High Sc n o
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Christmas 2012
azine of ag
Insight
ol. The M o h
Pupils Sweep the Board in Public Speaking Triumph
Lew
ute Concert ard Trib w l l i is M
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mun ity P artn e
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Mode
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Foreword
A Global Inspiration Inspirational! As you will see from our new Insight magazine, there have been many events this term, including the opportunity for pupils to visit China and the amazing achievement of the Inspirational Young People Award, which was awarded to our pupils who visited The Gambia. Our music curriculum is thriving with our wonderful choir and bands performing at events across the school and in the community. Also, we look forward to moving into our inspirational new school building in April 2013. Thank You
Exceptional Results! The academic year of 2011-12 was highly successful for our pupils, the school and the local community and we have a commitment to ensure that this academic year is equally, if not more exceptional. In 2012, 76.4% of our Y11 pupils achieved 5 or more GCSEs at A*-C, including English and Mathematics; this is 18.1% higher than all other maintained schools nationally and higher than any other school in Halton. The Baccaulaureate The Government have included a new school measure which is soon to be a new qualification called the Baccalaureate. To achieve the Baccalaureate, pupils must achieve A*- C grades in English, Mathematics, two Sciences, a modern Foreign Language and either History or Geography GCSEs; equivalent GCSEs do not count towards this award. To gain the Baccalaureate is a great achievement and the school is working presently to ensure that both before and after the qualification is introduced, pupils will be given the opportunity to be competitive with other pupils across the country. Therefore, we are very pleased to inform you that in 2012, 24% of our pupils achieved the relevant Baccalaureate GCSEs; this is 9% higher than any other school in Halton and 8% higher than the national average for maintained schools. We anticipate, that with hard work and an excellent attitude to learning, our pupils will achieve even more in 2013.
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Once again, we would like to say thank you for the excellent support that you give to Wade Deacon High School and your part in making sure that our philosophy of a Commitment to Excellence in everything that we do, continues. We would like to wish you a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year and look forward to an outstanding 2013.
Mrs P A Wright
Executive Headteacher
Pupils Secure Prestigious ‘Inspirational Young People Award’ for 2012. Wade Deacon’s recent expedition to The Gambia was always going to be a life changing experience. However, its significance and the humanitarian work of our pupils have now been officially recognised with the O2 ‘Think Big’ Inspirational Young People Award for 2012. The award was presented by HRH The Duchess of Gloucester at a glittering ceremony held at 02’s Corporate Headquarters in October. Presenting the award, the Duchess praised the ‘remarkable links that Wade Deacon pupils had made beyond their own community’ The award is the culmination of a great deal of work undertaken both during and after the visit to The Gambia, in terms of building relationships with the community of The Gunjur Project and in raising funds to support local children with their education which is now an ongoing commitment for our school. Money raised by pupils has also been used to further the development of the Gunjur
Project, allowing it to continue its vital work in improving the life chances of all people living in this area of The Gambia. Links have continued back at Wade Deacon with representatives from The Project addressing our pupils as part of our Citizenship & Enterprise Programme. Mrs Wright, Executive Headteacher was full of praise for all pupils involved, recognising the ‘unique experience’ of the Gambia expedition: ‘This award recognises that we have pupils at Wade Deacon who understand their role as world citizens and who accept the responsibilities that come with this. Wherever our pupils go; at home and oversees, they excel, and show themselves to be the Standard Bearers for everything that is good about young people today and as a school we could not be more proud of them’.
Mrs J A Gormley Head of School
Wade Deacon High School Birchfield Road Widnes WA8 7TD Tel: 0151 423 2721 Fax: 0151 424 3316 Email: school@wadedeacon.halton.sch.uk (for general enquiries) absence@wadedeacon.halton.sch.uk (to contact the attendance officer) Website: www.wadedeacon.com Year 11 celebrate with their Inspirational Young People Award Trophy.
Insight. Christmas 2012 © Wade Deacon High School. All Rights Reserved
Insight. Christmas 2012
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All The Fun of the Careers’ Fair Jessica gets the salon treatment.
