Newsletter December 2014 Issue 50
A Word from the Head Teacher Dear Parents, It has been a busy and exciting half term and the academic year is now well underway. A personal highlight for me was taking a group of Year 11 students to the launch event of Tomorrow’s Engineer held at the Big Bang Fair, Houses of Parliament. Observing the girls speaking with such confidence and articulacy to MPs and VIPs from across the world of engineering about their project ‘Speeding Ahead’ was nothing short of inspiring. Equally inspiring has been the impressive fundraising activities led by girls from across the Years for our New Build – with excitement and trepidation we will see the first spade in the ground this final week of term and will return to see the construction team full time, on site. A personal thank you to all parents who have supported this project, to date – our New Build will provide all subject areas with a dynamic and innovative learning space, supporting learning across the whole school community.
Looking forward, as part of our whole school Reward scheme, we will be launching our new Rewards Postcards in early January 2015. The Rewards Postcard collection showcases the impressive artistic talent of our students. Postcards will be sent home to recognise the effort, persistence and determination our students place in their learning. Thank you as always for all you do to support the school and your daughters – the academic year has started strongly and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year of 2015.
We have had Postcards will be sent home to a number of we are busy progressing our recognise the effort, persistence and Lastly, parent focus plans towards establishing a Multi events this term, determination our students place in Academy Trust (MAT), building as well as our on the partnership we have with their learning. Sixth Form Open Harrogate High School, and continue Evening and joint to work in support of other schools Careers Fair in local communities through with Ermysted’s Northern Lights Teaching School Grammar School and it has been wonderful to welcome Alliance. We will of course keep you updated on our plans so many of you to the school from far and wide. I also via the school website. enjoyed meeting some of you at our Parents in Partnership Forum this half term and hearing your views. Next I wish all students and families an enjoyable Christmas term, the Parents in Partnership meeting will be held on break and look forward to welcoming you back to SGHS Wednesday 21st January 2015, and the minutes of each on Monday 5th January 2015. meeting can be found on our school website. Mrs J Plews Head Teacher
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December 2014 Editorial Christmas time is not only a time for giving and sharing with our loved ones and friends but also reflecting and helping people less fortunate than ourselves. Two examples of this are our Operation Christmas Child Shoebox (Page 23) and Shelterbox (Page 17) appeals, both articles well worth a read and help one see everyday life in some countries from a totally different perspective than here in the UK. Having said that, our students and staff are acutely aware of growing needs here at home and are actively supporting their House Charities and support groups in the UK. The generosity and goodwill this year has been tremendous as usual and never fails to surprise me even in these challenging economic times. Our biggest challenge at the moment is raising £500,000 towards our new STEM Centre build. Parents, companies and private individuals have contributed so far and our students have helped in different ways. One of the most interesting is our Year 8s and 10s designing and making Christmas decorations, soaps, decorated jars and engraved glasses using our workshops and equipment. Ever entrepreneurial, the youngsters then set about selling their products in school, at parents’ evenings and at the Dickensian event in Grassington where students and staff dressed up in Victorian costumes. As you can see in the article our girls really took to the part. Further afield, this December saw one of the year’s most spectacular meteor showers visible over North Yorkshire. At their height, the Geminids produced between 50 and 100 shooting stars every minute. They glowed in multiple colours and included occasional rapid bursts of two or three. Speaking of Science and shooting stars, six of our students were chosen to meet Prince Charles when His Royal Highness opened a new interactive exhibit at the Science Museum in London. Our six girls were part of
a larger group of students who graduated this year as Industrial Cadets. Industrial Cadets is an industry-led accreditation creating a quality standard for workplace experiences. Aimed at young people aged 11-19, it is designed to create a skilled and enthusiastic workforce. This new venture was started this year and the name was proposed by The Prince of Wales and accepted. Over my time leading our STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics) education I have met many interesting people from Astronauts to MPs, Government ministers to educationalists from around the world, but meeting a member of our Royal family is something entirely new. The accolade of SGHS being selected from all schools in the UK is a true endorsement of our drive to increase the number of young female students entering the fields of Science and Engineering and our steadfast determination to challenge gender stereotyping showing that entering engineering can be a natural progression route for girls as well as boys. Our new STEM Centre is designed to provide flexible facilities not just for STEM but all our subjects and will be used by our outreach team to provide facilities for our partner schools (both primary and secondary) and will be available in the evenings and at weekends for wider community use. If reading this has inspired you to make a real difference as an individual, large or small company, please support our new STEM Centre build. Do enjoy the articles inside and as always, feel free to contact me at school with comments. Best wishes for the festive season and wishing you a very Happy Christmas. Mr R Dyson Senior Assistant Headteacher
(Left) Year 8 and 10 girls making Christmas products, which they then sold at a stall in school (Below) to raise funds for our new STEM Centre.
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H o w w e d e a l w i t h B u l lying at Skip t on G i r l s ’ H igh Schoo l Skipton Girls’ High School is highly committed to providing a safe, positive, warm and nurturing ethos and environment for all of our students, so they can thrive in our learning environment and engage positively with new experiences and gain understanding about society and culture.
Procedures
It is because of this that we value the qualities of honesty, trust, compassion, persistence, optimism, resilience, challenge and mutual respect in our school community.
3. All bullying behaviour or threats of bullying are investigated and the bullying stopped immediately.
Bullying of any kind is not tolerated. If bullying does occur, all students should be able to tell and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively. We are an open and transparent school. This means that anyone who knows that bullying is happening is expected to tell a member of staff.
1. Students and parents are strongly encouraged to report bullying incidents to staff. 2. In cases of bullying, the incidents will be recorded by staff in the first instance.
4. We will always work with both the victim and the bully using restorative strategies to try and change the situation for the better. 5. Parents will be informed and will be asked to come in to a meeting to discuss with a Senior Leader or a member of our Student Progress Team. 6. If necessary and appropriate, our PCSO (Ms S.Hargreaves) will be consulted. 7. We will always respond to an incident proportionately, taking opportunities to teach positive alternatives and to model calm and reflective behaviours.
Sugg e s t e d Suppo r t O r gani s at ion s :
Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) www.ace-ed.org.uk
Childline www.childline.org.uk/CyberBullying
Bullying Online www.bullying.co.uk
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NSPCC www.nspcc.org.uk
Young Minds www.youngminds.org.uk
Our Industrial Cadets meet HRH Prince of Wales. What an incredible event to be invited to, but invited we were. As Skipton Girls’ High School’s reputation continues to grow as a centre for excellence in delivery of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education and as one of the UK’s highest achieving outstanding schools, our commitment to engineering and all its diverse range of extracurricular opportunities and competitions led to recognition at the highest level with an invitation to meet Prince Charles in London at the Science Museum. Prince Charles is noted to have a passion for preserving the planet’s natural resources and environment and is interested in all inventions, ideas and actions that preserve the future of the planet for generations still to come. The Green agenda is huge and it is with this in mind that our school actively promotes teaching the value of new and green technologies. Although this is not entirely part of the National Curriculum, as an Engineering Academy we strive to make sure students in our care fully understand the need to do all we can to preserve the planet’s delicate ecosystems and look for new ways of addressing the needs of a modern society at the same as protecting our environment. Each year we undertake many different activities and engineering competitions, one of which is
the Go4Set programme aimed at Year 8 and 9 students and administered by the EDT (Engineering Development Trust). The competition sponsored by O2 sets the challenge to invent a product or process to preserve our natural resources by using alternative solutions. All our Year Eight split into teams and work on developing a different solution to saving energy by using renewable forms of energy, One of this year’s teams (entitled ‘Flush’) invented a system which uses rain water to flush toilets at the same time as producing electricity. To the left you can see the model which shows that the system collects rain water from a roof, stores it in a reservoir and when the toilet is flushed the water entering the system turns a turbine providing electricity. The entire system negates the need to use electricity from the grid and fresh drinking water from a reservoir. The team were selected to talk about their invention to Prince Charles. The Prince was very proactive in asking questions, making the students feel at ease and really knowledgeable about all things ‘Green’. The girls were totally entranced by the situation discussing the pros and cons of producing energy by natural means thereby saving the planet’s precious resources. Mr R Dyson Senior Assistant Headteacher
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We will remember today all our lives. Meeting the Prince of Wales was very exciting and we really enjoyed the interactive exhibition which we would recommend people our age to visit to get them thinking about their future careers. It was good to be able to talk about this because through this exhibition and particularly through Industrial Cadets, we have been helped to see that engineering offers really good careers which enable you to make a real difference to the world around you.
