fennel (sauce to be served separately in jugs), duchesse potatoes, broccoli and baton carrots. This will be followed by chocolate brownie and strawberry mousse. There is also vegetable wellington as a vegetarian option. Jugs of squash and water will be available on the tables. If students have any special dietary requirements or allergies they should make the school aware when ordering their ticket.
As Co-Prom organiser I was approached by a local company who are opening up a Wedding Dress shop, The Wedding Boutique on Brighton Road, they wanted to hold a Pop-up Shop event at school and bring their latest Prom Dresses in for the Year 11 girls to see, I thought the girls would enjoy this so invited Confetti Bridal Gowns of Warwick Lane to come in as well. The event was totally free for both the girls and the businesses, an opportunity for the two businesses to promote themselves and a chance for the girls to see what styles and colours are on trend, the girls also had
The evening will finish at 11.00 pm and students will not be allowed to leave unless collected by a parent or carer. Once again, this year the school is offering a “Leavers’ Package” which includes a Prom ticket, a Prom photo CD, a Leavers’ Hoodie (deadline for the Hoodie has now expired) and a Yearbook. These are items which have been requested by students over the years but parents should not feel they have to order everything as we realise that the overall cost soon adds up. The Prom ticket, Prom photo CD (£5) and the Yearbook (£17) can all be ordered separately via Wisepay. We would request that orders are placed early as it makes it easier to organise once we can finalise numbers. 10
the opportunity to have their make-up done and talk about what colours would suit their skin and hair colour. The girls had great fun and were joined by some eager Year 10’s, who seemed to be getting excited about their own Prom already! Sam Jeffrey from The Wedding Boutique said “ Thank you, we had lots of fun, the girls were all lovely. It was nice to see all our new dresses being worn, the girls looked fantastic. I hope they enjoy their Prom in July!” Jamie Peacock Prom Co-Ordinator
JOHN YOUNG – Employability Express Workshop On Thursday 11 February and Thursday 17 March, John Young, a local television and radio journalist for more than 26 years, delivered an ‘Employability Express’ workshop to our Year 10 students prior to their work experience week in July. The aim of the workshops were to give the students confidence
in their own ability to be proud of themselves, sell themselves and hold a conversation about themselves. Targets: Employability skills — breaching the Comfort Zone — confidence for Work Experience.
Using a video camera and TV News autocue, students discovered they can step out of their comfort zone and succeed at new things. Students listed their own qualities and saw the process of applying for work experience or a job through the eyes of the employer. Using role play and video camera, the students tackled interviews, body language, eye contact and confident speech.
To make this more effective for the students, and provide them with the opportunity to “sell themselves” to an adult they don’t really know, we invited in some of our school Governors. This gave our Governors a great opportunity to also engage with our students. Finally, the session finished with lighthearted “dos and don’ts” videos ahead of work experience, and we heard encouraging video messages from real employers and young employees Ms Millar Careers Adviser
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MAYOR’S CHARITY SWIM Michael Donin, Mayor of Worthing came to speak to all Year 7,8 and 9 students about this years Mayor Charity Swim earlier this term. This year the charities that are being supported are Guild Care, Kamelia Kids and Canadian Roots UK. Students were encouraged to get fit and raise some money at the same time by entering the Mayor’s Charity Swim which took place on Saturday 12th March 2016 at Splashpoint Leisure Centre. The following students participated and raised lots of money for the event; Toby Norris, Rachelle Bamber, Luke Cheal, Jack Nobel and Thomas Utczinski. Photos of the event are available from http://www.johnyoungphotography.net/
HOPING TO CRACKIT! A number of students from year 7 and 8 were selected to take part in a 6 week project called Crackit, following an invitation from Future Proof CIC. They had designed an innovative programme for secondary students aiming to link Design and Technology and Sport in an interesting way. Worthing High School was chosen as the pilot school for West Sussex and the first cohort started last term. What is it? The group of 14 students commit to attend a 2 hour a week after school club – for 6 weeks. Each week, the first hour is spent playing cricket with Sussex County cricket coaches running the sessions. The second hour is spent with a design agency
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Pleece and Co who support the students to design characters related to cricket which will be used to brand team cricket bats and T shirts. Mrs Allibone and Mr Walker led the sessions with the input of the two main support partners Sussex County Cricket and Pleece and Co. Students were spilt into two teams of seven. All team members contributed to designing and playing cricket each week. Team captains for the first Crackit cohort were George Tester and Grace Hawkins. The sixth week is a celebration with play offs against each team and a formal cricket tea to which all parents were invited. This was such a successful project we are now coming to the end of Crackit 2 for a second group of 20 students. In addition, we are also setting up Crackit
Tennis, in association with West Worthing Tennis Club which starts on 11 April 2016. Amanda Allibone
HOSPITALITY DEMO FOR GCSE FOOD TECH STUDENTS
On Wednesday 16th March the Y10 GCSE Food students were visited by Peter Whiffen a Hospitality tutor from Northbrook College and a student of his, Abigail.
