Ridgeway New Times Issue 9

Ridgeway New Times Issue 9 March 2019

All the latest news from Ridgeway High School

CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENT

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S BRONZE AWARD WINNERS

Ridgeway New Times Issue 9 March 2019

CONTENTS

HEADTEACHER’S MESSAGE Putting the needs of the child first is a key principle....................................... 03 CHARACTER Working towards the Ridgeway Charter............................................................ 04 LITERACY A celebration of reading on World Book Day................................................... 06 NURTURE Teresa students continue to impress the house team....................................... 08 ENDEAVOUR A shared commitment to success....................................................................... 09 A S P I R AT I O N A taste of university life and degree-level learning........................................... 10 DISCOVERY An opportunity to learn about other cultures................................................... 11 MASTERY “Fun with magic squares and hexaflexagons”................................................... 12 STOP PRESS Ridgeway news in brief........................................................................................ 13 CORE CHARTER ELEMENTS Attendance and achievement points at the heart of our Charter................... 14 RESILIENCE Celebrating students’ bronze award achievements........................................... 16 I N S P I R AT I O N A L L E A R N I N G STEM roadshow brings textbook learning to life............................................. 17 I M A G I N AT I O N Creating amazing poetry in a matter of minutes!............................................. 18 COMMUNITY Volunteering spirit sets example for others to follow....................................... 19 OVERVIEW It’s the business end of the season in many sports............................................ 20 ACHIEVEMENT Outstanding sixth-place finish for boys’ athletics............................................. 21 MOMENTUM Back to our impressive best in girls’ PE............................................................. 22 EXCELLENCE Raptors are roaring in and out of the Lions’ Den!............................................ 24 COMPETITION Football is thriving as teams compete for silverware....................................... 26

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Ridgeway New Times Issue 9 March 2019

H E A D T E AC H E R’ S M E S S AG E Putting the needs of the child first is a key principle

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eading through this latest edition of Ridgeway New Times, two things immediately stood out for me.

The first is how much the students are relishing all the learning opportunities available to them at Ridgeway.

The second is a clear sense of pride in the school among staff and students alike.

At Ridgeway, our goal is to enable all our students to become:

• successful learners, enjoying their learning, making progress and achieving well

• confident individuals, able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives

• responsible citizens, making a positive contribution to society

Earlier this month, I attended the National Conference for Headteachers. A key theme was ‘Inclusive Accountability’.

For me, this fitted perfectly with our aims and with our ethos and values. As I have said before, at Ridgeway High School ‘we are a family and we care’.

You will have read in my weekly bulletin that Ridgeway is one of the schools leading the way in how we manage behaviour, educating students to be Ready to learn, Respectful of each other and of the environment, and Safe in the manner in which they behave and conduct themselves. In recent weeks, we have welcomed to the school representatives from Halton local authority, a school from Bolton and a school from Crewe. They visited Ridgeway to discuss and see for themselves our successful ‘Pivotal’ behaviour for learning approach.

Another theme of the headteachers’ conference, which you may have seen in the news, is the significant shortfall in school funding. We would all like more funding, but the simple answer is that ‘there is only so much money in the pot’. A key issue, therefore, is how we prioritise spending, something on which we have worked hard over the past six years, placing us in a stronger position compared to other schools, as the so-called ‘national formula’ for school funding is implemented in 2021.

At the start of the month, I was delighted when, for the

ÏÏMr Taylor, pictured with Luke McCullough, a recipient

of a bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. In addition to his DofE work, Luke is a regular contributor to Ridgeway New Times. You can read two articles written

by Luke in this issue.

third year on the run, we were over-subscribed, with 180 students allocated to start Year 7 in September 2019, not counting several appeals for further places at the school.

Ridgeway is on a journey of improvement. I am a firm believer that success breeds success. As you read the following pages, I am sure that you will note our many successes and achievements.

Putting the needs of the child first is always one of my own principles and a key principle of the school. It is hard when schools are judged purely on academic outcomes, but, as the aims I set out at the top of this article make clear, my view has always been about the importance of educating the whole child. Listening to Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, it was refreshing to hear that the new Ofsted framework, currently in a consultation period, will place greater value on the quality of education as a whole and that outcomes (in other words, examination success) is only one element - albeit an important one - of school performance.

Finally, I should like to wish you all a restful and enjoyable spring break. We return to school on Monday 15 April. All schools are closed on Friday 19 April and Monday 22 April for the long Easter weekend. You can find a complete list of term dates on our website, along with provisional term dates for 2019-2020.

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CHARACTER Working towards the Ridgeway Charter A wide range of activities was on offer for all year groups during our latest Charter Day in February.

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harter days support students with the completion of their Ridgeway Charter award. Each student has the opportunity to develop skills in leadership, endurance, aspiration, respect and nurture. At the end of the academic year, students will be awarded at bronze, silver or gold level, based on the number of Charter elements they have successfully completed.

Year 7 Students looked at a charity appeal they wanted to support and developed leadership and teamwork skills by planning, creating and delivering an assembly to their form. They used the morning to plan a presentation based on a charity they wanted their form to support. Charities identified included local ones such as Claire House. Others chose to support charities such as Cancer Research.

Year 9 Students were involved in three different sessions. The first looked at global terrorism and the effect it has had in recent years on different countries around the world. In the second session, students examined gang culture and why it has recently been so prominent in the news. The final session focused on acts of kindness, a Charter activity that all students must complete.

Year 10 Year 10 also took part in three different sessions. The first looked at the media and its influence in society. The second session was around gun and knife crime, with students learning about the Rhys Jones murder in 2007 and in particular the effect it had on families and the local community. Like Year 9, they also took part in an acts of kindness session.