This is a quote from Mrs J Plews, Head Teacher, who accompanied the girls on their trip to London along with Mr R Dyson, Senior Assistant Headteacher.
Thoughts from our Year 9 Industrial Cadets on their visit to the Science Museum. The pictures opposite were taken throughout the day, and include some images of the girls meeting a number of distinguished guests.
I am enormously proud of our Year 9 ‘Industrial Cadets’ who I had the privilege of spending a fantastic time with, meeting HRH Prince Charles (our future King) at the opening of the ‘Engineer your Future’ Exhibition at the National Science Museum, London. As the only school in the UK chosen to represent the Industrial Cadets I feel immensely proud of all that we do to change the perception of Science, Maths and Engineering for girls.
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Industrial Cadets The Industrial Cadets Programme introduces young people to the workplace by giving them an insight into how businesses operate. The accreditation involves industry based activities where 11-19 year olds can develop personal skills and enhance careers awareness whilst gaining recognition from a national initiative designed to raise their aspirations. The education charity EDT create opportunities for young people across the UK and help to prepare young talents for the future. They are co-ordinating the Industrial Cadets accreditation; an industry-led scheme which gives students aged 11-19 a real insight into local companies and industry. The inspiration for Industrial Cadets came from HRH the Prince of Wales and the initiative is supported by the Department for Communities and Local Government. Tata Steel pioneered the programme by working with the very first Industrial Cadets in 2011. EDT are now expanding the initiative around the UK, so that many more young people can develop their skills and explore opportunities in local industry.
Skipton Girls’ High School has a proud tradition of entering teams into the Go4Set programme and its larger challenge the EES (Engineering Education Scheme). This programme acted as a gateway into our students graduating as Industrial Cadets and we are extremely proud of all twelve students who graduated this year. As well as graduating as Industrial Cadets, our students gained a CREST Silver Award which Mrs Plews opposite presented to the students in the Head Teacher’s Office. Well done, girls, and we look forward to entering new teams into next year’s Go4Set competition. Overall this programme and many of the other enrichment opportunities we provide continue to raise awareness of the need to exercise prudence and stewardship of our precious planet’s resources and environment, a mission we at SGHS share with His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles. Mr R Dyson Senior Assistant Headteacher
The Science Museum, London The Science Museum London as an institution has been in existence for about a century and a half. It has its origins in the Great Exhibition of 1851, held in Hyde Park in the huge glass building known as the Crystal Palace. The popularity of the exhibition ensured a large financial surplus, which its patron Prince Albert suggested should be used to found a number of educational establishments on the land available nearby. The first of these was the South Kensington Museum. A collection of ship models and marine engines was formed by the South Kensington Museum in 1864 and soon added to. The general expansion was such that during the 1860s the Science Collections were moved across Exhibition Road into buildings originally constructed for the International Exhibition of 1862. These collections continued to
grow, but by a sequence of sudden additions and changes rather than by any consistent planning. A major step forward came in 1876, when an exhibition, the ‘Special Loan Collection of Scientific Instruments’ was held. It was a great occasion. Instruments and equipment from many countries were displayed and public lectures given on the progress of science world-wide. At its end, many of the exhibits were retained to form the basis of what are now scientific collections of international importance.
that need to be discussed by wider society. This means that the Science Museum’s relevance is greater than ever before – The Science Museum and within it The Royal Institution of Great Britain continues to open up the world of science and technology, not just by providing a platform for the public to gain access to credible information, but also by genuinely involving them in discovery, innovation and discussions about the future.
Today, scientists around the world are making equally ground-breaking discoveries that enrich our culture and have countless positive effects, but also possible consequences,
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National Cross Country Champions! 1
Skipton Girls’ High School Junior Cross Country Team competed in the 2014 English Schools’ Athletics Association Schools’ Cross Country Cup Finals at Tretherras College, Newquay, Cornwall at the weekend and came home triumphant, winning both the individual and team event. The team, comprising of Katie Atkinson, Lucy Fryers, Ruby Firth, Eleanor Root, Emily Jones and Angelina Bairstow, achieved an impressive score of only 50 points with the second place team holding 92 points. The course of 2380m around terraced playing fields was deceptive in difficulty. At first glance it appeared to be a flat, fast-paced course however, on closer inspection, it had challenging steep inclines which suited the Skipton Girls’ team. The race began with 131 runners from 24 schools and the girls were determined to make their mark from the beginning. Katie Atkinson was quickly working within a pack of five with Lucy Fryers not far behind. Ruby Firth and Eleanor Root worked together to keep close to the leading pack. Angelina Bairstow and Emily Jones fought hard in the mass of runners to get to within the first 50% of competitors. After the first lap had been completed there was still much work to be done with the girls being fully aware that every place counted and could make a massive impact on the overall score. Katie moved away
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from the leading pack with a local Ilkley Grammar runner and then moved into a comfortable lead, winning the race 6 seconds ahead of her rival. Lucy Fryers always had Katie in her sights and finished an impressive 4th place, even more remarkable due to her being a Year 7. Ruby Firth (another Year 7) moved strongly through the pack, finishing a very impressive 18th after only a year of running competitively. Eleanor Root wasn’t far behind, finishing in 27th place, and still making every place count the 5th counter Emily Jones and 6th place Angelina Bairstow finished in a respectable 52nd and 72nd place. This event is the premier schools’ team cross country event in England with over 8000 school athletes taking part in the first round trials. The competition for Junior (Year 7 & 8) girls started with local rounds of this competition in October, with nearly 1500 teams from over 500 schools throughout England competing against other local schools in their County. The leading teams from the competitions held in each County then competed in one of 8 Regional finals on Saturday 8th November. The National Final pits the leading 3 teams in each age group in each Region against each other. Teams comprise of 6 athletes with the first 4 runners counting towards the points total. Mrs F McMillan Assistant Headteacher
2
3
Results 1
Skipton Girls’ High School, Skipton, North Yorkshire
1 4 18 27 (52 72)
50 points
2
Charters School, Ascot, Berkshire
6 15 33 38 (49 85)
92 points
3
Loreto Grammar School, Altrincham, Greater Manchester
3 5 47 59 (62 118)
114 points
Images 1. Back at school with Miss Wingate, Mrs McMillan and the ESAA Schools’ Cross Country Cup! 2. Preparing before the start of the race in Newquay. 3. On the podium, collecting certificates and the trophy! 4. Katie Atkinson crosses the line to win the Junior Girls category of the ESAA Schools’ Cross Country Cup.
Individual Junior Girls Result 1
Katie Atkinson
09:21
4
Lucy Fryers
09:40
18
Ruby Firth
09:55
27
Eleanor Root
10:02
52
Emily Jones
10:20
72
Angelina Bairstow
10:33
4
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ESAA Schools’ Cross Country Cup The last two days have been amazing - what an experience!! We've all had loads of fun and had an amazing result in the end. We assembled in the morning in the gym, hauling lots of heavy bags with us (I, for one, took more than was needed!!). I must admit the coach journey was pretty boring - I mean, how could nine hours on a stuffy bus be that fun? However, we did watch a couple of movies and shared some sweets. When we stopped at the two service stations it was lovely to stretch our legs for a while. When we finally got to the youth hostel (Mor Lodge) it was dark, about half six. We dragged our bags up the stairs and unloaded our cases into a ‘cosy’ room: three bunk beds, a sink, shower and toilet crammed into a space of about six square metres!!! It was now time for a jog and some strides, so after we had got comfortable, we changed into some running gear and headed out to the car park opposite. Afterwards, we went back inside to change for Pizza Express. We set off at seven thirty into a busy town centre, just after the Christmas lights had been switched on, and waded through a crowd of families and sellers of bright, colourful lights. I had to use lots of my mental strength to stop myself from rushing into some shops!! We took a while to look at the sea, crashing against the rustic harbour. It was so dark we could hardly see it! Some time later, after a couple of wrong turns, we arrived at Pizza Express, eager for food and warmth (although it was pretty warm for a coastal winter night). All of us ordered lasagne apart from Ellie, and we all dug in (when the lasagne had cooled down from its bubbling state!). We were full enough after to skip dessert. So, we headed back out into the cold night, and back to the Lodge. We did not sleep straight away, mainly from excitement, but soon enough we were snoring away (and sleep-talking, in my case!!).
