July 2010 Term 5 edition
BW scoops education award Page 14
New magazine Launches Pages  11
Fire station visit Page 5
Brooke Weston at work, rest and play This has definitely been a term of work, rest and play as hundreds of our students sat examinations, went on residentials all over the world and celebrated the end of term with the Year 11 Prom and Year 13 Ball. We also welcomed our
new cohort of students for a taste of things to come when they join the Brooke Weston family full time on Wednesday 1 September.
For news, articles, blogs and photo galleries visit the Brooke Weston News website: www.brookeweston.org/news/
Contents
4.
Author visit
5.
Fire Station visit
Dates Term 5 Aug 2010 16 Aug 17 Aug 19 Aug 24 Aug 25 Aug 26 Aug 27 Aug 30 Aug
6. Science news 7. Retirees 8-9. residential photos 10.
careers
11.
business News
Start of Term 1 New Staff Induction Begins Year 10 Work Experience Begins Tuesday A Level Field Trip - North Wales (to Friday 20 A Level Results Published GCSE Results Published A Level Geography Residential Year 7 Space Centre Trips Sixth Form Induction Day Year 7 Space Centre Trips Sixth Form interviews Year 7 Space Centre Trips Aug Bank Holiday
Sep 2010
12.
performing arts
13.
design technology news
14.
citizenship
15.
enterprise and maths
16. Sporting achievements
01 Sep 06 Sep 09 Sep 11 Sep 16 Sep 18 Sep 20 Sep 21 Sep 22 Sep 23 Sep 25 Sep 27 Sep 28 Sep 30 Sep
New Year 7 Students Start BWP Annual Reception Year 12 Students Start Parents in Partnership meeting Staff Training 4.15 - 6.00pm Masterclass Prize Giving Masterclass Brooke Weston Open Week Year 7 Meet the Tutor Evening Year 12 Meet the Tutor Evening Staff Training 4.15 - 6.00pm Masterclass Year 13 Parents’ Consultation Week Year 13 Parents’ Consultation Evening Parents in Partnership AGM
Oct 2010 02 Oct 04 Oct 08 Oct 09 Oct 23 Oct
Masterclass Year 7 Residential (to Thursday 7 Oct) End of Term 1 Masterclass Saturday Masterclass
Jack Cheatley Students and staff were immensely saddened to hear of the sudden and untimely death of Sixth Form student, Jack Cheatley. Jack was a very popular and hardworking student who had just finished his A level examinations and was preparing to go on holiday with a group of friends from school when he died unexpectedly at home. Our thoughts and sympathies go to all his family and friends, especially his sister, Annie, a student at Brooke Weston and his mother, Mandy, who works here in Curriculum Support. Miss Stringer said: ‘It is barely possible to describe what a loss this has been to everyone. We all knew and loved Jack and he was part of our school family for seven years, bringing his own wit and personality to everything he did. We are devastated and will do all we can to support his family during the weeks and months ahead.’
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Principal’s Editorial It is hard to know how to write the editorial this term as, normally, our school news details achievements, trips, interesting projects, hard work and endeavour. This term has been packed full of all of these things, but one event has overshadowed it all; the death of Jack Cheatley. No matter how many years you work in this profession, nothing ever prepares you for the sudden death of a student and, in a place as close as Brooke Weston, the shock and sadness is profound and runs throughout the entire school. Jack was a charming, vibrant and hard-working student, loved by students and staff and at the very brink of leaving us to forge his way in the world. To have seen someone go through their secondary school years, forming friendships, becoming his own person and being such a part of this school, makes his loss incredibly hard to bear. We extend our sympathy to all his family, especially his mother Mandy, and his sister Annie, who are both a valued part of our school community. If Jack’s death teaches us anything, it is the fact that life is here to be lived and enjoyed. We can’t put off until tomorrow what we can achieve today. Life is short, life is precious and in Jack’s short, precious life he made an impact on all those who knew and loved him. Spend time this holiday reflecting on all that is precious to you and I hope you have a restful time with family and friends. Trish Stringer - Principal
Students meet MP David Miliband A group of students met MP David Miliband during his recent visit to Corby. Mr Miliband, who is hoping to become the next leader of the Labour Party, gave a talk to supporters at the Labour Club and students from Brooke Weston and Kingswood schools were invited along. A total of ten Brooke Weston students went and Sam Ford from Year 7 and Harpreet Bhelley and Tom Hoier, both from Year 12, all asked questions on free swimming, medical training and Afghanistan respectively. Harpreet said: ‘It was strange to go see him, as he seemed like a normal person until you thought he might be the future Prime Minister. I did ask him a question about the cut in university places and employing doctors from abroad rather than training more from the UK, but he seemed to answer it fairly. It was really great to see that the party members there were pleased to see us and happy to tell us more about why they’d joined the Labour Party and their views on the current government.’ The students were accompanied by Mr Sean Cowley who said: ‘They asked intelligent questions. The students were brilliantly behaved and were a credit to themselves and the school. It was interesting listening to a public figure speaking face to face and being given questions from the floor as opposed to delivering a speech.’