Year 11 Year 11 used the day to revise for upcoming mock examinations. They also took part in a session about preparing for the summer examinations.

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Year 8 With important GCSE curriculum choices just weeks away, the focus for Year 8 students was post-16 education. Some students visited Birkenhead Sixth Form College, some visited Wirral Met College and others stayed in school and worked with LLS (a local sports coaching provider).

“Fabulous behaviour...the students engaged really well with us.”

Mr Ducker commented: “Year 8 students are about to begin the process of making decisions about their future. Subject choices they make will affect not just the next three years but also opportunities and pathways open to them when they move from Ridgeway to the post-16 phase of education and training.

“Bright and brave students, not afraid to answer questions.”

“Everyone I spoke to said that they had an amazing day, getting a real insight into what is available to them in the local area. The feedback from both Birkenhead Sixth Form College and Wirral Met was also amazing.”

“Students were a credit to your school: they were polite, courteous and actively engaged.”

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LITERACY A celebration of reading on World Book Day Student journalist Luke McCullough reports on this year’s World Book Day celebrations at Ridgeway.

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orld Book Day is a charity with a global mission: to give every young person a book of their own. It falls on the first Thursday of March every year, and the day is all about encouraging people to publicly celebrate their love of reading. It is also a celebration of authors, illustrators and the written word.

Thanks to the efforts of staff and Year 7 students, this year’s celebrations at Ridgeway were arguably the school’s most successful yet - truly a day to remember. Lots of Year 7 students wore fantastic costumes for the day, dressing as characters from much-loved books such as Harry Potter, Coraline and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Miss Lamb’s English class celebrated World Book Day by preparing for their upcoming interview with the author of the Bumpkinton Tales, Matthew Drzymala. They also created a questionnaire, working with the school librarian, Ms Potts.

Book tokens were given out by form tutors. These can be traded in at local book stores for a free book or £1 off any book.

Further fun events on the day included a staff ‘shelfie’ competition run by Ms Potts. Students were invited to guess the identity of members of staff from pictures of their bookshelves, with participants also entered into a prize draw. The winner was Matthew Comber: he correctly identified the owner of every bookshelf. Mya Tait, Tyler Davies and Amy Fury were runnersup.

A special thanks to the English department for their awesome “Holes” costumes and to all the other staff who dressed up to make this year’s World Book Day the most memorable yet.

Last but not least, many thanks to Miss Grundy, Mrs McKune and Ms Potts for their hard work in organising events and helping make World Book Day come to life.

ÐÐThe English department dressed as characters from the novel ‘Holes’, which is read by students in Year 7 English lessons.

Mr Taylor wrote in his weekly bulletin: “Reading is fun. It fires the imagination. It is a doorway into other experiences and other worlds.

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Here at Ridgeway, we aim to nurture a culture of enjoyment of reading. One way of doing so is by demonstrating how much we – as adults – love books and reading for pleasure.”

Ridgeway New Times Issue 9 March 2019

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NURTURE Teresa students continue to impress the house team Mrs Moran highlights two students who have particularly impressed her with their positive attitude and commitment.

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would like to start off by highlighting two students who have really impressed me this term: one with regards to attendance, and one in relation to aspirations.

Well done to Jessica Kelly in 7TED for the improvement in her attendance this term. It is clear to the whole house team that she is really making an effort, and we are proud of her!

Jessica told me: “I know I have a supportive house team, form tutor and friends. I do not have 100% attendance, but my attendance is improving and that’s important.”

My second pick is William Threlfall in 8TAH. This has been a very important time for William because he has been thinking hard about GCSE curriculum choices. Initially, he felt a bit overwhelmed with the variety of courses we offer here at Ridgeway, but he now has a clear plan for his future.

He is passionate about animation and dreams of becoming an animator in the future. In fact, he has already made a number of short videos with clay figures, some of which are on the internet.

William met with Mr Ducker, Head of Character Education, who supported him in making informed subject choices for next year and laying the foundations for his future. William decided to study art, product design and history. He also plans to study a vocational course in order to balance his studies and help with time management.

William is excited about what next year will bring and said: “I am really glad that I met with Mr Ducker. His advice was invaluable. I now have a clear plan for my 08

Ridgeway New Times Issue 9 March 2019

future and I am excited about it.”

Meanwhile, Teresa House students are continuing to support the Ugandan Project through various fundraising activities. We are raising money to support Achangali Primary School in north-east Uganda. Having watched video clips of the living and learning conditions of the Ugandan children who attend the school, students said they wanted to help by raising money to improve the situation.

In our penny collection, students generously donated their spare change, raising an incredible £212.73 so far. This money will help fund the extensive work the project will be carrying out later this year. Miss Kell will be spending four weeks in Uganda during the summer holidays to help out. We are proud of Teresa students for their enthusiasm in supporting the project and are extremely grateful for the generosity students have shown.

E N D E AV O U R A shared commitment to success Mr Heayns is impressed with the hard work and commitment shown by GCSE history students.

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his has been a stellar term for Year 11 history students, as they continue to strive for GCSE success. Approaching the end of the course, the fruits of their hard labour are starting to show!

The students are working extremely hard, and in each mock exam we are seeing their performance improving. They are now about to finish the final unit that we cover: the Elizabethan Age. It is a challenging one but, with hard work and attendance at our regular intervention sessions, Mr Worthington and I feel that students will do just as well on this unit as on the other units we study.

I spoke with students Alisha Layfield and Ethan Barham about how they are finding history at the moment.

“We’re all pulling together, helping each other. We know that the key to success is hard work and commitment,” said Ethan Barham, describing how students are using intervention and revision techniques to help each other.

“It really feels like we all have a common goal, working hard not just for ourselves but for each other,” commented Alisha, who is hoping for a top grade.

