BETTER Times - Issue 13

Students at Bohunt Sixth Form and Steyning Grammar School Sixth Form celebrated top A Level results this summer – enabling them to secure places at prestigious universities and take their desired next steps. Results at Bohunt Sixth Form were again significantly higher than nationally, with more than half of entries being graded at A*/A compared to 35.9% nationally. An incredible 21% of entries received the very top grade of A*, compared to 14% nationally.

Following two years of disruption, students have achieved excellent results, which reflect the hard work and commitment shown throughout their studies.

Clare Hodgson, Head of Bohunt Sixth Form, said:

“We are extremely proud of all our students receiving their results. Over the last two years they have all shown immense commitment, resilience and motivation to undertake their studies and achieve such excellent outcomes. We are delighted to see so many of our students take up their first choice university places as well as prestigious degree apprenticeships.”

Claire Monahan, Head at Steyning Grammar School Sixth Form, said:

“We are delighted with the results and outcomes that our students here at Steyning Grammar School Sixth Form have achieved and impressed by the resilience they have shown throughout their post 16 studies. All our students, and staff alike, have worked extremely hard over the last two years showing real grit and commitment, and their achievements are testament to that.”

Meanwhile, GCSE students also secured strong results across the Trust.

Local press were quick to commend students for their results this year which saw students return to face-to-face for the first time since the pandemic.

The results for both the GCSEs and A Levels reflect BET’s ethos of ‘enjoy, respect, achieve’, which underpins the culture and outcomes of all its schools. This includes delivering unparalleled educational opportunities and highly effective teaching to nurture and develop students into becoming “game-changers”.

Together, the Trust and its schools aim to support young people to flourish throughout their school journeys and then on into later life, with educational, enrichment and pastoral support both inside and outside the classroom.

Neil Strowger, Trust Leader at Bohunt Education Trust said: “We are delighted to be celebrating the hard work of our students and staff across the trusts as they collect their examination results – results which will help them to embark on the next stage of their education. We are inordinately proud of our 2022 cohort and wish them the very best with their next steps, whether that be studying with us at Steyning Grammar School Sixth Form or Bohunt Sixth Form – which achieved a record 51% A*/A for A Level students this year – colleges, or embarking on apprenticeships.”

Turn to page 20 to view photos and some of BET’s standout achievements.

CONTENTS

Chair and Trust Leader Welcomes 4 News 6 NEWS WOKINGHAM EXAMS DAY PETERSFIELD SCHOOL GRAMMAR SCHOOL SCHOOL BOHUNT SCHOOL, LIPHOOK HORSHAM COSTELLO SCHOOL

FUTURE ISSUES OF BETTER TIMES

We want to ensure you enjoy BETTER Times and find it a useful and engaging platform. If you have any suggestions for future content, please email the Comms team at: comms@bohunttrust.com Many thanks to all this issue’s contributors.

EDUCATION TRUST

WELCOME FROM THE CHAIR OF BET

Welcome to the new academic year, to both those members of staff who have joined us this term and those who have been with us for some years. A new year, a new Prime Minister, a new Education Minister, and no doubt a raft of new initiatives and imperatives for us to implement in an already crowded curriculum. Plus ça change, plus la même chose!

The last couple of years have been very strange for both staff and students, with lockdowns, frequent online teaching, and consequent disruption to pupils’ education. Despite this, the 2022 cohorts that took both GCSE and A-Level exams this summer performed staggeringly well. Exam results across all our schools (except Horsham, which has not yet grown to encompass Year 11) are tremendous, exceeding previous years in many cases, and also better than most other state schools in their local area. Several students achieved a remarkable 12 grade 9s, many receiving 8+ grade 9s, whilst all have been enabled to embark on the next exciting stage of their education journey.

GCSE results at Priory are the school’s best ever, an achievement of which the school is very proud. Wokingham’s first-ever set of exam results also are very strong, whilst Worthing continued its previous excellent performance. Costello further validated its “Good with Outstanding Features” Ofsted judgement with numerous top grades in many subjects. The Petersfield School continued the trend of exceptionally high performance, achieving a record 213 grade 9s, with over 35% of all grades being above grade 7. Liphook continued its reputation for excellence across the board, with the innovative CLiL programmes in Spanish (100% passes, with 80% above grade 7) and Mandarin (94% passes with 64% above grade 7) deserving particular mention. These genuinely impressive results follow an outstanding set of A Level results last week for Bohunt Sixth Form when 51% entries were at grades A*/A, making Bohunt Sixth the top state provider of A Levels locally. At Steyning, stunning individual GCSE successes at grades 7-9 led to 62 pupils from the cohort gaining grade 7 and above in at least six of their subjects. Again, Steyning Sixth Form pupils shone, with two pupils gaining four A* grades. Significant numbers of students from both Steyning and Liphook have been accepted at Oxbridge colleges and Russell Group universities.

Students, staff, governors and the whole Bohunt Education Trust community have worked together superbly during the last few months. I am immensely proud of their commitment, determination, hard work and positivity which has led to these achievements, and I wish our students all the best for their future.

This term, we welcome a new Head of School for Costello, following the promotion of Randall Jull to a senior Trust role. Following strong internal and external competition, Kirsty Protheroe joins us from Pewsey Vale School in Wiltshire, where she has been Deputy Head for eight years. She will consolidate Randall’s excellent work, building on it to take Costello to greater heights to the benefit of all its pupils.

During the past six months, funding for the provision of the badlyneeded Sixth Form at Wokingham has been put in place, and we are hopeful that this will be completed in time for a Year 12 intake in September 2023. The DfE’s School Rebuilding Programme has selected SGS for support on programmes for both the Rock Road and Shooting Field sites. We are working closely with the DFE to finalise plans to transform learning and teaching environments across the school, enhancing further the high standards of education already being delivered. With luck, this work should begin early next year.

Having been prevented from meeting most of our staff over the past two years, it is my firm intention to visit all of our schools in the coming months, amongst other things to see how you (and your pupils) are coping with the need to teach in ventilated spaces (ie with open windows!) as a preventive measure in the ongoing Covid epidemic, which is less virulent but nevertheless still present.

Open windows, of course, are highly-compatible with the need to conserve warmth in the current energy crisis! Our fuel bills continue to go through the roof, with schools not receiving the cap on prices that is suggested for domestic environments. We continue to live in uncertain and challenging times!

DR RAY MORTON

MESSAGE FROM TRUST LEADER

Dear Colleagues,

My preparation and thinking ahead of this introduction to the first BETTER Times of the new academic year have been somewhat taken over by the seismic news that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has passed. Whether royalist or roundhead, it is difficult to deny that we are living through a defining moment in our illustrious history. The Queen has been a consistent presence in all of our lives, be they happy times or more challenging ones. The passage to a new age feels potentially tumultuous; we are facing enormous challenges as a society and as school communities.

In uncertain times, I find myself feeling grateful for the continuity and reassurance of our longest reigning monarch. The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia meaning grace, graciousness, or gratefulness (depending on the context).

It may be argued that gratitude encompasses all of these meanings. Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives - tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people recognise the goodness in their lives. In the process, we usually recognise that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside of ourselves. As a result, being grateful also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals — whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.

The psychologists Emmons and McCullough have published much research on gratitude. In one study, they asked participants to write a few sentences weekly, focusing on particular topics.

One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. A second group wrote about daily irritations or things that had displeased them, and the third wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative). After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to the doctor than those who focused on sources of aggravation.

In another experiment, the psychologist Seligman, tested the impact of various positive psychology interventions on 411 people, each compared with a control assignment of writing about early memories. When their week’s assignment was to write and personally deliver a letter of gratitude to someone who had never been properly thanked for his or her kindness, participants immediately exhibited a huge increase in happiness scores. This impact was greater than that from any other intervention, with benefits lasting for a month.

