SVF Focus Spring 2019

CELEBRATING SHAKESPEARE PAGE 2

Spring Term 2019

ASTLEY ALUMNI TO ACCENTURE APPRENTICES PAGE 9

THE TERMLY MAGAZINE OF THE SEATON VALLEY FEDERATION

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SPRING 2019

JOHN BARNES WELCOME WELCOME

In the changing times that we live in it is comforting to know that some things remain stable and reliable as reflected in the excellent experiences provided for and by the young people of the Seaton Valley Federation.

Taking time out of my day to visit our classrooms and go to school events to see the work of the inspiring young people who attend our schools is a particularly rewarding part of my job.

This issue of SVF Focus features a snapshot of some the fantastic work that takes place across the federation; including our middle schools learning about Shakespeare, a trip to London, a mock trial event, author visits, Duke of Edinburgh Award successes, Holocaust remembrance activities, STEM activities and apprenticeship opportunities. As always there have been sporting events and success too. All in all, enough to brighten the gloomiest of days and remind anyone how lucky we are to work with such wonderful young people and outstanding staff. It makes my job a pleasure.

On a different matter, as you know the Elsdon Avenue site was affected by a gas leak earlier this year and I would just like to mention how staff at all three schools pulled together on the day; and may I take this opportunity to ask parents/carers to download the free School Gateway app so that we can contact you easily if we need to. The back cover of this magazine includes information about how to download School Gateway.

I hope that you all have a super Easter and wish all the young people who are doing exams this year the very best of luck.

John Barnes

Executive Headteacher Seaton Valley Federation

SEATON VALLEY FEDERATION

TERM DATES SEATON VALLEY FEDERATION Easter holiday School finishes on Thursday 4 April and reopens on Tuesday 23 April 2019. Friday 5 April is a teacher training day. Monday 22 April is Easter Monday.

Mid-summer term holiday School finishes on Friday 24 May and reopens on Monday 3 June 2019.

Summer holiday School finishes on Friday 19 July.

SPRING 2019

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CELEBRATING SHAKESPEARE A group of Y6 pupils from Seaton Sluice and Whytrig Middle Schools have been working with The Shakespeare Birth Trust and drama company, As Creatives, to produce scenes telling the story of Romeo and Juliet.

Pupils also took part in debating workshops delivered by The Noisy Classroom to improve their oracy skills. The debates related to issues that arose in the play. All of the workshops culminated in an event at Whitley Bay Playhouse in January, to which all KS2 children were invited.

The Trust was lucky enough to secure the celebrated author Michael Rosen (of “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” fame!) to chair the debate. Children had the opportunity to buy signed copies of his new book, “What’s so special about Shakespeare?”

Thank you to The Shakespeare Birth Trust, As Creatives and The Noisy Classroom for this opportunity to learn about Shakespeare’s work in a fun and creative way.

We asked pupils what they thought of the Shakespeare event: ‘Amazing!’

‘I’d love to do it again!’

‘Can we do it in Y7 too?’

‘I LOVED it!’

‘It was really fun to experience different activities and perform in front of an audience.’

‘Michael Rosen was really funny. It was great fun performing.’

‘It was interesting how Shakespeare took poems and made them into stories.’

‘It was really exciting and a great experience!’

Mrs Rutter and Mrs McSparron

REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: HOW STUDENTS CAN HELP Human activity has a major effect on the environment.

The ecosystems of our planet have changed dramatically in response to our ever growing world! It’s our collective responsibility to do whatever we can to try and prevent even greater environmental problems for future generations.

Our catering teams want to do more to reduce our environmental impact and are introducing some changes to the catering service; they need the help of students to make this work.

The use of plastic disposables such as cutlery, cups and food cartons is being reduced, with the aim of phasing them out completely by the end of 2019. Re-usable plates, forks, spoons and cups are being introduced to replace the plastics.

