Fortiter Et Fideliter Christmas Newsletter
Issue No. 65 | December 2021
CONTENTS Message from the Headteacher
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Sporting Highlights
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School Updates
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English Competition Success!
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Charity Support and Fundraising
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Visits and Trips This Term
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Extra Curricular Activities
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Mock Exams Update
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Student Achievements This Term
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Noticeboard
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“For unto us a child is born.” Isaiah 9:6
HEADTEACHERS MESSAGE Dear Parent/Guardian, At this time of year, more than ever, our thoughts turn to our friends and families. Our school continues to think about members of our school family who are no longer with us and it is particularly poignant, as we remember with fondness, Lauren Menzies, who passed away in the run up to Christmas two years ago. We have finally been able to plant a tree in her memory, with a memorial stone that dedicates the area to her. We are due to hold a memorial service on Wednesday with her family, members of her tutor group and some of her school friends invited to attend. I hope that you can join us in a moment of prayer, to offer silent words of support and comfort to all families who have lost loved ones, especially for those who are struggling to cope with their loss. This year has been unusually eventful, especially discovering we would not be returning to school in January. Thankfully, the school community adapted swiftly and effectively to online learning and whilst returning to school initially provided further challenges, everyone adapted admirably and we managed to get to the summer term relatively unscathed. Our previous year 11 students coped commendably with a heightened level of assessment that enabled us to produce Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGS). This proved to be very demanding for staff, who took on the additional responsibilities that were previously owned by examining bodies. At this time, students also required our continual support to enable them to ‘reintegrate’ back into school life; I am sure that you will agree that our school staff went above and beyond anything expected of them at this time…and continue to do so. The new academic year started off very well, with school starting to return to a more traditional existence. We have been supporting a large cohort of our students with ‘catching up’ and that will be a continuing focus in the coming months. However, just when we thought things were going smoothly we had ‘the call’ – the promise of an imminent Ofsted inspection. As you can imagine, the news that we were about to be inspected led to a certain amount of trepidation, especially with it coming so soon after a return to ‘normal’. However, having read about the inspectorates’ rationale regarding schools, who had not been inspected for a long time, we were not surprised. The inspection took place over two days and was a full section 5 inspection meaning that it was undertaken by an HMI and three further inspectors. Inspections have always been challenging but under the new framework even more so, with the bar being raised considerably and any comparison with previous inspection frameworks being meaningless. The report has been written and checked and we are presently awaiting its publication; that means that although we cannot yet tell you what the outcome is, under the new framework we are content that we have received a fair judgement. Whilst we have areas to work on, the overall message is that the school is working very well to meet the needs of its community and that our outcomes for students are high. The inspectors repeatedly commented on the exceptional behaviour of our students and how expert the teaching staff were. As soon as we are allowed to share the report, we will do so. The one thing I have learned in my time here as headteacher is that institutions carry on regardless of the trials and tribulations that befall us as individuals. This is the case for our school and with the inspection slipping over the horizon, we are already faced with the next set of challenges. As a strong Christian community, we will face such challenges with faith and commitment to ensure we continue to provide the best level of education possible for our students. As ever, I am extremely grateful for the outstanding support that you continue to give us and would like to send you and your family my very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
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SPORTING HIGHLIGHTS Year 7 Football Success
The Year 7 Football Team have seen massive success in their first term playing together, making it through to the semi-finals of the Lancashire Schools Football Association U12 County Cup Competition and are currently unbeaten in all games played. Mr Ascroft, Year 7 team manager commented: “The team are an absolute credit to the school, they look out for each other and are developing into a fantastic football team who I look forward to training with every week!”. The next round of the Lancashire Cup is against St Augustine’s, Clitheroe, in January and we wish them the best of luck!