Some of our schools are trialling ‘lollipop moments’ to reward students caught doing the right thing. It is so important to recognise others for the small things that form the bedrock of our BET community and culture.

Finally, let me express my gratitude to you all for your contribution to the many individual and collective successes identified by this summer’s public examination series; there have been some truly inspirational stories within and across our family of schools.

I look forward to our coming together in Horsham on Friday, 23 September.

NEIL STROWGER

Trust Leader of BET

Chair of the Trust

EDUCATION TRUST

KIRSTY PROTHEROE JOINS THE COSTELLO SCHOOL AS HEADTEACHER

PRIORY TEACHER SCOOPS OUTSTANDING COMMITMENT TO CITIZENSHIP TEACHING AT THE ACT AWARDS

Kirsty Protheroe, who took up the position as Headteacher at the 11-16 school in September 2022, is a highly experienced educational leader, having led two schools at senior level since 2011, and has held a part-time shared Headship since 2015. Kirsty joined from Pewsey Vale School in Wiltshire where she was Deputy Headteacher – a position she held for eight years. She is passionate about providing students with the best possible learning environment, teaching and opportunities and holds a National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH).

As Headteacher at Costello, Ms Protheroe works alongside the school’s senior leadership team and Board of Governors, as well as with senior leaders at BET and its Trustees. The appointment of Ms Protheroe to the 114-year-old school has been made as the school celebrates three and a half years with Bohunt Education Trust (BET).

Kirsty Protheroe, Headteacher said:

“It is my honour and privilege to lead The Costello School. I am keen to lead the school in its next chapter collegiately with colleagues, to develop the next generation of Game-changers across a wide range of representational fields. I believe that the time students spend at school is incredibly important in preparing students for their futures: enabling them to develop as individuals and break through perceived barriers. I am absolutely thrilled to be offered this opportunity.”

Hilary Todd, Chair of Governors at The Costello School said: “We are sad to see Randall Jull depart and thank him for all the hard work and dedication he has shown to ensure the very best for the students of Costello. We are determined that our students be successful, happy and have every opportunity to make the most of their future. We look forward to a bright future for the school with Kirsty, whilst wishing Randall success, health and happiness with his future career.”

Neil Strowger, Trust Leader at Bohunt Education Trust, commented: “I am thrilled to welcome Kirsty Protheroe to the BET fold. Costello is a thriving and successful school whose senior leadership team’s principled, insightful guidance has seen the school achieve an excellent Ofsted rating. Kirsty will have the full support of all at BET. I have no doubt she will propel Costello to even greater heights.”

The awards, which took place at the Houses of Parliament on 4 July, is a celebration and tribute to the many teachers and schools who work tirelessly to provide excellent Citizenship education.

Helen was presented her award by The Rt Hon. the Lord Blunkett, current member of the House of Lords.

Priory Alumnus Stephen Morgan MP was also in attendance along with Priory Headteacher, Stewart Vaughan who was a guest speaker at the ACT Annual Conference.

Stephen Morgan said: “It’s fantastic to see local efforts being nationally recognised for the brilliant contribution Portsmouth teachers have made to education and citizenship. I was delighted to be able to congratulate Helen in Parliament on the night she received her richly deserved award.

“Citizenship education provides an invaluable opportunity for teachers to explore important issues with their students, encouraging them to take positive action and learn more about our individual responsibilities in society.

“It’s vital schools across Portsmouth and the country continue to

see the value in citizenship, and I hope to see our city represented once again at next year’s awards!”

The ACT Teaching Awards recognise and celebrate schools, teachers and organisations who have shown commitment to Citizenship education, and represent its core values.

Helen has taught Citizenship education, in various forms, for more than 20 years, but now also teaches History and Religious Education. Helen is a committed member of the Association for Citizenship (ACT), the professional association for those involved in Citizenship education. She is an ACT Teaching Ambassador for the SouthEast Region and a member ACT Council, which helps to steer the work of ACT, since 2012 and Chair of ACT Council since 2015; she has helped to plan the ACT national conference, led TeachMeets for the new GCSEs, and been guest editor and written articles for the ACT journal, ‘Teaching Citizenship’.

THE COSTELLO SCHOOL IN BASINGSTOKE IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW HEADTEACHER, SAFEGUARDING THE SCHOOL’S LEADERSHIP AS IT CONTINUES ITS PROGRESS AS PART OF THE BOHUNT EDUCATION TRUST (BET) FAMILY OF SCHOOLS.

HELEN BLACHFORD, HEAD OF FACULTY FOR HUMANITIES & CURRICULUM LEADER FOR CITIZENSHIP AND PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION (PSHE) AT PRIORY SCHOOL IN SOUTHSEA, PICKED UP THE ASSOCIATION FOR CITIZENSHIP TEACHING’S LORD BLUNKETT OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION AWARD.

STEYNING GRAMMAR SCHOOL

SELECTED TO RECEIVE BOOST

AS PART OF GOVERNMENT’S SCHOOL REBUILDING PROGRAMME

GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COASTING ALONG NICELY

WHEN ANDY BUTT, BET DIRECTOR OF GEOGRAPHY WAS ASKED ABOUT HIS INSET PLANS HIS REPLY OF ‘I’M TAKING THEM ALL TO THE BEACH’ WAS MET WITH SOME LOOKS OF SURPRISE. BUT AS HE WENT ON TO EXPLAIN, A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE SOUTHSEA COASTAL SCHEME HAD EMERGED THROUGH THE LINK CREATED BETWEEN THE SCHEME’S EDUCATION TEAM AND THE PRIORY SCHOOL GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT.

The Programme commits to rebuild and refurbish schools across England as part of the Government’s wider Schools White Paper actions. The announcement marks the third wave of schools selected.

The School and the Trust will now be working closely with the DFE and the programme to finalise plans to bolster and transform the learning and teaching environments across the school site, so that they can further enhance the high standards of education currently being delivered.

The bid, which was submitted by BET to further support the school’s provision, was intended to be for the Rock Road and Shooting Field sites. However, the scope of the funding will not be made clear until further details are available. More details of these plans, and how the school and its students, staff and wider school community are set to benefit, will be shared at the earliest opportunity.

Commenting on the announcement, Adam Whitehead, Headteacher of Steyning Grammar School said: “I am thrilled by this opportunity: one that will transform Steyning Grammar School and the lives of thousands of our students in the coming years. These works will enable the school to become a centre of excellence for learning and bring huge benefits to Steyning Grammar School, our students and our teachers”.

Neil Strowger, Trust Leader at Bohunt Education Trust said: “We are proud and pleased that Steyning Grammar School will be receiving this important investment, providing students and staff with world-leading education facilities to support their ongoing growth and development. We look forward to working with the DfE and other partners to deliver a positive result that meets the needs of our young people, now and in the future.”

Rachael Jarrett, Chief Financial Officer at Bohunt Education Trust said: “Being selected as part of this programme is the culmination of a great deal of work to improve the environment for the students and staff at Steyning Grammar School. We are excited to be part of the DfE vision for investing in the future of our young people and look forward to working on this exciting project.”

As Priory’s Geography Curriculum Leader, Harriet Whitfield, explains: “We were contacted by Jeanette Moyse [the scheme’s Customer Engagement Officer] to discuss how they could engage with local schools. This led to a whole range of opportunities as coasts are part of both the GCSE and Key Stage 3 curriculum across the Trust. Jeanette was able to help us organise Zoom talks with Year 8 classes, visits to the site for staff and the opportunity for the Year 10s to drop by whilst on fieldwork.”

