South Hunsley News by South Hunsley School and Sixth Form College

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SOUTH HUNSLEY

PERFORMANCE TABLES RELEASED

DEPARTMENTS MAKE BEST PROGRESS

FRENCH EXCHANGE

BRITISH COUNCIL AWARD

TRANSITION EVENTS

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INSIDE

spring 2013

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PRINCIPAL’S We thought that it would be quite timely to dedicate our Spring edition of the South Hunsley News to the subject of progress. Making progress is absolutely critical if we are to fulfil our promise to help students reach their full potential. Whatever the activity, initiative or project, you can guarantee that the idea behind it is to help students make progress; whether that is by advancing their knowledge or helping them develop and grow as individuals through extra curricular activities. As a large number of our students prepare for GCSE, AS or A2 exams we are certain they will measure their personal progress on the final grade. For other students, they may be measuring their progress based on assessment of an individual piece of subject work. Of course, exam performance helps us measure progress but it doesn’t capture the journey made along the way and it certainly doesn’t capture the countless number of clubs, trips, sports teams and other opportunities that our students can take part in; all of which play a major contribution towards personal growth and progress. In this edition of the South Hunsley News we have tried to capture the myriad of ways we help students make progress. We hope you enjoy reading this issue.

FEATURES UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS SPECIALIST TEACHING EXTRA CURRICULAR EVENTS YEAR 6 TRANSITION MUSIC AND SPORT SUCCESS

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South Hunsley out performs other schools DfE tables show student progress is best in authority In January 2012, the Department for Education released the performance tables for 2012 and these clearly demonstrate that South Hunsley students are continuing to make excellent academic progress. These tables are accessible through the DfE website and document the results of all schools on a wide range of measures. This makes sure that the general public have a means to compare schools against each other and allows us to demonstrate the quality of our provision. When these tables are released we are particularly interested in looking at the progress measures for schools as our promise to you is to make sure every student reaches their full potential. We know that each of our students have different goals and for many progress isn’t about achieving an A*; put simply it is just about doing

as well as, if not better, than expected progress based on past performance and for some students this could be achieving a D rather than an E. The value added scores released by the DfE allow them to quantify the ‘value’ of gains in educational attainment and assess the level of value we have added to a child’s education from Key Stage 2 to the end of Key Stage 4. All schools are awarded a score and the general understanding is that a score of 1,000 or more is a positive and proves that students are making better than expected progress. At Sixth Form level, the DfE focus on actual achievement at the end of Year 13 rather than the progress being made during Key Stage 5. We, therefore, look to the average point score per exam entry as a marker for success.

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South Hunsley School students make the best progress

DfE tables place us in top 25% of schools nationally We are absolutely delighted that across all the value added measures South Hunsley School is classed as making better than expected progress with all scores above 1,000. In addition, when it comes to students’ progress across their best 8 GCSEs we are ranked highest in the East Riding and with a score of 1016.1 are placed in the top 25% of schools nationally. Our subjects faired just as well with Maths, Humanities and Science all ranked first in the East Riding for progress. You can read more about what the teachers do to help students develop a strong interest and passion for their subject and get some student views on the next few pages.

Jonny Uttley, Head of School, is particularly pleased with the recognition: “We are delighted that once again South Hunsley students have achieved some of the best results in the region. Our aim is to ensure that all students, whatever their level of ability, attainment or skills, improve beyond their expected levels of progress and we add value to their learning experience. We are therefore particularly pleased that when the value added measures are broken down and looked at in detail, whatever the ability level of our students, their best 8 GCSE scores continue to demonstrate that we score highly for the improvements and the value we add to their education.”

Sixth Form College students’ achievement rank high

Pathway programmes result in top performance In our Sixth Form College, we made a conscious decision to direct students to focus on a smaller number of A Level courses when we introduced our sixth form pathways and this has proved really successful for students when looking to move to university and gain entrance to competitive courses or high tariff universities. The average point score per exam entry measures simply look at the average grade students achieve. This meant, in 2012, our college was ranked second in the performance tables for high A Level achievement with a score of 208.5 which means that on average students leave our Sixth Form with A / B grades across their subjects.

Our pathway programmes make sure students concentrate their study in the Sixth Form on achieving 3 to 5 good quality A Levels and we have no doubt that our decision to allow students to focus their study on a smaller number of academic courses is a fundamental reason why 83% of our students were placed at their first choice university, with a quarter being accepted into Russell Group universities.

the number of courses studied as well as grades which means the more courses a student takes, the higher the average score. Unfortunately this measure can under value the grades achieved by students. The average point score per exam entry is better indicator and represents the intense academic study the students and staff put in to Post 16 education to ensure all students can achieve the highest possible grades.”

Paul Jacobs, Assistant Headteacher for the Sixth Form College, explains: “There are many ways of measuring sixth form performance, but the most significant indication for students is average point score per exam entry. However, you will often see the media and other sixth form providers reporting on average point score per student. This takes into consideration

“We had a pleasing set of sixth form results in summer 2012 with two thirds of our students achieving an A*, A or B grade. The publication of the average point score per exam entry measures reinforces this high achievement and demonstrates that hard work certainly pays off. We are delighted to be able to recognise the efforts of everyone at South Hunsley.”

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The formula to our Maths success Details of how our students make excellent progress The Maths department had a hugely successful year last year, achieving a record breaking GCSE pass rate of 82% A*-C and therefore placing our Maths provision well into the top 25% of the country. These exceptional results also mean that South Hunsley School is top of the performance table for student progress in Maths, finishing above all other schools in Hull and East Riding with a score of 1002.2. Speaking to John Loftus, Director of Maths, he helped to explain why Maths is proving to be such a success: “We promote a ‘have a go’ ethos within the department and always encourage our students to give things a try, rather than being too scared in case they get it wrong. We try to make topics relevant to everyday life; this enables the students to engage with it, take more of an interest in it and enjoy the subject more.” “We currently have record numbers of students studying Maths in the Sixth Form and the new IGCSE in Further Maths is proving to be a popular option with Year 9. I think the fact that so many students chose to study Maths further speaks for itself!”