GCSEPod is proving a favourite revision tool, enabling students to watch short topic videos to help embed their knowledge. Key Stage 4 students have also benefitted from using Kahoot in lessons to further embed knowledge and introduce an element of competition within classes.

Meanwhile, in March, the humanities department took 49 students to London, visiting places of cultural interest and important sites in our nation’s history, such as Downing Street, Buckingham Palace and Parliament Square.

After a spot of ice skating to break up the long journey to London, staff and students were able to marvel at the panoramic views from the London Eye. The trip also included a walking tour of London, the highlight being a visit to the M&M’s World store in Leicester Square to enjoy the chocolate-filled delights of the shop.

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A S P I R AT I O N A taste of university life and degree-level learning Our programme of campus visits encourages students to consider the lifelong benefits of higher education.

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or some students, aspiration and ambition involves thinking seriously about higher education. Our programme of visits to university campuses allows students to get a ‘feel’ for student life and encourages them to set their sights high.

In February, Miss Jarvis took 25 students on a trip to Liverpool University for a languages taster day. The students experienced sessions in French and Spanish, as well as Mandarin. They were given the chance to look around the lecture theatres and the campus, before taking part in a film studies seminar.

Meanwhile, five of our top Year 10 mathematicians attended an enrichment session at the University of Liverpool, the focus of which was the value of studying mathematics at degree level.

Mr Fields said: “We arrived at the mathematics building to listen to a lecture on the benefits of studying A level maths

ÏÏMr Fields with Year 10 mathematicians, enjoying a lecture about the value of studying mathematics at university.

Miss Jarvis said: “I am sure that the students have thoroughly benefitted from this ‘taster day’ experience.

They said that they were excited to see what life at the university was like. They enjoyed the chance to look around the different buildings and to experience what it is like to attend university lectures and seminars.

“They also told me that they were keen to begin looking into what study opportunities are available to them after Ridgeway, particularly the different degree courses on offer.”

and then going to university to study maths at degree level.

It certainly opened students’ eyes to the huge benefits of having an excellent grade in GCSE mathematics.

“We then went to a seminar room to learn about the Mayan number system and how it relates to our base ten system. It was delivered by maths students who are currently studying at the University of Liverpool. They also answered questions about university life, which I think really helped our students to get a feel for what it is really like.

ÐÐMiss Jarvis with languages students outside the University of Liverpool. The students had taster sessions in French, Spanish and Mandarin.

“Talking afterwards with the students, I think they all left feeling inspired to study maths or a related mathematical subject at further and higher education level.”

Mr Taylor said: “These visits and others that we run throughout the year are part of our commitment to offering high-quality enrichment opportunities and aspirational careers support and guidance to all our students.”

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DISC OVERY An opportunity to learn about other cultures Miss Cotter’s GCSE religious studies students visit places of worship to explore different strands of Buddhism.

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s part of their GCSE work in religious studies, Year 9 students visited two places of Buddhist worship: a Thai Buddhist temple in Runcorn and a meditation centre in Liverpool.

We travelled first to Runcorn to visit Wat Phra Singh, run by monks from Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.

One of the monks, resplendent in orange robes, spoke to the students about the role of Buddhism in the local community, the teachings of the Buddha and the lifestyle he leads as a Buddhist monk.

Students made an offering to the community of food and incense, and the monks blessed the students with a chant in Pali, the language used by the Buddha. Students also received sai-sin, or sacred thread, which was tied around their wrists for good karma and protection.

We then travelled to the Kadampa Meditation Centre, situated in the heart of Sefton Park, Liverpool. Students learned that it is open as a special place of peace and refuge for all the people of Liverpool, regardless of their religion.

They spent time in the meditation room with a senior monk, who explained further the teaching of the Buddha and, in particular, her own lifestyle as a monk.

On the way home, we reflected on a thought-provoking and interesting day. Having visited two places of worship, we were able to think about the similarities and differences between two strands of Buddhism. Students were particularly touched by the friendly and welcoming nature of both religious communities, and I was extremely proud of how mature the students were throughout the trip.

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MASTERY “Fun with magic squares and hexaflexagons”

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n the week before half-term, we welcomed a visitor from the Royal Institution education team, Alison Eves, who delivered a masterclass to Year 10 mathematicians. In her own words, they had “fun with magic squares and hexaflexagons”.

I really enjoyed working with the Royal Institution because I learnt things about numbers that I didn’t even know existed. When I walked through the door, I knew it would be interesting. I loved meeting Alison. It was great working with her.

Alison also worked with the students on presentation skills. The reason for this is that the Year 10s were later involved in delivering a mathematics lesson to 25 primary pupils who visited Ridgeway for the morning.

A fortnight later, we were delivering the masterclass that we had been trained for to a group of primary students. The students all looked so excited to be at Ridgeway High School. Every one of the Year 10 session leaders had a part to play that day, and all of us thoroughly enjoyed working with the younger children because they were all enthusiastic and polite. I think they learnt a lot that day. I would be really excited to deliver another session in the future.

Mr Taylor said afterwards: “Activities like this are great for improving students’ understanding of mathematics and for character development.”

Caitlyn Hutchings Year 10 Alison from the Royal Institution came in and delivered a session on magic squares and the history of them. It was difficult to understand at first, but eventually we all got the hang of it.

Our next task was to deliver this session to a class of primary school students. Each of us played a part in this, whether it was teaching or supporting a group of students with the tasks.

Abi Deakin Year 10 Dear Miss McCaffrey Thank you for today. My class arrived back with smiles on their faces and said that they really enjoyed it. In particular, they said that they liked all the help you gave and also the friendly chats.