The scheme, which runs from 2020-28, involves an investment of £100m along the Portsmouth coastline. This involves a wide range of different strategies and aims to give the city peace of mind for the next 100 years from both storms and sea level rise.

Coastal management is a key case study for all BET Geographers

and therefore opportunities for wider school involvement began to be explored. As part of inset the case study was introduced to all schools with the aim to embed this management example into curriculum across the trust. This led to a group of Geography subject leaders across the Trust getting the opportunity to visit the site and work with an engineer from the scheme, whilst the remaining geographers were able to walk the planned development with another engineer. The planned involvement will enable students depth of understanding of the challenges and opportunities experienced through the whole management process.

As geography teacher Luke Thomas from Costello said: “We want to bring the real world into the classroom. It’s a real privilege, and thanks to VolkerWessels UK and Andy Butt, Director of Geography Trust, for organising the trip.”

STEYNING GRAMMAR SCHOOL, WHICH IS PART OF THE HIGH-PERFORMING BOHUNT EDUCATION TRUST (BET), HAS TODAY BEEN SELECTED AS ONE OF 61 FURTHER SCHOOLS NATIONALLY TO RECEIVE SUPPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION’S (DFE) SCHOOL REBUILDING PROGRAMME.

FIRST EVER BET CUP 2022

WINNERS ANNOUNCED

LAST ACADEMIC YEAR SAW STUDENTS FROM ACROSS BOHUNT EDUCATION TRUST COMPETE IN THE INAUGURAL BET CUP TOURNAMENT.

Nearly 390 students from the BET family of eight schools took part in the BET Cup, which comprised five different sporting events; badminton, football, netball, mixed rounders and athletics. After all the events and scores were tallied, Bohunt School Wokingham was crowned the overall winner.

Open to all Year 8 students, PE departments selected their best team to represent their school as they battled it out to win the coveted title of BET Cup winners.

Sam Rouse, BET Subject Coordinator of PE, creator and organiser of the BET Cup was supported by PE departments across all schools to showcase BET’s strongest sporting talent, in a competitive and healthy environment.

Each event scored points for each school based on their overall position in each of the five sports.

The Costello School and Bohunt Liphook tied in second place overall.

Bohunt School Wokingham was presented with the BET Cup trophy at the final Athletics event held at the Mountbatten Athletics track in Portsmouth.

Neil Strowger, Trust Leader at Bohunt Education Trust, presented the winners with the trophy and said:

“The inaugural BET Sports Cup was a real highlight in the school calendar. This year’s combined events were a joy to behold, especially given the challenges of bringing people together during the last two years. It’s incredibly rewarding to see just how much the staff and students got out of the competition and we look forward to making this an annual event. Well done to the winning school and all of the students that represented their school in any of the events. They were all a credit to their schools and the BET.”

Sam Rouse, BET Subject Coordinator of PE, added:

“The BET Cup was a really exciting opportunity to combine the hard work and efforts of all the BET PE teams and students in a multitude of events throughout this year. The departments’ efforts to support the Cup in its first year were brilliant and it was such a pleasure watching our best athletes competing against each other. There were some moments of brilliance on the pitch/ court and the camaraderie between the students and staff from different schools was infectious. From this successful year, we are thrilled to be able to continue with the BET Cup for the 2022/2023 season, competing in different sports and showcasing the vast talent across the Trust.

I’d like to thank all who supported the BET Cup this year and I’m sure all schools will be looking to steal the title away from Wokingham next summer!”

Wokingham student, Charlie Terry said: “I participated in football, athletics and badminton and really enjoyed competing against the other BET schools. It was nice to meet the other students and see how good at sport the other schools were too! I was very happy that Wokingham won the BET Cup, my friends and I enjoyed celebrating the victory when we got back to school. We made Mr Duff and Mr Godber very happy as well which is great!”

Event Winners

Badminton

The Petersfield School

Girls Football Wokingham

Boys Football Worthing Rounders Athletics Wokingham

STUDENTS NAME THE BET BOOK AWARD WINNER

YEAR 7 STUDENTS FROM ACROSS BOHUNT EDUCATION TRUST (BET) HAVE SELECTED MY COUSIN IS A TIME TRAVELLER, BY DAVID SOLOMON AS THEIR WINNER OF THE FIRST BET BOOK AWARD.

The BET Book Award was launched in January 2022 to give Year 7 students the opportunity to enjoy and benefit from the experience of reading for pleasure and to raise literacy levels.

Book clubs in Bohunt School, Liphook, Bohunt School Worthing, The Costello School, Steyning Grammar School and The Petersfield School (TPS) were given the five shortlisted books to read, review and evaluate in preparation of the judging session, which took place on 24 May at TPS.

The five books were:

• Where the River Runs Gold by Sita Brahmachari

• Not My Fault by Cath Howe

• Now or Never by Bali Rai

• My Cousin is a Time Traveller by David Solomon

• The Boy Who Lied by Kim Slater

Students from Bohunt Liphook and The Costello School met at The Petersfield School to discuss and then vote for their favourite book, with the other participating schools Bohunt Worthing and Steyning Grammar submitting their votes online.

Students had to score each book based on BET values, Enjoy, Respect and Achieve.

After casting votes, My Cousin is a Time Traveller by David Solomans was selected as the overall winner.

“I thought My Cousin is a Time Traveller deserved to win, having read other books by this author they were really fun to read.” commented one TPS student.

The initiative clearly went down well with all the students: “I really liked it because we got to interact with other people and talk about the books we read,” said Thomas from Bohunt Liphook

“I really enjoyed it! It gave me a good opportunity to make new friends. was disappointed when it ended as didn’t want to go!” added Chloe from Bohunt Liphook.

“The BET Book Award has given our Year 7 pupils a unique opportunity to shine early on in their time at secondary school and really develop their joy of reading. I have been so impressed with the level of engagement, enthusiasm and discussion from all the pupils involved. The pupils at Bohunt Liphook have asked for our book club to continue – so we will now be selecting our next reads!” said Siobhan Coveney, Learning Resource Centre Manager, Bohunt School & Sixth Form.

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT…

BOHUNT SCHOOL WORTHING LEADING TRUST DIGITAL INNOVATION

At Bohunt School Worthing (BSW) we have been a 1:1 iPad school since the day we opened our doors seven years ago. In that time we have rapidly developed exciting and innovative ways to enrich student life using this technology. Here we look at how this has developed and changed through COVID as well as looking at the opportunities afforded to our digital leader group.

PAD LEGACY EVENTS

One of the biggest achievements this year has been our ‘iPad Legacy’ Events. BSW hosted staff and students from across the Bohunt Education Trust (BET) and gave them the opportunity to use our outstanding digital facilities and show them how they could do similar things in their home schools. The day consisted of numerous workshops including the use of a green screen and professional filming tips, allowing students to create a high-quality video. After the day, students and staff were tasked to create their own video about a chosen game-changer which premiered at BSWs Game-Changer Week. In the summer term, staff and students will be invited to an awards ceremony where BET heads and governors will vote on a winning group.

SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING

Curriculum areas nominated an “iPad Champion” for their department, with the responsibility of disseminating iPad wholeschool approaches into their subjects. Kane Chapman took the lead and worked closely with the whole school Literacy Coordinator using iPads and Apple Clips to support Oracy. After some CPD on how to use Apple clips and various other video based apps, staff were asked to incorporate tasks into their lessons. This term there has been a big increase in the number of students using video based apps to document their learning. Students are also now more confident in verbalising their ideas. Staff have also explored the use of digital whiteboards such as Google Jamboard. These have been trialled in a number of classes and students have been able to see live modelling in real time on their devices. Further to this, staff have been utilising screen recording tools to make it easier for students to go back if they have not understood something.

