News Warlingham School
ISSUE 2 2015-2016 DECEMBER 2015 In this edition FROM the headteacher House Reports
2 4-9
Bar Mock Trial Competition
10-11
Visit by Pianist, Richard Meyrick
12-13
Christmas Concert and Christmas Card Competition
14-15
Geography News
16-17
Other News
18-19
Information about FrogLearn
20-21
“Prevent” Assembly
22-23
Visit to Auschwitz
24-29
Primary School Gala Shield
30-33
Dr Wai Liu visits the school
34-35
TaeKwonDo!
36-37
School Council Visits the Palace of Westminster
38-39
In the Hot Seat
40-41
Dates for your Diary
42-43
Widening Horizons Raising Aspirations
FEATURE: Visit by Pianist, Richard Meyrick
FEATURE: Visit to Auschwitz
FEATURE: Primary School Gala Shield
FEATURE: Dr Wai Liu visits the school FEATURE: School Council visits the Palace of Westminster
From the Headteacher...
all the windows and roof in place. The glass curtain walling which forms the As we enter the final week of term front of the building should be finished I am sure everyone is beginning to by mid-January. By late January all look forward to the Christmas break, the work will essentially be inside the which will be especially appreciated by building which means it should not be our Year 11 students, who have just completed an exhausting week of mock affected by any bad weather. When the new building is completed exams. A very successful Christmas concert last week was an excellent way we will be demolishing the old SRW huts and creating a new recreational to start the festivities. I would like to area for students to use at break and thank Mr Duff and Ms Frayne and all lunchtimes. The money raised from the students who took part for a very the sponsored walk that was held on enjoyable evening. We end this week with a ‘Text Santa Christmas Mufti Day’ the last day of half-term in October now stands at just over £11,500 and where students are encouraged to dress in a Christmas theme to help raise will be put towards re-developing this money for MacMillan Cancer Support, area. I would like to thank everyone Make-A-Wish UK and Save the Children who contributed to this fund and to all those who helped make the walk charities. such a success. Special thanks go to The building project is continuing at Caroline Pantony who put in so much quite a pace. The shell of the building will be complete by the end of term with organisational work to ensure the Dear Parents,
Page 2
smooth running of this event. On November 19th, Mrs Needs and Mr Toop led a very successful Parents’ Forum session on our bid to secure the ‘Healthy Schools Award’. We consulted with parents on a range of well-being issues, including mental health, physical activity, healthy eating and relationships and sex education. There was much interesting debate over the age appropriateness of discussing different sex and relationship issues, the risks facing young people today and the difficulties of ensuring young people eat a balanced diet. As always, we are grateful for the opportunity to hear the parent voice and appreciate your supportive and constructive comments. Many of the comments are already feeding into the new curriculum and our Healthy Schools Award application. We will keep you updated with our progress towards this award and the various related initiatives in future newsletters. It is with much sadness that we say goodbye at the end of term to several members of staff. Miss Au and Miss Owens are leaving the Maths department – Miss Au to a promoted post in South London and Miss Owens to be closer to her home in Sussex.
Mr Bruce is taking on quite a different challenge as he takes up a post of Head of Football at an independent school in Essex. He has been commuting for a few years now from deepest Essex so I am sure he will be pleased not to have to leave home at 5.00am every morning! Mr Polyviou (after eleven years at the school) is moving on to an Assistant Head position with responsibility for the Sixth Form at a school in South London. We thank them all sincerely for their efforts over the years at Warlingham and wish them every success in their new roles. Miss Lynch will be taking over the Head of House role for Mallory House from January 2016 and Mr Cole likewise for Johnson House. I am sure they will be just as competitive as their predecessors in trying to win the House Trophy at the end of the school year. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our students, staff, governors and their families an enjoyable Christmas break and look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for the new challenges that 2016 will bring. The new term starts for students on Wednesday 6 January 2016 at the normal start time. Merry Christmas!
Mr Fraser is leaving the Geography team to take up a new post in Oxford. Mrs Seward who has worked at the Mr N Bradwell school for twelve years is also moving to Headteacher a school closer to her home.
Page 3
every numeracy competition so far. The participation in the Christmas Card Competition was superb and a special well done to Matilda Roche who won the competition overall, and whose artwork appeared on the front of the school Christmas card. The excellent effort the members of 8L have put into 7L has had a decent start to Year 7. their work throughout the school has Most have completed their numeracy been rewarded with merits, which led booklets. They worked very hard on to the form having the highest number their entries to the Christmas card competition. Mr Ali is very proud of the of merits across the whole school. Miss Dewey’s form, 9R, has had a girls who represented the form group in the inter house netball competition. very successful term. Many students in her form have been writing letters 8R had an excellent start to Year 8, to orphaned boys in Sri Lanka as part completing their numeracy booklets of Chichester House’s work with the and participating in the Christmas house charity – 63 Toothbrushes. Card Competition. Mr Jennings They are also getting items together to is very proud of the girls who create a Christmas parcel to post over represented the form in the Interhouse Netball Competition. They won to the boys in the orphanage. They have worked very hard collecting lots this competition for the second year of merits, so I hope they have a nice, running, ensuring another win for Chichester in a House competition. He relaxing Christmas break ready for the new year and ready to choose their is looking forward to working with the options! tutor group next year and celebrating Mrs Alger reports that 7R has started to bond well as a group. The form members have become enthusiastic members of Chichester House and have performed well in inter-house competitions. They also won the merit competition for Year 7.
further successes. Mrs Billings reports that 8L has had a fantastic start to the year. They have completed their numeracy booklets brilliantly, helping Chichester to win Page 4
9L has had a very busy and interesting term. Many of the class have been writing letters to the orphaned boys in Arklow House in Sri Lanka as part of Chichester House’s work with our house charity – 63 Toothbrushes.