They really enjoyed the hexagon activity you did with them. They have all been showing me since they came back. They also liked learning about the magic squares and the algebra that you showed them.

Christopher Hadfield Year 5 teacher, The Priory Parish 12

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STOP PRESS Ridgeway news in brief STUDENT VOICE UPDATE

National Careers Week

Miss Grundy says: “This half-term, our Student Voice representatives have attended meetings to discuss how we might support the school in moving forward. To help us, we have decided to invite members of staff with particular areas of responsibility to our meetings so that they can hear our thoughts and opinions.

As part of National Careers Week, we focused on the future. First, students brainstormed the word ‘aspiration’ and thought about their dream future pathway. Next, they looked at a range of possible career pathways and discussed the skills needed to be successful in the world of work. Each subject area also delivered a lesson showing students the career pathways associated with their specific subject.

“Meetings take place at lunchtime and are attended by a representative from each form. Do you have an idea that you would like Student Voice to discuss? Do you fancy getting involved in Student Voice next year? Ask your form representative for more information or come along to room 110 for a chat.”

Michael Morpurgo Month Michael Morpurgo is one of Britain’s best-loved authors, and Michael Morpurgo Month was a celebration of all his work. During February, students were set the task of completing a project on his life and work.

School librarian Ms Potts said: “The standard of work and effort shown were fantastic. Many of the projects submitted earned ten achievement points for outstanding effort. Many more achievement points were awarded to the winners, who were: FIRST: Caitlin Boddison-Gray 7KCR SECOND: Matthew Roxburgh 10KAG THIRD: Aimee Penfold 8LTP

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“Well done to everyone who took part, and look out for more literacy competitions on ShowMyHomework!”

Anti-Bullying School of the Month As a result of our work during Anti-Bullying Week earlier in the year, Ridgeway High School has been recognised as the Anti-Bullying Ambassador School of the Month for March 2019. Miss Grundy said: “This is a fantastic achievement, as we have been chosen out of a pool of over 1200 active anti-bullying ambassador schools!” More details to follow.

Ridgeway’s Published Poets As part of the Remembrance commemorations last November, forty-seven students took part in a poetry workshop run by the Read Write Now organisation, based around the famous poem ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ by Wilfred Owen. The workshop included an opportunity for the students to write poems of their own, reflecting on what they had read and discussed.

These poems were typed up and sent off, and they have now been published as part of a book. The students are due to be presented with a copy of the book in which their poems appear.

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C ORE CHARTER ELEMENT S CORE CHARTER ELEMENTS FOR ALL YEAR GROUPS zz 97% attendance zz 300 achievement points

Attendance

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Form

%

7KJB

95.4

7KCR

94.2

7KDC

85.6

7TED

95.2

7TCB

94.4

7TJG

91.9

7LMH

93.6

7LPS

97.6

8KDC

92

8KBS

94

8KDT

92

8TAH

93.6

8TRK

93.9

8TNS

91.8

8LDC

94.1

8LKM

95

8LTP

95.6

9KMC

94.1

9TRJ

94.9

9TLL

94.1

9LMD

96.5

9LJM

92.9

9KLGT

92.8

10KAG

95.9

10KSM

96.9

10TIS

93.7

10TMW

90.6

10LSMD

92

10LPA

93.7

11DR

98.2

11TH

94.1

11KL

95.1

11MH

93.4

11AW

90.8

11LK

89.5

11LP

92.7

zz Make expected progress zz Complete acts of kindness zz Take up leadership roles zz Join an extra-curricular club zz Take part in House Day zz Complete homework

Congratulations to the King House students pictured right, all of whom attend regularly and have collected a large number of achievement points: Iftikar and Abi; Jake and Molly; Aimee and Ellis; Bethany and Nathan; Shakil and Aisling.

Ridgeway New Times Issue 9 March 2019

ACHIEVEMENT POINTS TERESA TOP FIVE Lucie Thompson-Patton - 161 William Threlfall - 158 Ethan Baker - 142 Peris Menzies - 141 Ruby Richards - 141

ACHIEVEMENT POINTS KING TOP FIVE Olivia Dickinson - 131 Nathan Stringer - 126 Amelia Ricketts - 104 Leighton King - 100 Jayden Layfield - 99

ACHIEVEMENT POINTS KOLBE TOP FIVE Rebecca Anson - 96 Jack Gordon - 94 Scott Monument - 86 Emily Ogden - 86 Chloe Parry - 84

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RESILIENCE Celebrating students’ bronze award achievements The highlight of a difficult spring term, hampered by bad weather, was our bronze award celebration evening.

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t has been a difficult term for expedition preparations and practice - on two separate occasions, planned training walks had to be cancelled due to the risk of severe weather - but Mr Cross’s revised training schedule will ensure that students are fully prepared in time for June’s two-day expedition, involving an overnight stay at a campsite.

Meanwhile, many of our forty-one bronze award recipients were able to attend a rescheduled celebration evening. The ceremony was also attended by family, friends and wellwishers, who were able to learn more about the amazing achievements of Ridgeway students. The guest of honour was Nicky Cage, DofE operations manager for the region, who presented award certificates.

Mr Taylor wrote in his weekly bulletin to parents: “The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a key element of the Ridgeway Charter and is a rewarding and fulfilling endeavour. But, as the old cliché puts it, the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.

Students are busy all year round on the volunteering, physical and skills elements of the award. Some, for example, attend sessions on Mondays after school to learn about first aid.”

Well done to all the students for their endeavours, showing resilience, determination and fortitude - qualities that lie at the heart of the Ridgeway Charter.

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I N S P I R AT I O NA L L E A R N I N G STEM roadshow brings textbook learning to life A series of lively, fun-filled and visual demonstrations with student volunteers help illustrate key computing processes.