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When we woke up, due to a game of knock-a-door-run in the room next door, there was a little tension from early nerves but it passed soon enough. We headed down to breakfast after we had got dressed into our kit (a buffet of cereal and toast). It was time to buy some lunch from Sainsbury’s, so, yet again, we began walking. Angelina decided to invest in some ‘decorate your own gingerbread star’ for the journey back, much to the amusement of the others, and most of us bought a sandwich or pasta with a small chocolate bar. We were very near the sea again so took it as a photo opportunity. We cleared our rooms and headed out for the final time - it was time to set off for the race. We were all a little nervous already. We got to the hosting school in bright, boiling sun - what luck!! Walking to the field, we saw it was well-drained and mostly flat, apart from some short, steep hills. Our course, when we walked it, was fairly short, about 2.4 km, and with a few hills, but one stood out for its massive steepness. Our pens were slim, so we practised some shoulder-to-shoulder starts. A little tense, we ate our lunches (I couldn't eat all of mine, the nerves made me lose my appetite a bit). After a while, parents started arriving, giving us tips and having a chat. It helped with our confidence a little. Some time later (or it seemed like that), we began to warm
I could see Lucy and Katie up by jogging around the ahead of me, trying to side of the course, and a solid place, but practicing up the hills and We went to check our place, and then, secure they were all constantly pens. We then did six strides and a little more in a torrent of tears, laughter and hugs, switching places with bursts of energy that jogging. The race was we found out we were first!! came. Towards the end, getting closer. Our nerves Ellie slowed and I left her growing, we went to near behind. Cheers came from the pens, and started to everywhere, for me, our stretch and jump, loosening team, and our opponents. My senses were overwhelmed. off. Only five minutes. We started to worry out loud, but, as Mrs McMillan said, nerves give us adrenaline and help us I was getting tired now, and I saw Lucy and Katies’ faces had reddened. Heavy breathing surrounded me, and my perform. It turned out to be very true. legs began to tell me to stop. But we all carried on. Not that far away, I heard shouts for the rest of the team, and The organisers apologised for a ‘delay’ (there was a hoped they were at a good place. At this rate, if we could casualty on the course) of about five minutes, but that all keep going, then we had a chance of a win. This whole delay passed by too quickly. Soon enough, we were lining race was going too fast. I concentrated on the person in up in our pens and waiting for the starting gun to sound. front, pushing to overtake her. The finish was near. Hope flooded into me like a flood after a drought. Katie and “Bang!” Lucy had finished, and I was now on the finishing straight. Blinded by the sun, I dug deep for all the energy I had left. It was a rush, elbows everywhere, shoves from all My opponents did the same, as I overtook a few, a couple directions, parents and teachers screaming to runners. It was all we could do to stay upright and avoid all the shoves overtook me. This was it. For the team. Pain starting to register in my brain, I saw the final few metres and kept my we could. We sprinted to the first corner, Katie already place. I had finished. Dizzy, pained, exhausted, I staggered taking a slim lead and Lucy following closely behind. Me out of the way of the finishers and took my timing chip and Ellie were neck and neck, constantly overtaking each off. I felt like collapsing, and as I saw Ellie and Emily finish, I other. Emily and Angelina I couldn’t see, but I guessed knew they felt the same. Ellie came over and congratulated they weren’t far behind. I kept at a quick pace until the me, and all I could manage to say was “You … too, first uphill, trying to secure a higher place at every wide you … too …” enough place, and so did the others. It was like no race I’d ever been to before- the standard was very high, and we Everyone was exhausted, and very proud of each other. hardly spread out through the whole race. About halfway through, a front pack split off from the rest, and the middle Parents and siblings had counted our places, and we guessed we had done very well. We went to check our began to split from the slower ones. I carried on making place, and then, in a torrent of tears, laughter and hugs, we my way past people, and so did Emily and Eleanor. found out we were FIRST!! Katie had won, Lucy in 4th, me 18th, Ellie not far behind with 27th, Emily 52nd, and Angelina backing us up with 72nd. Well done!!! We were all in shock: I was dazed, I didn't believe it!! The next thing I knew, we were on a stage, collecting a trophy and certificate, and we were the best Year 7/8 Cross country running school in the country!!! Ruby Firth Year 7
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Big Bang @ Parliament! No, it wasn’t Guy Fawkes’ Night revisited… rather it was the start of ‘Tomorrow’s Engineers Week 2014’ with six of our Y11 students invited to attend the opening event at the House of Parliament, with Mrs Plews and Miss Belfield in tow.
With more information about this exciting day, Rachel Brown provided a full report, which can be seen opposite …
Now back at school, the students continue to meet to progress their project, ready for the Big Bang Competition Finals in Birmingham next year. Their project to date has already earned them regional and national success, and the students are about to be presented with Amazon vouchers EACH from We were mentioned in the welcoming speech of the £100 Bradford University as one of their MP Andrew Miller. This shows that we weren’t just prizes! Happy shopping, girls!
Launched by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) in 2013 in partnership with the engineering community, Tomorrow’s Engineers Week involves 70
there for fun, we had made a real impression on the senior business leaders and MPs.
engineering organisations, 65 events or local activities and over 200 schools. It aims to change perceptions of engineering among young people. The Big Bang @ Parliament gave politicians, policy-makers and the business community the chance to meet our students, and those from just ten other schools, who were also finalists in the UK Engineering competition ‘The Big Bang’. Andrew Miller MP, Chair of the Science and Technology Committee and host of The Big Bang @ Parliament, mentioned SGHS in his welcoming address, highlighting their exciting and innovative project and went on to say: “There are two parts of this event today, the first is to give young people the opportunity to come to the centre of decision making and display their fantastic projects. The second is to encourage some of my parliamentary colleagues to think more carefully about the importance of science and engineering in the world we’re trying to influence.”
