SENIOR
ISSUE 5 • SUMMER 2020
Congratulations Class of 2020 PAGE 2
stedwards.co.uk
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE...
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A Very Special Award
St Edward’s House Cup 2020
Art Exhibition
Lockdown Decathlon
St Edward’s Senior & Sixth Form, Cirencester Road, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 8EY T:01242 388555 E:reception@stedwards.co.uk
At the end of the Summer Term we held our annual Speech Day. It was, due to the circumstances at the time, a virtual event, but when putting my speech together it was wonderful to see just how much has been achieved by our community during the year, despite the difficulties posed by lockdown. It has been a challenging year for us all, but there will still many successes for us to be extremely proud of. Academically we achieved an outstanding set of public examination results, with record numbers of our Upper Sixth students securing entry to their first choice universities – you can read more about this below. As a community we also achieved a great deal as we carried on with School life, adapting and changing according to the circumstances, but still finding ways to ensure that a full and rounded St Edward’s educational experience was on offer to all, even though we couldn’t be physically in School. The new academic year brings with it a whole host of developments at St Edward’s. We are embarking on an ambitious project as we join the High Performance Learning Group of world schools. Being part of the group will enable us to enhance and extend the educational experience for all our students. We have also introduced a Choose Your Own Device Scheme, allowing students to build on the skills developed during Distance Learning School, and bringing technology to the fore in our classrooms. The new academic year is full of opportunities and I, along with all of the teaching staff, will be encouraging each and every one of our students to embrace everything that comes their way. We are a School of personal bests and it is our aim to ensure that every member of our community feels appreciated, valued and supported to exceed beyond their potential. I, for one, am really excited about what our School community can achieve together in the coming years and I very much look forward to sharing news of our success in future editions of this termly magazine.
DATES FOR THE DIARY Autumn Term 2020 Term Starts: Thursday 3rd September Senior & Sixth Form Open Morning: Saturday 26th September Half Term: Monday 19th October – Friday 30th October Term Ends: Friday 18th December
Social Media links For all the very latest from the Senior School & Sixth Form please follow us on Twitter: • @StEdwards_Chelt • @SportStEds – for news of our sporting activities • @StEdSenior_Head And on Instagram: • stedwardscheltenham You can also like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ StEdwardsSchoolCheltenham
Mr M Burke Headmaster
Congratulations Class of 2020
In what was a challenging year on so many levels, we were delighted to announce the outstanding sets of results achieved by our Year 11 and Year 13 students at GCSE and A Level. Thanks to their fortitude, along with the academic and pastoral support provided by our dedicated teaching staff, our students were justly rewarded for the effort and commitment they had put into their two years of study. At A Level, our students secured 42% of all results at Grades A*-A, 73% at Grades A*-B, 94% at Grades A*-C, and there was a 100% pass rate. At GCSE we saw 12% of all results at Grade 9, 26% at Grade 9 or 8 and 47% of all results at Grades 9 to 7. With 77% of results at Grades 6 or above and 98% at Grades 9-4, St Edward’s performed significantly above the national average.
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Headmaster, Matthew Burke, said “Our Year 11 and Upper Sixth students have faced enormous challenges this year. With the introduction of remote learning, uncertainty over how they
would be assessed and debates over the way in which their grades were going to be awarded. All Upper Sixth students who are leaving us this year having completed their A Level studies are a success. Our value-added scores place us in the top 3% of schools nationally, and we know that the educational experience we provide not only ensures our students achieve academic success, but that they are prepared for the next stage in their lives. For Year 11 students moving into our Sixth Form, I very much look forward to seeing them develop as they continue their learning journey with us, and to celebrating further successes with them in the years to come.”
A Very Special Award
VIRTUAL SPEECH DAY
In June we were very proud to announce that SSgt Keylock was awarded the Lord Lieutenants Certificate of Meritorious Service, in recognition of his work with the Combined Cadet Force at St Edward’s School.
This Award is given for exceptional meritorious service rendered to the Reserves and Cadet forces in the county and recognises those among the community, whose performance is exceptional. Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenants are the representatives of the Crown for each county in the United Kingdom. Men and women of all backgrounds, they are appointed directly by Her Majesty the Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister. SSgt Keylock, who holds the rank of Staff Sergeant Instructor, has committed 25 years of service to the Cadet Force. His professional approach, passion and determination has gained the very best from all those under his command over the years. Driven to develop our young leaders, he never fails to go above and beyond to find the
energy to motivate, create opportunities to learn and invest his time to nurture our students. Contingent Commander Major Winfield who nominated SSgt Keylock for the Award commented “Having operated within the Cadet Force system for over two decades it is remarkable to see such a visionary approach to training; innovative in delivery and forward thinking in new concepts and ideas. The St Edward’s Combined Cadet Force Contingent has had considerable success that must be attributed to SSgt Keylock and his unwavering commitment.” CCF is one of the most popular extra-curricular activities at St Edward’s and provides an excellent opportunity for developing leadership skills, confidence and self-discipline.