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n the week before half-term, we were delighted to welcome representatives from BAE Systems, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, who delivered exciting ‘hands-on’ STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) sessions to Year 7 and Year 8. The sessions had a particular focus on computer science, illustrating key concepts and processes.

In lively, fun-filled interactive sessions, our guests brought textbook learning to life through a series of memorable practical demonstrations. Examples included:

• Demonstrating how a mobile phone communicates

packets of data. To do this, they passed an item between volunteers in front of the audience along a line to demonstrate communication from mobile phone to cell tower, cell tower to cell tower, and then cell tower to mobile phone and back again.

• Selecting student volunteers to race sphero

programmable robots (the Star Wars BB8 robot is based on them) via Bluetooth android tablets along a track, racing against other spheros. This was to demonstrate the use of Bluetooth as a transmission medium.

• Using mathematics to calculate the travel of a zorb

ball by using its radius to calculate the circumference.

Student volunteers pushed the inflated zorb (which had one of the STEM team inside) to check whether their calculations were correct.

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I M AG I NAT I O N Creating amazing poetry in a matter of minutes!

‘Blackout poetry’ - the centrepiece of our World Poetry Day - was a huge hit with students, says school librarian Ms Potts.

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n Thursday 21 March, we celebrated World Poetry Day. As well as organising poetry-related activities in English lessons, we added photographs of famous poets and their poems to the electronic screens around school to engage students and get them talking about poetry.

We also celebrated by creating ‘blackout poetry’, which is the technique of using a printed page, selecting certain words and phrases and blacking out the rest with pens or paints. What you are left with makes your poem. Students were shown examples and given the resources to create their own blackout poetry in the library during break and

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Blackout poetry was fun to do because it made it really easy to make a poem. By carefully selecting words or phrases, we were creating something fresh and new in a matter of minutes.

CAITLIN PROBBING 9KMC lunchtime. They enjoyed the activity so much that they asked to continue the following day.

I am absolutely delighted that World Poetry Day was such a success. Blackout poetry is a marvellous collaboration of literacy and art, and I am really looking forward to creating a display with all the fantastic poems.

COMMUNITY Volunteering spirit sets example for others to follow Student journalist Luke McCullough is impressed with volunteering work done by Leo and Elijah around school.

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t the beginning of December, Year 10 students Leo Winstanley and Elijah Razemon decided to volunteer to help around school. They began by assisting site manager Graham Jones with tidying, as well as helping cleaners Julie Monahan and Marianne Ashcroft.

They have been volunteering three evenings a week ever since.

Leo and Elijah complete their tasks after school for an hour, working alongside the site team, who are always very appreciative of their help and their excellent manners.

ÏÏVolunteering is one of four elements of the Duke of

Edinburgh’s Award, along with skills, expedition and physical elements.

Leo says: “I started as part of the volunteering element of my Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. We help by tidying in the library, litter picking, cleaning the main hall and brushing the corridors.

“Doing this, I have created a great bond with the site team. I enjoy helping them because they do so much for us, and it’s nice to give something back. It’s also great that, because we have been helping, other students have now started to get involved as well. Many hands make light work, as they say!”

Elijah was equally enthusiastic: “I feel like I’m doing a good thing for the school so I enjoy helping out, and it has a positive impact on our school community. In fact, I have enjoyed doing this role so much that I have arranged for my work experience to be here at school, revolving around cleaning and maintenance as part of the school’s site team.”

Both students have said that they plan to continue volunteering next year, which is a testament to just how motivated they are. They deserve high praise for their brilliant efforts and the excellent example they are setting for fellow students.

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OV E RV I EW It’s the business end of the season in many sports Ridgeway continues to forge ahead on a range of sporting fronts, says Mr Metcalf in his review of the term.

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s we reach one of the busiest times of the sporting year, we can expect high emotions and plenty of tears - some of joy and some of crushing disappointment. Such is the nature of competitive sport.

Fixtures at this time of year are often winner-takes-all encounters, and I am delighted that an increasingly competitive Ridgeway High School is still going strong in a number of competitions at what is often called ‘the business end of the season’ for many sports.

In terms of standout performers in the last few weeks, credit should certainly go to the Year 9 basketballers who have worked immensely hard [see page 24]. They qualified unbeaten through their Wirral group and competed creditably in the Merseyside School Games finals, finishing as the fifth-ranked team in Merseyside. It’s a superb achievement, entirely down to the hard work students have put in through attending lunchtime basketball club and after-school training.

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Elsewhere, our innovative futsal development league [see pages 22 and 26] is a huge success and paying dividends for Ridgeway, as our teams remain competitive. Excitement builds as we wait to see how the finals pan out. Ridgeway’s growing reputation for rock ‘n’ roll football is well earned: we have an increasing number of teams playing in county competitions. As we go to print, I am delighted to report that both Year 7 and Year 8 boys’ football teams are through to the semi-finals of the Merseyside Cup. Ahead of the summer season, we also have a side that has qualified for the sports hall athletics finals in the Merseyside School Games for a second consecutive year. It’s yet more evidence that Ridgeway is fast becoming a centre for sporting excellence in the local area.

Meanwhile, we are also nurturing the next generation of Ridgeway talent, with the launch of our primary futsal league. For those younger students, this is just the beginning of their sporting journey with us.

I hope you enjoy reading about our sporting activities and achievements over these eight pages. To stay up to date with all the latest news and results, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @RHS_Sport.

ACHIEVEMENT Outstanding sixth-place finish for boys’ athletics Strong performances in the Merseyside School Games Sports Hall Athletics sees Ridgeway top of the Wirral schools.

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t was another strong set of results on a Merseyside stage, as the Year 7 and Year 8 boys’ squads qualified for the finals of the Merseyside School Games Sports Hall Athletics competition at Wavertree Tennis Centre.