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Miss Belfield Learning Director (Science)
“It was an early start on Monday 3rd November 2014 that saw Alice Fortune, Clare Brumby, Emma Homard, Grace Nixon, Megan Brennand and Rachel Brown travelling to the Houses of Parliament, to present their project ’AeroDrive’. We were invited because we had created a project to enhance the physics curriculum both within Skipton Girls’ High school and now reaching out to primary schools. We had previously entered AeroDrive, our project, into the National Science and Engineering Competition in the North West, and came out with considerable success, winning North West Engineers of the Year, a place in the final in March and the Bradford Telescopes practical science prize for innovation, also being nominated for prizes in communication and mathematics. Filled with excitement for this once in a life time opportunity, we joined Mrs Plews and Miss Belfield for the early train to London. It was the first day back after the half-term holiday and we spent the train journey putting the last few touches to the project ready to present to MPs and Business leaders from across the UK. Arriving by tube into Westminster, and having posed for the obligatory photo in front of Big Ben, we decided we were in need of sustenance. Despite this, we ended up in McDonalds opposite the London Eye where we successfully avoided being dive-bombed by pigeons. Sat looking across at the River Thames, discussing the day ahead, we were just enjoying the view of the immense beauty of the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament and the River Thames; we almost forgot the drizzle and cold. Almost. We all finished our food and drink and went across to the Houses of Parliament where we had to go through security. Everyone passed straight through except Miss Belfield, who had to have a full body search (well, a pat down…), which we found amusing. Next on the agenda, a tour of the Houses of Parliament we were about to go past the Houses of Lords and Commons, however just in the nick of time I asked ‘do we not get to go in there?’. The answer to this simple question should really have been ‘no’ but our guide seemed ever so keen to see the House of Lords himself so we went to have a look, gaining useful knowledge from the guards
who were supposed to be stopping us going in! Two things came out of this experience, you never know if you don’t ask and did you know the gold in the Houses of Parliament is actually gold leaf? We then went to the stand, on the riverside, waiting in anticipation for the very important guests to peter in. We spoke in depth about how our project works and what Skipton Girls’ High School was about, in the meantime enjoying the canapés. Clare and I ended up going to find the toilets, around halfway through the convention, but we got a bit lost and ended up in the Houses of Parliament loading bays. I wonder if this was the weak spot exploited by Guy Fawkes in1605? After our slightly longer than expected excursion we went straight back talking to speaking to leaders in business and MPs. Being grilled by the Head of the Maths Association was most certainly the most nerve-racking experience of Megan’s life to date, but she did very well and it showed the breadth of skills that our project covers, from in-depth maths and physics to improving communication skills. We were then mentioned in the welcoming speech of the MP Andrew Miller. This shows that we weren’t just there for fun, we had made a real impression on the senior business leaders and MPs, and we are just looking forward to our next trip to Birmingham with an improved project in the spring. This was a great honour for us and a fantastic end to such an amazing experience. We returned to school tired, but happy. We had made new friends and contacts, and plenty of ideas for the next steps of our project. Go team Aerodrive!” Rachel Brown Year 11
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Introducing this year’s Young Enterprise Venture … Sixth Form News The world is a very dangerous place with a crime being committed every 5 seconds. We are this year’s Young Enterprise team. Our main focus is safety and the protection of people worldwide, as we want to make a difference and not just be another company that works purely for personal gain. As females, we decided to create a product which would allow us, and others, to live life to the full without being compromised by safety. We are exceptionally passionate about this cause as 89% of sexual offence victims in the UK are female, these horrific crimes cannot be stopped by individuals alone and we must all work together to prevent these travesties. That is why our product is not just another accessory, each element is specifically designed to provide protection to the user and prepare them for any situation which may face them. Many of us have faced the terrifying situation of being isolated with no form of communication, stranded and unable to call for help; we are made vulnerable by our lack of protection. Many of us have faced the intimidation felt when walking alone in the dark at night, susceptible to any crime which may occur. These crimes could happen to anyone,
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at anytime, anywhere. You may think that you are the exception, but most crime victims do not realise they are vulnerable until it is too late. We want to change this. Our innovative safety product is the “power pack purse”. The Power pack purse contains a phone charger which allows you to charge your phone 1.5 to 3 times, so you will never be without means of communication, preventing vulnerability and providing the user with peace of mind. We are also selling personal protection alarms, these emit a high frequency noise when triggered and alert others to the danger the user is in, consequently providing ultimate protection against crime. Our loved ones are the most important people in our lives, so this Christmas, gift them a present which can be truly life changing: a power pack purse voucher. These can be purchased through ParentPay or by directly contacting the My Guardian Angel team. Strive to make a difference. Be safe, Be aware, Be alert. Contact My Guardian Angel on Facebook, Twitter or by email: myguardianangelpurse@gmail.com
Shelterbox Charity work pays off!
You may remember last Summer I took part in an epic, transcontinental adventure and drove a 38 year old car from Skipton to Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) for charity. I was blown away by the amount of support I got from SGHS. The Y10 (now Y11) students in Technology made some fantastic and useful products for me to take on the rally to help us capture video, charge batteries, eat and sleep along the way. Groups of girls made wristbands and t-shirts to sell in Engineering and Food Technology put on a bake-off competition which raised a whopping £318 in just 45 minutes. I successfully completed the challenge and my team and the car battled 50 degree heat, confusing border crossings, desserts, mountains and river crossing along some of the worst roads we’ve ever seen to arrive in Ulaanbaatar in just 38 days. We crossed lesser-travelled countries such as Iran and Turkmenistan in the process and this proved to be a real eye-opener for everyone on the rally. We met some amazing people along the way. We are now very proud to announce we have passed on a cheque to Shelterbox, the Curie charity from last year who
I was blown away by the amount of support I got from SGHS.
send out emergency supplies that can keep a family of 4 alive for a month in the event of a major natural disaster or civil unrest. I’m very happy to report we raised enough for Skipton Girls’ High School’s own Shelterbox (£590) and we will receive tracking information soon to find out where it has ended up and who it has helped. Without the support of the staff and students, this challenge would have been very difficult and I thank you all for your help! Mr K Curriculum Leader: Design Technology Issue 50 // Skipton Girls’ High School Newsletter // Page 17
A Level In-Term Study Visit to the University of Cambridge
As part of our Year 11 & 12 Engineering and Physics courses, and with some aspiring engineers from Ermysted’s Grammar School, 24 students took part in a materials engineering research & development visit to Cambridge University.
TWI (The Welding Institute) On the first day students toured TWI (originally known as The Welding Institute) at Great Abington, Cambridge. TWI is the world’s leader in materials joining technologies. TWI developed many of today's tried and tested techniques for arc welding, adhesive and mechanical joining, and cutting, and more recently novel advanced technologies such as friction stir welding, electron beam surface modification, automated laser cutting, cold spray deposition and sol-gel coatings.
Structural Integrity TWI is developing and implementing strategies to avoid the failure of advanced structures and reduce risk, eg in deep-water offshore oil and gas risers, nuclear reactors and aero engines. TWI has world-leading expertise in fatigue and fracture of welds, supported by sophisticated numerical modelling and world class integrity software packages. The tour included practical demonstrations of current research where employees are finding engineering solutions to global problems for companies such as Rolls Royce PLC, BP, Areva, Airbus etc. These studies include testing of under-sea oil/gas lines, structural integrity of vehicles, sports fabric welding, which was developed for the Olympic Games and failure analysis of surgical instruments, to name but a few.
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On the second day, students had the opportunity to carry out real life experiments in the engineering workshops of Cambridge University’s engineering department. These experiments were led by extremely well-qualified Cambridge staff and included tensile loading of materials to breaking point. Students gained a thorough Understanding of Young’s Modulus through experimenting with liquid nitrogen to cool metals down below freezing point and then see the difference in how they fracture under load. Knowing how metals react under different temperatures is fundamental to designing products like spacecraft, ships and vehicles operating in hostile environments, for example at the Earth’s poles, deep under oceans and in outer space. Understanding these reactions is also directly relevant to the students’ A level Physics and Engineering courses especially as examination questions relate to these topics. Students worked in groups on the following: tensile testing of metals and polymers (including brittle fracture of steel and rubber in liquid nitrogen), Materials, Superconductivity and other phenomena and a fluid mechanics experiment and the V-notch weir including an introduction to dimensional analysis. Experiments at the prestigious Faculty of Engineering were led by Dr Hugh Shercliff, Tessa Shercliff, Dr John Durrell and Len Howlett. The programme was created via former engineering Headteacher Les Jones, now CEO of Solutions4Schools Students then visited Cambridge for an evening tour of this world famous city with the 31 colleges that make up the university which was founded over 800 years ago. We were guests of Selwyn College. There, engineering undergraduates showed them facilities and what life is like at Cambridge, followed by dinner in Selwyn College Hall before seeing and taking part in a materials presentation
and lecture by Dr Hugh Shercliff. Dr Shercliff used a production bicycle from the 1980s made from plastics to illustrate the properties of materials and their suitability for purpose. Following this, the Cambridge Student Engineering Societies presented Cambridge University Eco-Racing: the building and racing of a solar-powered car across Australia and Cambridge University Eco-House Society where students design and build structures for poorly housed communities in Brazil and Ecuador. On the way home, we had a tour of Girton College, Cambridge’s most northern college followed by lunch in their impressive Victorian hall and a discussion on applying to study STEM subjects/Engineering at Cambridge and other universities. The visit gave students an outstanding insight into materials and engineering as well as a unique experience of what it is like to live in and study at this impressive university. Mr R Dyson Senior Assistant Headteacher
(Left) Evensong, Selwyn College Chapel Images kindly provided by Les Jones, CEO of Solutions4Schools and Mrs J Busfield, Bursar.