Barbara Hodge, Catering Manager at Astley said: “We need students to help us reduce plastic waste by using the new re-usable cutlery, cups and plates and not putting them in the bin. We have a service area for students to put the reusable cutlery, cups and plates after they’ve finished their meal so that they can be washed and re-used the next day.

They must not go in the bin!”

Students can also help by using a re-usable water bottle, helping you save money too!

Let’s not be ‘throw away’ schools, let’s do our bit together to try and reduce our impact on the environment for future generations. Please help us to help you and recycle as much as you can, wherever you can.

Mrs Hodge

SPRING 2019

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SEATON SLUICE MIDDLE SCHOOL OUR LATEST NEWS HEAD OF SCHOOL MRS LINDLEY

What a great term it has been!! Not only have we been blessed with some unseasonably beautiful weather, there has been so much going on in school.

There have been lots of preparations for events in this term, with pupils taking part in a variety of activities including the Shakespeare event, the Skipping Festival and the Mock Trials competition.

It has been lovely to see the PTFA developing again after many years and the Valentine’s Disco was a huge success. Easter activities are taking place too so watch out for more events!

Parents and carers are very welcome to join - just contact school for more details.

I hope that the students have made the most of the opportunities offered to them and I wish everyone a fantastic Easter!

Best Wishes,

Mrs Lindley

LONDON VISIT 2019

In February, Y7 and Y8 pupils participated in a fantastic visit to London. We went to watch two shows, the fabulous ‘School of Rock’ and the spectacular ‘Aladdin’, as well as visiting the Warner Brothers Studio to see the Harry Potter exhibition. In addition, we went on the London Eye, which gave amazing views across London; an interesting river cruise along the Thames; a very informative tour of Shakespeare’s Globe theatre; and a walking tour to see the sights.

At night, we were treated to great food at the Bubba Gump and Planet Hollywood restaurants. The students’ behaviour was exemplary throughout – they were a credit to themselves and the school and a pleasure to be with. A good time was had by all and to top it off we had three days of sunshine and up to 20 degree temperatures!

Mrs McSparron

SAFER INTERNET DAY Seaton Sluice Middle School e-safety ambassadors launched Safer Internet Day with a whole school assembly that helped to raise awareness of using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively.

The assembly also introduced this year’s e-safety ambassadors themselves who comprise of four pupils from each year group. The ambassador roles have been created to offer advice and support to anyone in school who is having issues online, or with social media, and who may not feel comfortable talking to a teacher or parent at first.

IMPROVING ORACY In October SSMS launched its whole school approach to improving Oracy (speaking and listening) as part of Voice North of the Tyne’s project. The project’s aim is to improve students’ speaking and listening through a variety of approaches.

At SSMS we decided to introduce weekly Talk Homework which parents were encouraged to get involved in. Each Friday during form time the whole school spends 25 minutes talking, discussing and debating the weekly topic.

In the spring term the Oracy focus has been ‘proof of listening’ whereby students have completed weekly tasks to improve their listening skills.

Mrs Elliott

During the day itself they also supported form classes taking part in a variety of activities which encouraged classes to explore how the internet works, who owns the information shared on it, and how they can actively take ownership of digital spaces.

Mrs Mason

SPRING 2019

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MOCK TRIALS Each year a selection of Y8 pupils are invited to take part in the Mock Trial competition at Newcastle Crown Court.

This year was no exception with preparations well under way early in the Spring Term. Pupils worked on a case based on the theft of an iPhone.

Students took on a variety of roles including lawyers, witnesses, magistrates and court staff in order to both prosecute and defend this specially-made case. They created their own statements to present in court and the lawyers cross-examined the witnesses on the actual day.

DUKE OF YORK iDEA AWARD A group of KS3 children have been working independently at lunchtime clubs and at home to complete the Duke of York iDEA Bronze Award.

