All that’s been happening
Ackworth Art Departments
WOW once more
Music, Drama, and Art come together
New Football Academy Partnership
Exciting news - read it here!
In April I will have been at the school for a year, and as I reflect on what progress we have made, many things come to mind. Upon arriving I took time to watch, listen and learn. Ackworth is a special place, with unique qualities, doubtless due to our Quaker ethos and holistic approach.
In this year, pastoral support has been strengthened through engaging counsellors and our Deputy Safeguarding Lead, Hannah Ellis, who does a stellar job, alongside the PALs (Heads of Year), nurse, boarding staff and tutors, at wrapping care around any child in need.
As an ‘all-through school’ we value the input, communication and sharing of best practice across the school phases. Our Upper Sixth Form pupils have recently completed their applications to universities both in the UK and internationally. Daniel Jones, Head of Sixth Form, and his team have ensured pupils have had personal support to maximise pupils’ chances at securing a place at their first choice university we wish the luck. Another aspect of the school that is unique is our Autism Resource, which recently passed inspection with ying colours, under the leadership of Lynne Ward and her dedicated team. We are one school with different phases working together harmoniously. EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) is a national focus, and it is warming to see our pupils naturally and instinctively embrace these concepts. The process of transition from Coram to Senior School has begun already, and we look forward to watching these pupils to continue to ourish at Ackworth.
“I have been regularly using the pastoral support, they are amazing at understanding, helping me and just being there to talk to. Talking to someone who isn’t a teacher made it so much easier to talk about what I was feeling. I’m so grateful for the pastoral care, because I’ve really needed the support this year”
Sixth Form Pupil
There has been a sharp focus on academic progress too, and I am pleased to announce the appointment of Heads of Faculty, who will have a very specific role of ensuring pupil progress, the highest standards of teaching and learning, and promoting evidence-based approaches. We have introduced sharper processes for tracking progress, and personalised interventions through academic action plans. Our Head of Learning Support, Jon Phillips, will often remind us that good special educational needs approaches do boil down to uality first teaching which benefits all pupils, providing stretch and challenge alongside scaffolded support.
Listening to pupil and parent voice is essential in our pursuit of excellence. This year I have endeavoured to increase pupil voice through a variety of channels, introducing pupil-led assemblies, pupil surveys about teaching and learning, and establishing leadership roles such as the Peer Mentors. Parents have requested clearer guidance on homework, and to this end we have introduced homework planners, I hope you will find these helpful.
It has been a busy and exciting year, and I continue to feel delighted and honoured to serve Ackworth School.
On the last day of term before the Christmas break, Ackworth School was treated to a brilliant showcase of talent in the Christmas Concert. Opening with a medley of classic Christmas favourites, the Orchestra played with enthusiasm and gusto, getting everyone in the festive spirit. Alongside the readings and traditional carols, we heard pieces from String Orchestra, Percussion Group, Chamber Choir (who performed a fantastic a capella version of Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal”), and Senior Choir (who ended the performance with the light-hearted and period-appropriate “Text me Merry Christmas”). We also heard a lovely solo from Lucy, who performed “Someone Like You” from the musical Jekyll and Hyde. The concert was the perfect way to get us all in the mood for Christmas. ve a th e e to o s
Our annual Reindeer Run was such a success once again this year. We were raising funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance charity and collected £900 in donations. Special thanks to organisers fro Senior School, Jane Donnelly, PSA staff e bers a uinlan and lise Ager, and all other staff who gave their time to make this a wonderful event.
The annual Sixth Form Ball took place back in December 2022 with a group of Sixth Formers organising it. They certainly partied in style with their well-deserved Gatsby Themed Ball.
Brian, Upper Sixth: “I’m thrilled we seized the opportunity to arrange such an event! The organisational journey may indeed be challenging and frustrating, but it is undoubtedly worthwhile! Thank you very much for the marketing and finance team’s assistance; without them, we could have faced a lot more unanticipated obstacles.”
Lucy, Upper Sixth: “One of our main aims as the School Officer Team was to make Sixth Form feel like a community, in which we decided to have the inaugural Staff and Sixth Form December Ball. We knew we had to put in a lot of effort to ensure it all came together and for everyone to have a good time. It was all worth it in the end as it was so much fun! Everyone got involved in dancing and singing the night away. All our hard work in planning the ball really paid off as everyone enjoyed it, and we feel the Sixth Form has become more cohesive as a result.”
On the first day of the hrist as holidays students and si staff embarked on a skiing adventure. Our destination, Folgarida Italy. After a long day of travel, we arrived in resort. Day one was a day of beautiful blue skies and wonderful skiing. The beginners progressed quickly and were using a chair lift almost immediately. The weather remained in our favour almost all week, with wonderful views and great snow. It even snowed overnight into the last day, so everyone got an opportunity to experience a ‘powder day’. Huge progress was made by all the skiers, and even the experts a ongst the were able to show off new skills. The ski instructors were amazing. Evening activities consisted of quizzes, chilling, Ackworth’s Next Top Model, and on the last night, pizza and karaoke.
eoAlex (Fourth Form)
Anyone who’s heard about the Ski trip to Folgardia, in Italy, will know there were moments where it wasn’t only the slopes that were heading downhill. However, we didn’t let that stop us from making the most of the beautiful mountains we had for a week. The skiing was fantastic, considering y li ited skills on the first day they felt almost Olympic standard (to me) by the end of the last day. Even when things weren’t going to plan, being around friends and laughter makes it all so worthwhile. Wonderful memories were made from going to the pizzeria and the shop in the village every evening, the BeReals and photos taken on the slopes, pitstops for the tastiest hot chocolates ever and eating pasta every day for lunch.
We had some of the funniest ski instructors who never failed to make us laugh or put a smile on our faces, Andrea being y group’s favourite he brought food for us, ade jokes and not to mention making us panic believing we were going to a different ountain four hours away H DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT A YORKSHIRE PUDDING WAS. The joy of a school trip is that you never quite know how the trip will play out, and it’s fair to say that none of us
It’s always a special time welcoming back the Senior Citizens Christmas Dinner, a community project for local folks. Special thanks to the Parish Council and Thomas Franks catering staff for aking this happen.
were expecting what happened. But these are the memories that will be the best to look back on in years to come and laugh about. We cannot thank Miss Clark enough for leading such a wonderful trip, we had a great experience and learnt a lot.
