SVF Focus Autumn 2018

REMEMBRANCE PAGES 4, 6 AND 7

Autumn Term 2018

LEARNING ABOUT THE POLICE FORCE PAGE 4

THE TERMLY MAGAZINE OF THE SEATON VALLEY FEDERATION

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AUTUMN 2018

JOHN BARNES WELCOME WELCOME

Welcome to this, our first SVF Focus magazine of the school year. I hope everyone had a good start to the year and is doing well in one of our three schools.

As always there has been a lot going on in the Seaton Valley Federation both inside and outside of the classroom. This magazine gives a really good reflection of the super events that happen on a daily basis in the three schools.

I was really impressed this term by the very dramatic Remembrance Assemblies held at all three schools marking the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War One. Whilst all three schools were excellent, I would like to make special mention of the Y8 pupils at SSMS who wrote the most wonderful poems.

I, like everyone else, cannot believe that 2018 is coming to a close and Christmas will soon be here. I hope that you have been able to attend the Christmas fairs at SSMS or WMS and also the Christmas play at SSMS. The WMS and ACHS Christmas concert takes place on Wednesday 19 December, as we distribute this issue and we hope that you are able to come along and enjoy the show.

All that is left for me to do is say thank you to everyone for their efforts this term and wish everyone a fantastic Christmas and a very happy New Year.

Best Wishes,

John Barnes

Executive Headteacher Seaton Valley Federation

TERM DATES SEATON VALLEY FEDERATION SEATON VALLEY FEDERATION Christmas holiday School finishes on Friday 21 December 2018 and reopens on Tuesday 8 January 2019.

Monday 7 January is a teacher training day.

Spring half-term holiday School finishes on Friday 15 February and reopens on Monday 25 February 2019.

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.

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AUTUMN 2018

NEW WEBSITE We have a new federation website: www.svf.org.uk You can find information that is relevant to all three schools on the Our Federation pages, and information relating to each individual school, Sixth Form and Community in the relevant sections.There are also links to: SVF News, SVF Events, SVF Term Dates, SVF Calendar, School Gateway, Vacancies and Contact Our Schools at the top of each page on the website. The new @seatonvalleyfed Twitter is on the homepage and can also be viewed by clicking on the Twitter button at the bottom of every page.

SCHOOL GATEWAY HELPING US TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON EDUCATION Since we launched School Gateway in January 2018 lots of you have registered and downloaded the FREE smartphone app enabling you to receive all your information from school quickly and reliably via email, text and app notifications.

You can now top up your child’s lunch account and pay for school trips and events online, helping you to make and monitor payments at any time and reducing the amount of cash being carried by children on school premises. By using School Gateway you are also helping us to save time and money on administration and paper, allowing us to use the financial savings where they are needed in our schools.

HOW TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE SCHOOL GATEWAY APP Let us know your current mobile number and email address - we need both of these to communicate with you via School Gateway.

The School Gateway app set-up process is simple and will take no more than a couple of minutes: 1. Search for “School Gateway” in the Apple App Store/Google Play or on your phone go to www.schoolgateway.com/apple (Apple) or www.schoolgateway.com/android (Android).

2. Install the app and if you are asked then say yes to “Allow Push Notifications”.

3. When you launch School Gateway for the first time, please select ‘New User’ and enter the email address and mobile telephone number you have registered with the school.

4. The system will send a PIN code to your phone; please enter this PIN code and the app will be activated for you.

As soon as you’ve got the system set up, all of the text messages we send you will appear in the app; you’ll receive notifications/alerts as normal.

If you have any questions about School Gateway please contact us at schoolgateway@svlp.org.uk

COMMONWEALTH CANOPY Astley Community High School and Whytrig Middle School welcomed Ronnie Campbell MP in October as part of The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy tree planting; aimed at preserving native forests across the UK and the Commonwealth for future generations.