They have also collected lots of items together to create a Christmas parcel to post over to them. As for merits, 9L has been top of the Year 9 league table for several weeks having the highest number of merits of any tutor group in the year. The students are looking forward to the house netball and football competitions next term. Mrs Christie and Mrs Langley would like to wish all of the class a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Enjoy the break and come back well rested in January!
made a steady start to Year 11. They are third in Year 11 for attendance, which is a marked improvement from previous years. The students have shown real dedication to their studies, with many of them attending extra revision sessions after school. 11L entered the Christmas Card Competition and will be competing in the up and coming Inter-house Netball Tournament. Miss Hurst is hoping they can go one further this year, after finishing second in Year 10. Well done 11L and good luck for your Mocks!
Mr Garwell is proud to report that Sophie Lawrence has been nominated for position of Head Girl and is already committed to her duties. Alfie Lonergan continues his role as a member of the student council. Ella Bishop, Mia Batters, Tabitha DaulbyRichardson, Eleanor Hicks and Eloise White have all produced beautiful work in Art. Ben Bugden continues to impress for the school football team. Well done, 10L!
The House has started this year with a bang. We have been outstanding in most house competitions, including the merits, attendance and netball competitions. Congratulations to Matilda Roche in 8L for winning the Christmas Card Competition overall.
Mrs Smales has been very busy preparing and organising revision for mock week and she says her poor tutees have had to put up with her nagging them to revise! She wishes them all the best; they deserve it! She spurs them on, “Keep going 11R, you can do it.� Miss Hurst reports that 11L has Page 5
The tutor team have also been fantastic this term and I would like to thank them all for all the support they have given their tutor groups. Everyone in the house has played a massive part in being top of the overall house competition at Christmas and I hope this winning streak continues into the Spring Term. Have a great Christmas, Chichester House!
Miss Wallis Head of Chichester House Page Page 5
Mr Holder reports that 7W students have made a good start at Warlingham. They are joining clubs and activities, getting onto school sports teams and generally are working well in lessons. Some need to be more organised and make sure that they meet work deadlines, and the class as a whole needs to work hard on entering lessons quietly and being quiet as soon as asked by the teacher. Nevertheless, all of 7W are very nice and try to be kind and considerate towards others; he has been really impressed with how they look after each other. The proof that they are an excellent team is reflected in the fact that three-quarters of them have signed up for the Year 7 Summer Camp, which they are all really looking forward to. Overall Mr Holder is very pleased with 7W and is proud to be their form tutor! The members of 7A have done well to successfully settle in during their first term at Warlingham. Some of their highlights as a form so far this year have been: raising £675 for the sponsored walk, really enjoying Design Technology lessons, and getting through two Johnson House equipment checks without major incidents! Mr Noyle says, “Great job 7A, keep it up!” Page 6
Mr Hellier reports that the members of 8A have had a good start to Year 8 with a lot of enthusiasm being demonstrated. He is particularly pleased with the form’s sporting prowess with many of them being involved in football, netball and other school teams. Mr Ashdown is pleased that 9W has improved after a shaky start to Year 9 during which a number of homework issues ensued, demonstrating the impact of a more difficult year ahead. However, the problem has reduced significantly, meaning students are getting to grips with the heavier workload. The biggest highlight of the year so far is the excellent attitude shown by 9W on the sponsored walk, demonstrating their community spirit by undertaking the rather muddy walk in an enthusiastic manner. The walk was an opportunity to discuss political issues, historical stories or the way the fields that were passed enabled the community to flourish with food; however, it seems the current X Factor crop or the Messi/Ronaldo debate was more on the agenda for the students. Miss Bouilloux would like to say well done to Maisie Keller and Nicole Miles for their involvement with the Head of House council team.
Mrs Ryan reports that the students in 7M have made a great start at Warlingham School. She is pleased to see that most of the students in the form have joined after school clubs and are taking full advantage of the opportunities offered to them widening their horizons! She wishes them all a merry Christmas and a welldeserved rest after this very busy first term. Mr Cole says that members of 8H have continued to work hard this year and are currently planning their Christmasthemed assembly for the end of the term. They are monthly entrants of the House Maths competition and every single member of the form entered the house Christmas Card Competition. The students have recently drawn the names for their form Secret Santa and look forward to exchanging gifts in the last week. Miss Clewley’s form has had a successful start to the year! So far this year, members of 9M have represented the school in rugby, football and cross country. The Year 9 Mallory forms also won the Numeracy competition, which was completed during registration. The form is also proud to have a Grand Master and two black belts Page 7
in Numeracy Ninjas amongst its members! There are members of the form who are Beat Bullying mentors, and successfully gave an assembly attached to a tutor period. 9M will also be playing an active role in the upcoming Text Santa fundraising event on the last day of term. Mr Duff and Mrs Gordon report that 10H has had a productive term. Students have participated in School Council nominations, voting for the Head Boy and Girl, being independent in securing work experience placements, taking part in mindful colouring during form time, attending a wide range of informative and interesting school assemblies and discussing current events. Page Page 7
Mrs Ferdous would like to say congratulations to 7N for winning the Learning Habits trophy for this half term.
looking forward to the Christmas holidays and a bit of time off.
