STUFF
Dear Everyone,
Dear Parents & Guardians,
Merry Christmas, everyone!
What a long but action-packed and busy term we have just completed.
A huge well done to all the students (and parents) who have had 100% attendance this term. Given the number of winter bugs that have been going around, that is a very impressive achievement.
What a fantastic term we have had. The school has felt as busy as always, and we have been treated to an exceptional school show recently. Well done to all those involved in ‘High School Musical’, which was fantastic. This term has also been filled with numerous music and sporting performances. This week it was wonderful to welcome back many former students to receive their GCSE and A-level certificates in our Year 11 and 13 Awards Evening. It was lovely to hear what they are all doing now, and great to see so many familiar faces. Thank you also to our school Choir for a beautiful Carol Service at St. Dunstan’s on Tuesday evening; that was a perfect way to end our term and prepare for Christmas.
Well done to all Year 7 and 12 students who joined SJB last September. You have settled in well and made a positive early impression on the staff.
Throughout Advent, the students have understood the message and meaning behind each candle we light. Hope, Faith, Joy, and Peace have each been prayed for, and we all eagerly await the lighting of the final candle representing Purity on Christmas Day. Given the seemingly neverending conflict the world appears to be in, there can be no better cause than praying for Hope, Faith, Joy, and Peace in the World.
With the theme of Hope, thank you, everyone, for your incredibly generous donations to the annual Christmas hampers this year. You are always so generous; however, this year was a record-breaking amount! The chapel was packed to the brim with donations from you all, and they have been delivered to each charity. Mrs Arfield has written more inside our magazine. I want to acknowledge Patrick Healy in Year 10, who delivered a whole carload of gifts towards the Year 10 appeal.
Since writing at the end of last term, we have some more SJB baby news. Mrs Ellis welcomed baby Edward, and Miss Cavell is expecting her baby any day. When I next write to you at the end of the February half-term, I will undoubtedly have some more SJB baby news for you.
The end of term brings some sadness as we say goodbye to Mrs Grundy, who leaves us after five brilliant years at SJB. Mrs Grundy is leaving the profession to start new ventures and to spend more time with her baby boy, Joseph.
This term the Sixth Form students produced our brand new school podcast SJBuzzin. In the new year we will be exploring ways of broadcasting this podcast more widely but for now you can listen to the first episode here.
Once again, thank you all for your continued support. From all of us at SJB, we wish you a wonderful Christmas filled with laughter and prayer. We look forward to welcoming your children back in the new year.
God bless.
James Granville Hamshar
Headteacher
YEAR GROUP ROU N D UP YEAR 7
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and Year 7 are excited and exhausted in equal measure. No wonder! They have hurtled through their first term at SJB: learning, playing, laughing, singing, cheering and celebrating.
It has been an extraordinarily busy 4 months and they have come so far since those first nervous days. Maps have been discarded and ties have been mastered. Homework has been submitted and lost property found. They are fully fluent in all things iPad and House points and Nominations have flooded in. Star badges continue to be earned and worn with pride.
For me, this term has had many highlights. The Year 7 theme is ‘belonging’ and the Reflection days were approached with openness and enthusiasm. It was a joy to stand back and watch the children really making an effort to engage with their classmates; the start of many new and lasting friendships. Our Year 7 Mass and Meet the Tutor event was a delightful evening, bringing our community and families together with God.
Super Form has been hotly contested, we started with a quiz but quickly moved on to football. The girls were ‘lioness’ worthy and the boy’s tournament truly nail biting! It was so close penalty shootouts were needed to decide who got to the finals. The goalies and the penalty takers showed great resilience, rising to the pressure and doing their best for their team. Their support for one
another was incredible. Next term we continue with more opportunities, to inch ever closer in an attempt to secure the coveted Year 7 Super Form trophy.
Our ‘Good Manners Award’ throughout Advent has seen huge numbers of children nominated by staff for outstanding politeness and positivity. In a world of increasing virtual interactions, being able to greet others and hold a conversation is a skill that Year 7 will continue to champion and develop.
Parents, with your support, Year 7 have made a fabulous transition. Thank you for your trust and cooperation this term.
Year 7, you have had a superb start to SJB and continue to make me proud. I hope that you now take time to get outside for fresh air and exercise, stay inside and watch movies, read books and relax in your pyjamas…… mostly rest and spend time with your loved ones.
I ‘ho ho hope’ that you have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year!
By Mrs Alder
YEAR 8
It has been a fantastic first term for our Year 8s, with highlights ranging from being tour guides on open evening, to extracurricular clubs and sports fixtures, and compiling our Christmas hampers for the residents of Kingsleigh Care Home; it really has been a busy term!
Inspired by the Olympic Games in the Summer, we started the year by welcoming Year 8 back as the new Torchbearers of SJB. They have taken this new role in their stride, embracing the responsibility of touring visitors around the school day-to-day and at our Open Evening in October. Hundreds of prospective students and parents were able to experience the magic of SJB for one evening thanks to the generosity of our brilliant Year 8s. We were so proud of how they represented both themselves and the school.
The Year 8s really have made a great start to the school year, earning over 48,000 house points so far. A special mention must go to 8SRE who won the ‘Top Nominated’ competition of the first half term which saw them enjoy a tasty celebration! On top of this, we have loved watching the Year 8s participate in so many extra-curricular endeavours - a number of our sports teams have enjoyed numerous successes, and several Year 8s took to the stage to put on a phenomenal performance of High School Musical.
After the well-earned Christmas break, we will be looking forward to our Year 8 Reflection Day at St Dunstan’s Church and of course, the eagerly anticipated residential to North Devon – more information to follow soon!
Finally, we would like to say that we are so proud of every one of our Year 8 students for such a great start to the school year. The number of positive comments and praise that we receive every week really is a testament to your hard work and your commitment to the core SJB values that you fulfil every day. It makes our day to see you so engaged and successful in your lessons and beyond.
You have all earnt this holiday and we hope that you and your families have a restful, peaceful and happy Christmas. See you in the New Year!
By Mr Birch and Miss Turner
YEAR
9
We kicked off the term with great energy and determination, as our focus this year has been on raising the bar and striving for excellence. Students have thrown themselves into their studies, applying themselves with dedication and perseverance across all subjects. Whether it’s through challenging assessments, thoughtful discussions, or collaborative projects, Year 9 has shown they are more than capable of rising to the challenge. Teachers and staff have seen students grow in confidence, and pushing their
academic abilities to new heights. This hard work and drive will undoubtedly set them up for success in the years ahead.
One of the highlights of this term has been the school production of High School Musical. A huge congratulations must go to all the students who took part, from the cast to the crew, for their immense commitment and dedication. The hours of rehearsals, the hard work behind the scenes, and the teamwork displayed were all evident in the fantastic performances that left the audience cheering. Year 9 was fiercely represented forming a huge percentage of the cast and demonstrating their talents outside of the classroom.
As we look towards the new year, Year 9 has some exciting challenges on the horizon. After Christmas, students will begin to think more deeply about their options subjects, as they prepare to make decisions about the subjects they will study for their GCSEs. This is a big step in their academic journey, and it’s important they take the time to consider their strengths, interests, and future aspirations when making these choices. The half-term ahead will be a busy one, It’s a time for Year 9 to stay focused, continue to push for their personal best, and be ready for the exciting opportunities that lie ahead in Year 10.