Photograph by Alison Bagley. Reproduced courtesy of Kettering Evening Telegraph.
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LIBRARY NEWS
carnegie shadowing scheme Students from Brooke Weston won first, second and third prizes in a book quiz about the Carnegie/Greenaway awards. They, and counterparts from the three other Corby secondary schools, met up at Lodge Park to talk about their favourites and discuss which ones they thought would win the annual awards. Our students were split into teams with those from other schools for a wide-ranging discussion before they had a ‘book push’ where individuals
stood up and spoke on behalf of their favourite title. There was also a talk by a former judge on the Carnegie/ Greenaway panel and the book quiz where our students displayed their knowledge of the nominated works. Librarian Mrs Adams said: ‘Our students really enjoyed meeting those from the other schools and there was a lot of interaction between them all. The shadowing scheme is a really great way to read a wide range of books and debate their best
points. The students did really well to win the book quiz and we are grateful to Lodge Park for hosting the event.’
visit by author david callcutt David Calcutt, author of books, plays and poetry, talked to students about his writing career that has spanned the last 25 years. He spoke to both assemblies, led a writing workshop with the reading group and met with the whole of Year 8 answering questions and reading extracts of his work. He was first encouraged to write at secondary school when he had items published in the school magazine. Then he moved onto poetry and, when he became arts director at a community school, it was a natural progression to move into writing plays and novels. During the past five years, David has written five books; with Crowboy and Shadow Bringer already published and a third, Map of Marvels, scheduled for release next month. David said: ‘Writing was the one thing I could do well, I enjoyed making stories up. One in particular I wrote as a play and it didn’t
really work, the play form was too constraining so that became my first novel, Crowboy. ‘To be a writer you have to read. It sounds trite but it is true. If you are interested in writing then reading becomes more than just a leisure activity; it is part of your mental training. You have to read as widely and diversely as possible and see what it is possible to do with words. There are endless possibilities.
I do write every day when I am not doing workshops. I try and read aloud and consider all work is best performed or spoken aloud. All my books are completely different. Each time I write a new book I want it to be quite different, I’m not a series writer. Writing a book is like a journey and you quickly realise that the end of that journey is the start of another one.’
Manga Masterclass Manga artist Yuri Kore talked to students about her life and career during masterclass in the library. Students from most of the year groups attended and she gave advice on creative writing and drawing techniques. Librarian Mrs Adams said: ‘Her parents had a farm out in the country in Korea and although she always enjoyed drawing she never had any paper! It just wasn’t a priority for them. She always drew on any blank pages in books, and her parents told her off for spoiling them. When she was 12 her parents moved into a town and had a shop. ‘She was always still drawing and put one of her pictures on the shop wall. A customer told her how good it was and from then on she decided she wanted a career as a manga artist. She entered a competition and won, and her career
took off in Korea. ‘She later went travelling to India and met a man from the UK, moved here and started a family. She is determined to re-start her career and won a manga competition here. She has now translated her Korean books and started publishing new work.’ Student Marsha Green said: ‘It was extremely informative and highlighted the importance of dedication and practice in enhancing your skills.’ Laura Keeble added: ‘She was very helpful, giving us tips and tricks to improve our manga drawing abilities, and also really inspirational. I want to get writing my own manga now!’ -4-
World cup frenzy in the library The Library ran lots of football-themed competitions to tie in with the World Cup frenzy. Students wrote their own book and magazine reviews, did wordsearches and took part in a Big Football Quiz. Prizewinners were awarded with football or sports related memorabilia. Also popular was ‘Foul Play’ a WorldCup inspired story by Tom Palmer, which appeared in instalments each day of the competition with students able to link to it from our Library blog.
ART
All fired up on creative project Students on the Creative and Media diploma course have visited a local manufacturer and Corby Fire Station as part of a marketing project they are working on. They are devising a recruitment campaign for the Northants Fire and Rescue Service aimed at attracting applications from ethnic minorities and women. The Year 10 students first got a chance to look around the premises of AGI Amaray, who manufacture millions of plastic DVD, games and Blu-ray boxes for companies like Sony, X-box and Disney. The students saw their automated manufacturing process and talked to their professionals about their marketing strategy. The company has developed a red tag security system to make the products theft and tamper-proof. The students were very impressed by the robots on the production line. Charlotte Humphries said: ‘They gave us a presentation about the business and advertising, I liked watching all the machines at work. The robots did the simple tasks and the mechanics did more technical stuff alongside the machines.’