Blake (Upper Sixth)
Folgarida 2022 was the best holiday I have been on. This was y first trip with school despite now being in the Sixth Form and it was great. From the food to the skiing itself, it was worth the journey from Ackworth. My sister and I have never been skiing before and have always wanted to, so this opportunity was ideal. Once up the slopes, the sub-zero temperatures weren’t noticeable due to the instructors keeping us on our toes and challenging us with exercises, not to mention the adrenaline rush of downhill skiing. Big thanks to Miss lark and the other staff who volunteered to give up their hrist as holiday to take students on a great trip
Alara (Fourth Form)
Italy is an amazing place for a Christmas holiday. It really was a ountain paradise There were so e beautiful landscapes you could enjoy every day while skiing. We got to try delicious Italian pizza and gelato. We got lucky most days and the snow was quite soft which made skiing even more enjoyable, especially with snow falling from the sky whilst your enjoying the view, which was another beautiful sight to see up in the mountains. We did karaoke on the last day of the ski trip which made it made really fun and exciting. Thank you to all the amazing teachers that made this trip a e orable one, these e ories will definitely last a lifetime.
Christmas in the boarding house usually comes early at Ackworth School, celebrating at the beginning of December. Hosting Christmas with our pupils is important to us as it instils the family spirit… “Christmas Day today made us all feel united as a community, and we had some delicious traditional English food and danced to some Christmas songs, we had a lovely time.”
Noodee, Lower Sixth
The Lunar New Year is an event celebrated by millions of people across the world on the first new oon of their calendar. A variety of societies celebrate this event and we love embracing this cultural event. The boarders were treated to an e ceptional buffet in the evening where foods were served from across Asia. Music played and the exchange of money in red envelopes took place, a tradition which symbolises good wishes and luck for the new year ahead, and blessings from the elderly.
Our four-night run in January 2023 represented the cul ination of nearly five onths’ work to bring egally londe The usical off the page into its high kicking, hip swivelling reality on stage - and it has been such a joy. It has, needless to say, been a lot of work (I made the mistake of dismissing this pink, camp musical as being something straightforward to put on - how wrong I was) but it has been a pleasure to direct a play that genuinely makes our students laugh. They have been incredible all the way through, and if you came to watch the production, I know you saw thisthey showed their commitment and hard work and passion to every audience every night, we were privileged to see
their energy, their friendship, their care of each other, their joy manifested through their performances.
A huge number of students have been rehearsing extremely hard all through last term, from First Form to pper Si th. There have been five rehearsals a week since week three of the Christmas term, sometimes six, latterly seven. We currently have 30 students in the full ensemble cast fro si different countries we have a nu ber of students who are leading on technical elements like lighting and choreography ore have co e on board to support with backstage and makeup and props. It is a
source of real pride to me how many students get involved to make the productions work at Ackworth. Everyone plays their part, and everyone is important and valued, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
From a personal perspective, there has to be a reason, a purpose, to devoting five onths and longer to a single project. And for me, this play is so important - far more important than you might have initially presumed given its generic early-90s high school ditzy sorority story. Indeed, that is the point: this is a play about breaking past the prejudice of presumption, about female empowerment and about personal betterment. Indeed, scratch beneath its glit y, uffy surface and you’ll see a play about to ic relationships, body image, underestimation, sexual harassment, sexism” and more - critical issues we all need to be addressing right now, and this play shows us how to strive towards a better, more inclusive, more honest, literally brighter future where we can all be accepted
Charlotte
This was y first play at Ackworth School and most definitely not y last have learnt so much from the amazing teachers and cast members. Everyone has worked extremely hard and there is lots of fabulous talent. It’s been great to be part of such a supportive group of people where everyone has the same interests as you.
Alara
Being a part of Legally Blonde was an absolutely amazing experience. The performances were so worth all of the effort and ti e we’ve put into it and it was so great to hear our audience enjoying and laughing at scenes. Dra a and theatre really lets you build up your confidence and e press yourself and your creative i agination eing a cast member of Legally Blonde really allowed me to explore the beauty of being on stage and enjoying every single moment of what I was doing for nearly three hours on that stage. It challenged how we think and encouraged us to fantasise about the world we aspire to. Being a part of such a massive musical was one of the best choices I’ve made in my life. If there’s anything this musical made me realise, it’s that you have to be true to yourself and you should always embrace who you are. I can’t thank enough all of the a a ing staff and all the members of the cast for making this play such an indescribable experience. Thank you to everyone for making this musical such an unforgettable one and adding such great memories into my life. These memories will definitely last a lifeti e
for who we are. I will leave the last words to the writer Isabella Perrone: Legally Blonde is “a simple yet important reminder for women in a world where it seems like the main narrative girls grow up with is that they need to be so eone else to succeed in their careers, or to find love. Something that runs that deep in how our world functions can’t be resolved by a two-and-a-half-hour musical, but hey, it’s a start that’ll load you up with endorphins. And endorphins make you happy. And leaving a show happier than you were coming in is a wonderful thing.” So many people left happier, and that is testament to a wonderful play, to a wonderful cast, and to a wonderful production team - in particular Georgina Crowther and Oliver McCarthy-Bell - without whom there would not have been a musical. Thank you to them, and thank you to you for coming and showing us your support - it is hugely appreciated.
To say I initially found Legally Blonde the most challenging role I’ve ever taken on, this has been the best production I have ever taken part in, ever. We got it so right, and the reward of four sold out nights to brilliant - and some of the loudestaudiences every day was just perfect.
When I initially auditioned for Emmett, I didn’t really like the show, I just did it because I audition for the shows every year. I thought it was a pink, annoying waste of time and that showed when I couldn’t get the character right. But in my frustrated state, I then watched the broadway version fro start to finish and laughed and cried for two hours straight, the actual story was so beautifully told, and the music was so mood-lifting.
So, after learning y lines by watching the broadway fil religiously, I went into it fully immersed in the world. I truly believe in living and breathing the character because its the only way to get people to believe in the story you’re trying to tell, so I grew my hair out, told even worse dad jokes than normal and tried to become like Emmett, and who wouldn’t want to be like Emmett?