In conclusion, it has been an incredibly successful and busy term for Year 9. Students have shown what they are capable of, not just in their academic work but also in the wider life of the school. The commitment, effort, and sense of community that have defined Year 9 this year are truly commendable, and I look forward to seeing all the amazing things they will achieve in the year ahead.
Congratulations to all of Year 9 for your hard work and determination. You should be very proud of what you have accomplished, and we can’t wait to see what you achieve next term. Wishing you a lovely, restful Christmas. Mr. Ali.’
YEAR10
Now the longest term of the academic year is behind us, I would like to say a massive well done to every student in Year 10. When we came back in September I asked you to do two things, work hard and be kind. You have done both these things in abundance. As a year group Year 10 have amassed over 37,000 house points, attended a variety of clubs and school trips and I am always in awe of the work ethic you show when I visit your classrooms. You have made an excellent start to your GCSE journeys, and the importance of continuing in the vain you have begun will be vital in bearing fruit throughout the next 18 months.
Pineapples have been awarded, sweet treats have been given out and high attendance has been rewarded. Over the last few weeks the generosity and kindness of Year 10 students and their families has been overwhelming with eh Christmas Hamper collections. Thank you so much for all donations, the difference these will make to the local community who rely on foodbanks, particularly at this time of the year, will be incredible.
Thank you to parents for your continued support and trust. It makes a huge difference to helping us maximise every students potential and giving every student the best deal at SJB.
Year 10, make sure you rest up over the Christmas holidays - you have earnt the break and I wish you and your families an Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
By Mr Hacker
YEAR11
As we wrap up this term, we want to reflect on the resilience and hard work demonstrated by our Year 11 students, particularly during the mock exams. This is an opportunity to celebrate how far they have come and the bright future that lies ahead. The resilience, grit, and determination they have shown throughout this term are a true testament to their character as they take another step toward their final goals.
This term has been filled with achievements across the board. Year 11 students have participated in enriching experiences such as the geography field trip to Barton-onSea and the history trip to York and Durham Castle. They also showcased exceptional talent in the school show, where they were well represented. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and the spirit they bring to our school community.
As we head into the holiday season, we wish you all a joyful and restful Christmas. Year 11, you’ve truly earned this break, and we can’t wait to see what the next term brings!
By Mr Young
This term, Year 12 have successfully completed their first round of key skills sessions. As the year progresses, they will now rotate to focus on either volunteering, sport, or skills blocks. These experiences aim to equip students with valuable skills to enhance their personal statements and prepare for their future endeavours.
Year 12 have also received their first round of monitoring, with many great successes highlighted in their results. It has been wonderful to see their hard work reflected in these achievements.
Beyond academics, Year 12 have been active contributors to the wider school community. They proudly represented the sixth form in the school play and showed their creativity and teamwork by participating in the Sixth Form Bake-Off competition, embodying the true spirit of community.
Looking ahead, we eagerly anticipate the videos from our candidates for Head Boy and Head Girl. The quality of applicants this year has been exceptional, making the selection process incredibly challenging. We are confident that this fantastic year group of students will continue to excel, whether mentoring younger peers or volunteering for events. All these experiences are helping our students in their preparation for their next steps.
By Mr Lenton
YEAR12 YEAR13
What an intense but amazing term we have had! I have been so amazed by your incredible determination, focus and drive this term. I can’t tell you how much I adore being your Head of Year - I feel so lucky to have such a lovely, hard-woring year group. I wish each and every one of you and your families a very Merry Christmas - I know you will want to revise hard for your mocks in January, but please make sure you rest and spend precious time with your families too.
By Mrs Harper
Apple Ambassadors
This term has been an exciting one for the Apple Ambassadors, who continue to lead the way in showcasing how innovative technology enhances learning here at SJB.
Leading Year 7 Training
Our Apple Ambassadors hit the ground running this term by leading iPad training sessions during form time for our Year 7 students. Their sessions ensured that new students felt confident and equipped to make the most of their iPads as part of our digital learning strategy. The Ambassadors demonstrated exceptional leadership skills, delivering clear and effective training while providing invaluable peer-to-peer support.
SJB Featured as a Goodnotes Showcase School
We were thrilled to be launched as a Goodnotes Showcase School earlier this term. SJB was highlighted for how we are using Goodnotes to transform notetaking and independent study across the school. The Apple Ambassadors played a key role in this achievement by promoting best practices for digital workflows and sharing innovative uses of Goodnotes in the classroom. You can read more about this achievement here.
Collaborating with Arbor Developers
Following an inspiring conversation earlier this year with the CEO of Arbor, the Apple Ambassadors have been working closely with Arbor developers to trial a student version of the Arbor app. The feedback provided by the Ambassadors has been instrumental in shaping the development of this platform, ensuring it meets the needs of students both at SJB and beyond.
EEF Research Publication: SJB Students Recognised
We are delighted to share that the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has published the findings of their research project, which SJB was proud to contribute to. During the project, the eloquence and insight of our Apple Ambassadors were specifically praised by the lead
researcher. The trial explored how generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, can support lesson planning for KS3 science. Read the full research findings here.
Meeting with Headteachers: Advocating for 1:1 Devices
The Ambassadors have continued their advocacy for digital learning by meeting with headteachers from other schools to discuss the impact of 1:1 devices. They spoke with enthusiasm and experience, sharing the transformational benefits they have seen first-hand at SJB.
Looking Ahead:
Creating a Committee Showcase Website
The Apple Ambassadors are working on an exciting new project to design a website highlighting the incredible committees at SJB. This platform will showcase the work of our many student-led groups, further strengthening the sense of collaboration and pride in our school community.
Welcoming Rowena Chung to SJB in January
We are already looking forward to welcoming Rowena Chung, a member of the Goodnotes leadership team, to SJB in January. Rowena is flying in all the way from the USA to meet our Apple Ambassadors and see their outstanding work in action. As we prepare to reapply for our Apple Distinguished School status, this visit marks another exciting step forward in SJB’s digital learning journey.
We are incredibly proud of all that the Apple Ambassadors have accomplished this term and cannot wait to see what they will achieve next!
By Miss Atherton
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT SCHOOL TRIPS
English Literature ‘Love Through the Ages’ lecture day
On 12th November, Year 13 English Literature students attended an excellent lecture day to enhance their knowledge for the ‘Love Through the Ages’ exam paper. We had a lovely sunny walk from Waterloo across Westminster Bridge to the venue for the day. The first lecture was from a senior examiner, giving useful insights into what examiners are looking for in essays, and tips on how to achieve the higher marks. The students gained lots of tips to take forward when writing their exam essays.
The next lecture was on the poetry anthology that we study, luckily focused on two poems we had analysed in class the week before: ‘Sonnet 116’ by Shakespeare, and ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ by Robert Burns. The speaker gave some interesting interpretations of both poems which students can apply in their essays.
The third lecture was from Professor Emma Smith, a lecturer at Oxford University. This was a really insightful talk on Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’. There were some particularly interesting ideas about the conventions of Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies, which we have since explored in our revision lessons for the mock exams in January.
Following a lunch break was a lecture on love in the novel, focusing on our set text of ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The teachers found the lecturer spoke too fast for us, but the students seemed to enjoy this one; we must be getting old!
To finish the day we had a poetry reading from poet Owen Sheers. While we don’t study his poetry at A Level, he read one of the GCSE poems students had studied, and performed a range of poems ranging from sharing the voices of army veterans to very personal poems about his daughter. It was a really enjoyable end to the day.