Local marketing expert Alastair Campbell then came in to talk to the students. Miss Cockroft said: ‘He spoke about different ways of marketing. They are trying to get as much information about how to market something so they can then come up with their own ideas for this campaign.’ Finally the students toured Corby Fire Station where they got to see the fire tenders and a training exercise. Miss Cockroft said: ‘It was an excellent opportunity for the students to see behind the scenes at a fire station and also to talk to some of the fire-fighters to understand more of their role. They will now combine what they have learned from these three activities to come up with an effective marketing strategy that they will present to Sian Butler of Northants Fire and Rescue.’
Hundreds of people, including trustees, governors and students came to this year’s annual art exhibition which showcased the best of the GCSE and A Level artwork. The show included art, photography, painting, drawing and sculptures and, for the first time, the professionally produced catalogue is be available to buy online. Each student had one example of their work on show. Sixth Former Kate McCallum of Year 13 acted as curator assisting Mrs Smith with the organisation of the event. Mrs Smith said: ‘Kate did a great job of greeting people and showing them around all the incredible artwork. Jake Thurston won the Principal’s prize for his photography and lots of parents were there. It was really successful.’
capturing The urban landscape Year 10 photography students took shots of the urban landscape as part of their OCR coursework. Mrs Smith and Mr Procter accompanied them on four evening visits to Kettering when they looked beyond the shop fronts and street views, instead concentrating on unusual angles and locations off the beaten track. Mrs Smith said: ‘We taught them to look beyond the proverbial snapshot, to really look at texture and light, all the traditional elements of photography. We chose Kettering because there is a variety in terms of building styles and eras. They really started telling a story about an urban landscape and came up with some amazing imagery.’ -5-
SCIENCE
pond dipping The Year 7 students ventured into our grounds to perform their own pond-dipping experiments. They were assigned different roles, such as scientist, writer and camera-man to record and document what they found. This is the second year that the pond dipping experiments have taken place and they proved very popular.
football science The World Cup has provided the inspiration for a whole raft of science experiments this term with students learning about the psychology of colour and conducting flame and friction tests. The Year 8 and 9s all got to take part in the football related science which had them analysing materials to see which would be the best for a footballers’ shirt, to talking about the aerodynamics of the ball and conducting bounce tests.
Speedy science Year 11 students have completed their OCR science syllabus in record time, finishing the course in just nine months instead of the normal two years. As well as studying within time-tabled lessons those on reduced timetables would often catch up with the work during their unscheduled periods. Mrs Hearne said: ‘This was the best course for the students even though they had only nine months to complete it. They got to do a lot of different experiments and they all worked really hard with all bar one student hitting or exceeding their expected target.’
Mrs Hearne said: ‘It has been a really wide-ranging and popular subject and the students have done lots of hands-on science experiments. They have also produced their own display work with a prize awarded for the best one.’ The next topic work that the students are working on is polymer science where they will be making glue from potatoes, looking at biodegradable plastics and thinking about how growing crops to use in the plastics industry has an environmental impact.
Target Mars project Students from Brooke Weston and Kettering Science Academy met up for a day-long science workshop with the mission to colonise Mars. Entitled ‘Target Mars’ the Year 10 gifted and talented students‘ mission was to combat a terrorist plot, a disease outbreak, industrial espionage and a dangerous Martian expedition. Mrs Hearne said: ‘This was a very successful day, with 20 of our students working with 10 students from KSA. The pace was fast and challenging. The focus was on creative thinking. The students had to follow instructions to set up equipment that they
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had never seen before and then quizdom was used to test their knowledge of the science involved. It was a competition and throughout the day students were working towards being the best team and the best student. The presenters were very impressed with both the ability and the enthusiasm of our students and set more challenging activities and questions as a result.’
Mrs Sue Kerley retires Senior Assistant Principal, Mrs Sue Kerley is retiring at the end of this academic year. She has been here since Brooke Weston first opened and recalls the ‘leap of faith’ that staff took when signing up for the untested and pioneering City Technology Colleges. Since the first year, when there were a mere 280 students and fairly scarce resources due to funding issues, Mrs Kerley has seen immense changes: She was one of only two teachers in the Humanities department and the school was unfurnished with lesson plans being drawn up in empty classrooms and furniture only arriving the weekend before students were due to start! The first intake consisted only of Year 7s, Year 9s and Year 12s. From that staggered start Brooke Weston has expanded to around 1200 students and 100 staff members. ‘The high point was the excitement of getting our very first set of examination results from our very first year of students and seeing how well my first tutor group had progressed. They did really well.’