The students are preparing for a food practical exam which will take place in June and this session was planned to help them to develop some high level techniques they could use in their practical work. The students were shown how to make run outs in dark and white chocolate. This is when white chocolate is piped onto dark and then feathered into a decorative pattern. Many of the students had a go at this technique and were very pleased with the results. The students were shown by Chef Whiffen how to heat sugar and use it to make sugar baskets and other sugar decorations. Abigail then demonstrated how to use different piping nozzles to pipe buttercream onto cupcakes. The students made their own piping bags out of greaseproof paper and had a go at piping buttercream with them.
WALK TO SCHOOL WEEK Worthing High students took part in Walk to School last week (w/c 14 March 2016). Students were encouraged to walk or cycle to school. Those who usually arrive by bus or train were asked to perhaps try and walk in from an earlier stop/station. Students who arrive by car were requested to ask their parents/carers to drop them off a little further away from school so they can walk the final 1/2 a mile!
The students thoroughly enjoyed the experience of working with a tutor and student from the college. Mrs S Hurley
IN MEMORY OF DAVINA HAUCK Staff and students were joined by ex-staff and Davina’s family, to plant a Cherry Tree in her memory at the front of school. Students read a poem and Davina’s husband and her mother planted the tree. Tags recording our memories of Davina were tied to the tree during the ceremony. Tony Hauck, Davina’s husband said: “Thank you so much for organising a lovely fitting tribute to Davina, it was lovely to see so many people there.”
Those students who recorded an increased amount of time spent walking/cycling were entered into a prize draw for a £50 voucher. The event was organised by Living Streets - Free Your Feet. 13
LEARNING RESOURCE CENTRE
On Friday 15th January the Year 11 Book Group attended the Southern School Book Awards presentation evening at Roedean School. One of our favourite authors was hosting the event, Sophie McKenzie, and the ever wonderfully talented Chris Riddell was there to illustrate the proceedings. We were thrilled that Bali Rai won the award with his dark thriller ‘Web of Darkness’, a very popular choice. Juno Dawson won the highly commended prize for ‘Say Her Name’. Great to see Juno, as always, and we look forward to meeting her again at The Amazing Book Awards presentation evening in June which she will be hosting.Other authors attending were Alan Gibbons, Keren David and Sara Crowe. We all heard how they got their inspiration for their books and met them afterwards at a book signing.
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LEARNING RESOURCE CENTRE
The shortlist has been announced and the books have arrived. They are proving very popular and we are all enjoying reading along either in book club or individually. It is fantastic to have so many parents also joining in this year. The LRC is open until 5.00pm each day. If you need to contact a student during this time the number is: 01903 229294
One lucky student from Worthing High School was invited to take part in a special week working at Shoreham Fire Station, Abbie Pickles in year 9, not only got to learn some of the fire service drills and some brilliant lifesaving skills from fully qualified members of West Sussex Fire Brigade, but along with other year 9 students from other local Worthing Schools spent time working as a team to develop their own personal skills through lots of different activities supported by a Youth Worker. Abbie had a brilliant week, and along with everyone who took part in front of family, friends and senior Fire Brigade Staff, gave a display of some of the drills they had learnt before all being
Parent Library The Learning Resources Centre would like to share their fantastic library with parents/carers and grandparents. We will be open to visitors every Thursday after school (3.15 to 4.30) and would love to welcome you. Come and see what your children are reading or visit our staff library packed full of current bestsellers. You may like to join in book awards along with our students, we are currently taking part in the Amazing Book Awards. If you’re interested please email/ telephone me. Mrs A Phelan Learning Resources Manager aphelan@worthinghigh.net 01903 229 294
FIRE BREAK
presented with a medal and certificate of attendance. We would like to thank West Sussex Fire Brigade for offering our Worthing High School students, this fantastic opportunity and look forward to working with them again next term.
TERM DATES AND ARRANGEMENTS: The last day of this term is Non-Uniform Day on Thursday 24th March. Please note that there will be an early 1.30pm finish. The Summer Term - Monday 11 April - Friday 22 July 2016 Students return to school Monday 11 April at 9.40am (later start time) May Bank Holiday - Monday 2 May Half Term - Monday 30 May - Friday 3 June Monday 11 April is week 2 on our two week timetable
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WORLD BOOK DAY
the options before voting for their favourite. Candidates for the best hero included a wizarding legend, Harry Potter, alongside a childhood favourite, Paddington Bear! Villainous contenders included The Grand High Witch, Mrs Coulter and many more. As word got around, the English corridor was buzzing with students and staff, discussing and debating the many options. Staff also got involved in the voting and the English team sported badges to show who their votes had gone to.
