Success Spring 2018

Success

Spring 2018 Edition

Dance Display 2018 21st Century Tiger Fundraiser

Lancashire Book of the Year Shortlist

Proud to Belong

In Pursuit of Excellence

Contents 3. Head’s Welcome 4. Dance Display 2018 7. New York Trip 8. Lancashire Book of the Year Shortlist 10. Staff Dance 13. Year 7 Obstacale Relay Champions 15. Mental Health Enrichment Day

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Welcome

Head’s Message

Following the death of Stephen Hawking last week there were a number of social media sites and news reports highlighting the enormous impact he had had on Science and some of the thoughts he had expressed throughout his scientific career.

One of the quotes that caught my eye was ‘However difficult life may seem there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up‘.

Coming from a man who overcame such physical adversity through his disability he clearly had both aspiration and resilience which are two key elements of our own mission statement. We want our young people to have a ‘can do’ attitude – there should be no such phrase in school as ‘can’t’ – just ‘can’t yet’.

A second quote I noticed was ‘Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious’. As young children we constantly ask questions as we try to understand and learn about our surroundings and big questions. My niece, at 4 years old, once asked me whether God could do more magic than Harry Potter! Perhaps, as we become more conscious of what we are doing, the questions dry up. Education should be encouraging that spirit of wonder and curiosity and is something we certainly want to foster in school – in the classroom and though extra-curricular activities. We want our young people ‘to look at the stars’ and to offer them opportunities to think and reflect on big questions both in and out the classroom.

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This has been a short but very busy term that has seen important mock exams, parents’ evenings, a trip to New York, a stunning dance show, World Book Day and sporting achievements for individuals and teams. In the final week of term, many Year 7 students are going to Borwick Hall and we will end on Friday with a trip to Stratford to see the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Macbeth with Christopher Eccleston in the leading role.

As always you will be able to read about some of these in this edition of the school magazine.

Finally I would like to refer to a third quote from Stephen Hawking who said ‘it would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love’. As we finish for the Easter break and the Christian community celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus, I hope all our students and families have an enjoyable and restful time – with those in Year 11 and 13 making good use of time for revision!

With Best Wishes

Mr Andrew Waller Headteacher

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Dance Display 2018

Months of dedication and practice paid off for Carr Hill Dance students as they performed to a full house at the annual dance display.

180 students from across all year groups took part in the dance spectacular which included performances from a variety of genres and disciplines.

Training for the event started in September and students have been practicing their pieces during lesson time, at lunchtime clubs and at the twice weekly Dance Academy. We were also joined by a dance troop made up of Year 5 and 6 students from Kirkham and Wesham Primary school who were accompanied by Headteacher Mrs Jones who said, “It was a great experience for our children to work with students from Carr Hill who choreographed the dance and taught it to them. Performing at the event was an invaluable experience and we’re very grateful to Miss O’Connor and Carr Hill for giving us the opportunity to collaborate with them”.

“Dan chan ce has ged m life.” y

Head

Girl,

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From contemporary, disco, to a chorus line and more traditional ballet, there were pieces to suit all tastes as well as the much anticipated staff dance which provided some comedic value.

Head Girl, and Deputy Director of the Dance Academy, Year 13 student Eliza ended the show with a heartfelt speech about the positive impact dance has had on her throughout her time at Carr Hill. She said, “Because I am in Year 13 this was my last dance display at the school. I started dancing when I was in Year 8 and never in a million years would I have imagined how much the subject has changed my life. Without dance I would never have had the confidence to perform, I wouldn’t be Head Girl, I wouldn’t have been a lead role in two school musicals, and I wouldn’t have auditions at some of the best Musical Theatre School’s in the UK. Through all the dance lessons, clubs and academy at Carr Hill I have found my passion and look forward to a career on the stage.”

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This is the sixth annual dance display Dance Academy Director and Teacher Miss O’Connor has produced and once again the students emanated her passion for the subject through the technically challenging and well executed dances. She said, “The Dance Display is our opportunity to showcase not only the students’ performance abilities but also their creative skills as much of the display was choreographed by them. Their energy, enthusiasm and passion was evident throughout the training period and performances and I couldn’t be prouder of them and their achievements”.

“ could I n ’t be prou de achi r of thei evem r ents ” M iss O

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A roaring Success Enterprising Year 7 students have raised a magnificent £1013 for charity through selling postcards of tigers they have drawn.

