Knutsford Multi-Academy Trust Yearbook 2016

A YEAR AT

KNUTSFORD ACADEMY 2015-2016

TOGETHER FOR EXCELLENCE

A YEAR ON A PAGE

Over 100 students were involved in the production from Year 10 through to Sixth Form WE WILL ROCK YOU - PAGE 22

It allows you to be creative with your time and pushes you to have new experiences DUKE OF EDINBURGH - PAGE 27

Oscar Edmondson and Olivia Withers were elected Head Boy and Head Girl for the coming year HEAD BOY & GIRL - PAGE 14

Working with renowned north west artist Russell Kirk building 3D caricatures YEAR 7 - PAGE 4

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WELCOME TO A YEAR AT KNUTSFORD ACADEMY

Our students over the last 12 months have not just been busy in the classroom but have engaged in a huge range of life and character building experiences, whether it be in a school production, on the sports field or working with our local community.

I’m immensely proud of our students and marvel at their determination and initiative; our dedicated and supportive staff provide an inspiring and supportive learning environment where every student is challenged to realise their full potential and encouraged to be ambitious for their future.

This Year Book is a great channel for sharing students’ successes and achievements across our core values – achieving academic excellence, encouraging a strong community spirit and offering students world-class opportunities.

I hope you enjoy the read!

Mike Cladingbowl Executive Principal

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YEAR SEVEN

YEAR 7 HELPING FUTURE KNUTSFORD ACADEMY STUDENTS – KATIE GORDON As a current Year 7 I was asked to help out with two transition days for the Year 6 students who will be starting at Knutsford Academy in the future. From my own experience I know coming into Year 7 is a big change but having people around you that have been through the same thing is very reassuring.

Even though you could see some students were nervous my first job was to get them at ease and let them know they are being welcomed into a friendly environment. The first day there was English for half of the day, including story writing, newspaper articles, radio reports and drama challenges, then we

had an afternoon of sports.

On the second day they got to meet their form tutors, have a lesson and also their very first assembly with Head of Year Mrs Robert.

It was a great taster of secondary school life as the students had the same sense of rotating to different lessons and learning how the school day works. Many people think that moving school is like moving house because everything is going to change but we have these days so that students feel more welcome and they have a chance to make new friends before starting on their first day.

KING CANUTE WORKSHOP A number of Year 7 students spent the 12th July working with renowned north west artist Russell Kirk building 3D caricatures of famous people linked to Knutsford, including Elizabeth Gaskell and Trumpeter Smith. The caricatures will be displayed through Knutsford as part of the autumn celebrations planned for the Canute Millennial and a thousand years since King Canute forded the River Lilly.

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FUNDRAISING FOR LEPRA Year 7 students raised an amazing total of ÂŁ1533.13 for LEPRA! This is a charity which raises money to cure leprosy in India and Bangladesh and our students had two weeks to raise as much money as they could. They chose initiatives such as selling cakes, washing cars and cleaning cat's hair! To

show their appreciation LEPRA representative, Jacqui, came into school to present our Year 7 Academy Parliament representatives, Alfie Bashford and Bo Bragason, with a plaque and Peter Kingdom, the Headteacher of The School, presented LEPRA with our huge cheque.

Students from Year 7 proudly display the books that were awarded to them through the Bookbuzz programme from The Book Trust which supports schools to encourage reading for pleasure, independent choice and develop a whole school reading culture.

BOOKBUZZ

I really enjoyed being a reporter for the day, we were really busy and I learnt so much more about Knutsford.

BECKY SPURRY YEAR 7

Students in Year 7 (and also with some help from Year 8) spent the 10th March working as aspiring news reporters as part of the national BBC Schools Report day.

Working to a theme of Past, Present and Future in Knutsford the students split up into teams and immersed themselves into the local community, meeting and interviewing a huge range of local people which

Year 7 enjoying a class of Zumba to celebrate their LEPRA achievement.

BBC SCHOOLS

REPORT

they used as the base for their articles, this included rangers from Tatton Park, Knutsford Heritage Centre, local businesses, Egerton and Bexton Primary Schools, and former Mayor Cllr Neil Forbes – see picture.

Having spent the morning out on location they then had to return to school and write their articles so that they could be completed for 3pm and then published on-line for 4pm.

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YEAR EIGHT

PUMPKIN PATH Knutsford’s Pumpkin Path has become a huge annual event in the town's calendar and we were delighted to get involved with a ‘Spooky’ dance routine that was choreographed, rehearsed and performed by a team of 12 students from Year

8. Dancing to the tune ‘Everybody’ by the Back Street Boys the students were also joined in their routine by Peter Murray from Pulse of Perfumery who helped to organise the event and Town Mayor Cllr Tony Dean.