Alongside this, staff have used subject specific apps to redefine learning in ways that were previously impossible. In Science, staff have used the human anatomy app to demonstrate how organ systems work together. Duolingo supports MFL students in gaining fluency in French and the Carbon Map demonstrates why the world is slow to solve the carbon emissions crisis as it demonstrates who is responsible and who is set to suffer.

BEING A DIGITAL LEADER

Digital leaders are a group of around 30 students who are at the forefront of our digital extra-curricular offer. They benefit from unparalleled opportunities and help us see the potential of digital technology at Bohunt School Worthing.

Jamie in Year 10 is one of our senior digital leaders. Through being a digital leader he has earned a gold SSAT student leadership accreditation. He share his thoughts:

“Some of the rewarding responsibilities gained from being a Digital Leader is lending out iPads to people who need them; enjoyable responsibility is helping to set up assemblies. Through completing these responsibilities, you can earn bronze, silver and gold student leadership awards.

If you are keen, you may even get to help out with some camera work. Some examples of this include the game-changer videos, the Matilda [the stage musical] behind-the-scenes video, and the angry Mr Whitehead sketch made for the BET Awards. We are currently attending a weekly AV club run by an ex-student who was a digital leader. They are sharing some of the expertise they are now developing at college to ensure we can create fantastic media at school.

You may also be involved with off-timetable days. For example, we ran a video making workshop for other schools to teach them iMovie. There are also opportunities for trips, the main one being the trip to the BETT show, which is an expo in London. At BETT, companies show off their technology from different sectors from learning to company management to theatre lights. At BETT you get to walk around the exhibit seeing if there’s anything the school should use (as well as picking up some souvenirs on the way).

Being a digital leader has helped me to gain a plethora of new skills and to give back to the school. recommend it to anyone who likes anything digital, regardless of skill level.”

The digital leaders are currently working on exciting projects such as coding their own computer programmes, producing a short film and creating an augmented reality art exhibition.

As digital leadership develops we aim to incorporate their voices into the direction of digital pedagogy to ensure that our most curious minds drive forward this area of teaching.

SUMMER SCHOOL

At BSW, we begin using technology before students have even formally joined us during our Year 6 summer school. Last July, more than 100 prospective Year 7 students had the opportunity to programme a Sphero Bolt robot to navigate itself round various obstacles and mazes. It was a fantastic experience for the students but it also highlighted the importance of problem solving and linked to our computer science curriculum.

Students who attend BSW get their education enriched through iPad use before they have even started with us. From the first day of summer school to the last day of Year 11 iPads redefine learning and help students organise thoughts and notes to make revision impactful. We are working with other trust schools to share this expertise and leading cross trust competition has allowed digital leaders at all schools to get stuck into the possibilities that digital technology gives them.

STUDENT PIECE: A BSW

STUDENT ARTICLE ON MATILDA THE MUSICAL

IN MAY, BSW STUDENTS RETURNED FROM TWO YEARS OF LOCKDOWN WITH A PHENOMENAL PERFORMANCE OF MATILDA THE MUSICAL!

We asked main characters from the show; Miss Trunchbull and Matilda to get their take on it their fantastic achievement: Miss Trunchball played by Ben Waterer in Year 11 said:

I have just finished playing Miss Trunchbull in our school production of Matilda, a role I have loved from start to finish!

As a Year 11 student it took considerable persuasion on the part of our Drama and Music teachers to get our previous headteacher Mr Whitehead to let me take part, but I think it’s helped the preparation for my exams massively to be able to focus on something else after 3:30pm.

I quickly realised how much work goes into producing and directing a production like this in less than six months from auditions to final curtain. And all that has to be put down to the dedication of our amazing Arts department, Miss Farr, Ms Streeter-Staniford, Miss Stachini and Courtney from LAMBDA.I have learnt so much respect for the amazing cast I’ve been able to work with. But, inevitably, there have been moments when it went wrong.

• We were using a soundtrack and on a few occasions the music came in too early or too late, and the rest of the cast worked so brilliantly so quickly when that happened, from letting me improvise to fill seconds of dead time to shouting over me to cover for the music.

• I slipped on a curtain and crashed into a wall; everyone asked me if I was ok (after they stopped laughing).

• A ball I had to throw wasn’t in the right place; so instead, I shoved the person who I should have thrown it at and they went with it magnificently.

• A key character’s mic fell off during their song; it was caught by someone holding him up and I took it off them to leave their hands empty - they didn’t flinch when I pulled it out of their hands!

• When mics failed, stunts went wrong and costumes fell apart (my bosom caused considerable problems), the support, quick thinking and general brilliance of more than 50 cast, crew and directors meant no one noticed.

I’ve been able to work with everyone from Year 7s to other Year 11s and realised how well it’s possible to work together, despite the age difference. I loved every second of the six months of rehearsals, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the school comes up with next!

MAYORAL VISIT FOR BOHUNT SCHOOL WORTHING STUDENT LEADERS

Matilda, played by Anna Emmerson in Year 8 said:

I also loved every second. Originally, wasn’t planning on going for Matilda. When got the announcement about auditions, of course I liked the idea of being Matilda, but I thought it was unlikely I would get it. I decided a few weeks before the audition that I wanted to go for the main role and I’m so glad that I did! I found out that I got the role in the middle of my Mandarin lesson, so I couldn’t actually scream, but inside I definitely was.

One of the most interesting parts of rehearsals for me was figuring out how I was going to play her. Matilda, these days, would probably be described as a nerd. She’s quite ‘girly’ but feisty. Although admit I am a bit of a nerd, I’m quite different from Matilda so it felt quite unusual but nice to put myself in her shoes.

Another part of her character that was interesting to explore was how she feels about the abuse she receives at home. had to feel emotions that I’ve never really experienced before. I definitely think everyone achieved so much with their own character. I thought the roles were casted and performed amazingly. never thought I’d have this opportunity, but I did! And I’ll never forget it.

Our History Leaders and Sports Leaders keenly took on this challenge. A group of History Leaders visited Worthing Museum and produced a guide on the history of the town and the museum’s key exhibits and points of interest. They then gained sponsorship from members of the public, friends and family for the excellent visit guide they produced. Lillie Calder, one of our Sports Leaders, undertook a sponsored bike ride between the Worthing and Brighton piers as another fun and active way of raising money.

When the funds tallied up we were excited to hear from the Mayor’s Office that BSW had raised the highest total of any West Sussex school for the Mayor’s fundraiser! As a result the Mayor, Lionel Harman, took it upon himself to come into school this term to meet our fundraising Student Leaders and to thank them personally.

Mr Harman said of his visit: “It was a pleasure to visit the students and discuss the projects they have been working on. It has been a difficult time for all small charities in the town and the money the students raised will go a long way in supporting my charities’ goals. am grateful for their effort and was delighted to give them a certificate of thanks from the Mayoral Office.”

A fantastic morning was had by a group of our Student Leaders as described by Eadie McCarthy, one of our History Leaders.

“It was great to meet the Mayor, he was extremely thankful for the students’ help in raising money and gaining sponsors for the fundraiser. During the meeting we discussed a variety of topics; including the coverage of history months in our curriculum (Black History Month, LGBTQ+ History Month and Women’s History Month) as well as Student Leaders’ campaigns to maximise the recycling we do at school. We also talked about how some of the History Leaders are part of the Army Cadet Force, helping to develop leadership, teaching and teamwork skills. The Mayor spoke about his own personal involvement in the Royal Navy which was fascinating. Overall it was a brilliant experience!”