The iDEA awards help young people to develop digital, enterprise and employability skills through a series of online challenges. iDEA aspires to be the digital and enterprise equivalent of The Duke of Edinburgh Award, an internationally recognised award which has been running for over 60 years.

The competition takes place on 23 March – just after this issue goes to press – and we are hoping for a pleasing verdict!

At beginner level you can achieve the Bronze Award and when you have mastered the basics, you can work towards the Silver Award. Some children have already completed their Bronze Award and Silver Award and are now supporting the running of the lunchtime clubs.

Miss Curry

Mrs Mason

NORTH EAST CHAMPIONS On 6 February, Mr Barkley took 15 talented Y7 rugby players to Kingston Park to play in the North East Rugby Finals. After their success winning the previous tournaments without a loss, the boys were fired up with confidence in their ability to win.

In the first match, Seaton Sluice played a challenging team, Whytrig Middle School. They didn’t have a great start, Whytrig scored in the second minute to put them a try ahead! However, Season Sluice kept their heads up and almost instantly scored an equaliser. After a few dropped passes Seaton Sluice managed to settle their nerves and dominate the final part of the game keeping a tight defence to prevent Whytrig scoring again.

After the first game Seaton Sluice had a 30 minute break to catch their breath, whilst Whytrig had a game against the other opposing school, Belmont. As Belmont won their game,

Seaton Sluice knew they would be through to the next round as only the top two teams would progress. However this wasn’t enough for the Seaton Sluice players, they were determined to win their final game. They once again had an unlucky start and conceded a try against Belmont. Seaton Sluice got together and struck back scoring a number of consecutive tries and defended everything Belmont tried to throw at them. This led to Seaton Sluice winning the tournament.

The team were rewarded by receiving a gold medal each. As player of the tournament, Junior stepped up to receive his trophy. At the same time the Seaton Sluice captain, Kyle, collected the winners’ trophy on behalf of the team. Seaton Sluice, the new North East Champions, are now preparing for the national round against St John Fisher.

By Kyle (Team Captain)

YEAR 7 COMPUTING TRIP In February a lucky group of Y7 Seaton Sluice pupils were selected to attend a trip to the Life Science Centre.

The students completed a two hour programming workshop whereby they worked in pairs to complete several challenges. The workshop used Lego robots which were designed as Mars rovers.

Each robot was linked to a laptop and students were asked to write computer programs to make the robots do different actions including moving and spinning, and dodging rocks and craters on Mars.

The day was enjoyed by everyone and we even had enough time for ice skating!

Mrs Elliott

SPRING 2019

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JOHN BARNES WELCOME OUR LATEST NEWS WHYTRIG MIDDLE SCHOOL HEAD OF SCHOOL MR SOUTER

FIRST LEGO LEAGUE STEM SUCCESS In January, we took five pupils representing three different year groups to compete in the First Lego League tournament at Nissan Sunderland.

There have been excellent opportunities for our pupils recently and some are celebrated here. I am very proud to see how well the children represent our school in a range of academic and sport activities.

Following the Summer Term 2018 inspection, actions have taken place in areas we needed to improve. After good test results in July 2018, an external review of governance has taken place.

Mrs Campbell is now Lead for Disadvantaged Students and has been working with external support, a former Ofsted inspector, to improve our provision for these pupils. The strategy document can be viewed on our website. Mrs Linney is leading on a whole school Oracy initiative to improve speech and communication in our students. Along with weekly Talk Homework tasks, opportunities to talk have increased. This was highlighted at the excellent Shakespeare afternoon, where children showcased their debating skills in front of Michael Rosen!

SATs preparation is well underway and morning booster sessions are taking place. Staff and children are showing their commitment to excellent outcomes by attending pre-school sessions, followed by a breakfast which we provide. We plan to have the yoga sessions with Y6, which were so successful last year in helping the children to relax in exam week. With residential trips and visits to look forward to next term, we will all continue to do our best to make a success of everything on offer.