Mrs Kerley, went into geography as she was ‘interested in places and people and in how the world works.’ She started her teaching career in Biggin Hill and Basildon and, since moving to Brooke Weston, she has progressed from classroom teacher through to Head of Humanities. Now she is in the senior management team with responsibility for special needs and quality assurance. ‘Nobody knew what CTCs were like or how they would work. It was a big gamble, a big leap of faith for people, including myself and my late husband, who came to work here. Brooke Weston has been a huge chunk of my life. Both my sons studied here. Robert has just graduated with a Masters in Geology while Douglas is training as an osteopath.’ Sue, who went on over 100 field trips and residentials during her teaching career, is still planning to travel during retirement and plans to paint watercolours and continue her hobby of choral singing. ‘After 19 years of coming here every day it is going to be very strange to retire. I’m going to miss the students as I like being with young people. When I first started teaching only the cleverest quarter of students would get any really
useful exam results and now it is expected that everybody can and will succeed. Another huge difference is that students are all taller. When I first started teaching only the tallest Sixth Formers were taller than me, now even some Year 8 students are taller than me!’
HEADS SHAVED FOR CHARITY Students Connor Stead and Joe Koris raised over £1,000 for charity by having their heads shaved. Connor initially came up with the idea to raise money for Cancer Research as his granddad had died of the disease, then Joe showed his support by joining in as well. The boys, who are in Year 8, both play at Kettering Rugby Club and did the stunt at their end-of-year Presentation evening. As well as sponsorship from friends and family, money was also raised by people paying to cut off the boys’ locks of hair on the night! Mrs Jean MacAllister, who has made millions of photocopies during her 19-year-career at Brooke Weston, is now retiring. Jean came to work here when Brooke Weston opened in 1991. She was employed firstly in the restaurant, then as the art department technician, before being offered her current role by former Principal, Mr Gareth Newman. She has certainly witnessed some changes over the years; having served under three Principals and seen many alterations to the building’s layout. The original food technology room was located where Mr Procter’s classroom is, and the reprographics room was formerly selfcontained, not part of the office, as it is now. As well as photocopying Jean processes orders, updates tutor folders and databases and helps out on reception. She is planning to spend her retirement looking after her grandchildren, James, Darcie and Dylan and doing hobbies like flower arranging and sewing. She said: ‘I’ve enjoyed the photocopying with the students coming into get things copied; it’s nice seeing them growing up. I’ve just loved being here, the time has just gone so quickly and it is going to be really hard leaving.’ Principal Trish Stringer said: ‘Jean has always been a stalwart, cheerful and hard-working member of staff. That she has been here since Brooke Weston opened shows her loyalty and dedication and we are all, students and staff alike, very grateful for her dedicated service over nearly two decades. We all wish her every happiness as she leaves for a well-earned retirement.’ -7-
It took about 10 minutes for Joe’s to be shaved while Connor, who had shoulder-length hair, was transformed in about a quarter of an hour. They have so far raised more than £1,000 and are still collecting. The money will be split between Cancer Research and the boys’ Under-13 rugby team.
Residentials 2010 Visits to world-class football stadia, major landmarks and theme parks were the order of the day when hundreds of Brooke Weston students went on this year’s residential trips. Each was planned so that students had a packed itinerary of tours, leisure time and shared experiences. The destinations were New York, Madrid, Costa Brava, Paris and Berlin and each gave students a
chance to experience the unique culture of their chosen country. Those who went to Madrid saw Picasso’s Guernica and visited the Bernabeu stadium, home of Real Madrid. They were even in the capital when Spain played (and won) in the early stages of the World Cup. The active trip to Costa Brava was action-packed with activities like sailing, windsurfing kayaking
and snorkelling. Students also tried a spot of arduous mountain biking and relaxed for a day at the waterpark, braving the rides. Those who visited New York saw landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero and the Empire State building and they even went into the UN building which had an assembly in session. In Berlin students got a taste of the city’s history with a visit to Checkpoint Charlie, the Reichstag
and an educational visit to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. They also visited Science and Technical museums and spent their final day touring Berlin zoo. Finally the Paris trip which was just for Year 8 students included the best the city had to offer, taking in older landmarks like Versailles and the Eiffel Tower along with their more modern counterparts, the Stade de France and Eurodisney.