October’s Year 11 Careers’ Fair was a great success, with our school playing host to all Further Education Colleges in our area. We also welcomed representatives from The Public Services as well as high profile modern apprenticeship providers including Vinci, who are involved in our new school building, Daresbury Laboratories and TTE who offer technical apprentice training. The day provided pupils with vital contact time and allowed the opportunity for one to one discussions to take place, giving them all the information they needed for ‘The Next Big Step.’ Pupils use this event to register their interest in certain career pathways which can be followed up later in the year. It also prepares pupils for our ‘Application Week’ during which they are interviewed and post 16 placements secured.
For Holly and Georgia, the future looks great.
Careers Aren’t Just For Grown Ups! Ethan and Luke with their design awards alongside prefect Benjamin Naughton.
September saw the launch of our Careers’ Events Programme. Our Year 7’s focus was ‘Your World; Your Life’. Pupils were set challenges inviting them to think in enterprising and creative ways about opportunities around them and how specific careers can impact on their world. Workshop activities on Invention, Entrepreneurship, Science and Art were led by World Merit Ambassadors who have all made a difference in the world through their career paths. They presented problems that pupils had to solve using Skype to relate these to the outside world at that very moment.
Our pupils worked with World Merit Ambassadors on Careers’ Day.
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Solutions were then presented to the whole Year Group. Pupils learned that if their solutions could help people across the world then they could be equally as effective back in Widnes!
Mrs Healey who coordinates all of our careers’ guidance in school was delighted with the relationships that were built up in such a short space of time: ‘We are committed to ensuring that our pupils are fully prepared and clear about the pathway they wish to take when they leave us. The excellent links that we have with our partners in further education and training mean that our pupils have the advantage which is vital in today’s competitive environment’.
Pupils’ problem solving design ideas formed part of an exhibition at the end of the day with the winning designs being exhibited at The British Invention Show in London. The Robotic Reef Cleaning Fish designed by Ethan Jardine and Luke McGuire was awarded The Bronze Medal. Amazingly, the University of Putra in Malaysia is now examining the potential of developing the concept into a prototype. Both boys were thrilled to be recognised at such a prestigious event: Luke said ‘The day really taught us to think outside the box and come up with ideas – the wackier, the better. To think that a university on the other side of the world is thinking of developing this into an actual product is fantastic. Ethan and I might be millionaires by the time we get into Year 8!’
Luke: ‘Just think, Jack: This time next year, we could be millionaires!!’
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Pupils Sweep the Board in Public Speaking Triumph Andrew and Jake with their trophies.
Move Over Jonathan Ross!
Jake Boughey in Year 8 and Andrew Dixon from Year 10 have made history this term by becoming Halton’s Champion Public Speakers at both Foundation Stage and Key Stage 4. This is the first time in the competition’s history that any school has achieved success in both categories in what is perhaps the most challenging competition on the school calendar. Our pupils left the audience and judges mesmerised speaking on a diverse range of topics. Jake’s ‘V is not for Violence’ explored the stereotype that society has of Computer Gamers, arguing that Gaming develops skills that are vital for success in the modern world, whist Andrew’ s hilarious take on the whereabouts of the world’s
Thirty talented GCSE French students recently attended the French Film Festival at the Cornerhouse Cinema in Manchester. ‘Declaration of War’, nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar in 2012, told the real-life story of the actors in the film and how they coped with an illness in the family. This experience gave our pupils the opportunity to enjoy a non-English language film and reinforced how discovering another country’s culture can be an interesting part of language06
lost socks ‘Where do all the Socks Go?’ had the audience crying with laughter. Paying tribute to both pupils, Head Judge, Margarette Leahy, Vice president of North Cheshire Speakers’ Club said that ‘whilst the standard was high across all schools, it was Jake and Andrew who really shone out, with speeches for which any adult would have been proud.’ Head of School, Mrs Janette Gormley praised the hard work and commitment of both boys: ‘Achievements like this are not simply about raw talent. They require determination, discipline and, above all, hours of practice. Our pupils’ ability to speak with confidence on issues that are important to them is a huge priority for us and both Andrew and Jake represent the very best of our school’s public speakers.’
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Pupils show they’re Masters and Class Acts!
Year 8 pupils at work on their Roaming Robot.
Year 7 used drums to create Brazilian rhythms in their Music Masterclass.
learning . The students are currently studying the topic of French Cinema and the trip proved be the inspiration for a detailed speaking assessment piece on a past cinema visit. As well as dinner at a pizzeria, the group also enjoyed visiting the traditional German Christmas Market, sampling European dishes and buying traditional Christmas gifts. Mr Cummins, Foundation Leader of MFL, was delighted with the pupils’ enthusiasm to try something new and put their excellent language skills to good use.