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In Brief: What’s happening at SGHS? Public Speaking Competition
In early November, a group of Year 11 students participated in the Wharfedale Speaker's Association Public Speaking Competition. Several schools spoke about the Tour de France, and whether Yorkshire had done enough to promote itself. Kathy Jarvis as chairman held the floor while Emily Scriven gave a convincing speech on the main topic. Rosa Montague-Vaughan, as impromptu speaker, had just six minutes to prepare a speech on whether Yorkshire should promote a new International Women's Road Race. Although they didn't win, they gave a great performance, and had a good evening listening to the debate.
History Club History Club is run weekly for all Years by Year 13. It’s a fun and interactive way to look at the past and involves arts and crafts whilst also teaching those who attend new facts! Each week we look at a different era of time in chronological order, we started with the ancient Greeks and are coming up to looking at the Tudors. We’ve made Viking ships and Roman mosaics, as well as making a mess, and have even covered the history of Halloween! It's not always strictly historical as it is a lunchtime club after all, but it's always a good time with food, music and activities, and is one of the most well attended clubs! Sophie and Maddey Year 13 History Students
Mrs C Unsworth Teacher of English
Physics Solar System Model I made a solar system model for my physics lesson because our homework was to research the solar system and I asked if I could make a model of the solar system. I wanted to make a 3D model because I like being creative and making models out of recycled materials. I made the post it stands on with the top of a gate post and a piece of doweling and glued a nail on top of it. To make the planets I painted polystyrene balls the colours of the planets. I then glued the sun to the central pole. I then distanced the planets by using different lengths of wooden bamboo skewers. Olive Steward Year 7
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Science Club Despite some initial apprehension from the girls that science club would be like a revision session, it has proved to be a popular choice on a Tuesday lunchtime for KS3 students. The first week of science club saw the girls battling it out to see who could make the best dancing Oobleck. Although this proved somewhat messy they all enjoyed the challenge and a winner was found. The following week we ‘dissolved’ polystyrene cups in acetone and reshaped them into different things.
These will be strung and hung on our chemis-tree, which we also put together that day, and after Christmas the girls can use them as keyrings. There are exciting science-based activities planned for the New Year so come along and join us! “SeAsONAl WISHeS” to you all (that’s the closest I could get to ‘Merry Christmas’ by using elements from the periodic table!) Mrs L Moyns Senior Technician
Geminids meteor shower One of the year’s most spectacular meteor showers was visible on Saturday night 14th December over Skipton Girls’ High School. At their height, the Geminids produced between 50 and 100 shooting stars every minute, glowing in multiple colours and included occasional rapid bursts of two or three. The meteors were best visible at 2am and were “radiant” – the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate – was almost overhead, next to the constellation Gemini. But meteors were visible throughout the night from around 10pm, and were best watched well away from built-up areas and light contamination. The brilliant streaks of light flashed across the sky but for this particular shower it was best to look south from the northern hemisphere, and north from the southern hemisphere.
The Geminids first appeared in the night sky in the 1860s. Originally they were a poor shower, but throughout the 20th century the number of meteors associated with them rose consistently. Now they are one of the strongest, most reliable showers to strike the Earth. Astronomers hold them on a par with the Perseids, which light the sky in August. The Geminid dust cloud has been traced to an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon. It was only discovered in October 1983 and swiftly became associated with the shower because it shared an almost identical orbit. Mr R Dyson Senior Assistant Headteacher
A meteor shower is produced when Earth ploughs through a dust cloud in space. The individual dust particles burn up to form the brilliant shooting stars visible from the ground. These dust clouds are not everlasting features. They are the debris of disintegrating comets or striking asteroids. New showers can appear and old ones can become depleted and go into extinction.
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Winter Concert The Faculty of MFL and Expressive Arts have had a busy start to the year with lots of ensemble rehearsals and dance club rehearsals leading up to the Winter Concert. We were delighted to make this event bigger than ever this year and teamed up with the whole faculty to provide a fantastic range of performances. Students from 7C treated us to a fantastic performance of their play depicting the Spanish Christmas traditions of ‘The Three Kings’ - Los Reyes Magos. Year 7 choir continued the international theme with an enthusiastic rendition of the German traditional song ‘O Tannenbaum’. Chamber Choir presented an ambitious performance of the Berlioz motet ‘Veni Creator’ with solos from Year 10 GCSE students Emily Waters, Katy Maloney and Isabel Wood. While Sixth Form students Jasmin Renton and Sophie Cottam delivered impressive solos in Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Flutes accompanied by Orchestra. Mr Webb provided some excellent performances from both concert band and choir in his first concert with us, and it was pleasing to see so many or our younger students involved in performances from Brass Group, Flute Choir, and guitar group; while the talents of
our older students were displayed in Folk group and saxophone ensemble. The work that all the musicians are doing with their tutors and performances in the Teatime concert series really show off the improvement in technical abilities and this was really evident in the quality of the ensemble playing. The dancers and musicians who performed throughout the evening put on a fantastic show and the audience joined with our choirs and were in fine voice to help us get into the festive spirit! Mrs S Kitching Learning Director: MFL, Expressive Arts, PE
¡Feliz Navidad! We’ve only been studying Spanish for 3 months and yet we were delighted to start the very exciting project of performing a short play in Spanish for the Winter Concert. With Miss Gualtieri, we decided to share with the audience the Spanish Christmas traditions and more particularly the story of the Three Kings. In Spain, the children receive their presents on the 6th of January, brought during the night by the Three Kings! During lunchtimes, we rehearsed to make sure we felt confident with our lines and that we had the correct pronunciation. It wasn’t always easy but the Spanish assistant was there to help us. We were very excited to find our costumes to make sure our play was as realistic as possible. Before the show, we were very nervous! But we were also looking forward to presenting our work to the audience and show them what we could do. The performance went
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really well and we were all thrilled: no one forgot their lines and the singing was good! It definitely improved our speaking confidence and our pronunciation. We have learned a lot of Spanish and we were happy to share Spanish traditions. But most of all, it was a lot of fun! Maddison Phillips and Lily Scott 7C
Police Visit - Christmas Safety Surgery Every other month, North Yorkshire Police run a lunchtime Surgery covering different police/safety related topics. December’s Surgery focussed on ‘Christmas Safety’ including safety when out socialising and the dangers of drink-driving. The next Safety Surgery, which will take place in February, will be on the topic of domestic violence. PCSO Sarah Hargreaves
Duke of Edinburgh Award: an Update The following Skipton Girls' High School girls completed their gold award earlier this year: Hannah Lund, Laura Richardson, Isabelle Berrisford, Emily Cook, Jenny Hutchinson, and Jane Newell. They have now been invited to St James Palace on 26th February to be presented with their certificate by possibly the Duke of Edinburgh if not his youngest son The Earl of Wessex Prince Edward. This will be a day to remember not only meeting a member of the royal family but seeing the inside of a beautiful palace. Well done girls, you worked hard. Mr G Fothergill Independent Duke of Edinburgh Award Co-ordinator
Operation Christmas Child A big thank you and well done to all the Tutor groups who worked so hard to support Operation Christmas Child this year. Every year we aim to send Christmas paper-wrapped shoe boxes filled with gifts to children less fortunate than ourselves. This scheme is organised by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian charity which seeks to spread the gift and good news of Christmas and gives shoeboxes to children based on need, regardless of their background or religious beliefs. This year at SGHS we were delighted to collect together 137 boxes. A record so far. These boxes are now on their way to disadvantaged children of all ages in Belarus. In school the collections get a bit competitive as each tutor group aims to win the prize for the most boxes collected. Congratulations to Ms Belfield and BBE for collecting the winning total of 9 boxes. Another record! We are very proud of the way the students rise to the task of collecting contributions and all here wish the recipients every best wish for Christmas and beyond. Dr Still Teacher of Religious Studies
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Driver Awareness SGHS was delighted to welcome North Yorkshire Fire Brigade who presented a hard-hitting, but very informative presentation on ‘Driver Awareness’ to Year 12 students which focused on the potentially deadly issue of road safety. The seriousness of the presentation became clear as vital statistics were explained to the Year 12 audience and an extremely emotive final video clip confirmed some students’ fears that the video clip was linked to a real-life case and left some students (and staff!) visibly moved as they left the hall. We feel this topic is a vital part of our Sixth Form’s education Beyond the Curriculum because many of our students travel a long distance to school and many are now starting to drive for the first time and take their driving test. Often they can be tired, the dark evenings are drawing in and it can be all too tempting to ‘chance it’ on North Yorkshire’s busy roads. As the students returned