CAREERS
Matthew has engineering apprenticeship Former student Matthew Brown has secured an apprenticeship with Cummins Inc, the world’s largest designer and manufacturer of diesel engines. As well at working at the firm’s Wellingborough plant, he will also attend Stephenson College in Coalville on block release five times a year to gain NVQs in Engineering. Matthew, who has just completed his GCSEs at Brooke Weston, said: ‘I’vewas awarded a prize at Prizegiving twice for Design Technology, it’s a subject I really enjoy and I try to excel at. Cummins design and manufacture diesel engines from 55bhp up to 3,500bhp. They are a worldwide company and are really eager to push us on. There is no reason why I couldn’t work my way up and be a manager at some point. I want a secure job that I’m happy with. I enjoy being pushed and having to think about how to solve things, it’s definitely the practical side I’m better at and I’m really grateful to both Mr Barrett and Mr Primmett for all their help.’
Counting on a rewarding career Sixth Former Gareth Rees has been offered a job as a trainee with a top accountancy firm. As well as working for four days he will also attend a day-release course to gain his AAT accountancy qualification. He will work for RSM Tenon, which is the seventh biggest accountancy firm in the UK, at its Leicester branch, liaising with clients and learning the business. For Gareth, who was also applying to study accountancy at university, this job opportunity is perfect: ‘It’s something I always wanted to do and by having a job and doing day release it means I’ll be earning money and gaining a qualification. I’ll have three more years relevant experience than if I went to university and then started job hunting.’ Mr Andrew Primmett, careers adviser at Brooke Weston, who helped Gareth with his CV said: ‘ Gareth marketed himself very skillfully. His success proves there are some fabulous opportunities out there provided we know how to take advantage of them.’
Student Chris Perkins is getting his first taste of flying after being awarded an RAF scholarship, and he hopes one day to become a fully qualified pilot. Chris, who is in Year 12, was awarded a gliding scholarship through the Kettering Air Training Corps. Since January he has been flying regularly at RAF Henlow in Bedfordshire. He passed the first phase that enabled him to fly his first solo circuit and is now building up his flying hours and experience, which will enable him to eventually become an instructor.
Sixth Formers Phil Cridge and Matthew Gibb are both planning a career in the RAF, with Phil wanting to become a pilot and Matthew aiming to join the ground protection force which offers security to airbases. Phil, who has obtained scholarships for parachute training and gliding through the Air Training Corps, said: ‘ If I am accepted to be a pilot I will not get a choice about what - 10 -
He said: ‘My gliding scholarship covered everything from basic controls to flying a solo circuit. So far I have done 17 hours flying, two hours of which were solo. I go to RAF Henlow pretty much every weekend. You get to see the same people and there’s a really good camaraderie between us.’ Chris trains on Grob Vigilant motor gliders, but hopes that this is just the start of his flying career. His aim is to fly RAF fast jets, such as Tornados or the new F-35 Lightning II that is being introduced.
aircraft I fly, the RAF see what you are best at, so you could end up flying anything from a Chinook to a Eurofighter.’ Matthew said: ‘I applied to join back in February as a regular gunner, a trade involved in the protection of airbases, so I would go out on security patrols. I would like the physicality of it both mentally and physically. I believe I have got room to improve and progress a lot further in that trade.’
BUSINESS The Business department have started up a new blog on the VLE where students can engage in disucussion forums and swap exam hints. To access it simple go to the business studies section of the website and log in using your user name and password. Miss Ryan said: ‘We’re going to have a general discussion thread, for instance we have had a discussion about the budget and then we are going to have a thread for exam related topics, both before and after exams so if they have any hints or tips for each other to share it will be a good resource for general discussions.’
students launch own magazine Year 9 students, Sean Spooner and Louis Porter have produced their own magazine about the local area. The Corby Magazine features interviews, news and a competition to win an iPod docking station worth £70. Sean and Louis came up with the idea of launching their own free magazine after seeing a gap in the local market. ean said: 'We decided to try to produce our own magazine to see how hard it really is; obviously with newer stuff that interests younger
people rather than everyday news. We've got articles about the redevelopment of Corby and we're trying to write items that will appeal to most ages.' It took the pair just three weeks, mainly during the recent school holidays, to produce the 12-page magazine. Sean wrote the articles and laid out the pages while Louis sold the advertising space. Now their first edition is hot off the press they plan to gradually expand the quarterly magazine to a larger print run with more pages.
Duke of Edinburgh award scheme A dozen students from Brooke Weston attended the county’s Duke of Edinburgh’s recent Award Scheme presentation evening with two having achieved their Gold Awards. Brendan Farrell, Dragana Javor, Rebecca Lathwell, Alicia MacDonald, Tara Pygott, Jean Marc Roberti, Stephanie Udall, Stephanie Ward and Jack Worts were all presented with their Bronze Awards by Mr Paul Blantern the Chief Executive of Northants County Council and Debbie Felstead of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. Oliver Newton received his Silver award while Stuart Marriott and Kate Goodfellow completed years of dedication when they were given their Gold award certificates.