The students were asked to draw a picture of a tiger which was then printed onto postcards to be sold to friends and family for a minimum of 50p each. All the proceeds went to 21st Century Tiger, an initiative which raises funds for over 70 tiger conservation projects across seven countries.

Sadly wild tigers are now threatened with extinction as Asia’s wild tiger population has shrunk by 93% over the last 100 years to an estimated 3,200. The projects 21st Tiger support focus on threats the tigers face on a daily basis such as habitat destruction, poaching and a reduction in the number of prey due to hunting.

The two students who raised the most money, along with the two students who produced the best drawings were rewarded with a trip to Blackpool Zoo to spend time with a specialist Tiger Zoo Keeper and photograph the tigers. Alexander in JU7 and Reuben in PO2 raised £70.50 and £55 respectively whilst Ruby in ME7 and Samit in MI2 received the accolade of best drawings. Alexander said, “I’m really happy that I managed to raise so much money for the charity. It makes me sad that wild tigers are suffering in the way that they are in their natural environments and I hope the money raised can help some of them.”

During the trip the four students had the opportunity to practice their photography skills up close with a Madagascan Tenrec (a relative of the hedgehog) and a characterful rabbit named Houdini. Afterwards they spent some time preparing two ‘enrichments’ for the tigers. These are parcels that contain a variety of scents which replicate some of the aromas the tigers would experience in the wild. Reuben said, “It was really good fun helping to make the enrichment boxes using various herbs and plants. The tigers knocked all the contents out of them with their paws when we gave them to them and they seemed to really enjoy it”.

The sun was shining as the time came to photograph the tigers, and they were out basking in the rays, waiting for their photo shoot. Art teacher Mrs Wild said, “It was a fascinating experience for the students and the experience of working with the Zoo Keepers is one I’m sure they’ll remember for a long time. They took some beautiful photos of the tigers and the staff at the zoo were not only amazed at the amount of money raised, but also at the quality of the work”.

Headteacher Mr Waller said, “I am very impressed with how much our talented Year 7 students have raised for such a worthy cause. The standard of their work was extremely high and I’m pleased that Ruben, Alexander, Ruby and Samit all got to enjoy such an interesting and educational trip to the zoo.”

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Students Back in the New York Groove on annual Trip Students and staff enjoyed a jam packed trip to New York over half term.

43 students had the opportunity to go on this school-trip of a lifetime to experience the hustle and bustle of one of the world’s most famous cities.

The trip was designed to give students a taste of the city visiting the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, Central Park, Central Park Zoo and of course the 9/11 Memorial site. They enjoyed the iconic New York Skyline from the Brooklyn Bridge, and although they didn’t get a good few from the top of the Empire State building due to the snow, the fact they had had the opportunity to go to the top was excitement enough.

Amongst all the cultural and educational visits students also had time to indulge in some great restaurants and of course a bit of retail therapy. One of the highlights for many students was Mr Johnstone doing a dance in Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Restaurant as the students had announced to staff that he was celebrating his birthday (sadly we don’t appear to have video evidence of this)!

Pupil Premium Mentor Mrs Somers said, “The trip went really well. The students were exceptionally well behaved and a credit to our school. We really hope this experience will stay with them for a lifetime and they’ll look back on it with fond memories in years to come”.

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What does your role involve?

My role mainly involves having strategic overview and leadership for a number of different support services across the school. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) the purpose of the role is to contribute to the development of the school in its aim of providing an excellent educational experience for all. It’s a hugely varied role and having good communication and organisational skills are essential.

What are your responsibilities?

I provide leadership for Finance, HR, IT, Premises, Health & Safety, Administration and Marketing. I am lucky to be working with a great team of people who work hard in supporting the school to run smoothly. There are a number of Support Staff who work in schools both inside and out of the classroom environment. People are often surprised at the range of positions that are now common across many schools. The level of competencies and skills that Support Staff contribute to the learning environment are vital in the educational landscape.

What is your background?

I started my career in banking in 1998 and spent 14 years in the sector in which time I achieved my Banking Certificate qualification. I became interested in the education sector as I was responsible for supporting a number of schools with their banking needs. I regularly visited local schools as part of my role and was inspired by the people and students I met and began to consider a change in career.