MATT HOLMES Teacher of Maths

I would attribute the success in Maths to a few key factors. The collaboration between teachers within the department is fantastic, with excellent ideas and resources constantly being shared. This collaborative working also extends to the teaching assistants who provide excellent support. The students themselves also play a big part by turning up to lessons eager to learn and succeed. All of this has created a very positive and happy environment in the classrooms and corridors of Riding. 04 SOUTH HUNSLEY NEWS

In addition, teaching staff also closely monitor the progress of students using regular Maths assessments. This ensures all students are set appropriate and challenging targets and are placed in a suitable class. The setting arrangements in Maths allow for student movement between sets throughout the year depending on their progress, giving them every opportunity to reach their full potential.

As well as the hard work that is carried out within the classroom, the Maths department also run a number of extra curricular clubs at lunchtime. Lego Club, Puzzle Club and Rubik’s Cube Club are all well attended on a regular basis and give students the chance to continue challenging themselves and extending their skills in a fun and relaxed environment.

BETHANY FOSTERLEONARD

ALEX MURDOCH

Year 12 Maths Student

Year 11 Maths Student

I greatly enjoy studying Maths and being a Maths student at South Hunsley is very beneficial; there are many opportunities to improve my skills with extra classes, and the teachers are all very supportive. I hope to study Maths at university and later become a secondary school Maths teacher, so this course was an obvious choice. I have also been able to help out in a Year 11 Maths class and from doing this, not only have I gained valuable experience, but I have also seen first hand that the teaching at South Hunsley is done to a very high standard.

I believe that students are excelling in Maths due to the teachers. Their enthusiasm for the subject really shows and this has had a successful effect upon the students as we too have developed our own passion for Maths; nothing really beats the satisfaction of completing a Maths problem, which five minutes ago appeared to be completely impossible. Overall, I think that if the students are engaged and enjoy the subject, then success in that subject will come naturally.

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Humanities subjects inspire

Top results down to exciting and engaging lessons The Humanities department also have reason to celebrate after finishing top of the performance table for student progress in their subject with a score of 1003.4; a result that can be put down to the students’ hard work, interesting lessons and numerous field trips which help get students excited about the world around them.

RACHAEL FIELD Teacher of Geography

The Geography department has created a curriculum that is challenging in the breadth of topics and skills covered. Students are engaged as teachers relate the learning in the classroom to the lives of the students. The school leadership has encouraged all teachers to go beyond learning for learning’s sake. There is an engagement in lessons based on challenge and relevancy that encourages an enjoyment of learning for both students and teachers.

The Geography department in particular uses field trips to support and extend the work carried out within school, giving students the opportunity to see real life Geography. Head of Geography, Mary Allison explains why this is a huge benefit: “In Year 12 we go to Snowdon for four days which is fantastic. Going for all that time gives us chance to hammer home everything we have been teaching and for the students to actually see the glacial features with their own eyes is invaluable.” “For GCSE students we go to the coast for the day and this year that will be to Holderness and Withernsea. This is another example of real life action; to see the processes of longshore drift and the effects of coastal erosion makes it feel a lot more real for students and easier to engage with the topic, and it’s happening not too far away from us as well.” As well as these current trips, the department is also looking at creating more opportunities for students in Years 7, 8 and 9 to get out and experience Geography. A trip to London in July is currently in the early planning stages and would see Key Stage 3 students visit Greenwich and popular tourist attractions to help them with their classroom work in finding out why the city has grown the way it has. These trips all complement the interesting and varying lessons that are delivered by our Geography teachers within the classroom, and it is a result of these lessons that we have seen increasing numbers of A Level and GCSE students choosing to study Geography.

HANNAH COLE Year 12 Geography Student

Making lessons relevant to the students is so important and enables them to become more interested with the subject and motivated to learn more. To help students get enjoyment out of the subject, our teachers use visual resources such as pictures or real life footage. And again, making it relevant to the students is key; the Icelandic volcano from 2010 for example, happened hundreds of miles away yet some of our students couldn’t fly and were stuck in different countries all over the world which shows the huge global impact it had. All teachers have schemes of learning and specific lessons they have to deliver, but they are given the chance to have their own independence and freedom in how they teach the topics, while ensuring everything is covered for the exam. All teachers are unique but what they share is a passion and enthusiasm for the subject which they pass onto our students, enabling them to thrive and develop a love for learning.

Geography is one of my favourite subjects. I find the topics easy to relate to and we learn things that are really affecting us, so the relevance of the subject is shown. It is also a very varied subject and the skills I learn help me greatly in my other subjects. As well as enjoying the subject itself, the teaching staff are also very approachable and are always willing to help with any concerns.

ALEX TURNER Year 9 Geography Student

I think geography is a fascinating subject and is one of my favourite subjects in school. I find it exiting as there is always a new challenge in every lesson. I mostly enjoy map and graph work because it’s different every time. The teachers are great because they make the lessons fun as well as getting the information through to us, making it easier for us to learn. SOUTH HUNSLEY NEWS

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Success at 21st Century Science Motivating curriculum helps students succeed Science is another department to have topped the recent Department for Education performance tables for student progress in their subject with a score of 1002.2, and there are three main reasons for this: the quality of teaching and learning, the specification our Science department follows and the hard work of our students.