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Our first Gifted and Talented ‘Masterclass’ of the year challenged pupils to think ‘outside of the box.’ ‘Roaming Robots’ was the theme for the faculties of Science, Mathematics and Technology with Robot Wars veteran John Findlay inspiring pupils with his weirdly wonderful designs. Using his own Robot ‘Flipper’ as a model, pupils designed and built their own, learning how complex electronics create the desired motion. Tom Craig really enjoyed ‘constructing a robot from basic components and actually getting the thing to move!’ A Stage Combat Workshop provided by Renny Krupinsky kept our Year 10 and 11 Drama pupils very much on their guard developing their crime based improvisation work to include a realistic and credible fight scene. Emilie Davies in Year 11 loved being able to ‘create a convincingly violent stage act with safety’ which will help with her practical work in Drama. The Cultural Centre of Excellence had murder in mind with its ‘Horrorville’ theme. History & Geography combined to give pupils grid references to find
Insight. Christmas 2012
clues hidden around the school which were then used to help them solve a crime investigation. Pupils also learnt about the power of words in real life to develop their skills to protest. Shelby Jack from Year 11 understands ‘that words matter in today’s society’ and has learned the language skills needed to express her feelings. In Music, Eddie Sherwood worked with a variety of instruments, allowing pupils to explore Brazilian rhythms and music through practical activities. Pupils worked on drums and percussion leading to a performance of a Brazilian music. An awareness of Brazilian culture was as added bonus that Raphael Ardani particularly enjoyed. The Art department allowed Year 7s to approach figure drawing in an entirely new way – drawing and painting without using traditional pencils and brushes. Starting small, pupils worked towards producing sketches on a very large scale. The experience, in the words of Laura Grimwood was ‘scribbly, scratchy and quirky!’
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Pupils savour their slice of Mandarin In October half term, pupils alongside MFL Foundation Leader, Mr Cummins, enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime trip to China. The ten-day visit continues our long standing exchange programme with China and was made possible thanks to the link between the Universities of Liverpool and Jaotong in Xi’an who coordinated the visit. Wade Deacon worked closely with other participating schools including Litherland High School and Blue Coat School, in Liverpool, and Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy in Runcorn. At Jaotong University, the group attended Mandarin language sessions, as well as lectures about Chinese culture, art and music. Visits to China’s most famous attractions included the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army, the Temple
of Heaven and Tiananmen Square. Pupils also had the chance to practise their karaoke skills and sample traditional Chinese theatre. MFL Foundation Leader, Mr Cummins, believes that experiencing life in China, as well as learning more about its rich history, has given our pupils the inspiration to travel again in the future. Jo-Ann Taylor from Year 9 loved the whole experience and now has world travel very much on her ‘to do’ list. ‘Working with Chinese pupils makes me realise that we are all very much the same. We have the same dreams and ambitions. China is a wonderful place to visit and having the chance to see iconic wonders like the Great Wall was truly magical.’
East Meets West: A Celebration of Light This term, Wade Deacon and Mount Abu School in Delhi have been sharing ideas and resources about our respective cultural celebrations: in particular Christmas and Diwali. In November, we celebrated ‘East Meets West: A Celebration of Light’ in which students, staff, governors and other friends of the school gathered to savour some of the exciting and beautiful elements of our cultures; focusing in particular on light as a symbol of unity and hope. Pupils from Wade Deacon and Moorfield Primary
School entertained with superb dance performances as well as moving drama and reading performances based on the legends of light in folklore as well as current events. Examples of our pupils’ stunning Indianinspired artwork were also on display. Mrs Noone who has led the project following her own visit to Mount Abu School said: ‘This was a wonderful opportunity for both school communities to come together to celebrate our different cultures and to appreciate our similarities and differences.’
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Wade Deacon in the World Wade Deacon’s outstanding international links have been recognised with The International School Award for 2012. The award, conferred by The British Council, celebrates the outward facing nature of the school, recognising the ways in which our overseas links have helped both our partner schools and indeed our own teaching and learning. The formal feedback received from the award panel said that our international work was clearly embedded into the curriculum ‘offering global developments for the future.’ It praised the close ties that we have with China and how these have been developed in our primary school partnerships.