BAE ROADSHOW FOR YEAR 8 The British Aerospace Roadshow visited the Academy in February promoting science and engineering.

Year 8 took part in a range of interactive experiments involving sound, light and vision.

INNOVATIVE DESIGNS FOR KNUTSFORD LIONS For the second year in a row, Academy students supported Knutsford Lions, designing a King Canute themed stand for the Annual Lions Street Fair hosted in May. Mr Robinson's form worked together on a range of King Canute wooden designs which were then mounted on 4 plinths.

Two of the plinths are now proudly on display in reception at Westfield Drive.

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I was delighted with the innovative designs and the creative talents of the students.

MICHAEL GOLDMAN FROM KNUTSFORD LIONS

CHESHIRE SHOW 2016 Over 30 students helped out at this years Royal Cheshire Show with the Academy not only involved with its own stand but also supporting the Manchester Airport stand.

The students had to devise a theme for the stands and chose a ‘Keep Hydrated’ water theme for the Academy stand and a target paper aeroplane game for the Airport stand.

The show was visited by thousands and included

former student Graham Sherlock who started at Knutsford Academy in 1956.

After the event Graham got in contact with us to say how polite and knowledgeable the students were.

ATTENDANCE REWARD Year 8 students with a 100% attendance spent a morning at the end of the summer term participating in a number of outdoor activities as a reward

for their excellent attendance.

Students had the opportunity to do bushcraft, archery, orienteering and even caving in a portable caving unit!

SPORT RELIEF MILE Wednesday 16th March saw Year 8 participate in the Sport Relief Mile, completing laps around the school field, and many running much further than a mile. More than £400 was raised for Sport Relief.

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YEAR NINE

GRIM TALES Year 9 students became published authors this year, with 15 students each writing a short story under the theme of Grim Tales which then went to print. Here they are pictured with copies of the book.

ROYAL MAY QUEEN YOUNG SPEAKERS On 9th February a team of Year 9 students attended a Rotary Club public speaking competition at All Hallows School in Macclesfield.

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Charlotte Kenyon was selected to be Royal May Queen for the annual Knutsford Royal May Day celebrations that were held on Saturday 7th May.

Our team of Matthew Flint, Sofia Chowdry and Myles Reeve were placed second overall, a fantastic achievement. Myles tells us a bit more about the event. We were asked to propose an idea or subject that we as a group agreed on. In our case we chose to talk about education and its case around the world.

We would meet up as a team on Wednesdays and plan at a club called ‘Discussion Club’ that Miss Smart set up.

The competition was attended by a number of schools and a cross section of year groups with even a Sixth Form College team taking part. Matthew started by introducing each of us and our presentation. Then I talked for six minutes and tried

to keep the audience awake with all of this being scored and timed. Once I had finished, I was asked by the Questioner on the spot – “what would you do to help education around the world if you were Bill Gates?” I answered by saying “I would get us to a conference room with plenty of tea and biscuits then discuss from then on.” Afterwards, Sofia said thank you to all the members there and everyone responsible for organising the event.

Matthew finished our presentation by closing the subject.

All in all it was great fun and inspiring to hear speeches from other schools. I even came back with a certificate for outstanding speaker.

TOMORROW'S ENGINEERS In February Year 9 took part in a STEM event called “Tomorrows Engineers Energy Challenge”. Pupils discussed the world’s use of energy and the need to use renewable energy. They then had the opportunity to experiment with solar powered cars and compete in challenges of accuracy and power.

EXCELLING IN PERFORMING ARTS Cameron Cook has successfully auditioned for Commotions male dance company at the Lowry and Zac Priestley has been offered a place on the Weekend Associate programme at the Hammond Chester. The pair also had lead roles in the summer production of The Wizard of Oz.

Cameron and Zac in rehearsals for The Wizard of Oz

YEAR 9 IN THE DOCK A number of Year 9 students spent the day at the ‘Law Courts’ with all the drama of the court room recreated and supported by Judges and Barristers. The aim of the day was to open minds to the legal system, with the students all taking up different roles.

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YEAR TEN

ALREADY THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT STEP!!

Together with their GCSE studies, students from Year 10 have been involved in a wide range of events to help prepare them for the future after Knutsford Academy, be it considering to go on to higher education or an apprenticeship/employment.