Mr Souter

In October, our school was selected to receive two LEGO MINDSTORMS Education sets and other resources in order for a group of students to research a real-world problem. This year it was themed around space exploration. Our children were then challenged to develop a solution.

A number of children have worked at lunchtime and after school to build the models and to develop and program the robots, culminating in a team representing Whytrig at the sessions at Nissan.

At the tournament they had to give a presentation to Nissan engineers about a space problem they had identified, a presentation to competition organisers about their understanding of the LEGO Core Values, another presentation on the design of our robot, and then enter three head to head competitions against other schools in which we were scored for the tasks our robot could perform.

Our pupils worked really well together. They were constantly evaluating the success of and developing their robot so that by the time we took part in the final robot task we scored 56 points, our highest of the day and only two points less than the previous day’s competition winner.

We now look forward to our pupils sharing their knowledge on intake week and for our school to be involved in the competition again next year.

Mr Souter

ARTS AWARDS In February, ten Y8 pupils worked with mosaic artist Lorraine Udell as part of their Arts Award Bronze, to create mosaic artworks.

The Arts Award Bronze is recognisable qualification where young people are supported to deepen their engagement with the arts and build creative leadership skills and achieve a national qualification. The pupils produce 40 hours extra work which takes place after school; a huge commitment but the pupils thoroughly enjoy the challenge.

Our next activity is a public sculpture trip in March visiting Northumberlandia, the Angel of the North and The Couple at Newbiggin. The award moderator visits us in July to mark the work and fingers crossed all of the pupils will achieve the Arts Award Bronze. The pupils will be given the opportunity to move to the Silver and Gold Awards during their time at ACHS. The time spent working with Lorraine was a positive experience for all of the pupils and they are now looking forward to the next part of their Arts Award. The pupils as usual were great and really enjoyed the experience.

Mrs Lawton

SPRING 2019

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PREMIER LEAGUE COMPETITION After winning the NUFC Foundation Football Tournament for Northumberland Schools at the end of November, our under 11 footballers represented the county on 15 February at the NUFC Training Centre, Benton.

They played three other teams representing Newcastle, North Tyneside and Durham. Whytrig were hoping to win the chance to represent The Newcastle United Foundation against other teams from across the country at Molineux, home of Wolverhampton Wanderers, in May this year.

We played really well and the team spirit was excellent, as we won one of our three games. Each one was a close match with only one goal in it; the standard was exceptional.

POWERING TRANSFORMATIONS On 27 February, 55 Y7 and Y8 pupils attended the ‘Powering Transformations’ workshop led by the Transformation Trust at Durham University. The workshop was focussed on raising pupils’ aspirations to take up higher education in the future.

Unfortunately on this occasion it was not our day, however we are all very proud of the way in which this group of players have performed so far this season!

Mr Souter

DNA FROM A STRAWBERRY Every class in school received a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) session from the STEM Graduate Outreach Team at Newcastle University in December.

Pupils participated in a project focussed on social issues such as crime and loneliness that groups were asked to tackle through technology. They were guided by an expert from Dell and had the opportunity to work with some of Dell’s latest computer technology.

Pupils also got a tour of the Durham University campus and city, and were amazed by the historic buildings and beautiful views of Durham Cathedral. They were also treated to an inspiring presentation from Dr Sue Black, entitled, ‘If I can do it, you can too’.

Several pupils remarked how much they had enjoyed the day, and would certainly consider university as an option for their future.

Mrs Campbell

Y8 pupils enjoyed a sports science session where they learned about the physiological effects of exercise on the body. They measured their lung capacity and pulse, as well as using an ECG machine to measure the electrical activity of their hearts.

Y7 used chemistry to extract DNA from a strawberry and learned all about DNA and why it makes us unique.

Y6 pupils took on an engineering challenge where they used K’NEX to build a bridge and learned all about the challenges engineers face in their daily work.