Jo-Anne Taylor, Emma Bailey and David Morrice on the Great Wall of China.
Executive Headteacher, Mrs Pamela Wright OBE said of the award: ‘We are thrilled to receive such a prestigious award that recognises the hard work and commitment of all staff and pupils. We understand the importance of our international dimension knowing that such links are mutually beneficial to everyone involved.’ The award, that gives Wade Deacon accreditation until August 2015, comes on the back of very successful trips recently to The Gambia, India and of course China who played host to four of our Mandarin Club students under the guidance of Mr Cummins in February.
Wade Deacon Goes Global! China 2012.
The Gambia 2012.
Oman 2012.
China 2012.
The panel congratulated Wade Deacon on its extensive work in ensuring that our pupils have the necessary cultural awareness and skills required to become truly global citizens. Moorfield Primary School and Wade Deacon High School worked together on the Celebration of Light.
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Community Partners help Pupils Keep their Promises A
groundbreaking programme of after school activities has been launched this term for our Year 7 pupils. The Pupil Promise Programme rewards pupils for commitment in a range of disciplines focussing on the environment, curriculum, charities and social that will see them rewarded throughout the year and at the end of the year at a formal ceremony.
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key feature of the autumn term has been the recruitment of a host of community partners who are now using their expertise and enthusiasm to inspire our pupils with some fabulous extra curricular clubs that now run permanently at school.
ur pupils’ arty talents are well and truly catered for with pottery and ceramics’ workshops as well as Funky Fashion and Textiles classes provided by our friends from Cronton College. Our budding thespians are nurtured by professional actress Amy Doyle and if it’s a good laugh that pupils need then Phil Chapman from ‘Beyond A Joke’ has them in stitches!
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omplementing our already extensive extracurricular programme, we now offer pupils the opportunity to test their skills on the race track with Barry Williams from The Widnes Remote Control Car Centre. Lisa Finnigan from Pretty Princess Cupcakes, mesmerises our girls with her Cupcake Design sessions and Paul Kilgariff from Halton Angling Centre gives the benefit of his experience with his weekly ‘Reel ‘em In’ Fishing Club.
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fter the bell at 2.45, school comes alive with a feast of opportunities with golf lessons from Jason O’Brien, the Club Professional
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at Widnes Golf Club, karate sessions delivered by Widnes Sangaku Shotakan Karate Club and Boxercise classes under the guidance of The Fitness Team at Kingsway Leisure Centre. Field archery delivered by Sporting Ambitions really keep our pupils on target every Wednesday.
Michele Bacon, Deputy Headteacher is thrilled with the way the programme has developed: ‘We want Wade Deacon to be at the heart of our community and value the expertise that lies beyond the school gate. Our community partners are inspiring with clubs that enrich our pupils’ learning in a variety of disciplines and for that we cannot praise and thank them highly enough’
Warhammer Warriors.
On the starting grid with Rob Sears from Widnes RC Club.
elanie Levy keeps pupils in tune at her weekly VoxPops Choir, whilst professional singer songwriter Natalie McCool gives them the skills to write the songs that the choir might be singing in the future! Zumba and Urban Street Dance delivered by dance students from Liverpool John Moores University ensure that if there’s a dance to be done, it’s not a problem! Potential rock gods work with John Whalley from The Rock Project and are professionally trained in bands with the view to performing a live gig at the end of the year.
Funky Fashion with Cronton College.
Boxercise
On target with Innes McDonald from Sporting Ambitions.
Wade Deacon High School
Insight. Christmas 2012
Boxercise with Kingsway Leisure Centre.
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Work continues in earnest on the construction of the new school building which is due to open at Easter. The kitchen and canteen have been built, joining the new sports hall with the rest of the school. Glazing has been installed throughout, so the school is now watertight. This has allowed contractors to commence work on interior fittings. Fixed furniture is being installed in technology and science labs. In some rooms, walls are painted and carpets are fitted. Outside, work on two of the sports pitches has been completed. Pupils on the Birchfield Road Campus already enjoy games on pitches finished to Sports England standard. As work continues, all remaining pitches will be upgraded, and a state-of-the-art All Weather Pitch will be added to our superb sporting facilities.