Ronnie Campbell MP was given the opportunity to plant some trees in Blyth Valley as part of the initiative and chose the schools’ Elsdon Avenue site as one of the tree planting locations.

Students from Astley and Whytrig met Ronnie Campbell MP to help plant a Silver Birch tree in the schools’ grounds as part of this ambitious conservation project.

AUTUMN 2018

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

CHILDREN IN NEED Thank you to our pupils and staff for raising a brilliant total of £370 for Children in Need with a non-uniform day and cake sale in November.

Mrs McSparron

MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING It has been a very busy first term! Y5 geared up for going away on a residential trip to Broomley Grange – a visit many children further up the school have enjoyed.

A group of Y6 pupils had the chance to spend a night away on the ocean (well the North Sea!) aboard the ‘James Cook’, courtesy of the Ocean Youth Trust. Some Y7s have been to Wilderness School every week, doing outdoor learning and being taught new skills that will stay with them forever, and Y8 have taken up the mantle of being the oldest and most responsible pupils in school. Many of them are prefects and have immersed themselves in this role, being fully involved and working daily on activities and events.

The new children have settled in really well and are already proving to be a credit to our school and their families.

Thank you for supporting our Christmas Fair and our Christmas show, “When Santa Got Swept up the Chimney”. Lots of hard work from everyone involved made these events very successful.

In September we hosted another successful ‘Macmillan Big Coffee Morning’. We were overwhelmed by the generosity of our pupils, their families and our staff for the donations of cakes, biscuits and scones.

Some of our Y8 prefects were on hand to help serve the tea and coffee. A steady stream of parents, carers and grandparents, as well as members of the local community enjoyed tea and coffee, as well as their sweet treats and a good natter. The best part of all was finding out that we had raised £325 for Macmillan Cancer Support – a very worthwhile cause.

Mrs McSparron

THE GREAT SMSS FUN RUN 2018 This year saw the closest-ever Seaton Sluice Middle School Fun Run. Over 350 participants braved the elements during the 7km run and it was a sight to behold, with many children and staff unrecognisable in fancy dress.

Best Wishes,

Mrs Lindley CHRISTMAS FAIR We held our annual Christmas Fair on 22 November to raise money for our school.

This year we had the added bonus of extra help from our newly formed PTFA. We also had lots of outside stallholders selling books, jewellery, cosmetics, sweets, toys and lots more as well as the usual tombolas, raffle and children’s games. The café was particularly popular where Mrs Allison was selling a range of tasty Christmas treats. A good time was had by all and we raised in excess of £1,500. Many thanks to all involved and Happy Christmas!

Mrs McSparron

First across the finish line was Y8 student Joseph who finished in 27 minutes and 26 seconds, beating Mr Elliott by one second!! Samantha was the first girl home. It is one of the main fundraising events in the SSMS calendar and the money is used to subsidise events happening in school such as end of term treats.

Mr Elliott has also been running a ‘Morning Mile’ club, which encourages pupils to have a run before school. It is on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, leaving the Astley Arms at 8.15am – a great way to start the day.

Mrs Lindley

AUTUMN 2018

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LEARNING ABOUT THE POLICE FORCE The horses’ and officers’ duties The mounted police are often seen in town centres, especially at this time of year when crime can rise during the run up to Christmas. They act as a deterrent for anyone who thinks they can commit a crime and get away with it – the horses will be after you!

They are often used as crowd control at football matches or street parades. Usually these events run smoothly but occasionally the horses need to break up violent clashes of rival fans or organisations.

In November we were honoured to play host to two Northumbria Police horses, and their handlers.

The officers answered questions from the pupils about the day-to-day care and duties of the horses, duties of the police officers and about careers in the police force. We all learned many interesting facts.

About the horses The horses are specially chosen for their quiet temperament and their ability to withstand crowds and loud noises and they have to endure rigorous tests before they can become a police horse.

When they do pass this series of tests they are then given their police horse name. The dark brown horse was named Petronas and the chestnut horse Phoenix. The horses usually have a diet of hay with occasional added supplements to aid their well-being.

