Ullswater Community College Prospectus for Students

MESSAGE FROM THE HEADTEACHER Ullswater Community College is a happy school where young people are treated with respect and are expected to treat one another in the same way. We hope you will enjoy your next few years with us and make good progress in your studies. You will find that all of our students want to do well and we have the staff, facilities and determination to ensure they do so.

We are extremely proud of our values. Our aims are; • • • •

To be fiercely ambitious on behalf of all of our pupils; To secure good levels of academic progress at every level of ability; To be a happy school - happy pupils achieve more than unhappy ones; To ensure that all pupils feel valued and well supported.

Finally - a guarantee from your new Headteacher. Occasionally new pupils worry that, when they transfer to a big College like ours, they will be made unhappy by others. If at any point you feel you are in this situation and you tell us about it, we guarantee to act.

I know you will have a good time at Ullswater Community College over the next few years and we look forward to seeing you shortly.

Mr N H Pattinson,

Headteacher

AIMS

PRINCIPLES

Ullswater community College exists to provide a high quality servie to the community that we serve, embracing a philosophy of LIFELONG LEARNING.

The five fundamental principles which guide all our planning, organisation and operation are:

Our college aims to produce balanced men and women who know the value of working hard to develop their individual talents in the context of a caring community. Strength of character involves knowing one’s strong points and those of other people, as well as recognising weaknesses and learning how to cope with them. Skill, enterprise, adventure and compassion are all vital qualities.

Through its rigorous academic programme and through the wealth of other experiences it offers, Ullswater Community College aims to encourage students to develop just such qualities and to carry these through career, higher education and adult life.

Our college is a place where every student can be known as an individual and where no one is left out. Learning in a lively and outward looking community with a wide range of academic, cultural, industrial, sporting and social experiences, our students are ready and able to face the demands and challenges, the choices and changes of life in the twenty first century.

The right to high quality teaching and learning Every student has a right to learn, every adult has the right to do their job, all in an orderly, clean, safe and healthy environment.

Entitlement for all students The principle that each student is entitled to a broad and balanced curriculum which is relevant to his or her individual needs is fundamental to our planning and organisation. We are an INCLUSIVE college.

Opportunities taken up by all students This entitlement will be reflected in the curriculum offered to every student, but it is not enough, in our view, that such an entitlement should be offered: it must be organised in such a way that students are encouraged to take up their opportunities.

Curriculum must be comprehensive The curriculum must promote development in all the main areas of learning and experience: spiritual, moral, cultural, physical and intellectual.

Curriculum must prepare for life in the community The curriculum must serve to develop each student both as an individual and as a future adult member of the community.

CONTENTS Welcome

P2

Drama

p4

Science

p6

Design and Technology

p8

Geography

p10

Art

p12

ICT

p14

PE

p16

Dinnerhall

P18

LRC

P20

Notice Board

P22

DRAMA

Drama Drama has a strong place within the cultural life of UCC. It gives you the opportunity to work as part of a team, to develop performing skills and to experience leadership. Most importantly of all, you will have the chance to experience the enjoyment that learning through drama can bring.

All students in Year 7 experience one timetabled lesson of drama per week. The lessons are based around practical work and every half term ends in a final performance or presentation.

The Drama Department produces an annual school production involving students from all year groups. In the past few years, and in collaboration with the Music Department, productions have ranged from ‘Annie’ to ‘Little Shop of Horrors’, with over 100 students taking part in each.

The Drama Department also regularly takes part in the Shakespeare Schools and Youth festivals.

Our students have also performed ‘Macbeth’ at the Brewery Kendal, and ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ at the Old Laundry in Bowness.

We have also taken part in the North West regional rounds of Rock Challenge, an international dance competition. Our 2009 entry was a version of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ called ‘There’s No Place Like Home’, which scooped third place overall with additional awards for hair and make-up and entertainment. The performance was described by judges as the most colourful and entertaining of the evening.

