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Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College

February 2019

Dear Parents and friends at our college welcome to our third newsletter of this academic year. For students in Year 7 to 10 this marks the mid point of our academic year. For our Year 11 however there are now only 43 school days until the GCSE exams begin.

There is a real sense of urgency in the college as Year 11 students continue with their intensive in-school revision programmes. Many of them are in school until 5:30pm four days a week. School of course is about much more than exams and our latest production, Oliver, was a perfect illustration of this. It played to full houses over three nights and was a production full of heart and energy. I would like to take this opportunity to thank again Ms Duncan, Mrs Thomas, Mr Bryant and all the other staff and especially the students who inspired us with each performance.

Here at Blessed Edward’s we have very clear guidelines on the use of mobile phones. We allow our students to bring them to college but they must not be used while on the college premises. There is a lot of good advice coming out on sensible use of mobile phones particularly in relation to the impact it can have on sleep. I would urge you to read and discuss the advice put out recently by the UK’s Chief Medical Officers with your child. It contains good advice for us adults too.

Next half term sees us enter the season of Lent. This is always a special time in our college as we reflect on the message of Lent and prepare ourselves to celebrate Easter. It is a time when the college is abuzz with fundraising initiatives as our students reach out to support those less fortunate than ourselves.

Finally can I thank you again for your ongoing support of our college. My door is always open for any parent who wished to discuss any school related matter.

Please Sir can I have some more!! It was amazing; it was Please do not think you have to wait until parents the school production of Oliver, (31st Jan to 1nd Feb evening to discuss any concerns you may have. postponed to 7th / 8th). It was so well staged; the Greg McClarey - Headteacher costumes were particularly amazing!!

These productions demonstrate that the arts are a key part of our school life. The budding actors on stage, the Safeguarding musicians, the back stage stars, and the technical teams The review report from the Chadarck Mbala-Mubo case demonstrated a real family of staff and students making recommends schools acting promptly if a child is the three evenings something to remember. Well done unexpectedly absent from school. It is really important to to them all and a big thank you to all the Staff and ensure you provide up to date contact numbers and to Parents that play such an important role in our children’s make sure we hold at least 2 contact numbers on our achievements. records.

On behalf of the Governing body may I thank all the Pace helps parents across the UK understand what is parents of the college for their support in all activities happening to their child and how parents are the prime agents in helping their child exit exploitative relationships. and events and helping all our students achieve their potential. https://paceuk.info/for-parents/ Why not have a look at the school Twitter feed and the Here, you can discover all our resources for families, to regularly updated web page. It gives a snap shot of lots help them meet the challenges of the digital age. of great events in our school life, almost as it happens! https://parentzone.org.uk/parents @EdwardOldcorne Also the online calendar is great as This link contains information for parents about the Tik you can download it to your own outlook calendar.

Tok app CLICK HERE Philip Carney - Chair of Governors The 4th - 8th February was Mental Health Awareness Week. Through assemblies we have been raising Key Dates awareness of this and providing support for our students.

25th February - Teacher Training Day Students can access the presentation online for further 26th February - Students Return support CLICK HERE. 6th March - Ash Wednesday Services I also wanted to remind you of our Key Safeguarding 7th March - World Book Day Contacts: 11th March - Lenten Foyer Liturgies Begin at 8:35am 13th March - Year 8 Parents’ Evening Miss Mason - Designated Safeguard Lead & LAC Lead 15th March - Lent Fast Day Mr McClarey - Deputy Safeguard Lead 18th March - Year 11 Assessment Week Mrs Thomas - Deputy Safeguard Lead 22nd March - College Day of Adoration Before the Blessed Mrs Ennis - Deputy Safeguard Lead Sacrament Mrs Girling - Governor with Safeguarding Responsibility 1st April - Year 10 Exams and Year 9 Core Assessment Exams Mr Carney - Chair of Governors 5th April - Lenten Reconciliation Services Mr McClarey and Mrs Mason - Prevent Single Point of 10th and 11th April - Performing Arts Evenings Contact.

12th April - Easter Services Miss Mason - DSL and LAC Lead 12th April - Students Finish for Easter Holidays

Year 10 Business in the City Centre!

Students have been learning about market research in lessons, so to enhance their learning, we visited the city centre to ask people questions that they had prepared. It was tough going getting people to answer our questions, however, special praise goes to Tiago and Karol for getting the most amount of people to answer their survey. Well done Year 10.

Mr Nicholls - Head of ICT

Maths Amidst the Dreaming Spires!

Ten of our finest Year 11 mathematicians attended a special “It all adds up� Maths conference at the Mathematical Institute, Oxford University, designed to encourage more girls to study Maths and related subjects at A Level and beyond.

We were treated to an amazing and varied series of talks and interactive sessions, ranging from a mathematician who is studying the effect of global warming on the Antarctic Ice Shelf, to an enthralling explanation of how probability and risk can be seriously misunderstood in the wider world.

The girls also learned more about their future options and opportunities involving further maths study, and the myriad of careers which use mathematics.

