Friends of BRGS Issue 41

Bacup & Rawtenstall

Issue 41

Grammar School

Winter/ Spring 2020

Friends of BRGS A newsletter produced by BRGS for former students, parents & the community

Schools shut due to Coronavirus Friday 20th March marked a sombre day in the UK’s history as schools across the country closed their doors early for an indefinite period of time. For Year 11 and 13 students with exams cancelled many have been left reeling and understandably anxious regarding their next steps to A levels, higher level apprenticeships and university courses.

GCSE and A level students will be awarded grades based on a result of a range of evidence and data including performance on mock exams and nonexam assessment with the option for students to sit an exam early in the next academic year for students who wish to. We have tried to reassure students and encourage them to think that their hard work has not gone to waste: their resilience, transferable skills and knowledge will not disappear and will serve them well.

BRGS Year 11 students shared a swiftly-organised ‘celebration’ on their last day in school in lieu of their traditional Leavers’ Day. Intensive revision and outfits for Proms have all been set to one side for the time being. Students of all ages are being supported, however, by the stalwart teachers at BRGS who have been preparing resources online and will be ‘checking-in’ on students at regular intervals. Google resources and modern technology such as Google Classroom have proved essential.

BRGS staff are also playing their part in the wider effort against this devastating virus as they keep school open for children of key workers and vulnerable students. For the majority of our students the safest place for them to be is at home but where there is no alternative with both parents/carers as key workers or where single parents are key workers then BRGS staff are available in a supervisory and pastoral role.

Students have been advised that the next few months are not a long holiday due to us practising social distancing – they will not be able to socialise face-to-face in the same way as normal - they will need to keep in contact with each other and look after one another remotely such as through social media. They have been provided with suggestions as to how to format their day and how they might like to structure their day according to the current school timetable and their teachers will be available to support their learning from a distance. It will be a steep learning curve for all.

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For all colleagues at BRGS and particularly those who are working from home and who are practising social distancing during the pandemic have been encouraged to focus on supporting their mental health. Resources which may be useful to readers are listed below: 

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My Whole Self initiative by Mental Health First Aid England https://mhfaengland.org/mywhole-self Mental Health First Aid England’s Chief Executive Simon Blake said: “Where online or offline, bringing your whole self to work is a mindset that is better for wellbeing and better for business. In the current climate, and as more organisations move to online working, human connections are more important than ever. Nurturing them virtually will be key to supporting the nation’s mental health and wellbeing as we come together to tackle the impact of coronavirus.”

An excellent article from the BBC focusing on managing anxiety is available here. Key points include limiting your news intake and be careful what you read; have breaks from social media; wash your hands (but not excessively); avoid burnout and stay connected with people.

Another useful resource aimed primarily at students but with tips applicable for all is available here.

For primary or secondary students requiring access to learning materials, BBC Bitesize is always a failsafe option.

For members of the BRGS community for whom the outbreak has had a devastating impact we are also exploring the possibility of establishing a ‘BRGS alumni and parent’ Business Directory which will put you in touch with others during this unprecedented time.

We will keep you posted if we are able to take this forward.

Please do share any ideas for self-isolation on the school’s Twitter account at BRGS_1701 and we will try to forward these on to others.

BRGS held its five-yearly reunion on the 12th October: an opportunity to relive school memories and see how the school has changed in recent years. It was wonderful to welcome back former students from the 1940s to those who left more recently. Thank you to all who travelled to be there, many over long distances, for the special afternoon.

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BioBakes Challenge Congratulations to Olivia, Cody and Gabriella on their entries into the school’s annual BioBake Competition. Olivia’s ‘eye cake’ was selected as the BRGS overall winner and her cake went on to feature in the top 10 in the national competition run by the Physiological Society.

Dotty wins writing awards Congratulations to BRGS student Dotty who won the overall first prize for story craft and research in the Moorforge Writing Competition as well as winning the secondary age poem competition at the Todmorden Lantern Festival.

The national Moorforge Writing Competition was for children and adults to write a fireside tale to be told in a longhouse on a Viking theme and the local poetry competition at Todmorden Lantern Festival required a poem of less than 50 words on the theme of Little Lanterns. Her poem read: From a bushel of dry rushes to clay pot with wax and wick, then beaten tin with paraffin and blown glass framed with brass.

Bulky bulbs and batteries, now solar cells with LEDs, To feed our need for light to banish night.

Congratulations to Max Beck-Jones and Michael Hargreaves who have been awarded prestigious Arkwright Engineering Scholarships. The Arkwright Engineering Scholarship Scheme is the most prestigious scholarship scheme of its kind in the UK through which future leaders in Engineering, Computing and Technical Design are identified, nurtured and supported through their next steps of education. There is a rigorous selection process with only the highestcalibre students awarded. Each student is sponsored by a company, educational establishment, charitable trust, institution, trade association or individual donor. Key benefits available to recipients include mentoring and enrichment opportunities.

Since 2017, BRGS student Labib Rahman has been encouraging family science activities to Rochdale.

