Sir John Talbot's School Newsletter Autumn 2018

EXAM RESULTS

BLACKBERRY FAIR

NATIONAL CUP FOOTBALL SUCCESS

SPONSORED WALK Autumn 2018

Dear Parents and Carers, As always we have begun the school year with optimism and enthusiasm following an excellent set of GCSE and A Level results. Following the release of Department for Education data we can now share that the Progress 8 figure for the summer GCSE results is +0.42. This is made even more impressive when you see that the school has outperformed both county and country averages in all key measures. A positive Progress 8 score is a good indicator that we add value to students across the school in a combination of English, Maths, Science, Humanities and all other subjects. I am incredibly proud of our students and staff and all that they have achieved at both GCSE and A Level. All our A Level students have moved on to positive pathways with the majority gaining access to university studying a range of subjects from policing and nursing to business and medicine.

This year has seen the start of our largest year group as an academy with a full Year 7 and large Year 12 cohort. Students have made an excellent start with many attending the annual Colomendy residential trip. At Colomendy students take on a range of personal challenges from climbing and caving to flying down the high zip wire. I was very impressed with the courage of everyone involved, pushing themselves to do what they had previously thought too difficult. It is the development of resilience that will enable all students to master everything that life throws at them and to take control of their futures.

Our values of Equality, Integrity, Empathy, Creativity and Excellence have been brought to life over the course of the term with students achieving in all parts of the school. Our sports teams have continued to grow with students taking on a range of fixtures, our arts groups have supported activities such as the Blackberry Fair and community events and all our students continue to develop ethical and moral skills through engagement with Interact, sponsored walks, charity collections and a range of guest speakers including the ‘Carers Trust 4 All’.

We are setting off for New York this half term with students from both Sir John Talbot’s and the Marches School. The visit will provide an excellent opportunity for our extended school community to form lifelong friendships and bonds that cross our two high schools. We will continue to look for a range of experiences for students in all years to ensure every child has the chance to travel and expand their horizons.

Following our two successful open evenings for September 2019 cohorts in Year 7 and Sixth Form, we believe the school will continue to flourish and grow and with it we will continue to create brilliant opportunities for the young people in our care. If you would like to have a personal tour of the school because you are considering joining us, please make contact through the school reception.

David O’Toole Headteacher

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News GCSE Results A week after receiving incredible A Level results, Sir John Talbot’s School celebrated impressive GCSE results.

Core subjects of English, Maths and Science gained 100% pass grades with 70% of all grades being at Grade 4 and above. Subject specialists have seen incredible achievements with 20% of grades in English and 15% in Maths at Grade 7 to 9.

A number of younger students took part in this year’s GCSEs with two-thirds of our Year 10 students obtaining grades 4-9 in English Literature. In addition, Year 9 students took part in their Languages GCSE achieving top marks, which sets them well on the road to starting their other GCSE subjects in September.

FRANTIC ASSEMBLY THEATRE COMPANY Fifty GCSE and A Level Drama students from Sir John Talbot’s School and The Marches School have taken part in workshops with world renowned theatre company Frantic Assembly. The students were fantastic and even learnt how to fly!

EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES As part of SJT Transition, we hosted European Day of Languages. Local primary schools attended and took part in sessions which included French, Spanish, Latin, Welsh and German. A fun time was had by all. Thank you to all those who attended and took part with thanks to Mrs Jones, Head of Transition, Sixth Form students and staff who helped with the smooth running of the day.

The workshops have inspired the students to take creative risks with their Devised examination pieces. It was nice to see students and staff from both schools having a fun and creative workshop. This has been a wonderful experience for the students and we look forward to seeing how they apply it to their Devised pieces.

Lion on Display During summer, flowers were planted at the junction of Tilstock Road in the shape of Sir John Talbot’s Lion logo.

LATIN CERTIFICATES Latin students were presented with certificates, having passed an externally moderated test to mark finishing Book 1 of the Cambridge Latin Course.

Congratulations to all.

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GOLD EXPEDITION Year 12 Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s students successfully completed their Gold Expedition at the start of the summer holidays.

The group of four students; Tamisa Bailey, Nadine Burke, Ben Fry and Shola Bailey walked around 50 miles over 4 days and showed excellent levels of team work and navigation.

Sponsored Walk Key Stage 3 students took part in the annual Founder’s Day walk, which celebrates the day the school was founded in September 1550. Students took part in a sixmile walk around local farmland by courtesy of Mr and Mrs Taylor of Lea Hall Farm, Ash, who we are very grateful to for supporting the school in this way. Well done to everyone who took part and for raising funds towards school equipment.

Eight Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh’s participants started their ‘Silver’ journey with a challenge to climb up Snowdon.

Although a challenge to climb the mountain, they all coped very well and we made it to the top in under 3 hours. Walking along the Rydd Ddu path and then along the South Ridge some participants overcame their nervousness of heights! Unfortunately, there was no view at the summit but there was some amazing scenery on the lower slopes. Many congratulations to the students involved.