have enjoyed taking part in the house competitions with Ashlyn, Victoria, Becca, Alexandra. Zara, Morgan, Nieve, Natalie and Natasha representing the girls in netball. Meanwhile, Chloe developed the form assembly which was about Christmas at home and around the world, with everyone taking part. Now 8G is
10N has settled into the GCSE year well. The form is very proud of Tegan Claydon and Luke Caruana and believe they are doing a fantastic role as Head Girl and Deputy Head Boy respectively. Ben Owen and Nicole Taggart have taken on extra roles as Charities Representative and School Council Representative, and are
Miss Tindall reports that 9N has been focusing on careers in preparation Miss Rhule says well done to 7G for a for the impending options choices. brilliant assembly on Halloween and for Students have been discussing achieving second place in the Learning potential option choices for their GCSEs. In addition, they have elected Habits competition by gaining lots of Charlie Payne as their School Council signatures for the students’ learning Representative, Adam Dunn as the habits. Keep up the good work! Charity Representative and Shleena Miss Tyler reports that 8N has made Coulson and Jessica Robinson as the a very positive and productive start Beat Bullying Representatives. to the school year. She says that Students in 9G have been thinking they have been involved in all sorts about their option choices for Year of activities, including: preparing and delivering a fantastic assembly on the 10. They all enjoyed taking part in the sponsored walk and have also been theme of superstitions, raising 5p’s filling out their numeracy booklets as for the ‘Shooting Star Chase’ charity, completing a sponsored walk and co- well as they can, in the hope of earning operating enthusiastically during tutor Sharman more house points. Miss Terry and the members of the form are periods. looking forward to Christmas and the Miss Eveleigh’s form, 8G, has had a end of another term. good start to the term. The students
Page 8
fulfilling these well. Rae Billings and Grace Cooper also deserve a mention after excellent individual performances at the District Cross-Country Championships. Miss Bradley would like to say well done to the whole form for an excellent start. They are now looking forward to the challenges and opportunities this year brings, including work experience! Mr Janalli notes that 11N has been very focussed on mock exams this term. There has been a great deal of hard work to revise and prepare. It has been an impressive effort from the whole class. Mr Gardner reports that the members of 11G have their heads down in preparation for their Mock Exams (which will have been taken by the time you read this!). They have had an active role to play in the school’s Charity Committee and have done themselves proud in tending to Anna’s Garden. Page 9
I would like to thank all the tutors and support staff for all their hard work with the pupils of Sharman House this term and in particular Miss Terry for her tireless efforts with the House Charity Committee. We are sad to be losing Miss Bradley as a form tutor but wish her well in her new role as Raising Standards Leader, I’m sure we can still rely on her to cheer us on at Sports day. I am as always very proud of each and every student in Sharman House, they continue to work hard in their lessons, make good progress across the curriculum and have achieved an excellent attendance record. I wish every student and their family a wonderful Christmas holiday and look forward to seeing them all again, refreshed and ready to take the lead in the House Competition.
Miss Frayne Head of Sharman House Page Page 9
Bar Mock Trial Competition
On 14th November, the debating enrichment team visited Snaresbrook Crown Court to attend the Bar Mock Trial Competition. We met at East Croydon train station at 7 o’clock on a Saturday morning and got on a train to London Bridge Station. We arrived at the court at 9.15am and things started to get real; we walked through the metal detectors, had our bags checked and then entered the world of law. There were District Judges walking around in their red robes, nervous teenagers going over there last minute preparations and not to mention the look on some of the vainglory opponents. Our debating team was split into two groups prior to the event; there was a defence team and the prosecution team. When we Page 10
arrived at our base we saw that the defence team (for which I was Barrister 1) was up twice for two of the cases. The prosecution was last to perform one of their cases. Our jury went to watch another school’s case whilst our defence team made its way to the first court room. When we got into the room the nerves really started to kick in. Victoria, our Barrister mentor - who came into school to help us with our preparation a few days before - came to watch and support us. She gave me and Temeka (Barrister 2) the barrister wigs and gowns to wear, so we felt like real barristers. We placed ourselves in the right positions in the courtroom and sat waiting for the judge so we could present the first case. After getting
through the nerves the first case went pretty well; the jury came to the decision that Charlotte (the defendant) was not guilty of robbery, so Temeka and I accomplished our job. Charlotte Dawson got a special mention from the judge for playing her witness part very well and we barristers, along with the prosecution barristers from the other school also got a special mention for using legal vocabulary well. So all in all, the first case was excellent.
case exceptionally well. Their judge also gave some really good comments at the end of the case, comparing Nathanael to some of the most impressive real barristers and said that both the schools did brilliantly. Molly Woodley performed her witness character extremely well and also got a mention from the judge. After the prosecution team finished, the nervous looks had been wiped off their faces and turned into massive smiles. We waited around for half an hour and The second case we presented also went well and our defendant again was then it was time for all schools to found not guilty of ‘Obtaining Services meet in the canteen for the results. In the end, we didn’t get into the final, Dishonestly’ but guilty of ‘Theft’. however we were very proud of what During the case a phone went off in the gallery and our usher Daniel Creed we achieved and the experience itself was a great reward. played the part really well, instructing that the phone be turned off or they Those participating were: would be asked to leave the court! Tyler John (Defence Barrister 1), After performing our last defence case Temeka Colgan (Defence Barrister 2), it was lunch time, some of us went Charlotte Dawson (Defendant), Jed into the canteen and some of the Arno (Defence Witness), Renee Wilson prosecution team stayed to do last(Prosecution Barrister 1), Nathanael minute preparation before presenting Seaman (Prosecution Barrister 2), their case after lunch. After lunch Amin Lmoh (Prosecution Witness 1), the defence team went to watch the Molly Woodley (Prosecution Witness prosecution team perform for some 2), Natalie Gorton (Court Clerk), Daniel moral support. Fifteen minutes in and Creed (Usher), Danielle McIntosh, the opposite school’s Court Clerk still Immo Vitzthum, James Hardy and could not find the judge; however, after Callum Simpkins (Jury) another fifteen minutes, the judge was We would all like to thank Mrs located and the prosecution was able Benjamin for her help! to present their case. Renee Wilson and Nathanael Seamen presented their Tyler John (12H) Page 11
Visit by Pianist, Richard Meyrick
On 9th November, Warlingham School was exceptionally proud to welcome the dynamically powerful and worldrenowned pianist, Richard Meyrick. Richard worked with a group of our outstanding young pianists. Each student brought along an item of piano music they wanted to work on, and Richard’s aim was to broaden the thinking of these young Page 12
musicians. He gave them new perspectives, techniques and goals for the preparation and presentation of their pieces. He was a consummate professional as both performer and teacher, effortlessly mixing scholarship, hard work and fun in all of his projects. Students commented: “His sense of humour got me – he was quick to question, made learning ‘fun’
and gave a real perspective on how music should sound.”
Keziah Hardy (11G)
“He made me think about how I sit on the piano stool, how my feet pedal the piano and most importantly to sit up straight!”
Yasmin Staite (10M)
“He was fun, informative and made me think about the way I play not just the notes, but the silence in between.”
Abbee Martin (11A)
We are very grateful to Richard for giving up his time to come into the school.
