Autumn 2018

Allerton Grange Life

Issue 10

Autumn 2018

Students put a brake on speedy drivers

From 19 to 23 November, groups of Year 7 and 8 students were involved in Road Safety Week, helping drivers in our local community think about the speed they travel at and how they can be safer on the road.

Students worked with PC Brown, used the Speed Indication Device, speed cameras and completed traffic surveys on streets close to school. We were able to work with Talbot Primary School, helping raise awareness amongst parents of younger and older students.

We are pleased to be part of this initiative to promote life-saving messages and support Brake, the road safety charity that works to prevent road death and injury, makes communities and streets safer and supports victims of road accidents. Brake coordinates Road Safety Week in the UK which is the country’s biggest road safety event.

Associate Assistant Head Teacher, Leanne Hosty, said “It was great to see 25 of our KS3 students confidently taking part in roadside surveys and assisting police officers with speed guns and other speed calming devices” The school has been overwhelmed by positive feedback from parents and local residents - we will be back again soon to reinforce our message.

Message from a proud Headteacher I am always so proud of how our students at Allerton Grange demonstrate the school’s core values of Aspire, Grow, Succeed. Of course, success can be measured in many different ways – but for now I would like to recognise the talent that is regularly displayed in our Music, Drama and PE events. As a school, we are very fortunate to have such talented students in these three disciplines – in addition we are so lucky to have such wonderful teachers and support-staff who foster this talent and encourage students to perform with such brilliance. This term we have already seen wonderful Music and Drama performances but also brilliant performances on the sports field. Well done and thank you to everyone who has represented Allerton Grange – you are a credit to our school.

A further example of students demonstrating our values is through them becoming Lead Learners – we set the bar understandably high for this award and yet we have increasing numbers meeting the criteria every term. Well done and thank you to every Lead Learner – you are clearly being the best you can be.

Finally, I would like to congratulate all those students who have been nominated for a Hot Chocolate Friday meeting with me, this term. Each week, the nominations from year teams are so varied and yet the common characteristic is that each student has performed in a very special way – it is a pleasure to spend a little time with them talking about their learning and their time at Allerton Grange.

Wishing everyone a happy Christmas - Mr Roper Allerton Grange Life

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Leading the way...

Well done to our fantastic students who have earned the title of Lead Learner for their achievements in the spring term. These students have secured fewer than 10 behaviour points, all As and Bs in attitude to learning and at least 95% attendance to school.

Many are Lead Learners for the second time in a row. All Lead Learners are recognised in assemblies and receive a special badge to wear on the lapel of their jackets.

Mr Roper, Headteacher at Allerton Grange School, said “We are extremely proud of our students who embrace our motto of Aspire, Grow, Succeed, rising to the high standards we expect in terms of behaviour and attitude. Achieving Lead Learner status shows that they have earned special recognition; they are leading by example for others to follow.”

In November 2019, our Year 7 Lead Learners were confirmed. This group of students had zero behaviour points, As and Bs for their attitude to learning and at least 95% attendance during the first half term of Year 7.

above: Years 8-11 Lead Learners

below: Year 7 Lead Learners

AGS offers unique Classical Civilisation course

Allerton Grange School has become the only state funded school in Leeds to offer Classical Civilisation (Classics) at GCSE and one of only three sixth forms to offer it at A Level. Students studying towards these qualifications have started lessons with Miss Williams, Curriculum Leader for History, who spearheaded the campaign and secured the funding needed to offer the courses as part of our curriculum.

Classical Civilisation allows students to study the culture, history, art and literature of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Although mainly taught in private schools, our students now have the opportunity to obtain an unusual and highly regarded qualification that may help them to stand out from the crowd.

Complementing the new qualifications, Miss Williams is also launching an extra-curricular club to teach students Latin. Classes will start later in the autumn term and run throughout the year.

Mr Roper, Headteacher at Allerton Grange, said “We are extremely pleased to bring a new and exciting subject into our curriculum offer, which reflects our highly aspirational vision. Many thanks to Classics for All, The Roman Society and the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies whose support has made this possible.”

Allerton Grange Life

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Much Ado - ‘moving and thought-provoking’

Allerton Grange’s student production of Much Ado About Nothing gave students of all ages the opportunity to showcase their talents in our annual Shakespeare production. It told the stories of two couples, Claudio and Hero and Beatrice and Benedick, whilst exploring themes of family honour and revenge.