The ‘GreatMindsBus’ tour stopped off at the Academy in June to give Year 10 an early insight into life at university. The tour was run

by Staffordshire University providing a real perspective into the facilities available through the use of 3D technology which literally brought the university campus to the Academy, together with a mock Halls of Residence room upstairs on the bus.

WORK SHADOWING AT MANCHESTER AIRPORT Year 10 visited Manchester Airport to understand all the different roles available including the Fire Service, Security, and Air Traffic Control.

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LOOKING TO THE FUTURE - ADAM BROWN YEAR 10 Throughout the year I have been invited to participate in a number of events with Years 11 and 12 which encourage students to aspire to a higher education. One of these events was a trip to Fallibroome Academy in which we worked with past Oxbridge graduates in our own specialised subjects with the day culminating in a mock Oxbridge interview. The level of passion that all the participants had for their subject was truly inspiring, and it certainly motivated me to pursue my own interests further.

DOES LITERATURE HAVE AN UNCONSCIOUSNESS?

Archie Howells and Levi Clarke-Brown in discussion at a Brilliant Club workshop This is a question that a group of Year 10 students have explored as part of an initiative called ‘The Brilliant Club’, where they have had

to analyse literature from a psycho-analytic viewpoint.

To support them the team have been working with Laura Swift from the University of

Liverpool and studying work including Hamlet, Cat in a Hat and Alice in Wonderland, to search for the answer.

WORK EXPERIENCE OPENS UP MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR AIDAN A number of Year 10 students gained real working world knowledge spending a week on work experience in the summer term. Aidan Marsh spent a week at the Red Cross and since then has been offered an opportunity to help and support the charity

over the summer holidays.

Aidan commented, “I have really enjoyed my week's work experience, a highlight was helping to prepare the stand for the RHS Tatton Flower Show. I was so pleased when they asked if I could continue working for them part-time.”

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YEAR ELEVEN

MY 5 YEARS AT KNUTSFORD ACADEMY – GEORGE KEEBLE Five years is a third of my life, a third that I am very proud to have spent at Knutsford, as well as all the physical changes like doubling in height and growing my first chin hair, I have developed dramatically both mentally and emotionally during my time.

Opportunities came knocking on the door every 5 minutes and from attending events like the Make-It Enterprise Challenge and being a member of the School Parliament in Lower School I felt like my education was being enriched. Parliament was amazing and I really felt like I was helping to make a positive change to the school, I interviewed former Chancellor George Osbourne and went on a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament.

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A 7 minute walk doesn't really do the move from Lower School to Upper School any justice, but in those 7 minutes I really felt like it was another big step in my life, but of course, the staff were continually there to support both me and my friends unconditionally and we all felt welcomed instantly.

Students then went on a ski trip and took part in a Magistrates debate competition with great success, I went on the French trip last year and got a chance to practice in real life what I'd been studying in the classroom.

My favourite trip has to be the Shanghai exchange, I housed a Chinese student called Angel for 2 weeks and gave her a taste of British Culture (afternoon tea and crumpets) and then went on to spend 2 weeks over in Shanghai which was honestly the best

experience of my life, my eyes were opened to the different culture and the way in which a different country operates, I still can't use chopsticks though...

During my time I have been actively involved in lots of sports teams, playing Football, Athletics, Rugby and Tennis all of which have been a great success, I really feel that it's all of the above experiences that shape a successful and intelligent human being, sure the studying is crucial and homework is a must, but the real character building comes from throwing yourself out there and getting involved which is 100% what I can say I have been able to do here at the Academy.

I now look forward to returning to the Sixth Form in September, seeing all the lovely staff and my friends and embarking on the next stage of my journey.

George pictured top left in Year 7, and on the far right of this picture with fellow Year 11 students meeting the Mayor of Llandudno on a Geography field trip this year.

ENTERPRISE AT MANCHESTER AIRPORT A team of Year 11 students made it through to the regional final of the Manchester Airport Enterprise Competition that was hosted at the Concorde Exhibition Centre.

The team had to present their idea which was based around a plane theme park to 5 business "dragons."

Competing against 20 schools from across the North West

they narrowly missed out on a top three place but were commended by the judges on the quality of their presentation.

END OF YEAR PROM The annual Prom was held at Mere Court Hotel on the 22nd of June and was attended by large number of both students and staff, all of whom arrived looking very glamorous and dapper in various forms of equally prestigious transport. Live music was played throughout as various

accolades were presented by Mr Harrison and Miss Martin such as Best Dressed, Most Likely to be Famous and Most Likely to be Prime Minister.