Mr Duff Head of Music
Page 13
The school’s annual Christmas Concert took place on Thursday 10th December. The audience were treated to mince pies and a drink before the performances, which were all excellent. The audience got to participate too, in singing four carols. Well done to all the performers: Aaron Butler, Aaron Sugg, Alex Morgan, Alice Hughes, Amy Collins, Ana Larby, Beth Paine, Charlie Delaney, Charlotte Faulks, Claire Richter, Edward Webb, Eleanore Smith, Ella Bailey, Emily Franks, Page 14
Faith Keywood, Georgia Jones, Grace Day, Harry Bradford, Hollie Clarke, Holly Woodgate, Iestyn Lewis, Isabella Harrison, Jack Carter, Jack Choules, Jack Gardner, Jasmine Ubi, Jenna Hinton, Keziah Hardy, Louise Weeks, Luca Crawford, Lucy Ardley, Madison Hubbard, Maisie Keller, Megan Pine, Molly Corker, Morgan Lawless, Oriana Wermig, Philip Clements, Rachel Wigley, Rebecca Miles, Sonya Gholami, Sophie Tapping, Teide Bryce, Yasmin Staite, Miss Frayne and Mr Duff.
Christmas Card Competition Many congratulations to Matilda Roche, 8L for winning this year’s Warlingham School Christmas card design competition. Matilda’s painting of Warlingham School in winter (shown on the left) beat over 200 other entries. Jane Sula, Head of Art said it had been very difficult to choose one design, due to the exceptionally high standards this year. A big thank you to all those who entered the competition, and very well
done to the following runners up: Chichester House 2nd Joshua Archer (7R) Mallory House 1st Molly Hartnett, (9H) 2nd Hanna Larquet, (8M) Johnson House 1st Megan Pine, (8W) 2nd Hollie Sackett, (9W) Sharman House 1st Claire Murphy (7G) 2nd Jasmine Hadouka-Taylor (8N)
Page 15
Geography News
On a sad note (which I shall mask with some good news to soften the blow!). The Geography “Circle of Life” is, once again in full effect as we have both All years have burst back upon the welcomed a new “Junior Geographer” Geography scene full of enthusiasm and happily soaking in more invaluable in the form of Harry Gardner (born 3rd knowledge about our world and what’s November – weighing a whopping 9lb 7oz!) however, are unfortunately, having going on with it: to say goodbye to another. Mr Fraser Year 7 have been exploring their local has been teaching at Warlingham for areas on foot – and virtually using OS five years (plus a term) and is now maps, Year 8 have mastered Rivers moving to pastures new in his new and Flooding and are now delving role as a Head of Geography at a into the dangerous world of Extreme school in Oxfordshire. A stalwart of the Weather and Year 9 have ‘flown’ to department, Mr Fraser has contributed Brazil and are currently investigating massively to the ever-increasing exam the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro and the performances of the last 3 years and, Amazon Rainforest. in his role of Key Stage 3 Coordinator, As always, exam groups from Years has been integral in the production of 10 to 13 have got their heads down our new KS3 Schemes of Work and preparing for topic/mock examinations Assessments. He will be sorely missed – and are making some excellent by ALL…and we all wish him the best progress! in his new post. None of this would be possible without the ongoing enthusiasm of our young geographers and the relentless efforts of the teachers of the department: Mr Fraser, Miss Eveleigh, Mrs Lilani and Mr Kinder have, once again, astounded me with their drive and persistent support of all pupils. This really is the best department in school! Another year…more excellent work being done along the B-Block Corridor!
Page 16
As per usual, I’ll leave you with a report, very kindly written by the students of 9H and 9M, about their experiences on our recent trip out to the Ashdown Forest to complete some essential fieldwork in preparation for their Homework and first Key Assessment. There were four trips in all and, luckily, the weather was largely nice to us (which is always a relief when you’re taking pupils out in October!). some cows and a bull! We measured the river’s cross section (depth and Enjoy your Christmas break…and we all look forward to carrying on with our width) and measured its velocity too. After that we went for a walk through global education on your return! a lot of Gorse bushes (ouch!) and Mr Gardner studied the water fall and how it had Head of Geography formed”
Year 9 Ashdown Forest Fieldtrip
“Firstly, we walked to the war plane memorial and talked about what happened. Next we went down to do the cross section of the river and met
“At the start, I was cold and muddy, but I enjoyed the waterfall and had a great time”. “I loved the waterfall, but hated the spiky bushes, which must have pricked me 100 times!”. “It was a long day, but we had such a good time in the river. The best bit was the waterfall”. “We arrived to mud, trees and wild cows and bulls! Measuring the depth and width of the river was a laugh and overall it was worth it to see the waterfall!”
Page 17
Other News... Book Buzz Reading for pleasure is an activity that has real emotional and social significance. There is growing evidence that illustrates the importance of reading for pleasure for both educational and personal development. We are delighted to have participated in BookTrust’s valuable Book Buzz programme once again this year by purchasing a book for each Year 7 student. Earlier this term, all Year 7 students were invited to select a book from a range of specially selected titles in the Book Buzz Programme. The aim of Book Buzz is to inspire excitement about reading and discovering new books and authors. These books have We have a wide range of titles that we now been distributed to students and believe meet the needs of the whole we hope they all enjoy their chosen school community, but we are also title. very happy to accept suggestions Book Buzz is a programme generously offered by students for new titles that supported by children’s book may be of interest. publishers and run by BookTrust, Mrs Ferguson an independent reading and writing L RC Co-ordinator charity. To find out more about BookTrust visit www.booktrust.org.uk. Attendance Whilst this programme is aimed at our new Year 7 students, we would like to remind you all that the LRC is open and available to support all our students with their reading choices. Page 18 18 Page
Warlingham School’s attendance is higher than it has been for several years at over 96%. This is a credit to the students’ hard work and
determination to keep their attendance Sponsored Walk high. We had another very successful Coming in when they don’t feel great, Sponsored Walk event this year, the walking when the bus doesn’t come, students and staff enjoyed it. We making sure their appointments are out raised in excess of £11,000, which of school hours, our students should will be used towards the development be very proud of themselves! of a new student recreation area after the demolition of the SRW huts. Your Students with the highest attendance sponsorship is very much appreciated! reach their potential and achieve higher grades. Well done Warlingham We look forward to repeating the experience in October 2017. students, let’s keep it up!