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Our reathtakingly pectacular uture
Building Project on Target
Large outdoor Learning Gardens with different landscaping in each will provide new opportunities for learning outside the classroom.
Plans for the new buildings and the latest photographs are available on the school website: www.wadedeacon.com/bsf
The PE Dance Studio beginning to take shape.
A new Science laboratory.
H. Natural light floods the new library through large skiylights. Natural light floods the new library through large skylights. A new ICT classroom. Benching has been added, and carpet laid.
The generous provision of glazing makes the school light and airy.
All sports pitches are being upgraded to Sports England standard.
One of the Food Technology labs begins to take shape.
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Pupil Writers are an Internet Sensation!
A Celebration of Achievement
Our budding writers are basking in the glory of being published authors and poets. The English Faculty is currently running an initiative whereby pupils receive a stimulus in class and any work produced, whether that be poetry or creative writing, is immediately uploaded on the ‘Tomorrow’s Writers’ Website.
Our 33rd Annual Awards Presentation Evening was a celebration of the outstanding achievements of our pupils, past and present. Hard-earned GCSE Certificates were presented our former pupils by special guest Mr Mike Dickenson, Head of Education and Welfare at Everton Football Academy. The Mayor of Halton, Cllr Tom McInerney, presented trophies to our special award winners. Recipients were recognised for their exceptional achievement, attitude to learning and contribution to both the school and the wider community. Head of School Mrs Gormley praised pupils for their “amazing achievements in progress, attainment, attendance or community and citizenship work.”
Their work then becomes available on the World Wide Web for anyone to look at. The online voting facility allows readers to judge and comment on the pieces of work that pupils have written which can be viewed immediately. New Year 6 pupils attending the school’s Open Evening also enjoyed the thrill of
Photographs taken on the evening are available on the school Flickr page; www.flickr.com/photos/wadedeacon
seeing their work published. On the night they walked into a classroom which was transformed into a beautiful beach with the sound of waves gently playing in the background. This generated some superb examples of descriptive writing which were uploaded and on the internet before pupils got home!
Year 6 pupils prepare for their Enterprise Presentation.
Wade Deacon High School
Insight. Christmas 2012
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Year 9 pupil Ella Prince is already benefiting from some excellent feedback on her outstanding work: ‘To see people who I have never ever met commenting on my work and saying they like it, is a lovely feeling. Writing for an audience gives a real sense of purpose to all of our work in English’.
Big Made Small in Summer School Success
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Year 9 pupils have seen their work published on the internet.
Committed pupils from Wade Deacon’s Feeder Primary Schools enjoyed a week of activities over the summer holiday. Core literacy skills and a love of reading were the big targets of the week. Pupils analysed Revolting Rhymes poems and used their creativity to craft their own with superb results. A day of Enterprise involved pupils having to design and promote a range of products, culminating in group presentations along the lines of The Apprentice, helping to develop teamwork and leadership skills. The Olympic theme was also ever present in a range of sporting
activities which gave the week that competitive edge! Current Year 9 pupils acted as mentors for the new starters – all designed to make the move to secondary school that bit easier. Mr Deeney, Progress Leader for new Year 7 pupils could not praise them highly enough: ‘When pupils give up part of their summer holiday to come and study with us, it speaks volumes about their determination to succeed. All pupils made progress throughout the week which will benefit them greatly as they begin their learning journey with us’
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Pupils Put Others First
Open Invitation Inspires New Pupils Hands on activities across all faculties allowed Year 6 pupils the opportunity to excel and, of course, impress their new teachers during our wonderful Open Evening. The English Faculty played their part in getting pupils’ creative juices flowing, taking pupils into the world of Hogwarts and Narnia in a series of reading challenges. Heated argument was also in order as pupils competed in teams in The Debating Room run by the school’s Debating Society. Science the most explosive Faculty of the night with experiments that literally made pupils’ hair stand on end, whilst in Art, the vibrant colours of Jon Burgerman were the inspiration for pupils’ excellent artistic designs. It was ‘Action’ all
the way in The Drama Theatre with a series of hilarious timed improvisations that pupils directed themselves. Historical and Geographical investigation was the order of the day in Humanities as pupils tried to decide who had climbed Everest first or who was responsible for one of history’s most notorious Enthusiastic pupils in our Art & Geography crimes. Zones during Open Evening. Food and drink were definitely on the menu in MFL as long as they were ordered in French at the Faculty’s mock up Parisian café! Lily Moss from Lunts Heath Primary clearly had a great time on the night. ‘Every activity was great fun and the Wade Deacon pupils and teachers were really friendly.