Students and staff had a great day, with lots of helpful ideas to take back to school and apply in our lessons.
By Miss S Renn
A level English language Conference, 20th November, Friends House, Euston
After a busy train journey to London, SJB’s A level English Language students travelled in groups to Euston, to arrive at Friends House, wide-eyed, eager and excited to learn more about our subject.
The lectures began at 10:30, surrounded by teachers and students of English Language from across the land to hear the latest research on a wide variety of topics. The first two lectures discussed the ‘Representation of Gender and sexual identities’ by Dr Aimee Bailey — a popular one from follow up chats with my classmates — and ‘dialect study’ of both past and present, by Dr Rosemary Hall. After a half-hour break, Rebecca Woods took us through ‘An exploration of Children’s input and how children learn to ask questions’.
Leaving us with much to mull over during lunch, we shared thoughts and opinions on what we had learnt that morning. Almost an hour later, we headed back into the main conference room to hear our final two lectures on ‘Spoken genre, informality and language change’ by Dr Robbie Love, finishing with Victoria Turk’s ‘How technology shapes language’.
Exposing us to new concepts and theories, we enjoyed the conference as an opportunity to experience being part of a collective interested and willing to dive into various past and present developments in our language. A big thank you to our teachers for taking us.
By Miss Hanrahan
Spreading Joy Through Our Christmas Hamper Campaign.
This year, our annual Christmas Hamper Collection was nothing short of extraordinary, reflecting the unparalleled generosity of our SJB community. With nearly 3,500 items donated, our campaign has brought light and hope to those who need it most during this festive season.
Christmas Hampers
Each year group supported a specific charity:
• Year 7 collected toys for children at St. Peter’s Hospital.
• Year 8 gathered gifts for elderly residents at Kingsleigh Care Home.
• Years 9 and 10 provided festive food hampers for West End and Bisley Food Banks, as well as St Vincent de Paul food banks.
• Year 11 focused on homeless young people supported by Catch 22.
• Years 12 and 13 gave thoughtful gifts to young adults at Pound House, some of which are experiencing hardship, loneliness or are transitioning from the care system.
We’ve always known how generous and supportive our SJB community is, but this year’s Christmas Hamper Collection brought something even more extraordinary: pure joy. Watching our pupils deliver their gifts was heartwarming—not just because of their generosity, but because of the moment they realised how their individual contributions, when combined, had created an impressive collection destined to make a profound difference for the local charities.
As some charities have begun collecting the donations, the true impact of your kindness is becoming clear. Kingsleigh Care Home shared how deeply moved they were by the donations but also the actions of our Sixth Form students, who didn’t stop at donations—they went further, organizing festive activities and decorating spaces to spread warmth and cheer.
We were also very lucky to have had sponsors this year,
Seymours Estate Agents, who donated pizza vouchers as a reward for the forms collecting the most items.
Thanks to our community, Christmas will be brighter for so many. This act of service embodies the true spirit of the season. Thank you, SJB, for making a difference!
By Mrs Arfield
Year 7 Reflection Day
In October we went to St Dunstan’s Church for our Year 7 Reflection Day. When we got there, we played lots of fun games with our tutors based around the theme of friendship. My favourite activities were the getting to know you activities where we added an adjective in front of our name that related to our personality and one where we spent time drawing portraits of people in our form. In the afternoon we read the parable of the
Good Samaritan and acted out ways that we can show love one another as Jesus did. At the end of the day we had a liturgy in the church and I enjoyed when we all lit candles and put them on the altar to represent the gifts and talents we bring to the community. At the end of the day we all walked back to school with our friends and talked about the fun day we had.
By Sienna Butacci (Year 7)
The school show has always been a highlight of the school calendar for me and ‘High School Musical: On Stage’ really lived up to the magic and has created so many wonderful memories. Every single cast member blew me away with the amount of talent, commitment, and dedication they had which came together to make the most amazing production.
High School Musical
There have been countless long hours choreographing dances, practicing songs, and rehearsing scenes over 10 weeks which has been exhausting and extremely chaotic but also the most rewarding experience. One of my favourite parts of being involved in the school show
is the sense of community, which is created, and this year was no exception. So many beautiful friendships and memories have been made thanks to this amazing show and I hope that the joy we felt whilst performing translated onto the audience.
Behind the scenes, so many people have made this show possible. Art and DT putting together the beautiful sets
to bring East High to life; Miss Dare organising costumes; tech crew ensuring we had lighting, sound, and props; music, especially Mrs Davies, for giving up so much of her time to singing rehearsals; the band who made our show sound spectacular and of course the Drama department, Mrs Phillips, Miss Clark and Mrs Harper for casting, directing, and choreographing.
The show itself really was spectacular. The main characters were casted perfectly and brought this story to life. ‘High School Musical: On Stage’ has been the most wonderful, rewarding, and joyful experience and we hope that everyone who came to see our show enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed creating it.
By Lucy Townley
Madrid & Salamanca
GCSE SPANISH Trip
In October 2024, twenty-two Year 10 and Year 11 students set off on an unforgettable GCSE Spanish trip to Madrid and Salamanca. The experience was full of excitement, learning, and cultural discovery, giving students the chance to immerse themselves in Spanish life, sharpen their language skills, and create
lasting memories. For many, it was their first time travelling without parents, offering an opportunity to grow in independence.
The adventure started in Madrid with a tour of the iconic Santiago Bernabéu stadium, home to Real Madrid. After
exploring the impressive stadium and picking up some Real Madrid souvenirs, the students were given the chance to explore Madrid. After an exciting first day, the group travelled to their accommodation, Residencia Trinitarias in Salamanca, where the real cultural immersion began. Mornings were spent at a local language school, where lessons were taught entirely in Spanish. These sessions provided an invaluable opportunity for students to enhance their understanding of the language and confidence.
The afternoons and evenings were equally engaging, with activities ranging from salsa dancing lessons to guided cultural tours of Salamanca’s historic landmarks, such as the Plaza Mayor and Calle Toro. Visiting these landmarks gave students a deeper connection to Spanish history and culture, which was further enriched by the insights shared by a local Spanish teacher.
Despite the rainy weather, the group’s enthusiasm remained high during trips to the historic towns of Ávila and Segovia. These visits showcased stunning landmarks, including Segovia’s Roman aqueduct, and ended on a sweet note with churros, which students enjoyed together after a day of sightseeing.
The trip wasn’t just about sightseeing. Navigating the streets, interacting with locals, and practising Spanish in real-life situations gave students newfound confidence and independence. Many students have said that the trip was a great opportunity to step outside their comfort zones and embrace new challenges.
The feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive. They loved bonding with friends, immersing themselves in Spanish culture, and improving their language skills in a lively setting. The trip left everyone excited to explore more of Spain in the future.
For Harriet and Ramona (Year 10), one of the trip’s highlights was a scavenger hunt organised by Mrs. Sánchez and Mr. Hacker. The students roamed the streets
of Salamanca, photographing monuments, speaking with locals in Spanish, and competing for fun prizes. For some, winning the scavenger hunt and claiming Mr. Hacker’s pineapple was la guinda del pastel!
For anyone thinking about joining next year’s study trip, students have one clear message: Go for it! Whether it’s learning to salsa dance, indulging in churros, or participating in fun challenges like the scavenger hunt, this is an adventure not to be missed!