The cast this year really stepped up. To say we were in theatrical quicksand on the Monday dress and were Broadway-standard by Tuesday night shows the energy, commitment and love that went into it. You are all amazing, and every year it’s like a family reunion, and some of the family will leave for elsewhere this year, but they will always be part of the family, because that bond never breaks. Like the ornament on my kitchen table says: “Family are like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one”. And our root is in drama, and our love for the arts, and we will always be a family.
Emmett Forrest. It’s been so fun to be you, and I hope that to anyone who saw it, I did the character justice. Thank you for coming to watch. Thank you to everyone who
helped out backstage, Miss Clark on sound, George on lights, Miss Crowther for her choreo, and Mr McCarthy-Bell and the band for the music. And lastly, Grace, for being the best leading lady, and the best role model, and the best friend all these years. I’ll miss you so much next year. And Mr Boucher, for always believing in people like me, who didn’t have the confidence to act in the beginning, but sir showed me how I could be myself through being on stage, and it’s my life now, my passion. You’re one in a trillion sir, thank you.
On to the next one.
Lucy
Legally Blonde became a massive part of me right from the very first audition, knew I wanted to be part of it. For countless weeks on end, we would rehearse tirelessly. It didn’t start to hit us until after the Christmas holidays how soon the production was. Although many of us were in denial it would happen when it was originally scheduled, we thrived off the pressure and put on an a a ing production. veryone in the cast bounced off one another’s energy each night to keep the energy on stage alive and it definitely showed. During show week, there was a sense of chemistry in the cast, which made the production even better. Legally Blonde was the most amazing experience ever and I am so grateful for all the friendships I have made from doing it. A massive shoutout has to go to Mr Boucher, Mr McCarthy-Bell and Miss Crowther for guiding us the whole way and without them, we wouldn’t have had a show in the first place. All three instilled confidence in us that we
could do it, they were truly the backbone to Legally Blonde. For those who are considering doing any future productions at Ackworth, this is your sign to do it as it is the most incredible thing to ever do.
Tommy
Legally Blonde: what a play we were able to put on for everyone who was so kind as to come and watch it. I’m sure we made it worthwhile for you. It was a fantastic e perience for y first ever musical. I hope to carry this onwards and do it again next year. It was a long long four months or so of pure joy - a lot of stress, but joy prevailed. We had an amazing cast of extremely supportive, kind and energetic people who all helped everyone to do their best. We all got came out of this experience much better than we went in.
Alex
I really enjoyed being in Legally Blonde and learning a lot of new techniques and ways of acting, singing and dancing. I’ve made so many new friends and would definitely recommend to everyone to try the play next year as it was so uch fun Thanks to sir and all the other teachers who helped us make this wonderful play
One of the big highlights of the school production of Legally Blonde was the community outreach that was an essential part of our production week. We welcomed over 0 students fro ears and fro Scissett Middle School in Kirklees, who joined us on Tuesday for an afternoon of singing, acting and choreography workshops, tea, and then the show. Members of the cast, from Third Form to Upper Sixth, worked with the Scissett students in the workshops, run by Oliver McCarthy-Bell, Georgina Crowther and Ali Boucher, and had a fantastic time. The Scissett students were a joy to work with: responsible, energetic and committed. What meant so much to our cast was the impact this outreach had on the Scissett students: it made it clear what power theatre has to transform experiences, aspirations and lives. For so many of our cast to do this in the hours leading up to the first night really does show the level of co it ent they brought to the musical, and all of the students involved should be hugely proud of their contributions to what was an unforgettable experience for so many.
be back in touch about that. But I hope the rest of the shows go well and again - we are all so grateful for the opportunity you’ve given us.
Best wishes,
Michael, Strategic Leader for Performance, The Mast Academy Trust“Hi Alistar,
I’m writing to say an enormous thank you to you, your colleagues and your students for the wonderful experience you gave us on Tuesday. Our students have come away with a real buzz from both the workshops and from the show and we’re immensely grateful for all the time and energy you put into organising it all for us. A particular thank you to your fantastic high school students who were excellent role models. As you know we try our best to immerse students in the Performing Arts at Scissett but for our students to spend time in the company of students four to six years older than the , who are passionate and confident perfor ers is invaluable.
I’ve got a huge number of messages to pass on to you but for now just a few -
“Thank you for having us. I had an amazing time and the workshops were really fun too.”
“Thank you so much for having us yesterday. I really enjoyed coming to watch. You all were absolutely amazing and I aspire to be like you guys. Your school is amazing and once again thank you for inviting us.”
“The singing was so good and the actors are amazing! So were the backstage people and everyone who made it happen!”
“Their singing and choreography was brilliant. All their acting was amazing and they were all very beautiful.”
“Thank you so much, I am really inspired to do more acting and to get more involved.”
Like I said on Tuesday we’d be thrilled if we could arrange an exchange visit to watch Mary Poppins - will
“Such a massive thank you again for arranging this opportunity for our kids. All I’ve heard all day are countless children saying to me how amazing the show was and how much they loved the whole experience. They’re now begging e to do egally londe ne t year t is such a huge feat to put on a full length production for the cast. I really don’t know how you pulled it all together. Well done again and thank you to you, Ackworth School and your cast and crew for a wonderful trip. I know some of our children were looking up to the older cast members thinking “that will be me one day” which is just lovely.” (Rachel, Head of Drama, Scissett Middle School)
Noah
The workshops with the middle school kids were so fun to help run Their enthusias and love for dra a really shone through and I’m so glad they enjoyed it. We sang “Omigod You Guys” with them and to see them go from a bit shy to reaching a point where they were comfortable with expressing themselves and were singing louder than us was so fun to witness They probably could’ve sang it for us in the show given the opportunity And we also did choreo to O igod a lesson not only for the , but for e too (yes… I didn’t know the dance, I never had to do it…) But the noise by then and the enthusiasm was incredible, and the feedback we’ve had from some of them saying that they want to do drama for the rest of their life, and the knowledge that we helped play a part in that, has made my year and we’re two onths in Hopefully we get to see them ace their show of Mary Poppins in a few weeks ti e
The workshop was really fun and enjoyable as I got to help out with teaching people the songs and the acting, we did lots of fun stuff like teaching the the lyrics to songs and screa ing OH OD at the top of our lungs
What an eye opening experience it was to have 100+ kids fall in love and connect with our show. It was a pleasure to see their smiles after we taught them to dance, act and to sing. They loved it. And the fact we could have some of those kids fall in love with drama was incredible, i know we helped shape a life. And we loved how much they loved all of it as well
It was a real pleasure to work with the kids and share our wonderful play t was a really refreshing experience as it’s amazing to see the impact that drama and theatre had on the kids and how much they enjoyed it. My appreciation and passion for drama further grew as it was a new experience from which I learnt from so much :)
The Nature of Forgetting left me speechless, in the sense that no amount of words will ever be able to describe how incredible this play was. Most of the plays we watch are thoroughly enjoyed, so e ore than others however, I feel like we take something away from each of them. The Nature of Forgetting was performed by Theatre Re, who use movement, sound and mime to create the atmosphere. This piece used little to no dialogue, which is unlike any play I’ve seen thus far. I felt physically and mentally taken away. Again, I feel like nothing can justify just how breath-taking it was. The play focused on Tom, his dementia, his past and his present. In the short time I sat in the theatre, I was transcended through the core memories of his life. I didn’t just watch them: I felt them. My eyes were glued to this piece of theatre, I could watch it over and over and over again and still be in utter awe
at its beauty. It was heartbreaking: trying to separate character from actor was so tough during this performance as every ounce of you wishes to jump on that stage and comfort them whilst they’re pouring their heart out to you. It is physically demanding.
