iGazette Honywood School
SUMMER TERM ISSUE
21 JULY 2022
CONTENTS 23
DANCE
24
C11 LEAVERS’ CELEBRATION
28
DUKE OF EDINBURGH
29
A NIGHT AT THE MUSICALS
C7 DANBURY
30
C11 PROM NIGHT
C8 DANBURY
34
ENRICHMENT SUMMER TERM
38
C10 WORK EXPERIENCE
40
SPORTS DAY
03
OUR NEW C7
05
C11 REVISION TRAINING
06 08 10
PRIMARY LEARNING DAYS
12
WINTER CONCERT
14
C11 CAREERS FAIR
16
LEAD LEARNERS AND PREFECTS
20
ENRICHMENT SPRING TERM
WELCOMING OUR NEW COHORT 7 In September 2021, C7 began the next step of their educational journey by joining Honywood
The transition from primary school learner to secondary school learner sees big changes in terms of responsibilities, organisational skills and joining a new community. Our C7 have formed new friendships, relationships with teachers and most of all have embraced our values of Trust, Respect, Equity and Excellence. We look forward to seeing their development over the coming years.
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas A. Edison
C11 MADE TRAINING Everyone knows that to get the best possible marks in your exams, you will need to remember what you’ve learnt – and to remember what you’ve learnt, you will need to revise. Revising for an exam can sometimes be a challenge, so inviting our C11s to attend revision training made the whole process easier and enjoyable with the proper revision techniques! A revision workshop delivered by the fantastic ‘MADE For Education’ team. The day enables the learners to try a variety of techniques in preparation for their upcoming mocks/final GCSE exams. The sessions are designed to increase motivation and use spaced learning strategies to beat procrastination, increase productivity and enable knowledge mastery. This training allowed our C11 learners to: • Identify strengths and weaknesses and prioritise areas for improvement • Improve memory skills • Create effective revision resources • Structure your time and work efficiently • Experiment with the techniques and practise those that really work for you.
Thomas Edison, known best for his invention of the incandescent light bulb, certainly knew failure in his life. His teachers said he was stupid. He was fired from his first two means of employment for being “unproductive.” He tried over 1,000 times to get the light bulb right. But try, he did. And, as we know and can appreciate, he succeeded. The next time you’re tempted to give up on getting that score you really want, take your motivation from Thomas Edison.
C7 DANBURY TEAMBUILDING SPECIAL
Cohort 7 spent a glorious day at Danbury on Friday 24th September, the weather couldn’t have been better and the activities that had been planned by the Danbury staff were enthusiastically embraced. The small groups of 9 or 10 gave both staff and learners an opportunity to really get to know each other and start to forge the relationships that will be so beneficial in the future.
C8 DANBURY TEAMBUILDING SPECIAL
On Friday 1st October, C8 visited Danbury Outdoors, their first trip as a cohort! They didn’t let the weather deter them and had a great time doing lots of activities and team building exercises.
PRIMARY LEARNING DAYS In November 2021 and March 2022, we welcomed year 5 learners from local primary schools. Learners attended our focused primary learning days. The days were themed around the creative arts or liberal arts. The creative arts industry has taken such a hit over the last couple of years we thought it was important to raise the profile of what is an exciting and fun industry to work in. Learners got to work across a number of our creative art disciplines under our “school of rock” theme, which culminated in a wonderful performance. For liberal arts, learners fllowed a Harry Potter themed day, using languages, English, geography and History.
AN INSIGHT TO HONYWOOD
Our primary learning days give children an introduction to the very different structure of secondary school. It helps them experience the new environment and what their life will be like at secondary school.
WINTER CONCERT A FEAST OF TALENT
On 7th December, it was wonderful to finally be able to welcome families to Honywood for our Winter Concert. We were able to showcase the creative talent of our learners supported by our excellent Expressive Arts’ team. It was a more low key affair than usual as we were
still mindful of the pressures of the pandemic. Whilst we may have had to restrict numbers, the one thing that was not affected was the quality and range of creative talent on show across all our cohorts. There was singing, dancing and dramatic performances aplenty.
The expressive arts play a central role in shaping our sense of our personal, social and cultural identity
Allowing children to be expressive provides them with a sense of empowerment. Honywood embraces the power of expressive arts in expressing and celebrating the diverse cultural communities in which we live.
C11 CAREERS FAIR On 29 September 2021, our Cohort 11 learners visited the Braintree Careers Fair at Chelmsford City Racecourse. Careers fairs are extremely helpful for learners who are considering their future career options. Attending one of these events offers the chance to go window shopping for a wide range of different careers, gather useful information and plan future action. The fair hosted representatives from a range of public and private sectors, together with universities, local colleges and apprenticeship providers. Learners were encouraged to discuss their future plans and find out about the opportunities available, including further educational courses and apprenticeships. The event gave learners the chance to discover a range of careers that they previously may not have considered. They were encouraged to speak with employers from a range of industries.