By Mrs. K. Grundy
Anti-Bullying Week
November saw us come together to celebrate Anti-Bullying Week with the powerful theme, “Choose Respect”. The week was packed with exciting events and meaningful activities that emphasised the importance of integrity, respect, and love—values that the school promotes all year round.
The week kicked off with two of SJB’s own students, Oliwia and Teagan, taking part in a prestigious event at the UK Parliament. As young ambassadors for the fight against bullying, they spoke passionately about the impact bullying has on young people, asking adults to take a stand to become role models. Their involvement in this important event was a highlight and their interviews after can be viewed on BBC Bitesize here: Watch the video On Tuesday, SJB students embraced the theme of
diversity by participating in Odd Socks Day. This fun and colourful event aimed to highlight the importance of celebrating our differences. Students wore mismatched socks as a symbolic gesture that we are all unique, and the day was filled with creativity and positive energy. Special congratulations to the winners of the Odd Socks competition, who stood out for their creativity and spirit.
Wednesday marked a special occasion for three students— Angelina, Teagan, and Oliwia—who were rewarded with a trip to see the musical Wicked. This well-deserved outing recognised their outstanding contributions to the AntiBullying Alliance’s national campaign. Their hard work has played a pivotal role in raising awareness of bullying in hundreds of secondary and primary schools across England and Northern Ireland, making a real difference in the fight against bullying.
As the week continued, students across the school engaged in more thoughtful activities, reinforcing the theme of Choose Respect. Each form group created compliment paper chains, writing kind words and messages of encouragement for their peers. This simple activity helped to spread positivity and foster a sense of community effervescence. In addition, students
sent postcards to their friends to thank them for being supportive and kind.
SJB’s Anti-Bullying Week was not just a one-off event but a kickstart to a year of activities focused on promoting kindness and respect. The message we want to promote is that: anti-bullying is not just for one week, but an ongoing commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students. To stay updated on the latest anti-bullying initiatives and activities, be sure to follow the school’s dedicated Instagram page, @sjbantibullying.
There is plenty planned for the remainder of the year, including friend-tines, world safer internet day, and a kindness week to keep the message and importance of choosing respect going! Our Anti-Bullying committee this year will be working towards the Diana Award’s Wellbeing award, spreading the message of also choosing respect for yourself as well as others too! The Diana award prides itself in encouraging student-led initiatives that make a difference. SJB’s commitment to “Choose Respect” is a powerful reminder that, together, we can make a difference in the fight against bullying and build a more respectful and supportive school community.
By Miss Duke
Diversity Committee
Here at SJB, we’re committed to inclusivity, and one approach we’ve taken to manage this is through our Diversity committee. Open to all students, we discuss and plan out events and ongoings that support our overarching theme of ‘Celebrating Diversity’. This includes planning and leading Culture Day and key focuses of each term; this first term being Black History month and Movember. It’s a big task, so requires a big effort, and we’d love to see new faces join! If you’re interested in joining our team, please contact Miss Brooks and/or Mrs Ray for more information.
Black History Month
Black History Month was first celebrated in 1987 in the UK, arranged by Akyaaba Addai-Sebo who immigrated to the United Kingdom 3 years prior as a refugee from Ghana. Since its introduction, action has been taken to recognise the influence and importance of Black History.
Sebo aimed to challenge racism and encourage improved awareness in society about the British history of Black people – especially in schools. However, from speaking to other pupils, many feel that the curriculum still fails to provide us with adequate knowledge and awareness of racism and Black history. So, what can we do?
As with any discussion of oppression, whether past or present, the talk of Black history and suffering is often deterred by remarks of a lack of relevance, a battle already won. So, one first step we can take is to encourage these discussions, understanding and learning from one
another. We can have different experiences which are all relevant and valuable, even if not aligned.
Even upon starting this article, my first instinct was to reference the suffering experienced for years on end by Black people, including slavery and the Windrush generation as prominent examples. I’m not able to write this from a perspective based on experience, but instead of witness. The issue of racism hasn’t ended, merely evolved.
Our curriculum provides little mention of Black people in history and even in current times, as our history challenge questions often ask “who may not have benefited” from various historical events, the answer always being either women or Black people. A sub-topic, a brief side-note in our past, where they were often the backbone of our society. As an example, many black sailors fought for Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 but only recently have been acknowledged.
This idea of selective erasure when looking back at our history, however, isn’t something that remains a historical concept. The riots of summer 2024, encouraged arson, looting and racial attacks, all of which have been rarely discussed since. Millions of people didn’t feel safe leaving their homes. The rioters’ reasons lay in their beliefs that immigrants had ‘taken their housing and jobs’. But where did they draw the line at immigrants? Young black people who had been born and raised in the UK didn’t feel safe leaving their homes, but many white immigrants may not have said the same. As a white person with grandparents who immigrated to the UK, I could leave my house as I usually would. But why is it that someone with the exact same family history as me couldn’t be the same because of the colour of their skin?
There is much to be acknowledged within Black history regarding the countless sufferings and losses, however there is also much to be celebrated. Black culture has had a global impact: examples in the Harlem Renaissance, fashion, Civil Rights movements, music and so on. Even our everyday language is heavily influenced by black culture, but on the contrary, much is also weaponised.
An example is the word ‘uppity’, initially used when describing a slave who acted ‘out of their position’, is now less commonly used. It has, however, still cropped up in association with prominent Black members of today’s society. A key example being former Democratic US President Barack Obama. When previous US Republican Representative of the House Lynn Westmoreland was asked in 2008 about his opinion on the Obamas, after claiming he ‘didn’t take much notice of them’, he progressed into referring to them as a ‘member of an elite class individual that thinks that they’re uppity’. When the interviewer repeats his last statement, offering him the chance to revoke it, he merely responds with ‘yeah’. It’s no secret that racism is still thriving in many parts of our world, and the Deep South is often a prime example. Westmoreland, who is from there, later claimed that the dictionary definition of the word had no racist connotations, but as a Southerner himself, his definition of the word was crystal clear.
What have we done as a school?
Throughout October, you may have seen how we as a school implemented celebrations of Black History Month. This included form time activities, posters around the school, instagram posts and hosting an assembly. Thanks to the diversity committee, this was possible for us to achieve — but there is still more to be done.
Black history is too great to be summarised into one article, into one month. It is not just black history but our history, involving and impacting all of us. So, we should approach it with the same willingness we do with any other part of our past. By learning about our past, we can better understand our present, but also teach for our
future.
In an ever-growing world, there’s more research available to us than ever before just at the press of a few buttons. If you’re still not sure where to start, here are some resource recommendations:
- ‘The Windrush Betrayal’ — book by Amelia Gentleman - Museum visits — e.g. the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool
- ‘Black British History: everything you wanted to know’ — Podcast
-‘The Hate U Give’ — fictional book and film
-‘“For too long literature has been defined by one set of people”: writing back to the empire and beyond’ — Guardian article by Ben Okri
Movember
We’re all aware that on average, men in the UK have a lower life expectancy than women. Between 2021-2023, an average of 79.0 years, four years shorter than a woman’s expected 83.0 years 1. You may have heard jokes about how ‘they don’t think things through’, ‘their partners drive them insane’, or ‘they can’t look after themselves properly on their own’.