When he was ten, Labib set up a ‘fun-filled family science day’ in Rochdale to coincide with British Science Week. Since then it has become an annual event and on the 10th November 2019 families had the chance to engage with the Rochdale Science Initiative CIC’s Physics Extravaganza at Heybrook Primary School.

Experiments including a bottle orchestra, colourful milk explosions and lemon volcanoes were just a few of the opportunities on offer alongside plenty of science gadgets to engage young minds. Hosted by the Rochdale Science Initiative, the most recent event was a companion to the annual March Science Extravaganza which was founded by Labib thanks to his love of science.

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Year 7 student Isobel McEwan had her commitment to sport and volunteering recognised in the Rossendale Community Awards. Isobel was awarded Young Sports Volunteer of the Year by Rossendale Borough Council and the Leisure Trust. To add to the proceedings, her Grandmother was also recognised with a special award as Volunteer of the Year! Congratulations to both on their achievement.

Photo credit: Liz Henson Photography

BRGS Young Musician of the Year Congratulations to all our finalists in the BRGS Young Musician Competition 2019.

All performances were of an incredibly high standard and we are grateful to our judges who provided in-depth critique and words of encouragement to each of our musicians.

The winners were as follows: Upper School: Robert (alto saxophone) Middle School: Ian (trombone) Lower School: Macey (drums) Audience Vote: Lewis (electric guitar)

While concert venues shut down, you can still access music at home. There is free access to the Berlin Philharmonic’s concerts for 30 days at https://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/en/titelgeschichten/20192020/digitalconcert-hall/. Remember any other tips you come across, do share on BRGS Twitter.

Junior Speech Night 2019 Former student, Luke Bramwell was the guest speaker at Junior Speech Night. Luke left BRGS to study Engineering at Cambridge and is currently working on plans for tunnels to take the trams under Manchester.

Luke spoke about how it is important to give exams your best go but to remember that "they can't measure your sense of style, your intuition, your empathy, your humour." Luke encouraged students to "support each other in finding and growing your talents", taking good care of your friends whilst keeping your eyes open for new ones. He ended with the words of Patti Smith, you have the power "to dream; to rule - to wrestle the world from fools. You can turn the world around, you can turn the earth's revolution."

Our thanks also go to the Mayor of Rossendale, Councillor Barbara Ashworth and the Mayoress of Rossendale, Mrs Christine Lamb, for attending the event for the annual Mayor of Rossendale's Prize.

Picture are the Mayor and Mayoress, Mr Porteous (Headteacher), Mr Terry (Vice-Chairman of Governors), Luke Bramwell (Guest Speaker) and Stephen and Dylan, Heads of School.

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Vocab Express Champion!

Our congratulations go to Elizabeth on her outstanding performance in the national Vocab Express Championship for Modern Foreign Languages.

Elizabeth performed exceptionally well in French, German and Spanish and even had some Greek and Latin thrown into the mix! Well done Elizabeth.

Senior Speech Night 2019 BRGS welcomed back recent leavers to be presented with their A Level Certificates by former student and guest speaker, Adam Blomerley, CEO of Quick Release. Adam left BRGS in 1995 to study Genetics at Nottingham University. After a few false starts, he graduated for a third time with an MSc in IT in 2007. Aged 31 he decided that "it was time to get serious", and set about building Quick Release Ltd with the aim of creating a successful career in Product Data Management. Twelve years later he is still on that journey...

Key messages to students focused on making good friendships, saying 'yes' to any opportunities available to you and making sure that you are in the 'learning zone' - challenging yourself in developing your abilities. Adam also asked the year group to consider who might be standing as Guest Speaker in future years and that it may well be someone you did not expect!

National Citizens’ Service Youth Board Outreach As part of the Burnley National Citizens’ Service Youth Board, nine BRGS Sixth Form students fundraised and organised a Christmas dinner for fifty elderly people in Burnley. This is the first project which they have completed and they are hoping to progress further initiatives to demonstrate positive social action.

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Mock Trial Winners!

Congratulations to our budding legal sector professionals from Year 8 and 9 who won the regional mock trial!

Royal Australian Chemical Institute Honour Former student Dr Clifford Jones has been awarded a Distinguished Fellowship from the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. Clifford Jones worked in Australia over the period 1978-1995, initially in a fixed term post at Macquarie University. After time at the State Electricity Commission of Victoria and the University of New South Wales, he then went to the Department of Engineering at Aberdeen University where he became Reader. Later he became an Adjunct Professor at the Gippsland Campus of Federation University Australia. His interests have been in fuels and combustion with over 23 books written on the subject.

Follow us: Do follow us on twitter @BRGS_1701 and on our Facebook site which is BRGS (Official Facebook).

BRGS Art Students Exhibit at Falmouth Art Gallery

BRGS A Level art students were invited to exhibit their artworks inspired by Patrick Woodroffe and Surrealism at Falmouth Art Gallery over February half term.