There is no career path. It’s crazy paving and you have to lay it yourself. - Dominic Cadbury
Leadership Development
Lead Learners
& Prefects
Culture Wellbeing
HAWKING
LEADERSHIP TEAM Nightingale House Captains
We would like to share with you our targets for the next term and future of Honywood school. We would like to introduce a new initiative called ‘Let’s learn about our learners’, this is an opportunity to discover a learners’ academic and non-academic potential. We hope to learn about the skill sets, talents, strengths and even likes and dislikes of every single learner at Honywood School.
George Stark Lead Learner for Leadership
We have identified that there are learners in school who have amazing talents and extensive knowledge in a certain area and we don’t always know about it in school. For example, we might have a budding golfer, a talented street dancer, an academy footballer, a graphic designer, progamers, we might have learners competing at regional and national levels and we want to know more about these talents. We want to know more about our learners, we want to know what learners think would be good for our school and we’ll use this information to get learners more involved in school activities, mentoring programmes, classes, tournaments or clubs. Another of our ideas is visiting primary schools. This is an opportunity to give an insight into secondary school for primary school learners. We would take a subject that is not often taught at primary school like science, technology or dance and teach a lesson on it to a small group of year 5/6 learners every couple of weeks. However, this would not be like any other lesson; we would have fun activities to get them excited about the transition to secondary school. We would have a different group of students each visit so everyone gets a chance to be involved! Our final idea is to do with our school’s current after school clubs for primary school learners. We thought it would be a good idea to have some of our own learners assist in these clubs (or even teach some if they are brave enough!) This would make upcoming learners meet current learners and teachers. This would form yet another friendly face for them to see when they come for intake days, primary learning days or even when they start their new school. These current learners may be seen as easier to talk to than the teachers so they may feel more comfortable expressing problems they have or help they need. We want our upcoming learners to feel comfortable in our school environment and look forward to joining us!
Harriet Mead Senior Prefect Leadership
DEVELOPMENT TEAM Attenborough House Captains This year the Development team wants to improve the school as much as we can. We want to make meaningful changes to the school that will affect it for years to come. Our main idea is to create a large, dedicated outdoor seating area, and generally increase the amount of outdoor seating. The school already has two small outdoor seating areas and they are frequently used by a lot of learners, so we know it is something that would be appreciated. We will need to secure funding for this, but some aspects could be built by the learners (and possibly parents/ guardians as well) as enrichment activities. Having a few days of enrichment where technology learners can create benches to be put around Theo Wilson the school would be a great practical experience. We also plan Lead Learner for Development for a shelter to be put up above the seating area, similar to the existing smaller areas, but this will require proper planning. Additionally, we want to enact ideas that come directly from the learners themselves. We are going to have a series of events that will allow learners to put forward any and all suggestions of how they want to change the school. This will give us, but also the Senior Leadership team, an idea of what learners want. We will then review the ideas and start work on putting them into place. These ideas could range from large projects to small changes to systems in the school. The scale and complexity of the suggestions will vary, but we will try to complete as many as we can. Anish Mistry Senior Prefect Development
CULTURE TEAM Hawking House Captains
HAWKING
Over the next year we plan to hold Interform competitions, a series of challenges, every Friday that brings the learning groups together. It does this by using a range of challenges set up by different subjects, to showcase a variety of learners talents. We would like to hold a community litter pick, a way we (the school) show our commitment to the wider community. We do this by taking learners into the village and picking up litter in areas we affect most - parks, bus stops and local shops. Charities week is a time we set aside to fundraise for various charities, this is a whole school event that brings not only the school together but the community as well. Finlay Newton Lead Learner for Culture Dylan Probert Senior Prefect Culture
WELLBEING TEAM Parks House Captains As we have been given the responsibility of wellbeing here at Honywood, we would like every learner and teacher to feel as though they are a respected member of our school community. Over the next year, we would like to ensure that all learners have a safe space to share their opinions, seek out advice and let their voices be heard. This system will follow in the footsteps of the ‘Peer Mentoring’ system for cohorts seven and eight, headed by Mr Williams. The system we hope to implement will be directed at cohorts nine through to eleven and will give support as learners head towards their GCSEs. We have Amy Barnes-Grime Lead Learner for Wellbeing also discussed learners getting training - like the Peer Mentors - from a wellbeing expert to Eloise Duffy produce a more trusting and open environment. We aim to also improve staff wellbeing to help create an environment even more positive than the Senior Prefect Wellbeing one we currently have, overall increasing friendliness around the school.