It makes me a little annoyed at myself for turning my nose up at theatre in the past. Admittedly I was ignorant towards it favoured fil and T . ut gave theatre a chance, and it takes one good play, one whisper from the stage that truly speaks to you, for all of that to change.
Each time the term’s theatre trip letters come out, it’s a rush to see what they are. Though I have to say, the plays you’ve never heard of, the plays that slip to the back of your mind, the ones which you hold the least expectations for, turn out to be the best - for me, anyway. An example of this would be a little theatre behind a church in the middle of Manchester, a capacity of probably 30 max, a little studio space, with a man telling his story. Both cries of laugher and sobs of tears, all collectively felt with complete strangers. Or a PowerPoint presentation as a performance about grief - ouch, that one hurt. All of this following popular, grand performances such as Les Mis, The Lion King and Dreamgirls: completely beautiful, extravagant performances that have your jaw on the oor throughout, fro the sheer shock of how sky high buildings are moving right in front of you, or how there’s a 20ft giraffe tip toeing across the stage. n si ple ter s, whatever your niche is, there’s something out there for you, but you have to look for it. Here we have the privilege of having a handful handed to us termly: take advantage of it. ost i portantly, don’t dis iss theatre don’t fall into the trap of thinking it’s boring or too above you. It’s probably one of your only opportunities to live a hundred lifetimes in one.
The String Orchestra travelled to Wakefield Cathedral to perform in this Tuesday lunchtime recital series. The ever-popular concert series was very well attended, and the audience heard a range of pieces, from a Bach concerto, folk songs, and even a bit of Scott Joplin. Soloists from the Orchestra also performed, giving the audience an enjoyable and varied programme. Well done to all involved!
inishing off the ebruary half ter was the annual nter house usic Competition, in which students compete as a house to provide best solo performances, both in vocal and instrumental categories, as well as the House Choir category. It was a familiar face that adjudicated at the event - former maths teacher Ben Watts.
We heard some stunning performers, from First Form, all the way up to Sixth Form. Highlights of the evening included beautiful solo vocals from Millie M and Charlotte A, who won their respective categories for their houses. A special mention must go to Benji L, who bravely competed in his first co petition, and gave a lovely e otional perfor ance of Sad Song .
en found it e tre ely difficult to pick out a clear winner for Senior Vocal, which meant that he awarded oint first place to all three co petitors. A shout-out to Mikulas K and William L, who were the only entrants for Penn. In the end, there was a tie between the two top houses congratulations to urney and Wool an who ca e oint st place
Easter is now upon us and we look forward to longer, sunnier days.
School is fully up and running and by the time you read this we will have taken two residentials, one to Marrick Priory and the other to Stratford as well as day trips.
Residentials, sleepovers, school trips were all distant memories not so very long ago. For our pupils they are what shapes them, make them more resilient and also tolerant of those around the . esilience is key failure is a fundamental part of reaching a solution and for all of us, but especially the pupils, is a great lesson to learn. For some, it takes time. You have to take small steps. Time out of school with their peers is also a time for learning new things and having the best ti e together laughing, relaxing … and sleepless nights.
Drama is, and was, when I came here as a new teacher, one of the big attractions to Ackworth School. Both Pre-Prep and Prep pupils, were able to visit the theatre recently. ‘Stick Man’ at Leeds Playhouse was for some children their very first school trip The ion ing’ was outstanding. ‘Legally Blonde’ performed at school was a huge success with many of Coram’s former pupils taking on lead roles. The benefits of being an all through school cannot be underestimated. For parents and teachers it is a partnership that brings so many rewards as well as memories. To see the journey of our pupils extend into Senior School and beyond, is very satisfying.
We were so thrilled to be chosen as the school to decide on the theme for this year’s RSE day. ‘Let’s launch into kindness’ will be used by the nation in June. Our Year 3 pupils have been so busy following their success, deciding on tasks and being fil ed. Another a a ing school e ory that will stay with the for life on sibi sed o nibus’ at its best well done to the .
I am as ever so proud of Coram House, its pupils, teachers, staff and parents.
Happy Easter to you all.
Yours in friendship
Sally Slater
s essons ea n n o o s n French, ball skills in PE, Lunar New Year, and focusing on winter for some of this term.
At the start of this academic year Global Committee developed an action plan. As part of this plan they decided they would like to raise oney for an environ ental charity. deas ca e ooding in and the co ittee finally settled on a bake sale with a environ ental the e. The children shared their concerns about products such as palm oil and wanted to encourage their peers to use ingredients that are sustainably sourced. It was soon agreed that we should call the event: The Big Green Bake Off.