A total of 22 students undertaking their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme had a practice walk and camp recently. They walked for two days and camped overnight in preparation for a further assessed expedition locally later this year. The students, who were accompanied by Mr Barrett, Miss Nicholson, Mrs Hilling and Mr Heppell, all walked from Gretton to East Carlton Park on the first day before pitching their tents and preparing their own food.
Superstar Djs Ross Page and Matthew Brown have set up their own DJ business staging discos for weddings, parties and special occasions. They set up R&M Discos earlier this year and have around 30,000 songs including the latest chart releases as well as a massive sound system that generates 9,000 watts at peak capacity!
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The following day they completed their 28-kilometre route to Market Harborough. The exercise was a chance for them to practice their map navigation skills and be self-sufficient.
Performing Arts
ludus dance
first booking for recording studio The recording studio at Brooke Weston had its first community booking when local band, Cell Out, recorded tracks for a national competition. The band, that comprises young people from Oakley Vale, spent a couple of hours practicing and recording two songs for a competition for LIPA, the Liverpool performing arts school co-founded by Paul McCartney. Head of Music, Mr Steve Duguid said: ‘We have wonderful facilities here so to have our first band who booked up to use our recording studios was fantastic. We wish Cell Out every success and hope they will be the first of many bands from the community to record their work here.’
Students from Brooke Weston performed in a show at Corby Business Academy as part of the ‘Dance 2 Educate’ scheme. The dancers, from Years 7, 8 and 9 underwent intensive tuition from Ellen Turner of Ludus Dance, based in Lancaster.
They devised a four-minute performance entitled ‘We Are Not Robots’ which was performed as part of a larger dance showcase with four secondary schools and five primaries taking part.
Brooke Weston holds its first ever dance showcase Students put on a spirited and energetic performance in the first ever Brooke Weston Dance showcase. There were 17 acts in the show, which lasted an hour-and-a-quarterlong and included solos, group dances and a finale featuring the whole cast.
Mr duguid appears in beauty & the beast Head of Performing Arts Mr Steve Duguid performed in a spectacular version of Beauty and the Beast at the Curve in Leicester. A coachload of students and staff went to support Mr Duguid and see the production. He said: ‘It was a wonderful experience, and probably the best production I have been involved in. There was a lot of money spent on the set and costumes and we even had the sound engineer from the West End show, Sweet Charity come and do the sound for the week. It was tiring but went far too quickly.’ - 12 -
Miss Duguid said: ‘It was a great show and the students’ hard work in rehearsals really paid off. Everyone really enjoyed it and hopefully we’ll be able to stage more dance shows in the future.’
Design Technology
students go Lunar Racing! Three of the students who have signed up for the new Lunar Racing course have already spent a weekend racing at Snetterton. Tyrone Robertson, Cole Macleod and Jordan Derrick all went along to help out after they, and three other students were accepted on the course after a successful interview with Mr Paul Kneeshaw, the founder of Lunar Racing. Tyrone, Cole and Jordan all helped with checks during the race at Snetterton which saw driver, Cassey Watson gain second place in the Abarth 500. Mr Kneeshaw said: ‘Between each session of practice, qualifying and racing the students did checks and prepared it for its next session. This included checking the front suspension and oil levels and cleaning the intercoolers. They worked really well together. We are really impressed and they presented themselves well.It was a really good result and a good weekend.’
The IMI (Institute of Motor Industry) Level 2 qualification, which is the equivalent of five A* to C graded GCSEs, starts in August. Students will go to Lunar Racing’s premises at Rockingham Speedway to learn hands-on skills for one full day a week. Their first task will be to work on a bio-diesel engine which will be raced for 24 hours at Silverstone. It is a feat believed to have only been achieved previously by the Top Gear team and the students will have to work to a tight deadline to get it ready in time for the race in October. Mr Kneeshaw said: ‘I’m really excited about working with the students. With the bio-fuel engine we’re pushing the boundaries in terms of performance, using a two-litre diesel which up to now has been 150 bhp and we’ll be pushing 220 plus using biodiesel. It should take the students four weeks because I want it out and running by the end of August. We’ll have to take it and iron out the glitches.’
construction expert visits Students on the Construction in the Built Environment diploma recently had a lecture from a former student who is now working in the industry.
wind turbine workshop
Mr Danny Nelson was among the first cohort of students to start at Brooke Weston in 1991. Nearly two decades on, he is now group development manager for local firm Winvic Construction, who construct multi-million pound projects all over the country.
50 fast track Year 9 science students build wind turbines as part of a project led by the Smallpeice Trust, to boost their design, technology, engineering and maths skills.