They do not give them high energy food as they need the horses to stay calm.

The police force use horses in these situations as the officers have the advantage of being up high and can radio colleagues if they spot potential hazards or trouble in large crowds. Horses are also very useful if a criminal is trying to escape arrest and run off down narrow roads and pathways. The horses can easily outrun most criminals.

Careers in the police force Northumbria Police’s website has lots of information on how to join the police (not just the mounted police). The police cadets are a good way to get into the police force and you could easily find out if this is the right career path for you. In the not too distant future, they are bringing out a job specific degree, which will work similarly to an apprenticeship but with the added bonus of a degree at the end of the course. For details of this and other information have a look at their website: http://www.northumbria.police.uk/ Mrs Long

SSMS REMEMBERS 2018 A Remembrance Art Installation Inspired by the Tower of London, and the installation at Woodhorn Colliery in 2015, Y8 pupils at SSMS decided to create their own installation to mark Remembrance Day 2018 and raise money for charity.

Every child in Y8 created a unique, handcrafted ceramic poppy. They were all hung as part of an installation in school throughout October and the start of November.

Miss Gibson, Head of Art at SSMS, said: “The children’s poppies represent military fatalities during the war. Our powerful visual commemoration is not only a beautiful display but also a location for personal reflection.”

In the week leading up to Remembrance Day, the poppies went on sale to the rest of the school to raise money for The Royal British Legion.

Ruby, a Y8 pupil and Art Prefect, said: “We thought it was incredibly important to support this charity.”

Hannah, also an Art Prefect, commented: “I loved making them – especially knowing it was all for a good cause.”

Remembrance Assembly On 9 November 2018, SSMS held a Remembrance Assembly in honour of all those who have died in conflict since World War One. Y8 pupils conducted the majority of the assembly which began with footage from the WW1 battlefields. The pupils outlined the reasons WW1 started and described the harshness of life in the trenches. They presented information about the poet John McCrae, the author of ‘In Flanders Fields’. Some pupils had written their own responses to the poem and then the whole year group recited the poem in full. Other pupils presented poems they had written in response to other wars such as the current conflict in Syria.

Mrs Smith, Resources Assistant, said:“I am so impressed by the dedication and maturity that the children have shown. The installation has created a big impact and is a huge talking point across the school.”

At 11am there was a two minute silence and pupils reflected on all those who have been or who are affected by war around the world.

Miss Gibson

Mrs McSparron

AUTUMN 2018

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

HEXHAM HEROES Y5 returned exhausted but triumphant from their three day residential trip to Dukeshouse Wood. They had an absolute blast engaging in a variety of high-adrenaline activities, getting to know one another better and getting to know themselves better too!

We have had an excellent Autumn Term so far, with our new Y5 pupils settling into life at Whytrig very well.

The children have experienced the usual range of visits, sporting events, visitors into school, clubs and theme days, which ensure they get a broad and balanced curriculum offer.

The 2017-18 academic year was one that ended with quite mixed feelings for those involved with the school. The outcome of the inspection in June was not what we wanted; our end of Key Stage 2 results in July were good and were a significant improvement on the 2017 figures, proving all the work that we had put into place last year did have a positive impact in the areas we were trying to improve. The provision for the personal development and welfare of our children was rated as outstanding by the inspectors, so it was good that the hard work we do in this area was recognised. We have taken actions to ensure that we return to ‘Good’ as quickly as possible.

As a school we have also grown over the summer and have two brand new, purpose built, modern classrooms, which are well equipped and superb places to teach and learn in. Further curriculum developments in Maths Mastery and Oracy across the school will help our children to become more confident in a number of areas, and there are some more exciting projects that we are getting involved in to look forward to as the year progresses. We are very fortunate that we have fantastic children and staff at Whytrig to keep moving in the right direction.

Mr J Souter Children in Need An amazing total of £1,922 was raised by staff and pupils on our Children in Need fundraising day.