Y5 learned all about how to think like a scientist and focussed on using their senses to make scientific conclusions by engaging with lots of activities exploring how science works in our bodies.

Mrs Campbell

MATHS FESTIVAL In February, 29 KS2 children visited the Life Science Centre to attend a Maths Festival. Deciphering Harry Potter clues, escaping from pirates and solving the murder of a science professor were among the many exciting and engaging activities that our KS2 children participated in!

We all loved looking around Life Science Centre and particularly enjoyed looking at the night sky to calculate time zones and find the

North Star (Polaris) in the planetarium. The Museum of the Moon was fascinating and the 4D Motion Ride really made our stomachs turn!

The children were an absolute credit to Whytrig Middle School through their eagerness to challenge themselves and their behaviour. A fantastic day was had by all!

Mrs Chadwick

SPRING 2019

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JOHN BARNES ASTLEY COMMUNITY WELCOME HIGH SCHOOL OUR LATEST NEWS HEAD OF SCHOOL MR SCOTT

We’ve had a busy and very positive start to 2019.

I can’t believe that we are at the end of the spring term and once again preparing the students for final examinations in the summer. This term has included parents’ evenings for all year groups, safer internet assemblies, trial examinations for Y12 and Y13, sixth form lesson sampling for Y11 and a variety of trips which enhance the curriculum.

The start of term presented a couple of significant issues with a flood and gas leak on the same day, as the buildings showed their age. But as the term progressed, we received the fantastic news that the Seaton Valley Federation has been allocated funding for the building of a new school in the near future… great news for the community as a whole and exciting times ahead!

INSPIRATIONAL AUTHOR

On 6 March students in Y12 and Y13 were treated to a visit from Laura Steven - local author, journalist and screenwriter - who came in to share her experiences of her journey to becoming a published author.

Brought up and educated in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Laura spoke about the routes she’d taken through university and then into a career in journalism - giving students an insight into the world of writing, agents, editors and publishing.

Talking about her book ‘The Exact Opposite of Okay’ and its sequel, ‘A Girl Called Shameless’ - both of which are in the Young Adult genre - Laura discussed the themes in her books and how she’d drawn on some of her own difficult experiences at school around cyber bullying and the misuse of social media platforms.

I hope that you enjoy reading the latest edition of SVF Focus.

Best wishes and thank you for your continued support.

Our students were given the chance to ask Laura about her writing and both sessions were a big hit.

Mr Scott

Mrs Lloyd

LESSONS FROM AUSCHWITZ We were fortunate enough to participate in the Lessons from Auschwitz programme. Through this eye opening experience, we attended a seminar with a Holocaust survivor, Eva Clarke. This was greatly inspiring to both of us as it revealed that a person can go through so much, yet remain so strong and compassionate.

UNIVERSITY VISIT Y12 and Y13 Health and Social Care students visited Teesside University recently. Recognised for its good health and social care department, students were excited to see what they had to offer.

A week later we flew to Poland, and firstly travelled to the town of Oświęcim, which is the village closest to Auschwitz. It was almost disturbing to see how such a beautiful place had played such an evil part in history. Next, we travelled to Auschwitz I, where many were shot, tortured and starved to death. Lastly, we visited AuschwitzBirkenau, where the Nazis coldly murdered 1.1 million innocents.

Our day was split into five sessions; the first by two international students who shared their experiences. The occupational therapist gave a presentation and we looked at the ways they help people regain independence. We looked at two courses in the operating department; surgical assistant and pre and post-surgical care, learning how to prepare for surgery and how to intubate a patient who is struggling to breathe. We met the disability nurse and learnt about how they assist many different kinds of people. To conclude the mental health nurse told us how he got into the job and how much he enjoys his role.

This trip was an extremely emotional, overwhelming experience.

The main lesson we both will take through our lives is to never be a bystander to bigotry, persecution or intolerance in society.