The most acclaimed title of Prom King and Queen went to Kieran Holland of The Studio and Amy Howarth of The College with Mr Harrison

continuing his emotive farewell following on from the Leaver's Assembly. The night was enjoyed by all and held a real sense of community as everyone could be seen dancing together, even some of the staff were spotted on the dance oor.

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SIXTH FORM

HEAD BOY AND HEAD GIRL Oscar Edmondson and Olivia Withers were elected Head Boy and Head Girl for the coming year.

As Head Girl I intend to bring commitment, and enthusiasm to the role. I feel very strongly about the importance of being closer with our surrounding community and supporting local charities, and by doing so I hope to create a positive image of the school. Not only do I want to be seen as approachable by my fellow peers, but also be seen as the one to voice their opinions and by having this strong communication between us I hope it will enable a good relationship to form. I am looking forward to the year ahead and the challenges of the role and to hopefully in a years time look back and be happy with what we as a school have achieved.

One of my main aims as Head Boy is to expand the role that the Previous Head Boy and Girl defined. I would like to continue the ‘Student Live’ paper, making it bigger with the help of the new lower Sixth Form students - this will hopefully bridge the gap between the lower and upper sixth and create a more close-knit sixth form. Also, with the new roles created for those in sixth form such as sports captain and charity co-ordinator I hope to form a team of role models that can be visible both at lower and upper school.

E- MENTORING WITH GLOBAL BUSINESS

Sixth Form students embarked on an innovative partnership with global business AMEC Foster Wheeler who are one of Knutsford's largest employers. Each student has been working

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with a graduate employee and experienced scientist to help them with their studies and also offer any advice on the next step in terms of university applications.

Year 13 have been busy not just with their studies, but also preparing for what they want to do when they leave the Academy in the summer.

Many have been attending university open days and interviews across the UK.

We are really pleased that so many of our students have been offered places, with a number at some of the UK’s most prestigious universities, including Eleanor Davies who has an offer from Oxford University to read French and German.

NEXT STEP SUCCESS

STUDENTS EXCEL IN NATIONAL MATHS CHALLENGE Rorie Armstrong and Alex Price competed in the UK Maths Challenge for Students aged 16 to 18. The competition started with 83,000 students, with Alex and

Rorie progressing through to be placed in the Gold Level of the top 3000. Rorie then received an additional ‘Merit’ award for being in the top 25% of this group.

YEAR 13 VALEDICTORY 29TH JUNE After 7 years at Knutsford Academy and on completion of their A Level studies the Year 13 students celebrated with the annual Valedictory held at Mere Court.

A number of awards were

presented by the outgoing Head Girl Molly White and Head Boy Ed Lunnon, with Valedictory Queen awarded to Alissa Sentence and King to David Mairs-McKenzie.

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SPORTING HIGHLIGHTS

UK GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONS Having won the North West Championship the previous year, the four piece team of Millie Marshall, Maya Ashcroft, Louis Thomas and Milana Marsden-Taylor went one step better this year winning the National Championship competing against a number of specialist gymnastic schools and colleges.

Year 9

ON THE FOOTBALL PITCH Sixth Form Finalists

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From Year 7 through to the Sixth Form the Academy has fielded 10 football teams this year competing in a variety of local school leagues. We also had a weekend team compete in the FA Mid Cheshire league at U16 who finished their first season mid table. The Sixth Form team reached the final of the Macclesfield Schools Cup narrowly losing a close encounter to Wilmslow High School.

Year 7

Year 10

RUGBY SUCCESS FOR YEAR 8 The 2015-16 rugby season for Year 8 started before Christmas with regular training sessions on Mondays, and more than 24 students turning up weekly. They were keen to build on last year’s 2nd place finish in the Vale Royal League.

Our first fixture finally arrived after February half term with an excellent 56-0 win. This set the tone for the season with the lads going through

their 6 games unbeaten to win the League. The finale to the season was the Mid-Cheshire 7’s tournament on Tuesday 17th May. They started with a tough fixture v St Nic’s

and finished with a game against Hartford. The lads won 4 and drew 1 resulting in them becoming tournament Champions.

Rugby continues to grow in popularity with 5 teams fielded from Year 7 through to the Sixth Form. Next year, together with midweek games, teams will also be playing on Saturdays.

NETBALL

ATHLETICS

5 netball teams from Years 7 to 11 competed in the Macclesfield and District League.