Whytrig’s school council came up with lots of fun ways of fundraising to fit in with this year’s theme of “Do What You Love”.

They asked staff to come up with something the grown-ups love, chose something the pupils love and agreed on something everyone loves. So from cooking, biking, dancing and singing to hurling wet sponges at staff and a chocolate tombola, everyone was happy!

Fantastic charity fundraising - thank you!

Mrs McClellan

Despite the fact that several of the children apparently still don’t know how to put a quilt cover on, they’ve learned to climb, fire arrows, build dens, shoot hoops and be hurled through space on the 3G swing. They’ve also learned how to accept defeat graciously as Mrs Mac became the undisputed champion of ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’!

“It was great! My very first residential trip!” said Gwen. Lyla told us, “I’ve overcome my fear of heights!” Jack, the jacket potato monster, asked, “Can I have another dinner? I’ve burned off LOADS of energy!” Mr Souter simply enquired, “Is it nearly bedtime?”

The children were a credit to us and their families as they joined in with total commitment and had a go at everything on offer. From now on, they are ready for anything!

Mrs McClellan

FANTASTIC FUNDRAISING EVENTS Macmillan Coffee Afternoon Thank you to all pupils, staff, parents and carers for supporting our Macmillan Coffee Afternoon in September.

The event was extremely well attended and lots of cakes were enjoyed! Well done to Abigail who won the baking competition with her Cookie Monster creation. The coffee afternoon and non-uniform donations raised a grand total of £508.84 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

AUTUMN 2018

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WORLD WAR ONE CENTENARY COMMEMORATION Whytrig Middle School pupils unveiled their ‘Weeping Wall’ of ceramic poppies on Friday 9 November at an after-school Remembrance event. Y5 pupils organised the commemorations as part of their history topic on World War One. Lots of hard work had gone into producing work to exhibit at the event, which the children shared with their families: songs; stories; pictures; poems and diaries.

The children were especially proud of their hand-made ceramic poppies, which they were busy making during the Autumn Term ready for the WW1 commemoration service. Inspired by the “Weeping Windows” at the Tower of London and Woodhorn, they created their own ‘Weeping Wall’, which was on display in the lead up to Remembrance Day and provided a focal point for shared reflection.

Art teacher, Mrs Lawton, who co-ordinated the project, said: “The children have worked so hard and have produced some beautiful work. They have raised lots of money for a great cause.”

Mrs McClellan said of the event: “The children have really got involved with this project and have shown a real interest and enthusiasm for the topic. The Weeping Wall was absolutely beautiful. We owe our servicemen and women a great debt and this event, in its own small way, honoured their memories.”

Sale of the poppies, along with cakes and poppy cookies the children had made, raised around £450 for the Royal British Legion.

Mrs McClellan

MATHS PROBLEM SOLVERS It was a pleasure to take four of our Y6 Mathematicians to compete in the National Young Mathematicians’ Awards at Explore Learning in North Shields in November. This year there are 1,240 schools competing across the country, which is the largest entry since this competition started.

Winners from this round compete again in a second round in December, where five teams will be selected to compete against each other at Cambridge University in January 2019!

Our team competed with four other local schools, solving a problem set by NRICH around patterns of number that can be made with dice. The aims were quite simple: to use mathematical knowledge and skills to work on a problem, to work as a team and to be able to communicate solutions and reasoning to others. The teams had to work on the investigation on their own, and were not allowed to communicate with their teachers in that time! It was very challenging, but fun nonetheless.

Explore Learning were excellent facilitators for the event and their aim is to support children to become ‘fearless learners’; not being afraid to make mistakes or give things a go – something which our children excelled in. We look forward to finding out the results in due course and hopefully a place in the next round!