Cross Country In September and October of this term we saw the return of the Chorley Cross Country competition at Holy Cross and Albany Academy. In typical cross country style over 30 of our pupils took to a wet, muddy and cold course and did fantastically well representing school. The pupils below have been selected to represent Chorley in the Lancashire Cross Country Championships on Saturday 5th February 2022 as a result of their qualifying positions in the district round. We wish them the very best of luck! Henry Ball Y7 Josh Keogh Y9 Jimmy McLennan Y7 Adam Link Y9 Isobel Goodman Y7 Isobel Dyson Y9 Yasmin Elliot Y7 Katie Poole Y9 Maisy Geary Y7 Isaac Dickinson Y10 Lucia Zolden Y7 Michael Anglin Y11 Myles Fraser Y9 Safia Brophy Y10
Front row L-R: Harry Baybut, Jimmy Mclennan, Rafael Leach, Aaron Townley, Charlie Wright, Caleb Forshaw Back row L-R: Mr Ascroft, Keiran Boag, Henry Ball, Olli Wright, Charlie Caunce, Tom Hadfield, Daniel Ireland
Glow Dodgeball with Chorley School Sports Partnership
Throughout the Autumn term the PE department has been working with Chorley School Sports Partnership to deliver inclusive, non-competitive based extracurricular opportunities to our students. Activities have included; glow in the dark dodgeball, parkour fitness and basketball. These activities have been attended by over 40 Year 7 and 8’s each week, and have developed pupils’ confidence, resilience, teamwork and communication skills. Some pupils who have attended were invited to take part in a Glow in the Dark Dodgeball festival in November, with secondaries across Chorley.
Adam Link and Josh Keogh (Year 9)
Michael Anglim (Year 11)
Henry Ball (Year 7)
Safia Brophy (Year 10)
L-R: Jenson Howarth, Leon Morris and Sonnie Smith (Year 8)
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Year 11 Chorley Cup Winners!
A great finale for Year 11 in the Chorley District football tournament, with us winning the trophy for the third time. It was a great team performance in a close encounter against a strong Parklands side. Bishops created a plethora of first half opportunities before finally taking the lead from a wonderful curling strike from Jamie Joyce. Ben Houghton scored a second well taken goal before Thomas Grayson slotted a third before half time. In the second half, Bishops continued to create chances before Hayden Strike cleverly chipped the Parklands keeper for a fourth goal. Parklands managed a late consolation but Bishops held on for a commanding 4-1 win.
ENGLISH COMPETITION SUCCESS! This half term has been a successful one for two teams of year 10 students. Firstly, we would like to congratulate Lucy Hodgkinson, Maddy Newman, Laura Tingle and Emily Smith for their excellent winning performance in the Runshaw College ‘English Challenge’ where they competed against other local schools on all aspects of English. Secondly, we would also like to recognise the achievements of Sophia Byrne, Emily Lyon and Jess Robinson for winning the first round of the prestigious English Speaking Union public speaking challenge. We wish them every success as they look forward to competing in the next round in the new year!
Back row (L-R) Ethan Lowe, Reiss Carrington, Harrison Howarth, Matthew Bromley, Hayden Strike (Capt), Daniel Ashcroft, Ben Houghton, Jack McLaughlin Front row (L-R) Alex Hodgson, Rory Parker, Jamie Joyce, Max Barker, Joe Rigby
SCHOOL UPDATES
At the end of this term we say a fond farewell to Mrs Beesley, who started teaching with us in the early 2000s in the Science department. She has been a wonderful servant to the school, an outstanding teacher and very popular with our students. We wish her well for the future. As usual the upkeep of the school has been an on-going process and over the last term we have seen the re-roofing of the hall and gym. This has been a huge job and whilst we kept disruption to a minimum, it was good to get the job done and be back to normal at the start of November. The new roof looks great! In order to increase capacity in the dining room we are replacing the existing tables with long tables and benching. Not only does this provide us with significantly more seating, which is very welcome as the weather turns colder, it looks very smart too.
Our Winning English team from L-R: Lucy Hodgkinson, Maddy Newman, Laura Tingle, Emily Smith
JJ EFFECT
This term Bishop Rawstorne teamed up with the JJ Effect to educate our students about the dangers of knife crime and the results of the tragic consequences it can have on families. By delivering a hard-hitting message, the aim was to increase awareness about the dangers of knife crime among our students and prevent them from becoming involved themselves. The visit from JJ Effect was highly enlightening and provided plenty of food for thought for our students.