Having qualified in second place, the Year 7s knew there was work to do to overtake their Wirral counterparts before even considering the challenge of the other Merseyside schools. The competition whittles down every school from across the six boroughs of Merseyside into three finalists representing each borough, a total of 18 teams battling it out in the Merseyside finals.

The field events were up first, now an undoubted Ridgeway strength as a result of events held during our Winter Games. This experience soon showed as Ellis Platt made a huge 7.44m in the standing triple jump, ahead of Alex Roberts’ 6.54m.

Elsewhere, Ridgeway dominated the speed bounce. Jack Bentley’s score of 71 was equalled by Dillon Upton-Climo.

Theo Llewellyn launched himself down the mat to an impressive 1.98m in the standing long jump, narrowly missing out on the 2m mark. Goalkeeper Hayden Millman notched up a decent 47cm in the vertical jump test, before pushing himself to a great finish with a 7m throw in the indoor shot-put.

Next up were the track events, and it was Year 7 who dominated. Harley Grace and Dennis Baker finished third and fourth in the two-lap sprint, and Ben Christiansen and Michael Lane came up third in their respective four-lap heats.

Impressed by these performances, Year 8, who were last year’s tenth-placed side, took to the track, and it was Theo Llewellyn who impressed the most, finishing first in his two-lap race, ahead of Ellis Platt in fourth.

individual race, before a fourman relay team of Ellis, James, Jack and Theo raced to an impressive third in the 4 x twolap relay – the final event of the meet.

There was a nervous wait before the results were read out in reverse order. It soon became clear that Ridgeway had exceeded last year’s tenthplace finish. The names kept on coming, until it was announced that both Ridgeway teams had finished in a school-highest sixth place.

YEAR 7 Michael Lane Jayden Evans Edward Bowen Dennis Baker Harley Grace Ben Christiansen Dean Davies

Year 8 Jack Bentley Ellis Platt Alex Roberts Theo Llewellyn Dillon Upton-Climo James Fee Luke Chadwick Hayden Millman

Head of PE Mr Metcalf was quick to praise the teams: “It is a huge achievement for both our teams to qualify, let alone to come sixth out of the whole of Merseyside, particularly if you consider that we are a smaller-than-average school in the area. This event ranks us once again as the top Wirral school, just days after setting the basketball court on fire to finish fifth in the basketball finals of the Merseyside School Games [see page 24]. The boys have made the school proud with their strong showing. We are now looking forward with relish to the summer athletics season.”

James Fee and Jack Bentley took fourth and fifth places respectively in the four-lap Ridgeway New Times Issue 9 March 2019 21

MOMENTUM Back to our impressive best in girls’ PE Miss Campbell is delighted with how well Ridgeway teams have performed across a range of sports both old and new.

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fter a hugely frustrating January, with our fixture schedule severely curtailed by the weather, I am delighted that we have been able to re-establish momentum this half-term in girls’ PE, including great performances by our teams in both established and new sports. Well done, girls.

Alicia Arnold. The girls also beat Oldershaw 8-0, with goals coming again from Erin-Jean Osborne-Slater and a fantastic performance from Yasmin Toomey.

The Year 8s are also unbeaten this half-term, including a 5-2 win over Weatherhead, with goals from Emily Bowen and Keira Hutchinson and outstanding performances from Kiki Galer and Leah Williams. The girls also played in a fantastic game against Oldershaw, winning 3-2.

The Year 7s have had a great half-term and are currently unbeaten. The highlight of their current run was an impressive 9-0 victory over Weatherhead, which included Erin-Jean Osborne-Slater on target for all the goals and some fantastic individual performances, especially from

The Year 10s have just played their first fixture against Weatherhead, having trained really hard. In the first game, they lost 3-1, with some fantastic netball on display from both teams. The second game saw Ridgeway win 1-0, with the only goal of the game coming from Callie MarshClarke. In another great match, there were outstanding performances from Gracie-Lee Formston, Callie MarshClarke and Georgia Morrison.

ÐÐThe Year 7 netball team.

ÐÐThe Year 10 netball team.

Netball

ÐÐThe Year 8 netball team.

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Ridgeway New Times Issue 9 March 2019

Basketball Basketball is an exciting new development for Ridgeway girls’ PE this year. Having never played together before, the girls had been training hard every Monday night before their first competitive fixture against Weatherhead.

It was a fantastic game, and the girls ended up winning 40-36. They all really enjoyed it, and there were fantastic

ÏÏMaja Dawidowicz

ÏÏThe basketball team.

ÏÏThe football team.

performances from Kiki Galer and Maja Dawidowicz. We will be arranging more games for after the spring break, and I know the girls will continue to train hard in the meantime.

are unbeaten so far, having played Weatherhead and Birkenhead Park. They beat Weatherhead 10-3 in a fine display, with goals coming from Amelia McDonnell, Kiki Galer and Stella Browne. The game also featured a fantastic performance in goal by Fleur Fuzzard, who repeatedly frustrated the opposition’s attempts to score. They also beat Birkenhead Park 6-0, with goals from Isabelle Edgar and Amelia McDonnell. Kiki Galer and Megan Naylor were also standout performers, working really hard for the team.

Futsal Ridgeway played host to the Year 7 girls’ futsal league. The teams involved were South Wirral, Upton, Woodchurch and West Kirby Grammar. Ridgeway won their first game against South Wirral, beating them 2-0 with goals from Isabelle Edgar, who had a fantastic tournament.

ÐÐKiki Galer

After playing all their games, the girls finished mid-table, a creditable performance. Well done to West Kirby, who won the league and received tickets to watch LFC Ladies.