The day was very interesting and I think lots of students may have had their minds opened to considering a health and social care course.

By Lucy and Hannah

By Ellie, Year 12

SPRING 2019

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AWARD SUCCESS Mrs Pawsey was proud to present students with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in January. Twenty students received Bronze and thirteen received the Silver Award. Students committed to improving their physical abilities in a sport of their choice, developing a personal skill, dedicating their time to a voluntary community activity and completing the outdoor expedition. Congratulations to all of the students in achieving the Award.

Mrs Pawsey

OWN YOUR DIGITAL LIFE Safer Internet Day 2019 was about empowering young people to take control of their online lives and use the positive power of the internet for good. Assemblies encouraged students to think about how we take control of what we share online, who has access to this information and what that could mean. This could be in friendships, how they take and share images and videos or

how they manage their privacy and data. For more information about staying safe online visit: www.saferinternet.org.uk www.svf.org.uk/our-federation/safeguarding/keeping-safeonline Mr Dennis

CELEBRATING POETRY In celebration of World Poetry Day (21 March), we entered an exciting competition with schools from across the region. Students were commissioned to create an original poem based around this year’s theme of ‘Who I Want To Be’. This is a difficult question to answer at any age, I’m sure you’d agree. However our students handled the topic with maturity and great insight into themselves and their personal development.

We submitted a wide range of poetry styles; each student creating a piece of poetry as unique as they are. It has been a fantastic opportunity to engage in an activity outside the classroom, building writing skills, confidence and resilience when faced with a challenge. We are all extremely proud of the students who entered and wish them the best of luck!

Here’s a selection of the students’ poems, you can read more on our website at: www.svf.org.uk/news Mrs Holwick Who I Want To Be

Neverland

Who I Want To Be

When I’m older I don’t want fame, I’d rather live a life, relaxing and tame, Not driving super cars around L.A., Maybe sitting on a beach in southern Spain.

Fly me high to Neverland, Where we’ll swim amongst the stars, Hold on tight to my hand, For the fear of drifting afar.

I want to see the sights, the Colosseum in Rome, The Statue of Liberty, The Taj Mahal dome, I want to be active, go on runs, On the weekends, play football for fun.

Childhood and innocence remains, Where hopes and dreams are reality, No two days are merely the same, There’s no such thing as normality.

I want a nice house and a fridge full of food, Enough to keep me happy so I’m never in a mood, I want a car that goes lightning fast, Waving at people as I cruise past.

Where love shines down beaming, Curiosity is our way of success, Places we can keep on dreaming, Where boredom is shown a lot less.

By Mackensie, Year 9

Timeless as the days move swift, Where the past becomes a piece of history, And today stays to be our gift, Where tomorrow is now always a mystery.

I’m sick of people saying, My generation are here, To fix the future: Solve world hunger, Poverty, homelessness, Cure diseases, Cancer, viruses, To save the world, Fix pollution and litter.

When, at this time, I don’t know what I’ll do.

Fail, succeed or excel, The future is undecided.

Anything may happen.

Take me home to Neverland, Where I’ll glide amongst the stars, Life gripped tight in my hand, For I have drifted too far.

By Carla, Year 9

By Gabriel, Year 9

SPRING 2019

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FUTURE CHOICES ASTLEY ALUMNI TO ACCENTURE APPRENTICES Former students Lisa and Edward returned to Astley recently to talk to our Sixth Form students about degree level apprenticeships with Accenture. Accenture is one of the world’s largest technology services companies delivering projects including YouView and the biometric passport readers at Heathrow Airport.

Lisa and Edward secured three year apprenticeships at Accenture Newcastle. They are gaining excellent work experience while working towards the BSc Digital Technology and Solutions Apprenticeship Degree.

Mr Drought of the three years, you have your foot in the door to the business world and the experience and training to give you an edge.

Edward & Lisa Which subjects did you study at ACHS Sixth Form?