Sixth Form News to their classrooms, each of them appeared to have found the presentation thought-provoking and helpful in making them all more aware of the dangers on the road. I would like to thank North Yorkshire Fire Brigade for delivering the presentation and below are some of the comments from students in Year 12 about the presentation. Mr M Blythe Learning Director: Post 16 “The Driver Awareness presentation definitely enforced the message about the need to be more careful when driving and how dangerous speed can be when driving ourselves. It also made me think about my responsibility as a passenger and how I can influence the driver to drive more carefully.” Year 12 student “The presentation was very realistic and hard hitting but I feel it needed to be to ensure the seriousness of the topic was covered realistically. I was amazed by how many people get injured or killed in road accidents every year.” Year 12 student
Chemistry Trip to Leeds University On Wednesday 3rd December, Year 13 had a trip to the chemistry department of the University of Leeds to have an opportunity to undertake some analytical techniques. They had previously learned about the techniques in class as part of their A2 Chemistry syllabus, but they were able to have a chance to see some of the equipment in action and use it for themselves. Their aim for the session was to identify an unknown substance, which was either aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen, by using the analytical techniques to compare
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their unknown sample with the results they got for the three chemicals. They used machines for three different analytical techniques: thin layer chromatography, which involved the splitting of different components of a chemical and spreading them up a thin sheet of silica, infra-red spectrometry, which uses infra-red light to create a graph which is unique to each chemical, and then analysed the melting points of the different chemicals using digital melting point machines. The afternoon was enjoyed by all, and the trip provided insight into the analytical techniques that were commonly used by chemists, and provided the students with a deeper understanding of how the machines actually worked, something that complements their studies well. The students also had a chance to look around the Chemistry department at Leeds and have a look at some of the larger machines used for different techniques that they had also learned about, making the trip very informative and useful. Lucy Marshall and Kathryn Stell Year 13
Year 13 Theatre Trip: Othello As part of their A-Level course, Year 13 English Literature students travelled to Salford to watch an adaptation of the Shakespeare play Othello, performed by the theatre troupe Frantic Assembly. The well-known play, originally set in 16th Century Venice, was brought to life in a modern pub called ‘The Cypress’. Swords were exchanged for beer bottles; the Turkish military threat was an opposing rival gang; luxury gowns and tunics degraded to sweatpants and vests. By contrast, the actors kept the old Shakespearian language, with all its ‘thee’s and ‘thou’s - but spoke in sometimes humourous Northern accents.
This image was downloaded from the Frantic Assembly website: www.franticassembly.co.uk
The main prop was the pool-table centrepiece, which the story revolved around and became the infamous last resting place of the innocent Desdemona and the cruelly deceived Othello. The skilled acting and inventive use of backdrop made for an excellent performance which will surely prove very useful to the students in their coursework this year. Rachel Throupe Year 13
AS Level Biology News Whilst studying lung structure and function, as part of their Unit 1 course, some of our AS Level biologists dissected a pair of lungs from a lamb! Mrs L Katterfield Teacher of Biology
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Girls Engineering the Future: Phase Two Rolls-Royce STEM Club update
A group of aspiring Year 10 engineers have been working each Tuesday after school with two former students of Skipton Girls’ High School who are both working for Rolls Royce as apprentice engineers. It was my pleasure to welcome Amy Langtree and Megan Wilcock back into school, especially as I taught them both A level Engineering in the not too distant past. Skipton Girls’ High School is one of only 16 specially selected schools to take part in this new nationwide two year education project to engage Year 10 female students into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects, with the aim to encourage them into engineering apprenticeships. Comprising of four elements, the Girls Engineering the Future project is being delivered by The Smallpeice Trust and The Outward Bound Trust with the full support of leading engineering business partners: BAE Systems, Bentley Motors, Network Rail and Rolls-Royce.
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Students taking part in a STEM Club, which is running over 10 consecutive weeks for an hour at a time are working in teams to design and construct a wave-powered generator to supply electricity to a small island. The teams will be asked to explore all aspects of their chosen design such as longevity, through to the environmental impact and will create and present a proposal to a panel of judges. The photograph above shows our girls with former SGHS students, now Rolls Royce apprentice engineers, Megan and Amy, and Miss Mayet, who leads the STEM Club. Mr R Dyson Senior Assistant Headteacher
Maisie and Lily, two of the Year 10 students invoved in the STEM Club, commented: “We have really enjoyed all the different activities within the STEM Club. It has allowed us to develop our engineering skills: linking together our Scientific knowledge and mathematical understanding to create a wind generator and a shake-a-generator”
Sixth Form Open Evening
Sixth Form News The Sixth Form Open Evening on the 19th November was incredibly popular, with a turnout of several hundred parents and daughters from a variety of schools, greeted by a spectacular light show projected on to the side of the school. There was a really uplifting vibe around the whole school over the evening, provided by the staff and also our outstanding Sixth Form students. Three talks in the Studio were presented by our Head Girl Team, Mr Dickinson and Mrs Plews introducing attendees to life at SGHS, while the variety of career options after Sixth Form were showcased in the Hall. Our Post-Sixth Form Market Place consisted of stalls by a wide range of businesses and universities. In the West Bank Post 16 Centre refreshments from our Starbuck’s café helped parents and students to take an opportunity to relax over a cup of coffee and discuss the Sixth Form options available to them. It was lovely to walk around the various classrooms and see such a huge percentage of our Sixth Form students talking in such an enthusiastic and animated fashion about the various subjects they are studying to all of the prospective Sixth Formers.
We gained a lot of very positive feedback from all students that attended this evening, including what amazing facilities we have here, what a friendly place Skipton Girls’ High School is and how impressed people were with our academic achievement and pastoral care. If anyone has any further questions about Sixth Form life or any of the courses please do not hesitate to speak to a member of the Sixth Form Team. Mr M Blythe Learning Director: Post 16
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Sixth Form Immersion Day Sixth Form News
We have recently delivered a highly successful ‘Immersion Day’ which offered twelve Year 11 pupils from Skipton Academy as a taste of life in the Sixth Form at Skipton Girls’ High School. The pupils took part in a variety of activities including: • Working collaboratively with Skipton Girls’ High School students to complete a bridge building challenge. • A speed dating exercise where the pupils had the opportunity to meet past Aireville School pupils, now attending Skipton Girls’ High school and ask questions about life and learning at Skipton Girls’ High School Sixth Form. • At lunchtime the pupils visited the Sixth Form Centre which tickled the pupil’s taste buds with a range of delicious hot meals and desserts.
Pupil Comments: “I was already seriously considering studying my A Levels at SGHS. This visit has made me certain that I want to come here.” “The visit has made me more likely to consider SGHS and has made me even more determined to get the grades to get here.’’ “It has really changed my mind about where I want to apply, now I really want to apply to SGHS Sixth Form.” “The event has made me more likely to apply for SGHS Sixth Form and it has helped me see the school from a different perspective.”
• Visiting a wide range of A-level lessons Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and many pupils have said that not only did they enjoy the day but they now consider Skipton Girls’ High School to be their first choice for Post 16 education. Mr M Blythe Learning Director: Post 16
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Please Note: a Sixth Form Prospectus outlining A-Level options for 2015-16 is available to view or download from the school website: www.sghs.org.uk/sixth-form-prospectus/
Sixth Form Applications for Oxbridge, Medicine and Veterinary Science Sixth Form News For many students in our Sixth Form, applications for Oxbridge, Medicine and Veterinary Science are a realistic course of action. To help support these students Oxbridge, Medics and Vets candidates have regular meetings throughout Year 13 with a dedicated member of staff who guides them through the application process. They also have the opportunity to visit the universities on organised trips with the school. We encourage Oxbridge candidates and all those applying to very competitive university courses to take an active interest in developing their knowledge and passion for their chosen subject area and extension sessions can be provided in all departments if required.