EUAN ROSS Year 11 Science student

South Hunsley is one of only three schools in the area to follow the twenty first century science specification and we do so because it is a much more engaging and motivating course, allowing students to learn about topical science issues and how it touches everybody’s lives, for example Earth and Space and climate change. The content being relevant to the outside world allows students to see things happening in the media and relate it to what they are learning in the classroom. For example, in Year 7, a popular topic with students is the ‘Aliens’ topic. This focuses on the big questions that scientists are asked about Space and Forces. Students are asked to design investigations that will be able to determine the best shape and design for a rocket / lander. Students also learn the fundamental science of our Solar System and beyond to be able to give detailed answers to the question: is there life on other planets? Students also experience many different methods of teaching as well as different ways of assessing progress. Some of the assessment for learning techniques that are used in the classroom include the use of individual mini white boards, anagrams, group work, practicals plus many more. When taking part in such activities, students are having fun while learning at the same time. Lessons are made all the more enjoyable by the enthusiastic nature of the staff who are subject specialists. However, perhaps the biggest advantage of this course is that it allows our students to start work on the GCSE Core Science modules in Year 9. This allows our students to develop a good grounding in Science 06 SOUTH HUNSLEY NEWS

Understanding Science helps you understand the world around you. It is fundamental to almost everything in life and the opportunity to begin to devour it at GCSE excited me. GCSE Science has helped me to understand a wide variety of topics such as ‘chemicals in our lives’ and also covers the formation of the Earth and what materials make up the Earth all essential knowledge. Science is a versatile and enjoyable subject and the successful results reflect that.

JONATHAN BUTLER and make an informed option choice about which Science route they will follow in Years 10 and 11. We are seeing larger numbers of students opting to study GCSE Biology, Chemistry and Physics separately following the Triple Science route, and we have no doubt this is because they are better prepared and have developed a strong interest in the subject from their Key Stage 3 years. Jane Briggs, Area Leader for Science, says: “One of the main reasons so many students choose the Science subjects is because they enjoy the lessons and like the staff. Staff are always available after school to make sure every student does the very best they can do. Their commitment to every child and the fact that they always want the best for the students is reflected in the great results we have had.”

Teacher of Science

Students in Years 7 and 8 are participating in a new assessment schedule which now incorporates a mid-year and end of year assessment. This is intended to help students prepare for the move to GCSEs with an enhanced fostering of independent learning skills and a consistent reinforcement of past knowledge and skills gained. A priority for our Key Stage 3 Science is to focus on stretching all students, with the ultimate goal of increasing the rate of progress students make from Key Stage 2 - 4. As a team we aim to ensure that all of our students are set a target that is challenging and realistic, and that more students achieve Level 7 in the Year 8 summative assessment than in previous years.

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University applications flood in Students in Year 13 decide on their future

CHARLOTTE COOK Year 13 student

When deciding what I wanted to study for the next three years I came to a problem – I wanted to do Maths and Art simultaneously. This is when I considered Architecture. It became apparent that this was a multi-disciplinary degree which drew on areas of Art, Maths, Psychology, Design, and Physics. It is also a highly academic degree which promised to lead onto postgraduate study too.

This year, 151 of our 202 Year 13 students have applied to university. Out of those 151, 60% have applied to universities within the Russell Group; some of the best higher education establishments in the country. We are delighted to have students at South Hunsley Sixth Form College with such high aspirations who strive to study at these universities. The University of Leeds has come out as the most popular choice of Russell Group universities for this year group, closely followed by Newcastle University and the University of Sheffield. Russell Group universities are “committed to the highest level of academic research and excellence” and usually occupy the top end of university league tables. After successfully submitting their applications through UCAS, the hard work continues for our students as they busily prepare for their final A Level assessments and exams – and then the nervous wait until that all important results day in August begins! It is also pleasing to see the wide range of

courses that our students are going on to study, reflecting the inclusive and varied curriculum our Sixth Form College provides.

“We are delighted to have students at South Hunsley Sixth Form College with such high aspirations.” As always, we have a strong number of students who have applied to study medical courses, including Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy. We also have a number of students who will become the Lawyers, Engineers and Architects of the future. The Science department consistently have some of the highest student numbers in the Sixth Form so it comes as no surprise that we have a large number of students going on to study Science related degrees, such as Neuroscience, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Science and Forensic Science. We wish all our students the very best of luck in their remaining few months at South Hunsley and look forward to finding out where they will be heading come September.

Alongside my A Levels I also completed an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) which helped my application greatly and gave insight into architecture project work. When selecting universities I chose: Sheffield, Bath, Newcastle, Glasgow School of Art and Nottingham and hope to go to Newcastle University.

ISOBEL NICHOLSON Year 13 student

South Hunsley Sixth Form has been a great support in helping me determine that Midwifery was the career for me. All of this was backed up by my time at Hull Royal Infirmary shadowing doctors and midwives. I was unaware of how limited university places were for this course; with an overall intake of only 50 students at most universities each year, midwifery is a highly credited and popular job. I am optimistic about my interviews and offers but am still waiting to hear any news. I am hoping to be accepted into Florence Nightingale’s School of Midwifery in London.

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Specialist Sixth Form Teaching

Students gain a love for learning from subject experts At South Hunsley Sixth Form College we are lucky to have a talented and enthusiastic teaching body.

learning in the classroom with their own eyes and will provide excellent support for their upcoming summer exams.

We are also in the enviable position that many of our teaching staff have become specialists in their subject area having further developed their skills and knowledge because of the interest they have in their subject. Thich means our students are taught by teachers with a strong understanding and who are passionate about their subject. This is passed on to the students through inspiring and engaging lessons, helping them develop a love for learning and the chance to reach their full potential.

The visit will also include time for sightseeing and touring and will surely be a trip to remember. We look forward to hearing from both staff and students when they return to school and there will no doubt be coverage of it in our next edition of South Hunsley News.