House History Competition In May, it was fantastic to see that so many students, parents and staff took the time to enter the House History Mini-Essay Competition. The History Department was delighted to receive a range of excellent entries, across all the age categories.
Head of History, Mr Martin, said ‘I personally learnt a huge amount reading the essays and it was fascinating to see the range of historical figures that people chose; from relatively well known figures such as Martin Luther King and Florence Nightingale to much more obscure, little known figures such as Elizabeth Smith Freidman and Katherine Johnson.’ The quality of entries was high, with the time and effort that people had put into their entries obvious. Many of the entries also focused on historical figures with personal links to the writer, which was lovely to see. As all of the essays were so interesting, well written and informative, it was decided that all students who entered would receive five House Points, along with a small edible prize upon return to school. Mr Martin also sourced some prizes for all of the parents who entered!
After much deliberation, the following category winners were chosen: • Key Stage 3 & 4: Sophie E (Year 10), for her entry about Katherine Johnson. • Sixth Form: Elinor H E (Year 12), for her essay about Cicero. • Parents – there were joint winners in this category: Mrs Hogg, for the essay she wrote about her friend and neighbour John Cornwell, who served in World War Two. Mr Dagnall, who wrote about President John F Kennedy. • A special mention was also made regarding one of our families, 75% of whom entered the competition. A special award went to Rose M (Year 7) as the winner of the her ‘family category’ – well done Rose! It was wonderful to see that the study and subject of History is clearly so thriving amongst the St Edward’s community.
This has been a year of firsts for many of us, and Speech Day was no exception, being hosted online for the first time in our history. One of our most treasured traditions, the event was available to watch on the last morning of the Summer Term. Headmaster, Mr Burke, opened proceedings with a prayer from Father Pat. He followed this with an overview of the academic year, reflecting on both the individual and collective successes of our students. Head Boy Ben R and Head Girl, Olivia I, presented an excellent speech reflecting on their time at St Edward’s and the ways in which the school has prepared them for life after Year 13. Viewers also heard from guest speaker Ian Yorston, Head of Digital Strategy at Radley College. Mr Yorston spoke about his favourite subject: Technology, focusing on future developments and the impact these will have on our lives. With the inclusion of poems, read by Rebecca W (Year 13) and William G (Year 11), along with a performance of ‘What a Wonderful World’ by the Chapel Choir, it was a lovely way to mark the end of a most unusual year.
ST EDWARD’S GOT TALENT This term, we hosted our first ever virtual talent show. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to showcase their amazing talents and skills, whilst competing to earn points for their Houses. The online format also required entrants to use additional skills associated with staging and filming a performance effectively, skills that are increasingly important in our digital world. All students were encouraged to take part, and we had a wide range of entries. Our seven finalists battling it out demonstrated an eclectic mix of skills from singing and playing instruments, to freestyle tennis, a Bo Staff routine, riding a unicycle and dancing. The performances were compiled into a show-reel and circulated to all students and staff with an online voting link. Congratulations to the eventual winner Leo P (Year 7) for his fantastic Bo Staff routine. Leo is self-taught, practising this type of martial art weaponry in his back garden during lock-down. A peaceful practice, Bo Staff is used to defend yourself rather than attack.
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Almost Too Good to Eat Nothing beats cooking and eating together with your family! The Easter holidays provided the perfect opportunity for our Senior School pupils to make the most of their extra time, perfecting their cake making and decorating skills.
GETTING CREATIVE WITH PSYCHOLOGY
Mrs Watson set the challenge of an Easter Cake Baking Competition, asking staff and students alike to get creative and make full use of their store cupboard supplies to whip up a cake worthy of an Easter celebration! As taste testing was sadly not an option, the decoration theme of ‘Easter’ was particularly important. The challenge proved very popular, with a flurry of entries arriving before the deadline.
Whilst distance learning proved to be a welcome source of normality during the difficult time of lockdown, we were very aware that our students were spending lots more time looking at a screen than they usually would. To try and provide a bit of a time away from screens, our teachers were continually coming up with innovative ways in which to include learning activities that could be completed in a more ‘analogue’ way.