He spoke to students about his career progression, from initial training at Moulton College through to working on large-scale projects like the Silverstone bypass, as well as the challenges facing the industry.
The day, which was overseen by Rachel Stringer from the Trust, started off with team-building exercises and culminated in teams constructing wind turbines, measuring their effectiveness and devising a marketing campaign.
Teacher Jonathan Browne said: ‘Mr Nelson gave our students a real insight into construction and some of the job roles and career progression that is possible. We are also hoping to visit one of their massive warehouses in the near future to get a better understanding of its size, construction and environmental issues.’
DT teacher Mr Nigel Barrett said: ‘This is the first time that the Smallpeice Trust have come in to do a project. It was really hard work but a lot of the students threw themselves into it and we had a really great day.
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Citizenship
school scoops education award Brooke Weston’s Engineering in Education Scheme task has been named Best Secondary School Project at a local education awards evening. The Kettering Evening Telegraph ran a ‘Proud Of Our Education Awards’ to celebrate the achievements of local primary and secondary schools. The EES project was one of a number of schemes shortlisted by judges and, at the awards evening held at the Holiday Inn, student Rebekah Hadley accepted the engraved glass
trophy and certificate, on behalf of the whole team. She, along with Luke Saville, Josh Hilton and James Chalkley, designed an improved tool to remove swarf from the inside of steel tubes manufactured at Corus Tubes. The scheme was so successful that it has been implemented in the production process, improving productivity costs. Teacher Mr Nigel Barrett, who also attended the presentation evening, said: ‘The Brooke Weston team were up against some very good nominations from other schools so it’s a real achievement for them. They worked so hard on the project that to get public recognition with this trophy is fantastic.’
students stage Mock trial Year 10 students got a detailed glimpse into the British judicial system when they ran their own mock trials as part of the citizenship curriculum. The students were each assigned courtroom roles, which they had to research and enact in a trial, which centred on the possession and misuse of drugs. The project enabled students to question and research courtroom etiquette and sentencing issues. Each Year 10 Citizenship class ran their own trials, which were filmed and watched during the following lesson.
Ms Martin said: ‘Students got a real taste of how the different people in a court had different responsibilities and how if they didn’t work together, the court couldn’t run. It was a valuable and fun learning experience for students to identify how the court system works and how it may affect them in their lives.’ Miss Duguid said: ‘Over the past few weeks they have been getting to know their parts, creating speeches , understanding legal terminology and finding out what would happen in
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a real court system. They started to relate it to their own lives. A lot of my students are vocal and very outgoing and they have really got into character, some have bought costumes for the trial. This scheme of work has inspired and stimulated them, it’s been a really positive experience and some are even considering pursuing careers in the legal profession.’
enterprise
More than 1,000 students from three Academies took part in enterprise projects at Brooke Weston. Mr Robin Neighbour, from Young Enterprise, led the activities that took place on nine separate days during this term. Year 7 and 8 students from Brooke Weston, Corby Business Academy and Kettering Science Academy joined forces to work on projects that gave them an understanding of business principles. During each session students from each Academy were formed into mixed teams where they initially had team-building exercises followed by a more in-depth project. Business topics covered included coming up with a profitable product, making sure the production costs are manageable then marketing it to a
target audience. Students also covered topics on staffing, business planning and recruitment. Mr Neighbour said: ‘Although each of these sessions was different, the aim was the same, to introduce students to broader concepts involving modern day business.’ The Year 7 students attended day-long courses entitled ‘Our World’, while the more in-depth Year 8 tasks ‘Enterprise in Action’ took place over two days and each culminated in a Dragon’s Den style presentation where the top teams battled it out for their product to be overall winner. On each occasion mentors from local businesses helped the students by providing advice and guidance. Mr Rory Slater said: ‘I thought it was great that there were students from three
different schools together sharing experiences and getting on. You could see their eyes light up and you could tell they had learned something. Mr Neighbour, who has led several previous oneday workshops here said: ‘This is the first time we have run so many Enterprise sessions for this amount of students at one time. It is the biggest project I have ever put together. ‘What made it particularly interesting was the fact that the students had not met before and each brought their own individual skills to their teams. The students from all Academies and both year groups got a great deal out of the project; as well as a greater understanding of business, they also had a great time honing their collaboration and negotiating skills.’