Lisa: Physics AS Level, Art and Maths A level, BTEC Travel and Tourism.

Edward: ICT, Business and Creative Media gaining three BTEC Distinction*.

How did you find out about the Accenture Apprenticeship?

Edward: Mr Drought had arranged a lot of different careers, apprenticeship advisors and universities to talk to Astley students about different opportunities available after Sixth Form. I always wanted to follow the apprenticeship route.

Lisa: I didn’t want to go to university and the Accenture apprenticeship scheme was the only thing that held any interest for me. I spoke to a few of my parents’ friends and I quickly became aware of Accenture’s outstanding reputation in the business world.

How did you apply for the Accenture Apprenticeship?

Lisa: Online during the spring/summer of Year 13. I then had an online interview and was invited to the assessment centre to complete a team work exercise and separate interview where I gave a presentation about my favourite invention. I started my apprenticeship in September 2018.

Would you recommend the Apprenticeship route? Why? Edward: Yes, to everyone. You are working, earning, gaining experience and the degree is paid for by the company. At the end of my apprenticeship this year, I will be offered a graduate position in the company, at which point I go to the Accenture Training Centre in Madrid for two weeks to learn more about different job roles.

Lisa: There’s lots of training so you’re constantly upskilling yourself and your CV. You spend the first eight weeks on a ‘boot camp’ which ranges from how to turn on a computer to how to code as well as Agile and other non-technical training. You meet the staff and get to know the other apprentices. Apprentices are part of the team and you do get thrown in at the deep end a bit so you gain valuable experience. If you choose not to stay at the end

How is your time split between your work projects and your apprenticeship degree?

Edward: We work on live projects as part of a team four days a week and attend university every Friday to study for the BSc Digital Technology and Solutions degree. You can choose to study at The University of Sunderland, or at Newcastle College where the degree is provided by Teesside University.

We have study groups at Accenture where apprentices do university work at the end of the working day. It helps having colleagues that you can ask for help or advice on assignments.

What types of organisations do Accenture provide technology services to?

Edward and Lisa: Clients include the NHS, O2, Google, HMRC, Post Office, DWP, Apple and Met Police among many others.

Accenture helped provide a solution to the ‘Wanna Cry’ virus that hit the NHS in 2018.

What do you like most about your Apprenticeship?

Edward: You meet people who have the same passion for technology as you.

Lisa: The freedom that the apprenticeship provides. The role is flexible so you could switch to a non-technological job such as project management, but the degree remains the same.

What advice would you give to our current Sixth Form students?

Lisa: A technology background isn’t necessary so don’t let that put you off. Just give it a go and find out what it’s all about. There are so many different roles and opportunities out there, you just have to look.

Edward: Put in the effort, keep trying and don’t let failure stop you.

There are opportunities for everyone if you have a positive, “can do” attitude and are willing to work as part of a team. These things are all important for being successful.

For careers information and guidance speak to Mr Drought.

To find out more about Accenture visit: www.accenture.com/gb-en/careers

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SVF SPORTS ROUND UP IMPRESSIVE FOOTBALL Astley under 18 boys played fantastic football against Queen Elizabeth High School in the quarter finals of the County Cup in February. Astley fought back from 2-0 at half-time with goals from Adam, Jay and Keiron, and excellent saves from goal keeper Ethan.

All players exceeded expectations.

Final score: ACHS 3 – 2 Queen Elizabeth High School.

Mr Cairns

A CLEAN SWEEP In February our Y11 girls’ rugby team became the first side in our federation history to win a clean sweep of North East Champions trophies. The team played together in the Champion Schools tournament for Whytrig in Y7 and Y8, Astley in Y9, Y10 and now in Y11. Playing in their final North East Festival they beat rivals Whitburn 16-4 and Durham Johnson 20-0. They play in the National Festival in March for a fifth consecutive year.

Visit: www.svf.org.uk for updates.