SCIENCE

Science In Year 7 your Science studies begin with lots of interesting topics like cells and organs, chemical reactions and the Solar System.

There is also a strong link into how science affects your everyday life and the role of science and scientists in the world.

You will initially be taught in mixed ability groups until Christmas you will then be put in sets according to your ability. This will be monitored throughout KS3. Some of the topics throughout Key Stage 3 are assessed by tests, whilst others are by open-ended assessment for learning tasks.

We also have brilliant enrichment activities to enhance your science learning. We have recently had a lot of fun with a famous Darwinian rapper Baba Brinkman and other events included the ‘lab in a lorry ‘, Girls into Engineering, Forensic Science day, the mobile planetarium and trips out to Manchester University.

There is a strong emphasis on investigative science where you will be able to plan, carry out, analyse and evaluate investigations of scientific ideas. You will have plenty of opportunity to take part in lots of practicals and they form an important part of your skills development.

You will also develop skills in handling and displaying data to build an appreciation of the ‘Scientific Method’ and how models are developed to explain observations.

DESIGN&TECHNOLOGY

Design and Technology Design and Technology at UCC allows you to be creative and practical in the areas of: • • • •

Food and nutrition Graphic design Resistant materials Textile technology.

All these technologies are taught in mixed-ability groups for two lessons each week to Year 7 and 8 students.

As well as the opportunity to design, cook and learn practical skills in the different design areas, you will experience some exciting workshops and visits, including guest speakers who will help you with your creative and practical ideas.

All our guest speakers are professionals within industry, and work in every area of design and technology. Graphic design students will be able to work alongside sign makers and product design professionals to gain experience. There

are also trips; this year’s were to Manchester University Design Department and to the Clothes Show Live.

The Design and Technology Department has invested heavily over the last 2 years and we now have two new workshops and brand new specialist kitchens. In September 2010 we hope to install a Boxford laser cutter – the latest in CAM equipment – which will enhance your practical and learning experience by speeding up production.

The department also runs clubs for you to enjoy, including CAD/CAM and cultured cooking.

GEOGRAPHY

Geography Geography is an important part of the curriculum at UCC. It gives you the opportunity to develop a wide variety of skills and of developing an understanding of the world that you live in.

From Year 7 we start to develop your geographical knowledge and understanding by starting at the place that you know best – “Brilliant Britain”. In your first term, you will learn all about the many wonderful places that our little island has to offer.

You will also learn about the local area through fieldwork in Penrith and by investigating many of the impressive features the Lake District has to offer. We then move on to a very different environment and learn about the geography of our capital city: London. Later, we go on to discover places all around the world as we begin to go global and look at “Amazing Africa”.

As you progress through UCC you have many exciting trips to look forward to. In the past we have ventured to: • Iceland • Italy • Taiwan There are also trips much closer to home, with visits to St Bees and a study of the river Eden.

ART

Art This is a good time to start at UCC – there are going to be more art lessons than ever before!

In Year 7 you will look at colour and pattern. You will spend time working on and improving your observational drawing and being inspired by a range of artists and artefacts. You will be given a sketchbook to work in and where you can experiment and improve your drawing skills.

The Art Club meets once a week at lunchtime.

You can either work on group projects or your own work.

We regularly have artists come in and work with students; this year we had an artist work with a group of students in Year 7 on large images that are now displayed around the college.

We are tremendously proud of our excellent facilities and of the quality of the teaching and studio spaces in our department – it is a highly stimulating and exciting environment. In the Sixth Form, students have permanent individual studio spaces and also have the opportunity to do life drawing.

If you are keen on art, UCC is the best place to come; our students often go on to the best art colleges in Britain.

ICT

ICT ICT stands for Information and Communication Technology, which means that it’s all about using computers and other digital devices to communicate with people all over the world. We will teach you how to use this technology in an enjoyable and efficient way.