As we go to print, the next futsal league will involve Year 8.

Football The Year 8s have made a fabulous start and

Athletics Finally, it’s a huge well done to the team of Year 8 girls who took part in the Wirral Sports Hall Athletics competition at Bebington.

ÐÐThe sports hall athletics team.

In particular, congratulations go to Mia Tait, who won the two-lap sprint, and to Patre Hatton, who won the speed bounce.

ÐÐRidgeway hosted a #FutsalThursdays event, welcoming teams from local schools to the Lions’ Den.

Ridgeway New Times Issue 9 March 2019 23

EXCELLENCE Raptors are roaring in and out of the Lions’ Den! There is plenty to fill Mr Metcalf with confidence, as he reviews the term’s basketball performances.

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asketball has been bouncing this term, with all years involved in competitive fixtures in most weeks.

This term has seen matches against St Anselm’s, Woodchurch, St Mary’s, Mosslands, Hilbre, Neston and Calday. Meanwhile, student motivation is at an all-time high: our lunchtime clubs are full to the raptors!

Raptors have won the majority of their fixtures and are rapidly becoming the team to beat. Training continues to take place every Tuesday after school, as well as at lunchtime on Mondays and Wednesdays for Key Stage 4 and Wednesdays for Key Stage 3.

ÏÏWell done to the Year 9 Raptors. After an impressive

performance in the Merseyside School Games, they are now the fifth-ranked team across Merseyside.

to train and play together over the next two years.

Year 9 Merseyside Record Breakers

Year 7

An astonishing run of group games saw Year 9 Raptors go unbeaten on the way to qualifying their way out of the Wirral League and into the Merseyside School Games finals. The fiercely contested finals saw twelve teams from across the six boroughs of Merseyside compete to be crowned Merseyside School Games Champions.

Year 7 started off the new year by entering the Junior NBA competition for the first time, having been assigned the name LA Clippers as our school franchise.

Having beaten all their Wirral opponents en route to the finals, including Calday and St Anselm’s, Ridgeway Raptors were confident of a strong performance. A mixed set of results saw both wins and defeats, resulting in the team finishing fifth in the competition and being named the fifthranked team in Merseyside for the season.

It is an astonishing feat for a talented group of boys including: Finlay Small; Samiul Islam; Ryan Hutchinson; Peter Taylor; Dylan Smith; Jordan Clark and Connor Carolan. There was also space for two Year 8s to make the squad, gaining valuable experience for next year’s competition: Alex Roberts and Theo Llewellyn.

I am also delighted to report that several coaches and judges reported how creditably the Ridgeway team conducted themselves both on and off the basketball court.

Well done to all of them for an excellent season. I am sure that they will go from strength to strength as they continue

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Ridgeway New Times Issue 9 March 2019

After a slow start against Calday (Phoenix Suns), a strong second-half performance led by Harley Grace on defence and Dennis Baker on offence got Ridgeway back into the game. Unfortunately, it was a case of ‘too little too late’.

In the second game, against group favourites Ellesmere Port Catholic College (LA Lakers), Ridgeway dominated the opening periods, with Harley Grace again a formidable presence under both baskets, racking up the rebounds.

Meanwhile, captain Jayden Evans controlled the pace of the game. With a couple of injuries late on, the Lakers fought back and with just seconds remaining scored the basket to give them a narrow two-point win, leaving work for Ridgeway to do in the following games.

The second round saw us up against the Lakers again and Woodchurch (Golden State Warriors). The Lakers once more showed their class and came away with the victory.

In the second game, some poor finishing led to a host of missed chances, which allowed Golden State to sneak a draw in the last quarter. Jayden Nicholson was named MVP (Most Valuable Player) with several impressive baskets.

In round 3, St Anselm’s (Sacremento Kings) were the hosts, as we came up against the Phoenix Suns again. In a repeat of round 1, a slow start saw the Suns take a lead that proved insurmountable for our boys, despite a much-improved performance as the game wore on. Lewis Downey scored the pick of the baskets.

In the second game against the Kings, it was back and forth, until Dean Davies turned on the style with a number of steals and four baskets in quick succession to put us in a strong position. With two minutes remaining and a twopoint lead, Kings cranked up the pressure, using the huge height advantage of one of their players to edge the game with just ten seconds remaining. The best performance of the year so far saw our newcomers unlucky to lose to a far more experienced St Anselm’s side.

In between the excitement of the Junior NBA, there has been a number of Wirral-based fixtures: success against Woodchurch and Mosslands, with winning margins of over 20 points in each game, showed that the boys are improving game by game, with Dennis Baker and Jayden Evans instrumental in the wins.

On the whole, it has been a promising start, with the players - Jayden Evans, Jayden Nicholson, Dennis Baker, Lewis Downey, Tyler Davies, Zach Davies, Zak Powell, Will Holland, Harley Grace, Riley Hutchings, Dean Davies

and Jayden Layfield - gelling well and showing signs of developing into a formidable team as we move forward.

Year 8 A mixed set of results has seen a good win against St John Plessington sandwiched between losses against Woodchurch, Calday and St Anselm’s. Captain Alfie Jones is MVP of the season so far, aided by good performances from Joseph Taylor and Hayden Millman. Nathan Rooney, Theo Llewelyn, Alex Roberts, Charlie Owen and Thomas Peers are also playing their part. An increase in attendance at training on Wednesday lunchtimes will undoubtedly benefit the team greatly as they look to push on to the next level.

An “excellent” first tournament for Key Stage 3 rugby The Year 7 rugby team is continuing to develop and performed well in the recent Wirral Shield tournament.

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ollowing on from a great rugby session at Parkonians last term, the Key Stage 3 rugby team entered the Wirral Shield tournament this term, achieving some excellent results.