STaM Starts!! Our school’s cutting edge Science Technology and Maths programme ( STaM ) has exploded into life this term with targeted events and activities devised by Dr Jackson, our STaM Leader, and designed to inspire our pupils in these vital curriculum areas. Catering for the complete spectrum of abilities and specialisms of our pupils, activities help to equip them with the skills needed to compete in an ever changing technological world. Our close links with Halton College, as well as science &industry based trips and the opportunity to hear groundbreaking keynote speakers allow our pupils to see ‘The Big Picture’ which is vital for their future success. Lectures on ‘The Light Fantastic’ at Daresbury Laboratories, Maths Study Days at The Catalyst Discovery Centre
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Dr Jackson, Jack Lee and John Handford get to work on their Wasp Go-Kart.
Care and consideration were the themes for our first Citizenship & Enterprise Day. Conserving our fragile environment was the message for Foundation pupils from the inspirational Jules Howard. Representatives from Action Aid and Operation Christmas Child also illustrated the effects of poverty around the globe. In house sessions included Dragons’ Den, devising catchy charity songs, as well as activities highlighting our pupils’ Carbon Footprint. Key Stage 4 pupils considered the challenges facing our community’s disabled citizens. Linda Bancroft entertained with the message that being blind need not deter people from achieving their goals. Sharing her experiences of The Paralympic Games, Linda also presented a series of blind awareness challenges including writing Christmas cards and wrapping presents – seemingly easy tasks, but far from it whilst blindfolded! Merseyside School for the Deaf demonstrated basic sign language with enjoyable and thought – provoking workshops. The highlight for Year 11 was the session presented by ex Marine Andrew Grant, who lost his leg
and ‘An Introduction to Computer Programming’ at Manchester University give a flavour of our exciting STaM calendar. Jack Lee from Year 8 attends the WASP Go Kart Assembly Club and is loving every minute of the
experience: ‘Assembling the Kart bit by bit each week is allowing me to see how my work in maths, physics and technology fit into the real world. I can’t wait to finish it and race it!’
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fighting in Afghanistan and who left pupils in awe of his courage in refusing to accept that injuries should compromise the achievement of personal goals.
Caring & Considerate pupils on Citizenship Day.
Emily and Gabrielle with ex marine Andrew Grant. Year 10 explored issues of homelessness – making shelters from cardboard and newspapers. NK Theatre Arts presented a harrowing account of life on the streets and Graham Hudson shared his struggle for survival on the streets of Manchester and how The Mustard Tree charity had saved him – a charity that uses art to re focus people and help them to change their lives for the better.
Pupils became ‘Active Learners’ during a fantastic Maths & Science Revision Weekend held at The Kingsway Centre in Colomendy. Workshops led by examination specialists focussed on key elements of the Maths & Science November examinations. These intense revision sessions were punctuated with dynamic outdoor activities – again seeking to reinforce some of the maths and science principles and skills learned in the classroom. Pupils worked in teams learning about G Forces on the 3G Swing as well as reinforcing their navigation skills on the Jacob’s Ladder – using mathematical principles. Insight. Christmas 2012
Maths & Science Go Outdoors!
Pupils – taken from Years 10 & 11 clearly enjoyed the weekend calling it ‘the best way to get ready for our exams’. John Jones ( made up name ) enjoyed the variety of activities that really helped him to keep focussed: ‘It was great because our subject revision sessions were split up with elements of outdoor activities which made it fun and easier to learn.’
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One More Time for Lewis
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£100 for the Guy! Katherine Hickey and Bethany Darcy from Year 9 are celebrating after winning first prize in a Halton competition promoting firework and bonfire safety. 1000 people in the UK are injured each year owing to firework related accidents and the competition aimed to raise awareness of this issue.