At the time of going to print, a number of our A Level Media Studies and Government and Politics students were making last minute preparations for their exciting trip to New York and Washington. Led by teachers Mr Uttley and Miss Clark, who are giving up their holiday to give students the opportunity for a once in a lifetime experience, this fantastic visit will serve as an opportunity for students to see and experience what they have been

JON SHRIMPTON Teacher of A Level Law

I have been teaching for 14 years and have been teaching Law at A Level for five years. As the sole teacher in the department I have taught every topic in the WJEC and OCR sylabus. Although first completing a degree in Geography at Nottingham University, I then went onto to complete a Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course at the College of Law. I completed my legal qualification at a commercial law firm in London; specialising in commercial litigation.

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Another international trip that is taking place is a visit to Berlin and Krakow with the History department. This will see students from Years 12 and 13 visit Auschwitz and many other historical landmarks to aid the work that has been carried out in school. This will again provide fantastic opportunities for students to see for themselves what they normally read about in textbooks, and this will be invaluable when it comes to their exams. Read on to find out about just some of our subject specialist staff.

JACQUI SMITH

JONNY UTTLEY

Teacher of A Level Psychology and Sociology

Teacher of A Level Government and Politics

As a social scientist I am constantly keeping abreast of key developments and research within Psychology and Sociology. I have a Social Science degree from the University of Leeds specialising in Psychology and Sociology, a diploma in adolescent and childhood counselling and a post 16 PGCE. I am very fortunate to have a career that combines two key passions of mine, social science and education; this has given me the opportunity to teach in both degree and A Level education.

My degree in American History and Politics from the University of East Anglia enabled me to study all aspects of American and British politics. As part of my degree I spent a year at Georgetown University in Washington DC. I also worked in the United States Senate and went on to work on Bill Clintonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presidential campaign as a volunteer (and even went for a run with the man himself!) It is a real pleasure to be able to teach something I am so interested in.

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ECHO Update

New student leaders and the latest from our Eco Group This year saw a record number of Year 12 students applying for the top student leadership roles, with seven students applying for the position of Head Boy and ten students for Head Girl. As usual, it was a very close competition but after much deliberation, we are pleased to announce Matthew Johnson as Head Boy, Elle Limbert as Head Girl, Alex Kaniewski as Deputy Head Boy and Katherine Bradley as Deputy Head Girl. Congratulations to Matthew, Elle, Alex and Katherine who will now spend the next few months shadowing our current student leaders before the official hand over in the summer term. The new student Year Captains have also been announced. Congratulations to the following students: Year 7 - James Whittaker, Megan Batterbee, Jacob Hodgson, Emily Clough. Year 8 - Ben Storey, Megan Jones, Arran Kennedy and Luigi Pandolfi.

Year 9 - Alex Turner, Shayma Fleet, Lawrence Wilde and April Madden. Year 10 - Josh Lewis, Poppy Howell, Oliver Hubbard and Rachel Jessop. Year 11 - Euan Ross, Rachel King, James Aitken and Julia Cooke. Our Year Captains are instrumental in ensuring the voices of our students are

Eco Group

heard, communicating with their peers and collecting ideas about what they would like to improve within the school. Regular meetings are held in order for all the Year Captains to share the ideas and suggestions they have received. Their support of their school council is greatly appreciated and could not run without their help.

Exciting plans for the Greenhouse

ALICE HADDLESEY

The schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eco group members have been continuing their efforts to make South Hunsley a more environmentally friendly school.

Year 12 student

The school took part in Switch off Fortnight back in November and it was really pleasing to see so many staff and students from around the school getting involved. Awards were handed out in recognition of regular switch offs to the Cover Supervisors, Mrs Marshall, and the Maths, English, Business and ICT and Languages departments. Eco are also looking at ways to use the Greenhouse they have built from recycled

plastic bottles. Completed earlier in the year, students now want to put their unique project to use and plan on starting a grow bag competition with students to see what can be grown within the greenhouse. The Greenhouse was given its own red ribbon event to mark its official opening, with Matthew Riches (Year 13) doing the honours of cutting the ribbon. The Eco group also celebrated Climate Week in March. Staff and students promoted this annual nationwide campaign in assemblies to encourage all students to get involved in any way they can in helping to protect our planet.

I first got involved with Eco at the start of Year 12 as I feel that it is important for students and staff to be aware of the impacts that our decisions have on the environment. One of the ways that Eco has made a significant impact is through schemes such as Switch Off Fortnight. The Eco Team were really impressed by the level of commitment staff showed to ensure that as much energy was saved as possible. The main outcome was that students and staff were working together to save energy, and this is the main focus of Eco. We want to highlight the fact that significant action needs to be taken now - not tomorrow or next year. SOUTH HUNSLEY NEWS

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Extra Curricular Opportunities Revision sessions, clubs, trips and visits

“I became a journalist to come as close as possible to the heart of the world.” - Henry Luce Article by Amal Sayala, Year 9 Journalism is an important aspect of our daily lives and we rely on the news for honest information. If becoming a journalist is your ideal profession, why not begin now? Journalism Club is an extra curricular club that is open to Years 7, 8 and 9 for students with a genuine interest in journalism and writing. It is also a brilliant opportunity for students who might be thinking about taking the exciting new BTEC Creative Digital Media Production course in Years 10 and 11 as it allows students to write their own articles and experience what it would be like to work to a deadline.

The exam season is fast approaching and as always, the spring and summer terms are a busy time for both staff and students alike as preparation for assessments and exams gets into full swing. It can often be a demanding time for students during these months as they find themselves under pressure to meet the various deadlines and requirements of their subjects. But our members of staff are on hand to provide extra support and guidance to all students with additional classes and revision sessions to help them reach their full potential. Here at South Hunsley we are lucky to be able to provide our students with an extensive extra curricular timetable to support students in the run up to their exams, offering extra classes at lunchtimes and after school in order for them to keep on top of their work. Students at both GCSE and A Level are able to attend extra sessions which are led

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by teaching staff who have given up their spare lunch times and evenings in order to provide support to help their students achieve the best possible grades. All Engineering and Product Design students were welcome and encouraged to attend school for a day during February Half Term. The aim of the day was to give students the chance to work on their controlled assessments before they are formally assessed, and they also had access to ICT Facilities to work on their written portfolios and presentations. It proved to be very popular and was well attended by students wanting to improve and complete their work. It is not only this subject where extra support is on hand though. Similar sessions and classes can be found across the curriculum run by staff from all departments to get the best out of their students. We recommend that students speak to their teachers if they are not sure what classes are running.