On the 3rd of November, hopeful Medics from SGHS and Ermysted’s Grammar School, including myself, were invited to take part in and practise MMIs. It was a highly useful opportunity for many of us to have experience of MMIs. For those that don’t know and are hoping to apply for Medicine in the future, MMIs are short focused interactions from which universities are able to gain invaluable insights into applicants’ potential. MMIs combine traditional style questions with task-based questions. The MMIs consisted of students moving around on a carousel of interview stations at five minute intervals. At each station a member of staff explained a task that we had to solve. The tasks involved a range
To help support SGHS students in this highly competitive process all Year 13 students applying for Oxbridge, Medicine and Veterinary Science participated in an interview preparation day which consisted of students taking part in multiple mini interviews (MMIs) and one to one interview practise tailored specifically for their choice of university course. Mr M Blythe Learning Director: Post 16
of different activities that could involve: role play, answering ethical questions, explaining your thinking and practical tasks. We had five minutes to complete a task and then we had to move onto the next station. The MMIs helped me to think independently and rapidly about a difficult situation, whilst maintaining positive body language which I found proved a very challenging task. The exercise heled me understand the process and highlighted to me that it is important to be able to articulate your thought process to the interviewer, even if you struggle to come to a conclusion. The day provided a valuable insight into the
interview experience and we all came away feeling more confident than before. I wish all my fellow applicants this year good luck in receiving interviews and offers. Hopefully next year many of us will be one step closer to becoming doctors. Sally Thompson Year 13 Student applying for Medicine
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Northern Lights Teaching School Alliance News Teacher Training Update Primary School Direct Programme
Secondary School Direct Programme
Our primary trainees have been on placement for several weeks and will be involved in Christmas preparations in their schools.
Our secondary trainees are nearing the end of their first placement. During this term they will have been building their skills working alongside outstanding teachers from within our schools and will by now have begun to teach sequences of lessons to both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 classes.
They began the term with a series of training sessions delivered by the University of Leeds alongside an induction period in their host school during which they were able to observe experienced teachers and begin to work with small groups. After half term they began the first main placement and have begun to plan and deliver whole lessons. Additional focused training has been delivered by our cluster of schools. Parish C of E and Carleton Endowed jointly hosted the trainees for “Behaviour for Learning”, Greatwood School structured a day around EAL and Special Needs and then all the trainees spent a day at Brooklands Special School. The feedback from the trainees has been extremely positive and we are very grateful to the schools involved. We are lucky to have such a wealth of expertise within our Alliance. We are already holding interviews for our next cohort of primary trainees and are looking forward to working with Leeds Trinity University to develop an increasingly school-led programme.
After a well-earned Christmas break they will start their second placement and resume focused Monday training sessions for a 6 week block. The initial session will be led by Jenn Plews, Headteacher of Skipton Girls’ High School, and this will be followed by a “mock interview” day where the trainees will be put through a real life interview experience. Last year’s trainees reported that this was extremely valuable in preparing them for applying for posts. Word on the grapevine is that Alliance schools are already showing an interest in our trainees as they prepare for their staffing needs next September.
Specialist Leaders of Education Specialist Leaders of Education (SLEs) are outstanding middle and senior leaders. Having at least two years’ leadership experience in a particular field of expertise, they must be outstanding at what they do, although they do not have to come from outstanding schools. They have the skills and commitment to grow leadership capacity and support leaders of teams in other schools to ensure improved outcomes for children and young people. Following an assessment process in October, we are delighted to have added three additional SLEs to our team of over 30 outstanding practitioners in the latest recruitment round.
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Could a career in teaching be right for you? Train to teach in schools across Bradford and North Yorkshire and gain a PGCE with 60 M Level credits. Whether you are a recent graduate or looking for a career change, Northern Lights Teaching School Alliance offers Primary and Secondary teacher training programmes in partnership with Leeds Trinity University for September 2015.
Tweet: @NLTSA Tel: +44 (0)1756 707622 Web: northernlightstsa.org Email: shine@northernlightstsa.org
High Adventure Residential This year’s trip to High Adventure took the Year 11 PE students to an outdoor activity centre to improve their PE abilities in two sports, orienteering and climbing. We set off on Friday morning, both apprehensive and excited about what the weekend had in store for us.
Friday:
Saturday: On Saturday we finished our climbing in the morning, all getting our climbs planned so that we could score highest in our PE GCSE practical marks. This was a relief to have done especially after we all had to do an abseil, which I personal found OK, but was still a very stressful experience.
In the afternoon we moved on to We arrived at the centre and got start our orienteering, this was to straight on task. There were two start off with relatively easy as all we groups, I was in Emma’s, and we got had to do was learn how to read the started on outdoor climbing, we maps, however it got increasingly walked up to the local crag and went rock climbing. This was probably the most difficult part of the It was an amazing chance not only trip from me personally, not only because of the to gain high PE GCSE practical somewhat cold conditions, scores but to have fun and enjoy but the rock was unlike anything I had climbed the best aspects of PE. before. We then go back to the centre after leaving our teacher Miss Houfe at the top of the crag to wait for the other group. She didn’t seem difficult when we went out to our to enjoy this too much! The centre first location and realised that there had an indoor climbing wall, covered is actually a lot more involved than in ropes and different coloured holes to simply go to your point, you have to plan, using to put your hands and feet. We spent compasses and the rest of the day here under the try to handrail watchful eye of Miss Wingate, who by following as was lucky to be wrapped up warm in many paths as her hoodies and fluffy socks! possible. In the evening we got a first glimpse at our rooms and unpacked, the triple In the evening on Saturday bunk beds were definitely something we had our I had never seen before. Late on second activity though we had an activity planned, of the weekend: called the labyrinth, this is the archery. This was underground maze that they have in High Adventure, this was the highlight most certainly won by Miss of the day.
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Wingate with her spectacular bull’s-eye, but Jess was consistently the best, winning the student tournament.
Sunday: On Sunday we went out to our second and third location for orienteering. This time, unlike Saturday, we were on our own. We were competing against each other to find as many points as possible, with the highest scoring points being better to find. We were judged on our performance and this was going towards our PE GCSE practical scores for orienteering so everyone was putting in maximum effort. Overall the trip was absolutely fantastic and I am sure that everyone enjoyed it; it was an amazing chance not only to gain high PE GCSE practical scores but to have fun and enjoy the best aspects of PE. Rachel Brown Year 11
History Trip to Eden Camp On Tuesday the 18th of November Year 11 History students embarked upon a journey into the past at Eden Camp, a multi-award winning Modern History Theme Museum housed within the grounds of an original World War Two prisoner of war camp. Located on the outskirts of the market town of Malton in North Yorkshire, it is the only modern history museum of its type in the world and SGHS students got the opportunity to explore. Eden Camp consists of 29 different huts, each specialised with their own individual experiences of both world wars. Hut 5, (‘the Blitz’) was definitely the most popular as we were able to experience the sense of fear experienced during an air raid - we could even smell the acrid burning in a bombed street and feel as if we were living through a British town under siege. Another highlight of the day was definitely having the chance to sing along to some authentic war songs such as Vera Lynn’s classic “We’ll meet again” 52 girls all felt the unifying effect of war spirit and when the end of the day
came we all left Eden Camp with heavy hearts - taking a piece of the war back home with us and also knowledge that couldn’t have been gained in a classroom on the impact of war in Britain, preparing us fully for our GCSE exam in June. Savanna Eastwood Year 11
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Building the Future at Skipton Girls’ High School At SGHS, we are dedicated to improving the educational experience of our highly able learners through innovative and evidence-based strategies that will enable them to thrive in their studies, careers and adult lives. Innovation and carefully considered change are our distinctive features. As an Academy holding Leading Edge status, a National Support School and a lead school of the Northern Lights Teaching School Alliance, Skipton Girls’ is at the forefront of teaching and learning. As a collaborative partner in a national network of high performing schools, we are dedicated to raising educational standards across our community and region, and to this end, we share best practice and support schools across the county and beyond and we offer our expertise on improving
education on the national stage. At the heart of our school are teachers who are passionate about teaching, and leadership committed to research evidenced improvement to raise achievement and improve learning outcomes. We were the first girls’ school to hold an engineering specialism and we continue to focus on seeing learning through the eyes of students in order to innovate and develop powerful, inclusive learning experiences for each and every student. Our vision for Skipton Girls’ High School is one of ambition and constant development. Our students deserve the very best education possible in a learning environment that is engaging and exciting.