In 2005 I was appointed as the Assistant Business Manager at Lytham St Annes Technology and Performing Arts College. I loved the role and gained a tremendous amount of knowledge. Although it is a challenging job, I feel like I am contributing to the lives of our future generations. After being awarded my Certificate in School Business Management and the CIPD Certificate in Human Resource Management, I took the next step on my career ladder and was appointed as the School Business Manager here at Carr Hill.

What do you enjoy most about the job?

For me, it’s working alongside such a broad range of people and the fact that whilst we all have many different roles in school everyone is so committed and people work incredibly hard to improve the life chances of young people. It is quite inspiring to see the achievements of the students. Attending the leavers assemblies is always quite humbling and a tad emotional for me.

What kind of person do you think would suit this type of role and what attributes would they need?

Having outstanding interpersonal skills is the biggest factor in being a successful SBM. Working in a school is a demanding role and the SBM position is about getting the absolute best from the people whom you work alongside. There is a significant amount of support and professional development advice that is available from the Institute of Business Leadership, the professional organisation that supports the various SBM type roles.

What does an average day look like for you?

My day starts off with a 15 minutes catch up meeting with the rest of the SLT this helps everyone to be aware of plans for the day. I meet regularly with my team where we go through operational plans and catch up on progress with improvements we are working on. This time is important to me as it gives me opportunity to check in with people and make sure everything is going ok for them and their own teams.

I have a good number of meetings each week that may cover things like the facilities contracts, for example our catering and cleaning contractors. Sometime will be spent daily on working in preparing information for colleagues and Governors.

For example the Budget Monitoring report and the Site & Facilities reports.

A normal day also involves having the ability to react to issues as they arise so the ability to be a calming influence on those around you is helpful.

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Quickfire Round

MRS CHILDS

IN FOCUS:

Within any organisation, a lot goes on behind the scenes to ensure it runs smoothly and efficiently. In this feature we meet the staff who work hard to make sure our students enjoy the best we are able to offer them. In this issue School Business Manager Mrs Childs tells us more about her varied and interesting role.

1. Italian or Indian?

Indian 2. Dancing on Ice or Saturday Night Takeaway?

Saturday Night Takeaway 3. Cake or Biscuits?

Cake 4. Dogs or Cats?

Dogs 5. Trafford Centre or Manchester City Centre Trafford Centre

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Shortlist Unveiled for LBOY Two Year 9 students joined other young people from across the region for the unveiling of the shortlist for the Lancashire Book of the Year Awards.

Jessica and Bethany, both in Year 9, had the opportunity to go to County Hall with Mr Dellow for the unveiling of the books they will be reading as part of the awards.

Last year’s winner Natalie Flynn who penned ‘The Deepest Cut’ was at the event alongside Jillian Connolly who coordinates the awards. Jessica and Bethany’s love for reading inspired them both to get involved with the judging of the award and alongside several of their peers they will now embark upon the task of reading as many of the eleven shortlisted titles by June when the winner will be announced.

Bethany said, I’ve already read ‘Margot and Me’ and found it really interesting. It’s about a girl who moves to Wales to live with her grandma and it was a real page turner. I’m looking forward to reading some of the others now”.

Jessica said, “I thought it would be a great thing to get involved with because I really enjoy reading and it’s something a bit different”.

The judges now have until June to read as many of the novels as they can before voting for their favourites. Their results will be collated with results from other Lancashire schools before the winner is announced.

Year 7 Relay Champs Carr Hill Orchestra perform at Z-Arts Centre The students received the accolade of County Champions for the Obstacle Relay Race during the County Finals of the Sportshall Athletics competition.

Carr Hill Orchestra students from across years 7 to 10 travelled to Manchester this week to take part in a range of workshops and performances at the Z-Arts Centre.

The girls secured their place in the finals as a result of winning the Wyre & Fylde Sportshall Athletics competition in February. They competed in a number of events at Blackpool Sports Centre along with students from eleven other local schools and were ranked sixth in Lancashire scoring 385 points. St Michaels were the overall winners scoring an impressive 462 points.

Izzy in PO6, Olivia in AP1, Olivia in MI1 and Abbie in MI5 won the gold medal for the Obstacle Relay Race completing it in a time of 80.9 seconds. Lois in PO1 won the bronze medal in the 6-Lap Race with a time of 89.1 seconds.

Mr Doughty said, “The girls have worked really hard and all the training and commitment has paid off. I’m really proud of their achievements”.