Mr Ellis - Maths Teacher

Year 8 Fort Royal Visit In 1786 two future Presidents of the United States, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, visited Worcester. They were two of the most significant individuals in the USA's history. They were instrumental in writing the Declaration of Independence and were vital to the drafting of the American Constitution. Both Adams and Jefferson were vehemently passionate about democracy and their visit to Worcester was no coincidence. They both believed that the Battle of Worcester, the final battle of the English Civil War, was a monumentally important event. They came to Worcester as a pilgrimage yet were desperately disappointed with what they found.

Adams wrote in his diary "do Englishmen so soon forget the ground where liberty was fought for? Tell your neighbours and your children that this is holy ground, much holier than that on which your churches stand. All England should come in Pilgrimage to this Hill [Fort Royal], once a year" As part of the Year 8 History curriculum we have been studying the English Civil War. Year 8 History students were able to see for themselves where the battle was fought and to learn, not just about this important event, but also about our local history. I hope that in some way we have helped to realise John Adam's dream.

Mr Jessop - Head of Humanities

Street Food Alex Daw came in and visited the GCSE Food group to help support them with their NEA task on Street food. He also talked to them about careers within food. A great morning was had by all. Very informative. Alex will be coming into school to do some more work with the food groups in the future.

This week the food group have been busy learning how to make, colour and shape fresh pasta .

Mrs Taylor - Food Teacher

Blessed Edward Oldcorne Feast Day On Friday 25th January our community celebrated the feast day of our college patron, Father Edward Oldcorne.

During a week of reflection in preparation for this occasion form tutors and their classes discussed the lives and contribution of all our college martyrs and saints on a daily basis using a specially prepared booklet.

On Thursday 24th Miss Coombes took a group of Year 8 R.E. students on a pilgrimage to the martyrs’ shrine at the top of Redhill where a student led liturgy in honour of Blessed Edward was held.

The headteacher from St. Joseph’s primary school in Worcester also attended with some of her prayer leaders who also assisted with the service.

We are very grateful to our college Chaplain Fr. Andrew Berry who celebrated Mass with both KS3 & KS4.

Mr. McCormack Deputy Headteacher

ICT and Computer Science Fair – 17th January Wow, our fourth annual careers fair saw 15 exhibitors in the hall giving advice to students about post-16 options in digital careers. These next steps included information about apprenticeships, to further education and jobs in Worcestershire and beyond. Students really enjoyed the event and there was a real buzz to it which was lovely to see. Many thanks to all our exhibitors: Borwell IT Services, the Cyber Discovery Team, Qinetiq, Hereford and Worcester Group Training, RGS, Worcestershire Apprenticeships, OGL, Flywheel, Worcester Sixth Form, Heart of Worcestershire College, LMPQ, Payara, Royal Air Force and TDM Wyre Academy. Many thanks also to the Mayor Worcester, Jabba Riaz, who also attended.

Mr Nicholls - Head of ICT

Students Visit Us from China We have been very lucky to have 14 Chinese students from the Guangzhou Panyuzhixin Middle School, located in Guangzhou China, visit the school this January. They were mentored by students from Year 8 and Year 9 and attended classes with them for the week. It was a rewarding experience for all of the students who have made some new friendships. The students and teachers had a fantastic time and learned a lot about our school and culture. Thank you to all of the wonderful mentors who helped us make this such a successful week.

Mrs Parker - Head of MFL

Oliver!

The students have been rehearsing tirelessly over the past four months and put on a fabulous production. Thank you to everyone involved!

Mrs Thomas - Head of Music

Christmas Lectures On Monday 17th December we took 180 Year 7 students to the University of Birmingham for a Christmas lecture on the Physics of Hot and Cold. We were very fortunate to participate in an exciting demonstration filled lecture where students were wowed by the effect of liquid nitrogen on everyday objects including balloons, rubber tubing and magnets! The theory was presented very clearly. We will definitely be back later this year!

Mrs Lynn - Head of Science

RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch During their science lesson on Monday 11th February Year 7 and 8 students participated in the RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch. Students went outside to identify and count the number of birds present. The RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch helps to create a picture of how birds are doing across the UK. By reporting our results, we are helping the RSPB to determine if our bird population is healthy.

Mrs Strauss - Science Teacher

Recycling!

As part of our Eco School’s Green Flag award we are now recycling crisp packets. There are dedicated recycling bins for crisp packets across the College. This scheme is all about minimising our impact on the environment and working towards living in a sustainable way by reducing the waste sent to landfill. The crisp packets are made into plastic pellets by Terracycle to make new recycled products. Please bring in any crisp packets from home to recycle to help to reduce our impact on the environment!

Mrs Strauss - Science Teacher

Library News

On Thursday 7th February the Rotary Club presented certificates and prizes to the winners of their Young Writers Competition. We were delighted that two of our students, Dixie and Julia came first and second in the intermediate age group. The theme was "My Inspiration".

Dixie wrote about a family friend and the judges commented 'Very well written and compelling account of how the family friend is the writer's inspiration: for his stoicism and focus on the positive’ Julia's poem received the comment 'Strong poem about an unnamed inspiration. Well-constructed with some memorable lines’.