In addition to this, Journalism Club gives students the chance to interview fellow members of the school, write about issues and events within the school and to also express their opinions whilst reporting the truth.

“The articles written could end up in our own South Hunsley News publications; a satisfying achievement” “Journalism gives me the freedom to write about the issues that are important to me”, says Natalya Botham (Year 9), a journalism club member. Moreover, the articles written could end up in our own South Hunsley News publication; a satisfying achievement. Overall, Journalism Club is an enjoyable club that gives its members worthwhile knowledge about different aspects of journalism, the importance of working in a team and the opportunity to experience the world of Media at Key Stage 3.

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World city visit for A Level students Trip to London helps students prepare for exam 25 Year 13 Geography students have taken a trip to the capital for a 3 day long visit. During the trip students had a tour of the Olympic Park, travelled on many types of transport and looked at major retail centres. The trip was to help prepare students for the World Cities topic on their summer exam. Students were also able to experience the regeneration and economic developments that are happening around the Docklands area, as well as look at how sustainability is becoming an important focus for the city. Students now have some real life experience on which to base their essay questions and a better understanding of the factors which contribute to cities becoming important on a world stage.

Events a little bit closer to home You don’t have to travel far to be inspired Students have taken part in numerous trips this term to support their classroom work and a handful of these are covered in the following paragraphs. AS Level English Language students swapped the classroom for a Study Day in Manchester. The trip was organised by Mrs Justice and Miss Pounder and involved students attending a series of lectures by Mike Devitt and Dan Clayton, two senior examiners/moderators for AQA. The lectures were full of useful advice for our students and covered how to tackle the different types of exam questions they will be facing this summer. The group also brought back some interesting data that will come in handy during classroom teaching. Overall, students found the day useful and interesting and can now go into their exams with confidence.

Slightly earlier on in the term, a number of Year 12 Business Studies students visited the Coca Cola Factory and Enterprise Centre in Wakefield to help them in their exam preparation. The visit focused on how Coca Cola manage their business operations with a particular focus on production and marketing methods. This allowed students to gain insight into how one of the world’s most successful brands runs its business on a day to day basis. Following a presentation on Coca Cola’s history and brand portfolio, students were given a tour of the factory where they saw many of Coca Cola’s product lines going through different stages of the production process. The knowledge gained from this trip will support students in their studies of these functional areas for their forthcoming exams.

South Hunsley Drama students were also visited in school by Scene Productions, an innovative and exciting theatre company who deliver educational workshops and performances in schools. Over the course of the morning, students attended a lively one hour workshop where they could watch and learn from each other and pick up valuable tips for their exams. This was followed by an inspiring performance of ‘Doctor Faustus’ which saw the small team of visiting actors use puppetry, live illusion and trickery to portray Marlowe’s dark and twisted fairy tale, leaving our students wide eyed in amazement. There was then time for a quick question and answer session which the students took full advantage of to gain as much information as possible. The visit was a huge success and left our students inspired and excited about their course. SOUTH HUNSLEY NEWS 11

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Exciting Transition Events with Ensuring a smooth transition for students

Here at South Hunsley we work in partnership with our catchment primary schools to organise as many different transition events as possible throughout the year. These events mainly focus on students in Year 6, but can also be extended to include students from Years 4 and 5, and aim to

provide them with opportunities to meet South Hunsley staff and to also visit our site before they join us in Year 7. By doing this, it is hoped that the students gain a clearer understanding of what it will be like to be a South Hunsley student making them feel happier about their move to secondary school.

Design and Technology

Science

During the Spring Term, students from Years 5 and 6 have been working within our Design and Technology Department at South Hunsley on a number of different topics.

As part of the school’s focus on ensuring a seamless transition for students from Year 6 to Year 7, Mrs Blackburn, teacher of Science, was invited to teach three sessions at North Cave Primary school earlier in the school year.

Many of the activities fit into the topics the primary schools are teaching such as baking Caribbean Cakes using ginger, making African inspired spoons and creating embellished textile boots and decorating them to show a favourite part of the book the students were reading. There have also been sessions on bread making and looking at the function of yeast which introduced a Science element to the activity. There are also plans to bake biscuits looking at the theme of ‘Change of State’, as well as an Egyptian textile activity which will be coming up over the next few months. 12 SOUTH HUNSLEY NEWS

After spending just a couple of hours with Mrs Winter, the Year 6 teacher, it was very clear that both teachers had the same objective; to inspire the students in Science through practical work. The challenge the students were set was to help design a nose cone for Lewis Hamilton’s Formula One car. The experiment involved making lots of shapes using plasticine and dropping them into wallpaper paste to see which one was the most aerodynamic. The

Visits to the primary schools take place throughout the year by teachers from departments such as Science, Design and Technology, Maths and English. These next two pages cover just some of the activities that have taken place so far this year. The primary school children are really enjoying the experience of coming to South Hunsley and taking part in different events.

students had to design a test that gave reliable results which could then be presented in a report. They rose to the challenge brilliantly and surprised both Mrs Blackburn and Mrs Winter with the quality of their data and their graphs. Mrs Blackburn returned to North Cave Primary School last term, working with two Year 6 classes, and again focused on the key skills associated with collecting data and analysis. “This has been a great opportunity for me to work with Year 6 teachers who have all made me very welcome. I have dates set up for the summer term to visit Swanland School which I am very much looking forward to. It is helping to reinforce the close links with our partner schools and I have had as much fun as the students.”