According to the NHS, suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 50 in the UK, the leading cause of death in the UK for 10–19-year-olds. It’s a widely known fact, yet a rarely discussed one. The aim of Movember is to recognise and change this. 2 in 5 men in the UK admit to struggling with mental health problems 2, if you have a father and a brother, that’s almost half of the total statistic.
The term ‘Toxic Masculinity’ has been thrown around more and more in recent years, now a term that we all recognise and frequently use. But often in the examples of us using it, we reference it as a past occurrence: a past opponent already defeated. The reason as to why Tybalt was such a “saucy boy” according to Lord Capulet, the reason as to why Mr Birling was “not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble”. The reason as to why so many of the male characters present in our literature so often fall to their own demise.
But this impact of a toxic masculine mindset isn’t just a book trope, it’s a reality. In 2023, there were over 6000 suicides reported in England and Wales, around 4500 of which were men 3 — equating to almost three times the size of our whole school community.
Movember isn’t just a month, it’s a charity. The only charity, working year-round on tackling issues with Men’s health: mental and physical, such as prostate and testicular cancer.
So what can we do to help?
For starters, it’s important to have these discussions, to raise awareness where we may have previously underplayed their importance. A physical sign of support, some of you may have seen some participation from staff members, can involve “grow a mo’, help a bro”. That, however, arguably restricts about half of our school community from showing support for Movember. So, for the girls, the support and role of women (or ‘mo sistas’) is equally important. Encourage these conversations with friends and family around you if appropriate, and maybe consider your words before saying them if they can reinforce stereotypical and or insensitive remarks about men.
But what have we already done?
Our school has taken action to spread awareness of Movember, an example being Mr Mander’s room at the front of the school, where you may have seen his various posters about Movember. This is not a new feature for his room, as whilst having him as my form tutor last year, he did the same and encouraged our interest and involvement.
Throughout the year, I had been inspired by his continuous discussion of mental health and its importance. It was different to the PSHE sessions we’d been used to; it wasn’t through the same ten slides many of us have grown tiresome of, containing various celebrities and their struggles with mental health, followed by slides of advice on what to do and who to talk to. It was a conversation, between teacher and students, where we were told personal experiences from when he was our age. It was one of the few times I felt that the wall between staff and students had been broken in these conversations,
where often to many of us, it can feel forced. And it was inspiring to see, as these conversations continued and became more frequent occurrences during our form times across the year, I looked around and could see how many of us — but especially some of the boys — became more interested, more involved. They felt comfortable, for what seemed to be one of the first times in a school environment, to discuss the pressures and challenges they faced.
From this experience, I realised that the support the school offers isn’t just so that they can ‘tick off the box’ for another requirement they’ve now fulfilled. It’s a genuine attempt at building the bridge between students and success.
In a school environment, it’s easy to become overwhelmed as you feel swamped by work and responsibility, where each year you wish you could go back to the ‘simplicity’ of the one before. But it’s important to remind yourself that every challenge and struggle you’ve already faced, you’ve already overcome.
You’re strong on your own, but we’re stronger together. Support in school:
- HOY/AHOY
- School Chaplain — Mrs Hodgeson
- Here to help app on your iPad
- Form Tutor
- Teacher you trust
- Member of SLT
- Mrs Swann – School Counsellor
By Sophia Woolley and illustrations by Ella Dai
Carrers @SJB
The Autumn term at SJB has been packed with exciting opportunities for our students to explore potential careers and future pathways. Our Year 10 students kicked off the term with a visit to the Festival of Skills at Surrey Sports Park, where they gained insights from educators regarding Post-16 options and future careers from employers from a huge variety of industries including Property and Construction, Cyber Security, Gaming, Legal Services - the list went on! We look forward to attending again next year.
In Year 11, half of the students have now had their oneon-one careers guidance meetings with Mrs. Drury, our dedicated careers advisor, with the rest scheduled to meet next term. The students have found this incredibly helpful and informative.
This term Year 8, 11, 12, and 13 have had the opportunity to focus on Careers during their weekly PSHE lessons. With each one of the sessions developing skills vital for their futures. During their PSHE lessons, Year 11 students had the opportunity to hear from external speakers about different Post 16 pathways, including apprenticeships and vocational college routes. If you would like to read more about the Careers PSHE provision, you can read this on the school website on the tab ‘Careers Education and Guidance’.
Year 12 and 13 students have had a number of events this half term, including the fantastic Apprenticeship Evening, organised by Mrs. Risman. It was inspiring to see so many ex-students sharing their journeys and pathways into a vast range of apprenticeships post-SJB. The 6th Form were further supported by webinars run by Investin, covering careers in Banking, Medicine, and Law, helping them plan their next steps, gaining insight as to how to gain experience in these fields. If your child missed the live stream, they can access the recordings here. Meanwhile, our Year 13s have been busy preparing for UCAS applications, with personal statement writing workshops and Mock Interview Evenings on the 12th of
November and 4th of December. These mock interviews, conducted by a panel of three employers, provided invaluable experience and insight into the interview process. The feedback from both employers and students was overwhelmingly positive, with employers praising the students’ effort, enthusiasm, and talent.
A huge thank you to our SJB community for dedicating their time to make these events such a success; we are so appreciative of your time and efforts.
We look forward to more exciting opportunities in the new year, including from McLaren and their STEM ambassadors.
By Miss Paling
Prior to the mock interview evening you are allocated a panel who will conduct the interview and the time it will take place. The panel is designed to match you with panellists who either work or are connected in some way to the industry you want to pursue/subject you want to study further at university. I am an aspiring physiotherapist and want to work in healthcare, so my panel was comprised of a practicing physiotherapist, speech language pathologist and a careers representative who worked for the NHS. The panellists were encouraging and friendly. After the interview they provided some constructive criticism, which was great as it was detailed and relevant to me specifically studying physiotherapy. Having participated in the mock interview evening it has improved my confidence ahead of upcoming interviews required as part of my application to university. It has also allowed me to gain more interviewing experience helping me to refine my interviewing techniques allowing me to excel in future interviews.
By James Mangold - Year 13
Year 11 HISTORY TRIP BERLIN
During the October half-term, 30 Yr 11 students went to Berlin to strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the Cold War, which we have been learning for our GCSE’s. Having the privilege to go to Berlin really helped us as students to enrich what we already know and, as we knew a lot about the Cold War already, made this trip even more enjoyable and memorable.
We started our day by getting off the plane in Berlin. After we arrived at the airport, we went straight to the hostel where we checked in and dropped off our luggage. We had done a lot of travelling that day, so we got a little something to eat, then we headed to the Brandenburg Gate. The Brandenburg Gate is Berlin’s most famous landmark, it was symbol of division between east and West Berlin during the Cold War. The gate represents both division and reunification, as it is now a symbol of peace and unity. After this we then went back to the accommodation where we had dinner and free time.
On the next day we woke up early, had breakfast and went straight to the Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum. Here we had a 2-hour guided tour. We looked at the memorial to the murdered victims of Nazi persecution and looked around the concentration camp which included where the prisoners slept and what they ate. After this we went to see Hitler’s bunker (which is now a car park!) We then had free time and lunch. Plus, we also got to see the remainder of the Berlin Wall and were given an amazing talk about the Berlin Wall by our tour guide, who recollected how the Berlin Wall was built to prevent the West from having further influence on the East. It also stopped the flow of migrants out of the communist half of the city (East Berlin). The Wall ultimately became one of the most iconic images of the Cold War in Europe all the way up until it was knocked down in 1989. After this we went for the Palace of Tears, which was a former border crossing point between East and West Berlin (and was in operation between 1962 and 1989). The palace is now a museum with exhibitions about Berlin during the Cold War period and about the process of German reunification. We ended our tour by going to the DDR museum which has a collection of exhibitions which depict life in the
former East Germany. After a long and informative day we headed back to the hostel where we had dinner, then we ended our evening by going bowling.