Blood Brothers Theatre Trip On Tuesday 29th January, the English department and members of staff took 55 students from Year 10 and 11 to watch a production of Willy Russell’s ‘Blood Brothers’ at Malvern Theatre. Students are studying the play as part of their English Literature GCSE. The play follows the lives of the Johnstone twins who are secretly parted at birth, and despite becoming friends as they grow up, only discover they are brothers in a tragic twist of fate at the end.

It’s fair to say there wasn’t a dry eye in the house after the explosive ending.

Amy, a Year 10 student commented: “It was a great experience being able to see the production live, rather than just reading it in class. Being able to picture the characters and bring them to life has really helped me with my understanding of the play.”

Mrs Bailey - English Department

A Visit to the Pridelands!

Their excitement barely containable, Year 7 Technology and members of the Choir, boarded the coach bound for London. Enthusiasm for the Service Station Stop and the opportunity to purchase a treat seemed to match the delight as we rounded the corner to witness the banner “The Lion King “.

As the music filled the Auditorium the children’s faces illustrated their clearly visible enjoyment. They sat, engaged and enthused through the emotional rollercoaster of The Lion King.

The masks, each uniquely developed, portray the characters brought to life by the performers. The music combined with the brilliant choreography tells the story set in the surround of the simple yet ingenious scenic designs of Africa.

The children returned to school tired but with the Spirit of Africa instilled in their imagination ready to create their own master piece masks in Technology. A huge thank you to Mrs Thomas for organising the trip!

Mrs McFarland - Art Teacher

This Girl Can! Meet our Worcester Girls Can Blessed’s Ambassadors for 2019!

Caoimhe, Molly, Aimee and Dixie attended the first Conference for This Girl Can at Worcester Arena which started with an energetic Zumba warm up, followed by a seminar on the aims of the campaign and finished with a network session in which they had chance to meet and make friends with other ambassadors from other schools ready to kick start Blessed’s campaign on 4th March!

Miss Ingram - PE Teacher

Year 9 Basketball Worcester Schools' Tournament: On December 10th, our Year 9 basketball team won the Worcester Schools' Tournament held in our sports hall.

We comfortably beat Christopher Whitehead, River School and Bishop Perowne.

We will now play in the County finals on 28th January at Bromsgrove School.

Well done to the team Ollie, Jack, Gil, James, Michael, Brad, Jamie, Harry, Jacob, Niall, Lennon, Vanni, Ollie and Josh.

Mr Coward - Head of Department for PE

Netball With such exciting times for netball in England, Gold at the Commonwealth and the World Cup coming over in July! We have some great opportunities for your children to get involved with Netball and learn the skills from Primary school age all the way through Key stage 3 and 4!

Please let your students have this information and if you want to know more please do not hesitate to contact us!

Feb Half term day Camp - 18th Feb Saturday Academy starts 27th April for 8 weeks Summer Camp - 4 day camp 31st Jul / 2nd Aug The link below is for booking on the 4 day summer camp! https://ext-webapp-01.worc.ac.uk/cgi-bin/netball_camp/ booking.pl Hope to hear from you Netfirst 4 Sport

Netball The U12A team had a super tournament at RGS finishing 3rd behind Kings and RGS to crown them top state school. They narrowly lost to RGS 3-4 captained by Caoimhe, a newly formed team with bags of potential, enthusiasm and respect.

Well done girls!

Miss Ingram - PE Teacher Swimming It was a great display from the swim squad on Friday 25th January in the U15 Invitational Relays held at Perdiswell by Bromsgrove School.

An enjoyable afternoon with some very talented swimmers.

We look forward to being invited back next year.

Miss Ingram - PE Teacher Top State School Netball Champions!

The U12B Netball team had a cracking tournament on Monday 4th February at Christopher Whiteheads. Our girls were crowned top state school champions and 3rd in our district behind RGS and Kings. They drew their match with Kings so it was a very close overall result. Superb captaincy from Ellie and Charlotte with lots of good response to coaching by the whole team. Well done girls!

Miss Ingram - PE Teacher Year 3 and 4 Cross Country The Cross Country Leaders did a fantastic job at Cherry Orchard for the Year 3 & 4 Cross Country festival on the 7th February. Hares were David, Ciara, Santino, Andy, Vicky and Lucy. All leaders were very motivating to the primary students and helpful setting up and packing up the course. A credit to our College (photo below).

Miss Ingram - PE Teacher 2018 Year 9 County Basketball Finals On Monday 29th January, our Year 9 basketball team went to Bromsgrove School to compete in the County Basketball Finals.

In our first game, we comfortably beat Bromsgrove School 23-7, which allowed all players to get some court time. Our second game against Holy Trinity was another easy win this time 34-12.

In our third game, we lost 18-16 to Woodrush who had one extremely talented player who dominated the game and we struggled to cope with his drives to the basket and his speed on defence.

We had a great final game against Dyson Perrins, winning 43-11.

We finished in a creditable second place despite probably being the best team overall.

Mr Coward - Head of PE