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South Hunsley School moving from Year 6 to Year 7 English

Maths

Between October and December, Mrs Bateman, Teacher of English, visited feeder primary schools on a Monday afternoon to introduce herself to the students and to also take part in their afternoon activities.

Over the course of the academic year, Mrs Russell from our Maths Department also visits each of our catchment primary schools and takes part in a number of activities with Year 6 students.

and then continue with during the first two weeks here at South Hunsley. This supports the smooth transition process and students know what to expect in their maths lessons when they first arrive.

During the first term, Year 6 students work in teams to solve a Murder Mystery called Who Murdered Mr Windler? Teams of four work on solving mathematical problems which builds up their mathematical resilience, encouraging students to stick at the problems until they are solved. The students really enjoy working on the problems and because maps of the school and names of members of staff are used, it serves as a good introduction to the school site.

All these activities throughout the year culminate in the Primary Maths Team Challenge. Each school sends up to two teams who try to solve challenging maths problems and work with Sixth Form students. This event is always popular and hugely enjoyable for all involved.

Mrs Bateman was integrated into their routine for the afternoon and in some cases was part of a literacy lesson so that she could see how students engaged with literacy in primary schools. Activities ranged from creative writing, using ICT visual stimulus, circle time and even some recipe writing and cooking. Mrs Bateman also worked in one to one sessions with some more able students and supported students that needed any help. Many students find the transition from Year 6 literacy to Year 7 English a big step, therefore in March, Year 6 staff from all feeder primaries visited South Hunsley to see how students engage with English here at secondary school level. They took part in Year 8 English lessons for an hour and it is hoped that some of what is done here can be integrated into their Year 6 lessons which will help the transition process from literacy in Year 6 to English in Year 7.

During the Spring Term Mrs Russell visits all schools with a Mathematical Roadshow. This involves hands on practical maths problem solving activities and aims to improve space and shape awareness as well as thinking in mathematical ways. During the Summer Term, members of the Maths Department go out to the primary schools to deliver a lesson on algebra which is part of a series of lessons that students do in the last few weeks at their primary school

SAM VARLEY Year 7 student

All of our Year 7s come from primary schools which are significantly smaller than South Hunsley, and Sam explained that “the biggest difference between North Cave and South Hunsley is the size. It’s massive here and it might feel a bit scary at first but not so much now.” Sam particularly enjoys English and Drama and described the Time for Arts event in Year 6 as “a lot of fun” and a good opportunity to meet other students who were also starting in September.

CHARLOTTE BROWN Year 7 student

Charlotte felt the transition events organised by South Hunsley between the local primary schools really helped: “The transition events helped me make friends before I got here which was really nice”. Once here, students quickly settle into their new routine and with the help and support of form tutors and teachers, soon feel part of the South Hunsley community. SOUTH HUNSLEY NEWS

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Fame!

Our latest school production wows the crowds Once again our school production has proved to be a huge success and just like last year, highlighted the exceptional talents and abilities of all those involved. Since October when auditions were first held, the chosen cast members have been busy rehearsing their lines, the production crew have been working hard on the set design and costumes and the band have been practising at every spare moment; put all that together and you are left with a performance that wouldn’t look out of place on the West End. Over four performances, audiences were left tapping their feet and dancing in their seats as the catchy, upbeat songs resonated around a packed Riding Hall. The bittersweet but ultimately inspiring tale was told by a talented cast who took to the stage with ease and confidence, singing and dancing their way through a two hour performance with endless energy and vigour. We are delighted to be able to put on a production of this scale at South Hunsley, involving students from all year groups to showcase their talents; whether that be acting and singing, playing a musical instrument, painting the set or creating the costumes. Being a part of this production provides students with a great platform to display their talents, and is also a fantastic opportunity for them to improve and develop their skills, while gaining great experience in their chosen field at the same time. Congratulations to everyone involved with Fame for putting on such a fantastic show.

Reviews

Journalism Club members share their views on Fame Natalya-Victoria Botham: WOW! Where do I start? Fame was brilliant. The actors were fantastic, the dancers amazing and the singing was wonderful.

Amal Sayala: The audience were certainly ‘dancing on the sidewalk’ after leaving the fabulous school production of Fame!

You could tell that everyone was committed to the play and they all wanted nothing more than to put on a brilliant show, and they achieved just that; they all knew their lines, their stage directions and their dance moves. The music was fantastic as well and no one missed a beat. Overall it was an amazing performance.

This production took place in Riding Hall over four performances where each and every participant contributed wonderfully.

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This production was beautifully crafted and the attention to detail - from the brilliant choreography to the delightful costumes - was simply marvellous. Powerful performances from all the cast members

clearly showed the effort that was put into making this a production to remember. Dominic Harley of Year 9 who played Jose Vegas told us about his experience of participating in Fame: “I would say my favourite thing about Fame was the atmosphere just before going on stage and you realise what you are about to do; whether that be singing in front of lots of people or dancing in tights in front of your friends, you realise just how nervous you are. I really enjoyed the whole thing and I would happily do it again.”

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Year 9 Options - a closer look How to choose what to study at GCSE Year 9 GCSE options are an important time for students as they decide which subjects they want to study further. Our current Year 9 students have recently been through the process and NatalyaVictoria Botham and Amal Sayala, members of our Journalism Club, help explain it in more detail: The first bit you need to understand is the different pathways that are available. There are four different pathways; Red, Blue, Yellow and Green. The Red Pathway includes the core subjects (English, Maths, Science, ICT, RS and PE) and recommends students study a language and at least one Humanity (Geography and History), then two other

GCSE options. The Blue Pathway is the same as the red but with the option of studying a BTEC subject. The Yellow Pathway also includes the core subjects, as well as an Applied Academic option plus two GCSE options. The Green pathway includes the core subjects and an ASDAN course which is delivered at a partner college one day a week. This year there are some brand new courses for Year 9 students to choose from. These provide a fantastic opportunity to explore new things or look at a subject in more detail. GCSE Photography Light and Lens Based Media explores a wide range of topics from portraiture to landscape photography.