The event was organised by ‘Orchestras for All’ and was attended by several other schools from across the region. The students have been working hard since September to perfect three ‘Music for Dance’ pieces which included a medieval Italian dance, a classical minuet and a contemporary waltz.

In addition to performing the students had the opportunity to partake in a variety of workshops lead by professional musicians and the day culminated with them collaborating with the other schools to perform as one single large orchestra.

Music Teacher, Mr Brown said, “I am extremely proud of the way our students acted as professional musicians, learning and improving their playing, and performing as part a large orchestra. They should be very proud of themselves and I am looking forward to taking them to London in June to perform as part of an even bigger orchestra!”

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There are many students at Carr Hill who go above and beyond both at school and at home.

In this feature we meet Year 9 student Lucy who balances her schooling with a busy athletics schedule.

How did you get into athletics?

It is something that I have always enjoyed, but I’ve been running more seriously for about the last five years, taking part in various events and being selected to run for Blackpool Athletics Club.

How much trainig do you do?

I train with the club twice a week and then run on Saturdays and Sundays too. It does take up a fair amount of my time so I have to be organised when it comes to my school work, and on the days I’m training I tend to get home, do my homework and then go out and train.

You recently took part in the English Schools XC Championships, can you tell us about your experience?

I was really happy when I qualified to compete in the championships which sees Year 8 and 9 students from schools all over the country come togther in Leeds to race. To represent Lancashire was the most amazing experience of my life so far and I felt very proud representing my county. It was a difficult course which was very muddy, uneven and it was a freezing cold day, but I couldn’t have worked harder than I did. I’m really pleased to say that I came 182nd out of 342 runners, and 6th out of the Lancashire Team.

I completed the 3.1 kilometre course in 13.02 which I’m very pleased with.

INSPIRE:

LUCY TICKLE

Lucy has been a keen runner for several years and has been a part of Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde Athletics Club since she was 9. Here she tells us a little about her love of running and how she balances a busy training schedule with her school work.

Aside from the running what else do you enjoy about being part of an athletics team?

As well as the running I really enjoy the social side of being part of the club.

I’ve made some great friends as a result of it and it’s always fun meeting Lucy in action at the English Schools XC Championships new friends when we’re away competing. We’re all in similar situations in terms of wanting to be the best we can be as well as balancing school, so it’s good to be around people who understand that and we all support each other. Taking part in competitions is a really good experience and one I really enjoy.

Who’s your inspiration?

I’d have to say Jessica Ennis because she has worked so hard and never gives up no matter what obstacles she faces.

What are your dreams and ambitions?

I plan on continuing running and competing and just see where it takes me, but ultimately I’d like to coach and help to train others, making a difference in their lives as my coaches have in mine.

PE Teacher & Minerva College Leader Mrs Beesley said,

“Lucy is an impeccable student who shows dedication and perseverance both on and off the running track. As a school we are very proud of her achievements and the way she conducts herself around school. She is a great ambassador for Carr Hill and an exceptional role model for her peers”.

Lucy (4th from left) with some of her running team.

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‘Starbooks’Open for business for WBD 2018 A week of events to mark World Book Day culminated on Friday with our very own pop up style café.

Students were invited to ‘Starbooks’ café to enjoy a warm drink and snacks whilst getting stuck into a good book. The pop up was a roaring success with students queuing down the corridor outside Room 19 for a hot chocolate and cupcake.

Faculty Leader for English Mrs McDonough said, “This was a wonderful way to round off a week of fabulous events to mark World Book Day. We were able to run all sorts of activities throughout the week with the intention of inspiring students to develop a love for reading. Personally I have really enjoyed the activities, especially being huddled up under a blanket and wearing my unicorn slippers whilst listening to students’ book reviews and recommendations!”

In addition to ‘Starbooks’ and the World Book Day Reviews and Recommendations, students also had the opportunity to turn their favourite story into a film by choosing actors, designing sets and creating storyboards. There was also a writing workshop and book quiz.

World Book Day started 21 years ago and was set up to celebrate authors, illustrators, books and, most imprtantly, reading. It is the biggest event of its kind and is marked by over 100 countries all over the world.

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Carr Hill Staff Summer Holiday

A group of brave Carr Hill staff entertained students and parents as they boogied their way around the world on a Summer Holiday inspired dance routine.