The AGS interpretation of the Shakespearean comedy was set in Messina, the day after World War 1 ended, as a memorial to the 100 year anniversary of the end of the war to end all wars; we put on not one but two moving and thought-provoking performances.

On 21 November, children from Talbot Primary and Moor Allerton Hall Primary joined us for a matinee performance of the play. The cast then performed for a second time at 7 pm to an audience of amazingly supportive family and friends, school staff and the general public.

Miss Carter, co-director, said, “Weeks of hard work paid off on Wednesday night when the fantastic group of budding actors performed their version of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.”

There was added excitement at the evening performance as Olympian Nicola Adams OBE was in the audience and the cast met her afterwards.

Allerton Grange Life

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Music students impress in exam recitals

by Faizaan Iqbal (Year 12) November’s music concert, hosted by the comical duo, Lewis S and Luke A, was a huge success. All the participating students put on an incredible show for the audience to enjoy. All performances are recorded for coursework purposes and all the students’ individual pieces were played to an extremely high standard. Highlights of the event included Ellie A’s perfect execution of the song ‘She Used to be Mine’ from Waitress and a group performance of Freya Ridings’ ‘Lost Without You’ by Amy R, Chrissie D, Frida J and Malaika H from the Year 9 Enrichment Class.

The Key Stage 4 and 5 Concert took place on Thursday 22 November and involved all of our talented music students from Year 9 right up to Year 12. The show opened with Derek B, Sam A-S, Jessica S and Kaia B with a very impressive display of ‘Radioactive’ by the Imagine Dragons. Several acts followed: Kiyoshi C brilliantly performed ‘Picture’ by Dave. Impressively, he also played the piano alongside his rapping. Other highlights included Year 10’s Arshia S, beautifully playing the piano to ‘Revolution’ by Phil Gardiner.

Mara M also showed off her very strong vocal skills, performing ‘Still Hunting’ by The Last Five Years. Tabi C performed a unique DJ mix including ‘Treasure’ by Bruno Mars and ‘Baby I’m Yours’ by Break Box. DJing has now been recognised as a performance by AQA and is now part of the Music specification, allowing Tabi’s DJing to be assessed.

At Allerton Grange, we take huge pride in our Music performances. We are also extremely grateful and applaud all the performers who work so hard to perform at the high standard they do. Many students are now preparing for our final concert of 2018, the ‘World of Music’ concert, which will showcase many more unique performances.

We look forward to seeing you there on 20 December at 7pm.

Concert Band perform at Tour opening event The Allerton Grange Concert Band was thrilled to perform at the announcement of the Tour De Yorkshire 2019 route at Leeds Civic Hall on Friday 7 December 2018, at an event for around 300 people.

Ms Casey, Curriculum Lead for Music, said: “This was a prestigious opportunity for our students and they were excited to perform at such a high-profile event.”

Allerton Grange Life

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World Kindness Day World Kindness Day took place on Tuesday 13 November 2018 and coincided with Anti Bullying Week 2018, organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance.

Our students reflected on acts of kindness that they had undertaken and posted descriptions of them outside the Library for all to see. There were inspiring examples of students thinking about others, helping friends, family, teachers and neighbours, being polite and holding doors open.

Miss Taylor said “To mark World Kindness Day, students at Allerton Grange were invited to share acts of kindness they had completed recently. By championing our students’ incredible acts of kindness, we hope to inspire others.”

Books, Glorious Books!

We were delighted to secure a £500 grant from the Siobhan Dowd Trust to be able to take some of our students to the Little Bookshop in Chapel Allerton to get a book of their choice. The trust was set up with the intention of promoting the joy of reading, and it has certainly given a lot of pleasure to our students.

Throughout December, small groups of students from Year 7 to Year 10 have been on a book choosing expedition with Mrs Child, Mr Goodfield and Mrs McIver. The Little Bookshop were fantastic hosts, taking time to chat to each student about the authors on their shelves.

Mrs Child said “As a school who has literacy at its heart, we were thrilled to be given this grant by the Siobhan Dowd Trust.

It has got students talking about their reading and enjoying discovering new authors and genres.”

Respect Agenda Building on the success of our Policy for Positive Discipline and the improvements in behaviour across school, we’ve launched a new project which will focus on respect.