From this point onwards, the committee members were tasked to return to their class, notebook in hand and discuss which charity they would like to support. At the next meeting any suggestions were ade. We have finally settled on The World and Trust Operation Ocelot endorsed by none other than Steve Backshall. Operation Ocelot mission two will fund the expansion of Reserva Ecologica De Guapiacu (Regua) protecting some of the last re nants of ra il’s Atlantic orest. Only of this once vast forest remains intact today, but it continues to hold incredible life. Hunting and logging for farms and pastures remains a threat but through Operation Ocelot we can save these habitats for good. Our committee ranges from Year 1 to Year 6 and it is amazing to see the passion from our students. Straight away our graphic designer and publicity officer began their campaign of creating posters to advertise the event, they were helped by many other global ambassadors.
Back in November 2022, Coram House received confir ation that it would be part of the Jubilee Tree planting initiative. We wanted to support this to create a greener UK and a legacy in honour of The Queen’s eadership of the nation, which will benefit future generations. Scan the QR Code.
We will catch up with how the Global Committee got on in the next edition of Ackworth Today.
We have been treated to a couple of lovely student-led concerts in the music department, including one featuring those students taking ABRSM exams, and one featuring students fro first, second and third for .
We heard a variety of pieces, from classical, to jazz and contemporary, and even one original composition, created by Mila and Ruby, created as part of their classroom music lessons. Thank you and well done to all performers.
The music department wishes to congratulate the following students, who all sat ABRSM examinations during the last term.
Aum P rade 2 uitar Distinction
Harry C rade 2 uitar Pass
Giray K rade uitar Pass
Heloise S rade 3 iolin Pass
Clark B nitial rade Piano Pass
Tallulah H rade Singing Pass
Alara K rade 2 Singing Pass
Charlotte A rade Singing (Distinction)
Mia E rade 3 iolin Pass
Alara K rade 2 iolin erit
Charlotte A rade Piano erit
Vivi G rade 2 Theory Distinction
Freddie B rade ello Pass
Mikulas K rade iolin Pass
Vivi G rade 3 lute Distinction
We have been proud to see Fourth and Fifth ea s at the n sh o n sess on ove th s term. They have been working hard on their poetry.
Our U13 Indoor Cricket team won 2 and lost 1 game in a thoroughly exciting competition this ter . reat effort fro the boys well done. Thank you to Yorkshire Cricket, England and Wales ricket oard, and Hol firth High for organising and inviting us we had a great day out.
This term has been great for Ackworth Sports. The netball team played at the under s netball fi tures, and during last half ter ’s s uash tourna ent, the tea won and are through to the ne t round
This year Ackworth School has launched Sixth Form Peer Mentoring. The aim of the mentoring is for older students to help, educate, and support younger pupils across the school. We spoke with five Peer entors to hear what they had to say…
So, tell us about Peer Mentoring, what is it?
Annabel: We started to feel that the Sixth Form areas are quite isolated from the main school building and felt that this would be a nice way to integrate the different school years and pass on knowledge to younger peers going through school that we didn’t have.
And, why did you decide to sign up as a mentor?
Mathew: I volunteered to be a peer mentor because back when was younger, there was no one offering this sort of support. Now, there are options available, so I wanted to do it and support anyone who may be going through things I have experienced.
What do you find most rewarding from this role?
Steven: The most rewarding part is just being able to help people. I have helped two students so far, and it’s amazing to see the smile on their faces … it really helps me as a person too.
And, alternatively what have you found most challenging?
Duatei: Some of the most challenging moments can be just trying to understand and engage with the students. I have to not be too direct sometimes. It’s all about
giving your honest and own opinion without being too straightforward which could potentially scare or intimidate some peers.
Tamar: So ething else a terrified of is so eone coming in with homework I don’t understand or not being able to solve the problem.
What training did you have to go through to prepare you for this?
Steven: We had three one-hour lessons where we got trained on dealing with different types of situations that we ight find ourselves in. We learnt how to handle those situations and who to go to if we, as mentors, needed extra support.
Mathew: The most important bit was learning the dos and don’ts. There is a lot of responsibility with this regarding safeguarding issues so it was important for us to understand all the things we cannot do, but also the things we should do when working with each individual situation.
Interesting, can you give me an example?
Annabel: We had training on communication skills, confidentiality, and body language.
How do you feel about holding that responsibility?
Tamar: It’s kind of intimidating to be in that position because not only are you taking the responsibility of communicating with a younger student, but also you’re taking responsibility for the aftermath of the advice you give. So, it can feel scary to give them advice that ight backfire. That’s why it’s so i portant to think things through for a while before jumping to conclusions.
Mathew: One advantage is you know there are several Peer Mentors, so we can work together.
So, you lean on each other for support too?
Mathew: Yes, and there are always three of us at one time.
Where can students find you?
Tamar: We are available every break time, lunch, and after school for 30 minutes and it’s held in the library.
Thank you to Annabel, Tamar, Mathew, Steven, and Duatei for taking the time to speak about Peer Mentoring.
Spending time with children both inside and outside, enhancing their play and talking about the world around them sums up their experience with us in Reception. One student also supported one ‘reluctant writer’ to have a go at writing the initial of his name. One particular child really looked forward to our student’s visit. She would ask when she was coming back. An extra pair of hands is always welcome, and the children really looked forward to having them in class. (Katie Staton, Reception teacher and Head of EYFS)
t was useful and the ear pupils en oyed getting to know our Sixth former. She assisted with reading spelling words, discussed her home country, taught us key phrases in her mother tongue and marked spelling books from one group. (Belle Wagner, Year 5 teacher)
For me personally it depended on the week. It would have been useful to know what I was going to do in advance. I wanted to be with little children. They were not little children but they were very welcoming. Once it was someone’s birthday and they give me a cake. I was impressed with the curriculum they were studying. They were learning about different types of fa ilies and i igrants. did not have the opportunity to study this when I was their age. (Noodee, work experience in Year 6)
h s ea o a o se ha the eas e of hosting some Sixth Form students for their work experience. I met both students and teachers to get their feedback.
• Did you find the visits useful?
• Please give me some examples of tasks that were assigned.
• How beneficial was this to you?
• What have you learned from this experience?
Here is what they had to say …
“Our Sixth form helper has been fantastic. She has been willing to do anything and everything we have asked of her. The children have loved having her in the class. For many of the PSHE lessons, she has been involved in the lesson, talking to the children and supporting them in their ideas. The girls in 6B have formed a lovely relationship with her. She has also been extremely helpful with displaysbacking, laminating. She was always smiling and always interested. Giving the students an opportunity to share about themselves, their cultures, the countries they have come from would be of real benefit to the children but time does not always allow.”