Mr Souter

ENGINEERS OF THE FUTURE On Wednesday 7 November, Whytrig Y7 attended Nissan’s annual schools engineering event with great success. They participated in an engineering workshop that focussed on Nissan’s developing technology, such as automatic vehicles and electric cars. It also looked at engineering as a career and how engineering is relevant in our daily lives.

The engineering challenges involved everyone, and they got very competitive. The paper tower building challenge was won by Luis, Ben, Hassan and Matthew with a triumphant 71cm. The visit was rounded off by an exciting tour of the Trim and Chassis shop floor, which was fascinating as always. Pupils asked very interesting questions and were astounded at seeing a car develop from a metal shell into a fully functioning vehicle! A great time was had by all, with exemplary behaviour from all pupils.

Mrs Campbell

AUTUMN 2018

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

REMEMBRANCE DAY On Friday 9 November, Astley students took part in Remembrance activities to pay their respects to those who have served and continue to serve our country.

A REALLY POSITIVE START TO THE YEAR! Returning to school in September on the back of some very good examination results was a fantastic feeling and the positive atmosphere at Astley has continued.

All students took part in an oracy tutorial session which asked them to contribute verbally to some thought provoking questions about conflict and war - staff reported that there were some excellent discussions and debates. In addition, assemblies were held for all year groups which included readings, films and key messages particularly related to the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. Students were impeccably behaved and respectful throughout.

Mr Scott

There have been some great activities for students to participate in and they have been a credit to our school in the Autumn Term. Lots going on, but the highlights for me have been appointing the Senior Students and Sports Ambassadors, the expansion in the variety of clubs and visits that have been offered to students and the continued welcoming and friendly nature of our school.

Our students are achieving, engaged, happy and safe - what more can you ask. Keep up the great work everyone!

Mr Scott STORY & RHYME TIME As part of working towards gaining the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award, a group of our Sixth Form students run fun and interactive Story & Rhyme Time Sessions every Monday from 9.30-10.00am in Seaton Valley Library (term-time only). The sessions are suitable for babies, toddlers and pre-school children. Come along and join in the fun!

Mrs Lloyd

RECYCLING Recycling has become an integral element within our school community here at Astley. Blue recycling bins are placed in each faculty and designated students are supported by staff to collect all the waste paper gathered over the preceding week or fortnight.

Collection usually takes place on a Friday afternoon. All our staff and students are actively engaged in trying to reduce our paper wastage and recognise the importance of recycling. For some students, participation in the recycling programme forms part of a nationally recognised qualification and is a positive citizenship attribute promoted by the school.

Ms Da Prato and Ms Keenan

PINK BOXES Periods are a normal part of life; however they remain a taboo subject. This perhaps inhibits open discussion about how best to support girls having their periods.

Over the past 12 months there have been reports in the media of school girls routinely missing school because they were unable to afford menstrual products. For some families period products can be an expense that is difficult to meet. There are several other reasons why girls may not have access to period products e.g. when they are getting their period for the first time; if they have erratic periods; girls who are not comfortable talking to their parents about having their periods.

At Astley, we care about getting it right for every child and we recognise the needs of our female students. We have placed pink boxes (donated by Ikea Gateshead) in all form tutors’ classrooms, and in the pastoral, main and finance offices.

Girls can take what they need, whether that’s enough to see them through the rest of the school day or their entire period – without having to ask.

The Lakes and Dales kindly donated £200 which enabled us to stock the boxes, members of staff also donated products. We welcome donations from families, which can be dropped into the main school office.

Mrs Dowson

AUTUMN 2018

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OH WE DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE……

When you think of the beach one thinks of building sandcastles, having a picnic and eating ice cream. Unfortunately, this was not to be the case for the Y13 A Level Biologists!

In the Summer Term they had been studying different aspects of ecology and it was time to put theory into practice. On a cold September day, we visited St Mary’s Lighthouse where we carried out several studies either side of the lighthouse including measuring the height and width of limpets on the beach. The students will not be able to look at a limpet in the same way again! We finished the day by doing an ecological survey at Seaton Sluice beach. However, the best was yet to come - analysing all the data!