It began with targeted assemblies to all year groups, including sixth form. Explaining what respect is and how little acts of kindness can go a long way. From saying “Good Morning” as you walk in, to saying “Please” and “Thank You” when talking to someone, to respecting our building, school community and also the wider world.

More than this though, it will help our students to become whole-rounded young people not just with amazing academic results but also the qualities of a good citizen. We all know that first impressions count and teaching our young people that they will also need to demonstrate excellent personal qualities is essential.

In addition to the assemblies, we will also have targeted PHSE lessons, throughout the year, around respect.

We already have signage around school in key areas, reminding our students about basic manners, for example signs on the food tills, reminding students to say “please and thank you”. We also plan to have wall art around school, as constant reminders of positive quotes and inspiring phrases.

Throughout the year, within our rewards assemblies, we will also celebrate students who have shown acts of kindness or displayed respectful behaviour.

Respect means different things to different people and working with our student ambassadors, we will look at initiatives which will focus on the wider community and also global issues like reducing our plastic usage and recycling the plastic that we do use.

Unfortunately, not everyone behaves in a kind or respectful manner all the time and it’s a difficult challenge to undertake, but I’m confident that working together we can improve our school community and make it an even happier learning environment.

Nikesh Shukla impresses year 10 readers On Wednesday 10 October, the author, broadcaster and writer Nikesh Shukla spoke to the whole of Year 10.

Nikesh has written three books for adults and has just published his very first YA book called ‘Run Riot’, an action packed thriller that takes on the themes of gentrification, police corruption, friendship and community. He is also the editor of the very influential and award winning collection of essays, “The Good Immigrant”.

Nikesh spoke to the students about how he became a writer, the first book that influenced him and about standing up for what you believe in. He spoke about the lack of representation of writers from ethnic minorities and how he and other writers are addressing this issue and attempting to change things. He also read from his novel “Run Riot” and the students were able to ask questions at the end.

His talk was inspiring and heart felt, giving the students lots to think about. We now have 5 copies of his novel in the library for students to borrow and enjoy.

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Drama tackles challenging subjects

Odd Arts Theatre Company

Odd Arts Theatre Company were in school on Tuesday 20th November to deliver a workshop for Year 10 students on a number of contentious and challenging issues.

The workshop uses a piece of theatre that highlights a number of issues related to ‘radicalisation’ including warning signs, triggers, vulnerabilities, safeguarding, communication and relationships.

This is done through three characters based in a college setting - one white male inspired by far right groups, one mixed race male inspired by Islamic extremists, and one Muslim female of Arab descent who is victim of Islamophobia.

The performance sees the characters’ relationships breakdown and all becoming increasingly isolated, vulnerable and at risk of harming themselves or others.

The aim of the workshop is to explore and address challenging issues to help young people find confidence to talk about issues related to extremism, think critically and understand how negative groups can exploit and influence young people.

Thanks to the Odd Arts Theatre Company for their thought-provoking workshop.

Paper Birds Theatre Company Drama students were treated to an engaging and thought-provoking performance of ‘Thirsty’ by the Paper Birds Theatre Company, on 23 October, followed by a discussion.

‘Thirsty’ premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2011 and is based on the UK’s obsession with alcohol. Based on a collection of booze based confessions and hundreds of questionnaires, the performance fused live music, verbatim text and physical theatre to examine the binge drinking culture.

The subject matter gave students food for thought and allowed for an interesting discussion.

Mrs Jarman, Curriculum Lead for Drama, said, “The performance gave our students so much to write about in their Live theatre question at GCSE. From the subject matter to the verbatim style script, the students were truly inspired.”

Dahit celebrates Christmas

Great British Plastics Challenge

After an indoor picnic and a catch up with friends from schools across the city, children were treated to a pantomime by our very own Deaf Instructors!

They worked hard to put on a show which included jokes and dancing and even got the children up on their feet. Some social time involved table tennis and pool competitions, as well as giant Jenga and Connect 4! Children of all ages enjoyed competing against their friends.

Melanie Richards, head of accountancy firm KPMG, came into school recently to speak to a group of Allerton Grange students. The students took part in a ‘true or false’ challenge which led to a discussion around the problems of single-use plastics.

The idea of the initiative is to engage students to take action and explore what they can do to make a positive change to the environment.

All the students were fully engaged in the session and received a reusable water bottle for taking part.