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CHARITY SUPPORT AND FUNDRAISING Bishop Rawstorne continues to support local charities and ones which are close to our heart. Thank you to everyone who has supported our fundraising activities this term:
Afghanistan Refugee Appeal
Our appeal in September generated lots of donations of toiletries, warm clothes, school supplies and toys which meant we were able to support several families in our local area. The remainder of the donations have gone to a refuge in Manchester.
Just some boxes of items donated
MacMillan Coffee Morning
We were pleased to be able to support this national charity event once again. Some Year 7 students, ably assisted by their tutors, made delicious cakes and biscuits which they then sold at break time on Friday 24th September. The whole school supported and by 11.15 there was not a cake to be seen! And we raised £340 for Macmillan Cancer Support - great work from Year 7!
Christmas Pick and Mix Tubs
Following the cancellation of the Year 7 and 8 Christmas Disco due to Covid restrictions, some senior perfects and other Year 11s, decided to find another way to raise money for charity. The students took it upon themselves to make Christmas Pick and Mix tubs to sell at lunchtimes. The students raised over £200 and all funds raised will go to Alder Hey Children’s Charity.
Some of our Year 11 students selling the Pick and Mix tubs
CHRISTMAS APPEAL Our Christmas Appeal this year supported the Leyland Food Bank - a very small local charity that has seen requests for donations increase hugely over the past few months. Our non-uniform day on Friday 17 December supported the charity and students and staff were asked to donate £1 plus an item for the food bank. The food bank was overwhelmed with the amount of donations and said it was the biggest single donation they had ever received. On top of that we will be donating £1,000 which was the total raised from the non-uniform day. The food bank wants to pass on their heartfelt thanks for your generosity and that comes to you from Bishop Rawstorne too! In these times when many are struggling this is what we do best!
Tasty treats made by our Year 7 students
October Non Uniform Day Our non-uniform day on 15th October raised over £1,700! Donations will be made to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in memory of Lauren Menzies and to Preston Hospital in memory of Abbie Merry.
Just some of the items donated to the food bank
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VISITS AND TRIPS THIS TERM The relaxing of some restrictions in September meant that our students and staff could get back out to school trips. Highlights were:
G7 Speakers' Conference
On Saturday, 18 September 2021, one of our Year 11 students, Jack Edwards-Barrott represented the school at the G7 Speakers Conference, Astley Hall, Chorley. The event was hosted by Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, Speaker, which was attended by Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Group from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, USA and the UK.
National Remembrance Service On Armistice Day, five of our Year 9 students, Edie Street, Monica Price, Izzy Gabbett, Charlotte Rayner and Katie Poole laid a wreath on behalf of all staff, students, governors and parents of school at the National Remembrance service at the Cenotaph in London. It was a very moving and emotional experience for both students and the staff to be part of and was an honour to represent the school community at such an important event in the country.
Jack EdwardsBarrott and Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP at the G7 Speakers Conference
Lead Mines Clough Field Trip
In October the Geography Department ran a Year 11 field trip to Lead Mines Clough near Rivington to investigate downstream change in a river, as part of their River Landscapes and Processes unit. This will fulfil the Physical Geography fieldwork part of the GCSE syllabus requirements.
Easedale Tarn Geography Trip
In November Year 10 Geography students went to Easedale Tarn in the Lake District to study the effects of glaciation in the field. The purpose of the trip was to enhance student understanding of the Glaciated Upland Landscapes and Processes unit and enabled students to visualise and comprehend the scale of the landforms created.
Our Year 9 students in London from L-R: Izzy Gabbett, Charlotte Rayner, Edie Street, Katie Poole, Monica Price
Chorley Council Climate Debate On 12th November, the Mayor of Chorley offered the Council Chamber to Chorley High School pupils to give them a platform to air their views on climate change. Three of our Year 11 students, Susie Teasdale, Eloise Woodcock, Charlotte Jackson represented the school in what was a fascinating and enthusiastic debate, chaired by Rt. Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, Speaker of the House of Commons. This was an outstanding opportunity for the pupils who attended to voice their opinions and to see where local decision making takes place and meet politicians.