(Beth Jordan, Year 6 teacher)One student came each week and read stories to the children. She played within the construction area with them and also supported at the making table. I had one other student also who came from time to time and spent time with the children playing games with rules.
I read a lot of books to the children when I was there. I did not think it was hard to adapt to the age and needs of the children. They were really welcoming plus I have done a lot of babysitting. (Freya, work experience in Reception)
At the start of the year, there was this little girl who would not talk to anybody, all she would do was shaking her head. The last time I was there, she was talking to everybody. She had been gradually warming up to things and people. I made everyone play red light green light. They were not following the rules but no one was pushing each other. They were just playing nicely. (Tamar, work experience in Reception)
The main thing I did was helping with spelling tests. One time, they asked me where I was from so we did a geography lesson and then they wanted to learn my language so I taught them some and they would always greet me in my language. I really enjoyed it there. (Sabina, work experience in Year 5)
In Nursery, their lessons were about how to share their feelings and relationships. I thought it was a really good lesson as they learned how to treat people. I do not remember learning that when I was little. (Hailey, work experience in Nursery)
For me it was hard to talk to all the children but some of them taught me how to be patient and they helped me improve my social skills. (Lam, work experience in Nursery)
This work experience was positive for all concerned. It allowed our Sixth Form students to form part of their careers education and to observe and learn. It sounds like they learned a lot from our little ones.
Sophie Schoukroun Deputy Head of Coram House
Ackworth School is a place where students should feel safe, accepted, and respected for who they are. Last year, the school launched a Pride group, aimed at the LGBTQ+ community, but of course open for anyone to attend.
Run by Oliver McCarthy-Bell, and with Sixth Form mentors, the group explores issues relating to the LGBTQ+ community, and so far have covered topics such as dealing with homophobia, coming out to family, exploring attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people in religion, and learning about some important events in LGBTQ+ history, such as the Stonewall Riots.
The group currently has both Second and Third Formers regular attending, but the group is open to any students, both day students and boarders. The group meets on a Tuesday break time, in the Music Centre Hall.
February is LGBTQ+ history month, and as part of this, Pride Group have started to e plore in uential figures from the community.
In one of our meetings, we discussed the work of photojournalist Kay Tobin, exploring the impact she had when she took over as art director on lesbian publication The Ladder. Tobin began using portraits of real women on the cover, rather than illustrations. We then became photojournalists by captioning some modern images from Pride marches and celebrations la nstagra
At the beginning of the Spring a e o a e t our registrar, attended a e t ent a n an o
The fair was extremely successful and Ackworth School was the most visited stand of the day.
Nicola also used the opportunity to meet with current parents and agents to discuss pupil progress. She was very well looked after.
Nicola was joined by Max, an old scholar who was able to share his fond memories with prospective families.
In the Autumn Term of 2022, The Great Ackworth ake Off was back And to what acclai students signed up meaning that heats had to be held to narrow the field for the two categories Junior & Intermediate and Senior & Sixth Form. This was the perfect opportunity for students to showcase their talents and they did not disappoint. The standards were incredibly high in the taste category for the Heats making it very difficult for the judges. Nevertheless, they persevered through the sugar high to select eight finalists for each category.
It was then my absolute privilege to spend two Saturday mornings with such wonderful students as they produced their cake that represented their favourite season. The designs were brilliant, with each group bringing something co pletely different to the table. lti ately though the skill of y and her able assistant Steven for Fothergill and the sponge-making skills of Charlotte and Charlotte for Woolman won through and our champions were crowned for 2022. I look forward to 2023's instalment.
Heather Gordon, Head of History, Pastoral and Academic Lead for Second & Third Form
It is always nice to be asked to write this boarding update for Ackworth Today, it is a great way for me to re ect on the great ti es and temporarily escape from the day-today tasks of running a boarding house. We have spent a lot of time since returning from the festive break talking about positive relationships and how our behaviour can in uence those around us. There are many wonderful characters that fill our boarding house, and it really is a privilege to watch them grow and ourish into fine young people.
This term we have enjoyed several trips including crazy golf, lazer quest, bowling, shopping trips and a visit to the cinema. When we go on trips, the boarders always show incredible levels of independence and fine behaviour. It is such a joy to spend time with them outside of the school environment, and I know my colleagues agree.
Six of the boarders blew me away with their performance in the school production, Legally Blonde. I was so proud of their dedication and commitment to the hard work involved. I wish you could have all been there to see it.
You will have heard the news that I am heading for pastures new at the end of this academic year. It was exceptionally hard to break the news to the boarders. They all mean so much to me and I will miss them all so much. I will be involved in the recruitment process for my replacement, and I will ensure that whoever gets the fortunate opportunity of working with your children is the right person. The boarders will also be involved in the process.
As the daffodils begin to bloo and we gain daylight, the boarders will be making the most of everything that Ackworth has to offer, and will be enjoying every moment with them before I depart.
Nicola Gilbert, Head of Boarding
Autism Resource students have been thoroughly enjoying the specialist science breakout lessons our irrepressible physics teacher Ian White has been delivering this half term.
The relaxed environment and visual resources Ian prepares are incredibly valuable for our students. They absolutely love the opportunity to watch an’s scientific de onstrations and participate in e peri ents that would likely be unavailable to them without the specialist support Ackworth School is able to provide.
From discovering features of plant and animal cells under the microscope to burning eringue to find its calorific content it’s not great news, ’ afraid the sights, s ells and learning that happens in these sessions is a highlight of the week for all who attend.
We are incredibly grateful to an for his ti e and effort so please, as one student elo uently put it ore e ploding custard or science
Josef Williamson Specialist Learning Mentor within the Autism Resource
Back in October, Rebecca won two events at a very big tournament in ngland called leveland . She won the tea event and the singles. Her coach described her as unbeaten all weekend Well done, ebecca During the weekend of th January 2023, it was the Senior ational ualification tourna ent where both Rebecca and Felix played. eli went into the tourna ent ranked 2 and finished the tournament in 3rd place. His performances were outstanding, and the tea were both shocked yet e cited for hi to finish this high in a senior tournament.