Many thanks to Melanie and Mr Hanson, Enrichment Coordinator, who helped organise the event.

This year’s Leeds DAHIT Christmas party took place at the new venue for the Leeds Society for Deaf and Blind People.

We were surprised by a very special guest who presented the children with Christmas presents and wished us all a Merry Christmas.

The annual Christmas party for Deaf children in Leeds is an invaluable opportunity for Deaf children to meet and socialise with others, some of whom do not have regular opportunities to interact with other Deaf children and adults.

Allerton Grange Life

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Progression for 6th Formers

A group of our Sixth Form students joined more than 400 students from across West Yorkshire, to celebrate their achievements at Leeds Beckett University, graduating from the University’s Progression Module.

The students, now in Year 13, took part in the bespoke yearlong study programme during Year 12. The course is designed to help students investigate the different routes into higher education, increasing their knowledge and understanding, whilst preparing them for the experiences they are likely to encounter at university. Students who successfully complete the module, are awarded 12 UCAS points towards applications for degree courses at local universities including Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Trinity University and the University of Huddersfield.

Progress and Welfare Leader for Key Stage 5, Mrs Braim, said: “As a school, we are so proud of our students graduating from the progression module. They have worked hard to complete the programme alongside studying for their A Levels and it’s fantastic to see them attending a real award ceremony at Leeds Beckett University in recognition of their achievements. We set aspirational targets for our students, supporting them to achieve the grades they need to move onto higher education. The course and the ceremony provide a taster of what to expect at university and encourage students to aim high.”

Sixth form career options

In order to challenge preconceptions and widen knowledge about careers open to students studying Social Science subjects, a careers event was organised by the Social Science s Team on 21 November. Sixth Form social scientists and KS4 students were invited to attend to explore wider occupational possibilities.

Guests included Prison Psychologists, Social Workers and The Civil Service amongst others who provided some invaluable insight into alternative pathways and careers.

The event was well attended and guests commented on the excellent questions from our students, who felt it was a very informative evening.

Allerton Grange Life

Summer School Success

Seven students from Allerton Grange were nominated by their Year group manager, Ms Walker, to attend a special residential over the summer at Leeds Beckett University. The project, called Larkia, focuses on young girls from a South Asian background and aims to increase aspirations and encourage them into further education.

More than 20 students from schools across Leeds, Bradford and Calderdale took part, getting the university experience by living in on-site accommodation for the three day, two night duration.

The girls attended workshops across campus, using the state-of-the-art facilities Leeds Beckett has to offer. They made stencills in Art; created costumes and put on a fashion show as technology students for the day; built model buildings to sample what studying architecture involves; and even created and performed songs in the music studios.

Amongst the hands-on activities, they attended sessions delivered by a range of professionals who talked about their backgrounds and how they excelled in their careers.

One of the speakers, Andrew Mohammed, really inspired the students to try their best and to aim high, sharing his experiences after his family moved from Africa to the UK to allow him the opportunity for a better education. His story showed them that anything was possible and not to set limitations on themselves.

Aliyah T said, “I always wanted to go to university, but actually being there and experiencing what it would be like helped me to get a deeper insight into how things work.

Now I can see myself living and studying at university; I’m definitely going to apply.”

Taybah E said, “My family were really supportive and asked me loads of questions about what it was like when I got back. I didn’t think it was for me, but now I can see myself going to university to study the course I want to do.”

Mr Roper, Headteacher at Allerton Grange, said “As a school, our vision reflects our determination to ensure that each and every one of our students experience success, regardless of background or ability. We are proud to be involved in this project, in conjunction with Leeds Beckett, as it provides another opportunity to transform lives.”

Well done to Suraiya A, Aliyah T, Iram R, Maryam H, Taybah E, Alisha N, and Sidra M who all did a fantastic job representing Allerton Grange.

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Talbot Primary showcases amazing talent at AGS

by Mr Rivers, Deputy Headteacher, Talbot Primary School This year, Talbot’s PTA wanted to put on an extravaganza to showcase the considerable amount of talent at Talbot Primary School. As a result, Talbot’s Got Talent 2018 was born; a non-competitive and wonderful celebration of every talent one could think of!

The event was so big and so spectacular, that it is simply not possible to host it at Talbot Primary School; however, Allerton Grange High School kindly offered to let us use their facilities.