Despite the cold, windy day we are confident the students benefitted from the field trip in helping to prepare for their A Level examination in June.

Mr Pallas and Mrs Pawsey

‘OTHELLO’ AT THE NORTHERN STAGE Y12 and Y13 English Literature students went to the Northern Stage this week to watch a new stage version of Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello to support their study of the text.

It was a great performance from the English Touring Theatre with minimal costumes and staging but maximum emotion and drama.

‘Othello’ himself was played with arrogance and assurance by Victor Oshin but by the end of the play we all agreed feeling pity and sympathy for him as he spiralled into chaos under the wicked manipulation of Iago. Highlights were certainly the excellent characterisation of Roderigo and most definitely the raucous party scene in Cyprus which will be difficult to forget!

Mrs Cubley

FUTURE CHOICES Sixth Form students enjoyed a visit to the UK University and Apprenticeship Fair at St James’ Park in October.

The event gave students the opportunity to meet a whole host of universities, higher education institutions and apprenticeship providers from all over the UK including: 3AAA Apprenticeships, The Anchor Trust, The British Army, Channel 4, Edinburgh Napier University, Morrisons, Northumbria Police, Sheffield Hallam University, Target Careers, TDR Training and The Northern School of Art. Friendly staff dispensed vital advice and guidance and students came away with knowledge that will support them to make informed decisions about their future.

SENIOR STUDENTS

Y13 student Charlotte said: “There were good practical demonstrations and loads of choice to help people make their minds up about what they want to do with their future.”

For more information visit: https://www.ukuniversitysearch.com/ Mr Drought

AMAZING AMOUNTS RAISED Our Senior Students play a vital role in the life of our Sixth Form and the school in general. They work closely with staff and students in the lower school to help improve the school. They are role models and ambassadors for our school, and their positions carry a high level of prestige. Students apply for the positions of Senior Students whilst in Y12, and go through a rigorous interview and selection process.

Mr Ironside

Students attended school in non-uniform on 28 September in return for a £1 charity donation in support of our Macmillan Cake Sale.

Lots of delicious cakes and treats were on sale at break time and as a result of both activities a brilliant total of £711.24 was raised.

All proceeds to Macmillan Cancer Support. Astley also raised £421 for Children in Need from the non-uniform day on 16 November.

Thank you to all students, staff, parents and carers for supporting our charity events.

Mrs Gannon

AUTUMN 2018

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SVF SPORTS ROUND UP HELLO FROM YOUR SPORT AMBASSADORS We are the head sport ambassadors for Astley High School.

We decided to apply for the role to encourage people to enjoy PE and get involved in sports opportunities.

What we hope to achieve in our role is that pupils of Astley High School enjoy PE in all aspects. As PE ambassadors we have so far performed a few jobs such as showing off our PE department to the prospective Y9 pupils on open evening and have helped out at a School Games event held at Astley. If you have any questions about PE and clubs or any suggestions to make, we will be around school so feel free to approach us.

By Sydney and Alexandra

THUNDER IN THE VALLEY WMS WINS AGAIN We saw an absolutely amazing effort by Whytrig KS2 pupils on Friday 9 November at Sport Central, Newcastle, as they competed in the Thunder in the Valley basketball competition. Teams competed in three mini leagues, with the winners of each and the best runner up playing in the semi-finals. This all took place before the Newcastle Eagles game, with the Thunder in the Valley final taking place at half time.

As the defending champions from the last two years, the pressure was on us more than ever, but our children competed superbly.

Whytrig 1 played 4, won 3, drew 1 and lost 1; Whytrig 2 played 4 and won 4 to qualify for the semi-final as one of the group winners.

They won their semi-final, despite a few nervy moments, to set up a rerun of last year’s final against Northburn Primary School.

At the Newcastle Eagles game half time interval, on the full court in front of all the spectators, Whytrig 1 beat Northburn PS for the trophy, with a single deciding basket scored by Harry Lord, a repeat of the score 12 months ago!