Equally as impressive, Rebecca was due to finish th place and finished th in the wo en’s. ebecca also beat the nu ber one woman ranked in the tournament. She played outstandingly all competition.
Coach, Sam Mabey said, “For me as a coach I was so pleased for them and to have two players in the semi-final at a tournament like this is not something you see a lot. This also means that both qualify for the Senior National Championships in March.”
Ackworth School is delighted to announce a new partnership with English Football ea e wo tea a o ate own to deliver our Elite Football Academy from September 2023.
Students enrolling in the acade y will benefit fro high levels of contact time per week with our school-based UEFA licence ualified Director of ootball. This will co prise of regular individual and group skills coaching sessions, regular football matches for both the Academy (and for the school when possible), and supervised strength and conditioning training.
In addition to the Academy’s home being at a brand-new 3G pitch ten minutes from the school, students will have access to five full si ed pitches, a ulti use ga es pitch and an indoor training area. Students enrolled in the football academy can also take full advantage of the heated indoor swi ing pool and our purpose built fitness suite.
Head, Anton Maree said: “I am struck by the professionalism demonstrated at every level by Harrogate Town Association ootball lub and their staff. The benefit of being able to tap into that professionalism can only be an advantage to our school and our students. I look forward to a lengthy association with HTAFC and am delighted with the opportunity that it brings to our school and to all footballers within our local community.”
Simon Weaver, Harrogate Town AFC Manager said: “I am delighted that our football club has entered into partnership with Ackworth School. I am immensely proud of the association with my former school. Anton Maree is a great leader and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my meetings with him. We are passionate about developing student athletes at the school. The school has strong values and so do we as a football club and that is why we have faith in each other to produce a successful joint venture that gives pupils every opportunity to develop, enjoy and succeed.”
Many players will choose to join the Academy alongside their Sixth Form studies. Two study routes are available: traditional A-Levels, or the BTEC Extended National Diploma in Sport (equivalent to three A-Levels) for those wanting a more vocational education. Those pupils joining the Academy in years below the Sixth Form must take the required academic course appropriate to their age and ability and involve themselves in the school’s co-curricular programme.
For more information about joining Ackworth School and the Football Academy, please visit www.ackworthschool.com/ sports/football-academy/ or contact us on admissions@ackworthschool.com
Darcie (Year 6) started playing netball in ear after she saw a poster entioning training at Wakefield Wildcats Junior etball Club. She plays centre and wing attack for the U12s. Darcie’s Year 6 team, ‘Wildcats 2’ are currently top of their league and undefeated. This year she was selected to be put forward to trial for the West Yorkshire County development squad and was fortunate enough to earn herself a place in the U12s at only 10 years old. In two years, she has developed a huge passion for the sport and dedicates herself to training four times a week. One day, she dreams of playing for England.
When we think about sustainability, some will consider small changes we can do day-today which will make the biggest impact. These changes are often easy to spot and can be recommended to others. Over the past six onths, Ackworth School’s works staff have been working hard behind the scenes to make Ackworth School much more sustainable for years to co e. We have been replacing our 0 year old boilers with three brand new ones, including replacing and installing hundreds of metres of new piping. Having to fully drain the system, this will now cover and heat a huge area of the school. This project has been happening alongside other works around the school and although it may not be the most glamorous of changes, this has been a vital development project. Thank you to Mick and our Back Lane team for their continuous hard work throughout the school.
This beautiful piece of needlework was designed and stitched by Nora Lingard to mark her two granddaughters’ ti e at Ackworth in the late 0s and early 0s. ora, born in , was taught to sew by an e broiderer fro
We caught up with Liz Ibbotson Ackworth Old Scholar, young female entrepreneur, mother, and wife, to see how life has been for her professional career since leaving Ackworth i was a pupil here at Ackworth School from the age of six to 16. After leaving Ackworth, Liz attended Leeds College of Art for A-Levels, foundation and a Degree course in Graphic Design with a focus on illustration. From there, she went straight into freelance work.
Liz describes her time at Ackworth School as “wonderful” and recalls the support she had for exploring a creative route when it was clear that she would not become an academic. This support would go on to give i the confidence to trust her own voice into her adult life.
One day whilst she was painting some furniture outside her house, a passer-by commented on her talents and how she could “make some money out of that” … i , having the self assured confidence she had developed, thought “perhaps
can and whisked herself off to do a traditional upholstery course in Sheffield. Libbi Interiors was set up when Liz was 26 and her business has been snowballing from there, focusing on painted furniture that she sells on Etsy, upholstery for domestic and commercial use and auto upholstery for aircrafts and classic cars.
Libbi Interiors is currently working on projects such as a ord pickup truck and a oral fireside ar chair. The workshop often sees a range of products co e in and out next week they are expecting a Parker Knoll Sofa f you would like to get in touch with i at ibbi Interiors, her contact info is below.
07714 689 321 | libbiinteriors@gmail.com
www.libbiinteriors.com
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LibbiInteriors @libbiinteriors
On 19th January, Ackworth School’s Old Scholar representatives made the trip down to London to meet with Old Scholars in the South of England. It was fantastic to see you all and to watch connections re-establish among the group. The average cohort was Old Scholars fro the 0s and 0s, however one Old Scholar had been at Ackworth during the 0s too.
One attendee stated that it was a great night Another quoted: “Thanks very much for organising last evening. It was an interesting event and was good to hear of the developments and to meet some fellow Old Scholars.”
Thank you to all those who attended and supported this event. t was great to see you We will hopefully be booking another London event in December 2023, so keep an eye out on the website and in the Summer edition of Ackworth Today.
In early November 2022 a large group of Friends and friends embarked on their annual weekend trip to Glenthorne Guest House in Grasmere, Cumbria, (now without Covid restrictions), kindly organised by Mike McRobert.
It’s been a long time since I went there as a child with my Old Scholar parents, on autumnal West Riding gatherings, family summer holidays, and latterly following my A levels as a support member of staff in the 0s, when the uest House was run by the Spinks. Much has changed, with the addition of en suite bathroo s, Wi i, coffee making facilities, a menu choice in the evening and even a wine list However, the great ethic still exists, with Quaker values, and friendly staff a guest’s co ent described Glenthorne as a ‘very calm, peaceful and restful place to stay.’