The tiered seating and large space, allowed our children to perform all kinds of different acts: singing, dance routines, magic tricks, gymnastic routines, solving Rubik’s cubes, knife throwing, comedy sketches, a wide variety of musical instruments and even a jazz band. The large audience of pupils, parents, grandparents and carers were able to see every exciting moment.

“I played my flute at Talbot’s Got Talent 2018; I played two different tunes that my music teacher showed me. I felt quite relaxed, because I practiced a lot at home; however, it was the biggest audience I have performed for. I would love to do it again” - Ruth “It was very exciting to perform my solo dance. The audience were all friendly, but I was still quite nervous. I learnt my dance at dance school and got ideas from my dance teacher.” - Edie “It was a lot of fun performing at Talbot’s Got Talent with my younger brother. We did our knife throwing display, and threw knives at Mr Rivers, our Deputy Headteacher. We practiced for months and are very professional – children should not try this at home!” Jasmine “I was the final act, solving my Rubik’s Cube. It was hard to do it in front of so many people, and my hands became sweaty with the pressure! I kept going, and solved it in just over one-minute. The audience clapped so loudly, and I felt really proud of myself.” Ismaeel A special thank you also needs to go to Mrs Child and Mr Goodfield, who stayed late to help us manage everything, take photographs and keep us safe. It would not have been able to proceed without them.

Fun into food Roadshow

As part of Chartwell’s ‘Added Value for Schools’ programme, the Fun into Food Roadshow came to Allerton Grange on Monday 24 September. The whole Year 7 cohort took part in the event in the main hall, learning more about nutrition through the fun and interactive show.

Students got involved by answering questions on what makes a healthy and balanced diet, as well as understanding how certain vitamins and minerals help our bodies.

The show, loosely based on a well-known ‘90s cooking programme, saw the Red team compete against the Green team in the cooking challenge. Two students on each team paired up with a teacher; Khlaum and Millie-Rose were on the Green team with Ms Gladwin from Science; Bruce and Sara were on the Red team with Ms Whyman from Technology. The challenge was to create an appetising noodle dish using 5 vegetables and store cupboard ingredients. After some taste-testing from some lucky audience members, the whole year voted for the winners by holding up a coloured card at the end; well done to the Red team!

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One giant leap for year 8 students On Thursday 22 November, Mr Anderson, Ms Kurasz and Ms Merritt had an early start from school with a group of Year 8 students for a full day visiting the National Space Centre in Leicester.

They spent the morning exploring the museum and finding out fun facts such as inside the International Space Station, astronauts’ urine is recycled into water (for drinking) and oxygen (for breathing)! After lunch the group climbed to the top of the iconic rocket tower to find out more about the history of space travel and also had the chance to ride on a flight simulator. The students were captivated and inspired by a workshop entitled “It is Rocket Science”.

Feedback from the students included: “I enjoyed the planetarium and the simulation aspects of the trip because it was very engaging. The talk at the end was also interesting as it was interspersed with experiments” - Grace M “I really enjoyed my experience today. My favourite part of the day was the film in the planetarium. I thought it was really informative (although I did feel queasy!) One thing I learnt is that your body grows when you go into space” - Emre S “I enjoyed and learnt a lot from the rocket science workshop.

I also liked seeing the rocket and going in the flight simulator” Abdur-Raheem B “I think it was fun and will help me decide what I want to be when I grow up” - Sania S

Busy schedule for Duke of Edinburgh students

39 Allerton Grange students are currently taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award, our biggest ever cohort.

The Duke of Edinburgh awards aim to have a positive impact and help to develop young people for life and work, through trying new experiences and developing key skills such as resilience and communication.

To complete the Bronze Award, participants must be at least 14 years old and need to complete a series of activities. The AGS group has already completed the Expedition where they stayed for 2 days and 1 night at Upwood Park near Howarth. The Expedition involved staying in camping pods, 2 days of walking in small groups via checkpoints to the camp. They also cooked their own meals!

The next three months will focus on volunteering, sport and skills/hobbies which can include playing a musical instrument or baking and taking part in a bake off competition. Students will be taking part in activities for 1 hour a week for a minimum of 12 weeks.