After hard deliberations, the winning bakers were as follows: • KS3 Winner: Emma B (Year 7) for her beautifully decorated cake, with Easter nests on top. • KS3 Highly commended: Shamiliya M (Year 8), Rose M (Year 7), Katy B (Year 7) & Annabelle C (Year 8). • KS4 Winner: Ollie R (Year 10) whose cake was a chocolate feast for your eyes, complete with a cheeky bunny rabbit! • KS4 Highly commended: Henry F (Year 10) and Nino F-G (Year 10).
One of the areas that Year 12 Psychology students were exploring during the Summer Term was phobias. As part of their project work and to consolidate their learning, they were set some creative tasks to represent what they have been studying. There were some excellent responses to the tasks, including a variety of posters about phobias and a coffee and walnut cake depicting the areas of the brain which even included elements representing some of the studies and theories covered in class.
Student Leadership Team 2020/21 At the end of June, we welcomed 12 members of the student body onto the Student Leadership Team at the Senior School
HOMES OF THE FUTURE Year 9 students created some excellent drawings to illustrate their ideas for a topic entitled ‘Houses of the Future’. As part of the project they were encouraged to think about sustainability and elements that could make dwellings more eco-friendly. From features like low energy lighting and effective insulation to reduce energy wastage, to space for recycling containers and car charging ports, the students explored the possibilities for more efficient home design to suit modern living. To continue their work on this project, the students went on to bring their drawings to life by constructing 3D models of their designs!
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The team are an integral part of our community, representing the School externally and providing support during a number of events, such as open days and parents’ evenings. They also meet regularly with senior teaching staff, making sure that the issues which are important to the student body are heard. Their role in the pastoral system at St Edward’s is equally as important, with all of the Student Leadership Team being assigned to a specific school stage to act as their point of contact for any concerns relating to school life. As senior members of the school our prefects are well placed to offer useful advice, often drawn from their own experiences.
Students must apply for these roles and complete an interview process with several of our senior teachers in order to prove that they are able to provide the commitment and maturity required for their preferred position. The team for the 2020/21 academic year will be led by Head Girl, Harriet R and Head Boy, James C. Headmaster, Mr Burke, commented, “I am delighted with the calibre of the applications received for these posts. Assigning the roles was a tough decision but I am very pleased with the student Leadership Team that have been chosen, I’m sure they will do an excellent job and prove to be fantastic role models for our younger students.”
St Edward’s House Cup 2020 During the penultimate week of term, students at St Edward’s Senior & Sixth Form had a fantastic time celebrating House Day, with various competitions taking place virtually. There was a huge amount of House Spirit on show with students doing their best to help their respective Houses earn as many points as possible. Three elements made up the event – A Scavenger Hunt, A Workout and World Record Attempts. With bonus points on offer for the best entries in each section of the event there was certainly a lot to play for!
Congratulations to everyone for the dedication and commitment shown to all House events this academic year!
Our students were set the target of obtaining a Bronze Award by the end of Summer Term and a number of students from all three years of KS3 managed to successfully complete the challenge. Congratulations to: Bethany B (Y9), Leah B (Y7), James D (Y8), Braeden F (Y7), Jackson F (Y9), Josh H (Y9), Patrick M (Y7), Charlie M (Y9), Rose M (Y7), Arabella N (Y8), Megan P (Y8), Jack P (Y8), Georgia P (Y8) and David W (Y8).
Along with the House Points accumulated throughout the year, the totals from House Day, as well as the Lockdown Decathlon, were then all combined to decide the overall winners of the House Cup. This year, Newman House took the Crown, having performed exceptionally well throughout!
A PRACTICAL RETURN FOR YEAR 10 & YEAR 12
Virtual Clubs At St Edward’s, we encourage pupils to get fully involved in all aspects of School life to gain the most from all the academic, extra-curricular, sporting and cultural activities on offer.
During lockdown it was especially important for us to maintain the provision as best as we could. Some of our clubs needed to adapt, for example Choir became a virtual ‘Sing Up St Edward’s’ session held once a week through teams and Science Club morphed into a teams-based group experiment session using household items! Other clubs needed to be put on hold in their usual form (such as team sports) and be replaced by alternatives, for example, the PE Department’s new
During the Summer Term KS3 students took on the challenge of the national Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award, known as iDEA. iDEA is an international programme of online challenges that aims to help people to develop digital, enterprise and employability skills. iDEA can essentially be thought of as ‘Duke of Edinburgh for IT skills’ with a huge range of badges on offer, from graphic design through to robotics, data and programming. Each badge comes with a points allocation that participants store up to go towards Awards.
A great deal of fun was had, especially with the World Record attempts section of the event. Ten challenges were set for this part of the competition, including: • the fastest time to put on a double duvet. • the most marshmallows eaten in one minute. • the fastest time to unravel a toilet roll.