Maths
mrs hazel stone retires School nurse Mrs Hazel Stone is taking a well-earned retirement, having looked after our students since Brooke Weston first opened nearly two decades ago. Mrs Stone has worked as a school nurse for 22 years and, as well as students at Brooke Weston, her role also covers those at Lodge Park and in half of the local primary schools. As well as giving vaccinations and talks on sex education to larger groups she also sees students on a one-toone basis. She said: ‘You make friendships and every school you go into is
George Robinson from Year 8 has just taken part in the Junior Mathematical Olympiad, a competition reserved for the top 1200 students in the country.
like a family. Every day is different and it’s the best job in the world. Brooke Weston has been extremely good to me, they have been very welcoming and open to new ideas and I feel that we have had an excellent professional relationship. I have made friends for life here and feel as though I am part of the team.’
Geoge was one of 60 students from Brooke Weston who took part in the Mathematics Trust Junior Mathematical Challenge in May, a one hour multiple choice test aimed at challenging high achievers in mathematics.
Principal Miss Stringer said: ‘We are really grateful for the care and attention Hazel has lavished on our students for 19 years, always showing compassion, care and sensitivity and we all wish her a long and happy retirement.’
36 of these students were awarded a certificate, and George scored 105 marks out
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of a possible 135 qualifying him for the Junior Mathematical Olympiad which was held in July. The Gifted and Talented Coordinator in the Maths department, Mr Costello said ‘George’s excellent attitude and high attainment in maths lessons have earned him much renown among his classmates and maths teacher, Miss Rusher. I am glad to see that he is rising to the challenge and getting so much enjoyment out of his achievements.’
Amy’s focused on football
sign up for summer sports camp
Sixth Former Amy Longhurst is a talented footballer, having scored 11 goals for Leicester ladies' team during the past season. She first started the sport when she was six and has been playing for Leicester since she was ten years old. She plays a game every Sunday and attends training for two further nights each week. Amy, who plays in midfield, said: 'Everyone says that women's football is slower but we've given the boys' academy a good game before. On a typical week we will do a core session, toning the body up, then we have tactical and skills-related drills for the following hour. Then on Thursday the team is picked for Sunday so that's the session where you have to put all your efforts in.' Amy was picked for the team consistently last
season, except for three weeks when she was injured. They did so well last season that they were promoted to the Premiership Division which means that Amy, who is studying Sports, Business, Economics and Chemistry at A Level, will hopefully play the women's teams from top clubs like Charlton, Everton, Arsenal, Leeds and Liverpool when the season restarts in September.
kyle’s successful first season Year 9 student Kyle Murie has had a successful first season at table-tennis. Since starting the sport in September he has taken part in three tournaments and progressed from the beginners to improver stage at his weekly club. Kyle first took up the sport as a change from football and said: ‘The club runs on Wednesday nights and they teach techniques to improve your game and also get you to try and work out the weaknesses of your opponents.’
Bookings are now being taken for Brooke Weston’s action-packed sports camp that takes place this summer. Children aged from five to 11 can sign up to take part in a range of sports in a safe and supervised environment. The camp runs on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th August from 10:00 to 15:00. All equipment and tuition is provided. Children just need to bring their own packed lunch, drinks and a sunhat or sunscreen if it’s warm. The cost is just £40 for the two days and the children will be given a t-shirt, certificate and commemorative CD of photographs so they can show their families and friends what they got up to. Organiser, Mr Jazz Saini, of CTC Trading said: ‘Activities on offer include football, cricket, basketball, rounders, tennis and table-tennis so there is bound to be something to suit every age and ability. Children will be supervised in small groups by qualified instructors and it’s set to be a really enjoyable two days.’ For more details or to book a place contact Mr Saini on 01536 396366. Applications are available on the Brooke Weston reception, online or you can request one in the post.
Year 7 record own song
walk for fitness A trio of brothers completed an 18-mile cross-country walk to raise money for their cadet squads and improve their fitness levels. Nicholas and Oliver Dexter are members of the Marine Cadets based in Kettering while their younger brother, Harry, is in the Sea Cadets. They took part in the Waendal Walk at Wellingborough in May, completing it in around eight hours. Members of their family sponsored them and the walk boosted their fitness levels in preparation for the annual inspection from a senior Royal Marine officer. They each received a commemorative medal for completing the event, which attracts thousands of walkers each year.
Musicians from Year 7 have written and recorded their own song that is now available to download through a link on Brooke Weston’s website. They created ‘On One Knee’ in just a few weeks, with the help of Mr Duguid who provided the accompaniment of drums, bass, piano and strings. This was part of a scheme to encourage students to take ownership of their work, empowering them to be more creative. - 16 -
Mr Duguid said: ‘This has really been a successful project and we will certainly try it again next year. The students were in control throughout and just needed a little guidance during the creative process. The song was built up in layers, everybody linked onto each other’s ideas with what they thought was right. The students really enjoyed it and we are all really pleased with the result which is a really collaborative and catchy song.’