Vicky Stokes Attendance Manager
Ms Pantony
PA to SENCO / Assistant Headteacher Page Page 19 19
Information about FrogLearn Since the beginning of 2015, the school has been working to develop the use of Frog Learn, an online learning platform accessible through school and at home too. To date, thousands of homework assignments have been set across all year groups. By posting homework online, there is less chance of information going missing, plus a record is kept for students and parents to access and, in addition, it develops ICT skills. To support users, we thought it might be helpful to give some guidance. When in school, Frog logs in automatically as soon as you open Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. At home, students need to go to the following URL: https://frog.warlingham.surrey. sch.uk/frogos/app/os. Alternatively, access to the frog page can be accessed through the gateway area on the school’s website: http:// www.warlinghamschool.co.uk/79/ warlingham-gateway. When you get onto the first Frog screen, you will need to enter your username and password. These should be the same as your school network login that is used every time you log into a school computer. If this is not working, it is possible that your Page 20
password has expired but you will have received notification of this over the previous two weeks. If there are any problems with logins, see the IT technicians or me. Once logged in, you will be able to see the school Frog homepage or “dashboard”. At the top of the screen there are four dots which represent four different dashboards available. Click on these to find the file access dashboard, the timeline and the personal dashboard page.
New homework assignments will show up on the timeline page. Click on the link and you will be taken to all your assignments with instructions and files to download if necessary. Worksheets may not need to be printed although in most cases you can if you wish.
eventually leave the timeline so it is worth setting up your own dashboard with links to these sites. This will involve clicking the edit button when on your dashboard, finding the sites widget and dragging it onto your dashboard. You will then be able to select the site to link to. For more information on sites, see Mr Burdett or any of the computing team, or see me.
Over the next few months, staff will be developing subject specific sites within Mr Glover frog. You will be invited (assigned) Assistant Headteacher to these sites when they will appear on your timeline. However, these will
Page 21
“Prevent” Assembly On 18th of November, Alex Trombetta from Surrey Police hosted a poignant assembly on “Prevent“ and Terrorism. During the assembly, he outlined his role in the counter-terrorism strategy (prevent, pursue, protect, prepare), in which he plays the role of a Prevent Officer working with schools, local councils and the NHS to raise awareness and make sure there is no radicalisation here in Surrey. This could relate to all kinds of radicalisation from Terrorist groups such as IS to extreme right wing groups. He informed us of the obliviousness of people in Surrey to the possibility of radicalisation here, which - although minute - does occur. He directed our attention to the risk of exposure to extremist material on the internet. The internet is used by some people to promote terrorism and extremism. More than one in five people come across violent and gruesome pictures without searching for them. He informed us that the police cannot do the job alone and he said, “Everyone who uses the internet can help to make it safer.” Whilst we thought that terrorist activity online would just involve radicalisation, he showed us that it in fact involved a wide range of things such as: PagePage 22 22
• speeches or essays calling for racial or religious violence • videos of violence with messages of ‘glorification’ or praise for the attackers • chat forums with postings calling for people to commit acts of terrorism or violent extremism • messages intended to stir up hatred against any religious or ethnic group, and • bomb-making instructions. He then showed us a hard-hitting video of how radicalisation can occur in everyday life and how easy it is to be pulled into the world of radicalisation without noticing and then how difficult it is to escape. He explained how we can help by being vigilant and reporting any suspicious behaviour. Overall, this was a very powerful assembly, particularly in light of the recent atrocities in Paris and across the world, which affected so many of us. Mr Trombetta really helped us to understand and raise awareness of radicalisation.
Adam Ledger (13R) & Safia Bajwa (13M)
Information from Surrey Police’s website Surrey Police works in line with the Government’s Prevent strategy which aims to: • Challenge the ideology that supports terrorism and those who promote it. • Protect vulnerable people from being drawn into terrorist-related activity. • Support sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation.
violent extremism from taking root in our communities. These officers aim to safeguard individuals and institutions from all forms of terrorist ideology and work closely with partner agencies such as local authorities, schools, universities and health institutions, to ensure communities in Surrey are well placed to report and respond to terrorist related concerns. If you have concerns linked to terrorism or violent extremism or you would like to find out more about the strategy please contact the Prevent team at Surrey Police on 101.