An additional qualification to GCSE Maths has been introduced; the iGCSE in Further Maths. If students opt for this course, it will allow them to study the subject in greater depth and will also help students to increase their potential for further study at A Level. Head of Maths, Mr Loftus says: “iGCSE Further Maths is perfect for those students who are enthusiastic about maths, or are considering studying Maths at A Level.” Creative Digital Media Production is a new creative and inspiring course which gives students the opportunity to create 2D platform games, digital online magazines and documentaries or short moving images. This course also gives students a chance to develop their ICT skills.

Musical Achievements

Students recognised for their musical ability South Hunsley has many talented musicians and below is some information about the achievements we know about from this academic year so far. If you have had any musical success this year, please let Miss Griffin know so that we can celebrate your achievements as well.

Year 9 Holly Taylor – Cello, Grade 3

Year 7 Sue Wong – Piano, Grade 3 (Distinction) Elliot Norris – Piano, Grade 1 (Merit) Edward King – Piano, Grade 2 (Distinction) Eliza Sleight – Violin, Grade 2 Emer Raitt – Singing, Grade 4 (88/100) Rochelle Dent – Piano, Grade 3

Year 11 Sarah Davies – Cello, Grade 6 Camille Hainsworth-Staples – Music Theory, Grade 5 (Merit) Emma Clark – Music Theory, Grade 5 (Merit) Martha Godber – Musical Theatre, Grade 3 (Distinction)

Year 8 Mary Swain – Violin, Grade 4 (Merit) Louise Gibney – Violin, Grade 2 (Merit) Danielle Yates – Violin, Grade 3 (Pass) Emma Filby – Violin, Grade 3 (Merit) Callum Taylor – Cornet, Grade 3

Sixth Form Abigail Hornsby – Violin, Grade 6 (Merit) and Piano, Grade 7 (Merit) Laura Grundy – Piano, Grade 5 Oliver Clark – Viola Scholarship at Trinity Laban College of Music and Dance London

Year 10 Jack Hodgson – Guitar, Grade 5 Rock School Ran Dai – Music Theory, Grade 5 Nathan Kirby – Saxophone, Grade 5 Naomi Reynolds – Violin, Grade 2 (Merit)

We are also delighted to report on yet more musical achievement, this time from students who took part in the Cottingham Music Festival. Year 8 students Tacia Itskevich and Olivia Haswell competed in the Piano Duet Class and finished in first place out of six entries; a well deserved result after giving up many lunch times at school to rehearse. Tacia also received first place prize in the Sonata Class, second place in the Own Choice Solo Piano Class and a third place in the Jazz and Modern Music Class. Liza Sleight (Year 7) was also a winner after finishing in first place for her performance in the Piano Solo Class. Congratulations to all three girls on their success.

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Bienvenue á South Hunsley!

A Level French students take part in French Exchange Last term, our A Level French students welcomed 10 students and two teachers from the Lycée Colbert in Lyon, France into their homes and school. Our Languages for Life Department organised the visit and had forged links with the Lycée Colbert in order to develop wider learning opportunities for our students. The department wanted to enable students to have regular contact with native speakers of their own age in order to develop their linguistic and cultural understanding. Prior to the visit, students used an e-twinning website to get to know each other and to share their ideas about topics they were studying in school. The French students worked with our students on the topics of Energy and Pollution; key parts of the A Level course. Students did this using online forum discussions and by sharing presentations and research electronically. A bilingual debate on the future of energy policy in the Humber region was held as a culmination of all their work. Each of our students was paired with a French student and given the role of promoting and defending an energy source or of acting as a local resident, councillor or MP. Our students presented and discussed their ideas in French; conversely, French students spoke in English. The students

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worked extremely well together and it was lovely to see a global issue like energy being discussed by students in a way akin to the debates of European institutions! The debate was a fantastic achievement and both the visiting French teachers and South Hunsley staff were extremely impressed by the language skills of all students involved.

“The French students enjoyed their experience in school and the visiting teachers were very impressed by the lessons” During the visit, French students attended lessons with our students and there was a joint visit to York. Our students found the visit extremely beneficial and it has been very helpful in enhancing their understanding of and enthusiasm for the French language. The French students and staff were extremely impressed by our students’ French during their stay and the welcome they received from their host families. The French students enjoyed their experience in school and the visiting teachers were very impressed by the lessons they observed. All students very much enjoyed the experience and were sad to say goodbye

to each other; there were many tears at Brough train station as the French party set off on their journey home! Both the visiting French teachers and Miss Miles, visit organiser, would like to thank host families for all they did for the French students during their stay as this support was key to the success of the visit.

RACHAEL ADAMSON A Level French student

Having a French student to stay with me meant I was able to put into practice what I had learnt in the classroom and it challenged me to speak confidently in a foreign language. During the week we organised a meal which allowed us to chat as a group, and everyone helped each other with their language in order to successfully communicate. I didn’t expect us to all get on as well as we did and I know we have all made some close friendships with the students. We are very eager to go to Lyon in the future so we can develop our language skills further.

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International School Award

South Hunsley receives British Council recognition dimension embedded at South Hunsley. The award also recognises the broad range of opportunities available to students through the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programme of regional, national and international links and trips. The award celebrates schools that are committed to developing international partnership which enrich the curriculum and help young learners to become global citizens.