New Benches

Following on from the Founder’s Day Sponsored Walk, the students gained the excellent amount of £1808.30 in sponsorship money and we have been able to purchase three new benches which are located on the playground.

Pictured here with one of the benches are Alex Hampson, Dylan Hodson, Grace Whittle and Luca Bridgewater, who gained some of the highest amounts of individual sponsorship in the school. Well done.

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More News Open Evening Open Evening saw nearly 400 local people viewing the Sir John Talbot’s School facilities. Mr O’Toole gave a compelling talk to prospective parents and carers followed by tours around to experience learning come alive, with departmental experiments and displays.

Thank you to all staff and students who helped during the evening and made it a resounding success.

Rotary Interact Club Canal Trip SJT Rotary Interact Club enjoyed a canal boat trip to begin the year as they visited the Whitchurch Arm of the Llangollen Canal.

They were invited on the trip by Whitchurch Rotary Club so that they could fully enjoy the natural environment around the Whitchurch area.

Rotarians have been taking a variety of groups out on the barges, with SJT Interact Club being one of them.

WILLOW WORKSHOP Students were busy preparing for the Blackberry Fair as they have been learning about willow and putting together these tremendous pieces of art.

The Blackberry Fair took place on Saturday 6th October in Whitchurch. The fair, in its tenth year, is a community event with workshops, music, acts, stalls, local traders and plenty to do for all the family. Thank you to Mrs Clarke, Art Subject Lead for organising this opportunity, and Sarah Gallagher-Hayes from Twig Twisters for her help and expertise.

Percussion Workshop The Music and Drama departments worked alongside Guy Hepworth, a key member of the Blackberry Fair team. The group experimented with drums and percussion instruments to create rhythm and sound to accompany the procession at the Blackberry Fair.

BLACKBERRY FAIR The Blackberry Fair took place in early October and it was another resounding success. Thank you to all of the students from Sir John Talbot’s who took part following their hard work and preparation in the Willow and Percussion Workshops.

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Sport The Year 9 Girls played outstandingly well despite only winning one game from three at their North Shropshire Tournament at Oswestry RFC. The girls lost by just one try to eventual winners Marches School, but then responded by beating Oswestry School before losing narrowly to Corbet School. Well done to the girls who were playing against players in Year 10.

5-A-SIDE Our Year 7 Boys’ Football Team made a very good start to the season as they made the short trip to Thomas Adams School in Wem for a North Shropshire tournament.

The boys made the semi-final and lost to Lakelands School.

In their group matches they beat Grove School and hosts Thomas Adams. The eventual winners were the Marches School who the boys lost to narrowly in their group match.

RUGBY GIRLS HISTORY MAKERS The Year 9 Girls’ Football Team made history as they played and won their first ever National Cup game.

The girls made light work of their opponents, Christleton High School in Chester, as they chalked up an impressive 9-0 victory. Ebony Cooper, Prue Noss, Jessica Walley and Scarlett Edge came away with the goals and the girls travelled to Rainhill School from St Helens in the next round.

The girls then continued their winning run with a welldeserved 4-1 away victory over last year’s National Cup quarter finalists Rainhill High School from St Helens.

The team went one-nil down but showed great character to come back and score four impressive goals, with Prue Noss and Jessica Walley both getting a brace. They will now play against neighbours Bishop Heber in the next round.

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Twenty-five Years 7 and 8 attended a rugby training session at Oswestry RFC with Lakelands School.

The girls had a great time and plenty of talent was on show as they improved their handling and tackling skills.

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More Sport…

SHOOTING SUCCESS YEAR 9 RUGBY

Congratulations to our Year 9 Boys' Rugby side who defeated Thomas Adams School.

Congratulations to Year 11 student Abbey Peacock who has been shooting for Mickley Hall Shooting School for the past two years. Abbey was selected to shoot for Cheshire County in North Wales recently. We hope this is just the start for Abbey as she aims to shoot for Britain in the future. Well done on your achievements and good luck for the future!

The boys won 49-7 with Harry Corney leading the scoring with a hat trick of tries. Will Gilbert, Mark Morgan, Larry Barber, James Clarke, Sam Appleby and Zach Booth completed the scoring with a try each. Thomas Adams worked hard and were rewarded with a try in the second half.

YEARS 10 AND 11 BOYS’ FOOTBALL A combined Years 10 and 11 Football Team travelled to Ellesmere College and faced a well organised side. Ellesmere College were 3-2 up with a few minutes left in a game where both sides were pushing for the win. The hosts scored a couple of quick fire goals and it finished 5-2. Toby Doyle and Ewan Bradshaw grabbed the goals for Sir John Talbot’s School.

The boys did well considering Ellesmere College changed their entire side at half time.