IN DECEMBER BSW RECEIVED AN INVITATION FROM THE WORTHING MAYOR’S OFFICE TO TAKE PART IN A FUNDRAISER FOR A COLLECTION OF LOCAL CHARITIES WHICH THE MAYOR HAD SELECTED PERSONALLY. THE FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES WERE LINKED TO LOCAL THEMES AND ATTRACTIONS.

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT…

FUNDRAISING AT BOHUNT WOKINGHAM

Over the past half term, the Student Council as well as the Senior Leadership team have been planning the fundraising event, #BohuntStandsforPeace, which took place over week commencing 4 April 2022.

BOHUNT WOKINGHAM SPORT

BOHUNT WOKINGHAM HAVE HAD MANY OUTSTANDING SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS BOTH IN AND OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL.

Following a week of fundraising events, the school raised an impressive £3,793.85, for the Disaster Emergency Committee, which works alongside 15 other charities to support humanitarian crises around the world.

First, we would like to thank all our parents and carers for their support in providing all the baked goods which we sold at school, raising more than £420.

This incredible amount of money was raised within two days; however, we beat this by raising a total of £1,760 the next day on the sponsored run that took place on the astroturf.

On average a refugee fleeing from conflict has to flee over 350 miles to get to safety, so the school set the students a challenge to collectively run, jog or walk 350 miles to “escape from disaster”. Impressively, students successfully ran nearly 500 miles in total. Although this required a lot of perseverance, students were able to rally together in their houses, and push through – running with friends and listening to music as well as showing determination whilst raising money for the charity.

After having an energetic day, students then challenged themselves by taking on the sponsored silence. Students from all years took part, gaining sponsors from friends and family, before trying to remain silent for a whole school day. This helped us raise an amazing £472.

In a week alone, Bohunt Wokingham raised more than £3,793.85 for the DEC. The astonishing amount raised in just one week shows the pure amount of respect that students have shown for others, by taking part in fun activities to raise charity which will help benefit those in need.

We would like to say thank you to those who donated money, including the Webb Family, who contributed a very generous £100 to the DEC.

As we finish the term, we are able to look back at the other events that were run, including “sponge the staff” and “wax the staff”.

Students can look back at the school’s achievements and see this astonishing amount being raised as a success of this event. Going forward, we want to run more fundraising events every year to help raise money for those in need, and to allow students to see the positive impact that it has.

We would like to say a massive thank you to all students who participated in these events and to all parents and staff who supported the week, as well as Mr Andrews who helped organise this week. It is your support that makes these events possible.

To start with, this year’s Rugby 7s session has been very successful for Year 8. The Year 8 Boys (above left) competed at the world’s biggest school 7s competition Rosslyn Park 7s. They won three games out of five. Beating Oakham School 35-20, Kings Ely 25-20 and Samuel Ryder Academy 25-15 all which have very prestigious rugby history. Following on from this success the following six pupils have been selected for the UR7s National Rugby 7s Academy (Joshua Dance, Charlie Terry, Joshua Cripps, Alex Barber, James Doel and Ben Smith). The boys’ performances were so good they were accepted into the academy without being asked to trial!

Following on from this success rugby player Jessica Booth (top middle) was selected to go for trials for the UR7s National Rugby Academy where she competed against 100 other hopeful girls. Her hard work and determination lead her to be selected to become part of the Girls Nation Rugby 7s Academy. All the students will now have opportunities to travel around the country playing against the other regional areas, including overnight training camps throughout the year as well as bespoke diet and training programmes trailers to the individuals.

Another sporting success has occurred in Football where Cherry P (wearing orange, top right) was selected to join the Reading FC Girls U16 Academy. Cherry has been an integral part of girls’ football here at Bohunt playing in goal for the U14, U15s and U16 teams. Across the season Cherry has managed to keep over 20 clean sheets as well as scoring a goal for the U15 Girls football team while on tour in Barcelona.

Another outstanding performance has come from current Year 7 Ben Lucas (bottom left). Ben has achieved the honour of currently being ranked number 1 in Berkshire for the 600m and 1000m. Ben is also currently ranked number 1 in the country for his 600m time of 1 minute 39 seconds.

The U15s boys football season has been a success as they have successfully won the Wokingham School football league beating St Crispins 6-0 In the final match which was held at Ascot Football Club. Scores during the final were J. Preedy, O. Moorcroft, S. Yeo, Q. Vine and J. Isbell x2. Also an honourable mention to J. Mcdougall for being voted Man of The Match. This has been an outstanding season for the team as they also won the Barcelona tour tournament winning three out of four games. They also sadly have to say goodbye to their head Coach Mr Apter who will be leaving the school at the end of the academic year (bottom right)

A LEVELS: INDIVIDUAL STANDOUT ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDE:

Mary S achieved 4A* and will read Natural Sciences at Cambridge (Clare)

Charlie O achieved 4A* and will study Mathematics at University of Warwick

Lucy P achieved 4 A* and will study Medicine at Dundee

Billy C achieved 4A* and will study Physics at the University of Surrey

Greg T achieved 3A*A and will read Natural Sciences at Cambridge (St Catherine’s)

Martha C achieved 2A*A and will read English at Oxford (Magdalen)

Sam F achieved 2A*A and will read History at Cambridge (St John’s)

Daisy A achieved 3A* and will read Biochemistry at Oxford (University)

Gabriella E achieved A*A and D1 and will study Economics at Princeton, USA

Charley H achieved 3A* and will study Maths and Economics at Bath

Emma P achieved 3A* and will study Politics & International Relations also at Bath

Sophie M achieved 3A*A and will go to Bath to study Economics

Seb A, Eliza B, Freya B, James L, Adam P, Emma R and Louis W all achieved 2A*A

STEYNING GRAMMAR SCHOOL SIXTH FORM:

Rose G achieved 4 A* grades in Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths and Physics and will study Physics and Philosophy at Magdalen College, Oxford

James D also achieved 4 A* grades in Economics, Maths, Further Maths and Physics and will be studying Maths at University College London (UCL)

Sophie G achieved 3 A*s and an A whilst Michael S and Xian W achieved 3 A*s Max F, alongside being 6th Form student Vice President, has secured a competitive apprenticeship at Thales in Software Engineering

GCSE SUCCESSES ACROSS THE BET SCHOOL:

The Costello School, whose student Holly R achieved eight Grade 9s and one Grade 8. EXAM RESULTS

The Petersfield School (TPS) whose student Francesca C achieved a staggering 12 grade 9 GCSEs.

Bohunt Worthing’s Charlie B who achieved 11 grade 9s, including Further Mathematics taken as an additional option through school in his own time.

Bohunt Wokingham, whose student Anika D achieved grade 9s in all 10 of her GCSE courses.

Priory School’s Maliha K, who achieved nine Grade 9s and a Distinction, which is the equivalent of ten grade 9s. Bohunt School in Liphook, whose student Charlotte G gained eight grade 9s, one grade 8 and grade A in additional maths.

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT…

Completing Bronze Duke of Edinburgh was a weekend defined by teamwork, challenges and most of all - fun.

Following the completion of our skills, physical and volunteering, the expedition was an enjoyable conclusion to the commitment of the past months.

Friday was spent as a day of preparation, ensuring we understood navigation and our routes. In high spirits we set off on a scenic trek to our spacious camp, with an overlooking view upon Butser Hill, via Buriton, where we had a delicious but rainy lunch. We learnt various skills - first aid, map reading, how to put up a tent and use a Trangia, and it was a very fun and educational day.