Head of Art, Diane Bamford said that the exhibition was as a result of "visiting Falmouth art gallery last summer, where I saw the excellent exhibition entitled 'Stuff and Nonsense'. I loved the sense of fun this exhibition had but was particularly struck with the surreal and playful nature of Patrick Woodroffe's work. Following a mutually enthusiastic chat with art staff about Woodroffe, I was delighted to be shown to the vaults to see more." This resulted in a Year 12 scheme of work inspired by Woodroffe with the Gallery Director, Henrietta Boex kindly offering BRGS students the exciting honour of exhibiting their work in the public gallery alongside Woodroffe's.

Students reproduced an acrylic transcription of a Woodroffe painting and were also influenced by Ernst's hybrid human/animal collages and prints. They used Victorian etching imagery to create their own characters as well as producing character sheets inspired by the work seen in Woodroffe's extensive book 'Benign Icons'. Pupils drew and enlivened their characters then used them as foci in their surreal Adobe Photoshop computer compositions. They also played with screen printing for background effects. Finally, they chose a Photoshop piece to be recreated in oil or acrylic. Diane Bamford commented that the "students were greatly inspired by Woodroffe's sense of play and the surreal and they not only learned much but had great fun producing their first A' level set of work."

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BRGS is very grateful to Falmouth Art Gallery for their enthusiasm, encouragement and support from start to finish.

Animator and artist Vinnie James also worked alongside the students once a week for six weeks to create a surrealist animation which can be viewed here.

Obituaries Edith Lord died peacefully at her home in Booth Road on December 11th 2019 at the age of 101.

Edith was born on April Fools’ day 1918 at a time when there were no votes for women, no NHS, limited indoor toilets and bathing was usually in a tin tub in front of a fire.

Edith was the youngest of five children and attended St Mary’s School in Rawtenstall walking independently to school a mile each way every day. Winning a scholarship to BRGS to took the equivalent of GCSEs and then started work at a local manufacturer working 48 hours per week and attending night school to become a shorthand typist. Edith was the first woman to be employed in Rawtenstall Town Hall. When war was declared in 1939 Edith enrolled as a student nurse at Manchester Royal Infirmary but then married her husband Albert in 1947 and therefore had to give up her nursing career. (Nursing, teaching, the civil service and other middle class professions were not open to married women.)

Edith’s husband was proprietor of P. Lord and Sons Ltd and Edith became a company director.

After a working life of 78 years she retired in 2012 at the age of 94. Edith sang with the Rossendale Ladies’ Choir and played the organ into her 90s at Waterbarn Baptist Church. Edith had three daughters (Wendy, Helen and Mary) and one son (Christopher), nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Charles Malcolm Wood of Vancouver, British Columbia, passed away peacefully on Wednesday 15th January at a Palliative Care Unit aged 87. Born in Newchurch and a former student of BRGS, Charles leaves a wife of 65 years Dorothy, sister Truda and husband, nephew John and family.

Born in 1935, Emeritus Sir John Monash Distinguished Professor (William) Roy Jackson AM, died on Sunday 3 November, aged 84, following a short illness.

Professor Jackson was based at Monash University in Australia and arrived from the UK to take up the role of Chair of Organic Chemistry in 1973. He was named the first Sir John Monash Distinguished Professor in 1995.Professor Jackson’s interests in chemistry were broad and included synthetic chemistry as well as energy chemistry. He also made significant contributions to drug design and development. Passionate about sustainability, Professor Jackson became the inaugural Director of the Centre for Green Chemistry in 2001 and was appointed the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his services to science.

Professor Jackson leaves his wife, Heather, and his three children Tim, Martin and Catrin.

J. Neville Carter of Thornton Cleveleys died peacefully on the 14th July aged 90 years. Neville worked as a civil servant mainly in employment services throughout the North West. Neville was particularly well known for his long association with the Rossendale Players and Bacup Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society. He produced two shows a year at the Empire Theatre for over twenty five years. After retirement Neville and his wife Jean, moved to Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire and enjoyed regular visits to the Royal Shakespeare Company and to the West End. They spent the last 17 years in Thornton Cleveleys.

Heather Skilling, a BRGS Governor, sadly passed away on the 15 th March. Heather was a governor for many years and stepped down at the end of the summer term 2019. She served as vice-chair of governors, and also led the admissions and pay and staffing committee. Her contribution to the school over that time was significant. A fuller obituary will follow in a future edition.

Sports Reports For all the latest BRGS Sports News then do follow BRGS PE Department on Twitter @BRGS_PE

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Former student Jess Leyden has qualified for the Great Britain women’s rowing quad at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Congratulations to Year 13 Kate on representing England in cycling. In 2019 Kate finished 24th in the Arctic Race with the England team of five boys and four girls taking the overall team prize ahead of Norway. Former student Maisie came 26th in the race.

Sport Relief Tug of War Competition raised £207.50 with funds still to be counted from the non-uniform day.

1st XI Soccer Team lost 4-1 to Clitheroe Royal Grammar School in the Lancashire Semi-Final although some good memories of the year.

Glen Road, Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire BB4 7BJ

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T: 01706 234500 E: enquiries@brgs.org.uk W: www.brgs.org.uk

Sixth Form: T: 01706 233400 E: sixthform@brgs.org.uk

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