In Year 7 you will learn about the internet and how to work with it. You will create a multi-media presentation with pictures, video and sound.

You will design and create leaflets and podcasts about endangered animals. Throughout your first year at UCC, you will be using: • • • •

digital cameras video cameras scanners working with the UCC automatic weather station

To finish the year, you will create your own computer game.

Years 8 to 11 continue in a similar way but the use of ICT gets more complex each year.

Now that you know more about what is done in ICT, you will be able to see that, as well as hard work, there’s a lot of enjoyment in the work that you will do.

You are also welcome to join the ICT lunch time club where you can have fun designing new games.

PE

PE The PE Department has a fine reputation for offering a tremendous variety of sporting opportunities. During your time at UCC, you will have access to these activities whether you wish to participate at a purely recreational level or are ambitious to compete at the highest levels From Years 7 to 11 you will have two PE lessons each week. You will take part in a variety of activities in these lessons. In Year 7 these will include: • Athletics

• Gymnastics

• Basketball

• Hockey

• Badminton

• Netball

• Cheerleading

• Orienteering

• Cricket

• Rounders

• Dance

• Rugby

• Fitness

• Softball

• Football

You will have the opportunity to pursue all of these activities outside the lessons at the sports clubs that take place during lunch-times and after school, including Saturday mornings, throughout the year. You will also have the opportunity to be involved in the sports tours that are organised by the PE staff. Recently, these have included rugby tours to Birmingham, Newcastle and South Africa and also a cheerleading residential in Shropshire.

DINNER HALL • A combination mea meal is served every lunch time consisting of a choice of main co course plus a dessert • You could also cho choose the sandwich combinations which also include a dessert • All combination me meal deals are served with a choice of freshly cooked vegetables or mixed salad • The foodservice tea team obtain food locally and by doing so supports the local loc community and economy, this helps to reduce our carbon foot print through reducing fo food miles • The kitchen teams aare committed to meals for you. providing varied healthy hea nutrition is essential for We believe that nut and healthy. you to be happy an

LUNCH CLUBS You can choose from and enjoy: oy: Sports Clubs Netball, Football, Hockey and Rugby ugby Guitar Club Choir Kit Modelling Creative Cookery Game Designing Art Sounds of the Beacon Radio Club Dance Club

Learning Resource Centre (LRC) The LRC is the information hub of the school.

Recently refurbished, it provides you with the highest quality learning resources. This includes all the latest ďŹ ction, which can be requested by you.

There is always a member of staff in the LRC to help you with your research, your projects and your homework. We have 20 computers connected to colour printers and with a book stock of 10,000 there is bound to be something to help you complete your work.

The LRC is also where award-winning authors and other exciting visitors hold workshops and fun practical sessions. In the last few years we have had the Dreadlock Alien and Levi Tefari, who both visited on National Poetry Day and took part in an X factor-style poetry rap competition. As we are a Business and Enterprise College, we were lucky enough to have Sophie Kane, who appeared on the BBC Apprentice programme, give a talk and a

workshop on how to start a small businesses.

Numerous authors have visited the school and some lucky Year 8 students had an online webchat with Jacqueline Wilson on World Book Day. Other visitors include scientists working in the Amazon rainforest and the original World War 2 code-breaking machine from Bletchley Park, which was brought in as part of History Day. The LRC is also home to the Sounds of the Beacon radio station, which makes podcasts to be shown on the UCC web and the big screens around the campus. The radio team is made up of 12 students from all year groups who get to broadcast ďŹ lm edit and interview all our exciting visitors.

THE COLLEGE DAY 2010-2011 8.55am - 9.15am Assembly/Tutorial 9.15am-10.15am Period 1 10.20am – 11.20am Period 2 11.20am – 11.35am BREAK 11.35am – 12.35pm Period 3 12.35pm – 1.35pm LUNCH 1.35pm – 2.35pm Period 4 2.40pm – 3.40pm Period 5