Saturday marked the start of the official expedition. We woke up bright and early at 6.30am, and after breakfast set off for a 19km loop from our campsite, stopping off in Chalton. There were various checkpoints on the way and our group stopped for lunch with views of the rolling hills across Queen Elizabeth Country Park and its surrounding countryside. Despite heading clockwise instead of anticlockwise, we were lucky enough to get good weather which, combined with lighter bags, made Saturday an enjoyable day walking with friends. We got back to camp and had lots of fun as we attempted to roast marshmallows on the Trangia without setting the camp alight!

Sunday was the final day of the expedition and blessed us with beautiful weather. Even with a few blisters, our group was still enthusiastic and very optimistic for the day ahead. We packed

up and said farewell to our campsite and set off on a 13km walk to our final stop at Rowlands Castle. Luckily, we successfully used our recently acquired map reading skills and found our way to all the checkpoints without getting lost. We arrived at Rowlands Castle an hour early, ensuring we had plenty of time to rest.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience and despite its challenges we can’t wait for Silver DofE next year! (Erin & Lauren)

The expedition was a great experience and an opportunity to further develop one of the many skills have gained since my first day at TPS; the ability to be resilient and having the grit and determination to overcome any obstacle in your way.

We worked effectively as a team, demonstrating our good communication skills, listening to each other’s ideas and equally contributing to a plan of action where we successfully reached each checkpoint and finished well within time. As I talked to the various groups camped with us, it became very apparent that we all motivated each other over the course of the weekend, and we all achieved the end goal of completing the expedition.

We kept morale high by doing activities whilst walking such as singing, talking and taking photos of the nature around us which we would analyse later (which was our group’s expedition goal).

We all had a great time, and everyone enjoyed the chance to improve upon these skills and take time away from the comfortable environment of a town. (Emery)

STUDENT/TEACHER INTERVIEW

NINA TO KAT:

What inspired you to be a teacher?

I have always enjoyed working with children (doing children’s parties, camps and so on), and after University I worked in admin in a secondary school and decided that’s what I really wanted to do.

If you were not a teacher, what would you be?

I would have been a police officer or detective, as I really love true crime stories!

Who are your heroes?

Elizabeth I – she was the first feminist icon, running our country, and being independent.

What is the best part of your job?

Every day is different, and it’s never boring! The students often make me laugh and I enjoy spending time with teenagers.

Why did you choose to teach at TPS?

I grew up around here and it was the first school that I looked around after qualifying. I really liked the vibe and the ethos.

Tell me about the teacher who inspired you the most?

My history teacher, Mr Harrison. I loved how he made History come alive and how he made me believe that I was good at history.

What is the one exciting teaching method you use?

Games and creativity – I like to teach facts creatively, especially with younger students.

What are your thoughts on education today?

Since the pandemic, we are having to change and adapt our teaching, and help students whose learning has been disrupted and affected.

KAT TO NINA:

Tell me about yourself in 30 seconds?

I am musical and play the viola and piano to Grade 7, and now I’m learning to play guitar. I enjoy swimming and I am training to be a lifeguard.

What are your strengths?

I hope I am a positive person. Make people smile, and everything is then happier!

What are your weaknesses?

I am not the most academic person and struggle with science and maths, but I try my best. I am more motivated by creative subjects.

Can you give me one example of enjoy, respect and achieve?

Enjoy: music and musical instruments

Respect: musicians around me

Achieve: Grade 7 in viola and piano

What or who inspires you?

The guitarist and environmentalist Jack Johnson.

What plans for the future do you have?

I would like to study A-level Music and History, plus another subject, and I would like to travel – especially to Costa Rica.

What is your favourite saying from a song or book?

“Life is always better when we’re together.” – Jack Johnson

What one thing would you change about school life?

I would put more emphasis on music to motivate people to play more music – it is a great subject!

STUDENT/TEACHER INTERVIEW WITH NINA V, HEAD GIRL AND KAT SNOW, HEAD OF HUMANITIES FACULTY

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT…

STEYNING GRAMMAR SIXTH FORM OPENS WELLBEING HUB

Steyning Grammar School (SGS) Sixth Form, officially opened its Wellbeing Hub project on 11 May.

Following a survey of students in 2020, SGS Sixth Form identified a need to provide more emotional support for its students as well as guidance in embedding a healthy physical lifestyle.

Aimed at Key Stage 5 students, the Wellbeing Hub is a joint commitment between SGS and the mdeducational foundation, an organisation that provides dedicated mental health support to sixth forms and further education establishments across the UK.

With a grant from mdeducational foundation, a three-year plan was collaboratively developed with initiatives to raise the

wellbeing of students, measured through student outcomes and survey responses. The long-term plan for the mdeducational foundation is to roll out these pilot initiatives to other schools over the next five years.

Central to the project is the Wellbeing Hub, a space which supports all aspects of a students’ wellbeing. The Wellbeing Hub includes a fully equipped gym which students can use during free time, as exercise is an important part of emotional wellbeing and a healthy lifestyle.

Other areas provide students a safe space to talk, take part in mindfulness activities and group sessions such as yoga, with workshops focused on e.g. exam anxiety.

Local Steyning charity, Wilsons Memorial Trust has also made a financial contribution to the decoration and facilities inside of the Wellbeing Hub.

A KS5 Wellbeing Lead has been in post since September 2020 with a focus on developing strategies to identify students whose level of well being is becoming a factor in their academic success and impacting on their everyday life.

All students complete a questionnaire which aims to determine their levels of wellbeing based on American psychologist Martin Seligman’s research. Students who are then deemed at risk of poor wellbeing are identified and targeted with varying levels of support.

More than 200 students have been accessing the Wellbeing Hub since the start of February.

The opening of the Wellbeing Hub coincided with Mental Health Awareness Week (9 – 15 May 2022) which this year focused on loneliness.

Claire Monahan, Assistant Headteacher, said: “Here at Steyning Sixth Form we pride ourselves on making students’ wellbeing our priority. We recognise that academic success, now more than ever, requires more than just our excellent teaching. We want to provide the right type of support to all students to allow them to flourish and achieve the best results and outcomes in life that they can.”

“The opening of the Wellbeing Hub is such a new and exciting prospect for students. It acts as a safe space to talk, listen, be mindful or let off some steam in the gym next door. Having a dedicated full-time Wellbeing Practitioner on hand for students is quite a new concept for schools but something that Steyning Grammar School has championed and is working into the curriculum. We are so proud of everything that Steyning and the Wellbeing Practitioner has achieved and hope that the students of SGS can benefit from all the Hub has to offer,” added Izzy Rainbow, mdeducational foundation co-ordinator.

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT…

SPORTS DAY RETURNS FOR PRIORY

Priory Sports Day is unlike any other sports day. For a whole day our entire school population relocated to the stunning beachside location of Southsea Common to take part in a range of sports such as football, ultimate frisbee, rounders and even Danish longball.

It truly is a day filled with fun and friendly rivalry which was felt more strongly than ever this year after the launch of our new house system.

Students from each house, Equity, Affinity and Tenacity, competed to earn coveted points and the top place on the podium for their house champion at the end of the day.

The weather this year was especially kind to us with a sunny day forecast and delivered.

The day began with everyone registering and getting in the competitive spirit by donning face paints in their house colours. Staff also went all out to represent their house wearing red, green or orange clothing depending on what house they are in.

The day ran incredibly smoothly with students rotating through four of a possible eight activities. All the while teams were earning points and making fantastic memories.

“Our sports day is really the gem in the crown. It’s so nice to see the students back to some sort of normality. They have had three years of disruption and have not been able to experience so much outside. Sports day is a big event in our game-changing curriculum calendar, helping students build confidence and resilience.” said Science teacher and Outdoor Coordinator, Bridgeen England-Wood.