On Thursday 3rd March Worthing High School staff and students celebrated World Book Day. The theme for this year’s event was ‘Heroes and Villains’. The profiles and mugshots of ten heroes and ten villains festooned the walls of the English corridor for the week and students carefully considered
BIG BANG EXHIBITION On Thursday 3rd March, 45 budding Scientists /Technologists visited the Stem Fest Big Bang Exhibition at Butlins in Bognor Regis. The event began with a presentation by the Science Museum and then students had the opportunity to visit a number of stands related to STEM
World Book Day was also celebrated in tutor time, with the whole school taking part in ‘Drop Everything and Read’. During this time, tutors shared an extract from their favourite book with their students and discussed why they enjoyed it so much. The students and staff then engaged in conversations about their favourite books and what they are currently reading. This was a great opportunity to promote independent reading; it was fantastic to hear all about what the students were reading and what they had read recently which had inspired, informed or delighted them. Miss A Griffiths Head of English
subjects. The students were inspired by the day and I hope that it helps with their future choices of career path. Year 9 Student Christina Lawrence said “I have been to lots of science shows but this one was by far the best. When it was our time slot we went into the hall to see the show. A man from Punk Science was there to tell us about digesting food. It was really funny as he had a lot of bad jokes. As well as this, he had various volunteers to participate in various activities that represented food as it went down through the stages of digestion. It was hilarious and everyone got involved. Afterwards, we went out of the hall and there were three different rooms with various stalls in it that we could look at. There was a lot of different career choices on show along with lots of activities to do with things to make. We participated in different science experiments. There was every
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When it came to counting the votes, it was a close-call, but victory finally went to the unexpected hero, Winnie-the-Pooh and the villainous wizard himself, Voldemort.
possible career choice from the Army to Science Stall, there was everything! I learnt a lot and had a great time doing it. It was an amazing day and everyone was laughing and learning.” Ms M Swinbank Leader of Technology
THE POETRY TRIALS Recently Worthing High School entered Young Writers’ The Poetry Trials competition. We are delighted to say that a selection of our students have been successful and they now have the opportunity to the published within a special anthology. The Poetry Trials has received thousands of entries from all over the UK and work that has been selected for publication is based on perception, imagination, expression, creativity and use of language. This is a great achievement for our students and we look forward to the next challenge.
NATIONAL CITIZEN SERVICE The National Citizen Service (NCS)- Summer of Lifetime On Friday 26th February, NCS came in to tell our year 11’s about an incredible opportunity available to all young people (aged 15-17 years) across the country. The National Citizen Service (NCS) is a once in a lifetime chance to gain skills, experience, meet new people and gain confidence during the summer holidays. It looks fantastic on their CV as well as applications for Apprenticeships and University. The programme consists of 3 phases; first residential (5 days and four nights) is based at an outward bound activity centre where young people are encouraged to try new activities and challenge themselves. Second residential (five days and four nights) is based at Brighton University and is the skills-building part of the programme with various workshops and inspirational speakers. The final part of the programme runs across 2 weeks and gives young people the chance
to ‘make a difference’ in their local community. This project can be anything that invokes passion and interest- a local cause, renovating a local space, a social media campaign. Each young person needs to contribute 30 hours of their time.
Last year we had 18 NCS Graduates from Worthing High School and this summer is set to be even bigger and better! For more info, please visit our website: www. ncsyes.co.uk or get in touch with the NCS team in Worthing and Adur on 01233 600138.
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UK MATHS CHALLENGE Students in Years 9, 10 and 11 at Worthing High School recently sat the UK Intermediate Maths Challenge. An unprecedented total of six Worthing High students have been invited to sit further PINK and GREY Kangaroo awards, an opportunity given to just the top 1% students across the UK. Year 11 - Elliott Miles, Daniel Jenkins, Ethan Pickering and Ryan Porter have all been invited to sit PINK papers. Year 10 - Taylor Holter invited to sit PINK paper Year 9 - Jamie Smith invited to sit GREY paper Year 7 and 8 students will complete the Junior Challenge paper on the 28 April 2016.
Each year over six million school pupils from more than 50 countries throughout the world take part at various levels. So when students sit the Kangaroo they are part of a huge world wide community of maths students. The UKMT has been organising the Kangaroo activities in the UK for many years. Further details can be found at the KSF website.