Inspired by star of the show Stevie Bromilow, the side beat rivals Woodchurch 4-0 on their own turf, with an abundance of attacking flair evident throughout. The Ridgeway ‘side-step’ was in evidence as the side dismantled their rivals.

A tough game against South Wirral saw Ridgeway come out with a 2-1 victory. Strong tackling from Lewis Downey, Jayden Evans and Connor McIntosh-Whitfield was key to

maintaining victory, as was the pace of Harley Grace, the brute force of Leon Boylin and Joshua Griffin-Thompson, and the strength of Jayden Nicholsen and Hayden Millman.

However, there was disappointment against a strong St John Plessington side, who narrowly beat the team to progress ahead of Ridgeway.

Mr Metcalf reflected afterwards on the team’s performance: “All in all, this was an excellent first tournament for a developing side, with good performances from Ben Christiansen, Lewis McKeever and Ethan Baker, alongside a solid debut for Tom Peers. Rugby training takes place every Tuesday after school with Mr Hamil on the school field. Anyone can turn up, no matter how much or how little rugby experience you have had. It doesn’t even matter if you don’t want to actually join the team. All students are welcome to come along and train!”

Ridgeway New Times Issue 9 March 2019 25

COMPETITION Football is thriving as teams compete for silverware Our unified football triumph at Liverpool FC Academy capped a great term of football and futsal for Ridgeway teams.

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he football season continues to throw up an eventful fixture list as always, and as the various cup competitions reach their climax, Ridgeway continues to be well represented.

The search for an elusive county cup continues. Year 7 beat Bluecoat 5-2 in the Lions’ Den to set up a mouth-watering semi-final away to either Mosslands or De La Salle. The Year 7 team continues to look strong, with an upcoming quarter-final against Childwall to play in the smaller format of the Merseyside Cup. Hopes of a famous treble were dashed in mid-March, after a heartbreaking defeat on penalties to a strong St John Plessington side decided a busy and exciting 2-2 draw.

Attention now turns to both county cup competitions. Year 7 will do well to make the school’s second consecutive final in the nine-a-side format, after the historic run by last year’s Year 7 squad.

Elsewhere, Year 8 were knocked out of one competition in the dying moments of extra-time, despite leading for the majority of the match. Year 8’s game management was excellent throughout, but a number of set pieces on a windy

day saw two late goals rain on the Ridgeway parade and knock them out in the worst of ways. In the other county cup competition, Ridgeway were drawn at home to St Hilda’s in the quarter-finals.

In the Wirral Cup, Year 9 made it through a difficult away tie against the newly-formed TEPEC with a 5-3 victory. This sets up a quarter-final tie against neighbours Woodchurch. Standout performances from Samiul Islam, Ryan Magil, Dylan Smith and Carter Nixon led the way to victory, after a screamer from Islam became a contender for goal of the season.

FUTSAL

#FutsalThursdays launched this term with Ridgeway High School behind a new Wirral futsal development initiative for Years 7 and 8. Futsal leagues run on Thursday nights, with a primary section ÐÐThe Year 8 football team, ahead of their quarter-final clash against St Hilda’s. As we helping to nurture the next went to print, news came through that Ridgeway won through to the semi-finals. generation of talent.

Year 7 have been in immaculate form, winning all of their games so far on both fixture nights. They are an exciting, creative squad, clearly firing on all cylinders at the moment.

In the Year 8 league, after dropping a few early points the Ridgeway team have regained their confidence with an impressive 4-2 26

Ridgeway New Times Issue 9 March 2019

victory over leaders Hilbre. They are on course to qualify for the finals in third place. Having used twelve players so far, Ridgeway has shown that the absence of key players is not necessarily a bar to success. It is an indication of the value and quality of the development squad that we have plenty of players ready to step up when required.

The development squads in Year 7 and Year 8 have continued to go from strength to strength. They achieved a number of impressive results in a recent tournament away to Oldershaw’s ‘A’ team. Managers Mr Metcalf and Mr Clarke are keen to put their players to the test against other schools’ first-choice players.

As we go to print, the final Year 7 league night takes place before teams are seeded for the finals. The Year 8 event takes place after the spring break. To stay up to date with how they both got on, follow us on Twitter @RHS_Sport.

A few days later, both teams travelled to Kirkby, the home of Liverpool Academy, to take on three North Liverpool Academy sides and a Woodchurch side in a six-team tournament. Both Ridgeway sides qualified for the semifinals, with Billy’s side, named ‘Ridgeway Trent’, going

UNIFIED FOOTBALL PROJECT As part of our commitment to inclusive sport, the unified football project launched this term in partnership with Liverpool FC Foundation. The project has run with Year 9 sports studies students this year. The aim is to include students who wouldn’t usually represent school sports teams, partnering them with school team regulars.

After a number of impressive sessions with coach Matt, two teams were selected to enter the Wirral unified football tournament hosted by Woodchurch. A great day saw Ridgeway teams crowned champions and runners-up.

Both sides went on to represent Wirral in the Merseyside format at Liverpool FC Academy three days later. Captains Billy Firth and Shakil Ahmed were elated with their teams’ success and praised the positive mentality of the players.

unbeaten, except for the Ridgeway derby in which Shakil’s team ‘Ridgeway Robertson’ was victorious. The winning goal came from an astonishing long downfield punt from goalkeeper Shakil himself, which somehow found its way into the top corner. A memorable moment on a memorable day.

Ridgeway New Times Issue 9 March 2019 27

Ridgeway New Times Ridgeway High School Noctorum Avenue Prenton CH43 9EB

0151 678 3322 www.ridgewayhighschool.co.uk schooloffice@ridgeway.wirral.sch.uk @RHS_Wirral