We all arrived on a late wet Friday afternoon to be greeted by warming beverages and a choice of tasty homemade biscuits and cakes. Conversation was buzzing as everyone exchanged the previous years’ events, old friends caught up and new acquaintances began. A delicious supper culminated with a fun evening organised by Anne TelfordKenyon, where quiz questions stretched brains and fortunately didn’t cause any long-standing disagreements.
Saturday began with a substantial choice of breakfast options, then Meeting, quickly followed by the dilemma of ‘what shall we do today?’. Walkers kitted themselves with waterproofs, sturdy boots, and maps, with the brave and intrepid setting off on a ore challenging walk, others, equally enthusiastic choosing a lower-level route. Both were
Catherine Mary Eatough (née Jenkins) sadly passed away in August last year after a short illness and shortly after her husband for ore than years, e . ary, as she was known, attended Ackworth fro to . Her experiences at Ackworth were treasured memories for her, and we heard many stories of her adventures at the school, particularly walking around the Green with the boys The friendships she ade were strong and lasted a lifetime. After her children had grown-up, she organised an annual weekend get together of Old Scholars for all or any of walking, drinking and no doubt sharing of memories. This was a tradition for nearly 20 years until willing minds were thwarted by not-so-willing bodies. Mary was a fantastic mum and granny. She was much loved, and is much missed by her family, her three sons, Nicholas, Jeremy and Jonathan and her seven grandchildren.
Robert Vincent (AS 1957 – 1962) sadly passed away 19th October 2022.
greeted with extremely wet conditions, not always pleasant, but sustained by the filling packed lunches provided by Glenthorne. Thank goodness for hot showers and a drying roo for soggy kit The rest of us chose a more leisurely alternative, with visits to Grasmere and Ambleside, shopping and garden centres, and the acclaimed ‘Lakeland’. The evening culminated with a highly entertaining ensemble with the hilarious Nici Fletcher-Causer and Trudy Seed keeping us amused with a selection of games.
Sunday morning followed the same format as Saturday. Although still wet, the autumnal beauty of the Lake District is breathtaking, and it’s impossible not to feel inspired by the dramatic scenery. The now traditional walk to the Wentworth’ for orning coffee was followed by yet another substantial meal at Glenthorne. Then time to pack up and say our goodbyes, until next year in November (or Easter at Ackworth). Such a great weekend, my deposit has already been paid for 2023
Karen Housden, Daughter of Keith Daniel (AOS 1950-55)
“Life began for me at this school”
Peter was born on 10th August, 1933, the son of Wolfgang and Lenke of Budapest. He arrived at Ackworth School as a refugee, aged 3, in Septe ber and left in July, . His address on arrival was given as the Penn Club in London. His daughter Peppa Eden-Shiomi wrote and told us that Peter had composed some of his eulogy. He said that his life began after escaping the war in Hungary with the aid of family members, and upon his arrival at Ackworth School. Twenty years ago, Peter visited the school with his wife when he acquired a school jumper with the school emblem on it. According to his daughter… “we discussed before his passing that he would be buried in his favourite jumper, and when that time came… I proudly had him dressed in it.”
Peter is pictured top, centre. 1949
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At the end of January 2023, Ackworth School’s PSA was finally able to launch the return of the annual Winter Ball. The evening was held at Wentbridge House Hotel and provided an elegant evening filled with dinner and dancing. Thank you to Hannah Phillip for being the driving force behind the event and thank you to all those who worked towards creating a wonderful evening, including the donations towards the raffle. We hope to see you next year!
FacultyHeads of Faculty Departments
Maths Emma Garland
Maths, Further Maths, whole school numeracy
English Rosie Whitham English Literature, English Language, whole school literacy
Science Christopher Bailey Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology
Humanities Heather Gordon Geography, History, RS, PSHE
Languages Annette Hull French, Spanish, EAL, native language exam entry
BEEP Laura Young Business, Economics, EPQ, Politics
Performance James Bower Drama, Music, PE
SEND Jon Phillips Learning Support and Autism Resource
FACT Sarah Rose Food, Art, Computing, Design Technology
Rachel Viles School Nurse
Rachel Akroyd Specialist Learning Mentor
Polly Hollingsworth KS2 Coram Teacher
Julie Lane Examinations and Data Officer
Rachel France Head of RS/PSHE with History
Janet Mason Receptionist
Lee Whittaker Learning Support Mentor
Sarah Perry KS2 Coram House Teacher
A warm welcome to the new staff who have joined Ackworth School this term:
n an a a es owe ea he o o s at wo th hoo o ete n a tness event n an heste a e a es th s to a se one o the a an an e Trust Charity.
H O is a fitness race for everybody, no atter your fitness level. The race starts with a 1km run, followed by one functional movement. This whole circuit repeats eight times, taking place in a large indoor venue, creating a unique stadium like atmosphere.
Functional movements include:
» 1000m SkiErg
0 Sled push 0kg
0 Sled pull 00kg
0 urpee broad u ps
» 1000m Rowing
» 200m Farmers carry - 32kg
» 100m Sandbag lunges - 30kg
» 100 x Wall balls - 9kg
Ja es and his fa ily would like to thank all the staff and students who donated and raised over 00 for the ac illan ancer Trust.
n ove e ane en graduated from the n ve s t o e s e o ow n a two ea a t t e aste s o se
Jane received a Master of Arts with distinction in Education (Special Educational Needs). Her dissertation investigated the sense of belonging and its impact on inclusion. Jane said that “the course was both challenging and rewarding and will support my role as a Specialist Teacher within the Autism Resource”.
Rachel Addison, Specialist
ea n n ento w th n the Autism Resource, graduated in November from the University o e w th a aste o Science in Psychology.
Rachel said that “this degree has given me further insight into psychological theory links within educational practice, to better enable me to support the social, emotional and cognitive needs of the children that I work with.”
e a t e e t on st e an he a ee at Ackworth School in 2002 as the receptionist and would have celebrated 21 years of service in August!
Julie is heading into retirement with no plans except enjoying a bit of travelling with her husband, Kevin. Julie said: “I will miss everybody and I have really en oyed y ti e working here. ou will definitely be issed around Ackworth School Julie, by staff and pupils, and we all wish you a wonderful retire ent