On our last day, we went to the Reichstag. The Reichstag is an important historic legislative government building which also elects the president of Germany. Overall, the trip was a memorable and an invaluable experience and we would recommend any GCSE history student to go. We had such a great time and it was really enjoyable, plus it really helped develop our knowledge and understanding of the Cold War.
By Emily O’Brien 11ED
INDUSTRY DAY Year 10
On Thursday 17th December, Year 10 DT students participated in an immersive day of industrystyle experience. The day focussed on three areas of the design industry: fashion design, graphic design and structural engineering design, all under the umbrella of a Fashion Show. Ex-student Elee Direito came to support and judge the event having taken DT in GCSE, A Level and now at Loughborough University completing a BA Product Design degree. This day enabled the students to gain a greater understanding of careers within the design/creative industry, see what goes into event production, a chance to collaborate as part of a team and communicate with different members to ensure smooth project management, working to time constraints, being given creative license and presentation skills.
Split into three sessions, students worked in teams of 6-7 to design and create an outfit from simple materials such as newspaper, and this was to be worn as part of a fashion show at the end of the day, produce a graphic poster to advertise the event: ‘Sustain-a-Ball’ and create a scale version of the catwalk the models would walk down to be
tested for structural integrity.
Before the big day, Year 10s were given packs and inspiration to look at and completed some preparation work to bring along to the event. After a briefing the students were placed into groups of which roles were discussed and assigned and then they all set to work, planning their designs. Working to quite a tight schedule it was lovely to see the buzz in their air, with discussions on design, construction and problem solving.
By lunch all work had to be completed and the Year 10s gathered again together to present their work. Students were able to look at the graphics posters and gave feedback to each other on their favourite designs. The catwalks were then tested to see if it can hold a 1kg weight for 10 seconds, which some did buckle and crash under pressure! Lastly the finale of the fashion show itself. Madonna’s Vogue pumping in the background, the students walked the catwalk to resounding cheers and applause. What was lovely was to see the variety of outfits and designs produced and fun that was had doing so.
Winners of the day were Jennifer Lalka and Nataniel Studniewski’s poster design winning because their design combined an interesting cut and paste hand creation mixed with Photoshop design. In the catwalk structure building, Tomas Kowal, Daniel Maloney and Niamh Molloy won for catwalk hitting all specifications without any defects or deflections, holding the weight and looking good and lastly, Haley McAtamney and Seb Batorski’s flamboyant and avant-garde dress creation stole the show with frills combined with fan technique to fit and flare, creating movement and pizazz!
I would like to say a massive thank you to Mr Mander, who designed the whole day, creating the concept, planning and coordination of it. Timings were thought through and
the industry activities created, through Mr Mander’s own experience in industry, helped the students to experience real-life problem solving.
By Mrs Ray
The Arkwright Engineering Scholarship is a coveted 2-year scholarship which is widely respected by academia and industry across the UK. The Scholarship are administered and partly funded by the Smallpeice Trust, the UKs largest STEM educational charity, as well by external sponsors. These include a range of industrial and commercial companies, charitable trusts, professional engineering organisations, universities, trade associations, the Armed Services, schools, and personal donors.
On offer are two scholarship pathways under the Arkwright Engineering Scholarship:
• A Smallpeice Trust funded virtual scholarship
• An externally sponsored scholarship
If our students are successful in gaining the prestigious scholarship, the key benefits for them are that they receive:
• Exclusive virtual and in-person events run by companies, universities and trade associations. These give the scholars insight into different sectors of industry and academia and a chance to network with other scholars.
• Mentoring with a professional engineer who can provide advice and guidance about their future study and career development.
• Financial reward if they receive an externally sponsored scholarship to spend on STEM related activities or STEM equipment.
At the end of year 10 we had an Arkwright Liaison Officer who came to speak to the group about the scholarship and opportunities and we’re extremely pleased to tell you that this year the DT department have entered our students for the Scholarship programme for 2025: Lucas Blagden, George Denishev, Carolina Gamlin, Alban Thomas, Hugo Schloze and Adam Townsend.
All students have put in their written applications which involved completing a personal STEM project over the summer holidays. This ranged from creating a carbon fibre remote control plane, a 3D Printed robotic spider, to an AI facial recognition software. On Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd November, the students had to complete the Arkwright’s rigorous aptitude test, which tested them on numerical reasoning, spatial reasoning, mechanical reasoning and structural engineering. They will be scored
both on their application and the test results, and if they pass these stages, the students will be put through to an interview in January or February. Following this interview, if the students meet the Arkwright standard, they will match them to a sponsoring organisation that will enable them to award them with the Arkwright Engineering Scholarship in September 2025.
If you are a current Year 10 student, and are interested in Engineering and this scholarship, you can find out more about the process of applying in the summer term. We are so excited for all our candidates and wish them the very best of luck for the next stage.
Mrs Ray
ECO Committee
This autumn, we enthusiastically launched our environmental committee by conducting a comprehensive survey across the school. Our goal was to identify areas for improvement, including lights being left on unnecessarily, taps running, and doors left open. Collaborating closely with the site team, we are already working to address these issues and are optimistic about the positive impact these changes will bring.
Our next focus was inspired by feedback from several students: litter. We carried out a targeted survey to pinpoint the most problematic areas and then rolled up our sleeves for a school-wide litter pick. The dedication of our students was truly commendable—they collected
over two bin bags of rubbish, much of which had been scattered by recent stormy weather. Building on this momentum, we plan to serve our wider community by organising a litter pick along Elmbridge Lane, an area identified by many committee members as needing attention. They have developed keen eyes for litter!
Looking ahead to the new year, we are thrilled to introduce an exciting initiative: the Active Travel Ambassadors Programme. Our students will conduct a survey to explore how members of our community travel to school. Based on their findings, they will select a specific area to focus on and launch an initiative to address it. This programme will culminate in a presentation to council members in Reigate, where they’ll have the opportunity to showcase their findings and compete for a prize of up to £200.
By Miss Townsend
YEAR 11 GEOGRAPHY FIelD trip EXPERIENCE
This half term, our Year 11 Geography students took part in an enriching fieldtrip to Guildford, combining classroom learning with real-world data collection.
The fieldtrip began in the classroom, where students were introduced to key geography theories that would guide their observations and data collection. These concepts helped them understand how the quality of life in a given area can vary based on environmental factors, including the condition of buildings and public spaces. By exploring how physical and social elements of a place affect people’s perceptions of their surroundings, students gained insight into how areas with bettermaintained environments tend to have higher levels of satisfaction and well-being.
After laying the groundwork in the classroom, we headed to Guildford, where the Year 11s had the opportunity to collect data firsthand. The students were tasked with visiting two distinct locations within Guildford, each with contrasting characteristics. They observed and measured various environmental and social factors, including quality of the built environment, traffic counts, litter counts, and even an interview with a local person,
permission permitting!