A great conclusion to a superb evening of basketball, with our children showing that they were great ambassadors for our school, even without such a fantastic result! The trophy was presented at the Seaton Valley Sports Awards on 21 November by Eagles player, #44 Rahmon Fletcher!

Mr Souter

ENGLAND VS NEW ZEALAND TRIP

The school trip to the England versus New Zealand match was very good. Everybody was well behaved and enjoyed the trip. We all showed interest and our thoughts on the referee’s skills. The two hour journey to and from Leeds didn’t seem to take that long.

In conclusion, our trip to the England vs New Zealand match was enjoyable and we would like to go again.

Callum and Rowan

Natalie and Casey, and Callum and Rowan report on a recent trip to watch a rugby international between England and New Zealand.

Years 8, 9, 10 and 11 went on a trip to Leeds Road Stadium to watch England vs New Zealand Rugby League. This was their third game. England won two games out of three and were the overall winners. During half-time free hats were thrown to the crowd and most of Astley got one. At the end of the game we got to meet the players and get photos with them.

Natalie and Casey

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AUSSIES MEET ASTLEY, WHYTRIG AND SEATON SLUICE The name of the visiting team was Toowoomba Warriors; they are from Australia and came to Astley on the 9 October.

Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and Sixth Form were involved in training and an afternoon rugby tournament between local schools (Churchill and John Spence).

Y10 and Y11 won both of their games. In the training sessions we did passing drills, tackling techniques and we learnt the ‘hakka’.

We enjoyed meeting new people from different cultures and seeing how rugby is played around the world.

By Casey and Natalie

ASTLEY NETBALL MADE A GREAT START The Y10 netball team won their first two matches. First we played against Ponteland at home.

They are a very strong team and we have never managed to beat them before, but we won this game 8-6 and the player of the match went to Sophie. Then we went to Duchess School in Alnwick and came out with a 17-1 win, even though we were missing key players to our team. Emilea got player of the match in this game. We’ve had a good start to the season and hope it continues.

The Y9 team made a good start and the team is starting to establish itself. After a very tough game against Ponteland, the dedicated players showed resilience and trained hard before a much improved performance against Duchess.

By Sophia and Emelia

U16 GIRLS FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

NETBALL SUCCESS CONTINUES

The first part of the Under 16 football tournament was held at John Spence School in October.

The Astley netball success story continued through the Autumn Term for Y9 and Y10.

Overall the team played well, we won one game and were very close to a tie in our other game. Three of the five goals we scored came from Ellie and the other two from Caitlyn. We all enjoyed playing and contributing to our team’s success and seeing our team win is a great thing to experience. We also know how to improve in our next tournament. If anyone would like to be involved all you have to do is come to practice with the team on Tuesdays straight after school until around 4pm.

A tense 5-5 draw for Y9 against Bedlington Academy on 20 November was followed by their best performance yet scoring ten goals against Ashington Academy on 29 November. Our Y10s reached netball goal scoring highs. The girls beat St Benet Biscop 17-0 on 15 November, only to follow this with a 21-3 win against Bedlington Academy on 20 November and Sophie breaking her personal goal scoring record with 18 goals!

Just when you thought they couldn’t get any better, they beat Ashington 25-0 on 29 November, smashing their previous goal scoring record of 21!

Well done to our Y9 and Y10 netballers.

By Kelsey-Ann

DANCE CITY DANCE WORKSHOP

Mrs Hewitson

In October, Geoff from Dance City came to deliver an amazing dance workshop.

It was based on contemporary dance. We did a lot of interesting exercises such as jump phases, floor phases, travelling phases and more! I particularly enjoyed the travelling and floor phases because I found it very energising. I was excited for the other students to have a taste of what we do at Dance City.

By Eve

For updates on our sports results please visit: www.svf.org.uk or follow us on Twitter: @seatonvalleyfed