The Prevent Strategy can be read in full on the Gov.uk website: https:// www.gov.uk/government/publications/ Terrorist related concerns can be prevent-strategy-2011 reported via the Gov.uk website Surrey Police has a team of Prevent (https://www.gov.uk/report-terrorism) Engagement Officers (PEO’s) who or by calling the Anti-Terrorist Hotline work with the public and partner on 0800 789 321. agencies to prevent terrorism and Page 23
Visit to Auschwitz On Tuesday 10th November, Dan Defries, Heather Thomson, Ben Hardy, Mr Leay and myself were fortunate enough to travel to Krakow in Poland to the site of Auschwitz-Birkenau as part of the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz programme. After receiving a talk by Auschwitz survivor Freddie Knoller at the end of last year, the current Year 13s were offered the opportunity to go to Auschwitz with the HET. Subsequently, we wrote one side of A4 paper as to why we should go; the Sixth Form team along with Mr Dicks then chose the four people they thought should travel to Poland on behalf of the school. The LFA Project focuses on spreading the messages gained from visiting Auschwitz and the overall event of the Holocaust. As part of the programme the members from each school must attend two seminars and then formulate a ‘Next Steps’ 1942. After being placed into groups, project to further the messages. we had a discussion regarding our Prior to the one-day visit to Poland, preconceptions of what Auschwitz we attended a four-hour seminar in London to prepare us. As part of this, would be like and how we may react. During these conversations with our we were given a brief history of the group and Educator, we discussed the Holocaust, from the Ghettoisation of Polish towns in the 1930s, to the Final modern portrayal and conservation Solution at the Wannsee conference in of the camp, including the advent of Page 24
shops and food outlets inside which in effect turns it into a tourist destination as opposed to a scene of mass horror. This issue was obviously contentious and divisive and led to some interesting conversations about how the Holocaust should be approached. The main branch of this conference,
however, was to show us that in order for the Holocaust to be properly remembered, we must humanise the individuals as opposed to treating them as one of the six million. At 3am on Tuesday 10th, we travelled by car to Gatwick, registering at 5am and flying at 7am; surprisingly we were Page 25
Visit to Auschwitz all relatively awake! That is until we got on the plane when Mr Leay and I were the only ones with our eyes open; however we cannot say that the breakfast on the plane was worth being awake for! When we arrived at 10:20am Polish Time at Krakow airport, we once again moved into our groups of about 15 and boarded the coach. The itinerary of the day began with a visit to the village of Oświęcim where before the War a thriving Jewish community had existed. As we walked up the hill we approached a barren stretch of grass where our Educator had informed us that the once ‘Great Synagogue of Oświęcim’ had existed before it was destroyed by the Nazis in November 1939. It was very difficult to imagine the village as it once was, as it more closely resembled a ghost town than a thriving community. We then entered the only remaining synagogue in Oświęcim which is now treated as a pilgrimage for Jewish people. The last Jew of Oświęcim, Szymon Kluger, died in 2000, and so now, the village has descended from a Jewish population of 58% to one of nothing. Inside the last Synagogue of Oświęcim we listened to a talk by Rabbi Andrew Shaw, who told us about Page 26
the traditions and history of Jews in the village, as well as some basics of Judaism. Perhaps the most pertinent information we gained from this visit was the village’s German translation: Auschwitz. After walking back to the coach we embarked on a short journey to Auschwitz I. During the journey Rabbi Shaw played us a song by Abie Rotenberg called ‘The Man from Vilna’ which retells the story of Jews in Poland and ends with the line: “The Jewish people will live on”; this left many in the coach speechless and when the engine stopped in the car park of Auschwitz I the bus was silent. It was very odd getting out of the coach and seeing the large brick building of the Auschwitz entrance, along with various food outlets on either side. After moving through security we met our guide, Alitzia, and thus began our tour. The first notable aspect of the camp was the infamous gate to the huts which reads “Arbeit macht frei” – “Work makes you free”. The hypocrisy and dishonesty of the statement was astonishing as was the fact that anyone who entered the camp was not going to be freed voluntarily. As we walked through the camp the rows
upon rows of huts began to make it feel like a maze. Since 1947 the Polish Government designated Auschwitz I & II a museum of national importance and hence many of the huts are used for educating the public and storing the material evidence of the Holocaust. The first room we entered housed numerous boards providing damming statistics on the number of prisoners that passed through the camp. It was in this room that we learned just how close the Holocaust came to British shores, with the occupation of the Channel Islands from 19401945. From this room on they became harder-hitting, as the material evidence was exposed. The rooms included those containing most famously the piles upon piles of shoes including those of children,
spectacles, pots and pans, suitcases, prosthetic limbs and most harrowing the room full of human hair. It is one thing to read this on paper or online, it is another to see it with your own eyes. These rooms truly exhibited how methodical and thorough the Nazis’ war machine was. The items preserved here would have been taken from Jews either on their arrival to be put to work or stripped from their bodies after being gassed. These rooms affected many among the group and it truly illustrated the barbarism of the regime. After coming out into the open, we continued to travel around the camp bearing witness to numerous examples of horrific treatment. We then arrived at the only gas chamber in Auschwitz I, which resides less than 100m from the Page 27
Visit to Auschwitz family home of the camp commander Rudolf Höss. In between the family house and the chamber stood a dark wooden gallows where Höss was executed in 1947. Although a contentious point, this was a chance to ‘rehumanise the perpetrator’ as the existence of the commandant’s family life so close to his awful dayto-day dealings showed how Rudolf Höss had made a conscious choice to join his family and ‘work’ life. This rehumanisation makes his choices even more devastating, especially when you see the gas chamber from the inside. For me, standing inside the chamber was the most distressing part of the visit, as it was incredibly chilling to stand in a ‘room’ where so many had lost their lives. You cannot understand the experience truly unless you experience it yourself. Upon leaving the gas chamber we returned to the coach in silent contemplation and made the short journey to Auschwitz II Birkenau. Our first experience of Birkenau was standing on the train track that leads directly into the camp. We then travelled up the notorious watch tower to a view no prisoner would have ever experienced, of the entire camp. Page 28
Many noted that the beautiful sunset almost didn’t seem right when it set upon the barrenness of the camp, so vast that it moves beyond the tree line. In actuality the camp is 2km by 1km and runs beyond the forest in the distance. After descending down into the camp, we toured around some replica wooden huts previously used a horse barns. By now it was dark, and we moved up to the sorting platform where families on arrival would be split: men who could work on the right, and the women, children, the old and infirm on the left. Those on the right would leave to laborious work, those on the left would be gassed immediately. For many on the trip this was the defining moment and showed the realism of the situation they faced. We subsequently travelled down in the darkness, to the ruins of the final gas chamber of Birkenau where Alitzia gave her final talk of the day. The final room housed thousands of family pictures taken from those gassed in the camp. This was truly when the Holocaust was rehumanised. Rabbi Shaw then gave a final closing speech on the importance of the lessons learned from the trip and its relevance in modern day about tolerance, acceptance and the
dangers of treating others as lesser beings than yourself. Rabbi Shaw stated that anti-Semitism is not a thing of the past and that it still exists today. For him, any form of racism and intolerance is unacceptable in a modern society. Genocides of the masses are unfortunately not a thing of the past, and still continue today. The Holocaust was the first example of methodical mass killing the world had seen, and it is now the job of the ensuing generations to remember, take note, and act upon these messages. Following this closing speech we all lit a candle and placed in on the train tracks in pitch black darkness. After a long and emotionally draining day we made the coach journey back to Kraków airport to find out our plane had been delayed due to a technical
difficultly. After a long wait we took off on a replacement flight at 12:20am Polish time and arrived at Gatwick at 2am. I was back in my bed by 3am, 24 hours after I left! On Sunday 15th we all attended a follow up conference to reflect upon our experiences and began to plan our ‘Next Steps’ project. Holocaust Memorial Day is on January 27th 2016, 71 years after Auschwitz was liberated by the Red Army, and in the weeks prior to this, each year group will have an assembly dedicated to Auschwitz and the Holocaust. Many thanks to the HET, Sixth Form team, Mr Dicks and Mr Leay for their continued support in allowing the four of us to experience something that will never be forgotten.