At the Cheshire Schools Finals in May we saw some fantastic performances from our team of athletes, highlights included: Year 8 Dimarco Bowes 2nd - 100m Year 8 Louis Yarnell 1st - 800m Year 10 Ben Healy 1st - 200m Year 10 Katie Waterworth 1st - Triple Jump Year 10 Matthew Williams 2nd - 800m

Year 7 Netball

Year 8 Netball

Matthew Williams competing at Sport City earlier in 2016

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SPORTING HIGHLIGHTS

SIXTH FORM FOOTBALLERS Tom Dally, Alex Ford and Jacob Gresty all represented Cheshire Schools at U18.

RACHAEL CURRAN MIKAR FISHER Year 7, Silver medallist in National Karate Finals.

EMILY HAMER Year 8, has been playing a ‘year up’ for Cheshire Football U14.

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Year 11, continued to climb the national tennis junior rankings and is now in the top 10, Mikar also has a sponsorship contract with global sportswear manufacturer.

EVE COSGROVE Year 9, selected to play netball for Cheshire.

AMY MORRIS Year 7, won a major title at the UK British Figure Skating Championships and is now ranked 3rd in the UK. Amy then went on to compete for the GB team in Luxembourg.

KATIE WATERWORTH Year 10, came 6th in the triple jump at the England Schools Finals.

ACADEMY SPORTS COLOURS The end of the summer term saw a number of students awarded Knutsford Academy Sports Colours from former British Gymnast Craig Heap, who won two Commonwealth

Games gold medals in 1998 and 2002, together with also competing at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Craig also delivered an inspirational speech to students in Years

7, 8, 9 and 10 about what motivated him to achieve at such an elite level of sport.

After the presentations Craig led a gymnastics masterclass with a number of the students.

Full colours were awarded for sporting excellence to the following students:

YEAR 7 Maya Ashcroft Milana Marsden-Taylor Amy Morris Sam Jackson

YEAR 8 Emily Hamer William Stride Elise Humblet

YEAR 9 & 10 Dan Hulme Millie Marshall Louis Thomas Sam Moser James Moser Rourke Walton Joe Bergin Luca Berridge

Eve Cosgrove Sofia Chowdry Will Lowe Haydn Murray Katie Waterworth Ben Healy Charlotte Allen

Students enjoy a gym masterclass with former Olympian Craig Heap just before he set off for Rio to work for the BBC commentary team.

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SPORTS DAY 2016 Almost 800 students participated in this years Sports Day held at the Manchester Regional Arena on Friday 15th July.

Students were involved in a huge range of events including

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hurdles, 800m, long jump, javelin and discus. Spirits were not dampened despite the inclement weather, Rachael Ince who organised the day commented, “this is one of the highlights of the Academy

sporting calendar, it is fantastic to see so many students getting involved in such a wide range of events and compete with a smile on their face even in the rain.�

THE BESWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL 2016 For almost four decades now, music at Knutsford has been celebrated at the Beswick Music Festival. Established in 1978, to recognise and reward outstanding musicianship, the festival is a highlight of the school calendar and the prestige associated with

competing in "The Beswick" as it is affectionately known is enormous. Over the years since its inception, categories have been added and expanded so that now, in 2016 we have a wide, all encompassing field of musical talent ready to entertain you.

In addition to the competitive categories, the highly regarded Wallace Rosebowl and Shorrocks Award for outstanding contribution in senior and junior music respectively were presented at the showcase event on March 23rd.

BESWICK WINNERS 2016 Sasha Carrillo de Albornoz Senior Musician Sasha Carrillo de Albornoz Senior Vocalist Lenny Turner & Sasha Carrillo de Albornoz Composer Lenny Turner Contemporary Musician Daisy Bolton Most Promising Beginner Emily Isaac Junior Musician Emma Bland Junior Vocalist Lenny Turner Wallace Rose Bowl Abby Taylor Shorrocks Award

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PERFORMING ARTS

WE WILL ROCK YOU 8TH – 12TH DECEMBER 2015 Over 100 students were involved in the production from Year 10 through to Sixth Form, with the lead roles of Galileo played by Lenny Turner and Scaramouche by Emily Yarwood.

Emily commented- We Will Rock You will always have a special place in my heart.

Having the opportunity to play one of my favourite characters surrounded by some of my best friends is something I will remember for a lifetime. As a

cast we are forever grateful for the support we get year upon year from Miss Mayne and Mrs Scott and everyone who works tirelessly to ensure we enjoy ourselves during the week of the show. The productions and Knutsford Academy have pushed so many people to careers within the performing arts and I strive to be among that number. Scaramouche will forever have a place in my heart, as will the people I shared this journey with.”

STEAMPUNK FASHION SHOW!!!