Making our vision a reality … Having secured funding of £1m from the Department for Education, our governors have pledged a further £200k from school reserves. In order to fully realise our exciting plans, we are now launching a fundraising campaign with a target of £500,000. We are asking for your support by donating money for this exciting project. Any amount would be greatly appreciated. You can donate by; •
Sending in a cheque to our Finance Office
•
Paying via ParentPay
•
Setting up a Standing Order with your bank
Further details about all of these options are available on the school website. We would also like donations to qualify for Gift Aid where possible, so please complete the Gift Aid form available on the school website If you have any questions in relation to the sponsorship scheme please feel free to contact John Barker (Finance Director) on 01756 707621 or barkerj@sghs.org.uk or Joanne Busfield (Bursar) on 01756 707607 or busfieldj@sghs.org.uk.
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Building the Future at SGHS - an Update New Build Starts
Fashion and Beauty Evening
Torpoint Ltd, Cleckheaton have been awarded the contract for building our new 8 classroom STEM Building which includes 2 state-of-the-art science laboratories and will be overseen by Langtry Langton Architects. The site will be being set up week commencing 15th December 2014 with the building works starting on 5th January 2015. Updated images of the works will be on the school website. www.sghs.org.uk Students are already working with the team of engineers on the design and will be throughout the build on all the various aspects including sustainability. The new learning zones will also provide larger spaces the school needs in all subjects and an improved learning environment.
Building the Future Fundraising Having secured funding of £1m from the Department of Education, our governors have pledges a further 200k from school reserves. In order to fully realise our exciting plans we need to raise a further £500,000, with the support of school sponsors, the local community and parents. We have had various fundraising events since the launch of the campaign in October … Event reports: Mrs J Busfield Bursar. email: busfieldj@sghs.org.uk call: 01756 707607
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A joint Fashion and beauty event was held in school between Skipton Girls’ High School and The Principle Trust on Thursday 6th November. It was a great night and the students looked stunning. Our executive Head Girl, Frankie Leighton, organised the event with the help of our Sixth Form and Cherry Bugler from the Principle Trust. Craven College Fashion students helped with the catwalk and Craven College Academy of Hair & Beauty Students did the hair and make up for the models and other students attending for an evening of fashion and beauty. It was a great night with a number of local companies displaying their varied mix of fashions on the Catwalk show! Companies involved included: Joan Murray Designs, Reallymerunway, The Rowan Tree, The Pageant Boutique (Prom and Pageant Dresses) and Amelia’s Bridal. £522 was raised on the evening and was split between Skipton Girls’ High School – Build the Future fundraising campaign and The Principle Trust charity. This gave the Campaign a total of £261.00.
Grassington Dickensian We had a stall at the Grassington Dickensian on Saturday, 29th November where we sold gifts and Christmas decorations all made by students in school as well as Ginger biscuits made by the D of E students in school and tombola from all the prizes donated by parents. This raised a total of ÂŁ349.85 and was a really fun and festive day run by students and staff at school.
Manufacturing Christmas Products Girls in Year 8 and Year 10 worked flat out to produce Christmas Products to sell to raise funds for their new STEM Centre build. Here are some of the pictures of the girls engineering their products. If you can support these students raise funding for their new STEM Centre please get in touch with Mr Dyson by emailing dysonr@sghs.org.uk. Mr R Dyson Senior Assistant Headteacher
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Make it a Local and Fairtrade Christmas! take part in. However, the Fairtrade Friends had an important job to do – they were asked to represent the school and welcome all the VIP guests into the Council Chambers after the switch on. These people included the Mayor and his wife, members of the Town Council, the winners and runners up of the poster competition, and members of the Skipton Fairtrade Initiative. They were excellent at speaking to the guests about Fairtrade, as well as serving the Fairtrade and local food and drinks.
During July this year, Skipton received the fantastic news that it had been made a Fairtrade Town. Mrs Brailsford works as part of the Skipton Fairtrade Initiative as a school representative, and to launch the town as a new Fairtrade Town it was decided that on Thursday 27th November, we would run an event titled “Make it a Local and Fairtrade Christmas”. So throughout October and November, primary school students across Skipton were asked to design a poster to advertise this event. Entries were submitted from all of the Skipton primary schools, and it was the job of Beth Chander, Becca Howlett and Harriet Wilton of the Fairtrade Friends, and Brett Butler (Skipton Town Council) and Mary Arber (Skipton Town Partnership), to judge the winning entries. The winning entry which was placed around town, was received from Kaden Christophides, a Year 5 pupil at Water Street Primary School. It was also decided that on the night of the event, Kaden would get to switch on Skipton’s Christmas lights, along with the Mayor and Mark Dawson of Fairtrade Yorkshire. On Thursday 27th November, Skipton town centre was crowded, and it was brilliant to see so many families attending the switch on. There was also a Fairtrade trail competition around the town to
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In the afternoon, approximately 20 Year 9 students helped to prepare and make a wide selection of sweet and savoury canapés to be served to guests in the Council Chambers after the Christmas lights switch on. The food included savoury muffins, Parmesan shortbreads with pesto and goats’ cheese, sun-dried tomato palmiers, savoury crêpes, mini tart tatin and meringues and more. The students worked tirelessly and presented the food beautifully. Charlotte Hemmingway and Olivia Mattock volunteered to come and help to hand out the food and answer any questions the guests may have had. A huge thank you also to Georgia Parker and her family for donating the goats’ cheese that went down very well. They received many positive comments about the quality of the products they had made – well done! Mrs D Brailsford Teacher of Geography Mrs C Haneskog Teacher of Food Technology
Grand Christmas Raffle The raffle draw took place on Monday, 15th December at 12.15pm and the winning tickets for the three main prizes are listed below. Names of other winners and prizes can be found on our website at www.sghs.org.uk.
First Prize Weekend in Venice Won by Cindy Haymes • • • •
Kindly Provided by Les Jones, CEO, Solutions4Schools Includes hotel and flights from Manchester 9th -11th January 2015 Terms & Conditions apply
Second Prize Christmas Pamper Pack Won by Anna Scriven • • • • •
Pro HQ hairdressers - Voucher for a cut & blow dry Features Skin Care - 1/2 hour facial Sitting Pretty - Back massage Cream Skincare - £5 voucher Barnetts Hairdressers - Cloud 9 Magical Duet set
Third Prize Luxury Christmas Gourmet Hamper Won by April Goodchild Includes treats from Aagrah Restaurant, Farmhouse Fayre Butchers, Drake & Macefield Butchers, Grandma Wilds, Napiers, the Narrow Boat and Walkers Bakers and Chocolatiers
Congratulations to all the winners, a big thank you to all the local businesses who donated the amazing selection of prizes and thank you to everyone who supported us and bought tickets.
Altogether with the fundraising events and donations received so far we have raised £6,129.80.
A calendar of events will be on the website and sent out via Simplyclick at the start of the next term. Thank you to everyone supporting our fundraising campaign.
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This Edition, and previous issues of the Newsletter, can also be viewed on the School Website... www.sghs.org.uk/newsletter
Season’s Greetings from the Staff and Students of Skipton Girls’ High School! School will resume on Monday 5th January 2015
Skipton Girls’ High School, Gargrave Road, Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 1QL Tel: 01756 707600 Fax: 01756 701068 Email: reception@sghs.org.uk Website: www.sghs.org.uk Tweet: @skiptongirls