In the afternoon, students analysed their findings, presented their data into bar and radial graphs, and drew conclusions about how quality of life can vary across a place. The final part of the day involved evaluating the fieldtrip process and reflecting on the data collection methods – a key skill, not just geographically.
This fieldtrip was an excellent opportunity for students and each of them worked so incredibly hard. We hope that they found the experience both educational and enjoyable.
By Miss Pailing
DURHAM & YORK GCSE HISTory TRIP
Our recent history trip to Durham and York offered an enriching experience that brought British history to life. In Durham, we were immersed in the medieval world with a visit to the iconic Durham Cathedral, a masterpiece of Norman architecture. The Cathedral’s awe-inspiring structure and its intricate details provided a tangible connection to the past, while the Shrine of St. Cuthbert, housed within the Cathedral, reminded us of the region’s deep Christian heritage. Exploring the Chapter House and the cloisters further deepened our understanding of monastic life, with their peaceful and contemplative atmosphere contrasting the bustling city outside.
A highlight of our visit to York was Clifford Tower, where we gained insight into the tumultuous history of York Castle and the pivotal role the tower played in England’s medieval era. From the top, we were treated to stunning panoramic views of the city, which helped us appreciate the strategic significance of the castle during the Middle Ages. In addition to these historical landmarks, we were fortunate to have time to wander through the charming streets of York, including the famous Shambles. This picturesque, narrow alleyway, with its timber-framed buildings, felt like stepping back in time, and the Harry Potter-esque shopping street offered a magical atmosphere that complemented the city’s rich history.
Finally, we were able to walk along the York City Walls,
another vital piece of the city’s heritage. The walls provided us with a unique perspective of the medieval city layout and allowed us to appreciate the strategic defence systems that once protected the city. The trip not only deepened our understanding of English history but also allowed us to explore some of the country’s most beautiful and historically significant sites. It was a truly memorable experience, one that will undoubtedly remain with us as we continue our studies of the past in GCSE history.
By Oliwia Kania (11DMU)
SPORTS CLUB ROUN D UP
Term 1 Sports Clubs
The PE department is proud to celebrate the incredible achievements, dedication, and sportsmanship displayed by our students across all teams and activities this term. It is so encouraging to see a high number of students from our SJB community being physically active after school this term.
Year 7 Girls Netball
With this being a new team, the girls are still very much finding their feet and establishing themselves. The PE department have been so overwhelmed and impressed by the dedication of the Year 7 netballers. In the first few weeks we had over 50 Year 7s alone attending netball club. The team had a really strong start against Woking High who they beat 7-1, a comfortable win, with Uzo winning player of the match. Next they played Gordon’s who they lost to with a disappointing score of 1-0, Uzo also earning player of the match. And finally our most recent game, we played BDB school where the girls won with a massive 13-0 and Annabelle won player of the match.
Year 8 Girls Netball
The Year 8 netball team has had an exceptional term, demonstrating significant growth, determination, and teamwork. From their very first match to the final game, the team has consistently showcased their commitment to improving both their skills and teamwork. The team have taken on difficult opponents and managed to secure some fantastic wins! Winning 15-1 against Hoe Valley and keeping the same momentum and securing a win of 15-1 against Chertsey High. Winning 16-8 against Kings was the finale of their success. I am proud of their growth and looking forward to the upcoming tournaments in the new year.
Year 9 Girls Netball
The Year 9 Netball team has had an exceptional term, demonstrating remarkable teamwork, communication, and determination on the court. From the very first match, the team has showcased an unstoppable spirit, with players working seamlessly together to execute their strategies. Their commitment to each other is evident in their smooth coordination, which has been key to their success throughout the term. Despite facing tough competition, the team’s only loss this term came against their hardest opponent. However, even in defeat, their resilience and sportsmanship were evident, and the loss only fueled their desire to improve and come back even stronger in future matches.
Overall, the Year 9 Netball team has proven to be a force to be reckoned with, leaving a lasting impression. Looking forward to the upcoming Netball tournaments in the new year.
Year 11 Girls Netball
The Year 11 netball team competed with determination and resilience in their recent tournament, showcasing their teamwork and sportsmanship in a highly competitive field. Although results didn’t go their way, the girls displayed great effort and spirit throughout.
Year 7 Girls Football
The Year 7 Girls’ Football Team has had an incredible start to the year, showcasing both talent and team spirit as they’ve navigated their first term together. The team has taken on tough opponents with determination, securing a fantastic 9-0 victory against Hoe Valley, narrowly losing a hard-fought match against Winston 2-3, and battling to a 2-2 draw against Salesian. These results highlight the team’s growing strength and resilience, as well as their commitment to improving with every game.
The girls have shown remarkable dedication during training sessions, working hard to develop their technical skills and tactical understanding.
We look forward to the term ahead and the first round of the 6-a-side tournament before Christmas. Well done on a fantastic first term. Here’s to more success and enjoyment in the months to come!
Year 7 & 8 Girls Football
This year marked a change for the Year 8 and 9 football teams, as it was the first time the two-year groups played together. Despite the challenges of different levels of experience and skill, the team has performed exceptionally well. Throughout the term, they have faced tough opponents, and although there were some losses, their resilience and determination has been fantastic. A standout moment for the team was their dominant 8-1 victory against BDB, a match that showcased their potential and excellence as a team. Overall, this team should be proud of themselves and cannot wait for the outcome and results of the upcoming tournaments before Christmas and new year.
Y10 & 11 Girls Football
The 10 & 11 Girls’ Football Team had a fantastic term, showcasing their skill, teamwork, and passion for the game as they represented the school with pride. The team made it through to the 3rd round of the
National Cup, the furthest the school has ever reached in this competition. This is a testament to their skill level and determination. With some of the team playing out of position, round 1 saw a commanding victory against Claremont Fan Court winning 3-0, showcasing their dominance on the field. In round 2 there was a hard-fought 3-2 win over Newlands Girls’ School. Unfortunately, we were knocked out in round 3, but the girls were still in the game with 10 minutes to go, it just wasn’t our day. We as a school are so proud of them.
Girls Basketball
The first round of basketball tournaments were hosted at BDB school just recently. The girls played against schools in their district and they will played them in a second round of tournaments in February where their scores will get added together to produce the overall standings.
Year 7 Girls Basketball
The Year 7 Girls’ Basketball Team put on an impressive performance in their first tournament, finishing 3rd out of 6 schools. The tournament was a great opportunity for the team to showcase their growing skills and teamwork. Results were:
• SJB 6 – Salesian 12
• SJB 12 – WH B 4
• SJB 6 – GA 4
• SJB 4 – WH A 18
• SJB 10 – BDB 2
There were some great baskets scored by Alannah and Olivia, with Emily powering down the side of the court. A huge well done to the Year 7 Girls’ Basketball Team for their fantastic effort and for proudly representing the school! Thank you to Miss Morrison and Oscar Renwick for their amazing coaching and refereeing
Year 8 Girls Basketball
Sadly the Year 8s did not get attend the first round of tournaments due to it being the Christmas shopping day. This team are very excited to get their first game played. There is a big turn out to club from the Year 8s.