We are delighted to announce that South Hunsley School and Sixth Form College has been awarded the Intermediate Level of the International School Award. This award is in recognition and acknowledgement of the rich international

At South Hunsley, the governors, senior leadership team and all staff recognise their roles and responsibilities in preparing their students for their future. In order to achieve maximum exposure to global issues it has become increasingly important to engage with cultures and societies that are different

from our own, to learn from and share with one another. To help and support our students in navigating their way to a successful future, the staff have facilitated a range of activities using an international theme linked to their curriculum. International themed activities involving different departments were conducted throughout the academic year to help us reach the Intermediate Level. These included India Day, Bollywood dancing, Indian cooking, designing Kolam patterns and many more. Well done to all involved for helping us reach the Intermediate Level. We are now working towards the full award which would be a fantastic achievement.

English Department Developments New staff help department continue to flourish Our English department is going from strength to strength and has recently seen Vicky Marsh appointed as the new Director of English.

of experienced teachers and supported by a number of dedicated Teaching Assistants, as well as Gill Ambrose, our Higher Level Teaching Assistant for Literacy.

Having been a teacher at South Hunsley for a number of years, we were delighted to give Vicky the opportunity to extend her leadership skills and teaching abilities to her fellow teachers. We have no doubt that she will continue to develop the department and repeat the success it has seen in the past. We also welcome Laura Woodward who will be joining us from Leeds after Easter, and Debbie Bonner, who will start in September as Head of English to work under Vicky. Both will be valuable additions to the team.

Gill has recently introduced a Reading Challenge for students to encourage them to read as many books as possible. Members of staff from each department within school were asked to name their favourite book from their childhood; each department has their own list of books, and if students can read all the books from three departmentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lists, they could be in with a chance of winning a Kindle Fire. There is also a Challenge of Challenges which will see students tackle 12 books ranging from Dickens to Dahl.

One of the largest departments in the school, the English department is made up

We look forward to seeing who is crowned the winner in the summer term!

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Rugby Achievements

It has been a season full of success for our Rugby teams The sporting achievements of South Hunsley teams continue to fill the back pages of South Hunsley News, and this article focuses on our successful Rugby teams. The Year 8 team have had a successful Yorkshire Cup campaign and have made it all the way to the final. They had a tough semi final match against the team who beat them in last year’s final, Ermysteds Grammar School from Skipton, but they came out on top and will now play the

final at Harrogate Grammar School. There is also some individual success from this team to report on. We are delighted to hear that two players have been selected to be part of the Leeds Carnegie Talent Development Squad. Congratulations to Matthew Rosso and Robson Jones (both of Year 8) on this achievement. The Year 10 Rugby team made it through to the semi final of the Yorkshire Cup

competition in their age category, but unfortunately lost out to last year’s winners Crossley Heath. Our Year 7 Rugby team have a fantastic record for this year and are currently undefeated. They have now been chosen to represent the South Hunsley Partnership in the RFU’s East Yorkshire Schools finals. Congratulations to all teams and players on these fantastic achievements.

Under 18 Girls Football National Cup Semi-Finalists Our U18 Girls Football team’s long run in the National Cup came to an end at the semi-final stage after a 3-1 loss to Balby Carr Community Sports College, Doncaster. The girls did fantastically well to make it so far but couldn’t quite make it all the way to the final, which will take place

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between Balby Carr and Thurstable School, Colchester. After going into half time a goal down, the girls equalised through Rachel Green (Year 11) early on in the second half, but couldn’t quite hold on. Immediately after the equaliser, Balby Carr went down the other end and scored a second, and

soon after, a decisive third goal went in, much to the disappointment of the South Hunsley home crowd. Balby Carr are clearly a tough opposition, so much so that South Hunsley were the first team to concede fewer than 8 goals to them in this competition, so our girls can walk away with their heads held high after a fantastic effort.

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Netball Round Up

News on all our teams’ perfomances The Netball teams at South Hunsley have all had a very successful season and we are delighted to report on all they have achieved over recent months. The South Hunsley PE Department was busy running a School Netball League during the winter months for local schools in our area. It was the first year this league has been run and teams from Wolfreton, South Holderness, Hessle and Cottingham were invited to join. Our Year 7 and Under 16 teams both won their leagues, and our Year 8 and Year 9 teams finished in second place. Our Under 16 team have also taken part in a PGL Netball weekend at Boreattan Park in Shropshire (pictured). The girls took part in adventure activities as well as a tournament against other schools in which they finished a very impressive fourth out of 11 teams. This trip came after their first place finish in both the East Riding of Yorkshire League and their

end of season tournament – a fantastic achievement. Our Year 10 team have also been competing in the U16 league and have performed very well against teams a year older than them, finishing in the top four. As well as this, they also finished first in their end of season tournament and will now be representing East Yorkshire at the next stage.

There has also been success for our Year 8 and 9 teams who both finished second in their leagues, and our undefeated Year 7 team continued their strong season with a very convincing first place finish in their league. At the time of going to print these three teams were yet to play their end of season tournaments but after these performances we have no doubt more success is still to come.

Tennis Success for Sisters

Megan and Laura Hopton receive LTA County Awards Megan Hopton of Year 8 and her older sister Laura of Year 12 have been recognised for their tennis achievements at the Yorkshire LTA County Awards. The sisters are both talented tennis players and received an award each; Megan was rewarded with the Girls Best Junior Performance award and Laura the Janet and Nora Mallen Trophy for Best Junior Performance at U18 County Cup. The girls received their awards from local tennis star Kate O’Brien, the former British Number 1. Megan has also recently taken part in a Winter National Tour event at Loughborough University and came away as tournament winner, placing her at the top of the rankings in the U12 age group for the winter season. Laura is currently ranked number 6 in the country for her age group and is in the process of applying to university in America to pursue her tennis career. This is great recognition of how well the two girls have done over the past twelve months and we would like to congratulate them both on their success.

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