DOWELL DELIVERS FOR WORTHING FOOTBALL CLUB Reported by Sam L and Jack W Worthing Football Club has recently been in the media following their great success in the league and senior cup; they are in the Cup Final. We went to interview George Dowell, owner of Worthing Football Club, about his future ambitions and his thoughts on the club’s recent accomplishments. During April 2010 George Dowell, 17 at the time, was the passenger in an almost fatal accident which caused him serious neck and spinal injuries that resulted in him having to use a wheelchair. This accident left him in hospital for more than 10
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months. He is now 22 years old and the owner of Worthing Football Club, who are in Isthmian Division One South. George told us that he wasn’t originally planning to buy the club; he wanted to buy some land to make a football centre but when he found out the club was struggling financially he managed to talk to some friends, who he used to play with, and because of that he was able to buy the club. He said that everything was “all just timing really” and that it would be “a shame to see Worthing go under”. In the past year the club has installed a 3G FIFAregulated Astro pitch, which has enabled them to play more games and open up the facilities to the community. While we were there we saw another
school and Worthing College using the pitch. George’s plans for the future, with the Club, are to get two promotions within the next 5 years. Their recent run of success would suggest that they are well on the way to achieving this goal (pun intended!). Another intention is to try to involve the wider community in the club more. They already have their own football development centre, offering training sessions after school and during school holidays, coaches from Worthing Football Club who spend time working with children in local junior schools and they are looking for other opportunities to make links with the young people of Worthing. Here is the link to our interview with George Dowell https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=CKN9zQEOLQo
GET SET FOR COMMUNITY ACTION! Worthing High School is named Champion school as part of Get Set for Community Action, a new UK-wide programme created by the British Olympic Foundation and British Paralympic Association. As a Champion school Worthing High School invited local schools to join the programme. Over 60 students from Our Lady of Sion, The Angmering School and Oak Grove Specialist College attended the training day
ran by the Youth Sport Trust on Monday 18th January. The training day encouraged young people to reach out to their wider community and discuss their needs, coming up with some inspiring projects, which they will deliver, in the run-up to the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Get Set for Community Action will support teams of thousands of students in working with local community groups to plan and run
GIRLS RUGBY FASTEST GROWING GIRLS SPORT Worthing High School Reporter Abi Burley asked her Worthing Rugby Club coach, Alex, some questions that she thought many people would ask if they were looking to join a rugby team: What size do you have to be to play rugby? ~ “All sizes big or small can play.” Will I make friends by playing rugby? ~ “Yes you will make lots of friends.”
projects which help to make their communities healthier and more active places in which to live. Marie Field, Leader of Physical Education at Worthing High school said “Get Set for Community Action is such a good idea because it’s a great opportunity for us and local schools to involve young people in their own communities. It is a brilliant way to improve student’s life skills as well as benefiting the community itself”.
Is rugby a fun sport to play? ~ “Yes! Rugby is lots of fun. We always make each session different, challenging and interesting.” Is it safe to play rugby? ~ “Absolutely! We teach the players the skills to play in a safe manner. Every sport carries a risk but with proper coaching rugby is as safe as any other sport.” What level of ability do you have to be to play rugby? ~ “Anyone can play rugby, from the age of 5. Rugby welcomes all abilities.” Is rugby expensive? ~ “Not at all.” What is your opinion on women’s/girl’s rugby? ~ “Women’s and girls’ rugby is the fastest growing girls sport in the UK. It’s amazing to watch the player’s grow in confidence and ability, and watching them have fun and build solid friendships with their teammates. Rugby is suited to all abilities and can be built around the players. Ultimately girls can play rugby as well as the boys!” For more information please go to the club website http://www.worthingrfc.com/
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STUDENTS INSPIRED BY HANNAH BEHARRY
Hannah Beharry, Boxing for England and Great Britain, who has won a string of gold medals, visited the school for a third time.
Hannah delivered several inspirational assemblies to Year 8 students on her life to date. Describing how once faced with an uncertain future, she discovered a positive channel for her energies at All Stars, one of London’s most prominent boxing clubs. Hannah went on to explain how she has transformed her life through sport, not only
excelling at boxing, but acting as a strong role model for her local communities by promoting boxing in schools. Hannah also spent time delivering fitness sessions to KS4 students during their PE lessons. We look forward to welcoming Hannah back in April. Miss M Field Leader of PE
NEW KIT SPONSORS This academic year we have been extremely lucky to receive sponsorship for new sports kit. We would like to thank the following companies for their generosity. Fresh Egg—sponsored Ricochet dance top and bottoms The Original Curryland - sponsored a full basketball kit Nsure – sponsored full football kit Panic Plumbing and Electrics - sponsored football shirts Assystem UK Limited - sponsored basketball full kit MK Window Cleaning - sponsored football shirts Syntiro Accommodation Services Ltd – sponsored a full Netball Kit If there are any local business that would like to help the school, please get in touch as we have sponsorship packages available. Miss M Field Leader of PE
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