OUR PREFECT TEAM We value and encourage leadership amongst our learners and give them opportunities throughout their time at the school, whether this is within our House system as Learning Group Captains, or when they move in to Cohort 10 and have the opportunity to take on whole school responsibilities. They have the opportunity to apply for Lead Learner posts or Prefect roles at the beginning of the Spring term, enabling the new appointees to take up their post when Cohort 11 leave for study leave in the early part of the Summer term. The process for appointment is by application letter and learners are asked to obtain nominations from staff. Learners who demonstrate commitment to learning and the school community are a valuable asset on our Prefect team.
We are very proud of our Enrichment Programme at Honywood, which provides experiences beyond the classroom. Each Cohort will be offered experiences through the academic year, either in school or on visits to develop learning outside of the classroom.
SPRING TERM
The Globe Theatre was built between 1597 and 1599 in Southwark on the south bank of London’s River Thames by carpenter Peter Smith and his workers. The Globe was built as a large, round, open-air theatre. There was a roof around the circumference which covered the seating area, leaving the theatre looking like a doughnut from above.
DANCE
Chelmsford Civic Theatre
DANCE
Workshops
C11 LEAVERS’ CELEBRATION
Through a DofE programme young people have fun, make friends, improve their self-esteem and build confidence. They gain essential skills and attributes for work and life such as resilience, problemsolving, team-working, communication and drive, enhancing CVs, uni and job applications.
Prom Night
A Night to Remember
SUMMER TERM
C7 & C8 N
NORFOLK
C9 DE
EVON
SPORTS DAY 24th September 2021 & 15th July 2022
Dates for the Diary Fri 2nd September
Return to school - C7 only
Mon 5th September
C7 only in school
Tues 6th September
C8, C9, C10 & C11 return to school
Fri 9th September
Whole school individual photos
Tues 20th September
C7 Meet the Learning Group Leader Evening
Friday 23rd September
C7 at Mersea Outdoors
Thurs 6th October
Open Evening
Mon 10th October
Non-Learner Day (Staff only in school)
TERM DATES 2022 - 2023 For Honywood School Academic Year 2022 - 2023
September 2022
October
November
December
M
5
12
19
26
3
10
17
24
31
7
14
21
28
5
12
19
26
T
6
13
20
27
4
11
18
25
1
8
15
22
29
6
13
20
27
W
7
14
21
28
5
12
19
26
2
9
16
23
30
7
14
21
28
T
1
8
15
22
29
6
13
20
27
3
10
17
24
1
8
15
22
29
F
2
9
16
23
30
7
14
21
28
4
11
18
25
2
9
16
23
30
S
3
10
17
24
1
8
15
22
29
5
12
19
26
3
10
17
24
31
S
4
11
18
25
2
9
16
23
30
6
13
20
27
4
11
18
25
January 2023
February
March
April
M
2
9
16
23
30
6
13
20
27
6
13
20
27
3
10
17
24
T
3
10
17
24
31
7
14
21
28
7
14
21
28
4
11
18
25
W
4
11
18
25
1
8
15
22
1
8
15
22
29
5
12
19
26
T
5
12
19
26
2
9
16
23
2
9
16
23
30
6
13
20
27
F
6
13
20
27
3
10
17
24
3
10
17
24
31
7
14
21
28
S
7
14
21
28
4
11
18
25
4
11
18
25
1
8
15
22
29
8
15
22
29
5
12
19
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5
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26
2
9
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23
30
S
1
May
June
July
August
M
1
8
15
22
29
5
12
19
26
3
10
17
24
31
7
14
21
28
T
2
9
16
23
30
6
13
20
27
4
11
18
25
1
8
15
22
29
W
3
10
17
24
31
7
14
21
28
5
12
19
26
2
9
16
23
30
T
4
11
18
25
1
8
15
22
29
6
13
20
27
3
10
17
24
31
F
5
12
19
26
2
9
16
23
30
7
14
21
28
4
11
18
25
S
6
13
20
27
3
10
17
24
1
8
15
22
29
5
12
19
26
S
7
14
21
28
4
11
18
25
2
9
16
23
30
6
13
20
27
= School days
=School holidays
=Training days
=Bank holidays
Autumn Term:
Thursday 1 September 2022 - Tuesday 20 December 2022 Half term 24 October - 28 October
74 days
Spring Term:
Thursday 5 January 2023 - Friday 31 March 2023 Half term 13 February - 17 February
57 days
Summer Term:
Monday 17 April 2023 - Friday 21 July 2023
64 days
Half Term 29 May - 2 June and May Bank Holiday 1 May