The Wade Deacon Rock Band reformed on Saturday 17th November for a tribute gig in memory of their band mate and our former pupil Lewis Millward. The band played 2 of Lewis’ favourite songs from their repertoire: ‘I feel Good’ by James Brown and ‘Twist & Shout’ by The Beatles. The idea for ‘Sound off Halton’ came from Ged Verdin, a member of our local community and himself a Wade Deacon parent. Liaising with a cross
section of musicians in Halton and Lewis’ family, the gig became a reality with a total of 9 bands performing at ‘The Studio’, Halton’s renowned music venue. It is widely known about how much Lewis loved his music and what a talented musician he was. It is fitting then that his school pals played their final gig in memory of him. Reece Crosby, lead singer of the school’s Rock Band spoke for everyone when he said:
‘Music is what brings us all together and we all loved playing in our little band. When we performed our last gig with Lewis the crowd loved it and I know how much that meant to all of us’
Our pupils’ remit in a Personal Social & Health Education lesson was to produce a design for a modern Guy Fawkes which then had to be transformed into a 3D papier mache model.
Reading Matters
Promoting a love of reading across all year groups has been a top priority for The English Faculty this term with a number of exciting initiatives: The Literature Society meets weekly to read and discuss some of the classics such as Jane Eyre with tea and cake adding style and class to the sessions! All Tutor Groups now have one session per week reading with their Personal Tutor which has proved to be extremely successful. Extracts form a diverse range of literature allows for discussion on the issues raised, as well as on the fundamentals of character and setting. A Reading Treasure Hunt has had Y7 pupils searching
Lisa Millward, Lewis’ mum Wade Deacon High School
Widnes Fire Service, as well as £25.00 for themselves which was spent on a host of Bonfire Night treats!
Katherine and Bethany are pictured with their winning Guy Fawkes’ model. They won £75.00 for the school which will be donated to
The judging panel from the Environment Directorate of Halton Borough Council and Smiths Ltd praised the girls’ ‘imaginative and attractive design’
To see Lewis’ guitar on stage with the band as they played is a moment that will stay with me forever. Thank you to everyone’
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which they said would certainly help to raise the profile of bonfire and firework safety particularly amongst the borough’s younger children.
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Model Pupils: Katherine and Bethany with their winning design. corridors for pictures of their teachers reading their current books, prompting discussion about the reasons for teachers’ selections. Year 8 pupils are preparing for an exciting trip to Stratford where they will enjoy a backstage tour of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a cruise on the River Avon as well as a trip to Shakespeare’s birthplace and a full RSC production. Miss Griffiths, Leader of Reading Skills’ Development is delighted with the way pupils have responded: ‘It’s great to see that reading has such a high profile in school. Pupils’ love of reading is evident in the range of activities that they are enjoying tremendously.’ 19
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Our Sporting Life
Deacon Duo Get Team GB Call We are proud to announce that Miss Day and Miss Lowry were selected for the Great Britain Teachers’ Rugby League Team this term in a match against the elite players from all of England’s universities. The Teachers’ GB team is selected from schools across the country with players coming from as far afield as Southampton for the match that was held in Leeds. Given the limited amount of training that the team had,
our girls did extremely well against a very well drilled and physical England side who had just returned from their French tour. Despite losing the match 36pts to 6, Team GB gave a spirited performance. Miss Day and Miss Lowry are looking forward to their first international in the New Year. Their success follows a history of Great Britain caps from Wade Deacon including Mr Critchley, a former Barbarian and Mr Woan.
Pupils Follow Olympic Heroes Over the summer, Year 10 pupils made the journey to London to see their sporting heroes competing in the Olympic Games. The school secured tickets to watch the beach volleyball at the awe – inspiring venue of Horse Guards Parade with
the added thrill of seeing Team GB in action. Pupils also got a taste of life at Eton as the famous boys’ college played host to our pupils for their overnight stay before returning to the Olympic Park for the handball competition with Team GB again in action.
Sponsorship Deal Gets Teams the Right Coach! Our strong community links are once again in evidence with the securing of a unique sponsorship deal between the school and Ashcroft’s Travel, who continue to be fantastic supporters of our school. The Widnes based travel company has provided the school with three full sports kits, as well as helping us to fund our extra - curricular PE programme. Overall the deal is worth £1200.00.
Mr Fitzpatrick who has secured the deal paid tribute to our community partner saying ‘We rely very much on outside support in order to ensure that our pupils get the very best. This deal means that our teams will look and feel professional which just might give us the edge on the field of play!’
All kitted out and ready to go!
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