National Memorial Arboretum
Year 10 students not taking GCSE Geography went on an enrichment visit to The National Memorial Arboretum, in Derbyshire in November. The trip offered students an insight into a variety of learning experiences including looking at the art and history of the memorials, and using their own personalised sketchbook for their own drawings and sketches of the exhibits on the 150 acre site.
Students in the Council Chamber
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EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES We are delighted to have seen a significant return of extra-curricular activities in the Autumn term. These are hugely beneficial to all students who take part in them, enriching them as individuals in knowledge, skills and socially too. There has been a wide range of activities on offer for students of all ages, including Astronomy Club, cheerleading, STEM Club, football, netball, art, engineering, and much, much more. We look forward to the new year and offering as many new opportunities as we can.
STUDENT MEMORIALS In addition to the memorial for Lauren Menzies, we are also replacing the memorial plaque at the front of school which is sited by the tree planted in memory of Abbie Merry. Over the years the original wooden plaque has become rather weather-worn and we are pleased to be replacing it with a slate plaque. In the new year, along with Abbie's family, we will dedicate this to her memory.
MOCK EXAMS UPDATE In November our Year 11 students sat their mock examinations in the hall and gym, providing them with a very useful opportunity to experience what it will be like to sit formal exams once the GCSEs start in May 2022. Most importantly it has given them a real awareness of how to plan for revision, manage their time effectively and measure their own progress. Results were given out on Friday 10th December giving all of our Year 11s a clear picture of where they are doing well right now as well as any areas for improvement. After the Christmas holidays, we look forward to them coming back, ready for the final push ahead of May, determined to progress further. Our Parents’ Evening will take place, online, in January 2022.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS THIS TERM
Ruby Mander, Year 9
Selected for the Lancashire Under 15 Netball Team
Annabelle Hill, Year 9
Selected for the Lancashire Under 15 Netball Team
Amy Usher, Year 10
Selected for the Lancashire Netball team
Harriet Leigh Woods, Year 11
Spotted by British Dressage Youth and going on to win two Dressage competitions
Anna Dennis, Year 11
Selected to join England’s Elite Training programme for TouchRugby with Wigan Warriors
Hannah & Isabelle Morley, Year 9 &
Raised over £300 for the charity DKMS selling handmade cards
Year 11 Miller Childs, Year 10
Raised over £1000 for Cancer Research by shaving his head
Congratulations to all these students who were awarded a 'B' for Bishops Badge and 30 points!
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NOTICEBOARD CHURCH SERVICES Morning Prayer 9:00-9:30 am @ Mawdesley St Peters
KEY TERM DA TES School
re-opens on Tue 04 Jan and closes 2022 at 3pm on Fri 11 Feb 20 22 School re-o pens on Mon 21 Feb 2022 and closes at 2pm on Fri 8 Apr 20 22 For more da tes visit our web site or scan the QR code here:
S VICEby ERNativity Eucharist of H theS Holy CHURC Candlelight December 24 6:30-7:30 pm @ Mawdesley St Peters
Remember to check church services are still running before attending
DIARY DATES FOR THE
Jan 2022 s Evening - 13 Year 11 Parent Feb 2022 03 s Evening Year 7 Parent Mar 2022 03 s Evening Year 9 Parent 2022 ar M Evening - 17 Year 10 Open ing en Ev Information Year 8 Options 28 April 2022
READING
ry ve a libra ow we ha ite with s b e Did you kn w l o o n our sch ts for KS3 section o reading lis d e d n e recomm and KS4?
QR code Scan the t more: u o to find
HELP AND SUPPORT
Some links for inform ation and support can be fou nd in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Support and Advic e section on our website, or sc an the QR code for a direct link:
WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL OF US AT BISHOP RAWSTORNE
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