Charlie Knight (13A)
Page 29
Primary School Gala Shield
Here are this year’s results: 1st Place – Whyteleafe - 143 points 2nd Place – St John’s – 115 points 3rd Place – Audley – 90 points On Tuesday 24th November, seven primary schools came to keenly compete for the Primary Gala Shield. This competition has been running since 2008 and this was our 9th occasion of hosting the event (the competition took place twice in one year). It was lovely to see the pool filled with keen and enthusiastic primary swimmers and their teachers and their parents. Page 30
4th Place – Hamsey Green – 89 points 5th Place – Woodlea – 86 points 6th Place – Hillcroft - 77 points 7th Place – St Francis – 71 points As you can see from the points, it was a particularly close contest this year. The students ranged from Year 4 to Year 6 boys and girls. They took part in a range of different events,
from a 50m freestyle to the Medley Relay. It was super to see such a range of abilities in the participants, from a freestyle swimmer performing an excellent tumble-turn to the student who was competing in this type of event for the first time. The gala relies on a wide range of volunteers who are willing to share their expertise and experience. We were delighted to have back two of our regular volunteers, Tina Cornelius, Assistant Head Coach at Redhill and Reigate Swimming Club and Steve Hinton (Vice-Chairman, Coach and Head Official) also from
Redhill and Reigate Swimming Club. This event provides us with a great platform on which to host our gala, with Tina Cornelius in the role of Chief Whip and Steve Hinton as Starter. In addition to their super support, we were fortunate to have Lynn Banwell and her team of four students from de Stafford School who also took on various supportive roles throughout the event. Page 31
Primary School Gala Shield There are so many people to thank for giving their time - prior to and during the gala - and making sure the gala was a success. I would like to thank the PE department for vacating the facilities, Pam Mutter for producing the certificates, Gary Brown for making sure the pool was fit for purpose, Melanie Filmer for contributing some sportsmanship prizes, Ms Clark and her tech team for setting up the sound system, Penny Stock for her wonderful job with all the paperwork for the results, for producing the final set of results and for all the other help and advice that was given behind the scenes. Last but by no means least we would particularly like to thank the sixth formers for the vital roles they undertook prior to and during the gala. A big thank you for their great leadership skills goes to Maisie Stock (Year 13 Life Guard) and the CSLA group consisting of: Leah Barden, Rebecca Cameron, Natalie French, Ben Hickmott, Olivia King, Amy Knight, Megan Langridge, Rebecca McDonald, Lewis Nicholson, Daniel Pacitti, Francesca Parker, Daisy Roadnight, Robbie Roper and Dan Whittingham. Two of our sixth formers wrote: The swimming gala was very Page 32
successful and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It was good to see all the children having a good time and taking part in the event as well as all of their parents coming to watch! The encouragement from everyone was amazing and everyone had a really good and successful day!
Olivia King 12M
Being a part of CSLA, I felt very pleased with how the swimming gala was run. The primary school children loved having the experience to compete against other schools and
perform alongside teachers and sixth formers. I felt the swimming gala went very well, and I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to work alongside some excellent swimming coaches and officials from Redhill and Reigate Swimming Club. I had the role of Assistant Whip, which consists of getting all of the swimmers ready and put into the heats before handing over to the Chief Whip who would sort them in the correct order for their event. The role was a lot harder than I thought but it taught me different skills that I didn’t know were needed for a swimming
gala. I also learnt about all the different roles needed and how much time and effort is needed in order to make an event successful.
Natalie French (12H)
School swimming is such an important life skill so it was rewarding to see so many primary children enjoying the gala. They especially appreciated receiving their certificates and medals from Mr Bradwell. Perhaps there is a future champion amongst them!
Mrs V. Salem P.E. Teacher
Page 33
Dr Wai Liu visits the school
On 15th October 2015, Year 12 and Year 13 students had the amazing opportunity to listen to a presentation during their assembly from Dr Wai Liu, during which he talked about his career and explained how to get into the science field. Dr Wai Liu is a researcher at St George’s, University of London - a Medical School located in Tooting that Page 34
is one of the colleges of the University of London. Dr Wai Liu runs a small team that focuses on developing new therapeutic approaches for cancer - working on modifying the immune system and designing new drugs and combination strategies. The most recent work that has garnered a lot of press has been the use of cannabis as an anticancer agent.
In his presentation, he spoke about his career as a scientific researcher and the importance of choosing the right courses for your intended field of work. Many students found this to be helpful.
understand that work experience shows universities that you have had some experience in a particular job and therefore you might be a better candidate. Also he mentioned how the EPQ really makes a candidate stand After the presentation, many of our out; the EPQ is a highly recognised Year 10-12 students, who have an interest in science, had the opportunity qualification by universities and is therefore highly rewarding. to meet with Dr Wai Liu and ask him questions and for him to give more He was also very helpful and information on what is involved in informative when answering our science careers and how to progress questions. He discussed the types into those careers. of universities that may be suited for a course, like Imperial College in He spoke about different types of science careers and the importance of London for those with in an interest in medicine. choosing the right A Levels, such as Chemistry for biochemistry research. Many of the Year 10 students seemed to find this helpful. Furthermore, he really helped Year 12 students to have a better idea of what courses they might want to study at university. He spoke about universities and what they looked for in applicants. He emphasised the importance of having work experience and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). The students really got to
I myself found this particularly useful; it really helped me to know what field I wanted to study and where I want to study. Before the presentation, I was indecisive about what to do but thanks to Dr Wai Liu, I now know that I want to go into biological research. On behalf of all the students, we want to say a huge thank you to Dr Wai Liu for the time taken to inform us about science and to answer our questions. Also a thank you to the Year 10-12 students for attending; I’m sure all found it to be useful. Furthermore, a huge thank you to the school who allowed this amazing opportunity to happen.
Joy Tarre (12N) Page 35
TaeKwonDo!