Mr Carbutt

THREE MARATHONS IN NINE WEEKS! Mr Drought and his wife Anabel set themselves the target of running three Marathons in nine weeks to raise money for the Calvert Trust, an outward bound centre for disabled children and their families at Kielder. The three races are: Kielder Dark Skies Ultra-Marathon on 23 March, London Marathon on 28 April and Liverpool Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon on 26 May. Mrs Drought is a special needs teacher and has taken her students to the Calvert Trust to take part in adventurous outdoor activities.

The Calvert Trust helps transform the lives of people with physical, sensory and learning disabilities.

Please visit their website to see some of their wonderful work: http://www.calvert-trust.org.uk/ kielder To help Mr and Mrs Drought raise money for the Calvert Trust please visit: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/PatrickDrought Mr Drought

REPRESENTING NORTHUMBERLAND Four current Astley students represented Northumberland County at under 18 girls’ rugby union recently. Playing in a festival against Durham County and Cumbria County at Tynedale Rugby Club in February, Northumberland won both games convincingly.

Congratulations to Frances, Alisha, Gabrielle and Grace.

Mr Carbutt said: “I’m once again pleased with the success of the fantastic female rugby players in our federation. The girls have worked incredibly hard over the last few months to be selected for county and this carries a lot of prestige in rugby union circles.”

If you are interested in playing rugby see Mr Carbutt. You can also contact Whitley Bay Barbarians, visit: www.wbbrl.com for more information.

Mr Carbutt

SUPERB SPORTSWOMEN Congratulations to the under 15 netball team who came second overall in a tournament at Prudhoe Community High School on 6 March. Astley were unstoppable against Bede Academy and Queen Elizabeth High School. Prudhoe proved to be tough competition and at half-time Astley were 3 goals behind. Thanks to some excellent shooting by Sydney and interceptions by Eleanor, Astley took the win! Our final and toughest match of the afternoon was against King Edward VI School and we were narrowly defeated. Well done to the Astley girls for being superb sportswomen!

Miss Walker

Y11 COUNTY CUP FOOTBALL The Astley Squad made up from Y11 and four Y10 students bowed out of their cup campaign following an undeserved 2-1 defeat to a solid King Edward’s team.

King Edward’s first goal came in the tenth minute after a loose ball fell to their striker which he hit from 20 yards out. The second goal was a close range volley which sailed into the top corner from a good run of play. The second half was a different story as the lads battled on hard; bombarding King Edward’s goal with shots.

Eventually after a goal line scramble, Lewis scored for the Astley side. Astley went on to have two penalty shouts denied after having myself and Lewis brought down in the box. Astley gave a great team performance that deserved more.

Final score: ACHS 1 – 2 King Edward VI School.

By Kyle

MORE RUGBY SUCCESS Well done to our Y10 girls who became North East Champion Schools rugby league winners on 5 March at home to Whitburn.

Final score: ACHS 24 – 12 Whitburn.

The Seaton Valley Federation uses School Gateway, to make sure our parents and carers are as closely involved with their children’s school lives as possible.

All school related communication, newsletters, reports, timetables, attendance figures, lunch bookings and payments go through School Gateway – it is the central hub of information for our parents – so to stay up to date with what’s going on at school make sure you download the app for free. Just search School Gateway in your App Store and download. Simple.

Your login details will be automatically generated using the mobile number and email address the school already has, so please make sure the details we hold for you are up to date. You can check and change these details by sending an email to: schoolgateway@svf.org.uk You can view full instructions for downloading the School Gateway app at: www.svf.org.uk/school-gateway You can also log in to the online version of School Gateway via the School Gateway website: www.schoolgateway.co.uk if you do not have a smart phone, although we do recommend using the app if possible as it makes it far easier to get hold of parents when we need to.

Remember, download School Gateway to make keeping up to date with what’s going on at school effortless. The app is free and saves our schools money!