When asked about the day, Year 7 student Liam said: “It has been really nice to get outside with all my friends today and do some different activities.”

Year 8 student Molly added: “It’s such a fun day, everyone said Priory sports day was the best and now that have done one for myself I agree. I’ve had a great day and hope my house wins the most points.”

The day ended with a gathering for the final points reveal. After a big build up including many Mexican waves by the crowd, Equity House, lead by Ms Mazzolla, emerged to get top place on the podium. The atmosphere was incredibly uplifting and the excitement from the students was clearly visible, and audible from their cheers!

“After three years of being unable to run our Sports Day it feels particularly special today. This event celebrates team and community. It is a huge logistical exercise which takes months of planning, but the students have been brilliant, engaged and positive. It’s been a real joy to be able to run this event again,” said Stewart Vaughan, Headteacher. We are already looking forward to next year!

PRIORY’S FIRST GAME-CHANGER PURSUIT WEEK IS AN ENORMOUS SUCCESS

The Priory Game-Changer curriculum has six core pillars, chosen in collaboration with students, which underpin the values and ethos of being a Game-Changer; Leadership, Community, Excellence, Resilience, Positivity, and Creativity. Lessons and activities include and reference these pillars wherever possible and students are recognised for exhibiting these attributes by earning themselves, and their house, points for participating or achieving well in one of these six areas.

The pinnacle of the Game-Changer curriculum in the 2021-22 year has been an inaugural Game-Changer Pursuit Week, which was a truly spectacular and activity-filled week for all students.

The aim of the week was to enable every single student to access

opportunities that would broaden their horizons, develop their Game-Changer characteristics and give them all experiences which they may not have previously had the opportunity to engage with.

Across the week we had more than 50 providers in school offering workshops in a broad range of activities such as multisports, business and public speaking, NHS careers, CPR & first aid, Thriller dancing, junk funk music, drones and coding, astronomy wonderdome, archery & team building challenges.

Students also ventured out to activities across the local area, such as visiting the Mary Rose Museum, New Forest Waterpark, Gun Wharf Quays, and Fort Purbrook activity centre. Additionally,

more than 70 Year 9 students chose to take up the opportunity to go to Paris for the week.

Planning for this year’s Pursuit week has already begun and promises to deliver the same high quality and varied opportunities to our students.

“This week was designed with the express intention of providing a wide array of experiences for our students, experiences they have so sorely missed through the pandemic. To offer 33 different trips and organise over 50 visitors to the site is a monumental undertaking and must pay tribute to the main leads on this enterprise, Miss Mazzola and Ms Spalding, they have been outstanding. What we have seen is good learning, fun and laughter and a fabulous range of opportunities, it has been a joy,” said Stewart Vaughan.

Tilly-Mae in Year 10 attended a workshop run by social enterprise

Unloc at Portsmouth Guildhall as one of her activities in the week:

“It was a wonderful inspirational day, I can definitely say grew in confidence from the start of the day to the end. I very enjoyed it and would recommend it to everyone looking to develop and learn about workplace skills.”

Ami tried kayaking at Andrew Simpson Watersports Centre and had a fantastic time and really developed her confidence: “Mrs Weeks took me out on the water in a double kayak - I was scared to go on the water because I can’t swim but grabbed the opportunity to try something new - that’s what this week is all about!”

OVER THE PAST YEAR PRIORY STAFF HAVE WORKED HARD TO REINVIGORATE AND EMBED THE ETHOS OF BEING A GAME-CHANGER INTO ALL ASPECTS OF SCHOOL LIFE AND THE CURRICULUM.

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT… SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT…

‘COACHING CHAMPIONS’ AT BOHUNT SCHOOL LIPHOOK

Have you ever thought about using coaching as part of your teaching and in your work with your colleagues?

If so, you may be aware of the many benefits coaching can bring to raising achievements amongst your students and increasing performance and wellbeing amongst your colleagues.

This academic year, I have led the coaching programme ‘Coaching Champions’ at Bohunt School Liphook and it has been an exciting journey together with my colleagues.

The course is open to any staff member at the school and it has two clear goals: to support our students in the classroom with a special focus on strengthening their Executive Functioning Skills (EFS) and to embed coaching amongst colleagues to deliver a motivating and supportive working environment.

Through sessions delivered as part of period 6 on a Friday throughout the academic year we have explored a number of coaching models and theories as well as coaching each other. Each member of staff has been paired up with a colleague and practised the various coaching models to improve their coaching skills.

Using coaching in the classroom offers a range of opportunities to make our students grow their self-confidence and explore new ways of learning in a safe environment. When we coach

the students on how to use their EFS as part of their journey to mastery, they not only become aware of the importance of understanding what EFS are but, more importantly, why this holistic approach to understanding their own strengths and weaknesses leads to success.

Besides the vast amount of research which backs up the pedagogical reasons for coaching EFS in the classroom, it is these key skills that employers are looking for when deciding to offer a job to a young person. We want to ensure that our students do not miss out on improving their competitive edge when they leave school.

I am really excited to be creating and delivering this bespoke coaching course and having the opportunity to work with such committed and gifted colleagues.

I will be starting another group of coaching champions in September. If you would like more information please contact me on PSogaard@bohunt.hants.sch.uk.

Paul Anders Søgaard

Paul is a former parent and teaches psychology and sociology. He is an accredited Transformational Coach (Animas London) and an Executive Functional Coach (CIM London).

Budding actors from Bohunt School in Liphook returned to the stage after a two-year break to produce and perform the musical extravaganza, Shrek the Musical.

Bohunt School’s production ran over four nights and one matinee (12-15 July) to a packed house at the Bedales Olivier Theatre in Petersfield.

The audience was drawn into the fun-filled story of Shrek, meeting fairytale creatures with a cast, crew and orchestra of 95 students from Year 7 to Year 12 and the audience showed their appreciation and enjoyment with standing ovations and applause.

The production was a collaboration across the entire school, which included sixth formers working with a 4-metre tall dragon puppet and exploding bird, to former students playing in the 20-piece orchestra. Andrew Miles, a Bohunt School Alumni, gave his time and expertise for lighting design and tech.

The production was also supported by the wider Bohunt Education Trust community with Anita Brincat helping backstage and Gary Green with the photography.

Carly Du Feu, Bohunt School’s Head of Expressive Arts, said:

“After being unable to perform since the incredible Beauty and the Beast in 2019 due to the pandemic, was so happy we could finally put on this magnificent production of Shrek the Musical.”

“A massive thank you to the cast, crew, production team and staff, who spent their spare time making the show a huge success.

From unloading a 16 metre-long lorry to building the set, helping with costumes, quick changes, hair, make- up, sound, lighting, stage management, front of house, refreshments, we even had a team dedicated to creating our own student designed merchandise. Thanks, too, to the Bedales Olivier Theatre staff and – once again, to our fabulous cast!”

Neil Strowger, Headteacher at Bohunt School, added:

“Huge congratulations to students and staff who made such a fabulous production possible. Despite the sweltering heat, the cast performed magnificently and in a true display of Bohunt resilience adopted a ‘show must go on’ and positive attitude.”

BOHUNT SCHOOL LIPHOOK RETURNS TO THE STAGE WITH A ‘SHREKTACULAR’ PERFORMANCE OF SHREK THE MUSICAL

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT… SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT…

STUDENTS AWARDED AT UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON MATHEMATICS CHALLENGE 2022

Students from Bohunt School Liphook and The Costello School took part in the University of Southampton Mathematics Challenge 2022.

Students completed this independent task over the spring term, which gave students an opportunity to think outside the box and explore mathematics beyond the constraints of the standard curriculum.