Overannual 100 students The Fashionwere Show, involved in the production held on May 12th was inspired from 10 through to Sixth by theYear Steampunk genre, Form, with the lead roles ofby showcasing work created Galileo played

by Lennywho Turner current Year 9 students and Scaramouche

by Emily have studied Steampunk Yarwood. and have explored an Emily commented"We Will exciting range of materials Rocktechniques You" Will always have and to create a a special place in my arm heart. collection of corsets, Having the opportunity to play cuff s, hats, waistcoats and one of my favourite characters surrounded by some of my best friends is something I will remember for a lifetime. As a

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cast we are forever grateful for even wings, using materials the support westuds, get year upon such as rivets, spray year from Misstrimmings Mayne and paint and lace toMrs Scott and everyone create these unusualwho andworks tirelessly to ensure we enjoy imaginative outcomes.

The ourselveswas during week of evening alsothe supported thedance show. and The musical productions by and Knutsford from Academy have performances the highly pushed so many people talented performing arts to careers within performing students at thethe Academy. arts and I strive to be among that number. Scaramouche will forever have a place in my heart, as will the people I shared this journey with.”

GREAT BRITISH DANCE OFF SUCCESS Two teams from the Academy competed in the National Schools Final of the Great British Dance Off on July 7th.

Both teams qualified for this prestigious event through regional qualification making it through to the final where they competed against over 30 schools. Both teams

performed amazing routines, with Key Stage 4&5 Ignition placed 3rd overall, and the Key Stage 3 team narrowly missing out on a trophy and placed 4th.

Lisa Scott, Head of Dance at the Academy commented “I was really proud of all the students who performed, they

have spent so much time rehearsing over recent months, the feedback from so many parents was wonderful who were commenting on both how professional and consistent the quality was all the way through the competition.”

THE WIZARD OF OZ 11TH – 13TH JULY The summer production of The Wizard of Oz saw the 1930’s classic performed on the Bexton Road stage.

Over 80 students took part in the production, with the cast mainly from Years 7 to 9.

The lead role of Dorothy was played by Anna Collins in Year 9 who commented, “doing this amazing show has honestly been an incredible opportunity.

All the cast are really great to work with and I’m thankful to everyone.”

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BROADENING HORIZONS

ACADEMY STUDENTS TRAVEL TO EUROPE AND BEYOND SKI TRIP - ZOE MAXWELL YEAR 8 This year's ski trip was to the Italian resort of Folgarida in the Dolomites. 76 students from Years 8,9 and 10 had an amazing time. The conditions were great, with lots of fresh snow falling before we arrived

and in the first few days of the trip. The fresh snow meant that the more experienced skiers got to do some off piste skiing with their instructors and the less experienced skiers benefited from a softer

landing every time they fell!

The evening entertainment saw students winning a GoPro, teachers arm wrestling and bush tucker challenges.

NEW YORK CITY - MATT STREET YEAR 13 Pancakes with bacon, Hershey’s, Times Square, smoking manholes, yellow taxi, 5 boroughs, bridges, subway, the list goes on. New York City, the city that never sleeps. The 2016 trip was fantastic and students did not let the -26ºC

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temperatures interrupt their exploration of one of the best cities in the world. Highlights included visits to the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, Metropolitan Museum of Art, MOMA, School of Rock on Broadway, Circle Line

boat tour around Manhattan and 5th Avenue for some shopping. We returned weary and full of cultural experience, eager to go again.

SIXTH FORM STUDENTS HEAD TO GENEVA - CON EVANS YEAR 12 In July Year 12 Physics students visited CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, in Geneva.

This was an amazing experience and has really helped me to see how physicists and engineers are probing the fundamental structure of the universe, using some of the world's most powerful particle accelerators.

As well as visiting the hightech, interactive Universe of Particles Exhibition, we were given a tour of the Cryogenic Testing Facility. This is where

physicists research and design superconducting magnets that are used to control the paths of protons in the Large Hadron Collider, the world's largest particle accelerator. We were also shown the control centre for the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) that looks for dark matter, antimatter and missing matter from a module attached to the outside of the International Space

Station. Our visit to Geneva and CERN has made me even more excited to be studying Physics. Being able to meet the experts and see firsthand the experiments that are designed to answer questions such as ‘what is the universe made of?’ and ‘how did the universe start? was a fantastic and fun experience that I fully recommend.

GERMAN STUDY TRIP - EMMA BLAND YEAR 8 In the summer term a group of year 8 and 9 pupils visited the beautiful town of KampBornhofen in Germany. It was a wonderful experience and we did many interesting activities to aid us in learning German, including conducting interviews in Bad Hoenningen,

writing a daily diary ,writing postcards and speaking as much German as possible.