The dance troop which was made up of fifteen willing teachers and support staff practiced for weeks before taking to the stage to perform their colourful, lively and technically imperfect (putting it politely) routine on Friday lunchtime and again on Friday evening as part of the annual Dance Display.

The students roared and cheered as some of their favourite staff members busted their moves to songs such as ‘Flying the Flag’

by Scooch and ‘Waka Waka’ by Shakira. Starting off on Carr Hill Airlines the team quickly descended into Dublin for a bit of Irish dancing, then on to Africa, India, New Zealand and finally the UK. The crowd went wild as the routine culminated with staff demonstrating their floss dance skills to Big Shaq’s ‘Mans Not Hot’. Katie in CE4 said, “It was brilliant. It really made us laugh and I loved the music especially ‘Mans Not Hot. Mr Phipps’s solo was hilarious”.

Taryn in PO3 said, “I was really impressed with the dancing. I knew it would be good because Mrs Boughen, my mentor, seemed to be taking it really seriously and putting a lot of effort into it. I thought it was really good and a nice way to raise money for charity”.

cut out with us but I think we did pretty well in the end”

Dance Teacher Miss O’Connor said, “As always I’m so grateful to our staff who are willing to get involved and not take themScience Teacher Miss Webster said, “It was a lot of fun: It’s good selves too seriously. It’s a bit of fun and everyone seemed to to get involved in things that push you outside of your comfort enjoy it”. zone and this certainly did that! Miss O’Connor had her work

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European Food Festival Students from the Year 12 Asdan class hosted a European Food Festival as part of their Certificate of Personal Effectiveness qualification.

Staff and students alike were invited to sample dishes from a range of European countries including Latvia, Italy and Sweden. There was a plethora of nibbles to tantalise the taste buds including borsch, Latvian dumplings, Swedish meatballs, olives, feta cheese, tzatziki and even shortbread and Irn-bru representing Scotland.

Asdan is an education charity and awarding organisation, which provides flexible and engaging programmes and qualifications that help students develop and hone skills for learning, work and life. This particular certificate offers imaginative ways of accrediting students’ activities. The European Food Festival was the students’ ‘nod to Brexit’ and provided evidence of their ability to plan, organise, host and review an event which also gave them the opportunity to work together as a functional team.

Personal Development Lead Mr Beale said, “The event was a resounding success and enjoyed by all. I am proud of the way students pulled together to organise the event and they certainly did an excellent job”.

Sixth Form take Shakespeare to Wetherspoons Punters got more than they bargained for as they enjoyed their morning Wetherspoons’ fry-up when a group of BTEC Performing Arts performed Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer night’s Dream’ in the Blackpool pub.

The performance contributed to the students’ Site-Specific module and had been adapted to ‘A Midsummer Pub Scenes’ by Miss Sheffield. The new take on this well-known classic aimed to modernise the context of the play yet remain faithful to the text.

Student Niall said, “It was quite an experience performing to a pub of unsuspecting customers and one I really enjoyed. It was interesting seeing the audiences’ reaction”.

Miss Sheffield said, “It was great to be able to perform somewhere other than a theatre. We aimed to show how Shakespeare is still relevant and accessible through changing the context of the piece to a 21st century pub. Locals were thrilled to see the students enjoying themselves and commented on their hard-work and talent. They were a credit to the school”.

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Students say ‘I Do’ to Classroom Wedding As part of their study around ‘Relationships and Family’ the Year 9 students explored the content and symbolism of a Christian wedding and why marriage is important to both religious and non-religious people.

To experience some of the tradition and symbolism for themselves students staged weddings during their classes with each of them taking on various roles including, bride, groom, vicar, best man, bridesmaids and congregation. The bride and groom wrote their own vows and the vicar delivered a short sermon about the significance of marriage to Christians, The guests were led through the service by the vicar and this helped them to understand the meaning behind features such as rings, vows and blessings. RS Teacher Mr Churm said, “Students thoroughly enjoyed the lessons and found that partaking in a dramatized wedding really helped them understand the importance of weddings and marriage for religious believers. It was good for the students to see for themselves how a Christians wedding fits together and to learn about why it all matters for Christians. We had some fantastic vicars, brides and grooms who played their parts really well.

Primary School Aim High at Archery Competition 36 students from local primary schools gathered in the gym for an archery competition.