World Challenge for Years 7-9

Students in years 7, 8 and 9 have an exciting opportunity to take part in a World Challenge 10 day trek in Montenegro and Croatia, 17 – 26 July 2019*. This will be an incredible experience being part of a team, developing new skills together, such as resilience and adaptability, as well as experiencing different places and cultures and testing their courage and sense of adventure.

The trip will include trekking in Montenegro International Park, white water rafting, wild camping and a stay in Dubrovnik. There will also be a training expedition in the UK to help students prepare. Students will be responsible for putting together the expedition plans and budget.

The total cost is £1950 and students are encouraged to raise money to fund their trip. Support will be available to help students on their fundraising journey.

Please email Nabila Mughal, Co-Curriculum Lead of Social Science and Teacher of Psychology, nabilamughal@ allertongrange.com for more details. *Expedition dates are Wednesday 17 July until Friday 26 July 2019. The departure date may be subject to change and if so will be no more than three days later.

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Camps International - From Tanzania to Borneo A group of students took part in an expedition with Camps International over the summer holidays, visiting the African country of Tanzania. The students had spent two years fundraising to finance their place on the trip, which centred on providing support to various humanitarian projects across the country.

Joining another group from a school in Nottingham, bonds were quickly formed as the team travelled, lived and worked together on projects including building and maintenance work at Mnazi Primary School in Moshi and finishing an additional classroom at Migungani Nursery in Manyara.

Miss Hartley, who accompanied the students said “I couldn’t believe how hard the students worked and the sheer effort they all put into the project work. Part of the expedition is about coping with adversities, new surroundings, different cultures and foods, the students rose to every challenge and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”

As a school, we are very excited to announce that we have chosen, once again, to partner with Camps International to offer students in Years 10, 11 and 12 the opportunity to go on a life-changing 4-week expedition to Borneo, during the summer of 2020.

An expedition to Borneo will be an amazing opportunity for students to step outside their comfort zone and experience another culture. Whilst away, students will live alongside rural communities and work on humanitarian projects which include helping to build classrooms or community centres and combating deforestation and protecting wildlife. The group will be visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary to see orphaned and injured orangutans before they are released back into the wild. Students will also have the chance to undertake an adventure element, which will be an accredited PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Scuba Diving course.

The 18 Year 10 and 11 students who have signed up for the trip have already started work on fundraising. So far they have been bag packing, carol singing, car washing, selling Christmas cards, face painting, planning a Christmas jumper day and running a coffee morning. The Christmas cards are available from the students and from the Main Office.

Miss Hartley will be accompanying the students on the trip and said “I’m incredibly proud of how hard the students are working and what they’ve learnt already. The fundraising they are doing isn’t just about paying for the trip, it is also about learning lots of new skills which will help them in Borneo and beyond.”

If you are involved in a business in the area and would be interested in supporting the students with their fundraising, please contact Miss Hartley for more details: ruthhartley@allertongrange.com, 0113 393 0304.

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AGS hosts athletics championships On Thursday 6 December, Allerton Grange hosted the Leeds North East Qualifying round for the School Sports Hall Athletics. The winning teams qualify for the Leeds City Finals in January.

The teams consisted of 9 girls and boys respectively from Years 7 and 8, and each participant could take part in a maximum of 4 events: 2 track and 2 field. In addition to this our Sports Leaders were on hand to organise, deliver and record the scores for their event.

We had a variety of outstanding athletic performances with Tom H (Year 7) and Akil S (Year 8) winning their 1 lap event and Isaac C (Year 7) and Isaac B (Year 8) winning their 3 lap races. The boys were flying!

On the girls team, Lashan Z came second in the 1 lap race as did Zhan’e S in her 3 lap race. In addition to these great results, against tough opposition the Year 8 Boys relay team with Tyrese H as the last man beat Carr Manor on the line to win and the Year 7 Boys Paarluff pair consisting of Tom H and Finn C won this easily.

The overall team results including all the field events, will be announced soon. The PE department would like to congratulate all of the students who took part, as their behaviour and attitude was exemplary. They would also like to thank all of the Sports Leaders who gave up their own time to officiate this event, as without them things like this cannot run so smoothly.

STOP PRESS: Our Year 8 boys have now progressed to the Leeds final - Well done boys!

PE offers a great range of after-school activities

If you’re interested in developing your sporting skills, just look at the after-school opportunities available at Allerton Grange.