Year 9 Girls Basketball
This team was made up of some fabulous players. Some of who, it was their first time representing the school in a sports fixture. They were so proud and excited to be taking part. Their first game was a huge loss against George Abbott, followed by another big loss to Salesain. Then, things turned around for our ladies. They had a strong game against BDB and Winston and beat both, with some brilliant shots from the girls. It all came down to their last game. They were playing Woking High who had been doing well the whole tournament. The game was neck and neck throughout and as the final whistle went Woking high had finished the game just one basket ahead of us (6-8) and took the win. Our current standings have us in 4th place out of 7 so far.
Year 10 Girls Basketball
We had some really experienced girls with us and some new faces including Caitlin who played well all tournament and made some fantastic shots. They were playing against 4 other schools. Collingwood B team were the first school they faced, who turned up extremely late and left us standing and waiting on court. As they entered the sportshall quite flustered the game commenced. SJB were prepared and ready and that’s what lead us to the win in that game. We later played Collingwood A and BDB who we drew and won against respectively. Our only defeat of the day was against Woking High, who the girls have played many times and know they are a tough opposition. The girls finished the tournament in joint second place.
Boys Football
Year 7 Boys Football
The Year 7 footballers have turned out in their masses at training and have created lots of selection headaches! The boys are not only dedicated and hard working they are also very talented. Undefeated with wins over Hoe Valley and BDB has the team in a great position going into the new year!
Year 8 Boys Football
This squad have continued from where they left off in Year 7 with SUPERB numbers attending training every week on a Tuesday after school with 45+ in numbers. We have played one league game against Hoe Valley in which we won 3-2 with virtually two squads playing each half. We have a friendly fixture against BDB before the Christmas break where we hope to put all the hard work into action before we go into our final two league matches after Christmas against Winston and Woking High.
Year 9 Boys Football
Year 9 footballers have been turning out in their usual high numbers to training every week, whatever the weather, and approach each session with great enthusiasm. Thus far, the boys have had two fixtures, one league game against Hoe Valley which resulted in a 2-1 win and a friendly fixture against BDB, which has given some of the players who are yet to represent the school the opportunity to play.
After the Christmas break, the league campaign continues as the boys look to fulfill their potential and top the group, winning a trip to Woking football stadium for the district final.
Year 10 Boys Football
The Year 10 football team started the term with great enthusiasm and optimism for the year ahead, with large numbers attending training each week. Once again, the team were entered into the ESFA national cup competition, and a first-round draw against Winston was always going to be a tough ask. With a couple of key individuals missing through injury, the boys put in a spirited performance, but ultimately came out on the wrong side of a 3-1 result.
After Christmas, attention will turn to the district football league campaign, where the boys will be hoping to put in some good performances to gain some positive results and qualify for the final at Woking Football stadium.
Boys Basketball
Year 7 Boys Basketball
The Year 7 Boys Basketball Team had their debut in the Woking district basketball tournament at SJB this term. Basketball club has been hugely popular this year with over 40 Year 7 boys regularly attending each week, two teams were selected to participate in the tournament. As always, the tournament was hugely competitive, with all thirteen teams playing some great basketball, and gave a lot of the boys their first experience of playing competitive fixtures. Both A and B teams qualified in second place out of the first round of group games, winning three out of their four games and two out of their three games respectively. This meant the teams met in the next round of group games to determine 4th, 5th and 6th place. A competitive match between the teams resulted in a draw, but ultimately meant the A team finished 4th and the B team finished 6th.
Next term both teams will play in the next two rounds of the district basketball tournament, and with their enthusiasm to improve I am sure we will see both teams continue their success, and improve their final positions.
Year 8 Boys Basketball
Last year’s team of the year have started with intent this year. The boys won their first district basketball tournament scoring a massive 90 points in 42 minutes of basketball, winning every game. Their dedication to training on Wednesdays mornings and Friday lunchtimes is a testament to the character in this team. Soon we look to reclaim our Junior NBA title and continue our form in the district!
Year 10 Boys Basketball
The Year 10 format this year is a tournament based competition and these will be after Christmas in two rounds and a final. The boys have been attending training with good numbers so much so that we will be able to enter two teams into the tournament to get as many boys as possible some game time on the court. Things are looking promising from what we have seen in training so keep your eyes on SOCS to see how we do.
Year 11 Boys Basketball
The Year 11 basketballers have made an impressive start to their season, despite losing the first two games narrowly to Winston and Salesian by less than 6 points in each game. Hopefully witht the continued diligence the boys have been showing in attending training before school on a Thursday morning, we will be able to turn the narrow losses into victories for the final games after Christmas.
Swimming
On September 21st, our swimming team participated in the ESSA’s Swimming School Championships at Guildford Spectrum. Students from Years 7-10 competed in two relay races: the medley relay and the freestyle relay. Our students performed exceptionally well and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and experience, facing off against many local schools. A special congratulations to
our senior boys team—Marco, Leo, Pedro, and Josh—who qualified for the relay finals. They traveled to Birmingham on November 16th, where they performed admirably, though they did not place. Well done to all our swimmers for their hard work and dedication!
Cross Country
Every year SJB go to the North West Surrey Schools Cross Country Championships, and what a performance from SJB as a whole this year! Every year group pushed their limits and should be very proud of themselves.
By Miss Jeppeson
Team performances:
Year 7 Girl’s placed 6th
Year 7 Boys place 4th
Year 8 Girls placed 1st
Year 8 Boys placed 6th
Year 9 Girls placed 6th
Year9 Boys placed 4th
Year 10 & 11 Girls placed 6th
Year 10 & 11 Boys placed 4th
EXTRA CURRICULAR
Our chess team have performed fantastically over the term with a series of events. The winning streak was kicked off at Gordon’s school competing against Gordon and Papplewick winning a whopping 13 out of 18 matches. Then followed by Woking High School hosting a chess match where we won 15 matches! Well done SJB Chess team! Look forward to more matches next year.
fell just short) to enter a follow up Coding Challenge in the Spring Time. We will contact those students who have qualified. Well done to all and thank you for your participation.
Sixth Form Bake Off
What a fantastic day of baking brilliance and delicious treats on Wednesday 11th December. A huge well done to all our talented bakers who brought their creativity (and sweet tooth) to the table. The competition was fierce, and the cakes were incredible. Each participant won 5 house
National Bebras Challenge
All KS3 students took part in the UK Bebras challenge (https://www.bebras.uk) during this half term. This allows students to test their computational thinking with fun, logic based puzzles. Many schools and students across the nation take part and the challenge is organised by the Raspberry Pi Foundation and supported by Oxford University. The contest was also run as a House Competition with awards for winners, 2 runners up and anyone who reached the Bebra Gold Standard. Gold Standard means they are in the TOP 10% of students who took part across the whole nation. In Year 7, we had three joint winners: Carley, Esme and Michael. In Year 8: Winner: Laura Runners Up: Jason, Chloe. In Year 9: Winner: Ethan Runners Up: Samir, Luke. We had 57 students across KS3 who reached the Gold Standard which is absolutely amazing! We will be offering the opportunity for all students who reached the Gold Standard (plus some who
points for their houses. Joint winners were Dale, Camilla and Karoline in group 1 and Joseph, Sophie, Olga and Joella in group 2. Well done! You all won 20 house points each towards your house.
Below is what’s to come next term:
• KS3 PE Interhouse
• Hard Boiled Egg Competition
• Valentine’s Day Poetry Competition
• Diversity Committee- Art Competition
• Tutor2U Ethics Competition
• Physical Geography Photography Competition
• World Book Day
By Miss A Brookes