COUNTY CUP FOOTBALL

The Year 8 Football team reached the next round of the County Cup after a close-fought game against Shrewsbury-based Priory School recently. The boys were 1-0 down after a disappointing first half but drew level early in the second half with a goal from Andrew Brookfield. Scores remained level until full time when the boys held their nerve to win the penalty shootout 4-3 with a winning kick from Harry Barber.

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Information TERM DATES Years 12 and 13 - Thursday 29th November 2018 Year 11 - Wednesday 12th December 2018, Thursday 28th March 2019 Year 10 - Thursday 24th January 2019 Year 9 - Thursday 7th February 2019 (Options Evening) Year 8 - Thursday 9th May 2019 Year 7 - Thursday 11th October 2018

Autumn Term Tuesday 4th September to Friday 21st December 2018 Spring Term Monday 7th January to Friday 12th April 2019 Half term: Monday 18th to Friday 22nd February 2019 PD days: Friday 15th February, Monday 25th February Summer Term Monday 29th April to Friday 19th July 2019 Half term: Monday 27th May to Friday 31st May 2019 PD day: Monday 22nd July

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EXAM CHECK LIST

SUMMER EXAMS

● Students must be on time for their exams. Morning exams start at 9 a.m. and afternoon exams start at 1.30 p.m. Please ensure that you allow plenty of time for your journey. ● When taking exams, bags, coats and mobile phones should be left in the bag store. Because of this, it is recommended that you do not bring any valuables with you to the exam. ● Mobile Phones – Students must not have mobiles phones or any technological/web enabled sources of information in their possession (either on or off). Please do not bring them to school. ● You should bring with you the correct equipment needed to do your exams as these will not be provided in the venue. Only clear pencil cases are allowed on your desk - any others should be left in your bag. Do not use gel pens. ● In an exam where you have the use of a calculator, you should not have a calculator cover on your desk. ● Sshh! There is absolutely no talking or communication between students once you enter the exam venue. If you have any questions, you should raise your hand once seated and an invigilator will come to you. ● You should wear your full uniform for all your exams. ● No food is allowed in the exam venue. If you have a special requirement, please see the Exams Office before the exams start. ● Water bottles are allowed in the exam hall if necessary. These should be clear bottles with a spill-proof cap. There should be no label on the bottle. ● If you are ill on the day of the examination, please contact the school as soon as possible to obtain advice. ● If your exams run until 3pm or later, you must ensure that you have made alternative arrangements to get home (if necessary).

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A Level 13th May 2019 - 19th June 2019 GCSE 13th May 2019 - 14th June 2019 Please note that exam dates are subject to change

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School Trips and Visits Geography Fieldwork Trip

Year 10 students went to Liverpool as part of their GCSE Geography course to study how the city has been regenerated in recent times.

The students carried out environmental surveys, questionnaires, retail value surveys and field sketches as part of their primary data collection. They walked through the older parts of the city centre to the redeveloped Liverpool One area and finally finished in Albert Dock.

ART, DT AND PHOTOGRAPHY TRIP Years 10 and 11 Art, DT and Photography students visited Liverpool to enhance their GCSE coursework studies.

The groups splintered for the day to enjoy a variety of curriculum-appropriate activities. These included visiting the Tate, the Walker Art Gallery and the World Museum, as well as using the environment as an opportunity for location photography.

LATIN AND ART HISTORY TRIP Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 Latin students attended a trip to the British Museum, London, recently. They took part in talks on Roman Britain and the Parthenon and saw evidence and artefacts from this time. Students also had the opportunity to explore the Museum thoroughly.

Whixall Moss Trip Seventeen A Level Biology students from Years 12 and 13 visited local nature reserve Whixall Moss. In the warm autumn sunshine, they were able to study the contrasting vegetation growing in dry and wetland areas and practise some of the sampling techniques that they have been learning about during their course. Many thanks to Dr Gardner for accompanying the trip and the staff at Whixall Moss who were most welcoming and extremely helpful.

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TALBOT THEATRE - WHITCHURCH LEISURE CENTRE EVENTS

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Post-16 SIR JOHN TALBOT’S SIXTH FORM Rotary Young Leader Award Sixth Form students Chloe-Anne, Jessica and Shola attended a weeklong Rotary Youth Leadership Award Programme held near Stone in Staffordshire.

Each candidate was given opportunities for in-depth development of enhanced leadership and team building skills.

The programme promised that all RYLA graduates returned home having benefitted to face their individual career choices and challenges.

A LEVEL RESULTS Students gained access to their first choice courses at top universities including Bristol, Liverpool and Portsmouth.

Last year’s incredibly successful cohort are following a wide range of degree programmes, including Medicine, Bio-medicine, Architecture and Engineering

BIGGEST COHORT This year our new Sixth Form made our largest cohort since becoming an academy.

The majority of students have taken up university places in September, with all students securing a quality pathway including the armed forces, nursing and policing.

Autumn 2018