We used our German to buy postcards and stamps, order various flavours of ice-cream and buy our lunch each day.

As well as this, we visited fun and historical places

such as Burg Eltz, a zoo and an outdoor pool. Everyone had a brilliant time filled with new experiences and it also brought people together.

Overall, it was a fantastic trip which I would definitely recommend.

The Academy were delighted to be awarded the International Schools Award by the British Council, who

commented “It is a testament to your whole school commitment to embedding a rich and creative range of international work.”

With school trips planned to Borneo, Shanghai and

Cape Town over the next 12 months we are very proud of the worldwide opportunities available to our students which opens their minds to different cultures and lifestyles.

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BROADENING HORIZONS

MY ACADEMY PARLIAMENT EXPERIENCE TOM DALZELL YEAR 12 I have enjoyed debating a range of issues that are important for the development of the school. This year we have conducted a survey of students' views around behaviour and the Code of Conduct, and had to report the results back directly to Mr Cladingbowl. The Academy Parliament is a great way to ensure that the voice of students is heard as the school seeks to continually improve.

The Academy Parliament was involved in a Student Voice event with students from schools in Poynton,

Wilmslow and Middlewich.

The day’s activities focused on climate change and was led by Oxfam. We agreed that Knutsford Academy students should help to raise money for the important work that Oxfam does and the Academy Parliament organised a ‘wear something green’ non-uniform day in July.

Most recently, members of the Academy Parliament met with the Shanghai exchange students and discussed interesting differences and similarities between the

PROVIDING A FORUM TO DEBATE We were delighted to host a live broadcast of BBC Radio 4 Any Questions presented by Jonathan Dimbleby in April.

After the show Jonathan and the panel, including former MP Edwina Currie spent time chatting to current Sixth Form students.

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Following on from Any Questions we then hosted an EU Referendum Debate in June, with 4 guests on the panel and two of our very own Sixth Form students, Tom Dalzell and Haedyn Johnson.

two school systems. This experience was eye opening to me - and talking to other Parliament members, my fascination was widely shared.

As I look forward to continuing to represent the students of Year 13 from September, I encourage others to consider running in the Academy Parliament elections in October as it opens new doors and opportunities to really make a difference to the school and to those within it.

DUKE OF EDINBURGH

The D of E programme goes from strength to strength here at Knutsford Academy, Head Boy Oscar Edmondson and Head Girl Olivia Withers who are now both aiming for the Gold award tell us more about it. “D of E gives you the chance to get out of your comfort zone and doing it

within school makes this all the more easy to achieve. The volunteering element gives you the opportunity to meet new people and do things you wouldn’t usually do. It allows you to be creative with your time and pushes you to have new experiences; be that volunteering at a local

charity or being completely independent for a weekend while on expedition. During the award you learn new skills and there is a real feeling of achievement that comes with this, making you more motivated to continue to the next level.”

HOSPITAL CONSULTANTS FOR THE DAY The main hall was transformed into an operating theatre in January as 60 students took part in Operating Theatre Live.

The students, mainly from Years 7 and 8 were selected on their interests in science and technology, and also those considering a career in medicine. The day provided

a unique opportunity for students to have the chance to experience at first hand what it is like to work in the medical profession, they were provided with both scientific knowledge together with practical tasks using real surgical equipment.

The students were fully dressed for an operating

theatre and performed a number of surgical procedures including angioplasty and a heart transplant, James Kerr from Year 8 commented “This has been a great experience, I particularly enjoyed how my learning on the day could be applied straight away with hands on practical tasks.”

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STUDIO YEARS 10 AND 11

EMPLOYMENT DAY

Employment Day in March saw Year 10 students given the opportunity to learn about different local businesses.

We were joined by three of our business partners; Katy from South Cheshire Print, Jonathan from Mummy Bakes and Jack from Anytime Fitness. The students designed and then recorded a 30 second radio advert to

promote their business.

This meant they had to understand the features and benefits of their products and services, how they should market, and who their target market would be.

The students excelled themselves and one of our business partners Katy commented that she would

ENVIRONMENT DAY Environment Day in March gave our Year 10 Studio students a chance to get creative and make the most of the space around them.

Students demonstrated what a powerful force teamwork can be when they came together with partners Groundworks and Grozone to improve the school environment. One group of students worked on ‘upcycling’ old pallets

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to create outdoor furniture, sanding down the wood to design and build a beautiful bench and two garden planters, now proudly on display outside the Studio building, while the second group welcomed visitor, Dave Eardley, a local graffiti artist, who demonstrated how to create striking and colourful artworks.

happily use the advert for her business on the radio.