Clubs and extra-curricular activities are an important aspect of school life. They provide outlets for students to tap into their creativity, pick up new skills and to socialise. They can often be credited with making valuable contributions to the educational and developmental journey of our students.
KS3 TAKE ON THE IDEA CHALLENGE
Running Club. Participants are encouraged to use the app ‘Strava’ to track their progress, with prizes awarded for most improved times, longest accumulative distance and elevation gained by the end of term. It was wonderful to see how well the students responded to the adjusted offerings and we were really pleased to see so many of them continuing to participate.
In June, the Senior School welcomed back its first students since the start of lockdown (apart from the children of Key Workers who remained at School throughout). Those taking GCSE and A Level subjects involving practical work, had the opportunity to come into School for an afternoon session in the respective practical area. The sessions ran through right until the end of term. A whole range of measures were put into place to keep staff and pupils safe and the lessons were structured so that no equipment sharing was necessary and social distancing could be maintained. On arrival students reported to a registration venue, where thorough handwashing and safety briefings took place. The groups were then taken to their classes for Art, PE, Food Technology and Design Technology. This additional face-to-face interaction was hugely beneficial to these students, who were completing on-going project work in advance of entering an important exam year in September.
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Will M (Lower Sixth)
Oliver B (Upper Sixth)
Oscar W (Year 11)
Kenna M (Year 11)
Lucy C (Year 11)
Katy K
(Lower
Sixth)
Aine L (Year 11)
Harry D (Year 11)
David C (Upper Sixth)
Abbie M (Upper Sixth)
Sixth) Sara O (Upper
Phoebe R (Lower Sixth)
ART EXHIBITION 2020 During the Summer Term we usually hold an Art Exhibition to allow us to show the pieces of work created by our talented St Edward’s artists. As we were unfortunately not able to do that this year, we thought we would share a selection of their work with you here instead!
Grace R (Lower Sixth)
Alice B (Year 11)
Olivia I (Upper Sixth)
Joe B (Lower Sixth) Mairead M (Year 11)
Isobel H (Y ear 11)
Lockdown Decathlon In mid-June, Senior School students donned their sports kit and trainers in order to compete in the much-loved annual Sports Day. This year, social distancing rules meant that things were a little different, so the Sports Department had to get creative and find a way to run the 2020 event online. They worked especially hard in the preceding weeks to curate a weeklong, virtual version of the event, christened the ‘Lockdown Decathlon’. On each day, two new events were released via video introduction, with students in Year 7 to Year 13 challenged to take part in as many events as they wished. All events were easy to complete at home with improvised equipment. Examples included 100m hurdles (jumping over food tins), Pole Vault and even the Discus (with a wellington boot!). By running the activities in this way, it
enabled the Sports staff to ensure that as many students as possible could get involved, have fun, feel connected and keep active. Over the week we even found that competing without a crowd had the added benefit of removing any performance anxiety which resulted in lots of students being open to trying events in which they don’t usually compete. We also saw many of the teaching staff taking part too! House Points were awarded for every entry, meaning 10 precious points were up for grabs for each student over the course of the week. This had the potential to make a huge difference to the overall total for each House!
The final results were as follows: • 1st - Newman • 2nd - Fisher • 3rd - More Victrix Ludorum (top scoring girls) and Victor Ludorum (top scoring boys) were as follows: Victrix Ludorum: Rose M (Year 7), Abigail T and Megan P (Year 8), Hannah L (Year 9), Mackenzie J (Year 10), Sam W (Year 12) Victor Ludorum: Ieuan B and Oliver B (Year 7), Biz L (Year 8), Minte L (Year 9), Oliver R (Year 10), Jonny F (Year 12).
Work out with Sport St Ed’s Every day during lockdown students (and staff!) were invited to “Workout with SportStEdwards”. Each day our amazing and energetic sports teachers posted a new Fitness, Skill or Challenge session for people to try.
Fitness activities included: High Intensity Interval Training, Circuit Training and Interval type activities. Students and staff were put through their paces so that we all remained active and kept moving during lockdown. The skills drills covered a whole range of sports from rugby passing, golf putting, and balance and stability exercises, to carpark cricket, tennis volleys and hockey penalty flicks. Each skills practice was designed to hone technique and improve performance in whichever sport was on offer. The Challenge sessions were a mixture of fitness challenges covering health and fitness. As well as physical challenges such as press ups and burpees and target hitting, there were also challenges to make a vitamin-packed smoothie, healthy turkey burgers for the BBQ and even a Daal. The various activities certainly kept us on our toes, provided some light relief and ensured that we were able to enjoy some all-important time away from screens and do something active during the period of online learning.
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