UCC 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 service 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

English and Maths

P8

Design and Technology

P10

Geography

P12

Art

P14

ICT

P16

PE

P18

LRC P20 Dinnerhall P22 Notice Board

P24

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.

We regularly take part in the Shakespeare Schools Festival and Rock Challenge which has involved performing at Theatre by the Lake, The Brewery Arts Centre, The Old Laundry Theatre and The Sands Centre. These productions involve collaboration with a number of departments including Art and Music.

All students in Year 7 experience one timetabled lesson of drama per week. The lessons are based around practical work and every half term Theatre trips are an essential addition to students’ ends in a final performance or presentation. education. These are regularly organised for examination The Drama Department produces a variety of groups to see a variety of performances throughout the year involving students from all year groups. Past productions productions both locally and nationally. Recent trips have included large-scale musicals, such have included a Year 10 as Oliver! in July 2010, and an ‘in the round’ residential trip to London to performance of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in December 2010. Most recently the see War Horse and Wicked. department staged Sixth Form productions of Daisy Pulls it Off (July 2011) and Lord of the Flies (November 2011).

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 be taught in sets based initially on Key Stage data. The sets are reviewed at Christmas and are monitored throughout Key Stage 3. Some of the topics in Key Stage 3 are assessed by tests, whilst others use open-ended assessment-for-learning tasks.

We have some brilliant enrichment activities to enhance your science learning. We have recently taken part in the Institute of Physics “ever wondered why?” road show, we also went to the “Big Bang Event” at Rheged to see Oscar the inter-active robot and the Blood Hound rocket car, which amazingly can travel at 1000mph.

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.

english&maths

ENGLISH MATHS In Year 7 you will be working on your Reading, Writing and Speaking & Listening skills. For Reading you will look at how writers have tried to engage the reader through their use of language and structure.

When you arrive at UCC you will be organised into sets based on your Mathematical ability using your Key Stage 2 data. If you work hard there will be opportunities for you to move up a group.

You will look at lots of different types of writing, such as diaries, novels, short stories, plays and poems. In Writing you will put what you have learned in Reading into practice.

The Mathematics you will study will build upon the work you have already learnt in your primary school. Some examples of the topics you will study are: coordinates, revision of number operations, angles, solving equations, symmetry and negative numbers.

For Speaking & Listening you will be working with others, giving presentations. You will be expected to bring a reading book to lessons, and are encouraged to try and read at least 5 books a year.

You will access a variety of teaching and learning aids, such as card sorts, games, investigations and our electronic resources using laptops and pods.

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 Catering

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.

Each year the Design and Technology Department participates in many events and competitions. Our students recently won awards for the prestigious Chef of the Year award and the Rotary Technology Tournament.

The newly refurbished and equipped department has recently invested in new workshops, graphic suits, three large specialist kitchens and all the latest industry standard equipment including Boxford laser cutters, computerised embroidery machines, CAD/CAM equipment and forge.

The department also runs exciting clubs for you to enjoy, including CAD/CAM, Cultured Cooking and Stitch That.

geography

Geography Geography is an important part of the curriculum As you progress through UCC you have many at UCC. It gives you the opportunity to develop exciting trips to look forward to. In the past we a wide variety of skills and of developing an have ventured to: understanding of the world that you live in.

• Iceland • Italy • Taiwan

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 There are also trips much closer to home, with visits to St Bees and a study of the river Eden. 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”.

ART

Art 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 In Year 7 you will look at colour and pattern. You stimulating and exciting environment. In will spend time working on and improving your the Sixth Form, students have permanent individual studio spaces and also have the observational drawing and being inspired by a opportunity to do life drawing. range of artists and artefacts. You will be given a sketchbook to work in and where you can If you are keen on art, UCC is the best place experiment and improve your drawing skills. to come; our students often go on to the best art colleges in Britain.

The Art Club meets once a week at lunchtime.

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

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.

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.

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 fiction, 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.

always have someone exciting to launch Branch Out such as the Doctor Who author Daniel Blythe. Pupils who take part in the event are entered for the ‘lucky-dip’ Grand Prize and can compete for the prizes for the best illustration or review.

The LRC is also home to the Sounds of the Beacon Media Team. The team of students, from across the The LRC is also where award-winning authors year groups, make weekly and other exciting visitors hold workshops and programmes with news, film, fun practical sessions. In the last few years we sports and game reviews have had the Dreadlock Alien, Levi Tefari and that are shown on the UCC Mike Garry, who all visited on National Poetry website and the big screens Day and took part in an X factor-style poetry rap around the campus. Sounds competition. of the Beacon also regularly interview celebrities like the Chuckle Brothers, cricketer Since 2011 we have been running Branch Out Henry Olonga and Rory with Books, which is a home-grown reading competition here at UCC. It’s a chance to ‘branch Stewart MP. out’ to read different and fascinating books. We

DINNER HALL •

A meal deal is served every lunchtime consisting of a choice of main course or a sandwich, roll or sub plus a dessert

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All cooked meal deals are served with a choice of freshly cooked vegetables or mixed salad

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The Catering Team work with local suppliers and use top-quality ingredients that are packed with local flavour

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All meals and snacks can be purchased using cash or a Squid Payment Card which is a much faster way to pay just swoosh and go!

ucc CLUBS You can choose from and enjoy: Sports clubs Netball, Football, Hockey and Rugby Sounds of the Beacon Media Station Guitar Club Creative cookery Game Designing Art Dance Club Cheerleaders War Hammer Chess Duke of Edinburgh Stitch That Drama Productions

The College Day 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

Ullswater Community College Wetheriggs Lane Penrith CA11 8NG 01768 242160 www.ullswatercc.co.uk