The competition, which was organised by Mr Doughty as part of Carr Hill’s Sports Partnership Programme, was attended by 9 local primary schools and was delivered by coaches from local company Premier Sport who offer a range of sports and activities for young people across the Fylde Coast.

Our Sports Leaders enjoyed some training with Premier Sport last week to ensure they had the required subject knowledge to be able to assist the Premier Sports coaches throughout the afternoon competition. Sports Leader Adam said, “One of the reasons I enjoy being a Sports Leader is that we get opportunities like this to learn new skills and then pass them on to younger students when they visit us as part of the Sports Partnership Programme. The training session and the competition itself were both lots of fun”.

The schools each put forwarded an A team and a B team. Newton took the victory for Overall Highest scoring team and Highest Scoring A Team, whilst Wesham won the Highest Scoring B Team Category. Blake from Newton was the Highest Scoring Boy, whilst Harriet from Weeton-StMichaels was crowned Highest Scoring Girl.

Sports Partnership Coordinator and PE Teacher Mr Doughty said, “It is great to be able to offer local primary schools opportunities to partake in sports and activities they might not otherwise have a chance to experience, and as always our own Sports Leaders did me and Carr Hill proud, approaching the task at hand with professionalism and maturity”.

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The students spent a day exploring various topics all of which have been proven to impact our mental health.

The enrichment day was part of their Personal Social and Health Education and covered topics such as depression, anxiety, anger management, drug and alcohol use and happiness.

Personal Development Leader Mr Beale said, “The mental health enrichment day is designed to offer students the opportunity to consider how the choices they make can impact on their mental, as well as physical health.

It provides them with a broader knowledge of the world around them and more understanding about some of the issues many people face on a daily basis”.

Students Yolanda and Nyimbwa enjoyed partaking in the day, particularly in the sessions around depression and anxiety. Nyimbwa said, “It was really interesting finding out about the symptoms of anxiety of depression, some of them I wouldn’t have expected”. Yolanda added, “I think that knowing the information will help me recognise the symptoms if I ever started to feel down and help me to talk to someone about it”.

If you’re struggling with any issues which are affecting your mental health you can talk to a number of people in school including you college leader, care leader or mentor, or have a look at the Mind website for more information.

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MENTAL HEALTH ENRICHMENT DAY

Year 9 students have been learning how good choices can positively impact our mental health.

In Pursuit of Excellence

Students Excel in Sportshall Athletics Students from Year 8 have battled it out against 8 other schools to come 3rd in an interschool Sportshall Athletic Competition.

The event which was run by the Wyre & Fylde School Games Organiser, Lee Cadwallader, took place at Blackpool Sports Centre and saw students from various schools across the region competing for the title of Sportshall Athletics Champions.

Both the Girls’ and Boys’ teams did exceptionally well, both placing 3rd out of nine. PE Teacher Mr Doughty said, “Both teams gave their all, physically and mentally. As their teacher I can’t ask for more than that. It was a great achievement coming third and I’m very proud of them all”.

Maths Feast Competition Two teams of year 10 students attended the year 10 Maths Feast competition hosted by Blackpool 6th Form and run in partnership with the Further Mathematics Support Programme (FMSP). The students were split into a girls’ team and boys’ team and took part in several different rounds throughout the day.

The first round consisted of the students having to complete a series of mathematically based puzzles. The boys won this round with a perfect score. In the second round students had six problems to attempt. These questions were very challenging and students were only able to submit four of their best solutions. Again, the boys were victorious.

The third round required students to be a bit more practical and they had to produce unique mats that were coloured using only red, blue, yellow and green. They then had to build a cube with these mats and make sure that the colours matched on each edge. After this section, they had to answer a few more puzzles based on patterns and rotations. The girls had the edge and won this round.

For the final part of the competition, students took part in a blockbuster themed round where they were required to put their maths skills to the test.

They needed to use their answers from a previous question to be able to answer the following question and the questions got progressively harder.

Once again the girls won.

The day culminated with prizes being awarded and on this occasion first place went to the boys’ team who narrowly beat the girls. Congratulations to them all!

Maths Teacher Miss Potts said, “This competition is an excellent way for students to put their mathematical ability to the test. All students worked extremely well as teams and they performed phenomenally – hardly dropping any marks. It was really good to see the students enjoy themselves outside a typical mathematics classroom”.

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