Tuesdays All Years Girls’netball in the netball courts All Years Girls’ fitness club in the fitness suite

Wednesdays GCSE PE/CN ession 6 revision in L044 All Years Girls’ rugby on the fields All Years Boys’ fitness in the fitness suite All Years mixed badminton & table This programme starts in January tennis in the sports hall.

Thursdays ALL YEARS Girls’ Football All years mixed basketballS Girls’ fitness club All Years Girls’ fitness in the fitness suite

Badminton Success Our Year 7 and Year 8 Badminton Team played against Lawnswood School on 29th November 2018. They all played well, with the Year 7s winning 6-2 and the Year 8s winning 7-1.

Well done to all the players!

Sam is marching on Congratulations to Year 7 student, Sam C, who has secured a place at Leeds United.

Despite qualifying as ‘under-12’, Sam is playing for United’s Under 13 team.

The team train for 2 hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and plays matches against other academy teams on Sundays.

Midfielder, Sam, says: “You have to be really committed to get into the team, but at the same time it is really enjoyable.

I am really looking forward to our match at Elland Road at the end of the season.”

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Allerton Grange Life Year 11 Rugby boys are ‘big-hitters’

Our Year 11 boys’ Rugby League team has gone from strength-to-strength, representing Allerton Grange impeccably during the Autumn term.

The team competed in the Leeds and Hunslet Schools Plate, reaching the semi-final. Mr Mahoney, Year 11 Progress and Welfare Coach accompanied the team to the matches and was delighted with the result. He said, “The boys were outstanding from the moment we got there right up until the end. The rugby they played was immense and their behaviour impeccable. They showed great character off and on the field. They are a credit to themselves and to the school.”

The Year 11 boys’ Rugby Team next produced a stunning performance at the 5th round of the Yorkshire Cup at St Mary’s College Hull on Tuesday 20 November.

Allerton Grange played away and the home side were the clear favourites before the game. Despite being initially overawed by the pedigree of the team they were playing, the Allerton Grange boys soon settled into their rhythm and put St Mary’s on the back foot. The boys produced a stunning performance and convincingly defeated their opponents 40-12.

Our boys overcame adversity and poor sportsmanship during the match including high tackles and a number of off the ball incidents, one of which resulted in one of the St Mary’s College players receiving a red card. Despite all of this the Allerton Grange boys’ behaviour was exemplary. The referee, who was from the RFL (Rugby Football League) said that the boys were an absolute credit to the school and he hadn’t refereed a team as polite and respectful as our boys.

Mr Cleasby and Mr Mahoney accompanied the team and said, “We were so proud of the players and there were scenes of jubilation at full time. The four and a half hour round trip was definitely worth it to see the boys elated at the end.”

The team now progresses to the quarter final of the Yorkshire Cup competition and will play away at Outwood Grange, Wakefield on Tuesday 18 December.

Year 7 Netball girls take control

The first couple of matches of a season always generate the feeling of apprehension as the girls apply their newly learnt skills and understanding of the game on the court.

The Year 7 Netball team have played 5 fixtures in total and their confidence has grown with every game.

The first games took place at Roundhay where they took on Roundhay and Lawnswood Schools.

The Allerton Grange girls stood out with quick movement down the court and our shooting was deadly thanks to Georgie I, Nuala H and Caitlin J. The team were really focused and were able to play to our strengths and take control of all the games meaning we left Roundhay unbeaten. The second fixture was at home against Carr Manor and Bishop Young Academy. The Allerton Grange Pink team beat Carr Manor 6-0 and then the Yellow and Blue teams defeated Bishop Young 7-0 and 2-1 respectively, meaning they are unbeaten so far this season.

On Tuesday 27th November the Year 7 Yellow team played Allerton High School away. This is always a very competitive fixture and our Year 7 were intimidated by the formality they faced. By half time we were leading 3-0 thanks to some pin point shooting from Nuala H. However, as Allerton High got into their defensive structure they began to retain possession and clawed the score back to 3-2 during the third quarter. Despite this pressure AGS managed to hang on to their one goal lead and beat our local rivals. Congratulations to all the girls who played.

@Allerton_Grange

Allerton Grange School Talbot Avenue Moortown Leeds LS17 6SF

Phone:0113 393 0304 E-mail:agadmin@allertongrange.com

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Allerton Grange School

Wishing all our students and staff a very Merry Christmas and a safe, happy holiday Page 12