Jonathan added “Fantastic effort from Year 10. They followed the brief and delivered near professional results for multiple businesses in just a few hours, something that would normally take days.

A super demonstration of future employability from these committed students.”

WORKSHOP WITH THE WORLD FAMOUS HALLÉ – VISTIE MARSDEN YEAR 10 I really enjoyed the workshop we did with The Hallé Orchestra. It was nice to have a fun, stress-free day where I got to learn something new!

We found out all about the orchestra, and the team of people it takes to keep it running. But more importantly,

how much goes into planning just one concert! We got to plan our very own and looked into the cost of pieces of music, instrumental groups, ticket prices and all sorts. The workshop was delivered very well, and although fast paced - was certainly exciting! My

favourite part was when we got to present our work and ideas for our concert, as I felt like our group had worked hard and I enjoyed showcasing that: we came second! Thank you Hallé Orchestra for a pleasant and enjoyable day!

SHILOH HEADING TO NEW YORK Year 11 student Shiloh Minott has an exciting journey ahead of him this summer, as he heads off to the United Nations in New York attending an assembly on International Drugs Policy. Shiloh has been involved in research projects with Manchester Metropolitan University to

look at how policing and drug policies can negatively affect black communities. Even more impressive to raise the funds for his trip, Shiloh set up a charity fundraising page with JustGiving and achieved his £900 target two months before departure.

LUKE VISITS HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT After undertaking work experience in the offices of Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central, Luke Dillon in Year 10 was then invited to accompany Lucy to the House of Commons.

Luke is pictured here with Lucy Powell MP, Adam Preston

who organised the event and his own MP Kate Green. Luke had a brief tour of Parliament, went in Kate Green's office, spent time in the public gallery listening to a live debate and even had a cup of tea on the famous terrace.

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STUDIO YEAR 12 AND 13

BRODANSE Year 12 students studying in the Studio School spent a day in September in a workshop with former students, Scott and Austen Smart, who run their own Dance record label and DJ at huge events across the UK and Europe with some of the industries biggest

names. Scott and Austen shared their own experiences of running their own business from a recording studio in Knutsford and the journey they have been on since leaving the Academy. They literally did then turn the tables as they asked the students for

some help and support on how they could develop their own business. The students all presented back with some excellent new ideas from how they could develop their image through to advice on social media.

STUDIO'S VERY OWN FILM DIRECTOR

When I leave the Studio in the summer I am really keen to look at a career in media and film production.

ADAM DERBYSHIRE YEAR 13

Year 13 Media student, Adam Derbyshire, has been making a name for himself not just in the Studio school, but across the Academy for producing a series of promotional films. This has included a film of Year 7 that was viewed by over 500 people in September at the Academy Open Evening, a performing arts dance film that enabled the Academy team to be

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shortlisted and qualify for a national tournament and, most recently a Sixth Form promotional video. Adam said, “It has provided me with some great experience producing these films, I really enjoy these opportunities which I have now added to my CV. When I leave the Studio in the summer I am really keen to look at a career in media and film production.”

James Routs, Head of Marketing for the Academy, commented “The quality of the films that Adam has produced is simply excellent.

We take great pride in showing these to a variety of audiences in the knowledge that one of our students has produced work of this high standard.”

APPRENTICESHIP OR UNIVERSITY? The dual focus in the Studio school of academic achievement and preparing for the working world is starting to deliver some great opportunities for students as they leave in the summer of 2016. We are delighted to see so many of the students gain

places at university, including Danny Wilkins who is planning to go to Leeds University, and Josh Wates who has secured a 4 year scholarship to study Sport in Michigan, USA. A number of students are also planning to enter the working world and build on the

employability skills they have gained as a Studio student.

Jonny Shaw has been offered an apprenticeship at Knutsford IT following a successful work placement and Millie Egan is heading to Manchester working for a property management company.

FOOTBALL ACADEMY The Sixth Form options in The Studio will be changing from the start of September 2016 with the launch of the Football Academy.

The Academy will be delivered in a local community partnership with Egerton Football Club and will provide a balanced approach to both studying and football development.

We have had a substantial amount of interest both from current students but also

students attending other local schools with a number signed up already, including both boys and girls.

Together with academic studies and football coaching, students will have the opportunity to complete FA coaching and refereeing qualifications.

The squad will compete in the North West College League on Wednesdays and the Mid Cheshire League at the weekend.

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