As part of the Community Sports Leadership Award (CSLA) course, our students also get to experience some taster sessions on how to coach various activities. This term they had a chance to experience Tae Kwon-Do, led by our own ‘in-house’ expert and Sports Facilities Manager, Gary Brown. Page 36
Gary is passionate about Tae KwonDo which is a Korean martial art with a heavy emphasis on kicks. He himself has represented the country in this sport and it was wonderful to see how he engaged with our Sixth Form students and took them through their paces on a Wednesday afternoon.
As well as our CSLA students going out into the community to enthuse and lead in various sporting activities, it is also important for them to see first-hand how various sports can be coached and led.
Mrs Salem P.E. Teacher Page 37
School Council visits the Palace of Westminster!
On 28th September, the School Council representatives of 20142015 went on a trip to the Houses of Parliament. After walking down to Upper Warlingham station, we caught a train to London Victoria. As it was a beautiful day we decided to sit down and have lunch outside Westminster Abbey. We then carried on walking towards the Houses of Parliament. On the way we passed Big Ben, it was great to see it up close! When we arrived at the Houses of Parliament, we had to go through security and were given a pass to wear. We met our guide who gave us a brilliant tour. Firstly, we walked through the entrance where the Queen Page 38
would arrive. We then went into the Royal Gallery. On the walls there were amazing portraits of monarchs. The stained glass windows were beautiful and very interesting to look at. We then made our way through the House of Commons and the House of Lords. We learnt lots of interesting facts about them both, including that there are 650 MPs elected to the House of Commons, 502 of them are men; 148 are women. The House of Commons has green benches, and the House of Lords has red benches. After finishing our tour we went through to the workshop, which was based on debating. We learnt lots during the workshop, such as how to structure your arguments and how the
tone of your voice will depend on what your debate is about. We also learnt rules of Parliament; we learnt that it is forbidden to accuse anybody of lying, if you do it may conclude in you being removed/suspended from Parliament. It is also extremely rare to hear any applause.
Overall, I had a wonderful day at the Houses of Parliament. I have learnt lots of new information that I feel will help me in my future. For me, this trip was extremely successful!
Maisie Keller (10W)
Page 39
Alex Ghattas Community Governor I joined the Board of Governors during my son’s first term at Warlingham in Year 7 in October 2014. I have another son aged 9 who will hopefully be joining Warlingham when the time comes. I grew up in Derby but also spent some time overseas as my father was in the Army. After University, I moved to Manchester – mainly for the social life but also for the wider career opportunities. I therefore started my career in Manchester before being relocated down south to my company’s head office. At the time, my wife (then my girlfriend) and I agreed that we would spend 5 years down south before moving back up north to start a family. That was 17 years ago and although we enjoy the trips to see family and friends, we never regret the decision to stay here. My working life has evolved over the Page 40
years and I have moved from being an accountant working in industry to being a management consultant working for one of the ‘Big 4’ Accountancy firms, focusing on Strategy and Finance. It’s really 2 sides of the same fence but the change has at least made me seem more interesting at parties, or so my friends tell me. I’d like to think that my Finance and Strategy experience will help the school ensure that it’s back-office functions are well-run, efficient and financially sound, which in turn provides the right platform for the teachers to focus on the kids and the teaching. As we look forward and anticipate the economic and political climates, these things seem to be ever more important. I’m a keen Derby County supporter, which has been a painful thing to admit sometimes, and I am now acquiring my FA coaching badges.
Rather than just watching my sons play football, I’d rather try and be more constructive than just shouting on the touchline. I believe that the school has a very strong board of governors, great teaching staff and supportive parents, all of which combine to make Warlingham an ever-more attractive option for future students. I am sure we are well placed for whatever the future holds.
Steve Burn Parent Governor I was delighted to be invited to join the Warlingham School Board of Governors as a Parent Governor on the arrival of my daughter in Year 7. I have three other children, a 23 year old son, who is building a career in the world of acting and directing, a son aged 11, who will hopefully be starting at Warlingham School in September, and a daughter, aged 8. I was born in the North East of England and moved to Croydon 30 years ago but I remain a fanatical follower of Sunderland Football Club - my home town.
(I have adopted Crystal Palace as my second team of course!). It is more important than ever to support schools and I am able to bring my experience of over 30 years in Banking, including Strategic and Risk roles leading to my current role in Corporate Banking, supporting businesses in the UK and hopefully helping them to grow and provide employment and wealth. Whilst rightly, the major focus is on education of children in school, it is essential in modern times to ensure the school has a solid base in terms of funding, stability and direction and this is where the Governors provide support to the Headteacher and staff. I’ve found Warlingham to be a really friendly and vibrant school which is testimony to the Headteacher, his team and everyone involved. It makes the hard work worthwhile and I’m sure the school has a great future. In my spare time I am a taxi driver for my children! With the time left, I enjoy keeping fit, running, and swimming in particular as well as being an avid sport watcher.
Page 41
Dates for your diary
Friday 18th December 2015 Last Day of Autumn Term - Early Closure: 12.30pm
Tuesday 5th January 2016 Staff In-Service Training Day
Wednesday 6th January 2016 First Day of Spring Term for Students
Friday 15th January 2016 Year 11 Mock Results Ceremony Year 11 Reports Home
Wednesday 20th January 2016 Year 7 Parents’ Evening
Friday 29th January 2016 Year 9 Reports Home
Page 42 Page 42
Monday 1st - Friday 5th February 2016 Years 7-9 Internal Assessments Week Year 10 Exam Week
Wednesday 3rd February 2016 Year 9 Parents’ Evening
Wednesday 10th February 2016 Year 9 Options Evening
Monday 15th - Friday 19th February 2016 Half Term
Please check the calendar on our website for a full list of dates: http://www.warlinghamschool.co.uk/92/ calendar
Page 43 Page 43
Widening Horizons Raising Aspirations
Warlingham School Address: Tithepit Shaw Lane, Warlingham, Surrey, CR6 9YB Tel: 01883 624067 Fax: 01883 624026 Email: info@warlinghamschool.co.uk Website: www.warlinghamschool.co.uk