The competition usually attracts entries from local schools, but this year had entries from across the UK and internationally. Marks were awarded to students for their mathematical reasoning and communication skills as much as they were for correct answers.

On Friday 8 June, two students from Costello and one student from Liphook attended the awards ceremony at the University of Southampton.

Awards were presented to students in the style of a graduation with Rhiannon Jones (Costello) and Megan Wall (Costello) being awarded second prize and Lana Roberts (Liphook) being awarded a Certificate of Distinction.

Students and families enjoyed a lecture from Professor Graham Niblo entitled ‘From sticks and stones to mobile phones’.

He discussed the history and development of our number system from using sticks and stones for counting and the absence of zero right up until more recent events with Alan Turing cracking the Enigma code during the Second World War, and how Katherine Johnson used to check the computer calculations at NASA.

He ended his talk discussing how mathematics has been crucial in the development of smart phones.

BOHUNT HORSHAM OPENS DOORS TO NEW SITE

During the start of the new spring term, Bohunt Horsham students were finally allowed to start learning in the brand new site after a very long anticipated wait.

Many of the students had waited for months for the new site and many Year 9s waited around two years for this great opportunity. After completing online learning for a few days and at least a term in our temporary buildings Arun House and Nexus, the students have finally adjusted to the new site.

The new site has given students many opportunities which were not previously available in the temporary site. For example, the new school site has a brand new sports hall. This has allowed students to complete sports which were not available before, as well as allowing students to participate in sports without having to use Collyers and Horsham Park.

Art, DT, music, computing and food technology students have also been benefited due to the new site. There is now a range of new resources that students can use, such as new computers, paints, ovens and even more! Students have also had the opportunity to extend their learning in their core subjects (Science, English and Maths).

For example, the new site has brought new resources in science lessons so that students can complete more practical activities. Many students have already completed a practical experiment based on the digestive system.

A favourite space for the students is the library. Students can relax on very comfortable seating and read a wide range of different books during lunch times and break times. Another favourite place is the canteen, where students can buy a wide range of food including vegan and vegetarian options. Students have rated chips, Radnor Splashes and cookies the current favourites.

Some clubs [also take place during lunchtime] include sports, languages and art/practical clubs. Many students also attend societies during lunch time.

Students are extremely pleased with the new site and cannot wait to share their experiences with the next group of new Year 7s in September.

Overall students, staff and families are immensely proud of all the work it took in order to move into this site and are looking forward to spending the rest of their secondary education in this incredible building

BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW…

HAMZA ARFAT - IT APPRENTICE

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

What gets me out of bed in the morning is the thought of seeing all my work colleagues and working as a team to make education a success for all.

What’s your biggest game-changing achievement to date, personal or professional?

Biggest game changing achievement would be completing my A-levels and finding an apprenticeship.

How would you describe your job to a child?

Making sure all the tech is fully functioning ready for the use of staff and students.

What three words would you use to describe your job?

Fascinating, spontaneous, brilliant.

What’s the best thing about working at BET?

The environment and school culture, everyone is helpful and very friendly, which allows everyone to bring the best out of each other.

If you were an animal what would you be?

I’d be a lion, inspired by Simba from Lion King.

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT…

College each week. Fortunately, our parents are incredibly supportive and can help us get the cadets home.

I’ve been working with cadets for the past five years having taken on the role just after our partnership with Lord Wandsworth College, in Hook, Hampshire.

When took on the role we had just six cadets – in January this year, we reached 48 cadets with some returning from local colleges to continue until they are 18 years old.

At Costello, we’re keen to get more adults involved in cadets so that we can offer a more enriching and diverse programme. If you’re interested, reach out and we’ll find a way!

I have been a science teacher for eight years after a 10+ year career in the defence industry, supporting the UK MoD with equipment such as tanks, artillery and Harrier jet aircraft.

While I didn’t serve in the military, working closely with serving officers and the equipment they use gave me really valuable insights that sometimes I’m able to bring into cadets and the classroom.

Our partnership with Lord Wandsworth College has been an amazing boost to our cadets’ programme – they have great resources and facilities, the staff are very knowledgeable, the other students are welcoming, and they have supported our staff with training.

Our greatest challenge remains transportation – we must take three minibuses of cadets to Lord Wandsworth

The highlight of my year is summer camp – it’s an immersive experience for both cadets and staff as we conduct similar training to regular soldiers. In addition to the military skills, the main aspect that really makes the week worthwhile is the change in the cadets – their confidence grows as they can complete activities that they never thought they could, such as excellent marksmanship, leading a team or flying a plane through acrobatics!

The lesson that I learn each week is that often, progress for our students cannot be measured in a test or counted on a spreadsheet – it’s the moments of almost immeasurable changes that means that they are a better version of themselves than before.

STUDENT VIEW… ALEX ELSON, YEAR 9

chosen section of the CCF (Army or RAF). Outdoor activities such as orienteering, shooting, obstacle course, rafting, paddle boarding and flying are just some of the things on offer.

CCF is a steep learning curve regardless of which section you choose. It is quite daunting going to your first summer camp. For some of us it was the first time away from home. Having said that, the staff and the older Cadets made sure we were safe and making the most of our time. I myself joined the Army section and I really enjoyed our first camp.

At camp, we learned about the history of the Army as well as some drill, survival, and a range of fun activities.

What made a real impression on me was the fact that the older Cadets, the NCOs, were given a lot of responsibility. They woke us up in the mornings, they took us to where we needed to be during the day, and they taught us some valuable lessons. All the while we were under constant staff supervision. By the end of it we were all exhausted, but we thoroughly enjoyed it.

CCF is not for everyone, and many do choose to leave after their five-term commitment. However, there are cadets who really enjoy it and continue with CCF into sixth form college - it’s a big step up because as well as the pressures of school increasing, your responsibility in the CCF also increases. I look up to my NCOs and I want to become one myself.

In Year 9, you have the option to join the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and is one of the highlights of the school year.

Through becoming a cadet, you will develop self-reliance, resourcefulness, leadership and perseverance.

The CCF offers opportunities to experience things you would never normally be able to try. It gives a challenging yet safe environment to experience a military environment. These include camps at military bases where you learn about your

would definitely recommend CCF as it is something I have really enjoyed. I have gained a lot of skills and I intend to hone them further by staying on until I leave. Discipline, confidence and resilience are excellent skills for anyone to have and am sure that these will help me when I have a career. CCF can be very challenging, but it is also very rewarding. It gives pupils who are usually quiet and subdued an opportunity to shine. I hope to see many of you joining in September as a new recruit!

ANDREW PAGE, CCF COORDINATOR AT THE COSTELLO SCHOOL TALKS ABOUT WHAT COMBINED CADET FORCE (CCF) CAN OFFER BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ALIKE.

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT…

PIRATES 6 STUDENTS AT THE COSTELLO SCHOOL TRANSITION DAY

On 30 June we welcomed our new cohort for Year 7 in September 2022 to The Costello School.

Having previously themed the transition days as Harry Potter and Willy Wonka, the Pirates Of The Caribbean took the students through their two days with us this year.

The themed days have been the brainchild of our Transition Manager and Pastoral Team Leader Year 7, Tracey Joy. She fully understands and appreciates the fears and excitement of Year 6 students attending their new school for the first time and has

worked incredibly hard to create many days of fun and learning for them all, which have been extremely successful.

This year we were joined by Kirsty Protheroe, our new Headteacher, who fully embraced the pirate theme along with many other staff. The sheer delight on the faces of the students as they eagerly waited at the school gates, was well worth all of the hard work and preparation put in by our dedicated and talented staff.

Who knows what next year’s theme will be?